Modern Fables: Tool Maintenance

One day, after a long day of shopping with her friend Joanne, Ethyl came home and was horrified to find her husband, Frank, in bed with a gorgeous younger woman.

After hurling objects of various size and breakability at him, she turned to storm out of the house and head off to Joanna’s house, when she was stopped at the door by her husband, clad in his oversized terrycloth bathrobe.

Turning angrily, Frank managed to deflect her fist and, holding her tightly to minimize the danger to himself, he insisted on explaining what he described as a big misunderstanding.

“It’s actually kind of funny, if your really think about it,” Frank said, keeping a tight hold on Ethyl’s fist. “But when I was driving home I saw this young girl --- looking all poor and tired --- so I offered her a ride. And as we drove, she told me she was hungry, so I brought her home and fed her some of the roast you had forgotten about in the refrigerator.

“Well, her shoes were worn out so I gave her a pair of your shoes you never wear because you don’t like them. You know, the red high heels I gave you for your Christmas last year --- the ones you insist make your legs look fat?

“Anyway, she was also cold, so I gave her that new birthday sweater you refused to wear because the color clashed with your eyes. And her slacks were worn out so I gave her a pair of yours that haven’t worn in five years. You know, the black ones that you keep saying are too tight.”

“That doesn’t explain what she was doing in bed with you!” Ethyl hollered.

“Well,” Frank said sheepishly, “as she was about to leave the house, she paused and asked, 'Is there anything else that your wife doesn't use anymore?

“And, so here we are….”

And of course, the moral of this story is:

Since tools can turn rusty from disuse, wise owners will clean and polish them regularly.

JEFFREY CAMINSKY, a retired public prosecutor from Michigan, writes on a wide range of topics. His books include the Guardians of Peace-tm science fiction adventure series, The Sonnets of William Shakespeare, and the acclaimed Referee’s Survival Guide, a book on soccer officiating. All are published by New Alexandria Press, and are available on Amazon, as well as directly from the publisher. His series on "Modern Fables" are adapted from a variety of sources...from Aesop to the Interet...and retold in what he intends to be an engaging and humorous manner.

Attorney General Opens Torture Probe

n light of Attorney General Holder's decision to align this country with the practice common throughout the world of trying to imprison a new ruler's predecessors, there is no telling where the chips will fall. Onion News Network's panel of experts explores one possible aspect of this new policy.


Is Using A Minotaur To Gore Detainees A Form Of Torture?

Republican leaders have, so far, declined to comment on developments.

Actually, the Democrats haven't commented either...but that's beside the point.


JEFFREY CAMINSKY, a veteran public prosecutor in Detroit, Michigan, specializes in the appellate practice of criminal law and writes on a wide range of topics. His books include the science fiction adventure novel The Star Dancers, the exciting second volume in the Guardians of Peace-tm series, The Sonnets of William Shakespeare, and the acclaimed Referee’s Survival Guide, a book on soccer officiating. All are published by New Alexandria Press, and are available on Amazon, as well as directly from the publisher.

New Horizons in Embarrassing Your Kids

This is the season when a lot of parents are sending their kids off to college. As Onion News shows, this doesn't mean that we can't continue to be a constant source of embarrassment to them. All it takes is Facebook...and a little persistence.


Facebook, Twitter Revolutionizing How Parents Stalk Their College-Aged Kids

Stay tuned for further updates....

JEFFREY CAMINSKY, a veteran public prosecutor in Detroit, Michigan, specializes in the appellate practice of criminal law and writes on a wide range of topics. His books include the science fiction adventure novel The Star Dancers, the exciting second volume in the Guardians of Peace-tm series, The Sonnets of William Shakespeare, and the acclaimed Referee’s Survival Guide, a book on soccer officiating. All are published by New Alexandria Press, and are available on Amazon, as well as directly from the publisher.

Cash for Refridgerators?

Coming on the heels of the "Cash for Clunkers" program---which saw the Federal Government induce car dealers to give away billions of dollars to induce people to buy this year cars that they were going to buy next year---reports are surfacing that the next installment is already on the drawing boards.

Not content with giving away money to car buyers, Congress appears on the verge of giving away tax dollars to those who may be in the market for new household appliances. And now that the Bailout Bandwagon is fully engaged, there appears to be no end in sight.

Assuming a similar reaction to the "Cash for Refridgerators" program---whereby thousands of consumers rush to take advantage of all this "free money," at least one taxpayer wonders where it will all end. If "Cash for Clunkers" leads inevitably to "Cash for Refridgerators," can "Cash for Trash" be far behind?

Though my wife insists that I'm just looking for an excuse for forgetting to put out the trash cans on Wednesday nights, I'm already starting to stock up. Before long, we should have enough stored up to be able to afford a very nice mansion somewhere on the coast.

The only glitch may be if house prices recover. But from where I'm sitting, the odds of that happening any time soon are pretty remote...and certainly no better than the likelihood that sanity, or fiscal responsibility, will return to Capitol Hill in the near future.

JEFFREY CAMINSKY, a veteran public prosecutor in Detroit, Michigan, specializes in the appellate practice of criminal law and writes on a wide range of topics. His books include the science fiction adventure novel The Star Dancers, the exciting second volume in the Guardians of Peace-tm series, The Sonnets of William Shakespeare, and the acclaimed Referee’s Survival Guide, a book on soccer officiating. All are published by New Alexandria Press, and are available on Amazon, as well as directly from the publisher.

How to Avoid Getting Bored on a Shopping Trip

I wish I could take credit for this, but I must confess it came from a friend of mine---one of my soccer buddies, who received it from one of his own friends (who undoubtedly received it from some other source on the Internet). In the interests of journalistic integrity, I feel constrained to protect my source from possible repercussions (mostly from the half of the human race that may not be amused by some of the assumptions underlying the piece...as well from the roving bands of the Politically Correct Thought Patrol that seem to be roaming the country), though if he chooses to reveal himself, he can rightly claim credit (or take the blame) for bringing the matter to my attention.

My contribution, modest as it is, consists merely of editorial revisions, as well as a few words of introduction:

Early in my retirement, it has become readily apparent that there is an aspect of a man's "golden years" that is never mentioned, nor touched upon by any retirement planning seminar that I have ever attended.

I'm talking, of course, about accompanying the wife on a shopping excursion.

Like most men, I find shopping quite boring (aside from the occasional trip to the computer or sporting goods store; trips to the home improvement store are uaually quite tolerable as well, as long as we steer clear of the wallpaper section), and prefer to measure by trips by the minute: quick in, quick out---and if the trip is properly planned, it's usually over in five minutes or less...depending on the line at the check-out.

Unfortunately, my wife, like many women, seems to regard shopping as a recreational event, and prefers to browse endlessly, often with little regard to the time cost of comparing the price at Kroger, for example, with the cost of the same item at WalMart. Saving twenty cents on a can of spaghetti sauce may leave some with a sense of triumph; but factoring in the cost of gas to drive from one place to the other---as well as the man-hours consumed in hunting down both items (quite aside from the driving time from one store to the other...and the mental energy spent in noticing and agonizing over the cost differential)---makes the whole enterprise problemmatic at best. And, considering the opportunity costs (time spent shopping isn't available for other pursuits...such as watching the ball game or napping), the advantages of this form of entertainment seems dubious at best.

Still, there is value in keeping peace in the house. And to this end, there are a number of things we can to to pass the time, and amuse ourselves while the love of our life is busy indulging herself:


How to Avoid Getting Bored on a Shopping Trip:
A Man's Guide to Comparison Shopping
1. Take two dozen boxes of condoms and place them in other people's shopping cars when they aren't looking. (For an added bonus, try to base your selection on either the mischief factor, or the unexpected compliment factor: placing the box in the cart of an 87-year old woman will have a different effect than placing it in the shopping cart of a pompous-looking socialite with a docile husband and moody teenager in tow. The choice between the two will depend on how evil your sense of humor is).

2. Set the alarm clocks in Housewares to go off at 5-minute intervals.

3. Leave a trail of tomato juice on the floor, ending at the women's restroom.

4. Go to the service desk and try to put a bag of M&Ms on layaway.

5. Move the "CAUTION---WET FLOOR" sign to a carpeted area.

6. Set up tents in the camping department of a department store. Tell the passing children of various inattentive shoppers that they can use them if they bring in pillows and blankets from the bedding department. (Score one point for each child who obliges).

7. When a clerk askes if she can help, begin crying and scream: "Why can't you people just leave me alone?" before running off to another part of the store.

8. Go to the hunting department and start looking at various kinds of ammunition. When the clerk offers to help you find something, ask where the antidepressants are.

9. Dart around the store while loudly humming the theme from "Mission Impossible."

10. Hide in a clothing rack; whenever another shopper begins to browse, holler, in a high-pitched voice: "Pick me!! Pick me!!"

11. When an announcement comes over the loudspeaker, assume the fetal position while screaming: "Oh no! The voices! It's those voice again!!!"

12. Go into the fitting room. After three minutes, begin to holler: "Hey! There's no toilet paper in here!"

CAUTION: Listing implies no recommendation or endorsement of any activity listed. Activies listed can pose significant dangers to one's heath, happiness, marital status, continued employment, or criminal record. Participant assumes all risks, dangers, and liabilities from engaging in any activity. Not all options are available in all locations.


JEFFREY CAMINSKY, a veteran public prosecutor in Detroit, Michigan, specializes in the appellate practice of criminal law and writes on a wide range of topics. His books include the science fiction adventure novel The Star Dancers, the exciting second volume in the Guardians of Peace-tm series, The Sonnets of William Shakespeare, and the acclaimed Referee’s Survival Guide, a book on soccer officiating. All are published by New Alexandria Press, and are available on Amazon, as well as directly from the publisher.

Thinking Outside the Box

As we face our current economic crisis, there is one obvious solution to all of our problems that appears to have escaped everyone's attention. It is far simpler than the ones presently being debated in Washington these days, but poses much less of a risk to our future well-being. And, from the looks of things, it stands just as good a chance of making things better, without carrying the added risk of sacrificing our principles for the sake of expediency.

If we simply sacrificed a virgin instead, we'd be doing no real harm to the economy. In fact, by diverting attention away from some of the counterproductive measures currently under consideration, we might actually help things along. And this could easily be turned into a "two-fer" kind of solution, since it would be just as effective at combatting Climate Change (nee Global Warming) as anything the High Priests are currently trumpeting, and far less costly.

And just thinking ahead, hoping to avoid any obvious pitfalls in the plan...in the event that we have problems locating a virgin, we could probably substitute a goat. Or, if we were really serious, a sheep. If I understand the protocol, goats and sheep don't have to be virgins. Historically, the fact that they had to spend so much time hobnobbing with Greek herders in the Good Old Days meant that the requirement simply never occurred to anybody). That's why they're the customary substitute in cultures where virgins are largely unavailable.

JEFFREY CAMINSKY, a veteran public prosecutor in Detroit, Michigan, specializes in the appellate practice of criminal law and writes on a wide range of topics. His books include the science fiction adventure novel The Star Dancers, the exciting second volume in the Guardians of Peace-tm series, The Sonnets of William Shakespeare, and the acclaimed Referee’s Survival Guide, a book on soccer officiating. All are published by New Alexandria Press, and are available on Amazon, as well as directly from the publisher.

Book Review: Mr. & Mrs Happy Handbook by Steve Doocy

Reviewed by Jeffrey Caminsky

In the press of everyday life, it is easy to forget about the little things in life. Worried about work, we can overlook the beauty of a sunset. Consumed by paying bills, the small progress our children make each day may pass unnoticed.

It is often the little things that make life a joy or a source of sorrow. And The Mr. And Mrs. Happy Handbook, a heartwarming look at married life by Fox & Friends co-host Steve Doocy, shows how these small, everyday details can grow into laughter and memories. It will be these memories of good times that will sustain us through the hard times that every life will know, from time to time.

The author’s sense of humor is evident on every page. His misadventures begin while he was courting his wife-to-be, and appear never to stop. The author’s underlying message is that finding someone to share life’s journeys will turn our time on Earth into a shared adventure. But finding someone to share laughter at misadventures we encounter along the way can turn the journey into a joy.

Through it all, Doocy’s focus is on keeping the peace and making family life a source of warmth and affection. He weaves practical experience with good fun to craft a guide to married life that will strike a familiar chord for most couples. There is advice on planning the wedding (let her have anything she wants), settling arguments with hide and marriage intact (listen to your mate...and never fight to win), buying presents for your beloved (stay away from appliances), as well as the most difficult subjects for anyone dealing with the consequences of fruitful multiplication—or, in other words, kids (they’re not as breakable as may you think...but most parents could learn a lot about child discipline from studying the Godfather, and alternating between bribery and strong-arm tactics).

The writing is conversational, not pretentious, and the author speaks to his topic with clarity and wit. Being able to share laughter is, in many ways, the key to sharing love, and the author and his wife (who contributes the occasional clarification for her husband) seem to have gotten the combination just about right.

The book is fun and heartwarming, but not intended for those with serious problems. The advice is good-natured, but not for those torn by tragedy or serious psychological problems. For that, professional advice may be needed. But most of us are not in crisis, and for couples who have lost their perspective or their sense of humor, this book may be just what the doctor ordered.

JEFFREY CAMINSKY, a veteran public prosecutor in Detroit, Michigan, specializes in the appellate practice of criminal law and writes on a wide range of topics. His books include the science fiction adventure novel The Star Dancers, the exciting second volume in the Guardians of Peace-tm series, The Sonnets of William Shakespeare, and the acclaimed The Referee’s Survival Guide, a book on soccer officiating. All are published by New Alexandria Press, and are available on Amazon, as well as directly from the publisher.