Color Of School Closures

I didn't write this...It comes from something emailed to me, but it is something to think about...Observe the illustration above and tell me what you think?

"There is no evidence to suggest that school closures work. Despite what policymakers say to justify these mass closures, reports have shown that the majority of students who are affected do not get placed in high performing schools. And though closures are often touted as a way for districts to save money in tough economic times, those savings often fail to materialize and can in reality cost taxpayers millions in hidden costs." -Philadelphia School Union Website.


Mass school closings have become a hallmark of today's dominant education policy agenda. But rather than helping students, these closures disrupt whole communities. And as U.S. Department of Education data suggests, the most recent rounds of mass closings in Chicago, New York City and this city,Philadelphia disproportionately hurt Black and low-income students.

See a pattern here?  Hmmmmmm!

I don't want to just present a problem with no solutions...Here are some viable alternatives-

What is the alternative to closing schools? Evidence-based policies that provide students, schools and communities with the opportunities and resources they need to succeed, including:

• Wraparound academic, health and social services to help struggling students get back on track
• Recruiting, training and retaining high-quality teachers in every classroom
• Equitable school funding systems so that those who face the toughest hurdles receive the greatest resources
• Universal high-quality pre-K so that all students start school ready to learn
• Expanded learning time, including after-school and summer programming
• Turning schools into community hubs that provide expanded services to both students and community members

For more information, check out this report from Communities for Excellent Public Schools, "A Proposal for Sustainable School Transformation."
Here are just a few of the many groups organizing against school closures in the cities highlighted in the infographic. If your organization is doing anti-closures work, let us know and we'll add it!

• Chicago: Kenwood Oakland Community Organization
• New York: Coalition for Educational Justice
• Philadelphia: Philadelphia Student Union
• National: Journey for Justice

Think about it people!

Weekend Humor

Once upon a time there lived a king.
The king had a beautiful daughter, The PRINCESS..


But there was a problem. Everything the princess touched would melt.
No matter what;

Metal,
Wood,
Stone,
Anything she touched would melt.

Because of this, men were afraid of her. Nobody would dare marry her.

The king despaired. What could he do to help his daughter?

He consulted his wizards and magicians. One wizard told the king,
''If your daughter touches one thing that does not melt in her hands,
she will be cured.''

The king was overjoyed and came up with a plan.

The next day, he held a competition. Any man that could bring his daughter
an object that would not melt would marry her and inherit the king's wealth...

THREE YOUNG PRINCES TOOK UP THE CHALLENGE.

The first brought a sword of the finest steel.

But alas, when the princess touched it, it melted.
The prince went away sadly ..

The second prince brought diamonds.

He thought diamonds are the hardest substance in the world and would not melt. But alas, once the princess touched them, they melted.

He too was sent away disappointed.

The third prince approached. He told the princess,
''Put your hand in my pocket and feel what is in there baby.''

The princess did as she was told, though she turned red .

"Oh My Goddd!" she gasped!


She felt something hard. She held it in her hand!!!!!
And it did not melt!!!

The king was overjoyed. Everybody in the kingdom was overjoyed.

And the third prince married the princess and they both lived happily ever after.

Question: What was in the prince's pants?

WHAT DID YOU THINK I WAS TALKING ABOUT?

Weekend Humor

This comes from an email I got earlier in the week from a friend...This is one of those funny but true stories that I just had to share...


No matter what side of the political spectrum you're on, THIS is FUNNY!

It just all depends on how you look at some things..

Judy Wallman, a professional genealogy researcher in southern California,was doing some personal work on her own family tree.. She discovered that Senator Harry Reid's great-great uncle, Remus Reid, was hanged for horse stealing and train robbery in Montana in 1889. Both Judy and Harry Reid share this common ancestor.

The only  other known photograph of Remus Reid shows him standing on the gallows in Montana territory:

On the back of the picture Judy obtained during her research is this inscription: 'Remus Reid, horse thief, sent to Montana Territorial Prison 1885, escaped 1887, robbed the Montana Flyer six times. Caught by Pinkerton detectives, convicted and hanged in 1889.''

So Judy recently e-mailed Senator Harry Reid for information about their
great-great uncle.

Harry Reid:
Believe it or not, Harry Reid's staff sent back the following biographical
sketch for her genealogy research:

"Remus Reid was a famous cowboy in the Montana Territory . His business
empire grew to include acquisition of valuable equestrian assets and intimate dealings with the Montana railroad. Beginning in 1883, he devoted several years of his life to government service, finally taking leave to resume his dealings with the railroad. In 1887, he was a key player in a vital investigation run by the renowned Pinkerton Detective Agency.

In 1889,Remus passed away during an important civic function held in his honor when
the platform upon which he was standing collapsed."

NOW THAT's how it's done, Folks! That's real POLITICAL SPIN.

Have a great holiday weekend folks!

Weekend Humor

A cowboy walks into a bar and two steps in, he realizes it's a gay bar. "But what the heck," he says to himself, I really want a drink."

When the gay waiter approaches, he says to the cowboy, "What's the name of your penis?" The cowboy says, Look man, I'm not into any of that. All I want is a drink, okay?."

The gay waiter says, "I'm sorry but I can't serve you until you tell me the name of your penis. Mine for instance is called Nike, for the slogan 'Just Do It.' That guy down at the end of the bar calls his Snickers, because ''It really Satisfies'."

The cowboy looks dumbfounded so the bartender tells him he will give him a second to think it over. So the cowboy asks the man sitting to his left, who is sipping on a beer, "Hey bud, what's the name of yours?" The man looks back and says with a smile "TIMEX"

The thirsty cowboy asks, "Why Timex?"

The fella proudly replies, "Cause it takes a lickin' and keeps on tickin'!"

A little shaken, the cowboy turns to two fella's on his right, who happen to be sharing a fruity Margarita and says, " So, what do you guys call yours?"

The first man turns to him and proudly exclaims, "FORD, because Quality is Job One." Then he adds, "Have you driven a Ford, lately?" The guy next to him then says, "I call mine CHEVY ... Like A Rock!" And gives a wink.

Even more shaken, the Cowboy has to think for a moment before he comes up with a name for his manhood.

Finally, he turns to the bartender and exclaims, "The name of my penis is SECRET. Now give me a beer."

The bartender begins to pour the cowboy a beer, but with a puzzled look asks, "Why Secret?"

The cowboy says, "Because it's STRONG ENOUGH FOR A MAN, BUT MADE FOR A WOMAN !!

 Have a great weekend everyone!

Weekend Humor

Dad buys a lie detector robot which slaps people when they lie.

 He decides to test it at dinner. "Son where were you today?" he asked

His son says " I was at school dad."

 Robot slaps the son!

 " OWWWW!, Heyy, that hurt! Ok, ok I was watching a dvd at my friends house!"

 "What dvd?" asked the father.

"Toy Story." says the son.

 Robot slaps the son again!

" OWWWWW, damn that hurt...OK....Ok, it was a porno! Geeez" cries the son.

 "What!!!!! When I was your age I didn't know what porn was" says the dad.

Robot slaps the dad!

"OWWWWWWWW, Heyyyy...that hurt!" screamed the dad!

Mom laughs"Ha Ha Ha hahahahahaha! He's certainly your son." she laughed.

Robot slaps the mom!

Weekend Humor

When everybody on earth was dead and waiting to enter Paradise , God appeared and said, "I want the men to make two lines. One line for the men who were true heads of their household, and the other line for the men who were dominated by their women. I want all the women to report to St. Peter."

Soon, the women were gone, and there were two lines of men. The line of the men who were dominated by their wives was 100 miles long, and in the line of men who truly were heads of their household, there was only one man.

God said to the long line, "You guys should be ashamed of yourselves, I created you to be the head of your household! You have been disobedient and have not fulfilled your purpose! Of all of you, only one obeyed.You all could Learn from him."

God turned to the one man, "How did you manage to be the only one in this line?"

The man replied, "Uh,My wife told me to stand here."

Have a great weekend everyone!

Weekend Humor

This Is For My People

There was a Black man, a White man, a Native American man and a Latino man. All four were on top of a cliff discussing the difficulties their people had undergone.

The Native American man said, 'My people have suffered the most. In honor of what they have endured, I will fling myself over this cliff in hopes that my blood will change things. "So he yelled, "THIS IS FOR MY PEOPLE!"; and he jumped off the cliff.

The Latino, not wanting to be outdone, quickly looked at the other two and followed yelling, "THIS IS FOR MY PEOPLE!"; and he jumped off the cliff as well...

The Black man was touched by all this and decided it was his turn; So he yelled, "THIS IS FOR MY PEOPLE"; and pushed the White man off the cliff!

STOP LAUGHING !!!

WE ALL KNEW THE BROTHER WAS NOT GOING TO JUMP!!!! DIDN'T WE?

(Thank You Regina...That was a good one!)

Weekend Humor

If you work in an office, here are ten rules you need to follow...

10. Never walk without a document: People with documents look like hardworking employees headed to important meetings. People with nothing in their hands look like they're headed for the cafeteria. People with a newspaper in their hand look like they're headed for the toilet. Above all, make sure you carry loads of stuff home with you at night, thus generating the false impression that you work longer hours than you really do.

9. Use computers to look busy: Any time you use a computer, it looks like "work" to the casual observer. You can send and receive personal email, chat and have a blast without doing anything remotely related to work. These aren't exactly the societal benefits that the proponents of the computer revolution would like to talk about, but they're not bad either. When you get caught by your boss, and you will get caught, your best defense is to claim you're teaching yourself to use new software, thus saving valuable training dollars.

8. Messy desk: Only top management can get away with a clean desk. For the rest of us, it looks like we're not working hard enough. Build huge piles of documents around your workspace. To the observer, last year's work looks the same as today's work; it's volume that counts. Pile them high and wide. If you know somebody is coming to your cubicle, bury the document you'll need halfway down in an existing stack and rummage for it when he/she arrives.

7. Voice mail: Never answer your phone if you have voice mail. People don't call you just because they want to give you something for nothing, they call because they want YOU to do work for THEM. That's no way to live. Screen all your calls through voice mail. If somebody leaves a message for you and it sounds like impending work, respond during lunch hour when you know they're not there, it looks like you're hardworking and conscientious even though you're being a devious weasel.

6. Look impatient and annoyed: According to George Costanza, one should also always try to look impatient and annoyed to give off the impression that you're always busy.

5. Leave the office late: Always leave the office late, especially when the boss is still around. You could read magazines and storybooks that you always wanted to read. Make sure you walk past the boss' room on your way out. Send important e-mails at unearthly hours (i.e. 9:35pm, 7:05am, etc.) and during public holidays.

4. Creative sighing for effect: Sigh loudly when there are many people around, giving the impression that you are under extreme pressure.

3. Stacking strategy: It is not enough to pile lots of documents on the table. Put lots of books on the floor, etc. (thick computer manuals are the best).

2. Build vocabulary: Read up on some computer magazines and pick out all the jargon and new products. Use the phrases freely when in conversation with bosses. Remember, they don't have to understand what you say, but you sure sound impressive.

And, number one (drum roll, please)...

1. MOST IMPORTANT: DON'T forward this to your boss by mistake!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Weekend Humor

A teenage boy just passed his driving test and asked his father when they could discuss his use of or the purchase of a car.

His father said he'd make a deal: ''You bring your grades up from a C to a B average, study your Bible a little, and get your hair cut. Then, we'll talk about the car.' 'The boy thought about that for a moment, decided he'd settle for the offer, and they agreed on it.

After about six weeks his father said, ''Son, you've brought your grades up and I've observed that you have been studying your Bible, but I'm disappointed that you haven't cut your hair.

The boy said, "You know, Pop... I've been thinking about that, and I've noticed in my studies of the Bible that Samson had long hair, John the Baptist had long hair, Moses had long hair, d there's even stronge evidence that Jesus, himself, had long hair."

His father replied, "Well son, did you also notice that they all walked everywhere they went?"

Weekend Humor

ART: "Coffee Shop" By Unknown Artist

An Irishman in a wheelchair entered a coffee shop one afternoon and asked the waitress for a cup of coffee. The Irishman looked across the coffee shop and asked, "Excuse me, but is that Jesus sitting over there?" The waitress nodded "yes", so the Irishman told her to give Jesus a cup of coffee on him.

The next patron to come in the coffee shop was an Englishman with a hunched back. He shuffled over to a booth, painfully sat down and asked the waitress for a cup of hot tea. He also glanced across the coffee shop and asked,"Is that Jesus over there?" The waitress again nodded "yes", so the Englishman said to give Jesus a cup of hot tea also.

The third person to come into the coffee was Roland Brown, from 49th Street on crutches. He hobbled over to a booth, sat down, and hollered, "Hey baby, can you, hook me up with a hot cup of coffee? Thanks." He too looked across the restaurant and asked, "Is that God's baby boy over there?" Again, the waitress nooded "yes", so the brotha said to hook up Jesus with a hot cup of coffee too.

As Jesus got up to leave, he passed by the Irishman, touched him and said," For your kindness, you are healed." The Irishman felt the strength come back into his legs, got up, and danced a jig out the door.

Jesus also passed by the Englishman, touched him and said, "For your kindness, you are healed." The Englishman felt his back straightening up, he raised his hands, praised the Lord, and did a series of backflips out the door.

Then, Jesus walked towards Roland Brown from 49th Street. Roland jumped up and yelled, "Slow ya role, player. Don't touch me. I'm drawin' disability!"

Weekend Humor

A little boy was waiting for his mother to come out of the grocery store. As he waited, he was approached by a man who asked, "Son, Can you tell me where the post office is?"

The little boy replied, "Sure! Just go straight down this street a couple of blocks and turn to your right."

The man thanked the boy kindly and said, "I'm the new pastor in town. Are you familiar with Ressurection Baptist Church? I'd like for you to come to my church on Sunday and bring your family. I'll show you how to get to Heaven."

The little boy replied with a chuckle. "Awww, come on Rev... You don't even know the way to the post office!"

Weekend Humor

(Anyone who has ever dressed a child will love this one!)

Did you hear about the Philadelphia kindergarden teacher who was helping one of her kindergarten students put on his cowboy boots? He asked for help and she could see why.

Even with her pulling and him pushing, the little boots still didn't want to go on. By the time they got the second boot on, she had worked up a sweat. She almost cried when the little boy said, "Teacher, they're on the wrong feet.''

She looked and sure enough, they were. It wasn't any easier pulling the boots off than it was putting them on. She managed to keep her cool as together they worked to get the boots back on, this time on the right feet.

He then announced, ''These aren't my boots." She bit her tongue rather than get right in his face and scream, ''Why didn't you say so?'', like she wanted to.

Once again, she struggled to help him pull the ill-fitting boots off his little feet. No sooner had they gotten the boots off when he said, ''They're my brother's boots. My Mommy made me wear 'em.''

Now, she didn't know if she should laugh or cry. But still, she mustered up what grace and courage she had left to wrestle the boots on his feet again. Helping him into his coat, she asked, ''Now, where are your Mittens?'' He said, ''I stuffed 'em in the toes of my boots.''

She will be eligible for parole in three years!

Weekend Humor

Arden Grass Snakes, also known as Garter Snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis), can be dangerous. Yes, grass snakes... not rattlesnakes. And, here's why...

A couple in Baltimore, MD had a lot of potted plants. During a recent cold spell, the wife was bringing some of them indoors to protect them from a possible freeze. It turned out that a little green garden grass snake was hidden in one of the plants and when it warmed up, it slithered out and the wife saw it go under the sofa. She let out a very loud scream! The husband (who was taking a shower) ran out into the living room naked to see what the problem was.

She told him there was a snake under the sofa. He got down on the floor on his hands and knees to look for it. About that time the family dog came and cold-nosed him on the behind. He thought the snake had bitten him, so he screamed and fell over on the floor. His wife thought he had a heart attack, so she covered him up, told him to lie still and called an ambulance. The attendant rushed in, wouldn't listen to his protests, and loaded him on the stretcher and started carrying him out.

About that time the snake came out from under the sofa, the EMT saw it, and dropped his end of the stretcher. That's when the man broke his leg and why he is still in the hospital. The wife still had the problem of the snake in the house, so she called on a neighbor. He volunteered to capture the snake. He armed himself with a rolled-up newspaper and began poking under the couch.

Soon he decided it was gone and told the woman, who sat down on the sofa in relief. But while relaxing, her hand dangled in between the cushions, where she felt the snake wriggling around. She screamed and fainted, the snake rushed back under the sofa. The neighbor man, seeing her lying there passed out, tried to use CPR to revive her.

The neighbor's wife, who had just returned from shopping at the grocery store, saw her husband's mouth on the woman's mouth and slammed her husband in the back of the head with a bag of canned goods, knocking him out, and cutting his scalp to a point where he needed stitches. The noise woke the woman from her dead faint and she saw her neighbor lying on the floor with his wife bending over him, so she assumed that he had been bitten by the snake.

She went to the kitchen and got a small bottle of whiskey, and began pouring it down the man's throat. By now, the police had arrived. They saw the unconscious man, smelled the whiskey, and assumed that a drunken fight had occurred. They were about to arrest them all, when the women tried to explain how it all happened over a little green snake. The police called an ambulance, which took away the neighbor and his sobbing wife.

The little snake came out from under the sofa again. One of the policemen drew his gun and fired at it. He missed the snake and hit the leg of the end table. The table fell over, the lamp on it shattered, and as the bulb broke, it started a fire in the drapes. The other policeman tried to beat out the flames and fell through the window into the yard on top of the family dog who, startled, jumped out and raced into the street, where an oncoming car swerved to avoid it and smashed into the parked police car.

Meanwhile, the burning drapes were seen by the neighbors who called the fire department. The firemen started raising the fire truck ladder when they were halfway down the street. The rising ladder tore out the overhead wires, put out the electricity, and disconnected the telephones in a ten-square city block area (but they did put the house fire out).

Time passed! Both men were discharged from the hospital, the house was repaired, the dog came home, the police acquired a new car, and all was right with their world. A while later, they were watching TV and the weatherman announced a cold snap for that night. The wife asked her husband if he thought they should bring in their plants for the night. That's when he shot her!

Weekend Humor

A woman decides to have a face lift for her 50th birthday. So, she spends $15,000 and feels pretty good about the results. On her way home, she stops at a newsstand to buy a newspaper. Before leaving, she says to the clerk, ''I hope you don't mind my asking, but how old do you think I am?" He replied, "Oh, I'd say about 32.'' The woman said happily, ''Nope! I'm exactly 50.'' The clerk said, "Really? Wow! You look good!" The woman smiled... that was exactly what she wanted to hear. She was amazed that at 50 she could still turn the heads of guys half her age.

A little while later, she goes into McDonald's and asks the counter girl the very same question. The girl replies, ''I'd guess about 29 or 30." The woman replies with a big smile, "Nope, I'm 50.'' The girl said, "Wow! I hope I got it goin' on like that when I'm 50. You, go girl!" said the girl at the counter. Now, she's feeling really good about herself , but she still has to ask someone else.

She stops in a drug store on her way down the street. She goes up to the counter to get some mints and asks the clerk this burning question. The clerk responds, ''Oh, I'd say 28.'' Again, she proudly responds, ''I'm 50, but thank you!'' "He said, "50? Come on! Are you serious? Stop playing!" She shows him her drivers license, he shakes his head, and said... "Wow, that's incredible. You must fool a lot of people." She laughed and replied, "Apparently, I have." He added, "Wow, guys must be all over you." She laughed again and said... "Yeah, I get my percentages."

While waiting for the bus to go home, she asks an old man waiting next to her the same question. He replies, ''Lady, I'm 78 years old and my eyesight is going. Although, when I was young, there was a sure-fire way to tell how old a woman was. It sounds very forward, but it requires you to let me put my hands under your bra. Then, and only then can I tell you EXACTLY how old you are.'' he said.

They wait in silence on the empty street until her curiosity gets the best of her. She finally blurts out... ''Oh, what the hell. Go ahead.'' He slips both of his hands under her blouse and begins to feel around very slowly and carefully. He bounces and weighs each breast and he gently pinches each nipple. He pushes her breasts together and rubs them against each other.

After a couple of minutes of this, she says... ''Okay, okay. How old am I?" He completes one last squeeze of her breasts, removes his hands, and said... ''Madam, you are 50 years old.'' Stunned and amazed, the woman said... ''That was incredible, how could you tell?" The old man asked, ''You promise you won't get mad?'' She said, "I promise."

''I was standing behind you at McDonalds." He laughed!

Weekend Humor

A very prestigious cardiologist died, and was given a very elaborate funeral by the hospital he worked for most of his life.

A huge heart covered in flowers stood behind the casket during the service as all the doctors from the hospital sat in awe. Following the eulogy, the heart opened, and the casket was rolled inside. The heart then closed, sealing the doctor in the beautiful heart forever.

At that point, one of the mourners burst into laughter. When all eyes stared at him, he said, '' Oh... Oh, I'm so sorry. I'm sorry. I just can't help it... bwahahahahahaha. I, I, I was just thinking of my own funeral. See, hahahahahahahahaha... I'm a gynecologist. "

At which point the proctologist fainted.

Weekend Humor

Here's a rare item. Mark it on your calender folks. A second post in one day from the house of ideas. This one was too good to not post...

An older gentleman had an appointment to see the urologist, who shared offices with several other doctors. The waiting room was filled with patients. As he approached the receptionist's desk, he noticed that the receptionist was a large unfriendly woman who looked like a Sumo wrestler.

He gave her his name and in a very loud voice, the receptionist said... "YES, I HAVE YOUR NAME HERE; YOU WANT TO SEE THE DOCTOR ABOUT IMPOTENCE, RIGHT?"

All the patients in the waiting room snapped their heads around to look at the very embarrassed man. He recovered quickly, and in an equally loud voice replied... ''NO, I'VE COME TO INQUIRE ABOUT A SEX CHANGE OPERATION, BUT I DON'T WANT THE SAME DOCTOR THAT DID YOURS.''

The room erupted in applause!

Weekend Humor

Okay, I just couldn't help but post this... it's too funny!

Five Rules For Men To Have A Happy Life

1. It's important to have a woman who helps at home, who cooks from time to time, cleans up, and has a job.

2. It's important to have a woman who can make you laugh.

3. It's important to have a woman whom you can trust and who doesn't lie to you.

4. It's important to have a woman who is good in bed and who likes to be with you.

5. It's very, very important that these four women do not know each other.

Signed, Tiger Woods

Have a good weekend everybody!

The Lesson Of Coffee

I thought I would share this... it's a great analogy!

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was just tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as though as soon as one problem was solved, a new one arose.

Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil without saying a word. After about 20 minutes she turned off the burners.

Her mother fished out the carrots and placed them in a bowl. She pulled out the eggs and placed them in a bowl. Then, she ladled out the coffee and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, "Tell me what you see." Her daughter replied, "Carrots, eggs, and coffee."

Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. Her daughter did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked her daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard boiled egg.

Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, "What does it mean, mother?" Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity, boiling water! Each reacted differently.

The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg was fragile but its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior. But, after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. However, the ground coffee beans were unique. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water. "Which are you?" she asked her daughter. When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?

Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt, become soft, and lose my strength? Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship, or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same but on the inside am I tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart?

Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest, do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human, and enough hope to make you happy. The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes their way.

The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past; you can't go forward in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches. When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling. Live your life so at the end, you're the one who is smiling and everyone around you is crying.

Peace! (I hope you all got the message. It was deeper than just coffee.)

Weekend Humor

The economy is so bad:

1. I went to buy a toaster oven and they gave me a bank.

2. I got a pre-declined credit card in the mail.

3. CEO's are now playing miniature golf.

4. Hot Wheels and Matchbox cars are now trading higher than GM.

5. President Obama met with small businesses to discuss the Stimulus Package: (GE, AIG, Pfizer, and Citigroup).

6. McDonalds is selling the 1/4 ouncer.

7. People in Beverly Hills fired their nannies and learned their
children's names.

8. The most highly-paid job is now jury duty.

9. People in Africa are donating money to Americans.

10. Mothers in Ethiopia are telling their kids, "finish your plate, do you know how many kids are starving in the U.S.?"

11. Motel 6 won't leave the light on.

12. The Mafia is laying off judges.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Weekend Humor

WRONG E-MAIL ADDRESS

This one is priceless... a lesson to be learned from typing the wrong email address!

A Minneapolis couple decided to go to Florida to thaw out during a particularly icy winter. They planned to stay at the same hotel where they spent their honeymoon 20 years earlier. Because of hectic schedules, it was difficult to coordinate their travel schedules. So, the husband left Minnesota and flew to Florida on Thursday, with his wife flying down the following day.

The husband checked into the hotel. There was a computer in his room so, he decided to send an email to his wife. However, he accidentally left out one letter in her email address and, without realizing his error, sent the email.

Meanwhile, somewhere in Houston, a widow had just returned home from her husband's funeral. He was a minister who was called home to glory following a heart attack. The widow decided to check her email expecting messages from relatives and friends. After reading the first message, she gasped and fainted. The widow's son rushed into the room, found his mother on the floor, and saw the computer screen which read:

To: My Loving Wife
Subject: I've Arrived
Date: August 29, 2009.

I know you're surprised to hear from me. They have computers here now and you are allowed to send emails to your loved ones. I've just arrived and have been checked in. I've seen that everything has been prepared for your arrival tomorrow. Looking forward to seeing you then!

Hope your journey is as uneventful as mine was.

P. S. Sure is damn hot down here!