For the most part, I try to stay informed on what is going on in the world and our country. I read excerpts from the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, CNN, Fox News, NPR, BBC, etc. I find it amazing how a single story can come across so completely different depending on which news outlet you read. The same goes for network and cable TV. Some are so blatantly obvious that it amazes me that people can actually watch them and think they’re getting any semblance of a fair and objective viewpoint. If you can watch MSNBC and the likes of Keith Olbermann or Rachel Maddow and not see the vindictive and generally unseemly diatribe on American values, then there’s not much hope for you. Even Hannity on Fox News carries it a little bit too far, although I don’t think it’s as mean-spirited as the MSNBC shows.
Anyway, I got the below email from a friend the other day and I thought I’d share it with you.
A Harley Davidson biker is riding by the zoo in Washington, DC when he sees a little girl leaning into the lion’s cage. Suddenly, the lion grabs her by the cuff of her jacket and tries to pull her inside to slaughter her, under the eyes of her screaming parents.
The biker jumps off his Harley, runs to the cage and hits the lion square on the nose with a powerful punch. Whimpering from the pain the lion jumps back letting go of the girl, and the biker brings her to her terrified parents, who thank him endlessly. A reporter has watched the whole event.
The reporter, addressing the Harley rider says, ‘Sir, that was the most gallant and brave thing I’ve seen a man do in my entire life.’ The Harley rider replies, ‘Why, it was nothing, really. The lion was behind bars. I just saw this little kid in danger and I acted as I felt right.’
The reporter says, ‘Well, I’ll make sure this doesn’t go unnoticed. I’m a journalist, you know, and tomorrow’s paper will have this story on the front page… So, what do you do for a living and what political affiliation do you have?’
The biker replies, ‘I’m a U.S. Marine and a Republican.’
The journalist leaves.
The following morning, the biker buys the paper to see if it indeed brings news of his actions, and reads on the front page:
U.S.MARINE ASSAULTS AFRICAN IMMIGRANT AND STEALS HIS LUNCH
Sadly, that pretty much sums up the liberal news media’s approach to the news these days.
Happy New Year! I hope everyone enjoyed the holidays. Up here in Michigan, it’s been pretty cold. We’ve had some snow, but not all that bad. It’s a little more than three months before I run in the Boston Marathon. Trying to train for it in this weather will be a challenge. The roads have been pretty slippery so I haven’t been out doing much running lately. I hate running indoors on a treadmill, so I don’t really get too much running in right now. I just bought some traction gizmos to put on the bottom of my running shoes. They’re called YakTrax Pros. Supposedly, they’ll keep me from slipping on hard-packed snow surfaces. I may end up having to use them pretty soon if the weather doesn’t change. We’ll see how that works out.
I’ve recently been reading a book called, “26 Miles to Boston.” It’s about the Boston Marathon – surprise! The gentleman that wrote it goes over the history of the marathon. The reason why I like the book is because he gives a blow-by-blow account for each mile of the race. He ran the race back in 1996 and discusses all the things that a runner might be interested in as he runs the course. There’s a chapter for each mile. He tells you the general slope, the points of interest along the way and anything else of value. The course runs through eight different towns and he describes the roads, the crowds, the town, etc. It’s been pretty interesting, thus far. I’m on the chapter for mile 13 right now. This is the portion of the course that takes you through Wellesley College, the women’s liberal arts college. From the description, it sounds like the ladies there really whoop it up for the runners. It’s also the halfway point in the marathon, so I guess it’s a little boost for the runner.
At this point, you might be asking yourself, why the heck did I title this blog posting, “Forgive Me When I Whine?” Well, while I was reading the book, the author mentioned how a long-distance runner has a lot of time to contemplate things. He said during the long stretches when things got tough, he would sometimes think of his favorite poem, “Forgive Me.” He wrote down a portion of it in his book. I did a little digging on the Internet and found out that it’s actually the lyrics to a song by an Islamic singer named Ahmed Bukhatir. It kind of puts things in perspective when you complain about things not going well at the time. Be thankful for all the good things that are going on in your life.
So, if you hear me complaining, forgive me when I whine.
Lyrics: Forgive Me…
Today, upon a bus,
I saw a girl with golden hair.
And wished I was as fair.
When suddenly she rose to leave,
I saw her hobble down the aisle.
She had one leg and wore a crutch.
But as she passed, she smiled.
Oh God, forgive me when I whine. When I whine.
I have two legs the world is mine.
I stopped to buy some candy.
The lad who sold it had such charm.
I talked with him, he seemed so glad.
If I were late, it’d do no harm.
And as I left, he said to me,
“I thank you, you’ve been so kind.
You see,” he said, “I’m blind.”
Oh God, forgive me when I whine. When I whine.
I have two eyes the world is mine.
I saw a child with eyes of blue.
He stood and watched the others play.
He did not know what to do.
I stopped a moment and then I said,
“Why don’t you join the others, dear?”
He looked ahead without a word.
And then I knew. He couldn’t hear.
Oh God, forgive me when I whine. When I whine.
I have two ears the world is mine.
With feet to take me where I’d go.
With eyes to see the sunset’s glow.
With ears to hear what I’d know.
Oh God, forgive me when I whine. When I whine.
I am blessed indeed, the world is mine.
The phone rings and the lady of the house answers.
“Hello?”
“Mrs Sanders, please.”
“Speaking.”
“Mrs. Sanders, this is Dr. Jones at St. Agnes Laboratory. When your husband’s doctor sent his biopsy to the lab last week, a biopsy from another Mr. Sanders arrived as well. We are now uncertain which one belongs to your husband. Frankly, either way the results are not too good.”
“What do you mean?” Mrs. Sanders asks nervously.
“Well, one of the specimens tested positive for Alzheimer’s and the other one tested positive for HIV. We can’t tell which is which.”
“That’s dreadful! Can you do the test again?” questioned Mrs. Sanders.
“Normally we can, but the new health care system will only pay for these expensive tests just one time.”
”Well, what am I supposed to do now?”
“The folks at Obama health care recommend that you drop your husband off somewhere in the middle of town. If he finds his way home, don’t sleep with him.”
There’s a little saying that most people are familiar with that goes something like this: “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff.” In a certain context, I can completely agree with the sentiment. Don’t get so hung up and bothered by meaningless little things that don’t really matter in the long-term scheme of things. However, I’d like to put forth the equally valid proposition that you really should sweat the small stuff. Let me give you a recent example. There were a few guys sitting at a table having a normal conversation. I noticed one of the wives came over and looked in her husband’s cup and saw that his drink was almost empty. She took it, went and got a refill and put it back on the table for him. There was no acknowledgement whatsoever for what she had done. Not a simple “thanks”, nod, wink or anything. He definitely saw her do it, yet he didn’t have the simple courtesy to say thanks. It wasn’t any big inconvenience on the wife’s part – just a simple gesture of affection/caring. This is the little stuff that you should be sweating. I don’t think there was any underlying expectation of the deed on her part. However, I can’t help but think that these little things will eventually build up and become the “big” stuff down the road.
I think we could all learn to be a little more appreciative of our friends and loved ones. I’m certainly no saint in this regard and could improve some myself. I think I’ve let some things slide over the years until they became bigger than they needed to be. I’m still a work in progress – hopefully I’ll get better. I do have a lot of things to be appreciative about. First and foremost, there’s my family. I’ve got the best wife and daughter – this year has really proven that to me. I’ve got some great friends and relatives, too. We’re all healthy and hope to stay that way. We’re all looking forward to a great 2010.
Happy New Year everyone!
A kid asks his father for help on a writing assignment. “Dad, can you tell me the difference between potential and reality?”
His father looks up thoughtfully and says, “I’ll demonstrate. Go ask your mother if she would sleep with Robert Redford for a million dollars. Then go ask your sister if she would sleep with Brad Pitt for a million dollars. Come back and tell me what you’ve learned.”
The kid is puzzled, but asks his mother. “Mom, if someone gave you a million dollars, would you sleep with Robert Redford?”
“Don’t tell your father, but, yes, I would.”
He then goes to his sister’s room. “Sis, if someone gave you a million dollars, would you sleep with Brad Pitt?”
She replies, “Omigod! Definitely!”
The kid goes back to his father. “Dad, I think I’ve figured it out. Potentially, we are sitting on $2 million bucks, but in reality, we’re living with two sluts.”
Well, Navy did it again. They beat Army today 17-3 in their annual football series. This is the third straight year they’ve kept them from scoring a touchdown. This is also the eighth straight year they’ve beaten Army. They now lead the series 54–49–7. Go Midshipmen!
Four guys spend weeks planning the perfect football outing for an away game between the Minnesota Vikings and the Green Bay Packers.
Two days before the group is to leave, Frank’s wife puts her foot down and tells him he isn’t going. Frank’s friends are very upset that he can’t go, but what can they do.
Two days later the three get to the stadium site only to find Frank sitting in his seat with a beer in one hand and a hot dog in the other.
“Damn man, how long you been here and how did you talk your wife into letting you go?”
“Well, I’ve been here since yesterday. Yesterday evening I was sitting in my chair and my wife came up behind me and put her hands over my eyes and said ‘guess who’?”
I pulled her hands off and she was wearing a brand new see-through nightie. She took my hand and took me to our bedroom. The room had two dozen candles and rose petals all over. On the bed she had handcuffs and ropes! She told me to tie and cuff her to the bed, and I did. And then she said “Do whatever you want.”
So here I am.
I’ve pretty much kept my mouth shut on Obama since he became President in January. I was going to give him the benefit of the doubt and see how he would lead this country. I’d give him a chance to prove he could govern the country.
Well, time’s up, and you sir, are no president. Without a doubt, you’ve proven what most sane Americans believed in their gut – you were never qualified to be the U.S. President. You lack the experience, maturity and judgment for the job. I can think of no other president who was as unqualified and inexperienced as you. You spent the majority of your life in school or campaigning for office. You never held any position of authority in the real world. And no, “Community Organizer” doesn’t count. You were basically a legal counsel for ACORN, an organization that has finally been exposed for its total corruption and blatant disregard for true American values. You lied to the American people on numerous occasions. How can you claim you were unaware of Reverend Wright’s beliefs and positions when you sat in his church for 20 years? He married you, baptized your children and you even used one of his sermons in writing your Audacity of Hope book and yet you can look the American people in the eye and say you didn’t know those were his outrageous views? You’ve associated yourself with radical individuals for most of your life. I, for one, am not the least bit surprised by the Socialist agenda that you’re trying to drive through Congress. Why the big rush, Mr. President? If it’s such an important piece of legislation, why not give it the time it deserves to get it right? That’s your current excuse for why you’re so indecisive about dealing with Afghanistan. You and your administration have made so many outright blunders over the past year that I could probably write a book on them. However, you’re given a free pass by most of your fellow liberal brothers-in-arm in the media. If it had been Bush in office at the time, all of your gaffes would have been filling the front pages of most newspapers. Speaking of President Bush, I’m tired of you constantly blaming him every time you have a problem. That, sir, is the sign of a very weak leader. Leaders are decisive and take responsibility for their actions. By and large, our current economic situation is the result of bad policies forced on banking institutions under prior Democratic administrations. I don’t recall Reagan constantly whining about Carter every time he faced a difficult or unpopular decision. You’ve never led a day in your life, and quite frankly, it shows in spades. You’ve pretty much been insulated from the tough decision making by all your campaign advisors and handlers. Your body language telegraphs the uneasiness you feel. If it’s obvious to me, then any world leaders you have to deal with will see it, too. Your “rock star” fame won’t cut it in the trenches of real world politics. We’re already seeing that based on your lack of success in dealing with several international situations. You have no clue as to what it takes to lead. I can guarantee you that the majority of the military have little real respect for you as a Commander-In-Chief (CIC). I had the privilege of serving my country under six different presidents. I never thought I’d say this, but you actually make Clinton look good as a CIC.
I’ll give you one thing. You’re good at giving prepared speeches with a Teleprompter. You excel at that. You’ll probably give a fine speech when you finally reveal your Afghanistan strategy on Tuesday. However, you pretty much suck when it comes to impromptu or extemporaneous speeches. I’ve never in my life seen a president say the word “Uh” so often. You really need to work on that. You don’t come off as being very presidential. You remind me a lot of Caroline Kennedy and her overuse of the phrase “you know.”
You and your fellow liberal cohorts sold the American people a false sense of hope. You have failed miserably and you are taking this country down with you. You do not deserve to be the President of the United States. You never did. I’m so glad that I didn’t fall for your lies and deceptions during the campaign. I’m proud that I didn’t cast a vote for you. You are so wrong for this country. When we really needed a strong leader, we got a politician. God help us all.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Hope you all had a happy and restful Thanksgiving with family and friends. Our daughter came home for the holiday weekend so that made it even better. We got together with a few of our in-laws and had a nice turkey dinner with all the fixings. There was plenty of turkey, mashed potatoes, veggies and pies galore. No one left hungry.
Today, all the crazy folks got up bright and early to hit the stores for all the Black Friday specials. Standing in line and fighting the crowds is not my idea of fun, even if you do save a few bucks along the way. Some people actually look forward to the event – you folks are crazy! Of course, I got up at four this morning (zero dark thirty) to meet a group of fellow runners in downtown Grand Rapids. Today was a free training session to see if we want to join for the long haul (26 sessions). We ran through the covered skywalks that interconnect all the downtown hotels, restaurants and garages and ran up and down the multi-level parking garages and periodically stopped and did pushups, sit-ups, pull-ups, etc. I’m trying to get my body in shape for the hills in the Boston Marathon in April and I thought this might be a good way to get in condition. If the weather gets real lousy, we’re pretty much covered most of the time. The place is pretty deserted so traffic isn’t a problem. There’s a personal trainer running the show and we even have “Marathon Don” working with us. He’s the Grand Rapids Marathon Race Director and he has run over 180 marathons – all 7 continents three times and all 50 states and DC. Now that’s crazy!
Maybe I better rethink calling all of you Black Friday shoppers crazy. I guess we all do things at one time or another that other people think are a little odd. Enjoy the rest of your holiday weekend – crazies and non-crazies alike!
I’ve been doing a lot of reading lately on my computer. There are a ton of books out there in electronic format. Many of the books are in the familiar Adobe pdf format that can be read by many Windows and Mac ebook readers. There is also the open standard epub format as well as a plethora of proprietary formats with various forms of Digital Rights Management (DRM). The library system in our area carries many books in electronic format and that makes it easy and convenient for checking out and reading. I’ve checked out a few in the past week or two. No need to trudge to the library if you don’t want to – a book is just a few clicks away! Ah, but I digress.
Although my musical roots are in rock music, it’s not too conducive when you’re trying to read a book, especially if you’re trying to comprehend technical material. For reading books, I select easy listening- or instrumental-type music for a background. I was going through my iTunes library the other day and came across some albums that I hadn’t listened to in years. When my wife and I lived in Monterey, CA, we would visit various vineyards and local wine tasting rooms. Many had background music playing and many of those CDs were available for purchase. Danny Wright was one of the first artists we became acquainted with as a result of those little trips. Another was Jim Centorino and Carole Cole. They made a CD called Footsteps in the Sand back in 1990. My three favorite songs are below. I couldn’t find any YouTube versions for Ultimately Love or Ancient Romance. I put these songs on my local server so you could still listen to them. The Child of Dreams link will take you to YouTube. BTW, the YouTube link displays the title of the song as, Ultimately Love, but it’s really Child of Dreams. In looking at the liner notes on the CD, I noticed that all three songs I chose were composed and produced by Jim Centorino. I guess I like Jim’s compositions over Carol’s. Anyway, enjoy the songs.
- Child of Dreams (my favorite)
- Ultimately Love
- Ancient Romance
