Category: ramblings of a madman

Categories
ramblings of a madman

kismet or karma

Two words that some may think mean the same thing. I looked both up using Google search on the internet for each word. Kismet means destiny or fate and has the synonyms include fortune, providence, predestination, luck, karma. Conversely, karma in Hinduism or Buddhism is the sum of a person’s actions in this and previous states of existence, viewed as deciding their fate in future existences. In essence, what happens to a person is the result of their actions.

My belief system is structured around many ideals. One of these is that if one person wrongs another person, that the person who commits the wrong will someday suffer a fate because of their actions. I really truly believe that. What goes around comes around…That said, I wonder when their fate is determined and if they fall. Will they fall? Unfortunately, that has not been my experience. Bad actions cause more bad actions and the person does not fall. Rather, they continue to win, to do better, to achieve their goals. I see it around me a lot.

Is it because I am wishing bad things and I am disappointed? Is it wrong to wish ill-will onto others? Is that my character flaw? Am I just as bad because even though I was wronged, I should be the better person? Is it because I lack the religious convictions of turn the other cheek, do unto others as the would do unto you. WWJD?

Upon further reading, I came across something called the 12 laws of karma. Is this equivalent to Newton’s third law of motion ( for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction). The laws are meant to set you on a path of good karma and free yourself of bad karma. In some ways, it is like the force (in Star Wars).

If you are interested in the laws, I am not going to repeat them hear. Check out http://www.powerofpositivity.com/12-laws-of-karma/ for more information. Other sites had similar information. Suffice it to say, after a bad day at work, a simple idea worked out well for today’s blog entry. It’s short, original and enlightening. What do you think?

Categories
ramblings of a madman

one bourbon, one scotch, and one beer…

Woke up this morning and in the shower I found myself singing the George Thorogood and the Destroyers tune “One Bourbon, one Scotch and one Beer”. Not sure why. Didn’t have a drink the night before. Whatever. It was just running through my head.

As I was reading early in the morning before getting the kids up, I looked up the lyrics and the history of the song. Often such studies start with Wikipedia. There I was able to read that the song was first written and recorded by Amos Milburn in 1953, and with some different lyrics by John Lee Hooker in 1966. Finally the George Thorogood version was comprised of two separate John Lee Hooker songs in 1977.

Anyway, the tie to the picture that I included is my list of summer drinks, which I think will help me pass my summer evenings home alone while reading.

Buffalo Trace is one of my favorite bourbon’s. I describe the taste as sweet with a hint of brown sugar, vanilla, and toffee. I really enjoyed my visit to their distillery in 2017 when my daughter was competing at the Kentucky Horse Park. The Macallan is a tie to Rush. Their great drummer, Neil Peart is a fan of Macallan and I agree with his taste. My first drink was from a bottle of the 15 year old that was a present from a coworker. The flavors include oak, honey, spicy and orange zest. And finally, the Samuel Adams Summer Ale has a bright citrus flavor comprised of orange, lime and lemon. It taste great after working outside for a few hours.

Anyway, I find periods of my life are defined by songs. I’m guessing this is the summer of one bourbon, one scotch and one beer. Of course, all in moderation.

Categories
ramblings of a madman

Zombie Apocalypse

It’s Saturday and it is my weekend with the kids. The custody arrangement has me, as a divorced single parent with two kids, keeping them every other weekend. This starts Thursday night and ends Monday morning. An ok arrangement most weekends, but this weekend is different. Daughter has a weekend of riding planned between a horse clinic and working for free at a local stable. I don’t have a suitable truck or trailer to haul, so it’s up to mother to get daughter and horse to the desired location. Local in New Mexico is something within a hundred miles from where you live.

The zombie apocalypse is not the horse riding, but it is the fact that daughter spent all last night multitasking between her cell phone and her iPad. Preparation for today was part of the plan but never implemented. Both of my kids spend too many hours on their iPads and iPhones to the point where they are in a zone, unable to be bothered with their immediate surroundings, work to do, angry if you interrupt them. You ask them a question and it’s either a monosyllabic response, or the sound of silence. They are truly zombies in that regard. It is apocalyptic if you interrupt them when they get into that state trying to make eye contact. They have that relentless drive, much like the zombie attacking a non-zombie as depicted in TV and movies. They watch smart mouthed YouTube millionaires do truly stupid things and find it funny. Granted, some of the pet things can be funny, but really… Much of it is ridiculous. They become millionaires doing what? For me, YouTube is where I get to listen to my favorite musicians aside from an Apple tunes download.

Needless to say, we spent Saturday morning frantically trying to get daughter ready for the trip and horse riding clinic today. Of course, daughter was glued to her iPhone watching some videos and listening to music. To take it away would be withdrawal, much like some drugs. It was clear that the zombie state was starting to kick in. It’s easier to text then to try to speak.