Walking Instead of Driving

As a nation, it seems our priorities are mixed up.  Time and time again, we hear about the price of gas.  However, when is the last time you heard that we need to put an emphasis on walking more, as a nation?  Walking is great for cardiovascular health.  Heart disease is right up there with the leading causes of death.  And, not only that, treating heart disease is very expensive.  I would bet that we could save more with walking than we could ever save with gasoline.  I don’t really care what the price of gas is; what I want to hear about is how we should be walking instead of driving.  In fact, our priorities are so mixed up that many of us have to go for a drive in order to go for a walk.  That should never be the case.  Physical fitness equates to happiness, but driving a car only loosely correlates to overall happiness.  Walking gets our endorphins going, and that is a natural high!  The effect of buying an expensive car often wears off.  But, many people need to be able to drive in order to do things like obtain their basic necessities.  In my opinion, we should be prepared for such a crisis.  Right now the best solution seems to be to have a system for delivering food.  There may be a market for food delivery for the elderly now.  However, that market could be really expanded in the case of a gasoline crisis.  It could operate just like the postal service.  So, perhaps, it is time to start implement localized food delivery systems.

Piggy Banks Are Not Just for Kids!

I remember when I was a child, I had a piggy bank.  I would put whatever change that came my way into to it.  It was before the time of Coinstar.  Mom would drive me to the bank and I would get wraps, fill them with money, and then return the wraps to the bank often depositing my money in the bank.  I have also had a savings account for as long as I can remember.  Probably, as a child, my piggy bank wasn’t as meaningful as it has been as an adult.  It was actually my wife that brought back the piggy bank idea to my life.  I had learned to save money, but I wasn’t very careful with my change.  I have since changed and now find the treatment of currency to be very important.  That piggy bank our family has is often the reason why we can eat out at a local restaurant, instead of fast food.  Generally, we wait until there is $35 in the piggy bank and cash it in.

So, why is this important to you?  It is most certainly because many people are house-poor, meaning that they bought a house that they could not afford, and now the lion’s share of their finances end up going into their house, such that there is no extra money for fun stuff.  Everyone needs to at least a little fun in their life!  Having a piggy bank is one way to put a little extra money for fun back into your life.  Really!  If you have a piggy bank, you will may relearn a childhood lesson, “Pennies make dollars.”  Though, saving dollars might be difficult, if you put your change into a piggy bank, eventually you will probably be able to have enough money to eat out with it.  With almost every transaction you make, there is usually some change that the cashier winds up giving to you, and I suggest that much of this should wind up into your piggy bank, saving it for a date.

Praise for the Customer Service at the Local Stop & Shop in Sandwich, MA

I came across a rather confusing coupon given to me by Stop &Shop.  The coupon was for the A+ rewards program.  I know that that means that Stop & Shop contributes to schools based upon what one buys if an item gives A+ points.  That is, A+ points benefit the community.  To see children grow up with a school system that values them, and a town that is willing to assist that is a wonderful thing.  Thus, I see that A+ rewards are a good thing, even if they don’t directly result in savings.  I am glad that it is offered, and I hope that people support it.

The coupon I had actually said $1 off 20 cans, and $0.50 off 6 cans.  I bought a package of 24 cans.  The coupon said that it was not subject to doubling.  However, though there was a dotted line on the coupon, I was not sure if it was one coupon or two coupons, especially since the coupon only had 1 bar code that could be scanned.

Sue is a lady that usually works nights at the register.  She probably doesn’t have to.  She probably could get by on Social Security, as she is older.  I think that it is wonderful that she has continued working, and through her work, I believe that she can be a blessing to our town.  She serves customers with a smile.  She has always been polite, and nice in the sense of being accurate, and not the archaic meaning of being wishy-washy.  I took my coupon to Sue, and asked her, “If I buy 2 more cans will I get $0.50 off?”  Her reply was no, since the coupon said that it was not subject to doubling.  In that language, I was unsure if that meant doubling itself, or doubling with other coupons.  However, something still wasn’t making sense.  That is, if I bought 20 cans, then I had already bought 6 cans and since this was a single coupon, I should get $1.50 off and not just $1 off.  Sue was kind, and on the error on the part of the store entered an additional $.50 off several times, and called the manager over and kindly asked the manager why the register was acting the way it was.  The manager didn’t have a clue.  Then, another customer came further compounding the problem situation, as we didn’t want to make him wait in order to be served.

A resolution was reached.  Sue would give me $0.50 out of her drawer.  That’s good business for as far as I am concerned, the customer is almost always right.  Having worked registers at various stores myself, I know that if your register comes up short, then you often get a written warning, or something like that.  Sue risked a warning by giving me that money.  However, I took the $0.50 and put it in the charity box that Stop & Shop has at the local store.  That way, I can know that if Sue gets heckled for doing what she did, she is being heckled over money given to charity.  And, she knows that to, so Gd give her strength if anyone decides to be mean to her!  However, that sort of immoral practice does not seem to be the norm at the local.

I was very proud to be a good customer, doing business the old-fashioned way.  In fact, the man who was waiting in line and others may have received a few pointers not only from Sue, but also from me.

1.       Sue and I discussed the A+ rewards program, such that the man waiting in line may have heard about it, and that this sort of charity is important.

2.       One of the products I got during this trip I had accidently left, the last time I was at the store was waiting for me.  I was not charged.  The product was a shoe cleaning kit, designed to help clean shoes to make them last longer.  I usually have leather shoes, or some leather in my shoes, such that they last longer and are definitely worth paying for a Kiwi kit to fix up.  The service desk looked up the transaction, and said that I could have the kit for free because it was turned in.  That is the kid working the desk should learn that even after a few days have passed, it is not too late to ask about a missing item.

3.       Then, not one but three people saw me with the kit.  The man behind me, waiting in line.  He was middle aged.  Many people have forgotten that there are such things as shoe cleaning kits, and possibly I reminded him of that.  Sue saw it, and she probably felt that proud that someone in her town was going to try to make their shoes last longer.  And, the young man working at the service desk may have gotten the idea that making shoes last longer is cool.

4.       I used a coupon to save money on the diapers I was buying.

5.       Two witnesses saw that I put the $0.50 that Sue gave me from her drawer into the charity box, which Stop & Shop so kindly makes readily available at their checkout counters.

Review of the Assault on Reason by Al Gore ****

Downright scary!
Most of us need to watch less television.  This book presents a compelling argument for that.  His discussion of how the quality of news needs improving is also quite compelling.  Very accurately, he presents that near sighted economics is one reason that society’s reasoning is being assaulted.

Money and Idol Worship: In God We Trust.

I don’t have a traditional job.  I just go about my days and nights as a free man, usually working hard to simply do good deeds with the attitude that the favor is generally returned.  I can’t think of how many people would tell me to get a real job.  You know a job that pays!  These folk tell me, “It’s not work unless you bring home a paycheck.”  They tell me that I am not a this or that because I don’t have a degree, etc.

So, what is more important money or God?  Is Gd simply a way for people to get money?  I would imagine rather many people would vehemently defend their faith in Jesus, but then when they hear that I usually work far more than 40hrs a week, but receive no money directly for my services, they tell me that I don’t have a job.  They tell me I am unemployed.  What’s more, they tell me that I am not providing for my family.  What gives?

The take home message that these people are saying is that one does not live by the grace of Gd, but that they live because they take home a paycheck.  They are idolaters.  To them, money equates to Gd because they would put aside Gd first before they put aside their paying job.  Given the choice between a paycheck and bills that say, “In God We Trust,” the fool laughs at me and thinks I am naïve for fearing Gd, and not having much concern over my financial situation.

Lawn Care and Tourism on Cape Cod

I don’t understand the craze to have a lawn.  In fact, to having a lawn seems like a terrible thing.  Huh?  Well, every time I mow the lawn, I am contributing to the depletion of top soil.  Cape Cod already has only a thin layer of top soil.  Grass can rob nutrients from the soil if it is mowed carelessly.  Those nutrients are scattered to the wind, and they blow away, where you might find them in the depths of the ocean.  Now, some mowers are better than others.  And, I guess I don’t have a problem with it if it is done like how my Dad does.

Last summer, I had a side job mowing lawns, and I just couldn’t do it for so many reasons.  I thought the man overcharged for his rooms.  I thought his actions were borderline on heartless on several occasions, and that he should have been more charitable.  I did not need the money, but my goal was to help him pay off his mortgage, such that he did not owe money, or was at least not forced to foreclose on his property.  Now, in his favor, I don’t think that he knew any better nor any other way of doing things.  However, he was the boss, and I knew of a better way of doing things, such that no slave is superior to his master.  It was an employment scenario that just couldn’t work.

Not only does grass deplete the top soil, but to spread it about aimlessly conjures up my idea of the characters Er and Onan in the Bible, and the wickedness of spilling one’s seed, that resulted in the Lord putting someone to death.  At the place of employment, there were these big piles of dead plant growth, and yet no attempt was being made to use them for the purpose of recycling.  This is the difference between he and my dad.  When my dad mows his lawn, he collects the grass, puts it in the place in the woods along with other plant material, but he actually uses it when he gardens.  They key ingredient of the mistake my boss was making was that he was mixing grass clippings with branches.  This sort of scenario can’t result in an optimized composting system.  Rather, it becomes difficult to retrieve the part that becomes soil first, such that over the course of time, what you have is a pile of sand left when the grass can no longer grow and a pile of grass clippings that would be as a worthless island of soil, the beginning of an oil deposit in the middle of a land of sand.  Locally, what good are two piles, except for when one is for long term recycling, while the other would be good within a year or so?

What I was doing by mowing the lawn at this place was inviting visitors from foreign lands to bring invasive species, which in all probability would cause harm to the environment in the short term.  In the long term, the invasive species may actually benefit.  And, perhaps, where there is one invasive species that is dominating an ecosystem, a natural predator from the invasive species could be introduced, a foreign species, almost like an invasive species, to help control the population of the problematic invasive species.  Such is the concept of the phrase, “The more, the merrier.”  That is, just because a species is not native to a certain environment does not make it problematic to that environment.  However, in the case of owning a local motel, the mowing of lawns invites foreigners to haphazardly bring invasive species to Cape Cod.  Cape Cod already has many invasive species, and it is my prayer that these invasive species don’t destroy Cape Cod, and its value even as a place to visit, but that in the long term the overall strength of Cape Cod’s ecosystem is improved, such that there is population control, not just for humans, but also for invasive species for creation is groaning at the sins of mankind and his voyages.

One invasive species that is sometimes a problem on Cape Cod is the gypsy moth, no offense to gypsies intended on my part.  But, these horrible moths sometimes destroy the beauty of Cape Cod, leaving chewed tree leaves, and dying trees.  It is therefore been my suggestion to introduce natural predators of the gypsy moth to the environment of Cape Cod, in an effort to control them.  There are other invasive species, such as certain kinds of crabs, and grass that are also invasive.  I do not know much about the foreign lands where these creatures come from, but what I do know is that they are running rampant, and a stop needs to put to their superfluous multiplication.  If nothing is done to save Cape Cod’s trees, then Cape Cod is destined to become a ghetto.

Sometimes places that have been wonderful tourist attractions turn into ghettos.  I am a witness that that happened to some places on the New Jersey shore.  After a drive through the ghetto, I came to a sign, where there was a picture of where I was standing, but it wasn’t in ruin, it was fine and luxurious like Cape Cod.  And, I thought, if it can happen to them, it can happen to us.  We need to take action!

Cape Cod is precious and needs to be protected.  We must be a land that don’t need tourism to flourish, if we are to be more than as a firecracker in history.  We must be able to get by without tourists.  We need to think local, such that we can be a self-sustaining community before we start to invite visitors.  We also need to be able to clean up after our visitors, such that we can care for them appropriately.  If we have not done these things, then we have not been hospitable to our visitors, and likewise we should expect that Cape Cod will not be hospitable in the future.

Getting Free Internet

If you buy a computer, these days it is probably a good idea to buy a laptop.  The laptop I am currently using happened to be a floor model.  It is Acer brand, and I am very happy with it, especially since with it I can do wireless internet.  Laptops are great these days because there are so many places with free internet.  That is there are several local places within a few minutes where wireless internet is available.  There is a local motel.  However, I stopped using them since it seemed like they were limiting my access.  Also, I felt like I couldn’t really offer them anything in return, since I could only use it in the parking lot.  I often use the internet at the Sandwich Public Library, Sandwich, MA.  They are great because they have a place I can plug in, such that my batteries don’t run out.  And, I use the free wireless at McDonald’s the most often, especially since they are open late hours.  Frankly, we don’t have the money to afford internet at home, and I would rather see that kind of money go to charity than to spend it selfishly.

I am not being selfish by going to McDonald’s or the using the local library.  I don’t believe accepting free gifts is a good idea.  For McDonalds, though I don’t get paid, I still try and off them something in return.  If I can, then I dress nicely when I go to McDonalds or buy a small soda.  Many people have told me that I look good, and though I am not growing any younger, I figure that I can be an advertisement for McDonalds to help make people want to go there.  That is, when I go to McDonalds I treat it like I am going to a job.  We should always look for what we can give to help.  Many people don’t like McDonald’s and I hope that through using the internet there, I can help turn some of peoples’ bad attitudes into good attitudes about McDonalds.  Really, I think there is nothing wrong with eating a little junk food now and then.  Most psychologists say that a little bit of vice is a good thing.  I imagine that McDonald’s started offering free internet because they figure that it can be profitable.  That is, people like me will go to McDonald’s, either to be around other people, or to use the internet, and then buy things while they are at it.  Many malls offer free internet for similar reasons.

The Sandwich Public Library, however is a nonprofit.  But, I figure that they profit by usage.  For example, if more people go there, then more people will get educated by their wonderful books and media.  So, by using the Sandwich Public Library for internet, I am being an advertisement as well.  I look good, and since I study, and act courteously with the librarians, hopefully by using the local library, I can be a benefit to our town.  And, in my opinion, good deeds anywhere, effect the world everywhere.  If nothing else, then my body heat is helping to reduce the library’s and McDonald’s heating bill.

Lastly, I know that it costs more to make a penny than a penny is worth, and that is a shame.  That means, we all need to work harder to see that our change is well spent.  We should consider the penny the most important unit of our currency, and not the dollar.  Therefore, by not overpaying for internet at home, I am helping, even if it is just a little bit, to improve the value of the dollar.  I feel that it is important for me to use the internet, especially I try not to squander my time when I use the internet.  Generally, when I use the internet, I think:  What can I give, not what can I get.  With any luck, if more people are like me, the price of internet at homes will go down.

1st G String: Why You Should Focus on Your Practice Guitar’s G string.

This blog is for intermediate players, meaning you already know how to tune your guitar to standard tuning, and you know a few chords.  Hopefully, by now you have tried a few of the snake exercises, which are in several of my other blogs.  If you are a 7 string player, this blog is also for you as well, but 6 or 7 strings in this lesson does not make a difference.  I talk about the strings with respect to standard tuning, which if you don’t use standard tuning, transposing the standard tuning notes for the alternate tuning notes should be second nature.  For example, if your lowest string is tuned to D# or D, it should suffice that you know which string I am talking about when I say the E string, which I often refer to as the 6^th string.  Some people refer to it as the 1^st string, but I think calling it the 1^st string is stupid because it convolutes things if you were playing a 7 string guitar.  That is, the 7^th string is the lowest string on a 7 string guitar; while usually all the other strings stay the same.

As an intermediate player, you may have noticed by now that certain strings are more likely to break.  Metal players often break the low E string by slammin’ power chords (assuming that is the lowest note on the player’s guitar).  Many people also find themselves also breaking the high E string.  After all, it is the thinnest and the weakest string.  In fact, most guitar stores will sell you a single high E string, while still more guitar stores will sell you any single string that you ask for.  The next two string that usually break slightly less frequently are the A string and the B string.  But, the G string never seems to break.  I have played for over 20yrs and never met someone who breaks their G string the most.  This is why you should focus on the G string when you practice.

If you are like me, you don’t have a lot of money to be spending on singles because in most cases, buying 6 singles is more expensive than buying a pack of 6 strings.  So, if you are like me, then you want to get the most value, meaning that on your practice guitar, you play your strings until they break, and that it should be your goal not to have to buy single strings, especially for your practice guitar.

So, now we have established that for people on a budget, the string that is most important to practice on is the G string.