Today I said goodbye to my sister, who is moving to another state. Her co-workers and friends had a farewell party for her which my family attended. A lot of people said many wonderful things about her, about how she has had an influence on their lives. My sister has also had some difficult times over the past few years and these people were there for her when she needed them. Needless to say, it was very emotional on everybody's part.
Then I came home and saw an "Everybody Loves Raymond" episode, when Ray had to give a eulogy for his uncle. It was difficult since his mother and aunt had been carrying a grudge with each other for the past seven years. Raymond got tired of it in the middle of the eulogy and spoke about what family had meant to his uncle.
It made me think of the similarity between the two events. In both cases people were saying goodbye to someone who meant something to them. When my time comes there will be no need for a funeral, as I have nobody to attend it. I have tried to live a good life and to help people, but it has been in vain. I have nobody that's here for me except my mother, and to my regret I will probably outlive her. Once she's gone there will be no need for me to continue, so I will probably die from a broken heart or other means.
How I wish I meant something to somebody. Life just isn't fair that way. You try to do everything right but it doesn't mean anything to anyone except your parents. You face the world that treats you like dirt no matter what you do. Maybe I should have smoked and drank and tried to fit in, except it wasn't what I believed in or what I was taught. I tried marriage and what a disaster that turned out to be. Some people just aren't meant to win and I'm one of them.
I know my sister will be happy in her new job, she has the support of her colleagues. I envy her and am proud of her, and wish her all the luck in the world.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Faith, anyone?
It doesn't seem like this has been a good week for anybody! Friends of mine are having problems, as always I'm having problems, and there just doesn't seem to be an end in sight! You turn on the news and all you hear about is death and violence and corruption, why isn't there any happy news anymore? If somebody did a happy news channel it would probably only be on about 10 minutes a day and would be covering the local tri-state area and the world. 10 minutes! Okay, maybe 15 at the outside.
There can't be a God, it's just not possible. Even allowing for one that allows the free will of man to destroy himself by his actions, there should be a point where he would make his presence known, if only for one time and one minute to renew people's faith in a higher power.
The government keeps the UFO files confidential, their excuse is if the truth were known it might cause worldwide panic. Look at the film, "Independence Day." It took total destruction of cities and billions of dead people for the government to admit to the President that yes, there was an Area 51 and yes, we have known aliens existed.
You can make all the excuses but in the end people have evolved enough so that they have a need to know. Mankind has set himself on a destructive path because he believes there are no options and there is nobody to say differently, Almighty or otherwise.
Just suppose God did appear to somebody, or sent an angel, to someone like little Tracy in "Oh God, Book II," or the President admitted, "Yes, we have proof there is other intelligent life out there." We have people killing by themselves or by armies, wholesale slaughter every day. In "Oh God, Book II" they said after she and her friends starting painting "Think God" everywhere that the churches were full but the schools were not, because Tracy was suspended for not saying what they wanted to hear. Oh My! Is that the worse that could happen there? And think of all the priests whose faith would be renewed and they would stop molesting children. And if people were told alien life existed. Maybe there would be some panic or demonstrations, but compared to the wars of the last 100 years I can't imagine many people dying over it. For the most part science would have renewed interest to come up with ways to explore space and make contact, and people would probably start watching the "X-Files" again or just change the channel and say, "See? I always suspected there was a cover up and the little green guys do exist. Now what's for dinner?"
I think mankind is at it's most destructive point. North Korea has nuclear weapons, so does half the world anymore, and it's only a matter of time before someone is crazy enough to trigger them. Look at 9/11, if that had been North Korea our country would be like "The Day After."
We need something now that we don't have - faith. Faith in God, faith in our leaders, faith in ourselves. I met someone recently that called me a liar and every name in the book and he doesn't even know me. I have faith in maybe a dozen people, that's all. And even that gets shaken sometimes.
I know this isn't my Wednesday headline posting that you expected, I will make up for it on the next one, but this is how I feel.
There can't be a God, it's just not possible. Even allowing for one that allows the free will of man to destroy himself by his actions, there should be a point where he would make his presence known, if only for one time and one minute to renew people's faith in a higher power.
The government keeps the UFO files confidential, their excuse is if the truth were known it might cause worldwide panic. Look at the film, "Independence Day." It took total destruction of cities and billions of dead people for the government to admit to the President that yes, there was an Area 51 and yes, we have known aliens existed.
You can make all the excuses but in the end people have evolved enough so that they have a need to know. Mankind has set himself on a destructive path because he believes there are no options and there is nobody to say differently, Almighty or otherwise.
Just suppose God did appear to somebody, or sent an angel, to someone like little Tracy in "Oh God, Book II," or the President admitted, "Yes, we have proof there is other intelligent life out there." We have people killing by themselves or by armies, wholesale slaughter every day. In "Oh God, Book II" they said after she and her friends starting painting "Think God" everywhere that the churches were full but the schools were not, because Tracy was suspended for not saying what they wanted to hear. Oh My! Is that the worse that could happen there? And think of all the priests whose faith would be renewed and they would stop molesting children. And if people were told alien life existed. Maybe there would be some panic or demonstrations, but compared to the wars of the last 100 years I can't imagine many people dying over it. For the most part science would have renewed interest to come up with ways to explore space and make contact, and people would probably start watching the "X-Files" again or just change the channel and say, "See? I always suspected there was a cover up and the little green guys do exist. Now what's for dinner?"
I think mankind is at it's most destructive point. North Korea has nuclear weapons, so does half the world anymore, and it's only a matter of time before someone is crazy enough to trigger them. Look at 9/11, if that had been North Korea our country would be like "The Day After."
We need something now that we don't have - faith. Faith in God, faith in our leaders, faith in ourselves. I met someone recently that called me a liar and every name in the book and he doesn't even know me. I have faith in maybe a dozen people, that's all. And even that gets shaken sometimes.
I know this isn't my Wednesday headline posting that you expected, I will make up for it on the next one, but this is how I feel.
Monday, August 16, 2010
Change to blog
Last night my computer overheated and shut down so I was unable to do my daily blog entry. It wasn't really a problem as I've been having difficulty lately, don't know if it's writer's block or what, but I just can't seem to come up with new ideas to write about. It could be because I don't have much going on in my life, I just don't know.
So I think what I will do is do my Wednesday and Saturday entries only. I'll stick to the strange news headlines (although I may need to branch out a little there also) and do a weekly summary on Saturday.
Hopefully things will pick up, until then see you Wednesday!
So I think what I will do is do my Wednesday and Saturday entries only. I'll stick to the strange news headlines (although I may need to branch out a little there also) and do a weekly summary on Saturday.
Hopefully things will pick up, until then see you Wednesday!
Saturday, August 14, 2010
The Mysterious Island
Who here has read Jules Verne's "The Mysterious Island?" It's the sequel to "20,000 Leagues Under The Sea," about the travels of the fabled submarine "Nautilus." It details the final days of Captain Nemo and it's about the birth and resting place of the Nautilus. It's an excellent book, I would recommend you read them both. The reason I brought this up was because I was watching the movie, "The Mysterious Island" on tv tonight, the version with Patrick Stewart (Captain Picard from "Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Clive Cussler, also one of my favorite authors, wrote about the Nautilus also. He had an ingenious twist on it however, bringing it into the real world of today. I was privileged enough to set foot on several Nautiluses. I was on the ride at Disney, I believe it was in Adventureland, and the vessels resembled the one in the movie, but what would you expect from Disney anyway, their attention to detail is incredible in everything they do. I would like to see that ride upgraded however, I think they could do a lot more with it. And I went through the nuclear submarine Nautilus in New London, CT. Imagine the thrill I felt at being on the actual sub that went to the North Pole! I also read the book detailing the trip by Cmdr. William Anderson, who captained the sub on that voyage.
Anyway, the reason I'm writing about this is because I was reminded once again how much can be accomplished with the imagination. Jules Verne was ahead of his time, he designed helicopters, modern weapons, movies with sound, television and rockets, all of this before 1900.
What happened to these visionaries? Gene Roddenberry was one from this generation, he envisioned starships and matter transporters. Does this mean we will see these things happen someday? Will we travel beyond our galaxy to other worlds? I wish it had happened in my time, although hopefully I will be around for the next 30 or 40 years. Who knows what I'll see?
Clive Cussler, also one of my favorite authors, wrote about the Nautilus also. He had an ingenious twist on it however, bringing it into the real world of today. I was privileged enough to set foot on several Nautiluses. I was on the ride at Disney, I believe it was in Adventureland, and the vessels resembled the one in the movie, but what would you expect from Disney anyway, their attention to detail is incredible in everything they do. I would like to see that ride upgraded however, I think they could do a lot more with it. And I went through the nuclear submarine Nautilus in New London, CT. Imagine the thrill I felt at being on the actual sub that went to the North Pole! I also read the book detailing the trip by Cmdr. William Anderson, who captained the sub on that voyage.
Anyway, the reason I'm writing about this is because I was reminded once again how much can be accomplished with the imagination. Jules Verne was ahead of his time, he designed helicopters, modern weapons, movies with sound, television and rockets, all of this before 1900.
What happened to these visionaries? Gene Roddenberry was one from this generation, he envisioned starships and matter transporters. Does this mean we will see these things happen someday? Will we travel beyond our galaxy to other worlds? I wish it had happened in my time, although hopefully I will be around for the next 30 or 40 years. Who knows what I'll see?
Friday, August 13, 2010
Imagination
There was a movie on HBO tonight called "Inkheart," about this girl's father who can pull characters out of their books. I recorded it; hope I can watch it soon as I recall the commercials were pretty good when the movie first came out. I had forgotten all about it until now.
Even though it was on tonight, I didn't even think about it until just now. I was sitting here at my desk, pondering what to write about tonight, and I was looking at the lighthouse picture my uncle bought for me for Christmas several years ago. If you look at it long enough, the lighthouse takes on a 3-dimensional quality and you can almost imagine going into the picture, like the Kirbys' did at the end of "Topper", the 1979 version with Kate Jackson and Andrew Stevens. One of my favorite movies, regardless of the reviews.
It also made me think of the nightmare I had last night, which was like something out of "Terminator," where I was the one in the police station and somebody was trying to kill me, except it was a normal person and not some science-fiction android.
Most of my sleep episodes are nightmares; I rarely have a good dream. I don't know why that is, you would think I would seek escape from my daily problems by having a good dream but it just doesn't seem to happen. It is funny though how when I look at pictures I can imagine being a part of them, especially if it's a picture I really like. Wouldn't it be nice to have that power? They did it in "Mary Poppins" with the sidewalk chalk drawings. Wouldn't it be great to get a travel brochure from Jamaica and be able to walk into the brochure and onto a beach with the ocean like deep blue glass in the background?
A healthy imagination is a good thing, look at the movie "Hook" with Robin Williams where once he starts using his imagination he can eat anything he wants in Never-Never Land. Things that we imagine seldom come true, unless it's something simple like knowing what model and color car you want and going to the dealerships until you find one like it. That can happen. And I guess if you can imagine your dream job and find a way to get the education for it then it is possible to achieve that. So in some instances using your imagination can make your dreams come true.
I think that my imagination is going to be one of the tools I'm going to have to use to achieve some measure of success in my life. Positive thinking will be another one. Isn't it funny how I might have to use those two mental qualities before intelligence to achieve my goal? They claim we only use 10% of our brain, maybe it is true. Lately I've been thinking I only use 5% (if that!) but maybe I've just been going about it in the wrong order.
So here's to a little creative daydreaming, let's see what I come up with!
Even though it was on tonight, I didn't even think about it until just now. I was sitting here at my desk, pondering what to write about tonight, and I was looking at the lighthouse picture my uncle bought for me for Christmas several years ago. If you look at it long enough, the lighthouse takes on a 3-dimensional quality and you can almost imagine going into the picture, like the Kirbys' did at the end of "Topper", the 1979 version with Kate Jackson and Andrew Stevens. One of my favorite movies, regardless of the reviews.
It also made me think of the nightmare I had last night, which was like something out of "Terminator," where I was the one in the police station and somebody was trying to kill me, except it was a normal person and not some science-fiction android.
Most of my sleep episodes are nightmares; I rarely have a good dream. I don't know why that is, you would think I would seek escape from my daily problems by having a good dream but it just doesn't seem to happen. It is funny though how when I look at pictures I can imagine being a part of them, especially if it's a picture I really like. Wouldn't it be nice to have that power? They did it in "Mary Poppins" with the sidewalk chalk drawings. Wouldn't it be great to get a travel brochure from Jamaica and be able to walk into the brochure and onto a beach with the ocean like deep blue glass in the background?
A healthy imagination is a good thing, look at the movie "Hook" with Robin Williams where once he starts using his imagination he can eat anything he wants in Never-Never Land. Things that we imagine seldom come true, unless it's something simple like knowing what model and color car you want and going to the dealerships until you find one like it. That can happen. And I guess if you can imagine your dream job and find a way to get the education for it then it is possible to achieve that. So in some instances using your imagination can make your dreams come true.
I think that my imagination is going to be one of the tools I'm going to have to use to achieve some measure of success in my life. Positive thinking will be another one. Isn't it funny how I might have to use those two mental qualities before intelligence to achieve my goal? They claim we only use 10% of our brain, maybe it is true. Lately I've been thinking I only use 5% (if that!) but maybe I've just been going about it in the wrong order.
So here's to a little creative daydreaming, let's see what I come up with!
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Mother Nature
I remember an old Christmas cartoon, "The Year Without A Santa Claus," that had Mrs. Claus and two elves visiting Mother Nature, who was the mother of the Heat Miser and Snow Miser. Mother Nature appeared as a nice old lady. Well, that nice old lady has become the equivalent of the Heat Miser lately!
In addition to this year's extreme temperatures and humidity, my allergies have been bothering me lately. And my mother and sister were on their way to North Carolina today and just missed flash floods in Washington, D.C. They were battling heavy rain all the way down south, plus there was a tornado watch in effect.
We've had some major hurricanes over the past 20 years but it seems like they've been increasing in frequency and fury over the past few years. What happened to New Orleans was a major strike against that area. The storms have even had some of the religious advocates suggesting that the Second Coming is near.
It's easy to assign fantasy characters to things like holidays, forces of nature, etc. It's easier to place blame when we can picture an idea in a human form. One of the Internet definitions of Nature is "the material world, esp. as surrounding humankind and existing independently of human activities." Well, I have to disagree with that, as they say factories created by humans have caused the greenhouse effect which can influence nature.
An argument I've been hearing for years is that mankind is destroying the planet and it's atmosphere, which I agree with. And that is affecting the weather patterns, which I also agree with. So is it really too far out of bounds to say that yes, we have seriously pissed someone off and now we're paying the price? Not that I believe in a little old lady that views this world as her garden but we do assign names to hurricanes that makes them seem human. Look at Hurricane Katrina and what she did to New Orleans - we could safely call her something that rhymes with "witch" and we would be justified. Yet she could have been striking back at us for what we're doing to the planet, in which case it would be self-defense.
A lot of people have problems with the Greenpeace activists and all the other "Save the Planet" groups. And these are probably the same people that throw cigarettes out their car windows along with other trash. I don't profess to be a tree hugger but I do have respect for our environment. And I remember back in 1st or 2nd grade where we took at walk and collected trash on the street, back when "Give a hoot, don't pollute" was a slogan. What happened to those days? Did we get too bogged down in insurance policies to let kids leave the school grounds for a worthy cause? How much do they teach about the environment in schools these days? Maybe more should be done.
In closing, I just want to ask for everyone to have more respect for our planet. After all, it's the only one we have.
In addition to this year's extreme temperatures and humidity, my allergies have been bothering me lately. And my mother and sister were on their way to North Carolina today and just missed flash floods in Washington, D.C. They were battling heavy rain all the way down south, plus there was a tornado watch in effect.
We've had some major hurricanes over the past 20 years but it seems like they've been increasing in frequency and fury over the past few years. What happened to New Orleans was a major strike against that area. The storms have even had some of the religious advocates suggesting that the Second Coming is near.
It's easy to assign fantasy characters to things like holidays, forces of nature, etc. It's easier to place blame when we can picture an idea in a human form. One of the Internet definitions of Nature is "the material world, esp. as surrounding humankind and existing independently of human activities." Well, I have to disagree with that, as they say factories created by humans have caused the greenhouse effect which can influence nature.
An argument I've been hearing for years is that mankind is destroying the planet and it's atmosphere, which I agree with. And that is affecting the weather patterns, which I also agree with. So is it really too far out of bounds to say that yes, we have seriously pissed someone off and now we're paying the price? Not that I believe in a little old lady that views this world as her garden but we do assign names to hurricanes that makes them seem human. Look at Hurricane Katrina and what she did to New Orleans - we could safely call her something that rhymes with "witch" and we would be justified. Yet she could have been striking back at us for what we're doing to the planet, in which case it would be self-defense.
A lot of people have problems with the Greenpeace activists and all the other "Save the Planet" groups. And these are probably the same people that throw cigarettes out their car windows along with other trash. I don't profess to be a tree hugger but I do have respect for our environment. And I remember back in 1st or 2nd grade where we took at walk and collected trash on the street, back when "Give a hoot, don't pollute" was a slogan. What happened to those days? Did we get too bogged down in insurance policies to let kids leave the school grounds for a worthy cause? How much do they teach about the environment in schools these days? Maybe more should be done.
In closing, I just want to ask for everyone to have more respect for our planet. After all, it's the only one we have.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
It's Wednesday again! Wacky headline time!
As promised in last Wednesday's post, here are more of our professional literary achievements from our country's newspapers.
"One-armed man applauds the kindness of strangers" Now tell me the truth, isn't this kind of insensitive?
"Tips to avoid alligator attacks" - Don't swim in waters inhabited by large alligators. Well, I guess this newspaper was having a really slow news day.....DUH!!!! Tomorrow's will probably be something along the lines of "How to avoid falling down stairs....Avoid stairs
"Missippi's literacy program shows improvement" I really hope this editor wasn't the best English student that school ever had or they're in trouble!
"Statistics show teen pregnancy drops off significantly after age 25" Now why in the world do you think that is? Why not after age 20 or 21?
"Federal agents raid gun shop, find weapons" Incredible! That's our government tax dollars at work! Wonder what they expected to find...doughnuts?
"Utah Poison Control Center reminds everyone not to take poison" This must be from the brother of the alligator attack guy above! Same I.Q. level, or they think people are really that stupid!
"Caskets found as worker demolish mausoleum" Subtitle "We had no idea anyone was buried there" Well gee, what did they think the little stone building in the cemetery was, a closed up McDonalds?
"Meeting on open meetings is closed" All right, my open mind is closed now.
"Volunteers search for old Civil War planes" Would have loved to see how they attached the 1600 lb. cannons to the wings and then loaded the cannonballs in flight!
"County to pay $250,000 to advertise lack of funds" I can only guess this came from Harford County, Maryland, they're stupid enough to do that!
"Tiger Woods plays with own balls, Nike says" Okay, just not going to go there...
And I wonder why I can't get a job with a newspaper, guess maybe I'm too overqualified!
Back next week with more!
"One-armed man applauds the kindness of strangers" Now tell me the truth, isn't this kind of insensitive?
"Tips to avoid alligator attacks" - Don't swim in waters inhabited by large alligators. Well, I guess this newspaper was having a really slow news day.....DUH!!!! Tomorrow's will probably be something along the lines of "How to avoid falling down stairs....Avoid stairs
"Missippi's literacy program shows improvement" I really hope this editor wasn't the best English student that school ever had or they're in trouble!
"Statistics show teen pregnancy drops off significantly after age 25" Now why in the world do you think that is? Why not after age 20 or 21?
"Federal agents raid gun shop, find weapons" Incredible! That's our government tax dollars at work! Wonder what they expected to find...doughnuts?
"Utah Poison Control Center reminds everyone not to take poison" This must be from the brother of the alligator attack guy above! Same I.Q. level, or they think people are really that stupid!
"Caskets found as worker demolish mausoleum" Subtitle "We had no idea anyone was buried there" Well gee, what did they think the little stone building in the cemetery was, a closed up McDonalds?
"Meeting on open meetings is closed" All right, my open mind is closed now.
"Volunteers search for old Civil War planes" Would have loved to see how they attached the 1600 lb. cannons to the wings and then loaded the cannonballs in flight!
"County to pay $250,000 to advertise lack of funds" I can only guess this came from Harford County, Maryland, they're stupid enough to do that!
"Tiger Woods plays with own balls, Nike says" Okay, just not going to go there...
And I wonder why I can't get a job with a newspaper, guess maybe I'm too overqualified!
Back next week with more!
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Do you know somebody?
If I asked you if you know somebody, you would probably look at me like I'm an idiot and say, "Of course I know somebody, I know a lot of people!" But then I would say to you, "You may know a lot of people, but how many of them do you really know? Think about the word "know" because your meaning and mine are two different things."
So how well do you know the people in your life? Is it just a casual acquaintance for the most part, or do you take the time and trouble to really get to know them. I think that is one of the biggest problems I have. The few friends I have are people that I have focused on and really have an understanding of, and that's why I value those friends so highly. And they, in turn, have been able to know the real me.
I am lucky to know people like that, the kind that take the time to get to know people and understand them. That to me is what really strengthens a friendship. In times of stress and trouble you know that you can count on them to be there for you, as they know I would be there for them.
We tend to take friendship too casually these days. Most of the people I worked with were casual friends, I would see them at work but never after work. Usually everyone would go their separate ways. As a result I would have to look forward to going home to my dogs and books. It would have been nice to have people to hang out with, go to ball games with, whatever, but it didn't happen.
That is why I'm alone today, except for a few special friends I can count on for support and guidance when I need someone to talk to. I think I would rather have a few friends like that then a large number of people I barely know. It would still be nice to get out with a group and do things but I would rather invest the time into getting to really know just a few people that I could share things with.
I value friendship very highly and try to let the special people in my life know that. I hope that all of you look at your friends and let the special ones know how much they matter to you too.
Thank you, my friends, for what you mean to me.
So how well do you know the people in your life? Is it just a casual acquaintance for the most part, or do you take the time and trouble to really get to know them. I think that is one of the biggest problems I have. The few friends I have are people that I have focused on and really have an understanding of, and that's why I value those friends so highly. And they, in turn, have been able to know the real me.
I am lucky to know people like that, the kind that take the time to get to know people and understand them. That to me is what really strengthens a friendship. In times of stress and trouble you know that you can count on them to be there for you, as they know I would be there for them.
We tend to take friendship too casually these days. Most of the people I worked with were casual friends, I would see them at work but never after work. Usually everyone would go their separate ways. As a result I would have to look forward to going home to my dogs and books. It would have been nice to have people to hang out with, go to ball games with, whatever, but it didn't happen.
That is why I'm alone today, except for a few special friends I can count on for support and guidance when I need someone to talk to. I think I would rather have a few friends like that then a large number of people I barely know. It would still be nice to get out with a group and do things but I would rather invest the time into getting to really know just a few people that I could share things with.
I value friendship very highly and try to let the special people in my life know that. I hope that all of you look at your friends and let the special ones know how much they matter to you too.
Thank you, my friends, for what you mean to me.
Monday, August 9, 2010
Lemonade, anybody?
A friend of mine recently put on her Facebook page, "Life keeps handing me lemons. I am getting tired of trying to make lemonade." I can sympathize with her, nobody wants to buy a couple tankers of lemonade from me either.
Today was not a good day. It seemed like no matter what I tried to do, nothing went right. For instance, tonight I stopped to get gas in my motorcycle. Price was okay, it had dropped a few cents after the weekend. Unfortunately, I was using the spare key since I haven't been able to find the master set I got with the bike. The ignition key works fine but the spare key for the gas tank - NOooooo! So here I am running around keeping an eye on the trip odometer hoping I had filled the bike the last time I set it, which was last year, so I can't be sure, and I can't get gas! So I made it home and started looking for the master keys. Well, after destroying my room and other parts of the house, I was ready to concede defeat when I looked in the pocket of the jacket hanging on my bedroom door. There it was! It's always in the last place you look. So why don't you look there first? Why don't you say to yourself, "Where's the last place I would look?"
Of course, some good came out of it, I found quite a few other things along the way that I was looking for from time to time. However, considering the amount of cleaning I have to do now, I'm not sure if it was worth it!
Right now I can't go to bed because of everything that's piled on it from my search for the keys. So I have to clean off my bed and find a place for everything that doesn't have a place before I go to sleep. And then I have to get up extra early tomorrow so I can stop for gas (I checked, the tank is pretty low) before I go to an appointment I have.
I guess George Burns in "Oh God - Book II" was right when he said everything has to have two sides. Good and bad, sickness and health, up and down, in and out. Although sometimes it seems like I'm feeling bad, I'm sick, I'm down, and I'm out. The other side just doesn't seem to be there. Hopefully one of these days I'll be good, healthy, upbeat, and in to the place I want to be.
Is that positive thinking? You be the judge!
Today was not a good day. It seemed like no matter what I tried to do, nothing went right. For instance, tonight I stopped to get gas in my motorcycle. Price was okay, it had dropped a few cents after the weekend. Unfortunately, I was using the spare key since I haven't been able to find the master set I got with the bike. The ignition key works fine but the spare key for the gas tank - NOooooo! So here I am running around keeping an eye on the trip odometer hoping I had filled the bike the last time I set it, which was last year, so I can't be sure, and I can't get gas! So I made it home and started looking for the master keys. Well, after destroying my room and other parts of the house, I was ready to concede defeat when I looked in the pocket of the jacket hanging on my bedroom door. There it was! It's always in the last place you look. So why don't you look there first? Why don't you say to yourself, "Where's the last place I would look?"
Of course, some good came out of it, I found quite a few other things along the way that I was looking for from time to time. However, considering the amount of cleaning I have to do now, I'm not sure if it was worth it!
Right now I can't go to bed because of everything that's piled on it from my search for the keys. So I have to clean off my bed and find a place for everything that doesn't have a place before I go to sleep. And then I have to get up extra early tomorrow so I can stop for gas (I checked, the tank is pretty low) before I go to an appointment I have.
I guess George Burns in "Oh God - Book II" was right when he said everything has to have two sides. Good and bad, sickness and health, up and down, in and out. Although sometimes it seems like I'm feeling bad, I'm sick, I'm down, and I'm out. The other side just doesn't seem to be there. Hopefully one of these days I'll be good, healthy, upbeat, and in to the place I want to be.
Is that positive thinking? You be the judge!
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Comic strips
How many of you like to read the comic strips in the Sunday paper, or the "funnies" as we used to call them? Or how many follow a particular comic strip in the daily paper or online?
I do, I admit it, I'm a 45 year old male that likes to read the comics. I need a laugh every day, don't we all? I have been following "Peanuts" since I was 5, I have "Maxine" delivered to my Facebook page every day, and even have "Dilbert" accessible from my cell phone. I also have all the Dilbert comic books on my bookshelf, I wish I had all the "Peanuts" books from when I was a kid, I must have had about 100 of them. Don't know what happened to them all, guess they were lost in moving with some other things.
Anyway, today's "Peanuts" strip was the one where Violet is chasing Charlie Brown threatening to beat him up. He stops and tries to reason with her, telling her that if little kids can't solve their differences, what hope does the world have when they're grown up? She hits him, then tells Lucy she had to because he was starting to make sense.
What's the saying, "Out of the mouths of babes?" It's true, sometimes kids say the darnedest things, but there is a lot of truth to them. I saw "Everybody Loves Raymond" yesterday, the episode where Frank scares Allie by getting into an argument with a supermarket employee. He doesn't like she's afraid of him afterwards so he sits down and talks with her. She tells him when she is wrong she has to apologize, shouldn't he do the same? For Allie, Frank goes and apologizes, even though the employee won't accept it. But at least he tried.
Sometimes we do something wrong, and don't apologize. Sometimes we do apologize, and it's accepted. Sometimes we apologize, and it isn't accepted. Other times we don't do anything wrong, but we apologize just the same.
I think it's a measure of how much we've grown up by how willing we are to try and achieve peace with others. We can be juvenile and say, "I'm not apologizing, he started it!" Or we can be the bigger person and do whatever needs to be done to remain on good terms.
I guess what I'm trying to say is we should all look at how old we are and how we want our world to be. If all it takes is saying a few words to live peacefully, even though we may not totally agree with the other parties, isn't that worth it? As long as we don't compromise our principles and who we are I don't see the harm in it. It's only if something is really worth fighting for that we should refuse to let the other parties walk all over us.
Let's all try and look at things from the little and big picture angle. It's always easier to put something smaller away then something bigger. And if we let the little things go too long, they can escalate into a bigger thing, so shouldn't we stop it while we can?
Think about it the next time you're in an argument with someone, it's easier to talk it out and maybe apologize then let it become a major problem that can't be solved.
I do, I admit it, I'm a 45 year old male that likes to read the comics. I need a laugh every day, don't we all? I have been following "Peanuts" since I was 5, I have "Maxine" delivered to my Facebook page every day, and even have "Dilbert" accessible from my cell phone. I also have all the Dilbert comic books on my bookshelf, I wish I had all the "Peanuts" books from when I was a kid, I must have had about 100 of them. Don't know what happened to them all, guess they were lost in moving with some other things.
Anyway, today's "Peanuts" strip was the one where Violet is chasing Charlie Brown threatening to beat him up. He stops and tries to reason with her, telling her that if little kids can't solve their differences, what hope does the world have when they're grown up? She hits him, then tells Lucy she had to because he was starting to make sense.
What's the saying, "Out of the mouths of babes?" It's true, sometimes kids say the darnedest things, but there is a lot of truth to them. I saw "Everybody Loves Raymond" yesterday, the episode where Frank scares Allie by getting into an argument with a supermarket employee. He doesn't like she's afraid of him afterwards so he sits down and talks with her. She tells him when she is wrong she has to apologize, shouldn't he do the same? For Allie, Frank goes and apologizes, even though the employee won't accept it. But at least he tried.
Sometimes we do something wrong, and don't apologize. Sometimes we do apologize, and it's accepted. Sometimes we apologize, and it isn't accepted. Other times we don't do anything wrong, but we apologize just the same.
I think it's a measure of how much we've grown up by how willing we are to try and achieve peace with others. We can be juvenile and say, "I'm not apologizing, he started it!" Or we can be the bigger person and do whatever needs to be done to remain on good terms.
I guess what I'm trying to say is we should all look at how old we are and how we want our world to be. If all it takes is saying a few words to live peacefully, even though we may not totally agree with the other parties, isn't that worth it? As long as we don't compromise our principles and who we are I don't see the harm in it. It's only if something is really worth fighting for that we should refuse to let the other parties walk all over us.
Let's all try and look at things from the little and big picture angle. It's always easier to put something smaller away then something bigger. And if we let the little things go too long, they can escalate into a bigger thing, so shouldn't we stop it while we can?
Think about it the next time you're in an argument with someone, it's easier to talk it out and maybe apologize then let it become a major problem that can't be solved.
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Dear old Dad
Today I would like to talk a little about my father, who passed away 6 years ago. I had a good relationship with my father, we didn't have a lot in common but we did maintain a good sense of humor. Growing up we got along all right, he was busy with work and I always had my nose in a book. Later in life, after I had grown up, we seemed to do a lot better. I can understand that, I'm not too comfortable around kids but since my nephews have grown into adults we seem to communicate better also.
The one flaw (if you consider it such) was that after my father retired and started working afternoon and evenings as a hotel desk clerk he had a lot of time free in the mornings. My father never really had any hobbies so he became bored quickly. The only thing he could do to keep busy was putter around the house. That's where the trouble began.
By "putter" I mean that my father needed to change things. At first he was content to work in the basement in his area where he kept all his reel-to-reel tapes (remember those? Anybody?) and cassette tapes and books and tools, whatever. He was never satisfied, always calling me after I came home asking me to help him lift something or hook up some wires he couldn't reach. Soon he became bored with that and started changing the furniture around in the living room, den, and bedrooms. He would do that when he was home alone in the daytime, since Mom and I both worked days. All I can say is that it's a good thing I'm not blind. Some people move their furniture around for a change once every few months. He did it nearly every day. I would have been black and blue if I was blind because I would never know or remember where the furniture was from day to day. Furniture, pictures, if it could be changed he would change it. Soon it became almost a game to come home, get in the front door, and look around trying to determine what was different. It was like those puzzles in the magazines in the doctor's office where you try to determine what is different between two pictures. As a result of all the changes my mother and I have grown very indifferent to change. I can't remember the last time any of the furniture was moved.
Tonight I was home by myself and looking for some things. I started to clean my bedroom but needed somewhere to put some things I didn't have room for and that were getting in the way. I went down to the basement to Dad's area in hopes I could set up a computer on his desk to get it out of my room. Well, one thing led to another and before I knew it I was sorting everything in the area. Then I cleaned off his desk and started moving some of the boxes and furniture around. Halfway through it I found out the top of his desk was the old door to my room with a blanket over it, being held up by stacked egg crates. The funny part was when he used the door he never took off the doorknob. I decided to remedy that. As I was working on it I said aloud, "Pop, why wouldn't you take the doorknob off?" I halfway expected an answer. I had everything moved around and had created a lot of working room when it hit me, I was thinking also how I could change my room around next. Help me, I'm becoming like my father!
Looking at it, that's not a bad thing. My dad was an okay guy, he just needed change, unfortunately not once in a while but on a daily basis. Me, I've been in a rut for years. Maybe I needed to do this to realize I need change also. I always liked my job because it had variety, I would get bored easily doing fast food or something like that, where you do the same thing all the time. Maybe I need to work on variety in my personal life, and where better to start than at home.
So I'm going to start making some changes around here. Maybe it will help me to change my lifestyle too. After all, you have to start somewhere, right?
The one flaw (if you consider it such) was that after my father retired and started working afternoon and evenings as a hotel desk clerk he had a lot of time free in the mornings. My father never really had any hobbies so he became bored quickly. The only thing he could do to keep busy was putter around the house. That's where the trouble began.
By "putter" I mean that my father needed to change things. At first he was content to work in the basement in his area where he kept all his reel-to-reel tapes (remember those? Anybody?) and cassette tapes and books and tools, whatever. He was never satisfied, always calling me after I came home asking me to help him lift something or hook up some wires he couldn't reach. Soon he became bored with that and started changing the furniture around in the living room, den, and bedrooms. He would do that when he was home alone in the daytime, since Mom and I both worked days. All I can say is that it's a good thing I'm not blind. Some people move their furniture around for a change once every few months. He did it nearly every day. I would have been black and blue if I was blind because I would never know or remember where the furniture was from day to day. Furniture, pictures, if it could be changed he would change it. Soon it became almost a game to come home, get in the front door, and look around trying to determine what was different. It was like those puzzles in the magazines in the doctor's office where you try to determine what is different between two pictures. As a result of all the changes my mother and I have grown very indifferent to change. I can't remember the last time any of the furniture was moved.
Tonight I was home by myself and looking for some things. I started to clean my bedroom but needed somewhere to put some things I didn't have room for and that were getting in the way. I went down to the basement to Dad's area in hopes I could set up a computer on his desk to get it out of my room. Well, one thing led to another and before I knew it I was sorting everything in the area. Then I cleaned off his desk and started moving some of the boxes and furniture around. Halfway through it I found out the top of his desk was the old door to my room with a blanket over it, being held up by stacked egg crates. The funny part was when he used the door he never took off the doorknob. I decided to remedy that. As I was working on it I said aloud, "Pop, why wouldn't you take the doorknob off?" I halfway expected an answer. I had everything moved around and had created a lot of working room when it hit me, I was thinking also how I could change my room around next. Help me, I'm becoming like my father!
Looking at it, that's not a bad thing. My dad was an okay guy, he just needed change, unfortunately not once in a while but on a daily basis. Me, I've been in a rut for years. Maybe I needed to do this to realize I need change also. I always liked my job because it had variety, I would get bored easily doing fast food or something like that, where you do the same thing all the time. Maybe I need to work on variety in my personal life, and where better to start than at home.
So I'm going to start making some changes around here. Maybe it will help me to change my lifestyle too. After all, you have to start somewhere, right?
Friday, August 6, 2010
Ever have one of those days?
I decided today to get my bike out of storage and use it for a while to get around, tired of pouring gas in my Mustang every week! It's amazing how fast you can build up mileage without never seeming to go anywhere! Only flaw was I didn't have an up-to-date insurance card, don't know if they forgot to send me one or if it's buried in my old mail somewhere. So I go to get online to print out the temporary cards from Progressive's website and the Internet is down! I called Verizon and spent 15 minutes listening to recorded suggestions then finally was put in touch with a real person. After 20 minutes managed to get the connection working again and printed out the cards. Then I go to the shed, fully expecting to have to jump start the bike after being stored for the winter. To my surprise she started right up and everything worked for inspection! Go Honda Nighthawk 250!
I figured my luck was picking up so I headed to Motor Vehicles, as the registration had expired in March and the MVA never notified me. Beautiful sunny day, bike running great, perfect! Halfway there it started raining on me out of a clear sky. Guess Mrs. Murphy (Murphy's Law) still is looking after me! I make it to the MVA, pass inspection with no problem (luck on upswing again!) then go inside. After waiting 20 minutes I get to the counter and I'm told they don't accept computer printed insurance cards! Has to be the permanent card from the insurer or it has to be faxed directly to MVA. (luck on downswing!) So now I have to go back on Monday.
Riding a motorcycle is exhilarating, a lot of people think they're unsafe and there is a lot of truth to that. You have to look out for all the drivers out there that aren't paying attention, they're too busy talking on their cell phones to notice what's going on around them. Then you have the shredded retreads all over the highways, the people that suddenly slam on their brakes for no reason, and the heavy traffic that makes people suddenly change lanes without looking or because they're in a hurry. And you also have the motorcyclists that have never taken a safety course and buy a crotch rocket and go flying up the road at 100 mph, weaving in and out of traffic and causing problems.
But if you take a safety course, and learn what to look for and anticipate, and buy the proper riding gear, they can be a lot of fun. I spent $100 for the safety course and consider it well worth it. I have been riding for 5 years and never had an accident. I wear helmet, jeans, boots, and gloves, and a leather jacket during the cooler weather. For the life of me I can't understand why someone would ride a bike in t-shirt, shorts, and sneakers. There have been a lot of accidents lately where bikers and their passengers have been killed or critically injured because they weren't wearing a helmet. What is wrong with these people? You do not have the protection of an automobile body and frame around you, doesn't it make sense that you should adjust for that by putting protection on your body?
I'm sorry, but I have no sympathy for the idiots that don't want to wear a helmet. It's a case of they deserve what they get. I know my chances will be a lot better should anything happen to me. Just yesterday while sitting at a traffic light two bikers pulled up next to me. The one on the right took his helmet off and secured it to the seat behind him because it was too hot. It was a major intersection and the light turned green. I started to turn, they started to go straight, and guess what? Somebody in a big hurry, still trying to make the light on the cross street, ran the light! We all had to hit the brakes even though we had the green and the green arrow. That stupid biker would have been the first one hit and nearly was!
To get back to the subject, it just goes to show that people like me have good luck and bad luck and it's subject to frequent change, often several times in one hour. I could be at home, in my car, on my bike, but wherever I am I just need to pay attention to what I'm doing and be careful. Or I could fall down the front steps, get in my car, and back into my bike, thereby having a pile-up in my own driveway. Some say we make our own luck, I say there's no such thing as luck and things are going to happen no matter what.
Please feel free to comment, would love to hear some of them!
I figured my luck was picking up so I headed to Motor Vehicles, as the registration had expired in March and the MVA never notified me. Beautiful sunny day, bike running great, perfect! Halfway there it started raining on me out of a clear sky. Guess Mrs. Murphy (Murphy's Law) still is looking after me! I make it to the MVA, pass inspection with no problem (luck on upswing again!) then go inside. After waiting 20 minutes I get to the counter and I'm told they don't accept computer printed insurance cards! Has to be the permanent card from the insurer or it has to be faxed directly to MVA. (luck on downswing!) So now I have to go back on Monday.
Riding a motorcycle is exhilarating, a lot of people think they're unsafe and there is a lot of truth to that. You have to look out for all the drivers out there that aren't paying attention, they're too busy talking on their cell phones to notice what's going on around them. Then you have the shredded retreads all over the highways, the people that suddenly slam on their brakes for no reason, and the heavy traffic that makes people suddenly change lanes without looking or because they're in a hurry. And you also have the motorcyclists that have never taken a safety course and buy a crotch rocket and go flying up the road at 100 mph, weaving in and out of traffic and causing problems.
But if you take a safety course, and learn what to look for and anticipate, and buy the proper riding gear, they can be a lot of fun. I spent $100 for the safety course and consider it well worth it. I have been riding for 5 years and never had an accident. I wear helmet, jeans, boots, and gloves, and a leather jacket during the cooler weather. For the life of me I can't understand why someone would ride a bike in t-shirt, shorts, and sneakers. There have been a lot of accidents lately where bikers and their passengers have been killed or critically injured because they weren't wearing a helmet. What is wrong with these people? You do not have the protection of an automobile body and frame around you, doesn't it make sense that you should adjust for that by putting protection on your body?
I'm sorry, but I have no sympathy for the idiots that don't want to wear a helmet. It's a case of they deserve what they get. I know my chances will be a lot better should anything happen to me. Just yesterday while sitting at a traffic light two bikers pulled up next to me. The one on the right took his helmet off and secured it to the seat behind him because it was too hot. It was a major intersection and the light turned green. I started to turn, they started to go straight, and guess what? Somebody in a big hurry, still trying to make the light on the cross street, ran the light! We all had to hit the brakes even though we had the green and the green arrow. That stupid biker would have been the first one hit and nearly was!
To get back to the subject, it just goes to show that people like me have good luck and bad luck and it's subject to frequent change, often several times in one hour. I could be at home, in my car, on my bike, but wherever I am I just need to pay attention to what I'm doing and be careful. Or I could fall down the front steps, get in my car, and back into my bike, thereby having a pile-up in my own driveway. Some say we make our own luck, I say there's no such thing as luck and things are going to happen no matter what.
Please feel free to comment, would love to hear some of them!
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Why?
One of my cousin's was driving me crazy one night, we went to go see a movie, I can't remember which movie it was but trust me, it was bad. May have been Transformers 2. Anyway, he kept saying, "Why?" every time he saw something stupid, like "Why do they insult our intelligence and make something with a stupid element like this in it?"
Anyway, I've been asking myself "Why?" for the past few weeks. It's amazing what that 3-letter word can say all by itself. There are actually a lot of words like that. "Oh" is another one, it can end a conversation, depending on the tone it can be a question, a comment, even derogatory.
Have you noticed how America tends to complicate everything needlessly? Look at any legal document, tax forms, even warranty information included in a box with a $9.96 watch from Wal-Mart has one page of instructions you can barely read and about 4 pages of information that to my knowledge nobody has ever read in it's entirety.
Over a hundred years ago you could buy someone's property in the Old West with 50 gold pieces and a handshake, maybe a note saying, " I sold John Smith here my place on June 5, 1875" and that was it. Now it takes a group of people including realtors, lawyers, inspectors, title workers, etc. to do that and it can take up to 4 weeks to get it all together.
If someone stole your horse (which was your transportation, your means to make a living, your friend, even a tool you used around the ranch), and they caught the guy, they hung him. Pure and simple. Now if someone steals your car, you have to file police reports, insurance claims, go to court, wait for the appeals process, fill out forms to get your car from impound, and maybe even get a lawyer if the poor thief cut himself on a soda tab you left in there and sues you for endangering his life!
If somebody stole something from a store or person, they might cut off his hand. Sounds to me like a good preventative measure to keep someone from stealing again! If he was stupid enough to steal twice, hope he has a real patient significant other to wait on him. Today, again, there are reports, forms, courts, trials, lawyers, etc. until you would rather grab a gun, shoot the thief, and take YOUR chances with the court system!
I don't know, maybe it's just me, but we need to simplify things in this country, we are just getting too bogged down in details anymore. If things were easier, think how much more quickly we could get things accomplished! I really yearn for simpler times - if I had my way, and won the lottery, I would have a nice little cabin on a mountain somewhere and could be happy with my books, music, dogs, and fishing rod.
What do you all think?
Anyway, I've been asking myself "Why?" for the past few weeks. It's amazing what that 3-letter word can say all by itself. There are actually a lot of words like that. "Oh" is another one, it can end a conversation, depending on the tone it can be a question, a comment, even derogatory.
Have you noticed how America tends to complicate everything needlessly? Look at any legal document, tax forms, even warranty information included in a box with a $9.96 watch from Wal-Mart has one page of instructions you can barely read and about 4 pages of information that to my knowledge nobody has ever read in it's entirety.
Over a hundred years ago you could buy someone's property in the Old West with 50 gold pieces and a handshake, maybe a note saying, " I sold John Smith here my place on June 5, 1875" and that was it. Now it takes a group of people including realtors, lawyers, inspectors, title workers, etc. to do that and it can take up to 4 weeks to get it all together.
If someone stole your horse (which was your transportation, your means to make a living, your friend, even a tool you used around the ranch), and they caught the guy, they hung him. Pure and simple. Now if someone steals your car, you have to file police reports, insurance claims, go to court, wait for the appeals process, fill out forms to get your car from impound, and maybe even get a lawyer if the poor thief cut himself on a soda tab you left in there and sues you for endangering his life!
If somebody stole something from a store or person, they might cut off his hand. Sounds to me like a good preventative measure to keep someone from stealing again! If he was stupid enough to steal twice, hope he has a real patient significant other to wait on him. Today, again, there are reports, forms, courts, trials, lawyers, etc. until you would rather grab a gun, shoot the thief, and take YOUR chances with the court system!
I don't know, maybe it's just me, but we need to simplify things in this country, we are just getting too bogged down in details anymore. If things were easier, think how much more quickly we could get things accomplished! I really yearn for simpler times - if I had my way, and won the lottery, I would have a nice little cabin on a mountain somewhere and could be happy with my books, music, dogs, and fishing rod.
What do you all think?
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Wednesday Wacky Headlines!
New feature tonight, thought it would appeal to a lot of people, at least it does when Jay Leno does it! Every Wednesday from now on I'll do a selection of headlines with my thoughts on each one. Are you ready for these?
Governor (Knowles - Alaska) wants more cash for kids Talk about greedy, I know people that would give me their kids for free just for peace and quiet! His must be perfect angels!
Governor's Penis is Busy ("pen is") Well, either the Governor is a normal politician trying to get in the Oval Office, or the newspaper editor has a one-track mind and it's not on editing!
Thanks to President Clinton, Sergeant Fruer Now Has Son Good grief, didn't the man do any work at all in the Oval Office that had something to do with our country? I guess Hillary really did run the place!
Clinton Stiff on Withdrawal Sorry, went with the previous post, just won't go there at all! Except I'm sure Hillary was happy too!
Something Went Wrong in Jet Crash, Expert Says Well, I feel a whole lot safer knowing these guys are inspecting the planes I may fly on someday, especially their attention to detail!
Police Begin Campaign To Run Down Jaywalkers Why am I not surprised? The ones in Delaware and Maryland break every other law, why not vehicular manslaughter? Oh, I forgot, they do that in Philly and Baltimore!
Safety Experts Say School Bus Passengers Should Be Belted I've been saying that for years, except if I become a school bus driver I want a whip instead of a belt!
Is There A Ring of Debris Around Uranus? Blame it on Mr. Whipple, if he would let me squeeze the Charmin, I would buy it, and there wouldn't be a problem!
Prostitutes Appeal to Pope And here I've been saying for years they need a younger Pope, guess not!
Plane Too Close to Ground, Crash Probe Told Again, these guys are good! Wonder if I could get that job, I'm not mechanically inclined either!
Two Sisters Reunited After 18 Years in Checkout Counter Apparently they shop at the New Castle, Delaware Wal-Mart too!
Typhoon Rips Through Cemetery; Hundreds Dead Guess we know where those aircraft safety inspectors moonlight now! They're medical examiners!
That's all for tonight, thank you for being with me, and I do apologize for all the adult content. However, I can't help it, politicians exist and we did put them in office. I think the purpose of the press coverage is to get a rise out of them. Although in Clinton's case, I guess it's too late now!
Check back tomorrow, my blog will be back to it's usual content, I'll let you judge if it's good or bad!
Governor (Knowles - Alaska) wants more cash for kids Talk about greedy, I know people that would give me their kids for free just for peace and quiet! His must be perfect angels!
Governor's Penis is Busy ("pen is") Well, either the Governor is a normal politician trying to get in the Oval Office, or the newspaper editor has a one-track mind and it's not on editing!
Thanks to President Clinton, Sergeant Fruer Now Has Son Good grief, didn't the man do any work at all in the Oval Office that had something to do with our country? I guess Hillary really did run the place!
Clinton Stiff on Withdrawal Sorry, went with the previous post, just won't go there at all! Except I'm sure Hillary was happy too!
Something Went Wrong in Jet Crash, Expert Says Well, I feel a whole lot safer knowing these guys are inspecting the planes I may fly on someday, especially their attention to detail!
Police Begin Campaign To Run Down Jaywalkers Why am I not surprised? The ones in Delaware and Maryland break every other law, why not vehicular manslaughter? Oh, I forgot, they do that in Philly and Baltimore!
Safety Experts Say School Bus Passengers Should Be Belted I've been saying that for years, except if I become a school bus driver I want a whip instead of a belt!
Is There A Ring of Debris Around Uranus? Blame it on Mr. Whipple, if he would let me squeeze the Charmin, I would buy it, and there wouldn't be a problem!
Prostitutes Appeal to Pope And here I've been saying for years they need a younger Pope, guess not!
Plane Too Close to Ground, Crash Probe Told Again, these guys are good! Wonder if I could get that job, I'm not mechanically inclined either!
Two Sisters Reunited After 18 Years in Checkout Counter Apparently they shop at the New Castle, Delaware Wal-Mart too!
Typhoon Rips Through Cemetery; Hundreds Dead Guess we know where those aircraft safety inspectors moonlight now! They're medical examiners!
That's all for tonight, thank you for being with me, and I do apologize for all the adult content. However, I can't help it, politicians exist and we did put them in office. I think the purpose of the press coverage is to get a rise out of them. Although in Clinton's case, I guess it's too late now!
Check back tomorrow, my blog will be back to it's usual content, I'll let you judge if it's good or bad!
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
That's entertainment!
I see quite a bit of television, and I go to my share of movies and I'm always amazed at the Hollywood special-effects wizards. They can make you believe that anything is possible, and when the lights go on it's time to go back to real life and that's when the disappointment sets in.
Well, not always, don't get me wrong, sometimes it's a relief to go back to real life. Some of these movies are so lame that they make you wonder if the producers think the general public is really that stupid. I remember a movie my cousin forced me to go to a long time ago where some mutant had his head slammed in a car door and then kept putting it back in the door to get slammed again over and over! I mean really, do they think we're going to believe even a mutant is that stupid?
However, there are the other times when you would like to just get up and jump in that X-Wing fighter and help Luke blow up the Death Star. Or fight the Nazi's with Indiana Jones. Or go on a date with Kate Hudson. That's when you wish you could live on that screen forever!
The thing is, they make it look so easy. Look at "MacGyver," now that was an AWESOME television series. Richard Dean Anderson took stuff that we have around the house and was able to do so much with it! I watched it religiously, to the point where every time I had to fix something I would be there thinking, "What would MacGyver do?"
That's what I like in movies, when they treat the audience with the respect they deserve. We know some guy or gal cannot jump in the air and just hang there for two minutes while they kick a couple of dozen guys in black robes in the face before they come down (one of the Matrix movies, don't ask me which one, probably all of them!). And then they started doing that with all of the martial arts scenes. If I went to a karate studio and asked the sensei (I think that's it) if he could teach me to float in the air while I kicked people he would probably tell me I'm nuts! Give me a break people, it's impossible and we know it! Not without wires or a jetpack, anyway.
So yes, I am based in reality. I like the movies and shows where the heroes do get hurt and bleed, where if they fall two stories they are going to the hospital, not just get up and walk away like nothing happened. I know if someone punched ME in the face I would be bleeding. And if I fell two stories I would be in traction for two weeks.
The only problem is, sometimes I wish I could live in that fantasy world because reality can be too harsh. I think we all do. But unfortunately, in real life, there is no different channel and no on/off switch. We just have to make the best of what we have.
Well, not always, don't get me wrong, sometimes it's a relief to go back to real life. Some of these movies are so lame that they make you wonder if the producers think the general public is really that stupid. I remember a movie my cousin forced me to go to a long time ago where some mutant had his head slammed in a car door and then kept putting it back in the door to get slammed again over and over! I mean really, do they think we're going to believe even a mutant is that stupid?
However, there are the other times when you would like to just get up and jump in that X-Wing fighter and help Luke blow up the Death Star. Or fight the Nazi's with Indiana Jones. Or go on a date with Kate Hudson. That's when you wish you could live on that screen forever!
The thing is, they make it look so easy. Look at "MacGyver," now that was an AWESOME television series. Richard Dean Anderson took stuff that we have around the house and was able to do so much with it! I watched it religiously, to the point where every time I had to fix something I would be there thinking, "What would MacGyver do?"
That's what I like in movies, when they treat the audience with the respect they deserve. We know some guy or gal cannot jump in the air and just hang there for two minutes while they kick a couple of dozen guys in black robes in the face before they come down (one of the Matrix movies, don't ask me which one, probably all of them!). And then they started doing that with all of the martial arts scenes. If I went to a karate studio and asked the sensei (I think that's it) if he could teach me to float in the air while I kicked people he would probably tell me I'm nuts! Give me a break people, it's impossible and we know it! Not without wires or a jetpack, anyway.
So yes, I am based in reality. I like the movies and shows where the heroes do get hurt and bleed, where if they fall two stories they are going to the hospital, not just get up and walk away like nothing happened. I know if someone punched ME in the face I would be bleeding. And if I fell two stories I would be in traction for two weeks.
The only problem is, sometimes I wish I could live in that fantasy world because reality can be too harsh. I think we all do. But unfortunately, in real life, there is no different channel and no on/off switch. We just have to make the best of what we have.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Expectations
Sometimes in our life we tend to expect too much or not enough. This can pertain to people, material objects, weather, anything really. As a kid I always had the long list for Santa just like other kids. As long as I believed in Santa I always thought I would get everything on my list, then was slightly disappointed on Christmas morning. Not that I wasn't grateful for what I did receive, I just wanted MORE!
Then I grew up and expected more from life than I received, from education to employment. I always expected (and hoped!) for better grades, though I have to admit that I expected to fail also as I wasn't a great student. Fortunately they passed me through! And in my jobs I've always tried to do well, and I like to think my efforts have been appreciated.
As far as people go I've been disappointed, I grew up in a nice neighborhood and expected to find the same kind of people everywhere. Sadly, that has not been the case. I have dealt with all types of people in my life; bullies, snobs, criminals, etc. I had to grow up in a hurry and I still feel the pain.
But that's the way it is with expectations. I was told long ago as long as you expect the worse in people, that's what you'll see. I disagree with that. People are what they are - some are able to change, others aren't going to. What's wrong is trying to change who you are FOR people. They will either like you or they won't, but why try to be something you aren't? How long can you keep that up and still like yourself?
Tonight I had my real estate law midterm exam. I follow along in class, I study out of class, I've worked in legal-related areas for half of my life, and I expected to fail. Well, to my surprise, I passed! Not as well as I probably could have, but I did. Thank goodness for extra credit (it was only 2 points but it helped!).
So we may have let life's experiences beat us down, for some they've lifted us up. And we may have expectations about a lot of things and are bound to be disappointed along the way. But sometimes there is a surprise around the corner, and we should be grateful for those, since they give us hope when we least expect it.
Then I grew up and expected more from life than I received, from education to employment. I always expected (and hoped!) for better grades, though I have to admit that I expected to fail also as I wasn't a great student. Fortunately they passed me through! And in my jobs I've always tried to do well, and I like to think my efforts have been appreciated.
As far as people go I've been disappointed, I grew up in a nice neighborhood and expected to find the same kind of people everywhere. Sadly, that has not been the case. I have dealt with all types of people in my life; bullies, snobs, criminals, etc. I had to grow up in a hurry and I still feel the pain.
But that's the way it is with expectations. I was told long ago as long as you expect the worse in people, that's what you'll see. I disagree with that. People are what they are - some are able to change, others aren't going to. What's wrong is trying to change who you are FOR people. They will either like you or they won't, but why try to be something you aren't? How long can you keep that up and still like yourself?
Tonight I had my real estate law midterm exam. I follow along in class, I study out of class, I've worked in legal-related areas for half of my life, and I expected to fail. Well, to my surprise, I passed! Not as well as I probably could have, but I did. Thank goodness for extra credit (it was only 2 points but it helped!).
So we may have let life's experiences beat us down, for some they've lifted us up. And we may have expectations about a lot of things and are bound to be disappointed along the way. But sometimes there is a surprise around the corner, and we should be grateful for those, since they give us hope when we least expect it.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
It is better to light a single candle than to curse the darkness...
I had occasion tonight to think of this line and wondered where it came from. When I Googled it I found several variations, it seems to be from an ancient Chinese proverb.
We've all seen candlelight vigils on television, usually for victims of a disaster. I know the Catholic church lights what they call Vigil Candles. Lighting a candle is a way of extending one's prayer and showing solidarity with the person on whose behalf the prayer is offered.
While I am not Catholic, I do appreciate the thought behind it. A candle is a small, bright, warm light that can pierce the wall of darkness, whether it be night, an emotional darkness, one caused by a power outage, or even in a tunnel during daylight.
I come from a very large family. As of 2003 there were 13 children, 10 girls, 3 boys, 28 grandchildren, 42 great-grandchildren, 1 great-great grandchild, 105 surviving family members from my mother's parents. Since then we have lost and gained, I don't have a current update. The 2003 census doesn't take into account all of the in-laws and extended families through marriage, it would be interesting to find that out sometime but then we would be getting into multiple family geneologies, I think we would need to hire a firm to do that, it would just be too much!
I have relatives I will never know I have. Most of the time I don't even think of that, though I am very family oriented. That doesn't mean that I don't care about them, it is just beyond my scope to keep everybody in mind all the time. I met second cousins in Arkansas over 30 years ago and don't know what is happening in their lives. I may not ever know what happened in their family since then. Some things we just have to accept, if I ever find myself down that way I hope I will be able to find time to look them up and bring myself up to date.
My uncle once said at a reunion, "There are no in-laws in the Michaels' family, only family." I have always believed that, as our family bond is very strong, despite time and distance. The Internet has helped us to keep in touch even more as it progresses, thanks to sites like Facebook. I have better contact with my cousins on Facebook than I do at reunions!
Tonight I am thinking of my cousin's family. My cousin's wife (who is as much a cousin to me as a blood relative), told me tonight her mother is in the hospital awaiting tests to find out what is wrong with her. I sympathize with her and her family and would like to take this time to figuratively light a candle to let her and her family know I am thinking of them and praying for her mother's health.
It doesn't matter if you're family or friend, it doesn't matter if it's a stranger or a friend of a friend, all that does matter is that you think of your fellow man in times of trouble and be supportive of them. If we can't take the time to spare a moment to wish a fellow human being well, than the darkness has won. I would rather light that single candle than to let that happen.
Please think about this and light that candle in your mind, let's make this a better world.
We've all seen candlelight vigils on television, usually for victims of a disaster. I know the Catholic church lights what they call Vigil Candles. Lighting a candle is a way of extending one's prayer and showing solidarity with the person on whose behalf the prayer is offered.
While I am not Catholic, I do appreciate the thought behind it. A candle is a small, bright, warm light that can pierce the wall of darkness, whether it be night, an emotional darkness, one caused by a power outage, or even in a tunnel during daylight.
I come from a very large family. As of 2003 there were 13 children, 10 girls, 3 boys, 28 grandchildren, 42 great-grandchildren, 1 great-great grandchild, 105 surviving family members from my mother's parents. Since then we have lost and gained, I don't have a current update. The 2003 census doesn't take into account all of the in-laws and extended families through marriage, it would be interesting to find that out sometime but then we would be getting into multiple family geneologies, I think we would need to hire a firm to do that, it would just be too much!
I have relatives I will never know I have. Most of the time I don't even think of that, though I am very family oriented. That doesn't mean that I don't care about them, it is just beyond my scope to keep everybody in mind all the time. I met second cousins in Arkansas over 30 years ago and don't know what is happening in their lives. I may not ever know what happened in their family since then. Some things we just have to accept, if I ever find myself down that way I hope I will be able to find time to look them up and bring myself up to date.
My uncle once said at a reunion, "There are no in-laws in the Michaels' family, only family." I have always believed that, as our family bond is very strong, despite time and distance. The Internet has helped us to keep in touch even more as it progresses, thanks to sites like Facebook. I have better contact with my cousins on Facebook than I do at reunions!
Tonight I am thinking of my cousin's family. My cousin's wife (who is as much a cousin to me as a blood relative), told me tonight her mother is in the hospital awaiting tests to find out what is wrong with her. I sympathize with her and her family and would like to take this time to figuratively light a candle to let her and her family know I am thinking of them and praying for her mother's health.
It doesn't matter if you're family or friend, it doesn't matter if it's a stranger or a friend of a friend, all that does matter is that you think of your fellow man in times of trouble and be supportive of them. If we can't take the time to spare a moment to wish a fellow human being well, than the darkness has won. I would rather light that single candle than to let that happen.
Please think about this and light that candle in your mind, let's make this a better world.
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