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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What is a Christian?

My good friend Celia gave me something last week. I enjoyed it and I thought you would also. Here goes...

A woman was asked, "What is it like to be a Christian?"

She replied, "It's like being a pumpkin. God plucks you from the patch, brings you in and washes the dirt off you. Then he cuts off the top and scoops out all the yucky stuff. He removes the seeds of doubt, and the hate and greed. Then he carves you a new smiling face and puts his light inside of you to shine for all the world to see.

~ author unknown

~~~
Tennessee Granddaddy Says:

He who knows not and knows he knows not is a wise man. He who knows not and knows not he knows not is a fool.

~~~
Quote of the Day

Some folks are wise and some are otherwise.
- Tobias George Smolett

~~~
Joke of the Day

A WOMAN’S REVENGE: “Cash, check or charge?” I asked, after folding the items the woman wished to purchase.

As she fumbled for her wallet I noticed a remote control for a television set in her purse. “So, do you always carry your TV remote?” I asked.

“No,” she replied, “but my husband refused to come shopping with me, so I figured this was the most legal evil thing I could do to him.”

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Veterans Day

Honor and Remember

Today is the day to honor and remember our veterans from our armed forces.

Veterans Day Links:

• Public and Intergovernmental Affairs
• Wikipedia
• History of Veterans Day
• More History

You might want to check out Before You Go, a song with pictures written in remembrance of our aging World War II and Korean Veterans. Also, don't forget my Support Our Troops page for lots of good links.

Here's a slide show of some more military pictures that Mark T. sent me yesterday.

Seen on a Bumper Sticker:
You’re driving a car.
It isn’t a telephone booth,
a beauty parlor or a restaurant.

~~~
Tennessee Granddaddy Says:

Everyone is gifted. Some open the package sooner.

~~~
Quote of the Day

And I'm proud to be an American,
where at least I know I'm free.
And I won't forget the men who died,
who gave that right to me.
~Lee Greenwood

~~~
Joke of the Day

Three comedians are shooting the breeze at the back of a nightclub after a late gig. They’ve heard one another’s material so much, they’ve reached the point where they don’t need to say the jokes anymore to amuse each other - they just need to refer to each joke by a number.

“Number 37!” cracks the first comic, and the others break up.

“Number 53!” says the second guy, and they howl.

Finally, it’s the third comic’s turn. “44!” he quips. He gets nothing. Silence!

“What?” he asks, “Isn’t 44 funny?” “Sure, it’s usually hilarious,” they answer. “But the way you tell it…”

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Military Pictures

Our Military in Action
The following picture is an example of a slew of military pictures that have been made available to the public. I think you will find them interesting. Click on the picture below to go to the web page where you can view the pictures.

At the end of the pictures it says,

"If you can read this, thank a teacher.
If you're reading it in English, thank your Military."

Many thanks to US Armed Forces
for their dedication and sacrifice for freedom.

Remember, tomorrow is Veterans Day!

~~~
Tennessee Granddaddy Says:

Be thankful: It is wonderful that wrinkles don't hurt.

~~~
Quote of the Day

When you realize you've made a mistake, make amends immediately.
It's easier to eat crow while it's still warm.
~ Dan Heist

~~~
Joke of the Day

A row of bottles on my shelf Caused me to analyze myself. One yellow pill I have to pop Goes to my heart so it won’t stop. A little white one that I take Goes to my hands so they won’t shake.

The blue ones that I use a lot Tell me I’m happy when I’m not. The purple pill goes to my brain And tells me that I have no pain. The capsules tell me not to wheeze Or cough or choke or even sneeze.

The red ones, smallest of them all Go to my blood so I won’t fall. The orange ones, very big and bright Prevent my leg cramps in the night.

Such an array of brilliant pills Helping to cure all kinds of ills. But what I’d really like to know...

Is what tells each one where to go!?

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Are You Too Dumb to Own a Computer?

This Guy Was!

And you thought that you had troubles...This is supposedly a true story from the WordPerfect help line. Needless to say the help desk employee was fired; however, he/she was said to have sued the WordPerfect organization for "Termination without Cause".

Actual dialog of a former WordPerfect Customer Support employee:

"Ridge Hall computer assistant; may I help you?"

"Yes, well, I'm having trouble with WordPerfect."

"What sort of trouble?"

"Well, I was just typing along, and all of a sudden the words went away."

"Went away?"

"They disappeared."

"Hmm. So what does your screen look like now?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing?"

"It's blank; it won't accept anything when I type."

"Are you still in WordPerfect, or did you get out?"

"How do I tell?"

"Can you see the C: prompt on the screen?"

"What's a sea-prompt?"

"Never mind. Can you move the cursor around on the screen?"

"There isn't any cursor: I told you, it won't accept anything I type."

"Does your monitor have a power indicator?"

"What's a monitor?"

"It's the thing with the screen on it that looks like a TV. Does it have a little light that tells you when it's on?"

"I don't know."

"Well, then look on the back of the monitor and find where the power cord goes into it. Can you see that?"

"Yes, I think so."

"Great. Follow the cord to the plug, and tell me if it's plugged into the wall."

".......Yes, it is."

"When you were behind the monitor, did you notice that there were two cables plugged into the back of it, not just one?"

"No."

"Well, there are. I need you to look back there again and find the other cable."

".......Okay, here it is."

"Follow it for me, and tell me if it's plugged securely into the back of your computer."

"I can't reach."

"Uh huh. Well, can you see if it is?"

"No."

"Even if you maybe put your knee on something and lean way over?"

"Oh, it's not because I don't have the right angle, it's because it's dark."

"Dark?"

"Yes - the office light is off, and the only light I have is coming in from the window."

"Well, turn on the office light then."

"I can't."

"No? Why not?"

"Because there's a power outage."

"A power... A power outage? Aha, Okay, we've got it licked now. Do you still have the boxes and manuals and packing stuff your computer came in?"

"Well, yes, I keep them in the closet."

"Good. Go get them, and unplug your system and pack it up just like it was when you got it. Then take it back to the store you bought it from."

"Really? Is it that bad?"

"Yes, I'm afraid it is."

"Well, all right then, I suppose. What do I tell them?"

"Tell them you're too stupid to own a computer.

~~~
Tennessee Granddaddy Says:

Why is it that people want the front of the bus,
the back of the church, and the center of attention?

~~~
Quote of the Day

Opportunities do not come with their values stamped upon them.
~ Maltbie Babcock

~~~
Joke of the Day

On doctor’s orders, Marvin had moved to Arizona. Two weeks later, he was dead. His body was shipped back home, where the undertaker prepared it for the services. Marvin’s brother came in to make sure everything was taken care of.

“Would you like to see the body?” the undertaker asked.

“I might as well take a look at it before the others get here.”

The undertaker led him into the next room and opened the top half of the casket. He stood back and proudly displayed his work.

“He looks good,” the brother said. “Those two weeks in Arizona were just the thing for him.”

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