Sunday, March 14, 2004

The Pet Psychic - 10,000 Dollar Bill At Wallmart

I have been thinking of a couple of things that I thought were funny at first but find not-so-funny on further reflection.

Have you ever watched this show?

Animal Planet :: The Pet Psychic

When I first started watching it I thought it was a hoot. This lady communicates with animals and they with her via some thought-wave process (as opposed to a real Dr. Dolittlish talking sort of deal).

The more I watched the less funny I thought the show was. It's pretty tender. There are people who miss pets, or are worried about pets, or work in zoo's. All of them love animals. I don't know what her deal is...I think it's a profit thing maybe. Still it's entertaining and pretty touching.

I get confused when she has a conversation with a dog (that people in my birth-culture don't eat) and start thinking what it would be like to talk to a chicken that's being raised to be eaten?

Maybe we can find the answer here Amazon.com: Books: Charlotte's Web

or here Babe - Family Movie Review

One time I was working with some special people and one of them told me crows are good to talk to. I'll buy that.

Carlos Castaneda made a story of that sort of thing

I talk to a lot of animals. I've never gotten any direct info back. My wife likes to kid me about that....and I try to not let too many people see me talking to crows, cats, dogs, seagulls etc.

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A recent news article that seemed funny at first glance and then made me pretty sad was the story about the woman who tried to buy some stuff at Walmart with a 10,000 dollar bill.

The story was that she had a shopping cart of stuff at the checkout and tried to use a 2 dollar gift card to pay. That didn't work so she pulled out a 10,000 dollar souvenir-type bill from her purse. The clerk called the police? and this poor woman was arrested?

This woman was obviously a special person and did not understand the Walmart concept "you pay us real money and we will close every mom and pop local store within a 15 mile radius of our store and hire non-union employees and pay them as little as possible with minimal benefits".

What if that woman had been given those 10,000 dollar bills by a friend who told her they were to be used in case of an emergency? Maybe someone close to her had given them to her and she thought it was her inheritence for God's sake. Who knows?

I don't understand why the clerk/manager at Walmart didn't calmly explain to her, "No you can't buy 1500 dollars worth of stuff with a 2 dollar gift card and no you can't buy that stuff with a 10,000 dollar souvenir bill either. It is a nice bill and has a picture of the Statue of Liberty but we can't accept that as legal tender in Walmart. Would you like a drink of water? or a free balloon?"

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I'm going to watch some B ball and quit thinking for awhile. Maryland and Duke...let's go.

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Balinese Left - Cypriot Came - Life of Pi - Hey Jack Kerouac

My coworker from Bali left this week.

He was only with us about a month. It was so nice to have him around though.

He loved to laugh, had a nice tone, brought us chocolate and other goodies.

Someday I will travel to Bali

We have a new coworker now from Cyprus that will be with us until this summer.

He is really nice too. It's great to work somewhere that has a nice diverse group of people.

I hope your job is like that. For you younger folks it's a good reason to go on to college. I suppose that's not a requirement though, but for most of us it's one way to increase our options. A technical school, community college, 2 year degree, military or on the job training work too.

So what's up with you?

Excited for Selection Sunday? Getting ready to fill out your bracket for the NCAA basketball tournament?

Baseball is starting to get underway. NBA basketball is getting pretty boring. Hockey players are banging around.

We are getting more and more light so I think I will start getting out of my recliner and on my bicycle and kayak.

I used to ride in the Seattle to Portland Bicycle Ride before I put on this extra poundage watching TV and eating low-fat food. I will get back in trim shape again.

I have an ocean going kayak I use it to bump around in some estuaries near my home

I'm reading this book now Amazon.com: Books: Life of Pi

What I've read so far is a story of an Indian boy who decides to be a Muslim, Hindu and Christian in his desire to love God.

Here's a quote from the book Life of Pi,

"My greatest wish--other than salvation--was to have a book. A long book with a never-ending story. One that I could read again and again, with new eyes and fresh understanding each time."

I think we all have that sort of never-ending story that we share with others by talking and writing. The more we listen the more we understand. The more we understand the more we realize our human similarities that make this world a place we are all in together. Leading us to that valley beyond the next where we can all live in peace

For The Children

Listening requires some quiet space internally and external. We start from the inside out and take some nice deep relaxing breaths and learn ways to quiet our mind....

Breathing and Relaxation Techniques

I hope we can truly listen to some one or some thing today.

May your Sunday be peaceful, relaxing and refreshing.

OR

Depending on your frame of mind and age maybe you can have this kind of a Jack day.


"Hey Jack Kerouac" from the album "In My Tribe" by the Musical Group - "10000 Maniacs"
Lyrics By: "Robert Buck/Natalie Merchant"



Hey Jack Kerouac, I think of your mother
and the tears she cried, she cried for none other
than her little boy lost in our little world that hated
and that dared to drag him down. Her little boy courageous
who chose his words from mouths of babes got lost in the wood.
Hip flask slinging madman, steaming cafe flirts,
they all spoke through you.

Hey Jack, now for the tricky part,
when you were the brightest star who were the shadows?
Of the San Francisco beat boys you were the favorite.
Now they sit and rattle their bones and think of their blood stoned days.
You chose your words from mouths of babes got lost in the wood.
The hip flask slinging madman, steaming cafe flirts,
nights in Chinatown howling at night.

Allen baby, why so jaded?
Have the boys all grown up and their beauty faded?
Billy, what a saint they've made you,
just like Mary down in Mexico on All Souls' Day.

You chose your words from mouths of babes got lost in the wood.
Cool junk booting madmen, street minded girls
in Harlem howling at night.
What a tear stained shock of the world,
you've gone away without saying goodbye.




On The Road...baby...yeah!