Fish for Friday

Edited by
Morris Dean

[Anonymous selections from recent correspondence]

Highly creative people tend to connect the dots.
    If there's one thing that distinguishes highly creative people from others, it's the ability to see possibilities where other don't – or, in other words, vision. Many great artists and writers have said that creativity is simply the ability to connect the dots that others might never think to connect.
    In the words of Steve Jobs:

Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn't really do it, they just saw something. It seemed obvious to them after a while. That's because they were able to connect experiences they've had and synthesize new things.

Have you read Madison Kimrey's June 23 "Reflections"? [Now I have.] That young woman writes so movingly of making a difference. What an inspirational character she has. Excerpts:

One year ago today, I was standing in front of a museum in Florida, standing up for the right of two moms and their children to be recognized as a family.
    Today, I'm a writer and nationally recognized activist. I've done a lot of reflecting today. This is all so amazing. How did I even get here?....
    I took a step down a path and before I knew it, I met others along the path and we started walking together....
    We, all of us, have the power to work together and create beautiful things....
    Figure out what it is you're good at. Figure out what you're passionate about. Don't try to be someone else. Stand up for what you believe in. Stand up for things that are really important. Figure out how you can help make a difference for others. Then get to work and don't give up. It really is that simple....
    Believe in yourself and be the change you want to see in the world. I believe in the power of all of us.

Nothing says happy birthday like somebody fishing for blog hits.

Good news! Citizens of the Southeast can finally brag that their region of the country dominates in something other than college football: "The 10 most corrupt states in the U.S." Much like with most year-end NCAA football polls, the Southeast also sports six of the top 10 in this ranking.

Our dear dog Tundra is at the emergency vets. She has been there since Friday night. She got into some chocolate-covered raisins and ate probably half a bag of them. Well as you may or may not know, chocolate and raisins are deadly to dogs. Can shut their kidneys down. So far so good they have her on an IV and have done blood work. They have to do another test this evening around 6 p.m. If it comes out all right we will get to take her home.

We have had a change of plans for our vacation. Our dog Liam ingested walnuts last weekend and may have to have surgery to remove the remainder if they are still in his stomach. So, due to the severity, Bill has had to stay home and rent a car, thus, the car in our driveway.

I'm at an industry conference and one of the speakers founded a website called Patients Like Me. People who are acting as their own doctors can register and put record there experiences for others to see. They can also see what has or hasn't worked for other people like them.

I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.

How can I intimate this to my most intimate friend?

How can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites? You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language in which your house can burn up as it burns down, in which you fill in a form by filling it out, and in which an alarm goes off by going on.

A mechanic was removing a cylinder head from the motor of a Harley motorcycle when he spotted a well-known heart surgeon in his shop. The surgeon was there, waiting for the service manager to come and take a look at his bike.
    The mechanic shouted across the garage, "Hey, Doc, can I ask you a question?"
    The surgeon a bit surprised, walked over to the mechanic working on the motorcycle.
    The mechanic straightened up, wiped his hands on a rag and asked, "So Doc, look at this engine. I open its heart, take the valves out, fix 'em, put 'em back in, and when I finish, it works just like new. So how come I get such a small salary and you get the really big bucks, when you and I are doing basically the same work?"
    The surgeon paused, smiled and leaned over, and whispered to the mechanic, "Try doing it with the engine running."

Last photo in the camera:

A Sunday school teacher was discussing the Ten Commandments with her five- and six-year-olds. After explaining the commandment to "honor thy father and thy mother," she asked, "Is there a commandment that teaches us how to treat our brothers and sisters?"
    Without missing a beat, one little boy (the oldest of a family) answered, "Thou shall not kill."

An older gentleman was on the operating table awaiting surgery and he insisted that his son, a renowned surgeon, perform the operation. As he was about to get the anesthesia, he asked to speak to his son.
    "Yes, Dad, what is it?"
    "Don't be nervous, son; do your best, and just remember, if it doesn't go well, if something happens to me, your mother
is going to come and live with you and your wife...."

Limerick of the Week:

Each Thor's Day Morris assailed them anew
and debunked what they thought that they knew;
    he flogged their still horse
    with vigorous farce,
till some at last saw that their mount was dried glue.

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Copyright © 2014 by Morris Dean

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