It could have been worse

After returning from a a very disappointing cruise, I decided the only way to feel better was to complain with the hopes of receiving at least a partial refund from a company that ruined my only week of vacation for 2010. That company (Carnival Cruise) was less than sympathetic. Even though the 5 day cruise was only 4 days because we didn't leave the Miami port till after midnight due to mechanical issues, Carnival didn't think that I needed any compensation. Even though we didn't go to the destinations that we paid for, Carnival didn't think that I needed any compensation. Even though the ship showed obvious signs of age, was very dated, was dirty, and dirty laundry from the previous cruise was in the closet, Carnival didn't think that I needed any compensation. Even though the food was less than desirable and the service was not cruise worthy, Carnival didn't think that I needed any compensation. Even though my cruise was not the fun filled vacation that is promoted in their commercials, Carnival didn't think that I needed any compensation. After complaining to every Carnival contact that I could find an e-mail address for, I just decided to tell everyone I know that Carnival is not the recommended cruise line to use.

Then today I learned of the Carnival cruise ship that is stranded 200 miles off the western US coast because of an engine room fire. No electricity, which means no air conditioning, no hot food, no hot water, no entertainment. This ship is slowly being towed with the hopes of reaching port within 2 days and is loaded with over 3000 guests with nothing to do and over 1000 employees trying to keep them calm.

Now all I have to say about my cruise is "It could have been worse".

Where will you be on Monday morning


Veterans’ Day is about remembering and honoring: Remembering those who went to war for us and didn’t come back. Honoring those who served to protect our freedom. Remembering the many who paid with their lives. Honoring the many who came back with injuries, nightmares, and illnesses. Remembering & honoring anyone that gave any part of their life to serve this great country.

But in the hustle & bustle of life today, we too often forget to remember, and fail to honor.

Older Americans can still recall the parades, the excitement, and the grand speeches that marked Veterans Day before the mid 1960s. But that was a different time with different generations.

The men of a proud military during the 2 World Wars died for proud principles that united the entire nation. Principles of freedom and liberty. There was no mention of an "exit strategy" in those days. Every family had someone serving. Everyone knew someone personally that was fighting for that freedom and liberty which we continue to enjoy today.

That’s all gone. Our recent wars have been political wars. The Korean War is a forgotten fight with the label of "war." removed. It was just a "dispute," a dispute that cost 35,000 American lives in 3 years. Where were the parades and celebrations when the servicemen came home from Korea. To be honest, there was little celebration then, or even later after Vietnam, or Bosnia, or now with our continued political wars in the Middle East. Even though our military continues to fight strong for us, our appreciation seems to be weakened. All the loud hoo-ha and all the patriotism of days gone by have gone by.

But possibly the worst part of what’s happened to Veterans Day is the gap that has developed between our military and the American people. Have we already forgotten 9/11. Regardless of the reasons why we are at war, or how we got ourselves involved in some of these conflicts, the military men and women are still fighting for our country, our freedom, our safety, our liberty. It doesn’t matter if you agree with our involvement, Veterans’ Day is for honoring those that fought so that you can agree or disagree.

Go to a Veterans Day parade or speech today? We’d rather go shopping. Get to work a little late in order to attend the parade? Corporate America wouldn’t hear of it. Close up shop (or the office) for just a few minutes to show respect to those who were willing to die for us? We might lose a dollar or two. Get up early on my holiday off? Interrupt my breakfast? Stand in the cold or rain? How many holidays did they get… How many breakfasts did they miss… What kind of weather did they endure?

The era of the festive parades and big Veterans Day celebrations may be over, but still, even a modest remembrance would be nice. Where will you be on Monday morning? I encourage you to remember & honor those who have served and those that are presently serving, by attending a Veterans' Day parade or Veterans' Day event.

signed,
Proud relative & friend of many veterans

Politics

Politicians.

Which one do you believe?

Don't they all exaggerate (lie) at least a little?

Who do you vote for, and why?

Do you vote against them because of a personal issue?

Or do you vote for them because of what they have accomplished or could accomplish, despite the personal issue?

Do all of the incumbents need to be replaced because a few have misused their positions &/or power?

Do you vote straight party, even though you don't necessarily agree with every candidate in that party?

Should first impressions affect your vote?

Should politicians be allowed to degrade their opponents publicly?

Do you vote for someone with comparable moral values even though you think the other candidate may be a better leader?

Does a candidate's past always represent their future?

Could they have learned from their past to form a better future?

Do we take that chance?

Do you vote for a relative or close friend, just because of that relationship?

Do you vote for a candidate just because a politician in a higher office says to?

My only definite yes answer is to this final question:

Do you vote?

drama

OK, so I haven't posted anything for a while. Been busy and have kinda unplugged myself from the tech world. No more Facebook, very little email, & even less blogging. So here I am, after a lot of personal happenings in our family life, making for great gossip. As we try to get our lives back to some sort of normality, we continue to hit small snags. Most of these snags are the result of so called Christians being very un-Christian like. But that's okay. History has taught us that the "high & mighty" will get theirs eventually, And they most definitely will have to answer for their actions some day. This all brings me to the subject of today's blog: Drama. I hope this will be an interactive subject, since any helpful suggestions are welcome. How does a person live a somewhat drama free life. Being through a lot of drama in my life, and probably being the cause of drama in others' lives, I can think of a few suggestions for at least decreasing drama. Most have to do attitude, patience, and the ability to rely on God.

No certain order; just as they come to my untucked mind:
- Rely on God / Pray a lot
- Make a habit of reacting slower to life experiences
- Know that there is a happy ending somewhere down the road
- Realize that bad things happen for a reason, just as good things happen for a reason
- Think before you speak
- Respond with kindness to verbal attacks
- Don't believe everything you hear
- Respectfully & kindly correct any false accusations &/or statements
- Put the past where it belongs: in the past
- You don't have to socialize with them, but at least be sociable to them
- Watch for hidden jabs, and respond accordingly, or not at all
- Add the words "Oh well" to your vocabulary and use them often
- Having a positive attitude can get you through the worst day
- Know the importance of Family / Protect, defend, & stay close
- If Facebook is a gossip collecting site for you, delete your status & discontinue it's use
- If Facebook is a constant cause of your ugly attitude, delete your status & discontinue it's use
- If you consistently dislike what you read on Facebook, delete your status & discontinue it's use
- Be a regular reader of the Bible &/or positive motivational books
- Look for at least one good thing in everyone, and keep that in your mind when in contact
- Remembering is okay, but using that memory for revenge is not okay
- Holding grudges only means that they are controlling your attitude toward life
- Fill your mind with as many good thoughts that you can each day
- Practice what you preach
- Review your patience level on a regular basis, and adjust accordingly
- Make it a habit to do at least one good deed a day
- Are your daily activities, actions, & words something you would do or say in front of God
- Brownielocks.com lists some crazy holidays that can make you day start with a laugh
- Laugh as much as you can
- Be very appreciative for everything
- Learn to LOVE more
- Smile, all the time, as much as you can
- Know when to be passive & not aggressive / know when to be aggressive & not passive
- Don't let your positive personality make you a doormat
- Be careful that innocent activities don't turn into harmful habits
- Wonder what God thinks, more than what another human thinks
- Know that being mean is not really rewarding or satisfying
- Quit watching violent and disturbing programs on tv or at the theater
- Start watching productive, thought provoking, educational, & happy ending programs
- Surround yourself with happy positive people
- Consistently improve your manners and speech
- If what you do, even on occasion, may cause any kind of human harm, stop doing it NOW
- Think young, feel young, be young at heart
- Exercise (even if it is only for 5 minutes)
- Be sure that you know that your eternity will be spent with God
- Know that all drama causers will answer for their actions in the end
- Know that drama is earthly & will not exist in heaven
- ?
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- ?
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hugs

Okay, I'm back (for at least tonite). I was told thru certain connections that someone in Tennessee thinx I need to put something new on my blog. I learned this from that certain connection at a funeral service this week. At that funeral, I got to thinkin about hugs. Yes, hugs. I've never been one to show much affection in public, except occassionally to my wife (G rated of course). But! I do kinda like hugs. My mother-in-law was a hugger, and I really miss her hugs. Anyway, at this funeral I received & gave a few hugs to relatives that I hadn't seen for a while or who were grieving. When, where, & why is it good to give hugs. I started to write a poem about this once and not sure why I didn't finish it. Hugs are great if given sincerely. Suggested reasons for hugs: Long time no see; Comfort; Love; Welcome; Sorrow; Congrats; Thanx; Apologies; Best Wishes; Holidays; Birthdays; Goodbye; Celebrations; and I'm sure the list goes on. Again, the hug needs to be sincere. The best hug any of us can get, is the hug from God. There have been, and will continue to be, many times in our lives that we just need a hug from God. And we know that He is right there with that hug, holding us in His arms, guiding us thru each experience that comes our way. Need a hug today? Look to God. He loves to give hugs.

?!

When is the right time to not say something, or, to say something? If you have to ask that question, then should it be asked at all? If what you say makes sense does that make it right? If what you say seems wrong, does that make it wrong? Could it be the right time but the wrong thing to say? Or could it be the wrong thing to say but the right time? If you say it and realize that maybe it wasn't right or the right time, can you take it back? If you say it at the right time does that automatically make it right? If you don't say anything, can you say that you really wanted to? Can you play dumb and just say that you didn't know what to say? Or can you say that you were afraid to say the wrong thing? What if you say that you really wanted to say something but didn't know if it was the right time? Did I repeat myself anywhere here? I'm confused!

emerg #

Was sent this and thought it deserved to be shared:


Emergency Telephone Numbers These are more effective than 911

When
- You are sad, phone John 14
- You have sinned, phone Psalm 51
- You are facing danger, phone Psalm 91
- People have failed you, phone Psalm 27
- It feels as though God is far from you, phone Psalm 139 -
- Your faith needs stimulation, phone Hebrews 11
- You are alone and scared, phone Psalm 23
- You are worried, phone Matthew 8:19-34
- You are hurt and critical, phone 1 Corinthians 13
- You wonder about Christianity, phone 2 Corinthians 5:15-18
- You feel like an outcast, phone Romans 8:31-39
- You are seeking peace, phone Matthew 11:25-30
- It feels as if the world is bigger than God, phone Psalm 90
- You need Christ like insurance, phone Romans 8:1-30
- You are leaving home for a trip , phone Psalm 121
- You are praying for yourself, phone Psalm 87
- You require courage for a task, phone Joshua 1
- Inflation's and investments are hogging your thoughts, phone Mark 10:17-31
- You are depressive, phone Psalm 27
- Your bank account is empty, phone Psalm 37
- You lose faith in mankind, phone 1 Corinthians 13
- It looks like people are unfriendly, phone John 15
- You are losing hope, phone Psalm 126
- You feel the world is small compared to you, phone Psalm 19
- You want to carry fruit, phone John 15
- Paul's secret for happiness, phone Colossians 3:12-17
- With big opportunity/ discovery, phone Isaiah 55
- To get along with other people, phone Romans 12

ALTERNATE NUMBERS
- For dealing with fear, call Psalm 47
- For security, call Psalm 121:3
- For assurance, call Mark 8:35
- For reassurance, call Psalm 145:18

ALL THESE NUMBERS MAY BE PHONED DIRECTLY. NO OPERATOR ASSISTANCE IS NECESSARY. ALL LINES TO HEAVEN ARE AVAILABLE 24 HOURS A DAY. FEED YOUR FAITH, AND DOUBT WILL STARVE TO DEATH