I contend that we are both atheists. I just believe in one fewer god than you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours - Stephen Roberts

Hey everyone. It's been a while, I know. No excuses...just life. Didn't have anything planned to write about today honestly. I only happened upon this blog again when I got an alert a couple days ago indicating that this blog just turned four. So I opened it up and started reading some of my old posts and found myself reminiscing. So naturally it put me in the mood to write again but what about?

I've actually had the "compose" page open for a while as I surfed the web, scrolled through FaceBook (FB) and Twitter and searched for inspiration. I did eventually find something. A bit more controversial than I would have liked to start off but a relevant topic I think. Given that it has been featured in several conversations with a friend of mine over the last few days.

So let's discuss religion. Well more accurately, I want to highlight a video a friend shared on FB that I think very closely matches my views on religion. More accurately, it outlines one of the core reasons I choose not to believe. The "god" most people know is simply the one they have been taught or socialised into accepting. Their "beliefs" and "faith" are all shaped by their cultural beliefs. God is not the same from country to country, the teachings differ vastly. And yes, I have heard the argument that all the Gods are the same god but I find that argument to be bullshit. How can a perfect being leave so much confusion in his teachings? Anyway, it has never been my place to argue with people about their beliefs and I surely won't acknowledge any call for debate in the comments. I only shared this because it speaks very closely to my own understanding as an atheist and not to condemn anyone's beliefs should they be different to mine. I have no intention of insulting anyone and I am sorry if anyone feels offended but I am not sorry for my point of view.

To be honest, much like Talcott Parson's structural functionalist perspective, I believe ‘the values of society are rooted in religion’. Essentially, religion is a tool used to create and maintain behaviours that support the society. This is one of the main reasons christianity was taught to slaves. Slave masters continuously taught that the good will be rewarded in the afterlife, that "god" would punish those who did wrong. One bible verse always stood out to me: Mark 10:25 "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.". This quote obviously would discourage the poor person from trying to steal from the rich, or even protest about the vast division of wealth in society. Because according to the good book, their rewards would come in heaven and most of these rich persons will spend and eternity in hell.

Now, let me be clear. I am no expert in religion. I have not studied the bible or any of the other religious texts. I do not claim to know it all and chances are many of my readers may be more informed than I am. All I am voicing here is an opinion. Nothing more, nothing less. Anyway, this blog is going down a heavier path than I would have liked. I think I need to start on a second, happier and lighter topic to bring some smiles. What do you think?

I'm back. Did you miss me?

Blogging, who has time for it? Well I suppose anybody who employs proper time management skills and is not still promising to collect their honorary Procrastinators Club membership card tomorrow...I promise I will collect it tomorrow. That aside, I am here now. And prepare to be dazzled by the update of activities I have undertaken over the last few months.

First, I have blogged before about almost purchasing a motorcycle...well, this time I have acyually gone ahead and done so. I bought a 1998 Kawasaki KZ/Police1000. Unfortunately I am yet to ride it as it is undergoing some repairs to make it roadworthy. I expect to have it functional soon but then i still don't intend to take it to the streets till she is properly insured and I am licensed to ride.

Secondly, I have given up soft drinks/sodas. It's only been a relatively short space of time since I have done so but given my addiction I think it warrants some bragging. This, alongside an increase in physical activity, will bring me closer to that 30lb weight drop I am looking for. Slow and steady wins the race.

Third, I've got two months vacation coming up. I'm not travelling but I just felt like bragging. I bet YOU don't have two months vacation pending. Don't worry, I will enjoy it for both of us.

That being said, that's all for today folks. Time to wrap up my work and head home to play some more Skyrim. I am building my second house in the Hearthfire DLC.

A local's guide to St Lucia

Many times I come across tourist taking advantage of existing tours here. There is nothing wrong with that. It's just that they often miss out on some of the hidden gems that we have and worse yet, often overpay for an experience they could have enjoyed on their own. That being said, a visitor should always use their intelligence and common-sense. The use of reputable tour operators and taxi drivers will eliminate possible problems.

The thing is, St Lucia is an absolutely gorgeous island with hidden gems...well...hidden all over. The typical visitor doesn't get to experience half of them (for that matter the typical local hasn't experienced half of them). We have numerous waterfalls, beaches, rivers and parks/gardens that lend themselves to host amazing picnics or limes*. Most of these are already accessible via the regular tours. Some, due to their distance and 4WD only accessible roads can prove to be a problem to reach. Particularly if you are on a short stay-over.

Renting a vehicle can open up your options and provide an experience at your own pace but driving in St Lucia can be difficult and the challenge may take away from the enjoyment unless you have a true spirit of adventure. That being said hiring a taxi for the day is a good option, though it can prove to be expensive. Whichever route you choose, here my recommendations for "off the beaten track" locations you may enjoy:

1. Dennery Fish Festival - Every Saturday night, the lovely fishing village of Dennery, located on the western side of the island, hosts a fish festival. This festival follows the lead of the more well known Anse la Raye Fish Festival. The difference here is in money saved. Unfortunately the Anse La Raye Festival has become quite the tourist trap and as a result prices have skyrocketed. However, you can still get good deals on the same foods in Dennery. A tip though, befriend a local and get them to order for you if possible. I don't want to say the vendors will try to raise the price on a foreigner but locals get the better deals.

2. Anse La Voute - Also known as the five dollar beach it is located in the north of the island, near the Cas en Bas Beach, this beach has 4WD access and a toll of $5 EC for use of the path made on private property to access the beach. This beach is quiet, beautiful and full of charm. The water is not quite as calm as some of the other beaches but it remains calm enough to be enjoyable. Locals very rarely use this beach, only on long weekends really and I have never encountered foreigners there except those brought by locals.

3. Delmar Bar and Entertainment - Located in the quiet community of Quatre Chemin, Delmar Bar is a gem truly hidden away. This location provides drinks and eats, an inexpensively priced bar, games and a dance floor. Owned and operated by Janique Delmar, expect fantastic stories, good company and the perfect liming environment in a lovely suburban type setting. Karaoke is every Wednesday and Games Night is every Thursday.

4. Camping - Aside from the obvious safety precautions; having a large group, notifying local authorities and possibly getting a local's opinion on the ideal time and places to set up camp, the experience of falling asleep on a beach to the sound of waves and nothing but the night sky above you can hardly be surpassed. Saint Lucia offers many locations that can offer such an experience. It is an experience that locals and tourists alike should not miss out on.

5. Experiencing the country life - Many times locals and tourists alike get caught up in the northern lifestyle of Saint Lucia, ie: Rodney Bay, Gros Islet, etc... There is a lot to be said for the south of the island as well. They may follow a much slower pace but they know how to enjoy nature. The beaches, waterfalls, rivers, back yard cook outs... In the south a lot more imagination goes into their activities. Since less clubs exist people have learned to create their own entertainment and in this way often organise activities that lend itself to greater opportunities to get to know the people and the land around you.

6. SCUBA - and last but not least, Saint Lucia offers an abundance of beautiful dive sites. My words can never do them justice so grab your snorkels or scuba apparatus and get into the water asap...you won't regret it.





Much more exists but these 6 should get you started. Remember to walk the path less travelled and enjoy the sights few have seen.

Will you perceive the event that kills you?

When light strikes your eyes, it takes some hundreds of milliseconds before you become conscious of the event. As a consequence, you are always living in the past. This strange fact of our existence is well known is neuroscience, but there’s an interesting, under appreciated consequence: you may not ever become aware of the thing that kills you.

Cormac McCarthy addresses this point in his post-apocalyptic novel The Road, in a scene in which the main character has his pistol leveled on a miscreant. The malefactor challenges: “you won't shoot....they [my companions] will hear the shot.”

The protagonist replies, “Yes they will. But you won’t.”

“How do you figure that?”

“Because the bullet travels faster than sound. It will be in your brain before you can hear it. To hear it you will need a frontal lobe and things with names like colliculus and temporal gyrus and you won't have them anymore. They’ll just be soup.”

One way to appreciate the slowness of your perception is to compare it to the speed of mechanical devices. Take this incredible, sobering "anatomy of a crash," as described in an Australian magazine and echoed on Tom Vanderbilt’s blog. With fine-grained temporal resolution, it analyzes what happens when a stationary Ford Falcon XT sedan is struck in the driver’s door by another vehicle traveling at 50 kilometers per hour:

0 milliseconds - An external object touches the driver’s door.
1 ms - The car’s door pressure sensor detects a pressure wave.
2 ms - An acceleration sensor in the C-pillar behind the rear door also detects a crash event.
2.5 ms - A sensor in the car’s centre detects crash vibrations.
5 ms - Car’s crash computer checks for insignificant crash events, such as a shopping trolley impact or incidental contact. It is still working out the severity of the crash. Door intrusion structure begins to absorb energy.
6.5 ms - Door pressure sensor registers peak pressures.
7 ms - Crash computer confirms a serious crash and calculates its actions.
8 ms - Computer sends a “fire” signal to side airbag. Meanwhile, B-pillar begins to crumple inwards and energy begins to transfer into cross-car load path beneath the occupant.
8.5 ms - Side airbag system fires.
15 ms - Roof begins to absorb part of the impact. Airbag bursts through seat foam and begins to fill.
17 ms - Cross-car load path and structure under rear seat reach maximum load.
Airbag covers occupant’s chest and begins to push the shoulder away from impact zone.
20 ms - Door and B-pillar begin to push on front seat. Airbag begins to push occupant’s chest away from the impact.
27 ms - Impact velocity has halved from 50 km/h to 23.5 km/h. A “pusher block” in the seat moves occupant’s pelvis away from impact zone. Airbag starts controlled deflation.
30 ms - The Falcon has absorbed all crash energy. Airbag remains in place. For a brief moment, occupant experiences maximum force equal to 12 times the force of gravity.
45 ms - Occupant and airbag move together with deforming side structure.
50 ms - Crash computer unlocks car’s doors. Passenger safety cell begins to rebound, pushing doors away from occupant.
70 ms - Airbag continues to deflate. Occupant moves back towards middle of car.
Engineers classify crash as “complete”.
150-300 ms - Occupant becomes aware of collision.



The last line is the zinger. Early studies by Benjamin Libet suggest that the last line should perhaps read as high as 500 ms, although others, such as Daniel Dennett, have correctly pointed out that it is impossible to measure the moment of onset of conscious experience, so the exact timing will never be known.

Just as the explorer David Livingstone appreciated the biological kindness of stress-induced analgesia, there may an equivalent kindness in the slowness of perception.



Taken from: http://www.sentientdevelopments.com/2009/02/will-you-perceive-event-that-kills-you.html

You ask...I answer!

1. What time did you get up this morning? 7:50 a.m.

2. How do you like your steak? medium rare

3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? Transformers: Dark of the Moon

4. What is your favorite TV show? Big Bang Theory

5. If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be? Paris

6. What did you have for breakfast? Fried plantain

7. What is your favorite cuisine? Meat. I am a steak and potato kinna guy. But pork is my fave, lamb, etc...

8. What foods do you dislike? Greens and vegetables

9. Favorite Place to Eat? Anywhere with lots of meat

10. Favorite dressing? dressing goes on salads...nice try!

11.What kind of vehicle do you drive? 2008 Daihatsu Sirion H/B

12. What are your favorite clothes? shorts and nothing else

14. Cup 1/2 empty or 1/2 full? almost always 1/2 full

15. Where would you like to retire? St Lucia....granted i get to work someplace else first

16. Favorite time of day? dinner

17. Where were you born? St. Vincent

18. What is your favorite sport to watch? Tennis, pool


19. Prefer to be indoor or outdoor? Outdoors!!

20. What’s the craziest thing you've ever done? Next question please

21. Bird watcher? only if they challenge me to a staring contest

22. Are you a morning person or a night person? depends on the activity in question, cuz I really love sleeping in, so I am a morning person when it comes to sleep.

23. Do you have any pets? Just mini me. I stroke him and pet him when I am lonely.

24. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share? Yes! umm...no.

25. What did you want to be when you were little? A doctor, a lawyer or a scientist

25. What is your best childhood memory? eating BBQ chicken, bakes and drinking a malt every new year assou square.

26. Are you a cat or dog person? Dog by far

27. Are you married? No

28. Always wear your seat belt? Always

29. Been in a car accident? yeh a couple minor ones

30. Any pet peeves? sure, but thankfully i got a poor memory so i can't remember em

31. Favorite Pizza Toppings? pineapple...don't much care what else is on it

32. Favorite Flower? the pretty one?

33. Favorite ice cream? chocolate, love Elenas' "blueberry yogurt" but I am not sure they actually qualify as ice cream

34. Favorite fast food restaurant? Papa John's

35. How many times did you fail your driver's test? none

36. From whom did you get your last email? Facebook...that stalker won't stop messaging me.

37. Which store would you choose to max out your credit card? a hobby shop or electronics store

38. Do anything spontaneous lately? yeh, answer this (i am so daring)

39. Like your job? yes

40. Broccoli? would be no but my aunt suckered me into liking it by drowning it in cheese sauce

41. What was your favorite vacation? wow, they were all great

42. Last person you went out to dinner with? Janna and John

43. What are you listening to right now? Silence

44. What is your favorite color? Black

45. How many tattoos do you have? 6 and more to come

46. Hotel or camping? Depends i like both but I guess hotel edges camping out

47. What time did you finish this quiz? 11:17 am

48. Coffee Drinker? no

How to install a home security system.

1. Go to a secondhand store and buy a pair of men's used size 14-16 work boots.

2. Place them on your front porch, along with a copy of Guns & Ammo Magazine.

3. Put a few giant dog dishes next to the boots and magazines.

4. Leave a note on your door that reads:




"Bubba,

Bertha, Duke, Slim, & I went for more ammo and beer. Be back in an hour.
Don't mess with the pit bulls; they attacked the mailman this morning and
messed him up bad. I don't think Killer took part, but it was hard to tell
from all the blood. Anyway, I locked all four of 'em in the house.

Better wait outside. Be right back.

Cooter"

Are you for SCUBA Reuben?

Well today is a slow day as far as interesting events go. I have a meeting this afternoon which I have already prepared for. So now I find myself with time to kill and unfortunately nothing current to blog about. As a result, I decided to spend some time talking about one of my favourite past times....SCUBA.

Well firstly let me give props to the girl who trained me and got me through the certification process, Miss Jemima Lorde, Dive Master at Island Divers of St. Lucia

( http://www.islanddiversstlucia.com/ ).

Previous to my first SCUBA experience I was an avid snorkeler, I always enjoyed seeing the underwater world and looked forward to one day being able to take a closer look. Luckily my long time friend Jem, convinced me to get some friends together and join her class. Well, I took her advice and rounded up my two good friends Ryan and Jade and we hit the water as soon as was possible.

I always felt it was a shame that we live in the Caribbean, surrounded by all this beauty and opportunity that others paid lots of money to take advantage of and yet we locals took for granted. So I made it a point to do all the typically "tourist" activities because they were not "tourist" activities they were ours. It is sad when outsiders get more out of the natural beauty of our country than we do. So I vowed to learn SCUBA, Skiing, windsurfing, kite surfing, horseback riding, to do the ATV tours, climb mountains, visit waterfalls and take advantage of the sulfur baths.

But I am losing focus. Today's topic is SCUBA. I can tackle the others another time. Today I want to share with you the experience of an underwater world. A world we "fly" through. Surrounded by fishes, crabs, lobster, sea-snakes and other underwater creatures. Where light works differently, where sounds are not experienced in a way we are used to. A world where fear adds to the excitement and beauty, where wonder fills with every twitch of the eye.

As you descend you can feel the weight of the ocean on top of you. Slowly you realize you are the intruders into the home of the aquatic creatures. At the same time you feel safe and welcomed. Ironically the last dive I went on was a night dive which was immediately followed by a stop at a local festival in a fishing village. We went from admiring how beautiful the fishes looked by the light of our flashlights to how wonderful they tasted.

Sigh, I just can't seem to focus. I think I will stop here. There is so much to say really on the topic of SCUBA. I don't know if my words thus far have succeeded in selling the idea of SCUBA to anyone but I certainly hope you try it at least once. It is a remarkable experience.

ANTM - I'm pretty sure there's a lot more to life than being really, really good looking.

America's Next top Model. Seriously, why is this show so popular. As a guy I can appreciate the occasional bikini clad pseudo-models parading on my television but there is absolutely no depth to this show. Every season has a drama queen, someone with some sad story about how they overcame cooties as a child, a black girl willing to fight with anyone who gets in their way and most annoying of all, those oversensitive girls who cry when ever someone tells them boo or whenever Tyra walks into the room.

Sigh, maybe if there was nudity and they aired the inevitable lesbian encounters (I am sorry, as far as I am concerned, with so many girls in one house someone must be lezzing out.) this show would be more entertaining. Otherwise it has as much depth as a kiddie pool and is as interesting as a snail race.

Anyway, I can't judge. It is like the cliche says "let he is without sin throw the first stone". I know I watch some pretty idiotic tv so I really can't judge those who watch this show. And to be honest I get caught up in the show as well....albeit to catch a glimpse of the models in underwear or a bikini...but still.

Ahh to hell with it, I'm probably just pissed this damn show has made my GF seize the tv so I can't play my video games. Come to think of it that's probably the case.

More power to the airhead, random beauties on ANTM. Make that money however you can.

The best way to appreciate your job is to imagine yourself without one.

Well Bloggers, it has been a hectic month for me. I have been absolutely swamped at work and I am still cleaning up. Things are starting to look a little brighter but I can still clearly see a lot to do ahead of me.

On the other hand, things have also been picking up on the outside. I have been contacted by the National Tennis Centre to train and manage a team of Line Umpires and Ball Persons for the upcoming Coca Cola International Junior Tournament in August. This is an opportunity to put my Umpire's training in action and maybe earn a few extra dollars.

Additionally, the Tiger Tennis Club Saint Lucia, of which I am on the executive, has been taking powerful strides forward as we move toward becoming an incorporated organisation and are near to finalising a deal for funding with the Government to conduct Grass-root Tennis Programmes.

Tennis was a sport I had once given up on in Saint Lucia and I am so happy to be a part of two grand efforts at revitalising the sport. At Tiger Tennis our greatest passion is getting kids at an earlier age to fall in love with the sport. In 5 - 10 years we could be in a position to start dominating at regional tournaments once again. Additionally, we hope to get more female players. Girls / Women just don't seem interested in the sport any more. You can practically count the number of female players in Saint Lucia on one hand.

The fact is, my work life is full, my private life is filled as well and I have no complaints. There are always difficulties but how can I complain.

“There's nothing half so pleasant as coming home again.”

Ok, so I am back...again! Who would have thought this would be such a challenging endeavor. In theory the formula is simple; log in daily and write about whatever is on my mind. In practice however....

It has been a long time since my last post. So long in fact that I refuse to actually check the date of the last post and be reminded of how delinquent I have been. So what have I been up to? Well, nothing. Still in the same job and not any closer to being debt free or on a path to obtaining my Master's Degree. I am still full of dreams however and isn't that what counts?

Most recently I attended the Saint Lucia Jazz festival. Trey Songz performed on Saturday and John Legend closed the festival on Sunday. Considering that my tickets for both days were free I can honestly say they were well worth what I spent and more. I enjoyed John Legend far more than I did Trey Songz but that isn't to say that Trey didn't deliver a good show. Actually it was quite entertaining.

One of the moments that stood out is at the end of Trey's performance. The whole performance was more or less a really long strip show. Women crowded the front of the stage, crushing each other in an effort to get as close as possible to this new sex symbol. By the time he got around to singing "I bet the neighbors know my name" he had lost his jacket and shirt and was in a vest. Of course by the end of the show Trey was bareback and offering his sweat drenched vest to the crowd. Funnily enough, Trey picked out a girl and offered it to her and she said no. It was hilarious. He looked shocked and then turned to the crowd and said: "She don want it."

I have to admit though as funny as that was I laughed a little harder than I needed to because in as much as one girl said no, hundreds more were begging for it in the crowd. And well, I never had any girl beg for my sweaty vest. SO yeah, I was hating just a little.

Saturday's show was a better one. John legend has better music and more hits than Trey does. Even his stage presence and performance was more likable. Not to mention the fact that he had three sexy back up singers on stage with him.

This was John's second performance at Jazz and also my second time seeing him at Jazz. Both times were great and on Sunday he pointed out that it was his second show and said that he would be happy to come back anytime. John, that was a great show and all but of course we know you'll be back. Don't patronize us, you getting paid some serious cash to be here. You're not coming back for us, you're gonna come back for the money. I don't blame you though, nor am I hating.

Anyway, I think that's enough for today. I'll post something soon. I promise. take care guys!

A "Red Dead Redemption" ending.

For those who don't know, Red Dead Redemption is a game for the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 which follows the story of John Marston. Marston was an outlaw who changed his life after his old gang left him for dead. He now lives on a farm with his wife and son...well would be anyway except that government agents kidnapped his family and are using their safety as leverage to get Marston to kill some of his old outlaw buddies.

The game play is pretty much the same formula as the Grand Theft Auto series except set in the old west. So instead of cars, there are horses, caravans and trains. All in all the game is a fantastically written open-world experience. The adventure plays out somewhat typically as we progress through the story until, of course, Marston kills Dutch. Now with that being the main plot point of this whole game you expect that once this is done, the ride home to meet your now released family will mark the end of this adventure. Well, this game has more in store.

After reuniting with your wife and son it soon becomes clear that more missions are available. These missions are all rather tame and unexciting compared to the recently executed and exciting missions that were offered prior to the family reunion. Honestly, I got bored and stopped playing. I imagined that the end must be near but I couldn't deal with these mundane tasks so soon after taking down Dutch and his gang.

So almost two months later I picked up the game again to tackle the single player aspect (I played on-line multiplayer a bit in that time however). I guess having been away for a while I didn't mind the missions so much now. That is until the penultimate mission which suddenly had the army coming after Marston. It was a fantastic mission that had Marston fighting valiantly against scores of trained soldiers to protect his family. In the end, his family escaped on horseback and Marston remained behind to hold back the army while they made their break. What happened next surprised me.

Marston, held up in a barn with twenty or more soldiers waiting for him outside the door, pushes open the large barn door and(in dead eye mode) attempts to take down all of the soldiers. I thought: "Wow, what balls!" But then, having only taken out a few soldiers Marston is shot and killed in a very cinematic fashion. At this point I am thinking I am gonna have to try this again but then the game saves and doesn't offer an option to retry. At this point my heart deflates a bit. I think: "Did I do something wrong?" "Was I supposed to kill them all?" "This can't be how it ends."

I soon realise that this is the path the story takes and soon we see John's wife and son return to the barn to bury him. Then as the focus remains on the grave we see it age and then next to it appears Abigail's grave. And who is standing by the grave but his son Jack, all grown up and the splitting image of his father. One last mission remains and in this mission you play as Jack as he goes after the man that orchestrated the death of his father so many years before; Edgar Ross.

At first the ending took me for a loop. But I thoroughly enjoyed it. Those boring missions gave me an opportunity to get to know Abigail and Jack and feel for them and their loss even more. It also gave me a chance to see how hard John and Abigail were trying to keep Jack away from the life they led, the contrasting mundane farm life being a much better and safer option. After these missions, John's death really hurt me. I felt like I had failed when he was shot down. And I felt good taking the life of Edgar Ross and yet saddened by the fact that despite their best efforts, Jack seemed to have followed the same path as his father. All in all I say well played Rockstar, well played.

“May the dreams of your past be the reality of your future”

What will life be like in the future? No one can know. But I have a fun exercise in mind. Visit this site I just stumbled upon http://www.futureme.org/index.php From here you can write an email to your future self. An abstract / intellectual time capsule of sorts. Just put in the email address, prepare your message (include your dreams and visions for the future)and send. You can set the date in the future that you want your message delivered. I set mine for the year 2020, exactly 10 years from today. I wonder how will react to the things I wrote. Only time will tell.

Five Lessons About How To Treat People -- Author Unknown

I found this online the other day. It was posted in another Blog and the operator claimed to not know the author. I thought it was beautiful though. I do not own the rights to this, nor do I know who does..That being said, here it is:






1. First Important Lesson - "Know The Cleaning Lady"

During my second month of college, our professor gave us a pop quiz. I was a conscientious student and had breezed through the questions, until I read the last one: "What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?"

Surely this was some kind of joke. I had seen the cleaning woman several times. She was tall, dark-haired and in her 50s, but how would I know her name? I handed in my paper, leaving the last question blank. Just before class ended, one student asked if the last question would count toward our quiz grade.

"Absolutely," said the professor. "In your careers, you will meet many people. All are significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say "hello."

I've never forgotten that lesson. I also learned her name was Dorothy.


2. Second Important Lesson - "Pickup In The Rain"

One night, at 11:30 p.m., an older African American woman was standing on the side of an Alabama highway trying to endure a lashing rainstorm. Her car had broken down and she desperately needed a ride. Soaking wet, she decided to flag down the next car.

A young white man stopped to help her, generally unheard of in those conflict-filled 1960s. The man took her to safety, helped her get assistance and put her into a taxicab.

She seemed to be in a big hurry, but wrote down his address and thanked him. Seven days went by and a knock came on the man's door. To his surprise, a giant console color TV was delivered to his home.

A special note was attached. It read: "Thank you so much for assisting me on the highway the other night. The rain drenched not only my clothes, but also my spirits. Then you came along. Because of you, I was able to make it to my dying husband's bedside just before he passed away. God bless you for helping me and unselfishly serving others."

Sincerely, Mrs. Nat King Cole.


3. Third Important Lesson - "Remember Those Who Serve"

In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less, a 10 year-old boy entered a hotel coffee shop and sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water in front of him. "How much is an ice cream sundae?" he asked. "50¢," replied the waitress.

The little boy pulled his hand out of his pocket and studied the coins in it.

"Well, how much is a plain dish of ice cream?" he inquired. By now more people were waiting for a table and the waitress was growing impatient. "35¢!" she brusquely replied.

The little boy again counted his coins. "I'll have the plain ice cream," he said. The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on the table and walked away. The boy finished the ice cream, paid the cashier and left.

When the waitress came back, she began to cry as she wiped down the table. There, placed neatly beside the empty dish, were two nickels and five pennies. You see, he couldn't have the sundae, because he had to have enough left to leave her a tip.


4. Fourth Important Lesson - "The Obstacles In Our Path"

In ancient times, a King had a boulder placed on a roadway. Then he hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock. Some of the king's wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it. Many loudly blamed the King for not keeping the roads clear, but none did anything about getting the stone out of the way.

Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. Upon approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded. After the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the King indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway. The peasant learned what many of us never understand - "Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve our condition."


5. Fifth Important Lesson - "Giving When It Counts"

Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at a hospital, I got to know a little girl named Liz who was suffering from a rare and serious disease. Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood transfusion from her 5-year-old brother, who had miraculously survived the same disease and had developed the antibodies needed to combat the illness. The doctor explained the situation to her little brother, and asked the little boy if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister. I saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a deep breath and saying, "Yes, I'll do it if it will save her."

As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister and smiled, as we all did, seeing the color returning to her cheeks. Then his face grew pale and his smile faded. He looked up at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice, "Will I start to die right away?".

Being young, the little boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was going to have to give his sister all of his blood in order to save her.

“A man is but the product of his thoughts what he thinks, he becomes.”

So I did Jung's personality test (you can find it here along with several other tests: http://similarminds.com/personality_tests.html) and tied between these two personality types INTP ["Architect". Greatest precision in thought and language. Can readily discern contradictions and inconsistencies. The world exists primarily to be understood. 3.3% of total population.] and ENTP ["Inventor". Enthusiastic interest in everything and always sensitive to possibilities. Non-conformist and innovative. 3.2% of the total population.]

I scored: (Extroverted (E) 50% Introverted (I) 50%) / (Intuitive (N) 58.33% Sensing (S) 41.67%) / (Thinking (T) 58.33% Feeling (F) 41.67%) / (Perceiving (P) 75% Judging (J) 25%). For the most part I believe the results are accurate. Always loved these tests though. Never fails to educate me on myself. The trick is to be as brutally honest as possible so your results are accurate.

I was also curious about the result I would get from the Career Inventory Test Results, so I went ahead and did it. I got the following results:

Extroversion ||||||||||||||| 50%
Emotional Stability ||||||||||||||||||||| 70%
Orderliness ||||||||| 23%
Altruism |||||||||||||||||| 53%
Inquisitiveness ||||||||||||||||||||| 66%

You are an Architect, possible professions include - strategic planning, writer, staff development, lawyer, architect, software designer, financial analyst, college professor, photographer, logician, artist, systems analyst, neurologist, physicist, psychologist, research/development specialist, computer programmer, data base manager, chemist, biologist, investigator.

I also took the Advanced Global Personality Test and my results are:

Extraversion |||||||||||| 43%
Stability |||||||||||||||| 70%
Orderliness |||| 16%
Accommodation |||||||||||| 50%
Intellectual |||||||||||||| 60%
Interdependence |||||||||||||||| 70%
Mystical |||||||||||| 50%
Materialism |||||||||||||| 60%
Narcissism |||||||||| 40%
Adventurousness |||||||||||||| 60%
Work ethic |||||||||||||| 60%
Conflict seeking|||||| 30%
Need to dominate|||||||||| 40%
Romantic |||||||||| 40%
Avoidant |||||| 30%
Anti-authority |||||||||||||||||||| 90%

Wealth |||||||||||| 50%
Dependency |||||||||| 40%
Change averse |||||||||||| 50%
Cautiousness |||||||||||| 50%
Individuality |||||||||||||||| 70%
Sexuality |||||||||||||||||||| 90%
Peter pan complex |||||||||||||||| 70%
Histrionic |||||| 30%
Vanity |||||||||||||| 60%
Artistic |||||||||||||| 60%
Hedonism || 10%
Physical fitness |||||| 30%
Religious || 10%
Paranoia |||||||||||| 50%
Hypersensitivity |||||||||||||||| 70%
Indie |||||||||||| 50%

Stability results were high which suggests you are very relaxed, calm, secure, and optimistic..

Orderliness results were very low which suggests you are overly flexible, improvised, and fun seeking at the expense too often of reliability, work ethic, and long term accomplishment.

Extroversion results were moderately low which suggests you are reclusive, quiet, unassertive, and secretive.

trait snapshot:
messy, tough, disorganized, fearless, not rule conscious, likes the unknown, rarely worries, rash, attracted to the counter culture, rarely irritated, positive, resilient, abstract, not a perfectionist, risk taker, strange, weird, self reliant, leisurely, dangerous, anti-authority, trusting, optimistic, positive, thrill seeker, likes bizarre things, sarcastic


I'll be honest, I posted these results here more as a diary for myself but I figured might be nice to share and get opinions from people who know me (or think they know me) That's two for Architect, and I am well pleased to see psychologist in that list. I really think that is my calling. I would love to know what you scored. So take a test and leave a comment.

“Politics ain't worrying this country one-tenth as much as where to find a parking space” Will Rogers

There are two designated parking spots for my office. One for the Director and one for the Driver/Messenger. As far as I am concerned, we have no driver (or office vehicle for that matter) and the director is in an extended vacation. So that means I have two parking spots in central Castries designated just for me. That is of course if the rest of St Lucia would respect the "Reserved SAACS" painted onto the spots.

I had to beg the traffic department to send someone around to ticket them. To no avail I might add. Finally I got a hook up directly to a Traffic Cop who came by to help me out. This of course follows weeks after trying to access help through the proper channels. Unfortunately whilst I was waiting on the cop one of the drivers came to move from the spot. I approached the lady very calmly, pointed out that she had probably not seen that the spot was reserved and informed her that I would appreciate if she refrained from parking there in the future. I was met with cut-eyes and a haughty shrug as a response. So much for being calm and polite. As she drove off I cursed her luck, she was just minutes from getting a fine she so rightly deserved.

Vehicle number two did get a ticket though. Although the cop did mention that he recognized the vehicle and recalls ticketing it several times before. It seems this driver was notorious for illegally parking and completely disregarding the tickets received. Such was my luck huh.

Well at least one of my spots is available now. the problem is I had to park on the other side of town this morning and I am far too lazy to go get my vehicle now. So I will wait and see if anyone decides to make use of my spot in the meantime.





“When I get real bored, I like to drive downtown and get a great parking spot, then sit in my car and count how many people ask me if I'm leaving.”

Stephen Wright

"Aloysius, the road to hell paved with poom-poom."

Have you ever seen the Jamaican movie "The Lunatic"? (see synopsis below)I stumbled upon it on torrents recently. It's still downloading now, about 86%. Last time I saw this movie I was probably still in High School and I remember enjoying it immensely. I would definitely recommend this movie to anyone. In fact, there are a lot of Jamaican movies i would recommend, top of the list would probably be "Dancehall Queen". (see synopsis below)

The region itself has produced numerous entertaining pieces of work, from Guyana all the way to Jamaica. I cannot claim to know them all but I am sure interested in learning of them. So please visit the links below to find torrents for the two movies I have mentioned and point me in the direction of those you would recommend. Hollywood isn't the only place good movies are made.


The Lunatic (1991)

Filmed in Jamaica, "The Lunatic" is the story of a village madman, Aloysious, who has the amazing ability to talk to anything, including trees, cows and cricket balls. Portrayed from a Jamaican prospective with an acute eye for the authentic dialect of the land. Aloysious meets Inga, a German nymphomaniac, who uses her 'pum pum power' to capture his heart.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0104777/
Torrent: http://thepiratebay.org/torrent/4950288


Dancehall Queen (1997)

A single street vendor disguises herself for a dance contest, and pits her enemies against each other.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0127497/
Torrent: http://thepiratebay.org/torrent/5317995

"Although your customers won’t love you if you give bad service, your competitors will." Kate Zabriskie

So this is my idea; The St Lucian economy relies on tourism. Tourism is a service oriented industry, yet customer service is terrible in St Lucia. Well, the tourists do tend to get preferential treatment at hotels, bars and restaurants but locals tend to get terrible service.

I appreciate the point of view that the tourist dollar is important but I should not be treated like a 2nd class citizen in my own home. If I go to a bar I expect the same quality of service that tourist get. The tourist are only here for 1 - 2 weeks. I live here, in the long run I am your most valuable customer if you just take the time to treat me like you want my business.

I called St. Lucia Distillers recently on behalf of a friend to get prices on some drinks. The lady who answered told me that she has customers in front of her and she is too busy to deal with me, then she hung up. I certainly hope you all can see the issue here. I am a customer (potentially) yet you are clearly stating that I am of less importance than the persons in front of you. That is terrible service. My friend did actually buy the drinks from Distillers, so her terrible service did not in the end cost the company but I wish it had. I wish that business owners would feel the effects of poor customer service directly as loss in revenue, because once money was being lost they would surely care.

This is far from the only example I have of poor service in my own home and I am sure many of you have tales to share as well. That being said I offer this simple piece of advice, don't accept this kind of treatment. If you do not like the service you receive speak to the manager or supervisor on duty. Write a letter of complaint, take a stance. Do not allow this sort of thing to continue.

One of the keys to happiness is a bad memory.

...wait, didn't I do this already?

One of the keys to happiness is a bad memory.

I live with a memory problem. It isn't a diagnosed problem, just something that tends to piss off the people I interact with regularly. That being said it doesn't bother me. Don't get me wrong, I often feel the negative effects of it. In fact i am sure there a large number of persons out there who think I am snobbish or indifferent because I often pass persons I met recently, or knew very well in the not to distant past without even acknowledging them. Persons often stop to say hi and tell such lovely tales of times we spent together and I look at them with a blank expression, completely clueless. I feel bad at those times, when clearly my bad memory has cost me a friendship.

Often I make grand gestures to say hi or hello to persons on the street because they may have simply glance my way and I fear that it may be one of those persons who I have forgotten. So to all the strangers I have surprised, I am sorry. To all the old friends I have forgotten I am also sorry.

A bad memory on the other hand does lead to happiness. I have no enemies, because I never remember transgressions made against me. Luckily for me, the only memories that seem to stick are happy ones. What more can I ask for. So for those who have to repeat things a million times for my benefit, I am sorry. For those who have to remind me who that person is for the twentieth time, I am sorry. To the person who brings up old stories of our adventures together and I greet with a blank stare, I am sorry. But I am happy.

They call it PMS because Mad Cow Disease was already taken. ~Author Unknown

Understanding women. Greater men have tried and failed, so I shall not even attempt it. I have learned tricks to dealing with them however, I will not reveal them here though (don't want to give away my secrets especially since I know my GirlFriend reads this blog). There is one piece of advice I can offer to men however; shut up!

It is said that women get the last word in every argument. Anything a man says after that is the beginning of a new argument. This is very true, so the golden rule for a man is even if you are right, accept that you will be proven wrong, shut up and accept that you have lost the argument.

I digress though, this blog was supposed to be in response to the concerns of a friend of mine. A male friend to clarify. He indicated that is class was filled with women who seemed to react to each other with such negativity and slyness that it confused him. He posed this question: why can't women get along with other women? I had no response but it did seem to me that guys had it easier in making guy friends than women did making female friends. I have theories obviously, but like I stated I have a girlfriend and other female friends who read this blog and I prefer to live to see tomorrow so i shall not state them here. Feel free to use the "Anonymous Comment" feature to post your ideas, believe me I am interested in hearing them.