soccer Archives - Traveling Archive

Believer

Raoul Pascual — Sat, 12 Dec 2020 05:30:13 +0000

Raoul’s 2 Cents

Authentic Christmas

It’s beginning to look LESS like Christmas
Everywhere you go
Take a look at the COVID stats,
it’s rising once again
With health complaints and hospital lanes that grow

I have to admit that it’s beginning to look real weird even for me, a professional office cave-dweller. Christmas is my favorite time of the year so not to experience the hustle and bustle of shopping, partying and traveling for the first time in my life is going to be tough. We don’t have a single Christmas decor up. It’s just my wife and pets — why bother, right? A group of us were hoping to give a mini-Christmas concert but with the recent spike in infections, even that has been cancelled. We practiced several weekends for nothing!

But then I remembered the very first Christmas.

If you believe what is written in the Bible, you know that this baby Jesus (the only begotten son of the almighty God of the universe) abandoned a place of indescribable peace and beauty in order to become like one of us — a man susceptible to hunger, to cold, to temptation, and to ridicule. Instead of choosing rich and powerful well-connected parents, he chose a simple carpenter as a father and a very young mother (probably in her young teens). So insignificant were these newly weds that after they traveled some 20 km to a faraway town in Bethlehem, they could not find a room to rest. They hadn’t anticipated the throng of other travelers arriving at the same time to register for the census. The pregnant mother possibly pleaded not to take the journey because her time to deliver was so near but the law of the land forced the arduous trip. Unable to find decent shelter they found a manger …(a den for farm animals). The fragile baby Jesus, the new born King, started his human life wrapped up in rags and laid to rest inside a cattle’s feeding trough. All of this to save people who don’t even realize they need saving.

Image used under license from Shutterstock.com

And here we are; near the end of the infamous Covid year… locked up in our homes with our computers, online movies, a stockpile of food and we’re complaining about toilet paper and cancelled mini-concerts.

Be safe, be healthy, and remember: It’s a lot less commercialized Christmas but it’s a lot more authentic Christmas. TGIF people!

Raoul

Image used under license from Shutterstock.com

Joke of the Week

Thanks to Peter Paul of S Pasadena, CA for sharing these jokes.

Video: Amazing Goalie

Thanks to Maling of New Manila, Philippines

I shared this video before but when I watched it again, I couldn’t help laughing out loud. What dedication! What a trooper! What “bad luck” just being in the right place at the right time.

Video: Crosswalk in Quebec

Thanks to Naomi of North Hollywood, CA who shared this innovative solution to slow down traffic at the crosswalk.

Video: Something’s Wrong With My Apple

Thanks to Art of Sierra Madre, CA
Dry British humor

Don’s Puns

Thanks to Don of Kelowna, BC who sent this pun

Parting Shots

Thanks to Ed of Studio City, CA

Thanks to Tom of Pasadena, CA

Thanks to Peter Paul of S Pasadena, CA

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Racing Tribe

Raoul Pascual — Sat, 03 Oct 2020 15:14:24 +0000

Raoul’s 2 Cents

War of Words

So there they stand. Two champions … one in the red trunks and the other in blue. At the sound of the bell, the gauntlet is cast. No room for kid gloves here. It is trash talk all the way. It is more exciting than an action movie because this is unscripted live TV. The last man standing will lead the free world for the next 4 years. Insult …. fact … insult … rebuttal … “You clown!” … “you liar!” … “let him speak! This is the rule we agreed upon!” The verbal onslaught is relentless. The referee cannot control the fight. There is no rest in the corner. It is a straight 40 minutes of mouth jabbing adrenaline. How unbecoming! How silly! How embarrassing!

Please forgive my frustration. They did not respect each other and neither did they respect the viewing citizens of America. (Hey, lighten up. Let’s call a spade a spade. Your hero makes mistakes too.)

Of course you know I am talking about the 1st Presidential debate between Trump and Biden. Watching the banter of these two immature senior citizens made me question the wisdom of a solo President as opposed to a Parliamentary system of government. I mean, out of all the brilliant leaders in America, these two are who we have to choose from? It seems like every Presidential race is not a choice of who can lead but more a choice of the lesser of two evils. How sad is that?

The debate … no, the devastation … didn’t probably change any votes but I think it changed people’s impression of who these politicians are as people. Take away their lofty titles and ask yourself this: “Would I invite either of them to my Christmas party?” I wouldn’t. They’d be a bad influence to the kids. I’d rather have a grown up. But this is just me.

Be safe, be healthy, and remember: Sometimes you just gotta laugh because only in America can a brat grow up to be President. TGIF people!

Raoul

“a person who hears the words of the Covenant-oath but exempts himself, thinking, “I’ll live just the way I please, thank you,” and ends up ruining life for everybody. God won’t let him off the hook. God’s anger and jealousy will erupt like a volcano against that person.” — Deuteronomy 29: 19-20

Joke of the Week

Thanks to Chuck of Whittier, CA for sharing this joke. WARNING: This may be offensive to some.

Video: Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing

Thanks to Don of Kelowna, B.C.
Let’s start our video with a refreshing version of an ancient hymn

Video: New Police Tool to Stop Car Chase

Thanks to Don of Kelowna, B.C.
Why didn’t I think of this? Simple and effective.

Video: Funny Free Kick Victim

Thanks to Choy of Quezon City, Philippines
This cracked me up.

Don’s Puns

Thanks to Don of Kelowna, B.C. who sent this pun.

Parting Shots

Thanks to Don of Kelowna, B.C.

Thanks to Peter Paul of South Pasadena, CA

One more from Peter Paul

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Too Honest

Raoul Pascual — Sat, 19 Sep 2020 02:08:56 +0000

Raoul’s 2 Cents

Lab Rats

I had my long-overdue haircut this afternoon. I made an appointment over the phone and my barber was overjoyed to see me. I looked around and I realized why. There was only one other customer instead of the usual 2 or 3 people in the waiting room. My barber is a petite South Korean lady and I was one of her very first customers when she opened up her business over a year ago. It’s sad to think that she may be losing her business unless things get back to normal. She was glad to see me… glad to see a customer. Like many beauty shops, business plunged since the pandemic started. There used to be 3 beauticians, now there are only 2.

She echoes the plight of many other small businesses that are struggling to survive. Some people say this pandemic was conjured up while others say the lockdown is necessary. Both seem to have data to prove their theories. Who to believe?

Do you get the feeling that there’s a giant microscope above the clouds and we are being observed like lab rats? Actually, we really are lab rats. The social media gods shape our politics, our world view…. our purchasing tendencies… almost everything.

If you have access to Netflix I encourage you to watch “The Social Dilemma.” It shows you the nefarious plans of the internet giants like Youtube, Facebook and Google. Top programmers share their concerns about the power they have over people’s minds. These companies manipulate the thoughts and behavior of unsuspecting fools like the rest of us. So when we meet someone who doesn’t agree with our worldview, let’s be a little patient. He/she may have been a victim of these social manipulators.

After my haircut was done, I gave her a huge tip to encourage her that we were all in this together.

Be safe, be healthy, and remember: we may be lab rats but lab rats have been known to escape. TGIF people!

Raoul

Joke of the Week

Thanks to Peter Paul of S Pasadena, CA for sharing this joke.

Video: Sports Agony

Thanks to Mike of New York
This Indian sports announcer is quick, witty and funny.

Video: Spelling Bee Backwards

Thanks to Ed of Quezon City, Philippines
When you spell, do you see the word in your mind? Can you read the letters backward? This kid can.

Don’s Puns

Thanks to Don of Kelowna, B.C. who sent these puns.

Parting Shots

Thanks to Mel of Washington, D.C.

Thanks to Don of Kelowna, B.C.

Thanks to Peter Paul of South Pasadena, CA

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