The Golden Age

While rereading "The Game" by Ken Dryden I came upon a quote I always liked and is so true.

"Nothing is as good as it used to be, and it never was. The "Golden Age" of sports," the "Golden Age"of anything, is the age of everyone's childhood."

What do you live by?

"Breakfast done, the paper read, it is mid-morning and my day is finally beginning. Today is a "practice day," as yesterday was; tomorrow and the nextday are "game days." Today, we are "at home," tomorrow we'll be "on the road." If someone were to ask me the day of the week, I would think for a moment and say it is Tuesday, though I wouldn't be sure. And if they wanted to know more, I would tell them it is February, but I don't know the date. I almost never know the date. And while sport life runs on time (and because it does, actually fifteen to thirty minutes ahead of time), I wear no watch. On "practice days" it is "before practice" or "after practice"; on "game days," before "the [team] meal," or "after teh meal." Occaisionally, usually travelling to or from the West Coast, we have a day with no game or practice, a "travel day." Less often, perhaps once a month, we have an "off-day," a day at home. This is the "hockey season"; three months from now, six months ago, it was the "off season" - these are the seasons of our year. While others live by a calendar and a clock, we live by a schedule." 

Ken Dryden "The Game"

I was talking with family about work and trying to explain how we see time there. It wasn't easy. Before getting full time my work days were was all over the place. I didn't usually have the same "Monday" or "Friday". For about 3 months before getting FT my shifts were usually late afternoon and over night. Mainly overnight. It was nothing to hear someone saying "Morning" when I showed up at 6PM to start a 10 hour shift. Then of course "Have a good night." when I got off work at 4:30AM.

Now I am on days. Thursday is my Monday. Monday is my Friday. Tuesday and Wednesday are my weekend. Mornings are really mornings now.

Someone who didn't work there would find our comments about work time and days confusing. Maybe even a little insane. I know my friends and family got a little confused by my references at times.

Dryden definitely understands it. He put it into words I wish I had thought of. I live by a schedule. Not a clock or a calendar.

What the ... rum?!?!?

"They are a rum lot."

If you have read any period novels, like those by Patrick O'Brian, you will have seen the word rum used in a way we aren't really used to seeing. In British slang (old) it can mean odd, strange, or even presenting danger or difficulty, when used as an adjective.

What can I say, I kind of like it. Mooks are a rum lot after all. :)

Insecurity

"... and since a tyrant's position is a little less insecure if the discontent can be directed at a foreigner,"

The above is a quote from "The Far Side of the World" by Patrick O'Brian. Dr. Maturin was talking about why their ship should avoid some areas, such as Argentina. It made me think about Argentina in the 80's and the whole Falkland's crisis.

The Junta in charge needed to distract the people from the dismal economic situation, not to mention lack of civil liberties, so they decided to invade the Falklands.

"who knows what imaginary crimes may not be fastened upon our people?"

The last part of the quote really made me think about South Korea and the Republican Party in the US.

In the case of Korea it reminded me of the way Mad Cow was used to push an anti-America agenda. The lengths Koreans, whether the Government or the people, go to excoriate foreigners.

In the case of the US, the way the Republican's use batshit to try and taint Obama.

Heh ... I used taint. :)

Great quote on many levels. :)

Doctor Who Quotes

I decided to enjoy part of my day off by catching up on some television. (The weather is too blah to go out and do anything. And 10 minutes after posting this the sun came out.) So I caught up on my Doctor Who and watched the two latest episodes. There were some great lines but after watching the shows I couldn't remember them verbatim so I did what any nerd would do and googled "Doctor Who Quotes". It led me to a great site, Wikiquote. It has a huge amount of quotations by the Doctor, just missing the latest episode. Including the quote that was stuck in my head. "Never knowingly be serious. It went thusly;

The Doctor: Sonic cane!

Melody: Are you serious?

The Doctor: Never knowingly. Never knowingly be serious — rule 27. You might want to write these down.

Heh ... I love that one. :)

Now to go look at some Leroy Jethro Gibbs quotes. ;)

Being Sick

The Chinese have a saying that goes something like this;

In order to truly appreciate being healthy you must be sick.

Or to quote Anthony Bourdain;

"Only when you have been through a really bad time, do you really know what good is."

Regardless of which one you like it is so true. I was sick the last couple of days. Not sniffly sick but vomiting and hershey squirts sick. Strangely enough, had some of my best sleep in a while, and some freaky dreams. Feeling like your guts are going to explode into your lap makes you cherish the times you don't feel that way.

This is my 1st time really sick since coming back from South Korea. I used to get sinus infections on a regular basis there. The ENT doctor I went to blamed it on the air pollution and yellow dust. I used to get cellulitis annually in my legs. The doctor I went to for it said it was common in SoKo. Since coming home I haven't had any major health problems until now.

It would be easy to blame it all on Korea but that wouldn't be honest. A part of the blame has to go to me for the unhealthy lifestyle I led. I didn't look after my health properly most of the time. By the time I started to, well, it was a long road back. While I am sure the pollution had an impact on my health it wasn't the only factor.

Since coming home I finished making the changes in my lifestyle I started my last year in SoKo. They have paid off a lot. A lot of it was due to my dog, may he rest in peace. If he didn't get walked 3-4 times a day he wouldn't let you rest.

Anyway, I am starting to digress again. Being sick really does help you appreciate being healthy.

P.E.T. on Nationalism

... nationalism was logically untenable since every group that considered itself a "nation" contained even smaller ethnic minorities that could themselves claim independence. If the nationalist trend were followed to its logical conclusion, human societies would become hopelessly fragmented . The solution lay in broader, not narrower, definitions of community.

- from Trudeau and Our Times, page 82-83

I started reading the book this week and that comment stayed with me. It reminded me of the debate over Quebec possibly separating from Canada. The Separatists tried to take the view that Canada is divisible but Quebec isn't. All of Quebec would be forced to leave Canada even though large parts of it wouldn't want to. They wanted the right to leave Canada but were unwilling to accord the same right to those who didn't want a part of their new Quebec.

Family Meals

"We know, for instance, that there is a direct, inverse relationship between frequency of family meals and social problems. Bluntly stated, members of families who eat together regularly are statistically less likely to stick up liquor stores, blow up meth labs, give birth to crack babies, commit suicide, or make donkey porn. If Little Timmy had just had more meatloaf, he might not have grown up to fill chest freezers with Cub Scout parts."

— Anthony Bourdain (Medium Raw: A Bloody Valentine to the World of Food and the People Who Cook)

Before going to South Korea I would have scoffed at this. However, one of things I missed was the sit down family meal. Something I rarely engaged in but found myself wanting when it wasn't available.

I rarely ate at the table since my teen years. All meals were pretty much eaten in the living room, in front of the TV. Instead of catching up with family on what was going on in life I would catch up on TV. I never really knew what I was missing.

When I came home on vacation I started finding myself eating at the table. I would use the time as an opportunity to catch up on what my family was doing.

Now that I have been home for a year I find I always eat at the table. Even if it is just me there. I use the time to converse as well as eat. It feels good. I look forward to the big family sit down meals. It makes what Anthony said ring true with me.

Bill Maher defines cybersex.

I watched Bill Maher's show Real Time yesterday. It was a good one. The comment I loved the most ... still has me chuckling ... came (no pun intended) during his monologue at the end of the show.

... that is all cybersex is. An annoying person saying "Do me! Do me!" while you are a thousand miles away trying to maintain an erection while the cat walks across the keyboard.

That pretty much encapsulates cybersex. :)

Anthony Bourdain - The Nasty Bits

"Travel changes you. As you move through this life and this world you change things slightly, you leave marks behind, however small. And in return, life - and travel - leaves marks on you. Most of the time, those marks - on your body or on your heart - are beautiful. Often, though, they hurt."

Interesting Phrase.

My buddy Spock recently posted an interesting phrase he encountered in a Buddhist magazine, Sedentary Agitation. It is defined as being regularly upset by something, yet not getting out of the chair to do something about it.

I like it. :)

No Reservations - South Korea

"You know, when I get back to New York I am going to be pouring that stuff on my cheerios in the morning."

Anthony talking about soju.

Great Quote

Great Blog post by Charles Pierce of The Boston Globe. The post is titled "Stop Your Sobbing".

There is one good thing to come out of the NHL's abdication of its duty to protect people like Max Pacioretty yesterday. That is -- the fans of the Boston Bruins now have lost forever any right to complain that "the league" is out to get their team, and that the Montreal Canadiens have some kind of pull inside the NHL home office. That Zdeno Chara got a complete pass on what he did obviates that talking point forever.

Well said Mr. Pierce. Considering the lack of a call on Lucic for a blatant cross check to a players head that wasn't punished, the emails of Colin Campbell's (the NHL head in charge of meting out supplemental punishment) that surfaced vis-a-vis his son and on ice officials, the fact his son plays for the Bruins, and now the Chara non-punishment Boston has little to whine about. In fact, there is a LOT of material to allow the conspiracy theorists to claim that Boston has special pull.

While I don't believe that I do think the mooks running the NHL have really screwed the pooch this time. It is time for some house cleaning in the upper echelons of NHL management.

Billy Connolly - Journey to the Edge of the World

"I smoke cigars. I'm happy to smoke cigars. I don't give one shit what you think about me smoking cigars. It's none of your fucking business. It's like brown shoes. I don't give a shit.

But if I smoke cigars there is suddenly no place in the world indoors that I can do it now. because of THEM. THEY, in their infinite wisdom, have decided that i am not to do it. Even though I am prepared to pay to do it.

For instance the last time I was in Vancouver my favourite smoke shop legally had to close down. They will not allow us to smoke cigarettes or cigars in this place. They stopped it. And in the same week they opened a place where you can go and fix fucking heroin!

So my attitude was what's next? A special lane for fucking drunk drivers? I can't wait until there is a health warning on a cheesecake box. Fat bastards." - Billy connolly

Yes, it is true and not hyperbole. You can go get a free heroin fix in Vancouver but you can't smoke a cigar IN a cigar shop. A group called SALOME set up a new spot just in time for the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver. But you can't smoke a cigar IN a cigar shop. What the hell?!?!?

I remember when they changed the smoking laws in Nova Scotia on December 1 2006. At that time there was no smoking indoors anywhere anymore. It really fucked up a lot of bars and coffee shops. not to mention the cigar shops. A lot of these places had just invested tens of thousands of dollars to install smoking rooms with exhaust fans so they would be up to code. That way those who wanted to smoke could without bothering those who didn't. (What the hell someone who doesn't like to smoke would be doing in a smoke shop is beyond me though.) All that money spent and within a year or so the government changed the rules again, your smoking rooms are not allowed, and you out tens of thousands of dollars.

I don't smoke cigarettes, but I do like a good cigar from time to time. I don't care if others want to smoke. If I didn't want to be around smoke I would go to places that I wouldn't find it. It isn't rocket science. People who smoke have just as much a right to mingle as those who don't. It is easy to accommodate both sides ... but the smoke Nazis don't believe in compromise and they seem to have a lobby on par with the NRA.

Free heroin and a place to shoot up for addicts ... but god forbid you have a place to smoke a cigar. Fucktards!

NCIS

Great quote from tonights show, a repeat damn it.

Zhiva referring to Tony and McGee "You two are like an old married couple."

Gibbs "No their not ... they are still talking to each other."

Love the show. It never fails to make me chuckle.

Yes Minister - Open Government

Open Government:

Government is actually more open when it is less open. Open government is rather like the live theatre: the audience gets a performance. And it gives a response. But, like the theatre, in order to have something to show openly there must first be much hidden activity. And all sorts of things have to be cut or altered in rehearsals, and not shown to the public until you have them right.

Yes Minister - Code Language

Civil Service Code Language

1) "Something is not in the public interest." = It is in the public interest but it is not in the interest of the Civil Service.

2) "Public opinion is not yet ready for such a step." = Public opinion is ready but the Civil Service is not.

3) "This is an urgent problem and we therefore propose setting up a Royal COmmission." = This problem is a bloody nuisance, but we hope that by the time a Royal Commission reports, four years from now, everyone will have forgotten about it or we can find someone else to blame.

4) "I think we have to be very careful." = We are not going to do this.

5) "Have you thought through all the implications?" = You are not going to do this.

6) "It is a slightly puzzling decision." = Idiotic!

7) "Not entirely straightforward." = Criminal.

8) "With the greatest possible respect, minister." = Minister, that is the silliest thing I've ever heard.

Yes, Minister! Consideration.

What's the difference, to a Civi Servant, between "under consideration" and "under active consideration"?

"Under consideration" means they have lost the file. "Under active consideration" means they are trying to find it.

Yes, Minister! Inverse Relevance

The law of Inverse Relevance: the less you intend to do about something, the more you have to keep talking about it.

Best line!!!!

I was watching Shit my Day Says and heard one of the best lines I have heard in a while.

Dad: A job is like a woman. You find one that's easy. You hang on to it until you can't stand it anymore.

Great analogy! :) The sons comment was good too, but not as good.

Son: Or until it gives you crabs because it banged some bartender on Spring Break.

I love this show. Hope it does more than one season.