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"What does it profit a man to have gained the whole world, and to have lost his soul?" - Jesus Christ

You don't need to be Christian to see wisdom in the words of Jesus. Simple quotes from men and women around the world, from present day or milleniums past, inspire and instruct us, regardless of the religious or spiritual tradition they come from. Nor do spiritual and religious people have a monopoly on wisdom. Quotes that touch on the truth of a matter can come from scoundrels, saints, and ordinary people.

Why Wisdom Quotes?

"There are two great disappointments in life: Not getting what you want, and getting it." - George Bernard Shaw

Philosophies and arguments try to "capture" truth in a net of words. This is often to build systems of knowledge, or to satify egos. Wisdom quotes use words to point at truth, so that you can look and see it for yourself. Let me give you an example.

A man hesitates to do what he loves for a living, because he may fail. Outside of mathematics, virtually all reasoning is tainted with rationalization, so whatever his choice, he will support it with "logical arguments." No wonder he's confused and demotivated! He can't trust his own reasoning, if it just finds a logical construct for whichever fear, desire or other feeling is strongest!

Then Wayne Gretzky points out the obvious: "You miss 100 percent of the shots you never take." This hockey metaphor touches him, precisely because it's not a logical argument. It simply points out a truth he can see for himself. He won't get anywhere without "taking that shot." Seeing the truth is more motivating - and productive - than arguing it. That's the value of wisdom quotes.

"In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert's there are few." - Shunryu Suzuki

# posted by 94797 @ 11:14 PM 0 comments

You probably think Mary-Kate and Ashley are so famous stars that you don't have anything in common. But you have even more in common than you could ever suppose!

"We do the same things as many other teens", says Mary-Kate. "We go to school, go shopping, meet friends, and have a rest."

"Our friends and teacher communicate with us as with ordinary teens", agreed Ashley.

Girls go for a walk, wait for new films' release and enjoy listening to music. They learn to play the piano but refuse to play football. They sometimes have failures at school and with boys. They like N'Sync's songs and go at concerts with friends.

Mary-Kate and Ashley were born on June 13, 1986 (Ashley is 2 minutes older). They grew at the suburb of Los-Angeles with their brother Trent; he is 2 years older and their sister Elizabeth. She is 3 years younger. Their parents are divorced and children had to divide for some time to be sometimes with mother and sometimes with father. Their father Dave is a broker. Their mother Jarnette performs with ballets in Los-Angeles.

"Trent is a typical elder brother", said Kate. "He helps us with homework, likes to be our observer and looks after us. But he teases us all the time! He draws very well and goes for sport. He plays football, baseball and basketball. And he also likes computer games very much".

"Lizzie is our younger sister. She does everything by herself and so she is very independent. She likes to act plays at school. And she began to learn actor's skill professionally".

Besides Mary-Kate and Ashley have small sister and brother from the second marriage of their father with Mackenzie Olsen. Tailor is 2 and a half years old and Jake is one and a half year old.

"It's great when there are small children because you can play with them", says Ashley. "We always help our father to look after children"They have their own fashion line, but what styles do they prefer?

"None", says Mary-Kate. "I like eclecticism when everything is mixed." And Ashley says "I wear not only the latest fashion. Sometimes I put on things that were in vogue 2 years ago. The main thing is that my clothes should suit my mood at that moment".

They are often asked about their similarities and differences. How do people distinguish them?

"It's very simple", says Mary-Kate. "I have a little mole on my right cheek and Ashley has the same but on her chin. I'm a lefthander and Ashley is normal."

The whole twins' life

1986

June, 13. Hello the world! Mary-Kate and Ashley were born in Los-Angeles in the family of loved parents Jarnie and Dave Olsen.

1987

February. 7-month old Mary-Kate and Ashley went to the first interview to get the role of Michelle Tanner in the serial "Full House".September. "Full House" is started to shoot in Los-Angeles. Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen started to act the role of Michelle Tanner in the serial that soon should have appeared on ABC channel. Interesting fact; Mary-Kate played funny scenes and Ashley played more serious.

1992

June. Mary-Kate and Ashley played in their first movie "To Grandmother's House We Go".

Interesting fact; While the film was shooting in Canada Mary-Kate has gone a horse-riding for the first time and became a fan of this sport. September. Ashley lost her first milk-tooth and four month later Mary-Kate lost her too.

1993

April. Mary-Kate and Ashley released their first music video "Our first video".

November. An investigation agency "Olsen and Olsen" was opened! Mary-Kate and Ashley played private detectives and laid bare the truth as "The Trench coat Twins" in new serial "The Adventures of Mary-Kate & Ashley". At the time the first series of their book was published.

1994

September. "You are invited on Mary-Kate and Ashley" This serial began from "Party with lodging for the night".

December. Mary-Kate and Ashley celebrate Christmas on cruise abroad on a military ship and shoot the video "The Case of the Mystery Cruise".

1995

June. Caribbean cruise abroad on submarine with friends and fans.

July. Mary-Kate and Ashley play with dolphins and even met gangsters while playing in video "The Case Of The Sea World Adventure".

October. In the space! Almost. Mary-Kate and Ashley at NASA space camp with their father and elder brother Trent to perform in video "The Case of the U.S Space Camp Mission". They are in the space simulator and meet an astronaut.

October. Mary-Kate and Ashley lost their front teeth in Florida together.

December. Mary-Kate got her first pony and called him "CD".

1996

April. Mary-Kate and Ashley act in their first movie, that was shown in cinema "Both I and My Shadow". Also appeared Kirsty Elli and Steve Guttenberg.July. Hawaii holidays! Mary-Kate and Ashley study surfing. Mary-Kate and Ashley got the reward Nickelodeon Kid's Choice for their roles in the film "Both I and My Shadow".

1997

February. Learn how to ski! Mary-Kate and Ashley go to Weil, Colorado and act in video "Christmas party".

Spring. Queens of cosmetics! Mary-Kate and Ashley start experimenting with lipstick, tone and mascara.

November. Mary-Kate and Ashley take part in Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New-York. They are having a ride on Jell-O's platform.

1998

August. Entertainments on cruise to Florida, holidays on Magic Disney ship with their family, friends and fans.

September. New serial "Two Of A Kind" started on ABC channel. Interesting fact; girls played characters who had names Mary-Kate and Ashley, but their surname was Berk.

1999

September. Mary-Kate and Ashley went to eighth form and joined cheer-leaders.

October. Internet! Mary-Kate and Ashley open their own site mary-kateandashley.com

June. Mary-Kate and Ashley made their first journey to Europe and play in a new film "The passport to Paris". Interesting fact; They have kissed guys on the screen for the first time.

2000

May. Toys! Dolls Mary-Kate and Ashley Mattel. They are a real hit!

April. Mary-Kate and Ashley go to Australia and play in a new film "Our lips are sealed!"

October. A month in Great Britain, shooting the film "Winning London"

September, 25 Mary-Kate and Ashley visited their first big concert in Los-Angeles and saw Counting Crows.

2001

January. Fashion! Mary-Kate and Ashley put on sale their own fashion line Wal-Mart.

June. New serial "Twins". Premiere on Fox Family channel.

August. Hollywood Reporter Magazine called Mary-Kate and Ashley "Most Powerful Young Women in Hollywood".

October. Mary-Kate and Ashley got a permission to education with California Department of Motor Vehicles.

October. Animation! "Mary-Kate and Ashley in action!"

November. Mary-Kate and Ashley on the Caribbean Islands. They performed in the movie "Holiday in the Sun"

Summer. Start dancing.

2002

February. Mary-Kate and Ashley ski in Deep Valley, Utah while acting in the film "Getting there"

Summer. The end of academic year in high school! They prepare to entering a college.

April. Italy! Mary-Kate and Ashley travel in Italy and act in a new film "When in Rome", which was released at the end of the year.

June. Mary-Kate and Ashley devote much time to ending the high school.

June, 13 Sweet 16!

8:00 Mary-Kate and Ashley had an exam to got the best gifts - driving licenses. They spent all day with friends and family.

September. A new video is shooting probably on holidays in Pacific Ocean!

What's next? Many Mary-Kate and Ashley's adventures.

# posted by 94797 @ 7:54 PM 0 comments

The Hoosier Hurricanes invaded Homestead, Florida for last weekends 4th annual Minor League Football News (MLFN) Super Football Weekend strong winded and left with reign.

In a game dominated by defense, the Hurricanes hammered the Carolina Express 41-0 to win MLFNs AA National Championship.

To reach this point so quickly is incredible, said Hurricanes head coach John Starlin. I really feel like a proud father to all of those guys.

While the Canes offense was strong, the play of their defense was dominant. The Canes forced eight turnovers and controlled the Express offense, which towered over them in size and power. Early in the contest, it looked like the Express were going to use their Power I offensive attack to run right down the throat of the Canes defense. When the Express were forced to throw, however, the speedy Hurricane secondary was able to take the game away. The first of four Express interceptions was thrown on that opening drive, and the Hurricanes never looked back.

They were a tough team to scout, but I really think they underestimated our speed, said Starlin. Other coaches from their league were able to help me out as far as scouting, but I knew as solid as our defense was that we could play with anybody.

Staying with the defensive theme of the game, linebacker Deon Smith was awarded the games MVP for his 12 tackle performance. He also intercepted a pass and forced a fumble.

The AA national title was the perfect end to a season that was already storybook for the Indianapolis squad, founded by co-owners Starlin, David Day, and NFL wide receiver Reggie Wayne. In their first year of existence, the Hurricanes were awarded Best New Team in the Midwest by MLFN after finishing 13-1 in the Ohio Valley Football League (OVFL). Their OVFL season finished with a Super Bowl victory over the Charlotte (MI) Roughriders, 21-0.

This has really been a dream season for us, said Starlin.

Starlins players have also won numerous accolades from MLFN. Four Canes were honored with Midwest All-American status: Derrick Ellis was an honorable mention Midwest All-American at running back, wide receiver Scott Penick made second team Midwest All-American, and Corey Crumpton and Charles Avant were first and second team at defensive back, respectively.

Ellis, a former Mr. Indiana while playing running back in high school, was also named Running Back of the Year in the Midwest Region by MLFN.

The Hurricanes will return to the OVFL next season and compete to become the first ever back-to-back champion in league history, a feat no team has accomplished in 40 years of competition.

"We are trying to develop something special here," said Starlin.

It certainly looks like the Hurricanes are off to a roaring start.

# posted by 94797 @ 4:30 PM 0 comments

If you're like most people, at some point in time or another, you've sat down with your children to carve pumpkins. But do you know why you carve Jack 'o Lanterns? Most people don't. Supposedly, it started with a man called Stingy Jack, who tricked the devil and in turn after his death wasn't allowed into hell. Instead, he was forced to wander the earth with only a coal to light his way. Stingy Jack put the coal in a carved out turnip, causing people to start referring to him as "Jack with the Lantern".

Soon, people began placing similar lanterns in their windows with carvings to scare Stingy Jack away. And so, the Jack 'o Lantern was born. The history channel has an excellent article on the full story here: http://www.historychannel.com/exhibits/halloween/pumpkin.html

If you're looking to start this age old tradition with your children, or are interested in kicking your carvings up a notch, we've picked some great websites to help you get started.

For the novice pumpkin carver, head on over to PumpkinCarving101.com where you will find everything you ever wanted to know about carving your jack 'o lantern and then some. Learn about different tools that can be used, traditional pumpkin carving, carving with stencils, the lifespan of a carved pumpkin and how to grow your own pumpkins. Don't miss the articles on the proper burial of your pumpkin, how to juggle pumpkins, and how to take photographs of your pumpkins. This site might seem a little obsessive to some, but it's full of great information that's sure to help any pumpkin carver achieve their goals.http://www.pumpkincarving101.com

If you've been carving pumpkins for awhile, and are ready to do something new, try these great free pumpkin templates. You'll find many patriotic images (American Flag, the President, Statue of Liberty) as well as a mix-and-match section. If you don't see what you like, for a small fee you can subscribe to their even larger collection of templates.http://www.spookmaster.com/pumpkin-carving-patterns-freebies.htm

Another great site for both simple and complicated templates is Jack-O-Lantern.com. For the true computer geek they offer an assortment of emoticons, as well as a set of templates to create a "haunted forest". All templates are free, forever.http://www.jack-o-lantern.com

If you're looking for more fun and childish templates, be sure to stop by aHowlingGoodTime.com . This pumpkin farm has a very nice assortment of pumpkin faces. Choose from happy, sad, scary, howling, and more.http://www.ahowlinggoodtime.com/carving/patterns.shtml

Tips, tips, and more tips. That's what you'll find at Walt's Pumpkin Carving Pages. Learn how to get those templates from your computer (or book) onto the pumpkin, which carving tools do what, how to make your own patterns, as well as how to select the right pumpkin to carve.http://wls.wwco.com/garden/pumpkin.htm

To read more articles from the Best of Halloween for Kids series, click here. http://www.raisingourkids.com/hol/halloween/index.shtml

# posted by 94797 @ 1:09 PM 0 comments