Old
News
August
30, 11:30am
On the
topic of assumptions: here's something that has probably been the cause
of many many MANY f-ups. What is it? Right of way. In
a world (or maybe it's just where I happen to live) where the attitude
on the road is: "Me first - get the heck out of my way!", it's hard to
remember who is supposed to go first. Legally...well, read the manual,
you'll get the picture. Situations
include merging, turning, "who goes first" at intersections, etc etc etc.
Anyhoo,
how many times has a pedestrian ASSUMED that an oncoming car has seen her/him?
Better yet, how many pedestrians have ASSUMED that an oncoming car has
NOT seen her/him? The reason why I say this is that sometimes the
driver does NOT see the pedestrian, either because he/she is inattentive,
or ASSUMES that the pedestrian will be smart and let the driver (who is
rushed and filled with roadrage). What happens is that the pedestrian
walks onto street, assuming that car has seen her/him, and the driver does
not see her/him until it's too late, and BAM! You have a casualty,
or worse yet, a fatality.
Now,
what we have to learn is ACKNOWLEDGEMENT! Perhaps a wave or some
other action just to let the other person (oncoming driver) know you're
(pedestrian) there, and wait for a response, an indication that the other
person (driver) has acknowledged your presence, thus perparing themself
for your crossing or whatnot. If you know that the driver knows you're
there, the possibilities of f-ups greatly decreases.
August
21, 11:30am
Assumption
is the mother of all fuckups. Classic example: you tell one of your
superiors that you're going somewhere, perhaps to get something... without
waiting for an acknowledgement, you leave, ASSUMING that the other person
heard you. Meanwhile, 5 minutes later, while you're still gone, your
superior desperately needs you for some unknown reason... but you're not
there and panic begins to show itself in its most hideous form, and before
you know it, all hell breaks loose.
How
'bout the boyfriend girlfriend scenario? Say the boyfriend ASSUMES
that the girlfriend will stay in town and have lots of time to spend with
him, but only decides to get a FULL TIME HIGH PAYIN' JOB? That's
oka, because it's a temporary job, or so it seems, until one of the workers
leaves and has the girlfriend take over her position, temporarily.. UNTIL
THE SUMMER IS OVER. Meanwhile, the boyfriend is desperately seeking
something that'll keep him busy while the girlfriend is inaccessible to
him. Well, it's the last day of work for the girlfriend, and the boyfriend
really looks forward to spending some time (ASSUMING) with her that night
only to find out that she's made plans to party with her work buddies,
after ASSUMING that the boyfriend MIGHT be busy, so why waste time hangin'
around the house when she can have the time of her life. Well, by
then, the boyfriend is pretty cheezed because he made time for her, by
ASSUMPTION, and the girl decides to ditch him, ASSUMING that he MIGHT (notice
the MIGHT, it is not as definite as IS). Or maybe the boyfriend in
an unbelievable control freak that must learn to maintain control over
his emotions and not ASSUME so much would turn out his way.
Assumption
is the mother of all fuckups. Oh yeah, another assumption I made
when I started updating again was that People might actually come back
and start reading again. heh. Gosh, I feel soooo stupid, because
it seems like all the hits lately are coming from me. So, for all
of you who are reading this, thanks for comin' here. For all the
others, well, what can i do huh?
August
16, 12:30pm
If you
can't beat 'em, whatever you do, don't join 'em. Geoff, you're screwing
with my mind, what the hell are you taling about now?! I dunno, but
it had something to do with driving. Oh yeah, how many of you have
gotten slightly annoyed or pissed off while driving just because some other
driver did something or didn't do something to/for you? I know I
have, and so have others. What I'm trying to say is, lots of drivers
out there are just there to piss you off. They will cut in front
of you, or they won't let you cut in front of them. They'll tailgate
you and see how close they can get to your rear bumper. They won't
let you in when you're trying to merge. Stuff like that. First
things first, two wrongs do'nt make a right - just because people do nasty
things to you gives you no right for you to do the same to others.
It just circulates this whole negative feeling that I'm sure no-one appreciates.
So, first and foremost, try to avoid doing things that'll piss people off.
Pedstrians
- that also means you. Have you any idea how your slow walking has
pissed people off?! We drivers understand that you have the right
of way, but do not forget that we drivers pack 2-4 tonnes of metal and
if aggravated enough, we could kill you. Some drivers dismiss the
fact that pedestrians exist, so they do not even look out for them.
Never assume that a driver sees you. Please don't hog the road as
if it was yours, just because you have "right of way". But instead,
share the road. Get your slow punk-ass off as soon as possible so
that the drivers who are in a rush and aren't verty rational get on their
way. Don't get on if you see a blinking hand, because you may be
blocking a left turner, unless you can quickly scoot your ass to the other
side without obstructing any traffic. And if a car stops for you,
please wave or show some kind of sign which'll indicate your thankfulness
- it just make a driver's day.
How
'bout bein' a little positive? One of my goals while i drive is to
at least make another driver smile. Here's a situation I'm sure all
drivers are familiar with: having to get out of a street parking spot while
there's lots of traffic passing by. I suppose it'd be best to get
out either when there's not as much traffic, or when traffic stops.
In the latter case, you CAN swing your car out of te parking lane and have
it halfway in the other lane, blocking the car behind you. What I normally
do is look at the driver (who is to be passed) in the eye, and wave until
he/she gives me some sign of acknoledgment. I find that this greatly
reduces the pissed-off-o-meter, especially when others use this technique
on me instead of bluntly cutting in. How 'bout when the driver beside
you ecides to cut you off really close?! I'm sure you'v ebeen forced
to do the same to others - so how 'bout doing something that won't piss
the driver behind you? A small wave of thanks or apology or whatever
can make a huge difference. Sure, some of you are saying, "Geoff,
that's bull$h|t", and for some people it is. Maybe I'm just naive,
but it's made a big difference for me when others do it to me. Or
maybe i'm a nutcase. But I don't give a flip because this is my own
personal space on teh net, and if you have a problem with it, cry.
Or email me your complaints.
August
12, 3:30pm
If you
can't beat 'em, join 'em. Geoff, what the hell are you talking about.
I'm talking about all of those
oversized behemoths roaming around on the streets today. Yeah, that's
right. Frickin' trucks, vans, "mini"
(?)vans, "sports utility vehicles", etc. What’s up with them?
Well, as I have noticed lately, there has been an increase in number of
these monsters on wheels. What good are they? Well, they are
bigger, which enables the driver to see above traffic. But then,
they obstruct the view of drivers behind them, especially if they drive
in cars which are a lot smaller in comparison. Plus size disables
maneuverability. They can not park in the “small car” spaces… hell,
it’s harder for them to park at all! They are elevated above the
ground more than cars, so in a way, they’re safer… for whoever is inside.
Unfortunately, they are a threat to people outside. In accidents,
this elevations leads to having the monster run over the poor little car,
crushing everything that gets under it. If one of these speeding
badboys were to smash into a car, chances are, the only survivors will
be in the bigger vehicle. So, good for whoever is inside, bad for
whoever is outside. Here are some shocking ratios. People killed
in accidents involving a car and a “big” vehicle: about 20:1. Holy
shnikes. Those things are real killers aren’t they.
What
else? Oh yeah, fuel consumption. I am a car driver. I
love my car. It has everything (well, almost everything) I could
possibly want from a car, including fuel efficiency. I only need
about 10L to drive 100km. A larger vehicle, like Uncle Lorenz’s van,
requires about twice as much fuel to go the same distance. Which
means it emits a lot more waste into the environment. One of the
reasons why environmentalists hate them. But still, because of their
wasteful consumption, fuel companies just adore them.
So
what’s up with “if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em?” Well, from
what I’ve just told you, big vehicles are basically bad for the environment
and dangerous on the road. But there are just so many of them, and
it doesn’t seem like any action is being taken to ban these monsters off
the road. So, when it comes time for me to purchase a vehicle, it’ll
probably be one of those big ass things. I don’t mind paying for
the extra gas. The environment is going to waste away eventually.
I don’t want to die.
August
7, 6:45pm
What's
up with weapons? I mean, seriously, why do we have them? Originally,
I think they were used to hunt animals for food. But we don't need
to do that anymore. I guess maybe it's to defend ourselves?
from what danger? Other people who have weapons. Yeesh, I always
wonder why weapons have to be in existence. I don't know the answer
to that, but I have observed this certain "need" that humans have for weapons.
Here's
something I observed while i was a counselor at a kid's camp. All
of my campers were supposed to be in their cabin, except one, whom I reluctantly
let to the washroom right after lunch. One of the other campers asked:
"Where's Greg?" And I answered: "in the washroom" and at least half
of them whined: "But I have to go the washroom too!" Another incident
- one camper caught me making this "zipper" bracelet for my secret buddy,
and apparently no-one else knew how to make one, and when the news spread
of my knowledge, at least half of the campers of the camp wanted one of
those from me.
The
point i'm trying to make is: if someone has something, others will want
it too. Weapons: guns, ammunition, knives, NUCLEAR WEAPONS, etc.
Now, if these weapons are not going to be used for hunting, then wat the
hell are they going to be used for? Against other people?!
Frankly, I see little to no point in that, unless there is a little part
of us that requires hurting/killing others to satisfy our sick needs.
And this observation makes me sick. Seriously, why would humans want
to hurt each other? It's just something I can't understand.
And
what's the deal with Nuclear weapons? why would anyone want to wipe
out entire nations? What has a nation ever done to an individual
or to another nation to cause such hatred? What's the need for them?
It's not like we're going to be fighting for our world in an alien invasion
any time soon. but first a few nations possessed them, now everyone
wants 'em. What the hell for? To resolve conflicts?!
I can't understand why nations would want to resolve conflicts with violence.
It's just so not humane. Why do they raise masses of citizens to
"fight" for their country? I am just totally digusted with this whole
violence thing. If all of us used a combined effort to end it, the
world would make a lot more sense.
August
6, 7:30pm
being a good human.
how hard is it to be a good human? all we have to do is follow a
proper code of conduct - just to be considerate of others. my 'normal'
code of conduct is mainly based on the consideration of others. here
are some of the things i would consider 'normal' behaviour. letting
others go before you, whether you're approaching a door in a shopping mall,
or people need to merge in traffic, or intentionally losing a game just
to make your opponent feel a little better, smile at others, say "thank
you", don't be rude. all in all, just place others before you, which is
a christian attitude, but still, it could make this world a better place.
these are just some of the few things you can do for humans. there
are also a lot of things we can do for environment. i know, this
is totally off topic, but i gotta tell ya, this experience totally soiled
my image of humans.
after finishing my meal
at mcdonald's, i had to use the washroom to relieve myself of a supersized
coke. in the toilet, i could hear someone urinating, but something
was wrong. the splash sounds were not just from the water, but also
from the toilet seat. i peeked inside, and to my horror, i witnessed
this person pissing with the seat DOWN. and how disgusting is that,
leaving a wet seat for the next person who needs to drop a log? not
only that, after leaving a mess, he zips up, leaves the stall, exits the
washroom and doesn't even wash his hands. that little washroom experience
totally ruined my day, and i'm sure whoever had to use the toilet next
was sufficiently disgusted.
now, if that guy could have
done just a couple of simple tasks, he would have prevented the ruined
days of two individuals. all he had to do, was flip the seat up.
it's not that hard. use your foot. or use toilet paper to cover
your hand and do it. either way, you won't leave a mess. also,
it's not very hard to pull a lever to flush the darned toilet, so whoever
is using it next doesn't have to look at the yellow cloud in the bowl.
washing hands is optional, because it doesn't really affect other people,
but for cryin' out loud, have a sense of hygene!
now i don't know about you,
but when i know i was responsible in ruining someone's day, i feel really
bad about it. that's why i try to avoid it whenever possible by NOT
being a selfish, self-centered person. i know, lots of you are probably
yelling "hypocrite!" in my face, but c'mon, i have my off days. it
would be absolutely impossible for me to keep this up all this, but at
least i'd try.
July
11, 11:30am
For all
of you staying at home surfin' the net, even though you should be at Edgefest,
you can still hear the concert on real audio by clickin here.
July
3, 7:30pm
Countdowns. What's
about them that makes us interested? Today, I found myself horribly
curious about some top ten foods at the ferry. I couldn't help be
wonder, "What's gonna be next on the list? What's number 1?"
For your information, #1 top selling food item was coffee. Sure,
it doesn't sound too interesting now, but it seemed a LOT more exciting
as they were counting down the list. Why? Maybe this ties to
my observations of humans' obsession for wanting what they don't or can't
have, but once it is in their possession, their obsession is gone.
Take for example, a kid a toy store. He/she sees something she really
likes. He/wants it. He/she feels this overpowering need to
own it, and the only way to get it is through his/her parents. You
seem him or her crying to his/her parents: "MOMMIE! DADDY!
I WANT THAT ONE! I WANT IT I WANT IT I WANT IT I WANT IT!!!" And
sometimes, or even usually the parent(s)'ll give in, purchasing that certain
toy for the kid. The kid'll feel like he/she is the king/queen of
the world for a brief moment, but then the toy becomes just another object.
Same goes for most, if not all other humans. It's very rare to find
someone who is as content with one of their posessions days/years after
they first obtain it. Of course, there are always the exceptions
of cars, guitars, spouses/partners, and others if you can name them.
But often, small items, like clothes are often gawked over in the beginning
then usually end up in the pile with the rest. I guess this goes
the same for the countdown - you're absolutely thrilled when you don't
know something, but once you do, it's just as common as sliced bread.
Oh yeah, for a really geeky
picture of myself and an elf, check out David's
page.
June 30, 11:00pm
This thought popped up the moment
I left the theatre after watching one of the longest and most expensive
movies ever made: Titanic. Once again, for some odd reason,
I thought about humans and the will to live. This theme was especially
apparent. Lifeboats were scarce, and everyone, I mean everyone
was desperate to get on one of them (except for leonardo and kate, but
that's a different story). Why was that? Duh. so that
they can ensure their survival. And i'm sure you all remember the
scene(s) where the boat topples over and everyone is dumped into the freezing
cold water. Just looking at everyone fighting for the lives, desperatly
trying to hang onto something just to survive. Why is that?
Why must we resist death? What is the whole meaning of our "will
to live"? Well, I guess these questions would eventually lead to
"What is the meaning of life"? A question which has many answers
to, depending on who you ask. Myself, I am not biased, and I am open
to suggestions. On a scientific point of view, we can say that it
is merely a means of continuity. On a more religious point of view,
life is just a step before reaching some desired destination, like Heaven.
But this whole will to live thing... maybe it comes out of fear - fear
of death. Fear of not knowing what is beyond life, if anything at
all. Which brings on this whole other topic: Fear.
For many hours, I have pondered
over fear, and I can honestly conclude that many forms of fear are a result
of uncertainty. Take fear of death for example: we "fear" death mainly
because we don't know what it's like. No-one does. We fear
being alone in the dark because we never know if we are really "alone".
We fear what's out there in space, if anything at all, because we are unaware
of what they are capable of. Old people fear young people because
they do not know if they will hurt them. We fear God not because
we already know of his great power, but we fear Him because we do not know
what He will do to us. As you can see, basically, we fear what we
do not know, in other words, uncertainty. Now, phobias are a different
thing. The only phobia i've ever experienced is that due to height.
Flashing back to my days as a wee tot, I remember myself cautiously walking
across the Capilano suspension bridge, only to have the other kids rock
the bridge. I was scared to deat that I was going to fall and crack
my brains all over the rocks below. I guess I was scared because
of my fear of falling, because I didn't know if i was going to fall or
not... so fear from uncertainty strikes again. But other phobias
- like that from certain insects/animals, or closed spaces, or large bodies
of water are things that I have never experienced before, so I will thwart
my attempt for explaining that.
June
26, 3:30pm
Holy toledo Batman, look
who's back! Yes! Finally, I have decided to get back to updating my page.
I know, I've been neglecting it for the past 6 months or so, but today,
I was finally so incredibly bored that, I decided, what the heck, why not
go back and update.
Back on Dec 26, I sworn I
could have uploaded my "thoughts" page... apparently, it didn't get through.
So, I decided to dedicate the rest of this page, to my thoughts, instead
of my so-called life, which I will refrain from referring to as much as
possible
Waaaay back on the 26th of
December, I remember going to not 1, not 2, but 3, yes, count 'em up, 3
shopping malls for Boxing Day. Although I spent most of the day shopping
around for bargains, I noticed something about myself and the hoards of
people crowding the mall. They were all here for a reason... no, several
reasons. They were here to purchase goods, but most, if not all of them,
were here to purchase goods at lowered prices. Correct me if I'm
wrong, but i'm pretty sure that this statement would apply to all humans:
We all want to have maximum
purchasing power
That's right. We want to be
able to get as much from spending as little as possible. All sensible humans
are like that, I'd suppose. Why? Maybe it has something to do with our
"sinful" nature, that pertaining to GREED. And it doesn't take "greedy"
people to possess greed - even the most generous people get away with it
by participating in "sales" and taking advantage of discounts and the like
whenever they're offered. Sure, they donate but they're still GREEDY on
the inside.
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