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The leader of a nation traveled to a distant land and planned to deliver a speech there.  This leader was not known for having great intelligence, and in fact, was often ridiculed within his own country.  He wondered what he should say in the foreign country while he was there.

The leader of a nation traveled to a distant land and planned to deliver a speech there.  This leader was not known for having great intelligence, and in fact, was often ridiculed within his own country.  He wondered what he should say in the foreign country while he was there.

For decades, there had been a massive wall in this foreign land that denied its inhabitants the freedom to travel and visit relatives or simply move to places having greater opportunity.  Inhabitants who tried to surmount the wall were shot and killed.  The region enclosed by the wall was subjected to communism; outside the wall capitalism and freedom existed.

For decades, there had been a massive wall in this foreign land that denied its inhabitants the freedom to travel and visit relatives or simply move to places having greater opportunities.  Inhabitants who tried to surmount the wall were shot and killed.  The region enclosed by the wall was subjected to communism; outside the wall capitalism and freedom existed.

The leader began to focus on the wall in connection with his planned speech, and  proposed uttering the bold command, "tear down this wall."

The leader began to focus on the wall in connection with his planned speech, and  proposed uttering the bold command, "tear down this wall."

== The Fly Ball ==

== The Fly Ball ==

One Sunday afternoon a dozen teenagers gathered for a game of coed softball against a rival team from another [[church]].  As the first team's coach assigned his players to positions in the field, he noticed a new player on his team whom he had seen only before in church services.  She suffered from a severe case of [[cerebral palsy]], making it difficult for her to walk or use her arms.  But she always had a smile on her face, and she brought a [[softball]] glove to play.

One Sunday afternoon a dozen teenagers gathered for a game of coed softball against a rival team from another [[church]].  As the first team's coach assigned his players to positions on the field, he noticed a new player on his team whom he had seen only before in church services.  She suffered from a severe case of [[cerebral palsy]], making it difficult for her to walk or use her arms.  But she always had a smile on her face, and she brought a [[softball]] glove to play.

The coach, against his better judgment, told her to be the right-fielder.  The coach knew that the ball is hit to right-field less frequently than to other positions (due in large part to most hitters being right-handed; right-handed batters tend to hit the ball to left field); thus, she would have few if any fielding chances, and usually on lightly hit balls which would be easier for her to catch.

The coach, against his better judgment, told her to be the right-fielder.  The coach knew that the ball is hit to right field less frequently than to other positions (due in large part to most hitters being right-handed; right-handed batters tend to hit the ball to left field); thus, she would have few if any fielding chances, and usually on lightly hit balls which would be easier for her to catch.

This was supposed to be a friendly game between churches but turned out to be far more competitive than that.

This was supposed to be a friendly game between churches but turned out to be far more competitive than that.

Let me tell you the story of the two psychiatrists — the old psychiatrist and the young psychiatrist — who had a practice together. They’d come into their office every day just bubbling with enthusiasm, always happy, upbeat, smiling, and chipper. Then they’d go into their separate suites and have patients come in and lie on the couch all day and talk about the woes in their lives. At 6:00 p.m. they’d come out and the young psychiatrist would be devastated, wiped out by the day, with a stomachache, and just miserable. The old psychiatrist would be just as chipper and smiling and upbeat as he was when he went in that morning. This went on for a number of months.

Let me tell you the story of the two psychiatrists — the old psychiatrist and the young psychiatrist — who had a practice together. They’d come into their office every day just bubbling with enthusiasm, always happy, upbeat, smiling, and chipper. Then they’d go into their separate suites and have patients come in and lie on the couch all day and talk about the woes in their lives. At 6:00 p.m. they’d come out and the young psychiatrist would be devastated, wiped out by the day, with a stomachache, and just miserable. The old psychiatrist would be just as chipper and smiling and upbeat as he was when he went in that morning. This went on for a number of months.

Finally one day they came out at 6:00 p.m., the young psychiatrist devastated as usual, and the old psychiatrist just as happy and smiling as he was when went in. The young psychiatrist stopped him and said, “I don’t understand it. We do the same thing every day, and I leave wiped out by hearing patients all day, and you come out after patients have been streaming in and out of your office just as upbeat as ever. How do you do it?”  

Finally one day they came out at 6:00 p.m., the young psychiatrist was devastated as usual, and the old psychiatrist was just as happy and smiling as he was when went in. The young psychiatrist stopped him and said, “I don’t understand it. We do the same thing every day, and I leave wiped out by hearing patients all day, and you come out after patients have been streaming in and out of your office just as upbeat as ever. How do you do it?”  

'''The old psychiatrist paused a minute and said, “I never listen.” ''' <ref>[http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=33189 Bob Novak, a Giant of Journalism ]</ref>  

'''The old psychiatrist paused a minute and said, “I never listen.” ''' <ref>[http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=33189 Bob Novak, a Giant of Journalism ]</ref>  

==The University Assignment==

==The University Assignment==

A young student studying his first [[Politics]] assignment picked to answer the question - "Have we reached the end of political ideology?" The young student, as this was his first paper, studied hard and long to argue that there has been a rise in conservative thought in recent years as a response to growing [[globalization]] and encroaching [[liberalism]]. The lecturer gave the paper low marks despite solid referencing and an extensive bibliography. The young student felt slighted by this as he had put in many hours of work. Instead of bowing down and re-writing the assignment according to [[professor values|his lecturer's standards]], the student petitioned the head of department to have his paper and final mark reviewed and also got several others to back him. In the end, the student got an A grade.

A young student studying his first [[Politics]] assignment picked to answer the question - "Have we reached the end of political ideology?" The young student, as this was his first paper, studied hard and long to argue that there has been a rise in conservative thought in recent years as a response to growing [[globalization]] and encroaching [[liberalism]]. The lecturer gave the paper low marks despite solid referencing and an extensive bibliography. The young student felt slighted by this as he had put in many hours of work. Instead of bowing down and re-writing the assignment according to [[professor values|his lecturer's standards]], the student petitioned the head of the department to have his paper and final mark reviewed and also got several others to back him. In the end, the student got an A grade.

== The Little Red Hen - Ronald Reagan Version ==

== The Little Red Hen - Ronald Reagan Version ==

'''''"About a year ago I imposed a little poetry on you. It was called "The Incredible Bread Machine" and made a lot of sense with reference to matters economic. You didn't object too much so having gotten away with it once I'm going to try again. This is a little treatise on basic economics called 'The Modern little Red Hen.'"''''' <ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=wS6LcPIDRFIC&lpg=PA381&dq=%22Ronald%20Reagan%3A%20the%20power%20of%20conviction%20and%20the%20success%20of%20his%20presidency%22%20%22Little%20Red%20Hen%22&pg=PA380#v=onepage&q=&f=false ''Ronald Reagan'' By Peter J. Wallison]</ref>

'''''"About a year ago I imposed a little poetry on you. It was called "The Incredible Bread Machine" and made a lot of sense with reference to matters economic. You didn't object too much so having gotten away with it once I'm going to try again. This is a little treatise on basic economics called 'The Modern Little Red Hen.'"''''' <ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=wS6LcPIDRFIC&lpg=PA381&dq=%22Ronald%20Reagan%3A%20the%20power%20of%20conviction%20and%20the%20success%20of%20his%20presidency%22%20%22Little%20Red%20Hen%22&pg=PA380#v=onepage&q=&f=false ''Ronald Reagan'' By Peter J. Wallison]</ref>

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But her neighbors wondered why she never again baked any more bread....

But her neighbors wondered why she never again baked any more bread....

== Socialism ==  

== Socialism ==  

one will fail and no one will receive an A," said the professor.

one will fail and no one will receive an A," said the professor.

After the first test, the grades were averaged and everyone got a B. The

After the first test, the grades were averaged and everyone got a B. The students who had studied hard were upset while the students who had studied very little were happy.

students who had studied hard were upset while the students who had studied

very little were happy.

But, as the second test rolled around, the students who had studied little

But, as the second test rolled around, the students who had studied little studied even less, and the ones who had studied hard decided that since they couldn't make an A, they also studied less. The second Test average was a D.

studied even less, and the ones who had studied hard decided that since they

couldn't make an A, they also studied less. The second Test average was a D.

No one was happy. When the 3rd test rolled around the average grade was an F.

No one was happy. When the 3rd test rolled around the average grade was an F.

The scores never increased as bickering, blame, name-calling, all resulted in hard feelings and no one would study for anyone else.

The scores never increased as bickering, blame, and name-calling, all resulted in hard feelings and no one would study for anyone else.

To their great surprise, they all failed.

To their great surprise, they all failed.

A thirsty chicken and a thirsty crow were each given a pitcher of water. First, they tried reaching into the pitchers with their beaks, but neither could reach the water. Then they tried pushing the pitchers over, but they were heavy and sturdily built so they would not tip.

A thirsty chicken and a thirsty crow were each given a pitcher of water. First, they tried reaching into the pitchers with their beaks, but neither could reach the water. Then they tried pushing the pitchers over, but they were heavy and sturdily built so they would not tip.

The chicken began flapping its wings and strutted up to the crow. "No fair!" squawked the chicken "the greedy farmer hasn't given us enough water." The crow shrugged and began hopping around the pitcher, looking at it this way and that.

The chicken began flapping its wings and strutted up to the crow. "No fair!" squawked the chicken, "the greedy farmer hasn't given us enough water." The crow shrugged and began hopping around the pitcher, looking at it this way and that.

The chicken strutted off and went to complain to the farmer. It squawked and squawked, but the farmer ignored it. It went back to the crow, who was grabbing pebbles in his beak and dropping them into its pitcher with pebbles. "Come with me!" it said, "Let's demand that the farmer give us our water!" The crow ignored it and returned to his work.

The chicken strutted off and went to complain to the farmer. It squawked and squawked, but the farmer ignored it. It went back to the crow, who was grabbing pebbles in his beak and dropping them into its pitcher with pebbles. "Come with me!" it said, "Let's demand that the farmer give us our water!" The crow ignored it and returned to his work.

The crow looked over at the chicken and told him: "I have water because while you were complaining, I was looking for a way to get the water. The first two ways did not work, but I kept trying until I came up with something better. Then I patiently put in the hard work to put my plan into action, and now, finally, I can drink. You can do the same with your pitcher, and you will have water too. You are bigger and stronger than me, so it will be even easier for you."

The crow looked over at the chicken and told him: "I have water because while you were complaining, I was looking for a way to get the water. The first two ways did not work, but I kept trying until I came up with something better. Then I patiently put in the hard work to put my plan into action, and now, finally, I can drink. You can do the same with your pitcher, and you will have water too. You are bigger and stronger than me, so it will be even easier for you."

The chicken strutted over to his pitcher and picked up one pebble and dropped it in and sat down. "This is hard work!" it complained "I'm thirsty and I'm tired."

The chicken strutted over to his pitcher and picked up one pebble, dropped it in and sat down. "This is hard work!" it complained "I'm thirsty and I'm tired."

The crow looked over at the chicken and said "just this one time I will be charitable. You can drink from my pitcher, but next time you must do the work yourself."

The crow looked over at the chicken and said, "just this one time I will be charitable. You can drink from my pitcher, but next time you must do the work yourself."

The chicken hopped up and stuck its head down. Because its beak was shorter than the crow's, it could not quite reach the water.

The chicken hopped up and stuck its head down. Because its beak was shorter than the crow's, it could not quite reach the water.