Archived Rants (sequenced "first to latest")
1 Dec 2001
Dave Rants about Rants
Alrighty then. First off, this rant about ranting I shall dedicate to my son, Mike, who taught me how to rant. OK. Well, whereas Mike had separate pages for his rants and wisdom, I intend here to combine them both. Cause one person’s wisdom is naught by ranting to another. And vice versa. Ha! And so, herein, eventually, you shall see rants for sure, wisdom perhaps, and maybe even a RAVE, if perchance I ever have anything particularly cool to say about anything.
2 Dec 2001
Dave Rants about Regrets, and finding Serenity
Now, my Dad always did tell me to try and live your life in such a way that when you look in the mirror each morning, you are still able to have some modicum of respect for the person you see there. “No regrets, live your life in such a way that you have no regrets.” That’s what he laid on me. And, it is excellent advice, no doubt about that. But hearing it, knowing it, and doing it, are three different things. Yes, that little dictum is not so easy to implement. But, look on the bright side of things. If you try to live your life to please other people, you will always fail, you will not satisfy everyone, and you will have boatloads of regrets. On the other hand, if you live you life so as to please God alone, then, though you fail, you’ll yet have little to regret, and you’ll have great peace of mind and serenity. See my poem, ‘Serenity’, and you’ll get a glimpse of what I’m trying to say.
2 Dec 2001
Thoughts on Choosing a Martial Arts Instructor
Before I found “my niche” and became an aikido instructor, I studied a wide spectrum of martial arts (kung fu, karate, Tae Kwon Do, boxing, kick boxing, Hapkido, judo, kenjitsu, and jujitsu) with a wide variety of instructors (more than a dozen), and one thing that taught me is how to choose a good instructor.
First off, a lot of instructors inflate their claims. For example, maybe an instructor had one cop once as a student. So now they go off and put in their yellow page ad that they are a “police combat instructor.” Ditto for any military students they ever had. Don’t laugh. I have seen instructors I know (not friends of mine) do it. And, how would you, the unsuspecting public know any better? Additionally, beware of any instructor that tries to bill his art as “all things for all people.” Different martial arts and styles are better suited to different temperaments and personalities. Plus, a lot of people (my naïve self included, before I learned better) tend to view martial arts instructors as some type of person who is all zenned-out, and is somehow above other ordinary human beings. Nothing could be further from the truth. One time, my aikido instructor tried to “put the moves” on my friend Kirk’s wife, Nan, in a private class. Well, she is pretty tough, so she whacked him at the proper unexpected time, left, and called me. When I confronted him about it, he tried to say that Nan made it all up, that she was lying. But I’m like, “Wait, I’ve known her for 10 years and she has no reason to lie; whereas you on the other hand have every reason to do so. I’m out of your school. I refuse to teach for and unethical person like you.” Well, that’s how I wound up with my own aikido school (btw, Kirk and Nan both came there; she became an excellent aikido player, and Kirk became a black belt and now has his own school, but that’s another story).
But the point is, there are some unscrupulous instructors, as well as some unethical instructors, so, Rule #1: go to the school, and observe a class, preferably more than one. Some instructors will tell you that you may NOT come back and observe a second class. They will say, “You have seen it. You must make a decision, and sign up now.” OK, run from such a place (I have done so, twice in fact). Also, many schools will try to get you to sign up for a contract. They will tell you that, “It’s for your own benefit; it will save you money, and give you incentive.” Politely, this is bunk! It is a money-making scam for the school. The best schools will let you pay on a month-to-month basis. OK, OK, I’ve ranted enough about what you don’t want to see in a school. Alright then, here’s what to look for. Any one who has done martial arts and has a school can, most likely show you some tricky things. Who cares? What you should care about is, can the instructor transfer their skills to you? So, rather than observing the instructor, look at the top students; it they are skillful, and it should show, then the instructor can likely teach you as well. If you want and ask for a contract, fine. But I don’t recommend it. Month-to-month, especially to start, OK?
And, if you are looking for a school for your kids, pay particular attention to see if the instructor has the requisite amount of patience (I ran a kid’s karate class for 5 years; you need about 5 times the patience you need for adults; not kidding). Also, the best of the kid’s instructors will make the kids bring in their report cards---right to the instructor. And, if a child’s grades go down, they cannot come to class until they are improved. After watching a kids class, talk to the other parents after class. Get their feedback on how the class has improved their child.
One last thought. A really good instructor should be able to listen to you and size up your needs. Having done so, if they then recommend you to go to another instructor, do not be put off. This is not a put down. This is the voice of experience telling you that you may be better served somewhere else. It is also the mark of a class act. Basically, this person, instead of taking money from you (who may not know better), is sending you to where they think you will get the most for you money. This kind of instructor is a class act (and yes, I have witnessed this done). OK then, so much for this rant, in which, hopefully, you will see some wisdom. I taught for the love of the art, not to make money, so I am pretty passionate in my thoughts on these matters. If you have any questions about all this, just shoot me a quick e-mail, and I’ll be happy to answer them.
3 Dec 2001
Thoughts on Duty
There is one old zenned-out martial arts type saying in which I find a lot of truth. It goes, "Duty is as heavy as a mountain, death is as light as a feather." Duty leads to obligation. Yes, veeeeery heavy stuff, and, generally, constantly on the increase. One never knows what one may be required to do for duty's sake. (uh, side ramble time. Hey, this is my page, and I'll decide when a little side ramble is in order, kay? Hmm. "Never." Now there's a heavy word. One should be chary in its usage. I'd not say, "Never say never," [hehe] but it's wise to be cautious in the use of that term, since one can never foresee what your future duties and obligations may be. And who wants to have to eat their words? Not I. Therefore, it's best to be cautious in the use of that word. For example, here are some correct uses of it. I can safely say, "I will never put limits on what God can accomplish." Or, "I will never worship Satan." See what I mean? Kay then, ramble completed.) For the person who feels duty bound, which is mostly all of us, there is a tendency, as obligations increase, to become jaded with life. This is a very bad thing. The best way to counter that is to keep your heart always young and playful. Hmm…how to do that? That is a subject for a future rant.
4 Dec 2001 ------------but posted a day earlier, just cause I felt like it.
Dave Rants on Teenagers, Miss Colclaser, and Keeping a Young Heart
Hmm, teenagers. Many people over forty find them a nuisance, or claim that they “can’t understand them.” I disagree. I find most teens to be pretty interesting people. While, to an extent, they may lack life experience and a broad perspective on some issues, this tends to make them (though I hate to generalize) somewhat idealistic. And, personally, I find their idealistic outlook on life quite refreshing. (side ramble: I raised three teens, so I do know something about the matter. Plus I used to be one, like a really long time ago. hehe. One thing I can tell you. If you want to communicate with your own teens, you need to ask the right questions. Not garbage like, "Where were you?" Or, "What were you doing?" But rather, "What movies/books do you like, and what do you like about them?" Sit with your teens, eat dinner with them, watch movies with them, and I mean ones that THEY picked out, ones that you would not necessarily choose for yourself. Ask about their interests and hobbies, and show a genuine, not a feigned interest. [cause teens are quick, and they see through all kinds of BS, which is yet another refreshing thing about them]. Just basically, spend time with them. I always did, and I was just a step dad, though, naturally, I treated my step kids as if they were my own flesh and blood, cause, to do any less would make me a pretty sad example of a human being. 'Nyways, spending time with my kids paid big dividends, and still does. Oh, yeah, one last thing. Don’t throw your teens some coin, and tell them to hit the mall or something, and feel like money is a replacement for your time. It's not, and it never will be [note the correct use of never. hehe]. Before our last son, Mike, went to college, I asked him for a list of stuff he'd really like to do during his last summer. He really wanted to go to Medieval Times, a restaurant where you watch knights joust and stuff…very cool. We went there twice with him, and the second time, we also took his friend, Lior, with us. It was fun and cool and made for some good memories. Plus, Mike loves roller coasters, and he really wanted to go to this new amusement park in Orlando, where they have a bunch of them. Now my wife hates roller coasters, but she wanted Mike to get to go. And I am OK with roller coasters, mostly, so I set aside a father/son day to do just that. It was really fun, and I know it meant a lot to my son. But, thank God there's not one more coaster in that place, or else I would have lost it. hehe. But it was so worthwhile. So, set aside some special time for your teens, kay? You'll be glad that you did. OK, OK, OK, enough side rambling.)
I think many older people are irritated at teenagers because they are jealous of them, as in, they are not happy with the way their life is going, and therefore, they are jealous of the younger people who have, in effect, their whole life ahead of them. Well, like my Uncle Ernie used to say, “When you’re green you’re growing, and when you're ripe, you’re rotting.” In other words, if you lose your dreams, and give up on life, you will stop growing, and you’ll be on the wane. If this is the case, you have no one to blame but yourself. I once heard a radio show about a guy who started a second career, just for fun, at age 75. Now that’s pretty cool. Even better, he finished that project at 85, and went on to something else. Now THAT’S living. The trick that that man had mastered is that he had managed to keep his heart young and playful, regardless of his years. Which brings me to Miss Colclaser. She was my English teacher when I was 17. She was cool beyond belief. She was pretty and funny and kind of ethereal, like some kind nymph or fairy princess or something. She had a fragile kind of beauty that made all the guys in class (who all had a crush on her naturally; um, yeah, me too ::shrugs::) kind of hold their breath, and speak quietly, as if, if someone spoke too loudly, she might just disappear (which would have been an awful thing, a thing to be avoided at all costs). All the girls loved her, too. Everyone was totally captivated by her. She was…unconventional, which we students found majorly cool (I mean, she lived with two guys, neither of whom was her boyfriend, which is nothing today, but we’re talking 1976. That was big stuff back then. Trust me. hehe). But, the faculty all hated her. The men all wanted her and couldn’t have her, so they wanted her gone; the women were all jealous of her, and also wanted her gone. Eventually, they made her life miserable enough that she left the school, but not before she gave us the wonderful gift of her refreshing outlook on life.
Miss Colclaser was not too much older than us, but enough so that we all looked up to her. She tried to get us to develop an appreciation of life in general. She told us that 17 was a kind of important age…an idealistic time of life, a time when we should try to develop an appreciation of many different things. She tried to get us to get in touch with our feelings about things, and to write poetry and stuff. Hmm, now back in those ancient days, 17-year-old guys generally did not write poetry. But, because we were so captivated by her, and wanted to please her, we did it…happily. ‘Nyways, eventually, the sad day came that she was driven out of our school by the rest of our small-minded faculty. That bummed us all out, and, as time went by, I kind of forgot about Miss Colclaser for a long, long time. But now, well, I’ve been thinking about her a lot lately, and reflecting on what she was trying to teach us. I see now that she was trying to instill in us the ability to keep our “17-year-oldness,” our idealistic outlook, fresh and alive in our hearts no matter what our age (and this would keep us from getting jaded and cynical; a sad thing which I’ve seen happen even to the relatively young). So thanks, Miss Colclaser, wherever you are now.
And to all the older folk, who have trouble seeing where teens are coming from, or identifying with them, try projecting yourself back to when you were a teenager, back to when you were like 17. OK, think of the best of the things that happened to you, the best thoughts you had, or the best things you wanted to do. OK? Got it? Now store those experiences in your heart, and bring them back to the present day. See? You need not be jealous of teenagers because their hearts are young and playful, cause yours could be so as well. And thank God for that.
Wow, did you actually read that entire rambling rant? I am impressed.
4 Dec 2001
Dave Rants about Driving
To say that your average driver on the road is a sad piece of work would be to give more credit than is due. There are only three kinds of drivers I cannot stand: some one going slower than me, someone going faster than me, and anyone with the audacity to drive the exact same speed as me. hehe. I just couldn’t resist saying that. I heard it in a movie once, and I always thought it was a cool line, and I wanted to use it somewhere. ::shrugs:: Actually, it’s slow drivers that are driving me insane. I mean, if you want to burn rubber (hmm, now there’s an ancient turn of phrase) to pull out in front of me from some side street, and then keep on flying down the road, well, hey, I’m totally fine with that type of behavior. But why in the world do people rush to get in front of me, just to slam on their brakes and dawdle along? If that’s what you want to do, why didn’t you just wait till I drove past you? I used live in Maine, where there are tons of two lane highways, and the thing I learned there is this: if you WANT to drive slow, do NOT hold up three miles of traffic behind you. For the love of God, at least have the common decency to look in your mirror every now and again, and when you see a huge line of cars piling up back there, PULL OVER and let them go by! I mean, you’re driving so slowly anyway, how could it hurt you to show the modicum of courtesy necessary to let me go by you? Seriously, give me a break! OK. I feel better now. That concludes my little “driving” rant.
4 Dec 2001 …..it's still the 4rth……..time goes by so slowly sometimes…..
"…through a glass darkly…", Empathy, & Lydia
One thing I've noticed is that, when things are out of balance, God always sends some kind of messenger to "get things right." Back in ancient times, when the Sophists were running around with their seemingly clever ideas, God sent Socrates to demolish their specious arguments and to try and change their path. A little later, when the Gnostics were getting out of control, God sent the apostle Paul, to help them change their focus, and to see things truly. And it was this same Paul who did note that we see things now, "…as through a glass darkly…" Yes, I'd take that as a given. I definitely saw things, but as through the darkened glass. One thing I saw was that my wife was a very empathic person, but I saw myself as somewhat that way as well.
So, along came my little messenger, Lydia, and she, with a word, moved the glass, and skewed the lens through which I view reality. In the process, a little of the light caught the glass just right so that I saw not just through, but saw my reflection as well. And, I did not like what I saw. Now Lydia is similar to my wife in that she also is a very empathic and kind-hearted person (don't bother looking on her web page for evidence of that; that's just the tip of the iceberg; she's too humble to show her good deeds publicly, so I'll not speak of them either, thereby leaving her humbleness intact). Anyway, by my reflection, I saw that I was far from humble. And, from my new viewpoint, I saw that I was also far from empathic or kind-hearted, though I was left with a desire to be so…someday.
Well now, whose idea was the shifting of my perspective? Lydia's? God's? Most likely the two of them were working in concert (it is said in the Bible that the Lord works in mysterious ways. hehe), as in, "Lydia, you do this bit, and I, God, shall handle the rest." So, Lydia did her part, and I owe her much thanks for that. I'm very happy with my new viewpoint, and I'm learning a lot from it. But, am I happy now with my reflection? No, not yet, but I'm trying, and I'll be patient, cause I know that God's not finished with me yet (way not finished…I hope).
4 Dec 2001 ...is it STILL the 4rth?…Will this day never end?…I feel like Bill Murray in 'Groundhog Day'…..
Dave Rants about Moving
Moving. I hate moving. Whether moving to a new office at work, or moving to a new home, moving is just plain bad, bad, bad. Even if you're moving to a better place, it's STILL a bad thing (the process, that is, not the result). Yes, moving is the worst. Oh, wait, no there is another thing that's even worse than moving…painting. Painting is absolutely the worst. So, the most dreadful thing of all would be if you were moving to a place that needed to be painted. (Hmm, we just did. Well, thank God that my wife not only hates painting a little less than I do, but also is much, much better at it than me.) The only thing that could be even worse than THAT is a move that is dragged out over a long period of time. (Ours will take two weeks.) Ack! Is there anyone out there who actually thinks moving, or painting is fun? Please tell me why. I'd really love to know, …assuming you can get those nice men in their white coats to remove your restraints long enough for you to type a message. hehe. Just kidding. Really. Do tell.
5 Dec 2001 ...hey, it's NOT still the 4rth?…Thank God…..
Thoughts on Snow in Florida
Snow. I miss the falling snow. Our yearly snowfall in Florida is approximately 0.00 inches of that lovely powder. Although I once thought I saw some frost on my windows, but by the time I looked again, it was gone. Now shoveling tons of snow to get your car out is not fun. Neither is, when I lived in Maine, coming out to find that your car is totally gone, buried in snow so deep that only the rotating roof light on your neighbor's Jeep is still showing (a backhoe had to come dig our cars out that day. Most uncool. And while black ice is also something I do not miss, I would love to see just a bit of snow in Florida. It would be really nice to see even a couple of inches fall down here. The quiet observation of the softly falling snow on a nice gray-sky afternoon is something I do miss. Hmm, maybe we could get the Governor of Florida to buy a massive amount of snow making equipment? Hey, I'd be glad to chip in for it.
5 Dec 2001
Thoughts on Father/Son, Mother/Son, Mother/Daughter, & Father/Daughter Relationships
Family relationships can be……hmm, complex? Hehe. Yes, that's a nice polite way of putting it. Complex. The Father/Son thing has been beaten like a dead horse for hundreds of years, but I'll throw in a comment or two on it, mostly cause I still see people who STILL keep screwing it up (I guess they never studied history. hehe). Now my own Dad had this bizarre view of Primogeniture where, unlike in olden times, the eldest son (yes, that would be me) did not inherit all the material wealth from his father. No, material goods were divided equally among all his progeny. Well, that's all nice and democratic and all. HOWEVER, the eldest son did inherit ALL of one thing: responsibility. Yes, the responsibility for whatever any of my brothers, or my sister, did was laid upon me. If my parents were out, whatever my siblings did, the blame fell upon me. Now my Dad is great, and I love him dearly, but let me say this to any fathers with regard to their sons. If you want to let your kiddies 'share the wealth', then let them share the responsibility. Be fair. OK? One last thought (and this is something that my Dad got so right): do NOT try to make your son a little carbon copy, a little clone, of yourself. You are you, he is him; keep it that way and you'll both be very happy.
Only a little needs to be said on the Mother/Son thing. Mothers, please don't be overprotective of your son. Yes, I know you love him and all, but, seriously, you are not doing him any favors. Boys need to wrestle around and stuff. Yes, they may fall, get scraped, get cut, or even fall out of a tree and break a bone or two. That's life. They will learn to take care of themselves. Oh, wait, you could do them one major favor. Teach them how to balance a checkbook and maintain their own credit card BEFORE they go off to college. THAT is a major help.
Sons, the bond your Mom has to you is very strong. You'll always be her "little boy", even when you're 40 or 50. So get on board with that little factoid, and deal with it. There is one huge thing you can do for your Mom, even after you go off to school, or get married, or just move away. Moms need to feel that their babies are OK. And that's you. hehe! So make sure to call your Mom at least once a week, kay? If you are in college, reverse the charges, she'll understand. Believe me, you are NOT doing her a favor if you think you are saving her money by not calling her. You are her son; she wants/needs to hear from you on a regular basis in order to be SURE that you are OK. One last thing, when you call her, make sure to say, "I love you, Mommy." She craves to hear that part, so never leave that bit out.
Hmm, hmm, now the Mother/Daughter relationship can be frustrating…for both of you. But I think Mom has the harder role to bear. Naturally, she wants for her daughter all the things she did not get/achieve. This is not necessarily a bad thing, although moms have to resist the same urge as dads, namely the urge to live your life through your progeny by turning them into a little "you." But I think the hardest thing for moms is dealing with the fact that your daughter needs her Dad more than she needs you, in some ways, for some things. Naturally, this can cause friction. I've even known some moms to become jealous, in a sense, of their own daughter, as in, during critical times, she sees that her daughter has emotional needs that only Dad can meet. So, Mom feels kind of left out of the equation. This is natural, but, rather than beating yourself up, Mom, think back to when you were a little girl, and you needed your Daddy. Think about how your own Mom felt when you wanted Dad over her at certain times, and reflect back and empathize with your own Mom a bit. This may help you identify with your own daughter, as you recall and contemplate on the complexity of the Father/Daughter relationship.
Hmm, the Father/Daughter relationship is so complex, that it shall require its own separate rant/wisdom.
5 Dec 2001
Thoughts the vast complexity of the Father/Daughter relationship
The Father/Daughter relationship is, I believe, the most complex of the four Parent/Progeny relationships. I've made a great study of it over the last 6 months or so (hey, so I'm a typical engineer, alright? We study stuff. It's what we do. ::shrugs:: hehe), and I have some thoughts on the matter.
Dads, you have a huge, unbelievably huge, responsibility. Not to be irreverent, but, to your daughter, you are almost like unto a god. In fact, her view of God, as in, her ability to see Him as the loving Father of us all, will largely depend on her relationship to you. Additionally, her relationship to her husband, and future happiness in her marriage, will also depend, almost totally, on you (talk about pressure).
I've seen women with poor self-images, women who have lived through horrific divorces, and women who have all but had their lives destroyed, and they all had one thing in common…a very dismal relationship with their Dad. Conversely, I've seen many women with excellent self-images, women with excellent marriages, and women who are very happy in all their relationships in life. And what did they all have in common? Come now? Do I actually have to say it? OK, they all had an excellent relationship with their Dad.
Daughters are emotional creatures (and no, I am not being sexist, I am just stating facts based on experience and observation), and I would say that sons are better able, but not by much, to survive and get over a bad Father/Son relationship than daughters are able to get over a bad Father/Daughter relationship. The scars you put on your daughter will be there for life. Now, of course, the scars you've put there so far were unintentional. You meant to do the best for your little girl, but, between work and bill paying and other priorities, somehow things have not turned out as you intended. So, your relationship with your daughter is not the best. What can you do? Can you fix it? Well, perhaps. Here's a little test. Is your daughter still alive? Are you still alive? If you answered, "yes", to both, then yes, it's not too late. Your relationship with your precious little daughter can be salvaged.
Here is a list of ten very simple things you can do that will vastly improve your relationship with your daughter:
1) Love your daughter always, and tell her everyday that you do.
2) Trust her.
3) Listen to the things that make her happy.
4) Listen to the things that make her sad.
5) Worry about her when it seems appropriate, but trust her when she says you need not worry.
6) Try to make her happy.
7) Say things to build up her self-image.
8) Treat her as a friend.
9) Try to make her feel very special.
10) Love your daughter so much, as in, set such a high standard of love for her that, whosoever can surpass it, will be a husband who will love her for a lifetime.
Ah, you see? They are such a simple set of tasks, yet the dads who follow them are helping to improve the world, one heart at a time.
And daughters, what is your task in this Father/Daughter relationship? Well, bear in mind that while a son may be the pride of his Dad, a daughter is his heart. Yes, your Dad will carry you in his heart always. And you, in effect, are always carrying his heart with you. So treat it gently. Love your Dad, and try to overlook his mistakes. Even when you think he is wrong about something, even when he is wrong about something, he is trying to do what he thinks is best for you (yes, even if he is wrong, he is still trying). So do try to put yourself in his position, and see that he is, in effect, in some way, trying to show his love for you. Mostly though, just love him, and try to overlook his mistakes. And remember always, in spite of all things, that your Daddy carries you in his heart forever.
7 Dec 2001 ...hmm, Pearl Harbor Day…..
Thoughts on the Awesome Power of God
Everyone knows that the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.
Few people know that the name of the commander of all the Japanese aircraft in the attack,
the one who shouted the coded signal, "Tora! Tora! Tora!", to let his superiors know
that the Japanese aircraft were over Hawaii, was named Mitsuo Fuchida.
And almost no one seems to know that Mitsuo Fuchida later became a Christian minister !
Here's the story :
On April 18, 1942, sixteen B-25 planes took off from an American aircraft carrier deck headed for Japan. They were under the command of Jimmy Doolittle to repay the foe for bombing Pearl Harbor. They made their strike by noon and continued on to the China mainland. They didn’t carry sufficient fuel for a return to their aircraft carrier. Friendly forces saved most. The Japanese captured the plane nicknamed "Bat Out of Hell," and held them throughout the war.
One of the captured, Jacob DeShazer, the bombardier, told of the torture he received. From the depths of his hell, he searched for God. No matter what they did to him, he prayed for strength to live. He prayed for strength to find forgiveness for what they were doing to him.
Somewhere in his youth, small seeds of God’s work through Jesus Christ had been sown in his young mind by a parent, or Sunday School teacher, or from the words from a sermon. Somewhere, somehow, a seed was planted that allowed Jacob DeShazer to struggle with the mysterious growth of God’s Kingdom in his own life.
After his release, DeShazer became a Christian missionary. For 30 years, he strove to bring Christ to China and Japan. In a curious twist, Jacob DeShazer was instrumental in the conversion of Mitsuo Fuchida, the Japanese flier who led the attack on Pearl Harbor. And Mitsuo Fuchida became a Christian minister in Japan.
Jesus taught about a tiny seed, once planted, growing in mysterious, unaccountable ways to become something great. Those seeds have been planted and God is in control of their growth.
All glory honor and praise to our great God and King, whose grace can transform anyone,
no matter how lost they may seem to man.
By the grace of God, through Jesus Christ, anyone can be saved.
8 Dec 2001
Thoughts on Engineering, as in, ask yourself,
“Do You Really Want to be One?”
Now some people are engineers cause, well, we were almost fated to be so. We were born with all this inclination toward mechanics and math and physics, and, as we were growing up, people told us, “Oh, I guess you’re gonna be an engineer. Yep, that’s what you’re gonna be alright.” Hmm, yes, it’s almost as if some of us had no choice in the matter. Hence, I am now engineer #054888 at the Northrop Grumman Corporation. Seriously, we are all numbered, and have to where a badge with our number on it, almost as if we are no longer human (hey, perhaps we are not. hehe). Anyway, some of you may not be so fated, as in, you may feel more “on the fence,” and you are weighing your choices, and trying to decide what to become. My advice is, think about it a lot, and choose wisely.
OK. Let’s take a semi-hypothetical example. Suppose a young lady of about 20 years was just finishing college, and would be graduating in a year with an engineering degree. Just because she is getting a degree in engineering, does not necessarily mean she has to actually BE an engineer. OK, we’ll be a little less hypothetical. We’ll name the young lady, Jessica (cause that’s her actual name), and say she is a part timer, a co-op, at Northrop Grumman (since she actually is such). Yes, she is smart, and has the potential to be a very good engineer, even, I’d have to say, an excellent one. But, Jessica, do you really want to be one? I mean, maybe you’d be happier continuing on for your MBA or something. But seriously, I was very happy when Jessica told me that she had NOT applied for full time work in our corporation. Why? Well, cause she is a nice person, and I actually like her. She is young, idealistic, and full of life. So, in view of that, do you think I want to see her stay here for 20 years and become a boring-old-big-company-engineer like the rest of us here? Hardly! (hehe) Sorry, Jessica, you do realize that I am teasing you? (uh, partly that is; I’m half serious too. Like esp about the not wanting you to get all boring part. hehe) ‘Nyways, good luck on your finals this weekend, kay? Kay then.
9 Dec 2001
Dave allows CA to RAVE on Chocolate
OK, I got a submission, but it’s not a poem, and it’s also not really a comment, so it wouldn’t really go on the comment page, which I still have yet to create. It looks more like a RAVE to me, a RAVE on chocolate. Furthermore, it appears to be addressed mostly to women. But I read it anyhow, cause I am a big time chocoholic. ‘Nyways, here is what CA has to say about chocolate:
“Thank you for putting my poem on your page, but now some facts on chocolate....
Chocolate is a vegetable.
How, you ask?
Chocolate is derived from cocoa beans.
Bean = vegetable.
Sugar is derived from either sugar CANE or sugar BEETS.
Both are plants, which places them in the vegetable category.
Thus, chocolate is a vegetable.
To go one step farther, chocolate candy bars also contain milk, which is dairy.
So candy bars are a health food.
Chocolate covered raisins, cherries, orange slices and strawberries all count as fruit, so eat as many as you want.
The problem: How to get 2 pounds of chocolate home from the store in a hot car.
The solution: Eat it in the parking lot.
Diet tip: Eat a chocolate bar before each meal. It'll take the edge off your appetite, and you'll eat less.
If calories are an issue, store your chocolate on top of the fridge.
Calories are afraid of heights, and they will jump out of the chocolate to protect themselves.
If you eat equal amounts of dark chocolate and white chocolate, the calories actually counteract each other.
Chocolate has many preservatives. Preservatives make you look younger.
Therefore, you need to eat more chocolate.
Put "eat chocolate" at the top of your list of things to do today.
That way, at least you'll get one thing done.
A nice box of chocolates can provide your total daily intake of calories in one place.
Now, isn't that handy?
If you can't eat all your chocolate, it will keep in the freezer.
But if you can't eat all your chocolate, what's wrong with you?
If not for chocolate, there would be no need for control top pantyhose.
An entire garment industry would be devastated. You can't let that happen, can you?!”
(okay- so this one doesn’t apply to the guys)
by Andrea (aka CA)
9 Dec 2001
Thoughts on Agape Love
Well now, English is a poor language to be sure. While we have but one word for love, the Greek language has five different words for it. They have a separate word, filios, for brotherly love. They have “eros”, for romantic love. And they have “agape”, the selfless kind of love that wishes the best for the other person, while asking nothing in return. I feel a rant or ramble, of maybe wisdom coming up on this subject soon. Hmm, most likely not till next weekend, since there is so much to ponder on the subject. But this much I can tell you, what comes from God in abundance, does not so do among people. If, by chance or fate, you find someone who pours out agape love to you, then, by all means, drink it in like a fine wine, and bask in it…..for it is the rarest of human commodities.
11 Dec 2001
Dave Rants about Fidel Castro
Once a year, we have a security briefing at our company. And each year we are, once again, reminded that since the Florida Space Coast contains about 3000 defense contractors, and since Cuba is so close by, that Castro has people listening in on our phone communications. Generally, even just being reminded that that little anti-freedom dictator is still kicking around ticks me off. I mean, when your own daughter goes to another country to tell everyone there what a loser you are, you have big problems. So, basically, Castro is nothing but a little weasel, though certainly an irritating one. And the thought of him spying on us really bugged me.
But then I got this great idea, which I have now implemented. Whenever I talk on the phone with someone, I try to weave into the conversation, like every fifth sentence or so, a disparaging comment about old Fidel. I might say, "You know, ordinarily I like beards, but Castro's beard, ha! I've seen better beards on turkeys, or dogs." Or, more simply, "Oh, that Castro, what a freakin' loser he is!"
Now follow the logic here. Castro is paying people to spy on us; there's nothing we can do about that. But what we can do is control what they hear. Hence the disparaging comments on the old boy. I mean, think of the beauty of it. By insulting him in your phone conversations, you are basically forcing Castro to pay his people to listen in and record our disparaging comments about him. Hehe. I love it.
So, anytime you're calling someone in the great state of Florida, please make sure to say something unpleasant about Castro. Who knows? Maybe enough disparaging comments will push him over the edge, and force him to do the world a favor and just go away.
12 Dec 2001
Thoughts on the Internet & Cyber-Daughters
As a late-comer to the Internet, I think it is amazingly cool. One of its best features is e-mail. After using e-mail for several years, I can’t imagine how I ever got along without it. I mean, in a way, my whole life is just one big e-mail. Between business and personal, I get around 60 e-mails a day. Almost all the work I do is conducted by e-mail. And, since I have such little free time that I hardly ever get to call anyone, almost all my contact with my friends is via e-mail as well. That’s the true beauty of the Internet; it allows you to be close to others who are physically far away.
Now while it was the Internet that made it possible, I have never before heard of anyone adopting someone else as their cyber-dad. But, as someone who has wished for a Daughter for his whole life, I think the whole concept of cyber-dads and cyber-daughters is very cute. Although, I do believe that it was my Lydia who invented the concept, when she adopted me, after learning that the only thing I lacked was a Daughter.
I think it was just so sweet and kind of her to do that, though not too surprising I suppose, since she is just an incredible person. So, love and hugs to my Daughter Lydia forever, for that truly wonderful thing she did.
And to anyone that wished to have a daughter, but never did, or couldn’t, or whatever, I’ll just say this: fly to China if need be, and adopt yourself a daughter. You’ll be so happy that you did, cause having a Daughter will expand your vision of the world in surprising ways. And it will make you a better, more empathic, person.
15 Dec 2001
More Thoughts on Agape Love
::blinks:: Am I back on-line? WOOHOO!!! Thank God for that!
The only thing worse than moving is being off-line!
‘Nyways, since I’m back on, here is my promised rant on agape love.
OK, picture this. You are captured by some evil terrorist, and you are being tortured.
But, instead of hating the person doing this to you, you somehow manage to feel empathy for this person. And you pray to God the Father, that He help this person’s miserable life.
Got that picture? Now multiply the scene by a few billion other, similar dudes. They all hate you. But, in spite of that, you love them all, and are willing to die for their benefit.
Can you picture that? Wow, you’re good. You now have a picture of what Jesus taught us about the agape love that God has for each one of us. I mean, to die for someone you love would be hard enough, but to die for billions of people who hated you? Come on. I can apprehend it, but I cannot comprehend it.
‘Nyways, God has limitless agape love for all of us. So, you can always go to Messiah, and get as much as you want from that Source.
But, what about agape love among people? Dave says that that is scarce as hen’s teeth. Even among lovers, it’s quite common to hear, “If you loved me, you’d do this.” Or that, or whatever. The point is, agape love is a selfless kind of love. It asks for nothing, not even to be loved in return (it may HOPE it, but reciprocity is not a prerequisite). And, as I said, it is rare among person-to-person relationships.
So, if you find someone who pours the selfless kind of agape love into your life, well, “Yay you,” you should feel all blessed, cause you are.
That’s all for the moment. I’ve more to say on the subject, but I need to ponder it some more.
22 Dec 2001
Thoughts on People with Disabilities vs “the Handicapped”
OK, so we’re not all built like Greek gods and goddesses. Some people have their weight as a disability. (And, no, diet and exercise will not “fix” everybody. Some people have actual chemical imbalances or glandular problems.) Other people may be vision-impaired, hearing-impaired, physically impaired, or have mental or emotional impediments. People with any of these conditions have a disability, but I do not consider them to be handicapped. The true “handicapped” are those people who make fun of people with disabilities; they are the ones truly in need of help.
The proper reaction to anyone with a disability is to treat him or her with extra love and compassion. Not pitying them, but having empathy for them. My wife worked at Easter Seals, where they help kids and adults that have mental and emotional and physical disabilities. My Lydia does therapeutic horseback riding with people for some of whom that will be the only locomotion they will experience in their lives. Both my wife and my Daughter are well familiar with the fact that people with disabilities have a lot to give, they just may need help and encouragement from others in order to do so.
It may be that God allows things like disabilities to exist in some people so that others of us will learn the lesson that we need to be more empathic and compassionate of others. I am not saying that this IS the case, it’s just something I ponder from time to time. But, there is one thing that I believe is true about disabilities. In the eyes of God, we all have a disability, namely, our diminished lack of capacity for agape love. In that, we need to strive to be more like Him.
1 Jan 2002
Dave talks about…“Nothing”
Let’s suppose that there is someone you really care about. You love them, and there is no thing that you’d not do for them, for their benefit and well being. Well, what would be the hardest thing to do for them? To die for their sake? No. The hardest thing would be if that person said the only thing you could do for them is…nothing. And, because you loved them, you would do it. But it would be the hardest thing you ever did.
If you have no idea what I’m talking about, I pray that you never do. Good for you; I’m happy for you
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