Friday, February 28, 2020

Unique OOAK Coin Collector Numismatic Decor Art

   Hand Crafted Custom Collector Art on recycled wood plaques


 Originating from the gentle hills of Martinsburg, West Virginia, each custom made and fully unique One Of A Kind (OOAK) decor art piece is hand cut and finished by the slightly arthritic and experienced hands of the old school craftsman JB "Pop" Stran.


The 2018 Trump Dollar is a recent example of the laser etched custom art decor from Pop's OOAK shop. Local poplar boards are stained a light to medium walnut and hand rubbed to blend perfectly with any oak or walnut decor scheme. 

   Collectors, numismatics and local patriots are going nuts for these unique and fully hand-crafted art pieces for their collections.  Feeling left out yet?
  The coins are removable if you desire; They are not glued into place or damaged in any way, but it is not suggested as you may damage the display. The coins are cool as penguin poop, and I took extra steps to insure that your collectible coin remains in perfect condition.

  Is it wrong that I like to mount some of the favorites from my coin collection to hand crafted wood?
Maybe. Maybe they should just sit in my safe, unseen and unappreciated.
 Is it wrong that you want to own and display these beauties in your own space?  Maybe.
Maybe you don't deserve to have nice things.  Or, maybe you do.  Maybe you've earned it.

For example;  The 1872 silver clad US Trade Dollar shown below is a beautiful collector coin replicating the 1873 silver dollars minted by the US government to compete with other large silver dollars of the era. Most of these coins were sent to China, who became the primary source for these highly collectible coins.

 The 2018 Gold Trump Dollar commemorates the first year of his election and is a feature part of this truly unique Art series exclusively from Pop's shop!

 Each hand crafted piece is True OOAK highly collectible art decor using recycled woods and suede leather hangers, available at local friend prices.  Each is a highly prized Coin Collector gift item that you simply can not buy anywhere else because they are made one at a time, by hand, only in Pops Shop.
   

The 2013 Bitcoin is one of our most popular collector pieces among gift buyers looking for the perfect decor item for a serious collector.
 There is currently a two week waiting list for this custom item, as well as for the 1967 Krugerrand set, both of which include a laser etched title and hand-rubbed light medium walnut finish that looks great with oak and walnut furnishings.

 Custom art from like this is highly prized by smart and discerning collectors because You own the Only One Like It!
 Your friends will lose their nut over this, but they simply can't buy it because each piece is One Of A Kind (OOAK art) and it's Yours.


 To get your grubby little hands on a finished in-stock collector piece, hit the store link below. When your greedy friends see it, don't tell them where you got it. Seriously; most shops love word of mouth advertising, but these pieces take so long to make by hand, and the coins are getting so hard to get, that your friends will just have to swallow their disappointment. Let 'em eat cake.
 No, really. Give your friends some cake. Who doesn't love cake?

 Pop's Shopify store is currently carrying samples of finished items that have as yet been unclaimed.
Every OOAK art decor piece shown in the store is handmade and actively in stock and can be shipped immediately. One Of A Kind (OOAK) art is the most highly collectible and valued form of art because there is not another one exactly like it anywhere. You own the Only One!


Drop by Pop's Custom art shop at http://popsgifts.com/ and browse the available fully hand crafted custom decorative art pieces that have been completed, but for various reasons have yet remain unclaimed. Make one yours today!


2020/02/27  JB Stran

*Coin values fluctuate with the market.
 Replica and trend coins are worth what a buyer is willing to pay.
  

Sunday, January 26, 2020

Custom Bitcoin Trump Collector Coin Art Vintage Primitive Man Cave Decor

   Hand Crafted Custom Collector Art on recycled wood plaques


 Originating from the gentle hills of Martinsburg, West Virginia, each custom and unique decor art piece is hand cut and finished by the loving hands of the old school craftsman JB "Pop" Stran.
 The 2018 Trump Dollar coin displayis a recent example of the laser etched custom art decor from Pop's shop. Local poplar boards are stained a light to medium walnut and hand rubbed to blend perfectly with any oak or walnut decor scheme.    
       Collectors, numismatics and local patriots are going nuts for these unique and fully hand-crafted art pieces for their collections.  Feeling left out yet?

  The coins are removable if you desire; They are not glued into place or damaged in any way, but it is not suggested as you may damage the display. The coins are cool as penguin poop, and I took extra steps to insure that your collectible coin remains in perfect condition.

 The Gold Trump Dollar is part of a truly unique Art series exclusively from Pop's shop!
 True OOAK highly collectible art decor using recycled woods and leather hangers at local friend prices.

 Our most popular decor pieces include the new Flip Art wall plaques (shown in an earlier post), the customized *Scrabble tile bedroom signs, and the highly prized Coin Collector plaques.


The 2013 Bitcoin is our most popular collector art among gift buyers looking for the perfect decor item for a serious collector.
 There is currently a two week waiting list for this custom set which includes laser etched title and a hand-rubbed medium or dark walnut finish that looks great with walnut furniture.

 Custom art from like this is highly prized by smart and discerning collectors because You own the Only One Like It!
 Your friends will lose their nut over this, but they simply can't buy it because each piece is One Of A Kind (OOAK art) and it's Yours.


 To get your grubby little hands on a finished in-stock collector piece, hit the store link below. When your greedy friends see it, don't tell them where you got it. Seriously; most shops love word of mouth advertising, but these pieces take so long to make by hand, and the coins are getting so hard to get, that your friends will just have to swallow their disappointment. Let 'em eat cake.
 No, really. Give your friends some cake. Who doesn't love cake?

 Pop's Shopify store is currently carrying samples of finished items that have as yet been unclaimed.
Every OOAK art decor piece shown in the store is handmade and actively in stock and can be shipped immediately. One Of A Kind (OOAK) art is the most highly collectible and valued form of art because there is not another one exactly like it anywhere. You own the Only One!


Drop by Pop's Custom art shop at https://martinsburgphotos.myshopify.com/ and browse the available fully hand crafted custom decorative art pieces that have been ordered and completed, but for various reasons have yet remain unclaimed. Make one yours today!


2020/01/11  JB Stran



*Scrabble is a registered trademark of Hasbro. Our tiles are collected from salvaged game sets.
  

Tuesday, January 14, 2020

Your Daughter Will Love This Custom Bedroom art

   Hand Crafted Custom Decor Art on recycled wood plaques


 Originating from the gentle hills of Martinsburg, West Virginia, each custom and unique decor art piece is hand cut and finished by the loving hands of the old school craftsman JB "Pop" Stran.


Elephant Lovers is a recent example of the laser etched custom art decor from Pop's shop. Local poplar boards are stained a light walnut that blends perfectly with any oak or walnut decor scheme.
  Both images are actually the same piece, and part of a truly unique two-faced Flip Art series exclusively from Pop!

 True OOAK art decor using recycled woods and natural leather hangers at local friend prices.


 Our most popular decor pieces include the new Flip Art wall plaques (shown above and below), the customized *Scrabble tile bedroom signs, and the highly prized Coin Collector plaques.

 
 The Winnie and Tigger set is our most popular Flip Art among gift buyers looking for the perfect decor item for a little girl's bedroom or playroom.
 There is currently a two week waiting list for this custom set which includes laser etched images and a hand-rubbed light or dark walnut finish.

 Custom art from similar artists average $75 each but Pop's Flip Art pieces are flying away at less than $25 for Two images!


 To get Pop's attention as soon as possible, send an email to Pop57@comcast.net or for an even faster and more personal response you can text him directly with your customization requests to  304.620.9235 any time of day and he will get back to you very soon.

 Pop's Shopify store is currently carrying samples of finished items that have as yet been unclaimed.
Every OOAK art decor piece shown in the store is handmade and actively in stock and can be shipped immediately. One Of A Kind (OOAK) art is the most highly collectible and valued form of art because there is not another one exactly like it anywhere. You own the Only One!

 Looking for a bit more than bedroom or nursery art?
  Look into Pop's OOAK Shop for original and classic Americana art decor for the kitchen, dining room and more. Featuring recovered and restored hand crafted items from farms and lost homes in the Panhandle area.

Drop by Pop's Custom art shop at https://martinsburgphotos.myshopify.com/ and browse the available fully hand crafted custom decorative art pieces that have been ordered and completed, but for various reasons have yet remain unclaimed. Make one yours today!


2020/01/11  JB Stran



*Scrabble is a registered trademark of Hasbro. Our tiles are collected from salvaged game sets.
  

Saturday, January 11, 2020

You Don't Have to Go Home, but you Can't Stay Here: My last trip to Taco Bell.

Why do fast foods restaurants insist on contaminating my food?

  On my way home today, I stopped in a local Taco Bell in Spring Mills for an easy dinner.
Ordering my favorites to go means going inside, because as everyone knows, they screw you at the drive-through so often that going in just makes more sense.
 I received my food on a tray, and decided in the moment to sit at a table instead.
So, I just opened the first item when the girl that took my order walked into the dining room with a broom and various cleaning supplies and started sweeping the floor.

 Seriously?  If you've ever swept a floor with sunlight streaming through the windows then you know the horrendous clouds of dust that are now floating into the air. And what is 80% of dust? Dead skin cells. Body hairs. Mites. Miscellaneous nasties that I definitely don't want in my mouth.
 
 She then follows up by spraying some God-knows-what cleaning spray all over the tables and seats of the booths all around us. Naturally, I packed up my food, asked for a bag and left.
 I did order it to go, after all.
 Once outside, I realized that that was her plan all along. She doesn't really want anyone to eat in her clean dining room. If you insist, then she will make the experience as unpleasant as possible, and maybe make you sick as a bonus. Bad customer; Take your food and get the hell out.

 My primary question is this: Why the hell do these people insist on contaminating my food with that stuff? It's bad enough that I have to breathe it, now you want to force me to eat it too?
 The dead skin and body hairs of the last 100 customers are now floating all through the room.
 The place was empty when we walked in; Why wasn't the cleaning done then, and why is it only done when we sit down to eat?  It's not only gross, but rude as hell.

 This disgusting type of Ignorant behavior happens at my favorite Arby's on Queen street as well. We walk into an empty dining room, and two minutes after we sit down to eat someone walks over behind us and starts shaking the dust out of the trash cans and sweeping the floor.

 Maybe I'm a bit thick; These girls have been throwing this hint every single time I sit in one of their dining rooms, and I'm just now catching on.  We will sell you the food, but don't you dare try to enjoy a meal in here, because the moment you think you're safe at a clean table we are going to spray and shower you in the nastiest crap we can find, starting with the skin and bugs that died on the floor.
 Up your nose, in your hair, on your table, and in any exposed food you may be trying to eat.

Who trains these people?  Apparently the only thing they know about hygiene is that they have to wear gloves to handle the food, and wash their hands after the bathroom, not that I have a lot of faith in either of those rules being enforced. And in case that isn't enough to worry about...

 I ordered clean food. I expected clean food. I hoped while waiting that the kid preparing my food didn't have a cold recently, and had washed his hands thoroughly and put on clean gloves. I further hoped that his balls didn't itch while he was wrapping my food, and that he wipes his boogers on his pants and not on my wrapper.

 After all that, I take my clean food to a nearby table and unwrap it only to have someone else immediately begin filling the room with a toxic blend of filth too horrible to imagine.
  Point made. Point gotten.
You don't have to go home, but you can't eat here.

 J.B.S.  2020/01/11
 

Friday, November 1, 2019

Employee Disengagement

Tales from a Toxic Work Environment #2

  Based on recent behavior patterns, I'm guessing that one of our newest hires may be on his way out.
It became apparent two weeks ago that he had disconnected from the job; showing little interest in learning or expanding his knowledge base, spending far too much time sitting by the machine oblivious to his surroundings, and just this week he has called out two days in a row.
 We only work three days this week, so that's a lot.

 If I had to guess, I'd say that he has burned his limited vacation days, and started in on sick days,  because he wasn't planning to be around much longer.  That's the obvious first step when someone has disengaged and no longer cares about the job, the team, or the company. In my experience the pattern is fairly consistent. 

 I am further qualified to spot disengagement because in my three years here I have gone from proud to be here, to why am i still here, because I stopped drinking the Kool aid over a year ago. There was an incident prior to that point, and that put me in the frame of mind to notice deeper issues, and that's when the realization occurred to me that I no longer really cared about a culture that doesn't actually care about me.
 I had essentially allowed all the joy to be sucked out of my work. That actually hurt, because when I started, I genuinely liked my job for the first time in...forever?

 This plant is less than two years old, so being here for three means I am a member of the founder's club. The original group of twenty people, of which I am a member, has been whittled down to about 13 now. Some have quit, some were let go, but that's par for the course at most companies. But for a company with a reputation for higher retention rates, it should be alarming.

 I've been on four teams in those three years. My first supervisor became a friend, and then she quit to move home to Chicago. She was my first (and last) career coach. We still share a text on occasion.
 My second supervisor was the subject of a prior post, Tales #1, and in the six months that we worked together he managed to say exactly 9 words to me. Once. I was tolerated, and he didn't hide it well.

 My third team was my favorite because my supervisor was an intelligent, down-to-earth ex-cop who actually looked me in the eye and spoke to me like a human. He was respectful, fair, and honest and I respected the hell out of him for it.
 But, I moved once again to a newer line so that my prior line experience could make their startup easier. I get it, but it's not ideal. And like I said, I disengaged a long time ago so at this point i'm just showing up, and those rare positive moments are the only things keeping me sane about it.

 One of the issues that led to this state of mind is all the attention being placed on the glass ceiling here. Being a new plant, there is a lot of room for overhead growth. Both middle and upper management slots waiting to be filled, lots of shuffling going on, and this quickly became a full-time preoccupation for every manager at every level.
 So much so, that it became clear to us on the floor that we were basically alone here. Our support was non existent because it was off brown-nosing and training for the next promotion.
You couldn't get anyone's actual attention because not one of our supervisors were engaged themselves; none wanted the job they had, but were instead sniffing for the next level job they wanted. They simply needed you to make them look good so they could leave you in their wake.
 That went on heavily for about a year, though it has started to slow a bit by now.

 Engagement is still an issue however, so obviously the problem runs a bit deeper than just a group of non-committed managers. Maybe it's a general feeling that the work doesn't really matter. That impression is inevitable when everyone is focused on the career ladder.
 Maybe it's a general feeling that you don't really matter. Certain managers have a way of conveying that message regularly, despite the best intentions of  upper management or policy.

 Maybe it has to do with being treated like idiotic children instead of like thinking, rational adults.
 For example, management has recently started littering the plant with these moron signs, like the one at each trash hopper that says, " This is the cardboard hopper. Only put cardboard into the cardboard hopper". It has pictures. Of cardboard. In the cardboard hopper. In case you're really stupid.

 The walls of every hallway we use are plastered with childish posters depicting aspects of the safety guidelines. From outside, the building is a work of art. The main lobby is tastefully appointed with integral works of art. But when we walk the halls, and it looks exactly like an elementary school. It's quite embarrassing, TBH. They don't rotate or change, so you quickly stop seeing them, but they do increase on occasion. Maybe they're breeding.

 In any event, the filthy undercurrent of discontent that began years ago before the plant was even built has never been addressed, and has therefore grown into an underground movement. Lots of grumbling going on; Lots of unhappy people planning an exit strategy while simultaneously giving this plant a black eye in the form of an employee retention rate that rivals the local 7-11.

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

The Dehumanizing Treatment of Employees

 Tales from a Toxic Work Environment #1


 Now that we have reached the so-called Age of Enlightenment, wherein socially conscious managers would never dream of forcing arcane rules or personal whims on their underlings, it is considered by most people to be at the very least morally wrong for a supervisor to intentionally create a hostile work environment for personal or emotional pleasure.

 This is exactly the type of behavior I have witnessed on multiple occasions at the P&G Tabler Station plant however, regardless of plant, company or corporate policies. 
 Because to be blunt; Policies don't mean squat in the day-to-day, minute-by-minute operations of a manufacturing plant when people with little to no proper management training are making the little decisions that will affect the lives of their team members.

 In one recent example, a low-level (bottom rung) manager of only three team members with a reputation for constant sexual harassment of female employees set his sights on a newly hired young lady on his team.
 He asked her out repeatedly, and she was placed in the awkward position of needing to explain that she was not only engaged but also not really interested in him, while at the same time preserving his fragile ego so that her new career would not be jeopardized by making an enemy of her new boss.

 Being a friend of a friend, I was allowed to follow this drama through first hand sharing and second-hand followups. She was a sweet kid, and I have a grandfather vibe, so we talked on occasion. 
 Because she was an adult, I didn't presume to stick my two cents into another adult's story.
I never notified HR or anyone who maybe could help her because I tend my own garden.

  Anyway, she seemed to be taking it fairly well in the early stages, and showed a solid sense of humor about the whole thing in general. That is until a few weeks ago when she decided that he had gone too far.
 Because he was the first approval for requested vacation days, she had submitted a request to take her birthday off so she could spend it with her fiance.
 Her request for the day off was denied, despite it being a valid request in every sense. She was disappointed but mature about it, until her boss took that same day off himself. She was convinced that he was exhibiting a childishly spiteful abuse of power, and rubbing her nose in it to boot.
 {if she was nicer to him, he might be nicer to her...}

 She then requested a transfer to another line, any line, in the hope of starting fresh with a fair manager. This request too was denied. Her boss was also an excellent underling, and held in fine regard by all of his supervisors (middle management) because he tells them what they want to hear and appears eager to learn. 
 In my experience, this usually means an ambitious and hungry jackal has his eye on his next promotion, but that's not my problem. The point is, he had their collective ear and if he wanted autonomous control over a team member it was a simple matter of placating his own bosses with some well crafted bullshit.  

 So, feeling trapped with a childish and vindictive drama queen of a boss, this young girl with aspirations of a career with Proctor and Gamble simply quit her new job to seek greener and less painful pastures.
  Her friends suggested an exit interview, so that at the very least someone from HR would listen to her reasons for leaving, even if she chose not to pursue proper recourse.  I don't know if that meeting ever happened; We rotate shifts regularly, so I came in one day and she was just gone.

 It's a shame that stories like hers rarely get told, and maybe that's why I bothered to write it out here for you to peruse. Maybe her life is much better now. Maybe she is reading this with you and smiling at the wasted tears she allowed some saddle-sniffer to extract from her.

 Maybe you or a friend are in a similar situation, and shedding a few tears of your own, and hoping for encouragement. The best advice I can offer is to speak up and speak out.
 Don't allow dark intentions to remain in the dark.

 Drop by the HR office, or just drop an email asking for some advice on how best to correct any misunderstandings you may have with your boss.
 Shedding some light on small miscommunications or outright mistreatment has a wonderful way of bringing the sun out again. 
 And you deserve a bit more sunshine in your life, don't you?

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Confusing Selection With Results

The Swimmer's Body Illusion


  A common delusion that critical thinkers must be aware of involves mistaking fate, natural gifts, and logical selection with actual tested results.
 Known by many as the "Swimmer's body illusion", which refers to the popular task of choosing a target body profile as your weight loss goal.
 Long and lean, professional swimmers possess the most coveted body style according to poll data. The problem that eventually unfolds is that swimmers don't look like that because they swim; Swimmers swim because they look like that.
 They didn't so much choose the sport as the sport chose them. They had the aerodynamic profile that made becoming a professional swimmer likely, and the balance between proper training, natural talent, and nature made it happen.

These facts escape the average person looking to improve their profile however, and every year gym and YMCA memberships explode with folks seeking the impossible goal of a swimmer's body.

 A similar example is the beauty magazine model.
  She doesn't have perfect almond eyes and high cheekbones because she uses the makeup in the ad, but instead she is in the makeup ad because she possesses these features.
 She was selected to become the face of that makeup company based on her natural talents, and the mildly deceptive ads simply allow fragile young women to assume that the makeup alone is the model's only secret.

 Once you accustom yourself to deciphering selection and choice from results of actual testing and experimentation, your critical mind will begin rooting out lots more examples as your natural cynicism creates a new category under the fraud heading.

JB PopRox Stran

Monday, April 3, 2017

Introducing the Universal Truth Religion


Introducing the Church of Universal Truth, the religion of the Introvert

 The below document comprises the initial charter of a new religion, which shall henceforth be known as Universal Truth.






 


Version number and dateFounder and Minister:
 Reverend J.B. Stran



    



Focus



 The foundation of the Universal Truth religion is based on the individual’s right to worship in solitude, free of social pressure and judgement.
  Unlike nearly all organized religions, the Universal Truth religion welcomes and caters to the Introvert, primary among these, 
  the Prisoner; the Outcast; the Homeless. Your humble founder and spiritual leader has been all three of these.
  

 The Universal Truth that you seek is this: 

          Wherever you are; whoever you are, so there is God.

The God that you seek has never written any books.
 The God that you seek neither recognizes nor requires your money.
  The God that you seek does not hold nor require any earthly real estate.
   The God that you seek does not employ fear tactics for the purpose of extorting goodness from you.
The God that you seek requires only that reach your full potential, both as an individual spirit and as a connection point for the billions of other individual seekers.


Dogma


Doctrine
 The Right of quiet reflection
The right of the worshiper to enjoy the quiet privacy of solo worship shall not be infringed upon.
 The Right to refuse the Kool-Aid
The right of the individual to refuse to participate in any activities perceived as cult behaviors shall not be infringed upon.
The Right of Personal Temple

The right of the individual to refuse any ingestion, injection or intrusion of body shall not be infringed upon.

The Right to Personal privacy

The worshipper shall retain the right to refuse participation in any public exercise deemed uncomfortable to the worshipper.

Liquid Dogma
The founders and leaders of the Universal Truth religion reserve the right to adapt and grow these doctrines.

Rituals


  • Morning routines are sacred and shall not be altered or interfered with.
  • Proper dress for worship shall remain in tune with personal comfort.
  • Ministers are available for advice, but are not required for worship services.
  • Worship in group settings of 6 members or less are acceptable within the comfort realms of the individual worshipper.
  • Tithing shall not be required.  Voluntary Donations will be accepted by the minister directly .

Leader roles and responsibilities


  The primary leader shall be the minister. The primary role of the minister is to provide support to the individual worshipper.

 Additional leaders may be appointed by the minister or by majority vote of the board.

Saturday, December 31, 2016

It's That Fadd Map Time Again Ladies: Fat and Delusional Dreamers Making Plans

"Beauty Is In The Eye of the Beholder"


  We are once again rounding that bend, and readying ourselves for the same old resolutions that seem to top the personal priority lists of millions around us: Get in better shape; Eat healthier; Become a better version of me.
  Good.  Most folks will benefit from a few small changes in habit. Just be sure you're going into this new plan for the right reasons.
 Feeling better, having more energy, and out-living your goldfish are all great ideas.

  Today's rant is focused more on the overly critical tendencies that create a pattern of self-destruction in far too many otherwise happy folks, women in particular.
 With New Year's day just 24 hours away, maybe what we really need to focus on is less focus, waddyathink?

  Every January, many of us join the masses who have fallen prey to that commercialized version of who and what we are expected to become, while completely ignoring the fact that these carefully crafted systems of self-doubt and body-shaming by comparison are based in the very same premise as the classic Madison Avenue concept of "Keeping up with the Joneses" that was sold to our parents since the sixties: Greed.

 Honestly:  It is ALWAYS about profits. Every last stigma and doubt system that is carried over from each generation to torture and traumatize girls (and boys), whose only crime was being born, is and always has been about money. Nothing more. Specifically, it's about taking yours.

 Uniqueness is systematically crushed by that profit machine starting in grade school, when your inherent need to socialize is used as a weapon against you. 

  Fashion, pharmaceutical and cosmetics companies that are built on this evil groundwork rely solely on their ability to convince you that everyone is flawed and sub-par at birth, but you can have access to the 'magic pill' that will make you acceptable...for a reasonable price, of course.

 This form of social brainwashing for profit isn't new, and frankly I think we as a species should have evolved beyond this sheeple stage by now; the one that feeds our vulnerable children to this system of emotional torture for profits.
   Sadly, many adults are too deeply submerged into this "I'm not quite good enough" mentality to even realize just how shallow their lives have become, and they pass this social guilt on to their children.

  The makeup and drug companies aren't alone here;  Enter the medical profession.
 Botox, plastic surgery, and various body shaping procedures are also part of this conspiracy of personal shaming and body criticism for profits, and people are literally dying to impress their equally shallow friends.

  Women are tricked into injecting toxic poisons into their faces, boobs and butts to feel competitive with Photoshopped models who are just as flawed as the rest of us.
 The big difference between them and you? They lie. It's their job to lie to you, and it's also very profitable. The model is lying. The photographer is lying. Because the sponsor company doesn't profit from truth.

 Ready for a little truth?  Start with this:  I Love You. We Love You. Just the way you are, as nature intended, as your God intended you to be. 
  You are not supposed to look like your neighbor, or a billboard model, or the lingerie model on the television. Why would you want to? She doesn't even look like that.

  Girls:
  Your mom wasn't lying: You are perfect just the way you are. Dad may have been a bit biased, but he was still telling the truth: You really are beautiful, just the way you are. 

  You are the only one who has a hard time seeing it because you are taught to be hyper critical of every flaw. 
This is a result of the Big Lie we're talking about here today. 

  Your minor flaws make you unique. Your freckles are gorgeous. That dimple is the envy of a hundred people that you've passed. Your hair is your crown. Polish it, make it shine. Or don't. It's who you are.  Make it yours and be proud of it. 

 That whole idea that this life is one big beauty competition in which you are forced to participate is a sack of commercial lies being perpetrated by the shallow and brainwashed herd, and you can be one of the lucky few who have the ability to see through the greed curtain.

 One of the most beautiful traits that a woman can possess is a self confidence that demands respect.
 The world is your mirror, and what you put out is exactly what comes back to you.

  Be beautiful; Believe in your beauty and it will be so, because others will respond to your belief in the same manner. The secret key just went by you in that last sentence: You must Believe it.

 Faking it til you make it may work for some, but for the rest of us this can be a brutally cruel world that has a knack for spotting a weakness in the facade. 

 You must really know beyond any doubt, that your beauty was by design and any adjustments are a waste of time because they detract from your intended purpose.

 Your true beauty is not on the skin, and it is not something that disappears in the dark.

 Your beauty is your strength. Your beauty is your love. Your beauty is a lingering image (feeling) that every person who meets and knows you will carry long after the first impressions have faded.

 Uniqueness is a primary feature of your beauty. Something that makes you just you, and unlike anyone else. Maybe that unique gift is your art; your voice; your generosity; your empathy, or maybe you are still finding yourself and a unique gift hasn't shown itself.

 For many women, their uniqueness turns out to be their destiny to create the most wonderful children the world has ever seen. This is a fine and noble life goal that many parents are honored to become. 

 The best version of a parent my family has ever seen. Nothing wrong with that at all; It completely dismisses the personal and social paranoias altogether, and focuses on a higher calling. Again: A noble quest indeed.

 If there is a point to this yet-another New Years day rant, then it is this:
 Instead of planning another year of wasted money and grueling workout schedules, just to further torture yourself by obsessing over mediocre results that weren't part of your destiny anyway, how about you (we) simply focus on Karma building and putting our egos on a diet?

 There are a lot of simple changes you can make to feel healthier, and to have more energy.
 The first one that I recommend is to Never Buy Diet Coke again. Ever.
  The aspartame is a toxic sugar substitute that is actually making you fatter! They have removed it from their recipe to dodge the complaints from consumers, only to put it right back in under a new name.

 Second; Drink a lot more water. Hydration is more than healthy; it's essential to everything else you want to do and be. Routinely flushing your kidneys and bladder will give you that healthy glow and allow your whole body to function better and handle exercise better.
  That brings me to the third simple change:
  Get vertical.
Sitting is killing more Americans than traffic accidents and drugs combined. Office jobs, computer time, and cable's 400 channels comprise the fat machine that clogs arteries and stops hearts prematurely. 

 Take a walk. Discover that little museum you've been meaning to take a peek at. Throw your sweats on and hike the bike path down the road. Thirty minutes is a good place to start.

 Once this new habit becomes established (the average adult need s to repeat a new habit seven times before it registers) you will realize that you really like the way it feels. Let it progress on it's own schedule, and avoid listening too closely to bragging friends who claim they are running 75 miles today. Misery loves company.

 Set your own starting point, and allow it to progress naturally. If at all. The point is to simply do something that makes you happy. An hour of fresh air and gentle exercise is more than enough for starters.

 Summary:  Improve yourself if you feel the need, but do it for you. Nothing else matters.
 You want to feel better; You want to see your grandchildren grow up; You want to see your feet again.
 Be Happy. Be Happier. Be Beautiful.

JBS.
 § Copyright HealthySelfCures.com  2016  JB Stran
 All Rights Reserved. Reprints with linkback.

Monday, December 26, 2016

Post Christmas Melancholy


First and foremost; We are good people, my wife and I.
Parents to six, and Grandparents to over 20 happy (and mildly spoiled) children, and Christmas for us is truly a celebration of love and generosity surrounded by family.
I freely admit that my wife of thirty three years deserves this happiness more than do I; She has nowhere near the level of childhood and adult sins to atone for.
I also deal with a deeply buried case of PTSD that develops zombie tendencies in the Winter months, peaking ( or in terms of the depression that follows it like a shadow, bottoming out) right around Christmas.
This puts me in that small group of freaks who genuinely dread the holiday, and must work particularly hard to find a spark or a light to focus on in order to crawl over that hump one more year.

Sorry 'bout that. You can see now why I buried it.
Obviously, the grandchildren take turns representing that light at the end of the tunnel. Beautifully optimistic, eager little minds chomping at life's bit to start making a happy life as wild birds whose cage was just flung open. Their graceless simplicity is contagious, you know?   Play is Everything, and Everything is Play.
If that doesn't make you fall in love with life all over again, check your pulse.

Anyway; that's what pulls me through the annual holiday swamp, and by the 26th it's already starting to get better.
For me, that is. Remember that wife who deserves to happy?
Well, she swings to an alternate rhythm, and we pass each other going in opposite directions about this time.

Christmas is for her a joyous celebration of family and love. Money or no, she is tickled just to be near the little ones at Christmas. Simple pleasures, and all that jazz.
Then, she goes back to work.
Now, hating your job is quite normal for many blue collar folks, but how about being clinically depressed for the entire week after Christmas? That's not normal.
No; She's not a NICU nurse, or a dialysis attendant. She works at a major retailer.
The biggest one; the one people love to hate and half the country can't seem to live without.

Starting the day after Christmas, she is the person at this retailer who has to process the returns. Unwanted gifts, wrong sized sweaters, and all the usual post-Christmas reasons to stand in line at the returns counter.

Then there's the reason for her week-long depression; The welfare queens bringing in their children's toys and gifts to flip them for cash. Many with those same wailing, confused and emotionally tortured children in tow.
One after another, all day long, waddling along in slippers and PJs, flopping freshly-opened toys that just last week were delivered by Toys For Tots onto the counter and demanding cash for toys they didn't earn, while the broken-hearted toddler cries for a reason why Santa won't let her keep her new toy.
All the while, a sweet and kindly grandmother stands behind that same counter hard-swallowing the impulse to hop over and deliver the ass-kicking of a lifetime. With her nearly forgotten Baltimore street corner roots, and the fact that the liberal in front of her apparently lives on cheese curls and Pepsi, it wouldn't take that much effort.

But, what would be the point? You can't fix stupid.
And some folks couldn't learn new tricks no matter how hard you tried.
Sure, she could offer to pay for the toy. Seems simple, right? Nope. You would just delay the inevitable, and that sorry excuse for a human mother would be back the next day, in the same line, with the same crying child being tortured all over again. So you just stand there and deal with it, right?
After spending 24 hours bringing smiles and joy to the children in your own family, you just watch the cruelest parade of child torture go by; and even assist them when you can. Because that crying child isn't just looking at mommy for answers; she is also looking at you for any help you can offer. It's enough to tear the very heart from your body. Over, and over, and over, and over...

You starting to see the source of the melancholy?

Thankfully, a few smart folks (my wife being one of them) have put their heads together in an effort to beat this scam and it's heartless perpetrators at the source.
They are asking charities and churches who provide toys and gifts to needy children at Christmas to black-out or otherwise disable the barcode labels on the toys and it's packaging. It's illegal to remove the tags, but a little permanent marker will do the trick. In time, maybe the laws covering charities can be adjusted to allow the removal of all barcodes from the gifts without penalty, thus guaranteeing a much happier Christmas for countless children.

I'm sure this is not just a local problem. Christmas happens to fall in the third week of the month when folks on assistance also happen to be broke, and frankly I can't comprehend any charity not having the forethought to see this coming. To my way of thinking, that makes them just as liable as the human garbage standing in line ignoring her child's pain.
It's time to take responsibility for the whole picture and stop cherry-picking the aspects they choose to focus on. It's time to beat the scammers at their own game.

How about you? Any ideas to help beat this issue?

Thanks for bearing with this rant, and I wish you a wonderful New Year.

JB.

Monday, July 11, 2016

Traditional Native Onion Magic

http://livingtraditionally.com/the-magic-onion-things-you-didnt-know-onions-could-do/

Sunday, June 12, 2016

Fathers Day Draws First Blood: Remington Beard Trimmer


No doubt you have seen a few knock down, drag out, all around hellish Father's Days come and go. We all have.

  Momma wants to shove your nose in a Happy Happy We Love YOU! Celebration fiasco, and the kids are doing everything they can think of to dodge this social embarrassment. 
  Truth is;  An unobstructed view of the game, a bag of pretzels and a fresh beer now & then are about all you need to be perfectly content with your 'Special" day...but Mom won't have any of that nonsense.

 You're gonna dress spiffy and go to her favorite eatery, and you can bet your wingtips it won't be Buffalo Wild Wings. Or any sports bar, for that matter.
Been there, brother. I (we) sympathise.

That however is not the reason for this post. This one is loosely classified as a rant I suppose, based on last year's FD gift, and I thought I would remind some givers on Dad's Day that not every gadget is what it seems.

I am referring to a Remington beard trimmer that works just fine, although it appears to have developed a taste for human blood.
At first it was a small nick here or there, but now that a year has passed it has acquired an evil thirst for more, which I fear may someday spell my downfall.

I have started keeping it in a cage at night so my children can sleep without being attacked by this deceptively tiny device and it's vampirish cravings.


This harmless looking device is the Remington rechargable trimmer, model PG360. 
 That's code for Pretty Good, retail $36.
  T his one came with a nice stand and a few handy attachments, and has been serving my needs well...until I trim around the mouth area. This is of course one of it's primary uses; Trimming the beard and mustache, which it does just fine, until it senses weakness. Then it strikes. It's tiny steel fangs sinking into my flesh, seeking the sweet nectar that flows just below the surface.


Always the same place, always the same little nicks at the corners of my mouth. Irritating little nicks that sting like a papercut, and take a bit too long to heal because I open them every day when I yawn.
Naturally, it's not lack of sleep making me yawn of course, but the little known but much feared Creeping Curse of the Stubble Clipper. Having tasted my precious juices, it has no doubt injected me with it's fiendishly hypnotic gadget serum, born in the pits of Remingtonia, or wherever these nasty little biters come from.

Seriously though: Is it just me?

In any case, this is a heads up to the Dads, Moms, and kids who will be last-minute scrambling for a nice, fairly cheap (about $25) gift this coming FD weekend: Remington beard trimmers may become hostile and develop a taste for human blood.
Caveat Emptor

> JB.

Thursday, June 25, 2015

Handy Hacks part 3: Summer Edition

Handy Hacks  part 3


  We all like to learn a new trick that will make our lives easier, save us money, and even impress friends and family in the process.
 Here are a few of my favorites (again):



* Remove Crayons from Walls with WD40:
Use the lubricant and a cloth to remove stubborn crayon marks from the walls just by spraying the wall and wiping with a cloth.

* Keep Ants and Slugs Out of the House with Chalk?
Ants and Slugs Won’t Touch Chalk. So, simply draw a line in front of your doorway where you are having problems with these pesky critters and they won’t cross it, meaning they won’t be able to get into your house.


* That reminds me: Chapstick will stop the bleeding if you nick yourself shaving.
 - assuming of course that a few of you still enjoy an old-school shave as I do.

**and That reminds me:  Olive oil is an excellent replacement for shaving cream! Slick and smooth enough to ward off nicks, it also moisturizes the skin as you shave.


* Vinegar: Kills Weeds and Helps Flowers Grow
Vinegar is a magic wonder when it comes to gardening. It not only kills weeds but they help flowers grow as well. Douse vinegar all around your garden to prevent weeds from popping up and to help your flowers to grow healthy and strong. A spray bottle with the tip opened to a jet works fine.


* Remove A Bumper Sticker with Mayonnaise?
Spread mayonnaise on the bumper sticker and let sit for at least thirty minutes. Then, rub the sticker off with a towel, leaving a clean bumper!



* Clean BBQ Grill with Baking Soda:
Mix a cup of baking soda with half a cup water to make a paste. Dip your brush into the paste and scrub the grill. The caked on pieces and black residue will come off much quicker and using baking soda is much safer and cheaper than using cleaning chemicals.

* That reminds me: Clean your grill with an Onion:
  Close and warm that dirty grill for 10 minute. Slice a fresh onion in half and rub the cut face of onion back and forth on the grilling surface until the juices have loosened all that stuck-on crud. Hit it with your grill brush and repeat if necessary.  Not only will the onion make cleaning much easier, but your next round of steaks will have an awesome hint of extra flavor!


 ...and, One to impress the ladies:

* Freeze Candles to Make Them Last Longer:
Put candles in the freezer for at least 2 hours before using. Once you burn them, the wax will melt at a much slower pace, making them last much longer!


J.B. Stran 
2015  JB "Pop" Stran  All Copyrights apply. No reprint without full link intact.