Clarity
Fear of Cheese
Posted 28 Nov 2008
I ordered a hamburger at a little restaurant I visited this weekend. Along with each sandwich on the menu, one had the choice of a few toppings, including cheese:
The relevant text in the above photo is as follows:
Cheese… $.50
Cheddar, American, Swiss, Bleu ($1)
Spicy Jack, Goat ($1.50)
For the first time in my life, I think, I was nervous about cheese. What is one to assume about the nondescript “cheese” item (selling for $0.50)? What could it mean such that it is called out separately from “Cheddar”, “American”, “Swiss”, “Bleu”, “Spicy Jack”, and “Goat”?
I was especially worried that “American” cheese costs more! What could possibly be a lower cost form of cheese-product?
Warning: Confusing Warning Signs Ahead!
Posted 27 Nov 2008
Events, Language, Places, Signs | 3 Comments
The Cliffs of Moher are amazing and breath-taking. Where the Atlantic ocean hits Ireland, these cliffs provide one of Ireland’s most popular tourist attractions.
To cope with the hundreds of thousands of visitors that come each year, the cliff edge has been protected by a wall and warning signs abound of the dangers.
Visitors to the cliffs are admonished to avoid karate-kicking the wall blocking access to the cliff edge.
Come close to read the small text explaining what the extreme danger is, only to realize the warning indicates that the cliff you now are standing on is “Extremely Unstable”.
Hopefully you readers can provide some thoughts on what this last warning sign might mean. Please help!
From a by-gone era
Posted 26 Nov 2008
Commuting, Daily Life, The Little Things | 2 Comments
It was an early morning for me today. I had a full schedule of client meetings and was out the door of my house pretty soon after sunrise (which admittedly in England at this time of year isn’t that early). On my way to the park-and-ride, I saw an older chap pull quickly up to the kerb, jump out of his car and run into the phone booth.
“Blimey!”, I thought, “You don’t see that very often any more.” The mobile phone has pretty much done away with the pay phone these days. Not entirely, mind you, but it’s become enough of an old dinosaur that I certainly didn’t expect to see someone using it this morning.
So, what else lingers about these days but doesn’t really get much use?
(On a related note, over the weekend, I found myself having to explain to a 4-year old what a cassette tape was and how it doesn’t get really get much use anyone, at least not in the West.)
Just one more thing
Posted 25 Nov 2008
Commuting, Daily Life | 6 Comments
“Sure. Go ahead an throw it on top – we’ve got plenty of room up there.”
Mountain of stairs
Posted 24 Nov 2008
Commuting, Daily Life, People | 3 Comments
Over the weekend, I was caring for a young child I know. The child had learned to walk in the previous months and so powering about on his feet was still very exciting to him. This child loved to climb the stairs in his house – just for fun. And I was watched him climb, making sure he didn’t tumble backwards to a painful crash, I was amazed at how much work it was for him to climb the stairs.
Each step just about came up to just below his waist. There were 13 steps leading from the ground floor to the next. So, this little fella was pulling and scrapping his way to the top, time and time again, for fun. He was giggling, laughing, talking and singing on each trip. It was a hoot.
As I watched on, I began to think about whether or I would climb proportionally sized steps for fun. I am 6′3″. Would I repeatedly climb 13, three-foot steps just for fun? For that matter, would I go back up almost 40 feet (close to a 3-story building) in stairs to collect whatever it was I forgot this morning as I ran down the stairs this morning, late for work? Could I even run down the stairs if each step was half my height?
