Our Constitution’s Anniversary
The United States wasn’t established overnight. We had a long journey to country hood. In fact, the U.S. Constitution wasn’t even written until 1787, years after the American Revolution ended. It wasn’t ratified until June 21, 1788.
The U.S. Constitution is one of our most important documents. It is the foundation for America’s longevity and continued success. Sadly, many people take it for granted.
It is the U.S. Constitution page of The National Archives. You can read the Constitution in its entirety, including all 27 amendments.
There is also interesting historical information about the creation of the document. That includes a detailed article about the Constitutional Convention. Plus, you can download high-resolution scans of the documents.
Flag Day
Celebrating Flag Day
All Americans know what the American flag looks like. Most of us pledged allegiance to it every day before school. It’s one of America’s greatest patriotic symbols. And it’s also the subject of our national anthem.
It is so important that a whole day was set aside for it. The American flag was formally adopted on June 14, 1777. Since 1885, June 14 has been known as Flag Day.
Today’s Site celebrates the American flag. You can find background information on the flag’s history. And see examples of all the flag’s historical versions.
You can learn proper flag etiquette and presentation. And read patriotic writings mentioning the flag. There is also information on acquiring flags for different occasions.
GOD BLESS THE PARENTS WHO DRUGGED US!
The other day, someone at a store in our town read that a Methamphetamine lab had been found in an old farmhouse in the adjoining county and he asked me a rhetorical question.
“Why didn’t we have a drug problem when you and I were growing up?”
I replied I had a drug problem when I was young: I was drug to church on Sunday morning. I was drug to church for weddings and funerals. I was drug to family reunions and community socials no matter the weather.
I was drug by my ears when I was disrespectful to adults. I was also drug to the woodshed when I disobeyed my parents, told a lie, brought home a bad report card, did not speak with respect, spoke ill of the teacher or the preacher, or if I didn’t put forth my best effort in everything that was asked of me.
I was drug to the kitchen sink to have my mouth washed out with soap if I uttered a profanity.
I was drug out to pull weeds in mom’s garden and flower beds and cocklebur’s out of dad’s fields.
I was drug to the homes of family, friends and neighbors to help out some poor soul who had no one to mow the yard, repair the clothesline, or chop some firewood; and, if my mother had ever known that I took a single dime as a tip for this kindness, she would have drug me back to the woodshed.
Those drugs are still in my veins and they affect my behavior in everything I do, say, or think. They are stronger than cocaine, crack, or heroin; and, if today’s children had this kind of drug problem, America would be a better place.
God bless the parents who drugged us.
Looking for free e-books?
But you don’t have to pay for titles. This site has thousands of free ones. Just pick what you want.
Don’t need e-books? How about audio books? Of course, you don’t want to break the law with illegal sites.
Well, this site has plenty of free, legal audio files. You can download audiobooks to listen to on your music player or computer.
Many of the books are read by humans. Others are read by a computer-generated voice. Oh, did I mention that you can choose books in many languages? It’s fantastic!
There’s more on Project Gutenberg’s site, too. You’ll find sheet music, videos and pictures. There are even music files for you music fans.
http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Main_Page
To Shake or Not to Shake ~
Ever wondered if you should shake hands with someone? Or how should you shake hands? Or When you should shake hands?
This link provides an article that does a great job of the when, the where, the why, and the how of shaking! Hands that is!
To shake or not to shake, that is the question!
~Thoughts to live by~
1. Trust in God first. Ask what He wants you to do. AND THEN LISTEN!
2. Be intentional in everything. Pick the traits you want to show the world, and show them. Live life with a purpose – - to make a positive impact.
3. Be grateful. Always thank God for His blessings – especially the ones that you are unaware of.
4. Always tell the truth; you’ll never have to remember whom you told lies to and what they were.
5. Take responsibilities for your actions.
6. Don’t keep score. Do what seems the right thing to do at the time. If you find yourself always giving to a specific person, and it’s costing you physically, mentally or emotionally, cut them loose! Stop hanging around them.
7. Divest yourself of people who aren’t positive. Negativity steals your energy. If someone is exhausting to be around, get rid of him or her!
8. Don’t let people beat you down. Be an individual. Be who you were meant to be, not what someone else thinks you should be. Always be the best you can be. Each of us has value just as we are.
9. Don’t compare yourself to others: everyone has to walk their own path with the gifts and the calling that God has given to each.
10. Be patient with foolish people.
11. Forgive others before they ask – some never will.
12. You can’t control other people or what happens to you. You CAN control how you react to what they do.
13. Don’t be a casualty of your past. Forgive others, forgive yourself, and move on.
14. Respect everyone you meet until they no longer deserve it.
15. Count each day as a blessing. That’s why it is called the present!
16. Count your blessings each day. Especially on days when it seems you don’t have any!
17. Read some Scripture every day – even if it’s only a couple of verses.
18. There is always hope.
19. Pick and choose your battles.
20. PRAY! PRAY! PRAY!
Many thanks to my Good Friend Diana Duncan!
Networking Thoughts for Monday
The front side of business networking is trust, listening to others, and eyeball-to-eyeball conversation.
Faith, hope, and charity are the flip side of the record. Faith is the spark which energizes us in the present; hope is the vision of the goal(s) we wish to achieve in the future. Charity is the selfless gift of ourselves, talents, time, and resources to give back to others the good things we have been given.
Thank you to John Dickmeyer for these words of wisdom!!
So you think English is easy?!?
Let’s face it – English is a crazy language. There is no egg in eggplant, nor ham in hamburger; neither apple nor pine in pineapple. English muffins weren’t invented in England or French fries in France. Sweetmeats are candies while sweetbreads, which aren’t sweet, are meat. We take English for granted. But if we explore its paradoxes, we find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square and a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig.
And why is it that writers write but fingers don’t fing, grocers don’t groce and hammers don’t ham? If the plural of tooth is teeth, why isn’t the plural of booth, beeth? One goose, 2 geese. So one moose, 2 meese? One index, 2 indices? Doesn’t it seem crazy that you can make amends but not one amend? If you have a bunch of odds and ends and get rid of all but one of them, what do you call it?
If teachers taught, why didn’t preachers praught? If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat? Sometimes I think all the English speakers should be committed to an asylum for the verbally insane. In what language do people recite at a play and play at a recital? Ship by truck and send cargo by ship? Have noses that run and feet that smell?
How can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites? You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language in which your house can burn up as it burns down, in which you fill in a form by filling it out and in which, an alarm goes off by going on.
English was invented by people, not computers, and it reflects the creativity of the human race, which, of course, is not a race at all. That is why, when the stars are out, they are visible, but when the lights are out, they are invisible.
Here are some other interesting quirks of the English Language.
1) The bandage was wound around the wound.
2) The farm was used to produce produce .
3) The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.
4) We must polish the Polish furniture.
5) He could lead if he would get the lead out.
6) The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert.
7) Since there is no time like the present, he thought it was time to present the present .
8 ) A bass was painted on the head of the bass drum.
9) When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.
10) I did not object to the object.
11) The insurance was invalid for the invalid.
12) There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row .
13) They were too close to the door to close it.
14) The buck does funny things when the does are present.
15) A seamstress and a sewer fell down into a sewer line.
16) To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow.
17) The wind was too strong to wind the sail.
18) Upon seeing the tear in the painting I shed a tear.
19) I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.
20) How can I intimate this to my most intimate friend?
Amazing!
Charles Shultz Philosphy
You don’t have to actually answer the questions.. Just ponder on them.
You’ll get the point.
1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.
2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.
3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America pageant.
4 Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.
5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners for best actor and actress.
6. Name the last decade’s worth of World Series Winners.
How did you do?
The point is, most of us rarely remember the headliners of yesterday.
These are no second-rate achievers.
They are the best in their fields.
But the applause dies… and Awards tarnish,
Achievements are often forgotten.
Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.
Here’s another quiz. See how you do on this one:
1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.
2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.
3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.
4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special!!
5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.
Easier?
The lesson:
The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials….. The most money…..or the most awards.
They simply are the ones who care the most
My New Year’s Resolution – - Making Room for the New!
I have decided on my New Years Resolution. I am going to clean out my Clothes Closet! I plan to pass on gently used clothes to those in need. At least the ones worthwhile of passing on!
This task may be more of a challenge than I originally thought as I have collected too much over the years! But it is a task that allows me to make more room in my life for new items.
What Closets will you clean out? What old items will you move out so you can welcome in the new?
Can one voice make a difference?
You are Safe with Us!
Worried about embarrassing yourself in front of an audience? In Toastmasters, that’s not possible. Our meetings offer a safe environment to fail – and learn from the experience. Everyone in the meeting was once a beginner and can identify with your nervousness.
As you watch them speak, meeting participants might look like experts to you, but they know the truth: Were it not for repeated practice and the help of constructive evaluations and a trusted mentor, they would not be as competent.
A mentor? In Toastmasters, every new member who wants one is assigned a mentor — a friendly, experienced fellow member who helps you settle in and offers tips on how to survive your first few speeches. At first, you’ll be given short, easier assignments, and as you gain confidence, the speaking opportunities will grow with you. Whenever you stand up and speak, you will receive encouraging, helpful feedback on how well you did and how you can improve. This is done through formal speaker evaluations.
The self-paced program allows you to schedule speeches around your work schedule and other commitments. It also helps you progress at your own pace. As you gain experience and confidence, you will have the opportunity to take on leadership and mentoring roles. Many members consider this a valuable way to enhance their own learning experience.
Toastmasters are a group of people who do things they could not do alone. Members learn together and help each other succeed. Members offer support to one another and have fun in each other’s company. Toastmasters’ founder Ralph Smedley even said, “We learn best in moments of enjoyment.” After all, he called his organization “Toastmasters” and not “Roastmasters.” In Toastmasters, everyone is cheering for you to succeed!
Communications Tip of the Day
Communications Tip of the Day: “I don’t have a problem with that!” Have you ever heard this phrase? I have a number of times! But what does it really say when you mention problem? Studies show when we put in something that is portayed as a positive but uses negative words, it creates confusion about the message! Instead we should say something like, ” I can accept that statement!” It makes the other person know you have accepted their message in a positive way!
What do you think?