got grace?

I often receive chain emails from various friends and family members, which run the gamut from patriotic to motivational to religious themes. Support our country, stay strong, or praise God are the messages generally conveyed. Each sender implies that if I follow the instructions contained in their message and forward it to eight or 10 people that the world will transform itself into a better place for all of us. Which sugar substitute are these folks putting in their cup of coffee?

These emails are like zit creams. Your pimples don't go away from using it. But because you think you are doing something to treat the problem, you feel better about it. A pimple runs its natural course, goes away, and then everything is fine. When it returns, you apply more zit cream. It is a cover up. If you really want to eliminate pimples, you need to drink more water, eat healthier, exercise, get sufficient rest, wash properly and make sure your skin is sufficiently hydrated.

The same axiom holds true addressing the social-political issues that makes this world a very difficult place for the majority of us to survive. Human nature, as it is, prompts the majority of us to separate ourselves from the issues. It is great to be patriotic and announce your loyalty to the nation. But what is resolved if you are ignorant or indifferent to the real-life issues that surround us? Is it right that half of this nation cannot afford health insurance? Is the U.S. involvement in the war in Iraq anything more than an economic issue stemming from our need for petroleum products? Would seeking alternative energy or energy suppliers be a better way to solve the problem? Can our intervention really prompt Arabs and Jews to get along with each other after they have been fighting each other for over 1,000 years? Do you really care about any of this if it does not directly impact your household? How far outside of yourself do you really think? If there is food on your table, does it matter to you that others are dying daily from starvation? What has more impact on you, federal government, local government, or your employer's opinion of you?

The world is afflicted with terminal cancer and sugar pills are being prescribed to address its symptoms.

We seek religion for solace. But if your God is more important than my God, where is the spirituality? Got grace? If you believe that God loves all of his children equally, what does God think of you if you can't see it that way? Does God love homosexuals and ethnics less than white heterosexuals? If religion had a corporate structure, would Jesus, Allah and Buddha be equal members of the board? How come religious leaders live lavishly? Is the pope more loved by God than me? How can celibate Catholic staffers, priests and nuns, offer me counseling on getting along better with my wife?

I recently received an email from a Christian fundamentalist who proclaimed that Hurricane Katrina and other natural disasters are God's personally delivered messages to the masses. I have a hard time swallowing that a merciful god, who loves all creatures equally, would behave in such a manner. Human beings, yes, they might do something like this, but not God. If God intended to send a message to the masses about how we are destroying his creation, his targets would not be the poor people.

God would be aiming his wrath at rich evangelists, corrupt politicians and anything-for money businessmen. Major banking institutions and credit card companies would turn to salt and crumble. Allowing these misanthropic, self-serving people and institutions to endure unscathed is the most poignant message that God's all-encompassing mercifulness and tolerance to all his creations is infinite.

I guess all that I am saying is that if all you have to offer me for hope that this world will get better is an insipid chain email, I appreciate your sentiments. But I thank God even more for giving me a delete button.

Amen.

Was it ELP or ELP? 1986: Pre-Net Events

LAY DOWN YOUR GUNS--This song should be played in every room where government officials meet every day GLOBALLY. Best lyrics ever for conveying a meaningful message. The front cover resembles ELP's Trilogy album cover. However, instead it is a paper-like cutout; and Cozy Powell (CP) did replace Carl Palmer (CP) and the band didn't have to re-label anything!

No riffs existed between Palmer, Lake and Emerson; it was just business. Carl had gigs with super power rockers Asia to finish up that overlapped a tour for this album. Amazingly moving lyrics! There is four minutes of blank space at end, which is not very moving at all.

Personal Credit Repair Tales

A friend of mine recently contacted a credit-card company and, basically, said, "Sorry, but no can do on payments as-is. Is there anything your benevolent institution could do for me?" After 2 rounds of no-please hold, he got his interest dropped two-thirds and the monthly payments down 60 percent for a year. He refused to name names, and so do I in this matter, but, it paid to tell the truth. So, that's a happy ending. They updated his files; and he upped theirs. Yep.

The tale of the banker and the beaner

STONE COLD CRAZY--"Time to wake up and sell the coffee," said the banker to the beaner." FU, banker, the beaner replied, as the banker drove off in his red 2010 BMW, laughing fiendishly. The music blaring from the car speeding off ominously filled the air. The beaner smirked, as a man in a suit, exiting from a recently... parked Bentley Continental approached him. Another day Juan Valdez thought ... another day.

The photo is a from Bikini Barista, a drive-through gourmet coffee stand, Everett, Washington. Why not. Clean up in expresso aisle, please.

Remember Rosewood, not K West's PR stunt to exploit it

He has a right to be him. I have a right not to care for it and to have a thought on it if desired. You do too. That's the best part of liberty ... maybe the only part that is possible to save. Read about what happened to an all-black community in Rosewood, Fla., in 1923, and compare it to K West and Taylor Swift incident without sounding superficial and vapid simultaneously. Go ahead and try it.

What does a fashionable uniformed dress code have to do with anything but showing off nice duds by a big designer? It's cool. But why so much press?

Liberty ... wonderful isn't it?

While Martin Luther King Jr. had a dream, Kanye West has a scheme. Go read about what happened in 1923 at Rosewood and tell me how a tiny rich man with a super-sized ego making his male employees wear "Men in Black" Dior Homme suits doesn't exploit that tragic event.

Read all about it.

571 Words

The hardest thing about writing something for me is determining the appropriate number of words to use. How many words must be written to express something clearly? If you write too many words, you are either boring or wordy. And you are either shallow or trite if you use too few words. It is like that fine line between meaningful eye contact and the glazed stare of a crazy person. It is important to know when enough is enough. What is the difference between leaving your readers wanting to read more and not saying enough to deliver your message clearly?

This issue concerns me greatly every time I try to write something. Who knew trying to be humorous would prompt such serious thinking? I wonder what serious writers think when they are writing something that is important.

My apprehensions toward correct word count probably goes back to my early days in school when teachers would assign writing assignments with specific word quantities, such as 250- or 500-word essays. The first thing the teacher would always state was how many words you had to write to fulfill the assignment. For me, such assignments felt like defined prison sentences instead of opportunities to be creative. How much limited playtime or goofing-off time was this assignment about something some dim-witted teacher thinks is vital to my development going to cost me?

I recall spending at least as much time counting the words as thinking about what I could say next to reach the magic number. Today with personal computers being everywhere, it is simple to determine the magic number required to finish an assignment. When I was in grade school, I used to count the number of words over three lines, divide that quantity by three, and then multiply that number by the total number of lines written. It was always a quantity-over-quality issue. I really don't remember teachers saying don't worry about the number of words; concentrate more on how you present your material. There were probably a couple reasons for the teachers having such a disposition.

The main reason may have been that teachers were looking at these assignments the same way as the children. They didn't want to waste their precious time reading crap anymore than kids wanted to be bothered writing it.

By saying write 250-word essays on some historic character or on what you did during your summer vacation, teachers could gauge how long it would take them to grade the material. They were simply using damage-control techniques to keep it simple. This type of thinking may have something to do with why so many people hate to write. It may also contribute as to why so few write well.

When I was in grade school, not too many teachers offered much encouragement to get students in to writing. Maybe those educators knew the likelihood of a person getting paid to write is minimal at best and opted to discourage it. Perhaps I should have paid more attention to something besides my own thoughts and feelings?

I can recall the name of every individual whom I felt was important to me while growing up. It strikes me odd that after 16 years of attending educational institutions that I cannot name five teachers whom have influenced me strongly enough to remember their names. That is not very funny, is it?

By the way—this one came in at 571 words.

Good Questions for a Bad Job Interview

Everyone has been told or taught that when you are on a job interview, you should be punctual, eager, dressed for success and make meaningful eye contact with the person conducting the interview.

Additionally, it is very important to ask questions to prove you are interested and not asleep with your eyes open. Many people prepare a list of questions to show initiative; some of us, including me, have even pulled out a list of questions to show they came prepared.

Unfortunately, despite all that and more, there are times when you know that there is absolutely no way this job is going to make it to your updated résumé. However, since you are already there, you might as well get your money’s worth for the cost of dry cleaning your best outfit, paying for a fresh haircut, and the time wasted because some corporate kiss-ass doesn’t think your lips pucker the right way to be the ideal candidate.

It is for those occasions, in particular, that I have come up with some questions worth asking ... just for the hell of it. Knowing that you are being rejected hurts. This just may help take the sting out of being flatly dejected and having your time wasted by a stiff, management-level human resource with a personality as rigid as a girder. Make it your day, too.

I would like to get a better understanding of this organization. Which dictator’s philosophy best defines your policies, procedures and principles?

Does the paperwork I have to sign before being hired take away my rights to take you to court? If so, could you summarize the arbitration process this company uses?

Do I really have to wait a year to get a raise?

Do the products (or services) here really work well?

Do you drug test more than once?

Do you also test for masking agents?

How quickly do sick days accrue here?

How are unruly subordinates handled?

What is the difference between a verbal warning and just getting yelled at?

I know what you are seeking in the ideal candidate. But what are you willing to accept?

Am I permitted to make personal calls if I have nothing better to do?

How many hours a day do you really expect me to work?

Could you tell me how this company defines sexual harassment?

Do you serve alcohol at the Christmas party?

Is drinking permitted at lunchtime if you are discreet?

Do you drink?

How many times can you be late before you are in real trouble?

How did you get where you at in this company, working hard or mightily kissing ass?

How many of the boss’ relatives work here?

Are you related to the boss?

What should I do if a customer really pisses me off?

Is your personality this way all of the time or is this a special day for you?

If my coworkers are jerks, is it okay to just ignore them?

Is it okay to surf the Net for porn if I am on a break?

Where do you see this company five years from now?

Do you plan on being here five years from now?

If you don’t know if you’ll be here five years from now and you work here; why the hell are you asking me that when I know less about this place than you?

Could I post a sign in the lunchroom to promote my résumé-writing business?

If my boss really pisses me off, can I come to you for support?

I am not really feeling this today. Could I just come back tomorrow?