Monthly Archives: January 2001

I had coffee with a good friend yesterday and it was gratifying to hear that he was enjoying reading this blog and Joe to Go everyday. We talked a little about how I do it, and how I decide what … Continue reading →

Never doubt that a small group of committed people can change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has. – Margaret Mead We used to use this quote on all our Neighborhood Salon materials at Utne Reader where … Continue reading →

Time is a dressmaker specializing in alterations. – Faith Baldwin I tend to forget this. I usually think of events, as well as my own initiatives–however deluded I might be–as the source of alterations in my life. Sometimes, it’s just … Continue reading →

I started playing in a new racquetball doubles league last night and I played like shit. My partner and I lost to a team that we should have beaten, primarily because of me. It occurred to me afterwards how lousy … Continue reading →

Every tomorrow has two handles. We can take hold of it with the handle of anxiety or the handle of faith. – Henry Ward Beecher Yesterday could have been a day of anxiety for me, but I worked deliberately in … Continue reading →

Items in the news this week that bug me include: Living in spiritual luxury Something about this kind of ‘spiritual tourism’ is troubling, but other than the commercialism of it, I’m not exactly sure why it bothers me. I’m a … Continue reading →

Dogs are our link to paradise. They don’t know evil or jealousy or discontent. To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing was not boring–it was peace. … Continue reading →

I am always doing things I can’t do, that’s how I get to do them. – Pablo Picasso I’ve had somewhat the same philosophy about jobs for a long time… wanting to do work that I wasn’t really qualified to … Continue reading →

I met one of my sons for lunch last week and he surprised me by saying he was considering taking some writing classes. This is a kid (early 20s) who dropped out high school six months shy of graduation because … Continue reading →

Everytime you use a calculator, you have to clear it. – Roshi Jakusho Kwong This is a great shorthand answer to the question, “Why meditate?” or “Why practice mindfulness?” or even “Why grab some regular SOS?” The author goes on … Continue reading →

We have our brush and colors–paint Paradise and in we go. – Nikos Kazantzakis It’s very hard to see each day this way, let alone each hour. Today, I’ve been stewing about all sorts of financial issues and reading this … Continue reading →

My Palm froze up on Friday while using it for wireless email with my OmniSky modem. Not even a hard reset would fix the problem so I had to wait till I got back to my office to check various … Continue reading →

Pray that success will not come any faster than you are able to endure it. – Benjamin Nnamdi Azikiwe This author is using a conventional definition of success – by worldly standards. It makes me think of all the dotcoms … Continue reading →

We got about 5 inches of very heavy wet snow last night and it was gorgeous this morning. It stuck to everything, so I snapped a few photos while walking from my house to downtown for coffee. The last two … Continue reading →

Robbie and I had an argument on Friday night about my not calling to check in with her prior to playing racquetball. I thought we resolved it but she brought it up again last night and I got mad and … Continue reading →

I listened to the whole Satellite Sisters radio show this afternoon, followed by This American Life. When Real Joe gets on the air (I’ve been challenged by my Inner Circle group to quit saying ‘if’), then it could very likely … Continue reading →

To affect the quality of the day–that is the highest of the arts. – Henry David Thoreau I’d like to think that when Real Joe become a cultural force, we’ll be affecting the quality of men’s days — many men, … Continue reading →

To believe in something, and not to live it, is dishonest. – Mahatma Gandhi Daily journal writing and inspirational reading is something I’ve believed in for a long time. But I’ve gone long periods without doing them. Publishing a weblog … Continue reading →

It’s interesting to have my wife Robbie reading my weblog. She mainly comments on it when something irritates her. This is actually good because I never publish an entry that I think is potentially touchy without showing it to her … Continue reading →

When I was writing in my blog on Tuesday about “good news vs bad news” I knew that I’d made reference in my blog at some point to the parable about the Chinese farmer and his son but I’d forgotten … Continue reading →

Another Twin Cities-based dotcom bit the dust yesterday. I know the founders of Wwwrrr and some of the 120 people who worked there. Just last summer, one of the founders was giving me helpful feedback on my Real Joe business … Continue reading →

One man in a thousand, Solomon says, will stick more close than a brother. – Rudyard Kipling Tomorrow’s my brother’s birthday. He’s, let’s see, 47. We’ve never been very close, though we’ve sort of acknowledged this over the past ten … Continue reading →

I’m trying to think of another way to say “Make me an instrument of peace” which is the first line in St. Francis of Assisi’s prayer that I mentioned in my “I Pray. But Not Like That.” piece and noted … Continue reading →

A friend is a person with whom I may be sincere. Before him, I may think aloud. – Ralph Waldo Emerson There are 5 or 6 guys in my life that I’d consider good friends, with one of those being … Continue reading →

Late last week, the guy who I considered to be a perfect candidate to co-host the radio show pilot I’m working on, dropped out due to time constraints. I was disappointed for a few hours and then it occurred to … Continue reading →