Life Hack #1: Adding value

Posted on May 3, 2018 by admin

This just in: I woke up in a hotel room a couple of months ago with the thought, “I’m wasting too much of my life doing non-productive stuff.”

Now, there’s nothing wrong with being non-productive, unless you think there is. In my case, I feel guilty when, at the end of a day I think, “Another day wasted.”

So, I put together a list of items that I thought would add value to each day. The list has grown slightly so there are now 21 items on it. Daily, I track my accomplishment rate; my goal being to do at least half of the items on the list.

One of those items is to watch a 30-minute lesson on one of my programs purchased from The Learning Company. My current curriculum is on “How the Universe Works.” This is a 96-lesson course taught by a professor from Berkeley.

Because of this one item on my checklist, I can go to bed every night knowing a little more about something than I did when I woke up.

I recommend going to www.thegreatcourses.com to have a look at the wide variety of courses you can take. When I first went there, I would buy a course and have them send the DVD to my house. Now, I just buy the downloadable version. I can watch them online or download them to watch later when I don’t have a connection.

More about my “list” another time.

On the “For some reason this works” page...

My mom recommended something to me that her doctor recommended to her. For better health, more energy and weight loss, simply take 2 tablespoons of Apple Cider Vinegar in the morning and then again in the evening. I do this with about 3 ounces of water.

I’ve been doing this for about 3 weeks. I have lost 8 pounds, without dieting, and I feel like I’m 20 years old.

Now, this could be the Placebo Affect…but who cares. Just as long as it works.

On the “I can believe this is our president” page…

Trump now apparently remembered paying his lawyer to keep Stormy Daniels quiet. He still says there was no affair but paid her just because.

The Ukraine was providing information the the Mueller investigation until…they wanted Trump to give them missiles. Trump gave them missiles and they suddenly stopped helping the investigation.

Trump apparently had his private body guard go to his pre-president doctor and take all of his medical records. This is not only illegal but speaks to Trump’s lack of ethics and reported bullying tactics. This is bringing up the issue of “How fat is Trump…really?” Also known as the “Girther Movement.”

There is now overwhelming evidence that the Trump Tax breaks that were supposed to raise wages and spur economic growth and more jobs are having two actual results: (1) A national deficit that exceeds anything we have seen…ever and (2) Companies using the tax break to buy back stock and enrich their investors. No wages went up. No jobs were created. This was extremely predictable.

On the “Facebook Free” page…

I quit Facebook on the first of May. Interestingly, the readership on my blog has risen dramatically since then. Still, I do miss my Facebook friends. If you have a FB account, please consider reposting my blog posts there, from time to time.

That’s all the time I have. The world needs saving.

Up, up and away…

Jim

How would you spend your taxes?

Posted on May 2, 2018 by admin

This just in: On 60 minutes a couple of weeks ago, there was a segment about a program at MIT where students invented stuff. Combine this with stories we often hear about soldiers that come back from the Middle East, traumatized, and with no idea of why they were sent there in the first place.

This made me think, “If I were King, how would I spend my tax dollars.”

I thought I would offer up a few choices.

Let’s start with…

Which would you rather do: (1) Pay no taxes and have only toll roads and private schools or (2) Pay taxes to finance things that promote the public good?
Which would you rather spend tax money on: (1) sending soldiers to Syria or (2) doubling the budget for NASA?
Which would you rather spend tax money on: (1) sending soldiers to Afghanistan or (2) high speed transportation between cities and population hubs?
Which would you rather spend tax money on: (1) Subsidizing the oil industry or (2) financing research into finding cures for things like Alzheimer’s or cancer?
Which would you rather spend tax money on: (1) A military that is larger than the next 10 militaries put together (many of whom are allies) or (2) State of the art education that is available to all Americans, not just the wealthy?
Which would you rather spend your tax money on: (1) Building a wall between the U.S. and Mexico that can be defeated by a $20 ladder or (2) Universal healthcare that makes sure no one ever goes without healthcare and no one ever declares bankruptcy because of their medical bills?
Which would you rather do: (1) Spend money on tanks and foot soldiers suitable for warfare as it existed 50 years ago but has no relevance to today or (2) Revitalize inner cities with the goal of every American being able to live free of fear with equal opportunity to the benefits of being an American (healthcare, education, freedom etc.)

And now one final one for my Republican readers (if there are any)…

Which would you prefer: (1) a food program that makes sure no child in our country ever goes hungry of (2) allowing millions of children to go hungry because less than 1% of those on such a program are lazy?

There you have it.

Now…I have to run off and save the world.

Up, up and away…

Jim

Free of Facebook

Posted on May 1, 2018 by admin

This just in: This morning, I deactivated my Facebook account.

This is sort of a big deal in a weird way. I really never went to Facebook very often; probably averaging less than 5 minutes a day on the site. However, I posted stuff there all the time. I posted cute animal pictures and news articles that I would read and think, “The world needs to hear about this.” Now that I don’t have a FB account, I can’t post there. This will take some adjusting on my part.

In the meantime…

Have you ever seen one of those videos where someone is playing music for cows? I tried this the other day. I started with a handful of cows and eventually 20 or more showed up. Here is the video…

Leveraging his stupidity…

There seems to be a lot of news today about Trump’s top cabinet members referring to Trump as “Dumb” or “Idiot” or some other such descriptor. Here’s the deal…I don’t know it they actually did say those things. However, I have no trouble believing that those close to Trump find him….simple-minded.

One of the key “fall back” positions of Trump supporters is to say, “He is just pretending to be dumb so that he will win in the end.” I’m not sure how this works but when you are out of straws to grasp at…anything will do.

Comment Section…

I’m having trouble getting the comment box to appear on this site. I have a trouble call in and expect to have the box up and running soon.

Time to save the world.

Up, up and away…

Jim