A Laugh Amongst Co-Workers

This morning a couple co-workers from another section came to my office. Ordinarily this would be nothing to write home about, or at least nothing write about period, but today's situation was different. One of the two people was 'The Mumbler' and she was mumbling away to this second person, I'll call Gary, who in turn responded with non commital uh huh's in all the right places (if there are any right places to acknowledge something when The Mumbler is talking). These uh-huh's sounded void of feeling as if he was just mecahnically responding to make the appearance of listening. All those who have ever had a run in with The Mumbler know this all too well.

When I saw the situation unfold, I burst out laughing. I laughed because every now and then I am in the same sitation with The Mumbler and knew that Gary wasn't really listening to what The Mumbler was mumbling about. Gary did his best to hold his laughter (he knew exactly why I was laughing) but on his exit from my office he cracked and started to laugh. All the while The Mumbler continued to mumble.

A Cold Munday Morning

I realized today why my postings have been really rare: I don't think to write about basic events like this one below.

There I was, lying in bed enjoying a nice dream about something, totally oblivious to the alarm clock blaring a tune beside me. Getting up out of my nice warm bed into the cold world was the furthest thing from my mind. Finally, after several minutes the music invaded my dream and awoke me from my slumber. 5:42 it said. I hit snooze and went back to la-la land. Exactly nine minutes later, not ten minutes, not eight minutes, not even nine minutes and two seconds, nope, exactly nine minutes later my clock radio came to life again and again I hit the trusty snooze button and went back to sleep.

The third time the radio buzzed to life I looked at the clock, 6:00, hit the snooze but did not go back to sleep. Instead of drifting back to sleep I laid in bed trying to figure out if I could go back to sleep for another nine minutes (or whatever remained of the nine minutes) or if I had to get the day going. My bladder ended up deciding that one for me so I turned off the alarm and hit the washroom. While emptying my bladder I realized I could have stayed in bed for one more round.

That lead to tough decision number two, should I jump in the shower or sneak back into the warmth of my bed for another few minutes. The seconds of thought grew into minutes as I remained a statue in the washroom. 'If I go back I would have to reset my alarm...but the bed is nice and warm...the car likely needs some warming up before heading to the station...but the bed is nice and warm...the water in the shower can be real warm too...I can't sleep in the shower.' Finally, I just jumped into the shower and got the day going.

Over four hours after those fateful decisions I still want to go back to that nice warm bed. What happened to the weekend anyhow????

The Difference a Little Snow Makes

About a week ago or so as I was drowning out the chatter in car 2404 on the westbound train to Union, a Christmas song took its turn on my iPod. Since it was a great song by the TSO (that’s the Trans-Siberian Orchestra not the Toronto Symphony Orchestra) I decided to give it a go but after a few short bars the song was skipped. The weather was a balmy 8C that morning and the sun was shining.

Fast forward to this morning. A cold, dark, dreary morning that didn’t start getting light until I was halfway to work, a light that was enhanced by the bright white snow covering the ground. Another great Christmas song from the Trans-Siberian Orchestra played on my iPod and this time it got a full listen even though it was inferior to the song I skipped only a short time ago.

I could say that my change in attitude came from the fact that Christmas is steadily getting closer; or maybe because my sister keeps talking about finishing her Christmas shopping; or maybe even because of the really bad Christmas commercials that have invaded my cathode ray tube (maybe Santa can fix my lack of an LCD). I could use any of those reasons but it would be a lie. The real reason for my attitude change is the white gold that fell through the night and the cold temperatures that helped it get here. I just wish I could be listening to that music drinking a hot chocolate whilst sitting in front of a fire…

October 2008 Quotes

Yeah, with all of these men linin' up to get neutered
It's hip now to be feminized
But I don't highlight my hair, I've still got a pair
Yeah honey, I'm still a guy
- Brad Paisley (I'm Still A Guy)

The more women there are about, the softer a wise man steps.
- Robert Jordan (The Fires of Heaven)

Power went with standing high, but so did blame for the failures of those beneath you.
- Robert Jordan (The Fires of Heaven)

Sometimes…we must do things we would rather not.
- Robert Jordan (Crossroads of Twilight)

…he was way past foolishness and dwelling in the land of idiocy.
- Stephen King (Wizard and Glass)

The will of the people…practically means the will of the most numerous or the most active part of the people
- John Stuart Mill (On Liberty)

In politics it is almost a triviality to say that public opinion now rules the world. The only power deserving the name is that of masses, and of governments while they make themselves the organ of the tendencies and instincts of masses…And what is still a greater novelty, the mass do not now take their opinions from dignitaries in Church or State, from ostensible leaders, or from books. Their thinking is done for them by men much like themselves, addressing them or speaking in their name, on the spur of the moment, through the newspapers.
- John Stuart Mill (On Liberty)

Virtually every politician gains support by compromise. He alters his views to win the support of as many different people and groups as he can.
- Robert A. Liston (Politics: From Precinct to Presidency)

…the ultimate power of government must of necessity reside in the people.
- James Wilson

…the two [political] parties were like two bottles. Each bore a label denoting the kind of liqour it contained, but each was empty.
- Richard Hofstadter (The American Political Tradition)

The business of government is to organize the common interest against the sepcial interests.
- Woodrow Wilson

No Canadian, it has been said, is more inconsistent than he who follows one party consistently.
-J. Murray Beck (Pendulum of Power: Canada's Federal Elections)

The Canadian Forum…doubted if "a party whose heart is outside of Canada [could] ever become very interested in Canadian reconstruction…"
- J. Murray Beck (Pendulum of Power: Canada's Federal Elections)

Man is never less entitled to be called Homo Sapiens than when he is engaged in performing his first duty of citizenship
- John W. Dafoe

Apes were invented because politicians were needed.
- Isaac Asimov (Fantastic Voyage II: Destination Brain)

…people find it far easier to forgive others for being wrong than being right.
- J.K. Rowling (Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince)

The trouble with him is he's so used to knowing, he sometimes forgets that others occasionally don't know.
- Isaac Asimov (Prelude to Foundation)

The times choose when children must grow up…
-Robert Jordan (Crossroads of Twilight)

Eloquence, when at its highest pitch, leaves little room for reason or reflection…
- David Hume (An Inquiry Concerning Human Understanding)

So great has been the fear of the power of the writer through history that books have been burned in the belief that the putting to flame of the printed word also destroyed the spirit which lived in the word.
- Kay Boyle (On Writing By Writers)

Some observers…are convinced that the pursuit of money and temporary pleasure is killing all other powers of the spirit and corrupting society.
- Gilbert Highet (Man's Unconquerable Mind)

That was the trouble with talking. Sometimes, you said more than you wanted.
- Robert Jordan (Crossroads of Twilight)

And is there any pleasure you can name that is greater and keener than sexual pleasure?
No; nor any that is more like frenzy.
- Francis MacDonald Cornford (The Republic of Plato)

Thus I cannot conclude anything from this except that my nature is not entirely and universally cognizant of all things. And at this there is no reason to be surprised, since man, being of a finite nature, is also restricted to a knowledge of a limited perfection.
- Rene Descartes (Meditations on First Philosophy)

I've seen many people with status, but I'm still looking for a happy one.
- Isaac Asimov (Prelude to Foundation)

…men well paid often failed to stay bought.
- Bruce Hutchison (Mr. Prime Minister 1867-1964)

A pretty woman, still quite young, does somehow distract a man's mind from his troubles more effectively than most things would.
- Isaac Asimov (Fantastic Voyage II: Destination Brain)

Not bubbling fountains to the thirsty swain,
Not balmy sleep to laborers faint with pain,
Not showers to larks, nor sunshine to the bee,
Are half so charming as thy sight to me.
- Alexander Pope (Autumn)

So dies her love, and so my hopes decay.
- Alexander Pope (Autumn)