The Kind-Hearted Smart Aleck

As I noted in a previous post, my mother and I unfortunately fell victim to a scam recently. Due to this, I started a GoFundMe page to try and, via the kindness and generosity of others, get some of our money back. Just yesterday, a friend suggested I provide more details to our story on said fundraising page, so I did so. If curious, you can find said updates at this link. - https://www.gofundme.com/f/scammed-shaken-seeking-assistance Thanks to anyone for taking the time to read this, and a sincere thank you for any and all donations. We're beyond grateful. Thanks again.

While there are times when headlines provide an accurate lead-in to a story, there are also times when this is far from the case. A prime example of the latter is with regard to the latest NBC/Wall Street Journal poll. The main focus on the poll was Donald Trump's approval rating. One headline even read, "Trump's Approval Soars in Latest Poll," while another read, "Trump's Approval At Record High." First thing's first, Trump's approval increased by 1% in the poll, from 44% in June to 45% in July. How this quantifies as "soaring" is beyond me. It's not like you'll ever hear an NBA announcer say, "...and the Boston Celtics soared over the Chicago Bulls with a 101-100 victory, on a buzzer-beater from Gordon Heyward." Secondly, while it's true Trump's approval rating increased by 1 point in the poll, that is far from the biggest finding in the poll and should have been replaced with another result as the big sto...

After likely Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton poked fun of presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump's "thin skin" during a foreign policy speech, Trump responded with this while talking to CNN's Jake Tapper: "Well, I don't have thin skin. I have very strong and thick skin. If you do a report and it's not necessarily positive but, you're right, I never complain. I do complain when it's a lie or when it's wrong." Is it just me or is Donald Trump Mr. Superlative when talking about himself? The guy has never been coined as detail-oriented, for his vague rhetoric makes Cheech and Chong come across like Emily Dickinson. However, when he talks about himself, he's less coy about using superlative adjectives than Wayne LaPierre is of making out with his pistol at a drive-in movie theater. Mr. Trump, has anyone ever told you that you have small hands? "Look at these massive things. Are they small? I don't thin...

Approximately two out of three times I write about technology and trends, I start to feel like a grumpy old man. It's even reached a point where, after writing such a blog, I look in the mirror to make sure I haven't transformed into Jack Lemmon or Walter Matthau. The latest such case is with regard to Facebook and people whom feel the need to share everything, and I mean EVERYTHING about their love lives. I can understand wanting to share certain events with close friends and family, such as a wedding or baby announcement, but there is such a thing as too much in my opinion. I don't need to be taken on every date of a couple's journey, like it's some sort of reality series. As a matter of fact, that's what it often feels like to me - a phony reality series. Why does there seem to be a need for people to crave others' acceptance of their romantic lives, even those they may not have seen for 10-20 years? Are Facebook "likes" and comments really of...

As of today, three of my new books ( The Kind-Hearted Smarta*s - Volume 2: The Wisecracks Continue , The Kind-Hearted Smart Aleck - Volume 2: The Wisecracks Continue , and LOL at the GOP - Volume 4: Guns, Jesus, Corporations, and Fetuses ) are available at a wide range of sites. Formerly, they were just available on paperback at Lulu.com and for your kindle at Amazon.com. Now, they're available on paperback at Amazon, along with several other sites. At Amazon, the books in paperback cost the following: The Kind-Hearted Smarta*s - Volume 2: The Wisecracks Continue (Uncensored Version) - $14.00 ($13.30 if you're a prime member) The Kind-Hearted Smart Aleck - Volume 2: The Wisecracks Continue (Censored Version) - $14.00 ($12.60 if you're a prime member) LOL at the GOP - Volume 4: Guns, Jesus, Corporations, and Fetuses - $10.50 ($9.45 if you're a prime member) Also, if you Google any of the before-mentioned titles, you'll receive several more options for both ...

I don't have much new to report today. Three new books of mine are officially available to purchase on paperback at Lulu.com and for your Kindle at Amazon.com. The fourth new book I'll be releasing this year should be available either at the end of this week or the start of next week, assuming I'm satisfied with the proof copy I'll be receiving. Here's where you can purchase my new books: The Kind-Hearted Smarta*s - Volume 2: The Wisecracks Continue (Uncensored Version) (paperback - $13.30) - http://www.lulu.com/shop/craig-rozniecki/the-kind-hearted-smartass-volume-2-the-wisecracks-continue-uncensored-version/paperback/product-21574154.html (Kindle - $2.99) - http://www.amazon.com/The-Kind-Hearted-Smartass-Wisecracks-Uncensored-ebook/dp/B00JU3D5IM/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1398702151&sr=8-2&keywords=craig+rozniecki The Kind-Hearted Smart Aleck - Volume 2: The Wisecracks Continue (Censored Version) (paperback - $13.30) - http://www.lulu.com/shop...

As he stated in his interview with Chris Wallace on Fox News Sunday , Republican Vice Presidential candidate and former Mr. Universe in the eyes of himself - Paul Ryan - continued to adamantly declare that the numbers in Mitt Romney's tax plan add up. He said, "...The numbers add up; we have shown that." He then attempted to elaborate, saying: "...by subjecting higher income earners' income to more taxation, remove tax shelters, lower deductions for higher income people, more of their income is subject to taxation so you can lower tax rates for everybody across the board and shelter the middle class from any kind of tax increase. There is obviously enough fiscal space to lower tax rates to 20 percent, keep these middle-class preferences. We have show how that works." They have? That'd be news to me and the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center, which showcased via analysis that "the Romney plan would have to raise taxes on the middle class (by elimina...