Thanks for the encouragement, Roland!

Lori, thats great that you ALREADY seem to have a positive attitude and want to question things like the poem said. You'll do fine and I'm sure come out with a few new ideas on how to deal or better still how you want to deal with the 2n 50. Life is a constant learning experience and we all need to be flexible expically now in this age of instant everything. We need to be open and able to make whatever decision is for us individually while keeping in mind that most everything we do today had a much larger effect on others both in a mundane sense and globally.

I like the poem, Richard. And I'm glad you're giving me another 50 years! As for the seminar, I know it sounds like another weird L.A. thing, but I've done it before (a similar course) and survived, so I know I'm not very "brainwashable" and I'm not expecting to turn into a different person--and hope no one else is expecting that either! I'm just in the mood for something new. I like psychology.

Am I losing it? A 50 foot tall pink bunny flew by me this morning on my way to work. An equally large green alligator was flying right behind him. It looks like a hot air balloon weekend here.

This weekend seminar to get your head unlocked could be interesting. If you find yourself out there with LA movers and shakers, they may teach you more and give you more to consider than the facilitators. If they offer breakout sessions on power lunches and dealing with frenemies (1st coined for business enemies that you need to co-opt, then used in the movie "Mean Girls" as a friend who really isn't), WOW, you could come out of this as Martha Stewart redux(one brought back from imprisonment) and really turn your next 50 years into something. Here is a favorite poem that comes to mind:

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

A free bird leaps on the back of the wind
and floats downstream till the current ends
and dips his wing in the orange suns rays and dares to claim the sky.

But a bird that stalks down his narrow cage
can seldom see through his bars of rage
his wings are clipped and his feet are tied so he opens his throat to sing.

The caged bird sings with a fearful trill
of things unknown but longed for still
and his tune is heard on the distant hill
for the caged bird sings of freedom.

The free bird thinks of another breeze
and the trade winds soft through the sighing trees
and the fat worms waiting on a dawn-bright lawn and he names the sky his own.

But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams
his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream
his wings are clipped and his feet are tied so he opens his throat to sing.

The caged bird sings with a fearful trill
of things unknown but longed for still
and his tune is heard on the distant hill
for the caged bird sings of freedom.

-Maya Angelou

Thanks for all the warnings everyone! But that Amway thing sounds like a different kind of group. Forum doesn't have anything to sell except the course itself. I know a lot of it is bullshit or mass psychology, but sometimes something works and something good rubs off on you. So I guess I'm hoping that will happen!

Because they are quite charitable and philanthropic. They sponsor everything and the family members are many. We have VanAndel Arena, DeVos Hall, Amway Grand Hotel, not to mention the money that they put into the parks, schools and town with the tax bill. Some are active in politics as well. They also employ a ton of people at the actual plant, laborers and technical staff. There is nothing wrong with the products that they sell and many people make a hobby of selling stuff, like Avon sales people. I think it is the promotional part of the business that is the misleading part, so it is not a totally corrupt operation. But people are gullible and willing to believe .......... so BE CAREFUL LORI!

Karen, I saw that expose and I thought they said Questar was Amway with a "new " name. that Amway itself was gone (sorta). It was very interesting and I agreed with all that was said about the whole pyramid thing. Very few actually made the money. It's interesting that you live in the home town of Amway. Why I wonder are those guys so well thought of in town?

Yes Pat. Amway is horrible to put it nicely. Years ago I looked into it and I had lots of trouble with their attitudes. Talk about tearing you down.... I told them to take a flying leap and NEVER contact myself again for ANY reason. They started out ok and as with any "multi" org you need to get in first, way before it peaks and thats the only way the average joe makes any REAL bucks. You can always "make a buck" or two but you really have to be the first on the block to make it big and also with the original attitude. Then people get their "own" attitudes into it and it gets ugly. I never cottened up to that and usually put those aside as politely as I could but there was a point in life when I became rather gruff about it as I had had enough and then got back to myself attitude of wantding to learn, take the good out of all and disgard the "bad" or "harmful" unuseful crap.

Great! Yes, Landmark is awesome. It will get you thinking and open your eyes. We all need it from time to time. We used them @ oone of the corporations I did consulting for.

Patti, just wanted you to know that Amway is alive and well. I live in Ada, MI .... the home of Amway. It is the conglomerate Alticor and has Questar as one of its companies. 60 Minutes or one of those shows just did an expose of them and it was all over the news here. Basically the jist of it was that the guys at the top don't make their money by selling the products but by selling the tapes and books to teach you how to make your fortune. Amway founders DeVos and VanAndel along with Fred Meijer of Meijer grocery chain have just about built Grand Rapids and lots of things bear their names here. They are stinkin' rich and highly respected in this town believe it or not. The plant is huge and spans practically the entire length of tiny Ada.

Sorry I got a little wordy there folks.

Congratulations on selling and buying Karen. When Dave brought home to Esex Jct. a video of the house he was thinking we should purchase here in P.I. I thought it was an amazingly different way to buy a house and we did buy that house. I'm really surprised to hear so many of you also had your house bought by way of a photo.

Has anyone heard from Nancy Cordle lately? Her e-mail came back when I sent out the last two lists. I need an updated address for her. If you're listening Nancy, drop me a line please.

Same for Roger Belville and Peter Bibens.

http://skepdic.com/comments/estcom.html

Well, I'd never heard of Landmark Forum before, but I've been through the mill with some other large group forums that train you to be a "better/different" person while dragging you through a knothole backwards, and you get to sell their product and the business as well. They're out of business now, but I actually ran into Neil Ginter at one of these meetings in Burlington one weekend. I'm talking about Amway. Dreadul group. Lots of large group pyscholgy and mass hysteria. I came terribly close to becoming a little wifey in apron, heels and a little hat, who deferred to her MAN at every turn. It was terrifying. Thank goodness Dave came to his senses and told me to knock it off. He'd married the person I was (no apron) and was perfectly content with that. I think the night I insisted that he say grace as the man of the house was the turning point.

Anyway, I went to the link shown above and read some really interesting and conflicting pieces from people who have attended and participated in the Forum. It didn't sound like anything terribly different from Amyway. (no sales) Tear you down and build you back up. We were all going to give up our families and friends for the time of a year or two and put every second into the business then, as millionaires we would have all the time in the world to be good parents and spend time with our families. There were lots of cassette tapes to purchase and listen to. We even drove to N. Carolina from Rutland to attend a meeting. The guy we were with (our sponsor)had left his very pregnant and ill wife behind. She lost their baby while we were away.

I don't like the jargon part of it either, Richard, but I don't think I can be brainwashed that easily. I'm not really sure what will come of this course. Maybe nothing. I'm just curious. Actually, I think these courses do help, but it's hard to put your finger on the change sometimes. Anyway, I'll let you know afterwards how it went.

Lori, I read some info on-line about Landmark Forums and have questions. It seems like Landmark is a rules based experience that will change (transform) you, but if it makes you learn a new language and jargon that is not well known- how does this really help? I think it will make you live more in your head.

My view of our challenge is that we just need to grab our spears and head into the jungle. Think about skiing. You can't ski in your head. See where your instinct takes you!

We bought a house last Thu. I have only seen pictures! Roland, do you know of Champions View Golf & The Trophy Club of Atlanta? That is where the house is, a smaller neighborhood of three streets. We border woods and have 1.2 acres. Plans are to leave here on the 30th of June. The house is vacant .... a nasty divorce. Spent the afternoon in the garage with the mosquitos going through junk. My number three child (son) graduates from high school tomorrow. Hope everyone had a nice Memorial Day weekend.