SOMETIME IT'S GOOD TO TALK TO YOURSELF.......

               (my opinion)
Something I've always wondered about is "how all these polls taken can reflect contradictory effects"
"WHO OR WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO KEEP OUT"

It seems to me that if you take a poll.......the answers provided would either reflect one point........or another. Having said that.....I can understand why our country is so divided in opinion's.  To have 4 different polls reflect 4 different answers is beyond my capability to even try to understand "what is really going on".   I found, after 5 glasses of wine, 1/2 of a 5 meat pizza and 2 pepperoni  sticks......that not only did I feel sick.............but I figured out just how the Polling crap worked.   It's totally in " How the question is asked"  Just by moving one word you can get ........THE ANSWER YOU WANT!!!!!. WOW,  maybe it is true that wine stimulates your brain................or is it your blood pressure...............or is it you view of life,,,,,,well no matter what it is. I answered the question.......................my way. Therefore the result is....................It is better to talk to yourself than to some other people if you want to hear the CORRECT reply.
Now to carry this one step further, I have developed a test which I will name  Vito's law.  It consists of 50 questions where there is no right or wrong answer.    Try it on for size.

Now, before you start................I must confess................I tried this out at the Dooney, Tooney house of rubber walls.  As a result of this I had so many answers bouncing off the walls I could not list them all.
These questions have no right or wrong answers.
Because sometimes asking the right questions is the answer.

1. How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you are?
2. Which is worse, failing or never trying?
3. If life is so short, why do we do so many things we don’t like and like so many things we don’t do?
4. When it’s all said and done, will you have said more than you’ve done?
5. What is the one thing you’d most like to change about the world?
6. If happiness was the national currency, what kind of work would make you rich?
7. Are you doing what you believe in, or are you settling for what you are doing?
8. If the average human life span was 40 years, how would you live your life differently?
9. To what degree have you actually controlled the course your life has taken?
10. Are you more worried about doing things right, or doing the right things?
11. You’re having lunch with three people you respect and admire. They all start criticizing a close friend of yours, not knowing she is your friend. The criticism is distasteful and unjustified. What do you do?
12. If you could offer a newborn child only one piece of advice, what would it be?
13. Would you break the law to save a loved one?
14. Have you ever seen insanity where you later saw creativity?
15. What’s something you know you do differently than most people?
16. How come the things that make you happy don’t make everyone happy?
17. What one thing have you not done that you really want to do? What’s holding you back?
18. Are you holding onto something you need to let go of?
19. If you had to move to a state or country besides the one you currently live in, where would you move and why?
20. Do you push the elevator button more than once? Do you really believe it makes the elevator faster?
21. Would you rather be a worried genius or a joyful simpleton?
22. Why are you, you?
23. Have you been the kind of friend you want as a friend?
24. Which is worse, when a good friend moves away, or losing touch with a good friend who lives right near you?
25. What are you most grateful for?
26. Would you rather lose all of your old memories, or never be able to make new ones?
27. Is is possible to know the truth without challenging it first?
28. Has your greatest fear ever come true?
29. Do you remember that time 5 years ago when you were extremely upset? Does it really matter now?
30. What is your happiest childhood memory? What makes it so special?
31. At what time in your recent past have you felt most passionate and alive?
32. If not now, then when?
33. If you haven’t achieved it yet, what do you have to lose?
34. Have you ever been with someone, said nothing, and walked away feeling like you just had the best conversation ever?
35. Why do religions that support love cause so many wars?
36. Is it possible to know, without a doubt, what is good and what is evil?
37. If you just won a million dollars, would you quit your job?
38. Would you rather have less work to do, or more work you actually enjoy doing?
39. Do you feel like you’ve lived this day a hundred times before?
40. When was the last time you marched into the dark with only the soft glow of an idea you strongly believed in?
41. If you knew that everyone you know was going to die tomorrow, who would you visit today?
42. Would you be willing to reduce your life expectancy by 10 years to become extremely attractive or famous?
43. What is the difference between being alive and truly living?
44. When is it time to stop calculating risk and rewards, and just go ahead and do what you know is right?
45. If we learn from our mistakes, why are we always so afraid to make a mistake?
46. What would you do differently if you knew nobody would judge you?
47. When was the last time you noticed the sound of your own breathing?
48. What do you love? Have any of your recent actions openly expressed this love?
49. In 5 years from now, will you remember what you did yesterday? What about the day before that? Or the day before that?
50. Decisions are being made right now. The question is: Are you making them for yourself, or are you letting others make them for you?

SEE YOU NEXT WEEK!!!!!!

WHAT THE HELL JUST HAPPENED?????

Now!!!  I finally realized where our stupidity comes from in our voting habits.  We have no one but our own stupid selves to blame for the ugly truth. I'm giving NO reference to our political system ...........in this case.  That's a subject of another brain teasing event.   What I'm talking about now is............................DWTS  ( short for Dancing with the Stars) or better known this time around as Dancing with a celebrity or NOT?  How the voters or in this case the nobody crazies kept  Chaz Bono, who happens to have NO RHYTHM AT ALL in his/her oversize stretch pants, Carson Kesslley who prances the floor like a riderless merri-go-round pony and Nancy Grace, who happens to be the better of the three but not by much and vote off  Kristin Cavallari who has shown that she can certainly do more than the box step  must not only be the dumbest voters but also totally blind.    This .................my tea bagging, half brainers is a DANCING CONTEST.  It is suppose to show who has a little capability of being able to perform in a dance contest.  After all, if it was a popularity contest, we could simply line them up, walk them around the floor (to see who can make it all the way around .......without falling on their face)  and declare a winner after one week. What program were you dizzies looking at.................certainly not the same one  I was watching.

In the case of AMERICAN IDOL or THE X FACTOR where public voters would actually be needed, I can understand when the screaming, yellin' bimbo's can actually win .............since this is the music that a certain group of people like and they will let you know it.............but will also go out and BUY it.   Remember back when with Old Blue Eyes, Frank Sinatra would croon out a tune that melted the hearts of many or Tom Jones as he would "tight pants " his way through a song that sent many a woman over the edge, then again we ended up with the King  Elvis who's bad hip drove women up a wall....................but they went out and bought the records.  What will they buy if Chaz Bono takes home the Crystal ball.   What a complete farce. 

Now along with DWTS, I also watched the interview of NJ Governor Christie.  I must admit........that if I was to vote for any Republican, Christie.....could be that person.  What did I like???  I like the kind of persona.........that  Joe Stilletto  type..................you get what you see attitude.  then again, I ask myself.....am I getting anything that I did not get with the last choice I made?  Obama, had little experience, that I could see................Christie, the same. Obama promised to lead me to a promise land.... that promise failed (much of it at the hands of a Republican controlled house) other wise known as the house of NO! The thing that really makes me howl with laughter is that these people running for President all have the same line.............When I'm elected President......I promise to get things done, I promise to bring people together, I promise to bring peace to the world, I promise, I promise I promise.  If we as voters just calm down from all these promises and think about it for a moment, all they promise is exaggerated, they cannot do any of that stuff they just promised to do.......and we believed them.........what fools we are.      The Governor, gave his reply weeks and weeks ago, why was it necessary for him to have this hour long Q & A  session.    Seems, the media .........and perhaps a few Republican donors could not take the Governor for his word the first time around.

Now that's what I like about Christie..............he realizes that negotiation is what really happens.  You may want something but have to settle for half.  The only thing that worries me is that Joe Stilletto attitude and the way he sometimes looks at you with that  sad  puppy dog look.   Well, give him more than the 20 months to work on New Jersey,  if he can get that state cleaned up ..........PERHAPS,  just PERHAPS he could get something done for the nation. 

AND THAT'S WHAT I THINK!!!!!!!!

BREAKING NEWS!!!!!

Sarah Palin has just announced that she will NOT run for President in 2012.   Wonder how long it will take the Media to realize her  NO   NO   NO   running??

STAYIN' HEALTHY..........

(TRUE STORY)

A few years ago I was in for my annual physical.  This was actually the first time that my Doctor, (Karin) actually told me that it was a good idea to start a walking program.  I must admit, at first I was reluctant to begin anything........that I was sure not to end,  but I took her advice,  told my wife, that this was a great idea ..............that she had suggested 5 years prior  and I was going to begin this walk-a-thon program..................ssssoooooo   each and every morning I would jump into my CAR, drive for 2 1/2 minutes down to a boardwalk promenade..........which measures exactly 1 mile round trip ,  dressed like a super athlete in my new  dark blue Nike outfit with my new $49.95 pair of Stanley F. Jabakaluski (famous Polish couch potato) walking shoes and my new $79.95 (marked down from $80.00) ipod and  began this new life style. That first day was a killer,  walked that sucker without stopping and it only took 55 minutes. for that mile.  When I got back into my car for my drive up the hill, I found that enjoyment was only 2 1/2 minutes away( my couch).  Margot made it a point to ask why it took so long.   Not wanting to raise any big concern about this I simply referred to the point that I was enjoying the music so much that I kept walking until all 60 songs (at 3.5 minutes per song) were finished.  Boy was she impressed.      guess, I didn't really fool her though.............she started walking with me..............just to keep me in check.   That exercise lasted longer than I thought it ever would (until the rainy season set in).  Now, each summer comes and my walk-a-thon begins once again.  As the years passed I became more enthused about this and once Lisa moved to Hungary, I inherited her ultra treadmill which does everything a good woman can do for you including making your coffee, turning the pages on your book, holding you up when you are about to fall over, measure distance, calorie count ,pulse and even creates a heavy breathing, though for different reasoning. I strategically placed it in the dining room next to the table, so that I just roll over to it after a hearty pasta meal and a couple glasses of wine..........just to help my digestion.

Now just this morning a very good friend of mine sent me an email, confirming ...................that walking is indeed healthy.........................which gave me the idea of this posting.   I hope you enjoy all the reason to take up this athletic endeavor  and begin a new chapter of your life.................so off the couch and let's get goin'   

The Importance of Walking

Walking can add minutes to your life.
This enables you at 85 years old
to spend an additional 5 months in a nursing
home at $7000 per month.

My grandpa started walking
five miles a day when he was 60.
Now he's 97 years old
and we don't know where he is.

I like long walks,
especially when they are taken
by people who annoy me.

The only reason I would take up walking
is so that I could hear heavy breathing again.

I have to walk early in the morning,
before my brain figures out what I'm doing..

I joined a health club last year,
spent about 400 bucks.
Haven't lost a pound.
Apparently you have to go there.

Every time I hear the dirty word 'exercise',
I wash my mouth out with chocolate.

The advantage of exercising every day
is so when you die, they'll say,
'Well, she looks good doesn't she.'

If you are going to try cross-country skiing,
start with a small country.

I know I got a lot of exercise
the last few years,......
just getting over the hill.

We all get heavier as we get older,
because there's a lot more information in our heads.
That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

AND

Every time I start thinking too much
about how I look,
I just find a Happy Hour
and by the time I leave,
I look just fine.

You could run this over to your friends
But just e-mail it to them

----- End forwarded message -----

CRYSTAL MOUNTAIN, WASHINGTON

Here we are,   a new week.   September 12th and it certainly was a memorable September 11th.
TV was loaded with the day's happenings...to the point where.......we just could not bare having it on.  The sadness was just so overwhelming.

It was at that point that, we decided to try and bring something else into the day, so off to Crystal Mountain, we went.  On the drive there, Margot and I tried to figure out what year it was that we actually were to Crystal Mt.  to actually SKI.  We came to the conclusion that it was about 35 years ago. After that we spent most of our skiing years in the Snoqualmie area, night skiing.  Crystal has never been a night skiing area .

 When we arrived, the sun was up and shining its hot face down and once we were out of the gondola we could feel the warmth.

Gondola ride of about 10 minutes


 brought us to the top.





 There we were, at one of the highest  points of the Cascades and in the shadow  of Mt. Rainier.

Majestic and VERY powerful

Green Valley.......otherwise known as.................THE BOWL. just slightly below us .

EASIEST WAY?????? for who????

Sure looks different in the Summer!!!!!!

Short stop at the restaurant.............at the top............ always give a little reason for one just to stay at the top.  We just emptied out our backpack on one of the outdoor tables and had our lunch while enjoying the sunshine.

After lunch and a short hike, we boarded the gondola for the ride to the bottom...................sure is different than the struggle of skiing your way down.

All in all, Crystal Mt. has indeed changed in 35 years and all for the better.

 Funny story attached to skiing Crystal.   Many a decades ago, we at SAS along with the crew stationed in Seattle would plan a days trip each week to a different ski area.  When Crystal Mt. was chosen Margot and a girl friend were convinced that skiing the BOWL was a great experience. SSSSOOOOOO off  they went on the chairlift. Arriving at the top half frozen, they were able to see...........the world.   Now,  to get down.  The crew member that they were with at that moment convinced them .........that this was a snap........"just follow me"    Margot tells me now that the bowl was a pleasure........wide open and lots of room to traverse...............however it wasn't long before the trails got narrower and narrower and it became a straight run down.    Needless to say for two slightly better than average skiers it took them some time to make it down.........................all the while followed by a ski patrol person,  who when signaled to ................"it's ok to pass"  simply replied back that   "it's OK ,  I have to make sure you get off the mountain since it's getting dark" 

While the group enjoyed their  wines in the  bar....waiting and wondering where the ladies were,( for some hour and a half) we had all learned that Ake who had been down the hill in about 20-25 minutes and on his second wine had skied with the Swedish Ski team. 


FOR YOUR ENTERTAINMENT PLEASURE

http://videos2view.net/irish-dance.htm

 

WHAT IF............

Just the other day,  the temperature was about.......oh ,  80 degrees, the sun just touching the end of our garden table, that sits on our deck.

(OH,  for the glorious days of summer
to never disappear
the whistling of the birds
the smell of good wine
friends always by you side.
that's what life is all about)

  Margot's  lovely potted flowers finally feeling the needed warmth, a nice glass of wine and my thoughts.  I had just finished lunch and now watch a single ant........ trying to make off with the tiny remains of my liverwurst sandwich, lightly covered with Grey Poupon dijon mustard.  I really did not know if I was asleep, dozing off or just day dreaming....but whatever it was .......it induced me to start to chuckle and then all of a sudden burst out with a belly laugh................how stupid.........but an interesting concept of life.
Think about this!!!

What if,  ones life was be lived totally in reverse.
Now , my concept is this.
A person is actually brought into this world at the time that he is actually leaving life.. Your life ........to begin in total reverse than it presently does.You begin as an old, grumpy shrivelled up person on retirement, collecting social security, and on medicare. ....... .and end as a newborn.   What a concept. You presently end your life......for the most of us.......as an old fart with no teeth and a pacifier in your mouth. Under my new concept you will end up very young ...........with a pacifier like item in your mouth.     Just take a moment as I did and think about how you would live your newborn life.........or does this REALLY happen..........after life as we know it.  Do you really reenter your totally new life as an angel and work back?  When someone finds out........shoot me an email!!!!  I would love to know the answer.

Anyhow , that  ant is still trying to pull that breadcrumb.......with liverwurst.....off the plate and will he be surprised as he gets closer to the side of the dish...........that's when he falls over the side ......the sandwich bit will fall on top of him and kill him.......or I will just give him the thumb of death and take it away from him.
I've just now noticed that my........trained birds......are beginning to appear to help Margot clean up any crumbs left behind.  I feel as though, I'm sitting in an out door cafe in Tuscany at this moment, with all this action going on.   HI SENORITA!!!!    there is my neighbor, starting to BBQ her kimchi.........she's Korean  but likes to think of herself as an Italian living in Tuscany also.  OH  what a glorious life.   
This summer has not been necessarily one of the better ones..........perhaps for just a few happy moments here and there.  Weather not so very good.  Cloudier than normal, rainier than normal,  but never the less the 5 perfect days we had was much taken advantage of.  I'm thinking about writing something around............."The five days of summer"  but just get my act together.

Now, while my latest batch of  Vierlot is fermenting, I decided to tackle a really tough problem that apparently 535 congressional members plus the amount in the WH  have not been able to do.  Actually Margot told me this and I'm just lending a little bit more to it. This was an article in the St. Perersburg, FL Times. The business section asked readers for ideas on:
"How would you fix the economy?" I think this  Old guy nailed it This from a senior citizen around 80 yrs of age.

"Please find below my suggestion for fixing America's economy. Instead of giving billions of dollars to companies that will squander the money on lavish parties and unearned bonuses, use the following plan. You can call it the "Patriotic Retirement Plan".

There are about 40 million people over 50 in the work force. Pay them $1 million apiece severance for early retirement with the following stipulations:

1)  They MUST retire. Forty million job openings- Unemployment fixed.

2) They MUST buy a new  AMERICAN car.  Forty million cars ordered.- Auto Industry fixed.

3) They MUST either buy a house or pay off their mortgage - Housing crisis fixed.

It can't get easier than that!!

P.S.  If more money is needed, have all members in Congress pay their taxes.

Mr. President,while you're at it, make Congress retire on Social Security and Medicare, I'll bet both programs would be fixed."

Now to carry this persons idea one step further, I am soliciting for 23 volunteers to join me in following through with extending this to show Congress that 24 people with BRAINS  can do more than 535 without BRAINS!!!

Now that I have got all this heavy thinking off my chest...............only one thing left to do.  Name this group!!  They had................A GROUP OF SIX.    They presently have A GROUP OF TWELVE.   It can only get better with our new      GROUP OF TWENTY-FOUR.

LITTLE BIT OF THIS.........LITTLE BIT OF THAT

TRAVEL


I have a good friend, who, like me has done a bit of traveling in his day.  He does a fantastic job at putting photo's together to music.  I would like to know your opinion (only this time) as to what you think about possibly more simular  attachments to my blog.  You can email me your thoughts.

Here's one about   Barging the Nivernais Canal
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOPORy_zY_8

Also if you would like to know the 5 best romantic things to do in Tuscany.......check this out  but make sure for those that do not speak or read Italian, go all the way to the right and click on the British Flag.

http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.turismo.intoscana.it%2Fallthingstuscany%2Faroundtuscany%2Ftop-5-romantic-tuscany-partner%2F&h=mAQDgu86iAQDD-ylndrWUAkXLC6ttSQgO-_ihKxt0DpTlsw



Cooking


Cooking With Chef Karl


Post: Creamy Broccoli Soup (serves 4 )

Link: http://cookingwithchefkarl.blogspot.com/2011/01/creamy-broccoli-soup-serves-4.html


SILENT QUESTIONS THAT STIMULATE THE BRAIN

  Is it just me..................or is it my age..............or could it be that I'm the only one that can answer these questions.............of life??
I find that working in the garden which, by the way, I do not like, often raises questions that I truly believe there are no answers to. Has it ever happen to you. The worst part is that I'm talking to myself and that alone does not answer the question.......".What's the problem"

1.  Why do the squirrels bury their nuts in MY flowers?
2.   I dug this weed out last week.........how did it grow back............without water?
3.  How do dandelions grow in the middle of my lawn.............but do not grow in just the soil around the flower beds where they are easily dug out?
4.  How come the birds poop all over the railing of my deck but I can't seem to find any poop in the barked area of my yard.........or on my lawn.?
5.   The ...already filled plastic bottle of weed killer and lawn fertilizer....one buys to attach to your hose.. How does it know just what power you will turn the water on to be properly mixed?  I would think that if you turn the water on full blast.........you would water down the product and make it weaker?
6.  If you follow the trail of ants,  how do you know exactly where the queen ant is?  They seem to be walking in all directions. Are they looking for her too?  
7. Why is it that weeds grow better UNfertilized than plants grow fertilized?

It's very confusing to me and it really racks the brain. Guess the only way for me to relax this pressure is not to work in the garden.

LESSON'S OF LIFE...............or not

Growing up.......when I did........was quite easy and simple.  We not only had the constitution to protect us  (which btw, we never used it......as they do today)  we had something stronger,  we had parents with very well established rules and will power to make sure ...................we did as we were told.    The rules were very simple...............


from the religious leaders:    Do as I say.....don't do as I do

from the teachers:  Do as you are told and you will succeed

from the Authorities:  Put you hands up and behind your head

from your parents: Do the very best that you possibly can.......and NEVER tell me a lie.

But........but     the things Mom taught me will always remain a part of my brain.


What my Mom taught me:


Religion - "You better pray that comes out of the carpet"

Logic - "Because I said so, that's why"

Irony - "Keep crying and I'll give you something to cry about"

Wisdom - "When you get to my age you'll understand"

Justice - "One day you'll have kids, I hope they turn out just like you!!"

Now........to me the ultimate was..........................."If you don't do things .....MY WAY    I'm going to tell your farther when he gets home"
That to me......was the clincher.   I really can't explain why  but just the thought of my dad getting involved scared the holy crap out of me,  even though I knew he would never harm me, it was the thought of what would happen ........if he did.

I grew up with THAT one phrase that constantly was out there.     "Wait until your father comes home"  That automatically put another light on the whole subject.   Mom always said  "watch dad's fists, if he starts to clinch them.............stop what you are doing or saying...............immediately" and take one step back.  Thank goodness it never came to that point!!!!!!   I only saw my dad clinch his fists twice. My dad wasn't doing so well and Margot and the kids left Seattle for New York.  After being there two days, Margot called me and suggested that I make my way home to New York.   I knew the reason and jumped on a flight, flew through the night and arrived in NY early in the morning, got a ride with a friend and sat down to talk with dad.  At one point he started to clinch his fists........but I knew it was from the pain he felt and not........anything I had done .  This time was different I did not listen to mom's advise to take a step back.......this time I stepped to him put my arms around him and whispered in his ear "Dad, you will always be my hero." The fists lost their tight clinch for the second and last time.




JOKE OF THE DAY

A police officer in a small town stopped a motorist who was speeding down Main Street.
"But, officer," the man began, "I can explain!"
"Just be quiet," snapped the officer. "I'm going to let you cool your heels in jail until the chief gets back."
"But, officer, I just wanted to say..."
"And I said to keep quiet! You're going to jail!"

A few hours later the officer looked in on his prisoner and said, "Lucky for you that the chief's at his daughter's wedding. He'll be in a good mood when he gets back."
"Don't count on it," answered the fellow in the cell. "I'm the groom."


Have you ever spent .....................some time in a restaurant................watching people eat?  Not very interesting but ..................some  people just eat like ANIMALS!    Hope you enjoy the following.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=EVwlMVYqMu4&vq=medium#t=125


See you next week!!!!!