Sochi has suddenly become a word, synonymous with greed, corruption, bribery and ineptness. What did you expect, it’s Russia? Can a leopard change its spots? Can a nymphomaniac regain her virginity? Can Vladimir Putin suddenly become as pure as the driven snow? Uh, never mind, sometimes my brain wanders when we know beyond a reasonable doubt what’s going to happen, yet we hope beyond hope it won’t.
Therefore, I’m asking all who read this to join me in going for the Gold in Sochi. I’ve put in a request to Fed Ex and UPS to have planes waiting to deliver essential items to all the non-Russians in Sochi. Desperately needed are gold shower curtains, gold towels, gold pillows and most importantly gold porta-potties that will accept ( excuse me ) toilet paper. I am humbly requesting everyone in Tennessee, we are the Volunteer State, as well as others, across our great land, to please drop off any and or all of these aforementioned necessities that you may have lying around, to your nearest Fed Ex or UPS store.
We need bottled water too and lot’s of it. The gold colored water provided by the hosts may be a nice gesture on their part ( they mostly drink vodka anyway), but I’m sure it’s probably laced with laxatives and other scary things to even the playing field with the very best of the West.
I mean, come on, can you imagine our bobsled team having to sit for long periods of time, under the possible influence of Montezuma’s revenge without the comforting thought that a charmin roll was just within reach. The integrity of this years Winter’s Olympics is at stake here for everyone, other than the Russians, because of the deprivation of these western expected necessities.
Oh, and we need gold digital movie cameras, a rather long, gold embossed telegraph wire stretched back to the good old U.S. of A and Golden Eagles trained as carrier pigeons, that can duck AA on their way out of Sochi. I’m sure everyone, from Olympian to cameraman is being hacked, duh, it’s Russia. The former head of the KGB is running this no show and all tell, we should expect, no less.
I’m sure Tennesseans will rise to this challenge. Americans everywhere will follow as we load plane after plane with all these taken for granted here, necessities. And to insure this 54 billion dollar debacle does not succeed in winning the home country, the majority of gold medals, we probably need to send a few thousand pairs of name brand blue jeans and tennis shoes too.
It’s Russia, what would you expect? Their society is built on graft, that’s how things work and only how things work. With everyone looking the other way at all times, it’s how business is done. Rarely, is anyone ever prosecuted because there, because witnesses do not come forward.
It happens here too, I know, just ask a former New Orleans Mayor, currently using the same argument as his defense.
I digress. In all sincerity, let’s do this, let’s go for the gold together and show our athlete’s how proud we are of their efforts and commitments to be the best our country has to offer. Is it to much to ask us to sacrifice so little, when so much is at stake?
Yes, it’s troubling when a plan doesn’t come together. It’s even more troubling to know that the power’s that be who selected Sochi, knew long before hand that it was all a pipe dream. The runner ups, Austria and South Korea, along with everyone from the West are all losers here. Hoping for hopes sake is not enough, especially when dealing with the history of Russia and their business practices and Vladimir Putin.
Thursday, February 6, 2014
Wednesday, February 5, 2014
Let's Rise from the Sunken Couch and Share Our Talents while Inspiring the World
//www.huffingtonpost.com/david-wilson/its-time-we-rise-from-the_b_4703623.html
Whether you've been unemployed, one week, one month, one year or even longer, it's time to rise from the sunken couch you've resigned yourself to and engage the world around you, beginning with your neighbors just beyond the front door. You have talents worth exercising, gifts worth giving and priceless wisdom worth sharing, to the deserving masses, within your midst.
Without an immediate resurgence of small business growth in a country based on it's entrepreneurial spirit, long term unemployment will continue to drag down consumer confidence, and in turn small business; along with the jobs we so desperately need to employ us. There are small steps all of us can do, currently employed or not, to begin this resurgence, one kindness at a time.
When I started my first business, I had no clue what all it entailed. But what I did have, was an endless supply of encouragement, assuring me that I could do it. You know what, I did it, some thirty plus years ago and many more times since then. Starting to write my first novel last year was an equally daunting task, where I struggled immeasurably, because it was far outside my comfort zone. Imagine me writing a steamy, romantic, adventure thriller, sprinkled with truth and threaded with the theme, paying it forward no matter what, whew! Yet, there were people who believed in me, thereby empowering me to continue.
Guess what, Ride to Redemption published last month. More amazing, we've designated one dollar from every purchase to benefit Second Harvest Food Bank. Those folks know how to stretch a dollar like you wouldn't believe. They'll wrangle almost four meals out of it. I'm proud to tell you, novel two is well underway, why? Because of encouraging and glowing reviews from my peers. I've come to see, first hand, that anything is possible if there are people in our midst who share of themselves, their time and their talents. You too, can be that encourager to another struggling individual who needs a little help to believe, to keep on keeping on. Brain power, coupled with man power can do most anything. You just have to believe and be present.
Confidence breeds confidence, encouragement breeds encouragement, faith breeds faith. That's where you and I come in, by giving ourselves away. We have unique talents and gifts, specific only to us that can be used to make an immediate difference in the lives of others. My businesses have long since gone, swallowed up by a life altering recession and an economic collapse, most of us didn't see coming. Yet my talents remain, along with my heart. I'm doing my best to put them to better use, this time around.
While you're waiting for your next employment opportunity, continue to hone your valuable, marketable skills, by volunteering to serve, to encourage, to inspire. Look around you. We're hurting here. There's relatively few places one can go today without seeing need based service's struggling to meet their ever increasing demands. There are very few, if any community based organizations today that will turn down volunteers, in any shape or form.
Seniors need some type of assistance and or interaction everyday, be it changing a light bulb, reprogramming a remote, trimming some shrubs or just someone to talk to. Young people need mentoring, as well as tutoring, in Boy's Clubs and Girl's Clubs and Y's. Peer's need encouragement, inspiration and hope, if they too are in the throes of financial or emotional distress. Empathy goes a long way when others know you have walked in their shoes.
I can't promise that by venturing off the sunken couch and into the community, sharing your skills and passions with your neighbors, (We're all neighbors here) will get you employed any faster. But what it will do is keep your skill set sharp, your mind engaged and your heart in tune to the world, just beyond your door. I learned long ago, to give whatever you need the most of. So far in my life, I can tell you from my own personal experiences, it works. Many times it comes in unexpected ways, you will never fathom or imagine.
Here's a really kind review of our first novel, along with a link if, after reading it, you'd like to buy it through Amazon. Either way, Thank you. If you've got an extra dollar or two, send it to a Second Harvest Food Bank near you.
Purchase Ride to Redemption Here.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00H7K6J06
Whether you've been unemployed, one week, one month, one year or even longer, it's time to rise from the sunken couch you've resigned yourself to and engage the world around you, beginning with your neighbors just beyond the front door. You have talents worth exercising, gifts worth giving and priceless wisdom worth sharing, to the deserving masses, within your midst.
Without an immediate resurgence of small business growth in a country based on it's entrepreneurial spirit, long term unemployment will continue to drag down consumer confidence, and in turn small business; along with the jobs we so desperately need to employ us. There are small steps all of us can do, currently employed or not, to begin this resurgence, one kindness at a time.
When I started my first business, I had no clue what all it entailed. But what I did have, was an endless supply of encouragement, assuring me that I could do it. You know what, I did it, some thirty plus years ago and many more times since then. Starting to write my first novel last year was an equally daunting task, where I struggled immeasurably, because it was far outside my comfort zone. Imagine me writing a steamy, romantic, adventure thriller, sprinkled with truth and threaded with the theme, paying it forward no matter what, whew! Yet, there were people who believed in me, thereby empowering me to continue.
Guess what, Ride to Redemption published last month. More amazing, we've designated one dollar from every purchase to benefit Second Harvest Food Bank. Those folks know how to stretch a dollar like you wouldn't believe. They'll wrangle almost four meals out of it. I'm proud to tell you, novel two is well underway, why? Because of encouraging and glowing reviews from my peers. I've come to see, first hand, that anything is possible if there are people in our midst who share of themselves, their time and their talents. You too, can be that encourager to another struggling individual who needs a little help to believe, to keep on keeping on. Brain power, coupled with man power can do most anything. You just have to believe and be present.
Confidence breeds confidence, encouragement breeds encouragement, faith breeds faith. That's where you and I come in, by giving ourselves away. We have unique talents and gifts, specific only to us that can be used to make an immediate difference in the lives of others. My businesses have long since gone, swallowed up by a life altering recession and an economic collapse, most of us didn't see coming. Yet my talents remain, along with my heart. I'm doing my best to put them to better use, this time around.
While you're waiting for your next employment opportunity, continue to hone your valuable, marketable skills, by volunteering to serve, to encourage, to inspire. Look around you. We're hurting here. There's relatively few places one can go today without seeing need based service's struggling to meet their ever increasing demands. There are very few, if any community based organizations today that will turn down volunteers, in any shape or form.
Seniors need some type of assistance and or interaction everyday, be it changing a light bulb, reprogramming a remote, trimming some shrubs or just someone to talk to. Young people need mentoring, as well as tutoring, in Boy's Clubs and Girl's Clubs and Y's. Peer's need encouragement, inspiration and hope, if they too are in the throes of financial or emotional distress. Empathy goes a long way when others know you have walked in their shoes.
I can't promise that by venturing off the sunken couch and into the community, sharing your skills and passions with your neighbors, (We're all neighbors here) will get you employed any faster. But what it will do is keep your skill set sharp, your mind engaged and your heart in tune to the world, just beyond your door. I learned long ago, to give whatever you need the most of. So far in my life, I can tell you from my own personal experiences, it works. Many times it comes in unexpected ways, you will never fathom or imagine.
Here's a really kind review of our first novel, along with a link if, after reading it, you'd like to buy it through Amazon. Either way, Thank you. If you've got an extra dollar or two, send it to a Second Harvest Food Bank near you.
Purchase Ride to Redemption Here.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00H7K6J06
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