Top Ten Quotes that make me Wary

(note: most of these notes are written in sarcasm and thus not to be taken literally.)

1. Trust me I know what I'm doing.
(Actions speak louder than words. And unfortunately when defensive phrases get used, invariably its done as part of a scam. This phrase is deeply burnt into my sub-conscious after it was repeated to me in a series of fucking unmitigated disasters by a confident person.

2. You're doing this for God.
(When I hear this phrase, I think of the Children's Crusades)

3. This time its different.
(I heard this phrase during the dot.com boom. I believed in it at the time)

4. The leaders know what they are doing.
(Leaders who are especially confident and hate criticism... somehow they remind me of Hitler, a real success story in 1940.)

5. Don't worry, it should go OK.
(I'm worried because you've just jinxed us.)

6. What else could go wrong?
(After successfully completing a big sale a few years back, I was overawed by the success, I smiled, "Perfect, what else could go wrong?" A lot, apparently.

7. Thus saith the Lord...
(This makes me flinch. Its used too often in church history for dubious purposes. Read the Crusades.)

8. Trust your gut feeling.
(Its magical when it works, like astrology and fortune telling.)

9. You're not trying hard enough.
(Or perhaps the plan sucks? No, really. I think of Hitler exhorting his men to fight harder.)

10. Its a good learning experience.
(Like the Battle of Passchendaele. Doesn't take a genius to figure out that enthusiasm probably won't stop machine gun bullets, but I guess its worth giving it a shot.)

Top Ten Quotes that make me Wary

(note: most of these notes are written in sarcasm and thus not to be taken literally.)

1. Trust me I know what I'm doing.
(Actions speak louder than words. And unfortunately when defensive phrases get used, invariably its done as part of a scam. This phrase is deeply burnt into my sub-conscious after it was repeated to me in a series of fucking unmitigated disasters by a confident person many years ago. The first time I heard it I was wary, the subsequent times only brought about an increasing sense of revulsion and dread. Oh no, not again.)

2. You're doing this for God.
(A simple "Please" might suffice. When I hear this phrase, I think of the Children's Crusades. I really don't like it when people over-spiritualise.)

3. This time its different.
(I heard this phrase during the dot.com boom, I believed it and got screwed. The next time I heard this phrase being bandied about, I sold out of the market, bought puts and made a small fortune.)

4. The leaders know what they are doing.
(Leaders who are especially confident and hate criticism... somehow they remind me of Hitler, a real success story in 1940. Pity about 1945.)

5. Don't worry, it should go OK.
(I'm worried because you've just jinxed us.)

6. Success!!! What else could go wrong?
(After successfully completing a big sale a few years back, I was overawed by the success, I smiled, "Perfect, what else could go wrong?" A @#$ing lot, apparently. But after reading Bible/Luke 12:16 - 20, I think that I got off quite lightly.)

7. Thus saith the Lord...
(This makes me flinch. Its used too often in church history for dubious purposes. Read the Crusades.)

8. Trust your gut feeling.
(Its magical when it works, like astrology and fortune telling, pity about the times it doesn't.)

9. You're not trying hard enough.
(Or perhaps the plan sucks? No, really. I think of Kitchner, Hitler or Tojo exhorting their men to fight harder.)

10. Its a good learning experience.
(Like the WW1 Battle of Passchendaele. Doesn't take a genius to figure out that enthusiasm probably won't stop machine gun bullets, but I guess its worth givin it a shot.)

10a. Its unsinkable. Totally safe.
(Think Titanic)

Top Ten Quotes that make me Wary

(note: most of these notes are written in sarcasm and thus not to be taken literally.)

1. Trust me I know what I'm doing.
(Actions speak louder than words. And unfortunately when defensive phrases get used, invariably its done as part of a scam. This phrase is deeply burnt into my sub-conscious after it was repeated to me in a series of fucking unmitigated disasters by a confident person.

2. You're doing this for God.
(When I hear this phrase, I think of the Children's Crusades)

3. This time its different.
(I heard this phrase during the dot.com boom. I believed in it at the time)

4. The leaders know what they are doing.
(Leaders who are especially confident and hate criticism... somehow they remind me of Hitler, a real success story in 1940.)

5. Don't worry, it should go OK.
(I'm worried because you've just jinxed us.)

6. What else could go wrong?
(After successfully completing a big sale a few years back, I was overawed by the success, I smiled, "Perfect, what else could go wrong?" A lot, apparently.

7. Thus saith the Lord...
(This makes me flinch. Its used too often in church history for dubious purposes. Read the Crusades.)

8. Trust your gut feeling.
(Its magical when it works, like astrology and fortune telling.)

9. You're not trying hard enough.
(Or perhaps the plan sucks? No, really. I think of Hitler exhorting his men to fight harder.)

10. Its a good learning experience.
(Like the Battle of Passchendaele. Doesn't take a genius to figure out that enthusiasm probably won't stop machine gun bullets, but I guess its worth giving it a shot.)

Beware of joining Equillibrium Gym or small gyms

I just got an SMS from the Equilibrium gym asking me to join and get free useless crap. And so I thought its worth mentioning my past experience with them...

I'd caution anyone thinking of joining these small boutique gyms like Equilibrium etc.. They frequently offer 1 month free gym fees - but slug you into a 12 month or 24 month contract which you can't get out of even if you get eaten by Godzilla. Payment is usually deducted from your credit card account directly. Meaning, even if you lost or change your credit card - the deduction will continue irregardless.

The payments are also deducted using a 3rd party broker - meaning, you won't see "GYM X is deducting xxx amount" from your account. In this case of Equillibrium they used a company that was similar to my phone company details - which lead to a lot of confusion.

These small gyms also do not issue out warning letters to its clients who have stopped coming - in fact, once the contract is set in - they really don't care whether you come or not. You could be dead or stuck on a remote island- but so long as the credit card is stocked with cash - the deductions will carry on. They don't care.

Even after the contract has ended, canceling the membership is harder than getting out of the Hotel California. Two years ago when I left for a long overseas trip I sent a letter to the gym to cancel the contract. Apparently, that's an invalid method. According to the fine print in the contract. you have to personally show up at the bloody gym and speak to the manager to "discuss your reasons for quiting".

You can imagine my surprise when I found deductions were still carrying on 1 year later. Why? Because I had to personally see the manager and please explain.

Anyways, its a good point to study the contract carefully and read your credit card statements just as carefully. Its not always good to assume things - esp. over contracts.

Beware of joining Equillibrium Gym or small gyms

I just got an SMS from the Equilibrium gym asking me to join and get free useless crap. And so I thought its worth mentioning my past experience with them...

I'd caution anyone thinking of joining these small boutique gyms like Equilibrium etc.. They frequently offer 1 month free gym fees - but slug you into a 12 month or 24 month contract which you can't get out of even if you get eaten by Godzilla. Payment is usually deducted from your credit card account directly. Meaning, even if you lost or change your credit card - the deduction will continue irregardless.

The payments are also deducted using a 3rd party broker - meaning, you won't see "GYM X is deducting xxx amount" from your account. In this case of Equillibrium they used a company that was similar to my phone company details - which lead to a lot of confusion.

These small gyms also do not issue out warning letters to its clients who have stopped coming - in fact, once the contract is set in - they really don't care whether you come or not. You could be dead or stuck on a remote island- but so long as the credit card is stocked with cash - the deductions will carry on. They don't care.

Even after the contract has ended, canceling the membership is harder than getting out of the Hotel California. Two years ago when I left for a long overseas trip I sent a letter to the gym to cancel the contract. Apparently, that's an invalid method. According to the fine print in the contract. you have to personally show up at the bloody gym and speak to the manager to "discuss your reasons for quiting".

You can imagine my surprise when I found deductions were still carrying on 1 year later. Why? Because I had to personally see the manager and please explain.

Anyways, its a good point to study the contract carefully and read your credit card statements just as carefully. Its not always good to assume things - esp. over contracts.

The driver who killed Mary Jo Kopechne is dead

Edward "Ted" M. Kennedy a US politician is dead. To some on the left - he was a great politician, a gifted orator, a great American.

To me he was the driver who ended the life of beautiful girl Mary Jo Kopechne in a car accident off the Massachusetts island of Chappaquiddick.

Kennedy had attended an all girl party on July 18, 1969 and left with the pretty Mary Jo.

He drove off the side of a bridge doing 20MPH. The car came to rest in under 6 - 8 feet of water (roughly 2 metres). He swam out leaving her behind. Kennedy claims he made several attempts at rescuing her.

Mary Jo apparently survived the crash but was trapped inside the car.

Failing that, he walked back to the party to get his friends to help.

For some reason, as Kennedy left the accident scene, he didn't bother knocking on nearby houses and calling for help or the police. Neither did his friends apparently.

Kennedy and friends claimed they couldn't swim into the low submerged car lying under about 2m of water. They gave up after a few tries. Curiously Kennedy did find the strength to swim across the channel back to his hotel. Exhausted, he fell into a deep sleep but he did find the time to make a complaint a noisy party next door.

Next morning, he woke up - chatted with people about a sailing race and had a good breakfast. And he's still not called the police or told anyone else about the crash.

Meanwhile, local residents discovered the submerged car and a diver found Mary Jo Kopechne's body still trapped inside. He said she could have been alive for 2 hours.

The judge gave him a suspended 2 month sentence. Strangely, no autopsy was performed on Mary Jo's body despite blood being found on her skirt.

Kennedy asked his electorate, the people of Massachusetts, whether he should resign. He went on to win the re-election with 62% of the vote which only goes to show that democracy is over rated.

Mary Jo Kopechne's parents used the money they had been saving for her wedding day for her funeral. She was their only child.

This is so fubar.

Follow the Heron home by Karine Polwart

The back of the winter is broken
And light lingers long by the door
And the seeds of the summer have spoken
In gowans that bloom on the shore

Chorus
By night and day we’ll sport and we’ll play
And delight as the dawn dances over the bay
Sleep blows the breath of the morning away
And we follow the heron home

In darkness we cradled our sorrow
And stoked all our fires with fear
Now these bones that lie empty and hollow
Are ready for gladness to cheer


CHORUS

So long may you sing of the salmon
And the snow scented sounds of your home
While the north wind delivers its sermon
Of ice and salt water and stone

by Karine Polwart from her album "Scribbled in Chalk : buy it here.