Life - simple but, always complicated!!

We , my wife & daughters, and I took up the offer by Marriott Resorts to stay at their Orlando location for 4 or 5 days free of charge. In exchange we (wife & I ) had to sit through 1.5 hour sales pitch for a timeshare. We had done a similar thing a few years back in Myrtle Beach in exchange for tickets to a show. We held our ground and  definitely said no to the sales pitch of some vacation offer. We went to Orlando for a final family trip to Disney & Universal before our daughters went off to college in the next couple of years.  We had a grand time, Disney & Universal were more fun as the girls were now older teenagers. The resort was absolutely fantastic, the pools provided cool relief when we returned from the hot August days spent trekking through the entertainment parks. The day of our sales pitch arrived. I told my wife to remember the words , NO NO. I was memorized by the salesman's presentation. Usually, I'm a person who resists this stuff, I said YES...

The linked article below is a  much better alternative than to complain, whine, about disruption in life due to coronavirus.  READ  , be thankful, implement, yes we may be inconvenienced some, but keep in mind some have died, some are very very sick, some are in bad financial situations. However , if you're not in an ICU bed, not on a ventilator, or have someone close to you in such a situation, count your many blessings and please don't whine.  I never did dare whine as a kid & adolescent when the days were hot & long on the farm, nor on the practice fields or courts when the practices were long & hard, nor when my mother was dying & suffering from leukemia...etc. Why didn't I whine ? Because those around me & those in charge wouldn't accept it.  I didn't hear those who had lived thru WWII or the depression whine. God Bless & stay safe. P.S. Patricia Schmitt didn't whine.  READ & FORWARD ON :  https://rbj.net/2020/03/27/ co...

I've learned in the past week the selfless actions of a few people that attended either the same high school or college as I,  to help others effected by the COVID -19 virus. Mr. Ed Stack, CEO & Chairman of Dick's Sporting Goods Stores, announced that Dick's will continue to pay the wages and benefits of all employees for the next two weeks that Dicks stores are closed due to the virus. Ed is an alumnus of St. John Fisher College. A very generous move. Mr. Christopher Baldwin is Chairman of BJ's Wholesale Club. BJ's will be open each day from 8-9 AM for senior shoppers only. That is a relief to many of those 60+ . They can shop without overcrowding , and the additional worry of contracting the virus. Chris attended St. Kilian's Elementary School and Holy Family Diocesan High School, a few years after I. Thank you for making the needs of your customers a priority. Finally, current students of St. John Fisher College are donating medical classroom suppli...

Corn farmers and cattle ranchers watch commodity prices drop, while produce growers fear labor shortages By Jacob Bunge , Kirk Maltais and Jesse Newman March 21, 2020 5:30 am ET The new coronavirus is dealing another blow to the struggling U.S. agricultural sector, driving down crop and livestock prices and threatening labor shortages for farms. Even as consumers clear food staples from supermarket shelves, Midwestern farmers’ prospects have dimmed. Agricultural futures on the Chicago Board of Trade have been on a slide since Feb. 24, when coronavirus concerns began to weigh on U.S. stock markets. Corn futures have shed nearly 10%, wheat futures have fallen nearly 2%, and soybean futures have dropped over 4%. In U.S. Plains states, prices offered for ranchers’ cattle have dropped over the past two weeks, reflecting selling by investment funds and fears that consumers will eat less beef as they avoid restaurants—and that meatpacking plants could suffer staffing shortages. Longer t...

It is very rewarding to read and hear about professional athletes giving to others. Too often the news we hear away from the arena, stadiums, and courses are filled with selfishness, lawlessness, and not about the good that the majority of pro athletes do. The late Kobe Bryant was known for making countless Make A Wish dream come true. Now we hear about many NBA players giving back to the staff of the NBA teams and the arenas in which they play during the shut down of athletic seasons due to the COVID-19 virus. Among them being, Kevin Love, Zion Williamson, Blake Griffin, and Giannias Antetokounmpo.  They deserve our admiration for such unselfish acts. Great basketball players, better men. My 👏 to them all. Matthew 25:40 And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’

Be humble... Be a humanitarian Teamwork Respect others Inclusion I may not have accumulated the most wealth, nor ascended to the highest levels in my business career, but I never lacked for friends or respect. I think as we start our educational life in kindergarten and then on up, we all want friends & respect (to be liked). Do not forsake friends & respect to obtain wealth & career success. I've seen many a wealthy & successful person who were so,  because of their friendly personality & were highly respected by others.  I've also witnessed in business life, personal life, public arena, and family life where people forego respect & friendship for wealth and power. It's ugly to see and witness. I'll always chose my friends and respect.  Be well, my friends.