Why Are Our Days Numbered?

"Why are our days numbered and not, say, lettered?" - Woody Allen

Alphabet

"Why is the alphabet in that order? Is it because of that song? The guy who wrote that song wrote everything." - Steven Wright

Hourglass Of Our Life

"The more sand that has escaped from the hourglass of our life, the clearer we should see through it." - Jean Paul

Wasted Hours

"I wish I could stand on a busy street corner, hat in hand, and beg people to throw me all their wasted hours." - Bernard Berenson

Jersey Girl

We watched the DVD "Jersey Girl" with Ben Affleck, George Carlin and Liv Tyler. It was much better than I expected.

Synopsis

A comedy drama about a man who learns a lot about life and love in the wake of a personal tragedy. Ollie Trinke (Ben Affleck) is a guy who seemingly has it made. He has a great job as a music publicist with a major Manhattan public relations firm, and he's madly in love with his wife, Gertrude (Jennifer Lopez). Ollie is very much excited about the fact he and Gertrude are soon to become parents, but Ollie's joy turns to despair when Gertrude dies in childbirth. Emotionally shattered, Ollie isn't sure what to do next, and he and his newborn daughter, Gertie, soon move to New Jersey to live with his father, Bart (George Carlin), who grows tired of playing babysitter after several months. Juggling his career with single parenthood proves to be more than Ollie can manage, and one day he's fired after he bungles a major press event. Unable to find work, Ollie eventually takes a dead-end job in New Jersey's public works department, and devotes himself to his daughter as he retreats from his own life. But after frequent visits to the local video store, he strikes up a friendship with Maya (Liv Tyler), a pretty girl who works behind the counter. As Ollie finally begins to come out of his shell, he's offered a chance to move back into the music industry, but he realizes that would mean moving back to Manhattan and Gertie (Raquel Castro), now seven years old, makes it clear she doesn't want to go.

Live

"Live as if you were living a second time, and as though you had acted wrongly the first time." - Viktor Frankl

Finding Neverland

We watched the DVD "Finding Neverland" with Johnny Depp and Kate Winslet. It was very good but had a sad ending. I like the fact it was "inspired by true events." I like the fact that royalties from "Peter Pan" went to support an orphanage.

Synopsis

Disappointed by the lukewarm reception his latest play received, Scottish playwright J.M. Barrie (Johnny Depp) is clearly in need of some serious inspiration. Unexpectedly, he finds it one day during his daily walk with his St. Bernard in London's Kensington Gardens, where he encounters the Llewelyn Davies family: four fatherless boys and their beautiful, recently widowed mother (Kate Winslet). Despite the disapproval of the boys' steely grandmother (Julie Christie) and the resentment of his own wife (Radha Mitchell), Barrie befriends the family, engaging the boys in tricks, disguises, games and sheer mischief, creating play-worlds of castles and kings, cowboys and Indians, pirates and castaways. He transforms hillsides into galleon ships, sticks into mighty swords, kites into enchanted fairies and the Llewelyn Davies boys into "The Lost Boys of Neverland." From the sheer thrills and adventurousness of childhood will come Barrie's most daring and renowned masterwork, "Peter Pan." Barrie begins rehearsals only to shock his actors with such unprecedented requests as asking to fly across the stage, talking to fairies made of light and don dog and crocodile costumes. Then, just as Barrie is ready to introduce the world to "Peter Pan," a tragic twist of fate will make the writer and those he loves most understand just what it means to really believe.

Resentment

"Resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies." - Nelson Mandela

A Great Idea

"A good idea will keep you awake during the morning, but a great idea will keep you awake during the night." - Marilyn Vos Savant

Only

Only as high as I reach can I grow,
Only as far as I seek can I go,
Only as deep as I look can I see,
Only as much as I dream can I be.

- Karen Ravn

Ideas

"College isn't the place to go for ideas." - Helen Keller

The Pacifier

I watched "The Pacifier" on DVD with Vin Diesel. I was entertained. It was a lot like "Kindergarten Cop."

Synopsis

Navy SEAL Shane Wolfe (Vin Diesel), an elite member of the world's fiercest and most highly trained force thought he was prepared to take on any duty no matter how perilous or impossible... until he tried baby-sitting. Assigned to protect the five out-of-control children of an assassinated scientist working on vital government secrets, Shane is suddenly faced with juggling two outrageously incompatible jobs: fighting the bad guys while keeping house. Replacing his usual arsenal of wetsuits and weapons with diapers and juice boxes, Shane not only must battle a deceptive enemy but wrangle teen rebel Zoe (Brittany Snow), sullen 14 year-old Seth (Max Theriot), eight-year-old Ninja-wanna-be Lulu (Morgan York), as well as three-year-old Peter and baby Tyler - not to mention their off-beat Romanian Nanny (Carol Kane). But while drop zones, demolitions and destroying enemy targets come naturally to Shane, he has no idea what tough really is until he pits his courage against diapering, den-mothering and driver's education. He's truly a SEAL out of water, and now it's up to this one-time lone warrior to take on the most important mission of his life: keeping a family together.

The Positive Thinker

"The positive thinker sees the invisible, feels the intangible, and achieves the impossible." - Unknown

Conscience

"The one thing that doesn't abide by majority rule is a person's conscience."- Harper Lee

Education

"If you think education is expensive - try ignorance." - Derek Bok

Christmas

"Christmas is the season when you buy this year's gifts with next year's money." - Anonymous

No Holidays

"I once wanted to become an atheist, but I gave up - they have no holidays." - Henny Youngman (1906 - 1998)

Batteries

"I bought some batteries, but they weren't included." - Steven Wright

Let There Be Peace On Earth

Let there be peace on earth
And let it begin with me.
Let there be peace on earth
The peace that was meant to be.
With God as our father
Brothers all are we.
Let me walk with my brother
In perfect harmony.
Let peace begin with me
Let this be the moment now.
With every step I take
Let this be my solemn vow.
To take each moment
And live each moment
With peace eternally.
Let there be peace on earth,
And let it begin with me.
Let there be peace on earth
And let it begin with me.
Let there be peace on earth
The peace that was meant to be.
With God as our father
Brothers all are we.
Let me walk with my brother
In perfect harmony.
Let peace begin with me
Let this be the moment now.
With every step I take
Let this be my solemn vow.
To take each moment
And live each moment
In peace eternally.
Let there be peace on earth
And let it begin with me.

I've been listening to Christmas carols all day on WLIT http://www.wlit.com/main.html and heard this great song.
We had this song at our wedding during the sign of peace.

If You Want Peace

"If you want peace, stop fighting. If you want peace of mind, stop fighting with your thoughts. " - Peter McWilliams, Life 101

Peace In The World

If there is light in the soul,
There will be beauty in the person.
If there is beauty in the person,
There will be harmony in the house.
If there is harmony in the house,
There will be order in the nation.
If there is order in the nation,
There will be peace in the world.

- Chinese Proverb

Small Things With Great Love

"We can do no great things --only small things with great love." - Mother Teresa

Christmas Eve Eve Party

We had my whole family over for a "Christmas Eve Eve" Party and to celebrate my oldest son's birthday. Everybody came over about 6:30 p.m. We had two spiral cut hams, green bean salad, scalloped potatoes and rolls from Jewel for dinner. When we went to cut the hams we cut through the foil baking pan and got ham juice all over the stove. It still turned out to be a very nice night. My son got some great presents both for his birthday and Christmas. He had a Chicago Bears birthday cake. When everyone was done only one piece of cake was left. Uncle Dick hit the fire hydrant backing out in Aunt Nancy's car and put a gouge in the driver's side door. Otherwise it was a very memorable night. Everyone left by about 11:30 p.m.

Elf

We watched the DVD "Elf" before our Christmas Eve Eve party started. The boys got to see it on a field trip last year and the Radtkes gave the DVD to us as a thank you gift over the summer after they came to the cottage in Saugatuck.

Synopsis

One Christmas Eve, a long time ago, a small baby crawled into Santa's bag of toys during a stop at an orphanage. Undetected by Santa, the child was accidentally whisked back to the North Pole. Once discovered, the boy was quickly taken under the wing of Santa's most trusted helper and raised as an elf. But when he grew three sizes larger than everyone else in Santa's workshop, it became clear that Buddy (Will Ferrell) would never truly fit into the elf world. So Buddy decided to set off for New York City, in search of his roots and his real father. But Buddy soon learns life in the big city is not all ice skating and sugar plums. He finds his real father, Walter (James Caan), a workaholic publisher of children's books with a place on Santa's "naughty" list. Buddy also discovers a new mom (Mary Steenburgen) and learns he has a 10-year-old half-brother (Daniel Tay) who doesn't believe in Christmas or elves or Santa. In fact, everyone in New York seems to have forgotten the true meaning of Christmas. With the holiday season fast approaching, Buddy takes it upon himself to win over his family, realize his destiny and ultimately, save Christmas for New York and the world.

Make Them True

"Talk happiness; talk faith; talk health. Say you are well, and all is well with you, and God shall hear your words and make them true." - Ella Wheeler-Wilcox

Employee Of The Month

I watched the DVD "Employee of the Month." I thought it was going to be funnier. It was pretty good and the bad guys got what they deserved in the end.

Synopsis

David Wells (Matt Dillon) has a great life. He is in his 30s, has a high paying job in a bank, and is engaged to a beautiful blonde, Sara Goodwin (Christina Applegate). In the same day, he is fired by his boss after two years of dedicated work and is then dumped by his fiancée, after she finds out that he has been cheating on her with a co-worker. David's best friend Jack (Steve Zahn) tries to help cheer him up but things get even worse.

Don't Quit

When things go wrong as they sometimes will;
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill;
When the funds are low, and the debts are high
And you want to smile, but have to sigh;
When care is pressing you down a bit
Rest if you must, but do not quit.
Success is failure turned inside out;
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt;
And you can never tell how close you are
It may be near when it seems so far;
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit
It's when things go wrong that you must not quit.

- Author Unknown

Idling

"It is impossible to enjoy idling thoroughly unless one has plenty of work to do. " - Jerome K. Jerome

I Like Work

"I like work. It fascinates me. I can sit and look at it for hours." - Jerome K. Jerome

The Will To Win

"If you have the will to win, you have achieved half your success; if you don’t, you have achieved half your failure." - David V.A. Ambrose

Share It

"Trouble is a part of your life, and if you don't share it, you don't give the person who loves you a chance to love you enough." - Dinah Shore

Slang Words For American Money

I've always been curious about some of the origins of different slang words we use for money - here is what I found:

Buck – Popular in 1856; this was a popular abbreviation for buckskin, a unit of exchange in the American colonies.

Clams -Clamshell made into 'strings' of money and these strings were the standard of exchange. Whole strung olivella shells went at $1 a yard.

Smackers – This referred to the sound the clamshells made while on the string. It was also heard in the 1920’s and refers to the sound heard when coins are counted or money is smacked down on a counter.

Bacon – Among rural Brits, in the middle ages, having this staple in your home was considered a sign of prosperity. ‘Bringing home the bacon’ was the new slang when games of catching greased pigs at county fairs took effect.

Bread – A main staple in numerous people lives and has been equated with cash for centuries.

Dough - the usage of dough dates from the 19th century in the U.S. and spread to Britain and elsewhere; since one needs bread (food) to live, and money is what buys it.

Peanuts – A small amount as in, "Working for peanuts". Known for the food cheapness and small size.

Greenback -A nickname originally applied to a 19th century United States Demand Note; is now a common specific reference to the U.S. dollar. It is not used for coins or dollars of other countries, whose dollar bills are not green

C-Note – using the roman letter C for 100 to denote a $100 bill

Moolah – mill, from le moulin - This word may be the origin of the English slang meaning of "moolah" as "money", as mills are even today equated with income in the Northwest, i.e. "the smell of money", as the saying goes.

Cent (¢) – the smallest unit in american currency, penny.

2 cents worth – of trivial contributions or a small contribution

Cash on the Barrel - The barrels used as informal counters in old-time general stores or to merchants refusing to hand over a barrel containing goods until it had been paid for. Dates to 1906

Can Your Blog Be Used Against You?

Blogging is all the rage these days; it seems as if everybody who's anybody has one or several. A blog, or Web log, functions as a high-tech version of a long-time tradition, the personal journal. It's a chronological record of one's thoughts, comments, opinions, or whatever else you want to write about that day. Many services provide free blogging space to anyone who wants to sign up. Some blogs are information-oriented, such as the many tech blogs posted by IT professionals to share tips and how-to's about computer topics. Some are more editorial in nature, such as the many blogs that exist to promote the authors' political opinions and commentary. Others have more of a "dear diary" tone, relating intimate details of the authors' lives and feelings. Some blogs are highly publicized. Millions of "regular old people" have blogs. Estimates of the number of blogs online range from 10 million to 60 million or more world-wide. However, millions of blogs are started and then abandoned within weeks or months. The number of currently active blogs those to which the author is posting regularly is much lower. If you want to attract strangers to read your blog, you can publish it to a blog directory such as Technorati www.technorati.com or Blogpulse www.blogpulse.com. High traffic volume is a big plus if you want to make money off your blog by selling advertising space on your blog page. If your blog is more personal, you may choose not to publicize it, or even to put it on a password-protected Web site. Who reads blogs? Last May, a Pew research survey found that about 25% of Internet users said they read blogs. That translates into over 30 million American adults. Of course, it's not just adults who author and read blogs. Blogging is also very popular with teenagers as a way to share their activities, thoughts and fantasies with their friends. But some of them have discovered, to their chagrin, that their friends aren't the only ones reading. Parents are finding that reading their kids' blogs is one way to find out what's going on in an uncommunicative teen's life. And unlike reading the child's diary, it's easier to justify. After all, the blog is out there on a public forum for anyone to see. Articles such as this one encourage parents to read teen blogs to better understand today's adolescents. School authorities are getting into the act, too. Last month, the Wall Street Journal ran an article about teens being suspended for inappropriate comments in their blogs. But wayward or sometimes merely imaginative minors aren't the only ones whose blog posts can get them in trouble. Adult bloggers who rant about their marital problems, their neighbors or their jobs or who confess to less-than-legal doings may find themselves in hot water with their spouses, the folks next door, their bosses or even the police. As a blogger, in effect you are a publisher. Although you have free speech protections under the Constitution if you're in the U.S. and some other countries, you can still be sued if you libel someone (publish untrue defamatory statements) or if you publish material in your blog that's copyrighted by someone else, without the owner's permission. You could also be fired and sued by your employer for disclosing trade secrets. You can try to get around this by blogging anonymously, but subpoenas can be issued to your provider to compel them to reveal your identity or identifying information such as your IP address. Of course, anonymity may take some of the fun out of blogging. After all, the reason you blog about personal matters in the first place is to share yourself with others. If those others have no idea who you are, that sharing may lose a lot of its appeal, on both sides. Thus even if you use a pseudonym and take steps to technically mask the origins of your blog posts, you may find yourself subconsciously dropping clues that can be used to determine who you are. Remember, blogs are forever - or at least, they can hang around for a very long time. Public blog entries get indexed in search engines and those indexes remain even if you delete the post. Copies may be cached or archived on servers. Readers may make digital copies or print them out. Posts that seem fun and harmless at the time, especially relevations about your love life or drunken rants about your pet peeves, can come back to haunt you years later when a new love interest or a potential employer Googles your name and unearths your journal musings.

from www.wxpnews.com

Money Is Better Than Poverty

"Money is better than poverty, if only for financial reasons." - Woody Allen

Money

"Money is a very excellent servant, but a terrible master." - P.T. Barnum

The Cable Guy

I watched the DVD "The Cable Guy." I've been meaning to see it for the longest time and was finally able to get it at the library.

Synopsis

It's a time-honored urban ritual slip the cable guy fifty bucks and you'll get all the movie channels for free. But when Steven Kovacs (Matthew Broderick) moves into a new apartment, his Cable Guy (Jim Carrey) is not like the others. He doesn't want your fifty bucks; all he wants is a friend ... and he won't take "no" for an answer. Steven is about to learn that there's no such thing as free cable. Matthew Broderick, stars as Steven Kovacs, the young architect whose furtive attempt at getting free cable is misinterpreted as an open invitation into his life. "Basically, Steven's open to psychos because he can't say 'no'," explains Jim Carrey, who stars as the strange yet charismatic Cable Guy. "And that's a problem that so many people have, not being able to tell someone when they're invading your space. And even when he tries to say 'no', the Cable Guy knows how to manipulate him and get around that 'no.' He will keep banging at the door until he finds a way." The Cable Guy has obtained this information from the cable billing. And when Steven gets up the guts to ask him for free cable, which his friend told him to do, and subtly offers him the fifty bucks, the Cable Guy gets right up in his face and scares him a little bit. Leslie Mann, plays Steven's girlfriend Robin, who misinterprets the Cable Guy's gestures toward Steven as the caring acts of a friend. George Segal and Diane Baker play Steven's parents, who are won over by the Cable Guy's antics much to the dismay of their victimized son. Jack Black plays Steven's dispossessed best friend Rick, whose anger over the Cable Guy's interference in Steven's life leads to his investigation into his true identity.

Ruby Tuesdays

I called in for attendance and took my last personal day for my oldest son's birthday. We took him and three of his friends (all girls) to Ruby Tuesdays for lunch. Then he hung around with his friends at Starbucks and Best Buy and later went over to another friend's house until 10:30 p.m. He said he had a great birthday hanging out. Good.

Happiness

"Happiness is a perfume you cannot pour on others without getting a few drops on yourself." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

He Is Able

"He is able who thinks he is able." - Buddha

Grand Canyon

We watched the DVD "Grand Canyon." It was an uplifting movie and now I want to take the boys to see the real Grand Canyon.

Synopsis

"Grand Canyon" revolves around six residents from different backgrounds whose lives intertwine in modern-day Los Angeles. At the center of the film is the unlikely friendship of two men from different races and classes brought together when one (Kevin Kline) finds himself in jeopardy in the other's (Danny Glover) rough neighborhood. Features an all-star cast including Steve Martin (Kline's friend), Mary McDonnell (Kline's wife), Mary-Louise Parker (Kline's mistress/assistant) and Alfre Woodard (Parker's friend).

How Do I Change?

If I feel depressed I will sing.
If I feel sad I will laugh.
If I feel ill I will double my labor.
If I feel fear I will plunge ahead.
If I feel inferior I will wear new garments.
If I feel uncertain I will raise my voice.
If I feel poverty I will think of wealth to come.
If I feel incompetent I will think of past success.
If I feel insignificant I will remember my goals.

Today I will be the master of my emotions.

- Og Mandino

Being Defeated

"Being defeated is often a temporary condition. Giving up is what makes it permanent." - Marilyn Vos Savant

To Have Succeeded

"To know one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

The Secret Of Life

"I think I've discovered the secret of life - you just hang around until you get used to it." - Charles M. Schulz

Always Intending

"To be always intending to make a new and better life but never to find time to set about it is as...to put off eating and drinking and sleeping from one day to the next until you're dead." - Og Mandino

Persist

"I will persist until I succeed. Always will I take another step. If that is of no avail I will take another, and yet another. In truth, one step at a time is not too difficult.... I know that small attempts, repeated, will complete any undertaking." - Og Mandino

I never met Og Mandino but I've read all of his books and even have one autographed.

Undefeated

My oldest son's basketball team is still undefeated after four games. They beat St. Dominic's of Bolingbrook 20 to 11. He made four points, all outside shots and swishes. His high of the year so far. He said their team didn't play that well. They have a break now until after the holidays. He's going to his friend's house for a birthday party.

The Whole Nine Yards

We watched the DVD "The Whole Nine Yards." I have to see "The Whole Ten Yards" now.

Synopsis

Nicholas "Oz" Oseransky (Matthew Perry) is a nice dentist living in suburban Montreal. His new next door neighbor, Jimmy "The Tulip" Tudeski (Bruce Willis), is a hit man hiding out from a dangerous Chicago crime family. Despite their differences, Oz and Jimmy have one thing in common: someone's trying to kill them both. For Jimmy, avoiding a couple of hired killers is child's play. But for Oz, it's a whole new ball game. To stay alive, they're going to have to stick together - Jimmy with his cunning and cold-blooded accuracy and Oz with his dental tools.
"The Whole Nine Yards," is a comedy about life, love and plenty of ammunition. Directed by Jonathan Lynn and written by Mitchell Kapner, "The Whole Nine Yards" also stars Rosanna Arquette, Michael Clarke Duncan, Natasha Henstridge, Amanda Peet and Kevin Pollak.

Close Game

Our basketball team won a very close game against St. Peter Paul of Naperville 18 to 17. They boys really hustled and never gave up. One of our players is out of town and we missed his rebounding, but the other guys stepped up. Our record is now 3 and 2. We have a break now until after the holidays.

The Only True Wisdom

"The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing." - Socrates

The Greatest Test

"Do you know what the greatest test is? Do you still get excited about what you do when you get up in the morning?" - David Halberstam

I met David Halberstam twice once at Marshall Field's in Chicago and another time at Border's Books in Oak Brook. I have a couple autographed first edition books of his.

Move Your Feet

"Do not ask the Lord to guide your footsteps, if you are not willing to move your feet." -Anonymous

Paparazzi

I watched the DVD of the movie "Paparazzi." I remember seeing this movie advertised after Mel Gibson's "The Passion." I can't imagine some of the slimeballs celebrities have to deal with. The movie made me think of Princess Diana when she got in her car accident and died.

Synopsis

Rising action superstar Bo Laramie (Cole Hauser) seems to have it all. Life couldn't be better. But his newfound fame comes with a price. He's become a target of a team of four paparazzi bent on making Bo and his family fodder for the tabloids. The paparazzi stalk Bo everywhere. He accepts the veritable invasion of his life… until photos of his wife, Abby, and his son, Zach, begin appearing on covers of a sleazy tabloid called Paparazzi. All efforts to convince the photographers to spare his family are ignored, and when Bo has a physical altercation with one "superstar" paparazzo, Rex (Tom Sizemore), the actor is sentenced to anger-management therapy, while Rex walks away unpunished. The paparazzi become increasingly relentless, ruthless - even criminal. One night they trap Bo and his family in a high-speed chase that ends in a terrible accident, sending Abby into intensive care and six-year-old Zach into a coma. When the police can't make a case against the photographers, Bo seeks vengeance on his own.

School Christmas Show

We went to the school Christmas show. It was excellent. The music teacher and students really put a lot of effort into it. My oldest son is in the choir. He said he joined because he gets to miss a lot of class and they have two field trips. I think it's to be around all the girls. The fourth graders were the stars of the show and they did an excellent job. Some of the kids are so exuberant. There is nothing like kids singing Christmas carols to get you in the holiday spirit. Afterwards they met some friends at Culvers.

Life Has No Rehearsals

"Life has no rehearsals, only performances." - Unknown

Greatest Good You Can Do

"The greatest good you can do for another is not just share your riches, but to reveal to him his own." - Benjamin Disraeli

Bloody Mary

I finished reading "Bloody Mary" by J.A. Konrath. It was a little different from "Whiskey Sour." It will be interesting to see what he does with the characters now that they've had to deal with two serial killers. His next book is supposed to be out in June 2006. I have developed an greater interest in crime fiction and I will have to pull some of the other mystery writers off of my bookshelf when I finish reading all of Walter Mosley's books.

Courage

"A man with outward courage dares to die. A man with inward courage dares to live." - Lao-Tzu

If I Ever Reach Heaven

"If ever I reach heaven, I expect to find three wonders there: first, to meet some I had not thought to see there; second, to miss some I had expected to see there; and third, the greatest wonder of all, to find myself there." - John Newton

To Get To Heaven

"To get to heaven, turn right and keep straight." - Wesleyan Methodist

Heaven Would Be Empty

"If God were not willing to forgive sin, heaven would be empty." - German Proverb

Aim At Heaven

"Aim at Heaven and you will get Earth thrown in. Aim at Earth and you get neither." - C.S. Lewis

Two Victories

Both of our basketball teams won today. My youngest son's team beat St. Alexander's in Villa Park 16 to 9. Their team's record is now 2 and 2. My oldest son's team beat St. Pius X in Lombard 27 to 12. Their record is now 3 and 0. After the games we went over to my sister's house for a celebration party. We ate a lot of food.

Keep Going

"If you’re going through hell, keep going." – Winston Churchill

A Love Song For Bobby Long

We watched "A Love Song For Bobby Long."

Synopsis

Upon hearing of her mother’s death, jaded teenage loner Purslane Hominy Will (Scarlett Johansson) returns to New Orleans for the first time in years, ready to reclaim her childhood home. Expecting to find her late mother’s house abandoned, Pursy is shocked to discover that it is inhabited by two of her mother’s friends: Bobby Long (John Travolta), a former literature professor, and his young protégé, Lawson Pines (Gabriel Macht). These broken men, whose lives took a wrong turn years before, have been firmly rooted in the dilapidated house for years, encouraged only by Lawson’s faltering ambitions to write a novel about Bobby Long’s life. Having no intention of leaving, Pursy, Bobby Long and Lawson are all forced to live together. Yet as time passes, their tenuous, makeshift arrangement unearths a series of buried personal secrets that challenges their bonds, and reveals just how inextricably their lives are intertwined...

It was based in New Orleans. I wonder if all the homes in the movie were destroyed by hurricane Katrina. It had a good ending.

Scottie Pippen's Number 33 Retired

BY Brian Hanley Staff Reporter Chicago Sun-Times

Like many an NBA All-Star, Scottie Pippen never let the tears get the best of him Friday night. Though his eyes watered almost from the start of the halftime ceremony in which his No. 33 became only the fourth number the Bulls have retired, Pippen remained as composed as the premier player he was through 12 seasons and 6 Bulls title runs. Pippen was honored via a video montage of his career highlights and heartfelt testimonials. Former Bulls coach Phil Jackson, who led his Los Angeles Lakers into the United Center for Friday's game, told the capacity crowd how Michael Jordan "was giving his teammates hell, and Scottie was patting them on the back'' through the 10 years they were together. "It was a great combination,'' said Jackson, who sat next to Jordan through the ceremony. Jordan told the crowd that Pippen was always his "brother in arms'' and that he knew Pippen "always had my back.'' "I love him like a brother,'' said Jordan, whose 23 was the last Bulls number retired. "He pushed me to be the best basketball player I could be.'' Though relations between Pippen and the Bulls were strained plenty of times through the years because of contract squabbles, Friday proved you really can't break the ties that bind. "I thank the Bulls organization for a truly great honor for me and my family,'' said Pippen, who was accompanied by wife Larsa and his four sons. The team gave gifts of a framed jersey and a replica banner of the one that now hangs at the west end of the United Center. Pippen also received replicas of the team's first three championship trophies to complete his set of six. Pippen thanked his former Bulls teammates in attendance - Horace Grant, Craig Hodges, Toni Kukoc, Dennis Rodman, Will Perdue, Bill Wennington, Stacey King, Charles Oakley - telling them how much they contributed to what surely will be recognized as a Hall of Fame career. "It was all for the good, and I learned a lot along the way,'' said Pippen, who also thanked the fans. "You made me understand what it really means to love Chicago.'' The fans showed their love by continually chanting "Scottie! Scottie!'' during the ceremony. Asked what Pippen's legacy is, Bulls coach Scott Skiles summed it up as well as anyone. "The fact that, basically, there's a position named after him; everybody wants the Scottie Pippen-type three-man,'' Skiles said. "When you think of a three-man, they immediately go to Pip's name. How many guys are that good that it happens that way? He's made his mark on this franchise, obviously, but he also has made his mark on the game. How many guys do that?'' Skiles said Pippen could be a successful NBA coach, a floor role Pippen played for Jackson. "He was a great student and a fine leader on the basketball club,'' Jackson said before the game. "He directed a lot of what happened, and one of the reasons why we were so successful over those six championships. He had the big, bass voice so he could boom out and help guys on where to go. He was really a spokesperson on the floor. He could stunt, he could trap, he could play guards, he could play centers. He was a great presence to have out there. "Retiring a number is a very special thing. Some arenas you go into in the NBA, you see guys retired and you don't remember their play. The Bulls have retired numbers where you remember these people as specific people that played in that era.'' Pippen's legacy is not lost on the current Bulls. "A lot of people don't like to say it, but I think he was just as good an athlete as MJ,'' Ben Gordon said. "He was 6-8. He caused a lot of problems on both ends of the floor. He was a terrific player.''

I watched the ceremony during the game. It was very touching. He was really a great player and I'm glad I got to watch him all those years.

Lit Links Site

LitLinks

After reading a great story, poem, play, essay, or critical article, you may want to know more. The Internet provides all kinds of information to aid your research, this site shows you what kinds of information about a work, its author, or period you'll find on each site. LitLinks are organized alphabetically by author within five genres: fiction, essays, drama, poetry, and critical theory.

Give

"Give, and it will be given to you." - Jesus

Bible Gateway Site

Bible Gateway

This site is a free service for reading and researching Scripture online - all in the language or translation of your choice. Site provides advanced tools you can use to search the Bible by keywords or verse, as well as other tools to enhance your study of the Bible.

Look At Everything

"Look at everything as though you were seeing it either for the first or last time. Then your time on earth will be filled with glory." - Betty Smith

Bible

Twas the night Jesus came
and all through the house,
not a person was praying,
not one in the house..
The Bible was left on the shelf without care,
for no one thought Jesus would come there..
The children were dressing to crawl into bed,
not once ever kneeling or bowing their head..
And Mom in the rocking chair with babe on her lap,
was watching the Late Show as I took a nap..
When out of the east there rose such a clatter,
I sprang to my feet to see what was the matter..
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
tore open the shutters and lifted the sash..
When what to my wondering eyes should appear,
but Angels proclaiming that Jesus was here..
The light of His face made me cover my head...
was Jesus returning just like He'd said..
And though I possessed worldly wisdom and wealth,
I cried when I saw Him in spite of myself..
In the Book of Life which he held in his hand,
was written the name of every saved man..
He spoke not a word as he searched for my name,
when He said "it's not here"
My head hung in shame..
The people whose names had been written with love,
He gathered to take to his Father above..
With those who were ready
He rose without sound,
while all of the others were left standing around...
I fell to my knees
but it was too late,
I'd waited too long
and thus sealed my fate.
I stood and I cried as they rose out of sight,
Oh, if only I'd known that this was the night....
In the words of this poem the meaning is clear,
the coming of Jesus is now drawing near...
There's only one life and when comes the last call,
We'll find out that the Bible was true after all...

B Basic
I Instruction
B Before
L Leaving
E Earth

Rock Star

Watched the movie "Rock Star"

Synopsis

Chris Cole (Mark Wahlberg) was born to rock. His longtime girlfriend Emily (Jennifer Aniston) believes Chris's talent could take him all the way - but instead of writing his own music, Chris worships at the altar of Bobby Beers, the fiery frontman for Steel Dragon, the heavy metal rock legends that both inspire and consume his life. By day, Chris still lives at home with his parents and spends his days repairing copy machines, push-starting his sputtering Dodge Dart and fighting with his brother. But when Chris takes the stage, all of that disappears. When he's fronting Blood Pollution, Pennsylvania's premiere Steel Dragon tribute band, Chris Cole is Bobby Beers - mesmerizing audiences with his perfect imitation of Beers' electrifying vocals and sexy snarl. Blood Pollution's low-rent recreation of the Dragon's elaborate arena shows drive the locals (including Chris's loving parents and amused choir director) into a head-banging, hair-whipping frenzy. The night his bandmates boot him out of the group he founded, Chris is devastated - until an unexpected phone call changes his life forever: he, Chris Cole, has been tapped to replace Bobby Beers as the lead singer of Steel Dragon. In an instant, Chris rockets to the dizzying heights of sudden stardom, rising from devotee to icon, from the ultimate rock fan to the ultimate rock god - the wanna-be who got to be. So what happens when an average guy gets everything he wants... and discovers it's not enough?

A good look at what happens when you become a rock star.

Dwell In Possibility

"Understand that the right to choose your own path is a sacred privilege. Use it. Dwell in possiblity." - Oprah Winfrey

Your Talent

"Your talent is God's gift to you. What you do with it is your gift back to God." - Unknown

Use The Talents You Possess

"Use the talents you possess - for the woods would be a very silent place if no birds sang except for the best." - Unknown

You Can Go Anywhere You Want To Go

"Regardless of where live, you are in the geographical center of the world. You can go from where you are to anywhere you want to go." - Zig Ziglar

Our Talents

"We can't take any credit for our talents. It's how we use them that counts." - Madeleine L'Engle

A Little Yellow Dog: An Easy Rawlins Mystery

I finished reading another Walter Mosley book - "A Little Yellow Dog: An Easy Rawlins Mystery" It's interesting reading his books backwards when you already know the characters. Each book gives you a better understanding of what follows. In this book he meets his companion Bonnie Shay and his friend Mouse gets shot. All the women in his books are all so good looking or so he says. I started J.A. Konrath's second book "Bloody Mary" I'm about half way through it.

Spot Remover

"I poured spot remover on my dog. Now he's gone." - Steven Wright

Good Communication

"Good communication is as stimulating as black coffee and just as hard to sleep after." - Anne Morrow Lindbergh

Blessed

"Blessed is the person who is too busy to worry in the daytime and too sleepy to worry at night." - Unknown

Blessed

"I am too blessed to be stressed!" - Anonymous

Close Game

Our basketball team lost a close game 11 to 10 to St. Michaels #2 team at St. Francis High School in Wheaton. My youngest son played his first game and made some rebounds and had a chance to make the winning basket. The other team stalled for the last minute of the game to give them the victory. Later that night the boys had their football banquest in the church basement. They both got awards for perfect attendance at practice. They also got long sleeve navy blue tee-shirts showing their championship season.

Want To Feel Rich

“If you want to feel rich, just count all of the things you have that money can’t buy.” - Unknown

Another Victory

My oldest son's team won their second basketball game at home this morning 43 to 9 versus St. Joan of Arc. They were dominant. The offense was outstanding. They almost had a shut-out through the first half. Their record now is 2 and 0.

The Notebook

I watched "The Notebook" the movie based on Nicholas Sparks book. I'm pretty sure I read the book because a lot of it seemed familar. Especially the part about the letters. It was a good love story and I was very touched at the end. I really like James Garner and he was great as the older Noah. Some of the outdoor scenery was great and I bet it was beautiful at the movie theatres.

Synopsis

A man (James Garner) reads from his faded notebook to a woman in a nursing home (Gena Rowlands). The story he tells follows the lives of two North Carolina teens from very different worlds (Ryan Gosling, Rachel McAdams). Though her upbringing takes place in an antebellum mansion and he grew up in the kind of house where musicians jam on the porch, that doesn't stop Noah and Allie from spending one indelible summer together before they are separated, first by her parents and then by World War II. After the soldiers come home, everything is different. Allie is engaged to a successful businessman and Noah lives alone with his memories in a 200-year-old house he lovingly restores. But when Allie sees an article in a local paper about Noah's handiwork, she knows that she's got to find him and make a decision once and for all about the path her life and her love must take.

Bad Santa

I watched a very funny movie "Bad Santa" with Billy Bob Thornton. The language was raunchy and unbelievable. Some of the scenes are hilarious. I will have to watch this one every year with "National Lampoon's Christmas." Always enjoy a good funny movie.

Synopsis

Willie T. Stokes (Billy Bob Thornton), a washed-up, wisecracking department store Santa who can’t help be more naughty than nice, is actually a safecracker underneath his ill-fitting red suit. Along with his ingenious Elf – Willie’s midget partner-in-crime Marcus (Tony Cox), he makes one big score every year on Christmas Eve. As shoppers head home from the mall, they crack the store safe and make off with their own holiday stash. But then comes Phoenix. Here Santa and his Elf find their annual heist endangered by a pesky store manager (John Ritter), a savvy mall detective (Bernie Mac), a sexy Santa fan (Lauren Graham) and an innocent but beleaguered 8-year-old misfit (Brett Kelly) who decides to believe that Willie – as intoxicated, acid-tongued and felonious as he seems to be – is the real Santa he’s been seeking.

Be Kind

"Three things in human life are important: the first is to be kind; the second is to be kind; and the third is to be kind." - Henry James

Live Richly

"Think it more satisfactory to live richly than die rich." - Sir Thomas Browne

Imagination

"Imagination is vastly more important than intelligence." - Albert Einstein

Do Or Do Not

"Do or do not, there is no try." - Yoda

Always Borrow Money From A Pessimist

"Always borrow money from a pessimist, he doesn't expect to be paid back." — Anonymous

Spending Habits

"It's not your salary that makes you rich, it's your spending habits" - Charles Jaffe

Try

"You may be disappointed if you fail, but you are doomed if you don't try." - Beverly Sills

Love, And Do What You Like

"Love, and do what you like." - Saint Augustine

Finer Things

While there is time
Let’s go out and feel everything
If you hold me
I will let you into my dream
For time is a river rolling into nowhere
We must live while we can
And we’ll drink our cup of laughter
The finer things keep shining through
The way my soul gets lost in you
The finer things I feel in me
The golden dance life could be
Oh, I’ve been sad
And have walked bitter streets alone
And come morning
There’s a good wind to blow me home
So time is a river rolling into nowhere
I will live while I can
I will have my ever after
The finer things keep shining through
The way my soul gets lost in you
The finer things I feel in me
The golden dance life could be
We go so fast, why don’t we make it last
Life is glowing inside you and me
Please take my hand, here where I stand
Won’t you come out and dance with me
Come see, with me, come see
And lovers try’til they get the best of the night
And come morning
They are tangled up in the light
So time be a river rolling into nowhere
They love while they can
And they think about the night so sweet
The finer things keep shining through
The way my soul gets lost in you
The finer things I feel in me
The golden dance life could be

- Steve Winwood

One of my favorite Steve Winwood songs. We got to see him this summer at the Taste Of Chicago.

Debt Reduction Strategies

Here are simple debt reduction strategies:

Gather all of your debt information. (Can include your mortgage, if you want to pay it off early)

List total amounts owed for each account.

List finance rate next to each account.

Now, you have an "over-all" picture of your debt.

Now, place the minimum you must pay for each loan, next to that loan amount.

Now, you know the total debt re-payment amount for all accounts per month.

Now, look at your budget.

Figure how much you can pay extra per month on you total debt.

Now, here it gets tricky. You can do it one of two ways.

Mathematical: List loans by interest rates, pay minimums on all accounts, and put extra debt re-payment money towards the highest interest.

Alternate Way: Use this way to help see your progress faster: List loans by balance, pay minimums on all accounts, and put extra debt re-payment money towards the lowest balance. Why do it this way? To see those smaller debts go bye-bye as fast as possible. Now, once you pay-off the first account, do not stop. Put the minimum you were paying on that account, and the extra you were paying on that account, towards the balance on the next account. Keep "snow-balling" this way until debt is paid off.

Now, please note you must pay your minimums on every account. Do not let an account get "behind" in order to pay more on another account. It is better not to make progress on getting out of debt than it is to get behind on one account in order to get "ahead" on another. Also, if you can, consolidate your credit card debts onto 1 credit card with a very low rate. I do not suggest moving your balance over and over and over. Try to get a rate below 10 percent (zero is the best, but you may not have the credit for it) and pay those off.

Hope this helps someone out there...

Dear Loved Ones

Dear Loved Ones:

As you well know, we are getting closer to my birthday. Every year there is a celebration in my honor and I think that this year the celebration will be repeated. During this time there are many people shopping for gifts, there are many radio announcements, TV commercials, and in every part of the world everyone is talking that my birthday is getting closer and closer.
It is really very nice to know, that at least once a year, some people think of me. As you know, the celebration of my birthday began many years ago. At first people seemed to understand and be thankful of all that I did for them, but in these times, no one seems to know the reason for the celebration. Family and friends get together and have a lot of fun, but they don't know the meaning of the celebration. I remember that last year there was a great feast in my honor. The dinner table was full of delicious foods, pastries, fruits, assorted nuts and chocolates. The decorations were exquisite and there were many, many beautifully wrapped gifts. But, do you want to know something? I wasn't invited. I was the guest of honor and they didn't remember to send me an invitation. The party was for me, but when that great day came, I was left outside, they closed the door in my face .... and I wanted to be with them and share their table. In truth, that didn't surprise me because in the last few years all close their doors to me. Since I wasn't invited, I decided to enter the party without making any noise. I went in and stood in a corner. They were all drinking; there were some who were drunk and telling jokes and laughing at everything. They were having a grand time. To top it all, this big fat man all dressed in red wearing a long white beard entered the room yelling Ho-Ho-Ho! He seemed drunk. He sat on the sofa and all the children ran to him, saying: "Santa Claus, Santa Claus" .. as if the party were in his honor! At 12 Midnight all the people began to hug each other; I extended my arms waiting for someone to hug me and ... do you know ... no one hugged me. Suddenly they all began to share gifts. They opened them one by one with great expectation. When all had been opened, I looked to see if, maybe, there was one for me. What would you feel if on your birthday everybody shared gifts and you did not get one? I then understood that I was unwanted at that party andquietly left. Every year it gets worse. People only remember to eat and drink, the gifts, the parties and nobody remembers me. I would like this Christmas that you allow me to enter into your life. I would like that you recognize the fact that almost two thousand years ago I came to this world to give my life for you, on the cross, to save you. Today, I only want that you believe this with all your heart. I want to share something with you. As many didn't invite me to theirparty, I will have my own celebration, a grandiose party that no one has ever imagined, a spectacular party. I'm still making the final arrangements. Today I am sending out many invitations and there is an invitation for you. I want to know if you wish to attend and I will make a reservation for you and write your name with golden letters in my great guest book. Only those on the guest list will be invited to the party.Those who don't answer the invite, will be left outside. Be prepared because when all is ready you will be part of my great party.

See you soon.
I Love you!

Jesus

P.S. Please share this message with your loved ones, before Christmas.

A Budget

"A budget is a method of worrying before you spend instead of afterwards." - Anonymous

BUDGETS

B Buy what you need, not what you want.
U Use it up, wear it out or give it away
D Don't spend what you don't have yet
G Garage sales, thrift shops, pass downs
E Eat at home or make it at home
T Tracking your spending
S Simplify your life

from http://frugalforlife.blogspot.com/