Let's Call It Wisdom, Shall We

The title of the post was going to be, 'Words of Advice'. Lying in bed last night I knew that was bad. Think about it. Advice has a poor connotation. As an example, how many times in your life, usually early on, have you heard, "Son, let me give you some advice". Right away this sentence could come from parents, teachers, the police, a judge, your boss; anyone in a position of authority. Furthermore, the end result would be you're going to jail, you'll get an F, you're fired and on and on and on.

Wisdom is a much more benign word and more positive, too. I wish I had wisdom especially early on in life. I might not have smashed our car through the front door of our garage the same day it was built.
It's possible I could have written a masterpiece for the ages. It's even more possible I wouldn't have had to extricate my foot from my mouth more times than Wyatt Earp shot bad guys.

A few days ago while doing nothing it hit me. A bit of wisdom was offered to me by a person who didn't know he was going to improve my life and I've practiced it for the past five years. Then another piece of wisdom came to me and yet another until I'd come up with ideas to fill this column.

My dear friend now deceased, Robert Hoag, was a character. He was  a mover and shaker in Columbus, Ohio. He was the co-founder of Muirfield Village golf club, He was a golf playing partner of Jack Nicklaus for over forty years. On one particular day while chatting he made a profound statement. "Whenever I leave my house I want to dress like I'm going someplace special".

I liked that. It shows respect for yourself and for others. People notice and you'll feel better about yourself.

Watching The Five on Fox two weeks ago Dana Perino, the former White House Press Chief to George Bush, uttered a statement I've tried to practice for years but it often escapes me. She stated: "Every day say something nice about someone when they are out of earshot". Dollar to a donut(an Iowa saying) it'll get back to them before the cock crows the next morning.

My former boss was always coming up with words of wisdom, so many so that I kept a log on what he said. When he hired me I was given an order. "MJ, don't take this job for the money. Do the job well and the money will take care of itself". If only everyone had this attitude the prosperity of business would be multiplied tenfold.

Total and complete loyalty to your friends is the most important gift you can give them especially when they are experiencing trying times.

Always remember that the most significant commodity a person can give you is their time. We have only so much. Be appreciative of that and let them know how you feel. It is a compliment.

That's it except for my words of wisdom. Have another cup of coffee and enjoy your day.

Bernie Sanders Announces For President

At least he's honest about it.

Hillary Got Me To Thinking

It's necessary for me to break a vow. In recent a recent column I stated I was backing off from politics. Today, I've rescinded the statement.

A few days ago Hillary said the following: "We need to change our views on religion". Was she asking that we read the Declaration and Constitution to see what our Fore Fathers had to say on the subject? Of course not. It is her contention that we, all Americans, not put so much stock in the Almighty.

How so, you might ask? The mantra of the Left in this country revolves around abortion. If they didn't have that as a major part of their agenda they'd be floundering in the water. Hillary sees herself as the conscience of Americans and the Queen of Abortions.

By changing our views on religion Hillary is asking for carte blanche on all abortions, conception to post-birth.

Silly me. I was under the impression abortion was a choice.

MJ Hawkeye A Threat To National Security?

When Barack Obama takes a gander at the number of page views on this site for the last week I might be going to a Guantanamo. Let me shout it out to the world, "I do not know of nor have I ever met Vladimir Putin.

Russia	1074
United States	249
France	81
China	37

Question Of The Day About The Baltimore Riots

There have been a series of 'peaceful protests' in Baltimore this past week. They dealt with a man who was in a car crash and suffered a severed spine. Allegedly, six policemen 'acted stupidly' in dealing with the accident. They have been suspended with pay until an investigation is completed. The police were not prompt in getting this African-American to the hospital and were careless in his transportation. He later died.

The resulting non-action by the police prompted massive protests with the hashtag, "Black lives matter". The non-violence isn't anymore. Baltimore is a war zone with the usual rioting and destruction taking place against white citizens and businesses.

My question is, why is it when businesses are looted and destroyed the main recipients of these actions are against Black businesses? Typically, the following items seem to be the most popular taken by the thieves: televisions, cigarettes( Kool menthols I'd wager--is that racist--so be it), and beer along with wine.

If I, MJ Hawkeye, had a major grievance against 'The Man' and I was about to go on a rampage I'd pick up some lawn and garden items; flowers, seed, tools for digging and a bag of fertilizer. My wife would be forever grateful at my thoughtfulness.

As for me, I'd hit a clothing and shoe store. Who doesn't need a new pair of Florsheim Imperial shoes? Along with these I'd snag a variety of Dockers slacks, size 36 and 38 waist size because my weight fluctuates. A rioter can always use some new golf shirts. I'd look for some with really cool logos. If there was a sporting goods store nearby, well, a new set of Titleist irons would be the perfect gift for myself.

And, if I felt I needed to take out my wrath on a business because of racial discrimination, depending on my grievance, there are numerous minorities ready for the taking. Why would I go after Whitey?
That would make no sense at all. He's one of mine.

Sometimes, I amaze myself with my ability to be able to analyze a situation. You know what I'm talking about; making lemons into lemonade.

Movie Review: 'Little Boy'

The movie 'Little Boy' is about a kid whose dad has to go into World War II. It's a story of emotion, faith-based content, intrigue and drama.

The cinema has been widely acclaimed except by lib progs. That, in itself, should be a motivator for attending.

My advice--Go, see it, don't wait another day. It's playing now in your local theater.

It Made Me Laugh

Are you one of those who reads an article then scrolls to the bottom to read the comment section? I do it all the time.

In reading the New Yorker Magazine this afternoon I came across one of those that made me laugh out loud.

"If Hillary is the answer then it must have been a stupid question"? Nuff said.

"Shut Up, Sit Down And Eat"

'The best little diner in America'. Isn't that a better way to start off than writing 'The best little whorehouse in America'?

My friends in Hilton Head, SC convinced me we should visit a legendary 12 seat diner while I was in their community. They'd never been to the eatery, either, but had heard rave reviews so we gave it a shot.

The place is called Harold's. As you enter the establishment you immediately see a sign: We root for two baseball teams; the Boston Red Sox and anyone playing the Yankees. That's good to know because with interleague play I could now talk about the Chicago Cubs without fear of reprisal.

The place is a two man team, Harold and another guy. They don't mess around when it comes to getting your order to your plate. My request was a turkey Rueben. It took five minutes to receive this mountain of meat, sauerkraut, bread and other stuff I didn't dare ask about. It was scrumptious.

On the wall were rules that needed to be strictly adhered to:

1) Seat yourself wherever possible
2) Order--fill out your own menu
3) Always be listening. Your order may be ready
4) If something goes wrong it's you own damn fault....Here the customer is never right
5) Eat: Hunker down...no sissies allowed
6) Exit- You're done, leave. This ain't Starbucks
7) Pay when your bill is ready...no credit cards, no checks, only cash. Leave

This is my kind of place for a couple of reasons. I asked the owner his address. He told me he only passes out this kind of information on a need to know basis. By the way, it's 641 Wm. Hilton Parkway. I appreciate folks who are up front and operate a no frills operation.

Secondly, he had two bumper stickers among many that caught my eye. One read, 'Obama sucks'. The other? I can't place it in this blog. It also dealt with Obama but I've heard children sometimes read MJH and I don't want to receive hate mail.

If you're ever in Hilton Head visit Harold's. It's a gem of a place but don't tell the owner I said so. He might take offense at my compliment.

The Best Diner In The United States

Wowie zounds, did I visit the greatest diner in the United States or what today. You'll be entertained and thrilled when I get around to writing about it. Hint: Hilton Head, South Carolina.

I'll be back in Dublin, Ohio tomorrow and may get around to filling in the details. In the mean time do something nice for a friend.

As a side note you might be interested to know this tidbit. Natives of the Low Country in South Carolina pronounce the word 'didn't', 'di(short i) unt'. Example: I diunt get my money.

Thought you might like to know.

How To Entertain Yourself

 Road trips are fun. I'm on one now. My ex-boss, who I love more than Richard Burton originally loved Elizabeth Taylor, is having his 80th birthday party this upcoming week-end. It will take place in Punta Gorda, Florida. Yes, it's a 16 hour drive but he's more than worth the trip.
If you knew him you'd agree.

I took off from Dublin, Ohio two days ago. At my age I'm good for about a 7 hour drive. I'll stop and visit what I think are interesting sites. Mostly, I'll keep these in mind for a blog. This time, after cruising along on I-75 in Tennessee there wasn't much worthwhile for me to pull over. There was one item that caught my attention. A hearse in front of me was sporting a license plate reading: Dead 1.
You will not see that in Iowa.

NEWSFLASH-Have I written this before? I don't think so. For the last three weeks I have given up on Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, anything of a political nature on the radio. The same goes for television. The result is mind is more focused. I don't get frustrated and swear nearly as much as I used to. I'm happier.

I drove, in the last two days, 12 hours and not once did I turn on the radio. In my car I carry a cache of CD's. It would be impossible to list the singers who fit into my carrier. They range from my very all-time favorite, Patsy Cline to my new found ones, Frankie Vallie and the Four Seasons.

If you want to know more about my likes I'm a huge fan of BB King. He once played in Davenport, Iowa to a full house and my wife and I were the only white people in attendance.

Shania Twain  is high on my list of singers. Did you know I once sat in her favorite bar seat in Timmons, Ontario? Not only is she my fantasy babe she is also a fabulous singer. This afternoon I was playing her CD and singing along with it. A song came on and I began bellowing it out loud, It's titled: "I feel like a woman" I got half way through and thought, this is stupid. I can't feel like a woman because I'm not a woman. So I turned it off and put on Elton John. He might feel like a woman, or not. But he's an excellent singer.

A Wee Bit About Jordan Speith

Even if you don't care about golf you should become familiar with young Jordan Speith. He won the Masters yesterday and, selfishly, I couldn't be happier. The young man is going to change the face of golf. It will become what it used to be; a gentlemen's game.

Golf is my passion. I'm about as proficient at the game as a man without arms trying to play marbles by using his chest. I've had some ups in the game but many more downers. It doesn't matter. At my age this is what the game offers: the camaraderie of being with good friends. The fun of giving these old boys the needle when then screw up then laughing about it. I love looking at the terrain, walking to the green for a putt after placing my previous shot on the green. I like when the sun is out, the grass is emerald green and the clouds are billowy white in the sky.

Three years ago I asked my then 8 year-old grandson to name is favorite golfer. He said it was Tiger Woods. I almost threw up. Then I asked him the question, "Why"? Luckily for me and 8 year-olds everywhere he told me, "Because he's the only one I know". To that I said, "Whew"!

Jordan Speith is the antithesis of Tiger. He's polite and is quietly appreciative his skills. He doesn't scowl at his opponents but gives them a thumbs up after they've pulled off a great shot. He gives credit to his parents for keeping him grounded in life. I hope he stays that way and the chances of that are better than 100%.

A reporter asked him this question.(And you do know how I feel about reporters, sports ones, especially). "To what do you owe your humbleness"? Jordan's response was a classic. "If I answered the question then I wouldn't be humble".

So, this is what we are going to see. No more cursing on the course from the supposed greatest golfer who ever lived(Ahem--see Jack Nicklaus), no more temper tantrums, no more fist pumps, no more me, me, me. From Jordan Speith we will not witness little black books full of names of hookers and, finally, we will not be privy to the information that a 9 iron found a home in the back window of his
Cadillac Escalade.

Engagement Rings: "What Are They Good For? Absolutely Nuthin"

About six months ago I began looking at the rings women wear on the third finger of their left hand. The reason for this is because I bought my wife a second engagement ring last fall. I felt I owed it to her; sorta, kinda.

We became engaged July 20, 1969 immediately after I had taken a coaching, teaching position in Storm Lake, Iowa.

We walked across Lake Street from my downtown apartment and gazed in the window of the local jeweler. Rings, even back then weren't inexpensive. My fiancé' had stars in her eyes and all I could think about were dollar signs.

Eventually we settled on a diamond that cost $175.00. The stone was half the size of a bb. I laid twenty bucks on the counter as a down payment. The future Mrs. loaned me the rest. Not bad, huh?

Anyway, I thought this was good because if this whole marriage thing didn't work out she could keep the stone and I'd only be out only a double sawbuck.

Ten years ago or so the diamond that could fit on the finger of Tinkerbelle fell out and was lost to the ages. Thinking positively this worked out to around $3.00 per year or less.

I don't know why men do this but my conscience started bothering me about my wife not having glitter on her hand. I did a minimal amount of research on diamonds(Zales, Diamonds R' Us) but then my neighbor intervened. He had a good friend who was world famous in this department. He set us up to see the fella in Chattanooga, Tennessee who could design a bauble for us(her). And he did.

The stone my wife picked out was nice but not as big as the Queen Mary. It was functional, let people know someone liked her but also said, "don't steal this thing because it's not worth the effort"

So, three days ago, I'm lounging in the Sky Harbor airport in Phoenix with three hours to kill. I start looking at diamonds and those wearing them. This is going to be a simple to understand concept. The babes who are easy on the eyes sport the largest ones. If their other assets add to their facial features then the diamond grows exponentially. I'm wondering, though, about the guys who shell out the cash. Does buying something this large for their one and only mean other aggressive males had best stay away? Do they think because they broke the bank to buy one they can get action whenever they get the urge? Do they realize their bank account could have purchased a nice boat or Maserati?

Here's something else I've taken into consideration and I'm speaking in generalizations. The older the women the smaller the diamond. Why is this?
Women in their 30's who look exceptionally good get the largest of the large. It's nonsensical.
 Ladies should have to earn the right to sashay down the street wearing the Hope Diamond.

In the 1950's I was watching a video of Superman. Lois, Jimmy and Clark Kent were stranded on a Pacific island with no way to get off. A native tribe was holding them captive and a large diamond was missing from their pagan god's eye socket so this trio and a couple of other folks were about to suffer the consequences. Clark, aka Superman, grabbed a chunk of coal and with super human power by squeezing it in the palm of his hand fashioned a diamond and gave it to the natives. Problem solved.

My suggestion is why not have a piece of coal placed in a setting and give it to your fiancé'? In time it will develop into the precious stone. If a guy doesn't plan on living for millions of years don't worry about it. For a lot of fellas marriage can seem that long.