Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Possessions


[The goal of advertising is to create] ... another catchy way to have us spend money we don't have to buy things we don't need to impress people we don't like. (The Upper Room Disciplines - 2008, 30 June)

As humans, we have a natural propensity toward addiction ... Too many of us spend too much of our time accumulating stuff and things that fill our time but do not fulfill our lives, we seek more and more and obtain less and less. (The Upper Room Disciplines - 2008, 24 June)

We're always in danger of ending up possessed by our possessions. (Johann Christoph Arnold, Escape Routes, p. 44)

... whatever you're dragging around could kill you. (Johann Christoph Arnold, Escape Routes, p. 80)

Sometimes the best thing I can do with things that seem well worth keeping is to give them away. (Karen Barber, Daily Guideposts - 2010, 13 January)

The greatest disappointment (and resulting pain) you can feel is when you have just experienced that which you thought would bring you the ultimate in pleasure - and it has let you down.  Pleasure without boundaries produces life without purpose. (Ravi Zacharias, The End Of Reason, p. 41)

Since every choice I make rules out the alternatives and since I won't live long enough to do everything, my choices say something about what I value most. (Harold S. Kushner, The Lord Is My Shepherd, p. 89)

... I will never feel deprived or diminished if I don't get what I yearn for, because I know how blessed I am by what I have. (Harold S. Kushner, The Lord Is My Shepherd, p. 36)
29 February 2012


Tuesday, February 28, 2012

New Ideas

I am never too old to explore new ideas.  My association with others will have new meaning today. (Karen Casey, Keepers Of The Wisdom, 20 January)

******
Here are links to some new YouTube playlists I've been working on.








Mr. Dickie
28 February 2012

Monday, February 27, 2012

Up All Night

Do not rely too heavily on other people, for like all of us, they have their flaws and foibles. (Thomas 'A Kempis, The Imitation Of Christ, Book 2, Chapter 1, p. 64)

******
As often happens I took a nap yesterday afternoon, then I couldn't sleep during the night.  I was awake until 2:00 a.m. watching television.

From midnight to 1:00 a.m. I watched an episode of Monk from WGN America in Chicago.  The plot was about Mr. Monk finding a BFF. Andy Richter played the best friend and did a nice job.  There are many long commercial breaks during this show, no matter which channel has the reruns.


From 1:00 a.m. until 2:00 a.m. I watched two PBS half-hour performances of Austin City Limits (ACL).  I couldn't remember whether I'd seen them before or not. Here's a link to the shows on the Internet.


Mr. Dickie
27 February 2012

Sunday, February 26, 2012

3rd Annual DC Bluegrass Union Festival

Decisions made in a moment can affect a lifetime. (A Gentle Spirit, 19 February)

******
Today's posting on Mr. Dickie's Blog pays tribute to: 
  • Bluegrass music
  • Groups that promote the music
  • Bands that performed on 25 February 2012 at the 3rd Annual DC Bluegrass Union Festival.
Yesterday I attended the 3rd Annual DC Bluegrass Union Festival held at the College Park, Maryland - Holiday Inn from noon until 11:30 p.m. That was eleven and a half hours of Bluegrass with breaks of only about ten minutes between sets.  Eight bands performed with two bands playing two sets.  The festival was a great success with a full house for the evening performances.  During the program they announced that plans are already underway to hold the festival at the same location in February 2013.

The winner of the Friday night band contest was a Washington, DC band - By and By.  They opened the show on Saturday.

The 2012 Washington Monument Award was presented to co-winners: Tom Gray and Eddie Adcock.

The president of the DCBU, Randy Barrett and Dede Wyland performed in the band Mama Tried.  Eddie and Martha Adcock performed with Tom Gray.  I couldn't find good webpages to use here.

The Bluegrass Promoters

Saturday, February 25, 2012

Ignorance

Among adults, the most common form of ignorance is looking to others -

  • other people,
  • institutions,
  • codes,
  • religions,
  • movements, and
  • forms of authority -

to tell us what to believe and how to act.
(Craig Nakken, Finding Your Moral Compass, p. 208)
25 February 2012


Friday, February 24, 2012

One-Pointed Intention

One-pointed intention means holding your attention to the intended outcome with such unbending purpose that you absolutely refuse to allow obstacles to consume and dissipate the focused quality of your attention. (Deepak Chopra, The Seven Spiritual Laws Of Success, p. 75) 24 February 2012

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Missteps

You correct your previous missteps by stepping forward. (A Course In Miracles, 2,II,6,2)

... we could do a great deal to offset ... [personal] damage by turning our examination and criticism on ourselves, and taking energetic steps to correct what we think and do. (One Day At A Time In Al-Anon, 4 February)

... one of the surest paths to doing the right thing is knowing what it is about you that will make you do the wrong one. (Ratey and Johnson, Shadow Syndromes, p. 206)

Work hard at eliminating your own complaints about things you can do nothing to change ... (Dr. Wayne W. Dyer, Pulling Your Own Strings, p. 71)

It is not acceptable to plead bad brain chemicals as an excuse for bad behavior. (Ratey and Johnson, Shadow Syndromes, p. 19)

Mr. Dickie
23 February 2012


Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Seed Of Opportunity

Every single problem that you have in your life is the seed of an opportunity for some greater benefit. (Deepak Chopra, The 7 Spiritual Laws of Success, p. 89) 22 February 2012

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Silent Giving

The gifts of caring, attention, affection, appreciation, and love are some of the most precious gifts you can give, and they don't cost you anything. When you meet someone, you can silently send them a blessing, wishing them happiness, joy, and laughter.  This kind of silent giving is very powerful. (Deepak Chopra, The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success, p. 32-3)

******
Last night and this morning I created some new YouTube playlists.




This morning I signed up for the "free" Plaxo address file.  This works with the Avery/Dennison label site.  I don't want to wait until Christmas season to start planning how I am going to create address labels.

Mr. Dickie
21 February 2012


Monday, February 20, 2012

Thomas 'A Kempis

If you cannot make yourself as you would like to be, how can you expect to have another person entirely to your liking? (Thomas 'A Kempis, The Imitation Of Christ, Book 1, Chapter 16)

******
I created a YouTube playlist for multi-talented Bluegrass performer, Emory Lester.  His primary instrument is the mandolin.  In the videos he is playing both the mandolin and the banjo.  He was in Crofton, MD on Saturday afternoon performing with Wayne Taylor and Appaloosa.  Emory who is a native of Virginia, lives in Canada.  

Below are links to the websites of:


Bluegrass Today Article about Wayne Taylor

Mr. Dickie
20 February 2012

Sunday, February 19, 2012

In My Opinion

Do you take it as a personal insult when someone disagrees with you? If you don't you'll soon discover that it's "just" their opinion. (after Touchstones, 11 February) 19 February 2012

Saturday, February 18, 2012

Choices

Today I will witness the choices I make in each moment.  And in the mere witnessing of these choices, I will bring them to my conscious awareness. (Deepak Chopra, The Seven Spiritual Laws Of Success, p. 46)
******
Learning doesn't seem to get any easier.  The new computer allows me to explore many things I wasn't able to investigate when I was using the old computer with its severe limitations.  Now I always feel like I am playing catch-up.  This week I've worked on several projects:
  • WordPress
  • BookCrossing
  • YouTube Playlists
  • Posting links on Mr. Dickie's Blog to:
    • WordPress
    • Google Docs
    • BookCrossing
I'm using WordPress to create a private blog where I can do some journaling with the computer.  For the last several years I have been putting my daily journal entries on yellow legal-size paper.  I usually do most of this writing in the morning.  I plan to continue this practice.  After I bought a used book about WordPress I started thinking about how I could learn about the application.  That's when the thought came to me that a good project might be to create a private blog. My friend in Illinois, Job Conger, has been using WordPress for his public blog Honey and Quinine for a long time.

Mr. Dickie
18 February 2012



Friday, February 17, 2012

Google Docs

When you think you are standing close to perfection, you are hallucinating. (Mr. Dickie, 8 February 2012)

******
I'm working on creating a YouTube playlist for Google Docs a free, cloud application with word processing, presentation, spreadsheet and form components.

Here's a link to my Google Docs playlist.

Here are a set of links posted by "Docs."

Here's a link to The Google Story which is one of 1430 videos available on the YouTube Google channel.

Mr. Dickie
17 February 2012




Wednesday, February 15, 2012

BookCrossing

There is no rule that says I have to be and think and act the same way my whole life. Today is a clean slate. I can be who I want to be. (Karen Casey, Keepers Of The Wisdom, 11 February)

******
I signed up for the book sharing application, BookCrossing.  I went to Staples to buy a packet of Avery 2"x4" labels, ten to a sheet, that I can use to print the labels I'll be attaching to the books I'm going to release.

Here are links to some of the BookCrossing videos I watched on YouTube.

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Compulsive Escapes

There are many opportunities for compulsive escapes from life through dependent relationships with:

  • others, 
  • money, 
  • alcohol, 
  • tobacco, 
  • sex, 
  • food,
  • drugs,
  • work, or
  • emotional binges.

(after Touchstones, 28 January)
14 February 2012

Monday, February 13, 2012

Self-Development

A huge part of self-development - whether it takes place through therapy, life coaching, a Twelve Step group, religious or spiritual practice, or simple self-reflection - is being able to step back, notice what we are guilty of, and admit it. (Craig Nakken, Finding Your Moral Compass, p. 110-11) 13 February 2012

Sunday, February 12, 2012

Detachment

Without detachment we are prisoners of

  • helplessness, 
  • hopelessness, 
  • mundane needs, 
  • trivial concerns, 
  • quiet desperation, and 
  • seriousness -- 

the distinctive features of everyday mediocre existence and poverty consciousness. (Deepak Chopra, The Seven Spiritual Laws Of Success, p. 85) 12 February 2012

Heart of Caroline - sung by Wayne Taylor

Saturday, February 11, 2012

Forgetting And Remembering

Seat of Forgetting and Remembering

"They teach us to remember; why do they not teach us to forget? There is not a man living who has not, some time in his life, admitted that memory was as much of a curse as a blessing." (Francis Durivage, with a small change to the phrase, "why do not they" in Pulling Your Own Strings by Dr. Wayne W. Dyer, p. 71) 11 February 2012

Friday, February 10, 2012

Pay Attention

Whatever you put your attention on will grow stronger in your life. Whatever you take your attention away from will wither, disintegrate, and disappear. (Deepak Chopra, The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success, p. 70)

... getting a great idea without acting on it is like inspiration with no perspiration.  Most people never make it past the inspiration phase. (Doug Sahlin and Chris Botello, YouTube For Dummies, p. 10)

Fight bravely, for habit overcomes habit. (Thomas 'A Kempis, The Imitation Of Christ, Book 1, Chapter 21, p. 52)

Life thrives on possibilities and options. (Touchstones, 10 January)

******
I asked my Facebook friends for comments about Costco.  I was pleased with the number of replies.  Most  wrote favorably about their shopping experiences.  Our membership in BJs will expire at the end of this month.  For a long time I have been complaining about the lack of open checkout lines.  It's my opinion that a membership store that charges $50.00 a year ought to provide people to checkout the merchandise.  Several times I've told management, "If I wanted to do checkout work I'd apply for a job."

I'm scanning a book about the WordPress blogger that I bought the other day at the library bookstore.  It's very similar to the Google Blogger.  I'm thinking about trying it out.  I could use it to create a private journal that I would use for making some notes when I'm at the computer.

Mr. Dickie
10 February 2012


Thursday, February 9, 2012

They


They want it this way.  
They don't allow that.  
That's the way they do things. Etc.



Watch out for the magic "they," which pops up when victimizers want to give you the impression that some all-powerful authority has dictated the terms you are supposed to live by.  If the speaker, can't tell you who "they" are, then for all you know "they" don't exist -- and you would be rather foolish to live by "their" rules!
(Dr. Wayne W. Dyer, Pulling Your Own Strings, p. 89)
8 February 2012

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Make A Contribution

Have you realized that there is little likelihood that what bothers you, is a concern of anyone else?  (Mr. Dickie, 8 February 2012)

The chronic irritability of urban life ... challenges the belief that being in touch with one's anger is an unalloyed good.  (Ratey & Johnson, Shadow Syndromes, p. 148)

A person who is humble is always at peace, but a proud person carries a heart filled with envy and resentment. (Thomas 'A Kempis, The Imitation Of Christ, Book 1, Chapter 7)

Knowing that our presence, our words, our willingness to listen to someone else has made life better for them makes it better for us too. (Karen Casey, Keepers Of The Wisdom, 28 January)

... get engaged with life, take time for reflection, learn to enjoy it where [you] can and try to make a contribution. (Touchstones, 19 January)

******
Yesterday Melva and I went to the Costco store about three miles from the house to conduct a survey visit.  We are discussing whether we should change our membership from BJ's at the end of the month.  I don't like paying a membership fee and then being asked to checkout my own purchases.  Costco didn't have any self-checkout lines and they had a better selection of merchandise.  Getting to the store was somewhat difficult but it is three miles closer to where we live.

There was a Facebook surprise this morning.  There's a new, very nice, photo viewer.  Maybe that's why Facebook was running slowly yesterday.

Mr. Dickie
8 February 2012

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Being Rich

Being Rich now means having enough money that you don't have to encounter anyone who isn't. ... The adjective public in public services has often come to mean inadequate. (Robert B. Reich, Aftershock, p. 22-3) 7 February 2012

Monday, February 6, 2012

Shortcuts

... we have all had the experience of trying to take a shortcut ... and finding ourselves entangled in a mess we would have done well to avoid. (Harold S. Kushner, The Lord Is My Shepherd, p. 72) 6 February 2012

Sunday, February 5, 2012

Justice For All

... not only in its material standards, but also in its spiritual vitality, ... Western civilization [has] been falling steadily and with increasing rapidity into ruin and desolation.  (Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost Of Discipleship, p. 34)

Whether you like it or not, everything that is happening at this moment is a result of the choices ... [we've] made in the past. (Deepak Chopra, The Seven Spiritual Laws Of Success, p. 40)

If you are an average citizen, don't expect Washington to address your concerns. (Jeffrey D. Sachs, The Price Of Civilization, p. 64)

... the omission of information is the same as a lie. (Iylana Vanzant, Until Today!, 21 January)

[People often] ... choose to distort information in order to use it as a weapon to gain power.  (Craig Nakken, Finding Your Moral Compass, p. 69)

The way to correct distortions is to withdraw your faith in them and invest it only in what is true.  You cannot make untruth true.  (A Course In Miracles, Book 1, Chapter 3, II, 6, p. 39)

If you meet someone who claims to know "The Truth," turn and run away as fast as you can.  Pretending that "my truth" is "The Truth" is dangerous at best, evil at worst.  Those who claim to know "The Truth" are almost always looking for power and a way to control others.  They want us to submit to them and "their truth;" if we do this well enough and completely enough, we become one of the anointed "knowers" with special rights and privileges.  (Craig Nakken, Finding Your Moral Compass, p. 98-9)

Words, unless they come from the heart and soul and are followed by action, are pretense.  (Daniel H. Mundt in The Upper Room Disciplines - 2008, 31 May)

On issue after issue, Washington politics back the special interests rather than broad public values. (Jeffrey D. Sachs, The Price Of Civilization, p. 114)

Inequality is a way we seek to protect ourselves by placing ourselves in a superior position.  Once one has fallen in love with the sensations of power this brings, inequality will easily be justified.  Inequality works to preserve the "me" over the "we."  This is the most dangerous element of inequality.  Inequality creates separateness and marginalizes others.  (Craig Nakken, Finding Your Moral Compass, p. 102)

Men will never listen to one who preaches endurance from the comfort of an easy chair, nor to one who preaches heroic courage to others while he himself has sought a prudent safety. (William Barclay, The Revelation of John, Vol. 1, p. 39)

... why should you run your life on the basis of what others say. (Dr. Wayne W. Dyer, Pulling Your Own Strings, p. 48)

... admitting and embracing our failures is painful, the inability to face them can be lethal.  (Johann Christoph Arnold, Escape Routes, p. 50-1)

Old habits are hard to break, and no one is easily led beyond his own point of view.  (Thomas 'A Kempis, The Imitation Of Christ, Book 1, Chapter 14)

Progress and growth are impossible if you always do things the way you've always done things. (Dr. Wayne W. Dyer, Pulling Your Own Strings, p. 53)

Eventually everyone begins to recognize, however dimly, that there "must" be a better way.  (A Course In Miracles, p. 22)

... strength means being able to stop trying to get everyone else to feel what you are feeling, and stand up for what you believe. (Dr. Wayne W. Dyer, Pulling Your Own Strings, p. 79)

It should be apparent that there will be no return to "normal," because the old normal got us into our present predicament and can't possibly get us out.  So what comes next? (Robert B. Reich, Aftershock, p. 75)

If nothing is done to counter present trends, the major fault line in American politics will no longer be between Democrats and Republicans, liberals and conservatives.  It will be between the establishment -- political insiders, power brokers, the heads of American business, Wall Street, and the mainstream media -- and an increasingly mad-as-hell populace determined to "take back America" from them.  Eventually the Independence Party, or its equivalent will prevail. (Robert B. Reich, Aftershock, p. 145)

[Fixing the mess we are in] ... is both an economic challenge and a moral challenge; concentrated income and wealth will threaten the integrity and cohesion of our society, and will undermine democracy. (Robert B. Reich, Aftershock, p. 65)

Enough is Enough (Mr. Dickie, 5 February 2012)



Saturday, February 4, 2012

The Public Knows It

These industries [finance, real estate, health care, and pharmaceutical] epitomize the destructive policies produced by the corporatocracy, and the public knows it. (Jeffrey D. Sachs, The Price Of Civilization, p. 113) 4 February 2012

******


Friday, February 3, 2012

License

The license to operate as a company does not include a license to pollute our politics [or our environment.  And, it shouldn't give a company the rights of person-hood. (REH)] (Jeffrey D. Sachs, The Price of Civilization, p. 179) 3 February 2012

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Something Has Gone Terribly Wrong

There can be no doubt that something has gone terribly wrong in the U.S. economy, politics, and society in general.  Americans are on edge: wary, pessimistic, and cynical.  (Jeffrey D. Sachs, The Price Of Civilization, p. 11) 2 February 2012

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

We The People

[We have fallen into] ... a lazy habit: the unexamined notion that decisions made in Washington reflect the will of the American people and the public's underlying values.  The public has its main say on one day every two years: election day.  The choice is between two political parties that cynically ignore their constituencies the very next day in order to carry out policies aimed at the rich and powerful rather than the voters.  (Jeffrey D. Sachs, The Price Of Civilization, p. 106)  1 February 2012