CURRENT EVENTS

BOOK OF THE WEEK

I thought it was an interesting and fun read; but I could not help wishing it was more about The Most Interesting Man in the World and less about Jonathan Goldsmith.

A memoir told through a series of adventures and the lessons he’s learned and wants to pass on, Stay Interesting is a truly daring and bold tale, and a manifesto about taking chances, not giving up, making courageous choices, and living a truly adventurous, and always interesting life. (Source: Amazon)

MOVIE OF THE WEEK

I thought this movie was very appropriate for this week, plus it is clever and entertaining.

New Year’s Eve (2011)

MUSIC OF THE WEEK

I’ve checked out a number of songs for starting out the new year and for me, I can’t find one better than this to start our 2019.  It has stood the test of time.

1999

By Prince

ART OF THE WEEK

I think nature is one of the best artists.

  EXTRAORDINARY PERSON OF THE WEEK

This isn’t the first time that I have made Father Time the extraordinary person of the week, but I thought why not do it again.

Father Time

Father Time is usually depicted as an elderly bearded man […], dressed in a robe and carrying a scythe and an hourglass or other timekeeping device (which represents time’s constant one-way movement).

Around New Year’s Eve, the media uses Father Time as the personification of the previous year (or “the Old Year”) who typically “hands over” the duties of time to the equally allegorical Baby New Year (or “the New Year”) or who otherwise characterizes the preceding year.

THIS WEEK’S JOKE

PHYSICAL TRAITS

CHARACTER TRAITS

SOCIAL TRAITS 

The beginning of the year is a good time for reflection.

LEARNING TRAITS

Just in case you didn’t already know this.

MISCELLANEOUS 

When it is all said and done, the only thing that matters is what you have done, not what your ancestors have done.  

LAST WEEK’S POLLS

BOOK 

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

CURRENT EVENTS

Another year is coming to a close and I always like to ask myself this question.  Unfortunately, I don’t always like the answer, but I did try.

BOOK OF THE WEEK

“Reading is your first line of defense against an empty head. … like an athlete in training, the more you read, the more mentally fit you feel.”

“I read for growth, firmly believing that what you are today and what you will be in five years depends on two things: the people you meet and the books you read.”

Source: Twyla Tharp

MOVIE OF THE WEEK

I have been watching updated versions of A Christmas Carol and I can’t recommend any of them; other than, Bill Murray’s Scrooged. I believe it is still the best updated version of A Christmas Carol.

Scrooged (1988)

MUSIC OF THE WEEK

The Christmas season in always a bit stressful.  

This song has a great message.

Merry Christmas (I Don’t Want To Fight Tonight)

By The Ramones

ART OF THE WEEK

I didn’t visit Winter Wonderfest at Navy Pier in Chicago this year, but I have been there many years in the past and it has something for everyone in the family.

Winter Wonderfest at Navy Pier, Chicago

There are a number of cool rides for kids

There is the huge Christmas Tree

And Christmas displays from all over the world, here are just a few.

Ireland

France

Germany

Poland

Russia

  EXTRAORDINARY PERSON OF THE WEEK

Ebenezer Scrooge

George C. Scott as Ebenezer Scrooge

The extraordinary person of the week is Ebenezer Scrooge. Unfortunately, his last name has come into the English language as a byword for miserliness.

I say unfortunately because Ebenezer Scrooge is proof that regardless of how old a person is and how mean-spirited that person may be, redemption is still possible.

Although his name today is a byword for miserliness, in his time it was always said of him that, “he knew how to keep Christmas well if any man alive possessed the knowledge.”

THIS WEEK’S JOKE

PHYSICAL TRAITS

CHARACTER TRAITS

I know this is a stressful time of the year and we may have a tendency to want to bark at other drivers,  but instead we should still try to be considerate and understanding to other drivers. 

SOCIAL TRAITS 

This time of the year many people are spending more than they can really afford on presents or stressing themselves out with gift buying.

Perhaps, you should consider giving more of your “presence” and less “presents”.  Your time is worth more than any gift you could give.

LEARNING TRAITS

Visit the USA

The following is the best description I can come up with for describing what it is like to visit the USA.

A group of blind men heard that a strange animal, called an elephant, had been brought to the town, but none of them were aware of its shape and form. Out of curiosity, they said: “We must inspect and know it by touch”. So, they sought it out, and when they found it they groped about it.

In the case of the first person, whose hand landed on the trunk, said “This being is like a thick snake”.

For another one whose hand reached its ear, it seemed like a kind of fan.

As for another person, whose hand was upon its leg, said, the elephant is a pillar like a tree-trunk.

The blind man who placed his hand upon its side said, “elephant is a wall”.

Another who felt its tail, described it as a rope.

The last felt its tusk, stating the elephant is that which is hard, smooth and like a spear.

MISCELLANEOUS 

LAST WEEK’S POLLS

BOOK 

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

CURRENT EVENTS

I’ve been around for over 70 years and I recall the word “Christmas” being used to describe parties, sales, and a host of other events around this time of the year.

I can’t help observing that I see the word “Christmas” used far less frequently today in any sort of public announcement.

It seems to me like the word “Christmas” has fallen victim to political correctness.

I don’t always say “Merry Christmas” and especially to people I know are Jewish or Muslim or of some other faith, but when I do say Merry Christmas

LAST WEEK’S POLLS

BOOK OF THE WEEK

I don’t believe this is a fair portrait of Russia, but that seems fairly typical of the books you find on today’s Russia in America bookstores.  I read it anyway, because I wanted to learn more about Russia.

I’ve met a few Russians over the years and I found them to be excellent people and when I was at the WPC World Championships in Portugal back in 2015, other than Team USA, the Russian were my biggest fans.

MOVIE OF THE WEEK

This particular version of A Christmas Carol didn’t do that well in last week’s poll, and I think the “Spirit of Christmas Past” in this version was lame.

I have watched a number of versions of this story, so I wanted to see this rather well-known version.  Perhaps, you might also wish to see it, if you are watching various versions of “A Christmas Carol”.

A Christmas Carol (1999)

MUSIC OF THE WEEK

For all you people offended “Baby It’s Cold Outside”, here is something for you.

Baby, Just Go Outside

By The Holderness Family

ART OF THE WEEK

Zoos all over the country are generating some additional much-needed revenue, while also providing a unique Christmas experience.  We again went to the Christmas Light Show at the Detroit Zoo with some friends.

Christmas Lights At The Zoo

  EXTRAORDINARY PERSON OF THE WEEK

This week I chose one of the greatest managers of all time.  One that I tried to emulate myself, but never came close.

Mr. Fezziwig

Here is an exchange one of Mr. Fezziwig’s employees had to say about him in an exchange with a spirit at a Christmas Work Party.  I wish every employee could speak this way about their manager, but unfortunately many can’t.

Spirit, “A small matter to make these silly folks so full of gratitude.”

“Small!” echoed Scrooge.

Spirit replies, “Why! Is it not? He has spent but a few pounds of your mortal money: three or four, perhaps. Is that so much that he deserves this praise?”

Scrooge, in defense of Mr. Fezziwig, “It isn’t that, Spirit. He has the power to render us happy or unhappy; to make our service light of burdensome; a pleasure or a toil. Say that his power lies in words and looks; in things so slight and insignificant that it is impossible to add and count ‘em up: what then? The happiness he gives is quite as great as if it cost a fortune.”

The following is taken from http://www.chiefoutsiders.com

Employees who feel valued and respected are happier. They provide better service. They’re more creative and more productive. They work harder, bounce back better and support one another more vigorously.

As a result, your products and services are delivered more enthusiastically. Problems are solved more quickly and the “vibe” your prospects get when considering a relationship with your company is better. 

By setting high expectations, providing the resources to meet those expectations and celebrating great outcomes, you can make your company a place where everybody – employees, neighbors, suppliers, customers and prospects – are all happier. With “words and looks; in things so slight and insignificant that it is impossible to add and count ‘em up…”. You can can build a culture where “the happiness he is quite as great as if it cost a fortune.”

THIS WEEK’S JOKE

PHYSICAL TRAITS

CHARACTER TRAITS

This is always a good question to ask, but especially this time of the year when many are making their New Year’s Resolutions.

SOCIAL TRAITS 

More and more people are trying to eat healthy, but some do seem to carry a good habit to extremes.

LEARNING TRAITS

MISCELLANEOUS 

BOOK 

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

CURRENT EVENTS

Please scroll down to the “Music of the Week” section for this week’s topic – “Baby It’s Cold Outside”

LAST WEEK’S POLLS

BOOK OF THE WEEK

MOVIE OF THE WEEK

There are many excellent film versions of this movie; however, this is one of my favorites.

A Christmas Carol (1984)

MUSIC OF THE WEEK

Things need to be taken into context.  I saw the original 1949 movie version of this song and by today’s sensitivities, I was uncomfortable watching it.  But in 1949 the film was classified as a musical comedy.

I have heard it said may times that we see the world not as it is, but as we are. I suspect the problem isn’t the song itself, but how we view it.

Below is a modern-day interpretation of this song.

Baby It’s Cold Outside

By Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga

ART OF THE WEEK

The Creation of Adam

The Creation of Adam is a fresco painting by Michelangelo, which forms part of the Sistine Chapel’s ceiling, painted c. 1508–1512. It illustrates the Biblical creation narrative from the Book of Genesis in which God gives life to Adam, the first man. The fresco is part of a series of panels depicting episodes from Genesis.

The image of the near-touching hands of God and Adam has become iconic of humanity. The painting has been reproduced in countless imitations and parodies. Michelangelo’s Creation of Adam is one of the most replicated religious paintings of all time. (Source: Wikipedia)

I have been to the Sistine Chapel and I have seen this painting.  However, I remember it looking much different.  Perhaps, it has been touched up a bit since I’ve seen it; but here is how I remember this painting.

  EXTRAORDINARY PERSON OF THE WEEK

I chose Santa Claus as the extraordinary person of the week, frankly because I have no desire to receive a lump of coal from him on Christmas Eve.

Santa Claus

Santa Claus, also known as Saint Nicholas, Kris Kringle, Father Christmas, or simply Santa, is a legendary figure originating in Western Christian culture who is said to bring gifts to the homes of well-behaved (“good” or “nice”) children on Christmas Eve (24 December) and the early morning hours of Christmas Day (25 December).

The modern Santa Claus grew out of traditions surrounding the historical Saint Nicholas (a fourth-century Greek bishop and gift-giver), the British figure of Father Christmas and the Dutch figure of Sinterklaas (himself also based on Saint Nicholas). Some maintain Santa Claus also absorbed elements of the Germanic god Wodan, who was associated with the pagan midwinter event of Yule.

Santa Claus is generally depicted as a portly, jolly, white-bearded man—sometimes with spectacles—wearing a red coat with white fur collar and cuffs, white-fur-cuffed red trousers, a red hat with white fur and black leather belt and boots and who carries a bag full of gifts for children.

THIS WEEK’S JOKE

Have You Experienced This

You go into a restaurant bathroom.

There’s a sign on the mirror that says employees must wash hands.

Have you wasted hours waiting for somebody to come in and wash your hands for you.

You probably ended up washing your own hands.

Besides, if someone does come in and washes your hands, what kind of tip are you supposed to give them?

PHYSICAL TRAITS

CHARACTER TRAITS

Don’t let anything stand between you and your dreams, not even the laundry.

SOCIAL TRAITS 

Most people feel they are just too busy to spend even a bit of time with individual family members, good friends and even pets.  Besides, they tell themselves that there is always tomorrow, next week, next month or the usual next time.  Well, there isn’t always a next time.

LEARNING TRAITS

One must know their limitations.

MISCELLANEOUS 

I frequently recommend traveling, but no matter where one goes; there is no better places than these:

BOOK 

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

CURRENT EVENTS

George Bush,

41st President, Dies at 94

Mr. Bush, a Republican, was a transitional figure in the White House, where he served from 1989 to 1993, capping a career of more than 40 years in public service. A decorated Navy pilot who was shot down in the Pacific in 1944, he was the last of the World War II generation to occupy the Oval Office.

Mr. Bush was a skilled bureaucratic and diplomatic player who, as president, helped end four decades of Cold War and the threat of nuclear engagement with a nuanced handling of the collapse of the Soviet Union and the liberation of Eastern Europe.

Yet for all his success in the international arena, his presidency faltered as voters seemed to perceive him as detached from their everyday lives. In an election that turned on the economy, they [ ] chose a relatively little-known Democratic governor from Arkansas, Bill Clinton, a baby boomer, ushering in a generational shift in American leadership. (Source: NY Times)

LAST WEEK’S POLLS

BOOK OF THE WEEK

The Christmas and New Years Holidays are a very hectic time for most, so perhaps this extremely easy to read book might help.

How To Be Calm

by Anna Barnes

With a bit of help, the methods of truly relaxing your mind and body, and letting go of stresses and strains, can be learned, practiced and perfected. Bursting with tips, centering statements and soothing activities, How to Be Calm will help you to feel more at ease in the world and better equipped to deal with the things that really matter. (Source: BarnesandNobles.com)

MOVIE OF THE WEEK

This movie was filmed in Italy and if you have ever been to Rome, you will enjoy seeing in the film many of the sites you saw in Rome.

Roman Holiday (1953)

A bored and sheltered princess escapes her guardians and falls in love with an American newsman in Rome. (Source: IMDB)

Critics Consensus: With Audrey Hepburn luminous in her American debut, Roman Holiday is as funny as it is beautiful, and sets the standard for the modern romantic comedy. (Source: Rotten Tomatoes)

MUSIC OF THE WEEK

Although I am a fan of Christopher Walken, Dean Martin does this song much better.

Walking in A Winter Wonderland

By Dean Martin

ART OF THE WEEK

Meadow Brook Hall is a work of art in and of itself; however, at this particular time, it is even more so as it is all decked out in Christmas trees and other Christmas decorations.

Meadow Brook Hall

Christmas Walk

Meadow Brook Hall is a Tudor revival style mansion located in Rochester Hills, Michigan. It was built between 1926 and 1929 by Matilda Dodge Wilson (the widow of auto pioneer John Francis Dodge) and her second husband, lumber broker Alfred G. Wilson. In 1957, the mansion and the surrounding property and buildings were donated to the State of Michigan in order to fund Michigan State University–Oakland, now known as Oakland University. I

Covering 88,000 square feet (8,200 m²) and with 110 rooms, the mansion is the fourth largest historic house museum in the United States. It was designed by William Kapp in a Tudor-revival style. The building features stonework and a plaster dining room ceiling created by Corrado Parducci. Much of the original artwork collected by the Wilsons is still found at Meadow Brook, as well as Tiffany glass. (Source: Wikipedia)

There was a Christmas tree in each room that I viewed.  I took a couple of pictures of the trees.

  EXTRAORDINARY PERSON OF THE WEEK

Given the role that the story, “A Christmas Carol” plays in our society at this time of the year, I thought it was appropriate to again make Charles Dickens the extraordinary person of the week.

Charles Dickens

Charles John Huffam Dickens (7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world’s best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian era.

His works enjoyed unprecedented popularity during his lifetime, and by the 20th century critics and scholars had recognised him as a literary genius. His novels and short stories are still widely read today.

His 1843 novella, A Christmas Carol, remains popular and continues to inspire adaptations in every artistic genre.

THIS WEEK’S JOKE

Some of you many be wondering when you should retire; perhaps, this will help you in making that decision.

PHYSICAL TRAITS

CHARACTER TRAITS

As I was decorating some graves last week, I was struck my the devotion of this family for their 18-year-old son, who died in 2015.  Although it has been 3 years, look at how he is being remembered.  The picture doesn’t do justice to the remembrance since you can’t see the solar lights or the marker below of their son in various stages of his life.  I don’t know the family, I was just a visitor passing by, but the family’s devotion struck a chord with me.

Please check all that apply

SOCIAL TRAITS 

Last week I provided a suggested for a gift for someone who has everything.  This week I received an idea from Susan for you ladies out there looking for something to give to your husband.

LEARNING TRAITS

Sometimes, we are our own worse enemy 

MISCELLANEOUS 

To be passive is to let others decide for you.

To be aggressive is to decide for others.

To be assertive is to decide for yourself

Source: Edith Eva Eger

BOOK 

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