Jimmy Johnson or Jeff Gordon I'm not but let me on an open track with a car that I can race up to 170 mph and I'LL BE THERE! One of the most exciting things I've ever done. 6 cars, 10 laps with speeds up to 170 mph. I got passed 2x. Started in 6th place and ended up in 4th so I can't complain.
Thanks IBM!
The secret of life is enjoying the passage of time
Any fool can do it
There aint nothing to it
Nobody knows how we got to
The top of the hill
But since were on our way down
We might as well enjoy the ride
The secret of love is in opening up your heart
Its okay to feel afraid
But dont let that stand in your way
cause anyone knows that love is the only road
And since were only here for a while
Might as well show some style
Give us a smile
Isnt it a lovely ride
Sliding down
Gliding down
Try not to try too hard
Its just a lovely ride
Now the thing about time is that time
Isnt really real
Its just your point of view
How does it feel for you
Einstein said he could never understand it all
Planets spinning through space
The smile upon your face
Welcome to the human race
Some kind of lovely ride
Ill be sliding down
Ill be gliding down
Try not to try too hard
Its just a lovely ride
Isnt it a lovely ride
Sliding down
Gliding down
Try not to try too hard
Its just a lovely ride
Now the secret of life is enjoying the passage of time
Just received this from a friend and found it particularly relevant.....
A Liberal's Pledge to Disheartened Conservatives
November 14th, 2006
To My Conservative Brothers and Sisters,
I know you are dismayed and disheartened at the results of last week's election. You're worried that the country is heading toward a very bad place you don't want it to go. Your 12-year Republican Revolution has ended with so much yet to do, so many promises left unfulfilled. You are in a funk, and I understand.
Well, cheer up, my friends! Do not despair. I have good news for you. I, and the millions of others who are now in charge with our Democratic Congress, have a pledge we would like to make to you, a list of promises that we offer you because we value you as our fellow Americans. You deserve to know whatwe plan to do with our newfound power -- and, to be specific, what we will do to you and for you.
Thus, here is our Liberal's Pledge to Disheartened Conservatives:
Dear Conservatives and Republicans,
I, and my fellow signatories, hereby make these promises to you:
1. We will always respect you for your conservative beliefs. We will never, ever, call you "unpatriotic" simply because you disagree with us. In fact, we encourage you to dissent and disagree with us.
2. We will let you marry whomever you want, even when some of us consider your behavior to be "different" or "immoral." Who you marry is none of our business. Love and be in love -- it's a wonderful gift.
3. We will not spend your grandchildren's money on our personal whims or to enrich our friends. It's your checkbook, too, and we will balance it foryou.
4. When we soon bring our sons and daughters home from Iraq, we will bring your sons and daughters home, too. They deserve to live. We promise never tosend your kids off to war based on either a mistake or a lie.
5. When we make America the last Western democracy to have universal health coverage, and all Americans are able to get help when they fall ill, wepromise that you, too, will be able to see a doctor, regardless of your ability to pay. And when stem cell research delivers treatments and curesfor diseases that affect you and your loved ones, we'll make sure thoseadvances are available to you and your family, too.
6. Even though you have opposed environmental regulation, when we clean upour air and water, we, the Democratic majority, will let you, too, breathe the cleaner air and drink the purer water.
7. Should a mass murderer ever kill 3,000 people on our soil, we will devote every single resource to tracking him down and bringing him to justice.Immediately. We will protect you.
8. We will never stick our nose in your bedroom or your womb. What you dothere as consenting adults is your business. We will continue to count yourage from the moment you were born, not the moment you were conceived.
9. We will not take away your hunting guns. If you need an automatic weaponor a handgun to kill a bird or a deer, then you really aren't much of ahunter and you should, perhaps, pick up another sport. We will make ourstreets and schools as free as we can from these weapons and we will protectyour children just as we would protect ours.
10. When we raise the minimum wage, we will pay you -- and your employees --that new wage, too. When women are finally paid what men make, we will pay conservative women that wage, too.
11. We will respect your religious beliefs, even when you don't put thosebeliefs into practice. In fact, we will actively seek to promote your mostradical religious beliefs ("Blessed are the poor," "Blessed are the peacemakers," "Love your enemies," "It is easier for a camel to go throughthe eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God," and"Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you didfor me."). We will let people in other countries know that God doesn't justbless America, he blesses everyone. We will discourage religious intoleranceand fanaticism -- starting with the fanaticism here at home, thus setting agood example for the rest of the world.
12. We will not tolerate politicians who are corrupt and who are bought andpaid for by the rich. We will go after any elected leader who puts him orherself ahead of the people. And we promise you we will go after the corruptpoliticians on our side FIRST. If we fail to do this, we need you to call uson it. Simply because we are in power does not give us the right to turn ourheads the other way when our party goes astray. Please perform this important duty as the loyal opposition.
I promise all of the above to you because this is your country, too. You are every bit as American as we are. We are all in this together. We sink or swim as one. Thank you for your years of service to this country and forgiving us the opportunity to see if we can make things a bit better for our 300 million fellow Americans -- and for the rest of the world.
Signed,
The New Majority
A Moment of Truth........
THE AWAKENING
-The Moment of Clarity-
by Denise M. "Sonny" Carroll ©
A time comes in your life when you finally get it. . . when, in the midst of all your fears and insanity, you stop dead in your tracks and somewhere the voice inside your head cries out - ENOUGH!
Enough of fighting and crying or struggling to hold on. And, like a child quieting down after a blind tantrum, your sobs begin to subside, you shudder once or twice, you blink back your tears and begin to look at the world through new eyes.
This is your awakening . . .
You realize it's time to stop hoping and waiting for something to change...or for
happiness, safety and security to come galloping over the next horizon.
You come to terms with the fact that you are neither Prince Charming or Cinderella
and that in the real world there aren't always fairy tale endings (or beginnings for
that matter) and that any guarantee of "happily ever after" must begin with
you...and in the process a sense of serenity is born of acceptance.
You awaken to the fact that you are not perfect and that not everyone will always love, appreciate or approve of who or what you are ... and that's OK. They are entitled to their own views and opinions. And you learn the importance of loving and
championing yourself...and in the process a sense of new found confidence is born of
self-approval.
You stop complaining and blaming other people for the things they did to you (or
didn't do for you) and you learn that the only thing you can really count on is the
unexpected.
You learn that people don't always say what they mean or mean what they say
and that not everyone will always be there for you and that it's not always about
you. So, you learn to stand on your own and to take care of yourself...and in the
process a sense of safety and security is born of self-reliance.
You stop judging and pointing fingers and you begin to accept people as they are and
to overlook their shortcomings and human frailties..and in the process a sense of
peace and contentment is born of forgiveness.
You realize that much of the way you view yourself, and the world around you, is as a
result of all the messages and opinions that have been ingrained into your psyche.
And you begin to sift through all the junk you've picked up from the garbage
dump of others about how you should behave, how you should look, how much you
should weigh, what you should wear, what you should do for a living, how much money
you should make, what you should drive, how and where you should live, who you
should marry, the importance of having and raising children, and what you owe your
parents, family, and friends.
You learn to open up to new worlds and different points of view. And you begin
reassessing and redefining who you are and what you really stand for.
You learn the difference between wanting and needing and you begin to discard the
doctrines and values you've outgrown ... and in the process you learn to go with
your instincts.
You learn that it is truly in giving that we receive. And that there is power and glory in creating and contributing and you stop maneuvering through life merely as a
"consumer" looking for your next fix.
You learn that principles such as honesty and integrity are not the outdated ideals of a bygone era but the mortar that holds together the foundation upon which you must
build a life.
You learn that you don't know everything, it's not your job to save the world
and that you can't teach a pig to sing.
You learn to distinguish between guilt and responsibility and the importance of setting boundaries and learning to say NO.
You learn that the only cross to bear is the one you choose to carry and that martyrs
get burned at the stake.
Then you learn about LOVE. How to love, how much to give in love, when to stop giving
and when to walk away.
You learn to look at relationships as they really are and not as you would have them
be.
You stop trying to control people, situations and outcomes. And you learn that alone
does not mean lonely.
You also stop working so hard at putting your feelings aside, smoothing things over
and ignoring your needs. You learn that feelings of entitlement are perfectly OK....and that it is your right to want things and to ask for the things you want ... and that sometimes it is necessary to make demands.
You come to the realization that you deserve to be treated with love, kindness,
sensitivity and respect and you won't settle for less. And you learn that your
body really is your temple. And you begin to care for it and treat it with respect. You begin to eat a balanced diet, drink more water, and take more time to exercise.
You learn that being tired fuels doubt, fear, and uncertainty and so you take more time to rest. And, just as food fuels the body, laughter fuels our soul. So you take more time to laugh and to play.
You learn that, for the most part, you get in life what you believe you deserve...and that much of life truly is a self-fulfilling prophecy.
You learn that anything worth achieving is worth working for and that wishing for
something to happen is different than working toward making it happen. More
importantly, you learn that in order to achieve success you need direction, discipline and perseverance.
You also learn that no one can do it all alone....and that it's OK to risk asking for
help.
You learn the only thing you must truly fear is the greatest robber baron of all: FEAR itself. You learn to step right into and through your fears because you know that whatever happens you can handle it and to give in to fear is to give away the right to live life on your own terms. And you learn to fight for your life and not to squander it living under a cloud of impending doom.
You learn that life isn't always fair, you don't always get what you think you
deserve and that sometimes bad things happen to unsuspecting, good people. On
these occasions you learn not to personalize things.
You learn that God isn't punishing you or failing to answer your prayers. It's
just life happening.
And you learn to deal with evil in its most primal state - the EGO.
You learn that negative feelings such as anger, envy and resentment must be
understood and redirected or they will suffocate the life out of you and poison the
universe that surrounds you.
You learn to admit when you are wrong and to build bridges instead of walls.
You learn to be thankful and to take comfort in many of the simple things we take for
granted, things that millions of people upon the earth can only dream about: a full
refrigerator, clean running water, a soft warm bed, a long hot shower.
Slowly, you begin to take responsibility for yourself by yourself. You make yourself a promise to never betray yourself and to never, ever settle for less than your
heart's desire. And you hang a wind chime outside your window so you can
listen to the wind. And you make it a point to keep smiling, to keep trusting, and to
stay open to every wonderful possibility.
Finally, with courage in your heart and God by your side you take a stand, you take a
deep breath, and you begin to design the life you want to live as best you can.
