QOTD: Have you ever noticed that anybody driving slower than you is an idiot, and anyone going faster than you is a maniac? -- George Carlin

[George Carlin is not someone I would normally quote. However, in light of yesterday's post, I thought this one was appropriate. I have actually found myself saying those very things: "That moron, he needs to speed up" ... "Look at that maniac going 70 in a 55 zone." :-) ARGH! I hate it when life catches me red handed at being predictable!]

TOPIC: Left-lane drivers - Someone get me a bazooka!
OK, I don't live in a metropolis. The closest thing we have to a real freeway, parkway or tollway is a measly 4-lane highway that runs east to west in this part of the state. Nonetheless, I have a beef with people who refuse, at all costs, to move from the left lane to the right lane. HELLO! The RIGHT lane is for driving. The LEFT lane is for passing ONLY, period. Move over.
The worst culprits are what I call "oblivions" -- the morons who have NO IDEA why everyone is zooming around them, flipping them off and honking the horn. They seem to think they're on a country drive Sunday afternoon and all the zooming, "waving" and honking is other friendly folk out for a Sunday stroll around the country.
I'm sure some of my more "agressive" readers have their own favorite trick to pull on these idiots. Here's mine -- IF there are not a lot of other cars in the same area, I politely pull up behind pokey and flash-to-pass. If he doesn't move over in a reasonable timeframe, I pull up a bit closer and toot the horn a couple of times. If he still doesn't get the hint, I usually switch to the right lane, pass and go on. BUT, if ol' poke-along has been holding up traffic for awhile (and no one is very close by at the moment), I simply pass, get back in the left lane and then coast down to around 45. Pokey normally gets annoyed and moves to the right lane. When he does, I kick in the 5.7L V8 and leave him in the dust -- and in the right lane. I know, not mean enough for some of you... but I don't want to play dirty. Two wrong don't make a right. But, can someone get me a bazooka?!?

Q'sOTD: Lest you think the productions & politics of Hollywood are sincere or heartfelt, here are three good quotables on the topic of tinseltown...

You can't find any true closeness in Hollywood, because everybody does the fake closeness so well. -- Carrie Fisher

Hollywood is a place where they'll pay you a thousand dollars for a kiss and fifty cents for your soul. -- Marilyn Monroe

You can take all the sincerity in Hollywood, place it in the navel of a firefly and still have room enough for three caraway seeds and a producer's heart. -- Fred Allen, radio comedian of the 1950s

Q'sOTD: Confucius, the Chinese philosopher & reformer, was wise for his time. Though I don't agree with some of his proverbs, here are a couple worth noting...

The man who in view of gain thinks of righteousness; who in the view of danger is prepared to give up his life; and who does not forget an old agreement however far back it extends - such a man may be reckoned a complete man. -- Confucius, from The Confucian Analects

To see what is right, and not to do it, is want of courage or of principle. -- Confucius

[The last one is especially true. Confucius spent a lot of time thinking and writing about virtue -- and all to often forgotten trait that should be admired in any culture.]

QOTD: Live in such a way that you would not be ashamed to sell your parrot to the town gossip. -- Will Rogers

[This quote made me laugh out loud -- which drew a funny look from my supervisor. Oops! He doesn't mind me blogging at work, though. My job is kinda stressful, so we all take a break now & then to play a little, laugh a little, and relax a little.]

TOPIC: What's Your Sign Baby?
In case you're wondering, my birthday is today. I don't put one ounce of faith in horoscopes, though I'm a Virgo in the cusp of Leo. BTW, Dr. D. James Kennedy offers a wonderful apologetic on the "signs" of astrology and their original meanings. You can probably find his lecture at Truths That Transform.
Anyway, I'm 41 today. I'm not so sure I like birthdays any more... but then again, they are better than the alternative -- in some ways. The time of this blog post is the exact time of my birth -- 3:06pm, August 25th.

Q'sOTD: The following quotes of the day are food for thought regarding God and wisdom...

Pray as if everything depended upon God and work as if everything depended upon man. -- Francis Cardinal Spellman, c.1946

God gives every bird its food, but He does not throw it into its nest. -- J. G. Holland

Call on God, but row away from the rocks. -- Indian Proverb

I especially like the last one. Believe in God, but don't tempt Him. Use common sense and don't step in front of that bus in hopes God will save you. He might, but He expects us to do some measure of the work/thinking for ourselves. Otherwise, we'd be mear puppets.

TOPIC: My Wife's Birthday Present (Part II)
Well, the big day came and went... Guess what I bought my lovely bride of 13 years!?! From the children; a 14k gold bar w/ a bezel-set peridot -- for her charm bracelet. From yours truly... drum roll, please... a sterling silver bracelet, AND... you guessed it -- a bagger for the lawn mower. Darn it! She really wanted the bagger. I even tried to get the kids to probe her for more ideas. She wouldn't tell me or the kids ANYTHING else -- just a bagger for the lawn mower.
The compromise deal we struck is -- she agreed to tell her friends and coworkers ONLY of the jewelry, cards, cake and balloons -- but NEVER tell them she got a bagger for her birthday.
[! HUMOR !]

TOPIC: Hamming it Up!
A new chapter has opened in my life. No, I'm not doing standup at the local comedy lounge. It's much more mundane than that. I just received my amateur radio Technician license. That's right -- I am officially a "ham".
This is a very cool (in my book) prospect for someone who wants to serve the community and enjoy a world reknown hobby -- at the same time. OK, so it's not rocket science, but being an amateur operator is not for the faint of brain or those who love anarchy. Ham offers both a service to their community (under the alspices of the FCC) AND a fraternity shared only by those who can and will study, take the test and then obey the rules (lest thee be fined THOU$AND$ by the FCC or other foreign government).
I'm not going to give my callsign here mainly cuz I don't want all the fruitloops to have my personal info. So, I'll just sign-off with 73s to you...

QOTD: Rumor travels faster, but it don't stay put as long as truth. -- Will Rogers in 'Politics Getting Ready to Jell' The Illiterate Digest c.1924

[Keep this in mind the next time your neighbor's tongue is wagging with that juciy bit of gossip. Be quick to listen and slow to speak -- that's why God designed us with TWO ears and ONE mouth. It shoulda been a hint. ;-) ]

TOPIC: My Wife's Birthday Present
Before you pass this one by, take a moment to consider this -- especially if you're a married male. My wife's birthday will be here in a few days. I have asked several times what she would like as a present. Without fail, she has told me one thing -- a bagger for your lawn mower. My reply -- I am NOT buying you a bagger for the lawn mower! :-)
Let me back up a bit -- my wife loves working outdoors. She loves moving the lawn. Since I have horrible allergies that flare to the point of allergy-induced asthma, I don't mind if she mows the lawn. My wife is a loving and giving woman -- a cherished Christian who lives as Proverbs 31 tells us a woman should live. BUT, I'm still not buying her a bagger for the lawn mower!
Not bragging, but my lovely wife tells me that her friends at work think I am a great guy. I take her out to dinner; buy her nice gifts when we can afford it; give her days at the spa for gifts and generally don't sit around on my fat arse eating chips and drinking beer every Saturday.
As such, I have a reputation to uphold! I can just hear the conversation when she returns to work after her birthday... Coworker: "Hey, happy belated birthday! Did you have a good birthday?" MyWife: "Thanks. I had a great day and received some nice presents." Coworker: "Really? What did your family get for you?" MyWife: "Well, the kids made cards for me... and they gave me a charm for my bracelet. Oh, and my husband gave me a bagger for the lawn mower." Coworker: "Reeaallly... (says to herself) That schmuck. I thought he was a nice guy and here he is giving his poor darling wife a stupid bagger for their LAWN MOWER. Men! They're all alike... (says aloud) That's nice. Gotta run."
Get the picture?!? I just can't buy her a bagger for the mower. It will ruin my reputation. So what would YOU do?
[! HUMOR !]

QOTD: The man who reads nothing at all is better educated than the man who reads nothing but newspapers. -- Thomas Jefferson, Statesman & Co-author of US founding documents

[As I continue to harp on the liberal media, it is sometimes humorous to find such quotes. As the risk of over stating the obvious, this quote, by one of our founding fathers, is included purely for your amusement.]

Speaking on the same topic from Saturday...

QOTD: Half our life is spent trying to find something to do with the time we have rushed through life trying to save. -- Will Rogers, Humorist & showman, in the New York Times, April 29, 1930

TOPIC: Why So Many "Quotables"?
I've been doing a lot of reading of quotes lately -- as is evident here on the Sope Bocks. Even though this blog's purpose is to provide an outlook on life through my eyes, I don't want to be selfish. My ego is not bruised by quoting others. My thoughts are no more important than others.
For those of you who have asked why I'm blogging quotables -- here's your answer. I'm no poet. I'm not a philosopher (well, at least not in some ways). I'm no intellectual guru. I'm just an average guy who wants to contribute to the world at large -- and share a piece of my mind with those who will take a moment to read the Sope Bocks.
Therefore, quotables are sometimes a good way to offer compelling, thought-provoking and even dissenting ideas. My goal is make you THINK for yourself. If someone else's words help in that endeavor, then quotables are exceedingly welcome on the Sope Bocks.

QOTD: The ideals which have lighted my way, and time after time have given me new courage to face life cheerfully, have been Kindness, Beauty, and Truth. The trite subjects of human efforts, possessions, outward success, luxury have always seemed to me contemptible. -- Albert Einstein

[I always wondered why Einstein was not the mega-rich, egotist of his day. Seems to me he had it right -- possessions, outward success & luxury are but trite and vain attempts to find happiness and fulfillment.]

QOTD: My religion consists of a humble admiration of the illimitable superior spirit who reveals himself in the slight details we are able to perceive with our frail and feeble mind. -- Albert Einstein

[Here is further proof of Einstein's belief in God. It is amazing to me how modern science is so afraid of religion -- especially Christianity. They work so hard to try and disprove a living God and Creator of the universe -- and all things in it. They work hard to prove their religion of evolution -- which fails its own tests over and over again. Were they only as humble as the genius of Einstein. Who knows what science could discover...]

QOTD: Before God we are all equally wise - and equally foolish.

[This is a great quote with so much truth. I betcha can't guess who said it. Nope, not him... Nah, not her either. OK, I'll give you a hint: This man is thought by many to be the most intelligent person to ever be born. Still don't know? One more hint: He was a German physicist from the early 20th century. Give up? This quote is from the lips of Albert Einstein. That's right. Even Einstein believed in God. Though he was not a Christian or member of any orthodox religious group, Albert Einstein did see and acknowledge God's hands in Creation. Pretty profound, eh?]

TOPIC: Work-a-day Worries
I don't know about you, but every day life sometimes weighs on me. I get up in the morning and head off to work. At the end of the workday, I head home. During the workday, my mind sometimes drifts from the tasks at hand... towards valiant efforts; profound accomplishments OR just spending the evening in our pool. Some days, these thoughts - especially the ones concerning what I could be doing IF I didn't have to make a living - bug me. They worry me. I don't always feel as though I'm doing enough to make the world a better place. Do YOU ever feel that way?
Well, I don't have the answer for making the work-a-day worries go away... but I am working on it. :-) Usually, I pray about doing a better job to be a better employee, a better coworker, a better husband, a better father and a better person. Over time, God has given me several tasks to handle. On the days, I put my energy, my worries and my fears in His hands, I always come out on top -- rested, at peace and a sense of accomplishment. IF you haven't tried it, take some time out today to pray to the true and living God. He WILL hear you.
For added encouragement, here's another Churchill QOTD: "We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give." Remember these words. They are SO true!

QOTD: Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm. -- Sir Winston Churchill.

[I've been on a kick with Winston Churchill's quotes over the past few days. Some are so profound they need no further comment. When you read them, mull the words and their meaning over in your mind. Let the meaning sink in to your very soul. There is wisdom in these quotes. Let them help you find meaning in your life.]

QOTD: One ought never to turn one's back on a threatened danger and try to run away from it. If you do that, you will double the danger. But if you meet it promptly and without flinching, you will reduce the danger by half. -- Sir Winston Churchill

[This Quote of the Day is particularly poignant during this time of war; election and political rhetoric. Where would the world be if the USA had turned it's back on the threatened dangers we now face?]

QOTD: Complaining is good for you as long as you're not complaining to the person you're complaining about. -- Lynn Johnston, Canadian cartoonist' from "For Better or For Worse" [11-06-03]

TOPIC: What Liberal Media?
Some of my readers have asked... What liberal media? I don't see anything decidely liberal in the media. Apparently, neither does Lesley Stahl of CBS. Here is a 2003 quote from her:
CBS’s Lesley Stahl: “Today you have broadcast journalists who are avowedly conservative....The voices that are being heard in broadcast media today, are far more – the ones who are being heard – are far more likely to be on the right and avowedly so, and therefore, more – almost stridently so, than what you’re talking about.”
Fox's Cal Thomas: “Can you name a conservative journalist at CBS News?”
Stahl: “I don’t know of anybody’s political bias at CBS News....We try very hard to get any opinion that we have out of our stories, and most of our stories are balanced.”– Exchange on Fox News Channel’s After Hours with Cal Thomas, January 18.
The voices being heard in the media today are avowedly conservative... yet Mrs. Stahl cannot name one conservative journalist at CBS. Pretty fishy logic -- as is the idea some of the Soap Bocks readers have espoused. Ya can't hide it, folks. Liberalism permiates the media every single day.

TOPIC: Katie Couric should be FIRED!
I could quote dozens of examples of why Katic Communist should run out of New York City on a rail. Here's a fine example of her ultra liberalism slant found on Best of Notable Quotables 2003 :
“Derrick Jackson, who’s a columnist for the Boston Globe, Tim, back in July when ESPN hired Rush Limbaugh, he wrote a column about some of the comments that Mr. Limbaugh has made in the past. In the 1970s, according to this column, Limbaugh told an African-American caller, ‘take that bone out of your nose and call me back.’ He goes on to say Limbaugh has always had crime and black people on the brain. He once said, ‘have you ever noticed how all composite pictures of wanted criminals resemble Jesse Jackson?’...Given the fact that Rush Limbaugh has made these kind of inflammatory comments in the past, was it appropriate for ESPN to hire him in this capacity?”– NBC’s Katie Couric to Tim Russert on the October 2 Today. Couric did not identify Jackson as a left-wing columnist or note that his source was a book published by a far-left group more than 10 years ago.
The big problem with Ms. Couric is that she doesn't know the truth even when it's in plain view. Her overt liberal slant on every story she mouths is simply unacceptable. Sometime, I'll find the transcript from her interview with a liberal after Matthew Shepard's death. She asked that person if James Dobson was to blame for Matther Shepard being killed. Absolutely absurd! NBC, fire Katie Couric. She has NO place in serious journalism!