THE DON'Ts TO REMEMBER...

I was surfing the bulletin on Friendster today when I saw this one posted by my friendster pal Gerald. I thought you might get hit on the noggin by divine inspiration with this, so read on:

DON'T wait for time... Make it!

DON'T wait for love... Feel it!

DON'T wait for money... Earn it!

DON'T wait for the path... Find it!

DON'T wait for opportunity... Create it!

DON'T go for less... Get the best!

DON'T compare... Be unique!

DON'T avoid failure... Use it!

DON'T dwell on mistakes... Learn from it!

DON'T back down... Go around!

DON'T close your eyes... Open your mind!

DON'T run from life... Embrace and enjoy it!

I AM FLABBERGASTED!

Can you figure out how this works?

1. Go to the link below. After reading each window, click on Fido Dido in the lower right corner of the picture.
2. In the last window type in your answer in the white box using the keyboard (there is NO cursor).
3. Watch the paper in the boy's hand. You will be amazed. And no, I don't know how it's done (for now, that is).

http://digicc.com/fido

TEMPTATION

I was a happy man.

My girlfriend and I had been dating for over a year and now we had decided to get married. The planning went wonderfully. Both sets of parents helped us in every way. My friends were all happy for me and my girlfriend - she was a dream!

There was only one thing deeply bothering me.

That one thing was her younger sister.

My prospective sister-in-law was really vivacious, only twenty years old and drop-dead gorgeous. One day, the sister-in-law to be called and asked me to come over to check the wedding invitations.

She was alone when I arrived.

She whispered to me that it was not long to the wedding day, that she had strong desires for me that she couldn't and didn't really want to overcome! She told me that she wanted to make love to me just once before I got married and committed my life to her sister.

I was in total shock.

She said, "I'm going upstairs to my bedroom, and if you want to go ahead with it, just come up and get me."

I was stunned, frozen in shock as I watched her wiggle her way up the stairs. I stood there for a moment, then turned and went straight to the front door of the house.

I opened the door, stepped out and walked straight towards my car.

Standing on the front path was my future father-in-law.

With tears in his eyes, he hugged me and said, "Well done! Wonderful! We are so happy that you have passed our little test of temptation. We could not ask for a better man for our daughter. Welcome to the family!"

Moral of this story is: ALWAYS KEEP YOUR CONDOMS IN THE CAR

Thanks to Ray and Nikki for this article

FATHER & SON

STORY NUMBER ONE:

Many years ago, Al Capone virtually owned Chicago. Capone wasn't famous for anything heroic. He was notorious for enmeshing the Windy City in everything from bootlegged booze and prostitution to murder.

Capone had a lawyer nicknamed "Easy Eddie". He was his lawyer for a good reason: Eddie was very good! In fact, Eddie's skill at legal maneuvering kept Big Al out of jail for a long time.

To show his appreciation, Capone paid him very well. Not only was the money big, but also, Eddie got special dividends. For instance, he and his family occupied a fenced-in mansion with live-in help and all of the conveniences of the day. The estate was so large that it filled an entire Chicago city block.

Eddie lived the high life of the Chicago mob and gave little consideration to the atrocities that went on around him. Eddie have one soft spot, however. He had a son that he loved dearly. Eddie saw to it that his young son had clothes, cars, and a good education. Nothing was witheld. Price was no object. And, despite his involvement with organized crime, Eddie even tried to teach him right from wrong. Eddie wanted his son to be a better man than he was. Yet, with all his wealth and influence, there were two things he couldn't give his son: he couldn't pass on a good name or a good example.

One day, Easy Eddie reached a difficult decision. Easy Eddie wanted to rectify wrongs he had done. He decided he would go to the authorities and tell the truth about Al Capone, cleanup his tarnished name, and offer his son some semblance about integrity. To do this, he hould have to testify against the mob, and he knew that the cost would be great.

So he testified. Within the year, Easy Eddie's life ended in a blaze of gunfire on a lonely Chicago street. But in his eyes, he had given his son the greatest gift he had to offer, at the greatest price he could ever pay. The police removed from his pockets a rosary, a crucifix, a religious medallion, and a poem clipped from a magazine. The poem read:

The clock of life is wound but once,

And no man has the power

To tell just when the hands will stop

At late or early hour.

Now is the time you own.

Live, love, toil with a will.

Place no faith in time.

For the clock may soon be still.

STORY NUMBER TWO:

World War II produced many heroes. One such man was Lieutenant Commander Butch O'Hare. He was a fighter pilot assigned to the aircarft carrier USS Lexington in the South Pacific. One day, his entire squadron was sent on a mission. After he was airborne, he looked at his fuel gauge and realized that someone has forgotten to top off his fuel tank. He would not have enough fuel to complete his mission and get back to his ship. His flight leader told him to return to the carrier. Reluctantly, he dropped out of formation and headed back to the fleet.

As he was returning to the mother ship he saw something that turned his blood cold: a squadron of Japanese aircraft were speeding their way toward the American fleet. The American fighters were gone on a sortie, and the fleet was all but defenseless. He couldn't reach his squadron and bring them back in time to save the fleet. Nor could he warn the fleet of the approaching danger.

There was only one thing to do. He must somehow divert them from the fleet. Laying aside all thoughts of personal safety, he dove into the formation of Japanese planes. Wing-mounted 50-caliber guns blazed as he charged in, attacking one surprised enemy plane after another.

Butch wove in and out of the now-broken formation and fired at as many plane as possible until all his ammunition as finally spent.

Undaunted, he continued the assault. He dove at the planes, trying to clip a wing or tail in hopes of damaging as many enemy planes as possible and rendering them unfit to fly.

Finally the exasperated Japanese squadron took off in another direction.

Deeply relieved, Butch O'Hare and his tattered fighter limped back to the carrier. Upon arrival, he reported in and related the event surrounding his return. The film from the gun-camera mounted on his plane told the tale. It showed the extent of Butch's daring attempt to protect his fleet.

He had, in fact, destroyed five enemy aircraft.

This took place on February 20, 1942, and for that action Butch became the Navy's first Ace of WWII, and the first Naval Aviator to win the Congressional Medal of Honor.

A year later, Butch was killed in aerial combat at the age of 29.

His hometown would not allow the memory of this WWII hero to fade, and today, O'Hare Airport in Chicago is named in tribute to the courage of this great man.

So, the next time you find yourself at O'Hare International Airport, give some thought to visiting Butch's memorial displaying his statue and his Medal of Honor, It's located between Terminals 1 and 2.

SO, WHAT DO THESE TWO STORIES HAVE TO DO WITH EACH OTHER?

BUTCH O'HARE WAS EASY EDDIE'S SON.

Special thanks to co-worker Ate Merly and daughter, Bam-Bam for this article