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~~~~~~~ WITandWISDOM™ - June 1, 1999 ~~~~~~~ THOUGHTS: "A man who views the world at 50 the same as he did at 20 has wasted 30 years of his life." - By Muhammad Ali, Signs of the Times, November 1993 (Dale Galusha ~~~~~~~ SPECIAL THOUGHTS: When my son was a young teenager, he and his friend set out on a bus across town to purchase skateboard axles. They each had $20. When they arrived downtown, they discovered they needed more money to cover bus fare and sales tax. They were short $3.75. A branch of our bank was nearby, so they decided to go in and take out a loan. The teller told them that was not possible, but that they could get a cash advance on their parents' credit card. So they called home, but got no answer. They tried the teller again to see if anything more could be done. She referred them to the desk of the vice president. When he asked why the bank should give them a loan, they answered, "Because we're Boy Scouts and good students, and very trustworthy." He said that since they had no collateral, they would have to write out and sign an IOU. They did, and he in turn gave them the money they needed to complete their mission. We found out later that this wonderful man lent the boys his own money. (My husband called him the next day asking for the same terms on a home loan!) In talking with the man, we learned that he had made many such loans, including a large one to a Navy wife whose allotment was delayed. He said he's been repaid almost 100 percent of the time, and that the opportunity to help others in this way was one of the most rewarding parts of his job. My son and his friend hopped on the bus the very next morning. They paid off their loan and received their IOU signed by the vice president. It was banking at its best. By Sharon Borjesson, from Chicken Soup for the Soul at Work, Copyright 1996 by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Maida Rogerson, Martin Rutte & Tim Clauss (E-zine: CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE SOUL http://www.soupserver.com/) ~~~~~~~ THIS & THAT: HOW TO BEING HANDY AROUND THE HOUSE If you can't find a screwdriver, use a knife. If you break off the tip, it's an improved screwdriver. Try to work alone. An audience is rarely any help. Above all, if what you've done is stupid, but it works, then it isn't stupid. Work in the kitchen whenever you can . . . many fine tools are there, its warm and dry, and you are close to the refrigerator for that occasional thirst or hunger. If it's electronic, get a new one . . . or consult a twelve-year-old. (the same one who hooked up your PC) Stay simple minded: Get a new battery; replace the bulb or fuse; see if the tank is empty; try turning the switch "on" ; or just paint over it. Always take credit for miracles. If you dropped the alarm clock while taking it apart and it suddenly starts working, you have fixed it. Regardless of what people say, kicking, pounding, and throwing sometimes DOES help. If something looks level, it is level. If at first you don't succeed, redefine success. After a few sessions of redefining, you can realize that you are a total success in what you do. Watch Tim "The Toolman Taylor" in "Home Improvement" for advice. (E-zine: Viceroy Humor) ~~~~~~~ KEEP SMILING: Here's one that actually happened to a friend of mine. - Doug Waterfield - Monroe, LA My friend likes to read his two young sons fairy tales at night. Having a deep-rooted sense of humor, he often ad-libs parts of the stories for fun. One day his youngest son was sitting in his first grade class as the teacher was reading the story of the Three Little Pigs. She came to the part of the story where the first pig was trying to acquire building materials for his home. She said ". . .And so the pig went up to the man with a wheelbarrow full of straw and said 'Pardon me sir, but might I have some of that straw to build my house with?'" Then the teacher asked the class "And what do you think that man said?" and my friend's son raised his hand and said "I know! I know! He said 'Holy smokes! A talking pig!'" The teacher was unable to teach for the next 10 minutes. (E-zine: GOOD, CLEAN FUNNIES LIST http://www.gcfl.net/) ~~~~~~~ TRIVIA: This speaks a lot about the quality of Japanese products and their quality standards. They're still laughing about this at IBM. Apparently the computer giant decided to have some parts manufactured in Japan as a trial project. In the specifications, they set out that they will accept three defective parts per 10,000. When the delivery came in there was an accompanying letter. "We, Japanese people, had a hard time understanding North American business practices. But the three defective parts per 10,000 have been separately manufactured and have been included in the consignment. Hope this pleases you." (Bunni) |