Taco Bell Blues

I loved the old Taco Bell commercials when they had the Taco Bell chihuahua. Well, Gidget passed away Tuesday at fifteen. I never knew though that the dog was female. I loved the sayings, "Yo Quiero Taco Bell" and "Viva Gorditas." I had two of the stuffed dogs. I don't know what happened to them. Anyway those were some of the best commercials.

I even created a character dog on Photoshop called "Chico." My inspiration came from the Taco Bell dog. The Taco Bell commercials with that dog were too funny. It sure beats the commercials that my friend Roger and I can't stand that go "Go meat!" from Hillshire Farms. Oh man, I couldn't take that commercial. Neither could Roger on Big Doofus' blog. However, I'll never forget those classic Taco Bell dog commercials.

Canine Lessons Revisited!

This is a repeat. But, my brother enjoyed it so much. Today he reminded me that I wrote it. Frankly I forgot that I had. He said it was the ending that had him in stitches. Well, here it is again. Enjoy!


Okay, I'll fess up! Tonight I was somewhat bewildered with a person. Like that would be the first time it happened, not! I have the mistaken notion that if I'm always nice, other people will be too. Not gonna happen. However, I still think it's contagious to be nice and maybe a larger percentage of people will be nice in return. But, this man wasn't going to budge. Have you ever heard the saying, "His face is so long he could eat oats out of a half-inch gas pipe?" Ha. I did everything but cartwheels (and please don't ask me to do that) to be friendly. It wasn't going to work that way.

Later I thought about an old proverb we've all heard, I think we have anyway. "Walk softly around others for you don't know what burdens they are carrying." I guess I didn't think about that sooner. Maybe he's going through some tough ordeal. Maybe something rankled him today. Did he lose something precious to him? A myriad of things popped up as I thought about it. Or maybe he's, just, well, miserable. Some people just are. It's sad.

I admit I have my days too. Things don't go according to plan, a snag gets put in the way or something justs goes haywire. So, that's why I put the picture above. If these two canines can get along as pals...where does the human race fit in? The word Homo Sapien comes from the Latin meaning, "wise man" or "knowing man." Then, why does it take the animal kingdom sometimes to show us "humans" simple things? You come home, and there's the family dog waiting to greet you! Unconditional love. But, "we" humans tend to forget, don't we? I know I do at times.

So, I don't know what was under this man's skin tonight. I confess, I need to understand more at times. And...by chance...if the guy was just a misanthropic soul like Jack Nicholson was in "As Good As It Gets", all we can do is pray. Plus, not become the same way.

I love the picture above. I can just hear the one saying to the other, "Hey Brutus, It'll be okay, Fifi just didn't love you, but there's always someone else. Have you thought of dating Biddy?" Brutus replies, "Rambo, Biddy is a terrier, I can't go there. Maybe I'll go down to the shelter and see if Zoe isn't busy. She's a bit wired, but all chihuahuas can't be that way!"

Okay, maybe my story fell flat, but at least enjoy the pic! Be well all.

The Means And Opportunity

Today was the memorial of Michael Jackson. Obviously unless someone is hidden in a cave somewhere, everyone knows about his demise. I just wanted to make a couple of observations.

Everyone on the face of the earth is born in God's image. Regardless of rich, poor, skilled, unskilled, celebrity, farmer, attorney: We all are human and made in the image of God. Plus, we all face the same questions in life and desire some of the same needs. Doesn't everyone desire to be loved and accepted? My question is rhetorical at best. The obvious answer is "yes."

I'm reminded of the old children's game that goes:

Gypsy, Gypsy, tell it me
What’s my fortune going to be?
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Sailor,
Rich Man, Poor Man, Beggar Man, Thief
Doctor, Lawyer, Indian Chief.
Tell me, tell me, tell me true.
When I’m grown what will I do?

So regardless of our lot in life, we all want to be loved and accepted. That is unless the person is a total sociopath. (But, even then, I think before they get to that point, they wanted the same thing.) So, celebrities are no different.

My second point seems rather simple but I'll throw it in anyway. Many celebrities suffer from the human condition like the rest of us. But, because of status, means, money and opportunity, they can destroy their lives much more quickly. Think of Elvis Presley as an example. He dabbled in mysticism and drugs. The latter did him in. So, in Michael Jackson's case, he probably suffered emotionally and used his money to try to find the answers to the things that troubled him. I think the same can be said of Howard Hughes, Judy Garland and so many others.

Bottom line, we all need Christ. So a person can do many things. They can come to the cross of Christ and be saved. Or, they can go on a life-long search burning up time, money and energy looking for a way to be at peace. Unfortunately, many don't want to yield to the authority of Christ. So they try it their own way. And, we know, (those of us who know Christ anyway) that man doing it their own way just leads to frustration and being separated from God.

God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked. As far as Michael Jackson is concerned, of course God only knows if he was a believer. But, the scriptures say "by their fruits you will know them." It doesn't look good. Maybe it's good that some people don't get fame, fortune and money. For if they did, they could destroy themselves faster. It's better to have little and to know Christ than to have plenty and leave it all behind. We all know the verse, "What shall it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul?" (paraphrase.) May the peace of Christ be with you all.

Fourth Of July

It really goes without saying about the real reason for the fourth of July. My commentary is simple. I have nothing against people seeing one another, a parade, a firework or two, etc. But, I hope that the new generation of young people growing up remember what this day really stands for. Sure, our country has its share of problems, but I hope we never forget the freedoms that we still enjoy. Some of those freedoms seem to be eroding day by day. May we remember what tomorrow really stands for and be thankful for a God that allows us to still live in a country, albeit with problems, that is still greater than so much of the rest of the world. Happy Fourth Of July everyone!