Forget the U.S. Ports, who is running Chuck E. Cheese?

This past weekend (President's Weekend for those keeping score) was filled with stories crowing about how our President is screwing up by greenlighting a deal with some Arab Company from the UAE to run the major U.S. shipping ports. I'd love to spin out of control on this one and tell you all that I've meditated on the subject and have a perfect solution, but I don't.

I'm not good with it. In fact I was even more concerned when Jimmy Carter gave it the thumbs up. BUT there are more important issues facing us today.

I'm talking about children's birthday parties.

When did a child's birthday become an event requiring mom and dad dip into the 401k plan for a loan to pay for the goodie bags given to your kid's friends???

My memory is ripe with a Kodak moments from the old neighborhood... We'd all get invited to a neighbor's house for cake, ice cream and the requisite ripping open of dime store purchased gifts. If you were lucky... And that was a mighty big IF, you went home with a squirt gun or a slinky. BUT a GOODIE BAG? Shut up!

To hear parents talk, if they don't provide each little guest with a sack of trinkets equal to the cost of their child's gift, the families face exile from the country club, the PTA and just about every other social activity in their child's world. It's worse than the entitlement programs that have our politicians quaking in their boots.

Who are we celebrating? How about the birthday boy or girl? Can you imagine the pressure on these children at school?

Let's get back to making birthday cakes and celebrating the kids not the guests!

G'night mom, and thanks for all the fantastic and very real parties!