Two Middle -Eastern mothers are sitting in a cafe chatting over a
plate of tabouli and a pint of goat's milk. The older of the mothers
pulls a bag out of her purse and starts flipping through photos and
they start reminiscing. "This is my oldest son Mohammed. He would be
24 years old now." "Yes, I remember him as a baby," says the other
mother cheerfully. "He's a martyr now, though," Mom confides. "Oh, so
sad, dear," says the other. "And this is my second son, Kalid. He
would be 21." "Oh, I remember him," says the other happily. "He had
such curly hair when he was born." "He's a martyr too," says Mum
quietly. "Oh, gracious me," says the other. "And this is my third son.
My baby. My beautiful Ahmed. He would be 18," she whispers. "Yes,"
says the friend enthusiastically. "I remember when he first started
school." "He's a martyr, also," says Mum, with tears in her eyes.
After a pause and a deep sigh, the second Muslim mother looks
wistfully at the photographs and says, "They blow up so fast, don't
they?"

Not many people know that Edison was an avid fisherman. He usually
included some trout fishing in his infrequent vacations. During one
such trip to the west, he was befriended by an Indian tribe. They
provided free room and board, as well as expert fishing guides for his
stay. On his first night he discovered that the only sanitary facility
was an old-fashioned outhouse. To make things worse it had no light
even though the village had electricity in the homes. As a thank-you
gift for their kindness, Edison purchased the necessary materials and
personally installed lighting in the Indians privy. He thus became the
first person to wire a head for a reservation

A little old lady was selling seashells on a street corner. One
afternoon a well dressed man passed by her, and she grabbed his arm.
"How about some nice seashells?" she asked. "No, thank you," the man
replied. Suddenly the woman clutched her throat, her whole body began
jerking, and she fell to the pavement. "What's wrong?" asked the man.
"I'm going fast," the old woman gasped. "Please buy some shells."
Deeply touched, the man handed over enough money for all the shells
just before her eyes slid peacefully shut. The next day the man was
walking down a neighboring street and saw the woman again vending her
wares. "Hey," he yelled to a nearby police officer, "I thought she
passed away yesterday." The officer smiled knowingly. "Ah, but you
were conned," he said. "You see, she sells seashells by the seizure

President Bush met Michael Phelps at the Olympics and touched his gold
medal. There was an embarrassing moment when Bush suggested he should
have it bronzed