Monday, October 31, 2005

Graffitti Monday... 6

Yah, it's ..... Monday.......crapp!

Happy Graffiti Day!

And this one seems to be in keeping with the spirit of Halloween...


Sunday, October 30, 2005

48 Laws Of Power.... 15/16

Law 15

Crush your Enemy Totally

All great leaders since Moses have known that a feared enemy must be crushed completely. (Sometimes they have learned this the hard way.) If one ember is left alight, no matter how dimly it smolders, a fire will eventually break out. More is lost through stopping halfway than through total annihilation: The enemy will recover, and will seek revenge. Crush him, not only in body but in spirit.

Law 16

Use Absence to Increase Respect and Honor

Too much circulation makes the price go down: The more you are seen and heard from, the more common you appear. If you are already established in a group, temporary withdrawal from it will make you more talked about, even more admired. You must learn when to leave. Create value through scarcity.


Thoughts

Saturday, October 29, 2005

Things that make you go hhmm.... 18

Here it is 15 years after moving into this house, I finally see a light at the end of the tunnel and make it known that I would like to purchase the house.

First, let me give you some of the history.

The landlord who owned the property when I moved in, was asking $109,900 for it at the time. It certainly did not look to be worth that.

I asked if he would be willing to setup a rent to own deal with me. He said sure, no problem, just double the rent! That would be $1,300 per month. Not likely anyone would be doing that.

So, he lost the property along with all of the others he owned in the area, they were repossesed, wonder why?

Now the bank in Toronto had the property and I asked them for the same sort of deal. There had been only $86,600 outstanding on the mortgage but they wanted nothing to do with the rent to own option, they wanted cash up front. So I waited.

The property went through a power of sale and sold for just over $40,000.

We now move to the present landlord. Just after purchasing the property, we had to have the furnace cleaned and found that it had been leaking carbon monoxide into the house, my family and I breathing it unknowingly , for over a year. For about $2,000, he had to replace the furnace. The next expence for him was about three years ago, when he decided to replace the shingles, they were in pretty rough shape.

Now, the numbers. I have been paying $650 per month over the 15 years which equates to over $122,000. Think about it, I have paid far above what the original guy wanted, half again more than the bank was owed and three times what the current guy paid.

I pay all of the heating costs (oil), electricity, water, sewer, fire protection, water heater rental, lawn maitenance and the appliances are mine. To date, he has paid for a furnace and a roof, taxes and mortgage. Not a bad deal for him, right?

The current one has suddenly become Mr. Fixit now that he thinks I'm going to purchase it.

He has even provided me with a name of a mortgage broker to deal with.

The hhmmm.... comes down to the final statement.

He says, "The property values have really gone up and I'll have to get it valued but the way it would work is that the difference of the value and what I want for it would be considered a dummy loan that I would be giving to you"

I ask, "WHO IS ACTUALLY GETTING THE SHORT END OF THE STICK ON THIS DEAL?"

Expensive hhmmm.....

Thoughts

Friday, October 28, 2005

TGIF...

You have to have lived in Winnipeg to understand some of this stuff...

1. First you must learn to pronounce the city name. It is WIN-A-PEG, not VIN-A-PEG and it does not matter how people pronounce it in other places.

2. Winnipeg has its own version of traffic rules. Never forget that downtown Winnipeg is composed in large part of one way streets. The only way to get out of the center of town is to turn around and start over when you reach the river.

3. All directions start with, "Go down Portage."

4. Portage has no beginning and no end.

5. The 8:00 a.m. rush hour is from 6:30 to 9:30 a.m. The 5:00 PM rush hour is from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. Friday's rush hour starts on Thursday morning.

6. If you actually stop at a yellow light, there's no chance you're from Winnipeg. Yellow lights are for sissies.

7. Lagimodiere Blvd can only be pronounced by a native Winnipegger, so do not attempt the phonetic pronunciation. People will simply tilt their heads to the right and stare at you. (And let's not forget Noter Dayme! And of course, Portidge.)

8. Bingo, Bugs and Perogies are a way of life. Deal with it.

9. Construction on the Winnipeg streets in summer is a way of life and a permanent form of entertainment. (Especially those city workers holding up signs in traffic that say in big orange letters "SLOW". I always want to yell, "You don't really need to advertise, buddy!".

10. Many bizarre sights can be explained simply by realizing , "Oh, we're in Transcona!"

11. Construction crews aren't doing their job properly unless they close down all lanes except one during rush hour.

12. If someone actually has their turn signal on, it was probably left on at the factory where the car was made.

13. Buying a Winnipeg street map is a waste of money since the termination or continuation of any street is entirely at the discretion of the Works Department of the City. Eg: Salter, Isabel, Balmoral, Colony, Memorial, Osborne, Dunkirk. You've gone two miles down the same road and the name changes seven times

14. Asking directions will help you get acquainted with numerous happy-to-help residents. It may not be any help at all for finding the address you seek.

15. Never honk your horn at another car in traffic. The bumper sticker that reads, "Keep honking, I'm reloading." is considered a fair warning.

16. Exit and entry ramps on the Perimeter are just the recommended way of entering and exiting, feel free to exit at any grassy point you wish.

17. All drivers frightened of heights, stay clear of Charleswood and its ten-foot ditches. Believe me when I say you won't get out without a hundred-dollar towing bill

18. Your idea of creative landscaping is a statue of a deer next to your bluespruce.

19. Down South to you means Grand Forks.

20. Your 1st. of July picnic was moved indoors due to frost.

21. You have more miles on your snow blower than your car.

22. You find 0 degrees "a little chilly." But it is still t-shirt weather

23. You actually understand these jokes, and you forward them to all your Manitoba friends

Sent to me by some who lived there with me.

Thoughts

Thursday, October 27, 2005

HNT.... Gotta love it...

NO! You can't have it! Not even a picture of it! It's mine! Not gonna do it! Can't make me!

Wednesday, October 26, 2005

A little mid-week humour..

Mental Health

Twenty Ways to Maintain a Healthy Level of Insanity:

1. At lunchtime, sit in your parked car with sunglasses on and point a hair dryer at passing cars. See if they slow down.

2. Page yourself over the intercom. Don't disguise your voice.

3. Every time someone asks you to do something, ask if they want fries with that.

4. Put your wastebasket on your desk and label it "IN."

5. Put decaf in the coffee maker for 3 weeks. Once everyone has gotten over their caffeine addictions, switch to espresso.

6. In the memo field of all your checks, write "For Sexual Favours."

7. Finish all your sentences with "In accordance with the prophecy."

8. dontuseanypunctuation

9. As often as possible, skip rather than walk.

10. Ask people what sex they are. Laugh hysterically after they answer.

11. Specify that your Drive-through order is "To Go."

12. Sing along at the opera.

13. Go to a poetry recital and ask why the poems don't rhyme.

14. Put mosquito netting around your work area and play tropical sounds all day.

15. Five days in advance, tell your friends you can't attend their party because you're not in the mood.

16. Have your coworkers address you by your wrestling name, "Rock Hard."

17. When the money comes out of the ATM, scream "I Won! I Won!"

18. When leaving the zoo, start running towards the parking lot yelling "Run for your lives, they're loose!"

19. Tell your children over dinner "Due to the economy, we are going to have to let one of you go."

And The Final Way to Keep a Healthy Level of Insanity..........

20. Send this to someone to make them smile. It's called therapy.

Enjoy!

Thoughts

Tuesday, October 25, 2005

Things that make you go hhmm.... 17

How do some companies figure they can manage to progress when the people in the lower power positions hold back the people that can do the jobs better than them?

Should there not be some sort of outside company or people that are not "stuck" in the chain of command to watch and possibly promote the people that would best serve the company?

You may say that "human resources" is the part of the company that is exactly in the position to do so but I know from experience, they work for the management.

There seem to be far to many managers that are in such fear for their jobs by those that are below them that they hold them back.

I, for one, have shown that I can do the management job better than those who have held the position for more than a year before I moved to a temporary position as a manager.

I really don't want to sound like I am blowing my own horn but.....

This seems to be the same problem in a lot of companies.

This also makes some sense when you read my 48 rules of power.

Right now, this company is having a huge issue trying to acquire and retain employees but the upper management is not looking at what lower management is doing that is negating all of the steps being taken to change the trend.

It is well past time to make the actual change, make management accountable for the holding back people who have proven themselves.

Make them accountable for how they treat the people below them

Make them accountable for their nonresponsiveness.

Plain and simply make them completely accountable!

And, especially, make them accountable to those below them!

Thoughts

Monday, October 24, 2005

Graffitti Monday... 5


Got a lot of these things and looking for more. Comments people!

Sunday, October 23, 2005

Things that make you go hhmm.... 16

In case you don't know it, I work in technical support and it is a prime source for blog material but, where do you stop?

I'm not going to pick on any one nation here, I have supported for two different ones in five years not to mention the local populace previous to that.

How stupid can people be? Not sure you can call some of it stupid... Just a lack of knowledge or thought, perhaps, but not stupid.

Then there are the really stupid ones.

Had one gentleman come into the store where I worked and purchased a complete computer system, seemed to know what he wanted too.

He showed up at the door two days later, stuck his head in and asked, "Can I bring that monitor back, it doesn't seem to work?"

I had to ask the questions. "You have it plugged solidly into the back of the computer?"

"Yea."

"And it's plugged into a known good wall socket?"

"So, that is what the other cord is for!"

Just one of the local samples.

Had a call this week. The customer was complaining because she did not get the data cable with the printer. I told her at least three times that printers do not ship with data cables.

"I bought it from (Well known computer company) and it came with a cable!"

"That was a package deal from that company, ma'am."

"No, it came in the box with the printer!"

"No, it didn't ma'am, that would have been thrown in by that company."

"It did, you callin me a fuckin liar?"

"No ma'am, you are just mistaken, these printers have never shipped with data cables."

"What the fuck did you call me for?"

"You called demanding a data cable."

"Why the fuck did you call me?, What do you want, Why are fuckin with me?"

"You called ma'am, and I'm just telling you that we have never shipped data cables with our printers."

"Don't fucking call me again, fuckin asshole, calling to fuck with me!"

These are two different people from two different countries with two different issues but are they stupid or just lacking something?

The gentleman was an electrical engineer and computer programmer, the other was a lady that seemed to have received less than adequate education and it showed to some extent.

More for the hhmmm.... bucket.

Thoughts

Saturday, October 22, 2005

48 Laws Of Power.... 13/14

Law 13

When Asking for Help, Appeal to People’s Self-Interest,

Never to their Mercy or Gratitude

If you need to turn to an ally for help, do not bother to remind him of your past assistance and good deeds. He will find a way to ignore you. Instead, uncover something in your request, or in your alliance with him, that will benefit him, and emphasize it out of all proportion. He will respond enthusiastically when he sees something to be gained for himself.

Law 14

Pose as a Friend, Work as a Spy

Knowing about your rival is critical. Use spies to gather valuable information that will keep you a step ahead. Better still: Play the spy yourself. In polite social encounters, learn to probe. Ask indirect questions to get people to reveal their weaknesses and intentions. There is no occasion that is not an opportunity for artful spying.

Thoughts

Friday, October 21, 2005

More found stuff... and I agree completely with this one

Does This Column offend You? GOOD!
By Doug Hagin (10/11/05)

Are you easily offended? Does your little ego bruise easily? Do you think everyone else in America ought to give a darn about your self-esteem? Do your eyes fill with tears every time you perceive some is being insensitive to you? Do you live under the delusional belief that you should be protected against being offended? Do you believe that anytime you are offended someone should be fired; have their life ruined or character trashed?

If you answered yes to any of the above questions you need to shut up, grow up, stop throwing your little pity parties and get a life! Frankly, you and those like you are a major part of what is wrong with America today. Your constant carping and whining are adding nothing positive to this great nation. Instead, the climate of perpetual offended ness and hypersensitivity you are creating is sapping the great spirit of rugged individualism that made America the greatest nation to ever exist in this world’s history.

Think for a moment if the Founding Fathers had been the type of wimpy whiners so many Americans are today? There would be no America would there? Franklin, Jefferson, Adams and the rest would have been so busy filing discrimination suits and attending counseling sessions that they would have never gotten around to the business of creating a new nation.

How very pathetic these maddening wimpy attitudes are! So many in America think every thing and everyone should bend, change and alter their standards and rules so as not to exclude or offend them. How else do we explain the phenomenon of those who want to join the Boy Scouts, but ONLY if the Scouts change their rules to accommodate their over inflated sense of self-importance? Look if you are an Atheist and saying the Scouts pledge bothers you, you have a choice. You can either say the pledge and not believe a word of it, or you can start your own scouting group.

Yes! Yes! Yes! You could actually stop feeling sorry for yourself, start a scouting organization, and leave the Boy Scouts alone. Oh but that is not good enough. You, the offended feel an insatiable need to force your views onto the Boy Scouts. After all, it is all about you, your ego and your little feelings isn’t it.

If you happen to pass by a Confederate cemetery in a sleepy Southern town and see a Confederate flag or a statue of a Confederate soldier and are offended by it what do you, the offended do? Drive on, thinking that you disagree with those symbols but recognize that the descendants of those soldiers deserve their piece of history? Oh no, not you! You begin ranting about racism and lynchings, start threatening lawsuits, and demand those symbols disappear!

Why would you take such an absurd stance? Well because you are offended, that is why. It should not matter that by ripping down those symbols you are spitting on the graves of those heroic soldiers and their families. It should not matter that you are erasing history and fomenting ignorance! To Hell with history you are offended and nothing else matters does it?

You, the easily offended, see a manger scene, or possibly a monument with the Ten Commandments on it. A mentally normal person, even if they were an Atheist would pass by and think nothing of it. Not you though, oh no! You are just looking to get offended so off you go. You dial your local ACLU attorney, who of course you have on speed dial and start crying like the spineless jellyfish you are.

How dare any mention of anything even remotely resembling anything religious enter your hypersensitive field of vision? Someone has to pay for this act of treason against your all-important ego. Let the lawsuits begin! Christmas parade? Not in your presence by George! Is that an angel you see? Better not be, lest someone suffer your wrath! Moreover, Heaven help anyone who dares to even think about singing a Christmas carol in school! You are Offendedsauras and you will crush them under your hypersensitive feet!

Let some teacher dare to teach a child what the word niggardly means. Just let them try that! You and your egomaniacal cohorts will never allow that! Never mind the fact that the word niggardly means nothing racial at all. It means stingy or begrudging, but that does not matter a bit does it?

It sounds like another word, the infamous “N” word! So because it sounds like a racial slur children may not even be taught about it! How very brilliant you easily offended types are. You would rather have children grow up ignorant and offended than educated and not offended. You would rather erase words from the dictionary than explain their meanings to children.

So let us be very clear here. The hypersensitive folks who we always hear bellyaching about how someone or something has upset their emotional applecart have an agenda. To force their delusional, twisted and intellectually bankrupt ideal upon the rest of us. Are we going to put up with that? Are we willing to have every word we utter controlled by their standards? I think not!

Now to any of the easily offended sorts who are currently pulling their hair out, hyperventilating and pounding out the ACLU phone number out while reading this. A very heartfelt message from me. If my column has, in any way offended you, or hurt your feelings, or caused you emotional duress or has forced you to seek therapy, let me say GOOD!


This one hit the nail on the head. Way too much kissing other peoples asses so that you don't offend. This goes hand in hand with the bosses I have. They believe themselves to be slighted and are offended enough to screw over the people below them. May be prevalent in all managment but I can only complain about the ones above me....

Have a great TGIF!

Thoughts

Thursday, October 20, 2005

HNT again.....

Damn, this seems to be happening every week.....



Went to the ex's for thanksgiving day and one of the kids decided to take pics of everyones ears, don't ask why. Wound up with pics of three of us but the fourth would not allow it. Mine only because it was by surprise. This one isn't mine but, damn, nasty up close, eh?....

Thoughts

Wednesday, October 19, 2005

Found Stuff

Simple Home Remedies

1. If you are choking on an ice cube, don't panic. Simply pour a cup of boiling water down your throat and presto. The blockage will be almost instantly removed.

2. Clumsy? Avoid cutting yourself while slicing vegetables by getting someone else to hold them while you chop away.

3. Avoid arguments with the little woman about lifting the toilet seat by simply using the sink.

4. For high blood pressure sufferers: simply cut yourself and bleed for a few minutes, thus reducing the pressure in your veins. Remember to use a timer.

5. A mouse trap, placed on top of your alarm clock, will prevent you from rolling over and going back to sleep after you hit the snooze button.

6. If you have a bad cough, take a large dose of laxatives, then you will be afraid to cough.

7. Have a bad toothache? Smash your thumb with a hammer and you will forget about the toothache.

Sometimes, we just need to remember what the rules of life really are:

You only need two tools: WD-40 and Duct Tape. If it doesn't move and should, use the WD-40. If it shouldn't move and does, use the duct tape.

Remember:

Everyone seems normal until you get to know them.

Never pass up an opportunity to go to the bathroom.

If you woke up breathing, congratulations! You get another chance.

And finally, be really nice to your family and friends; you never know when you might need them to empty your bedpan.

Thoughts

Tuesday, October 18, 2005

Things that make you go hhmm.... 15

Bill Gates was on a tour of colleges this past week to try to raise the interest in computer sciences and the job possibilities therein.

I see one problem right out of the gate. Whatever you do, the work will never be yours. The product you create will always belong to the company for which you work.

This is also true of many other companies that people work for.

The company I work for does not create software but if it was created by someone working for them, during the time that they were employed, not even while on the job but merely while employed, the end product belongs to the company.

We have one person who is more than proficient with MS Excell and creates a variety workbooks and sheets that interact in specific ways to record data from the clients. The way in which these sheets work now belong to the company for which we work.

Incentive to create while working for any company has essentially been shot down at this point.

Another item, once you have decided that you want to move on, for whatever reason, stagnating in the position, no possiblitiy for moving in the company, more money, the company for which you worked can now demand that you do not perform the same duties for any one else.

WTF! If there is one thing that I am extremely good at, I should be paid what I am worth in that position and if someone else is willing to pay more, then I should be able to go to that employer. It is just that plain and simple.

Do you see CEO's leaving companies and being contractually restricted from heading any other corporation? Not likely.

I say, "What is good for the goose is good for the gander!"

I think I just showed my age with that statement.....

Thoughts

Monday, October 17, 2005

Graffitti Monday... 4


Come on people! You visit and look, so leave a comment, let me know what ya think.... Damn.....

Thoughts

Sunday, October 16, 2005

Things that make you go hhmm.... 14

Tree cutting

I walk to work most days except when offered rides, and I have watched the landscape change rather drastically over the past four years.

There are several problems but the biggest one that is very visible is the cutting down of trees.

I can't get my mind around the reasons some people have for what they do to these gifts of nature.

At one place, there is a huge maple on the corner of a property and it overhangs both the public sidewalk and the neighbors property. The neighbor had a section of branches cut out of the tree from the top to the bottom that covered the corner of his property. Picture a tree with a the corner of the yard cut out of it so that corner of the yard is the only thing not covered by the tree.

How does this work? Did he save having to rake any leaves from it? Did he stop it from shading that part of the lawn? Just exactly what did he accomplish with this cut? I really am having trouble seeing the benefit of this.

The number of trees being cut down for convenience and asthetics is abolutely appalling.

Do people not realize the greater benefits of theses trees?

The leaves are a good fertilizer, they block the wind so the houses would be easier to keep warm in winter, they block sunlight in the summer so it would be easier to keep the house cool.... etc.

Talk about a huge number of short sighted people.

hhmmm....

Thoughts

Saturday, October 15, 2005

MEME....4

Firsts
First best friend Mark
First Car '69 Volkswagon Fastback
First Date Don't remember
First real kiss Don't remember this either...
First screen name Gotta stay annonymous
First self purchased cd Meatloaf - Bat Out Of Hell
First Pet Dog - Mike - Collie
First piercing/tattoo None
First music you remember hearing in your house Bread - If

Lasts
Last cigarette September 21, 1988
Last car ride Yesterday to work
Last kiss Wedding, 24 years ago
Last good cry Never
Last library book checked out Something on building
Last movie seen Frankenstein 2004
Last beverage TIMMIES Coffee
Last Food eaten Butter tart
Last crush Carol in highschool
Last phone call to my Mother
Last time showered every morning at about 7am.
Last shoes worn Dr. Scholls
Last cd played Ozzy Osborne
Last item purchased allergy medication
Last annoyance getting the kid out of bed
Last dissapointment Asshole management at work
Last shirt worn Button down for work
Last website visited Blogger
Last word said Later...
Last song you sang I don't
What colour socks are you wearing? Black
What colour underwear are you wearing? Grey
What's under your bed? nothing
What time did you wakeup today? 6:28am.

Thoughts

Friday, October 14, 2005

48 Laws Of Power.... 11/12

Law 11

Learn to Keep People Dependent on You

To maintain your independence you must always be needed and wanted. The more you are relied on, the more freedom you have. Make people depend on you for their happiness and prosperity and you have nothing to fear. Never teach them enough so that they can do without you.

Law 12

Use Selective Honesty and Generosity to Disarm your Victim

One sincere and honest move will cover over dozens of dishonest ones. Open-hearted gestures of honesty and generosity bring down the guard of even the most suspicious people. Once your selective honesty opens a hole in their armor, you can deceive and manipulate them at will. A timely gift – a Trojan horse – will serve the same purpose.

Thoughts

Thursday, October 13, 2005

HNT again.... yah!


I don't personally know this person, this was a pic sent to me by someone I have talked to and this lady was just looking at one of the gator's that he managed to snag.

I think this is in fitting with the theme..... have a happy HNT!

Thoughts

Wednesday, October 12, 2005

Things that make you go hhmm.... 13

Child abuse??

There is a claim that child abuse is up by a huge number.

One of the reasons that was put forth was that some of the reported abuse was attributed to verbal belittling and the occasional cuff up side the head.

As far as I a m concerned, this has gone way too far in the protection of kids.

Have you looked at the kids that are "being themselves"?

Violence is up, drug use is up, alcohol use is up, tattoos, piercings, etc. These are good things?

When was the last time you saw someone that was very successful in business that had a piece of metal sticking through his tongue? or purple and green hair? Or chains, cuffs and collars with a leather suit?

How does having a kid in "time out" teach them anything?

Their thought, and I'm just giving my opinion here, "If I keep doing this and forcing my parents to give me "time outs", then I don't have to communicate with them at all and I get to do whatever I wish."

Back to the reported rise in child abuse and a little from my side of the report, there is a huge rise in bullshit calls to the reporting agency too.

Three times, the agency was called by my neighbors in regard to my kids, in two years. In each and every one of the cases, they sent a different worker, this would be a good deal of money both for the worker and travel to my place not to mention the paper work, and all were unfounded accusations. The only way that I was able to stop this shit was to threaten lawsuits if they even darkened my doorway for a fourth time. No doubt, these were included in the false report of increases.

It is about time parents took control of their lives and the frickin kids that they brought into this world. And don't expect the rest of the world to look out for them, they are your kids, it's your responsibility. If they are behind the rest of the class in development, too bad, deal with it, don't make the rest of the class and, for that matter, the world live below their potential so that your stupid kid doesn't feel bad about themselves.

Do your job as a parent and teach them that there are some that will be better than them and there will be some slower than them. They will figure out where they fit and you don't need to make the rest of the world fit in with your kid instead of the other way round.

Back your kids in everything they want to do and help them in every way possible. That is how you raise THEM!

Anyway, I guess that is my rant for today.....

A worn out hhmmm....

Thoughts

Tuesday, October 11, 2005

Memories

TO ALL THE KIDS WHO SURVIVED the

1930's 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's !!

First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they carried us.

They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can, and didn't get tested for diabetes.

Then after that trauma, our baby cribs were covered with bright colored lead-based paints.

We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets, not to mention, the risks we took hitchhiking.

As children, we would ride in cars with no seat belts or air bags.

Riding in the back of a pick up on a warm day was always a special treat.

We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a bottle.

We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and NO ONE actually died from this.

We ate cupcakes, white bread and real butter and drank soda pop with sugar in it, but we weren't overweight because WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING!

We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on.

No one was able to reach us all day. And we were O.K.

We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem.

We did not have Play stations, Nintendo's, X-boxes, no video games at all, no 99 channels on
cable, no video tape movies, no surround sound, no cell phones, no personal computers, no Internet or Internet chat rooms.........

WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them!

We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no lawsuits from these accidents.

We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever.

We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays, made up games with sticks and tennis balls and
although we were told it would happen, we did not put out very many eyes.

We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just walked in and talked to them!

Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that!!

The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law!

This generation has produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever! The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas.

We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility,

and we learned HOW TO DEAL WITH IT ALL! And YOU are one of them? CONGRATULATIONS!

You might want to share this with others who have had the luck to grow up as kids, before the lawyers and the government regulated our lives for our own good. and while you are at it, forward it to your kids so they will know how brave their parents were.

Kind of makes you want to run through the house with scissors, doesn't it?

Work like you don't need the money. Love like you've never been hurt. Dance like nobody's watching. Sing like nobody's listening. Live like it’s Heaven on Earth.

Yea,I remeber this stuff..... Thoughts

Monday, October 10, 2005

Graffitti Monday... 3



Happy Turkey Day to CANADA! ..... too bad some of us have to work....

Sunday, October 09, 2005

Damn!!!

That last post was supposed to be on the 9th, and I waited til after midnight, wtf......

Oh, well, shit happens and life goes on....

Thoughts

Saturday, October 08, 2005

Things that make you go hhmm.... 12

Here is a sign that I watch change on a regular basis but I'm really not sure how to take this iteration....



I saw this and the first thought was "You need to take classes to become a vegetarian?" Then came the second one, same sign, slightly modified message, about one week later....





I think it is bad enough that someone would require classes to become a vegetarian but now it costs 40 bucks to boot?

Come on, how much is this akin to "brain surgery"? Just plain and simply,

"DON'T EAT MEAT!"

Can I have my fourty bucks now please?

hhmmm.....


Thoughts

48 Laws Of Power.... 9/10

Law 9

Win through your Actions, Never through Argument

Any momentary triumph you think gained through argument is really a Pyrrhic victory: The resentment and ill will you stir up is stronger and lasts longer than any momentary change of opinion. It is much more powerful to get others to agree with you through your actions, without saying a word. Demonstrate, do not explicate.

Law 10

Infection: Avoid the Unhappy and Unlucky

You can die from someone else’s misery – emotional states are as infectious as disease. You may feel you are helping the drowning man but you are only precipitating your own disaster. The unfortunate sometimes draw misfortune on themselves; they will also draw it on you. Associate with the happy and fortunate instead.

Thoughts

Friday, October 07, 2005

Things that make you go hhmm.... 11

There was a question posed to the public in our area by a morning radio show.

A couple, while visiting their neighbors, discovered in the medicine cabinet, a "bong". The question was "Do you say something to the neighbors about the drug use or just ignore it?" "Do you destroy the friendship and keep your kids from visiting them or having them sit your kids while out or just let it go?

The radio hosts seem appalled at the fact that the overwhelming response was to let it go. It doesn't seem to be a problem as they didn't even notice anything by the way in which they acted.

Now this also opens another question.

What business did the person have, to go through their neighbors medicine cabinet in the first place?

No one mentioned that....

Regardless of my lifestyle, if one of my supposed friends was going through my cupbaords or cabinets, I would wonder just what the motive was....

The other comment was that the hosts kids would never be left with any "dopeheads" or "alcoholics"

The assumption would be that they would know who these people are. I'm old enough to know that you can't always tell who these people are because they do know how to hide the problem. Guess the hosts believe they are psychics.

Do they think they are protecting these kids? What happens when those kids hit the real world? Can you imagine the shock when these kids hit the real world and have to deal with it without knowing it exists? I mean, sure, watch your kids, do what you can to protect them but don't hide the real world from them.

And just so you know that I do have some experience, my oldest is 24 and entered the real world with the knowledge to help him make the correct decisions.

Thoughts

Thursday, October 06, 2005

HAPPY HNT!!!!


These are the things that keep me upright to a certain extent. The only real problem with them is find shoes that fit because they need to be ultra wide. If you go mby the length, they are only size 8 but for the width, I'm up to a size 12......

The little toes seem to be somewhat shy.....

Thoughts

Wednesday, October 05, 2005

Things that make you go hhmm.... 10

Maybe a little bit of a touchy one here but.....

Cancer......

The number of people and amounts of time and money being sought and used to find a cure for this nasty disease is phenomenal. The question is this, "Has anyone thought about why it is in existance?

I think the earth is trying to keep a particular balance, trying to right itself. Just how many people can this planet support? If a cure is found, what then? Do they then find a cure for old age? Do we try to keep everybody alive forever?

The powers that be keep instituting laws to supposedly prevent death, motorcycle helmets, seatbelts, etc., is a perfect example.

When do we stop this headlong rush to save "all" of our fellow human beings?

Don't get me wrong, I have lost several people to the big "C". My Mother, who I was never able to meet as I was adopted, my sister, another sister had breast cancer, not to mention friends and just people I know.

Just look at it with a little sense instead of straight from the heart. It's hard, I know, but somewhere down the road that is exactly how humans are going to have to look at it.

Plain and simply, when your number comes up, it's your turn.

A great big hhmmm....

Thoughts

Tuesday, October 04, 2005

48 Laws Of Power.... 7/8

Law 7

Get others to do the Work for you, but Always Take the Credit

Use the wisdom, knowledge, and legwork of other people to further your own cause. Not only will such assistance save you valuable time and energy, it will give you a godlike aura of efficiency and speed. In the end your helpers will be forgotten and you will be remembered. Never do yourself what others can do for you.

Law 8

Make other People come to you – use Bait if Necessary

When you force the other person to act, you are the one in control. It is always better to make your opponent come to you, abandoning his own plans in the process. Lure him with fabulous gains – then attack. You hold the cards.

Thoughts

Monday, October 03, 2005

Graffitti Monday... 2

Took some time this weekend and got a few more of these from local places. In the coming time, I will try to capture a few from passing trains.

Have a GREAT week!

Thoughts

Sunday, October 02, 2005

MEME....3

What have *you* done?

(X) smoked a cigarette.
(X) crashed a friend's car
(X) stolen a car
(X) been in love
(X) been dumped.
(X) been fired.
(X) been in a fist fight
(X) snuck out of your parents' house
(X) had feelings for someone who didn't have them back. (Hello Carol wherever you are!)
(X) been arrested
( ) gone on a blind date
(X) lied to a friend
(X) skipped school
( ) seen someone die
(X) gone sledding
(X) been to Canada (Guess this has to be a yes as I live in Canada)
( ) been to Mexico
(X) been on a plane
( ) purposely set a part of yourself on fire.
( ) eaten sushi.
(X) been skiing.
( ) met someone from the internet
(X) been at a concert
(X) taken painkillers (Sure makes that work thing go a crapload faster)
(X) love someone or miss someone right now
(X) laid on your back and watched cloud shapes go by
(X) made a snow angel
( ) had a tea party
(X) flown a kite
(X) built a sand castle
(X) gone puddle jumping.
( ) played dress up
(X) jumped into a pile of leaves
(X) cheated while playing a game
(X) been lonely
(X) fallen asleep at work/school (It's called sleep apnea and came in handy a couple of times)
( ) used a fake ID
(X) watched the sun set
( ) felt an earthquake
(X) slept beneath the stars.
(X) been tickled.
( ) been robbed.
(X) been misunderstood.
(X) petted a reindeer/goat/kangaroo
(X) won a contest. (These are so extremely rare, almost forgot)
(X) run a red light/stop sign. (Whoops!)
(X) been suspended from school
(X) been in a car crash
( ) had braces
(X) felt like an outcast/third person
(X) eaten a whole pint! of ice cream in one night (The voices made me do it!)
(X) had deja vu.
( ) danced in the moonlight
( ) liked the way you looked
(X) witnessed a crime
( ) been obsessed with post-it notes
( ) gone doorbell ditching (We call it "Halloween")
( ) believe in ghosts
(X) found a stray animal and kept it (Yea..... married it, oops, that was mean!)
(X) squished barefoot through the mud
( ) been lost
(X) been on the opposite side of the country (can the opposite side of the world count?)
( ) swam in the ocean
(X) felt like dying
(X) cried yourself to sleep
(X) played cops and robbers
( ) recently colored with crayons
( ) sung karaoke
(X) paid for a meal with only coins
(X) done something you told yourself you wouldn't .
( ) made prank phone calls.
(X) laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose
(X) caught a snowflake on your tongue
( ) danced in the rain (I hate rain.)
(X) written a letter to Santa Claus.
(X) been kissed under the mistletoe.
(X) watched the sun rise with someone you care about
(X) blown bubbles
(X) made a bonfire on the beach
(X) crashed a party.
( ) gone rollerskating.
( ) had a wish come true
(X) jumped off a bridge (I really don't like heights)
( ) ate dog/cat food.
( ) told a complete stranger you loved them
( ) kissed a mirror.
(X) sang in the shower.
( ) had a dream that you married someone.
(X) glued your hand to something.
( ) kissed a fish.
(X) sat on a roof top.
(X) screamed at the top of your lungs.
( ) done a one-handed cartwheel.
(X) talked on the phone for more than 5 hours.(work a callcenter, does that count?)
(X) stayed up all night
(X) picked and ate an apple right off the tree.
(X) climbed a tree
( ) had a tree house
( ) scared to watch a scary movie alone.
( ) have more than 30 pairs of shoes.
(X) worn a really ugly outfit to school. (I grew up in the 70s remember?)
(X) pushed into a pool/hot tub with all your clothes on.
(X) gone streaking
(X) gone skinny dipping in a pool/hot tub.
(X) told you're hot by a complete stranger (Yea, kinda scarey at my age)
(X) broken a bone.(Several and several times on some)
(X) been easily amused.
(X) caught a fish then ate it.
(X) caught a butterfly.
(X) laughed so hard you cried
(X) cried so hard you laughed
(X) cheated on a test
(X) forgotten someone's name
( ) french braided someone's hair.
(X) loved someone so much you would gladly die for them.

Thoughts

Saturday, October 01, 2005

Not much to offer......

It's Saturday and I haven't thought much about what to post so I'll throw in a couple of pics and call it a post..... anyway....



This is one of the territorial critters that called an area around my abode, home. Note the dinner he is wrapping is a wasp. This is one of two that I found on the same day. This one was on my front porch and the other was in a tree out on the front lawn.




Now this is the attitude I like, not that I'm a little guy, but.....



And this is something I'd like to say to far too many people that I have talked to, maybe it's me?....... no, it's really them.....

Thoughts