Pfunksfoolosophy

What a headline, right?
I’m not trying to get into a mental institution (dr. dippy’s), but I’d like a break. In the form of a vacation in Italy. Love the language, love the food, love the wine and I’m rather fond of the men. What’s the problem? Thank you, I knew you’d understand.

Since that’s not in the cards just yet, I’m working on making every day seem like a vacation for me. Now, some would say that you’ve just gotta ‘get over it’. I disagree. What’s to get over anyway? It’s life. I’m thankful, I’m grateful for every day- even for the drama that is created because there are times when communication isn’t effective or others aren’t receptive to communicating effectively, so there’s nothing to get over.
So, it’s about increasing my joy factor. As you know–if you’re still out there…I’m pretty much a half-baked moron so joy is in everything. There are times when I don’t feel it, though. Times when I’m just skimming the surface of it and that’s what I want to change.

How do I go about doing that without breaking up with myself? Can’t be done. I’ve gotta break up with myself somehow.
First, I’m opening myself up to new music, new sensations.

Gonna share a couple with you ’cause you may dig it as much as I do.

Carolina Chocolate Drops. I dig this trio of musicians. Bluegrassy goodness.

Here’s a sample.

Grooviness, yes? Yeah, the Gaelic medley just gets in there on ya…

The other thing…sensation-wise is that I’m meditating more. This is key. And this is completely groovy.

Try five minutes at a time. Don’t worry about clearing your mind. If you have a thought, notice it and move on. Don’t give it too much…just be. Still.

And I’ve become a half-baked vegetarian. While I dig chicken, I’m just off the meat or a little while. My lentil addiction is legendary, so I’m developing recipes. I’ll share those later on. Although you can check out some on my food blog (which I have to update as well): pfunk’s recipes on yola.

Okay…that’s about it for now.
Hope you’re well. Hope you’re thriving and not just surviving.

I’m still proud of ya.

Hey there, kids…

It’s been a busy couple of weeks…okay, months. Looks like I’m becoming a mover and a shaker and obviously NOT a blogger.

Seriously, though…my last couple of posts have been decidedly cranky. I’m not heavy on the cranky as you know.

I’m heavy on the funny. So, having taken a long break from blogging, I’ve taken a break from my crankiness. I suppose much of it comes from being bombarded with all of the hub-bub, bub. You know what I’m talking about: drama. The drama of others.
This should come as no surprise–we’re all getting it. However, why has my first choice been to give in to that heightened emotion? You know me…life’s a gas, life’s a banquet…I blame the heat, I blame it on the bossa nova, hell, I blame myself. I’m smarter than that.

It’s a helluva lot easier to make joy my first choice, so you can probably understand how exhausted I am. Family stuff will always be family stuff, but the stuff with my friends, man. How do you work through it without hurting someone’s feelings?
Well, if you’re me, you just roll with it, without judgment and with a deep love.

There’s still enough love for myself, thank goodness. So, my advice to you in these coming months and the trials that will fall on your path…love yourself. Be gentle, you’re all you’ve got.

I might give up the blog for a bit–not that I’ve much of a readership and not that it will change the course of human events…but I need some time to figure out how I can make my foolosophy real enough to have an impact, a useful impact on others.

There’s love enough for everyone, right?
Okay, then.

I’m proud of you, I believe in you.

Teach peace; cultivate love.

You all know that I’m not one to get ginned up by celebrity gossip, but in recent weeks, I’ve come to realize that Sandra Bullock has a special place in my heart. No, I’ve never met her, but she’s been a part of my life.
Sure, it’s only in movies, but she’s always struck me as a sincere, stand up tomato. She doesn’t seem to be made of the flash paper of say, Julia Roberts or Tom Cruise. (I will never let up on them, I assure you)

Sandra Bullock does what she thinks is right when it’s right for her. She donates money and time, not out of guilt but because she’s as sure as I am that we are stewards on this planet and responsible for our brothers and sisters. She’s a mensch.

SO, when she married Jesse James, I was not charmed. I was happy that she was happy, but I was cautiously optimistic. The guy isn’t the standard bearer for wholesome living.  Now, I’m not saying Sandra ( may I call you Sandy?) is bucking for Mother Teresa, but I just don’t picture her being a mop bucket. Still, I kept her in my thoughts.
What galls is not that she was bamboozled, but that I actually care. It’s none of my doggone business.  It’s none of your business, but I’m sure you’ve got an opinion, right?
Why is that? I blame reality television. We’re so conditioned to be social voyeurs that we feel entitled to an opinion and a forum to voice it. That stinks. We’re not entitled to know the details of anyone’s private life unless they offer it up to us for dissection.
Jesse James doesn’t owe us an explanation or an apology. He’s done nothing to us, has he? For that matter, Tiger Woods didn’t have to make a public statement about his wandering privates–none of our business. He felt that he had to because of all of the ginning up done by the entertainment media outlets.
Yeah, we’re to blame–if indirectly, for this crap that keeps us distracted from our own behavior and our own challenges.

Is your life really changed because of some celebrity’s infidelity or drug addiction? Think long and hard before you answer that, because if you say “yes”, number yourself among the lost.

We are creating the arena for bad behavior, friends. We’re narcotizing ourselves with this media saturation. Who was Kate Gosselin before the “John and Kate Chronicles”? A woman with a butt load of kids and a lazy husband. Now, she’s on “Dancing With The Stars” and fodder for water cooler talk.
The sickening thing is that more and more “reality” programming is in our future. We are immersed in our own reality every day. Would you tune in every week to watch a family of four with one unemployed adult trying to make their mortgage? I would. That’s compelling television. That’s reality.

I couldn’t care less about a PR exec trying to make more money within an industry that marginalizes me…or you. Wouldn’t it be nice to see well written shows that make you think  or at the very least, laugh?
Do you really care about women with money attempting to reenact scenes from “The Women” and badly at that?
“The Real Housewives” franchise, while amusing at first, is just plain sad. Few of them crack open a book, let alone interact with people on a meaningful level. They know more about Louis Vuitton than they do about current events. It’s their choice, but it’s also our choice to refuse this weak attempt at entertainment.

So, Sandra, while I do care about you, I wish I didn’t. Hope you make it home okay.

And I’m not keeping up very well, am I?
Okay, okay…so, here’s the deal: I’ve been working on my writing and have decided to change the tone of my blog. I think that it’s probably best for me to have some kind of point of view other than my occasional rants about certain topics.

Having written that, I’ve made the decision to post about cooking and healthy–although, this is not written in stone. Since I last posted, my mom is no longer insulin dependent and she’s lost about 45 pounds. This has all happened through diet management. We’re managing her diabetes and high blood pressure through food, which is what we’ve wanted to do forever. Seems her doctor (she’s a sweet woman, but…) was resistant to this notion. The woman prescribes drugs rather easily and I’m not a fan of that.

Where was I? Oh, yeah…so I’m going to start sharing some of the things that we’re doing…maybe it will help, maybe it will spark some creativity in you…ya never know.

In other news, I’m losing weight as well. Nice.
I’ll post a recipe or two later in the week.

Just wanted to let you know that I’m still here. Even if I’m not posting anything, know that I’m thinking about ya. And keepin’ a positive vibe going…

Keep on truckin’!

Well, kids…you and I both know that I’m slacking on this blog thing. I want to write and then I forget to write and then…well, an excuse is just a well guided lie, so I’ll give you some reasons I’ve not been good about blogging.

The first reason is that I had started blogging in order to make some cash. That was just me backin’ the wrong horse, wasn’t it? It takes time to cultivate an audience, get page rank, blah, blah, blah…just gimme some money! Yeah. I don’t have the wherewithall for that.

Second reason: I’m lazy about writing when I am trying to make money pursuing other avenues. Yep. Lazy as a mofo.

Third reason: My life has become hectic. Remember that (oft quoted by me) line from “Coalminer’s Daughter” when Loretta has her breakdown onstage? “Patsy’s always sayin’ ‘Little girl, ya got to run your own life!’ Well, my life’s runnin’ me and…” yeah. Mom’s stroke ripped me a new one, I lost my job, blah blah yadda yadda yadda…whine whimper.

SO, I’m not making any promises. I’m fairly certain I’ll muster up the courage to go on with this blog, but I’ve got a feeling that I’m going to revamp this thing and make it a resource for those who think young. NO, no…I think I’m going to post recipes and cooking tips and what have you…whattaya think?

Lemmeno, ’cause I’m paid up for another year and I don’t want to waste it.

I’m forever yours…faithfully.

Yay!

During your day to day activities you never really notice plastic. Sure, you notice when you’re asked ‘paper or plastic’, but do you ever wonder where your contractor gets the stuff he/she uses in your house or where signmakers get their supplies?

For all your plastic needs try delrin - they provide cut to order service as well as every kind of plastic for every kind of use. Sheets, rods, tubing, you name it covering every industry you can think of. One stop shopping for your plastic needs and you can even call for a quote.

Pretty cool stuff, when you think about it. Especially if you’re a geek like me.

Hey gang, since I’ve been slacking off in my blogging, I thought I’d let you all know that I’m back to getting paid for my opinion so, I’ll be endorsing stuff on here.

Stuff that I think is worth your attention. Hopefully, this will open up your world a bit as well.
Other than that, I’ve got to share this bit with you: I joined Planet Fitness. For one dollar. The place is a no-frills ‘judgement free’ zone and I dig it. If you have one near you and you’re short on cash, definitely check it out. They were running a promotion, so I’m only paying 10 bucks a month. Even I can afford that. Pretty groovy.

So, while I’m getting my soul in shape, my body is gonna follow suit.

Win/Win? You know it.
Keep on truckin’, babies. Keep on truckin’!

a perdurable a day, helps you sleep, work and play

In other news: Mom is still going strong.

To all of my blogger friends, Sassy especially–we will be in touch. Life is hectic, but you’re in my thoughts.

As many of you know, I love motorcycles. I’ve dated guys just because they’ve owned bikes. Shallow, yes, but I can’t afford a Harley Liberty just yet and the Liberty was limited edition anyway. Maybe I’ll just get myself a nice Heritage when I turn 50 and cruise around like youth dying hard…I’ll have to know how to trick it out and how to repair it, right?

Well, you can go wrong with checking out yamaha motorcycle parts a great resource for all things motorcycle. Seriously–if you want to trick out your Honda Goldwing, your Harley, crotch rocket, you name it they’ve got over 30,000 parts and accessorties to get you on the road–just like Dennis Hopper and Peter Fonda, and without the hassle of the Man gettin’ you down. Any make or model and they’re offering a savings of at least 60%.
Did I just write that? Yep, 60% off.
Doesn’t matter if you’ve got a sports bike or a nice cruiser (which is my preference), you’ll find what you need in one place.

Are you born to be wild?

Senator Edward  Kennedy AND Dominick Dunne passed away.

Both of these men were lions in winter, so to speak. Both of these men were to be admired for their tenacity, their wit, their intellect, their passion.
Mr. Dunne was an early champion for those affected by murder of a loved one. His lovely, luminous daughter Dominique was brutally murdered by her boyfriend who is now free and living somewhere cooking for people and getting on with his LIFE. HIS. LIFE. He served a joke of a sentence. Dominique was about the age of my youngest kid when her life was snuffed out.  I don’t know what it’s like to lose a child–especially not to murder. I can’t imagine what he and his family endured over these years. I know  how it feels to lose a sibling and to lose a fiance. You never forget them. The memories start to get fuzzy and it feels as if you dreamed the time when they  were in your life, but they were real and they’re gone.
So crazymaking. But, Mr. Dunne moved forward, angrily, with the savage conviction of someone who had suffered but willed himself to prevail over the circumstances. He wrote.

Sen. Kennedy suffered tragedies that one cannot fathom. So much loss in his life and so much life in the man. He wasn’t without his warts, though. He drank. He caroused. He fought hard in the Senate and very often won.

They had more in common than I thought, when I first ruminated about writing today.

Both men lost someone to murder. Vicious cruelty. Both men kept their demons deep down inside until it bubbled up into action. They made a life for themselves creating something meaningful and something lasting.

The legacies that they leave behind are palpable and real. They taught me at least, that one can either buckle under the  pressure of living without his loved ones or he can rise up again and again and forge a life with purpose and meaning.

I had the pleasure of speaking w/Mr. Kennedy on a couple of occasions when I was  much younger and he was warm, intelligent and understanding–encouraging me to go into Law.

I chose medicine and eventually theater. He would have laughed at my choice but understood my passion for entertaining people and known that I would have figured a way to make my mark on the world, to do some kind of service to humanity.

Laughter heals. Laughter educates. I’m no state Senator, but I can make you laugh and make  you think.

I feel blessed and honored to have shared a little time and space with him. He did influence me in positive ways and I will continue to volunteer and fight for what I believe in because like my grandfather, he believed that one must be of use.

More later…I’m still trying to sort out my thoughts.
Be useful, peeps. DO SOMETHING WITH PURPOSE AND MEANING!

Yeah, that’s right. What has happened to journalism these days? Doesn’t anyone have to be responsible? Don’t we check facts? Well, no. And it happens on the left and the right, doesn’t it?

I think when ‘journalists’ write books purported to be factual, they should probably not try to fit the facts to suit their purposes or they should call what they write ‘fiction’.

Michelle Malkin recently had a new book published about President Obama and  his corruption. That’s all good and well, but how much research could she have done about his corruption while in office if he’s not  been in office a year yet?
Give it time, crazypants. You’re exposing nothing just yet. You distort facts. You hurt me intellectually. I don’t care if we disagree about politics–to quote John Mellencamp “ain’t that America”, so go for it, but please, please, please (James Brown) have your facts straight and be RESPONSIBLE enough to have something substantial.

I’m a Democrat, but for crying  out loud I gave Bush some  time to get his mind around being  president. Sure,  it took 8 years for him to mess things up, but I still gave the man some time. Ya never know. He could have been some kinda savant. He had a knack for getting his way, I’ll give him that. AND goodness knows he loves to whip us up into a jingoistic frenzy. Still. I didn’t start dissing him until the first year, year and a half. And he pulled some real boners.

Malkin never met a fact she couldn’t distort or a lie she couldn’t tell with glee, her teeth bared and eyes glazed over. Wow. Come on, woman…I put up with your thin volume of tripe regarding Japanese internment camps, you provocateur, you. You know, now that I think about it, you’re not the problem. The folks who buy into what you and your co-hort Ann Coulter are shrilling…or shilling. Hm.  I have a sneaking suspicion that Coulter doesn’t believe half the crap she’s saying, she just enjoys the attention. Let’s face it, she’s probably not getting much action at the happy hour buffet.

Both of these ladies have a lot in common, although I’m sure they’d disagree with me.

Intellectually irresponsible, morallly corrupt–they don’t encourage intelligent discourse, they’re  divisive while attempting to defend ‘our nation’s values’. I think we would like to value the truth.

I have friends who are conservative, but they’re not morons. Alright, most of ‘em ain’t no morons. They search for facts and try mightily not to distort them in order to win arguments.
Michelle–give it a rest, learn what journalism really means and stop your self-loathing. You’re a Filipino American, just like my Aunt Anna. She doesn’t hate herself the way you seem to…Stop the hate speech. Do some research. Stick to the facts. Or…you can stop writing and expecting to get paid for the effort.

Thanks. May you get everything you deserve in life.

the rant ends now.

my apologies to anyone who was expecting stellar writing from me here.