Sugar Cubes

To me, it is hurtful to have to deal with people whom you would like to teach when — pretending to themselves that they seek knowledge — they only want a social community, friendship, ‘togetherness’, attention and the like.

All these things are delightful: and all the more delightful when consciously indulged in, rather than found by means of deception. Deception in this case is pretending to oneself that one is studying when one is seeking stimuli.

Such people may have the capacity to learn. But they overlay it with shallow aims. They may have been trained to seek smaller satisfactions and to give them grand names. They may, on the other hand, simply be carrying on the demands of babyhood. Rumi said: ‘When will you cease coveting nuts and raisins?’

The condition can be so well established that people are to all intents and purposes unconscious of its presence.

Sufis jolt people from this ’sleep’. Such shocks are often experienced as hurtful - until they take effect, when we are always grateful that we have been allowed to encounter them. What is in fact hurtful to humanity does not necessarily feel hurtful at the time. Self-deception is the chief of these.

JERUSALEM, (Reuters) - Israel announced plans on Monday to expand two Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank despite a ban on such construction in a U.S.-led plan for peace with the Palestinians.

The Housing Ministry published tenders inviting contractor bids to develop 150 plots for single family homes in Beitar Illit settlement. A further 78 plots were offered in Givat Zayit, part of the settlement of Efrat.

The U.S.-led peace “road map” requires a freeze on expansion of settlements in occupied land where Palestinians seek statehood. The Palestinians have also failed to meet their own obligation under the plan to crack down on militant groups

Beitar Illit and Efrat are part of the Gush Etzion settlement bloc, which Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has vowed to keep under any final accord with the Palestinians.

U.S. President George W. Bush has said Israel could expect to keep some settlements under any such deal.

Palestinians say this would deny them a viable state in the West Bank, where some 245,000 settlers live among 2.4 million Palestinians, and imperil efforts to restart peace talks. [Continue]

1. Act out your version of a company takeover.

Tried the kitchen, all cupboards were closed!

2. Find a way to change everyone’s password to “chrysanthemum”.

Only if somebody spelled that for me over the phone.

3. Around 3:20am, play connect-the-dots with lights still on in other office buildings. Keep going until you see a small woodland creature.

Maybe tomorrow I will

4. Sneaking in the boss’s desk could land you an unexpected promotion.

I scare him already, no need to give him a good reason for that.

5. Draw stick people in all the landscape pictures on the walls, and in the morning, be the first to point out “what a terrible thing that someone did this to such beautiful works of art”.

ummm we don’t have paintings, can I glue personal mails on each employee’s table? it would be fun to watch them trying to open letters without carrying them, with one hand, hopefully tearing what’s inside the envelope…especially letters sent to their spouses.

6. Go into the other gender’s bathroom without fear of being caught.

I thought of that today, but the thought scared the hell out of me.

7. Run up and down the hallways screaming, hoping security will come so you can have someone to talk to.

Security are boring.

8. Leave prank messages on the CEO’s voice mail.

My telephone number will appear, bad idea.

9. Finally, a chance to live out a dream and pretend to be your boss.

No thanks, that would be a nightmare with employees like me.

10. Elevator surfing!

We don’t have one, luckily may I add. I dislike elevators.