U2 Concert Photos

Two weeks from tomorrow I'll be seeing them perform this show in Dallas!

Thought for Today:

There is a candle in your heart, ready to be kindled.

There is a void in your soul, ready to be filled.

You feel it, don't you?

- Rumi

Persian Muslim Philosopher

Thought for Today

When it is dark enough, you can see the stars.

- Persian proverb

Thought for Today:

Why ponder thus the future to forsee,
and jade thy brain to vain perplexity?
Cast off thy care, leave Allah's plans to him -
He formed them all without consulting thee.

- Omar Khayyam, "The Rubaiyat"

The Socialism Experiment

An economics professor at a local college made a statement that he had never failed a single student before, but had recently failed an entire class.

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That class had insisted that Obama's socialism plan worked and that no one would be poor and no one would be rich. It would be a great equalizer.


The professor then said, "OK, we will have an experiment in this class on Obama's plan".


All grades would be averaged and everyone would receive the same grade so no one would fail and no one would receive an A.


After the first test, the grades were averaged and everyone got a B. The students who studied hard were upset and the students who studied little were happy.


As the second test rolled around, the students who studied little had studied even less and the ones who studied hard decided they wanted a free ride too so they studied little. The second test average was a D! No one was happy.


When the 3rd test rolled around, the average was an F.

The scores never increased as bickering, Blame and name-calling all resulted in hard feelings and no one would study for the benefit of anyone else.


All failed, to their great surprise, and the professor told them that socialism would also ultimately fail because when the reward is great, the effort to succeed is great but when government takes all the reward away, no one will try or want to succeed.

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Could not be any simpler than that.

Thought for Today

"Kind words do not cost much. They never blister the tongue or lips. They make other people good-natured. They also produce their own image on men's souls, and a beautiful image it is."


Blaise Pascal
1623-1662, Scientist and Philosopher

Australian Computer Teminology

LOG ON: Adding wood to make the Barbie hotter.
LOG OFF: Not adding any more wood to the Barbie.
MONITOR: Keeping an eye on the Barbie.
DOWNLOAD: Getting the firewood off the Ute.
HARD DRIVE: Making the trip back home without any cold tinnies.
KEYBOARD: Where you hang the Ute keys.
WINDOW: What you shut when the weather's cold.
SCREEN: What you shut in the mozzie season.
BYTE: What mozzies do.
MEGABYTE: What Townsville mozzies do.
CHIP: A bar snack.
MICROCHIP: What's left in the bag after you've eaten the chips.
MODEM: What you did to the lawns.
LAPTOP: Where the cat sleeps.
SOFTWARE: Plastic knives & forks you get at Red Rooster.
HARDWARE: Stainless steel knives & forks - from K-Mart.
MOUSE: The small rodent that eats the grain in the shed.
MAINFRAME: What holds the shed up.
WEB: What spiders make.
WEBSITE: Usually in the shed or under the verandah.
SEARCH ENGINE: What you do when the Ute won't go.
CURSOR: What you say when the Ute won't go.
YAHOO: What you say when the Ute does go.
UPGRADE: A steep hill.
SERVER: The person at the pub who brings out the counter lunch.
MAIL SERVER: The bloke at the pub who brings out the counterlunch.
USER: The neighbour who keeps borrowing things.
NETWORK: What you do when you need to repair the fishing net.
INTERNET: Where you want the fish to go.
NETSCAPE: What the fish do when they discover the hole in the net.
ONLINE: Where you hang the washing.
OFFLINE: Where the washing ends up when the pegs aren't strong enough.

Thought for Today

"Logic will get you from A to B.
Imagination will take you everywhere."

Albert Einstein
1879-1955, Physicist

The Old Cowboy

An old cowboy sat down at the coffee shop and ordered a cup of coffee.

As he sat sipping his coffee, a young woman sat down next to him.

She turned to the cowboy and asked, 'Are you a real cowboy?'

He replied, 'Well, I've spent my whole life breaking colts, working cows, going to rodeos, fixing fences, pulling calves, bailing hay, doctoring calves, cleaning my barn, fixing flats, working on tractors, and feeding my dogs, so I guess I am a cowboy.'

She said, 'I'm a lesbian. I spend my whole day thinking about naked women. As soon as I get up in the morning, I think about naked women. When I shower, I think about naked women. When I watch TV, I think about naked women. It seems everything makes me think of naked women.'

The two sat sipping in silence.

A little while later, a man sat down on the other side of the old cowboy and asked, 'Are you a real cowboy?'

He replied, 'I always thought I was, but I just found out I'm a lesbian.'

Tracy, Spencer & Tristin

Meet My Nephew, Spencer Scott Wiliams!

Born at 2:18 pm

7 lbs, 14 oz

19.5 inches long

My Starring Role!

The Golf Lesson

"Do you golf, Mike?" Jim asked.

"Not much, but..." I began to tell him three stories I never tire of telling.

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Story #1: Except for a few birds, the course was quiet. It was a great morning for golf: no one ahead to slow me down, no one behind to rush me forward. I looked down the hill. The fifth hole of the nine-hole, par 3 course lay below and one hundred and seventy yards away. The flag hung limp in the still air. A small knoll at the front of the green hid the cup. I checked my score card again. It was definitely a good day. After four holes, I was only six over par.

I grabbed my seven iron, approached the tee, placed my ball, glanced at the flag, and positioned myself. After another look at the flag, I drew my club back and swung. The iron whistled through the air, struck the ball at an angle, and drove it spinning through the air. It started toward the hole, but the spin and aerodynamics took control. I watched helplessly as the ball sliced to the right, away from the hole, and head for the tall grass that separated the fairway from the forest. It slipped between the blades of grass, disappeared, bounced off something hard, and reappeared.

I stood in shock. The ball bounced across the fairway, jumped over a sand trap, leaped onto the green, and headed toward the flag. It disappeared behind the small knoll. I waited for it to reappear. It didn't.

"That must be close to the hole." I thought.

I grabbed my clubs, walked down the hill, and approached the green. My eyes remained focused on the area around the flag. My ball was nowhere in sight, but the cup was still hidden by the knoll. I climbed to the top of the knoll. The cup came into view, but my ball didn't. The green was empty. I didn't think the ball rolled fast enough to go over the edge of the green, but I walked around to the back anyway. My ball wasn't there. I turned and look at the cup again. "It couldn't have?" My heart began to pound as I walked closer to the hole. There was my ball, nestled close to the pin at the bottom of the cup.

It remains the only hole-in-one I ever got. There were no witnesses to my feat.

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Story #2: Jack and I stood at the tee-off to the first hole of an eighteen-hole, par-three course. My best friend took his first shot and came up short of the green. I teed off and watched my ball land a little short and slightly to the right of the green.

Jack's second shot put him on the green, a few feet from the hole. I grabbed my wedge, stood by my ball, and judged the distance. My light swing lifted the ball from the grass in a smooth arc toward the green. It hit the rough at the edge of the green, bounced, rolled smoothly toward the flag, and plopped into the cup for a birdie.

On the second hole, it happened again. I chipped my second shot into the hole. After double-bogeying the third hole, I chipped another one in on the fourth - three birdies in four holes.

My game returned to normal. A double-bogey was something to get excited about. At the eighteenth hole, my first shot placed the ball at the edge of the green. My second shot bounced the ball across the green and into the cup for my fourth birdie of the day.

***************************


Story #3: Don, my neighbor, looked at my ball. "You can take a free drop from there."

"You're right, Don, but the ground is level. I think I'll just shoot it from here."

I swung and lifted the ball in a high arc. I silently cursed. The ball appeared to be headed deep into the brush behind the green. I watched as it climbed higher and lose momentum in the wind. At the highest point in its arc, it lost speed, and dropped straight into the hole, rattling the flag as it did.

Don was shocked. "In my more than forty years of golfing, I have never seen anyone drop a ball into the hole like that. What a shot! It's a birdie too."

I smiled. "Thanks, Don."

***************************


I finished the last story. Jim looked at me. "You sound too good for me to play."

"Actually, I suck at golf." I smiled. "I just told you the best."

What I didn't talk about were all the balls that landed in the woods and didn't bounce out. I didn't mention the trophy I won for the most lost balls in one round. Jim doesn't know I lost the hole-in-one ball in the woods on my next shot, and he doesn't know that the day I got four birdies, my final score was twenty-two over par.

If someone asks me about my life, I used to tell them I had to move seven times between provinces, countries, and states. I would talk about my wife, who died too young, the numerous jobs that ended before I thought they would, and then whine about my money hardships.

It was all negative.

Now I tell the golf story. I loved and married a wonderful woman and shared the rest of her life with her. In the process, we created two children. I moved seven times and got to meet wonderful people and experience things that most can only dream about. I got remarried to an amazing woman and we share a beautiful life together.


Life is hard - life is good. It's how you tell the story.


Now "that" is a golf lesson!

===============================

The Golf Lesson
by Michael T. Smith

Michael lives and works in Caldwell, Idaho with his beautiful wife Ginny. He writes in his spare time and is currently working on a collection of his stories to be called, "From My Heart to Yours." To read more of Michael's stories go to: http://ourecho.com/biography-353-Michael-Timothy-Smith.shtml#stories

Summer Cruise Specials!

I found a Somali cruise package that departs from Sawakin (in the Sudan) and docks at Bagamoya (in Tanzania). The cost is a bit high @ US$800 per person double occupancy but I didn't find that offensive.

What I found enticing is that the cruise company is encouraging people to bring their 'High powered weapons' along on the cruise. If you don't have weapons you can rent them right there on the boat. They claim to have a master gunsmith on board and will have reloading parties every afternoon. The cruise lasts from 4-8 days and nights and costs a maximum of $3200 per person double occupancy (4 days).

All the boat does is sail up and down the coast of Somalia waiting to get hijacked by pirates. Here are some of the costs and claims associated with the package.

$800.00 US/per day double occupancy (4 day max billing)

M-16 full auto rental $ 25.00/day ammo at 100 rounds of 5.56 armor piercing ammo at 15.95

Ak-47 riffle @ No charge. ammo at 100 rounds of 7.62 com block ball ammo at 14.95

Barrett M-107 50 cal sniper riffle rental 55.00/day ammo at 25 rounds 50 cal armor piercing at 9.95

Crew members can double as spotters for 30.00 per hour (spotting scope included).

They even offer RPG's at 75 bucks and 200 dollars for 3 standard loads

"Everyone gets use of free complimentary night vision equipment and coffee and snacks on the top deck from 7pm-6am."

All meals included (not alcohol).

Most cruises offer a mini-bar... these gung ho entrepreneurs offer......... get this.....

"MOUNTED MINIGUN AVAILABLE @ 450.00 per 30 seconds of sustained fire"

Sign my ars up!

They advertise group rates and corporate discounts......and even claim "FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY"

They even offer a partial money back if not satisfied....here's some text from the ad.

"We guarantee that you will experience at least two hijacking attempts by pirates or we will refund back half your money including gun rental charges and any unused ammo (mini gun charges not included).. How can we guarantee you will experience a hijacking? We operate at 5 knots within 12 miles of the coast of Somalia. If an attempted Hijacking does not occur we will turn the boat around and cruise by at 4 knots. We will repeat this for up to 8 days making three passes a day along the entire length of Somalia. At night the boat is fully lit and bottle rockets are shot off at intervals and loud disco music beamed shore side to attract attention. Cabin space is limited so respond quickly. Reserve your package before Feb 29 and get 100 rounds of free tracer ammo in the caliber of your choice."

As if all that isn't enough to whet your appetite, there were a few testimonials:

"I got three confirmed kills on my last trip. I'LL never hunt big game in Africa again. I felt like the Komandant in Schindlers list!"---- Lars, Hamburg Germany

"Six attacks in 4 days was more than I expected. I bagged three pirates and my 12 yr old son sank two rowboats with the minigun. PIRATES 0 -PASSENGERS-32! Well worth the trip. Just make sure your spotter speaks English"
----Ned, Salt Lake city, Utah USA

"I haven't had this much fun since flying choppers in NAM. Don't worry ! about getting shot by pirates as they never even got close to the ship with those weapons they use and their shitty aim--reminds me of a drunken 'juicer' door gunner we picked up from the motor pool back in Nam"
----"chopper' Dan, Toledo USA.

"Like ducks in a barrel. They turned the ship around and we saw them bleed and cry in the water like little girls. Saw one wounded pirate eaten by sharks--what a laugh riot!! This is a must do.
---Zeke-Minnahaw Springs Kentucky USA

Monday's Thought

"Commitment with accountability closes the gap between intention and results."

Sandra Gallagher
Co-Author of Thinking Into Results

Every single one of us has a gift!

Whoah!

I just watched the performance by Susan Boyle on the tv show "Britain's Got Talent."

It is Amazing, Inspirational, & Totally Enjoyable! It brought me to tears. :)

I have never seen judge Simon Cowell smile like this before.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxPZh4AnWyk

There are real lessons about living life here.

BB King!

Last night BB King performed in Kearney, and he and his band put on a great show! I loved it, and I know everyone else did too. Thanks BB!

Dry Off & Get Going!

"Everyone who has ever taken a shower has had an idea. It's the person who gets out of the shower, dries off, and does something about it that makes a difference."

Nolan Bushnell
Founder of Atari

Thought For The Day

"Every decision you make - every decision - is not a decision about what to do. It's a decision about Who You Are. When you see this, when you understand it, everything changes. You begin to see life in a new way. All events, occurrences, and situations turn into opportunities to do what you came here to do."

Neale Donald Walsch
Author of Conversations With God

Thread of a Dream

When I was researching the history of the building of the Brooklyn Bridge as a major illustration for the ideas of success and motivation, I became engrossed with the story of how the first bridge was built over Niagara Falls. You see, to build a bridge over a giant gorge, first you have to get a line over the canyon, from one side to the other. Easier said than done at Niagara Falls.

The engineers couldn't cross the falls in a boat to take the line from one side to the other because the boat would go over the falls. And the airplane hadn't been invented yet. The distance was also way beyond the bow-and-arrow range, which had been a common method at the time of getting the first line across to build a bridge.

The designing engineer, Charles Ellet, pondered the question until he came up with a revolutionary idea. He decided that, while solving the problem, he would also have some fun and generate some publicity for the project. Ellet sponsored a kite flying contest and offered five dollars to the first person who could fly a kite across the gorge and let it go low enough to the ground for someone to be able to grab the string. In 1849, five dollars was a prize similar to a small lottery today. The boy who won the prize relished his accomplishment until his death, nearly 80 years later.

It all began with an idea and one thin kite string. The kite string was used to pull a cord across, then a line, then a rope. Next came an iron-wire cable and then steel cables, until a structure strong enough to build a suspension bridge was in place.

I'm struck by how that string is like a single thought. The more vivid and clear the thought, and the more you come back to it, the stronger it becomes - like the string to the rope to a cable. Each time you rethink it, dwell on it, or layer it with other thoughts, you are strengthening the structure on which to build your idea, like building a bridge over Niagara Falls.

But unlike a kite, there is no string attached to how high and how far your goals may take you. They are limited only by the power of your imagination and the strength of your desire.

Denis Waitley

Denis Waitley is one of America's most respected authors, keynote lecturers and productivity consultants on high performance human achievement. Visit his website at www.deniswaitley.com

No Line On The Horizon

U2's newest album was released yesterday, and I was the first one at the store.

I sat in the parking lot and listened to the first 3 tracks before I could put the car in gear. Pretty awesome start to the album.

I really, really like it, although I don't love it - yet - but could grow on me. I didn't hear any anthems like "Sunday Bloody Sunday" or "Please". And I didn't hear any love songs like "One" or "With or Without You", or "All I Want is You."

It is definitely U2 though, and there are some thumping, blood pumping beats by Adam and Larry. Two songs, "No Line on the Horizon" and "Get On Your Boots" are already on my workout playlist.

I've only listened to the album twice all the way through, so I'm going to need to listen some more.

In my opinion, this is not one of their top 5 albums. I'm going to slot it at 6, behind Joshua Tree, Achtung Baby, All That You Can't Leave Behind, How to Dismantle an Atomic bomb, and Rattle and Hum.

Mi Amiga Manuela

I made many friends when I was in Peru. The person who made the biggest impact on me was Manuela Isabel Rojas Rios. She doesn't speak any English and I don't speak any Spanish, yet, we were able to overcome that obstacle to create a lifelong friendship!

Thought For The Day

"If you have the courage to step outside of your comfort zone, you will not only be amazed by the marvel and sights of the world, but also with the wonders that lay deep within yourself."

Rosanna Ienco
From her new book Awakening the Divine Soul - Finding Your Life Purpose

Zen Achieved

For me, this was heaven on earth. Six weeks ago this was unimaginable, now its a memory.

Thank You God!

Today's Weather Forecast

Kearney, Nebraska: Cold & Windy, 25˚, feels like 7˚, winds from the north at 32 mph.

Iquitos, Peru: Sunny, 81˚, feels like 86˚, winds from the northeast at 3 mph.

Nikon Photo Tips Website

Nikon: Looking Good In Pictures Website

A Story About Andres

When we get to Peru, Andy and I are going to meet up with his good friend, Andres Pena.

Andres is a local guide and the more I learn of him the more he reminds me of the Amazon's version of Crocodile Dundee!

Follow this link to read another traveler's experience with Andres:

http://www.iquitostimes.com/emerald-forest-day-trip.htm

Starting off 2009 with a Bang!

I am going to Peru and the Amazon rainforest for a week - - - in three weeks!!!

My brother-in-law Andy has been there half-a-dozen times (he proposed to my sister there at Machu Pichu, he has taken my Dad) and he has been planning to go again with his buddy. Well, his buddy had something come up and can't go, so since the ticket was already bought he asked me.

How cool is that? Three weeks from tonight I'll be in South America!

Kearney - Omaha - Ft. Worth - Miami - Lima - Iquitos - then get on a boat on the Amazon and go upriver for a day and a half into the rainforest. About 36 hours of traveling I think.

Be sure to reserve your copy of my upcoming coffee-table book now!