Andy Rooney speaks out

Good for him!!!
Surprised CBS let him get away with this even though he's right



Right on, Andy Rooney!

Andy Rooney said on '60 Minutes' a few weeks back:

I don't think being a minority makes you a victim of anything except numbers. The only things I can think of that are truly discriminatory are things like the United Negro College Fund, Jet Magazine, Black Entertainment Television, and Miss Black America. Try to have things like the United Caucasian College Fund, Cloud Magazine, White Entertainment Television, or Miss White America; and see what happens...Jesse Jackson will be knocking down your door.

Guns do not make you a killer. I think killing makes you a killer. You can kill someone with a baseball bat or a car, but no one is trying to ban you from driving to the ball game.

I believe they are called the Boy Scouts for a reason, which is why there are no girls allowed. Girls belong in the Girl Scouts! ARE YOU LISTENING MARTHA BURKE?

I think that if you feel homosexuality is wrong, it is not a phobia, it is an opinion.

I have the right 'NOT' to be tolerant of others because they are different, weird, or tick me off.

When 70% of the people who get arrested are black, in cities where 70% of the population is black, that is not racial profiling; it is the Law of Probability.

I believe that if you are selling me a milkshake, a pack of cigarettes, a newspaper or a hotel room, you must do it in English! As a matter of fact, if you want to be an American citizen, you should have to speak English!

My father and grandfather didn't die in vain so you can leave the countries you were born in to come over and disrespect ours.

I think the police should have every right to shoot you if you threaten them after they tell you to stop. If you can't understand the word 'freeze' or 'stop' in English, see the above lines.

I don't think just because you were not born in this country, you are qualified for any special loan programs, government sponsored bank loans or tax breaks, etc., so you can open a hotel, coffee shop, trinket store, or any other business.

We did not go to the aid of certain foreign countries and risk our lives in wars to defend their freedoms, so that decades later they could come over here and tell us our constitution is a living document; and open to their interpretations.

I don't hate the rich I don't pity the poor

I know pro wrestling is fake, but so are movies and television. That doesn't stop you from watching them.

I think Bill Gates has every right to keep every penny he made and continue to make more. If it ticks you off, go and invent the next operating system that's better, and put your name on the building.

It doesn't take a whole village to raise a child right, but it does take a parent to stand up to the kid; and smack their little behinds when necessary, and say 'NO!'

I think tattoos and piercing are fine if you want them, but please don't pretend they are a political statement. And, please, stay home until that new lip ring heals. I don't want to look at your ugly infected mouth as you serve me French fries!

I am sick of 'Political Correctness.' I know a lot of black people, and not a single one of them was born in Africa ; so how can they be 'African-Americans'? Besides, Africa is a continent. I don't go around saying I am a European-American because my great, great, great, great, great, great grandfather was from Europe . I am proud to be from America and nowhere else

And if you don't like my point of view, tough...

I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG, OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA , AND TO THE REPUBLIC, FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL! And what about CANADIANS-We feel the same. Bravo for the Canadians too!!!

I was asked to send this on if I agree or delete if I don't. It is said that 86% of Americans believe in God. Therefore I have a very hard time understanding why there is such a problem in having 'In God We Trust' on our money and having 'God' in the Pledge of Allegiance. Why don't we just tell the 14% to BE QUIET!!!

Two Words

ok, this posting is caused by Maura LeAnn

2 words

2 words NO MORE NO LESS can be used... Have fun and try not to use the same answers as the person before you...

1. Where is your cell phone? ..................In hand
2. Your significant other?..................wonderful man
3. Your hair? ....................................... Short silver
4. Your mother?................................ in heaven
5. Your father?...................................... at home
6. Your favorite thing?.............................my family
7. Your dream last night?........................ didn't dream
8. Your favorite drink? .............................cranrasberry drink
9. Your dream/goal?.............................live life
10. The room you're in?.........................picture room
11. Your ex?....................................not one
12. Your fear?..................................dying young
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years?.........happy alive
14. Where were you last night?....................At home
15. What you're not?..................................nagging mean
16. Muffin?.......................................... blue berry
17. One of your wish list items?........... healthy life
18. Where you were born?................. San Francisco
19. The last thing you did?.......................closed store
20. What are you wearing?.................... A sweater
21. Your TV?.........................................a tv
22. Your pets?........................................ spoiled yorkie
23. Your computer? .................................yep computer
24. Your life?......................................... good fulfilled
25. Your mood?...................................content loving
26. Missing someone?........................my girls
27. Your car?...........................................a truck
28. Something you're not wearing?................ a slip
29. Favorite Store?.....................................crandberry shop
30. Your summer?....................................what summer
31. Like someone?.....................................my husband
32. Your favorite color?......................... blue green
33. Last time you laughed?.........................yesterday
34. Who will re-post this?...........................not sure

The Pickle Jar

The pickle jar as far back as I can remember sat on the floor beside the dresser in my parents' bedroom. When he got ready for bed, Dad would empty his pockets and toss his coins into the jar.

As a small boy I was always fascinated at the sounds the coins made as they were dropped into the jar . They landed with a merry jingle when the jar was almost empty. Then the tones gradually muted to a dull thud as the jar was filled.

I used to squat on the floor in front of the jar and admire the copper and silver circles that glinted like a pirate's treasure when the sun poured through the bedroom window. When the jar was filled, Dad would sit at the kitchen table and roll the coins before taking them to the bank.

Taking the coins to the bank was always a big production stacked neatly in a small cardboard box, the coins were placed between Dad and me on the seat of his old truck.

Each and every time, as we drove to the bank, Dad would look at me hopefully. 'Those coins are going to keep you out of the textile mill, son. You're going to do better than me. This old mill town's not going to hold you back.'

Also, each and every time, as he slid the box of rolled coins across the counter at the bank toward the cashier, he would grin proudly 'These are for my son's college fund. He'll never work at the mill all his life like me.'

We would always celebrate each deposit by stopping for an ice cream cone. I always got chocolate. Dad always got vanilla. When the clerk at the ice cream parlor handed Dad his change, he would show me the few coins nestled in his palm. 'When we get home, we'll start filling the jar again.' He always let me drop the first coins into the empty jar. As they rattled around with a brief, happy jingle, we grinned at each other. 'You'll get to college on pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters,' he said. 'But you'll get there; I'll see to that.'

No matter how rough things got at home, Dad continued to doggedly drop his coins into the jar. Even the summer when Dad got laid off from the mill, and Mama had to serve dried beans several times a week, not a single dime was taken from the jar.

To the contrary, as Dad looked across the table at me, pouring catsup over my beans to make them more palatable, he became more determined than ever to make a way out for me. 'When you finish college, Son,' he told me, his eyes glistening, 'You'll never have to eat beans again - unless you want to.'

The years passed, and I finished college and took a job in another town. Once, while visiting my parents, I used the phone in their bedroom, and noticed that the pickle jar was gone. It had served its purpose and had been removed.

A lump rose in my throat as I stared at the spot beside the dresser where the jar had always stood. My dad was a man of few words, and never lectured me on the values of determination, perseverance, and faith. The pickle jar had taught me all these virtues far more eloquently than the most flowery of words could have done. When I married, I told my wife Susan about the significant part the lowly pickle jar had played in my life as a boy. In my mind, it defined, more than anything else, how much my dad had loved me.

The first Christmas after our daughter Jessica was born, we spent the holiday with my parents. After dinner, Mom and Dad sat next to each other on the sofa, taking turns cuddling their first grandchild. Jessica began to whimper softly, and Susan took her from Dad's arms. 'She probably needs to be changed,' she said, carrying the baby into my parents' bedroom to diaper her. When Susan came back into the living room, there was a strange mist in her eyes.

She handed Jessica back to Dad before taking my hand and leading me into the room. 'Look,' she said softly, her eyes directing me to a spot on the floor beside the dresser. To my amazement, there, as if it had never been removed, stood the old pickle jar, the bottom already covered with coins. I walked over to the pickle jar, dug down into my pocket, and pulled out a fistful of coins. With a gamut of emotions choking me, I dropped the coins into the jar. I looked up and saw that Dad, carrying Jessica, had slipped quietly into the room. Our eyes locked, and I knew he was feeling the same emotions I felt. Neither one of us could speak.

This truly touched my heart. I know it has yours as well. Sometimes we are so busy adding up our troubles that we forget to count our blessings.

Never underestimate the power of your actions. With one small gesture you can change a person's life, for better or for worse.

God puts us all in each other's lives to impact one another in some way. Look for Good in others.

The best and most beautiful things cannot be seen or touched - they must be felt with the heart ~ Helen Keller

- Happy moments, praise God.

- Difficult moments, seek God.

- Quiet moments, worship God.

- Painful moments, trust God.

- Every moment, thank God.

Why should the wedding ring be worn on the fourth finger?

There is a beautiful and convincing explanation given by the Chinese---

Thumb represents your parents
Second (index) finger represents your siblings
Middle finger represents yourself
Fourth (ring) finger represents your life partner
last (little) finger represents your children

First open your palms (face to face), bend the middle fingers and hold them together back to back---

Second, open and hold the remaining three fingers and the thumb tip to tip.

Now try to separate your thumbs (representing the parents), they will open because your parents are not destined to live with you life long and have to leave you sooner or later.

Please join your thumbs as before, now separate your index fingers (representing sibings), they will also open because your siblings will have their own families and will lead their own separate lives.

Now join the index fingers as before, now separate your little fingers (representing your children), they will open too because the children also will get married and settle down on their own someday.

Finally, join your little fingers as before and now try to separate your ring fingers (representing your spouse) You will be surprised to see that you CANNOT....because husband and wife have to remain together all their lives through thick and thin!!!

Please try this out...

Isn't this a great theory?

Do you know how to tell a two-way mirror?

Interesting information about mirrors!

I thought this was good information. Who knows nowadays?

How can you tell when you are in a room, restroom, motel etc. with a mirror or a 2-way glass?

Here's how: I thought this was quite interesting!
And I know in about 30 seconds you're going to do what I did and find the nearest mirror.

Do you know how to determine if a mirror is 2-way or not?

A policewoman who travels all over the US and gives seminars and techniques for businesswomen passed this on.

When we visit toilets, bathrooms, hotel rooms, changing rooms, etc., how many of you know for sure that the seemingly ordinary mirror hanging on the wall is a real mirror, or actually a 2-way mirror (i.e., they can see you, but you can't see them)? There have been many cases of people installing 2-way mirrors in female changing rooms. It is very difficult to positively identify the surface by looking at it.

So, how do we determine with any amount of certainty what type of mirror we are looking at?

Just conduct this simple test: Place the tip of your fingernail against the reflective surface and if there is a GAP between your fingernail and the image of the nail, then it is GENUINE mirror.

However, if your fingernail DIRECTLY TOUCHES the image of your nail,
then BEWARE! IT IS A 2-WAY MIRROR! 'No Space, Leave the Place.'

So remember, every time you see a mirror, do the 'fingernail test.'
It doesn't cost you anything.

REMEMBER. No Space, Leave the Place:

Ladies: Share this with your girlfriends, sisters, daughters, etc.

Men: Share this with your wives, daughter s, daughter-in-law, mothers, girlfriends and/or friends.

behine the scenes of a State Fair

The Alaskan State Fair is scheduled to open on the 21st of this month so it is time for all the arts and crafty people to show off their talents. Have you ever wondered how people earn their ribbons? Well we had the chance to find out how the canning people earned their ribbons, we were recruited to be tasting judges. There were over 500 entries and we arrived at our duty station at 7 pm and we were told that we should be finished by 10 pm and if we stayed until the end of the tasting we would earn 2 tickets each for admission to the fair plus a ribbon that said we were judges. Anyway we arrived (Del, Cathy and myself) at 7 pm prompt and the tables were all set up to hold 8 people, there are 4 judges to each process, so I was paired with Cathy and two other people and Del was paired with 3 people. We had to judge the packaging, consistency, taste, smell. We tasted so many jams, jellies, preserves, marmalades, pickled beets, pickled who knew what, chutney, we had to rate each group and pick 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc, let me tell you, talk about a sugar high, oh my gosh, I tasted some weird stuff, good stuff, fabulous stuff and stuff to die for, at the very end of the tasting they broke out all the salmon stuff, smoked, canned, and by that time there were only 6 of us die hards left out of over 40 people for that tasting, we had to smell, taste, judge the looks and I am sick of salmon. I have never tasted so many different kinds of ways to can salmon, we had peppered salmon, jalapeno's salmon, dill salmon, smoked salmon, just plain salmon, pickled salmon. The reason they saved the salmon for last is if they had opened up the salmon before all the rest of the stuff, then everything would smell and taste like salmon. We finally finshed at midnight but my stomach did not settle down until the morning talk about tossing and turning, ugh, I did not feel the least bit hungry today and right now I could care less if I never had jam, jelly, preserves, pickles, salmon for a long long long time, but I am ready to do it again next year haahhahaah....it was fun.

A view from another country

I am not writing a view from me but a view from another country about our country.

We rarely get a chance to see another country's editorial about the USA .

Read this excerpt from a Romanian Newspaper. The article was written by Mr. Cornel Nistorescu and published under the title 'C'ntarea Americii, meaning 'Ode To America ') in the Romanian newspaper Evenimentulzilei 'The Daily Event' or 'News of the Day'


~An Ode to America ~

Why are Americans so united? They would not resemble one another even if you painted them all one color! They speak all the languages of the world and form an astonishing mixture of civilizations and religious beliefs

On 9/ll, the American tragedy turned three hundred million people into a hand put on the heart. Nobody rushed to accuse the White House, the Army, or the Secret Service that they are only a bunch of losers. Nobody rushed to empty their bank accounts. Nobody rushed out onto the streets nearby to gape about Instead the Americans volunteered to donate blood and to give a helping hand.

After the first moments of panic , they raised their flag over the smoking ruins, putting on T-shirts, caps and ties in the colors of the national flag. They placed flags on buildings and cars as if in every place and on every car a government official or the president was passing. On every occasion, they started singing: 'God Bless America !'

I watched the live broadcast and rerun after rerun for hours listening to the story of the guy who went down one hundred floors with a woman in a wheelchair without knowing who she was, or of the Californian hockey player, who gave his life fighting with the terrorists and prevented the plane from h itting a target that could have killed other hundreds or thousands of people.

How on earth were they able to respond united as one human being? Imperceptibly, with every word and musical note, the memory of some turned into a modern myth of tragic heroes. And with every phone call, millions and millions of dollars were put into collection aimed at rewarding not a man or a family, but a spirit, which no money can buy. What on earth can unite the Americans in such way? Their land? Their history? Their economic Power? Money? I tried for hours to find an answer, humming songs and murmuring phrases with the risk of sounding commonplace, I thought things over, I reached but only one conclusion... Only freedom can work such miracles. Cornel Nistorescu

(This deserves to be passed around the internet forever.) It took a person on the outside - looking in - to see what we take for granted ! GOD BLESS AMERICA !!!