Amazing Find!

I found this....or maybe it found me :)

Stop All Criticism - Criticism never changes a thing. Refuse to criticize yourself. Accept yourself exactly as you are. Everybody changes. When you criticize yourself, your changes are negative. When you approve of yourself, your changes are positive.

Don't Scare Yourself - Stop terrorizing yourself with your thoughts. It's a dreadful way to live. Find a mental image that gives you pleasure (like an orchestra tuning up or a curtain about to raise), and immediately switch your scary thought to a pleasure thought.

Be Gentle And Kind And Patient - Be gentle with yourself. Be kind to yourself. Be patient with yourself as you learn the new ways of thinking. Treat yourself as you would someone you really loved.

Be Kind To Your Mind - Self hatred is only hating your own thoughts. Don't hate yourself for having the thoughts. Gently change your thoughts.

Praise Yourself - Criticism breaks down the inner spirit. Praise builds it up. Praise yourself as much as you can. Tell yourself how well you are doing with every little thing.

Support Yourself - Find ways to support yourself. Reach out to friends and allow them to help you. It is being strong to ask for help when you need it.

Be Loving To Your Negatives - Acknowledge that you created them to fulfill a need. Now, you are finding new, positive ways to fulfill those needs. So, lovingly release the old negative patterns.

Take Care Of Your Body - Learn about nutrition. What kind of fuel does your body need to have optimum energy and vitality? Learn about exercise. What kind of exercise can you enjoy? Cherish and revere the temple you live in.

Mirror Work - Look into your eyes often. Express this growing sense of love you have for yourself. Forgive yourself looking into the mirror. "I love you, I really love you."

Love Yourself .. Do It Now - Don't wait until you get well, or lose the weight, or get the new job, or the new relationship. Begin now -- and do the best you can.

XOXOXO

More Woodstock Pics

I LOVE THE MOUNTAINS !

These are pics taken at Cooper Lake in Woodstock, right near Dean's house...
I have more...might post them too...

Not that ANYONE cares ('cept me)

MY FURNITURE ARRIVES NEXT WEEK!

No more sleeping on the aero bed. I will finally have my first living room furniture that isn't handed down. About time at my age, huh?

FLOORED!

What some people know about me, but most don't, is that I have my Bachelors Degree in Journalism. I started off in theater, and when it kept me from hanging out with my dorm-mates on weekends, I gave it up and switched majors. What a mistake! Journalism was SO much harder. At the time, Penn State was a good Journalism school, but now it is a great one. Not like Columbia mind you, but it is respected at least.

The year I graduated, I had a 400-level Journalism class, where most of the assignments were to go to speeches and ask questions of those who were the speakers. It was very much like a press conference. We were told to watch the masters, to learn how they ask questions, and one of those mentioned was Tim Russert. I had no idea who this guy was. But now my brain was tuned and my ears perked whenever I heard the name. We had no internet back then, so it wasn't like I could just look him up on Google.

A few months went by and I graduated. I stayed in State College, PA and got a job, and then I heard that Tim Russert was the new host of Meet the Press. Rarely did I get up early enough to see the show, but when I did, I was FLOORED. It was about the time when Bill Clinton was running for his first term as president, and because of that, I became a political and news junkie, and Tim Russert was part of the drug.

I remember sitting on the edge of my seat during the 2000 elections as Mr. Russert sat at the NBC news desk talking about the vote count in Florida, and at one point he said how it was down to a 150 vote difference. His eyes were wide and his mouth ajar. His enthusiasm only added to the drama. He was amazing to watch.

That doughy face with the kind smile, as he asked questions that would make any professional politician squirm. I respected him. I didn't agree with his questioning of Hillary Clinton during one debate, but I still was FLOORED by his laser-like questions....just as much as I am FLOORED by his sudden death.

Goodbye sir......I wish I knew you....

Where are you Mama?

I have really been missing you Mrs. Clinton.

I can't believe that you said goodbye less than a week ago and I am already having this much withdrawal. I used to check CNN.com hourly. Now I hardly check it DAILY.

I turned on the news tonight and it was all about THE GUYS -- scarcely nothing about you.

But I sensed that they were ITCHING to talk about you again. Just ask Stephen Colbert.

The media pushed you over the cliff, only to regret what they had done. They know now, as the yawn over "the boys" bickering about one being too OLD and the other being too YOUNG, that you would have been the Goldilocks candidate -- JUST RIGHT.

Just the right amount of experience...just the right amount of scandal...just the right amount of "testicular fortitude" to keep the masses tuning in.

Let's face it: you are the punching bag that lasts 50 years. You get punched and punched, and like that clown I had as a kid, just keep popping back up with a BIG OLE SMILE....

The GUYS hold press conferences and say they are sorry for this association, or have their daughters write books about how great their Daddy is.

You only wanted to talk about how we move forward as a country.

So I'm bored. Enough of the Grand Daddy...enough of the Kid. I want MY MAMA back.

I will watch the news again (like everyone else) when you come back from vacation, and do what YOU want to do, not what THEY want you to do. YOU ROCK HILLARY CLINTON and I WANNA ROCK along with you.

Love, Matt


Even Barry O. is bored without you.....

First Solo Drunken Show Tunes in the New Apartment

Okay....if you know me, you know that a few glasses of wine, a mirror and some show tunes, is my favorite night IN....Well tonight I did that for the first time in the new apartment. Last night I went out with co-workers and it was all classic rock and RUN-DMC.....So tonight I strapped on the iPod and did Aida, Best Little Whorehouse, Les Miz, etc. etc. etc........It was too hot to go outside...

the best showtune quote of the night (see how it ends) is from Avenue Q:

Only for now!
(For now there's life!)
Only for now!
(For now there's love!)
Only for now!
(For now there's work!)
For now there's happiness!
But only for now!
(For now discomfort!)
Only for now!
(For now there's friendship!)
Only for now (For now!)
Only for now!

Only for now! (Sex!)
Is only for now! (Your hair!)
Is only for now! (George Bush!)
Is only for now!

Hey Lucy! I'm HOME!!!!

I'm back in the Village BABY!!!!! Look at my apartment right on the water!

Goodbye Hillary (for now)

I just watched Hillary Clinton give her concession speech, and I thought it was brilliant. She has really made the case that she should have been the nominee, and while she did an amazing job at trying to gather support around Obama, I have to say I feel hollow inside.

I am still not thrilled about his candidacy. I think Hillary could have done more for our country. I hope I am proven wrong. I changed my voter registration to my new neighborhood today, and I really do hope to vote for Barak Obama, but I need to hear him say something more than "hope."

Bobby Kennedy was assassinated 40 years ago this week, and he was a candidate of hope. But he had experience and was ready to take on the mantle that was taken away from his brother. Hillary was my candidate of hope.

So here is to Hillary. And hopefully in 5 months, I will be saying here's to Barack...