Before you eat another Big Mac…

Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser available @ Amazon.com

fastfoodnationThe whole time I was reading this book I kept picturing Ray Kroc (the founding father of McDonalds) as played by Gene Wilder screaming, “It’s alive, it’s alive.” 

Unlike Young Frankenstein there is nothing humorous or entertaining about the monster that has been unleashed on the American consumer and that is rapidly spreading to the rest of the world.  This monster is fast food.

Fast Food was on the New York Times bestseller list for two years.  It has been translated into at least 20 languages. There is a good reason for this.  Continue reading “Before you eat another Big Mac…”

More Churches Promote Martial Arts to Reach Young Men

Humans are going to play games and humans are going to fight.  It is in our DNA.  It is in our memes.  Males are especially prone to these activities.  There are a few sports that exist mainly because other folks will pay to watch them; football and boxing come to mind. 

One of the reasons that I quit watching football was the level of violence.  It is the same with boxing.  I understand the attraction, but for me at least, it is appealing to baser part of a human.  In my mind there is a real question of ethics when we pay to watch violence.  I try to avoid such entertainment, and for the most part I do.  Continue reading “More Churches Promote Martial Arts to Reach Young Men”

A Bit of Wisdom from Ole Heart

milk-cowMy grandmother had an old milk cow she called Ole Heart. Ole Heart helped my grandmother make ends meet. She would sell excess milk and butter to various folks around town that preferred their milk straight from the cow rather than the supermarket.  She would get a calf from Ole Heart once a year that she raised for beef and put in her freezer.  She and the cow had been together many years.

During the day Ole Heart roamed Continue reading “A Bit of Wisdom from Ole Heart”

Smack Down at Our Lady of Salvation Bingo Emporium

bingoKarol was a tall, somewhat overweight Jewish woman with a pouty lower lip. She had been attractive in her younger days, but age had definitely come to visit.

She was married, but as far as day to day living she was essentially single. Her lifelong spouse had Alzheimer’s disease and he had been in a nursing home for many years. He did not know Karol, or anyone else for that matter. Nevertheless, Karol would visit him regularly, almost daily. It was a large part of her social life. Not her husband per se, Continue reading “Smack Down at Our Lady of Salvation Bingo Emporium”

Fake Job Ads defraud Americans

The goal is is run ads advertising a job to comply with the law, but not hire Americans. They want to bring in the cheaper green card labor from overseas.

This is why this country is going to down the drain. These high power corporate types have no loyalty to this cournty.

They may be complying with the letter of the law, but this seems at the very minmum very unethical.

Again I do know how these folks sleep at night, or look themselves in the mirror.

Sunday Morning Snobbery

I first noticed the father, a vaguely unkempt looking man picking out a bowling ball.  It was hard to tell his age, but I am guessing around mine, pushing 60.  His hair was all white, and he was bald on top.  A comb or brush would not have hurt his look.  He was dressed in a pair of black Rustler jeans and a black t-shirt that was a tad too short for him. 

imagesI then noticed his wife. She appeared to be at least 20 years his junior. She was obese enough that her belly had more than formed an apron.   Initially I thought she was Hispanic.  I shortly heard her say something, and it was classic Tennessee country.  Neither she nor her husband were ugly, but then again they were not particularly handsome.

Then the passel of kids came into focus.  There were a total of four.  The oldest, a boy, who never took down his sweatshirt hood, looked to be 12 or 13.   Continue reading “Sunday Morning Snobbery”

A Bit of Wisdom from Don Lorsbach

muleAs told to the 22 year old me… 

An old farmer had a mule.  The mule worked hard 3 seasons of the year, but in the winter time the mule just lazed around the barn.  Kicker was he still had to be feed and taken care of. 

 The farmer devised a plan whereby he would train the mule not eat.

 Just about the time he got the mule trained it died.

Don told me that story, and I just looked at him waiting for the punch line.  He was laughing like it was too funny for words.

I have thought of that story over the years.  There is a lot of wisdom in it.

A Bit of Wisdom from My Father

railroad_tracks418A cat was napping on the railroad tracks.  A train came along and chopped off his tail.  He turned around to see what had happened to his tail.  While he was inspecting the damage another train came along from  the other direction.  It chopped off his head. 

Know what the moral of this story is? 

Don’t lose your head over a piece of tail.

I have no idea why he told that story to the 17 year old me!

The Five Agreements

fifth-agreementFrom the jacket cover of the book The Fifth Agreement: A Practical Guide to Self-Mastery by Ruiz & Ruiz available @ Amazon.com

BE IMPECCABLE WITH YOUR WORDS

Speak with integrity.  Say only what you mean.  Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others.  Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.

DON’T TAKE ANYTHING PERSONAL

Nothing others do is because of you.  Continue reading “The Five Agreements”