I think of you sometimes when I wonder why we’re all here. I think maybe a part of it is so I can be a little light in your sky and give you hope, because see, that’s what you are to me.
Kay Kayachith (via)
Squandrous
Hullo. I'm Sameer Vasta and this is a brain dump, of sorts. Basically, a holding place for anything that piques my interest and makes me want to share.
You can subscribe via RSS. You can also check out the archives.
You can subscribe via RSS. You can also check out the archives.
It’s good to be Canadian. You can always count on us to cause a ruckus with our flashlights.
(via)
Just got to airport; I’m heading back to Washington DC after a busy, intense, but fun trip to Australia. At so many times during this trip, it felt as though my heart was full of butterflies: when I reunited with some old friends, when I delivered my keynote address, when I got a lovely email about a Thanksgiving visit, when I got to see a play at the Opera House, when I explored Sydney, when I was just able to sit on the edge of the Pacific Ocean and soak in the beauty around me.
I’m sad to go, but I’m leaving this country with a smile on my face and many wonderful memories. Traveling with butterflies on my mind and with happiness in my heart.
Life is an awful, ugly place to not have a best friend.
Sarah Dessen (via)
![I had heard about Ontario’s green license plates a little while ago, but I had no clue that so much thought had been put into the green-vehicle initiative. Via Nico:
Ontario is going to introduce a new, green license plate, available exclusively for plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles. And the benefits of the plates won’t just be aesthetic:
Electric vehicles with the plates will be able to travel in the province’s carpool lanes until 2015 — even if only one person is in the vehicle.
Owners of eligible vehicles can also use recharging stations at GO Transit and other provincially owned parking lots. Owners of those vehicles will also have access to special parking spots at University of Toronto, some Wal-Mart locations, and at other private companies.
[GOOD]
Really proud to see my home province taking action. There’s no place like this, indeed.](http://23.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ksn6j3v35R1qz974fo1_400.jpg)
I had heard about Ontario’s green license plates a little while ago, but I had no clue that so much thought had been put into the green-vehicle initiative. Via Nico:
Ontario is going to introduce a new, green license plate, available exclusively for plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles. And the benefits of the plates won’t just be aesthetic:
Electric vehicles with the plates will be able to travel in the province’s carpool lanes until 2015 — even if only one person is in the vehicle.
Owners of eligible vehicles can also use recharging stations at GO Transit and other provincially owned parking lots. Owners of those vehicles will also have access to special parking spots at University of Toronto, some Wal-Mart locations, and at other private companies.
[GOOD]
Really proud to see my home province taking action. There’s no place like this, indeed.
100 Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do
Bruce Buschel is building a seafood restaurant and he has recently come out with a list of 100 things restaurant staffers should never do. The first part of the list was released earlier this week and contained some messages I think every restaurant owner should read:
- Do not make a singleton feel bad. Do not say, “Are you waiting for someone?” Ask for a reservation. Ask if he or she would like to sit at the bar.
- When you ask, “How’s everything?” or “How was the meal?” listen to the answer and fix whatever is not right.
- Never say “I don’t know” to any question without following with, “I’ll find out.”
- Do not take an empty plate from one guest while others are still eating the same course. Wait, wait, wait.
- Do not ask what someone is eating or drinking when they ask for more; remember or consult the order.
I’m already looking forward to the second part of this list.
And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.
Roald Dahl (via)
Some days I feel like a swan; most days I feel like the ugly duckling. Today, I don’t care: I just want to jump in the water and get lost in the beauty around me.
I cannot overstate how much a generous spirit contributes to luck. Look at the luckiest people around you, the ones you envy, the ones who seem to have destiny falling habitually into their laps. What are they doing that singles them out? It isn’t dumb luck if it happens repeatedly. If they’re anything like the fortunate people I know, they’re prepared, they’re always working at their craft, they’re alert, they involve their friends in their work, and they tend to make others feel lucky to be around them.
Twyla Tharp (via Maria)
Emma Watson. Milkshake. Red clutch. Enough said. (via)
I took a deep breath and listened to the old bray of my heart: I am, I am, I am.
Kevin Demaria took some photos to chronicle the last days of Gourmet Magazine — a publication that never should have been put on the chopping block — and the results are stark, raw, and often heartbreaking.
If you want to read a wonderful tribute to Gourmet, I highly recommend reading Sarma’s lengthy but powerful post. (Thank to Maria for the tip.)
Woke up this morning with thoughts of sunshine and smiles and rainbows and just all sorts of happiness running through my veins.
Off to the Blue Mountains today — should be fun!
I’m not quite sure what the words say or mean, but I was captivated by the beautiful simplicity and sentiment in the video.
There are no monuments dedicated to me and my name will soon be forgotten, but I’ve loved another with all my heart and soul, and to me, this has always been enough.
Nicholas Sparks, The Notebook (via)
