|
|
| |
Greetings, Quotaholics:
I hope you enjoyed your long holiday weekend. For those outside the
US, we recently celebrated Memorial Day (Monday, May 25). The holiday
was once called Decoration Day. It was begun in 1868 to remember those
who died in the service of preserving the Union. The original day was
to honor Union soldiers of the American Civil War.
Peace is elusive
and those who fell in World War I were also included and eventually
all who suffered casualties in any war or military action were remembered.
The date for the
reverential remembrance of fallen soldiers and sailors was originally
May 30. The date was changed to the last Monday in May in 1971.
I understand Monday
was a Bank Holiday in England, although I have no idea what they were
celebrating. On a Public Holidays calendar, it is listed as Spring Bank
Holiday, so maybe they were honoring springs. 
NASCAR isn’t exactly
the sport of Kings. It doesn’t hold the same cachet as say, polo. But
on Monday, NASCAR racing did something remarkably classy.
Charlotte, North
Carolina was host to the NASCAR
Coca-Cola 600 race. The stands were filled. The race was on. Without
any reason whatsoever, the yellow flag came out on lap 163. As the cars
came to the front of the track on lap 166, they heeded the red flag
and stopped. The pit crews were lined up along pit row.
It was 3 PM.
President Obama
had called for a minute of silence across America at 3 PM local time
to observe a National Moment of Silence.
The drivers, the
crew, and fans stilled. The video is amazing. The crowd is hushed. It
makes one proud to be an American.
I recently received
an e-mail (I believe from our own sied) remarking on the way Americans
had been "dis-invited" from some European countries. The question
posed was if that included the war dead we have left behind as we helped
to salvage freedom and democracy from the hand of tyrants, lunatics,
autocrats, or dictators. I cannot find the entire e-mail, but I did
find these beautiful pictures of cemeteries.
The United States
operates 128 military
cemeteries in 39 states. There are also around twenty cemeteries
we maintain in other countries around the globe.
My father and father-in-law both served during World War II. I had two
uncles who also fought and survived. These men represented the US Army,
US Navy, and US Marine Corps. Another of my uncles died while serving
in the US Navy and his body rests in the ice cold deep of the Pacific
Ocean. My husband’s uncle, also US Navy, was killed at Pearl Harbor.
My husband is also
a veteran of the US Marine Corps. We are Vietnam Era age. We live near
Charleston Air Force Base and many of our neighbors are or were military,
mostly US Air Force, but others as well.
President Obama
asked that we use Memorial Day as a day of prayer beseeching whatever
gods there may be to grant us permanent peace.
I was thinking of
writing about North
Korea’s underground nuclear testing or maybe the two missiles they
launched, testing other machines of war. I’ve opted to write, instead,
about the men and women who have sacrificed in the name of freedom.
Did you have a nice
Memorial Day? Do you have anyone in your family who has served in the
military? Has any family member been killed in action? What war/conflict
were they involved in? Were the NASCAR fans amazing, or am I too easily
impressed?
Do you hold out
any hope for world peace? What is the irony of North Korea setting off
a nuke on a day of peace? How "American" is that, since our
calendar really has no influence elsewhere.
Bonus link: Funny racing quotes.
In memoriam,
Comment
On This Article
P.S. Sied is going to be taking some time off which means we will have
an opening for a writer. The staff and I discussed how nice it would
be to have a foreign writer’s viewpoint represented. If you would
like to write for RGQ please let me know. Anyone will be considered,
foreign submitters will be given preference. Please email me for details,
reallygoodquotes@gmail.com.
Thanks!
|
| |
|
| Isn’t
it worth $1 a month to you to keep RGQ going? Please click the
link and direct your contribution to reallygoodquotes@gmail.com.
|
| |
No one has a finer command of language than the person who keeps his
mouth shut. - Sam Rayburn
Hire character. Train skill. - Peter Schutz
|
| |
Dinner Conversation
[Thanks Bonnie]
One evening a man
was very impressed with the meat entree his wife had served. “What
did you marinate this in?” he asked.
His wife immediately went into a long explanation about how much she
loves him and how life wouldn’t be the same without him, etc.
Eventually, his puzzled expression made her interrupt her answer with
a question of her own, ”
What did you ask me?”
She chuckled at his answer and explained, “I thought you asked me
if I would marry you again!”
As she left the room, he called out, “Well, would you marry me again?”
Without hesitation, she said, “Vinegar and barbecue sauce.”
|
|
| |
A dog barks when his master is attacked. I would be a coward if I saw
that God’s truth is attacked and yet would remain silent.
For there is no one so great or mighty that he can avoid the misery that
will rise up against him when he resists and strives against God.
God preordained, for his own glory and the display of His attributes of
mercy and justice, a part of the human race, without any merit of their
own, to eternal salvation, and another part, in just punishment of their
sin, to eternal damnation. – all from John Calvin, died on this day in
1564
|
|
|
| |
|
Remember,
Memorial Day is the Start of Tanning Season!
|
| |
| |
E-Mail
the Imp
Military
units are being trained in anti-terrorism tactics at many different
levels. Some units are trained only for anti-terrorism and special operations;
Seals, Delta Force, and Special Forces are examples. Regular combat
units are also taught anti-terrorism tactics, in addition to regular
tactics to be able to meet the demands of the current type of operations
in Iraq and Afghanistan. Other regular operating units also receive
training in anti-terrorism tactics so they can provide for much of their
own security during convoy operations and operating “in garrison”.
Most police
forces have some sort of special operations teams. These were originally
developed to counter act barricaded bad guys, to rescue hostages, or
to provide security for special events. While this training hasn’t ceased,
they’ve added anti-terrorism tactics to the mix as part of homeland
security. City, state, and Federal agencies all are learning these new
tactics.
In the direst
of circumstances, these different organizations can operate together
in the worst cases with very little difficulty, assuming that communications
links have been established and tested. With inter jurisdictional support
agreements in place, FBI, DEA, Border Patrol, and local police can bring
to bear a large anti-terrorism team when needed.
While these
are “active duty” professionals, we can’t forget the amateurs; the reserve
forces – The Boy Scouts of America! Under the Explorers program of the
BSA, teens are receiving anti-terrorism and special weapons and tactics
training.
This training
initiative is supposedly meant to develop interest in the youth of today
in an interest in police work later in life according to the programs
sponsors. It sounds more like an ROTC program. Perhaps we need a national
program along the lines of the Civilian Conservation Corps of the 1930’s.
It could be open to 13 – 16 year olds. Instead of “military training",
they could learn skills to benefit the environment. Clean-up skills,
Hazmat skills, reforestation, and land management could be taught and
practiced on weekends and during the summer. The kids involved could
be paid a minimum wage and during summer camp, live like campers in
tents or cabins.
I don’t think
that “Columbine” training is the best plan in the can to get kids interested
in police work; in fact it might just produce a few more incidents of
school shootings. At any rate, we need to be sure we do something to
develop an adult work ethic in our kids and open up employment opportunities
available to help keep them busy and out of trouble.
The Bad Sied 
Comment
On This Article
|
| |
|
| |
Bob
in Maryland sent me this to include in our Memorial Day issue. As
you may have noticed, and as I failed to mention Friday, we took the day
off! So, thanks to Bob, a voice from the past gets to have 15 Minutes
with RGQ readers!
They
went with songs to the battle, they were young,
Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow.
They were staunch to the end against odds uncountered:
They fell with their faces to the foe.
They
shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years contemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.
But where our desires are and our hopes profound,
Felt as a well-spring that is hidden from sight,
To the innermost heart of their own land they are known
As the stars are known to the Night;
As
the stars that shall be bright when we are dust,
Moving in marches upon the heavenly plain;
As the stars are starry in the time of our darkness,
To the end, to the end they remain.
Laurence Binyon; September 21, 1914
|
| |
Cell
Phones
I have been professionally involved in telecommunications since forever.
I have seen "party lines" evolve into mobile communications
where individuals have a ‘phone line’ with them almost 24/7.
Cell phones replaced "mobile phones" and made it easier
for people to keep in contact. Passing the call from cell tower to
cell tower seamlessly allowed conversations to take place for longer
times no matter where the cell phone user was traveling. As costs
came down, more and more users blossomed. They became recreational
as well as professional in usage.
With recreational use growing, more and more numbers were needed.
Phone companies were challenged to make more numerical combinations
available. Area codes were split. The digit zero (0) was added into
local exchange and area code dialing plans.
With the demand growing, "everybody" had a cell phone. Seeing
the opportunity, cell phone companies began making "smart phones".
Smart phones were small computers, capable of limited applications
similar to their desktop and laptop versions.
A lot of these applications are free as the providers get revenue
from advertisers. But many others are not free, but have a modest
(comparatively speaking) charge for the program.
This blooming of use has brought on more focus to the devices. This
is not necessarily a positive thing. There were already complaints
about drivers and pedestrians talking on their mobile phone and not
paying attention to traffic and other things going on around them.
Many accidents, on road and off, have been attributed to users placing
themselves in jeopardy simply because they were not paying attention.
With the additional functions of the devices, there is more focus
on them. Speakerphones and "Bluetooth" devices temporarily
allowed the user to avail themselves of the device without having
to devote one hand to the process. However, the newer text and browser
functions are worse. Not only do the users have to handle the device
again, they have to devote their sight to the activity as well.
Many governments are outlawing use of these devices in moving vehicles.
Except for hands-free use for phone calls, all other activities are
being restricted. Anyone found "texting" or blogging are
being fined. However, the use in restaurants, theaters, and other
public places remains the realm of the hosting organization to regulate.
Some are placing blockers to override the cell phone signal that prevents
the device from connecting to the hosting company. No signal = No
calls or messages.
Here’s your quiz:
Do cell phone users at the table next to you bother you as they talk
while you are trying to carry on a conversation with whomever you
are sharing a meal?
Do the beeps, ring-tones, and other notification techniques distract
from the activity you are involved?
Do drivers seemingly more focused on their conversation than their
driving ? Have you had a "close call" because they were
involved on a different "call"?
Cell Phones - No Longer The Device Outside Of Your Cell Used To Call
Your Attorney
Cliff
(the High-Tech Redneck who doesn’t rate a fancy ’signature pic’) 
|
| |
|
|
Email
Kirsten
“Beauty,
to me, is about being comfortable in your own skin. That, or a kick-ass
red lipstick.”
~ Gwyneth Paltrow ~
I don’t tend to be a person who follows trends. This is not because
I have a wild desire to rebel and be different to everybody else,
it’s because of good old-fashioned laziness. It’s too much work to
actually keep up with what the trends are, and once you know, it’s
too much work to follow them. So I just do my own thing without worrying
about whether I’m being fashionable or frumpy, cool or uncool.
So when I was first introduced to Facebook, I was a little skeptical.
Having never been caught up in the whole MySpace craze, I couldn’t
really fathom what the big deal with Facebook was. But apparently
some workplaces were using their firewalls to block employee access
to Facebook because people were spending so much time on it, so there
must have been something appealing about it.
I’ve probably had my Facebook profile for about year now, and it’s
only now that I’m really getting some true value out of it. I’ve found
that it’s a great way to keep in touch with friends and family, but
the really amazing thing is the people I’ve connected with. Some people
I met in Israel sixteen years ago. People I was in high school with.
Former co-workers from all over the place. Even a childhood friend
who I last saw in Connecticut when I was eight. These are people who
I would never have gotten in touch with without the benefit of this
kind of technology.
Facebook has a lot of quizzes and name generators that you either
love or hate. For instance, you can type in your name and get your
porn star name, your Star Wars name, your Japanese name, your Middle
Earth name, or your superhero name. You can answer a series of questions
to find out how smart you are, whether or not you are sexy, and how
many kids you’ll end up having. Horoscopes and birthdate analyzers
will tell you what kind of person you are.
But now, Facebook can take a back seat! Because there is a much simpler
way to tell what kind of person someone is than by answering a bunch
of random meaningless questions! And - even better - you can do this
whether or not your computer crashes or your Internet connection dies.
All you have to do to find out what someone is like is look at their
lipstick. Of course, this only works with women, since men don’t generally
have lipstick. Well, some do, but let’s not go into that now. I don’t
want to air Tim’s laundry here.
So here’s how to “read” lipstick:
If the lipstick is pointy at the end, its owner is ambitious. They
are generally helpful, but if the tip is too sharp, they have become
mean and aggressive. A rounded tip suggests that the owner is happy
at work and in life.
If the lipstick resembles the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the owner is
someone who works hard and plays hard. This person is strong and opinionated,
but knows how to party up a storm. If the tower is toppling, there
is rage or a crisis somewhere in the picture.
Lipstick that is higher on one side than the other indicates stress.
People with this kind of lipstick tend to be friendly and organized,
but their moods can turn on a dime.
Two sharp points is a sign of someone who knows what they want and
what they are prepared to do to get it. They are great friends - loyalty
is everything to them. But if you get on their wrong side, watch out!
If the lipstick is flat on top, the owner is someone who is dependable
and even-tempered. This is a good person to have on your side in a
crisis.
You see? You don’t need fancy technology and expert opinions to perform
an analysis of someone’s personality. All you need is a bit of makeup.
Of course, there is one kind of lipstick that was not mentioned in
my source article: lipstick that is all smushed up and has to be applied
with Q-Tips indicates a mom who was careless enough to leave her makeup
bag where the kids could get it.
Kaleidoscopically yours,
Kirsten
Comment
On This Article
|
| |
Did
anyone tell Faithy that we only got one day off for Memorial Day?
|
| |
Oh, this is silly of me. A total oversight on my part. Remember that
antivirus
article I wrote back in March? It’s obsolete. I now pledge my
allegiance to Panda Security’s “Cloud
Antivirus“. Of course, it’s free, but it’s more than that. It’s
good. Damn good.
Don’t take my word for it. Let’s listen to Patti: “I ran the full
scan and it found 0 threats, except it really neutralized 12 cookies
and 1 worm.” Worm??? Threats are current threats. You had one.
You don’t anymore.
Gyppo has something to pipe in: “So far it’s found about three
threats a day and ‘neutralised’ them… Panda seems to be filling
its role as gatekeeper, stopping stuff before it gets onto my system.”
It scans where you go, so a file can’t get downloaded even if you
visit a malicious site. Sweet, huh?
The really fun part of Cloud
Antivirus is that all you have to do is download and install it.
Don’t bother updating it, it does that on-the-fly. Virus scans that
slow you down? Fergit it. It does a scan in the background when you
first install it, but that scan isn’t going to slow you down.as it
runs at a low priority. The “virus definitions” are kept on the web
and updated within minutes. Computers all over the world report their
infections, so if I virus starts in Russia, it stays in Russia. By
the time we wake up and turn on our computers, Cloud AV knows about
the virus. No worries.
Let’s hear from Dave: “I told you Freya would give it a go…
She thinks it’s ‘Briliant’; it ‘found loads of viruses’ (didn’t say
how many) and her machine is now significantly faster. She made her
brothers fit it as well. Oh, and she’s spreading the word…”
Thanks, Dave.
I’ve lost count of the number of comments I’ve heard from people
saying how Cloud Antivirus
made their computer faster, stopped it from crashing, etc., but I
never get sick of hearing them. Give it a shot and let me know what
you think. The person that tells me the most “save stories” (where
it save you, saves your brother, saves your mother, saves your cousin
who then saves your sister’s old college roommate who then saves her
uncle in Swaziland) wins a copy of Gyppo’s “Hamper of Havoc“.
Gyppo, I’ll buy another copy of it if you win. I love reading that
book. 
Tim a’Musing
Having a Ball with Yarns
|
| |
Bread Tips
When cooking brown and serve rolls be careful of dark coated baking
sheets. Dark coated baking sheets may cause the bottoms to burn before
they are done.
|
| |
Good response to that line. I just need
to come up with more toilet lines!
Next opening line…
To temptation I’m quick to submit…
Hints:
Here’s a great new rhyming/composition tool. http://www.writerhymes.com/
There’s also a great rhyming dictionary at http://www.rhymezone.com/
Limerick rules. http://freespace.virgin.net/merrick.sheldon/limerickrules.htm
Submit
Opening Line
Submit
Limerick
I
sat, deep in thought, on the throne
When I heard the sound of the phone
They didn’t record
And no number was stored
And I’m cursing that caller unknown - Julian, England |
I
sat, deep in thought, on the throne
When it rang, I picked up the phone
It was my friend, Whit
I explained I was taking a shit
He replied, okay, I’ll just leave you alone. - Bonnie |
I sat, deep
in thought, on the throne—
Thinking "I just feel all alone"—
I thought and I thought
and it wasn’t for naught
’cause the next day I installed a phone. - Cassandra in New York |
I sat, deep
in thought, on the throne
In the outhouse outside my home.
So in that little hut
I froze off my butt
For my home sweet home is in Nome. - E. Cole Aye
|
I sat, deep
in thought, on the throne
Just sitting there and all alone
I didn’t have a clue
As to what to do
A lack of T.P. I did bemoan. - E. Cole Aye
|
I sat, deep
in thought, on the throne
I’m lost in my thoughts all alone
That is until I fart
And my loving sweetheart
Yells, "Hon, is that your new ringtone?" - E. Cole Aye |
| |
|
|
| |
|
Re: Drugs in Portugal
Ah, poop! That’s my stashman, here for the weekend……. Rob
For some people, normal reality
is almost unbearable. This leaves them vulnerable to attack by people
who get off on self-righteousness and putting others down. That’s the
moral underpinning of the War on Drugs, which is mostly a turf war between
the CIA and the other gangs, a handy way to repress creative, independent,
realistic thinkers, and a safe, easy job for the Police and their whole
industry. - Bob of the North
Re: What Do You Drink?
I drink mostly water. I start with 2 cups of hot tea in the morning.
Yes, I am guilty of buying expensive loose leaf teas. Then I drink water
all day. I usually have iced tea or a Sprite Zero –once in a while–at
lunch and iced tea at supper. But WATER ALL DAY. - Bonnie >^,,^<
I usually drink tap water
with a high mineral content, but use a charcoal filter, and a bit of
lemon for flavour. Sometimes, I get a liter or two behind, which makes
it hard to figure out what’s wrong. Sometimes I reconstitute orange
juice, or buy grape juice, and will drink tea or, occasionally, a bit
of beer or wine to be polite. - Bob of the North
Do I drink water? Rarely. Alcohol? Not any more. Milk? The occasional
carton of chocolate.
So how do I satisfy my thirst? I have two favorite beverages.
I am a Southerner, and therefore I drink ice tea. No, not “iced” – you
guardians of grammar keep your red ink pens away from my tea. Tea, sweetened
with sugar, thank you, not some artificial replacement. My parents loved
me enough to introduce me to this sweet nectar of life when I was but
a babe and still drinking from a bottle. Who needs mother’s milk when
you can have tea?
My other favorite? I am further blessed to live in North Alabama, and
only in this region can you find the wonderful treasure called Sun Drop.
Some fools compare this liquid gold to Mountain Dew, but they obviously
lack the sensitivity to distinguish the inherit superiority of Sun Drop.
Sun Drop was the original Jolt – a caffeinated battery that powers those
who greet each sunrise with a Sun Drop rather than coffee. The list
of ingredients includes carbonated water, caffeine, sugar, and – as
another writer once noted – so much citric acid it will give you canker
sores. - Tammy in Alabama
I love tea–iced, a little
sweetner (can’t use sugar), and some lemon. I buy the jar stuff usually
and make it up by the pitcher. I go through about two 34 ounce mugs
of it a day.
A little juice and
hot tea for breakfast, some water during the evening, about a bottle
worth (I buy it bottled and re-use one until it tastes funny). I can’t
drink too much water most of the time because it can give me ferocious
heartburn, probably from some of the minerals in the water in our area
since I don’t have that problem with bottled water.
In the evening I
switch to diet pop, TAB mostly, some store brands. No I won’t apologize
for drinking about half a two litre bottle a day–I like the taste and
tea bothers me after dinner. I do drink some water each evening, like
I said to balance the other things I drink, or when it is especially
hot or I’m outside.
The only times I’ve
been dehydrated is when I’ve been ill and can’t keep anything down,
so it seems to work okay. An occasional beer is good–or a mixed drink
sometimes. Don’t much care for wine. I definitely read the labels and
don’t like drinks with some of the fake sweetners, preferring the taste
of saccharin. - Ruth in WA
Re: Tree Appreciation
Can you stand one more comment about tree huggers/lovers? I’m catching
up on past issues and I’m enjoying all the stories about beloved trees.
I’ve lived in this older apartment building for 16 years and one of
the deciding factors for me was all of the old, beautiful trees outside
the windows. The trees really made me want to live here.
After 3 1/2 years, I came home from work one day and all the trees were
gone! The city was putting in new sidewalks and the big, bad trees were
in the way. I was so upset, I had to fix myself a drink and call a friend
about what had happened. The city planted saplings in their places,
but it just wasn’t the same.
Finally, last year the treetops reached the base of the 3rd floor where
I live and I’m really happy about that. The cats have more birds to
watch and I have something green and living outside my windows again.
Trees just make the world a better place. - Pam in Arkansas
Re: Reader Submission
Woot!! Somebody quoted Pratchett–one
of the best authors of outright silliness of our modern era!! - Ruth
in WA
Reader Submission
I’m not in favor of ripping off my fellow man or any businesses out
there. If I get a few extra coins in my change, I always give it back.
In fact, I often leave my extra pennies in case some one in line comes
up short, or the clerk comes up short at the end of the day. I’m also
adamant about getting my correct change.
So when I read about this
New Zealand couple who a applied for an "overdraft’ for a few
thousand and receives a deposit for a few million instead…and then
skips town…I’m torn by what I’d like to see happen. They’re guilty
of theft on one hand, but these days sticking it to a bank that has
probably helped screw over hundreds of people has an appeal to it.
I’d like to see them on the run for a year or two, investing that largesse
and hiding the profit, then go through the bust and the trial. - sied
|
| |
Disclaimer- All quotes printed in this publication are believed to be
accurately attributed, but no guarantees are made that some incorrectly
attributed, or even outright false quotes won’t get in here from time
to time. I assure readers that I will do my best to weed out incorrect
quotes, and will print a retraction as soon as I become aware of any errors.
|
Click here to see the archives of past issues, or go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/reallygoodquotes/messages.
If you run across something really outstanding when perusing the archives,
I’d appreciate it if you’d mail me at TheBestOfRGQ@yahoo.com
and point it out to me. I’m in the process of compiling an e-book
called, not surprisingly, The Best of RGQ, and I’d like to hear from you
which pieces impacted you the most. |
| Questions?
Comments? Want to contribute a joke or a quote or an image? Feel free
to e-mail
at reallygoodquotes@gmail.com.
We’d love to hear from you! We’ll even publish your comments, if they
make any sense! 
If
you’d like to receive RGQ by email, please send a blank e-mail
to reallygoodquotes-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
We
can’t imagine why you’d want to, but if you choose to unsubscribe, please
send a blank e-mail to reallygoodquotes-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com.
Should you choose to unsubscribe, please e-mail
us and tell us why. We listen to what people say, even if they’re
leaving us.
|
