HER FIRST PAY CHECK

Here's a truly heartwarming story about the bond formed between a little 5-year-old girl and some construction workers that makes you believe that we CAN make a difference when we give a child the gift of our time.

A young family moved into a house next door to a vacant lot. One day a construction crew turned up to start building a house on the empty lot. The young family's 5-year-old daughter naturally took an interest in all the activity going on next door and spent much of each day observing the workers. Eventually the construction crew, all of them gems-in-the-rough, more or less adopted her as a kind of project mascot. They chatted with her, let her sit with them while they had coffee and lunch breaks, and gave her little jobs to do here and there to make her feel important.

At the end of the first week they even presented her with a pay envelope containing a couple of dollars. The little girl took this home to her mother who said all the appropriate words of admiration and suggested that they take the two dollar "pay" she had received to the bank the next day to start a savings account.

When they got to the bank, the teller was equally impressed and asked the little girl how she had come by her very own pay check at such a young age. The little girl proudly replied, "I worked last week with the crew building the house next door to us.

"My goodness gracious," said the teller, "and will you be working on the house again this week, too?"

The little girl replied, "I will if those assholes at Home Depot ever deliver the fucking sheet rock..."

Stories like this just bring a tear to your eye.

Headlines

You can't make these kinds of stories up. Check the headline for last night's Yankee's game.

Why Men Use Post-its

A Touching Message

I seldom pass along inspirational stuff, but this one got to me.

I believe, in these difficult and mean-spirited times in which we live, there needs to be a message of Hope.

We can all use a single image that speaks to us of love, harmony, peace, and joy.

An image that suggests the universality of us all.

I have been sent that image, and I want to share it with you all.

All I ask that all of you take a moment to reflect on it.

Why Should This Guy Dictate Fashion?

It has always amazed me who dictates fashion. I mean, look at this picture from a news story of British fashion designer John Galliano. Let's recreate the story: Obviously he was interrupted from his work as a school lunch lady as is evident from his hair net. Apparently, he had gone to work after a veterans award banquet or some such as indicated by the medal he wears on his vest (complete with pocket-watch, but sans shirt beneath). Being a lovely day, he decides the kids would like to eat under the big oak outside of the cafeteria, so he dons his hat and coat, as he is not wearing a shirt under his vest, grabs the rake to clean up the leaves, and at this point is struck by the aesthetic yet utilitarian value of the rake.

Or he's just a weirdo!