100 year old Henry Kissinger made a personal visit to the top decision makers in China this week.

He said he was not representing the American Government, but was acting on his own as an American citizen.

His message was that China and America should treat one another as equals.

This would necessitate that each country must demonstrate respect for the other.

Kissinger, of course, is well aware of the growing animosity between both governments and hoped he could act as a mediator.

I can’t imagine how grueling the flight all the way to China must have been for a person 100 years of age.

But, that’s what PATRIOTS do!

He is an example for all of us.

Do you send greeting cards anymore?

Many of us have decided it’s easier and much less time consuming to fire off a text or email.

It, however, just doesn’t make the same impression as a greeting card does.

It takes NO EFFORT to text or email.

My wife does and always has sent greeting cards for various occasions.

She goes to the Dollar Store, takes her time to find the perfect card and pays 50 cents per card.

Of course, she then has to address the envelope, include a personal message inside the card and mail it off.

Yes, it requires more time and effort, but it is greatly appreciated.

I don’t recall so many people making so many bad decisions.

It’s like the earth is spinning off its axis.

You know what I’m talking about.

So, how do we deal with it?

I really believe we must not allow bad decisions and their consequential bad results to affect the otherwise daily beauty of our lives!

So, the way we can cope with chaos is not to let it walk through the front door of our lives.

We cannot and should not allow the chaos to keep us awake at night nor disrupt any other facet of our lives.

Although the world around us is chaotic, can’t we bring some orderliness to way we conduct our personal lives?

I say “yes.”

If not today, when?

Thieves have found a new way to steal your money.

It would appear that this is done in co-operation with someone at the post office.

They are seeing a check that is being mailed to pay a bill.

They take the check and just change the amount and the name of the payee.

It has all the appearance of a legitimate check.

With all the invasions of computers over the Internet, you would think that this form of thievery would necessitate getting into a computer.

Not so, all they need is your check.

One way to protect yourself from this type of thievery is to pay ALL your bills with credit cards.

Unfortunately, we are under a daily siege by people who would do us harm.

Protect yourself.

If not today, when?

The global private jet fleet has more than doubled in the last two decades and the market is on fire, with new industry records set for transaction and dollar volume in 2021 and 2022, according to a new report by the US Institute for Policy Studies.

Private jets emit at least 10 times more pollutants than commercial planes per passenger, disproportionately contributing to the aviation sector’s climate impact, according to the report, which was published in May 2023.

Amid these concerns, one private jet owner has decided to scale back.

Stephen Prince, vice-chair of the Patriotic Millionaires – a group of wealthy Americans pushing for higher taxes which also contributed to the report – is giving up his Cessna 650 Citation III to help save the environment.

Books open up the world, past, present and future.

And you can choose which world you want to experience.

Recently, I read the book, D-Day by Stephen Ambrose.

It was so engrossing, I couldn’t put it down.

And it was a reminder that there is nothing like “A GOOD READ!”

The author does all the research so you can be the beneficiary.

There are books on fiction, non-fiction, self-help and documentary.

Expand your views on the world

If not today, when?

An aggressive sea otter in California is hassling locals by riding boards she stole from surfers.

Steamer Lane is a legendary point break nestled along the rocky shores of Santa Cruz.

It is home to swaths of experienced surfers, as well as a 5-year-old female sea otter with a growing reputation for repeatedly confronting surfers and kayakers.

Videos across social media show the otter hoisting itself out of the ocean and onto boards while surfers sit back in awe.

At times she’s chewed on the boards or forced surfers to surrender their boards altogether.

Onlookers in the videos can be heard laughing in jest at surfers’ misfortune, but officials with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service say the otter poses a public safety risk. (NPR)

(Quote from Thomas Jefferson)

We’ve lost he virtue of HONESTY in our political discourse.

I guess there has always been some meddling with the facts, but not the blatant disregard for the truth that we hear on a daily basis.

And if our country’s leaders lie to us, what is the “TRICKLE DOWN EFFECT” on future generations?

Yesterday, I heard that Bank of America was fined $150 million dollars for creating phony accounts and over-charging fees.

What happened to, “Always do the right thing because it is the right thing to do?”

If you are a parent, you must be the ULTIMATE TEACHER of and ROLE MODEL to your children.

Please lead them in the path of truth.

If not today, when?

There are many ways to keep THE LOVE ALIVE!

You’ve got to be resourceful.

Forget yourself and think of the occasions that make your partner happy.

Maybe it’s a favorite restaurant.

Maybe it is a certain article of clothing.

Maybe it is a certain kind of vacation.

Let’s get old fashioned for a minute and bring flowers home today!

Maybe it is to perform a task that makes your partner’s load a little lighter.

Maybe it is to give a “Thank You” to your partner for something he or she has done for you.

Maybe it is to go out with a couple you don’t particularly enjoy.

Maybe it is to say “I Love You” more often.

In summary, your goal is to help your partner be as happy as possible!!!

If not today, when?

A definition: The quality of moderation or self control.

My dad’s favorite saying was: “Everything in moderation.”

And that means EVERYTHING!

When you see the word “Temperance,” you probably think of the restrained use of ALCOHOL.

Yes, that is the most obvious usage of the word.

Do you, however, live ALL the various aspects of your life with temperance?

The next category after alcohol would be POSSESSIONS.

If you have an abundance of possessions or wealth, do you practice compassion by sharing them with the less fortunate?

If not today, when?