Pearls of Wisdom

Accept that some days you're the pigeon, and some days you're the statue.

Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them.

Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.

Drive carefully. It's not only cars that can be recalled by their Maker.

If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague.

If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably worth it.

It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others.

Never buy a car you can't push.

Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then you won't have a leg to stand on.

Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance.

Since it's the early worm that gets eaten by the bird, sleep late.

The second mouse gets the cheese.

When everything's coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.

Birthdays are good for you. The more you have, the longer you live.

You may be only one person in the world, but you may also be the world to one person.

Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once

We could learn a lot from crayons. Some are sharp, some are pretty and some are dull, some have weird names, and all are different colors, but they all have to live in the same box.

A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.

No Marijuana

Gonna have a new GRANDBABY!!!!

FW: SURPRISE!
Originally uploaded by JetMan777.

Just announced today. Liz & James are pregnant again. Logan is in the picture above enjoying his last 8 months of being an "only child."

Kids on Angels

I only know the names of two angels. Hark and Harold.
Gregory, 5

Everybody's got it all wrong. Angels don't wear halos anymore. I forget why, but scientists are working on it.
Olive, 9

It's not easy to become an angel! First, you die. Then you go to heaven, then there's still the flight training to go through. And then you got to agree to wear those angel clothes.
Matthew, 9

Angels work for God and watch over kids when God has to go do something else.
Mitchell, 7

My guardian angel helps me with math, but he's not much good for science.
Henry, 8

Angels don't eat, but they drink milk from holy cows.
Jack, 6

Angels talk all the way while they're flying you up to heaven. The basic message is where you went wrong before you got dead.
Daniel, 9

When an angel gets mad, he takes a deep breath and counts to ten. And when he lets out his breath, somewhere there's a tornado.
Reagan, 10

Angels have a lot to do and they keep very busy. If you lose a tooth, an angel comes in through your window and leaves money under your pillow. Then when it gets cold, angels go north for the winter.
Sara, 6

Angels live in cloud houses made by God and his son, who's a very good carpenter.
Jared , 8

All angels are girls because they gotta wear dresses and boys didn't go for it.
Antonio, 9

My angel is my grandma who died last year. She got a big head start on helping me while she was still down here on earth.
Katelynn, 9

Some of the angels are in charge of helping heal sick animals and pets. And if they don't make the animals get better, they help the kid get over it.
Vicki, 8

What I don't get about angels is why, when someone is in love, they shoot arrows at them.
Sarah, 7

Man arrested after trying to cash $50,000 check from God

abc13.com: Man arrested after trying to cash $50,000 check from God: "Kevin Russell found out it's not easy trying to cash a check from God. The 21-year-old man was arrested Monday after he tried to cash a check for $50,000 at the Chase Bank in Hobart that was signed 'King Savior, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Servant,' Hobart police Detective Jeff White said."

Tranquilized moose knocks helicopter out of the sky

abc13.com: Tranquilized moose knocks helicopter out of the sky: "A helicopter is not necessarily a match for an angry moose. Instead of lying down after being shot with a tranquilizer dart, a moose charged a hovering helicopter used by a wildlife biologist, damaging the aircraft's tail rotor and forcing it to the ground."

Close To Home

Close To Home

Close To Home

Close To Home

Enjoyment of Food

Old Abraham was a poor tailor whose shop was next door to a very upscale French restaurant. Every day at lunch time, Abraham would go out the back of his shop and eat his black bread and herring while smelling the wonderful odors coming from the restaurant's kitchen.

But one day, Abraham was surprised to receive an invoice from the restaurant for 'enjoyment of food'. So he went to the restaurant to point out that he had not bought anything from them.

The manager said, "You're enjoying our food, so you should pay us for it."

Abraham refused to pay and the restaurant sued him. At the hearing, the judge asked the restaurant to present their side of the case.

The manager said, "Every day, this man comes and sits outside our kitchen and smells our food while eating his. It is clear that we are providing added value to his poor food and we deserve to be compensated for it."

The judge turns to Abraham and said, "What do you have to say to that?"

Abraham didn't say anything but stuck his hand in his pocket and rattled the few coins he had inside.

The judge asked him, "What is the meaning of that?"

Abraham replied, "I'm paying for the smell of his food with the sound of my money."

World's Most Dangerous Road

The North Yungas Road is a 38 to 43 mile road (depending on source) leading from La Paz to Coroico, in the Yungas region of Bolivia and is undoubtedly the most dangerous road in the world for motorists.

It is legendary for its extreme danger and in 1995 the Inter-American Development Bank christened it as the "world's most dangerous road". One estimate is that a fatal accident happens there every couple of weeks and 200-300 travellers are killed yearly along the road

The road moreover includes Christian crosses marking many of the spots where such vehicles have fallen. Upon leaving La Paz, the road first ascends up to around 5km, before descending to 1079 ft (330 m), transitioning quickly from cool altiplano terrain to rain forest as it winds through very steep hillsides and atop cliffs.

The road was built in the 1930s during the Chaco War by Paraguayan prisoners. Because of the extreme dropoffs, single-lane width, and lack of guardrails, the road is extremely dangerous. Further still, rain and fog can make visibility precarious, the road surface muddy, and loosen rocks from the hillsides above.

Jump on the Trans Fat-Free Bandwagon for a Healthier Ride

Dr. Cherry

Last December it was announced that New York City is banning trans fats from all its restaurants. Since then, other cities and major fast food chains have followed. Even Starbucks, the huge coffee conglomerate, announced at the beginning of the year that it, too, was jumping on the trans fat-free bandwagon.

Long used to extend the shelf life and enhance the texture of foods (making some foods crunchier and creamier and others less greasy), trans fats now have the bad rap they deserve. That's because trans fats raise "bad" LDL cholesterol and lower "good" HDL cholesterol, as well as have other harmful effects on our health. In addition to raising a person's risk of developing diabetes, trans fats may increase inflammation in the body, according to the Mayo Clinic. Among being linked to a number of serious medical conditions and diseases, it's believed that inflammation plays a key role in the formation of fatty blockages in heart blood vessels and that trans fat appears to damage the cells lining blood vessels, leading to inflammation.

So how much trans fat is considered bad for you? It's not known yet exactly how much or at what amount of trans fat will have a negative impact on your cholesterol levels. However, the American Heart Association recommends that no more than one percent of your total daily calories be trans fat. So if you consume 2,000 calories a day, that amounts to only two grams or less of trans fat. Not much, considering a large serving of french fries at some restaurants can contain five grams or more of trans fat and half a doughnut can contain two grams.

Since January 2006, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has required that manufacturers list the amount of trans fat on food labels. However, if a food contains less than 0.5 grams of trans fat, it can be listed as "0 grams" on the label. So if you're not careful, you can exceed the recommended daily amount of trans fat if you eat multiple servings of these products. It's best to look on the nutrition label for words like "partially hydrogenated oils" and "shortening" - both clues that the item contains trans fats.

In my next e-newsletter, I'll reveal the major culprits among supermarket products that contain trans fat along with good fat alternatives.

For more information on Dr. Cherry's ministry, visit his Web site: www.AbundantNutrition.com.

Teamwork

Fingernail Art

Perspective

Although it is more than 1,000 light years away, Antares is the 15th brightest star in the sky.

Here's why:

Words that Really Should Exist from A to Z

Abracadabbler: an amateur magician.

Badaptation: a bad movie version of a good book.

Carbage: the trash found in your automobile.

Dadicated: being the best father you can be.

Ecrastinate: checking your e-mail just one more time.

Faddict: someone who has to try every new trend that comes along.

Gabberflasted: the state of being speechless due to someone else talking too much.

Hackchoo: when you sneeze and cough at the same time.

Iceburg: an uppity, snobbish neighborhood.

Jobsolete: a position within a company that no longer exists.

Knewlyweds: second marriage for both.

Lamplify: turning on (or up) the lights within a room.

Mandals: sandals for men.

Nagivator: someone who constantly assists with driving directions in an overly critical manner.

Obliment: an obligatory compliment.

Pestariffic: adjective describing a particularly pesty person.

Qcumbersome: a salad that contains too many cucumbers.

Ramdumbtious: a rowdy, energetic person who's not too bright.

Sanktuary: a graveyard for ships.

Testimoney: fees paid to expert witnesses.

Unbrella: an umbrella that the wind has turned inside-out.

Vehiculized: you own a vehicle.

Wackajacky: very messed up.

Xerocks: two identical pieces of stone.

Yawnese: the language of someone trying to speak while yawning.

Zingle: a single person with a lot of pep in his or her step.

You're not a kid anymore when ...

• The only reason you're awake at 4 a.m. is indigestion.

• You are proud of your lawnmower.

• 8 a.m. is your idea of "sleeping in."

• People call you at 8 p.m. and ask: "Did I wake you?"

• Your high school diploma is the color of buttermilk.

• Nobody ever tells you to slow down.

• You've seen Halley's Comet ... twice.

• * You have a party and the neighbors don't even realize it.

Back to the Basics: Simple Ways to Improve Your Finances

Steve Scalici, CFP(r)

This month I want to start you off with a riddle. Here are the facts:

1. You have two coins that total $.30.
2. One of the coins is not a nickel.

Here is the question: How do you make $.30 with two coins if one of them is not a nickel? (Answer at end of the article).

Sometimes we miss the obvious. We get so consumed by everything around us we forget the basics. I am always fooled by riddles. And, when I hear the answer to the riddle, I usually say something like “duh.” I can’t believe the answer was so simple. Sometimes I get caught up thinking things have to be difficult when in fact they rarely are. A lot of us can feel that way about our finances. Sometimes I share a concept with someone and they looked at me as if to say “that’s it?” “That’s all you’ve got, Mr. CFP?” Sometimes it is. Sometimes, there are some obvious things that people miss when trying to figure out their finances. Sometimes I feel like the things I tell people are so simple they won’t believe me. The older I get, the more I realize that most things are really simple.

As you start 2007, I want to encourage you to think about trying to do two simple things to help improve your finances. I don’t want you to make a resolution to do it because we know that no one keeps their resolutions.

1. Spend less than you make.

Proverbs 21:20 (NIV) - In the house of the wise are stores of choice food and oil,
but a foolish man devours all he has.

This sounds easy, but less than 10% of the population actually does it. The average family in America now spends 106% of its income¹. How does that happen you might ask? It’s simple: easy credit. Easy credit has made it so that we can buy what we want, when we want it. We don’t have to develop the discipline of saving because we can simply charge it.

If you spend less than you make, you will never struggle with money. There will always be something left over.

You may have heard this before: Give 10%, save 10%, and live on the rest. This is a great principle to live by. Now, how do you live on 80% of what you earn when the average (read: normal) family spends 106%? The answer is quite simple: don’t be normal. If normal causes you become financially strapped, stop being normal. Normal is being in debt. You want to be abnormal. As a kid, I was told I was abnormal. I always thought that was a derogatory comment. Now I’m flattered by it.
“Normal” is trying to impress others with your stuff. It doesn’t work. Chris Andrews of BYI has been credited with saying: "We buy things we don't need with money we don't have in order to impress people we don't really care about." How true is that? This just in: The Jones’ don’t care about you. They don’t even know who you are. Stop trying to impress them.

2. Save early and save often
My seventh grade computer teacher used to say this all the time and now I find myself saying it quite often. This basic principle of computers can help ensure you don’t lose your work. When applied to finances, it can help you become financially free.

Proverbs 6:6 – 8 (NIV) says: “Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest.

Albert Einstein said: “Compound interest is the most powerful force on the earth.” That’s a pretty strong statement from someone who understood power. It was his E=MC2 formula that led to the creation of the atom bomb. Here’s a sample of the power of compound interest:

At age 20, John begins to save $2,000 per year and he does this for a period of ten years at which time he stops. He leaves his investment alone and allows it grow at a hypothetical return of 10%. When he is age 65 that account would be worth almost $900,000! His $20,000 investment grew 45-fold.

Fred decides that he’s having too much fun right now and decides to put off investing. He waits until he is 30. But, he figures, he’ll do one better than John and he will invest $2,000 per year until he is 65 for a total investment of $70,000. Now, it stands to reason that Fred would have much more money than John because he is going to invest a great deal more. But, not so fast. Fred ends up with a measly $550,000. As a matter of fact, Fred would have to invest over $3,300 per year at 10% for the 30 year period to catch up with John. That’s a total investment of almost $100,000.

Note: this is a mathematical illustration and is not based on any investment portfolio. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results.

Time is your greatest advocate when it comes to saving money. It allows the compounding effect to pay off for you.

These are just two of the basic principles we should all understand. If you master these you will be well on your way to financial freedom.

Riddle answer: You have a quarter and a nickel. The quarter is one of the coins that is not a nickel.

¹ Source – www.cnnfn.com. December 14, 2003. “Has your debt taken over your life?”

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Steve Scalici is the Vice President of Treasure Coast Financial, a financial planning firm in Stuart, FL. He is co-host of God's Money which can be heard weekdays at www.oneplace.com. He can also be reached at his website www.tcfin.com.

Help make English our official language

American Family Association

A common language, not “diversity,” makes our country stronger

Recently, the mayor of Nashville vetoed a bill that would have made English the city’s official language. He called the measure “unconstitutional, unnecessary, and mean-spirited.” U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid even called a bill to make English our official language “racist.”

A Zogby poll last year showed that 84% say English should be the official language of government operations. The poll also showed that 77% of Hispanics support English as our official language.

It is time for liberal members of Congress to quit playing politics with the future of all children --U.S. and Immigrant--and follow the lead of 28 states which have made English their official language. Failure for Congress to act will establish a major obstacle for immigrant children as they try to move up in our society.

Without a common language, citizens cannot communicate with each other. Any child growing up in America without knowing English is at a distinct disadvantage. At a time when our society is becoming more fragmented, we need an official, common language. Diverse cultures, different backgrounds and varied traditions enrich our culture. But for the nation to thrive, we must have a common language.

As Ed Feulner points out, “instead of having one official language, in practice we have dozens.” Click here to read Mr. Feulner’s article.

Take Action Send an email urging members of Congress to make English the official language.

Please forward this to friends and family asking them to help.

Click Here to Send Your Email Now!