Wisely you speak…

Yes, and that is the only logical reason I can come up with.

The dirty little secret of foreign aid is that the power elite of third world countries are extremely predjudiced against the lower classes, and the last thing they want is for some street kid to learn enough to go into competition with them; or worse, to change the societal status-quo…

You have no complaint

You are what your are and you ain’t what you ain’t

So listen up Buster, and listen up good

Stop wishing for bad luck and knocking on wood

Signed Dear Abby

[lyric by John Prine--adapted to the circumstance]

My recent trip to Nicaragua was neccesitated by the fact that a bunch of money I had vouched for at a well known international foundation for the construction of a computer lab at a school for street children was being being held hostage by some people who felt that they were more important, by virtue of their position in Nicaraguan society, than I was. They basically told me to go to hell when I demanded that they release the funds to buy the computers.

I honestly still don’t know their motivations for holding up the show, but I had a responsibility to the foundation here in the U.S. to see that the lab was built.

After negociating politely, starting last Tuesday, the 19th, I realized by Thursday the 21st that I was getting nowhere, so I basically called in a psychological nuclear airstrike, which destroyed the reputation of a highly respected Dr. in that part of the world. Monday night, while crying and saying we could have worked it out without my destroying his reputation internationally, he signed over the money, and on Tuesday I went and got the equipment for the school.

So I accomplished my goal and left the country before I could be assasinated. But now I feel guilty, like I didn’t have to use such overwhelming force and destroy a prominent doctor’s reputation to get the job done.

Should I feel guilty? Or should I just feel satisfied that the kids have their computer lab?

Tom

How about;

Catch a fish and

make a conscious decision to reproduce.

Unconscious reproduction is also for insects.

It is humbling for me to have my 4 year olds correct me when I read them a story that they have memorized and I get a word wrong. Bear in mind that this is a children’s book I am reading, so it is certainly not technically challenging!

It is just that the reading center of my brain has a glitch. Same with spelling. It used to be sad to me, now it is just funny. But there is no realtionship between reading, spelling and intelligence. In fact, IQ tests do not involve reading at all. So while I know that it can be irritating (especially to the more brittle obsessives of the world) to read poor spelling, and it certainly can be embarassing for those of us with the problem, poor spelling should not be confused with poor thinking. It is just another little brain problem. Everyone has them, you too, but some people have little brain dysfunctions that are not noticeable to others.

Just my two letters.

Trey