tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25269464375063270372024-03-13T16:13:46.567-07:00MizpahJust that. Talking about this 'n that. Life in general.M.T. Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10300064390675063119noreply@blogger.comBlogger94125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2526946437506327037.post-89163438093293393882017-08-22T08:32:00.000-07:002017-08-22T08:32:20.387-07:00Devotional Discusses Issues Addressed At Charlottesville <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What about Robert E. Lee and the Confederacy? It is certain that he and virtually all the Southern leaders would be appalled at how neo-Nazis and white supremacists are hijacking Confederate flags.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">President Dwight D. Eisenhower was harshly criticized for his admiration of Lee. He responded in a gracious letter as follows: </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“ . . . . General Robert E. Lee was, in my estimation, one of the supremely gifted men produced by our nation.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“He believed unswervingly in the constitutional validity of his cause which until 1865 was still an arguable question in America; he was thoughtful yet demanding of his officers and men, forbearing with captured enemies, unrelenting, and personally courageous in battle, and never disheartened by a reverse or obstacle. Through all his many trials, he remained selfless almost to a fault and unfailing in his belief in God…</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“From deep conviction I simply say this: a nation of men of Lee’s caliber would be unconquerable in spirit and soul. Indeed, to the degree that present day American youth will strive to emulate his rare qualities, including his devotion to this land as revealed in his painstaking efforts to help heal the nation’s wounds once the bitter struggle was over, we, in our own time of danger in a divided world, will be strengthened and our love for freedom sustained…”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Antifa and the Left have been successful in painting the War Between the States as merely over one issue: slavery. Was slavery evil? Of course. Was racism confined to the South? Of course not. Most Confederates fought, as did Robert E. Lee, to defend their families, homes communities, and states from invasion. The Northern authorities asked Lee to lead an army against his home state of Virginia. He would not. If another conflict between states arose (may God forbid), would you defend your own state?</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Truth is what’s real. History is what really happened. Mike Fisher and Joe Jared are publishing a second edition of </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Devotions for Warriors. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It offers 365 daily readings of Civil War stories along with a pertinent Scripture verse, a life lesson, and a prayer. It will soon be available at Amazon.com and you can pre-order a signed copy from us via Paypal at </span><a href="mailto:mtfisher73@gmail.com" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #0563c1; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">mtfisher73@gmail.com</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> for a reduced rate at $14.00 plus postage.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What really happened in America’s not-so-Civil War? </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Devotions </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">offers a Christian and Southern perspective of that bitter conflict, untainted by the propaganda fog from both sides. Our prayer is that the present division in America can be healed. "A house divided against itself cannot stand." (Matthew 12:25)
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M.T. Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10300064390675063119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2526946437506327037.post-47828406044314829982013-09-19T07:04:00.001-07:002013-09-19T07:05:21.678-07:00The True Value Of Seven Cents<div style="text-align: justify;">
As you may (or may not) know, I work as a cashier. Last night, I was ringing up a woman who came in with her two sons and the oldest one, who was about five years old asked if he could buy some Tic Tacs, getting permission. He was going to pay for them himself, and when she was done, he put the candy on the belt, along with his money.</div>
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All seven cents of it.</div>
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Of course, his mother told him she would pay for it, and as she was doing so, he tried putting the seven pennies in her hand. She told him he didn't need to do so, and I lowly said, "Ma'am, he's paying his way." She looked at me for a second, then got it and pocketed the pennies.</div>
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I couldn't help it. I told others and one man stated, "I hope she keeps those pennies in a special place and tells him that story later on." He had a good point, but I don't know if the mother truly got the gist of what that young man was doing. He was doing what too many of us fail to do. There are a good amount of people out in the world today who refuses to even try to pay one's way.<br />
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And this five year old was saying, "Please let me do so."</div>
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I would say his parents have done a good job with that young man, and I hope he never changes.</div>
M.T. Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10300064390675063119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2526946437506327037.post-33655361322872524742013-08-27T09:00:00.002-07:002013-08-27T09:00:42.211-07:00I'll Tell Ya!<div style="text-align: justify;">
I can't speak for you, but at least once a day, I hear someone wondering what is wrong with either this country or the world. To tell the truth, sometimes it's me. I've had many a person say the problem with the United States started when prayer left the schools. I can't (and won't) argue with that. We seem to be going straight to hell in a handbasket ever since--and the vast majority of us don't care. </div>
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We see things on television that in our parents' day, the police raided the theatres for. (Why don't they anymore?) Things that people had to be 18 to see a five year old can now view, and say, "Daddy, what's she doing?" or "I want to do that when I get older!" Try explaining to your daughter how nice girls don't act like Miley Cyrus when they're about six years old.</div>
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I hear language on the tube that well . . . I got my mouth washed out with Palmolive Gold when I tried it in the church nursery at the age of three. (I never said I was a smart kid.) People say, "Bushwah. It's realism." Excuse me? It's supposed to be <em>entertainment</em>. If I wanted to see the real thing, I wouldn't be watching<u> television</u>! We're teaching the kids that actual people talk that way? Uh, when I <strong><em>did </em></strong>try talking that way, like I said, Palmolive Gold and I had a meeting of the minds with my <strong><u>only</u></strong> toothbrush! (I was the only three year old who looked forward to going to the dentist so I could get another.) I know a lot of folks who don't, and I'm sad to say were their lives on the tube, they'd make them sound like sailors.</div>
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Yes, I know. I'm old fashioned. I've been told I'm as outdated as buggy whips and the Edsel. That doesn't mean I'm wrong, though. Look at the popularity of 'Duck Dynasty,' a clean show that espouses Christian values. PG animated movies generally top the box office every year.<br /><br />So when are Hollywood and America going to learn?</div>
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M.T. Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10300064390675063119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2526946437506327037.post-31102261775517126352013-08-08T05:54:00.000-07:002013-08-08T05:54:37.445-07:00I Am Glad My Grandfather's DeadThe title of this may seem way out of line, but sadly, it's true. First of all, I loved my grandfather immensely. It's merely due to the actions of others that I am glad he's no longer with us.<br /><br />You see, Joe Fisher loved the game of baseball. Matter of fact, he'd been a semipro catcher for the team of Harris, Missouri. JoJo once hit three home runs in a game during the deadball era, a time when a double was a feat and a triple a rarity. Another time he caught a major league pitcher, which he said was the easiest game he ever had, as the man just put the ball wherever he placed his mitt. So needless to say, JoJo had some great stories for us.<br /><br />If you went to a baseball game with JoJo, you didn't talk. The man knew his baseball. He was an apt student of the sport, who knew as much about it as anyone on the field, if not more. The man could tell you what pitch was coming--and why. He'd let you know who was going to be positioned where for what batter--and why. JoJo should have been a big league manager, I kid you not.<br />
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We lost JoJo in November of 1980. I wept an amount the size of Niagara Falls that morning. As a matter of fact, I owed him $2.50 in baseball bets. I sent it to Baseball Chapel.<br />
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Now the sport he loved so much is in shambles. Since he died, baseball has had a drug scandal, strikes (one costing us a World Series), steroids and now HGH. The main player in the recent scandal isn't facing responsibility like a man should (JoJo would have told him to man up!), and we wonder what will hit baseball next. As someone who's been a fan since 1975, I'm shattered. <br /><br />But my loss is nowhere near what JoJo's would have been. Were he still alive, the situation today would devastate him. So yes, I'm glad my grandfather's no longer with us.<br /><br />And for that, I curse those of you who have made the game what it is.M.T. Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10300064390675063119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2526946437506327037.post-17121713645350531912012-09-03T07:47:00.001-07:002012-09-03T09:27:35.813-07:00Follow Your Code<div style="text-align: justify;">
Lee Van Cleef was known for his villainous roles in films and the Italian Westerns he made. As he started out in Hollywood, he let it be known he had a code: He would never harm a child, a dog, or hurt a woman. He stuck to that code, although when he was making the classic Western <strong>The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly</strong>, his character of Angel Eyes was to slap a woman. He reminded the filmmakers of his code, and as a result, his double stood in for him during that scene. </div>
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Van Cleef was true to his code.</div>
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Kirk Cameron is a devout Christian who has vowed never to kiss anyone but his wife. When filming the movie <strong>Fireproof</strong>, he was supposed to kiss his cinematic wife near the end. He reminded the filmmakers of his vow, and they had his wife stand in during that scene, filming it in long shot. Her hair was a different color, but it was lit to where it looked like the sun was making it look that way.</div>
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Cameron was true to his code.</div>
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My friend Michael F. Blake has written one of the best books I've ever read, <em>Code of Honor: The Making of Three Great American Westerns</em>. It deals far more than with cinematic history, but with one's codes. It allows us to realize that whether we realize it or not, we each have our own code, and attempt to live up to it.</div>
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We need to recognize our code and follow it. In these treacherous times, honor is a dying thing. Find your code and follow it.</div>
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M.T. Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10300064390675063119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2526946437506327037.post-21079080620418871552012-03-23T06:18:00.002-07:002012-03-23T11:38:44.175-07:00We Cannot Afford To Disrespect<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div> <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";">Lost in the midst of all the political pontificate is a horrendous oversight that needs to be realized by all Americans, especially those with ties to Oklahoma.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdBVBkU9EeyrBPi5PfGIt7vdCQInrjBbGXTZo2d4DzyKAGuziJLTwf1Jw1bmUwXgJc9ktTBAKur2glVW91ECQg3pcRstA_tzGSrkWXCLc-JRxsg-xVmcE2GkI8ZyAPo4m5qASkdsenke0/s1600/Oklahoma.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdBVBkU9EeyrBPi5PfGIt7vdCQInrjBbGXTZo2d4DzyKAGuziJLTwf1Jw1bmUwXgJc9ktTBAKur2glVW91ECQg3pcRstA_tzGSrkWXCLc-JRxsg-xVmcE2GkI8ZyAPo4m5qASkdsenke0/s200/Oklahoma.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The U.S.S. <em>Oklahoma </em>on December 7, 1941</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";">At Pearl Harbor, on Ford Island, there is a beautiful memorial to the battleship U.S.S. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Oklahoma</i> on which 429 men perished on December 7, 1941.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The loss of life is second only to those who died on the U.S.S. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Arizona</i>.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";">The memorial is next to the U.S.S. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Missouri, </i>which is moored were the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Oklahoma</i> was on that fateful day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unless the situation has changed over the last four months, the only mention of the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Oklahoma </i>memorial is a 30–second notice on the shuttle bus as it leaves the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Missouri.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>There is a granite stone for each of the 429 men with their names inscribed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Meaningful legends are tastefully placed there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On this spot the men who escaped before the ship capsized gathered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some expired before making this hallowed ground.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmeV241BXadSQ7NIYSWttmHcR-Ya1m-TP6PMh-nxtM7m8mn9IUKJhBFBq_XeWC9uCvP5nmypHglLq7pJJeq8eg8diaY6_4TC2lyqNpyQ3bDkEKCwVlfA6dy5CI7rsPZSiL-WvE846oerE/s1600/untitled.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmeV241BXadSQ7NIYSWttmHcR-Ya1m-TP6PMh-nxtM7m8mn9IUKJhBFBq_XeWC9uCvP5nmypHglLq7pJJeq8eg8diaY6_4TC2lyqNpyQ3bDkEKCwVlfA6dy5CI7rsPZSiL-WvE846oerE/s200/untitled.bmp" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The U.S.S. <em>Oklahoma </em>Memorial</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";">With very little effort this memorial could be better utilized.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is under the U.S. Interior Department, National Park Service.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Senator Tom Coburn and Congressman Frank Lucas have been contacted, but up to this time there has been no response.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>not</u></i></b> just a thing for Oklahomans to deal with.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is an <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>American</u></i> thing, as these 429 could have possibly have called every state in the Union home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We owe a debt to these who gave “the last full measure of their devotion” in the service to their country.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Please contact your representative in Congress regarding this, as every monument out there deserves equal attention.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> ED. NOTE: Within hours after this posting, we have heard from Sen. Coburn's office, stating they are looking into the situation. We appreciate their timely response and cooperation, and thank you to those who contacted them.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>M.T. Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10300064390675063119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2526946437506327037.post-11472837018629619522012-02-28T09:00:00.000-08:002012-02-28T09:00:16.382-08:00Beware! The Templetons Have United.<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";">I have to admit, I don’t understand these ‘Occupiers.’<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thus far, they’ve have sex in the park (It was interesting reading about the young man who lost his virginity to several women, saying his fiancée back on the other side of the country would understand.), abandoned infants, damaged landmarks, disrupted traffic, littered like mad, and injured officers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And they’re ‘proving a point.’<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkJRLPjvFHC-QSlcSGrL6FqFtyY1TpcC4CStozEF30byMwLYh-tVuYv7_FXVomnxBxg7q1SdjQJsC6tXx336mGDAzb7Ya8pR_nRyYRzybxna9tloB4FQ87rkgnCaS7XDNvjviqyI_RAeM/s1600/Nacktmull.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkJRLPjvFHC-QSlcSGrL6FqFtyY1TpcC4CStozEF30byMwLYh-tVuYv7_FXVomnxBxg7q1SdjQJsC6tXx336mGDAzb7Ya8pR_nRyYRzybxna9tloB4FQ87rkgnCaS7XDNvjviqyI_RAeM/s200/Nacktmull.jpg" uda="true" width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";">Oh yes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They’ve proved a point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They want something for nothing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are the Templetons of this world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their motto is “What’s in it for me?” as they have their outreached hands, forgetting that in order to get a job, one must fill out applications, not destroy buildings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Getting arrested doesn’t necessarily look good on a job application, and these people aren’t realizing that. </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";">But they don’t care, as they’re collecting their unemployment while they’re protesting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They have realized that eventually, the moolah from Uncle Sam will quit, so darn it, they’re going to have to work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(All good things must end, you know.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";">Evidently, they don’t have any job skills, so they’re going to <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">make </b>companies hire them!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yeah.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’ll work!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let the companies who don’t have any openings hire them to get them off their backs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Hoo boy!)</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";">Personally, I think if the Occupiers don’t care for this country, we should give (After all, they feel they’re entitled to it.) free passage to Afghanistan, Iran, or China.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let them find work there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Somehow I don’t think they’d gritch or protest much here anymore . . . if we’d let `em back in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After all, Templeton was the rat in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Charlotte’s Web.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>So getting rid of the Templetons is ridding ourselves of a lotta rats.</span></div>M.T. Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10300064390675063119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2526946437506327037.post-76032595981458993772012-02-20T09:15:00.000-08:002012-02-20T09:15:24.468-08:00Just Stay In the Chariot<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Charlton Heston liked to tell a story about the making of <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Ben-Hur</b>:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Before they ever shot a foot of film, he and stunt master Yakima Canutt rehearsed with the chariots for the race that has gone in film history as a masterpiece of stunt action.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One day, while resting, Heston said to Canutt he was worried.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After all, he’d gotten the chariot down pat, but once they started filming, there were going to be seven other chariots around, and just how was he going to be able to stay in front?</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZxgzBqKgoh9_gSKh6K2_mBM3-qGFsVVxJdrjO_mNnMr-4ybNFXDkP41fjsFaDF5fXXaUnhX4a052qESA8r0IxriziwSMWyJv-G72v18KG89MPYicqbNJ5ZB62nud4-wetCKhakbXXh4Q/s1600/chariot3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZxgzBqKgoh9_gSKh6K2_mBM3-qGFsVVxJdrjO_mNnMr-4ybNFXDkP41fjsFaDF5fXXaUnhX4a052qESA8r0IxriziwSMWyJv-G72v18KG89MPYicqbNJ5ZB62nud4-wetCKhakbXXh4Q/s320/chariot3.jpg" width="320" yda="true" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Charlton Heston in <strong>Ben-Hur </strong></em></td></tr>
</tbody></table> <div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Canutt grinned, and said, “Just stay in the chariot, Chuck.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I’ll </i>see to it you win the race.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Recently Dad heard that story and immediately pointed out the spiritual implications of it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And it’s true.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our lives are races, and we have tendencies to ‘step out of chariot’ due to curiosity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Anyone who knows their phrases knows what happened to the cat!)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you’ve seen <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Ben-Hur</b>—and if you haven’t you should—knows what happens to someone who steps out of their chariot in the midst of a race.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s not pretty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We need to follow our path, which is bumpy, as a chariot has no shock absorbers, the wheels don’t turn, and has no modern convenience but you know what?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><u>It gets us there.</u> </span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">And if we listen to Him, God is going to see to it we win the race.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">So stay in your chariot and follow the path to the finish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The laurels are worth it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ben-Hur won his race.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let’s triumph in ours.</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div>M.T. Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10300064390675063119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2526946437506327037.post-85687430428325666432012-01-28T07:24:00.000-08:002012-01-28T07:24:48.167-08:00The Joy of Tenacity<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg0wCek88gzo7nMm4XZxi4qmuu5sS5bIDNzo_cU5kUbthfcsscJ6MAU3VLZhbt1ZMwsWEu0Sl7-lyOR2HDH0adYA21q-3w8Vj7TGs2a9HknY8WjDoX6SLSFjDnScVcboOxwD0cAs0qV7k/s1600/Thatcher+Buddies+00004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gda="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg0wCek88gzo7nMm4XZxi4qmuu5sS5bIDNzo_cU5kUbthfcsscJ6MAU3VLZhbt1ZMwsWEu0Sl7-lyOR2HDH0adYA21q-3w8Vj7TGs2a9HknY8WjDoX6SLSFjDnScVcboOxwD0cAs0qV7k/s320/Thatcher+Buddies+00004.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Behold, three members of Sammie's Scholars, the championship team <em>sans </em>one (We never could figure out what happened to Brent Spencer.) of the first College Bowl ever held at Central State University. (We steadfastly refuse to call it the University of Central Oklahoma. We know what our diplomas read.) <br />
<br />
Sadly, as I have mentioned in the past, the one on the far left, Paul Hammond, is no longer with us. It was a dirty trick for him to play on us, as (in all seriousness) I had planned on him delivering my eulogy in the far future, as eloquent as he was. He would have made me sound far better than I am. Now, I'm stuck.<br />
<br />
At one time, both Paul and Glen--then gentleman on the right--were over four hundred pounds. As a matter of fact, the night this photo was taken, that subject was brought up. <br />
<br />
I contacted Glen, letting him know of Paul's passing, and it shook him. He realized that but for the grace of God, it could have been him. Thus, he was determined to do something about it. Glen therefore started on a regimen combined with Weight Watchers and the YMCA. Over the past two years, he's seen his weight drop down to two hundred, and he looks marvelous. Glen wanted to be able to see his grandchildren grow up, and he's going to be able to achieve that. <br />
<br />
You know, every time tragedy strikes our lives, we're told something good will come out of this. That God has a plan, and we need to be patient. We mutter, "Yeah, yeah," and ignore those who tell us this. I can tell you in all honesty Glen's life was saved. <em>He </em>will tell you that.<br />
<br />
I am proud of Glen for his tenacity. <br />
<br />
More importantly, I know Paul would be.M.T. Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10300064390675063119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2526946437506327037.post-53803300256605586462012-01-18T11:52:00.000-08:002012-01-18T11:52:28.812-08:00It Ain't The SameI just finished watching a wonderful two-part film about our first Olympic team from 1896. It dealt with conflict, camaraderie, teamwork, and pride. In short, it's not the type picture one sees anymore, as we're not supposed to be proud of America anymore.<br />
<br />
Last night we were watching a documentary on PBS that was quite good until the last historian came on and made a comment about how we need to apologize for everything under the sun. If this is true, does Italy need to be apologizing for the Borgias or the way the world was treated under the Caesars? We never hear <u>that</u>. How about an apology from Egypt to the Jews? I'm for that, but no one ever calls for it. No, America is the only one who has to apologize for things that are hundreds of years in the past. I really don't expect my descendants to apologize for things I have done three hundred years from now. <br />
<br />
You know, Shirley MacLaine claims she's had dozens of lives. Imagine all the apologies she has to make, considering she's been around hundreds of years. I mean, she must have committed <strong><em>thousands</em></strong> of sins! Anyone every call for an apology from her?<br />
<br />
No, it's more fun to pick on our country, which is why I like to watch the older shows. We had pride in our country then. We weren't apologizing for breathing like we are now. Americans had self-respect, which is sorely lacking. The only time people run across that word nowadays is when they play Scrabble.<br />
<br />
Times have changed, and with them, so has America. Unfortunately, not for the better. But if we have changed for the worse, we can also do so for the better. Let's start having pride and self-respect not only in us but our country once more.M.T. Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10300064390675063119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2526946437506327037.post-37290242165665811302012-01-16T07:50:00.000-08:002012-01-16T07:57:46.443-08:00It Pays to ListenI know the holiday season is over, but I've been thinking the past few weeks about one of my favorite stories. It came to mind on Christmas Day, as I was talking to my niece Mikaela. I reminded her of the Christmas when no one chose to believe her.<br />
<br />
It was about a decade ago, and Mom wanted to give me a pair of black slacks. Everyone said they were nice, but Mikaela, who was the baby of the family then, spoke up, saying, "Grandma, they're green."<br />
<br />
Well, we naturally chuckled at her. After all, she was a child. What did she know? "No Mikaela, they're black." We were adults. <em>We</em> knew what was right.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwB8S-uo3jAR2WXAM3IfYNltzr6W5TRAbnBX_0OW0EvDZRFQuFYB5XINPvf9qbU6RUUoYhtiVs4yYzZL8E2CxKclby5D2CRFauS92ZgxhxKuhNStkYPgXfefLUVtn3RySNmJhG8jQ8_0A/s1600/slacks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" kba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwB8S-uo3jAR2WXAM3IfYNltzr6W5TRAbnBX_0OW0EvDZRFQuFYB5XINPvf9qbU6RUUoYhtiVs4yYzZL8E2CxKclby5D2CRFauS92ZgxhxKuhNStkYPgXfefLUVtn3RySNmJhG8jQ8_0A/s200/slacks.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Very politely, Mikaela informed us they were green. Again, we told her they were black. Silly child!<br />
<br />
She tried again to tell us they were green. One more we told her she was wrong. Finally, without saying a word, she plucked them from my hands, walked over to the window, and held them to the light.<br />
<br />
Son of a gun. They were <strong><em>green.</em></strong><br />
<br />
When I reminded Mikaela of this last month, she was flabbergasted, saying, "How rude!" I pointed out to her that <em>we </em>were the rude ones, blowing her off due to her age, while she constantly was polite, finally proving her point without saying a word. I told her it was not only beautiful the way she did it, it's my favorite 'Mikaela story,' even though I was one of those proven wrong.<br />
<br />
It goes to show that we should never doubt children, as they generally have something to say. Mikaela certainly did that day. And had we listened to her the first time and paid closer attention, none of us would have had to apologize to her. <br />
<br />
As for me, I made out like a bandit. Mom so wanted to give me a pair of black slacks, the following day--one of the worst shopping days of the year--she went out and bought me a pair. So Mikaela continued to assist me.<br />
<br />
Now if she'd just go back to making my snickerdoodles.M.T. Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10300064390675063119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2526946437506327037.post-81781952928190138482012-01-03T01:54:00.000-08:002012-01-03T01:56:24.494-08:00So Set `Em Up, Joe . . .You remember the classic Sinatra standard where he's singing about how late it is, and it's time to go, so the bartender needs to set up one last round? Well, lately, that's the time I've been getting up. Not by choice, mind you, I have nonetheless.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-E5qnt9WqMik/TwLN1rBgBHI/AAAAAAAAALE/13ivnjauDGc/s1600/without_sleep_or_insomnia_305485.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" rea="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-E5qnt9WqMik/TwLN1rBgBHI/AAAAAAAAALE/13ivnjauDGc/s200/without_sleep_or_insomnia_305485.jpg" width="171" /></a></div>Cricket loves it. She gets up with me out of duty, for several reasons. The first and foremost is that she loves me. The second is that she knows she's going to be fed earlier. (I pay for this, as when I finally start to sleep later, she awakens me about two a.m., as she wants to be fed.) The second is I give her extra treats for awakening her at such a horrific hour.<br />
<br />
Now, you may think I mutter and grumble about getting up this early, but I have to admit something . . . . I <strong><em>love </em></strong>getting up this early. Yes, I know . . . but I don't think insanity runs in my family. It <em><strong>gallops</strong></em>, but it doesn't run. I do have my reasoning for enjoying this odd quirk, though.<br />
<br />
As you know, I'm a writer. (We all have our faults.) I seem to do my best work when it's dark. (I guess it's the vampire in me.) That's when I edit the heck outta my work, and I do so without fail. I look at what I've done, and go 'tch, tch', 'Awwwww!' or 'Fisher, what in the name of Luke Short does <em>that </em>mean?' It seems once the sun's up I do more piddling. <br />
<br />
I don't know why this works the way it does. I <em>wish</em> it was the opposite. I <u>love</u> my bed. (I actually sleep better on the couch, though.) But there's something about the night that stirs my creative juices. This being the case, it's time to start on another book. After all, it's 3:50 in the morning.<br />
<br />
So set `em up, Joe.M.T. Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10300064390675063119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2526946437506327037.post-16711931417948414492011-12-04T08:50:00.000-08:002011-12-04T08:50:07.574-08:00Caught At Christmastime<em>In regards to my last blog, someone pointed out I took the gist of it from one of my favorite Christmas films, <strong>The Bishop's Wife</strong>. I admitted this was true, as it's a wonderful lesson, albeit from a motion picture.</em><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWZy-wOqgAPuCVOoX3b-jRbfPLx8I56puNoAGKcKU6I1-G5N9214VN_tF26EEvQbPxw8ljG0YseRt5qETtPabzM7RsJpIQUHOMBF7NJfJyeAXlhXHWmaRYaK-NZxn_sHMejzyRK0i9OcE/s1600/pg_no25_SM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWZy-wOqgAPuCVOoX3b-jRbfPLx8I56puNoAGKcKU6I1-G5N9214VN_tF26EEvQbPxw8ljG0YseRt5qETtPabzM7RsJpIQUHOMBF7NJfJyeAXlhXHWmaRYaK-NZxn_sHMejzyRK0i9OcE/s320/pg_no25_SM.jpg" width="281" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Peter Falk and Valerie Bertinelli in<br />
'Finding John Christmas'</td></tr>
</tbody></table><em>Many of our films having to do with Christmas have outstanding lessons, whether or not we pay attention to them. Take <strong>Miracle On 34<u>th</u> Street </strong>and 'A Charlie Brown Christmas.' Both deal with the way we have allowed the holiday to be so commercialized, forgetting the real meaning of Christmas. And the latter has the most inspirational scene in a Christmas film when Linus explains the real meaning of the holiday to Charlie Brown under the spotlight as everyone is as quiet as a church mouse.</em><br />
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<em><strong>It's A Wonderful Life</strong> is considered a Christmas film, and lets us know we are not alone, although we often think we are. The inscription Clarence writes in the book he leaves for George sums it all up.</em><br />
<br />
<em><strong>3 Godfathers</strong> is an overlooked Christmas Western, telling of the Three Wise Men put in the West, as they care for an orphaned newborn. It's a terrific look at the birth of the Christ Child, and a wonderful look at responsibility and keeping one's word, no matter the cost.</em><br />
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<em><strong>The Man Who Came To Dinner </strong>is a hilarious look at an extremely gruff man who intercedes in others' lives, even when they often don't want him to. Although he comes across as a grouch, we as the audience see that he does care for people, but doesn't want them to realize it. We learn that people aren't as they seem to be.</em><br />
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<em>As I stated last year, my favorite Christmas films are a trilogy made for television: 'A Town Without Christmas,' 'Finding John Christmas,' and 'When Angels Came to Town.' They have two things in common--Peter Falk as the angel Max, and letting us know there is someone who cares for us, even when we think we are all alone in this world. Never have I been able to watch one of these with dry eyes.</em><br />
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<em>So, as the holiday approaches and we remember the Reason we celebrate Christmas, I hope you enjoy a few of these. Maybe you'll see a few of the lessons in the films and find a few others. If you do, please let me know. </em><br />
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<em>In the meantime, Merry Christmas.</em>M.T. Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10300064390675063119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2526946437506327037.post-21882321152634392062011-11-30T04:27:00.000-08:002011-11-30T04:27:58.084-08:00The Empty Stocking<em>Black Friday and Cyber Monday have come and gone. Many of us have started on our Christmas shopping. Some who plan for the future have even finished it, and begun on next year's. </em><br />
<br />
<em>We know that Aunt Martha wants a new purse, while Cousin Henry needs a webcam. Your daughter is impossible to shop for, so she gets a Wal Mart gift card, and so forth. The presents bought and wrapped, you mail a few, and put the rest under the tree for now.</em><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDuj6RLvm3yuf0uXB4_bLVPCc6bmxXj3KyB3tSQaK7pytl1DTKVXOplMoUErxVPXjusLyPAQ9R7IIIG4jwJnlu7ZByAcpr-k1QThd8tfqkhl8nscm4trg6ym55s8ByG47R1mtRyE3Nqf4/s1600/Christmas-Stockings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDuj6RLvm3yuf0uXB4_bLVPCc6bmxXj3KyB3tSQaK7pytl1DTKVXOplMoUErxVPXjusLyPAQ9R7IIIG4jwJnlu7ZByAcpr-k1QThd8tfqkhl8nscm4trg6ym55s8ByG47R1mtRyE3Nqf4/s320/Christmas-Stockings.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><em>But what goes in the empty stocking on the mantle?</em><br />
<br />
<em>You don't have an empty stocking? You should. You see, families have stockings for each and every member: You, me, Grandpa, Aunt Minerva, Uncle Fess, Cousin Henry, but very few of us ever remember to leave another stocking for the One whose birthday we celebrate. And when you think about it, He received the first Christmas presents. So why should that change now?</em><br />
<br />
<em>What are </em><u>you</u><em> giving Jesus for his birthday this year? Your first thought is He has everything, being the Son of God, but everyone should get something for their birthday. Think about it. Give Him a gift, and when you contemplate, you'll know it won't be able to match what He has brought us, but He won't care. He just likes to open packages. Your time is something He <strong>really</strong> likes. Give to your church or a charitable foundation in His name.</em><br />
<br />
<em>Your Christmas shopping isn't done yet. Put something in His stocking this year. Don't let it be empty.</em><br />
<br />
<em>Mizpah.</em>M.T. Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10300064390675063119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2526946437506327037.post-6371635175563508922011-11-28T06:58:00.000-08:002011-11-28T06:58:21.364-08:00Drop It <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitnsshnVMmtvNQPlIvTRuvr6hP0eLffiXN0r6ap25Nv8Sk0TynFEsQwszB3Pjnnhv8cz3xicujbiiL4DlSqlIB9bvESG_kt4qIa_XIP5ENAN6_2LkbV_NlTk1Cvrp08TRIwEghQfyn-JM/s1600/Elia_Kazan-225x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitnsshnVMmtvNQPlIvTRuvr6hP0eLffiXN0r6ap25Nv8Sk0TynFEsQwszB3Pjnnhv8cz3xicujbiiL4DlSqlIB9bvESG_kt4qIa_XIP5ENAN6_2LkbV_NlTk1Cvrp08TRIwEghQfyn-JM/s200/Elia_Kazan-225x300.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elia Kazan</td></tr>
</tbody></table> <em>Elia Kazan was one of the finest directors Broadway or Hollywood ever produced. On the stage, he brought us hits such as 'All My Sons,' 'A Streetcar Named Desire,' 'Cat On A Hot Tin Roof,' 'Sweet Birth of Youth,' and 'The Dark At the Top of The Stairs.' In Hollywood, he produced such classics as <strong>A Tree Grows In Brooklyn</strong>, <strong>Boomerang!</strong>, <strong>Gentleman's Agreement</strong>, <strong>Pinky</strong>, <strong>A Streetcar Named Desire</strong>, <strong>Panic In the Streets</strong>, <strong>Viva Zapata!</strong>, <strong>On the Waterfront</strong>, <strong>East of Eden</strong>, <strong>Baby Doll</strong>, <strong>A Face In the</strong> <strong>Crowd</strong>, and <strong>Splendor In the Grass</strong>. He won three Tony Awards and two of his movies won Best Picture. In short, the man knew what he was doing.</em><br />
<br />
<em>When Kazan was honored with a Lifetime Oscar, it created quite a stink, as he had testified before HUAC, being a former member of the Communist Party. As Richard Schickel--who states he himself is far to the left--says, people today treated Kazan as if he named liberals, not Communists, forgetting there is a vast difference. People came out of the woodwork, stating the director had 'ruined their lives' had never even been named by Kazan. They merely wanted their ten minutes of fame by the director.</em><br />
<br />
<em>Well-known liberals such as Ed Harris and Nick Nolte made their disgust for the award known, and at the ceremony, made a show of not applauding. It was considered 'making a stand.' Another well-known liberal, Warren Beatty, refused to dishonor Kazan, pointing out 1) the director was the one who gave him his start in the movies and 2) Beatty didn't know what <u>he</u> would have done under the circumstances. Thus, he was one of the few honest people around at the time. To keep the peace, Beatty also went to a ceremony honoring those who had been blacklisted.</em><br />
<br />
<em>Director Edward Dmytryk was a member of the 'Hollywood Ten' who recanted, and wound up testifying before HUAC, naming names. He got his career back, going on to direct <strong>The Caine Mutiny</strong>, <strong>Broken Lance</strong>, <strong>Raintree County</strong>,<strong> The Young Lions</strong>, and <strong>Warlock </strong>and wound up losing friends. Yet history has not damned him the way they have Kazan. Dmytryk eventually wound up writing a book, <u>Odd Man Out: A Memoir of the Hollywood Ten</u>. It is considered to be one of the few honest versions dealing with what happened then.</em><br />
<br />
<em>If you want to judge these men, that is your right. But read </em><strong>all</strong><em> the facts. If you don't like their politics, that is your right as well. But get every bit of information you can. Those were difficult times for this country, and many who have cursed these men and others weren't even there.</em><br />
<br />
<em>As the line from old time radio goes, "Vas you dere, Charlie?"</em>M.T. Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10300064390675063119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2526946437506327037.post-68464557340522711212011-11-23T14:47:00.000-08:002011-11-23T14:47:48.509-08:00Why Just One Day? <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqsoFuUHWLRwkXve5VLtq8a0NovYh2l08tY8EgVnWI_Dosb8QeG41a8I86zeQG5kLawmJiXPdEMAvDYryatklRuhuBEYsK5BjCrIQOIH2cyDltjxizl4M-ThBrP13wYWBCBBJHF0WouOg/s1600/Kirk_Douglas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqsoFuUHWLRwkXve5VLtq8a0NovYh2l08tY8EgVnWI_Dosb8QeG41a8I86zeQG5kLawmJiXPdEMAvDYryatklRuhuBEYsK5BjCrIQOIH2cyDltjxizl4M-ThBrP13wYWBCBBJHF0WouOg/s200/Kirk_Douglas.jpg" width="146" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Kirk Douglas</em></td></tr>
</tbody></table> <em>This must be my month for Kirk Douglas stories. But they seem to fit, so I'm not apologizing. </em><br />
<br />
<em>In one of his books, he wrote of how he was serving as an emissary of the United States, and was eating a meal of grubworms with a tribe. He turned to the tribal elder, saying, "Today is Thanksgiving in my country. We give thanks for what we have today."</em><br />
<br />
<em>The man replied, "We give thanks for what we have every day."</em><br />
<br />
<em>Douglas wrote of how he suddenly felt very small. This man, who literally had nothing, was grateful for what he had, including a meal of grubworms. The same for everyone in his village. Douglas, who made a good living, gave thanks once a year, as do many of us Americans. He learned something that day, and hoped to pass it along in his book.</em><br />
<br />
<em>Like the actor, I too felt tiny upon reading the man's statement. I am sure I'm not the only one, and all of Douglas' books have been best sellers, so that man has made quite an impact. The elder knew what was important in life and has passed along his lesson. We need to be grateful for what we have instead of concentrating on what we </em><strong>don't </strong><em>have. Be thankful to God each and every day for what He has given us. Not just on Thanksgiving, but 365 days of the year.</em>M.T. Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10300064390675063119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2526946437506327037.post-63800879522475586402011-11-21T03:31:00.000-08:002011-11-21T03:31:03.577-08:00Born In A Gold Box<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKa4FiylwK0fF-lbMLHxhP5Dv4i-anHEjJ4iMfoPCc5J2AfKTdV2lSSwezuV0mdhQlcbznbVP7UkR4VNkqm_A2IQLoWoMU0JeovKhVxWjT6U-bRXJUanvFzYyxFZnDtX1Chd-YJ61GmkY/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKa4FiylwK0fF-lbMLHxhP5Dv4i-anHEjJ4iMfoPCc5J2AfKTdV2lSSwezuV0mdhQlcbznbVP7UkR4VNkqm_A2IQLoWoMU0JeovKhVxWjT6U-bRXJUanvFzYyxFZnDtX1Chd-YJ61GmkY/s1600/images.jpg" /></a></div><em>We've all heard the expression 'Being born with a silver spoon in their mouth,' but this is one of my favorite stories. Kirk Douglas was born into an impoverished family, and his mother said the way he came into the family was when she looked into the backyard one day to see a gold box lowered by a string made of silver. She rushed out in the cold, opened the box, and saw a naked baby boy. Elated to at last have a son--The woman had five daughters--She took the child into her home. </em><br />
<br />
<em>As the family was always short on funds, Douglas always asked about the box. His mother said when she went back outside, it was gone. He constantly wondered if that didn't bother her. No, she replied. When she saw him, she could care less about the box. </em><br />
<br />
<em>I would have liked Kirk Douglas' mother. She knew what was truly important, telling her son at an early age how he was far more important than gold or silver. And she tried passing that along to him. It took a long time--long after her death--for the lesson to sink in, but eventually, he learned it. </em><br />
<br />
<em>Other parents have taught this lesson to their children in various ways. It's a beautiful analogy, and Douglas will insist today it's a true story. After all, his mother told it to him.</em><br />
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<em>For those who doubt it, remember Baron Munchasen's famous line, "Vas you dere, Charlie?" Have faith in the words of our parents, who have let us know throughout the years in various ways we are far more valuable than gold or silver. And their value to us is immeasurable. We may not realize it growing up, but we do as we get older.</em><br />
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<em>Cherish your family. They are your gold box. </em><br />
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<em>Mizpah</em><br />
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</div>M.T. Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10300064390675063119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2526946437506327037.post-66194777683011933052011-11-14T05:58:00.000-08:002011-11-14T05:58:59.181-08:00It's Not Hard to Say<em>I'm in the midst of reading Peter Ford's wonderful biography on his father, Glenn, one of my favorite actors. About halfway through it, Peter, who is an email friend of mine, stated his father never said, "I love you," to his son.</em><br />
<br />
<em>Kirk Douglas has won accolades all around the world. The one thing he wanted more than anything he never received. It was a pat on the back from his father. He wrote of once being taken out for ice cream as a child by his father, and treasures that moment. To Douglas, that ice cream cone to this day means more than any award he has.</em><br />
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<em>Why is it we cannot say those three words? Are we supposed to be 'tough'? Is it not manly? It can't be the latter, as there are women with the same problem. Perhaps we think they already know it. Or even more tragic . . . in many cases, the love isn't there.</em><br />
<br />
<em>My family has <strong>never </strong>been short on sharing love, so when I read the above stories, I want to reach out to those people and embrace them to let them know someone does care about them. (I come from a family of huggers.) We were taught at an early age "I love you" is not hard to say, and my sister's bunch has carried on the tradition. </em><br />
<br />
<em>My nephews are a perfect example. They're all ex-jocks who jokingly like to act like they're 'bad', but they can all say "I love you" without hesitation. They don't look around to ensure no one is watching, or whisper it under their breath. They know no one is going to snicker at them. They've been taught it's <strong>beautiful </strong>to say, not a sissy thing.</em><br />
<br />
<em>It's only three words, and if you can say it, you'll make someone's day. With all the profanities we utter daily, "I love you" shouldn't be so hard.</em>M.T. Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10300064390675063119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2526946437506327037.post-20084074872162020172011-10-28T04:53:00.000-07:002011-10-28T04:53:14.217-07:00It's A Guy Thing<em>My sister, bless her heart, is a </em><strong><u>very</u></strong><em> understanding woman. She and some friends have started a ministry for mothers and a friend and I were picking up supplies for it. I'd asked what they could use and one of the items was sippy cups. Hey, not a problem. That's what brothers are for.</em><br />
<br />
<em>So we go to Wal Mart, get a few things, and being a bachelor who knows </em><strong>nothing </strong><em>about this stuff, I call Sis. The problem is, I ask her about <u>spit</u> cups.</em><br />
<br />
<em>Now, she was with a bunch of her friends at bunco. <strong>Great</strong> opportunity to roll her eyes and say, "Guess what he just said!" She didn't. (Thank you, Sis.) She knew it was a guy thing. </em><br />
<br />
<em>Two weeks later--we're getting supplies for the ministry again--and yes, I did it </em><u><strong>again</strong></u><em>.</em><br />
<br />
<em>Now, before you tell me I need to quit dipping--I don't. This is merely a guy thing. There is a huge difference between men and guys. If you don't understand what I am talking about, you need to read <u>Dave Barry's Guide to Guys</u>. Women may not <strong>agree </strong>with it, but it will allow them to understand us. A perfect example Barry gives is of four men who er, had a touch too much to drink one evening. So for some fun, they decided to go off a ski ramp. At night. In a canoe. Yes, a canoe. All they got were a few scrapes.</em><br />
<br />
<em>I know. Sounds ludicrous, doesn't it? The women I tell that story shake their heads. The vast majority of the men widen their eyes and say, "Cool." ( I think I've given them an idea.") I then tell people the rest of what Barry wrote: "The moment they pushed off--They were guys." The women get ill, the vast majority of the men go "Yeah!," pumping their fist.</em><br />
<br />
<em>So . . . I'll continue to buy babies spit cups, slouch, have my Dew in the morning, put BBQ sauce on my scrambled eggs, think John Wayne's the best, and the Western is the only type film out there.</em><br />
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<em>Sue me. It's a guy thing.</em>M.T. Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10300064390675063119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2526946437506327037.post-90023747406513249712011-10-22T03:02:00.000-07:002011-10-22T03:02:23.928-07:00It Ain't The Same Anymore<em>There was a time, and those who went to grade, junior, and high school will testify to this---this was my time of year.</em><br />
<br />
<em>"Son, the house is on fire!"</em><br />
<br />
<em>"Just a minute, Mom. It's the bottom of the sixth and the bases are loaded."</em><br />
<br />
<em>Yes, I was quite a baseball addict, especially when it came to the playoffs and World Series. I even was fortunate to go to two games of the Series in 1985.</em><br />
<br />
<em>But something changed. Perhaps I did. I dunno. I know for a fact baseball did. The playoffs are now longer than "War and Remembrance" in order to bring in more television revenue, and they're actually talking about lengthening them again. In short, what they are saying is this: "Okay, we're already letting a second-place team a la the wild card into the playoffs. Let's do it again." What they are really saying is it doesn't matter if you get first place or not. </em><br />
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<em>Look at the bats they use. My stars. They shatter like the glass in a shop that has a bull running through it. Why? They're light, as everyone wants a quick swing. Go to the Louisville Slugger Museum and see the bats the great hitters used. They aren't the <strong><u>toothpicks</u></strong> they players use today. It should make today's hitters ashamed of themselves. Most batters today use a bat in the low thirties weight. Babe Ruth's bat weighed 54 ozs. It didn't seem to hurt </em><strong>his</strong><em> hitting.</em><br />
<br />
<em>Yesteryear's players also played in flannel uniforms. Enos Slaughter wrote of losing nine lbs in a doubleheader. I cannot even fathom today's players attempting to do this.</em><br />
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<em>They played through their aches and pains. Carl Erksine popped his shoulder his first major league game and never said a word, not wanting to lose his job. He pitched in pain his entire career, throwing two no-hitters along the way. Lou Gehrig broke every finger in his hand during his streak.</em><br />
<em>Today's players would be on the disabled list.</em><br />
<br />
<em>Now it's labor unions, and are they on steroids. I miss the days when the worse argument was a ball or strike or artificial turf or grass.</em><br />
<br />
<em>The players are fun to watch, but the innocence has been lost.</em><br />
<br />
<em>It just ain't the same.</em>M.T. Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10300064390675063119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2526946437506327037.post-63206944438656546502011-10-17T05:15:00.000-07:002011-10-17T05:15:53.642-07:00Mr. Rogers Was Right<em> I love getting up early, seeing the moon still shining and the stars twinkling high in the sky. Cricket wonders why I rise so durned early, but she lives with it. We look out the window to see if the deer are here, and if they are treat ourselves to a majestic view.</em><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjGbxQZTuT_T9tlUeix6Aeku2qv6iSv1JxXQgE_wSgzuQF2dfoeMubHWRmLrTbtGJp2bPfuqN_03hAZvSLBx97px3lIrnCM77bwPwCNtSajrg2dZZqy3toFOT8VsIfSlIYK1czkZo1ncA/s1600/FredRogers4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjGbxQZTuT_T9tlUeix6Aeku2qv6iSv1JxXQgE_wSgzuQF2dfoeMubHWRmLrTbtGJp2bPfuqN_03hAZvSLBx97px3lIrnCM77bwPwCNtSajrg2dZZqy3toFOT8VsIfSlIYK1czkZo1ncA/s200/FredRogers4.jpg" width="145" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fred Rogers</td></tr>
</tbody></table><em>Mr. Rogers was right. It <u>is</u> a beautiful day in the neighborhood, and I for one intend on enjoying it to the fullest. We feed the deer and other animals, letting them know our property is a sanctuary. I view the sky at night, grateful I can still see the stars, knowing in town it's an impossibility. </em><br />
<br />
<em>Mr. Rogers was someone we always made fun of, but he taught kids to accent the positive and eliminate the negative. In today's day and age, that is the opposite of what we think, and he wouldn't be as popular as he was. Yet he influenced several generations of children to the point his show ran for years after his passing.</em><br />
<br />
<em>We<strong> need</strong> Mr. Rogers once again. His positive attitude and his teachings--They were simplistic, not beating the children over the head, merely making a point and going on.<br />
<br />
And maybe we adults need to watch the show as well.</em>M.T. Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10300064390675063119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2526946437506327037.post-10238632196857439302011-10-13T04:14:00.000-07:002011-10-13T04:14:22.822-07:00The Sound of Silence<em>As you may know, I live with my parents, which can be a sometimes interesting situation for a forty-seven-year-old slob like me.</em><br />
<br />
<em>Currently they're out of town, and I have to admit, it's strange:</em><br />
<br />
<em>*No pasta dishes</em><br />
<br />
<em>*No vegetables</em><br />
<br />
<em>*I don't have to leave the toilet seat down</em><br />
<br />
<em>*The phone isn't ringing as much. (I finally told one solicitor to call back in a few weeks.)</em><br />
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<em>*No political talk around the house</em><br />
<br />
<em>*I'm not being chided about my horrendous posture</em><br />
<br />
<em>You know what? <strong>I miss them. </strong></em>M.T. Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10300064390675063119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2526946437506327037.post-54180389267823478302011-09-11T06:48:00.000-07:002011-09-11T06:48:43.730-07:00It's Not Always Easy<em>Cliff Robertson passed away this weekend. He was best known for his acting, most particularly his Oscar-winning performance in <strong>Charly</strong>. What Robertson should be remembered most fondly for is his stand against corruption, and how it cost him. </em><br />
<br />
<em>In 1977, Robertson was notified by the IRS he hadn't filed on $10,000 paid to him by Columbia Pictures. The actor had no idea what they were talking about, and learned David Begelman, the studio head, wrote a check to Robertson, then forged his name. It was learned he eventually had done this with other people to the tune of $65,000. Robertson was the only one who took action, and Begelman was sentenced to community service and a $5,000 fine. He would eventually lose him job, but take over MGM.</em><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrlZLFIIRXzvDNtXbh1gHcP_NJ0mTYUoHSvxuYABuX5HYR36IuojS0D6_yHOvQJtQWqLhLsVxv6W1FOXJDL_dHvq9AG20Ms4lnpmn8oIFuVZQ9dZoxLohFGHpiUKDx-jOCwVDdpiO_t48/s1600/cliff-robertson-sized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" nba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrlZLFIIRXzvDNtXbh1gHcP_NJ0mTYUoHSvxuYABuX5HYR36IuojS0D6_yHOvQJtQWqLhLsVxv6W1FOXJDL_dHvq9AG20Ms4lnpmn8oIFuVZQ9dZoxLohFGHpiUKDx-jOCwVDdpiO_t48/s200/cliff-robertson-sized.jpg" width="158" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cliff Robertson</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<em>Robertson, who had been warned not to make this public, didn't work in Hollywood for four years. Throughout all this, the friends who had told him, "Cliff, if you ever need anything, call me," refused to take his calls. When he was finally hired again, he was never again a leading man. Whenever he was in a film, the billing would be "and Cliff Robertson" or "with Cliff Robertson." The thing is, everyone would say they knew he had been right, but-- and never finished their sentence.</em><br />
<br />
<em>MGM didn't fare well under Begelman, who eventually went bankrupt. His contract wasn't renewed, and he committed suicide in his hotel room.</em><br />
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<em>Actor/writer Chris Lemmon is Robertson's stepson, and he wrote of what a fine man he was. He said that Robertson was always there for him, and he remembered that more than the man's acting ability. Robertson's stand was a perfect example of what an outstanding man he was.</em><br />
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<em>He knew the consequences he was facing when he made his stand, yet he made it. Yet to this day, he's remembered not only for being a fine actor, but for someone who was wronged by Hollywood. On the other hand, Begelman has gone down in history as a thief and blackmailer (That's another story.).</em><br />
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<em>Things might have been harder for him for doing things honestly, but I think I would have rather been Cliff Robertson than the 'successful' David Begelman any day of the week. At least Robertson could look himself in the mirror with pride, and gave us an example to follow.</em><br />
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<em>We need to remember that example every day, and follow the Robertsons of the world, not the Begelmans. It's harder to follow the first, but the end consequences of the latter aren't worth it. </em><br />
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<em>Mizpah</em>M.T. Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10300064390675063119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2526946437506327037.post-4448795680316094432011-09-08T04:46:00.000-07:002011-09-10T07:04:17.220-07:00If Only . . .<em>When I was a kid, Bill Bixby starred in a series entitled 'The Courtship of Eddie's Father,' based on the Glenn Ford movie. The theme song went, "People, let me tell you `bout my best friend . . ."</em><br />
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<em>Well, that's what I'm going to do this morning. Some of you are going to roll your eyes, and as a matter of fact, you're going to quit reading about now, but I have a reason for this, so be patient with me.</em><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTVulNaeZrDBx-tvmdJXZy2gxYSCia38kYCSx1rI9gILvRS3PEwaR0bK-OrQSbnyRYC3nerg1xEzrOXSWBHL8m_xwMa4FcKZrTBo6BDJjpmOzwBbA28zMBTRoGEns31KzK_UMFhpBmaYw/s1600/Thatcher+Buddies+00001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" nba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTVulNaeZrDBx-tvmdJXZy2gxYSCia38kYCSx1rI9gILvRS3PEwaR0bK-OrQSbnyRYC3nerg1xEzrOXSWBHL8m_xwMa4FcKZrTBo6BDJjpmOzwBbA28zMBTRoGEns31KzK_UMFhpBmaYw/s320/Thatcher+Buddies+00001.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><em>My cat Cricket's my pal, and I know . . everyone says it's supposed to be a dog. But Cricket likes to prance after me wherever I go. She lets me know at 9 in the evening it's bedtime -- - even if I'm not sleepy. If my insomnia awakens me, she'll get up with me, then tap me on the back at 5 to let me know it's her feeding time. (I get up around then.) </em><br />
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<em>Of course, if I sleep past 5, she lets me know when it's time to get up. I've been boxed, bitten on the toe, jumped on, walked on (her favorite), and meowed in the face quite pitifully. In short, I never have to set the alarm.</em><br />
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<em>When I work on my writing, I do it by hand. She lets me know a lap is a terrible thing to waste, and it makes writing that much harder, but you know what? It also is that much more enjoyable, as I'm doing it with my best friend.</em><br />
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<em>My mother's dog - - whom Cricket and I consider to be our adversary- - is every bit as loyal. (I cannot mention her name in this, as Cricket has not given me permission.) When Mom was taken to the hospital with a heart attack last year, the dog was devastated, and stayed at the side of my mother's bed for hours, even though she wasn't there. I tried persuading her to go outside (She has a bladder the size of a pea, so I knew she was agonizing.), and she wouldn't. or eat (Her appetite is huge.) and she wouldn't do either. As a matter of fact, the only moving she would do was to go to the bathroom door. That lasted well into the next day.</em><br />
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<em>The recent story of the young soldier who perished and his dog at his funeral has been well documented as well.</em><br />
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<em>Now I ask you this . . . . Why aren't we as people as loyal as our pets? Why don't we give each other the loyalty, the love, the kindness, that our animals give? As a matter of fact, when someone is being insulted, they're a 'dog.' A snide remark is 'catty.' You know, after watching our pets, we need to re-evaluate those terms. I don't think we humans have the right to be on the same level with dogs and cats at times, as we don't have the love and loyalty as they do.</em><br />
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<em>Mizpah.</em>M.T. Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10300064390675063119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2526946437506327037.post-79142449022494956582011-09-02T05:33:00.000-07:002011-09-02T05:33:06.175-07:00We Never Realize<em>The other day, I was checking my page at Facebook, and noticed a message from someone I didn't know. Those particular messages one tends to be careful of, as they generally start out, "Hey Handsome . . ." (What makes those interesting is my photo is one of my grandfather when he was in his late seventies!)</em><br />
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<em>Yet this message was from a woman who is married to a fellow I went to grade school with, and haven't seen in nearly forty years. Needless to say, I've never met her. She let me know her husband remember me as I was an epileptic, and they have two boys, ages six and seven, who are autistic. In her words,</em> "John has recognized a lot of behaviors in our sons because of his interactions with you and it has helped him to better understand you as a child and our children as they grow. I just wanted to let you know that whether you know it or not you have had an enormous impact on many people." <br />
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<em>Wow. Needless to say, that hit me right between the eyes. I'm not bragging my posting this, but it makes one think about the effect we have on others without realizing it. It also makes us think about our behavior, and how we need to keep an eye on it. One should set a sterling example, as we never know who is watching, and what they are picking up from us.</em><br />
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<em>John has set a sterling example, and I am very proud of him. He has shown himself to be an excellent father I know there are others who watch him, his not knowing it. It continues . . . </em><br />
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<em>Mizpah</em>M.T. Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10300064390675063119noreply@blogger.com0