“The final exam was not what he expected.” Ever feel that way? Me too. Your expectations are one thing, reality is another. What do you do? Most of us spin our wheels trying to make reality or “what is,” conform to what we expected. Rather than shift our expectations, or accept what is before us and deal with that, we try to change what is to fit our expectations.
The classic case is the parent with a child with different interests and passions than the parent wanted. For the dad who …

Pandhandling homeless people have a variety of signs - many asking for money - a handout. Some plead, “Will work for food,” but then often decline the job, and never turn down money or food. At the center of the homeless debate or issue is one thing - money. If I’d had enough money I’d never have become homeless. If I managed it, saved it and used it better, I’d never have been homeless. That’s true for anyone and everyone who has become homeless. Throw enough money at something and …

I just got off the phone with customer service with Virgin Mobile tonight (Tuesday). Prior to posting this I spent a very angry 20 or 30 minutes tweeting about the evilness of Virgin Mobile. I ranted and raved about how their customer service is evil, lame, sucks - you name it. Ever since I’ve owned the phone I’ve hated it, but I have suffered through bad service, including nearly two hours to simply get the phone activated last year. Then I found out the phone didn’t have an alarm function. …

Shortly after a snapping a photo of a bowl of bananas with a tag that said, obviously enough, that they were “bananas,” a friend of mine and I laughed at how silly it seemed [then] to put a tag on something so obvious. Of course they were bananas! Then I rounded the table and saw several items, like Yorkshire Pudding, and some other exotic fruits and dishes I had no idea what they were. I heard a couple of Englishmen laughing at the idea that one would need to label …

I’m checking air line flights for a trip I want to take next year. I’m a little nervous because I heard that airlines will be charging a “Pee Fee” after the new year. Yup. There’s a “Peak Travel,” fee for traveling at peak times. There’s a baggage fee for people who are foolish enough to want to bring along more than the clothes on their backs. There’s a “Fat fee” where you have to buy two seats if you weigh too much, and then there’s a long laundry list …