One of those emails

There is one of those sappy emails circulating with real or imagined testimonies. While I can't verify the content, there are some good lessons in the stories.

I will post them over the next few days without comment.

1 - First Important Lesson - Cleaning Lady.

During my second month of college, our professor
gave us a pop quiz. I was a conscientious student
and had breezed through the questions until I read
the last one:

'What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?'
Surely this was some kind of joke. I had seen the
cleaning woman several times. She was tall,
dark-haired and in her 50's, but how would I know her name?

I handed in my paper, leaving the last question
blank. Just before class ended, one student asked if
the last question would count toward our quiz grade.
'Absolutely, ' said the professor. 'In your careers,
you will meet many people. All are significant. They
deserve your attention and care, even if all you do
is smile and say 'hello.'

I've never forgotten that lesson. I also learned her
name was Dorothy.

Christmas Shopping Survey

Movie Survey

The Gift of Giving

A CanadaHelps charity gift card is a unique way to send a gift to the person who has everything! Simply pick an amount, choose a card, fill out your gift options, then checkout and pay for the gift card. Your gift recipient will receive an email notification about your gift. He/she can then visit the website to spend the gift card on the charity he/she chooses.

Its simple, fun and an innovative gift idea!

You may want to let them know that you support Brown Bagging for Calgary's Kids (search keyword brown)

Wednesday Thoughts

"Freedom is not worth having if it does not include the freedom to make mistakes.”
- Ghandi

“While we are free to choose our actions, we are not free to choose the consequences of our actions.” - Stephen Covey

“Everyone pushes a falling fence” - Chinese Proverb

"Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering."
- Jesus (Mark 5:34)

Loss and Gain

Loss and Gain
Henry Wadswarth Longfellow (pd)

When I compare
What I have lost with what I have gained,
What I have missed with what attained,
Little room do I find for pride.

I am aware
How many days have been idly spent;
How like an arrow the good intent
Has fallen short or been turned aside.

But who shall dare
To measure loss and gain in this wise?
Defeat may be victory in disguise;
The lowest ebb is the turn of the tide.

Tuesday Thoughts

"Things do not change; we change." — Henry David Thoreau

"People don't resist change. They resist being changed!" — Peter Senge

"If you don't like something, change it; if you can't change it, change the way you think about it." — Mary Engelbreit

Free Rice

Much like The Hunger Site but with the added twist that you can be learning something too. I got to 5000 on my first day and then realized that I had played for 20 minutes. Check out Free Rice a couple of times a week to help alleviate hunger and accumulate vocabulary.

More DST

With full credit to Seth Godin

Some ideas and quotes about the time battle.

Here are some things worth noting about the evolution of DST:

"Invented" by Ben Franklin

but not really, because in 1444, the walled city of Basel was about to be attacked. There were infidels outside, and some had infiltrated the town. The guards caught some of the bad guys and heard that the attack was to begin precisely at noon. An alert sentry changed the clock in the square an hour. Brilliant! The insiders, unaided by their allies, started their diversion an hour early. They were all arrested.

Sir William Christie, Astronomer Royal, called DST nothing but special legislation for late risers.
The theatre owners united (RIAA flashback!) and worked hard to defeat the bill, saying that if it weren't dark at night, their business would be completely decimated.
My very favorite quote of all comes from Mississippi.

"Repeal the law and have the clocks proclaim God's time and tell the truth!" That comes from Congressman Ezekiel Candler, Jr.

If this stuff intersts you, Seth has offered a link to Seize the Daylight : The Curious and Contentious Story of Daylight Saving Time

An Extra Hour

Well not really but as the country (except Saskatchewan) resets their clocks back one hour on Sunday morning,(Spring forward, Fall back)there are some tasks that usually happen on this day. As a reminder;

Check your smoke alarm and change the batteries.

If you have a CO detector - ditto

Check your furnace filters - clean and replace as needed.

Take ALL your recycling to depot including unwanted electronics, batteries and clothing.

Put the ice scraper, shovel and survival kit back in the trunk of your auto.

Check wipers, tires, antifreeze and exhaust system.

Wow - you thought you had an extra hour.