georoc01's blog: "Others"

This year my company sponsored the building of a Habitat for Humanity home. There were two parts of the sponsorship. One was to pay for the initial materials. The other was sweat equity, namely 15 days of work crews to build the place. Each group in our office selected a day. Today was ours. The day started by an orientation from one of the two full time workers on the site. One is an americare volunteer. the other is the site supervisor. We learned about Habitat and how the overhead of the program is all paid through the money made by the outlet stores they have around the country. Therefore every dollar paid goes directly into the building of the home. Even the site supervisor is paid through those dollars. Much of the labor is donated to. From unskilled labor like our group to skilled labor like a local plumber volunteering his shop to handle that part of the project. The family that is getting the house was chosen from a pool of applicants. They are required to put in 250 hours of sweat equity. They are also obligated to a 30 year zero interest loan equal to 25% of their salary. They are also required to go to classes on home ownership to learn about their responsiblities and how to maintain it. After the orientation, we were split into work teams. One finished prepping the roof for shingles for next week. My team put up the siding on the outer walls all day. The site supervisor shows you what needs to be done and how to do it. No skills were required for the day. It was a learning experience from that standpoint as well as a volunteer. It is a great program. I am impressed on how much they do. If more of my time is needed this summer, I'll be sure to put it in.

Kentucky : The owner of a golf course in Kentucky was confused about paying an invoice, so he decided to ask his secretary for some mathematical help. He called her into his office and said, "You graduated from the University of Kentucky and I need some help. If I were to give you $20,000, minus 14%, how much would you take off?" The secretary thought a moment, and then replied, "Everything but my earrings." You gotta love those Kentucky women. Alabama : A group of Alabama friends went deer hunting and paired off in two's for the day. That night, one of the hunters returned alone, staggering under the weight of an eight-point buck. "Where's Henry?" the others asked." Henry had a stroke of some kind. He's a couple of miles back up the trail," the successful hunter replied. You left Henry laying out there and carried the deer back?" they inquired. "A tough call," nodded the hunter. "But I figured no one is going to steal Henry!" Louisiana : A senior at Louisiana State was overheard saying... "When the end of the world comes, I hope to be in Louisiana " When asked why, he replied he'd rather be in Louisiana because everything happens in Louisiana 20 years later than in the rest of the civilized world. Mississippi : The young man from Mississippi came running into the store and said to his buddy, "Bubba, ! somebody just stole your pickup truck from the parking lot!" Bubba replied, "Did you see who it was?" The young man answered, "I couldn't tell, but I got the license number. "Tennessee : A Tennessee State trooper pulled over a pickup on I-65. The trooper asked, "Got any ID?" The driver replied, "Bout whut?" And My Favorite: A man in North Carolina had a flat tire, pulled off on the side of the road, and proceeded to put a bouquet of flowers in front of the car and one behind it. Then he got back in the car to wait. A passerby studied the scene as he drove by and was so curious he turned around and went back. He asked the fellow what the problem was. The man replied, "I have a flat tire." The passerby asked, "But what's with the flowers?" The man responded, "When you break down they tell you to put flares in the front and flares in the back. I never did understand it neither." You can say what you want about the South, but you never hear of anyone retiring and moving north.

John is the kind of guy you love to hate. He is always in a good mood and always has something positive to say. When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would reply, "If I were any better, I would be twins!" He was a natural motivator. If an employee was having a bad day, John was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation. Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up and asked him, "I don't get it! You can't be a positive person all of the time, how do you do it?" He replied, "Each morning I wake up and say to myself, you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood . . . or . . . you can choose to be in a bad mood. I choose to be in a good mood." Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim . . . or . . . I can choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it. Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining . . . or . I can point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side of life. "Yeah, right, it's not that easy," I protested. "Yes, it is," he said. "Life is all about choices. When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people affect your mood. You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. The bottom line: It's your choice how you live your life." I reflected on what he said. Soon hereafter, I left the Tower Industry to start my own business. We lost touch, but I often thought about him when I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it. Several years later, I heard that he was involved in a serious accident, falling some 60 feet from a communications tower. After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, he was released from the hospital with rods placed in his back. I saw him about six months after the accident. When I asked him how he was, he replied, "If I were any better, I'd be twins. Wanna see my scars?" I declined to see his wounds, but I did ask him what had gone through his mind as the accident took place. "The first thing that went through my mind was the well-being of my soon-to-be born daughter," he replied. "Then, as I lay on the ground, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live . . . or . . . I could choose to die. I chose to live." "Weren't you scared? Did you lose consciousness?" I asked. He continued, ". . . the paramedics were great. They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the ER and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read 'he's a dead man'. I knew I needed to take action." "What did you do?" I asked. "Well, there was a big burly nurse shouting questions at me," said John. "She asked if I was allergic to anything: 'Yes, I replied.' The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took a deep breath and yelled, 'Gravity.' " Over their laughter, I told them, "I am choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead." He lived, thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude. I learned from him that every day we have the choice to live fully. Attitude, after all, is everything . Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6:34. After all today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday. You have two choices now: 01. Delete this 02. Forward it to the people you care about. You know the choice I made. No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.516 / Virus Database: 269.20.4/1276 - Release Date: 2/13/2008 9:41 AM No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.516 / Virus Database: 269.20.4/1276 - Release Date: 2/13/2008 9:41 AM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Connect and share in new ways with Windows Live. Get it now! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.516 / Virus Database: 269.21.1/1302 - Release Date: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Delicious ideas to please the pickiest eaters. Watch the video on AOL Living. John is the kind of guy you love to hate. He is always in a good mood and always has something positive to say. When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would reply, "If I were any better, I would be twins!" He was a natural motivator. If an employee was having a bad day, John was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation. Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up and asked him, "I don't get it! You can't be a positive person all of the time, how do you do it?" He replied, "Each morning I wake up and say to myself, you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood . . . or . . . you can choose to be in a bad mood. I choose to be in a good mood." Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim . . . or . . . I can choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it. Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining . . . or . I can point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side of life. "Yeah, right, it's not that easy," I protested. "Yes, it is," he said. "Life is all about choices. When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people affect your mood. You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. The bottom line: It's your choice how you live your life." I reflected on what he said. Soon hereafter, I left the Tower Industry to start my own business. We lost touch, but I often thought about him when I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it. Several years later, I heard that he was involved in a serious accident, falling some 60 feet from a communications tower. After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, he was released from the hospital with rods placed in his back. I saw him about six months after the accident. When I asked him how he was, he replied, "If I were any better, I'd be twins. Wanna see my scars?" I declined to see his wounds, but I did ask him what had gone through his mind as the accident took place. "The first thing that went through my mind was the well-being of my soon-to-be born daughter," he replied. "Then, as I lay on the ground, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live . . . or . . . I could choose to die. I chose to live." "Weren't you scared? Did you lose consciousness?" I asked. He continued, ". . . the paramedics were great. They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the ER and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read 'he's a dead man'. I knew I needed to take action." "What did you do?" I asked. "Well, there was a big burly nurse shouting questions at me," said John. "She asked if I was allergic to anything: 'Yes, I replied.' The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took a deep breath and yelled, 'Gravity.' " Over their laughter, I told them, "I am choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead." He lived, thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude. I learned from him that every day we have the choice to live fully. Attitude, after all, is everything . Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6:34. After all today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday. You have two choices now: 01. Delete this 02. Forward it to the people you care about. You know the choice I made.

This new ship was christened today in New Orleans. It was built with the steel from the World Trade Centers. The interesting piece of trivia came out of this dicussion. There was a previous USS New York. It had its keel laid on 9/11/1911.

A young woman was about to finish her first year of college. Like so many others her age, she considered herself to be a very liberal Democrat, and was very much in favor of 'the redistribution of wealth.' She was deeply ashamed that her father was a rather staunch Republican, a feeling she openly expressed. Based on the lectures that she had participated in, and the occasional chat with a professor, she felt that her father had for years harbored an evil, selfish desire to keep what he thought should be his. One day she was challenging her father on his opposition to higher taxes on the rich and the addition of more government welfare programs. The self-professed objectivity proclaimed by her professor had to be the truth and she indicated so to her father. He responded by asking how she was doing in school. Taken aback, she answered rather haughtily that she had a 4.0 GPA, and let him know that it was tough to maintain, insisting that she was taking a very difficult course load and was constantly studying, which left her no time to go out and party like other people she knew. She didn't even have time for a boyfriend, and didn't really have many college friends because she spent all her time studying. Her father listened and then asked, 'How is your friend Audrey doing?' She replied, 'Audrey is barely getting by. All she takes are easy classes, she never studies, and she barely has a 2.0 GPA. She is so popular on campus; college for her is a blast. She's always invited to all the parties, and lots of times she doesn't even show up for classes because she's too hung over.' Her wise father asked his daughter, 'Why don't you go to the Dean's office and ask him to deduct a 1.0 off your GPA and give it to your friend who only has a 2.0. That way you will both have a 3.0 GPA and certainly that would be a fair and equal distribution of GPA.' The daughter, visibly shocked by her father's suggestion, angrily fired back, 'That wouldn't be fair! I have worked really hard for my grades! I've invested a lot of time, and a lot of hard work! Audrey has done next to nothing toward her degree. She played while I worked my tail off!' The father slowly smiled, winked and said gently, 'Welcome to the Republican Party.'

1) His shoelaces are hardly ever untied... 2) Doesn't pick his nose in public... 3) Has never put a red shirt in with the whites... 4) He is always nice... 5) When getting off an elevator at a 20+ story building, he doesn't push all the buttons so everyone has to stop at every floor... 6) Elvis is dead and Bob Saget is married; who's left... 7) Reads National Geographic, and not just for the nude pictures... 8) His picking a fight with an inanimate object is quite uncommon... 9) Hasn't wet his bed for months now... 10) Has his own 'Captain Kirk' coffee mug... 11) Has never smuggled tinker toys onto an international flight... 12) Doesn't turn into a werewolf during full moons... 13) He hardly ever slurps when drinking soup... 14) There is a refreshing absence of monsters under his bed these days... 15) Always manages to resist the urge to poke sharp objects into his ear on the first date... 16) As of yet, has never overlooked the importance of regular, continuous breathing... 17) Is only mere words away from completing a New York Times crossword puzzle he began in 1981... 18) He is not an alien from another dimension bent on World destruction... 19) Played no part in the Cuban Missile Crisis... 20) Has never been Captain of, nor been aboard, the Exxon Valdez... 21) Never pees in someone else's sink... 22) Makes excellent use of his spare time... 23) DOES NOT OVERUSE THE CAPSLOCK KEY... ;-/ 24) He subscribes to the theory that the world is round... 25) He does not make fun of Boutros-Boutros Ghali's name unnecessarily... 26) Is mixing up 'dessert' and 'desert' less and less every day... 27) He found Waldo... 28) Has never passed out on any world leader's front lawn... 29) Has never been fired by George Steinbrenner... 30) Cried at the end of John Steinbeck's 'Of Mice and Men'... 31) Has never found rude shapes in clouds... 32) Tries not to giggle when he cuts one... 33) Has never blatantly misused a blender... 34) Rarely blacks out for more than a few seconds... 35) Makes a real effort not to spit when he talks... 36) Can be easily entertained for hours with simple, one-piece toys... 37) Doesn't scrape his vegetables onto his grandmother's plate when no one is looking... 38) Wears male undergarments...(but is willing to change)... 39) Has never been struck by lightning while simultaneously being hit by a falling meteorite... 40) Is not fooled when given poisoned candy on Halloween... 41) Has never been involved in the shipment of plutonium to Germany... 42) Has never opened fire on an innocent group of unarmed people.... 43) Did not mastermind Julius Caesar's death; that was Cassias... 44) The sources which publicized his involvement in the Iran-Contra scandal were unreliable... 45) It is increasingly rare that he makes obscene phone calls to Bea Arthur... 46) Had no trouble committing his phone number to memory... 47) Refuses to play 'let's hide grandma's teeth'... 48) Rarely stares directly at the sun... 49) Has never dumped in his pants while sliding into 2nd base... 50) Has never broken into a bear's home and eaten all his porridge... 51) Has never given the bird to a lady over age 60... 52) So far, has never resorted to cannibalism... 53) Has never exploited the tradition of mistletoe to kiss his aunt... 54) Never stares at someone's wart for more than 2-3 minutes... 55) Has never caused a traffic accident because he was fixing his make-up... 56) Has no communicable diseases... 57) No tyrannical system of government is named after him... 58) Has no plans to ever give the Pope a wedgie... 59) Was completely uninvolved in the trade that sent Doug Gilmour away for Gary Leeman... 60) Never rings doorbells and then runs away before they answer...(knock and run)... 61) Hard as it may be to believe, he has never lost a pole vault competition...(first thing in the morning)... 62) Never forgets his bug spray when going out into the woods... 63) Has never pulled the football away from Charlie Brown... 64) Very rarely ties cans to a cat's tail... 65) Hardly ever referred to as 'infernal'... 66) Has never suffered from lockjaw... 67) Recognizes Xenon as a noble gas... 68) Excellent at making Polls... 69) Would give up his appendix for the right woman... 70) Great with kids; even better with roast beef... 71) Holds the record for the highest spot on the cafeteria wall he got his cheese to stick to in grade six... 72) Has never hit a silver-medalist in the knee with a club... 73) Holds the record for the highest urination on the toilet wall... 74) Has never gambled away a girlfriend in Las Vegas, as well as many other places in the world... 75) Has managed so far not to decapitate himself... 76) Gets fewer and fewer 'ice-cream headaches'... 77) Wouldn't smoke nor drink while pregnant... 78) Has always managed to avoid being a victim of a 'piledriver'... 79) Has never locked himself inside a car... 80) Has never played a mean trick on Smokey the Bear... 81) Does not use cruel mouse traps... 82) Has never let Frank Sinatra down... 83) Contrary to popular belief, does not comb his hair with a fork... 84) Has never attempted to dance naked in a Jerry Lewis Telethon... 85) Very rarely has delusions of God... 86) Never placed a bet with Pete Rose... 87) It's been over a year since he last got his neck tangled in a telephone cord... 88) Can sing "Frere Jacques" much better than Jean-Luc Picard... 89) Rarely eats paste between meals... 90) Is not the ominous voice in Mortal Kombat which says 'FINISH HIM!' just before a fatality... 91) Usually remembers to take the shell off of an egg before eating it... 92) Tied Jose Canseco in home runs last week... 93) Was nowhere near the grassy knoll November 22nd 1963... 94) Often resists the powerful temptation to shave rude swear words in his hair... 95) And when he just can't resist, it's usually shaved somewhere where you can't see it... 96) Has managed to overcome a long-lasting desire to clean toasters in a bath-tub... 97) At Speedy, he's a somebody... 98) At a touch of a button, can have a pizza delivered to him personally in under 30 minutes... 99) Unlike Vincent Van Gogh, would not chop off his ear for a girl... 100) Enjoys better table manners than John Belushi... 101) Is (marginally) more popular with feminists than Rush Limbaugh... 102) If it came right down to it, he could beat the pants off of Steven Hawking in a fair fight... 103) Would never forget to clean the microwave after having placed a small rodent inside... 104) The rumors of his involvement in the Chernobyl crisis are mostly unfounded... 105) No longer bears a grudge against Santa Claus for failing to deliver an automatic rifle in Christmas of '80... 106) Come on, he's not *that* much of an eyesore... 107) Is heterosexual, unmarried and has a pulse... Ok, give me 107 reasons why you/she wouldn't...

Because of recent abductions in daylight hours, refresh yourself of these things to do in an emergency situation... This is for you, and for you to share with your wife, your children, everyone you know. After reading these 9 crucial tips, forward them to someone you care about. It never hurts to be careful in this crazy world we live in. 1. Tip from Tae Kwon Do : The elbow is the strongest point on your body. If you are close enough to use it, do! 2. Learned this from a tourist guide in New Orleans If a robber asks for your wallet and/or purse, DO NOT HAND IT TO HIM. Toss it away from you.... chances are that he is more interested in your wallet and/or purse than you, and he will go for the wallet/purse. RUN LIKE MAD IN THE OTHER DIRECTION! 3. If you are ever thrown into the trunk of a car, kick out the back tail lights and stick your arm out the hole and start waving like crazy. The driver won't see you, but everybody else will. This has saved lives. 4. Women have a tendency to get into their cars after shopping, eating, working, etc., and just sit (doing their checkbook, or making a list, etc. DON'T DO THIS!) The predator will be watching you, and this is the perfect opportunity for him to get in on the passenger side, put a gun to your head, and tell you where to go. AS SOON AS YOU GET INTO YOUR CAR , LOCK THE DOORS AND LEAVE. If someone is in the car with a gun to your head DO NOT DRIVE OFF, repeat: DO NOT DRIVE OFF! Instead gun the engine and speed into anything, wrecking the car. Your Air Bag will save you. If the person is in the back seat they will get the worst of it . As soon as the car crashes bail out and run. It is better than having them find your body in a remote location. 5. A few notes about getting into your car in a parking lot, or parking garage: A.) Be aware: look around you, look into your car, at the passenger side floor , and in the back seat B.) If you are parked next to a big van, enter your car from the passenger door. Most serial killers attack their victims by pulling them into their vans while the women are attempting to get into their cars. C.) Look at the car parked on the driver's side of your vehicle, and the passenger side.. If a male is sitting alone in the seat nearest your car, you may want to walk back into the mall, or work, and get a guard/policeman to walk you back out. IT IS ALWAYS BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY. (And better paranoid than dead.) 6. ALWAYS take the elevator instead of the stairs. (Stairwells are horrible places to be alone and the perfect crime spot. This is especially true at NIGHT!) 7. If the predator has a gun and you are not under his control, ALWAYS RUN! The predator will only hit you (a running target) 4 in 100 times; And even then, it most likely WILL NOT be a vital organ. RUN, Preferably in a zig -zag pattern! 8. As women, we are always trying to be sympathetic: STOP It may get you raped, or killed. Ted Bundy, the serial killer, was a good-looking, well educated man, who ALWAYS played on the sympathies of unsuspecting women. He walked with a cane, or a limp, and often asked "for help" into his vehicle or with his vehicle, which is when he abducted his next victim. 9. Another Safety Point: Someone just told me that her friend heard a crying baby on her porch the night before last, and she called the police because it was late and she thought it was weird. The police told her "Whatever you do, DO NOT open the door." The lady then said that it sounded like the baby had crawled near a window, and she was worried that it would crawl to the street and get run over. The policeman said, "We already have a unit on the way, whatever you do, DO NOT open the door." He told her that they think a serial killer has a baby's cry recorded and uses it to coax women out of their homes thinking that someone dropped off a baby He said they have not verified it, but have had several calls by women saying that they hear baby's cries outside their doors when they're home alone at night. Please pass this on and DO NOT open the door for a crying baby ---- This e-mail should probably be taken seriously because the Crying Baby theory was mentioned on America 's Most Wanted this past Saturday when they profiled the serial killer in Louisiana I'd like you to forward this to all the women you know. It may save a life. A candle is not dimmed by lighting another candle. I was going to send this to the ladies only, but guys, if you love your mothers, wives, sisters, daughters, etc., you may want to pass it onto them, as well. Send this to any woman you know that may need to be reminded that the world we live in has a lot of crazies in it and it's better to be safe than sorry.. Everyone should take 5 minutes to read this. It may save your life or love one's life.

There is a factory in Northern Minnesota which makes the Tickle Me Elmo Toys. The toy laughs when you tickle it under the arms. Well, Lena is hired at The Tickle Me Elmo factory and she reports for her first day promptly at 8:00 AM. The next day at 8:45 AM there is a knock at the Personnel Manager's door. The Foreman throws open the door and begins to rant about the new employee. He complains that she is incredibly slow and the whole line is backing up, putting the entire production line behind schedule. The Personnel Manager decides he should see this for himself, so the 2 men march down to the factory floor. When they get there the line is so backed up that there are Tickle Me Elmo's all over the factory floor and they're really beginning to pile up. At the end of the line stood Lena surrounded by mountains of Tickle Me Elmo's. She had a roll of plush red fabric and a huge bag of small marbles. The 2 men watched in amazement as she cut a little piece of fabric, wrapped it around two marbles and began to carefully sew the little package between Elmo's legs. The Personnel Manager burst into laughter. After several minutes of hysterics he pulled himself together and approached Lena. "I'm sorry," he said to her, barely able to keep a straight face, "but I think you misunderstood the instructions I gave you yesterday... "Your job is to give Elmo two test tickles."

'1' Blaming your farts on me.....Not funny... Not funny at all !!! '2' Yelling at me for barking. I'M A FRIGGIN' DOG!!! '3' Taking me for a walk, then not letting me check stuff out. Exactly whose walk is this anyway? '4' Any 'trick' that involves balancing food on my nose. Stop it! '5' Any haircut that involves bows or ribbons. Now you know why we chew your stuff up when you're not home. '6' The sleight of hand, fake fetch throw. You fooled a dog! Whoooo Hoooooooo what a proud moment for the top of the food chain. '7' Taking me to the vet for "the big snip", then acting surprised when I freak out every time we go back! '8' Getting upset when I sniff the crotches of your guests. Sorry, but I haven't quite mastered that handshake thing yet. '9' Dog sweaters. Hello ??? Haven't you noticed the fur? '10' How you act disgusted when I lick myself. Look, we both know the truth: You're just jealous.

A preacher wanted to raise money for his church and on being told that there was a fortune in horse racing, decided to purchase one and enter it in the races. However at the local auction, the going price for horses was so high that he ended up buying a donkey instead. He figured that since he had it, he might as well go ahead and enter it in the races. To his surprise, the donkey came in third! The next day the local paper carried this headline: PREACHER'S ASS SHOWS The preacher was so pleased with the donkey that he entered it in the race again, and this time it won. The paper read: PREACHER'S ASS OUT IN FRONT The Bishop was so upset with this kind of publicity that he ordered the preacher not to enter the donkey in another race. The paper headline read: BISHOP SCRATCHES PREACHER'S ASS This was too much for the Bishop, so he ordered the preacher to get rid of the donkey. The preacher decided to give it to a nun in a nearby convent. The paper headline the next day read: NUN HAS BEST ASS IN TOWN The Bishop fainted. He informed the nun that she would have to get rid of the donkey, so she sold it to a farmer for $10.00. Next day the headline read: NUN SELLS ASS FOR $10.00 This was too much for the Bishop, so he ordered the nun to buy back the donkey, lead it to the plains where it could run wild and free. Next day, the headline in the paper read: NUN ANNOUNCES HER ASS IS WILD AND FREE The Bishop was buried the next day.