From the Desk of Murray Lincoln

Monday, January 16, 2012

When Simple Things Were Amazing

By the time Friendly had run his course and had welcomed 27 years of kids into his castle I had graduated High School, University and Colleges, had married and had two teenagers living in my home – my beautiful daughters Dana and Anda. When Friendly quit welcoming people into his castle I was returning from five years of living in Hong Kong.

By the time “Frendly” packed it in the world was no longer simple and simple was no longer amazing.

To think that a kid would sit in the TV room and spend a whole 15 minutes listening to a really big guy tell what people were doing in the village below, listen to a strange rooster with a raspy voice, named Rusty… was way beyond comprehension. To think they would listen to two Jazz Cats, play music the way that they did… is almost too funny to describe! And Jerome was the Giraffe - the chatty guy said weird things… all adlib.

When my daughters grew up Friendly has been replaced by “Fred Penner’s Place”. And the more popular Mr. Dressup and Sesame Street rocketed into the forefront. My girls loved the rapid action and bright colours of the new shows.

Friendly simply didn’t come out of his Castle anymore. There was no more gold boot and small village to see, no more harp playing in the back ground by a dedicated Harpist that played for the Friendly Giant, Rusty and Jerome. Rusty never brought anymore books out to look at a no more stories were told any longer.

Simple was replaced by multi action and multi plotted, colorful and bouncing personages.

Mr. Dressup wasn’t bouncing but he had the most amazing Tickle Trunk.

But when Oscar the Grouch popped out of a garbage can, Big Bird came strolling by, and Elmo and Miss Piggy showed up… the Big Ole Giant couldn’t compete.

I went to YouTube and found a number of Videos of Friendly and watched the programs again. The harp playing and the melody was so familiar. I was whisked back in time… wow! (The Links are below)

Flash forward to 2012…
This past week I was in a production meeting for Misty Hollow and the Crop Circles new partnership.

Murray Lincoln, creator and owner of Misty Hollow, is now drawing the houses and people that live in Misty Hollow. In some ways it feels and seems like 1958 again. And the most uncool thing that I could ever have done in High School… has now become the coolest thing to ever happen.

I wasn’t sure when this all began… but now I am… Misty Hollow used to have a guy by the name of Friendly living near by… and he used to welcome people and creatures from Misty Hollow into his Big Castle.

Why is Misty Hollow beginning to be so popular now? Well most of the customers used to sit in the little chair, or the rocking chair, or the other little bigger chair for two to curl up in… and then the big open hand said goodbye at the end…

That was way back when simple things were amazing.

~ Murray Lincoln ~
http://www.murraylincoln.com/

Resource:
The Friendly Giant
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Friendly_Giant

Intro to the program
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Vm2-JUldNw

A Sample of the programs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDigdsYNA1E

The Beginning and Ending
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WV2P6P4p6Hg&feature=related

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Charlie Angus Look Up – Look away up – here is one for you!

Charlie Angus Look Up – Look away up – here is one for you!

Charlie Angus, an NDP politician in our Federal Government is also/always looking into issues. In his opposition mode in our Government, where he opposes most everything that even smells or could smell like a Conservative Agenda(which is anything and everything evil in the pure eyes of an NDP), he will pick it up and run with it.

This morning I think he is running with or against a Mine Agreement somewhere in the boonies of Ontario. He has been the main voice about some of the Aboriginal Problems in Northern Ontario. When no one was looking Charlie is there and doing Charlie things that Charlie does so well.

Charlie is one of my Facebook Friends and posts about as often as I breath. He even out does the folk on my Facebook inbox area that want Hay for their Farmville or Jewels for a project… or even the Evangelist that keep telling me their favorite Scripture versus in case I have not read the Bible in the last 15 minutes.

Charlie Angus has 4,956 friends and followers on Facebook.

Yep Charlie Angus is the go to guy if you got an issue with stuff happening in your world.

But I have one that Charlie has missed so far. I have one that he must be able to blame on the Conservatives somehow… some way… someday.

That something Charlie needs to be looking into is a 13.5 tonnes of Space Junk that will fall to earth sometime this morning. No kidding it is coming to earth between 11:41 AM and 4:05 PM! And Charlie missed it – so far.

Of that 13.5 tonnes is 11 tonnes of of highly toxic rocket fuel that was to be burned up with the trip to the Mars moon.

Stuff happened and it couldn’t get it right and it is a gonzo… and is coming back to earth today – in a big rush and likely a big splash down somewhere in our pristine waters of the earth oceans.

Good Lord a whale pod could be having a real bad time somewhere in the world this afternoon. OH Lord, save the whales!

But I am reading anything and everything that Charlie posts to Facebook, and I do Charlie… this just has to be a Big Fat Conservative thing. I mean our Prime Minister Stephen Harper met with Putin a number of times… didn’t that Silly Conservative Leader of ours address this with Putin??!

This Phobos-Ground, 13.5 tonne piece of space junk is the biggest ever to come back unwanted. It has to be a Conservative agenda to divert the attention of the scoundrel things they have been trying to get away with in Ottawa. That’s it! They have planned this just before going back to acting so undemocratic in Ottawa’s House of Commons.

That Harper is not to be trusted! Imagine he stood by and did nothing when this piece of Russian Space Junk was killing our whales and poisoning our Aboriginal People somewhere in the world.

Good Lord – WHERE ARE YOU CHARLIE ANGUS!!!???????

Now I find a little disconcerting that space junk is about to fall anywhere on earth. But those evil Conservative Agenda scientist have assured me that it will not land on Canada. And they are Conservative because they spend so much money on useless things!! RIGHT?

Oh sorry… maybe the Scientists are not evil Conservatives… they are extreme leftists – way past the evil Conservatives… way, way past them.

Hey now hold that thought… Charlie is NDP and that is not Right – that is LEFT.

Hey Charlie Angus why haven’t you told us about that thing coming down to earth today to possibly kill a whale pod, pollute aboriginal water supplies and do all kinds of nasty things to our world?????

Gee Whiz… I just checked my Facebook again and Charlie just told me that, “The British libel law system provides extraordinary powers to those with deep pockets to squash journalists and others who raise inconvenient truths.”

Thanks Charlie, I needed that – I think. But what about the Space Junk?

I am convinced that I don’t need to know as much as I get to know every day and every hour from my computer.

But I do feel somewhat relieved that Charlie will stand on guard, as a faithful NDP Opposition Member of Parliament for Canada. I can rest assured that I will be safe… I think. And if he has his way that Stephen Harper will never be re-elected again!

But Charlie can I ask one question, when your party becomes the Ruling Party in Canada, who will you blame then?

Here is an answer… as the “Friendly Giant”, (played by Bob Homme) used to say, “Look up, Look away up…” everything will be okay.

~ Murray Lincoln ~
http://www.murraylincoln.com/

Resource:
Space Junk
http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/SciTech/20120115/russia-mars-satellite-crash-phobos-20120115/
The Friendly Giant
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Friendly_Giant

Saturday, January 14, 2012

Things to do on a cold day – YouTube It!

Friday, January 13, 2012

Time is Ticking away – the Fly By Weeks

The quote states…
Whatever you want to do,
Do it.
There are only so many tomorrows.

I paused for a bit when I read that one. Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy… I have to get moving. Now!

I particularly noticed this phenomena in my life this past fall and then into Christmas. As a business owner now and also actively involved in sales that have been moving well… there is not enough time to get it all done.

Last summer I had sold all my stock that had been piling up. I thought that as we moved into early 2011 that the level of production would match or keep up to the sales that we were experiencing. By June it evaporated. It didn’t happen.

September was a hungry month. Everyone wanted more. October followed with more requests… then Christmas buried me. Almost kept up but I lost it and was swamped.

There wasn’t enough time to get it all done.

The weeks have become “Fly Bys” where I just get a glimpse and then have to look into the next two or three… that are fast approaching.

The events that happened during the June to December in our lives made things slower as well. Small crisis in the house and yard caused projects that needed to get done, to stall. A complete basement reno following a leak in the basement foundation, then a couple of weeks to replace the backyard shed – all took valuable time away.

The thundering realization is from my 2011 experience is… there wasn’t enough time to do it all. I am human and I can be buried alive with too many projects that come at one time.

The quote’s thought makes complete sense. Whatever I want to do, I had better do it now… there isn’t a lot of time left to get it all done!

Another good quote I have pasted to the top of my office desk… it says…
“The days I have left are less than the days I have left.”

In any week I can see that happening now. It was just Monday yesterday… Suddenly it is Friday. What happened to Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday?

Time is evaporating like the water.

There is one good answer to my dilemma – get up earlier to make more time. Getting rolling earlier as well and cut out some distractions.

BUT – and it is a big BUT – the bed is so warm and cozy at night… I don’t want to leave earlier in the morning. When I crawl in at midnight it is getting harder to crawl out at 5 AM… so 6 or 7 is looking better… but in reality 4 AM would be ideal. Did you ever notice that between 4 AM and 7 AM there are not a lot of other folk out of bed – and no one calls or emails for more help during that time!?!

My wife helped kick start another listed project this week. She pointed to a pile of Teddy Bears that have been selected for the transforming surgery I do. I need to operate on each Teddy Bear, remove their brains, remove their eyes and nose, then carve each one a new face, install the eyes and replace the brain. This pile has to be done by November.

That little reminder also nudged me to another selected pile of Teddy Bears that number about 100 that are also ready to be done – soon.

Another invite happened this week for a May sale… that is added to a late January and mid February special presentation that is coming real fast. But then there is April, May and June’s regular shows that I need to be ready for as well.

So why am I taking time to type all this out… I should be out of her and into the shop… starting the day off right away? You are right. I need to run – now.

~ Murray Lincoln ~
http://www.murraylincoln.com/

Thursday, January 12, 2012

The New Hunger Games – Part Two – Separation and Divorce

The New Hunger Games – Part Two – Separation and Divorce
Yesterday I wrote about the book “The Hunger Games”(the books) – today I will chase around the idea of Separation and Divorce… another kind of Hunger Game.

The thing that prompts my stepping forward is an Email Ad that I received from “WagJag” today.

Explanation: WagJag is a internet connection company that offers me special deals at greatly reduced prices each day. It is a good way to get businesses out there in front of the public that might need their services. It is possible that the public that needs the service just isn’t aware of the services that the company is providing.

Well today here is the deal of the day… A company is offering three hours of divorce mediation for a mere $120 – with the regular price being $300 for the three hours.

The ad reads… quote…
“They say two wrongs don't make a right, but three lefts definitely make a right. Know your rights and get your wrongs sorted out with today's WagJag, for three hours of divorce mediation for $120 from A Plus Mediation (a $300 value).

Your voucher lets you figure out what's right for you as you come to an agreement about splitting up and moving on. A Plus Mediation assists couples in the creation of a parenting plan, the division of assets, support payments and any other issues in order to come to an acceptable arrangement for separation. As fully accredited family and child protection mediators, the team at A Plus Mediation provide an alternative to litigation, where two parties engage their own counsel to battle it out in court. Separations do not have to be so stressful - figure out what's best for your family situation with mediation instead. Mediation is fast, private and often costs less than litigation, especially with this WagJag.” End quote (Note – as of this writing there are only 6 days left on this offer.)

Without a doubt this is the most unusual offer they have provided their internet followers. Usually it is a restaurant deal or cruise that is being offered at great deals for a romantic get-a-way!

This kind of sticks it right out there for couples that would like to consider the ultimate fight – the tearing and ripping or all things family.

Who would use this kind of thing? Surely it can’t be that popular that people would rush to get in on this one

Well sadly enough it is not something that many want to talk about… but a number of folk I know are either right up to the ears into the separation and heading for divorce or are just jumping ship into a lonely boat of a life without taking responsibility.

In fact at this moment in time I am watching a number of couples that are walking on the edge. And on top of that I can see a few teetering close to it.

Suddenly we have gone from only one to many situations that are in dire need of help.

No one knew that they were in trouble when they looked at these cases. But sure enough when one person made a stupid choice, suddenly the whole world knows and stands aghast with what took place.

The ad stated… “They say two wrongs don't make a right, but three lefts definitely make a right. Know your rights and get your wrongs sorted out with today's WagJag, for three hours of divorce mediation for $120 from A Plus Mediation.”

I liked the quip of two wrongs don’t make a right… Good one! And the “but three lefts definitely make a right.”…is a real good one!

That describes so neatly the fight that these couples have chosen…. At least one in the relationship has chosen to kick it to the curb.

In one situation the wife left for a much older man and has packed off to another city leaving her kids and husband behind. Now she is showing her beautiful ugly side. Mind you she is a super Christian and is continuing to write her Christian thoughts for the whole world to read.

The WahJag deal wouldn’t help her at all. She is smarter than anyone else and doesn’t see what is happening to her kids and everything around her. Nope the $120 bargain will not help these folks.

The second couple is not a direct contact with me, I can’t get the offer to the couple other than through an acquaintance.

But with a long history of indiscretions on the part of this now old man… they wife is going absolutely crazy with rage. She has recently discovered how many she now knows of that he has either been with or tried to be with. She is in shock as her now mature husband is appearing as a “Warren Rabbit” that has been poking and stoking where ever he can – FOR YEARS!

I am not sure but I am pretty sure he is a grandfather to boot… and who knows how many times her has fathered children somewhere with no responsibility for them.

Nope the $120 bargain with three hours mediation will not likely help either of these old folks. But if I carved a good whipping stick for the wife to use, plus constructed a Stock where her husband’s head and arms could be secured… she would buy it in a heartbeat!

From all the reports that I have been given on that one – she is in a terrible state of mind at this time. If she could get away with it, “Murder” might be a consideration. But she likely couldn’t even do it, because his “love life” has destroyed her life. What should be Golden Years together are now nothing but one big nightmare!

In two more situations I have watched the ultimate, selfish and jackass attitude being displayed. In one of these two there is now separation because of jackass attitudes being flaunted. The kids are bewildered to say the least. Now their Christian home is being dissected with daddy packing it in.

The amount of embarrassment is more than can be understood in these two cases. The life that was good two months ago is now shattered by really stupid actions on one person’s part.

The WagJag deal won’t help these folks at all.

I am not knocking WagJag or A Plus Mediation for this deal. I know that it will help some for sure. It brings A Plus Mediation to the place that people can see it and get involved to get help before they lose everything.

And as some of my friends read this they will shake their heads that I dare place some of the situations into print. They know some of these situations all too well.

But me placing these situations into print and pointing to the really stupid actions of one of the partners… is not the crime. What someone did is the crime against their family!

I am sick at what has taken place.

The unfortunate part is that anyone of our families could witness this. No one knows the abuse that took place behind the scene before one partner simply couldn’t take it anymore. Now one knows the abuse that one of the folk underwent before the abuser left.

So… $120 for three hours should be a start. The second set of three hours will be $300 and will come in blocks of $$$$$$.

~ Murray Lincoln ~
http://www.murraylincoln.com/

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

The Hunger Games Trilogy and My Imagination

The Hunger Games Trilogy and My Imagination

Two done and one to go! Wow! What a story is unfolding in my mind.

I had mentioned earlier that I had read “The Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins. Well I just added another to my list of Books complete – and that is her second in the Trilogy – “Catching Fire”.

The reaction is powerful inside of me. I am almost over powered by the things she has described with her words.

It is like taking a holiday away from the reality of this life to another world and time… a very unreal world that is too real.

In reading one review of this series a lady stated that after reading the book she could not stop the images in her head. She thought continually of the book and the story – even after completing it!

It is actually more than a story and more than a book – it is real. It is far more than I can handle and yet I want more. And yet it is just a book and a story!

If it sounds like I am recommending the Book as something you should read… you have guessed correctly. YOU NEED TO READ THIS.

As I have been reading it and rolling it over in my mind, I see shades of my present world and also my past world. You know the real earth that we live on with real governments that do really stupid things.

This is a political book that doesn’t really try to be political.

It could be and should possibly be required reading for all students before they graduate from High School. It could and would have a bearing on what they might act like in the community at large.
I can’ tell you more than that or it will spoil your own read of this material. And you need to take time to savour it well.

When my daughter Dana gave this to me as one of my Christmas presents, she said, “Dad you are going to love this. It will soon be out as a Movie… and you need to read the books first!”

Dana, this rates as one of the “bestest” Christmas presents – EVER! WOW!

I am well into the “Mockingjay”, book number three. I missed yesterday’s Blog Post because of the book… and the story and my imagination rolling over and over and over again.

Katniss Everdeen you are something else! So are you Suzanne Collins!!! So are you!

~ Murray Lincoln ~
http://www.murraylincoln.com/

Monday, January 9, 2012

Never Doing Really STUPID things again!

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Today’s Blog Post
Never Doing Really STUPID things again!

There are some things that I will never do. I have seen other people do these things but there is a limit for me. Maybe it is just my age now that prevents me from doing stupid things like some other folk do.

Okay I admit that I have done some pretty dumb things on my lifetime. And most were very dangerous.

Like the time that my friend Harvey had his 1920 something Model T Ford car over to my cousin Gary’s place in Oak Lake, Manitoba. He had chopped off the top of the car to make it into a convertible so that the car would be lighter in weight. With about four of us in the car that night we traveled down that country road in the pitch black night. The only lights that helped us see anything was the dim old lights on that very old car.

With the less weight on the car we were in for a great ride as we scooted along the road faster and faster – until Harvey had it wide open. It was about the moment that Harvey yelled “Hang on tight… here we go..!” that I realized that we had come to the end of the flat part of the road and we were coming up over the crest of a large hill and a drop to the bottom.

There were about three places on the hill where we experienced weightlessness… as we crested small rises in the road. Each time I am sure that the old car left the road for a few inches.

That old car had very little braking power. It also had a weird suspension that was more like the old buggy – so swaying from side to side was very real – almost a whipping action.

And – Duh – seat belts had not yet been invented!

In those few moments we had a thrill of a life time… but were scared skinny.

At the end of the downhill portion of this road it turned right fairly quickly. Harvey couldn’t stop with the brakes being that bad so he ran it off the road, straight ahead into the very tall weeds that were in the ditch… which we flew threw and proceeded out into the field ahead until we slowed to a stop.

That guy was insane. He also ended up serving as a Police Officer for his career.

Danger was part of my life when growing up. There are too many stories to relive here. My daughters also have asked me, actually threatened me, to not to tell their sons what we actually did with the Homemade Bombs and the other nightmarish stuff.

But today I realized that I have changed. I am now scared of my own shadow at times. It must be the aging thing… or maybe the blood and guts that I have seen as I grew older. I definitely have a new appreciation for safety.

A story I read this morning about 22 year old Erin Langworthy brought to mind just how bad I really am now – compared to old days of fearless stupidity.

This Link below will take you to the video that they made of her doing a Bungee jump from a 111 Meter/350 foot high bridge above the Zambezi River in Zambia… near Victoria Falls. It clearly shows that as she goes down the Bungee Cord breaking and her plunging into the river below.

Then she tells her story of what actually happened.

A few years back my oldest daughter did the same thing from a high tower above the Ottawa River. She didn’t tell us about it until she came home and plugged in her new CD for us to see! I nearly died when I saw my careful and brilliant daughter leave that tower and head to the water below.

I will never do bungee jumping – and I mean NEVER! I was stupid before when I was younger. Now things have changed.

The part of the story not told is this is Africa and what is swimming in the Zabezi River beside Erin… something that would love to eat this “gift from the sky”. I have fished from a fair number of bridges in my life time!

I post this today so that all of you older folks like me can worry better about your children doing stupid things. You can fret better over what your garndkids might do. And if they ever talk about Bungee Jumping – you now can say with great confidence – NO YOU ARE NOT GOING TO DO THAT – IT WILL HAPPEN OVER MY DEAD BODY!

The Story of Erin Langworthy
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-2084154/Zambia-bungee-jump-miracle-Traveller-survives-111-metre-plunge-Zambezi-chord-snaps.html

The video of Erin jumping
http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid72538948001?bckey=AQ~~,AAAAAFSL1bg~,CmS1EFtcMWEh-ZOTtXXhmw7rpdnpCYev&bctid=1375369971001

~ Murray Lincoln ~
http://www.murraylincoln.com/

From the Desk of Murray Lincoln

Monday, January 16, 2012

When Simple Things Were Amazing

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Charlie Angus Look Up – Look away up – here is one for you!

Saturday, January 14, 2012

Things to do on a cold day – YouTube It!

Friday, January 13, 2012

Time is Ticking away – the Fly By Weeks

Thursday, January 12, 2012

The New Hunger Games – Part Two – Separation and Divorce

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

The Hunger Games Trilogy and My Imagination

Monday, January 9, 2012

Never Doing Really STUPID things again!

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