"Do not squander time, for that is the stuff life is made of," said Benjamin Franklin.

Squander time?  Not Ben.  His accomplishments as a scientist, inventor, newspaper editor-publisher, author, political theorist, diplomat, statesman, and Postmaster General of these United States describe one of our greatest achievers.

Poor eyesight led him to invent bifocal glasses.  A need for a safer way to warm his home led him to invent the iron stove.

A need to help friends live safely led him to establish our country's first fire department.  An interest in medicine led him to establish our country's first hospital.

Interest in how many miles he traveled in his carriage led him to invent the odometer.

Interest in music led him to invent the glass harmonica.

"The sleeping fox catches no poultry," he said.  "Up! Up!"

Once called "addled" by a school teacher because his mind wandered, Thomas Edison received patents for over 1000 inventions.

He invented the telegraph and became a telegraph operator.  He printed and published his own newspaper.

He assisted in creating the first typewriter.  He invented the electrical vote recorder.

He gave us paraffin paper, the electrical pen, the electric light bulb, the electric railway to move passengers and freight.

He invented the carbon microphone used in radio broadcasting and public address systems.  He invented the motion picture camera with voice soundtrack.

He invented the phonograph and established the first manufacturing plant for phonographs and phonograph records.

"Be courageous," he said.  "Have faith and go forward."

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