Reviews and Views

…in my opinion.

Valentine Trivia Questions

My wife and I visited NINE COLUMNS B&B in Lyons, Georgia last week. We had a good time, but found ourselves attending a Red Hat Society dinner that evening at the B&B. The meal was excellent. It was a wonderful evening. During their meeting, the hostess had a list of trivia questions. They are shared below. See how many you can answer without having to look up the answers!

Question #1:
Besides not brushing one’s teeth, __________ causes the most tooth decay.

Question #2:
Whose picture appeared on the first one dollar bill? _________ __________

Question #3:
Abraham Lincoln was the ______th President of the United States.

Question #4:
“_____________” is the most requested song on Valentine’s Day in 2021 and 2022 that was written by John Legend.

Question #5:
White symbolizes purity. What does Red symbolize? There are 8 answers; just give only four of them. _________, _________, _______, _______

Question #6:
The song “Love Lifted Me” is found in a ____________

Question #7:
The lyrics of a song are “looking for love in all the ________ _________”

Question #8:
Billy Ray Cyrus sang “my _______ _______ ________”

Question #9:
St. Valentine was from the country of __________.

Question #10:
The St. Valentine’s Day massacre happened in what city and year?
_______________, ___________

Question #11:
Romantic writings are usually found in ______________.

Question #12:
Before Martha, who was George Washington’s love? __________ _________

Question #13:
In some Bibles, the verse “the greatest of these is love.” Is sometimes written “the greatest of these is ____________.”

Question #14:
What is the meaning of X and O in “XOXO”?
X symbolizes _______ and O symbolizes _________

Question #15:
What country grows the majority of the roses that are sold in the United States on Valentine’s Day? _________________

Question #16:
Who or what profession receives the most Valentine’s Day cards? ______

Question #17:
Which famous building was built and given as the ultimate gift of love?
______ _________

Question #18:
According to myth, Cupid was the son of __________, the winged messenger of the gods, and __________, the goddess of love.

Victor Wolfe owner

Answers to the questions:
1. Sugar
2. Salmon Chase
3. 16th
4. “All of me”
5. love, danger, sacrifice, courage, war, energy, passion, or anger.
6. hymnal
7. wrong places
8. Achy Breaky Heart
9. Italy
10. Chicago, 1929
11. Poetry
12. Sally Fairfax
13. Charity
14. Kisses, Hugs
15. Columbia
16. Teachers or Educators
17. Taj Mahal
18. Mercury, Venus

February 18, 2022 Posted by | Life, Love | , , , | Leave a comment

Groupthink

Have you found yourself in a situation of “groupthink” lately? I believe that at one time or another, whether we realized it or not, we were. What is groupthink? The Oxford Dictionary states “it is the practice of thinking or making decisions as a group in a way that discourages creativity or individual responsibility.”

More than ever, all of us need to practice the ability to think for ourselves. Making independent and individual decisions can seem like a scary place to be because right or wrong you alone are responsible for the consequences. Going along with the group can seem like a safe place where no one has responsibility and blame can be spread evenly around. It can also present problems that none wish to pursue.

Groupthink can occur when a person has a strong tendency to fall for group decision-making on any issue. People become convinced that the group’s action is best without giving any time to consider other alternatives. There are some folks who may not be able to make decisions on their own. They wait to see where the majority of friends and family thinking is going and just goes along to get along. Otherwise they start to feel isolated or stressed out. Because of their uncertainty, they turn to a hive mentality in decision-making and just go with the group.

The graphic below illustrates what can happen. Always ask the critical questions up front. Ask why and ask for justifications. Present alternative points of view. Watch what happens next. You will surprise many.

December 9, 2021 Posted by | Culture | , , , | Leave a comment

Truth and Consequences…

TRUTH, what a novel concept it is! I grew up in an era when truth was always expected from authority figures like judges, doctors, teachers, and preachers to mention a few. It was never to be something that was rare but had common place in leadership both in home and in the government. When a leader spoke, their word was good. Many times, a man’s word was his bond.

Truth is defined as whatever is in accordance with fact or reality. Then why are there so many ‘truths’ about the same subject? Could it be that one ‘truth’ is really a fabrication to hide a lie instead? When did the truth become a lie? When did up become down, down become up, left became right and right became left? Obviously, something is being hidden from our attention!

I have come to realize that truth, in certain circles and environments, has had its definition altered and falsehoods have been upheld as truth instead. Have you come to that same conclusion yet?

Telling the truth to someone has some consequences built into it. I even find that I self-censor what I say and write; asking myself whether it will be accepted or not. Yes, I still care a little of what some folks I know might think of me. We all do. But the time of caring what others think about us versus speaking the truth is quickly disappearing because time grows shorter by the day and something big is coming.

Consequences are something that happens because of something you do such as tell a fact, reality, or a truth. Consequences can be positive or negative. If positive, they will reinforce your behavior and make it more likely to happen again. If negative, the opposite is likely in that a negative response will try to reinforce behavior to prevent it (the truth) from ever being shared again (i.e., like telling the truth or facts about something that is against or stands in conflicts with the official narrative on the topic). If you want to start something, then go against the official narrative of the government. Panic sets in very quickly.

If most people believe “X” then “X” must be true. Ask yourself, if that correct? Your mind can be asleep and unaware of any truth. Always remember that truth is right in front of us. The question is whether we are willing to set aside our blinders and to look at it; asking ourselves the serious questions.

Perhaps Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson has the best illustration on this subject. So is hiding my mind from the truth really the best option? Best to you in your search.

June 30, 2021 Posted by | Culture | , , , | 1 Comment