# Optimistic **URL:** \ **Category:** General Discussion\ **Created:** [December 30, 2016, 9:59pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/optimistic/97876 "2016-12-30T21:59:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![keith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/keith/32/5518_2.png) [@keith](https://community.cartalk.com/u/keith)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2016, 9:59pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/optimistic/97876/1 "2016-12-30T21:59:10Z")
Found on Car Talks facebook page. ![](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/2X/c/c9b420a491971483228b218017a7b5324ab1de9f.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![keith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/keith/32/5518_2.png) [@keith](https://community.cartalk.com/u/keith)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2016, 9:19pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/optimistic/97876/2 "2016-12-31T21:19:49Z")
bumpity bump ---
**Author:** ![Barkydog](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/barkydog/32/2470_2.png) [@Barkydog](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Barkydog)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2016, 9:53pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/optimistic/97876/3 "2016-12-31T21:53:40Z")
![](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/2X/e/efb74c19576c06e6bf5896913ea26fe72807753a.gif) ---
**Author:** ![db4690](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/db4690/32/2583_2.png) [@db4690](https://community.cartalk.com/u/db4690)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2017, 12:16am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/optimistic/97876/4 "2017-01-01T00:16:15Z")
Years ago, I had a boss who actually did drive on the sidewalk. I know, because I was the passenger. Near as I can remember, he got up to about 60mph. People were literally ducking for cover, like in the movies. But even when he was driving on the street, he drove like a demon šŸ‘æ ---
**Author:** ![Sloepoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/da6949/32.png) [@Sloepoke](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Sloepoke)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2017, 3:38am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/optimistic/97876/5 "2017-01-02T03:38:43Z")
Reminded of the commercial of the garage installing a new battery & told the customer , weā€™ll make it fit . ---
**Author:** ![missileman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/missileman/32/1366_2.png) [@missileman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/missileman)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2017, 1:33pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/optimistic/97876/6 "2017-01-02T13:33:06Z")
I kept a little placard on my desk for years and it read: IF I CANā€™T FIX ITā€¦YOU NEED A NEW ONE. ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2017, 10:05pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/optimistic/97876/7 "2017-01-02T22:05:15Z")
My brother kept something on his desk that was very effective at stifling backtalk and objections. What did he keep on his desk? At a garage sale, he spotted a book with a title along the lines of _Cannibalism and Human Sacrifice_ā€¦or something to that effect. He made sure that the title faced anyone who sat across from him. Most people didnā€™t realize that he has a wicked sense of humor, but it definitely reduced the amount of backtalk that he had to deal with! šŸ˜ˆ ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2017, 10:22pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/optimistic/97876/8 "2017-01-02T22:22:43Z")
For years I kept a beautiful gold-leafed copy of ā€œThe Princeā€ on my desk, prominently displayed to any visitor. Few noticed, perhaps fewer were familiar with the novel, but those that did and were got a huge kick out of it. It really relaxed those who ā€œgot itā€. I stole the idea from a good friend who was a retired Coastie officer and a PhD physicistā€¦ with a great sense of humor. šŸ˜ PostScript: heā€™s passed away now, but I feel truly honored to have counted him among my good friends. ---
**Author:** ![BillRussell](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/billrussell/32/3179_2.png) [@BillRussell](https://community.cartalk.com/u/BillRussell)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2017, 1:12am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/optimistic/97876/9 "2017-01-03T01:12:19Z")
The Prince by Machiavelli ? Interesting. Iā€™m ashamed to say I never read it. But I didnā€™t think it was a novel. ---
**Author:** ![db4690](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/db4690/32/2583_2.png) [@db4690](https://community.cartalk.com/u/db4690)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2017, 1:22am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/optimistic/97876/10 "2017-01-03T01:22:59Z")
At my previous job, some guy took it upon himself to read ā€œThe Princeā€ by Machiavelli, just to be a smart alec He claimed that because he had read it, he was from that point on smarter and better than us in every way Obviously, he didnā€™t make any friends šŸ˜¤