Boo's Insane and Inane Rambling's

An Open Letter To My Middle Child

noreply@blogger.com (Booferson J McGrugen) — Fri, 25 Sep 2020 14:00:00 +0000

To my 2nd born,

I see a lot of myself in you. The way you act, and react to the world around you, reminds me a lot of myself. So I'm writing you this letter young one, despite the fact that you will most likely never read it, in the hopes that you will be more prepared for life than I was. And if you're more prepared, you can avoid the pitfalls that I have struggled with.

The first thing that is apparent is that like me, you love what you love regardless of what anybody else thinks. Thankfully you are growing up in the age were geeks and nerds rule pop culture as much as they do the "adult business world". Comic book movies, video games, computers, all of these things once caused their fans to instantly be labeled as social pariahs. Outcasts, doomed to never know what was "cool", get invited to parties, or anything else that Hollywood thinks typical teenagers do. Now you don't have to hide your passion for these things. You won't get made fun of, called names, or laughed at simply because you'd rather make up your own superhero story rather than watch pro sports. I hope these trends continue, and you can learn to embrace your inner-geekdom much sooner than I did. Just remember what Simon Pegg said...

Secondly, you wear your heart on your sleeve. Taking the first point another step further, you aren't ashamed to let people know what you are interested in and what you aren't. And you have no patience to suffer through those things that fall outside of those points. Unfortunately, this is something you'll have to learn to cope with. There are just some things you're going to be forced to suffer through, and it's best to just to get them out of the way as quickly and as painlessly as possible, so you can get back to what you do want to do. This is why I have to sit in front of a computer all day instead of watching tv or playing games with you, your brothers, and your mother. So if you have the option, find the one you hate the least. And if there is no option, crying isn't going to make it go away. Just power through it, and make that time left even more enjoyable.

Now son, here's where things take a bit of a turn. Those first two points were ones that you can live with, with minimal compromise. I'm sorry to say, though, that the stubbornness you have inherited from me is what's going to get you into trouble. The fact that you don't suffer fools at all may sound good on paper until you realize just how many truly dumb people exist with what seems to be a combined sole mission to irritate, aggravate, and annoy you while ripping any shred of decency they have for you to complete shreds. To make matters worse, if you treat them with the same rudeness and disdain they throw at you, you'll be the one outcast as a terrible person, and they'll use this an excuse to be even ruder and more abrasive to you in order to "teach you a lesson". I'm sorry. I really am. There's no remedy for this. Believe me, even though this world will at times seem designed solely to beat you down, letting that mental anguish out in physical ways on yourself is the last thing you should do. I'm still suffering from my choices, and I don't wish this pain on you at all. Just hold on to the things that do bring you joy, and know that someone is always here to support you, no matter what.

Finally, and most disturbingly, you seem to have my anti-social tendencies as well. This is something I have struggled with. Learning to not feel loneliness, because you'd rather be alone than surrounded by people. Getting mad because no one wants to include you in things, but also getting mad when they invite you to do something you really don't want to do; and feeling too shy or awkward to invite yourself or suggest something else. This is the catch-22 that you'll have to learn to overcome. You'll also have to learn how to ignore those who tell you to "just go talk", and that it's "easy". They don't understand how truly difficult, and nearly impossible, it sometimes feels. So start now while you're young. Put yourself out there. Learn those social ques, so that when you are put in a situation of being uncomfortably surrounded by people, you can at least fake your way through it. Don't wait, because the rest of the world won't wait for you. And since this isn't something that is readily noticed or understood by the common populace, most people won't simply brush this off and forget it happened. No matter how much you wish they would. Force yourself to ask those uncomfortable questions, to start a conversation, and to end one appropriately. Learn to hold on to your wisdom and logic, so when someone pressures you into trying, doing, or buying something, you don't resort to either falling for it head over heels or blowing up in anger and walking away in disgust. I hope you learn these lessons, and that you find someone that still accepts you for who you are with enough patience to put up with you when you do slip. I may be an old dog that can't learn any new tricks, but you, your brothers, and your mother make me want to be a better person just by being here. And that's why I'll always be here for all of you.

I love you, son.

Dad

My Top 10 Obscure, But Rather Helpful, Smart Apps

noreply@blogger.com (Booferson J McGrugen) — Wed, 25 Mar 2020 19:21:00 +0000

If you've ever seen me in real life, you've probably seen me with my attention fully placed on my cell phone screen. Yeah, I'm a tech guy who loves his gadgets, but that doesn't mean you can't take advantage of the same things I do. What follows are some of my favorite apps, outside of the usual social media and internet ones used by everyone already. While most of these are simple and easy to use, there may be a few that lean toward the more nerdy users. There's even one that does require you to buy a small accessory, so be aware of this before looking to get the full use of all these apps. You can still use these to leverage your phone to ease your everyday life, to gain a deeper insight into the things you do anyway, or to kill time while you... um... "take care of business", since you're on your phone in there anyway.

It Was Just A Dream, But The Fear Was Real

noreply@blogger.com (Booferson J McGrugen) — Thu, 01 Aug 2019 12:00:00 +0000

Ever have a dream that was way too real? To the point where you had trouble discerning reality from the dream? Happened to me years ago, but this particular one still sticks with.

What Exactly Is Wrong With Me

noreply@blogger.com (Booferson J McGrugen) — Tue, 30 Oct 2018 13:00:00 +0000

So recently I have embarked on a kind of quest of self-discovery. For years I never sought medical help of any kind, and was "content", for lack of a better word, with making my own self-diagnosis and treating myself accordingly. But now things have changed. Maybe it's being mature enough to ask for help. Maybe it's seeking confirmation that what I thought all along is actually true. Maybe it's fear of being a hypocrite since I started working in the healthcare industry. Maybe it's the support I get from my beautiful wife, and instead of resigning to the fact that she'd leave me for something better I actually want to be better for her. Maybe it's realizing that now that I'm a father, I actually have a reason to spend more time on this Earth. Most likely, it's a mix of all of those. But now the question is, exactly what all is wrong with me?

How Did Best Buy's Epic Fail Became The Worst Sale?

noreply@blogger.com (Booferson J McGrugen) — Mon, 27 Aug 2018 16:43:00 +0000

So we recently moved, and nearly tripled our living space in the new house. One of the downsides of buying a big expensive house, you need more big expensive stuff to help fill it up. So we went off to Best Buy to purchase 2 new TVs, and schedule the Geek Squad to come and mount them on the walls since me and power tools have a shaky relationship at best. In other words, I am not handy at all. The initial purchase was painless (price excluded),and leading up to the day everything seemed fine, but then it all quickly went awry...

Surviving The Strength Of The Winds Of Change

noreply@blogger.com (Booferson J McGrugen) — Mon, 23 Jul 2018 14:00:00 +0000

Lots of changes over the past few months, and lots of stuff to talk about. Time slows for no man, and apparently, I am no exception to that rule; as time continues to march on right over me, and I'm just trying to keep from getting lapped. But what is it that has happened? What's got me running around like a chicken without a head? What could possibly motivate this former fat (but still lovably chubby) guy to get up and go? Let's find out together, shall we?

A Lesson In What "Fair Share" Actually Means

noreply@blogger.com (Booferson J McGrugen) — Wed, 14 Mar 2018 20:30:00 +0000

Guaranteed it happens at least once a year. When I start complaining about the amount my wife and I pay in taxes someone tells me to just shut up and "pay my fair share"; and nothing is more infuriating. When people say this it shows at least one, if not more, of the following. Either they can't do math, which given the current state of our government-run education system is completely believable; they keep themselves blissfully ignorant and just believe what some politicians tell them, a major problem in and of itself; or they have no concept of what the word "fair" actually means and are just interested in supporting their own misguided perceptions rather than find the truth

Simple math

Let's start at the very beginning. A very good place to start. We live in a country that, for some reason, uses a tiered tax system, meaning that the more money you make the more you have to pay out. On its face, that system sounds correct and is hard to argue, but that's not actually what's happening. When someone makes twice as much as you, and they pay double the tax rate you do, that's not them paying twice as much in taxes as you... that's them paying FOUR TIMES the amount you are. Let's do an example with simple numbers. Say you make $50k with a tax rate of 10%, and someone else makes $100k with a tax rate of 20%.

$50,000 x 10% = $5,000

$100,000 x 20% = $20,000

20,000 / 5,000 = 4

Now let's try that using the same 10% tax rate for both incomes.

$50,000 x 10% = $5,000

$100,000 x 10% = $10,000

10,000 / 5,000 = 2

So there it is, plain and simple; doubling the tax rate does not double the taxes someone pays, it quadruples it. And to my last point above, that is not "fair". This is my biggest problem with the current United States tax system, it unjustly punishes those that work hard and make more money. But what about the millionaires who, even adjusting for a fair tax rate, still get out of paying their fair share. Well, that brings me to my second point...

Identifying the Problem

The reason most business owners, millionaires, and "evil corporations" don't pay their fair share isn't that their tax rates are too low; it's because they take advantage of all the special deductions and legal loopholes created by the politicians they donate money towards to get elected. And that's how they get you. Politicians love to point out that the top earners in this country don't pay the full amount owed according to the unfair tiers, then tell you that those people don't pay their "fair share" in order to get you angry so you'll vote for them to fix it, or vote against any of their rivals that say otherwise. Yes, you're being manipulated for political gain. Get over it, learn from your mistakes, and move on.

Not only are these politicians giving you a distorted view of the facts to push their own agenda, they are conveniently leaving out the other side of their voting record. Because even if they do go and raise taxes on "only the wealthy", they then vote in other deductions and loopholes for their campaign sponsors because they know that not only do they need the donations, but once their political career is over they are hired by these big corporations as guest speakers, or as a glorified spokesmen that collect a paycheck just for having their face and their name used in conjunction with that company. And that's why they will continue to hide behind these tricks and tactics that will maintain since most of this country will unfortunately not read these, and many of those who do will either not understand it, or write it off based purely on those political delusions they are desperately clinging on to; rather than truly address the issue.

Solving the Problem

Unlike most political problems, if you're willing to place personal feelings and vendettas aside, there is a single answer. It's not to raise tax rates on anyone, in fact, it's much more simple than that and solves a couple problems. While brilliant in its simplicity, there are multiple steps involved. And here they are -

Set a single tax rate - no more tiered taxes. No more different rates for different incomes. A single percentage rate for everyone living in the United States. Again, in it's purest definition, this is "fair".
Eliminate all deductions - Let's get rid of all those deductions and loopholes that the powerful leverage to avoid paying. But don't stop there, get rid of ALL deductions. It's not the government's business if you're married or have kids, and those things shouldn't make a difference. You're still an American that is of voting age, and as such you need to pay.
Change how taxes are collected - This step has a few options.

If everyone is paying the same tax rate, and it's based on your income, then once those taxes are automatically deducted from your paycheck you're done. There is no more need to file a return, no need for the April 15th deadline, no overly complicated tax code, and no need for the IRS. Tax dodgers would simply be anyone that is paid "under the table", so the local or federal police could claim jurisdiction and arrest those accepting that undocumented pay and arrest or fine the ones paying them that way as well.
To make it even easier and avoid the problem of tax dodgers all together, move to a consumption-based tax. When you make more money, you spend more money. You buy huge mansions, vacation homes, multiple cars, custom built furniture and decorations, you eat out at fine restaurants more often, and come off with other more exotic ways to show off your wealth to your rich friends. Conversely, and this makes total sense, if you make less money you spend less money. So instead of taxing people based on income, tax the outgoing. Sure that means an immediate price hike on literally everything you buy now, but without having any deductions in your paycheck your income raises to match. This eliminates the issue of tax dodgers, because regardless of you being a documented worker, or if your company officially recognizes you as an employee "on the books", as long as you spend money here you pay your taxes. Even illegal aliens that pay rent and buy food here would pay taxes. This solution eliminates the IRS and everything else that the first option does, as well as solving illegal immigrants "stealing" things like healthcare, welfare, or any other government programs they may take advantage of. If they live here, they're paying taxes here, whether they're illegals, documented visitors, or natural citizens.

Now stop falling for these smokescreens that only hurt you or your friends and family, and actually solve the problem at hand.

An open letter to Millenials

noreply@blogger.com (Booferson J McGrugen) — Fri, 19 Jan 2018 22:09:00 +0000

Dear Millenials, you've barely begun and you've already been through so much. Every day it seems you're being blamed for something. The death of a business, or even an entire industry. The failure to comply with "social norms" that have been standards for years, if not centuries. For changing pop culture. For redefining a nation. For creating a new era. Everyone wants to point the finger at you and blame you, but I have a different take on this. And because of that, I want to say... Thank you.

To The Love Of My Life On Our Ten Year Anniversary

noreply@blogger.com (Booferson J McGrugen) — Fri, 27 Oct 2017 04:00:00 +0000

It's been sixteen years since we first became a couple, and now this year we celebrate our tenth year of marriage. I've told her multiple times before she's the best thing to ever happen to me, and I've meant it every time. We've had our share of disagreements, hardships, and struggles; but we always persevere together. It's been quite a ride, and I wouldn't change a moment of it for anything. So now, in what has probably become my M.O. of misguided displays of affection, I present to you and the world the story of us.

Accepting the Blue Sky Challenge Award

noreply@blogger.com (Booferson J McGrugen) — Sat, 12 Aug 2017 16:20:00 +0000

I am graciously accepting yet another peer-distributed blog award for my little offering towards the blogger community. This time I have been gifted the Blue Sky Tag Challenge Award, which like all other unofficial blog awards has some rules upon acceptance. So let's get started, shall we?

Background

The Blue Sky Tag Challenge, sometimes shortened to simply Blue Sky Challenge, like most blog awards is awarded between blogging peers. This means that a fellow blogger has chosen one of my posts, or my blog as a whole, as one that stands out to them either in quality, subject matter, or any other attribute they deem worthy. This particular award seems to be based on the number 11, as I will have to answer 11 questions given to me by the person who nominated me, then nominate 11 new blogs and give them 11 new questions of my own design.

Thank you

Before I get to that, I would be remiss not to thank Jessica St. Clair of Down the Rabbit Hole for nominating me in the first place and giving me something new to write about. I hope my blog will live up to the standards you have deemed worthy enough to give me this award in the first place. Or, if like most bloggers you simply picked random blogs in order to fulfill your required 11 nominations, I still thank you for giving me a reason to update my blog.

Q & A

Now to answer the 11 questions that Jessica has asked me...

What motivates you throughout your day?
I have 2 main motivators in almost anything I do. First is to prove people wrong. If there is something that most people say can't be done, especially when it involves my personal abilities or some limitations set on me by others despite the fact that I know I am more than capable of doing it, I will do everything in my power to not only meet but surpass that task.
My second form of motivation is to avoid being reprimanded. Yes, that means in lieu of any other type of motivation, I will do the bare minimum possible to complete a task just to avoid any kind of human interaction. Especially if that interaction is negative towards me.
If you could speak to one famous person from the past, who would it be and why?
Nikola Tesla, just to pick his brain.
What was your favorite subject to study in school?
Math and computers. I do much better with strict logic rules and formulas. Spelling and English, which have exceptions and different interpretations, always trip me up.
What has been your greatest accomplishment thus far in your blogging journey?
Pouring my soul out in my personal posts, despite the fact that they mainly go unread, are not believed, or are just dismissed after reading.
What’s your favorite movie of all time?
If I had to narrow it down to one, I'll go with Star Wars V: The Empire Strikes Back.
What inspired you to begin your blogging journey?
At the time I started I left Facebook out of frustration and needed an outlet to explain my point of view. I can't do this verbally as most people either rudely interrupt me; most times because they know this upsets me to the point I'll become flustered and lose my train of thought, misspeak in some way that is comical to them, or just get upset and quit talking altogether; or if they don't interrupt me they'll just outright ignore me and not listen at all.
What is your biggest fear?
That the thoughts I can't escape when I'm riding out a wave of depression are true.
What’s the title of the last book you read, if you haven’t read a book recently then what is the title to your favorite book?
Haven't read a book recently, although I'm in to audio books now so I can "read" while driving. The last one I finished was Nineteen Eighty-Four, and I'm currently "reading" Stephen King's IT.
If you could travel back in time and personally witness any event in history, what would you want to witness and why?
The Continental Congress to witness to entire thought process of drafting the Constitution of the United States of America.
Do you believe in the paranormal?
Yes, becoming a paranormal investigator would be a dream profession of mine.
Where is your favorite place to visit and why?
Anywhere I can see tree covered mountains, a lake or stream, and feel a nice cool breeze without having to see any man-made structures like buildings, roads, power lines, etc.

Nominations

Now to make my 11 nominations:

Questions

Finally, here are the 11 questions that my nominations must answer should they choose to accept this prestigious award.

What is your favorite film or television genre?
What reality TV show or game show do you think you're best suited for?
What is your guilty pleasure? In other words, what food, song, movie, or whatever do you absolutely love to the point you will drop everything to indulge in it and refuse to give up for any reason?
Where do you get your inspiration for all your blog posts?
If you had to limit yourself to only one form of social media (Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, your blog, etc), which would you choose?
Why did you make your choice for the previous question?
How many other blogs do you read on a regular basis?
Apple, Android, Windows Phone, other, and why?
Favorite song of the moment?
Name something you remember fondly from your childhood that the current generation will "never understand".
What's number 1 on your bucket list, and in all honesty do you think you'll ever complete it?

There it is. Now choose to accept and answer these questions (be sure to link your acceptance post here), decline in a comment below, or just ignore this altogether and go on with your life (no fun).

If you were not nominated, or don't have a blog, but still want to play along feel free to answer these in the comments section below.

My Wrap-Up Of The 2016-2017 Television Season

noreply@blogger.com (Booferson J McGrugen) — Thu, 06 Jul 2017 21:30:00 +0000

Continuing my annual tradition of reviewing the TV shows that I've begun, continued, and ceased to watch. This year, as an added bonus, I will be writing a "part 2" to this post wherein I give my tech tips for how to follow your shows and how to watch them whether home or away. So, without further ado, let's get on with the show! (Pun intended)

How To Learn From the Mistakes of My Youth

noreply@blogger.com (Booferson J McGrugen) — Wed, 14 Jun 2017 21:00:00 +0000

What follows are two tales from my past where I made the wrong choices. I'm not writing these to complain, as I do not believe in regret; but rather, I write these as cautionary tales for the youth of tomorrow. That they may learn from my mistakes and make better choices in their lives. Head my warnings. Save your soul. Challenge authority. Question everything. Believe in yourself. And do other things that are found on motivational posters with awe-inspiring pictures of nature, people doing extraordinary things, or both.

How to be a loser for all the right reasons.

noreply@blogger.com (Booferson J McGrugen) — Tue, 09 May 2017 17:41:00 +0000

I'm the fat guy, have been since high school. It's how I identify myself. I'm comfortable with it, and I accept it as my chosen lifestyle. Hey, I like food; so this goes hand-in-hand. I've embraced it. It's part of my identity. And I'm not saying that in the high school girl with an eating complex that isn't super model thin but is in no way even remotely chubby but says she's fat because that's what society tells her, I'm saying it as a matter of fact... not opinion. Don't tell me I'm not thinking you're being "nice", or "helpful", by all medical standards, and anyone who isn't legally blind's own eyesight, I'm short, my belly sticks WAY out, and there's isn't an exposed part of my that doesn't have excess "padding" (underneath the thick coat of hair that grows everywhere except on top of my head of course). Trying to say otherwise, no matter how good your intentions, irritates me to no end.
So why then, would I put time, money, and effort into changing that?

How to heal our country.

noreply@blogger.com (Booferson J McGrugen) — Wed, 09 Nov 2016 14:11:00 +0000

It's at times like this I remember what I taught the group of Boy Scouts about Citizenship in America. Simply this: "You show respect to the office. If the President enters a room I'm in, I stand up, I address them as Mister/Madam President, and I shake their hand if given the chance. Same goes for all elected officials. However, they do not control my thoughts and beliefs, and I am not bound to agree with them."

The Best And Worst 2015 16 Television Shows

noreply@blogger.com (Booferson J McGrugen) — Thu, 08 Sep 2016 03:04:00 +0000

So I did one of these for last season and it seemed to be well-received, so now I'm going to keep it going. Think I'll play with format a bit. As of me beginning to write this I'm not sure if I want to group everything by air date (Sunday shows, Monday shows, etc.), genre (like last year), random stream of conscience like most of my other posts, or something else. Also, do I do a bullet list, full paragraph form (again, like last time), or some hybrid of everything listed above. Well, let's find out together shall we?

Why I Made One Of The Biggest Decisions In My Life

noreply@blogger.com (Booferson J McGrugen) — Mon, 22 Aug 2016 20:30:00 +0000

If you're an avid follower of my blog, then first off thanks for being one of the few. Or even one of the one. Secondly, you must have noticed that I have taken a bit of a break from blogging as of late. There are several reasons for that, first and foremost has been writer's block. I simply couldn't think of anything to write about. My other two reasons for my blogging hiatus are more personal, as I recently celebrated the birth of my third child and started a new job. For this post, I will be focusing on the latter of these events, that of starting a new position with a new company, and the journey along with all the struggles along the way.

How To Fix The 2015 Debacle That Is The Fantastic Four

noreply@blogger.com (Booferson J McGrugen) — Sun, 20 Mar 2016 18:00:00 +0000

Two steps forward, and several leaps back. This new take on the beloved First Family of Marvel Comics did turn down the goofiness and campiness of its predecessor, however it went a little too far and strayed from its source. And despite the end result here being nearly unwatchable and wholly unentertaining, I believe it would only take a few tweaks to each character to fix this film.

Celebrating This Epic Blog And Its Awesome City Of Origin

noreply@blogger.com (Booferson J McGrugen) — Tue, 08 Mar 2016 22:30:00 +0000

Tis the season to celebrate! As I write this post in early March in the year two-thousand sixteen of our Lord, Amen; it is truly something to celebrate. But what are we toasting to?

A New Fight To Deny The Death Of My Dreams

noreply@blogger.com (Booferson J McGrugen) — Thu, 14 Jan 2016 14:21:00 +0000

My previous attempt to be a Hollywood script writer has yet to generate any calls from producers or studios wishing to sign my thus untapped talents. But I will not get discouraged. I will persist. I will continue to generate new ideas. I will let my creative juices flow through my blog until someone who knows someone passes my name along and I am seen for the wonder that I am. Also, I'm bored, I have nothing else to blog about, and I've been coming up with movie ideas in my head. And so, without further ado, I release my madness unto this world! Be prepared... (pun intended. You'll see!)

My WWE 2015 Year-End Review

noreply@blogger.com (Booferson J McGrugen) — Sat, 26 Dec 2015 05:07:00 +0000

I've stated before my love of Professional Wrestling will be lifelong. That said, I present my first in what may become a regular series of reviews, opinions, and commentaries on not only wrestling but many other aspects of pop culture that can actually hold my attention.

In A Black And White World, Living In The Shades Of Grey

noreply@blogger.com (Booferson J McGrugen) — Fri, 27 Nov 2015 14:47:00 +0000

Whatever happened to the freedom of choice? How come we limit ourselves now the only two choices for anything at all? You are either Democrat or Republican, nothing in between. You're either right or you're wrong, there are no shades of grey. That's not the way the world works. That's not the way this country works. There are more than two options, there are more than two answers. In fact, there are a million different opinions. Not all of them right, not all of them are wrong, but a majority fall in the middle. Is it still possible to not just discuss those differences, but find a common middle ground? Or have we succumbed to the unwritten rule of not even considering a difference of opinion, and to lash out verbally, or even violently, against any who challenge your view of the world?

The Silent Death Of A HERO

noreply@blogger.com (Booferson J McGrugen) — Tue, 10 Nov 2015 22:30:00 +0000

The Houston Equal Rights Ordinance, also known as the HERO law, was voted down in Houston's 2015 election. Many are citing this as a loss for LGTB equal rights, but is it? Was this a victory for discrimination, hate groups, and others who project their personal beliefs on race, gender, sexual orientation, self-identification, etcetera onto everyone else around them? Or is this yet another example of people voluntarily giving away their freedoms, even if it is with the best of intentions. Take a moment to digest that, read this whole blog before reacting, and then discuss...

Best of the Burghosphere 2015

noreply@blogger.com (Booferson J McGrugen) — Sun, 01 Nov 2015 11:00:00 +0000

November is National Blog Posting Month, and to celebrate that Pittsburgh Bloggers and Most Wanted Fine Art have created the Best of the Burghosphere awards, a peer created and awarded system to bring us bloggers of the `Burgh together through mutual encouragement and recognition. As a Pittsburgh Blogger, I jumped at this opportunity. What follows is my write-up of my assigned blog, and the award that I gladly bestow upon them. Follow me now, through the cyber-space tunnel (being sure to slow down to a near stop, as is customary in Pittsburgh when in a tunnel) into a site that is so much more than blog... it's an experience.

Accepting the Liebster Award

noreply@blogger.com (Booferson J McGrugen) — Wed, 28 Oct 2015 15:05:00 +0000

The Liebster Award is given by bloggers to bloggers that have less than 200 subscribers. It's a way to recognize the hard work and effort of new bloggers, or perhaps those that could use some help reaching a bigger audience. I believe I would fall into the latter category there, as I have been blogging for over 3 years now and could hardly consider myself new; even though i am in many ways still a novice. Regardless, I am still honored and humbled to be awarded this, and hope that I can keep up the standard that my small audience has grown accustomed to.

How To Save Investigative Journalists From Extinction

noreply@blogger.com (Booferson J McGrugen) — Mon, 12 Oct 2015 19:11:00 +0000

Let's face it, the days of Woodward and Bernstein are no more. Lois Lane and April O'Neil aren't real. No one is reporting for the sake of "the story", they are only trying to get "the scoop". And sadly for all of us, that scoop is littered with celebrity gossip and pictures of them wearing little to nothing at all. What once was a respectable occupation of uncovering truths and exposing both unethical or criminal behavior has been watered down to creating a sales pitch preying on readers lust to know the latest scandal instead of forcing them to learn the facts and take action. Even more disheartening, it's not their fault.