Wk. of October 01, 2020

Positively Speaking

The Value of Knowledge

Gaining knowledge should be a lifetime commitment. A good number of people complete their schooling and feel that their education is complete. This is far from being the truth. If they don’t continue learning they will not grow beyond where they currently are. Without growth they will not be able to move forward, to increase their earnings and they will eventually fall backward. If we look at some higher income earners we will find that they have an insatiable curiosity, not only about their specialty but everything in general. This leads to a greater ability to analyze and provide solutions to a wider range of challenges. They are then able to demand a larger reward for their services. I recently heard a story that illustrates this principle.

A manufacturing concern had a problem with a malfunctioning machine, they called the man that took care of maintenance and repairs. The man arrived a short time later, walked over to the machine, switched it on, listened for a few seconds then switched it off. Walked over to his toolbox, pulled out a hammer and returned to the machine and gave it a swift hit with the hammer. He then switched the machine on and it was running perfectly. He wrote out his invoice and gave it to the manager, it read:    Repair to Machine ……. $300.

The manager took one look at the bill and said that he would not pay such a ridiculous a mount for five minutes work and demanded an itemized billing. The maintenance man sat down and wrote up the following invoice:

For checking machine, getting a hammer from a toolbox, striking machine $50

For knowing where to strike machine  $250

Total    $300

It was his knowledge that commanded the largest portion of his billing, not the physical activity that was required to apply that knowledge. In order to grow in life, it is important to ….

Never Underestimate the Value of Knowledge

A Touch of British Humour

Two little old ladies were walking through the park one Sunday afternoon. The band was playing a catchy sounding tune, and one of the old ladies said, “I wonder what the name of that tune is”. The other one noticed a sign posted near the bandstand and said, “It looks like they post the names of their selections. I’ll go down and see”. A while later she came back and told her companion, “It’s the Refrain from Spitting”.

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A man was walking down the street and he met a small boy. The man asked what was his name. The boy replied, ‘six and seven-eighths.’ The man asked him why his parents had given him such a strange name, and he replied, ‘they just picked it out of a hat.’

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Two men went into a pub, ordered two beers, took some sandwiches out of their packs and started to eat them. “You can’t eat your own sandwiches in here,” complained the pub-owner. The two men stopped, looked at each other and then swapped their sandwiches.

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“Doctor, Doctor, I feel like biscuits!”
“What, you mean those square ones?”
“Yes!”    “The ones you put butter on?”
“Yes!”   “Well, that means you’re crackers!”

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Trivia Quiz

Horoscope

Aries Mar. 21 – Apr. 19: Things don’t always go the way you want them to. A little flexibility will help to smooth out the curves.

Taurus Apr. 20 – May 20: An abrupt change could cause some hardships for your family. Be sympathetic to their thoughts and feelings.

Gemini May 21 – June 20: A change in your point of view should be considered. There are pros and cons to every situation.

Cancer June 21 – July 22: A financial gain in one area will help offset costs elsewhere. Be thankful you can pay your debts.

Leo July 23 – Aug 22: Take some time to evaluate your goals. Some long term planning will pay you dividends down the road.

Virgo Aug 23 – Sept 22: Your ideas may face challenges but don’t compromise your value’s. You may be the only one on the right track.

Libra Sept 23 – Oct 22: It’s time to answer some letters. Don’t risk putting someone’s nose out of joint by procrastinating any longer.

Scorpio Oct 23 – Nov 21: Beware of self-serving people. They could bring down all that you have worked for. Face them with confidence.

Sagittarius Nov 22 – Dec 21: When it comes to love, age doesn’t matter. You will know that when the right one comes along.

Capricorn Dec 22 – Jan 19: An interesting dilemma and a difficult task create an unusual opportunity for you. Use your creativity to solve the problem.

Aquarius Jan 20 – Feb 18: When faced with a difficult situation a positive attitude will make all the difference in success or failure.

Pisces Feb 19 – Mar 20: A change is as good as a rest. Take off with a friend to new places. Make it a memorable adventure.

Capricorn Dec 22 – Jan 19:   Good things cannot be rushed .. and love is one of them, it takes time to mature. You must be patient.

Aquarius Jan 20 – Feb 18:   You will need to be more accommodating to someone whose help you need be an asset not a burden.

Quirky Canada, Punkeydoodles Corners

It’s often hard to realize that you are in Punkeydoodles Corners, even when you have arrived there. The reason is that the signs, marking the entry to the community located close to Stratford, Ontario, are often stolen as souvenirs. There is one sign that never leaves, however — it’s a monument that testifies to the visit of former prime minister Joe Clark, who spent Canada Day in the little hamlet in 1982. How Punkeydoodles Corners arrived at such a notable name isn’t exactly settled as a matter of history. There are a number of stories explaining how it happened, according to the Oxford County Library. One of them tells of a German innkeeper who mispronounced the words to “Yankee Doodle.” Another suggests “punkeydoodle” is a Victorian word that means to waste time.

Observations On American Life
From JOKES by JIM (Jim Barach)

The end of a joke is called the punchline. It’s a phrase that’s been around since the 1920s, before TV had been invented and people loved watching vaudeville shows that were full of pranks and wisecracks. The jokes in these shows were often performed by two people – a funny man and a straight man. The funny man always played the pranks on the straight man, who kept a straight, serious face, no matter what was happening. At the end of each gag, the funnyman would pretend to punch the straight man, and that’s where the term “punchline” came from.

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A California city is banning cellphones from pedestrians in crosswalks. Apparently, they don’t want to deal with the irony of someone getting run over by the person they are texting with.

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A study says 37% of Americans can’t name all the rights guaranteed by the First Amendment. Mostly because they don’t care what’s in the First Amendment as long as they can pack all the weapons they want because of the Second.

A Difficult Case

Two psychiatrists were at a convention. As they conversed over a drink, one asked, “What was your most difficult case?”

The other replied, “I had a patient who lived in a pure fantasy world. He believed that an uncle in South America was going to die and leave him a fortune. All day long he waited for a letter to arrive from an attorney. He never went out, he never did anything, he merely sat
around and waited for this fantasy letter from this fantasy uncle. I worked with this man eight years.”

“What was the result?”
“It was an eight-year struggle. Every day for eight years, but I finally cured him. And then that stupid letter arrived!”

The Last Word

The people who know the least about you are always the ones who have the most to say about you.