Some people are so very enthusiastic and positive the entire atmosphere around them changes for the better, no matter the circumstances. I had the most pleasant opportunity to speak with just such a person yesterday. A veteran of a war, a cancer survivor, and now going through rehab due to injuries resulting from a hit and run accident. In other words, life hasn't always dealing him the best hand. I've known him for decades. He looks for the good in whatever he is faced with. I'm a pretty happy guy myself but I've also been known to have a down day from time to time although not very often. I have not experienced him having a down day in all the time I've known him. Even when I visited him in the hospital or anywhere for that matter. Yesterday this Aura of happiness he possesses just seemed to shine in a way I couldn't avoid commenting on it. He was bending and twisting and moving himself around to complete his physical rehab for the day. No doubt it was painful yet he often smiled during the whole program and made a few jokes along the way to boot. When he was done, we sat for a while and enjoyed some light blush wine until he was rested. I asked him to what did he owe his happiness? He answered immediately: "It's not that difficult to be happy! If something makes you unhappy, change it right away and get on with life. Change jobs, change friends, change where you live, stop drinking, start drinking, eat different food, whatever. But if anything keeps you from being happy, most of all I think that most of us should change our expectations. It's not that hard to be happy!"
So, there you are, the wisdom of a happy guy. I hope it helps you enjoy St. Valentine's Day. Which, by the way was started by letter writing from jail. Yeah, it was. Be happy!..................Joe
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
State of The Union evaluation
I feel it is important to listen to our distinguished president on matters concerning the future direction of this great country. Much of what is said, both now and in the past by other presidents is pure politics and rhetoric but some stuff is relevant to our situation. This time the theme was overtly populist in my opinion. Appealing to what voters want to hear instead of what our actual needs are but, truthfully I expected that anyway. There's always some of that but usually from a first term president, not one who has nothing to gain. Interesting and enlightening regarding what our leader hopes to achieve whatever his motives may be. I trust he is earnest and hopefully wants what is best for all of us. We'll see won't we?
I do have one comment regarding his choice of words. And I am paraphrasing here because I can't remember exactly but the idea is actual. 'The answer lies not in big government but in a smaller, frugal, less intrusive and more efficient government.' A little later he said, 'we are going to spend even more money on government jobs programs (read that, a bigger government) And we are going to raise taxes. (Read that, more debt, we get less money in our pockets after a hard days work.) That sounds to me like the same policy of taxing and borrowing and making more people more dependant (and obligated) upon the government. Haven't we been doing that for the past 5 years already? Has it worked to get us out of the recession or has it lengthened it? I'm not a good economic or political analyst so I am only speculating. But, it sure made me think about it. Funny how that is all I came away with.
I do have one comment regarding his choice of words. And I am paraphrasing here because I can't remember exactly but the idea is actual. 'The answer lies not in big government but in a smaller, frugal, less intrusive and more efficient government.' A little later he said, 'we are going to spend even more money on government jobs programs (read that, a bigger government) And we are going to raise taxes. (Read that, more debt, we get less money in our pockets after a hard days work.) That sounds to me like the same policy of taxing and borrowing and making more people more dependant (and obligated) upon the government. Haven't we been doing that for the past 5 years already? Has it worked to get us out of the recession or has it lengthened it? I'm not a good economic or political analyst so I am only speculating. But, it sure made me think about it. Funny how that is all I came away with.
Monday, February 11, 2013
Pet peeves in the middle of the night
What ever happened to visiting a library or grocery store to meet someone of the opposite sex? Right now there are so many dating sights on the Internet the advertisements overwhelm the average mind. No, I'm not on the dating scene. That's not the issue. It's the torrent of those advertisements and the claims they make that are a real pain in my book/backside. Some sights are brazenly racist while others appeal to a person's faith life or heaven knows what. One of those places goes so far as to speak for God! Hey folks, pay us money and find out who God wants you to be with. Huh? Who made them spokespeople for God? I guess I missed that part in the bible.
Who decides how many pieces or pounds or ounces of a certain product get put into a container?: Six donuts, Ten hot dogs, Eight hot dog buns, (that one really gets me.) Fifteen and a half ounces of peaches in a can, .05 ounces of seeds, and then the ever decreasing size of what once was a three pound can of coffee, now?: 869g, in other words 1lb, 14.6 ounces. Yup! That's how higher prices sneak up on us. Rolls of toilet tissue are made over an inch narrower than only a few short years ago. Truthfully I don't get that one, people are getting heavier with each generation whilst TP is getting smaller.
There is an attack being formed to eliminate cordless microphones and turn the airwaves spectrum over to telephones or TV or radio. I guess it'll be back to those megaphone things. Nah, not really. We will simply return to the days of yards upon yards of lines leading to microphones in churches, auditoriums and the sidelines of football fields. American Idol will have to have those people audition wrapped in wire and the TV news reporters will have thick wires hanging down their back. We did it all before, we'll deal with it again I guess.
The new health care system is a point of contention for a lot of people these days. Something that people have always aspired to get as a part of a good employment package or earn enough to afford is health insurance. Not everyone has health insurance and that is the issue being dealt with politically right now. Realistically what is being done, be it right or wrong is: some health care is being taken away from those that have it and given to those that do not have it. It's such a hot topic not because any of us want anyone to go without health care, it's because we really don't want any of the health care we worked so hard and sacrificed so long to obtain to be taken away. It's not that something shouldn't be done, it's how it's being done by people that aren't being affected by it.
Products being made in China are a source of contention to a huge number of folks that blame our high unemployment figures on imports. Not so long ago Chinese products were called junk and sold in novelty stores. The same with other imports. There was a time when Japanese cars were the laughing stock of the world of transportation. The manufacturers around the world felt no competition or need to be concerned. Today a Japanese car manufacturer sells more cars than any other manufacturer anywhere. And, the loyalty of it's customers is incredible. Thanks to the work and ethical standards of the Japanese they have an excellent standard of living. The Chinese are attempting the same climb to the top. Other countries are making stuff we want for cheap to get the money to make stuff we want that is higher quality than we make here. Is the answer to stop buying from them or is it to make some stuff they want cheap and sell it to them and use the money to make even better stuff and get even more money and everyone winds up happy. Is that possible? Besides, who is left around here that needs to do the manual labor when they are given for free what the people in most Asian countries have to work for? In India they make a new car that will sell for around $2000. Now that is something to think about. At one time the Americans were the innovators.
This pet peeve thing is what goes through a person's mind when he can't sleep I think. During daylight hours there are so many other distractions and input of information that one's innermost thoughts are suppressed to the point of boiling over into the night. That's where I'm at now. Not that any of this stuff is really any more important than anything you can think of. We all have our own perspective and opinions. All equally valid. It's just that at this particular moment everyone else is sleeping and I get a chance to express myself and air out my mind to make room for other stuff. It won't be long and the pressures of the day will take the place of anything as trivial as a pet peeve. Actually it'll be seven minutes from now. That's a whole nother story, er peeve of mine. Later.....Joe
Who decides how many pieces or pounds or ounces of a certain product get put into a container?: Six donuts, Ten hot dogs, Eight hot dog buns, (that one really gets me.) Fifteen and a half ounces of peaches in a can, .05 ounces of seeds, and then the ever decreasing size of what once was a three pound can of coffee, now?: 869g, in other words 1lb, 14.6 ounces. Yup! That's how higher prices sneak up on us. Rolls of toilet tissue are made over an inch narrower than only a few short years ago. Truthfully I don't get that one, people are getting heavier with each generation whilst TP is getting smaller.
There is an attack being formed to eliminate cordless microphones and turn the airwaves spectrum over to telephones or TV or radio. I guess it'll be back to those megaphone things. Nah, not really. We will simply return to the days of yards upon yards of lines leading to microphones in churches, auditoriums and the sidelines of football fields. American Idol will have to have those people audition wrapped in wire and the TV news reporters will have thick wires hanging down their back. We did it all before, we'll deal with it again I guess.
The new health care system is a point of contention for a lot of people these days. Something that people have always aspired to get as a part of a good employment package or earn enough to afford is health insurance. Not everyone has health insurance and that is the issue being dealt with politically right now. Realistically what is being done, be it right or wrong is: some health care is being taken away from those that have it and given to those that do not have it. It's such a hot topic not because any of us want anyone to go without health care, it's because we really don't want any of the health care we worked so hard and sacrificed so long to obtain to be taken away. It's not that something shouldn't be done, it's how it's being done by people that aren't being affected by it.
Products being made in China are a source of contention to a huge number of folks that blame our high unemployment figures on imports. Not so long ago Chinese products were called junk and sold in novelty stores. The same with other imports. There was a time when Japanese cars were the laughing stock of the world of transportation. The manufacturers around the world felt no competition or need to be concerned. Today a Japanese car manufacturer sells more cars than any other manufacturer anywhere. And, the loyalty of it's customers is incredible. Thanks to the work and ethical standards of the Japanese they have an excellent standard of living. The Chinese are attempting the same climb to the top. Other countries are making stuff we want for cheap to get the money to make stuff we want that is higher quality than we make here. Is the answer to stop buying from them or is it to make some stuff they want cheap and sell it to them and use the money to make even better stuff and get even more money and everyone winds up happy. Is that possible? Besides, who is left around here that needs to do the manual labor when they are given for free what the people in most Asian countries have to work for? In India they make a new car that will sell for around $2000. Now that is something to think about. At one time the Americans were the innovators.
This pet peeve thing is what goes through a person's mind when he can't sleep I think. During daylight hours there are so many other distractions and input of information that one's innermost thoughts are suppressed to the point of boiling over into the night. That's where I'm at now. Not that any of this stuff is really any more important than anything you can think of. We all have our own perspective and opinions. All equally valid. It's just that at this particular moment everyone else is sleeping and I get a chance to express myself and air out my mind to make room for other stuff. It won't be long and the pressures of the day will take the place of anything as trivial as a pet peeve. Actually it'll be seven minutes from now. That's a whole nother story, er peeve of mine. Later.....Joe
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Book publishing
What's the phrase about life?
"Plant a tree": Done that!
"Father a child": Done that!
"Write a book": Done that!
When "Joe's Story: The Book of a Lifetime" was published, the first feeling I had was one of accomplishment. From the initial idea to actual completion took 15 years. For the most part my discipline was 20 minutes a day, no matter what. Usually that amounted to a paragraph but there were times when work and family obligations allowed me enough time to produce a lot more, perhaps a page or two. There were times of elation and times of feeling overwhelmed and without a thought in my mind. The driving force was to get the story out of what can be lost forever when catastrophic accidents happen. In particular, carbon monoxide poisoning. "Joe's Story" being published validated my efforts and I have since spoken with hundreds of readers that have better, safer lives due to the knowledge they absorbed from the book. Yes! That was the whole idea. But now I still want to write.
Being a published author does not necessarily mean there is an open door for future books. So, here I sit with 5 fictional stories and one based upon a semi true event in my life and the question is, how do I get them published? I've submitted most of them to a variety of publishers but to no avail. Alas, they remain out of print. I can, of course self publish but that is, at this time anyway cost prohibitive due to all the hoops I have to go through with sub-letting the artists, proof readers and then the set up for printing and all the other stuff I don't even know yet. Somehow, I'll get it done eventually. I sincerely believe that. Meanwhile, I just thought of another story line. Gotta go write it down before I forget............Enjoy the day..........Bye!
"Plant a tree": Done that!
"Father a child": Done that!
"Write a book": Done that!
When "Joe's Story: The Book of a Lifetime" was published, the first feeling I had was one of accomplishment. From the initial idea to actual completion took 15 years. For the most part my discipline was 20 minutes a day, no matter what. Usually that amounted to a paragraph but there were times when work and family obligations allowed me enough time to produce a lot more, perhaps a page or two. There were times of elation and times of feeling overwhelmed and without a thought in my mind. The driving force was to get the story out of what can be lost forever when catastrophic accidents happen. In particular, carbon monoxide poisoning. "Joe's Story" being published validated my efforts and I have since spoken with hundreds of readers that have better, safer lives due to the knowledge they absorbed from the book. Yes! That was the whole idea. But now I still want to write.
Being a published author does not necessarily mean there is an open door for future books. So, here I sit with 5 fictional stories and one based upon a semi true event in my life and the question is, how do I get them published? I've submitted most of them to a variety of publishers but to no avail. Alas, they remain out of print. I can, of course self publish but that is, at this time anyway cost prohibitive due to all the hoops I have to go through with sub-letting the artists, proof readers and then the set up for printing and all the other stuff I don't even know yet. Somehow, I'll get it done eventually. I sincerely believe that. Meanwhile, I just thought of another story line. Gotta go write it down before I forget............Enjoy the day..........Bye!
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Throwing away Old stuff
A TV program, based on, otherwise normal folk who accumulate things, has a dedicated following of, otherwise normal folk who evidently don't accumulate things. Somehow a facilitator enters the home of the accumulator/hoarder and proceeds to rip the heart out of the hoarder by getting rid of the stuff. Nope! I've never watched the show, situational TV shows like that are of no interest to me other than they actually exist at all. A oddity in itself. However, I myself admit to more than necessary accumulation of items most likely worthless to anyone except yours truly. Cards, letters, folders, pens, pencils, news articles, gifts I'll never use, broken radios, vinyl records scratched beyond recognition, old faded photos of heaven knows what or who, movie tickets, restaurant napkins, advertising match books and unrecognizable drinking glasses from wherever. I don't think I would be attached enough to these objects to make a good prospect for any kind of TV show but non-the-less I have an unusually strong attachment to my collection of mish mash. Every Spring I set a goal of getting rid of some or all of my treasures. (Yes, trash to others but treasure to me.) Every Spring I open a box full of things, start to sort it for proper disposal and alas the memories flood through my mind and the reasons I'm saving it stop me from placing them in the trash or Salvation Army box. Just can't help it. Happens every time and I've set this goal for at least a decade or two.
A while back, on a warm summer morning, before the sun rose I was up and ready to do something, anything except sit and wait. I grabbed a flashlight, took myself to the garden and dug up a dozen night crawlers, put my fishing pole in the truck, locked the house and sped off to a local park with a few ponds just big enough to have a small population of stunted fish that could be easily caught with reel, rod and wriggly worm. Not big enough to keep but big enough to provide a thrill for an avid fisherman yearning for the feel of fish on hook. I could think of no better way to begin my day. The crimson glow of the dawn steadily grew brighter, the sun lazily moving to brighten our existence. I stuck the worm on my hook just above the sinker, pulled my arm back and let the hook, line and sinker fly with enthusiasm as far as humanly possible into that tranquil, reflective pond awaiting me. The sinker and worm hit the water with barely a splash and sank in the circling ripples. That worm never had a chance! In what seemed a split second my pole bent nearly in half with the weight of something. Until that morning I had never seen a fish larger than two or three inches in length, what was attempting to pull the pole from my hands must be a good sized turtle, that's what I thought. Then the "turtle" jumped from the water into the air, flipped it's tail and dove back into the pond. Huh? What a fish! I fought that fish for several minutes, seemed like an eternity, pulling, jumping, diving, jumping, tail standing and flipping and pulling, each jump was just a little weaker, each pull a little less harder, after what felt like forever I managed to reel the exhausted fish into my waiting hand. It's gills pulsated as if gasping for air, it shown silver in the increasing light, varying colors reflecting off it's scales. I admired it for a moment or two but quickly removed the hook from it's upper lip and released it back into the pond so it could get back to whatever it had been doing before it was "Fish On!" I packed up my gear, drove the truck to work and had a very enjoyable day relating my story to anyone within earshot. Who would have thought there would be a bass that huge in such an itty bitty pond. I've fished that pond for 30 years and that was the only time. I still have the hook and sinker in a little box. I tried to throw it away over the weekend. I ask you, how do you throw away something like that? Maybe next year huh?
A while back, on a warm summer morning, before the sun rose I was up and ready to do something, anything except sit and wait. I grabbed a flashlight, took myself to the garden and dug up a dozen night crawlers, put my fishing pole in the truck, locked the house and sped off to a local park with a few ponds just big enough to have a small population of stunted fish that could be easily caught with reel, rod and wriggly worm. Not big enough to keep but big enough to provide a thrill for an avid fisherman yearning for the feel of fish on hook. I could think of no better way to begin my day. The crimson glow of the dawn steadily grew brighter, the sun lazily moving to brighten our existence. I stuck the worm on my hook just above the sinker, pulled my arm back and let the hook, line and sinker fly with enthusiasm as far as humanly possible into that tranquil, reflective pond awaiting me. The sinker and worm hit the water with barely a splash and sank in the circling ripples. That worm never had a chance! In what seemed a split second my pole bent nearly in half with the weight of something. Until that morning I had never seen a fish larger than two or three inches in length, what was attempting to pull the pole from my hands must be a good sized turtle, that's what I thought. Then the "turtle" jumped from the water into the air, flipped it's tail and dove back into the pond. Huh? What a fish! I fought that fish for several minutes, seemed like an eternity, pulling, jumping, diving, jumping, tail standing and flipping and pulling, each jump was just a little weaker, each pull a little less harder, after what felt like forever I managed to reel the exhausted fish into my waiting hand. It's gills pulsated as if gasping for air, it shown silver in the increasing light, varying colors reflecting off it's scales. I admired it for a moment or two but quickly removed the hook from it's upper lip and released it back into the pond so it could get back to whatever it had been doing before it was "Fish On!" I packed up my gear, drove the truck to work and had a very enjoyable day relating my story to anyone within earshot. Who would have thought there would be a bass that huge in such an itty bitty pond. I've fished that pond for 30 years and that was the only time. I still have the hook and sinker in a little box. I tried to throw it away over the weekend. I ask you, how do you throw away something like that? Maybe next year huh?
Sunday, February 3, 2013
Super Bowl
I am about to spend some quality time watching a football game. In thinking about it, I wonder just what importance a game can be when it comes to life lessons. Competition? Yeah, competition, no matter how it is disregarded right now is important. If we lose the spirit of competition we will become just like the people in the book/movie, "The Time Machine." Where the Eloi become dinner for the people of the underground. If we lose the desire to compete, we become little more than something to take up space: Cows! Eating, sleeping, fattening ourselves up to become steak, right?
Super Bowl reminds us that in our infinite desire to have a good life, we must exceed at something. Super Bowl also reminds us that we don't always have to pick the same side. We can disagree on who we want to be our heroes. This day some of us want the Ravens to win, others want the 49ers to win. We are all still football fans aren't we? It's the game and the competitive nature we love and follow. We are even willing to give up our New Year's resolutions of eating all good food to sit back, snack and enjoy the game.
Life is comparable to Super Bowl. It's the best that win. Not the players that get schmoozed and felt sorry for. We don't love losers. However, when someone in real life has a problem we feel sorry for them and give them stuff even though they lose. We coddle them and then we watch Super Bowl and rave about the winners and make fun of the losers. "They didn't have what it takes to win" The winners put themselves on the line and took the glory home.
I will enjoy this game. I will also remember what it took to win. The officials did not give the weaker team anything to help them compete. The officials did not take anything away from the superior team and give it to the other team to equal things out.
It's interesting how we as people have a different set of standards when it comes to sports and real life. Sports take the best to win, life takes someone to feel sorry for us and give us stuff to even the playing field.
What am I saying here, this is only a game right? I should best set back and let it all happen. Yeah, I just put too much stuff into this Super Bowl. lets get on with it. Sorry, just thinking out loud I guess.
Super Bowl reminds us that in our infinite desire to have a good life, we must exceed at something. Super Bowl also reminds us that we don't always have to pick the same side. We can disagree on who we want to be our heroes. This day some of us want the Ravens to win, others want the 49ers to win. We are all still football fans aren't we? It's the game and the competitive nature we love and follow. We are even willing to give up our New Year's resolutions of eating all good food to sit back, snack and enjoy the game.
Life is comparable to Super Bowl. It's the best that win. Not the players that get schmoozed and felt sorry for. We don't love losers. However, when someone in real life has a problem we feel sorry for them and give them stuff even though they lose. We coddle them and then we watch Super Bowl and rave about the winners and make fun of the losers. "They didn't have what it takes to win" The winners put themselves on the line and took the glory home.
I will enjoy this game. I will also remember what it took to win. The officials did not give the weaker team anything to help them compete. The officials did not take anything away from the superior team and give it to the other team to equal things out.
It's interesting how we as people have a different set of standards when it comes to sports and real life. Sports take the best to win, life takes someone to feel sorry for us and give us stuff to even the playing field.
What am I saying here, this is only a game right? I should best set back and let it all happen. Yeah, I just put too much stuff into this Super Bowl. lets get on with it. Sorry, just thinking out loud I guess.
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Rumors
Faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive! Those terms used to be used at the beginning of radio and TV shows to describe Superman. Now they can be used for another purpose: To describe rumors. This Internet is a most powerful center of knowledge isn't it? The world is at our fingertips, with the stroke of a key we can obtain information on almost every imaginable subject the human mind can conjure. But........There is one slight difficulty....Not everything we find is complete or even true! This simple fact may well be a major factor in why so many apocalyptic rumors are spreading across the planet.
My parents, teachers and mentors constantly warned me about believing rumors. Rumors were simply another form of gossip and gossip is a terrible thing. For the most part, I followed their advice. Some rumors have been downright silly: "A friend's, cousin's, next door neighbor, heard a truck driver telling a waitress about this guy in Nevada that wanted to sell his new Corvette for $600 because he went hunting, shot and killed a deer, put it in the storage area but ran out of gas in the desert before making it back to his house, he walked to a highway, got a ride with a trucker, stopped at a diner to eat, got food poisoning, went to the hospital and stayed there for a week until he got better. When he finally got home and had someone give him a ride back to the Corvette with a can of gas, the deer had decomposed and stunk up the car so bad they can't go near it. I know a woman that actually took a bus to Nevada to find that Corvette and bring it home for only $600. Never found it!
In the past year several television news reporters have uncovered breaking news stories without checking and double checking the source and wound up passing on unfounded rumors. Eventually the truth was discovered and they apologized but in many cases the harm was already done. That's what rumors do.
Yesterday a guy called me at my business. (I own a clean up shop for cars, trucks and motor homes.) He was all excited. "Can you get the smell of Horse manure out of a brand new motor home?" he asked. I explained that it is quite a process but, "Yes!" I was sure we could. "Why do you ask?" I'm just about to leave for Gaylord, a few hundred miles up North. My boss told me about a guy he know that knows a guy that talked to a woman that had just bought a new Bluebird motor home for $750,000 and her ex husband filled it with horse manure just to be mean. Now they can't get the smell out of it and she's going to sell it for $1500 just to be rid of it.
If he brings it back I'll help him but I'm not going to hold my breath. Rumors, I guess we'll never learn...............Here's one for you: Don't worry about anything, the government's going to take care of us. I saw it on the Internet.
My parents, teachers and mentors constantly warned me about believing rumors. Rumors were simply another form of gossip and gossip is a terrible thing. For the most part, I followed their advice. Some rumors have been downright silly: "A friend's, cousin's, next door neighbor, heard a truck driver telling a waitress about this guy in Nevada that wanted to sell his new Corvette for $600 because he went hunting, shot and killed a deer, put it in the storage area but ran out of gas in the desert before making it back to his house, he walked to a highway, got a ride with a trucker, stopped at a diner to eat, got food poisoning, went to the hospital and stayed there for a week until he got better. When he finally got home and had someone give him a ride back to the Corvette with a can of gas, the deer had decomposed and stunk up the car so bad they can't go near it. I know a woman that actually took a bus to Nevada to find that Corvette and bring it home for only $600. Never found it!
In the past year several television news reporters have uncovered breaking news stories without checking and double checking the source and wound up passing on unfounded rumors. Eventually the truth was discovered and they apologized but in many cases the harm was already done. That's what rumors do.
Yesterday a guy called me at my business. (I own a clean up shop for cars, trucks and motor homes.) He was all excited. "Can you get the smell of Horse manure out of a brand new motor home?" he asked. I explained that it is quite a process but, "Yes!" I was sure we could. "Why do you ask?" I'm just about to leave for Gaylord, a few hundred miles up North. My boss told me about a guy he know that knows a guy that talked to a woman that had just bought a new Bluebird motor home for $750,000 and her ex husband filled it with horse manure just to be mean. Now they can't get the smell out of it and she's going to sell it for $1500 just to be rid of it.
If he brings it back I'll help him but I'm not going to hold my breath. Rumors, I guess we'll never learn...............Here's one for you: Don't worry about anything, the government's going to take care of us. I saw it on the Internet.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
