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Photo Memory of the Week

Music of the Week
Quotes of the Week
Bon mots from a few good women (dames, even, which is a whole other topic):
- When women go wrong, men go right after them. - Mae West
- I don't know who invented high heels, but all women owe him a lot. - Marilyn Monroe
- If you want something said, ask a man; if you want something done, ask a woman. - Margaret Thatcher
Source: Brainy Quotes
After invading southern Greece and receiving the submission of other key city-states, Philip turned his attention to Sparta and asked menacingly whether he should come as friend or foe. The reply was "Neither." Losing patience, he sent the message:
If I invade Laconia, I shall turn you out.
The Spartan ephors again replied with a single word:
If.
Philip proceeded to invade Laconia, devastate much of it, and eject the Spartans from various parts.
Source: Plutarch, via Wikipedia
Me again. Saying "If" in response to some "if/then" statement that you want to be dismissive of is cool, but there are two points:
- It's a better story when the last sentence is left off. That "if" actually happened.
- Today I learned that laconic derives from Laconia, the city-state that Philip invaded.
Posted: Jun 06
Backyard Blog
Tag Archives: Purpose
Redux: Tortoises
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Life’s Purpose & Dead Raccoons
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Snip Snip
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To Be? That is the Question
An article about elk advocates – no, strike that, “elf advocates” – gives me a whole new way to think about who I am. Elf advocates have joined forces with environmentalists to urge the Icelandic Road and Coastal Commission … Continue reading
Time’s Winged Chariot
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Working This Weekend?
Now, you can argue about the wisdom of messing with the environment on any scale. But what hit me was his sense of working on — of belonging to — a noble and enduring endeavour that would last well beyond his lifetime. Continue reading
You in Your Small Corner…
Driving over the bridge across the canal, I enter the stretch of this artery that is — to my Western Canadian sensibilities — just a few feet too narrow for four lanes of traffic zooming to and from the downtown. … Continue reading