Browsing the archives for the Heavy Lifting category

Jon Wants To Unfriend Facebook

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Entertainment, Heavy Lifting, Humor, Uncategorized

Training Film for Republican Congressmen

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Heavy Lifting, Humor, United States

It’s Banana Republic Time

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Economy, Heavy Lifting, United States, Wisdom I Have Learned

In November those of us who vote, if only by slipping on our slippers, opening another beer and turning the TV louder, have the opportunity to turn “USA NO. 1!!!” into an English speaking Banana Republic (even though Hawaii produces only about 10,000 tons/year — and, yes, it is one of the “50” states).

We will be aided, in fact led, to bring about this political change through the efforts of the Democratic politicians that some of us have been so naive as to vote for in the past, those same brave patriots who are trying desperately to leave the halls of Congress without casting a substantive vote on any (even possibly controversial) bill.

Load up the Senate with the nut cases (following in honorable footsteps) as they run for election from places like Nevada and Alaska. Bring back Steven Colbert and other thought leaders to testify this time before Senate Committees. Put C-Span on your list of cable comedy channels.

It should be a fun couple of years!

Definition of Family

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Heavy Lifting, Sayings, Wisdom I Have Learned

Family are the people you can count on to hurt your feelings when your friends are too busy.

“When You Come to a Fork in the Road…

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Heavy Lifting, Stories, Wisdom I Have Learned

…Take it!” Wise words from Yogi Berra. You can see more here. I was thinking of this one as we discussed a young man tonight who was in a university program he didn’t like and that didn’t fit his interests, but was afraid of his parents’ displeasure were he to switch. Also, he might not get their support. He has a definite artistic bent and they’ve shoe-horned him into a business school. Is this his “fork in the road”? Must he take it now or miss a productive, satisfying life that may be awaiting him, or will there be another “fork” later that will come on like a steam locomotive heading for the coal yard.

My limited experience is that it’s the small “forks” — the small decisions — that decide our fate, not the big ones like what to study in college or what religion to follow. OK, I know for Thomas Merton it was becoming a Catholic and later joining the Trappists. In my case the biggest decision in my life was based on my liking blue suits more than brown suits (had never had a brown suit by that point in my life). I was late to a group of pitches given in college by the Army and the Air Force R.O.T.C. programs aimed at gaining recruits. I wanted to join one of them, because I didn’t want to be drafted out of school. For the reason given I joined the Air Force ROTC, went to California where I met my wife and ultimately settled. Everything that has happened in my life since that day has flowed from that day. That was my biggest “fork in the road,” yet I had no idea of its importance that day.

P.S. Believe me, any young guys who are reading this: one of the biggest decisions you’ll make in your life will be whether to use a condom some certain night — and you won’t know ahead of time which night will be your “fork in the road.”

Thanksgiving

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Beginnings, Heavy Lifting, Stories

Thanksgiving has come and will soon be gone. Another holiday has been packed away in our subconscious.  How much do any of us remember any particular holiday we spent in the past. I hope everyone had a nice holiday and thought of what they should feel thankful for — certainly more than just not being a turkey.

Thanksgiving made me think of family gatherings when I was a boy growing up in a small town in Pennsylvania. Many of my relatives were poor, poor farmers. I remember  visiting some of my poor relatives when I was a kid. They didn’t have a stick of furniture in their “front room,” but when guests arrived everyone grabbed a wooden chair from the kitchen, dragged it into the front room where we all  sat around “to visit.” If someone had chores to do, they asked the group whether they could be excused, and if one of the kids wanted to show a visiting kid (me) something we had to ask permission to leave the gathering and go off to see whatever was so interesting.

Refreshments were served: maybe only cool spring water, or fresh buttermilk from churning or maybe new cider. There was always something to chew on: fruit from their trees or bread that was freshly baked. I still remember one visit where home-canned beef was served. It was so exotic and I’ve never had anything to surpass the taste I recall. Looking back I wonder whether they knew they were poor, and, if they did, did it bother them?

Thorough Analysis of Gold Investing

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Economy, Heavy Lifting

For a thorough analysis of the different things to consider about investing in gold, I haven’t found a better analysis than here.

Had Your Dose of Pessimism (Realism) Today?

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Economy, Heavy Lifting, United States

If You’re Not Afraid To Think

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Economy, Heavy Lifting, United States, Wisdom I Have Learned

If using your mind to think logically doesn’t scare you, doesn’t represent your worst nightmare, then you should be able to handle this series of eight videos. It starts out seeming to be only about the growth in world oil consumption — and maybe about economic growth itself — but it becomes about something even more important. Oh yeah, it seems to rely heavily on mathematics, or at least on arithmetic. Viewing all of it takes about 80 minutes, but you don’t have to it all in one sitting.

Voices from Guantanemo

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Heavy Lifting, United States

These men were released. Their captors — acting on our behalf — decided they had really done nothing wrong, the same decision ultimately given about the Japanese-Americans that the United States interred during World War II.