MARY ELLEN STANLEY

Recently, there has been a number of deaths of famous people in the music industry and of course those deaths touch us.  However, when a friend dies, it not only touches you, it leaves a big hole in your life.  It is with great sadness that I am reporting that Mary Ellen Stanley died last week.  She was a wonderful person with so many friends.  Some of you who attended my happy hour parties will no doubt remember her and the clever costumes that Mary Ellen and her husband Dean came up with each year.

Below is Mary Ellen’s mother, Mary Ellen and Mary Ellen’s daughter

(Three generations)

 CURRENT EVENTS 

Flint, MI Water

In 2014, the city of Flint, MI left the Detroit water system to save cash money during tight times. Instead, it started taking water from a local river. This was all well and good until people noticed that their water looked and smelled bad. And children’s blood tests started showing higher levels of lead, which can cause serious health and developmental issues for children. Not good. (Source: http://www.theSkimm.com)

This week I was in South Beach, Florida.  Florida is a state that attracts flocks of Michigan snowbirds.  I found the restaurants in South Beach go out of their way to cater to people from Michigan.  When I asked for some water, the waiter was thoughtful enough to bring me some bottled Flint, Michigan water that they kept on hand for Michigan residents.

SELF-HELP BOOKS

Philosophy for Everyday Life

by Trevor Curnow

This is as easy to read as a philosophy book can be and I believe it lives up to the description below that this book can improve your thinking about everyday life.  If you want to be extraordinary, you need to think clearly.

This book will show how philosophy can help to improve your thinking about everyday life. And by improving the quality of your thinking, you can improve the quality of your life. It will make you more aware of what you think and why—and how you can change what you think. (Source: Amazon)

PHYSICAL TRAITS – YOUR HEALTH

If you care at all about your health, you must start reading the labels on the food that you purchase.  If some of those ingredients sounds like poison, well maybe you better do some more research before you eat something containing strange sounding ingredients.

Perhaps, you may even want to so so far as to send some of what you are considering eating to a lab.

SOCIAL TRAITS

In my book under Social Traits, in Chapter 28, I stress the importance of surrounding yourself with people different from you.  Doing so not only makes your life more interesting, but also exposes you to ideas and experiences that will benefit you.  Most of all, doing so will make the world a better place for you and for everyone.

QUOTE FOR THE WEEK

I believe truth trumps any prior statements that a person may have made and if new evidence or new understanding comes to our attention, we should not be locked into past statements.  It seems someone else agrees with me.

My aim is not to be consistent with my previous statements on a given question, but to be consistent with the truth as it may present itself to me at a given moment.

Source: Mahatma Gandhi

MOVIE OF THE WEEK

Groundhog Day

Sure, I selected this film in part, because tomorrow (February 2) is Groundhog Day.  But I think the movie is also consistent with the purpose of this blog, which is to make your life something other than just ordinary.

This movie is about a guy who lives the same day over and over until he gets it right.

LAST WEEK’S POLL – Spanish or Español

 

Regarding the first poll last week, 40% believe the USA is already started to unofficially adopt the Spanish language.  Another 20% of you believe Spanish will one day in the distant future become one of the two official languages of the USA and 20% believe adopting Spanish will tie us closer together with Central and South America.  Whereas, only 20% thought that adopting Spanish as an official language of the USA was a bad idea.

In the second poll, 35% of us have taken a Spanish class and 31% of us have a little familiarity with the Spanish language.  Another 15% of us can get by with our Spanish in a Spanish speaking country and 7% are fluent in Spanish.  Whereas, only 12% of us have no understanding of Spanish.

And in the third poll, when it comes to visiting Spanish speaking countries:

Mexico – 27%

Spain – 24%

Miami – 19%

South America – 11%

Central America – 5%

Never been to a Spanish speaking country – 14%

THIS WEEK POLL – Groundhog Day

This week’s poll is on Groundhog Day, which is tomorrow (February 2).

MUSIC OF THE WEEK

Since I just returned from Miami, who else but Pitbull

Back in Time by Pitbull

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaSZE194D4I

ART OF THE WEEK

Art on the Road: Miami

by Ken Kaminsky

This is a painting of the Beacon Hotel in the Art Deco Hotel district that we stayed at while in South Beach.  If you would like to see more of Ken’s work about Miami, just click on the link below.

http://blog.kenkaminesky.com/2013/02/18/art-on-the-road-miami/

EXTRAORDINARY PEOPLE

Juan Ponce de León

Juan Ponce de León (1474 – July 1521) was a Spanish explorer and conquistador. He became the first Governor of Puerto Rico by appointment of the Spanish crown. He led the first known European expedition to La Florida, which he named, and is associated with the legend of the Fountain of Youth, supposed to be in Florida. [Source: Wikipedia]

THIS WEEK’S JOKE

An old guy was working out at the gym when he spotted a young hot girl walking in.

He asked the trainer standing next to him, “What machine should I use to impress that girl over there?”

The trainer looked him up and down and said; “I would recommend the ATM in the lobby.”

BLOG

I always appreciate those that leave comments on my weekly posts, since it encourages me to continue these posts.  Thank you Carolyn.

Leaving a comment is easy, just click on “Leave A Comment”, which is immediately below the title of this week’s post.  And if instead of seeing “Leave A Comment”, you see “# Comments”, just click on that and scroll down to leave your comment.  

If you think this blog has any merit, please pass it on to your friends, as well as liking my Facebook page.

I appreciate the  following people who shared my post on Facebook: Theresa, Joanne, Carol y Andre

MY BOOK

If you have any interest in changing your life for helping someone else change their life, please consider my book.

Again, for those of you into reading books on a Kindle, I reduced the price of the Kindle version of my book down to $4.95.

My book can be purchased on-line from Amazon, Barnes & Noble or Books-A-Million.  It is also available in a ebook format.  And if you have read my book, please leave an evaluation of it on Amazon.  Thank you.

http://www.amazon.com/Tired-Being-Ordinary-Are-You/dp/0990388697

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/im-tired-of-being-ordinary-are-you-wm-allen/1120528064?ean=9780990388692

http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Im-Tired-Being-Ordinary/Wm-Allen/9780990388692?id=6429711012885