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WITandWISDOM(tm) - December 18, 2006 ISSN 1538-8794 ~~~~~~~ THOUGHTS: Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves. - Carl Jung Source: Daily Quote, mailto:dailyquote-subscribe@topica.com ~~~~~~~ SPECIAL THOUGHTS: An unusual tribute was paid to Abraham Lincoln by Carl Sandburg. The poet wrote, "Not often in the story of mankind does a man arrive on earth who is both steel and velvet, who is as hard as rock and soft as drifting fog, who holds in his heart and mind the paradox of terrible storm and peace unspeakable and perfect." Lincoln demonstrated then and now how a person can possess both a will of iron and a heart of tenderness. Nothing deterred the president during the American Civil War from his "noble" cause, and few persons have ever endured more criticism and detractors than Lincoln. Yet he was no more a man of steel than one of velvet. When General Robert E. Lee surrendered his army, Lincoln sent an unexpected message to the enemy commander. "Tell your men they may keep their horses; they'll need them for plowing," said the president. Then this: "Tell your men they may keep their rifles; they'll need them for hunting." When Lee read those words he wept. Steve Goodier is the editor of The Life Support System, a motivational e-newsletter delivered daily to 85,000 subscribers in over 100 nations. His inspirational newsletter and books are available through his website at http://www.lifesupportsystem.com Source: Life Support System, mailto:LifeSupport-subscribe@yahoogroups.com ~~~~~~~ THIS & THAT: Dieting is a lot easier when you factor in recently determined calorie counting principles. The following are calories that don't count: CUSTOM MADE FOOD: Anything somebody made "just for you" must be eaten regardless of the calories because to do otherwise would be rude. But don't worry, because the calories don't count. FOOD EATEN QUICKLY: If you are rushed through a meal, the entire meal doesn't count. Conversely, if you have ordered something fattening and now regret it, you can minimize its calories by gulping it down. OTHER PEOPLE'S FOOD: A chocolate mousse that you did not order has no calories. Therefore, have your companion order dessert and you taste half of it. INGREDIENTS IN COOKING: Chocolate chips are fattening. So are chocolate chip cookies! However, chocolate chips eaten while making chocolate chip cookies have no calories whatsoever. Therefore, make chocolate chip cookies often but don't eat them. LEFTOVERS: An extra hamburger, a hotdog butt, half a Twinkie, anything intended for the garbage has no calories regardless of what happens to it in the kitchen. TV FOOD: Anything eaten in front of a TV has no calories. This may have something to do with the radiation leakage, which negates not only the calories in the food but also all recollection of having eaten it. In fact, entire " no-calories dinners" are now manufactured and frozen for this purpose. ANYTHING SMALLER THAN ONE INCH: contains no calories to speak of. For example, chocolate kisses, cubes of cheese, or maraschino cherries. CHILDREN'S FOOD: Anything purchased, produced or intended for minors is calorie-free when eaten by adults. This category covers a wide range, beginning with a spoonful of baby tapioca-consumed for demonstration purposes-up to and including cookies baked and sent to college. CHARITABLE FOODS: Girl Scout cookies, bake sale cookies, ice cream socials and church strawberry festivals all have a religious dispensation from calories. I heard this last Sunday. LEFT-HANDED FOOD: If you have a drink in your right hand, anything eaten with the other hand has no calories. AND LAST, FOOD ON FOOT: All food eaten while standing has no calories. Exactly why is not clear, but the current theory relates to gravity. The calories apparently bypass the stomach flowing directly down the legs and through the soles of the feet into the floor. Walking seems to accelerate this process, so that a frozen custard or hotdog eaten at a carnival actually has a calorie deficit. Source: Clean Laugh, http://www.cybersaltlists.org/ ~~~~~~~ KEEP SMILING: All you need to be a fisherman is patience and a worm. If you don't do anything the entire day, you're called a bum. If you do it in a boat, you're called a fisherman. Source: Smile a Day Newsletter (c), http://www.net153.com/best.htm ~~~~~~~ TRIVIA: Want to chase a storm? If you're fascinated by tornadoes, you're not alone. When the summer storm season heats up, companies such as Silver Lining Tours, Tempest Tours and Cloud 9 Tours spring into action. They're called storm chasers, and they hit the road with a vanload of travelers who want to get close to the vortex. These tours routinely sell out six months in advance, so now's the time to book for next year. Tempest Tours, which chases storm systems in Tornado Alley (from Texas to the Dakotas), has six to 10-day tours that run from $1,900 to $2,700 per person. That includes guides. You're responsible for meals and getting to the base city, usually Denver or Oklahoma City. Companies like Silver Lining even offer on-call storm chasing, contacting you via e-mail about 48 hours in advance. But remember, there are no guarantees that you'll see a tornado. By Everett Potter Source: USA Weekend, September 9-11, 2005, http://usaweekend.com