DEAR MOM AND DAD

I want you to know this...

When I look at my 7 brothers and sisters I am VERY appreciative and VERY impressed. Not a LITTLE appreciative or a LITTLE impressed -- VERY MUCH SO!

Clear as a bell each one is quite different from the other. Line them up in a room and most folks wouldn't guess they are related. Nevertheless, each one -- EVERY ONE -- is a wonderful mixture with a heart and soul of GOLD. That gold isn't necessarily visible on the day-to-day surface, but it is definitely there and shines most brightly in time of need. Pretty neat!

I know the gold did not get there by accident. God put it there and you -- MOM AND DAD -- kept it there and polished it with YOUR NEVER-ENDING LOVE, WORK, DEDICATION, SACRIFICE, EXAMPLE AND PRAYERS -- LOTS OF PRAYERS!

Thank you, MOM AND DAD. Your lifetime of work does not go unnoticed. THANK YOU VERY MUCH!

My love and prayers always,
Fred

November 1, 2012

ALWAYS AND EVERYWHERE

ALWAYS AND EVERYWHERE
GIVE THANKS AND PRAISE TO GOD...
HE IS GLORIOUS; HE IS MIGHTY; 
HE IS WORTHY TO BE PRAISED...



c. FJS

THE BEST

Nature is the finest art.

Quiet is the nicest music.

c. 2013 Fred J. Scheyd

TRAFFIC CAMERAS

The following is a response I wrote to an article in the New Orleans Times Picayune about traffic cameras in the city:

I drive for work throughout the city and southern region almost 40 hours per week. I am no great fan of these traffic cameras. I do know this: If you REALLY want to save lives put those cameras on the interstates and highways every few miles. Catch and penalize -- and perhaps take away the driver's license of -- speeders and tailgaters. I fear for my life every day on the road and I thank my guardian angel for protecting me yet again when I make it home safely. It saddens me when I pass the hundreds of roadside memorials along my route. Many, many, many people flirt with death for themselves and innocent others when they speed and tailgate. I guess they assume nothing could possibly go wrong. They are WRONG! Everything can and does go wrong in a split instant and they leave no room -- no margin -- for error. I say penalize them all. Take them all off the road. Save lives. Not pretend, but REALLY! 

FJS

SMART ADVICE

If you're like me and so much of the rest of our hi-tech society, you probably own a cellphone. And that cellphone probably holds phone numbers of the important people in your life -- family, friends, work, corporations, organizations. And you probably pull up whoever you want to call, push a button and the call goes through. And you likely have NO IDEA of the SPECIFIC TELEPHONE DIGITS that you just dialed.

You likely have very few actual telephone numbers -- as they used to say -- memorized. You likely know very few telephone numbers, if any, -- as they used to say -- by heart. You would be ABSOLUTELY LOST or VERY NEARLY LOST without your smart phone doing all the hard work   -- knowing all of the specific telephone digits for you to make contact with the important people in your life.

If your smart phone suddenly went stupid, you likely would be LOST! You likely wouldn't have a clue about how to contact your closest contacts. You have GOT! to be SMARTER! than your smart phone -- because one day your smart phone may go -- WILL GO! -- DUMB!

STOP! That's exactly right! STOP! STOP! whatever you are doing this very minute, take out your cellphone, pull up the important numbers and write -- that's RIGHT! -- WRITE! -- you know, PEN AND PAPER! -- those important numbers down. CARRY the most important numbers on an index card in your wallet or purse. Type ALL of your cellphone numbers into a computer file. PRINT that file and keep a copy in your dresser drawer or at your office desk. Review and UPDATE your phone numbers list frequently.

BE SMARTER THAN THE SMARTEST SMART PHONE! YES YOU CAN!

Respectfully,

FJS