The Barron Blog

Wednesday, 9 May 2012

Personal Hells And Not So Personal Hells

In a dichotomized universe, the subject of Hell has been around for a long time. Obviously, how can you know good conditions unless you know what bad conditions are.
For most of us, the term developed concerning the wars between "The gods" and God (the old testament Yahweh). It was a place where God disposed of his enemies.
I believe the term was first used for the Anunnaki mining operations on Earth about 400,000 years ago. The Anunnaki were extraterrestrials who mined for gold and conducted genetic experiments on this planet. Their existence was revealed through ancient Sumerian texts.
Apparently, there was a power struggle amongst the Anunnaki gods that resulted in Yahweh taking over Earth and sending the other gods to their mining hell hole. A person could spend thousands and thousands of years in that place.
Closer to present time, Rod Sterling of "The Twilight Zone" decribed hell in very imaginative ways. In "A Nice Place To Visit", a dead gangster finds that getting everything he wants isn't what it's cracked up to be. In "Death Ship", the crew ignores a reality that they should face. In "One More Pallbearer", a vengeful millionaire reaps what he has sown. In "A Game Of Pool", a player learns that being the best pool player in the universe has its downside.
Paranormal reality shows like "Resue Mediums" and "Paranormal State" find ghosts reliving past deaths and past losses over and over again. In those cases, their minds have become their own personal hells.
In other blogs, I mentioned the memories of destroyed planets like "The Road", "The Book of Eli" and "Zombieland". Hells of one sort or the other, but you can be free from them.
Discover the truth and the truth will set you free.
My own view of Hell is a theme park and/or video game that one couldn't escape from.
Last but not least is the song "Highway to Hell" by AC/DC for those who like driving fast in reverse.
My choice for best description/drama of hell is Rod Sterling for the Twilight Zone episodes above.

Posted by qualteam at 3:02 PM EDT

Updated: Wednesday, 9 May 2012 5:26 PM EDT

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Thursday, 26 April 2012

Ancient Aliens And Religion

I'm a big fan of Ancient Aliens on the History Channel. After Star Trek was reduced to endless reruns, I got my ET fix by watching "Alien Guys of Planet Earth" .
I found it interesting how Mormon founder, Joseph Smith related to Native American mysticism.
It was also interesting how religious concepts could have come from alien contact and writings.
Having grown up with Star Trek and "The Q Continuum", I was familiar with amateurish extra terrestrial contact.
In our subconscious, there are not only memories of ancient civilizations, but massive planetary destruction like in "The Road" and "The Book of Eli".
I wrote a blog on the destruction of the civilization of Graceworld (a planet in a nearby star system) which occurred millions of years ago. I believe that the souls from that planet were transported to Earth.
Following that event, there was the destruction of memories which The Brotherhood of Christ is trying to restore. For more information on these topics, check out my blogs on the right side under "Cosmic Views Of The Universe".
I believe that individuals can find out for themselves about the meaningful events which happened in our local area of the universe. "The truth is out there", but it's also in you and me.
Somewhere Over The Rainbow/Wonderful World by Aselin Debison

Posted by qualteam at 10:15 AM EDT

Updated: Tuesday, 1 May 2012 1:36 PM EDT

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Sunday, 15 April 2012

Jean Chretien And The Shawinigan Handshake

I've always admired Canada's former Prime Minister, Jean Chretien for his fighting tenacity. If there ever was a Prime Minister who could make it in the UFC, he would be the one.
The above is Jean's "Shawinigan Handshake", that brought his opponent to the ground. Jean later said, "He's was in my way, so I took him out".
There were many people in Canada who learned not to mess with Jean Chretien. This included separatists in Quebec that he fought during sovereignty referendums and the October Crisis.
By the time Jean became Prime Minister in 1993, he already had 30 years experience as a Member of Parliament with different cabinet positions under Pierre Trudeau and Lester Pearson.
The New Shawinigan Handsake is now a beer that you can buy in Quebec. I've heard it turns you into a real tiger.
As well as handshakes and referendums, Jean was also known for his Government budgetary surpluses and his opposition to The War in Iraq.
He was also a funny guy who couldn't speak English very well. You wonder how he won three majority governments.
It's interesting to note that Roger Abbott of "The Royal Canadian Air Farce", did a great impersonation of Jean on this comedy show.
Here's an hilarious sample with "Jean Chretien" talking to "Pierre Trudeau's ghost".
For those who want the real thing listen to Jean talk about his life in Canada and politics.

Posted by qualteam at 7:53 PM EDT

Updated: Sunday, 15 April 2012 8:25 PM EDT

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Friday, 6 April 2012

10 Recent Additions To My Ipod

I'm always on the lookout for fun and exciting songs to add to my Ipod.
Exercise is much easier when you have tunes that energize your mind/body and make your workout go quicker.
Recently, I've added songs by Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Train and others. These "others" are on the list below. It isn't a top ten list, just the most recent additions.
I hope you can make some of these songs your own.
Betty Lou's Getting Out Tonight by Bob Seger: I saw him do this one in concert. Fantastic!
Shortenin Bread by The Tractors: Great dance number by a country/rock group with a dumb name.
Roadrunner by Bo Diddley: This made a comeback in a recent Mazda commerical. The full version really rocks.
Rolly Polly by Joey Dee and The Starliters: Great twisting video from an old rock and roll movie.
Don't Stop Now by The Rockarounds: I discovered this hot tune while looking for another hot tune.
Wait For Me by The Playmates: The great harmonies in this song put it in a class by itself.
Dizzy Miss Lizzy by The Beatles: One of the great rock performances of all time by John Lennon and The Beatles.
Clap Your Hands by The Beau Marks: Canadian group made rock and roll for everyone in the late 1950s.
Sweet Little You by Barry Mann: Barry wrote this song for Neil Sedaka, but he does a great job with it.
Aba Daba Honeymoon by Debbie Reynolds: There are some songs that are fun and exciting from the 1940s. Here's one of them.
I find it amazing that you can find so many unusual and rare songs on the internet and Youtube.

Posted by qualteam at 2:17 PM EDT

Updated: Friday, 6 April 2012 2:54 PM EDT

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Friday, 30 March 2012

A Fond Goodbye To The Canadian Penny

With yesterday's federal budget, the Canadian penny is now history. It cost more (1.6 cents) to produce a penny than what it's worth.
I remember as a kid that a penny could buy great candies at the local variety store like Bazooka Joe cartoon strip bubblegum, blackballs and licorice twizzlers.
The penny has inspired many expressions that might get lost in future generations. Here are my top ten best:
A Penny Saved Is A Penny Earned: This phrase is self explanatory. However, there's a bizarre history behind the phrase: A Benny Shaved Is A Benny Urned.
Pick Up A Penny And You'll Never Be Broke: Unlock that mysterious power that might be preventing you from being well off.
Penny Wise And Pound Foolish: Stupid is as stupid does.
A Penny For Your Thoughts: A penny for a thought may have been valuable many years ago, but inflation has decreased its worth since then.
Give Your Two Cents Worth: Tweets, blog entries, YouTube communications are examples of "giving your two cents worth".
I've Got A Lucky Penny: This is a "Good Luck Charm". Elvis sings about it in this song.
Penny Stocks: Many fortunes were won and lost with speculation on stocks that were less than a dollar.
Penny Arcade: This is where young people played "the video games" of yesteryear. These were cheap thrills back then.
Penny Pincher: This is more than someone who hangs onto millions of pennys.
Pennies From Heaven: This isn't an environmental curse or an airplane disaster. It's something nice happening in an odd way.
It hard to believe that something so small as a penny has influenced humanity in the ways above.
The Canadian penny may be gone but fond memories of its use and expressions remain.

Posted by qualteam at 9:52 PM EDT

Updated: Friday, 30 March 2012 10:02 PM EDT

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Monday, 26 March 2012

Travelling In Cyberspace Using Domain Names

Domain names are simply tools to help a person remember and get to a website quickly. I have a few with www.godaddy.com. The domain name when entered in the address bar above will redirect a person to a longer version of the web address.
Most recently, I created a domain name for my tweets on Twitter. This was www.DBtweet.info. I chose the info address because it was cheaper ($2.95 a year) than .com, .net, .org, etc. addresses.
My Facebook page can be found at www.davebarron.info. My best photos can be found on this site. Also, I've started doing reviews of movies and songs from my Facebook page because it links well to other websites.
My history with Canada Post and The Canadian Union of Postal Workers can be found at www.cupw.info. Check out the protest songs on one of the pages.
My personal family page is at www.daveandirene.ca. There's photos of our families, our kids, and our first trip to Newfoundland. We also have pages for our favourite songs of all time.
The Barron Blog is found out at www.barronblog.com. When I have a subject, I want to look at in depth, I do a blog or blogs on it. Check the right side lists for a view of my "hot topics".

Posted by qualteam at 4:16 PM EDT

Updated: Monday, 26 March 2012 4:29 PM EDT

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Thursday, 22 March 2012

Responsible Gambling

In my many years of gambling, I've always tried to gamble responsibly. Most of the time, I used a money management technique. When I became impulsive or lost control, I paid for it, but not to the extent where I lost thousands or hundreds of dollars.
There are websites where you can get good advice on gambling.
Personally, I avoid the slots and play table games like blackjack, craps and poker. The house edge is lower in each of those games.
The top five gambling rules are as follows:
Don't gamble when feeling sad or upset. Gamblers call this "steaming or going on tilt". Self control begins at home with you personally.
Balance gambling with other activities. Most people know, there's more to life than gambling. It's great when you can put your energies into a sport or hobby that gives you lots of fun.
Set a money limit: This isn't just a lost limit, but a win limit as well. It's great leaving a casino a winner no matter how little the win was.
Don't borrow money to gamble: Gambling comes out of the entertainment budget. Keep it low enough so you wouldn't miss it.
Set a time limit: Again, this is another aspect of personal control. I've found that when I violate my time limit, I pay.
Learn the proper strategies to play table games where the casino has a lower edge. Combining skill with luck is more fun then depending on mindless "lady luck".
Play as long as you're having fun. When it's no fun take off, eh!
May you have a long winning streak soon.

Posted by qualteam at 11:15 PM EDT

Updated: Thursday, 22 March 2012 11:20 PM EDT

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Thursday, 15 March 2012

A Casino In Toronto: If You Build It, They Will Come

Despite opposition in some circles about compulsive gambling with regards to casinos, I must
stress that compulsive gambling can occur with lotteries, bingo or any form of gambling.

Most responsible gamblers practise some form of money management that can be taught to
any gambler. It isn't a hard skill to master.

Also gamblers should know that slots give a lower return in Ontario than Vegas. Here
it's about 50%. In Nevada, the return on slots is 95% which is governed by legislation. It would be appropriate for the Ontario Government to legislate a similar return in order to compete with Las Vegas.

Please note that "The Las Vegas Strip" is more or less for high rollers. Downtown on "Fremont Street" the casinos cater to the middle class. There are also casinos off the strip that service the local residents. The competition for "the loosest slots" or best "comps" is very high.

There's an online company that promotes casinos across America call American Casino Guide(www.americancasinoguide.com.) They write articles on how to play craps, blackjack and video poker properly. Their guide book has hundreds of discount coupons for gambling, meals and entertainment.

There must be over a hundred casinos in Vegas, and most of them seem to be doing well. The crowds are just enormous on the weekends or special events.

Serious gamblers shun the slots. Games like poker, backjack and craps have a small casino edge. With a some knowledge of poker strategy, card counting or dice control, these games can produce positive results for the players.

I would advise that the governments of Toronto and Ontario pay close attention to gambler education as well as promotion.

Most of us like the entertaining value of a game well played.

Posted by qualteam at 4:46 PM EDT

Updated: Thursday, 15 March 2012 5:08 PM EDT

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Thursday, 8 March 2012

My Top Ten Rare Oldies On My Ipod

I use my Ipod usually at the gym, so I'm quite fussy about the mix on it. There has to be different songs from different decades with different beats. The energy and emotional level of each song should motivate me to dance or workout.
This goes for my rare oldies too. First and foremost they should be good songs that ROCK. They should also be songs that charted on Billboard's top 100. Fortunately, the tunes below fill that bill.
Unfortunately, you may have to pay for these songs in order to make them your own.
My Ipod has 1174 songs.
I couldn't imagine gym or life without these blasts from the past:
Walking Back To Happiness by Helen Shapiro: Many years ago, it was a number one hit in Canada and the U.K. She rocks in this video.
I Go Ape by Neil Sedaka: Believe it or not, this star isn't in "The Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame".
Mary's Little Lamb by James Darren: I enjoyed the video as background for the song.
Along Came Linda by Tommy Boyce: I only heard it a few times, but I couldn't get the melody out of my head.
Robbin' The Cradle by Tony Bellus: Back in the 60s, teenage guys were suppose to be mindful of "Jailbait".
Jamie by Eddie Holland: One of the first Motown records released. Unfortunately, Eddie sounds too much like Jackie Wilson.
Lets Get Together by Hayley Mills: This fun song actually reached #20 on Billboard's top 100.
Warpaint by The Brook Brothers: Terrific rockin' song that was written by Barry Mann who had his own version.
Under The Moon Of Love by Curtis Lee: He also had a major hit with "Pretty Little Angel Eyes".
Movin' Day by Buzz Clifford: He was the guy who sang "Baby Sittin' Boogie" which reached the top ten in Canada.
Younger generations have a tendency to think of enjoyable oldies as songs from the Beatles, Elvis, The Beach Boys, Frankie Valli and The Rolling Stones. This isn't true. Timeless tunes can be sung by anyone at anytime.
Hope you enjoy the above tracks.

Posted by qualteam at 10:55 PM EST

Updated: Sunday, 11 March 2012 1:14 PM EST

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Wednesday, 29 February 2012

Pink Shirt Day

The last day of the month is designated "Pink Shirt Day". How it came to be is stated well in this newspaper article. Basically, a student wore a pink shirt to school and some bullies told him not to wear it again or he would get beat up. Some other students found out about this and brought 50 pink shirts to school the next day. The bullying stop.
Bullying is more common than people think. Some victims end up committing suicide.
While it's great to learn martial arts or to have a bodyguard, it's important to teach "respect for others" and "Human Rights" at school or in the home.
In world where there is considerable personal, cultural and religious diversity, it's important to understand and tolerate differences.
I'm very familiar with racial and religious prejudice myself.
Hopefully, "Pink Shirt Day" can be every day of the year.
With bullying, we're not going to take it anymore.

Posted by qualteam at 3:50 PM EST

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