Chronicles: Alan B. Rowley II - Success Warrior - ECoach - P90X

Sword Point Sunday: Something Surprising?

This is hanging in Trey's room.  It's a box top from a toy that Sears put out about 38 years ago.  It's a remote control fire truck with a siren and a working ladder. 

The reason that this box top is hanging in my son's room is because it's the last of a set of three toy boxes with the same theme.  The other was another fire truck and the last was a set of match box cars that were catapulted over a ramp into a set of barrels.

The theme that ties all these box tops together is the model that the Japan based agency used. 

The kid you see so enthralled with the fire truck on this box top is none other than the Success Warrior when he was Trey's age. 

My mom said it was the wildest thing to come back to the United States, walk in the Sears toy department, and see my face up and down the aisle (all three toys were released the same year).

For Sword Points this week, share something with us that many people might find surprising.

Sword Point Sunday: What's Your Gift?

Pick one thing that people seek you out for and explain it.  What kind of situations are you the go to guy/gal?

For those that know me, I'm the guy to turn to when their minds are in turmoil.  Even people that don't know me well end up talking to me about what is troubling them.  I must have that vibe about me. 

It's not something that I set out to do and I don't know if I could bottle it and sell it.  I've tried to analyze it just so I have an understanding of how it works but I can't really put it to completely into words.  Dissecting it destroys the spirit of what it actually is but there are some things that are probably key to my ability.

I'm a listener.  Around people who aren't my closest friends, I say very little.  I just watch and listen. 

I keep secrets.  I don't share information that was given in confidence.  Never.

I am able to listen without judging.  People share stuff because I accept them for who they are and don't think less of them because of what they are sharing.  Stuff happens and everyone is doing their best to deal with it.

I don't jump in with solutions until a person asks for some kind of response from me along those lines.  I *do* make small reframing comments while they tell their story but I don't try to solve the problem.  In my mind, the problem is already solved.  It's just hidden beneath all the chatter.  I don't have to do anything except let the person clear the chatter away to reveal what they already know.

Many times, I'm able to make them laugh, despite what they are dealing with.  There are aspects to the incident or things they say that are funny with the right amount of tweaking.  It has to be done at the right time and the right way but it can be done, more times than you might imagine.

Oddly enough, I think one of the things that helps me is my lack of empathy.  My wife jokes about my complete lack of mirror neurons.  I don't feel what the people talking to me feel.  It's pretty much impossible for me to even imagine it for many of the things that people tell me.  Somehow, the fact that I care about the person without being able to feel their pain is part of this.  At least, that's my belief.  I'm attached to the person but detached from the chaos.

All of these things wrapped together with a good mix of things that I can't bring to words enables me to bring a sense of peace to people.  Some find answers under the tumult and some just find a little bit of peace about something that can't be changed.

What is your gift?

Sword Point Sunday: New Stuff

Today, I have a new blog announcement, a favor to ask, and today's Sword Point question.

I've decided to go ahead with a political blog.  Posting will probably be irregular or very brief (or both), especially while the college semester is in progress.  The focus will be on asking questions and (shock) not in a sarcastic manner (at least, not *all* the time).

Today's post falls in the "brief" category because the main purpose was to give me something to work with so I could play around with the look of the blog.  I also wanted to bring some more attention to the video that is linked. 

Check it out and chime in: http://successwarrior.typepad.com/questionable_politics/

I have become a frequent visitor of FaceBook and have stopped in a few times a day now that more and more of my friends are joining up.  When I started it, I stopped in solely to play Risk (called "Attack" on FaceBook) with friends but over the last year, several friends around the world have become FaceBookers.

Then TypePad (my blog host) came out with this cool feature that posts a link to my blog in my FaceBook profile when I create a new blog post.  Sweet!  Except . . .

It appears that it only works if I immediately publish my blog posts.  If I set my blog to post at a certain time (say, at 8pm MST each day), those posts are not announced on FaceBook. 

FeedBurner has ever so kindly offered a solution to the problem.  People can click a link at the bottom of a post and submit my blog posts to FaceBook.  Very nice.

If you would all be so kind, I'd like to ask you to take a few seconds to click on the "Share on Facebook" link on posts from this blog that you enjoy.  Feel free to do the same on the new blog if you wish.

Today's Sword Point question is a two-parter:

1.  Tell us one of your favorite food or drink "vices".

2.  Tell us something interesting about that vice.  Why do you put it into the "vice" category?  Do you have a funny story related to it?  Do you have a favorite time or place where you take part?  Do you savor it or is it your archnemesis?  Give us insight.

One of mine is the blue Monster drinks, usually in the XXL size.

I consider it a vice just because you know these things can't be good for you. 

There are essentially two times when I drink these monsters.  One is while driving across the salt flat wasteland going to or from the city.  It's probably a habit I picked up from being tired and reading all the "Drowsy Driving Kills" signs UDOT has posted along the way.  Better safe than dead, I suppose.

The other time is when I'm going to be doing a fair bit of writing.  I enjoy sipping on one while I type.  I don't think it has any effect other than psychological but it has turned out to be one of my triggers for creativity (no, I'm not drinking one right now - just plain old water).

Last week, I drank one while driving across the wasteland going to my doctor appointment.  I considered making a different choice because I knew they would be taking my blood pressure and supposedly these things can throw off the reading.  Incidentally, I read an article yesterday that said that just the stress of going to the doctor's office can throw off the reading.  Anyway, I'm not concerned about my blog pressure or what the doctor thinks is my blood pressure so I drank one anyway.  110/70 was the reading.  Guess I'll never worry about that ever again.

Since I've answered most of the questions, I'll answer the last.  Savor.  Some people don't like these things but there is something about the blue one that I really like.  I don't drink them to get any kind of buzz.  I actually enjoy the flavor and tingling texture.

So, what's yours?

Sword Point: Copying a Strategy from King George's Playbook

For personal reasons, this may very likely be my last political post until the next presidential election gets under way.

You may remember that right before Ron Paul had a big rally in Missouri, the police were notified that all Ron Paul supporters were dangerous.  Under public protest, that letter was "officially" rescinded and my life as a terrorist was over (at least officially - you know that police were told to still be on the lookout for third party candidate supporters).

My life as a not-terrorist has ended already because now the Department of Homeland Security has labeled me as a Right Wing Extremist.  In fact, according to the Department of Homeland Security, there are a lot of people that are Right Wing Extremists.  Here are some of the people who are a threat to America:

• Hate groups (Really?  You had to put out a memo on this).
• People who are anti-government (If you're not with us, you're with the terrorists).
• People who think government control should be moved to the state and local level (that's where I get lumped into this mess and become a wing nut).
• People who are pro-life.
• People who believe immigration laws should actually be enforced.
• Military veterans (because of McVeigh, you're all suspect - the memo uses McVeigh as the example).
• Anyone feeling economic pressure should be careful because you are susceptible to be recruited into one of the above mentioned wing-nut groups.

This so much reminds me of Bush's skewering of the word "Patriot" during his reign on the throne.  If you disagreed with him, you weren't a patriot, you might not even be a 'Merkin.  Your 1st Amendment Rights did not include criticizing his decisions.

Now, if you disagree with the dangerous financial decisions of our government, you're a wing nut and once again your 1st Amendment Rights don't include criticizing the central government.

One thing that I have found mildly upsetting is the personal attacks on people, including myself.  I don't agree with Obama's economic plan.  I've made that clear.  Instead of showing the strengths of His plan to me and agreeing to wait to see how the thing plays out (or agreeing to disagree), the attack becomes personal and I'm a wing nut.  Can't we argue the merits of the plan without dropping to that level?

I also dislike being automatically lumped in as a Republicrat.  If I don't agree with Obama, I must be a Republican.  Except that I didn't agree with Bush either.  I refuse to take part in the charade that we have a two-party system.  I wouldn't like it if it was truly a two-party system because "us versus them" is too limiting but I see it as a one-party system and I watch as people are played against each other with increasing disgust while politicians laugh all the way to the bank.

Where I think the people who took part in the Tea Party protests should be commended for actually getting out, voicing their opinion, and getting some attention, others think they are nothing but a bunch of whiners and wing nuts.

For me, it's not so much about what was said (because there were plenty of side notes to the protests that I don't agree with) but that people are getting involved and getting vocal.  That has been the political message for this blog from the beginning.  Study the issues, look beyond the words, support what you want, and make your voice heard.  Take an active role in the direction of this country.  That's what these people did and now the Department of Homeland Security has labeled them as a threat to the country.

Today's question is an old one that can never be truly answered but give it your best effort to earn some Sword Points.

Where do you draw the line on the Freedom of Speech?

For me, as far as the Tea Parties go, I think these people should be allowed to peaceably assemble and voice their criticism for bailing out failed businesses and pushing for a budget with an astounding deficit.  I think that a second set of people should be allowed to call the first set whiners and wing nuts.

I don't think that the Department of Homeland Security should send out a memo to law enforcement agencies labeling everyone in the first group as potential terrorists.

Sword Point Sunday: Internet as the New Spirituality

I was listening to an audio program last week by Thomas Leonard where he said the Internet was the most spiritual influence ever introduced to the earth.  For him, spirituality is a realization that everyone is connected and the Internet has made that very tangible. 

With the Internet we are able to learn about and connect with the whole planet.

Leonard went on to say that a lack of communication between people is what has allowed wars and attacks on whole groups of people. 

We are entering the Age of Aquarius (or have entered it), which marks the beginning of a new way of thought.  If history holds true, Christianity (the religion for the Age of Pisces) will decline and a new "religion" will take hold.  The sacrifice of the Lamb of God marked the end of the Age of Aries and marked the beginning of the time of the fish.  So too must that time come to an end and a new age begin.

Adishakti.org has this to say about the Age of Aquarius:

"Now in the Age of Aquarius, everything becomes unified. All our differences, all our dualities mix together like the fragrances of a flower shop, with all of the different flowers adding their bouquet to the overall mix until they are inseparable. Each individual flower remains distinct and individual, each one’s fragrance is unique and discernible when you come up close to it, yet joined together in unity with the others in the wonderful mixture that is the smell of the shop."

This seems to fit in well with Leonard's idea of the Internet as a spiritual tool.

Today's question is this: Can the Internet help us save us from ourselves?  Is it a tool for connectivity?  Will it ever overpower the propaganda received from TV?  What are your thoughts?

Sword Point Sunday - A Great Example?

I'm bringing back the Sword Point game with a chance to earn more points each Sunday.  The prize is a $25 gift certificate for Amazon.com and the rules are simple.  Each week, a question or poll will be posted on this blog.  Vote on the poll or answer the question and you receive Sword Points.  Answers may be submitted in the comment section or you can answer the question on your own blog and link to it from the comments section.  First person to 100 points gets the prize.

Today's question has a bit of homework first.  Watch the following clip and then answer the question:

Now answer the two-part question:

1.  Do you think it's appropriate to speak the truth to the Prime Minister so harshly?  Is it disrespectful?  Should it be done more often?

2.  Would something like this fly in America?  Obama is headed down the same path.  Should one of our representatives stand up and tell the truth?  Would Congress raise its dismal approval rating by telling the truth or would they hurt their credibility going against the Messiah?  Have they been too complicit?  Would they be speaking against themselves?