I recently read a book titled, “The Millionaire Maker”, by Loral Langemeier.

In this book she talks about how to act, think, and make money the way the wealthy do.

She talks about investments.  It just her way of investments differ from another book I read titled, “Rich Dad, Poor dad.”

There is nothing wrong with her way of investing.  Like there’s nothing wrong in investing the “Rich Dad, Poor Dad version.  It’s all depends on you.

In “Rich Dad, Poor Dad”, the author took the more conservative route.  Whereas in “Millionaire Maker’, there is more of a risk.

Don’t get me wrong upon reading “Millionaire Maker’, I have had some thoughts.

When I was a kid, there was a Dunkin Doughnuts and/or Mister Doughnuts in Fargo, ND.  I was doing some thinking, now Dunkin Doughnuts also sell and make coffee, of somehow bringing it back to Fargo through a franchise.  Then when I did some serious thinking, I came to the realization that it would be a lot of work.  You almost have to be there 24/7.  I weighed in my age and how close I am to retirement and realize that would be a risk.  I would want to be able to retire and maybe even travel.  If I was younger, that could be a good investments.

After reading “Rich Dad, Poor Dad”, that book talks about people who happened to comes into money either through big lottery win or inheritance.  Some people who comes into a lot of money, usually blow it in no time at all.  Then they are back to square one.  They are so excited about getting that money that they don’t bother preparing themselves for it.

I hate to talk about money especially about my own personal money.  The reason there are people out there who would takes advantage of you once they hear that you have came into extra money.  We need to protect ourselves from scammers.  They are everywhere.  They don’t just scam the elderly.

All I will say is that I recently came into some inheritance.  When I knew I was coming into extra money, I knew right then that I needed to protect that inheritance. First, I get what I needed though.

I did a little shopping around and asking lots of questions about what route to go.  I knew at my age, I needed to look at the more conservative route.  There is a lot of investments company out there.  You need to find one that you can trust and feel comfortable with.

I have an uncle who said be careful of investing in stocks unless you have a good financial advisor that you can trust to help you.

I have a cousin who said to put some money into cd’s because the interest rates might goes up.

There is this former pastor I know told me to put my investments into Wesleyan Investments.  Let it put it this way, this pastor is so cheap, when birds fly over his head they goes cheap, cheap, cheap.  That may work for a long-term investments.  Since I’m getting closer to retirement, I needed to think of a little better investment for my money. So I didn’t go that route.

I did check in on Edward Jones.  They offer a very good package and I almost went with them.  What stop me was I also check in with my bank to see if they have investments plan.  Though and behold they had a similar plan, give and take.

I like more the personal touch.  So I went with my bank and my financial advisor been helping me through this.

I also left some money in savings and also got a $1000  in cd’s, $500 a piece.  When the cd’s comes to the point of taking it out or reinvesting.  I’m looking at turning it into bonds.  My financial advisor will help me do that when the time comes.  The reason for me looking at doing that is because once again more research.  I learned that a person can gets more money for their investments with bonds than with cd’s.

I believe that my folks would be very proud of my decision I made.  They taught us how to make the right decision when it comes to investments.

To all those Trump hater out there, I have this to say.  Pres. Trump been good to me. So far my investments been increasing.  Even my investments through my retirement through Concordia College been doing a good job.

I may worked at Kmart but I have stocks in Target.  I get letters from Sears holdings but I will not invest in it.

We all know why.  I don’t need goes into it, because it would be a poor investments.  Even my folks would agree.

When a person thinks about investing for retirement they must also think about any assets they may have.  If a person ever becomes very ill and in a nursing home, the cost could drain you financially.  If you have too much assets, you cannot get the help you need.  My folks weren’t rich financially but they were rich in assets.  In a way it was a good thing that they weren’t in a nursing home for very long before they died.

To help with cost for my mother’s health and nursing home care, if my folks would had gotten a divorce, the county could had paid more on my mother’s nursing home care.  That is a crying shame!  But that is our corrupt government for you.  Everything they worked for can easily goes up in smoke.

Since they had money and assets, the county didn’t had to buried them.  My step-dad bought a nice headstone for their grave.  They were buried next each other.

On the other hand, when my step-brother, Bobby died, the county had to buried him.  He had to be cremated, which he didn’t want.

When making investments choices, you must also think about nursing home care, healthcare, and even funeral costs.  They’ll eat away on your investments.

As I said in a previous blog for Father’s Day.  My step-dad may not like who bought the farm but he would be overjoyed with the bidding war that occurred in the process of selling the farm.

Our parents put into the idea of making sound investments for our future through their teaching.  They would be very proud with how us youngest kids are doing with our inheritance.  It goes to show that we were paying more attention than the older wilder kids.  The older will goes through their inheritance faster.  One brother, pretty much drank up his money and probably doesn’t have much to show for it.  Sure, he probably had no real choice because the crooked government would had taken it away.  Just like my one sister with dementia, she too is on Social Service.  So be careful not to let the government to get any of your money.  They definitely doesn’t deserve it!

Tomorrow is the big day in this country.  It’s one of the most talked about as of lately.  No, I’m not talking about Pres. Trump or the racial uprising in Charlotteville , West Virginia.  I’m talking about the solar equips that will happen tomorrow around 11am.

I’m not very familiar on this topic but I had readers say that I should do it anyway.  So bear with me on this.  I’m not as knowledgeable on this subject.

They’re making a big event out of this solar equips because it doesn’t happen very often in our times.  The last time there was a solar equips was Feb. 26, 1979, around 38 years ago.

I was in Junior High at the time in Hawley, MN.  I was in the seventh grade at the time.  I was in history class with the teacher, Mr. Haugen, at the time.  Being this was very historical, he took time out of our history lesson to view this.  What he did to keep up from looking straight at the sun, he had the television on to reflect it; that way we wouldn’t look straight at the sun.

If you look straight at the sun as the equips is going on, it would be hard on your eyes.  They advise that you either wear protective eyewear or not look directly at the sun.

Everyone in North America plus parts of South America, Africa, and Europe will see at least partial solar equips.

The total solar equips will cast a 70-mile shadow.

What is the solar equips?

It is when  the moon passes the sun and the earth and blocks all or part of the sun for up to three hours, from beginning to end.

It is an amazing site if you are able to watch it fully.

The best area to get a good view will be Lincoln City, Oregon, 10:20am, their time.  The total equips will end in Charleston, S.C at 2:48pm their time.

For us in Fargo, ND, we will probably only get around 70% of the equips if we’re lucky.  Sound like the weather for tomorrow for us in Fargo will be partly cloudy.

It’s important that you protects your eyes during this equips.  It is never safe to look directly at the sun, except when the sun is completely blocked during the period of a total equips.  You must wear special sunglasses that you cannot buy in your local stores.  You can only gets them with the museum, schools, or astronomy club.

There are people willing to travel long distance just to get a glimpse of it.  They are willing to camp out.

Like I said it’s an amazing site to see once in your lifetime.  Once you saw it, the memory will stick with you for a long.  This happen now twice in my lifetime.  It happened before in other parts of the world.  It’s just our turn now.

Another total equips will enter the United States in 2099.  This one is predicted to enter the United States from northwest North Dakota and stretch through Minnesota and Wisconsin.

So I will probably won’t be seeing it again.  At least, that close.

It’s great to see, so I’m not going to discourage you from it.  I’m just going to warn you as you gaze upon it in the sky tomorrow.  Don’t look directly at the sun without protective sunglasses.  You may or may not be able to take pictures of it.  That might be hard though.

Whatever you do tomorrow morning, play it safe!!  Enjoy the solar equips especially to those who haven’t see the last one.  Don’t hurt your eyes!  They are precious.

As I mentioned last week, when Bruno Mars was at the Fargo Dome on last Friday, he had competition in the Fargo-Moorhead area.  That same weekend, there We Fest going on in Detroit Lakes, MN.  We Fest is a country music festival for the area. It is set for the whole weekends. It used to be Friday-Sunday.  Now it’s Thursday-Saturday.  It’s chance for the people to get out-of-town and hear country music live.  It is also a time where people get together to drink and to party.  I would say that it is milder form of Woodstock.  I’ve never been to We Fest; but I’ve been around that area.  The traffic is unbearable.

This past weekend, I went camping down by Alexandria, at Lake Geneva.  The weather was very nice until on Sunday, when it poured.

I stayed in a rustic cabin; so that is the closest to roughing it at my age.  I brought my sleeping bag and this time I brought an air mattress to lay on top of the mattress in the cabin. This way I was more comfortable this time around.

The meal can be very filling.  If you eat the all the meal in the dining hall. not only would it be expensive; but you could end up feeling blah and have no energy.  So I brought along some healthy camping food to eat for breakfast and lunch.  For breakfast, I ate organic cereal with banana and an organic bar.  For lunch, I ate salad on Friday and Cucumber on Saturday.  I had more energy by doing that.

We went on a pontoon ride on Saturday afternoon.

The weather was very nice.  The lake was calm.  It was very relaxing.

Even though I stayed in a rustic cabin this time; I had rough it when I was younger when I went camping then.  I remember going camping with my family up in Canada when I was a kid.  Back then, we didn’t need a passport.  We did a lot of camping and fishing up in Canada.  Canada is very beautiful.

As I mentioned in the last blog about 2 young men who got off the train in West Glacier to do some hiking.  I can also imagine that they did a little camping too.  That was very good to see.  So many young people would rather have their video or computer games, rather than get one with nature.

At Lake Geneva I saw more young people outside enjoying the beautiful weather and the lake for a change.  It was even good to see bonfires in the evening and roasting marshmallows and singing campfire songs.

That is what camping all about!

As Luke Bryan sang about in “Hunting, Fishing, Loving Everyday,”  if I could make a living hunting, fishing, loving everyday, I’d be happy.  I would rather be smelling the fresh country air than the dirty old city smog any day.

Awhile back I was talking with someone about the people were force to live off the land how many could actually do it.  This person said that he could.  I possibility could.  We actually believe that some of these young people probably couldn’t do it.  They would need their games, smart phones/I-pads, etc.  If they couldn’t get a signal, they would be up a creek and very upset.  Young women would needs their make-up, curling iron, etc.

It’s so very nice to get one with nature.  I knew a pastor, Pastor Lyle Bozarth, who would goes either up into the mountains or out in the wilderness just to get closer to God.  Believe me, you definitely can get close to God camping by the lake.

Even though I’m a people person, I can really enjoy being alone by the lake.

Actually, Ernest Hemingway wrote some of his best novels while alone on the beach.  I’m not really a Hemingway fan though, too complicated to follow.

I’m a country boy and as Hank William Jr sang, “Country Boy can survive.”

My advice to the young people out there:  Put away your video and computer games and smart phone/I-pad and get one with nature.  It is so very beautiful and relaxing.  There is no stress.

There is this one commercial on tv, that this young couple was camping out in the wilderness.  They said it was so nice and peaceful.  Then all of sudden, they heard an owl.  The moment they heard that owl, they turned on their smart phone; that they taped the city noise on just so they can sleep.  When I see that commercial I just laugh at how stupid they are.

A few years ago a friend and I went camping and fishing by Pelican Lake.  While camping overnight at the park near Pelican Rapids, (we had a tent) raccoons got into our campsite.  It was our own stupidity, but the raccoons got into some of our food.  One raccoon even was going to enter the tent where I was sleeping.  So it goes to show, if you don’t put your food up, you are going to have visit by wild animals.

I had experience bears and other animals near our campsite when I was a kid.

This doesn’t curb me from getting one with nature.  I’d rather be one with nature than with people.  You don’t have to deal with idiots.  You don’t have to smell the smog of city living.

As promised, I’m back from my trip 2 weeks ago.  It’s good to see that many had join in reading my blogs.  I hope that you will not be disappointed.

As I had promised in my last blog, I would give you an update to my vacation in my next blog.  So here is my version of Travel with Charley, without Charley though.

Travel with Charley is by my favorite author, John Steinbeck.  He wrote about the American dream during the depression era.  Some may say he was a little depressing.  I will say this, he may had been depressing, but so was the time he was writing in.  He didn’t sugarcoat it.  He wrote as he saw it.  You can say that is the kind of writer I am.

I don’t want to go too far into this because that is a different blog altogether.  So I will get strait to my travels.

As I said in the last blog I took a train out West and the reasons for it.  I told you the down of flying and taking the bus.  When I boarded the train on Tuesday, July 25, the train was filled.  Even though it was full, we weren’t pack in like sardines.  You were still comfortable.  You wouldn’t been comfortable on a plane if they full.  You would be pack in like sardines.  The same goes with being on a bus.  That is another reason against flying.

As I said, taking a train is a way to see America and see what this beautiful country has to offer.

You can bring your own snacks on the train.  You are not regulated what you can or cannot bring like you are when you fly. I brought snacks with me and mainly eat one good expensive meal on the train, that is supper(dinner).  But here is the surprise part that I didn’t expect.  While on the train, they offer to those who wasn’t going to the dining car to eat but rather stay in their seat; they offer for lunch, BLT slider, chips, bottle water, and a cookie for $10.  A very good offer I couldn’t refuse.  They even made an offer for a chicken dinner for $12.  Now that is cheaper than eating in the dining car.

Taking the train, you got a chance to see the Glacier National Park as they goes by it.  The Glacier is so beautiful.  There is history behind it as well.  We even saw the Cascades in Washington State.  That is also very beautiful.

Did you know that the longest tunnel in North America is in the Cascades?  I learned that while on the train from a tour guide.

Would you have known that while flying or even taking a bus?

While riding the train you finds a lot of interesting person who you will enjoy getting to know.  Everyday folks, like you and I.

There was a family who sat behind me.  It was their sons first time on a train.  These boys made a fort in their seat to help past the time.  Seeing that, it brought back memory when I had forts as a child.  One fort was an igloo that my step-brother, Ronny made for us younger kids.  Another fort was when my sister, Shirley and I made in the bedroom in the trailer house we lived in, in West Fargo.

There was a group of Hittites on the train, heading to the Glacier for a tour.  There was even 2 young men on the train that were heading to Glacier to do some hiking in that area.  To me that is way better than playing these video or computer games.  More young people should take advantage of the opportunity and do something like that.  Just put away those computer/video games and see America.  There is so much to see in this great country of ours.

The train depot in Seattle is a historical building that is just amazing site.  You got to see it.  The train goes by the ocean and what a site to see.  You can see ferry either coming in or taking off.  There is even an old ship dock on shore.  You can’t ride it anymore but it’s still great to see.

Seeing that train depot in Seattle, reminds me of the time I went to Indianapolis in 2001.  That city had bunch of historical buildings that was fixed up.  Instead of destroying, why not restore!  There is history in this country.  And I love history!

While out West in Washington State, I visited with cousins of mine.  I also visited with my only uncle left on both side of my family.  I saw a cousin that been years since I saw last.  The last time I saw her was in the summer of ’86.  I even saw her son again, and boy has he grown.  When I saw him the last time, he was just a kid.  Now he is very tall, one cousin may say, “A wall was put in front of us.”  I took pictures and pictures were shared.

My cousin, Tony has this amazing garden that I help with.  His beans were higher than the beans we grew on the farm.  He had black raspberry that was to die for, sweet and juicy.  You can see Mount Rainier from his garden.  What a beautiful site.  There was still snow on top.

Mount Rainier is very beautiful.  Even though I had a bad experience with that mountain up close and personal.  I wrote about that in previous blog.  I’ve been up in Mount Rainier then when I was in a car accident.  That been 5 years ago.

Do you know that they do a lot of recycling in Washington?

The reason my cousin, Tony’s garden was so nice was because he used mote, natural fertilizer.  So much healthier!

Do you also know that in the state of Washington there is now a law for distracted driver?  If a person is caught texting or talking on a cell phone while driving, you will get a hefty fine.  It also drinking and eating while driving but that isn’t much of a distraction as being on the phone.  I could go with that but I won’t because that is a different blog.

I didn’t see it this time; but I have been on the floating bridge going into Seattle.  I even have seen Seattle tallest landmark that is just amazing.  I’ve seen and been up it back in ’86.

The trip was wonderful.  I got back on Thursday, Aug. 3.  then on Friday, Aug. 4 I was working at the Fargo Dome for the Bruno Mars concert.  The concert wasn’t bad.  How I would describe Bruno is this:  He is more of an entertainer than a singer.  Don’t get me wrong he got some good songs.  He can entertain and he can dance.  I probably talk more about Bruno Mars next week.

Some may say that I am a world traveler; and that is fine with me.  When I retire I would love to see more of America.  There is so much to see.  I would even love to see Haiti, Germany, England, etc.

I have been other places that some was good and some not so good.  I’ve been as far south as Kansas City, Missouri and Kansas City, Kansas.  That city is amazing.  Not like Indianapolis though.  I’ve seen where Royals and the Chiefs play their games.  I’ve also seen the old RCA Dome in Indianapolis, before it was torn down and a new one was built.  I’ve seen the Rocky Mountain and not just at Glacier.

It was the summer of ’75 and the family was driving out West.  We went up and around the Rockies.  It was scary but amazing.  It was only a 2-lane road.  You didn’t want to look down.

I’ve been up to Canada and at the Lake of the Woods.  I’ve been to Duluth, MN.

You may not know this but there is awesome site to see in boring North Dakota.  I’ve been to Fort Lincoln in Mandan.  Then this past 4th of July I’ve been to Fort Abercrombie, just south of Fargo, ND.

There is so much to see in this country.  Why not take advantage of it? I’ve been around Chicago and you can have it.  Wisconsin is a very pretty state.  Sorry Vikings fans!!!

Never been to California but love to go.  As I mention last week, I’ve been to the airport in Salt Lake City, Utah.  Hate to say this but I would love to see New York just to say that I’ve seen it; but that’s all.

I could go on with this seeing America blog but I won’t.  If you ever get a chance to see America take it while you can.  While you are at it, if you have the time, take the train doing it.

 

It’s that time of year again.  The time when people takes vacation.  I will be going on vacation this coming week.  So next week there will not be a blog.  I promise you this though, I will let you know how my vacation went when I return in 2 weeks with a whole new blog.

I’m going out West this week and I’m taking a train.  I’m traveling to Washington State to visit cousins and my only uncle still alive. He is going to be 82 next month.  He outlived his brothers and sisters.  He is my mother’s brother.  I’ll be there a week.  I leave the night of July 24/the morning of Tuesday, July 25.

You may wonder why I’m taking the train.  Why not fly?  In this blog I’ll tell you why.

It’s not that I can’t afford to fly or don’t like flying.  I’m a rewards programs through Amtrak.  When I finally earned enough points, I can eventually earn a free train ride.  On my bucket list before I die and when I retire I would love to take that famous train ride between Seattle to LA.

Even though flying is quicker, as Ray Stevens would sing about, “The Sky is not Friendly anymore.”  You can thank former President George W. Bush for that.  Remember, I didn’t vote for him in 2000, and I truly didn’t wanted him in 2004.

One of problems with flying is: you are limited what you can or cannot bring on the plane.  If you have extra baggage, you are paying for it.

I’m taking a suitcase and 2 small carry-on, on the train. One bag I can put with my suitcase as I board.  The other, which I will have a change of clothes and snack, I will carry on and up to my seat.  That way I can limit my spending on meals.

Another problem with flying is being constantly molested at the boarding gate.  It’s almost like they like molesting us.

Flying had become a contact sport, all because of Pres. George W. Bush.  He don’t have to be molested because he has his own plane; so he don’t care that we, the American people are being molested.

The reason I will not take the Greyhound is because:  even though it may be cheaper; it will take longer and is very uncomfortable to sleep.

I don’t have a sleeper, but I can still sleep and I will have a chance to see America.  There is so much to see in this country.  Shouldn’t we take advantage of that?

The meal may be expensive but at least you can bring snacks along with any Government regulations.

There is one thing that I hope Pres. Trump doesn’t do.  I hope he doesn’t try to cut into train traveling.  How will everyday people travel and see America  if that happen?  Not everybody can afford to fly!  No one likes to be molested.  That would happed if you fly or take the bus.  I’ll explain that later.

Not that I can’t afford to fly.  I don’t want to come across as being a bigot.  It just that people who fly are just too busy to stop and smell the roses.  I met some nice people when I flown the last time, and had a layover in Salt Lake City, Utah.  I was able to get someone to take my picture of me standing at the window of the airport, where you can see the mountain in the background.  They were helpful in getting through the big airports.  When I had a long layover in Salt Lake City, I ate at Popeye Chicken for the first time, and really enjoyed it.  So I was happy to get a Popeye in Fargo.

I took the bus for a short distant, so I know how uncomfortable they can be.  One time I was returning from the Minneapolis, after a group went to Indianapolis for work & witness.  It was night and very noisy and uncomfortable to sleep.  They make more stop than a train.

The people who rides a bus are the type that you do not want to get to know.  I would call them shady characters.  You would worry about being molested or killed on a bus by a complete stranger.

Believe me, I’m an extrovert.  I can be very friendly.  But riding a bus, I rather stick to myself.  It’s safer that way.

Some of you may ask, isn’t train uncomfortable?  No, there not!  Even the click-clack is hardly noticeable.

The type of people who rides the train is the type you want to get to know because they are very interesting.  These type of people are taking the time to smell the roses and see America.

I met quite a few interesting people on the train the last time I road.  I met family that wanted their kids to enjoy their vacation.  They couldn’t do that on a plane or a bus.

I met young college students who road the train just so they can see America.  They took lots of pictures and I bet they even wrote about it in their blog.

To some the train is very noisy.  Once again, not when you are riding it.

I plan in having a good vacation this coming week.  It will be about 2 weeks I will return with a new blog.  I’ll be back next week just in time to work the Bruno Mars concert at the Fargo Dome.  I will probably write about my vacation for that blog.  It will be my version of Travel with Charley, a book by John Steinbeck.  I may even write about Bruno Mars concert then too.

Have a nice summer and see you in 2 weeks.  Keep on reading my blogs.  I appreciate you all.  Don’t be afraid to subscribe!

Most recently Bill Cosby was trial for rape and the case ended up in a mistrial.  I want to say first, I had my doubt that Bill Cosby was guilty of rape.  I’m not here to dispute the women’s accuser story of rape, because it’s not the victim’s fault for the rape.  There was just something about that case that put doubt in my mind.  And I guess, the jury must had the same doubt; that is why the case became a mistrial.

First of all, why did the women wait so long to come forward?  Second, the model, Janice, was the kind of person I had a hard time in believing because of her reputation.  Third, Bill Cosby was America favorite TV’s dad.  He rated number 1.

Now let look at why the jury couldn’t find him guilty of rape.

First of all, was the fake news media responsible of only giving the information they wanted?  Thus leaving room for doubt to seeps in.  Maybe that is why I had the doubt in Bill Cosby being guilty of rape.

Second, didn’t the Prosecuting Attorney had enough evidence to prove him guilty?

Finally, did the Defense Attorney actually do their job in defending Bill Cosby?  If I was gambling man, I would say, that it may had been a combination of all 3 and the Defense Attorney actually did their job.  If that is the case, it goes to show that if a person got money, they can get a good defense attorney and they will defend them.  If they don’t have the money, they just get a court-appointed Attorney, and they get paid whether they defend their client or not.

Now that is a crying shame!  If they want to get paid, they should do the job of defending their clients.  Otherwise they shouldn’t get paid.

Let us look at 2 other past cases:

First, when O.J. Simpson was on trial for killing his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman.  I don’t want to come across racist or even sexist because of this blog because I’m not.  I actually believe that if O.J. was a poor black man, race would not been made as much as an issue as it was.  Because O.J. had money and fame, he was able to afford a good defense team.  If he was poor, he would just had a court-appointed Attorney and they wouldn’t really defend him and make race an issue.  He would had been found guilty.

Now let us take a look at Michael Jackson’s child molestation case. First of all, I, myself felt that he was guilty of molesting those boys.  Since he had money and fame, he was able to hire a good defense team.  His defense team was then able to prove that the parents of those boys were just using the sons to get money out of Michael Jackson.  Shortly after he was founded not-guilty, there was a headline that states, “If he was on trial in North Dakota he would had been found guilty.”  That is only half right!

If he was poor, he would only had a Court Appointed Attorney and he would had serve time in prison and had to register as a sex offender.

It goes to show that if a person have money, they can get away with crime; but if they don’t have the money, they will end up in prison.  I’m not saying that everyone in prison is innocent.  I’m just saying that there is a high percentage of those in prisons who didn’t get proper representation by a decent attorney.

I used to be for the death penalty but now when I look at our legal system, I have to admit I’m not anymore.  But that is whole different blog.

I don’t think that they should leave the option open for an abortion in case of rape.  Especially when our legal system is the way it is.  If the woman doesn’t want the baby, she could claim rape, and if the guy can’t afford a good defense Attorney, his life will be ruin.  It would be a matter of he said/she said; and without a good defense attorney he couldn’t prove himself innocent.  Then his life would be ruin.  Not only would he goes to prison, he would have to register as a sex offender.  I could go on with this but that is another blog altogether.

When we’re hire to do a job, the employers expect us to do the job we’re hired for, right.  Well, it should be the same with the lawyers.  When they are hired to do a case, they should do the work to prove without a doubt that their clients are innocent.  It shouldn’t matter if their clients is rich or poor.  But it seems that it does!

Court Appointed Attorney are lawyers because no one else will hire them.

When I was younger, my mother wanted me to be a lawyer for some reason that she never told me.

Those in Washington should make a law that the attorneys must actually defend their clients if they want to get paid.  But that will never happen!  A lot of our Career Politician were/are lawyers already and so they will not change anything that will affect them.

This is one of the reason that healthcare is so expensive.  Doctors have to buy extra malpractice insurance just to protect themselves from malpractice lawsuits.

Something must be done to fix the legal system.  Because there is no justice for all.  When you are rich, you can afford a good defense attorney; but when you are poor, you get stuck with a court-appointed attorney.  They don’t defend you properly.  Remember, they get paid no matter what; so why bother doing the legwork. I think if they had to do the work if they want to get paid, that might lead to something better in the legal system.

Like I said earlier, I don’t want you to think that I’m accusing the women in the Bill Cosby case as lying.  Rape is not something to lie about. It is not a joking matter.  I could go on but that is different blog that I may or may not write.

The case was just a matter of those 3 things that I mentioned.  Was the fake news media at fault, was the Prosecuting attorney at fault, or did the defense Attorney actually do their job.  If Bill Cosby was poor, it would never had been a mistrial.  He would had been found guilty.

Just like if O.J. Simpson was poor, race would never been an issue.  He would had been founded guilty of murder.  And Michael Jackson would had been found guilty of child molestation.

There are other cases but those are the 3 famous ones.  So you can see, that there is no justice for all.  There is only justice to those who can afford a good attorney.  I could go on but there are other blogs that I can cover some of this in, in the future.

 

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I recently read a book called, “God grew tired of us.”  It was a memoir by John Bul Dau.  He was one of the lost boys from Somalia.

It was very interesting and got me thinking about others in the Third World countries out there.  This was a good missionary story.

Throughout my lifetime, there have always been people struggling in these 3rd world country.  These countries are very poor with poor food and water supplies.  They also have corrupt Government system; worst than our own government.

I remember in the ’80’s, when Nelson Mandela was in prison and the talk of apartheid was the talk in South Africa.  Pres. Reagan and the United States made it their business to get involved in the fight against Apartheid in South Africa.

You always hears about the starving children in Ethithopia.  They have poor water and food supply also.

The last few years the Lost boys from Somalia made their trip to the United States for freedom and to get away from the scrutiny in their home country.  A lot of them left family behind for a better life.  Even churches got involved to help them.  The Lutheran for example.

Some of the Somalians are Christians that been told the redemption story of Jesus by missionary that came to their country.

John Bul Dau and others lost boys wondered if God grew tired of them because of all the hardship they went through.  Something I think we all goes through in certain times.

Those aren’t the only country who has their share of troubles.  There are others.  The country of Haiti is one of the poorest country in our hemisphere.  There is always an outreach for Haiti.

There is Sanford Doctor that goes to Haiti to perform lifesaving surgery without charge.  The church I belong to, Bridgepointe Community Church of the Nazarene also works for the reliefs of Haiti, under the leader of Pastor Paul Aladin.  A great man of God!

I want to say when you feel like giving to help these poor countries in need, make sure you do your research to know if the money will actually go to the people who really needs it.

Also when you give to those in needs, as in Matthew 6:2-4.  “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others.  Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.  But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret.”

There are people who gives around Christmas time; so that they can write it off on their taxes.  That is not what the Lord wants.  He wants you to give with a cheerful and obedient heart.

If you happened to see and hear about people in the Third World Country that are in needs, make sure that you do your research first before sending money.  If you send money to some of these organizations, it may not get to those who really needs it.  Some of them have to work with their government and ours.  Their governments is even more corrupt than ours, if that is possible.  That is one of reason why they are a poor country.  They are run by dictators.

My advice to you is to find a church that sponsor these countries and give through them.  Then you know the money will goes to good use.  The Christian church has a way of getting around the corrupt government.

That is who help the Lost Boys of Somalia.  It was the church.  Just Bridgepointe Community is helping to reach out to the poor in Haiti.  Through Pastor Paul and the mission trip, the church is helping to build a church and a school in Haiti.

Bridgepointe Community is not only helping people in Haiti, we are also helping people in Fargo-Moorhead.  We have a ministry with Church United(homeless shelter), we have a food pantry, and there is other help that the church has for those in needs in Fargo-Moorhead.

This is not a plea for money.  This is just a special blog to help those like the Lost Boys of Somalia.  I know I was touch by the book, “God grew tired of us.”  Then again I’m always touch by heartwarming missionary stories.  I wish I could go on more work & witness trip.

The last work & witness trip I went on was in 2001.  When I went to Indianapolis to work in the inner city to help those in needs.  It was amazing!  That was the year that my sister, Barb died of cancer.  By going there to help out, I could easily understand what she went through while she was alive. 

I could write a blog in honor of the 4th of July; but I decided to make this one very special for a change. I have other times to do that.  So this blog will be in memory of my folks; who were married for 40 years as of July 3rd.  They’re not around anymore but this blog is a special honor to them.

Rose Garden by Lynn Anderson was there song.  There was never a rose garden and their marriage wasn’t all that rosy either.  There must had been some love there for their marriage to last that long.  Like another country song by Michael Martin Murphey, called, “What Forever For,” could also describe their marriage.

My mother wanted to get married on the 4th but the Priest wouldn’t do it.  So they compromise and got married on the 3rd instead.

Their marriage had its ups and downs.  You can decide if it was love or co-dependence.

They met in a bar.

There was a time when they were dating and I guess my real father walked into the bar.  He saw her with him.  My future step-dad said, “If he didn’t quit his staring, he was going to have to let him have it.”  My mother calmed him down by saying that he was my father.”

You tell me would you put up with that jealousy rant?

My mother didn’t knew at first that he had 6 kids at the time.  He thought he only had about 4.  When she was doing special cleaning for an elderly lady who read fortunes, she had her fortunes read and was told that she would marry a man with 6 kids.  He didn’t want to bring all 6 kids to live with us.  He would left 2 in foster care permanently.  One was already of age and the other was practically of age.  The only 2 he would had taken was Barb and Shirley.  Barb for babysitting duty and Shirley as a playmate for me.  My mother told him all of them will come to live with us.

As I mentioned in my blog, “The Lesson I learned from Dad,” he asked me if I wanted him for a dad.

One night while mom was sleeping in the house in North Fargo, he got inside; back then you really didn’t had to lock your door.  He knelt down by mom’s bed and said, “Either you marry me or you will never see me again.”  Mom thought that was romantic.  what do you think?  Was it romantic or was it creepy?

When they got married, none of us kids weren’t there out of fairness.

After they were married, they came to pick me up at my babysitter.  I ran outside to the car and trip over the sidewalk.  Once I got into the car, I asked, “Daddy, kissed my owie!”

I remember going to Duluth, MN with them shortly after.  I even got pictures.

Right around my birthday was when the rest of the family came to live with us.  It was exciting and yet scary at the same time.  Ronny went with mom and I out for my birthday and I guess I was so excited that I told everyone who would listen that he was my brother.  If I only knew then what I know now; but that is whole different blog.

In my family was like the Brady Bunch from tv; at least I thought.  As I grew up, I came to realize that we were far from it. I’m not going into the family dynamics because that is a whole different blog; that I may or may not print.

They say a woman would marry someone like their father and a man would marry someone like their mother.  So I guess you can say, dad was a lot like Grandpa Heger.  He loved his whiskey and brandy.  He was controlling and abusive.

Mom was an independent woman, you would say a Feminist.  Yet she seems to be co-dependence when it came to him.  Don’t get me wrong, they had their share of arguments.  He just couldn’t control her like he wanted to at first.

There was a time as the Alaska pipeline was being built, that he wanted to move to Alaska, but she refused to moved the family with him.

We didn’t moved down to the farm right away.  I was in the 6th grade when we finally moved down on the farm.  By then there were just 2 of us kids at home.

When they had their first grandkids, they both were very happy.  Mom had oldest granddaughter all dress up when he decided to take her out and bought black licorice for her.  Boy, was she pissed; need I say more!  He was very proud of his only grandson, that he bounced him on his knees.

Once we got on the farm, he was able to get a little more control of her.

When they voted, they usually vote for the person not the party; but it was mostly Democrat, and they voted together.

When they first got married, they had one car between the 2 of them.  They would grocery shop together.  I remember even one time as a family going to the old Starlight drive-in Theater on a Friday night.  When we were out West and were given a Chihuahua, named Peanuts.  The picture was taken of Shirley and I with Peanuts with our folks.  Thinking about that now, I came to realize that that dog was ours, not the oldest kids.

When he lost his job at Steiger tractor, luckily we were living on the farm at the time.  Mom became the ultimate breadwinner.  Not saying that he didn’t made his share fixing farmer’s equipment.  He still did his drinking and became even more violent.  Not saying he wasn’t before.  When he discipline, he would beat us kids.  One time he was drunk and angry and threw a kitchen table and made a hole in the wall; that he later turned it into a magazine rack.

Shortly after that he quit his drinking cold turkey; but he was still a dry drunk.  I guess mom had enough and must had told him to quit his drinking or else.  I found out later that she went to see a lawyer when us kids were younger to check on her rights in getting a divorce.  The lawyer told her that she could easily get the kids and the farm and he would had to pay child support.

There were happy times also in their marriage so it wasn’t all hell; but there was no rose garden for her.  It seems after us younger kids grew up and left the nest, mom’s anchor was gone.  They really didn’t have much in common to talk about.  Somehow they still must had loved each other or was it co-dependence?  Was mom afraid to leave him or was it love like she always said?

At first, mom hated the farm because she felt trap.  Once she got to know some of the neighbors out there, it became different.  There was this one neighbor, Loraine Marvig that she hung out with.  Dad didn’t care for her because she was also friend with his first wife and he thought that his first wife had an affair, so he thought mom would also have an affair too.  So his jealousy rage came out again.

When mom had the stroke, he became very scared of losing her.  They made 40 years together; something mom never thought they would do.  When they made 25 years, us kids celebrate their anniversary at the church in Rollag.  Even one Christmas, us kids got together and bought them a microwave oven.

My mother kept right working even while collecting Social security.  She said, “If she retired, dad would had drove her crazy.”  She would lose her independence.

Every morning when she came home from work, she would check to see if he was still breathing.  She was more concern about him than her own health.

When they were younger, he would start the car for her to get it warm before she went off to work.  He would fixed the car for her until he gotten too old to do so.

He bought her last car for her.  She felt that it was his way of controlling her.

When she was in the nursing home, he was there every day/every weekend to see her.  I guess he really enjoyed seeing her company that she was getting, because not many came to see him.

All she wanted to go back home with him.  He wasn’t able to take care of her.  She worried more about him than her own health.

When she died, you could a part of him died with her.  He became depressed and didn’t eat right.  He wasn’t the kind to shed a tear; but you can tell that he truly missed her.  He soon went downhill after her death, like he just gave up on living.  He had a headstone made that will be for the both of them when he died.  He planted a yellow Daffodil on her grave; so that it will come back every year.  So you can in the end she had her rose garden.

Was there marriage love or was it co-dependence?  Was she a fool for staying with him all those years?  She said that she loved him.

I’m here to salute our men in blue.  I’m here to honor those who protect and serve the people of this country.  I’m here to honor those like Officer Jason Mozer, who gave their lives to protect the citizens of this country.

It was such a great honor in Washington DC where there is a monument to remember our fallen police officers.  It was very much deserve.

It is a great honor to have Officer Jason Mozer’s mention in that Memorial monument.  I never knew him personally but my hat goes off to him and all the police officers in this country.  I also thanks the family of these officers for their dedication.

I can only imagine the horror they face not knowing if their love ones will return home every night or not.

The police get a bad rap at times.

The old familiar joke, “when looking for the police, just go by the doughnut shop and you will find them.”

Or there are people like Al Sharpen and Barak Obama makes the police out to be the bad guys.

I’m not saying that there aren’t bad cops out there.  I’m just saying that we should salute them for all of their hard work in protecting us from the criminals.

Like I said earlier, they get a bad rap by people like Al Sharpen.  Those people seems to forget that they are just doing their job.  They are hired to serve and protect us.  Sometimes, it’s not easy.  They may enter in difficult situations that may end taking their lives.  They may even make difficult decision.  Some may agree and some may not.

Most recently in the news, the polices were under attack by Al Sharpen people because of racial uprising.  They have nothing to do with it.  They were just doing their job.  People like Al Sharpen is just making a mountain out of molehill.

There had been more uprising against the polices under Pres. Obama than any other President in history.  Even more than during the Vietnam protest and the Civil Right’s movement.

This wasn’t what Dr. Martin Luther King JR. had in mind with “I had a dream speech.”  Obama had a chance to make that dream a reality but he had blown by the following in the way of Al Sharpen and Jesse Jackson.

So let us remember our police officers instead giving them a hard time.

There are bad cops out there. I’ll give you that.  I won’t dispute it but I won’t delve in it in this blog right now.  I’ll save it for another time.  Believer me there are stories I that will blow your mind.

As the theme song for the “Ghostbusters”, who are you gonna call when you are in trouble?  I hope that you answer the cops.

They even go above and beyond.  For example: they were the first to come up “treat and trunk” on Halloween.  They would hands out candies to the kids trick and treating on Halloween night.  They will make sure that the kids are safe.  They even provide bicycle’s helmet for the kids to ride safe.

When you call 911, it’s the police who respond first.  So they are not sitting eating doughnuts like some may think.  They are out there serving and protecting us.

What is the firemen doing?

Every year at the Battle of the badge blood drive between the fireman and the police to help United Blood service, when I donate blood, I do it for the police, to give them the recognition.

So whenever you see a police officer. instead of giving them a hard time, why don’t you thank them for their service.  You don’t have to call them names like, “pigs, bears, etc.”  You don’t have to make their lives a living hell.  They have a hard time the way it is.

 

 

 

First of all, let me begin with a Happy Father’s Day to all the fathers, dads, and step-dads out there.

As my mother always said, “anyone can father a child; but it takes someone very special to be a dad.”

I got more from my step-dad than I ever did my real father.  I learned a lot from him growing up. The only thing my real father did was paid the hospital where I was born.  He complained if my mother bought me vegetables when the 3 of us went out.  He was that cheap and felt that burger and fries was enough.

I could go on about deadbeat dads out there, but that is another blog in itself.  I could go on about my real father; but I rather not.  All I will say is he must had told his family about me because they knew I existed.  If his mother had known about me, things probably would had been better.  He was easily taken advantage of by his brothers, Reuben and Melvin.

Don’t let anyone tells you that a step-dad has no rights to the step-kids.  Believe me, there are people out there who thinks that.  I know a few.

My step-dad raised me from the time I was 5 years old. He taught me a lot growing up.  He may had been a tough mean old man; that never showed his emotions; except anger.  He treated all his kids the same that way.

I’ll never forget when he asked me before he married my mother, if I would want him for a dad.

He taught me how to zip my jacket and tie my shoes.  He taught me how to fish and enter the lake different places than the loading dock; like off the side of the road.  When we went fishing up in Canada, one time I caught an eel.  When I caught it, he just cut the line to keep it out of the boat.  I was on his insurance plan when I had my tonsil taken out.

Some may say that DNA makes a person.  That may be so; but so does the atmosphere.  I find myself more and more like my step-dad in my thinking.  I may look like my real father; but I’m more like dad than you would think.

He always to speak the truth even if it hurts.  If someone is offended by the truth; you may had hit a nerve with that person and is on to something.

When you do a job, do it right the first time.  Make sure that you use good material in doing so.  He believed that oak makes good furniture and good firewood, because they are very sturdy.  Anyone who makes cheap stuff that don’t last and then try to sell it to you, he called them a Jew; because they will Jew you.

With all the stuff he had created, if he had only patented it, our family could had been better off financially.  He only had an 8th grade education but he was self-taught man.  He built the house we lived in on the farm himself with his own sawmill.  That house is still around and both parents are dead and gone.

He was into using the good stuff, even if you had to saved up for it.  He will not get cheap material.  He said, “cheap is cheap for a reason.”

He was big on saving up for things you need.  He was so against credit cards and gambling.  He said that they will be the downfall of a person.

I remember him saying, “there will be another Revolution between the government and the people.”  It look like that he might be right on that.

He believed that honesty is the best policy.

When he lost his job at Steiger Tractor, luckily we had the farm at the time.  He got some cattle.  He preferred Black Angus, because they are better keeper and take better care of their young.  He was also able to go self-employed, by fixing the neighbors equipment.  They knew that they could count on him to do the job right the first time; and he had many clients.  They didn’t care what he charge; because they it would be done right.  He had a reputation around Rollag as being good at what he does and being fair.

He didn’t have as much friends as mom did, because he was tough.

I could go into the bad side of him but that is a whole different blog.  Besides this is Father’s day and the time to remember him for the good things he had done.

I remember when a tractor broke down, I was on the broken down one as he was on the one pulling it back up to the house.  Before he got a round hay bailer, he had a square bailer; so us kids had to help him bail hay.  So I knew about hard work from the time I was 12 years old.  I remember after bailing our own hay, and then unloading a semi load of hay down the hill at the horse ranch where I worked.

I will say though, he was quite controlling.  He may thought like a Republican; but when it came to voting, he voted for the individual not the party.  It just seems that he voted Democrats more often though.  He may at times sounded like he was racist by the way he talk, but deep down, he voted for Obama in 2008.  He would never had voted for Hillary Clinton, because he felt that woman had their places.  He believed that women should be submissive to men.

Maybe it had to do with the way he was raised himself.  He was child of the Depression.  His own mother gave him up since back then having a child out of wedlock was unheard of.  His adopted mother, Clara, only took him in for her husband, Alfred.  Grandma Clara was also very tough; so maybe that why he was tough.

When he died last year in January, it was an honored to be a pallbearer at his funeral.  Since he carried all of us kids, it was the least we can do for him.  I’ll never forget while we were out West visiting relatives. I got sick and went to lay down on the davenport.  I remember waking up to him carrying me upstairs to my cousin, Nels bedroom.  I was 9 years old, not quite 10.  So you see, he even carried me.

The song by Brad Paisley, “He didn’t have to be,”  can easily be my song for him.  He didn’t had to be.  I may not been very easy myself.  Like all of the kids, we clashed with him.

He may not like who got the farm in auction; but he would be laughing at what it went for and the bidding war that occurred over it.  He would be proud of all his accomplishments.

I recently read, Rich Dad/Poor Dad.  I have to admit that he would be proud of me in my investment choices with my inheritance.  He would even be proud of me in the purchase of the mattress and dresser I got.  He would say that I didn’t blow my share of the inheritance like some member of the family had done.  He was strong believer of making your money work for you as well as work hard for what you get.

As you can see, I got more from my step-dad than I ever did my real father.  I learned a lot from him.  Some lessons were tough too.  I didn’t always agree with him.  He also made sure that we shut off the lights that we weren’t using.  We even had to conserve water.  Growing up, he wanted us to only take a bath once a week.  He took a bath less than that.  So in a way he was cheap but a wise investor.

Whereas my real father was just cheap.  When someone drop money on the floor, he would put his foot over it until they left and then pick it up.