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WITandWISDOM(tm) - May 3, 2002 ISSN 1538-8794 ~~~~~~~ THOUGHTS: The richest man, whatever his lot, is he who is content with what he has got. - Dutch Proverb Source: DailyInBox: Proverbs Plus, http://mailroom.dailyinbox.com/pplus/ Subjects: Wealth ~~~~~~~ SPECIAL THOUGHTS: DUST IF YOU MUST Dust if you must. But wouldn't it be better to paint a picture, or write a letter, bake a cake, or plant a seed. Ponder the difference between want and need. Dust if you must. But there's not much time, with rivers to swim and mountains to climb! Music to hear, and books to read, friends to cherish and life to lead. Dust if you must. But the world's out there with the sun in your eyes, the wind in your hair, a flutter of snow, a shower of rain. This day will not come 'round again. Dust if you must. But bear in mind, old age will come and it's not kind. And when you go, and go you must, you, yourself, will make more dust. Remember, a house becomes a home when you can write "I love you" on the furniture. Author Unknown Submitted by Hannelore Dill Subjects: Priorities, Housekeeping ~~~~~~~ THIS & THAT: EARLY TABLE MANNERS A Christian and philosopher and educator, Erasmus of Rotterdam, the greatest classical scholar of the northern Humanist of Renaissance, determined that manners was the best instilled at an early age. Here are some samples from the three century best seller, "On Civility in Children" (c.1530): "To lick greasy fingers or to wipe them on your coat is impolite. It is better to use the table cloth or the serviette." "Some people put their hands in the dishes the moment they have sat down. Wolves do that." "You should not offer your handkerchief to anyone unless it has been freshly washed. Nor is it seemly, after wiping your nose, to spread out your handkerchief and peer into it as if pearl and rubies might have fallen out of your head." "If you cannot swallow a piece of food, turn around discreetly and throw it somewhere." Source: Sebastian's Humor List Subjects: Manners ~~~~~~~ KEEP SMILING: I know I'm not going to understand women. I'll never understand how you can take boiling hot wax, pour it onto your upper thigh, rip the hair out by the root, and still be afraid of a spider. Source: A Joke a Day http://www.topica.com/lists/ajokeaday7 Subjects: Fear, Women ~~~~~~~ TRIVIA: DON'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT(R) THE PANAMA CANAL "A man. A plan. A canal. Panama." (Read it backwards!) The canal that cuts across the Isthmus of Panama, linking the Atlantic and Pacific, is one of the world's great engineering achievements. About years ago Panama assumed control, ending nearly a century of controversial U.S. ownership. Panama was once part of Colombia, but in 1903, Panamanians revolted and declared their independence, with help from Teddy Roosevelt and the U.S. Marines. Work on the $375 million canal began soon afterward. Digging through disease-ridden jungles, thousands of laborers worked for a decade; many died. The first ship passed through in 1914, but World War I delayed the grand opening. What do you know? Dig into a quick quiz by "Don't Know Much About Geography" author Kenneth C. Davis. 1.What is an isthmus? 2. By about how many miles did the canal shorten a sea voyage from New York to San Francisco? 3. How long is the canal? 4. As you pass through the canal from the Caribbean to the Pacific, in what direction do you travel? 5. who was William C. Gorgas? ANSWERS: 1. A narrow strip of land connecting two larger land masses. 2. About 8,000 miles. Previously, ships had to travel around South America. 3. Not quite 51 miles between channel entrances (40 miles from shore to shore). 4. Believe it or not, roughly west to east You exit 27 miles southeast of where you entered. 5. The medical hero of the canal, he was an American doctor famous for suppressing yellow fever in Cuba after the Spanish-American War. In charge of improving sanitation in the Canal Zone, he wiped out yellow fever, eliminated rats that carried bubonic plague and reduced the high death rate from malaria. Source: USA Weekend, December 28-30, 2001, http://usaweekend.com Subjects: Panama, Tests |