Is there anyone who wants to celebrate holidays one at a time? There are 3 "holidays" coming up: Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Maybe we should just call them Hallo-anks-mas because that is how our shopping centers treat them. One aisle is Halloween the next is Christmas. Poor Thanksgiving gets no love. The other day at McDonalds my wife wanted a carmel apple sundae for the nice fall weather we were having, Nope! Sorry. They have moved on to peppermint. I guess they feel you gotta get in the
"Christmas Spirit."
I like Halloween. It's fun to get creative, dress up, have kids trick-or-treat and go to Haunted Houses that don't dwell too much on gore. So why do we want it to fly by so that we can move on to next obstacle to Christmas: Thanksgiving?
Thanksgiving, the holiday thanking the natives that helped the illegal aliens keep from starving to death. Only to have the aliens turn on the natives, kill most of them and take their land. I remember Thanksgiving at my Grandma's. We had such great food. I would get to see all of my relatives that I rarely got to see. There was football for the men and women hung out talking in the kitchen. Now it seems that the Thanksgiving meal just gets in the way of the retail markdowns so after everyone eats they head off to worship in the house of their lord, Walmart. As as kid I wrote a poem about Thanksgiving and finished in 3rd place. If I wrote one today, It would be "We came, We ate, Then everyone left."
Lastly, what happened to Christmas. A member of the President's cabinet said he thought that Christmas was "too commercialized." He was on President Lincoln's cabinet. Geez, I wonder what he would think of today's. We should just rename Christmas to "The Year End Push to Meet Company Profit Projections to Make the Stockholders Happy." Try getting all of that on a greeting card. Christmas is supposed to celebrate the birth of Christ but some reason he doesn't get any gifts. When is the last time someone sold her hair to buy a pocket watch chain? Yeah, right. We buy what ever we want whenever we want so when Christmas comes around we have no need of anything. So we will buy any piece of crap and pawn it of as a gift. Some families have resorted to giving gift cards. Ugh. Gift cards are a great surprise for someone who isn't expecting them. But just trading gift cards? You might as well just swap cash. What? Not appropriate? Neither is spending $500; $1000; $10,000 on your kids because it's the only way you know how to show them that you love them.
So Happy Hollowdays to those who have ruined them.
And Happy Holidays to those who do it right.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
The Disappearance of Megan Maloie--cont
http://inshanesbrain.blogspot.com/2011/05/disappearance-of-megan-maloie.html
In the days that followed, "Missing" posters were stapled to every telephone pole in town. Megan's face was hung in every shop. Janie had tried her best to stay out of the public, refusing every interview requests and TV appearance. She opted to let Deputy Bain talk to the media.
Deputy Jerry Bain had arrived on the seen first and had taken ownership of the case. Most considered him the sheriff and he probably would have been if not for his loyalty to his 72 year old mentor Sheriff Leroy Wallace. The deputy was bothered for an unknown reason. Something just wasn't adding up but he didn't know what it was.
It didn't take long for the town to start looking at Janie as the main suspect. Smithton was a small quiet town. Janie and Megan had moved into their tiny house less than 18 months ago. Janie had made sure they kept them themselves. She had taken a job at a local antique shop that allowed her to bring Megan to work. Not much was known about her. Rumors and whispers began. Most believed she had a dark secret that she wasn't telling.
Deputy Bain had asked about Megan's father. Janie answered "He got killed in a car wreck." And that was that, nothing else was ask or said about the father. The truth was that Janie did have a deep dark secret but she had no idea that that secret may have been the cause of Megan's disappearance.
Chapter 2.
to be continued...
In the days that followed, "Missing" posters were stapled to every telephone pole in town. Megan's face was hung in every shop. Janie had tried her best to stay out of the public, refusing every interview requests and TV appearance. She opted to let Deputy Bain talk to the media.
Deputy Jerry Bain had arrived on the seen first and had taken ownership of the case. Most considered him the sheriff and he probably would have been if not for his loyalty to his 72 year old mentor Sheriff Leroy Wallace. The deputy was bothered for an unknown reason. Something just wasn't adding up but he didn't know what it was.
It didn't take long for the town to start looking at Janie as the main suspect. Smithton was a small quiet town. Janie and Megan had moved into their tiny house less than 18 months ago. Janie had made sure they kept them themselves. She had taken a job at a local antique shop that allowed her to bring Megan to work. Not much was known about her. Rumors and whispers began. Most believed she had a dark secret that she wasn't telling.
Deputy Bain had asked about Megan's father. Janie answered "He got killed in a car wreck." And that was that, nothing else was ask or said about the father. The truth was that Janie did have a deep dark secret but she had no idea that that secret may have been the cause of Megan's disappearance.
Chapter 2.
to be continued...
Monday, October 17, 2011
Island of Misfit
I would like to say that it didn't bother me when someone claimed that my last post was "mindless rambling." But it did for a brief moment. Rambling? Yes, I've said that before. This is how I write. Mindless? No. Pointless? No. I know not everyone if anyone is going to like what I write. That's fine. But I do have a mind and I do have a point. Sometimes I think people get blinded by an opinion and can't see past that to find the point. Or, they create their own version of what was written by addding by assumption or maybe even consumption.
I have never been one to go with the crowd. I march to my own beat. I stand as President of my own Island of Misfit. I'm cool with that. I have my opinion on life and everything around me. Too many people just go along with the status quo because it's much more easy. Sometimes I wish I could do that. But my mind questions everything. Why this and why that?
Some may be confused as to where I stand politically. Well, I stand for equality. I stand for common sense. I hate greed. I hate income tax and all of it's loop holes. I don't hate the rich. I don't hate the poor.
This blog was created to make people think. Everything we do affects someone or something. When I write I don't care who I offend. I hope they take a second to see that I'm not insulting them. I'm just stating how I see things. And maybe I'm wrong. But maybe I'm right. If I can get one person to stop and think, then I was successful. I know my opinions are not popular and I really don't care.
For instance, unfortunately what makes America great also drags us down. Capitalism has led to greed. Freedom of Speech has led to vulgarity and pornography. A country born with the desire for freedom of religion has dismissed Christianity. The rich get richer, the poor are still poor, and the middle class is almost extinct. Not excactly the American Dream.
We live in the greatest country in the world. But we are not perfect. I will continue to bark at anything that I see is unjust or unfair. I will point out stupidity and hypocrisy. I will continue to profess what I believe.
This is my Island and I start it with I.
I have never been one to go with the crowd. I march to my own beat. I stand as President of my own Island of Misfit. I'm cool with that. I have my opinion on life and everything around me. Too many people just go along with the status quo because it's much more easy. Sometimes I wish I could do that. But my mind questions everything. Why this and why that?
Some may be confused as to where I stand politically. Well, I stand for equality. I stand for common sense. I hate greed. I hate income tax and all of it's loop holes. I don't hate the rich. I don't hate the poor.
This blog was created to make people think. Everything we do affects someone or something. When I write I don't care who I offend. I hope they take a second to see that I'm not insulting them. I'm just stating how I see things. And maybe I'm wrong. But maybe I'm right. If I can get one person to stop and think, then I was successful. I know my opinions are not popular and I really don't care.
For instance, unfortunately what makes America great also drags us down. Capitalism has led to greed. Freedom of Speech has led to vulgarity and pornography. A country born with the desire for freedom of religion has dismissed Christianity. The rich get richer, the poor are still poor, and the middle class is almost extinct. Not excactly the American Dream.
We live in the greatest country in the world. But we are not perfect. I will continue to bark at anything that I see is unjust or unfair. I will point out stupidity and hypocrisy. I will continue to profess what I believe.
This is my Island and I start it with I.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Dollars and Sense
If your stranded on a deserted island, what would you want to have with you? I bet you would want a $100 million Van Gogh or a $18 million Faberge egg. No? How about your $100,000 BMW? No? Hmmm. Oh, I know, you would want your 45 pair of $200 Jordan's and your 30 inch $9,000 Asanti Rims. No? That's really odd because right now those items are what we place such high esteem and value on.
This blog has been in the making for sometime now. Rarely do I take time to think out what I want to write, I just sit down and do it. But, this one is different. I want to make my point very clear.
I once knew this guy who owned a BMW. Yes, it was a nice car. His comment about it has stuck with me for a long time. He said, " Yeah, I could've bought two Fords for what I paid for this, but nothin' can beat the ride." Now I know my brain works differently than most people's but if he could indeed have bought two Fords, then apparently he overpaid or chose the wrong car. Had he bought a Ford (Chevy, Dodge, Toyota, etc.) he would have had more money in his pocket. The Ford would have driven him to the same places, gotten there in the same amount of time, and most likely cost less to maintain. This story came back into my mind about six weeks ago when I saw a guy driving a new very nice BMW and I have been in a strange mood ever since.
I've began to notice how much money we (everyone) waste. The more money people have, the more they waste. Take for instance, how many DVDs do you own? 50? Did you own the VHS version, as well? What about record albums, cassette tapes, cds, and now digital copies? Would you like all that money back or do you think you've gotten your money's worth out of them. All of that stuff is pretty petty but it does add up.
Who I'm really talking to/about are the rich. Millions of dollars spent on collecting so called "priceless" artworks, buying ridiculous size yachts, owning countless cars and multiple homes. Why? Does your greed have no end? Have you ever stopped to think what passing on that one new car and giving that money to someone in need could do? I doubt it. We are all so selfish. We want what we want and no one or no thing will stop us. What if, instead of a car you passed on the $100 million Van Gogh or Pollock and donated that money? That money could be put to much better use like to help human kind and better this world. No one has ever said, "Boy, I'm glad I bought those Barry Bonds and Mark McGwire homerun balls. They really saved my life!" Nope, those balls are sitting on a shelf somewhere collecting dust and not making a difference to anyone. (Going off topic for a bit) Why is it that when it comes to raising money we have to auction off things? It's just more crap that we don't need. But, our greedy nature won't let us donate the money. Nooooo. We gotta get something for our buck. Every year ESPN auctions off days with their TV personalities. People pay $10,000+ to go hang out with them. Don't get me wrong, it's a great way (in our greedy world) to raise money. If the person has $10,000 to give just to hang out, how much more could they really give.
You can look up who the richest people in world are. You can also see the biggest donaters are. I always laugh when the millionaire donates $5000 and gets a standing ovation but the chap who makes $35,000 a year donates $500 and gets no recognition at all. Percentage-wise the lower mid classer donated a higher percentage but all we see is the top dollar sign.
Lately, I have seen commercials stating that "Gold is at it's all time high and we're buying!" It makes me wonder when and why did gold become so valuable. The Europeans' greed and lust for gold about wiped out entire populations of native people in this hemisphere. What purpose does gold or silver serve? Okay, they are shiny metals that make nice looking jewelry. Does that mean we should kill each other so that we can get all Bling Blinged or Iced up? "Of course not , Shane. Don't be silly." Uh okay. Without our greed and lust for our neighbors property, there wouldn't be things such as theft and murder. Sound familiar? Yeah, it's in that black book covered in dust some where in your house. It has the words "Holy Bible" on it. It's a good read you should try it sometime.
Boy that took a left turn, didn't it?
Anyway, speaking of Christ. Christmas is coming up. Nothing like celebrating the birth of God's Son, The Redeemer, the Bread of Life, The Alpha and the Omega, The Prince of Peace, than to trample, stomp and fight people over cheap TV's and Tickle Me Malibu Furbies.
Let's get back to my point. The way we are living our lives, shows what we value most in this world. Your buying your kids the most expensive clothes, cars, cell phones.....meanwhile the kids at the other end of the cafeteria table are eating their one and only meal of the day.
This blog has been in the making for sometime now. Rarely do I take time to think out what I want to write, I just sit down and do it. But, this one is different. I want to make my point very clear.
I once knew this guy who owned a BMW. Yes, it was a nice car. His comment about it has stuck with me for a long time. He said, " Yeah, I could've bought two Fords for what I paid for this, but nothin' can beat the ride." Now I know my brain works differently than most people's but if he could indeed have bought two Fords, then apparently he overpaid or chose the wrong car. Had he bought a Ford (Chevy, Dodge, Toyota, etc.) he would have had more money in his pocket. The Ford would have driven him to the same places, gotten there in the same amount of time, and most likely cost less to maintain. This story came back into my mind about six weeks ago when I saw a guy driving a new very nice BMW and I have been in a strange mood ever since.
I've began to notice how much money we (everyone) waste. The more money people have, the more they waste. Take for instance, how many DVDs do you own? 50? Did you own the VHS version, as well? What about record albums, cassette tapes, cds, and now digital copies? Would you like all that money back or do you think you've gotten your money's worth out of them. All of that stuff is pretty petty but it does add up.
Who I'm really talking to/about are the rich. Millions of dollars spent on collecting so called "priceless" artworks, buying ridiculous size yachts, owning countless cars and multiple homes. Why? Does your greed have no end? Have you ever stopped to think what passing on that one new car and giving that money to someone in need could do? I doubt it. We are all so selfish. We want what we want and no one or no thing will stop us. What if, instead of a car you passed on the $100 million Van Gogh or Pollock and donated that money? That money could be put to much better use like to help human kind and better this world. No one has ever said, "Boy, I'm glad I bought those Barry Bonds and Mark McGwire homerun balls. They really saved my life!" Nope, those balls are sitting on a shelf somewhere collecting dust and not making a difference to anyone. (Going off topic for a bit) Why is it that when it comes to raising money we have to auction off things? It's just more crap that we don't need. But, our greedy nature won't let us donate the money. Nooooo. We gotta get something for our buck. Every year ESPN auctions off days with their TV personalities. People pay $10,000+ to go hang out with them. Don't get me wrong, it's a great way (in our greedy world) to raise money. If the person has $10,000 to give just to hang out, how much more could they really give.
You can look up who the richest people in world are. You can also see the biggest donaters are. I always laugh when the millionaire donates $5000 and gets a standing ovation but the chap who makes $35,000 a year donates $500 and gets no recognition at all. Percentage-wise the lower mid classer donated a higher percentage but all we see is the top dollar sign.
Lately, I have seen commercials stating that "Gold is at it's all time high and we're buying!" It makes me wonder when and why did gold become so valuable. The Europeans' greed and lust for gold about wiped out entire populations of native people in this hemisphere. What purpose does gold or silver serve? Okay, they are shiny metals that make nice looking jewelry. Does that mean we should kill each other so that we can get all Bling Blinged or Iced up? "Of course not , Shane. Don't be silly." Uh okay. Without our greed and lust for our neighbors property, there wouldn't be things such as theft and murder. Sound familiar? Yeah, it's in that black book covered in dust some where in your house. It has the words "Holy Bible" on it. It's a good read you should try it sometime.
Boy that took a left turn, didn't it?
Anyway, speaking of Christ. Christmas is coming up. Nothing like celebrating the birth of God's Son, The Redeemer, the Bread of Life, The Alpha and the Omega, The Prince of Peace, than to trample, stomp and fight people over cheap TV's and Tickle Me Malibu Furbies.
Let's get back to my point. The way we are living our lives, shows what we value most in this world. Your buying your kids the most expensive clothes, cars, cell phones.....meanwhile the kids at the other end of the cafeteria table are eating their one and only meal of the day.
Monday, October 3, 2011
Geminis under Gemini
I often hear people claim how much they would like to have twins. Being a twin myself I always ask "Why?" I'm always curious of what their reasoning is. They have no idea of what being a twin is, nor do they care. However, I usually inform them anyway. Having a twin has it's good and it's bad. The following blog is my life as a twin born under the Gemini stars.
First of all, let's get it out of the way. NO, we do not have ESP! We can not communicate telepathically. Yes, I know you are laughing, but I have been ask that a million times. I guess as babies we had our "twin talk." so I'm told. We would jabber with one another. We apparently knew what the other was saying but no one else could understand. We look nothing alike, as we are fraternal. (that means we come from two different eggs) We were dressed alike quite often as infants. I guess that's cute. I hear people use that as a reason for wanting twins. My thought on that is "okay, but their not baby dolls." Twins are often given similar names, ours are Shawn and Shane. I have no problem with that but I will have more on names later.
Growing up with a twin means someone is always there. I think it may be little different with girls but with boys, your twin is your best friend and your worst enemy. We would be playing together one minute and beating the crap out of each other the next. You learn a lot from each other. We had different interests but whatever those differences were the other had some interest in what the other was doing.
The worst part of being a twin is that people will treat you like one person. People don't get your name right and when you correct them, they just laugh about it. Cheap ass people will get you one gift an expect you to share it. Yeah, right! That's like expecting two lions to share one steak. It ain't happening. Now, back to names. Shawn and Shane, Shane and Shawn. Two different names for two different people. "I can't tell them apart." is an excuse people have used for years. Really? Shawn was always about 3 inches taller than me and had brown hair. I had blond for the first 8 years of my life. I have a cleft in my chin and he doesn't. And you can't tell us apart? Bullshit! People are just too lazy to even try. Smart people will get twins alike gifts so they don't have to share one or fight over them. I remember an instance in grade school, a kid was handing out sticks of gum to everyone and when it came to us he torn a piece in half for us to share. What a dick!
Another crappy part of being a twin is that people are always comparing you to one another. Grades, sports, height, weight, attitude, looks, ... the lists goes on and on. My thought on that is "DON'T do it!" It's hard enough to find your own identity in this world with out all of this other crap. Just congratulate each individual on their respective accomplishments. We are each our own person. We are good at different things. I am never compared to my older sister. Why compare me to my other sibling?
The good part of being twin is there is always someone to play with, talk to, and get in trouble with. I remember one game we would play. We called it "cussing war." We would crawl under our beds (we shared a room) and start cussing at one another. We would say the most foul things we could think of. Who knows how many times we played it but it ended abruptly one summer day when an extra set of ears overheard what was being said. Later in life we created the "gross out game." Again some of the grossest things you can think of was said to the other. This game still rears it ugly head occasionally.
We probably look more alike now than ever. We are the same height and both have greying brown hair. I get strange looks when I'm back home. People seem to think they know who I am but give me a second look before they speak. Sometimes they are right sometimes they are wrong. I always forgive them. If I feel they should know who I am then I get a little irked inside. How would you like to be continually called Fred when your name was Steve? Exactly.
Here are a few other irritating questions people often ask: 1) "Where's your brother?" I don't know we're not Siamese twins attached at the hip. 2) "Are you the one married to Gretchen or Jennifer?" I have a name, It's Shane. 3) "Tell your brother .... when you see him." Uh. Okay. Hope it's not important, it may be awhile. 4) "What was your brother doing the other night when I saw him?" Refer to number one 5) "Do you guys live next door to each other?) Yes, it's called The Morgan Compound, where we run around naked, shares wives and have our own cult following. In other words, "No."
I could probably go on forever but I'm going to wrap this up. If you are wishing for twins, ask yourself "is it for them or is it for you?". Having a twin can be great and horrible all at the same time. I can try to explain it to you all and when I'm done, you still won't understand. It's a twin thing, you wouldn't understand.
First of all, let's get it out of the way. NO, we do not have ESP! We can not communicate telepathically. Yes, I know you are laughing, but I have been ask that a million times. I guess as babies we had our "twin talk." so I'm told. We would jabber with one another. We apparently knew what the other was saying but no one else could understand. We look nothing alike, as we are fraternal. (that means we come from two different eggs) We were dressed alike quite often as infants. I guess that's cute. I hear people use that as a reason for wanting twins. My thought on that is "okay, but their not baby dolls." Twins are often given similar names, ours are Shawn and Shane. I have no problem with that but I will have more on names later.
Growing up with a twin means someone is always there. I think it may be little different with girls but with boys, your twin is your best friend and your worst enemy. We would be playing together one minute and beating the crap out of each other the next. You learn a lot from each other. We had different interests but whatever those differences were the other had some interest in what the other was doing.
The worst part of being a twin is that people will treat you like one person. People don't get your name right and when you correct them, they just laugh about it. Cheap ass people will get you one gift an expect you to share it. Yeah, right! That's like expecting two lions to share one steak. It ain't happening. Now, back to names. Shawn and Shane, Shane and Shawn. Two different names for two different people. "I can't tell them apart." is an excuse people have used for years. Really? Shawn was always about 3 inches taller than me and had brown hair. I had blond for the first 8 years of my life. I have a cleft in my chin and he doesn't. And you can't tell us apart? Bullshit! People are just too lazy to even try. Smart people will get twins alike gifts so they don't have to share one or fight over them. I remember an instance in grade school, a kid was handing out sticks of gum to everyone and when it came to us he torn a piece in half for us to share. What a dick!
Another crappy part of being a twin is that people are always comparing you to one another. Grades, sports, height, weight, attitude, looks, ... the lists goes on and on. My thought on that is "DON'T do it!" It's hard enough to find your own identity in this world with out all of this other crap. Just congratulate each individual on their respective accomplishments. We are each our own person. We are good at different things. I am never compared to my older sister. Why compare me to my other sibling?
The good part of being twin is there is always someone to play with, talk to, and get in trouble with. I remember one game we would play. We called it "cussing war." We would crawl under our beds (we shared a room) and start cussing at one another. We would say the most foul things we could think of. Who knows how many times we played it but it ended abruptly one summer day when an extra set of ears overheard what was being said. Later in life we created the "gross out game." Again some of the grossest things you can think of was said to the other. This game still rears it ugly head occasionally.
We probably look more alike now than ever. We are the same height and both have greying brown hair. I get strange looks when I'm back home. People seem to think they know who I am but give me a second look before they speak. Sometimes they are right sometimes they are wrong. I always forgive them. If I feel they should know who I am then I get a little irked inside. How would you like to be continually called Fred when your name was Steve? Exactly.
Here are a few other irritating questions people often ask: 1) "Where's your brother?" I don't know we're not Siamese twins attached at the hip. 2) "Are you the one married to Gretchen or Jennifer?" I have a name, It's Shane. 3) "Tell your brother .... when you see him." Uh. Okay. Hope it's not important, it may be awhile. 4) "What was your brother doing the other night when I saw him?" Refer to number one 5) "Do you guys live next door to each other?) Yes, it's called The Morgan Compound, where we run around naked, shares wives and have our own cult following. In other words, "No."
I could probably go on forever but I'm going to wrap this up. If you are wishing for twins, ask yourself "is it for them or is it for you?". Having a twin can be great and horrible all at the same time. I can try to explain it to you all and when I'm done, you still won't understand. It's a twin thing, you wouldn't understand.
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