I'm a grandfather for the first time! Our youngest daughter Erika and husband Adam brought in to this world an 8.1 lb,21" baby boy named Kael Richard! Cinda and I were lucky enough to share in the "miracle of life" for which we were thankful.
I view it as the beginning of a new phase of responsibility and pride for our entire family. I was reminded of so many things as the moments unfolded, and returned home with a renewed enthusiasm and appreciation of our many blessings.
Also, I realized what a terrific mother Cinda has been to our three and have every confidence that they too with their spouses will do quite well.
Wid
Friday, October 31, 2008
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Why?
Perplexing Questions
For a change of pace, I am passing along some interesting questions that came to me in an email.
WHY do drugstores make sick people walk all the way to the back of the store to get their prescriptions while healthy people can buy cigarettes by the front entrance?
WHY do we leave cars worth thousands of dollars in the driveway and put our useless junk in the garage?
WHY do we buy hot dogs in packages of 10 and buns in packages of eight?
WHY do people order double cheeseburgers, large fries and a diet coke?
WHY does the sun lighten your hair, but darken your skin?
WHY is “abbreviated” such a long word?
WHY is lemon juice made with artificial flavor, and dish washing liquid is made with real lemons?
WHY do doctors call what they do “practice?”
WHY is the time of day with the slowest traffic called “rush hour?”
WHY isn’t there mouse-flavored cat food?
WHY are they called “apartments” when they are all stuck together?
WHY is the person who invests your money called a “broker?”
WHY do banks leave all their doors open, but chain their pens to the counters?
Ponder those while I call your attention to the fact that this coming Saturday, October 25 is MAKE A DIFFERENCE DAY when an estimated three million people across the country are expected to come together to help others. I hope you will join this grass-roots effort in making our community a better place on the nation’s largest single day of volunteering.
~Ghost Writer
For a change of pace, I am passing along some interesting questions that came to me in an email.
WHY do drugstores make sick people walk all the way to the back of the store to get their prescriptions while healthy people can buy cigarettes by the front entrance?
WHY do we leave cars worth thousands of dollars in the driveway and put our useless junk in the garage?
WHY do we buy hot dogs in packages of 10 and buns in packages of eight?
WHY do people order double cheeseburgers, large fries and a diet coke?
WHY does the sun lighten your hair, but darken your skin?
WHY is “abbreviated” such a long word?
WHY is lemon juice made with artificial flavor, and dish washing liquid is made with real lemons?
WHY do doctors call what they do “practice?”
WHY is the time of day with the slowest traffic called “rush hour?”
WHY isn’t there mouse-flavored cat food?
WHY are they called “apartments” when they are all stuck together?
WHY is the person who invests your money called a “broker?”
WHY do banks leave all their doors open, but chain their pens to the counters?
Ponder those while I call your attention to the fact that this coming Saturday, October 25 is MAKE A DIFFERENCE DAY when an estimated three million people across the country are expected to come together to help others. I hope you will join this grass-roots effort in making our community a better place on the nation’s largest single day of volunteering.
~Ghost Writer
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Warren Buffett says.....
"Be fearful when others are greedy and be greedy when others are fearful."
Wid
Wid
Friday, October 10, 2008
"Hey! Stop the Bleeding"
We’ve all had enough bad news about the economy and know all too well how it has impacted our personal finances. We’ve been deluged with all sorts of advice, but that does little to solve the problem or ease the pain if you’ve just lost your job or can’t pay the mortgage.
There’s no question the country is in tough shape financially, and notwithstanding all that we’re hearing from our government leaders and the media, the average citizen has the feeling that there isn’t a whole lot he can do to alter the course we seem to be on.
A good friend passed along a blog from an individual who has been through a number of these business cycles who had this to say:
”Let me explain something to you. What's going to happen in the economyis going to happen, whether you worry about it or not. Same with the election. Pundit after pundit has stopped trying to predict the election because now they all are trying to predict the meltdown. Trust me, they can't predict either.
“I'm a futurist, so I saw all this coming, and I went through my own moments of fear before you did. Now I've come out the other side and let go of what I cannot influence. Instead I'm doing everything I can to use my knowledge and experience to help myself and others get through this. Try learning something new. Listen to people who are doing something, people who are not sitting around fearing things they can’t control.”
The CEO of a major financial institution came up with a “Declaration of Financial Independence” which I thought contained some good advice.
* WE, THE SAVERS will spend less than we earn.
* We will use our home as a saving account and not spend our equity on things
that don’t last.
* We will take care of our money and put it where it will grow.
* We will defend our credit worthiness by paying our bills on time and only
borrowing what we can comfortably pay back.
* We will know the cost of borrowing.
* We will invest for the long term.
* We will take care of the things we have and not be wasteful or frivolous.
* We will remember what matters – like family and friends.
* We will be heard that the practices that got our country into this situation cannot and should not continue.
Sound advice. As one financial analyst pointed out that after past stock market crashes, the S&P 500 rose an average of 37% in the following year. So take a deep breath, and don’t make a lot of rash decisions.
There’s no question the country is in tough shape financially, and notwithstanding all that we’re hearing from our government leaders and the media, the average citizen has the feeling that there isn’t a whole lot he can do to alter the course we seem to be on.
A good friend passed along a blog from an individual who has been through a number of these business cycles who had this to say:
”Let me explain something to you. What's going to happen in the economyis going to happen, whether you worry about it or not. Same with the election. Pundit after pundit has stopped trying to predict the election because now they all are trying to predict the meltdown. Trust me, they can't predict either.
“I'm a futurist, so I saw all this coming, and I went through my own moments of fear before you did. Now I've come out the other side and let go of what I cannot influence. Instead I'm doing everything I can to use my knowledge and experience to help myself and others get through this. Try learning something new. Listen to people who are doing something, people who are not sitting around fearing things they can’t control.”
The CEO of a major financial institution came up with a “Declaration of Financial Independence” which I thought contained some good advice.
* WE, THE SAVERS will spend less than we earn.
* We will use our home as a saving account and not spend our equity on things
that don’t last.
* We will take care of our money and put it where it will grow.
* We will defend our credit worthiness by paying our bills on time and only
borrowing what we can comfortably pay back.
* We will know the cost of borrowing.
* We will invest for the long term.
* We will take care of the things we have and not be wasteful or frivolous.
* We will remember what matters – like family and friends.
* We will be heard that the practices that got our country into this situation cannot and should not continue.
Sound advice. As one financial analyst pointed out that after past stock market crashes, the S&P 500 rose an average of 37% in the following year. So take a deep breath, and don’t make a lot of rash decisions.
Monday, October 6, 2008
"4 years, 10 months and 7 days"
The purpose of the Grand Canyon State Games is to provide Arizona citizens with a wholesome avenue for positive personal development through sports and physical activity.
Our goal is to motivate people to leave their television sets and computers and take part in a competitive physical activity. Individuals engaging in some level of physical activity improve not only their physical well-being, but their social and interpersonal skills as well. Physical exercise reduces the intensity of many illnesses and may well reduce the risk of developing them. GCSG has an on-going educational campaign (“Feel Great in 2008”) promoting the merits of physical fitness and a healthy and positive lifestyle. For young people, in particular, the Games provide a showcase for their talents and aspirations and represent an alternative to drugs, gangs, crime and violence.
There are many benefits to engaging in some form of physical activity. Just to mention a few:
It reduces the risk of developing heart disease;
Lowers the chance of developing high blood pressure, cancer and diabetes;
Helps maintain weight and healthy bones, muscles and joints;
Reduces symptoms of stress, anxiety and depression;
Improves overall outlook and feelings of well-being.
A study by the National Institute of Health states that decisions youngsters make at any early age regarding sports and other physical activities can make a life-long difference in their health. The Institute also contends that exercise builds strong brains and may well improve the underlying mental processes that are involved in many behavior and academic tasks.
I just know that when I exercise –“ which I’ve done everyday for 4 years, 10 months and 7 days"– I have a lot more energy and my mind is a lot sharper in dealing with the tasks of the day. I hope you take the time to engage in some form of physical activity – whether it be walking, running, working out at the gym or playing in a game - on a regular basis.
Our goal is to motivate people to leave their television sets and computers and take part in a competitive physical activity. Individuals engaging in some level of physical activity improve not only their physical well-being, but their social and interpersonal skills as well. Physical exercise reduces the intensity of many illnesses and may well reduce the risk of developing them. GCSG has an on-going educational campaign (“Feel Great in 2008”) promoting the merits of physical fitness and a healthy and positive lifestyle. For young people, in particular, the Games provide a showcase for their talents and aspirations and represent an alternative to drugs, gangs, crime and violence.
There are many benefits to engaging in some form of physical activity. Just to mention a few:
It reduces the risk of developing heart disease;
Lowers the chance of developing high blood pressure, cancer and diabetes;
Helps maintain weight and healthy bones, muscles and joints;
Reduces symptoms of stress, anxiety and depression;
Improves overall outlook and feelings of well-being.
A study by the National Institute of Health states that decisions youngsters make at any early age regarding sports and other physical activities can make a life-long difference in their health. The Institute also contends that exercise builds strong brains and may well improve the underlying mental processes that are involved in many behavior and academic tasks.
I just know that when I exercise –“ which I’ve done everyday for 4 years, 10 months and 7 days"– I have a lot more energy and my mind is a lot sharper in dealing with the tasks of the day. I hope you take the time to engage in some form of physical activity – whether it be walking, running, working out at the gym or playing in a game - on a regular basis.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
"Feel Great in 2008!"
I am most appreciative of the response I’ve gotten to the blogs I’ve posted on our website over the past nine months. It’s given us a chance to get better acquainted, both for me personally and for the Grand Canyon State Games.
These are tough times, and we’re all concerned about what may lie ahead. I don‘t have a crystal ball, but I remain confident in the greatness of this country and its people, and that in time, things will get better. It will take some adjustments and some difficult decisions, but we will prevail. A nation where the Internet was invented will in time figure out the right course for the future.
One of our GCSG Board members – Andy Dzurinko has written a book entitled “The Power of Optimism,” and I concur that it is important we maintain a positive outlook during these uncertain times. Andy has a chapter in the book entitled “Get Active, Stay Active” in which he stresses the importance of physical activity and maintaining good health. That is one of the main goals of the Grand Canyon State Games.
If you’re involved in a business or organization, you hear people ask, “What’s your Elevator Pitch?” Imagine you are riding an elevator, and the person standing next to you turns and says, “What do you do?” and you have 60 seconds or less to give an answer before you reach your floor. Here’s what I would say about the Games:
The Grand Canyon State Games provide a year-round and statewide showcase for the talents and aspirations of amateur athletes in Arizona, regardless of age or ability, through programs that promote the benefits of friendly competition, physical fitness and a healthy lifestyle as an alternative to obesity, drugs, alcohol and crime.
We’ve wrapped up our competitive games for 2008, so I’m going to be talking more about the importance of physical fitness and maintaining a healthy lifestyle in these blogs. My theme will be “Feel Great in 2008” until the end of the year, so stayed tuned. I hope I can help you live a more active, healthier and happier life.
These are tough times, and we’re all concerned about what may lie ahead. I don‘t have a crystal ball, but I remain confident in the greatness of this country and its people, and that in time, things will get better. It will take some adjustments and some difficult decisions, but we will prevail. A nation where the Internet was invented will in time figure out the right course for the future.
One of our GCSG Board members – Andy Dzurinko has written a book entitled “The Power of Optimism,” and I concur that it is important we maintain a positive outlook during these uncertain times. Andy has a chapter in the book entitled “Get Active, Stay Active” in which he stresses the importance of physical activity and maintaining good health. That is one of the main goals of the Grand Canyon State Games.
If you’re involved in a business or organization, you hear people ask, “What’s your Elevator Pitch?” Imagine you are riding an elevator, and the person standing next to you turns and says, “What do you do?” and you have 60 seconds or less to give an answer before you reach your floor. Here’s what I would say about the Games:
The Grand Canyon State Games provide a year-round and statewide showcase for the talents and aspirations of amateur athletes in Arizona, regardless of age or ability, through programs that promote the benefits of friendly competition, physical fitness and a healthy lifestyle as an alternative to obesity, drugs, alcohol and crime.
We’ve wrapped up our competitive games for 2008, so I’m going to be talking more about the importance of physical fitness and maintaining a healthy lifestyle in these blogs. My theme will be “Feel Great in 2008” until the end of the year, so stayed tuned. I hope I can help you live a more active, healthier and happier life.
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