Halloween

Halloween

Today is Halloween and it brings back memories when I was young. My friends and I didn't have much money so we made a plan for Trick Or Tweet. We didn't have money for costumes so we put our shirt on backward and put on different colored masks over our eyes. 

The plan was simple. We didn't want to Trick Or Tweet in our neighborhood because all we would get was a few pieces of candy or worst yet, have to come into a neighbor's house so we could get an apple. Our goal was to find houses that gave out a few pennies or a nickel.

We would walk miles to a neighborhood of middle to upper middle class families (the real rich people were too far away). BTW, in the fifties a kid could walk alone without being beat-up or shot.

Once in the neighborhood we would seek out the money givers and communicate to each other who they were. Then we would switch shirts and masks so the other kid could go to the same house. We did get a lot of candy (no apples because these families took one look at us and would not let us inside) and by our standards a lot of money. AAH! Those were the good old days. 

Today, kids have to go with their parents (or they risk death) and unless someone gives you a dollar it's better to get candy because candy today is expensive and pennies or even a nickel isn't worth a shit. 

As adults we would have the most fun at Halloween parties. We made our own costumes which brought out the creative juices in all of us. One of my favorites was a friend who came in a tee shirt with a cereal box pasted on one side of his shirt and a bloody axe pasted on the other side of his shirt - Cereal Killer! 

Today, the store bought costumes are fantastic (if you can afford them) and the people who love Halloween are very nice. However, many homes don't even turn on their lights because they're afraid a kid in a costume might be carrying a gun. 

AAH! Halloween Is Just Not As Much Fun As The Good Old Days

15 Reasons To Wake Up Tomorrow

15 Reasons To Wake Up Tomorrow

1. As per my previous blog - "Dead Is Dead"
2. Oh the great smell of coffee in the morning
3. Reading about Trump's latest ridiculous statements with your coffee
4. Nothing better than a wonderful crap after your coffee and Trump's latest insult
5. Taking a fabulous hot shower in the morning before work or if you're retired (like me), taking a fabulous shower any dam time you want to
6. Getting into your wonderful car that cost more than you should pay and hearing the engine roar (unless you're in a hybrid or electric car that makes no starting noise at which time you might not give a shit about Reason #6)
7. Listening to Rock And Roll or Country Rock or some other pathetic music you like on your way to work
8. Working in a job you love or a job you hate, but has workers you like or the whole job thing stinks, but it feels so good when it stops.
9. Going home in your wonderful car and playing your favorite music (even if it's not Rock And Roll or Country Rock)
10. After work meeting up with your friends or your beautiful/handsome spouse
11. Having that first drink or that first puff of pot before dinner. BTW, the good thing about absolutely hating your job is the scotch just tastes that much better. Also,BTW, this is not true if you're a pot smoker because the high is the same even if you hate your job
12. Spending the rest of the night doing anything that makes you happy which makes life that much more to cherish
13. If you get lucky or it's just that time of the week, there is nothing better (in my opinion) than having great sex with the one you love or just someone who is as horny as you. BTW, if it's more than a week it's not the worst thing that can happen to you. "However, if it's more than six months, you better look into it (Woody Alan in Annie Hall)"
14. Going to sleep strongly believing life is grand and you're going to wake up tomorrow
    
15. Being absolutely sure that the best reason to want to wake up tomorrow is because "Dead Is Dead"
    

Dead Is Dead

Dead Is Dead

Don't we all want to believe that when we die we go to a better place? Well, I've got a news flash for everyone - Dead Is Dead. Now, I understand that my blogs are supposed to be uplifting and help people find happiness, but even with my positive attitude, I have to admit that Dead Is Dead.

The Pope says that Heaven is a fantastic place for those who deserve to go there. However, the Pope also says that suicide is a sin. What am I missing here? If I'm a wonderful person why wouldn't I want to go to a place that is even better than life here on earth? The answer is simple, as much as we want to believe we're going to a much better place when we die, deep down we know - Dead Is Dead.

Many other religions also believe that we will go to a wonderful place after death. However, a very small few (thankfully) believe that being a suicide bomber isn't a sin. As a matter of fact they encourage their followers to blow God loving people up. 

How could anyone with a brain in their head believe that they will be allowed to go to this Heavenly place by killing people who love "God" as much or more than they do? Again, the crazies who are encouraging these weak minded people know the truth - Dead Is Dead.

Sooo, to me, it's pretty obvious that having a great life here on earth is the way to go. Now, if someone (and it only takes one) comes back from this so called fabulous place and gives me the details, I will change my mind and admit Dead Is NOT Dead. However, we all know nobody is coming back.

OK, here is what I want to believe. When I die my body is either going into the ground or into the furnace. However, my energy is going out to the Universe. The Universe is not a Heavenly place, it's just a place where all energy is stored to be returned to another body sometime in the future.

I know that sounds like Si-Fy, but that's what I choose to believe. Now, if I'm right, the more "positive" energy stored into the Universe will come back as "positive" energy. The more people (bodies) with "positive" energy the better life here on earth will become. 

Even though I believe Dead Is Dead, 

I'm optimistic the human race will one day live in a fantastic place (Heaven as some like to call it) right here on earth.

Time Keeps On Slipping Slipping Slipping

Time Keeps On Slipping Slipping Slipping

Are you someone who has just the right amount of time in the day, week, month and year? Are you someone who has too much time on your hands? Are you someone who feels time keeps on slipping, slipping, slipping away?

I don't know of anybody who would tell me they have just the right amount of time. Maybe a baby who still saying: "ga, ga - goog, goog" or sadly someone with a brain disorder. Hell, even teenagers think that time is going too slow.

Then there are people who have too much time on their hands. Those people are either unemployed or haven't planned for retirement. Drug dealers or prisoners probably have too much time on their hands, but most normal people wouldn't want that for themselves just to have more time. 

Sooo, that leaves us with the majority of us who feel that time is slipping, slipping, slipping away. No matter how hard we try we just can't stop it. Not only can't we go back in time, we, in our lifetime, will not be able to jump time. Our only choice is to embrace time as is slips away.

My way of embracing time is to try to do something productive every day. Productive means that you actually have produced or created something. Knitting a sweater is productive. Creating a painting (even if it sucks) is productive. Getting better at playing the guitar is productive. Creating a blog is productive.

Watching mindless TV is not productive (exclusive of documentaries). Reading a mindless book is not productive. Learning something, you didn't know before, from a book is productive. 

Many would say: "but, the mindless stuff keeps me busy." That's true, but just keeping busy is giving up the most precious thing you have in life - Time. While you're busy not being productive your precious time is slipping, slipping, slipping away.

When time finally catches up to you, will you look back and say: "I shoulda done this or I coulda done that?" The purpose of life is not getting through it unscathed. The purpose of life is to leave something behind. Leave something that you and maybe others can be proud of. 

Time is NOT on your side. Try your best to take advantage of the time you have left. 

Don't Just Sit There And Let Time Slip, Slip, Slip Away

Premonition - Seeing Into The Future

Premonition - Seeing Into The Future

 Let's start with the definition:

Simple Definition of premonition

• : a feeling or belief that something is going to happen when there is no definite reason to believe it will

Source: Merriam-Webster's Learner's Dictionary

I've had two premonitions in my life. The first one was that the Houston Rockets basketball team was going to win the NBA championship and the other was that I was going to live to the year 2038. The first one came true many years ago. The second one is yet to be determined.

Have you ever had a premonition? Most would say no, but why do we sometimes look over our shoulder when we're alone on a dark street? Have you ever experienced Deja Vu?

Simple Definition of déjà vu

• : the feeling that you have already experienced something that is actually happening for the first time
• : something that has happened many times before : something that is very familiar

Source: Merriam-Webster's Learner's Dictionary

Some of you would say yes to that question. On my wife's first trip to Amsterdam she was adamant that she had been there before. Sooo, what the hell is really going on?

If we can really see into the future that means the future is predetermined. Even though I truly believe that I'm going to live to the year 2038, I have a hard time believing that the future is NOT random. I have a hard time believing that the events of today DON'T shape the events of the future.

However, what if the events of today are predetermined? That would mean that we are predetermined to act a curtain way today to create a predictable future. WOW, my brain hurts just thinking about what I just said.

When we wake up in the morning is our day already planned or is shit just going to happen in a random way? Intellectually, we believe we have control of our day while knowing that random things are going to happen outside of our control. We believe it's our choices on how we react to those random happenings that will make the day be what it going to be.

My blogs are all about convincing you that you have the power to react in a positive way when random bullshit tries to bring you down. At the same time I believe much more is happening around me that I can't control. Since I believe in premonition and Deja Vu, then I have to believe there is a force going on that I can't see, touch or feel. 

I'm not talking about religious God stuff - I'm talking about the Universe. 

I guess this blog is as confusing to you as it is to me. Just writing about this is hurting my head. I woke up today with all these thought in my head and I had to get them down on paper. If anyone out there can clear up this confusion, please write me back.

Is there anyone out there who has:

A Premonition That Will Explain It All Or Is Today's Blog Just A Bunch Of Bullshit

How To Choose A Career

How To Choose A Career

A few of those who read my blogs are retired or don't have a job. Most of those who read my blogs have a job and a career they have been in for a long, long time. However, far too many of those readers either don't like the job/career they are in or wish they would have chosen a different path.

Sooo, how did you get into this fine mess? Some just followed in their Father or Mother's footsteps. Some got into their path because the outside told them this is the career you should take. Some took a path that they believed would make more money than some other path. Some just fell into a path when they were young and never looked back.

What happened to that little boy or girl who wanted to be a Fireman or a TV Star? Yes, there are a few that actually fulfilled their boyhood/young girl dream. Most are happy with their choice - some are not. 

My boyhood dream was to be involved (in any way) with sports. I wasn't good enough to play a sport at a professional level, but it would have been just as rewarding washing jockstraps. Knowing me, if I would have taken that path I would have had many promotions and become a significant contributor to a sports team.

I can't complain because I'm one of the lucky ones that fell into a career in the High-Tech Industry. It was not only profitable, it was mentally rewarding. The path that wasn't as rewarding happened because they continued promoting me to management. I could have said no, but who says no to more money and prestige? Also, I was a dam good manager and proud of what my teams accomplished.

However, if I would have stayed being a computer programmer I would have made just as much money and would not have the pressure of management. If I had the chance to do it all over again, I would have chosen washing jockstraps.

Is it too late to change your job or your career? There are a few answers to that question. When you're retired you can choose any career you want. By saving enough money to retire makes it a lot easier to choose a career that makes you happy without the burden of having to bring home the bacon. 

If you're not retired, your career change choices are more complicated, more risky and probably have an impact on someone other than yourself. Sooo, what's a person to do? That depends on many things. How unhappy are you? How much risk are you willing to take? Will taking a step back cause so much financial harm to you or your loved ones that it's just not worth it?

I can't answer these questions for you. I stayed until I couldn't take it any more then retired early at 62. I do believe staying miserable in a job/career will not only make for an unhappy life, it will also shorten your lifespan. 

To me the right answer is to save as much money as you can NOW. Only spend money on things that make you happy, not on things that aren't necessary. Don't become house poor. Don't become car poor. Remember what I've always said: "the real purpose of having money is to have choices. More money - more choices. Less money - less choices."

Ninety percent of career changes require you to live on less money. I'm living on less money, but I've never been happier than I am now. Therefore, don't make changing a career a snap choice. Plan a career change. Set a goal, do all the things you have to do to meet that goal and execute that career change when you have a positive answer to the questions I raised above.

I assure you that if you make a career change for your happiness, all good things will follow.

A Romantic

A Romantic

What makes a man a romantic? For those men out there you're probably thinking why is this about men. The simple answer is most women consider themselves romantic and most men don't.  Let's start with the definition of A Romantic:

romantic

adjective ro·man·tic \rō-ˈman-tik, rə-\

Simple Definition of romantic

• : of, relating to, or involving love between two people
• : making someone think of love : suitable for romance
• : thinking about love and doing and saying things to show that you love someone

Source: Merriam-Webster's Learner's Dictionary

If that simple definition is true than I'm more romantic than I thought.  I love my wife, I hug her all the time, I tell her I love her often sooo, I must be a romantic.  However, I don't do some of the things most women think is romantic.

I don't send flowers on her birthday. I don't do it because flowers die. That's not romantic to me.  I don't buy her things without her being involved in the purchase. The reason is I suck at picking just the right thing. The few times I've tried, I get a hug, but she just takes it back to the store and gets something she likes much better.

My friend John knows just the right thing to get his wife. She loves everything he buys her. Is he more romantic than me - many women would think so.

I have other men friends who remember birthdays/anniversaries and buy just the right things for their wives. However, they almost never hug her or tell her they love her. Are those friends more romantic than I - again some women might say yes. 

My definition of romantic is: "loving your Spouse and letting him or her know so. Remembering important events and acknowledging those events by hugging, a romantic card and/or taking your Spouse on a trip or a dinner place you know they will love. Lastly, and most important, being an excellent Spouse all year long not just on major events."

Even though many women might disagree, by my definition I'm 

A Very Romantic Guy