DID YOU KNOW?

 

 

April, May and June 2008

 

 

 

Southwestern Illinois Employers Association

400 South Main Street    PO Box 349

Wood River, IL.  62095

 

618/254-0676     FAX:  618/254-0680

 

www.siea.us

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

APRIL BIRTHDAYS

4/02         Tim Cannon                                                            U.S. Steel / Granite City Works

4/03         Rep. Renee Kosel                                                    Illinois House of Representatives

4/06         Rep. JoAnn Osmond                                              Illinois House of Representatives

4/06         Rep. Ed Sullivan, Jr.                                               Illinois House of Representatives

4/07         Mike Gillson                                                           Ameren

4/09         Rodney Eveans                                                       EVCO National, Inc.

4/09         Gary Osborne                                                         William M. BeDell ARC

4/11         Jay Rankin                                                              WRB Refining LLC

4/14         Rep. Harry Osterman                                              Illinois House of Representatives

4/15         Rep. Dennis Reboletti                                             Illinois House of Representatives

4/15         Rep. Ronald Wait                                                    Illinois House of Representatives

4/19         Speaker Michael Madigan                                       Illinois House of Representatives

4/10         John Wories                                                            ASF – Keystone, Inc.

4/21         Dr. Fred Golden                                                      William M. BeDell ARC

4/22         Dave McKinney                                                      Shell Chemical LP

4/24         Rep. Maria Antonia Berrios                                    Illinois House of Representatives

4/28         Rep. Annazette Collins                                            Illinois House of Representatives

4/30         Rep. Al Riley                                                          Illinois House of Representatives

 

MAY BIRTHDAYS

5/03         Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie                                      Illinois House of Representatives

5/05         Marilyn Tischhauser                                               Senator Watson Staff

5/06         Lou Pattan                                                               Olin Corporation

5/06         Sen. Louis Viverito                                                 Illinois State Senate

5/08         Rep. Roger Eddy                                                     Illinois House of Representatives

5/10         Rep. John Bradley                                                   Illinois House of Representatives

5/10         Sen. Kimberly Lightford                                         Illinois State Senate

5/12         Rep. Jack McGuire                                                 Illinois House of Representatives

5/14         Ron Payton                                                             Gateway Regional Medical Center                         

5/14         Sen. Arthur Wilhelmi                                              Illinois State Senate

5/15         Sen. Bill Brady                                                        Illinois State Senate

5/17         Cheryl Thorp                                                           Olin Corporation

5/18         Rep. Richard Bradley                                              Illinois House of Representatives

5/20         Rep. Angelo Saviano                                              Illinois House of Representatives

5/22         Sen. Edward Maloney                                             Illinois State Senate

5/23         Guy Lawrence                                                         U. S. Steel / Granite City Works

5/23         Rep. Michael Smith                                 Illinois House of Representatives

5/26         Sen. Dan Rutherford                                               Illinois State Senate

5/28         Rob Bockstruck                                                      Smurfit – Stone Container Corp.

5/28         Rep. Aaron Schock                                                 Illinois House of Representatives

 

JUNE BIRTHDAYS

6/01         Sen. Kirk Dillard                                                     Illinois State Senate

6/01         Sen. Mattie Hunter                                                  Illinois State Senate

6/02         Rep. Mary Kay O’Brien                                         Illinois House of Representative

6/04         Larry Siebenberger                                                  U. S. Steel / Granite City Works

6/06         Donna Bailey                                                          William M. BeDell ARC

6/06         Larry Bomke                                                           Illinois State Senate

6/08         Julie McVey                                                            SIEA

6/11         Rep. Sandra Pihos                                                   Illinois House of Representatives

6/12         Rep. John D’Amico                                                Illinois House of Representatives

6/15         Gary Ayres                                                             Lewis & Clark Community College

6/16         Rep. Kurt Granberg                                                                Illinois House of Representatives

6/18         Rep. Gerald Mitchell                                               Illinois House of Representatives

6/20         Rocky Eveans                                                         EVCO National, Inc.

6/24         Pat Heitzig                                                               Cornerstone Bank & Trust

6/24         Rep. Joseph Lyons                                                  Illinois House of Representatives

6/25         Sen. Michael Jacobs                                                Illinois State Senate

6/29         Rep. Robert Molaro                                                Illinois House of Representatives

6/29         Sen. Dave Syverson                                                Illinois State Senate

6/30         Tom Walters                                                            Caterpillar, Inc.

6/30         Rep. David Winters                                                 Illinois House of Representatives

 

WE HAD ALL BETTER WAKE UP AND START PAYING ATTENTION!

 

          This morning, from somewhere in Pakistan, Taliban Minister of Migration, Mohammad Omar, warned the United States that if military action against Iraq continues, Taliban authorities will cut off America’s supply of convenience store managers.

 

        And if this action does not yield sufficient results, cab drivers will be next, followed by Dell Computer customer services reps, Motel 6 managers, and liquor store cashiers.

 

        Who knew it would come to this.  It’s getting ugly.

 

 

 

 

“Be who you are and say what you feel…

 

Because those that matter . . .  don’t mind. . .

 

And those that mind. . .  don’t matter.”

Trivia

 

There are 2.5 twists per inch in a Twizzler.

 

Each year, about 46 million Cokes, five million pounds of French fries and seven million hamburgers are consumed at Walt Disney World.

 

Approximately 20% of Americans have a passport.

 

Sno-Caps candies were originally called Bob Whites.

 

The Eiffel Tower is painted approximately once every seven years and requires nearly 50 tons of paint each time.

 

Earth travels through space at 66,700 miles per hour.

 

Scientists say the higher your I.Q. is the more you dream.

 

A dolphin can swim as fast as 35 miles per hour.

 

Scrabble sets are found in one out of every three American homes.

 

There is just one Q in a Scrabble game.

 

 

 

IDIOT SIGHTINGS:

 

I live in a semi rural area.  We recently had a new neighbor call the local township administrative office to request the removal of the DEER CROSSING  sign on our road.  The reason:  “Too many deer are being hit by cars out here!  I don’t think this is a good place for them to be crossing anymore.”

                                                                   Kingman, KS

 

I was at the airport, checking in at the gate when an airport employee asked, “Has anyone put anything in your baggage without your knowledge?” To which I replied, “If it was without my knowledge, how would I know?”  He smiled knowingly and nodded, “That’s why we ask.”

                                                                   Birmingham, ALA

 

 

When I arrived at an automobile dealership to pick up my car, I was told the keys had been locked in it.  I went to the service department and found a mechanic working feverishly to unlock the driver’s side door.  As I watched from the passenger side, I instinctively tried the door handle and discovered that it was unlocked.  “Hey,” I announced to the technician, “its open!”  His reply, “I know.  I already got that side.”

 

Ford dealership in Canton, Mississippi

 

 

STAY ALERT!  They walk among us and the scary part is that they VOTE and REPRODUCE  and our enemies know it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

When to ditch those initials after your name.

 

If you have a degree such as an MBA or Ph.D., there are definitely some places where you shouldn’t mention it.

     According to Fortune Magazine, you should not mention your degree on your business cards or your

E-mail signature.

     It is generally recommended that you keep your degree to yourself, unless you are in an academic setting.  In other words, don’t list those letters after your name on your resume either.  It seems that lots of potential hirers see them as a sign of low self-esteem.

 

 

 

 

 

Life is too short to wake up with regrets.  So love the people who treat you right.  Forget about those who don’t.  Believe everything happens for a reason.  If you get a chance, take it.  If it changes your life, let it.  Nobody said life would be easy, they just promised it would most likely be worth it.

 

 

WET PANTS

 

            Come with me to a third grade classroom . . . . There is a nine year old kid sitting at his desk and all of a sudden, there is a puddle between his feet and the front of his pants are wet.  He thinks his heart is going to stop because he cannot possible imagine how this has happened.  It’s never happened before, and he knows that when the boys find out he will never here the end of it.  When the girls find out, they’ll never speak to him again as long as he lives.

            He looks up and here comes the teacher with a look in her eyes that says he has been discovered. 

            As the teacher is walking toward him, a classmate named Susie is carrying a goldfish bowl that is filled with water.  Susie trips in front of the teacher and inexplicably dumps the bowl of water in the boy’s lap.

            The boy pretends to be angry, but all the while is saying to himself, “Thank You, Lord!”

            Now all of a sudden, instead of being the object of ridicule, the boy is the object of sympathy.  The teacher rushes him downstairs and gives him gym shorts to put on while his pants dry out.  They sympathy is wonderful.  But as life would have it, ridicule that should have been his has been transferred to someone else – Susie. 

            She tries to help, but they tell her to get out.  “You’ve done enough, you klutz!”

            Finally, at the end of the day, as they are waiting for the bus, the boy walks over to Susie and whispers, “you did that on purpose, didn’t you?’  Susie whispers back, “I wet my pants once too.”

 

            MAY GOD HELP US SEE THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE ALWAYS AROUND US TO DO GOOD. . . Remember. . .  Just going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than standing in your garage makes you a car.

 

 

 

 

GRANDPARENT STORIES

 

My young grandson called the other day to wish me Happy Birthday.  He asked me how old I was, and I told him, “62.”  He was quiet for a moment, and then he asked “Did you start at 1?”

 

When my grandson asked me how old I was, I teasingly replied, “I’m not sure.”  “Look in you underwear, Grandpa,” he advised.  “Mine says I’m four to six.”

 

A nursery school teacher was delivering a station wagon full of kids home one day when a fire truck zoomed past.  Sitting in the front seat of the truck was a Dalmatian dog.  The children started discussing the dog’s duties.  “They use him to keep crowds back,” said one child.  “No,” said another, “he’s just for good luck.”  A third child brought the argument to a close “They use the dogs,” she said firmly, “to find the fire hydrants.”

 

SIEA’S CAPITOL CHILI DAY – we estimated we served over 300 bowls of chili to Legislators, Secretaries and staff members.  Big thank you to Senate Republican Leader Frank Watson for allowing SIEA take over his office.  On behalf of all of the SIEA members, we thank you for your hospitality and generosity.

 

 

Thanks to the following sponsors who made SIEA Capitol Chili Day a success.

 

Alton Memorial Hospital

Ameren

Beverly Farm Foundation

Cope Plastic

Cornerstone Bank

Dial Properties

Global Brass and Copper, Inc.

Lewis & Clark Community College

Olin Corporation

William M. BeDell – ARC

WRB Refining LLC