Other · April 30th, 2012 14:32 Findagrave.com is really pretty remarkable in getting pictures of graves submitted. Within a few days of requesting them, I got pictures of the graves for all my grandparents and my uncle. People volunteer to take pictures and the website emails the information to the various volunteers when you ask for a photo. Some interesting stuff I found from the photos: My paternal grandparents have the wrong years of birth on their grave markers. They have my grandfather 6 years older than he was and my grandmother 4 years older. I never met them but from all the information I have I believe those dates were wrong. My other grandfather had a long name and there is a different spelling on the death certificate than the tombstone. I think the tombstone has the correct spelling. My uncle's grave marker doesn't have my aunt's name. She died 2 years ago and I think she is buried there but I can't say with certainty. It is a military cemetery so I don't think they charge for the markers or changing them. I'm glad I got these pictures, especially since I hadn't seen the tombstones in person except my uncle's. I think in certain ethnic groups, like the Chinese, it is important to honor relatives who passed on. I think maybe my grandparents and uncle and aunt know that I thought of them. Other · April 29th, 2012 16:56 Am I standing still,
out of the corner of my eye
Was that you passing me by? Other · April 29th, 2012 00:30 Some girl sent me a youtube of her version of "Melt with you" as a video response to my youtube of the original. It's kind of cute but I don't think I will add it. Her version is first followed by my youtube of the original. Which gets me thinking about what this song means to me. Other · April 28th, 2012 20:36 I just got a photo of my other grandparents' graves from a volunteer on findagrave.com. My grandmother on this side of my family was the only grandparent I had who was alive when I was born, and she died when I was 14. I went to the funeral and cemetery service but had never seen the tombstone. I now have pictures of the graves of all my grandparents. I also found a memorial on findagrave.com for an aunt of mine who died 10 years ago in Florida. The memorial was added last week by someone who I don't know. I sent him a message asking if he knew her. He might just be a geneology researcher. It seems like my timing is right just now for using findagrave.com. Other · April 28th, 2012 16:55 "If in any way we try to live to suit others we never shall suit them, and the more we try the more unreasonable and exacting they become." - Ralph Waldo Trine Other · April 27th, 2012 17:10 · 4 comments Heading for JFK Airport 11AM. Other · April 27th, 2012 16:19 I was walking down a street I don't normally walk down, and there was an elderly man and heavy middle aged women struggling to move a bookcase to the sidewalk. They would move it an inch then stop and look really frustrated. I stopped, offered to help and ten seconds later we had that sucker on the sidewalk. I love doing stuff like that and I bet those folks will remember that stranger who moved their bookcase. Other · April 27th, 2012 14:35 There is a chance I might see it flying on the back of a 747 as I am in the flight path to JFK. Other · April 27th, 2012 00:48 I picked up a copy of the paperback version of the book. I am skimming the book and seeing a number of items that were Quiz room questions, like Queens Alexandra's Birdwing which is the largest butterfly. Other · April 26th, 2012 01:35 I put in a request yesterday on findagrave.com and a volunteer took pictures today. These were my father's parents who died before I was born. My father never mentioned much about them and he has also passed away. Last year I found information about them online and eventually found out where they were buried. The photos were of simple flat grave markers. I am glad I did this, as I always had an idea about finding about them. Even though I never met them, I believe they are watching over me. Other · April 25th, 2012 19:02 I saw a propeller airplane flying today. It wasn't a little propeller plane sometimes used by commuter airlines. It was a large 4 engine propeller airplane that you might have seen in the 1940s but this one looked new. It flew directly overhead so I couldn't see if it had any markings. Maybe it was a military plane because I don't think any regular airlines use large propeller planes. Other · April 25th, 2012 12:42 I will take my life into my hands and I will use it
I will win the worship in their eyes and I will lose it
I will have the things that I desire
And my passion flow like rivers through the sky.
And after all the loves of my life
After all the loves of my life
I'll be thinking of you Other · April 24th, 2012 19:03 · 1 comment I added my grandparents to findagrave.com. They died about ten years before I was born so I don't know much about them. Last year I got the cemetery information from the funeral home which was used and is still in business. The funeral director told me that the cemetery is very big and it can be difficult to find graves even with the plot information. Find a grave has a feature where you can request a photo of a grave on the site, as they have people who volunteer to take pictures at various cemeteries. I put in a request and will see what happens. There may be some interesting information from that. For example, my grandparents are buried in different sections even though they died about a year apart. I don't know why. Other · April 24th, 2012 12:37 Too many sad days
Too many Tuesday mornings
I thought of you today
I wished it was yesterday morning
I thought of you today
And I dreamt you were dressed in mourning But I knew that you
With your heart beating
And your eyes shining
Would be dreaming of me
Lying with you
On a Tuesday morning Other · April 24th, 2012 00:31 My main account has 1.3 million views, another has over 300,000 views, and my first was over 400,000 views. I don't upload as much now as at first but I still do when I have something I think is interesting. I can't get caught up in this relative success on youtube as a big achievement, just an outlet for an ability I have tapped into. Other · April 22nd, 2012 12:28 April 22nd, 2012 12:28Other · April 20th, 2012 12:33 Then I open up and see
the person fumbling here is me
A different way to be. Other · April 20th, 2012 00:00 I don't like when strangers ring my doorbell because they are often some type of scammer. This young guy of some Asian background, maybe Indian rings my doorbell. I was going to ignore it but then he pounds on my door. So I grab my pocket knife just in case. He tells me he lives a few blocks away and noticed I had a car in my driveway without plates. It's an old car that I was going to donate because it needs work. He tells me he needs a car and he would like to buy it. That didn't ring true because he came in a newer SUV, why would he want an old car. I tell him I am not planning to sell but I ask him for his name and number if I change my mind. I look up his number on google and it is a Bronx phone number, not Queens, so that is lie number one. Then I find he placed an ad on craigslist a few months ago selling another car saying he just got a new car. So I figure this guy is trying to buy cars cheap for resale, not for his own use. That is lie number two. So my instincts were right, he was some kind of scammer. Other · April 19th, 2012 20:24 I often check out serial numbers on currency to see if there are any interesting ones. I looked through the 20s I got this morning at an ATM and I found one with 3 sevens in a row. I was thinking of saving it but then said no, I will save only if I find one with 4 sevens in a row. I continued looking at the bills from the ATM and there was one with 4 sevens in a row. I saved it. Other · April 19th, 2012 14:39 April 19th, 2012 14:39Other · April 19th, 2012 13:00 I know I've felt this way before
But now I'm feeling it even more Other · April 18th, 2012 23:12 I told this guy on youtube where to find the video of a record made by someone I used to know. He remastered the audio and uploaded it and it now has over 100,000 views. I do post about her a lot not because I am obsessed with her but you don't easily forget about the person you most held in your arms, especially when they have a semi-famous background. That is not her in the music video, as they used a model. She is in the second video below at the 20 second mark talking to her real life friend Basquiat. Other · April 18th, 2012 14:10 This is what I am reflecting on today: I want more
impossible to ignore
impossible to ignore And they'll come true
impossible not to do
impossible not to do Other · April 18th, 2012 01:17 April 18th, 2012 01:17Other · April 17th, 2012 13:01 I'm back to this song again, this time reflecting on some of the lyrics. Talk to me
amazing mind
So understanding
and so kind
You're everything to me Other · April 16th, 2012 23:12 · 1 comment April 16th, 2012 23:12Other · April 15th, 2012 20:23 I posted that song by Poco a few days ago. A couple of the members of that band were in a band called Buffalo Springfield. I remembered there was one song of theirs that I liked. I googled Buffalo Springfield, and as I did, the radio was playing a commercial about buffalo wild wings. Coincidence? Maybe, but this stuff happens to me all the time. Buffalo Springfield - On The Way Home "When the dream came, I held my breath with my eyes closed" Other · April 14th, 2012 18:05 I did some more checking on findagrave.com and found some more people I knew. My aunt and uncle were on there. I guess somebody is going through various records and adding them to the database. My uncle died in 1986 and my aunt in 2009. They weren't perfect people but what I will always remember was how they treated me with love and respect. Maybe because I didn't see them all the time like relatives I lived with, they only saw the best in me. My aunt never forgot my birthday until she got dementia, and my uncle was always there when you needed someone. If their was a family crisis, like when my father died, he was the one to call and he would be the pillar of strength. He had his flaws but when you needed him, he was there. I always got the feeling that my aunt and uncle were so proud of me, which I didn't always feel from my parents. Maybe they did, I don't know for sure. A few years after my uncle died, I visited the cemetery and found his grave. I knew that was the kind of gesture he liked in life and I could see him beaming in the afterlife knowing that I was there. On findagrave.com I left them messages of love, and I am pretty sure they know that. Other · April 14th, 2012 15:47 Sure enough there was a nail in it. It was only down a few pounds and didn't look flat but OnStar knew. Pretty cool. Other · April 14th, 2012 14:21 It is "Good Feeling to Know" by Poco. I was in the drugstore today and there was Best of Poco CD for about $6. It had this song on it and I bought it. I think this is an example of the universe presenting me with things I desire and I am going to say yes when these opportunities are presented. I am serious about this. Other · April 14th, 2012 11:31 Yes I am celebrating my achievements. I think this is a way to condition yourself for success. Other · April 13th, 2012 20:48 At 99,800 plus views. Yes, that makes me happy. Other · April 13th, 2012 00:48 April 13th, 2012 00:48Other · April 12th, 2012 23:14 This song reminds me of a girl named Chandra I met some years ago this time of year. I didn't know her all that long but she changed my life. This song was released when I knew her and it has a line that fits her very well "she'd be a whole lot prettier if she smiled once in awhile". I don't think I ever saw her smile. Other · April 11th, 2012 23:38 It's an anonymous message board where people post questions and comments all day long about anything. I won't post a link because there is an occasional off color picture posted (but it's not an adult site). Other · April 11th, 2012 16:14 I needed some more HP ink so I went back to Staples, with the possible side benefit of seeing this girl Lauren who works there. Well she wasn't there today. But there was this Pakistani girl at the register, and with my new found confidence I greeted her warmly. She was a bit flirty so I went with it. She started showing me some coupon I was getting with the purchase and as she did I looked deeply in her eyes. I swear she leaned in closer to me. If it wasn't for the register, I don't know what would have happened lol. It's amazing what a little confidence will do for you. Other · April 11th, 2012 14:39 There was a fight between a girl and a guy on the NYC subway and some guy eating nachos stepped between them and stopped it. Great video. Other · April 10th, 2012 17:12 · 3 comments It seems like a lot of stores are asking if you want to donate $1 to some charity when you are paying for your stuff. Maybe that is done with good intentions but if the store is so charitably minded they should just donate from their corporate profits. I don't like being asked for several reasons. I don't know where the money is going. For all I know it may be going for something that sounds good but is really for something like an anti-bullying program or a scam like global warming. Also this practice puts you on the defensive by making you say no as if you are a cheapskate against some good cause. I usually say "not today" when asked if I want to donate. It sounds like I have already made a past donation and will make future donations. Finally, if I am buying something for a few dollars why would I want to pay 10-20% additional that I didn't intend to spend. Makes no sense, especially this time of year. Other · April 10th, 2012 14:35 I was taking an art appreciation class in college and we had to go to the Museum of Modern Art as one of our assignments. Most of the art there is abstract stuff which I don't really get, but I turned around a corner and was standing right in front of this work which I had seen pictures of. I was awestruck. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christina's_World Other · April 10th, 2012 13:01 Meredith Marakovits is the new Yankees reporter on their YES network. A caller to sports radio criticized her looks. I have no opinion on her looks but I thought it was an entertaining call and put it on youtube and it got almost 900 views since Friday. Putting stuff on youtube like this helps me develop my skills for finding interesting stuff and bringing it to the public. Plus it is fun. They are talking about Meredith Marakovits even though they never actually mention her name. Other · April 9th, 2012 23:42 · 1 comment The "as if" principle is basically to act and think you are or have something before it may actually appear in your experience. It is a way of impressing what you desire on your subconscious mind which then works to bring it into your reality. It also impresses people as you start to display more and more confidence which also helps to create the object of your desire. Try it sometime. Other · April 9th, 2012 13:42 Yesterday I was looking around on the internet and started looking at the Find A Grave website. It is mainly famous people but there are some regular people listed too. My friend Thressa who died in 2009 has a listing there. I don't know who put it there. I worked with Thressa from 1994-1998. She was African American but she and I became good friends and we would talk all the time about life and love and everyday stuff too. She got my sense of humor and we would laugh all the time. After we stopped working together we kept in touch for a few years but those kind of relationships always seem to stop after awhile if you don't see each other. She would write me letters and send me Christmas cards and I still have them. She was probably the finest person I ever knew. I found out she died when I googled her name last year. She was about 42 and I don't know how she died. I am guessing she was ill with something because she had left New York and was living back with her parents which she hadn't done most of her adult life, and she also had a young daughter. Anyway I saw her listing on Find A Grave. They let you leave messages and flowers if you register on the site. I left flowers and a message that said "A once-in-a-lifetime friend. I will see you once again someday." I meant that too. Whatever the reason why she died young, I at least know there is a loving spirit on the other side to greet me whenever my time comes. This is the song that was popular when I met her and we both liked the message in the song. Thressa also looked a bit like Des'ree. Other · April 8th, 2012 12:45 This concludes my week long documentation of each day's sunrises. Although I didn't plan to end on Easter, it is fitting since it represents the resurrection of Jesus, new life, the sun rising again. Other · April 7th, 2012 22:34 There is a story in this week's TIME magazine about rethinking heaven. It got me thinking about heaven. This song is probably my best idea of what heaven is like. Other · April 7th, 2012 12:52 It is already day 6 of documenting this week's sunrises and playing Sugar Ray's "Every Morning". Shut the door baby don't say a word. Other · April 6th, 2012 16:33 · 2 comments Today is a perfect Spring day so I took a walk to a farm in Queens that dates back to the 1600s. They have goats, sheep, cows, chickens and I don't know what else. The chickens were the friendliest. Other · April 6th, 2012 13:11 Day 5 of my project of documenting this week's sunrises, and playing "Every Morning" by Sugar Ray. Shut the door baby don't say a word. Other · April 5th, 2012 17:44 It's funny how it seems like a cat always comes by to eat when there is fresh paint on the ground. I moved the cat's food dish when I saw her coming so she wouldn't get paint on her. Other · April 5th, 2012 13:04 This is day 4 of my project of documenting the sunrises of this week, and playing "Every Morning" by Sugar Ray. Today I took a different approach and took a picture of the sunrise reflected off the window of the house across the street. Shut the door baby don't say a word. Other · April 4th, 2012 20:47 April 4th, 2012 20:47Other · April 4th, 2012 16:24 · 1 comment Weather perfect, bright clear day. I took my Camaro for a ride resting my arm on the open window. This song came on the radio when I was at a light, so I turned up my Bose stereo to give a little treat to a couple of people waiting at the bus stop. Other · April 4th, 2012 12:50 Continuing my documentation of this week's sunrises, this is today's. A little cloudy. Shut the door baby don't say a word. Other · April 3rd, 2012 23:14 April 3rd, 2012 23:14Other · April 3rd, 2012 17:09 I know a way to tell if a woman is pregnant without her showing or taking a pregnancy test. I would explain further but this is a PG-13 blog so I will leave it at that. I dedicate this to Nora whose body was a wonderland. Other · April 3rd, 2012 13:02 One of my current projects is to try to capture each morning's sunrise this week and play Sugar Ray's "Every Morning". Here is today's sunrise:
Shut the door baby don't say a word. Other · April 2nd, 2012 12:51 Appropriately it is "Every Morning" by Sugar Ray. Shut the door baby don't say a word. Monday's sunrise:
Other · April 1st, 2012 23:32 · 1 comment If I joined quiz room and played a random game, would I win not having played in months? I'd say good chance unless somebody like SeaTurtle was there. But I couldn't beat him during my quiz heyday anyway. Other · April 1st, 2012 14:50 I'm not changing the station when this song comes on. Other · April 1st, 2012 11:28 One of my comments on a story on Newsday's website was published in today's newspaper. It is the bottom comment under my "MARTINJSXX" alias. I feel like stuff in my life is just flowing right now.
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