A Great Weekend Continues

We’ve had a great time this weekend. Yesterday we went out to do a lot of looking around and a little shopping. The malls and shopping centers were very busy. Tennessee Granddaddy was the chauffer. It’s great having Bethany, Sylvia, Mandy and Alex with us for this weekend.

Here’s a few more pictures that were taken in the last few days.

Dad & Mandy	Mandy & Alex
Mary & Bethany	Mandy & Granddaddy
Kevin & Zachary	Kara

~~~

Tennessee Granddaddy Says:

It has been a wonderful weekend.

~~~
Quote of the Day

Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak;
courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.
~Winston Churchill

~~~
Joke of the Day

Four worms and a lesson to be learned!!!!

A minister decided that a visual demonstration would add emphasis to his Sunday sermon. Four worms were placed into four separate jars.

The first worm was put into a container of alcohol. The second worm was put into a container of cigarette smoke. The third worm was put into a container of chocolate syrup. The fourth worm was put into a container of good clean soil.

At the conclusion of the sermon, the Minister reported the following results:

The first worm in alcohol - Dead.
The second worm in cigarette smoke - Dead
Third worm in chocolate syrup - Dead
Fourth worm in good clean soil - Alive.

Then the Minister asked the congregation - What did you learn from this demonstration???

It just so happened that Maxine was sitting in the back, and she quickly raised her hand and said........ "So..As long as you drink, smoke and eat chocolate, you won't have worms!"

That pretty much ended the service!

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Friday After Thanksgiving

A few Thanksgiving Day Pictures

Dad and Bethany	The Table Spread
Sylvia, Mavis, & Roy	Mary, Lesley, Kevin
Dad	Jim & Beverly

The Whole Gang

Gratitude for Our Parents

This following is a good example about how we change out opinion about our parents as we get older. You may have seen this before, but it's good to read again.

Just think, I'm almost 70 and I still have my Dad. I appreciate that I have had the privilege of having my Dad to help and advise me all these years. He is a wise man.

Remembering Dad

When I was:

• Four years old: My daddy can do anything.
• Five years old: My daddy knows a whole lot.
• Six years old: My dad is smarter than your dad.
• Eight years old: My dad doesn’t know exactly everything.
• Ten years old: In the olden days, when my dad grew up, things were sure different.
• Twelve years old: Oh, well, naturally, Dad doesn’t know anything about that. He is too old to remember his childhood.
• Fourteen years old: Don’t pay any attention to my dad. He is so old-fashioned.
• Twenty-one years old: Him? My Lord, he’s hopelessly out of date.
• Twenty-five years old: Dad knows about it, but then he should, because he has been around so long.
• Thirty years old: Maybe we should ask Dad what he thinks. After all, he’s had a lot of experience.
• Thirty-five years old: I’m not doing a single thing until I talk to Dad.
• Forty years old: I wonder how Dad would have handled it. He was so wise.
• Fifty years old: I’d give anything if Dad were here now so I could talk this over with him. Too bad I didn’t appreciate how smart he was. I could have learned a lot from him.

~~~

Tennessee Granddaddy Says:

I'm thankful that I still have my Dad.

~~~
Quote of the Day

My father used to play with my brother and me in the yard. Mother would come out and say, "You're tearing up the grass." "We're not raising grass," Dad would reply. "We're raising boys."

~Harmon Killebrew

~~~
Joke of the Day

An optometrist was instructing a new employee on how to charge a customer: “As you are fitting his glasses, if he asks how much they cost, you say ‘$125.’ …”

“If his eyes don’t flutter, say, ‘For the frames. The lenses will be $110.’…”

“If his eyes still don’t flutter, you add … ‘Each.’”

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Turkey Day in Kingsport

Thanksgiving Day
It's here! The big day has arrived. The rest of the family will arrive later this morning. The big bird will be in the oven soon. And later this morning all the aromas and sounds of a warm and happy Thanksgiving will be filling our home. Here's our menu for lunch:

Main Course:

• Roast Turkey
• Dressing
• Gravy
• Cranberry Sauce
• Macaroni and Cheese
• Mashed Potatoes
• Green beans
  
• Whole Kernel Corn
• Broccoli Casserole
• Sweet Potato Casserole
• Hot Rolls

Deserts:

• Pound Cake
• Chocolate Pound Cake with Chocolate icing
• Pumpkin Pie
• Pecan Pie
• Chocolate Fudge Pie
• Ice creams (Vanilla & Chocolate)

~~~
Tennessee Granddaddy Says:

~~~
Quote of the Day

Thanksgiving Day is a jewel, to set in the hearts of honest men; but be careful that you do not take the day, and leave out the gratitude.

~E.P. Powell

~~~
Joke of the Day

This morning on the Interstate, I looked over to my left and there was a woman in a brand new Cadillac doing 65 mph with her face up next to her rear view mirror putting on her eyeliner!

I looked away for a couple seconds and when I looked back, she was halfway over in my lane, still working on that makeup!

As a man, I don’t scare easily. But she scared me so much; I dropped my electric shaver, which knocked the donut out of my other hand.

In all the confusion of trying to straighten out the car using my knees against the steering wheel, it knocked my cell phone away from my ear, which then fell into the coffee between my legs, splashed and burned me, ruined the phone, soaked my trousers, and disconnected an important call.

Women drivers!

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Turkey Time is Almost Here!

The Bird
The turkey is still in the fridge thawing. He'll be coming out early in the morning. Then he and I will go at it. It's almost a wrestling match on the counter top. I grab him to get out the giblets inside, and he slides away. Finally, I get him with a half-nelson, and Grandmother makes the count to 10. I win again! I always get my turkey.

Before long he's in the oven. That's tomorrow!

Mandy, Alex, Sylvia will be arriving late this evening. Usually Kevin, Lesley, Kara, and Zachary will come by and we'll have our Thanksgiving Eve fun. We'll get a head start on those pound cakes I am sure!

~~~

Tennessee Granddaddy Says:

A bird in the hand is not as good as a bird in the oven.

~~~
Quote of the Day
If you count all your assets, you always show a profit.
~Robert Quillen

~~~
Joke of the Day

Have you ever wondered why foreigners have trouble with the English Language?

Let’s face it
English is a weird language.

There is no egg in the eggplant
No ham in the hamburger
And neither pine nor apple in the pineapple.
English muffins were not invented in England
French fries were not invented in France.

We sometimes take English for granted
But if we examine its paradoxes we find that
Quicksand takes you down slowly
Boxing rings are square
And a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig.

If writers write, how come fingers don’t fing.
If the plural of tooth is teeth
Shouldn’t the plural of phone booth be phone beeth
If the teacher taught,
Why didn’t the preacher praught.

If a vegetarian eats vegetables
What the heck does a humanitarian eat!?
Why do people recite at a play
Yet play at a recital?
Park on driveways and
Drive on parkways

English was invented by people, not computers
And it reflects the creativity of the human race
(Which of course isn’t a race at all)

That is why
When the stars are out they are visible
But when the lights are out they are invisible
And why it is that when I wind up my watch
It starts
But when I wind up this observation,
It ends.

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Bethany Arrives Today

Bethany

Around noon today we will be at the at the Tri-Cities Regional Airport to meet our daughter, Bethany. She's traveling from Rochester, NY. We look forward to having her with us for a full week! Let the fun begin!

Tomorrow we expect Mandy, Alex and Sylvia to arrive. Then on Thursday the rest of the gang will be here: Dad & Mary; Kevin, Lesley, Kara, & Zachary; Uncle Roy & Aunt Mavis.

Computer Stuff
I just finished updating my web page on Computer Utilities that I have had good experience using.

The Advanced Windows Care program has been upgraded to Advanced SystemCare. I've tried it out and have not had any problems. I usually run it and C-Cleaner once or twice a week on my computers.

I've added a new utility program named Foxit Reader. It's a pdf reader that I personally like better than Adobe Reader. It loads fast, runs quick and doesn't take up a lot of space on your computer. Adobe Reader used over 88 MB of space. I replaced it with Foxit Reader that only used 7.5 MB. I'm sick of bloated software.

I have been using Mozilla Firefox for the past year as my primary internet browser. I think it is wonderful and easy to use. I only use Microsoft Internet Explorer when forced to, which is not very often. You might want to give it a try; you might like it as well as I do.

Check Out My Favorite Computer Utilities

~~~

Tennessee Granddaddy Says:

This is a wonderful week for us. We look so forward to having the family together. We have so much to be thankful for.

~~~
Quote of the Day

Thanksgiving Day comes, by statute, once a year; to the honest man it comes as frequently as the heart of gratitude will allow.
~Edward Sandford Martin

~~~
Joke of the Day

A man owned a small farm in West Texas. The Wage and Hour Department of Texas claimed he was not paying proper wages to his help and sent an agent to interview him.

“I need a list of your employees and how much you pay them,” demanded the agent.

“Well, there’s my hired hand who’s been with me for 3 years. I pay him $600 a week plus free room and board. The cook has been here for 18 months, and I pay her $500 a month plus free room and board. Then there’s the half-wit that works about 18 hours a day. He makes $10 a week and I buy him chewing tobacco,” replied the farmer.

“That’s the guy I want to talk to; the half-wit,” says the agent.

The farmer says, “That would be me.”

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Thanksgiving Week

National Bible Week

It's Thanksgiving week and it's also National Bible Week
(Sunday, November 23rd to Sunday, November 30th).

It reminds me of a story about a little boy who said he knew what the Bible meant. He told his Dad that BIBLE means...

Basic Instruction Before Leaving Earth.

It seems to me that there's a lot of truth in that.


Thanksgiving Week
Here's an update on the bird. It's a 23 pound plus Butterball Brand turkey. He was recently placed in the refrigerator to thaw. He'll stay in the fridge to early Thursday morning, when Granddaddy will wrestle with him in the kitchen, and Grandmother will referee. Together we will get the turkey in the oven.


The Santa Train
Last Saturday we went to see the Santa Train. We drove to Kermit, Virginia, and were there when the train stopped on its way to Kingsport. Santa and his helpers were on the back of the train to throw out gifts to the children. It's quite an even in our part of the country. Read about it here:

The Santa Train.

Then we went to a very special place to eat. If you are ever in our part of the country you need to try. They make some of the best hamburgers you'll ever eat, and their hot fudge ice cream cakes are wonderful. Here's their sign, it's just west of Gate City, Virginia.

~~~

Tennessee Granddaddy Says:

Read your Bible every day.
Apply Jesus' teaching to your life.

~~~
Quote of the Day

Gratitude is the best attitude.
~Author Unknown

~~~
Joke of the Day

A grandmother was telling her little granddaughter what her own childhood was like: “We used to skate outside on a pond. I had a swing made from a tire; it hung from a tree in our front yard. We rode our pony. We picked wild raspberries in the woods.”

The little girl was wide-eyed, taking this in. At last she said, “I sure wish I’d gotten to know you sooner!”

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Google

It's All About Google
This video is long at nearly 8 minutes, but it explains a lot about the company. If I could go back to work, I would sure like to work for Google. How long can this last?

~~~

Tennessee Granddaddy Says:

I have a full deck, I just shuffle slower these days.
(Have you ever played "Five Crowns"? It's a fun game!
I like it because I've won the last 4 games I've played)

~~~
Quote of the Day

A bend in the road is not the end of the road...
unless you fail to make the turn.
~Author Unknown

~~~
Joke of the Day

A husband come home from church and he greets his wife and he lifts her up, and carriers her around the house.

The wife is very surprised, and she asks, "Did the pastor preach about being romantic?"

The husband replies, "No, he said we must carry our burdens and sorrows."

(The rest of the story is too sad to repeat.)

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Dad's Blog Missing

I just got a note from Dad.

His Blog is missing!!!

Dad says, "The page that comes up says that it has been deleted, but we know we didn't delete it! We contacted Blogspot and they are working on getting it restored."

Until things get fixed, Dad plans to make a post in a another blog he had been working on. Here's the link:

http://tomatogardeningwithdad.blogspot.com/

You can email Dad at : white6416r@aol.com

My regular post for today is listed below.
Scroll on down.

The Bald Eagle "Challenger"

This video is from Youtube and it shows a free flying Bald Eagle...

"Named in honor of the lost space shuttle crew, "Challenger" has performed free-flights during the USA's National Anthem at hundreds of events coast to coast—raising substantial public awareness for the Bald Eagle protection cause. He is the first Bald Eagle in American history trained to free-fly during the singing of the Star Spangled Banner. He has helped educate millions of people about the need to protect the USA's National Bird."

It lasts 3 1/2 minutes and is very interesting.

~~~
Tennessee Granddaddy Says:

The freedom we enjoy in our country is wonderful, but sometimes to give freedom to some is not in agreement with others. It is a price we must pay for precious freedom.

~~~
Quote of the Day

If you break your neck, if you have nothing to eat,
if your house is on fire, then you got a problem.
Everything else is inconvenience.
~Robert Fulghum

~~~
Joke of the Day

Taking his seat in his chambers, the judge faced the opposing lawyers.

“So,” he said, “I have been presented, by both of you, with a bribe.”

Both lawyers squirmed uncomfortably. “You, attorney Paulson, gave me $15,000. And you, attorney Hendren, gave me $10,000.”

The judge reached into his pocket and pulled out a check. He handed it to Paulson. “Now then, I’m returning $5,000, and we’re going to decide this case solely on its merits!”

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Only in America

This is funny, but true. Yes, only in America!

1. Only in America…can a pizza get to your house faster than an ambulance.
   
   
2. Only in America…there are handicap parking places in front of a skating rink. (And at many establishments, why are the handicap spaces not always the closest parking spaces?)
   
   
3. Only in America…do drugstores make the sick walk all the way to the back of the store to get their prescriptions while healthy people can buy cigarettes at the front.
   
   
4. Only in America…do people order double cheeseburgers, large fries and a diet coke.
   
   
5. Only in America…do banks leave both doors open and then chain the pens to the counters.
   
   
6. Only in America…do we leave cars worth thousands of dollars in the driveway and put our useless junk in the garage. (And... why do we park in the driveway, and drive on the parkway?)
   
   
7. Only in America…do we use answering machines to screen calls and then have call waiting so we won’t miss a call from someone we didn’t want to talk to in the first place.
   
   
8. Only in America…do we buy hot dogs in packages of ten and buns in packages of eight.
   
   
9. Only in America…do we use the word ‘politics’ to describe the process so well: ‘Poli’ in Latin meaning ‘many’ and ‘tics’ meaning ‘bloodsucking creatures’.
   
   
10. Only in America…do they have drive-up ATM machines with Braille lettering.

~~~
Tennessee Granddaddy Says:

I read the other day about setting SMART goals.
S = Specific .
M= Measurable
A = Achievable
R = Realistic
T= Timely
That sounds like a good thing to do!

~~~
Quote of the Day
If a man knows not what harbor he seeks,
any wind is the right wind.
-Seneca

~~~
Joke of the Day

When the family car developed a slight knock, the wife asked her husband if he had bought regular or premium gas, but he couldn’t remember.

“You probably got the cheaper gas,” she said. “That could account for the engine running so rough.”

“No, the gas wasn’t cheaper!” he replied indignantly.

“Well, how much did it cost?” asked the wife.

“It cost the same as always,” said the husband. “I bought the usual twenty dollars worth.”

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Polar Bears and Sled Dogs

Amazing!
Here's an interesting video from First Science.tv about polar bears and sled dogs which are actually playing with each other, even though the bears are a natural predator to the dogs. It's amazing what happens in the world of animals.




Just Thinking Ahead
A week from today will be Thanksgiving Eve, and we're looking forward to the arrival of our family guests from Lebanon, Tennessee. Yes Sylvia, Mandy and Alex will be coming! And a week from tomorrow is TURKEY DAY! Then more of our wonderful family will be here. Gobble Gobble.

~~~
Tennessee Granddaddy Says:

For natural gain we need to buy low and sell high.
For eternal gain we need to buy high and sell low.

~~~
Quote of the Day

A promise is a cloud; fulfillment is rain.
~Arabian Proverb

~~~
Joke of the Day

At the police station, Bubba explained to the police officer why his cousins shot him.

“Well,” Bubba began, “We wuz havin’ a good time drinking, when my cousin Ray picked up his shotgun and said, “Hey, der ya fellows wanna go hunting?”

“And then what happened?” the officer interrupted.

“From what I remember,” Bubba said, “I stood up and said, “Sure, I’m game.”

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Some Good Riddles

Riddles
Dad sent me some good riddles the other day. He had received them from our friend Jay. See how you do with these. The answers are in this post. Here goes...

1. A murderer is condemned to death. He has to choose between three rooms. The first is full of raging fires, the second is full of assassins with loaded guns, and the third is full of lions that haven't eaten in 3 years. Which room is safest for him?
   
   
2. A woman shoots her husband. Then she holds him under water for over 5 minutes. Finally, she hangs him. But 5 minutes later they both go out together and enjoy a wonderful dinner together. How can this be?
   
   
3. What is black when you buy it, red when you use it, and gray when you throw it away ?
   
   
4. Can you name three consecutive days without using the words Wednesday, Friday, or Sunday?
   
   
5. This is an unusual paragraph. I'm curious as to just how quickly you can find out what is so unusual about it. It looks so ordinary and plain that you would think nothing was wrong with it. In fact, nothing is wrong with it! It is highly unusual though. Study it and think about it, but you still may not find anything odd. But if you work at it a bit, you might find out. Try to do so without any coaching!

Here are the answers:

1. The third room. Lions that haven't eaten in three years are dead. That one was easy, right?
   
   
2. The woman was a photographer. She shot a picture of her husband, developed it, and hung it up to dry (shot; held under water; and hung).
   
   
3. Charcoal, as it is used in barbecuing.
   
   
4. Sure you can name three consecutive days, yesterday, today, and tomorrow!
   
   
5. The letter e, which is the most common letter used in the English language, does not appear even once in the paragraph.
   

The Frog Leap Test
The following link (The frog drawing) takes you to another type of puzzle where you jump the frogs. There are 3 green frogs on one side and 3 brown frogs on the other side. You job is to switch the places of the frogs. You can only jump over 1 frog in a single leap or move a frog to the next place. Good luck. Click on the following diagram:
This is supposedly a test in China for children in the second grade. I did it. But it took several tries! If you want to see the solution click here.

~~~
Tennessee Granddaddy Says:

Some people can say more in an hour than others can in a week.

~~~
Quote of the Day

If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you; that is the principal difference between a dog and a man.
~ Mark Twain

~~~
Joke of the Day

A blonde female police officer pulls over a blonde gal, in a convertible sports car, for speeding. She walks up to the car and asks the blond for her driver’s license. The blonde convertible driver searches through her purse, in vain. Finally she asks, “What does it look like?” The blonde police officer tells her, “It’s that thing with your picture on it.” The blonde driver searches for a few more seconds, pulls out her compact, opens it, and sure enough sees herself. She hands the compact to the blonde cop.

After a few seconds looking at the compact, the blonde cop rolls her eyes, hands the compact back to the blonde convertible driver and says, “If you would have told me you were a police officer when I first pulled you over we could have avoided this whole thing.”

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How to Handle a Kitchen Oil Fire

Help! Fire in the Kitchen!
This video only lasts 34 seconds. It's about how to deal with a kitchen oil fire. You should watch it and urge all your family and friends to watch it. You can find it on YouTube. Or you can watch it here...

There's going to be a lot of cooking going on as we move toward Thanksgiving. So this video might save someone from a serious injury. We want everyone safe and happy, enjoying life with their families.

~~~
Tennessee Granddaddy Says:

I think there's going to be a shortage of hand baskets.

~~~
Quote of the Day

I have a tip that can take five strokes off anyone's golf game:
it's called an eraser.
~Arnold Palmer

~~~
Joke of the Day

An octogenarian who was an avid golfer moved to a new town and joined the local Country Club. He went to the Club for the first time to play, but was told that there wasn’t anybody he could play with because they were already out on the course. He repeated several times that he really wanted to play today.

Finally, the assistant Pro said he would play with him and asked him how many strokes he wanted for a bet. The 80 year old said, “I really don’t need any strokes as I have been playing quite well. The only real problem I have, is getting out of sand traps.”

And he did play well. Coming to the par four 18th, they were all even. The Pro had a nice drive and was able to get on the green and two-putt for a par. The old man had a nice drive, but his approach shot landed in a sand trap next to the green. Playing from the bunker he hit a high ball, which landed on the green and rolled into the cup. Birdie, match and all the money!

The Pro walked over to the sand trap where his opponent was still standing in the trap. He said: “nice shot, but I thought you said you have a problem getting out of sand traps?”

Replied the octogenarian “I do, would you please give me a hand.”

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The Window

The Window Through Which We Look
A good story that we can learn something from...

A young couple moves into a new neighborhood. The next morning while they are eating breakfast, the young woman sees her neighbor hanging the wash outside. "That laundry is not very clean", she said. "She doesn't know how to wash correctly. Perhaps she needs better laundry soap."

Her husband looked on, but remained silent.

Every time her neighbor would hang her wash to dry, the young woman would make the same comments.

About one month later, the woman was surprised to see a nice clean wash on the line and said to her husband: "Look, she has learned how to wash correctly. I wonder who taught her this."

The husband said, "I got up early this morning and cleaned our windows."

And so it is with life. What we see when watching others depends on the purity of the window through which we look.

~~~

That story got me to thinking about clotheslines. Do you remember using them? I do. I recall standing beside the ringer on the washer and feeling the clothes after the water was pressed out of them. Mom would put them in a basket and carry them into the yard. We used wooden clothespins to pin the clothes to the wires that ran between two posts in the backyard. And there was the clothesline prop (see picture). We used the prop in the middle of the clothes line to keep the clothes from sagging and dragging on the ground. Then a thunderstorm might come up, and we would be running to the clothesline to get the clothes before they were soaked.

Ah! The good old days! Now I just hear the beeper on the automatic washer go "beep beep" to tell us it's time to change the clothes from the washer into the automatic dryer. My, how times have changed! And how do we use all this "extra time" we have saved? I can't find the time we save today with all of our labor saving devices. Can you?

May you have a wonderful weekend.

~~~
Tennessee Granddaddy Says:

I was recently reminded of the the Senility Prayer:

Grant me the senility to forget
the people I never liked anyway,
the good fortune to run into the ones I do,
and the eyesight to tell the difference.

~~~
Quote of the Day

The best six doctors anywhere
And no one can deny it
Are sunshine, water, rest, and air
Exercise and diet.

These six will gladly you attend
If only you are willing
Your mind they'll ease
Your will they'll mend
And charge you not a shilling.

~Nursery rhyme quoted by Wayne Fields,
What the River Knows, 1990

~~~
Joke of the Day

A father is explaining ethics to his son, who is about to go into business.

“Suppose a woman comes in and orders a hundred dollars worth of material. You wrap it up, and you give it to her. She pays you with a $100 bill. But as she goes out the door you realize she’s given you two $100 bills. Now what would be the ethical thing to do?" He asks his son.

His son replies, "Dad, I think you would try to find the lady and return her money, right?"

"No son", the father replies, "The ethics question is whether or not you tell your partner."

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Understanding Tax Cuts

SIMPLE ECONOMICS
My good friend Bob in Florida sent this to me the other day. It is a good way to understand how tax cuts work.

Suppose that every day, ten men go out for lunch and the bill for all ten comes to $100. If they paid their bill the way we pay our taxes, it would go something like this:

The first four men (the poorest) would pay nothing.
The fifth would pay $1.
The sixth would pay $3.
The seventh would pay $7.
The eighth would pay $12.
The ninth would pay $18.
The tenth man (the richest) would pay $59.

So, that's what they decided to do. The ten men ate lunch every day at the lunch counter and seemed quite happy with the arrangement, until one day, the owner threw them a curve.

'Since you are all such good customers, he said, I'm going to reduce the cost of your lunch by $20." (A tax cut!)

Lunch for the ten now cost just $80. The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we pay our taxes so the first four men were unaffected. They would still eat for free. But what about the other six men - the paying customers? How could they divide the $20 windfall so that everyone would get his 'fair share?'

They realized that $20 divided by six is $3.33. But if they subtracted that from every body's share, then the fifth man and the sixth man would each end up being paid to eat their meal. So, the owner suggested that it would be fair to reduce each man's bill by roughly the same amount, and he proceeded to work out the amounts each should pay!

And so:
The fifth man, like the 1st four,
now paid nothing----------------------(100% savings).
The sixth now paid $2 instead of $3 ---(33% savings).
The seventh now pay $5 instead of $7---(28% savings).
The eighth now paid $9 instead of $12--(25% savings).
The ninth now paid $14 instead of $18--(22% savings).
The tenth now paid $49 instead of $59--(16% savings).

Each of the six was better off than before. And the first four continued to eat for free. But once outside the restaurant, the men began to compare their savings.

'I only got a dollar out of the $20, 'declared the sixth man. He pointed to the tenth man, 'but he got $10!'

'Yeah, that's right,' exclaimed the fifth man. 'I only saved a dollar, too. It's unfair that he got ten times more than I!'

'That's true!!' shouted the seventh man. 'Why should he get $10 back when I got only two? The wealthy get all the breaks!'*

'Wait a minute,' yelled the first four men in unison. 'We didn't get anything at all. The system exploits the poor!'

The nine men surrounded the tenth and beat him up.

The next day the tenth man didn't show up for lunch, so the nine sat down and had lunch without him. But when it came time to pay the bill, they discovered something important. They didn't have enough money between all of them for even half of the bill!

And that, boys and girls, journalists and college professors, is how our tax system works. The people who pay the highest taxes get the most benefit from a tax reduction. Tax them too much, attack them for being wealthy, and they just may not show up anymore. In fact, they might start eating overseas where the atmosphere is somewhat friendlier.

~ Author Unknown

~~~

For those who understand, no explanation is needed.
For those who do not understand, no explanation is possible.

~~~
Tennessee Granddaddy Says:

Live each day as if it were your last day on earth,

~~~
Quote of the Day

No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.
- Eleanor Roosevelt

~~~

For something really funny,
check out the post on my other blog today:

Diet Scoreboards

~~~
Joke of the Day

A Dutchman was explaining the red, white, and blue Netherlands flag to an American. “Our flag is symbolic of our taxes. We get red when we talk about them, white when we get our tax bills and blue after we pay them.”

The American nodded. “It’s the same in the United States of America only we see stars too!”

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A Good Poem

Good Encouragement
The following poem was written in 1860 by Ellen Gates. It was also said that this poem was set to music a few years later, and that Abraham Lincoln heard the song sung. He was so moved by the song that he asked it be sung a second time. This is what I have been told, but as you know it may not be correct.

I did find this when I did some research:

• Information about Ellen Gates
• The Lyrics and Audio Files
  
• The Printed Music
  

Your Mission

If you cannot, on the ocean, sail among the swiftest fleet,
Rocking on the highest billows, laughing at the storms you meet,
You can stand among the sailors, anchored yet within the bay,
You can lend a hand to help them, as they launch their boats away.

If you are too weak to journey up the mountain steep and high,
You can stand within the valley, while the multitudes go by;
You can chant in happy measure, as they slowly pass along;
Though they may forget the singer, they will not forget the song.

If you have not gold and silver ever ready to command;
If you cannot toward the needy reach an ever open hand;
You can visit the afflicted, o’er the erring you can weep;
You can be a true disciple, sitting at the Savior’s feet.

If you cannot, in the conflict prove, yourself a soldier true,
If, where fire and smoke are thickest, there’s no work for you to do;
When the battlefield is silent, you can go with careful tread,
You can bear away the wounded, you can cover up the dead.

If you cannot, in the harvest, gather up the richest sheaves,
Many a grain both ripe and golden oft the careless reaper leaves;
Go and glean among the briars growing rank against the wall,
For it may be that their shadow hides the heaviest wheat of all.

Do not, then, stand idly waiting, for some greater work to do;
Fortune is a lazy goddess, she will never come to you.
Go and toil in any vineyard, do not fear to do or dare,
If you want a field of labor, you can find it anywhere.

~Ellen Gates, 1860

~~~
Tennessee Granddaddy Says:

It's good if you can laugh at yourself,
for you will always be amused.

~~~
Quote of the Day

The trouble with her is that she lacks the power of conversation but not the power of speech.
~ George Bernard Shaw

~~~
Joke of the Day

One day a little girl was sitting and watching her mother do the dishes at the kitchen sink. She suddenly noticed that her mother has several strands of white hair sticking out in contrast on her brunette head.

She looked at her mother and inquisitively asked, “Why are some of your hairs white, Mom?”

Her mother replied, “Well, every time that you do something wrong and make me cry or unhappy, one of my hairs turns white.”

The little girl thought about this revelation for a while and then said, “Momma, how come ALL of grandma’s hairs are white?”

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