CURRENT EVENTS

Acropolis of Athens

The Acropolis of Athens is an ancient citadel on a rocky outcrop above the city of Athens and contains the remains of several ancient buildings of great architectural and historic significance, the most famous being the Parthenon.

Although the term acropolis is generic and there are many other Acropolis in Greece, the significance of the Acropolis of Athens is commonly known as “The Acropolis” without qualification.

While there is evidence that the hill was inhabited as far back as the fourth millennium BC, it was Pericles (c. 495 – 429 BC) in the fifth century BC who coordinated the construction of the site’s most important present remains including the Parthenon, the Propylaia, the Erechtheion and the Temple of Athena Nike.

The Parthenon and the other buildings were damaged seriously during the 1687 siege by the Venetians during the Morean War when gunpowder being stored in the Parthenon was hit by a cannonball and exploded. (Source: Wikipedia)

LAST WEEK’S POLLS

BOOK OF THE WEEK

I mentioned this book around the middle of 2016, but as I was reviewing the notes I made in this book; I thought it was worth mentioning again.  And as with most of the books I recommend, it is an easy read.

 

More and more in the news today, we are hearing about phenomenal advances in the “fight against aging.” But what Rosenblatt suggests to combat age is far more valuable than any scientific breakthrough-he breaks down the hardest part of aging, the mental anguish of growing older with fifty-four gems of funny, brilliant, wise, indispensable advice. (Source: Amazon)

MOVIE OF THE WEEK

I’ve seen this movie in the past, but decided to watch it again on the plane to Greece and I found it so funny that I just had to make it the Movie of the Week.

Central Intelligence

Central Intelligence is a 2016 American action comedy film. The film stars Kevin Hart and Dwayne Johnson as two old high school friends who go on the run after one of them joins the CIA in order to save the world from a terrorist who has an intention to sell satellite codes. (Source: Wikipedia)

MUSIC OF THE WEEK

Although the Acropolis was built in ancient times, the theater there is still being used by performers today.

Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic

By Sting at the Acropolis

ART OF THE WEEK

Lego Representation of the Acropolis

  EXTRAORDINARY PERSON OF THE WEEK

Aristotle (384 to 322 BC)

Aristotle (384–322 BC) was an ancient Greek philosopher and scientist born in Classical Greece. Along with Plato, Aristotle is considered the “Father of Western Philosophy”.

At seventeen or eighteen years of age, he joined Plato’s Academy in Athens and remained there until the age of thirty-seven. His writings cover many subjects – including physics, biology, zoology, metaphysics, logic, ethics, aesthetics, poetry, theatre, music, rhetoric, psychology, linguistics, economics, politics and government – and constitute the first comprehensive system of Western philosophy.

Shortly after Plato died, Aristotle left Athens and, at the request of Philip II of Macedon, tutored Alexander the Great. Teaching Alexander gave Aristotle many opportunities. He established a library in the Lyceum which helped him to produce many of his hundreds of books, which were papyrus scrolls.

Aristotle’s views on physical science profoundly shaped medieval scholarship. Their influence extended from Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages into the Renaissance. His works contain the earliest known formal study of logic, studied by medieval scholars.

Aristotelianism profoundly influenced Islamic thought during the Middle Ages, as well as Christian theology, especially the Neoplatonism of the Early Church and the scholastic tradition of the Catholic Church. Aristotle was revered among medieval Muslim scholars as “The First Teacher”. (Source: Wikipedia)

THIS WEEK’S JOKE

This joke is dedicated to all the students out there.

PHYSICAL TRAITS

CHARACTER TRAITS 

SOCIAL TRAITS 

Here are some signs of a bad conversationalist.

1. Have respect for the other speaker and don’t cut them off with words like, “yes I know it already”. 

2. Speak a lot (or only) about yourself. 

3. Interrupt without listening to the end. T

4. Arrogance, in that you feel you are above the other person in position or experience. 

5. Superficial communication by inserting something your own, often not even on the subject, but just  a “thought jumped out”. 

6. Pretend to be listening, but really thinking of what you are going to say in return. 

7. Too short answers in response to questions like,  “What’s new with you?”  The other party may think you just aren’t interesting in having a conversation.

(Source: Julia, paraphrased by me)

LEARNING TRAITS

Do You Remember Those Story Problems!

MISCELLANEOUS 

BOOK 

Warning:  This book will not change your life, only you can do that.

CURRENT EVENTS

A Story

Two friends were walking through the desert.  During some point of the journey they had an argument and one friend slapped the other one in the face.

The one who got slapped was hurt, but without saying anything, wrote in the sand: 

“Today my best friend slapped me in the face.”

They kept on walking, until they found an oasis, where they decided to take a bath.  The one who had been slapped got stuck in the mire and started drowning, but the friend saved him.

After he recovered from the near drowning, he wrote on a stone: 

“Today my best friend saved my life.”

The friend who had slapped and saved his best friend asked him, “After I hurt you, you wrote in the sand and now, you write on a stone.  Why?”

The other friend replied,

“When someone hurts us we should write it down in sand where winds of forgiveness can erase it away.  But when someone does something good for us, we must engrave it in stone where no wind can ever erase it.”

LAST WEEK’S POLLS

BOOK OF THE WEEK

 

PLAY OF THE WEEK

I saw this play yesterday and thought it was so funny.

Arsenic & Old Lace

Arsenic and Old Lace is a play by American playwright Joseph Kesselring, written in 1939. The play is a comedy revolving around the Brewster family,  now composed of insane homicidal maniacs. The hero, Mortimer Brewster, is a drama critic who must deal with his crazy, homicidal family and local police in Brooklyn, New York.

His family includes two spinster aunts who have taken to murdering lonely old men by poisoning them with a glass of home-made elderberry wine laced with arsenic, strychnine, and “just a pinch” of cyanide.

A brother who believes he is Theodore Roosevelt and digs locks for the Panama Canal in the cellar of the Brewster home (which then serve as graves for the aunts’ victims.

And a murderous brother who has received plastic surgery performed by an alcoholic accomplice, Dr. Einstein (a character based on real-life gangland surgeon Joseph Moran) to conceal his identity, and now looks like horror-film actor Boris Karloff (a self-referential joke, as the part was originally played on Broadway by Karloff). (Reference: Wikipedia)

MUSIC OF THE WEEK

Many people believe music has the power to change you.  Will it certainly did change these three guys.

Music Changes You

By Logan Paul

ART OF THE WEEK

I thought for a change, you might enjoy some poetry this week.

  EXTRAORDINARY PERSON OF THE WEEK

Plato (428 – 423 BC to 347 BC)

Plato (428/427 or 424/423 – 348/347 BC) was a philosopher in Classical Greece and the founder of the Academy in Athens, the first institution of higher learning in the Western world. He is widely considered the pivotal figure in the development of Western philosophy. Unlike nearly all of his philosophical contemporaries, Plato’s entire work is believed to have survived intact for over 2,400 years.

Along with his teacher, Socrates, and his most famous student, Aristotle, Plato laid the foundations of Western philosophy and science.

THIS WEEK’S JOKE

PHYSICAL TRAITS

My City Is Creating Bike Lanes

CHARACTER TRAITS 

SOCIAL TRAITS 

This past week, Facebook has gone crazy with so many people passing on several versions of the exact warning

Please select all that apply

LEARNING TRAITS

It’s science!

MISCELLANEOUS 

BOOK 

Warning:  This book will not change your life, only you can do that.

CURRENT EVENTS

Letting Go

LAST WEEK’S POLLS

BOOK OF THE WEEK

I found a lot of wisdom in this easy to read little book.

Dojo Wisdom

By Jennifer Lawler

 

A martial arts expert draws on the principles and practices of her training to present a series of one hundred life lessons to help readers find their inner warriors, accompanied by brief exercises that demonstrate how to apply the teachings to everyday life. (Source: Amazon)

MOVIE OF THE WEEK

I thought this was entertaining, with some great lines my the character Charlie.  Plus, Johnny Depp does a cameo towards the end of this film.

Lucky Them (2013)

Critics Consensus: Lucky Them may not quite live up to Toni Collette’s bravura starring performance, but it’s certainly elevated by it.(Source: Rotten Tomatoes)

Some Kind of Beautiful (2015)

I found this to be an entertaining film.

MUSIC OF THE WEEK

How about something a little different this week.

Traditional Japanese Modern Music Shamisen Epic

ART OF THE WEEK

  EXTRAORDINARY PERSON OF THE WEEK

Socrates (470 BC to 399 BC)

Socrates was a classical Greek philosopher credited as one of the founders of Western philosophy, and as being the first moral philosopher, of the Western ethical tradition of thought.

THIS WEEK’S JOKE

PHYSICAL TRAITS

Plastic Surgery

Certain unfortunate circumstances dictate the need for plastic surgery, but simple vanity to enhance an already normal appearance should never be a reason to incur this risk.

CHARACTER TRAITS 

One spends absolutely too much time working to not find a little fun in the job for you and for those around you.

SOCIAL TRAITS 

LEARNING TRAITS

Please check as many as apply to you.

MISCELLANEOUS 

BOOK 

Warning:  This book will not change your life, only you can do that.

CURRENT EVENTS

Ups and Downs of Life

For any of you out there who are currently struggling, please try to keep this in mind.

LAST WEEK’S POLLS

BOOK OF THE WEEK

I first read this book back in 2008 and have reviewed this book several times since, and it contains ideas that I think we could all use.

The Secrets to a Soulful Life

By Patricia Wayant

 

Through soulful living, this book invites readers to take a slower pace, enjoy life’s little pleasures, and be thankful for meaningful relationships. With emphasis on connecting with nature, relaxing, and finding inner peace, it offers simple steps that can be taken to bring greater happiness and awareness to life. (Source: Goodreads)

MOVIE OF THE WEEK

I just watched this film again and I just think it is fantastic and I never tire of watching it, although I have no idea how many times I have seen this film.  It is one of the best.

Midnight in Paris (2011)

This is a romantic comedy set in Paris about a family that goes there because of business, and two young people who are engaged to be married in the fall have experiences there that change their lives. It’s about a young man’s great love for a city, Paris, and the illusion people have that a life different from theirs would be much better. It stars Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams, Marion Cotillard, Kathy Bates, Carla Bruni, among others. (Source: Rotten Tomatoes)

MUSIC OF THE WEEK

Hard Headed Woman (1958)

By Wanda Jackson

ART OF THE WEEK

Landscaping Lights

The transformer on my old landscaping lights died and a number of my incandescent bulbs had burned out, so we replaced the transformer with a digital transform and replaced the old incandescent lights with new LED lights.

  EXTRAORDINARY PERSON OF THE WEEK

Jack LaLanne

Jack LaLanne (September 26, 1914 – January 23, 2011) was an American fitness, exercise, and nutrition expert and motivational speaker. 

During his career, he came to believe that the country’s overall health depended on the health of its population, and referred to physical culture and nutrition as “the salvation of America”.

Decades before health and fitness began being promoted by celebrities like Jane Fonda and Richard Simmons, LaLanne was already widely recognized for publicly preaching the health benefits of regular exercise and a good diet.

He published numerous books on fitness and hosted the fitness television program The Jack LaLanne Show between 1953 and 1985. One of his 1950s television exercise programs was aimed toward women, whom he also encouraged to join his health clubs. Besides producing his own series of videos, he coached the elderly and disabled not to forgo exercise, believing it would enable them to enhance their strength. (Source: Wikipedia)

THIS WEEK’S JOKE

PHYSICAL TRAITS

The Six-Pack

The six-pack is the absolute gold standard when it comes to fitness.  As the picture below clearly demonstrates, everyone looks better with a six-pack.

CHARACTER TRAITS 

SOCIAL TRAITS 

Please don’t make the mistake I made when starting out in a new relationship.

LEARNING TRAITS

MISCELLANEOUS 

BOOK 

Warning:  This book will not change your life, only you can do that.

CURRENT EVENTS

Kōan

A kōan is a story, dialogue, question, or statement which is used in Zen practice to provoke the “great doubt” and test a student’s progress in Zen practice.

 

LAST WEEK’S POLLS

BOOK OF THE WEEK

I have read and reviewed this book many times over the years and if you are serious about being extraordinary, I would check it out.

It’s Not How Good You Are,

It’s How Good You Want To Be

By Paul Arden

 

This uplifting and humorous little book provides a unique insight into the world of advertising and is a quirky compilation of quotes, facts, pictures, wit and wisdom – all packed into easy-to-digest, bite-sized spreads. If you want to succeed in life or business, this book is a must. (Source: Goodreads)

MOVIE OF THE WEEK

I just saw this film and thought it was really good, it reminded me of Gone Girl.  So if you liked Gone Girl, you are going to like this film.  If you haven’t seen Gone Girl, perhaps you should check out that film too.

A Simple Favor (2018)

MUSIC OF THE WEEK

Once in a Lifetime

By Talking Heads

ART OF THE WEEK

Constructing a High Rise

Perhaps you have never looked at construction workers as artists; but if you think about it, they are artist and they create art on a grand scale.

I was taken by the way cement floors are being created in the high-rise outside my hotel window in Halifax.

  EXTRAORDINARY PERSON OF THE WEEK

AJAX The Great

In Homer’s Iliad he is described as of great stature, colossal frame and strongest of all the Achaeans. Known as the “bulwark of the Achaeans”, he would later die of an accidental wound inflicted by Heracles, whom he was at the time training.

He was described as fearless, strong and powerful but also with a very high level of combat intelligence. Most notably, Ajax is not wounded in any of the battles described in the Iliad, and he is the only principal character on either side who does not receive substantial assistance from any of the gods (except for Agamemnon) who takes part in the battles, although, in book 13, Poseidon strikes Ajax with his staff, renewing his strength.

Unlike Diomedes, Agamemnon, and Achilles, Ajax appears as a mainly defensive warrior, instrumental in the defence of the Greek camp and ships.

Ajax battling Hektor. Engraving by John Flaxman, 1795.

THIS WEEK’S JOKE

PHYSICAL TRAITS

Food is Medicine

CHARACTER TRAITS 

SOCIAL TRAITS 

Seems Like Everyone Is Online

LEARNING TRAITS

MISCELLANEOUS 

There is a lot of talk about the 1% in the USA, so I thought you might find this data interesting. (Source: Jessica Strachan, Patch Staff, Sep 11, 2018 4:46 pm ET)

Here are the top 10 states where 1 percenters have the highest average annual income:

1. Connecticut ($2,522,806)
2. New York ($2,202,480)
3. Massachusetts ($1,904,805)
4. Wyoming ($1,900,659)
5. Washington D.C. ($1,858,878)
6. California ($1,693,094)
7. New Jersey ($1,581,829)
8. Florida ($1,543,124)
9. Illinois ($1,412,024)
10. Washington ($1,383,223)

The data comes from the Economic Policy Institute, which released a report on income equality in the U.S. in July.

I live in Michigan and a number of you are also from Michigan so:

The top 1 percent in Michigan earns an average annual income of $917,700 according to the cost information website, How Much.

If you are from Michigan and wonder how much you need to earn each year, to be part of the 1 percent in the mitten, you’d have to earn an annual income of $328,649 according to the website.

Please note, I think these figures are individual and not married couples or families.

BOOK 

Warning:  This book will not change your life, only you can do that.

CURRENT EVENTS

Burt Reynolds

(2/11/1936 – 9/6/2018)

I think entertainers touch the lives of all of us and it is always sad to see them go.

Clim Seals

However, “sad” does not even come close to describing the loss of a long time friend.

I first met Clim when I was a student (I was 30 when I graduated) at Wayne State University (WSU) and he came to talk to the students about a profession known as Internal Auditing.

I spent most of my life as an internal auditor at various corporations and Clim and I visited various colleges and high schools talking about internal auditing.  It was always a treat for me to return to WSU and tell the students how I was sitting in those same seats listening to Clim talk about internal auditing.  There was never that much difference in our ages, since I was 30 when I graduated.  Anyway, I got a kick out of Clim telling me one day as my hair turned grey, that I could retire that story.

He was a great guy and always a gentleman.

LAST WEEK’S POLLS

BOOK OF THE WEEK

I’m half way through this book and find it so captivating. Not only will you learn about Alexander the Great, but you will learn a lot about human nature.  

Alexander The Great

By Philip Freeman

In the first authoritative biography of Alexander the Great written for a general audience in a generation, classicist and historian Philip Freeman tells the remarkable life of the great conqueror.

The celebrated Macedonian king has been one of the most enduring figures in history. He was a general of such skill and renown that for two thousand years other great leaders studied his strategy and tactics, from Hannibal to Napoleon, with countless more in between.

He flashed across the sky of history like a comet, glowing brightly and burning out quickly: crowned at age nineteen, dead by thirty-two. He established the greatest empire of the ancient world; Greek coins and statues are found as far east as Afghanistan. Our interest in him has never faded. (Source: Goodreads)

MOVIE OF THE WEEK

Smokey and the Bandit (1977)

MUSIC OF THE WEEK

Blueberry Hill

By Vladimir Putin

Blueberry Hill

By Fats Domino

I’m not going to waste everyone’s time with a poll asking who did the song better, since that is obvious.  But I will give Vladimir credit for even attempting this song.

ART OF THE WEEK

Ginevra dé Benci

Ginevra de’ Benci is a portrait painting by Leonardo da Vinci of the 15th-century Florentine aristocrat Ginevra de’ Benci (born c.  1458). The oil-on-wood portrait was acquired by the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. in 1967. The sum of US$5 million—an absolute record price at the time—came from the Ailsa Mellon Bruce Fund and was paid to the Princely House of Liechtenstein. It is the only painting by Leonardo on public view in the Americas. (Source: Wikipedia)

Mona Lisa

The Mona Lisa is a half-length portrait painting by the Italian Renaissance artist Leonardo da Vinci that has been described as “the best known, the most visited, the most written about, the most sung about, the most parodied work of art in the world”. The Mona Lisa is also one of the most valuable paintings in the world. It holds the Guinness World Record for the highest known insurance valuation in history at $100 million in 1962, which is worth nearly $800 million in 2017.

  EXTRAORDINARY PEOPLE OF THE WEEK

USA Supreme Court

Motown Supremes

THIS WEEK’S JOKE

PHYSICAL TRAITS

Some clothing advice for the guys

CHARACTER TRAITS 

 

SOCIAL TRAITS 

LEARNING TRAITS

Here is something every guy needs to learn.

MISCELLANEOUS 

BOOK 

Warning:  This book will not change your life, only you can do that.

CURRENT EVENTS

Happy Labor Day

I hope all of you are having a wonderful Labor Day Weekend

And for those of you that have to work over the Labor Day Holiday, Thank You

LAST WEEK’S POLLS

BOOK OF THE WEEK

This is an excellent book and the author, Karen, is particularly interested in helping young girls become more self-confident, develop a strong body image, develop and practice healthy lifestyle habits and successfully manage times of transition.

With that said, I think anyone would benefit from this book.

Strong Beauty – Power Up The Champion Within

By Karen Furneaux

Karen Furneaux, world champion, Sports Hall-of-Famer and international speaker, shares her deepest insights and the golden nuggets that it takes to succeed at your goals.

Karen’s actionable P.O.W.E.R. tools help you to find your unique strengths and bring your best to the world. Building confidence and conviction to energize your life and overcome challenges when you get stuck.

By understanding the energy of emotion and intention, you too can activate your authentic voice and generate the power to succeed through any transition in life.

This is an inspiring resource to have or share with those who have big goals!

Whether you are designing your life, developing your leadership skills or taking on a new opportunity, Strong Beauty gives you the step-by-step tools to POWER UP your inner winner.

MOVIE OF THE WEEK

Perceptions (2010)

Here is a short film (Five minutes) that I made back in 2010, called Perceptions.  It is a “tongue-in-cheek” view of how people perceive the world around them.  There are better films out there, but I made this one with my friends and so I love the film even with all it’s flaws.

My good friend Bryant died a few years ago.

What a terrible loss, he was a wonderful person.

MUSIC OF THE WEEK

Your Love Keeps Lifting Me Higher and Higher (1967)

By Jackie Wilson

The video that goes along with the music features Fred Astaire and Rita Hayworth from the 1942 film “You Were Never Lovelier“

Jackie Wilson

ART OF THE WEEK

Houses

Houses have often been works to art.  I was really taken by the aerial walkway to this house, that I recently saw on Young Avenue in Halifax.

  EXTRAORDINARY PEOPLE OF THE WEEK

Working Men & Women Everywhere in the World

Labor Day in the United States is a public holiday celebrated on the first Monday in September. It honors the American labor movement and the contributions that workers have made to the strength, prosperity, laws, and well-being of the country. It is the Monday of the long weekend known as Labor Day Weekend and it is considered the unofficial end of summer in the United States. It is recognized as a federal holiday.

Beginning in the late 19th century, as the trade union and labor movements grew, trade unionists proposed that a day be set aside to celebrate labor. “Labor Day” was promoted by the Central Labor Union and the Knights of Labor, which organized the first parade in New York City. It became an official federal holiday in 1894.

Canada’s Labour Day is also celebrated on the first Monday of September. More than 80 countries celebrate International Workers’ Day on May 1 – the ancient European holiday of May Day – and several countries have chosen their own dates for Labour Day.

(Source: Wikipedia)

THIS WEEK’S JOKE

PHYSICAL TRAITS

There are few greater sartorial power moves than wearing white after Labor Day. Doing so not only bucks the age-old dictate that warns against all shades of ivory after the start of September, but it also establishes the wearer as someone impervious to the grime of daily life. (Source: Vogue)

CHARACTER TRAITS 

SOCIAL TRAITS 

It is alway a good idea to think, before you speak.

LEARNING TRAITS

Oh my gosh, how many of us talk ourselves out of doing something, while someone less appropriate for the task does it.

Some of the best advice I received when I was starting out in my professional career was, “Never let the lack of ability stand in my way.”  Of course, at the time I was told this, I did wonder why is someone saying this to me (smile)

MISCELLANEOUS 

BOOK 

Warning:  This book will not change your life, only you can do that.