Cyril O

Jan

2011

Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin

Last night I finished reading Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin. It was one of the most wonderfully inspiring books that I have every read. I challenge anyone to read it and not want to do more for their fellow man.

I have met many people in my travels in life and often the view is that not much can be done about various problems on this planet. Or at least not by them. Greg Mortenson shows us how compassion and understanding and actually doing something can actually change the world and make it a better, safer place. Terrorists do not stand a chance in the face of Greg and his team.

I thought that the book was incredibly well researched and kudos to David for helping tell Greg’s story so well.

Oh, by the way – it was the garlic that made my eyes water at the end of the book – it had nothing to do with the story.

Please, please, please read this book.

Jan

2011

Martin’s Salad

I’ve been making this salad for years with great success:

Ingredients:(Per Bowl)
– half an avacado diced
– about 1/6th of an English cucumber sliced and halved
– one large mushroom of your choice
– one green onion
– some diced red, green or yellow pepper
– some artichoke hearts that have soaked in oil
– Feta cheese
– about 4-5 cherry tomatoes halved
– a liberal sprinkling of basil
– black pepper
– salt
– Olive Oil
Olives if you like them

Stir it up and dig in!
You can add or subtract ingredients to your liking or what is available.

Jan

2011

Road Manners

I have mentioned more than once in different places the wisdom of staying to the right on a highway or thoroughfare unless passing. (It speeds up traffic.) My youngest son passed his driver test the other day and in the days previous to that I was out with him and noticed then and since people uncertainties in certain situations on the road. Here are a couple and the right way to behave:

1. At a four-way stop the person on the right has the right of way. For example if two of you come up to the corner at the same time and you are right angles to each other, then the person on the right goes first.

2. Coming in the opposite way to stop signs or lights, the person making the right hand turn has the right of way. If you are making the left into the same lane or double lane with someone making the right into the same one(having come from the opposite direction) they go first. Unless of course you have an Advanced Green light and they are at a red light. Then the person coming through the light has the right of way.

More to come…

Dec

2010

Vacation in Clearwater, Florida

Some photos of Clearwater Beach:

Clearwater Beach – Pier 60

The umbrellas are not just to look pretty – they protect the vendors from the wind on cool or windy days. And it was cool yesterday although you wouldn’t know it from looking at some of the people on the beach:

Clearwater Beach

Can you tell who the tourists are?

Couldn’t pass up photographing the girls frolicking on the beach – Shot from Pier 60.

Frenchy’s Cafe

Above is the original Frenchy’s – there are 2-3 more on the beach.

If you get lost:

Dec

2010

The School Board of Calgary doesn’t want you to help kids anymore…

I chatted with a fellow today that had been driving school bus for the City of Calgary/School Board, I think it was. He told me an interesting story:

About seven or eight weeks ago during our cold snap a young girl about 7 years old got in a scuffle with another child and the sleeve of her coat was torn from shoulder to wrist. She came each day for several days like this and he said to her on Friday that if it wasn’t fixed by Monday he would take care of it for her. I believe he said that she lived in a home. Monday morning she came with the coat wrapped for him. He took it and had it sewn up that evening and gave it back to her the next day. A few days later a young boy got on the bus with his lunch and books in a plastic bag. The driver, (the fellow that told me these stories) said that he had some extra back packs that he gotten give to him at the Stampede. So, he gave one of them to
this young boy who happily accepted it. A few weeks go by and he has completely forgotten about these incidents until a few days ago he is called in for a meeting. In the meeting on one side is him and the other are five people from various sections of the School Board and City.

It was the inquisition all over again for him. One of the questions was “What were his intentions?”: What are they, the “Thought Police”? Both of the above incidents were mentioned in the report that was presented to him. The basic idea of the meeting was that what he did was wrong and that he must have had some weird intention for doing these things with these children.

He told me that he told this committee in no uncertain terms what he thought of them. So, Friday he got laid off. But he’s happy he isn’t working for them anymore.

Me, I’m of a different mind – I just see it as the bad guys having won.

I really, really feel that one of the main purposes of life is to help – just that: to help. If you see an opportunity to do so please don’t falter. And if someone attacks you for doing something good, realize it is their problem, not yours and go do some more good.

Some of the specific facts of the story may not be perfect – it is second hand – but the main points can be verified. I do know the fellow’s name.