Traditional machines, like this water powered mill, supply brute force for tasks like grinding corn and pulling heavy loads.  Each of these machines is much more powerful than any man.  They eliminated lots of jobs that involved life-shortening brutal labor for unskilled workers. 

Modern automated machines (like computers and telephones switches) can perform repetitive tasks much faster and with fewer mistakes than any human.  They are eliminating lots of boring jobs.

There are no machin...

As the family in this photograph was leaving their home in Ireland, the seven-year-old son said, “Good-bye God, we are going to Texas.”  Forced out of their home by the potato famine, they moved to a farm they bought in Texas.  The new land was suitable for grazing cattle, but not much good for farming.  The family lived in a tent for years, with sheets dividing the “living room” from the “bedroom.”  When he was eleven, the boy got a job as a water boy for a railroad constructio...

It doesn’t matter how talented and intelligent you are if you aren’t around when the opportunities occur.  The opportunities and promotions will go to the people who can be counted on to be there to complete the task.  There are some days that I show up and wonder if my presence has done any good and there are other days when I get a chance to really shine.  I never call be sure which kind of day tomorrow will be.  I come to school every day so I don’t miss out on the great days.