…….my two cents

RETIRED JOURNALIST LEAVES US SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT……………A TOT reader passed this story along with an interesting poem and information about taxes which I have attached to the end of the primary item about Charley Reese who just recently retired as a journalist from the Orlando Sentinel, having had a career for 49 years. 

In his final column for the newspaper, he wanted to leave readers with a neutral, non-partisan analysis of who should assume responsibility for the final decisions that impact Americans each and every day.  Remember, this is Charley’s “take” on things and it gives us all (no matter what our political leanings) food for thought:

    545 vs. 300,000,000 People  
        -By Charlie Reese

“Politicians are the only people in the world who create problems and then campaign against them.

Have you ever wondered, if both the Democrats and the Republicans are against deficits, WHY do we have deficits?

Have you ever wondered, if all the politicians are against inflation and high taxes, WHY do we have inflation and high taxes?

You and I don’t propose a federal budget. The President does.

You and I don’t have the Constitutional authority to vote on appropriations. The House of Representatives does.

You and I don’t write the tax code, Congress does. 

You and I don’t set fiscal policy, Congress does.

You and I don’t control monetary policy, the Federal Reserve Bank does.

One hundred senators, 435 congressmen, one President, and nine Supreme Court justices equates to 545 human beings out of the 300 million are directly, legally, morally, and individually responsible for the domestic problems that plague this country.

I excluded the members of the Federal Reserve Board because that problem was created by the Congress. In 1913, Congress delegated its Constitutional duty to provide a sound currency to a federally chartered, but private, central bank.  

I excluded all the special interests and lobbyists for a sound reason. They have no legal authority. They have no ability to coerce a senator, a congressman, or a President to do one cotton-picking thing. I don’t care if they offer a politician $1 million dollars in cash. The politician has the power to accept or reject it. No matter what the lobbyist promises, it is the legislator’s responsibility to determine how he votes.

Those 545 human beings spend much of their energy convincing you that what they did is not their fault. They cooperate in this common con regardless of party.

What separates a politician from a normal human being is an excessive amount of gall.  No normal human being would have the gall of a Speaker, who stood up and criticized the President for creating  deficits. The President can only propose a budget. He cannot force the Congress to accept it.

The Constitution, which is the supreme law of the land, gives sole responsibility to the House of Representatives for originating and approving appropriations and taxes. Who is the speaker of the House? John Boehner. He is the leader of the majority party. He and fellow House members, not the President, can approve any budget they want.  If the President vetoes it, they can pass it over his veto if they agree to.

It seems inconceivable to me that a nation of 300 million cannot replace 545 people who stand convicted — by present facts — of incompetence and irresponsibility. I can’t think of a single domestic problem that is not traceable directly to those 545 people. When you fully grasp the plain truth that 545 people exercise the power of the federal  government, then it must follow that what exists is what they want to exist.

If the tax code is unfair, it’s because they want it unfair.

If the budget is in the red, it’s because they want it in the red. 

If the Army & Marines are in Iraq and Afghanistan it’s because they want them in  Iraq and Afghanistan … 

If they do not receive social security but are on an elite retirement plan not available to the people, it’s because they want it that way.

There are no insoluble government problems.

Do not let these 545 people shift the blame to bureaucrats, whom they hire and whose jobs they can abolish; to lobbyists, whose gifts and advice they can reject; to regulators, to whom they give the power to regulate and from whom they can take this power. Above all, do not let them con you into the belief that there exists disembodied mystical forces like “the economy,” “inflation,” or “politics” that prevent them from doing what they take an oath to do.

Those 545 people, and they  alone, are responsible.

They, and they alone, have the power.

They, and they alone, should be held accountable by the people who are their bosses.

Provided the voters have the gumption to manage their own employees…

We should vote all of  them out of office and clean up their mess!”

                              Tax his land, 
                              Tax his bed, 
                              Tax the table, 
                              At which he’s fed. 
                          
                              Tax his tractor, 
                              Tax his mule, 
                              Teach him taxes 
                              Are the rule. 
                          
                              Tax his work, 
                              Tax his pay, 
                              He works for
                              peanuts anyway! 
                          
                              Tax his cow, 
                              Tax his goat, 
                              Tax his pants, 
                              Tax his coat. 
                      
                              Tax his ties, 
                              Tax his shirt, 
                              Tax his work, 
                              Tax his dirt. 
                      
                              Tax his tobacco, 
                              Tax his drink, 
                              Tax him if he 
                              Tries to think. 

                              Tax his cigars, 
                              Tax his beers, 
                              If he cries 
                              Tax his tears. 

                              Tax his car, 
                              Tax his gas, 
                              Find other ways 
                              To tax his ass. 

                              Tax all he has 
                              Then let him know 
                              That you won’t be done 
                              Till he has no dough. 

                              When he screams and hollers; 
                              Then tax him some more, 
                              Tax him till 
                              He’s good and sore. 

                              Then tax his coffin, 
                              Tax his grave, 
                              Tax the sod in 
                              Which he’s laid… 

                              Put these words 
                              Upon his tomb, 
                              ‘Taxes drove me 
                              to my doom…’ 

                              When he’s gone, 
                              Do not relax, 
                              Its time to apply 
                              The inheritance tax.

                              Accounts Receivable Tax
                              Building Permit Tax
                              CDL license Tax
                              Cigarette Tax
                              Corporate Income Tax
                              Dog License Tax
                              Excise Taxes
                              Federal Income Tax
                              Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA)
                              Fishing License Tax
                              Food License Tax
                              Fuel Permit Tax
                              Gasoline Tax (currently 44.75 cents per gallon)
                              Gross Receipts Tax
                              Hunting License Tax
                              Inheritance Tax
                              Inventory Tax
                              IRS Interest Charges Penalties (tax on top of tax)
                              Liquor Tax
                              Luxury Taxes
                              Marriage License Tax
                              Medicare Tax
                              Personal Property Tax
                              Property Tax
                              Real Estate Tax
                              Service Charge Tax
                              Social Security Tax
                              Road Usage Tax
                              Recreational Vehicle Tax
                              Sales Tax
                              School Tax
                              State Income Tax
                              State Unemployment Tax (SUTA)
                              Telephone Federal Excise Tax
                              Telephone Federal Universal Service Fee Tax
                              Telephone Fed., State & Local Surcharge Taxes
                              Telephone Minimum Usage Surcharge Tax
                              Telephone Recurring and Nonrecurring Charges Tax
                              Telephone State and Local Tax
                              Telephone Usage Charge Tax
                              Utility Taxes
                              Watercraft Registration Tax
                              Well Permit Tax
                              Workers Compensation Tax 
                              Vehicle Sales Tax

STILL THINK THIS IS FUNNY? 
Not one of these taxes existed 100 years ago, & our nation was the most prosperous in the world. 
We had absolutely no national debt, had the largest middle class in the world, and Mom stayed home to raise the kids.

    What in the heck happened?  Can you spell ‘politicians?’

…….my two cents

THE LONG AND SHORT OF IT………..Some people will go to great lengths quite literally to achieve their goals and nineteen year old, British resident, Rhiannon Brooksbank-Jones is a prime example.

Though she has never visited Korea, she began studying the language, became quite enamored, but found she  could not pronounce certain parts of the Korean alphabet.  Her dentist suggested that it might be due to having a slightly shorter than average tongue caused by a condition of having a thick flap of skin from underneath the tongue to the floor of the mouth.

After family consideration, Rhiannon decided to undergo an operation to correct the condition even though it had never been a problem in her life or language before.  The resulting bottom line is that now her tongue, 1 centimer longer allows her to say words she previously could not.

Now, she no longer has trouble with the Korean letter “L” and can speak with a native Korean accent.  An admitted perfectionist, Rhiannon says there was no other option for her – she needed to speak the language perfectly.

It appears Rhiannon may be obsessed with all things Korean – she is currently awaiting her A-level results, and hoping to study Korean Studies and Business Management at the University of Sheffield. The four-year course includes a year at Yonsei University in the South Korean capital, Seoul. She also hopes to live and work one day in Korea.

Apparently, Rhiannon became interested in the Asian nation’s culture through a friend at school. “‘She was into Korean pop and television programmes, which I would listen to and watch at her house.  ‘Most of my free time was soon taken up with Korean things. Now I visit a Korean Church in Nottingham, where I do bible readings in Korean, and can’t wait to visit the country itself.  ‘Korean people can be quite reserved at first, but once you get to know them, they are very warmhearted.”

Good luck Rhiannon!!  What’s next on your to do list – having your limbs altered to climb like monkeys??!!

……..my two cents

SEND THIS TO FIVE FRIENDS AND FIVE MORE PEOPLE WILL BE LAUGHING TODAY………(just for fun to give you a chuckle)

 

Never Choke in a restaurant in hillbilly country!

Two
          hillbillies walk into a restaurant. While having a bite to eat, they
          talk about their moonshine operation.
 
Suddenly, a woman
          at a nearby table, who is eating a sandwich,  begins to cough.
          After a minute or so, it becomes apparent that she is in
real
          distress. One of the hillbillies looks at her and says,

‘Kin
          ya swallar?’
          
 

        The woman
          shakes her head no.

       
          Then he asks, ‘Kin ya breathe?’

The woman begins to turn blue
          and shakes her head no.
    

The
          hillbilly walks over to the woman, lifts up her dress, yanks down her
          drawers and quickly gives her right butt cheek a lick with his tongue.
          
The woman is so shocked that she has a violent spasm and the
          obstruction flies out of her mouth.

As
          she begins to breathe again, the Hillbilly walks slowly back to his
          table.

      His partner says, ‘Ya
          know, I’d heerd of that there ‘Hind LickManeuver’ but I ain’t niver
          seed nobody do it!’

……….my two cents

PUT DOWN THOSE PHONES………………..In case you didn’t know it, I am here to shout from the rooftops that the Month of July is Cell Phone Courtesy Month!

Jacqueline Whitmore is an etiquette expert who founded this celebratory month and according to her blog, the stats show that 91% of all Americans own a cell phone which comes to an astounding total of some 285 cell phones in the U.S. alone.   Jacqueline is just one of many (myself included) who believe cell phone irresponsibility which includes rudeness, cursing and disrespectfull behavior is on the rise and we are sick of it.

Because of this behavior, she founded the official Month back in 2002 with the hope of raising consciousness and making individuals more respectful of their surroundings, but alas, it seems to have only gotten worse over the years.  If you wish to join this cause and bring people back down to earth, off their phones and in touch with reality again, I suggest you read the following tips straight from Jacqueline’s blog:

1. Be all there. When you’re in a meeting, performance, courtroom or other busy area, let calls go to voicemail to avoid a disruption.  In some instances, it’s best to put your phone on silent mode.
2. Keep it private. Be aware of your surroundings and avoid discussing private or confidential information in public. You never know who may be in hearing range.
3. Keep your cool. Don’t display anger during a public call. Conversations that are likely to be emotional should be held where they will not embarrass or intrude on others.
4. Learn to vibe. Use your wireless phone’s silent or vibration settings in public places such as business meetings, religious services, schools, restaurants, theaters or sporting events so that you don’t disrupt your surroundings.
5. Avoid “cell yell.” Remember to use your regular conversational tone when speaking on your wireless phone. People tend to speak more loudly than normal and often don’t recognize how distracting they can be to others.
6. Follow the rules. Some places, such as some restaurants or courtrooms, restrict or prohibit the use of mobile phones, so adhere to posted signs and instructions. Some jurisdictions may also restrict mobile phone use in public places.
7. Excuse yourself. If you’re expecting a call that can’t be postponed, alert your companions ahead of time and excuse yourself when the call comes in; the people you’re with should take precedence over calls you want to make or receive.
8. Send a text message when you want to send a quick message.  But remember not to text while having a conversation with another person.  It’s important to give others, especially clients and customers, your full, undivided attention.
9. Watch and listen discreetly. Multimedia applications such as streaming video and music are great ways to stay informed and access the latest entertainment.  Use earphones to avoid distracting others in public areas.
10. Don’t text and drive.  Don’t put your life or those of others at risk.  Pull over if you absolutely must send a message or wait until you reach your destination.
11. …..and a personal final one from me – it’s not all about you!!  this world functioned just fine before cell phones became a “necessary” form of communication – most of the conversations (and I wish there were stats I could refer to) are a bunch of gabby nonsense and not the crucial life and death or have to reach connections.  Wake up America – put the phone down – you don’t need to look that important!   Meet your call recipient in person and have a nice conversation on me!!!!

 

………my two cents

NEW TWIST TO THE MEANING ‘BLUE MAN GROUP’…………………….In conjunction with the release of Sony and Columbia Pictures movie, “Smurf Happens” and the celebration of the birthday of Peyo, creator of the Smurfs, the movie making partnership has declared June 25th as GLOBAL SMURFS DAY.

To this end, the movie studios are asking everyone on a global basis to dress up as a smurf and create a new Guinness World Costume Record, previously held by some Swansean students.

It is being reported that on GLOBAL SMURFS DAY……………..

“ as participants enjoy fun Smurf-related activities in cities worldwide, they will be invited and encouraged to come to the events in Smurf costume in an attempt to set a new Guinness World Records® title for Largest Gathering of People Dressed as Smurfs within a 24-hour period in Multiple Venues.

The events will be synchronized around the world – this will be the most Smurfs that have ever been gathered at the same time. Global events must collectively add up to more than 2,510 Smurfs. 

 Adjudicators from Guinness World Records® will be on hand in 12 cities around the world as it is expected that hundreds of participants in each city will come to the event dressed as Smurfs (white Smurf hat, white pants and shoes, and body painted blue). While all are being asked to arrive at the event in head-to-toe Smurf costume, each event will have Smurfs hats and blue T-shirts available.”

Brussels, Athens, Dublin, Mexico City, Warsaw, Moscow and Johannesburg are just some of the worldwide cities participating in this event.

So get out the big, white cornucopia hat and the blue body paint – GLOBAL SMURFS DAY IS ALMOST HERE!!!

…..my two cents

WHAT’S ALL THE FUSS?  ………………..What’s all this recent fuss about Arnold Schwarzenegger fathering a child some 14 years ago?  It was long ago and the housekeeper no longer works there and who cares anyway, just maybe his wife and kids?

The rumors about Schwarzenegger have been legend for years; he is after all a politician, just having finished his stint as Governor of California.  Why should he behave differently from 99% of the rest of America’s politicians?

The media is all over it like it is big news – it is not – it may be sad, disgusting and a bit normal, but big news – NOT!!!  This kind of stuff goes on all the time among the big fish and the little fish – ARNOLD is a big fish in politics mixed in with several dashes of Hollywood and the Kennedy clan and that’s why it apparently is so fascinating to so many.

Back in the day when President Kennedy was super busy with all of his extracurricular activities, the press turned the other way – they wanted no part in covering it, didn’t greedily try to exploit the shenanigans and the public hunger just wasn’t there.

Not today folks!  Any story, any picture, why do you know how much money is at stake???  Photographers and reporters will stop at nothing to get the “goods.”  Furthermore, our society is just plain sick – and tired.  We have become so bored and predictable with our own lives, that only the juicy, dirty little secrets of the rich and famous are what keep us talking ad nauseum with our friends at the water cooler.

Every week a new scandal emerges and we forget about the one the week before.  If the media wouldn’t cover it and create the interest, we would stop caring, stop feeding into it and release the need to hear these kind of stories - it really is a catch22!

But, then again, money is always at the core and where there’s money – you’ll find greed, and yes, greed will override humanity each and every time!!  How sad!!! 

…..my two cents

BLIMY!!!……………….Americans have long joked about waking up an Englishman in the middle of the night to see if they would talk without the accent.

Well, at the opposite end of the spectrum, so to speak, it was recently reported that an Oregon woman, Karen Butler, awoke from oral surgery with more than suturing in her mouth; she actually started speaking with a British accent.  Her surgery took place more than a year ago and in her own description, she awoke with a swollen mouth and a thick, foreign accent.  “I sounded like I was from Transylvania.”

While the swelling is gone and the pain has vanished, her accent remains – softer, but it is still there and everyone she meets assumes she is British. 

Her health is fine – she’s been completely checked out including brain scans, but this phenomenal occurrence now actually has a name.  Ready??  It is called Foreign Accent Syndrome, an extremely rare disorder usually caused by a stroke.  Fewer than 100 people worldwide have been diagnosed with this since the beginning of the 20th century.

As odd as this may sound, Ms. Butler who admitted to being a shy person, says this new accent actually makes her feel more sociable and engaging.  She was just an ordinary sole before, but now people find her intriguing.  She rather likes it deary!! 

Now, everyone knows the list of things that can go wrong during any type of surgery are too numerous to mention, and while this certainly isn’t one of the worst, maybe some concern is needed since the cause of this change is a stroke afterall.

But, that’s just me – Karen Butler is enjoying this whole thing, probably feeling a real kinship to the Royals at the recent wedding.  I just hope no more oral surgery for her – next time, she could awake speaking like Donald Trump, and, of course, sounding real stupid!!!!

……my two cents

A TWIST ON THE AMERICAN DREAM…………………..I came across this story by CNBC and thought it made good food for thought.

The ‘real’ American Dream has always been to become successful, sometimes going from rags to riches; sometimes just getting that great education, honing a prestigious professional career, and enjoying all the trappings that can bring, big house, maybe more than one, fancy cars, great vacations – all that money can buy!

Well, for some others, the American Dream is saying goodbye to the literal dream and living the life you really want.  Case in point is attorney, Tyler Coulson who falls into the latter group of dreamers.

Coulson, an attorney with the prestigious Chicago law firm of Sidley Austin quit his job to walk his dog across America.  Yes, my friends you are reading correctly.  According to the CNBC report, Coulson recently sent his colleagues an email which read in part, ” Today is my last day at Sidley.  Beginning next week, I am walking from Delaware to California with a tent and my dog, Mabel. I will have limited access to email, but will check messages frequently.”

A legal blog, “Above the Law”, posted the picture above depicting the gloomy view from Coulson’s office, offering credence to his perceived state of depression.  Some co-workers thought Coulson to be nuts; others speculated he might have been fired, but no, it appears to have been his decision and his alone.

According to Coulson, ” I have always wanted to do an epic walk of some sort and now I am going to. The folks at Sidley are great, but big law just isn’t right for me right now. I need to get out from behind a desk, I need to move around, I need to have an adventure, and I need to meet some people. It’s too easy to forget who you are, sometimes.”

His plan was to start walking from Cape Henlopen, Delaware, on March 10th, following the American Discovery Trail, and with any luck, reach San Francisco in six months.  “I have always enjoyed hiking, but I’ve never done anything of this magnitude and, of course, it is a bit daunting. I might make it five miles or five thousand, but, in either case, I want to walk the country and maybe learn something about myself.  I am going to keep a travel journal and try to put it all together in a book. I know this will be life changing for me, but I had not quite realized what kind of response it was going to cause among other attorneys. It is humbling.”

Wow – how many people would give up such a career to walk the land, meet new people and experience an adventure never thought of before??  And, what will be when he comes back in six months?  Will he come back renewed and recharged and ready for another exciting experience or will he be jaded somewhat ready for another go at the old grind?

We’ll try and keep up with his activities and check the end result of his epic walk – who knows maybe he will turn his daily journal in to a book/movie deal and go back to law specializing in American Dreams!!!

…….my two cents

FOREST KINDERGARTEN…………WHAT DO YOU THINK?  

I saw a Nightline story the other evening that captured my attention.  The setting was a forest preserve somewhere in the State of Washington and the topic was all of the young children who attend this “outdoor kindergarten.”  The youngsters, ages 3 to 5 were happily running around, playing, chomping on leaves and berries that they called ‘forest candy,’ pretending to be different animals, stomping in the mud and all in all, having a great time!

This particular “outdoor kindergarten” was founded by Erin Kenny, a former attorney, who helped establish the Cedarsong Nature Kindergarten back in 2007.  The children in attendance are outdoors for the entire length of the class, no matter the weather.  Kenny believes that children learn best through personal experience and that kids would not typically ‘bounce off walls,’ if there were no walls from which to bounce.

Kenny adds that the lacking connection between children and nature is what helped inspire her to start this unorthodox type of pre-school.  She firmly believes that child obesity, attention deficit disorders and depression are the result of America’s focus on learning numbers and letters in pre-school, when so many other countries focus on  outdoor play, exploration and channeling of energy.  Books, toys and lesson plans are not part of Kenny’s classroom.  Her school’s philosophy is “interest-led.”  “If children are allowed to sort of move at their own pace and they are the ones that are spotting things that peak their curiosity and allowed to explore them in a hands-on way, they can become very focused,” she said.  Remember, in Kenny’s school, the children do not go inside for anything – they eat lunch outdoors and even go to the bathroom amidst nature, although she has a composting toilet to use for those children that choose to do so. 

Forest kindergartens are sometimes referred to as a school without ceilings or walls, and despite their unusual structure, they are designed to fulfill the same basic purpose as traditional pre-schools; to educate, stimulate, and care for young children.

In general, forest kindergartens operate mainly in woodland areas such as Kenny’s in rainy Washington State, although some other sites can be equally inspiring, for example beaches and meadows.  There should be a building where children can shelter from extreme weather.  They may also spend a small part of each day indoors, although that is more likely to be for a way in which to provide a known location where parents can deliver and collect their children.

To those critics who may think this all sounds a little too alternative, Kenny responds by simply saying it’s just a very “indoor culture here in America.”    If the kids are dry and warm, they will stay immersed in nature for many, many hours,” she said.  Every student enrolled in the school gets free outdoor gear.  A footwear company provides their boots, and a sportswear distributor everything else, such as hats and coats.

At Kenny’s school, even the parents get into the great outdoors excitement, as one mother made a loud “ka kaw ka kaw” from the forest edge when she came to pick up her child.  “If there’s a giant mud puddle, she’s covered in mud,” said Alison Kennedy Taylor, the mother of one of the students, Beulah Ellison-Taylor, 3. “Yesterday, she got a mud shampoo from another kid…with her permission.”  Taylor said she expects her daughter to come home filthy from being outdoors.  “Beulah’s gone to other preschools where she’s come back with paint halfway up her arm or chalk all over her shoes,” she said. “It’s really no different than going to any other preschool. Kids are going to get dirty no matter what.”  And what does all this dirty playing, berry snacking, insect recognizing and bird calling cost?  In Kenny’s case, tuition is $120 a month for one class a week; $240 a month for two classes a week; $360 a month for three classes a week; and $480 a month for four classes a week.

Having written a bit about “unschooling” which is a form of home schooling, only once again, without the typical books and lesson plans, it appears there is a definite movement in this country -  a trend toward learning by personal experiences and areas of interest, at the sacrifice of books and lesson plans.  Is this where America’s education is leaning?  What are the pros and cons?  Forest kindergartens sound like a wonderful idea in many respects, however is only one way better than another when it isolates how and what a child can learn, and why must we deal in extremes?  What about a blending – a compromise of teaching styles so our children can strongly benefit from both the personal experience and the traditional methods of teaching?

Sound off parents and teachers – tell me what you think!!

…..my two cents

READ THIS AND GUESS IF YOU CAN…………….The following was passed on to me by a TALKOFTOWN follower, who checked the story and found it to be factual.  Read it and see if you can guess the famous individual this story is about.

A GREAT JEWISH BRONX TALE

The South Bronx  in 1950 was the home of a large and thriving  community, predominantly Jewish. In the 1950s the  Bronx  offered synagogues,  mikvas, kosher bakeries, and kosher butchers — all the comforts  one would  expect from an observant Orthodox Jewish community.

The baby boom of the postwar years happily resulted in many new young parents. As a matter of  course, the  South Bronx  had its own baby equipment store, Sickser’s.   Sickser’s was located on the corner of  Westchester and Fox, and specialized in “everything for the baby” as its slogan ran.

The inventory began with cribs, baby carriages, playpens, high chairs,changing tables, and toys. It  went way beyond these to everything a baby could want or need. Mr. Sickser,  assisted by his son-in-law Lou Kirshner, ran a profitable business out of the  needs of the rapidly expanding child population.

The language of the store was primarily Yiddish, but Sickser’s was a place where not only Jewish  families but also many non-Jewish ones could acquire the necessary items for their newly arrived bundles of joy.

Business was particularly busy one spring day, so much so that Mr. Sickser and his son-in-law could not handle the unexpected throng of customers.  Desperate for help, Mr. Sickser ran out of  the store and stopped the first youth he spotted on the street. “Young man,”  he panted, “how would you like to make a little extra money? I need some help  in the store. You want to work a little?”

The tall, lanky black boy flashed a toothy smile back. “Yes, sir, I’d like some work.” “Well then,  let’s get started.”  The boy followed his new employer into the store. Mr.  Sickser was immediately impressed with the boy’s good manners and demeanor.

As the days went by and he came again and again to lend his help,  Mr. Sickser and Lou both became increasingly impressed with the youth’s diligence, punctuality, and readiness to learn. Eventually Mr. Sickser made him a regular employee at the store.  It was gratifying to find an employee  with an almost soldier-like willingness to perform even the most menial of  tasks, and to perform them well.

From the age of thirteen until his sophomore year in college, this young man put in from twelve to fifteen hours  a week, at 50 to 75 cents an hour.  Mostly, he performed general labor:  assembling merchandise, unloading trucks and preparing items for shipments.  He seemed, in his quiet way, to appreciate not only the steady employment but  also the friendly atmosphere Mr. Sickser’s store offered.

Mr.  Sickser and Lou learned in time about their helper’s Jamaican origins,and he in turn picked up a  good deal of Yiddish.  In time the young man was able to converse fairly well with his employers, and more importantly, with a number of the Jewish customers whose  English was not fluent.

At the age of seventeen, the young man, while still working part-time at Sickser’s, began his first semester at City College of  New York.   He fit in just fine with his, for the most part Jewish  classmates, hardly surprising, considering that he already knew their ways  and their language.  But the heavy studying in the engineering and, later, geology courses he chose  proved quite challenging.  The young man would later recall that Sickser’s offered the one stable point in his life  those days.

OK, DON’T READ ON UNTIL YOU GUESS WHO THIS IS – ONCE READY, READ BELOW

 

In 1993, in his position as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff , two years after he guided the American victory over Iraq  in the Gulf War,  General  Colin Powell visited the  Holy Land.  Upon meeting Israel ‘s  Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir in Jerusalem,  he greeted the Israeli with the phrase:

“Men kent reden Yiddish” (We can speak Yiddish).

As Shamir, stunned,  tried to pull himself together, the current Secretary Of  State continued chatting in his second-favorite language.  

General Colin Powell never forgot his early days working at Sickser’s.