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Workaholic Apps

If you work on your computer all day, then you know how easy it is to lose track of time and skip breaks. Meanwhile, your waistline, muscle tone, eyesight, and creativity suffer.

As you might expect, there are plenty of apps on the market for your smartphone to remind you to take breaks. Some are downright sadistic, calling you names, deducting money from your bank account, or sending messages to your social networks when you don’t follow through.

But for the work world, you want less intrusive apps. Here are two desktop apps for both the PC and MAC, encouraging you to take periodic mental and physical breaks. read more

Are You An Adult Yet?

Do you remember the first time you felt you’d really become an adult? A UK survey of 2,000 people, 18 and older, found that the average age people start to consider themselves to be adults is 29 years old. A large number of people also used lifestyle cues to determine when they felt like they’d become adults. Here are some of those results:

  • Buying a home 64%
  • Having children 63%
  • Getting married 52%
  • Having a pension 29%

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Valentine’s Day Funnies

My college English professor was a hard grader. One February day I received a B-minus on a research paper. In hopes of bettering my grade, I sent her a Valentine’s Day card with the inscription: “BE MINE.” The following day, I received a valentine from the teacher. It read: “Thank you, but it’s still BE MINE-US.”

A couple was having marital problems and went to a marriage counselor. Several visits later, the counselor had discovered the problem. He stood up, went to the woman and gave her a huge hug. She dissolved into grateful tears. “This is what your wife needs once every day,” said the counselor. The husband shrugged and said, “Ok, what time should I bring her back tomorrow?”
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Tank Tip

When renting or borrowing a car, there’s always that moment when you have to gas up for the first time. So you get out of the car to physically look at which side of the car the tank is on, and it’s always the opposite side of where you pulled up to the pump. Well, this little detail might help you:

If you look at the gas gauge on your dash, you might see a tiny arrow near the gas pump image. That arrow actually points to the gas tank side of the car. Surprisingly, most cars have this handy feature.
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Better than Fences

For 40 years, two friends lived on adjoining farms, separated by a wide creek. One day the friends began to fight over a petty thing and their long friendship fell apart. The misunderstanding grew into bitter words and finally, silence.

Weeks later there was a knock on John’s door. He opened it to find a man with a carpenter’s toolbox.
“I’m looking for a bit of work,” said the carpenter.

“I have a job for you,” said John. “Look across the creek at that farm. That’s my neighbor, Albert. We used to be good friends, but that’s all over now.” John’s face twisted into a dejected frown. “See that pile of lumber by the barn? I want you to take that lumber and build me a tall fence, so I won’t see his place anymore.” read more

Where There’s A Will, There’s A Way

An old man lived alone in a village. He wanted to prepare his potato garden, but it was hard work. His only son, who would have helped him, was in prison.

The old man wrote a letter to his son and mentioned his situation:

Dear Son,

I am feeling pretty bad because it looks like I won’t be able to plant my potato garden this year. I hate to miss doing the garden, because your mother always loved planting time. I’m just getting too old to be digging up a garden plot. If you were here, all my troubles would be over. I know you would dig the plot for me, if you weren’t in prison. read more

When You’re Right For The Job…

In the 19th century, when the telegraph was the fastest method of long-distance communication, a young man went to apply for a job as a Morse code operator.

At the job location, he found a busy office filled with noise and bustle and the ever-present clatter of a telegraph in one corner. He joined ten other applicants, all following instructions written on a blackboard that said to sit and wait to be summoned for an interview.

But after five minutes, the young man stood up with a smile and walked confidently into the office without an invitation. The other applicants looked at each other, and smiled. All expected the brash young man to be tossed out the door. read more

Failure Provides Deep Roots For Growth

After years of failure at everything he tried, a man sought advice from a wise monk in a nearby monastery. “Brother,” he said, “I just don’t have it in me to go on anymore. Can you think of any reason why I shouldn’t just quit?”

The monk took him out to the garden. “Look at the fern and the bamboo. Look closely.”

“What about them?”

“When I first planted them, I gave them both plenty of light and water. The fern grew quickly, and its green leaves covered the garden.

“But nothing came from the bamboo seed. Year after year the fern grew more beautiful, but the bamboo still didn’t sprout. read more