Chuckle 1084

Chuckle 1084
(Charles M of Bradenton FL gets today's chuckle thanks!)

~Mechanic~
(Plus: Today in History and Word for the Day)

A mechanic was removing a cylinder head from the motor of a Harley motorcycle when he spotted a well-known heart surgeon in his shop. The surgeon was there waiting for the service manager to come take a look at his bike when the mechanic shouted across the garage "Hey Doc, can I ask you a question? The surgeon, a bit surprised, walked over to where the mechanic was working on the motorcycle. The mechanic straightened up, wiped his hands on a rag and asked, "So Doc, look at this engine. I open its heart, take the valves out, repair any damage, and then put them back in, and when I finish, it works just like new. So how come I get such a small salary and you get the really big bucks, when you and I are doing basically the same work?" The surgeon paused, smiled and leaned over, and whispered to the mechanic..

"Try doing it with the engine running!” ***

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(Click Today in History and learn.)

• Today in history
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Word of the Day for Monday June 26, 2006

autocrat \AW-tuh-krat\, noun:An absolute monarch who rules with unlimited authority; by extension, any person with undisputed authority in a relationship or situation.

Octavian -- a bloodthirsty ideologue in the civil wars -- was by then well on his way to reinventing himself as Rome's benevolent autocrat, its first (and almost only) 'good' Emperor, Augustus.-- Mary Beard, "Cleopatra: from history to myth", The Guardian, March 18, 2003

The Russian noble is alike a serf to his autocrat, and an autocrat to his serf.-- Herbert Spencer, Social Statics

Mistler became the agency's autocrat, and he continued as such not because of his large number of shares in the company but because . . . he was, by a long shot, better and tougher than anyone else there.-- Louis Begley, Mistler's Exit

Mr Messier has been accused of being an autocrat and Mr Arnault was said to have quit because he felt frustrated about not being consulted on crucial decisions.-- David Teather, "Messier could go in days", The Guardian, July 1, 2002
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