Tuesday, October 30, 2018

"Sentence Sermons" -- read this great wisdom to relax, and learn, during the stressful pre-election week !

Note:
To Election Circus blog readers: 

I'll be busy in the next week,
writing my economics newsletter,
published since 1977,
and called ECONOMIC LOGIC
since 1981, for the subscribers.

I'll write about the election here
... AFTER the votes are counted.

My last article here
said the Republicans
are doing well in early voting,
so the usual result in mid-terms,
where Democrats would make 
large gains, is not supported by 

If I see new 
early voting data
that are different, 
I'll post them here.

And if there is the usual 
"October Surprise",
as the Dumbocrats 
are famous for,
just assume it is a lie, 
or very misleading.

Never trust a politician 
within 30 days of an election,
or any other time!

So, there will be a week 
without a new article here
 ... but during the usual stress 
in the week before the election, 
where candidates of both parties 
make promises they won't keep, 
and viciously smear each other,
I have something relaxing,
and informative, for you to read:

This is the same list 
of "sentence sermons"
posted in 
my economics blog, 
more than once,
in prior years.

Today they were 
re-formatted,
for easier reading 
on smart phones,
and many commas 
were added, because,
I, like, commas !



Below are great quotes 
from a great 1990 book:


"The Complete Book of Zingers", 
by Croft Pentz, 

Pentz was a minister, pastor 
and chaplain in New Jersey.
.
His book consists of 
6,000 one-sentence sayings, 
which he calls 
"sentence sermons". 

Some are originals
-- most are not. 

Unfortunately, 
no 'authors' are listed. 
.
I got started, but gave up
searching for the authors,
and assuming doing that 
would get the correct names.   
.
Some quotes are credited
to the people who made them
popular, rather than the 
originator -- some are 
revised versions of other 
original quotes -- and some 
probably came from Grandma,
who got no credit for her wisdom!

For example, take my 
favorite "philosopher".
Lawrence Berra, 
when summarizing 
all the funny quotes 
that were attributed to him, 
in his unique style,
Yogi Berra once said: 
"I didn't say everything I said."
.

I typed this list 
for myself, but also
wanted to share
my favorite
 'sentence sermons' 
from "Zingers".

I tried to sort them 
into ten broad categories
-- start with your favorite
category:

(1) CHARACTER

(2) RELATIONSHIPS

(3) MARRIAGE

(4) HAPPINESS

(5) WORK

(6) WISDOM

(7) EDUCATION

(8) AGING

(9) POLITICS

(10 OTHER
.
.
.
.
.
           (1) CHARACTER
It is better to be 
short of cash,
than to be 
short of character.
.

Character is what you are 
when no one is watching.
.

You can easily judge 
the character of a man ,
by how he treats those 
who can do nothing for him, 
or to him.
.

The company 
we choose 
is always an index 
of our character.
.

The greatest evil 
is indifference 
toward evil.
.

You have not really lived 
until you have done something 
for someone who can not repay you.
.

When in doubt, 
tell the truth.
.

When you tell the truth, 
you don't have to remember 
what you said.
.

If there's one thing 
we should let others 
find out for themselves, 
it's how great we are.
.

Tact is changing the subject 
without changing your mind.
.

How you spend 
your time
is more important 
than how you spend 
your money.
.

Reputation is what you have
when you come into town;
character is what you have 
when you leave.
.
.
.
.
.
         (2)  RELATIONSHIPS
You never get a second chance, 
to make a good first impression.
.

Of all things you wear, 
your expression 
is most important.
.

He who tells the faults 
of others to you, 
will tell your faults to others 
at the first opportunity.
.

When you ask someone 
to keep a secret, 
you are asking someone 
to do something you can't.
.

An apology is a good way 
to have the last word.
.

To find fault is easy
-- to do better is difficult.
.

When looking for faults, 
use a mirror, 
not a telescope.
.

Look over your own faults, 
and soon you will overlook 
the faults of others.
.

Count your blessings 
-- your critics 
are keeping track 
of your mistakes.
.

If you wouldn't 
write it, and sign it, 
then don't say it.
.

An ounce of thought, 
may prevent 
a pound of apology.
.

It takes a child 
two years 
to learn to talk
-- it takes a man 
all his life,
to learn how to keep 
his mouth shut.
.

When I am right 
-- nobody remembers. 
When I am wrong 
-- nobody forgets.
.

An angry man 
is seldom reasonable,
a reasonable man  
is seldom angry.
.
.
.
.
.
          (3) MARRIAGE
To have 
a successful marriage
 -- whenever 
you are wrong, 
admit it; 
when you are right, 
keep your mouth shut.
.

Before criticizing 
your wife's faults,
remember that they 
may have prevented her 
from getting 
a better husband.
.

A good salesman is the fellow 
who can convince his wife 
she looks fat in a fur coat.
.

Behind every successful man, 
stands a devoted wife, 
and a surprised mother-in-law.
.

Love is giving someone
your undivided attention.
.

A woman likes 
a strong, silent man, 
because she thinks 
he is listening.
.

An argument is two people 
trying to get in the last word.
.

About the only time 
a woman really succeeds 
in changing a male,
is when he's a baby.
.
.
.
.
.
         (4) HAPPINESS
Happiness is not 
having what you want 
-- but wanting 
what you have. 
.

A contented person, 
is one who enjoys 
the scenery 
along the detour.
.

Many people 
want 
what they
don't need, 
and need 
what they 
don't want.
.

You have
the rest of your life 
to be miserable, 
so enjoy today.
.

Happiness 
is not doing 
what you like, 
it is liking 
what you do.
.
.
.
.
.
         (5) WORK
A conference room
is a place, 
where everybody talks, 
nobody listens, 
and everyone disagrees 
afterwards.
.

After all is said,
and done, 
more is said, 
than done.
.

The only exercise 
some people get 
is jumping to conclusions, 
sidestepping responsibility, 
and pushing their luck.
.

People tend to make
rules for others, 
and exceptions 
for themselves.
.

Small opportunities, 
are often the beginning 
of great achievements.
.

If, at first,
you don't succeed, 
you are like most people.
.

You know a man is successful, 
when the newspapers
start quoting him on subjects 
he knows nothing about.
.

If a fool and his money 
are soon parted, 
how come they got together
in the first place?
.

A man must be big enough 
to admit his mistakes, 
smart enough to profit from them, 
and strong enough to correct them.
.

Coming together is a beginning; 
keeping together is progress; 
working together is success.
.
.
.
.
.
          (6) WISDOM
A wise man changes his mind; 
a fool, never.
.

Education requires a lot of books 
-- wisdom requires a lot of time.
.
The first step to wisdom is silence 
-- the second is listening. 
.

Wise men think without talking; 
fools talk without thinking.
.

A wise man has something to say; 
a fool has to say something.
.

The truth of a matter, 
is not determined by 
how many people believe it.
.

A handful of common sense, 
is worth a bushel of learning.
.

Intelligence is like a river
 -- the deeper it is, 
the less noise it makes.
.

The intelligent person 
is not only open to new ideas
-- he looks for them.
.

Smart, is when you believe 
only half of what you hear 
-- brilliant, is when you know 
which half.
.

When you argue with a fool 
-- two fools are arguing.
.
.
.
.
.
           (7) EDUCATION
No man really becomes a fool,
until he stops asking questions.
.

Everyone is ignorant
-- only on different subjects.
.

The recipe for perpetual ignorance,
is to be satisfied with your opinions, 
and content with your knowledge.
.

Give your tongue more rest 
than your eyes, or ears.
.

Some of the best arguments 
are spoiled by people who know 
what they are talking about.
.

It is not polite to talk 
with a full mouth, 
or empty head.
.

Jumping to conclusions, 
is not nearly as good 
a mental exercise, 
as digging for facts. 
.

"They say" 
is often proved 
to be a great liar.
.
.
.
.
.
         (8)  AGING
Middle age, starts 
the day you become 
more interested in 
how long your car will last, 
than how fast it will go.
.

Old age, is when you 
get out of the shower ,
and you're glad 
the mirror is fogged up.
.

The seven 
ages of man: 
(1) spills, 
(2) drills, 
(3) thrills, 
(4) bills, 
(5) ills, 
(6) pills, and 
(7) wills. 
.
.
.
.
.
          (9) POLITICS
Political speeches 
are like the horns on a steer
 -- a point here and there, 
and a lot of bull in between.
.

There is only one fact 
politicians need to know: 
most people have 
very short memories.
.

Politicians are
the same everywhere
-- they promise to build a bridge, 
even where there is no river. 
.

A politician is an operator, 
who takes money from the rich, 
votes from the poor, 
and then promises both sides 
protection from each other. 
.

A politician is a man, 
who approaches 
every problem 
with an open mouth.
.

Some people 
take the money and run; 
politicians run, 
and then take the money.
.

Americans used to say,
"Give me liberty." 
Today they just say, 
"Give me."
.

In America 
there is much complaint, 
with little suffering
 -- in some countries
there is much suffering, 
with little complaint.
.
.
.
.
.
         (10)  OTHER
A minor operation is one 
performed on someone else.
.

To enjoy music, 
keep your ears open
-- to allow others to enjoy it,
keep your mouth shut.
.

Not every question 
deserves an answer.
.

The man who drinks much,
thinks little.
.

Three of 
the most difficult 
things in life,
are to keep a secret, 
forget an injury, 
and to make good use 
of spare time.
.

Life is what happens 
when you are making 
other plans.