November 14 meeting

From Ernest Hemingway:

"The error of youth is to believe that intelligence is a substitute for experience. The error of old age is to believe that experience is a substitute for intelligence."

From a Jimmy John table tent in Colorado:

"Can you live a few years like most people won't so that you can spend the rest of your life like most people can't?"

There was some discussion of Kenny Ausubel's new book "Dreaming the Future" and some "malarkey" dialogue, as Ed Warsaw described it,  from E Philip Oppenheim's 1940 book "Last Train Out."

Ed gave each of the members present an autographed copy of his new book "Serendipity Poets of Cheyenne Journal 2012."

David Sneed

Words

Gaylord Fosdick gave a good program today on words and the problems with use of words.

Translation to and from languages can result in a change of meaning.

What makes it all the more difficult is when someone uses a word that has a connotation to the speaker that is different from that of the hearer. I remember one time in a Baptist church I intentionally made the statement that maybe we should have a catechism class. Immediately everyone became upset because they viewed that catechism is a Roman Catholic concept. I explained that catechism is a method of teaching that is done with questions and answers. While the word catechism usually refers to the teaching of religious doctrine of any church, the catechism method is used for teaching any subject religious or secular.

The program was a good reminder that we need to expand our vocabularies and to think of the way that a listener might construe something we say.

David Sneed

Jack Elam

Jack Elam was an actor who was in more than 50 westerns as well as other movies such as Cannonball Run where he played the doctor. 

Elam classified the stages of a moderately successful actor's life, as defined by the way a film director refers to the actor suggested for a part. (He said this on a George Plimpton ABC documentary about the making of Rio Lobo.) This humorous quote has also been attributed to other actors and writers, such as Harvey Miller, Ricardo Montalban and Mary Astor:

Stage 1: "Who is Jack Elam?"

Stage 2: "Get me Jack Elam."

Stage 3: "I want a Jack Elam type."

Stage 4: "I want a younger Jack Elam."

Stage 5: "Who is Jack Elam?"

I remember in my early career days the word was "Be nice to everyone you meet. You never know who you will pass on your way down."

David Sneed

The Epicure

Thornton Wilder would have been 115 years old today.

The author of such favorites as "The Bridge of San Luis Rey," "Our Town," and "The Matchmaker" died in 1975 in Hamden CT.

Several good quotes from him:

"My advice to you is not to inquire into why or whither, but just enjoy your ice cream while it's on your plate. (The Skin of Our Teeth)

"Money is like manure; it's not worth a thing unless it's spread around encouraging young things to grow." (The Matchmaker)

David Sneed

Quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson

Next to the originator of a good sentence is the first quoter of it. 

90 Year old Couple Celebrating 62 Years of Marriage

Here is a Positive Living couple for you. Age 90 and married 62 years. They were at the doctor's office and saw a piano. They decided to have some fun.
David Sneed


Watch Christian Videos and Read the Online Bible at GodVine.com

Words, Thoughts, and Deeds

Two quotes of John Kenneth Galbraith at the January 25 meeting:

"If all else fails, immortality can be assured by spectacular error." First thought is the skipper of the Costa Concordia.

"It is a far, far better thing to have a firm anchor in nonsense than to put out on the troubled sea of thought."

We discussed the Royal Bank Letter, Volume 72 #1, of January/February 1991 called "Words, Thoughts, and Deeds. " The subject is large.

A politician demanded that his opponent retract his statement saying that this politician was not fit to be dogcatcher. The statement was revised.  "He IS fit to be dogcatcher."

During the Civil War time Liberty and Freedom had different meanings to Northerners and Southerners.

Euphemisms are frequently used. A current euphemism is that "inner city youth" means "black teens."

There are generalizations.

There is also symbolism over substance where talking about something is viewed as the same as doing something.

Words are powerful and can be used in so m,any ways.

We of course had other topics of various kinds.

David Sneed

Will Rogers, Elbert Hubbard, and Others

I'll have to risk offending someone because I am not prepared to post all that occurred on January 18. The alternative is to post nothing.

"If you have time to whine and complain about something then you have the time to do something about it." - Anthony J D'Angelo

To use a quote from Gaylord Fosdick's favorite writer, Will Rogers

"It's easy being a humorist when you've got the whole government working for you."

This week we talked about Elbert Hubbard, who Miriam Ross had quoted the prior week, the cruise ship wreck in Italy and pensions at American Airlines and Hostess Brands, which are both in Chapter 11. We waxed eloquent about private equity. Dorothy Feldman assigned several two minute programs based on the The Royal Bank Letter published by the Royal Bank of Canada.

I asked Dorothy for some advice about my cat wanting to go out every night even in the winter. She informs me that cats are nocturnal and want to hunt.

David Sneed

The Beginnings of PLBC

There is a great deal of uncertainty about the start of what is now known as the Positive Living Breakfast Club in Cheyenne Wyoming.

According to a Wyoming Tribune Eagle article on March 13, 1994, several members of the inactive Cheyenne SWAP, Salesmen with a Purpose, met at the Owl Inn in 1979 to discuss the feasibility of forming an independent group with similar goals.

In October of 1979, the Sales and Self Developing Associates met for the first time at the Centennial Club. In January 1980 the name was changed to Positive Living Motivators.

At some time prior to that there was a group known as the Yawn Patrol that met at Sambo's on Tuesday mornings at 6:45 am. Now that restaurant is known as The Egg and I and is a popular restaurant in Cheyenne.

Somewhere along the line the club became known as the Positive Living Breakfast Club.

The purpose of the group was and still is "To provide a means by which members meet regularly to promote positive living provide self-development ideas for members."

Dorothy Feldman is perhaps the longest continuous member. Ed Warsaw is near the top if not an equal to Dorothy. Earlier members, no longer involved, were Verle Meister who was the first chairman, Edie Gibson, Barbara Zanoni, Mary Lou Edgar and Bess Arnold.

Gaylord and Emma Fosdick have been regulars for many years and have often brought two of their grandchildren.

Michael Riversong has brought various musical instruments and has played them.

I became a member in late 2000.

The club meets now on Wednesday mornings at 7:30 at Perkins Restaurant on Dell Range Boulevard.

We buy our own breakfast and open the meeting with a reading of quotes from each attendee. We have evolved to the point where some attendees will have two or three quotes. Some may be "thoughtless" at a given meeting.

Some years back it was said that it helps to improve everyone's outlook on life if someone offers a humorous saying such as "The best way to get back on your feet is to miss two car payments."

Gaylord Fosdick frequently quotes Will Rogers.

Any type of quote is welcome.

Various subjects are discussed ranging in time from a minute to five minutes. It is all informal. There are other groups, such as Retired Firefighters, that meet at Perkins. Positive Living Breakfast Club may be the only one where people bring news articles, books, poetry and documents of subjects of interest.

Guests may come in with no advance notice and if they have a subject of interest will be given the floor.

I find it a useful time to try out new ideas and to solicit suggestions on new idea implementation in my safety and other work.

David