Thursday, December 17, 2009

Beggars do not envy millionaires.
Though of course they will envy other beggars who are more successful.
~Bertrand Russell (1872-1970)~

Friday, November 20, 2009

No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another. —Charles Dickens

Monday, October 5, 2009

“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.” Jim Elliot

Friday, October 2, 2009

If you have a job without aggravations, you don't have a job.
~Malcolm Forbes~

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Always dream and shoot higher than you know how to.
Don't bother just to be better than your contemporaries
or predecessors.

Try to be better than yourself.

~William Faulkner~

Friday, September 4, 2009

In matters of style, swim with the current;
in matters of principle, stand like a rock.
~Thomas Jefferson~

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Tourist Info

The questions below about Sri Lanka, are from potential visitors. They were posted on a Sri Lankan Tourism Website and the answers are the actual responses by the website officials, who obviously have a sense of humour.

Q: Does it ever get windy in Sri Lanka? I have never seen it rain in Sri Lanka on TV, how do the plants grow? (UK). A: We import all plants fully grown and then just sit around watching them die.

Q: Will I be able to see wild elephants on the streets? (USA)
A: Depends how much you've been drinking.

Q: I want to walk from Colombo to Matara - can I follow the railroad tracks? (Sweden)
A: Sure, it's only hundred miles, take lots of water.

Q: Is it safe to run around Wanni in Sri Lanka? (Ireland)
A: So it's true what they say about the Irish.

Q: Are there any ATMs (cash machines) in Sri Lanka? Can you send me a list of them in Colombo, Galle, Kandy, Kurunegala, Matara and Anuradhapura? (UK)
A: What did your last slave die of?

Q: Can you give me some information about hippo racing in Sri Lanka? USA)
A: Africa is the big triangle shaped continent south of Europe. Sri-Lanka is that small island south of India in the Indian Ocean. Sure, the hippo racing is every Thursday near Diyawanna Oya. Come naked.

Q: Which direction is Jaffna? (USA)
A: Face south and then turn 180 degrees. Contact us when you get here and we'll send the rest of the directions.

Q: Can I bring cutlery into Sri Lanka? (UK)
A: Why? Just use your fingers like we do.

Q: Heard Brian Adams and MLTR were in SL. Can you send me the entertainment schedule? (USA)
A: Sure, the Vienna Boys Choir plays every Thursday by the Diyawanna Oya straight after the hippo races. Come naked.

Q: Can I wear high heels in Sri Lanka? ( UK)
A: You are a British politician, right?

Q: Are there supermarkets in Colombois milk available all year round? (Germany)
A: No, we are a peaceful civilization of vegan hunter/gatherers. Milk is illegal. Try Arrack instead.

Q: Please send a list of all doctors in Sri Lanka who can dispense Ratlesnake serum. ( USA)
A: Rattlesnakes live in A-meri-ca which is where YOU come from. All Sri Lankan snakes are perfectly harmless, can be safely handled and make good pets.

Q: I have a question about a famous animal in Sri Lanka, but I forget its name. It's a kind of huge animal that are dressed and taken in pagents. (USA)
A: It's called an Elephant. You can scare them off by spraying yourself with human urine before you go out walking.

Q: Do you have perfume in Sri Lanka? (France)
A: No, WE don't stink.

Q: I have developed a new product that is the fountain of youth. Can you tell me where I can sell it in Sri Lanka? (USA)
A: Anywhere significant numbers of Americans gather.

Q: Can you tell me the regions in the Western Province where the female population is smaller than the male population? ( Germany)
A: Yes, gay nightclubs in Negombo.

Q: Do you celebrate Christmas in Sri Lanka? (Italy)
A: Only at Christmas.

Q: I was in Sri Lankain 1999 on R+R and I want to contact the girl I dated while I was staying in an apartment at Liberty Plaza. Can you help?(USA)
A: Yes, and you will still have to pay her by the hour. Try the eigth floor at the same place.

Q: Will I be able to speak English most places I go? (Germany)
A: Yes, but you'll have to learn it first


Life

That which you can do, or dream you can, BEGIN it. Boldness has Genius, Power and Magic in it. Goethe

Harder the Struggle

...we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly:it is dearness only that gives every thing its value.~Thomas Paine (1737-1809), U.S. patriot and writer~
To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you

Wise Men Three..........

Hear ye all this tale from past ages
Where once we ruled as wise old sages
Many a moon we traversed the scripture
In faith we sought a clearer picture
Of promises made to prophets of old
Of the Root of David that angels foretold

Our mission did not end in vain
We found the missing link in the chain
With hearts of gladness we set out
Gold and incenses we carried without
Led by heavenly wonders bright
We searched for our king day and night

Our journey did not take us to Rome
It did not end b’neath a palace dome
Away from the city, in a manger bare
Midst shepherds who had gathered there
That night with weather cold and mild
We bowed and knelt to the Christ child

Three and thirty years later
In spirit before Calvary’s alter
We gazed in awe at the Son of Man
Whose blood for sinners freely ran
With anguished cry He died there
Our Saviour King beyond compare

His sojourn in death did not last
An empty tomb was in the past
A risen Jesus, the Lamb divine
Walked this earth many a time
We worshipped him with disciples eleven
As Christ ascended into heaven

Past two thousand years of time
The light He brought still glows and shines
Soon from the shadows we’ll emerge
With saints and angels we will urge
Sons of men the time is nigh
Await your King our God on high

Bethlehem’s plain once more will ring
And in the heavens the angels sing
As we herald the Prince of Peace
Across the earth their song shall ease
Glory to God on high and then
Peace on earth and goodwill to men

Diamonds

Diamonds are nothing but chunks of coal that stuck to their jobs.~Malcolm Forbes~

Potential

"If you want to reach your full potential, you must be willing to pay the price of full preparation. It doesn't take much time or effort if you are willing to settle for less than you can be. There are no credible shortcuts available if you want a quality education, or, for that matter, if you want to achieve any other worthwhile goal."

Mystery

"the mystery is this - the more you go beyond yourself, the more you will become your true self; the more you lose yourself in loving and serving others, the more you will find yourself; the more you keep company with those who suffer, the more you will be healed." - Bishop of London at Diana's memorial service

Ignorance

Ignorance breeds monsters to fill up the vacancies of the soulthat are unoccupied by the verities of knowledge.~Horace Mann~

Monday, August 10, 2009

In A Moment - By Rudo Nyangulu

It is in the last moment of life;
As the final curtain begins to close,
That we see the truth of who we are,
The frailty of our station whether rich or poor,
The irrelevance of the 98% of the mundane things we filled our days with;
The irreversability of a life spent in the obligatory rudiments of day to day,
In a life-less manner masquerading as a true calling --

It is in this raw moment of self realisation,
That the hopes and dreams of tomorrow flash before our eyes
As we find ourselves wondering how we are to prepare for what comes next,
Or rather realise we have failed to prepare.
You see, what comes next was never part of that 98%
And the remaining 2% was reserved for denial or self recrimination or both,
Without any reactionary change coming through;
As a result of who we became acquainted with in the mirror of our souls...
This is the moment when we realise that all that glittered was not gold
When our lives are revealed as having been filled with ridiculous cleché's,
The kind that would be unsuitable for anything more than to be forgotten,
Our lives along with them...

In this final moment of self revelation,
We consider how the end would have been different
Had we opted to take the road less traveled --
The road leading to our Creator,
Our hope
Our SALVATION

Thursday, April 2, 2009

The Hero Learns Quickly

They cannot fathom how much you stand to lose in failure
That you are the instrument of a flawless design
And all of life may hang in the balance
The hero learns quickly who can comprehend
And who merely stands in your way
~from the television series, "Heroes"~

Saturday, February 7, 2009

Five (5) lessons to make you think about the way we treat people.

1 - First Important Lesson - Cleaning Lady.
During my second month of college, our professor
gave us a pop quiz. I was a conscientious student
and had breezed through the questions until I read
the last one:
"What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?"
Surely this was some kind of joke. I had seen the
cleaning woman several times. She was tall,
dark-haired and in her 50s, but how would I know her name?
I handed in my paper, leaving the last question
blank. Just before class ended, one student asked if
the last question would count toward our quiz grade.
"Absolutely," said the professor. "In your careers,
you will meet many people. All are significant. They
deserve your attention and care, even if all you do
is smile and say "hello."
I've never forgotten that lesson. I also learned her
name was Dorothy.
2. - Second Important Lesson - Pickup in the Rain
One night, at 11:30 P.M., an older African American
woman was standing on the side of an Alabama highway
trying to endure a lashing rainstorm. Her car had
broken down and she desperately needed a ride.
Soaking wet, she decided to flag down the next car.
A young white man stopped to help her, generally
unheard of in those conflict-filled 1960s. The man
took her to safety, helped her get assistance and
put her into a taxicab.
She seemed to be in a big hurry, but wrote down his
address and thanked him. Seven days went by and a
knock came on the man's door. To his surprise, a
giant console color TV was delivered to his home. A
special note was attached..
It read:
"Thank you so much for assisting me on the highway
the other night. The rain drenched not only my
clothes, but also my spirits. Then you came along.
Because of you, I was able to make it to my dying
husband's bedside just before he passed away... God
bless you for helping me and unselfishly serving
others."
Sincerely,
Mrs. Nat King Cole.
3 - Third Important Lesson - Always remember those
who serve.

In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less,
a 10-year-old boy entered a hotel coffee shop and
sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water in
front of him.
"How much is an ice cream sundae?" he asked.
"Fifty cents," replied the waitress.
The little boy pulled his hand out of his pocket and
studied the coins in it.
"Well, how much is a plain dish of ice cream?" he inquired.
By now more people were waiting for a table and the
waitress was growing impatient.
"Thirty-five cents," she brusquely replied.
The little boy again counted his coins.
"I'll have the plain ice cream," he said.
The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on
the table and walked away. The boy finished the ice
cream, paid the cashier and left. When the waitress
came back, she began to cry as she wiped down the
table. There, placed neatly beside the empty dish,
were two nickels and five pennies..
You see, he couldn't have the sundae, because he had
to have enough left to leave her a tip.
4 - Fourth Important Lesson. - The obstacle in Our Path.
In ancient times, a King had a boulder placed on a
roadway. Then he hid himself and watched to see if
anyone would remove the huge rock. Some of the
king's wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by
and simply walked around it. Many loudly blamed the
King for not keeping the roads clear, but none did
anything about getting the stone out of the way.
Then a peasant came along carrying a load of
vegetables. Upon approaching the boulder, the
peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the
stone to the side of the road. After much pushing
and straining, he finally succeeded. After the
peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed
a purse lying in the road where the boulder had
been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note
from the King indicating that the gold was for the
person who removed the boulder from the roadway. The
peasant learned what many of us never understand!
Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve
our condition.
5 - Fifth Important Lesson - Giving When it Counts...
Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at a
hospital, I got to know a little girl named Liz who
was suffering from a rare & serious disease. Her only
chance of recovery appeared to be a blood
transfusion from her 5-year old brother, who had
miraculously survived the same disease and had
developed the antibodies needed to combat the
illness. The doctor explained the situation to her
little brother, and asked the little boy if he would
be willing to give his blood to his sister.
I saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a
deep breath and saying, "Yes I'll do it if it will
save her." As the transfusion progressed, he lay in
bed next to his sister and smiled, as we all did,
seeing the color returning to her cheek. Then his
face grew pale and his smile faded.
He looked up at the doctor and asked with a
trembling voice, "Will I start to die right away".
Being young, the little boy had misunderstood the
doctor; he thought he was going to have to give his
sister all of his blood in order to save her.