Immaturity makes a Good Movie but a Crappy Life

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I just watched a movie called Baby on Board. In it, the main characters, Jerry O'Connell and Heather Graham, have a huge misunderstanding. Each thinks the other is cheating on their marriage. Both are given bad advice by their friends. Neither wants to talk about it to each other and get it worked out. Both are willing to let their marriage and lives be destroyed because neither has the most basic level of maturity needed to do the one thing needed to save it: Talk like adults.

If they had talked like mature adults, it would've taken about five seconds until they figured out they were both wrong, and worked it out. Of course, then we wouldn't've had a movie to watch.

The sad thing is, the movie isn't that far-fetched. There are a lot of people who would rather fight than figure out what the problem is and get it taken care of. But there was a lot more ruining their relationship than the two of them not talking.

What do half a million bikers look like

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I want to thank everyone for making the 14th anniversary of my 25th birthday the best party I've had in a long time! I've got big plans for next year, when I hit the BIG ONE FIVE! Even my stalkers paid homage by leaving me alone for the duration. You can't ask for more than that, can you?

A few months ago I finally checked out Facebook, and through it, re-met a bunch of guys I used to know in the Navy while I was on the Bataan, including one sweet little heartbreaker who can't stop telling me how funny and smart I am. (I don't mean the married ones.) We've got a lot in common, but she lives a few hundred miles away and I promised myself I wouldn't take any big trips until I got something published, so now I want to get that done so I can see if she'll make good on all her flirting.

Bruce Lee's Goals

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Pick up any book about improving your life and it will tell you that you need to write down your specific goals. Most people don't quite get the point; if they write their goals at all, they're usually pretty nebulous. "I want to be rich and famous." "I want to be happy."

What does it mean to be rich? Having a dollar? $1000? A million dollars? A billion?

What is happiness for you? Crushing your enemies to dust? Waking up in the morning? Eating anything you want any time you want?

You know who Bruce Lee is. You know what he's done. But Bruce Lee didn't just happen into fame and fortune, he worked for it. He set goals and focused on achieving them. Don't believe me? Here's a copy of Bruce Lee's goal statement, written in 1969.

Can you did what Bruce Lee did?

Expose Yourself #4 – Mrs. Hart, in the Library, with the Lead Pipe

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In this series of articles, I talk to people who have been successful at taking control of their lives, making a name for themselves, and helping others to do the same. I’m very fortunate to have met them, and very thankful they have agreed to spend a few minutes talking with me to share part of their stories. We’re going to delve into what it took to propel these people from ordinary lives into extraordinary lives. We’ll find out where they’ve been, where they are, and where they’re going as each guest is asked to “Expose Yourself”.

Today’s guest came all the way from Iran to see me, where she worked for an international bank and as Director of Volunteers for the American Women’s Club. She has also lived in New York, where she ran a horse farm and an art gallery, among other amazing endeavors, and is where she met her husband of 30 years.

Her first interactive murder mystery, Murder in Morocco, was produced in 1995 at the Richfield Springs Regional Theater in New York. Over the next ten years she wrote interactive plays and educational/interactive children’s plays, which were performed by the theater company she founded, Murder Mysteries on Call, Inc. When she came to Florida, she renamed her company to Make Mine Murder. One of her plays, “Murder in Morocco,” was made into a musical, which garnered seven Outstanding Achievement awards by the New York State Theatre Association, for Original Script, Original Score, and Original Lyrics, plus set design, costumes, props, and hair/makeup.

Nowadays, far from resting on her laurels, you’re likely to find her at the Daytona Playhouse, where she often directs, acts in, and designs and builds sets. She’s also written several books. Somehow, with all that going on, she still finds time to run a chapter of the Florida Writer’s Association, where she helps aspiring writers perfect their craft. Please give a warm welcome to Veronica Hart!

JC: Hey there, Ronnie, you’re looking fabulous as ever!

The Streetcar Rumbled along Bourbon Street

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The streetcar rumbled along Bourbon Street with a slight limp in its rolling gait, jammed with more passengers than it had any right or license to carry. Only the conductor cared of its plight, and he just barely, because he would get into trouble if that wobble turned into serious damage... or a turned ankle. Kept in service with the minimum of effort and financial outlay possible, the streetcar's aches and pains would continue to go unnoticed until disaster struck.

Brakes squealed the car to a halt. Rusty metal springs long past their design life sighed relief as people disembarked, then groaned with new strain as more replaced them. The overworked engine strained with palpable trepidation to get back to cruising speed, just barely above that of a walking toddler.

The sun took its time burning off the misty morning fog. The commuters were largely silent and solomn today, as if speaking were taboo. As if doing anything more than the absolute minimum required to get to work would trigger something... undesirable.

A Dry Feet Shower

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I'm not an especially hairy guy, but I've got some, and over the years I've lived here, I've managed to clog the sink and bathtub a few times. Good ol' Liquid Drano bails me out every time.

However, a couple months ago, when I had to do my annual Drano ritual, it didn't work. Neither sink nor tub would drain, meaning it took extra effort to clean my shavings out of the sink and I had to stand in water during my shower. The liquid form of Drano failed me, so I tried the gel. It had worked last couple times, but this time it too failed. I tried that new dual-Drano, you know, the foaming one that's supposed to be super-effective.

Didn't make a dent in it.