Allentown, Easton, Bethlehem's Talk Station!

 
 
 
 
Food for thought...

Insider QUOTE: “Hypocrisy can afford to be magnificent in its promises; for never intending to go beyond promises, it costs nothing.” - Edmund Burke 
 
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Thanking Obama for the death of Bin Laden is like thanking Ronald McDonald when you get an extra cheeseburger in your bag.
It's the guy behind the counter you should thank, not the clown in the picture!




 
The Death of Common Sense
By Lori Borgman

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Three yards of black fabric enshroud my computer terminal. I am mourning the passing of an old friend by the name of Common Sense.
His obituary reads as follows:
Common Sense, aka C.S., lived a long life, but died from heart failure at the brink of the millennium. No one really knows how old he was, his birth records were long ago entangled in miles and miles of bureaucratic red tape.
Known affectionately to close friends as Horse Sense and Sound Thinking, he selflessly devoted himself to a life of service in homes, schools, hospitals and offices, helping folks get jobs done without a lot of fanfare, whooping and hollering. Rules and regulations and petty, frivolous lawsuits held no power over C.S.
A most reliable sage, he was credited with cultivating the ability to know when to come in out of the rain, the discovery that the early bird gets the worm and how to take the bitter with the sweet. C.S. also developed sound financial policies (don't spend more than you earn), reliable parenting strategies (the adult is in charge, not the kid) and prudent dietary plans (offset eggs and bacon with a little fiber and orange juice).
A veteran of the Industrial Revolution, the Great Depression, the Technological Revolution and the Smoking Crusades, C.S. survived sundry cultural and educational trends including disco, the men's movement, body piercing, whole language and new math.
C.S.'s health began declining in the late 1960s when he became infected with the If-It-Feels-Good, Do-It virus. In the following decades his waning strength proved no match for the ravages of overbearing federal and state rules and regulations and an oppressive tax code. C.S. was sapped of strength and the will to live as the Ten Commandments became contraband, criminals received better treatment than victims and judges stuck their noses in everything from Boy Scouts to professional baseball and golf. His deterioration accelerated as schools implemented zero-tolerance policies. Reports of 6-year-old boys charged with sexual harassment for kissing classmates, a teen suspended for taking a swig of Scope mouthwash after lunch, girls suspended for possessing Midol and an honor student expelled for having a table knife in her school lunch were more than his heart could endure.
As the end neared, doctors say C.S. drifted in and out of logic but was kept informed of developments regarding regulations on low-flow toilets and mandatory air bags. Finally, upon hearing about a government plan to ban inhalers from 14 million asthmatics due to a trace of a pollutant that may be harmful to the environment, C.S. breathed his last. Services will be at Whispering Pines Cemetery. C.S. was preceded in death by his wife, Discretion; one daughter, Responsibility; and one son, Reason. He is survived by two step-brothers, Half-Wit and Dim-Wit.
Memorial Contributions may be sent to the Institute for Rational Thought.
Farewell, Common Sense. May you rest in peace.
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An obituary for Common Sense
Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was, since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as:
* Knowing when to come in out of the rain;
* Why the early bird gets the worm;
* Life isn't always fair;
* and maybe it was my fault.
Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you can earn) and reliable strategies (adults, not children, are in charge).
His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.
Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job that they themselves had failed to do in disciplining their unruly children.
It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer sun lotion or an aspirin to a student; but could not inform parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.
Common Sense lost the will to live as the churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims.
Common Sense took a beating when you couldn't defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar could sue you for assault.
Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement.
Common Sense was preceded in death, by his parents, Truth and Trust, by his wife, Discretion, by his daughter, Responsibility, and by his son, Reason.
He is survived by his 4 stepbrothers: I Know My Rights, I Want It Now, Someone Else Is To Blame and I'm A Victim
Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone.
Here's hoping that someone finds a way to bring Common Sense back to life soon.


 

Remember When............................................................
In the line at the store, the cashier told the older woman that plastic bags weren’t good for the environment. The woman apologized to her and explained, “We didn’t have the green thing back in my day.”
That’s right, they didn’t have the green thing in her day. Back then, they returned their milk bottles, Coke bottles and beer bottles to the store. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and sterilized and refilled, using the same bottles over and over. So they really were recycled.
But they didn’t have the green thing back in her day.
In her day, they walked up stairs, because they didn’t have an escalator in every store and office building. They walked to the grocery store and didn’t climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time they had to go two blocks.
But she’s right. They didn’t have the green thing in her day.

Back then, they washed the baby’s diapers because they didn’t have the throw-away kind. They dried clothes on a line, not in an energy gobbling machine burning up 220 volts – wind and solar power really did dry the clothes. Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing.
But that old lady is right, they didn’t have the green thing back in her day.

Back then, they had one TV, or radio, in the house – not a TV in every room. And the TV had a small screen the size of a pizza dish, not a screen the size of the state of Montana. In the kitchen, they blended and stirred by hand because they didn’t have electric machines to do everything for you. When they packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, they used wadded up newspaper to cushion it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap.
Back then, they didn’t fire up an engine and burn gasoline just to cut the lawn. They used a push mower that ran on human power. They exercised by working so they didn’t need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity.
But she’s right, they didn’t have the green thing back then.
They drank from a fountain when they were thirsty, instead of using a cup or a plastic bottle every time they had a drink of water. They refilled pens with ink, instead of buying a new pen, and they replaced the razor blades in a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull.
But they didn’t have the green thing back then.

Back then, people took the streetcar and kids rode their bikes to school or rode the school bus, instead of turning their moms into a 24-hour taxi service. They had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances. And they didn’t need a computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 2,000 miles out in space in order to find the nearest pizza joint.
But they didn't have the green thing back then!




 
Ever wonder what would happen it we treasted our Bible as we treat our cell phone?
- What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets?
- What if we flipped through it several times a day?
- What if we turned back to get it if we forgot it?
- What if we used it to receive messages from the text?
- What if we gave it to kids as a gift?
- What if we used it when we traveled?
- What if we used it in case of an emergencey?
- This is something to make you go ...hmm.... where is my Bible?
- Makes you stop and think "Where are my priorities? And no dropped calls!"




The danger to America is not Barack Obama but a citizenry capable of entrusting a man like him with the presidency.

It will be easier to limit and undo the follies of an Obama presidency than to restore the necessary common sense and good judgment to an electorate willing to have such a man for their president.
The problem is much deeper and far more serious than Mr. Obama, who is a mere symptom of what ails us.  Blaming the prince of the fools should not blind anyone to the vast confederacy of fools that made him their prince.
The republic can survive a Barack Obama.  It is less likely to survive a multitude of fools such as those who made him their president.” 
   
 -- Author Unknown



HOW TRUE IT IS
 
Another year has passed
And we're all a little older.
 
Last summer felt hotter
And winter seems much colder.
 
I rack my brain for happy thoughts,
To put down on my pad,
 
But lots of things, That come to mind
Just make me kind of sad.
 
There was a time not long ago
When life was quite a blast.
 
Now I fully understand
About "Living in the Past".
 
We used to go to friends homes,
Baseball games and lunches.
 
Now we go to therapy, to hospitals,
And after-funeral brunches.
 
We used to have hangovers,
From parties that were  fun .  
 
Now we suffer body aches
And sleep the night away.
 
We used to go out dining,
And couldn't get our fill.
 
Now we ask for doggie bags,
Come home and take a pill.
 
We used to travel often
To places near and far.
 
Now we get backaches
From riding in the car.
 
We used to go out shopping
For new clothing at the Mall
 
But, now we never bother...
All the sizes are too small.
 
That, my friend is how life is,
And now my tale is told.
 
So, enjoy each day and live it up...

 

I was shocked, confused, bewildered
As I entered Heaven's door,
Not by the beauty of it all,
Nor the lights or its decor.
But it was the folks in Heaven
Who made me sputter and gasp--
The thieves, the liars, the sinners,
The alcoholics and the trash.
There stood the kid from seventh grade
Who swiped my lunch money twice.
Next to him was my old neighbor
Who never said anything nice.
Herb, who I always thought
Was rotting away in hell,
Was sitting pretty on cloud nine,
Looking incredibly well.
I nudged Jesus, 'What's the deal?
I would love to hear Your take.
How'd all these sinners get up here?
God must've made a mistake.
'And why's everyone so quiet,
So somber - give me a clue.'
'Hush, child,' He said, 'they're all in shock.
No one thought they'd be seeing you.'
JUDGE NOT.


Hi Gunther,
 
I've noticed that everybody that is for abortion has already been born. ~Ronald Reagan, quoted in New York Times, 22 September 1980
 
Homeschooled Nick





Beware of Garbage Trucks
by David J. Pollay
How often do you let other people's nonsense change your mood? Do you let a bad driver, rude waiter, curt boss or an insensitive employee ruin your day? Unless you're the Terminator, for an instant you're probably set back on your heels. However, the mark of a successful person is how quickly she can get back her focus on what's important. *
Sixteen years ago I learned this lesson. I learned it in the back of a New York City taxi cab. Here's what happened.
I hopped in a taxi, and we took off for Grand Central Station. We were driving in the right lane when, all of a sudden, a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his breaks, skidded, and missed the other car's back end by just inches!
The driver of the other car, the guy who almost caused a big accident, whipped his head around and he started yelling bad words at us.
My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And, I mean, he was friendly. So, I said, "Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!"
And this is when my taxi driver told me what I now call, "The Law of the Garbage Truck."
Many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it. And if you let them, they'll dump it on you. When someone wants to dump on you, don't take it personally. You just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. You'll be happy you did.
So this was it: The "Law of the Garbage Truck."
I started thinking, how often do I let Garbage Trucks run right over me? And how often do I take their garbage and spread it to other people: at work, at home, on the streets? It was that day I said, "I'm not going to do it anymore."
I began to see garbage trucks. Like in the movie "The Sixth Sense," the little boy said, "I see Dead People." Well, now "I see Garbage Trucks." I see the load they're carrying. I see them coming to drop it off. And like my Taxi Driver, I don't make it a personal thing; I just smile, wave, wish them well, and I move on.
One of my favorite football players of all time, Walter Payton, did this every day on the football field. He would jump up as quickly as he hit the ground after being tackled. He never dwelled on a hit. Payton was ready to make the next play his best. Good leaders know they have to be ready for their next meeting. Good parents know that they have to welcome their children home from school with hugs and kisses. Leaders and parents know that they have to be fully present and at their best for the people they care about.
The bottom line is that successful people do not let Garbage Trucks take over their day. What about you? What would happen in your life, starting today, if you let more garbage trucks pass you by?
Here's my bet. You'll be happier. Life's too short to wake up in the morning with regrets.



What is Happening to USA Couldn't be more clear!

Little Red Hen Modernized

Once upon a time, on a farm in Texas, there was a little red hen who scratched about the barnyard until she uncovered quite a few grains of wheat. She called all of her neighbors together and said, "If we plant this wheat, we shall have bread to eat. Who will help me plant it?"

"Not I," said the cow.

"Not I," said the duck.

"Not I," said the pig.

"Not I," said the goose.

"Then I will do it by myself," said the little red hen And so she did; The wheat grew very tall and ripened into golden grain. "Who will help me reap my wheat?" asked the little red hen.

"Not I," said the duck.

"Out of my classification," said the pig.

"I'd lose my seniority," said the cow.

"I'd lose my unemployment compensation," said the goose.

"Then I will do it by myself," said the little red hen, and so she did. At last it came time to bake the bread.

"Who will help me bake the bread?" asked the little red hen.

"That would be overtime for me," said the cow.

"I'd lose my welfare benefits," said the duck.

"I'm a dropout and never learned how," said the pig.

"If I'm to be the only helper, that's discrimination," said the goose.

"Then I will do it by myself," said the little red hen. She baked five loaves and held them up for all of her neighbors to see. They wanted some and, in fact, demanded a share. But the little red hen said, "No, I shall eat all five loaves."

"Excess profits!" cried the cow. (Pelosi)

"Capitalist leech!" screamed the duck. (Boxer)

"I demand equal rights!" yelled the goose. (J. Jackson)

The pig just grunted in disdain. (A. Sharpton)

And they all painted "Unfair!" picket signs and marched around and around the little red hen, shouting obscenities.

Then a government agent came, he said to the little red hen, "You must not be so greedy."

"But I earned the bread," said the little red hen.

"Exactly," said the agent. "That is what makes our free enterprise system so wonderful. Anyone in the barnyard can earn as much as he wants. But under our modern government regulations, the productive workers must divide the fruits of their labor with those who are lazy and idle,"

And they all lived happily ever after, including the little red hen, who smiled and clucked, "I am grateful, for now I truly understand,"

But her neighbors became quite disappointed in her. She never again baked bread because she joined the "party" and got her bread free.

And all the Democrats smiled. 'Fairness' had been established. Individual initiative had died, but nobody noticed; perhaps no one cared.....as long as there was free bread that "the rich" were paying for.

Bill Clinton is getting $12 million for his memoirs.

Hillary got $8 million for hers.

That's $20 million for memories from two people, who for eight years, repeatedly testified, under oath, that they couldn't remember anything.

IS THIS A GREAT COUNTRY, OR WHAT?


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Be nice to others because...



Time WILL make a difference!

One day, you may not be the "BIG DOG"!
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For truer words were never spoken  At what point shall we expect the approach of danger? By what means shall we fortify against it? Shall we expect some transatlantic military giant, to step the Ocean, and crush us at a blow? Never! All the armies of Europe, Asia and Africa combined, with all the treasure of the earth (our own excepted) in their military chest; with a Buonaparte for a commander, could not by force, take a drink from the Ohio, or make a track on the Blue Ridge, in a trial of a thousand years. At what point, then, is the approach of danger to be expected? I answer, if it ever reach us it must spring up amongst us. It cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time, or die by suicide. /The Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln/ edited by Roy P. Basler, Volume I, "Address Before the Young Men's Lyceum,of Springfield, Illinois (January 27, 1838), p. 109.


>>>>http://susie1114.com/LiveALife.html <<<<


 CLICK THE PDF FILE FOR THE Coffee Cups Story

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Friends

Strong words from a strong man.

Founding Father Sam Adams on betrayal of America’s fundamental values applies to today’s treasonous Democrats undermining our troops in the field and emboldening Al Qaeda with their rhetoric, and especially Democrat leader Senator Harry Reid.
 
“If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, go home from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen.”
–      Samuel Adams, 1776
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I May Never See Tomorrow I may never see tomorrow,
there's no written guarantee
And things that happened yesterday
belong to history.
I cannot predict the future,
I cannot change the past,
I have just the present moments,
I must treat it as my last.
I must use this moment wisely
for it soon will pass away,
and be lost forever,
as part of yesterday
I must exercise compassion,
help the fallen to their feet,
Be a friend unto the friendless,
make an empty life complete.
The unkind things I do today
may never be undone,
And friendships that I fail to win
may nevermore be won.
I may not have another chance
on bended knees to pray,
and I thank God with a humble heart
for giving me this Day.
 (anonymous)
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A friend is someone we turn to
When our spirits need a lift A friend is someone we treasure
For our friendship is a gift.
A friend is someone who fills our lives with beauty, joy, and grace And makes the world we live in a better and happier place.
There is a miracle called friendship, that dwells in the heart.
You do not know how it happens or when it gets it's starts
 But you know the special lift it always brings.
You realize that friendship is God's most precious gift!

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I don't know who wrote this, but enjoyed it very much.  I yearn for the older, simpler days.  When I was quite young, my father had one of the first telephones in our  neighborhood. I remember the polished, old case fastened to the wall.The  shiny receiver hung on the side of the box. I was too little to reach the  telephone, but used to listen with fascination when my mother talked to  it. Then  I discovered that somewhere inside the wonderful device lived an amazing  person. Her name was "Information Please" and there was nothing she did  not know. Information Please could supply anyone's number and the correct  time. My  personal experience with the genie-in-a-bottle came one day while my  mother was visiting a neighbor. Amusing myself at the tool bench in the  basement, I whacked my finger with a hammer, the pain was terrible, but  there seemed no point in crying because there was no one home to give  sympathy. I  walked around the house sucking my throbbing finger, finally arriving at  the stairway. The telephone! Quickly, I ran for the footstool in the  parlor and dragged it to the landing. Climbing up, I unhooked the receiver  in the parlor and held it to my ear. "Information, please" I said into the  mouthpiece just above my head.  A click or two and a small clear voice  spoke into my ear. "Information." "I  hurt my finger..." I wailed into the phone, the tears came readily enough  now that I had an audience. "Isn't  your mother home?" came the question. "Nobody's  home but me," I blubbered. "Are  you bleeding?" the voice asked. "No," I replied. "I hit my finger with the hammer and it hurts.""Can you open the icebox?" she asked. I said I could. "Then chip off a little bit of ice and hold it to your finger," said the  voice. After  that, I called "Information Please" for everything. I asked her for  help with my geography, and she told me where Philadelphia was. She helped me with my math. She told me my pet chipmunk that I had caught  in the park just the day before, would eat fruit and  nuts. Then, there was the time Petey, our pet canary, died. I  called, Information Please," and told her the sad story.  She listened, and then said things grown-ups say to soothe a child. But I  was not consoled. I asked her, "Why is it that birds should sing so  beautifully and bring joy to all families, only to end up as a heap of  feathers on the bottom of a cage?" She must have sensed my deep concern, for she said quietly, "Wayne  always remember that there are other worlds to sing in." Somehow I felt better. Another day I was on the telephone, "Information Please.""Information," said in the now familiar voice. "How do I spell fix?" I  asked. All  this took place in a small town in the Pacific Northwest. When I was nine years old, we moved across the country to Boston. I missed my friend very much.  "Information Please" belonged in that old wooden  box back home and I  somehow never thought of trying the shiny new  phone that sat on the  table in the hall. As I grew into my teens, the memories of those  childhood conversations never really left me. Often, in moments of doubt and perplexity I would recall the  serene sense of security I had then. I appreciated now how patient, understanding, and kind she was to have spent her time on a little  boy. A  few years later, on my way west to college, my plane put down in Seattle. I had about a half-hour or so between planes. I spent 15 minutes or so on the phone with my sister, who lived there now. Then without thinking what I was doing, I dialed my hometown operator and said, "Information  Please." Miraculously, I heard the small, clear voice I knew so  well. "Information." I hadn't planned this, but I heard myself saying, "Could you please  tell me how to spell fix?" There was a long pause. Then came the soft spoken answer, "I guess your  finger must have healed by now." I laughed, "So it's really you," I said. "I wonder if you have any idea  how much you meant to me during that time?" I wonder," she said, "if you know how much your call meant to me.I never had any children and I used to look  forward to your calls." I told her how often I had thought of her over the years and I asked if I could call her again when I came back to visit my  sister. "Please do", she said. "Just ask for Sally." Three months later I was back in Seattle. A different voice  answered, "Information." I asked for Sally. "Are you a friend?" she said. 


There was a blind girl who hated herself because she was blind.  She hated everyone, except her loving boyfriend. He was always there for her. She told her boyfriend, "If I could only see the world, I will marry you."  One day, someone donated a pair of eyes to her. When the bandages came off, she was able to see everything, including her boyfriend.  He asked her, "Now that you can see the world, will you marry me?" The girl looked at her boyfriend and saw that he was blind. The sight of his closed eyelids shocked her. She hadn't expected that. The thought of looking at them the rest of her life led her to refuse to marry him.  Her boyfriend left her in tears, and days later, wrote a note to her saying: "Take good care of your eyes, my dear, for before they were yours, they were mine." This is how the human brain often works when our status changes. Only a very few remember what life was like before, and who was always by their side in the most painful situations.  Life Is a Gift  Today before you say an unkind word - Think of someone who can't speak.  Before you complain about the taste of your food - Think of someone who has nothing to eat.  Before you complain about your husband or wife - Think of someone who's crying out to GOD for a companion.  Today before you complain about life - Think of someone who went too early to heaven.  Before you complain about your children - Think of someone who desires children but they're barren.  Before you argue about your dirty house someone didn't clean or sweep - Think of the people who are living in the streets.  Before whining about the distance you drive - Think of someone who walks the same distance with their feet.  And when you are tired and complain about your job - Think of the unemployed, the disabled, and those who wish they had your job.  But, before you think of pointing the finger or condemning another - Remember that not one of us is without sin and we all answer to one MAKER.  And when depressing thoughts seem to get you down - Put a smile on your face and thank GOD you're alive and still around.  "Yes, a very old friend," I answered. "I'm sorry to have to tell you this," she said. "Sally had been working  part-time the last few years because she was sick. She died five  weeks ago."Before I could hang up she  said, "Wait a minute, did you say your name was Wayne?" "Yes." I  answered. "Well, Sally left a message for you. She wrote it down in case you called Let me read it to you."The note said,  "Tell him there are other worlds to sing in.He'll know what I  mean." I thanked her and hung up. I knew what Sally meant. Never underestimate the impression you may make on  others.

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