Quotations Weblog

They haven’t even gotten in the door yet. They have cut a hole in the door and have allowed the press to peek in it.

• Happy News – Egypt offers first peek at new tombs – By Associated Press

I find the discovery of new tombs to be exciting. Long ago, there was a saying that you couldn’t dig a hole in Egypt without stumbling on a tomb. Now, it seems that the intact tombs are much more difficult to find.

The nominees for the Oscars have been announced.

• CNN.com – ‘Mountain’ looms over Oscar nominations – Jan 31, 2006

I always feel a little strange when I look over the list of movies nominated for Oscars. Most of the time, I haven’t seen any of them. This year is no different. I don’t really care for movies about cowboys. If I did, I’d live in Herriman, Utah instead of Salt Lake City. I don’t want to see terrorists kill people. I don’t want to see horrific crashes that change the lives of several people. I’m sure Truman Capote and Edward R. Murrow are very interesting people, but I prefer to get my history from the History Channel instead of the movies. None of the nominated movies really appealed to me.

Am I so far away from the “art” that I can’t even enjoy the “Best Picture”? Why do the nominees have to be so depressing? Why do they never nominate comedies? The only appeal of the Oscars was an Oscar Party that we used to go to, but those friends moved away long ago and I have no desire to take their place by hosting the party.

I guess I should just watch the MTV Movie Awards.

They have found the longest cross-border tunnel ever made and have arrested a Mexican citizen in connection with it.

• CNN.com – Mexican arrested in border tunnel case – Jan 30, 2006

So many of our freedoms have been impinged upon in the name of the “War on Drugs” or the “War on Terror” that it doesn’t surprise me that it was a profitable option to tunnel under the border. If we had taken a different approach in the Eighties, would we have a tunnel now? If drugs were legal and easily accessible, would we be living in a different world today? It makes me wonder.

Kanye West is the rapper who aptly announced, “George Bush doesn’t care about black people.” He was the one who was brave enough to say what all of us were thinking. For the most recent cover of Rolling Stone, he posed as Jesus Christ for the cover and Muhammad Ali inside.

• CNN.com – … and Kanye West as Jesus Christ – Jan 24, 2006

He’s quoted as saying,

“If I was more complacent and I let things slide, my life would be easier, but you all wouldn’t be as entertained. My misery is your pleasure.”

“In America, they want you to accomplish these great feats, to pull off these David Copperfield-type stunts. You want me to be great, but you don’t ever want me to say I’m great?”

Yes, that’s true. We want you to prove yourself to us before you brag about it. In this world of mega-stars, not even Kanye West is considered successful enough to flaunt conceit. Give yourself a few more years, Kanye. If you’re still a star instead of a “Where Are They Now” story, then you can brag to your heart’s content.

Read all of Kanye West’s Quotations Here:

• Kanye West Quotes – The Quotations Page

Somewhere between these two quotes, lies the truth. Because of the recent tragedies, West Virginia has passed a mine safety bill.

• CNN.com – West Virginia passes mine-safety bill – Jan 23, 2006

I live somewhere in the middle of the two quotations above. I worked in a research lab for a couple of years as a Safety Officer. We had many rules in the laboratory to protect the workers, but it was a constant struggle to get the employees to follow the rules. We were working with hazardous and unknown substances. We were testing them to create the Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) that would tell you what sort of protective gear you needed to wear to keep yourself safe. Since we didn’t know how toxic these substances were, we had to wear full gear all the time. Unfortunately, it was difficult to get the lab workers to follow the rules.

Was it overkill? Sometimes. Was it enough? Sometimes not… There were times when we were working with chemicals so toxic that they killed the guinea pigs when just applied to the skin. I wonder if the technicians that worked with that chemical that day were wearing their full protective gear. I KNOW they were after that day.

Somewhere between being able to get the job done and perfect safety, there is a golden spot. I hope West Virginia has found that golden ratio because if their rules are too strict, they won’t be followed unless MSHA is visiting. If they’re not strict enough, there will be more deaths. It’s a very difficult balancing act and I wish them the best of luck.