Sandy

Have you been affected by the storm Sandy?  Do you have family and/or friends affected by this horrible storm?  I have in both ways.

I have friends in different eastern states that have been affected.  Some more than others.  Some only lost power while others won't be able to get back into their homes for weeks.  For some it's just a major inconvenience.  For others, it could be life changing.

I live in Los Angeles California.  We don't get storms like Sandy.  We only get earthquakes.  Since I lived in Philadelphia and New York and chose to move to Southern California, I decided to live with the threat of earthquakes.  They do a lot of damage, but few people have died from Southern California earthquakes.

You're probable wondering why I've been affected by this devastating storm.  The reason is because I broke one of my happiness rules - I watch the TV for hours.  Doing that and stressing over my close friends, made me depressed.  I guess that's normal, but what good did it do me or my friends.

When I stopped watching the TV and was able to reach my friends, I snapped out of it.  Being in a more positive mind I was and am able to help my friends recover emotionally.  This is going to take a long time for some, but instead of them getting a friend who is giving them more negative energy, they're getting a friend who will encourage them to believe they will recover.

Many things are going to affect the people who are impacted by this storm.  Physical damage to their homes, businesses and themselves are just some.  In time, with the help of friends, support agencies and the Federal Government, the physical damage will be taken care of.  They recovered from the devastation of Katrina.  They will recover from the devastation of Sandy.

The mental impact of losing a friend, a relative, a pet, prized positions, stuff that have sentimental value and the financial problems this storm has caused (especially for retired seniors), will take longer and some may never recover.

I believe it is the responsibility of TV executives to stop their negative news now and show how people are recovering.  How brave first responders have saved lives and property.  How friends, family and neighbors are helping these families with their basic physical, personal, financial and mental needs.  How people can get through this mental anguish by focusing on what good will happen in the future (can you spell Doctor Phil).  By showing more positive news and shows instead of all the negative crap TV has been dumping on us for many, many years.

Also,  Newspapers and TV should show how the $20 billion of devastation will help our economy.  My wife's Uncle always said: "always make something good out of something bad."  Because of Sandy, roads, bridges, subways, homes, businesses, etc. will have to be fixed, repaired or replaced.  That means the $20 billion will be spent on jobs, jobs and more jobs.  Our economy needs the boost Sandy will give us.

I hurt for the people who are affected by this storm.  However, I strongly believe we will recover and become stronger.  They recovered from Katrina - they will recover from Sandy.  The more we believe we will recover the faster the recovery will become.

Some say this happened because of Global Warming.  Some say it's God's will.  Some say it's just the start of doomsday.  I don't give a shit why this happened.  You can't screw with Mother Nature.  She's going to do what she is going to do.  

What I do care about is how we respond.  Are we going to respond with more negative energy or are we going to respond with the belief we will make something good out of this mess.  

We can't completely control Mother Nature, but we can control how we VIEW the future.  

Your Right To Vote

This is an election year - are you voting?  I've heard the following excuses for not voting:

• I don't like either candidate
• I don't have time to read all the city and state initiatives
• I don't have time to go to the poles
• What's the difference - nothing will change
• If I vote they might call me in for Jury Duty
• I don't want to be in any government system

My blogs are about happiness.  Having the right to vote is one way to affect your happiness. Just ask the people around the globe who don't have the right to vote.

Women's happiness got better when they were given the right to vote.  Their issues have been heard not just because they're in front of the media, but because they make up a huge voting bloc.  Voting women have made America better.  

Because America is better, men have greatly benefited from the changes women have be able to obtain.  How different do you think the Mideast nations would be if women had the free right to vote - a lot!!!

It's unconscionable to me that such a small percentage of minorities vote.  They either believe the parties will take care of them or they don't believe anything will change or they don't want to be in the system or they just won't take the time to get involved.  If women took this attitude where would they be now.

It's also unconscionable to me that less than sixty percent of all eligible voters vote.  The right to vote is what makes America strong.  I stated this in an earlier blog: "if someone gets elected and screws everything up, the voting public will get rid of him or her and put someone else in who will do something different."

Will the next person be able to change everything - NO, but they did in the past and they will in the future, make changes.  Presidents have gotten us into wars and different Presidents have gotten us out of those wars.  Presidents have gotten us in financial trouble and different Presidents have gotten us out of financial trouble.

One thing is for sure, if a new President or a new Congress screws up, we, the people, will through him or her out - BECAUSE WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO VOTE!

Please don't take this election lightly.  Please don't make up all these bullshit excuses.  Think about what you want in life.  Think about what changes the government could make that will enhance your happiness.  Think about the people you love and how different policies could add to their happiness.  Think about the underprivileged people, the people who are outcast because of their different lifestyle and most of all the children who would benefit the most from either keeping the same people in charge or replacing the current cast. 

After you take some serious time thinking about it, get off you ass and use one of the most precious capabilities in your control:

YOUR RIGHT TO VOTE!!

Sports

It's NFL Sunday.  I'm sitting on the sofa, in my Man Cave, while my friend Hank is sitting on the chair next to me.  We're both watching football on my fifty inch TV.  I have the Direct TV NFL Football package that enables me to watch all fifteen games being played that day. 

Hank is a staunch New England Patriots fan and I'm a long suffering Rams fan.  Hank is in a betting pool where he and his partner pick winners of each game.  If he wins the pool, he and his partner get to split hundreds of dollars each week.  They can win thousands if they win the whole year.

I took a different approach.  I love football and I wanted to get my wife involved.  She could care less about football until I suggested we bet on six games a week.  Now, she has become a rabid football fan.  To win thirty dollars a week (6 x $5) she has learned the game, learned the teams and screams holy hell if her team screws up. 

As of this writing she is up on me by twenty dollars.  Two years ago I got her for twenty dollars for the whole year.  However, last year she got me for a hundred (she's really good at this).

The important thing here is now football is fun for the both of us.  Football Sunday has become a special day because we both hate to lose.  She doesn't have a favorite team, but she does have a few teams she hates.  The only reason I can assume she hates those teams is because she loses when she bets on them.  

I'm always very competitive.  My wife is not because she hates to lose.  However, she becomes very competitive on football Sunday.  Even though I also hate to lose, I love seeing her smile when she wins.  She doesn't rub it in when I lose, but I can see how proud she is when she beats me.

I love football, but it doesn't define me.  Hank loves football and buys hats, helmets, shirts and jackets that have a Patriot's logo on them.  Even though he gets upset when the Patriots lose, they don't define him.  My friend Kenny is a major Yankees baseball fan, but they don't define him.

I mention this because there are people who are defined by their sports team.  In many countries outside the United States, football (Americans call it soccer) is a major pastime.  Fans around the globe have died fighting because the home team loses to the visiting team.  To those fans, football is almost a religious experience.  They are defined by their team.

We are seeing more of this problem in America.  Some people are so defined by their team that they will fight someone wearing a jersey with another teams logo on it.  This happens more when their favorite team loses.  

Sports should be fun.  Win or lose it should be entertainment.  Feeling depressed, angry or frustrated for more than a few minutes after a game is not normal.  There is something else going on inside these people than just the sport.  Their team losing is just bringing out the bad stuff inside them.

Happy people don't fight, get depressed or get angry when their team loses.  People who give positive energy out to the universe love the entertainment of the sport and the team they love.  People who love life see sports as another positive element in their life.

Unhappy people get their negative energy button pressed when their team sucks.  These are the people who need the outside world to be good to them.  These are the people who don't love themselves.  These are the people who blame everyone and everything for their unhappiness.  These are the people who are defined not only by their sports, but by their politics, religion, etc.

Sports are important in my life.  I enjoy watching my favorite football team, basketball team and sometimes baseball team.  Sports make me happy.  However, I'm defined by the number of times I laugh.  I'm defined by the life I love.  I'm defined by the positive energy I get from the universe.  

I'm Defined By The Good I see In Myself And Other People.

Doom And Gloom

The Rolling Stones just released their first new single in seven years.  It's called "Doom and Gloom" and it got me thinking about all the media promoting doom and gloom.

Iran is going to have a nuclear bomb and destroy Israel and the Western world.  Israel and the US won't let that happen so there will be a huge war that will lead to a world war because Russia, China, Syria and all radical terrorist groups support Iran.

Syria is going to drag Turkey into a war and the Arab nation will begin to fight each other which will disrupt the world's oil supply and lead to a world war.  Africa is in melt down and terrorists are going to control the nation.  To stop that from happening, the Western world will get into the fight which will lead to a big war.

Mexico is in a drug war and the drug lords will win and ship so many drugs to the world that everybody in America will become junkies.  The United States and the European nations are going to create a financial disaster and the world economy will fail and everyone will be poor.

Roe Vs Wade will be overturned and the states will make abortion illegal.  Women will be arrested and charged with murder.  Women will then rise up and overthrow the government.  The rich will get richer and the middle class in America will be gone.  Everyone will be either poor or rich (mostly poor) and the poor will rise up and overthrow the government.

Genetically engineered foods will give all of us health problems.  Fast foods are going to kill us and make healthcare not affordable for most Americans.  Everyone will become obese and die of heart disease and diabetes. If fast foods don't kill us global warming will.

Unless you've been locked up in a small room in your basement, you've been bombarded with TV and the press pushing these doom and gloom opinions down your throat.  So called "experts" talk about this bad stuff like they know something.  Radical TV hosts almost guarantee all this is going to happen.  Even nationally trusted publications write about worse case scenarios. 

The impact of all this doom and gloom has got to affect our mental well being.  The impact of all this doom and gloom is making many of us depressed.  The impact of all this doom and gloom is making many of us see the future as negative instead of positive. The impact of all this doom and gloom makes us angry, frustrated and scared. The impact of all this doom and gloom could lead to a self fulfilling prophecy (WAR). 

What are the facts here?  World war three is not going to happen.  We're not going to blow up the world.  We will not take away women's rights.  The middle class will always be here because they vote in the people that make policy.  Drugs will always be around, but the majority will not let them affect their productivity.  

Genetically engineered foods will not make us sick.  Obesity will become unpopular and only effect the few not the majority.  The health industry will raise costs even if we shut down every fast food outlet.  Pharmaceutical companies will eventually have a pill to fix all these problems because that's the way they make a shit load of money.

How do I know all this doom and gloom will not happen - just look at history.  We've lived through two world wars and came out stronger.  We lived through the great depression and came out stronger.  We lived through the drug days of the seventies and productivity increased.  We gave women the right to vote.  

Once fifty percent of the voters (women) were able to vote, women obtained more and more rights.  In the long run, the people in power will not be able to take away all they gave to women.  Women will eventually run this country.

Before all the current health rules came into place, most people's diet was terrible.  They didn't live as long as us, but they did live and prosper.  We've been eating genetically engineered foods for over twenty years and we didn't die.  Global warming is really bad, but it's not going to affect our lives.  I assume the generations after us will figure out a way to fix it.

Sooo, STOP worrying about all this gloom and doom.  If possible STOP reading, watching and listening to all this doom and gloom.  Create a happy life for yourself and live it to the fullest.  Believe the future is full of positive energy and everything will work out for the better. However, just in case the media is right:

Focus all your energy on today.  Today is the day to find all the happiness you deserve.  Don't let doom and gloom control your life.

Is It Fate Or Destiny Or Does Shit Just Happen

Although the words are used interchangeably in many cases, fate and destiny can be distinguished. Traditional usage defines fate as a power or agency that predetermines and orders the course of events. Fate defines events as ordered or "inevitable" and unavoidable. Classical and European mythology features three goddesses dispensing fate, known asMoirai in Greek mythology, as Parcae in Roman mythology, and as Norns in Norse mythology. They determine the events of the world through the mystic spinning of threads that represent individual human fates.

Destiny is used with regard to the finality of events as they have worked themselves out; and that same sense of Destination, projected into the future to become the flow of events as they will work themselves out. In other words, fate relates to events of the future and present of an individual and in cases in literature unalterable, whereas destiny relates to the probable future. Fate implies no choice, but with destiny the entity is participating in achieving an outcome that is directly related to itself. Participation happens willfully.

How many of you believe when shit happens it's just fate?  How many of you believe when shit happens it's just destiny?  How many of you believe when shit happens it's just shit happening?  I believe shit just happens.  

I really don't believe in fate.  Fate assumes something is controlling what happens and how it turns out.  Fate assumes I have no control over what happens nor it's outcome because the thing that's making it happen is not of this world.

I also don't believe in destiny.

"Fate implies no choice, but with destiny the entity is participating in achieving an outcome that is directly related to itself. Participation happens willfully."

Look, I've been preaching to you that you're in control of your happiness.  I agree with that because you can make choices to be happy or sad.  You might not like the choices, but you can make them.  Poor people can be happy.  Money can help, but it's not necessary.  A paraplegic can be happy.  Nobody wants that to happen to themselves or anybody else, but if it does, that person can choose to find happiness or give up and be miserable with the life they have left. 

However, saying you have control of your destiny is bullshit.  You can control what you do, but you can't control what "it" does.  "It" is the outside human world and Mother Nature.  You can't control the people you know.  You can't control terrorism, bigotry, arson or some nut blowing something up.  You definitely can't control Mother Nature.

Sooo, for these reasons, I believe shit just happens.  Once you accept that as fact your life will get better.  Believing in fate will never make you happy because you'll have given up all control.  Believing in destiny will frustrate you because the things you can't control will find a way to make you unhappy.

Accepting that shit just happens enables you to think about what you're going to do about it and then take action.  Somebody smashed my car.  Was it fate?  Was it destiny?  No, it was just some asshole talking on his cell phone.  Now that you've accepted that there are assholes in this world and shit just happens, what are you going to do about the smashed car.

It's wrong to live your life counting on fate or destiny.  It's wrong to live your life blaming fate or destiny. 

"It's right to enjoy living in a chaotic world where you never know when shit will just happen because you can then decide how you want to react to the chaos." 

Immigration

Immigration is a sensitive subject no matter what country you live in.  The United States was built on immigration.  Without it we would be a British Colony with a few Indian tribes sprinkled around.  With it we were able to create the life we have today.  Good or bad, life in the USA is a lot better than many other countries.

Immigration was always a emotional and political issue from the time it started.  If you didn't look like or sound like the majority, you were someone others didn't really want into their country, state, city or neighborhood. 

There were times when immigration was considered a serious problem, but we worked through it.  However, today immigration an issue so deep rooted in people's minds that it's a major issue in the upcoming Presidential election.

One reason is the fear Hispanics will become the majority.  To stop that, some people portray Hispanics as criminals, uneducated, lazy, people who are just taking advantage of our social systems and Democrats. 

The attitude is Democrats like illegal immigration and Republicans hate all Hispanic immigration because they will vote for the Democratic party.   

The truth is Hispanics are none of the above.  All they want is to have a better life.  We brought the blacks to America to be slaves.  When slavery was abolished we wanted them to go back to Africa.   All the black people wanted was the opportunity to create a better life.

Guess what, in most cases they have achieved their goal.  Sure there are some bad black people, but no more so than white people.  The bottom line is black people have made America a stronger country.  I contend that if we give freedom to Hispanics eventually they will make America an even stronger country.

If Republicans want Hispanics to vote for their party, they need to support them the same way Democrats have done for many, many years.  Hispanics, blacks, etc. are not born Democrats.  They vote for the Democratic party because they believe that party cares about them.  Republicans can do the same, but they have to start now.  

Making Hispanics feel that all the Republican party wants to do is send them back to their original country is not the answer.  Yes we have an illegal immigration problem with Hispanics, but there must be a solution that reduces more people from coming into this country WHILE ENCOURAGING THE HISPANIC PEOPLE, WHO ARE ALREADY IN THIS COUNTRY, TO BE PRODUCTIVE CITIZENS.  If we can find that solution, Hispanics will make America a stronger country.

I assure all Republicans that if you really care for the Hispanic people and be the party that creates a solution to illegal immigration WHILE ENCOURAGING THE HISPANIC PEOPLE, WHO ARE ALREADY IN THIS COUNTRY, TO BE PRODUCTIVE CITIZENS, over time the Hispanic people will become dedicated Republicans.

I can also assure both Republicans and Democrats that if they open their hearts to all people who just want a better life, they will become happier in their life.

The French believe they have a Muslim immigration problem.  Many for the same reasons as the Hispanics (the fear they will become a majority and the other reasons stated above).  Would they feel the same if the attitude toward Muslims was overwhelmingly positive?  

The fact that the Muslim radicals and terrorists have destroyed the name "Muslim" has led to the fear of allowing more Muslim people into any Western country.  We, in America, don't feel that same way about the Asian people.  Would the French feel they have an American immigration problem if hundreds of thousands of Americans started become French citizens?

I don't know the answer, but I do know Americans would make France a stronger country.  I also believe that if the French ENCOURAGING THE MUSLIM PEOPLE, WHO ARE ALREADY IN THEIR COUNTRY, TO BE PRODUCTIVE CITIZENS, France would become stronger over time.

In my opinion, the immigration problem in all countries would not be so serious if we believed legal immigration is a good thing.  I also believe that if we helped people who want a better life by being productive citizens, our life would be better.

Making immigration an issue out of prejudice and/or politics is not a solution that will lead to a stronger country and happier people in that country.  America lived with all different Nationalities and colors.  When I was young those Nationalities and colors were segregated.  Now there is much less segregation.  Peoples lives are much more intertwined.  My white Jewish son is married to a fabulous Asian woman and I have two beautiful and smart mixed race grandchildren.

Integration is making America stronger.  Integration is making many people's lives better and happier.  Immigration is a good thing if we all are determined to integrate all people into our country and our lives.

Integration is positive energy.  Positive energy is happiness.  Don't make immigration a problem - make it a positive energy enabler.