Get Back, Get Back Get back to where...

Oi, my back is a bit sore from loading up flagstones on P3 work. Did a fair bit today on that, getting the cushioning layer in (using cast off carpet from the neighbour - good timing in chatting one day during the summer when she mentioned getting rid of it) and then putting down the liner. The liner size has worked about right, with the main pond lined, then a strip removed which takes care of the top pond plus the stream bed.

But now that things are going down, I get a much better view of the hard stuff required. And, I need a pile of more flagstone, and some more larger sized boulders. So I've got 300lbs of flag in my trunk to unload still, and two more bags of boulder sized river stone.

But my back is sore from weighing and loading the flagstone, so I'm taking a breather. It's looking pretty nice, but I'll have a bit of tuning to get the stream right.

Week Ahead
I wanted to get out for an overnight camping hike, but the weather in mid week is looking rough. If the forecase is for spotty showers I'll still go, but if rain, I'll have to pass. My SO is off to a conference in the southern US, and I've got a networking event, that is in aid of P1 goals, during the week. So a few things going on.

Been working on my Kanji a bit - how did I not get this project recorded!? Well, P13 I guess, learning languages. I've got all the Katakana and Hiragana committed to memory, and am about 50 or 60 Kanji's in to the couple of thousand you need to survive. There's a long process of copying them down, making flash cards, and studying. Plus I have to keep up on my kana and try to expand my vocabulary somewhat as well.

All this and no opportunity to practice speaking, as the class I wanted to do is not offered this fall. Just as well to keep the cash in my pocketo.

Sept 11
Yes, it's a monday, just like it was on the other 9-11. That day I was working on renovating a basement stairway and outside wall. Insulating, drywalling etc. I stepped on a nail, well a small tack, around then too I remember. But it was a dramatic and surreal day on the media channels that's for sure. I think most of all I learned how thin the veneer of civilization is. The evolution of western culture was wrapped up there as well. With the big split the US population, it shows a big weakness in democracy that opens up like a rift when there's a roughly even split in sentiment. So that 50/50 split (probably really a 60/40 split for the left of centre folk if their system recorded it better) gets incorporated into everything. Especially the re-rise of McCarthy-era witch hunts and manipulation of the masses.

I keep thinking that this must be what it was like to live next door to Germany in the 30's as crazy ideas start to get accepted by the population, and they're too close to the problem to see what they're doing to themselves. The erosion of things they claim their country stands for, in defence of those same things. Weird irony there - there's this was this groundswell of pressure against dissenting views, presumably motivated by people who wanted to protect the American freedoms of things like speech and political beleif. How wacko is that!?

Well, I perceive that things might be cresting somewhat. It's a question of whether the strange mix of ignorance about the world outside, religion and lack of basic freedoms will get another foothold and drive their culture down another notch. Hope it doesn't happen. I get the sense sometimes that the Daily Show is one of the bastions of real journalistic freedom left down there. Then again I dropped the cable a while back, and have greatly removed the amount of US news I have to endure, which is great. The internet based stuff is much easier to filter.

Wrap
Oh I'm eager to move onto unloading the trunk, if my back can take it. So I'll stop my political rant and do so now.

Your assignment for today is an easy one. Go get a cup of tea or coffee and chat with someone you haven't talked to much, for about 5 minutes. If you're alone, pick up the phone or dash off an email. Have no goal in the conversation other than to chat (ie don't ask for anything). Let me know how it goes as usual. You can always reach the bitPlayer at lwopractice yahoo.ca