Weekly Thought Bonanza for the weekend of August 15/16

Every Saturday I will be producing a column called “The Thought Bonanza”. This column will be about random thoughts that run through my head all week and trust me there is a lot of them. I will try share as many of these as I can so each one of my readers can spend their weekend using a little extra brain power as they get to ponder what goes through my head in a week.

Thank god for Michael Vick that he signed with the Philadelphia Eagles instead of the Cleveland Browns. If Vick scored a touchdown in Cleveland and jumped into the Dawg Pound he might feel like one of the dogs he abused.I spent a morning this week trying to explain to my mother what Twitter is. My mom was dually impressed with the technology and was even more impressed that her beloved son was now on Twitter. Trying to explain to her why I “tweet” instead of “twit” cost me far too many brain cells. I think it gave me a Twitter hangover.

My mailman as always been a huge source of entertainment for me. I have always enjoyed how he comes up the driveway mace on the hip with the funkiest sun hat you will ever see. At least three times a week I get mail for people all over town as I do not think he even checks to see if he is delivering the right mail to the right address. If I was as wrong as he was in my job I would have been fired a long time ago. Government employees with tenure, got to love it.

No matter how technically astute I am, I can never get my Blue-Ray player to open up without pulling my hair out. When you press the open button shouldn’t it just open?

I can never find a cereal that tastes good anymore. Even my beloved Fruit Loops do not taste the same as they used to. Could it be that they cut all the sugar or is it that there is no surprise in the box? I remember emptying the box in a big bowl to find the toy that either did not work or was never what it was advertised to be. Did the toy add extra flavor?

Bless the person who invented the Keurig Coffee maker. I love mine way too much.

Plaid shorts are now the newest craze. Thankfully, I have always worn them so now technically I am in style. My only problem is that all my shirts seemed to have stripes since striped shirts were the “in” thing last year. I am a walking fashion nightmare.

Is there anyone more annoying than Paula Abdul? Will she stay or will she go from American Idol has dominated the entertainment world this past week. Hey Paula, thank your lucky stars that you were on the show as a judge in the first place because if you were a contestant you certainly would have never received that ticket to Hollywood.

Can someone please tell me who Lady Gaga is?

What ever happened to just letting your dog take a poop in your neighbor’s yard while you walk your dog? Bag dog poop, are you insane? I see all these people walk their dog with their bag in hand to scoop the poop. When I take my dog for a long walk the last thing I want to do is walk with his poop in my hand for a mile. Poop is biodegradable, especially after a good rain storm.Stuart Smiley aka Al Franken is now in the US Senate. Are you kidding me. Al, you are neither good enough, smart enough and dog gone it likable enough for that job.

Get the Stuart Smiley reference there? I cannot get enough of the sun in the summer. I tan very well for a light skinned person. This is the lightest I have been in August since I was about 2 years old. I noticed this week that it is not just me. I went in to the supermarket yesterday and noticed that everyone was not tanned up at all. This June was the coldest June since 1909. So much for Al Gore’s global warming theory, eh?

Does anyone say God Bless you any more when someone sneezes?

One of the things that makes me extremely upset every morning is when I go into Dunkin Donuts and order a bagel with cream cheese; as I always politely ask the person at the register to put the cream cheese on the bagel. Every time I get in my car and open the bag I see that plastic knife with the little tub of cream cheese. How hard is it to put it on the bagel? Who wants to pull over to the side of the road to spread cream cheese with that plastic knife

?Finally my random thought of the week. Why do I buy lemon fresh Clorox for an extra forty nine cents when it does not smell anything like lemony fresh?

See you again Monday morning.



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Celebrities are not heroes.

Mr. Tom Brady returns to the field tonight with the New England Patriots as the Patriots play the Eagles of Philadelphia in their first preseason game. It has been a year since he was on the field because of a knee injury and during this past year his life has become fodder for the tabloids with his marriage to Giesele and his life with his baby momma Bridget Moynihan. We have learned more about Tom’s personal life than his rehab. I do not care if Giesele is pregnant or not but I do care about getting him back on the football field as I hope that Mr. Brady can lead my beloved Patriots to their fourth championship this decade. Brady is a football player to me nothing more and nothing less.

Today’s society is so involved in the lives of so called celebrities that we have forgotten who really are true heroes and idols. Parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, neighbors, and friends are and should be role models and our heroes not Hollywood stars or athletes. Just because you can act or throw a ball does not give you the credentials to be idolized. Sure they should be given respect because they are the best in their craft but having talent, money or prestige does not make you a role model.

Sit down and look deeply at some of these reality show stars and you will you see some people who have some serious fundamental issues in their lives. We as a society follow these individuals like they are our family and friends. Tell me that you want one of your children to be part of a show called Celebrity Rehab or Baby Makes Eight. Brittney Spears can entertain and she certainly can make plenty of money however, she fails miserably at being a mom and someone to look up to.

One of the things about my parents and my grandparents that have always stayed with me is the quality time they spent with my brother, sister and I. My parents never ever missed a game, a school play, recital, spelling bee, and every other event that we participated in. My dad never said no to a game of catch nor did my mom say no to a board game. They not only never ever complained, as I tell you some of these events are brutal especially my violin days, ouch! Encouragement and love was the prevalent theme at each of these events from my family. We love our parents because they are our parents but we adore our parents and grandparents because we are adored by them.

I did not just wake up one day and proclaim that my parents are my true role models. I hope to be half the parent they are. When I was younger I idolized everyone with either a three hundred batting average or a 25 point scoring average in the NBA. Posters of Larry Bird graced every wall of my room. I read his book over and over again. When Larry retired I read about how he was estranged from his daughter. I also learned how he might not be the nicest guy in the world to the people that looked up to him. I am not trying to be a martyr here but, I could not even imagine missing one second of one game of a child of mine.

Charles Barkley once did a commercial saying that he is not a role model, parents are role models. He was literally crucified by the media. Charles was a phenomenal NBA player and has more good moments than bad as a commentator on TNT in his personal life arrests for prostitution, drunk driving, and throwing a man through a bar window pretty much solidifies to me he is not a role model I want my children to look up to. You were so right Charles when you said to all that would listen you are no role model.

Whether it is Barkley, “Gansta Rappers”, Hollywood actors, or Reality Stars, nowhere is it written they we need to idolize these people. Would you want your child to come home wearing one glove, with a change of skin color, wearing a prosthetic nose?

There is a big debate in this country about some of the billboards welcoming home our men and women in the military as they are called heroes. Trust me I bleed red, white, and blue and I will absolutely call each one of these individuals a hero. They are heroes to our nation. They make us proud not because they risk their lives to protect ours like policemen, fireman, etc, but because they do it and do not look for the glory in it. When was the last time you had a celebrity do something without a camera there?

Over 19 percent of the children in this country live without a parent in their lives and over 36 percent of children live in broken homes. This is where mentors need to step in and be that hero or idol. Big Brothers and Big Sisters, local youth groups and so many others have tried to fill the void when parents cannot. Mentors need to give these children what my parents gave me. That hug after a bad game or that high five when that three run home run clears the fence. I remember vividly hearing my parents and my grandfather scream from the stands as I returned to the sidelines when I walked off the field after making that key interception. I was so proud when I looked up into the stands knowing that that interception was not just for me but for all the times they carted me back and forth to practice. Being a parent is never easy, I know that, but by being there through the good and the bad makes one a true hero and role model.




Footnote:
Send me a note on who your role model is/was or comments to drcchasse@verizon.net. I promise to read everyone that is sent.

To throw or not to throw that is the question

Now that I have told everyone why I actually started this column I finally get to write the column in its format the way I believe will best inform and entertain the readers that have so graciously came to my column and have read and sent comments since its inception.

The other day I started to clean out one of my closets. Let me tell you now I have about five in my house that I have cluttered up. I brought the trusty old big black bag upstairs to finally try to clean out my ever shrinking closet space. We are talking about tackling one closet here people.

Time and time again, I remember my parents telling me to get rid of some of the old clothes, sneakers, or jackets that I have collected over the years. I squeezed my parents into their tiny closet in their bedroom because I took over every extra closet in the house. When you open a Webster’s Dictionary and you look up pack rat you will find my smiley face right there. Enough of the omg that is a scary thought folks.

When I started on my mission I had several emotions running through my head. Every piece of clothing, every ball cap, sweatshirt, or pair of socks I have kept means something I felt before I started the tall task of organizing. I still have my little league ball cap from my team the Red Sox. I have not worn that cap since the sixth grade. I have sweatshirts that have more holes in them than Swiss Cheese. Half my clothes are either way too big as I lost a few pounds lately or way too small. I have fat clothes and skinny clothes what can I say.

I opened the door, bag in hand and walked into the closet tripping on shoes, hats and t-shirts. My first reaction is to grab the first thing I tripped on and place it in my 100 gallon trash bag. The first item that I picked up was an old pair of Champion sneakers. I bought these sneakers at Target for 22 dollars. Champion Target sneakers ugly and uncomfortable it has put me in a dilemma. To throw or not to throw as this is the question now being processed in my head. I keep telling myself someone can use these sneakers that I have worn probably once so I make the decision to throw.

Within an hour I filled up three full bags to go out to the Salvation Army. Three bags and it feels like each bag weighs about 900 pounds. I have accomplished something. I have single handedly emptied twenty seven hundred pounds of sweaters, shirts, shoes etc. etc. from my closet. Nine hundred pounds a bag is a stretch ok, but I am trying to make a point here. There is now not just some room in this closet as I know that I will help others with the “extra” clothes I have put in each of these bags. A funny feeling has now come over me though. Did I make a mistake by getting rid of these things that I will never wear again? I keep telling myself over and over again that it is alright. They will be put to good somewhere. I was practically consoling myself over and over again when I took the clothes into the garage for others. The question is why do I need self therapy here?

Giving away clothes to good will is an honorable thing to do. A major plus to doing it is that you get to add more clothes. At the time there was something very peculiar about what I did. Stepping back I realized what those feelings were. It is not the clothes that I will miss it is the memories that those clothes bring back that will be missed. I am talking about the sweatshirt I wore to the 1994 Minnesota Vikings game where Drew Bledsoe had the game of his life. I am talking about the shirt I took of a date one night as I spilled mustard all over my shirt at a ball game. Gone are the pants that I wore the last time I went to my grandfather’s house before he passed. These are the things that I think about as I rummage through my closets to find the non fat clothes and the skinny clothes when I try to find that diamond in the ruff shirt to go to a simple night out. I will not miss the clothes it is the memories that these clothes signified.

Someone I love dearly keeps telling me to make a memory. Memories should be held in our hearts and not on a hanger. I do not need to look at a shirt to bring the memories back of my grandparents. I believe the nervousness that entered into my body by getting rid of my old clothes comes from the fact that I am afraid to lose these memories. I have thought long and hard today on how I can keep these wonderful memories in my heart forever. I never really narrowed it down in my head until I started writing tonight. You never lose these memories you just store them until something like a piece of clothing triggers your mind into thinking back to when you last wore that piece of clothing. In our pursuit of happiness we should just do some simple reflections on those wonderful memories that we all have and remember how they came to be in our hearts in the first place. I should not need to look at an old sneaker to recall any of these memories. I need to find a good thought myself when I feel a little blue. I need to keep the memories of my loved one’s who have passed alive but talking about them, sharing memories of them to people that are in my life now, and most importantly I need to not be so selfish and self absorbed and to pay homage to people in my past that have made me what I am today. I made a lot of memories and I just need to take the time and go through them all because I owe it to myself and to the people who put those memories in my heart never forget. I hope and pray that I have given someone else a memory to hold on to.

If you would like to receive this blog via e-mail every morning please send an e-mail to cchasse@me.com. Please feel free to pass along the web link(http://drcrischasse.blogspot.com/) or e-mail to your friends and colleagues who might be interested in what is being shared here. You can also follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/drcchasse

Now that I have found why I want to do this, What do I write about?

Last night when I started this I didn't think anyone would really read what I wrote. Most people ignore me when I start going on and on about things. Only my students listen to me because, one they have to and two, I talk their ears off. I like to hear the sound of my own voice at times, what can I say? I know it is a terrible habit but I don't always know what I am saying. When I get nervous, I talk. When I get angry, I talk. When I get sad, you guessed it, I talk. This is why I turned to the writing aspect of trying to get my thoughts and ideas out as I wanted to actually think things through and more importantly I did not see many talk show opportunities out there via the web. Imagine my surprise when I heard from so many of you today. I guess you all have turned up the pressure on me to show my witty side and keep the useless stuff coming. Maybe just maybe some of this information might have some validity to our everyday lives after all.

When I looked at my first post this morning I got a sense of purpose this am. It is almost the same feeling I get from grabbing the morning paper, getting my morning coffee and starting my exercise for the day on the Cybex Bicycle. I love being informed in the morning. I read the Boston Herald and the Wall Street Journal while listening to Sports radio WEEI. I am a sports nut after all.
I absorb the information I read or listen to like a sponge. I have loved the news since I was in grade school. Someone once told me that if you read Time Magazine every week that you will be in the top ninety percentile of informed people in the United States. A magazine a week that is all it takes. I may not be the brightest person walking the face of the earth, in fact I might be the lowest person on the PhD ranking poll, but by staying informed by simply trying to follow what the world is telling us helps to at least put me in the second tier in that ranking list. See Mom and Dad, I am putting that brain to work.

Just to give you an example on how uninformed I believe we are it has always blown me away that people in this country do not know who the Secretary of Defense is in the United States, btw it is Robert Gates. Besides the President this is a man who sends our loved ones, our friends, our neighbors into battle every day. Don't we as a citizen owe it to these folks to really look into this man? By all accounts from what I seen and read Secretary Gates is an honorable man who wears his heart on his sleeve. He is also a republican who served on the Bush cabinet so that is saying something right there. No matter what your personal politic views are we as a citizen of this great nation should know who this man is and what he is about?

Have you have ever seen Jay Walking with Jay Leno on the Tonight Show? Obviously the producers of the show spend hours in the editing room after filming people all day as Leno goes up to individuals and asks questions such as who is the Secretary of Defense. Have you ever listened to some of the answers? Granted I laugh like the next person however, it is a bit ridiculous how the average American really does not have a clue. Look at some of these individuals. Average Joe the Plumber Americans or Suzy Hairdresser types who cannot tell Jay who shot President Kennedy if they even know who President Kennedy was.

Do I have a sense of pride on being informed? Sure I do. It certainly helps when I watch Jeopardy, or play Trivia Pursuit, and it even helps at those infamous water cooler debates. Maybe putting down that Danielle Steele novel every once in a while and reading that Wall Street Journal or that Time Magazine will give you a different perspective of what is going on in the world. Watching that thirty second sound bite on Television or just looking at the advertisements in Star Magazine is not what I am talking about here. I am not lecturing or standing on the pulpit but is it not our responsibility to at least keep in check our elected leaders? We complain as a nation when things do not go our way but, do we have that right to complain when we do not even have the factual basis to? Whether it is spiraling unemployment, bank failures, ponzi schemes, healthcare legislation or government bailouts, it really does not matter. We owe it to ourselves, our children, our grandchildren to make sure that we can ask our elected leaders or people who work for the government to give us an honest explanation to what is going on here. Too many times we just accept what these people say.

We need to stop taking what these people say for granted and start trying to understand what the issues really are before we become a nation that just complains without any real background information before we complain. Complaining just to complain is becoming our national pastime. I even sound like I am complaining right now.

Tomorrow morning when I grab that coffee and head on that Cybex Bicycle, I will remember to look deeply into that new health care legislation so when I do complain about the skyrocketing costs of healthcare at least I will know what I am complaining about. Maybe all this information that I have been collecting over the years is not that useless after all.


If you would like to receive this blog via e-mail every morning please send an e-mail to cchasse@me.com. Please feel free to pass along the web link (http://drcrischasse.blogspot.com/) or e-mail to your friends and colleagues who might be interested in what is being shared here. Follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/drcchasse
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Footnote:
I found out today that a neighbor and childhood friend has passed away far too early. Joseph “Jay” Santana you will be sorely missed by all who knew you

Am I really going to invest time in this? If so, why?

Why am I doing this? Therapy maybe? It certainly is cheaper than paying a shrink. Maybe it is because I spend a lot of time with all these thoughts and while extremely hilarious and at times sad to me maybe others will find it just funny and will feel the pain right along with me. It could be that I feel like I should try to use that PhD knowledge I have assembled in that brain of mine. Ok, Ok, that is a stretch of epic proportions.

I have been knocked down, knocked around but never ever knocked up. I have had my share of heartache and I have certainly had my share of joy. Overall, I have learned that no matter what life has thrown at me at the end of the day as I process all that the day has brought I know that it is life's little treasures that matter to me most.

So you ask, what are these treasures? It is a ride on a horse, a swim in the lake, or a day with your family sitting by the pool drinking a Corona. Sure, it is a fruit in the beer beverage but who does not like a cold Corona?

I guess we all have our ups and downs but it is how we brush ourselves off and how we get back up that really matters most. I learned that relationships come and relationships go and when you find the person that makes you alive that person makes you feel like the king of the castle. You would rather fight with that person than love someone else. I did steal that line from one of the worst movies ever but it is a good one. Except when that crappy movie comes on Cinemax and they hear it. Oh yeah, the big oops becomes relevant here; stealing lines from movies while a fantastic pastime does not help you in the romance department when you get caught. I have to remember that all the good lines come from so called "chic flicks" and guess what? Females watch these kinds of movies. Then again I did see Mama Mia six times at the movies.

Time, all we have is time, right? Maybe, maybe not. Eating bon bons and watching television does not past the time productively? Alright I looked it up. From Wikipedia, (In Europe, a bonbon is a sweet; the simplest form of bonbon is essentially sugar-coated almonds. In the modern era, the use of almonds as a center has declined, and a bonbon can be any confection with a cream filled center, often with fruit or nuts, covered in fondant or chocolate, or any other confection consisting of a sweet centre covered by a loose sugar or flavored coating). Never got that expression but hey it is useless information. I hope that at 40 years old I have plenty of time to learn from my mistakes and make new ones to learn from.

Over the next 730 days or so I am going to try to share a little, laugh a little, and probably cry a little. Yes I cry, who doesn't? When you feel like crying, cry. When you feel like laughing, laugh. Most of all don't hold back and you will feel relief. I guess that is the motto I live by.

Thankfully, I have learned that you never stop learning. I hope and pray that someday I will be someone who can pass the time productively as I go through life collecting not possessions but the knowledge to productively go through time. That thought almost hurt.

These reflections as I see it do give you a sense of purpose especially on this type of forum. You get to review, reflect, and ponder your day. Heck you get to look back at those pieces of useless thoughts and information and then decide what matters and what doesn't. Maybe with that I just answered my originally question.

If it is useless it is for me.