Fishy Subject

Gun’s Quote-of-the-Week:

“I'm never having children with you again!”
-Katie Green

An introduction is in order.

Katie and I were RAs in Pickell Hall once upon a time back at my Alma Matar, Ferris State. When I was an RA, I had an aquarium in my room. Katie and I went to the store and I bought some fish for the aquarium and she helped pick them out. The fish were our "children."

Well, at the time, I was relatively new to aquariums and didn't fully understand which fish species would live with each other and which ones would, well, eat each other. I managed to pick out a variety of fish where my Tetras ate my Neons... all 5 of them.

When Katie heard that they had passed, she was, of course, devastated, and exclaimed the comment above to me regarding our future children.

...and may the record show that the fish I purchased after that all survived, even to this day.

Turns out it would have been OK if we had more children after all, Katie.

…and that’s why it’s a Gun’s Quote!

The Adult You Have Become

Gun’s Quote-of-the-Week:

“What would the child you once were think of the adult you have become?”
-Mike Mertes

This week's Quote needs no explanation. Take the 5 minutes you usually take to read a Gun's Quote and instead ponder the question. Seriously... think it through and over in your head, then answer it.

If you feel so compelled, you may post your answers on the Gun's Quote Wall.

I hope everyone had a wonderful, blessed, safe, Easter.

…and that’s why it’s a Gun’s Quote!

St. Patrick

Gun’s Quote-of-the-Week:

“May there always be work for your hands to do.
May your purse always hold a coin or two.
May the sun always shine on your windowpane.
May a rainbow be certain to follow each rain.
May the hand of a friend always be near you.
May God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.”
-Old Irish Friendship Wish

There has been a real lack of Gun's Quotes with totally random, completely useless facts. On the occasion of St. Patrick's Day, however, there will be redemption:

1. On average, 22 gallons of beer are consumed per capita annually in the US.

2. The Missouri University of Science and Technology (MUST) is celebrating their 100th anniversary of their St. Pat's Celebration this year. They have always called their celebration, "The Best Ever."

3. A fraternity brother of mine helped start that celebration when he was going to school there in 1907. (St. Pat's was canceled in 1945 due to WWII, that's why this year is the 100th anniversary)

4. That same fraternity brother convinced the school to cancel school for St. Pat's by getting the entire student body to go on strike for the holiday in 1907. The University has recognized St. Pat's as a holiday ever since.

5. St. Patrick's Day this year was actually on March 15th. This is because Easter is so early this year that the Catholic Church moved the date back to avoid having St. Patrick's feast day during the Monday of Holy Week. (Most calendar-making companies didn't get the memo, though...)

6. St. Munchin is another famous Irish Saint. There is only one St. Munchin's church in the entire United States. It is located in Cameron, MO.

7. During St. Patrick's Day, St. Munchin's church puts on a single Irish Stew dinner for the whole community of Cameron. It is by far their largest fundraiser.

8. There are 33.7 million people living in the US that are of Irish decent.

9. Most live in Massachusetts.

10. St. Patrick was actually born in Britian. He moved to Ireland and brought with him the Christian Faith. He is credited with the conversion of the country, which is partially why he was canonized.

11. St. Patrick is often credited with driving snakes out of the country of Ireland. (You often see statues of him standing on top of, and crushing, a snake.) This is actually an urban legend! There are no snakes native to Ireland at all. (Snakes were probably a metaphor for the pagan religions of the country, which gradually disappeared while St. Patrick was planting the seeds of Christianity)

12. St. Patrick is the patron saint of Engineers.

13. There is no #5 in this list of facts.

14. You just scrolled up to check and see if #5 was there and it was. Just kidding.

So there you have it, ladies and gentlemen. Now you have something to talk about with your friends tomorrow while you are sitting around the bar and drinking green beer.

I hope everyone has a safe, happy St. Patrick's Day!

…and that’s why it’s a Gun’s Quote!

Charity

Gun’s Quote-of-the-Week:

“If you haven't got any charity in your heart, you have the worst kind of heart trouble.”
-Bob Hope

I thought Bob Hope was a great guy. He was a talented comedian that could be funny without being shrewd, and he was a very self-giving person. You don't find many people like that in the world today.

Think about this: How many times do you find yourself in an argument - regardless of which side you are on - about being a giving or charitable person? I'm certain that you have co-workers, classmates, family members, or friends with whom you discuss the problems of the world with, and sometimes even find that the discussion gets a little heated. I mean, after all, when the discussion is about raising taxes to help the poor, getting rid of the welfare system so that lazy people get a job, or instituting universal healthcare so that poor people can get treated for diseases regardless of cost, arguments are bound to break out.

Then you have Bob Hope. Bob Hope very well may have argued any of the above topics, (and probably more) but regardless of his stances on anything, he didn't just talk... he DID. He flew overseas during the war to rally our troops when they needed a pick-me up, broadcast most of his radio shows from US air bases, and performed for military units 'round the world. There is no other person on the planet that can say that they spent 50 years with the US military doing nothing but encouraging and increasing morale with the men and women that defended our country from the Nazis, Communists, and Hussein. 50 years the man lived a life of service. 50 years.

I had a discussion this week with a group that was talking about charity. Be it supporting the troops, the destitute, the ill, or the ill-of-heart, there were definitely those people who were very uncomfortable about opening their wallet or spending their time in areas that needed time and money.

Nobody in this group takes a stance against poor people, the troops, or any other person for that matter that has a direct role in helping others. We all, however, have different opinions on how to solve the problems of poverty, illness, and suffering. My question to you is this: How much time do you spending arguing about it vs. doing something about it? How comfortable are you with putting your money where your mouth is? How much have you contributed to your 'cause'? How many times have you volunteered for those less fortunate than you? How comfortable are you with your amount of charity and giving?

Bob Hope said that if you haven't got any charity in your heart that you have the worst kind of heart trouble. If that describes you, then may I boldly suggest finding a charity, a service project, a soup kitchen, or any other worthy institution that gives help to those that need it, no matter what that help is. Remember that no matter how much you have, you will always have something to give.

…and that’s why it’s a Gun’s Quote!

Stupid

Gun’s Quote-of-the-Week:

“Tis better to be thought stupid than to open your mouth and prove it.”
-Andy Wetzel

I think my best friend from high school, Andy, was quoting somebody else when he laid that one on me, but I'll give him the credit anyways.

So I graduated college in May, right? I went to the best school in the nation for the industry I serve, right? I'm all smart now, right?

To top it off, I have worked extra hours at the office on a very high-profile project in order to gain extra attention and am trying my hardest to earn promotions quickly so that I don't have to do it later whenever I'm married, have kids, etc. (Should that ever occur...)

So when I was approached by the company trainer to put on a corporate-wide presentation on how zoning works, (Zoning is a topic in the HVAC field) I immediately saw an opportunity to gain exposure within the company and potentially climb another rung of the corporate ladder.

That presentation, broadcast over the internet to several other countries, mind you, was Monday. I felt like I did well. I felt I was articulate, threw in subtle but effective humor to keep my audience from falling asleep, and I think spoke intelligently about my topic...

...until I got back to the office.

What I didn't realize I did until my co-workers told me about it was refer to a DX Coil as a "Direct Exchange" Coil. Now, I know you don't care what that is, but what you should know is that I called it the wrong thing. DX stands for "Direct Expansion," not "Direct Exchange."

Big deal, right? Well, to put it in layman's terms, the mistake I made was equivalent to calling an apple a vegetable. It was a very elementary error that I had the pleasure of making in front of 200 people.

Oh yes... indeed I am very, VERY smart, and I just proved it to the entire world. :(

If I understand its definition correctly, I think I have been Godsmacked. It's what happens when you think you're all that, and then God's like, "uh, you definitely need to get knocked off your pedestal," and then He proceeds to do so.

In any case, I'm living, breathing, embarrassed proof that talking like you're smart, educated, up-and-coming, a big-deal, and more or less all-that is a one-way ticket back to reality.

Always watch what comes out of your mouth, and think very carefully about what you say. Don't just assume that you automatically know what you're talking about because you think you're smart. What you utter may prove otherwise.

…and that’s why it’s a Gun’s Quote!