Ace Wisdom

Tomorrow my computer expert is coming to help me install a new desk top computer.  I am writing my blog one day early incase installation goes awry and I can’t communicate with the world.

No, the old computer is not available to family and friends.  It will become the center piece of our basement photoshop and be outfitted with an external hard drive to preserve all the pictures.  I can’t believe how much space pictures take up.

My first objective is to preserve all the important stuff on the existing computer especially things that should be reloaded on the new computer.

I have spent this week buying computer components at Best Buy.  I spent so much time there that I became a fixture.  New customers were approaching me for help.

I bought a new Dell desktop computer with 1 terrabyte of hard disk storage.  The working disk or RAM has 8 gigabytes of capability.  I guess those capabilities are a lot.  Then I bought a big 24 inch Dell monitor (older people can’t see and need larger presentations).

I wasn’t done!  I was told to get a “N” router and an appropriate receiver for the old computer so that I have wireless cable throughout the house.

I still wasn’t done.  I was told to get at least one external hard drive with 1 terrabyte of storage capability.  My computer expert is going to have to settle for a cute unit with only 500 gigabytes of storage.  I made the executive decision to lighten up on the capability of the external hard drive.

Oops!  My personal private files are now kept on “floppy disk” which new computers don’t provide compartments for.  They tell me I’m old fashioned and I need to change.  Bullsh–.  I bought a portable floppy disk unit that plugs into my new computer and I can still use old floppy files.  I know I could switch them all over to external hard drives.  It seems to me I would driving a tack with a sledge hammer.

On the last day (when the money ran out), I stopped to buy a 7 outlet power bar to protect against variations in electrical input along which came a $100,000 insurance protection against lightning destroying my system.  More bullsh–.

I had to pick up so special cords to handle the different components.

Oh yeah, a printer was part of the “package deal”.

The lesson Grasshoppers is that computers become obsolete.  It all sounds very expensive but for under $1000 you can equip youself to talk to the world.  Who knows when I will have to do this again.  Maybe Obama will provide some sort of “cash for clunker computer programs”.

Wish me luck.

Love,

Dad

Labor Day signals the kick-off (no pun intended) of the college football season.  The UW-Badgers have lots of young players and it is difficult to determine if they will contend for a title this season.  They may have found a quarterback in Scott Tolzien.  He could be the “silver lining” to a successful season.  Now if they can just find a running back that does’t have lead in his ass.

The Packers start their season next Sunday night against the Chicago Bears.  The Packers have installed a “3-4 defensive scheme”.  Maybe they can finally hold the opponents from scoring in the last two minutes of a ball game.  Could the defense be the silver lining?

The Brewers are not going to make the baseball playoffs.  They score lots of runs but the pitchers have “rubber arms”.  Their starting pitchers stink (other than Gallardo and Parra).  The crowds keep coming to see triple plays and home runs.  The special part of the Brewers happens to be their first baseman.  Prince Fielder stands at the plate with a defiant attitude.  He dares the pitcher to try to get a pitch past him.  He leads the league in RBI’s, has 37 home runs and is batting .300.  He is the Brewers silver lining.  People come out to just see Prince.  Maybe he will hit a tape measure homer.  Maybe he will slide into second base like a wounded water buffalo.  Perhaps he will pull his shirt out of his pants to signify a game winning hit.  He is pure Milwaukee.  He has the body of a beer drinking suma wrestler and because of the imperfections, fans love him.  Pay attention Grasshoppers.  Fielder is something special.

Lastly, the Sheboygan Youth Football season is full gear.  I know both Grasshopper No.4’s team (which he coaches) lost their first game as did Grandson Dominic’s team.  I haven’t heard how they both fared in week two of the season but I suspect not too well.  The silver lining is that the kids are learning valuable “life lessons”.  You know!  All anyone can ask is that you play your best.  If you try your best and lose, you can hold your heads high! 

The lesson Grasshoppers is that there is always a silver lining.  Athletes know that better than anyone.

Love,

Dad 

Not every little city in America has a “fair grounds” inside it’s boundries.  Plymouth has been the host of the Sheboygan County Fair for as long as I can remember.  It is a fenced in complex with old rickety white wood buildings and a Grandstand that spring to life once a year.

This is it!  The Country Fair started Thursday and runs through Labor Day.  It allows people to display their prized animals competing for the “biggest bull” to the plumpist tomato.  Young future farmers of America proudly display their prize hefers, chicken and sheep.  Blue ribbons hang all over the “cow barns”.

Nana and Grandpa always waited until the Fair to subscribe to the Plymouth Review because they always got a special deal for an annual commitment.  I think an annual subscription was around $15.  Saving a dollar here or a dollar there was a big deal.  The Sheboygan Press also offered deals.

The ‘carnie boys” would always arrive several days early to set up the rides.  As a kid, I would help assemble the rides and make a few bucks.  When the Fair started, there were always a few tatooed “carnie studs” that operated the rides.  I could never figure out why good looking ladies of promiscuous reputation always got to ride free.

Sprinkle in midway games along with beer and brat stands and you complete the festive atmosphere.

I always remember having limited cash.  I could go on a few rides, have a brat and soda and then spend the rest of the day wandering through the barns and exhibits.  Going home always meant being tired and “broke”.  It was the last chance to hang on to Summer because school started on Tuesday following Labor Day.

I know the Fair grounds house a few animals during the winter such as horses.  My Dad kept several horses in the barns including a palomino named Duke.  Starting in April each year, stock car races blast the air each Saturday night continuing thoughout the Summer.

After this weekend the Fair Grounds again becomes a big fenced in empty complex waiting for the next years County Fair.  What can you say?  It holds fond memories.  It is tradition!.

Love,

Dad

Bernie Madoff is the investor who bilked billions (that is with a “b”) from hardworking people by pretending to have a computer system that took advantage of stock market swings.  The total of money swindled reaches totals close to $60 billion.

A recent book written by Sheyrl Weinstein profiles Bernie though 20 years of a personal love tryst that she enjoyed.  In the end, the charitable trust she represented lost all the money they had placed with Bernie.  Sheryl, her son, her “old” mother and friends all lost everything they had with Bernie.  Apparently Bernie has Tourette’s Syndrome which causes an involuntary blinking of the eyes.  Sheryl also discloses in her book that Bernie apparently wasn’t well “endowed” physically.  She gave him the nickname of “Winky Dink”.  Being branded with a name like that made her feel good and it is downright funny.

The lesson learned from being associated with “Winky Dink” is “never trust all your money with one person”.  Bernie was so beguiling that many of his clients placed everything they had with him to manage.  He produced phony monthly statements for over 30 years and when he finally confessed, his clients lost everything.  Actually I have a mistrust of anybody wanting to manage my money.  My trust can be earned over time, but that takes signifant effort.

The second lesson is to invest in “good stuff”.  A CD at your local bank doesn’t pay the highest rate of interest but it is insured up to $100,000.  Government backed mortgages such as Ginnie Maes are gauanteed by the full faith of our U.S.Treasury.  Some municipal bonds can be purchased that are insured.  If you buy stock, buy something with a future, not gold mines in South Africa.

My point Grasshoppers is that we should learn from “Winky Dink”.  If an investment sounds too good to be true, it probably is.  Never place your money with one investment firm.  Buy good “stuff”.  Pretty simple huh?

So ends my first contribution to my wisdom effort.  Stay tuned!

Love,

Dad

 

Wisdom Keepers.  That is what we all are.  We are born with nothing but acquire knowledge through life experiences.  At some age we know it all (teenagers) and then there is a transition to becoming “wise”.  Consensus seems to be that after age 50 wisdom prevails.

The Chinese reverence for respecting the wisdom of elders has always fascinated me.  Only in America would we distance ourselves from elders by creating nursing homes and assisted living facilities.  The TV series Kung Fu delves into the Chinese wisdom issue.

Billy Crystal in the movie “City Slickers” went to a dude ranch to experience a cattle drive.  The trail boss, “Curly” played by Jack Palance, wanted to share his wisdom of life.  There is one thing that gives insight to the true meaning of being alive.  Alas, we never do find out what the one thing is.  It can’t as simple as one thing!  Can it?

So here I am approaching 70 years old.  I must be a compilation of useful observations about life (wisdom).  Hmmmm!

For the next week or so, I am going to be examing the issue of wisdom.  You may be asked to contribute to my project.

My mother always told us kids to wear clean underwear in case we were in an auto accident.  She didn’t want to be embarassed when we went to hospital with dirty underwear.  See, that is wisdom we kids could use.

I asked your Mother (who is brimming with wisdom she’d like to share) to give me an example of wisdom she’d like to impart.  Her answer was “rotate your tires twice a year”.  Wow it takes years to acquire that kind of insight.

Grasshopper No.3 would tell you “to check your oil level before starting any engine”.  I think that came from running my snowblower out of oil and seizing it up when he was 12 years old.  Of course, No.3 is not 50 yet so he has to wait before anyone will listen.

You get the idea.  If you have any wisdom you’d like to impart to the world, let me know and maybe it will make my blog.  Eventually during this series I will share my snippets of useable wisdom.  Listen closely and you may learn something.

Love,

Dad

Your Mom and I were cruising up Interstate 41 Sunday when a Suburban SUV passed us pulling a very large boat.  It was a new cabin cruiser at least 28-30 feet long.  I was traveling at 71 mph and the trophy boat flew by at around 80 mph.  Owning a cruiser can be very special.

Our neighbor at Crystal Lake (Lance) years ago decided he would transition from small lake living to having a “cruiser” on Lake Michigan.  He was going to dock it near Sturgeon Bay.  He bought the boat in Chicago and he decided to cruise his new dream boat up the Lake Michigan shoreline over a weekend.  A huge storm came up and tossed him and his buddies around almost capsizing the boat.  He decided by the time he got to Sturgeon Bay that Lake Michigan wasn’t for him.  He sold the boat.

Then there was Dave who had a condo in Door County.  He was lured into buying a boat to cruise the Bay of Green Bay.  He bought the boat and celebrated by inviting friends to Sister Bay to join him on an initial cruise.  Dave could not swim.  As his guests arrived at the boat dock, Dave untied the mooring.  He lost his balance and fell between the boat and the dock.  He had to be rescued from drowing.  He sold the boat.

Don from Green Bay always wanted to be Captain of his own boat.  He bought a large cruiser.  It was about 32 feet long with a captain’s bridge.  He had arranged to dock it in Green Bay at a local Sailing Club.  He read up on the boat, took his place at the captain’s wheel and drove the boat out into the Bay.  Upon returning, conditions were choppy and he had to dock the boat.  He smashed part of his pier trying to dock.  An expert “boater” had to be ferried out to Don’s boat to perform the docking function.  The whole Sailing Club came out to watch.  Don didn’t drive his boat for the rest of the Summer.  Yep, he sold it.

So you see you aspiring Captains, boats aren’t always as glamorous as they seem.  But if your goal is to be Captain of your own ship, go for it.

The lesson Grasshoppers is dreams aren’t always what they seem to be.

Love,

Dad 

Your Mom and I visited Grasshopper No.5 last weekend.  She is a gracious host.  We got to zoom around Minneapolis in the red Mini-Cooper.  Yes, you can get three people in her car.  The Mini comes with a “shoe-horn” accessory allowing you to stuff more than 2 people into the vehicle.  I will never complain about my car manufactured by the Bavarian Motor Works being too small again.  In fact, my car is spacious and very comfortable for four people.  My car is huge!

I see that Mercury Marine has reached an impasse in negotiating a new employment agreement with their union.  Either directly or indirectly, 5,000 jobs in Fond du Lac are at stake.  If the union ratifies the new proposal, the company stays in Fond du Lac.  If the proposal is turned down, all operations will be moved to Oklahoma.  There is an ugly economic reality playing out here where nobody really wins.  Wisconsin doesn’t need to lose any more jobs.

I watched “Seabiscuit” last night.  I was struck by the economic times that prevailed as Seabiscuit became a symbal of hope for all the “down trodden” and victims of the depression.  Soup kitchens were common.  Tent cities existed for the homeless.  Public works programs were promoted to keep some people employed.  Banks closed and people lost all their savings.  It took10 years and a World War to change things.  Seabiscuit with a huge heart took on big black War Admiral and won a stunning victory.  The little guy won.

The financial tsunami of the last few years has produced another recession of major proportions.  The practices of lending institutions has forced major forclosure actions, government intervention and unemployment rates approaching 10%.  There is a whole lot of unemployment that isn’t even counted anymore.  Banks having FDIC insurance has made this recession less severe.

We need a hero similar Seabiscuit to root for.  It doesn’t have to be a horse.  It could be some other animal or even a person.  We Americans are a resilient group.  We will unite behind a new symbol with heart.  Maybe Favre will lead the “purple people eaters” to two victories over the green and gold and finish the season with a Super Bowl ring.  I’m not sure that will unite a nation but it will kindle the emotions of a lot of people in Wisconsin and Minnesota.  Maybe there are many Favres out there.

Where oh where art thou, oh mighty hero?

Love,

Dad