I like Plinky a lot of good questions are asked, or at least questions that make you think when you run out of things to write about, or have stuff to write but are trying to meet a self imposed deadline and need something that is quick and dirty.
A topic brought up was what is the best advice you ever recieved? Given more time I’m sure I can come up with plenty of pearls o’ wisdom I have gotten over the years but the one that comes to mind came from a teacher at Dawson College in Montreal.
The teacher wisely said: ‘If you have nothing to say, then say nothing’ I wish I would follow it more. I often think I say way to much. On the other side of this coin if I followed the advice, I could probably go for days without speaking. I just read this to my wife and she started to laugh and I am thinking others who know me well may agree I don’t really say all that much to begin with, I am not exactly what one would call a ‘social animal’ but honestly I often hear myself speaking and the voice in my head is screaming, ‘Brian! shut the heck up!‘ but I just keep talking.
Another great piece of advice that my wife just reminded me about was from the movie, The Big Lebowski If you have not seen the movie then you simply must go see it, NOW! Why are you still sitting here reading this blog, go on, get the Big Lebowski. Basically the mob storms into Lebowski’s house and wants the money he owes and they piss on his carpet. The only problem is they got the wrong guy. But Lebowski wants justice so he goes through all these shenanigans to get another carpet from the mob. At one point he is sitting on the sidewalk, his girlfriend is gone, he lost his job his house, and his car is on fire and all because he tried to get justice for a pissed on carpet. So he turns to his friend played by John Goodman and says, ‘…I could have just had a pissed on carpet.’ Point is don’t cut off your nose despite your face.
And one more from the book The Agony and the Ecstasy Michelangelo just recieved a gift of a horse from the Madici family. Of course the horse costs more in upkeep then Michelangelo can afford. Mike’s dad says, ‘Never accept a gift that eats’ A bit of advice we can all use now and again.
PanningForGold 
Didn’t your parents give you any g0od advice?
So much that I can’t remember anything specific, but let me think on it…my father once told me ‘if you sit on an eagles nest you get your aspect’ and I haven’t yet sat on an eagles nest and all is good.
My mother, (that would be you) once told me it is allright to make mistakes and now I make them all the time, and all is good.
And both taught me that life doesn’t have to be so difficult and not to take everything so seriously. And that is pretty much how I live my life.
Oh and the best way to Carnagie hall is practice, or buy tickets…
Never accept a gift that eats…. classic!!!
I too have been given advice along the lines of if you have nothing to say then shut up, advice that all these years later I am finally starting to take. Sometimes. Occasionally. It is a tough one… aaargh!