Uncategorized

I’ve often thought about thinking.  How does this work?  Why do I need to think?  What happens when I think too much?  Can I think too much?

Yesterday was no exception.

The roads were not good so I didn’t travel down to my work at Eston College.  The evening session I was to attend was cancelled.  My wife is currently in Calgary enjoying the grandson!

Now, I could have moved into the mindlessness of entertainment – internet has more than enough (I did spend some time on entertainment, but much less that I might have expected).  Or I could have slept all day (I find that a great past-time – and it really does pass time).

Or I could read, work out details for a class I am teaching, and just think.

I chose the latter and at the end of the day – it was a good day.

My next in line brother was a world traveller!  His life was too early snatched away by cancer in 2005.

At his funeral we were reminded of two ladies he had met in New Zealand a few years back.  They had become known to the family as they visited Canada and as my parents visited them in New Zealand.  And then the yearly Christmas greetings continued.

Now years later, at my mother’s death, they have sent a note of condolence.  A touching reminiscence of the years of contact, of the impact the family had on them, and of pure graciousness in our time of sorrow.

This is certainly one way to gauge friendship!

Worst blizzard ever!

I’ve been through a blizzard where I was stuck, got out to push and started to walk back to the driver’s seat – and instantly was hit by a car that I did not see!  Or the blizzard that shrouded in my parent’s farm.  I was in the hospital (at a very young age – so most of this story is first hand reports from my parents) and about to be discharged.  The hired man had to take me back home (he was on the other side of the drift at the farmstead), walk me over the drift and into the house.  How about the blizzard where I just stayed home – I couldn’t see across the street!

But this blizzard?  The hype was amazing.  People were setting off on their journeys hours early.  I even left work a few hours early to get home.  Blizzard warnings were posted on weather websites.  The forecast was decidedly scary.

And I woke up this morning.  Shovelling my driveway was a piece of cake, the other walkways were like small fluffs of cotton.  The wind was low and the sky was bright. 

YES, the worst blizzard ever!!

Just the day before the other day a student asked me to help them find a book, online if possible.  Written by Peter T. O’Brien.  This was a commentary on Hebrews.  Such requests are always fun, especially when this is one of those students who is probably as smart, or smarter than me!

A quick search of Amazon found that I could buy a paper copy for upwards of $700.  That immediately intrigued me.  I looked for a full text of the book online.  Not much available on reputable sites. 

Then Google search kicked in.

A slight mention was made of a statement by the publisher – just a short blurb!  So I went to the publisher’s site and found out that less than a decade after publishing the book (and a hefty volume it was!), the company ceased publication.  The statement revealed that the author had plagiarized parts of the book – a hint of his apology is given.  And the book is no longer available (and no other reprint publisher is looking to venture into that territory).  Used book dealers are loving it!  The lowest price was in the $200 dollar range.  Higher ranges almost hit the $1,000 range.

Which makes obvious to us something that has been a whisper for years.  If you really want publicity or to become famous – either die or do something scandalous.