Napkins & Roosters

The Smartest Man in the World? Let us call him Albert; aka as in Albert Einstein. Last evening I watched the History Channel documentary on the life of Albert Einstein. Here I want to tell you the true story of my friend Albert. When you are so lucky to have shared half a lifetime with him; I wondered then how will I tell his amazing story?   Defining the depth of his mind, the precise way he approaches every subject;  just imagine, he is a math genius, he has a Wikipedia mind, and the ability to create, fix or build almost anything when he applies himself, or even be Clarence Darrow when necessary. You can choose to chat on any subject with Albert, he may say he knows nothing about the subject, never believe him. With the depth of intellect of any great teacher, he will astound you. He built the search engine before anyone; I know I was there, just to be turned down by a group of venture capitalists, just two years before, the world learned about the sea...

Jack Chapter 2 .................. There I was cool, sleeves rolled up starting my career in landscape maintenance; Bob Riley would become my teacher/mentor. It's 8am we roll the mowers off the trailer, Bob says to go down and mow that lawn, well I did with the trusty 21" Murray push mower. We were lucky because the sun was not at its peak yet, but remember, I was cool.  It seemed like hours and I dragged the little Murray mower back, and proudly said " how does it look", well with a kind of coy smile, Bob said, " you mowed the wrong lawn"? I thought OMG! This is when I thought I may die if I had to go down and mow the right lawn?    I could tell that Bob knew I might expire in the hot sun, so handed me this edger. Ok, this is when your thinking just pull the starter rope and edge? Oh no, this was back in the day, this edger with the star wheel for cutting, was like one you probably saw hanging in your grandfather's garage, hehe.  Hey, I was ...

Weebew Club 1.  Read Early, Read Often A large part of Abraham Lincoln’s speaking ability stemmed from his lifelong love of reading. Despite his father not believing in the value of education, Lincoln read voraciously as a child. Lincoln was never far from a book for the rest of his life, even though his formal schooling amounted to less than twelve months. Lincoln’s love of reading would come in quite handy later in his life. During the early days of the Civil War, Lincoln - who had almost no military experience - turned to books to give himself a “crash course” in military strategy. This “crash course” no doubt helped him successfully lead the nation through its most precarious era. 2. Craft Your Words Carefully Abraham Lincoln’s speeches have contributed some of the most memorable lines in American history, from “a house divided against itself cannot stand,” to “with malice towards none and charity for all.” When writing your own speech...

Naga,Naga,Naga April 27, 2018 (1) Early to rise, Some may remember the movie ( One flew over the Coocoo'sNest).  A schizophrenic Native American man who pretends to be deaf and dumb so that everybody will ignore him narrates One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. The novel begins the morning that a new "Admission," Randle McMurphy,  is introduced to an insane asylum where Chief is the longest-residing patient. McMurphy is larger than life, intelligent, and observant. He stirs up the ward immediately by introducing friendly competition—gambling—and encouraging the men to rebel against the petty rules created and enforced by Nurse Ratched.  Well here I am in Naga City,  the Philippines, starting week three, I am quick to declare it may be my cuckoo nest, OMG! The life here is simple you rise with the roosters, maybe by the millions, at 4:30 am,  yes that's AM!   I think of all the money I saved on an alarm clock?   It's ...

When Martin Luther King said, " I have a Dream," Ronald Regan said," Where is that shining City on the hill" and John F. Kennady said," Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your county"? With all of that said we elected Barack Obama. So, many years later, these great men may be turning over in their graves! We watch as paid protesters are defacing statues, and the paid athletes protest our flag. Has the "I have a Dream" dream has fallen flat on its head! Are we to forgive these athletes because their brains may be scattered? Are we to forgive Barack Obama because he promised to fix the divide between blacks and whites; then proceeded to set racial strife back to before MLK's death! What is the I Have a Dream?  Maybe become an athlete, admired by millions? Maybe become the President of the United States? Maybe it is you preparing for your American Dream? How does the Constitution of The ...

Jack Chapter (3)                                     Dreams Wonderful Dreams Sometimes your mind takes you to places beyond anywhere you ever imagined. Jack, woke in the year 1625, in a forest with men in strange outfit's standing over him, Jack wiped his eyes, thinking he was dreaming? Could they be, Athos, Porthos, and Aramis, The Three Musketeers?  They asked, how did you get here, and from where? Jack, bewildered and scared said, “ from St. Petersburg, Missouri." Porthos said “ come with us to our camp, and we will feed you. You are hungry, aren’t you", Jack said oh yes. The Musketeers had long shiny swords hanging from their belts; Jack thought back to Alexandre Dumas’s book The Three Musketeers, these men were defending the honor of the regiment against the guards of the Cardinal Richelieu and the honor of the queen against the machinations of the Cardinal himse...