Wednesday, September 9, 2015

What Do You Do...?

Though no one can go back and make a brand new start,
anyone can start from now ~ and make a brand new end.
(Author Unknown)

What do you Do with 3,300 Tons of Sand?
Paola Loriggio of The Canadian Press writes:

Cleaning up after the Pan American Games means dismantling bleachers, tearing down stages ~ and finding a new home for about 3,000 metric tons of sand. When the Games organizers built 5 beach volleyball courts in a downtown Toronto parking lot, they brought in about 80 truckloads of sand from Muskoka, especially configured for the sport, their supplier said. Now that the Games are over, that sand has been carted more than 350 kilometres to a new volleyball training facility in North Bay, said Todd Knapton of Hutcheson Sand and Mixes. It took 3 consecutive nights to haul the sand out of Exhibition Place (renamed Pan Am Park during the Games) and ship it to its destination. The work was done overnight to avoid disrupting traffic.
The granite-based sand is washed and sized to meet the standards established
by the sport's governing body...The International Volleyball Federation,
which is based in Lausanne, Switzerland. Tending to stay loose,
it won't compact and drains at a specified rate when hit by rain.
The colour for TV... it doesn't have a glare to it...and is safe for the athletes.

The Huntsville-based company has supplied sand for the 1999 Pan Am Games as well as Olympic Games in Sydney, Athens, Bejing and London. Though it's possible to ship sand overseas ~ they've sent some to Dubai in the past ~ sometimes the company just refurbishes a beach for competition or partners with a local business to make sand on site. Making sand involves screening it to take out oversize grains and stones...then washing it down to different graduations.

Our dilemma is that we hate change and love it at the same time;
what we really want is for things to remain the same but get better.
(Sydney Harris)

What Do You Do When Confronted by Coyotes in Your Community?
Keep your distance and the animal will most likely avoid you.
Coyotes are native to North America and can be found living in urban and rural areas. Coyotes, although they are very wary of humans and avoid people whenever possible, coyote sightings in Burlington are common. Burlington's green spaces and forested areas provide an excellent habitat for them. They can travel great distances along ravines, hydro corridors and highways. Food sources, like mice and rats and garbage are readily available in urban areas, attracting coyotes to residential areas.

Co-existing with Coyotes: As much as possible, the City of Burlington's approach to coyotes in the community is to leave them alone! They naturally fear humans and should remain wild animals. Coyotes play an important role in balancing the ecosystem in Southern Ontario, helping to control the population of rabbits, rats and mice. As citizens, remove coyote attractants such as food.

If you Encounter an Aggressive Coyote:
Stop! Pick up small children and pets and shout GO AWAY...and wave your arms high in the air.
Use hazing techniques, such as popping open an umbrella, throwing an object near the coyote or shaking your keys.
Back away slowly while remaining calm. Never run or turn your back on a coyote.
If you see an aggressive, sick or injured coyote, call 905-335-3030; for other sightings, report online.
If a coyote poses an immediate threat or danger to public safety, call 911 and alert Halton Region Police. (Your feedback helps us to monitor the location of the coyotes in the community.) If you see a coyote...or observe a potential problem relating to garbage or someone intentionally, or accidentally, feeding a coyote, you can assist the city by submitting an online report.

The dilemma for society is how to preserve personal and family values
in a nation of diverse tastes. (Tipper Gore)

Plutarch counter-states with,
What we achieve inwardly will change outer reality!”

What Do You Do When Your Refrigerator Starts Making Noises?
(Paul Benedetti, living in Hamilton, and a teacher of journalism
at Western University, describes his dilemma:
(excerpts from his Hamilton Spectator article)

Recently, the appliances in our house turned against me. The fridge was starting to go...you know the kind...sort of a low-level threatening hum, like the sound your wife makes when you've been lounging on the couch too long. Next, water started leaking out of the bottom. Naturally, as 'man of the house' I promptly ignored this. Then one morning, my wife opened the fridge and said, “Things in here are not particularly cold. I think the fridge is dead.” To her I replied, “Nonsense! We'll just adjust this dial to colder and said to her, “That fridge has had it! Let's give it a day' (using the theory that if I just ignored it, it might start up again.) Well, I hope it's not the compressor. Once the helium is gone, it's all over.”

My son, despite having headphones on and generally ignoring everything around him, said, “I think you mean 'Freon', Dad. Helium goes in balloons and makes your voice sound funny.” To him, I smartly replied,”Well, they used to use helium until the Hindenburg Disaster!” Then, walked away.

The next day, I found myself in front of a long line of refrigerators at a giant appliance store. I read the price tags on the floor models and then, after a little lay-down on the floor and a glass of water thrown in my face, I was again able to speak. Twenty minutes and about $2,000 later, we were the happy owners of a new shiny, stainless steel fridge.

A couple days later, two young guys hauled the fridge in and set it up. Let it stand for four hours before you plug it in.” I responded, “To let the Freon settle.” He said, “That's right. You an engineer?”
I dabble,” I said.

Difficulties are opportunities to better things.
They are stepping stones to greater experience.”
(Brian Adams)

Merle Baird-Kerr...written July 29, 2015
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