Xb & Tunnel Vision

Posted on October 10, 2010 by Jon Long Sr

Good Morning,

It was just a little after three in the afternoon while coming down Recker Road and a little over a mile from home when from under the front of the black 2006 Scion Xb, there came a sound as if a large snake had decided to commit suicide by jumping into the path of the speeding vehicle.  It soon became apparent that it probably wasn’t a snake after all as the “idiot” lights on the dash started to come on.  First the ALT light, then BATT light, which were followed shortly after, by the air inside of the cab getting rather warmish and finishing with the TEMP light.  Just in time, home and in the garage with the bonnet (hood) up, the situation became obvious.  The serpentine belt that once assiduously traveled around the crank shaft pulley, alternator pulley, air conditioner pump pulley, and water pump pulley in its infinite loop had quite suddenly and without giving proper notice, left for what must have been greener pastures.

That’s when I got the call.  “Senior, I’ve got a problem.  It looks like I have a broken belt on the Xb.  I may need your help to find one.”  Well that’s what dads are for, or at least one of the reasons.  Following numerous calls to a plethora of different auto parts houses, one is found and so we toddle off.

13 miles round trip to our friendly Checker’s Auto Parts Store.  40 minutes later we arrive back at the garage and the waiting XB, new belt in hand, full of enthusiasm and without much of a clue as how to put this thing on, other than not wanting to pay the dealer $200 for the job.  Besides, how difficult can it be to change a stinking belt?  Shucks we can figure out anything…No Fear.  (Ignorance is bliss!)

It looks pretty simple, just loosen a couple of bolts on the Alternator and slide the belt on after weaving it through all them pulleys right down there.  Well, on second thought, it looks like that front wheel needs to come off because we can’t get to the bottom pulleys otherwise.  Ok…So where is the car jack?  Well, where else would it be, but under the drivers seat and after a quick search, the crank to operate it, was found cleverly hidden in the back under a panel.  Makes sense to me.  The car is jacked up, CMU block for safety and the wheel is off.  Ok and while you are at it, it looks like that lower shroud is goanna have to come off too.  Check.  Now we can see some stuff.

20 minutes later we finally have the alternator bolts loose.  I’m pretty sure by this time that they use high torque air tools at the Scion factory and also put Loctite on the threads.  The “breaker bar” has become our close friend and I’m starting to mumble something about a Japanese factory worker’s mother.

Ok now, things are ready for the belt.  Around and under the crank pulley, under the air conditioner pump pulley up and over the alternator pulley and back down under the water pump pulley…Wait a minute…it won’t fit around the water pump pulley.  Alas, something isn’t right here.  Twenty minutes goes by and no matter how hard we tried, it just will not fit.  Well obviously, it’s too short and we need a longer one.  (Where have I heard that one before?)

I know…let’s see if we can find the old belt and compare it with what we need to get.  Logical huh?  A mile and a half down the road and we find and recover it from the side of the road where it was languishing in its retirement, albeit a bit frayed.  A quick compare and yep, what do you know, it is a bit longer.  That’s got to be the answer.

13 miles round trip to the friendly Checker’s Auto Parts Store and Oscar lets us trade in our belt and four bucks for one that is the next size longer.  (This is starting to turn into one of my plumbing jobs, which always require 2-3 trips to the store before it is finished.) We compare it to the old one and it looks like a great fit.  This will do it and we head back to the garage.  30 minutes later, a couple of bruised knuckles and the new belt is still to short.  What the @%*# is going on here?  It should not be this difficult to change a stupid belt!  Well obviously we need a longer one and all the books and people are wrong that say otherwise.  Right?

13 miles round trip to the friendly Checker’s Auto Parts Store and Oscar lets us trade our belt for an even longer one.  (I am beginning to wonder what they say about us after we leave.)  Anyway this one will do it and if it doesn’t, well tomorrow is another day since the sun has long since gone down and the streak on the ground you see behind us is our butts dragging.  Back at the garage and it doesn’t take but 5 minutes to see that the belt is now too long and there is no way of tightening it up.  Time to rethink this thing.  By this time I could really use a beer.

Day two…and after several attempts to find a belt with the length that is somewhere between the last two, we order two sizes that will be in at 8:00AM the next day.  Now I can’t seem to get this thing out of my mind, what went wrong here?  Why doesn’t the factory specified number for the belt work?  Was this version of the Scion a canard?  Maybe it is because it has air conditioning.   It made for a long night of what ifs, as I played the events of the previous days through my head.  Something just didn’t add up.

Day three…morning, the Internet can be a wonderful thing sometimes.  With the discovery of a post on a Scion Xb Forum from a young enthusiast about belt replacement and complete with pictures, along came The Epiphany.  “The first belt wasn’t too short.  We were trying to put the @%*# thing on wrong!  Go figure…who would have thunk?  I am elated with the solution and at the same time perplexed at the events of the last two days.

13 miles round trip to the friendly Checker’s Auto Parts Store and with chagrin handed the belt to Oscar who traded our “too long belt” for the “original one” we had purchased two days earlier.  This will do it.  Back at the garage and within minutes the belt is carefully woven through the pulleys the way it was designed to go, it slips on so easily, you would have thought we had coated that puppy with Astroglide.  The Xb was back together, up and running in 20 minutes flat.

So what is my point of my little story you say, besides some self-deprecating attempt at humor?  Well…why did we and mainly I, ignore what was the now painfully obvious?  That we were possibly putting the belt on wrong, when the right one did not fit.  Why didn’t I just look at the Scion Xb in my own garage and compare the way we were doing it?  Somehow, someway, we were so convinced that there was only one-way to do this thing that we did not even consider another possibility.  Since we both bought into it, we supported each other with our choice.  Was this a form of Tunnel Vision?  Was it kind of a group entitativity that then blocked out all other solutions?  So in the process we continued to make assumptions based on this initial wrong perception and then veered farther and farther away from the correct solution with each successive one.

I’m now thinking this could be human nature and may happen more than we would want to realize.  I was also surprised at how easily we both fell into the trap.  So I ask…where else does this happen in our life?  How many times have we made a quick assessment and so convinced that we are right that we then become inflexible to other options or opinions?  Do we do it with friends or people we have just met?  Maybe at work with a new project?  Maybe even while driving?  How about our congressmen and women or for that matter and what about our military?  Now it is getting scary.

These last few days have proven to be a good lesson for me.  I must realize and remember that it is important to keep an open mind and to remain flexible to new concepts at all times.

I sincerely hope this is not a sign of “Old Age”.

Love, Dad

You will find the instructions for Scion Xb belt routing here.

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Sophie Alese ~ New Arrival

Posted on September 26, 2010 by Jon Long Sr

Good Morning,

The arrival of a grandchild is a pretty special event, but what makes it so special from any other birth?  Maybe it could be the joy of seeing a new life come into this world, while in itself is a miracle to even the harshest of skeptics, can still be shared with all newborns.  Is it that there is something about the innocence and vulnerability of a newborn that can capture our altruistic nature and compel us to want to protect and nurture all babies?  Again, I think this still applies to all infants, kittens and puppies included.

To me, a grandchild is all that and much, much more, for that newborn child carries our genes to the next generation, if only a portion of the strongest and hopefully the best ones.  That special child then becomes our bid for immortality, as each generation carries on to the next.  So then… is it the tacit knowledge that we can live on in another for at least a few more decades after we reach our final reward?  Is it this that makes the arrival that much more special?  After all, I think most of us, would like to live forever, at least in spirit, for if not, what would be the point of a Heaven?  At the very least least the principle of passing down our genes should appeal to both the faithful as well as the non-believer.  Usually the feelings for our child or grandchild are so strong that we would give our own life for them.  It is indeed a bond like no other and because we are in essence protecting part of ourselves, fully justified is the sacrifice.

I think it is human nature to see ourselves in our children and grandchildren, so much so is the bond that when they laugh, we laugh, when they are joyful, we are joyful, when they feel pain, we feel pain and when they cry, we cry.  We celebrate their victories as well as their defeats all the time knowing it takes both to appreciate life to the fullest.  They bring wonder and fullness to our own lives in ways like nothing else can.

So on the 16th September 2010, Sophie Alese Long arrived into this world at 9:01pm, weighing in at 7lb 5oz and 19½ inches long.  The first born child to Michael and Kelly (Mitton) Long and now… their life has changed forever as they too experience in wonder what can only be lived.

This is not a new experience for me since I have been blessed with other grandchildren; some are tied to me by blood and others by the bond of love.  It is just that this kind of life event doesn’t come around every day and it needs to be celebrated and enjoyed as one of the beautiful things about having family.

So today, I celebrate life, elated in the realization that I have made it to the milestone of “65” years, (officially a Senior), joyful to have a new granddaughter (Sophie) in our family, and grateful for the love of friends, family and the blessings of an enduring (34yr) marriage.

Love, Dad

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9-11 Why?

Posted on September 11, 2010 by Jon Long Sr

Some may consider this one just the opinion on a senior citizen.  I hope the questions make you think about where we are going.  Make no mistake, I love this country and I believe we can be better than we are.  All of us.

Good Morning,

I’m sitting here waiting for Joe, my son-in-law to come by for an early morning bicycle ride.  About this same time nine years ago I was watching the television most intent.  At Michael’s prompting we had turned it on just in time to see the second plane, UAL Flight 175 crash into the South Tower of the World Trade Center.  The next two hours would bring an end to the quasi-innocence I and we, as a country, had enjoyed for so long.  Not since Pearl Harbor, 60 years prior, had we been dealt a blow so impactive on our own soil.  Not that we as a country had not wreaked havoc on plenty of other countries in the interim, all for the sake of democracy and pushing our beliefs.

I guess my question is, looking back after WWII had ended, are we a better country now for being involved in Korea, Vietnam, Grenada, Iraq and now Afghanistan?  We certainly have a better military arsenal, and have lots of field proven weaponry.  We also have thousands upon thousands of lives lost in the process.  We are now hated by millions upon millions of people around the world and the numbers seem to be growing.  Why do you think that is?  Did we stop communism or did communism just hunker down for a while and will eventually re-emerge in Russia and the Far East?

I’m convinced and it seems to be pretty well stated that 9-11 would have never happened had we not stuck our noses in the Middle East.  After all, it is our presence there that has spawned the fear and hatred from the Muslim community.  Let’s face it; we are there because of our addiction to foreign oil and for no other reason.   It certainly is not for human rights, although we have been lead to believe it.  We have made some of those countries very rich and opulent with our need.  Our presence there is to protect our interests alone and people there know it.  Why should they respect us when they know our reasons are self-serving?  I have little respect for others when I know that what they want from me is purely self-serving with little regard for my welfare.  Why should it be any different between countries?

After reading “Dying to Win” it was pretty clear to me that the majority of terrorist attacks are directed at governments and peoples that threaten to impose their beliefs and culture of others and occupy their country.  If you really think about it, that is what we are doing in the Middle East, with our presence there.  As long as we are there, in the capacity that we are, we will continue to be a target here, for terrorism.  It is what it is.  To me, fighting terrorism is about as productive as playing “Bop–A-Gopher”.  Until we eliminate the real cause, there will be no end.

How wonderful it would be if we as a people could focus our resources, technologies and monies on alternate energy sources instead of creating and fighting wars we cannot ever seem to win.  By doing that, we could pull out of the Middle East and let the people there continue to kill each other as they have done for millennium.  I’m sure they can sort it out without our help or meddling given a few thousand years.

I want to be clear that this has nothing to do with the bravery, commitment and service our armed military have shown and the sacrifices they have made.  Everyone should be proud of that.  What I am not proud of, is the way we as a peoples have selfishly consumed and created so much of our own problems in doing so.  Isn’t it time that we woke up?  Isn’t it time we looked inward at our own problems and shortcomings rather than trying to “fix the world” to be the way we believe it should be.

My heart goes out to all of the families and the nationals of over 70 countries that were killed in the 9-11 attacks.  They are still suffering after these nine years.  The 9-11 attacks should have been a wake up call that we were doing something wrong in our foreign affairs.  Instead, we attacked another country.  It seems to be the norm.  I guess we had to put a bullet up someone’s ass, after all it’s “The American Way”.

Love, Dad

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Thoughts Become Us

Posted on September 5, 2010 by Jon Long Sr

Good Morning,

“Am I not responsible for the Thoughts that fill my head? Who then can I blame for all the Thoughts that have caused me pain, and shame; Have I no choice of Thought to choose, no matter where or when they came; Yes, indeed, it is Me, who said this Thought is to Be, and then proceeded accordingly! I, word or deeded it, it was Me, that Thought to Be, and it is Me who will take the consequences of its affect, as it connects with others to conclude its intended effect . . .”   Jack OdinSky-Od

I would have loved to take credit for that quote, but it belongs to a Jack OdinSky-Od.  Nonetheless, to me it rings so true and reminded me of how important it is to think responsibly.  For our thoughts determine our words and our words once out there, cannot be put back, from whence they came.  The bad ones hang around our life and our relationships like an uninvited guest at a party.

I read somewhere “we are the culmination of all our thoughts to this point in our lives”.  I think Mahatma Gandhi put it even better “A man is but the product of his thoughts.  What he thinks, he becomes.”  If we let hateful thoughts occupy our mind then we will become hateful of others and ourselves.  Jealous thoughts and we will become bitter, resentful and aloof.  Vengeful thoughts and we will become numb to our own values and lose the ability to enjoy even the littlest moments of life.  If we constantly think we are the victims, we become the victim for our thoughts control what we become.  The same principles apply only in a positive way, that if we have constructive, loving and giving thoughts, they will be seen in our countenance and interactions with others and we become that person.

Thought management can make the difference between a happy life and a darker existence.   “The Secret” promoted the idea that if we think it, we can make it become a reality and that we will change what we do and how we act to that end.  Posting a photo of that goal so that you see it every day is one way of creating the subconscious thought processes to achieve your goal.

In daily life we tend to surround ourselves with icons to keep us on the path we choose.  Things like photos of loved ones, a religious symbol, figurines of innocence and plush animals all provide little reminders that help shape our thoughts in subtle ways.  Most of us do this, admittedly some more than others, but it takes only a visit to someone’s home or cubicle to see what I am talking about.  When we see something, we tend to think about it, if only briefly, maybe not consciously, but it is processed regardless, and thoughts are affected, then ultimately our actions.  So we choose what we want to think by how we live.

We are at choice in this.  How do you manage your thoughts?  Are you creating the life you want?

Love, Dad

I have added the blog of Jack OdinSky-Od to my Blog Roll because I like his thoughts.

I lost the URL to the Gandhi Quote.

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Three Score & Ten

Posted on August 29, 2010 by Jon Long Sr

Good Morning,

Last Saturday night while out with Jeanie and friends, I was fortunate enough to meet an older couple that was celebrating their 70th Wedding Anniversary.  70 years!!! Are you kidding me??  During the evening I had seen them on the dance floor (gentle slow dancing) several times while holding each other close.  Thinking back that could have been a mutual supportive thing, but it indeed looked nice to see a couple in their years being that close.  Once the anniversary was announced, a visit to their table was a must.

From our conversation I learned that they had officially met at a church function.  Edward was at the time living in South Dakota, while she living in Iowa just across the State Line.  From what Milly said, with a grin and look of some personal satisfaction displayed through the years on her face, apparently he had pursued her for a while, she obviously playing hard to get, before she said yes.  So, it turned out that Edward was 23 and “Milly” 20 when they married.  That would have been in August of 1940 and a little more than a year before Pearl Harbor and our main involvement in WWII.  It was easy to see that there was still that “young feel” about their relationship present in their voices and while the years had to have held so many stories of their life together and the raising of their three children, I couldn’t help feeling that they were living in this Saturday Night moment.  They were enjoying just this time and in doing so celebrating a triumph and friendship of those so many years.

With today’s divorce rates now exceeding 50%… for a couple to have reached 70 years of marriage and that with the same person, had to have required a unique tenacity and commitment not seen often in these days of “disposable everything”.  It isn’t just staying together that long and weathering the ups and down as there always is, you must also have to get an early start and then live into your 90s as they did.  I liken it pretty much to winning the lottery.  It was obvious they still had their clear minds and mobility from our conversation and also seeing them dance.  A blessing indeed to have shared that many years and still be friends.

I told Edward that when I had asked the husband of another couple celebrating a long relationship, what the secret of a long marriage was, the husband remarked in two words…“Yes Dear”.  That invoked a chuckle from both and Milly quickly said, while putting her hand on Edwards shoulder, it was more like she saying “Yes Dear”.  I suspect that their “secret” was really held in a mutual respect for each other as individuals, while wanting to share their life together.

As the years go by and the marbles in their jar get down to the last precious few, likewise the days become sweeter much like the last cookie in the jar.  I suspect this anniversary held a special significance unmatched by the three score and nine previous.  I felt honored to know them and share a little bit of this unique moment in their lives.  Lessons to be learned, I guess, from those who have gone before.

Yesterday, Jeanie and I celebrated our 34th anniversary, which is just about half of the time Edward and Milly have.  A little epiphany…and I came to realize we have been married for more that half my life.  That actually happened last year, but I suppose the significance of that just came home to roost.  The odds of Jeanie and I making it to our 70th are pretty slim and it is not because we would not try.  I think the 50th may be a more reasonable goal.  It has everything to do with living long enough.  I would have to be 101 to see that.  The events of last year reminded me of how tenuous life can be and my need to be realistic.

I think the best thing we can to do is to enjoy each anniversary as they come along and in that way each one becomes special in its own right.

Love, Dad

Anniversary Picture from The Marriage Zone blog.

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To Hoard or Not To Hoard

Posted on August 22, 2010 by Jon Long Sr

Good Morning,

For some time now and not just after I finished watching an episode of “Hoarders” last week, I have questioned if I have those tendencies.  After all, I do not seem to mind some clutter all that much, although I also appreciate organization to where I can find things when I need them.  A clean house is important to me, so the clutter I am talking about tends to be stuff of a hardware nature and not dirty things like empty pop cans, food containers, trash and the like.  I guess you could call it “clean clutter” if there is such a thing.

Is it possible that Hoarding is a progressive disease and continues to get worse as we age?  Maybe (God Forbid) it is genetic?  Some seem to think so.  The hoarders I was aware of in our family tree were mostly from outside my bloodline, so I do not think that is an issue unless of course it is contagious.  However, parents who lived through and remembered the Great Depression and how they had to stretch everything raised me.  These same parents then went through World War II with gas and food rationing along with other shortages of all kinds.  So needless to say, I grew up in a home environment of “do not waste” and that was before recycling became fashionable.  If something was still usable, then you saved it.  To this day I still have difficulty tossing something out that could either be fixed or repurposed.  So I’m thinking maybe my propensity of saving things was brought on environmentally from an early age.

The reading I have done on this subject seems to imply that Hoarding is now considered its own unique form of OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) and should be taken seriously.  Hardcore “Hoarders” will keep just about anything and everything, but most common are dated items like newspapers, magazines and mail of all kinds.  They will get saved with the intention to be read later, so that nothing is missed.  Come to think of it I did have a first cousin that was like that.  Hummm.  So as the piles of stuff build and multiply, the task of catching up soon becomes overwhelming while the clutter creates an environment of inefficiency compounding the problem even more.  Usable surfaces and living spaces start to disappear.  The person, while wanting things to be perfect, becomes embarrassed by the mess and soon stops allowing people into their home then withdraws more and more into solitude.  This cycle continues to evolve creating the feeling of being overwhelmed.  Depression over the whole situation grows and by its very nature debilitates any activity to correct the problem.  That in turn can lead to escapism in many forms like excessive drinking of alcohol, taking drugs, excessive sleeping, buying more stuff and even overworking away from the home.  Well I’ve got the overworking part down pretty good.

I do enjoy collecting things, which some can interpret as Hoarding I suppose, but clinically purposeful collecting is not considered the same.  Collecting with a purpose, say to fill out a series of items is just that, and maybe with a little fetish thrown in.  My parents collected antiques foryears and I got the bug through that exposure.  The kind of stuff I collected was war memorabilia like badges, shell casings, bazooka rockets, grenades, bayonets, you know, the really cool stuff for a kid.  I did collect some antiques as well, which was mostly old cast iron coin banks.  There were all kinds from buildings, safes to animals.  I especially liked lions for some reason.  Never came across a tiger though.  Selling my cast iron bank collection to my Uncle Bill Long was the way I purchased my first car.  Today, just one or two of those banks would bring enough to have bought that car, but at sixteen… I wanted “wheels” and the freedom they imparted much more than the banks sitting on a shelf.

I have wondered if it is some kind of a deep seeded security thing that makes me feel more comfortable with lots of things around.  That may require a bit more introspective contemplation.  Fortunately, I have no problem with claustrophobia, so small spaces are not an issue with me.  Actually, I would probably be quite happy in a little corner antique shop just chucked full of stuff complete with a workshop in back and busy fixing a clock or a piece of furniture.  The trick of course would be to still make a living, something not easy to do in that business.

So, I guess I won’t worry too much about the clutter right now and just work to keep it from becoming “intervention” time.  That’s when all three kids and their spouses are at the front door with shovels.  So if I can put it off long enough, then you kids will have the fun of sorting through it all.

Love, Dad

PS, The hoarding photo is not from our house.

Lion Bank Photo from Centennial Antiques

Hoarding Photo from UK House Clearance

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Evaluate, Objectify, Optimize

Posted on August 8, 2010 by Jon Long Sr

Good Morning,

This week I applied for Medicare parts A & B and also decided to “Out” and start taking Social Security.  After paying into the system for roughly 50 years, I figured I better get a piece of it before congress finds a way of wheedling us out of it for some greater altruistic purpose.  Say like imposing democracy and the threat of Christianity on a tribal populous living in mud houses half way across the world, so they can find reasons to hate and kill us even more.  I’m just saying….

With the impending prospect of an even more limited income than the one we currently enjoy, it is becoming important to evaluate where we spend our fiscal resources.  Sure, it would be nice to have that sack under the bed full of greenbacks with engravings of my favorite dead presidents or a fat goose of a portfolio laying monthly golden eggs, but that is not the reality of the situation.  It is more like “what you see is what you get” right now.

So with this in mind, I “pulled the plug” on our Cox Communications Service which was a “Bundle”.  The bill for the “Bundle” of three services was starting to cost a “Bundle” as well having worked its way up a little each year, had finally reached its apogee of “Why”.  Why are we paying $158.00 every month for this, that and the other thing?   Through Cox we had a Land-Line Phone Service with very limited long distance, Cable TV Service with a HD Receiver box that only worked on one TV, did not record and had no premium channels and an Internet Service with “Power Boost”, which didn’t want to work on really hot days (not so good in Arizona) and seemed to slow down in the evenings when my neighbors were on.  What is “Power Boost” anyway, isn’t that when no one else is using the cable you can have the whole thing?  Doesn’t that happen normally?  Anyway, it was probably something I should have done a year ago, but “Mr. Change” and I have never been really great friends.  He always seems to be stirring things up and afterwards, I can’t find my stuff.

I grew up with a “Land Line” telephone, so it just seemed to be something that you “had to have”, at least to be part of a “proper” society.  When you moved into a new place, you got a phone hooked up first thing.  That is just the way it was, no question.  For my Grandkids the black thing to the left is a phone and that funny looking round thing with holes in it on the front is called a dial.  Hence the term “dial-up” someone.  You actually had to put your finger into the appropriate hole for the number you wanted and with muscle power, pull the dial around clockwise until it stopped, then removing your finger and letting go, then repeat for the next number. This could happen7-11 times.  It could take you, oh say, 10-20 seconds to initiate a call.  Bummer huh?  Cell phones were just something visionaries wrote about and Dick Tracy wore on his wrist.

So the decision to discontinue our “Land Line” felt like we were cutting ourselves off from society, withdrawing from friends and neighbors and I’m sure a bit of self imposed embarrassment, implying “you can’t afford a land line?  Well, I guess not, at least for the value received, when most of our calls come in on our two cell phones (Blackberrys)  and it is a safe bet that when our Land Line rings, it is either a Political Solicitation, Debt Reconstruction Company or someone wanting to clean the only remaining room of carpet we have in the house.  I don’t think so.

Now for the TV (Cable Service).  I must admit that I really like the Science Channel and tend to go there when “Wife Swap”, “The Simpsons” or some drama show where people are bent on killing each other, between every commercial, is on.  I do enjoy a good mystery, but I really don’t care for some of the macabre I am seeing lately.  To me it seems the stations are trying to outdo each other with shock factor.  I would rather watch something constructive, informative or even funny.  So with only about two stations that I cannot get from an antenna, I found it hard to justify keeping it.  Besides I already had the HD antenna in the attic.

That leaves the Internet.  Well we decided that it would be very difficult to give that one up, but fortunately there were other options out there, more economical.  Qwest was one of them.  A consistent speed (yeah!) for half the money, sounded like a pretty good deal.  Besides, the Internet is the new medium whether it is through your cell phone or laptop; it has become the way to stay connected.  I.e. Blog, Facebook, email and the like.

So this probably is just one of the first steps in the simplifying process, but I think it is in the rightdirection.  Besides it feels pretty good shaving $130.00 bucks off the monthly.  Something I can use to pay my new Medicare Supplemental Insurance parts C & D.  It will be nice to have health insurance again.

Words of the day; Evaluate, Objectify, Optimize.

Love, Dad

Images:

Social Security Card: A little work with Photoshop.

Telephone: Indicium Technologies

Dick Tracy: Here is the image and where you can buy that watch. It looked pretty cool.

Keep it Simple:  One of several places I found this one.

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“The Little Voice”

Posted on August 1, 2010 by Jon Long Sr

Good Morning,

I believe there is in all of us a “little voice” inside of our heads that when we take a moment to listen, can guide us, usually in the right direction.  I have found that when I have ignored that “little voice”, I tend to find myself in otherwise uncharted territory and even harms way, be it physical or mental.

I think that “little voice” has a lot of help and support, not to mention a big job of keeping us alive.  Some refer to it as “conscience1” while others see it as characters on our shoulders, one an angel and the other a devil.  One telling us what we are about to do is right and the other saying it is wrong.  It is after all; really in the perspective and circumstances at the time that our choices are made.  I think we tend to alter our value system based on the desired outcome and at the very least necessity.

Justification can be the catalyst causing us to do things we maybe wouldn’t otherwise.  “Well he did it, then it’s ok for me”, “one little hit of that joint won’t hurt”, “everybody is doing it”, “nobody has to know” and the best one, “I had no choice”.

My mom used to say to me, “If everyone else jumped off a cliff, would you do it too?  Well except for my nephew Jeff, (the base jumper2), it would depend on the circumstances.  I suppose mom’s message was that if you know in your heart others are making a bad decision; you should not follow their lead.

But, how do we know it is a bad decision?  That is incessantly more complicated.  I believe that ability is made up of all the experiences we have had in our life, up to that point and then all meticulously brought together in some kind of a mental bouillabaisse of outcomes and repercussions, thus allowing us to make choices with a pretty good idea how it will all turn out.  This also explains why younger people make what we “older and more experienced folk” would consider stupid choices.  Their experiences amount to more of a mental consommé with little substance to support their choices.  When I think back on some of the choices I made as a youth, it becomes very clear as to the reasons, or lack of them and the outcome.  I’m pretty sure if it weren’t for a “guardian angel”, I wouldn’t be writing this letter today.

So that little voice… well it may be a good idea to listen closely when it says, “do it” or “not a good idea”.  Some of the most wonderful things as humans are that we can reason, we have freewill and we have that “little voice”.  These I believe are unique and I am not completely sure we share that with other living things in this world3.

That “little voice” can be your friend.  So, choose wisely when listening to it, after all, you are “at choice4” in what you do.  You are the “Master of your fate and the captain of your soul5”.

Love, Dad

1) I find it odd that “conscience” is made up of “Con” and “Science”.  Does that mean Not Science?

2)Here is a video of Jeff jumping.

3)Charles Darwin thought that any animal endowed with well-marked social instincts would inevitably acquire a moral sense or conscience, as its intellectual powers approximated man’s.

4)”At Choice” is a term I learned at Rapport Leadership Institute in Las Vegas.  I’m proud to say that I’m a Master Graduate.  (Not an Affiliate link, I do it because they made a difference.)

5) אתה האדון של גורלך והקפטן של נשמתך    “Ata Ha’adon shel goralkha ve’ha’ kepten shel nishmatkha”

Image: Devil & Angel: Behavioral Advisor

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We are all family

Posted on July 25, 2010 by Jon Long Sr

Good Morning,

There is an old German Proverb which reads, “Blood is thicker than water”1 dating back to 1180.  It generally means that the bonds of family and common ancestry are stronger than those bonds between unrelated people, such as that found in friendship.

Much like just about anything else, there are always exceptions, for there are some people I’ve met that wouldn’t walk across the street for a family member and instead put all of their faith and efforts in a newfound friend.  On the flipside, I have seen others that will risk and even give their life for another, especially in battle, but these tend to be the exception and certainly good fodder for another time.

What I am thinking about here are actual blood relationships and how we will do things for a family member that we wouldn’t even consider for a friend or acquaintance, let alone someone we have never met.  It seems there is a dynamic force that can cause us to quickly forgive, stretch the limits of our ethics, marginalize our integrity, take on financial burdens and even go as far as to give body parts when needed, all for the sake of the “blood”.

So my question is “What is it that creates this kind of bond?”

  • Could it be that helping a family member is in some esoteric way helping ourselves?
  • Is it because family members are linked with us like no other through our common DNA?
  • Does it go beyond the physical to some kind of a psychic connection when we share these commonalities?  There are cases of twins separated at birth that have this kind of connection while others experience similar experiences knowing each other.
  • Could it be just a social expectation/obligation imposed on us by a somewhat civilized society?
  • Could it be a throwback to when we were even less civilized and depended on our family group for protection and survival?
  • Could this tendency be intrinsically written in our genes?  If so, it becomes the natural thing to do in protecting our own.

In nature looking out for family members happens all the time, I believe it occurs mostly with mammals.  So maybe it isn’t such a conscious decision after all. (Don’t you just love Meerkats?)

So for whatever the reason, physiological, physical, social or cosmic, the tendency does exist and I personally believe it is a good thing.  I see it as how we have survived so long in this world.  Now… if we, and I mean everyone, could just recognize that we are all family and ultimately are all related2, albeit to a very distant ancestor… then act accordingly.

It could/would be a different world we now live in.  Kind of a “Heaven on Earth” you could say.  Maybe that was the whole idea to begin with.

Love, Dad

Notes:

  1. Originally: Blut ist dicker als Wasser.
  2. For more information on this read, The Seven Daughters of Eve by Brian Sykes (I did).

Note: the Amazon Link to the book is not an affiliate link.  I don’t get paid if you go there.  I found the book and the science behind it quite interesting.

Images:

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Words

Posted on July 19, 2010 by Jon Long Sr

Good Morning,Broken Heart

“Words and hearts should be handled with care for words when spoken and hearts when broken, are the hardest things to repair.” Unknown.

I do not recall when I first started to feel this way about words, but I have to imagine it was sometime in my late adolescence.  It takes a few years under your belt before you can appreciate the feelings of others and actually come out of yourself enough to have empathy for others.  I am also pretty sure that there are some whom never fully make the trip..

Maybe it is a “Me First” thing that causes some people to be into themselves.  When did people start putting “Me” first before another in a sentence?  I.e. Me and George rather than George and I. I seem to pickup on it every time someone says that and to me, well it just sounds rude.  You know, kind of like stepping in front of someone at a doorway, or cutting in line.  While it may not be knowingly meant that way by the person saying it, it still remains my perception.   I am sure it is a byproduct of the way I was raised and taught to speak.

My mom used to tell me that “If I didn’t have anything good to say, don’t say anything at all.”  Of course I was too young to understand the full implication of not following her advice.  That came much later.  I have learned to have a greater respect for those who wouldn’t say S**t, if they had a mouthful.

Eating Crow

For me, learning to be careful of what I say could well have come from the bad taste and feathers left in my mouth from “eating crow”.  Never very palatable anytime, kind of like that cigarette butt someone dropped in your beer, or that unexpected mouth full of sour milk right out of the carton.  Things you never quite forget.

There is of course, the damage control after the fact for once you have said them, words cannot be taken back, unlike an email retracted or a letter never sent.  There are no second chances, no eraser that can fix it.  Brake a piece of china and you can glue it back together oh so carefully, but there will always be the hairline cracks to serve as a reminder of the time you were careless.  The same can be said of a broken heart carelessly crushed with words spoken in anger.

I forget now where I heard it, but someone once told me that when I am angry at someone, I should sit down and write a letter to that person, edit it, get it just perfect, read it over one last time and then ceremoniously tear it up.  The therapy having been accomplished and the potential harm averted.  I have a number of those letters in my email drafts.  I should delete those sometime.

Words have a way of coming back around to haunt at the most unexpected times.  Sometimes even many years later they will show up at your doorstep.  Not necessarily the words themselves, but the collateral damage they caused.  I think it is because people may not remember exactly what you said, but they will remember how you made them feel with what you said.  And… while the exact words may fade, it was your words that delivered the blow.

So… I have learned that it is very important to support your children and encourage them to be what they dream.  Napoleon Hill once said “Think twice before you speak, because your words and influence ill plant the seed of either success or failure in the mind of another.” At no time could that be truer than when talking to your children.  They remember things, as I have been reminded and number of times over the years.

In the words of Edward Bulwer-Lytton, “The pen is mightier than the sword…”  So be very careful how you wield it.

Love, Dad

Thank you Syyd for the inspiration.

The Eating Crow picture came from here, although since it was found in numerous places I’m not sure who to give the credit.


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