News and views to inform or amuse
He wasn't quite a tailgater, easing his huge pickup truck near my smaller car's bumper then retreating before the threat became too aggressive down the narrow curvy mountain road After we both made a left, I lost him for a moment in the turn. He resumed his elastic band following close in stretch away snap back close. I pulled off at the next driveway. He revved his engine roaring past me. We had each shown the other who was boss. "Thanks!" I shouted unheard to his vanishing tail lights.
This poem on passion really resonates with me.
This poem was inspired by Wordy Weekend prompt #2.
What is passion?
Perhaps it’s a bonfire, reaching up to the heavens
Or a river, steadily carving out its path
Ever finding a way, or making one
Or lovers sharing kisses at midnight
Skin melting into skin, bodies one
—
Or a man on a cross, asking forgiveness
For those very same who nailed him there
Or the tiger that hasn’t tasted meat in days
Scrawny and desperate, only one focus
The mother or father who throws themselves
Between a raised weapon and their beloved child
—
The writer who bleeds from his fingers
The painter who weeps onto the canvas
The musician that pours soul into her instrument
The teacher, underpaid, who chose her career
Not for money, but because she loves children
The doctor, overworked, hospitals understaffed
The policeman who keeps showing up even though
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Eight of us sat on chairs in a circle around a flickering candle pillar. From the CD player, a voice sang " I will show you things that you have never known." Several of us involuntarily, softly, tapped the rhythm with our feet. Simultaneously the candle's flame swiveled and swayed, flickered and flared to the same rhythm.
The library had not opened Yet the spots in front were full Only the handicapped spot was empty Into which the work truck pulled Two grinning young men Both seemed young and fit Emerged from the cab Thinking nothing of it I was right behind them One vehicle too late So a multi-stair walk Became my new fate Using both railings I managed the stairs Grateful to do what I had to Because the louts didn't care That the convenient location Where they chose to stop And ignored the sign That said Handicapped spot.
What if there’s actually a sea otter 🦦 God.
We all want to believe that good deeds matter, karma, justice - all that jazz that’s been parroted all our lives – but sometimes, I wonder if life is just a Ferris roulette wheel balancing on the belly of a sea otter God who plays with the world like a beach ball, and we hope to stay angled towards the golden sunny rays of good fortune and away from the murky blue underworld, but it’s all a bit of chance, and all you can do is bob on the gray waves with no idea of what will happen.
***
On August 31, 1949, Louis Johnson, who was the United States’ Secretary of Defense, announced the creation of an Armed Forces Day to replace separate Army, Navy and Air Force Days. The event stemmed from the armed forces’ unification under one department – the Department of Defense. The Army, Navy and Air Force leagues adopted the newly formed day. The Marine Corps League declined to drop support for Marine Corps Day but supports Armed Forces Day too.
The first Armed Forces Day was celebrated on Saturday, May 20, 1950. The theme for that day was “Teamed for Defense”, which expressed the unification of all military forces under one government department. According to the U.S. Department of Defense, the day was designed to expand public understanding of what type of job was performed and the role of the military in civilian life.
Armed Forces Day was a day for the military to show “state-of-the-art” equipment to Americans. It was also a day to honor and acknowledge Americans in the armed forces. Parades, open houses, receptions and air shows were held at the inaugural Armed Forces Day. Armed Forces Day is still celebrated nationwide today and is part of Armed Forces Week.
I would like to thank the vets in my life who all served in the U.S. Navy.
From a forwarded email.
Did I read that sign right?
TOILET OUT OF ORDER. PLEASE USE FLOOR BELOW
In a Laundromat:
AUTOMATIC WASHING MACHINES: PLEASE REMOVE ALL YOUR CLOTHES WHEN THE LIGHT GOES OUT
In a London department store:
BARGAIN BASEMENT UPSTAIRS
In an office:
WOULD THE PERSON WHO TOOK THE STEP LADDER YESTERDAY PLEASE BRING IT BACK OR FURTHER STEPS WILL BE TAKEN
In an office:
AFTER TEA BREAK STAFF SHOULD EMPTY THE TEAPOT AND STAND UPSIDE DOWN ON THE DRAINING BOARD
Outside a secondhand shop:
WE EXCHANGE ANYTHING – BICYCLES, WASHING MACHINES, ETC. WHY NOT BRING YOUR WIFE ALONG AND GET A WONDERFUL BARGAIN?
Notice in health food shop window:
CLOSED DUE TO ILLNESS
Spotted in a safari park:(I sure hope so)
ELEPHANTS, PLEASE STAY IN YOUR CAR
Seen during a conference:
FOR ANYONE WHO HAS CHILDREN AND DOESN’T KNOW IT, THERE IS A DAY CARE ON THE 1ST FLOOR
Notice in a farmer’s field:
THE FARMER ALLOWS WALKERS TO CROSS THE FIELD FOR FREE, BUT THE BULL CHARGES
Message on a leaflet:
IF YOU CANNOT READ, THIS LEAFLET WILL TELL YOU HOW TO GET LESSONS
On a repair shop door:
WE CAN REPAIR ANYTHING. (PLEASE KNOCK HARD ON THE DOOR – THE BELL DOESN’T WORK)
Proofreading is a dying art, wouldn’t you say?
Man Kills Self Before Shooting Wife and Daughter
This one I caught in the SGV Tribune the other day and called the Editorial Room and asked who wrote this. It took two or three readings before the editor realized that what he was reading was impossible!!! They put in a correction the next day.
Something Went Wrong in Jet Crash, Expert Says
Really? Ya think?
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Police Begin Campaign to Run Down Jaywalkers
Now that’s taking things a bit far!
———————————————————–
Panda Mating Fails; Veterinarian Takes Over
What a guy!
—————————————————————
Miners Refuse to Work after Death
No-good-for-nothing’ lazy so-and-so’s!
——————————————————
Juvenile Court to Try Shooting Defendant
See if that works any better than a fair trial!
———————————————————-
War Dims Hope for Peace
I can see where it might have that effect!
—————————————————————-
If Strike Isn’t Settled Quickly, It May Last Awhile
Ya think?!
———————————————————————–
Cold Wave Linked to Temperatures
Who would have thought!
—————————————————————-
Enfield ( London ) Couple Slain; Police Suspect Homicide
They may be on to something!
————————————————————————
Red Tape Holds Up New Bridges
You mean there’s something stronger than duct tape?
———————————————————-
Man Struck By Lightning: Faces Battery Charge
He probably IS the battery charge!
———————————————-
Astronaut Takes Blame for Gas in Spacecraft
That’s what he gets for eating those beans!
————————————————-
Kids Make Nutritious Snacks
Do they taste like chicken?
****************************************
Local High School Dropouts Cut in Half
Chainsaw Massacre all over again!
***************************************************
Hospitals are Sued by 7 Foot Doctors
Boy, are they tall!
*******************************************
And the winner is….
Typhoon Rips Through Cemetery; Hundreds Dead
Did I read that right?
***************************************************
Now that you’ve smiled at least once, it’s your turn to spread the stupidity and send this to someone you want to bring a smile to (maybe even a chuckle). We all need a good laugh, at least once a day !
Kaushal’s list of coincidental laws is a detailed list of some circumstances that Murphy’s Law might incompass
I read these laws long ago on social media but today again came across these laws that scientists like Newton and Archimedes failed to observe and propagate. But as you read on, you will find how applicable these coincidental laws are to our daily lives.
Most of you too must have come across many of these laws, but at the cost of repetition, and to bring a smile on your faces, here I am sharing 10 such laws:
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I love this gentle and biographical introduction to the wonderful word and world of Namaste.
During my first few days at the University of Washington, I remember meeting so many new people. I vividly recall meeting a group of international students from different corners of the globe at a get-to-know-each-other board games event. At first, we were all hesitant and unsure about how to interact with one another given our diverse backgrounds. However, as we played a whimsical round of Scrabble and chit-chatted for a bit, at the end of the day we all wanted to blend in to feel appreciated and loved. So, what does this tell us about human nature?
Getting a little bit in touch with my roots, here’s the most beautiful thing I see in Hinduism: Namaste! This one gracious word reminds us that:
“We are the same. And we are whole.”
As a little girl, I remember watching people join their hands close together with a gentle bow and…
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From a forwarded email.
I’ve learned that pleasing everyone is impossible, but pissing everyone off is a piece of cake.
If you find yourself feeling useless, remember it took 20 years, trillions of dollars, and four presidents to replace the Taliban with the Taliban.
I’m responsible for what I say, not what you understand.
Common sense is like deodorant. The people who need it the most never use it.
My tolerance for idiots is extremely low these days. I used to have some immunity built up, but obviously there’s a new strain out there.
It’s not my age that bothers me; it’s the side effects.
I’m not saying I’m old and worn out, but I make sure I’m nowhere near the curb on trash day.
As I watch this generation try and rewrite our history, I’m sure of one thing: It will be misspelled and have no punctuation.
Me, sobbing: “I can’t see you anymore. . . . I’m not going to let you hurt me again.”
My Trainer: “It was just one sit-up.”
As I’ve gotten older, people think I’ve become lazy. The truth is I’m just being more energy efficient.
I haven’t gotten anything done today. I’ve been in the Produce Department trying to open this stupid plastic bag.
Turns out that being a “senior” is mostly just googling how to do stuff.
I want to be 18 again and ruin my life differently. I have new ideas.
God promised men that good and obedient wives would be found in all corners of the world. Then he made the earth round. . . and laughed and laughed and laughed.
I’m on two diets. I wasn’t getting enough food on one.
I put my scale in the bathroom corner and that’s where the little liar will stay until it apologizes.
My mind is like an internet browser. At least 19 open tabs, 3 of them are frozen, and I have no clue where the music is coming from.
Hard to believe I once had a phone attached to a wall, and when it rang, I picked it up without knowing who was calling.
Apparently RSVPing to a wedding invitation “Maybe next time” isn’t the correct response.
She says I keep pushing her buttons. If that were true, I would have found mute by now.
So you’ve been eating hot dogs and McChicken’s all your life, but you won’t take the vaccine because you don’t know what’s in it. Are you kidding me?
Sometimes the Universe puts you in the same situation again to see if you’re still a dumbass.
There is no such thing as a grouchy old person. The truth is that once you get old, you stop being polite and start being honest!
More Library Week cartoon humor.
Some terrific book cartoons.
Kaushal has written a very deft poem with an unexpected ending.
दिल का अच्छा होना अच्छी बात है,
लेकिन हर कोई नहीं पहुंच पाता
किसी के दिल तक,
ज्यादातर लोग नहीं जा पाते
जुबान के दरवाजे और
आंखों की खिड़कियों से आगे…
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
It is good to be good at heart,
but not everyone
reaches one’s heart,
most people can not go
beyond the door of the tongue
and the windows of the eyes…
–Kaushal Kishore
At the 7:30 (first) service on Easter morning, about two dozen people attended the service. The 9 and 11 o’clock services were going to be much more crowded with families, including eager children who brought Easter baskets to church for the Easter Egg hunt between the two services at 10.
Everyone in the church proceeded up to the alter for Communion, except for the temporary cripple who was not yet able to kneel to receive Communion. She decided that it would be less intrusive if she sat quietly in her seat rather than cause a problem by standing at the alter while everyone else knelt down to receive the communion wafer and wine.
The last person in line for Communion stopped at her pew and offered her the opportunity to get in line. She tried to tell the person that she couldn’t kneel which was why she didn’t get in line. In retrospect, she could have gone up to the alter and stood there without being an obstruction since everybody else had already gone up.
After Communion had been given to each member of the congregation, the two priests, one carrying the wafer and the other the small chalice of wine, seemed to swoop down from the alter towards the pew in which she was sitting. They quietly offered her communion which she gratefully accepted. While the congregation sang the final hymn, she bowed her head and hoped that the tears did not slip out from her eyes.
Some of these word may be familiar and some you can cipher out. All are deliciously descriptive. Click here to find out what they are. Verily you will enjoy it,
Kaushal has eloquently expressed what many of us may have thought in passing. His beautiful photographs enhance the words.
People add mathematics,
physics, chemistry, biology,
history, civics and geography
to simple life to make it complicated, confusing and incomprehensible…
People lose
their precious moments of life
in the maze of useless machinations,
thus losing the smile somewhere
along the way
to be strangers among the loved ones…
But there are strangers
who made me their own,
our constitution says,
we are one in some respects,
but we are not in many respects…
It’s okay
if someone doesn’t respond
to my nice gestures and wishes,
their behavior may be
their own problem, not mine…
Why should I waste my precious time
trying to figure out
where all the dirt has gone,
it’s more satisfying
that I have got all the dirt off…
I don’t know
what kind of day a day makes for me,
I don’t consult a sage or zodiac sign
about myself,
but I do close my eyes…
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GP’s post highlights another faithful veteran who provided service to thousands of families.
James MacMannis and his wife listen to their ham radio
James ‘Dad Mac’ MacMannis is believed to have sent as many as 33,000 postcards during World War II.
WEST PALM BEACH — Dad Mac sat in his living room and furiously scribbled the names the German propaganda machine rattled off. Names of GIs whose moms and dads and siblings and sweethearts in Florida and Iowa and Oregon. Loved ones who for weeks or months had wondered and worried and wrung their hands. Mac would fill out and address a postcard. It would say: Your boy is alive.
As World War II raged, and before and after D-Day, James L. MacMannis wrote as many as 33,000 postcards to families across America. After a while, people called him Dad.
At first, he said, he sent out just a few cards, and he got few responses.
“I was discouraged,” he toldPalm Beach…
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e-Quips 