Thoughts

It has been some time since I have written on this blog. To say that I was busy would, at best, be a lame excuse for not keeping up with the blog. I have feel strongly on a certain issue and I wish to express my opinions on such.

The topic dejour is 'handedness.' For years I have worked in the trades. I was a senior mechanic for the LDS church in the Greater Chicago area. During that time I became aware of doors and how they swing one way or another. This swinging of the door is called left or right handed. If it sounds confusing- it is. So rather then bore my ever wide ranging audience with a detailed description of handedness I will move into the topic of plumbing- which I also did in another lifetime. Unfortunately for me, the easily confused, plumbing required one to know right and left as well. The phrase "righty tighty, lefty loosy" comes to mind. It refers to the direction that something will turn. Without going to a sink do you know which side the hot water and the cold water are on?

While working in Chicago one of our plumbing vendors used a plumber by the name of Pat. Pat was a union plumber and not what one would think of as a stereotypical plumber. Not fat, no rear cleavage, and was sober when he came to the job. He had apprenticed as a plumber with a larger firm in Chicago and one of his journey men that he worked for always would take a card out of his pocket, look at it, and place it back in his pocket. The apprentices had no idea what the card was and curiosity was rampant. Unfortunately this master plumber died and his funeral was attended by a number of the plumbers that he had trained throughout the years. Curiosity won out as following the funeral a number of his former apprentices approached his widow and asked if she might have known what was on the card that he kept referring to as he worked. The widow reached into her purse and said "do you mean this card?" She drew out of her purse the well worn 3 x 5 card that was so familiar to all of the plumbers. They, in unison, nodded their collective heads as the widow handed the card to Pat. As he peered at the card he started to laugh. The other plumbers were very eager at this point to see what pearls of wisdom that the master plumber was passing on to his plumbing posterity. Pat turned to face the other young plumbers and read the back of the card- "Hot left side, cold right side."

I digress though. Nicknames are plenty for those who may be a left hander. Names like 'lefty,' 'southpaw,' or one we used in softball a lot (definitively not PC) 'hooker.' I am sure that there a number of others out there.

So why all this in bringing up handedness? Well my curiosity has gotten to the best of me as I have watched my loyal canine over the past few years and the thought came up- 'are dogs right pawed or left pawed?' Should I affectionately call her 'southpaw' because she is a dog and she does have paws? Maybe this is why my dog is receiving counseling from our favorite therapist.


jsf

Civility is alive and well

Civility is alive and well. While traveling home on a big ol' jet liner I witnessed an act of selflessness.

Me strumming the banjo, my bride knitting

Just outside gate C41 following a discussion with the airline representative, who was telling me the plane had left the gate and what I was seeing was a mirage, we sat down for the anticipated four hour layover. My bride and I decided to sympathize with the OWS (occupy wall street) people. Thus empowered we occupied four seats- two for our bottoms and two for our carry on luggage and coats. We were steadfast in making sure the 1% did not break into our space! 


As we people watched (do people even people watch anymore? Half the people- if not more- were keeping their heads low staring at the screen of either a smart phone or a tablet. Another topic for another time) we observed a couple a few seats away from us. The man bent over and examining a credit card that he saw lingering under the seats to our left.


With all the announcements at the airport about unattended bags our immediate thought (ok, my immediate thought) was to call TSA, have their bomb squad come in and disarm it. OK having the TSA come in may have been an extreme thought but if they could dismantle a credit card debt bomb why not?

I cringed when the gentleman reached under the seat and picked the card up. I was very fearful as he did so. The thought of the credit card exploding in his face was not a pretty picture.

It didn't explode!!

What relief! He asked the woman who occupied the seat if the card might belong to her. She declined. (not unlike when credit card companies have declined me in the past). The older man than took the card to the SouthWest counter and turned it over to them.

Civility, chivalry, or just plain good Samaritan doing the right thing. It is great to live in these United States..

jsf

As a side note to the bride of the Air Force pilot and two children traveling to Raleigh/Durham: the uniform we questioned was an army dress uniform.

Thank-you for your service and sharing your husband to protect our nation.

Zoom-zoom

Ok...so it has been some time since I have graced my own blog. Perhaps there was some foresight in naming it Lost and Found....but I wouldn't give myself the credit.

Looking at past posts it would appear that I have completely lost 2010. As I continue to look for it (I'm sure I left it somewhere) another thought passed through the aging grey matter...What happened to the Zoom-Zoom kid?
Apparently I am not the only one who is looking for this kid. There is a gathering on Facebook also diligently looking. Check it here.

I am sure there are more important thing to worry about- where have all the democrats gone? or will football die at midnight and turn into a pumpkin? You know important stuff...Meanwhile I'll keep looking and if anyone sees Ronald McDonald let him know that Ray Kroc is looking for him....

Zoom-Zoom.

I never knew, did you?

That is why this blog is called "Lost and Found." I like to think of myself as a sponge... an old sponge, but a sponge. I like to learn. I would like to think that I have capacity to learn new languages. I barely get by with English though. So, currently I am in school trying to finish my bachelor's degree. It is exciting and fun. I have also realized I have wasted much time watching TV. Not much knowledge gleaned from "American Idol" or "Roseanne."

I have decided to spend that down time in a quest. In a quest of knowledge. I watch documentaries. I try to read books on economics, the constitution, and biographies of noted individuals. I try to study the scriptures and learn from the teachings of the Savior. It is time better suited.

So my point? I didn't know there was a difference between the "Founding Fathers" and the "Framers." Did you?

On this post are the pictures of our first three presidents- do you know which ones are a "Founding Father", a "Framer", or both?

I didn't know...now I know...jsf

Is ignorance bliss?

Where in heavens did that phrase originate from?



Thomas GrayOde on a Distant Prospect of Eton College
".Yet ah! why should they know their fate? Since sorrow never comes too late, And happiness too swiftly flies. Thought would destroy their paradise. No more; where ignorance is bliss, 'Tis folly to be wise." (http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/20/messages/1361.html)

Is that the case today?

Let me give quote from something that I have on my computer desktop- This is found on page 29-
"(B)- APPLICABLE LEVEL- The applicable level specified in this subparagraph for Y1 is $5,000 for an individual and $10,000 for a family. Such levels shall be increased (rounded to the nearest $100) for each subsequent year by the annual percentage increase in the Consumer Price Index (United States city average) applicable to such year."

I finally found the Health Care bill. It is now sitting on my desktop and in a flash drive. The above paragraph- I believe- applies to the out of pocket expenses one would pay with this bill. The sad thing is there is no ceiling. Each year it will go up...what is different then from what we are doing now?


I highly recommend all to read what may be found in this bill- in this case--Ignorance is not bliss!!! jsf

Everything we want?

It is amazing the challenges that families have today. Compared with the hardships that our ancesters had one would think that we should be living a life of leisure. Well...let's review.

Recalling how are children were raised I am amazed that they turned out as well as they did. We were so brutal with them. I am surprised we don't have the police at our front door with warrants for our arrest because of our "neglect."

Case in point: our oldest son was the proud owner of a Nintendo. Not a lot of games, a few to get by. One evening had someone sleepover. During the course of the evening he came sheepishly up stairs to ask a very important question- "Dad, can we hook the Nintendo to the family T.V.? My friend doesn't know how to play Nintendo on a black and white T.V." I was shocked. I was concerned that my son's friend may return to his family and report us to the authorities. I stiffened my spine, though, and said- trying not to laugh too hard- "You got to be kidding me. Tell him to suck it up!"

Truly my wife and I should have been hung by our thumbs for such an atrocity!! If not that time surely we should have been a few Christmases later. Our youngest son was excited when he opened his present that particular Christmas...Santa came through!! It was an awsome thing.

Then my son looked up at us- us with grins from ear to ear, he with questioning face, "There are no games with this X-Box." Perhaps it wasn't my youngest favorite Christmas, but it was definitly a memorable one. For some reason I remember a sore tongue...who new Santa had a sense of humor. I still look at my rear view mirror expecting to see Dog, the Bounty Hunter.

I still don't sleep well at night because of that.

So where is this going? As I meander around I recall discussions with my bride about our children not being able to communicate well at school because they wouldn't have a base of discussion with there classmates because we didn't allow them to watch T.V. during the week. They would be ignorant in the happenings of the T.V.s fodder of the day. Yes...we were brutal parents.

So...would I allow my children to have a cell phone before they can drive? Nope. Would I let them have a facebook account? Nope. Would I let them watch T.V. during the week when school is in session?Nope. Yep...we were brutal parents.

It is titled lost and found

Ok- its been months since I posted last. Perhaps it was because I was lost...