Awesome!!!

This weekend, I saw some of the most awesome sights in nature. I spent the weekend at the Ovens National Park in Lunenburg. I had often heard about them, but had never been there. I was not prepared for how awesome they really were.

The campsite overlooked the ocean. When there is nothing but ocean for as far as the eye can see, it seems so incredible that there is that much water actually on the Earth. It spanned for miles and miles. The sun and moon shining on it all that distance just made it seem even more expansive. The Bluenose even sailed into the bay.

Then there was the Ovens themselves. We went for a walk on the nature trails. The view from the top of the cliffs was spectacular. I almost felt as though I was looking at the Grand Canyon. The cliffs were sheer rock that had been just gouged away by glaciers, exposing thousands of layers of rock, many of which were different colours. The ovens were deep caves gouged even further into these cliffs. When the water comes up into them and the waves roll in and out, it sounds like thunder. It was awesome!

When we took a walk all along the different portions of the beach, the sights were amazing. (Yes, I have actually seen a beach before.) All of the rocks on the beach were either completely round and smooth from years of water washing over them or they were jagged, very large hunks of jagged rock in many layers.

There was also a few farm animals that I went to see. There were two pigs (Pork and Ham; that really is their names) , five rabbits, and two goats. The goats and pigs loved to have their heads scratched. They are cute. I got some nice pics too.

I think the most awesome sight I saw, though, was the lovers going hand-in-hand and arm-in-arm. Love is the most awesome thing on Earth, and I was envious!!!

Nursery Rhymes, 21st Century Style

Mary had a little pig,
She kept it fat and plastered;
And when the price of pork went up,
She shot the little bastard.

Mary had a little lamb,
Her father shot it dead.
Now it goes to school with her,
Between two hunks of bread.

Jack and Jill went up the hill
To have a little fun.
Stupid Jill forgot the pill
And now they have a son.

Simple Simon met a Pie man going to the fair.
Said Simple Simon to the Pie man,
"What have you got there?"
Said the Pie man unto Simon,
"Pies, you dumb #$%!"

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
All the kings' horses,
And all the kings' men.
Had scrambled eggs,
For breakfast again.

Hey diddle, diddle, the cat took a piddle,
All over the bedside clock.
The little dog laughed to see such fun.
Then died of electric shock.

Georgy Porgie Pudding and Pie,
Kissed the girls and made them cry.
And when the boys came out to play,
He kissed them too 'cause he was gay.

There was a little girl who had a little curl
Right in the middle of her forehead.
When she was good, she was very, very good.
But when she was bad ...
She got a fur coat, jewels, a waterfront condo, and a sports car.

The Count Down Is Officially On

The countdown is on for my next move. One month from today is my closing date for taking possession of my new home. I'm nervous and excited all at the same time. This move will be bigger than the last, and a little more complex. There are things to move from 4 locations into the new one. I think I'm going to need lots of help for this one. Now to start making all the plans. Let the fun begin!!!

Smells Versus Smelly

Since Keyboard touched on the topic of scents, I would like to expand on it more.

We, here in Nova Scotia, are much more aware of environmental sensitivities than anywhere else in Canada or the world. I get aggravated by the people who complain about scents being banned. It is not simply because people do not like the smell of things (and there are some very stinky things out there) but because of an allergy and/or severe reactions (even anaphylaxis) to the chemicals used to create these scents.

A century ago, I don't believe there were many scents around that were not natural ones. People also didn't have many problems with allergies/asthma and other respiratory ailments. Researchers believe that many of these began when we started putting carpets on our floors and started to become a much more "clean" society. The carpets contributed to locking dustmites and other allergens inside our houses. We could no longer take our rugs out and hang them in the sun to kill these mites and beat the dirt out of them. Then came more awareness of cleanliness and the introduction of "antibacterial" cleaning supplies. We started killing the good bacteria and killing off so much of the bad stuff that our bodies no longer knew how to fight them. Now all that was left was for our bodies to fight our own histamines and create these problems.

The introduction of the chemical era, where everything is pumped full of chemicals, including our foods, has further complicated our lives. Researchers are now saying that our foods are so pumped full of chemicals that it takes our dead bodies upwards of 100 years to decompose as compared to the small fraction of that a century ago.

So what are we doing to our bodies anyway? Why are we pumping all these chemicals into everything? The drugs we take, the soaps/shampoos we use; our cleaning products, and nearly everything we eat are filled with chemicals. What happened to finding natural ways of doing things. God did not create this world without every natural thing we need to take care of ourselves.

So, I'm sorry if my request of you to refrain from using chemically-scented products offends you, but it makes me ill, it is not simply that I don't like it. If you do not respect that, then may you someday be blessed with the infliction and a better understanding and appreciation of its implications on a person's health.

Taxed to Death

I know we are all familiar with the saying "born free, taxed to death," and that really is no exaggeration. Take a look at the price of gas right now. It is out of this world. I'm glad I don't have to buy it, but I still pay for it through my electric bill. The electric company uses fuel for its generators and passes along the increase to the consumers. None of us can escape it.

This same government that is imposing this sky-high fuel tax is also offering its public service employees only 2.9%, 2.9%, and 2.9% raises in a 3-year contract to their already below average salaries. I fail to see how they can justify this. This increase doesn't come close to meeting the cost of living. On top of that, how much money did they get in the oil deal? How much of that do you think our public servants will see? I only know they line their pockets well. They give themselves 6%+ raises every year on their 6-figure salaries while they work us as if we were in sweatshops.

Am I sick of being taxed to death, overworked, and underpaid by our provincial government? You bet!!!!

Watching Letters Two

Over at Sam's Place, he is talking about watching his letters and the funny errors that can result when we miss them. I have three such experiences I can relate as well.

About 20 years ago, when computers were just beginning to hit our office and schools, I typed a letter for the boss I had at the time. He was a business education consultant, and part of the business ed curriculum included the use of computers in the classroom. In this letter he was writing to a principal, he talked about sending along some information to him. I typed the letter, scanned it, and gave it to him for signature. Well ... I should have read it more carefully, because he came out of his office laughing and asked me to re-read the letter. Half-way through it I saw the source of his laughter. The information he was intending to send was a "floppy disk" in which instance I had erroneously substituted the letter "c" for the "s." I'm pretty sure my face turned red, he continued to laugh, and said, "I can see where your mind is." My mind is still there.

In another instance, after much proofreading by several people, there was still an embarrassing misspelling in an English language arts guide that was sent to all high school teachers in the province. One of the teachers found it, circled it, and faxed it to us suggesting that we may want to correct the error for future printings, which of course we did. In this instance, the "l" was left out of a reference to "public" schools. Just what are we teaching our children???

I'm sure you may have heard the controversy last year about the error that was printed on several thousand pins that were distributed by the Department of Health during flu vaccination time. This one makes me laugh the hardest, I believe, because there may be a total of 15 words on the pin, yet someone could not read it closely enough to see that they were promoting "pubic health" in the province. That one really blew me away. I think the cost of that error to the province was $30G. No small potatoes, and it made the news.

I guess we need to very carefully watch our Ps and Qs, or in these instances, our Ls and Ss!!

Death Clock

Well, Keyboard, according to that death clock website, I will be 102 when I die. It's kind of scary to think that someone has created a clock that they think tells them when we will die. Personally, I think our Creator is the only one with that knowledge.

More on Periods

OK, Keyboard. I will take your word for your meaning of the two periods. At my age, two periods that close together is not that unusual. (LOL)

As for using them to fill in the blanks on your example stories, I hope to someday complete one of those stories for you, in my version..

Two Periods?

So, Keyboard, what's with the double periods at the end of your blogs anyway? What is the significance? An ellipsis is three periods, indicating something is left out.

I agree with you that sometimes the design in multiple-language instructions can be very confusing and a waste of paper. We all read things differently, so it can be hard to know what a reader is looking for. Some designers get it right, others struggle. Then again, what is right for one reader is not for another. Oh well, we try hard. Just follow the English ones as best you can and forget the rest are there. Follow the yellow brick road and you will find the wizard to help you.

I'm off to see the wizard ... Do you suppose the wizard could help me too?

What a Difference a Period Can Make

Yeah ... that one, too, depending on your situation. It can be a friend or a curse. (teehee)

However, what I am referring to today is the use of periods and commas in writing. Misplacing or not using either one can totally change the the context of what you are writing. The following examples are courtesy of Reader's Digest. I'm sure you have seen others like them.

From a Grade 2 student on a farewell banner to his teacher: Thank you for teaching us Jack. {Guess she wasn't such a great teacher, huh?}

From a State Trooper: Get tips on how to keep yourself safe from Trooper First Class Ronald Yanica of the Maryland State Police. {Not a trooper I want to mess with!}

Reporting on a Robbery: Authorities said the robber is a 6-foot tall white male with a beard weighing approximately 220 pounds. {That must be a very heavy weight on his face. Somethign must be nesting in it.}

Woman reading an essay her husband had written: After retiring my wife, the kids and I plan to ... {I can imagine the look of shock on her face.}

Just a reminder to be sure to reread what you have written with the proper oral pauses to ensure that you do not deliver an incorrect message. You may insult someone or, if you are lucky, you may just give them a laugh. At minimum, you could certainly raise a few eyebrows!

This Page Intentionally Left Blank—A Response

Keyboard, you are so right. It is ridiculous when you see this. Working with publishing on a daily basis, I have seen this many times.

This assumes idiocy on the part of the reader that they would not know that there is supposed to be a blank page leading into the next section or chapter. For the most part, publications, unless there is a space issue such as in magazines and newspapers, start a new chapter or section on a right-hand page. Often this means that the left-hand page is blank. A good proofreader would check to ensure that the information on the preceding right-hand page is complete so as not to lead the reader to believe that there should be more information that follows.

Personally, I think things like this are rather insulting to people's intelligence. Most people are not that stupid. I think that is right up there with writing notes in user's manuals telling people not to use a powersaw while naked or to put their fingers into a running lawnmower. Well ... duh!!! Who would do that anyway? Then again ... I do know someone who put his fingers in a running lawnmower and got one of them cut off. Yes ... that was idiocy. Enough said!!!!

Charles Schultz's Philosophy

The following is the philosophy of Charles Schultz, the creator of the "Peanuts" comic strip. You don't have to actually answer the questions. Just read straight through, and you'll get the point. It will just take a moment.

1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.
2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.
3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America.
4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.
5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winner for best actor and actress.
6. Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners.

How did you do? The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday. These are not second-rate achievers. They are the best in their fields. But the applause dies. Awards tarnish. Acheivements are forgotten. Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.

Here's another quiz. See how you do on this one:

1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.
2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.
3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.
4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special.
5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.

Lesson: The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards. They are the ones that care.

So don't feel you have to keep up with the Joneses or that you have to reach the top of the ladder in your job. Just be someone who cares. I know I am far more impressed by a kind heart than I am by money.

Communications—A Response to Sam's Place

Communications, as Keyboard pointed out, is an evolutionary process. Yes, we have cordless phones, wireless headsets, cell phones, e-mail, text messages, and instant messaging.

However, there is still no substitute for face-to-face conversation where both parties listen and are heard. There is far too little of this in our society. Few people know how to REALLY communicate these days. It's really a sad state of affairs.

I, for one, will do my part to listen (and not just wait for a chance to talk), to hear, and to try to understand. In turn, I hope I receive the same. Communication is VERY important. Be careful to say what you truly mean and say it as kindly as you can, even if it does hurt someone. That's the nature of life.