Today is November 15th (I tend to get a little ahead of myself in my writing.) Today was also the first day of skiing at Mt. Bachelor in Oregon. The is the earliest start to a ski season at Mt. Bachelor in 26 years!
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I often find that song lyrics provide me with inspiration for writing. There is a deep seated part of me that would love to play a musical instrument. I did in fact, in Jr. High. I played the French Horn in the school band. I wanted to play the trumpet but the band instructor switched me to French Horn. I think the likely reason was that I was not good enough to play the trumpet. It might have been because there were too many trumpets and he thought I could pick up the horn, but I doubt it.
”If you don’t do nothin’ you’re gonna live to regret, you won’t have to live with what you can’t forget.” —?
I love that line. It’s a good reminder to live intentionally. Always listen before speaking. More importantly, listen with the goal of choosing a response that will enlighten rather than frighten (or produce any other negative response). If there is no appropriate response, or you need more time to consider what to say, silence is okay. If you are asked directly for your opinion but you are uncomfortable giving it, give it carefully and with consideration for the other’s feelings. If that goal can’t be met just say you have to give your answer some thought. If all this sounds complicated, it is. My experience has taught me it is worth the effort. The most difficult part of this is simply remembering it in the moment. It might be simpler to remember your goal should always be to give others reason to respect you.
#1,146
Every day is a new day.
Every day brings with it,
A chance to learn something new.
There is only one thing that stands
Between us and learning… Ourselves.
All we need to remember,
Is that everything
We do and see,
Leads us…
To where we need to be.
I wrote this while sitting in a Walmart parking lot. Go figure…
#1,145
Trump’s new “Border Czar” (not an official Homeland Security job title) has served under four presidents. When appointed, he was quoted as saying Trump is the only one of the four presidents to have improved border security. The truth of the matter is there were more deportations under the Obama administration than there were under the first Trump administration.
We now live in a universe where facts no longer matter. Presumably there is a parallel universe somewhere out there that reveres facts.
#1,144
About 2,500 years ago, Dionysius the Tyrant ruled Syracuse in Sicily. It’s been recorded he was so wealthy he wanted for nothing. Damocles a court flatterer was certain that wealth was all it took to be happy. When Damocles proclaimed this to Dionysius, he was put to the test. Dionysius allowed Damocles to sleep in a bed made of gold, the only catch was the sword hanging over the bed, suspended by a single thread of horse hair. Damocles spent what can only be imagined was a sleepless night terrified that the thread holding the sword would give way and end his luxurious night permanently.
Damocles realized that his envy and desire came at a price. Constant fear for one’s safety is no way to live. Damocles left the court and returned to a humble life in the country.
So what is the moral of this classic tale? I like to think that living in a state of anxiety only leads to unhappiness. Instead of choosing a life of adventure and risk or one of boredom, the best choice is to find a balance between the two. Uncertainty about our future prevents us from fully experiencing the present. If you feel yourself slipping into boredom, look for something new and stimulating. When looking around for that opportunity, remember it’s best to avoid opportunities you are not prepared for, opportunities that present what for you would amount to undo risk. A conscious balance between risk and reward is the key to happiness.
Another way of looking at this is to listen closely to the lyrics in the song “More and More, Less and Less” by Delbert McClinton & Glen Clark.
If you have Spotify, give it a go: More and More, Less and Less
#1,143
Good troubleshooting is about not relying on past experience exclusively and then sticking to that no matter you see in front of you. That includes everything from fixing coffee machines to running for President.
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#1,141
The longer I live, the older I wanna get. —Curtis Salgado
I wouldn’t mind living to the age of 100. In fact why not? When I reach 100, I’d like to do something spectacular like ride my bicycle across the country. Well, maybe not something quite that spectacular, but you get the general idea. It’s likely that by the time I reach 100 there will be electric bikes capable of going five days before needing a recharge. That may make it possible. Changing gears slightly (no pun intended) I definitely want to be a member of the 100+ Ski Club. Perhaps the best part of living to 100 will be to see all the marvelous things my children do with their lives. I’m looking forward to that.
#1,140
Three guys walk into a barbershop. The first one sits down in the chair and talks about fishing. The second one sits down in the chair and talks about Elk hunting. The third one sits down in the chair wearing a Seattle U. sweatshirt, the barber looks at him and says, “How did you vote?”
I explained that I was disappointed in the result of the election, but I was willing to move forward and look for ways to understand and be friends with those who don’t look at the political scene the same way I do.
The haircut was $16. The fisherman gave my barber a $1 tip, the elk hunter didn’t tip my barber. I gave him a 20 and told him to keep the change. He smiled. On my way out the door, I told him to have a beer and think of me. He smiled again and told me to have one for him.
#1,139
Kamala Harris ran a good campaign but she was handicapped from the outset. Her campaign failed to understand how unhappy the electorate is, including how unhappy they are with the Biden administration. She failed to understand the electorate’s desire for change, as a result, she failed to offer the substantive direction required to rally the votes needed to win.
Sometimes the simple answers are the best. I realize it’s more complicated. The bottom line: the Democratic Party now has a very long road ahead of it. They have lost the trust of the majority of Americans. Winning that back is going to take a lot of work.
#1,138
Voting is not something we do every four years. Voting is something we do every day with our smile, with our actions toward one another and with our pocket book. It is quite literally how we live our life.
You’re not stuck in traffic; you ARE traffic. We blame society, but we ARE society. —Anonymous
I am trying to look at the long range consequences of my actions. It’s not easy. I fail as often as I succeed. The important thing is to try. Don’t blame others without first asking, what am I doing.
#1,137
I love my truck.
It might not be everyone’s cup of tea. If not, fuck you.
That’s how this conversation would go if we were using the script from Midnight Run… When it comes to the real world, my response would probably be “too bad…” probably.
#1,136
I feel sorry for my children. We will all have to pay for this result, some of us more than others, but none more than our children. They will have to clean up this mess. It won’t be easy.
#1,134
When James Taylor wrote Steamroller Blues in 1970, I’m sure he didn’t have any idea he was describing a future presidential candidate. Here is what he had to say about that future candidate.
He’s a steamroller.
He’s a napalm bomb.
He’s a churning urn of burning junk.
He’s a demolition derby.
He’s a hefty hunk of steaming bunk.
Two words were changed for clarity, the rest was all Taylor’s prescience.
#1,133
I’m writing this the morning of November 5, Election Day. Tonight I will be watching election returns from Democratic Headquarters in downtown Seattle. If at any point from now going forward, Trump claims election fraud, that simply means he knows he lost the Electoral vote. Period. Of course, if he wins, there will be possibility of fraud.
#1,132
I’m writing this the day before Election Day. This is the most important election in my lifetime, perhaps even in our nation’s lifetime.
I’m nervous, but also scared about what potentially lies ahead for our country. There are people in our country that are willing to commit acts of violence if their candidate does not win the election. It’s as simple as that. Saying an election was stolen from you without providing proof (court decisions supporting that conclusion) is not only an act of insurrection against our laws and our Constitution, it is also immoral and cowardly.
There is nothing more to be said. If you loose, go home. If your party is tired of losing, perhaps it should change its platform and policies.
#1,131
Any candidate that claims to have lost the election before Election Day or claims that there has been election fraud is a coward and a thief.
#1,130
Our country has become completely untethered from its history. I do not understand how that has happened. The reasons are many of course, but I think it comes down to greed and anger. The failure of both parties to work together to serve the needs of the populace is also a major contributor to the climate we find ourselves in.
#1,129
Trump projects himself on everyone else. The evil he sees around him is nothing more than the evil within himself that he is unable to own.
#1,128
Since 2015, when Trump decided he wanted to be President and started his take-over of the Republican Party, he has said many terrible things. What is the worst? That would be hard to say. Occasionally, we all say things that are not exactly “perfect” in every way, myself included. But in the case of Donald Trump, The terrible rhetoric only gets worse. As distasteful as this task was, I decided to share a couple of examples of what I’m talking about. I do not endorse speech like this, I post it here as an example of why we should not allow someone this morally depraved to lead us.
”I would bring back waterboarding. And I’d bring back a he’ll of a lot worse than waterboarding.”
”I don’t fucking care that they have weapons. They’re not here to hurt me.”
One last quote. In case there is an question in your mind what he is capable of…
”IF YOU GO AFTER ME, I’M COMING AFTER YOU!”
#1,127
“A leader must always remember these three: First, that he leads men. Second, that he leads according to the law. Third, that he will not lead forever.” —Agathon
Trump’s journey to the White House has been one that Agathon would have a difficult time comprehending. Trump is not a leader. It would be a poor choice to use him as an example of good leadership, or even being a good man. He is unable to follow the law. He has no intention of leaving the White House should he be elected and take office for a second term. There is a distinct possibility that he is planning to take the White House, should he lose the election, either by force or by chicanery. The ancient Greeks understood better than a lot of us what is required to be a good leader.
#1,126
I saw something peculiar today. The car in front of me had two bumper stickers on it. The first bumper sticker read, “I stand with Israel.” The second bumper sticker read, “Trump 2024.” How in the world do those two things go together? The last thing Donald Trump will do will be to stand with Israel. He will stand with a person, as long as that person is himself, or perhaps that person is someone that is giving him money.
#1,125
You know you’re in rural America when you drive through a middle-class neighborhood and every third driveway has a travel trailer parked in it. Also, on October 31 every third house has inflatable Halloween decorations.
#1,124
An open letter to Trump. You are a criminal and have no business calling yourself an “American.”
Come and get me. I dare you.
Of course, the irony here is that his speech goes to great length to point out whom he thinks is and isn’t an American. So in some way, you might say I have fallen victim to his perverted brainwashing.
#1,123
I cancelled my Amazon Prime membership. Jeff Bezos is a coward.1
#1,122
He refused to let the Washington Post endorse a presidential candidate. He’s afraid of Donald Trump. ↩︎