Fallen Hero

Memorial Day 2007, what did you do?.. I watched Band of Brothers unfortunately with commercials.. good thing for TiVo. There are lots of things that can make a grown man cry, the birth of his first child (I'm still waiting on that one), the singing of the Star Spangled Banner at ANY sporting event, Ol' Yeller, getting a great deal on pizza, Ok, not so much that one, but you get the general idea..

I happened across a documentary on some obscure channel and cried,, it told the story of 5 men and their families and how Iraq has changed them. The soldiers were from a National Guard unit based in Iowa and they're families stories put tears in my eyes, not because of their situation, but because as an American, I'm moved by such dedication to the security of our way life, they had been told that their tours of duty were extended by 12o days. That may not seem like a lot to you and I, but for the soldiers and their families it's a lifetime. Imagine the look on the 8 year old's face when his mother tells him that his Daddy is not coming home in April like they planned, but maybe in August. It brings the salt filled tears of emotion right back to the front.

The fallen hero's of this conflict, will never be forgotten, they'll take their rightful places next to veterans from WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm and Afghanistan. Remember them the next time you're bitching about gas prices, your job, the weather, the price that's paid out weighs all of that.

What can be learned from a 4 year old

I'm in a Target store yesterday, buying some Green Tea because someone told me it's good for you., that's a different story.. anyway.. a young mother and her charges.. an infant in her arms, a two year old in a stroller and the 4 year old are meandering through the store. She's frantically trying to herd her brood through the winding aisles of the Super Target, when I came up on them.

The 4 year old, I think his name tag from day care said "Hi I'm Bobbie", walks up to me and without missing a beat, points to his name tag and say's "Hi" and immediatly crams his index finger into his nose to dig for that ever elusive CogMollie. Before I could muster a "Hello", his mother yanks him by the arm, glares at me like I'm a serial killer and berates the lad for talking to strangers.

While I admire the mother for taking charge, I must admit, I was taken aback by what her attitude was towards me. I can remember as a child, not much older than Bobbie, when my elders were quick with the hellos, and the pull my fingers. You can't find that kind of friendliness any longer.. at least not here in the city, maybe in small towns across the country. Wouldn't it be great if we could walk up to people we don't know, with name tags that say 'Hi I'm____" and stick our fingers in our nose, regardless of how tacky and un-PC it is. With the world the way it is.. I think I'll try it and see

Why Plants make you smile

Have you ever noticed how plants and flowers make you smile,, c'mon, admit it.. even if you aren't an avid green thumber, you have to admit that gardens seem to switch on the emotional light inside you. Kiki and I have had to create a small garden,by necessity really, because the air-conditioner is about to roll down the hill in my backyard.

We've gone to the HD and picked out flowers and grasses we think will add beauty and intrigue to our outdoor spaces.. Our backyard is horrible.. it's slope is steep and grass won't grow, so when it rains,, it washes everything away. Now, if I happen to get a win in the lottery, or a windfall of some sort, I won't be creating a retaining wall to keep all that in, but I digress. We now have created this wall around the AC and are in the process of creating a small flower and plant garden.

The smile part comes when your garden, that you created by actually getting your hands in the dirt and playing like your 5 again , comes together and looks like those you see in the magazines. Living everyday to the fullest,, another part of Life 101

Looking for work?

What not to do if you're looking for a new job? Don't do it on your current employers time.. C'mon we all do it,, admit it, you're tired of your job and you want a new one, one that pays more, has more benefits, is closer to your home. But really, be honest, you've looked at Monster, Career Builder and other job sites while you're supposed to be working for your current employer.

I've done it, I'm not proud of it, but I've done it. If you are looking for a new job, do it on your own time. If you're reading this while you're at work. You're not doing your job. Oh, I'm sorry, you're on break, or at lunch, or just getting ready to leave your office. Well then, that's OK.

Why jail is bad for celebrities

Well, let's see, I read today where Paris Hilton's jail term has been reduced by half, and she'll be spending it away from the general population of the prison. Why?.. she's no better than any other criminal who broke the terms of their probation. Why does she deserve preferential treatment? Because she's a silver spoon fed, pouty faced brat? and why do I care?. I care because the judges who preside over our justice system are more worried about how they'll fare in their next general election than to administer the punishment fairly. You know the old saying "Do the crime, Do the time"? But I guess it's just Hollyhood.. you're a celebrity, you are seen and heard and the world follows you're every move because they want to be like you. What a waste of my tax money. Here's what I suggest they do instead, put her in Watts or anywhere in East L.A and let the real 'hood take care of it.

I'm not bitter am I?

Help me understand

Ok, Casey Serin (an immigrant) has racked up millions in debt to mortgage companies and banks, refuses to get a job, insists on trying to find a way to get rich quick. Yet, his blog is making money. Shouldn't his creditors garnish those Yahoo and Google accounts to help pay back that fraudulent waste of my money? Seriously, I've been trying to find ways to increase my financial worth for years, perhaps I should have taken the Casey Serin School of Money Management and with a little better luck I could have been in the Black instead of the Red. You have to give the guy a little credit though,, at least he's manipulated the system enough to get putz' like me to examine my life's goals.

Why potholes are a good thing

Without potholes, You wouldn't have to maintain your expert driving techniques, you save money on tires, shocks, brakes, and that, in turn saves gasoline. With gas now at 3.09 in my neighborhood, I've noticed that a lot more people have started to get their vehicles ready for sale or trade for one of those new Nissans or Toyota's that remind me of a really cool golf cart. I will miss the day's of filling up the car and just going for a drive, anywhere... anytime...

That being said, our children will really never know the pleasure of just cruising the neighborhoods, dirt roads in the country, or the main drag ( if you don't know what a main drag is.. you're too young). Now, back to the whole pot hole thing.. I have a huge one beginning to develop right where it irritates me most.. the driveway. I have to come in at a steep angle every night and when I leave in the morning I must navigate out of my flat driveway at such an angle that NYC cab drivers would be extremely proud. Oh, I've called the city, I've called the HOA,I've called just about everyone except my congressperson, and you ALL know how that's going to go.

So, what to do, I COULD fix it myself with a bag of cement and a trowel, but that's not the point, I should be able to get this fixed with just a phone call to the City Street department. Not gonna happen, I've added this to my summer list of 10 things I'm going to get done this season, and none of those will probably get done anyway.

Life 101 is launched

Ok, so I've got a myspace page, a twitter page, a regular website, and I've posted all other places in the world. So now.. I've started my own blog and I'll post my random thoughts on Life 101 and how to get a degree in Life.. It's really quite simple. Just live your life the way you think you should. Don't kill anything you don't plan to eat. Love your spouse as you would love yourself, appreciate the small things in life.. like Twinkies.. More of Life 101 is coming to a blogosphere near you.. Thanks for reading

S