I had the privilege of witnessing the invention of a new, All American Sport...or at least the improvement on one. Let me start by describing the competition:
Rugby: Full contact/no pads/very cool
Football: Full contact/some pads but hard hitting/still cool
Hockey: Full contact/some pads but serious body checking/still cool
Soccer: Limited contact but still fast paced and with some body checking/still cool
Basketball: Limited contact but still fast paced and some bullying for position/still cool
Golf: Well, there's really no hope for that...it's not even really a sport, I don't think
Baseball: Lots of fans, lots of potential, but way too slow, and I hate to say it, but somewhat boring, (sorry baseball fans, no offense meant, keep reading), /rates right up there with sitting on a rocking chair on your front porch/not bad...but not cool
So the other night I notice two amazing athletes, Alex John and Tristan John. One of them picks up a bat and ball. Oh...so they're going to play a boring (sorry again baseball fans) game of baseball. NOT SO! They are going to play...Get ready for this...Drum roll please..."FULL CONTACT, TACKLE, BASEBALL!!! Sweet! What a game. Now that rivals any other sport out there.
They start by backing away from each other about twice the distance they can hit the ball...then, the guy with the bat and ball hits the ball towards the middle. Then they both run at full speed and dive on the ball, or on the opponent if he got there first, or if you're getting there at the same time you just throw yourself at the ball and hope for the best...OUCH! Then you wrestle around for a minute and the first guy to get to his feet with the ball gets to be the next to bat. It is a great sport and easily expandable to any number of players. You can even play teams or all-against-all. Try it at your next get together...it is sure to be a real crowd pleaser!
Enjoy playing the New American Pass Time,
FULL CONTACT, TACKLE, BASEBALL
Yours Truly,
The King
Friday, June 12, 2009
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
A Voice of Warning to the Once Great United States of America
I would like to start by quoting a few paragraphs from a high school history book printed in 1985:
Decline of Spain
"New World riches led to Spain's golden age and also to its downfall. With more gold to spend, prices quadrupled. Since the farmers and small merchants received no part of the New World's gold and silver, they could not pay such high prices.
The Spanish rulers did not help farmers. Nor did the government encourage Spaniards to produce goods for themselves. Both food and soldiers' uniforms were bought from other countries. The government kept spending more money to pay for costly wars. Spain was constantly in debt and kept raising taxes to pay interest on those debts. Its money flowed into the pockets of foreigners.
Spain soon felt the pain of inflation. Most Spaniards found that the money they earned bought less and less. Revolts occurred in different parts of Spain. Many talented people left the country. Others died in European wars.
By the end of the 1500's, Spain's power had weakened. Among the reasons for its decline were: 1) the effects of inflation, 2) the decline of Spain's population, 3) the expense in lives and money for war, 4) leaders who cared too much about their own personal interests and did not plan well for the future of Spain. The Spanish rulers had looked only at their country's present condition, not its future."
I don't think I need to point out the similarities of what the United States has gone through up to this point...and unless "we the people" change...where we are going. I have seen similar accounts of the rise and fall of other great empires. It seem that it is a common cycle as natural as any other in nature...and we too have fallen prey to it. These are facts that were taught on a high school level 24 years ago and still our politicians and public continue to march down the same road. Take note of the causes for Spain's decline...and let's make some changes so we don't continue our fall.
Pleading for your help,
The King
Decline of Spain
"New World riches led to Spain's golden age and also to its downfall. With more gold to spend, prices quadrupled. Since the farmers and small merchants received no part of the New World's gold and silver, they could not pay such high prices.
The Spanish rulers did not help farmers. Nor did the government encourage Spaniards to produce goods for themselves. Both food and soldiers' uniforms were bought from other countries. The government kept spending more money to pay for costly wars. Spain was constantly in debt and kept raising taxes to pay interest on those debts. Its money flowed into the pockets of foreigners.
Spain soon felt the pain of inflation. Most Spaniards found that the money they earned bought less and less. Revolts occurred in different parts of Spain. Many talented people left the country. Others died in European wars.
By the end of the 1500's, Spain's power had weakened. Among the reasons for its decline were: 1) the effects of inflation, 2) the decline of Spain's population, 3) the expense in lives and money for war, 4) leaders who cared too much about their own personal interests and did not plan well for the future of Spain. The Spanish rulers had looked only at their country's present condition, not its future."
I don't think I need to point out the similarities of what the United States has gone through up to this point...and unless "we the people" change...where we are going. I have seen similar accounts of the rise and fall of other great empires. It seem that it is a common cycle as natural as any other in nature...and we too have fallen prey to it. These are facts that were taught on a high school level 24 years ago and still our politicians and public continue to march down the same road. Take note of the causes for Spain's decline...and let's make some changes so we don't continue our fall.
Pleading for your help,
The King
Friday, June 5, 2009
Don't Worry, Be Happy, and Just Flow...
I had an uncle who used to rattle off a little phrase every time he saw me getting frustrated: "Don't sweat the small stuff, everything is small stuff, if you can't run from it, if you can't fight it, FLOW....." It used to drive me crazy when he would say this because my predicaments were so terrible...or so I thought. Later in life, it has come to make a lot of sense.
A Buddhist lama put it something like this: "There is no need to worry or get up set. Whenever a problem arises, you pretty much have two possibilities...either you can fix it, or you can't. If you can fix it, then there is no need to worry or get upset, just fix it, and move on with life. If you can't fix it, then there is no need to worry or get upset, that won't fix anything, you need to just accept it, and move on with the new scenario you've been given.
The Indian mystic and sage Meher Baba (1894-1969) often used the expression "Don't worry, be happy" when cabling his followers in the West.[1] Later, in the 1960s, this well used expression by Baba was printed up on inspiration cards and posters of the era. In 1988, Bobby McFerrin noticed a similar poster in the apartment of the jazz band Tuck & Patti in San Francisco. Inspired by the expression's charm and simplicity, McFerrin wrote the now famous song, "Don't Worry, Be Happy". (thanks wikipedia)
A Christian Prophet once wrote that, "Men are (or exist), that they might have joy." Our purpose in life is to be happy. So don't worry, be happy, just flow, whatever our circumstances, there is no reason to be sad. Either fix it and move on, or just move on...either way, don't worry, be happy!
Have a happy day,
The King
A Buddhist lama put it something like this: "There is no need to worry or get up set. Whenever a problem arises, you pretty much have two possibilities...either you can fix it, or you can't. If you can fix it, then there is no need to worry or get upset, just fix it, and move on with life. If you can't fix it, then there is no need to worry or get upset, that won't fix anything, you need to just accept it, and move on with the new scenario you've been given.
The Indian mystic and sage Meher Baba (1894-1969) often used the expression "Don't worry, be happy" when cabling his followers in the West.[1] Later, in the 1960s, this well used expression by Baba was printed up on inspiration cards and posters of the era. In 1988, Bobby McFerrin noticed a similar poster in the apartment of the jazz band Tuck & Patti in San Francisco. Inspired by the expression's charm and simplicity, McFerrin wrote the now famous song, "Don't Worry, Be Happy". (thanks wikipedia)
A Christian Prophet once wrote that, "Men are (or exist), that they might have joy." Our purpose in life is to be happy. So don't worry, be happy, just flow, whatever our circumstances, there is no reason to be sad. Either fix it and move on, or just move on...either way, don't worry, be happy!
Have a happy day,
The King
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