tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51664784637759270252024-02-07T02:01:38.677-07:00~Bluudy's Blog~The Babbling Blog of Bluudy~BG~http://www.blogger.com/profile/07879867134852436901noreply@blogger.comBlogger44125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5166478463775927025.post-62596257106457308462014-07-03T14:31:00.001-06:002014-07-03T14:57:20.580-06:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In about 1 weeks’ time, we will be packing up and leaving…<br />
<br />
Leaving a place that for the last (almost) 5 years we have
called home!</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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In this place, we grew to know each other – our likes,
dislikes, arguments, and partnered adulation's. We have both gone through
emotional and physical struggles in our personal lives, and experienced life as
we had both hoped to live before we had found each other. Since finding each
other, living together, marrying each other …. I have found that life couldn't
be any better, nor could have been shared with anyone more capable of
encapsulating the word beautiful.<br />
<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
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We have added our personal touch to a place that was an
abode for everything that we held true to our-selves in an attempt to strengthen
our friendship and build a familial structure – I believe we have been
successful!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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</div>
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Sometimes we argue, sometimes we laugh, sometimes we love,
sometimes we cry – we are human to the core, but have remained true to each
other every step of the way.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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As we will have ties and memories of our first place, (really
the only dwelling we have known since the beginning), fresh memories will begin
to unfold as our new domicile begins to take shape – you had asked me two
questions when I found this place:<br />
<br />
1) Can you see us having children here?, and
2) Can you see us growing old together here?<br />
<br />
I believe the answer to both of those is
an exciting and prodigious YES!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
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<o:p></o:p>~BG~http://www.blogger.com/profile/07879867134852436901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5166478463775927025.post-22149264062326778612014-02-15T22:46:00.001-07:002014-02-15T22:46:59.886-07:00Tom Hummel<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Job: 9; 27; “If I say
“I will forget my complaint; I will change my expression and smile.”</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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It’s interesting to remember that in the beginning there was
a warm and welcoming smile.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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It was one that didn’t judge, but welcomed in full of joy.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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An acceptance of at first being kind in return, and
experiencing a fun loving environment, held together by the notion that all was
right under his household.</div>
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<br /></div>
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A lover of the Outdoors;
Humor; Picnics; Baseball; Scouts; God.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Early in life, afternoons were spent in the home of my best
friend, Ben Hummel. Under the watchful eye of Lynn, or Gigi as she was known to
us kids, we would play outside, or attempt to reach high scores on this new
awesome game called brick-out and wait for someone to pick us up after school.
We would enjoy cook-outs by Tom and the backyard grill, and Scotty frolicking
around from an unseen and unbreakable bond. (Later on, the mantle would be
picked up by Goldie.)<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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When venturing to King Soopers, it was not so uncommon to
see Tom in the deli department, whereupon he would take time to visit and even
when busy would give a smile and a wave. Sometimes, I would go to the store and
just chat with him – he had that welcoming soul, and kind heart.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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When a traumatic event happened to me in high school, my
family and I moved to the other side of town. I eventually lost touch with Ben,
as when his senior year had ended, he unbeknownst to me also moved to the other
side of town to his grandmother’s ranch home. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Having been in a dark place after my event, there weren’t
too many people I wanted to be around.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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I had the idea to drive by Ben’s old Aurora home in search
of reconnecting; alas I found an empty house.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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I drove to the old King Soopers in search of that familiar
warm greeting – also not to be found.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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When my life had got back on track, how odd and at the same
time a relief it was to see at the local King Soopers in my new and unfamiliar
surroundings across town the warm smile I had been searching for.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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It was Tom. Stocking the deli shelves, just as I had ever
known him to do. And with him, his trademark smile as if no time had passed at
all. A little grayer, but so was I. But a good, kind-hearted smile never fades.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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I was able to reconnect with my childhood friend.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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If it hadn’t been for the guiding light that was Tom, Ben
would not have been my Best Man at my wedding.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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But what really constitutes a Best Man?</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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The measure of a Best Man are the morals and ethics by which
he lives: True, kind, selfless, giving, self-sacrificing, genuine, forgiving,
accepting – these are attributes of a Best Man; the qualities of which have
been passed down to Tom’s sons Ben, Dan, Tommy, Ted, and Chris, all of whom I have considered brothers.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The last time I saw Tom, he was in a nursing home of sorts
while his internal suffering was increasing.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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What amazed me the most is that without complaint, he beamed
his smile to me as if no time had passed at all; no fear, no pain – a smile to
carry on, and a memory to hold.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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This is Tom Hummel.<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
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<br /></div>
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<br />
Respect is taken, when respect is given...</div>
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<br /></div>
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Namaste and Slainte<br />
~BG~</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
~BG~http://www.blogger.com/profile/07879867134852436901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5166478463775927025.post-2860618111471954052014-02-14T16:24:00.002-07:002014-02-14T16:30:04.064-07:00The Third of Which: Love<div class="MsoNormal">
Love. I know, sappy. Especially if you know me, this seems
to be true!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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There is no way around it! It’s a feeling that supersedes
lust. It is more common to have lust at first sight, than love at first sight.
It is a rare thing indeed to find someone at the first look and just know this
person is the one – it’s love, and it’s just a feeling - you know what I’m
talking about and can only explain it if you ever felt it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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I believe animals feel this sense of love, too. You can see
it in their eyes and actions of happiness, loyalty, and trust. Rescuing a pet
from a shelter or otherwise unwanted environment and letting them know love is the greatest gift they can
receive, no matter how short or long may be their time with us.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Sometimes all it takes is a short time to realize what love
is; to reaffirm what loving unconditionally means, even in the face of a
traumatic event – it’s knowing individually what love is and personally means
that draws us closer to this aspect of human conditioning.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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A sense of belonging, and closeness.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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A notion of butterflies when you go on Date #1 or Date
#1000.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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The heartbreaking pang of loneliness when a person that you
love is not near or no longer here.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Love is as great a thing as it is heartbreaking – and it’s
awesome.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />
Respect is taken, when respect is given…<br />
<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Namaste and Slainte<br />
~BG~<o:p></o:p></div>
~BG~http://www.blogger.com/profile/07879867134852436901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5166478463775927025.post-40185961267995488702014-02-07T14:02:00.000-07:002014-02-07T14:08:08.606-07:00The Second Installment...<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The Second of which is: <i><u><b>Family</b></u></i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">What is family? What makes a good family structure?<br />
<br />
For me it’s the bond that is shared between groups of people that no matter
what, you are there for each other. It’s a love that can only be explained by
having roots that form deep in the soul and a sense of belonging in long
standing traditions from generations of history.<br />
<br />
Family hardens the personal morals and ethics that keep us grounded, and we
pass these down to whomever we meet, and to the family we might eventually
create.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">What if you don’t have a family directly? You don’t know
where you came from? Displaced?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Your best of friends are often the best family. It’s still
the camaraderie between like-minded individuals; striving toward the ultimate
goal of sharing life with the people that make it bearable to live.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">It’s the soothing notion that when you drive across town or
country that open arms will be waiting for you; the notion that when you pick
up the phone and make a call it will be like no time passed at all.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Extended Family gives an all new meaning to the term family.
It encompasses a whole new life that is shared with a loved one. The extended
family is like a family you never knew existed, yet always knew were there. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">They are the newest edition to life that makes sharing a life with a loved one
so worthwhile.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">A lot of time has passed since the writing of my first part
almost two years ago…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">…Including marrying that girl I told you about - 09/13/12<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Respect is taken, when respect is given…</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Namaste and Slainte</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">
~BG~<o:p></o:p></span></div>
~BG~http://www.blogger.com/profile/07879867134852436901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5166478463775927025.post-4502953813155142252012-06-30T09:11:00.001-06:002014-02-07T14:08:23.095-07:00The First of 3<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u>A new stage in my life begins soon, and there are three
points I wish to reflect upon.</u><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The first of which is: <i><u><b>Friends</b></u></i>.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Through life, in every step of the way, the friends are what
help guide us in the social realm. Through the many ups and downs of a
friendship, there is always a friend around to help guide us through whichever time
we are experiencing. Guidance is such a loose term to describe what we actually
get from a friendship, but the path we walk often makes us stumble and we are
always grateful of the helping hand we receive. Or the path may show us something
funny, and we have a friend with which to laugh.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There is always the friend we can go to when the worst of
times happens. The shoulder and ear they provide is immeasurably coveted at
every ill step. The one that is there, no matter what; a text, a call, or a
meet they always take the time to make everything better.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Then there is the friend that makes us goofy, because we can
act goofy and feel safe doing so. There is always a laugh and a smile to be
had, and it doesn't matter the current disposition, good times are always had.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There may even be friends that are no longer with us, but
have left a lasting impression one way or another. And to them I say Thank You.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There are also the friends that you might have known for 30
years! Those are the ones that have such a deep incalculable meaning, that they are here for a lifetime. Then there are the ones that you may have met recently, that you just have that feeling you will be in good contact with for a long time to come. Friends are all so uniquely different, there is no telling when you might meet the next one!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I am so very proud of the friends I have in life; to be able
to share good times and sympathize during the rough times. They have all shaped
my life into the person I am today, and I am a better person because of them.
And as I venture to the next stage in life, I tell you all – I appreciate your worth
in how you have enriched my life.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I once had in my Email signature “A person without a soul
friend, is a person without a head.” Friends keep us grounded in everything we
do.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I am also lucky to have found in a person the one true
friend that I can always go to whenever something is troubling me, and the one
who makes me laugh constantly - I get to marry her in September.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
Respect is taken, when respect is given ...<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Namaste and Slainte<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
~BG~<o:p></o:p></div>
~BG~http://www.blogger.com/profile/07879867134852436901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5166478463775927025.post-18756619971545618982010-01-03T10:59:00.001-07:002014-02-07T10:25:22.017-07:00New Year AnewFull of so many new wondrous endeavors complete with many new and exciting people!<br />
<br />
How awesome is it that technology can help people re-connect, as I have with several people from my past, or connect with brand new ones? That’s why I’m in the technology field!<br />
<br />
Hear hear to the Johnny Snows! What an awesomely good group of people!<br />
<br />
My two best friends are still in my life, for which I am eternally grateful...<br />
<br />
So many life altering events have taken place this past year! But one I feel compelled to write about more than most…<br />
<br />
When I was 10 or so, I had a vision of the number 32. The next couple of years I had a couple more visions relating to this number, with scenes I would equate to having to do with my age. Some were very dark, and for a long time those dark scenes were all I could remember. These visions translated that something life-altering would come about during this age in my life. I now know that it was for the positive, as I have met the woman of my dreams-that I in fact had a vision of at a very young age. If not for technology and Facebook, I would never have found her. The fates, once again, steered me onto this path with her almost a year and a half ago, and I’m so glad that we started dating over the summer!<br />
<br />
Moving in with her, thusly sharing my life with her, is the biggest life-altering experience I could have hoped for…moral of this story is to never give up, even when life seems darkest. Thinking positively only brings you the very brightest of stars and dreams come true…<br />
<br />
Here’s to a great 2010, with many more brilliant endeavors and fantastic people with awesomely great times ahead!<br />
<br />
Respect is taken, when respect is given...<br />
<br />
Namaste and Slainte!<br />
~BG~~BG~http://www.blogger.com/profile/07879867134852436901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5166478463775927025.post-76708385634647221962009-12-25T13:06:00.000-07:002014-02-07T10:25:49.384-07:00True Christmas“Let us pray that strength and courage abundant be given to all who work for a world of reason and understanding, that the good that lies in every man’s heart may day by day be magnified, that men will come to see more clearly not that which divides them, but that which unites them, that each hour may bring us closer to a final victory, not of nation over nation, but of man over his own evils and weaknesses, that the true spirit of this Christmas season — it’s joy, its beauty, its hope, and above all its abiding faith — may live among us, that the blessings of peace be ours — the peace to build and grow, to live in harmony and sympathy with others, and to plan for the future with confidence.”<br />
<br />
Something my grandma had hand transcribed 60 years ago - she had kept this as a prayer ever since...<br />
<br />
Respect is taken, when respect is given...<br />
<br />
Namaste and Slainte<br />
~BG~~BG~http://www.blogger.com/profile/07879867134852436901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5166478463775927025.post-25286841286501103202009-07-21T21:24:00.000-06:002014-02-07T10:25:00.468-07:00Emotion MotionThe past few days have been a whirlwind of emotional highs and lows. I don't think I've ever had quite this many all at one time! Strangely honorific, in the sense that I had the pleasure to experience them all at once!<br />
<br />
My best friend Ben I have known since I was six, and since first grade. We've been running around together ever since! I call him my best friend, because we're so oddly different in almost every ideology. That doesn't seem to matter since we always seem to have a good time in each other's company. We know what not to talk about, it seems, out of respect for what the other might believe - but that leaves so much more to just babble and reminisce - it's a great emotion of compassion and sentimentality knowing I have a friend as great as he...<br />
<br />
The end of one of the best summers yet, and the beginning of the work week. This summer break has been awesome, in that I got to see so many Kansas family members, and met a few new ones that are a wonderful edition to have been able to get to know! New places with a new great group of people (Stop it now I mean it! Anybody have a peanut? lol), have been exciting! Roswell and Estes Park were supremely grand getaways! And the beginning of another awesome year at a job I love, brings emotions of anticipation and optimism to fruition...<br />
<br />
A small furry friend passed away, and it was disheartening to say the least. He meant so much to so many, that he was not just a pet, but a member of a clan - an extensive clan comprised and compiled of many well-to-do good people, that I shared in their loss with sadness, grief, and sorrow ... <br />
<br />
I talked at length with a friend about emotion Monday night, and how it might play tricks at times, or maybe it is the real thing each time an occurance that resembles that emotion presents itself. I'd like to think that emotions never change, they are always true, but the people and places within them are the only things that change. This is a friend that we share oddly similar views on almost everything. Emotions of zest, contentment, cheerfulness, pride, passion, exhilleration, enthrallment and the list can go on and on, is what this friend has given to me all at once- but most of all, I give this friend my utmost respect...<br />
<br />
So my several part question is can emotion be controlled, should it be controlled, or it should be left alone to soak in all that humanity has to offer? (Even if it does come all at once ;-)<br />
<br />
Respect is taken, when respect is given ...<br />
<br />
Namaste and Slainte<br />
~BG~~BG~http://www.blogger.com/profile/07879867134852436901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5166478463775927025.post-4333275974019386862009-06-29T00:18:00.001-06:002009-06-29T00:18:33.658-06:00"This truth fand honest Tam O"Shanter, As he frae Ayr ae night did canter..."R.B.~BG~http://www.blogger.com/profile/07879867134852436901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5166478463775927025.post-36970340293307444492009-06-25T22:01:00.000-06:002014-02-07T10:26:32.187-07:00Memory From A MovieI’ve always stated that I love watching films and movies, because it gives us a glimpse into what another might be thinking; and as it turns out, they sometimes are thinking of the same things we are. Imagine that!<br />
<br />
Watching a movie today brought back a memory of my grandparents, my grandma in particular. The basic phrase was, “Passing things on to our grandchildren, assures us that we’ll live on after we’re gone.”<br />
<br />
And that’s how you know you love someone – watching a film, made through someone else’s eyes, that brings a tear to the eye, because of a shared memory.<br />
<br />
Yes, I did happen to think of my own grandma, whom passed 2 years ago. But, then I got to thinking, in movies it’s usually based on something material, a possession that’s passed through a multi-generational facet of something tangible. For me, it was ideals and notions, of ethics and morality, instilled in me that will stay a lifetime that I, too, hope to one day pass on …<br />
<br />
It’s the little things in life that seem to mean so much … slow things down, or you might just miss out on something grand …<br />
<br />
Respect is taken, when respect is given …<br />
<br />
Namaste and Slainte<br />
~BG~~BG~http://www.blogger.com/profile/07879867134852436901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5166478463775927025.post-81622257154570674142009-06-14T14:47:00.001-06:002014-02-07T10:26:47.205-07:00The Blind Men and the ElephantThe Blind Men and the Elephant – John Godfrey Saxe (1816-1887)<br />
<br />
“”It was six men of Indostan<br />
To learning much inclined,<br />
Who went to see the Elephant<br />
(Though all of them were blind)<br />
That each by observation<br />
Might satisfy the mind.<br />
<br />
The first approached the Elephant<br />
And happening to fall<br />
Against his broad and sturdy side<br />
At once began to bawl:<br />
"Bless me, it seems the Elephant<br />
Is very like a wall".<br />
<br />
The second, feeling of his tusk,<br />
Cried, "Ho! What have we here<br />
So very round and smooth and sharp?<br />
To me 'tis mighty clear<br />
This wonder of an Elephant<br />
Is very like a spear".<br />
<br />
The third approached the animal,<br />
And happening to take<br />
The squirming trunk within his hands,<br />
Then boldly up and spake:<br />
"I see," quoth he, "the Elephant<br />
Is very like a snake."<br />
<br />
The Fourth reached out an eager hand,<br />
And felt about the knee.<br />
"What most this wondrous beast is like<br />
Is mighty plain," quoth he;<br />
"'Tis clear enough the Elephant<br />
Is very like a tree!"<br />
<br />
The Fifth, who chanced to touch the ear,<br />
Said: "E'en the blindest man<br />
Can tell what this resembles most;<br />
Deny the fact who can,<br />
This marvel of an Elephant<br />
Is very like a fan!"<br />
<br />
The Sixth no sooner had begun<br />
About the beast to grope,<br />
Than, seizing on the swinging tail<br />
That fell within his scope,<br />
"I see," quoth he, "the Elephant<br />
Is very like a rope!"<br />
<br />
And so these men of Indostan<br />
Disputed loud and long,<br />
Each in his own opinion<br />
Exceeding stiff and strong,<br />
Though each was partly in the right<br />
And all were in the wrong.<br />
<br />
So oft in theologic wars,<br />
The disputants, I ween,<br />
Rail on in utter ignorance<br />
Of what each other mean,<br />
And prate about an Elephant<br />
Not one of them has seen!””<br />
<br />
Think about this the next time you meet someone, or someone meets you – interests differ depending on the perspective, yet none are wrong – just different. We are drawn to people for different reasons, and those reasons should be respected as such; yet when someone new comes along, it will be respect for yet another reason.<br />
<br />
I think it’s more of an understanding that you will see this person in a different light and must be adjusted as such, rather than “training” someone. Adhere to the reasons that make this person respect you for a reason other than what was given by someone else.<br />
<br />
Don’t be blind to the fact that everyone has something to offer …<br />
<br />
Respect is taken, when Respect is given …<br />
<br />
Namaste and Slainte<br />
~BG~~BG~http://www.blogger.com/profile/07879867134852436901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5166478463775927025.post-38137264114693118552009-03-13T08:32:00.001-06:002014-02-07T10:56:08.916-07:00Starbucks and the BucksStarbucks a few times a year makes a percentage donation from sales of certain types of drinks, benefiting some charitable organization – most recently it happened to be Project Red, which helps fight AIDS in Africa. Many people who are against corporations came out to say that if one were to donate directly to the cause itself, that organization would see more of the money.<br />
<br />
You know, I'm agreeing with many of the nay-sayers that the donations I make directly to these foundations and charities is more significant than what Starbucks offers - But damn few of us give direct donations. Even a small portion of all the coffee drinks they produce daily is helluva lot more than I'd likely be able to donate myself. This won't stop personal donations, and is just an additional supplemental source of funding. In the current economic recession here in the US, this is a way to provide a great deal of money, even if it is only $.05 at a time, when many larger and smaller donors are cutting back on charitable donations. Not to mention, now we're putting power of even $.05 from perhaps tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of individuals who are unlikely to be donating a nickel or anything else. (And since I belong to a non-profit, I can attest to the underfunding aspect of economic recession.)<br />
<br />
This is a BUSINESS though, and they have no requirements on charitable obligations. I say thank you and kudos! Get me a triple tall latte, please!!<br />
<br />
A very loose real number would be Starbucks gross profit margin. It’s currently about 19.2%. Taken loosely that means off of your $4 latte, Starbucks makes 77 cents. So even after they give to Project (Red) they still make 72 cents. That’s a cost to them of 6.5% of their gross profit from the sale.<br />
<br />
Lets do a little math:<br />
<br />
For every 100 latte's they normally sell:<br />
Donation to Project (Red): $5<br />
Starbuck's gross profit (after the donation): $72<br />
Starbuck's lost gross Profit: $5.<br />
<br />
Number of additional Latte's they need to sell to make up for the lost $5: 7<br />
So for each 100 latte's they normally sell, they need to sell an additional 7 latte's to have their profit unaffected by the donation.<br />
<br />
This also doesn't take into account that Starbucks will get a tax break on their donation.<br />
And they're still a business, so I ask again what local non-corporate entity has the power and resources to DONATE millions every year to various non-profits associated with rejuvenating the lands, people, and culture that grow their precious beans, or house a precious commodity?<br />
<br />
You should probably take a look and read over their annual CSR to find out what they actually GIVE away each year to global non-profits (without a mass marketing campaign, I might add), before making lofty folderol. The prices quoted are fair. According to their Fiscal 2008 Q4 report, they were down almost a dollar in stock - a 7 year low - with 2008 seeing a ~$200M loss. Q1 2009 already saw a .50c drop, due to pressure from the housing market.<br />
<br />
Not to mention that a few of the Starbucks in my area donate all of the overstocked food products and GIVE it to homeless shelters. And all of the grinds go into my garden every year. And all of the donation boxes that a couple of my stores have MATCH donations.<br />
<br />
It would seem then, in the end, the idea of a corporation is much more detrimental to the psyche, than the actual good they can accomplish. True, not all major corporations donate and make good by helping where and how they can, but it’s not fair to those that do (with little understanding) to lump them all together.<br />
<br />
Respect is given, when respect is taken ...<br />
<br />
Namaste and Slainte<br />
~BG~~BG~http://www.blogger.com/profile/07879867134852436901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5166478463775927025.post-39968544706020069262009-03-05T15:39:00.000-07:002014-02-07T10:27:04.204-07:00Respectful Rewards"As long as you're trying to be somebody else, the best you can ever hope for is second best. If you're genuine and consistent even those that disagree with you will be respectful of you." ~ Paul Harvey<br />
<br />
And that's why Paul Harvey will be missed. His story telling ability was spot on each and every time, able to spin a yarn into something believable and unbiased. But, unfortunately, this isn't about Paul Harvey. This is almost in continuation of the Assistive Rewards post.<br />
<br />
The world is full of questions, and the answers are rarely sought out. Politicians are exceptional at spinning a question into another question, as if that is itself the answer. So we are left questioning, and second-guessing our choices all the time. We ask "what if" too much, and not accept things as they are, in my opinion.<br />
<br />
Can you really argue that trying to be like someone else, or what someone else wants you to be is beneficial to anyone? Sounds more like superficial.<br />
<br />
Isn’t being genuine a sure fire way of grabbing someone’s attention? Everyone has what others will perceive as faults, that’s a given, and usually only on the outside and upfront. But isn’t that what can grow a healthy discussion, is taking those faults, accepting them, and maybe realizing that there is always more than one way to look at something?<br />
<br />
There should always be some modicum of leaving some subjects alone, because you know that you will agree to disagree to which you leave it be, and that’s where civility comes into play. In the end, I’ve garnered respect for folk that have been able to logically convey their thoughts and feelings toward a particular subject, than haphazardly throwing something out there just because the feeling that that is the end all of everything.<br />
<br />
The back-story leads into the whole story – if only what’s on top is taken, and nothing underneath is perused through, then you’ll never know … the rest of the story.<br />
<br />
I always end my blogs and posts in one simple line:<br />
<br />
Respect is taken, when respect is given …<br />
<br />
Namaste and Slainte<br />
~BG~~BG~http://www.blogger.com/profile/07879867134852436901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5166478463775927025.post-67899686173965899292009-03-05T14:00:00.001-07:002014-02-07T10:27:40.772-07:00Assistive RewardsAssistive Rewards<br />
<br />
Is there a reward for doing something that comes second nature? If a person does something that is a reward in someone’s eyes, does the one helping actually see it that way, or is it without thought?<br />
<br />
What is it when someone helps on a grand scale, but seeks a reward – how is it different than helping one person, but seek nothing in return? How is reward defined? Is a reward a given in any situation no matter what happens?<br />
<br />
Have you ever been the one that helps someone, only to feel a sense of let-down when nothing happened after the fact? Have you ever worked in a group of people, no matter the size, where you felt good about the deed that was done, but there was no reward, so to speak? Isn’t completion of the deed in itself the reward?<br />
<br />
What if by proxy of a mandate of effort you are given an award that you didn’t necessarily do anything to deserve? How does doing nothing constitute being rewarded?<br />
<br />
In our blue ribbon society, everybody is supposed to win – but what about the people actually putting forth effort to achieve something greater than being rewarded …<br />
<br />
Respect is given, when respect is taken …<br />
<br />
Namaste and Slainte<br />
~BG~~BG~http://www.blogger.com/profile/07879867134852436901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5166478463775927025.post-78271142310434786672009-02-17T20:08:00.000-07:002014-02-07T10:28:10.747-07:00Internet StimulusWhat people want to hear …<br />
<br />
What people want to believe …<br />
<br />
Somewhere in between …<br />
<br />
And then there’s the truth.<br />
<br />
Be aware of the machine; fight against the machine; realize that surveillance can be avoided by how much personal information is available to the machine.<br />
<br />
Live off-grid as much as possible.<br />
<br />
Net Neutrality was a huge issue in the recent stimulus package. Net Neutrality makes it impossible for the big phone and cable companies to tax us for faster speed and broader access to the Internet – which is supposed to be free, in a long list of failing freedoms of choice. It is a choice for us to use, not a choice for them to control. Ever wonder how the sites of the big phone and Internet providers have faster load times; or even the sites associated with these companies?<br />
<br />
Since their primary objective is money, they self-proclaim as the “Internet Gatekeepers”.<br />
<br />
February 7th, 2009, marked a start time where Limbaugh, Dobbs and other Republican cronies, lobbied for McCain to strip the “Internet Freedom Preservation Act 2008 (HR5353)” (co-written in bi-partisan form) from the recent stimulus package, thereby stripping thousands of jobs from middle class workers, spoiling technology in the classroom; crawling education, banking, health and human services to a standstill; and every single company that uses the internet for their business would have to comply with the wishes of one controlling entity. I shudder to think of what will happen to all the small business owners that rely on the internet for that one small piece of free competitive market; what will happen when they can’t afford the entry cost?<br />
<br />
Their goal would have seen that all the major players in the mobile and on-line arena station a tax for each level of speed per node of access. This would have seen uncontrolled measures of price gouging, with absolutely no means to go by.<br />
<br />
Even the Christian Coalition is FOR the (HR5353) bill, because they understand all too well the power of Freedom of Speech.<br />
<br />
We are not animals in a zoo to be controlled by power and money hungry trolls.<br />
<br />
Save the Internet; save a freedom …<br />
<br />
Respect is taken, when respect is given …<br />
<br />
Namaste and Slainte<br />
~BG~<br />
<br />
http://www.savetheinternet.com/<br />
<br />
http://epic.org/<br />
<br />
http://www.democraticmedia.org/~BG~http://www.blogger.com/profile/07879867134852436901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5166478463775927025.post-88379281679161834012009-01-01T09:04:00.000-07:002014-02-07T10:27:27.758-07:00The Dr.'s Last StandEvery once in a while a group of people come along that leave an impression. These impressions have a lasting effect usually from people that are not high profile, or constantly in the lime-light, but ordinary people just living their lives the best they know how. Never allowing the chance of growing stale or becoming has-beens from a vaunted high-profile endeavor, they are a consistent reminder that there are genuine down-to-earth people making a difference in some people’s lives in the smallest of ways.<br />
<br />
Wishdoctor is such a group. Since their inception in the early nineties, this band has given the Colorado community a means to bang their heads and live a little on the wild side of good, hard, and loud rock & roll. They consistently give their all every weekend to a packed house, or on a slow night with a handful of people – they maintain their rock & roll dignity by always performing to one hundred percent of their eclectic abilities. Friendships have been forged, and families have been made.<br />
<br />
Through their many line-up changes, Wishdoctor has retained a sound all too familiar to the fans in the know. If you are a fan of Wishdoctor, then you know their signature sound! If you’re looking for pop rock dance songs that make you roll your eyes instead of rock your brain, look elsewhere. Wishdoctor has stayed true to the core belief that if arranged properly, hard rock can be melodic and soothing to those wanting to vent out frustration on a week’s end.<br />
<br />
As they play their final show on New Year’s Eve, the fans of Wishdoctor, (and this one in particular), will end up knowing that ‘something’ good was accomplished in the Colorado community. And that ‘something’ leaves a lasting, lifelong impression.<br />
<br />
Greg Wohler<br />
(originally submitted to The Denver Post and Rocky Mountain News Dec. 27th, 2008)<br />
<br />
Respect is taken, when respect is given …<br />
<br />
Namaste and Slainte<br />
~BG~~BG~http://www.blogger.com/profile/07879867134852436901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5166478463775927025.post-18074896270687920532008-12-21T15:15:00.001-07:002014-02-07T10:28:23.614-07:00Wintry OverlookThe winter months oddly seem the time to reflect on the past, and usually an atonement is gathered in the thoughts of those that memory loss tried to claim. But there is always one little spark of something left undone or unspoken that requires a New Years resolution. Sometimes it's an inane thought of improving the physical self. Sometimes it's a thought of a past thread that should try to be mended and woven into the fabric of the present state of affairs.<br />
<br />
For me, it's been eight years of something of the latter - a mental spark of trying to find someone and piece together those frayed threads of misunderstanding and ignorance.<br />
<br />
Every year a thought - like a dream on a teetering edge of a rocky cliff, that a whisper on the breeze might send over the side - goes through my mind to follow up, and to a certain extent I have; just not far enough. For whatever reason, it remained out of my grasp.<br />
<br />
That reason, however, was made clear recently. I hadn't the strength to do something when I should have, and now that atonement will remain unfulfilled in my mind forever.<br />
<br />
I'm afraid of it, and brave it at the same time; afraid that it will claim someone that I care about deeply, but embrace it knowing that I've done the best I can with what I've been given.<br />
<br />
PFS - I was jealous that it seemed your life was finally coming together, at a time where mine was uncertain. Death is a fickle bitch. It doesn't care the means of how, who, when, where, or why, but it cares in the end. You were teased by it, tormented by it; you made it a part of you.<br />
<br />
In death, I hope you have found the peace that eluded you in life...<br />
<br />
Respect is taken, when respect is given ...<br />
<br />
Namaste and Slainte<br />
~BG~~BG~http://www.blogger.com/profile/07879867134852436901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5166478463775927025.post-73079264370330280782008-09-17T22:13:00.000-06:002014-02-07T10:28:38.733-07:00Virtue of PoliticsPolitics are constantly changing, but the themes are universal. It frequently borrows from what came before. Continuity and change become partners in a living tradition. Don’t we then change along with the times? Or is that the times change with the want of something new?<br />
<br />
<br />
Didn’t the needs of the people stand to different principles in say third millennia Egypt, as opposed to 20th century United States? The obvious answer would be yes. The real answer is no. Why?<br />
<br />
<br />
Principles don’t change – the manner in which they are conducted, does.<br />
<br />
<br />
When Confucius set about the ethical groundwork for modern politics, he had one view in mind – lead by virtue of being human. What does that mean?<br />
<br />
<br />
When politics come down to one-upping with what one perceives is the hole in the opposing campaign, virtue is lost. The number of votes at the behest of perceived weakness is weakness of human virtue. We cease being human, and start controlling instead of helping. We help no one with attacks on character and intelligence.<br />
<br />
<br />
Is it socialist, moderate, centrist views that want betterment as a whole so that there is no more violence, or less of; equality in being able to afford to take care of health, living, and energy matters? It seems it would be easier to weed out the weeds, and grow into better people. Why is that so wrong? Because there’s no controlling share of money involved?<br />
<br />
<br />
I find it humorous that the big political platform now is doing away with earmark spending, when the simple fact is that earmarks make up one percent of the national debt – a debt that has doubled under the Bush administration (conservative platforms) since Clinton left office. The Medicare/Medicaid, Social Security, and the war budgets make up twenty percent of the national debt (Concord Coalition). Which means the remaining budget has fallen into disarray on the part of those that concentrated their money into one project, neglecting the true needs of the people – and I DON’T have the need to kill, thank you very much. And let’s not forget that the Republicans now are plastering the public about how liberal the Democrats are with spending – spending, that is, on everything except war tirades.<br />
<br />
<br />
Spending $40billion dollars a week on sustaining a killing venture isn’t liberal spending? That price tag is neglecting, I might add, national infrastructure, effectively brokering our economy overseas while the middle and lower classes (the working classes) suffer for it. Yet, the Republicans cry fowl in my home state (CO) that $1billion dollars of our state surplus was spent on education – the highest amount EVER ALOTTED in state history. Let’s not forget that Republicans now want less government control, even though the Constitution and Bill of Rights are government documents on regulating a free-state of people – regulated BY THE PEOPLE that vote in politicians that amend those documents to fit the bill of whomever is in office.<br />
<br />
<br />
Had the Democrats been more conservative, the staving off of the pine beetle infestation could have been stopped years ago by casting a fire in certain areas of the Canadian Rocky Mountain range. This would have created a buffer between how the beetles would have progressed. The tree-huggers cried fowl that the trees and wildlife should not have been destroyed, but now have destroyed the mountains where my family is buried – subsequently mountain floura and fauna will cease in 50 years. Allan Carroll of the Canadian Forest Service has stated that less than one percent of the fires needed to have burned a beetle blockade, burns today, right now, in fires that the forest industry has (spent enormous amounts of money on) tried to prevent. The Clean Air Act, co-written by (D-Virginia) Nick Rahall stalled in the senate – by four opposed Democrats – Rahall one of them.<br />
<br />
<br />
These are just a couple of examples, but politics in government should not be filled with such inconsistencies. We place our human livelihood in people that have been sworn to protect it. When it fails, it is our job as citizens within the government to uphold our tacit-consent on political birthright, (given again by the Constitution), to voice concern and do something about it. Voting is not it. According to Thomas Paine, revolution is.<br />
<br />
<br />
I spoke earlier of moral indignation against one another. This is resulting in disharmony in social well-being. When that happens, change in something other than government needs to take place. We need to look at everything that has a controlling effect on how we go about our daily lives with what makes the majority of the people unhappy, instead of how a small percentage wants to control everything, with everyone in it.<br />
<br />
<br />
Taking matters out of context also fits with wanting more and helping less. So, let’s all wipe the lipstick off the pigs and get back to respecting morals, ethics, and civility. You can’t sugar coat a turd and call it donut, any more than you can piss down my back and tell me that it’s raining. It’s a metaphor, people – wake up! Let's start acting human again!<br />
<br />
<br />
Respect is taken, when respect is given ...<br />
<br />
<br />
Namaste and Slainte<br />
~BG~~BG~http://www.blogger.com/profile/07879867134852436901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5166478463775927025.post-16540356134403926412008-09-01T11:59:00.000-06:002014-02-07T10:29:23.702-07:00Letter To My GovernmentTo those it may concern,<br />
<br />
I thought long and hard if I should say something or not, because, really, who would listen and who would care in the long scheme of things? But, after some consideration, and time to cool off, I decided that something must be said and sent to people that should be made aware. I may very well be the only one upset and disappointed enough to. But, it’s only because of my life experience in the Arapahoe Democratic Party, (Aurora, CO), that I feel I have to.<br />
<br />
I started my political jaunt, if one can call it that, when I was about six or seven pulling my little red wagon filled with brochures for a man I still consider a friend, Steve Ruddick. I’ve volunteered for Gary Hart’s campaign, Michael Dukakis’ campaign, Bill Clinton’s campaigns, Ben Nighthorse Campbell’s campaigns, and intermittent Ruddick and Weddig campaigns. Twenty-some years later, I have never seen a political gathering run so poorly, ever, as in HD39.<br />
<br />
House District 39 was the very last district to make up its mind on delegates for Clinton to the state convention, the day of the County Assembly, March 8th, 2008. It was one thing after another, and given the circumstances of there being so many people abound at something that is usually more controllable, I give a tad leeway.<br />
<br />
It wasn’t bad enough I was bottle-necked at the bottom of the stage in the Hinkley High School auditorium, (amidst the swarm of Obama supporters), that I couldn’t get to the top of the auditorium in time to sign my name on an apparent list for furthering my Clinton delegate status. It wasn’t bad enough that someone, a woman whose name I never did catch, was elected interim chair. Is that even possible? I thought the actual HD chair was supposed to be present? And if this woman was she, then it was one of the worst jobs of control from a “group leader” I have quite possibly ever seen.<br />
<br />
Not only did we move into the hall from the auditorium, where upon hearing the delegate list had been closed for further signing, it took almost two hours to decide that the people that had put in the most time campaigning for Clinton would be the ones to go to the state and congressional conventions. The alternates’ cards were then pulled from a box. I’ve never heard of such a thing! Campaign time is completely subjective, and who is to say that calling from home is less important and holds less clout than someone who had volunteered at the main Clinton headquarters!<br />
<br />
For a few minutes I was ashamed to call myself a Democrat. It was deplorable, at best. The old were turned away, and the supposed non-volunteer need not to have applied.<br />
<br />
I was excited, when I arrived – perma-grin on my face – thrilled that I was at something that my grandparents had done before me. I wanted to continue my family tradition of being elected to a state convention, but was thrashed away by the inept ability of a “group leader” to control a situation.<br />
<br />
I give testament to why I voted for Clinton in the first place, which may sound contradictory in comments below. I voted for Clinton because my Nana was proud to know that there was finally the possibility of a woman candidate. Women have been slighted since the beginning of human existence, if you follow what it says in the bible; Adam tried to control Lilith, but she would have nothing to do with him. She left Eden and in her anger mated with the Devil; she then proceeded to kill off Eve to get back at Adam, hence the saying ‘hell hath no fury like a woman scorned’. Ever since then, women have been second. For the first time ever, there was a chance to see a woman in charge of this biased country, putting to rest some of what our moms, and especially Nana, had to go through in their life time of bigotry – and continue to do so presently. Having a female Republican VP that was mayor of an Alaskan town of 700, is a lot different than being the wife of a president and two-term U.S. Senator from NY.<br />
<br />
I guess it’s time for me to jump on the bandwagon and root for change. It is my firm belief that two things need to change: Rules reform and/or proper guidance on handling delegate selection with CLEAR rules and regulations, and, the removal of the HD39 chair, Mary Ellen Wolf – whom I am still uncertain was present or not, at any point in time. She may very well have been with the Obama supporters, while leaving the Clinton supporters to fend for themselves.<br />
<br />
If something like this scenario has happened in at least one place, it’s almost a sure bet that it happened in other places across the country as well. Citizens, no matter the political affiliation, should not be treated in such a manner. This is a breach in trust within a government sworn to uphold civility.<br />
<br />
Was this all because we got swept away in the grand scheme of having something new grace our lives, such as great historical political fervor? Possibly. Or, was this all because proper guidance was not given to parties involved? Possible, still.<br />
<br />
Just as Wallstreet has effectively been able to broker away the commercial aspect of the USA, I am ashamed to note that in the course of making history, both the Republic and Democratic parties have effectively been able to broker away the American psyche, by polarizing the American public into a frenzy of religion, race, gender, and creed. The delegates and superdelegates of the DNC are just as much to blame as the whole of the RNC; power away from the people.<br />
<br />
It’s myopic absolutism that the Democrats would elect a black man, and not a woman, juxtaposed with the Republicans offering McCain with a woman VP. Is this what our government has come down to? One-upping each other in terms of votes, rather than what we’re voting for?<br />
<br />
I’m tired of the lofty political folderol of who has the more tainted past, as opposed to what the person can bring to the core of the table. We’ve all done a thing that seemed right at the time, but maybe looking back on, wasn’t. We try to redeem ourselves by doing what we feel is right, but get slapped around as being wishy-washy and a turn-coat.<br />
<br />
This is not what the founding father’s had in mind when they set up this country, and this is not what I had in mind when I, by defacto of American birthright, gave tacit consent to those elected to run it. You should all be ashamed of how things are run, as I am ashamed of being a part of it.<br />
<br />
As of completion of this letter, my vote still hangs in the balance on wanting to vote, or not - ever. After repeated slaps in the face to me and my family, based on a governments’ moral ineptitude, why should I?<br />
<br />
Respect is taken, when respect is given ...<br />
<br />
Regards,<br />
<br />
Greg Wohler<br />
<br />
Namaste and Slainte<br />
~BG~~BG~http://www.blogger.com/profile/07879867134852436901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5166478463775927025.post-52780393997556801482008-08-04T20:17:00.000-06:002014-02-07T10:29:54.286-07:00MentorThe Word "mentor" comes from the Greek "Mentor" whom was the son of Alcumus in Homer's Odyssey. When Odysseus left to fight in the Trojan War, he left Mentor in charge to watch over his son, Telemachus. Mentor acted as a guide and confidant to Telemachus, in absence of his father. Upon the return of Odysseus from his ten year journey, (most recently Calypso), Athena took the form of Mentor in protection of Odysseus and Telemachus, because the level of trust and loyalty that both had put into Mentor would aid them in exacting revenge against the tyranny that had overgrown in Ithaca.<br />
<br />
<br />
As we've recently crossed another "first" threshold since my grandmother's passing, (her July 28th birthday, she would have been 99 this year), memories swelled looking back at those in my life who have acted as a mentor; a teacher; a guide; a liaison, if you will, between known and unknown - such are the trades of a mentor.<br />
<br />
<br />
Mentors bridge the gap between freely giving their life experience and giving insight to present goings-on, even if perhaps they know nothing of the subject. They know when not to get involved, yet know, also, when to give comforting thought without pressing an issue.<br />
<br />
<br />
A mentor is not a passerby, although it can be argued that someone that is met only once can give valuable information. Rather, a mentor is someone that has been by your side for an extended period of time. I can think of several people, by reason of polarity, that have acted as such throughout my life. I say polarity, because I am a staunch believer in that one needs balance in life, and polar opposites sharing their experiences and opinions can only form a true basis of the persona that shapes our life.<br />
<br />
<br />
This mentor is not just someone that we can rely upon. Knowledge lies within acceptance; acceptance of what they have to offer, yes, but accepting that we don't necessarily have to be near this person to feel their presence; we don't need to call this person on the phone all the time; nor Email, text, smoke signal, Morse code, or any other form of communication. This person is there when we need them; for the small pebbles, or the big rocks life throws at us, we needn't be in constant contact to know this to be true.<br />
<br />
<br />
As you read this passage, I hope you ponder who your mentor is – is this person a friend? A school teacher? A co-worker? Someone that I talk to on-line, but have never met?<br />
<br />
<br />
Tell that person thanks – before it's too late … mentors make us who we are – a thank-you is the least we can give them in return …<br />
<br />
<br />
Respect is taken, when respect is given ...<br />
<br />
Namaste and Slainte<br />
~BG~~BG~http://www.blogger.com/profile/07879867134852436901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5166478463775927025.post-81504164787370926322008-07-25T01:11:00.000-06:002014-02-07T10:30:52.892-07:00English Language - sortaThe following is a response to an on-going debate I have with a friend who seems to think that certain government mandates are contributing to the downfall of every culturally native language except English. He also states that English should not be the main language in America, as other countries make up America, i.e. Canada, Mexico, Brazil, etc. He proceeds to quote PhD holders from UCLA to back-up that English is not the only "living language", and should not be the only one used. So, I quoted the books I had from people that were NOT PhD holders. My argument is the following response:<br />
<br />
"I don't know if you're agreeing or disagreeing, so I'll put it another way ... languages have survived without governments, and if someone wants to use "government" as a crutch that "all" languages survive or die, that's poppycock. I'm not going to learn 15 different languages so that I can speak with my neighbors, but if you move here from another country then you better damn well learn English. (Just as I would have to learn a native language if I moved to another country). Or, as an aside, I would learn their language as secondary to my English.<br />
<br />
Lingua Franca – Norman French hybrid language (Italian, Spanish, German, Latin, etc.) English is considered to be the first global lingua franca. I have no use for PhD pedantry that can otherwise be proved by the history of formulated usage. "Living language" is used as a metaphor for something still in use and continually changing. Something evolves from nothing but a quick fix for words stemming from a group of certain cultures in order to communicate. English has metamorphed its phonological, morphological, syntactic, semantic, and intonation theories into one that is a rapidly rising global standard. David Crystal (Patron of the International Association of Teachers of English as a Foreign Language) and David Graddol are (knighted British) pioneers in sociolinguistics regarding this global change. (In case the folks over at UCLA forgot where modern English came from - it's from the Brits and Old English). 83% of English vocabulary is Germanic in origin. (Brought by the Romans who swept through NW Germany, which also encompassed Norman French and Spain and also encompassing their native Latin) – (A Grammar of Proto-Germanic - Jonathan Slocum and Winfred P. Lehmann.) That being said, the rest of the percentages are made up of French, Latin, Spanish, Danish, Dutch, Greek, and a small percentage that is of unknown origin (Origins of English Language - Joseph Williams). (Police is a French origin word, yacht is a Danish word, computer (der Komputor) is a German word).<br />
<br />
(Native languages of Britain before the Romans arrived, I'll save for another story.)<br />
<br />
Pidgin Language – language created under stressful times that evolve over time (Creole, for instance, or your Mussolini anecdote). The unknown percentage of the evolution of modern English can be explained as words created from a pidgin language. Slaves often developed their own language. (Monolingualism of the Other - Jacques Derrida).<br />
<br />
Latin, (from Latium along the Tiber River), is considered by many a dead language. However, it is still in use in the Roman Catholic Church, but nowhere else. Either way, it hasn't evolved – (wordsmithing here) – not a living language. Sanskrit is a precursor of Greek and Latin and Avestan (Zoroastrian) is an early relative of Persian (Sir William Jones). Both of these languages gave Greek and Latin words, but not structure, according to modern philology. Neither are used in their original forms, (although studied purely for their linguistic historical importance), and are considered dead languages. (By your PhD arguments, studying a language is keeping it alive, as the people who study it also speak it.) When English evolved from the above statements, the English language gave structure to these words – and the structure has changed since it's humble beginnings. (The Indo-European Dialects - Antoine Meillet). (The Discovery of Language - Holgar Pederson). <br />
<br />
So, with all that said, it looks like to me that borrowings are the ONLY way a language changes, and thus, survives. It's BECAUSE the English langauge has borrowed that it survives by changing and adapting unlike any other language.<br />
<br />
My great-grandparents, whom came here legally, did not speak a lick of English when they arrived here. But, they did instill in their children that German was not to be spoken at home, only English, in order to communicate and live in this New Country. I'm sick and tired of not being able to communicate with the amalgam of Spanish speakers at my school because they REFUSE to speak English.<br />
<br />
No one is stating that native languages be lost, rather, English should be the one everyone speaks IN ADDITION TO their native language, whatever that may be.<br />
<br />
Also, last time I checked, our Constitution was written in English, not a little bit of this and a little bit of that from the rest of "America"".<br />
<br />
<a href="http://benjamin-politix.blogspot.com/2008/07/guest-editorial-by-tommy-hummel.html" target="mm_window">Original Posting</a><br />
<br />
Respect is taken, when respect is given ...<br />
<br />
Namaste and Slainte<br />
~BG~~BG~http://www.blogger.com/profile/07879867134852436901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5166478463775927025.post-64565913058937341212008-07-03T23:59:00.000-06:002014-02-07T10:31:22.402-07:00Xeno Paradox of Life""The Tortoise challenged Achilles to a race, claiming that he would win as long as Achilles gave him a small head start. Achilles laughed at this, for of course he was a mighty warrior and swift of foot, whereas the Tortoise was heavy and slow.<br />
"How big a head start do you need?" he asked the Tortoise with a smile.<br />
"Ten meters," the latter replied.<br />
Achilles laughed louder than ever. "You will surely lose, my friend, in that case," he told the Tortoise, "but let us race, if you wish it."<br />
"On the contrary," said the Tortoise, "I will win, and I can prove it to you by a simple argument."<br />
"Go on then," Achilles replied, with less confidence than he felt before. He knew he was the superior athlete, but he also knew the Tortoise had the sharper wits, and he had lost many a bewildering argument with him before this.<br />
"Suppose," began the Tortoise, "that you give me a 10-meter head start. Would you say that you could cover that 10 meters between us very quickly?"<br />
"Very quickly," Achilles affirmed.<br />
"And in that time, how far should I have gone, do you think?"<br />
"Perhaps a meter – no more," said Achilles after a moment's thought.<br />
"Very well," replied the Tortoise, "so now there is a meter between us. And you would catch up that distance very quickly?"<br />
"Very quickly indeed!"<br />
"And yet, in that time I shall have gone a little way farther, so that now you must catch that distance up, yes?"<br />
"Ye-es," said Achilles slowly.<br />
"And while you are doing so, I shall have gone a little way farther, so that you must then catch up the new distance," the Tortoise continued smoothly.<br />
Achilles said nothing.<br />
"And so you see, in each moment you must be catching up the distance between us, and yet I – at the same time – will be adding a new distance, however small, for you to catch up again."<br />
"Indeed, it must be so," said Achilles wearily.<br />
"And so you can never catch up," the Tortoise concluded sympathetically.<br />
"You are right, as always," said Achilles sadly – and conceded the race.""<br />
<br />
One could say that life is just like this race. Everytime we feel like we get caught up on something, something else comes along and puts us back a little bit farther. There is no way to catch up to where we need or want to be, thus stays the paradox.<br />
<br />
While the calculus method of handling infinite sequences may solve the distance problem, and quantum physics solves the mark between two points, there is the philosophical answer to the paradox: keep going, try something new, and never give up.<br />
<br />
I've tried to fill my life with as many eclectic paths as possible. I travel down each one for a short bit of time, until I catch up as much as I can, and turn toward a different direction. This helps keep the mind free and open. My gambit is the possibility of sacrificing certain aspects that some people may find offensive, in that not enough time is spent in one area, and too much in another.<br />
<br />
My life "To-Do List: is as follows:<br />
<br />
*To write a Letter of Intent to a high-powered political official<br />
*To finish and publish the 9 books I've started<br />
*To continue to write: poetry, blogs, stories, notes, scribbles, ideas<br />
*To re-build a compressed air engine, and build and adapt a Tesla turbine using recycled compressed air, with gyroscopic encasements/compartments<br />
*To re-build an electric engine using Xenon and a friction based power source<br />
*To continue to sit on the board of The Thomas Foundation<br />
*To finish work on my un-named community non-profit endowment<br />
*To continue to be culturally open-minded, and non-biased<br />
*To travel to other countries<br />
*To immerse myself in my educational career<br />
*To make people happy with my small business of jewlery making<br />
*To learn as much as possible about psychology and philosophy<br />
*To continue to enjoy my outdoor activities; hiking and camping<br />
*To reduce my meat intake to 15%, and increase vegetarianism to 85%<br />
*To continue to learn and play percussion, tin whistles, and guitar<br />
*To play the song I wrote for my grandma in public<br />
*To continue to meet and greet new people<br />
*To love my two best friends as the real and genuine people that they are<br />
*To continue to protest things that I feel are wrong, and promote things I feel are right<br />
*To continue to love my family, and all the eccentricities we entail<br />
*To be a life partner with the right woman, and have children together<br />
*To continue to learn things I do not know, but want to<br />
*To never lose sight of who I truly am<br />
<br />
All of the above I have started, and will continue to work on until the end - but one never truly stops being ones' self, if one passes on knowledge to another ...<br />
<br />
I'm a strong believer that all lists should be long, so that everything can be garnered an achievement if tried. I heard it said once "Do or Do Not, There is No Try" - but, if we don't try, nothing can be done ... to try, is to do - to do nothing, is to not try ...<br />
<br />
Respect is taken, when respect is given ...<br />
<br />
Namaste and Slainte<br />
~BG~~BG~http://www.blogger.com/profile/07879867134852436901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5166478463775927025.post-3833273652453363902008-05-28T18:43:00.000-06:002014-02-07T10:31:43.970-07:00The John and Margaret Thomas Community Endowment FundA few months ago, I began a stint on the board of a community project, that I believe, has potential for many great things.<br />
<br />
The John and Margaret Thomas Community Endowment Fund is a foundation that brings community awareness through the differing aspects of worldly cultures.<br />
<br />
So far, the Foundation has given grants to several Colorado cultural groups, and has itself, been a part of several gatherings in the Colorado area.<br />
<br />
And each year, in addition to grant giving, we have helped to host the Aurora Arts Festival bringing in the likes of world renowned Nigerian drummer and dancer Baba Joda; a poets and writers gathering; a mime troupe; a Samoan musical group, and much more!<br />
<br />
We look forward to the international festivals this year, along with bridging the cultural gap by bringing events into public awareness.<br />
<br />
However, like most endowments and foundations, we rely on donations, so that we may in turn give back to the community. If you feel like you can donate, or know someone that would, please visit the web site and click on the 'Donations' tab.<br />
<br />
The John and Margaret Thomas Community Endowment Fund can be found by clicking the link under the "links" portion of this site.<br />
<br />
Celebrate diversity, as much as possible ...<br />
<br />
Respect is taken, when respect is given<br />
<br />
Namaste and Slainte<br />
~BG~~BG~http://www.blogger.com/profile/07879867134852436901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5166478463775927025.post-3668478574051145302008-05-28T17:50:00.000-06:002014-02-07T10:32:36.485-07:002nd AmendmentThe 2nd Amendment.<br />
<br />
If you believe in the 2nd Amendment as a right for the commonwealth, rather than the sole of the military, you've never been on the receiving end of a gun - if you had, your views would change from the wanton need to kill if a gun was handy via means of "protection", to savoring life when it is about to be shot out from underneath. The Constitution was written under the pretense of war, at a time where wartime measures required guns to fight a gun-toting invading force. In my faith and beliefs, killing is not necessary EVER.<br />
<br />
What benefit is there to give everyone a gun? If no one had a gun, what reason would there be for protection? It is ONLY through escalation that guns are needed. If weaponry didn't exist, what would fuel the fervent warrior? The fact that there is EASY access to harmful machines, only fuels those bent on harm. Take away the access, and there will be a decrease in harmful situations penned on an outside source, being guns. There will always be something else to take its place, but shouldn’t there also be a choice of whether or not to take up such a violent act?<br />
<br />
If one is given a gun, there is no choice - only one action. If one were to say "I have a gun, but choose not to use it - except only in defence..."; defence of what? Shooting or be shot? The choice becomes kill or be killed? There is death on someone's hands no matter how you view it. Why would anyone choose death, over life? There is always another underlying factor involved, for the use of a weapon. Root out the evil beneath the folds of weaponry, and one will find solace in knowing that there even lies a choice without guns and subsequent killing.<br />
<br />
I’ve been mugged because someone wanted my coat. And because I chose to use my mind as a means to fend off the attacker, I was shot because of it. I regret nothing - I have no blood on my hands.<br />
<br />
I’ve seen someone shoot themselves, with alcohol and other drugs involved. Had there not been a gun around, he’d still be with us today. Maybe he would have died from a drug overdose, but at least his brains wouldn’t be on the wall of his basement. His nickname was “Brooklyn”.<br />
<br />
Thomas Jefferson, one of the greatest minds ever to grace American soil, was pro-gun. He is quoted in his Commonplace Book as saying the following:<br />
<br />
"Laws that forbid the carrying of arms ... disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes ... Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailants; they serve rather to encourage than to prevent homicides, for an unarmed man may be attacked with greater confidence than an armed man."<br />
<br />
Except Jefferson only copied it from an Italian man named Cesare, Marquis of Beccaria-Bonesana, who is considered one of the founding pioneers in the field of criminology, and a philosphical/politician contempory of Jefferson, and author of a treatise of one of the basis of our Constitution, “On Crimes and Punishments”. There is one great difference between the two men: Jefferson used the quote as an end to the means, meaning he was for everyone having a gun so that everyone would be equal in the face of danger. Bonesana actually meant it as a means to and end, as he was fervently opposed to torture and an advocate of criminal reform.<br />
<br />
I, much like Bonesana, tend to side with humanism on this subject in that there is now more than ever a sense of urgency at unjust suffering. Utilitarianism works to a point, then the argument begins on which state of moral happiness is best for the greater good – I tend to side with the happiness that is not blowing someone’s brains out, simply because one has access to a gun and is happy about using it at any given point, for any given reason.<br />
<br />
I can only say that you will value life to the fullest, knowing that it can be taken in an instant. Diseases can leave a person withering years after diagnosed. Even though I've had my share of medical unfortunates, I cannot speak of that. However, I can speak of being on the receiving end of cowardice ...<br />
<br />
Respect is taken, when respect is given ...<br />
<br />
Namaste and Slainte<br />
~BG~~BG~http://www.blogger.com/profile/07879867134852436901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5166478463775927025.post-76022754871780760612008-05-23T15:54:00.001-06:002014-02-07T10:49:50.696-07:00Yin and Yang(Originally written: September 28, 2006)<br />
<br />
So, just when I thought there were no more sane people left in the world, (except of course for the people reading this blog ;-), four things happened today that put thing into perspective.<br />
<br />
Being a practictioner of eastern philosphy and faith, there is a belief that everything that happens is counter-balanced by something good/evil, or right/wrong, or bad/good, or dark/light.<br />
<br />
Today, I took my grandmother out for some errands. We first went to get our hair cuts. On the way, we were rudely ousted of a handi-cap parking space by some high school punk getting his lunch - which then turned into having a few choice words with me about the way I drive like a handicap. I wanted to slap that kid ... but, I digress ... Circling around to the other side, we find a space that in essence would be just as close as the other one would have been.<br />
<br />
As I was struggling to get my grandma out of the car, (she was having sort of a tough day), a couple were returning from Subway with their meals. I told them that I would be a while and that they should go ahead. I was taken aback when the heavily tattooed scary looking man told me, "No, man. You have the right of way. Take all the time you need ... do you need some help ..." I finally got my grandma out of the car, and as we were walking by the man, I said, "Sorry for the delay," to which he replied. "You didn't delay us at all. You two have a great day." That made my day right there.<br />
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We made our way to Wal-Mart next. It's difficult pushing a wheelchair, and pulling a big cart at the same time, so what we usually do is go around the store and she tells me what to get. I leave her in the wheel chair parked by the front registers while I go and get the stuff. It sounds mean, but she likes watching all the people come and go and has a good time, so she says. So, I come back with a cart full of stuff, go and wheel her back to the register. The gal checking us out says, "You know, me and the other clerks have been keeping an eye on your grandma. We've gone over to chat with her, just to keep her company, until you came back." I almost cried right there (coupled with the incident earlier with the burly tattooed man). Anyone who knows me, knows that loyalty is my number one - especially to my family.<br />
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Done with Wal-Mart we decide to go to Quizno's for lunch. We used to go to Quizno's once a week, when she was able. We hadn't been there for a while, so it sounded like a good plan. We order our sandwiches, and my grandma wanted to use her card, so I hand the card to the manager and proceed to sign for it. She stops me of course, stating the card doesn't belong to me and that I can't sign. I tell her that it's my grandma's card and that she can't sign for it. The clerk gets mad and says "I don't care, you can't sign it ... blah, blah, blah. ..." I finally get a tad ticked and tell her that I have power of attourney and that I'd be glad to call my lawyer so that I can pay for my $14 meal. I told her that there was no way in hell that she was going to get my blind and deaf grandma with palsey to sign for the meal! The clerk finally let it go ...<br />
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Moral of the story: Two good acts, Two bad acts. They cancel each other out to bring balance. For every good act, there is a bad one to counter it - and vice versa. Pay attention next time something good or bad happens, because there will always be the opposite to cancel it out and bring a balance.<br />
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I love my grandma. And I love this world with all the yin and yang ...<br />
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Respect is taken, when respect is given ...<br />
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Namaste and Slainte<br />
~BG~~BG~http://www.blogger.com/profile/07879867134852436901noreply@blogger.com0