A Better Life

Just started using WinJournal from Mariner Software. I have used MacJournal off and on from this same company with mixed feelings but when they offered both for a very reasonable price I couldn't pass up the opportunity. As with any new software it takes time to adjust to the new tool set and bring in your own ideas. Linking to established blogs is relatively painless and does bring in existing posts fairly easily. The Macintosh variant seems to be more refined but overall I believe it is a solid tool for keeping a journal, whether published on a blog or secured on a laptop.

Is there anything more comforting, satisfying or life affirming than a home cooked meal?  My answer would be no.  When I think back to the most cherished memories of my childhood it usually, not always but usually involves food.  I believe all major holidays involve a copious amounts of food of varying varieties for a reason.  We come together as a family around a dinner table to share and celebrate but also to remember. For me nothing personifies this spirit more than Thanksgiving.  Think about it, what other holiday epitomizes the sheer celebration of food, family, friends without a gift giving opportunity in sight.  I know that Thanksgiving is to give thanks for our country's heritage and a peaceful coexistence between the Native Americans and the visitors from across the Atlantic Ocean but in my family it was a time of reunion around some of the best dishes I could ever imagine.  My mind goes back to my childhood with my mother, grandmother and any aunts that happened by all w

While watching Hard Rock Calling 2011 I was struck how timeless songs feel a little less timeless when the artists themselves are not so timeless.  A little breathiness here, a little pause there and a note or two off pitch can send one into a deep sense of regret and just a little remorse. Back in the day it didn’t seem they would never get old but now 30 odd years later it is oh so apparent that the time has come to realize nothing is forever and these artists might be better served taking a break and stepping down into a well deserved retirement.  Personally I blame music videos and the internet.  Video’s do add to the illusion of timelessness because any time you want to relive these artists in their hay day all you have to do is a simple search on the internet and voila! there you are back in 1982 and they just seem to never age.  It doesn’t seem fair since every time we look in a mirror we are brutally reminded of how the years have ravaged our bodies with not a hint of kindness

Recently I progressed from having a wife to a girlfriend who has now come close to being a significant other.  What is the difference? First, I must say that on the surface the difference would seem to be a level of commitment but to be honest my commitment to my girlfriend is much stronger than I was ever committed to my wife.  No, I believe it has to do with expectations and realizations.  When one is married, there is a moral imperative and a legal obligation to provide for and devote ones self and resources to the spouse.  In the girlfriend scenario, I believe the commitment is more personal and voluntary since there are no laws governing the separation of property if things go awry. If you split up with a girlfriend it is just between you to divvy up any common assets.  No lawyers, judges or courts.  Just two people going their own separate ways.  Why can't our divorces be so civil?  Is the level of commitment really enhanced by the intervention of a legal system?  In my exper

As we course through this slide we call life, a number of things can occur that will give you pause.  It could be a war thousands of miles away or a shooting just down the street.  Ever wonder why we don't hear more stories about heroic deeds or a community that hasn't seen a violent crime?  We wouldn't be interested.  We determine what the "media" reports as news.  It is our responsibility to stand up and say enough.  Quit bombarding us with the most horrific events known to man and start helping society grow as a whole into a more positive force.   Why do we hang on every word we hear on the news?  Whether it is broadcast on the radio, television, in print in a newspaper, magazine or on the internet.  We just don't seem to be able to get enough.  We condemn others for participating in gossip but isn't that what news really is? Entertainment news is the worst.  Is it really necessary to follow the comings and goings of a movie star or musician? Does it

You know what the signing is?  That is the moment you put your signature, your name to an everlasting document called the divorce decree that will haunt and curse you from that moment until the day you die and beyond.  So, how does this event last past death? Because your legacy will be how you handled yourself post signing. Your offspring and descendants, friends, acquaintance's will discuss what the divorce seemed to be for you while you were breathing topside. That agreement will be revisited, reviled, rebuked and studied to death.  Literally.  If there is ever a time when you are not in your right mind it is when you are presented with this agreement,  or judge ordered agreement to sign and be bound to for the duration.  The duration may be from now on, for 3 years or until your children are the age of majority.  After the fact, after all the payments have been paid and when you are reflecting on your life in that rest home as your eyes dim and breathe your last breath that

In the course of life we build layer upon layer of experiences, lessons, observations and emotions.  Our responses to our world build a multi-layered world of good, bad and indifferent feelings which shape our personalities and define our potential for success or failure.  Just as a lasagna is covered in marinara with cheese so must our religious beliefs, philosophies and attitude cover these layers to form the cohesive whole we call life.