Caption This!! 11-30-08

Hey ya'll!

Here's a fun lil game I call "Caption This!"

See that lil picture down there?

The idea is for you to put a caption on the photo (in the comment section).

Whatever comes to mind'll be wonderful I'm sure!

Funny, Sad, nonchallant! They ALL work!

So...here ya go...CAPTION THIS!

*****

Quote for the Day:

"To die is nothing; but it is terrible not to live. " -- Victor Hugo, Les Miserables

Teachers Don't Think Of Themselves

I’ve mentioned before that I have some very strange dreams.
Last night, I not only had a strange dream, but I had one that’s been making me think.
Go figure!
I was working in a movie theater again. I wasn’t the Manager, I was the manager’s assistant. (That’s the strange part to me)
I was busy doing weekly chores that one does in that business, and the District Manager showed up. Apparently I was working in the theater he was based in. After a while, my chores led me past a meeting he was holding and I overheard him saying there were openings he was looking to fill in theaters in his district.
Later, I asked him about the openings.
He told me that no, there weren’t any openings.
We both knew that he was not telling the truth.
So I said, “Let’s be honest with each other. Do you not want me holding a Management position again?”
His reply was “No.”
I stood there waiting for an explanation with a stupid look on my face.
He stated plainly, “Teachers don’t think of themselves.”
I heard what he had said, but didn’t absorb it right away.
He continued, “I see a shift in you in the right direction. But you’re not there yet.” He smiled, put a hand on my shoulder, then walked away to continue his work. (what’s funny was I bothered him in the middle of him ‘testing’ a video game…)
I walked back to my desk, at the top of a dusty hill where a friend (I assume) pulled up in their truck. I sat down with a smile on my face, and then I awoke.
I woke with the same smile on my face, in the same profound thought as I had been in the dream before I woke up. And, I’ve been thinking about it since.
The depth of that single sentence, coming from a man I’ve looked up to for years, is still hitting me in ways I never expected.
“Teachers don’t think of themselves.”
This isn’t just talking about academic teachers. Teachers can be found in so many other positions and professions if you think about it.
Heck, Parent are teachers. They’re the most important ones in my mind.
As I woke up this morning, thinking in wonder at the small revelation I had just had,
I thought to myself, “Thank you God (for that wisdom you’ve bestowed upon me)”.
I’ve thanked God several times since then.
Now, I’m not here to preach, but I may be here to teach.
My thoughts have wandered to things I’ve done, and the motivation for which I did them.
Sometimes, I’ve done things in the name of something else, when all I was really doing them for was because of the way it made Me feel or because of feelings I was having that I had to cope with.
Quite a different sized revelation to me.
I’m sure I’ll continue to think about the phrase that came to me in my dreams last night, delivered by the entity I look up to.
Only good can come out of it.


*****

Quote for the day:

"If you don't risk anything you risk even more." -- Erica Jong

*****

Update on the tree...

Let's Try This Video Thingy

YAY! My first video upload ever!

yea so I look stupid...so what... lol

Anyone know of a good free movie editor??

******

Quote for the day:

"Character is what you have left when you've lost everything you can lose. " -- Evan Esar

Healing Personified

I just saw an article on a local news station about a phenomenon called Reiki (pronounced ray-key).
It's interesting how this subject keeps coming up and being brought to my attention. (or maybe I'm just noticing it more because it interests me.)
Here's the clinical definition of Reiki:

"Reiki is the Japanese word for Universal Life Force Energy. It is an ancient, natural energy healing art that balances energy in the body and promotes health on all levels: physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. “Rei” means universal, higher power. “Ki” is the life force energy that is flowing through everything that is alive. Ki is similar to Qi (chi) in Traditional Chinese Medicine, Prana in Hinduism, and the Holy Spirit in Christianity. However, Reiki is not a religion or belief system. Reiki is simply a healing force that follows the Universal Laws of spiritual consciousness and unconditional love. It is a powerful tool for healing and balance. " - from the Transformational Healing website (email me if you'd like a link)

So basically, this has to do with what I've been blogging about lately.
Energy!!
This energy, however, is channeled through you, instead of using your own energy, you're using the energy around you to help people heal. From what I've read so far, this healing doesn't cure diseases, but can help ease pain and such. I'll definitely be doing more research on the subject.
This is getting weird. LOL
Why does this subject keep coming up??
I suppose I'm searching for some meaning to it all. That's a good thing. Nothing wrong with learning something new.
I'll continue to let you know what I find out about this totally interesting phenomenon (to me anyways).
What do you think? Are there such energies, in, and around us?
I'm interested enough to believe that there 'could' be.
I mean, what if there IS some energy we can tap into to help others and ourselves!
That would be amazing and life altering for everyone.
Yep, definitely have to look into this more....



*****

Quote for the day:

"You are young, my son, and, as the years go by, time will change and even reverse many of your present opinions. Refrain therefore awhile from setting yourself up as a judge of the highest matters. " -- Plato, Dialogues, Theatetus

Honor is Still Among Us

I just read an article about J.P. Hayes, a pro golfer, who disqualified himself because of a small error while he was playing in a tournament.
here's the link if you want to read it:

http://sports.yahoo.com/golf/blog/devil_ball_golf/post/J-P-Hayes-is-as-honest-as-we-like-to-think-we-a?urn=golf,123304

The gist of the article is that this guy told on himself regarding a rule he broke while playing a round of golf in the tournament. Nobody would have noticed the error, but he did the honorable thing after he noticed what he had done.
I think that's cool. Now it may be a minor thing to a guy that's made 7 million dollars through out his sports career, but nonetheless, he did the right thing.
Would I do the same?
I can say yes. I'd rather be able to sleep at night, than play or do something dishonorably.
I wonder if I've passed this kind of ethic on to my son, and whether he knows if I'm that type of man.
It's an interesting topic.
If only our politicians were as honorable...
Good Job J.P.!



*****


Quote for the day:

"The purpose of life is to fight maturity." -- Dick Werthimer

Who I am to Become

Who I Am To Become

11-19-08




Finding myself
To be someone I’ve become,
A disappointing revelation,
That shook my soul,
Thanks to the one
Who helped me realize.
I’m sorry,
She’s no longer in my life.
I’ll regret that for a long time.
Yet, It’s time to be again,
The person I used to be.
The happy man,
The working man,
The sane man,
The responsible man,
The parental man,
The friend,
The giver,
The caring man,
The man I used to be.
Let the man,
Show him self,
That it’s possible.
I think I’m going to like the man,
Who I am to become.

******

Quote for the day:

"Go to your bosom; Knock there, and ask your heart what it doth know." -- William Shakespeare, 'Measure for Measure'

Joke for the day:

Q: Why do Scotsmen wear kilts?

A: Because the sound of zippers scare the sheep away.

Protons, Electrons, and Neutrons

Have you ever worked with someone that was happy ALL the time? (annoying aren't they...)
I mean, I’d rather work with someone that was positive and upbeat all the time rather than someone not those things. They create a wonderful atmosphere, conducive to working in a positive manner. You can draw off of this energy and become energized yourself (because they're actually sharing it). It’s actually quite enjoyable once you think about it.
On the flip side however, is that person that comes in with a negative attitude ALL the time. They suck. Literally! They suck the energy right out of you. Sometimes you can even feel the FN leaches draining your energy right out from your chest. They too affect everyone around them, in a negative way. It’s like they get a kick out of it sometimes too. You know why right? It’s because they’re leaching everyone’s energy and getting a kind of “high” off of it. Only, it doesn’t last long because it was stolen instead of given, and when all that energy wears off, it’s like trying to stop a habit.
Energy is strange that way. It’s almost as if the universe is saying “Hey. Share your energy and you get rewarded, steal your energy and you get the DT’s.”
Then we have those folks that are either taking and giving their energy, usually at the same time, or they don’t do either. They could be devoid of energy. Sometimes I think I get like this. It’s a detachment from your feelings, kind of like when you’re at a funeral or ummm…a wedding (lol). You just build this shell around you and don’t let anyone take or give their energy to you. You just want to get through the day.
So I suppose you could categorize people into those three broad categories when it has to do with the energy I was speaking of in my “Handshake” entry.
I believe it’s a choice to be these types of people. Mind over matter.
If you believe that you get the choice every day to get up out of bed and have a great day, then more than likely you’ll have a good day. I think that’s a healthy mindset to choose everyday. If you choose to have a bad day, for whatever reason, you’re going to have a bad day.
I say, choose to be a Proton instead of an Electron or a Neutron.
If you can’t get up on the right side of the bed everyday, then put that side against the wall so you have to get up on the positive side of life and annoy all the Neutrons and Electrons with how positive you are!



****

Quote for the day:

"Do not hire a man who does your work for money, but him who does it for love of it." -- Henry David Thoreau

NERDS UNITE!

Remember me telling you that I was a nerd?

Here's a good example....I actually LOVE this clock! LOL

Happy Sunday Everyone!

*****

Quote for the day:


"If you do not wish to be prone to anger, do not feed the habit; give it nothing which may tend to its increase. " -- Epictetus

A project and a Half!

We have a huge tree in our front yard.

I think it's a fruitless Mulberry.

Every year, we usually trim all the new growth off (from the prior year) and cut the thing down to the huge nubs before or near Halloween.

Last year, we didn't get to it for various reasons, but this year, it's a huge undertaking.

I've been working on it every few days for the last couple weeks and here's several of the nubs I've cut back.

Here's how many I have left.... Needless to say, I've only accomplished about 30% of the entire tree. So, I have all this wood laying around, and I decided to do something with it....
What you say?
Lemme see...long straight sticks....Hmmmm.
Yea, ok. I decided to make Staves. Walking sticks. Plural of Staff.
Why?
Duh!
Cause I want to!

Here's the pile of sticks I've collected for staff making...

And some I've trimmed already...

So I have this pile of trimmed mostly straight sticks.

I figured I need them to dry out so that I can sand them, stain them, and lacquer them. But I had to take off the bark first.

I stripped ten limbs today and have them drying in my bathroom with a space heater to speed up the process...



FUN, FUN!
After they dry well, I'm going to go get several different shades of stain and stain them up, then probably a spray finish....
Ahhhh (sigh)....the things a FN HandyMan'll do to occupy his spare time!


******

Quote for the day:

"Nobody realizes that some people expend tremendous energy merely to be normal." -- Albert Camus


and another one just cause:


"Drink, Sir, is a great provoker of three things, nose-painting, sleep, and urine. Lechery, it provokes, and unprovokes: it provokes the desire, but it takes away the performance. Therefore, much drink may be said to be an equivocator with lechery: it makes him, and it mars him; it sets him on, and it takes him off; it persuades him, and disheartens him; makes him stand to, and not stand to: in conclusion, equivocates him in a sleep, and, giving him the lie, leaves him." -----Shakespeare, Macbeth, 2.3.26-37

An old poem revised

The Call



A battle every day.
Helps me sleep.
Cures my hurt.
Used to make my friends laugh.
Costs me my paycheck.
Smoke a cigarette.
I do things I would never do.
Say things I would never say.
Tell Jokes for days.
Fall down.
Struggle to stand up.
Ignore the world.
Walk into doors.
Put up walls.
Get sick.
Life goes on hold.
Drown my sorrow.
Try to forget.
All for the Call,
Of Alcohol.



*****
Today's Quote:

"Search others for their virtues, thyself for thy vices." -- Benjamin Franklin

Do you know?

Why that Kenny Rogers song is on my play list?



It's cause my mom's fav artist was he.


I miss her.

God Bless you Momma!

Don't Judge a Cover by It's Book

Have you ever known someone that is just a peaceful person?
That’s what I strive to be.
I mean, c’mon! I’m a Lover not a fighter!
But, that doesn’t mean that if I’m pressed, I won’t fight back.
A simple example of this is when I was living with my girlfriend at the time.
She always had thought that because I’m not a violent man that I couldn’t take care of myself in a scrap. One time, she wanted to wrestle (playfully). So, we were rolling on the bed for at least a half hour, wrestling. She got SO mad at me because she couldn’t pin me!
She tried and tried and tried, but she couldn’t do it. She had it in her head that I was peaceful and that there was no way that she couldn’t possibly not win.
She got a lesson in balance, pins, holds, and slips that night. LOL, GOD I was having fun!
She finally got so mad, she broke a nail on me and that ended it.
The respect she gave me afterwards though, was quite interesting. She looked at me in a different light I guess. Not in a bad way, in a good way, and I noticed.
I suppose my point of this diatribe is that one shouldn’t always judge someone just because of beliefs and philosophies. Just because someone uses their mind instead of their physical attributes, doesn’t make that person any less of a person.
I was a nerd in high school and was treated like one. Hell, I still AM a nerd! Just ask anyone that knows me…
I’m a lover, not a fighter. But, when pressed, I WILL fight back. With a ferocity! If I’m going to fight, I’m going to fight to win.
In the meantime, I’ll continue my search for inner and outer peace, and try to be a bright spot in my friends lives.
Love.
Laugh.
Live.

The three L’s of an FN Handyman!

Peace!


*********

Quote for the day:

"Anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job. " -- Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

The Handshake

I'm pretty sure everyone has shaken someone's hand before. We're such a civilized country (harf!).
What exactly is a handshake, or perhaps a better question would be, What should a handshake be?

I believe it can be so much more than a greeting, an agreement binder, or a simple action that can oft times be so overlooked.
I'll tell you when I had this revelation.
I went to a bbq at a friends house several years ago. I met a young asian woman there who shook my hand. As she did so, she used both hands to grasp my hand, and held on for more than I was used to at the time.
I'm wasn't sure exactly at the time it happened, whether it was the warmth with which she completed the shake, the smile on her face, the look in her eyes, the calming sound of her voice, or a combination of all of those, but I'm quite sure now what exactly happened.
She shared her energy with me!
Whether you believe in karma, aura, soul, or whatever, I believe one CAN share their energy with others, just by a touch. Sometimes just being in close proximity to someone who is adept at sharing their energy can be enough for them to share.
It only makes sense. The human brain is ran on energy. Our thoughts are electrical impulses bouncing around between synapses. We should be able to share this "electricity" with our humanity.
Once I figured out what she had done, I started shaking hands like that.
I may not do it every time, but I do try to be conscious about it.
I suppose I don't necessarily want to share my energy with everyone, but when I'm feeling good about a situation, you'll get the double hand-handshake from me.
Try this if you want...
Hold your hands out in front of you. Close your eyes, and mentally picture the energy inside your chest. Then, take a deep breath and as you exhale slowly, picture that energy flowing from your chest to both of your hands. Concentrate on it. Keep repeating this for at least 30 seconds.
The first time I did this, my hands started to tingle. It was quite amazing really.
If you continue to practice that little exercise, I believe, you'll be on the road to sharing energy.
Now, why share your energy through a handshake?
The reason, I believe, is all of those reasons I stated at the beginning of this entry, and a much more profound one. To remind you that we as humans are all in this together. Humanity is just that, one race. The Human Race.
DUH!
"They" say that you can share your energy with other life forms as well. Try sharing your energy with an ailing plant. Just do that little exercise, while you're touching the plant. Do it once a day (make sure the FN plant is watered) and I'm willing to bet the plant will be replenished.
Share your energy while your cooking. Best of all, share your energy when making love.

The next time you shake someones hand, try grasping as you normally would, then use your other hand to cover the rest of your shakee's hand. Share some energy. I bet they'll remember you for it.


**********

Other notes for today...

The meatballs yesterday were FAN-FN-TASTIC! I hope you try them!

If you'd like to leave a comment, and you don't want to sign up for an account and use the "anonymous" thingy...please leave your name in the comment. I'd love to know who's commenting. If you don't want to and really want to be anonymous, that's ok too! :)


Here's a quote for the day:

"I'm tired of all this nonsense about beauty being only skin-deep. That's deep enough. What do you want, an adorable pancreas? " -- Jean Kerr

FN ASIAN MEATBALLS

I'm going over to a good friends today for football after church and I'm bringing some sexcellent meatballs for all of us to enjoy...here's the FN recipe!



FN MEATBALLS with ASIAN BBQ SAUCE

4 tbsp Brown Sugar
4 tbsp Rice Vinegar
4 tbsp Sriracha Sauce (asian chili sauce)
The juice Of Two FN Oranges (you can use some zest too if'n ya wanna)
1 tbsp Fish Sauce
2 tbsp Soy Sauce
3 tbsp minced Gahlic

1- 2 lb bag of those frozen FN Meatballs ya get at the FN grocery store
1.5 tbsp Corn Starch mixed with water to dissolve it


Mix all the ingredients except the meatballs in a jar, or bowl, or whatever you FN wanna.
Then open the meatball bag and pour them BBQ sauce in there, seal it, and let them marinate over night in the refrigerator to defrost.
Take them suckers out the next day and put them in a crock pot or a stock pot, and let them slow cook for a couple hours until heated thoroughly FN through.
Then, drain the juice into a sauce pan, mix in the corn starch mixture, and bring just to a boil so that it thickens up. Pour back onto the FN meatballs for a savory gravy!
Serve this over rice, egg noodles, smashed potatoes, or whatever your FN heart desires!

Serves a bunch a FN people. Takes some FN time, but it's worth it.

ok....now I'm gonna finish enjoying my NECTAR of the GODS!
Ya'll have a wonderful FN Sunday!

WELCOME MY FRIENDS!

HOWDY FOLKS!

It's me! 1 FN HandyMan! (aka Darren)

Welcome to my new blog, "FN SHENANIGANS!" where you will find all things that are FN in my life!

Make yourself at home, leave a message, tell a joke, enjoy what you may read, or hear, or see.

I'll have many different things on here as I build my little FN world on Blogger. You may find pictures to comment on, poetry, recipes (with my FN touch of course lol), Political commentary, rants, raves, jokes, Handyman tips, and pretty much anything I feel like adding.

I hope you like it, and I'll be writing again very soon.

I'm not sure if there's a notification thing on here to let you know if I've posted a new blog, but feel free to drop me a line at dudemovie@gmail.com and ask me to add you to my email notification list!

Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you have an FN DAY! :)