Trivial Matters

Back from Enid, we’re now enjoying the remainder of this holiday weekend to relax, do some holiday decorating and catch up on a few chores. Reflecting on the Thanksgiving celebration that was, it was as good as we could have hoped it would be. The only thing that would have made it perfect was if my brother and his family could have joined us, but it didn’t work out this time. Fortunately, barring any unforeseen intervening circumstance, we’ll get to see them during Christmas week when the whole family will be able to gather together.

By all accounts, the Thanksgiving feast was a success. It was a lot of work, and that’s even with a couple of the items prepared in advance. Karla and I arrived in Enid a little after 8am Thursday morning and successfully met our self-imposed deadline for the main feast scheduled for 2pm. Now I know that Karla, my mom and others have done it many times, but that’s the first time I was in a kitchen, working non-stop for six hours. I just don’t think I’m cut out for “woman’s work,” as my mom calls it. Seriously, I certainly have a greater appreciation for the work of putting together such a grand meal and for those who’ve done it faithfully year-after-year.

Based on the comments made after the feast, the work was well worth it. There wasn’t a single complaint — other than my own self-criticism. (Frankly, I didn’t enjoy it as much as everyone else because my tastebuds were numb from all the taste-testing throughout the cooking process.) Being the perfectionist and worrywart than I am, I was fretting about how everything would turn out. According to the experts — my mother and Karla who’ve done this many more times than I have — the meal was a resounding success Continued

Mean people suck. They can ruin your fun, they can ruin your conversation with others and they can ruin your day. They can take a reasonable disagreement and turn it into a very mean-spirit, very personal attack. I’ve written about it before. Some recent comments on this blog (which have since been filed in the appropriate bin) have brought up the matter once again.

It has been said many times that you shouldn’t discuss religion and politics with others because it can devolve into an argument and become very personal. I typically follow this rule diligently. This blog has been an exception because it is a personal expression of my thoughts, observations, opinions and pontifications. I don’t mind people disagreeing with what I say — although I do like it when people agree — it’s just not necessary to make it so personal. It’s not necessary to belittle and insult and spew hateful comments.

Small-minded people will reduce a conversation to small-minded ad hominem attacks. It saddens me, but I try to dismiss such idiocy out of hand. But sometimes, it’s just not worth the trouble.

When I started this particular incarnation of my personal blog, my intention was not to have politics take up as much of my blogging space as it has in the last month or so. It was to be more of a light-hearted, observational type blog — more along the lines of my blogging idols Dustbury or Okiedoke. And for the most part, I stuck with that formula until last month.

As the presidential campaign hit high gear in its final stretch before the election, my attention turned increasingly toward the political insanity that has ensued. Especially after having some conversations with friends and family who may not understand why I feel the way I do, I wanted to share some of the thoughts and concerns I had. I also shared the perspective of others far more knowledgeable on the subject.

My intent all along has been to go back to my original formula of blogging once the election ended. But, these circumstances have prompted me to scrap that plan and abandon the political discussion altogether. It’s just not worth the trouble.

Consequently, I’m going to take the rest of this week off from blogging just to mentally shift my focus back to this blog’s original intent. My apologies to those readers who didn’t like all those political posts; thank you for your patience. It’s all about to change back. To those who didn’t mind, thank you for your support.

And to those who played a part in compelling this decision, thank you for helping me refocus my efforts. You’ve reminded me of that verse in Proverbs, “Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you will be like him yourself,” as well as that other great proverb, “You can’t fix stupid.” You just can’t have a reasonable, adult discussion with a closed mind; it’s like talking to a brick wall. It’s not worth the trouble.

Tune back here for the return of the original formula soon.

9:42am, Thunder Shop in Leadership Square
The store awaits its opening at 10am. Thousands of Thunder fans await 10am for another reason — individual game tickets go on sale. Based off the fact that season tickets sold out so quickly, Thunder tickets will likely be hard to come by.

3:44pm, Fast Lane, Edmond
My van rolls through the drive through car wash at the Fast Lane on Broadway in Edmond, getting a long overdue cleaning after getting a long overdue oil change — all made possible by an early end to my work day.

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* Taken with my iPhone

11:58am, Park Avenue at Robinson Avenue, Downtown Oklahoma City
Downtown bustles during the noon hour as people venture out to enjoy the beautiful day over their lunch break. Today is absolutely gorgeous and the perfect temperature!

(Check out the Google Maps Street View of this intersection.)

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* Taken with my iPhone

11:59am, Richey’s Grill in the Oklahoma Tower, Downtown Oklahoma City
Karla joins me for an impromptu lunch date, an instant cure to the Monday malaise. (The gorgeous mid-day weather certainly helped act as an antidote to the Monday-induced mental dreariness.)

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* Taken with my iPhone. Standard disclaimer about the photography quality applies.

Now, the premise of this scam email is no different from the others. What’s different is its brevity…

Your urgent help is needed
I am Lolly Stevens and I am from Wales, United Kingdom. I need your trust and assistance to help my family and I stand as a beneficiary to claim a family consignment deposited in Holland, worth Twenty Million Dollars. You shall have seven million dollars for your assistance Please write me back through my private address lollystevens9@yahoo.com.hk I shall let you know the next step. Have a nice day.
Lolly Stevens

Here’s a scam email that I get fairly often. It’s no more believable than the Nigerian scam, but the story is a little more interesting. What I wonder is how successful this and others like it are? Somebody must be doing it if these continue so persistently.

FROM: Mr. HE Guangbei.
(VICE CHAIRMAN & EXECUTIVE OFFICER)
Bank of China Limited
Hong Kong
YOUR ATTENTION
You might be apprehensive because you do not know me but I have a business proposal of mutual interest to share with you. Let me start by introducing myself. I am Mr.HE Guangbei, Vice Chairman and Chief Executive with overall responsibility for the business and operations of Bank of China ( Hong Kong ) Limited (”BOCHK”). I have a Business suggestion for you.In October, 2002, my late client Ghazi Musa Hassan, an Iraqi Crude oil  merchant made a numbered fixed deposit of Thirty million, Five Hundred Thousand United State Dollars (US$30,500,000.00) only in my branch. Upon maturity several notice was sent to him, even during the war (U.S and Iraqi war), Five years ago (2003). Continued

Tags: Bank of China, email, email scam, Hong Kong, scam, scam email

3:21pm, Eye Doctor’s Office in Edmond
Ashley reads the eye chart during her eye exam. I’m not an eye doctor… and today’s exam left no doubt. I thought she was going to need glasses. The eye doctor said her eyes were great and very healthy. Ashley was very relieved.

12:02pm:
A snapshot from my iPhone from the second floor balcony looking down on the first floor atrium area in Leadership Square in downtown Oklahoma City.