ABSILVER's World

Three years ago a group of friends made a commitment to join a gym and work out.  I was listening to them and realized I needed a lifestyle change as they say, but couldn't pick myself up to go to the gym.  I had gone to the gym successfully in New Jersey, but living in South Florida the idea of going to the gym inside every day seemed to me to not take advantage of the climate and beauty of my surroundings. So, I made a commitment to me to get into better shape but do that one step at a time.  First, I started to walk to the beach from home.. about 2 miles.  I would stop on the way for coffee and even a scone at times but at least I got myself walking. Second, I gave up the scone and kept the coffee.  I was beginning to feel better about myself and I realized that exercise was good for my mind and body. Third, I felt bored with my hands.  At the time I was walking about 4 miles a day and decided to add weights to my wrists and walk with them.  Started o

I admire Mark Zuckerberg.  He is young, successful, and rich and has a vision for the value of a connected world. As part of that vision, he is building Facebook and its associated apps and platforms to support a world where everyone is connected, and everyone shares content about their lives and interests.  Is this desire to share our every thought, action and moment a native human trait?  Have we as humanity considered the effect this may have on our future? It could be a great idea.  We know the more we see, hear and talk to others that are different from ourselves that we lose our fear of them.  We learn about our differences, but realize in the end of the day that a mother and father love their children, that we all pursue happiness based on our unique culture, and hopefully all desire a peaceful planet.  We all focus on some of the same day to day priorities and so this sharing and online social world will help build a more tolerant world. I do worry, as someone who

I am not against Bernie Sanders, and I am grateful for some of the focus he has brought to the campaign. But, for the time we live in, I must agree with the New York Times that Hillary Clinton is by far the best candidate running for president and I am more than hopeful she will be our 45th president. Here are my top three reasons: Global Economy Destabilization by Lowering Oil Prices:  Yes we as a global community need to address the harms of global warming.  Yes, we need to reduce our dependencies on fossil fuels, but make no mistake this continuing to lower the cost and value of oil will destabilize the world especially the middle east.  Countries ranging from Russia, Venezuela and yes Iran are going to learn the impact of lower oil prices have on their economy. We need  a president who understands the global community, understands the proper role for the United States as the strongest nation militarily, economically and in leadership and will help protect us while also

Fortresses are nice at times, but home truly is where the heart is. . My world operates on a different plane sometimes.. Here I sit in a home that I once built as my fortress.  Close the door and all was in my control and everything I saw was me.  I had the condo remodeled.  This is my kitchen.  I do appreciate the appliances.  I remember the choices, my concessions, and the delight as the remodeling was complete and this became my home and fortress. I even know why some things don't look perfect.... I shared a story with Harry this week I have not shared with many.  I knew the gentleman who lived here before me.  He was a nice guy, and a good condo board member.  He worked with the sheriffs department, but also as many gay men, lived an estranged life from his family.  He died and the passing was one that everyone in this building took hard.  When I remodeled the condo I wanted it to be visibly not his place any more, but I also did not want to erase his karma from th

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