Is packing important to you?

A young man was getting ready to graduate from college. For many months he had admired a beautiful sports car in a dealer’s showroom, and knowing his father could well afford it, he told him that was all he wanted.
As Graduation Day approached, the young man awaited signs that his father had purchased the car. Finally, on the morning of his graduation, his father called him into his private study. His father told him how proud he was to have such a fine son, and told him how much he loved him. He handed his son a beautiful wrapped gift box. Curious, but somewhat disappointed, the young man opened the box and found a lovely, leather-bound Bible, with the young man’s name embossed in gold.
Angrily, he raised his voice to his father and said, “With all your money you give me a Bible?” He then stormed out of the house, leaving the Bible.
Many years passed and the young man was very successful in business. He had a beautiful home and a wonderful family, but realizing his father was very old, he thought perhaps he should go to see him. He had not seen him since that graduation day. Before he could make the arrangements, he received a telegram telling him his father had passed away, and willed all of his possessions to his son. He needed to come home immediately and take care of things.
When he arrived at his father’s house, sudden sadness and regret filled his heart. He began to search through his father’s important papers and saw the still new Bible, just as he had left it years ago.
With tears, he opened the Bible and began to turn the pages. As he was reading, a car key dropped from the back of the Bible. It had a tag with the dealer’s name, the same dealer who had the sports car he had desired. On the tag was the date of his graduation, and the words… “PAID IN FULL”.
How many times do we miss blessings because they are not packaged as we expected? I trust you enjoyed this. Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; but remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for. Sometimes we don’t realize the good fortune we have or we could have because we expect “the packaging” to be different. What may appear as bad fortune may in fact be the door that is just waiting to be opened.

【share】If I Had My Life to Live Over

I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren’t there for the day.
I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage.
I would have eaten the popcorn in the “good” living room and worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace.
I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed.
I would have cried and laughed less while watching television—and more while watching life.
I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn’t show soil, or was guaranteed to last a lifetime.
But mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute…look at it and really see it … live it … and never give it back.
Don’t worry about who doesn’t like you, who has more money, or who’s doing what. Instead, let’s cherish the relationships we have with those who do love us. Let’s think about what God has blessed us with, and what we are doing each day to promote ourselves mentally, physically, emotionally.

【share】I will persist until I succeed.

In the Orient young bulls are tested for the fight arena in a certain manner. Each is brought to the ring and allowed to attack a picador who pricks them with a lance. The bravery of each bull is then rated with care according to the number of times he demonstrates his willingness to charge in spite of the sting of the blade. Henceforth will I recognize that each day I am tested by life in like manner. If I persist, if I continue to try, if I continue to charge forward, I will succeed.
I will persist until I succeed.
I was not delivered unto this world in defeat, nor does failure course in my veins. I am not a sheep waiting to be prodded by my shepherd. I am a lion and I refuse to talk, to walk, to sleep with the sheep. I will hear not those who weep and complain, for their disease is contagious. Let them join the sheep. The slaughterhouse of failure is not my destiny.
I will persist until I succeed.
The prizes of life are at the end of each journey, not near the beginning; and it is not given to me to know how many steps are necessary in order to reach my goal. Failure I may still encounter at the thousandth step, yet success hides behind the next bend in the road. Never will I know how close it lies unless I turn the corner.
Always will I take another step. If that is of no avail I will take another, and yet another. In truth, one step at a time is not too difficult.
I will persist until I succeed.
Henceforth, I will consider each day’s effort as but one blow of my blade against a mighty oak. The first blow may cause not a tremor in the wood, nor the second, nor the third. Each blow, of itself, may be trifling, and seem of no consequence. Yet from childish swipes the oak will eventually tumble. So it will be with my efforts of today.
I will be liken to the raindrop which washes away the mountain; the ant who devours a tiger; the star which brightens the earth; the slave who builds a pyramid. I will build my castle one brick at a time for I know that small attempts, repeated, will complete any undertaking.
I will persist until I succeed.
I will never consider defeat and I will remove from my vocabulary such words and phrases as quit, cannot, unable, impossible, out of the question, improbable, failure, unworkable, hopeless, and retreat; for they are the words of fools. I will avoid despair but if this disease of the mind should infect me then I will work on in despair. I will toil and I will endure. I will ignore the obstacles at my feet and keep mine eyes on the goals above my head, for I know that where dry desert ends, green grass grows.
I will persist until I succeed.
I will remember the ancient law of averages and I will bend it to my good. I will persist with knowledge that each failure to sell will increase my chance for success at the next attempt. Each nay I hear will bring me closer to the sound of yea. Each frown I meet only prepares me for the smile to come. Each misfortune I encounter will carry in it the seed of tomorrow’s good luck. I must have the night to appreciate the day. I must fail often to succeed only once.
I will persist until I succeed.
I will try, and try, and try again. Each obstacle I will consider as a mere detour to my goal and a challenge to my profession. I will persist and develop my skills as the mariner develops his, by learning to ride out the wrath of each storm.
I will persist until I succeed.
Henceforth, I will learn and apply another secret of those who excel in my work. When each day is ended, not regarding whether it has been a success or a failure, I will attempt to achieve one more sale. When my thoughts beckon my tired body homeward I will resist the temptation to depart. I will try again. I will make one more attempt to close with victory, and if that fails I will make another. Never will I allow any day to end with a failure. Thus will I plant the seed of tomorrow’s success and gain an insurmountable advantage over those who cease their labor at a prescribed time. When others cease their struggle, the mine will begin, and my harvest will be full.
I will persist until I succeed.
Nor will I allow yesterday’s success to lull me into today’s complacency, for this is the great foundation of failure. I will forget the happenings of the day that is gone, whether they were good or bad, and greet the new sun with confidence that this will be the best day of my life.
So long as there is breath in me, that long will I persist. For now I know one of the greatest principles of success; if I persist long enough I will win.
I will persist. I will win.

The original design of Girard-Perregaux Vintage 1945 Jackpot Tourbillon is Inspired By Games of Chance

The timepiece seems to be created in a bold attempt to revolutionize traditional approach to watchmaking. The creators of the Girard-Perregaux watch managed to successfully unite the precision of the greatest horological complications with the vagueness of games of chance. As a result, there appeared an exclusive Haute Horlogerie watch of amazing complexity.
The Vintage 1945 Jackpot Tourbillon became the first watch that united a Tourbillon and a slot machine provided with an amazing mechanism that perfectly fitted the watch’s rose gold rectangular-shaped case (with dimensions 43 x 43.95 mm).
On the black dial of the Girard-Perregaux Vintage 1945 completed with Arabic ‘3′ and ‘9′ numerals, at 12 o’clock you will notice a window revealing a row of three symbols. If you are interested in the inside beauties of the timepiece, a cut-out positioned at 6 o’clock opens the view to the gold Bridge and the Tourbillon cage.
To set the game magic in motion, it is necessary to pull the handle found on the right side of the case. The game starts and the three reels rotate and then stop randomly on one of the five symbols. Meanwhile a hammer strikes a gong to produce the cheerful chime reminding the gaming machines you will usually see in a casino. Altogether, there are 125 combinations, and only one stands for the jackpot – you have to get the three bells in a row.

Girard-Perregaux opens first New York store

Girard-Perregaux, the Swiss watchmaker opens its first American store on New York. the centerpiece of the first American retail store for Girard-Perregaux, the Swiss watchmaking firm that dates back to 1791, is a workshop used by a skilled watchmaker, Yuriy Vasekevich, who sits in a slightly elevated enclosed glass space.
But Mr. Vaskevich isn’t a performance artist; he’s actually there to answer customers’ questions about the watches on sale. His artistlike presence does feel appropriate, however: the store (above) is practically a museum, hushed and reverential, displaying the wares of the luxury brand with prices from $10,000 to $500,000. The boutique is a compact 900 square feet with 16-foot ceilings, and a combination of surfaces including wood, metal, glass, leather and stone. There are two limited-edition timepieces that are exclusive to the New York boutique. The woman’s watch — named Shopping Madison — is bejeweled and white, and it sells for $20,600; 701 Madison Avenue (at 63rd Street), (646) 495-9915.

history of Girard-Perregaux

In 1791, watchmaker and goldsmith Jean-François Bautte signed his first watches. He created a manufacturing company in Geneva regrouping all the watch making trades of that time. In 1852, the watchmaker Constant Girard founded the Girard & Cie Firm in La Chaux-de-Fonds. He then married Marie Perregaux and the Girard-Perregaux Manufacture was born in 1856. In 1906, Constant Girard-Gallet, who took over control of the Manufacturer from his father, took over the Bautte House and merged it with Girard-Perregaux & Cie[1]. Since then, the brand has pursued its activities by reinforcing from the 1980’s its position in the domain of prestigious mechanical watches under the lead of Luigi Macaluso.

The Manufacture has made close to 80 patents in the watch making domain and is the originator of several innovative concepts.

1880: Constant Girard develops a concept of wristwatches, made for German naval officers and ordered by Emperor Guillaume I of Germany. Two-thousand watches were produced, which represents the first important commercialization of wristwatches.
1965: Girard-Perregaux designs the first mechanic movement at high frequency, at which the balancer beats at 36,000 vibrations/hour: the Gyromatic HF[2].
1967: Girard-Perregaux receives the Centenary Award from the Astronomical Observatory de Neuchatel in recognition of the accomplishments of the Manufacture generally, and specifically for the Observatory Chronometer wristwatch that used the Gyromatic HF movement
1970: Girard-Perregaux presents its first watch to the world to be equipped with a quartz movement which vibrates at 32,768 hertz, the frequency remaining the universal standard for quartz watches today.
2008: The brand presents a constant force escapement at SIHH (International Show of High-End Watch making), distinguishing itself from all the other known escapements to this day.

WWII nurse in iconic Times Square kissing photo dies

A nurse famously photographed being kissed by an American sailor in New York’s Times Square in 1945 to celebrate the end of World War Two has died at the age of 91, her family said on Tuesday.

The V-J Day picture of the white-clad Edith Shain by photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt captured an epic moment in US history and became an iconic image marking the end of the war after being published in Life magazine.

The identity of the nurse in the photograph was not known until the late 1970s when Shain wrote to the photographer saying that she was the woman in the picture taken on August 14 at a time when she had been working at Doctor’s Hospital in New York City.

The identity of the sailor remains disputed and unresolved.

From then on the photograph also made its mark on Shain’s life as the fame she garnered led to invites to war related events such a wreath layings, parades and other memorial events.

“My mom was always willing take on new challenges and caring for the World War II veterans energized her to take another chance to make a difference,” her son Justin Decker said in a statement.

Shain, who died at her home in Los Angeles on Sunday, leaves behind three sons, six grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

Girard-Perregaux—Cats Eye Ladies Watch 80480D53A761-KK9

Girard-Perregaux-one of the oldest watch companies in the world, Girard Perregaux watches date back to 1791. The quality, innovation, and style of Girard Perregaux watches, which was born centuries ago, remain as the guiding forces for the company today. With superior craftsmanship, they make the art of watchmaking seem effortless. The sublety with which the union of tradition and modernity is accomplished in a Girard Perregaux watch is a true marvel.Girard Perregaux watches meet the highest standards of quality and reliability, and for that, they have earned a trusted name and flawless reputation in the watch industry.
Girard-Perregaux Cats Eye Ladies Watch 80480D53A761-KK9
1. Function: This watch has many performances, such as waterproof, shockproof and anti magnetic.No mater what you do, washing your hands, doing exercise, or approaching some magnetic things unintentionally,you do not need to worry wherever you go.

2.Quility: The quality of this product is very good.it is in line with industrial quality control standards. it is hard to discolor or come off. It can keep its original color for long time. With good maintenance, you will find that this watch is quite serviceable.

Girard-Perregaux watches

Replica Girard-Perregaux watches has become an outstanding supplier of movements and debauches in the watch industry. Girard-Perregaux dates back to 1791 via its predecessor J. F. Bautte. A series of mergers and acquisitions resulted in the Girard-Perregaux of modern times, but the quality, innovation, and style born centuries ago remain as the guiding forces for the company today. Girard Perregaux Replica Watches is fully committed to research and development as well as to the production of a wide range of movements, from simple to grand complications. This technical mastery goes hand in hand with an original approach to design that

Washington pleased with Tokyos latest agreement on U.S. base: reports

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates praised the progress made by Tokyo and Washington with regard to the relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps’ Futenma Air Station in Okinawa Prefecture, local media reported Thursday.

Following a meeting between Gates and his Japanese counterpart Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa at the Pentagon on Tuesday, Gates said that despite impending controversies that still need to be resolved, Washington is pleased that Tokyo has, in essence, agreed to largely stick to a bilateral accord on the relocation of the Futenma facility made in 2006, the reports said.

Sources close to the latest two-plus-two meeting between the defense ministers said that in preparation for a joint statement to be issued Friday between the two countries, finalizing the majority of the relocation details, last-minute modifications had been made to the official document to ensure that both parties’ requirements on the issue were represented to the best degree possible.

Kitazawa, for his part, wanted the “collective voice” of the people of Okinawa to be heard and that particular requests from Japan’s southernmost prefecture be met, such as moving some of Futenma’s training exercises outside the prefecture, to ease some of the base-hosting burden on the local residents.

Additionally, reports from Washington said that Kitazawa also called for Gates’ understanding on a territorial issue regarding waters used for military training exercises being returned to Japanese jurisdiction as well as to earnestly consider Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama’s concerns over the environmental impact of new constructions in the coastal area adjacent to the marines’ Camp Schwab in the Henoko district of Nago, Okinawa Prefecture, which has been pegged as the site for the relocation.

According to the Kyodo news agency, Hatoyama will speak with U. S. President Barack Obama over the phone Thursday to discuss the final plans for the relocation of the air facility and the prime minister is also scheduled to attend a National Governors’ Association meeting Thursday afternoon in an attempt to seek local support by emphasizing that part of the Futenma helicopter units will be moved to outside Okinawa.