How many people have you worked for like this over the years? The "I'll holler at 'em. That'll get 'em motivated" idiots.
Posts
Ending a movie with a preposition
3 hours ago
Sunday, May 31, 2009
803 - No it wasn't
How many people have you worked for like this over the years? The "I'll holler at 'em. That'll get 'em motivated" idiots.
Saturday, May 30, 2009
802 - Happy Saturday
Have you been to Bilbo's cartoon Saturday yet? Are you happy? Yes? I can fix that.
Headline - New leathal virus detected that is similar to Ebola.
And then there is the con. Somebody's always after your money. Here's how some of them do it. (this particular article is from Parade magazine)
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Would you recognize a potential swindle?
People who lose money to scammers aren’t always at fault. Here’s a scheme that would be difficult for someone to spot in advance.
Let’s say a financial con artist tells 1000 potential clients that a particular stock will go up on a given day. He tells 1000 others that the same stock will go down.
Say the stock goes up. The man focuses on the first 1000 people, as they think he got it right. He then chooses a different stock and tells 500 of them the stock will go up. He tells the other 500 it will go down. No matter what the stock does, 500 possible clients think he got it right again. So after repeating this a few times, the fellow winds up with a list of people convinced he has predictive powers—and ready to give him their life savings.
While this ruse isn’t a pyramid scheme, it does illustrate how easy it is to concoct ways to trick people by preying on their wishful thinking.
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So send me all your money. I'll take care of it for you. Trust me.
Headline - New leathal virus detected that is similar to Ebola.
And then there is the con. Somebody's always after your money. Here's how some of them do it. (this particular article is from Parade magazine)
************************
Would you recognize a potential swindle?
People who lose money to scammers aren’t always at fault. Here’s a scheme that would be difficult for someone to spot in advance.
Let’s say a financial con artist tells 1000 potential clients that a particular stock will go up on a given day. He tells 1000 others that the same stock will go down.
Say the stock goes up. The man focuses on the first 1000 people, as they think he got it right. He then chooses a different stock and tells 500 of them the stock will go up. He tells the other 500 it will go down. No matter what the stock does, 500 possible clients think he got it right again. So after repeating this a few times, the fellow winds up with a list of people convinced he has predictive powers—and ready to give him their life savings.
While this ruse isn’t a pyramid scheme, it does illustrate how easy it is to concoct ways to trick people by preying on their wishful thinking.
**************************
So send me all your money. I'll take care of it for you. Trust me.
Friday, May 29, 2009
801 - Cartoon .......
Cartoon Thurs.... no wait. Satur..... What the hell day is it today anyway? I hate holiday weeks. You know when the first day of the work week is ..... wait! Why would I care about THAT?! I don't know why I'm so confused!
Before you read this one I refer you back to my first post. Number 1.
This shows you can always improve on perfection. I saw this and thought, why didn't I think of this? What's in the glass? Water - half full. Jack Danials - half empty.
And then I realized the other three I'd picked out were all Speed Bumpers. This is the doggy version of face book. Here's the human version of butt book (rated at .75X).
And then there's this one about having a day that's carped. That's me today. I have to get up in the middle of the night to get to the golf course by 10:30 this morning. Just thinking about it is killin' me.
Then I keep running across references like the one below that keeps reminding me of somebody ....... hmmmmmmm ..... I'll come up with a name in a minute and then post it.
Before you read this one I refer you back to my first post. Number 1.
This shows you can always improve on perfection. I saw this and thought, why didn't I think of this? What's in the glass? Water - half full. Jack Danials - half empty.
And then I realized the other three I'd picked out were all Speed Bumpers. This is the doggy version of face book. Here's the human version of butt book (rated at .75X).
And then there's this one about having a day that's carped. That's me today. I have to get up in the middle of the night to get to the golf course by 10:30 this morning. Just thinking about it is killin' me.
Then I keep running across references like the one below that keeps reminding me of somebody ....... hmmmmmmm ..... I'll come up with a name in a minute and then post it.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
800 - 200 to go
Looking at Stress — and God — in the Human Brain
Should you decide to go read this, make sure you have a little time to finish the whole article. It's three computer article pages long. It's about a reporter that had an fMRI done on himself to see how he handles stress and what he thinks about God. Hopefully reading this doesn't stress you out.
STRESS article
.
Should you decide to go read this, make sure you have a little time to finish the whole article. It's three computer article pages long. It's about a reporter that had an fMRI done on himself to see how he handles stress and what he thinks about God. Hopefully reading this doesn't stress you out.
STRESS article
.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
799 - New chinese danger
It's not just anti-freeze in toothpaste anymore. Now you have to wonder if the house you're moving into was built with chinese drywall. Here's a long article that points out the problems of chinese drywall. If you want to learn more, just put "china" and "drywall" into google. You'll get nearly a million hits.
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Officials are looking into claims that Chinese-made drywall installed in some Florida homes is emitting smelly, corrosive gases and ruining household systems such as air conditioners, the Consumer Product Safety Commission says.
The Florida Health Department, which is investigating whether the drywall poses any health risks, said it has received more than 140 homeowner complaints. And class-action lawsuits allege defective drywall has caused problems in at least three states -- Florida, Louisiana and Alabama -- while some attorneys involved claim such drywall may have been used in tens of thousands of U.S. homes.
Homeowners' lawsuits contend the drywall has caused them to suffer health problems such as headaches and sore throats and face huge repair expenses. Gas emitted from defective drywall corrodes copper wiring, turning it black, some Florida homeowners say. The drywall is alleged to have high levels of sulfur and, according to homeowners' complaints, the sulfur-based gases smell of rotten eggs and corrode piping and wiring, causing electronics and appliances to fail.
"It's economically devastating, and it's emotionally devastating," said Florida attorney Ervin A. Gonzalez, who filed one of the lawsuits. It would cost a third of an affected home's value to fix the dwelling, Gonzalez said.
"The interior has to be gutted, the homeowners have to continue paying mortgages, and they have to pay for a [temporary] place to live," Gonzalez said.
The CPSC has been investigating claims in Florida for more than a month, according to commission spokesman Joe Martyak. He would not confirm whether CPSC is checking other states or reveal how many cases it is probing.
The Florida complaints generally involve homes built or renovated in 2005 and 2006, when a building boom and post-hurricane reconstruction caused a U.S. drywall shortage that spurred builders to turn to imports, Martyak said.
The allegations come after a number of recent safety problems with other Chinese exports, ranging from toys to pet food.
"The washing machine, the dryer, the microwave, a refrigerator -- these are all brand-new appliances, and they're breaking down," Nancy Nelson of Palmetto told the Tampa station. The Nelsons are among those who have complained to the state health department.
In a neighborhood in Homestead, Florida, owners of homes with Chinese-manufactured drywall say the dwellings smell like rotten eggs, especially on humid days, according to CNN affiliate WPLG-TV.
Electronics and appliances with copper components stopped working in short order, and copper pipes and wiring turned black, homeowners told the Miami station. "My dream has turned into a nightmare," one of the homeowners, Felix Martinez, told WPLG-TV. He said he closed on the home in August 2006.
Michael Foreman, head of construction consulting firm Foreman & Associates in Sarasota, Florida, said he's been investigating drywall complaints in that state since last year and is sharing information with at least one group of lawyers preparing lawsuits on the matter. Based on shipping records, Foreman estimates the United States in 2006 and the first two months of 2007 imported enough drywall from Chinese manufacturers named in lawsuits to produce at least 50,000 homes at a size of 2,000 square feet each.
Florida ports alone took in enough of that drywall during those 14 months to build 30,000 homes of that size, he estimated, citing records he obtained from the Port Import Export Reporting Service, a company that collects information on cargoes entering and leaving U.S. ports. Foreman said he has yet to see import records from 2004 and 2005, years covering what he said was a building boom with a high demand for drywall.
Two Florida attorneys involved in separate class-action lawsuits, Gonzalez and Jordan Chaikin, said they, too, believe shipping records indicate tens of thousands of residences in the United States, with a good chunk of them in Florida, may have drywall from the manufacturers.
"The breadth of this thing is a lot bigger than people think," said Chaikin of the Parker Waichman Alonso law firm in Bonita Springs. Chaikin said the problem is perhaps more easily recognizable in Florida because humidity exacerbates it.
An Alabama-based homebuilder alleges that Chinese-manufactured drywall in 40 houses it built in 2005 and 2006 -- 32 in Alabama and eight in Florida -- caused corrosion or odor problems. The builder, Mitchell Co., has filed a class-action lawsuit in Florida against certain manufacturers, attorney Steve Nicholas said.
"We filed on behalf of builders because we believe ... they're going to be the ones with the initial loss" to fix the problems, said Nicholas, of Alabama law firm Cunningham Bounds.
In Miami, Gonzalez filed his class-action lawsuit for homeowners this month. The suit names as defendants three China-based drywall manufacturers that the plaintiffs say are affiliates of Germany-based manufacturer Knauf Gips KG. Knauf Gips KG was also named, along with three Florida developers and two distributors.
The Miami suit seeks compensation and medical monitoring of the homeowners.
Joerg Schanow, a member of Knauf Gips' board, said in a telephone interview with CNN that the Chinese manufacturers named in the suit are part of Knauf Group, but not controlled by Knauf Gips KG.
"We here in Germany do not manufacture Chinese drywall. [Knauf Gips KG has] never asked companies to manufacture Chinese drywall for us or on our behalf. And there is no relationship at all," Schanow said. "I'm confident we will rebut this."
On its Web site, the company says the Knauf Group operates 150 factories worldwide, including the three Chinese production facilities named in the lawsuit.
One of the Chinese manufacturers named in the suit, Knauf Plasterboard Tianjin (KPT), said in a statement released through U.S. representatives that tests by an expert toxicologist it retained found "no associated health risks with the KPT product." KPT is still investigating whether its product has caused any corrosion, spokeswoman Yeleny Suarez said.
In a separate statement released through KPT's U.S. representatives, lawyers said there is no basis for the other two China-based manufacturers, Knauf Plasterboard Wuhu and Knauf Plasterboard Dongguan, to be part of the lawsuit and the manufacturers "will defend themselves vigorously."
At least two other class-action lawsuits -- one in Florida, the other in Louisiana -- name as defendants Knauf Gips, KPT and a Chinese drywall manufacturer not connected to Knauf, Taishan Gypsum Co. In a telephone interview with CNN, a Taishan Gypsum representative said "it's impossible that our products are found to emit poisonous gas in America," adding that the company didn't export to the United States.
Martyak declined to say which Chinese manufacturers the CPSC is investigating.
And Foreman cautions that not all Chinese drywall manufacturers who exported to the U.S. are accused of supplying a defective product.
The Louisiana suit, filed by the Becnel Law Firm of Reserve, Louisiana, claims defective Chinese drywall was installed in a home in Pearl River.
The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals has received one complaint related to the drywall issue by phone, J.T. Lane, the department's deputy chief of staff, said Wednesday.
The department is in touch with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Florida Health Department, and is "trying to determine what might be the public health impact for Louisiana and what the most appropriate response to this is," Lane said.
*****************************
Officials are looking into claims that Chinese-made drywall installed in some Florida homes is emitting smelly, corrosive gases and ruining household systems such as air conditioners, the Consumer Product Safety Commission says.
The Florida Health Department, which is investigating whether the drywall poses any health risks, said it has received more than 140 homeowner complaints. And class-action lawsuits allege defective drywall has caused problems in at least three states -- Florida, Louisiana and Alabama -- while some attorneys involved claim such drywall may have been used in tens of thousands of U.S. homes.
Homeowners' lawsuits contend the drywall has caused them to suffer health problems such as headaches and sore throats and face huge repair expenses. Gas emitted from defective drywall corrodes copper wiring, turning it black, some Florida homeowners say. The drywall is alleged to have high levels of sulfur and, according to homeowners' complaints, the sulfur-based gases smell of rotten eggs and corrode piping and wiring, causing electronics and appliances to fail.
"It's economically devastating, and it's emotionally devastating," said Florida attorney Ervin A. Gonzalez, who filed one of the lawsuits. It would cost a third of an affected home's value to fix the dwelling, Gonzalez said.
"The interior has to be gutted, the homeowners have to continue paying mortgages, and they have to pay for a [temporary] place to live," Gonzalez said.
The CPSC has been investigating claims in Florida for more than a month, according to commission spokesman Joe Martyak. He would not confirm whether CPSC is checking other states or reveal how many cases it is probing.
The Florida complaints generally involve homes built or renovated in 2005 and 2006, when a building boom and post-hurricane reconstruction caused a U.S. drywall shortage that spurred builders to turn to imports, Martyak said.
The allegations come after a number of recent safety problems with other Chinese exports, ranging from toys to pet food.
"The washing machine, the dryer, the microwave, a refrigerator -- these are all brand-new appliances, and they're breaking down," Nancy Nelson of Palmetto told the Tampa station. The Nelsons are among those who have complained to the state health department.
In a neighborhood in Homestead, Florida, owners of homes with Chinese-manufactured drywall say the dwellings smell like rotten eggs, especially on humid days, according to CNN affiliate WPLG-TV.
Electronics and appliances with copper components stopped working in short order, and copper pipes and wiring turned black, homeowners told the Miami station. "My dream has turned into a nightmare," one of the homeowners, Felix Martinez, told WPLG-TV. He said he closed on the home in August 2006.
Michael Foreman, head of construction consulting firm Foreman & Associates in Sarasota, Florida, said he's been investigating drywall complaints in that state since last year and is sharing information with at least one group of lawyers preparing lawsuits on the matter. Based on shipping records, Foreman estimates the United States in 2006 and the first two months of 2007 imported enough drywall from Chinese manufacturers named in lawsuits to produce at least 50,000 homes at a size of 2,000 square feet each.
Florida ports alone took in enough of that drywall during those 14 months to build 30,000 homes of that size, he estimated, citing records he obtained from the Port Import Export Reporting Service, a company that collects information on cargoes entering and leaving U.S. ports. Foreman said he has yet to see import records from 2004 and 2005, years covering what he said was a building boom with a high demand for drywall.
Two Florida attorneys involved in separate class-action lawsuits, Gonzalez and Jordan Chaikin, said they, too, believe shipping records indicate tens of thousands of residences in the United States, with a good chunk of them in Florida, may have drywall from the manufacturers.
"The breadth of this thing is a lot bigger than people think," said Chaikin of the Parker Waichman Alonso law firm in Bonita Springs. Chaikin said the problem is perhaps more easily recognizable in Florida because humidity exacerbates it.
An Alabama-based homebuilder alleges that Chinese-manufactured drywall in 40 houses it built in 2005 and 2006 -- 32 in Alabama and eight in Florida -- caused corrosion or odor problems. The builder, Mitchell Co., has filed a class-action lawsuit in Florida against certain manufacturers, attorney Steve Nicholas said.
"We filed on behalf of builders because we believe ... they're going to be the ones with the initial loss" to fix the problems, said Nicholas, of Alabama law firm Cunningham Bounds.
In Miami, Gonzalez filed his class-action lawsuit for homeowners this month. The suit names as defendants three China-based drywall manufacturers that the plaintiffs say are affiliates of Germany-based manufacturer Knauf Gips KG. Knauf Gips KG was also named, along with three Florida developers and two distributors.
The Miami suit seeks compensation and medical monitoring of the homeowners.
Joerg Schanow, a member of Knauf Gips' board, said in a telephone interview with CNN that the Chinese manufacturers named in the suit are part of Knauf Group, but not controlled by Knauf Gips KG.
"We here in Germany do not manufacture Chinese drywall. [Knauf Gips KG has] never asked companies to manufacture Chinese drywall for us or on our behalf. And there is no relationship at all," Schanow said. "I'm confident we will rebut this."
On its Web site, the company says the Knauf Group operates 150 factories worldwide, including the three Chinese production facilities named in the lawsuit.
One of the Chinese manufacturers named in the suit, Knauf Plasterboard Tianjin (KPT), said in a statement released through U.S. representatives that tests by an expert toxicologist it retained found "no associated health risks with the KPT product." KPT is still investigating whether its product has caused any corrosion, spokeswoman Yeleny Suarez said.
In a separate statement released through KPT's U.S. representatives, lawyers said there is no basis for the other two China-based manufacturers, Knauf Plasterboard Wuhu and Knauf Plasterboard Dongguan, to be part of the lawsuit and the manufacturers "will defend themselves vigorously."
At least two other class-action lawsuits -- one in Florida, the other in Louisiana -- name as defendants Knauf Gips, KPT and a Chinese drywall manufacturer not connected to Knauf, Taishan Gypsum Co. In a telephone interview with CNN, a Taishan Gypsum representative said "it's impossible that our products are found to emit poisonous gas in America," adding that the company didn't export to the United States.
Martyak declined to say which Chinese manufacturers the CPSC is investigating.
And Foreman cautions that not all Chinese drywall manufacturers who exported to the U.S. are accused of supplying a defective product.
The Louisiana suit, filed by the Becnel Law Firm of Reserve, Louisiana, claims defective Chinese drywall was installed in a home in Pearl River.
The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals has received one complaint related to the drywall issue by phone, J.T. Lane, the department's deputy chief of staff, said Wednesday.
The department is in touch with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Florida Health Department, and is "trying to determine what might be the public health impact for Louisiana and what the most appropriate response to this is," Lane said.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
798 - Movie review
Angels and Demons. Good movie. It doesn't follow the book exactly, but close enough. Of course if there has been an extended period of time from reading the book to seeing the movie it might not make a difference. And being old with a certain degree of memory loss helps too. Everything is new.
But that said, the movie follows the book close enough that you shouldn't be disappointed. Unless you're the type that's disappointed by things like that. Then I can't help. You're on your own. Just go see the ....... no wait! for the video.
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But that said, the movie follows the book close enough that you shouldn't be disappointed. Unless you're the type that's disappointed by things like that. Then I can't help. You're on your own. Just go see the ....... no wait! for the video.
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Monday, May 25, 2009
Sunday, May 24, 2009
796 - Misc junk
Here are a few things that I have gathered that aren't worth a full post. So I'll waste your time today with some miscellaneous junk.
1. Ever wonder how many favorite links you have saved? Go to explore. Then to your name. Then to favorites. Right click and click properties. I have 1481 links saved. I check them every day. .... No really!!!!
2. I ran across a file that ended with a file extention of 6yx. So I went HERE to see what kind of file it was. It wasn't anything. File deleted.
3. “Studies in 2004 and 2006 showed that normal subjects exposed to images of frightened faces or faces of people from another race will show increased activity of the amygdala, even if that exposure is subliminal.”
So we're all hard wired to be idiots.
.
1. Ever wonder how many favorite links you have saved? Go to explore. Then to your name. Then to favorites. Right click and click properties. I have 1481 links saved. I check them every day. .... No really!!!!
2. I ran across a file that ended with a file extention of 6yx. So I went HERE to see what kind of file it was. It wasn't anything. File deleted.
3. “Studies in 2004 and 2006 showed that normal subjects exposed to images of frightened faces or faces of people from another race will show increased activity of the amygdala, even if that exposure is subliminal.”
So we're all hard wired to be idiots.
.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
795 - The code
Friday, May 22, 2009
794 - A tutorial on derivative markets
Heidi is the proprietor of a bar in Detroit. In order to increase sales, she decides to allow her loyal customers - most of whom are unemployed alcoholics - to drink now but pay later. In a ledger, she keeps track of the drinks consumed (thereby granting the customers loans). Word gets around about Heidi's drink-now-pay-later marketing strategy and as a result, increasing numbers of customers flood into Heidi's bar and soon she has the largest sale volume for any bar in Detroit. By providing her customers freedom from immediate payment demands, Heidi gets no resistance when she substantially increases her prices for wine and beer, the most consumed beverages. Her sales volume increases massively.
A young and dynamic vice-president at the local bank recognizes these customer debts as valuable future assets and increases Heidi's borrowing limit. He sees no reason for undue concern since he has the debts of the alcoholics as collateral. At the bank's corporate headquarters, expert traders transform these customer loans into DRINKBONDS, ALKIBONDS and PUKEBONDS. These securities are then traded on security markets worldwide.
Naive investors don't really understand that the securities being sold to them as AAA secured bonds are really the debts of unemployed alcoholics. Nevertheless, their prices continuously climb, and the securities become the top-selling items for some of the nation's leading brokerage houses, who collect enormous fees on their sales, pay extravagant bonuses to their sales force, who in turn purchase exotic sports cars and multimillion dollar condominiums.
One day, although the bond prices are still climbing, a risk manager at the bank (subsequently fired due to his negativity), decides that the time has come to demand payment on the debts incurred by the drinkers at Heidi's bar. Heidi demands payment from her alcoholic patrons, but being unemployed, they cannot pay back their drinking debts. Therefore, Heidi cannot fulfill her loan obligations and so claims bankruptcy. DRINKBONDS and ALKIBONDS drop in price by 90 %. PUKEBONDS perform better, stabilizing in price after dropping by 80 %. The decreased bond asset value destroys the bank's liquidity and prevents it from issuing new loans.
The suppliers of Heidi's bar, having granted her generous payment extensions and having invested in the securities, are faced with writing off her debt and losing over 80% on her bonds. Her wine supplier claims bankruptcy, and her beer supplier is taken over by a competitor, who immediately closes the local plant and lays off 50 workers. The bank and brokerage houses are saved by the Government, following dramatic round-the-clock negotiations by leaders from both political parties. The funds required for this bailout are obtained by a tax levied on employed middle-class non-drinkers.
If you STILL don't understand, visit UNCLE JAY for this week.
.
A young and dynamic vice-president at the local bank recognizes these customer debts as valuable future assets and increases Heidi's borrowing limit. He sees no reason for undue concern since he has the debts of the alcoholics as collateral. At the bank's corporate headquarters, expert traders transform these customer loans into DRINKBONDS, ALKIBONDS and PUKEBONDS. These securities are then traded on security markets worldwide.
Naive investors don't really understand that the securities being sold to them as AAA secured bonds are really the debts of unemployed alcoholics. Nevertheless, their prices continuously climb, and the securities become the top-selling items for some of the nation's leading brokerage houses, who collect enormous fees on their sales, pay extravagant bonuses to their sales force, who in turn purchase exotic sports cars and multimillion dollar condominiums.
One day, although the bond prices are still climbing, a risk manager at the bank (subsequently fired due to his negativity), decides that the time has come to demand payment on the debts incurred by the drinkers at Heidi's bar. Heidi demands payment from her alcoholic patrons, but being unemployed, they cannot pay back their drinking debts. Therefore, Heidi cannot fulfill her loan obligations and so claims bankruptcy. DRINKBONDS and ALKIBONDS drop in price by 90 %. PUKEBONDS perform better, stabilizing in price after dropping by 80 %. The decreased bond asset value destroys the bank's liquidity and prevents it from issuing new loans.
The suppliers of Heidi's bar, having granted her generous payment extensions and having invested in the securities, are faced with writing off her debt and losing over 80% on her bonds. Her wine supplier claims bankruptcy, and her beer supplier is taken over by a competitor, who immediately closes the local plant and lays off 50 workers. The bank and brokerage houses are saved by the Government, following dramatic round-the-clock negotiations by leaders from both political parties. The funds required for this bailout are obtained by a tax levied on employed middle-class non-drinkers.
If you STILL don't understand, visit UNCLE JAY for this week.
.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
793 - A job for you.
Bandit sent me this. It's a new job. I think he's tired of me being retired and is looking for something for me to do. I think I'll pass. Maybe Bilbo or John can do this when they retire.
.
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Wednesday, May 20, 2009
792 - Leather
Did You Know This About Leather Dresses?
Do you know that when a woman wears a leather dress, a man's heart beats quicker, his throat gets dry, he gets weak in the knees, and he begins to think irrationally? Ever wonder why?
It's because she smells like a new golf bag.
.
Do you know that when a woman wears a leather dress, a man's heart beats quicker, his throat gets dry, he gets weak in the knees, and he begins to think irrationally? Ever wonder why?
It's because she smells like a new golf bag.
.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
791 - Bark!
I'm catching up on email jokes
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On the first day, God created the dog and said, "Sit all day by the door of your house and bark at anyone who comes in or walks past. For this, I will give you a life span of twenty years." The dog said, "That's a long time to be barking. How about only ten years and I'll give you back the other ten?"
So God agreed......
On the second day, God created the monkey and said, "Entertain people, do tricks, and make them laugh. For this, I'll give you a twenty-year life span." The monkey said, "Monkey tricks for twenty years? That's a pretty long time to perform. How about I give you back ten like the dog did?"
And God agreed......
On the third day, God created the cow and said, "You must go into the field with the farmer all day long and suffer under the sun, have calves and give milk to support the farmer's family. For this, I will give you a life span of sixty years.." The cow said, "That's kind of a tough life you want me to live for sixty years.. How about twenty and I'll give back the other forty?"
And God agreed again......
On the fourth day, God created humans and said, "Eat, sleep, play, marry and enjoy your life. For this, I'll give you twenty years." But the human said, "Only twenty years? Could you possibly give me my twenty, the forty the cow gave back, the ten the monkey gave back, and the ten the dog gave back; that makes eighty, okay?"
"Okay," said God. "You asked for it."
So that is why for our first twenty years, we eat, sleep, play and enjoy ourselves. For the next forty years, we slave in the sun to support our family. For the next ten years, we do monkey tricks to entertain the grandchildren. And for the last ten years, we sit on the front porch and bark at everyone.
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And a revisit to the other link sections on the left side column. Science daily
***********************
On the first day, God created the dog and said, "Sit all day by the door of your house and bark at anyone who comes in or walks past. For this, I will give you a life span of twenty years." The dog said, "That's a long time to be barking. How about only ten years and I'll give you back the other ten?"
So God agreed......
On the second day, God created the monkey and said, "Entertain people, do tricks, and make them laugh. For this, I'll give you a twenty-year life span." The monkey said, "Monkey tricks for twenty years? That's a pretty long time to perform. How about I give you back ten like the dog did?"
And God agreed......
On the third day, God created the cow and said, "You must go into the field with the farmer all day long and suffer under the sun, have calves and give milk to support the farmer's family. For this, I will give you a life span of sixty years.." The cow said, "That's kind of a tough life you want me to live for sixty years.. How about twenty and I'll give back the other forty?"
And God agreed again......
On the fourth day, God created humans and said, "Eat, sleep, play, marry and enjoy your life. For this, I'll give you twenty years." But the human said, "Only twenty years? Could you possibly give me my twenty, the forty the cow gave back, the ten the monkey gave back, and the ten the dog gave back; that makes eighty, okay?"
"Okay," said God. "You asked for it."
So that is why for our first twenty years, we eat, sleep, play and enjoy ourselves. For the next forty years, we slave in the sun to support our family. For the next ten years, we do monkey tricks to entertain the grandchildren. And for the last ten years, we sit on the front porch and bark at everyone.
********************
And a revisit to the other link sections on the left side column. Science daily
Monday, May 18, 2009
790 - THE PERFECT HUSBAND
Bilbo did a post on how men should act around women. Here's how men act around other men.
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Several men are in the locker room of a golf club. A cell phone on a bench rings and a man engages the hands free speaker function and begins to talk.
Everyone else in the room stops to listen.
MAN: 'Hello'
WOMAN: 'Honey, it's me. Are you at the club?'
MAN: 'Yes'
WOMAN: 'I am at the mall now and found this beautiful leather coat. It's only $1,000. Is it OK if I buy it?'
MAN: 'Sure, go ahead if you like it that much.'
WOMAN: 'I also stopped by the Mercedes dealership and saw the new 2008 models. I saw one I really liked.'
MAN: 'How much?'
WOMAN: ' $390,000'
MAN: 'OK, but for that price I want it with all the options.'
WOMAN: 'Great! Oh, and one more thing...the house I wanted last year is back on the market. They're asking $2,950,000' for it.
MAN: 'Well, then go ahead and give them an offer of $2,800,000.. They will probably take it. If not, we can go the extra $150,000 if it's really a pretty good price.'
WOMAN: 'OK. I'll see you later! I love you so much!'
MAN: 'Bye! I love you, too.'
The man hangs up. The other men in the locker room are staring at him in astonishment, mouths agape...
He turns and asks:
'Anyone know who this phone belongs to?'
*************************
Several men are in the locker room of a golf club. A cell phone on a bench rings and a man engages the hands free speaker function and begins to talk.
Everyone else in the room stops to listen.
MAN: 'Hello'
WOMAN: 'Honey, it's me. Are you at the club?'
MAN: 'Yes'
WOMAN: 'I am at the mall now and found this beautiful leather coat. It's only $1,000. Is it OK if I buy it?'
MAN: 'Sure, go ahead if you like it that much.'
WOMAN: 'I also stopped by the Mercedes dealership and saw the new 2008 models. I saw one I really liked.'
MAN: 'How much?'
WOMAN: ' $390,000'
MAN: 'OK, but for that price I want it with all the options.'
WOMAN: 'Great! Oh, and one more thing...the house I wanted last year is back on the market. They're asking $2,950,000' for it.
MAN: 'Well, then go ahead and give them an offer of $2,800,000.. They will probably take it. If not, we can go the extra $150,000 if it's really a pretty good price.'
WOMAN: 'OK. I'll see you later! I love you so much!'
MAN: 'Bye! I love you, too.'
The man hangs up. The other men in the locker room are staring at him in astonishment, mouths agape...
He turns and asks:
'Anyone know who this phone belongs to?'
Sunday, May 17, 2009
798 - Prague pictures - 8 - Change
Change? Of the gaurd of course. I told them I was coming and wanted to see a little pomp and circumstance. I didn't think they would go all out but what the heck.
They brought out the band!
They had a speaker talking to a full formation of soilders.
They had guys with sticks. (It's amazing when you don't know the traditions how silly some things can look.)
The guys with the sticks paraded past the review stand and circled back to where they came from.
Shot to the left.
Shot to the right.
Stand up sit down fight fight fight.
Close up of obligitory gaurd that never moves.
And .... the long view.
They brought out the band!
They had a speaker talking to a full formation of soilders.
They had guys with sticks. (It's amazing when you don't know the traditions how silly some things can look.)
The guys with the sticks paraded past the review stand and circled back to where they came from.
Shot to the left.
Shot to the right.
Stand up sit down fight fight fight.
Close up of obligitory gaurd that never moves.
And .... the long view.
Saturday, May 16, 2009
788 - Prague pictures - 7 - Side streets
This is one of the ways to the Charles Bridge from the main Town Square. There are lots of these types of streets off the Square. Cars drive down these like they are through ways so you always have to be alert. Unless your a native and then you walk right in front of the cars and dare them to hit you.
This first picture is just past the old cars in the previous post.
Lots of these little hole in the wall shops. They're about as deep as they are wide.
Notice the girl on the left standing in the doorway waiting for a customer.
I almost bought one of those black tshirts for Fiona.
More shops.
Claudia looking at things we're not going to buy.
More shops.
More shops.
More shops. The Charles Bridge is at the end of this street.
This first picture is just past the old cars in the previous post.
Lots of these little hole in the wall shops. They're about as deep as they are wide.
Notice the girl on the left standing in the doorway waiting for a customer.
I almost bought one of those black tshirts for Fiona.
More shops.
Claudia looking at things we're not going to buy.
More shops.
More shops.
More shops. The Charles Bridge is at the end of this street.
Friday, May 15, 2009
787 - email
Nice try Amanda. I'm not falling for it!!!!
CAN I TRUST YOU.
Princess Amada
2009 5 15,
12:00 - 1:00 (GMT +00:00)
Dear Friend, Good day and Compliments, I am writing this letter in confidence believing that if it is the wish of God for you to help me and my family, God almighty will bless and reward you abundantly and you would never regret this. I am a female student from University of Burkina Faso, Ouagadougou. I am 25 yrs old. I'd like any person who can be caring, loving and home oriented. I will love to have a long-term relationship with you and to know more about you I would like to build up a solid foundation with you in time coming if you can be able to help me in this transaction. Well, my lovingly Parents died two Years ago and left I and my junior brother behind. My late father was a king, which our town citizens titled him over sixteen years before his death. I was a princess to him and I am the only person who can take care of his wealth now because my junior brother is still young. Now am matured to face the life. I know my entire father's wealth. He deposited the sum of USD 7, 300.000 Dollars (Seven Million Three Hundred Thousand US Dollars) in a Security Company here in Burkina Faso in West African Country. Due to my late father position during the lodging of the money he told the security company management the content of the box was gold that belongs to his foreign partner and it was agreed and signed that on his absence the consignment will only be release to his partner by authorization of his only daughter which I am. This money was annually paid into my late fathers account from Shell petroleum development company (SPDC) and chevron Oil Company operating in our locality for the compensation of youth and community development in our jurisdiction. I don't know how and what I will do to invest this money somewhere in abroad, so that my father's kindred will not take over what belongs to my father and our family, which they were planning to do without my present because I am a female as stated by our culture in the town. I therefore seek your urgent att! ention a nd apply to the security company as my late father business partner and retrieve the box containing the total sum of USD 7, 300.000. I urgently need your humble assistance to move this money from the security company to your bank account that is why I felt happy when I saw your contact because I strongly believe that by the grace of God, you will help me to invest this money wisely. I am ready to pay 20% of the total amount to you if you help me in this transaction and another 10% interest per Annual after Income to you, for handling this transaction for us, which you will strongly have absolute control over. If you can handle this project sincerely and also willing to assist me in lifting this fund, kindly reach me. Please, note that this transaction is 100% risk free and I hope to commence the transaction as quick as possible, I will send you my Pictures as soon as I hear from you. Yours Sincerely, Princess Amada
CAN I TRUST YOU.
Princess Amada
2009 5 15,
12:00 - 1:00 (GMT +00:00)
Dear Friend, Good day and Compliments, I am writing this letter in confidence believing that if it is the wish of God for you to help me and my family, God almighty will bless and reward you abundantly and you would never regret this. I am a female student from University of Burkina Faso, Ouagadougou. I am 25 yrs old. I'd like any person who can be caring, loving and home oriented. I will love to have a long-term relationship with you and to know more about you I would like to build up a solid foundation with you in time coming if you can be able to help me in this transaction. Well, my lovingly Parents died two Years ago and left I and my junior brother behind. My late father was a king, which our town citizens titled him over sixteen years before his death. I was a princess to him and I am the only person who can take care of his wealth now because my junior brother is still young. Now am matured to face the life. I know my entire father's wealth. He deposited the sum of USD 7, 300.000 Dollars (Seven Million Three Hundred Thousand US Dollars) in a Security Company here in Burkina Faso in West African Country. Due to my late father position during the lodging of the money he told the security company management the content of the box was gold that belongs to his foreign partner and it was agreed and signed that on his absence the consignment will only be release to his partner by authorization of his only daughter which I am. This money was annually paid into my late fathers account from Shell petroleum development company (SPDC) and chevron Oil Company operating in our locality for the compensation of youth and community development in our jurisdiction. I don't know how and what I will do to invest this money somewhere in abroad, so that my father's kindred will not take over what belongs to my father and our family, which they were planning to do without my present because I am a female as stated by our culture in the town. I therefore seek your urgent att! ention a nd apply to the security company as my late father business partner and retrieve the box containing the total sum of USD 7, 300.000. I urgently need your humble assistance to move this money from the security company to your bank account that is why I felt happy when I saw your contact because I strongly believe that by the grace of God, you will help me to invest this money wisely. I am ready to pay 20% of the total amount to you if you help me in this transaction and another 10% interest per Annual after Income to you, for handling this transaction for us, which you will strongly have absolute control over. If you can handle this project sincerely and also willing to assist me in lifting this fund, kindly reach me. Please, note that this transaction is 100% risk free and I hope to commence the transaction as quick as possible, I will send you my Pictures as soon as I hear from you. Yours Sincerely, Princess Amada
786 - Prague pictures - 6 - Misc
See the American flag? That's the American embassy in Prague. (click on pictures to blow them up)
This picture is from the other direction. See the guys in the green vests. Those are Czech police. Every car that comes up the street gets checked for bombs. The car stops. Opens the trunk and hood. And then gets an undercarridge mirror check.
So we walked up and down this street many times and finally thought, why not visit our embassy? So we walk up to one of the gaurds outside the door.
Us - Can we go in?
Gaurd1 - Why, what's wrong?
Us - Nothings wrong, we just want to go in and check out the embassy.
G1 - Do you need something? Is something wrong?
Us - Noooo, we just want to look around.
We reluctantly get let in and find ourselves in a secure area with a metal detector like the airport. There's a gaurd in glassed in area we're told to talk to.
Gaurd2 - What do you want?
Us - We just wanted to come in and see the embassy.
G2 - We don't do things like that.
Us - No free stuff for Americans, maps, tour info, nothing like that?
G2 - Nope.
Us - So we can't get a quick tour?
G2 - Let me check. (he goes to a phone to call somebody)
There's a gaurd (G3) running the metal detector. She's checking people in while we're standing there. She has a break in people coming in.
Me - Are you from the Czech Republic?
G3 - Yes. (turns away, end of conversation)
G2 - (he's back) Sorry, there's nobody available to escort you to anywhere in the building.
Me to Claudia - Let's get out of here before we get arrested.
This is also why there's no pictures from in front of the embassy. To many guys with guns.
****************
Back to being tourists.
You can take tours in some of these old cars.
Can you spot the American Icon in this picture?
.
This picture is from the other direction. See the guys in the green vests. Those are Czech police. Every car that comes up the street gets checked for bombs. The car stops. Opens the trunk and hood. And then gets an undercarridge mirror check.
So we walked up and down this street many times and finally thought, why not visit our embassy? So we walk up to one of the gaurds outside the door.
Us - Can we go in?
Gaurd1 - Why, what's wrong?
Us - Nothings wrong, we just want to go in and check out the embassy.
G1 - Do you need something? Is something wrong?
Us - Noooo, we just want to look around.
We reluctantly get let in and find ourselves in a secure area with a metal detector like the airport. There's a gaurd in glassed in area we're told to talk to.
Gaurd2 - What do you want?
Us - We just wanted to come in and see the embassy.
G2 - We don't do things like that.
Us - No free stuff for Americans, maps, tour info, nothing like that?
G2 - Nope.
Us - So we can't get a quick tour?
G2 - Let me check. (he goes to a phone to call somebody)
There's a gaurd (G3) running the metal detector. She's checking people in while we're standing there. She has a break in people coming in.
Me - Are you from the Czech Republic?
G3 - Yes. (turns away, end of conversation)
G2 - (he's back) Sorry, there's nobody available to escort you to anywhere in the building.
Me to Claudia - Let's get out of here before we get arrested.
This is also why there's no pictures from in front of the embassy. To many guys with guns.
****************
Back to being tourists.
You can take tours in some of these old cars.
Can you spot the American Icon in this picture?
.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
785 - Prague paraphernalia
I'm glad dictionary.com knows what word I'm trying to spell. I would have never guessed how to spell paraphernalia.
Who could go on a trip without finding one of these in your suitcase?
I told Fiona we would get to the bar U Fleku and we did.
Of course we tried a few other beers while in Prague including the disputed Budweiser. But I liked the Pilsner Urquell best.
And of course I got Bilbo a post card. One of these days I'll put something on the back of it and mail it to him. No really, I will. ..... Or maybe he could just print a copy of this picture. That way I could save a forever stamp.
Who could go on a trip without finding one of these in your suitcase?
I told Fiona we would get to the bar U Fleku and we did.
Of course we tried a few other beers while in Prague including the disputed Budweiser. But I liked the Pilsner Urquell best.
And of course I got Bilbo a post card. One of these days I'll put something on the back of it and mail it to him. No really, I will. ..... Or maybe he could just print a copy of this picture. That way I could save a forever stamp.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
784 - Prague pictures - 5 - Church tower climb
Hey, I wonder if you can go into that church? Sure, 3 bucks apiece. Sounds easy. Did I mention the stairs? See the tallest tower? There are circular stairs that go up to where the bells are.
(again, you can click on the pictures to make them biggger)
About half way up you can see out some windows and get some good views.
You can see down the street to the entrance to the Charles bridge.
But you can keep going up.
Past the bells.
And out on a little walkway around the top of the tower. The big long building on the hill is the castle complex. You can see part of the castle church tower just visible on the left.
The rest of the pictures are a panorama from walking around the tower.
Except this one.
On top of the hill is a replica of the Eiffel tower. Not as big but probably as high in the air. We didn't make it to that attraction.
And for those that expect the monthly notification today is Friday the 13th.
.
(again, you can click on the pictures to make them biggger)
About half way up you can see out some windows and get some good views.
You can see down the street to the entrance to the Charles bridge.
But you can keep going up.
Past the bells.
And out on a little walkway around the top of the tower. The big long building on the hill is the castle complex. You can see part of the castle church tower just visible on the left.
The rest of the pictures are a panorama from walking around the tower.
Except this one.
On top of the hill is a replica of the Eiffel tower. Not as big but probably as high in the air. We didn't make it to that attraction.
And for those that expect the monthly notification today is Friday the 13th.
.
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