Perigrinations

Worlds Best Ukulele Player

2006-07-16T06:40:00.000-05:00

Every once in a while, I stumble accross something that I find is simply amazing. This video of the ukulele player qualifies.

Follow this link if the embeded video doesn't work
http://www.break.com/index/worlds_best_ukulele_player.html

Embeded video:-

Cheers,
Rick

Conspiracy

2006-07-01T06:02:00.000-05:00

When I was a youngster, I used to read a lot of books like Sherlock Holmes, Robin Hood, Treasure Island, Kidnapped, Etc. I was fascinated with how life was lived in the "Old Days" and I wished that I had been born two hundred years earlier. My mother opined that I was much better off in modern times. I tried to think of what is better now than then. The only thing I could think of was painless dentistry. One thing I know for sure is that I cannot transcend dental medication.

But as they say, "No Pain: No Gain" You may be able to go to the dentist without pain, but you can't go there, or anywhere else with out Big Brother knowing all about it.

Don't believe me? Let me ask you... do you have a cell phone? A cell phone tower has a range of about two miles, yet the phone company always knows where you are.
Every time you make a credit card or debit card purchase, the "System" knows what you purchased, and where you purchased it, and when you purchased it.
How far can you walk or drive without being photographed by a security camera? Those cameras are everywhere. The fact is, you can be tracked in dozens of ways. Are you being watched? Probably not, but if Big Brother decided that you were "A Person Of Interest", you would have precious little privacy.

At least in the old days, you had privacy. We may have painless dentistry, but we have lost our privacy.

Which brings me to conspiracy theories. We have always had conspiracies, but modern technology has raised the bar considerably. Take 9/11 for example. What do you know about what happened at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and a field in Pennsylvania?

What the Government tells us, and what the conspiracy folks tell us are quite different. I have found a few 9/11 conspiracy sited that deal with this event.

This one ( http://wtc7.net/ ) deals with building 7 at the WTC.
This one ( http://www.freedomunderground.org/memoryhole/pentagon.php ) is a video that deals with the attack on the Pentagon.
This one ( http://www.loosechange911.com/order.htm ) deals with the WTC Attacks. It's an 80 minute video.
This one deals with the demolition of the WTC. (http://www.propagandamatrix.com/articles/june2006/200606scientificanalysis.htm)

How about a few other kinds of conspiracies?
Toxic contrails - ( http://www.rbnlive.com/mechanic.html )
Weather manipulation ( http://www.weatherwars.info/index.php )
Freemasonry ( http://www.freemasonrywatch.org/ )

Well that should keep you goung for a while. Suffice to say thet there is no shortage of websites to keep you well occupied. You could be glued to your computer for the rest of your life looking into this stuff. Which is right where Big Brother wants you. Where He can keep an eye on you.

But, that's a whole other conspiracy!

Cheers,
Rick

Watch Yourself!

2006-04-08T21:07:00.000-05:00

Dena and I were on vacation last week. My watch started to act up, and lost half an hour, nearly causing us to miss our transportation to the restaurant. So, while I was poking around Cruz bay the next day, I looked at some watches. The prices were pretty good, because St. John is a duty free island. I didn't pay a lot for my new watch, because, frankly, I can't afford it. However, I do appreciate good stuff, and some of the watches that were available were pretty expensive.

So I got to thinking about high end watches, and my perigrinations took me to some interesting web sites featuring watches for rich dudes. It seems that quartz watches, while very accurate, are down near the bottom of the pecking order. Some automatic (Self winding) watches are further up the line, and beleive it or not, Manual watches are among the most expensive watches you can buy. There was one automatic that I came across that listed for $300K. Frankly, I just can't relate to that kind of luxury.

But, these beauties are amazing. For example, in the Lange watch below, the thinnest washer for the balance screw is the smallest and lightest part in a Lange movement. It has a diameter of 0.4 millimetres, a thickness of 0.01 millimetres, and a weight of 8 micrograms (0.000008 g). In other words: 125,000 of these washers would weigh one gram. Imagine! These watches have quite a few parts. How many? 556 parts. If the parts of the chain were to be counted, the total would be 1097 components. So that's just over $99 dollars per widget. Which is more than I paid for my watch!

I present a sampling of my research for your enjoyment and amazement.

Goofy Patents

2006-03-16T06:40:00.000-05:00

Every once in a while, I stumble across something that gives me a chuckle. The following odball patents are a case in point. I thought you might enjoy them too.

Cheers

The Masons

2006-03-09T06:31:00.000-05:00

Do you like nifty looking symbols? How about interesting lodges? Do you spend hours wondering about conspiracy theories?
If so, you would love the Masons. They've got symbols galore. The Masons are involved in just about every conspiracy you can think of. Plus, they have really cool looking lodges.
You probably know someone who is a Mason. Perhaps that person has asked you to become a Mason. Should a Christian become a Mason?

What to ask if you are thinking about becoming a Mason

Masonic Initiation Checklist :: by T. N. Sampson of Cornerstone Ministries

This checklist is written for the Christian who is considering petitioning for Masonic membership or will shortly enter Masonry as an Entered Apprentice. It is intended to provide some food for thought prior to your initiation, and to help you make an informed decision. If the reader is not a Christian, this checklist will still be a useful source of information; however it may be less useful as you will not have the indwelling Spirit to help you with the issues raised. In any event, checking off the following actions will help you to better understand the significance of that which you are preparing to do.

Things to Discuss with your Wife:

1. Make sure she knows that the Lodge will want to take up quite a bit of your time (memory work at home, meetings, volunteer work). These time demands are expected to take priority over other commitments.

2. She should also understand the cost of membership, both in the Symbolic Lodge and in any "higher" degrees you pursue, so that it's clear how much will have to be budgeted for the privilege of being a Mason.

3. Tell her early on that you cannot share your Lodge experiences with her; therefore, she should avoid questioning you on the subject.

4. Ask her permission to remove your wedding band, the symbol of your marital commitment, the night of your Entered Apprentice initiation, as you will be asked (or required) to do so before you can enter the Lodge room.

Things to Discuss with your Masonic Sponsor:
1. To avoid later surprises, ask how Masons view your entrance into the Lodge. Mason Allen E. Roberts describes this event as a "spiritual rebirth" in his book The Craft and its Symbols (you may even be given that book after being raised a Master Mason). He further notes that the Mason is to use the teachings of the Craft "to build a Spiritual Temple." As a Christian, already endowed with the Holy Spirit, you may want to ask just what kind of "spiritual rebirth" Masonry is talking about here and how that relates to your being reborn in Christ. As well, you should compare the Masonic "Spiritual Temple" with the Biblical.

2. Understand what the "Holy of Holies" means in the Bible, then ask how Masonry uses the term. (He may or may not tell you that in the Master Mason's degree, the Lodge becomes a representation of the Holy of Holies, that place where God resides. In this degree you are "symbolically brought into the presence of God to learn the lessons which it is intended to teach." (Virginia & Florida Mentor Manuals))

3. Ask how you should prepare for your initiation. In some states, you will be asked to bath first and arrive well-dressed, and that you spend some time in prayer prior to coming to the Lodge. These things should be performed "in the same spirit that would actuate you if you were being baptised (sic) in your church" (Taking the First Step, Virginia Grand Lodge). You may wish to ask your sponsor why Masons would equate Lodge initiation with Christian baptism, especially since they've already told you Masonry is not a religion.

4. Since the Bible is on the "sacred altar" of the Lodge, you may wish to ask if Jesus Christ is also taught there, since he is such a large part of that book.

5. You may also ask what the "Volume of Sacred Law" is and how the Bible fits into that Volume. You might inquire if a Mormon can insist that the Book of Mormon be on the altar instead of, or side by side with, the Bible, and if so, why? (To avoid keeping you in suspense, Masonry views the Koran, Book of Mormon and Bible (among others) to be equal representations of God's will as given to man; therefore, each may be on the altar. Interesting company to put the Bible in with; does that bother you? Your wife? Your pastor?)

6. You will surely want to ask about the Masonic lesson called the "Fatherhood of God." As Masonic literature explains, it holds that all people are children of God, regardless of their beliefs. Since the Bible teaches that one becomes a child of God only via faith in Jesus Christ (John 1:12), you may want to decide which of these contradictory teachings you are going to support before someone asks. You might also ask a Scottish Rite (Southern Jurisdiction) Mason why the 18th degree claims that Jesus came to teach the Masonic view.

7. You may wish to ask why American Masonry continues to be split along racial lines, and why both sides are only now granting full recognition to each other. Given that Masonry claims to support the "Brotherhood of Man," you might well ask why segregation has been such a large part of the Lodge since its landing in the United States.

8. You should inquire as to how oaths and obligations are taken. Since they involve you being in a lodge "erected to God," in a semi-dressed condition, blindfolded, a rope around your neck, on your knees in front of Masonry's "sacred altar," Bible in hand with Square and Compasses upon it, and "in the presence of Almighty God," you will want to first think about how proper this really is. Finding this out before your initiation may be important as it may be difficult to ask about this once the initiation is underway.

9. Speaking of Masonry's "sacred altar," you may want to ask why Masonry claims it represents the Ark of the Covenant. (As you already know from reading this article that the Lodge is considered the Holy of Holies, you can probably figure out the rest of this yourself. It would be very illuminating to find out by what authority the Lodge claims to be the symbolic home of God, so to speak).

10. You should ask your sponsor for a copy of the oaths and obligations you will have to make during your initiations. Since Jesus taught that the Christian is expected to fully carry out everything he gives his word to, you will want to know exactly what they expect you to swear to so that you can work within Jesus' injunctions. The appropriate Bible verse is Matthew 5:33-37:

"Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.' But I tell you, Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God's throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one."

Keep those words in mind, for example, when they ask you to never reveal any of Masonry's secrets. When they do, you should make sure you know which ones they are referring to so you don't inadvertently break your oath should your wife pester you about what happens in the Lodge. Similarly, before you swear that you will never reveal a fellow Mason's secrets (generally murder and treason are excepted), you should consider whether or not you would go to the police if another Lodge member confided to you that he was abusing his daughter. If you say "yes" to the obligation, you will have to keep this secret (hopefully your conscience won't bother you much after a few weeks).

11. Ask about the penalties you will be required to swear to. As these involve having your throat cut, your tongue and heart torn out, being disemboweled and so forth, you may want to determine if they are consistent with the above verses. Continue to bear in mind that you will be swearing to those penalties while still on your knees "in the presence of Almighty God," as they will have asserted.

12. Being a Christian, you may want to ask if it is permitted to use Jesus' name in prayers in the Lodge. The answer will be "no," so you may want to think about what you are going to say if you are called on to pray. You will have to find a prayer that will not offend any brother Masons, and end up having to choose between declaring the gospel of Jesus Christ by using his name in Lodge prayers or placing the requirements of Masonry over that gospel. Either way, it's your decision, but you may want to think about it before you enter the Lodge. A good Bible verse to consider is Matt 10:32-33, where Jesus states:

"Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven."

13. You will most definitely want to have the Masonic view of "tolerance" explained to you so you can avoid trouble with your Christian witness later on. In Masonry, "tolerance" is not merely putting up with another's point of view; rather, it is learning to accept and even welcome those views. In action, this view means that you should accept and welcome other men's faiths even if you know they conflict with the Bible. You can follow Jesus' injunction to make disciples or the Masonic injunction to be 'tolerant,' but you can't do both.

14. Another topic of fascinating discussion with your Masonic sponsor is the symbolism of Jacob's ladder. In Masonry, the rounds of the ladder are Temperance, Fortitude, Prudence and Justice; Faith, Hope and Charity, which, to the Mason, symbolize perfection. Essentially, Masonry teaches that one uses that ladder, with its rounds, to get to heaven. Obviously, Jesus isn't one of those rounds, the implications of which you may wish to consider.

15. Since you may decide to pursue the "higher degrees" in the York Rite, ask what 'Jahbulon' refers to. Ask as well if it's true that in the Knights Templar degree, that 'Christian' part of the York Rite, you will be drinking wine from a skull with swords pointed at your throat. Would that be something you would boast about to your wife, children and non-Mason friends?

16. Since you may instead decide to pursue the "higher degrees" of the Scottish Rite, ask to read the book A Bridge to Light by Rex Hutchens. This describes the Southern Jurisdiction rituals and shows the lessons of the degrees. Ask why the order in the 25th degree features the names of Osiris and Isis, two pagan deities. Ask your pastor, or wife for that matter, what he thinks of your wearing such devices. You may also want to ask why one of the lessons in that degree is "Do not weary God with petitions." You may also want to ask where faith in Jesus Christ fits into this lesson from the 16th degree: "Build Temples of the Living God in our Hearts by following Masonic Truth – justice, equity, morality, wisdom, labor, fidelity, brotherhood – to achieve immortality." Finally, ask what Masonry means by this statement in the 14th degree: "All the world's messiahs have sought to unify the spiritual and earthly qualities of man, providing a model of perfection." Note the plural here: 'messiahs.' The degree goes on to equate Jesus with other 'messiahs' such as Osiris and the Greek god of wine, Dionysus. Interesting comparison, don't you think?

17. Finally, should you aspire to the Shrine, ask about the bathroom humor used in that degree, if wine is drunk there and how it is obtained, and why you will have to petition Allah, the false god of Islam, for aid in this rite. Ask yourself if Jesus would do such a thing and, if not, why it would be okay for one of his disciples.

Things to Ask Yourself:

1. When you are blindfolded and escorted into the Lodge for the first time, you will hear your escort describe you as one "...who has long been in darkness, and now seeks to be brought to light..." Before you get to that point, you may want to ask yourself if that's a fair description of your spiritual condition, especially since Masons, as we've seen above, view your initiation as a "spiritual rebirth." Jesus noted in John 8:12: "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." Unless Jesus is the 'light' of Masonry (he isn't), Masonic 'light' must refer to something else (it does). You may wish to ask just what that "something else" is.

2. You may hear the following verses discussed in one of the degree lessons:

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened." (Matthew 7:7-8)

These verses will be applied to your entering Masonry (i.e., you asked the recommendation of a friend, you sought admission, and you knocked on the door of the Lodge and Masonry opened its doors for you). You may wish to look these verses up and see what Jesus had in mind when he made these statements so you can discuss them factually, should anyone ask. Perhaps other Masons would be interested to find out that Jesus uses them in reference to himself, not Masonry. It might lead to an interesting discussion of why the Craft feels it can reinterpret Jesus' words for its own reasons.

Given the above, is this really something you should be doing?

Islam

2006-02-21T07:47:00.000-05:00

Mark twain is reported to have said "The problem with most folks isn't that they don't know anything, but that what they do know ain't so"

That statement is more factual today than it ever was. Newspaper headlines are accepted as contextual fact. Sound bites are assumed to be comprehensive and factual. CNN is assumed to be unbiased.
The "Information age" is in fact "The Misinformation Age" and the "New Dark Ages"

Take Islam for example. Think you know all about it? In the light ("Dark"?)of todays headlines, it would be good to know as much as you can. I recently came across a website that is quite informative in a fairly concise way.

Have a read if that floats your boat. http://www.muhammadanism.org/Government/times_article.htm

Cutting Edge

2006-02-11T07:59:00.000-05:00

Every once in a while, I discover that I am deeply interested in something that I didn't even know existed. Is it a Revelation? An epiphany? I don't know. All I know is that I discover it, and think "Wow! Is that ever fantastic! I want to learn all I can about that!"
That's what happened when, during my perigrinations on the web, I discovered the world of custom knives. Who knew that such craftsmanship existed? Such exquisite functionality? Such dark beauty?

I'm going to let you see just a few pictures of these knives. They are all hand made, some with just a file and chisel would you believe? The first example is valued at $10,000 U.S. dollars. The rest are in the one to five grand range.

Enjoy!

Offensive comics

2006-02-09T08:01:00.000-05:00

It's difficult to be objective about the recent furor over the cartoons depicting the Muslim prophet Mohamed. Making fun of the cherished beliefs of others in not good form.

While I can understand that these cartoons would not be welcomed by Muslims, I don't understand why they feel that violent destructive protest, and the burning of Danish embassies is appropriate and justified. How can Muslims, who take offense at every perceived insult, engage in attacking the faiths and values of others? They certainly do not have the reputation of being peacemakers, and ambassadors of good will. Are they the champions of tolerance and sensitivity that they seem to demand of others?

If they were, this world would be a much more peaceful place.

I've seen one of the cartoons, and frankly, I've seen much worse attacks on Jesus. Yet Christians don't respond by burning buildings, and rioting in the streets. Perhaps it's because we know that Jesus is well able to defend his honor and reputation if he chooses to do so. But he doesn't. He loves his enemies, and died for them.

Koran: And kill them wherever you find them, and drive them out from whence they drove you out, and persecution is severer than slaughter, and do not fight with them at the Sacred Mosque until they fight with you in it, but if they do fight you, then slay them; such is the recompense of the unbelievers.

Bible: But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

Koran: Obey Allah and the Apostle; but if they turn back, then surely Allah does not love the unbelievers.

Bible:For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Folks... there is a difference.

Steven Harper

2006-01-27T14:19:00.000-05:00

Well well, what a surprise! After being defeated almost into oblivion just after Brian Mulroney left, the Conservatives are back. Has the end of the world come upon us? Will Steven Harper legislate us back to the "Dark Ages" as some fear? The knives are already out. Correction... The knives have always been out for any leader who is openly Christian. Ask President Bush. "But" you say, "Paul Martin was a good church going catholic. The knives weren't out for him!" Yes gentle reader, that's true. That's because Paul Martin's beliefs apparently don't mean anything to him. But, I digress.

The reason that the knives are out for openly Christian Stevie, is that, contrary to what many believe, we don't live in a Christian country. It used to be a Christian country, and we enjoy many of the benefits of that heritage. But that heritage is slowly being eroded by the strong humanist liberal mindset of the vocal left.

We will sorely miss this heritage if we go much farther down the path we have been on. You don't believe me? OK, hand's up every body who wants to emigrate to Afghanistan? Iraq? Oh come on! How about China? No takers?
Hmmm, I wonder why?

I want you to picture yourself in the following scenario. You are driving through the worst rundown neighborhood in Los Angeles. In this part of town, murders don't even make the newspapers, they’re so common. It's two o’clock in the morning, and suddenly, you get a flat tire. You get out of your expensive car and look nervously around. Deserted. Good! Hastily, you start to change the wheel. Halfway through the process, you hear the sound of half a dozen young men running in your direction. You know they are men, because you can hear their jive talkin' voices growing louder as they approach! You freeze. You realize that you stopped breathing thirty seconds ago because of sheer panic. Why bother breathing... you probably only have about a minute left to live anyway. You stand up and face them, instinctively lifting your arms to protect your head from the inevitable blows to come. That's when you notice that four of them are armed with... bibles. The oldest one is wearing a t-shirt which proclaims "Jesus Saves"

Now let me ask you... Are you still afraid for your life?

The leader smiles broadly and says "Hey 'bro, can we help you get that wheel changed? This ain't a safe place for you to be this time of night."

Folks... real Christianity makes a difference.

Whether you are a Christian or not, you appreciate the difference Christians make in this society. The problem is, most folks want to have their cake and eat it too. They want the benefits of the Christian heritage, but they don't want God telling them what to do. They want God's blessings, but not His admonitions... "Go and sin no more."
As the song writer says: "Every body wants to go to heaven, but ain't nobody wants to die."
We want the blessings of the Christian Right, and the loopholes of the Liberal left.
Allow me to take a verse completely out of context and share it with you. Ecclesiastes 10:2 says "A wise man's heart inclines him to the right, but a fool's heart to the left."

So, am I saying that a Christian Government would be a good thing? Actually, no I'm not. Christian Governments would still be run by imperfect people, and would eventually, be a nightmare for everybody. Can you say Taliban?

That's why the Scriptures instruct us to pray for our leaders. They surely need it.

What A Guitar!

2006-01-12T11:27:00.000-05:00

Ever wonder what a $100,000.00 guitar looks like? Well take a good look. John Zeidler was one of the most meticulous craftsmen who ever lived.

Here is the story on this guitar, as recently found on the Mandolin Brothers website.

*****************************************
“When fourteen of the world’s finest guitar makers decided to honor and support a colleague, they produced a unique and remarkable instrument - The Zeidler Project guitar. J. R. Zeidler was well known in the community of archtop makers. His instruments, and the man himself, were greatly respected by players and his peers. When he was hospitalized with acute myelogenous leukemia, undergoing debilitating and expensive therapy, his fellow builders came together in support. They decided to make a collaborative guitar incorporating many of Zeidler’s touches and even using wood he chose. The guitar will be sold to defray some of John’s medical expenses, and to help his family.” The Zeidler Project was coordinated by the Canadian luthier, Linda Manzer. It was a spirited, bold project - never before had a group of so highly respected instrument makers attempted such collaboration. Manzer said, “This was a chance for the archtop guitar building community to come together and focus all our skills on this one instrument to help our friend, John, and his family. These builders were just incredible to work with and we were all honored to be part of this truly unprecedented event. It was a very emotional and truly amazing experience. The end result is a guitar imbued with our collective spirit.” The entire group, paying tribute to Zeidler’s style and preferences, worked out details of the design. The guitar traveled across the continent to the shop of every builder - each of them adding his or her own touch to it, then passing it to the next builder.

The soundboard, carved by John Monteleone, is Adirondack (red) spruce chosen by Zeidler at the beginning of the project. Tom Ribbecke carved the maple back, also provided by Zeidler. The rim/frames/sides bent by Steve Andersen who also attached the top and back to the sides. Steve Grimes made and installed the koa binding; John Buscarino made the neck. Mark Campellone detailed the headstock and added binding to the fingerboard and headstock. Bob Benedetto and several others carved the neck. Ted Megas did the fretwork. Bill Comins provided the fingerboard and made the tailpiece, using a Buscarino-supplied hinge. The pickguard was designed by Bill Collings and Paul Smith, the tailpiece by Bill Collings and Matthew Needham. The pickguard and tailpiece on that guitar were designed by Bill Collings and Paul Smith. Mark Lacey made the truss rod cover, “Z” peghead inlay and nut. Linda Manzer made the bridge, and also the original body mold with assistance from Tony Duggan-Smith. Tom Cerletti applied highly unusual gilding to the headstock that was especially requested by JR - the headstock appears to be kaleidoscopic - hypnotic -- refracting color and texture in ways that no headstock has, to date, done. The guitar then went to Richard Hoover of Santa Cruz Guitars, with assistance from Addam Stark and Stephen Strahm). Al Williams of Calton Cases of Canada supplied the professional travel case that houses the instrument. Professional photos were taken and donated by John Peden.

What a collection of signatures are found inside this instrument! Their individual waiting lists are often years long; their output limited -- yet they all took time to contribute to this project. John Monteleone says, “It’s kind of an impossibility that this could happen. Just the concept of pulling all these people together, who had the highest regard for each other and for John. We all felt very close to him, attached to his sense of style, his natural abilities.” “A wonderful tribute to one of our finest” says Bob Benedetto. The result is an instrument that surpasses all expectations,” Linda Manzer reflected. “There was a magical thing happening as it was passed from builder to builder. Many of them wrote to me telling me how special it felt to have it in their shop and to be able to do this for John and his family.” J. R. Zeidler would approve it. He discussed the project with many of the builders and lived to see it partly completed. He died while the project was underway. The funds raised from this guitar will go to his family.”

Mandolin Brothers, on behalf of the group, seeks to find an individual buyer (or business, or museum, or a music café) that would wish to own, and perhaps display to the public, perhaps take on tour (send around to all of its cafés?). Or perhaps (if the buyer would so wish) it could be loaned to the world’s finest archtop musicians to perform or record with, a buyer who will embrace the instrument, as we all have, and join us in celebrating joy and jubilation in the commemoration of the life of one of the one of the finest fretted instrument crafters the world has ever seen. The price of the guitar with Calton white case is one hundred thousand dollars.

Skirting the Issue

2006-01-12T06:25:00.000-05:00

Here's something I recently came across that I found interesting.

My dear daughter and her mother (The love of my life) think non tartan kilts look goofy. I guess not everyone agrees...

This Article was written by Dan Nephin.
Pittsburgh-based asap contributor Dan Nephin particularly enjoys his kilt after a day spent in waders, pursuing trout.

Butler surveys his kilt stock. (AP Photo/Joseph Kaczmarek)
Thursday, 5 January, 2006, 17:41 EST, US
By DAN NEPHIN
PITTSBURGH

Michael and Jeanne Butler, owners of AmeriKilt. Mike is wearing a kilt made of a popular military camo fabric called Forrest Digital MarPat. (AP Photo/Joseph Kaczmarek)

I did a double take. Was that a guy ... in a skirt?

It was at a folk music festival, so it could have been. But the cut was wrong and the heavy black cotton twill was almost menacing. Still, the pattern, with its sharp pleats, looked familiar.

I asked the guy just what he was wearing and he handed me a business card from the maker, a Seattle company called Utilikilt. It was a kilt, but not your Uncle Angus' Black Watch plaid by any stretch, laddies.

I'm not much taken by fashion, but something about this garment appealed to me.

Fortune smiled, because a vendor at the festival was selling a slightly different version. Ninety bucks later and sporting a camouflage AmeriKilt, I joined the unbifurcated brotherhood.

That was more than two years ago and the brotherhood has grown, bonded by a desire to be unbound, so to speak.

Steve Villegas founded Utilikilt in 2002 after having created his own modern take on the ancient garb a couple years before. After getting lots of compliments on his kilt, he decided to try his hand at making them professionally. The first year, he sold about 750. Now, Utilikilt sells about 13,000 kilts annually and employs about 20 people.

Since then, roughly a dozen casual kilt makers have popped up, including AmeriKilt, based in suburban Philadelphia.

Michael Butler, who runs AmeriKilt with his wife Jeanne, said he had always admired the kilt, but didn't see much in the way of a casual style so he also decided to venture into business. Now he's seen sales increase.

"We sell all over the world. I just got an order today from Bangkok, Thailand," he said recently.

What's the appeal?

For me, it was a bit of nonconformity and the natural air conditioning. And it just looked good (I wore mine with a tuxedo jacket, cummerbund and bow tie last New Year's Eve.)

"For guys, it's a sign of strength, leadership. It takes balls to wear something different," Villegas said. "For women, they find it incredibly sexy. They love to see legs."

"It takes a man who's confident of his sexuality," he said.

Neither maker sees men in kilts as a trend.

"There's no way this can go away. Look at the history of men's clothes. How long have men's clothes been bifurcated (garments of two legs)? That's a fad," he said, listing as pantless the ancient Romans, Vikings and, of course, the Scots.

Several kilt Web sites show all manner of men in kilts. AmeriKilt's site shows two Philadelphia Eagles sporting the garment, and Butler supplied a camo kilt to a Marine bagpiper in Iraq.

Utilikilt's site also shows an array of kilt wearers including a firm of marine biologists that uses them as uniforms.

Neither kilt maker engages in much advertising. Butler says his customers find him by word of mouth and Villegas said he doesn't do mainstream advertising.

"I think the appeal is that men just by their nature like to view themselves as individuals," Butler said.

Most AmeriKilts cost $95, and special ones like corduroy or camo are $120. Utilikilts run between about $100 and $750 for an all-leather model.

"It's heavy, it's not for everyone. There's more libido built into that garment than anything I can think of," Villegas said.

And how to answer the inevitable question of what's underneath?

"Usually," Butler says, "I point out my footwear."

___

___

___
(Left) AP reporter Dan Nephin in his own AmeriKilt. (AP Photo)

(Right) U.S. Marine bagpiper First Sgt. Dwayne Farr in Fallujah, Iraq, wearing one of AmeriKilts' Marine Corps digital "MarPat" fabric kilts. (AP Photo/Courtesy Dwayne Farr)

Breaker Breaker

2005-12-29T15:38:00.000-05:00

I suspect that all of you have stood on the beach at one time or another and watched the waves roll in.

I remember watching the movie "Castaway" with Tom Hanks. There is a scene in that flick shot from the top of the hill, where the camera pans 360 degrees. Did you notice that no matter what direction the shore line faces, the waves always come towards the shore?

Why is that?

Why don't the breakers ever go out?

Or sideways?

Is it a conspiracy by the travel industry to prevent California surfer dudes from getting a free ride to Hawaii?

Are waves magnetically attracted to land?

If you can explain this phenomena, please tell me so I can sleep at night.

Cheers,
Rick

Richie Rich Revisited

2005-12-26T00:57:00.000-05:00

About a month ago, I decided to become filthy rich by allowing ads on my blog. Your part in this scheme, gentle reader, was to simply click on the ads. In doing so, you would make me rich. Not a lot to ask now is it? So, how are we doing? How close am I to achieving that which normally takes hard work, talent, long hours and determination?

One cent! Yes, you heard correctly... one cent. One one-hundredth of a dollar. At this rate, it will take about one hundred years to earn $10.00, which is the minimum payout by the folks who pay for add clicks. Frankly, I'm disappointed. I was expecting more from you and you have let me down.

I'm kidding of course. Nobody gets rich without putting in the effort (Assuming one has the ability in the first place), but its fun to dream.

I just finished watching a DVD about the life of Cole Porter. Now there's a guy with talent. His talent made him rich. Just by writing a hit song or two.

So maybe I'll write a hit song. Trouble is, I'm not creative. You need good ideas to write a good song, and I don't have any. So, here's your chance to redeem yourselves gentle reader... Give me a song idea, and I'll see what I can do. Deal?

The Musical Crutch

2005-12-06T06:33:00.000-05:00

Like most guitar players, I am 99% self taught. The guitar, being a folk instrument, (Meaning regular folks can easily play it) lends itself to personal experimentation. With half a dozen chords under your belt, you can accompany thousands of songs. Lots of folks do this, and actually think they are "Guitarists". But the guitar is a complex instrument that you could spend your whole life learning and perfecting, and still be a very long way from knowing everything. For example, a classical artist such as Christopher Parkening knows his stuff on the classical guitar, but (I'm guessing here) knows very little about blues, or bluegrass. But, I digress.

Being that I am self taught, I know precious little about music theory. When I look at a score, I don't see music; I see spots before my eyes.
Hey Rick, do you read music? - Not enough to hurt my playing! Haw Haw Haw!!
Actually, it hurts a lot. When I see the piano player sit down in front of a complex score and play it without even knowing the tune, I'm impressed. Knowing how to read separates the Musicians from the Duffers.
Having a good ear, and a feel for the music has enabled me to compensate quite well over the years, but I'm often confronted with my shortcomings. Oh, how I would love to be able to do what the piano player does and just play from the score.

Well, help has arrived... sort of. Technology has come to the rescue. There is a software company named Sibelius. They offer a program called G7 that is very useful for folks like me. With this program, you can take a piece of printed music, scan it into the program, and the program will play the piece so you can hear it. The software will also analyze the notes and tell you what the chords are! How cool is that? It's absolutely a-flippin'-mazing!
So once the program plays the tune for me, I'm off and running. I can then play it by ear. OK, so it's not as good as actually learning to read, but it sure helps.

If you are one of those illiterate guitarists like me, check it out. It may not make you a better musician, but it will save you the embarrassment of having to ask the pianist to write out the chords for you!

Cheers,
Rick

The Barnstormer

2005-12-03T10:10:00.000-05:00

When I lived in Virginia back in the late '70s, I fulfilled one of my childhood dreams. I learned to fly. One of my friends was a captain with American Airlines, and he encouraged me to "Go For It". I soloed in 2.5 hours and received my private pilots license in about three months. The plane I learned in can be seen in the photo above. That particular student pilot had been on a cross country solo flight when something went wrong.

I eventually purchased this 1962 Cessna 172 for $6000 and flew regularly between Washington and Ottawa to visit friends and family. That's a 4 to 5 hour trip in a light plane. (Ottawa is the town where I did most of my growing up.)

This particular plane was originally owned by Arthur Godfrey, the television personality. Godfrey Field, the airport in Leesburg Virginia where I took my flying lessons bears his name. You can read about him at this website: (http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/G/htmlG/godfreyarth/godfreyarth.htm)

This Grumman TR2 was owned by a friend who allowed me to use it before I purchased the Cessna. That Grumman was a real hoot to fly, but it was nearly the death of me. Here's what happened.

I had flown to Ottawa to visit my family one weekend. The weather forecast for the return trip to Virginia was marginal, but I decided to take a chance anyway (Big mistake). The weatherman called for low ceilings and rain over Pennsylvania and Virginia. Apart from some turbulence and rain, things were fine until I reached southern Pennsylvania. I was flying just below the cloud cover at about 3000 feet, and I was tense. Concentrating on navigation and fighting the poor visibility, I didn't notice that the ground was gradually rising to meet me. I was flying over heavily forested low mountains when I suddenly realized that I could no longer see the horizon... meaning the terrain a few miles ahead of me had risen to meet the clouds. If I didn't do something quickly, I would soon have to increase altitude to avoid the trees. I would then be in the clouds without an instrument rating, flying blind. Such a situation is usually not survivable.

I needed to find a place to land immediately! Consulting my chart, I saw that there was a small airstrip about 10 miles away to the west. Using radio beacons, I managed to find the airstrip within a few minutes, and got a brief glimpse of it as I flew directly over it. By now, there was only about 100 feet between the bottom of the cloud cover and the tree tops. My only chance was to execute a perfect 360 degree turn to find the strip again, and land. During this maneuver, the airstrip was not visible to me, due to the low altitude, tall trees and lack of visibility due to heavy rain. The fact that I found the landing strip and got the plane down was close to a miracle. It wasn't until after I parked the plane and got it tied down that the gravity of my close call reached my consciousness, and I began to shake. A good friend agreed to drive up from Leesburg Virginia to pick me up and drive me home that evening.

The following weekend, we drove back up to retrieve the plane and fly it to home base. Now, here's where things get really interesting. That plane holds 42 gallons of fuel. When I refueled prior to takeoff, I pumped 41 gallons into the tanks! I had been concentrating so hard on flying, I had neglected to monitor my fuel consumption. That's when I really started to tremble. I had been less than 5 minutes away from crashing into the trees that day! I'll never forget that incident as long as I live. Truly, God had preserved me. If He hadn't forced me to land, I would have crashed within minutes due to lack of fuel.

Thankfuly, most of my flying experiences have been much more uplifting than that. I remember seeing two sunrises on the same morning. I had taken off from Manassas airport 45 minutes before sunrise one day and climbed to 5000 feet to see the sun rise over the Chesapeake. Then I dropped down 3000 feet into darkness, and flew east for a few minutes until once again, the sun rose over the bay. Pretty cool eh?

If you ever get the opportunity to learn to fly - Go For It! Just watch your fuel levels, and you'll be fine.

Cheers,
Rick

The Kilt

2005-12-02T08:14:00.000-05:00

In a previous blog entitled "The Diet", I touched on the subject of wearing the Kilt. After renting a kilt for the Robbie Burns dinner, and discovering how comfortable they were, I remember thinking that it's too bad they are just for formal occasions.

I did some surfing to find out about prices and such, and made a huge discovery. Kilts aren't just for formal occasions. In fact, there are quite a number of manufacturers who make non-traditional kilts for casual wear. Casual kilts generally use cloth other than tartan, such as denim, twill, even camoflauge. It seems that there is a growing awakening among men that kilts can be worn anywhere, anytime. If you Google "casual kilt", you'll get an eyefull. Or check my links for some of my favourite sites. It's huge.

Sometimes when I'm wearing a kilt, people ask if I'm Scottish. Explaining why you wear a kilt when your not Scottish can sometimes raise an eyebrow or two. I find it's often easier to say I have Celtic heritage, or that I'm a rock star. (Rockers get away with wearing all kinds of wierd stuff)
While I do have some Celtic heritage, it's not the main reason that I enjoy kilts. I like them mainly because of the comfort, especially when sitting for extended periods. Long drives are especially delightful. Frankly, I never realised just how uncomfortable pants were until I discovered that there is an alternative. Give it a try men, you'll be pleasantly surprised.

I have compiled a list of "Reasons I Wear the Kilt" for your amusement and edification:

1- You can call Punks conformists.
2- Men look good in kilts... Period.
3- Women love men in kilts.
4- It gives the ladies a cheap thrill when you get out of a car.
5- Because equality should extend to comfort!
6- Floor mounted AC vents on a hot day.
7- Heat vents on cold days.
8- Ergonomically, men belong in kilts. That seam in pants can be deadly.
9- Because driving cross-country in pants is just plain cruel!
10- Any guy confident enough to wear one has got to be progressive, sexy, and hip
11- When worn regularly, no one ever forgets who you are.
12- It's one thing that men and women can agree on when deciding what to wear.
13- It makes a great trademark if all your band members wear kilts. (Unless they're shy)
14- In the words of Mel Gibson in Braveheart ..."Freedom!"
15- I love the reactions!
16- Want to meet people? Wear a Kilt - Strangers come and talk to you!
17- When else would you ever hear the phrase, "Dude, fix your pleats."
18- If going trouserless is good enough for Sean Connery, Mel Gibson, Russell Crowe, Adrian Paul, it's good enough for me.
19- Even straight guys check me out. (Not that I'm looking for a date)
20- It itches a lot less in a kilt, it’s the breeze you know.
21- It makes people wonder.
22- Because through out history, men have worn un-bifurcated garments.
23- Freedom, and increased mobility.
24- You only go around once, so why shouldn’t you be as comfortable as possible.
25- You will chafe no more.
26- No more adjust, right side, left side…
27- Say goodbye to wedgies.
28- Jesus didn't wear pants.

So if you happen to see me wearing the kilt, whether tartan, or otherwise, it's not because I've gone to the other side. It's because I enjoy the comfort.

Cheers,
Rick

Richie Rich

2005-12-01T09:48:00.000-05:00

Do you remember the old Richie Rich comics?

Good old Richie had my name, but that was all we had in common. I used to wonder what it would be like to be filthy stinkin' rich.
Henrey Ford was once asked how much money is enough... His answer: "Just a little more." Aint it the truth.
I love that line in the movie "Fiddler on the Roof" where Tevye the Milkman is talking to God, and he says... "Dear Lord, I know it's no shame to be poor, but it's no great honor either!" I think I know how he feels.

Dear friends, let's be clear about wealth. The richer you are, the more stuff you have, and the more stuff you have, the more space you need to put it, and the more space you have, the more work it is to keep it all together. Frankly, I think I'm a bit too lazy to be rich. Too much work. Unless....

Have you noticed the adds at the bottom of my blog? Apparently I get paid to have them there if You, Gentle Reader, click on them. That's right, You can make me RICH if you do your part. Now I don't wish to imply any guilt here. I mean, it's OK if you don't click on these interesting and possibly beneficial to you adds... I'm quite used to not being rich. There is a certain tranquility to it. A comfortable familiarity.---

While I may be unfamiliar with riches, I am, for the sake of science, let's say, willing to give it a try. What the heck, it can't be that bad can it?
So here's my plan. You, Gentle Reader, come and check for updates on my blog every day, and when you do, just click on all the ads each time you visit. In fact, why not click several times? Also, tell all your friends about this semi-cool blog, and tell them about my plan to become fabulously wealthy. I figure that with all those people clicking away, I should be giving Bill Gates a run for his money in about two or three weeks!

Now here is my promise to you. When I'm rich, I'll still talk to you.
Yes, you heard me right! I'll still talk to you, and what's more, you'll be able to tell people that you knew me when I was still a nobody. How cool is that?

To be practical, it would be good if you let me know that you're clicking the ads by leaving a comment. That way, I'll know if you are someone I'm still talking too.

Anyway, do your best, and let's see how it goes.

Cheers,
Rick

Thought provoking question:
If money talks, what does it say?

Money talks, but credit has an echo!

Why do they call it "Take home pay?" - Because you can't afford to take it anywhere else.

The Other Family

2005-11-25T06:56:00.000-05:00

After spending many dollars on guitars, and many hours noodling around on them, what do you do with them? You hook up with other musicians, do "show & tell" with your prized instruments, and spend time noodling together.

I have recollections of Dad and his friends gathering in our tiny kitchen for jam sessions. Dad usually played the spoons, and I did my best to keep up on the guitar or mandolin, and we had a blast. Singing, foot stomping, laughter, and rum. Happy times. Those happy times are recreated for me in my current musical groups. They are sort of like family. Friends are the family you choose.

Currently, I play with 3 or 4 divergent groups: a jazz group, a 60's rock group, a scottish dance band, and a couple of worship groups. I spend most of my time with the jazz group. We refer to ourselves as 4 guys and a dame.

In this photo, we are performing at an open mike venue in Oakville. That’s Ed Marion on the left, on Guitar and vocals, Brenda Chisolm on vocals and butterscotch squares, Lawrence Chan on rhythm guitar & sushi, Larry Ault on Mandolin & wine, and yours truly on bass & appetite.
Look carefully at those faces. (Click on the photo to enlarge) No smiles! What gives? Aren't we happy? Aren't we having a good time? You bet we are, but we are zoned out (or in - whatever) really into the song and concentrating on the next chord change. What the photo does not reveal is the toe tapping, the body swaying, the head nodding, and of course, you don't hear the music. Swing jazz. And we do swing. When the set is over, its ear to ear grins and high fives, and let's have a beer! While it may be over the top to say "This is what we live for", (after all we do have lives), it is in fact the reason we play... to be enjoyed by an appreciative audience. The applause is very gratifying. OK, it's a kind audience who would probably applaud even if all you did on stage was pick your nose, but we'll take it anyway.

But what I really appreciate are the people. They are so interesting. Ed has been around the world and done everything but make it all the way to the top of Mount Everest. A doting father and loving husband, he has in the past been a real estate agent, a stand up comedian, a guitar instructor, and is currently self employed as an exquisitely meticulous carpenter. Most practice sessions, he has us laughing so hard, that we need a chiropractor the next day.
You had best be nice to the lovely and talented Brenda - rumor has it that she can bench press 300 lbs! This svelte mother of two and wife of one sings like a bird and can play a fist full of musical instruments. She turned down a modeling career to be a writer. Her family is the most important thing in her life. Yet she manages to carve out some time to sing with a couple of musical groups. On top of all that, her butterscotch squares are to die for!
Lawrence studied Anthropology in university, but that didn't fit his entrepreneurial spirit. He has had several businesses over the years, and his current business is hairdressing. What a great way to meet chicks! He's a fine guitarist, and is a walking encyclopedia of chords. He often brings sushi to the practices to go with Larrys wine.
Larry is our mandolinist. He is an electrician by day, but in his off hours he is a passionate collector of old photographs and antique oil lamps. He fears no power shortage. At every practice, he lays on an interesting bottle of wine for us to savor.

We get together once a week to practice, and I look forward to these sessions as much as I enjoy playing for the audience. They are always interesting and entertaining. Reminds me of those impromptu kitchen gatherings of my youth.

Cheers,
Rick

The Other Woman

2005-11-23T21:02:00.000-05:00

Dena sometimes refers to my guitar as the "Other Woman" because it gets more huggs than she does. She notes that guitars have feminine curves, and perhaps that is why I am attracted to them. Who knows? Fact is, guitars have been a part of my life since I was 8 years old. That means I've been playing for 49 years. Imagine, 49 years and I still can't play a solo piece all the way through. That's because I'm not really a soloist. I'm an accompanyist. Rhythm, lead, bass, doesn't matter. Fact is, when I'm jammin with my budds, I feel great!

Musicians are a nicer class of people generally speaking, at least the folks I choose to play with. Except perhaps those who believe there are only two kinds of music.. Rock & Roll. (Hey - get a life!)

I like all kinds of music.. jazz, blues, latin, country, olde tyme, rock, flamenco, classical, and so on. But there has always been a thread running through that music - the guitar.
I started to play on an el-cheapo flattop my dad bought for me. Taught myself to play "Hang Down Your Head Tom Dooley" in six keys. I didn't know how to tune the thing, so I played the melody up and down one string. When I played it on the next string, I was in another key. One of my dad's friends tuned it for me and showed me a few chords, and I was on my way. My glacial rise to fame had started.
I progressed to the point that I joined a band. We called ourselves "The Versatiles" because we played both pop and country. My first "professional" debut was at a seedy bar in Renfrew. I was underage, so the group leader, (Bob - not my uncle) kept me away from the bar owner. The audience consisted of one guy at a table near the back of the room, and he was three sheets to the wind. Never mind, I was still as nervous as nervous as a turkey at Christmas. Bob slipped me a rum and coke to loosen me up a bit. Since I didn't drink, I got loose rapidly. You don't play any better when you're loose, but you sure think you do. Anyway, I had a blast, and that gig turned into a regular weekly thing.

We were making pretty good money for kids, so I purchased my first good guitar - a Guild Starfire exactly like this one on the left. That guitar played like a dream. And like almost every guitar I've owned since, I wish I still had it. That particular guitar was stolen. Not sure what the next guitar was, but it was probably an Epiphone. I keep trading. Not in any particular order, I've had a Gretch 6120, Gibson humingbird, Heritage 575, Ibanez GB20, Ibanez Joe Pass, Gibson L50, and a dozen I can't remember. It's a hobby, and an obsession. I've even built a couple of archtop jazz guitars from scratch. Just something I always wanted to do.

My current axes are a fine Martin 0017, and a Variax 700.

The Martin (right) is a sweet sounding flattop made in the old world tradition. The Variax (left) is part guitar and part computer. It can model 25 different vintage guitars from Telecasters to Gibson Super 400's at the turn of a switch. Dena says "Since this guitar has all these cool guitars built in, you'll never need to buy another guitar.. Right?"

Don't worry Dena, you'll always be my main squeeze!

Here is a picture of my Main Squeeze and me at a recording session at Ocean Way Studio in Nashville Tennessee
Ocean Way Studio
I know what your thinking.

Did we actually record at one of the finest recording studios in Nashville Tenessee? The same studio where Alison Krauss, Mark Knopfler, Emmylou Harris, Yo-Yo Ma, and the music for O’ Brother Where Art Thou? was recorded?

Yup.

The diet

2005-11-21T07:29:00.000-05:00

Since I retired from Xerox and became a financial advisor, I had begun to gain a little weight. OK, a Lot of weight. Sitting behind a desk for twelve hours a day making phone calls was not conducive to good physical conditioning. My favorite recreational activities were eating and sleeping. I had given up smoking 20 years ago, so maybe I could blame some of the weight gain on that. Or perhaps calories simply find me attractive. (Why wouldn't they?) I had tried a few diets in the past, but only half heartedly. Weight Watchers was actually quite good while it lasted. But you know how it is. At first you are interested and enthusiastic, and it's the novelty of a fresh initiative that drives the results. You lose a few pounds and then WHAM! the weekend happens, you eat out at a nice restaurant, you go for the dessert, and you have gained back everything you lost during the week. To heck with it. Why give up stuff you like for such meager slow results? Besides, why bother. I've got my gal. I don't have to try and look good in order to attract a mate.

Turns out there are a few good reasons to shed some weight. Being able to put your socks on without assistance is one of them. Having a bath is more effective when there is enough room in the tub for water. Fitting into an airline seat is even more unpleasant if you are portly. Not that airline seats are pleasant in the first place.
Getting off my high blood pressure medication is another reason shoot for svelt. I went to have my blood pressure taken a few years ago, and the nurse actually turned white when she saw the readout. She told me to walk slowly to my doctor and get help immediately. No exertion whatsoever. Don't even jump to conclusions!
So, I tried to take weight loss a little more seriously. But only a little. After all, what's the worst that can happen? Heart attack and die, right? Then what? Boom... straight to Heaven, Bob's yer Uncle, how can that be bad? I guess Dena and David and Alison might take a dim view, and hopefully my sisters. OK, checking out early is not considered good form. I'm sticking around for a while longer. So I gave up cream in coffee. At least the coffee I made at home. Egyptians arent the only ones who live in de-nial.
About this time last year, Dena and I were invited to a Robby Burns dinner. This should be fun... I'll rent a kilt. I discovered at least three things.
1- When you wear a kilt, you draw a lot of attention.
2- Man this is comfortable!
3- Fat guys in kilts look ridiculous.
Seems I've found a reason to shed some pounds. I hate looking ridiculous.

I know what your thinking. Hey Rick... guys in kilts look ridiculous. Period.
What? Guys in jeans dont? I think the guy in the kilt here looks way better than these yahoos in the Levis. But differences in taste are what makes the world such an interesting place don't you think? I'll bet you a large double cream coffee that the guys in the levi add think they look pretty darned good. (What a bunch of conformists)
While I'm on this subject, what do most women wear these days? Jeans! So that means these guys are dressed like girls right? Anyway, thats a subject for another Blog.

Back to dieting. There is enough vanity in me that I started to take weight loss seriously. Have you ever checked out the ingredients in the foods you eat? One of my favourite snacks was a toasted tomato sandwitch made with majonaise and ketchup. Mmmmm good! Just the thing to pot a little yummy in the tummy.
Two slices of Texas Toast @ 100 calories each.
Two table spoons of butter (one for each slice) 100 calories each.
At least one table spoon of Majonaise (closer to two) 80 calories.
At least one table spoon of Ketchup (closer to two) 40 calories
Twi skices of tomato - 10 calories (see? it's good for you!)
Glass of 2% milk to wash it down 120 calories.
Total for my nice little snack... 650 calories! Good Grief. I've got some work cut out for me. So I stopped snacks after supper and between meals. Started drinking lots of water. I've gone off the water since the cooler weather started, but I think I need to get back to it. Recently started to take my coffee black. (My daughter Alison inspired me!) Tastes lousy, but I'll get used to it. When I go to Harveys I get one meat patty instead of two. I won't bore you with all the details, but I will say I'm quite pleased with the progress. Lost 25 pounds since the Summer started. I'm wasting away to nuttin! I'm shooting for another 25 pounds by Spring. I'm feeling better too. Told Dena I felt like a twenty year old. She said "Well you can't have one!" (rimshot)
Anyway, I'll keep you posted on my progress.

Cheers,
Rick

I have a few cartoons that relate to eating and dieting. Perhaps you'll enjoy them. Click on the cartoon to enlarge them.

Half a Bubble off Plumb

2005-11-20T06:40:00.000-05:00

There are many things that I find interesting. I won’t bore you with many of them. But here is something I recently came across that I'm positive you'll be completely amazed by. Check out this web-site...

http://www.popsci.com/popsci/science/0a03b5108e097010vgnvcm1000004eecbccdrcrd.html

Let me know what you think.

Cheers,
Rick

A Past Life

2005-11-19T22:07:00.000-05:00

Well, That last Blog was so much fun, I thought I would give it another go.

One of my past lives was spent as an Investment Advisor. Basically, my job was to talk people out of their life savings. Sounds simple right? Yeah, right!
It turns out that I did reasonably well at it for a while, but the stress was something awfull. I eventually got out of the business, and decided to do what hundreds of other ex-brokers have done... Write a book! I started with a title, and some chapter headings.

Title: The Dirty Secrets of the Investment Industry

Chapter Headings:

CFP Vs PFP
Mutual Fund salespeople vs. Stock Brokers
Cold Calling
Newspaper Headlines What has that got to do with you?
Market Cycles
How a broker is paid – how you lose
Chasing the Big Returns
Greed and fear
How a broker uses fear
How a broker uses greed
Sales person vs. analyst
How to pick a good Stock (Same as how to do your own root canal).
How to make money year after year and not lose your shirt.

Then, I set about writing. I have included the introduction to the chapter on Cold Calling here for your (possible) enjoyment.

COLD CALLING
How does a broker build his business? Simple. By meeting new people and asking for their business. Most new Fund Salespeople start their business by turning to their personal phone directory. Hi Mom? Remember me? You know, Rick! I’m starting a new business, and I want to help you get rich! (Now mom, who remembers that her Son is not rich, was never any good with money, couldn’t save a dime to save his life, and hasn’t called her for 18 months, smells a rat.)
“How will you do that Son?” “Simple. I want you to turn over your life savings to me and I will invest it for you!” Mom is too kind to just hang up the phone, so she says, "Well, let me sleep on it."
Encouraged, Rick now calls his Sister, whom he hasn’t spoken to in 5 years, and gives her the same pitch. Now sis is three years younger, single and pretty darn sharp. She has 30,000 in savings, and 90k in solid investments. She asks Rick how his portfolio is doing. Well, Rick has no investments. No savings either. In fact, he is 20k in debt, thanks to that shiny new SUV he just had to have. Sis is not as kind as Mom. Let’s just say she is not backwards about being forward. Rick was shocked some of the words she used! The gist of it was thanks but no thanks.
By the time Rick gets to the end of his personal phone directory, he is beginning to realize this isn’t going to be the cakewalk he thought it would be. Not only did he not have any new clients, he also lost all of his friends.
“I have to talk to people who don’t know me” thinks Rick. And The Cold Caller is born!

***************************

After my initial enthusiasm about writing this book wore off, I discovered that being an author is not any easier than being a stock broker.

Funny thing is, now that I'm no longer in the business, people are much more willing to take my advice about investing.
Now, I'm going to give you a tip. Read the book entitled "The Wealthy Barber". It's an easy read. Also, if you can find a copy, read "The Richest Man In Babylon". I have a feeling the Wealthy Barber was based on this book.

One last tip... Don't by lottery tickets, or bet on the Horses. A fool and his money are soon parted.

Thought provoking question... If money talks, what does it say?

Cheers,
Rick

Good Grief! What now

2005-11-19T05:56:00.000-05:00

A few years ago, a cartoon in the news paper caught my attention. The scene depicted was the maternity ward. All the newborns were in one large room, and most were squawking and mewling and making a great racket. Out of the midst of these future world leaders and movers and shakers came a thought bubble which said... "Good grief! What next!" I remember thinking "Buddy, you have no idea!"

My daughter Alison has been telling me I should start a blog. Then she said that her friends say I should start a blog. "Why would they say that?" I asked. "Because they think you're cool" she responded. Whoa! Me? Cool? Well, maybe when I'm wearing my Tilly hat. But the rest of the time? Not likely. Being cool is way too much work. So anyway, being fully cognizant that any semblance of coolness as detected by Alison and her dear perceptive friends is strictly temporary, I am starting this Blog.
Which brings me back to the cartoon. Good grief! What next? Diaries are by their nature self centered. My Mother (And everybody else, come to think about it) always told me not to be so self centered. Self centered is BAD! Therefore, by extension, this online diary will be bad. And that's not good. Or is it? Now I'm confused. That's enough talking about me. Why don't You talk about me? (Just kidding)
This diary will go to many places. As my mind wanders, so will this Blog. That is why I named it as I did. So, in honor of my dear daughter who persuaded me to start this, would you like to see a picture of her and her cool dad? I know you would, But I doubt that she will be so thrilled. But hey, it’s My blog. Here you go...

No wait! that's not it! Gimme a minute...

Here it is...

Now ain't that sweet! Alison seems a tad embarrassed for some reason. Maybe she doesn’t think dad is so cool when he's not wearing his Tilly hat?

Anyway, that's all for this post. Come on back and explore the twisted meanderings of my life and times.
I'm going to leave you with a (hopefully) thought provoking question...

How do they get the Caramel in the Caramilk chocolate bar?

Cheers,
Rick