Someday...

I want to visit and spend time in a castle like this.

Quotes: Goals

"People are not lazy. They simply have impotent goals- that is, goals that do not inspire them." - Anthony Robbins

"If you want to be happy, set a goal that commands your thoughts, liberates your energy and inspires your hopes." - Andrew Carnegie

"Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go. "- T.S. Eliot

"Winning starts with beginning." - Anonymous

"When a man does not know what harbor he is making for, no wind is the right wind. " - Lucius Annaeus Seneca

"Limited goals create limited lives." - Anthony Robbins

"When a goal matters enough to a person, that person will find a way to accomplish what at first seemed impossible." - Nido Qubein

"If you aim at nothing, you'll hit it every time." - Anonymous

*Additions*

"Wisdom denotes pursuing of the best ends by the best means possible." - Francese Hutcheson

"Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality." - Warren Bennis

"So many people are expecting a miracle instead of being a miracle." - Wayne Dyer

"No one knows enough to be a pessimist."

"The great end of life is not knowledge but action."

Public Policies Seminar in Vancouver

This weekend was amazing. I flew with a group of other students to Vancouver this past Friday to participate in the "Explore Public Policy Issues" seminar organized by The Fraser Institute.

Night Around Town
Once we checked in, we went out separate ways. I was going to go with a portion of the group to the beach and then to a restaurant/pub. Just before getting into a cab, I backed out and decided to run upstairs to grab my umbrella. I wanted to explore and take photos of the area, eventually making my way to a coffee shop. As I was about to press the "up" button someone called my name. It was an old friend that I haven't seen since early September. He was there to see the Rolling Stones Concert but it got cancelled. He knew one of the students in my group and decided to visit him instead... I just happened to be there at the right time. So we went out to a sushi bar and had a few drinks. It felt so good being in a big city again; I love the openness, architecture and atmosphere. There are a few places I would like to visit again next time I go.

The Actual Seminar
The next morning my alarm went off, and I turned it off thinking I'd wake up a few minutes later like usual. Not the case. I almost slept through breakfast. After breakfast, there was a group picture and registration. Then the seminar began.

The first topic was "Gun Registration" followed the Rise of Western Canada's Economies, Immigration and Terrorism, The Future of Online Gaming, and Drugs. After each lecture there was a question answer session followed by group discussion. I learned a lot and had a great time. There are sides to those subjects that I didn't understand but through this seminar, I understand them better. I particularly enjoyed the subject of online gaming.

At the Airport
At the airport I bought this book called "The Attraction Factor" by Joe Vitale. He's in one of my favorite movies, "The Secret." It was after I bought the book, something else weird happened.

One of the guys in my travel group is in my Business Law class. We talked a lot about class after we arrived, during the ride to the hotel. Ironically enough, at the airport for the return flight I bumped into my Law Prof. That was weird.

Shortly after that we parted ways and I went through security. I have never had such an issue with metal detectors in my life. I fly regularly throughout the year around Canada and the States. Rings I never had to take off at any airport prior, small clips on my sweater (smaller than average button on a white dress shirt), my sandals and even places on me that I know for sure didn't have metal on me were setting off the detector. The lady looked puzzled and couldn't explain it so she just let me go.

About 35 minutes later, when I was telling the guy in my class about seeing our teacher, my prof showed up again just as I was about to say his name. Funky timing.

There is something awesome about flying at night... because of the altitude and the lack of atmosphere, it's much easier to watch the stars. Besides, I usually have the weirdest experiences when I fly at night.

the gift of sight

Sight.
Clarity.
Endless Vision.

I remember the first time I actually was conscious of sight. I was seven or eight sitting on the school bus thinking, taking in the feeling of being conscious of sight. The way the radiant sun reflected off the seats, the shadows on each smiling face, the sharpness of every detail. The world was busy doing it's own thing just as it always has been and will continue on. Just thinking about sight and the ability to see made everything seem that much more clear (sorta like pain... it hurts so much more when you think about it). Before my psychology class, I never knew about our blind spots, and some of the limitations in sight. It's amazing how the brain interprets what it receives from both eyes.

Why am I writing about this? I had been looking through old photographs, at the detail or lack there of. What makes a good photograph? How do I really capture what I see on film? At the same time, there are distortions and limitations that with our current technology we cannot fix but even if I could fix it, I rather like the distortion.

Leaving Home

Thursday, I had some time on the way to class to take some photos. It's kinda strange for autumn photos in the valley this late in the season to lack the golden hues. Rock lawns aren't too uncommon here. Practical but not conventional. Interesting.

There is a legend of a man under the sea. A fisher of men.

He is called The Guardian.

"What makes a legend?
Is it what a man does while he's alive?
Or is it what he's remembered for after he dies?"
- Jake Fischer

This is one of the better movies I have seen in a long time.

The script was incredibly well written.

The acting was amazing.

I loved it.

It wasn't overly dramatic.

It wasn't sappy.

Just real.

"So others may live."

the stronger the wind

"Good timber does
not grow with ease;
the stronger the wind,
the stronger the trees."
-J.Willard Marriott

Where?

I thought about my recent past and there is something to be said about the extraordinary but where are the words?