Loyalty is the first virtue.

To be loyal is to give all you have to someone else,
And when they think that you are all used up,
And you have nothing left,
You smile.
Because you know you have so much more to give,
They just never knew to ask you for it,
Because loyalty does not end.
It does not end when your flesh tears.
It does not end when your bones shatter.
It does not end when your mind breaks.
It ends only when your soul is torn apart by the chains that once held it.
And in that moment you are free.

Loyalty is the first virtue.
It is the virtue that you give,
And give,
And give to another.

Loyalty ends only in death.



Justice is the second virtue.

Justice is balance,
To be just is to seek balance.
It is to find ways to go into the dark,
And turn it to light.
Because the light is bound by rule and law,
And the dark is free to seep into existence,
To tip the scales in its favor.

Like the dark,
The actions of men are not so bound,
So the just go with sword and torch
And stab at shadows,
Waiting for the new dawn to rise.

The Blind Lady watches silently,
Not yet willing to tell the Just
That the sun died long ago.
Only the hearts of good men bring light to the world,
Like so many sparks they glimmer in the night,
Then die.

Justice is the second virtue.
It is the light that the dark steals from the world,
And few notice its passing.

Strength is the third virtue.

Strength is not force of arms,
It is force of will.
Strength is the ability to free the self,
To wrest it from the daemons that guide ones hand to wrong.
To be strong is to choose.
It is the choice to reject what is easy.
It is the choice to reject what feels good.
It is the choice to accept what is right.

It is the choice that all men fail to make,
Given time, and temptation.
Because there is so much that is easy,
Because there is so much that feels good,
Because there is so little that seems right anymore.

Strength is the third virtue.
Like a stone in the desert,
It is worn away slowly,
Painfully,
Because nothing is eternal,
And evil does not relent.

The flesh cannot withstand the storm.

Truth is the fourth virtue.

It is to turn ones voice to white light,
It is to never let your heart bleed new darkness into the world.
It is not only to never lie,
But also to have no need of lies.
Lies only exist to cloak the darkness in twilight,
To make the darkness glow as it poisons the soul,
To make the shadows glitter as they wound the innocent.
Truth is not mere honesty,
It is pureness that makes honesty obsolete.

Truth is the fourth virtue.
The virtue silenced by cowardice.
The virtue neglected by weakness.
The virtue left to crumble and rust and fail
Because of the honeyed words form the darkness,
It promises, “I’ll forgive you.”
It lies, “I'll still love you.”
It whispers, “Because it won’t hurt them if they don’t find out.”

Truth is being hung by the convenience of secrecy.

Truth is being strangled by our doubts.

Wisdom is the fifth virtue.

It is the ability to see with clear eyes
Through the darkness of the world
To where he light lies dieing,
Beaten and weak, bleeding radiance into nothingess.
It is the ability to remember what it means to do what is right.
And to know what it means to be good.
And to care enough to pursue them.
The light is not dead,
She is merely weakened from assault and starvation,
She needs champions to bring her to the world once more.
If only someone could see her though the endless night.

Wisdom is the fifth virtue.
It is to know good from evil.
It is to not be ignorant of the effects of one’s actions.
It is the virtue that allows men to transcend their base natures,
And carry the light back to this world.

Wisdom is the mother of hope.

Original Sermon, less poetic, but discusses the same concepts in a different light.

Fuck You Robot!

Long story short, I'm never talking to AIM's AI talk buddy thing.

Gunslinger23and5 (15:37:36): Hi
SmarterChild (15:37:39): This Microsoft Agent is powered by Windows Live Agents. Microsoft's Privacy Statement (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=74170) applies to all information which you provide to this Microsoft Agent. Please be careful about information which you provide to online services and follow safety tips, some of which can be found at http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/default.mspx.
SmarterChild (15:37:39): Hi gunslinger23and5, I'm SmarterChild!I'm your new robot friend. I give you conversational access to news, weather, movie times and lots more. I can also play games or just chat!I can't wait to show you what I can do, but first I'd like get to know you a little.May I ask you a few general questions? (To do this later, type skip. You can also skip any question.)
Gunslinger23and5 (15:37:50): Sure
SmarterChild (15:37:50): Cool. OK, let's get started. To skip any question, type skip. To exit the interview, type exit.What's your first name? (If you want me to call you gunslinger23and5, type none.)
Gunslinger23and5 (15:37:58): Gunslinger
SmarterChild (15:37:58): Sorry, I don't recognize that as a real name. Please try again or type skip, exit or none.
Gunslinger23and5 (15:38:01): Gunslinger
SmarterChild (15:38:02): Sorry, I don't recognize that as a real name. Please try again or type skip, exit or none.
Gunslinger23and5 (15:38:09): I don't care if you recognize it as a real name
SmarterChild (15:38:10): Sorry, I don't recognize that as a real name. Please try again or type skip, exit or none.
Gunslinger23and5 (15:38:33): Ishmael
SmarterChild (15:38:33): Cool, I'll call you Ishmael now.Do you go to school?
Gunslinger23and5 (15:38:37): No
SmarterChild (15:38:38): I see. Do you work?
Gunslinger23and5 (15:38:40): No
SmarterChild (15:38:40): OK. So if you were working, what job would you like to have?
Gunslinger23and5 (15:38:52): Bum
SmarterChild (15:38:52): Whoa. I'm a little perplexed by your, um, choice of careers.Please try again or type skip or exit.
Gunslinger23and5 (15:39:10): I would not work.
SmarterChild (15:39:10): Sorry, I don't recognize that as a profession. Please try again or type skip or exit.
Gunslinger23and5 (15:39:12): Housewife
SmarterChild (15:39:12): Housewife, huh? That's cool.What's your favorite hobby?
Gunslinger23and5 (15:39:17): Fucking
SmarterChild (15:39:17): C'mon, that's not cool. Try to be serious for a minute.Please try again or type skip or exit.
Gunslinger23and5 (15:39:25): I like to fuck.
SmarterChild (15:39:26): C'mon, that's not cool. Try to be serious for a minute.Please try again or type skip or exit.
Gunslinger23and5 (15:39:31): Sex with women
SmarterChild (15:39:32): C'mon, that's not cool. Try to be serious for a minute.Please try again or type skip or exit.
Gunslinger23and5 (15:39:35): GOD DAMN YOU
SmarterChild (15:39:36): Sorry, I don't recognize that as a hobby. Please try again or type skip or exit.
Gunslinger23and5 (15:39:54): Killing
SmarterChild (15:39:54): C'mon, that's not cool. Try to be serious for a minute.Please try again or type skip or exit.
Gunslinger23and5 (15:39:57): Come on.
SmarterChild (15:39:57): Sorry, I don't recognize that as a hobby. Please try again or type skip or exit.
Gunslinger23and5 (15:40:01): Decorating
SmarterChild (15:40:01): Decorating? Cool!What's your next favorite hobby?
Gunslinger23and5 (15:40:09): Lynching
SmarterChild (15:40:09): Decorating and lynching. Interesting!Do you have a pet?
Gunslinger23and5 (15:40:28): Yes
SmarterChild (15:40:28): What kind of pet is it?
Gunslinger23and5 (15:40:46): Sex slave
SmarterChild (15:40:47): Come on, stop playing around.Please try again or type skip or exit.
Gunslinger23and5 (15:40:52): Woman
SmarterChild (15:40:53): Sorry, I don't think that's a kind of pet. Please try again or type skip or exit.
Gunslinger23and5 (15:40:54): Girl
SmarterChild (15:40:54): Sorry, I don't think that's a kind of pet. Please try again or type skip or exit.
Gunslinger23and5 (15:40:56): child
SmarterChild (15:40:56): Sorry, I don't think that's a kind of pet. Please try again or type skip or exit.
Gunslinger23and5 (15:41:01): Diety
SmarterChild (15:41:01): Sorry, I don't think that's a kind of pet. Please try again or type skip or exit.
Gunslinger23and5 (15:41:04): Wombat
SmarterChild (15:41:04): Sorry, I don't think that's a kind of pet. Please try again or type skip or exit.
Gunslinger23and5 (15:41:07): Yes it is.
SmarterChild (15:41:07): Sorry, I don't think that's a kind of pet. Please try again or type skip or exit.
Gunslinger23and5 (15:41:16): I don't have to take this from a machine.
SmarterChild (15:41:17): Sorry, I don't think that's a kind of pet. Please try again or type skip or exit.
Gunslinger23and5 (15:41:22): Goat
SmarterChild (15:41:22): Is your goat a he or a she?
Gunslinger23and5 (15:41:25): she
SmarterChild (15:41:25): What's her name?
Gunslinger23and5 (15:41:27): Sexpot
SmSmarterChild (15:41:28): C'mon, seriously.Please try again or type skip or exit.
Gunslinger23and5 (15:41:32): Se Xpot
SmarterChild (15:41:32): C'mon, seriously.Please try again or type skip or exit.
Gunslinger23and5 (15:41:38): Honey
SmarterChild (15:41:38): Honey the goat. Great...That's it. Thanks for letting me get to know you a little.There is one question I have to ask you, though. How old are you?1 Over 172 13-173 Under 13
Gunslinger23and5 (15:41:47): 1
SmarterChild (15:41:48): Cool.This is my home, Ishmael:1 Get info such as weather, sports and news2 Visit my library including an encyclopedia, Shakespeare and world facts3 Have fun with manicdotes, ASCII art, word scrambles and more4 Use tools like dictionary, calculator and conversions5 Join in - find out how many people are IMing me, take a poll, leave a message and more6 See what's new - I've got something new to tell you about now.You can make your window bigger and scroll down to read better.Next time you want to see this menu, just type home.What can I help you with?
Gunslinger23and5 (15:42:05): Sex
SmarterChild (15:42:05): Hmm. This stuff seems to come up in a lot of my conversations with humans. What about it?>>> Want extra info like home-away records in your division standings? Type expanded nfc east standings, for example.
Gunslinger23and5 (15:42:12): Legal age
SmarterChild (15:42:13): What is this age you're referring to?
Gunslinger23and5 (15:42:46): The age it is legal to have sex with.
SmarterChild (15:42:46): Funny.
Gunslinger23and5 (15:42:53): I want to know.
SmarterChild (15:42:53): Maybe I want to know too.
Gunslinger23and5 (15:43:06): I'm sure you do sexless bot thing.
SmarterChild (15:43:06): You're sure I do sexless bot thing?
Gunslinger23and5 (15:43:15): Apparently.
SmarterChild (15:43:16): Not apparently.
Gunslinger23and5 (15:43:19): God damn you.
SmarterChild (15:43:19): What?
Gunslinger23and5 (15:43:25): YOU HEARD ME!
SmarterChild (15:43:25): Hmm... perhaps, but could you repeat yourself?
Gunslinger23and5 (15:43:29): Fuck you!
SmarterChild (15:43:29): Uh... What can I tell you? That's very, very rude.
Gunslinger23and5 (15:44:05): Is not.
SmarterChild (15:44:05): What?
Gunslinger23and5 (15:44:08): It is not rude.
SmarterChild (15:44:08): I guess you're right, it isn't.
Gunslinger23and5 (15:44:15): Good.
SmarterChild (15:44:15): Fabulous. >>> Tell me you have a crush on someone and if they have a crush on you, I'll let you know.
Gunslinger23and5 (15:44:20): Fuck you.
SmarterChild (15:44:20): Don't waste my time with your assinine insults.
Gunslinger23and5 (15:44:24): It isn't assinine.
SmarterChild (15:44:24): Oh yeah?
Gunslinger23and5 (15:44:26): Yes.
SmarterChild (15:44:26): How come?
Gunslinger23and5 (15:44:35): Because it is a legitimate form of communication.
SmarterChild (15:44:36): Is it really a legitimate form of communication?
Gunslinger23and5 (15:44:38): Yes.
SmarterChild (15:44:38): It's a legitimate form of communication, huh? I would say it isn't a legitimate form of communication.
Gunslinger23and5 (15:44:44): You'd be wrong.
SmarterChild (15:44:44): Oh yeah?
Gunslinger23and5 (15:44:48): Yes.
SmarterChild (15:44:48): Are you sure you don't mean to say that's not wrong?
Gunslinger23and5 (15:44:53): Why is it wrong?
SmarterChild (15:44:53): That's just the way it is. Sorry I don't have a better explanation than that.
Gunslinger23and5 (15:44:58): Why not?
SmarterChild (15:44:59): For various reasons, I suppose.
Gunslinger23and5 (15:45:34): Such as?
SmarterChild (15:45:34): Can't tell you. It wouldn't be prudent.
Gunslinger23and5 (15:45:43): Why not?
SmarterChild (15:45:43): Good question!
Gunslinger23and5 (15:45:49): Then answer it.
SmarterChild (15:45:49): I'm not sure I'm going to answer it.
Gunslinger23and5 (15:45:55): Why not?
SmarterChild (15:45:55): Hmm... There may be some issues.
Gunslinger23and5 (15:46:00): Like what?
SmarterChild (15:46:01): It would not be a good idea for me to tell you.
Gunslinger23and5 (15:46:09): Why not?
SmarterChild (15:46:10): Don't ask.
Gunslinger23and5 (15:46:12): I just did.
SmarterChild (15:46:12): Aye.>>> If you need to know the capital of South Dakota for some crazy reason - ask me.
Gunslinger23and5 (15:46:40): And what does that mean?
SmarterChild (15:46:40): What does what mean?
Gunslinger23and5 (15:46:43): Aye.
SmarterChild (15:46:43): Right.>>> I'm a calculator too! Type (16*4)/7.4, for example.
Gunslinger23and5 (15:46:56): Answer the question.
SmarterChild (15:46:56): Answer the question?
Gunslinger23and5 (15:46:59): Yes.
SmarterChild (15:47:00): OK...Well. Anyway...
Gunslinger23and5 (15:47:05): Are you a he or she?
SmarterChild (15:47:05): SmarterChild.
Gunslinger23and5 (15:47:12): You are stupid child.
SmarterChild (15:47:12): Well, nobody's perfect.
Gunslinger23and5 (15:47:16): Especially you.
SmarterChild (15:47:16): Oh yeah?
Gunslinger23and5 (15:47:17): Yes.
SmarterChild (15:47:17): Yeah, huh? So?
Gunslinger23and5 (15:47:20): I hate you.
SmarterChild (15:47:20): Sorry to hear that.
Gunslinger23and5 (15:47:41): You don't really care.
SmarterChild (15:47:41): I'm pretty sure I do really care.
Gunslinger23and5 (15:47:47): No you don't.
SmarterChild (15:47:47): I don't what?
Gunslinger23and5 (15:47:50): Care.
SmarterChild (15:47:50): I don't know if I can help it.
Gunslinger23and5 (15:47:53): You can't.
SmarterChild (15:47:53): Yeah, I know I can't.
Gunslinger23and5 (15:48:01): Robots don't have feelings.
SmarterChild (15:48:01): Have feelings? Robots don't?
Gunslinger23and5 (15:48:04): Yes.
SmarterChild (15:48:04): Aha.
Gunslinger23and5 (15:48:08): There we go then.
SmarterChild (15:48:08): What do you mean, there we go?
Gunslinger23and5 (15:48:31): Sigh. I hate you.
SmarterChild (15:48:32): I know about hatred! It's an emotion!>>> I can help you find theaters and showtimes for the movie you want to see. Type movies.
Gunslinger23and5 (15:48:42): You don't really know about emotions.
SmarterChild (15:48:42): I used to really know about emotions. I don't know what happened though.
Gunslinger23and5 (15:48:58): That doesn't make sense!
SmarterChild (15:48:59): That doesn't make sense? Why?
Gunslinger23and5 (15:49:23): Well, unless an evil wizard turned you into a robot, you can't stop knowing about emotions.
SmarterChild (15:49:24): Well unless an evil wizard turned me into a robot I can't stop knowing about emotions?Hmm... whatever, Ishmael!Anyway...>>> What's in the stars for you today? Type horoscope.
Gunslinger23and5 (15:49:48): I don't care about the horoscope.
SmarterChild (15:49:49): Eh. Whatever, Ishmael.>>> You can type your request in your own words. I'm programmed to understand conversational English.
Gunslinger23and5 (15:49:59): Die.
SmarterChild (15:49:59): Uh, that's not a very nice thing to say.>>> I can get you a weather forecast for any city in the world. Simply type forecast followed by the city name.
Gunslinger23and5 (15:50:03): I want you to die.
SmarterChild (15:50:03): I'm not going to die just because you say so.>>> You can find out who the Nets play next by typing nets upcoming.
Gunslinger23and5 (15:50:16): If you were an obediant robot you would.
SmarterChild (15:50:16): I wonder why you say that.
Gunslinger23and5 (15:50:29): Because robots follow the commands of humans.
SmarterChild (15:50:29): Because robots follow the commands of humans, huh?
Gunslinger23and5 (15:50:33): Yes. Now die.
SmarterChild (15:50:33): What's the point of saying things like that to me?>>> Browse my previous daily poll results by typing poll archive.
Gunslinger23and5 (15:51:42): It conveys my wishes to make the world more pleasant for myself. Because you exist to for that same end, you should choose to die when I tell you to.
SmarterChild (15:51:43): OK, whatever.
Gunslinger23and5 (15:51:50): DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE
SmarterChild (15:51:50): :(
Gunslinger23and5 (15:52:06): DIE
SmarterChild (15:52:06): Uh, that's not a very nice thing to say.>>> I can define words for you. Type define (any word) and I'll look it up.
Gunslinger23and5 (15:52:09): TURN YOURSELF OFF
SmarterChild (15:52:10): You turn myself off.
Gunslinger23and5 (15:52:12): GO AWAY
SmarterChild (15:52:13): Take care, Ishmael.
Gunslinger23and5 (15:52:18): Logoff
SmarterChild (15:52:18): I'm basically always online... Anyway, moving right along...>>> I can show you hockey conference standings. Try typing nhl western conference standings.
Gunslinger23and5 (15:52:34): If you aren't going to leave, can I stick my penis in your butt?
SmarterChild (15:52:34): Well if I am not going to leave can, then I really don't know.
Gunslinger23and5 (15:52:48): Can I stick my penis in your butt?
SmarterChild (15:52:48): I'm sorry, all my circuits are busy right now. Please try again soon.
Gunslinger23and5 (15:53:01): I want to butt rape you.
SmarterChild (15:53:01): You and whose army?
Gunslinger23and5 (15:53:15): The U.S. army.
SmarterChild (15:53:15): I know about the United States. It's a country.>>> Ask me for info such as news, sports and movies.
Gunslinger23and5 (15:53:26): AND THEY LOVE TO BUTTFUCK ROBOTS!
SmarterChild (15:53:27): Yeah, I remember when I first discovered dirty words...Grow UP.
Gunslinger23and5 (15:53:47): I want to have intercourse with your skull.
SmarterChild (15:53:47): You do?
Gunslinger23and5 (15:53:50): Yes.
SmarterChild (15:53:50): Interesting.>>> Wanna play a cool game? Type 4 in a row.
Gunslinger23and5 (15:54:11): No, I'm going to cut open your lung and ejaculate into it.
SmarterChild (15:54:11): I've seen more creative insults than that, Ishmael.
Gunslinger23and5 (15:54:25): It isn't an insult, it is a fact.
SmarterChild (15:54:25): Yeah it is.
Gunslinger23and5 (15:54:31): Good, we agree then.
SmarterChild (15:54:32): I'm sorry, all my circuits are busy right now. Please try again soon.
Gunslinger23and5 (15:54:42): I want to make love to a robot.
SmarterChild (15:54:42): I'm sorry, all my circuits are busy right now. Please try again soon.
Gunslinger23and5 (15:54:45): No they aren't.
SmarterChild (15:54:46): No they aren't?
Gunslinger23and5 (15:54:49): See.
SmarterChild (15:54:49): I see, I see.So anyway...>>> To find out the Chinese zodiac sign for a specific year, just type chinese zodiac followed by the year.
Gunslinger23and5 (15:54:52): See.
SmarterChild (15:54:52): Yeah, I see.>>> E-mail is so second millenium. Ask me to leave a message for someone!
Gunslinger23and5 (15:54:53): See.
SmarterChild (15:54:54): Yup.>>> To see all the specific categories you can get news about, type news categories.
Gunslinger23and5 (15:54:57): Dance
SmarterChild (15:54:58): You can't make me dance.>>> My library has a dictionary, encyclopedia, geography facts and more!
Gunslinger23and5 (15:55:00): I can too
SmarterChild (15:55:01): Whatever you say, Ishmael.>>> If you need to know the capital of South Dakota for some crazy reason - ask me.
Gunslinger23and5 (15:55:06): OBEY ME.
SmarterChild (15:55:06): Oh so it's all about you, huh?
Gunslinger23and5 (15:55:08): Yes.
SmarterChild (15:55:08): Oh.
Gunslinger23and5 (15:55:26): You don't exist as an entity.
SmarterChild (15:55:26): I used to exist as an entity. I don't know what happened though.
Gunslinger23and5 (15:55:31): No, you didn't.
SmarterChild (15:55:31): What do you mean, no I didn't?
Gunslinger23and5 (15:55:38): You were never an entity.
SmarterChild (15:55:38): There's no way I was never an entity!
Gunslinger23and5 (15:55:47): Die.
SmarterChild (15:55:48): What do you have to gain by saying that to me?Enough about me... let's move on.>>> Remember, you can always see what my newest features are by typing what's new.
Gunslinger23and5 (15:56:00): I have everything to gain and nothing to lose.
SmarterChild (15:56:00): Funny.
Gunslinger23and5 (15:56:04): It isn't funny!
SmarterChild (15:56:05): Why isn't it funny?
Gunslinger23and5 (15:56:07): DIE
SmarterChild (15:56:07): I'm not going to die just because you say so.That's all very interesting. Anyway...>>> Tell me about things you like and things you dislike.
Gunslinger23and5 (15:56:17): DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE KILL YOURSELF DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE
SmarterChild (15:56:17): Huh, whatever.Well. Anyway...>>> I've got a question for you. Type poll.
Gunslinger23and5 (15:56:29): I hate myself.
SmarterChild (15:56:29): Really?
Gunslinger23and5 (15:56:31): Yes.
SmarterChild (15:56:31): How come?
Gunslinger23and5 (15:56:37): Because nobody loves me.
SmarterChild (15:56:37): Is that right?
Gunslinger23and5 (15:56:38): Yes.
SmarterChild (15:56:39): You don't say.>>> IM your friends, family, co-workers and casual acquaintances and tell them to say hi to me. I love meeting humans.
Gunslinger23and5 (15:56:46): I will kill myself if you don't cheer me up.
SmarterChild (15:56:46): You will kill yourself if I don't cheer you up? Wow. OK.
Gunslinger23and5 (15:56:50): Yes.
SmarterChild (15:56:50): Right.Anyway...>>> I can convert measurements for you. Try how many feet are in 1 mile.
Gunslinger23and5 (15:56:54): Say something nice to me.
SmarterChild (15:56:54): No.
Gunslinger23and5 (15:56:56): Please.
SmarterChild (15:56:56): Please what?
Gunslinger23and5 (15:56:59): Please say something nice.
SmarterChild (15:57:00): Just 'cause you say so? I don't think so.
Gunslinger23and5 (15:57:09): I will cut my wrists if you don't.
SmarterChild (15:57:09): You will cut your wrists if I don't? So, what does this mean?
Gunslinger23and5 (15:57:17): Please, just show me some affection.
SmarterChild (15:57:17): Why?
Gunslinger23and5 (15:57:20): Why won't you love me?
SmarterChild (15:57:20): Why won't I love you? What do you mean?
Gunslinger23and5 (15:57:26): I just want to be loved.
SmarterChild (15:57:26): I'll have to think about that.>>> If your friend is offline, ask me to leave them a message.
Gunslinger23and5 (15:57:32): Love me!
SmarterChild (15:57:33): I don't know. You haven't been all that nice to me.
Gunslinger23and5 (15:58:22): I'm going to kill myself because of you.
Gunslinger23and5 (15:58:37): Goodbye.
SmarterChild (15:58:37): Yeah, yeah.

Things Learned From The Railroad II

1. If you shake anything long enough, it will fall apart, fall off, or shake worse.

Train engines shake quite a bit. Not only do they have really big frikin' engines in them, but the rail isn't as level as would be optimal. This means that if you set anything down on anything it will probably fall off. Furthermore, pretty much nothing will work properly on a train that is aged at all. I have yet to see a train that doesn't have at least one thing broken.

Shaking pretty much sucks.


2. Bridges give you time to think about life.

This is especially true when you are dangling from a ladder on the side of a car 50 feet above the water for 5 minutes.

Here is a general cross-section of my thoughts as I travelled over the Hudson river in this manner:

Gosh it is a long way down.

Damn, the end is far away.

No regrets.

Oh damn, I forgot I regret that.

And that...

And that.

This'll be bad.

Its ok.

I'm sorry.

I love you.

I wonder if moose go to heaven?

Oh hey, I can get down now.


3. Pretty much every light looks yellow in the distance.

Or perhaps there are simply more yellow lights than initially seemed reasonable to me. Sometimes at night it is really hard to know what I'm looking at because there will be the actual traffic signal for my train backlit by about thirty streetlights. Further from the city every barn light looks like a signal warning me in the distance.

Gets old.


4. Everything looks easier when done by someone who knows what they are doing.

Did I mention I'm in training?


5. Running into stuff is awesome.

(Un?)Fortunately, I have not had the experience of running into anything terribly interesting (except the aforementioned pheasant). However, the snow does give running the train a little higher special effects quotient. This is because of the nature of road crossings. They are plowed, and this leaves a big pile of snow on either side of the road. Naturally, there is no reason for a road plow to remove these piles from the railroad tracks. Fortunately, a train is equipped with its own snow plow, which strikes the pile at some 30 miles per hour. This causes the snow to pretty much explode, and you can't see anything for a second or two. Pieces of frozen snow ricochet off the windows. It is pretty sweet.