Why Are Dutch Kids so Happy?

Children in the Netherlands are regularly rated some of the happiest kids in the world, but why? Studies have shown a few simple explanations: Margreet de Looze, as assistant professor at Utretch University said, "Where Dutch children really stand out is that they have very good social relations. The amount of support they receive from family and friends, from teachers and classmates-in all these areas they score high."

The kids also have a lot of freedom, do a lot biking, and cell phones are banned from schools. These areas are all considered to be very positive.  Many parents work part-time which enables them to spend more time with their kids. Will working remotely have the same impact today?

Their are no school buses so kids regularly bike to school and of course the exercise is good for them. The communities are very close and kids are frequently involved in activities and local events. They feel good about themselves and their community.

As we raise or help children one of the basic things we want is for them to be happy.  It seems that the people in The Netherlands have figured out how to do this for years.

A Tribute To Allan Sherman

One day around the year 1975 I went over to my best friend's house, Larry Osman.  I think we were in high school.  He played the guitar and he sang me part of a song he wrote called, "Jersey Traffic." He told me that the music was from a popular song. I thought it was pretty good and the idea of writing something to other music was a pretty cool thing to do.

It may have been that day he told me about a Jewish singer, Allan Sherman, who wrote a bunch of songs or parodies of other songs in the sixties. He played me the album he had. I thought it was so good that I asked him to put the songs on a cassette tape for me and I still have that tape today.

Between 1980 and 2024 I have written well over two hundred songs/parodies and Larry and Allan definitely deserve some of the credit and blame. I recently found out that Allan Sherman wrote the below autobiography and I bought it and read almost all of it flying to New Jersey recently.  Who was Allan Sherman and what incredible journey in life did he have?

They say that Allan Sherman was a comedian, a writer, a musician, and a television producer.  He created a television show, "I've Got A Secret" that was on the air for fifteen years. He produced it for six years. At the same time he struggled with bad health being overweight, an alcoholic, and a diabetic.  Before the Beatles became famous in February 1964 on the Ed Sullivan Show, Allan Sherman for a year and a half was almost as popular as The Beatles were in 1964.

He once lived next to Harpo Marx, one of the Marx brothers. He once lived in the exclusive Brentwood section of Los Angeles. He also  moved into a neighborhood that three weeks later ninety-one of the ninety-seven houses burned to the ground, but not his. He knew comedians and singers, but he really had no musical talent. He was fired as the producer of a television show for Steve Allen, before the show started.  

His life went up and down and being unemployed with a wife and two kids, he was on unemployment. He used to sing songs at parties for friends for free and sent Capital Records a bunch of songs, but he was turned down.("We don't think there's a market for this kind of thing.")

A friend got him an audition at Warner Brothers and they decided to record a comedy album of his songs called, "My Son, The Folk Singer." Quotes on the album were from friends who loved his songs, famous people like Harpo Marx, Steve Allen, Jack Benny, and Jerry Lewis. 

On October 7, 1962 the album was released and here are some of the ridiculous highlights:

1. The album became the fastest selling record album of all-time as of that date.

2. The Warner Brothers New York distributor ordered 100 copies on Monday and 30,000 more on Wednesday.

3. Frank Sinatra bought 25 copies to give out to all his friends.

4. The week before he was on unemployment and the first week the album was out it sold 65,000 albums and he made $23,000 that week. (In 1962)

5. He released three albums in 1962-1963 and they all went to number one on the charts.(A total of eight albums in his life)

6. His first single from his first album was "Sarah Jackman" and President Kennedy was overheard a number of times singing some of the words. (Parody of "Freres Jacques")

7. The Sam Goody record store in New York put up a sign, "Limit 12 To A Customer". 

8. It is said that he sold over 500,000 albums the first month and there is no definitive amount on how many millions he sold of that first album.

9. He turned down performing on The Ed Sullivan Show twice because he was terrified of performing, but he eventually did perform some concerts.

10. He guest hosted for Johnny Carson on "The Tonight Show" a number of times including once for an entire week.

11. The sudden death of President Kennedy in November of 1963 and The Beatles coming to America in February 1964, some say led to his popularity decreasing.

Most of his songs were parodies of other songs, but he did write and perform some original songs.  Many of the parodies on his first albums were filled with Jewish humor.  My favorite song he did was "The Ballad of Harry Lewis." Some others were: "Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah" (about going to Day Camp), "My Zelda", "Oh Boy", and "In Sherwood Forest There Lived a Knight."(Sir Greenbaum) He also did a song called, "Pop Hates the Beatles," in 1964.

It was a terrific book to read and his sudden success was absolutely incredible. You can look up these songs and hear some terrific lyrics. His first album was performed in front of a very amused and entertained crowd in  a studio and his songs are still very good sixty years later.

MY 1,000TH BLOG

If you had told me that I was going to write 1,000 blogs over 8 1/2 years I would not have believed you. However, according to my blog this is number 1,000. How did this start? 

On December 26, 2017 my wife, myself, and my youngest daughter each drove cars filled with stuff from New Jersey to South Carolina. We also had a pod sent down to our new home in Myrtle Beach. It was a big move for my wife and I over 600 miles and to a different part of the country.

I wanted to document our journey and decided to write a blog that I called, "Becoming a Southerner." In the first few days I wrote five different blogs with these titles: "Not About Politics", "Traveling the Day After Christmas," "It's Snowing in New Jersey," "Grits" and "Why Write a Blog?"

Somehow the five blogs came out the same week and they are dated almost exactly the same. Here are some excerpts from those blogs with my comments in parentheses:

"Keep in mind in the future that Dec. 27th is a much better day to travel on the road." (Massive traffic jams were awful)

"We had two shovels in New Jersey and I couldn't get rid of both of them, so I brought one to South Carolina just in case.  If it snows I'm going to be one of the only ones with a shovel." (It happened and it was great)

"Grits may not be for everyone, but I'll give it another shot."(Did not happen)

"From time to time I will probably go on the fringe of politics, without talking about politics."(I have written a few political blogs, maybe 3-5)

"You never know what I'll write unless you check out this blog on a somewhat regular basis."( I have written about a lot of topics)

I have enjoyed blogging about all the different things going on in my life including all my favorite riders, favorite rider comments, some books I've read, inspirational stories, unusual events, and things most people never think about.

Will I one day write my 1,500th blog or 2,000th blog? I have no idea. Will I write a book about my favorite blogs? That is a possibility. I do enjoy writing and documenting my life by putting out a blog every three days.  

Thank you for reading and also contributing to my blogs by being a part of my life.  And now-on to the next 1,000 blogs...

Above is my wife and I when we lived in Myrtle Beach in 2018 and below at a family wedding in July 2026.

HOW OLD IS OLD?

Recently someone referred to people in their sixties as being old.  I am 65 and about to turn 66, but I don't consider myself old. The President of The United States is 80, my friend Chuck who is about to publish his 28th book is 85 and the oldest water skier in the world is 95, yes, he's 95.

Bryan Murray of New Zealand was recently verified as the oldest male water skier at 94 years and 318 days. He's been waterskiing since 1955, which is before I was born. He has two kids, six grandchildren and ten great grandchildren. Over the years he entered tournaments and did very well in slalom tricks and jumping.

"As I got older it became a challenge. I enjoyed it so much I just kept going. Most people tell me that I'm an inspiration to people of all ages. It encourages me to know that I'm leading the way for people to stay active." One of his favorite sayings is, "You don't stop because you're too old, you get old because you stop being active."

What will I be doing at 75 or 85 years old? Will I still be blogging? Driving Uber? Writing books? Will I consider myself old? On several occasions my dad when he was in his nineties would comment that the people in the independent living facility he was in, they were old. I don't think he considered himself old. 

Maybe I'll just say I'm older?

You Can't Do What?

Most people will agree that they don't like anyone telling them what they can't do, but it does happen. Did you ever hear about the ridiculous things that it's against the law to do? Well, it's a good thing you're reading this list today.  Here's what I'm talking about:

1. Snowball fights-how can be true? In Wausau, Wisconsin it is still against the law. The city once considered throwing snowballs as bad as throwing stones and shooting missiles. Who was shooting missiles is what I want to know. No one is being arrested these days for throwing snowballs, but they haven't gotten rid of the law.

2. You cannot camel hunt in Arizona. In the mid-1800's the Army brought camels to Arizona I guess for training purposes and they had to have a law put on the books to protect the camels.  Legend has it that they lost of them and they haven't found them yet, but you can't hunt them.

3. You can't talk and text if you're crossing a street in Honolulu, Hawaii. Why would you be texting with beautiful scenery all around? Why would you do that anywhere crossing a street?

4. I like apple pie and I like ice cream, but in Vermont if you're getting a slice of apple pie you need to have a scoop of vanilla ice cream, a piece of sharp cheddar, or a glass of cold milk. And, you have to be standing on one foot when you eat/drink them. Ok, I just threw the last one it. They are very big on desserts.

5. If you want to bear wrestle in Alabama it's against the law.  They officially banned it in 1996, it took them that long to realize this wasn't a good idea.  I know you're disappointed.

6. In Tennessee it is illegal to share your password for streaming companies like Netflix. The fine is 2,500 or possibly a year in jail if the password goes to a friend. The law was made in 2011. Does that sound a bit strict?

7. If you really wanted to duel with someone, you can in West Virginia, but you can't hold public office. The law has been around since the 1800's which is no surprise. Now you know that not a single office holder in West Virginia has not challenged anyone to a duel.

8. In the 1930's the town of Biddeford, Maine considered the sidewalks to be sacred ground.  They banned roller skating and biking on sidewalks and for some reason never changed the law.

9. In Indiana you are not allowed to fish with your hands. This is actually called "noodling," but it sounds more like you lost some of your noodles. Why would you fish at all? And with your bare hands? How are you going to eat a bucket of chicken while you're fishing?

10. If you're going to Mardi Gras in Mobile, Alabama you should know that no confetti or streamers are allowed.  They wanted to keep their streets clean, so that law is still on the books.

Wouldn't be fun to go to all these places and do the one thing they say you can't do? Now that would be a road trip!

A Few Short July Stories

 DOCTOR TALES

Being an author I'm always thinking about what would make an interesting book, how about "Doctor Tales?" I'm sure there are plenty of unusual and interesting stories that people have had over the years. This month I got a call from my doctor's office that I have to fill out the yearly registration form. Every year they have fill out all your information on a few pages to confirm everything and that you want their office to take care of you for the next year. Can you imagine if everyone had to do it? I did it, but I was laughing when I did.

HOW MUCH IS 8 +3?

Usually when I take my granddaughter to the park we are the only ones there. This week there was a child I had seen before but with his dad who I had never met. We hit it off immediately, he's a math teacher. We were talking numbers and having a great time until he made a comment as an example that 8 plus 3 is 13. I let it go since I had just met him, but a couple minutes later he said it again.  I was laughing and I told him what he said which surprised him. I had forgotten his name and said, "I'm sorry I forgot your name and I don't want to call you "8 +3." He laughed and we had a great conversation as we watched and played with the kids.

"I WILL FOLLOW HIM"

In January 1963, 14-year-old Peggy March recorded this song and in April when she was 15 the song went to number one on the charts. She still holds the record for the youngest female to hit number one.  I thought of this song today when our dog Odin was following me in the house. You can teach dogs a bunch of tricks, but you don't have to teach them how to follow you. The song goes, "I will follow him follow him wherever he may go, there isn't an ocean to deep, a mountain so high that can keep me away." But, how do you get someone to "unfollow you?"

CATCHING UP TO THE 70'S

My granddaughter has a special cereal bowl, well I thought it was special.  I've never seen one with a straw to drink the milk in the bowl.  My wife said it's been around since the 70's. I'm catching up on some things in retirement.

A PICKLE FOR ME?

You have to be joking, I don't like pickles. I must have tried them at some point as a kid or one of them was stuck in a sandwich, but I've never liked them.  This month, in my former hometown of Edison at the infamous Harold's Deli, I did eat the below pickle.  And, I was not surprised, it was awful.  However, I have it documented now, I have eaten a pickle. How much do I care about pickles? I just accidentally deleted my one picture, but I do have three witnesses that I ate it.

WHOSE KEY WAS IT?

I was outside early this weekend in New Jersey and took a 45 minute walk around and around the hotel we were staying at for our family wedding.  I was finishing up my walk when I saw this key on the ground.  There were a few people packing their car and leaving and I figured one of them dropped their key.  I didn't pick it up.  Inside the hotel I reached for my key and figured out where I lost it and I went back outside and picked it up.  Wouldn't it be great if every time you lost something you knew exactly where it was?

MY FAVORITE RIDER COMMENTS IN JULY 2026

I asked her if her dad has any siblings and she said, "He has 16 brothers and I think four sisters. He was the youngest and my grandma had him when she was 60."

I told her when I asked a mom with two kids why she was in town and the mom said, "For the Future Strippers of America." (Her daughters were in a dance competition.) My rider said, "It's the only transferable occupation. I'm a scientist and a dancer."

I said to the young guy, "I know you're intelligent." He: "Don't tell me that, it goes right to my thighs."

The mother of three young boys said, "We'll eventually get a female dog to get another female in the house." She: "It's not a hobby, but I really love taxidermy. I once saw a bunch of animals on top of a shelf above a bar I went to. I take pictures of animals and think about it. I know it's not socially acceptable, but I could see doing it to a dog." Me: "So you like animals dead and alive?" 

The young male flight attendant said, "I revere Uber drivers. They sacrifice their time, car and gas to get me to work." Me: "Have you had many good conversations with drivers?" He: "No, not at all. I just expected to sit here in your car."

He said, "My rich girl friend wouldn't marry me, but she took me around the world three times."

He wanted to give me something so he drew a picture of a frog. He: "Drawing frogs is a hobby of mine.  My dad used to raise them and my mom would needlepoint frogs."

He: "My wife and I were in an Uber in Tampa and I told the driver we wanted to go to the strip.  He didn't understand and started playing music and shaking maracas. He thought we wanted to go to a couples strip club with he and his wife."

I asked, "How did you become a tattoo artist?" She: "I "whoopsied" my way into it. I was working in a clothing store that I hated and going to a tattoo artist. She offered me a job in the office and a year later offered to train me as a tattoo artist. Now I'm traveling around the world and doing some tattoos in other countries."

The truck driver from Ethiopia said about the United States, "This is a great country, one of the best in the world. I love this country."

I asked the couple in the afternoon of July 4th, "What have you been up to today?" She said, "We were out shooting goats this morning." Me: "What were you doing?" She: "We were out shooting guns this morning."  

His father taught him this, "If you want to change the world you have to treat people better than they treat you."

She: "I don't have any mannequin stories, but my friend has an eccentric neighbor who drives around with about six mannequins in her car like they are her family.  When she pulls up to you she expects you to address the mannequins too. I think she rotates all the mannequins."

The hospital director told me this mannequin story: "When I was at the Arkansas Medical University we had three high tech dummies that were worth $60-$70,000 each for our sim lab. One day I went into the morgue and one of the dummies was lying there with its mouth open and no one was supposed to be there." It scared the hell out of him.

MORE RIDER COMMENTS

He: "I used to work in an art gallery in Guatemala and I got into real estate working in the art gallery."

Her ten-year-old did not want his mom to take any pictures of him. She said, "Dude what do you mean? Let's take some selfies!"

The older man said he was 88 and I said, "I'm 65." He replied, "Don't worry, you'll reach 100."

"I went to school with two people who were named, "Chandelier" and "Get D Money."

I picked up "Happiness." She told me, "My parents were very happy I was born although it was difficult. My middle name is blessing."

She: "My boyfriend says I have a maniacal giggle."

Having just moved to Alexandria, Virginia near Washington, D.C. she said, "I love the outdoor coffee shops."

I complimented her on her English and she said, "It should be good I have two masters and one doctorate and I'm teaching people."

With an unusual background, she told me, "I have been accused of being a spy."

"My three friends and I and our dads have just did our 19th and last golf trip together."

Living in Hawaii, she learned that her name Marisa, "It means, "Star of the Sea." Since I'm from Wyoming they call me, "Wyoming Star."

"New Yorkers are nice, but not kind. In Chicago, people can be mouthy."

"I used to work at the United Nations with the Security Council.  I got the job through an internship."

The Uber driver from San Diego told his passenger, "If you don't want to talk on this ride, you should get another driver."

"I once had an Uber in Vegas that was all decked out with Elvis. It was like "The Jungle room" in Graceland and he had Elvis music playing the whole time."

She: "I left Michigan five years ago to get away from an abusive father."

After acquiring another company he said, "My business has tripled this year."

The truck driver who goes cross country said, "Nothing beats it."

He: "I was six feet tall in sixth grade and I only grew to six foot three inches."

She: "It was so hot in Wisconsin we had an hour of heat lightning."

UNIQUE JOBS

Water Resource Engineer

Two chemists

Post Partum Doula

Hospital Director

Professional Movers from California

Radiology Doctor in France

Home Day Care Business Owner

Electrical Engineering Professor in Germany

Worked at United Nations With the Security Council

Performance Analyst for The State of Colorado

Philanthropic Business Owner for Environment Issues

Training and teaching repair for portable cranes

Business owner teaching how to do hair extensions

House Flipper

I PICKED UP PEOPLE FROM THESE COUNTRIES:

Mexico, India, Chechnya(Soviet Union), Nigeria, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Philippines, The U.K., Zimbabwe, Eritrea. 

WHAT RIDERS SAID ABOUT ME AND MY CAR

He: "You're connecting with people. With everything going on in the world, you're seeing the beauty in people."

"This is the coolest museum I've ever seen."

"It's rare to meet someone like you. This is the highlight of my day, God bless you."

The 23-year-old going to work at Amazon said, "You deserve a cash tip." ($20)

Getting out of the car after taking pictures she was at a loss of words, "I can't even explain this."

"This was kind of magical."

"These days it's refreshing to see someone caring about something."

"This is like a New York City bar."

"This was a treat."

"This was the best Uber ever."

"This takes the cake."

Returning from Japan he said, "Don't mistake my jet lag for a lack of excitement."

She: "Can I give you a hug?"

"I love the positivity."

"This was the most interesting Uber I've ever had."

"It's a beautiful thing."

"I love it, this is really cool."

"Keep doing this."

"I like how you set this up."

"Thanks for sharing."

"Thank you for the talk."

"Great conversation."

"This is so cute."

"I like what you've done with this."

"Very nice display."

"That is great. I love it."

"Continue to be you."

"This is dope."

"This was the best Uber ride."

"You have a lovely car."