"If I can lift you up when you're down, I would have done a very good job! Thank you for dropping by."



Friday, September 30, 2011

Bible selling (a funny tale)

My dear old friend from Australia (thanks, Kenneth!) forwarded this funny tale.  If you're in the mood to feel entertained or need laughter to get away from something stressful... pause and read the following...


SELLING BIBLES

(If this doesn't make you laugh, just go ahead and close your casket!)

A pastor concluded that his church was getting into very serious financial troubles. While checking the church storeroom, he discovered several cartons of new bibles that had never been opened and distributed.

So at his Sunday sermon, he asked for three volunteers from the congregation who would be willing to sell the bibles door-to-door for $10 each to raise the desperately needed money for the church.

Jack, Paul and Louie all raised their hands to volunteer for the task.

The minister knew that Jack and Paul earned their living as salesmen and were likely capable of selling some bibles.. But he had serious doubts about Louie who was a local farmer, who had always kept to himself because he was embarrassed by his speech impediment.

Poor Louie stuttered badly. But, NOT WANTING TO discourage Louie, the minister decided to let him try anyway.

He sent the three of them away with the back seat of their cars stacked with bibles. He asked them to meet with him and report the results of their door-to-door selling efforts the following Sunday.

Anxious to find out how successful they were, the minister immediately asked Jack, 'Well, Jack, how did you make out selling our bibles last
week?'

Proudly handing the reverend an envelope, Jack replied, 'Using my sales prowess, I was able to sell 20 bibles, and here's the $200 I collected on behalf of the church.'

'Fine job, Jack!' The minister said, vigorously shaking his hand... 'You are indeed a fine salesman and the Church is indebted to you.'

Turning to Paul, 'And Paul, how many bibles did you sell for the Church last week?'

Paul, smiling and sticking out his chest, confidently replied, 'I am a professional salesman. I sold 28 bibles on behalf of the church, and here's $280 I collected.'

The minister responded, 'That's absolutely splendid, Paul. You are truly a professional salesman and the church is indebted to you.'

Apprehensively, the minister turned to Louie and said, 'And Louie, did you manage to sell any bibles last week?' Louie silently offered the minister a large envelope.

The minister opened it and counted the contents. 'What is this?' the minister exclaimed , 'Louie, there's $3200 in here! Are you suggesting that you sold 320 bibles for the church, door to door, in just one week?'

Louie just nodded.

'That's impossible!' both Jack and Paul said in unison. 'We are professional salesmen, yet you claim to have sold 10 times as many bibles as we could.'

'Yes, this does seem unlikely,' the minister! agreed. 'I think you'd better explain how you managed to accomplish this, Louie.'

Louie shrugged.. 'I-I-I re-re-really do-do-don't kn-kn-know f-f-f-for sh-sh-sh-sure,' he stammered.

Impatiently, Peter interrupted. 'For crying out loud, Louie, just tell us what you said to them when they answered the door!'

'A-a-a-all I-I-I s-s-said wa-wa-was,' Louis replied, 'W-w-w-w-would y-y-y-you l-l-l-l-l-like t-t-to b-b-b-buy th-th-th-this b-b-b-b-bible f-f-for t-t-ten b-b-b-bucks ---o-o-o-or--- wo-wo-would yo-you j-j-j-just l-like m-m-me t-t-to st-st-stand h-h-here and r-r-r-r-r-read it t-to  y-y-you??'

Remember when the funniest jokes were the clean ones?

They still are!

Clint Eastwood said in one of his ‘Dirty Harry’ movies, “A man’s got to know his limitations.”

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Cancer producers in our life

A former high school classmate (thanks, Lina!) forwarded this piece.  The revelations gave me a jolt as you might experience too after reading this.  Credible data or not, I thought I had the responsibility to share.

CANCEROUS FOODS / PRODUCTS 
 INSTANT NOODLES
Dear instant noodle lovers,

Make sure you break for at least 3 days after one session of instant noodles before you eat your next packet! Please read the info shared to me by a doctor. My family stopped eating instant noodles more than 5 years ago after hearing about the wax coating the noodles - the wax is not just in the Styrofoam containers but it coats the noodles. This is why the instant noodles do not stick to each other when cooking.

If one were to examine the ordinary Chinese yellow noodles in the market, one will notice that, in their uncooked state the noodles are oily. This layer of oil prevents the noodles from sticking together.

Wanton noodles in their uncooked state have been dusted with flour to prevent them sticking together. When the hawker cooks the noodles, notice he cooks them in hot water and then rinses them in cold water before cooking them in hot water again. This process is repeated several times before the noodles are ready to be served. The cooking and rinsing process prevents noodles from sticking together.

The hawker then "lowers the noodles in oil and sauce to prevent the noodles from sticking if they are to be served dry. Cooking instructions for spaghetti require oil or butter to be added in the water when boiling the spaghetti to prevent the pasta from sticking together. Otherwise, one gets a big clump of spaghetti!

There was an SBC (now TCS) actor some years ago, who at a busy time of his career had no time to cook, resorted to eating instant noodles everyday. He got cancer later on. His doctor told him about the wax in instant noodles. The doctor told him that our body will need up to 2 days to clear the wax. There was also an SIA steward who after moving out from his mother's house into his own house, did not cook but ate instant noodles almost every meal. He had cancer, and has since died from it.

Nowadays the instant noodles are referred as "cancer noodles".  
SATAY LOVERS (BARBECUE)
If you all eat Satay, don't ever forget to eat the cucumber, because eating Satay together with carbon after barbequing can cause cancer. But we have a cure for that... Cucumber should be eaten after we eat the Satay because Satay has carcinogen (a cancer causing element) but cucumber is anti-carcinogenic. So don't forget to eat the cucumber the next time you have Satay's.
 PRAWNS (SUGPO) & VIT C
DO NOT eat shrimp/prawn if you have just taken VITAMIN C pills!! This will cause you to DIE in ARSENIC (As) toxication within HOURS!!
  PORK AWARENESS
Try this and see whether the pork you bought has worms. There goes with your "Bak Kut Teh " for those who love it. Most men love to eat this so watch out before it's too late. If you pour Coke (yes, the soda) on a slab of pork, wait a little while, you will SEE WORMS crawl out of it. A message from the Health Corporation of Singapore about the bad effects of pork consumption. Pig's bodies contain MANY TOXINS, WORM and LATENT DISEASES.

Although some of these infestations are harboured in other animals, modern veterinarians say that pigs are far MORE PREDISPOSED to these illnesses than other animals. This could be because PIGS like to SCAVENGE and will eat ANY kind of food, INCLUDING dead insects, worms, rotting carcasses, excreta including their own, garbage, and other pigs. INFLUENZA (flu) is one of the MOST famous illnesses which pigs share with humans. This illness is harboured in the LUNGS of pigs during the summer months and tends to affect pigs and human in the cooler months.

Sausage contains bits of pigs' lungs, so those who EAT pork sausage tend to SUFFER MORE during EPIDEMICS of INFLUENZA. Pig meat contains EXCESSIVE quantities of HISTAMINE and IMIDAZOLE compounds, which can lead to ITCHING and INFLAMMATION; GROWTH HORMONE which PROMOTES INFLAMMATION and growth; sulphur containing mesenchymal mucus which leads to SWELLING and deposits of MUCUS in tendons and cartilage, resulting in ATHRITIS, RHEUMATISM, etc. Sulphur helps cause FIRM human tendons and ligaments to be replaced by the pig's soft mesenchymal tissues, and degeneration of human cartilage.  (Now, we are complaining of Arthritis and Rheumatism)

Eating pork can also lead to GALLSTONES and OBESITY, probably due to its HIGH CHOLESTEROL and SATURATED FAT content. The pig is the MAIN CARRIER of the TAENIE SOLIUM WORM, which is found in its flesh. These tapeworms are found in human intestines with greater frequency in nations where pigs are eaten. This type of tapeworm can pass through the intestines and affect many other organs, and is incurable once it reaches beyond a certain stage. One in six people in the US and Canada has RICHINOSIS from eating trichina worms, which are found in pork.

Many people have NO SYMPTOMS to warm them of this, and when they do, they resemble symptoms of many other illnesses. These worms are NOT noticed during meat inspections.
 HAMPOO
Cancer-causing substance in shampoos. Go home and check your shampoo. Change before it's too late... Check the ingredients listed on your shampoo bottle, and see they have a substance by the name of Sodium Laureth Sulfate, or simply SLS. This substance is found in most shampoos; manufacturers use it because it produces a lot of foam and it is cheap. BUT the fact is, SLS is used to scrub garage floors, and it is very strong!!! It is also proven that it can cause cancer in the long run, and this is no joke. Shampoos that contain SLS: Vo5, Palmolive, Paul Mitchell, L'Oreal, the new Hemp Shampoo from Body Shop etc. contain this substance.

The first ingredient listed (which means it is the single most prevalent ingredient) in Clairol's Herbal Essences is Sodium Laureth Sulfate. Therefore, I called one company, and I told them their product contains a substance that will cause people to have cancer. They said, Yeah we knew about it but there is nothing we can do about it because we need that substance to produce foam. By the way Colgate toothpaste also contains the same substance to produce the "bubbles". They said they are going to send me some information.

Research has shown that in the 1980s, the chance of getting cancer is 1 out of 8000 and now, in the 1990s, the chances of getting cancer is 1 out of 3, which is very serious. Therefore, I hope that you will take this seriously and pass this on to all the people you know, and hopefully, we can stop "giving" ourselves cancer-causing agents.
  
NOTE: ORIGINAL SOURCE UNKNOWN.

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Prayers for the home

Being Roman Catholic, I have an everlasting attachment to prayers.  You can say that praying has become my second skin.  Besides myself, many folks out there find the daily exercise of praying soothing... even healing.  Below are are some prayers seeking protection in the most important area of our lives... our comfort zone... our beloved home. 


KITCHEN PRAYER


Bless this kitchen, Lord, and those who gather here each day.
Let it be a place where we can meet to love and laugh and pray.
Amen. 
 

PRAYER FOR THE HOME


We beseech You, O Lord, visit this home, and drive far from it all the snares of the enemy; let Your holy angels dwell therein so as to preserve us in peace; and let Your blessing be always upon us. Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

A NIGHT PRAYER


Eternal Father, I desire to rest in Thy Heart this night. I make the intention of offering to Thee every beat of my heart, joining to them as many acts of love and desire. I pray that even while I am asleep, I will bring back to Thee souls that offend Thee. I ask forgiveness for the whole world, especially for those who know Thee and yet sin. I offer to Thee my every breath and heartbeat as a prayer of reparation.
Amen.


PRAYER IN TIME OF NEED


Jesus, do not leave me alone in suffering. You know, Lord, how weak I am. I am an abyss of wretchedness, I am nothingness itself; So what will be so strange If You leave me alone and I fall?
I am an infant, Lord, So I cannot get along by myself. However, beyond all
abandonment I trust, And in spite of my own feeling I trust, And I am being completely transformed into trust, Often in spite of what I feel.
Do not lessen any of my sufferings, Only give me
strength to bear them. Do with me as You please, Lord, Only give me the grace to be able to love You, In every event and circumstances.
Lord, do not lessen my cup of bitterness, Only give me
strength That I may be able to drink it all.
Amen.
 

A PRAYER FOR MIRACLES


Jesus, Your array of miracles, A true manifestation of Your Divinity, Draws the admiration of searching souls. Never let it be said, "Miracles do not exist!". You are the living example of such actions. Bless me with the faith to always believe, To affirm the Supreme Power of Your miracles, Be they of a physical or spiritual nature. Grant me the aptitude to instantly perceive The source of all supernatural occurrences, So only Your Excellence shall be glorified. Jesus, my existence is a wondrous miracle!

A PRAYER FOR SAFETY FROM SATAN


May it be known all over the world, that Satan, the prince of darkness is real! He disguises himself as the light, Entrapping and hauling the unprepared. He spreads the seeds of disruption, Then sits back, waiting to gather the crop. As I draw nearer to Jesus' fiery love, I also draw the evil of Satan's attacks. Jesus, protect me from such great evil. Let not Satan or his fiends approach me. Keep me under Your harmonious auspice, for I am Your follower of righteousness!

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Prayers for miscellaneous needs

The following prayers should help those who find themselves needing to send specific intentions, but are at a loss for words on how to express their requests.

PRAYER FOR THOSE LIVING ALONE



Heavenly Father, my true Provider, in all my daily needs, protect and guide me. Spare me from fire and flood, from thieves, fear and evil in any form. If sickness or accident befall me, send a messenger of love to attend me. When I am feeling low, lift up my heart. I live alone dear Lord, yet because I know your presence is ever near, I will have no fear.
Amen.

WHEN IN DESOLATION



Lord, listen to my prayer, turn your ear to my appeal. You are faithful, you are just; give answer.
Do not call your servant to judgment for no one is just in your sight.
The enemy pursues my soul; he has crushed my life to the ground; he has made me dwell in darkness like the dead, long forgotten. Therefore my spirit fails; my heawrt is numb within me.
I remember the days that are past; I ponder all your works. I muse on what your hand has wrought and to you I stretch out my hands. Like a parched land my soul thirsts for you.
Lord, make haste and answer: for my spirit fails within me. Do not hide your face lest I become like those in the grave.
In the morning let me know your love for I put my trust in you. Make me know the way I should walk; to you I lift up my soul.
Rescue me, Lord, from my enemies; I have fled to you for refuge. Teach me to do your will for you, O Lord, are my God. Let your good Spirit guide me in ways that are level and smooth.
For your name's sake, save my life; in your justice save my soul from distress.
In your love make an end of my foes; destroy all those who oppress me for I am your servant, O Lord.

PRAYER IN SORROW



God of all consolation, in your unending love and mercy for us, you turn the darkness of death into the dawn of new life. Show compassion to your people in sorrow. Be our refuge and our strength to lift us from the darkness of this grief to peace and joy in your presence. We ask this through Christ, our Lord.


A PRAYER FOR PROTECTION


O My God, I adore Thee and I love Thee with all my heart. I thank Thee for having created me, for having made me a Catholic and for having watched over me this day. Pardon me for the evil I have done this day; and if I have done any good, deign to accept it. Watch over me while I take my rest and deliver me from danger. May Thy grace be always with me.
Amen.
 

PRAYER IN TIME OF SLEEPLESSNESS


Lord Jesus Christ, During Your earthly sojourn You went sleepness at times and spent whole nights in prayer. But there were many other times when You slept. I cannot seem to get to sleep these nights and I cannot even pray.
Please help me cure this sickness, Lord, for I desperately need sleep to do my work and to behanve as a pleasant human being as well as to act in a christian manner. Enable me to get a goods nights sleep, or at least to spend my time in prayer with You.
Thank You Lord.


PRAYER FOR THE JOY OF FORGIVENESS


Heavenly father, through the obedience of Jesus, Who offered His Life in the service of all, help me with Your Kindness. Make me strong through the Eucharist. May I put into action the saving Mystery I celebrate in the Mass. Protect me with Your Love and prepare me for eternal happiness.

PRAYER FOR HOPE IN THE MIDST OF DESTRUCTION


God of mercy, you know the secrets of all human hearts, for you know who is just and you forgive the repentant sinner. Hear my prayer in the midst of destruction; give me patience and hope, so that under your protection and with you as my guide, I may one day be reunited with my family and friends in peace, tranquility, and love. Grant this through Christ our Lord.

Monday, September 26, 2011

Bag explosion in America


Americans are a burdened breed.

I say this with much authority after spending many years observing men and women, school girls and boys, even the golden population, go through their daily commuting routines.  Backpacks of all shapes, colors and sizes lay on school kids’ backs as they catch bus or train rides or walk to their schools.  Senior citizens drag packed carryalls or luggages on wheels. The 8-to-5 population go through their work week carrying brief cases, bags containing office paraphernalia and more bags carrying their after-work sports gear or whatever they feel the need to carry everyday.

Personally, before I stopped working (thanks to a recent corporate layoff) I carried three bags myself.  A mini bag for my valuables, a square bag to carry my paperwork, books and puzzles, and a recyclable shopping bag for my traveling essentials like hat, scarf, gloves, umbrella, food and vitamin supplements.  After losing one bag inadvertently left behind on the bus, I was encouraged to rethink my bag situation .

I used to share the morning ride with a university student whose back was always chained to a bulky backpack.  Besides that monstrous weight on his spine, he carried another big bag that’s likewise bursting at the seams.  Most of the time, he preferred to stand throughout the ride, possibly due to the inconvenience of putting down that heavy backpack in order to take a seat.  Standing up might have been most convenient for him, but not for fellow passengers who had to work their bodies around him when they had to get off.

Really, America… what's with all the bags?  Why do we carry so much stuff on a daily basis?  Does carrying too many things give us a feeling of whatever we need to experience to feel whole?  Can’t we survive with much less?  Would it kill us to downsize our work or school take-alongs?

Consider this:  Should you lose one of your bags, would you lose sleep over it?  Would it pose a life-altering inconvenience?  If you'll take a moment to ponder the significance of carrying multiple bags, you might realize that... really... you can do with much, much less.

Think about it.  Chances are, you'll be saving yourself a great deal of discomfort... and a lot of unnecessary excess baggage.

Sunday, September 25, 2011

Gym is not for the fragile


The following was e-mailed to me by my BFF (Thanks, Josie!) who received it from Carol who until recently shared the same workplace with her.  Read on if you could use some laughs…

A WOMAN'S WEEK AT THE GYM

Dear Diary,

For my birthday this year, I purchased a week of personal training at the local health club. Although I am still in great shape since being a high school football cheerleader 43 years ago, I decided it would be a good idea to go ahead and give it a try.

I called the club and made my reservations with a personal trainer named Christo, who identified himself as a 26-year-old aerobics instructor and model for athletic clothing and swim wear.

Friends seemed pleased with my enthusiasm! The club encouraged me to keep a
diary
to chart my progress.
________________________________
MONDAY:
Started my day at
. Tough to get out of bed, but found it was well worth it when I arrived at the health club to find Christo waiting for me. He is something of a Greek god-- with blond hair, dancing eyes, and a dazzling white smile.   Woo Hoo!!

Christo gave me a tour and showed me the machines. I enjoyed watching the skillful way in which he conducted his aerobics class after my workout today. Very inspiring!

Christo was encouraging as I did my sit-ups, although my gut was already aching from holding it in the whole time he was around.

This is going to be a FANTASTIC week!!
________________________________
TUESDAY:
I drank a whole pot of coffee, but I finally made it out the door. Christo made me lie on my back and push a heavy iron bar into the air then he put weights on it!  My legs were a little wobbly on the treadmill, but I made the full mile.  His rewarding smile made it all worthwhile. I feel GREAT!  It's a whole new life for me.
_______________________________
WEDNESDAY:
The only way I can brush my teeth is by laying the toothbrush on the counter and moving my mouth back and forth over it.   I believe I have a hernia in both pectorals.   Driving was OK as long as I didn't try to steer or stop. I parked on top of a GEO in the club parking lot.
Christo was impatient with me, insisting that my screams bothered other club members.
 
His voice is a little too perky for that early in the morning and when he scolds, he gets this nasally whine that is VERY annoying.

My chest hurt when I got on the treadmill, so Christo put me on the stair monster.  Why the hell would anyone invent a machine to simulate an activity rendered obsolete by elevators?  Christo told me it would help me get in shape and enjoy life.  He said some other stupid things too.
_______________________________
THURSDAY:
That creepy little snot was waiting for me with his vampire-like teeth exposed as his thin, cruel lips were pulled back in a full snarl.   I couldn't help being a half an hour late-- it took me that long to tie my shoes.

He took me to work out with dumbbells. When he was not looking, I ran and hid in the restroom.  He sent some skinny little witch to find me.

Then, as punishment, he put me on the rowing machine-- which I sank.
_________________________________
FRIDAY:
I hate that idiot Christo more than any human being has ever hated any other human being in the history of the world. Stupid, skinny, anemic, anorexic, little aerobics instructor. If there was a part of my body I could move without unbearable pain, I would beat him with it.

Christo wanted me to work on my triceps.  I don't have any triceps! And if you don't want dents in the floor, don't hand me those blasted barbells or anything that weighs more than a sandwich.

The treadmill flung me off and I landed on a health and nutrition teacher.  Why couldn't it have been someone softer, like the drama coach or the choir director?
________________________________
SATURDAY:
Satan left a message on my answering machine in his grating, shrilly voice wondering why I did not show up today.   Just hearing his voice made me want to smash the machine with my planner; however, I lacked the strength to even use the TV remote and ended up catching eleven straight hours of the Weather Channel..
________________________________
SUNDAY:
I’m having the Church van pick me up for services today so I can go and thank GOD that this week is over.  I will also pray that next year my husband will choose a gift for me that is fun-- like a root canal or a hysterectomy.  I still say if God had wanted me to bend over, he would have sprinkled the floor with diamonds!!!


Saturday, September 24, 2011

Dance of 1000 hands... Beijing, China

From my BFF (Josie, thanks!) came this awesome video (bottom link).  I watched it mesmerized by the exotic choreography.  Enjoy!

 
DANCE OF 1000 HANDS...

Read the paragraph below FIRST before you watch the video.

There is an awesome dance, called the Thousand-Hand Guanyin, which is making the rounds across the net. Considering the tight coordination required, their accomplishment is nothing short of amazing, even if they were not all deaf.  Yes, you read correctly.  All 21 of the dancers are complete deaf-mutes. Relying only on signals from trainers at the four corners of the stage, these extraordinary dancers deliver a visual spectacle that is at once intricate and stirring.

Its first major international debut was in Athens at the closing ceremonies for the 2004 Paralympics. But it had long been in the repertoire of the Chinese Disabled People's Performing Art Troupe and had traveled to more than 40 countries.

Its lead dancer is 29 year old Tai Lihua, who has a BA from the Hubei Fine Arts Institute.  The video was recorded in Beijing during the Spring Festival this year.

Friday, September 23, 2011

Mid-life job hunting

This American summer had been a time of unexpected stress.  In mid-July my employer's Chairman called me into his sacred sanctum to deliver the bad news.  Our major investment partner didn't want to continue the corporate marriage.  As a result of this development, our company had no recourse but to restructure. 

Restructure as in downsize.

My immediate verbal response was:  "Should I start looking for a job?"  The Chairman hesitated and I realized that he didn't expect me to read his mind.  He looked sad as he said that looking for work wouldn't be such a bad idea.  Although his candidness was appreciated, I couldn't help but feel more than a tinge of disappointment.  I had set my heart on retiring in that company.  Looking for work now simply messed up my Pollyannaish intention.  After all, who wants to start over at almost age 60?

Two weeks after our meeting, I remained in denial.  Due to the work I had done for the company, responsibilities that involved revenue-generating projects, I was under the impression that my position would be safe.  In addition, throughout the stages of layoffs over the last couple of years, I had demonstrated team player abilities.  I figured that someone needed to pick up the slack and make sense of the madness.  Stepping out of my box was a natural instinct.  It was the only way to go.

Unfortunately, my employer is just like every company in America, operating strictly on the dictates of the bottom line... the profit margin, if you will.  No matter how employees cooperate with the changing times and pick up extra responsibilities in teamwork fashion, layoff eventually becomes a sad reality.

My complacent world got rattled on an early August late afternoon when my Vice President broke the official news:  my position was being eliminated.  Not after the third quarter, but one month short of the quarter.  That meant being jobless as of September 1st.  That finally got me motivated to look for employment. 

The very first online job posting I responded to resulted in a telephone interview.  I couldn't believe it!  I posted my application on a Friday and seven business days later I was on the telephone with the Human Resources representative.  I haven't had interviewing practice in seven years and I have to admit that I flunked it.  Well, the realization dawned on me when the woman never called back nor did she respond to my e-mailed Thank You note.  Then returning home on my last day at the office, I found the HR rep's e-mail stating that I wasn't being considered for the position.  I had to convince myself that my salary was the dealbreaker.  In my over-confident mind, I knew that I could deliver the job, but the payroll number (mine) wasn't what they were looking for.

I should have been disappointed, but I'm much older now.  Nine years ago when I got laid off and had to undergo the job search process for two years, the whole routine seemed too intimidating.  Back in the 1980's, after I visited a company to fill out a job application and do an interview, when I got home in the afternoon there was a message offering me the job.  Since then almost 15 years of gainful employment with one company gave me the false sense of assurance of a healthy retirement at the end of the road.  Unfortunately, Corporate America changed drastically over the years.  Somewhere along the way, Corporate America ceased to care.  

You would think that because the job search these days involves the online process, getting hired should be quick and painless... right?  On the contrary, it's really much more complex.  Once you hit the Submit button, you don't know if and when your paperwork will get noticed.  For all you know, it might just end up in a cyber dark hole.

These days my consolation is that I know that the applications I had submitted haven't been ignored because I have so far received two rejections.  If you ask me, a decline is good news.  At least I get a confirmation that my application effort was not in vain.  If I don't hear anything, that would be a big cause for worry!   Now I know that if a job is meant for me, I'll get it.  So I'm taking my time and leaving my options open. 

Although I never expected that I would be in the same boat as millions of people now, job security, let's face it, is as elusive as a gain in Wall Street.  The only way to deal with a job hunt in middle age is to maintain an everlasting positive outlook and keep hoping for the best.

If you're like me... past middle age (on the verge of retirement even) and starting over... welcome to the club!  Although the horizon right now looks bleak and disenchanting, remember, even this shall pass.  If we persevere and never lose hope, we will be back on the saddle... working for the retirement we deserve to enjoy.  Best of luck, everyone!

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Paradox of our times

My faithful friend in Australia (thanks, Kenneth!) forwarded the following piece that points out the night and day contrast of modern day living.  It is quite ironic that despite the abundance and conveniences of today's world, people are still wanting in the staples of a rewarding and lovely existence.