Opinionated Blogs (1,909)

I am always seeing the number 11:11. Its starting to really make me wonder if something is up with that.

How come everyone is "within the last 4 weeks?"! Are there real people on this site? It's free people!!!!!! Use it!!!!

The original book by that title was penned by John F. Kennedy and published in 1956. He depicted some of the most courageous people of that time. As we look back in history, we often see many such people, often ignored by other people of the same time, but over time they are finally recognized for their courage, especially in times of incredible difficulty, public pressure and without so much of a shred of support or encouragement.

Often we are lured, enticed, and encouraged to change those things that are most important to us to the idea’s of another. We may also find ourselves being misled by those that can present the most attractive presentation, but equally lacking in real substance. Yet, in many cases, the person that appears to be the lesser can turn into the greater. Yes, they lack all the glitze and glimmer, but they are abundant in that most simple commodity; courage.

For a soldier, courage is simple. You run toward the gun fire. For a politician it is rarely that obvious, but can be equally simple. You run toward the difficulty. Showing courage isn’t so much a matter of making the popular choice as it is making the “right” choice. The real difficulty is determining what is right, and for whom. Throughout history, those public figures that demonstrated the greatest amount of courage also received the highest degree of scrutiny, criticism and rarely were appreciated within their own lifetime, probably because the same traits that gave them courage also taught them a great deal of humility. My own father taught me that integrity is what a person will do, knowing nobody will every know. I suppose that is one of the reasons I enjoy golf so much, only I truly know if the score I posted is what I earned.

So what will courage look like? The courageous person can admit it when they make a mistake and do so without trying to explain away their mistake or by blaming somebody else. They stick to what they believe in while being able to listen and consider another point of view; and when the differing opinion is convincing, they give it the fair consideration it deserves. They engage in the difficult debates. They represent us as the voice of the nation in good times and bad, in happiness and sorrow and when they speak for the nation, they speak for the entire nation.

None of these are easy things, in fact they are the hardest, the most demanding things that anyone can imagine and the person that fills that role has to be an exceptional person with a level of character, honesty, and integrity that can fit the bill.

As we watch the current political process, I encourage you to watch carefully for that one person, regardless of race, color, creed, gender or any other discerning feature or characteristic; who demonstrates true, personal courage. Courage in their thoughts, feelings, and expressions. The one person that that can stand away from the crowd and say what must be said, no matter how unpopular. The simple truth.

When we have found that person, we will have found the individual best suited to sit in that oval office and wrestle with those most difficult decisions. I keep looking for them and can only hope that they will surface soon; for the sake of all of us.

Once upon a time, I used to have a blog. I wasn't one of the first, but got onboard not long after. I met some cool people, had some fun and actually met my ex-wife through it.

Yes, ex-wife. 8 years, but the divorce came through a month ago.

So here I am. I found the constraints of internet dating really frustrating at first, but then my blog gave me a voice that ticking a bunch of boxes or answering standard questions didn't.

Onward and upward.

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Dear Members of CS and CS moderators

I had been on this site for nearly a year now. My intent was to meet and chat with great people all over this planet (and I did get this opportunity... thank you)...

However, recently I really got so disappointed in the people we have on this site... to a degree it is worst than real life, ...in real life you also can go and sort conflict face to face... here it gets messy...

My disappointment is not only in how people on this site deals when being challenged with facts ... It is also how gullible intelligent people can be... how can we take sides and that based on face value

... some bloggers don't keep any records of previous blogs (also then usually blame the inconsistency of this site ... which is also a concern for me). When there is a blog 'complain' ...some intelligent people will then get involved in the discussion and taking sides and that based on selective or no information at all...

My value system is far to solid for 1) being insulted purely because I wanted to make sense of my world, 2) tolerating manipulation of the system and 3) seeing members succeeding in the victim game...

My life is blessed and this site was purely when I couldn't sleep at night. I really don't have to be put up with this. Maybe I would be able to meet some of you in real life ... take care... look at the bigger picture, don't provide any person with your login details and approach life with open eyes...

I am in the process cancelling my profile... but in the meantime....

Sweetkisses ....Namaste

I need some clarity please .... does co existence mean that we need to keep quiet, has no right to question information and has to walk away the moment the other party gets upset...? What is your definition of co existence?

I have to leave my blog unattended for a while, but would appreciate debate and discussion in this section...

Out of Forbes magazine comes a news article that will certainly catch the attention of the rest of the restaurant world. CEO Danny Meyer announced that tipping would be abolished at the firm’s 13 restaurants around New York City. Erika Anderson wrote “Without tipping, dining out won’t be an arbitrary math problem for restaurant-goers; service staff members can be rewarded consistently by their companies for outstanding performance (versus being subjected to the whims of diners); kitchen staff can be fairly compensated relative to servers; and restaurant owners can operate using a more reasonable model that profits from providing great service in every part of the operation.”

Unfortunately they did not go on to say how the customer will be able to make their wishes known and be compensated for poor service, which has sadly become the norm for far too many eating establishments. In the world of food service there have been a great many changes over the past decade. The promotion of the concept that 20% is now the correct tip and that servers should automatically receive a tip, no matter the quality, or should I say lack of quality in their performance.

There was no mention of how much of an increase in food prices diners would see, but I think it goes without saying that such a policy won’t go unnoticed. It’s doubtful that all waitresses and waiters will get an automatic 15-20% raise in their salary and if they don’t, there will most certainly be a exit of many good employees. No business magic here; something has to give to make up for the difference unless the company is going to take a 15% hit in it’s profits …. doubtful, very doubtful.

Personally, I travel a great deal now that I’ve gone back to work. Yes, retirement was OK, but just too boring so I started consulting again. Anyway, my travels take me throughout the Southeast, Midwest and the deep South. Like most places, there is a wide variety of eating establishments above your fast food fare. Finding a good sit down eatery that is clean, properly staffed, and the employee’s perform top notch is getting harder and harder to find. Unless you’re going into a place where your meal will cost $30 and up, you probably will find that minimal effort has been giving to training and managing servers. Simple manners are all but forgotten. How many times have you and your date, wife, significant other sat down only to be greeted by your server by “how are you guys today?” I’m no snob, but failing to recognize new and women as “ladies & gentlemen” or even calling us “folks” would be acceptable, but based upon my companions shirt size and hairdo alone, the idea of her being a guy would be the concept of somebody with an IQ in single digits! And I find few, if any, servers that really understand that a “tip” is for service that is average or better. Do you allow your server to come to table and hand you your silverware, drinks, or food??? And what happens if the order is wrong, or the food is cold? I find too many that think saying “sorry” is enough. I even had one waitress in an upscale eatery tell me “look mister, we certainly aren’t going to throw it away so you better eat it because you’re going to have to pay for it”.

TIP is often defined as “to insure promptness” but I think it should be more like “to insure professionalism”. In any case, if this latest move brings back the professionalism we used to all see in the average and above restaurant, I’m more than happy to see it. I’ll be watching to see how this new concept is accepted, but knowing corporate America, I doubt many others will follow, particularly if it means a price increase at a time where nobody wants to see higher prices.

You lost... Be prepared to earn respect and life accordingly what we would consider as respected, mature adults ...and here should be a friendly place for ALL of us on CS...

May you have a cool day today...

I am looking at all the adverts while being on the CS site... There are Russian ladies, pretty girls from Rio, Ukraine... even Travel ladies ... The girls on these adverts are so pretty... even on the CS site, there are really pictures catching the eye of pretty girls ... blondes, brunettes, stunning skin and awesome smiles...

Now if the assumption is true that men are more visual and would go for the attractive girls ... then I really have empathy for our men... The one girl is prettier than the other... it's like shopping for crystal in a mega store and you are to scared to look at the price tag...

So many girls so little time ...

I like children but only if they have good manners. Last Sunday I put my foot into it again. I should rather have put it in my mouth.

My sister’s daughter and her husband relocated to Gauteng recently and, not to disrupt the children (aged nine and ten), they decided to leave them with their grandmother (my sister) until the end of the school year. For some reason my niece and her husband believe that good manners start and end with ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ while ignoring minor details like respect for adults and especially older people.

My father (88) asked the boy (9) to fetch a glass of water. He decided to ignore my father. When my father asked him a second time he laughed at my father, stuck his tongue out and walked out the house onto the veranda. That was when this Catfoot lost his cool and told him that I have peace about the way he talks to his own father but he is not going to treat my father, who is his great-grandfather, like that.

Of course, he complained about it to his father when he called later in the evening, and it turned into an unpleasant exchange of words with his father. I have never reacted well to threats and told him to take a few days off from work to download and install some good manners in his children. My father and my brother-in-law think I deserve a medal, but my sister is not too happy with me. As I said, I like children but only if they have good manners.


A wonderful day to you all.