In the cold war of the 70s the U.S. and Russia pointed nuclear missiles at each other. Fortunately, there was a sober FEAR that  no one would survive after a single launch. A healthy respect for each other’s strength held them at bay.

I was in a breakfast meeting last Tuesday and someone reminded me of a destructive epidemic in society today. I too had been noticing this phenomenon but I didn’t realize how fast it is spreading. I felt I needed to address this. Disagreements and debates have always been the hallmark of a free society but today the respectful  exchange of ideas has been replaced by a juvenile shouting match. This modern warfare may not have a nuclear payload but it is just as destructive and should be prevented from spreading.

Where did all this hostility come from? I blame the Puppet Masters of hate. They’re in the news media who gives us a daily dose of new reasons to hate and be angry … and they rarely admit their mistakes because scandals sell advertising. They’re among our leaders who model the way to bratty behavior. Many live on THEORIES and faulty stereotypes rather than HISTORY. They’re in the schools that do not prepare their students to respect other opinions. The students were taught to question but they were never taught to provide concrete answers. What good is complaining without a solution? They’re in the courtrooms that emphasize subjective justice over kindness and common sense. Puppet Masters walk among the greedy tech giants who experiment with people’s lifestyles. Remember, not everything NEW is good and not everything OLD is bad. And Puppet Masters are the hypocrites who only see things from their side of the telescope. News flash! We ALL can play the victim. That’s why I admire those who just work harder with the challenges they are given.

Have you ever seen male animals battle for their females? First come the beating of the chest, or the display of colorful feathers, or the resonating arias. Then come the heckling. Then the push … the interlocking of horns. The macho contest crescendo until one of the males wakes up from the spell and looks at the giggling Female Puppet Master in the sideline and realizes how she has been manipulating the confrontation. What’s really  interesting is animal fights rarely lead to death. Only man, with his huge dangerous ego, does this. Think of Helen of Troy and the 1000 ships launched to satisfy one Puppet Master’s testosterone.

The pride of man (and woman) mixed with immaturity prevents common courtesy. Are we blinded by hate? Is it hard for us to listen to other opinions? Let’s snap out of it! Let’s listen to the other side. Look up and see the giggling Puppet Manipulator above us!

Of course, this is just me.

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility, value others above yourself.” 
— Philippians 2:3

TGIF people!

One Day at the Nunnery

Shared by Tom of Pasadena, CA

Oops! There Goes the Ball Boy
Sent by Don of Kelowna, B.C.

I admit I found it funny at first but then I realized it could have been a serious accident. I love how he composed himself and pretended that nothing happened. Glad he’s okay.

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They May Be Seniors But Boy They Can Still Boogie
Sent by Debbie of Moreno Valley, CA

I can only guess how many parties over the decades these two have danced with each other. They put the young dancers to shame. No arthritis here.

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Just When You Thought Your Day Was Going So Well
Sent by Don of Kelowna. B.C.

Some days you should have just stayed in bed. Better still, don’t go to a bull ring.

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Don’s Puns

From Don’s collection of puns

Parting Shot

Thanks to Naomi of North Hollywood, CA who shared this photo

The post Tired of Chardonnay appeared first on Traveling Archive.

I love the quote above, not only as it comes from one of the most colorful, brilliant and even outrageous American tennis players ever, but also because it captures how clean Wimbledon is.  Even though this classic tennis tournament has come to an end, you can still visit Wimbledon up close and personal.

Even if, like me, you’re NOT a tennis buff, a tour around this internationally famous series of buildings and grass tennis courts, is intriguing. Just take the grass, as an example. I mean c’mon on now, how boring is thinking about Wimbledon’s grass! And yet it is a critical part of how balls bounce, where they go, and how they are “played” by tennis super stars.

There are 19 courts plus 22 for practice (!) since 1991 and according to the Head Groundsman, all Wimbledon courts are sown with 100% perennial ryegrass, as it improves durability. The grass has been cut and maintained at a height of 8mm since 1995, and all are rolled, covered and constantly tested for their firmness and yes, would you believe, their speed. I found it fascinating to learn that if the grass is too damp, it will cut up, become unstable and cause the ball to bounce irregularly.

Another area of interest on our tour was the press room – which looks like a scene from some 1940s movie about a large big city newspaper where lots of harried reporters dash off to get their stories filed, as the room has a seemingly endless series of special booths for the sports media. I was stunned to hear our guide say that the tennis stars are “required” to submit to interviews – it’s even written into their contracts that if requested, they MUST do the interview, but I was saddened that he declined to share the name of one star who actually refused to do any interviews – and was heavily fined.

In October 1940 the Nazi Luftwaffe dropped five 500 lb bombs on the Centre Court – which makes me ask, were they actually aiming for that?! In 2009 a retractable roof (costing 80 million British pounds) was installed on the Centre Court, so play would always continue in the event that the rains came. In 2003 the Duke of Kent ordered that the long standing tradition of curtseying to the Royal Box be abolished because, he said, “It is an anachronism in modern times.” Now get THIS bit of tennis trivia, until 2006 women were paid LESS than men who appeared at Wimbledon, but the chairman of the Committee who managed the site at the time, Mr. Timothy Dewe Phillips, CBE, said it was not “right or correct,” so from 2007 onwards men and women earned equal prize money – a decision that overturned a century of inequality.

Tennis buffs will love the Tennis Museum that’s filled with tennis memorabilia dating back to 1555 from all over the world – plus a marvelous holographic display with John McEnroe in one of the Dressing Rooms. There’s also many world famous trophies, and more tennis trivia, artifacts and “stuff,” than you ever knew existed – It’s said that one always saves the best until last. If that’s true, then the Centre Court is magnificent. When our tour group trooped in to this amazing piece of real estate, there was an eerie stillness that seemed unreal, and made me think it was a sort of sacrosanct religious site.

When one of our media group asked if they could touch this piece of what I was now convinced really was hallowed ground – the guide seemed appalled at the idea that someone would even ASK to do that, saying – in a very somber voice – in all his years at Wimbledon, HE had never been allowed to touch it, or walk on it. ”In fact,” he said in a whisper, “it’s in my contract not to walk on it.” It all seemed so unreal, because when I first arrived, I saw the 3,601 empty seats.  I was struck by how small it seemed from the TV images – where it looks gigantic. Then, when I looked at the small entrance where the tennis stars entered the court, it reminded me of the gladiators coming out into the arena in the days of the old Roman Coliseum.

Get more information about Wimbledon

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