csfb's Blog

To everything, there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven. 

A time to be born, a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck that which is planted.

A time to kill, and a time to heal;  a time to break down, a time to build up.

A time to weep, and a time to laugh;  a time to mourn, and a time to dance.

A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; 

A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing.

A time to get, and a time to lose;  a time to keep, and a time to cast away.

A time to rend, and a time to sew;  a time to keep silence, and a time to speak.

A time to love, and a time to hate;  a time of war, and a time of peace.(Ecclesiastes)

For many days, I had been wearing a shoulder sling to nurture a sprained wrist and tennis elbow.  I am rid with it now.  But minor injuries like these help me keep my feet on the ground.  I bring to focus what is important.

I pause a moment and just appreciate that I have arms and legs and feet. And eyes, nose, ears, etc.  That I can sing, hear, see.  That I have healthy lungs.  That I can run, walk up and down the stairs.

Yet I whine and grumble and complain about things I perceive I need in my life.  I keep chasing that ever illusive pot of gold at the end of the rainbow as though that will finally give me peace and contentment.

I must stop the chase now.  Peace and contentment is within me.  Share.

Last nite, I dreamt ...

LotteryPost has a clubhouse.  Members are hanging out as usual.  Todd comes in and starts handing out flyers.  I look at the flyer, and it said LotteryPost is closing shop.  It also said members should claim their lottery loses on their income tax returns.

I ask the man beside me what is happening.  He shakes his head, and says it is all the fault of Todd's rich uncle.  The uncle has absconded leaving Todd high and dry.

Todd invites everyone for a ride.  I look out the door, and I see a big bright yellow bus.  Emblazoned on the side of the bus, in bold black, are numbers 2278.  Everybody piles into the bus.  As Todd starts the bus, I wake up.

I have been a member here at LotteryPost for more than a year now.  In that time, I have come to know and like some of you through what you post and how you post.  I have actually mentally profiled some of you.  Wouldn't it be interesting when someday, we meet; and my profile of you is utterly, utterly different from the real you?  Or vice versa.

I wasn't in the mood to do anything, so I decided to blog.  But I don't have anything in particular to blog about...

Well, what about this:  "Let's make all wars obsolete."  There are more pleasant things to do.  Instead of sending soldiers to the battlefield, let's send  lawyers to fight it out in an international courtroom, properly televised.  That way, the world  can watch as the lawyers grandstand all they want.  To the winner, go the spoils. 

What else to talk about.  I think I'll end here.  Suddenly, I remember:  "If you have nothing to say, don't say it.  For the word not uttered does no harm."  I don't know who said that.  Maybe I just made it up.  But then, it is true.

How many roads must a man walk down, before you call him a man?

How many times must a man look up, before he can see the sky?

How many ears must one man have, before he can hear people cry?

How may deaths will it take 'till he knows, that too many people have died?

(Bob Dylan, the folk singer and poet.  I think he is a genius).

I'm listening to Strauss right now, which makes me in the mood for waltzing. I learned waltz when I was a kid. I love to dance. There's this not-so-new TV show, "So you think you can dance" which I watch weekly. Participants vie for who's the best dancer. Those dancers, they've improved so much since they started.

My sister just called. Asked me what I'm doing. I said I'm writing. " About what?" she giggled. "Random thoughts", and left it at that. My sister and I, we are so different. While she loves to go to the mall and shop, shop, shop for things she stashes in her closet, and never to be seen again; I prefer to go shopping for real estate- the older, the better - in settled neighborhoods. Or, just searching for mudhuts and fossils.

I browsed through the forums. Someone mentioned Thoreau. Boy, that is hard reading for me. I have one of his books in my library collecting dust. One of these days, I'll get to it.

I better close here, lest I start waxing philosophical. I'll leave you with Thoreau: "Go confidently in the direction of your dream."

It's all quiet.  I may be the only one awake at this time.  That reminds me, I need to call someone to fix my sprinkler system.  What a time for it to break down when the weather is scorching hot!  Front and back lawns are turning yellow.  I asked the gardener if he knew what was wrong with the sprinklers, he fumbled with the valves some, and then shook his head.  That's Reyes, my gardener.  He's quite a character.  He seems to speak English when it's convenient for him, otherwise, "no speak ingles."

I'm listening to Bob Dylan on long play.  One of my Dad's favorites.  I'm using his turntable.  I must sort out his stuff one of these days.  He left stacks and stacks of LPs, about 2,000 or so.  His music system is something else.  So complicated to use.  He built it himself, buying one part here, another part there.  I must say, he put so much money into it, but that was his hobby.  The turntable, he built that himself, as well.  Glad I learned to use that turntable, otherwise, all his stuff would be of no use anymore.  I used to watch him vacuum those LPs with his special machine.  It was a ceremony.  Next time, I will tell you all about it.

Well, I thought I was gonna blog about "dura lex sed lex", latin for "the law is harsh, but it is the law", but somehow, it didn't happen.  Next time.

Bye, folks.  Keep cool.

I'm staying home today, so I decided to continue my series on getting "Rich". 

Some of the tips I write here are from my notes I have kept for a long time.   At a very young age, I have been keeping notes.  I revisit my notes every now and then.  What I considered important then is no different from what I consider important now.   My priorities then, were different from my priorities now.  The notes I take down now are different from my notes I took down then.  But overall, the theme of my notes has been constant - of bettering my self and what I want to leave behind as my legacy.  I know, I still have very long, long ways to go but strange as it may seem, that is what are in my notes.

So what is courage?  My notes under Winston Churchill says, "Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm."

Under Mark Twain, I have this written down:  "Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambition.  Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel, that you too, can become great."

Cheers everyone.  Have a winning day!

You have the POWER to be rich.  Unlock it by opening up your mind.  Think rich, be rich.

To those who hear - start now.  Examine your thoughts.  What is it that occupies your mind.  Write down your thoughts.  If you don't like what you've written down, change it.  Be definite and specific.  Then think about it constantly.  Eventually, you will be doing things to achieve what you are thinking.  Because, my friends, YOU ARE WHAT YOU THINK.

To those who jeer - examine your thoughts anyway.  Then look at yourself and around you.  If you are satisfied with what you see, so be it.

 Cheers and Good Luck.

Let me tell you ...

Thirteen years ago, I and my older sister and my parents immigrated to America.  My parents were public school teachers.  (They've passed on now succumbing to cancer).

My sister became a registered nurse with a masters degree in nursing; I became an attorney and a real estate broker.   Just like most of you, we worked for a living. 

However, I wanted to be rich.  What did I do? 

First, I wanted to know how the rich became rich.  So I read biographies of Sam Walton, Warren Buffett,  Charles Schwab, Bill Gates, Ted Turner, Donald Trump, and others. 

I also read books on achieving ones goals.  I DEVELOPED WITHIN ME THE MILLIONAIRE MIND-SET.

Today, I have my own real estate and mortgage company, and run my own law office.  But on top of all that, I became the serious real estate investor.  I also invested in stocks , bonds, and funds but sad to say, my  stock gains for the last one and a half years, have been wiped out in just the last two months.  But that is the risk.  You win some, lose some

My point to you, my friends here at LP, you can be be rich - but first, develop within yourself, the millionaire mind-set. 

Good Luck!

I'm home today.  As usual, I'm logged on to LotteryPost.  Sometimes, I feel that I come here to hide from the world.

Today, I have a sad realization.  I think I am no longer in love with my love one.  What if he's reading this?

 Have a winning day everyone!

The neighborhood is so quiet.  Even the animals.  Most of us in this neighborhood have dogs and cats.  I do not have any cat, but my neighbor across the street has a black fluffy cat.  I can't tell you the cat's name lest my neighbor, in case he is reading this blog, might recognize his cat.  But this nice, older cat is so intelligent, and so polite.  Anytime he sees me, he'll quickly come strutting across the street, and meows and purrs and meows again while gazing straight at my eyes, as if to say, "I'm so happy to see you."  Of course, I would meow back, and we exchange meows for some three or four times, and he would rub his shiny fur on my shoes... Well, I was not intending to blog about cats really.

"Crossroad"  is the title of this blog.  I have come to a crossroad in my life where I am asking myself,   "Who am I?  Where do I go from here?  What is the meaning of anything?"  I'm looking at the impressive suffixes after my name, certificates of achievment neatly tucked on the wall, plaques of merit nicely arranged on bookshelves - and all I feel is nothing.

Today, I have posted my 100th post!  I will celebrate by buying 100 lotto tickets.  I have a very serious decision to make:  Shall I buy all tickets from only 1 retailer, or several retailers?  Well, I must ponder on that one for a longer time, it's a life-changing decision.  Or maybe, it does not matter.  1 ticket or 100, what is the difference.

2 bombs kill 19 in Baghdad; 15,000 flee Indonesia volcano; Iran president a "second Hitler"; Holmes could cash in on wedding to Cruise.  Wow, what do you know, Holmes and Cruise's coulda alongside real news!

Today is my lazy day.  Am staying home.  I actually blogged earlier this morning, but somehow, my blog just disappeared on me.  I searched and searched for it, but no success.  So I'm blogging again.  It's not the same though.  I'm no longer in the mood to blog, so this is all I have to say for now. 

Have a good summer day everyone.

Did you watch American Idol?  Though Mcphee was my favorite to win, I wasn't surprised Hicks won.  He breezed through everytime and was never in the bottom 3.  He obviously enjoys entertaining people,  and is quite unassuming.

I've watched this show since it's inception some five or six years ago.  It's getting better and bigger, and has made some people quite rich:  Simon Cowell, Ryan Seacrest, Paula...

Tonite is one of those nights I have insomnia.  I was gonna tell you about a horrifying  car accident I witnessed  on the freeway, but I can't bring myself to even think about it.  Suffice it to say, as a reminder to all, to wear your seatbelts all the time and do be careful driving.  Accidents happen in the wink of an eye!  Though I haven't met anyone of you, I know I will be sad if something like this happens to anyone of you.

Now, on to happier topics...  Powerball and megamillions were won unexpectedly.  Megamillions was won 5/16/06, and Powerball, 5/17/06.  I wonder, if both games were won by one lotto syndicate. 

Well good nite all.