Elections Predictions

I've tried staying away from politics but at election time this is hard to do. I don't know about you, but I am really disgusted with the TV and radio ads. They have almost convinced me that there is no one worthy to hold public office. I am appalled at how low they stoop and the lies they tell about their opponents. Having said that I have some predictions.

The evening of 9/11 I wrote a poem about how the aftermath would work out. At first Americans would be grieving, be indignant, demand justice, and would go to war. But once the body bags started coming home we would gradually change our minds until we would demand that our soldiers come home. The gist of that poem is that Americans are fickle. And even today we are still fickle.

When President Obama was elected most Americans had had enough of the Bush era. (Sorry Jeb, but you will never be president). So we elected a candidate that promised change. The problem is, we didn't know what change we wanted. So President Obama brought change on many fronts. Our national debt went up, jobs became more scarce, businesses went out of business, the cost of healthcare continues to go up.... and now Americans want change again. I have these following predictions:

1. Republicans will win both houses.

2. President Obama will veto most of their legislation.

3. Not much will get accomplished in the next two years.

4. Tea Party members will become even more distraught.

5. The Republican Party will diminish.

6. By the next general election the public will be fed up with the Republicans because they

could not accomplish much of anything.

7. Power will swing back to the Democrats

8. President Obama will get re-elected.

9. Democrats will regain the Senate.

10. Americans will still be looking for change (fickle).

How is that for predictions?

Heroes

Please define to me what a real hero is. Perhaps my definition is antiquated or just wrong. But it seems to me that we often label someone as a hero when in reality they have done nothing heroic. And perhaps the true heroes never get recognized. To me a hero is someone who gives of himself selflessly, at risk to himself, to help someone else. The war heroes, fire fighters, the person who at his own peril reaches out to help someone else.

In sports, great players are often labeled as a heroes. I beg to differ. I think there are some really great athletes, but that does not really qualify them as heroes. As far as I know most athletes are in it for themselves and their huge salaries. They want more pay or they will go somewhere else. Hardly a hero.

Philanthropists are often viewed as heroes. Here again, there is nothing heroic. They are giving out of their abundance. Yes, their gifts do help others and I appreciate what they do. But are they really doing it at risk or peril to themselves. I think not.

Recently I heard the word "heroes" attached to the 33 miners trapped in Chile. I can appreciate what they went through and am glad that I was not one of them trapped below the earth for 69 days. I might have gone crazy. But are they heroes. Maybe, or maybe not. Perhaps they were victims, and the hero was on the topside making the effort to get them out. If there is a hero in all this perhaps it is the guy who ran the drill with precision and determination. He broke through weeks ahead of schedule. When his job was done, he left and sought no glory, but was simply thrilled that the miners were now freed, and he was humble about the part he played.

The part he played was the biggest part. I know that if I was one of those miners, he would be my hero.

But even that is borderline for being a hero. It wasn't like he was dodging bullets when he didn't have to.

Who are my heroes? The apostle Paul, who preached the gospel to his own peril that others might benefit. Peter, who was hanged on a cross up-side-down because he did not feel worthy to die the same way Jesus did. Jesus, who died in my place for my sins. The widow who sacrificially gave the two mights keeps reminding me that I am really giving out of my abundance. The men and women in uniform who have put their lives in peril for my freedom.... and some of them have died. And my dear wife who has given more than anyone will ever know. These are my heroes. Worthy heroes. Heroes forever.

The Client

The guy is retired and thank goodness his wife is not. I say this because they are both a cut of the same cloth, and having one of them around is enough. And I am not sure what makes them tick. Now don't get me wrong, I am glad that they are my client and the jobs that I do for them are profitable. But this does kind of fall into the category that if you help me I need to charge extra. But with these folks it goes further..... "if you are even home I need to charge extra."

The guy has no idea of the value of time. Either that or he has no other friends to hang with. It is really hard to get something done when someone is yacking at you all the time. Not only that he is constantly under foot. Not only that, when I bought materials to use on the job and set them down where I needed them.... they would mysteriously disappear. My crew had the same issues. It was like this guy took ownership of everything that came through the door.

At one point I saw him picking up pieces of hardwood and was heading down the hall. I said, "Hey, where are you going with that?" He said, "putting them in the garage." I said, "My floor installer just cut those and is about to nail them in." He said, "oh." Let me tell you, we spent a lot of time looking for our tools and materials.

So the job came down to this: it was my job to get the man out of the house. We went to the hardware store, to coffee, to lunch, and I drove as slowly as possible. It was my installer's job to get something done while we were gone. I actually joked with my client that my installer would like him to go find something else to do.... except I really wasn't joking.

My client liked us so much he has more work for us to do. I'll have to put on an extra guy just to keep him busy.

Misfits!

Today I was at the Pearl Street Mall in Boulder and once again saw some of the misfits of society. In a way, it's a strange mix. Part of going to the mall is to see the bruskers and the street musicians. Well the bruskers were missing today, but the musicians were present.

The first act I saw was this guy skate boarding while strumming his amplified guitar. I'm not sure how you collect money in your hat while rolling along about 10 miles per hour. It was a little strange.

Then I saw a guy playing a one-stringed home made instrument that sounded a little bit like a bass. He had a few dollars in his hat.

I didn't see any others, so we went and had tea at Ku Cha. I asked the owner if Ku Cha was some type of martial arts and he said, "no, it means bitter tea." I'm assuming he meant in Chinese. However, I didn't find their tea bitter at all. It is now one of my recommended places to go for a good cup of tea and a good atmosphere.

All this reminds me once again of Seattle, down near the fish market. A lot of misfits go there to bless you with their music and collect dollars in their hats. Actually some of them are pretty good and others are not. I liked the washtub band, the guy who played his guitar while holding it over his head, the piano player, and the blind guitarist who played and sang in Post Alley. That's right the same Post Alley where Starbucks original shop still stands. It is also the same Post Alley where Seattle's Best famous cup of coffee is mounted on the wall across from the famous fish market.

Anyway, here, too, the misfits are part of the attraction and the atmosphere just wouldn't be right without them. But then, Seattle just isn't quite right without it's annual drag queen convention either. They happened to be staying in the W Hotel while Audrey and I were there. Some of the men made weird looking but pretty ladies. But who am I to judge?

It takes all kinds to make up this crazy world of ours. But I do find women with adams apples a little far out.

Smart Phones

We live in the era of smart people using exceptionally smart phones. One thing for sure.... these phones are smarter than I am because I can't figure out most of what these phones do. And most all of these smart people carry their smart phones with them.

So why do smart people with smart phones do such stupid things? I seldom hear someone admit that talking on the phone while driving hinders their driving. Yet I see dozens of these people each day wandering aimlessly down the road with their phone glued to their heads. And when I see someone driving a little goofy or is just plain going so slow they are impeding traffic, I always make a bet that they are on their phone. They are almost without exception.

Also, there are a lot of people with these smart phones that don't use them when they should. Like the sub-contractor who tells me he will be someplace at a certain time... then isn't. So I get a call from from my client wondering where the contractor is. Now, this guy's phone is hanging on his hip. What's the big deal about actually using it. I'm sure the phone is smart enough, but I wonder about the guy using it. Heck, I'm not even smart enough to figure out all the things these smart phones do, but I am smart enough to use my phone when I should.

Then, of course, there is the smart guy using his smart phone in the restaurant. Not too smart if you ask me. I don't really care if his girl friend is breaking up with him. At least I don't want to hear about it over dinner.... especially if I am not sitting at his table. I mean, something like that even ruins a good cup of coffee, which in my estimation is pretty hard to do.

Blackheath

I don't remember the author of this poem, but it is not me. I thought you might get a chuckle.

I met a man from Blackheath

Who sat on his set of false teeth

Said he with a start, O lord bless my heart

But I've bitten myself underneath.

How's this for a tongue twister:

Thadius Theopholis Thiste, the thistle sifter, thrust three thousand thistles through the thick of his thumb.

Or this one:

The skunk thought the stump stunk,

but the skunk thought the stump stunk.

This one is supreme:

Sue sold six silk sheets to six sheiks at her sea side silk sheet store.

"I'm a Woman"

The other day I was doing a staining job for an elderly couple. We had already completed their roof repairs and were now finishing up by staining their deck, which is quite extensive. Part of the process is having the customer pick out a color, which I did. Then I bought the stain and my crew went to work.

The next day I received a phone call from the woman stating that the deck was not the color she had picked out. I knew that it was and took the color chart we had marked over to her home for comparison. Sure enough, it was the right color. The fact of the matter was, she did not like the color after it was applied. This was a solid stain and she was now stating that she wanted natural wood to show through. I think she was expecting that I would have a magic wand and just change it and eat the cost of the work done so far.

I asked her what had changed from the day before. she said, "I'm a woman, I have a right to change my mind." Excuse me, but I didn't see that clause in the contract.

I told my client that I would make any changes she wanted in the stain at cost (meaning there would be additional costs but no additional profit). So her daughter was going to help her pick out new colors. Later that day I received another call. All they wanted to do now was change the color that the benches would be stained. Fortunately, the benches had not yet been stained. It seems the daughter liked the color..... so now it must be okay again. My only fear is that her daughter is a woman, too.