A common college exam...

Prescription

Calm and respectable lady went into the pharmacy, walked right up to the pharmacist, looked straight into his eyes, and said, “I would like to buy some cyanide.”

The pharmacist asked, “Why in the world do you need cyanide?”

The lady replied, “I need it to poison my husband.”

The pharmacist’s eyes got big and he exclaimed, “Lord have mercy! I can’t give you cyanide to kill your husband! That’s against the law! I’ll lose my license! They’ll throw both of us in jail! All kinds of bad things will happen. Absolutely not! You CANNOT have any cyanide!”

The lady reached into her purse and pulled out a picture of her husband in bed with the pharmacist’s wife.

The pharmacist looked at the picture and replied, “Well now, that’s different. You didn’t tell me you had a prescription.”

The Four Freedoms

Norman Rockwell at the opening of the Four Freedoms tour, 27 April 1943 (Photo)

Norman Rockwell tossed in his bed, wondering how he could capture the Four Freedoms on canvas. The artiste Wanted to base a series of pictures on President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's inspiring Four Freedoms speech. When most Of Europe had fallen to Adolf Hitler, the president had called on Americans to help stop tyrants such as the German dictator, and he. had Spoken of the freedoms all people deserve.

Rockwell reread President Roosevelt's Words: "The first is freedom of speech and expression--everywhere in the world. The Second is freedom of every person to worship God in his own Way--everywhere in. the World.. The third is freedom from want every where in the world. The fourth is freedom from fear anywhere in the world."

Eleven months after President Roosevelt gave his speech, the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, and the United States joined the fight. Now American soldiers were overseas, embroiled in the battles of World War II, and the war was not going well for the Allies. Rockwell wanted to paint the Four Freedoms and offer them as his contribution to [he war effort. He hoped his pictures would help Americans understand what they were fighting for.

Other artists had been commissioned by the government to paint murals, stamps, and prints of the Four Freedoms. They had created lofty images. That wasn't Rockwell's style. But President Roosevelt's language was so high and noble. How could Norman Rockwell portray those freedoms in concrete terms? "I continued to stew over an idea, Rockwell wrote, I tried this and that. Nothing worked."

While he mulled over the problem of the Four Freedoms, he painted another illustration for a magazine cover, went to a town meeting, and attended a Grange supper. One night he went to bed, still struggling to come up with an idea. "As the minutes ticked by, all empty and dark, I suddenly remembered how Jim Edgerton had stood up in a town meeting and said something that everybody else disagreed with. But they had let him have his say. No one had shouted him down. My gosh, I thought, that's it. There it is. Freedom of Speech. I'll illustrate the Four Freedoms using my Vermont neighbors as models."

Rockwell was so excited that he jumped out of bed and bicycled over to tell his friend and fellow illustrator Mead Schaeffer, even though it was three o'clock in the morning. In the next few days, Rockwell made full-size color sketches of what he intended to do. When he and Schaeffer headed to Washington to offer the sketch ideas to the government.

But the government wasn't interested. Rockwell's and Schaeffer's spirits flagged as they were turned down by one official after another. The war was going badly, and government officials were overworked. The Undersecretary of the War Department told Rockwell; "We'd love to print your Four Freedoms, but we can't.… We just don't have the time to spare to arrange it. I think they'd be a fine contribution. We'd be delighted if someone would publish them."

Discouraged, Rockwell and his friend Schaeffer returned home, taking a side trip to see the editor of the Saturday Evening Post, Ben Hibbs. Rockwell, had other pictures to sell, and Hibbs often bought Rockwell's illustrations. Hibbs asked Rockwell about his trip to Washington, and when he showed the editor his sketches of the Four Freedoms, Hibbs got excited. "You've got to do them for us.… Drop everything else. Just do the Four Freedoms."

Rockwell and his friend returned to Vermont, and Rockwell set to work. But things didn't go smoothly. Rockwell painted the first freedom, Freedom of Speech, four times. "I practically finished it twice, finding each time when I had just a few days' work left that it wasn't right." He had started by showing an entire town meeting, but there were too many people in the picture. In the end, he focused on a single man speaking in front of his neighbors.

Then came Freedom of Worship. Rockwell's first sketch was of a country barbershop. A Jew sat in the barber chair being shaved by a Protestant while a Catholic priest and a Negro waited their turns, all of them enjoying one another's company. But the picture seemed to offend the friends who stopped by to see it. "Priests don't look like that," Catholics told Rockwell. His Jewish and Negro Friends didn't like the picture either. Rod well discarded that picture, started another, and tossed that one aside. Finally he painted a varied group of people, hands raised in prayer, each worshiping God in his or her own way.

After that, Freedom from Want and Freedom from Fear came easily. He based them on his original color sketches. For Freedom from Want, Rockwell painted his own family's Thanksgiving turkey with a family gathered around it. "One of the few times," he Said, "I've ever eaten the model." For Freedom from Fear, he painted parents tucking their children safely into bed.

Rockwell brought the finished paintings to the editor of the Saturday Evening Post. The Post printed the series, and they were a tremendous hit. Subscribers requested posters, and the government asked if they could use the images. Eventually the paintings were taken on a nationwide tour. Over a million people came to see Rockwell's Four Freedoms. Four million posters of the paintings were printed. The publicity they generated helped sell over $132 million worth of war bonds to help fund the war effort.

Americans loved the paintings, but Norman Rockwell wasn't completely satisfied with them. "I never liked Freedom from Fear or… Freedom from Want. Neither of them has any wallop," he said. He worried that Freedom from Fear was "rather smug," that the painting suggested Americans could put their children to bed without fear while families were being bombed in Europe. And he saw Freedom from Want as a portrayal of overabundance at a time when families in war-torn nations were going hungry. "I think the two I had the most trouble with--Freedom of Speech and Freedom of Worship--have more of an impact, say more, better." The art critics didn't always agree with Rockwell. In fact, some felt that Freedom from Fear and Freedom from Want were the strongest of the four paintings. You can judge for yourself.

But there's no doubt that Rockwell's Four Freedoms made a major contribution to the war effort. As editor Ben Hibbs said, "Those four pictures quickly became the best known and most appreciated paintings of that era. They appeared right at a time when the war was going against us on the battle fronts, and the American people needed the inspirational message which they conveyed so forcefully and so beautifully." The Four Freedoms are some of the best known and best loved paintings in America. And their message is just as strong today as it was when they were painted--Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Worship, Freedom from Want, and Freedom from Fear for everyone, everywhere in the world.

By Linda Crotta Brennan

Cool SMS Collection !

Some things are left undone,
some words are left unsaid,
some feelings are left unexpressed,
but someone as sweet as you could never be left unmissed.

If I met you on tomorrow
I would still give you my heart If you should say,
“do you still love me?” I’d say,
“Till death do us part”

Best wishes to you both on ur anniversary,
May the love that you share Last your lifetime through,
As you make a wonderful pair.

On this special day,
best wishes go to you,
that this wonderful love u share,
lasts your lifetime through.

I’ll always remember the day I married you,
Without you my love, my beauty, I don’t know what I’d do,
Your loving and thoughtful just to mention two,
I adore your sweet smile It makes me want you.

Your love makes my days Happy and bright,
Into my world you Brought pure delight
Joy beyond reason You’ve given me,
Our love is true This I can see.

The most important thing you fixed was on your day of leisure
When you fixed your eyes on me That day I’ll always treasure I love you.

I LOVE U are words just three,
which mean so much on our ANNIVERSARY.
So, this is what i want to say,
live in my heart n there 4 ever stay…

I’m sending this bouquet of love
To say that I love you so much
I hope I say it often enough
I want you to know it’s true,
On this special occasion I want to remind you,
That you are my everything And my love is true.

I’ve learned that you cannot make someone love you.
All you can do is stalk them and hope they panic and give in. =)

Sometimes,
my mind asks. Why I miss you?
Why I care for you? Why I remember you?
Why I text you? Then my heart answered,
Mongoloids need more care! Hehehe. Now, you’re smiling! =)

Life is pretty much unpredictable.
I may not live long enough
but I won’t miss out letting you know
that life is worth living with someone like you around.


Having a good laugh with a friend like you stimulates endorphins,
the brain’s natural painkillers. So,
if you need to laugh and you can’t find a friend like yourself,
I can lend you my mirror.

Thank you for touching my life in ways you may never know.
My riches do not lie in material wealth,
but in having friend like you - a precious gift from God.

No life ever grows great until it is focused,
dedicated, and disciplined.
But no life is ever happy until it is lived for the glory of God. Keep the faith.

A smile is the best lighting system of the face,
the best cooling system of the head,
and the best warming system of the heart. Keep smiling! =)

Don’t wait until it’s too late to tell someone how much you love,
how much you care. Because when they’re gone,
no matter how loud you shout and cry,
they won’t hear you anymore.

Love isn’t a decision,
it’s a feeling. If we could decide who to love,
then, life would be much simpler,
but then less magical.

It takes a strong heart to love.
It takes a stronger heart to continue to love after it has been hurt…

I’m sorry for blaming you…
For everything I just couldn’t do…
And I’ve hurt myself by hurting you…
There’s nothing I wouldn’t do to hear your voice again…
Sometimes, I want to call you, but I know you won’t be there…
It’s hard to say goodbye when i

Remember the good times we had spent together, and the beautiful future we had dreamy of…
Darling I never wanted to create a distance between us…
Please let us bridge the gaps…

Always be Happy, always wear a smile;
Not because life is full of reasons to smile but because ur smile itself is a reason for many others to smile…

Someday somehow watever u prayed for will COME TRUE…
It may not be in the exact pakage u wanted…
But… It will be what GOD thinks is best for YOU…

1+1=2 eyes look at u…
12+12=24 hours thinking about u…
3+4=7 days in week missing u…
1+11=12 months I always need A SWEET PERSON like U.

Touch ur heart
Close ur eyes
Make a wish
Say good nite
sky so wide
Stars so bright
off the light
sleep quite quite
..(-.-)..
ZzzZZZzz
SWeet DreAms…

24hrs make a lovely day,
7 days make a lovely week,
52 weeks make a lovely year & knowing a
person like me will make ur life lovely..
Have a lovely day n life!**

Good FRIENDS CaRE for each Other..
CLoSE Friends UNDERSTaND each Other…
and TRUE Friends STaY forever
beyond words,
beyond time…

What's it like to fly in a hot-air balloon?

Imagine sailing through the sky, high above, buildings and trees, in perfect peace and quiet. No noisy engines. No smudgy window in your way. No blustery wind blowing in your face. You can't feel or hear the wind because you're traveling in the exact same direction and at the exact same speed it is.

Most balloon envelopes are made of strong, lightweight nylon. They vary in size and shape, but they have to be really, really big to lift even a single person. Most weigh more than an adult man and use more fabric than you'd need to cover a baseball diamond.

The basket is usually made of wicker, which is sturdy but not too stiff. It needs to bend a bit for a soft landing, just like a good jumper bends her legs instead of keeping them stiff and straight when she lands.

When the burner system blasts flames, it makes a noisy whooshing sound, but once the balloon is flying, the burner can be turned off. The air in the envelope will then slowly cool, and the balloon will gradually sink unless the pilot starts the burner again.

To steer, a pilot adds hot air to go up or lets it out to go down, until he finds a breeze blowing in the direction he wants to fly. But no matter which way the wind blows them, balloonists have an amazing bird's-eye view of the world.

Click

Hot Off the Press

Before You Start:

- Fill the iron with water. Plug it in.

- Look at the tag on the collar of your shirt. The tag should tell you what fabric the garment is made of (cotton, polyester, rayon, linen, etc.). Read the ironing instructions on the tag. Then, set the iron to the correct fabric setting.

- Check to see if the iron is hot enough by flicking a little water onto the metal surface. If the surface sizzles, the iron is ready. (NEVER touch the bottom of a hot iron.)

Ironing a Shirt or Blouse

- Unbutton the blouse or shirt, including the sleeves and collar. Lay the garment flat on the ironing board.

- Start ironing at the top of the garment. Begin with the collar. Start at the outer edges and work toward the middle.

- Lay the garment flat on the board so you're looking at its back. Move the iron so you're working along the garment. Keep the surface of the iron on the fabric for only a few seconds, or else your shirt will burn.

- After finishing the back of the garment, work your way along each side of it by gradually rotating the garment to each side of the board.

- Iron the sleeves next. Place the garment on the board so that the sleeve you are ironing is parallel to the board. Firmly press the back and front of each sleeve.

- Hang the shirt or blouse on a hanger until you are ready to put it on.

Don't…

- leave a hot iron unattended.

- start ironing before an iron is hot enough.

- iron clothes at the wrong temperature setting.

- iron over buttons.

Safety First!

- Never touch the bottom of a hot iron.

- When you pause during your ironing, place the iron so that it's facing up on the board and away from your body.

- When pressing down on an iron, make sure your other hand is a safe distance from the iron.

- Watch out for the cord. It can get caught in the clothes you're ironing or along the edge of the ironing board. It can also get tangled in your legs.

- After finishing, unplug the iron. Never leave an iron plugged in. Let the iron cool before putting it away.

By Alan Roberts

World of Weather

Right now, it's raining somewhere in the world. But in another part of the world, it's sunny! Our world has many different kinds of weather. What do people do in this weather? Let's find out.

weather

Living in All Kinds of Weather

People live in different kinds of weather all over the world. Look at the map to see where these children live.
It Is Very Cold

Brrrrr. The winters on this lake are very cold. This boy has fun when he goes ice fishing. He makes a hole in the ice and waits for the fish to bite. How would you have fun in the cold?

hole

Wisconsin

It is Very Dry

It does not rain much in the desert. In dry places, people need to drink a lot of water. This boy carries water when he rides in the desert. How would you like to ride a donkey in the desert?

water

Jordan

It Is Very Rainy

In some parts of the world, it rains for six months each year. These boys use big leaves to stay dry. How would you stay dry in the rain?

leaves

Thailand (tie-land)
It Is Very Hot

It is never cold on these islands. It is always hot. The sunshine is bright. This girl wears a big hat to keep her skin safe from the sun. How would you keep safe from the sun?

sunshine

Seychelles (say-shelz)
March Winds Blow!

Welcome to March weather! In many places in the United States, March brings strong winds. Some cities have kite festivals. People watch the wind blow their kites high in the sky.

Scholastic News, Mar2007