P I N C K T H O U G H T S

Leadership and Relationships

2010-10-07T17:37:00.000-07:00

What makes leadership work? Some believe it's our strong emphasis on setting limits. They think that folks who are struggling with leadership just aren't setting enough limits. Others believe that the power of leadership has more to do with providing consequences for inappropriate behavior. They think that those who're unsuccessful just need to do a better job of providing bigger and more powerful consequences.

Both of these viewpoints are right…and also wrong. Limits are critical, but we'll never make them stick if we don't have good relationships. Holding people accountable for their poor performance is also essential, but have you noticed that some people just don't seem to care that much about consequences when they come from someone they don't respect?

Everything rests on relationships. Limits gain their power from them, and so do consequences. So, if we want leadership to have its full power, we're wise to do plenty of the following:

          - Focus mostly on strengths rather than weaknesses.
          - Smile as often as possible.
          - Write notes that tell subordinates your expectations.
          - Greet them each day.
          - Make sure that they overhear talk about how much their contribution to the organization is appreciated.
          - Deliver your leadership with great sincerity.

Thanks for reading thanks for visiting.

Singletask

2010-07-07T00:44:00.000-07:00

This year my son graduated third grade and will begin the next school year ready to focus on his assignments and of course the playground. I sat one evening in my favorite family room chair and thought as I usually do when sitting quietly, about all the advice passed to me from school and college scholars, such as, "Dare to be wrong" or, "Be like Curious George." I thought deeply as I sat on, what advice I would offer to a student body sitting and listening to me. I must admit that the opportunity to address such a mass of wonderfully open-minded youth would certainly be an opportunity I would not pass up. I continued to ponder the thought and drifted thinking of my approach to life and how I take advantage of the fact that regardless of my perceived skills I can only be wholly focused on one thing. I think this type of focus is nice, isn't it?

In the past, today and in the future, you will have more and more claims made on your attention, and I am sure you will be asked to multitask. We all have unquestioning faith in this wonderful skill, multitasking, and we are often told that we need to multitask to succeed in the workplace. But I want to counter that the world does not need more multitaskers. We need more singletaskers, people who think deeply and slowly about one thing. The world needs, I believe, people who can, like Einstein, devote three-and-a-half years to a single problem, such as why light behaves like both a particle and a wave. So my advice to you today is, "Dare to singletask."

Now I know that "Dare to singletask" isn't very catchy. Multitasking sounds much cooler. Who wants to singletask? According to Microsoft Word, it's not even a word. (Multitask is, by the way.) I considered using the word "monotask," which at least has the benefit of beginning with an "m," like its counterpart "multitask." But I like "singletask" because it conjures "single-mindedness." Besides, monotask sounds like something you do when you have mononucleosis, or runs the risk of sounding monotonous. Singletask sounds like you are doing it on purpose.

And purpose is the purpose. Blaise Pascal, the famous scientist said, "All of man's trouble stems from his inability to sit quietly in a room alone." I am asking you to do just that. Sit in a room alone. Since most of you have roommates or family whom you cannot eject, find any place that will do. A library corner or a quiet location outdoors. Just be alone with your thoughts. Do one thing deeply and well. Struggle with a very difficult book for months. Stare at a flower. Think about the purpose of life.

Beginning to sound a bit holistic here, but I believe you know what I mean.

This is not an anti-technology rant. I love technology as much as the next person. I have an iPhone and several other gadgets. I don't Twitter, but I think I know what it means. If my wife allows me, I might even get an iPad. Rather, I am just calling for more horsepower where we need it - deep, analytical thinking about one important topic. The inscription at the entrance of the Oracle at Delphi in Greece was "Know thyself." Greeks visited Delphi to find answers, but the answer they received was to look within.

Besides, you may not be as good at multitasking as you believe. Research by Clifford Nass at Stanford University shows that chronic multitaskers who think they are good at doing many things at the same time actually perform poorly at multitasking. He says that most of what we know about psychology suggests that the brain is not very good at multitasking, yet we are called to do it more and more.

So when your present or future supervisor or professor or spouse asks you to do two or three things by next Wednesday, do them well by next Tuesday. Do not say, "Excuse me, but palmerpinckney.blogspot.com advised me not to multitask." Instead, I am warning against all of the distractions we invite into our lives to the exclusion of deep thinking. I recently read that during one of his late sermons, the Hindu god Buddha simply held up a flower in silence. That was the entire sermon. The name Buddha means "Awakened." I am asking you to be awake, to sit under a tree as Buddha did for 49 days, to singletask. I think the gifts of singletasking will be many, not least of all the gift of yourself.

Thanks for reading, thanks for visiting.

Copyright © 2010 Palmer Pinckney II

Time for everything

2010-05-11T04:23:00.000-07:00

I remember it was Easter Sunday, I was about 7 or 8-years-old, sitting in church praying the service would end quickly so I could get back to our little house a short walk away and tear that Easter Basket open. There I sat impatiently, waiting for each minute to pass; I could feel each second. It was painful, and for an 8-year-old, being deprived of his Easter Basket was something that no human being, or even God almighty could justifiably explain.

I’m pretty positive that everyone has had a similar experience having had to wait for something and being cursed by the plague of time. Tick-tock, tick-tock… the clock tells time. Seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years, and decades, time passes by, sometimes slowly and sometimes without haste. Described as a curse by some and as a blessing by others, time is nothing more and nothing less than the sequence of events in an individual’s life. Religious leaders, philosophers, and scientists have all pondered, questioned, and even tried to predict these sequences but still time prevails and remains owned by only the individual that is living in the moment.

So, why do I write about this personal commodity known as time? I do so to share an observation. This is not an opinion or guidance; it is merely one eyewitness’ explanation of what I am fairly certain you too will agree with.

Question: What is the number one excuse that people use to explain their failure to achieve their goals? Ponder this query for a moment and relate it to your own existence. Before writing my answer to this question, let me pause for a sidebar. In my question, I purposely chose the word “excuse” because I want you, the reader, to focus with me on the absolute answer here. You see there is a stark difference between an excuse and a reason. One way to look at it is a reason is an explanation. An excuse makes it sound like it was okay. Another way: An excuse is a reason justified by dishonesty.

Excuses are a justification for giving up or giving in. You didn't explore all your options, or ignored or denied your options, you didn't plan ahead, and you didn't ask for help, or you didn't accept help offered. Excuses are reasons that rely on you being dishonest with others and yourself.

The ability to make an excuse relies on choice. A valid reason restricts your choices. Example: I was late because my watch didn't work. Excuse. There are CHOICES you had to figure out what time it was. Ask someone. Call a time service. Keep a clock in the house or car too. You didn't plan ahead properly because for some reason it wasn't important to you to be on time.

Okay back to the question: What is the number one excuse that people use to explain their failure to achieve their goals? I believe the answer is “Time!” We’ve all heard it, I hear it almost everyday. “If I only had the time… My, my, where did all the time go… I ran out of time.” And my personal favorite, “I don’t have time.”

There was a time when I would agree with the person that uttered these statements. Nowadays I think to myself when I hear these phrases, “Didn’t make time.”

Another observation I made regarding time is this 24-hour matter. According to Wikipedia, “A day is a unit of time equivalent to approximately 24 hours. The word 'day' can also refer to the (roughly) half of the day that is not night.” Both refer to a length of time. Remember, time is owned by the person living the moment. For any reason this individual can decide to do what ever they want with their time.

Steven Jobs, chief executive office of Apple Inc. says it best.

“Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”

Wow! “Don’t be trapped by dogma…” I like this. I have had days as short as 10 or 11 hours and others as long as 30 or 40. The 24-hour clock, though fact, does not control my day.

I have to be careful here and keep my promise not to give “opinion” nor offer any “guidance.” All I want to express here is that from my observation at the ripe age of 40-something (smile), I sleep when I need to, eat when I need to and spend all the time I can with my family. I love them so. As for my goals, there is only one “reason” that I will not achieve them; I see him every morning in the mirror.

I will depart this prose with the immortal words of Mr. Jack London, my childhood hero, “I don’t wish to merely exist, I want to live and experience my life.”

Tick-tock, tick-tock… the clock tells time… and lost time is never found again.

Oh and one last favorite quote, "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."
--- Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)

"Thanks for reading, thinks for visiting."

Copyright © 2010 by Palmer Pinckney II

My three facts about success

2010-03-11T18:45:00.000-08:00

You’d be hard-pressed to find any successful person that would disagree with the pearls of wisdom I will share with you at the end of this read.

No one makes a goal to fail. Think about this for a moment, do you know anyone that upon their decision to achieve something did so with the full intention of failing? I don’t. Sure there are those that are failing miserably in life, but I would argue that the blame for this failure does not rest solely on the individual. The key to success in any endeavor is leadership. Look at any successful person, speak with them about their success and they will undoubtedly attribute all, or at least part of their success to a role model, mentor, or leadership influence that happened at some point before or during their quest for greatness. In many cases, anyone seeking success first finds success in someone else. This is most evident in the business world, to include the sports and fashion industries. In several magazine and television interviews, David Robinson, Navy Officer and 10x NBA All Star; and Tyra Banks, model, media mogul and businesswoman, both attribute the bulk of their success to people that left positive impressions on them.

If you are a person that does not have positive influences in your life I would share this piece of experience with you: Find some! Change up your flow, rotate your friends and acquaintances and start to move forward of other people instead of staying stagnant at the same pace or direction. Don’t sweat static talk from negative influences and those who don’t share your aspirations for success.

Remember the story of “Crabs in a Bucket?”

One day a man was walking along the beach and saw another man fishing in the surf with a bait bucket beside him. As he drew closer, he saw that the bait bucket had no lid and had live crabs inside.

"Why don't you cover your bait bucket so the crabs won't escape?" he said.

"You don't understand," the man replied. "If there is one crab in the bucket it would surely crawl out very quickly. However, when there are many crabs in the bucket and one tries to crawl up the side, the others grab hold of it and pull it back down so that it will share the same fate as the rest of them."

So it is with people. If one tries to do something different, get better grades, improve oneself, escape his or her environment, or dream big dreams, other people will try to drag him or her back down to share their fate.

Moral of the story: Ignore the crabs. Charge ahead and do what is right for you. It may not be easy and you may not succeed as much as you like, but you will NEVER share the same fate as those that never try.

Okay, now for the “three facts about success.” Yes, there are only three. Many have debated this but if you really look at these three facts you’ll find that any thing else you can conjure up will inevitably fall into one of these headers:

Fact #1: Be on time all the time. This is the first fact for a reason. Don’t be late; it’s a bad start from the get-go. I know of no one in the history of employment that has been hired as a result of being late for the interview. If you are assigned to be somewhere, be on time, every time. A good rule of thumb is, "Early is on time, and on time is late." Whenever possible, try to be early.

Fact #2: Personal Bearing is a must! This is about more than dressing to impress; this is about your ability to communicate and behave in a business environment. Businessmen and women have titles for a reason, use it! This respectful behavior of addressing people as sir, ma'am, Mr. Mrs. or Miss. will serve you well when it’s time for evaluation by those senior to you.

Fact #3: Know your gig!!! Learn everything there is about your profession, and when you think you know it all learn someone else’s. This is called diversification. A person with diverse talents is very valuable to the organization and the organization will do damn near anything to keep this person happy.

That’s it! If for some reason you find you're not succeeding, check the facts and start over. It's never too late.

"Thanks for reading, thanks for visiting!"

Copyright © 2010 by Palmer Pinckney II

Healthy Lifestyles - A Unique Perspective

2009-10-24T22:20:00.000-07:00

I've read many articles of healthy lifestyle living. Strange that so-called experts rarely agree on what constitutes a true health lifestyle. Came across the below article and I gotta tell ya, "I can relate." Best to read the answers with a Japanese accent in mind. Enjoy.

A Doctors Perspective on Healthy Lifestyles

His practice has no room for new patients! Now, he's a medical wizard!

Q: Doctor, I've heard that cardiovascular exercise can prolong life. Is this true?
A: Heart only good for so many beats, and that it... Don't waste on exercise. Everything wear out eventually. Speed up heart not make live longer; that like say you can extend life of car by driving faster. Want live longer? Take nap.

Q: Should I cut down on meat and eat more fruits and vegetables?
A: You must grasp logistical efficiencies. What does cow eat? Hay and corn. What are these? Vegetables. So, steak nothing more than efficient mechanism of delivering vegetables to system. Need grain? Eat chicken. Beef also good source of field grass (green leafy vegetable). And pork chop can give 100% recommended daily allowance of vegetable products.

Q: Should I reduce my alcohol intake?
A: No, not at all. Wine made from fruit. Brandy is distilled wine. That means they take water out of fruity bit; get even more of goodness that way. Beer also made out of grain. Bottoms up!

Q: How can I calculate my body/fat ratio?
A: If you have body and you have fat, ratio is one to one. If you have two bodies, ratio is two to one, etc.

Q: What are some of the advantages of participating in a regular exercise program?
A: Cannot think of single one, sorry. My philosophy: No Pain...Good!

Q: Aren't fried foods bad for you?
A: YOU NOT LISTENING!!! .... Foods fried in vegetable oil. How getting more vegetables be bad for you?

Q: Will sit-ups help prevent me from getting a little soft around the middle?
A: Definitely not! When you exercise muscle, it get bigger. You should only do sit-ups if want bigger stomach.

Q: Is chocolate bad for me?
A: You crazy? HELLO ... Cocoa beans! Vegetable!!! Cocoa beans best feel-good food around!

Q: Is swimming good for your figure?
A: If swimming good for figure, explain whales to me.

Q: Is getting in-shape important for my lifestyle?
A: Hey! 'Round' is shape!

Well, I hope this has cleared up any misconceptions you may have had about food and diets.

AND.....

For those of you who watch what you eat, here's the final word on nutrition and health. It's a relief to know the truth after all those conflicting nutritional studies:

1. The Japanese eat very little fat
and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

2. The Mexicans eat a lot of fat
And suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

3. The Chinese drink very little red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

4 The Italians drink a lot of red wine
and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

5. The Germans drink a lot of beers and eat lots of sausages and fats and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

CONCLUSION.....

Eat and drink what you like. Speaking English is apparently what kills you.

"Thanks for visiting, thanks for reading."

A Credulous Nation

2009-09-18T15:42:00.000-07:00

You’ve got to admire rabid irrationality.

Raider Nation hasn’t had much to smile about since January 2003. Those who’ve been paying attention know the details. Those who haven’t should consider them...selves lucky. Five years after the Super Bust in San Diego of all places, suffice it to say that all is not well in the House of Davis.

And still there are the diehards.

And maybe that’s the point.

It’s not that we Raiders fans are uncritical; it’s just that beneath the criticism runs a current of unconditional faith. So it is that JaMarcus Russell gets called a franchise QB, and DeAngelo Hall a shutdown corner. So it is too that he who blogs against the Silver and Black is he who gets flamed for it—which is of course the only fitting fate for so reckless and unrepentant a heretic.

God is not dead and Al is still kicking.

If you’re going to light fires for one of them, you might as well choose the geezer in the jumpsuit.

I don’t know what it is that makes otherwise functional adults don eyepatches and spew invective all across the Internet. I am a fan of the Nation not a fanatic. Measured skepticism’s a vice best left to agnostics and 49ers fans. The real wisdom is that of the true believer, especially when facing facts would mean having to account for (shudder) Art Shell and Randy Moss.

Some folks spend the Sabbath in church.

Others opt for the Black Hole.

If you can see the difference, Bubba, your eyes are a whole heap clearer than mine.

We are what we give ourselves to. Life without devotion is life without purpose, and without passion. Committing to Excellence won’t necessarily win you any football games, but at least it’ll give you a reason to wait ‘til next year. Something we admit being grown accustomed to lately.

On and given Sunday the Raiders will solidify their future with fans both new and old around the globe.

On Monday, they’ll still be the Raiders and fans will still be the Nation.

The good news?

Rooting for the home team means leaving your doubt at the turnstile—and I for one would rather be credulous.

Congratulations on your victories and remember the Autumn Wind will always be a Raider.

"Thanks for reading, thanks for visiting."

Ronald

2009-09-03T18:52:00.000-07:00

Ever had one of those moments that catch you completely off guard? Listening to Ronald Jenkees' debut self titled album does just that. It instantly commands you to sit up and pay attention.

Based on Ronald's Youtube performances I expected his album would be good, but I didn't expect it to be amazing. Deep inside this cap wearing, easy-attitude apparent goof-ball lays the soul of an accomplished musician. Who knew the unassuming geek had it in him?

This album could have easily been a series of FL Studio loops with some crazy keyboard solos layered over top, but thankfully this isn't the case. Instead there are very well thought out arrangements that could easily satisfy the most discerning of instrumental music aficionados.

That said, the last two of the fourteen tracks (which seem slightly out of place to have been included on this album) are not instrumental with Ronald's unique rapping ability taking the serious edge away. The most notable being '56k Rap', where Ronald tells the humorous story of buying a 100mhz Dell with 56k modem and being the master of the Internet, performed with the attitude of an online gangsta. It works surprisingly well.

The insane improv keyboard solos Ronald is famous for are not featured as heavily as you would have thought, if his Youtube performances are anything to go by. But that should not by any means discourage you.

The 14 tracks cover a broad range of moods, but Ronald makes no apologies for a preference towards the easy listening style of 'phat' beats which compliment a well generated atmosphere.

On the subject of atmosphere, there is a movie soundtrack quality to a lot of the tracks, and if he were interested Ronald could probably forge a career in said arena.

It's hard to choose the most stand out tracks as they all offer something quite unique, but so far 'Loui', 'Gold Spinners', 'Almost Undamaged' and 'Neptune' are on the highest rotation.

And lest I forget to mention that his newest compilation "Disorganized Fun" has hit the net with as much ferocity as the last offering. So without going any further in my prose, I give you the odd-ball musical kat of the keyboard himself Mr. Ronald Jenkins...

"Thanks for reading, thanks for visiting."

24 to go (What if?)

2009-08-13T04:53:00.001-07:00

How do I wanna die?
-I don’t care. Really I don't.

What's my last meal?
-Pasta, of course.

My death bed confessions?
-Should have been more considerate of wife’s feelings

Who did I always want to sleep with?
-Phoebe Cates (Fast Times at Ridgemont High)

Wildest thing I ever did?
-When I was twenty something I stole all the company money in the safe, ‘bout $25K; partied all weekend long, quite on Monday morning denying all accusations. Walked away clean. I hated that job.

What book do I regret not finishing?
-The Titan: Fred Mustard Stewart

Something about me no one ever know before reading this?
-Growing up, Shirley Temple movies were my favorite.

Any near-death experiences?
-None

If I had to die trying something, what would it be?
-I don’t know, if I did know I’d be dead.

Do I believe in heaven? If so, where do Pimps and Players go?
-Yes I do believe in heaven. As for Pimps and Players, well Purgatory is probably an interesting place.

What classic movie roll would I like to play in?
-Sean Connery – the original James Bond!

If I could come back from the dead who would I like to spy on?
-I’d have more important things to tend to. Wouldn’t waste my time with spying.

What will people say over your casket?
-A lot of people misunderstood him.

If reincarnated how do I want to come back?
-As me of course. A do-over would be so cool.

Thanks for reading, thanks for visiting!"

Copyright © 2010 by Palmer Pinckney II

Black Folks in Heaven

2009-07-31T17:00:00.000-07:00

My brother-in-law sent me this joke and I'd like to share it with you all...

Gabriel came to the Lord and said, "I have to talk to you, I have Black folks up here in Heaven who are causing some problems. They are swinging on the Pearly Gates, my horn is missing, barbecue sauce is all over their robes, ham hock, sparerib, and pig feet bones are all over the streets of Gold. Some folk are walking around with one wing. They have been late taking their turn in keeping the stairway to Heaven clean. There are watermelon seeds all over the clouds.Some of them aren't even wearing their halos, saying it is messin up they hair . The Lord said, "I made them special, as I did you, my angel. Heaven is home to all my children. If you really want to know about problems, let's call the Devil.

"The Devil answered the phone, "Hello? Dang, hold on."The Devil returned to the phone and said, "Hello Lord, what can I do for you?" The Lord replied, "Tell me what kind of problems you are having down there." The Devil said, "Wait one minute," and put the Lord on hold. After 5 minutes he returned to the phone, and said "Okay, I'm back. What was the question?" The Lord said, "What kind of problems are you having down there?" The Devil said, "Man, I don't belie..... hold on, Lord". This time the Devil was gone for 15 minutes. The Devil returned and said, "I'm sorry Lord, I can't talk right now. These Negroes dun put the fire out, and are trying to install air conditioning!"

"Thanks for visiting, thanks for reading."

Our Battle Theme

2009-07-15T03:41:00.000-07:00

The Autumn Wind is a pirate
Blustering in from sea
With a rollicking song he sweeps along
swaggering boisterously
His face is weather beaten
He wears a hooded sash
With his silver hat about his head
And a bristly black moustache
He growls as he storms the country
A villain big and bold
And the trees all shake and quiver and quake
As he robs them of their gold
The Autumn wind is a Raider
Pillaging just for fun
He'll knock you 'round and upside down
And laugh when he's conquered and won.

Simply Put

2009-07-14T03:08:00.001-07:00

I am a Christian of the Holy Roman Catholic Family. A faith focused on unification of all believers in Christ into one body of love.

God Bless you all!

"Thanks for reading, thanks for visiting."

JONATHAN E. MCCOY'S SPEECH: A New Petition

2009-06-23T14:22:00.000-07:00

Watch and listen to the speech and share it with other children and young adults.

"Thanks for visiting, thanks for listening."

Thoughts on Leadership and Trust

2009-06-22T22:32:00.000-07:00

Adopted from an email by: Command Master Chief Marcos F. Sibal, U.S. 7th Fleet

Let’s talk a little about a few things I’ve been bouncing around as of late. You’ve heard it before: “So and so had an incident last night so I heard they were going to make it difficult for everyone and do a massive disciplinary training for all personnel...” Putting more restrictive policies on our People every time something bad happens, in addition to what we already have in place (which are several and confusing even to me), is viewed as another negative to duty in the Navy as a whole and in my opinion contributes to a lot of dissatisfaction on and off the job.
I understand the U.S. alliance piece which we have since protected by instituting policies that may mitigate further occurrences of incidents detrimental to our presence in foreign countries. And we’ve gone high and right on those at times as well. Some valid, some overboard but the bottom line is the number of incidents the Navy has experienced in the last year or so are minute in comparison to other organizations.

There has to come a time when we just have to TRUST our People to do the right thing and to remove that once they prove us wrong attitude. Give them that trust when you first meet them and tell them that they and they alone can have the potential to lose that trust. It is now up to them. They have to make the right choices and do the right things. People have to know to take responsibility and accountability for anything that they do and that there is a price to pay for non-conformance. That, in my mind, is the only way they will learn to take some amount of risk when making decisions in and out of the organization they are a part of and can ultimately make them better leaders.

The days of “babysitting” in the guise of “taking care of our People” should be a thing of the past. When someone falls flat on their face we tend to come to their aid right away; picking them up and dusting them off. All good for a leader but step back and think about that again...what if you just let them pick themselves up and compose themselves? I believe they learn a lot more that way. We cannot continue to exist as leaders if we don’t get back to leading people. Leading not only by being examples of uncompromised integrity but leading by teaching them their jobs and making sure that every mission and every piece of equipment is operational and ready to respond to any situation/contingency.

The bottom line is trusting your People to do the right thing all the time and respecting them for that. Three basic things can make anyone happy: Food, money and time off (yeah, yeah --- I know... Sex too, but that comes with the time off). Not all-inclusive of course but doing them right by those things will give you a content, happy and motivated person who is ready to work until you tell them to stop.

"Thanks for reading, thanks for visiting."

U.S. 7th Fleet and Social Media

2009-06-15T19:49:00.000-07:00

From the U.S. 7th Fleet Public Affairs Officer:

Earlier this year, 7th Fleet started an initiative to use social media as a means of communicating and engaging with internal and external audiences. This included establishing an official presence on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, Flickr and YouTube, as well as redesigning our official website, www.c7f.navy.mil, to make it more dynamic and user friendly.

Every day throughout our area of responsibility, the men and women of the 7th Fleet are taking part in exercises, port visits, and other important bilateral and multilateral activities that support our nation's commitment to an engagement strategy based on partnership, readiness and presence. Social media tools provide additional avenues to distribute the news, photos, and video stories highlighting our accomplishments, and to encourage dialogue with the public about what we are doing.

I invite everybody as well as your friends and families to bookmark these sites, to subscribe to our "Tweets", or to become a "Fan". I also encourage you to actively and responsibly participate in the discussion.

Here's where to find us:

Web: www.c7f.navy.mil
Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/US-7th-Fleet/54808967401
MySpace: www.myspace.com/us7thfleet
Flickr: www.flickr.com/us7thfleet
Twitter: www.twitter.com/us7thfleet
YouTube: www.youtube.com/us7thfleet

"Thanks for visiting, thanks for reading."

The Lie Revealed

2009-06-13T06:52:00.000-07:00

Why do men lie to women?

This question has pondered the sexes for centuries. I truly believe this query has been answered in several narratives both comical and dramatic. I will only attempt to provide my own take on this behavior and get down to the root cause of this trivial matter. Yes, I wrote trivial. I will not bow to the emotional state of the opposite sex and I will not attempt to try and understand these emotions or the trigger for them. I will only write that the feminine state is defined by deep-rooted emotions that can erupt at the very slightness of misunderstanding or misbehavior by the male.

Many people hide the truth, not just men but women too. Everybody is different, people get scared or afraid to disappoint someone so they lie.

What do men lie about?

Most men lie about height, how much they earn or intentions. Yes, intentions are another lie, many men say something but they don’t know what they mean. For example, a man can say he prefers friendship, but what he means is that he wants a friendship that can lead to a romantic relationship.

When a woman says she wants to be friends, very often she means what she says - “just friends”.

The dating game can be brutal, harsh and difficult for some people. It is true that some women lie to appear more desirable. We all have certain biases when we are meeting new people, so we have to be judged by others even against our will.

Would you be more careful and judgmental or the opposite?

People like less judgmental people. It can hurt you in the long run though if you meet people who lie and cheat. Everybody wants to be liked, so less judgmental people are more attractive and easier to talk to.

If you lie, I hope you will stop. People who lie are afraid to be judged and afraid to be rejected. Rejection is part of life and you are going to be rejected more or less depending on certain factors.

The Quandary

No one wants to be hurt, but no one wants to be lied to either. If you want to stop lying think about the other person. Think how upset, betrayed he or she would feel if you she/or he found out the truth. It’s better not to say anything than to lie. Don’t lie by omission either. Be an honest and caring person.

Caring about truth can be hard if you were treated badly. If you were betrayed too many times by many different people, you are more likely to give up on truth. If you were abused don’t become the abuser.

The world has enough lairs and cheaters already and you don’t need to be one of them. Listen to your heart and your inner values. Know what matters to you. Somewhere inside you there is a place where you want to be an honest person. A desire to be loved and cared for are good qualities.

Okay, now that I am done with the Venus crap, let me get down to the nitty-gritty and explain exactly why men lie.

I watched a movie for the second time recently; titled "Knocked Up." It’s a funny relationship movie that is worth watching if your time permits. I also watched Dane Cook’s stand-up special on Comedy Network called "Isolated Incident." After spending time viewing these shows I was prompted by two scenes (one in each) to think about why men lie, or choose to lie in certain situations. Well here is my take on the matter and I do believe I have hit the bull's-eye.

A lie is spoken because at the given time the individual does not want to deal with any challenging intellectual riggers. Think carefully about this. There are many situations in which telling the truth will only lead to a debate or worse, an argument; whereby telling a lie will grant the same individual peace; momentary freedom to do what he or she wants to do. Remember in the movie “Knocked up” where the husband would lie to his wife about going to see local bands two or three nights a week? She did not believe him but did not argue with him either. He told the lie so he didn’t have to deal with any emotional fallout.

Ask yourself these questions. Are there times where you just want to do something honest and have a good time doing it? Is it possible to have a good time after having argued with someone you care for or love? Think again of the scene from “Knocked up.” Could the husband have had a good time at the sports fantasy league meeting if he had just augured with his wife? (Women reading this blog don’t even attempt to answer this question.)

Women! You do this crap too! But in your minds it’s different, right? You have a good reason that men don’t understand. And it’s important to you. Well sisters, I think I know the reason - you don’t want to deal with any challenging intellectual riggers (of if you prefer bullshit) at the given moment! Right? You just want to go and do what you want to do and have a nice time doing it.

What’s the answer? Well I believe it is what I have done for years. I accept the truth and live with it regardless of how the truth makes me feel. I respect the person telling me what they want to do and I let them do it without any issuance of my own intellectual crap!

Bottom line: We all lie (men and women). If we’d dispense with the bullshit perhaps the lies would be unnecessary.

"Thanks for reading, thanks for visiting."

Copyright © 2010 by Palmer Pinckney II

the Eighties (Muzic non-stop)

2009-06-12T03:06:00.000-07:00

The 1980s refer to the years from 1980 to 1989, the time between 1979 and 1990.

The 1980s are well known (and often ridiculed) for the popular culture of the time such as the over-the-top fashion, big hair styles and the commercialization of music and film.The 1980s was also an era of tremendous population growth around the world which, along with the 1970s and 1990s, was among the largest in human history. This growth occurred not only in developing regions but also developed western nations, where many newborns were the offspring of Baby Boomers.

Music:

The decade began with a backlash against disco music and a movement away from the orchestral arrangements that had characterized much of the music of the 1970s. Music in the 1980s was characterized by unheard of electronic sounds accomplished through the use of synthesizers and keyboards, along with drum machines. This made a dramatic change in music.

The music channel MTV had just began so many very creative music videos were being made alongside songs. The very first video to be aired on MTV was Buggles - Video Killed The Radio Star. This video heavily showed off the use of synthesizers as they were new to many people and the sounds they produced had been unheard of!

Michael Jackson revolutionized music with his best-selling album Thriller. Thriller, released in 1982, is the world's all-time best selling album with over 104 million sold copies. His mannerisms and trends were copied repeatedly, from the single-glove, to the various jackets he wore, and the now-famous moonwalk.

Bands such as Duran Duran made lavish music videos which made MTV a cultural phenomenon. Early eighties groups such as Devo and Haircut 100 were pioneers. Pop artists such as Madonna and Prince mastered the format and turned it into big business.

New Wave and Synthpop were developed by artists such as The Cars, A Flock of Seagulls, Gary Numan, Depeche Mode, Japan, Soft Cell, Bananarama, New Order, and Tears for Fears, and become popular phenomena throughout the decade, especially in the early eighties.

Even Heavy metal, Big Hair Bands and Glam metal, experienced extreme popularity in 1980s, becoming one of the most dominating music genres of the 1980s with artists such as Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Van Halen, Kiss, Twisted Sister, Aerosmith, Poison, Ratt, Skid Row, Hanoi Rocks, Motley Crue, Def Leppard, Queen, Whitesnake, Quiet Riot, Bon Jovi, Guns N' Roses, AC/DC, and Rush, all receiving extensive airplay.

Thrash metal appeared and became an underground sensation originating mostly in the Bay Area (San Francisco), and New York City. A few of these acts, such as Metallica, Megadeth (formed in Los Angeles), Anthrax(formed in New York) and Slayer (formed in Huntington Beach), managed to achieve mainstream exposure (especially during the early 1990s), and were frequently seen as alternatives to the poppier "glam metal" bands of the day.

Extreme metal began, with bands such as Venom, Bathory, Hellhammer, Celtic Frost, Death, Possessed, Morbid Angel and gained prominence in the underground.

House music was a new development in dance music mid-way through the decade, growing out of the post-disco scene early in the decade and later developed into acid house, a harder form of dance often associated with the developing late 1980s drug culture.

Hip hop and rap music, introduced by urban youths of predominantly African American descent, debuted in the pop culture scene as early as 1979, with the Sugar Hill Gang's single release Rapper's Delight. MTV picked up on this movement with "Yo! MTV Raps", a one-hour show dedicated to hip-hop music videos. The Hip hop scene evolved to become a powerful musical force, bringing with it several dance styles. As hip hop artists such as RUN-DMC, Grandmaster Flash, Kurtis Blow and N.W.A. gathered mainstream attention, hip hop's influence began to spread outside of Los Angeles and New York City, eventually taking off into America's shores during the 1980s in 1986.

Alternative rock appeared as a then-aptly titled alternative to the mainstream rock trends of the day, with American bands such as R.E.M., The Replacements, Sonic Youth, They Might Be Giants, Camper Van Beethoven, the Violent Femmes and the Pixies, and British bands such as The Cure, The Smiths and Echo and the Bunnymen, as pioneers.

This style of music was widely popular with college students and received almost all of its airplay from college radio stations, to the extent that it was known as college rock in the U.S. for much of the decade.

Top-charting artists of the 1980s include Pat Benatar, Billy Idol, Guns N' Roses, Robert Palmer,New Kids on the Block, The Police, Lionel Richie, Bananarama, The Go-Go's, Dire Straits, Duran Duran, Van Halen, Foreigner, John Farnham, Phil Collins, Huey Lewis and the News, Wang Chung, Tears for Fears, Poison, Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam, Heart, Juice Newton, Culture Club, The Eurythmics, Def Leppard, Deacon Blue, Bryan Adams, Queen, Depeche Mode, U2, Simple Minds, Madonna, Cyndi Lauper, Cher, Rick Springfield, Tina Turner, Bruce Springsteen, John Mellencamp, Olivia Newton-John, Prince, Michael Jackson (the best-selling artist worldwide in the entire decade), Janet Jackson, Whitney Houston, Aerosmith, Beastie Boys, Kim Wilde, Laura Branigan, The Cars and Bon Jovi.

Records in aid of Ethiopian famine relief, by Band Aid ("Do They Know It's Christmas?") and USA for Africa ("We Are the World") topped the charts, while the Live Aid famine relief concert in London and Philadelphia attracted thousands of attendants and millions of television viewers.
Other artists pushed for nuclear disarmament, racial harmony (Stevie Wonder and Paul McCartney in a 1981 duet release: Ebony and Ivory), and AIDS awareness. American singer Prince, French band Indochine ("3e sexe"), Canadian singer Norman Iceberg ("Be My Human Tonight"), Spanish band Mecano ("Mujer Contra Mujer") became part of a worldwide movement of artists writing innovative lyrics filled with sexual innuendos reflecting the then-popular and highly fashionable androgynous style.

In the U.S., contemporary Christian music gained popularity in the mid-80s with such crossover artists as Amy Grant, Kathy Troccoli, BeBe and CeCe Winans, Michael W. Smith, Stryper, and Petra.

With increased commercialization of popular music, thousands of new bands from all over the country sprang up in opposition by performing aggressive, stripped-down punk rock with an even larger amount of political and social awareness injected into the lyrics. Known as Hardcore punk, it would go on to influence and create other musical genres well into the 21st century.

Popular bands included Dead Kennedys in San Francisco, Minor Threat in Washington DC, Black Flag in Los Angeles and Reagan Youth in New York City. El General recorded a first album and reggaeton was born in Panama. Prince was credited with jump-starting the Minneapolis sound. Power Ballads became popular with bands such as Heart and Bon Jovi. The Hardcore Punk movement was started as a completely underground music including bands such as Minor Threat, The Dead Kennedys, and Husker Du. Hardcore also served as the springboard for indie rock as the independent network of record labels, publications and venues it developed quickly grew to encompass widely divergent styles of music made by like-minded artists.

Weird Al Yankovic stbarted his career, singing songs like Darce to Be Stupid (songc) and Eat It.

I could go on but I believe you get the point now. I know and love 80's music.

"Thanks or reading, thanks for visiting."

Visions of the Future

2009-06-10T18:46:00.000-07:00

toadberry: Visions of the Future

A very nice piece written by Vanda Nagy on her blog. If you are a Sci-fi fan like me, it definitely worth the time to read.

--- Pinck

IncrediPod

2009-06-08T22:25:00.000-07:00

I love books, music and film. Recent technology enhancements have allowed me to have these joys close by pretty much all the time. Now don't get me wrong I do not have my iPod attached to my hip 24/7, but I do have a fair amount of books, music and film stored on the apparatus.

I recently sent out an email to all my co-workers announcing my interest in purchasing a used iPod from anyone interested in selling. I figured why give my hard-earned cash to a department store when I could rather put it into someone pocket to either purchase an upgrade to their iPod or buy groceries or other family needs. We'll it all worked out, I bought an 80 gig iPod for $80 and in-turn the seller downgraded his iPod to an 8 gig iPod Nano.

Hence the birth of the "IncrediPod!" --->

An 80 gigbyte harddrive can hold a lot of books, music and video. The IncrediPod is up to 73.6GB's. I took my entire collection of "aquired"music, movies and e-books and loaded them up. Being anal-retentive you can be assured that it's all neatly organized.

You know it's pretty awesome having my IncrediPod handy during those waits in long lines, or walks home. Heck now I have a choice while at the gym, do I want music today? If so what genre? How bout a movie or e-book?

Do you like having an MP3 player (iPod, Zune, etc...)? If so share your passion.

Its not bulky like a CD player (although I have a couple of those too) and I have all my entertainment at my disposal. I swear, the iPod was invented for people like me--those who let music color every part of their day.

"Thanks for reading, thanks for visiting."

Discovering Twitter

2009-05-21T17:06:00.000-07:00

Now I am no expert on the Social Media revolution taking place and sweeping the cyber real estate of the Internet. I am a man of profound commonsense and would like to share my two views on what not to do on social media websites:

One issue I noted immediately on Twitter is people asking for more followers. I don’t think anyone has malicious intents, but it doesn’t make any sense to me. You get more followers because you provide great content, are entertaining or someone is a friend. Right?

What's with all the linking of the same information (redundant!)... You will seriously start to confuse your network…or worse, annoy them. If you’re like me, my networks are separate.I don't expect that I will have followers on Facebook that are identical to Twitter. If my prose on this blog was the same as my Twitter Lingo it would certainly be confusing.

"Thanks for reading, thanks for visiting."

TAPS

2009-05-19T10:53:00.000-07:00

My council of Knight's of Columbus #9332 recently posted the below informative piece in their electronic newsletter. Thought I'd share it on my Blog...

If any of you have ever been to a military funeral in which taps were played; this brings out a new meaning of it.

Taps was composed in July 1862 at Harrison's Landing in Virginia. If anyone can be said to have composed 'Taps,' it was Brig. Gen. Daniel Butterfield, Commander of the 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, V Army Corps, Army of the Potomac, during the American Civil War.

Dissatisfied with the customary firing of three rifle volleys at the conclusion of burials during battle and also needing a method of ceremonially imparting meaning to the end of a soldier's day, he likely altered an older piece known as "Tattoo," a French bugle call used to signal "lights out," into the call we now know as 'Taps.' (Alternatively, he wrote the whole thing from scratch, a possibility not at all supported by his lack of musical background and ability.)

Whether he wrote it straight from the cuff or improvised something new by rearranging an older work, Butterfield brought 'Taps' into being. With the help of his bugler, Oliver W. Norton of Chicago, the concept was transformed into its present form. "Taps" was quickly taken up by both sides of the conflict, and within months was being sounded by buglers in both Union and Confederate forces.

Then as now, 'Taps' serves as a vital component in ceremonies honoring military dead. It is also understood by American servicemen as an end-of-day 'lights out' signal.

When "Taps" is played at a military funeral, it is customary to salute if in uniform or a veteran, or place your hand over your heart if not.

The haunting melody, we now know as 'Taps' used at military funerals was born.

The words are:
Day is done.
Gone the sun.
>From the lakes
>From the hills.
>From the sky.
All is well.
Safely rest.
God is nigh.
Fading light.
Dims the sight.
And a star.
Gems the sky.
Gleaming bright.
>From afar.
Drawing nigh.
Falls the night.
Thanks and praise.
For our days.
Neath the sun
Neath the stars.
Neath the sky.
As we go.
This we know.
God is nigh

I too have felt the chills while listening to 'Taps' but I have never seen all the words to the song until now. I didn't even know there was more than one verse. I also never knew the story behind the song and I didn't know if you had either so I thought I'd pass it along.

I now have an even deeper respect for the song than I did before. Remember Those Lost and Harmed While Serving Their Country.

"Thanks for reading, thanks for visiting."

Some facts about where I work

2009-04-26T17:49:00.000-07:00

Asia encompasses almost half the earth’s surface.

More than half the world’s population lives here.

The Asia-Pacific is home to 36 nations, 3.4 billion people, three thousand different languages, the world’s six largest militaries, and five nations allied with the U.S. through mutual defense treaties.

The region includes the most populous nation, the largest democracy, the largest Muslim-majority nation, and the smallest republic in the world.

China, Japan, South Korea are three of our top trading partners. About one-third of our total two-way goods trade4 is with nations in the region.

Collectively, the region contributes 20% of the world’s GDP, thanks to several of the largest economies in the world.

The Asia-Pacific region is home to 10 of the 15 smallest economies and to several hundred million people who still live below the $1.25 a day poverty line.

www.c7f.navy.mil

"Thanks for reading, thanks for visiting."

Real Musicians

2009-04-26T16:57:00.000-07:00

Musicians are a breed of individuals that are set apart from the rest of us. They have a certain swagger to their walk and gleam in their eyes that if not understood could be mistaken for arrogance. This is far from fact. True musicians are set apart from the social scene because they are the sole creators of the one element that makes socializing possible and in many instances comfortable, music. Next time you find yourself in the company of a true musician, watch them; you’re sure to observe the swagger and facial expressions I’m writing about. Don’t be fooled by posers out there, you’ll know the real musicians when you meet them because they are polite and respectful.

"Thanks for reading, thanks for visiting."

O.K. O.K.

2009-03-19T01:26:00.000-07:00

Recently a good friend of mine pestered me, asking me over and over again to post a piece I wrote on my 40th birthday. I finally found the narrative and here it is just as I originally wrote it:

Grab a cup of coffee or tea, sit back and relax and try to enjoy a bit of me.

Over Forty for the First Time
A Hodgepodge of Thoughts by
Palmer Pinckney II

Have you heard the news? Forty is now the new 30. What the heck does this mean? Damn media.

In celebration of my life in the the forties I continue to wake up in the mornings. I continue my quest for “Life's Instruction Manual.” Damn. Would have really thought “They” would have delivered it by today (at a minimum!).

Tried to stifle the urge to peruse eBay looking for styl-ish 1980’s Farrari/Maserati/Lamboghini coupe. Not red – too damn stereotypical. Wasn’t successful, but thankfully only bid insufficient amounts.

This weekend’s SPAM (junk e-mail) has been ferocious. Three an hour – and all focused on my whatnot. At least the euphemisms are worth reading, “Willy, Potato Man, One-eyed Snake, Love Muscle, your Member, Erect-oid, Ejaculator, your Johnson, your Manhood, Schlong, Love Monkey, Spud Stud, etc. Do they know something about being 40 that I don’t? Should I be getting concerned? Does some marketing guru keep a master list of those males who are 40 and then they let loose the torrents of anxiety-raising questions regarding one’s sexual competency. Is this SPAM a portion of the Instruction Manual for which I have been searching diligently?

Cumulative knowledge I have learned in the last 40 years:

Only when I stop and think about it, do I realize that I am the luckiest person I know. In the heat of the battle, many aspects/moments of my life can look pretty uncomfortable/dire.

No one has ever asked me what my high school or college GPA was. Ever. Bastards! My high school guidance consoler told me that I’d never amount to a pile of beans unless I earned a few B’s & C’s. I worked my ass off for nothing - Frickin Idiot!

My wife is remarkable. She is truly beautiful. Her adaptability is amazing. I want to become a better person just to make her happier. She can also be a huge challenge. That said, the good will always outweigh the bad. (I sincerely hope the “Instruction Manual” has some helpful hints regarding Peri-menopause. If it does not, this is going to be an interesting few years.)

High school friends remain amongst the closest I have. But the onus is on me to keep all of my friends. I need to initiate the communication – or the friendships inevitably fade…

Being a “leader” has advantages and disadvantages. But I believe that all humans irrespective of roll - have a stress-builder mechanism. Hence if you are a battlefield surgeon saving soldier’s lives, or a trust-funded twenty-something, your mind/body creates stress. My guess: this human facet possibly has something to do with our creator’s sense of humor and our knowledge/instinct that we must be ready to run from the saber-tooth tiger or a big ass bear.

Perception is everything. Aristotle had it right ~24 hundred years ago. The person you are trying to persuade will be more malleable if you understand their needs/desires/motivations and modify your message to the same.

Laughter cures almost all. Such a powerful emotion.

I change over time. I love spinach. I no longer appreciate the spinning cups amusement ride.

Giving is more fun than receiving.

People with wealth are not necessarily happier than people without wealth. Happiness seems to be derived from being appreciative for what you have and the life you live.

I am often the most fortunate when I just say “yes.” I occasionally have regrets when I say “no.”

My mother, one of the planet’s wisest beings, used to tell us that M&Ms, Desitin Antiseptic, and gray tape could be used to fix just about anything.

Argue for your limitations, and they are yours.

Things I don’t understand:

Why can’t I be more tolerant? I try hard, but I often fail.

Why do people pay for “lift” kits on pick-up trucks/SUVs that never see more than their lawn? That $1000 could house and feed the average family in India for 4 years.

Were there really this many pervs prior to the advent of the Internet?

Why do tiny Asian women always ask for the Emergency Exit Aisle seats on airplanes? These are the only seats in coach class fit for a man over 6’7” tall. Me!

Why don’t airlines institute some carnival/amusement ride clown-signage that says, “You must be taller than my hand to ask for this prized seat.”?
Why don’t many people understand that they control their own destiny?

Why do dogs stretch so often? They must understand something I do not.

Why does anyone really care who Richard Gere, Jennifer Lopez, Cher and Merv Griffin are supporting for the Presidential Democratic nominee? Shouldn’t we be asking really smart people who they are supporting and why? Let’s ask the Nobel Prize winners their opinions… at least they’d be somewhat credible.

Why does chocolate chip cookie dough taste considerably undesirable cold and uncooked, while day-old re-heated pizza taste like heaven?

Why can’t certain people tell the difference between a Democrat and a Republican? Why can’t we have more recalls like we had for the Governor of California? I want hundreds of choices when we elect someone to any political office.

When did we lose objective news reporting? When did the networks/publishers decide that we actually wanted/cared what their political inclinations were?

Why don’t people read more?

Why don’t we have cures and vaccines for cancer, AIDS, Alzheimer’s, the common cold, various addictions and especially Parkinson’s Disease?

What the hell is all this nose hair about? And gray nose hairs? Yikes.

Some facts about me:

I’m not as smart as I appear. I’m wiser than you may be aware. I’ll be anyone’s friend unconditionally.

My favorite color is Gray.

If I had one wish that could be granted I ask for peace on earth (I mean it.).

I was born without a sports bone in my body, but I do look good 'trying' to play the game.

I think too damn much and I just can’t stop doing it. I believe this has been a problem for me much of my life and why so many misunderstand my representation.

Yes, I love Star Trek (don’t get me wrong, I don’t dress up like a Klingon or anything) I just grew up as a fan and continue to be one today.

Pictures are not important to me, memories are.

I hate alarm clocks.

I vote! And really don’t understand Americans that don’t.

I don’t know what “incunabula” means.

My favorite books:

(I had to really work here, I’m not known for knowing an author’s name)

Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged. I think of myself as/want to be Hank Rearden.

Richard Bach’s Illusions. Yes, it is early-70’s hippy silliness/idealism – but I believe sincerely. And I see blue feathers nearly everywhere I look. I never have bugs on my windshield.

Cat’s Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut. The very best satire of human motivations…

Neuromancer by William Gibson. Cyber-punks rule.

Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson. The scary part of this book is how real “it” all is…

Empire Falls by Richard Russo. Terrific writer.

High Fidelity by Nick Hornsby. Yeah, the movie was good also, but all of Hornsby’s writings make me laugh/sob to the core.

A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers. Not the novel you may be accustomed to…but that’s more reason for you to read it.

When I was an angry young single man, I re-read Men without Women by Ernest Hemmingway at least 2 dozen times. The man could write.

Tales from Margaritaville by Jimmy Buffet. Brilliant. Oh, and funny.

Eric Segal’s Love Story. Can still draw tears just thinking about Jen.

The Truth Machine by James Halperin. Life in 2004?

The Thin Man by Dashell Hammett. 1930’s glamorous couple that solve murders on three martinis before lunch.

Michael Chabon’s The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay. America – what a country.

Irving Stone’s The Agony and the Ecstasy. Historical fiction about the Renaissance and the sculptor Michelangelo.

Many worlds, many choices in Einstein’s Dreams by Alan Lightman.

Carl Hiaasen’s Basket Case – comic crime genre (really).

The king of twisty-plots – Charles Palliser and his book, Betrayals.

I have really enjoyed every Harry Potter book written (When I finally got to read them – Thanks Ben and Diann). What an imagination she has!

Goodbye, Good Men -- Michael S. Rose. Answers the “Why?” with regards to the present scandal in the Catholic Church organization. Outstanding read.

The Bible. Ummm. Need I tell you about this one?

There is no better “escape” than anything by: Forsythe; Ludlum; Clancy; le Carre; Coonts; and Coban. I often learn more about the world via these books, than all the CNN/Fox News/BBC/MSNBC combined.

You know, I am getting pretty damn old and presumptuous that I feel I can list my favorite books. My hubris (I know what this word means) is huge - especially from a guy that was third in his HS class - third from the bottom.

Favorite Jokes:

A mushroom walks into a Bar and asks for a Martini. The bartender looks up from his newspaper and is startled to see a mushroom asking for a drink. The bartender says, “We don’t usually serve your kind in this bar.” The mushroom replies, “Why not? I am a fungi.”

A piece of string walks into the same bar a few hours later and also asks for a Martini. The bartender is quite surprised and annoyed to see a piece of string asking for a drink. “Get out of here! We don’t serve string here,” yelled the bartender. The string walked outside the bar and greeted a passerby. “Sir, may I ask you a favor.” The passerby was not accustomed to meeting and talking to string, but agreed to listen. “Would you kindly tie me in a knot?” asked the string. The passerby told the string that the request was weird, but he agreed and tied the string into a knot. “And Sir, before you go, will you unravel my ends?” The passerby thought this was especially weird, but complied and quickly left the scene. The piece of string reentered the bar and asked for a double martini. The bartender looked up from his newspaper and asked, “Aren’t you that piece of string I just threw out of here?” The string answered, “No I am a frayed knot.”

A horse walks into the bar about ten minutes later and sits next to the piece of string. The bartender looks up from his newspaper and asks, “Hey buddy, why the long face?”

Speaking of horses, here’s my favorite alcoholic joke,”A drunken woman decides to try horseback riding, even though she has had no lessons or prior experience. She mounts the horse unassisted and the horse immediately springs into motion. It gallops along at a steady and rhythmic pace, but the drunken woman begins to slip from the saddle.

In terror, she grabs for the horse's mane, but cannot seem to get a firm grip. She tries to throw her arms around the horse's neck, but she slides down the side of the horse anyway. The horse gallops along, seemingly oblivious to its slipping rider. Finally, giving up her frail grip, she leaps away from the horse to try and throw herself to safety.

Unfortunately, her foot has become entangled in the stirrup; she is now at the mercy of the horse's pounding hooves as her head is struck against the ground over and over. As her head is battered against the ground, she is mere moments away from unconsciousness when to her great fortune . . . the Supermarket manager sees her and shuts the horse off.”

Back to the question regarding Life’s Instruction Manual… Anybody have a spare copy that they can lend me? I’ve “Googled” for it – but no luck. When I was very young (age 4-12 approximately), I had a recurring dream that there was a vast Matrix-like conspiracy where I was sort of a laboratory experiment – with the entire world controlled by women who wanted to see/examine how I reacted to various situations and stimuli. Cameras, recorders, and “special agents” (usually attractive women), follow my every move and report back to Headquarters (looks a lot like the Bat Cave in my dreams). In these dreams (almost always a new plot every evening – but the same characters), I am occasionally able to make these quasi-scientific voyeurs inadvertently reveal themselves, (much to my triumph and their embarrassment). These female ultra-manipulators also try to inject me with Saccharin in order to put me in an agreeable trance-like state. Now over the last thirty or so years, I have learned that this dream is just that – a dream, (their Headquarters building is for example - not the Bat Cave! It is the Empire State Building in NYC). But what does the good “Manual” have to say about the subject? Women are nearly 52% of the entire world-wide population, and yet they don’t squish us men like the bugs we are. What’s up with that? Another conspiracy where the schlong-less actually pretend to moan about being second-class, and yet know in their hearts and minds that they rule the world? We men are so stupid – we’d probably fall for that kind of ploy…

One morning my wife asked me to make breakfast as she wished to remain in bed sleeping. She tried to make it funny – she said, “The room service in this hotel sucks!” It was then it hit me, I was the room service in this hotel. It’s true. Me = room service. Damn.

When I turned forty, I bet myself that a friend would say, “How’s it feel to know you’re half-way through the race?” Damn, I was right. Some foolish one actually asked this silly question.

Who said anything about a race? (Must be something that I am unaware of due to my lack of acquiring/reading the Instruction Manual.)

And halfway? Wow. How does my friend know? Was it a slip of the tongue – please tell me my friend is not one of “Them?”

Oh damn. Back to bed for me – where it is safe and “just a dream.”

Turning 40 kind of snuck up on me. Nonetheless now I am. After all, my brother, who's eight years older, has been quiet about his age for years. By his clock, I'm probably still 35. Or 33.

But it happened anyway and I'm pleasantly surprised most by what hasn't happen.

No red car. No strippers. No too-sexy-for-my-shirt addition to the wardrobe.

The day itself isn't a big deal at all. It was more a process of a few weeks leading up to it, and the days around it, where I feel sort of a lower sense of gravity in my self than I have before.

I'm calm. Having spent the last seven years working on my writing, with some real success, a lot of cool stories and even more quantifiable improvement, I was able to square myself in the mirror and say, “Hey, you did what you said you were going to do.”

Thoughts of the future, and goals still to be met pressed on me just a little. “I'll get to them,” I said, and sat down and sketched out some plans to do that. But no real big crisis.

The other benefits of the 40's, the real ones, however, are here for a while, I think. Less anxiety about what will happen next, nagging question like “Am I going to be late?” don’t irritate me anymore. An ability to focus on what I'm supposed to do and a general sense of well-being that I was surprised to find does come with having lived enough to know what's important.

God Bless America!
and God Bless You.

Thanks for reading, thanks for visiting.

My Corner

2009-03-19T00:29:00.000-07:00

I would like to take you to the corner of my world.
Where we can laugh and play, sing and be young again.

We can forget our troubles for a little while and
Share stories of days gone by.

A place where we can forget for a time
and examine our mind.
Of the heartache we feel inside.

Life's pain has rob our loved ones away,
but we try to share in their day.
If only we could go back to where our
loved ones had gone.

But we can't, so we dream of a life that we once had.
Of a time we share together.
We go into that corner of our mind
and dream of days gone by.

I know the need to reach out and touch someone and
say I understand, don't go away, talk to me.
I will listen. Let me know how you feel.
Open your heart, bare your soul.
Don't be afraid to show yourself to me.
I understand, I really do.

I have been there and all I have now is
the corner of my world to remember.
Come with me and enjoy the day
Take time for yourself and we
will laugh the day away together.
In the corner of my world.

Thanks for visiting, thanks for reading.

Boom Boom Room!

2009-02-21T19:21:00.000-08:00

You're at work, or driving, or at home and everything is already crazy. Then your coworkers, traffic, or someone in your family decide it's time to break out their boom box and turn on the local rap station or MP3 track.

I'm 45, and a black American, so those of you who are under my age might find it hard to believe that I don't enjoy rap music, but in fact I despise it, with only a few exceptions. In this world we live in, it's impossible to escape this genre of music.

Television, commercials, movies, radio, and even on the Internet all have been infiltrated.

Enough Is Enough

Where do we draw the line and say enough is enough?

I hate it when I can hear a bass line from a rap song coming from a car six blocks away or drowning out your own car stereo while you're waiting at an intersection?

I feel sorry for employees at drive-thru restaurants; they have to put up with this all day, every day, because of their line of work.

Life and times are tough enough without rap music’s ranting, disrespecting, and glorifying unlawful behavior that almost everyone is listening to today. Cell phones are ringing it, radios are playing it, I-pods are emanating it, and your coworkers are listening to - it makes for a very bad day at work.

The worst part isn't that I don't like this music, but that there are so many kids listening to it that I can't avoid it.

Rap's Impact on Language

I used to work for a movie theater operation and I heard it then as I still do today employees talking like thier rap icons. Many of them have no respect for adults. Some of them can't finish a sentence without swearing several times.

Kids hear the rappers use this language, and they think that it's okay to speak incoherently. Some are as young as 12 and 13. It just isn't right!

True, all hip-hop music does not suffer from this lack of creativity and good taste, but I would defend that a majority does.

Good Music

What music do I like, you might ask?

Well, just about anything from the eighties (Duran Duran, Bar-Kays, Con Funk Shun, Huey Lewis, Depeche Mode, etc.), some 60s and 70s music (The Who, Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd, The Beatles, Temptations, O'Jays, etc.), and a few select albums from the 90s.

Remember when music used to be good?

For those of you who do enjoy today's hip-hop music, I would like to point out that I have nothing against you personally. I just don't share your taste in music.

Here is a challenge; can you name a popular R&B/hip-hop band of this decade?

I recently asked a young “20-something year old” lady this question and she answered, "The Roots, they are very talented musicians."

I replied, "The Roots started in 1993, a hip-hop band outta Philadelphia and they are famed for the reemergence of the jazzy, eclectic approach to rap music that the 1981 group Stetsosonic started. But I said THIS DECADE!"

That's one of the problems with these young so-called hip-hop fans, they don't know music! Or history!

The only hip-hop I enjoy is fusion. Bands like Limp Bizkit and Linkon Park are making a killing by fusing their alternative rock genre with hip-hop. Very powerful music!

If you like hip-hop music, fine, God Bless you - but please don't email me if all you are going to do is "flame" me. I will read it but make sure to know what you are writing about and coherent in your prose and not just "flaming" out of spite.

Thanks for visiting, thanks for reading.

Here is a piece of music that should blow your mind! Enjoy.

For me the voice is the most important instrument. What is a band without a singer, nothing.

The Second Coming!

2009-02-21T19:15:00.000-08:00

10,000 Blessings to you all.

Don’t call me a name… I mean call me by my name, but not a name, O.K.

2009-02-20T09:55:00.000-08:00

Part 1:

Does this make sense to you? Well, it should because if it doesn’t, you are a cruel and insensitive person for not understanding what I am writing. And I can say that, because I am writing, not talking. And if I were talking to you in person, it is doubly important that you understand me, because my feelings are important, right? If you don’t answer yes, remember you are cruel and insensitive.

The above paragraph is an example of the paradox caused by the “political correctness.”

The “PC” mindset boils down to this, “an insistence that we must be offended by certain things if we wish to be seen as right-thinking people.”

What?!? Does that make any sense? Not to me. Who defines “right-thinking?” Does it matter?

We must be the most easily offended generation in history, thanks in no small part to the media. Ever alert to things that might offend us and ever ready to be offended on our behalf. Much of this stems from the political correct movement that began in the late seventies.

Political correctness' focuses on how we speak, how bigotry has had the desirable effect of largely eliminating the public expression of casual, vernacular racism. But its' bull-shit is flourishing, thanks to its relationship with outrage. Political correctness with assistance from the media defines what's offensive; a few people take offense; the media inflates their thinned-skinned sensitivities into public outrage.

This vocabulary virus is attacking our capacity to feel shame and has mutated into a more aggressive form of unwillingness to accept responsibility and refusal to acknowledge error or harm done, let alone atone for it.

I am not advocating hateful speak here. But what I am advocating is the freedom of tactful expression. Simply put, to pick our battles. If you are wrong, buck up and admit it. If you are right - tactfully pick your defense and don't be afraid to speak up when the time comes.

Lately have you watched people on the street of America; they are scared to make eye contact with strangers. --- often fearing that they may offend someone with a simple vocal salutation or gesture of good nature. Punks! Yeah I said it, Punks!

I am a God fearing man and I know that I do not control my time of departure from this life; therefore I will not be afraid to speak my mind. Nor should you.

Thanks for visiting, thanks for reading.

Cheap Entertainment

2009-02-14T13:02:00.001-08:00

Earlier in my blog I wrote about social media and the way it has changed the very fabric of social behavior and acceptance. I have for many years spoke of my love for cheap entertainment; much like what I wrote in my class speech assignment...

"I love watching people perform the simplest behaviors, for example, waiting on a bus or train, digging in a purse, or watching them look at themselves in a mirror. It’s just something I do - call me strange or even weird as my Savanna-Nicole often does."

I do not have the greatest memory, I admit it. But my wife has often told me that if it’s important or of interest to me --- I'll remember it. So where am I going here in this blog-entry writing about social media, class, and memory?

Only about two to three months ago did I introduce myself to the toxic Webpage "YouTube." Oh my god... is this crap addictive.

Just in case you are one on the few that have no idea of what I'm writing about; YouTube is a video sharing website where anyone can view and share video clips. Three friends created YouTube in 2005, and in 2006, YouTube; LLC was bought by Google for $1.65 billion. Damn! Most of the content on YouTube has been uploaded by individuals, although media corporations including CBS and the BBC and other organizations offer some of their material on the site.

O.K. nuff of the history lesson. --- I love eighties music, and YouTube provides me access to all the R&B, Rock of the 80's, and Electronica I can handle in one sitting. As a matter of fact, the first night that I decided to punch-up the YouTube URL, I was up awake 'til two o'clock in the morning watching.

You'll find out pretty damn quickly if you venture into the depths of YouTube's offerings that along your travel you'll encounter other interesting and wonderful artistic contributions.

One such cyber entertainment gift is "Improv Everywhere," a comedic performance art group based in New York City. Founded by a gentleman named Charlie Todd in 2001 the cadre of performers’ slogan is "We Cause Scenes."

This group carries out non-threatening pranks that are tasteful and intelligent. Improv Everywhere calls these performances "missions," and missions are carried out in public places. The goal of these missions is to cause scenes of "chaos and joy."

For the price of typing a URL address you too can enjoy what I often refer to as cheap entertainment. Long live Improv Everywhere and the intelligent, mind provoking mission they accomplish.

Thanks for visiting thanks for reading.

FROZEN IN NEW YORK

"HIGH FIVE!"

Improv Everywhere

Dammit! Do not be ashamed!

2009-02-12T08:42:00.000-08:00

We are special indeed, part of uniquely qualified cardre of Americans who served in the American armed forces. But, I think we tend to forget this and do ourselves a disservice. Please allow me to elaborate.

The most recent numbers I know of indicate that 26 percent of Americans aged 17-25 are qualified for military service. Of that 26 percent, nearly half choose to go to college instead. (Sure, some get commissioned — but not many.) It boils down to only one or two people out of every 10 being able to get into the military. The fact that you made the cut is something to be proud of — and I don’t want you to forget it.

After boot camp, we all have a swagger and a bit of an attitude. Over time that fades somewhat. But at the core of our being, we are proud — and rightfully so. Then, something happens. We may work for a jerk while on active duty and service to country becomes just a job. Then again, everyone we’re serving with is part of that special group of Americans, too. Whatever my buddies back at home are like, chances are my comrades in arms, in total, are better. Our comrades set a new standard for us. But, while we acknowledge that we work with people who are truly outstanding, we often fail to recognize that we are outstanding, too. Perhaps we don’t want to seem conceited or arrogant, so we don’t give ourselves the credit we deserve. But, outstanding becomes our new “average.”

At some point, we decided to leave active duty. But, the civilian sector doesn’t treat us as a member of an elite 15 percent. It sometimes seems that our service has no value to future employers. We’re offered menial jobs that are beneath our abilities, or told we’re over-qualified for the position they want to fill. One way or another, we aren’t “right for the job.”

This just happened to someone I know. He is a Navy Captain; nuclear power-qualified, sub commander, etc. He is also a certified fitness coach, with a master’s in Homeopathic Medicine. He’s articulate, passionate, and someone we would all want on our team. He applied for a job in wellness (which ties into his fitness and homeopathic experience), as he was remarkably well-suited for the job. They never even called him back. After the initial interview — when they told him they were impressed and it looked good for him – they never called him back. Not only is such behavior rude and disrespectful to my friend. It’s demoralizing to the rest of us.

After being dismissed too often, and getting no points for having served on active duty, many veterans begin to question whether their sacrifice was even worth it. Some become angry and bitter. (I know, because they write to me.) They forget that they are part of a select group of Americans who chose to serve, and who served with honor. They minimize their service, and it becomes something to be embarrassed about rather than something to be proud of. Each year on Veterans Day, how many of us pause to say to ourselves, “Yeah, I am part of the elite few, and I am proud of myself for what I did. I am part of something bigger than myself.”

If you don’t give yourself credit from time to time, for being part of that 15 percent, nobody else will. And although a potential employer may not value your experience, you know better. I encourage you to find the place where you and your skills are appreciated. I know all this because, like many veterans, I am following this path. Save yourself some trouble and take this advice/experience: don’t devalue what you did because, when you do, you devalue yourself and that’s just wrong — because you are special.

Stay Inspired.

Thanks for visiting, thanks for reading.

Copyright © 2009 Palmer Pinckney II

Kids today... I tell ya!

2009-02-10T14:28:00.000-08:00

You've got it so easy! I mean, compared to my childhood, you live in a damn Utopia! And I hate to say it, but you kids today don't know how good you've got it!

I mean, when I was a kid, we didn't have the Internet. If we wanted to know something, we had to go to the friggin library and look it up ourselves ...
in the card catalog!! And there was no email!! We had to actually write somebody a letter ... with a pen! Then you had to walk all the way across the street and put it in the mailbox and it would take like a week at least to get there!

There were no MP3s or Napsters! If you wanted to steal music, you had to hitchhike to the record store and shoplift it yourself! Or you had to wait around all day to tape it (yes ... I said TAPE it) off the radio and then the DJ would usually talk over the beginning and f#*k it all up!

We didn't have fancy crap like Call Waiting! If you were on the phone and somebody else called, they got a busy signal, end of story.

And we didn't have fancy Caller ID boxes either! When the phone rang, you had no idea who it was! It could be your school, your mom, your boss, your bookie, your drug dealer, a collections agent, whatever! It was a total crap shot ... you just didn't know!!! You had to pick it up and take your chances, mister!

We didn't have any fancy Sony Playstation video games with high-resolution 3-D graphics! We had the Atari 2600! With games like 'Space Invaders' and 'Asteroids.' Your guy was a little square! You actually had to use your imagination!! And there were no multiple levels or screens; it was just one screen forever! And you could NEVER win!! The game just kept getting harder and harder and faster and faster until you DIED! Just like LIFE!

When you went to the movie theater, there no such thing as stadium seating! All the seats were the same height! If a tall bastered like me or some old broad with a hat sat in front of you, you couldn't see, you were just screwed!

There was no cable television, and there was only like 4 channels... and there was no on screen menu and no remote control! You had to use a little book called a TV Guide to find out what was on! You were screwed when it came to channel surfing! You had to get off your lazy butt and actually walk over to the TV to change the channel.

Oh yeah! And there was no Cartoon Network either! You could only get cartoons on Saturday morning. Do you hear what I'm saying!?! We had to wait ALL WEEK for cartoons, you spoiled little rats!

Let's not forget we had to think about time, there were no numbers to tell us exactly what time it was. You say it's 20 til today to kids and they'll respond, "what?"

And we didn't have microwaves. Nooo! (and damn radar ranges were not microwaves ovens) If we wanted to heat something up, we had to use the stove or go build a frigging fire! Just imagine that! If we wanted popcorn, we had to use that stupid Jiffy Pop thing and shake it over the stove forever like an idiot. I bet you don't even know what Jiffy Pop is!!!

See, that's exactly what I'm talking about! You kids today have got it too easy. You're spoiled. Today kids wouldn't have lasted five minutes back in 1980's!

Regards,
From The over 30 Crowd

Thanks Rob!

Thanks for visiting, thanks for reading.

Mr. President,

2009-02-08T17:46:00.000-08:00

There is no doubt your election was a watershed. An 8-year-long national nightmare has ended. But there is a tremendous amount of damage to repair.

Foremost is addressing the economic crisis that is upon us and which touches on every concern from the environment and healthcare to wars and energy.

So now the next fight begins.

The wealthy and corporate interests who dished out billions of dollars this election season are swarming over Washington to get you to pass their agendas. The energy giants are demanding “clean coal,” nuclear power and offshore drilling. More big corporations facing bankruptcy because of their corruption and greed demand taxpayer bailouts.

Military contractors and weapon peddlers will push the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The super-rich will cry poverty like never before and demand more tax cuts. HMOs and insurance companies will promote bogus healthcare “reforms” so they can stall universal healthcare. And sir, they won’t take "no" for an answer.

Now on a personal note Mr. President, I need a bailout; and many just like me. How did we go from an economic crisis to a mortgage crisis and then back to an economic crisis. I fear to believe that corporations like Wells Fargo, Bank of America, Bear Sterns, AIG, and the rest of these corporate parasites took D.C.'s eyes off the real victims of this Apocalypse. For all I care these corporations can fold up or burn down. I'm no economist but believe me, please, big corp America continue to prove they are not responsible and only care about their stock holders, not the customers. Let them find their own way Mr. President, they will. But if you keep offering to feed these parasites, they will remain at your doorstep in a frenzy.

Bail me [US] out Mr. President; use some of the money to help homeowners like me that are now in homes across America that are "worth less" than the mortgages owned on them. Bailing out corporate will not help US. Many of US now need employment and I know you can rebuild this aspect of our economy. But what I am asking sincerely of you is to use part of the bailout funds to buy up all the legitimate upside-down mortgages across the country and return fair mortgages to these homeowners. Trust me Wall Street and their stock holders will come knocking on the door, sending emails, and mailing letters to you begging to have these mortgages back. Only then will you truly be in a position to force them to conduct business in a fair and ethical manner. Because you Mr. President will have what they need most, Our Business.

Thanks for visiting, thanks for reading.

i-Tunes and Idol

2009-02-07T17:20:00.001-08:00

I can't believe that I'm blogging about American Idol.

But, then again, I just read that Season 2 winner Rubin Stoddard is starring in Ain't Misbehavin' in Greensboro, Nc. this weekend.

Studdard was the best performer Idol ever saw, he made it look effortless.

We tend to remember mega-stars Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood...and the most recent winner David Cook. But, in seven seasons...the majority of these idols have struggled. Not to mention the runners up that had all that fan support.

I mean really...who remembers Fantasia Barrino or Taylor Hicks?

Hey, they're all working somewhere...but one wonders what would have happened to these incredible talents if their debut albums were available on iTunes the NEXT DAY...rather than months later.

Don't for a moment believe that I support iTunes, because I'm a binary code bootlegger for sure.

Thanks for visiting, thanks for reading.

The next: Who am I?

2009-02-06T16:28:00.000-08:00

Versitile: I am a versitile leader who dispite set-backs continues on my path towards my goal accomplishment.

Brilliant: Considered brilliant by many, I am not, I strive to remain humble and learn something new each day.

Bright: I approach each day with a bright behavior and a kind gesture for each person I meet.

Strong Character: My character comes first and is not negotiable. Character first and foremost, over image and reputation.: My character is represented by what I do when only God is looking.

God: Each day I pray for God’s Will to be manifested in my life.

Non-judgmental: I will endeavor to practice observation prior to prosecution.

Loving: My family is the secular source of the love in my life.

Patience: Time is what I make of it, and remaining patient leads me past many obstacles in life.

Treat others with respect, regardless: Despite the many negative forces in life I will remain respectful of my fellow man.

I don't like to lose: Living my life well-balanced will result in a WIN-WIN in LIFE and DEATH.

Prosperity: I will never strive for security nor freedom but rather PROSPERITY.

Thanks for visiting, thanks for reading.

Pause for the Cause

2009-02-02T16:53:00.000-08:00

Check out my brother Chief's worthy cause and if your heart leads you, donate.

"Check This" for Aaron's page

A personal note from Aaron:

"Hello everybody! As all of you know this August 15th my world was shattered when I lost my little brother to Lymphoma. I have teamed up with the Lymphoma and Leukeimia Societies Team in Training program to raise money to fight lymphoma and leukeima. I will be running in the San Diego Marathon (26 miles) on May 31st 2009, and Team in Training helps me prepare as well as raise money. Please check out my website, and if you feel so inclined make a donation. Even if you don't donate please check out the site, this is a great program! Thank you!"

Aaron Neufeld

"Click This" for Arron's Webpage

For more detailed information about Lymphoma and Leuleimia
"Click This Out"

Thanks for visiting, thanks for reading.

Favorite Super Bowl Commercial

2009-02-01T20:39:00.000-08:00

This one is fun to...

Enjoy.

Thank for visiting, thanks for reading.

Homeboy

2009-02-01T11:40:00.000-08:00

I am definitely a "Homeboy." I am very content with a hot beverage, a good book and some peace and quiet. Or, the same hot beverage, a good friend and great conversation. Though most of all I am happiest when I am home with my family. My days of wondering where the next party is at or what's going on "over there," are well behind me. Besides, it's important to note that the days of "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas," are gone!

I'm a Navy man, and I've seen many a men (and women) loose there family over a simple text message that contained a "guilty as charged" photo. We live in the age of social media, where a moment in time can be transmitted around the world and to the world in a fraction of a moment later.

Social media is different from industrial media (newspapers, television, and film) in that it is cheap. Back in the day it would cost time and a postage stamp to send that compromising photo to "ya boy or girl" back home. Now, with the press of a few buttons on a cell phone the same photo will instantly appear on not only your friend's phone but damn near simultaneously on everyone else's phone to.

If a person is not careful, social media can be equivalent to a personal Armageddon.

Social media is exended not only to cellular phones but also the World-wide Web. The recent popularity of such sites as Face Book, You Tube, Internet forums, weblogs, wikis, podcasts, pictures and video and other technologies: blogs, picture-sharing, vlogs, wall-postings, email, music-sharing, crowdsourcing, and voice over IP, to name a few can now devastate anyone misbehaving.

I choose to remain content with my peaceful coexistance with my fellow human-beings.

I write this blog-entry to entertain but mostly to inform the "ignant" because the "ignant" are worse than the ignorant - because they know better!

Thanks for visiting, thanks for reading.

Connie!

2009-01-29T19:20:00.000-08:00

Not sure if this has found it's way into your email inbox, but no matter a man or woman you have to know that God only send us these every once in a long while.

Watch videos in order:

Clip 1: Connie 1
Clip 2: Connie 2

Thanks for visiting, thanks for reading.

Champions!

2009-01-28T12:39:00.000-08:00

Celebration Church, 6080 Foreland Garth, Columbia, MD 21045
www.wininlife.com
(410) 997-2088

I had the absolute honor of visiting Celebration Church, in Columbia, Maryland, on Sunday, Jan. 25. Let me tell you from firsthand account, this is a busy church community. When Pastor Robbie Davis, senior pastor of the faithful, ran down all the activities/ministries within Celebration Church, I couldn’t help myself but think of comedian and actor Steve Harvey on the Kings of Comedy tour and how he ran down all of the weekday ministries at the church he attended as a child with his parents. If you have not seen this routine – it’s a must see.

I attended the 10:30 a.m. service, the love and reverence in the “church” was impressive. The message of the day was the finale of a four-part series called, Lifestyles of the Rich and Faithful. Pr. Robbie skillfully guided the congregation through a study of select scriptures that explained “what belongs to God.”

So many Christians have problems with giving [tithing] to the Church. But what they fail to understand is they are only returning to God (the church) what already belongs to our Lord, said Robbie.

Now I don’t make it a habit of quoting bible scripture/passages to look up, but I assure you that what the pastor’s teaching is in the good book, plain and simple, and not taken out of context.

God wants us to tithe with joy and enthusiasm, said Robbie.

During a stage play presented and acted by church members during the service, one of the characters upon receiving the news that he was awarded a monetarily lucrative contract, shouted out, “I can’t wait to tithe at church this Sunday!” During the same play, couples attending a celebration dinner discussed their passions for giving onto the Lord and the abundance of Grace they receive in return for their passion. It “is” a very powerful message.

I have visited many churches in my lifetime. As a Christian in the Catholic faith I am very attracted to the number three, as in Trinity.

Towards the end of the Celebration service I was witness to an absolutely beautiful moment. Many churches have Alter Calls as a part of their service. I have noted that most Alter Calls [I’ve seen] are best described as a uncontrolled praying chaos. I’ve mostly seen a mass of praying individuals with the church pastor and seniors attempting to minister and guide the faithful during this pandemonium. Not so at Celebration.

The pastor (1) called all the senior ministers forward to the front of the Alter (not on the Alter but rather to the front edge). He then (2) invited those with heavy-hearts in need of prayer to come forward to the Alter and pray “together” with "a" minister. The pastor (3) remained on the Alter watching over the flock of prayerful church members, and calling on other ministers if someone needed someone to pray with them. He never left the Alter. As I stood in prayer watching from the pews, the image of people praying one-on-one with ministers, and the pastor overlooking was truly a powerful one.

Why was this so powerful an image to me?

It was powerful because as a Christian in the Catholic faith I believe in the sacrament of confession - confession with a priest. The priest is simply the pastor, there solely to listen and pray together with the confessor to seek to ensure forgiveness of sin and guidance to sin no more. There is nothing more powerful than two human beings praying together for forgiveness of sins and guidance. Present at all confessions are “three,” the sinner, the pastor, and Christ. As it was with the powerful scene set at Celebration Church, the sinner – the ministers –and Christ. Pr. Robbie remaining on the Alter during this portion of the service reminded me of the priest in the Confessional, not there to interfere with the prayers for forgiveness, but rather overseeing it, ensuring that the faithful receives the fullness of the faith.

If I am not explaining this well enough for you to truly understand what I witnessed, well let me just write, you had to be there to really appreciate what I’m writing about.

It was such a reverent and beautiful service and Alter Call -- one I will not soon forget.

Glory be to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. Amen!

Thanks for visiting, thanks for reading.

Celebration Church
www.wininlife.com
6080 Foreland Garth
Columbia, MD 21045
(410) 997-2088

Why am I a Christian?

2009-01-28T08:29:00.000-08:00

"GRACE! I am so overwhelmed and thankful that I am Christian in the Catholic fold and can enjoy all the Church offers: A Holy Mass every day, the Holy Eucharist (Source and Summit of the faith), Confession, five other Sacraments, a Pope and Magisterium for magnificent authority and teaching, Sacred Tradition (the life of the Holy Spirit in the Church), Mary our Blessed Mother who Christ gave to us at the foot of the cross, the Rosary to meditate on the life of Christ, the Saints as intercessors and role models, the Early Church Fathers, phenomenal and peaceful prayers, devotions and novenas, indulgences and last, but not least, guaranteed solid ground on the teaching of faith and morals in these difficult times. I am so blessed. Why? I don't know... God's Riches At Christ's Expense: G-R-A-C-E"

Thanks for visiting, thanks for reading.

Plungapalooza - the 2009 Polar Bear Plunge

2009-01-27T12:11:00.000-08:00

http://www.plungemd.com/

Why would I decide to expose myself to sub-zero degree temperature water in the Chesapeake Bay? Well, in refection the "20/20 hindsight rule" seem not to apply. Because if I were offered the opportunity to do it again, the answer would be, "Thanks, but no thanks." Unless! Hold on... if the cause is worthy I am there.
Over this past weekend I attended the Maryland State Police Polar Bear Plunge. It was truly an awesome experience. I must toot my own horn here and write that I did not "dip," I "plunged!" The temperature on Saturday was in the 20's, somewhat overcast with medium winds. It was freaking COLD! Least I forget to mention that the water temperature was 31.
My friend and I decided to brave these elements and support the Special Olympics athletes by attending and most importantly plunging.
I have to express that I was very impressed with the organization of this event. This was the 13th year that folks from around the Chesapeake Bay, Md. area supported the cause by jumping, running, easing, or volunteering to be dragged into the frigged bay. Over 11,000 people showed up and the transportation, registration and orchestration of the masses was truly impressive. I would guess it's to ensure that no one changes their mind.
The event raised over $2.5 million, according to local newspapers.
I'm a California man so any temperature below 68 degrees is tough for me to bare. But nonetheless I did it. I ran into the icy water until it was waist high and then I jump up and in head first to complete my first ever plunge. "What a blast"
I was so cold when I popped up and out the water.

Thanks for visiting, thanks for reading.

Intro: Who am I?

2009-01-27T11:01:00.000-08:00

Before getting to the "Whoness" of me, let me begin with the "Whatness." I'd like to share with you "what" I want in life. Have you seen the movie "The Bucket List"? This was my inspiration for developing this list. As you will note, some items are complete, but I have a long ways to go. (The list is in no particular order.)

100 things to do before I leave this life:

1. Attend at least one major sporting event: the Super Bowl, the Olympics, the U.S. Open.
2. Throw a huge party and invite every one of my friends.
3. Swim with a dolphin. (Done)
4. Skydive.
5. Have my portrait painted.
6. Learn to speak a foreign language and make sure I use it.
7. Go skinny-dipping at midnight in the South of France.
8. Watch in person the launch of the space shuttle.
9. Spend a whole day eating junk food without feeling guilty.
10. Be an extra in a film.
11. Tell someone the story of my life, sparing no details.
12. Make love on a forest floor.
13. Make love on a train.
14. Learn to rollerblade.
15. Own a room with a view. (Done)
16. Brew my own beer.
17. Learn how to take a compliment.
18. Buy a round-the-world air ticket and a rucksack, and run away.
19. Grow a beard and leave it for at least a month.
20. Give my mother a dozen red roses and tell her I love her. (Done)
21. Be a member of the audience in a TV show. (Done)
22. Put my name down to be a passenger on the first tourist shuttle to the moon.
23. Send a message in a bottle. (Done)
24. Ride a camel into the desert. (Done)
25. Get to know my neighbors. (Done)
26. Plant a tree. (Done)
27. Learn not to say yes when I really mean no. (Done)
28. Write a fan letter to my all-time favorite hero or heroine.
29. Visit the Senate and the House of Representatives to see how Congress really works. (Done)
30. Learn to ballroom dance properly.
31. Eat jellied eels from a stall in London.
32. Be the boss. (Done)
33. Fall deeply in love -- helplessly and unconditionally. (Done)
34. Ride the Trans-Siberian Express across Asia.
35. Sit on a jury.
36. Write the novel I know I have inside of me.
37. Go to Walden Pond and read Thoreau while drifting in a canoe.
38. Stay out all night dancing and go to work the next day without having gone home (just once). (Done)
39. Drink beer at Oktoberfest in Munich.
40. Be someone's mentor. (Done)
41. Shower in a waterfall. (Done)
42. Ask for a raise. (Done)
43. Learn to play a musical instrument with some degree of skill.
44. Teach someone illiterate to read.
45. Take a flight on the new Airbus A380.

46. Spend a night in a haunted house -- by myself.
47. Write down my personal mission statement, follow it, and revise it from time to time. (Done)
48. See a lunar eclipse. (Done)
49. Spend New Year's in an exotic location. (Done)
50. Get passionate about a cause and spend time helping it, instead of just thinking about it.
51. Experience weightlessness.
52. Sing a great song in front of an audience.
53. Ask someone I've only just met to go on a date. (Done)
54. Drive across America from coast to coast.
55. Make a complete and utter fool of myself. (Done)
56. Own one very expensive but absolutely wonderful business suit.
57. Write my will. (Done)
58. Sleep under the stars. (Done)
59. Take a ride on the highest roller coaster in the country.
60. Learn how to complain effectively -- and do it! (Done)
61. Go wild in Rio during Carnival.
62. Spend a whole day reading a great novel. (Done)
63. Forgive my parents. (Done)
64. Learn to juggle with three balls.
65. Drive the Autobahn.
66. Find a job I love. (Done)
67. Spend Christmas on the beach drinking pina coladas.
68. Overcome my fear of failure.
69. Raft through the Grand Canyon.
70. Donate money and put my name on something: a college scholarship, a bench in the park.
71. Buy my own house and then spend time making it into exactly what I want.
72. Grow a garden.
73. Spend three months getting my body into optimum shape.
74. Drive a convertible with the top down and music blaring. (Done)
75. Accept myself for who I am. (Done)
76. Learn to use a microphone and give a speech in public. (Done)
77. Scuba dive off Australia's Great Barrier Reef.
78. Go up in a hot-air balloon.
79. Have the honor of yelling out “THANK YOU!” into the microphone at a really huge rock concert.
80. Kiss someone I've just met on a blind date. (Done)
81. Be able to handle: my tax forms, Jehovah's Witnesses, my banker, telephone solicitors. (Done)
82. Give unselfessly to a charity -- anonymously. (Done)
83. Lose more money than I can afford at roulette in Vegas.
84. Let someone feed me peeled, seedless grapes.
85. Kiss the Blarney stone and develop the gift of gab. (Half-way there)
86. Fart in a crowded space. (Done) (Done) (Done) (Excuse me.)
87. Make love on the kitchen floor.
88. Go deep sea fishing and eat my catch. (Done)
89. Create my own web site.
90. Visit the Holy Land.
91. Visit all 50 States in America.
92. Run to the top of the Statue of Liberty.
93. Create my Family Tree.
94. Catch a ball in the stands of a major league baseball stadium. (Done)
95. Make a hole-in-one.
96. Ski a double-black diamond run.
97. Learn to bartend.
98. Run a marathon. (Almost.)
99. Look into my child's eyes, see myself, and smile. (Done) Love you Logan.
100. Reflect on my greatest weakness, and realize how it is my greatest strength. (Done everyday)

Thanks for visiting, thanks for reading.