Reinke Faces Life

http://www.hltmag.co.uk/oct09/

Half Cup of Tea
submitted by Cynthia Beresford, UK

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Jeremy, who was a very timid young man, had one or two little manias. One of these was that he never wanted more than half a cup of tea. Mostly, though, people were too thoughtless or too generous and they always seemed to fill his cup up.

This girl he met, the daughter of friend of his mother’s, she asked him:

“ Would you like a cup of tea?”

“ Just half , if you don’t mind”

She poured him exactly half a cup.

Over the next few weeks they got to know each other better and nine months on they got engaged.

When he had timidly given her the ring she asked:

“ What was it about me that……?”

He smiled: “I asked you for half a cup of tea and you gave me what I asked for”

She blushed: “It was a terrible moment, that was all I had left in the pot…… I felt awful.”

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A Spoonful of Salt
submitted by Alan Maley, UK

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He met her at a party. She was so outstanding, all the guys were chasing after her. As for him, he felt so ordinary and nobody paid attention to him. At the end of the party, he invited her to have coffee with him, she was surprised, but being polite, she agreed. They sat in a nice coffee shop, but he was too nervous to say anything, she felt uncomfortable, and thought, please, let me go home…. when suddenly he asked the waiter. “Would you please give me some salt? I’d like to put it in my coffee.”

Everybody stared at him, so strange! His face turned red, but still, he put the salt in his coffee and drank it. She asked him curiously; why salt? Why not sugar?” He replied,”When I was a little boy, I lived near the sea, I liked playing in the sea and the taste of the salty sea, just like the taste of the salty coffee. Now every time I have salty coffee, I think of my childhood, think of my hometown. I miss my hometown so much, and I miss my parents who are still living there”.

Tears suddenly filled his eyes. She was deeply touched by his words. A man who can reveal his homesickness, must be a man who loves home, cares about home, feels the responsibility of home. Then she also started to speak, about her faraway hometown, her childhood, her family….her life. And that was the beautiful beginning of their story. Later, after their marriage, every time she made coffee for him, she put a spoonful of salt in it as she knew that was how he liked it.

40 years later, he passed away, leaving her a letter which said:

“My dearest, please forgive me. My whole Life has been based on a lie. Remember the first time we dated? I was so nervous at that time. I actually I wanted some sugar, but I said salt. It was hard for me to change so I just went ahead. I never thought that would be the start of our life together! I wanted to tell you the truth many times in but I was too afraid to do that. Now I’m dying, I’m afraid of nothing so here is the truth: I don’t like salty coffee – I hate the taste… But I have had the salty coffee for my whole life!”

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http://cafehayek.com/2011/01/a-proposal-in-the-public-interest.html

A Proposal in the Public Interest

by DON BOUDREAUX on JANUARY 29, 2011

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Another mark of a good economist is to be skeptical of stated intentions. Talk is cheap. So if Jones professes his great love of humanity, the economist pays little heed.

Economist and non-economist are strolling in Manhattan. When they pass Carnegie Hall, the non-economist says wistfully to the economist, “You know, I’ve always wanted to learn to play the piano.” The economist replies “obviously not.”

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http://www.wimp.com/mirrorprank/

ROFL!

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http://irisheagle.blogspot.com/2011/01/primary-teachers-need-intensive-math.html

THURSDAY, JANUARY 20, 2011

Primary teachers need intensive math training, not Higher Level Math ability

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I just don’t see why someone who teaches children up to the age of 12 should be able to “Express μ and σ in terms of a” where “real numbers a, 2a, 3a, 4a and 5a have mean μ and standard deviation σ.”

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Did you ever hear the mantra:

Those who can, do.
Those who can’t, teach.
Those who can’t teach, teach teaching.
Those who can’t teach teaching, go into politics.
Those who can’t succeed in politics, blog.

Ever?

Ok, I made the last two lyrics up.

Anything on the topic of “teaching credentialing” that this fat old white guy injineer has read, has highlighted that this field doesn’t get the “best and brightest”.

So maybe insisting that “teachers” demonstrate some intellectual prowess or achievement is a way of getting the children exposed to excellence.

In a Karate Dojo, I’m told, the master usually instructs the beginners so that they get the best start possible.

If we could get the Gooferment out of “education”, maybe “the best and brightest” would be in “education”. How much would you pay for “an einstein” to teach you how to … write a blog?

ROFL, tongue in cheek, just about bloggers like us.

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http://www.instructables.com/id/Lunchtime-Clock/

Lunchtime Clock

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Have you ever wished lunchtime were longer, but didn’t know where to find those few extra minutes? Well, wish no longer!

Thanks to great in advances in clock technology, I present to you a clock that speeds up 20% every day at 11:00 and slows down 20% every day at 11:48, giving you an extra twelve minutes of lunch to enjoy. Twelve minutes may not seem like a lot but, to put it into perspective, this is a full additional hour of lunchtime gained every week.

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I laughed when I read this. I had a similar “funny clock” in my book.

“Appropriately moved, Saint Taq thanked the Lord for the ‘funny clock’. He anticipated their need in His plan. It was beautiful to see the Lord’s Grace move the human heart; Jody was now really praying and meaning it. It was also interesting to note that human’s are such a trusting lot. No one had a watch. Everyone believed in an external reality. It was a very clever piece of engineering. It did keep a 24 hour cycle, but it slowed at “night” and sped up during the “day”. The shelter’s designers were working on the concept of having the shelter occupants sleep 20 hours per day to relieve the boredom. They hadn’t worked it all out, but it was interesting. Only at ‘noon’ did the clock match the external world. It ran its fastest close to ‘noon’; slowest around ‘midnight’. No wonder the fire teams thought the night watch ‘would never end’. After less than a day, they were sleeping two hours more. Everyone was so busy during the ‘day’ because it was a ‘short’ day. TAQ petitioned the Lord to grant Jody the gift of Courage to reduce to two meals per day. Otherwise on Exit Day, they were going to have some very fat kids.” — CHURCH 10●19●62 Volume 1 Page 74

No new ideas.

LOL!

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http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/01/05/ap/strange/main7216288.shtml?tag=cbsnewsSectionContent.12

Jan. 5, 2011
Romanian Witches Use Spells to Protest New Taxes
Angry Witches Use Cat Excrement and Dead Dogs to Cast Spells on President and Government; Politicians Aren’t Laughing It Off

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Romanian witch Mihaela Minca, right, speaks during an interview with The Associated Press, as her daughter and apprentice Casanndra, left, looks on, in Mogosoaia, Romania, Jan. 5, 2011. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

(AP) MOGOSOIA, Romania – Everyone curses the tax man, but Romanian witches angry about having to pay up for the first time are planning to use cat excrement and dead dogs to cast spells on the president and government.

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ROFL, that’s one approach. If it works, we should try it here!

# # # # # posted 2011-01-07 21:13

Sigh. So long ago, when I knew it all, yet knew nothing, I did have one good idea. Having watched my Mom and Dad literally torture themselves over bad decisions, I decided that each year at New Year’s, I would grant myself amnesty for all things — decisions, choices, purchases, sales, whatever — done in the prior year. No regrets. Not to forget the “lessons learned”, but to move forward as if life was a “new problem”.

So speaking ex cathedra from my belly button, I hereby declare all the mistakes of the prior year no longer “mistakes”, but “experiences”.

So, with my tin foil hat firmly adhered to my thinning hair, and grasping my keyboard as my sword, firmly clad in the righteousness of my intentions, I extend my grant of immunity and amnesty to all my fellow human beings and certain annoying animals. I forgive, but don’t forget all those things better left unsaid (because I really don’t remember them), and hope you will do the same for me.

My motto has become: “Don’t attribute to evil what can be better explained by stupidity.”

And quoting that great American Yoda — “Do or do not… there is no try.” (To do it justice, you must say the word try with all the revulsion and disgust you can put on it. Like you were talking about a rapist, a child murderer, or a politician!) — Yoda (Fictional character from George Lucas’s “Star Wars” movie)

I wish you all a “HNY” and will do better in the New Year.

Medically speaking, I forgive all the medical personnel who I have said bad things about. And, I hope for a much better year in 2011. I hope the Universe recognizes the <synonym for excrement> sandwich it presented to me this year and can have a better menu of choices in the coming year.

“My love, were it in my power, I would sadly grant thee this boon. But, we have to continue to follow His Plan for us. Let’s go forth and speak no more of this. Who ever is last will be last. It will be His choice; not ours. We’re but humble custodians of His temple on earth. It’s not our place to trump His plan. Whatever that plan be, know that I will be with you to my last breath.” — character “John” in CHURCH 10●19●62 Volume 2 Page 399

Remember the sources of my education: I’m just a fat old white guy injineer with: Law “degree” from watching Judge Judy; Medical “degree” from watching Doctor Phil; Building “degree” from watching “Holmes on Homes”; Investing “degree” from reading about Bernie Made-off; and creating caring human relationships from studying the movie roles of Gunny Ronald Lee Ermey!

Good luck. Good hunting. Good night. And, may God Bless America.

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http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1341509/Million-Dollar-Drop-couple-lost-800-000-correct-answer-second-chance.html

Couple who lost $800,000 on Million Dollar Drop with correct answer will get a second chance after Fox admits mistake
By DAILY MAIL REPORTER
Last updated at 12:43 AM on 26th December 2010

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On Monday, Gabe Okoye and Brittany Mayt lost $800,000 on the Fox game show Million Dollar Drop.

When asked which was sold first and offered the options Macintosh computer, Sony Walkman or Post-it notes, the couple – mostly driven by Mr Okoye – decided on Post-Its.

To their horror, they were told it was the wrong answer – but it later turned out that it was the game show that was in error.

After their plight became the subject of an Internet uproar – and a minor public relations disaster for Fox – the network has decided that it will give the couple a second chance.

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I bet there are a lot of MBA students, who will know that. Post-It Notes are always used as an example of a “laboratory failure” (i.e., adhesive that doesn’t adhere well) being made into a successful product. “How not to make a lightbulb” isn’t necessarily bad.

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Scenario: Four contestants, who we will call A, B, C, and D, have to guess the price of an item without going over.

Problem: What are the optimum strategies for each player?

<Think, think, … still thinking!>

Contestant A should just try to hit the price minus a dollar.

Contestant B ?

Contestant C?

Contestant D should always bids either one dollar if everyone’s over bid or one dollar over the highest bid.

Your thoughts?

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