Irena Sendler- A True Hero

This beautiful woman is responsible for saving the lives of 2500 Jewish children from the gas chambers at Treblinka.

Her father, a doctor, died of typhus while treating the poor (mostly Jewish). As he was dying, he told his 7 year old Irena, "If you see someone drowning you must rescue them, even if you can't swim".

I pray God allows me to be courageous, to make the right decision, with determination.

Man Powered Flight

Remember the Gossamer Albatross? An airplane that crossed the English Channel powered only by man. That was now 30 years ago. Thirty years ago is a long time.

And now we are discovering Nanotechnology. Imagine using this science to create light, powerful and flexible wings. We could insert our arms and legs into this airplane, and off we go.

As both cars and air conditioning do now, we could have dual fuel personal aircraft. With solar power and human power, we unfold our airplane, slide in, and off we go.

The beauty of technology and being free people, is not if, but when. I think this will happen in my lifetime--where the average person will fly in his own aircraft. And it will become taken for granted as we do cell phones today.

Sex and Happiness

It is thought that there is a set point for happiness. It's in our genes. This counts for 50% of our happiness.

The other way to be happy is to do things that create happiness. Taking vacations, reading, spending time at the computer, being with friends, and especially being with a spouse that is also your best friend. I'm lucky that way, my wife is my best friend and also my sex partner.

Golf makes me happy.

Sex and happiness. How can sex not bring happiness? Wouldn't it be cool to invent a pill that would create a 1 hour orgasm? Wow. Talk about not needing recreational drugs anymore. Man o man.

Sex has got to feel good, because if it didn't, we would not do it and our species wouldn't survive. So I'm all for a surviving species, so come on baby, let's spread some seed.

Photo Technology

Today I played golf with a beginner, but he has a good attitude about golf. I asked him if he has ever filmed his golf swing.

So anyhow, I got my camera as we were rounding the corner and I filmed his swing. I came home, downloaded the movie clips to my computer, edited it in "Windows Movie Maker" and uploaded it to Youtube. Then I emailed the young man the video so he could then view his golf swing.

Also, my wife's brother and his family are in Europe. We're babysitting their dog, which they miss. I put together some still pictures along with a video to create a movie, also via WMM. Then I uploaded it to my blog, and when they visit their facebook page, they will be able to view this video of their dog.

Also, I created this photo album that cost me $6 via Walmart of the dog, and to the album I attached a DVD of the movie I created of their dog. I think they'll like it.

This is just a small example how technology can enhance our lives. And the power is in our hands.

Courage

When I was a kid, I thought courage was getting into a fight.

And such other kinds of stupid nonsense.

When I was beginning my teens, I gravitated to kids that, shall we say, tended to be drawn to the dark side. And the kids who were good and did well in class, they were to be picked on and made fun of.

Of course, how wrong I was. It's easier to be drawn to the dark side. Hey, no responsibilities, that's just the way it goes. Sorry about stealing your car, I just wanted to have some fun.

But the kids who are good: Well, they have to stay at home and study. They obey the teachers. They ultimately are taking responsibility for their future and their lives.

When I was a kid, doing bad things, I thought I was cool. Oh, how foolish I was. What is real courage is doing the right thing. I wish I could go back to those kids and tell them how sorry I am.

In writing about this, it gets me to thinking about so-called progressive or liberal politics. We want free health care for everyone in the US, tax businesses for not being green enough, not allow production to meet our energy needs, and give our government employees great retirement packages. And if it doesn't work: "Oh well, too bad". The liberals won't dare say we made a mistake. But hey, if it feels good, that's OK. Whether it's workable or not, who cares. Might it drive the country into bankruptcy, big deal. We want to do what's right.

But the whole part about being responsible is to see what our actions will produce. Whether what we want to do in the long run is truly best for the majority of the people. This is what takes guts. This is what is courage.

To me, the Left is all about me, me and me. What's in it for me.

We have got to step back and say, "What is good for our country?". Yes, not for the world, but for our country. We are here collectively for the betterment of each of our citizens, not for the world. There are people, believe it or not, that want us destroyed. It is their religion that teaches them this.

We have got to get some backbone and stand up for what is right. That is what true courage is all about.

Are we going down the tubes?

This is a posting I made on another blog. I thought it would serve me to have it here too.

It is in response to someone blogging about being depressed on July 4, America's birthday:

“Depressed on the 4th of July”
Wow, when I read those words, I thought, “Great, I’m not the only one”.
I am so distraught over our country that I wonder if I’m normal. If I’m OK.
I was thinking the other day, maybe I should just not read any more blogs or news.
But folks, we’re in deep deep do-do.
We can look back at our great founding fathers, the great wars we have spilled our blood for and won, and our unprecedented climb to being the greatest country this world has ever seen.
But B. Obama said leading up to the election that he wants “to fundamentally change America” and that is what is happening right before our eyes.
His actions with Honduras, Putin, his speech in Egypt, you get the idea. I actually read today that Putin gave Bush a compliment. And my first thought was that Putin has given more kind words to Bush than our present president. Imagine the irony in that.
I really think we have a man in office that despises America and its principles.
I’m very happy in my personal life. But when I look at the larger picture, I just want to cry. I think I need to read “1984″ again.
Jul 7, 2009 - 11:13 pm

Is there a God

I don't know if there is a God or not. I would like to believe there is. I know that when I give thanks, I hope that He is listening, and that I'm not just talking to myself. It gives me joy to think that there is a God and that He hears my prayers of gratitude.

That is one of the reasons I hope there is a God. So that He can hear my prayers. I just wish somehow He would acknowledge me. And if there is a God, I believe He loves me.

LBYM

What is LBYM? It's an acronym that means, Live Below Your Means.

It is said the difference between the wealthy and the poor is only 2 cents. The wealthy earns a dollar and spends $.99. The poor earns a dollar and spends $1.01. One knows how to live within their means, the other doesn't.

Does the above paragraph make sense? If so, follow along with this thought: Not only does the poor spend 2 cents more, but in reality, they must now earn $1.50 to now spend the $1.01 (if not more). Why, because on the dollars they owe on consumer debt, their payment on that alone could be 25% interest. Then, to cover that extra 25%, they now have to work more hours to increase their pay to cover their debt. More income means higher taxes. So now they are working more hours, paying higher taxes, making payments on their debt, more stressed, while the guy who LBYM is out golfing enjoying life and is actually getting farther ahead, because he has money in investments that creates passive income.

Isn't it amazing to read about people like the golfer, John Daly, who said he has earned over $60 million in his life and is now broke? Or how about Mike Tyson? Forget about how much they could have made through investments. If they had just saved half of their fortune, they would never have to be concerned with enough money the rest of their lives.

I wonder now that they have gone through this, if they had another big payday, say $25 million, would they be able to LBYM and save some, or would it all be pissed away again?

The trick is not to live above your means, not at your means, but below your means. What do you do once you have what you need for the rest of your life? And you still have money coming in. Do you then spend more money? Why not? But still be conscious of what you're doing and don't go overboard.

Little things I do to LBYM. First, I shop at Walmart, Costco and the $.99 store. Many people look down on the $.99 store, but I actually buy most of my fruit and vegetables there. The quality is often better than going to the supermarket and of course what would cost me $5 in the supermarket, costs me a dollar at the $.99 store. I'm always amazed at how much I get there for so few dollars. And if the vegetables do start to go bad, I can just juice them and eat them that way.

I bought my gym membership a long time ago. My annual rate for life is only $60/year. And I'm usually at the gym a minimum 3 times per week.

For entertainment, I buy a yearly pass at Disneyland and at the beach that covers my parking. Also I golf at inexpensive public golf courses a few times per week.

My wife and I are on the same page when it comes to spending money. We are by no means cheap, but we certainly aren't frivolous. We enjoy ourselves much, take vacations, but you won't find us spending $20K for a trip. In fact, this is a vacation resort that we love. Talk about value for your dollar, check it out for yourself.

So LBYM is a powerful concept. It can set you free. Wouldn't it be nice to actually owe nobody? In a society that encourages wasteful spending, do the opposite and perform careful saving.

Little Saigon

This video tells a small story of Little Saigon. The largest Vietnamese community in the US.

Time to drop some weight

I am going to lose around 10 pounds.

That is a lot of weight, being that I already am relatively small. When I say "small", that's in comparison to the average American. I'm sure if I were to go to other countries, I would be the biggest person around.

But I know that losing 10 pounds would be very good for my frame. I'm getting older and I know the less I have to carry around, the easier it would be for my body.

It takes a bit of courage. I have not been that light since I was in my early twenties. I know the pay off would be huge, and I would be happy that I did it.

So here's to losing some weight, and being lighter on my feet.

CR Food Ratio

It appears many people who practice CR are believers of "The Zone" diet.

I find it distressing. While I have respect for those who pursue the discipline of CR, they might be wrong in their diet preferences.

And of course I might be wrong. That's the whole issue with honest debate.

But followers of "The Zone Diet" believe in a caloric ratio of 30, 30, 40. That is: 30% of total calories from protein, 30% from fat, and 40% from carbohydrates--the 3 macro nutrients of all food that we eat.

My goal would be much different: 10, 10, 80. That is: 10% total calories from protein, 10% from fat, and 80% from carbohydrates.

My caloric ratio is much different, but from my studies, and people who I highly respect in the field of nutrition, that is my ideal choice.

Now if anyone is reading this and is diabetic, the immediate knee-jerk response is carbohydrates are bad for me. I disagree. And here's why:

Look at populations around the world that have a high carbohydrate diet. The percentage of people in those counties that have diabetes is low. Look in our country, the percentage of people with diabetes is high. We eat little carbohydrates and lots of fat.

My belief is that each individual cell gets so weakened by the amount of fat, that even though the body produces enough insulin, it's not able to get into the weakened cells. So the problem with diabetes is not carbohydrates, but too much fat. Simple by reducing the amount of fat in the diet, and also total daily caloric intake, the fat on the body would be removed, and the disease of diabetes for a high percentage of the population would be no more.

My wife in court

I got to see my wife in action today for the first time. She was marvellous.

She's a public defender, so she handles quite a few cases at one time. She does such a good job, I don't think she even realizes how good she is.

First, I walk in the courtroom and take my seat with the other spectators. My wife notices me and she then proceeds to tell the other lawyer sitting next to her along with others. I guess she's as proud of me as I am of her.

The case before the court recesses and then my wife goes into action. She talks to the guy in the holding cell that is in the court room. She gets him taken care of with the court. Then she walks over to the gallery, calls a client that speaks only Spanish, starts talking to him in Spanish. Then the judge who wants to continue the previous case, my wife gets him to take care of this case first.

There was a lot going on, but it was fun to watch her. Though she is my wife, it was cool to watch her, and get so much accomplished. And I know if I was impressed, others in the room were impressed too. She doesn't bullshit around.

Then it was time for her to talk to me. She's leaving the court room, she points at me, and says, "Come here", which I do post haste. Hey, what do you want me to do?

A Dream I Just Had

But first, yesterday I did a first.

I played golf and I shot under par for 9 holes. Par 36 and I shot 34--3 birdies, 1 bogey and the rest pars. It was fantastic to do it. For the reasons that I didn't do anything miraculous, I just played golf that I'm able to do. I didn't make any long putts, in fact I missed one from 4 feet and that was my lone bogey, and I did not make any of my longer putts that were indeed makeable. So the score could have been much lower. This is good, because now I've broke the mental barrier in my mind on shooting low scores. I have been playing golf for 35 years.

Now onto my dream.

Dreams are really something else. How does the mind come up with this stuff involuntarily?

So I'm staying a Greg Norman golf resort. (Greg Norman is a famous golfer, who has designed golf courses but does not have any resorts to my knowledge).

He asks me how do I like my stay. I tell him it's very nice and I mention how much I like one of the housekeepers. He's kind of saddened when I tell him that because he is going to have to let her go.

Later, I'm walking off the resort and Greg Norman pulls off to the side of the road, gets out of the car along with two other men. He tells me he brought them to give me a golf lesson.

The man that gives me a golf lesson is around 80 years old. What he does is find a hole in the ground, puts a golf ball in there, and then covers it with more dirt and grass. So, okay, how's he going to putt the ball out of this? He has a box with him that have two mice. He releases the mice, they burrow into the hole, they keep burrowing, and come out the other side with the ball. Now the guy can hit the ball.

But I'm not finished.

The other man is the old guy's son. He mentions to Greg that his restaurant just had a fire. And there are other stores in the complex of where his restaurant is. He tells Greg that the temporary air conditioning is using his restaurant without his permission for the return air. (Return air is the air used in air conditioning that returns the air to the unit to supply the conditioned space over again).

He said not only that, but the system is designed for 1800 cubic feet per minute (CFM), but the ductwork is designed only for 1700 cubic feet per minute.

Now what floors me about this dream is that I do air conditioning, so I know what he's talking about. But what fascinates me about the dream is not only would he mention CFM, but he mentioned that it was off by 100 CFM. I would, even with what I know would never even think of it. So that it came in my dream just astounds me.

Post Script: After posting and reading the post, though I talk about 2 different subjects--my golf round and my dream--they are both tied together in one way. And that is, the power of the mind. This is something I have to further explore.

One axiom I remember is: Be careful what you dream, it might come true.

In my life I've had a few big dreams and they have all come true. Moving out to California, fixing things for a living, having my own business, getting a college education, and being happily married. Those are big dreams and they have all come true.

Here are a few dreams that I now have: I want and am trying to learn how to speak Spanish. I want to learn how to speak in front of people (I'm a member of Toastmasters), and I want to travel the world and meet many interesting people. Also, I want to practice caloric restriction and for that to be a daily part of my life.

Another post script: That again is another reason I so much like blogging. If I didn't blog, I would not have put these thoughts down. Though I had a few of these thoughts, they became crystalized through my writing.