Is Starbucks Safe To Visit?

Sounds like a dumb question. No? Yet I have good reason to ask. Lately, I’ve noticed some very loud and possibly violent people spending time there.
One morning, there were two obnoxious types in my usual Starbucks hangout. The first arrived as I finished reading my newspaper. He hooked up his computer and went online. Very soon, he was on his cell phone yelling at his stockbroker. Something I’m sure happens frequently these days.

I wasn’t eavesdropping, but this individual was yelling so loudly, the entire patronage of the store could hear his business. He was upset that he still had 150,000 shares of AIG. A quick calculation for that day indicates that’s more than $400,000.00 worth of a stock that’s going down the tube.
“You told me to buy them,” he argued. The stockbroker must have told him it would take a few days to sell that much stock, because he yelled again. “Then let it take a few days; just get rid of it. I’ll take a small loss.” After about fifteen minutes, he calmed down.

Then a friend of his walked in. They exchanged pleasantries.
Soon they were both speaking loudly into their cell phones. Customers were cringing at the tonal quality of their conversations. As if that was not annoying enough, another angry man walked in, sat down across from loudmouth number two, and the pair began their shouting match.

It seems that loudmouth number two owed the new loudmouth number three nearly $1000.00 for more than a year. It became so heated a conversation they nearly came to blows. Maybe they did after I left.

Isn’t it sad that one can no longer sit in a coffee shop to read in peace and quiet?

How do they do it?

Poor Bastard

By outward appearances, Mark was an ordinary man; some might consider him an extraordinary individual. He served on the Interstellar Media Commission, directed award winning films, and attended church services every week. Other than his compulsion to attack young and innocent girls, preferably under 12 years old, he was a perfect member of the community.

Too Funny for Words

How I Became Addicted

It was January, and it was my eighth birthday. Jimmy lived a few houses away from me, and it was his birthday too. We were born on the same day of the same year. Strange coincidence, I thought, seeing as we lived so close to each other.

Jimmy and I exchanged gifts on special occasions. I don’t remember what I gave him; just that it was bought at a store and wrapped in fancy gift-wrapping paper. It was the correct way to honor such and occasion.

He gave me an item wrapped in brown paper. The wrapping was a cut up brown paper bag. I’m sure of that, even though years have passed since that day. Even though it looked drab and dreary, I couldn’t wait to open it.

I tore the paper as quickly as I could only to find out it was a green book. In fact it was the one I saw on his bookshelf. Certainly I was insulted. How could he just take a discard and give it to me as a gift? I knew he did the wrong thing.

After that, we didn’t play together very often. That was in part because of the winter weather, and mostly because he committed this travesty of young friendship. Frankly, I was miffed.

Summer rolled around, and one hot day I had nothing to do. The green book was sitting on the bookshelf in the living room. I couldn’t bear to touch it, wanted nothing to do with it, and became upset every time I saw it.

But that day I was beyond normal boredom. It was super-boredom, incarnate.

For some reason, I don’t know why; I went over to the bookshelf, and picked up the green book and opened it. The inside pages read, “Lad: A Dog” by Albert Payson Terhune.

I began reading this dreadfully inappropriate birthday gift. I couldn’t put it down. It was an amazing book that glued me to the couch for the rest of the day.

After that, I spent hours and hours scouring the local library for interesting books to read. There were tons of great books to occupy any young mind. And there still are.

That’s how I became addicted to reading.

© January 2006

OUCH!!!!

Bavarian Open Female Shotokan Karate

This is a two minute video of females fighting in a karate competition. It's interesting to watch.

Shake It Baby Shake It

When you don’t want to take the time to cook or make something to eat, there is a simple way to make a nutritious and satisfying, and did I say QUICK, meal. This is something I eat after my afternoon workout.

You will need the following: Frozen cherries, blueberries, strawberries, bananas, yogurt, soymilk, and a blender.

Put the assorted fruit into the blender. Then take a few scoops of yogurt over the frozen fruit. Pour the soymilk on the ingredients. Of course you know the next step is to blend it to your taste.

I hope you enjoy this Quick Shake.