Player Hater

"Don't hate the player, hate the game."

That is one of the stupidest things I've ever heard. My rebuttal to this is always, "Without the players, there would be no game."

It's like saying, "Hate the gun, not the murderer."

Pffft.

Important Life Lesson

When life gives you rain, soak it up, and you will grow.

End of Humanity (Literally)

Or so they say.



Who are "they"? "Family Radio" is a large contributor to the idea. Every weekday Harold, the announcer for the program "Open Forum", discusses the bible and claims that it says the end is at hand.

A vast number of people believe that the end will come "like a thief in the night", and no one can predict it. Not Harold. He believes that the "church era" has ended and the majority of those who belong to organized religion will not be saved. Rather, they will suffer greatly on a daily basis for 153 days after the "saved" are taken up into to Heaven.

I'm not sure how small or large this faction is, but it's safe to say that it is growing. Of course, doom-sayers have been around for years. I'm picturing a caveman telling his cave people, "End near.  Bad stuff happen.  We do this ". Then a meteor came one millenia or another later and eventually proved him right.

The truth is, there is an end. Everything that has a beginning has one. Is it just around the corner? Harold says it is. He claims that it will be May 21, 2011.  Then you have the ancient Mayans who think something big will happen December of 2012. Many believe that will be the end.

I'll be honest, I have a morbid curiosity with the end of our days. How will it happen? What will it be like? Will it really be the end or just another chapter in the course of human kind where we have to start over with a small number of us?

I believe that the western United States is set up to be one terrifying show. Seismologists have found that the San Andreas Fault in California is holding back an enormous 9.0 earthquake. No one knows when it will happen, only that someday it will. In addition, National Geographic magazine put out an article proving that Yellow Stone National Park in Wyoming is home to, what has been in the past, Earth's most violent and catastrophic supervolcano. It now lies under the park, still active with the same potential. (If it blows, much of the US will suffer through a volcanic winter, decimating crops.) Volcanists say that it is securely buried and nothing more than an enormous earthquake could cause it to erupt....even though it's 20,000 years past due.

You see where I'm going with this? I know, California is way too far from Wyoming, but it's not that far, and who knows what kind of chain reaction the world's largest earthquake might have?

That's just one man's theory.

Now go watch the movie, "2012" and prepare to be thoroughly unnerved by massive, inescapable chaos.

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This just in!

Here's the scoop.  I've had this post ready for a few days now, but I like to keep the really interesting stuff spread out. I had to post this one today because I learned a little something from Harold this afternoon.  He states that the Bible tells us an earthquake unlike any seen before will trigger the end of days.

Me

So what are your thoughts on life's grand finale?

Is He/She the One?

I believe there is a simple answer to this vexing question.

First, here's my theory why so very many of us doubt our relationships in the first place.

In an effort to glean as much attention from us as possible, (since attention = ratings = money) the entertainment industry has unintentionally turned men and women into fantasy seekers.

Look at the women on billboards, in movies, and magazines. They're gorgeous, flawless, perfect. So if that's what boys see their whole lives until they become men, it's all but inevitable that they'll seek out what can't be found. Once a man does find a woman, and she doesn't match up to the standards the media has set, how long will it be before that man feels like he can get better? Everywhere he looks, some beautiful face or perfect body is staring at him from the TV or a piece of paper. So he asks himself, "Is my girl really right for me?"

As for women, you've got it just as hard. Men are portrayed as handsome, flawless, chiseled gods throughout much of the media. Look at Twilight. How can real men compete with Edward or Jacob? In fact, look at romance movies in general. Hollywood men know exactly what to say, how to say it, and when to say it. Real guys aren't all that great with the words. Plus, those movies are unrealistically romantic to the point of delirium. Not to mention the fact that money never seems to be a real issue.
"Come my pet, let us stroll through a path of lilies until we get lost, then I will protect you from a grizzly bear, killing it with my bare hands.  Afterward, we shall make love and follow the path of $100 bills I dropped for us to get back safely."

At the forefront of this corruption and brainwashing are two things; romance novels for women and pornography for men. I believe that there is nothing more corrosive than those two things for any relationship.

Down to the crux of this post. How can we tell if he or she is right for us?

Well, here's what a romance novel would say:
"Does he have rippling pecs?"
"Does she have a heaving bosom?"
"Is he wealthy?"
"Are you soul mates and destined to be, as ordained by the heavens?"

These things aren't what matters in a true, honest relationship. So ask yourself these questions instead:

"Do you have similar goals?"
Similar goals are important because you grow closer together trying to achieve them. Plus, sharing the experience lasts a lifetime.

"Are you moving ahead in life? If not, are you BOTH content where you are?"
Remember the tortoise and the hare? They were enemies because their goals were impossibly different.  The only way those two would be good together is if they were in a stew.

"Do you argue when you need to?"
The occasional argument is healthy for relationships. It allows you to blow off steam, release stress and resolve issues instead of bottling them up or letting them fester.

"Are the compromises fair?"
They should be. The scales should never tip too far in either direction or else it could breed contempt and malice.

"Are you a better person because of him or her?"
This last one is, in my opinion, very important. If you're a better person around your partner, and it's the same for him or her, then you have what I call "relational synergy". You are both great for one another and will most likely finish the game of life together.

I hope this helps!

Making Fun

Those who make fun of others have only themselves to laugh at.

I pictured Splinter, the Ninja Turtles' sensei, when this came to mind.

A Spoonful of Medicine Helps the Sugar Go Down

Strife gives meaning to life.

That was the advice I gave to my wife while she was working on one of her books, "Tom's Song". Something was missing in the story and we discovered that Tom needed to explore a darker side of life. So, she made him a homeless beggar boy.

Sorry Tom, my bad.

But it made him and the story stronger and more meaningful. Much as it does for people in the real world.

Woman at the Pump

Do women shake the nozzle at the gas pump when they're done?