Thoughts for...as of today...

[Yvonne N.]

From Fables and Philosophy

A fable with two morals

<span style="color: #006600">A sparrow was caught unsheltered in a blizzard. Beaten and frozen by the storm, the little bird fell to the ground, nearly dead.

After the storm, a farmer driving his cows through the field spotted the sparrow on the ground. The kindly farmer picked the bird up, pressed its frozen little body deep into a fresh, steaming cowdung, and continued on his way.

The moist heat of the cowdung soon revived the little bird who, in her joy at finding herself alive and warm, burst into song. A fox hunting nearby heard the sparrow singing, and, following the sound, found the sparrow, snatched her up from the cowdung, and ate her in one bite.</span>

The morals of this story:

(a) Every now and then you may find yourself in a world of doodoo, but the one who put you there is not necessarily an enemy, and the one who takes you out is not necessarily a friend.

When you are up to your nose in doodoo, it's a real good time to keep your mouth shut.

[Yvonne N.]

Re: Thoughts for...as of today...

From James Thurber

Thurber's stories, being written in 1939, lack coverage of the digital age.

The mouse who had broadband

Once there was a mouse who lived with his conventional nuclear family in one of those metal cabinets that the broadband ISPs set up near suburban pavements.


Inside, the box contained several fibre optic cables. These were covered in a delicious-to-mice material that acted as a dietary supplement when times were hard, and also when the mice didn't feel like going out of an evening. When a baby mouse accidentally nibbled through to the glass fibres, it didn't matter. It provided a handy surface on which to sharpen their teeth.


A delicious-to-mice material
Then one day, while foraging in a litterbin, the father mouse's eye fell upon a newspaper article he was eating. It was all about how the internet was the last ruin of the nuclear family.

The offspring of parents that had broadband, said the article, were invariably corrupted by photographic filth, coarsened by violent online games, and ensnared by sinister grooming. When they grew up, they went on to form teenage gangs that attacked and humiliated their elders and betters, posting the results onto YouTube.

The article was illustrated with a reproduction of a company logo that the mouse recognised: it was on the label inside the lid of "his" cabinet.

The horrified mouse rushed home at once, where he found two of his daughters grooming each other (this is actually quite normal behaviour in baby mice – it forms the bedrock of what the species over-confidently calls its hygiene routine – but in his moral panic the father mouse forgot this).

He screamed to his wife to come quick, and explained his discovery to her, and in less time than it takes you to sing Em Eye See Kay Ee Why, Em Oh Yew Ess Ee the whole family had evacuated their fibre optic cupboard and were out on the bare tarmac, searching for a better place to live.

The move did not go well. Their new home was a rather similar cabinet, except that instead of fibre optics it contained many old-fashioned telephone wires. However, within the week, five of the young ones had discovered by the empirical method that, unlike the naïve ISP, the wily old telephone company doped the insulation of its wires with cyanide, and the mother mouse herself unluckily bit into a 240V copper core and got zapped. The remaining 23 babies were all killed soon afterwards in a lightening strike that burnt out the whole thing. Although the father mouse escaped and subsequently remarried, he was never quite the same.

Moral: Though it's frightening and scary and surely won't last, rush into the future not into the past.

[Yvonne N.]

Re: Thoughts for...as of today...


A crow was sitting on a tree, doing nothing all day. A small rabbit saw the crow, and asked him, "Can I also sit like you and do nothing all day long?" The crow answered, "Sure, why not." So, the rabbit sat on the ground below the crow, and rested. All of a sudden, a fox appeared, jumped on the rabbit and ate it.

<span style="color: #CC6600">Lesson: - To be sitting and doing nothing, you must be sitting very, very high up.</span>

Lessons from Life

[BlessedLadyOfZion]

Re: Thoughts for...as of today...

more pls [img]/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/popcorn.gif[/img]

[Yvonne N.]

Re: Thoughts for...as of today...

From Birds and their ways

Sex and the M & M twins
Mickie was sitting on her first egg after joining our family. It was reported that she laid eggs even before there was a male in her life. It was too early to tell if this egg is fertile, but she and Murphy had been doing the dance that puts little birdies in the eggs. In as much as Mickie was the mail order bride (companion) for Ashley, I suppose we must explain why she may be having Murphy's baby. Murphy and Ashley are friends, but I believe that their friendship isn't THAT good.
Murphy's coming of age caused him to fight Ashley to determine which of them would be allowed to court the females. (Murphy didn't seem to care that there were no females to be courted, he just figured that he and Ashley should settle things--just to be prepared). So, when we got BeBe (her owner and vet said BeBe's mind was on sex), she moved in with Murphy. They got along all right, didn't fight, but there weren't any sparks. Not only, did the earth not move for them, they didn't even seem to want to try to shake the cage. Ashley turned his back on them and stared at the wall. He was pouting that he didn't have a cage roomie.

Therefore, when our friend P.J. rescued little Mickie (who had been kept in a dark basement on an improper diet so much that she was cage-bound) and let us adopt her, she was to keep Ashley company. It was assumed that Mickie would be anti-social with other birds (because she was never around any). Ashley had (has) little romantic interest in birds as he is in love with Carol. So, we thought Ash and Mick could hang out together. And the two horny little devils (Murph and BeBe) could let it all hang out.

So Ashley had Mickie in one cage while Murphy and Bebe were in the other one. Both pairs seem to get along. No screams of fright, no screams of delight. Carol and I were happy. Each of our guys had a roomie and no blood was spilled.

How did the birds manage to swap partners, you might ask? Well, during a play period, we had all four on our king sized bed and Mickie was kissing everyone: Ashley, Murphy, Bebe, Carol, me. She had been locked in a cage for as long as she could remember and was making up for lost time.

Murphy and Ashley had their heads in Carol's lap so she could pet one with each hand. Bebe was cuddling with me. Mickie was making the rounds getting a little attention from everyone, bird and human alike. Out of the clear blue sky, she grabbed Murphy by the beak to give him a deep french kiss while bobbing her head up and down begging to be fed. When she let Murphy loose, he blinked his eyes and thought about it. He decided that he must have liked it and tentatively took Mickie's beak to give her a kiss that lasted about one tenth as long as the first one. This time he didn't blink. Yep! He liked it!

He was sitting there looking pleased with himself when Mickie grabbed him by the beak again. This kiss was so deep and lasted so long that I was getting weak in the knees just watching. It was as if Mickie was telling him, "If you are going to do it, Big Boy, put some feeling in it!" This kiss lasted longer than the romance in my first marriage. (The marriage lasted 15 years, the romance didn't). Then Mickie put her chest down on the bed and twitched her tail feathers. Old Murph figured out what to do next. And this courtship had taken 38 seconds.

Carol looked at me and said, "They're doing it! What should we do?" I replied, "Be quiet and take notes. Maybe they'll do something new." When this exercise was over, Murphy wandered around the bed kinda dazed. He wanted to tell someone about what just happened, but all the birds and humans he talks to were there and saw for themselves.

The next time the M and M duo (aka the M&M twins) performed, Murphy walked to the foot of the bed. He streched to his full height, raised his crest, spread his wings, puffed up his feathers and CROWED! Like a barnyard rooster, he crowed. "I did it! I did it! Look at me! I did it!" (of course, none of us know any human male with that attitude).

So, with a death wish in my heart and mouth, I said to Murphy, "Murph, old man, I know how you feel. I felt like crowing after the first time or two myself". Silence fell. Like a ton of bricks, silence fell. For the slow among you, this is my second marriage (and Carol's second) so my first time at sex had to be over fifteen years before I met 'she who must be obeyed'. I didn't look up to see if she noticed the error of my words. I quickly albiet awkardly added, "And still do. And still do."

Carol used that sweet soft tone that wives use when they know they have caught you red-handed and flat-footed, "Nice recovery try, but too little and too late." Sez I, "Does this mean you feel a headache coming on?" Replies her, "Yes, I think it will last about 9 days." Pleads I, "But you said that I made a nice recovery attempt?" Says she, ending the conversation, "Yes, that's why it will only last 9 days instead of the 19 that you so richly deserve!"

Having reached the moral of this installment of the saga of the fab four flock, I will recess the telling of the story.

What moral you ask?

When you are discussing the birds and bees with one of your birds, don't do it on the bed in the presence of your SO. If you do, be sure to edit your words, after all, the life you save may be your own.

[Yvonne N.]

Re: Thoughts for...as of today...


If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself, but to your own estimate of it; and this you have the power to revoke at any moment.

Marcus Aurelius

[Yvonne N.]

Re: Thoughts for...as of today...

10. The Lion Beaten By the Man

Jean de la Fontaine

A picture once was shown,
In which one man, alone,
On the ground had thrown
A lion fully grown.
Much gloried at the sight the rabble.
A lion thus rebuked their babble:
"That you have got the victory there,
There is no contradiction.
But, gentles, possibly you are
The dupes of easy fiction:
Had we the art of making pictures,
Perhaps our champion had beat yours!"

[17] Aesop.

[Yvonne N.]

Re: Thoughts for...as of today...

From Staffing & Executive Search

The Man With a Secret

Bill just could not get along with Tom. Whenever Bill asked his co-worker a question, Tom was always short with him. They had the same job responsibilities, so Bill didn’t understand why Tom seemed so much more stressed than the rest of the team. One day, when Bill and Tom were the only people in the lunch room, Bill decided to make one last attempt at conversation. Tom responded, and they started talking about their personal lives. Bill discovered that Tom’s wife was battling a serious illness, and Tom was stretched to the breaking point. By the end of the conversation, Bill offered to take over some of Tom’s responsibilities. The two became good friends.

Moral: When you get to know fellow employees, you’re more likely to understand them and find ways to work well with them.



The Scent of a Colleague

Susan couldn’t understand why Jenna did not like her. Susan always made an effort to be friendly, but Jenna barely acknowledged her. In fact, Jenna never associated with Susan at all—on a work or a personal level. After several months, Susan finally asked Jenna why there was tension between them. It turned out that Susan wore too much perfume, and Jenna really disliked the smell. Susan appreciated Jenna’s candor and stopped wearing that fragrance. Their working relationship improved immediately, and they even asked to work together on a recent project.

Moral: Even when inconsiderate actions are unintended, they can really strain relations in the workplace.


The Woman With Deaf Ears

Julie was recently promoted to team leader. She respected and liked her entire staff. That’s why she couldn’t understand it when they started complaining to her boss Marc. After a number of people came to him, Marc called Julie into his office and told her that the grumbling centered on her inability to listen. She constantly cut people off with her responses, assuming she knew what they were asking her. Julie agreed to take some training classes to improve her listening skills. The results were great—her team noticed the change and came to enjoy working with her.

Moral: Really listen. That means taking in all the information and analyzing it before you respond. You show your co-workers that you value their concerns and respect their input.


The Man Who Didn’t Do Much

None of the field technicians wanted James as their support associate. He failed to respond promptly to service requests, so when technicians arrived at client sites, they had to calm irate customers. When the technicians called James and asked for information or parts, he was slow to get back to them. Their efficiency—and their good humor—suffered as a result of James’ poor performance. Unfortunately for James, he was finally let go after repeated warnings. And while the technicians wished James their best, they were glad to begin working with a new support associate with much better work habits.

Moral: Treat your co-workers as you would your customers. By pulling your weight, you’re providing good "customer service".

[Yvonne N.]

Re: Thoughts for...as of today...

From an e-mail

One day I decided to quit.... I quit my job, my relationship, my
&gt;&gt;spirituality..... I wanted to quit my life. "God", I said. "Can
&gt;&gt;you give me one good reason not to quit?"
&gt;&gt; His answer surprised me...
&gt;&gt; "Look around", He said. "Do you see the fern and the bamboo?"
&gt;&gt; "Yes", I replied.
&gt;&gt; "When I planted the fern and the bamboo seeds,
&gt;&gt; I took very good care of them. I gave them light. I gave them
&gt;&gt;water. The fern quickly grew from the earth. Its brilliant green
&gt;&gt;covered the floor. Yet nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did
&gt;&gt;not quit on the bamboo. In the second year the Fern grew more
&gt;&gt;vibrant and plentiful. And again, nothing came from the bamboo
&gt;&gt;seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo". He said. "In the third
&gt;&gt;year, there was still nothing from the bamboo seed. But I would not
&gt;&gt;quit. In the fourth year, again, there was nothing from the bamboo
&gt;&gt;seed. But I would not quit. He said. "Then in the fifth year a tiny
&gt;&gt;sprout emerged from the earth. Compared to the fern it was
&gt;&gt;seemingly small and insignificant. But just 6 months later the
&gt;&gt;bamboo rose to over 100 feet tall. It had spent the five years
&gt;&gt;growing roots. Those roots made it strong and gave it what it
&gt;&gt;needed to survive. I would not give any of my creations a challenge
&gt;&gt;it could not handle." He said to me. "Did you know, my child, that
&gt;&gt;all this time you
&gt;&gt; have been struggling, you have actually been growing roots. I
&gt;&gt;would not quit on the bamboo. I will never quit on you.
&gt;&gt;
&gt;&gt; Don't compare yourself to others."
&gt;&gt;
&gt;&gt; He said. "The bamboo had a different purpose than the fern, yet,
&gt;&gt;they both make the forest beautiful." "Your time will come," God
&gt;&gt;said to me. " You will rise high!"
&gt;&gt;
&gt;&gt; "How high should I rise?" I asked.
&gt;&gt; "How high will the bamboo rise?" He asked in return. "As high as
&gt;&gt;it can?" I questioned.
&gt;&gt;
&gt;&gt; "Yes." He said,"Give me glory by rising as high as you can and
&gt;&gt;Never regret a day in your life for ALL of your life is
&gt;&gt;worthwhile."
&gt;&gt;

[Yvonne N.]

Re: Thoughts for...as of today...

From Meta - religion



The daughter asks her mom, "how come you always cut off the ends of the roast beast before cooking it?" Oh that is really important comes the reply, " because my mother taught me that way." "But why", she continues to inquire? "Well actually I do not know so you had best ask your grandmother."

"Grandmother why do we have to cut off the ends of the roast beast to cook it?" Laughingly she replies, "because my dear, in the olden days the roasting pan was much smaller than the cut of meat", and we just kept on repeating our old habits without thinking, fearing that if we changed what would the outcome be.

[BlessedLadyOfZion]

Re: Thoughts for...as of today...

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Shandra</div><div class="ubbcode-body">From Birds and their ways

Sex and the M & M twins
Mickie was sitting on her first egg after joining our family. It was reported that she laid eggs even before there was a male in her life. It was too early to tell if this egg is fertile, but she and Murphy had been doing the dance that puts little birdies in the eggs. In as much as Mickie was the mail order bride (companion) for Ashley, I suppose we must explain why she may be having Murphy's baby. Murphy and Ashley are friends, but I believe that their friendship isn't THAT good.
Murphy's coming of age caused him to fight Ashley to determine which of them would be allowed to court the females. (Murphy didn't seem to care that there were no females to be courted, he just figured that he and Ashley should settle things--just to be prepared). So, when we got BeBe (her owner and vet said BeBe's mind was on sex), she moved in with Murphy. They got along all right, didn't fight, but there weren't any sparks. Not only, did the earth not move for them, they didn't even seem to want to try to shake the cage. Ashley turned his back on them and stared at the wall. He was pouting that he didn't have a cage roomie.

Therefore, when our friend P.J. rescued little Mickie (who had been kept in a dark basement on an improper diet so much that she was cage-bound) and let us adopt her, she was to keep Ashley company. It was assumed that Mickie would be anti-social with other birds (because she was never around any). Ashley had (has) little romantic interest in birds as he is in love with Carol. So, we thought Ash and Mick could hang out together. And the two horny little devils (Murph and BeBe) could let it all hang out.

So Ashley had Mickie in one cage while Murphy and Bebe were in the other one. Both pairs seem to get along. No screams of fright, no screams of delight. Carol and I were happy. Each of our guys had a roomie and no blood was spilled.

How did the birds manage to swap partners, you might ask? Well, during a play period, we had all four on our king sized bed and Mickie was kissing everyone: Ashley, Murphy, Bebe, Carol, me. She had been locked in a cage for as long as she could remember and was making up for lost time.

Murphy and Ashley had their heads in Carol's lap so she could pet one with each hand. Bebe was cuddling with me. Mickie was making the rounds getting a little attention from everyone, bird and human alike. Out of the clear blue sky, she grabbed Murphy by the beak to give him a deep french kiss while bobbing her head up and down begging to be fed. When she let Murphy loose, he blinked his eyes and thought about it. He decided that he must have liked it and tentatively took Mickie's beak to give her a kiss that lasted about one tenth as long as the first one. This time he didn't blink. Yep! He liked it!

He was sitting there looking pleased with himself when Mickie grabbed him by the beak again. This kiss was so deep and lasted so long that I was getting weak in the knees just watching. It was as if Mickie was telling him, "If you are going to do it, Big Boy, put some feeling in it!" This kiss lasted longer than the romance in my first marriage. (The marriage lasted 15 years, the romance didn't). Then Mickie put her chest down on the bed and twitched her tail feathers. Old Murph figured out what to do next. And this courtship had taken 38 seconds.

Carol looked at me and said, "They're doing it! What should we do?" I replied, "Be quiet and take notes. Maybe they'll do something new." When this exercise was over, Murphy wandered around the bed kinda dazed. He wanted to tell someone about what just happened, but all the birds and humans he talks to were there and saw for themselves.

The next time the M and M duo (aka the M&M twins) performed, Murphy walked to the foot of the bed. He streched to his full height, raised his crest, spread his wings, puffed up his feathers and CROWED! Like a barnyard rooster, he crowed. "I did it! I did it! Look at me! I did it!" (of course, none of us know any human male with that attitude).

So, with a death wish in my heart and mouth, I said to Murphy, "Murph, old man, I know how you feel. I felt like crowing after the first time or two myself". Silence fell. Like a ton of bricks, silence fell. For the slow among you, this is my second marriage (and Carol's second) so my first time at sex had to be over fifteen years before I met 'she who must be obeyed'. I didn't look up to see if she noticed the error of my words. I quickly albiet awkardly added, "And still do. And still do."

Carol used that sweet soft tone that wives use when they know they have caught you red-handed and flat-footed, "Nice recovery try, but too little and too late." Sez I, "Does this mean you feel a headache coming on?" Replies her, "Yes, I think it will last about 9 days." Pleads I, "But you said that I made a nice recovery attempt?" Says she, ending the conversation, "Yes, that's why it will only last 9 days instead of the 19 that you so richly deserve!"

Having reached the moral of this installment of the saga of the fab four flock, I will recess the telling of the story.

What moral you ask?

When you are discussing the birds and bees with one of your birds, don't do it on the bed in the presence of your SO. If you do, be sure to edit your words, after all, the life you save may be your own.

</div></div>

wat kinda crap [img]/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/confused.gif[/img] weh de thumbs down icon deh??? fe dis an d de mouse one

[BlessedLadyOfZion]

Re: Thoughts for...as of today...

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Shandra</div><div class="ubbcode-body">From Staffing & Executive Search

The Man With a Secret

Bill just could not get along with Tom. Whenever Bill asked his co-worker a question, Tom was always short with him. They had the same job responsibilities, so Bill didn’t understand why Tom seemed so much more stressed than the rest of the team. One day, when Bill and Tom were the only people in the lunch room, Bill decided to make one last attempt at conversation. Tom responded, and they started talking about their personal lives. Bill discovered that Tom’s wife was battling a serious illness, and Tom was stretched to the breaking point. By the end of the conversation, Bill offered to take over some of Tom’s responsibilities. The two became good friends.

Moral: When you get to know fellow employees, you’re more likely to understand them and find ways to work well with them.



The Scent of a Colleague

Susan couldn’t understand why Jenna did not like her. Susan always made an effort to be friendly, but Jenna barely acknowledged her. In fact, Jenna never associated with Susan at all—on a work or a personal level. After several months, Susan finally asked Jenna why there was tension between them. It turned out that Susan wore too much perfume, and Jenna really disliked the smell. Susan appreciated Jenna’s candor and stopped wearing that fragrance. Their working relationship improved immediately, and they even asked to work together on a recent project.

Moral: Even when inconsiderate actions are unintended, they can really strain relations in the workplace.


The Woman With Deaf Ears

Julie was recently promoted to team leader. She respected and liked her entire staff. That’s why she couldn’t understand it when they started complaining to her boss Marc. After a number of people came to him, Marc called Julie into his office and told her that the grumbling centered on her inability to listen. She constantly cut people off with her responses, assuming she knew what they were asking her. Julie agreed to take some training classes to improve her listening skills. The results were great—her team noticed the change and came to enjoy working with her.

Moral: Really listen. That means taking in all the information and analyzing it before you respond. You show your co-workers that you value their concerns and respect their input.


The Man Who Didn’t Do Much

None of the field technicians wanted James as their support associate. He failed to respond promptly to service requests, so when technicians arrived at client sites, they had to calm irate customers. When the technicians called James and asked for information or parts, he was slow to get back to them. Their efficiency—and their good humor—suffered as a result of James’ poor performance. Unfortunately for James, he was finally let go after repeated warnings. And while the technicians wished James their best, they were glad to begin working with a new support associate with much better work habits.

Moral: Treat your co-workers as you would your customers. By pulling your weight, you’re providing good "customer service".


</div></div>

Booo fi dem one yah to. Feel like mi a tek Emplyee relations training all over again [img]/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/70394-sleeping.gif[/img]

[Yvonne N.]

Re: Thoughts for...as of today...

Cawl dem reminders den nuh? [img]/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/70402-thinking.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/704555_dwl.gif[/img]

[Yvonne N.]

Re: Thoughts for...as of today...

From Allegories

THE WOODEN BOWL

A frail old man went to live with his son, daughter-in-law, and four-year grandson. The old man's hands trembled, his eyesight was blurred, and his step faltered. The family ate together at the table. But the elderly grandfather's shaky hands and failing sight made eating difficult. Peas rolled off his spoon onto the floor. When he grasped the glass, milk spilled on the tablecloth. The son and daughter-in-law became irritated with the mess. "We must do something about Grandfather," said the son. "I've had enough of his spilled milk, noisy eating, and food on the floor."

So the husband and wife set a small table in the corner. There, Grandfather ate alone while the rest of the family enjoyed dinner. Since Grandfather had broken a dish or two, his food was served in a wooden bowl. When the family glanced in Grandfather's direction, sometime he had a tear in his eye as he sat alone. Still, the only words the couple had for him were sharp admonitions when he dropped a fork or spilled food.

The four-year-old watched it all in silence. One evening before supper, the father noticed his son playing with wood scraps on the floor. He asked the child sweetly, "What are you making?" Just as sweetly, the boy responded, "Oh, I am making a little bowl for you and Mama to eat your food from when I grow up." The four-year-old smiled and went back to work.

The words so struck the parents that they were speechless. Then tears started to stream down their cheeks. Though no word was spoken, both knew what must be done. That evening the husband took Grandfather's hand and gently led him back to the family table. For the remainder of his days he ate every meal with the family. Neither husband nor wife seemed to care any longer when a fork was dropped, milk spilled, or the tablecloth soiled.

[Yvonne N.]

Re: Thoughts for...as of today...

This, too, will pass

Once, there lived a king in some Middle Eastern land who was continuously torn between happiness and despondency. The slightest thing would cause him great upset or provoke an intense reaction, and his happiness would quickly turn into disappointment and despair. A time came when the king finally got tired of himself and of life, and he began to seek a way out. He sent for a wise man who lived in his kingdom and who was reputed to be enlightened. When the wise man came, the king said to him, "I want to be like you. Can you give me something that will bring balance, serenity, and wisdom into my life? I will pay any price you ask."

The wise man said, "I may be able to help you. But the price is so great that your entire kingdom would not be sufficient payment for it. Therefore it will be a gift to you if you will honour it."

The king gave his assurances, and the wise man left.

A few weeks later, the wise man returned and handed the king an ornate box carved in jade. The king opened the box and found a simple gold ring inside. Some letters were inscribed on the ring. The inscription read: This, too, will pass.

"What is the meaning of this?" asked the king.


The wise man said, "Wear this ring always. Whatever happens, before you call it good or bad, touch this ring and read the inscription. That way, you will always be at peace.”

(an ancient Sufi teaching story)