Well the weather outside is frightful, but the... furnace is so delightful. I expected to be spending my Friday night in Toronto but when the weather gives you snow, and closed highways, it's probably best to take the opportunity to slow life down. Luckily, as far as the forecasters are concerned, Toronto will still be there tomorrow.

Hi again. I just got back from a conference in Ottawa that kept me away from updating but still pushed thoughts through my head that might well be worth posting. I still need to distill them in my head. That, and have dinner. So nothing further of an update for now but thanks for stopping by. I'm glad you wanted to touch in. I definitely appreciate it.

Heading out of town for a few days. I hope all are happy in the face of snow, cold, sun, strikes and whatever else befalls you (or at least plays a part in your life).

The past is a memory,
the future a fantasy.
It is only in the present that we truly live.

-- Quote from "Snowcake"

I had wanted to see this movie for a while. Who wouldn't want to see a movie filmed in Wawa, Ontario? I quite enjoyed it and recommend it. Stellar cast, moving story. I laughed, I cried, I... Okay, that's a little bit of a stretch. Still, I definitely recommend it.

Quoting Megan Griffith-Greene from "Let's Get Lost" in The Walrus:

Do you believe that the universe is a labyrinth or a maze? A labyrinth traces a single winding path to a centre or exit; you may not know where you are, but you are where you are supposed to be. The way through a maze is interrupted by false paths and dead ends. It is chaos. You have doubt. You have lost faith.

I find it an interesting way of considering things. It seems that life can feel like a maze all too often. Still, I'm inclined to believe it is more like a labyrinth. Does that mean I think fate governs my life (our yours)? Nah, I'd just rather be inclined towards comfort and happiness than doubt and chaos. I hope that's not a bad thing.

Life is a minefield. No, I haven't stepped on a proverbial mine, I'm just acknowledging the point. I'm probably not stating anything new to you but I was noting today how, despite the best efforts, our interactions with others are politically charged (not Liberal, NDP, Conservative, Green, Rhino, etc. political) or at the very least open to misinterpretation and misperception. That's not even getting directly into emotions. It can sure make conscious living daunting at times. Of course it doesn't excuse us from living consciously either.

Sorry intrepid readers, I've been neglecting my postly duties. Even as I type these sentences, I ask myself "what am I writing this post about?" Unfortunately, I don't have an answer which makes this a less than stellar start to a post. Recalling a recent conversation with a friend about blogs I was told that as trivial as what is written may be, it's better than not writing at all. So, call me Mr. Trivial.

Work's going alright. I'm preparing for a conference in a week and a half. It should be good. I'm also trying to ensure that everything that needs to be done between now and then is taken care of. I'm sure it'll all be fine. In other trivial news:

Got $320M+ kicking around? Unsure how to spend it? Try this.

Wanna get really annoyed? If you're like me, you will after reading this.

Man marries bitch to beat curse. No comment. (FOLLOW-UP: That link was the exact title of the story. BBC has kindly changed it. Please don't take it as some misogynistic comment on my part.)

Law and Order

Most of us are law-abiding citizens that try and avoid getting into trouble. Still, there are cases now-and-then when we question whether the laws make sense. Thankfully, the laws we concern ourselves with don't tend to be much like these.

Forward

Whether we notice it or not, we are continually moving forward. Each day sees us growing and changing. Sometimes in ways that we understand as good, somtimes not. Regardless of how we perceive them, those changes make us the people that we are that day and for the days that follow.

Still, it can be nice to create change that you see as positive. Change that truly feels like forward movement. I hope I am making that change.