I’d like to know know what really happened. Then again, that would likely put a bull’s eye on my back wouldn’t it. But then who would be those wanting to silence me? I’d really like to know.
Note: auto spell correction sometimes gets it wrong. Originally it changed my spelling of assassination because I dropped an s. Sorry, I did not notice it right away.
The prompt has a false premise. I would not even consider getting a tattoo for any reason or at any time.
I find them digusting!
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I saw a sign that defined a coincidence as God working undercover. It is a thought. Many times we mark things up as coincidence that might be miracles. On the other hand, I suspect there are things we claim God did that were really simple coincidence. Just because God foreknows a thing does not mean he caused it. To be sure, sometimes when things happen, I become convinced that it is because God is punishing me. The truth is, mostly I don’t know.
I am very fascinated by the concept of coincidence, both in my personal life and in history. The D-Day invasion, if you closely study it, is a long list of coincidences. Or, perhaps they are caused by the hand of God, beginning with the weather. Had it not cleared on 6 June, the whole thing might have been a total disaster. I suspect Gen Ike would be one of the first to call it an act of God. On the other hand, most of the German leaders would fuss it was a horrible coincidence.
Certainly, I have had my experience with coincidence. I guess, for the most part, they were to my benefit. Some were perhaps to my benefit though I thought not at the time. must admit that God has been very good to me.
I guess there was one weird time that made me seem like the smartest computer field engineer on earth. They had been working on the thing 4 days and the customer was threatening to tell our company to just take it out.
As I was in route on the plane, there all sorts of things going through my mind, wondering what the problem might be. I was not told in advance of the symptoms so I suspected I would not do any better than the 4 previous engineers.
It is a long technical story, however, the sort story is, I told the engineers on sight to use a screwdriver to tighten some screws instead of hand tight. They objected. They logical, I had to admit, to this day.
They tightened the screws snug and 3 minutes later the computer came to life. The truth is, I’m not a genius, though I certainly appeared to be. The truth was, coincidentally, I saw the same problem a couple of weeks earlier. I knew how to fix the problem because I had fought for hours with the same problem for many frustrating .
The hitch, as I think back over the situation, I should have faked having a bunch of trouble fixing it. A. It would have made me look smarter, because I made the problem look too simple. I never even picked up a tool or a piece of test equipment. I mean, if it was that easy to fix. I didn’t need to be so smart. B. It made my predecessors look bad. I fixed the problem in three minutes. Why were they unable in four days. Actually, the bunch of them were likely better engineers than me and quickly they had egg on their faces, which, in a way, made my company look bad. C. I really wish they would have described the problem to me on the phone. I could have given them the solution more quickly and they would have been the heroes.
As mentioned before, I do have a curiosity about coincidences. The Bible speaks of many that I will like to discuss firsthand when I get the opportunity. And also there are the ones that occurred during the Revolutionary War, and WWII. It has increased my curiosity over the years.
Because of this curiosity, I have written a book that explores the idea of coincidence. It is called, “The Coincidence Theory,” in which a pair of Los Angeles detectives try to solve crimes while dealing with seemingly impossible coincidences.
If you would like, you can order the book from Amazon.com. Just look up Ben Rhodes and The Coincidence Theory. I won’t mind if you look at a few more of my books too, more than 35.
I have written on this many times before, without the prompt. I will likely write on it many more times. It’s one thing that cannot be overly stressed. Reason being, most of what most people learn will be from reading. When a person can’t read, or reads poorly, it will become a serious learning disability. Those that read well, read rapidly, and read with comprehension will always have the advantage over all of his peers.
Writing, speaking, math and science are all foundation subjects. However, it all starts with reading. Don’t get me wrong. History is very important but history is learned primarily through reading. That makes reading more important than history.
More importantly, it permits the truth to be easily hidden from those who can’t or won’t read.
As my aside, bear in mind, the importance of selecting the school for your children one of the most important decisions you will make for him. It makes your ability to make that choice very critical.
Even more so, anyone given the task of teaching reading should be immediately replaced if he doesn’t do it, regardless of why.
It was the first week of boot camp by one of my drill instructors. “Never own more than you can carry on your back.”
At the time, it seemed so, so foolish. Over time, I realize it was me who was foolish. You see, if you own too much stuff you will realize that it will be your stuff that will own you.
When a city is run properly, people go there. When run improperly they leave.
Ever since Memphis has been run by Democrats, crime has increased, school quality has decreased and people have been leaving.
I realize that this prompt was not intended to aimed at this subject, but after considering, I realize it is totally appropriate. Yes, things did happen and yes it was for a reason and likely to continue. Currently, people do continue moving north, south, east and west of Memphis, as do businesses. The businesses go where the people go. It’s just the old cause and affect.
Maybe it’s not right to provide two, but they fit two purposes.
“The most important thing, is to keep the the most important thing, the most important thing. “
It is so easy to get side tracked so as to forget the most important thing. I don’t want to admit it, but I certainly did, and more than once.
“That that is so, is so. That that is not, is not. Is not that so?”
You have to admit that is hard to argue with, though there are those that try. I am sure you can think of a few with little effort.
Just for fun, let me include this old one that was a favorite of my brother. He was all the time slightly misquoting it.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I stand before you, to stand behind you, to speak to you about that which I know nothing about.”
Sort of sounds like a few Democrats as they speak on their great knowledge about genders. Maybe someone needs to call the first two quotes to their attention. I mean those that are men are men. Those that are women, are women. Is not that so?
Many people underestimate the genuine value of speaking confidently before a group. While some naturally excel at public speaking, most overlook its importance altogether.
However, the reality is that someone who speaks persuasively commands considerable power. Conversely, a lawyer who doesn’t sound knowledgeable cannot effectively advocate for their client.
It’s remarkable how many college graduates lack strong communication skills, particularly in speaking. One significant challenge in public speaking is their inability to project their voice effectively. They might deliver insightful remarks to an audience, yet fail to connect because no one can hear their mumbled words.
I have consistently emphasized that when selecting a litigation lawyer, ensure he commands attention in the courtroom. Often, success hinges less on what is said than on how it is delivered. Some people become more persuasive simply because of their delivery style.
The neighbors have taken several cruises and thoroughly enjoyed them. I imagine I would too, though perhaps not to the same degree. I’m uncomfortable with the idea of being surrounded by thousands of miles of open ocean. I’ve experienced that before, just not on a large cruise ship. It’s certainly not something I aspire to do.
Some people dream of visiting Paris or Rome, and I have to admit, I might actually enjoy that. It would be wonderful to see the Eiffel Tower, the Colosseum, or even the ancient ruins of Greece. I’m genuinely drawn to visiting Israel—I could easily spend weeks there. Beyond these destinations, I can’t imagine wanting to explore anywhere else.
However, my greatest dream is to visit nearly every state across the United States. I don’t think that will happen—not unless I find a million-dollar check in my mailbox very soon.
I’m not sure if this is relevant, but it was my first instinct when I encountered the prompt. Either way, I hope you’ll be understanding of my response.
I was a L/Col (E3) sitting in a class on radar, the second-to-last phase of a 16-week electronics course. The class consisted of 25 students. There were 4 of us Marines, one from the Coast Guard, and the rest were sailors. One of the sailors was a woman, fairly attractive, and also something of a firecracker.
As I mentioned, I was simply absorbing every word the instructor shared. For reasons I couldn’t explain, he suddenly paused and studied me intently. Then he commented on my ears. It was nothing unusual. Had I possessed the financial means, I might have considered cosmetic surgery for my ears and nose. I had grown accustomed to such remarks.
It’s what happened next that made me want to disappear into a foxhole. Suddenly, in response to the instructor’s remark, the woman said, “Don’t knock my necking partner.”
I understood the remark, and so did the instructor. The room erupted in laughter, and everyone’s eyes turned toward me. Their faces all posed the same unspoken question. It was one of those moments best left unexplained. Any attempt to clarify would only have made things worse. To this day, I’d wager most of the class still has no idea why that remark landed the way it did.
So, please let me explain. For some unknown reason, I was paired with her as a lab partner. The awkwardness was that we frequently needed to look at a 5 inch scope and examine the trace across it. At first we were both careful not to put our heads too close together. As time passed, we became more careless.
As the instructor circulated around the room, he timed it perfectly to see us closely examining the small scope, and, of necessarily close to each other. In humor, he asked what was going on. He knew. We knew he knew. Then the woman said, “Don’t you know, he’s my necking partner?”
If that had been all, the matter would have ended there. Then the instructor asked about my ears.
I’ve always suspected she might have felt more deeply about me. I may have even asked her out once or twice. But the timing and circumstances weren’t right. In a few weeks, our paths would diverge. Still, I think of her from time to time, wondering how she’s doing. Perhaps I should have suggested we stay in touch by mail. It’s one of those questions I’ll never have answered.
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