The Boss

NEW YEAR PLANS

Welcome to your first email (?) of the new year. Made any plans for 2015? Remember Abraham after God told him to leave his familiar surroundings and start an adventure in a new frontier? That took a lot of guts. All he had going was a promise from a voice coming from a burning bush. For his troubles he started a heritage of children as many as the stars.

   It was an early New Year morning and I was a wild H.S. kid drinking beer with my uncles. In our drunken stupor someone suggested that we should greet the new year with the sun rising from the ocean. When you are drunk, any idea is a good idea. So the whole lot of us packed inside our cars and headed straight to the nearest beach. We waited and waited but the sun took forever. It was when the sun was already up that we realized a major flaw in our plan--- the beach was on the west side and the sun rises on the east.

   Some plans are made in heaven but most plans are as imperfect as the ones who conceive it. But let's not get discouraged about making plans for as they say: "to fail to plan is to plan to fail."

   Let's shoot for the stars this 2015. (And I'm talking to myself here). Who knows? We might just make it. And even if we don't, at least we would have nudged further from the safe unchanging static world of mediocrity.

"The Lord had said to Abram, 'Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.'"
--- Genesis 12

Wisdom from Rey of Simi Valley, CA

The Boss
Contributed by Don of Kelowna, B.C.

Videos of the week: (click on the picture and if it leads to a wrong link, go to the website where I will make the correction)

Stephen Colbert's Star-studded Farewell
Contributed by Raffy of Buena Park, California

Stephen Colbert bade his fans goodbye as he prepares for his new post as the Late Night Talk show host replacing David Letterman. Talk about connections! I didn't know he had so many celebrity fans willing to come over and do this number.

Rick Atchley's Inspiring Speech
Contributed by Ernie of New York

One of the better messages about education. It was addressed to college kids but it is relevant for people of all ages. I've told my kids that academics is just one layer of school. I told them to take advantage of friendships, sports and other activities.

Bella Voce Africa - "Brindisi"
Contributed by Tom of Pasadena, CA

We end with one an operatic number rendered by one of the few all-Black groups (at least, I am not aware of any other). Amazing pipes! Surprised there aren't many more of them. Have a wonderful start of 2015.