09/14/15 – The First Time on the Internet: Perceptions

CURRENT EVENTS

REPUBLICAN PRIMARY DEBATE

Folks, regardless of your party affiliation, you should watch this to either be informed or just for the sake of entertainment.

Republican CNN Debate

CNN Republican Primary Debate

Wednesday, September 16, 2015

6pm ET / 3pm PT – First round debate
8pm ET / 5pm PT – Second round primetime debate
Aired On: CNN
Location: Reagan Library in Simi Valley, CA
Sponsors: Reagan Library Foundation, CNN, Salem Media Group
Moderator(s): Jake Tapper, Dana Bash and Hugh Hewitt
Rules: Split field into Segment B (primetime) and Segment A (remaining candidates getting at least 1% in polls)
Candidates 6pm: Santorum, Jindal, Pataki, Graham
Candidates 8pm: Trump, Bush, Walker, Huckabee, Carson, Cruz, Rubio, Paul, Christie, Kasich, Fiorina

SKELETONS

I was reading the Thursday, September 10, 2015 issue of USA Today and came across an article on page 5A about the discovery of some skeleton remains that could be more than 2.5 million years old.  Although I found the article interesting, what interests me more are current skeletons.  When you look at the skeletons below, you will see that underneath the skin and superficial differences, we are all the same.

Skeltons

Well at least all of us, except for pirates.

FOOT RACES

runners-racing-18747099

I did another 5K race Sunday at the Detroit Zoo.  Although I was a little faster (34 minutes & 6 seconds) than last week, I came in 5th out of the ten guys in my 65 to 69 age bracket.  But the interesting thing is that the guy who came in first in my age bracket did the 5K in 24 minutes and 10 seconds.  However, 71 year-old Monte Piliawksy ran the 5K in 23 minutes and 42 seconds.  Actually, there was four guys in the over 70 bracket and they all ran the 5K in less than 30 minutes.  Although the over 70 ladies were not as fast, four of them did complete the race.  There were 13 women in my age bracket and the winning woman did the 5K in 23 minutes and 28 seconds.

You really need to ask yourself, what are you doing today that will help ensure your physical well being in the years to come.  And remember it is never too soon or too late to start doing something to be healthier–please.

SELF-HELP BOOKS:

I don’t agree with everything in this book and most likely neither will you; but still it is well worth reading for the many thought provoking ideas that it provides.  I’ve read and reviewed it many times over the years.

Living a Life That Matters 2

Most of us need to feel that we matter in some way; perhaps this explains the high value placed on titles, corner offices, and even fleeting celebrity. But most of us also need to feel that we are good people. In this luminous yet practical book of spiritual advice, Harold Kushner bridges the gap between these seemingly irreconcilable needs, showing us how even our smallest daily actions can become stepping stones toward integrity. (Source:  Amazon)

MOVIE OF THE WEEK 

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.  

QUOTE FOR THE WEEK – Chapter 40 of my book talks about seeing and hearing what is there, rather than what you want to be there.  As Abraham Lincoln advises below, you may want to fact check some of the things you see on the internet.

Lincoln Quote

LAST WEEK POLL – How well do you use your time.

This week only 19 people voted in the poll.  I can never understand why more people don’t vote.  I personally find the results interesting.

Anyway, here are the results of the 19 people who voted:

12 felt they used there time better than most people

4 felt they used their time the same as most people

3 felt they used their time worse than most people

THIS WEEK’S POLL – I devoted the first section of my book to good physical traits, since if you aren’t healthy, nothing else really matters, does it?  Below is a poll, where you may answer multiple times.

 

SONG OF THE WEEK – Last week my good friend Carolyn expressed here dissatisfaction with one of the male dancers in last week’s Shania Twain video. I think you will find some extraordinary dancing in this week’s music video – Please check it out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMZwZiU0kKs

THIS WEEK’S JOKE – Batman can obviously see what is there, rather than what he wishes were there.  

Cat Woman

EXTRAORDINARY PEOPLE – Anwar Sadat (25 Dec 1918 – 6 Oct 1981)

220px-Anwar_Sadat_cropped

[  ] As President, he led Egypt in the Yom Kippur War of 1973 to regain Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, which Israel had occupied since the Six-Day War of 1967, making him a hero in Egypt and, for a time, the wider Arab World. Afterwards, he engaged in negotiations with Israel, culminating in the Egypt–Israel Peace Treaty; this won him and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin the Nobel Peace Prize, making Sadat the first Muslim Nobel laureate. Though reaction to the treaty—which resulted in the return of Sinai to Egypt—was generally favorable among Egyptians, it was rejected by the country’s Muslim Brotherhood and leftists in particular, who felt Sadat had abandoned efforts to ensure a Palestinian state. With the exception of Sudan, the Arab world and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) strongly opposed Sadat’s efforts to make a separate peace with Israel without prior consultations with the Arab states. His refusal to reconcile with them over the Palestinian issue resulted in Egypt being suspended from the Arab League from 1979 to 1989. The peace treaty was also one of the primary factors that led to his assassination. (Source:  Wikipedia)

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I hope more of you will start leaving comments to this post.  To leave a comment, just click on “Leave A Comment”, which is immediately below the title of this week’s post.

And as important, if you think this blog has any merit, please pass it on to your friends.

MY BOOK

My Final Cover

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

 

09/07/15 – Seeing & Hearing

CURRENT EVENTS

CLEAN OUT YOUR GARAGE DAY

In Chapter 22 of my book, I talk about the importance of reducing the clutter in your life.  This coming Saturday, September 12, is National Clean Out Your Garage Day and would be a good start to reducing the clutter in your life. [Source:  The Detroit News, Friday, August 28, 2015]

FOOT RACES

Saturday, I was in the Arts, Beats & Eats 5K race and came in third in my age group, running 3.1 miles in 34 minutes and 49 seconds..  The two guys in my age group who were faster, were also a bit younger than me.  So, I thought next year I should be able to come in first, when I move into the 70 to 74 age group.

5K Arts Eats & Beats

Well to my surprised, when I looked at the 70 to 74 year old male runner results, I saw that 71 year old Monte Piliawsky ran the 3.1 miles in an extraordinary 22 minutes and 54 seconds.  I look forward to coming in second next year behind this extraordinary individual.

There will be another walk, 5K & 10K race at the Detroit Zoo this coming Sunday, September 13 and most likely you can find similar events wherever you happen to live.  So if you are looking for something to do after cleaning out your garage, maybe you want to try a walk or a short race.  For more information, click on http://www.detroitzoo.org/Events/run-wild?ref=em-QTN6mtFrDGdE

I CAN’T BELIEVE THIS – People really need to think about the people and companies they support with their hard earned dollars.

Walter Palmer, who has spent more than a month out of sight after becoming the target of protests and threats, intends to return to his suburban Minneapolis dental practice Tuesday. (Source: Interview Sunday evening conducted jointly by The Associated Press and the Minneapolis Star Tribune)

We are looking for a dentist

CONTRAST – Contrast cowardly Walter Palmer with hero Ben Kuroki, who  died Tuesday.

Ben Kuroki

Ben Kuroki, a decorated Japanese-American gunner in the Army Air Forces of World War II, who was hailed on the American homeland at a time when tens of thousands of Japanese-Americans were confined to internment camps as supposed security risks, died on Tuesday in Camarillo, Calif. He was 98.

Many Americans of Japanese descent served with distinction in the Army’s ground forces. But the Air Forces had not wanted Mr. Kuroki, or, for that matter, any Japanese-Americans.

He nonetheless became an airman and received three Distinguished Service Crosses, taking part in raids over Europe and North Africa and then, after receiving special permission from the War Department, in missions over Japan. (Source: NY Times, Sunday, September 6, 2015)

SELF-HELP BOOKS:

I’m currently half-way through Katie Couric’s book, The Best Advice I Ever Got and it definitely lives up to what the back cover says about the book.  I particularly like that the wisdom these extraordinary people impart to the reader comes in doses of half-a-page to a few pages.  Below is some of what the back cover says about the book.

In this inspiring book, Katie Couric distills the ingenious, hard-won insights of such leaders and visionaries as Maya Angelou, Jimmy Carter, Michael J. Fox, and Ken Burns, who offer advice about life, success, and happiness—how to take chances, follow one’s passions, overcome adversity and inertia, commit to something greater than ourselves, and more.

The Best Advice I Ever Got

MOVIE OF THE WEEK 

This week’s film is a bit different from my usual recommendations.  It is a DVD that illustrates creativity, nature, generosity and some courage.  It is a documentary DVD about the Pennsylvania house that Frank Lloyd Wright designed.  I particularly like this video because it contains the reflections of Edgar Kaufmann, Jr., the son of the couple that asked Mr. Wright to design this extraordinary house.  However, this video is difficult to obtain and expensive; but there are many other books & videos on Frank Lloyd Wright and I have been fortunate enough to visit his studio in Oak Park, just outside of Chicago.  If you have any time and are in Chicago, it is worth the effort to visit Oak Park after seeing the highlights of downtown Chicago.

fallingwater_new_film_big2

http://www.fallingwatermuseumstore.org/browse.cfm/fallingwater-frank-lloyd-wrights-masterwork-dvd/4,679.html

If I had it to do over again, I would have included a chapter in my book about the physical aspects of the place that one calls home.  I believe one can make any home extraordinary, if one tries.  Although money does help, I believe it is the love one puts into the task that can make any physical place you call home extraordinary.

QUOTE FOR THE WEEK – In Chapter 17 of my book, I discuss the importance of being meticulous about telling the truth.  I know many of us on Facebook have difference of opinion and I think it is good people feel free to express their views.  However, if you are using falsehoods to support your views; you are doing your views a disservice.

Please Fact Check

LAST WEEK POLL – What is your addiction

This week 24 people voted in the poll.  I can never understand why more people don’t vote.  I get general statistics telling me that about 100 people viewed this blog last week, but perhaps they each viewed the blog four times 🙂

Anyway, here are the results of the 24 people who voted:

6 were addicted to reading – That is wonderful, no doubt they are all extraordinary

4 were addicted to nothing – Well, that is extraordinary

4 were addicted to their cell phone – I’m amazed it was so few 

4 were addicted to work – Don’t we wish we could hire these people

2 were addicted to alcohol – You were only permitted to vote once, I’m guessing it was a tough choice between work and alcohol, but perhaps I am saying more about myself than anyone else 🙂

2 were addicted to love – hey, we gotta love these people

1 was addicted to exercise – it wasn’t me 🙂

1 was addicted to television and movies – I can’t blame them, I love movies.

No one was addicted to drugs – I’m thankful to hear that

THIS WEEK’S POLL – In chapter 37 of my book, I stress how important it is to use your time well, so here is a poll on how you use your time.

 

SONG OF THE WEEK – I hope you enjoyed Robert Palmer’s video last week as much as I did.  Well, this week’s song in some ways is the flip side of Robert Palmer’s video – Please check it out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJL4UGSbeFg

THIS WEEK’S JOKE – Chapter 40 of my book talks about seeing and hearing what is there, rather than what you want to be there.  In other words, if it seems too good to be true, it probably isn’t true.  For this week’s joke, I decided upon a video that illustrates that point.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbuoItyja64

EXTRAORDINARY PEOPLERené Magritte (21 Nov 1898 – 15 Aug 1967)

 René Magritte was a Belgian surrealist artist. He became well known for a number of witty and thought-provoking images that fall under the umbrella of surrealism. His work is known for challenging observers’ preconditioned perceptions of reality. (Source: Wikipedia)

I would like to add that he was a philosopher, who just happened to communicate via paintings.  If you wish to think outside the box, you really need to see a number of his works.  He is my favorite artist and his paintings (Copies of course), as well as my wife’s paintings, are all over our house.

Here are just a few examples of his work:

00000381471001042K053JMV   MA959-TH  magritte_6

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If you would like to leave a comment to this post, just click on “Leave A Comment”, which is immediately below the title of this week’s post.

And as always, either leave a comment or send me your suggestions for current events, jokes, thoughts, movies, book, extraordinary people, songs, or anything you believe may be interesting and thought provoking for the readers of this blog. My address:  mailto:harmonybooksfilmsllc@comcast.net

MY BOOK

My Final Cover

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