MY FRIEND IS GREATLY MISSED

A dear friend died suddenly this week and I already miss her. For 5 years she suffered and fought against cancer to stay alive for her husband, her children, and her friends. She loved all of them and she loved life. Always cheerful and optimistic, even through surgery, radiation, and chemo; She was a strong person but a gentle person who knew how to live in the moment. She did not complain about the past and she did not worry about the future. She just did the best she could for today. Sadly, for her husband, children, and friends, she ran out of todays. I am grateful for the extra time that she was with us because of her determination to live. We had great times together and many laughs. Barbara Anne Teller was a jewel of a friend!

URANTIA FOUNDATION

I am in Chicago this week to celebrate Thanksgiving. Coincidentally, the World Headquarters of the Urantia Foundation is located at 533 Diversey Parkway in Chicago. I Just recently learned of its existence and I am going to tell you about this unusual religious organization. In the 1920s, a respected Chicago psychiatrist, Dr. William S. Sadler, had a patient who would go into a deep trance and begin writing a complex, philosophical story about the origins of humans and their place in the Universe. These communications appeared to come from beings who were from another planet. Over a 19 year period, Dr. Sandler collected these hand written notes produced by this man under the influence of celestial visitors. He compiled them into a large book called, The Urantia Book.

This book became the basis for the Urantia Foundation which is not a complete religion but it explains the origin of the Universe and tells stories about the advanced beings that populate it. It includes descriptions of an interplanetary community with a complex history, philosophy and guidance from the "superhuman Planetary Government of Urantia". For believers, it is a space age update of all the world's religions. Pretty fascinating, don't you think?!

SOMETHING IRONIC IN THIS MODERN WORLD

Dumb people have smart phones. Smart people have dumb phones. Dumb people play with their phones and are oblivious to the world around them. Smart people say there’s more to life than apps and games. They enjoy interacting with people around them and savor the sights and sounds of their environment. Oh yeah, and once and awhile they make necessary but brief phone calls with their dumb phones. My dumb phone works great and it cost $10. I get service for $6.67 per month. A smart phone cost about $500.00 and the service, including a voice plan, a data plan, and a text messaging plan, cost approximately $80.00 per month. So, let’s see, the smart phone and 12 months of service cost $1460. My dumb phone and 12 months of service cost me $90.00. $1460.00 - $90.00 = $1370. With the amount I am saving, I can buy a new Kindle Fire and a new iPad 2 which comes with two cameras, a 1GHz dual core A5 processor, an improved operating system, a better browser, HDMI capability, and a bunch of other stuff. The Kindle and the IPad are light enough and small enough to carry in a briefcase or a very small backpack or a purse. So, I save $80.00 per month in future service fees and have $670.00 left over to buy a year’s worth of beer.  Plus, I have twice the capabilities of a smart phone to use in the comfort of my home or anywhere that has Wi-Fi.  In conclusion, I think smart phones are pretty darn dumb!

Obituary for a smart phone addict: He has gone to meet his final caller up in the microwave sky. Tragically, he stepped into an open manhole while checking his messages. He loved to upload and download and surf the web. But his favorite pastime was constantly talking on his phone to other dumb people about inane, boring subjects like, “Honey, I am in the supermarket. Do you think I should buy crunchy peanut butter or smooth peanut butter?” He will be sadly missed by other dumb people who are avoiding reality by playing games on their smart phones. Talk is cheap unless you have a smart phone!

AMERICA'S SECRET ILLNESS

Over 10 million men and women have this disorder and it is difficult to live with. Many famous, accomplished people have had to deal with it their entire life. In fact, it is believed by some to be a mark of genius. It is easy to see why the connection is made when you look at the list of famous people who have had to live with the complaint: Mark Twain, Kurt Vonnegut, William Faulkner, Winston Churchill, Abbie Hoffman, Edgar Allen Poe, Beethoven, Van Gogh, and Isaac Newton. The world would not be the same without these and many other famous people with bipolar disorder.

If untreated, bipolar disorder can be a catastrophe. Many times it can lead to suicide. The symptoms are difficult for other people to deal with. It takes tremendous understanding, patience, and love to live with a bipolar person. The illness causes extreme shifts in mood, energy, and functioning. Common symptoms are: Elated, happy moods followed by severe depression. Increased talking and rapid speech. Ambitious and often grandiose plans. Impulsive activity. Increased feelings of anxiety. Feelings of guilt and hopelessness. If you know someone who acts in this manner, treat them with respect and understanding. I have a bipolar friend that I respect and admire. I love the guy!

TRUST ME

The Web has enabled anyone to publish ideas and information online. Web logs, commonly referred to as "blogs", can be personal diaries, rants or opinions, free information, advice from experts, or anything. They can be published by individuals, groups, service providers and companies. They may contain accurate information or completely false information. There is no oversight or regulatory authority to supervise them. They are free speech much like a conversation on a street corner. So, use a trusted source to double check accuracy and truthfulness. There are now more than 300,000,000 blogs on the net. Mine is the only one you can trust. I would not lie to you and my opinions are reasonable. Thanks for following my blog!