Author: nopanderinghere

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The Journey of Life

ruler

I often listen to music, see films and read articles that were created by individuals who are no longer with us…which makes me more aware that life on this earth has an up-coming ending.  No great revelation…just makes me more conscious of the aging process.

I look at a 12-inch ruler and view it as the measuring device for the amount of time one spends on this earth…and I am now on the short end of that stick.  I am very lucky that I am not ill, depressed or suffering from an economic hardship and that I have a loving wife and son.

I am still very active in my chosen profession and believe that I am good at helping my Client’s and friends with knowledge that benefits them…but at times I feel that I could do more to help others…unrelated to business.

There are a multitude of charities that reach out to help people with a monetary or physical need and it good that those individuals and organization are there.  It may sound selfish…but that isn’t my passion. I would prefer to inspire an individual to understand the importance of assuming responsible of one’s self.  It would be counter-productive for me to be part of an organization or a committee of group thinkers because of my perspective.

Our educators today have a very challenging role due to “group thinkers” who create a curriculum that is based on test scores results…money, political correctness and passing one on to the next level.  In my opinion when the “board” (applied to back side) of education and the teachers authority was diminished …so was the lesson that one’s actions and lack of respect for authority… has consequences.   The real education starts with life in the world of self-preservation…which most are not prepared for.  You won’t hear a bell ring or someone standing before you daily to lecture…but the knowledge and experience of every day is before you…learn from it. Life is not fair or equal…get over it!  You may receive a helping hand along the way…but there are less speed bumps to deal with when an individual accepts the responsibility for one’s own actions.

Society in general tend to look at titles and one’s materialistic accumulations as “Success”.  Don’t get confused or defined by someone else’s definition…unless it mirrors your passion and the direction that you want to take.  “Success is not the Key to Happiness…Happiness is the Key to Success. If you love what you are doing…you are successful”.  My definition is based on personal satisfaction, independence and the security that provides that freedom.

There is an old expression “Good Things Come to Those Who Wait” …not true…Make it Happen! Discover your passion and talent and start the journey to self-fulfillment, whatever it may be.

Remember that “Life is the Journey”, not the destination…which has already been determined.

Johnny J.

Treason in the United States?
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Treason in the United States?

The definition of treason in the United Stated is defined under 18 U.S. Code & 2381 as:

“Whoever, owing allegiance to the United States, levies war against them or adheres to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort within the United States or elsewhere, is guilty of treason and shall suffer death, or shall be imprisoned not less than five years and fined under this title but not less than five years and fined under this title but not less than $10,000; and shall be incapable of holding any office under the Unite States”.

The definition of a Coup:

“a sudden and decisive change of government illegally or by force, takeover. group action-action taken by a group of people”.

Preamble to the Constitution: A statement attached to the beginning of the Constitution

“We, the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United State of America.”

Mythological Trojan Horse:

The Trojan Horse was a huge wooden horse constructed by the Greeks (the horse being the emblem of Troy).  The Greeks hid a select force of men inside and left it outside the gates of Troy…and left, at which time the Trojans pulled the horse into their city as a victory trophy.  That night the Greek force crept out of the horse and destroyed the City of Troy.

The Trojan Horse has arrived in the United States…in the combined form of self-serving politicians, news media, political correctness and people entering the United States…not to assimilate…but to change our laws and way of life.  May God help us.

We the people have elected a group of self-serving individuals who are trying to overthrow the President and our Constitution…and that by definition is a coup and amounts to treason.   What about the other politicians that you say are not involved in that conspiracy?  They are not much better… they don’t have the balls to step up to the plate and do something about it because of political correctness or the effect that it will have on their career.

“We The People” …have got to make ourselves heard by spreading the truth and replace these self-serving public parasites…we are powerless to put them in jail …but we can VOTE THEM OUT regardless of their party affiliation.

Johnny J. 

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BBQ & SEX

This article is written from the prospective of what I view as an average “guy” …especially if he grew up in the South.  I realize that it doesn’t fit all male thinkers…but I feel it does speak for a large majority. With that said…let’s talk about the mind-set of 2 three letter words in the English language that catches the 8 second attention span of the male brain…BBQ and SEX.

Imagine yourself driving down a freeway with your destination 3 hours away…and you see a sign that reads “BBQ…Next Exit”.  It doesn’t make any difference what the establishment looks like…if it is being served from the tailgate of a pick-up truck…it appeals to the male brain, and if your wife or female friend is not riding with you…you will probably stop and order…after all it is 3 hours before reaching your destination (male justification).  The wife on the other hand…is looking at the building establishment and wondering if the bathrooms are clean, do they provide several options on the menu, or if they even have a menu.? The male brain only saw and thought one thing… “BBQ” …no need to waste any more brain power beyond that point.

Okay…let’s look at the word SEX…and forget about driving down the freeway and your destination being 3 hours away.  On this subject you can create your own scenario…I think you get my point…if not…just focus on BBQ.

In conclusion…I am a firm believer in capitalism and creativity…therefore if you were going to create an establishment that would provide you with a return on investment based on capturing the 8 second attention of the male brain…it should be an establishment on the freeway with a large sign that reads… “BBQ & SEX…Next Exit”…one can only imagine.

 

Disclaimer: This was written as an attempt at creative humor…if it failed, so be it. The fact that you read this far means that the subject matter caught your attention…which proves my point.

Johnny J.

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Ignorance and Stupidity

comicI haven’t written in a while because of a multitude of reasons that I could name…but the truth is…I just haven’t written in a while.  Writing is one method of releasing my thoughts and opinions of the surroundings in today’s world…in this case we will call it “venting for my own eyes and ears”.

I have always heard that there are two things one should never argue about… “religion” and “politics”.  Sooo…I have decided to write about “ignorance” and “stupidity”.  I am sure that you know a few people that fall into one of these two categories…or both.

Ignorance is “a lack of knowledge” …we are all ignorant but can broaden our horizons by acquiring more knowledge. Stupidity is “being born with a mind protected by a steel-trap and refusing to allow anything to enter”. Ron White (the comedian) has outlined many examples of stupidity and concluded that “You just can’t fix stupid”.  I am an opponent of that statement.

Vigorously regurgitating a political comment or soundbite without knowing the facts or at least exploring some degree of validity of what you heard…falls into the “stupidity” category.  Sometimes it’s better just to shut up. It has been said that God gave us two ears and one mouth for a reason…we are to listen twice as much as we are to talk…plus when you are talking you are only learning what you already know…huh?

Mark Twain once said… “Never argue with stupid people, they will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience”.

Opinions are good…but support them with research and knowledge of the truth …that doesn’t mean that you or the other person will necessarily agree or determine who is right or wrong…but many times it can help you determine which category the other individual falls in…at which time it may be better to talk about the weather or sports.

Speaking of…. “ How about them Cowboys?”  

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In the Scheme of Things …

Small talk with little substance…”bears no fruit” with casual acquaintances, groups or strangers.

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There was a study that someone conducted in regard to the attention span of the average listener.  It concluded after 25 seconds if the listeners had no interest in what you were saying… they tuned you out and were no longer listening.  (I am sure that I have made a lot of 25 second speeches without knowing it).  We sometimes initiate questions that promote longer answers (unintentionally) than we are prepared to listen to. For example: “How was your golf game today”? “Well on the first hole I knocked one out of bounds and three putted…then on the second hole”….and so on….get the point. The question that deserves a 25 second or less response… “What score did you shoot today”?

We all ask questions or make statements that are not meant to initiate a conversation…but as a means of politeness or awareness of one’s presence. Such as “How are you today?”… “Have a good day”… “Good golf shot”…etc…all of these can be responded to in no more than one or two words….and should be.

If you are trying to start a conversation that has value beyond 25 seconds…then ask a question to someone who has a source of knowledge to the question you are asking….and then be prepared to listen to the answer. Conversation should be an exchange of ideas or at least a learning experience.  Remember when you are talking “you are only learning what you already know”…and if your dialog extends beyond 25 seconds it should have interest to the other party.

There are some basic rules that we should all engage in such as:

…never ask a question that you know will embarrass or make the other person feel inadequate.

…questions concerning religion and politics are not good topics…if you know the other person’s views are different from your.

…having an opinion and elaborating on something that you know nothing about is more dangerous than not having an opinion at all. This one is a confirmation to the statement “I thought he was smart until he open his mouth and removed all doubt”.

…people usually would prefer talking about themselves or their own experiences with you listening …rather than listening to you talk about yourself.

Now I have just stated what I believe to be the proper protocol for starting an intelligent conversation with a casual acquaintance, group, or a stranger in the proper setting.

With that said… if you should run into an “old friend” that you haven’t seen in some time… in an informal setting such as on the golf course or like…none of the above applies…the proper greeting would be to extend you hand for a hand shake, smile and verbalize… “Damn you are as ugly as I remember”…It’s a guy thing…we wear it like a badge of honor….and it took less than 25 seconds.  Disclaimer: I would not necessarily recommend this greeting to the more intelligent gender…women.

 

 DISCLAIMER: The information presented is either my opinion or information obtained from sources believed to be reliable and factual; however, I make no representation as to the completeness or accuracy thereof. Any errors, including misuse or misspelling of words is either due to my fingers hitting the wrong keys, oversight, or my own ignorance

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“Fork in the Road”… “People, Places and Events”

Age constitute a series of chapters filed with people, places and events in one’s life with the passing of time.

As one gets older there is a tendency to bring into focus the “memories” of those events. For a moment separate the memories of those events from a specific decision that you made (or someone made for you) that led you to where you are today….that decision probably created the majority of those memories good or bad.

With that said…I thought that I would back track and try to identify the major “fork in the road” that has led me to the present.

fork-in-the-road

I now live in the Dallas-Ft. Worth Metro-Plex area of Texas…and have for the majority of my life (at my age it is safe to say the majority).  After college I was given a job opportunity that provided me a choice to move to one of several different cities in Texas…San Antonio, Houston and Ft. Worth.  I chose Ft. Worth because I had a brother that lived there at the time. Even though my brother and I had no direct conversation that influenced me to move to the area…the fact is “just because he lived there”…I made a quick decision at that time that has since fill the majority of my life…(he moved out of State less than a year of me moving here).

I could have just as easily chosen Austin, San Antonio, or Houston….but I didn’t. That one decision led me to all the people and events that have filled my life since.  Any other decision that I would have made at that time would have led me to a life filled with different people and events. To me its mind boggling to think for example…if I had moved to Austin at that time in my life…Where would I be today?  That one choice…that one turn in the road…has filled the majority of my life and has influenced who I am today.

Take a moment and reflect on a decision that you made…or didn’t make…that brought you to where you are today.  I not talking about the events that may have influenced the changes in your life…but the one major decision that you made that led you to the surroundings of where you are today.

Someone once said, life is what happens as you are making plans…our every day life becomes a bumper car ride with people and events being the rails that keep us on that continuing path.

If you under 30 years of age…there is a possibility that you haven’t encountered that major “fork in the road”…only detours…and only time will tell.

If you have reached an age where there is more time behind you than in front of you…then I  challenge you to isolate the ‘fork in the road” …and then wonder…what if? 

 

 DISCLAIMER: The information presented is either my opinion or information obtained from sources believed to be reliable and factual; however, I make no representation as to the completeness or accuracy thereof. Any errors, including misuse or misspelling of words is either due to my fingers hitting the wrong keys, oversight, or my own ignorance

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The NEW Bi-Partisan Plan

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The new bi-partisan plan is very simple…. “to oppose each other”.  I believe that the present two party system has reached a point of no return…in doing what is best for the American people.

The parties are so divided that the only focal point of a politician concerning the American people is “what can I say to them (the American people) to get elected or keep my job”.   We are pandered to or given a “spin” every time a politician opens his or her mouth.  I can understand ideological differences of opposing parties…but I have enough common sense to realize if they don’t compromise for the good of the American people…then they will destroy us.  As for career politicians… if they were that good at what they do… “Why in the Hell are we in such a decline today?” The answer is not complicated…they have been taking care of their own self preservation… instead of ours. You have heard it before “throw the bums out”.  It time for a new breed of elected officials to stands up for the American principals that made this County great.

The politicians are not going to change the rules that restrict “them” or limit their capabilities.  It is up to the conscious and informed to insist that our elected officials do the right thing for the American people. I used the words “conscious and informed”….not necessarily the masses.  If you don’t have a clue that there are 3 branches of governments or know who the Vice President is…then please use your vote on one of the next American Idol contestants.

America was once considered a melting pot and a land of acceptance and opportunity.  Today it is an influx of people that enter this Country as separatist and insist that this Country change to accommodate them.  The new America of “political correctness” and “division” will become our self destruction.   We as “united” Americans need to wake up…open our eyes wide and look at the obvious…it’s before us 24/7.

In the words of Larry Winget… “Grow A Pair”.  Oops…I so sorry that probably wasn’t politically correct.

 

 DISCLAIMER: The information presented is either my opinion or information obtained from sources believed to be reliable and factual; however, I make no representation as to the completeness or accuracy thereof. Any errors, including misuse or misspelling of words is either due to my fingers hitting the wrong keys, oversight, or my own ignorance

 

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Where do you live?

Start-Living-In-The-Now

This question doesn’t pertain to a geographical area…but one of your mind-set and reality.

Even though our body lives in the present, our thoughts and decisions do not always follow it’s lead.

In my opinion there is no right or wrong answer to this question… and its above my pay grade to judge, but I do find it interesting to analyze myself as well as others based on their actions.

If you should decide to do the same consider the three components of past, present and future.  Start with a 100% and start moving the scale based on your mind-set and the decisions that you make in your daily life….and analyze the results.  If the end result doesn’t  provide a form of contentment  within yourself …just remember only you have the ability to change it.

I know many people who live the majority of their time in the past.  When you are around them they are always reflecting on the past and most of their conversation always starts with… I remember when…They retain the same small circle of friends that they have brought with them to the present to relive those past moments  ever time they get together.  Current events or future plans are very seldom discussed…unless it’s a conversation about when they plan to get together again.

I am a person who lives the majority of his time in the present.  There are many poetic clichés that I could use to reference this…but I won’t.  For me…the past is the past…I can’t change it…its over.  I do have what I refer to as 15 second flashbacks …some are painful…some are happy moments but the more time you spend there the more you steal from the present. The future for me is about 2 weeks from the present.  Is this a healthy environment to live in?…probably not if you ask an economist or financial planner.  I have become comfortable and content with my life… by doing what is necessary in the present… to produce the financial means for that comfort.

The people that live for the future are some of the most optimistic people that I know. They are certain that there is a future and are constantly preparing for it. These individuals tend to lose site of “living life in the present” by only preparing for the future…and when (and if) their definition of the future arrives unfortunately their health and physical condition may prevent them from enjoying the fruits of their labor. The only thing that I am certain about is that the past is gone… the future is not guaranteed and at the time I wrote this…there was a present.

So…back to the original question…where do you live?

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DISCLAIMER: The information presented is either my opinion or information obtained from sources believed to be reliable and factual; however, I make no representation as to the completeness or accuracy thereof. Any errors, including misuse or misspelling of words is either due to my fingers hitting the wrong keys, oversight, or my own ignorance.

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Business as Usual

migrating-politicians

Like many of you… I receive emails quite often that have been forwarded to friends that have elected to pass them on.  Some of the views I agree with…some are slanted to promote one party’s agenda….while others I have simply found to be untruths.

Regardless of what political party you may identify with (if any) or even if you have absolutely no interest in politics or politicians… I strongly suggest you view this short video in regard to the contents that will affect you and your family regardless of your views or political affiliation.

The primary reason that this activity exist (as referenced in the video) is because we allow it.  Now I understand that each one of us have our own responsibilities or interest that occupy our daily routines, and the older you become…those days appear to become shorter.  I’m not asking you to alter your day… but to reflect for a moment and ask yourself is there anything that I can do to help eliminate “the idiotic business as usual” nonsense in Washington? Voting…emailing your elected officials…passing on emails that reflect your views to friends or etc. These are the minimum things that you should exercise.  Its’ the etc…I am asking you to give thought to.

Growing up in a small community I received news that was spoon feed me via newspaper or a 30 minute television time slot each day.  If there was a political agenda attached to it…I wasn’t aware of it… smart enough to know it…or I just wasn’t paying attention because of a lack of interest.  The truth is…it was probably a combination of all of these.

Today there is no excuse…with the internet there is almost nothing that can’t be researched in a matter of minutes… that can and will have an affect on your way of life…“regardless if you choose not to get involved”…you will be. Knowledge, words and actions are the most powerful tools to help create change…but only if you share them.

Watch this video for its content (regardless of its self interest or political affiliation)… “Business as Usual” needs to change.  The masses are controlled by a few though “sound bits, lies, self preservation and concealment of the truth”.  The truth is there…if you look for it.

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER: The information presented is either my opinion or information obtained from sources believed to be reliable and factual; however, I make no representation as to the completeness or accuracy thereof. Any errors, including misuse or misspelling of words is either due to my fingers hitting the wrong keys, oversight, or my own ignorance.

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The Six Principals of The Ten Commandants

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Religion is a sensitive topic to write about…and I am sure that I will offend some/or most…but that is not my intent.  I asked myself prior to writing this piece “How many religions are there in the world?”…so I Googled the question and was surprised at the multitude of answers. The answers ranged from 11 to over 4,000…in terms of organized human religious beliefs.  Obliviously in the end it boils down to the acceptance of one’s own definition of religion and belief….which brings me to this point…

With so many contributing factors that create wars and unrest in the world that stem from a combination of politics, greed, power, and suppression why is it that the religious aspect always seems to be attached to the conflict regardless of the complexity of reasons.

I was taught that religion is a spiritual belief of faith…and that there is a better life after this world…if one believes. So why should there be so much conflict about religion in this world…that is a matter of another world?  There are elements of each “religion”…that end up producing a better afterlife…if you believe. I find it interesting that the people that “do not believe”…find religion annoying and want to alter the principals of the “believers”… and the “believers” want to impose their beliefs on the “non believers” or other religions that are different from theirs. . Confusing?…yes it is, but in the end it is not about religion on this earth…it’s the fear that each is going to dominate the other and impose their values, beliefs and life style on their way of life….its about political structure and the fear that the one with the most power will rule over the other.

My Son pointed out to me in a conversation that we were having…that the last 6 of the 10 commandants really have more relevance to respect, goodness and human rights than a reference to an afterlife affirmation.  Even though I am ignorant of the teachings of the different religions I do recognize the goodness of individuals that try to live by the principals of those six commandants.

If each individual…regardless of religion… adopted the “last six commandments as principals” to live by…this world would be a much better place.

Johnny J.

 

DISCLAIMER: The information presented is either my opinion or information obtained from sources believed to be reliable and factual; however, I make no representation as to the completeness or accuracy thereof. Any errors, including misuse or misspelling of words is either due to my fingers hitting the wrong keys, oversight, or my own ignorance.