James Hauenstein's Blog, page 59

Fool's Gold

Even though it happened two years ago,
it still amazes me how
Get Rich Quick Schemes
still work on people today.
Fool's Gold 
is a story on the
FBI's Website
talking about a
Ponzi Scheme.
Here is my
Post
about
Charles Ponzi
from
January 2nd, 2016
called
Robbing Peter To Pay Paul.

 *****
Do you remember hearing the cliche-idiom-wisdom of your father or grandfather, where they say, "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is." The fact is, people in general, are lazy, greedy, suckers, who are born every minute. From the rich on down to the poor, sooner or later, you will be suckered in by someone. Myself included. One of the oldest schemes in the book is to "Rob Peter to pay Paul." This old cliche is from a time when the
King Of England
demanded payment of taxes from his subjects.The
Catholic Church Of England
in
London(Saint Paul's)demanded taxes be paid to them under the name of donations. Even the
Vatican
in
Romegot in on the act
and demanded taxes be paid to their
Church,
Saint Peter's Basilica
in the form of donations.
All this to prove your devotion to
God. Of course, the poor couldn't afford all these taxes, so even though your congregation would owe the
Pope
more and more back taxes every year, it is always easier to "Rob Peter so you can pay Paul"  since St. Paul's was in your own backyard. When
Banks
became more predominate, where you no longer had to borrow money from the
Churchor a
King,investors already knew about a scheme that had worked for centuries. You might recognize some of the prominent schemers of the last century. Bernard Madoff, Allen Stanford, Victor Lustig, and Charles P. Bianchi, I mean Carlo P. Bianchi, err I mean Charles Ponci, err again, I really mean Charles Ponzi. He was so good at "Robbing Peter to pay Paul" that the
World
soon knew him and the scheme he perfected as the, "The Ponzi Scheme."
This is,Wondering What It Takes To Get A Name Like 
Carlo Pietro Giovanni Guglielmo Tebaldo Ponzi? James Bernard Paul Hauenstein,
And,
"I landed in this country with $2.50 in cash and $1 million in hopes, and those hopes never left me."
- Charles Ponzi -

That is my story and I am sticking to it! Like what you are reading?Sign up as a Follower,or Set up my Blogas your Homepageon your Web-browser,or Leave a Comment,or a Suggestion,and I will answer you in a Post.
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Good News

If you are like me,you are tired of all theBad Newsout there.How theMedialikes to tell you only the latest sensationalPolice Car Chase,The Latest Murder,How The Economy Is Failing,How Terrorist Are Winning,and how we are often on theBring Of War With Some Foreign Nation.But I grew up during the1960sand this decade has nothing compared to that one.We hadFive Assassinations Of Prominent Individuals Including A President,Terrorist Bombings,Riots In The Streets,Ohio National Guard Soldiers Killing Unarmed Students(Kent State),CIA Doing Experiments On American Citizens Without Their Knowledge,A Fluctuating Economy,Constant Nuclear Threats,and we were involved in aWar With Vietnam For Over 19 Years!Okay,that last one is longer than a decade,but you get the idea. We even practiced hiding under our desks at school as kids.As if that was going to help us when aNuclear Bombwas dropped on our neighborhood.EveryDecade,everyGenerationhas its upsand downs.That is the realCycle Of Life.But theMedia,theGovernment,andHatersalike,tell the most bleak stories they can to frighten you intoBuying Their Product,To Get Reelected,andTo Feel Empowered.EveryGeneration,as it gets older,looks backand says how much better it was when they were young.But it wasn't.It was just a different kind of struggle for them growing up,then what is happening to thisGenerationtoday.You can't let these strugglesor depressing news stories get to you.You need to move onand live.What you need isGood Newsonce in awhile.That is why I recommend a website calledFuture Crunch!You can describe to theirNewsletterand they will send you about9 Storiesper letter every couple of weeks about good things happening in thisWorld.Or,just go to their website when you canand cheer yourself up once in awhile with someGood News!This is,Happy To Help You Smile Again,Jim Hauenstein,
And,
“Instead of worrying about what you cannot control, shift your energy to what you can create.”
- Roy T. Bennett -

That is my story and I am sticking to it! Like what you are reading?Sign up as a Follower,or Set up my Blogas your Homepageon your Web-browser,or Leave a Comment,or a Suggestion,and I will answer you in a Post.
Thanks for reading.
If you are reading this on aCell-Phone,below this story you will see aLinkwhere it says;View Web Version.To truly get the full benefit of myBlog,I suggest you view the web version.You will just have to expand the page to be able to read it.

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Enjoying The Moment

When I created something in the past,I wanted it to last at least the duration of my lifetime.  I wasn't very good at art,but the things I created are still around.Well I hope they are still around.I think they are still around. In a chest in my garage. TheRomansand theGreeksmade stone sculptures to last centuries. But some of today's artists create only for the moment. Not caring if their work will last the test of time. So I decided to write music when I was younger.Hoping it would be my epitaph.The dreams of youth.
Being a
Rock Star. There are more songs on myYouTube Channel 
if you like. Now that I am older,I write aBlogwhich has a bunch of myShort Storiesthat I've written over the years.A-L-I-VTic Toc TocBenchedOne Dual Consciousnesand so on.I have written aneBook.No Return AddressAnd now I am working on a newBookwhich I hope will be published someday soon.If not,I know this will sound trite but,I will at least be happy knowing that I have tried.I am no longer looking for a legacy,for longevity, I am just enjoying what I am doing now in life!I am enjoying theMoment.
This is,Happiness Is Enjoying,Enjoying Is Happiness, Jim Hauenstein,
And,
“Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions.”
- Dalai Lama XIV -
That is my story and I am sticking to it! Like what you are reading?Sign up as a Follower,or Set up my Blogas your Homepageon your Web-browser,or Leave a Comment,or a Suggestion,and I will answer you in a Post.
Thanks for reading.
If you are reading this on aCell-Phone,below this story you will see aLinkwhere it says;View Web Version.To truly get the full benefit of myBlog,I suggest you view the web version.You will just have to expand the page to be able to read it.

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Embarrassing Parents

I am one of thoseParentswhoseKidsalways ask,"Don't embarrass us!"And I always say,"It's my job."I am sure allParents,at one timeor another,across this wonderful big world of ours,love to embarrass their kids once in awhile.It's because we remember,when we were their age,how important our image was,in front of our friends.How we all wanted to look cool.But asParents,we realize,how pointless it all becomes once you get to our age"Who Cares!"To prove this fact,I want to show you a couple of pictures I found on the websiteBoredpanda.Article byLina D.  Parenting Tip! What can I say about this? Selfie? Mom found her son's vase. This is,Telling You There Are 55 Different Pictures With Captions On The WebsiteAnd You Can Vote For Your Favorites,Jim Hauenstein,
And,
“Have you ever noticed how parents can go from the most wonderful people in the world to totally embarrassing in three seconds?”
- Rick Riordan -That is my story and I am sticking to it! Like what you are reading?Sign up as a Follower,or Set up my Blogas your Homepageon your Web-browser,or Leave a Comment,or a Suggestion,and I will answer you in a Post.
Thanks for reading.
If you are reading this on aCell-Phone,below this story you will see aLinkwhere it says;View Web Version.To truly get the full benefit of myBlog,I suggest you view the web version.You will just have to expand the page to be able to read it.

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I Have A Lot To Do

I don't have time to come up with a great story today like I did yesterday,
I have a lot of things to do.
Here is a
Re-Post
of my
December 27th, 2015
story called
 The Mind Has A Vanity All Its Own.

*****
For all of
Humanity,
there is phenomenon which has happened in one's own mind since Men & Women
discovered their reflection in a pool of water.Our eyes like to play tricks with our mind. Or is it, our mind likes to play tricks with what we see? When we are children, we look to our reflection 
and imagine someone older. We become teenagers and the reflection belies a maturity that we are becoming adults. Then comes the age of invincibility. When we are in our twenties,our mind tells us to live on the edge.Because we think so much of life is still before us and nothing could possibly stop us. When the insuperable facade of believing Father Time will let you live forever in your  Twenties,
is over
and you begin to see the wrinkles, the mind still imagines itself younger then the rest of the world does. Even at advance ages, the mind still sees itself attractive to people younger. It's not until the advent of the commercially introduced art of photography did our hallucinations about ourselves stop and reality sink in. Our mind has a vanity all its own. It doesn't believe we should know our true age. If you don't believe me, try not looking at any photographs of yourself for one month. It's OK to see yourself in the mirror daily, just don't take a picture of yourself. Then, after the month is over, take a photo, close enough to see your body and face clearly.
Then compare it to a photograph from 10 years prior. You will feel a little confusion as you think, that's not how I look. It's the same phenomenon people go through when they hear their voice on a recording for the first time. Non of us believe how we sound on any recording, and non of us believe how our mind deceives us on the condition of our looks. The mind has a vanity all its own.

This is,I May Be Turning Sixty,
But I Am Still Sexy,
In My Own Mind,Jim Hauenstein,
And,
“Anybody can look at a pretty girl and see a pretty girl. An artist can look at a pretty girl and see the old woman she will become. A better artist can look at an old woman and see the pretty girl that she used to be. But a great artist, a master, can look at an old woman, portray her exactly as she is...and force the viewer to see the pretty girl she used to be...and more than that, he can make anyone with the sensitivity of an armadillo, see that this lovely young girl is still alive, not old and ugly at all, but simply imprisoned inside her ruined body. He can make you feel the quiet, endless tragedy that there was never a girl born who ever grew older than eighteen in her heart...no matter what the merciless hours have done to her.”- Robert A. Heinlein -

That is my story and I am sticking to it! Like what you are reading?Sign up as a Follower,or Set up my Blogas your Homepageon your Web-browser,or Leave a Comment,or a Suggestion,and I will answer you in a Post.
Thanks for reading.
If you are reading this on aCell-Phone,below this story you will see aLinkwhere it says;View Web Version.To truly get the full benefit of myBlog,I suggest you view the web version.You will just have to expand the page to be able to read it.

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The Reincarnation

    "Son, you are old enough to start learning the teachings of Samsara." Says Jyotirdhar, the holder of the flame, to his child Ilamuhil, the youthful.
    Ilamuhil is considered to be only 4 years old. But speaks and understands many of the teachings already. 
    Jyotirdhar explains further to his son. "Samsara is the eternal cycle of birth, life and deaths. Each individual soul is immortal and eternal. But it is controlled by our Karma. The moral law of our actions and reactions. We believe that each individual accumulates Karma during his or her lifetimes and the present condition of the current body and soul is affected by our past actions in those previous lives. We must achieve Moksha. Which breaks the ties that bind us to any one life and world so we can completely achieve Nirvana."
    Jyotirdhar looks to Ilamuhil to see if he understands. Then continues with, "A body and soul, which has achieved Moksha, is released from Samsara. The eternal cycle of suffering and pain as a living being."
    "Father please," Ilamuhil interrupts. "Do you tell me this because Fazeela, the faithful and my Mother, lies in the funeral fires?"
    "Yes," his Father replies. "Even though your Mother has not yet achieved Moksha, we can be assured that her next incarnation as a being in another world will bring her that much closer to Nirvana."
    "How can you tell Father?"
    "Because we are the first beings created in this incarnation of the Universe. There have been many Universes created one after another and in this one, we were chosen to be the first."
    "I think I understand," says a confused looking Ilamuhil. "But how can you be so sure Mother is close to Moksha?"
    "Because we are advanced enough in our understanding of religion and technology combine that we now know which planet our loved ones will be reborn. Once she is, we will be able to watch her from afar as she progresses through her new life." Jyotirdhar says while clasping his hands together in prayer.
    "Will she know? Will she know we are watching?" A concerned Ilamuhil asks.
    "The new planet has a saying for the loved who watch their kin from afar. They call them Guardian Angels. And when Fazeela the faithful, your Mother, is recreated or reincarnated, it will be on that world. They call their planet Earth. In a Galaxy they call the Milky Way!"
    Ilamuhil shakes his head in understanding. "We will watch her together until we too must move on to the next life."
This is,Believing In Karma,Believing In A Different Form Of Reincarnation,And In This StoryCombing A Little Buddhism With Hinduism,Jim Hauenstein,
And,
“Don’t grieve. Anything you lose comes round in another form.”
- Rumi -

That is my story and I am sticking to it! Like what you are reading?Sign up as a Follower,or Set up my Blogas your Homepageon your Web-browser,or Leave a Comment,or a Suggestion,and I will answer you in a Post.
Thanks for reading.
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Saying Hi A Second Time Around

From
December 14th, 2015
called
Two Buck Howie.

*****
All my life I have had a nickname, in one form
or another. When I was first went to school at Saint Mary's Grade School, because of my last name, Hauenstein, I was known as
Howie. That name has stuck with me all my life. There have been other names, but each year Howie  has always won out. When I started playing music live in bars and clubs, I was still called  Howie. It wasn't until I decided to start the last rock band I played in, before moving to
California, did the full moniker come about. I was sitting at a bar with one of my best friends, Scott, trying to figure out a name for the new band I was starting.
When, off the top of his head, Scott
blurts out,  Two Buck Howie With The Exact Change.  I loved it. After I moved to
California
I thought, if friends, and family members,ever wanted to find me I would still use  Two Buck Howie  as my nickname, in my
Email Address,
Twitter Handle,
Facebook Page,
and on myBlog. When I had a job though, I asked everyone, just to call me Howie. To make this extremely long story shorter, after twenty-five years, Kelly Conley, one of the fine musicians I played with during the 1980s, found me by doing a Google Search of Two Buck Howie. Today, he is the Director of Sales at the Radisson Hotel & Conference Center Kenosha,  in
Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin.
He still plays guitarand sent me one of his original songs.
It is great to hear from you!
*****
I also want to say hi to
Paul Blavat
and
Jeffery Taschner
for locating me on
Facebook.
This is, Happy For The Pleasant Surprise This Holiday Season, Jim Hauenstein,
And,
“Music was my refuge. I could crawl into the space between the notes and curl my back to loneliness.” - Maya Angelou - That is my story and I am sticking to it! Like what you are reading?Sign up as a Follower,or Set up my Blogas your Homepageon your Web-browser,or Leave a Comment,or a Suggestion,and I will answer you in a Post.
Thanks for reading.
If you are reading this on aCell-Phone,below this story you will see aLinkwhere it says;View Web Version.To truly get the full benefit of myBlog,I suggest you view the web version.You will just have to expand the page to be able to read it.

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Everything Comes Back In Style

You probably have heard the expression,"Everything comes back in style."If you haven't,you heard it hear first.What is meant by this saying is,Fashions Come Back In Style,Remakes Of Movies,Books,and now,Old Time Radio.Growing up I loved to listen toBaseballon the radio.People likeBob Uecker,Vin Scully,andHarry Caraycould paint a picture of the action going on the fieldand had many background stories of the players,that my interest never waned.When I got a older,I would stay up late because one of theAM Radio StationsinLos Angeleswould play some of the great serials my parents used to listened to.LikeThe Shadow,Suspense,andThe New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. There is something about listening to a story on the radio that stirs the imagination better thanTV. At least it does for me.Now,instead of waiting for your favoriteOld Time Radio Showcoming on at a certain time over the airwaves, You can listen to aPodcastanytime you want.the shows are just waiting for you on the internet. They have everything fromEducation,Comedy,Sci-Fi,Horror,Science,toTV &Film.And everything in between.
Yes,
you can also find some of the classic radio shows too!
This is,Listening To "Exploration" With Dr. Michio Kaku,Jim Hauenstein,
And,
“Some nights I'd sneak out and listen to the radio in my Dad's old Chevy.”
- John Geddes -

That is my story and I am sticking to it! Like what you are reading?Sign up as a Follower,or Set up my Blogas your Homepageon your Web-browser,or Leave a Comment,or a Suggestion,and I will answer you in a Post.
Thanks for reading.
If you are reading this on aCell-Phone,below this story you will see aLinkwhere it says;View Web Version.To truly get the full benefit of myBlog,I suggest you view the web version.You will just have to expand the page to be able to read it.

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Just Some Thoughts

"Jameela Jamil is doing right by her fans and followers with her efforts to put an end to body shaming and toxic masculinity — and she doesn’t care if you think she’s too privileged to do so.The British actress and activist has long been outspoken about the dangers of public figures exposing fans and followers to impossible beauty standards constructed by photoshopping, plastic surgery and extreme dieting. And although she admits that those who oppose her message think that she’s too privileged to speak out, she tells Yahoo Lifestyle that her natural advantage is exactly why she’s doing what she’s doing. By Kerry Justich on Yahoo LifestyleIf you don't know whoJameela Jamilis,she is one of the actors on the very popularTV
show The Good Place.I like the show a lotand when I heard that she had anInstagramsite which promotes self worth for women,I thought everyone should be aware of it. "Hi I’m @jameelajamilofficial this is my @i_weigh movement for us to feel valuable and see how amazing we are beyond the flesh on our bones."
I did
A Book Review 
onFebruary 10th, 2019on the first book of the series calledThe Murderbot DiraiesbyMartha Wells.The books are easy to readand a lot of fun too.I quickly read the next two in the series
and am waiting for the fourth book to be delivered to my local library.TheRiverside City Libraryhas the only copy in my county's systemand I am waiting for the person who has it checked out to return it.I thought I would old school since I am waiting for the next book so I am readingEight Tales Of TerrorbyEdgar Allen Poe.This is,Just Some ThoughtsJim Hauenstein,
And,"All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream."
- Edgar Allan Poe -

That is my story and I am sticking to it! Like what you are reading?Sign up as a Follower,or Set up my Blogas your Homepageon your Web-browser,or Leave a Comment,or a Suggestion,and I will answer you in a Post.
Thanks for reading.
If you are reading this on aCell-Phone,below this story you will see aLinkwhere it says;View Web Version.To truly get the full benefit of myBlog,I suggest you view the web version.You will just have to expand the page to be able to read it.

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Thinking About An Old Friend And The Day Of The Attempted Mugging

I often remember events from my past
and wonder what happen to the people I knew.
This story is true
and today I was thinking about this person.
He was one of my best friends for many years.
From
December 5th, 2015
my
Post
called
The Mugging.

*****
A good friend of mine, Robert Boardwalk, and I were walking down the old side of town one wonderfully bright, warm
Saturday Afternoon. We would often walk together to discuss, philosophy, women, motorcycles, and whatever else was on our minds.
Even though we were still in
High School.
Maybe we walked all the time because we didn't have a car?
Okay,
I just remember we walked all the time. The old side of town had alleys down the center of the block to separate the houses,
either to the
North Or South
side of the block.
The city was designed in the old manner of square blocks.This was done in early layouts of cities by the planners to help with Police
and
Firetrucks
abilities to easily locate and then corral burning buildings or criminal activity. Boband I had just left a
Mom & Pop
little eatery, known for its generous portions of eggs.We were talking about the possibility of starting a duo musical group, when we crossed one of these alleyways. Robert was really into the conversation, and didn't notice the unkempt, undesirable who turned from an out-of-sight location in the alley, to be five yards behind us suddenly. Another vagabond was leaning up, along side a streetlamp on the corner of the block in front of us, stepping forward.He was heading in our direction in a menacing way. I tried to whisper to my companion that we were about to be "Jumped."
Which is the
1970s
way of saying we were going to be mugged.  I tried telling him that he should be ready, when I noticed that the guy behind us was someone I knew from
High School. My friend was dumbfounded about the situation, and asked what was going on?He was very perplexed that this could really be happening. What I did next, could possibly have saved us from a beating, or even being killed. I turned around and said, "Hey Larry. I haven't seen you since school. Remember that pack of cigarettes I owe you from lunch period? Well, I have a pack here for you, right now!" Larry looked as confused as my friend
Bob
did. At first. Then he recognized me.
Thinking that I might have really owed him cigarettes,
he took the stipend from me graciously and called off the assault. After we all talked for awhile about our classes,the two junior criminals admitted we were about to be jumped for all the cash we had because they were broke. We soon said our goodbyes and each of us went on our merry way. I would say five years had passed when I read in the local newspaper that
Larry
had been murdered by a
Hit & Run
driver of an old, white,
Cadillac DeVille. 
The same vehicle my friend used to own. The reason it was called a murder was,
after already running him down, the car was seen backing up to run him over a second time.Maybe
Larry
robbed somebody who recognized him like I did.But this time,
the person being mugged didn't have the wits about them to turn the assault away 
and was looking for revenge!
This is,The Story Is Actually True,
Only The Names Have Been Changed To Protect The Innocent Naive Bob,Jim Hauenstein,
And,
“A few years back, they jacked David Copperfield in West Palm Beach. If someone who can make himself disappear isn't safe, who is?” - Colin Quinn -


That is my story and I am sticking to it! Like what you are reading?Sign up as a Follower,or Set up my Blogas your Homepageon your Web-browser,or Leave a Comment,or a Suggestion,and I will answer you in a Post.
Thanks for reading.
If you are reading this on aCell-Phone,below this story you will see aLinkwhere it says;View Web Version.To truly get the full benefit of myBlog,I suggest you view the web version.You will just have to expand the page to be able to read it.

Thanks Again.