Rants 2013

Well it's time again to air my gripes. I've been holding them in and now I  am going to vent. Unlike the cardinals, it will be black smoke. If products can't have real life spokespeople then how can that be believable.. I will never use Ancestry.com because an actor supposedly has ancestors with more hair than his bald head. Ridiculous! An actor for Salon Pas telling of his scripted aches and pains. Forget about it! Chevrolet Traverse has a commercial about room for eight passengers in their car, 8 plush toy animals it has room for in the commercial. I always carry toy animals instead of people in my car. How about you? How about showing  me how a car performs on I95 or the Florida Turnpike instead of doing donuts or drifting on the beach. I've never ridden on the beach. Nor do I intend like Cadillac ATS to drive in the most remote, dangerous locations in the world. What kind of crap is this? It's no accident that Saturday Night Live isn't on every Saturday anymore. Their writers suck and recycle old skits too often. Usually unless it's Mars or Timberlake they squander the talents of the guests like Daniel Craig. The cardinals are convening in Rome to pick a new pope. The first vote was today without success. They'll go to dinner and discuss who's the best candidate. So much for praying devoutly for divine intervention and getting it right the first time. And lastly I grow extremely weary of new arrivals to Florida or snow bids trashing my home. Don't like it, LEAVE!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Abbeys of the World

My wife and I have watched season three of Downton Abbey. I have become much more enthralled than she has. I find the whole era interesting and I thought what I learned of the aristocracy in England would be an enlightenment. The stodginess of the Lords and Ladys. The arrogance of some of the servants who have have their own social pyramid. We have seen the awkward customs of dressing for dinner. Having a servant serving every drink or meal. The valets and housemaids tending to all the needs of the Granthams. The series takes place in the 1920's. It occurred to me that after 93 years little has changed in the world. Women are still oppressed in many countries. The aristocracy are now called dictators. They assume their power not from any talent on their part but simply through heritage. Outlandish, dated, ridiculous customs still are practiced in many countries. Everyday I read the headlines about women arrested for wanting equal rights. People being persecuted under laws centuries old. Downton Abbey has become for me a reminder of the injustices in our generation. The unwillingness to change and the hiding behind archaic laws and edicts to perpetuate the harsh and unequal treatment of society.

My Valentine

Valentines aren't blue that's true
Nor are they green
They are red as a spleen
for all to be seen.
It's a day to remember
each one and each member
of your family or special ones
I've been blessed as a man
to have found in this life
the woman whom I call my wife.
She is a woman unique from the rest
In many things she is the best
The best thing she does is take care of me
so that in spite of myself I continue to be
She is the love of my life
My best friend not just a wife
and so I am so fortunate to call Lea
My most loved and treasured Valentine
and lucky to have her as mine

Waiting

Waiting is something people do alot. I spent many hours waiting for my parents to pick me up when I was a small boy. When I went to high school I waited for the bus to take to me to school 45 minutes away from my home. People wait for phone calls, for people to call them back, for people to return things borrowed. The list goes on. Unfortunately most of the waiting is excruciating. The time spent waiting is perhaps the worst time I've ever spent. It is so unrewarding. It is time that is often spent in vain because  not all things get returned. There is one type of waiting I really enjoy. I hate shopping in stores. I love to buy things online. I really look forward to waiting for the stuff to arrive at my house. I like the emails giving me tracking information. I track the package, estimating time of arrival. Should I be there to sign or will Fedex or UPS leave it int he mailbox or at my door. I like the mystery of seeing what I bought. Does it live up to my expectations of it. Was it worth the money. I now understand why the original Sears ad Roebuck catalogs were so hugely successful. The catalogs were sent to rural areas where few or no stores existed. If they did exist they didn't have all the wonderful gadgets and tools that the catalog contained. Imagine waiting for a tractor to replace your horse drawn plow. That new icebox sure sounded better than a block of ice. What a great time to live. Gee I get excited over a cellphone case or a cheap ipod speaker. I don't mind waiting for things through the mail because after they get to my house I can look for something new to wait for.

The Price

All things have a price. Cost is a synonym for price. Both words connote that someone is going to pay sooner or later. Unfortunately it isn't always the one who performs the act. On the Price is Right one gets to choose between door One or Two. In life we get to choose but we know what is behind the doors. Our choice will affect someone and there will be a cost to them. We choose to do things that all have costs. The price could be missing important events, forgetting important dates, poor time management, not dealing with financial issues or the biggest price of forgetting who the really important people in our life are. People get consumed with themselves. They put their interests above others. They forget that it isn't always about them. In a nutshell, they are extremely selfish and self centered people. The main concern of a spouse is their spouse. A parent's main concern is their children. No other issue should divert one's attention from their happiness and welfare. Everyone deserves to have time to themselves to enjoy diversions. It's when these diversions infringe upon the time that should be spent with wives or families or spent in other income providing ventures that will make people pay the price.  The highest price there is, being alone, so now they can devote all their time and attention to themselves.

The Mulligan

A Mulligan is a mythical second chance. Most often associated with golf but relevant to all aspects of life. The origin is up for debate. I have my favorite story about a locker room attendant in Britain who gave a golfer a second chance on the course. Regardless of the story Mulligans aren't mythical. I do believe we all are given a Mulligan if life. I have had a Mulligan in my life.  I think I  made the most of it. Mulligans are strange creatures. Some are not as obvious as others. This maybe because we  tend to ignore them. There they are right in front of us. A second chance to set something right, a new beginning, an opportunity for a new path in life.  When the Mulligan is given to you it is there so you do not make the same mistake as before. Choose a new club, make a different shot, make that putt. Use your Mulligan wisely and you will never regret it. 

Giving up a Gift

Chanukah and Christmas have just passed and many gifts have been exchanged between friends, family and loved ones. Some gifts even may have been given to strangers. Gifts don't have to be given for any particular reason or occasion. One gives a gift because they are generous and considerate. The problem with giving a gift is that some people can't let go of the gift. They think that they still possess the gift after it has been given  away to someone. They pine over what the person will do or has done with the gift. The idea that the receiver of the gift can do whatever he would like to do with the gift is oblivious to them. They keep tabs on the gift. They ask about it. They can't let go. The solution. Don't give gifts to people that you think will misuse or abuse your gift. Use common sense in the choice of your gift. Usually the past history of a person is a good indicator of what will become of that gift.  Give and forget about it. If you do see the gift again and it has been misused or abused remember It's not yours anymore. Move on. Learn. Don't make the same mistake twice!