Russ Starting Over Again

Why Am I Blogging?

2009-06-09T11:16:00.000-07:00

I asked myself today if I was blogging to make money or if making money would be an afterthought of finally putting down in words what was on my mind. Tough call.
But since I am making hundreds of millions of dollars each day and still blogging I must be doing it for the love of hearing my own voice.
How I feel about politics is this: ________________________
How I feel about politicians is a little more clear: Two term limits on every one of them
How I feel about baseball is: I watch the game and sometimes I see one that reinforces my love of the sport.
How I feel about the direction the country is going is: now this is the part where if I was better at computers I could get an arrow to point downnnnnnnnn.

I am blogging and writing articles to get out my opinion, right or wrong, left or right. I will make myself heard.

Please, if you are reading this and the other posts, comment.

Sammy Sosa Should Be Voted Into the Baseball Hall of Fame The Day After Pete Rose Is

2009-06-04T19:14:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Sammy Sosa announced his retirement from baseball after numerous tries to stage a comeback. He said that he would wait quietly until he was voted into the Hall of Fame.
Now to be clear, I have absolutely nothing against Sammy Sosa and truly admired him the year he and Mark McGuire battled over the single season home run record. He acted like a little boy gleefully approaching each game and reminded us all that baseball is a game and should be played like one. Mark McGuire did not have the same gregariousness though that was not his fault, everyone cannot be comfortable in the glare of the spotlight.
So a few years later, steroids, steroids and steroids became the headline in every sports newspaper, radio talk show and ESPN, then in the mainstream newspapers then in the United States Congress.
As it turns out, during this period a baseball player either used steroids or they didn’t, much the same as one might chew tobacco and one might gobble sunflower seeds.
I was not in any locker rooms, but I think it is obvious now, that any player that was juicing was known to the players that weren’t and nobody told.
That makes it fair. It doesn’t make the act right or moral or good for the game it just makes it fair.
Sammy Sosa has never admitted to using steroids. He was never anything but a grand ambassador for the great game of baseball. He should go into the Hall of Fame.
Mark McGuire should go into the Hall and Roger Clemens absolutely should go into the Hall.
But, none should go into Cooperstown before Peter Edward Rose.
He was who he was, a street kid grown into a self-made man. He was arrogant. If you were not on his team then you hated him. If he was on your team, you probably didn’t like him much, but you were damn glad he was on your team. But if you were a fan of baseball, or the Reds and later the Phillies, you respected Pete.
He bet on baseball and he lied about it. He was the ultimate kid with his hand caught in the cookie jar and he handled the whole affair horribly. I will not make excuses for his activities before, during and after the whole sad affair occurred in 1989. But, he tried to control the situation and for the first time in his life, he was completely out of his league. It was time to tell the truth, but he was afraid.
But when he played, there was no one better for the game. He played each game as if it were his last. He was a man of average talent who garnered every single bit of that talent to become the all-time hits king of baseball and you do not play in six World Series by accident. He ran to first base on a walk. He was accessible to the media.
In your opinion, which is worse, juicing your body or betting on your team to win? How about corking your bat or spitting on the ball, which one of those indiscretions are worse? They are all wrong, but all but one of those events occurs during the playing of the game.
I think that the baseball reporters need to get off their high horse and admit that without Sammy Sosa and Mark McGuire baseball may have never come back to the prominence it once had, the prominence it had when everyone knew who Pete Rose, Willie Mays (who had issues with gambling) and Gaylord Perry, a notorious spit ball pitcher was, and it wasn’t just baseball fans who knew them.
Pete still loves the game, he loves the Reds and he could still be a grand ambassador for the game. Sammy loved the game, one could just tell. People make mistakes, America forgives.
How about this idea for a tour, Pete Rose and Sammy Sosa, I’ll bet you could sell tickets to that talk.
Baseball needs to put Pete Rose in the Hall of Fame as a player who defined baseball during his time just as Sammy Sosa, Roger Clemens and Mark McGuire defined it during their time.

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10 Reasons To Play The Guitar

2009-06-02T19:05:00.000-07:00

When I began playing guitar at the age of 13, I never really imagined that I would still be playing at the age of 51.
Am I a fantastic guitarist, no, but I play well enough that it doesn’t hurt my ears.
Should I be on American Idol, Guitar Season, no, but the idea for the show isn’t a bad one.
But I can entertain my family and some friends with it but most importantly for me, is it a great stress reliever.

So here are my top ten reasons to learn play the basics of guitar.

1 Playing guitar will make you happy

2 Even a cheap guitar is still a guitar and you can increase the quality of your guitar with the quality of your playing, try that with a piano.

3 If you can learn to keyboard, you can learn to pick a tune.

4 If you are in a good mood, you can beat the hell out of the guitar and grin the whole time.

5 If you are in a bad mood, you can beat the hell out of the guitar and frown the whole time.

6 Every song written by any rock star in the last 40 years is easy to pick out the notes and if you can pick out the notes you can sound out a basic chord progression.

7 If you want to write a song and you know basic chord progressions it is fairly simple to create a tune, lyrics, well start with moon, June, tune and go from there.

8 They come in the following variations, one of these should fit your talent level
a. Acoustic
b. Electric
c. Electrified Acoustic
d. Six strings
e. Twelve strings
f. Dobro
g. Steel
h. Bass
I am sure I left some out and I won’t even get you started on banjos.

9 You will always have something to do if you are bored.

10 Girls can play some mean licks on the guitar, so if you are a female do not leave yourself out. Get yourself a guitar.

Actually, there isn’t any better reason than the number one, and that is why it is number one.

Want to learn to play, click below, take a peek.

Click Here!

Try Anything Legal and Keep Swinging

2009-05-28T16:48:00.000-07:00

I just submitted an article to e-zine. I hope they will publish it as it is not a political article but an article that strongly suggests that we need to change our posture of slump shouldered defeated Americans.
I am not having the best year of my life, but I am still swinging. I have not given up and I will not give up.
Just in case they do not publish it I am pushing it right here and right now

I am an expert at being an American citizen. I have been one my entire life. Like most of you over 40, I was raised to believe that hard work equals reward. If you start at the bottom you only have one direction to go, unless the floor falls out from underneath you.
I live that life and I have had as many successes as failures but I still believe that the ethic of hard work equaling success is the true meaning of freedom.
Freedom is the core root of democracy.
Freedom used correctly promotes desire.
Desire promotes effort, and effort promotes success.
You may notice that I used the word “promotes” instead of provides or gives or guarantees. That is because in a true democracy, some will succeed and some will fail. Freedom is opportunity and democracy offers freedom.
To quote Sir Winston Churchill, “It has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried.”
So, can we agree that we need to keep our democracy as written in the Constitution of the United States of America?
The next question is, can one separate democracy from capitalism?
Can you still be free and not have an opportunity to choose your line of work, the car you drive or the food you eat?
Can you still be free if you cannot fail?
It is my opinion that you cannot.
The people who seem to speak the loudest in their hatred of capitalism are some of the wealthiest people in the country, earning their money by acting or singing or at the lowest point of the workforce, working as lifelong politicians.
Now to quote Mr. Thomas Jefferson, “A wise and frugal government, which shall leave men free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned - this is the sum of good government.”
The government didn’t just take the bread, we handed it to them.
I believe we Americans have been led down a path to socialism. We have been offered the carrot over the last forty years and we have followed it like rabbits. We overextended our paychecks because we had credit cards. We overextended our credit cards because we had equity in our homes. Now the piper is calling, and that piper’s name is socialism.
I am not immune; in fact I may even qualify as the poster child for stupidity. I can only offer to share with you the chance to use an ability that we all share.
The ability is called “self-awareness”.
Take a good look at the way you live. Take a backward step to be able to see better the horizon.
If you are out of work, get a job.
If you lose your house, get an apartment.
If you lose your healthcare, make a plan to replace it.
If you haven’t reached the nadir, but are well on your way, make a plan right now to start on the road back.
You cannot do this overnight, but I would almost bet that there are people who are in the private sector who would assist you, if you asked. So, swallow your pride and ask for help.
But, make arrangements to pay them back before you accept their help.
That is called capitalism.
Next, vote out any politician who is not fighting against socialism and if the next one is as bad, vote them out as well, eventually the message will be heard.
Or, go to your government and accept their handouts, you don’t even have to pay it back. Your children or grandchildren will have to though, with the sweat off their backs.
That is called socialism, and if I may be so brave to say, that isn’t far from communism.
You can still do this because you are still free to do so.
At least you can, today.

Use this link to explore something you may have thought you couldn't do. If at first.......
http://anndee.netsalaries.com/

Slice, What Slice?

2009-05-05T14:00:00.000-07:00

Hey,
I bet you didnt know that I was a lousy golfer.
I am left handed in all things except golf and batting.
I defienetly can hit the baseball the other way, unfortunately, so went the golf ball.
Now, my brother who is retired from the Air Force, which must be another term for full time golfer has tried to get me up to his level.
It aint gonna happen, but I do love the sport.
My short game is alright its the drives and the fairway shots that tend to go sailing off to the right.
Got the same problem? Try keeping your arms farther away from your body and make sure you swing through the ball.
There is a great e-book if you want to really smack it, basically my drives mostly go straight and I'll bet I have added 40 yards to my drives.
http://7aa0b2t43t4geraesm69t2rs7d.hop.clickbank.net/
Send that ball flying, \
Oh and by the way, my Reds are doin okay and its May.
Go Reds
Go Tiger
Go Cavs
Go Browns
Go eat now, my wife is calling and I smell pork chops.

Just a Little List Of Must Haves

2009-05-02T14:04:00.000-07:00

How to Start Over and Follow Your Favorite Baseball Team
(Or, Favorite Cooking Show)

So, can you embark on a new career and follow your favorite baseball team at the same time?
It’s really just a matter of time management, career choice and it certainly helps to have a favorite baseball team, or a favorite cooking show, wherever your interests lie.
You need to possess the following physical items
1 A day planner, I suggest a book sized one so you can write larger which makes referencing easier
2 A pencil, not a pen (or an erasable pen, your call, really). Rainouts happen, appointment times may change and you could forget to write in your wedding anniversary on the day you were planning a road trip and that you really must change.
A room at home with the following items
3 A desk
4 A computer with really fast internet, printer, scanner and a nice big monitor
5 A television tilted towards the desk with MLB Package if available
6 A radio (all games are not televised locally, if you don’t have the MLB package.)
7 Miscellaneous office supplies such as an electric stapler and a ton of pencils, recommended pencils are mechanical, 7mm HB lead, disposable pencils are cheaper but not very green.
8 Two jobs to start with, one in route sales, with daytime hours but with the autonomy to set appointments and to enter orders from home (see #3) and one which you can work in the evenings such as internet marketing (see #3)
9 A wife who either like to watch baseball or doesn’t care that you are, this can be the most difficult item to procure, but well worth the shopping.

Then you need to possess the following mental items
1 Self-motivational powers, you will need to start your day on your own without somebody kicking your butt. Even in the winter when baseball games are all just replays.
2 The ability to multitask.
When preparing a quote or presentation avoid entering swear words (this can happen when your team is not doing well.
3 Patience
Unless you are a Yankee fan, your team probably will reach the playoffs only every 10 years or so
You will make mistakes in your job performance while paying close attention to your game, don’t fret it fix it.

Another Day In Paradise

2009-04-30T15:31:00.001-07:00

April 30

End of first week with new office supply company. Could be easier, but why am I the only one suprised by the lack of individuality with a corporation. Could I be the only person there that has experienced this.
I hope my new work at home program continues its growth.
Wish me luck

10 Years Are Up, Again

2009-04-26T18:02:00.000-07:00

Every 10 years I seem to embark on a new career.

Now this time, I closed a business, was absorbed by a similar business and less than one month later that company was absorbed by another business.

Now, I am not complaining (yet) but jeez, I hope my "Stay at Home" business works out, cause I keep forgetting what direction to head for each morning

So far so good, and boy am I learning alot.

I will keep you up to speed.

I'd like to hear what you are going through too.

http://anndee.netsalaries.com/

Atcha

Russ