The JackB

"When you're in jail, a good friend will be trying to bail you out. A best friend will be in the cell next to you saying, 'Damn, that was fun'." Groucho Marx

Archives for November 2007

Failure

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“Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure… than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.”

Teddy Roosevelt

Failure. As of late it has been on my mind quite a bit. It has been a rough year with more than a couple of challenges within my personal and professional lives. There have been more than a couple of moments in which I felt like I should be named Sisyphus. It felt like no matter how hard I tried it wasn’t good enough.

So after a while I began to wonder if I should just hang up my spikes. If I couldn’t get it done than maybe the smart thing to do was to walk away. But the thing is, safe is not my nature. I am a gambler and a dreamer.

That is not to say that I don’t know how to be conservative. I do. I am more than capable of taking a deep breath and following the main road to the city. It is something that I do more often than not. Still, I can’t help but search for the Yellow Brick road. I can’t help but wonder what would happen if I tried something new.

So I take a moment to try and determine why things happen one way and not another. In some cases I can say that I failed because of the limitations I placed upon myself, not because I couldn’t do it.

That is a bitter pill to swallow. It is uncomfortable. Yet, it is also an opening for opportunity. It is a chance to say that I can do better. It is a chance to ask myself what I can do to avoid falling into the same trap.

And that is why I like Roosevelt’s quote. It is a reminder to me that life is meant to be lived and that failure needn’t be worn as a badge of shame. I own my failure. Don’t misunderstand my smile to suggest that I enjoy or am proud of having failed. I am not.

But I haven’t any problem saying that I am proud that I was willing to take a chance and that I am confident that the lessons I learned from failing will be why I won’t fail again,

I’d write more but the syrupy sweet feel of this post is rubbing me raw. See you around.

Deadly Force- Can You Use It to Protect Your Neighbor

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Would you consider this a crime?

“A so-called “castle doctrine” law recently passed in Texas allows people to use deadly force to protect their homes and property. However, a case in which a Houston-area man in his 70’s killed two apparent burglars he observed breaking into his neighbor’s house has raised new questions about how far that doctrine might extend.

The man called an emergency dispatcher when he first saw the alleged burglars, saying “I’ve got a shotgun, do you want me to stop them?”

“Nope, don’t do that,” replied the dispatcher. “Ain’t no property worth shooting somebody over, ok? … I’ve got officers coming out there. I don’t want you to go outside that house.”

“I understand that,” the caller replied, “but I have a right to protect myself too, sir, and you understand that. And the laws have been changed in this country since September the 1st, and you know it and I know it.”

After five minutes, the dispatcher was no longer able to restrain the caller, who stepped outside and shot both men, reporting, “Here it goes, buddy. You hear the shotgun clicking and I’m going. … Boom, you’re dead. … I had no choice.”

A grand jury will decide whether the man can be charged with a crime. He will probably be found to have acted legally if it is determined that the neighbor whose house was broken into had asked him to protect his property, but not otherwise.”

Textbook Disclaimer Stickers

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If you are in school you just might be familiar with a few of these:

This textbook suggests that the origin of life was a wholly natural event. Because this view contradicts what fundamentalists want their children to believe, readers are encouraged to burn this book along with the author.

This textbook asserts that gravity exists. Gravity is a theory, not a fact, regarding a force that cannot be directly seen. This material should be approached with an open mind, studied carefully, and critically considered.

This textbook claims that evolution is not fully accepted by scientists because it is just a theory. The author hopes to confuse you into equating scientific theory with cockamamie theory.

Fast Food Calorie Counter

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In an older post I mentioned that I intended to stop reading the labels on what I eat. Well I have done that and found that it hasn’t had any sort of negative impact upon my weight. I eat whatever I feel like eating and make a point not to over stuff myself.

Thus far it is working for me. I may not look like I did at 20, but overall it is not all that bad. However if you want to wreck your day go ahead and click here.