ABSILVER's World

Electrolux buying GE appliances:  I think this is a good thing.  GE Appliances look and generally run well.. but frankly my Electrolux based dishwasher (Kenmore branded) has to be by far the best dishwasher I have owned.  It is small, but cleans like twice its size. Show Tunes: I love Broadway.  I love Broadway Musicals, and most of them on film.  But, going to a bar to watch them and drink is not on my top ten list of things to do.  (Just sharing Mark).  Doesn't make sense but it is what it is. Joan Rivers :  I am tired of what being written is about her career.  I don't think she was more crude than the male comics, just her comedy was well female oriented.  She said what she felt, made us look at ourselves honestly.  Not only that, she was a humanitarian and good to her family, and charities she cared about.   Barbra Streisand:  Her production team must be the best social media marketers of all time.  This ...

It makes no sense.  I sit here on a Thursday afternoon working, and planning for two workshops that are on the horizon.  All good...  but now I am sad. I sat through hearing about Robin Williams passing, and feeling bad for a man tortured enough to want to take his own life.  Thinking how genius is not a cure all or maybe can be contrary to sanity and mental health. Then Lauren Bacall died.  I read her first autobiography and was marveled by her, but she was a young 89 and passed away so here I sat and stayed quiet. Now today, it is Joan Rivers.  She went and did a concert the evening before last Thursday, and left them laughing.  Wakes up the next morning, goes in for what one would think was a simple procedure on her throat and a week later now she has passed away.  When you saw interviews of her she would say this is how she would want to go, and going out on top she did.  Man, could there be a point in her career where she w...

I know...  people get depressed.  Some people have a chemical imbalance or challenges in their soul that they can't shake.  But here I sit in the middle of my condo wondering about Robin Williams, as many of you do.  I have a blog here, and I write, and yet I feel somewhat at a loss for words but.. I will try. I have been depressed at times, as I assume we all are.   I have walked across an occassional bridge concerned about falling into the highway and wondering how long before I would be missed.  But, my reaction has always been to walk closer to the curb and keep walking.  As Windston Churchill said, "If you're going through hell, keep going."  Don't stop, for lack of a kinder term, living! Why could such a brilliant man not speed up?  what will be his challenges that were so ornerous to his mind that moving on to be with his friend Christopher Reeves was the right choice.  Think about the comparison, one man who was kept alive by...

I feel like an Armadillo at times.  Hard shell, gets around well, and sometimes even a little cute.  If I have a moment, of exposed anxiety, I remember there is a shell around me and I just keep trudging forward.  The faster I move, walk or execute an idea the less likely that thin skinned underbelly will show and I will get hurt.  So, I sit here this morning feeling like an Armadillo on his back, legs and feet scrambling trying to get back on his feet to have that shell protect him once again. It doesn't happen to me often.   Miss Daisy Bell spent the night here, and she was amazing.  The weather yesterday was pretty horrible but she managed to keep her wits about her. (OK she did what dogs do, she slept all day).   She didn't run out in the rain too much, and actually seemed to find a way to walk under the umbrella with me.  So, we had an OK day sitting at home in the rain.  She seems to be eating well.  Slowly gaining...

I feel like a hamster. One who sees a wheel, and jumps on board. Can't stop running. Calls it exercise but really, just can't stop going. Maybe it isn't a hamster. It is a Bunny. Like the Eveready brand. Keeps going, and going and going. Possibly, a mouse. One trying to learn that maze. To get to some water, or possibly a nibble of kibble. But, wondering why I am in the maze in the first place. Or, just a rat. One that is in a race. Looking for the cheese, but somebody moved it. Looking for some nourishment. Nourishment, not for the stomach. Nourishment for the mind. To nourish one's soul. Maybe open one's heart. Need to be human. Realize the luxury of choice. I can open doors to cages. Doors to be opened are opportunities. I will choose the wheels to run, the mazes to navigate, the minds to nourish along with my own.

Some things to ponder: 1) I like to cook.  I am learning to expand and take more chances.  I love to cook for family and friends. 2) I like to mop.  It is a curse of laminate floors, but I can't help it.  I love a clean home. 3) I like good music which makes me smile.  I need lyrics, so it isn't just music.  I love to discover a new singer, or lyrics to match my mood. 4) I like to learn.  Reading, Researching and becoming wiser.  I love to be surprised by something new, even spiritual. 5) I like planned activities.  OK, this is partly false.  I find it hard to plan my personal life.  I love spontaneous moments of happiness. 6) I like wine.  I learned in California to respect the nuances of wine, not to the Napa standard, but to appreciate a unique red wine in particular.  I love a glass of wine on the beach with a good friend. 7) I like to travel.  I actually like traveling itself.  The adventur...

I happened to like ______ So, a good friend wrote about the One World Trade Center in New York.  Mentioning the unique design, the symbol of America it represents, and I added his comments also reflect the resilience and personality of New York since 9/11.  I have written about 9/11 a few times and this is not that moment. It made me think of how lucky we are in the United States.  There are so many unique cities in this country that have a very unique culture and energy.   Made me wonder what it takes to be a unique even symbolically a city people should visit.  Shall we say a destination? There are global cities we all know, through movies, through press, and some lucky enough to visit.  We can think of London and its history, its waterways, culture, and royal palaces.   Or Paris, and its wide boulevards museums, and fine art and dining.  Hong Kong and its harbor and ability to be a global presence on small pieces of Land....