January 3, 2008 - Dinky and New Years - Resolutions - Tough Love vs. Spanking
All the links in this entry open a new window.
It was a hell-of-a-good start to 2008 - Dinky was working his guitar and singing classics and with his DVD equipment providing instrumental and vocal backup he activated nearly 300 aging retirees who danced, sang, boozed and laughed their way into the new year.
At the beginning of the evening, someone suggested, after looking around the room awash in white hair, that maybe we should schedule a siesta around 10pm so we can make it to midnight.
But guess who out-boogied the kids in the room - kids being those between the ages of 60 to 70 - yup, we senior-seniors - the 70 years plus crowd - true, a couple of minutes after midnight, we had to hit the chairs to catch our breath before gathering up our empty bottles, noise-makers and party hats for the drive home - but we partied man, however I have to admit there were few of us on the streets before noon hour New Years Day.
I had never met Dinky prior to that party. He's a Cape Breton boy, known around the Maritimes as J.D. Cameron - he's retired and spends his winter months in the same retirement community as me - but Dinky is and always will be an entertainer along the lines of another Cape Breton singer-songwriter - Hank Snow who was born in Brooklyn, Queens County, Nova Scotia May 9, 1914.
It was when Dinky performed the Hank Snow classic, "Nobody's Child" that I made the connection.
By the way, here's a bit of trivia for you - when Hank Snow settled in Nashville, where he appeared with the Opry for more than 40 years - he mentored Elvis Presley and was briefly associated with his manager, 'Colonel' Tom Parker.
Anyway, during the party when we sat around the table, catching our breaths after a set of what I call "honky-tonk" dances, we would talk about our New Years resolutions knowing full well, there wasn't a snowball's chance in the hot place that we would achieve our goals.
Stats show that 86% of people will fail to complete their New Years Resolutions - and I am, I'm, ashamed to admit, in that number - at least when it comes to snacking. One of my resolutions this new year was to lose a few pounds and here I am writing this three days later chomping down on a honey glazed doughnut, washed down with double-double coffee.
The other is to create new websites but for each new web endeavour I must learn new techie stuff - my next challenge should be ready to upload by next week.
But for those of you scanning your new years resolution list with some trepidation, remember the advise offered up by experts:
Set a reasonable goal and list the reason you want to accomplish this goal.
Prepare - plan your attack - it's easier if you have a blueprint.
Organize your support team - tell your friends and family what you plan to do - recruit their support.
Put your goal in writing - list when and what you have to do to reach your goal - carry this list with you - post reminders and motivating quotes in various places to help keep you on track.
Also, at that New Years eve party, I was told about an idea being promoted by Will Brown who recently appeared on the Oprah show - he's pushing folks to wear purple bracelets on their wrists - much like those yellow "Live Strong" bracelets.
Brown's idea is to use these bracelets to eliminate the habit of complaining.
His idea is for us to wear this bracelet on either wrist and when you catch yourself complaining, gossiping or criticizing, you move the bracelet to your other wrist.
If you're talking to another person who is also wearing the purple bracelet and you hear them complain, you remind them to switch the bracelet to the other arm.
The idea is for the purple bracelets to serve as a reminder of how much time and energy we spend on being negative instead of concentrating on the positives of our lives.
As a follow-up to the above, retired buddy Bill Ozard went us the following link with this message - "As you start to think about what you want to accomplish in 2008, it's important to embrace why you're doing it.
Watch this short movie, "The 12 Tenets," simple lessons for the New Year. They may serve only as food for thought. Or one of them might just change your life forever.
My thanks to retired neighbour Dan Dombroski who sent in the following New Year's wish which I now pass on to all of you -
May peace break into your house and may thieves come to steal your debts. May the pockets of your jeans become a magnet of $100 bills.
May love stick to your face like Vaseline and may laughter assault your lips! May your clothes smell of success like smoking tires and may happiness slap you across the face and may your tears be that of joy.
May the problems you had, forget your home address! In simple words ............ May 2008 be the best year of your life.
Retired Minnesota-Florida buddies Kathy and Craig Olson forwarded the following:
JUST IN CASE YOU WEREN'T FEELING TOO OLD TODAY:
THE PEOPLE WHO ARE STARTING COLLEGE THIS FALL ACROSS THE NATION WERE BORN IN 1989 - THEY ARE TOO YOUNG TO REMEMBER:
THE 'CHALLENGER' BLOWING UP
THEIR LIFETIME HAS ALWAYS INCLUDED AIDS.
THE CD WAS INTRODUCED 2 YEARS BEFORE THEY WERE BORN
THEY HAVE ALWAYS HAD AN ANSWERING MACHINE.
THEY HAVE ALWAYS HAD CABLE.
JAY LENO HAS ALWAYS BEEN ON THE TONIGHT SHOW.
POPCORN HAS ALWAYS BEEN COOKED IN THE MICROWAVE.
THEY NEVER TOOK A SWIM AND THOUGH T ABOUT JAWS!
THEY DON'T KNOW WHO MORK WAS OR WHERE HE WAS FROM.
THEY NEVER HEARD: 'WHERE'S THE BEEF?', 'I'D WALK A MILE FOR A CAMEL', OR 'DE PLANE BOSS, DE PLANE'.
MCDONALD'S NEVER CAME IN STYROFOAM CONTAINERS.
THEY DON'T HAVE A CLUE HOW TO USE A TYPEWRITER.
DO YOU FEEL OLD YET? (SORRY)
NOTICE THE LARGER TYPE. THAT'S FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE TROUBLE READING.
Retired buddy Jim Hill sent in this picture with the following introduction:
"Tough Love vs. Spanking ~ (a psychological conundrum)
It seems that these days most Americans think it is improper to spank children, so over the years I tried other methods to control my kids when they had one of 'those moments.'
One that I found effective is for me to just take the child for a car ride and talk.
They usually calm down and stop misbehaving after our car ride together.
This worked so well for my children that I now use the method on my grandchildren.
I've included a photo below of one of my sessions with my grandson, in case you would like to use the technique. Sincerely, A Friend
Now let's get working on our creative retirement job - start here - (Go to URL)
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January 7, 2008 - Canadian Car - Exercising Your In-The-Head Computer - New Facts
You have to see this - another example of why I love the internet.
In this morning's Email, I received a link from Charlotte, a new networking buddy who lives in Arizona and edits the website www.ideal-places-to-retire.com who got it from a friend who lives in Oregon about product made in Canada.
I had never heard about this Zenn car that's being made in my own backyard. This report from Canadian humourist Rick Mercer, taken from his Canadian Broadcasting Corporation programme - "The Mercer Report" - is typically Canadian - gotta love it.
Now for the good news - new research debunks the theory that our main computer- the brain - is at its most powerful between the ages of 18 to 26 - nay says Lars Larsen, a psychologist at the University of Aarhus, Denmark, who led the research team.
Their findings indicate that verbal skills continued to increase for at least two decades beyond the age of 20, while arithmetic ability remained constant.
Larsen believes that the most likely reason for improvements in verbal skills is simply practice. Older people have had to solve far more social and practical problems than younger ones, so they have been forced to develop complex language skills.
This effect overrides the slow but steady loss of brain cells that modern medical scanning techniques have confirmed begins in the late twenties.
In other words, the brain is being exercised as it solves these problem during our life time but as we get into the senior years the exercising decreases and our brain computer slows - if we allow it.
Lorraine Tyler, head of the centre for speech, language and the brain at Cambridge University, where she is professor of cognitive neuroscience believes that in previous generations, older people were given the idea they were expected to fail. She said: "In tests many people perform according to the expectations placed on them. If you let them know you expect them to do badly then they do."
Does the words - "use it or lose it" mean anything to you?
I recently read a story about Daphne Fowler, one of Britain's leading quiz champions, who at 40 realized she had unusual mental powers.
She said: "I was working as a secretary in a bank when I was asked to help a pub quiz team by recording the answers. I found that I could answer all the questions better than the rest of the team."
After she began cleaning up in pub quizzes, her five children entered her for Winner Takes All, a 1970s TV quiz, and then for others such as Sale of the Century.
She proved a consistent winner. Now, at 68, she is a member of the team on Eggheads, the BBC2 show that pits quiz-show champions against experts.
"I train my brain constantly with crosswords and sudoku - I am much sharper now than when I was in my twenties and I am still getting better."
The need to exercise the old in-the-head computer is vital - researchers say there is still a limit to intellectual growth. Eventually, neural atrophy catches up with everyone and decline sets in.
Thanks to retired buddies Kathy and Craig Olson for the following story:
A woman was flying from Seattle to San Francisco. Unexpectedly, the plane was diverted to Sacramento along the way. The flight attendant explained that there would be a delay, and if the passengers wanted to get off the aircraft the plane would re-board in 50 minutes.
Everybody got off the plane except one lady who was blind. The man had noticed her as he walked by and could tell the lady was blind because her Seeing Eye dog lay quietly underneath the seats in front of her throughout the entire flight.
He could also tell she had flown this very flight before because the pilot approached her, and calling her by name, said, "Kathy, we are in Sacramento for almost an hour. Would you like to get off and stretch your legs?"
The blind lady replied, "No thanks, but maybe Buddy would like to stretch his legs."
Picture this:
All the people in the gate area came to a complete standstill when they looked up and saw the pilot walk off the plane with a Seeing Eye dog!
The pilot was even wearing sunglasses. People scattered. They not only tried to change planes, but they were trying to change airlines!
True story... Have a great day and remember...
THINGS AREN'T ALWAYS AS THEY APPEAR.
Now, lets get working on our creative retirement job - start your research here - (Go to URL)
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January 10, 2008 - Who's old? - Why Do Women Live Longer Than Men? - She said, He said
According to these "kids" - I'm officially OLD - to that I say "bull pucks" - you're as old as you feel and think.
I contend that as long as the heart and mind are clicking on at least six of the eight cylinders - you'll be young even when its time for you to walk towards the bright light.
I'm reacting to a survey of baby boomers - those born in 1946, the ones who used to say "never trust anyone over the age of 30" - according to them - they will get "old" at the age of 78 - I'm one year into their old world and I don't consider myself old - getting on a bit maybe - but not old - it's such an ugly word.
Even though I may not be able to make a no-hands leap out of the Easy-Boy - or that it takes me a minute longer to walk up the stairs to place a bet at the dog track - I'm not old damn it.
These boomers should have answered the researchers by stating clearly - "I'll never get old" - but no, they put an age to it - shame on them.
By the way, this survey conducted by The MetLife Mature Market Institute, also found 27 percent still have one parent living. Eighty-seven percent say neither they nor their spouse are caregivers to elderly parents or relatives right now. Of the 14 percent who are caregivers, 16 percent of them are providing care for more than 20 hours a week -- the average number of hours is 9.5.
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While on the subject of surveys - not-yet-retired buddy Bob Butler sent me this interesting stat:
98% of Canadians yell "Oh Crap" before going into a ditch on a slippery winter road.
The other 2% are from Saskatchewan and the say - "Hold my beer and watch this."
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My thanks to son Gord for sending in these pictures of the week under the heading - WHY DO WOMEN LIVE LONGER THAN MEN?
Let's talk for a moment about working the web and making a few bucks.
I still have to add additional Google ads and affiliation links.
It came about through a nifty piece of software that gave me an easy way to find niche markets and then I loaded up with free video - it was that easy - and video is the thing on the web these days.
I mention this for those of you who have a basic understanding of site-building - but I must point out that this video series I'm developing is what I call - secondary sites for secondary income - for the major websites I would only recommend Site Build It - the only hosting, instruction outfit with a proven track record of online business performance AND, more importantly for types like me - step-by-step coaching to make it really work -Site Build It is the only way to go.
For these secondary sites, I use Yahoo small business for about nine bucks a month and it offers free domain registration plus a host of templates.
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My thanks to retired buddy Elma Hickman for this today's kicker:
THINGY (thing-ee) n. Female.... Any part under a car's hood. Male..... The strap fastener on a woman's bra.
VULNERABLE (vul-ne-ra-bel) adj Female.... Fully opening up one's self emotionally to another. Male.... Playing hockey without a cup.
COMMUNICATION (ko-myoo-ni-kay-shon) n. Female.. The open sharing of thoughts and feelings with one's partner. Male... Leaving a note before taking off on a fishing trip with the boys.
COMMITMENT (ko-mit-ment) n. Female.... A desire to get married and raise a family. Male...... Trying not to hit on other women while out with this one.
ENTERTAINMENT (en-ter-tayn-ment) n. Female.... A good movie, concert, play or book. Male.... . Anything that can be done while drinking beer.
FLATULENCE (flach-u-lens) n. Female.... An embarrassing by -product of indigestion. Male...... A source of entertainment, self-expression, male bonding.
MAKING LOVE (may-king luv) n. Female..... The greatest expression of intimacy a couple can achieve. Male.. Call it whatever you want, just as long as we do it.
REMOTE CONTROL (ri-moht kon-trohl) n. Female.... A device for changing from one TV channel to another. Male... A device for scanning through all 375 channels every 5 minutes.
Everyone have a great weekend and let's get working on our creative retirement job - start here - (Go to URL)
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January 14, 2008 - Singing a New Song While on a Treasure Hunt
There's nothing official about it - there's no penalty if you wimp out - but for most snowbirds it's a given - when you're invaded by visitors from up north who are eager to escape the wintery blasts that freeze nose hairs and numb the toes, you take time to give them the Florida tour no matter how many times you've circled the State.
For me however, it's not a ho-hum because no matter how many times I zig, zag and zip through the everglades on a propeller boat or take a leisurely cruise down the St. John River, or do the Jimmy Buffet thing in the Keys, mother nature has always produced new, spectacular, take-your-breath-away sights that, like a slap on the side of head, suddenly awakes me to the fact of how lucky I am to be alive.
I mention this only because we are off again on another Florida-with-friends adventure which means I'll be taking Blog holiday for the rest of week.
One more Florida note - there's a super squabble going at the moment over the Florida State song - apparently, Stephen Foster's "Old Folks at Home" is out - even though it seems to me it's a perfect fit when you consider the majority of the population can be listed as "Old Folks at Home" - at least during the winter months - certainly so in my neighbourhood.
Way down upon the Swanee river, Far, far away, That's where my heart is turning ever, That's why the old folks stay.
However, later the lyrics become racially sensitive so a contest was held to find a new State song.
I would have voted for "Margaritaville" - but the winner was "Florida - Where the Sawgrass Meets the Sky" by Jan Hinton of Pompano Beach.
It's like a Celine Dion ballad - I can't see myself roaring through the everglades on a propeller boat, like that red-headed guy with the shades on CSI Miami, mouthing a verse that goes:
Mocking birds cry and 'gators lie out in the sun Bridges span southward to the Keys and rockets skyward run.
Anyway, the State Legislature has to vote on this new ditty before it becomes official - but I do like the last line - "There are treasures for all who venture here - in Florida, Florida."
And that's our plan this week, to take our visitors on a Florida treasure hunt - I hope you'll visit here again next Monday for something more informative - in the meantime - keep working on your creative retirement job - the extra revenue helps cover treasure hunt costs - start here - (Go to URL)
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January 21, 2008 - The "Amen" Folks - No More Bitching - Work the Web
As noted previously, I like to divide the 55 Plus community into three groups - 55 to 65 - I call "Junior" GOTY's (Getting Older, Thinking Younger) - 65 to 75 "Senior" GOTY's and my group - the 75 to the bright-light folks - the "Amen" GOTY's.
Over the weekend, I caught up with an old news story about an "Amen" GOTY who proves that Health and Attitude is the combination that determines who's young or old.
In case you missed it - a fellow by the name of Eric King-Turner who, along with his wife Doris, has decided to leave England and the two of them have set sail for New Zealand to start a new life.
Eric, is 102 and Doris is 86.
Eric admits he'll miss England but is looking forward to his new adventure - get this quote - "What's important is that when I'm 105, I don't want to be thinking, 'I wish I had moved to the other side of the world when I was 102'" - how great is that - H and A but A is the major portion of the formula.
I have a dear "Amen" friend who is suffering through a tough health problem at the moment, but his "still young" attitude hasn't wavered one-iota - inspiring - he is forever young.
One of the key steps in developing a better attitude is quite simply - cut back on the bitching - or as they say in polite society - stop complaining so much.
A couple of entries back I told you about this American Pastor who is promoting a "stop complaining" programme so you can "enjoy happier relationships, better health and greater prosperity" - and to help you do that you should wear his "stop complaining" wrist band - ya, there's also a book you can buy - hey, everyone has to make a buck.
Now I have another one up - Flower Gardening Videos a quickie - just find the niche - load it with videos - slap in the Goggle ads and off you go.
I mention this for the benefit of those of you working the web to make some extra cash..
As noted before, video is the thing on the web these days - but I want to emphasize this video series I'm developing is what I call - secondary sites for secondary income - again, for the major websites I would only recommend Site Build It - the only hosting, instruction outfit with a proven track record of online business performance AND, more importantly for types like me - step-by-step coaching to make it really work -Site Build It is the only way to go.
While on the subject of Site Build It - another major attraction is the forum, populated by thousands of SBIers around the world who exchange ideas, offer support or just chat - they even have a special thread for 55 plus folks, which, I believe, is the fastest growing community on the SBI world.
During a recent visit I came across an entry from Don who is the editor of homemade-dessert-recipes.com who was reminiscing about the "old days" of radio and the Canadian series - "The Happy Gang" with it's familiar intro -
Knock, Knock Who's there? It's the Happy Gang. Wel-l-l-l-l come on in.
Did that bring back a family memory.
My Dad, back in the late 30's was with the Toronto advertising firm of J.J. Gibbons - and he was first presented with the idea for the Happy Gang - he turned it down, suggesting it would never work - it ran, according to Don from 1937 to 1959 and was one of the most popular radio shows ever produced in the Dominion.
To prove that I am my father's son - many years later while I was with CHCH TV in Hamilton Ontario, I came home one evening and the wife told me about this new singer she had seen that night on - I think was the Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey variety show and how great he was - I saw him several weeks later and proclaimed to all - He's a joke - he'll never make it." - Yup, Elvis.
Don also mentioned one of the favourites on the Happy Gang - Bob and Hugh's "Gram Stories" - and he remembers this one:
The story of a little six-year-old girl, Mary. The time is 2 a.m., and Mary is sleeping very restlessly. After tossing and turning in bed for a while, she jumps out and toddles into her mother's room: "Mummy, tell me a story." "Hush, darling. Daddy will be in soon and tell us both one."
Thanks to retired buddy Jim Hill for the following new computer pop-ups:
And finally -
I was having trouble with my computer. So I called John the computer guy, to come over. John clicked a couple of buttons and solved the problem.
He gave me a bill for a minimum service call. As he was walking away, I called after him, "So, what was wrong?"
He replied, "It was an ID ten T error."
I didn't want to appear stupid, but nonetheless inquired, "An, ID ten T error? What's that ... in case I need to fix it again?"John grinned.... "Haven't you ever heard of an ID ten T error before?"
"No," "Write it down and I think you'll figure it out."
So, I wrote down: I D 1 0 T
I used to like John............
But let's not let all this deter us - work the web and make a few bucks while energizing the in-head computer - remember H and A - start here - (Go to URL)
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January 24, 2008 - Don't Hear That Anymore - Goodbye Egg Cups - Stroke Warning
My retired neighbour Tom Adams Emailed the following - some classics here and I remember everyone of them:
THINGS YOU DON'T HEAR ANYMORE
It's: 'Yes Ma'am!' and 'No Ma'am!' to me, young man, and don't you forget it!
Hush your mouth! I don't want to hear words like that! I'll wash your mouth out with soap!
Be sure to refill the ice trays, we're going to have company.
Quit slamming the screen door when you go out!
Don't forget to wind the clock before you go to bed.
Why can't you remember to roll up your britches legs? Getting them caught in the bicycle chain so many times is tearing them up.
Don't you go outside with your school clothes on!
Go comb your hair; it looks like the rats have nested in it all night.
Be sure and pour the cream off the top of the milk when you open the new bottle.
Take that empty bottle to the store with you so you won't have to pay a deposit on another one.
Put a dish towel over the cake so the flies won't get on it.
There's a dollar in my purse, get 5 gallons of gas when you go to town.
Open the back door and see if we can get a breeze through here, it is getting hot.
You can walk to the store; it won't hurt you to get some exercise.
Don't lose that button; I'll sew it back on after awhile.
No! I don't have 10 cents for you to go to the show. Do you think money grows on trees?
If you get a spanking in school and I find out about it, you'll get another one when you get home.
When you take your driving test, don't forget to signal each turn. Left arm straight out the window for a left turn; left arm bent up at the elbow for a right turn; and straight down to the side of the door when you are going to stop.
This leads me into a bewildering moment I experienced the other day that posed the question -where was I when the egg cup became extinct?
When I'm scheduled to have my bi-weekly egg - (yes my menus are controlled by the CIC, except for when she's not looking or out of ear-shot) - sometimes I have it boiled and since childhood I've always had a decorated egg cup to hold it steady while I chop off the top, add butter and pepper, and dunk my strips of toast - (soldiers my Gran used to call them)
But even though our car was riding low on our trip south, loaded to the roof with everything from my computer equipment, dishes, knick-knacks , boxes of hardly used ketchup and other non perishables, a cat and sister-in-law - we forgot the egg cups.
So, first stop - a Dollar Store - nothing - same at Kmart and another Dollar store - so we took off for the holy shrine of shoppers - Wal-Mart.
We couldn't locate egg cups on our own so we asked a Wallymart Mz. who looked at us as if we had just emerged from the ice-age - "a what?" - "an egg cup - you know for boiled eggs" - "uh, right, hold on" The young lady then called over another Wallymart mz. - "a what" - "an egg cup - you know for boiled eggs" - "Uh, right - na, I don't think so - hey, what about a shot glass - we've got them."
And that is how I found out that the egg cup is now extinct - but we found a set beautifully decorated porcelain egg cups - guess where - in an antique store.
I would like to ask readers of this journal if they could take a moment to help this old guy work his way through another computer/internet adventure.
I'm trying to learn new video techie stuff - aspect ratio, frame rate, bit rate all that kind of crap that makes me look like I'm working under water. As you might be aware, with web video size is everything and for the project I'm trying to master picture size is important but so to is picture quality and that the presentation runs smoothly.
So, I put together a short series of pictures with some slight motion - I didn't bother with music for this exercise - to see if it works for you on your computer.
If you could take a look at the player below and then click on the following link - then email me one word answers to the questions listed below, it would be truly appreciated.
I would appreciate hearing if you had any trouble viewing this video and if the video ran smoothly - if you have a moment please send me an email update and many thanks - I might get this right yet.
Now for some series stuff - retired buddy Bill Ozard sent this email to the retirement news Blog and you might want to copy it a pass it on to others.
STROKE: Remember the 1st Three Letters.... S.T.R.
If everyone can remember something this simple, we could save some folks.
STROKE IDENTIFICATION:
During a BBQ, a friend stumbled and took a little fall - she assured everyone that she was fine (they offered to call paramedics) ....she said she had just tripped over a brick because of her new shoes.
They got her cleaned up and got her a new plate of food. While she appeared a bit shaken up, Ingrid went about enjoying herself the rest of the evening.
Ingrid's husband called later telling everyone that his wife had been taken to the hospital - (at 6:00 pm Ingrid passed away.) She had suffered a stroke at the BBQ.
A neurologist says that if he can get to a stroke victim within 3 hours he can totally reverse the effects of a stroke... totally . He said the trick was getting a stroke recognized, diagnosed, and then getting the patient medically cared for within 3 hours, which is tough.
RECOGNIZING A STROKE - S-T-R
Doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions:
S * Ask the individual to SMILE.
T * Ask the person to TALK and SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE (Coherently) - (i.e. It is sunny out today)
R * Ask him or
her to RAISE BOTH ARMS.
If he or she has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks, call 911 immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.
New Sign of a Stroke -------- Stick out Your Tongue
Another 'sign' of a stroke is this: Ask the person to 'stick' out his tongue.. If the tongue is 'crooked', if it goes to one side or the other , that can also be an indication of a stroke.
Thanks to retired neighbour Norma Lamphier for sharing the following video:
My thanks to retired buddy Elma Hickman for today's kicker:
Here is an actual sign posted at a Golf Club in Sidney, British Columbia, CANADA.
BACK STRAIGHT, KNEES BENT, FEET SHOULDER WIDTH APART.
FORM A LOOSE GRIP.
KEEP YOUR HEAD DOWN!
AVOID A QUICK BACK SWING.
STAY OUT OF THE WATER.
TRY NOT TO HIT ANYONE.
IF YOU ARE TAKING TOO LONG, LET OTHERS GO AHEAD OF YOU.
DON'T STAND DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF OTHERS.
QUIET PLEASE...WHILE OTHERS ARE PREPARING.
DON'T TAKE EXTRA STROKES.
WELL DONE. NOW FLUSH THE URINAL, GO OUTSIDE, & TEE OFF
Have a great weekend - now let's get to work on our creative retirement job - start here - (Go to URL)
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January 28, 2008 - Page is Brilliant - Something to Think About and other stuff
First off, many thanks to all of you who were kind enough to Email an answer to my request in the last entry - vital information- I'm on my way in building a new series of web videos as another creative retirement job and your input was invaluable to this aging computer clunker who is attempting to learn new techie stuff.
Don't miss the flick - Juno - one of the best of the year and definitely the best "feel-good" movie of the year.
The big bonus with this one is the outstanding performance of Canadian Actress Ellen Page, who as you may have heard has been nominated for an Oscar and rightly so.
Page was born in Halifax. Nova Scotia in 1987 so she was, at the time the movie was made, a 20 year old playing a sixteen year old who becomes pregnant.
You would think that the theme of teenage pregnancy would be a downer - I did.
After all, latest stats indicate a sharp rise in the number of baby mothers in Canada and the US - even Canada's national magazine - Macleans - featured a cover story headlined - "Suddenly teen pregnancy is cool?"
But I was dragged to this one because I owed the CIC - she wasn't thrilled with "No Country for Old Men" - another four bell ringer - you can't go wrong with the Coen brothers - anyway, I was in for a enjoyable surprise - time well spent.
But besides Page's dazzling acting, the story line centers on a teen making tough decisions backed by her family and its all wrapped up in a script that demands an Oscar.
Some of my favourite lines:
Just after Juno tells her parents she's pregnant - Dad - "Did you see that coming when she sat us down here?" Step Mom - "Yeah, but I was hoping she was expelled or into hard drugs. Dad - "That was my first instinct too. Or a D.W.I. Anything but this."
When Juno was interviewing candidates for adoption - "You shoulda gone to China. You know, 'cause I hear they give away babies like free iPods. You know they pretty much just put them in those t-shirt guns and shoot them out at sporting events."
Juno's best buddy Vanessa - "Your parents are probably wondering where you are." Juno - "Nah. I mean I'm already pregnant so what other kind of shenanigans can I get into?"
If you haven't seen Juno - put it on your "must-do" list - you'll be impressed.
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Now for a few items from the retirement news "IN-B0X"
Retired buddy Bill Ozard informed me that a hearing impaired friend of his, an art designer, Emailed this video of a 2008 Super Bowl commercial that he says is a beauty and - "don't worry Deaf will provide English Caption for you.!"
Thanks and a hug to granddaughter Kara for the following script worth reading several times and then pass it on.
One day a woman's husband died, and on that clear, cold morning, in the warmth of their bedroom, the wife was struck with the pain of learning that sometimes there isn't anymore.
No more hugs, no more special moments to
celebrate together, no more phone calls just to chat, no more 'just one minute.'
Sometimes, what we care about the most gets all used up and goes away, never to return before we can say good-bye, and say 'I LOVE YOU'
So while we have it, it's best we love it, care for it, fix it when it's broken and heal it when it's sick.
This is true for marriage ... And old cars.. And children with bad report cards, and dogs with bad hips,
and aging parents and grandparents.
We keep them because they are worth it, because we are worth it.
Some things we keep -- like a best friend who moved away or a classmate we grew up with. There are just some things that make us happy, no matter what.
Life is important, like people we know who are special. And so, we keep them close!
I received this from someone who thought I was a 'keeper'! Then I sent it to the People I think of in the same way.
Now it's your turn to send this to all those people who are 'keepers' in your life.
Suppose one morning you never wake up, do all your friends know you love them?
I was thinking...I could die today, tomorrow or next week, and I wondered if I had any wounds needing to be healed, friendships that needed rekindling or three words needing to be said.
Let every one of your friends know you love them.
Even if you think they don't love you back, you would be amazed at what those three little words and a smile can do.
And just in case GOD calls me home - I LOVE YA!!!
Live today to the fullest, because tomorrow is not promised.
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My thanks to retired buddy Jim Hill for submitting the following pic:
And thanks to retired buddy Elma Hickman for today's kicker:
A woman arrived at the Gates of Heaven. While she was waiting for Saint Peter to greet her, she peeked through the gates.
She saw a beautiful banquet table. Sitting all around were her parents and all the other people she had loved and who had died before her. They saw her and began calling greetings to her 'Hello - How are you! We've been waiting for you! Good to see you.'
When Saint Peter came by, the woman said to him, 'This is such a wonderful place! How do I get in?'
'You have to spell a word,' Saint Peter told her. 'Which word?' the woman asked. 'Love.' The woman correctly spelled 'Love' and Saint Peter welcomed her into Heaven.
About a year later, Saint Peter came to the woman and asked her to watch the Gates of Heaven for him that day.
While the woman was guarding the Gates of Heaven, her husband arrived. 'I'm surprised to see you,' the woman said. 'How have you been?'
'Oh, I've been doing pretty well since you died,' her husband told her. 'I married the beautiful young nurse who took care of you while you were ill. And then I won the multi-state lottery. I sold the little house you and I lived in and bought a huge mansion. And my wife and I traveled all around the world. We were on vacation in Cancun and I went water skiing today. I fell and hit my head, and here I am. What a bummer! How do I get in?'
'You have to spell a word,' the woman told him. 'Which word?' her husband asked.
'Czechoslovakia.'
Moral of the story: Never make a woman angry ... There will be Hell to pay later!
Now let's get working on our creative retirement job - start here - (Go to URL)
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January 31, 2008 - Tell Your Story - Bluegrass is a Blast -Wisdom from the Military
"Memory is where the proof of life is stored. It offers material for stock-taking and provides clues about where out lives are going." Norman Cousins
Retirement University - yes, there is a Retirement University - it's part of Stark State College in Massillon, Ohio.
The non-accredited program offers senior citizens the chance to explore new talents, technology and even confusing legal terminology with classes and seminars that interest them and to encourage life-long learning.
The course list for Retirement University is designed to give everyone an opportunity to spread their wings in the exploration of hobbies, health care or the mastering of everyday headaches that ever-changing electronics can bring.
I noticed that one of the courses at RU is - " Journaling Through Life - Telling your stories for generations to come. Learn how to research family history and how to put the memories you love into stories your family can't live without."
Great idea, and if you're looking for a creative retirement job to help energize your brain computer this is the one.
The sad fact is, too many life stories are lost forever - family facts forgotten or distorted - as Dwright D. Eisenhower noted:
The past sharpens perspective, warns of pitfalls, and helps point the way."
I've been working on my family's story, off and on, for the past year, with the help of my brother who is eight years my senior, and I have two DVD's completed and working on number three.
I soon realized that additions just keep on coming. As you interview relatives either face to face, Email or snail mail, one memory gives birth to another - it's seems like an ever ending process.
And it's not big headline stuff, but rather a collection of sidebars such as:
Did you get an allowance?
What did you do with it?
Who were your heroes?
What was family dinner like?
How did you choose your children's names?
Who taught you to drive a car? Whose car was it?
What part time jobs did you have during your summer break?
In a recent column, Lisa Davis had these interesting suggestions to get you started on your project:
Compile a list of family record holders: the oldest, tallest, richest, most famous, best storyteller, best educated, etc.
Turn a world map into an ancestors' map by placing stickers on each country your ancestors came from.
Make a family timeline, integrating major events - immigration, births, deaths, marriages) into events from world history (easy to do via the web).
I urge you - do not let your personal history go unrecorded.
By the way, if you enjoy researching, compiling a family history for others, either in print or video, is a creative retirement job that can earn you a tidy supplement income - check out Retirement Jobs Offline chapter on the home site and go to the "Help them tell their stories" and "Video memories" pages.
And, speaking of video, retired buddy Jim Hill, sent me on another YouTube journey the other day when he sent me a video link to a Harmonica player performing in Carnegie Hall - which in turn started me on a new musical journey.
Even as a former manager of a country music station, which meant numerous trips to Nashville - (many years ago - back in the hey day of Cash, Jennings, Pride, and Haggard) I didn't get it with Bluegrass - but now, I'm downloading bluegrass material for CD burning after viewing the following two videos -
I would like to have been there - the Franklin Southampton fair - nestled in the southeastern section of Virginia.
My thanks to retired neighbour Tom Adams for the following.
Wisdom from the Military:
"If the enemy is in range, so are you." - Infantry Journal
"It is generally inadvisable to eject directly over the area you just bombed." - U.S. Air Force Manual
Whoever said the pen is mightier than the sword obviously never encountered automatic weapons." - General Macarthur
"You, you, and you ... Panic. The rest of you, come with me." - U.S. Marine Corp Gunnery Sgt.
Tracers work both ways." - U.S Army Ordnance
"Five second fuses only last three seconds." - Infantry Journal
"If you see a bomb technician running, follow him." - USAF Ammo Troop
"Though I Fly Through the Valley of Death, I Shall Fear No Evil. For I am at 80,000 Feet and Climbing." - At the entrance to the old SR-71 operating base Kadena, Japan
"You've never been lost until you've been lost at Mach 3." - Paul F. Crickmore (test pilot)
"The only time you have too much fuel is when you're on fire."
-"If the wings are traveling faster than the fuselage, it's probably a helicopter -- and therefore, unsafe."
"When one engine fails on a twin-engine airplane you always have enough power left to get you to the scene of the crash."
"Never trade luck for skill."
The three most common expressions (or famous last words) in aviation are: "Why is it doing that?", "Where are we?" And "Oh Shit!!!!"
"Flying the airplane is more important than radioing your plight to a person on the ground incapable of understanding or doing anything about it."
"There is no reason to fly through a thunderstorm in peacetime." - Sign over squadron ops desk at Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ, 1970
As the test pilot climbs out of the experimental aircraft, having torn off the wings and tail in the crash landing, the crash truck arrives, the rescuer sees a bloodied pilot and asks "What happened?". The pilot's reply: "I don't know, I just got here myself!" - Attributed to Ray Crandell (Lockheed test pilot)
Also thanks to Tom for this picture - and I want one -
This car was built by N2A motors (No Two Alike). - cost $40,000 over the cost of a new Corvette C6 (MSRP $44,000).
The company is planning a production run of about 100 vehicles. It sits on a Corvette C6 chassis, front styled like a 57 Chevy, side like a 58, rear like a 59 - hence the designation "789".
And finally this bit of investment advise from retired buddy Elam Hickman:
If you had purchased $1000.00 of Nortel stock one year ago, it would now be worth $49.00.
With Enron, you would have had $16.50 left of the original $1000.00.
With WorldCom, you would have had less than $5.00 left.
If you had purchased $1000 of Delta Air Lines stock you would have $49.00 left
But, if you had purchased $1,000.00 worth of beer one year ago, drank all the beer, then turned in the cans for the
aluminum recycling REFUND, You would have had $214.00.
Based on the above, the best current investment advice is to drink heavily and recycle.
Now let's get working on your creative retirement job - start here - (Go to URL)
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