People Magazine's Sexiest Man Alive- 2014

Chris Hemsworth

Born: 11 August 1983 

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Occupation: Actor Best known as: Thor

No matter...

Life can certainly hand us heavy burdens to carry. Often, all we need to do is get away and allow time to do its job and carry some of that burden away.
Sometimes, it's as simple as opening our eyes and seeing the beauty life can give us, as well.

I hope these amazing photos can ease what burdens you:
(click image for larger view and slide show)

                           

Ol' Jess

I remember arriving at River's Edge
the day filled with blistering heat.
I'd decided I needed some time away,
to help ease the pain of deceit.

A few days alone in the woods would do fine,
I could gather my thoughts undisturbed.
Fishing in the morn', swimming in the day,
and my pain and anger could be curbed.

My mind starts to drift, as it tends to do now,
to the day of my worst case scenario.
The love of my life, the woman of my dreams,
lost, because the right head didn't say no.

One of the cabins comes into view up ahead,
I look to the door for its number.
I pull into the dirt driveway and park,
for now all I need is deep slumber.

As I put the key to the old door and sigh,
again my mind meanders back,
to the first time we had been here together.
I shake it off - get back on track!

I smell the musty odors as I enter the cabin,
familiar, not unpleasant, quite expected.
I close the door and drop my backpack to the mat.
Home for now, to an otherworld protected.

I look around the whimsical little room,
bedecked, no doubt, by the gentler gender.
I grin and remember her first reaction;
"Can you believe it? I'll have a blender!"

I thought of how disappointed she'd be
that we'd have nothing to put in it.
But it's presence made her happy at least,
she'd come to love it all bit by bit.

I walked out the back for a view of the lake,
the day's baking sun was starting to set.
I see an old man down at the river bank.
I wondered what he was here to forget.

I called out to him, "Want some company?"
With a wave of his hand he gave me permission.
I sat down beside him and grunted.
"Alright son, just spill it," he said in recognition.

I turned to him ready to make a snide comeback,
but hesitated when I saw his face.
He had his own worries to handle it seemed.
I'd keep the convo light, just in case.

"Ah, it's nothing really, just love trouble is all."
"Those two words don't go together, son"
He raised up his cap with a push of a thumb.
"Trouble only comes when love is done."

I pondered this for a second and then said,
"But I still have love, I mean, at least I think so."
"Then you ain't thinkin' period," he laughed,
and leaned back as if he had wisdom to bestow.

"Lemme tell you a story, then we'll talk." he uttered.
He took off his cap and scratched his head.
"Some people go all their lives never knowin' love.
Or they take it for granted instead."

"Love's like breathin' in a way, you know.
We do it all the time without thinkin'.
We draw it in, then we let it out.
It's just somethin' that's always a happenin' "

"But breathin' can be special if'n you want it to.
Steppin' outside on a cold winter mornin'
takin' that cold air into your lungs all asudden.
Almos' knocks ya down without no warnin' "

He rubs his hand across his stubbled chin.
"Yeah, it's like that sometimes."
I can see his thoughts start to wander off.
"Yeah, it's like that. Sometimes."

I clear my throat to bring him back to our world.
"I had a dog once." he started."Friendly cuss.
Loved to follow me aroun' all the time.
Good hunter too, that was a definite plus."

"What happened to him?" I asked to move him on.
"Huh? Oh, the dog? He got old, we all do.
Died off in the woods somewhere I reckon."
He reached into his pocket to grab some chew.

"Love doesn't hurt, son. Love is a gift.
It's somethin' you give or you get,
you can't take it away from somebody.
Is that somethin' you can admit?"

I shrugged my shoulders, "Yeah, I see that."
He grinned and laughed like he'd scored a strike.
"Love is the flower you've got to let grow. "
"John Lennon? You quoted Lennon?" ...second strike.

He slowly stood and dusted off his pants.
"You know, I was married for a long time.
Goin' on 53 year when she passed on.
She was a looker for sure in her prime."

"Still had the face of an angel when she got old."
He arched his back and I heard a pop.
"Beautiful. Now that woman grew love, son.
Met her sittin' at the school bus stop."

He grabbed a tree and lowered himself back down.
"I hurt my girl many atime son. Not to boast!
Cared nothin' for any of 'em, they none for me.
Nah, nary a one of them even come close."

"My girl, she told me," he said with a sigh,
"that she loved me most at those times.
Said it was when I needed it most of all.
I think on them words hard sometimes."

He looked behind him and moved a few twigs,
then laid down and covered his face with his cap.
"She left me once. Couldn't take no more hurtin'.
Told me she'd put up with enough of my crap."

He drew a deep breath and rose to an elbow.
"She come back. Told me she'd forgive me.
Said somethin' about love fallin' on thorns?
I's just glad she was back at home, see."

I could tell the old man was getting tired.
Gimme advice old dog, I'm just a pup.
"Why would you cheat on her if you loved her?"
He jumped like someone had lit him up.

"Son, ain't you heard a word I said?"
He sat up and looked me dead in the eye.
"I didn't cheat her boy, I cheated myself!
Of her love, not mine. And you know why?"

I put my hand out to help him rise.
"Cause you can't love without giving, son.
And my girl gave all she had you betcha!
Flower? Hell my girl was every flower under the sun!"

It was getting dark, I could tell it was time to go.
"I made a mistake. I didn't give. I took."
He straightens his hat and starts to walk away,
then turns and gives me an understanding look.

"Do you think you could give love, son?
Or do you think she's a dying flower?
Don't sandbag yourself out of life."
He looks to the sky to test the hour.

"I feel the love of my girl at every sunset.
I go to sleep with it in my heart.
I breathe it in on cold winter mornin's."
He raises his hand as he departs.

I stood and watched him hobble away,
then headed back in for the night.
The phone was ringing as I entered,
"Let it be her!" I yelled in flight.

"Hello? Baby, is that you?" I cried
"I have so many things I need to say!"
I hear her breathing, then a soft sigh,
"I watered the flowers today."

Women and their ideal man

No, this is not going to be "How To Win Her Over" or "What Do Men Really Want?" hyperbole. 
Just an observation I've made of late that has brought me back to pondering: Why is there a double standard when it comes to women admiring the male physique?  This isn't about pornography, per se, it's about the unjustified sneer that men give to the few women who openly celebrate their admiration of the male physique. 

As teenagers, a lot of us girls had posters on our walls, usually of the Teen Idol of the month. For me it was Donny Osmond and David Cassidy, among a few others. For the guys, it was usually cars or the top rock group of the moment, with the occasional door poster of some TV beauty in a bikini.

But, as we girls matured, "Love is like...," butterfly and kitten posters replaced the Teen Idol. As for the boys, as they matured, the cars came down and the room became wall-to-wall T&A. And it didn't stop! 

Walk into a mechanic's work area and you will find a calendar of nude, or scantly clad, women tacked up on the wall near a tool-box. Wander into a man's private home bathroom and you're likely to see a poster of a woman in a pose rarely seen in reality. Even naked women on the condom dispensers in bar restrooms. Mens locker rooms? No need to even mention it.

Now take a gander at the walls of the womens locker room. The ladies bathroom, anywhere. The last time I saw a condom dispenser in a womens bathroom, it had a giant yellow daisy on it! And I have never known a woman to have a poster of a nude man in her private bathroom at home.

What's the deal? Why is it that we accept that men, married or otherwise, can continue to admire the female form, yet a mature woman who attempts to do the same is questioned? Usually the first things alluded to are; she is not getting any, must be a tramp or her partner is inadequate. Why don't we have these same ideas about men?

Men are quick to point out their ideal woman. They can pop-off their perfect prototype quickly - breast size, height, weight, eye color, hair color, intelligent...
Ask a woman about her ideal man and, after a slight hesitation, you'll typically hear - honest, caring, understanding, a sense of humor, nice eyes...
What?!
Why, as women, are we not as truthful when asked that question? Because, even though we do look for those qualities in a man, we have preferences when it comes to the rest of the layout, too! To be fair, men will, eventually, include personality traits.

Could it be that women are more sensitive to men, and don't want to cause damage to a man's ego by detailing physical attributes he may lack? Why do we suffer our own ego-battering in silence when men do the same? 

Why has society still not accepted the idea of allowing women to freely display their admiration for the male body? We have to wait around for the occasional special appearance of the Chippendales. But every man alive knows where the closest strip club is located. The male strip clubs are even geared towards men! (* added thought: the majority of men, if asked, would say they wouldn't bring a stripper home to meet momma. If this is the case, then it is clear there is only one reason why a man would go to watch naked women swing from poles. But still, they say it means nothing and women should keep their displeasure to themselves.)

To wrap it up (because I have to spend time looking for pictures of attractive men to add to this and I need to start dinner), women have these options:

Demand the same respect to our egos, by wagging a finger when the first thing a man mentions in the description of his ideal woman is a physical attribute, and hope that, over time, they get the idea.

Say "To Hades with what society may think of me, this is how it is", and endure the incoming derision.

Or,  "oooh" and "aww" at the appropriate times when you see something you like and save yourself the hassle of the above.

Maybe it's for the best that things are the way they are, after all. Women will continue to evolve emotionally. Our egos less likely to bruise. We will become more eager to display our inner potential and not fret ourselves to sickness about our appearance. There may actually come a time when men will only be attracted to what a woman's heart and mind have to offer him!

Yeah, right. 

Bored and thinking about...

I was watching TV earlier, some random Lifetime movie, and a young woman in the story had one arm. It was tough for her. Being mocked, always being asked what happened, worried about boys and dating...
She ended up handling it well. The new boyfriend, going back to a normal life, blah blah, typical Lifetime - feel good, flick.

I have always believed that our experiences in life are what build us; our personalities, beliefs, lifestyle, the way we treat others, ...you get the idea.
Sometimes you meet someone and you immediately question "What happened to them to make them feel this way? What flaw do they have that makes them so reserved, defensive, insecure, angry,...?"
And the flaw may not always be from experience, it can also be a physical one. Either hidden or outwardly visible. That's the flaw I was thinking of today.

Now, I am not saying that all people who share the same physical flaw exhibit the same persona, they may have had experiences in their lives that helped them overcome their perceived stigma. Or, on the other hand, their experiences may have been such that they were unable to overcome the self-hatred society helped create. Or, it may all be subconscious! Too many questions; thus my need to do some research.

To help explain where I am going with this, lets use breast size for women and height for men.

We've all seen, or heard of, young girl(s) who had to go through school being teased because her breasts were large. She was disliked by other girls, sometimes because she got the attention of the boys, sometimes out of jealousy (although the two could be related). The boys considered her loose and easy. Even teachers appeared to treat her differently than other students. 

If you think back to this girl(s), one of 2 things will, typically, come to mind:
A: she was quiet, wore baggy clothes, had fewer friends than her peers, and wasn't involved in many social activities. 
Or 
B: she was loud and unrestrained, sometimes flaunted her breasts via her attire, and rollicked in the attention she gained.

One has to wonder, what else was she experiencing that caused her to react in that way? Why would one girl become inhibited and the other so boundless?

Then we have the short man. We've all heard of short man syndrome, or Napolean complex. That 5'2" guy who wants to wrestle alligators and picks fights for fun. 

Okay, so we get it when it comes to the short fella. He's overcompensating for his perceived handicap. "I may be short, but I have it all!" Kinda like a chihuahua who snarls and barks at a German shepherd - no disrespect intended. 

But, there are plenty of short men who are quiet, polite, reserved in their social arenas. Again, why such a glaring difference?

Does it all boil down to self-esteem? Lack of self-esteem most often is displayed by character traits such as being reticent or overcompensation. Is that lack of self-worth subconscious? Does that young girl refuse to make eye contact because of the way she has been treated? Or is that short guy who wants to pick fights unaware of why he wants to fight?

Is it an inferiority complex? Or simply a reaction to what society has shown us? Billions of dollars have been spent studying human behavior. A portion of that has been spent in trying to determine if some of these behaviors are genetic. If your mother was a shy, quiet person, you will be, too. If Dad had a bad temper, you'll have a short fuse. I'm no psychologist, but I tend to lean towards - "Dad was a mean man and I picked up his bad habits", rather than, "I share mom's DNA so I don't socialize much."

After reading quite a few articles on anti-social behavior, inferiority complex, covert self-esteem, self-complexity, narcissism and more, I have come to believe (and I still do not consider myself a psychologist, just a bit more knowledgeable than before) that our perception of who we are, is based on our experiences. From the time we are old enough to understand how society judges people, we start to form an idea of what is considered acceptable and the standard. As we learn more, we become aware of where we 'measure up' on that social ruler. If we feel we fall below that accepted social measure, we are (more than likely) going to overcompensate to distract people from our flaw. Or, withdraw, in hopes that the flaw may go unobserved.

Wait! But, then, we have those who embrace and celebrate their flaws. Is this just in hopes that someone may validate their bluff? Can they so easily dismiss society's discrimination? Where does this come from?

Enough of that...

Now, I want to research what it would be like to be a hypersensitive covert narcissist! 

Another great video by Vinny

Wildflower

Released by Canadian band Skylark (featuring David Foster) in 1972

A video made for me!

"Maybe I'm Amazed" - Paul McCartney

Created July, 2011 by Vinny

Be sure to check out the rest of Vinny's music video blog.
Lots of great songs, info and videos!

Love is... (from 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NLT)

 Love is patient, love is kind. 

It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 

It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 

Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 

It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Gun control, paranoia and objective reality

I find it almost comical when I hear a 'pro gun' proponent say
"Cars kill more people than guns do!" 

Cars are not manufactured to kill things. Guns are.

I would have far less issue with gun ownership, if before buying/using a gun, you-

1. Have to pass a test to prove you know how to use one properly.
2. Upon passing the test, you will then be required to carry a photo ID/license that will need renewal every 4-6 years.
3. You must insure your gun, to cover any damages you, and/or your gun, may cause to persons or property.
4. Your gun must be registered with your state every year.
5. You must abide by safety regulations; trigger guards, gun locks, etc.
6. Your gun must pass an annual inspection.
7. You must abide by restrictions in your area (i.e., banned silencers, multiple round magazines, concealment, etc)
8. Failure to comply, and your gun is seized/impounded.
9. Require title and tag at each point of sale.
10. Are over the age of 16.
11. Meet health requirements.

I could live with that. As a start...

• "Guns don't kill people. People kill people."

Actually, the wounds caused to the human body by the bullet(s) projected from a gun kills people.
Guns just make it a lot easier and increases the number of people killed (in mass shootings).
Sure, if people want to kill someone, they can use a nail file if they want to!
But, doesn't it make sense to restrict the most common way people are killing other people?
Over 12,000 people, adults and children, died from gun violence in 2013.

• "If more people were armed, these nutcases wouldn't be killing our kids in schools!"

Seriously? Can you imagine your English teacher from grade school turning into James Bond?
Even the pros aren't prepared for these types of mass killings.
Have you forgotten Fort Hood, already? One of the largest U.S. military installations in the world.
Over 42,000 soldiers. But, yet; 2 shootings: 16 dead, 46 wounded.
More guns will never be the answer to ending deaths by guns.

• "The Constitution says I have the right to bear arms!"

Read the 2nd Amendment.
There are over 2 million people in the US military (including reserves).
The US military budget is larger than the next 10 biggest military budgets combined.
They have weapons beyond measure.
Do you really believe that an armed citizen militia is necessary?
If it is because you are in fear you may have to defend yourself against a tyrannical government... (see above).

It has been shown over and over and over, that in areas where gun control laws are lenient,
there are more deaths by assault.
The US has the highest rate of gun ownership, and the highest rate of homicide-by-gun in the world.

I am not suggesting that gun owners should give up their guns.
But we need stricter gun control laws, including;
Longer waiting periods for states with less than 72 hours.
More thorough mental background checks.
Restrictions on assault weapons and limiting magazine capacity (give me one rational reason to own an AR-15).
Sew up the loopholes that exist in laws currently in place.
Mandatory registration.
Screening potential gun owners and regulation of gun sales

http://www.gunviolencearchive.org/welcome

Updated Daily - Incidents of Gun Violence in the US