It Was A Very Good Year

It Was A Very Good Year

When I was seventeen, it was a very good year
I had lots of friends who I could make smile

I loved working in my dad's store making him smile

I had a girlfriend who made me smile

Life was easy when you had a little green
When I was seventeen

 

When I was twenty-one, it was a very good year

I was able to get my computer career going

I loved the computer business and I was growing

My friends were older, but they took me in

I made more money and that was no sin

I was married and had my first son

When I was twenty-one

When I was thirty-five, it was a very good year

My divorce was over and I started my new life

I was in computer sales and that was real nice

I loved mentoring the people who I managed

I had great sex and for the first time felt privileged

I was full of energy and drive

When I was thirty-five

 

And now the days are short, I'm in the autumn of my years
And I think of my life as vintage wine
From fine old kegs
From the brim to the dregs
It poured sweet and clear
It was, is and going to be a very good year

  

I've Got A Feeling

I've Got A Feeling   

I've got a feeling that the United States military is conditioning us for an Iraqi type war. You need three things to go to war in America. First, you have to scare the shit out of Americans by telling them the enemy is going to destroy our American way of life. The Islamic State terrorists (ISIL) are helping our military do so by graphically showing the beheading of innocent people.

Second, the military has to convince Americans that the only way to stop the people who are going to destroy America is via war. Key generals in the military today and previous military generals are already saying we have to destroy ISIL and the only way to do so is to have American boots on the ground.

Third, you have to start and end the war with military volunteers. The mistake the military made in the Vietnam War was the draft. The military and the politicians convinced us the Vietnamese were capable to destroy our way of life if we did not stop them. However, after years of war the young kids who were being or going to be drafted shouted BULLSHIT! 

It was those kids that ended the war not the military or the politicians. They risked being put in jail by protesting the war. They risked being shot and killed by protesting the war. They risked losing their American citizenship by going to Canada and other countries. Their voice became so loud the military and the politicians had to say "UNCLE." 

The Iraq war started when we convinced the American people that the Iraqis had weapons of mass destruction. That scared the shit out of most of us. The military also convinced us that the only way to destroy the baddies was with boots on the ground. Lastly, the military only used men and women who volunteered to fight (no draft). 

Well, we all know now what a bad idea that was. The basic premise (weapons of mass destruction) was BULLSHIT and what did we accomplish - ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! The American people don't like or want war. President Obama will try his best to not go to war. However, I've got a feeling.


I've got a feeling that tonight's going to be a good night. My wife and I are going to our local bar and meet up with our friends. We will laugh out loud, dance our asses off to the fabulous singer and eat happy hour food that is specifically created to raise our cholesterol and take us to an inch away from having a heart attack.

After the bar, my wife and I are going to go home and make love like we did twenty five years ago. Yes, I've go a feeling that tonight's going to be a good night - tonight's going to be a good night - yes, tonight's going to be a good, good night - I've got a feeling.

 
I've got a feeling that marijuana is going to be legal in ninety percent of the states within ten years. It started with alcohol being banned. That ban was created by religious people, politicians and gangsters that didn't want to pay taxes or have competition. The reason prohibition stopped was because the gangsters were winning, more people were becoming alcoholics then before prohibition and the states needed the taxes.

The ban on marijuana is taking the same course. It was created by religious people, politicians who were convinced that everyone would get high and destroy our economy and gangsters that didn't want to pay taxes or have competition. There was one major problem with marijuana that wasn't a problem with prohibition. The drug companies, the cigarette companies and the alcohol companies are not sure how to make money selling Pot. 



Alcohol is hard to make. Even beer is a pain in the ass to make and so cheap it's just not worth it. Marijuana is a weed. Just get some great seeds, put them in some good soil where there is excellent sunlight and water them a few times a week. In a few months you'll have enough Pot to last you for years. How the hell can these companies make money on that?



The state's first decision was to allow stores to sell medical marijuana and collect taxes. Well, we all know that's bullshit. Anyone can get a prescription for marijuana. I've got a feeling the next step will be to stop policing marijuana (which doesn't work and costs the states too much money) and encourage the drug companies and the cigarette companies, etc. to produce and sell Pot. That way everyone wins.

The gangsters will lose their revenue stream. The companies will make money (who wouldn't buy a few joints for a dollar instead of trying to grow the stuff at home), the states will collect the taxes they desperately need and the police plus the Feds can concentrate on real crime. 

The end result will be the same as what happened after prohibition. No more people will be getting high than today. The rules for kids will be the same as for alcohol. Parents have the responsibility to educate their kids and make sure they don't do stuff they shouldn't be doing.

For the few who choose to get high (I'm not one of them), 

I've Got A Feeling that tonight's going to be a good night - tonight's going to be a good night - yes, tonight's going to be a good, good night.

Don't Look Back

Don't Look Back

I've said it in my books and I've said it in my blogs: "for at least one month, never say "I coulda" or I shoulda."

The past is the past. The decisions you made in the past are over with. Punishing yourself with "shouldas" or "couldas" will suck the happiness right out of you. Looking back on the mistakes you've made is self-flogging. Looking back on any event that changed your live for the worst will eat away at your soul. 

You probably think that looking back on the things you did that were positive is a good thing. I say NO! If you need to look back on the good things it could mean something is wrong today. 

The right thing is to appreciate your decision when it goes right at that time. The right thing is to pat yourself on the back at the time you accomplish something positive.  The right thing is to love yourself for all the good things you are doing today.

Having a smile on your face while remembering the fun you had in the past is a today smile. Acknowledge and appreciate that today smile. I'm not talking out of both sides of my mouth. There is a difference between listening to an old song or seeing an old car and smiling because those were the good old days verses feeling the need to look back at those good times because you're having a not so great time today. 

The people, who need to remember the positive past, are the people who see the future as bleak. The people, who look back on the things they did wrong, are the people who are unhappy today and believe they will be unhappy in the future.

As I've always said: "you don't know shit about what the future has to bring." Tomorrow could be the best time of your life. Tomorrow will be the best time of your life if you're happy today, give positive energy out to the universe, love unconditionally even if you don't get what you want and:

Don't Look Back

"He Never Gave Me Palpitations"

"He Never Gave Me Palpitations"

My mother was not the brightest bulb in the room, but she was street smart and had a great sense of humor. When we brought her out to California from Philadelphia, I was working long hours and traveled often. That left my wife with the burden of responsibility to help her adjust to her new home. 

The burden lifted months later when my wife started to really like the old broad. They had many conversations about my mother's life. One of the conversations was about my dad. My wife laughed a lot when my mother told her: "he never gave me palpitations." 

My father and mother worked long hours. They were tired a lot. They were stressed a lot. My father was not the hugging type. As a matter of fact, I did not hug my father until I was forty. My mother was a major huger. She loved all people and hug me every chance she got. Therefore, it wasn't a big surprise to me that my father didn't give my mother palpitations.

I know my mother had great respect for my father, but my mother description, to my wife, of their love making was "slam bam thank you Mame."  My wife loved my eighty year old mother for how open and descriptive she was about her sex life. 

How about your spouse or boy/girl friend? Does she or he give you palpitations? Did they give you palpitations early on in the relationship and then the palpitations subsided? Did he or she never give you palpitations?

Speaking for myself, my wife gave me palpitations when we first met and twenty five plus years later she still gives me palpitations. 

In my opinion, having a relationship for convenience or security or just because you don't believe that palpitations with someone else is in the cards for you, sucks. Having palpitations is one of the key elements of happiness.

If it's never going to happen in your love life, at least have palpitations in your everyday life. A full moon could give you palpitations. A fantastic meal could give you palpitations. The only issue with those things is they're short lived. A loving relationship that continues to give you palpitations is what you want and deserve for your happiness.

Ask your spouse or girl/boy friend: "do I give you palpitations?" They will probably laugh at the question, but if the answer is no, both of you should find a way to get that feeling back (assuming you or he/she got them before). 

Sooo, ask yourself does he or she give me palpitations? If you answer, like my mother: "he never gave me palpitations," make sure it's not because you're just not the palpitation type. Also, if you believe he or she is just not the palpitations type, then you either should move on, love him or her just the way they are or;

Find Palpitations In The Other Wonderful Things Life Has To Offer

What About Me

What About Me

I was on the phone to my mother telling her I just decided to separate from my first wife. The first words out of my mother's mouth were: "what about my grandchildren?" The next words out of my mouth were: "WHAT ABOUT ME!" 

The phone went silent on the other end. My mother knew how unhappy I was in my marriage. She knew I had done everything to keep the family together. She knew this was going badly for years. She knew I would do everything to take care of the kids. However, she always saw me as invincible. I was the strong one in the family who could deal with anything. 

In the three words: "WHAT ABOUT ME," she realized I was not as strong as she thought. In those three words she realized I was venerable. In those three words she realized I was truly hurting inside. 

When the silence broke she said: "Kenny, I'm so sorry. I love you and know you've been dealing with this bad situation for a long time. All I can say is I'm sorry again for hurting you even more." I love my mother and knew she meant what she said. 

In the end everybody came out OK. My EX went on to have a rewarding career and married a great guy. My kids are doing great. My mother and I loved each other until she died at ninety.

Sooo, when was your last "WHAT ABOUT ME" moment? You probably have had many, but kept them inside. You probably have had many moments where you felt like the outside world has put you in second or third position. You probably think that when that happens I want you to stop keeping it inside and scream out: "WHAT ABOUT ME!" If you do, you're wrong.

"WHAT ABOUT ME" is a victim statement. "WHAT ABOUT ME" says others should feel sorry for you. "WHAT ABOUT ME" means you're not sure you can make a bad situation right. "WHAT ABOUT ME" states you don't have control of your happiness.

When I said: "WHAT ABOUT ME" to my mother, I felt every one of the things above. I know now I should have said to my mother: "Mom I know you're worried about the kids. I promise you I will make sure both my EX and my kids are OK. I just need to start a second chapter in my life so I can find real happiness. Mom I love you and I know you love me." 

I wasn't strong enough to make those statements back then. Are you strong enough to tell the outside world why they shouldn't treat you the way their treating you? Are you strong enough to love yourself even if they don't? Are you strong enough to focus on your happiness when they try to bring you down?

I can assure you that should I ever feel like a second class citizen again, I would never say:

"WHAT ABOUT ME"