Take Me To Your Leader…Maybe

When I think about my Bruddah I can’t help but think about the Army (or National Guard…same difference at times.) I think about how some of the things he’s learned have been used for everyday life, like helping to change a tire…on a helicopter…parked on the side of the road. (Happens more than you think) I mean, where else are you going to learn how to work on helicopters, Apaches and Black hawks at that?

So, what do you do?

Oh…I’m a Helicopter Mechanic.

Oh really….uh…yeah…that’s pretty…yeah…that’s somethin…wow, Helicopter Mechanic? Cool. Oh…what’s that? Oh…I…uh…I…draw, lines and squares and circles…yeah…I draw things…oh…wait…I do it with a com-pew-ter. I know…mister fancy pants over here.

Somewhere along the way he turned from a Helicopter Mechanic into what I thought was called a Crew Chief. I was told that his official title is…and I quote “Aviation T.I. on the AH-64D Apache Helicopter…boom shockalocka!” The T.I. stands for Technical Inspector. Basically he inspects the maintenance on the machines and makes sure they are up to speed. He isn’t in a position to manage troops, but he is an E6…so that means he outranks several of them, and he has been in charge of troops before. He just so happened to be a Squad Leader when he served in Iraq a few years ago, and he’s also been a Platoon Sergeant. (Talk about going the long way around for that segue) This brings me to Leadership.

English: An AH-64D Apache Longbow helicopter (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I actually know a thing or two about leadership. Not Army Leadership…but leadership nonetheless. You see (*shameless plug*) I’m a member of the Monett Jaycees…which in turn makes me a member of the Missouri Jaycees…which in turn makes me a member of the United States Jaycees…which in turn makes me a member of J.C. I. (Junior Chamber International) All for one easy, low payment of $65 a year. (Subject to change, according to where you live. If you are between the ages of 18 and 40…do check to see if there is a chapter nearby.)

From My Year as President

Because of my involvement, over the past four years, I’m able to say that I’m friends with…oh; let’s say…about 2 dozen people, who can call themselves past Missouri Jaycees State Presidents. I’ve also met two of our National Presidents. (And both numbers are still growing.) I’ve been a “leader” at the local level, serving as our Chapter’s President last year, 2012. So glad I missed being the 2013 President. Seems so unlucky. This year I’m our Chapter’s Chairman of the Board…as well as the Missouri Jaycees State Chaplain. (Boom Shockalocka…I suppose!) So, I’ve seen my fair share of leaders…good and bad.

Leadership can be found in anyone…anywhere. You can see it at School, Work, Military, Church and any number of civic organizations out there. (I am also a proud member of our local Blue Lodge and in a position of minor leadership at my local Church.) Leadership is the sort of quality that embodies other qualities, like;

1. Honesty – I would never write a post on Leadershhh….Oh, hello. How you doin?
2. Ability to Delegate – Hey you! Go do that thing so I don’t have to.
3. Communication – Hey you! (On cell phone, pager, e-mail, instant messenger, snail mail…)
4. Sense of Humor – And I said Wrecked-em…damn near killed-em…
5. Confidence – With a head of hair like this…what can go wrong?
6. Commitment – You want me to do this for how long?
7. Positive Attitude – I’m good enough, I’m smart enough and gosh darn it…people like me.
8. Creativity – There’s this car……that runs on Water!
9. Intuition – Isn’t this a Jewel song…or something about woman razors?
10. Ability to Inspire – Monett Jaycees don’t have complete disasters…Monett Jaycees have “Learning Experiences”.

I’ve actually said one of these…can you guess which one?

Okay, let’s do an experiment. Have a look around (if you’re by yourself, think outside your box). Do all the people you know in leadership positions own all the qualities listed above? Go ahead, take notes…and share with your peers. Post them on the bulletin board if you want. It’s your life, I don’t care.

I often like to look at fake people when thinking about good leaders. By this I mean characters in movies or on Television…not the poor leaders in your life right now.

I want people to be afraid of how much they love me ~ Michael Scott

The first one that comes to mind is Gunnery Sergeant Thomas Highway from Heartbreak Ridge. He had his own problems, and a very defiant group, but in the end he was still able to get the job done. Improvise, Adapt and Overcome….Punk! I think Clint Eastwood my own these qualities without having to act.

Heartbreak Ridge (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Next is one of my favorite actors, Kevin Costner. The Postman showed him develop these characteristics over a period of time, which shows you don’t have to have them all at the beginning, to be a good leader. Things are getting better. They’re getting better all the time ~ Richard Starkey (President…of the Beatles Fan Club). I know it’s not a baseball movie, which is a bunch of bull, but it’s still pretty good.

The Postman (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Lastly we need to turn to the hours in a day. 24. Everybody Down! Now, Jack Bauer may not be a good leader, but by gosh he always saved the day. (I only mention this one because I saw that the show was coming back. Boom!) I can spin it to say that, on occasion, he has saved the day from a bad leader…great show.

Jack Bauer (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Are you in a leadership position? Do you stack up? How about the leaders around you?

Blogs For Bruddah (And Friends)

It was brought to my attention yesterday morning that…and I quote “FYI…your popularity in the 1st of the 135th Attack Recon Battalion is growing rapidly…they all love your blog.”

Hmm, so I actually have a new audience that I wasn’t aware of. I wonder if this is going to affect my writing at all? Nah…probably not. So…

Where My Boys At!!!

Okay, I got that out of the way…but there is something that needs to be addressed. Which one of you is the über English Nerd that is thinking

Uh…Um…you’re not supposed to end a sentence with a preposition. Pffft…I’m sure he knows that…but still, you don’t end a Sentence. With. A. Preposition. Why would he do that? Oh My Gosh…YOU DON’T END A SENTENCE WITH A PREP-O-SI-TION!!!

Look around. The majority of yous guys probably have a dumbfounded look on your face. (No offense) This is good. You’re probably right where you need to be. But…there is one individual that knows EXACTLY what I’m talking about. His/Her head is about to exxxxplode. Have you found this person yet? Yeah…nobody likes you. It’s not your fault (it’s totally your fault). That’s just life…now…go make everybody else a sammich. NOW!

BroJo Totally Rocks The P.B. & J every once in a while. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I’m just kidding, of course. (But seriously….where’s my SANDWICH!?!) Really, I’m just kidding. Please don’t send tanks ans shtuff after me. I’m serious. LEAVE ME ALONE!

Anyway, back to business. In this little exchange I was also asked to give suggestions on which of my posts I would recommend. Um….duh, dude. All Of Them. But, since there are only about…like…538 of them…I’ll try to whittle that down for all of you.

Alright, I would start with this Interview…with a very special blogger named David Harding. It was a spur of the moment thing that brought on all sorts of more great posts. (I need to get a few more of those done.)

Next…what better place to turn for a laugh than at your own family? That’s right…how about all the Funny Dad Friday Post. There are about four of them. You can find them Here, Here, Here and Here.

I’ve been told that I’m pretty good at answering questions. Check out these Question Thingys I’ve done. Here, Here and Here. (I just read back through all of these…definitely check them out.)

Then there’s all the posts I write about myself. These aren’t funny…but Bruddah might think they are. Find them Here, Here, Here, Here, Here and Here. (I reread some of these…and of course I would also highly suggest you read them….All of them…NOW!)

I think that’s about all for right now. Wouldn’t want to overload you guys…I suppose you got other stuff to do. Well, thanks for reading (or listening to Bruddah) Until next time, keep on keeping on.

P.S. I’ve added a little Search thingy there…on the left…at the top…above my E-Mail address (where you can send me notes…about whatever.) It says…Find It here. You can search “funny” or “humor” or “Bruddah” or whatever. Something is sure to pop up. Good Luck.

This is for Bruddah. It is his favorite picture of Jesus. (Click on picture for credit)

A BroJo Bruddah Beat Down

Certain things happen in a person’s life…

Check that

Certain things happen in a bloggers life that are unexpected, but they shouldn’t be.

I’ve said  time and time again…don’t mess with a person – that has a loyal readership – or is constantly looking for material. Just don’t! But, do people listen? Heck No!

We deal with them everyday. ‘Bully’ isn’t the right word…but it’s not too far away. We meet them at school and at work. Since I’m outta school, and don’t talk about work, I’m going to have to look for a different situation for this type of behavior to arise. I don’t have to look very far though…just towards the good ole family. What better people to give a hard time to than your family? Isn’t that right Bruddah? How are you feeling right now? Did you expect retaliation, or not? You’re smart at times, so this probably isn’t unexpected.

Some people just have to be tearing others down, to make themselves feel better. This happens, like I said before, at work and at school. I do not like this behavior, which is nice for Bruddah. He doesn’t fit in this category. He is just simply a brother…that is the only excuse he needs to make fun of me. Bad for him though, it’s also the only excuse I need for him, likewise.

Here’s what happened.

I wrote a post the other day about the suit he got me. I suppose I may have ribbed him a little about being a self-proclaimed fashionista. (Still don’t know what that word means.)

The suit in question.

Early, right after my post went up, this picture went up on Facebook…

Why’s it got to come to this?

Yeah, I asked dad if he happened to see the picture Bruddah put up of me. He asked…”What…the orange monster?”

Come On!

Throughout the day I noticed people liking it and commenting on it, but it really wasn’t that big of deal. Most of these people know me, and may have even seen me in this get-up, for one reason or another. Then something started to happen. My blogger friends began to like the photo. OH NO! Now they know that I like orange, and the race car #20 (Tony Stewart…at the time of the making of the pants.) and…the Home Depot. (Lowe’s Blows!) The bloggers in question are found here, here, here, here, here and here.

So, now it is payback time. But, how should I go about it? Okay, I got something.

Bruddah is in the National Guard, in fact, he’s training right now to go over to Afghanistan. Being an Army boy he tends to have quite colorful language, and misses a step every once in a while too. One evening he was sitting in a drinking establishment with a woman friend of his. The gentleman next to him apparently had a speech impediment, and it was starting to get on Bruddah’s nerves. After a few minutes Bruddah turned to this gentlemen and said “Eff, there’s 24 letters in the Alphabet…how about using them all!” Too bad this woman friend of his happened to be a teacher.

Does anyone know how many letters in the Alphabet? Yeah…we should all tell him so he can remember.

Hope you’re having a good time Bruddah. Sorry about the story…(don’t mess with me.)

P.S. Just so I don’t get called out again…when the teacher friend told me this story I said something to the effect of “Yeah, there’s totally 27 letters in the alphabet.” At least I went over.

If The Suit Fits…

Sometimes you just got to toot your own horn…

Happy Muddah’s Day

I’m sitting here trying to figure out the best way to pay tribute to my Mom for Mother’s Day. I can’t really think of a good anecdote to tell, that really conveys what I’m feeling, so maybe a few will suffice.

She has done a lot – and I mean a lot – of, lets just say, different things in her life.

For instance…She can’t hardly get passed a day without enjoying a $3.39 Café-Mocha-Caramel-Latté-Half Skim-Whatever on Whatever…”Oh, that’s not what I ordered” coffee drink. And you know what? Every time I’ve ever been with her while she’s ordered this type of drink, from McDonald’s or anywhere else, IT’S NEVER BEEN RIGHT! “That’s not what I ordered!” Guess what mom…maybe you ordered the wrong thing. Sorry.

Also, I don’t drink coffee. She knows this…but has still offered a sip to me. *sigh*

@ Lulu Carpenter’s (Photo credit: itselea)

Then there’s the Virginia Slims. Growing up she had to have Virginia Slims. Regular Virginia Slims. Anything else was blasphemous. That changed just a few short years ago for some reason. Now…gimme the cheap ones over there. Well, that’s not quite right. She sticks with the high-class cheap ones, which Marlboro Lights have somehow become. I used to smoke. I smoked Marlboro Lights for a long time…and Marlboro Menthol Lights right before I quit. You know the difference between Marlboro Lights and Regular Virginia Slims? Yeah, Regular Virginia Slims kicked my butt. They’re more harsh than a Marlboro Red. So, I guess in a way she’s taken a step in the right direction.

1978 Virginia Slims magazine ad. Virginia Slims – Slimmer than the fat cigarettes men smoke.” (Photo credit: Wikipedia) Also…longer, so it takes more time for them to kill you.

You ever watched sports with your Mom? If you don’t you should try it sometime. She tries to keep up while she’s doing other things around the house – like cooking dinner or doing laundry. Sometimes exciting things happen while she’s not in the room. Sometimes she’ll hear a group of us yelling, hooting and hollering at the TV. Sometimes she’ll join in…from the other room – not knowing what is going on. Once she ran in the living room exclaiming “Woo-Hoo!!…………..what happened?” Ha.

2012 Tampa Bay Buccaneers Schedule Wallpaper (Photo credit: Hawk Eyes)

Some of my favorite food of all time has come out of her kitchen. Also, some of my most unliked food has come out of her kitchen. She makes smothered steak, chicken and noodles, anything Italian, and a taco ring that are all really great. She also likes to cook pork chops and other similar things. I don’t like pork chops – at all. Often she’ll invite me over to dinner….and cook me pork chops. “Oh, I figured this was a new recipe – and you might like it.” This has happened a few times. Guess what Mom? I DON’T Like pork chops….no matter how they’re cooked. (Except maybe in a crock pot…but hey, anything cooked in a crock pot will eventually turn tasty.)

Pork, pork and more pork (Photo credit: su-lin) Or, as I like to say it Gross, Gross and more Gross.

Lastly, mom isn’t really much of a drinker…or at least she didn’t used to be. Growing up I could count on one hand the amount of times I saw her drink alcohol. Things are a little bit different today. I spent this past New Year’s with her and my brother. I was to bring the snacks and he was told to bring a couple of bottles of wine, because, and I quote – “I’m not sure, but I think there’s only two in the fridge.” Why the two bottles in the fridge wasn’t enough is beyond me. But wait, there’s more. When Bruddah finally arrived, with two bottles in hand, he checked for a spot to put them in the fridge. To his surprise he counted five…yes, five…bottles of wine already in there…chilling for the night. I guess the more you drink the harder it is to count.

Muddah…Happy Muddah’s Day!

Mom…sorry to let the cat out of the bag for Mother’s day, but you have to admit – it was all going to come out sooner or later. Hey, you can look at it this way – Now you’re WordPress Famous. WOO-HOO….what happened?

I Love You – Happy Mother’s Day!

I’m Back! (But I’m Not Going Platinum)

A shiny new quarter dime nickle penny to anyone that can guess what this title is referring to. Wait a second, do we even make new pennies anymore? Oh well, you get the satisfaction of knowing that you knew. Good day.

So, I took some time off – for various reasons. I’m Back! Three post in a row…yes! (You can read them Here, Here and Here. It’s like a trilogy…so you know it has to be epic.) I know it’s not necessary for me to explain myself, but I feel compelled anyways.

The first excuse came with the 80′s Music Post. I claimed it was going to take a bit of time and work, and it did, but I could have written other stuffs in the mean time – which leads me to the second excuse.

I was sick. Like, for real, sick. Two of the weekends, during the past three weeks, I spent on the couch…consuming NyQuil, DayQuil, and all manner of other substances that I thought might help. None of them did.  A mere cold turned into a beast after a short few days. I never went to the doctor…because, well, I’m at that age where they may start looking for things in places that I don’t want them to be looking. I still need a couple of years to brace myself for that. But all is good now. I feel great!

DayQuil Sinus Relief (Photo credit: Wikipedia) It says Non-Drowsy…but it can still MESS YOU UP!

The third excuse has been well documented already. In fact, you can click on the Here, Here and Here above to read all about it.

But, I am back. No rules this time though. No schedule. I will write when I write and post when I post. It will probably be more often…but I’m not regulating myself with any “rules”. How about that?

It’s good to be back. Now…time for a nap.

I guess this snuggle buddy will have to do.

FroYo Etiquette

I delved into this a bit yesterday, but I’ve decided to Milk It Dry explore the situation some more.

Now, before I start…does everyone know what FroYo is? If you don’t know what this means, you don’t spend enough time on the internet…shame on you. Please go Here, Here, Here and Here to re-acquaint yourselves with the wonders of the World Wide Web. Everyone else…follow me down the rabbit hole.

Counter Culture = Mmm-delicious (Photo credit: Steve Snodgrass)

The Adventure At YogurtLand – What Proper Etiquette Looks Like

I’m going to be making this up as I go. Nope, too easy.

I saw this on the internet, so it has to be true! Nah, too blah.

I witnessed the following…and came up with these rules. (That’ll do)

doves (Photo credit: ALBOWIEB)

Upon entering the YogurtLand, it is very easy to tell that this is a magical place. So magical, I’m surprised that white doves don’t fly out every time the door opens…a la John Woo style. The first thing I noticed was a Ginger-Haired Beauty (not close to as beautiful as my own Ginger-Haired Beauty) that passed along three, small paper cups. I soon realized that these were to be used to sample the FroYo offerings that laid before me.

These cups are of a certain size. It should be, I repeat…SHOULD BE, easy enough to fill one up and have a taste. But, alas, it’s not this simple. So, rule number one…

• Three, small, taste testing cups will not limit me to only trying Three Flavors!! I will try them all…and you will wait for me.

Side Note: I was not the one to try all the flavors. Which brings us to our second rule…

• Have plenty of hand wipes. Half of an ounce to taste test? I laugh in your face. I will cup the paper cup in a way to allow for – at least – three ounces of FroYo goodness.

Side Note: I was not the person to do this either. I hope you’re seeing a trend here. Third rule? Yes Please!

• I will procure the flavor to test…and test it right there on the spot. I will not move out-of-the-way, because By George…I need to make a decision, and I mean NOW!!

I, of course, stepped out-of-the-way. I had to…I was too scared of this person showing me these new rules. Like this one. Number four.

• Oh…you’re ready to choose? Okay, just a second. I need to try Mexican Hot Chocolate for the THIRD TIME. I know it’s not the one you want…but it’s right next to it, isn’t it? ISN’T IT?!?

After retrieving a paper bowl I opted for the Toasted Coconut. In the words of Sulu…Oh Myyyy. It was wonderful. AND…the first flavor I tried. I guess I know what I like. For toppings I decided against my original impulse…which was to put it ALL on there. So instead, I got the cookie dough pieces, snow caps and popping Boba.

Boba (Photo credit: lirialove)

Yeah, the epitome of healthy…if you don’t count Kessabug. She decided to show me up, by getting the original flavor, topped with each fresh fruit that was available.

• Get fruit on your FroYo. If you want to have the full-scale ice cream, with the fudge and caramel and cookies crumbs and whatever else have you, go to an Ice Cream shop. You’re in YogurtLand man…keep it classy. You’re worth it.

What are some of your experiences with tasty treats?