Consumerism or "Affluenza"

"The constructive use of riches is better than their possession." Fortune cookie from Chinese restaurant

"I close my eyes, only for a moment, and the moment's gone. All my dreams, pass before my eyes, a curiosity. Dust in the wind, all they are is dust in the wind. Same old song, just a drop of water in an endless sea All we do, crumbles to the ground, though we refuse to see. Dust in the wind, all we are is dust in the wind. [Now] Don't hang on, nothing lasts forever but the earth and sky. It slips away, and all your money won't another minute buy. Dust in the wind, all we are is dust in the wind. Dust in the wind, everything is dust in the wind." by Kansas (folk music band)

The rich have excess supplies of the things they don't need, while millions live on the edge of hunger. If everyone would only own what they actually need, no one would have to live in poverty and everyone would be happy." by Mahatma Gandhi

"Miserable as we seem in thy eyes, we consider ourselves. . . much happier than thou, in this that we are very content with the little that we have." by Micmac, American Indian Chief

"Whoever in this world overcomes his selfish cravings, his sorrows fall away from him, like drops of water from a lotus flower." by Dhammapada, Buddhist

"It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." Mathew 19:23-24, Christian

"Excess and deficiency are equally at fault." Confucius, Confucian

"Nothing in excess." Inscription at the Oracle of Delphi

"That person who lives completely free from desires, without longing. . . attains peace." by Bhagavad-Gita, Hindu

"Poverty is my pride." by Muhammad, Islamic

"Give me neither poverty nor riches." Proverbs 30:8, Jewish

"He who knows he has enough is rich." by Tao Te Ching, Taoist

"A man is rich in proportion to the things he can let alone." by Henry David Thoreau

"Only after the last tree has been cut down, only after the last river has been poisoned, only after the last fish has been caught, only then will you find money cannot be eaten." Cree Prophecy

"Treat the earth well; it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children. We do not inherit the Earth from our Ancestors; we borrow it from our Children." Ancient Indian Proverb

What You Should do in a Terrorist Attack

Here are some actual warning signs the US Government has along with some funny interpretations: TerroristAttackResponse.pdf

Lend me a Pup

I will lend to you for awhile a puppy, God said, for you to love him while he lives and to mourn for him when he is gone. Maybe for twelve or fourteen years, or maybe for two or three. But will you, till I call him back take care of him for me ?

He'll bring his charms to gladden you and (should his stay be brief) you'll always have his memories as solace for your grief. I cannot promise that he will stay, since all from earth return, But there are lessons taught below I want this pup to learn.

I've looked the whole world over in search of teachers true and from the folk that crowd life's land I have chosen you. Now will you give him all your love , nor think the labour vain, nor hate me when I come to take my pup back again.

I fancied that I heard them say "Dear Lord Thy WIll Be Done," for all the joys this pup will bring, the risk of grief you'll run. Will you shelter him with tenderness, will you love him while you may and for the happiness you'll know forever grateful stay.

But should I call him back much sooner than you've planned. Please brave the bitter grief that comes and try to understand. if, by your love, you've managed my wishes to achieve, in memory of him that you've loved, cherish every moment with your faithful bundle, and know he loved you too.

Author unknown

Why Pets Don't Live as Long as People

Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish Wolfhound named Belker. The dog's owner, his wife, and their little boy were all very attached to Belker and they were hoping for a miracle. I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. I told the family there were no miracles left for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home.

As we made arrangements, the owners told me they thought it would be\ good for the four-year-old boy to observe the procedure. They felt he could learn something from the experience.

The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker's family surrounded him. The little boy seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on.

Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away. The little boy seemed to accept Belker's transition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after Belker's death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives. The little boy, who had been listening quietly, piped up, "I know why."

Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I'd never heard a more comforting explanation. He said, "Everybody is born so that they can learn how to live a good life - like loving everybody and being nice, right?" The four-year-old continued, "Well, animals already know how to do that, so they don't have to stay as long."

Author unknown

R.I.P. Common Sense

"Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend by the name of Common Sense who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He will be remembered as having cultivated such value lessons as knowing when to come in out of the rain, why the early bird gets the worm and that life isn't always fair. Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you earn) and reliable parenting strategies (adults, not kids, are in charge). His health began to rapidly deteriorate when well intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a six-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition. It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer aspirin to a student; but, could not inform the parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion. Finally, Common Sense lost the will to live as the Ten Commandments became contraband; churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims. Common Sense finally gave up the ghost after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot, she spilled a bit in her lap, and was awarded a huge settlement. Common Sense was preceded in death by his parents, Truth and Trust, his wife, Discretion; his daughter, Responsibility; and his son, Reason. He is survived by two stepbrothers; My Rights and Ima Whiner. Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone. If you still know him pass this on, if not join the majority and do nothing!"

Author unknown

Generational Differences

"Nobody over thirty should be alive today. Here's why: To begin with, eighty percent of us had a parent who smoked cigarettes, and nobody actually dropped dead. The government spent billions on health care for smokers; but nobody seems to know anyone who was cared for by the State in that capacity, nor has anyone I have talked to ever tripped over any of the four hundred fifty thousand dead bodies which annually succumb to the evils of tobacco, and none of my friends seemed too terribly affected by secondhand smoke. But let's look at our childhood days, which were even more Fraught with potential disaster! According to today's intellectual atmosphere, those of us who were kids in the 40's, 50's, 60's, or even maybe the early 70's shouldn't have survived. Our baby cribs were covered with bright colored lead-based paint. Asbestos was everywhere, even on the sidings of many homes. It was required by law to prevent fires in buildings. We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets, and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets. (Not to mention the risks we took hitchhiking. ) As children, we would ride in cars with no seat belts or air bags. Riding in the back of a pickup truck on a warm day was always a special treat. We drank water from the garden hose and not from a bottle. Horrors! We ate cupcakes, bread and butter, and drank soda pop with sugar in it, but we were never overweight because we were always outside playing. We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle, and no one actually died from this. (Or even got sick, that I can recall) We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then rode down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem. We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the street lights came on. No one was able to reach us all day. NO CELL PHONES, or even pagers! Unthinkable! We did not have Playstations, Nintendo 64, X-Boxes, no video games at all, no 99 channels on cable, video tape movies, surround sound, personal phones, computers, or Internet chat rooms! But, we had friends! We went outside and found them. We played ball, and sometimes, the ball would really hurt. We fell out of trees, got cut and broke bones and teeth, and there were no lawsuits from these disasters. No one was to blame but us; they were accidents. Remember accidents? We had fights and punched each other and got black and blue and learned to get over it. We made up games with sticks and tennis balls and ate worms, and although we were told it would happen, we did not put out very many eyes nor did the worms live inside us forever. We rode bikes or walked to a friend's home and knocked on the door, or rang the bell or just walked in and talked to them. Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment. Some students weren't as smart as others, so they failed a grade and were held back to repeat the same grade. Horrors! Tests were not adjusted for any reason. Our actions were our own. Consequences were expected. The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke a law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law. Imagine that! If the teacher whipped your butt, you didn't go running to tell your parents; because you would get it again from them! Shades of child abuse!"

Author unknown

What is a "Billion"

"Can you define billion any better? The next time you hear a politician use the word billion casually, think about whether you want that politician spending your tax money. A billion is a difficult number to comprehend, but one advertising agency did a good job of putting that figure into perspective in one of its releases: A billion seconds ago, it was 1959. A billion minutes ago, Jesus was alive. A billion hours ago, our ancestors were living in the Stone Age. A billion dollars ago was only 8 hours and 20 minutes, at the rate Washington spends it."

Author unknown