@Bonnie - unscrupuolous mechanics do that to everyone, especially if they can tell that the person (a) has money and/or (b) knows absolutely nothing about cars.

I fall in between the two, so will take my car for "second opinions" and (now) hit the Internet and find a car club for my car and ask questions there.

That was really, really well done! The cat/poem book was touching but they were all great. Amazing what people will say when asked a straight forward question.

I've admired the intricate artwork on paper, and in the many mosques in Iran however you truly get an appreciation for the detail when you have the opportunity to see it live. It is absolutely beautiful!

Ain't that tweet.

Sorry. Had to be said.

Wow. Incredible. The little guys do a much better job than the BIG guys! Great concept!!

That is just great! A superb story to start the day!

All are pretty funny, except the trash-out one. It's sad when you loose everything you have - no matter what the reason. That said learn to live within your means or well below so that you can save something and don't end up trying to tell your kids why you have to leave your life behind...

Darn - guess I can no longer tell anyone I'm 25. Played it for my son, and he could hear it and said it was quite annoying and to turn it off cause he couldn't hear Madagascar. :-)

That was amazing! Just as powerful as "The Last Lecture" by Randy Pausch. I wish I had teachers like that when I went through school. His mind is definately racing with thoughts and deciding what to say next.

You have to wonder about the companies going bankrupt. In Canada, I've shopped at Linens ‘n Things a few times - their prices are outrageous! I mean, I went looking for spatulas and other kitchen utensils and they were the platinum versions - I mean, $30.00 for a spatula to flip an egg that I could buy for the cheap at a dollar store or for a few dollars more at a Wal-Mart/Zellers or other department store.

Yes they may have sold quality products - but so many of these types of stores opened up because the competitors opened similar shops.

There is a limit to quality - why would I spend $500+ on a bed-in-the-bag set when you can find comparable quality for less at Sears?

Radio Shack was the same story - their prices were crazy. I worked there for a few years, and remember buying one of those 32k data bank thingies. The cost of the item was around $20.00 at the time, but they were selling it for over $100.00. Yes, I understand that they need to make a profit but their prices were always 30% or more than everyone else in town for the same item (I'm thinking things like TV, DVD/VCR etc.,).

I feel bad for those that lose their jobs when these companies go bankrupt, but had they (the company) better thought out their business plan and had done some additional market research then they could have spared themselves the cost of launching some of their ventures and concentrated more on their primary product lines or stores.

One company I worked for when I started in IT divested themselves of all their non-core holdings - they were a gas company that had holdings in plastics, chemicals and even some odd ball industries!

They survived, and thrived!

Mo

What a touching, yet sad story. I have a 5-year old and can not imagine what life would be like without him. That said, I can't imagine what the parents and the family went through. I am glad that Jake got to see the tractors, at least for those moments his mind was not on his illness, but in a happier place.

I must have been in junior high school at the time, and remember the stash of Apple 2s in one of the labs. It was reserved for teachers; but opened up at lunch to play computer games - that was a blast! The year or two before the school my younger brother went to started getting computers and I remember fooling around with Visicalc. I remember Compuserve as well - paid a fortune to use their services!!

I teach my 5-year old to do the best he can in anything he does. If he doesn't do well, I teach him not to pout or become upset but to learn about what he did and how he can do better. If he does better than other kids at something, I ensure that he doesn't gloat or rub it in their face but to be proud of his accomplishment and respect and honor those that tried hard as well.

IF I were the school then that would mean I would need to teach him to always do just below his best and to give others a chance. Sorry - that's not right either.

If the game should have been stopped, then perhaps the refs should have done something or talked with both coachs and come to a conclusion. Firing the coach doesn't teach the students in that school anything ... well maybe it teaches them to never try their best at anything.

It is a competetive environment out there in the "real world" - when companies are bidding on a project do you think they get all lovey dovey? NOT!

Mo

That was certainly beautiful! I'm sure the kids will remember that day for a long time. It is unfortunate that in many parts of the world, children have forgotten what it is to be children.

Very interesting story - yes, $24.00/month seems low - but for many it is a fact of life and they are appreciative to get that since the alternative is to beg on the streets. You haven't seen poverty until you've visited a third-world country or emerging country. If that CK shirt cost $0.10 to make - where does the other $59.90 go??? I'm curious as to the breakdown...