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Shortarmguy's Emails That Made Me Think
On this page, I will post the most inspirational material I receive on any given day. So email shortarmguy@aol.com the best stuff you get. Life can be darn tough sometimes and every now and then you might need a little happiness booster. I'm hoping this page may accomplish that. After you read a few of these, you can push back from your keyboard, throw your arms in the air, wave them back and forth and scream "I'm glad to be alive!" If this happens to you, please send pictures and I'll post them here!
First, take the tram up to the start of the trail.
Now follow the path.
Be sure to hold on to the "railing"
Keep an eye on the person in front of you.
Be very careful when passing someone going in the opposite direction.
Now just up a few more steps.
Gets a little steeper here - so put your toes in the holes.
A few more steps to go.
Finally in sight.
The view's great, but so is the price. And the unanswered question.... why?
November 19, 2006
"Friends are God's way of taking care of us."
This was written by a Hospice
of Metro Denver physician.
I just had one of the most amazing experiences of my life, and wanted to share
it with my family and dearest friends:
I was driving home from a meeting this evening about 5, stuck in traffic on
Colorado Blvd., and the car started to choke and splutter and die - I barely
managed to coast, cursing, into a gas station, glad only that I would not be
blocking traffic and would have a somewhat warm spot to wait for the tow truck.
It wouldn't even turn over. Before I could make the call, I saw a woman walking
out of the "quickie mart" building, and it looked like she slipped on some ice
and fell into a Gas pump, so I got out to see if she was okay.
When I got there, it looked more like she had been overcome by sobs than that
she had fallen; she was a young woman who looked really haggard with dark
circles under her eyes. She dropped something as I helped her up, and I picked
it up to give it to her. It was a nickel.
At that moment, everything came into focus for me: the crying woman, the ancient
Suburban crammed full of stuff with 3 kids in the back (1 in a car seat), and
the gas pump reading $4.95.
I asked her if she was okay and if she needed help, and she just kept saying "I
don't want my kids to see me crying," so we stood on the other side of the pump
from her car. She said she was driving to California and that things were very
hard for her right now. So I asked, "And you were praying?" That made her back
away from me a little, but I assured her I was not a crazy person and said, "He
heard you, and He sent me."
I took out my card and swiped it through the card reader on the pump so she
could fill up her car completely, and while it was fueling, walked to the next
door McDonald's and bought 2 big bags of food, some gift certificates for more,
and a big cup of coffee. She gave the food to the kids in the car, who attacked
it like wolves, and we stood by the pump eating fries and talking a little.
She told me her name, and that she lived in Kansas City . Her boyfriend left 2
months ago and she had not been able to make ends meet. She knew she wouldn't
have money to pay rent Jan 1, and finally in desperation had finally called her
parents, with whom she had not spoken in about 5 years. They lived in California
and said she could come live with them and try to get on her feet there.
So she packed up everything she owned in the car She told the kids they were
going to California for Christmas, but not that they were going to live there.
I gave her my gloves, a little hug and said a quick prayer with her for safety
on the road. As I was walking over to my car, she said, "So, are you like an
angel or something?"
This definitely made me cry. I said, "Sweetie, at this time of year angels are
really busy, so sometimes God uses regular people."
It was so incredible to be a part of someone else's miracle. And of course, you
guessed it, when I got in my car it started right away and got me home with no
problem. I'll put it in the shop tomorrow to check, but I suspect the mechanic
won't find anything wrong.
Sometimes the angels fly close enough to you that you can hear the flutter of
their wings...
Psalms 55:22 "Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee. He shall
never suffer the righteous to be moved."
This prayer is powerful and prayer is one of the best gifts we receive.
There is no cost but a lot of rewards.
November 12, 2006
For those of us who sometimes find ourselves having doubts about our President, here is an excellent piece -- worth every minute it takes to read it. This story is from Bruce Vincent of Libby, Montana who had gone to the White House with others to receive an award from the President. He writes:
The President and First Lady made one more pass down the line of awardees, shaking hands and offering congratulations. When the President shook my hand I said, "Thank you Mr. President and God bless you and your family." He was already in motion to the next person in line, but he stopped abruptly turned fully back to me, gave me a piercing look, renewed the vigor of his handshake and said, "Thank you -- and God bless you and yours as well."
I told him yes and he turned to the staff that remained in the office and hand motioned the folks to step back or leave.
He said, "Bruce and I would like some private time for a prayer."
November 5, 2006
The Honorable Paul S. Sarbanes
Senate Office Building
309 Hart, Washington DC, 20510
Dear Senator Sarbanes,
As a native Marylander and excellent customer of the Internal Revenue Service,
I am writing to ask for your assistance. I have contacted the Department of
Homeland Security in an effort to determine the process for becoming an
illegal alien and they referred me to you.
My primary reason for wishing to change my status from U.S. Citizen to illegal
alien stems from the bill which was recently passed by the Senate and for
which you voted. If my understanding of this bill's
provisions is accurate, as an illegal alien who has been in the United States
for five years, all I need to do to become a citizen is to pay a $2,000 fine
and income taxes for three of the last five years. I know a good deal when I
see one and I am anxious to get the process started before everyone figures it
out.
Simply put, those of us who have been here legally have had to pay taxes every
year so I'm excited about the prospect of avoiding two years of taxes in
return for paying a
$2,000 fine.
Is there any way that I can apply to be illegal retroactively?
This would yield an
excellent result for me and my family because we paid heavy taxes in 2004 and
2005.
Additionally, as an
illegal alien I could begin using the local emergency room as my primary
health care provider. Once I have stopped paying premiums for medical
insurance, my accountant figures I could save almost $10,000 a year. Another
benefit in gaining illegal status would be that my daughter would receive
preferential treatment relative to her
law school applications, as well as "in-state" tuition rates for many colleges
throughout the United States for my son.
Lastly, I understand that illegal status would relieve me of the burden of
renewing my driver's license and making those burdensome car insurance
premiums. This is very important to me given that I still have college age
children driving my car.
If you would provide me with an
outline of the process to become
illegal (retroactively if possible) and copies of the necessary forms, I would
be
most appreciative. Thank you for your assistance.
Your Loyal Constituent,
Pete McGlaughlin
Get your Forms (NOW)!! Call your Internal Revenue Service 1-800-289-1040.
October 29, 2006
GLASS BRIDGE
The Glass Bridge Construction
of the Skywalk began March of 2004 and is estimated to be completed by 4th
quarter of 2006.
Glass Bridge will be suspended 4,000 feet above
the Colorado River on the very edge of the Grand Canyon. On May 2005, the
final test was conducted and the structure passed engineering requirements by
400
percent, enabling it to withstand the weight of 71
fully loaded
Boeing 747 airplanes (more that 71 million
pounds).
The bridge will be able to sustain winds in
excess of 100 miles per hour from 8 different directions, as well as an 8.0
magnitude earthquake within 50 miles. More than one million pounds of steel
will go into the construction of the Grand Canyon Skywalk.
Still makes one wonder if you want to walk
out on the bridge
October 21, 2006
WET PANTS STORY... A GOOD ONE!
Come with me to a third grade classroom.... There is a nine-year-old kid
sitting at his desk and all of a sudden there is a puddle between his feet and
the front of his pants are wet.!
He thinks his heart is going to stop because he cannot possibly imagine how
this has happened It's never happened before, and he knows that when the boys
find out he will never hear the end of it.
When the girls find out, they'll never speak to him again as long as he lives.
The boy believes his heart is going to stop, he puts his head down and prays
this prayer, "Dear God, this is an emergency! I need help now! Five minutes
from now I'm dead meat."
He looks up from his prayer and here comes the teacher with a look in her eyes
that says he has been discovered.
As the teacher is walking toward him, a classmate named Susie is carrying a
goldfish bowl that is filled with water. Susie trips in front of the teacher
and inexplicably dumps the bowl of water in the boy's lap.
The boy pretends to be angry, but all the while is saying to himself, "Thank
you, Lord! Thank you, Lord!"
Now all of a sudden, instead of being the object of ridicule, the boy is the
object of sympathy. The teacher rushes him downstairs! and gives him gym
shorts to put on while his pants dry out.
All the other children are on their hands and knees cleaning up around his
desk.
The sympathy is wonderful. But as life would have it, the ridicule that should
have been his has been transferred to someone else - Susie. She tries to help,
but they tell her to get out. "You've done enough, you klutz!"
Finally, at the end of the day, as they are waiting for the bus, the boy walks
over to Susie and whispers, "You did that on purpose, didn't you?" Susie
whispers back, "I wet my pants once too."
May God help us see the opportunities that are always around us to do good.
Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than standing in your
garage makes you a car.
October 14, 2006
The Human Body
-Scientists say the higher your I.Q. the more you dream. -The largest cell in the human body is the female egg and the smallest it
the male sperm. -You use 200 muscles to take one step. -The average woman is 5 inches shorter than the average man. -Your big toes have two bones each while the rest have three. -A pair of human feet contain 250,000 sweat glands. -A full bladder is roughly the size of a soft ball. -The acid in your stomach is strong enough to dissolve razorblades. -The human brain cell can hold 5 times as much information as the
Encyclopedia Britannica. -It takes the food seven seconds to get from your mouth to your stomach. -The average human dream lasts 2-3 seconds. -Men without hair on their chests are more likely to get cirrhosis of the
liver than men with hair. -At the moment of conception, you spent about half an hour as a single
cell. -There is about one trillion bacteria on each of your feet. -Your body gives off enough heat in 30 minutes to bring half a gallon of
water to a boil. -The enamel in your teeth is the hardest substance in your body. -Your teeth start growing 6 months before you are born. -The three things pregnant women dream most of during their first trimester
are 1) frogs 2) worms 3) potted plants. -When you are looking at someone you love, your pupils dilate, they do the
same when you are looking at someone you hate. -Blondes have more hair than dark-haired people. -Your thumb is the same length of your nose. Now I KNOW your placing your thumb on your NOSE, aren't you?
October 8, 2006
Not sure if these are true or not, but many made me think!
At General Motors, the cost of health care for
employees now exceeds the cost of steel.
Gerald Ford once worked as a cover
model for Cosmopolitan magazine. Gillette spent $1,000,000 to place razor
samples in the welcome bags handed out at the Democratic National Convention,
only to have them confiscated as they were considered a threat. This caused
huge delays at all security checkpoints So far, Congress has authorized
$152,600,000,000 for the Iraq war. This is enough to build over 17,500
elementary schools.. A house in Baghdad worth $15,000 before the
Iraq war now sells for $120,000 to $150,000. There are between 5,000 and 7,000 tigers kept
as pets in the United States. The largest ocean liners pay a $250,000 toll
for each trip through the Panama Canal. The canal generates fully one-third of
Panama's entire economy. When Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen turn 18 in
mid-2004, they will take official control of a company worth more than the
gross national product of Mongolia. Their earnings in 2003 topped $1 billion.
Almost 20% of the billions of dollars American
taxpayers are spending to rebuild Iraq are lost to theft, kickbacks and
corruption. The treasury department has more than
twenty people assigned to catching people who violate the trade and tourism
embargo with Cuba. In contrast, it has only four employees assigned to track
the assets of Osama bin Laden and insurgents. Oslo, Norway is the world's most expensive
city. A gallon on gas costs almost $5, and it costs $1.32 to use the public
restrooms. Villanova University's commencement speaker
this year is the actor who plays Big Bird.. George W. Bush is probably going to be the
eighth president in US history to have completed a term in office without ever
having issued a single veto. A deployed air bag adds as much as $2,000 to
the cost of repairing a vehicle. That's enough for insurance companies to
often declare the car "totaled". For the first time in history, the number of
people on the planet aged 60 or over will soon surpass those under 5.
The province of Alberta, Canada is completely
free of rats. Illinois has the most personalized license
plates of any state The Main Library at Indiana University sinks
over an inch every year because when it was built engineers failed to take
into account the weight of all the books that would occupy the building. North Dakota has never had an earthquake.
There are more living organisms on the skin of
a single human being than there are human beings on the surface of the earth. Ants do not sleep. Marilyn Monroe had six toes on one foot.
There is enough fuel in a full tank of a jumbo
jet to drive an average car four times around the world. The Hoover Dam was built to last 2,000 years.
Its concrete will not be fully cured for another 500 years. Abraham Lincoln's dog, Fido, was assassinated
too. All of David Letterman's suits are custom made
- there are no creases in his suit trousers. If the Nile River were stretched across the
United States, it would run nearly from New York to Los Angeles. The original name of Bank of America was Bank
of Italy. Michael Jordan makes more money from Nike each
year than all the Nike factory workers in Malaysia combined
Two 1903 paintings recently sold at auction
for $590,000 - the paintings were in the famous "Dogs Playing Poker" series.
A perfect SAT score is 1600 combined. Bill
Gates scored 1590 on his SAT. Paul Allen, Bill's partner in Microsoft, scored
a perfect 1600. Bill Cosby scored less than 500 combined. There are 2,000,000 millionaires in the United
States. 1.5 million Americans are charged with drunk
driving each year. The Washington Times newspaper is owned by the Rev. Sun Myung Moon. Oprah Winfrey and Elvis Presley are distant cousins. George Washington spent about 7% of his annual salary on liquor. Al Gore's roommate in college (Harvard, class of 1969) was Tommy Lee Jones The Swedish pop group ABBA recently turned down an offer of $2 billion to
reunite. A Boeing 767 airliner is made of 3,100,000
separate parts. The average child recognizes over 200 company
logos by the time he enters first grade. In the film Forrest Gump, all the still photos show Forrest with his
eyes closed. A Costa Rican worker who makes baseballs earns
about $2,750 annually. The average American pro baseball player earns
$2,377,000 per year. Former keyboard player for Jethro Tull David
Palmer is now a woman named Dee Palmer. He waited until his wife died before
going through with his longtime desire for a sex change. During Bill Clinton's entire eight year
presidency, he only sent two e-mails. One was to John Glenn when he was aboard
the space shuttle, and the other was a test of the e-mail system. Zeppo Marx (the unfunny one of the Marx Brothers) had a patent for a
wristwatch with a heart monitor. Ted Turner owns 5% of New Mexico. Over 8 years, this happened 284 times: "Cosmo"
Kramer went through Jerry Seinfeld's apartment door. The lead singer of The Knack, famous for "My Sharona," and Jack Kevorkian's
lead defense attorney are brothers, Doug & Jeffrey Feiger. Pilgrims ate popcorn at the first Thanksgiving
dinner. Your nose and ears never stop growing.
Slugs have 4 noses. During your lifetime, you'll eat about 60,000 pounds of food. That's the
weight of about 6 elephants. Q is the only letter in the alphabet that does not appear in the name of
any of the United States. You'll eat about 35,000 cookies in your
lifetime. Like fingerprints, everyone's tongue print is
different. Babe Ruth wore a cabbage leaf under is cap to
keep him cool. He changed it every 2 innings. The Pentagon has twice as many restrooms as necessary. When it was built,
segregation was still in place in Virginia, so separate restrooms for blacks
and whites were required by law. In 2003, there were 86 days of below-freezing
weather in Hell, Michigan. Chewing gum while peeling onions will keep you
from crying. The average person laughs 15 times a day.
October 1, 2006
This one had both Miss Sheri and I bawling! Be sure to check out the video at the end!!
Strongest Dad in the World
[From Sports Illustrated, By Rick Reilly]
I try to be a good father. Give my kids mulligans. Work nights to pay for
their text messaging. Take them to swimsuit shoots.
But compared with Dick Hoyt, I stink.
Eighty-five times he's pushed his disabled son, Rick, 26.2 miles in marathons.
Eight times he's not only pushed him 26.2 miles in a wheelchair but also towed
him 2.4 miles in a dinghy while swimming and pedaled him 112 miles in a seat
on the handlebars--all in the same day. Dick's also pulled him
cross-country skiing, taken him on his back mountain climbing and once hauled
him across the U.S. on a bike.
Makes taking your son bowling look a little lame, right?
And what has Rick done for his father? Not much--except save his life.
This love story began in Winchester, Mass., 43 years ago, when Rick was
strangled by the umbilical cord during birth, leaving him brain-damaged and
unable to control his limbs.
``He'll be a vegetable the rest of his life;'' Dick says doctors told him and
his wife, Judy, when Rick was nine months old. ``Put him in an institution.''
But the Hoyts weren't buying it. They noticed the way Rick's eyes followed
them around the room. When Rick was 11 they took him to the engineering
department at Tufts University and asked if there was anything to help the boy
communicate. ``No way,'' Dick says he was told. ``There's nothing going on in
his brain.''
"Tell him a joke,'' Dick countered. They did. Rick laughed. Turns out a lot
was going on in his brain.
Rigged up with a computer that allowed him to control the cursor by touching a
switch with the side of his head, Rick was finally able to communicate.
First words? ``Go Bruins!'' And after a high school classmate
was paralyzed in an accident and the school organized a charity run for him,
Rick pecked out, ``Dad, I want to do that.''
Yeah, right. How was Dick, a self-described ``porker'' who never ran more than
a mile at a time, going to push his son five miles? Still, he tried.
``Then it was me who was handicapped,'' Dick says. ``I was sore
for two weeks.''
That day changed Rick's life. ``Dad,'' he typed, ``when we were running, it
felt like I wasn't disabled anymore!''
And that sentence changed Dick's life. He became obsessed with giving Rick
that feeling as often as he could. He got into such hard-belly shape that he
and Rick were ready to try the 1979 Boston Marathon.
``No way,'' Dick was told by a race official. The Hoyts weren't
quite a single runner, and they weren't quite a wheelchair competitor. For a
few years Dick and Rick just joined the massive field and ran anyway, then
they found a way to get into the race officially: In 1983 they ran another
marathon so fast they made the qualifying time for Boston the following year.
Then somebody said, ``Hey, Dick, why not a triathlon?''
How's a guy who never learned to swim and hadn't ridden a bike since he was
six going to haul his 110-pound kid through a triathlon? Still, Dick tried.
Now they've done 212 triathlons, including four grueling 15-hour Ironmans in
Hawaii. It must be a buzzkill to be a 25-year-old stud getting passed by an
old guy towing a grown man in a dinghy, don't you think?
Hey, Dick, why not see how you'd do on your own? ``No way,'' he says.
Dick does it purely for ``the awesome feeling'' he gets seeing Rick with a
cantaloupe smile as they run, swim and ride together.
This year, at ages 65 and 43, Dick and Rick finished their 24th Boston
Marathon, in 5,083rd place out of more than 20,000 starters. Their best time'?
Two hours, 40 minutes in 1992--only 35 minutes off the world record, which, in
case you don't keep track of these things, happens to be held by a guy who was
not pushing another man in a wheelchair at the time.
``No question about it,'' Rick types. ``My dad is the Father of the Century.''
And Dick got something else out of all this too. Two years ago he had a mild
heart attack during a race. Doctors found that one of his arteries was 95%
clogged. ``If you hadn't been in such great shape,'' one doctor told him,
``you probably would've died 15 years ago.''
So, in a way, Dick and Rick saved each other's life.
Rick, who has his own apartment (he gets home care) and works in Boston, and
Dick, retired from the military and living in Holland, Mass., always find ways
to be together. They give speeches around the country and compete in some
backbreaking race every > weekend, including this Father's Day.
That night, Rick will buy his dad dinner, but the thing he really wants to
give him is a gift he can never buy.
``The thing I'd most like,'' Rick types, ``is that my dad sit in the chair and
I push him once.''
Here's the video....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryCTIigaloQ
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