Questions I Think Are Worth Asking

My personal thoughts:

Is it OK to live in the past?

No. We should learn from the past and apply it to the present.

What about being concerned about the future?

It's impossible to know for certain what the future will be. We should plan for the future but not stress over it.

Is it OK to strive for material comfort?

We need to have material things but the less we feel we need, the better.

Why is it hard to forgive?

Because we are hurt. However, if we develop a forgiving spirit, expressions of remorse by the one who offended us will trigger a desire to forgive.

What's wrong with holding some resentment?

It isn't good for us physically or emotionally. It can also do the same for the one who sought your forgiveness and was rejected.

Why do I feel so guilty for past mistakes? 

Because either you have trouble forgiving yourself or others keep reminding you of them.

Isn't guilt a proof of contrition?

No, guilt is destructive because it makes you beat yourself up. Regret, on the other hand, shows you are remorseful and yet also allows you to move forward. People may expect guilt and feel that regret isn't sufficient. Best to ignore them.

Find The Vegetables

The story below has vegetable names placed throughout. The spelling and pronunciation may not always be perfect, but always close to it, if not exact. There are twelve in total and the answers are at the bottom of the page under the picture. By the way, the picture isn't necessarily representative of what to look for.

This wasn't a good day. It started when I went to take the car to town wearing light sandals. As I walked down the path I kicked a pot. A toe now throbbing, I drove into the city centre with my wife (Barbara) for an appointment where we broke down on a yellow line. I hoped a traffic warden wouldn't turn up but one did. Noticing she was a Swede, I small talked about that and then asked for time to call a tow truck. She let us! Phew. 

The tow truck finally came and he hooked up the car. "Rotten luck" he said and drove off. We then called a cab. Ages later it came and took us to our appointment. We had been bumped down the queue so found a seat to sit on. Eons later we finished our business. 

My wife suggested I sort out the car repair and I replied I shall. Lots of time had already been wasted today so I got on to it. We arranged a meeting place and when I finally got to her, I was late and she wanted to know where I had been as it was was now quite chilly. "Just picking up the car" I said in an irritated tone. I then apologised in an effort to appease her. Not doing so would otherwise be something I would rue. Barb was good about it though. What a day!

pot. A toe - Potato
turn up - Turnip
Swede - Swede
let us - Lettuce
car. "Rotten - Carrot
cab. Ages - Cabbages
on. Eons - Onions
shall. Lots - Shallots
been - Bean
chilly - Chilli
appease - Peas
rue. Barb - Rhubarb

Upgrade, Upgrade, Upgrade

Everything in this world is about change, often forced upon us. Technology is driving this situation. By going along with it, we are supposed to get a better quality product or service. I have got to point where I no longer trust this constant change and the reasons behind it.

A classic example is Microsoft. I had the XP operating system that I was happy with and so was everyone else, except Microsoft. They wanted to improve it, so out came Vista. That was not a well received system, despite the fact it was an 'improvement' on XP. Vista was in turn replaced by 7, then 8 and now 10, all of which are in my mind were inferior to XP. Many wish they still had XP, including myself.

The problem is we are told the old systems are no longer supported by upgrades and security patches. It creates fear. My Vista system will no longer receive any support after April 2017. I get a message when I open Google that "This computer will soon stop receiving Google Chrome updates because Windows XP and Windows Vista will no longer be supported". Apparently "such older platforms are missing critical security updates and have a greater potential to be infected by viruses and malware". Often Google Chrome tells me to update it's browser but when I go to do it, I am taken to a site where it says the upgrade doesn't work with Vista. That's what I understand it to mean, but I keep getting the reminder.

Frankly I'm over technology. The people who sell it to you cannot provide a safe, secure and pleasant environment to operate in. Constant patches and forced upgrades are poorly executed and promised improvements for new products are more often giving us something worse than what we already had. When is someone going to sue some of these companies for false representation?

Technology is foisted upon us by companies who want to make money out of us. They employ young techno whizz kids who seem to be bereft of any practical wisdom. People just want to use a system they can get to know, use and can trust. Technology cannot deliver that to us. It is therefore an overwhelming failure.

Upgrade, upgrade, upgrade. What a joke. We want simple, efficient. We get complicated. Humans think they are clever with this technology. Looking around the natural world I see clever. I look at human technology and I see plenty of stupid.

Questions I Ask, Answered

First the questions, then the answers below:

1) If a man lives with a woman and enters her kitchen, everything he does will be wrong. If he lives alone and enters his kitchen, will everything he does still be wrong?

2) Why do 22 year old blonde beauties spurn young, handsome hunks for 70 year old, wrinkly billionaires?

3) How does a woman - who always sits on a toilet - become an expert in how men should aim better?

4) Why is it that everyone driving faster than you is a danger on the roads and everyone driving slower than you an inconsiderate road hog?

5) How is it that when we 'skate on thin ice', we can end up in 'hot water'?

6) I find it hard to wash myself while jumping so why do people say they will jump in the shower?


Answers:

1) He will be fine as long as his lady friend doesn't visit and observe him in his kitchen.

2) I think it's something the do with the money.

3) She isn't. She just fails to understand the complexity of the task.

4) The obvious reason is everyone should drive the same speed as you.

5) Because both phrases were coined by wives for their errant husbands and it scarcely mattered, as they are always used in two separate sentences.

6) If you don't hear a thumping sound, then they probably aren't jumping at all.