There are some folks out there who might feel I'm a little too hard on politicians.
There are also some folks out there who don't really give a rat's rearend.
For those in the first group I offer these observations by people much brighter than this writer:
"We hang petty thieves and appoint the great ones to public office" - Aesop
"Politicians are the same all over. They promise to build a bridge even where there is no river." - Plato.
"When I was a boy I was told that anybody could become President. I'm beginning to believe it." - Clarence Darrow.(Noted Attorney, Agnostic, ACLU leader, and surprisingly - a Democrat.)
"Politics is the gentle art of getting votes from the poor and campaign funds from the rich, by promising to protect each from the other." - Oscar Ameringer, "the Mark Twain of American Socialism."
"I offered my opponents a deal: 'If they stop telling lies about me, I will stop telling the truth about them." - Adlai Stephenson, campaign speech, 1952 (Ike won)
"A politician is a fellow who will lay down your life for his country." - Tex Guinan.
"I have come to the conclusion that politics is too serious a matter to be left to the politicians. - Charles de Gaulle.
"Instead of giving a politician the keys to the city, it might be better to change the locks." - Douglas Larson.
"I am reminded of a joke. What happens if a politician drowns in a river? That's pollution. What happens if all of them drown? - that's a solution." - (author unknown)
Quote from USA editorial on giving FDA more power to oversee compounding pharmacies - after explaining the reasons for doing so.
"All that makes sense, and on Friday a bipartisan group of senators proposed a measure to reach these goals.
BUT ANY NEW LAW FACES HURDLES, PARTICULARLY FROM HOUSE REPUBLICANS WHO ARE SO BENT ON BLAMING THE FDA THAT THEY OPPOSE PROVIDING THE CLARITY AND TOOLS TO ENSURE PUBLIC SAFETY."
(The toll from the tainted injections made by the compounding pharmacy - New England Compounding Center was - more than 700 people in 20 states sickened and 53 dead - or 50 more than than the Boston Marathon bombings.)
ANY QUESTIONS?
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Sunday, April 14, 2013
WHO DAT?
It's often tough to remember "who said what -when?".
Sometimes it keeps a marriage together just because of the time required in trying to arrive at a mutually satisfying answer.
Recently I was pondering the source of the saying "neither a borrower nor lender be." The question came to mind as I was researching a future blog on "payday loans.".
I turned to my Bible first. There were various references to both "lender" and "borower" in Proverbs, Leviticus, and Ezekial - among others - but nothing to completely correspond with the above phrase.
I did find various references to "usury" which will be the subject of the future blog.
More research allowed me to discover - or re-discover - the saying actually came from the first act of Shakespeares play, Hamlet, when Polonius is giving advice to his son Laertes as the latter prepares to leave for university in Paris.
Often, the most familar quotes with which we have become familiar over time come either from Shakespeare, and/or directly or indirectly, the Bible. One suspects the playwright occasionally referenced the Bible as a sort of cliffnotes resource for some of his ingenious plots and dialogues.
The Shakespeare quote regarding borrowing and lending attracted the attention of a couple of psychologists who investigated the logic of the advice and the "wisdom" of lending money to a friend. They surveyed 971 persons who described their experiences as either lenders or borrowers.
The unearthing of the so-called "phenomena" accompaning unpaid personal loans came down to what the researchers referred to as "blind spots", or a "mental malfeasance".
In street terms: It means why we have a tendency to "stiff" someone by allowing ourselves to conveniently forget that we owe them money.
Forgetting things that are inconvenient for us is a common stress reduction tool.
We have addressed this defense mechanism in previous blogs via the term "homeostasis" - an internal healing system or equilibrium employed by us to recover from an often tragic or significant emotional event.
Apparently it's also not a new business trend either. Benjamin Franklin was once quoted as saying, "Creditors have better memories than debtors."
Because the researchers limited their study of the transactions and the principals involved to that of "loans" between friends, they concluded, similar to the fatherly advice of Polonius; "before borrowing money from a friend you need to determine which you need most".
It's amazing how the mind plays such a strong part in how we perceive the act of borrowing from a friend in a non-written contractual loan.
Here's our "Readers Digest" version of the study results.
The creditors were very upset about the unpaid loans, felt that even one missed payment probably meant the loan would never be repaid, but concluded the borrowers were feeling very guilty.
These conclusions were not necessarily shared by the delinquent borrowing "friend', many of whom were more likely to report some guilt but also strangely, relieved and happy.
Many borrowers stated they thought the loan was the lenders idea, reported far fewer delinquent loans than creditors, (as per Franklin) and, partly because they thought they would eventually pay the loan off, were often unconcerned about the unpaid loans.
Why the difference? Because of the "blind spot" of the borrowers who fail to pick up on the misery, anger, and disappointment of the lenders.
The researchers concluded "there is almost universal failure to write out a contract stating the expectations 'between the two friends' and - with no record, the self-serving bias can sort of prosper because there is no record of the terms of the loan or how much has been repaid."
So, in conclusion, the wife reporting that you had a phone call from a somewhat upset lender friend can often provoke the reaction, "Who Dat?"
Source: A study entitled "Lenders Blind Trust and Borrowers' Blind Spots" : A Descriptive Investigation of Personal Loans. (Journal of Economic Psychology.)
Sometimes it keeps a marriage together just because of the time required in trying to arrive at a mutually satisfying answer.
Recently I was pondering the source of the saying "neither a borrower nor lender be." The question came to mind as I was researching a future blog on "payday loans.".
I turned to my Bible first. There were various references to both "lender" and "borower" in Proverbs, Leviticus, and Ezekial - among others - but nothing to completely correspond with the above phrase.
I did find various references to "usury" which will be the subject of the future blog.
More research allowed me to discover - or re-discover - the saying actually came from the first act of Shakespeares play, Hamlet, when Polonius is giving advice to his son Laertes as the latter prepares to leave for university in Paris.
Often, the most familar quotes with which we have become familiar over time come either from Shakespeare, and/or directly or indirectly, the Bible. One suspects the playwright occasionally referenced the Bible as a sort of cliffnotes resource for some of his ingenious plots and dialogues.
The Shakespeare quote regarding borrowing and lending attracted the attention of a couple of psychologists who investigated the logic of the advice and the "wisdom" of lending money to a friend. They surveyed 971 persons who described their experiences as either lenders or borrowers.
The unearthing of the so-called "phenomena" accompaning unpaid personal loans came down to what the researchers referred to as "blind spots", or a "mental malfeasance".
In street terms: It means why we have a tendency to "stiff" someone by allowing ourselves to conveniently forget that we owe them money.
Forgetting things that are inconvenient for us is a common stress reduction tool.
We have addressed this defense mechanism in previous blogs via the term "homeostasis" - an internal healing system or equilibrium employed by us to recover from an often tragic or significant emotional event.
Apparently it's also not a new business trend either. Benjamin Franklin was once quoted as saying, "Creditors have better memories than debtors."
Because the researchers limited their study of the transactions and the principals involved to that of "loans" between friends, they concluded, similar to the fatherly advice of Polonius; "before borrowing money from a friend you need to determine which you need most".
It's amazing how the mind plays such a strong part in how we perceive the act of borrowing from a friend in a non-written contractual loan.
Here's our "Readers Digest" version of the study results.
The creditors were very upset about the unpaid loans, felt that even one missed payment probably meant the loan would never be repaid, but concluded the borrowers were feeling very guilty.
These conclusions were not necessarily shared by the delinquent borrowing "friend', many of whom were more likely to report some guilt but also strangely, relieved and happy.
Many borrowers stated they thought the loan was the lenders idea, reported far fewer delinquent loans than creditors, (as per Franklin) and, partly because they thought they would eventually pay the loan off, were often unconcerned about the unpaid loans.
Why the difference? Because of the "blind spot" of the borrowers who fail to pick up on the misery, anger, and disappointment of the lenders.
The researchers concluded "there is almost universal failure to write out a contract stating the expectations 'between the two friends' and - with no record, the self-serving bias can sort of prosper because there is no record of the terms of the loan or how much has been repaid."
So, in conclusion, the wife reporting that you had a phone call from a somewhat upset lender friend can often provoke the reaction, "Who Dat?"
Source: A study entitled "Lenders Blind Trust and Borrowers' Blind Spots" : A Descriptive Investigation of Personal Loans. (Journal of Economic Psychology.)
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
THE MORE THINGS CHANGE THE MORE - - - - - - - -
Dr. Phil McGraw is a pretty cool guy.We've been watching his show for a while now and enjoy the counseling process - when in his hands - as opposed to the various "counselling wannabees" who also have dayime shows.
By watching Dr. Phil you always seem to come away with the feeling that what he said to some of his guests -msot often using the phrase "let's get real here" you'd have also said that if faced with similar situations.
That is - if you didn't lack either the timing required or the guts to do so.
The premise, as portrayed both on his show and in his new book, "Life Guide", is that some of the lessons we were taught by our elders simply no longer apply.
Here's an interesting guide to affirm that belief:. The first four words of each sentence are: IT IS YOUR RIGHT:(ie.)
It is your right to do anything if it does not violate someone else's human rights and if you are willing to accept the consequences.
IT IS YOUR RIGHT:
- to maintain your self-respect by answering honestly, even if it does hurt someone else -- as long as you are being assertive as opposed to aggressive.
- to be what you are without changing your ideas or behavior to satisfy someone else.
- to strive for self- actualization.
- to choose your own priorities.
- not to be subjected to negativity.
- not to offer excuses or justifications for your decisions or behavior.
- not to care.
- to be illogical.
- to change your mind.
- to defend yourself.
"The principle is that you should live your life doing things either because you want to do them or else because, as a personal value judgment or compromise, you have agreed to do them.
Any decision resulting in a loss of self-respect is unacceptable. You are not to do things because they are expected of you or because you think you should or because you will feel anxious or guilty if you don't."
Interesting concept - right?
Dr. Phyl's? Not necessrily.
These I've quoted above are over 30 years old and come from a book published in 1982 titled "Unseen Influences" by Dick Sutphen.
Like so much of the good advice available to all of us back then who were reluctant to hurt the feelings of someone else - the ones who MOST OFTEN took that advice and ran with it - were those who needed it the least.
After becoming acquainted with the "counseling theory du jour" they concluded they had now been given permission to do what they had been doing much of their life anyway - because they believed:"IT WAS THEIR RIGHT."
Now they are the very ones in business and politics who have taken the act of "transgression" to new heights(?) and to whom most of us want to say, "YOU HAVE NO RIGHT". And, this time, we are the ones who are "RIGHT."
I sincerely hope that Dr. Phyl has better success - and believe that may well be the case - for many reasons.
By watching Dr. Phil you always seem to come away with the feeling that what he said to some of his guests -msot often using the phrase "let's get real here" you'd have also said that if faced with similar situations.
That is - if you didn't lack either the timing required or the guts to do so.
The premise, as portrayed both on his show and in his new book, "Life Guide", is that some of the lessons we were taught by our elders simply no longer apply.
Here's an interesting guide to affirm that belief:. The first four words of each sentence are: IT IS YOUR RIGHT:(ie.)
It is your right to do anything if it does not violate someone else's human rights and if you are willing to accept the consequences.
IT IS YOUR RIGHT:
- to maintain your self-respect by answering honestly, even if it does hurt someone else -- as long as you are being assertive as opposed to aggressive.
- to be what you are without changing your ideas or behavior to satisfy someone else.
- to strive for self- actualization.
- to choose your own priorities.
- not to be subjected to negativity.
- not to offer excuses or justifications for your decisions or behavior.
- not to care.
- to be illogical.
- to change your mind.
- to defend yourself.
"The principle is that you should live your life doing things either because you want to do them or else because, as a personal value judgment or compromise, you have agreed to do them.
Any decision resulting in a loss of self-respect is unacceptable. You are not to do things because they are expected of you or because you think you should or because you will feel anxious or guilty if you don't."
Interesting concept - right?
Dr. Phyl's? Not necessrily.
These I've quoted above are over 30 years old and come from a book published in 1982 titled "Unseen Influences" by Dick Sutphen.
Like so much of the good advice available to all of us back then who were reluctant to hurt the feelings of someone else - the ones who MOST OFTEN took that advice and ran with it - were those who needed it the least.
After becoming acquainted with the "counseling theory du jour" they concluded they had now been given permission to do what they had been doing much of their life anyway - because they believed:"IT WAS THEIR RIGHT."
Now they are the very ones in business and politics who have taken the act of "transgression" to new heights(?) and to whom most of us want to say, "YOU HAVE NO RIGHT". And, this time, we are the ones who are "RIGHT."
I sincerely hope that Dr. Phyl has better success - and believe that may well be the case - for many reasons.
PURLOINED PARAPROSDOKIANS
The above subject refers to figures of speech wherein the latter part of a sentence or phrase is a surprise - basically, not what you'd expect. Here are a few:
Where there's a will - I want to be in it.
The last thing I want to do is hurt you - but, it's still on my list.
Since light travels faster than sound - some people will always appear to be bright until you hear them speak.
If I agreed with you - we'd both be wrong.
We never really grow up - we only learn how to act in public.
War does not determine who is right - only who is left.
Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit - - Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism - To steal from many is research.
I didn't say it was your fault - I said I was blaming you.
You don't need a parachute to skydive - you only need a parachute to skydive twice.
Women will never be equal to men - until they can walk down the street with a bald head and a beer gut and still think they are sexy.
You're never too old to to learn something stupid.
I'm supposed to respect my elders, but it's getting harder and harder for me to find one now.
And my favorite, (as it's so topical): "Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car."
Thursday, April 4, 2013
What's going on?
The world, or segments of same - as we know it in this country- continues to become "curiouser" and "curiouser", to possibly misquote "Alice In The Looking Glass".
A guy who has Pittsburgh ties - Mike Rice - now Rutgers formerbasketball coach -is caught on camera kicking, punching, striking with balls, and using racial slurs against his players. His university's initial response?: a fine, suspension of three games, and a mandate to attend anger management classes.
Finally, the tape of his innovative coaching techniques makes it into the office of NJ Governor Christy, who apparently had run out of reruns of the The West Wing TV show.
The Gov. declares Rice's behavior to be a disaster - a favorite term (his handling of a recent weather "disaster" allegedly increasing his chances of being our next Republican President) and the university promptly decides to fire the coach.
It is alleged that Christy immediately becomes a darkhorse candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize - which doesn't have the same respect it once did since it became a political plumb instead of a well deserved honor.
The press loves it and complements Christy for his involvement. Even Christine Brennan, a sports reporter from USA Today, who abhors anything that has to do with colleges and universities and their involvement with sports, writes about the Gov's reaction in what some of her critics might conclude is really a thinly disguised effort to provide the first salvo in a bid for her to become a future Secretary of State in Christy's administration.
The Governor of Pennsylvania decides to sue the NCAA because of the lack of due process in penalyzing Penn State and he is made out to be a fool by the same members of the press who are outraged and suggest he supports child molestation.
So, what's going on?
Chipper Jones, a much respected athlete, notes what happened at Rutgers and writes a twitter announcing that he was insulted and berated by many coaches during his career and suggests it's time for today's modern athletes to man up.
To the best of my knowledge, none of the Rutger's ballplayers had a father who was a bigwhig in TV sports entertainment coverage powerful enough to get their coach fired nor rendered even one little whimper about Mike Rice's unconscionable actions.
Again, what's going on?
The Carnival cruise line continues to have a string of bad luck involving their ships and the safety of same - you know the same cruise line whose ads suggest - unlike some of their competition - that they can't wait to get all the kiddies on board for their cruises - one reason Seniors look elsewhere for the most part.
The latest mishap was weather related when a very strong storm took the same ship that was once filled with feces and other non-advertised germs and pulled it away from it's moorings to crash into something strong enough to leave a 20 foot hole in it's hull.
We will give you that it's not always possible to be 100% cautious about anything that could lead to bad publicity - especially when it comes from bad weather. But, doesn't a recent history that suggests Carnival was bought out by McHales's Navy suggest that there is a strong need to fire their entire Risk Management team?
And yeah, any chance someone will ask, "What's going on?"
NBC is about to "fire" Jay Leno - you say replace - I say fire - "you say 'neether' I say 'nyther' - suggesting a possible fire sale of vintage cars, trucks and motorcycles down the road .
They then hire a nice guy, Jimmy Fallon of SNL fame, who has yet to prove he can do anything to renew NBC's proud image of great Tonight show hosts and a show that proudly resembled adult entertainment with a proven goal of challenging our minds and testing our sense of humor - plus launching the careers of many in the process..
Now, the fact that everybody had already heard the rumors for over a week (and perhaps only Wolf Blitzer was ignorant of this change) - did not seem to bother the folks over at NBC - once a great network that seemed to know what they were doing.
Yet, at some point when NBC also eventually fires a guy named Burke (who we believe is currently in charge of their entertainment division) it will take him "maybe" the time required for you to brew a cup of coffee on your Keurig to start fielding multiple job offers - possibly with a higher salary attached.
And, how did a guy with an Irish sounding name like Burke rise to this position?
NBC's not the only one to get it wrong. HBO & Cinemax, a required pairing in our area, once led the country with it's collection of choice movies - often viewed for the first time by it's customers. Both now show flicks that struggle to get a rating higher than two stars unless it's something that was made about the same time as the same McHale's Navy mentioned above.
Instead, it goes into the movie producing business. It makes a movie portraying a fascinating time in modern music entertainment history and the criminal accusation against Phil Spector, hires two of our greatest actors, Al Pacino and Helen Mirren - to capture this but results in a presentation that resembles a three day old fish sandwich for our viewing delight - in a misthought out attempt to replicate "The Gin Game." - a serious dialogue between two great character actors.
I'm sure somebody over at HBO will blame the review of same on those critics (not on their payroll) and suggest we need to put all entertainment critics on a term limit hiring policy.
Hell, we can't even do that with our politicians for the most part.
Seriously, what's going on and where do we -who crave good entertainment and still have an ounce of common sense - go to hide?
Finally, the big news is that Lindsay Lohan - on tour in Brazil - one suspects somewhere out of house arrest limits - almost exposes a breast - and her embarassment (yeah, right) is rescued by her rather long and somewhat unkempt mane of hair - an event that sets the Huffington Post all a titter (pun intended).
Folks, is there a possibility that maybe we're being over informed just so a desperate media can write things and hold on to their jobs?
You say, "that includes you too!"
Heck I do this for nothing - probably what it's worth and I readily admit I can't figure out what's going on.
Enjoy this rainy day.
A guy who has Pittsburgh ties - Mike Rice - now Rutgers formerbasketball coach -is caught on camera kicking, punching, striking with balls, and using racial slurs against his players. His university's initial response?: a fine, suspension of three games, and a mandate to attend anger management classes.
Finally, the tape of his innovative coaching techniques makes it into the office of NJ Governor Christy, who apparently had run out of reruns of the The West Wing TV show.
The Gov. declares Rice's behavior to be a disaster - a favorite term (his handling of a recent weather "disaster" allegedly increasing his chances of being our next Republican President) and the university promptly decides to fire the coach.
It is alleged that Christy immediately becomes a darkhorse candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize - which doesn't have the same respect it once did since it became a political plumb instead of a well deserved honor.
The press loves it and complements Christy for his involvement. Even Christine Brennan, a sports reporter from USA Today, who abhors anything that has to do with colleges and universities and their involvement with sports, writes about the Gov's reaction in what some of her critics might conclude is really a thinly disguised effort to provide the first salvo in a bid for her to become a future Secretary of State in Christy's administration.
The Governor of Pennsylvania decides to sue the NCAA because of the lack of due process in penalyzing Penn State and he is made out to be a fool by the same members of the press who are outraged and suggest he supports child molestation.
So, what's going on?
Chipper Jones, a much respected athlete, notes what happened at Rutgers and writes a twitter announcing that he was insulted and berated by many coaches during his career and suggests it's time for today's modern athletes to man up.
To the best of my knowledge, none of the Rutger's ballplayers had a father who was a bigwhig in TV sports entertainment coverage powerful enough to get their coach fired nor rendered even one little whimper about Mike Rice's unconscionable actions.
Again, what's going on?
The Carnival cruise line continues to have a string of bad luck involving their ships and the safety of same - you know the same cruise line whose ads suggest - unlike some of their competition - that they can't wait to get all the kiddies on board for their cruises - one reason Seniors look elsewhere for the most part.
The latest mishap was weather related when a very strong storm took the same ship that was once filled with feces and other non-advertised germs and pulled it away from it's moorings to crash into something strong enough to leave a 20 foot hole in it's hull.
We will give you that it's not always possible to be 100% cautious about anything that could lead to bad publicity - especially when it comes from bad weather. But, doesn't a recent history that suggests Carnival was bought out by McHales's Navy suggest that there is a strong need to fire their entire Risk Management team?
And yeah, any chance someone will ask, "What's going on?"
NBC is about to "fire" Jay Leno - you say replace - I say fire - "you say 'neether' I say 'nyther' - suggesting a possible fire sale of vintage cars, trucks and motorcycles down the road .
They then hire a nice guy, Jimmy Fallon of SNL fame, who has yet to prove he can do anything to renew NBC's proud image of great Tonight show hosts and a show that proudly resembled adult entertainment with a proven goal of challenging our minds and testing our sense of humor - plus launching the careers of many in the process..
Now, the fact that everybody had already heard the rumors for over a week (and perhaps only Wolf Blitzer was ignorant of this change) - did not seem to bother the folks over at NBC - once a great network that seemed to know what they were doing.
Yet, at some point when NBC also eventually fires a guy named Burke (who we believe is currently in charge of their entertainment division) it will take him "maybe" the time required for you to brew a cup of coffee on your Keurig to start fielding multiple job offers - possibly with a higher salary attached.
And, how did a guy with an Irish sounding name like Burke rise to this position?
NBC's not the only one to get it wrong. HBO & Cinemax, a required pairing in our area, once led the country with it's collection of choice movies - often viewed for the first time by it's customers. Both now show flicks that struggle to get a rating higher than two stars unless it's something that was made about the same time as the same McHale's Navy mentioned above.
Instead, it goes into the movie producing business. It makes a movie portraying a fascinating time in modern music entertainment history and the criminal accusation against Phil Spector, hires two of our greatest actors, Al Pacino and Helen Mirren - to capture this but results in a presentation that resembles a three day old fish sandwich for our viewing delight - in a misthought out attempt to replicate "The Gin Game." - a serious dialogue between two great character actors.
I'm sure somebody over at HBO will blame the review of same on those critics (not on their payroll) and suggest we need to put all entertainment critics on a term limit hiring policy.
Hell, we can't even do that with our politicians for the most part.
Seriously, what's going on and where do we -who crave good entertainment and still have an ounce of common sense - go to hide?
Finally, the big news is that Lindsay Lohan - on tour in Brazil - one suspects somewhere out of house arrest limits - almost exposes a breast - and her embarassment (yeah, right) is rescued by her rather long and somewhat unkempt mane of hair - an event that sets the Huffington Post all a titter (pun intended).
Folks, is there a possibility that maybe we're being over informed just so a desperate media can write things and hold on to their jobs?
You say, "that includes you too!"
Heck I do this for nothing - probably what it's worth and I readily admit I can't figure out what's going on.
Enjoy this rainy day.
Saturday, March 23, 2013
GET REAL
I almost fell off my chair when a Facebook ad popped up in the margin this morning and solicited me for the opportunity to meet "older women" .
After all, living in a 55+ community - called Westwinds -I'm surrounded by them - and I do love them - particularly two who have passed the age of 90, are still active - and truly do "look good for their age."
Aggie and Phyllis - you go girls!
It was then the truism about "perception becoming reality" started to float around in my life challenged brain. You see, that last statement is a perfect example of the concept- a perception of Alzheimers novicius - or , "I'm sure it's just the beginning."
If, based on the opinions of other folks, we "perceive" that we have become old, mind addled, vain, rude, petty, egotistical , etc , it can become contagious and soon morph into our "reality".
A couple of weeks ago my wife Phyl ventured up to the Thursday night Bingo game and got a chance to talk to one of our "grand dames.".
She took a moment to respond to Phyl's inquiry as to how her day had been and then proceeded to describe a delightful day that included a non infrequent visit to the Moose that afternoon.
Apparently nobody had yet managed to convince her that she was old or even mentally challenged based on her insistance of taking her "lucky bear" to Bingo each week. God bless her!
If only life could be that simple - or is it?
We enjoy our community and the many people who make a point to speak to us when we're taking our little Chihuahua, Bella, on one of her Bataan marches around the neighborhood.
These folks watch and sometimes comment - when "Bell" conceivably stops to smell every blade of grass that suggests prior passage by other critters. Upon confirming the message she then lifts a leg and leaves her own mark in double-digit measurements, a practiced act which I am sure she believes is equally "tantalizing" to those she precedes on her journey.
She has no idea how silly she may look - and why should she? With that pea sized brain - (large in comparison with her body size) and an amazing capacity for love - she is clueless; and we wouldn't change any of it for a moment.
In some strange way Phyl and I feel better about ourselves, partially due to the attention Bella engenders as we walk her and hear the accompanied endearing comments from friends and strangers alike about her manners and friendly attitude. No animal enjoys a 'bum scratching" more than our doggie does.
We often joke that were it not for Bella we might never be noticed in Westwinds - not that this is always a good thing.
If you doubt me you might want to question friend Harry http://harry2335.blogspot.com/ about his experiences as past President of our little community - including the expectations that - in the middle of the night -his duties included resolving a plumbing problem one of our senior citizens was experiencing.
Now that's one heckuva opportunity to try to separate "perception from reality" and he appears to have handled it well.
Having him around was a real treasure for those of us with perhaps less grandiose expectations as to what Harry's duties included.
So next time when someone says mean things to you - don't internalize them - and allow "perceptions to become reality". You're better than that.
There are exceptions obviously, however.
When someone tells me how young and good looking I am, especially for a septugenarian, that's a completely different thing.
Clearly these people possess extremely good judgment skills and have absolutely warmed the cockles of my heart by exercising their penchant for honesty.
There is something to be said for - after many years of practice - acquiring the skill to shave this craggy face without looking in the mirror during the process.
Who wants that image looking back at me and disagreeing?
I mean, "C'mon - Get Real"!
After all, living in a 55+ community - called Westwinds -I'm surrounded by them - and I do love them - particularly two who have passed the age of 90, are still active - and truly do "look good for their age."
Aggie and Phyllis - you go girls!
It was then the truism about "perception becoming reality" started to float around in my life challenged brain. You see, that last statement is a perfect example of the concept- a perception of Alzheimers novicius - or , "I'm sure it's just the beginning."
If, based on the opinions of other folks, we "perceive" that we have become old, mind addled, vain, rude, petty, egotistical , etc , it can become contagious and soon morph into our "reality".
A couple of weeks ago my wife Phyl ventured up to the Thursday night Bingo game and got a chance to talk to one of our "grand dames.".
She took a moment to respond to Phyl's inquiry as to how her day had been and then proceeded to describe a delightful day that included a non infrequent visit to the Moose that afternoon.
Apparently nobody had yet managed to convince her that she was old or even mentally challenged based on her insistance of taking her "lucky bear" to Bingo each week. God bless her!
If only life could be that simple - or is it?
We enjoy our community and the many people who make a point to speak to us when we're taking our little Chihuahua, Bella, on one of her Bataan marches around the neighborhood.
These folks watch and sometimes comment - when "Bell" conceivably stops to smell every blade of grass that suggests prior passage by other critters. Upon confirming the message she then lifts a leg and leaves her own mark in double-digit measurements, a practiced act which I am sure she believes is equally "tantalizing" to those she precedes on her journey.
She has no idea how silly she may look - and why should she? With that pea sized brain - (large in comparison with her body size) and an amazing capacity for love - she is clueless; and we wouldn't change any of it for a moment.
In some strange way Phyl and I feel better about ourselves, partially due to the attention Bella engenders as we walk her and hear the accompanied endearing comments from friends and strangers alike about her manners and friendly attitude. No animal enjoys a 'bum scratching" more than our doggie does.
We often joke that were it not for Bella we might never be noticed in Westwinds - not that this is always a good thing.
If you doubt me you might want to question friend Harry http://harry2335.blogspot.com/ about his experiences as past President of our little community - including the expectations that - in the middle of the night -his duties included resolving a plumbing problem one of our senior citizens was experiencing.
Now that's one heckuva opportunity to try to separate "perception from reality" and he appears to have handled it well.
Having him around was a real treasure for those of us with perhaps less grandiose expectations as to what Harry's duties included.
So next time when someone says mean things to you - don't internalize them - and allow "perceptions to become reality". You're better than that.
There are exceptions obviously, however.
When someone tells me how young and good looking I am, especially for a septugenarian, that's a completely different thing.
Clearly these people possess extremely good judgment skills and have absolutely warmed the cockles of my heart by exercising their penchant for honesty.
There is something to be said for - after many years of practice - acquiring the skill to shave this craggy face without looking in the mirror during the process.
Who wants that image looking back at me and disagreeing?
I mean, "C'mon - Get Real"!
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
GOLF HUMOR
How often do we hear the golf jokes about Moses, Abraham, & Jesus - or a Priest, Minister, and a Rabii- or sometimes, a lawyer, an accountant, and a funeral director?
Actually, that last one was pretty funny; but certainly not one to repeat in these august ramblings.
Golf lends itself to funny jokes. Usually when females hear them they are quick to agree, "Yeah, that's men, okay!"
Here are a couple of my favorites:
A husband and a wife are on the 9th green when suddenly she collapses from a heart attack.
"Help me dear,", she groans to her husband.
The husband calls 911 on his cellphone, talks for a few minutes, picks up his putter and lines up his putt.
His wife raises her head off the green and stares at him.
"I'm dying here and you're putting?"
"Don't worry dear," says the husband calmly, "they found a doctor on the second hole and he's coming to help you."
"Well, how long will it take for him to get here? she asks feebly.
"No time at all," replies her husband. "Everybody's already agreed to let him play through."
-----------------------------------------
The bride was escorted down the aisle and when she reached the altar, the groom was standing there with his golf bag and clubs at his side.
She said, "What are your golf clubs doing here?"
He looked her right in the eye and said, "This isn't going to take all day, is it?"
__________________________________
But, sometimes the females get their chance too:
Police are called to an apartment and find a woman holding a bloody 3 iron while standing over a lifeless man..
The detective asks, "Ma'am, is that your husband?"
"Yes", says the woman.
"Looking at the battered body, he asks "Did you hit him with that golf club?"
"Yes, yes, I did ." The woman begins to sob, drops the club, and puts her hands on her face.
"How many times did you hit him?"
"I don't know - - - put me down for a five."
-----------------------------------------------------
Then we have the church related jokes. Here are two:
A young man and a priest are playing together. At a short par 3 the priest asks, "What are you going to use on this hole, my son?"
The young man says, "An 8-iron, Father. How about you?"
The priest says, "I'm going to hit a soft seven and pray."
The young man hits his 8-iron and puts the ball on the green. The priest tops his 7-iron, dribbles the ball out a few yards and is obviously disappointed..
The young man says, "I don't know about you, Father, but in my church, when we pray, we keep our head down."
--------------------------------------------------
A golfer tees up his ball on the first tee, took a mighty swing and hit his ball into a clump of trees. He found his ball and saw an opening between two trees that he thought he could hit through.
Taking out his 3-wood, he took a mighty swing. The ball hit a tree, bounced back, hit him in the forehead and killed him.
As he approached the gates of Heaven, St. Peter asked, "Are you a good golfer?"
The man replied: "Got here in two, didn't I?"
---------------------------------
Finally, the reason we men find golf so much easier than playing chess:
A gushy reporter told Phil Mickelson,"You are spectacular; your name is synonymous with the game of golf. You really know your way around the course.
"What's your secret?"
Michelson replied, "The holes are numbered."
-------------------------------------------
Enjoy your game and try to retain a good sense of humor.
Actually, that last one was pretty funny; but certainly not one to repeat in these august ramblings.
Golf lends itself to funny jokes. Usually when females hear them they are quick to agree, "Yeah, that's men, okay!"
Here are a couple of my favorites:
A husband and a wife are on the 9th green when suddenly she collapses from a heart attack.
"Help me dear,", she groans to her husband.
The husband calls 911 on his cellphone, talks for a few minutes, picks up his putter and lines up his putt.
His wife raises her head off the green and stares at him.
"I'm dying here and you're putting?"
"Don't worry dear," says the husband calmly, "they found a doctor on the second hole and he's coming to help you."
"Well, how long will it take for him to get here? she asks feebly.
"No time at all," replies her husband. "Everybody's already agreed to let him play through."
-----------------------------------------
The bride was escorted down the aisle and when she reached the altar, the groom was standing there with his golf bag and clubs at his side.
She said, "What are your golf clubs doing here?"
He looked her right in the eye and said, "This isn't going to take all day, is it?"
__________________________________
But, sometimes the females get their chance too:
Police are called to an apartment and find a woman holding a bloody 3 iron while standing over a lifeless man..
The detective asks, "Ma'am, is that your husband?"
"Yes", says the woman.
"Looking at the battered body, he asks "Did you hit him with that golf club?"
"Yes, yes, I did ." The woman begins to sob, drops the club, and puts her hands on her face.
"How many times did you hit him?"
"I don't know - - - put me down for a five."
-----------------------------------------------------
Then we have the church related jokes. Here are two:
A young man and a priest are playing together. At a short par 3 the priest asks, "What are you going to use on this hole, my son?"
The young man says, "An 8-iron, Father. How about you?"
The priest says, "I'm going to hit a soft seven and pray."
The young man hits his 8-iron and puts the ball on the green. The priest tops his 7-iron, dribbles the ball out a few yards and is obviously disappointed..
The young man says, "I don't know about you, Father, but in my church, when we pray, we keep our head down."
--------------------------------------------------
A golfer tees up his ball on the first tee, took a mighty swing and hit his ball into a clump of trees. He found his ball and saw an opening between two trees that he thought he could hit through.
Taking out his 3-wood, he took a mighty swing. The ball hit a tree, bounced back, hit him in the forehead and killed him.
As he approached the gates of Heaven, St. Peter asked, "Are you a good golfer?"
The man replied: "Got here in two, didn't I?"
---------------------------------
Finally, the reason we men find golf so much easier than playing chess:
A gushy reporter told Phil Mickelson,"You are spectacular; your name is synonymous with the game of golf. You really know your way around the course.
"What's your secret?"
Michelson replied, "The holes are numbered."
-------------------------------------------
Enjoy your game and try to retain a good sense of humor.
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