Day with a Difference - Aug 31, 2006

Today's Inspirational Quote:

A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out. -Walter Winchell

10 Qualities of a Complete Winner -- adapted from D. Scott Ward, Ph.D.

1. Positive Self-Expectancy - Always expect success - embrace the challenge
2. Positive Self-Motivation - Go after the rewards of success, not away from the penalties of failure
3. Positive Self-Image - If you can see it, you can do it
4. Positive Self-Direction - Ink what you think--write down your goals. Strive to be better today then you were
yesterday.
5. Positive Self-Control - Winners make things happen - losers let things happen to them. Trust yourself and your
preparation.
6. Positive Self-Discipline - Practice winning every single day. Be mentally tough - deal with the situation.
7. Positive Self-Esteem - Single most important human quality - feel good about being you. Always respond with a
positive reply.
8. Positive Self-Dimension - Little successes lead to victories. Live in the 'Precious Present' - It's the only moment
in which you have control.
9. Positive Self-Awareness - See your unlimited potential. Force yourself to push the envelope.
10. Positive Self-Commitment - Measure success against self. Don't get caught up with competing against others.
Commit to Excellence

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The Shroud of Turin is a centuries old linen cloth that bears the image of a crucified man. A man that millions believe to be Jesus of Nazareth. Is it really the cloth that wrapped his crucified body, or is it simply a medieval forgery, a hoax perpetrated by some clever artist? Modern science has completed hundreds of thousands of hours of detailed study and intense research on the Shroud. It is, in fact, the single most studied artifact in human history, and we know more about it today than we ever have before. And yet, the controversy still rages.

Arguments and evidence cited for the shroud's being something other than a medieval forgery include textile and material analysis pointing to a 1st-century origin; the unusual properties of the image itself which some claim could not have been produced by any image forming technique known before the 19th century; objective indications that the 1988 radiocarbon dating was invalid due to improper testing technique; and repeated peer-reviewed analyses of the image mode which contradict McCrone's assertions. Also, pollen from many places the shroud was said to have gone through are found, such as pollen from plants that exist only in certain areas near Jerusalem.

Have a memorable day!
Priya

Day with a Difference - Aug 30, 2006

Today's Inspirational Quote:

Toleration is the greatest gift of the mind; it requires the same effort of the brain that it takes to balance oneself on a bicycle. - Helen Keller

The Power Of Positive Thinking - Norman Vincent Peale

A man once telephoned Norman Vincent Peale. He was despondent and told the reverend that he had nothing left to live for. Peale invited the man over to his office. "Everything is gone, hopeless," the man told him. "I'm living in deepest darkness. In fact, I've lost heart for living altogether."

The famous author of The Power of Positive Thinking smiled sympathetically."Let's take a look at your situation," he said calmly. On a sheet of paper he drew a vertical line down the middle. He suggested that they list on the left side the things the man had lost, and on the right, the things he had left. "You won't need that column on the right side," said the man sadly. "I have nothing left, period."

Peale asked, "When did your wife leave you?" "What do you mean? She hasn't left me. My wife loves me!" "That's great!" said Peale enthusiastically. "Then that will be number one in the right-hand column—Wife hasn't left. Now, when were your children jailed?" "That's silly. My children aren't in jail!"

"Good! That's number two in the right-hand column—Children not in jail," said Peale, jotting it down. After a few more questions in the same vein, the man finally got the point and smiled in spite of himself. "Funny, how things change when you think of them that way," he said.

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Jokes: Actual Bumber Stickers

As long as there are tests, there will be prayer in public schools

I want to die in my sleep like my grandfather ... ... Not screaming and yelling like the passengers in his car ...

When there's a will, I want to be in it!

Diplomacy is the art of saying 'Nice doggie!'... till you can find a rock.

Have a memorable day!

Priya

Day with a Difference - Aug 29, 2006

Today's Inspirational Quote:

To succeed... you need to find something to hold on to, something to motivate you, something to inspire you. –Tony Dorsett

Parents Have Dreams Too

This is about how my gesture of booking an air ticket for my father, his maiden flight, brought forth a rush of emotions and made me realize how much we all take for granted when it comes to our parents. The moment I handed over the tickets to him, he was surprised to see that I had booked them by air. The excitement was very apparent on his face, waiting for the time of travel. Just like a schoolboy, he was preparing himself on that day. We all went to the airport together, right from using the trolley for his luggage, the baggage check-in and asking for a window seat and waiting restlessly for the security check-in to happen. He was thoroughly enjoying himself and I, too, was overcome with joy watching him experience all these things.

As they were about to go in for the security check-in, he walked up to me with tears in his eyes and thanked me. He became very emotional and it was not as if I had done something great, but the fact that this meant a great deal to him. As a child, how many dreams did our parents have that came true? Without understanding the financial situation, we, as children, asked for cricket bats, dresses, toys, outings, etc. Irrespective of their affordability, they catered to all our needs. Did we ever think about the sacrifices they had to make to accommodate many of our wishes? Did we ever say thanks for all that they have done for us?

Many times, when my parents asked me some questions, I have actually answered back without patience. When my daughter asks me something, I have been very polite in answering. Now I realize how they must have felt at those moments. Let us realize that old age is a second childhood and just as we take care of our children, the same attention and same care needs to be given to our parents and elders.

Rather than my dad saying thank you to me, I would want to say I'm sorry for making him wait so long for this small dream. I do realize how much he has sacrificed for my sake and I will do my best to give the best possible attention to all their wishes. Just because they are old does not mean that they have to give up everything and keep sacrificing for their grandchildren also. They have wishes, too. --- Written in 2006 by Venkatesh Balasubramanian

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Black Box: Popular name given to either the CVR* or the FDR * used to investigate an accident. Cockpit Voice Recorder is one of the so-called "black boxes". It is a device recording the last 30 minutes of sound inside the cockpit, before impact. Sounds recorded include all conversations, radio transmissions, and background noise and Flight Data Recorder is actually painted bright orange to be easily identified among aircraft debris, and records various parameters such as altitude, heading, airspeed, engine statistics, etc... It is used to investigate in the case of an accident.

Have a memorable day!
Priya

Day with a Difference - Aug 28, 2006

Today's Inspirational Quote:

The greatest mistake you can make in life is to be continually fearing you will make one. - Elbert Hubbard

The Power of Holding Hands By Rabbi Harold Kushner

I was sitting on a beach one summer day, watching two children, a boy and a girl, playing in the sand.They were hard at work building an elaborate sandcastle by the water's edge, with gates and towers and moats and internal passages.Just when they had nearly finished their project, a big wave came along and knocked it down, reducing it to a heap of wet sand. I expected the children to burst into tears, devastated by what had happened to all their hard work. But they surprised me. Instead, they ran up the shore away from the water,laughing and holding hands, and sat down to build another castle.

I realized that they had taught me an important lesson. All the things in our lives, all the complicated structures we spend so much time and energy creating, are built on sand. Only our relationships to other people endure. Sooner or later, the wave will come along and knock down what we have worked so hard to build up. When that happens, only the person who has somebody's hand to hold will be able to laugh.

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A Clean joke to start your week with laughter - Rabbit Resurrection

A man was driving along the highway, and saw a rabbit hopping across the middle of the road. He swerved to avoid hitting the rabbit, but unfortunately the rabbit jumped in front of the car and was hit. The driver, being a sensitive man as well as an animal lover, pulled over to the side of the road and got out to see what had become of the rabbit. Much to his dismay, the rabbit was dead. The driver felt so awful he began to cry. A woman driving down the highway saw the man crying on the side of the road and pulled over. She stepped out of her car and asked the man what was wrong. "I feel terrible," he explained. "I accidentally hit this rabbit and killed it." The woman told the man not to worry. She knew what to do.

She went to he car trunk and pulled out a spray can. She walked over to the limp, dead rabbit, and sprayed the contents of the can onto the rabbit. Miraculously, the rabbit came to life, jumped up, waved its paw at the two humans and hopped down the road. 50 meters away the rabbit stopped, turned around, waved at the two again, hopped down the road another 50 meters, turned, waved, and hopped another 50 meters. The man was astonished. He couldn't figure out what substance could be in the woman's spray can! He ran over to the woman and demanded, " What was in your spray can? What did you spray onto that rabbit?" The woman turned the can around so that the man could read the label. It said: " 'Hare Spray' Restores Life to Dead Hare. Adds Permanent Wave."

Have a memorable day and a great week ahead!
Priya

Day with a Difference - Aug 25, 2006

Today's Inspirational Quote:

Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around. - Leo Buscaglia

STAY TRUE TO YOUR GOALS

A personal goal or personal goals are yours - they are what you want not what others want for you. Believe in yourself - you can do anything. See what Jacquie has to say. The key to being happy is to respect your desire to make your life better by your own choices-even if and, especially when others ridicule them. Do not let the ignorance or the short-sightedness of others redirect your life's goal. Everyone has their own path to follow-their own map for the future.

The key is to understand everyone is different and to respect their goals as well as your own.Do not accept behavior that goes against your beliefs or wishes, and do not accept behavior from friends, family, or a spouse that you wouldn't accept from a stranger. Be true to yourself. Stand firm. And, do not postpone your dreams or wishes to please someone else's idea of what it should be... -

-- Copyright © 2006 Jacqueline Mendez

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A clean joke to sign off your week with laughter

there's these guys who wanna go bungie jumping off a building. so they get the cord and all the equipment. they wanna bungie jump off a 24 floor building. then the president dude or leader whatever u wanna call him goes first then he jumps dives pretty much... and BAM! he died... what happened? Ill give u a hint it has nothing to do with the measurements and and u gotta think real hard about this...

Ans: think about the 13th floor nobody goes there so they slice it off and it pretty much is a 23 floor building so they measured 24 the so that's why he died instantly

Have a memorable day and a fun-filled weekend!
Priya

Day with a Difference - Aug 24, 2006

Today's Inspirational Quote:

Joy is the feeling of grinning inside. - Melba Colgrove

BREAKING THE BARRIERS (Cappucino Stories)

This is the story of the four-minute mile. For thousand of years, people held the belief that it was impossible for a human being to run the mile in less than four minutes. In ancient Egypt it was said that they released lions to chase after slaves in order to break the four-minute mile. These attempts too proved to be futile. The best time ever recorded was 4:06, and there was no way the barrier would be broken. Scientists, doctors and experts declared that there was no way, a man could run a mile under four minutes. They said that if any person should try, "His heart will jump right out of his body".

This negative belief continued until a man by the name of Roger Bannister decided not to believe in the experts, and others. Roger Bannister believed in himself. He went through a systematic training program and in 1954 he ran the mile in less than four minutes. Thus the barrier was finally broken, and within one year later, 37 other runners also broke it.

Roger Bannister, chose not to believe in others, but to believe in himself. He had to change his own belief about the possibility of the four-minute mile. He got into shape physically and mentally. He actually visualized himself breaking the four-minute barrier, since no one had ever done it before. The greatest aspect of his breakthrough was what it did for others. If Roger Bannister can do it, so can we!

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Born on this day - Shirley Hufstedler

US government official. "She was first secretary of Education during the Carter administration, 1979-1981." She is the recipient of 20 honorary doctoral degrees from American universities. She was a partner in the firm Hufstedler & Kaus, now merged into Morrison & Foerster.

Have a memorable day!
Priya

Day with a Difference - Aug 23, 2006

Today's Inspirational Quote:

Laughing at our mistakes can lengthen our own life. Laughing at someone else's can shorten it. - Cullen Hightower

Paradigm Shift

Imagine you are at an Airport. While you're waiting for your flight, you notice a kiosk selling cookies. You buy a box, put them in your traveling bag and then you patiently search for an available seat so you can sit down and enjoy your cookies. Finally, you find a seat next to a gentleman.

You reach down into your traveling bag and pull out your box of cookies.As you do so, you notice that the gentleman starts watching you intensely. He stares as you open the box and his eyes follow your hand as you pick up the cookie and bring it to your mouth. Just then he reaches over and takes one of your cookies from the box, and eats it! You're more than a little surprised at this. Actually, you're at a loss for words. Not only does he take one cookie, but also he alternates with you. For every one cookie you take, he takes one.

Now, what's your immediate impression of this guy? Crazy? Greedy?He's got some nerve? Can you imagine the words you might use to describe this man to your associates back at the office? Meanwhile, you both continue eating the cookies until there's just one left. To your surprise, the man reaches over and takes it. But then he does something unexpected. He breaks it in half, and gives half to you. After he's finished with his half he gets up, and without a word, he leaves.

You think to yourself, "Did this really happen?" You're left sitting there dumbfounded and still hungry. So you go back to the kiosk and buy another box of cookies. You then return to your seat and begin opening your new box of cookies when you glance down into your traveling bag. Sitting there in your bag is your original box of cookies - still unopened.

Only then do you realize that when you reached down earlier, you had reached into the other man's bag, and grabbed his box of cookies by mistake. Now what do you think of the man? Generous? Tolerant? You've just experienced a profound paradigm shift. You're seeing things from a new point of view. Is it time to change your point of view?

Many a times, we are clouded by our own instincts and predispositions. These hamper our relationship with our peers, subordinates and superiors. Try to be non-judgmental and look beyond the obvious.

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Interesting Phrase Origins: Hunky Dory

Meaning: To be okay, everything is good.
Example: If you would only pay the bills on time, everything would be hunky dory.
Origin: Huncho-dori was a major street in Yokohama that was frequented by American sailors on leave during
W.W.I. To be in Huncho-dori was to be enjoying leisure activities, and having a good time. Alternatively,
The archaic English word "hunk" meant "goal" and is probably derived from the Dutch "honk" also meaning
"goal". To have reached one's goal is to be satisfied and happy.

Have a memorable day!
Priya

Day with a Difference - Aug 22, 2006

Today's Inspirational Quote:

Time is the most valuable thing a man can spend. - Laertius Diogenes

Encouragement

Some of the greatest success stories of history have followed a word of encouragement or an act of confidence by a loved one or a trusting friend. Had it not been for a confident wife, Sophia, we might not have listed among the great names of literature the name of Nathaniel Hawthorne. When Nathaniel, a heartbroken man, went home to tell his wife that he was a failure and had been fired from his job in a customhouse, she surprised him with an exclamation of joy.

"Now," she said triumphantly, "you can write your book!" "Yes," replied the man, with sagging confidence, "and what shall we live on while I am writing it?" To his amazement, she opened a drawer and pulled out a substantial amount of money. " Where on earth did you get that?" he exclaimed. "I have always known you were a man of genius," she told him. "I knew that someday you would write a masterpiece. So every week, out of the money you gave me for housekeeping, I saved a little bit. So here is enough to last us for one whole year."
From her trust and confidence came one of the greatest novels of American literature, The Scarlet Letter.

- By Nido Qubein from Chicken Soup for the Soul Copyright 1993 by Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen

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The Scarlet Letter, published in 1850, is an American romance novel ever written by Nathaniel Hawthorne; it is generally considered to be his masterpiece. Set in Puritan New England in the 17th century, the novel tells the story of Hester Prynne, who gives birth after committing adultery, refuses to name the father, and struggles to create a new life of repentance and dignity. Throughout, Hawthorne explores the issues of grace, legalism, and guilt.

Hester Prynne, the story's protagonist, is a young married woman whose husband was presumed to have been lost at sea on the journey to the New World. She begins a secret adulterous relationship with Arthur Dimmesdale, the highly regarded town minister, and becomes pregnant with a daughter, whom she names Pearl. She is then publicly vilified and forced to wear the scarlet letter "A" on her clothing to identify her as an adulteress, but loyally refuses to reveal the identity of her lover. She accepts the punishment with grace and refuses to be defeated by the shame inflicted upon her by her society. Hester's virtue becomes increasingly evident to the reader, while the self-described "virtuous" community (especially the power structure) vilify her, and are shown in varying states of moral decay and self-regard. Hester only partially regains her community's favor through good deeds and an admirable character by the end of her life.

It is noteworthy that hester means "hidden" in Hebrew -- this word is associated with feminine modesty and hiddeness, virtues that Hester is shown to possess despite her adulterous affair.

Have a memorable day!
Priya

Day with a Difference - Aug 21, 2006

Today's Inspirational Quote:

Your neighbor's vision is as true for him as your own vision is true for you. - Miguel de Unamuno

Trees That Wood

Once there were three trees on a hill in the woods. They were discussing their hopes and dreams when the first tree said, "Someday I hope to be a treasure chest. I could be filled with gold, silver and precious gems. I could be decorated with intricate carving and everyone would see the beauty." Then the second tree said, "Someday I will be a mighty ship. I will take kings and queens across the waters and sail to the corners of the world. Everyone will feel safe in me because of the strength of my hull." Finally the third tree said, "I want to grow to be the tallest and straightest tree in the forest. People will see me on top of the hill and look up to my branches, and think of the heavens and God and how close to them I am reaching. I will be the greatest tree of all time and people will always remember me."

When the first tree arrived at the carpenters, he was made into a feed box for animals. He was then placed in a barn and filled with hay. This was not at all what he had prayed for. The second tree was cut and made into a small fishing boat. His dreams of being a mighty ship and carrying kings had come to an end. The third tree was cut into large pieces and left alone in the dark. The years went by, and the trees forgot about their dreams.

Then one day, a man and woman came to the barn. She gave birth and they placed the baby in the hay in the feed box that was made from the first tree. The man wished that he could have made a crib for the baby, but this manger would have to do. The tree could feel the importance of this event and knew that it had held the greatest treasure of all time. Years later, a group of men got in the fishing boat made from the second tree. One of them was tired and went to sleep. While they were out on the water, a great storm arose and the tree didn't think it was strong enough to keep the men safe. The men woke the sleeping man, and he stood and said "Peace" and the storm stopped. At this time, the tree knew that it had carried the King of Kings in its boat.

Finally, someone came and got the third tree. It was carried through the streets as the people mocked the man who was carrying it. When they came to a stop, the man was nailed to the tree and raised in the air to die at the top of a hill. When Sunday came, the tree came to realize that it was strong enough to stand at the top of the hill and be as close to God as was possible, because Jesus had been crucified on it.

The moral of this story is that when things don't seem to be going your way, always know that God has a plan for you. If you place your trust in Him, He will give you great gifts. Each of the trees got what they wanted, just not in the way they had imagined. We don't always know what God's plans are for us. We just know that His ways are not our ways, but His ways are always best.

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A clean joke to start your week with laughter

Another long day at the office, and if you're like most of us, an uninvited nap might be looming. So we've prepared excuses for you to use if you're caught sleeping at your desk!

"This is just a 15-minute power-nap like they raved about in the last time management course you sent me to."

"I wasn't sleeping! I was meditating on the mission statement and envisioning a new paradigm!"

"This is one of the seven habits of highly effective people!"

"Darn! Why did you interrupt me? I had almost figured out a solution to our biggest problem."

"I wasn't sleeping! I was trying to pick up contact lens without using my hands."

"Amen."

Have a memorable day and a great week ahead!

Priya

Day with a Difference - Aug 18, 2006

Today's Inspirational Quote:

People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within. - Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

Learn to write in the sand

A story tells that two friends were walking through the desert. In a specific point of the journey, they had an argument, and one friend slapped the other one in the face. The one, who got slapped, was hurt, but without anything to say, he wrote in the sand: "TODAY, MY BEST FRIEND SLAPPED ME IN THE FACE".

They kept on walking, until they found an oasis, where they decided to take a bath. The one who got slapped and hurt started drowning, and the other friend saved him. When he recovered from the fright, he wrote on a stone: "TODAY MY BEST FRIEND SAVED MY LIFE".

The friend who saved and slapped his best friend, asked him, "Why, after I hurt you, you wrote in the sand, and now you write on a stone?"The other friend, smiling, replied: "When a friend hurts us, we should write it down in the sand, where the winds of forgiveness get in charge of erasing it away, and when something great happens, we should engrave it in the stone of the memory of the heart, where no wind can erase it"

Learn to write in the sand.

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Clean jokes to sign off your week with laughter

A Sunday school teacher asked the children just before she dismissed them to go to church, "And why is it necessary to be quiet in church?" Annie replied, "Because people are sleeping."
A Sunday School teacher asked her class why Joseph and Mary took Jesus with them to Jerusalem. A small child replied: "They couldn't get a baby-sitter."
A Sunday school teacher was discussing the Ten Commandments with her five and six year olds. After explaining the commandment to "honor thy father andthy mother," she asked "Is there a commandment that teaches us how to treat our brothers and sisters?" Without missing a beat one little boy answered, "Thou shall not kill."
A very dirty little fellow came in from playing in the yard and asked his mother, "Who am I? " Ready to play the game she said, "I don't know! Who are you?" "WOW!" cried the child. "Mrs. Johnson was right! She said I was so dirty, my own mother wouldn't recognize me!"
A wise schoolteacher sends this note to all parents on the first day of school: "If you promise not to believe everything your child says happens at school, I'll promise not to believe everything he says happens at home.

Have a memorable day and a fun-filled weekend!
Priya

Day with a Difference - Aug 17, 2006

Today's Inspirational Quote:

"Never look down to test the ground before taking your next step; only he who keeps his eye fixed on the far horizon will find the right road."

THE DREAMER

Joseph was a dreamer, and he had the gift to interpret dreams. He was his father's favorite and had a good life until one day, out of jealousy, his eleven brothers sold him as a slave to the Egyptians. He was sold to an Egyptian Captain of the Guards. Because of Joseph, the master was blessed and was very prosperous. He found favor and was promoted to take charge of the family and business affairs of the master. This did not last long as one day he was falsely accused of seducing the master's wife, and was thrown into prison.

In prison, he again found favor and the Warden put him in charge of all the prisoners' welfare.In the meantime, the Pharaoh's cupbearer was also thrown into prison. During the term of his imprisonment, Joseph helped him to interpret his bizarre dream. Later, the cupbearer was released from prison and made a promise to Joseph that he would speak to Pharaoh about Joseph's innocence. Years went by and the cupbearer forgot about his promise to Joseph.

One day, Pharaoh had a strange dream and none of his advisers could interpret the dream. The cupbearer suddenly remembered about Joseph and mentioned to Pharaoh that Joseph may be able to help interpret the dream. Pharaoh summoned Joseph to come before him, and Joseph was able to interpret the dream. Joseph found favor with the Pharaoh and was appointed as the Prime Minister of Egypt, second only to Pharaoh.

Joseph followed his destiny, and although he met with many challenges, he forgave his brothers and those who ill-treated him. Eventually, he won and became the most powerful man in Egypt, second only to Pharaoh. It is important for us to practice forgiveness, and look at the positive side of things. Remember that every adversity carries with it the seeds of a greater benefit.

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Good Exercise

Letter Equations are well known phrases or facts where the key words have been replaced with the first letter of that word. These are often in the form of an equation, which contain a number, an = sign and the rest of the obscured phrase or fact.

1,860 = the N of S to the T of the E S B Scroll down for the answer ....























Answer

1,860 = the Number of Steps to the Top of the Empire State Building

Have a memorable day!
Priya

Day with a Difference - Aug 16, 2006

Today's Inspirational Quote:

If your ship doesn't come in, swim out to it. - Jonathan Winters

Abraham Lincoln Didn't Quit - Chicken Soup for the Soul

Probably the greatest example of persistence is Abraham Lincoln. If you want to learn about somebody who didn't quit, look no further. Born into poverty, Lincoln was faced with defeat throughout his life. He lost eight elections, twice failed in business and suffered a nervous breakdown. He could have quit many times - but he didn't and because he didn't quit, he became one of the greatest presidents in the history of our country. Lincoln was a champion and he never gave up. Here is a sketch of Lincoln's road to the White House:

1816 His family was forced out of their home. He had to work to support them.
1818 His mother died.
1831 Failed in business.
1832 Ran for state legislature - lost.
l832 Also lost his job - wanted to go to law school but couldn't get in.
1833 Borrowed some money from a friend to begin a business and by the end of the year he was bankrupt. He
spent the next 17 years of his life paying off this debt.
1834 Ran for state legislature again - won.
1835 Was engaged to be married, sweetheart died and his heart was broken.
1836 Had a total nervous breakdown and was in bed for six months.
1838 Sought to become speaker of the state legislature - defeated.
1840 Sought to become elector - defeated.
1843 Ran for Congress - lost.
1846 Ran for Congress again - this time he won - went to Washington and did a good job.
1848 Ran for re-election to Congress - lost.
1849 Sought the job of land officer in his home state - rejected.
1854 Ran for Senate of the United States - lost.
1856 Sought the Vice-Presidential nomination at his party's national convention - get less than 100 votes.
1858 Ran for U.S. Senate again - again he lost.
1860 Elected president of the United States.

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A clean joke to start your day with laughter

The Great Writer

There was once a young man who, in his youth, professed his desire become a great writer.
When asked to define "great" he said, "I want to write stuff that the whole world will read, stuff that people will react to on a truly emotional level, stuff that will make them scream, cry, howl in pain and anger!"
He now works for Microsoft, writing error messages.

Have a memorable day!
Priya

Day with a Difference - Aug 14, 2006

Today's Inspirational Quote:

What is tolerance? It is the consequence of humanity. We are all formed of frailty and error; let us pardon reciprocally each other's folly - that is the first law of nature. - Voltaire

Sparky

For Sparky, school was all but impossible. He failed every subject in the eighth grade. He flunked physics in high school, getting a grade of zero. Sparky also flunked Latin, algebra and English. He didn't do much better in sports. Although he did manage to make the school's golf team, he promptly lost the only important match of the season. Throughout his youth Sparky was awkward socially. He was not actually disliked by the other students; no one cared that much.

However, one thing was important to Sparky - drawing. He was proud of his artwork. Of course, no one else appreciated it. In his senior year of high school, he submitted some cartoons to the editors of the yearbook. The cartoons were turned down. Despite this particular rejection, Sparky was so convinced of his ability that he decided to become a professional artist.

After completing high school, he wrote a letter to Walt Disney Studios. He was told to send some samples of his artwork, and the subject for a cartoon was suggested. Sparky drew the proposed cartoon. He spent a great deal of time on it and on all the other drawings he submitted. Finally, the reply came from Disney Studios. He had been rejected once again. Another loss for the loser.

So Sparky decided to write his own autobiography in cartoons. He described his childhood self - a little boy loser and chronic underachiever. The cartoon character would soon become famous worldwide. For Sparky, the boy who had such a lack of success in school and whose work was rejected again and again, was Charles Schultz. He created the "Peanuts" comic strip and the little cartoon character whose kite would never fly and who never succeeded in kicking a football, Charlie Brown.

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CHARLES M. SCHULZ (b. 1922) is the most widely syndicated cartoonist in history, with his work appearing in over 2,300 newspapers. He has published more than 1,400 books, won Peabody and Emmy awards for his animated specials, and is responsible for the most-produced musical in the American theatre, entitled "You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown". And all this diversity and recognition and continuous success began 45 years ago when the United Feature Syndicate ran the first installment of a comic strip it dubbed "Peanuts".

A Peatnut comic strip attached to start your week with laughter

Have a memorable day and a great week ahead!
Priya

Day with a Difference - Aug 11, 2006

Today's Inspirational Quote:

You can't expect people to look eye to eye with you if you are looking down on them.

Letting Go Simon Heighwaya

One evening a man was out walking, but he had become so absorbed is his own thoughts that, without realizing, had wandered way off course and was now completely lost. It was getting late and cold and would soon be dark. An hour or so passed and it was now pitch-black. He began to feel afraid and his steps became quicker and unsteady. Suddenly, something underneath him gave way and he fell. He tumbled down and down and just as he way about to fall over a ledge he managed to grab onto a branch. But, he was now just hanging there. No way to climb back up and nothing but darkness below him. "Help! Somebody!! Please…Help me!" he cried out. …But no one came; it was a desolate place. He was terrified. His hands were freezing cold and he was losing his grip on the branch.There was no one to help!!

In sheer desperation this man, who was an atheist, call out to God, "Please…please…if you're there…God…please help me, save me and I will believe in you always!!" Suddenly, and to his amazement, a voice echoed all around him, "Trust Me….Let Go…. I've Got You… Trust In Me." The man looked around him and below him and thought for a moment, then he mumbled to himself, "Let go? Trust? You must think I'm mad?? No way!" This story doesn't always end like this but I think that many people find themselves in this man's situation. Maybe not necessarily hanging from a branch in the middle of no where, but never the less in a desperate situation where all their deepest instincts are telling them just to let go, to surrender themselves to a higher, deeper power or energy of some kind, to drop… into the unknown, with just trust. But they are so full of doubt and fear that they just cling on instead. The alternate ending to this story is that the desperate man, sensing he has little choice, decides to let go. He falls into the void below, but moments later he finds himself on solid ground. It had been so dark that he could never have known that the ground was no more than about 20ft below. He was safe and unharmed.

What's more, it turns out that the ground he has landed on is a pathway; the pathway he had been searching for all along - the route home! To me, this whole story is a lovely metaphor for having the courage to trust what is deepest within us, no matter what, to have the nerve to surrender to ourselves. We will get a beautiful surprise. The dark void is actually the source of all life. The 'ground' below is actually the "Ground of Being", which is another way of saying God, which is another way of saying our truest, realest Nature. This is most definitely the way home!

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A clean joke to sign-off your week with laughter

The flight home from a recent business trip was pretty empty. So the pilot made a simple request of the passengers. "We have a little extra room tonight, folks," he said over the PA system. "So if you wouldn't mind, please take a window seat so the competition thinks the plane is full."

A taxpayer received a strongly worded "second notice" that his taxes were overdue. Hastening to the collector's office, he paid his bill, saying apologetically that he had overlooked the first notice. "Oh," confided the collector with a smile, "we don't send out first notices. We have found that the second notices are more effective."

Finally, the good-natured boss was compelled to call Smith into his office. "It has not escaped my attention," he pointed out, "that every time there's a home game at the stadium, you have to take your aunt to the doctor." "You know you're right, sir," exclaimed Smith. "I didn't realize it. You don't suppose she's faking, do you?"

Have a memorable day and a fun-filled weekend!
Priya

Day with a Difference - Aug 10, 2006

Today's Inspirational Quotes:

How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of the weak and the strong. Because someday in life you will have been all of these. - George Washington Carver

THE GENERAL AND THE BOY

Once, there was a General who wanted to cross a river. He was unsure of the depth of the river, and whether his horse could make it across the river. He looked around for help and saw a little boy nearby. He asked the boy for advice. The boy looked at the size of the General's horse and paused for a moment. He then confidently told the General that it is safe for the General and his horse to cross the river. The General proceeded to cross the river on his horse. As he approached the middle of the river, he suddenly realized that the river was, in fact, very deep, and he almost drowned. After he recovered from his shock he shouted at the boy and threatened to punish him.

The boy was stunned and innocently replied, "But General, I see my ducks crossing the river everyday without any problem, and my ducks have shorter legs than your horse". If you need advice, get it from people who know what they are talking about. Napoleon Hill says that, "opinion is the cheapest commodity on earth". Make sure you review for yourself the opinion of others before you act on them.

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Lateral Thinking: What phrase is represented below?

JG
UN
MI
PP
IM
NU
GJ
Good
New
New Scroll down for the answer ....


































Answer

Jumping up and down over good news.

Have a memorable day!
Priya

Day with a Difference - Aug 09, 2006

Today's Inspirational Quote:

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. -Mark Twain

Friends

It's easier to make friends than to keep them.

A pretty face, a clever mind, a jovial manner, a generous impulse, a happy occasion, can be cause enough to arouse your interest in a person at first encounter. But time tells.

The friends you want to keep are the friends who mean the most. Do not expect too much of them. Be careful. Do not ask favor. Just content yourself with the pleasant belief that they would do anything for you. Do not set traps for them. If you tempt a friend, you are unworthy of friendship. Do not ask them to go out of their way to accomodate you. Do not presume on their good nature.

Enjoy friends like flowers, but never cut them.

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Interesting Phrase Origin: Wing and a prayer

Meaning: Hopeful but unlikely to succeed.
Example: She is driving on a wing and a prayer in that old jalopy.
Origin: During World War One airplanes were still a novelty and untested in war. A "wing and a prayer" was first
uttered when an American flyer came in with a badly damaged wing. His fellow pilots and mechanics
were amazed he didn't crash. He replied he was praying all the way in. Another pilot chimed in that "a
wing and a prayer brought you back."

Have a memorable day!
Priya

Day with a Difference - Aug 08, 2006

Today's Inspirational Quote:

What we see depends mainly on what we look for. - John Lubbock

BURDEN OF MY OWN - Sunshine Magazine

A MONARCH OF LONG AGO had twin sons. There was some confusion about which one was born first. As they grew to young manhood, the king sought a fair way to designate one of them as crown prince. All who knew the young men thought them equal in intelligence, wit, personal charm, health, and physical strength. Being a keenly observant king, he thought he detected a trait in one which was not shared by the other. Calling them to his council chamber one day, he said, "My sons, the day will come when one of you must succeed me as king. The burdens of sovereignty are very heavy. To find out which of you is better able to bear them cheerfully, I am sending you together to a far corner of the kingdom. One of my advisors there will place equal burdens on your shoulders. My crown will one day go to the one who first returns bearing his burden like a king should."

In a spirit of friendly competition, the brothers set out together. Soon they overtook an aged woman struggling under a burden that seemed far too heavy for her frail body. One of the boys suggested that they stop to help her. The other protested: "We have a burden of our own to worry about. Let us be on our way." The objector hurried on while the other stayed behind to give aid to the aged woman. Along the road, from day to day, he found others who also needed help. A blind man took him miles out of his way, and a lame man slowed him to a cripple's walk.

Eventually he did reach his father's advisor, where he secured his own burden and started home with it safely on his shoulders. When he arrived at the palace, his brother met him at the gate, and greeted him with dismay. He said, "I don't understand. I told our father the burden was too heavy to carry. However did you do it?" The future king replied thoughtfully, "I suppose when I helped others carry their burdens, I found the strength to carry my own."

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Listen Closely

Assuming you can't steal an animal's sense of hearing, or use an electrical device, what would you need in order to hear a pin drop from over 20 yards? - Scroll down for the answer ...



































A bowling ball :-)


Have a memorable day!
Priya

Day with a Difference - Aug 07, 2006

Today's Inspirational Quote:

Change does not necessarily assure progress, but progress implacably requires change. Education is essential to change, for education creates both new wants and the ability to satisfy them. - Henry Steele Commager.

Great expectations! - Katherine Micoleta

Great expectations! Whose life are you living? Yours or one that others expect from you?

More than a year ago, I remember myself wildly chasing my dreams as if there's no tomorrow. Yearning to be the best that I can be, trying to bear out my worth to everybody and doing whatever it takes to be identified.For years and years, I let my dreams and my ambitions rule over me. Everyday, I am fueled by this indistinct and unidentified force inside me to get up everyday, live other's expectations of me and be the best, so that they can be proud of me.
As I think of it now, I know why. It's because all my life I was trying to be what other people wanted me to be. I was trying to appease the people who wanted to drag me down to their level so that I could surpass them. In doing so, I did not have the opportunity to reflect on what I in fact sought; what will, if truth were told, what will make me happy?
One thing I learned is that there is a time when you will have to be what other people expect you to be, not because you want to, but because you love them and you don't want to let them down. But we should also remember that we only live once. They had their chance to live their lives; it's our time to live ours.

I'm relieved that I served my time. I am happy I am now breathing and truly existing, happy and contented. Thank you to that person who taught me what life is. I hope you find yours too.

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A clean joke to start your week with laughter

Actual headlines collected from local, national, and international newspapers that are rather ambiguous. It is clear what the writer was trying to say, but in each case there is a funnier interpretation of the headline. Enjoy!

Eye Drops Off Shelf
Milk Drinkers are Turning to Powder
Include Your Children When Baking Cookies
Two Soviet Ships Collide, One Dies

Have a memorable day and a great week ahead!

Thanks
Priya

Day with a Difference - Aug 04, 2006

Today's Inspirational Quote:

There is no pleasure in life equal to that of the conquest of a vicious habit.

Kelly Johnson's Rules for Project Management

Rule No. 1 The program manager must be delegated practically complete control of his program in all aspects. He
should report to a division president or higher.
Rule No. 2 Strong but small project offices must be provided both by the industry.
Rule No. 3 The number of people having any connection with the project must be restricted in an almost vicious
manner. Use a small number of good people (10 percent to 25 percent compared to the so-called normal
systems).
Rule No. 4 A very simple drawing and drawing release system with great flexibility for making changes must be
provided.
Rule No. 5 There must be a minimum number of reports required, but important work must be recorded thoroughly.
Rule No. 6 There must be a monthly cost review covering not only what has been spent and committed but also
projected costs to the conclusion of the program. Don't have the books ninety days late and don't
surprise the customer with sudden overruns.
Rule No. 7 The contractor must be delegated and must assume more than normal responsibility to get good vendor
bids for subcontract on the project. Commercial bid procedures are very often better than military ones.
Rule No. 8 The inspection system meets the intent of existing military requirements and should be used on new
projects. Push more basic inspection responsibility back to the subcontractors and vendors. Don't
duplicate so much inspection.
Rule No. 9 The contractor must be delegated the authority to test his final product in flight. He can and must test it
in the initial stages. If he doesn't, he rapidly loses his competency to design other vehicles.
Rule No. 10 The specification applying to the hardware must be agreed to in advance of contracting.
Rule No. 11 Funding a program must be timely so that the contractor doesn\'t have to keep running to the bank to
support government projects.
Rule No. 12 There must be absolute mutual trust between the military organization and the contractor with very
close liaison on a day-to-day basis. This cuts down misunderstanding and correspondence to an
absolute minimum.
Rule No. 13 Access by outsiders to the project and its personnel must be strictly controlled by appropriate security
measures.
Rule No. 14 Because only a few people will be used in engineering and most other areas, ways must be provided to
reward good performance by pay, not simply related to the number of personnel supervised.

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Top things you don't want to hear over an Airplane PA

Hey folks, we're going to play a little game of geography trivia. If you can recognize where we are, tell your flight attendant and receive an extra pack of peanuts.

This is your Captain speaking....these stupid planes are a lot different than the ships I\'m used to.. so you\'ll have to give me some leeway...

Ocean crossing flight: This is your Captain speaking, I just wanted to take this time to remind you that your seat cushions can be used as floatation devices.

Have a memorable day and a fun-filled weekend!
Priya

Day with a Difference - Aug 03, 2006

Today's Inspirational Quote:

"Every now and then go away, have a little relaxation, for when you come back to your work your judgment will be surer. Go some distance away because then the work appears smaller and more of it can be taken in at a glance and a lack of harmony and proportion is more readily seen."

THE MAN WHO WILLED HIMSELF TO DIE

There was a man who worked for the railroad. One day as he went into the freezer compartment to do his routine work, the door accidentally closed and he found himself trapped in the compartment. He shouted for help but no one heard him since it was past midnight. He tried to break down the door but he could not. As he lay in the freezer compartment, he began to feel colder, and colder.

Then he began to feel weaker, and weaker, and he wrote on the wall of the compartment, "I am feeling colder, and colder; and I am getting weaker, and weaker. I am dying, and this may be my last words". In the morning when the other workers opened up the compartment they found him dead. The sad twist to the above story is that the freezing apparatus in the compartment had broke down a few days earlier. The poor worker did not know about the damaged freezing apparatus and in his mind the freezing apparatus was working perfectly. He felt cold, got weaker and literally willed himself to die.

Our sub-conscious mind can be cheated. The sub-conscious mind can only accept and act on information passed to it by the conscious mind. It has no capacity to reject or decline any instructions or information passed to it by the conscious mind.

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Add together each of the defined words to get a whole new word.

1) A light brown color + to leave = a dance.
2) A store's announcement + a type of women's clothing = a building's location.
3) A vehicle + an animal pal = a floor covering. .... Scroll Down for the answer ...































1) tan + go = tango.
2) ad + dress = address.
3) car + pet = carpet.

Have a memorable day!
Priya

Day with a Difference - Aug 02, 2006

Today's Inspirational Quote:

The best things in life aren't things. - Art Buchwald

Hanna Reitsch and Third Reich

Third Reich means the Third Empire. This was the official name of Hitler's regime, which ruled from 1933 to 1945. The Nazis regarded their rule as the successor to two previous empires: the Holy Roman Empire (962 AD-1806) and the Second Reich founded by Otto von Bismarck (1871-1918).

Hanna Reitsch is one of the most celebrated women of the Third Reich. As a decorated test pilot for the Luftwaffe and a protege of Hitler, Reitsch was one of a handful of women who achieved personal success by breaking from the traditionally defined role of wife and mother in Nazi Germany. Reitsch's skills and accomplishments ultimately earned her an Iron Cross and celebrity status. A witness to the last days of the Third Reich, Reitsch visited Hitler's Berlin bunker where she received orders to deliver letters designed to rally the Luftwaffe. She left on this futile mission only minutes before Hitler's marriage to Eva Braun.

An interesting fact is that, Hannah Reisch saw a UFO speeding by at an altitude of 20,000 meters (66,000 feet) while flight-testing a forerunner of the Messerschmitt 163 Komet. The first rocket engine was developed by the Germans during World War II. Germany's first women pilot, Hannah Reisch, was the test pilot.

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Inflight Humour

"Hello Everyone, we have a first time flyer on board today - and it is also their 50th birthday!" After everybody cheers, the flight attendant continues, "Will everyone please wish the captain a Happy Birthday!?"

After landing: "Thank you for flying Delta Business Express. We hope you enjoyed giving us the business as much as we enjoyed taking you for a ride."

Pilot: "Folks, we have reached our cruising altitude now, so I am going to switch the seat belt sign off. Feel free to move about as you wish, but please stay inside the plane till we land. It's a bit cold outside, and if you walk on the wings it affects the flight pattern."

Have a memorable day!
Priya

Day with a Difference - Aug 01, 2006

Today's Inspirational Quote:

Progress is the activity of today and the assurance of tomorrow -Ralph Waldo Emerson

KamiKaze - World War II

Kamikaze is a word of Japanese origin, (pronounce kA´´mukA´zE) which in the English language usually refers to suicide attacks carried out by Imperial Japan's military aviators by crashing their planes into warships. In the Japanese language, kamikaze usually translated as "divine wind" (kami is the word for "god", and kaze for "wind"), came into being as the name of a legendary typhoon said to have saved Japan from a Mongol invasion fleet in 1281.

Japanese forces, after their defeat at the Battle of Midway in 1942, lost the momentum they had at the start. The task facing the Japanese air forces seemed totally impossible. The 1st Air Fleet commandant, Vice Admiral Takijiro Onishi decided to form a suicide attack unit, the Kamikaze Special Attack Force. In a meeting at Magracut Airfield near Manila on October 19, Onishi, visiting the 201st Navy Flying Corps headquarters, suggested: "I don't think there would be any other certain way to carry out the operation [to hold the Philippines], than to put a 250 kg bomb on a Zero (carrier-based fighter planes) and let it crash into a U.S. carrier, in order to disable her for a week."

By the end of World War II, the Japanese naval air service had sacrificed 2,525 kamikaze pilots and the army air force had given 1,387. According to an official Japanese announcement, the missions sank 81 ships and damaged 195, and according to a Japanese tally, suicide attacks accounted for up to 80 percent of US losses in the final phase of the war in the Pacific.

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"Squawks" - problem listings that pilots generally leave for maintenance crews. Here are some actual maintenance complaints submitted by Air Force pilots and the replies from the maintenance crews.

Request: "Something loose in cockpit."
Response: "Something tightened in cockpit."

Request:"Dead bugs on windshield."
Response: "Live bugs on order."

Request:"Test flight OK, except autoland very rough."
Response:"Autoland not installed on this aircraft."

Have a memorable day!
Priya