John's Blog

This has been floating around out there in various forms, but still worth a look if you haven't seen it. Written by Regina Brett, 90 years old and originally published in The Plain Dealer on Sunday,May 28, 2006:

To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me.

It is the most-requested column I've ever written. My odometer rolls over to 90 this August, so here's an update:

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

4. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.

8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.

12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.

16. Life is too short for long pity parties. Get busy living, or get busy dying.

17. You can get through anything if you stay put in today.

18. A writer writes. If you want to be a writer, write.

19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Overprepare, then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.

24. The most important sex organ is the brain.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: "In five years, will this matter?"

27. Always choose life.

28. Forgive everyone everything.

29. What other people think of you is none of your business.

30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.

33. Believe in miracles.

34. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.

35. Growing old beats the alternative - dying young.

36. Your children get only one childhood. Make it memorable.

37. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

38. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.

39. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

40. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

42. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

43. The best is yet to come.

44. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up

45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.

Tags: life experiences, life lessons

"Statistician: A man who believes figures don't lie, but admits that under analysis some of them won't stand up either."
Evan Esar

Tags: quotes

"Weird Al" Yankovic play tribute to The Doors & Craigslist.

Tags: YouTube, pop-culture, humor

A recent NY Times article Blogs Falling in an Empty Forest mentions that 95% of all blogs are essentially abandoned. It's nice to be a member of a majority from time to time.

They call this "public remnants of a dream unfulfilled". That's hardly the case here, since my low expectations were easily surpassed and my foray into blogging was and remains simply a time-waster. It's just that I've had little time, and even less inspiration. And although I've said this before, I can't close the door and move on. An unrealistic hope remains that I'll wake up and this suddenly will become fresh again. It's at least an alternative to Tumblr.

But the biggest culprit is the transferal of my time-wasting focus to the more immediate, short form, and short attention span site twitter and to a lesser degree facebook. I dismissed both for the longest time, and it's now hard for me to believe that I ever resisted them.

The saddest part of this is how quickly I've gotten hooked on the site FAVRD which ranks amusing or entertaining Twitter entries. Fellow users list their "favorites" and this can quickly become a crack-like addiction for those seeking approval or validation. I had no idea I fell in that category, but apparently I do.

So in the interest of posting something, and to explain why I'm seldom here, allow me to be self indulgent and lazy by reposting some Favrd tweets:

Microsoft wants to make "Bing" a verb. In related news, I want to become King of England.

Almost added stranger to my FB friends list thinking it was my wife. Thumbnail looked just like a picture I took. Another Doppelgänger!

Judge throws out lawsuit, informs plaintiff crunchberries NOT real fruit. http://tinyurl.com/pn6jq9 So Count Chocula; not true royalty?

I keep forgetting to buy Giant Cheetos; because sometimes you just have to prove to yourself that something is a bad idea.

Our new feng shui approved landscaping is done & the good fortune should now flow. So far the fortune is just flowing to the landscaper.

You can imagine my disappointment in discovering that membership in BJ's Club didn't include meetings.

I need to set aside some time to plan to be more spontaneous.

Someday I'll be able to read "Pens game" without hearing Penis Game in my head & laughing like a schoolgirl. Just not today.

People I've grown weary of hearing about: Susan Boyle, Jay Leno, Dick Cheney, & pretty much anybody on the Perez Hilton radar. And him.

As we watch smoldering resentment begin to tear the relationship apart, can we look forward to the sequel "Jon & Kate Plus Hate"?

Although potentially annoying, I could forgive a robo-call from Peter Weller due to the delicious irony attached.

Confused by Facebook; after selecting "refreshing friend list" everybody shows up. My list of refreshing friends is much shorter.

Warren Buffett has a ukulele obsession; this keeps alive my dream of a Jimmy Buffett/Warren Buffett double-bill concert tour.

A three-way mirror sounds much sexier than it actually is.

Somali pirates; doing a great job of sullying the reputation of romanticized pirates. Making "Talk Like A Pirate Day" much less fun.

I'm guessing those massage stations set up in the center of the mall pretty much preclude the happy ending option?

Tags: pointless rambling, pop-culture, blogging, twitter

"Three o'clock is always too late or too early for anything you want to do."
Jean-Paul Sartre

Tags: quotes

My new favorite mash-up: Han Solo, P.I.!!

Tags: TV, YouTube, movies, Star Wars, Mash-ups