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Vol. 27, No. 6 • June, 2009

Now you can find this newsletter on the web, at Freeman-Spicer.com

Lists of Life’s Lessons . . . . . . . . . . This list of Life’s Lessons has been going around the Internet - and falsely attributed to all sorts of people. In reality, the list belongs and was originally written by Regina Brett, who is a long-time columnist for Ohio newspapers (including the Akron Beacon Journal and the Cleveland Plain Dealer) who was a Pulitzer Prize finalist in 2009 for “her range of compelling columns that move the heart . . . .” Here is her published list of, “45 Lessons Life Taught Me.”

1.         Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.

2.         When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3.         Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

4.         Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick, your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.

5.         Pay off your credit cards every month.

6.         You don’t have to win every argument; agree to disagree.

7.         Cry with someone. It’s more healing than crying alone.

8.         It’s OK to get angry.

9.         Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.

10.       When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11.       Make peace with your past so it won’t screw up the present.

12.       It’s OK to let your children see you cry.

13.       Don’t compare your life to others; you have no idea what their journey is all about.

14.       If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn’t be in it.

15.       Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don’t worry, God never blinks.

16.       Take a deep breath; it calms the mind.

17.       Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.

18.       Whatever doesn’t kill you really does make you stronger.

19.       It’s never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.

20.       When it comes to going after what you love in life, don’t take no for an answer.

21.       Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie, don’t save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22.       Over prepare, then go with the flow.

23.       Be eccentric now. Don’t wait for old age to wear purple.

24.       The most important sex organ is the brain.

25.       No one is in charge of your happiness but you.

26.       Frame every so-called disaster with these words: “In five years, will this matter”?

27.       Always choose life.

28.       Forgive everyone everything.

29.       What other people think of you is none of your business.

30.       Time heals almost everything. Give time some time.

31.       However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32.       Don’t take yourself so seriously; no one else does.

33.       Believe in miracles.

34.       God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn’t do.

35.       Don’t audit life, show up and make the most of it now.

36.       Growing old beats the alternative - dying young.

37.       Your children get only one childhood.

38.       All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

39.       Get outside every day; miracles are waiting everywhere.

40.       If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else’s, we’d grab ours back.

41.       Envy is a waste of time, you already have all you need.

42.       The best is yet to come.

43.       No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

44.       Yield.

45.       Life isn’t tied with a bow, but it’s still a gift. (Snopes.com)

Now For A Less Serious List To Read . . . . . . . . . . George Carlin’s Views on Age!

•          Do you realize that the only time in our lives when we like to get old is when we’re kids? If you’re less than 10 years old, you’re so excited about aging that you think in fractions. “How old are you?” “I’m four and a half!” You’re never thirty-six and a half. You’re four and a half, going on five! That’s the key.

•          You get into your teens, now they can’t hold you back. You jump to the next number, or even a few ahead. “How old are you?” “I’m gonna be 16!” You could be 13, but hey, you’re gonna be 16! And then the greatest day of your life . . .You become 21. Even the words sound like a ceremony. You Become 21, Yesssss!!!

•          But then you turn 30. Oooohh, what happened there? Makes you sound like bad milk! He TURNED; we had to throw him out. There’s no fun now, you’re just a sour-dumpling. What’s wrong? What’s changed?

•          You become 21, you turned 30, then you’re pushing 40. Whoe! Put on the brakes, it’s all slipping away. Before you know it, you reach 50 and your dreams are gone.

•          But wait!!! You make it to 60. You didn’t think you would!

•          So you become 21, then 30, push 40, reach 50 and make it to 60.

•          You’ve built up so much speed that you hit 70! After that it’s a day-by-day thing; you hit Wednesday!

•          You get into your 80's and every day is a complete cycle; you hit lunch; you turn 4:30; you reach bedtime. And it doesn’t end there. Into the 90s, you start going backwards; “I was just 92.”

•          Then a strange thing happens. If you make it over 100, you become a little kid again. “I’m 100 and a half!” May you all make it to a healthy 100 and a half!!

Remember: Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, BUT by the moments that take our breath away. (George Carlin)

“You know you’re getting old when you stoop to tie your shoes and wonder what else you can do while you’re down there.” (George Burns)

Historical Trivia . . . . . . . . In George Washington’s days, there were no cameras. One’s image was either sculpted or painted. Some paintings of George Washington showed him standing behind a desk with one arm behind his back while others showed both legs and both arms. Prices charged by painters were not based on how many people were to be painted, but by how many limbs were to be painted. Arms and legs are “limbs,” therefore painting them would cost the buyer more. Hence the expression, “Okay, but it’ll cost you an arm and a leg.” (Artists know hands and arms are more difficult to paint.) (Lafree)

Secure Laptop Data Remotely . . . . . . . . Your anti-spyware and other security programs protect you from Internet thieves. But they’re not effective against old-fashioned, low-tech thieves. If your laptop or handheld is stolen, will your files remain safe? A stolen computer may offer access to files, including banking, medical and contact information. However, you can change that ending with a few precautions. There are ways to protect your personal information from thieves, even after your computer is stolen. Nowadays, you can destroy that data remotely. A service capable of this is zTRace’s zControl ($40). Say your laptop is stolen. Simply call, e-mail or fax zTrace. Then your laptop will be marked as stolen. The next time the thieves take the laptop online, your files will be deleted. Ztrace also has the ability to lock the laptop’s keyboard and mouse. And it can display a pre-written message to the thief. Computrace also makes LoJack for Laptops. The LoJack for Laptops software contacts a monitoring center whenever the laptop connects to the Internet. The company can then determine the laptop’s location. If the laptop is reported stolen, the company sends the location and documentation to support a search warrant to law enforcement. LoJack for Laptops is subscription-based and starts at $50 per year. Secure your handheld. Handhelds sometimes carry as much personal and financial information as laptops. And they’re easier to lose to thieves. Fortunately, there also are options for handhelds. For example, PDA Kill ($10) for Pocket PC allows you to establish a special word or phrase. If the handheld is stolen, send it a text message from another machine. Include your special word or phrase. The handheld receives the message, reverts to factory settings and wipes out your data. Any installed storage cards will also be erased. You can do the same with remotePROTECT ($19). The program includes finer controls such as screen locking and SIM card tamper protection. RemotePROTECT works with Pocket PC and Windows Mobile. There are many other programs out there, look for them. Something is better than nothing. (Komando)

Dinosaur Snake Hints At Past Climate . . . . . . An international team of scientists has uncovered the fossil of a 60-million-year-old snake that weighed 2500 pounds and was more than 40 feet long. Aside from the creep factor, this is significant because the maximum size of cold-blooded animals is determined by temperature. The size of the Tianoboa Cerrejonensis indicates the South American tropical forest had average temperatures of about 90 F - more than 10 degrees hotter than current norms. (Popular Mechanics)

Sincerely,

Edward C. Levy

President