Many times when I am troubled or confused, I find comfort sitting in my
backyard having a cold beer, along with a quiet conversation with
Jesus.
This happened to me recently after a particularly difficult day. I said
"Jesus, why do I work so hard?"
And I heard the reply: "Men find many ways to demonstrate the love they
have for their family. You work hard to have a peaceful and beautiful home
for your friends and family to gather."
I said, "I thought that money was the root of all evil."
His reply was, "No, the love of money is the root of all evil. Money is
a tool; it can be used for good or bad."
I was starting to feel better, but I still had that one burning
question, so I asked it. "Jesus," I said, "what is the meaning of life? Why am I
here?"
He replied: "That is a question many men ask. The answer is in your
heart and is different for everyone. I would love to chat with you some more,
but for now, Senor, I have to finish your lawn."
12.07.2007
11.27.2007
Dog Walker Hell Week - Dog Walking Company - The Dog Walker's Handbook
YOU DON'T NEED MONEY TO START A DOG WALKING BUSINESS !!! See How Here for $5.
It's over. I had ten extra walks per day for the last week and a half. It has been a few decades since I have been bone-tired in a literal sense. Dog walking is manual labor. It may seem like unfettered fun to you cubicle-ites, but there's a lot to worry about.
BUY The Dog Walker's Handbook for $5 by clicking on the title to the book.
First, every single dog owner has a specific set of instructions that applies to their dog alone. You need to remember all of it. Then, the dog doesn't always WANT to go outside if it's raining or snowing. My dog Amber is like that. She just looks at me like I'm insane and pulls a sit-down strike.
Of course there's the fat, old, lazy dog that suddenly gets a burst of youth and makes a run for it. Always keep a firm grip on the leash.
Logistics is everything in dog walking. The clock rules your day. You need to be at certain places at certain times and have to map out your strategy for getting there.
( And yes, YouTube managed to freeze my face in a bizarre expression. But listen to it anyway. )
Of course as your business grows, you hire people. Then it really gets tough. Like the guy who sat in someone's house and ate a bucket of chicken and left some of the bones and biscuits lying around. The client was a vegetarian, by the way.
There was another guy who thought of himself as a kind of roaming Dick Cavett and would get to houses as the people were getting home from work - big no no - and then have in-depth conversations about country music or the economy. And I'll bet they were great conversations. But you need not to lose your focus: caring for the dog. No matter how much they smile and laugh, they will get angry and fire you if you fail to do this.
That brings up another issue. Your clients think of themselves as better than you. As a dog walker, you are in the servant class. No matter how jovial they are, or how they discuss books with you, they think of you as the maid. And neighbors delight in watching you and telling the client if you have done something like not pick up the poop.
The colder weather isn't so bad if you prepare by dressing appropriately. You warm up really quickly if you move.
You are always marketing as a dog walker. The barrier to entry in this business is virtually zero. So anyone could call themselves a dog walker and try to poach your customers. Advertising on Craigslist is great, as are line item mentions in the local paper. Put signs up in dog parks, or better yet, go to them in the mornings. That's a great place to get customers.
Remember, your clients are the humans, not the dogs. It's hard to remember this fact. You will often like the dog more than you like the owners.
But the upside is that you get into really good shape and the dogs are always so glad to see you. It really lifts the spirits. They are such sweet little beings and the weather in DC is very mild most of the time, making a nice walk with a dog such a pleasure. I would walk along Rock Creek and think of all the times when I was working inside how much I would love just a few minutes of walking around in that weather. And I did it every day. It was glorious.
It's over. I had ten extra walks per day for the last week and a half. It has been a few decades since I have been bone-tired in a literal sense. Dog walking is manual labor. It may seem like unfettered fun to you cubicle-ites, but there's a lot to worry about.
BUY The Dog Walker's Handbook for $5 by clicking on the title to the book.
First, every single dog owner has a specific set of instructions that applies to their dog alone. You need to remember all of it. Then, the dog doesn't always WANT to go outside if it's raining or snowing. My dog Amber is like that. She just looks at me like I'm insane and pulls a sit-down strike.
Of course there's the fat, old, lazy dog that suddenly gets a burst of youth and makes a run for it. Always keep a firm grip on the leash.
Logistics is everything in dog walking. The clock rules your day. You need to be at certain places at certain times and have to map out your strategy for getting there.
( And yes, YouTube managed to freeze my face in a bizarre expression. But listen to it anyway. )
Of course as your business grows, you hire people. Then it really gets tough. Like the guy who sat in someone's house and ate a bucket of chicken and left some of the bones and biscuits lying around. The client was a vegetarian, by the way.
There was another guy who thought of himself as a kind of roaming Dick Cavett and would get to houses as the people were getting home from work - big no no - and then have in-depth conversations about country music or the economy. And I'll bet they were great conversations. But you need not to lose your focus: caring for the dog. No matter how much they smile and laugh, they will get angry and fire you if you fail to do this.
That brings up another issue. Your clients think of themselves as better than you. As a dog walker, you are in the servant class. No matter how jovial they are, or how they discuss books with you, they think of you as the maid. And neighbors delight in watching you and telling the client if you have done something like not pick up the poop.
The colder weather isn't so bad if you prepare by dressing appropriately. You warm up really quickly if you move.
You are always marketing as a dog walker. The barrier to entry in this business is virtually zero. So anyone could call themselves a dog walker and try to poach your customers. Advertising on Craigslist is great, as are line item mentions in the local paper. Put signs up in dog parks, or better yet, go to them in the mornings. That's a great place to get customers.
Remember, your clients are the humans, not the dogs. It's hard to remember this fact. You will often like the dog more than you like the owners.
But the upside is that you get into really good shape and the dogs are always so glad to see you. It really lifts the spirits. They are such sweet little beings and the weather in DC is very mild most of the time, making a nice walk with a dog such a pleasure. I would walk along Rock Creek and think of all the times when I was working inside how much I would love just a few minutes of walking around in that weather. And I did it every day. It was glorious.
11.03.2007
Democrats Soft on Torture: Senators Dianne Feinstein of California and Charles Schumer of New York
What do you stand for if you don't oppose the use of torture? How could a person POSSIBLY consider themselves to be a leader in a democracy and compromise on that issue?
Waterboarding was created during the Spanish Inquisition. What does that tell you?
If someone was suggesting we waterboard pets, little cats and dogs, then this country would be ready to kill them. On the spot. No one would be quibbling about it being torture. Because you know it is torture.
And yes, there is a clear line that torture is wrong. That ticking bomb scenario is nonexistent, and even if it does happen, why do you think that someone would tell you the "truth" versus "anything you want to hear"?
The Democrats are folding on the torture issue. This will not be forgotten.
Waterboarding was created during the Spanish Inquisition. What does that tell you?
If someone was suggesting we waterboard pets, little cats and dogs, then this country would be ready to kill them. On the spot. No one would be quibbling about it being torture. Because you know it is torture.
And yes, there is a clear line that torture is wrong. That ticking bomb scenario is nonexistent, and even if it does happen, why do you think that someone would tell you the "truth" versus "anything you want to hear"?
The Democrats are folding on the torture issue. This will not be forgotten.
10.30.2007
Two Hundred Houses for Sale in Petworth
The decline and fall of real estate investors is a boon to anybody looking to buy a house for the price of a condo.
The Petworth market is taking a real hit right now because of the foreclosures. There are about two hundred of them. But keep in mind the huge mall that is opening at 14th & Irving is going to have a cascading uplift to properties north of Columbia Heights. And the huge redevelopment of Georgia Avenue and Sherman Avenue from Howard University to the Georgia Avenue Green Line stop will only enhance that.
Check it out! The lawns are nice and you can still own a home for less than the price of a condo. And that includes a yard. Any Realtor should be able to help you locate something.
The Petworth market is taking a real hit right now because of the foreclosures. There are about two hundred of them. But keep in mind the huge mall that is opening at 14th & Irving is going to have a cascading uplift to properties north of Columbia Heights. And the huge redevelopment of Georgia Avenue and Sherman Avenue from Howard University to the Georgia Avenue Green Line stop will only enhance that.
Check it out! The lawns are nice and you can still own a home for less than the price of a condo. And that includes a yard. Any Realtor should be able to help you locate something.
10.26.2007
Delhi: Monkeys on the Payroll
For a mere $19 a month in bananas, larger langur monkeys are being used by the Indian government to chase away smaller rhesus monkeys that are causing problems at tourist sites and temples. The rhesus monkeys are also crowding around the entrance to a new subway and need to be chased away.
We take a lot for granted in this country. We don't have the fights with wildlife that other places do. I remember being in New Delhi and being told of the family of monkeys that live in the museum for the last few hundred years. We just don't have these problems.
The thought of monkeys in the lobby of an office building is cute, I'll admit. But you don't know these buggers. They throw things at you, try to steal your food and water bottles, and enjoy causing trouble. Then they laugh at you. Try dealing with that every time you enter your building.
So in bringing in other monkeys, the Indian government is setting itself up for trouble, I think. Who's to say that THOSE monkeys won't start to be a nuisance?
This reminds me of the wild elephants terrorizing villages in Africa. American animal rights people want those elephants to be safe from being killed. But then none of their children have been stomped to death by an elephant living on the edge of town.
There's a lot to be taken for granted in how we've tamed our wildlife. Sometimes I think we should let 1000 elephants loose in California and see how wildlife-friendly they are then.
We take a lot for granted in this country. We don't have the fights with wildlife that other places do. I remember being in New Delhi and being told of the family of monkeys that live in the museum for the last few hundred years. We just don't have these problems.
The thought of monkeys in the lobby of an office building is cute, I'll admit. But you don't know these buggers. They throw things at you, try to steal your food and water bottles, and enjoy causing trouble. Then they laugh at you. Try dealing with that every time you enter your building.
So in bringing in other monkeys, the Indian government is setting itself up for trouble, I think. Who's to say that THOSE monkeys won't start to be a nuisance?
This reminds me of the wild elephants terrorizing villages in Africa. American animal rights people want those elephants to be safe from being killed. But then none of their children have been stomped to death by an elephant living on the edge of town.
There's a lot to be taken for granted in how we've tamed our wildlife. Sometimes I think we should let 1000 elephants loose in California and see how wildlife-friendly they are then.
10.21.2007
Socks the Cat v. Clinton in the White House
Talk about soccer moms will pale in comparison to the pet lover's lobby. It is an untapped political steamroller.
So our new Clinton candidate took poor little Socks the Cat and got rid of her after she served no more political purpose. That poor cat. When people determine character, it is the treatment of their pets that they look at. Among other things.
What would it have taken to just keep the cat? Hillary needs to answer this. I'm sure many of you are laughing now, but just wait.
So our new Clinton candidate took poor little Socks the Cat and got rid of her after she served no more political purpose. That poor cat. When people determine character, it is the treatment of their pets that they look at. Among other things.
What would it have taken to just keep the cat? Hillary needs to answer this. I'm sure many of you are laughing now, but just wait.
10.18.2007
Stop Worshipping the Brain
James Watson is a bright guy. He helped unravel the DNA code, or something. And I'll bet he got straight A's in high school and even college. So what? And yes, of course, there is that Nobel Prize. Still, so what?
He comes out with some racist blather this week about intelligence and race and the whole world gets upset. OK, he can figure out some weird science stuff that none of us could get. Fine. But that doesn't make him a prophet or seer. That doesn't give him leadership abilities, and God knows it doesn't give him political ones.
People are looking to intelligent people for answers that they can't give. James Watson is a homophobic, racist jerk. There's a lot of them out there.
The problem is with us. We expect that he has some Universal Truth instead of being really good in a narrow field. The relevance in James Watson's beliefs is in looking at how few blacks there are in major research institutions.
He may be smart, but he's also an idiot.
He comes out with some racist blather this week about intelligence and race and the whole world gets upset. OK, he can figure out some weird science stuff that none of us could get. Fine. But that doesn't make him a prophet or seer. That doesn't give him leadership abilities, and God knows it doesn't give him political ones.
People are looking to intelligent people for answers that they can't give. James Watson is a homophobic, racist jerk. There's a lot of them out there.
The problem is with us. We expect that he has some Universal Truth instead of being really good in a narrow field. The relevance in James Watson's beliefs is in looking at how few blacks there are in major research institutions.
He may be smart, but he's also an idiot.
10.14.2007
Yes, We Are Torturing People
Let me ask you a question. Suppose you picked up a gun and shot someone and then claimed that you did not shoot him. Instead you say you were poking his internal organs with a projectile piece of metal, but weren't shooting him at all. Would that be enough to absolve you from charges of shooting someone? No.
So, too, do the claims of this Administration fall short of convincing in the area of toture.
Let me ask further what would happen to the lawyers who advised you that the above legal theory was sound? They would be brought up on ethics charges and possibly disbarred. That's what WILL HAPPEN to the lawyers who advised our men and women in uniform that waterboarding prisoners is legal. Even if we call them detainees.
Now I can hear all sorts of lawyers shrieking about legal definitions and what tests apply, etc. But I would caution anyone about to commit a Federal crime that such distinctions, as between "prisoner" and "detainee," don't often last very long. And when detainees are recognized as prisoners, the interrogators will become torturers in law as well as life.
So, too, do the claims of this Administration fall short of convincing in the area of toture.
Let me ask further what would happen to the lawyers who advised you that the above legal theory was sound? They would be brought up on ethics charges and possibly disbarred. That's what WILL HAPPEN to the lawyers who advised our men and women in uniform that waterboarding prisoners is legal. Even if we call them detainees.
Now I can hear all sorts of lawyers shrieking about legal definitions and what tests apply, etc. But I would caution anyone about to commit a Federal crime that such distinctions, as between "prisoner" and "detainee," don't often last very long. And when detainees are recognized as prisoners, the interrogators will become torturers in law as well as life.
10.10.2007
Bush: Killing Counter-Terrorism
George Bush's Administration is not in the least interested in fighting terrorism. They just want to be seen doing it. Whenever they get a juicy terror tip, the first people they call is the Fox News Channel, thereby compromising the source.
And remember when a computer guy in al Qaida was turned and working in place? They announced it to the world. That guy could have been good for years.
But, no. It's more important to strut around and thump your chest. That's what you get for electing a cheerleader for President.
Click on the title to this post for the source information.
And remember when a computer guy in al Qaida was turned and working in place? They announced it to the world. That guy could have been good for years.
But, no. It's more important to strut around and thump your chest. That's what you get for electing a cheerleader for President.
Click on the title to this post for the source information.
10.04.2007
Terror Attack with Chili Peppers
A restaurant in Britain triggered a terror alert when its very hot chili peppers caused an alarm to be raised. A "noxious cloud" and "eye-watering stench" caused panic among Soho shoppers and the area was sealed off for Hazmat and possible terror attack inspections.
That guy's Thai food is nothing to play around with, it seems. "The restaurant, which has been open for 17 years, is considering putting up posters to warn the public during future chilli cooking sessions."
Click on the title to this post for the Guardian story in full.
That guy's Thai food is nothing to play around with, it seems. "The restaurant, which has been open for 17 years, is considering putting up posters to warn the public during future chilli cooking sessions."
Click on the title to this post for the Guardian story in full.
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