mikesnotes

                                                               BE HONEST     I would like to hear an honest response at least once from these familiar statements and questions. 10)     You won't hear me make this response, but I will throw it out there - Your significant other asks you "does this dress make me look fat" - the honest option would be - "I don't believe it's the dress--it's more likely the 2 or 3 doughnuts you eat every morning."  Again, not recommended - included for blog purposes only.  9)     If you are a Jeopardy fan, you know they always ask the contestants the same personal question at the beginning of the show. Are you married?  If the contestant is married the answer is always the same "yes to my beautiful wife sitting in the front row."  Just once, I'd like to hear an honest answer -- "yes, but she is not here because we are going through a nasty divorce." 8)     Golf (you knew I would slip one in) - The

  10)     Did you ever notice - some people actually look better with their mask on! 9)    Did you ever notice - The more you watch something cooking the longer it takes. 8)    Did you ever notice at yellow lights - no one ever slows down - in fact that is normally when everyone speeds up. 7)     Did you ever notice - Loud people have no idea they are loud. 6)     Did you ever notice - With no particular person in mind - boring people generally have no clue they are boring.  They believe everything they say is of great importance and people hang on every word.  I would suggest they look at a person's eyes when talking. If the eyes are glazed over, be quiet. 5)     Did you ever notice - Golfers are really bad at arithmetic - it seems they have a really hard time counting past 4 or 5 which is a par for most holes. 4)     Did you ever notice - Is it just me, or do people with British accents seem to be smarter? 3)     Did you ever notice - It is practically impossible to open any pack

Many phrases are pretty cool and innovative the first few times you hear them.  Everyone seems to have a favorite, but they all have the potential to be overused and become cliche losing their impact.  For example, everything cannot be "Amazing" all the time and it is not likely that all is "perfect." The following are several phrases that I have heard too many times, and maybe I've even used them once too often. 10)   When dealing with a salesman or someone who is trying to convince you of a particular idea. how many times have you heard "does that make sense to you?" Would you really say no and admit you don't understand. It seems to me that whoever asked that question is unsure of his explanation and looking for help. 9)    How many times have you heard "with that being said."  It's like they are putting you on high alert for what comes next. Some kind of exception is coming your way.  Hold on, the whole direction of the conversati

  First of all, I have never met an Alien, meaning someone from another planet.  If I did, I would have a lot of questions as I'm sure he/she would.   Initially, we may discuss politics, how he got here, and what life is about on his planet.  At some point we may approach the subject of sports, as it is a big part of our culture. So, in this top ten list I will cover how I would explain our sporting activities to an Alien.  10)    We have a sport called boxing.  Two men and sometimes women get into an 18- 22ft. square ring and try to knock each other unconscious. 9)    Football - Played on 100-yard field where 11 men on each side take turns running and catching an oblong ball.  The goal is to knock down your opponent before he can reach a certain point. 8)    Baseball - Again played on an open field where you try to throw a little white ball by an opponent at a rate of 100 miles an hour. Not to worry, your opponent has a stick to protect himself. If he is good at this game and hits

 Europeans like Americans are basically the same. For the most part they want the same things out of life that we do - peace, happiness and a long and healthy life.  However, during my travels I have noticed a few differences in lifestyles.  Please keep in mind these are not black and white, but generalizations I find amusing or interesting. 10)     If you wear shorts in Europe you are probably an American and this is especially true if you are wearing a pair of white sneakers.  For European men the answer to shorts are "Capris" (see above - too long for shorts and too short for trousers) similar to the women's styles. Next time you visit Disney World the European men will be easy to spot.    9)      Europeans love to eat outside when dining out - they drink really strong coffee from tiny cups with their pinky pointed skyward. 8)     The number one sport in Europe and maybe in the world is football (aka soccer) and their team shirts are on every corner and worn proudly. T

Things I am thinking about when I have way too much time on my hands. 10)       What's the deal with all the superheroes and super villains wearing capes? To me, they just seem to get in the way.  The only thing I can think of is that with all of their tight-fitting clothes, maybe that's where they keep their cellphones and car keys. 9)     Murphy's Law and the Law of Averages have always been confusing to me.  First of all, they are not real laws, and you are not going to jail if you break one.   8)     What does make sense to me, according to Murphy's law is that if you are running late for a meeting, tee time etc. you will catch every red light, and when you run into traffic, your lane will always be the slowest.   However, if you apply the law of averages, sooner or later you should go through every light and end up in the fastest lane.  Or, how about this--leave home earlier. 7)     Stupidity is defined as doing the same thing over and over and expecting a differen

  Music is the language that everyone understands - even those of us who are tone deaf.  It connects people, crosses borders, prejudices and can speak to you when words fail. Although there is much debate, I personally believe making music is a gift. No matter how much time I spend practicing, I cannot physically separate pitch (high and low frequency sounds) know harmony from melody, and rhythm---forget about it.  Yet, I love music, as much or more than the next person.  So, with that said, here are a few observations about music.  10)    It is widely believed that the first musical instruments were a flute and a harp (lyre). Genesis 4:21 talks of Jubal (descendant of Cain) being the "father of all those who played the harp and flute." 9)    Who knew that you should listen to music for health reasons.  A recent Harvard study said music can lower blood pressure and heart rate, improve mood and reduce anxiety (dopamine production)--all without a prescription.   Where are my ea

  Nurses are a special bunch.  For the last 18 months, I have dealt with quite a few.  Following are my top ten facts and observations. 10)   For the last twenty years Gallup has conducted a poll of the most trusted professions and nurses have been number one every year and it hasn't been close.  Not surprisingly, doctors are generally second beating out your grade-school teachers by a slim margin. 9)    Florence Nightingale (see above pic) is widely recognized as the founder of modern nursing training.  Her book "Notes on Nursing" written in 1859 remains as relevant today as the day it was written.  Nurses Day around the world is celebrated on May 12 which is Nightingale's birthday 8)    Recent experience has taught me that hospital gowns are not the most fashionable or modest piece of clothing and clearly, they are not intended to be.  Having said that, I feel sorry for nurses - how many butts can one see in a lifetime? 7)     In an office or other professional sett

  Some facts are unique, some are funny and many produce this type of response "wait, what."  Here are a few examples! 10)    Start off with my personal favorite fact - according to a recent Swedish study, playing golf will add five years to your lifespan.  FORE! 9)    Take one penny and double it every day for 30 days and you will have over five million dollars by the end of the month. 8)    There are no clocks in Las Vegas casinos.  7)    Dolphins and mobsters sleep with one eye open. (I made up the mobsters part.) 6)    Speaking of mobsters, have you ever noticed how much the electric chair looks like the chair in your dentist office.  That's because it was developed by a dentist. 5)   Elvis was born with blond hair, but wanted a more edgy look and dyed his hair black- he used black shoe polish to touch it up. 4)    The average person spends six months of their lifetime waiting on red lights-- honk - honk!!  3)    Although Mickey and Minnie Mouse are quite the couple,