letter from a friend to his employees

I received this email of a letter that one "rich capitalist" wrote to his employees. It does put a little different twist on the economic situation today and it's certainly not a perspective that you'll read in the newspaper.

To all my valued employees:

There have been some rumblings around the office about the future of this company, and more specifically, your job. As you know, the economy has changed for the worse and presents many challenges. However, the good news is this: The economy doesn't pose a threat to your job. What does threaten your job however, is the changing political landscape in this country.

However, let me tell you some little tidbits of fact which might help you decide what is in your best interests. First, while it is easy to spew rhetoric that casts employers against employees, you have to understand that for every business owner there is a back story. This back story is often neglected and overshadowed by what you see and hear. Sure, you see me park my Mercedes outside. You've seen my big home at last years Christmas party. I'm sure all these flashy icons of luxury conjure up some idealized thoughts about my life. However, what you don't see is the back story. I started this company 28 years ago. At that time, I lived in a 300 square foot studio apartment for 3 years. My entire living apartment was converted into an office so I could put forth 100% effort into building a company, which by the way, would eventually employ you. My diet consisted of Ramen Pride noodles because every dollar I spent went back into this company. I drove a rusty Toyota Corolla with a defective transmission. I didn't have time to date. Often times, I stayed home on weekends, while my friends went out drinking and partying. In fact, I was married to my business--hard work, discipline, and sacrifice. Meanwhile, my friends got jobs. They worked 40 hours a week and made a modest $25K a year and spent every dime they earned. They drove flashy cars and lived in expensive homes and wore fancy designer clothes. Instead of hitting the Nordstrom's for the latest hot fashion item, I was trolling through the Goodwill store extracting any clothing item that didn't look like it was birthed in the 70's. My friends refinanced their mortgages and lived a life of luxury. I, however, did not. I put my time, my money, and my life into a business with a vision that eventually, some day, I too will be able to afford these luxuries my friends supposedly had. So, while you physically arrive at the office at 9am, and then leave at 5pm, I don't. There is no "off" button for me. When you leave the office, you are done and you have a weekend all to yourself. I unfortunately do not have the freedom. I eat, and breathe this company every minute of the day. There is no rest. There is no weekend. There is no happy hour. Every day this business is attached to my hip like a 6-month-old child. You, of course, only see the fruits of that garden--the nice house, the Mercedes, the vacations... you never realize the back story and the sacrifices I've made. Now, the economy is falling apart and I, the guy that made all the right decisions and saved his money, have to bail-out all the people who didn't. The people that overspent their paychecks suddenly feel entitled to the same luxuries that I earned and sacrificed a decade of my life for. Yes, business ownership has its benefits, but the price I've paid is steep and not without wounds. Unfortunately, the cost of running this business--and employing you--is starting to eclipse the threshold of marginal benefit and let me tell you why: I am being taxed to death and the government thinks I don't pay enough. I have state taxes. Federal taxes. Property taxes. Sales and use taxes. Payroll taxes. Workers compensation taxes. Unemployment taxes. Taxes on taxes. I have to hire a tax man to manage all these taxes and then guess what? I have to pay taxes for employing him. Government mandates and regulations and all the accounting that goes with it, now occupy most of my time. On Oct 15th, I wrote a check to the US Treasury for $288,000 for quarterly taxes. You know what my "stimulus" check was? Zero. Nada. Zilch. The question I have is this: Who is stimulating the economy? Me, the guy who has provided 14 people good paying jobs and serves over 2,200,000 people per year with a flourishing business? Or the single, unemployed mother sitting at home pregnant with her fourth child waiting for her next welfare check? Obviously government feels the latter is the economic stimulus of this country. The fact is, if I deducted (read: stole) 50% of your paycheck, you'd quit and you wouldn't work here. I mean, why should you? That's nuts. Who wants to get rewarded only 50% of their hard work? Well, I agree, which is why your job is in jeopardy. Here is what many of you don't understand: To stimulate the economy you need to stimulate what runs the economy. Had suddenly the government mandated to me that I didn't need to pay taxes, guess what? Instead of depositing that $288,000 into the Washington black-hole, I would have spent it, hired more employees, and generated substantial economic growth. My employees would have enjoyed the wealth of that tax cut in the form of promotions and better salaries. But you can forget it now. When you have a comatose man on the verge of death, you don't defibrillate and shock his thumb thinking that will bring him back to life, do you? Or do you defibrillate his heart? Business is at the heart of America and always has been. To restart it, you must stimulate it, not kill it. Suddenly, the power brokers in Washington believe the poor of America are the essential drivers of the American economic engine. Nothing could be further from the truth and this is the type of change you can keep. So where am I going with all this? It's quite simple. If any new taxes are levied on me or my company, my reaction will be swift and simple. I fire you. I fire your co-workers. You can then plead with the government to pay for your mortgage, your SUV, and your child's future. Frankly, it isn't my problem any more. Then I will close this company down, move to another country, and retire. You see, I'm done. I'm done with a country that penalizes the productive and gives to the unproductive. My motivation to work and to provide jobs will be destroyed, and with it will be my citizenship. If you lose your job, it won't be at the hands of the economy; it will be at the hands of a political hurricane that swept through this country, steamrolled the Constitution, and will have changed its landscape forever. If that happens, you can find me sitting on a beach, retired, and with no employees to worry about!

Signed, (name withheld)

Who will take the message?

Message to Garcia. . . . The Path to Great Riches

To my Friends and Others,
Years ago I was asked to deliver the graduation message at a small private school. I pondered for weeks what words I could say to the graduates that would offer them a brighter hope for their future. I wanted words that might be life changing for them. And I remembered a story that I had heard from a friend about a man and I remembered the secret that had been unlocked for me in my own heart when I heard the story. I took that story of a man who lived many years before me, and embellished it somewhat to fit the culture of today. Today, I found this story saved on my computer and was rereading it. It still inspires me today, the same way it did the first time I heard of this man called Rowan. I have spent many years and much effort in trying to him. There are few priceless things that any person can pass on to another. But this is one. Perhaps you’ll read the story and it will unlock for you, or your children, or someone you know, the secret to a great buried treasure. Perhaps you’ve already discovered in your life the secret in the story. And if so, then feel free to pass the story on to others you know, who might need a road map to a brighter future. If on the other hand you read it and disagree with its philosophy, then feel free also, to send it to the recycle bin. If this attachment happens someday to fall into the hands of a man named Rowan, then I’d love to hear back from him that this message reached him.

Your friend,
Bud

For graduation this year I wanted to come and give each of you a gift of fabulous riches. A long time ago, a friend told me how to obtain more riches than most people have ever imagined. Within the words I am about to tell you is a hidden map. You must listen very carefully to the story I am about to tell you to discover the instructions to find where this treasure is. However, you do not need to take any special care with safeguarding these instructions because most people will not be able to understand how to find the treasure. If after hearing my words, you still have to ask me what the secret is, then you .
have failed to read the map.

I have a question for each of you today? It’s a question being asked over and over every day in every part of the world by hundreds, perhaps thousands of people. Who can find a faithful man or woman? In all of United States history, one person stands out on in my mind as much as any other. I have heard of a faithful man.

Many decades ago, when war broke out between Spain and the United States, it was necessary to communicate quickly with the leader of the Insurgents in a small island country south of the United States. A man named Garcia was somewhere in the mountain vastnesses of Cuba - no one knew where. No mail or telegraph message could reach him. The President of the United States needed to secure his cooperation, and quickly. What could he do? Someone said to the President, “There is a fellow by the name of Rowan who will find Garcia for you, if anybody can.”

Rowan was sent for and given a letter to be delivered to Garcia. How the “fellow by the name of Rowan” took the letter, sealed it up in an oilskin pouch, strapped it over his heart, in four days landed by night off the coast of Cuba from an open boat, disappeared into the jungle, and in three weeks came out on the other side of the Island, having traversed a hostile country on foot, and delivered his letter to Garcia - these are things I have no time now to tell in detail. The point that I wish to make is this: The President gave Rowan a letter to be delivered to Garcia; Rowan took the letter and did not ask, “How can I find him?” This was a man whose form should be cast in deathless bronze and the statue placed in every school in this country. It is not book-learning young people need most, nor instruction about this and that, but a stiffening of the backbone which will cause them to be loyal, to be trustworthy, to act promptly, concentrate their energies, and in short - to be faithful - to be able to “Carry a message to Garcia.” With these qualities, any person will obtain all the wisdom and knowledge to be found in every book.

General Garcia is dead now, and so is Rowan. But there are other Garcias to be reached. But the world is still searching for Rowan every day to reward him for his faithfulness. Personally, every day I strive to be a Rowan, and every day I look to find another person like him. Every man or woman who has endeavored to carry out an enterprise where many hands were needed, has been appalled, at times, by the stupidity of the mediocre woman or man - the inability or unwillingness of most people to concentrate on a thing and to do it. Slipshod assistance, foolish inattention, dowdy indifference, and half-hearted work seem the rule: and no man seems to succeed unless by hook or crook or threat or bribes. Perhaps they expect God in His great goodness will perform a miracle, and send them an Angel of Light for an assistant. Perhaps if they wait long enough, someone else will take up the task. You, my friend, put this matter to a test: You are sitting someday in an office and six assistants are within your call. Summon one of them and make a request: “please look in the encyclopedia and make a brief memorandum for me concerning the life of Corregio.” Will the assistant quietly say, “Yes sir,” or “Yes Ma’am” and go do the task ? Probably they will not. More than likely, they will look at you out of a fishy eye and ask one or more of the following questions: Who was he? Which encyclopedia? Where is the encyclopedia? Was I hired for that? Don’t you mean Bismarck? What’s the matter with Charlie doing it? I didn’t see that this was part of my job description! Is he dead? Is there any hurry? Shall I bring you the book and let you look it up yourself? Why do you want to know? And I will lay you ten to one that after you have answered the questions, and explained how to find the information, and why you want it, the assistant will go off and get one of the other clerks to help them try to find the answer - and then come back and tell you there is no such man as Corregio.

Of course I may lose my bet, but according to the Law of Averages I will not. Now if you are wise, you will not bother to explain to your “assistant” that Corregio is indexed under the C’s, not in the K’s, but you will still smile very sweetly and say, “Never Mind,” and go look it up yourself. And this incapacity for independent action, this moral stupidity, this infirmity of the will, this unwillingness to cheerfully catch hold and lift - these are the things that assure me that pure Socialism will never come to pass. If men will not act for themselves, what will they do when the benefit of their effort is for all? The dread of getting “the pink slip” on Friday afternoon keeps too many a worker in their place. Advertise for a typist, and five out of ten who apply can neither spell nor punctuate - and do not think it is necessary to. In my own business enterprise, I have an employment application which about two thirds of the way down the page clearly and emphatically says, UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES WRITE BELOW THIS SENTENCE. And yet, 50% of the applicants who apply to work for me, continue on writing and answering the questions below that line. Can such a person be counted on to take a letter to Garcia?

“You see that bookkeeper,” said the supervisor in a large factory to me. “Yes; what about him?” Well, he’s a fine accountant, but if I’d send him to town on an errand, he might accomplish the errand all right, and on the other hand, he might stop at four shops on the way, and when he got to where he was going, he probably would have forgotten what he had been sent for.” Can such a person be entrusted to carry a message to Garcia?

We have recently been hearing much sad sympathy expressed for the “downtrodden workers of the sweatshop” and the “homeless wanderer who will work for food,” and with it all, often go many hard words for the people in power. Nothing is said about the employer who grows old before his time in a vain attempt to get an employee to do intelligent work, and his long, patient striving after “help” that often does nothing but take a break when his back is turned. In every store and factory there is a constant weeding-out process going on. The employer is constantly sending away “help” that have shown their incapacity to further the interests of the business, and others are being hired. No matter how good times are, this sorting continues. If times are hard and work is scarce, the sorting is done finer - but out, and forever out, the unneeded and mediocre will go. It is the survival of the not fittest, but the most hardworking and FAITHFUL. Self-interest prompts every employer to keep the best - those who can carry a message to Garcia. Now this is not to say that the most faithful themselves might not be dismissed on occasion by an employer who would fail to see their earnestness. But if this happens to you, rest assured. There are 1000 other employers out there that will rehire you and who are waiting and hoping for you to show up at their door. A faithful person may get cast out sometime, but they will not be cast down.

I know one man of really brilliant mentality, who has not the ability to manage a business of his own, and yet who is absolutely worthless to any one else, because he carries with him constantly the insane suspicion that any employer is oppressing, or intending to oppress him. He can not give orders, and he will not receive them. Should a message be given him to take to Garcia, his answer would probably be, “Take it yourself!” Today this man walks the streets looking for work, the wind whistling through his threadbare coat. No one who knows him would dare employ him, because he is a regular firebrand of discontent. He is impervious to reason, and the only thing that can impress him is the toe of a thick-soled Number Twelve boot.

Of course I know that one so morally deformed is to be pitied; but in our pitying let us drop a tear, too, for the men and women who are striving to carry on a great enterprise, whose working hours are not limited by the whistle, and whose hair is fast turning white through the struggle to hold the line, in spite of indifference, slipshod stupidity, and the heartless ingratitude of many of their employees which, but for their enterprise, would be both hungry and homeless.

Have I put the matter too strongly? Possibly I have. But when all the world has gone a-slumming I wish to speak a word of sympathy for the person who succeeds - the person who, against great odds, has directed the efforts of others, and having succeeded, finds there’s nothing in it: nothing but bare board and clothes. I myself, have fried hamburgers at Dairy Queen, emptied a grease trap, mopped a floor, repaired a roof, and worked for day’s wages. I have also been an employer of labor, and I know there is something to be said on both sides. There is no excellence, per se, in poverty; rags are no recommendation; and all employers are not MEAN and high-handed, any more than all poor men are virtuous. My heart goes out to the employee who does their work when the “boss” is away, as well as when they are in the office or on the factory floor. And the man who, when he is given a letter for Garcia, quietly takes the note, without asking any idiotic questions, and with no lurking intention of chucking it into the nearest trash can, or of doing anything else but delivering it. Civilization is one long, anxious search for just such individuals. ANYTHING such as a man or woman, like Rowan asks, shall be granted. They are wanted in every city, town, and village - in every office, hotel, shop, store, and factory. I myself would hire as many as I could find. I would help them to become rich. In time, I would pay them a fortune. And in the meantime, I would make a fortune myself by profiting from their faithfulness. I would teach them any skills they might be lacking in exchange for their possession of dedication to a task and their faithfulness to serving me. The world cries out for such; they are needed and needed badly - the man, or woman, who can “Carry a Message to Garcia.” If you ever meet a Rowan, who is looking for a job. Send him, or her to me. I look for her every day. Good luck to each of you. May God give you a speedy, safe and prosperous journey if you, yourself, decide to carry a message to Garcia. Godspeed.

Self Pity

D.H. Lawrence – Self Pity

I never saw a wild thing sorry for itself.
A small bird will drop
frozen dead from a bough
without ever having felt sorry
for itself.

Rivers running upstream and Cats chasing Dogs

I have confirmed this story as being true from one person who was at the event, and two others who knew of the event second-hand. But even if it had been just a fable, or myth, it's a principle I'd like to make part of my life. I had a hard time reading it all the way through because my eyes became swollen from crying the more I read. Life would be better if people had the heart of these people. And I will be better if I believe man's heart is capable of this expression. The story shows the 2nd finest demonstration of Christian love I can ever remember reading about. The headline from the paper read:

There are some games

in which cheering

for the other side

feels better than winning

by Rick Reilly

Gainesville State players douse head coach Mark Williams in celebration.
They played the oddest game in high school football history last month

down in Grapevine, Texas.
It was Grapevine Faith vs. Gainesville State School and everything

about it was upside down.

For instance, when Gainesville came out to take the field,

the Faith fans made a 40-yard spirit line for them to run through.
Did you hear that? The other team's fans?
They even made a banner for players to crash through at the end.

It said, "Go Tornadoes!" Which is also weird, because Faith is the Lions.
It was rivers running uphill and cats petting dogs.

More than 200 Faith fans sat on the Gainesville side

and kept cheering the Gainesville players on—by name.
"I never in my life thought I'd hear people cheering for

us to hit their kids," recalls Gainesville's QB and middle linebacker, Isaiah.

"I wouldn't expect another parent to tell somebody to hit their kids.

But they wanted us to!"
And even though Faith walloped them 33-14,

the Gainesville kids were so happy that after the game

they gave head coach Mark Williams a sideline squirt-bottle shower

like he'd just won state. Gotta be the first Gatorade bath

in history for an 0-9 coach.
But then you saw the 12 uniformed officers escorting

the 14 Gainesville players off the field and

two and two started to make four.

They lined the players up in groups of five

—handcuffs ready in their back pockets—

and marched them to the team bus.

That's because Gainesville is a correctional facility

75 miles north of Dallas. Every game it plays is on the road.
This all started when Faith's head coach, Kris Hogan,

wanted to do something kind for the Gainesville team.

Faith had never played Gainesville, but he already knew the score.

After all, Faith was 7-2 going into the game,

Gainesville 0-8 with 2 TDs all year.

Faith has 70 kids, 11 coaches, the latest equipment

and involved parents.

Gainesville has a lot of kids with convictions

for drugs, assault and robbery

—many of whose families had disowned them—

wearing seven-year-old shoulder pads and ancient helmets.
So Hogan had this idea. What if half of our fans

—for one night only—

cheered for the other team?

He sent out an email asking the Faithful to do just that.

"Here's the message I want you to send:"

Hogan wrote. "You are just as valuable as any other person on planet Earth."
Some people were naturally confused.

One Faith player walked into Hogan's office

and asked, "Coach, why are we doing this?"
And Hogan said, "Imagine if you didn't have a home life.

Imagine if everybody had pretty much given up on you.

Now imagine what it would mean for hundreds

of people to suddenly believe in you."
Next thing you know, the Gainesville Tornadoes

were turning around on their bench to see something

they never had before. Hundreds of fans. And actual cheerleaders!
"I thought maybe they were confused," said Alex, a Gainesville

lineman (only first names are released by the prison).

"They started yelling 'DEE-fense!' when their team had the ball.

I said, 'What? Why they cheerin' for us?'"
It was a strange experience for boys who most

people cross the street to avoid. "We can tell people are

a little afraid of us when we come to the games," says

Gerald, a lineman who will wind up doing more than three years.

"You can see it in their eyes. They're lookin' at us

like we're criminals. But these people, they

were yellin' for us! By our names!"
Maybe it figures that Gainesville played better than it

had all season, scoring the game's last two touchdowns.

Of course, this might be because Hogan put his

third-string nose guard at safety and his third-string

cornerback at defensive end. Still after the game, both

teams gathered in the middle of the field to pray and

that's when Isaiah surprised everybody by asking to lead.

"We had no idea what the kid was going

to say," remembers Coach Hogan.

But Isaiah said this: "Lord, I don't know how this happened,

so I don't know how to say thank You, but I never would've

known there was so many people in the world that cared about us."
And it was a good thing everybody's heads were bowed

because they might've seen Hogan wiping away tears.
As the Tornadoes walked back to their bus under guard,

they each were handed a bag for the ride home

—a burger, some fries, a soda, some candy, a Bible and

an encouraging letter from a Faith player.
The Gainesville coach saw Hogan, grabbed him hard

by the shoulders and said, "You'll never know what your

people did for these kids tonight. You'll never, ever know."
And as the bus pulled away, all the Gainesville players

crammed to one side and pressed their hands to

the window, staring at these people they'd never

met before, watching their waves and smiles

disappearing into the night.
Anyway, with the economy six feet under and

Christmas running on about three and a half reindeer,

it's nice to know that one of the best presents

you can give is still absolutely free.
Hope.

Native Wisdom

An old Cherokee is teaching his grandson about life."A fight is going on inside me," he said to the boy. "It is a terrible fight and it is between two bears.

One is evil - he is anger, envy,sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.

The other is good - he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith.

This same fight is going on inside you - and inside every other person, too."

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, "Which bear will win?"

The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."

What is it to be smitten

smitten: describes the feeling one receives whenever they think about or are with someone who makes them ridiculously happy. The experience of satisfaction with someone you're falling in love with.

It's a New Year

I believe that the coming year will be one of much happiness and a few changes in my life style as I have the opportunity to sell my Tulsa hotel and move on to other . . . less demanding . . .challenges. I dream of days in the sunshine on the beach. And being held, and holding. I dream of smiles and making others smile more. I believe that 2009 will be a great year and a very prosperous year for me. I find myself happy inside and eager for the new things this year will bring. I know that 6 weeks will pass slowly and then when it gets here, I'll look back and see that it happened so fast. The key phrase that has been on my mind for the past week is just four words:

EAGER ANTICIPATION

and
ANXIOUS EXPECTATION

Life is like a box of chocolates . . .as Forest Gump would say. You just don't know what you're going to get out of it till you take a bite.

Its a New Year

It's a new year and a year of opportunities. The past year has seen the biggest stock market sell off and crash since the Great Depression. The price of oil has dropped 65%. And in many places unemployment is high and real estate prices are low. I have had partners dissappoint me and in a few cases betray me. I have witnessed by best friend and her husband endure a year of pain and struggles and shared in their pain as she has fought bravely against her battle with cancer. I've seen my children and grandchildren grow up another year. I've endured through great challenges and had tall mountains to scale in my own businesses. We drilled one dry hole and then drilled again and hit oil in another. My best friends are closer to me and my enemies are farther. I've found someone new that fills my days with many smiles and happy thoughts. And I've had to drive more miles this year, than the past four put together. I've lost 13 pounds of body weight. And I've gained a 111 pounds of happiness. I've been knocked down a few times by opponents, but managed to still pick myself up for another fight.

New Years Eve

I spent this evening without a grand party. Just went to dinner next door at the Tulsa Petroleum Club with some friends and came home and enjoyed some new books I got for Christmas.

I had a chance to meet a new friend and put a face with a story, and . . . yes . . .there is a Tom.

A word of encouragement from my friend

My friends Jerry and Julia are departing on Friday for El Salvador to seek a treatment for the cancer which has attacked her over and over and over.

They received an email from a Pastor friend in Uganda that they emailed on to me. I found the words particularly encouraging to me too. I am facing a large struggle myself and see that I should have a new attitude. Both about Julia's treatment and my own struggle with my partners.

Peter in Uganda wrote:
When a farmer prays and expects rain
He goes out and tills his field.
We expect our faithful God to deliver on
His promises, . . . . so prepare for that.

Book the 'champagne and fine wine',
start preparing the guest list,
take a look at the new clothes,
clean up the house, prepare the lawn arrangements,

make sure the garden is in order,
check out prices for the guest list,
work on the thanksgiving speech....
Faith is being certain, sure that God has heard,
God will keep, God will not fail.

There are no ' mights' in faith...only 'wills'.

The Opening of the Money Jar

On the evening of our "late" Christmas, after the gift giving we once again celebrated our new tradition of giving to all the kids my money in the money jug from the year. It's a large water bottle that throughout the year I put all of my change into. I have started a habit a few years ago of always using a bill to pay for anything. So at the end of every day I have a pocket full of change. Sometimes a few dollars. And now it takes me about a year to almost fill it up. Now and then I might even throw in a dollars, or five, or ten or twenty. Sometimes I even put in rolls of coins that have come out of my vending machines here at the hotel. The jug was so full this year, that it took Kenneth and me both to carry it from the car. This years total was about $2,250.00. We all sat on the floor with Jami having the honor of carving the money . . . which means sticking a knife up in the jar to loosen the coins to fall out. And then after we got it all out on a blanket, we sat and had the task of dividing it into pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters, and even a few dollar coins. The fact that it was over 90% quarters brought a lot of smiles. And then after we had all the coins out, Kenneth was given the task of using chop sticks to get the bills out of the jug.

Two hours later the money was all out and separated and counted and divided up among the kids. Each had brought pillow cases to carry away the "loot". And just as it was last year . . .we all smiled and talked about the vacations that each would use their gift for.

Tomorrow the jug will be back in Tulsa and the process will begin again.

Click here for a short video of the celebration.

Christmas Came late this year

Christmas came a bit late this year for me. Each year, Jami and Emily alternate spending Christmas day with their families, or spending the day with their husband's families. This was the year apart. So we all got together on the Sunday afternoon after Christmas in Fort Worth at their mom's house. Jami and Kenneth and Sophia, and Emily, Bill, Coleton, and Cade, and Katy and their mom . . .and of course Me. Pam was was out commission for the preparations while having to nurse a broken foot back to health but she was able to enjoy it all and watch and see the joy of the children as they opened their gifts.

Everyone was watching the Dallas Cowboys suffer the worst defeat of the year in their last game. And I arrive late after having to stop at JC Penney's and get some new jeans after having spilled coffee on mine during the drive down from Tulsa.

After the game we shared a happy time of gift giving and receiving and laughing and watching the kids glow with delight as they opened each new present. At 19 months this was the first Christmas we all got to watch Sophie actually enjoy the time of tearing paper off.

Christmas December 25, 2008

Since my kids were with in-laws this year, my assistant manager, Debbie McCraw, and I decided to give the front desk staff off today and she and I watched it and took care of the arriving guests.

Jesus is the Reason for the Season. I know that the Secret to getting all I want out of life is in helping others get all that they want.

Later, I will celebrate that non-traditional Christmas day meal at Waffle House with Cheesy Eggs and hash browns. (smiling)

Wuthering Heights

This year brought a few successes. And a few small disappointments. A couple of betrayals. And one Grand failure. One of my favorite books has always been Wuthering Heights. Many don't like it because its such a tale of emotional tragedy. It was . . .and is . . .literature's first dark romantic novel.
It is a tragic story of love scorned and bullying. A man who let adversity turn his heart to stone and in the end was not able to take back Cathy when she realized that he, and he alone was the great love of her life. And tragic for her to spend her whole life, not seeing that a smaller person in life than her was the only one who could fill the void in her heart. In the end, he Heathcliff was left with a cold heart of stone, and his Cathy was left outside the window in the cold begging him to please let her come back in. I hope that I can keep a measure of forgiveness in my heart. And a large portion of Hope. I don't want to become a man with a heart of stone as he did.

The song Wuthering Heights was originally performed by Kate Bush, but my favorite of it is by Hayley Westenra.

Wuthering Heights lyrics

Out On the wiley, windy moors
We'd roll and fall in green
You had a temper, like my jealousy
Too hot, too greedy
How could you leave me
When I needed to possess you?
I hated you, I loved you too

Bad dreams in the night
They told me I was going to lose the fight
Leave behind my wuthering, wuthering
Wuthering Heights

Heathcliff, it's me, Cathy, I've come home
I'm so cold, let me in in-a-your-window
Heathcliff, it's me, Cathy, I've come home
I'm so cold, let me in in-a-your-window

Oh it gets dark, it gets lonely
On the other side from you
I pine alot, I find the lot
Falls through without you
I'm coming back love, cruel Heathcliff
My one dream, my only master

Too long I roam in the night
I'm coming back to his side to put it right
I'm coming home to wuthering, wuthering
Wuthering Heights

Heathcliff, it's me, Cathy, I've come home
I'm so cold, let me in in-a-your-window
Heathcliff, it's me, Cathy, I've come home
I'm so cold, let me in in-a-your-window

Ooh let me have it, let me grab your soul away
Ooh let me have it, let me grab your soul away
You know it's me, Cathy

Heathcliff, it's me, Cathy come home
I'm so cold, let me in in-a-your-window
Heathcliff, it's me, Cathy come home
I'm so cold, let me in in-a-your-window
Heathcliff, it's me, Cathy come home
I'm so cold

Christmas in Canon in D

Merry Christmas.

Jesus is the Reason for the Season

Canon in D by Trans Siberian Express

Christmas in Sarejevo

Christmas in Sarejevo by the Trans Siberian Express

Pie Jesu

Anyone who knows me well, knows that my newest favorite female vocalist is a young lady from New Zealand by the name of Hayley Westenra. Her first performance that I became acquainted with was of a piece by Andrew Lloyd Webber called Pie Jesu. . .which translated means Jesus, Our Peace. She was 16 years old when she performed this the first time. (by the way, it is pronounced Pee A Hey Su)

I can't watch this video without getting bit teary eyed.

I hope that as you watch and listen to her performance of it, your life will be blessed, you will have a smile on your face, a tear in your eye, and reminder of who is the true and only hope for Peace that mankind has. Both at this Christmas season, and at any other time of the year.

Pie Jesu
performed by Hayley Westenra

Is the world falling apart?

Should we run out and flee to the mountains? Is the whole world crumbling? Are we headed for Chaos and turmoil and political and financial unrest for decades.

There is a time for everything.

And right now is a time to remain calm. Someone Greater than me is in control of it all.

Ecclesiastes 3

Peak Oil. Life after the Crash

This is the most interesting and throughly documented work I've seen on why we need to gain energy independence in the next twenty years. It's also the reason I started investing in oil and gas exploration.

Peak Oil . . . after the Crash.

Caviar

The finest Caviar that money can buy.

These people ship promptly and their Caviar is packed in dry ice. They are excellent vendors of the highest quality reputation.