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.

CURRENT EVENTS

As we wrap up Thanksgiving and begin the Christmas and New Years celebrations, it is a good time to reflect on the good things in our lives, rather than our problems.

Here is my favorite movie

I just love that film.

LAST WEEK’S POLLS

BOOK OF THE WEEK

I’ve listened to these old radio shows so many times that I know these stories so well, but I still found this book very entertaining and readable.  If you like to read mysteries, I think you will like this book.

MOVIE OR PLAY OF THE WEEK

A nice way to start the Christmas Season is my seeing the play, “A Christmas Carol“.  But if for one reason or another you can’t, then perhaps you will want to watch one of the various “A Christmas Carol” films.  My favorite is the one starring George C. Scott. Or perhaps, you might like a more current version, such as Bill Murray’s “Scrooged”.

MUSIC OF THE WEEK

Sexual Healing

By Marvin Gaye

ART OF THE WEEK

Stonehenge

Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument in Wiltshire, England, 2 miles (3 km) west of Amesbury. It consists of a ring of standing stones, with each standing stone around 13 feet (4.0 m) high, 7 feet (2.1 m) wide and weighing around 25 tons. The stones are set within earthworks in the middle of the most dense complex of Neolithic and Bronze Age monuments in England, including several hundred burial mounds.

Archaeologists believe it was constructed from 3000 BC to 2000 BC. The surrounding circular earth bank and ditch, which constitute the earliest phase of the monument, have been dated to about 3100 BC. Radiocarbon dating suggests that the first bluestones were raised between 2400 and 2200 BC, although they may have been at the site as early as 3000 BC.

Stonehenge could have been a burial ground from its earliest beginnings. Deposits containing human bone date from as early as 3000 BC, when the ditch and bank were first dug, and continued for at least another five hundred years.

(Source: Wikipedia)

  EXTRAORDINARY PERSON OF THE WEEK

Worf

I know, I made Worf my Extraordinary Person of the Week in the past, but perhaps the following video will demonstrate why I think Worf is so extraordinary.

THIS WEEK’S JOKE

PHYSICAL TRAITS

CHARACTER TRAITS

Now that Christmas will soon be upon us, it is probably a good idea to establish a few rules.

SOCIAL TRAITS 

Looking for a gift for someone who has everything, perhaps this will help.

LEARNING TRAITS

MISCELLANEOUS 

BOOK 

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

CURRENT EVENTS

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone

Keep Your Thanksgiving Happy By Avoiding This Receipt for Disaster

LAST WEEK’S POLLS

BOOK OF THE WEEK

MOVIE OF THE WEEK

Sacha Baron Cohen as the character “Time”, didn’t get much of a billing in this movie; but in my opinion, he made the movie.  And Mia Wasikowska turned in a fine performance as Alice.

Alice Through the Looking Glass (2016)

MUSIC OF THE WEEK

Bad Romance

By Lady Gaga

ART OF THE WEEK

What an experience to see these fantastic Art Deco Hotels 

along Ocean Drive, in South Beach, FL

Art Deco Hotels in South Beach, FL.

And staying at my favorite hotel there

The Beacon

I’ve probably stayed in more hotels than most people, other than those who travel for a living (which I also once did for a while) and I can honestly say I have never experienced a more caring staff than at the Beacon.  They probably didn’t miss me the following week after I was gone, but they made me feel as if they would miss me.

  EXTRAORDINARY PERSON OF THE WEEK

Geronimo

From right to left, Apache leader Geronimo, Yanozha (Geronimo’s’ brother-in-law), Chappo (Geronimo’s son by his second wife), and Fun (Yanozha’s half-brother) in 1886. Taken by C. S. Fly.

Geronimo (June 16, 1829 – February 17, 1909) was a prominent leader and medicine man from the Bedonkohe band of the Apache tribe. From 1850 to 1886 Geronimo carried out numerous raids as well as resistance to US and Mexican military campaigns in northern Mexico and in the southwestern American territories of New Mexico and Arizona. Geronimo’s raids and related combat actions were a part of the prolonged period of the Apache–United States conflict, which started with American settlement in Apache lands following the end of the war with Mexico in 1848.

At any one time, about 30 to 50 Apaches would be following him. However, since he was a superb leader in raiding and warfare he frequently led large numbers of men and women beyond his own following.

During Geronimo’s final period of conflict from 1876 to 1886 he “surrendered” three times and accepted life on the Apache reservations in Arizona. Reservation life was confining to the free-moving Apache people, and they resented restrictions on their customary way of life.

In 1886, after an intense pursuit in Northern Mexico by U.S. forces that followed Geronimo’s third 1885 reservation “breakout”, Geronimo surrendered for the last time to Lt. Charles Bare Gatewood, an Apache-speaking West Point graduate who had earned Geronimo’s respect a few years before.

Geronimo was later transferred to General Nelson Miles at Skeleton Canyon, just north of the Mexican/American boundary. Miles treated Geronimo as a prisoner of war and acted promptly to remove Geronimo first to Fort Bowie, then to the railroad at Bowie Station, Arizona where he and 27 other Apaches were sent off to join the rest of the Chiricahua tribe which had been previously exiled to Florida.

In his old age, Geronimo became a celebrity. He appeared at fairs, including the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis, where he reportedly rode a ferris wheel and sold souvenirs and photographs of himself. However, he was not allowed to return to the land of his birth. He died at the Fort Sill hospital in 1909. He was still a prisoner of war. He is buried at the Fort Sill Indian Agency Cemetery surrounded by the graves of relatives and other Apache prisoners of war.

THIS WEEK’S JOKE

PHYSICAL TRAITS

CHARACTER TRAITS

SOCIAL TRAITS 

I’m familiar with the philosophy, “To each according to their needs, from each according to their abilities”, and there is much to be said for that.

LEARNING TRAITS

MISCELLANEOUS 

BOOK 

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

CURRENT EVENTS

The U.S. Supreme Court announced Friday that it will hear The American Legion’s case regarding the Bladensburg Veterans Memorial in Prince George’s County, Md.

The Bladensburg World War I Veterans Memorial was erected in 1925 by Gold Star mothers and an American Legion post to honor 49 Prince George’s County men who gave their lives during World War I.

The Gold Star mothers who designed the memorial in 1919 chose a cross shape to recall the cross-shaped grave markers standing over American graves in Europe. The memorial stood peacefully for almost 90 years until the American Humanist Association filed a lawsuit in February 2014.

In 2015, the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland ruled the memorial was constitutional, citing the use of crosses to mark the graves of fallen American servicemen overseas. Later, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit reversed the District Court’s decision, declaring the cross shape of the memorial violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

The American Legion, represented by First Liberty Institute and the international law firm Jones Day, is asking the Supreme Court to reverse the Court of Appeals ruling that could lead to the bulldozing of the Bladensburg Veterans Memorial. (Source: American Legion)

LAST WEEK’S POLLS

BOOKS OF THE WEEK

I can’t say I agree with everything in this book, nor do I want to be this intense; but, I still found the book useful.  

Men’s Health Maximus Body

By Bobby Maximus & Michael Easter

Men’s Health magazine’s #1 personal trainer delivers cutting-edge, high-intensity workouts to help you pack serious muscle and become unstoppably fit. (Source: Amazon)

MOVIE OF THE WEEK

I’ll let this movie speak for itself.

Apocalypse Now (1979)

MUSIC OF THE WEEK

Eve of Destruction

By Barry McGuire

ART OF THE WEEK

NORMANDY AMERICAN CEMETERY AND MEMORIAL

COLLEVILLE-SUR-MER, FRANCE

Some impressive monuments to the service of America’s soldiers can also be found in other countries. France has a total of 11 cemeteries and monuments dedicated to the service of U.S. soldiers, and the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial in Colleville-sur-Mer is on a bluff overlooking one of the Normandy beaches that U.S. troops landed on during the Normandy invasion.

The 172.5-acre cemetery contains the graves of 9387 soldiers, many of whom lost their lives in the D-Day invasion. The memorial has a semicircular colonnade with a bronze statue in the center called the “Spirit of American Youth Rising From the Waves.” A garden to the east features inscriptions of the names of 1557 soldiers who lost their lives during the Normandy campaign but could not be found or identified.

  EXTRAORDINARY PERSON OF THE WEEK

George Washington

General of Armies of the United States

The military career of George Washington spanned over forty years of service. Washington’s service can be broken into three periods (French and Indian War, American Revolutionary War, and the Quasi-War with France) with service in three different armed forces (British provincial militia, the Continental Army, and the United States Army).

Because of Washington’s importance in the early history of the United States of America, he was granted a posthumous promotion to General of the Armies of the United States, legislatively defined to be the highest possible rank in the US Army, more than 175 years after his death.

THIS WEEK’S JOKE

Hey, it isn’t easy to find jokes that relate to Veterans Day, so please forgive me.  This was the best I could do.

PHYSICAL TRAITS

SOME RESULTS OF WPC 2018 World Powerlifting Championships

FIRST PLACE RAW BENCH PRESS & RAW DEADLIFT

70 TO 74 YEARS OLD

80 TO 84 YEARS OLD

TOM & BILL

RAW DEADLIFT WORLD’S RECORD

FEMALE 75 TO 79

LINDA

CHARACTER TRAITS

I have always thought Martina Navratilova was correct with her statement, “Whoever said, It’s not whether you win or lose that counts, probably lost”.

However, I have always believed that you don’t have to win, you just have to fight.

SOCIAL TRAITS 

LEARNING TRAITS

MISCELLANEOUS 

BOOK 

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

CURRENT EVENTS

Daylight Savings Time

  

LAST WEEK’S POLLS

BOOKS OF THE WEEK

This book contains some humor and some good advice about what not to say in various.  

What Not To Say

By Knock Knock

Stay away from awkward exchanges and consult this clever compendium for things you should never, ever say. Learn what not to say at a job interview (“How strict is your sexual-harassment policy?”), what not to say to a cat lady (“Dogs are so much friendlier!”), and what not to say to anyone else you don’t want to offend (“Don’t take this personally, but . . .”).   Source: Knock Knock

MOVIE OF THE WEEK

I don’t believe this is an actual movie, but I enjoyed the trailer so much I thought I would share it with all of you.

Daylight Saving – Movie Trailer (2014)

MUSIC OF THE WEEK

I just had to make this the music video of the week.  

If I Could Turn Back Time

By Cher

ART OF THE WEEK

Wooden Bicycle

Although these bicycles are made almost entirely of wood, they can be ridden.

  EXTRAORDINARY PERSON/BAND OF THE WEEK

Given the “Time” theme of this week’s post, I decided to use

Morris Day and The Time

The Time, also known as Morris Day and the Time, is an American musical group that was formed in Minneapolis in 1981. Their work has been a part of the formation of the Minneapolis sound, featuring a mix of soul music and dance music with funk, rock n roll, and more. Led by singer-songwriter Morris Day, the band members are known for having been close Prince associates, and are arguably the most successful artists who have worked with him, achieving particular popularity with R&B fans with tracks such as “Jerk Out” and “Jungle Love”. (Source: Wikipedia)

I’ve seen them perform a couple of times now and it is always an experience.  Perhaps, the video below will give you an idea of what they are like.

Jerk Out

By The Time

THIS WEEK’S JOKE

PHYSICAL TRAITS

WPC 2018 World Powerlifting Championships

The contest will be going on all this week and powerlifters from over 23 countries will be participating.  I will be raw bench pressing and deadlifting Monday, Nov. 5.

On Nov. 5, there will be one female lifter in her 70s and nine male lifters in their 70s, one of which is 80 years old.

CHARACTER TRAITS

“You know that all you give attention to will grow.”

Thus, you pay little attention to the negative moments in your life

and put your energy in the positive things instead”

 Source: Random Paper Wisdom 

SOCIAL TRAITS 

LEARNING TRAITS

MISCELLANEOUS 

BOOK 

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

CURRENT EVENTS

Happy Halloween

Halloween is a particularly dangerous times for black cats.

  

Please be a responsible cat owner and keep your cat indoors around Halloween.

Well, I guess it is ok for my cat to be outside during Halloween

He is a rather large cat.

And I keep my cat “Bear” in for the protections of others

LAST WEEK’S POLLS

BOOKS OF THE WEEK

Given that it is Halloween, I thought I would once again mention some graphic novels that are fun to read and tells the stories through pictures such as the one below:

Bram Stoker’s Dracula

 

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein

Robert Louis Steven’s 

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde

& The Body Snatcher

Edgar Allan Poe’s

The Raven & Other Tails

I happen to buy theses four books at Barnes & Nobles, but I suspect they are available elsewhere. 

MOVIE OF THE WEEK

This is one of the scariest movies that I have ever seen.

Night of the Living Dead (1968)

Below is my favorite Halloween film because a friend of mine made it and a number of my friends appeared in it.

The Dead Walk The Earth

Yet They Live

And They Kill

MUSIC OF THE WEEK

There are a lot of Halloween music available and no doubt you have heard them, so I thought I would try to find something that most of you haven’t heard before.  

Mad Daddy

The Cramps

ART OF THE WEEK

Halloween Costumes

This is definitely an art form.

Check out Darth Vader below

This Priest is one of my favorites

  EXTRAORDINARY PERSON OF THE WEEK

Cassandra Peterson

Cassandra Peterson, May 2011

Cassandra Peterson (born September 17, 1951) is an American actress best known for her portrayal of the horror hostess character Elvira, Mistress of the Dark. She gained fame on Los Angeles television station KHJ-TV wearing a revealing, black, gothic, cleavage-enhancing gown as host of Elvira’s Movie Macabre, a weekly horror movie presentation. Her wickedly vampish appearance is offset by her comical character, quirky and quick-witted personality, and Valley girl-type speech.

Elvira, Mistress of the Dark

Elvira is an “other worldly” entity who goes about our world by portraying American actress Cassandra Peterson, who of all things, portrays a make-believe  character, Elvira, Mistress of the Dark.

THIS WEEK’S JOKE

PHYSICAL TRAITS

In 2016 I bought 150 bags of potato chips to give out and ended up eating a lot of those bags myself.

In 2017, I bought 100 bags of potato chips and ended up eating many of those bags myself.

This year, I bought 70 bags to chips to give out, let’s see what happens.

CHARACTER TRAITS 

SOCIAL TRAITS 

LEARNING TRAITS

MISCELLANEOUS 

BOOK 

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

CURRENT EVENTS

One of the best parts of traveling is meeting people from the countries you are visiting.  Here are a few Greeks, that I met on my travels.

LAST WEEK’S POLLS

BOOK OF THE WEEK

How to Think Like a Cat

By Stéphane Garnier

I found this to be a very insightful book.  Plus, after reading you will want to answer the forty questions, each on a 1 to 5 scale, to assess your cat quotient and learn what areas you need to work on.

 

Do cats worry about retirement? Nope. Do cats do things they don’t want to do? Definitely not. Do cats rush around at all hours of the day when they’d rather be licking their paws and looking out a window?  Calm, free, charismatic, wise, elegant, self-assured–our beloved feline pets strut those traits that we humans spend a lifetime aspiring to. No wonder everybody wants to be more like a cat.

Whether at work, at home, or in your social life, your cat can teach you how to manage stress, cultivate independence, and live life on your terms.  How to Think Like a Cat is an inspiring, humorous, and remarkably insightful guide to the subtle art of living like a feline. (Source: Book’s Overview)

MOVIE OF THE WEEK

I really liked the demeanor of both of the kidnappers and Jennifer Aniston always turns in a fine performance. 

This is an Elmore Leonard story and I recall once seeing him at the Borders Book store in Birmingham, MI a few years ago.

Life of Crime (2014)

Critics Consensus: It may not stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the best Elmore Leonard adaptations, but Life of Crime has enough ambling charm — and a sharp enough cast — to get by. (Source: Rotten Tomatoes)

MUSIC OF THE WEEK

It starts a bit slow, but stay with it and you may get a kick out of it.  

Greek Dancing Performed by 

Stavros Flatly

ART OF THE WEEK

Chocolates

While on the way to Greece, I saw these chocolates in the Amsterdam Airport, wrapped in what looked like Euros. I just had to buy a them to bring home to share with my friends.  Packaging is an art.

  EXTRAORDINARY PERSON OF THE WEEK

Pericles (495 to 429 BC)

Bust of Pericles bearing the inscription “Pericles, son of Xanthippus, Athenian”. Marble, Roman copy after a Greek original from c. 430 BC, Museo Pio-Clementino, Vatican Museums

Pericles (495 – 429 BC) was a prominent and influential Greek statesman, orator and general of Athens during the Golden Age. 

Pericles had such a profound influence on Athenian society that Thucydides, a contemporary historian, acclaimed him as “the first citizen of Athens”. Pericles  led his countrymen during the first two years of the Peloponnesian War. The period during which he led Athens, roughly from 461 to 429 BC, is sometimes known as the “Age of Pericles”.

Pericles promoted the arts and literature; it is principally through his efforts that Athens holds the reputation of being the educational and cultural center of the ancient Greek world. He started an ambitious project that generated most of the surviving structures on the Acropolis (including the Parthenon). This project beautified and protected the city, exhibited its glory, and gave work to the people. Pericles also fostered Athenian democracy to such an extent that critics call him a populist. (Source: Wikipedia)

THIS WEEK’S JOKE

PHYSICAL TRAITS

I was recently in Olympia, which was the site of the original olympic games.  Hera’s Altar (picture below) is the site where every four years, even now, the Olympic Flame is lit.

The Olympic fire is ignited several months before the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games at the site of the ancient Olympics in Olympia, Greece.

Eleven women, representing the Vestal Virgins, perform a celebration at the Temple of Hera in which the first torch of the Olympic Torch Relay is kindled by the light of the Sun, its rays concentrated by a parabolic mirror. (Source: Wikipedia)

CHARACTER TRAITS 

SOCIAL TRAITS 

LEARNING TRAITS

Day Cruise to the Greek Islands of Hydra, Poros & Aegina

It is alway good to go to some place you have never been to before.  Everything in Greece was new to us, but I am glad I added this day trip to these Greek Islands.  The picture below is of the ship we traveled in to the islands.

MISCELLANEOUS 

Delphi

Perhaps you have heard of the Delphi Oracle, for me it was a thrill to be at this ancient site, that had been visited by ancient kings to seek guidance.  

And the pathway used by these ancient kings is still being used this very day by tourists.

And the things on display at the Delphi Museum were just amazing.

BOOK 

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