With Age comes Humor

Have you ever thought about the aging process and harboring depressive thoughts? If you look at the older people around you, most have a great sense of humor, with the exception of my mother, sure hope I don't take after her (ha...just kidding). Although, there are those that tend to have a crabby nature, or at least it seems so with my mother, (which sets me off on my own crabby adventure). It is not good to be continuously around crabby people...it rubs off on you.

I really do love my mother. My dad passed away almost 9 years ago and now my mother has decided that she no longer wants to live alone, she very recently moved in with me. Have you ever heard the adage "The most admired is free of toil while the least is fully laden." Maybe I just made that one up due to the fact that I am least with my mother...my two brothers hold the highest honors, (why does she want to live with me?...some things are unexplainable). For now she is a source of humor for us...especially my youngest son. He likes to play with her mind, even during her crabby times.

Some of the amusements of senior citizens are the faces they make, you can always tell when they are displeased about something. It almost kills me to hold back...."Okay, what's brought the sour face this time...Who stirred your lemons...What do you have to be upset about?" I do this with anyone showing a displeasing emotion, not only senior citizens. I want them to speak up in front of everyone...don't hold back...I don't...Everyone knows I am going to speak out if I am not happy. If you don't want anyone to know you are upset, then bluff...don't let me see it, because I will make it known to everyone present. I guess I am too blatant, my husband says I need to control myself, (which he is referring to my mouth). He has got to understand, I have to do this! I cannot stand someone making faces without a known reason.

Another amusement is movement. A lot of older people will move extremely slow until it benefits them. A note of preparation; if you have an elderly person move into your home, have a restroom especially for them. In our home, we have too many people (friends and family) in and out all day, every day. And when you have one person taking up at least 10 minutes or more in one of the restrooms, even during the night, you definitely need more than two. What kills me is when they are just standing there looking at themselves in the mirror, trying to figure out what to do next! Am I impatient or what!!!! Maybe it's my nerves, or maybe I have to many traumatic experiences.

I hope with age, I can keep a sense of humor, I want people to look at me and smile, to laugh with me. I want people to see me as the person I am now. I want to move with grace, without slowing everyone around me down.

I want to age with funny stories to tell. The two most humorous stages in life are in childhood and senior years. These stages also make the best jokes.

An elderly couple, Ray and Bessie, are “snowbirds” in Texas. Ray has always wanted a pair of authentic cowboy boots.Seeing some on sale one day, he buys them and wears them home, walking proudly. He saunters into the house and says to his wife, “Notice anything different about me?”

Bessie looks him over and says, “Nope.”

Frustrated, Ray storms off into the bathroom, undresses, and walks back into the room, completely naked except for the boots. Again he asks, a little louder this time, “Notice anything DIFFERENT NOW?”

Bessie looks up and says, “Ray, what’s different?It’s hanging down today, it was hanging down yesterday, it’ll be hanging down again tomorrow.

Furious, Ray yells, “AND DO YOU KNOW WHY IT’S HANGING DOWN, BESSIE?? IT’S HANGING DOWN BECAUSE IT’S LOOKING AT MY NEW BOOTS!!!!!”

To which Bessie replies, “Shoulda bought a hat, Ray. Shoulda bought a hat.”

Struggle and Tumble

Okay...maybe I am alone in this, but I thought when someone is asked to perform a task or something like a simple request as to SING THE NATIONAL ANTHEM, one would rehearse and learn the lyrics before TAKING THE SPOTLIGHT in front of a live audience and the media. Of whom may I note has equipment sending live feed which is bouncing off satellites throughout space so the world and our entire majestic universe can share in this special event.

Think of the eyes that will witness this! Well...as myself...although I missed the initial film and news, (I miss so much of what goes on in the world, but I do try to catch up by reading some of the news when I have time), today I had the opportunity to see the video. (Don't you just love the internet...keeps one updated.)

Why would one take on a task as this without the confidence of knowing the lyrics? If I had to stop, not once, but twice and then go in to get the words to the song, I wouldn't have come back out...and then to fall down...oh sheessshhhh. It wasn't her night! If she had been properly prepared, she could have pulled it off.....and without a bruise!

I guess her flying in to sing on Good Morning America was her way of letting the world know that she studied the lyrics and had the confidence to sing it without a cheat sheet....or did she???

AMERICA...learn these lyrics so we can all be a proud nation...if it is too long and hard for you, don't embarrass yourself, move over and leave it to those that do.

Lyrics to 'The Star Spangled Banner'

Written by Lawyer Francis Scott Key During War of 1812

O say, can you see, by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.
O say does that star spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free, and the home of the brave?

Hooters Air...nothing surprises me anymore

Hooters...the Big TATA's...have now entered the dimension of aeronautics..."Pack the helium girls...we're taking it to the Air."

It was only a matter of time.... Let the imagination soar with this one...this could be a feature film!

An airplane, oh let's go proper on this...

A huge "aero" plane filled with passengers...but oh... something is different...what could it be??? It's a full flight...not a single seat in sight.

THAT'S IT...all the passengers are male...or so it would seem. Then you began to realize...there are women aboard this flight...it's hard to recognize them sitting amongst the males, so masculinely serene.

No satin or lace, nor a feminine face, no dresses or heels, no silk stockings to feel.

With eager anticipation, suddenly what to their wondering eyes should appear...a huge set of bazonka's, but only the first pair, jiggling and bouncing their own "aero" batic dance, all eyes fixated in trance. To the delight of the passengers, a second appeared with a safety announcement to calm every fear.

"To all who should note, we are the safest airline afloat.
Should our engines fail, we will not fall, we have enough helium to keep aloft.
The only danger forseen would be pilot neglect or a flame ignite.
An explosion so quick, lighting up the sky, not at care or thought for the life we have wrought.
Concern only for the astounding "aero" dynamics of this enjoyable flight."

Well...as I can see, there is nothing left but to start my own chain of restaurants situated beside this new "aero"nautical wonder of which I will name "The Derriere". And when I decide to branch out into bigger and better directions, it will be in the "Aqua"nautical division.

Everyone needs a preferential choice. Fly "Tits" or Sail "Ass"!

President Hillary Rodham Clinton?

Is America ready for Hillary Clinton as President of the United States?

I, for one, am NOT, as I am sure many others are in agreement. But then we have the shallow-minded intransigents, of whom fail to deem beyond what they consider, their own indubitable intellect. They are too busy looking within themselves to see what is before them. Therefore, eagerly leaping onto the Political jackass, they blindly err as a Steed...Or should we say "Mare".

I have nothing personally against Mrs. Clinton, other than I have little respect for her. Although against Democratic conviction, I am still unconvinced that she did not seek the Senate seat in New York for use as a catapult into the presidency. She was never satisfied behind the scenes telling her husband how to run the nation, she wants to be the one behind locked doors of the Oval office with her cigars.

I accept the rise in Mrs. Clinton's approval rating in the polls, even more so after the presidential election of which she had refrained from running, that is as it should be. She had to prove to New York and the nation of her pledge to serve a full term and not a seek higher office. She kept a low profile during the presidential election, although many democrat's believe she would have won her party's nomination easily. No matter how comfortable she is becoming with many of the Republican or the Democratic party, if she had ran at that time, it is my belief that would inevitably have been her down fall. It would have destroyed the trust she had worked for and given proof to the suspicions within our nation.

Undoubtedly, we all know why she wanted the seat in the New York Senate, argue all you want, it is still visibly fact. No matter how many of the male liberal, democrat and republican party's shout out her good deeds and honor, I don't believe we are ready for Hillary Clinton as President.

Time To Discuss Blogs With Ad Agencies?

Robert Scoble argues over at The Red Couch that you never should let your ad agency write your blog. I agreee - their expertise has nothing to do with blogs. In fact, advertising is in many ways something opposite to blogs.

Read Robert's post.

No problem, then? They do ads, we do blogs?

Not really - and I think we have a point here that needs much more attention. The thing is, you could have a brilliant blog but if you're painting a picture of your company that doesn't match the other messages your customers get, you're in trouble. It's the basics of integrated communications. What someone learns about you through one channel should be confirmed through other channels. If not, you simply are not credible.

This means that even if ad agencies shouldn't write corporate blogs, their work has an impact on what people think of a corporate blog(ger). And what you write in a blog affects the way ads and other forms of marketing are understood in the minds of our - often - common target groups.

I think we need a more qualified discussion about this. It's not productive to shout "hands off" to the ad agencies. We should say "welcome" instead and figure out how to mix blogs and other channels effectively - without losing the authenticity, honesty and personality of the blog.

It can be done. But it's a major challenge and it will require strategic communicative skills. Do bloggers and other key players have these skills? Does your Communications Director understand conversational tools enough to see their role in relation to other tools?

A world of thought and wonder...the mysteries that lie within us.

The Golden Light has Passed

Today, at 9:37pm, Rome time, that Soul that was Pope John Paul II, left this world he had served so well. Even tho, I am not a Catholic, this was a man who I came to admire immensely! He was a man of great compassion, who sought to heal all hurts and breaches between humankind. He traveled this world, even when he was ill, he has greeted people in over 120 languages, he spoke fluently 8 languages. Whenever & wherever he traveled throngs of 100,000 People turned out to see him, Catholics & non-Catholic, alike.

He was, like our own President Ronald Reagan, "the great communicator" as well as the "Shepard" of over 1 billion, 700,000 Catholics around the world. He embraced all religions and when he traveled to Israel, he visited a Mosque and a Synagogue, something no other Pope had ever done. Young people of all faiths liked and admired him. When on a visit to the USA, he told the crowds of young people, who were there, "The Pope...is your friend!" The crowd went wild.

He has suffered through many travails including the loss of his Mother when he was a very young child, loss of his brother, then at 22 yrs old he lost his Father. He lived in Poland, under Communism and years later as Pope was standing with the "solidarity" movement in Poland. He always spoke against tyrants & oppressors of humankind! In 1981 he escaped an assasins bullet. He lived with Parkinsons disease.

He exemplified all the attributes of Jesus and lived his life in total devotion to Him. His life should serve as an example of what a truly "good man" is. People in all faiths, saw the greatness, humbleness, goodness and mostly the Love this man had for all peoples. He always stood for "life" and the dignity of man. He was a most remarkable man, who lived his life courageously and faced death even more courageously. Even this past Wednesday he was brought to his window, wanting to speak to the crowds but was so very ill he could not even speak. He waved a feeble hand and made the sign of the cross, it was a supreme effort to do even this but his love of the people and wanting to greet them was his only thought. By the next day, he was in a grave condition!

No one knows who might fill his shoes and they are mighty big shoes to fill but the man from Poland named Karol Wojtyla, who became the 1st non-Italian Pope in 500 years will be a hard act to follow. He lived 84 years on this earth and influenced billions. Proof of this is how many people of other faiths felt the need to pray for this Pope, that his passing would be peaceful and with dignity. I think our prayers were answered and he has now passed on into History and into the arms of the Angels and into the Heart of God. "Well done, you good and faithful servant, enter now into your reward." The world was privileged to know and love this man and he will be missed by those within his church and those of us who are not Catholic. What greater tribute to this man...than this fact!