What is a Quafaie?


Quafaie (pronounced: kwa FAY) are fantasy creatures that exist in the fantasy writing of Hugh Kemeny, and are created by him. They are primarily in Hugh Kemeny’s Black Phoenix short stories...

To learn more, read this post: What is a Quafaie?

Monday, October 19, 2009

"I thought you could put what ever you want on the internet"

While doing more research for my project on Celebration Theatre (in L.A.) I found this clip, I love the lines:
"There is no nudity here, this is the internet"
"I thought you could put what ever you want on the internet"
"Yeah on some channels where you press a button and pretend you are over 18"
(around 1:50)


Friday, October 16, 2009

Nudity for a project!

For one of my school projects I have to research a community-based theatre. A community-based theatre is one that is run by a community, for the members of that community, expressing the issues of that community, and typically is somewhat political.

I am looking into Celebration Theatre in LA. It is a LGBTQ theatre group. They are also the birth place of Naked Boys Singing. Because of that, I'm adding this video to my blog (whether I use it in a presentation, I'm not sure yet).

Saturday, September 12, 2009

Where does control turn to abuse?

My thoughts on this question stem from a variety of places, experiences, and incidences. Most recently however there have been two incidences, so to speak, that sparked a conversation with my friend D. (I'll be using initials not real names of the people) along the lines of this question.

On Wednesday, in one of my classes, we were discussing aspects of research papers we all have to do (the class is about 12 people, so a discussion of this sort wasn't too cumbersome), and one person mentioned spousal abuse, particularly abuse of women in heterosexual relationships. This sparked an idea for a story or play about abuse in gay (or lesbian, etc) relationships.

Moving on to today...
There is a guy, M., I have chatted with online, and met up with a few times. Although two of those times resulted in sex (one for that reason alone), I have been primarily interested in a friendship with him. The non-sex time was helping him out by driving him to a friend's place. He even invited me to his birthday party in a couple months. Also the first time we met, we chatted, and drank, for a good couple hours (the drinking is what probably lead to the sex).

Well, today I sent a simple "Hey how goes it?" text to M.
The reply I got was: "This is [M.]s boyfriend...Can you please leave him alone! Ya i don't like when people hit on him it makes me angry......"
I was a little floored by this for a couple reasons. First M. hadn't told me he had a boyfriend (if he had, I'd not have had sex with him, just stuck to the developing a friendship), and second, it seemed a little extreme for what I intended to be a friendly question. My, as polite reply as I could provide, was: "To [M.]'s boyfriend: [M.] had not told me about you, and besides i'm just a friend."
To which I got: "well id appreciate if you dont talk to him anymore"

I didn't reply directly to that text, instead I sent M. an email summarizing what his boyfriend had texted. As well as stating that though I respect his boyfriend's opinions, I believe it should be up to M. himself to decide if he should stop talking with me. I repeated an earlier offer to give him a ride to an evening class/event if he so needed, and concluded by saying that I'll leave it to him to contact me. Then added PS's of wishing him well in his classes, and hope that his boyfriend treats him well.

As I felt floored by M.'s boyfriend's comments, I called up D. to go for coffee. In the discussions with him as to why I called him up, he commented on how controlling M.'s boyfriend sounded.
I try not to judge people before I meet them, but there are some things that I don't get / bother me. Controlling who someone else can and can't talk to is one of them. Now if M. doesn't want to talk to me, that's fine. But not telling me, or having someone else tell me in such a tone as those texts, is another thing that bothers me.

More to the point what bothers me, in regard to the second point above, is people not telling me directly - such as "please don't contact me again," or "it's over between us, good bye." I have had 2-3 people tell me to never contact them again, and I haven't (though I had thought at the time of writing a letter basically saying: thank you for letting me know / being truthful. I am sorry if I ever wronged you. As per your wishes I will not contact you again, though you are free to contact me. I wish you all the best). I have told a couple people never to contact me again, and as far as I recall they never have. And I have had a few guys I've dated stop contacting me / returning my calls. Eventually I gave up seeing if they were alright - I hardly pester people, and if so it would be out of good reason, such as concern for their well being.

Any how, I am trying not to judge M.'s boyfriend, or M. for that matter, but until I hear directly from M., if I see him in the street I will say hi.

There is more to this topic, personal experiences, I had thought of including, but it is late for me, and I made my point (rant).

For those that do read my blog, I would like to know your thoughts on this topic.

Blogging

Over the past year I have learned a few things about myself, including the fact that I'm not good at consistently blogging. Mostly because real life gets in the way. Therefore, my postings here may be sporadic.

I had thought about giving up on this blog, but then there are somethings I'd like to blog about, so I will be keeping this blog, but may not post regularly.

A few things happened to me today that I feel I need to blog about. They are in the following chronological posts (above).

Thursday, July 30, 2009

Playing with Picasa

Where I'm staying has slow wireless, so as I was waiting for email to load, I decided to look more at some of the many programs I have on my computer. The program I choose was Picasa 3 (a free program from Google: http://picasa.google.ca/

Due to a history of problems with my computer, I keep my files on an external hard drive, which I didn't plug in tonight. So the only photos I had to play with are the photos I have on my laptop - which consist primarily of photos for my desktop.

While I was playing with Picasa, I noticed first the Collage function, where you can create a collage of a series of photos. Then I noticed there was different settings for the collage, from the typicall pile photos, to mosaic, frame mosaic, grid, contact sheet, and multiple exposure.

After playing around with the layout I found the page format and noticed the Desktop Background button that turns the collage into the desktop background.

Below are the desktop photos I created:
  • First the Pile Collage with nature photos I took (mostly from Scotland, but a couple from a plane over Brazil, a couple from else where in the UK, one from the Netherlands, and one from Canada)
  • Second the Mosaic Collage with some of those nature photos (removed some to make the mosaic look somewhat good)
  • Third the Mosaic Collage with some hot guy pics I have as backgrounds..... and as I am attempting to keep this blog 'clean' the guys aren't showing much more than a hot ass ;-)




If you want any of these as unwatermarked desktops, just email me and let me know which one: nudecanadianboy@yahoo.com

Saturday, July 25, 2009

World of Warcraft - The Internet is for porn (YouTube)

A friend showed me this, so I thought I'd share:



Info on YouTube:
Please note, I didn't make the video and I don't take credit for it. I happened to find the video on FilePlanet and downloaded it to share with you all here =)
Adapted for World of Warcraft, the song is from the musical Avenue Q.
Downloaded from FilePlanet at:
http://www.fileplanet.com/158925/150000/fileinfo/World-of-Warcraft---Internet-is-for-Porn

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Bill 44

As I mentioned a few posts ago, I really should have commented on the absurdity of Alberta's Bill 44....

Luckily a friend sent me this vid to point out the positives in the bill...


Saturday, July 11, 2009

Additions to the blog

So I have been thinking of a few ideas to help myself post more than once a week.

One idea I have is to post my thoughts on some current event once a week, say Sundays.

I have noticed on a few other blogs I go to that aside from HNT there are other weekly posting, which I am going to start looking into (such as TMI Tuesdays) - though I'm not sure yet how to find out about some of them.

If anyone has other suggestions, please let me know. Usually something simple would be nice, as my life does tend to be busy.

These changes, like the Sunday Reflection, may take a couple weeks to appear as mentioned in my previous post, my laptop is in the shop for repairs and that limits my internet use (good and bad).

Please post any suggestions you have to this post :)

Saturday, July 4, 2009

Happy Independance Day

A quick post to wish all those in the states that follow my blog a happy 4th of July - independance day.

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Canada Day 2009!

Happy Canada Day everyone.....

... I'm in the office attempting to work, to earn money to pay for school.

Therefore today's post is almost a repost of last year's post....

I have reinstated the photos on last year's post, and I now direct you to that one as my full Canada Day blog post:

Canada Day

Enjoy.

Sunday, June 14, 2009

Birds and the Bees (and other stuff)

I'm afraid of bees, and anything that looks like a bee: wasps, hornets, etc.
When I was looking at buying my house back in late August, I noticed these creatures (I'll call them bees, even though they might have been wasps), coming and going from part of the siding in the back. Part of the negotiations on the house was that the bees would be gone.
This spring I have noticed a few bees around the same places. I'm not sure if they are exploring or moving back in, or never really left.
Today while I was sweeping my back deck, a bee (actually a wasp I think) started to buzz around where I was.
I moved away as calm as I could - a good 3 meters away is, to me, a safe distance.
There are 3 ways to get onto my back deck: 1) from the kitchen, 2) from the den (or what is currently my bedroom), 3) stairs to the back yard.
The bee was exploring the door frames, so I was closer to the stairs, watching the bee.
It then decided to come closer to me, so I moved rapidly down the stairs.
With my adrenaline going, I had heightened senses, and so I came to an abrupt stop when I heard a magpie squawk.
I turned and saw a baby magpie.
If you don't know anything about magpies, they can be vicious birds. I've seen them chase down and attack cats!
So, when I saw the baby bird I moved quickly away from both the bird, and where I last saw the bee.

That is my story of the birds and the bees.....

.... now onto the other stuff....

If you've followed this blog at all, you'd know that life has been keeping my busy - mostly school.
Well, my other free time in the past month has been spent with a great guy I met. We met online a while ago, but only started seeing each other a month ago.

Some of my personal relaxation time, while watching t.v., has been fully organizing my photos for here and Flickr. I hope to have them done in a few weeks, then I might start posting HNT posts again.

Recently I have been meaning to write a few other posts in relation to current events and things in my life, such as one on Bill 44 (a piece of Alberta Legislature that was passed - the main points of it I was going to - and may still - comment on had to do with a) gay rights and b) teaching sex and religion - the most controversial part), as well as various other thoughts that have come to mind, like when someone asked me the other day; "are you happy, both in this moment and in life?" - My reply was: "I've been too busy of late to think about whether I'm happy - in life"

I guess it's time to stop and smell the flowers, just hopefully the ones without birds or bees.

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Craziness

I believe the weather truly affects my moods.
With spring here I am feeling a little more energized, and capable of tackling all I have on the go. . .
and I have a lot on the go at the moment. . .

I am taking 3 spring classes - that started last week and run 6 weeks:
Drama: 3 hours a day 4 days a week.
Intro to Counseling: 1.5 hr lectures + 1.5 hr seminars back to back twice a week.
Greek & Roman Myth: 3 hours twice a week.
All three of these classes run on Tuesdays & Thursdays! My last class ends 12 hours after my first one starts.

On top of the classes I have house work that needs to be done - some I can do, some I have to hire professionals.
Professional work: Replacing my sewer line (house to city tie-in), installing basement window wells, and regrading around the sides of the house are the top three.
I have already started some of the stuff I can do, which includes pruning pine trees that desperately needed it, and repainting the bathroom. Soon will be removing a couple trees and seeing what I can do with my front lawn for next to nothing (ie no money) .

Besides all that work I have also been getting out (possibly to the detriment of my course work / homework) and have met up with a few guys. Great guys that I hope to hang out with more.

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Update

I feel as though I am going through some rapids in the river of life.
I could see the course changing, but now in the midst of it,
more of my effort is taken to keep me from drowning.
I have to toss overboard that which weighs me down,
toss aside the activities are of little use to me
just so I can stay the course, and
make it to the calmer waters I (think I) see ahead.

---

What this means is that I have cut my other blogs as I don't have time to even maintain one, let alone three.

I have had to pause on organizing my pictures on flickr, and have yet to update my profiles on the networking sites I am on.

This post was created in the 5 minutes I had to spare before class.

Sunday, April 5, 2009

What's the point

I sometimes wonder what the point of it is.
For example why do I have these blogs, especially if I don't have the time to update them. For that matter why don't I take the time to do the things I should be doing, or take little time to do - like updating my favourite pics blog.

Life is only as tough as you perceive it, but it it not an easy ride either. Yet I seem to have been treating it as such (easy) recently.

This rant is just thoughts off the top of my head, perhaps it will be good to say these, perhaps not. Perhaps it will look as if my blog is of importance (though I still doubt that slightly).

The past few days, to nearly a week, I haven't done much productive work, even though I should have, and have important deadlines all this next week, Why have I not been working or focusing? I do not know.

Perhaps it is reaching near a year since I started making some major changes in my life and I am feeling more and more uncertain about them. Perhaps I am just afraid to face my future. Perhaps I also tend to find ways of sabotaging my successes - in at least my mind. Perhaps my hope, dreams and desires lay beyond what I have before me.

I know that I have been having a growing desire to find someone over the past few weeks. Someone to be a true friend and confidant, if not someone to date and help me feel less lonely. I have housemates, and friends around, but yet I tend to isolate myself, and I do not understand why. I see it related to my chronic procrastination, that I always have something I should be doing and don't do. Yet I know that if I were to get my work done, I'd have the freedom to do as I please - for a short term (until the next assignment).

I am feeling hollow and unmotivated. Scared and uncertain in the future I suddenly created. Ideas, hopes and aspirations in this change are waning. Perhaps I am beginning to wake up from the dream of this new start in life; waking up to the realization that nothing much has changed.

Gawd, I need a kick in the ass to get myself going. Something to spark that inspiration and passion in me again. Something to break me from my habits that constantly lead me back into this path of occasional feelings of loneliness and momentary depression.

*sigh* I know it will work out; especially if I put the work in.

Monday, March 9, 2009

Winter Blahs

I am sick and tired of winter.
The temperature is an endless yo-yo.
Warming up just enough to melt the ice.
Then plunging back down to nearly -40 (with the wind).

I am finding it extra frustrating today, as I feel I need to go for a run, or a bike ride, but I'm not going to brave the -25 C (-13 F) to release my frustration. Instead I'm going to try venting here - taking time away from doing my homework.

There are a number of things I feel frustrated at, some I should / could deal with / change myself, some I can't. The weather is one I can't.
A couple of them are simple mind sets I need to change, and focus on sudden, yet not too un-expected, events that happened.
On Saturday a housemate of mine informed me he was moving out by the end of the month. Took me by surprise, and this means I have to start looking for another housemate.
Today I found out that the job I was hoping for in Calgary may not be there. Disappointing, but not unexpected. There is still a possibility it might be there, but I was told not to hold out for it.

I was partly relying on the money from that job to pay my tuition, and perhaps some house repairs.
The flipside though, is that I can possibly focus on my studies and get courses done over the summer and be finished by and working by January 2010 - though I'll be in a fair amount of debt (if I can even get the loans).

Well that's it for this rant. I lost my steam through it as I was chatting with a friend about publishing and producing media (t.v. and movie scripts - for a friend of mine).

Thursday, February 26, 2009

Queer

I AM QUEER!

I had a great post in my previous blog about labelization, and how I generally try not to subscribe to that, but today I have to mention about labeling myself as queer... well I don't have to, but seeing as I've had a couple ciders after not sleeping for about 38-40 hours, I might as well add a second post.

So tonight while I was out with beers with classmates, I felt a little uncomfortable saying my sexuality. I shouldn't be, but I guess living in the most conservative province in Canada, I'm a little cautious of what I say, yet on the other side my classmates should be accepting of my sexuality considering we're all going into the public sector, where homophobia is not accepted.

Sunday, February 1, 2009

Quote of the day

A good education is the next best thing to a pushy mother.
- Charles Schulz
(Teachers page-a-day calendar - Monday 26 January 2009)

Tiny children want to learn to the degree that they are unable to distinguish learning from fun. They keep this attitude until we adults convince them that learning is not fun.
- Glenn Doman, How to Teach Your Baby to Read: The Gentle Revolution
(Teachers page-a-day calendar - Tuesday 27 January 2009)

Come to the edge, he said. They said:
We are afraid. Come to the edge, he said.
They came. He pushed them,
And they flew.
- Guillaume Apollinaire
(Teachers page-a-day calendar - Wednesday 28 January 2009)

Wanted: One teacher. Must be able to listen, even when mad. Must have a sense of humor; must not make students feel bad about themselves; must be fair and not treat some students better than others; must know how to make schoolwork interesting; must keep some students from picking on others; must let students take a break sometimes; must not jump to conclusions; must let students know them; must get to know students; must encourage students when they have a hard time; must tell students if they do a good job or try really hard; must not scream; must not call home unless it's really important; must smile; must help students with their problems if they ask; must not talk about students to other people; must be patient; must really know what they are teaching; if it's a lady, it would be good if she is pretty.
- Job description created by eighth- and ninth-grade students, recalled by Lisa Delpit in Fires in the Bathroom by Kathleen Cushman.
(Teachers page-a-day calendar - Thursday 29 January 2009)

I do not teach children, I give them joy.
- Isadore Duncan
(Teachers page-a-day calendar - Friday 30 January 2009)

As a substitute, it is often difficult to be fully prepared for lessons that are to be taught. After teaching a lesson on estimating by rounding, one student raised his hand with a serious and confused look on his face. He asked, "Isn't this just a way of lying?"
- Michelle K. Diefenderfer on www.teachernet.com
(Teachers page-a-day calendar - Sat/Sun 31/1 Jan/Feb 2009)

At the end of the show, he'll leave the stage, and the sirens will be going, and the limousines waiting, and Charlie will walk back to his drum kit and change the position of his drumsticks by two millimeters. Then he'll look at it. Then if it looks good, he'll leave. . . The drums are about to be stripped down and put in the back of a truck, and he cannot leave if he's got it in his mind that he's left his sticks in a displeasing way.
- Keith Richards, on Rolling Stones Drummer Charlie Watts.
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Thursday 18 December 2008)

I scarcely remember counting upon any Happiness - I look not for it if it be not in the present hour - nothing startles me beyond the Moment. The setting sun will always set me to rights - or if a Sparrow come before my Window I take part in its existence and pick about the Gravel.
- John Keats
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Friday 19 December 2008)

A wanderer: let that be my name -
    the first winter rain.
- Bashō
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Saturday 20 December 2008)

Amonk asked Hsiang-nien: "What is the eye that does not deceive others?"
The master responded: "Look, look, winter is approaching."
- Zen mondo
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Sunday 21 December 2008)

Hastthou named all the birds without a gun? Loved the wood-rose, and left it on its stalk?
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Sunday 21 December 2008)

As a man is, so he sees.
- William Blake
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Tuesday 23 December 2008)

To be a proper abode for God and fit for God to act in, a man should be free from all things and actions, both inwardly and outwardly.
- Meister Eckhart
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Wednesday 24 December 2008)

At Christmas I no more desire a rose
Than wish a snow May's new-fangled mirth.
- Shakespeare
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Thursday 25 December 2008)

Enlightenment is for sissies. Living ethically and morally is what really matters.
- Brad Warner
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Friday 26 December 2008)

The starting point for consciousness may be the universe, which many physicists believe is made of information. The things we see as matter and energy are really information being transformed from one state to another.
- Ronald Kotulak
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Saturday 27 December 2008)

Attention is rewarded by knowledge of reality.
- Iris Murdoch
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Sunday 28 December 2008)

Here and now, boys!
- Aldous Huxley
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Monday 29 December 2008)

There is no coming to consciousness without pain.
- Carl Gustav Jung
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Tuesday 30 December 2008)

To what shall I compare this life of ours?
Evan before I can say it is like a lightning flash or a dewdrop, it is no more.
- Sengai
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Wednesday 31 December 2008)

Sunday, January 25, 2009

Quote of the day

Your slightly bigger than the average human heart, but that's because you're a teacher.
- Aaron Bacall
(Teachers page-a-day calendar - Monday 19 January 2009)

The Newbery Medal is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children. While recent winners are always great reads, don't forget classics from ten, twenty, or even fifty years ago.
1999: Holes by Louis Sachar
1989: Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices by Paul Fleischman
1979: The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
1969: The High King by Lloyd Alexander
1959: The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare
(Teachers page-a-day calendar - Tuesday 20 January 2009)

When one is out of touch with oneself, one cannot touch others.
- Anne Morrow Lindbergh
(Teachers page-a-day calendar - Wednesday 21 January 2009)

When I longed to see the world,
A teacher gave me wings
And urged me always to explore
The in and out of things.
- Becky Kelly
(Teachers page-a-day calendar - Thursday 22 January 2009)

An idea can turn to dust or magic, depending on the talent that rubs against it.
- Bill Bernbach
(Teachers page-a-day calendar - Friday 23 January 2009)

Education is always a hot conversation topic around the water cooler. People care about it. They have opinions about it. They praise it, criticize it, and argue about it. And while others are talking about education, teachers are living it. They're where the action is.
- Robert D. Ramsey
(Teachers page-a-day calendar - Sat/Sun 24/25 January 2009)

The believing mind
believes in itself.
- Zen saying
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Thursday 4 December 2008)

The artist must summon all his energy, his sincerity, and the greatest modesty in order to shatter the old clichés that come too easily to hand while working, which can suffocate the little flower that does not come, ever, the way one expects.
- Henri Matisse
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Friday 5 December 2008)

It was fated that you would find the truth.
Now, tracing your way as if in a dream,
past where the sea meets the sky,
you slowly fade from the world in your fragile boat.
How calm are the water and the moon,
and how calm the fished and dragons at the sound of your chanting.
Always the eye watches just beyond the horizon to the guiding light of your simple lantern.
- Ch'ien Ch'i
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Saturday 6 December 2008)

It does not require many words to speak the truth.
- Chief Joseph
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Sunday 7 December 2008)

Do not attempt to become Buddha.
- Dōgen
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Monday 8 December 2008)

The infinite mind is the finite of every second.
- Zen Saying
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Tuesday 9 December 2008)

If you were to put aside what you know because of what other people told you, how much of what you know do you truly know for yourself? If you look for the origin of your thoughts, of your life, of your universe, can you find it? Can you find where this moment comes from or where it goes home to?
- John Tarrant
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Wednesday 10 December 2008)

So a try-mind is more important than any Zen master. If you say "I can," then you can do something. If you say "I cannot," the you cannot do anything. Which do you like?
- Seung Sahn
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Thursday 11 December 2008)

Learn the changes and then forget them.
- Charlie Parker
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Friday 12 December 2008)

I have learned to have very modest goals for society and myself, things like clean air, green grass, children with bright eyes, not being pushed around, useful work that suits one's abilities, plain tasty food. . . .
- Paul Goodman
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Saturday 13 December 2008)

Daowu and Jianyuan visited a house in mourning to offer their condolences. Jianyuan smacked the coffin with his fist: "Alive or dead?"
Daowu said: "I'm not saying alive and I'm not saying dead."
"Why not?" Jianyuan asked.
Daowu said: "I'm not saying, I'm not saying."
Later, on their way home, Jianyuan said: "Say something now, or I'll hit you."
"Go ahead. Even if you hit me, I'm not saying anything."
After Daowu died, Jianyuan went to Shishuang and told him the story, to which Shishuang replied: "I'm not saying alive, I'm not saying dead."
"Why not?"
"I'm not saying! I'm not saying!"
Suddenly Jianyuan had a realization.
- Zen mondo
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Sunday 14 December 2008)

I am an artist . . . It's self-evident that what that word implies is looking for something all the time without ever finding it in full. It is the opposite of saying, "I know all about it. I've already found it," As far as I'm concerned, the word means, "I am looking. I am hunting for it, I am deeply involved."
- Vincent van Gogh
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Monday 15 December 2008)

A single red berry
   has fallen
      on the frost in the garden.
- Shiki
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Tuesday 16 December 2008)

Your eyebrows will be tangled up with the ancestors, you'll see with the same eyes and hear with the same ears. Won't that be wonderful?
- Wu-men, on solving a koan
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Sunday 7 December 2008)

Sunday, January 18, 2009

Quote of the day

Teachers may not always be fearless, but they definitely can't be cenophobic (afraid of new things or ideas), pedophobic (afraid of children), scolionophobic (afraid of school), or epistemophobic (afraid of knowledge).
(Teachers page-a-day calendar - Sat/Sun 17/18 January 2009)

Life is too short to be in a hurry.
- Henry David Thoreau
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Sunday 30 November 2008)

No man shouldd go through life without once experiencing healthy, even bored solitude in the wilderness, finding himself depending solely on himself and thereby learning his tru and hidden strength.
- Jack Kerouac
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Monday 1 December 2008)

Crescent moon -
bent to the shape
of the cold.
- Issa
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Tuesday 2 December 2008)

Every concept grasped by the mind becomes an obstacle in the quest to those who search.
- Gregory of Nyssa
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Wednesday 3 December 2008)

Friday, January 16, 2009

Quote of the day

Academic Anagrams
Eleven plus two = Twelve plus one
Dormitory = dirty room
United States history = Dates unite this story
Schoolmaster = the classroom
A decimal point = I'm a dot in place
(Teachers page-a-day calendar - Thursday 15 January 2009)

According to the Beloit College Mindset list, students graduating in 2009:
- Never saw the shuttle Challenger fly.
- Don't remember when "cut and paste" involved scissors.
- Never had the fun of being thrown into the "way back" of a station wagon with six other kids.
- Have always relied on Starbucks for caffeine emergencies.
(Teachers page-a-day calendar - Friday 16 January 2009)

Learn to be calm and you will always be happy.
- Paramhansa Yogananda
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Wednesday 26 November 2008)

Just watch children playing. Eat vegetable soup instead of duck stew.
- Bashō's advice to poets
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Thursday 27 November 2008)

Searching for the Truth through words and speech is like sticking your head in a bowl of glue.
- Yuan-wu
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Friday 28 November 2008)

After evening rainfall at Pa-shang,
the flying "V" of wild geese,
the leaves hanging limp and dripping,
A single lantern's pale gleam,
and empy garden wet with dew,
the crumbling walls of the monastery
. . . enough, I think, long enough:
what am I waiting for?
- Ma Tai
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Saturday 29 November 2008)

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Quote of the day

Teaching is brain surgery without breaking the skin. It should not be entered into lightly nor performed by amateurs.
- Former Alaska Teacher of the Year Daniel Walker
(Teachers page-a-day calendar - Monday 12 January 2009)

Quick Reference: Metric Conversions
centimeters x 0.3936 = inches
inces x 2.54 = centimeters
meters x 3.281 = feet
feet x 0.3048 = meters
miles x 1.609 = kilometers
kilometers x 0.6214 = miles
kilograms x 2.2046 = pounds
pounds x 0.45359 = kilograms
(Teachers page-a-day calendar - Tuesday 13 January 2009)

A kindergarted class was learning how the fur on some animals changes color with the seasons. When the teacher bent down to tie her shoe, a student observed her head of graying hari and exclaimed, "Teacher, are you getting ready for winter?"
(Teachers page-a-day calendar - Wednesday 14 January 2009)

The only thing to see.
- Auguste Rodin
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Thursday 20 November 2008)

Disciple: "What is Tao?"
Hsiang-yen: "In the dry woods the dragon is singing."
- Zen mondo
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Friday 21 November 2008)

Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards.
- Søren Kierkegaard
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Saturday 22 November 2008)

Everything comes from your own heart. This is what one ancient called "bringing out the family treasure."
- Yuan-wu
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Sunday 23 November 2008)

Never let your sense of morals keep you from doing what's right.
- Isaac Asimov
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Monday 24 November 2008)

If the wrong person preaches a right teaching, even a right teaching becomes wrong. If the right person expounds a wrong teaching, even a wrong teaching becomes right.
- Muso Kukushi
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Tuesday 25 November 2008)

Sunday, January 11, 2009

Quote of the day

Another monk asked the classic question: "What is the meaning of Bodhidharma's coming from the west?"
Kuei-shan answered: "A fine large lantern."
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Tuesday 18 November 2008)

You are not allowed to travel at night, but you must arrive before daybreak.
- Zen koan
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Wednesday 19 November 2008)

Saturday, January 10, 2009

Quote of the day

Q: What do get if you cross one principal with another principal?
A: Don't do it. Principals don't like to be crossed.
(Teachers page-a-day calendar - Sat/Sun 10/11 January 2009)

On whose door does the moonlight not shine?
- Zen saying
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Sunday 16 November 2008)

If you want to extend the light of the dharma, let it first illumine our own heart.
- Rengetsu
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Monday 17 November 2008)

Friday, January 9, 2009

Quote of the day

Fun Facts: Ancient History
In 625 B.C., metal coins were introduced in Greece, They replaced grain - usually barley - as the medium of exchange. Stamped with a likeness of an ear of wheat, the new coins were lighter and easier to transport than grain, and did not get moldy.
The ancient Egyptians defined the hour to be one-twelfth of the time between sunrise and sunset, thus their hour's length was different from one day to the next, and was not the same during the day as it was at night.
The ancient Romans built a network of roads totaling fifty thousand miles - longer than the U.S. interstate highway system.
- www.coolquiz.com
(Teachers page-a-day calendar - Wednesday 7 January 2009)

School Satire
During his American history class at Hebron Elementary School, fifth-grader Jake Hensley was unable to produce a single hilarious disruptive comment regarding the Wilmot Proviso, an 1846 rider to a Congressional appropriations bill that attempted to outlaw slavery in the territory acquired from the Mexican-American War.
"I completely blanked," said Hensley, who firmly established his class-clown status earlier in the year during a lesson on Revolutionary War-era statesman John Hancock. "It was getting so close to the end of class that I almost considered 'Smellmot Proviso.' I think I'm losing my touch."
Hensley did manage to redeem himself in his last-period English class by delivering a solid five minutes on the third chapter of Hatchet.
- www.theonion.com
(Teachers page-a-day calendar - Thursday 8 January 2009)

An inquisitive little girl in kindergarten leaned over and admired my watch. Since it had no numbers on its face, she asked how I knew what time it was. Trying not to disturb the rest of the class, I whispered, "I just know." She asked, "Why do you need a watch then?"
- Tammy Richardson in Reader's Digest
(Teachers page-a-day calendar - Friday 9 January 2009)

It is a big mistake to think that the best way to express yourself is to do whatever you want, acting however you please. This is not expressing yourself. When you have many possible ways of expressing yourself, you are not sure what to do, so you will behave superficially. If you know what to do exactly, and you do it, you can express yourself fully.
- Shunryu Suzuki
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Monday 10 November 2008)

A man needs a little madness, or else he never dares cut the rope and be free.
- Nikos Kazantzakis
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Tuesday 11 November 2008)

Life is but a day; a fragile dew-drop on its perilous way
from a tree's summit.
- John Keats
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Wednesday 12 November 2008)

The firmest fayth is found in the fewest woordes.
- Edward Dyer
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Thursday 13 November November 2008)

Sin and blessing are all empty. The snake swallows the frog. The toad sucks up the worms. The hawk eats the sparrows. The pheasant eats the snake. The cat catches the rat. The big fish devours the smaller one. And everything is all right. The monk who offended against the commandments does not fall into hell.
- Zen saying
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Friday 14 November 2008)

Play is the exultation of the possible.
- Martin Burber
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Saturday 15 November 2008)

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Quote of the day

A school district in central Ohio is trying a new kind of incentive pay - for students. In return for doing well on annual exams, each student can earn up to $100. And in schools near Miami, students can win pizza parties, tickets to the prom, and even iPods in exchange for passing scores on their new state science exams. Proponents of these kinds of incentives maintain that this is one way to encourage academic achievement, particularly when many schools' livelihoods depend on test scores. Others argue that these are bribes, and don't encourage meaningful learning.
In an Edutopia online survey, 32 percent of voters said such incentives are harmless, produce results, and, especially for low-income, at-risk students, may provide motivation where there was none before; 69 percent disagreed, stating that such rewards don't encourage learning for learning's sake and coincide with an overemphasis on high-stakes testing. The remaining 9 percent of voters were undecided.
- www.edutopia.org
(Teachers page-a-day calendar - Tuesday 6 January 2009)

A monk asked his master the classic question: "What is the meaning of Bodhidharma's coming from the west?"
The master replied: "No idea whatever in this."
Later, learning of the exchange, Ch'i-an commented: "Two corpses in one coffin."
- Zen mondo
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Saturday 8 November 2008)

If I can get out of the way, if I can be pure enough, if I can be selfless enough, and if I can be generous and loving and caring enough to abandon what I have and my own preconceived, silly notions of what I think I am - and become truly who in fact I am, which is really just another child of God - then the music can really use me. And therein lies my fulfillment. That's when the music starts to happen.
- John McLauchlin

(Zen page-a-day calendar - Sunday 9 November 2008)

Monday, January 5, 2009

Quote of the day

How to Be a Kid Again
Refuse to eat crusts.
Make somebody laughjust when they start to drink something.
Stick your head out the car window and moo if you see a cow.
(Teachers page-a-day calendar - Monday 5 January 2009)

A monk asked Tosu: "Is there a dragon howl in a dead tree?"
Tosu said: "I say there's a lion roar in a skull."
- Zen mondo
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Thursday 6 November 2008)

It wasn't until quite late that I discovered how easy it is to say "I don't know!"
- William Somerset Maugham
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Friday 7 November 2008)

Sunday, January 4, 2009

Quote of the day

One day someone asked Layman P'ang: "Is Zen difficult or is it easy?"
"It is like trying to hit the moon with a stick," Layman P'ang answered Very difficult."
So Zen is very difficult, the man thought. He went to Layman P'ang's wife and said" "Your husband told me that Zen is very difficult. Let me ask you - is Zen difficult or easy?"
She laughed and said: "Oh no, Zen is very easy, like touching your nose when you wash your face in the morning."
Still not satisfied, the man went to Layman P'ang's son and repeated what the husband and wife told him. The son replied: "If you think Zen is difficult, it's difficult. If you think Zen is easy, it's easy."
Now more confused than ever, the man went to Layman P'an's daughter and asked if Zen was difficult or easy or neither. Her enlightening answer:
"Go drink tea."
- Zen mondo
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Tuesday 4 November 2008)

This matter [i.e., Zen] is like a great mass of fire; when you approach it your face is sure to be scorched. It is again like a sword about to be drawn; when it is once out of the scabbard, someone is sure to lose his life. But if you neither fling away the scabbard nor approach the fire, you are no better than a piece of rock or wood. Coming to this pass one has to be quite a resolute character full of spirit.
- Tai-hui
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Wednesday 5 November 2008)

Saturday, January 3, 2009

Quotes for Saturday 3 January 2009

Teacher Tip
Lawyers do it. Doctors do it. Educators should do it! No, I'm not talking about making a lot of money! I'm talking about prominently displaying educational degrees and professional certificates. Displaying one's credentials will help you appear professional and legitimate. It's very impressive and reinforces to the public the amount of effort it takes to become a teacher and to maintain certification.
- Tom Walters, Jericho, Vermont; Works4Me on www.nea.org
(Teachers page-a-day calendar - Sat/Sun 3/4 January 2009)

If all waves of the Zen stream were alike, innumerable ordinary people would get bogged down.
- Zen saying
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Sunday 2 November 2008)

Try and be a sheet of paper with nothing on it. Be a spot of ground where nothing is growing, where something might be planted, a seed, possibly, from the Absolute.
- Rumi
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Monday 3 November 2008)

Friday, January 2, 2009

Quotes for Friday 2 January 2009

Quotes of the Day:

A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination.
- Nelson Mandela
(Teachers page-a-day calendar - Thursday 1 January 2009)

Behind Every Famous Person Is A Fabulous Teacher.
Acress America Fererra's high school drama teacher, Sue Freitag, says she has "the best job in the world . . . I literally get to play all day." America stays in touch with her former teacher, saying, "Sometimes all you need is a good Teach(ear)!"
- TeachersCount National Social Marketing Campaign
(Teachers page-a-day calendar - Friday 2 January 2009)

The observer is the observed.
- Krishnamurti
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Wednesday 29 October 2008)

Everything we do is in the service of the self - and there is no self.
- Zen saying
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Thursday 30 October 2008)

Ageneral may establish peace, but it is not for the general to seek peace.
- Zen saying
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Friday 31 October 2008)

The Way does not need cultivation - just don't defile it. Zen does not need study - the important thing is stopping the mind.
- Huang-long
(Zen page-a-day calendar - Saturday 1 November 2008)