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WITandWISDOM(tm) - January 9, 2006 ISSN 1538-8794 ~~~~~~~ THOUGHTS: "The bad news is time flies. The good news is you're the pilot." - Michael Althsuler Source: Weekend Encounter, by Dick Innes, Copyright (c) ACTS International, 2004, http://www.actsweb.org/subscribe.htm ~~~~~~~ SPECIAL THOUGHTS: Henry Dunant was born to wealthy parents in Switzerland in 1828. A deeply compassionate man, he devoted considerable time assisting and encouraging young people, especially the poor. At about eighteen years of age, he founded a Young Men's Christian Union. In 1859, at the age of 30, Dunant was traveling in northern Italy. He had only one object in view--to get the support of the Emperor of France for a business project in Algeria. But the Emperor, Napoleon III, was busy driving the Austrians out of Northern Italy. Arriving on the day of the Battle of Solferino, Dunant could not believe what he saw. That day the French victory over the Austrians left 40,000 dead, dying and wounded scattered over a bloody terrain for the vermin and vultures to consume. Dunant never did see the Emperor but what he did see changed him and the world forever. He joined in the work of relief, sent his coach to bring supplies, and wrote to his friends in Switzerland for aid. He labored for three days at this horrible task. Then he returned home. He began writing. He made an appeal against the terrifying inhumanity he had witnessed. He hoped he could influence people to prevent or to reduce the suffering of soldiers. The result of his writings was a book: A Memory of Solferino (Un Souvenir de Solferino), printed in Geneva in October 1862. This famous book, mailed by the author to influential people throughout Europe, excited them beyond all expectation. In the last chapter of his book he made some proposals on make-shift hospitals, trained volunteers, and the necessity for international cooperation. Finally, five years later, at the Geneva Convention of 1864 sixteen nations signed accords-modeled on Dunant's proposals-acknowledging the neutrality of medical personnel in times of hostility. For their banner and symbol they chose a white flag with a red cross. And so the Red Cross was born! Source: Illustrations, http://www.cybersaltlists.org ~~~~~~~ THIS & THAT: A frog goes into a bank and approaches the teller. He can see from her nameplate that her name is Patricia Whack. "Mis. Whack, I'd like to get a $30,000 loan to take a holiday." Patty looks at the frog in disbelief and asks his name. The frog says his name is Kermit Jagger, his dad is Mick Jagger, and that it's okay, he knows the bank manager. Patty explains that he will need to secure the loan with some collateral. The frog says, "Sure. I have this," and produces a tiny porcelain elephant, about an inch tall, bright pink and perfectly formed. Very confused, Patty explains that she'll have to consult with the bank manager and disappears into a back office. She finds the manager and says, "There's a frog called Kermit Jagger out there who claims to know you and wants to borrow $30,000, and he wants to use this as collateral." She holds up the tiny pink elephant. "I mean, what in the world is this?" The bank manager looks back at her and says... "It's a knickknack, Patty Whack. Give the frog a loan. His old man's a Rolling Stone." Submitted by Angelwings ~~~~~~~ KEEP SMILING: Flight Decked An uneventful flight from Newark to Gatwick Airport ended with a rough, bumpy landing. While taxiing to the terminal, a member of the flight crew picked up the microphone and delivered this slightly modified greeting: "On behalf of this airline, your flight crew and your chiropractor, welcome to London." Contributed by Donna Wightman Source: The Reader's Digest, Copyright © May 2002, All rights reserved., http://www.readersdigest.com/ ~~~~~~~ TRIVIA: Where did the term "stool pigeon" originate? A "stool pigeon" is an informer. The expression has an interesting origin. In the nineteenth century, people who wanted to capture pigeons would use one pigeon to attract others. The birds, like many birds, love to congregate. Here's how fowlers would do it: they'd take a captured pigeon, tether it to a stool, and let it hop around until other pigeons flew down to join it. The fowler could then drop a net and catch dozens of birds. Hence, a stool pigeon helped humans capture its friends. Source: ArcaMax - Trivia, http://tinyurl.com/9kf44