Boys and Shaving

What fascinates boys and their obsession with shaving? I mean, dont they have enough stuff to do without worrying about shaving? Well, it seems ONE man (or little man) decided he wanted to see what it was like to shave................his legs!!

Adam, my 7 year old son, got ahold of one of his sister's razors...and tried shaving his legs. Granted, its comical now, but at the time, when he "cut himself shaving" it wasnt so funny.

So what is the obsession?

Guys? Can you tell me!? Why your legs?

*sighs*

Three words... I LOVE YOU

We only get one chance in this world, so why is it that we find some things so hard to express to the ones that we truly feel those emotions for?

My theory is that we are scared; not of what might be said in return, but what those 3 little words in particular mean. They are not to be taken lightly and carry a lot of weight, they can be good to know, but hard to hear; they can be said and not returned; but ultimately, when they are said and are returned, is when the scariest of all things occurs, a true relationship. I know you are all thinking "hey I'm in one, been there, done that, got the t-shirt" but are you really?

Have you woken up each day, gone to bed each night, thinking only of that one person, would you lay down your life, give your last dime, and share your darkest secrets and most embarrassing moments with them?

It's so hard in life to find that "one" but when you do, be sure you hang on tight and cherish the time you have.

Don't use them loosely, they mean TOO MUCH!

Da Band....

...singing "A New Hallelujah"....enjoy!

Six

This is my precious daughter and she had a birthday this week.

I cannot tell you what this child has done for my life. She has enriched it in so many ways. She brings countless joy into every life she touches.

She is both girly and tomboy-ish. She has wit and charm and everything you can imagine in someone of her size. Shes not afraid to bully her brothers if they get in her face, or use that little pinky that has her daddy wrapped around it to get what she wants. Ok...she does it to mom too....I am not immune to her "wiles"...

Looking at your face, I see expressions that touch the deepest recesses of my heart and my soul.

Happy birthday my beautiful daughter.

The Concert

My darling daughter took this video at my December concert. Granted it isn't the best, but...its what I have.

So those of you that have been nagging, yes NAGGING, to see it, here you go.

For those of you that didn't care....move along...nothing to see here!!

Only Hope....

There's a song that's inside of my soul....

...you're my only hope.

Those were the days....

1773 - The first public museum was organized -- in Charleston, South Carolina.

1928 - Vladimir Horowitz debuted as a soloist with the New York Philharmonic at Carnegie Hall in New York City. It was the very same night that Sir Thomas Beecham gave his first public performance in the United States.

1932 - Ed Sullivan joined CBS radio in a program of gossip and interviews.

1939 - The Ink Spots gained national attention after five years together as they recorded, If I Didn’t Care, Decca record number 2286. Many other standards by the group soon followed.

1943 - Oh my gosh! It’s frankfurter day! The Office of Price Administration announced that the standard frankfurter/hot dog/wiener would be replaced by ‘Victory Sausage’; made of meat and soybean meal. Yum! Yum!

1949 - Arthur Godfrey and His Friends was first seen on CBS-TV this day. The program stayed on the network for seven years.

1949 - The Chicago-based children’s show, Kukla, Fran and Ollie, made its national debut on NBC-TV. Fran Allison was hostess. The show was phenomenally successful.

1955 - The beginning of Rod Serling’s stellar career began with the TV production of Patterns, an original, hour-long drama. Within two weeks, the then struggling author had 23 other TV assignments.

1960 - Dolph Schayes of the Syracuse Nationals became the first pro basketball player in the NBA to score more than 15,000 points in his career.

1963 - Songwriter Bob Dylan sang Blowin’ in the Wind on the BBC radio presentation of The Madhouse on Castle Street. The song soon became one of the classics of the 1960s protest movement.

1965 - The NBC-TV pop-music show Hullabaloo made its debut. A competitor of ABC’s successful Shindig show, Hullabaloo tried to attract a wider audience by featuring both rock music and Las Vegas-type acts. Guests on the first show included the New Christy Minstrels, Gerry and the Pacemakers, the Zombies and Woody Allen. Hullabaloo lasted on the air through Aug 29, 1966.

1966 - Batman debuted -- on ABC-TV. Adam West starred as Batman and Burt Ward was the Bat-Boy, Robin. Pow! Zork! Crunch! Holy hot cakes, Batman!

1967 - “This is the city...” One of broadcasting’s greatest hits, Dragnet, returned to NBC-TV after being off the network schedule for eight years. Harry Morgan was Jack Webb’s sidekick in the renewed series. “Just the facts, ma’am.”

1969 - Super Bowl III (at Miami): NY Jets 16, Baltimore Colts 7. Joe Namath and his Cinderella Jets snuck up on the heavily-favored Colts. MVP: Jets’ QB Namath. Tickets: $12.00.

1971 - All In the Family debuted on CBS-TV. Carroll O’Connor starred as Archie Bunker, Rob Reiner as Meathead, Sally Struthers as Gloria and Jean Stapleton as Edith, ‘The Dingbat’. “Stifle yourself!” Originally, ABC had plans to broadcast the series under the title, Those Were the Days.

1975 - Super Bowl IX (at New Orleans): Pittsburgh Steelers 16, Minnesota Vikings 6. The Steelers draft picks (spring, 1974) were Lynn Swann, Jack Lambert, John Stallworth and free agent Donnie Shell. Between them, 28 Pro Bowl appearances, 20 Super Bowl rings, and probably five Pro Football Hall of Fame selections. MVP: Steelers’ RB Franco Harris. Tickets: $20.00.

1985 - After a record 24 weeks as the #1 album in the nation, Prince slipped to the #2 spot with Purple Rain. Replacing Prince at the top spot: ‘The Boss’ Bruce Springsteen’s Born In the USA, which had spent 24 weeks waiting for Purple Rain to fall.

1987 - Europe was snowed-in with a pounding of white stuff and frigid temperatures as a ‘Siberian Express’ spread across the continent.

1991 - Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation 1814 became the first album to generate seven top-five singles on the Billboard Hot 100 (four went to number one). Love Will Never Do (Without You) reached #4 this day and it hit #1 the following week.

1996 - These films debuted in U.S. theatres: Lawnmower Man 2: Beyond Cyberspace (“God made him simple. Science made him a god. Now, he wants revenge.”), with Patrick Bergin and Matt Frewer; and Two If By Sea (“A new comedy about love, laughter, and larceny.”), starring Sandra Bullock and Denis Leary.

1999 - Mark McGwire’s 70th home run ball was sold at auction in New York for $3 million to an anonymous bidder. It was the most money ever paid for a sports artifact. McGwire's ball was retrieved Sep 27, 1998 by 26-year-old research scientist Philip Ozersky, who had been attending the game with a group of office friends from Washington University in St. Louis when the ball came flying at him.

2001 - Movies premiering in the U.S.: Antitrust, with Ryan Phillippe and Rachael Leigh Cook; Before Night Falls, starring Javier Bardem, Olivier Martinez, Andrea Di Stefano and Johnny Depp; Double Take, with Eddie Griffin and Orlando Jones; Finding Forrester, starring Sean Connery, Rob Brown, F. Murray Abraham and Anna Paquin; O Brother, Where Art Thou?, featuring George Clooney, John Turturro, Tim Blake Nelson, Charles Durning and John Goodman; and Thirteen Days, starring Kevin Costner, Bruce Greenwood and Steven Culp.

....and what did you do today?

Do I need to say more...?

Godspeed...

For those currently serving our country...

For those leaving to serve and protect...

For all of you who have served...

Mom....

...after almost 15 years..I miss you so much....




This...is for you...

It's another new year....

...but for what reason?

"Happy New Year!" That greeting will be said and heard for at least the first couple of weeks as a new year gets under way. But the day celebrated as New Year's Day in modern America was not always January 1.

ANCIENT NEW YEARS
The celebration of the new year is the oldest of all holidays. It was first observed in ancient Babylon about 4000 years ago. In the years around 2000 BC, the Babylonian New Year began with the first New Moon (actually the first visible cresent) after the Vernal Equinox (first day of spring).

The beginning of spring is a logical time to start a new year. After all, it is the season of rebirth, of planting new crops, and of blossoming. January 1, on the other hand, has no astronomical nor agricultural significance. It is purely arbitrary.

The Babylonian new year celebration lasted for eleven days. Each day had its own particular mode of celebration, but it is safe to say that modern New Year's Eve festivities pale in comparison.

The Romans continued to observe the new year in late March, but their calendar was continually tampered with by various emperors so that the calendar soon became out of synchronization with the sun.

In order to set the calendar right, the Roman senate, in 153 BC, declared January 1 to be the beginning of the new year. But tampering continued until Julius Caesar, in 46 BC, established what has come to be known as the Julian Calendar. It again established January 1 as the new year. But in order to synchronize the calendar with the sun, Caesar had to let the previous year drag on for 445 days.

THE CHURCH'S VIEW OF NEW YEAR CELEBRATIONS
Although in the first centuries AD the Romans continued celebrating the new year, the early Catholic Church condemned the festivities as paganism. But as Christianity became more widespread, the early church began having its own religious observances concurrently with many of the pagan celebrations, and New Year's Day was no different. New Years is still observed as the Feast of Christ's Circumcision by some denominations.

During the Middle Ages, the Church remained opposed to celebrating New Years. January 1 has been celebrated as a holiday by Western nations for only about the past 400 years.

NEW YEAR TRADITIONS
Other traditions of the season include the making of New Year's resolutions. That tradition also dates back to the early Babylonians. Popular modern resolutions might include the promise to lose weight or quit smoking. The early Babylonian's most popular resolution was to return borrowed farm equipment.

The Tournament of Roses Parade dates back to 1886. In that year, members of the Valley Hunt Club decorated their carriages with flowers. It celebrated the ripening of the orange crop in California.

Although the Rose Bowl football game was first played as a part of the Tournament of Roses in 1902, it was replaced by Roman chariot races the following year. In 1916, the football game returned as the sports centerpiece of the festival.

The tradition of using a baby to signify the new year was begun in Greece around 600 BC. It was their tradition at that time to celebrate their god of wine, Dionysus, by parading a baby in a basket, representing the annual rebirth of that god as the spirit of fertility. Early Egyptians also used a baby as a symbol of rebirth.

Although the early Christians denounced the practice as pagan, the popularity of the baby as a symbol of rebirth forced the Church to reevaluate its position. The Church finally allowed its members to celebrate the new year with a baby, which was to symbolize the birth of the baby Jesus.

The use of an image of a baby with a New Years banner as a symbolic representation of the new year was brought to early America by the Germans. They had used the effigy since the fourteenth century.

FOR LUCK IN THE NEW YEAR
Traditionally, it was thought that one could affect the luck they would have throughout the coming year by what they did or ate on the first day of the year. For that reason, it has become common for folks to celebrate the first few minutes of a brand new year in the company of family and friends. Parties often last into the middle of the night after the ringing in of a new year. It was once believed that the first visitor on New Year's Day would bring either good luck or bad luck the rest of the year. It was particularly lucky if that visitor happened to be a tall dark-haired man.

Traditional New Year foods are also thought to bring luck. Many cultures believe that anything in the shape of a ring is good luck, because it symbolizes "coming full circle," completing a year's cycle. For that reason, the Dutch believe that eating donuts on New Year's Day will bring good fortune.

Many parts of the U.S. celebrate the new year by consuming black-eyed peas. These legumes are typically accompanied by either hog jowls or ham. Black-eyed peas and other legumes have been considered good luck in many cultures. The hog, and thus its meat, is considered lucky because it symbolizes prosperity. Cabbage is another "good luck" vegetable that is consumed on New Year's Day by many. Cabbage leaves are also considered a sign of prosperity, being representative of paper currency. In some regions, rice is a lucky food that is eaten on New Year's Day.

AULD LANG SYNE
The song, "Auld Lang Syne," is sung at the stroke of midnight in almost every English-speaking country in the world to bring in the new year. At least partially written by Robert Burns in the 1700's, it was first published in 1796 after Burns' death. Early variations of the song were sung prior to 1700 and inspired Burns to produce the modern rendition. An old Scotch tune, "Auld Lang Syne" literally means "old long ago," or simply, "the good old days."

So however you celebrate, whatever your traditions are, whatever songs you sing, make your new year one to remember. Live like today is your last. Love like you have never loved before. And dance, like its your last. And tell the person you love, just what they mean to you....I just did!

I have dreamed......

...of you.

'Nuf Said....

Why the 4th?

Most people in the United States celebrate the 4th of July, but do you know exactly why the holiday is so important to our country? Imagine how you would feel if someone older than you (maybe an older sister or brother) kept telling you what to do all of the time and kept taking more and more of your allowance. That is how the colonists felt in the years leading up to 1776. Great Britain kept trying to make the colonists follow more rules and pay higher taxes. People started getting mad and began making plans to be able to make their own rules. They no longer wanted Great Britain to be able to tell them what to do, so they decided to tell Great Britain that they were becoming an independent country. (To be independent means to take care of yourself, making your own rules and providing for your own needs.)

The Congress met in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and they appointed a committee (a group of people working together to do a specific job) to write a formal document that would tell Great Britain that the Americans had decided to govern themselves. The committee asked Thomas Jefferson to write a draft (first try) of the document, so he worked for days, in absolute secret, until he had written a document that he thought said everything important that the committee had discussed. On June 28, 1776, the committee met to read Jefferson's "fair" copy (he put his best ideas together and wrote them neatly.) They revised (made some changes) the document and declared their independence on July 2, 1776. They officially adopted it (made it theirs) on July 4, 1776. That is why we call it "Independence Day." Congress ordered that all members must sign the Declaration of Independence and they all began signing the "official" copy on August 2, 1776. In January of the next year, Congress sent signed copies to all of the states.

The Declaration of Independence is more than just a piece of paper. It is a symbol of our country's independence and commitment to certain ideas. A symbol is something that stands for something else. Most people can look at a certain little "swoosh" and know that it stands for "Nike." Well, the signers of the Declaration of Independence wanted the citizens of the United States to have a document that spelled out what was important to our leaders and citizens. They wanted us to be able to look at the Declaration of Independence and immediately think of the goals we should always be working for, and about the people who have fought so hard to make these ideas possible. The people who signed the Declaration risked being hanged for treason by the leaders in Great Britain. They had to be very brave to sign something that would be considered a crime! So every time we look at the Declaration of Independence, we should think about all of the effort and ideas that went into the document, and about the courage it took for these people to stand up for what they knew was right -- independence!

Soulmates - - Do they exist?

One day a telegram arrived at a man's door. When he opened it, he learned that his best friend had passed away... I recently heard this most inspiring story.

The story was about a boy and a girl who grew up together as best friends. As they grew into adulthood, they became preoccupied with their personal lives. Although, they knew that they lived just down the street from each other, they were too busy to seek out one another.

Every week they wanted to visit each other but thought to themselves, "Oh well, I am too busy today. We live close enough to each other to visit anytime. I will try tomorrow." It was not long before tomorrow turned into next week and then next month. Eventually a year had passed by.

Soon the distance between their homes began to appear more distant. The longer they waited to look for each other, the further the distance between their homes grew. This was followed by more excuses that did nothing but increase the gap between the two friends.

One day the male received a telegram informing him that his best friend passed away. As if he had gone into a shock, he asked himself, "What happened?"

He thought to himself, "If I knew I was going lose her without seeing her again, I would have taken the time to look for her. I wished I taken the time to tell her how much I loved her. Now she's gone, and I am now all alone."

Regardless what this individual thought or felt, his best friend had left the earth for good.

Do soul mates exist? And, are soul mates preordained?

There is a biblical verse that goes something like this. "Before I formed thee I knew thee and ordain thee to be..." What the verse tells us is that before you were born, your creator knew you. He knew your need for a mate and ordained you and another person to be soul mates.

The problem is too many people do not invest themselves 100% in recognizing their soul mate. They hold out, settling for unhealthy relationships until it is far too late.

Before a mother brings a child into this world the mother will know the child's need. She will ready a room with all the things the soon to be newborn will need. Likewise the supreme power that put you here on earth knew you would need a soul mate. One has been prepared just for you.

You can say "I will find my soul mate tomorrow. I am too busy today."

But, if you do, take time to remember the story at the beginning of this article. It was procrastination that prevented the two friends from finding each other until death separated them forever. Your soul mate is not going to be waiting for you forever!

I know how it feels to be in relationship other than that of soul mates. You have probably been hurt or disappointed so often, you don't trust anymore. I know all about the pain associated with break-ups. All of the pain, frustration and loneliness you may feel can be avoided if only you will not turn to excuses and justifications, but instead make the effort to look for your soul mate.

Yes, soul mates do exist. Adam and Eve were the first soul mates recorded in human history. When Adam was created, his creator said, it is not good for man to be alone. Thus a helpmate was created for Adam.

What is a helpmate, and why would a person need a helpmate if the person were able to make it alone?

This leads me to believe that in order for a man or woman to feel complete, they will need each other as helpmates. Adam and Eve were created for each other. I am using the word 'for' to show that soul mates belong to each other and nobody else.

For instance, when Eve ate the forbidden fruit that could have separated them, they sought out each other and did what ever it took so they could be together. An effort to remain together is clearly demonstrated between the two.

Are you too busy to find your soul mate? Do you allow fear of effort or failure to discourage you? I do understand how you feel. I have clients who feel the same as you do. I have also gone through the same experiences you have.

Here is what I tell people. When treasure hunters hear of buried treasures, they don't make excuses. They don't let fear of the possibility of being bitten by a poisonous snake or their ship sinking prevent them from going after the treasure. They find the exact map that will lead them to the treasure site. When they get there, they dive or dig for the treasure. When they find the treasure, they do their part to ensure that any piece of gold bar they find is real gold.

It will be nice if our soul mates can fall on our laps without any effort on our part. Unfortunately, life does not work like that does it?

How does it feel to go from one lousy relationship to the other, because you don't want to invest the time or effort to find your own soul mate?

I know how it feels to think you are madly in love. Then, a year or two later you find that it was all a big mistake.

So where do you turn for help. Where do you get that map to help you find your soul mate? When you do meet the person, how can you be certain it is the right person?

First, forgive and forget about the past and start fresh from today.

Human beings are created with the need to be with the opposite sex. Not just any opposite sex, but a specific man or woman whom they will feel complete with. Soul mates are pre-ordained.

Meeting a man or woman is relatively easy. Recognizing the person who is intended to be your soul mate is another thing.

Soul mate relationships have incredible soothing powers; they are heart warming and possess healing qualities.

The process of recognizing your mate is very real. You may be the only person keeping you from finding your special someone. Live today as if it is your last day. You will never know how successful you will be unless you try. My hope is that you don't allow procrastination, ego, pride, excuses and fear to prevent you from finding a rewarding relationship with your preordained soulmate.

Can you feel it?

Do I need to say more?

*sigh* That first kiss....

Your lips touch for the first time: The earth moves. The angels sing...or, at least, that's what you hope will happen, right? The reality is, anticipating that first smooch can be one of the most exciting and nerve-wracking moments in your dating life. So much hangs in the balance: Will your date like how you kiss? Will there be chemistry? Does this person even want to lock lips with you in the first place? And don't worry, there are plenty of ways to pull it off with ease, while letting your date know there's plenty more where that came from.

The most common question I get about first kisses is this: When should I do the deed? An understandable concern. No one wants to make the move too soon and get the dreaded cheek turn, and yet, wait too long and it sends the vibe you're not interested or that you lack confidence. So when should you dive in? Most women I've spoken to say it should happen on the first or second date...provided you don't wait until that very end when you're standing in their doorway. That's too predictable, awkward and likely to be framed by those "Umm, I had a really good time" comments. Instead, go for something sexier and more spontaneous. "A first kiss has to have something that's dynamic to it. Surprise me, catch me off guard. That's passion." And creativity, which earns bonus points, too. Women have told me about incredible kisses happening on the way into a restaurant (getting it out of the way early), across a dinner table, in a movie theater (during the opening credits), and just walking down the street, when the guy 'noticed' that there was a romantic full moon overhead.

Some people think that it's a guy's responsibility to initiate a first kiss. But what I've heard over and over again from men is this: They love, love, love it when a woman makes the first move. Guys love knowing that they're wanted, so I say, go ahead, girls, give him a break and go for it. One woman I interviewed did this with fabulous results. "After our third date, we stayed up talking until 4 am, and still no kiss!," she says. "So at the very beginning of our fourth date, I walked into his apartment, and instead of saying, `Hello,' I kissed him and we wound up making out for hours. Sometimes I wonder if I hadn't given him that first kiss if we'd even be together today. He assures me that he would have gotten around to it, but I am glad that I took charge. It gave me kind of a rush."

Sure, you want your first kiss to be passionate...but that doesn't mean rough or messy. As one woman put it, "The worst first kiss is an aggressive, overly wet kiss. If a guy plunges his tongue in my mouth and spreads saliva all around my mouth, I tell him that I have to be at work early in the morning to cut things short." Super-deep kissing communicates that you're overeager, which can convince someone to put on the breaks. Give the recipient some air, that way, they'll be raring for more. 'The one time I kissed a guy for the first time I made sure to pull away after a few seconds,' recalls one woman. "It was great, since it gave me a second to look into his eyes and silently ask, `Is this okay? You liking this?' before we dove back in. If we hadn't hit pause, I would never have known whether he was just kissing me to not be rude."

While a standard first kiss can be great, the men and women I've spoken with always remember - longingly - the ones that had an extra maneuver that heightened the romance factor. Usually, these are little moves that ramp up the kiss's sensuality. For instance, a friend of mine, recalls a great first kiss in which her guy "put his index finger gently on my chin to guide my mouth toward his - it was so sexy." And another friend, shares this moment: "My boyfriend first kissed me softly on my neck, worked his way up to my ear, and finally found my mouth - that pretty much blew me away." Guys also love this kind of thing: "One of my best-ever first kisses was when my date gently raked her nails through my hair; that get my nerve endings revved in an unexpected way." So feel free to add a little fillip like these.

So...that first kiss can be incredibly amazing. Just have to give it a shot. So....what are YOU waiting for?

This too shall pass....revisited...

My mom had a saying "this too shall pass" and everytime I heard it, I wondered where she got it from...now I know. The story is as follows:

King Solomon, the wisest man in the world, had a servant that was his favorite. Why? Because anything he asked him to do he did perfectly. But the other servants in the palace got very jealous. The wise king knew that the jealousy was very bad and he had to do something about it. So the king decided that he would give this servant a job that is impossible to do. The king thought that the servant will not succeed, he will put him down in front of all the other servants, it will make everybody equal and there will be no jealousy in the palace. So the king called the servant, one month before "Pesach holiday" and he made up a story. He told the servant that he heard about a special ring that when you wear it when you are sad you become happy and when you wear it when you are happy you become sad. The king said: "I want it. Can you get it?"

"Did I ever disappoint you? " said the servant; "of course I can get it"!

"Very well" said the king, "bring it to me in 'Pesach' evening."

"'Pesach'?" asked the servant " it is one month away, I can get it to you in couple days." "No, no" said the king, "bring it to me as a present from you, for 'Pesach' and give it to me at the "Seder" dinner."

"Yes, my king" said the servant. The servant took a group of people, divided them to four different groups and sent one to the North, one to the South, one to the East, and one to the West, telling them "go on the way, stop anyone you meet, and ask him about the ring. If he knows something or heard something or knows somebody who heard or knows something, come back to me, with the information. so we can take directions and get the ring for the king" After two-three days the first mission came back but "Nada" (of course, the king made up the story and there was no such ring). The second mission came back and again "Nothing", third mission, fourth mission and three weeks had passed and the servant got "zippo". He got so nervous. the "Seder" is one week away, and he must find the ring. He started searching for the ring on his own and started walking from place to place, from town to town, from village to village, door to door, house to house, didn't sleep, didn't eat, asked everyone he met and, nothing ("nada"). The night before the "Seder" he came back to Jerusalem but he was ashamed to come to the palace, everybody was talking about him and he was walking around the streets like "meshugi" (crazy). Eventually he found himself in the poorest neighborhood of the city and there in a small alley he saw a petit, tiny little shop with an old man inside, a jeweler. So he was thinking to himself "if I can't get the ring maybe this old man can make it. I have nothing to lose, I will give it a try." He went into the shop and said to the old man: "the king wants a ring that when you are wearing it when you are sad you become happy but when you are wearing it when you are happy you become sad."

"Can you make such a ring?" The old man thought for a second then he said: "sure it's a piece of cake" He took one of the rings he had on the table and engraved on it something in Hebrew. The servant was only a slave and he didn't know how to read, but he had nothing to lose so he took the ring. "Pesach" dinner. Everybody knows about the story and they want to see what will happen. Everybody is happy they are smiling, singing, telling jokes. The king at the head of the table with a big smile on his face. Except the servant, he is in the corner shaking praying, maybe the king forgot. But the king didn't forget he was waiting especially for that moment. Then the king pointed at him showing him to come over with his finger. Silence. Everybody got closer to listen and see what happens. The servant was terrified, he came to the king shaking his eyes on the ground, the king smiled and said: "did you get the ring?" The servant was so afraid he was whispering with a broken voice: "I hope so my king…"

"I can't hear you!" said the king.

"I hope so," said the servant louder.

"Hand it over," said the king. He gave him the ring with a shaking hand. The king took it with a big smile, he put the ring on read what was written on it. Then the face of the king turned over and he become sad. When the servant saw that the king was sad he realized that he got the right ring, and smiled. And on the ring there was a simple sentence in Hebrew "Gam Ze Ya-avor". Which means: "this too shall pass".

No shit, Sherlock!

He was a doctor without any patients. That’s how Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, born May 22nd in 1859 at Edinburgh Scotland, began to write. You see, while he was waiting for patients, of which there were hardly any, he was so bored that he started writing short stories. The stories earned him some, but not much money; then Dr. Doyle wrote his first novel centering around the character who became the world’s best-known detective, Sherlock Holmes.

It was 1887 and the novel was titled, A Study in Scarlet. Arthur Conan Doyle (he wasn’t a Sir, yet) was on his way to success. In fact, he eventually became one of the highest-paid short-story writers of the times.

Doyle’s tales of Sherlock Holmes solving crimes with his amazing ability to use reason and observation have delighted millions of readers for over one hundred years. Holmes appeared in 56 short stories and three more novels, The Sign of Four, The Hound of the Baskervilles and The Valley of Fear.

Critic Christopher Morley once said, “Perhaps no fiction character ever created has become so charmingly real to his readers (as Sherlock Holmes).”

Put that in your meerschaum and smoke it!

Indecisive? Waffling? Chameleon?

Are you indecisive? Do you waffle? Can you change your mind in any given situation, like a chameleon changes its colors? Or do you over think things? Analyze each situation you're in or relationship you may be about to embark on? You aren't alone.

Managing people means making decisions. Before one decides on a course of action, they must weigh the consequences of the direction they may take. To over think the possible outcome leading to so-called "analysis-paralysis"; on the other hand, split-second thinking is the affectionately called "gut decision."

A decision does not have to lead to immediate action. Often times the best decision is to just have a plan. A plan is a set of decisions mapped out in time well beyond the present. The distance that this plan covers forward in time is the difference between immediate (tactics) and long-term (strategic) thinking. A good leader has the skill to develop both types with their team.

Indecision is inaction, which can appear like thought, but often that is not the case. Indecision means the inability to reach a conclusion when many people are counting on you to validate their trust in your leadership. It is ok as a leader to hide your own process of internal analysis from your team as that is what defines you as "thoughtful" versus the much worse case of being "thoughtless."

To fluctuate between different decisions in a public situation is to be avoided at all costs. Thus is the phenomenon of "waffling" with all its negative connotations (so sad for waffles because as a food I love them so). People like/desire decisions -- even if they are imperfect -- which they often are. A good leader makes more good decisions than bad ones. For the really really bad decisions she might make, sometimes she tries to fix those that are fixable. But she is ready to accept the fate of a bad decision, and still move forward. Because her people depend on her to do so. She is never indecisive. She just decides.

I now decide to get back to work.