ABSILVER's World

I am past the half way point in life... give or take a few years.   (My birthday snuck past Facebook which I am truly happy about!) Some I want to give and some I want to take!  I have been living in top ten's in my head so here goes the top ten things I know from the last year(s). 1) Make sure you are pursuing your dream and not someone else's.  Define your success by your happiness not someone elses desires for you or how the world wants you to be.   Pursuing your life based on others desires for you causes you to behave and do things that are not natural for you, doesn't make you happy, and in the end doesn't allow you to live up to your potential. 2) You must first identify the challenges of prejudice to combat and discard them from your life. We all want to be color blind, believe we are innocent of prejudice and treat everyone the same. But, reality is that you have to identify your inner prejudices to actually overcome them.  People who say they are the

What is the value of a human life? I sit here in fear this morning.  At moments such as the killings in Paris, I feel like I have something to say and yet I sit in fear this morning of sharing my feelings and opinions.  Why?  Because there is so much being said about this tragedy and the death of the terrorists that carried this out by people close to me, by others on the Internet, and across the news channels that I wonder what can I add to the discussion. But, there was a post on Facebook from a Rabbi who said the world would have been better off if this man who carried out this evil attack had never been born.  Then I decided I couldn’t stay silent any more. It racked my brain to think what if these men had never been born?  What is the value of a human life and who makes that decision as to how we as humans evaluate the value of each other.  Make no mistake if this man had not been born, we would not be sitting here today discussing his death and the heinous crime he hel

Brian Silverman's Top Ten List 1) Ohio not passing monopolized Marijuana is interesting in that people seemed more concerned about the business aspects than the actual legalization of marijuana. 2) Kentucky elects a more conservative governor after putting democrats in office for a long time.  With the issue of Kim Davis, gay marriage challenges and more this would have seemed to me a bigger deal than the legalization of marijuana in Ohio. 3) Houston can elect and reelect an out lesbian mayor but can't agree to protect her rights against discrimination.  Not sure I am surprised but certainly disappointed but more so because the rhetoric that caused defeat was about men freely being able to go into women's bathrooms.  4) I want to see the Peanuts Movie. (Yes this can't all be too serious for a Wednesday).  Not sure why it appeals to me so much as an adult but they have done a great job promoting it to adults as well as children. 5) Orphan B

How do you write about your Muse? I believe, except for Rhonda Perling, and outside of family I have known Glen longer than anyone.  Not just an acquaintance but we were friends since I was in second grade.  He came to Savannah from Cleveland, and I always felt like an outsider at Savannah Hebrew Day School and having a new friendly face in the class room helped.  Glen and I became friends and spent many a day or evening at his house with him his family and their dog Lassie I believe. One memory from those years, was his fmaily had gotten a swimming pool and I think Glen had Bennie Elkins, and myself over to go swimming.  We enjoyed the pool, but he also had gotten a box set of Carpenter Music (wonder if it was a first "box sext").   He and I in particular enjoyed splitting the music and the pool time and was quite fun. After Day School, we would run into each other at the JEA and always had friendly times together but we didn't hang out as much till he went off to

First and foremost, I hope Glen Dynin feels better soon!  He inspires me to write many times even when I would choose not to and want to hear all of his comments and jokes on my writing! OK.. Here are some random thoughts.. some that may get me in trouble...:) 1) The clerk in Kentucky has every right not to issue marriage licenses.  Because, she can resign her job and someone else can be put in the position that will obey the law.  The issue here is simple, does a government official have the right to disobey the highest court in the land and not follow agreed to law of the country? The answer must be no or there would be anarchy everywhere.  Courage would be to resign and campaign against or do whatever her heart believes is right, but to continue to take a paycheck for a job one is refusing to lawfully complete is to be a coward not a hero. 2) I am sorry, to fly over to Israel as a senator and negotiate on how to undermine the president of the United States sounds closer t

Two turtles humping... Yes, you read it right.  Yesterday, Daisybelle and I go walking in the park.  An unusual time of day as was around 5:30pm and honest was quite hot.  She walked and huffed and puffed.  Pretty smart, she knows where the water fountains are and if she is thirsty she will pull me in that direction.  We have one of these portable bowls and they are the perfect answer.  So, she was hydrated and off we walk around. Birch Park even in the heat is amazing, and we walked some more.. and she even walked up to the intra-coastal like she wanted a dip.  We are walking back to the car, and there are a few things I dislike.  They say confession is good for the soul, and walking in the park the Segways are annoying.  So, Daisybelle and I are at the crosswalk when two people on Segways are on there way by and as they reach us I notice two turtles in the sand playing so it appeared. But, no, not playing because one was sort of nipping at the other.  The two tourists on Segway

What have I learned from Daisybelle? We are one week from an auspicious anniversary.  On July 13th, a hapless Sunday last year, Sebrina dropped off a rescue at Frank's door.  She was the second rescue actually in about a month.  I didn't want to meet her if she was not going to be here long as I fall in love with dogs easily and didn't want my heart broken.  But, as life has it her rescue started a whole new life chapter for me and Frank. Daisybelle came here at about 43lbs.  She was at the pound, and apparently was not able to eat and was on her last days as because of her weight she was not adoptable.  But, Sebrina saw something in her and then Frank, and now she is 53 lbs. of healthiness.  She has changed our lives for the better, and that would only begin to describe what she has brought to us.  She helped us understand that by watching each other interact and love her who we are and would be with each other.   So.. I thought I would take a moment i

Is it important that South Carolina take down the Confederate Flag from their capital?  Yes, of course it is! Even more so in the aftermath of such a hateful and disastrous killing at the Church of Emanuel this symbol of the past, of slavery, of segregation and hate must come down. At the same time, we should not let this be how we manifest a healing from this incident I am sorry to say.  We first must recognize that this was a crime of hate, of bias, of racism, from a young man that was taught or learned to believe on his own that he was superior to others.  Not because of the deeds he did to help others.  Not because he was bright and graduated to become a researcher.  Not because he went to that church to learn from others and experience a worshiping congregation that is warm and loving.  No, it is because the color of his skin is white.  On top of that, he was taught to believe other colors of skin, most notably black, are inferior to his own. If we walk away pulling

OK... Have you Seen Grace and Frankie on Netflix? First, I love Jane Fonda and Lilly Tomlin, and I really want to like this show.  But, it has some problems... that may or not be apparent to those of you of the straight persuasion.  Or maybe, you do? First, Jane Fonda looks great and I am jealous that she is 77 and looks maybe 60.  Whomever is her surgeon should get an award and maybe she is living proof that yoga and the workout tapes really were a missed opportunity for me in my earlier life. Second, and more seriously, there is more chemistry between Jane Fonda and Lilly Tomlin in the first three minutes of the show than there is in the whole show between Martin Sheen and Sam Waterston.  Jane Fonda lights up the screen and Lilly Tomlin is the new age mother one may have wished for.  When they are bantering together there is real charm and honestly as long as Jane Fonda is in the scene the show is bearable. Whomever writes the parts for Martin Sheen and Sam Waterston doe

Does Elon Musk care that you drive a Tesla?  Maybe that is the fuel (dollars) to change the world of energy consumption. Think about the Wild West of this country of years gone by.  Where a settler would saddle up a horse or two to a covered wagon and go to what was the wilderness.   Maybe have a few seeds to plant on his or her arrival, but would have little in terms of resources but the promise of free land or gold.  Those promises were enough for their family to take the chance of leaving the relative comfort of the east coast of the USA and head west. That pioneer was dependent on the land for the resources his family needed.  Whether it was water from a well, plants they grew in a garden, and possibly even the resources to build their home and settle into a new world. What if we envision a new pioneer today?  Taking the same approach but with a modern age twist?  The Pioneer saddles up her SUV and a trailer.  Drives to a space of land in some wilderness.  First thing

I still miss OS/2. Many years ago, in a far gone world of IT, there once was a Goliath known as IBM.  In those days, say 30 years ago, the Goliath of the computer world had a dominant position in what was a growing computer market.  That Goliath was known to visit antitrust courts and issues on a frequent basis.   Whether is was supplying punch cards, only leasing computers, or finding creative markets to dominate IBM was the Goliath of the early computer industry.  Along with these products was the venerable and reliable typewriters that IBM was well known for, and probably were at the heart of "nobody got fired for buying IBM". Then IBM, for whatever may be humorous or some kind of knee jerk reaction to a new market, launched the first PC.  This machine created an opportunity by leveraging other's technology for a new open market.  In this era of early Intel processors, Microsoft operating systems, and even Lotus 123 spawned a new dawn of accessible and affordab

Who Rescued Whom? I sit here in Fort Lauderdale on the beginning of a New Year 2015.  I am typically asleep by the time the ball drops, so this year would have been the same, except for a four legged family member who has changed my life and happens to get spooked by fireworks. 2015 doesn't start with a bang, as truthfully that bang was in July.  A Full moon celebration, where I asked the universe for a puppy, and my life changed.  Where a puppy didn't arrive for me, but for what turned into us, and as the beginning of a New Year beckons my life is changing. The lesson is clear, be careful what you ask the universe for and make sure to keep your doors, windows, mind and most importantly your heart open for what life can bring.  Remember, with your eyes open as you look to help others, rescue a dog, the person getting the love and final rescue may just be you. Here is wishing all of you a happy, healthy and love filled New Year!