JWsPOV

     In recent days and this last week or so, there have been multiple posts on social media sites about Thanksgiving.  I as much as anyone else think the holidays are for spending time with families.  I believe in big dinners, games, conversations and even an adult beverage to tolerate those "family" members that work our last nerves.      The term Black Friday has been around for a long time (click link for more info.)  People have been going and shopping to save money for years. Retailers love this time of year because for a lot of them, it can mean staying open versus closing the doors.  Mom and Pop stores are the ones that over the years has been hit the hardest due to larger big box retailers moving into all areas of the country.      Criticism has also been put on some retailers for opening their doors on Thanksgiving Day.  People feel that workers should be allowed to spend time with their family.  O...

     Websters Dictionary defines Karma as: the force created by a person's actions that some people believe causes good or bad things to happen to that person.       This belief goes back to Hinduism and Buddhism in its origins.  How one lives their life now will determine how they will be in the their next life.  In my next life I want a lot of what I have now, just with more MONEY! :-)        I believe that if you are still under the assumption that POTUS and the current administration still has your best interest in this country, you need to un-friend me on Facebook, delete my number out of your phone, and go ahead and deport yourself to the nearest communist country (which is Cuba I believe.)        Lets just say that when you have a POTUS that wants to only use his personal reporters and photographers a majority of a time (not independents), there is something wrong with our government. ...

      Truth can be a double edged sword.  A lot of people seek it out of others and sometimes have a hard time in their own lives.  Truth can be a cold mistress at night, and also a ray of warmth in the daylight. Albert Einstein is quoted as saying, " Anyone who doesn't take truth seriously in small matters cannot be trusted in large ones either. " We all should take a look at the people in our lives, community, and even country to see who we can trust and who should be in control.       One of the greatest powers we hold as American citizens, is we hold the power to the country.  The founding fathers had faith in the people to make the right choices and to know what is best for this country.  Letting the government control so many aspects of our lives has not worked up to this point.        Our country was not founded on people wanting to make it the same for everyone. They found it and it has succeeded on p...

     One of my greatest pleasures in life is getting to see my nephews succeed.  No matter if its in school, work, football, cattle, or just life in general.  This is my nephews senior year in school and it seems like only yesterday that they were running around screaming laughing and jumping on beds.      Over the years we have all had to summon inner strength that has helped us move forward in life.  We find that strength in many different forms.  Some find it in friends, some find it in faith, others find it in family.  I am one of those people that finds it in all three.      When the boys were younger, their personalities formed quickly and very independent of each other.  I think what is funny is when they were younger, we really expected their personalities to veer into certain directions.  As they get older, they actually have followed that path pretty well.  They always surprise me more and...

     This seems like a an off title to my next blog.  I have always tried to write about whats on my mind and topics that I believe that matter the most to me and to others.  Right now this is what is on my mind.  I am Tired.      This can be a very open ended statement.  Why am I tired you might ask?  Well here are a few items: I am tired of listening to people in D.C. tell me they know what is best for me in Pottsboro, TX.   I am tired of adults always acting like they are in grade school and blaming a problem on someone else.  I am tired of people taking advantage of other people just because they can or think its ok.  I am tired of the government thinking they know everything about everything when they know nothing about anything.   I am tired of news organizations preaching like what they say is the gospel without even caring if they are preaching the truth.  I am tired of people believing tha...

     This might seem like an odd title to a blog.  It has to do with a lot that has been on my mind lately. For those that want to know I am 38 years old and most of my adult life has been in a leadership or managerial role.  The older I get the more I realize I like to fix problems.  No matter where the problem is located, I want to assist or fix the situation.      Today's media and instant access to information has been a great accomplishment of this century.  People have instant access to all sorts of information and knowledge.  There are some issues that are just now showing their signs.  The issues are not only with our children, it is with our adults as well.      Many see the end of the world as invasion by aliens, zombie attach, meteor attach or the burning up of the ozone layer.  Most of these are actually ridiculous options and  even recent reports show polar caps are not melting away. ...

When I was born the following events were happening in the U.S. and the world:  Jimmy Hoffa ex teamsters boss disappears never to be seen again Patti Hearst Becomes Most Wanted and is Arrested for armed robbery The UK implements the Sex Discrimination and Equal Pay Act New York City avoids bankruptcy when President Gerald R. Ford signed a $2.3 billion loan. Bill Gates and Paul Allen develop a BASIC program   for the Altair 8800 The  Vietnam War ends   as Communist forces take Saigon and South Vietnam surrenders unconditionally The British Conservative Party chooses it's first women leader, Margaret Thatcher Motorola obtains patent for the first portable mobile phone Sony introduces Betamax videotapes and Matsushita / JVC introduce VHS      These are some interesting items and ones that make you think I hope.  Most people do not even use VHS tapes anymore and many others have no clue about Patti Hearst.      I rece...

     With everything that is happening in our country.  There are people that still believe it's a guns fault that people are dying.  These are also the same people that think if we legalize marijuana no harm will come to anyone. These are the people that believe that only adults that use the drug and my kids will be fine.  People believed that if alcohol was outlawed it would be best for the country a long time ago.       These are all examples of problems that can not be legislated.  These are problems that can only be educated.  Children that grow up on farms and ranches or with families that hunt are taught the proper ways to handle a gun.  These are also the families that teach their kids morals and to know whats right from wrong.       Kids do not go and kill other people for the 'fun of it' .  Kids do not go out and shoot people at the early hours of the morning . This is a parenting...

      Recently an actor stood up at at the teen choice awards and made a speech, that in my opinion will make history . Click the sentence above for the link to the YouTube video.  People young and old need to hear this speech.  They need to hear it from their parents, their teachers, their counselors and even their friends.      When I was in college I did a few different jobs.  I worked on local farms in College Station, flipped burgers, and even on campus.  Those jobs were very important to the survival of me and my years in college. When I was out of college I actually started working in retail sales.  Within no time I was an assistant manager and within a year I was managing my own store.  There are a lot of reasons that I moved up so quickly.  One of the largest reasons is I wanted to do a good job even if it was sorting boots, straightening shelves and racks of clothes.      I also knew that I wou...

     I will be the first to admit that there are plenty of times when I do something or say something and I sound like a complete idiot.  This is a gift that god has blessed us all with at some point in time.      This last weekend Dad and I went to see family and some good friends. It's always great to get away for a relaxing weekend.  The one downside is I tend to not read a paper or check twitter or news stations.  This allows me to really clear my mind and not worry or think about too much while relaxing.      Monday's can be a drastic day for everyone if we allow it to be and give that power to others.  As I got home from a decent Monday I started really watching the news and catching up on the events over the last few days.  Lets sum items from recent stories over the last month that stand out to me. A man killed a young man that was beating his head against the pavement went free, found not guilty. A com...

     It may seem like a strange title, I hope its a blog that many will enjoy. Today was a Sunday where my Dad and me did not do a whole lot. We laid around the house after our outside chores were completed. Dad took a nap and I played on the computer.  One reason we were so tired is we hauled hay Friday evening and Saturday morning.      Friday was a day where I drove to work, about an hour, worked 8 hours, and drove home also about an hour.  Then went and hauled hay and unloaded it in the barn.  Went to bed and got up and did it again.  We still had calves to feed, water troughs to fill up and a high maintenance Chinese Pug to feed and walk.      This was all while it was very hot out and something a lot of people do in the summer time.  It's called hard work. This is something that some people are immune too.  There are people in this world that won't even live in a house they own because of all the extra ...

     For years, my family and I have gone to stock shows in the summer. There are two main shows we love to attend.  One is our State Junior Show.  It is for the Polled and Horned Juniors in the state of Texas.  The other is our National Junior Hereford Expo.  It is held in a different city in the United States each summer in July.5      The first time I ever attended one of these was in the summer of 85. It was our state Polled Hereford Show in Hillsboro, Texas.  The next summer we attended the state show and Junior Nationals. The nationals that summer was in Tulsa, Oklahoma.  The theme for the show was Tulsa Time '86.        With everything that has been going on in our country.  I am constantly amazed by how kind, generous and giving people are in the agriculture community.  You see, when a farmer grows a crop, they do not think about or worry about what person will get this food.  They...

     There are times in everyone's life when we have to stop and ponder our next steps. Sometimes it requires action on our part that may not be well received by others. When we as humans take those steps, it can sometime create that line in the sand.      It's a time on our life where we say, from this point forward, we will make a change. This could mean changing jobs, friends, or even locations. If anyone has ever done this step. It should be a lesson from what we did in the past and to learn from our mistakes and successes.       I believe that in order for all of us to move forward in life we sometimes have to make those hard choices. It should also mean, we will not go back and rehash old problems, we will move forward. It should mean we will not justify new wrongs, by past mistakes.  Learning from our mistakes should be a growth for us as humans.       Lets apply these simple principles to gove...

     It's been one of those weeks and it's that time of the year. When the sun goes down you are either finishing chores outside or starting dinner.  Either way I love it.  This has always been on of my favorite times of the year.  Yes I know it's hot, get over it.  I would rather sweat then freeze any day!      I am sitting here waiting on one of my nephews to get off work so I can drive him to a cattle show. We are leaving tonight and he will show tomorrow.  He will then turn around and come right back after the show to work again.  That makes me more proud then anything else.  Learning that the hard work you do pays off goes a long way.      This time of year is meant for meat on the grill, fresh veggies out of the garden, and homemade ice cream or deserts.  That is the way I grew up and it's the way I want to live.  There is a lot to be said for the convenience of living in town I suppose. ...

     Most weekday mornings on my way to work I listen to one particular station on the radio.  It's a country station and usually plays good mix of music and the morning host is not too annoying.  I drive about 45 minutes to work so it gives me a lot of time to think and ponder what it happening in my life or for that day.  There is some saying about idle hands are the devils playground.  We will not worry about that now! :-)       Everyday about the same time there is a segment that comes on called perceptions. It is by the minister of  a Methodist Church in the area.  The pasture is a woman and is very well spoken.  She hosts this segment and calls it perceptions.  She takes everyday scenarios, situations or peoples actions and provides a mini lesson.  It can be about a story or a tall tale even.  She is able to get her audience and even me, to think about situations and people in different ways. ...

        According to merriam-webster the meaning of ignorance is as follows :  the state or fact of being  ignorant   :  lack of knowledge, education, or awareness.       Well I think this sums up most of Washington, some companies, a lot of bosses, and at times myself.  I also think it sums up people who believe, left or right, straight or gay, young or old, that if you just turn your head away from a problem. Then the problem goes away.  In a word, NO! We all have to sit and face our  consequences.       I am always amazed at how different the posts on peoples websites, facebook, and tweets change. When POTUS does something right, they are all Hail to the Cheif.  When there is OBVIOUS flaws or something wrong, they either, scrutinize each little detail, or the other side posts items like, or look here, the rich are bad! Romney has a lot of money! All I can do is shack my head. ...

     There are a lot of times when we come to that place in the road and are trying to decide where to go, we ask ourselves, what is next. It could be at the end of a job, or the start of a new adventure.  Some people spend a lot of time wondering about what is next and trying to predict or change the outcome. I am a big believer in everything happens for a reason.       The question I have is why do we not make choices that benefit us now, and also benefit us down the road. So many times we will jump out of a situation instead of sticking it out in the tough times. There are times when we never see the light at the end of the tunnel.  Other times we see the light at the end and are not sure we can make it, or even want to make it to the end.        So what does all this babble mean? I believe that if more people make choices that benefit them and their families now, while still seeing a better end or light at the e...

     I started this post the other day and it was titled something else and decided to change it since people never cease to amaze me. I know a lot of people. They either worked with me, were one of my employees when I managed people, or friends and family.  I like to follow a wide variety of people on my twitter account.  I think it's important to get a well rounded idea of what people think and believe.      There are some horrific tragedies that have occurred in our country.   They are tragedies that we have seen in the past and will continue to see in the future.  We as Americans come together and support each other, we provide support, food, money, and a prayer.  All are important to the process of rebuilding their lives that have been destroyed.      Theordore Rosevelt was fond of the West African Proverb "Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far." Pretty good saying in my book. ...