It requires but one skill...

A holy man was having a conversation with God one day and said, 'God , I would like to know what Heaven and Hell are like.' 

God led the holy man to two doors.. He opened one of the doors and the holy man looked in. 

In the middle of the room was a large round table. In the middle of the table was a large pot of stew, which smelled delicious and made the holy man's mouth water. 

The people sitting around the table were thin and sickly. They appeared to be famished. 

They were holding spoons with very long handles, that were strapped to their arms and each found it possible to reach into the pot of stew and take a spoonful. 

But because the handle was longer than their arms, they could not get the spoons back into their mouths. 

The holy man shuddered at the sight of their misery and suffering. 

God said, 'You have seen Hell.' 

They went to the next room and opened the door. It was exactly the same as the first one. 

There was the large round table with the large pot of stew which made the holy man's mouth water. 

The people were equiped with the same long-handled spoons, but here the people were well nourished and plump, laughing and talking.

The holy man said, 'I don't understand..' 
It is simple,' said God . 'It requires but one skill. 

You see they have learned to feed each other, while the greedy think only of themselves.' 

On Memorial Day...

...I always honour my Uncle Frankie, who taught me to remember not only the soldiers, but the silent heroes, as well.

In honour of King:

from the Official Web Site of the 47th Infantry Platoon (Scout Dog)

Charles Frank Stevens with his scout dog King #72M4 were on patrol ahead of a unit of about 90 men who were following a map that had been found on an enemy officer. Twice King stopped and laid down on the trail in front of his handler and growled. Twice Stevens praised his dog until King got up and moved forward. The third time King left he did not return. The men were ready to go down a hill, when Stevens heard rustling off to the side. Stevens followed the noise and saw King pulling a North Vietnamese soldier out of a ditch. He had the man by the neck and was shaking him. Stevens started firing at the other men in the ditch and at that point "the whole world blew up". Machine gun fire ripped through the jungle killing King and wounding Stevens and his slack man. Stevens reported that his dog, "in his act of bravery (he) saved my life and the lives of countless others..."

Thank you, Uncle Frankie.  I love you!

Best Scene From A Movie

Achilles: Who are you?

Priam: I have endured what no one on Earth has endured before. I kissed the hands of the man who killed my son.

Achilles: Priam? How did you get in here?

Priam: I know my own country better than the Greeks, I think.

Achilles: You're a brave man. I could have your head on a spit in the blink of an eye.

Priam: Do you really think death frightens me now? I watched my eldest son die - watched you drag his body behind your chariot. Give him back to me. He deserves the honour of a proper burial. You know that. Give him to me.

Achilles: He killed my cousin.

Priam: He thought it was you. How many cousins have you killed? How many sons and fathers and brothers and husbands? How many, brave Achilles? I knew your father. He died before his time. But he was lucky not to live long enough to see his son fall. You have taken everything from me. My eldest son - heir to my throne - defender of my kingdom. I cannot change what happened. It is the will of the gods. But give me this small mercy. I loved my boy from the moment he opened his eyes till the moment you closed them. Let me wash his body. Let me say the prayers. Let me place two coins on his eyes for the boatman.

Achilles: If I let you walk out of here - if I let you take him - it doesn't change anything. You're still my enemy in the morning.

Priam: You're still my enemy tonight. But even enemies can show respect.

From the movie "Troy" starring Brad Pitt as Achilles and Peter O'Toole as Priam.

Everybody's On The Phone

Message in a bottle, rhythm of a drum 
Smoke signals and telegraphs make the airwaves hum 
But that's all ancient history like bongs and Lincoln Logs 
Now we're living like the Jetsons in a wireless wacky fog 
Squawkin', talkin', hawkin', who knows if anybody's getting through 

Toasters talk to crackberries, Bombay to L.A. 
Teenage needs and long-held dreams as minutes tick away 
We act like crazy people talking to ourselves 
Crashing cars in conversation while that shit flies off the shelf 
The information superhighways locked up like an L.A. traffic jam 

Do you remember dialing up? 
Yes I remember well 
Now I just can't go anywhere with out my sacred cell 
I think that I might die if I miss anything at all 
Text me, send an e-mail, beam me up, give me a call 
I'm ADD on AOL trying to read the writing on the wall 

Now I'm a real jungle jump up 
I'm a megahertz man 
I swing from tree to tree on the very latest plan 
On the download and the dropouts 
On every major city across the land 
I got my Marley on my ringtone, getup, standup, reachout, touch somebody, man 

Everybody's on the phone 
So connected and all alone 
From the pizza boy to the socialite 
We all salute the satellites 
Let me text you with your master plan 
You're loud and clear but I don't understand 
I'm a digital explorer in analog roam 
And everybody's on the phone 

Can you hear me? 
Can you hear me now? 
I gotta get over by the beerstand 
Oh shit my batteries are going 
I'll call you back

by Jimmy Buffett