If Edison had a needle to find in a haystack, he would proceed at once with the diligence of the bee to examine straw after straw until he found the object of his search... I was a sorry witness of such doings, knowing that a little theory and calculation would have saved him ninety per cent of his labor.
Nikola Tesla in New York Times (19 October 1931)

Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Related quotes
First Straw
Oh a whole new way of looking at things
The way you react to phone rings
The way it feels when you just let it flow
Sometimes I wonder just how it could be
You take every bit before we see it off the rails
I think that you should know
You never cease to amaze me
You keep me from going crazy
And that's one thing I know for sure
Sometimes I see just how it all will be
Take every bit it's so easy the first straw
And this I know for sure
The first straw
So small it seemed impossible
The next straw
Vanished like shooting stars that fall
The last straw
There's no reason for getting there at all
Yeah
No reason to take it there at all
Yeah
The last straw can land in your mix
Your best day could be apocalypse
Nobody pay attention to the first straw
It seems the last one is all we ever saw
The first straw's a metaphore I pick up myself
It tells me something by showing me something else
I think that you should know
The first straw
So small it seemed impossible
The next straw
Vanished like shooting stars that fall
The last straw
There's no reason for getting there at all
Yeah
No reason to take it there at all
Yeah
Everyone reacts when it gets to the weight of breaking their back
I won't let that be us cause the long side never gave back
Yeah
The first straw
So small it seemed impossible
The next straw
Vanished like shooting stars that fall
The last straw
There's no reason for getting there at all
Yeah
The first straw
So small it seemed impossible
The next straw
Vanished like shooting stars that fall
The last straw
There's no reason for getting there at all
Yeah
song performed by by 311

Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Lies On The Floor
Making up stories
saying this or that,
reaching for hollow straws
in a hollow straw hat.
Shooting through the straw,
with All your lies,
making your hollow straw pie.
Try and keep all your lying
straws straight,
what lying straw is first
what lying straw is number eight.
Top them all off
with a fake letter,
only you and I know better,
That’s it’s all bogus
and totally a scam,
especially when your talking ham to spam.
Play your way with all your spam
that you baked,
but here’s your big mistake,
something you can’t take,
because I have a crazy 8,
changing the suit for which I take,
and bend your straws and make them break.
FoR your fake straw hat will be no more,
for you’re found out as a lying spam boar.
poem by Christina Sunrise

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Needle In A Haystack
(william stevenson / norman whitfield)
Well, well, I once believed
All fellas were nice
But girls, listen to me
And take my advice
A-girls, youd better get yourselves
On the right track
cause finding a good man, girls
Is like finding a
(needle in a haystack)
A-what did I say, girls?
(needle in a haystack)
Girls, those fellas are sly, slick and shy, yeah
Oh, dont you ever let them catch you looking starry-eyed
Theyll tell you that their love is true
And theyll walk right over you
Now girls, youd better know these things
A-right off a-the bat
cause finding a good man, girls
Is like finding a
(needle in a haystack)
What did I say, girls?
(needle in a haystack)
Hey, hey, hey, hey
Well, now girls, I say, Im tellin you the natural facts
cause finding a good man, girls
Is like finding a
(needle in a haystack)
What did I say, girls?
(needle in a haystack)
Im telling you, girls
Youd better look before you leap
Still water sometimes is a-very deep
Youll be in sorrow when you discover
That youre just his pasttime lover
Girls, youd better know these things
A-right off a-the bat
cause finding a good man, girls
Is like finding a
(needle in a haystack)
What did I say, girls?
(needle in a haystack)
I say youd better take heed
And listen to me
Youd better play hard to get
Or youre gonna regret
The day you were born, yeah
A-when you leaves you alone
I bet, youd better regret
Oh, youd better regret
song performed by by Dusty Springfield

Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Shortest Straw
Suspicion is your name
Your honesty to blame
Put dignity to shame
Dishonor
Witchhunt, modern day
Determining decay
The blatant disarray
Disfigure
The public eyes' disgrace
Defying common place
Unending paper chase
Unending
Deafening
Painstaking
Reckoning
This vertigo it doth bring
Shortest straw
Challenge liberty
Downed by law
Live in infamy
Rub you raw
Witchhunt riding through
Shortest straw
This shortest straw has been pulled for you
Pulled for you
Shortest straw
Pulled for you
Shortest straw
Pulled for you
Shortest straw
Shortest straw has been pulled for you
The accusations fly
Discrimination, why?
Your inner self to die
Intruding
Doubt sunk itself in you
It's teeth and talons through
You're living catch-22
Deluding
A mass hysteria
A megalomania
Reveal dementia
Reveal
Secretly
Silently
Certainly
In vertigo you will be
Shortest straw
Challenge liberty
Downed by law
Live in infamy
Rub you raw
Witchhunt riding through
Shortest straw
This shortest straw has been pulled for you
Pulled for you
Shortest straw
Pulled for you
Shortest straw
Pulled for you
Shortest straw
Shortest straw has been pulled for you
Shortest straw
Pulled for you
Shortest straw
Pulled for you
Shortest straw
Pulled for you
Shortest straw
Shortest straw has been pulled for you
Behind you, hands are tied
Your being, ostracized
Your hell is multiplied
Upending
The fallout has begun
Oppressive damage done
Your many turned to none
To nothing
You're reaching your nadir
Your will has disappeared
The lie is crystal clear
Defending
Channels red
One word said
Blacklisted
With vertigo make you dead
Shortest straw
Challenge liberty
Downed by law
Live in infamy
Rub you raw
Witchhunt riding through
Shortest straw
This shortest straw has been pulled for you
song performed by by Metallica

Submitted by Lucian Velea
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The Shortest Straw
Suspicion Is Your Name
Your Honesty to Blame
Put Dignity to Shame
Dishonor
Witchhunt Modern Day
Determining Decay
The Blattand Disarray
Disfigure
The Public Eyes' Disgrace
Defying Common Place
Unending Paper Chase
Unending
Deafening
Painstaking
Reckoning
This Vertigo it Doth Bring
Shortest Straw
Challenge Liberty
Downed by Law
Live in Infamy
Rub You Raw
Witchhunt Riding Through
Shortest Straw
This Shortest Straw Has Been Pulled for You
Pulled for You
Shortest Straw
Pulled for You
Shortest Straw
Pulled for You
Shortest Straw
Shortest Straw Has Been Pulled for You
The Accusations Fly
Discrimination
song performed by by Metallica from ...And Justice For All

Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Straw Foot
I guess you didnt hear me
When I told you for the first time
Well dont you worry
It wont be the last
All I need a floorboard
An a wooden shoe
Step aside an let my lady through
Hey foot, straw foot
Low we lay em down
Hey foot, straw foot
Up an back around
See the high priest
He took my place
When the judge looks to me
He saw his sons face
Not gonna join you in
Your tower of babble, boy
Tired o that talkin
Im sick o that noise
Hey foot, straw foot
Low we lay em down
Hey foot, straw foot
Coverin ground
Im not alone
An looks can be deceivin
When we get down to it
Youre talkin when you
Should be leavin
Ive been to nebraska
It reminded me of spain
All the questions loaded
All my answers same
Hey foot, straw foot
Low we lay em down
Hay foot, straw foot
Coverin ground
Let us not mince our words
Lets say it true this time
I need your forgiveness
Just like you need mine
Tell me how it is that
You dont want what hes given
It aint no sin son
To be forgiven
Hey foot, straw foot
Low we lay em down
Hey foot, straw foot
All over town
song performed by by 16 Horsepower

Submitted by Lucian Velea
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A Ferryman's Song
It's not dew a teardropp from the moon.
Because of the fading humanity.
Though you found a needle in a haystack
Very difficult to search a man among the men.
Let the wind blows and do not get panic.
Perhaps tomorrow will be calm?
Do not count the Stars.
As they may fall on your head.
Who says the grape is bitter?
Anyway do not search apples in a vineyard.
The Ocean never bothers of her waves.
But the beach keeps memories.
They are building a new bridge
And I can see the shadow in the river.
Oh! I'll say good bye very soon to the wayfarers!
poem by Nimal Dunuhinga

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The Camels Heart
You come to me with teardrops in your eyes
Expecting me to listen to your lies
You want me to forget and to forgive
Enough, enough, this aint no way to live
I know you wonder why Id leave like this
After all the hurt Ive put up with
This is the last time, this is the last straw
Too late, too late now its your time to crawl
Chorus:
Shes just the straw that broke the camels heart
Its not her fault, its yours we fell apart
No more, Im done, I want a brand new start
(its) shes just the straw that broke the camels heart
Ive been grasping at straws for much too long
This aint the first time you have done me wrong
This time you drew the short end of the straw
The game is over, you have lost it all
Repeat chorus
Shes just the straw that broke the camels heart
song performed by by Dolly Parton

Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Straw in the Street
Straw in the street where I pass to-day
Dulls the sound of the wheels and feet.
'Tis for a failing life they lay
Straw in the street.
Here, where the pulses of London beat,
Someone strives with the Presence grey;
Ah, is it victory or defeat?
The hurrying people go their way,
Pause and jostle and pass and greet;
For life, for death, are they treading, say
Straw in the street?
Mr. Hay
For I am Mr. Hay
My ways are not your ways
And I don't care a jack-straw
For anything you may say.
I've my eye on you
I'm so very grand
That if I were a crow
I wouldn't give a caw
I'd simply fly away
For I am Mr. Hay
Or am I Mr. Straw?
poem by Morgan Michaels

Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Last Straw
I thought telling you how I feel, will change things between us, but it didn't
You don't get what I am saying at all
It's like I'm speaking another language
I'm done wasting my breath on you
We all make mistakes, but you never learn from your
If you can't treat me right, someone else will
Fool me once, twice, and three times, I must be stupid
Can you see all signs I given you?
I want to date you, but I guess you don't
At this point it's the
Last straw
You keep breaking my heart was too much
I just left the house crying in my sleeve
You came chasing me
I just went home
The day before my graduation you came
I hide from you and watching you leave and that was the last time I saw you
It was the
Last straw
I'm not forgiving you and feeling pity anymore
You were immature and don't deserves someone like me
I hope you ache and realized what you been missing
Between you and I, it's the
Last straw
poem by Christina Phan

Submitted by Poetry Lover
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A Sunsetbonnet Blue
Irving kahal / sammy fain
A sunbonnet blue and a yellow straw hat
Shy little he and she
Were declaring love's old story
In the shade of the old apple tree,,
A sunbonnet blue and a yellow straw hat
Decided to say, "i do"
So they rode to june and glory
On a bicycle built for two
Hear the past. the song is old.
The summer days are through
With silver threads among the gold
They still say, "i love you"
A sunbonnet blue and a yellow straw hat
Are true to this very day
For he loves her in december
As he did in may
song performed by by Billie Holiday

Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Like Horny Men
Don’t let the chickens out
Uncle said
close the gate
we don’t want
the foxes getting in
and tearing them
to pieces
because they will you know
they’ll go in for the kill
but maybe only go off
with one
and you stared
at the chickens
running around
as Uncle went
into the henhouse
to collect eggs
amongst the straw
and hay and feathers
you want to come in
and find the eggs with me?
Uncle called
and you followed him
into the henhouse
and smelt the henny stink
and shit and closeness
of hay and straw
getting up your nose
and Uncle held up an egg
and said
be careful how you hold them
don’t want any broken ones
and you searched
amongst hay and straw
and feathers and picked out
a warm egg between
your little boy finger and thumb
as if it were some gem
pulled from a pile of dung
and you held it up
to the light coming through
the henhouse window
like some offering
to the gods
a fertility symbol
you knew nothing
about then
the ways
of wild women
and horny men.
poem by Terry Collett

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Faithless, The Wonder Boy
I've had these jeans since i was born
And now they're ripped and now they're torn
And all my friends have skateboards
I want the toys of other boys
I want a knife and a gun and things
But mom and dad will not give in
And i can't put the needle in
Can't put the needle in
I can't put the needle in
No i can't put the needle in
Can't put the needle in
Can't put the needle in
And now i know just what it is
It's called disease and it's got my head
It always runs where i hide
Too scared too talk, too scared to try
Too scared to know the reasons why
And all my friends say bye bye
And i can't put the needle in
Can't put the needle in
Can't put the needle in
No i can't put the needle in
Can't put the needle in
Can't put the needle in
And i can't put the needle in
Can't put the needle in
Can't put the needle in
No i can't put the needle in
Can't put the needle in
Can't put the needle in
song performed by by Radiohead

Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Big Ideas
I've had these jeans since i was born
And now they're ripped and now they're torn
And all my friends have skateboards
I want the toys of other boys
I want a knife and a gun and things
But mom and dad will not give in
And i can't put the needle in
Can't put the needle in
I can't put the needle in
No I can't put the needle in
Can't put the needle in
Can't put the needle in
And now I know just what it is
It's called disease and it's got my head
It always runs where I hide
Too scared too talk, too scared to try
Too scared to know the reasons why
And all my friends say bye bye
And i can't put the needle in
Can't put the needle in
Can't put the needle in
No I can't put the needle in
Can't put the needle in
Can't put the needle in
And i can't put the needle in
Can't put the needle in
Can't put the needle in
No I can't put the needle in
Can't put the needle in
Can't put the needle in
song performed by by Radiohead

Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Ninety per cent of most magic merely consists of knowing one extra fact.
quote by Terry Pratchett

Submitted by Veronica Serbanoiu
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Faithless Wonder Boy
Ive had these jeans since I was born
And now theyre ripped and now theyre torn
And all my friends have skateboards
I want the toys of other boys
I want a knife and a gun and things
But mom and dad will not give in
And I cant put the needle in
Cant put the needle in
I cant put the needle in
No I cant put the needle in
Cant put the needle in
Cant put the needle in
And now I know just what it is
Its called disease and its got my head
It always runs where I hide
Too scared too talk, too scared to try
Too scared to know the reasons why
And all my friends say bye bye
And I cant put the needle in
Cant put the needle in
Cant put the needle in
No I cant put the needle in
Cant put the needle in
Cant put the needle in
And I cant put the needle in
Cant put the needle in
Cant put the needle in
No I cant put the needle in
Cant put the needle in
Cant put the needle in
song performed by by Radiohead

Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Straw-flower Me
Look at me. wont you tell me
What you see behind the tinsel
Flower lady that you made
Me feel I must be.
Dont you know even tinsel flowers
Grow uneasy shining all the time.
Sometimes they find they cant even glow.
Could you love a blue straw-flower
With no mystic magic power?
Would you miss the glitter
Of your fantasy?
You know she isnt really me, baby.
Just to please you maybe
I can be a silver rose, but
Dont you know its only straw-flower me?
Could you love a blue straw-flower
With no mystic magic power?
Would you miss the glitter
Of your fantasy?
You know she isnt really me, baby,
Baby, baby.
song performed by by Joni Mitchell

Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Ninety per cent of the world's woe comes from people not knowing themselves, their abilities, their frailties, and even their real virtues. Most of us go almost all the way through life as complete strangers to ourselves - so how can we know anyone else?
quote by Sydney J. Harris

Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Pig Farming
Pig Farming
British farmers treat their pigs better
than their European counterparts,
straw strewn floors to walk on and
toys (usually footballs) to kick around
in the pen while they wait…
Alas, like their European brethrens
they will be slaughtered roasted, boiled
or smoked, usually when very young;
straw and toys are for you and I so we
can say we’re kind to animals we eat.
poem by Oskar Hansen

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