Simple life advice

The best advice I ever received, on living, came from an improbable person in a club that once was my second home. Paul was merely an acquaintance, although quite popular because of the product he readily provided to anyone with the right price. He was the snowman, a coke dealer.

Because I didn't do the stuff, we always had a guarded relationship. We easily acknowledged each other. And, he knew good friends of mine were some of his best customers. I guess they vouched for my discretion. Still, he was suspicious. And, I, really didn't want to know the coke man.

One, unusually quiet, evening we ended up on adjoining bar stools. I learned he had a fascinating background--former stockbroker, and bond trader. He was intelligent, well-versed and well-spoken. It was a good conversation.

"Life is simple," he said. " Always do the right thing. In most situations, you know what the right thing is to do. Doing it is the hard part."

Initially, I pooh-poohed the whole idea. But, as we spoke and examined several 'what-ifs,' he convinced me of the validity of his point. We agreed that human nature--with all it's temptations, gremlins and egoism wouldn't permit one to do the right thing all of the time. But it made sense to use the idea as a blueprint. I thanked him.

Within a year, Paul died at age 46, succumbing to his gremlins.

Life is in the doing.

Who Makes the List

Automatically, Adolf Hitler makes the list, so does Charles Manson. The 9/11 terrorists. Rush Limbaugh is automatic (because of his self-righteous hypocrisy). Sherry Palmer on “24” is a winner. Child molesters, too—especially those avowed representatives of God on Earth, and the church hierarchy that hides their actions. Anyone other than a Native American who suggests that someone else “leave the U.S. if they don’t like it here.”
Some of these folks are simply not well. Most, however, choose on a regular basis, to be so self-serving that it diminshes the human idea. The most serious violators of the human condition have more celebrity, power, control and influence over more lives. By default, most of our candidates will fall within this group—politicians, elected officials, celebrities, newsmakers. Our hope is that by pointing out unacceptable behavior, we can stop, stem it’s growth in society. Lofty ideals. Yes. But it has to be done.

What's in a name

In response to critical lambasting of a performance, jazz-genius Miles Davis, reportedly, responded,
"People ain't shit!."
For me, no truer words were ever spoken.
Sometimes there is no better word than the word itself. I have tried to come up with a replacement to the profanity so obviously displayed in our name. Even censored it in the logo. Yet nothing says it better. I am now dedicated to this name.
It will be played down, however. in favor of the ‘useful’ acronym PASS.