THE COMPASS by Tammy Kling and John Spencer Ellis

How many summers or falls do you have left?
This is just one of the many profound questions and statements found in this easy to read story. Jonathan found himself in an unfathomable tragedy and he could not comprehend what to do about it, how to live within it. So he started walking away from it. On this journey he begins to meet people who have or have had hardships of their own and all of them have wisdom and a lifestyle they share with Jonathan. Each person who teaches Jonathan a lesson also teaches you a lesson as you read this book. This book is very inspirational.
So how many summers or falls do you have left? At age 51 I could say twenty or thirty reasonably but it is possible that this is the last one. I know… what a morbid thought. But it’s also a true realization. There are no guarantees in life. So what do I do? Live it like it’s the last one seems like a good idea.

The Coping Saw

The first time I used a coping saw was in 7th or 8th grade woodshop class for making a Colonial style candle holder. Before that moment I had only cut wood in a straight line, well mostly straight. I thought it was so cool that I could give wood a shape and with a little sandpaper make it look good. So today I went to North Park Hardware on University Ave and bought myself a Coping Saw for $9.98. I took it home and made the simple yet practical item you see in the photos. It is a support board for the wooden rod in my daughter’s closet which spans eight feet and tries to hold the 500 pounds of clothes that hang on it. Placed in the middle this should help the cause.

Stupid Ass Award May 2009; Guaranty Bank of Austin

When does common sense prevail? Not when Guaranty Bank of Austin ponders what to do about some homes in Victorville, CA they can’t sell. They recently decided to demolish brand new homes instead of finding a common sense way to dispose of these holdings. The logic was it would have cost them approximately $1,000,000 to complete the project versus $100,000 to tear down those homes which were recently completed. Okay….did they offer them to anyone for $1.00, or $10,000, or the cost of finishing those which were partially completed? It doesn’t appear that way. From what I can tell 4 of the 16 homes in this subdivision were completed. One reader commentary suggested that basic infrastructure like sewer; water and electric weren’t brought into the site yet. I don’t buy it. These are usually the first things to be brought into a site before the building begins. You mean to tell me the model home didn’t have electricity?

Guaranty Bank of Austin had the chance to do something good. Give a well deserving family in the Victorville area a brand new home at an incredible deal. Instead they did a bottom line analyses with no human heart thought of greater possibilities. For this they earn my first Stupid Ass Award. I know there are many others who were dumbfounded by Guaranty’s action in Victorville so let me make a suggestion on how to send a message to the bank they might understand. If you are currently a bank customer of Guaranty Bank of Austin and equally disgusted by their decision to demolish these homes consider taking your money out of their bank and put it with one that has common sense. Be sure to let them know why you are closing and transferring your account. Perhaps if they realize customers are willing to withdraw millions of dollars in deposits because of their bonehead decision they’ll realize it did cost them more than just $100,000. This is probably a moot suggestion however because The Office of Thrift Supervision (OTS) recently ordered Guaranty Bank to meet a core capital ratio of at least 8 percent and a risk-based capital ratio of at least 11 percent and Guaranty said in a regulatory filing that "management believes, based upon presently available unaudited financial information, that the bank does not meet the required capital ratios set forth above." So… if the bank does not meet the required capital levels by May 21, Guaranty said, it would adopt plans to merge with or be acquired by another financial institution, or face liquidation. Rocks of Ruck.

If you haven’t seen the video on this act of stupidity then click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Ilayp2ykts

The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch with Jeffrey Zaslow

What do you do when you know you’re going to die? Before your time. You have three young children, a loving wife, a good job, and you’re in the prime of your life, but without a doubt you have less than a year to live and there is no cure. In the case of Randy Pausch, who many people know his story, you make the most of each and every remaining day and you leave a message with a lesson, or many lessons. Randy Pausch who was dying of terminal pancreatic cancer left us a video and a book titled “The Last Lecture.” In his book you’ll find that he is an optimist and a goal achiever. One way or another he managed to achieve many of his childhood dreams. The best take away line from the book in talking about setbacks or roadblocks to ones goal was “The brick walls are there for a reason. They’re not there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something.” This book should make you think, cry, and appreciate what you have and what is possible while you are alive.

I'M NOT GAY I JUST REALLY LOVE RAINBOWS

For years I have railed about the gay and lesbian community stealing the rainbow as “their” symbol. Who told them it was ok? They didn’t ask me or the State of Hawaii. I didn’t see a House Bill (H.R. Bill 6969) passed on this measure? As far as I can tell they just did a shout out on the gay grapevine and said “Hey, we're going to make the Rainbow our official symbol.” Excuse me Les Gays, I like rainbows too. Did you ever consider my relationship to the rainbow? The first time I took a prism in 7th grade science class and saw the rainbow display itself from a beam of white light I’ll admit I got excited but I didn’t feel the need to ask Randy over to dinner that night. Years went by and I was digging rainbows after a nice rainstorm in the late afternoon and then one day I noticed a rainbow flag. I thought to myself that’s cool. As time went on I began to notice more rainbow flags and even bumper stickers. At some point Light dawned on Marblehead and I came to realize that the rainbow had been absconded by the gay community. Well GLBT you can’t just come in and take the rainbow. That’s like Exxon/Mobil saying they own sunlight and now they’re going to charge us for it. It needs to be voted on. This is America and I want my voice heard. I also know I’m not alone. I just found this Rainbow Air Freshener and it makes a statement; “I’m not gay I just really love rainbows.” Now the only reason that this product even exists is because we all know you stole the rainbow. Don’t you remember your mother told you shouldn’t steal? Sorry GLBT folks but we just can’t continue to let this slip into common practice. Let America vote on it. Add another stripe or anything but please don’t take my rainbow. If you would like to order one of these Air Fresheners go to http://www.stupid.com/fun/IMNG.html As of today they are $4.99 each.

Thanks you Thief

Thanks Mr. or Ms. Robber Man. I went out to my car last Thursday morning and realized someone else had been in it. My CD’s, papers and crap I keep in the center console was thrown around the passenger seat and the glove compartment was open. My next door neighbor had just told me a week before his truck was broken into and they took his I-Pod. I opened the door and looked around, no damage…and as I started organizing my stuff I couldn’t see anything that I recall missing. He left all my CD’s so obviously didn’t like my music and I had some keys on a keychain he left. Then I thought he may have taken my Speedpass key that you can use at the Mobil/Exxon gas station and buy gas and whatever else they sell there without entering a PIN number. That would not be good. So I came back into the apartment and found that I still had my Speedpass. He didn’t take the jacket, jumper cables or even the $5.00 in quarters I had in the ashtray type coin holder. So should I thank him for this? Maybe, but what I really want to say thank you for is for fixing the Radio/CD player which hasn’t worked for about two months now. I don’t know how you did it and I should be upset because you violated my space however you’re the best auto/radio mechanic I’ve had…so thanks and I’m glad you don’t like James Taylor.

Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout

I purchased this book for two reasons. First I heard a review on the radio where the critic was begging for the listener to read it and secondly, I use to live in Maine where most of my family still lives and I know there are plenty of characters around the state that would make for a good story. Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout is a collection of short stories which takes place mostly in the fictional town of Crosby, Maine which one will find out is near the coast. Olive herself is a retired schoolteacher who has definite opinions about people and life and offers them in a straightforward manner. I really enjoyed many of the characters within the stories. Elizabeth Strout does a great job of detailing a description on each person so that it’s easy to picture them as real. Anyone who has spent some time or lives in the State of Maine probably will be able to connect to this cast of characters thinking; yeah… that sort of reminds me of so and so. I give it a 5 lobster pot rating. Yum!