The patience of Alexander Kuzmin, mayor of Megion in western Russia, has worn thin. In September 2007, Kuzmin published a list of 27 excuses he will no longer tolerate. Civil servants who use such excuses as "I don't know," "It's lunchtime," or "I was on sick leave at the time," will lose their jobs. Other banned excuses include "I can't," "It's impossible," or "It's not my job."

The reason for Kuzmin's ...

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A 2008 Harris Interactive survey sponsored by CarMD.com found that 10 percent of the 2,041 U.S. adults polled were driving a car whose "Check Engine" light was on. An alarming 50 percent of those whose cars were showing signs of an impending breakdown indicated the light had been on for over 3 months. Another 10 percent said the light had been on between 1–2 months. Kristin Brocoff, marketing ...

I read a story in the L. A. Times a long time ago. A guy goes to the house where he grew up and knocks on the door. Because he hadn't been there for 20 years, he finds himself getting sentimental. He asks the owners if he can walk through the house, and they let him. While in the attic, he finds an old jacket of his. He puts it on, reaches into the pocket, and pulls out a stub. It's a receipt from ...

On the first day teaching his class of 250 college freshmen, R. C. Sproul carefully explained the assignment of three term papers. Each paper was due on the last day of September, October, and November. Sproul clearly stated there would be no extensions (except for medical reasons). At the end of September, some 225 students dutifully turned in their papers, while 25 remorseful students quaked in ...

In the movie Lucky You, Huck Cheever (Eric Bana) plays a hotshot poker player who is trying to raise enough money, $10,000, to enter a poker tournament in Las Vegas. In an attempt to raise the money he makes a bet with Ready Eddie (Horatio Sanz). Huck has to run five miles and shoot 18 holes of golf in 78 strokes or under in three hours. The ball has to be in the cup before the time expires—and ...

Rocky Balboa is the final film in the "Rocky" series. An aging Rocky is inspired to fight his last match against the undefeated heavyweight champion. Many people, including his son, believe Rocky will be humiliated.

In this scene, Rocky and his adult son are standing outside Rocky's restaurant. His son is upset because Rocky has decided to fight again. He tells Rocky, "Now, I'm asking you, as a favor, ...

In response to those who make excuses why they cannot serve the Lord, Rick Warren writes:

Abraham was old, Jacob was insecure, Leah was unattractive, Joseph was abused, Moses stuttered, Gideon was poor, Samson was codependent, Rahab was immoral, David had an affair and all kinds of family problems, Elijah was suicidal, Jeremiah was depressed, Jonah was reluctant, Naomi was a widow, John the Baptist ...

In December of 2005, 19-year-old Jonathan Baldino was caught while attempting to buy electronic merchandise from retail stores at extreme discounts. After downloading a program from the Internet, police say that Baldino printed out barcode labels for a $24.99 CD Player, and then attached them to more advanced music systems retailing for $249.99. He was eventually caught, however, when a Target security ...

In all of sports, there is perhaps no basketball rivalry quite as intense as that between the Universities of Duke and North Carolina. The campuses are only eight miles apart. Both teams have different shades of blue for their primary color, so North Carolinians are told, "Choose Your Blue!"

Duke fans take their allegiances seriously. Every fan is a cheerleader. When the two teams recently played each ...