The Disconnected Writer

A Lesser Man

2012-03-03T14:39:00.000-05:00

I have been doing my thing lately, and as usual, burning the candle at both ends. Last night, I did decided to take a break and do something out of the ordinary – I turned on the TV. Big mistake.

As the television went through its startup routine, it locked in on a channel that was about to air a show called Undercover Boss. I had actually seen an episode or two last year, and although it wasn’t exactly Citizen Kane, it proved to be entertaining, and I did not lose any brain cells watching bimbos fighting in taverns.

Last night, that changed. The theme of the episode centered around a corporate officer for the Popeyes (without the requisite apostrophe) fast food restaurant chain who, incognito, decided to check out several franchise branches in the South under the guise of discovering how improvements could be made and exceptional employees could be identified.

In the previous episodes I viewed, exceptional employees were given everything from tens of thousands of dollars to college scholarships, cars, promotions, and down payments on homes. To me, this was a terrific concept, reminiscent of an old black and white fictional television drama known as The Millionaire, where a multi-billionaire surprised deserving folks with a tax free cool million. Popeyes showed me the modern version in which a man who humbled me in his loyalty to his company and service to his community was demeaned, in my opinion.

The undercover boss came upon a janitor who referred to the franchise as his establishment. He exuded pride while describing his daily tasks such as washing the parking lot, cleaning out garbage pails by hand, and scrubbing dirty floors and walls so customers would enter clean facilities. He even purchased all the soap products with his own funds because the company provided cleaning materials that could be harmful to children. I am not certain where they found this man, but he sang the company’s praises while performing his duties with dignity rarely seen today in a paid employee.

To add to the humility of this janitor, the back story told how he lost everything he owned in a hurricane and was taken in by a local church group. Now that he was back on his feet, he believed he owed a duty to the church to serve, so he donated his free time each week, cooking meals for the public at the church facilities.

His reward? Popeyes donated $10,000 to his church (which I’m sure is a tax write off). Whoopee doo, Popeyes. I could not help but think he was denied the usual benefits, bonuses, promotions, or raises other employees received because he was only a janitor in their corporate eyes.

A raise and a promotion was in order, and although it is seemingly not my business, the show did lure me in with the underlying promise of a happy ending. I usually do not opine about trivial television shows, and I am insulting myself as a writer by engaging in this discussion. Yet, they could have made him a supervisor or trainer. He earned it. Instead, they have assured me I will never choke on a Popeyes chicken bone.
.

New York: The Novel

2012-02-27T17:47:00.000-05:00

I recently came across a book I must have missed along the way, but I am thrilled I have finally found it.

New York: The Novel by Edward Rutherfurd is a masterpiece of historical fiction. The author’s storytelling ability is impeccable. Rutherfurd takes us on a journey through New York City from Peter Stuyvesant and the Dutch to Wall Street and the attacks on the Twin Towers.

While I have always been partial to historical fiction, I can’t recall becoming so engrossed in the action as to believe at times I actually traveled back in history.

Dutch traders, the Revolutionary War, Native Americans on the island of Manna Hata, the Civil War, World Wars, the Roaring Twenties, and much more assure the reader will remain wired reading about the city that never sleeps.

This one is good!
.

Move Over, Wonder Woman

2012-02-18T19:56:00.000-05:00

María José de Pablo Fernández a/k/a Coté de Pablo

Coté de Pablo is a Chilean actress, songwriter, vocalist, and recording artist, best known for her role as Special Agent Ziva David in the hit television series NCIS.

In years past, Linda Carter was a television icon, spinning into her Wonder Woman garb to the delight of millions (mostly male). One expected the super feats and exploits of Batman, Superman, Captain America, and others, but Wonder Woman added a new dimension to the era in the form of a female super hero. It was a novelty at the time. Ziva David is different. She is real.

De Pablo plays a former Israeli Mossad Liaison Officer, now a Special Agent for the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. Ziva has it all. She is blessed with the beauty Hollywood seems to require, but projects herself as a serious, intelligent, formidable protector of innocent folks everywhere. From day one of her appearance on the show, there was never a doubt as to whether she would make it in a world of men or be able to perform her duties as well as her male counterparts. She is better than everyone. Ziva gets the job done because she is the best, not the best woman.

I find her to be a role model for young women everywhere. I don’t believe I have ever seen a TV show or movie production dealing with terrorism, violence, spies, and criminal activity, or anything else for that matter, where the gender of the heroine was not constantly glaring at spectators, often creating a feeling of make believe.

Arnold and Sly were stronger than everyone else. James Bond was smarter. Chuck Norris had special skills. Most Hollywood female cops and CIA agents have been equipped with other qualities. They could seduce. They were masters of disguise. They were sharp shooters. They even had boyfriends or husbands to help them out of jams. Not Ziva. She has it all. It is impossible to follow NCIS without recognizing the true qualities she possesses. She is not the model woman. She is the model person.

In a recent episode, Ziva unsuspectingly found herself amid four of the worst foes on the planet. Besides being murderers, the men looked more like gorillas than humans. When the NCIS team discovered her plight, knowing they could never arrive in time to assist her, an FBI agent asked team-leader Gibbs if agent David carried a weapon. His response was appropriate: “She is a weapon.” When the team finally arrived, the four predators lay sprawled out on the ground, hogtied. The viewing audience never once thought it was quite a feat for a woman.

Ziva David has leveled the playing field ‘70s feminists never quite discovered. There is nothing forced with this lady. She is simply the best.
.

I’m Never Negative - Certainly Not Twice

2012-02-13T19:34:00.000-05:00

As many of my followers are aware, I do have a few pet peeves. I usually smile, but one or two things occasionally get under my skin.

As a writer and a teacher, the concept of the double negative has always intrigued me. I have studied the development and evolution of languages. I understand that street language will differ from the King’s English. What I have trouble with is the fact that while the English language is slowly, painfully warping, those of us who speak it are confused by those who inadvertently continue to morph it.

When I hear students using double negatives, it pierces my membranes like scratching nails on a chalkboard does for the ears of others. It is akin to proudly, but unknowingly, wearing one’s shirt backwards.

If I know something, I know it. If I do not know something, I do not know it. This is an easy concept requiring little linguistic sophistication. If I know nothing, I do not know anything. This is a clear concept. However, every day I hear students say, “I don’t know nothing.” To me, and other speakers of English on this planet, the students uttering these words are claiming to know something.

Listen to the words of the criminal caught in the act explaining himself to the police officer: “I didn’t do nothing.” GUILTY! If you did not do nothing, you did something. The proper answer of an English-speaking innocent person should be, “I did not do anything,” or “I did nothing.” Only the guilty person brazenly announces, “I didn’t do nothing.” In law, they call that an admission!

Double negatives are algebraically clear. Two negatives equal a positive. If a person includes two negative words in a sentence, the possibility of creating a positive is overwhelming.

I understand that many of us lack the ability to speak formal English for a variety of reasons. It has nothing to do with intelligence. Nor do I claim to be better than others. I am sure many people express themselves far better than I can ever hope to do. However, what irks me is the reaction some people have when you rely on their spoken word, and they act as though the misinterpretations were your fault.

I am not being pompous. I just don’t know nothing.
.

Guido Llinás: A True Master

2012-02-04T11:54:00.000-05:00

When one who follows the art world thinks of 20th century Cuban Art, he or she often envisions concrete symbols relating to issues of national identity or references to political events. It is true these images often lie at the heart of visual-expression for Cuban artists. However, abstraction has also played a significant, yet less well-known role in the development of major 20th century Cuban artwork, and none is better at the task than master non-figurative painter, Guido Llinás (1923-2005).

Born in Cuba (province Pinar del Rio) in 1923, self-taught painter Guido Llinás left for Paris in 1953, and lived much of his life there. Like the great authors and artists of the Lost Generation years earlier, he sought to develop his craft abroad, while keeping affinity with Abstract Expressionism that he first explored in Havana. His emotional ties to Cuba remained strong throughout his life.

In Paris during the 1960s, he excelled at printmaking, featuring crosses, squiggles, and arrows. Inspired by Afro-Cuban and Abakua rituals and signs, the artist focused on designs utilizing what he referred to as the color black, and numerous worldwide galleries have featured his work.

Llinás produced work in the abstract style, and many of his post-Cuba works have generic titles such as Black Painting and Red Painting. They contain veiled references to Afro-Cuban rituals, sufficiently blended with abstractions, clearly connecting the artist to Abstract Expressionism.

Composition (shown above) is a 1957 painting demonstrating Llinás' wrist approach to action painting, as well as his dramatic use of black and white. This piece launched a twenty-year series of artwork known as Pintura Negra or Black Paintings. Deep black paint and strong rhythms inspired by Afro-Cuban music dominate the series. Composition is tempera on canvas.

To read more on this great artist, check out this link: Guido Llinas .
.

The Snows of Kilimanjaro

2012-01-30T20:15:00.000-05:00

This Ernest Hemingway short story happens to be one of my favorites.

The tale centers around a main character named Harry, who receives a cut on his leg while on a hunting safari in East Africa with his wife, Helen. It seems our protagonist neglects to disinfect the minor wound, which leads to gangrene.

As Harry lies ill while awaiting a plane from Nairobi, Kenya to transport him to a hospital, he begins a series of flashbacks on his life. Anything more, and I will spoil the story.

I can say, however, that every time I read Snows, I come away with different feelings about my own life. It is well worth the read.

It was made into a movie production in 1952 starring Gregory Peck, Susan Hayward, and Ava Gardner.
.

Ring Around the Rosy

2012-01-26T19:24:00.000-05:00

During the seventeenth century, the Bubonic Plague (aka Black Death) hit Europe with a vengeance. One of the symptoms of the plague was a red, rosy rash in the shape of a ring that manifested itself on the human skin of its victims.

As a result, the children of the era created a song to accompany a game in order to describe the physical elements of the disease. We know the tune and the game as Ring Around the Rosy.

One such element was believed to be a bad smell, instead of rats, that people thought actually transmitted the plague. Therefore, people carried posies, or sweet-smelling herbs in their pockets to ward off the disease.

The phrase ashes, ashes, we all fall down became a reference to the cremation of the dead bodies of the plague victims. The disease claimed more than half the population.

In any event, many nursery rhymes and fairy tales have hidden meanings. While they appear to be children’s tales, they are really quite complex.
.

What the Ancients Knew

2012-01-23T19:27:00.000-05:00

The beginnings of written history, approximately 3000 BC, saw some commonalities among people, such as the Egyptians, Aztecs, and Incas who had become the custodians of our planet.These people knew much more than their ancestors knew. They had learned to use animal skins for clothing. They learned to hunt and fish efficiently. The people of the ancient world built houses for themselves from the materials available to them, and learned to mine ore from the earth and smelt it into metal tools. They grew things.

Egypt was relatively free. It was an isolated land, built along a mighty river, surrounded by deserts. The Egyptians understood and adhered to the principle of hierarchy, with their gods on top, the populace on the bottom, and the pharaohs as liaisons between the human and spirit worlds. One of their secrets was tradition. They did not change for the sake of change. That is why their civilization endured.

In India, there was also a hierarchical caste system developed. Today, the modern world looks upon that system as primitive, without an understanding of the development of ancient cultures. In the Western world, we view class differentiation as social inequality. How many of us have researched the pride felt by the members of the lowest caste in that ancient civilization?

Similarly, the Chinese adhered to ancient hierarchical principles. Their dynasties lasted several millennia largely by focusing on three enduring concepts: merit-based bureaucracy, control over the economy, and the belief that all knowledge, while necessary for meritorious advancement, was dangerous.

I derived much of the information for this post from A History of Knowledge by Charles Van Doren. I found this book to be fascinating and very clearly written, with many examples in support of theory.
Upon completion of the book, I did ponder for quite some time whether twenty-first century people could understand and accept the reality of the ancients. We appear to be more focused on judgments.
.

Knowledge Through the Back Door

2012-01-20T18:47:00.000-05:00

In 1958, the Metropolitan Museum of Art conducted a series of educational seminars to teach the public about visual arts. Last year, I purchased a few books written in connection with the Met seminars to help me with my Integrated Arts course.

As I perused my new possessions, I came across a quote that stopped me in my tracks. I continued to ponder its meaning for quite some time, and it is usually difficult to sidetrack me when engaged in reading. Nevertheless, since I recently wrote a post where I opined about what art was not, I thought I would post the quote I discovered, which deals primarily with paintings:

“A painting is a layer of pigments applied to a surface. It is an arrangement of shapes and colors. It is a projection of the personality of the man who painted it, a statement of the philosophy of the age that produced it, and it can have a meaning beyond anything concerned with one man or only one period of time.”

I had never before seen this definition, but it occurred to me that there is much to learn in this statement, not only about visual arts, but also about Philosophy, History, and other concentrations in the field of Humanities. Think about how interesting a History course might be if it were presented solely via visual arts, without the written word or a flood of dates. How exciting would a philosophical study of world societies be if we set aside Socrates, Kant, Descartes, and Sartre, focusing only on the visual arts of their respective eras?

If you are up for a challenge, do a little research on two famous works of art. The first is an important icon of prehistory discovered by archeologists in 1908. It is called the Venus of Willendorf, created at least 25,000 years ago. The figurine rests at the Naturhistorisches Museum in Vienna, Austria.

The second is the well-known Venus de Milo of the late second century BC and can be viewed at the website for the Louvre in France.

A comparison of these treasures reveals voluminous information about the attitudes, especially toward women, of human societies existing thousands of years apart.

My point is simply this. Perhaps, some of us should find other methodologies for learning more about our ancestors and ourselves, instead of rejecting the deep glance backward through the ages because History and Philosophy are academic subjects, too time consuming and mind boggling to fit into our busy adult lives. Visual arts just might provide the solution to any gaps widened by our ever-changing education system.

While we are on the subject, why is it that whenever education budgets grow tighter, visual arts are the first to meet the axe?
.

My Father Knew How to Shave

2012-01-17T16:42:00.000-05:00

As an adult, I often find routine dull, especially those mundane ceremonies Earthlings perform as they rise each morning.

As a child, however, I found myself fascinated by the precision with which my father would shave every day of his life, regardless of time constraints, weather, or pressing engagements. He taught me about shaving cream, razors, and safety blades. I marveled at the skill he demonstrated as he applied the shaving cream to his face like a sculptor, so as to appear to don a stark white beard. Then, with a surgeon’s touch, he carefully worked the razor blade, always starting in the same place, and ending with a smooth finish. Never once did he cut himself. I always do.

Yet, because dad throughout his life proved to be thorough and cautious, he showed me what a styptic stick looked like, although this five-year old had no real conception of its usefulness. Still, I remember focusing on everything he said, because it seemed so important to him.

My father knew how to shave. To me, it’s an obnoxious necessity. To dad, it represented what men did when they were men. I enjoyed much of my life bearded, just to avoid the process.

So vividly I recall acquiring knowledge about cars, while my father was shaving, but this writer would never attempt to change a spark plug. He told me of his experiences at war, but forgot to tell me he received medals for heroism. I learned that long after he departed. Instead, he spoke of the beauty of the French countryside, the magnificent Black Forest in Germany, and the value of freedom. My dad would have loved to ski the Austrian Alps, but he never did. I did. My kids grew up on skis, with me right behind.

When my father rinsed off his face each morning after his perfect shave, I pondered everything he ever told me in those early years, as I proudly handed him a towel. The man knew so much, and shared it with me. He had little formal education, but made it a point to offer me the option. I have a ton, but most of the lessons and values that have gotten me through life were absorbed in my earliest years, watching in awe as a man performed an ordinary task extraordinarily.

I find it quite ironic that while my father shared his life with me, he made sure I understood how important it was to be me. However, even now, when I peer into the bathroom mirror to shave each morning, I still wish I could see him.
.

Just Hang It in a Gallery

2012-01-13T16:23:00.005-05:00

Although I believed I had resolved the problem in my mind several years ago, my students have recently resurrected a philosophical dilemma for me, which has more to do with art than philosophy – I think.

When I was in college, I studied Art History considerably, and being able to differentiate Baroque from Rococo art or Medieval Byzantine paintings from Renaissance works gave me a sense of self-satisfaction.

Over the years, my interest in and knowledge of art has grown, and for the last six or seven years, I have been teaching aspects of art at the university level. However, more so than ever, I hear students utter, “Art is anything you want it to be.” My first inclination is to conclude they simply have no clue. I am not so sure.

To me, art possesses elements such as line, shape, space, texture, form, and value. These characteristics traditionally form some of the basic requirements necessary to differentiate real art from everything else. Yet, in the 20^th century, alternate theories arose. For example, French artist, Marcel Duchamp, who was influential in Surrealist and Dadaist movements declared a urinal a work of art and promptly named it Fountain.

Duchamp challenged conventional thought about artistic processes and art marketing, not so much by writing, but through subversive actions such as dubbing a urinal a work of art. Other artists placed ordinary objects in galleries to prove that the context rather than content of an art piece determines its validity as art.

It appears to me that declaring something to be art might be a 21^st century mindset advanced by people unable to acquire the requisite skills to be recognized as legitimate artists. In our feel-good society, it is nice to believe we are all equally talented, but we are not. I might not be able to draw as well as Duchamp, but when it comes to urinals, I'm as good as the next guy.

Comparing my use of urinals with that of Duchamp, I am convinced that we have different aims, but they belong in the same facility.
.

Second Fiddle

2012-01-11T19:53:00.002-05:00

When most people hear the term evolution, they conjure up the name Darwin. He is the genius behind the modern theories of evolution – or is he?

Alfred Russel Wallace (1823 – 1913), a British naturalist, anthropologist, and biologist is best known for independently proposing a theory of evolution due to natural selection that prompted Charles Darwin to publish his own theory. Together, they presented their theories to the world in 1858, but for a myriad of reasons, Wallace never became a British science insider, and Charles Darwin received all the credit for their combined efforts.

Wallace extensively explored remote areas of the planet, such as the Amazon River basin and the Malay Archipelago, where he identified what has become known as the Wallace Line that divides the Indonesian archipelago. He is considered the 19th century's leading expert on the geographical distribution of animal species, and is sometimes called the "father of biogeography." In addition to these achievements, Wallace was a leading evolutionary thinker of his time and made a number of contributions to the development of evolutionary theory, besides being co-discoverer of natural selection.

However, Wallace proved to be controversial and unconventional in his thinking, and as a result, he strained his relationship with the scientific establishment, especially with other proponents of evolution. Furthermore, he became a social activist, critical of the British economic system.

I guess evolution is a slow process. Not much has changed in Western society in 150 years.

.

Sometimes, Success is Bittersweet

2012-01-02T21:14:00.001-05:00

People have put a great deal of time, energy, and money into preserving wildlife in the USA, and I think that is terrific. What I have a problem with is tourist and do-gooder intervention. Leave them alone and they won’t need saving.

Visitors to New England feed bears. Visitors to Florida feed alligators. Many locals in both states do the same. The sad part is that bears and gators have few predators, and the more they get used to the presence of humans, the more likely they will be shot.

For example, vacationers with second homes in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania leave scraps of food lying around to bait bears for photo opportunities. Some even spread peanut butter on the decks of their homes to draw in hungry critters from the woods. The more they intrude, the more they run the risk of re-endangering a species.

The same holds true of white-tailed deer and wild turkey. At the turn of the 20th century, they had been hunted to near extinction. Now, through efforts to save their respective species, the deer, for example, are so plentiful that they have been dubbed “hoofed rats” in the East. Auto accidents increase each year, and man is once again looking for ways to cull their numbers.

Personally, I would have left them alone a hundred years ago, and I leave them alone now, but I share the planet with 7.5 billion others.
.

A Message to My Fellow Bloggers

2011-12-30T11:08:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year
to all my Blogging Friends!!

Take a Music Break

2011-12-27T18:37:00.000-05:00

Take a Music Break

This week, I thought it might be nice to weigh in on some music. Tell me what you think.

Darius Rucker - This Is My World

Ellis Paul - Sweet Mistakes

Lucinda Williams - Lonely Girls

Neil Young - After The Gold Rush

Enjoy the Holiday Season!!!
.

Merry Christmas

2011-12-25T11:17:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas…

to all my blogging friends, and a very Happy New Year!

The Gold Wrapping Paper

2011-12-21T20:08:00.000-05:00

THE GOLD WRAPPING PAPER

Once upon a time, there was a man who worked very hard just to keep food on the table for his family. This particular year, a few days before Christmas, he punished his little five-year-old daughter after learning that she had used up the family's only roll of expensive gold wrapping paper.

As money was tight, he became even more upset when on Christmas Eve he saw that the child had used all of the expensive gold wrapping paper to decorate one shoebox she had put under the Christmas tree. He also was concerned about where she had gotten money to buy what was in the shoebox.

Nevertheless, the next morning the little girl, filled with excitement, brought the gift box to her father and said, "This is for you, Daddy!"

As he opened the box, the father was embarrassed by his earlier overreaction, now regretting how he had punished her.

But when he opened the shoebox, he found it was empty and again his anger flared. "Don't you know, young lady," he said harshly, "when you give someone a present, there's supposed to be something inside the package!"

The little girl looked up at him with sad tears rolling from her eyes and whispered: "Daddy, it's not empty. I blew kisses into it until it was all full."

***

To Everyone in Blogland: This is an old story, told a million different ways, some of which have sad endings. I am always positive, so to me the message is simple - Please love your kids during this festive season, every minute of every day, every year. Happy Holidays! JJ
.

Give Her Some Myrrh

2011-12-19T08:01:00.000-05:00

Frankincense

Give Her Some Myrrh

Everyone knows what gold is, and every man knows how women react to its glitter during the holidays. As a write-all-day-and-night kind of guy, I am a typical last minute shopper, or even a get-yourself-something-special kind of husband (don’t say it).

Nevertheless, it is the Christmas season, and even the insensitive, male population should be at least a little thoughtful. But gold? It’s just not me, so I thought I would explore some options this year.

Frankincense is an aromatic resin obtained from the tree sap or the milky white gum resin of Boswellia trees found in parts of Asia and Africa. The exuded resins are allowed to bleed out and harden into tears. With an alluring fragrance, it is used in incense and perfumes.

Myrrh

Myrrh is a reddish gum that comes from a species of small, thorny Commiphora trees, which are native to northeast Africa and the adjacent areas of the Arabian Peninsula. Myrrh is a natural gum, and like frankincense, is a resin. Harvesters of myrrh wound the trees repeatedly to bleed them of the gum, which is waxy, and coagulates quickly. After the harvest, the gum becomes hard and glossy. The finished product is yellowish, and may be either clear or opaque. It darkens deeply as it ages, and white streaks emerge. Besides being aromatic, it is said to be medicinal.

Now, getting back to the holiday spirit, I have looked at more gold this December than I have ever seen in my life. But saying something special means delivering a special gift that sums up the giver himself. Anybody can buy a golden trinket. I wanted something that will make her say, “This is the real you, sweetheart.”

This year, I think I’m going with the Myrrh. What say you?
.

The Russians Got This One Right

2011-12-16T09:55:00.000-05:00

Geysers, Valley of. Photograph. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Web. 11 Dec. 2011. <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/media/156989/Valley-of-Geysers-in-the-Kronotsky-Nature-Reserve-on-the>.

The Russians Got This One Right

There is a 2.8 million acre chunk of paradise in Russia called the Kronotsky Nature Reserve on the Kamchatka Peninsula. What makes this place so special is that we can’t see it.

Unlike so many supposed wilderness areas on this planet, this remote one is reserved for Nature itself. The theory is that the area is simply too spectacular and too delicate to be destroyed by man.

Kronotsky is home to forests, geysers, tundra, rivers, lakes, eagles, fish, and a healthy supply of Brown Bears enjoying life amidst an ecosystem untouched by humans.

http://02varvara.wordpress.com/

The secret to the preservation of the area is called zapovednik in Russian, which translates to “a restricted zone.” In short, leave it alone!

I agree wholeheartedly.
.

It’s Your Life

2011-12-13T18:27:00.000-05:00

http://bronnieware.com/

It’s Your Life

A friend of mine recently sent me an e-mail of an article written by Australian writer, singer, and songwriter Bronnie Ware. I have a special appreciation for Bronnie, who takes pride in her diverse background and vast life experiences.

“From being a corporate employee to nursing the dying, teaching songwriting in a women's prison, and many things in between, Bronnie's journey has been a fascinating one” (ezine article, November 14, 2009).

In one article, she discusses the regrets that people typically express once they know they are dying. I list the top five below:

1. I wish I'd had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.

2. I wish I didn't work so hard.

3. I wish I'd had the courage to express my feelings.

4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.

5. I wish that I had let myself be happier.

Now, I thought about these regrets long and hard, and here is how I relate them to my life:

1. When I was young, I did not realize I had a choice. For me, it was not a matter of courage, but ignorance. Once I recognized my life was just that – mine – I was off to the races. No regrets here.

2. There were times in my early years I worked at jobs I did not enjoy. Not so any more. I will keep working as long as I can – only at what I love.

3. Never my problem.

4. Of the five regrets, this one disturbs me the most, but I don’t blame myself. I would love to spend more time with all my friends, but so many of them have reasons why they cannot: wives, husbands, kids, jobs, money, time, stress, obligations, plans, school, chores, and in my opinion, life itself. I would love to spend more time with my friends, and they with me. I am still ready. No regrets here.

5. If I let myself get any happier, I might die laughing. I don’t feel the need to apologize for my joy in life. My life might not be perfect, but it is mine and I’m happy, with no regrets.

As Bronnie says, “Life is a choice. It is YOUR life. Choose consciously, choose wisely, choose honestly. Choose happiness.”

What about you? Do you have the same five regrets?
.

Pavlov’s Rats

2011-12-10T15:12:00.000-05:00

Pavlov’s Rats

What will they come up with next?

A solution to a serious global problem might have been found by a Belgian product designer by the name of Bart Weetjens. It seems that there are currently over 60 million hidden land mines strewn throughout the world wreaking havoc upon innocent victims who accidentally detonate them (many of whom are children). Using the Pavlov technique, the Belgian has been able to train a species of rodent known as the African giant pouched rat to sniff out mines – without detonating them.

In the past, dogs have been trained for the process, but success has been limited. However, the rats sniff around and are rewarded, if they locate a mine and scratch the ground. The little creatures are also light enough so as not to cause the mines to explode, allowing for their safe removal.

Who said some critters are simply nuisances that should be exterminated? Maybe there is a positive side to all living things.
.

Imagine?

2011-12-07T18:30:00.000-05:00

Imagine?

What can I say? Many of us complain about the little things in life. Perhaps, we shouldn't.

.

Positivity

2011-12-04T13:56:00.002-05:00

Positivity

Make no mistake about it. I love positivity. In my personal life, I refuse to admit negativity. I teach optimism. I preach optimism. I try to live optimistically.

Yet, I do appreciate the fact that optimism alone will not get us from point A to point B. We must do more.

I am reminded of that movie, Independence Day. There was a scene where a young girl, quite naïve, climbed to the top of a skyscraper, smiled broadly, and raised her hands in the air as she welcomed the space creatures to Earth – just before she got zapped by a deadly ray from the Mother Ship. We must do more than wish.

The following are the most popular definitions of optimism found on the Internet:

1. disposed to take a favorable view of events or conditions and to expect the most favorable outcome.

2. a doctrine that this world is the best possible world.

3. an inclination to put the most favorable construction upon actions and events or to anticipate the best possible outcome.

4. hopefulness and confidence about the future or successful outcome of something; a tendency to take a favorable or hopeful view

5. usually expecting a favorable outcome

While these definitions are nice, they don’t seem to hold the key to success and happiness for most people from a practical perspective. It sure is healthier to be positive, rather than negative, but is that the key to success and happiness?

I have my personal philosophy, which has always worked for me (See My Other Blog). What is yours?
.

À Votre Santé

2011-12-01T18:40:00.000-05:00

À Votre Santé

Many years ago, I had the marvelous opportunity to study international wines at the World Trade Center in New York City. My focus was primarily on the French Classification of Bordeaux Wines stemming from the 1855 Exposition Universelle de Paris (Exposition Universelle des produits de l'Agriculture, de l'Industrie et des Beaux-Arts de Paris 1855). The results of my studies led me down a fabulously interesting path to knowledge and travel I had not expected.

On my quest to learn more, I stumbled upon a history publicized little in the 21st century. My journey carried me to South America, a continent that boasts some of the planet’s best vineyards. What I discovered was fascinating.

When the Spanish first settled South America, they planted grapes in newly established vineyards. Some of the grape-producing regions like Argentina and Uruguay proved perfect for grape cultivation. Winemakers attempted the planting of European vines and grape varieties, since the climate was as favorable as that of Spain and France. Unfortunately, a yellow sap-sucking parasite known as the phylloxera decimated the vineyards.

The sole exception occurred in Chile. Chilean vineyards have never been subjected to the insect pests, since the country is protected by the Atacama Desert in the north, Antarctica in the south, the Pacific to the west, and most of all, the Andes Mountains along the entire eastern boundary.

Envious viticulturists will remark that Chile’s geographical borders allowed for the planting of original French rootstock, without the necessity to graft onto vines that are phylloxera resistant. Thus, today, although Chile still exports most of its wine to France (for table wine, allowing the French to sell us the $200 bottles), we can enjoy the product of original French grape varieties, from original vines, at relatively inexpensive prices.

À Votre Santé.
.

Believe Nothing of What You Hear, and Half of What You See

2011-11-28T17:36:00.001-05:00

Believe Nothing of What You Hear, and Half of What You See

On their way to establish a settlement in New Mexico, Spanish explorers on the Texas border at San Elizario in 1598 offered prayers for a bountiful feast they shared on their journey. Armed with this historical data, many modern-day wishful thinkers attempt to dub the event as the First Thanksgiving celebration in the USA. It would appear to be a stretch to connect that feast to our 21st century celebration in November.

History also recognizes that in 1863, President Abraham Lincoln officially proclaimed a national Thanksgiving Day to be held each November, and most people related the proclamation to a 1621 event when Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians shared an autumn harvest feast.

While the Plymouth festivity is acknowledged today as one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations in the colonies, it was not the original. Many days of thanksgiving were celebrated by individual colonies in Colonial times. Yet, the first to be directly connected to the celebration we enjoy today actually took place in 1619, and was not at all a glorious family event. We have much improved the holiday over the last 400 years.

The roots of Thanksgiving Day in English America actually stem from a celebration on December 4, 1619, a few miles from Jamestown, Virginia, on land taken from the Indians by profiteers backed by venture capitalists in Europe. The participants decreed a “yearly and perpetually kept holy day as a day of thanksgiving…” I do not take pride in this historical record (see Unsettling the Wilderness ).

The current holiday has been transformed into a family day of thanks for all our good fortunes by modern-day residents of North America in appreciation of our blessings. Of this, I am proud.
.