Thanksgiving - It's Not About The Turkey

 

Thanksgiving - It's Not About The Turkey

 

A few years ago, I wrote a blog called "Thanksgiving - It's Not About The Turkey." I read it again and it still rings home with me and I hope it rings home with you. This is today's edited version.

 

Thanksgiving - It's Not About The Turkey

 

 

Thanks for the times you have given me

 

Thanks for my health even though I ache all over

 

Thanks for the friends and cousins who wish me well, have been there for me through Ellen's death and want me to be happy

 

Thanks for letting me turn 81 soon with my brain intact even though I have CRS (Can't Remember Shit)

 

Thanks for the next 13 years (November 11 (11/11) 2038) I plan to enjoy with all my heart

 

Thanks for my beautiful (both inside and outside) wife Ellen who always had me feel mighty, mighty real

Thanks for being so lucky to have found my wonderful wife Joyce. Finding true love at my age is incredtable

 

Thanks for a dad who taught me about the importance of hard work, never to lie and a strong moral compass

 

Thanks for a dad who gave me a bright brain and a wonderful sense of humor even though he also gave me bad bumpers (bad back, bad spine). It was a great tradeoff - thanks dad 

 

Thanks for a mom who loved and hugged me all the time.

 

Thanks for a mom who taught me to be tolerant to every race, religion and sexual orientation

 

Thanks for the money I've made that has enabled me to have choices in our American way of life

 

Thanks for Bob who got me to believe I was in control of my happiness and could choose happiness over negativism

 

Thanks for me, because since 40 years old I've been making all the right choices

 

Thanks for me because I love what I've become

 

Thanks for the people around the world who read my blogs and my books because it makes me feel valued

 

Thanks for my mentored clients who have enhanced their happiness because of something I gave to them

 

Thanks to all the people who give positive energy out to the Universe so they and the rest of us could have a better life

 

Thanks to America for giving me and most others a chance to create a better life

 

Thanks to all the people around the world who believe love, tolerance and freedom will win out over totalitarianism and terrorism

Thanks for still being alive after open heart surgery

  

To all of you on this wonderful holiday;

 

Focus On The Things To Be Thankful For - Not The Turkey

 

 

Will AI Make Your Life Better

 Will AI Make Your Life Better

Are you sure you know what AI is? Here is a simple definition of AI;

AI, or artificial intelligence, is the ability of a computer or robot to perform tasks that are commonly associated with intelligent beings, such as reasoning, learning, and decision-making. It's a field of computer science that develops systems capable of simulating human intelligence to perform tasks, analyze data, and make predictions or recommendations.  

Today, all AI bots are created by feeding the bots with information. That information comes from the internet and/or the human creating the bot. Therefore, if you are interacting with an AI bot, the responses you get could be the AI creator's personal attitude. So, if the creator is a far right wing person, the response you get from the bot is what you would get from a right wing person.

The companies who create AI for specific use are trying to only load the AI model with information related to that specific use. Therefore, if you're using an AI bot to get medical information, the information loaded into the model will only be medical information. 

An example could be you asking the AI bot, "what could cause the pain in my side." The AI bot would then sift through all the medical information it has to give you the most likely information. If you're calling an answering service, you may get an AI bot that will ask you for information so it can direct you to the right person or department. 

OK, so is AI going to make your life better. Using SIRI and Google has made my life better. However, I have called to get information and the AI bot's responses made me crazy and I had to say: "let me talk to a human person."

AI is different than all the other technologies created over the past. The main reason is that eventually (if not already) these bots will be able to think for themselves (see the movie AI). If used with safeguards, your life will be much better. If in the hands of bad people, AI could make life worse. The military (US and others) are using AI. I'm afraid governments will not respect those safeguards. That AI world is not one I want to live in.

Like it or not AI is here. Like all new technologies AI will not be good for everybody. Many jobs will be displaced. However, many new jobs will pop up. Most of us will be happier because of AI. Sooo, remember, you can't stop technology. If you want to be a happy person, you have to make technology work for you.

Oh, How I Miss My Loved Ones

 Oh, How I Miss My Loved Ones

I loved my father. I respected my father. He was the anchor of the family. I worked with him from 13 to 19 years old. I'm so thankful I got his sense of humor. He knew funny and we laughed a lot together. I'm so thankful I got his smart brain so we could talk to each other on many topics. I'm so thankful I got his moral compass (he never lied and I never lie). Then at 80, he got Parkinson's. Oh, how I miss the man he was.

My sister and I didn't talk for over 40 years. At 50 she got ovarian cancer. I put aside our differences and she did the same. We were 3000 apart but, we talked all the time. I saw her when I could and our times together were great. I lost her at 54. Oh, how I miss the smart, creative, interesting sister she was.

When I moved my mother from Philly to Los Angeles, I really got to know her. She was no longer just a housewife, she was a funny, sweet and loving person. She loved everyone and everyone loved her. I got most of my genes from her. When she went into a nursing home, I always had Tuesdays with Eddie. Oh, how I miss the hugs she gave me.

Then there was My Ellen. I would have never gotten thru my second divorce without her. We had a great 35 years together. She was outgoing and funny. People were attracted to her. I remember a time I picked her up at the airport. When she got off the plane four strangers were hugging her. She died suddenly of a heart attack. Oh, how I miss the good times with My Ellen.

I've lost friends in my life, but two have the biggest impact. Hal Tuens was the wind blowing through my hair. We worked together and we had great times together. He was the silver fox with women in every port. I was his sidekick. He died too young. Oh, how I miss those years with Hal.

By the time I married my love, my friend and my intelligent Joyce, I didn't have any family left (except recently Ethel found me on Facebook). Joyce had a huge family. The head of the family was my then brother-in-law Frank. He was the best brother a guy could have. Everyone loved Frank. His close friends became my friends. He was a uniter always getting everyone together. I only had a very short time with him before he died. Oh, how I miss the little time I had with him.

The reason I'm writing this blog is for you to take a step back and remember your missing loved ones. I hope you have more than a few. Especially think about the ones who have shaped your life. Especially the ones who have changed your life. Especially the ones who have made your life better and happier. Again, I hope you have more than a few.

Music And Happiness

 Music  And Happiness

I grew up with music. Music songs were happy in the 50s and early 60s. The Pat Boones of music was not my kind of music. Black rock and roll made me happy because it had a beat that you could dance to. I was a very good dancer.

When I look back on those times, it puts a smile on my face. When I hear the music of the groups like the Four Tops, The Spinners, The Bus Boys, The Platters, The Drifters, and the Temptations my body has a happy dance. Most of the lyrics if their song were about love and girls. My favorite line from the Temptations was and is, "she makes a blind man talk about see again."

It was rare that the lyrics were political or even negative. The one song I remember (again from the Temptations) was, "papa was a rolling stone." It depicted a life of a poor family where the father was non-existent. The bridge went, "Papa was a rolling stone, wherever he laid his hat was his home and when he died all he left us was alone." 

Back then, if you had a girlfriend, you had a song that was only your and your girlfriend's. Making out to that song and other favorite songs was what you did. Sharing records (the vinyl kind) with friends was fun. 

Some of us would sing some of the songs, as a group, on the street corner. I could do harmony and had a full range that went from bass to falsetto. The kids wanted me in the group. I loved making harmony with my friends.

As you can tell, those days were happy days for me. If you are much younger than I, you probably don't understand the importance of music growing up. Today there are so many distractions that music is just not that important. Back then I didn't have those distractions. 

I'm not saying the younger people don't enjoy their music. What I am saying is that back then, music was part of my sole. So much so, that even if can remember shit (CRS), I could sing five bars of hundreds of the songs I grew up with. Of the millions of reasons I love my Joyce is that she can sing those songs with me. Getting old is not all bad.

I hope this blog hits home with some of you. I hope you have music in your sole. I hope your music reminds you of happy times. If it does, play the ones you love best when life is not going as you would like.

Music And Happiness - What Is It Good For - Absolutely Everything.

You Are What You Believe

 You Are What You Believe

I truly believe I'm a good person. Because of my strong belief, I know the people who know me the best agree that I'm a good person. I have always believed that hard work will be rewarded and get me where I want in life. Because of that belief, I became a hard worker.

Some have a profound belief in religion. Has that belief made them religious - I think so. Has that profound belief shaped their life - I think so. Has that belief gotten them to do things with their life that a non-believer would not do - I think so.

The people who have a strong belief in social values, mostly live their lives adhering to those values. They are what they believe. People who are MEGA conservative, see the world as they believe. They are what they believe.

Who are you? What are you? Do the people who you interact with see you as you see yourself? Thinking you have no beliefs is bullshit. Trying hard to not show your beliefs to others is no way to live your life. Trying to hide your beliefs (and therefore not exposing who you really are) so others won't judge you or dislike you is also no way to live your life.

Be proud of what you believe. Let the world see who you are. You don't have to shove your beliefs down others throat, but you have to make it clear who you really are because,

You Are What You Believe