Today I got two early Christmas presents from GO transit. 1. The train was at the station waiting when I got there and ran on time; and 2. the parking lot at the train station was plowed. It is just sad that these two things have become so unexpected. Let's hope they give me a third present and get me home on time.
Despite the great gifts above, I am still waiting for one of my Christmas wishes to come true. Having Pierre McGuire not do the World Junior hockey championship broadcasts. When I hear his broadcasts the phrase 'beating a dead horse' comes to mind as he mentions a useless fact and then reiterates it for another ten minutes. Thankfully televisions come with a mute feature.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Thursday, December 04, 2008
The Ants Go Marching 2 By 2...
Until they come to a set of doors or stairs that is.
Every day after work, us ants go marching towards Union Station and the train platforms on our way home. We cram through several sets of double doors and even climb some stairs, most with sufficient room for two. Seems like a pretty straight forward exercise doesn't it? Pretty mundane; not worth writing about. I would tend to agree but unfortunately, the double door system is too much for most to comprehend. People avoid the second door like it is death itself and create a needless bottle neck as they force their way through the single door.
When this occurs at the bottom of the stairs I can at least understand because the one door is generally propped open. People are lazy and go for the easiest choice. When this occurs at the top of the stairs, with both doors closed, it just floors me. Take last night for example. I was walking up the stairs with someone on my left as we approached the doors. Both were closed at the time but instead of opening the door on the left, this person chooses the one on the right for some unknown reason. I sure did laugh when this person walked into the door as I reached to open it instead only stopping it's progress. Of course it was unintentional.
My lesson here likely had as much affect on this person as my not slowing down when being cut off walking does to those tripping over my feet.
Every day after work, us ants go marching towards Union Station and the train platforms on our way home. We cram through several sets of double doors and even climb some stairs, most with sufficient room for two. Seems like a pretty straight forward exercise doesn't it? Pretty mundane; not worth writing about. I would tend to agree but unfortunately, the double door system is too much for most to comprehend. People avoid the second door like it is death itself and create a needless bottle neck as they force their way through the single door.
When this occurs at the bottom of the stairs I can at least understand because the one door is generally propped open. People are lazy and go for the easiest choice. When this occurs at the top of the stairs, with both doors closed, it just floors me. Take last night for example. I was walking up the stairs with someone on my left as we approached the doors. Both were closed at the time but instead of opening the door on the left, this person chooses the one on the right for some unknown reason. I sure did laugh when this person walked into the door as I reached to open it instead only stopping it's progress. Of course it was unintentional.
My lesson here likely had as much affect on this person as my not slowing down when being cut off walking does to those tripping over my feet.
Monday, December 01, 2008
November 2008 Quotes
Good looks are cheap in a wealthy country.
- Stephen King (Nona)
It requires a great country and great circumstances to develop great men.
- Charles Hibbert Tupper
The word is always a democracy in times of flux, and the man with the best voice will win.
- Orson Scott Card (Ender's Game)
Making something happen in the environment around them gives human beings a sense of competence. That, in turn, gives them pleasure.
- Bob Cullen (Why Golf?)
It is a poor head…that cannot find plausible reason for doing what the heart wants to do.
- William Jennings Bryan
Now, however, I have delayed so long that henceforward I should be afraid that I was committing a fault if, in continuing to deliberate, I expended time which should be devoted to action.
- Rene Descartes (Meditations on First Philosophy)
I thought that my invincible power
would hold the world captive,
leaving me in a freedom undisturbed.
Thus night and day I worked at the chain
with huge fires and cruel hard strokes.
When at last
the work was done,
I found that it held me in its grip
- Rabindranath Tagore
He had gone right through fear and come out the other side in some place cold. Anger was all that kept him warm.
- Robert Jordan (The Great Hunt)
It was beyond wise to enter battle angry. Anger narrowed the vision and made for foolish choices.
- Robert Jordan (New Spring)
You have a safe guide, an unfailing light, if you remember that faith is better than doubt and love is better than hate.
- Sir Wilfred Laurier
From the meanest creature one departs wiser, richer, more conscious of one's blessings.
- Samuel Beckett (Waiting for Godot)
But society has now fairly got the better of individuality; and the danger which threatens human nature is not the excess, but the deficiency, of personal impulses and preferences.
- John Stuart Mill (On Liberty)
Weird love’s better than no love at all.
- Stephen King (The Green Mile)
No human instinct is more powerful than the sex drive when it is fully aroused, and its awakening images are emotional tattoos that never leave us.
- Stephen King (Bag of Bones)
…power often grew from others deciding that you already had power, and an appearance of wealth could give that.
- Robert Jordan (New Spring)
A man’s work is the sweetest thing he owns.
- William W West (Printer’s Measure, Act III)
In the face of danger 'People don't always think or behave the way you might believe they would. - Robert Jordan (The Eye of the World)
...anyone who enables another to become powerful, brings about his own ruin.
- Niccolo Machiavelli (The Prince)
…it is desirable to be both loved and feared; but it is difficult to achieve both and, if one of them has to be lacking, it is much safer to be feared than loved.
- Niccolo Machiavelli (The Prince)
Love didn’t grow very well in a place where there was only fear…
- Stephen King (The Stand)
I guess all it takes to be happy in anything is knowin’ how to walk with your lot, whatever it is, in life.
- Claude Brown (Manchild in the Promised Land)
...'wish' and 'want' trip the feet, but 'is' makes the path smoother.
- Robert Jordan (The Fires of Heaven)
Without these two balances ('on the one hand' and 'on the other hand'), we cannot think.
- Gilbert Highet (Man's Unconquerable Mind)
To make nine important decisions a day, even if only five of them turn out right, was far better than making no decisions at all.
- Peter C Newman (The Canadian Establishment: Voume One)
…no matter how often the politicians may proclaim that Canada's economic system spreads abundance among the many, in reality, it creates wealth for the few.
- Peter C Newman (The Canadian Establishment: Volume One)
...exertion should always be in proportion to what is required.
- Jane Austen (Pride and Prejudice)
...in every stratum of society, from the mansion to the gutter, the genuinely innocent were a distinct minority.
- Dean Koontz (Dragon Tears)
Wherever an advance takes place, ultimately all humanity is helped.
- Isaac Asimov (Nemesis)
Character is the real test of manhood. Live within your income, no matter how small it may be. Permanent wealth is maintained and preserved by vigilance and prudence and not by speculation.
- John H R Molson
- Stephen King (Nona)
It requires a great country and great circumstances to develop great men.
- Charles Hibbert Tupper
The word is always a democracy in times of flux, and the man with the best voice will win.
- Orson Scott Card (Ender's Game)
Making something happen in the environment around them gives human beings a sense of competence. That, in turn, gives them pleasure.
- Bob Cullen (Why Golf?)
It is a poor head…that cannot find plausible reason for doing what the heart wants to do.
- William Jennings Bryan
Now, however, I have delayed so long that henceforward I should be afraid that I was committing a fault if, in continuing to deliberate, I expended time which should be devoted to action.
- Rene Descartes (Meditations on First Philosophy)
I thought that my invincible power
would hold the world captive,
leaving me in a freedom undisturbed.
Thus night and day I worked at the chain
with huge fires and cruel hard strokes.
When at last
the work was done,
I found that it held me in its grip
- Rabindranath Tagore
He had gone right through fear and come out the other side in some place cold. Anger was all that kept him warm.
- Robert Jordan (The Great Hunt)
It was beyond wise to enter battle angry. Anger narrowed the vision and made for foolish choices.
- Robert Jordan (New Spring)
You have a safe guide, an unfailing light, if you remember that faith is better than doubt and love is better than hate.
- Sir Wilfred Laurier
From the meanest creature one departs wiser, richer, more conscious of one's blessings.
- Samuel Beckett (Waiting for Godot)
But society has now fairly got the better of individuality; and the danger which threatens human nature is not the excess, but the deficiency, of personal impulses and preferences.
- John Stuart Mill (On Liberty)
Weird love’s better than no love at all.
- Stephen King (The Green Mile)
No human instinct is more powerful than the sex drive when it is fully aroused, and its awakening images are emotional tattoos that never leave us.
- Stephen King (Bag of Bones)
…power often grew from others deciding that you already had power, and an appearance of wealth could give that.
- Robert Jordan (New Spring)
A man’s work is the sweetest thing he owns.
- William W West (Printer’s Measure, Act III)
In the face of danger 'People don't always think or behave the way you might believe they would. - Robert Jordan (The Eye of the World)
...anyone who enables another to become powerful, brings about his own ruin.
- Niccolo Machiavelli (The Prince)
…it is desirable to be both loved and feared; but it is difficult to achieve both and, if one of them has to be lacking, it is much safer to be feared than loved.
- Niccolo Machiavelli (The Prince)
Love didn’t grow very well in a place where there was only fear…
- Stephen King (The Stand)
I guess all it takes to be happy in anything is knowin’ how to walk with your lot, whatever it is, in life.
- Claude Brown (Manchild in the Promised Land)
...'wish' and 'want' trip the feet, but 'is' makes the path smoother.
- Robert Jordan (The Fires of Heaven)
Without these two balances ('on the one hand' and 'on the other hand'), we cannot think.
- Gilbert Highet (Man's Unconquerable Mind)
To make nine important decisions a day, even if only five of them turn out right, was far better than making no decisions at all.
- Peter C Newman (The Canadian Establishment: Voume One)
…no matter how often the politicians may proclaim that Canada's economic system spreads abundance among the many, in reality, it creates wealth for the few.
- Peter C Newman (The Canadian Establishment: Volume One)
...exertion should always be in proportion to what is required.
- Jane Austen (Pride and Prejudice)
...in every stratum of society, from the mansion to the gutter, the genuinely innocent were a distinct minority.
- Dean Koontz (Dragon Tears)
Wherever an advance takes place, ultimately all humanity is helped.
- Isaac Asimov (Nemesis)
Character is the real test of manhood. Live within your income, no matter how small it may be. Permanent wealth is maintained and preserved by vigilance and prudence and not by speculation.
- John H R Molson
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