Tag Archives: New Year

January 1, 2014

Happy New Year!

By Joe

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The year 2013 was a difficult year for me in many ways. I never really talked about it on my blog, but I had some severe financial difficulties. Thankfully, those difficulties are being resolved.

However, I am looking so forward to 2014. I truly believe that it will be a monumental year. I’m going to be an uncle again in July, and I could not be happier. I’m hoping this year will be the year that I find love. I, like many people, hope to get in better shape physically. I also hope to improve my health and well being.

I’ve never been keen on New Years resolutions, because they are almost always impossible to keep. However, this year, I have three that I plan to keep. First of all, I am going to be more positive and optimistic. I try to do this anyway, at least for those around me, but it resolve to this this for me as well. I will eat healthier and exercise more so that I build up my endorphin levels and feel better (this one might be a hard one, but it will try). My second resolution is to be more proactive in making myself happier. Which means, I am going to live each day to the fullest, and not shy away from opportunities. It also means that I am going to be more outgoing and build my self esteem. My second resolution means that I am going to work on personal growth, and this may be the most difficult of them all. My last resolution is that I am going to read more. This is my easiest resolution. For the past two years, I have not read as much as I would like to, with the exception of during the summers, but I resolve to do more reading. I’m not promising to read great literature, though I probably will do some of that, but knowledge comes from reading, no matter what I read, I always learn something.

I wish all of you a happy, healthy, and prosperous 2014! Happy New Year!

11 Comments   |  tags: , , , , , , | posted in Miscellaneous

December 31, 2013

A Song for New Year’s Eve

By Joe

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A Song for New Year’s Eve
William Cullen Bryant

Stay yet, my friends, a moment stay—
Stay till the good old year,
So long companion of our way,
Shakes hands, and leaves us here.
Oh stay, oh stay,
One little hour, and then away.
The year, whose hopes were high and strong,
Has now no hopes to wake;
Yet one hour more of jest and song
For his familiar sake.
Oh stay, oh stay,
One mirthful hour, and then away.
The kindly year, his liberal hands
Have lavished all his store.
And shall we turn from where he stands,
Because he gives no more?
Oh stay, oh stay,
One grateful hour, and then away.
Days brightly came and calmly went,
While yet he was our guest;
How cheerfully the week was spent!
How sweet the seventh day’s rest!
Oh stay, oh stay,
One golden hour, and then away.
Dear friends were with us, some who sleep
Beneath the coffin-lid:
What pleasant memories we keep
Of all they said and did!
Oh stay, oh stay,
One tender hour, and then away.
Even while we sing, he smiles his last,
And leaves our sphere behind.
The good old year is with the past;
Oh be the new as kind!
Oh stay, oh stay,
One parting strain, and then away.

2 Comments   |  tags: , , , , , , , | posted in Poetry

December 12, 2013

TMI: War on Christmas 2013

By Joe

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1. Which religion or faith do you belong to, if any?

I am a Christian and a member of the churches of Christ. A lot of churches of Christ don’t celebrate Christmas, although my family always has. It’s not considered a religious holiday by some in the church of Christ because there is no mention in the Bible of when it should be celebrated. Most of the churches of Christ look upon Easter as the most important religious day.

2. What is your opinion of Merry Christmas vs. Happy Holidays?

If I know someone is a Christian, I happily say Merry Christmas, but for those who are of other faiths or of no faith at all, I prefer Happy Holidays. When I used to work in retail. I always preferred Happy Holidays because it was shorter then saying ” Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.” Besides, the song “Happy Holidays” is one of my all-time favorite Christmas songs.

3. Holiday music on the radio? When and how much?

I love it. When I am not listening to NPR in the mornings and afternoons to and from school, I listen to the all Christmas music station. It plays Christmas music from Thanksgiving to Christmas, I’m not a fan of every song they play, but Christmas music just puts me in a good mood.

4. When do you start decorating? Do you?

I usually decorate the weekend after Thanksgiving. This year has been so busy that I haven’t been able to decorate much. A once I don’t think I have any specific plans this weekend, I am hoping that I can get the house decorated on Saturday.

5. White lights or multi colored?

I much prefer white lights. My mother has always preferred multi-colored lights, but I think the white lights are more elegant and classy.

6. Gift cards, cash or actually shopped-for presents?

I rarely give gift cards, never give cash, and I either shop for presents or make them. One year I did a basket of homemade cookies and mints for everyone for Christmas. Other times I have designed and made jewelry. I feel like thing that I made have more heart to them.

7. Christmas cards and or family update letters are…not really for me. I’m just not organized enough to send out a bunch of Christmas cards and I find most family update letters to be a bit tacky.

8. Snow is…wonderful to an Alabama boy because it is so rare. In my lifetime, I’ve only known it to snow once at Christmastime and that was actually a few days before Christmas, but there was just a few spots of snow still on the ground on Christmas Day.

9. Have you been a good little boy or girl this year?

Honestly, I think I have been a good little boy this year. Have I been naughty? Well, only a little. For the most part, I have really worked on being a better and more caring and compassionate person, which I hope I have succeeded at being.

10. RAPID FIRE FAVORITES:
1. Food: Christmas cookies
2. Dessert: Pecan pie
3. Drink: Champagne
4. Holiday movie: Tie between “Christmas in Connecticut” and “Holiday Inn”
5. Holiday music: “O Holy Night,” “Happy Holidays,” “Silver Bells,” and “Santa Baby”
6. Holiday tradition: Christmas Dinner with my family.

BONUS
Christmas sex: What have you done under the mistletoe? Have you caught daddy kissing Santa Claus? Have you done it a santa suit? Did you come down the chimney? Just how merry have you made Santa’s helpers?

Christmas is probably the only time of year that sex is not on my mind, so really none of the above. Although I’d love to wake up Christmas morning to find what’s in the above picture under my tree

6 Comments   |  tags: , , , , , , , | posted in Miscellaneous

December 11, 2013

Winter Is Here…

By Joe

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I think it’s finally decided to get cold for a little while here in South Alabama. For the next few weeks, the temperature is not expected to rise above the low 60s with lows in the low 30s. I have one friend who would say, “Quit your bitchin’!” But then again he lives in the frigid north. To be honest though, I am not complaining. I love the cooler weather. I have three reasons to enjoy cooler weather. First, I prefer winter clothes to summer clothes, because I usually wear long-sleeved dress shirts to work. Second, you can walk outside without breaking an immediate sweat (It was in the mid to upper 80s just a few days ago). Third, it doesn’t get too cold here in the winter, so it’s never that bad. It could be worse. The high could be -3 degrees as it was for my friend up north.

I used to have a teacher in high school who would always say, “I love cold weather. You can always put on enough clothes to be warm, but legally, you can’t take off enough clothes to be cool when it’s hot and humid.” Unless I have a pool to swim in, I do not like the very hot and humid summers here in Alabama.

I’m hoping it will at least stay fairly cool through New Years, but Alabama winters can be quite unpredictable. I’ve known more than a few Christmases and New Years to be quite warm and short sleeve weather. I never have liked warm Christmases. I prefer a cold Christmas so that you can gather around a warm fire.

So I am going to pose a question for you guys: Do you prefer cold weather or hot weather? Why?

7 Comments   |  tags: , , , , , , , | posted in Miscellaneous

December 9, 2013

Political Negativity

By Joe

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Yesterday, I spoke about negative attitudes toward religion. Today, I want to address the negative attitudes toward politics. Quite frankly, I have a negative attitude when it comes to politics. I have a quite simple reason for this: politicians are negative people.

Politicians love to tell people what they are against, but they rarely ever tell constituents what they are for. When they do tell people what they are “for,”. It’s generally a prohibition or a cut. They never seem to tell us, “I am for….” Instead, they tell us, “I am against….”

The political cartoon above is a prime example. (Thank you Sean for posting this on your blog Just a Jeep Guy.) Though it shows the negativity of Republicans, it could just as easily be any other political party in United States. The Democrats are not immune to negativity. It’s too often the role of the minority party to be the most negative.

I have been discussing political parties a lot in my civics and government classes the past few weeks. When you teach about a political party’s platform, and you list the many things that political parties are against, students will often ask, “What is the party in favor of?” When you say that they are for cuts in Medicare, food stamps, subsidies for farmers, keeping the minimum wage as is, etc., the smart kids in the class will ask, “Aren’t those all negatives as well?”

When I teach politics, I do my best to remain neutral. It’s the most difficult thing I have to do as a teacher, but I do my research so that I can present both sides of an issue. I believe in teaching my students that they should be informed citizens. If one is well versed in the issues and researches the politicians, then they are likely to be an informed voter.

I know that I am one voice among millions, but shouldn’t we take a more positive attitude in life and hold our politicians accountable for being more positive. If politicians only tell us what they are not going to do, then how do we know what they will do. Politics in the United States has become so negative about what they will not do that our Congress is in a constant state of deadlock. Isn’t it time we tell our politicians to be more optimistic.

I honestly believe that optimism can be contagious. Considering that most people dread Mondays, what better day to start with an optimistic view for the week. Let your optimism spread and maybe by New Years will be a more optimistic place.

3 Comments   |  tags: , , , , , , , | posted in Politics