Thursday, June 17, 2004
WINNER! - Creative Writing Contest
WINNER! - Creative Writing Contest
A university creative writing class was asked to write a concise essay containing these four elements:
- religion
- royalty
- sex
- mystery
The prize-winning essay read: "My God," said the Queen. "I'm pregnant. I wonder who did it?"
A university creative writing class was asked to write a concise essay containing these four elements:
- religion
- royalty
- sex
- mystery
The prize-winning essay read: "My God," said the Queen. "I'm pregnant. I wonder who did it?"
Monday, June 14, 2004
Natural Highs
Think about them one at a time BEFORE going on to the next one...
IT DOES MAKE YOU FEEL GOOD, especially the thought at the end.
1. Falling in love.
2. Laughing so hard your face hurts.
3. A hot shower.
4. No lines at the supermarket.
5. A special glance.
6. Getting mail.
7. Taking a drive on a pretty road.
8. Hearing your favourite song on the radio.
9. Lying in bed listening to the rain outside.
10. Hot towels fresh out of the dryer.
11. Chocolate milkshake ... (or vanilla ... or strawberry!)
12. A bubble bath.
13. Giggling.
14. A good conversation.
15. The beach
16. Finding a 20-£ note in your coat from last winter.
17. Laughing at yourself.
19. Midnight phone calls that last for hours.
20. Running through sprinklers.
21. Laughing for absolutely no reason at all.
22. Having someone tell you that you're beautiful.
23. Laughing at an inside joke.
24. Friends.
25. Accidentally overhearing someone say something nice about you.
26. Waking up and realizing you still have a few hours left to sleep.
27. Your first kiss (either the very first or with a new partner).
28. Making new friends or spending time with old ones.
29. Playing with a new puppy.
30. Having someone play with your hair.
31. Sweet dreams.
32. Hot chocolate.
33. Road trips with friends.
34. Swinging on swings.
35. Making eye contact with a cute stranger.
36. Making chocolate chip cookies (and eating them...!).
37. Having your friends send you homemade cookies.
38. Holding hands with someone you care about.
39. Running into an old friend and realizing that some things (good or bad) never change.
40. Watching the expression on someone's face as they open a much-desired present from you.
41. Watching the sunrise.
42. Getting out of bed every morning and being grateful for another beautiful day.
43. Knowing that somebody misses you.
44. Getting a hug from someone you care about deeply.
45. Knowing you've done the right thing, no matter what other people think.
PASS ON THESE NATURAL HIGHS TO AT LEAST 7 PEOPLE IN THE NEXT HALF AN HOUR AND SOMETHING FANTASTIC WILL HAPPEN TO YOU SHORTLY!
Be sure to send it back to the person who sent it to you!
Friends are angels who lift us to our feet when our wings have trouble remembering how to fly.
IT DOES MAKE YOU FEEL GOOD, especially the thought at the end.
1. Falling in love.
2. Laughing so hard your face hurts.
3. A hot shower.
4. No lines at the supermarket.
5. A special glance.
6. Getting mail.
7. Taking a drive on a pretty road.
8. Hearing your favourite song on the radio.
9. Lying in bed listening to the rain outside.
10. Hot towels fresh out of the dryer.
11. Chocolate milkshake ... (or vanilla ... or strawberry!)
12. A bubble bath.
13. Giggling.
14. A good conversation.
15. The beach
16. Finding a 20-£ note in your coat from last winter.
17. Laughing at yourself.
19. Midnight phone calls that last for hours.
20. Running through sprinklers.
21. Laughing for absolutely no reason at all.
22. Having someone tell you that you're beautiful.
23. Laughing at an inside joke.
24. Friends.
25. Accidentally overhearing someone say something nice about you.
26. Waking up and realizing you still have a few hours left to sleep.
27. Your first kiss (either the very first or with a new partner).
28. Making new friends or spending time with old ones.
29. Playing with a new puppy.
30. Having someone play with your hair.
31. Sweet dreams.
32. Hot chocolate.
33. Road trips with friends.
34. Swinging on swings.
35. Making eye contact with a cute stranger.
36. Making chocolate chip cookies (and eating them...!).
37. Having your friends send you homemade cookies.
38. Holding hands with someone you care about.
39. Running into an old friend and realizing that some things (good or bad) never change.
40. Watching the expression on someone's face as they open a much-desired present from you.
41. Watching the sunrise.
42. Getting out of bed every morning and being grateful for another beautiful day.
43. Knowing that somebody misses you.
44. Getting a hug from someone you care about deeply.
45. Knowing you've done the right thing, no matter what other people think.
PASS ON THESE NATURAL HIGHS TO AT LEAST 7 PEOPLE IN THE NEXT HALF AN HOUR AND SOMETHING FANTASTIC WILL HAPPEN TO YOU SHORTLY!
Be sure to send it back to the person who sent it to you!
Friends are angels who lift us to our feet when our wings have trouble remembering how to fly.
Wednesday, June 09, 2004
Elephant story
elephant story
Sharing with you an interesting article I read,........
"To say the least, it was a fascinating experience I had. I was able to walk around looking at the lions, tigers, giraffes and all
the other circus animals. As I was passing the elephants, I suddenly stopped, confused by the fact that these huge creatures were being held by only a small rope tied to their front leg.
No chains, no cages. It was obvious that the elephants could, at any time, break away from their bonds but for some reason, they did not !! I saw a trainer nearby and asked why these beautiful, magnificent animals just stood there and made no attempt to get away.
'Well,' he said, 'when they are very young and much smaller we use the same size rope to tie them and, at that age, it's enough to hold them. As they grow up, they are conditioned to believe they cannot break away. They believe the rope can still hold them, so they never try to break free.'
I was amazed. These animals could at any time break free from their bonds but because they believed they couldn't, they were stuck right where they were.
Like the elephants, how many of us go through life hanging onto a belief that we cannot do something, simply because we failed at it once before?
How many of us are being held back by old, outdated beliefs that no longer serve us?
How many of us have avoided trying something new because of a limiting belief?
Worse, how many of us are being held back by someone else's limiting beliefs?"
Sharing with you an interesting article I read,........
"To say the least, it was a fascinating experience I had. I was able to walk around looking at the lions, tigers, giraffes and all
the other circus animals. As I was passing the elephants, I suddenly stopped, confused by the fact that these huge creatures were being held by only a small rope tied to their front leg.
No chains, no cages. It was obvious that the elephants could, at any time, break away from their bonds but for some reason, they did not !! I saw a trainer nearby and asked why these beautiful, magnificent animals just stood there and made no attempt to get away.
'Well,' he said, 'when they are very young and much smaller we use the same size rope to tie them and, at that age, it's enough to hold them. As they grow up, they are conditioned to believe they cannot break away. They believe the rope can still hold them, so they never try to break free.'
I was amazed. These animals could at any time break free from their bonds but because they believed they couldn't, they were stuck right where they were.
Like the elephants, how many of us go through life hanging onto a belief that we cannot do something, simply because we failed at it once before?
How many of us are being held back by old, outdated beliefs that no longer serve us?
How many of us have avoided trying something new because of a limiting belief?
Worse, how many of us are being held back by someone else's limiting beliefs?"
Incase you lose your wallet!
Incase you lose your wallet!
I got this from a good friend,some stuff we knew,other
we don't!
A corporate attorney sent the following out to the
employees in his company:
The next time you order checks have only your initials
(instead of first name) and last name put on them.
If someone takes your check book they will not know if
you sign your checks with just your initials or your
first name but your bank will know how you sign your
checks.
When you are writing checks to pay on your credit card
accounts, DO NOT put the complete account number on
the "For" line. Instead, just put the last
four numbers. The credit card company knows the rest
of the number and anyone who might be handling your
check as it passes through all the check
processing channels won't have access to it.
Put your work phone # on your checks instead of your
home phone. If you have a PO Box use that instead of
your home address. Never have your SS# printed on your
checks (DUH!) you can add it if it is necessary.
But if you have it printed, anyone can get it.
Place the contents of your wallet on a photocopy
machine, do both sides of each license, credit card,
etc. You will know what you had in your wallet and all
of the account numbers and phone numbers to call and
cancel.
Keep the photocopy in a safe place. I also carry a
photocopy of my passport when I travel either here or
abroad.We've all heard horror stories about fraud
that's committed on us in stealing a name, address,
Social Security number, credit cards, etc.
Unfortunately I, an attorney, have firsthand knowledge
because my wallet was stolen last month. Within a
week, the thieve(s) ordered an expensive monthly cell
phone package, applied for a VISA credit card,
had a credit line approved to buy a Gateway computer,
received a PIN number from DMV to change my driving
record information online, and more.
But here's some critical information to limit the
damage in case this happens to you or someone you
know:
We have been told we should cancel our credit cards
immediately. But the key is having the toll free
numbers and your card numbers handy so you know whom
to call. Keep those where you can find them easily.
File a police report immediately in the jurisdiction
where it was stolen, this proves to credit providers
you were diligent, and is a first step toward an
investigation (if there ever is one).
But here's what is perhaps most important: (I never
even thought to do this).
Call the three national credit reporting organizations
immediately to place a fraud alert on your name and
Social Security number.
The numbers are:
Equifax: 1-800-525-6285
Experian (formerly TRW): 1-888-397-3742
Trans Union: 1-800-680-7289
I had never heard of doing that until advised by a
bank that called to tell me an application for credit
was made over the Internet in my name.
The alert means any company that checks your credit
knows your information was stolen and they have to
contact you by phone to authorize new credit.
By the time I was advised to do this, almost two weeks
after the theft,all the damage had been done.
There are records of all the credit checks initiated
by the thieves' purchases, none of which I knew about
before placing the alert. Since then, no additional
damage has been done, and the thieves threw my
wallet away this weekend (someone turned it in). It
seems to have stopped them in their tracks.
Social Security Administration (fraud line):
1-800-269-0271 We pass along jokes on the Internet; we
pass along just about everything. Pass this
information along. It could really help someone you
care about. Fred E. Williams POB 85 Old Fort, NC 28762
I got this from a good friend,some stuff we knew,other
we don't!
A corporate attorney sent the following out to the
employees in his company:
The next time you order checks have only your initials
(instead of first name) and last name put on them.
If someone takes your check book they will not know if
you sign your checks with just your initials or your
first name but your bank will know how you sign your
checks.
When you are writing checks to pay on your credit card
accounts, DO NOT put the complete account number on
the "For" line. Instead, just put the last
four numbers. The credit card company knows the rest
of the number and anyone who might be handling your
check as it passes through all the check
processing channels won't have access to it.
Put your work phone # on your checks instead of your
home phone. If you have a PO Box use that instead of
your home address. Never have your SS# printed on your
checks (DUH!) you can add it if it is necessary.
But if you have it printed, anyone can get it.
Place the contents of your wallet on a photocopy
machine, do both sides of each license, credit card,
etc. You will know what you had in your wallet and all
of the account numbers and phone numbers to call and
cancel.
Keep the photocopy in a safe place. I also carry a
photocopy of my passport when I travel either here or
abroad.We've all heard horror stories about fraud
that's committed on us in stealing a name, address,
Social Security number, credit cards, etc.
Unfortunately I, an attorney, have firsthand knowledge
because my wallet was stolen last month. Within a
week, the thieve(s) ordered an expensive monthly cell
phone package, applied for a VISA credit card,
had a credit line approved to buy a Gateway computer,
received a PIN number from DMV to change my driving
record information online, and more.
But here's some critical information to limit the
damage in case this happens to you or someone you
know:
We have been told we should cancel our credit cards
immediately. But the key is having the toll free
numbers and your card numbers handy so you know whom
to call. Keep those where you can find them easily.
File a police report immediately in the jurisdiction
where it was stolen, this proves to credit providers
you were diligent, and is a first step toward an
investigation (if there ever is one).
But here's what is perhaps most important: (I never
even thought to do this).
Call the three national credit reporting organizations
immediately to place a fraud alert on your name and
Social Security number.
The numbers are:
Equifax: 1-800-525-6285
Experian (formerly TRW): 1-888-397-3742
Trans Union: 1-800-680-7289
I had never heard of doing that until advised by a
bank that called to tell me an application for credit
was made over the Internet in my name.
The alert means any company that checks your credit
knows your information was stolen and they have to
contact you by phone to authorize new credit.
By the time I was advised to do this, almost two weeks
after the theft,all the damage had been done.
There are records of all the credit checks initiated
by the thieves' purchases, none of which I knew about
before placing the alert. Since then, no additional
damage has been done, and the thieves threw my
wallet away this weekend (someone turned it in). It
seems to have stopped them in their tracks.
Social Security Administration (fraud line):
1-800-269-0271 We pass along jokes on the Internet; we
pass along just about everything. Pass this
information along. It could really help someone you
care about. Fred E. Williams POB 85 Old Fort, NC 28762
"A winner is NOT one who NEVER FAILS...
"A winner is NOT one who NEVER FAILS...
.....but one who NEVER QUITS!!!"
Read on...
A candidate for a news broadcasters post was rejected by officials since
his voice was not fit for a news broadcaster. He was also told that with
his obnoxiously long name, he would never be famous.
He is Amitabh Bacchan.
-------------------------------------------
A small boy--the fifth amongst seven siblings of a poor father, was selling newspapers in a small village to earn his living. He was not exceptionally smart at school but was fascinated by religion and rockets. The first
rocket he built crashed. A missile that he built crashed multiple times and he was made a butt of ridicule. He is the person to have scripted the Space Odyssey of India single-handedly.
He is Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam.
--------------------------------------------
In 1962, four nervous young musicians played their first record audition
for the executives of the Decca recording Company. The executives were not impressed. While turning down this group of musicians, one executive said, "We don't like their sound. Groups of guitars are on the way out."
The group was called The Beatles.
--------------------------------------------
In 1944, Emmeline Snively, director of the Blue Book Modeling Agency told modeling hopeful Norma Jean Baker, "You'd better learn secretarial work or else get married".
She went on and became Marilyn Monroe.
--------------------------------------------
In 1954, Jimmy Denny, manager of the Grand Ole Opry, Fired a singer after one performance. He told him, "You ain't goin' nowhere son. You ought to go back to drivin' a truck".
He was Elvis Presley.
-------------------------------------------
When Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone in 1876, it did not
ring off the hook with calls from potential backers. After making a
demonstration call, President Rutherford Hayes said, "That's an amazing invention, but who would ever want to see one of them?"
-------------------------------------------
When Thomas Edison invented the light bulb, he tried over 2000 experiments before he got it to work. A young reporter asked him how it felt to fail so many times. He said, "I never failed once. I invented the light bulb.It just happened to be a 2000-step process".
-------------------------------------------
In the 1940s, another young inventor named Chester Carlson took his idea to 20 corporations, including some of the biggest in the country. They all turned him down. In 1947, after 7 long years of rejections, he finally got a tiny company in Rochester, NY, the Haloid company, to purchase the rights to his invention--an electrostatic paper-copying process.
Haloid later became Xerox Corporation.
------------------------------------------
A little girl--the 20th of 22 children, was born prematurely and her
survival was doubtful. When she was 4 years old, she contracted double
pneumonia and scarlet fever, which left her with a paralyzed left leg.
At age 9, she removed the metal leg brace she had been dependent on and began to walk without it. By 13 she had developed a rhythmic walk, which doctors said was a miracle. That same year she decided to become a runner. She entered a race and came in last. For the next few years every race she entered, she came in last. Everyone told her to quit, but she kept on running. One day she actually won a race. And then another. >From then on she won every race she entered.
Eventually this little girl--Wilma Rudolph, went on to win three Olympic
gold medals.
----------------------------------------
A school teacher scolded a boy for not paying attention to his mathematics and for not being able to solve simple problems. She told him that you would not become anybody in life.
The boy was Albert Einstein.
________________________________________________
SO WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE
