Odds n Ends in the email--funny and interesting stuff

Subject: Fw: Good Morning 1/14/09
> Date: Wed, 14 Jan 2009 12:56:59 -0700
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
>
>
>
> The cost per employee (salary + benefits) at the big three auto makers - Ford, Chevy & Chrysler - is $78 per hour.
>
> Toyota(a non-union US manufacturer) ontheother hand - is $48 per hour.
>
> While the average American worker comes in at $28 per hour.
>
> So let me get this straight.........
>
> The $28 per hour worker needs to bail out the $78 per hour worker whose company is going bankrupt ?
>
> ========================
>
> TRUE.....http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/c/concert-violinist-metro.htm<http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/c/concert-violinist-metro.htm>
>
> THE VIOLINlIST PLAYING IN THE SUBWAY
>
>
> A man sat at a metro station in Washington DC and started to playthe violin; it was a cold January morning. He played six Bach piecesfor about 45 minutes. During that time, since it was rush hour, it
> was calculated that thousands of people went through the station,most of them on their way to work.
>
>
> Three minutes went by and a middle aged man noticed there was amusician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few secondsand then hurried up to meet his schedule.
>
>
> A minute later, the violinist received his first dollar tip: a womanthrew the money in the till and without stopping continued to walk.
>
>
> A few minutes later, someone leaned against the wall to listen tohim, but the man looked at his watch and started to walk again.Clearly he was late for work.
>
>
> The one who paid the most attention was a 3 year old boy. His mothertagged him along, hurried but the kid stopped to look at theviolinist. Finally the mother pushed hard and the child continued to
> walk turning his head all the time. This action was repeated byseveral other children. All the parents, without exception, forcedthem to move on.
>
>
> In the 45 minutes the musician played, only 6 people stopped andstayed for a while. About 20 gave him money but continued to walktheir normal pace. He collected $32. When he finished playing andsilence took over, no one noticed it. No one applauded, nor wasthere any recognition.
>
>
> No one knew this but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the bestmusicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate piecesever written with a violin worth 3.5 million dollars.
>
>
> Two days before his playing in the subway, Joshua Bell sold out at atheater in Boston and the seats average $100.00 each.
>
>
> This is a real story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metrostation was organized by the Washington Post as part of a socialexperiment about perception, taste and priorities of people. The
> outlines were: in a commonplace environment at an inappropriatehour: Do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do werecognize the talent in an unexpected context?
>
>
> One of the possible conclusions from this experience could be:
>
>
> If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the bestmusicians in the world playing some of the best music ever written,how many other things are we missing?
>
>
> ===========================
>
>
> Facts You Probably Didn't Know
>
>
> LITTLE HISTORY LESSON
>
>
> In George Washington's days, there were no cameras. One's image was either sculpted or painted. Some paintings of George Washington showed him standing behind a desk with one arm behind his back while others showed both legs and both arms. Prices charged by painters were not based on how many people were to be painted, but by how many limbs were to be painted. Arms and legs are "limbs," therefore painting them would cost the buyer more. Hence the _expression, "Okay, but it'll cost you an arm and a leg."
>
>
>
>
> As incredible as it sounds, men and women took baths only twice a year (May and October)! Women kept their hair covered, while men shaved their heads (because of lice and bugs) and wore wigs. Wealthy men could afford good wigs made from wool. They couldn't wash the wigs, so to clean them they would carve out a loaf of bread, put the wig in the shell, and bake it for 30 minutes. The heat would make the wig big and fluffy, hence the term "big wig." Today we often use the term "here comes the Big Wig" because someone appears to be or is powerful and wealthy.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> In the late 1700s, many houses consisted of a large room with only one chair. Commonly, a long wide board folded down from the wall, and was used for dining. The "head of the household" always sat in the chair while everyone else ate sitting on the floor. Occasionally a guest, who was usually a man, would be invited to sit in this chair during a meal. To sit in the chair meant you were important and in charge. They called the one sitting in the chair the "chair man." Today in business, we use the expression or title "Chairman" or "Chairman of the Board."
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Personal hygiene left much room for improvement. As a result, many women and men had developed acne scars by adulthood. The women would spread bee's wax over their facial skin to smooth out their complexions. When they were speaking to each other, if a woman began to stare at another woman's face she was told, "mind your own bee's wax." Should the woman smile, the wax would crack, hence the term "crack a smile" In addition, when they sat too close to the fire, the wax would melt. Therefore, the expression "losing face."
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Ladies wore corsets, which would lace up in the front. A proper and dignified woman, as in "straight laced" . . . wore a tightly tied lace.
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Common entertainment included playing cards. However, there was a tax levied when purchasing playing cards but only applicable to the "Ace of Spades." To avoid paying the tax, people would purchase 51 cards instead.
> Yet, since most games require 52 cards, these people were thought to be stupid or dumb because they weren't "playing with a full deck."
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Early politicians required feedback from the public to determine what the people considered important. Since there were no telephones, TV's or radios, the politicians sent their assistants to local taverns, pubs, and bars. They were told to "go sip some ale" and listen to people's conversations and political concerns. Many assistants were dispatched at different times. "You go sip here" and "You go sip there." The two words "go sip" were eventually combined when referring to the local opinion and, thus we have the term "gossip."
>
>
>
>
>
>
> At local taverns, pubs, and bars, people drank from pint and quart-sized containers. A bar maid's job was to keep an eye on the customers and keep the drinks coming. She had to pay close attention and remember who was drinking in "pints" and who was drinking in "quarts," hence the term "minding your "P's and Q's."
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> One more: bet you didn't know this!
> In the heyday of sailing ships, all war ships and many freighters carried iron cannons. Those cannons fired round iron cannon balls. It was necessary to keep a good supply near the cannon. However, how to prevent them from rolling about the deck? The best storage method devised was a square-based pyramid with one ball on top, resting on four resting on nine, which rested on sixteen. Thus, a supply of 30 cannon balls could be stacked in a small area right next to the cannon. There was only one problem...how to prevent the bottom layer from sliding or rolling from under the others. The solution was a metal plate called a "Monkey" with 16 round indentations.
>
>
>
>
> However, if this plate were made of iron, the iron balls would quickly rust to it. The solution to the rusting problem was to make "Brass Monkeys." Few land lubbers realize that brass contracts much more and much faster than iron when chilled. Consequently, when the temperature dropped too far, the brass indentations would shrink so much that the iron cannonballs would come right off the monkey. Thus, it was quite literally, "Cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey." (All this time, you thought that was an improper expression, didn't you.)
>
>
>
>
> You must send this fabulous bit of historic knowledge to any and all your unsuspecting friends.
>
>
> If you don't, your floppy is going to fall off your hard drive and kill your mouse.
>
>
> ========================
>
>
> What the Indians would think
>
>
> When told the reason for Daylight Saving time the old Indian said...'Only a white man would believe that you could cut a foot off the top of a blanket
> and sew it to the bottom of a blanket and have a longer blanket.'
>
> ============================
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Did I like nut another to it send do to better anything have doesn't that person a like this reading time sweet your took you since.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> (Now read it backwards )

Hmm.. I read an article on HubPages, an ex-wife of a guy working in car industry basically said that the 70$-an-hour is pretty much a myth...

I knew someone would get curious about all this stuff and snopes it. I don't assume this is accurate, just fun.