It is pretty rare to have a blackout in Toronto, Canada, rare enough to catch people off guard. Without warning at 6:30pm we lost power for 5 hours. As we have lived in China before, we had automatically shifted our state of readiness so that in such unlikely events we are always ready. This time we really did need it.
Blackouts here in Toronto are indeed pretty rare. We have the occasional brownout, where the lights flicker and maybe the computers need a reboot, but the last full on blackout happened around 10 years ago in 2003, when some software glitch in a power plant in Ohio took down the US eastern seaboard and much of Ontario and Quebec.
Effortless and costing nothing, kind words are easily forgotten by the speaker. It was really nothing. Yet to the recipient, these kind words, at the right time and place, can uplift spirits sufficiently to allow them to continue their life, no matter the difficulty. We need more of these kind words, so spread the word.
What does it take to be nice to someone when you could have been equally harsh? At times words that correct bad actions are needed, and in the end will greatly benefit the receiver. They may not like it at the time, but hopefully they will appreciate the time and effort it took you in order for them to improve.
As a nation Canadians talk large about the need to conserve energy and treat Mother Nature with more respect, i.e. let’s not continually hurt her. In many examples, recycling of food and consumer packaged goods comes to mind, here in Toronto I feel we are doing a very good job. Yet when you look around out streets I continually see a large proportion of very big personal vehicles such as SUVs. These new vehicles, while professing energy efficiency, do the exact opposite when used only by a single driver.
With four fancy pieces of paper from three universities and one from a college, I consider myself educated. It is with dismay that I find obtaining employment difficult, both for myself and for many around me. It is not that we are lazy, oh no. We are at risk of sacrificing a generation of workers, in what I see as a structural change in long-term employment. We must critically look at the implications of high unemployment amongst young people. Whether there should be changes, or not, I cannot say, But to do nothing is unacceptable.
When you buy new fish to add to your existing aquarium, you really should quarantine the new fish in order to check them out. To add them in directly might contaminate your existing tank and/or make your new fish sick. You would then need to treat all your fish, new and old, to medical treatment and risk the possible loss of existing fish.
One day you might realize that your down is up and your up is down. At first it is most disorienting. Your head spins at first as your world is violently shaken up like a snow globe, but eventually you accept the reality, or non-reality, of the situation. Acceptance of the situation is the first step to rehabilitation. The alternative is to go crazy.
Having your down become up is most frightening. What you thought was your base has now become your ceiling? This leaves a most unsettling feeling in the gut of your stomach, which, for a long time does not go away.
You need to fit in, somewhat, to live in harmony with society. This is true. Even those that are anti-social will form groups, of which there will be rules that govern who is part of the group and what constitutes acceptable bahaviour. I believe all societal systems run this way. It is part of who we are.
This is not to say that conformity is a bad thing. Without conformity there would be no way to drive down the street and not get hit by a car. Drivers, pedestrians and other users of the road need to conform to the road usage system, namely the Highway Traffic Act. We have laws that govern these things. Those that scofflaw the rules can hurt other people and get punished for their behaviour. In the name of safety this is good.
From a practical point of view, eating bugs should be a given. However here in Toronto, Canada, we as a society are squeamish about the subject. Recently I had the opportunity to try some worm larvets for myself. They really were not bad but not tasty, really. They actually had no taste at all. What is the point? Bugs really rule the world and are a good source of protein. If we ate more bugs we would reduce the dependence on red and chicken meat, which requires lots of the earth’s resources. We could be kinds to the earth by eating more bugs. The Little Weed tried one for shock value and also said there was very little taste.
Adventure rightly sums up every selling experience I have on Kijiji and Craigslist. One would think that selling your used goods would be so simple, but there are definite buyer patterns that emerge. Maybe exchanges using Kijiji and Craigslist are a true reflection of the society we live, with some good and some bad. Here are some that I see here in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Lowball Offers: I research my products and do not over charge. I prefer that my goods sell quickly. When I get someone emailing me with an offer of half what I want, this is a lowball offer. These offers are extremely common. I ignore them.
Prank calling is not a new form of entertainment. When done with good taste it is harmless. The Australian radio station 2Day took their prank call way too far, abusing the helpfulness of two nurses, breaking the privacy of a pregnant woman (who happens to be from the British Royal family), and this they call entertainment? I call this a depraved act that someone with some morals should have said “No, this is not correct”. Some manager approved this stunt and the result was a breach of privacy of the pregnant woman as well as the unfortunate suicide of one of the nurses. Is this what 2Day FM calls entertainment? If I was not Canadian I would certainly call the sponsors of 2Day FM to complain that they are supporting an immoral radio station and would boycott their products.
