February 25, 2025
On The Upside with Marley
The awesome power of silence
In this confrontational world we find ourselves lately with the polarization of peoples political positions and opinions. When confronted with a slight or insult one of the most amazing tools you have is silence. Silence is one of the most powerful tools a person can employ when confronted with insults. It is a response that transcends emotion, reflecting strength, discipline, and wisdom. Choosing silence in the face of provocation is not a sign of weakness or submission; instead, it demonstrates mastery over one’s emotions and a refusal to let another person dictate one’s state of mind.
When someone hurls insults, they often seek a reaction—anger, defensiveness, or retaliation. By remaining silent, you deny them that satisfaction. Silence becomes a form of control, communicating that their words hold no power over you. In this way, silence protects your peace and dignity. It also keeps the situation from escalating, giving you time to process your feelings and respond thoughtfully—if a response is even necessary.
Moreover, silence often speaks louder than words. It conveys calmness and maturity in a moment that could easily descend into chaos. Observers of such a situation often recognize the composure of the silent person as a mark of intelligence and self-respect. Words spoken in anger can wound relationships and damage reputations, but silence leaves no scars and carries no regret.
Psychologically, staying silent can also help you maintain inner stability. Instead of reacting impulsively, you retain mental clarity and emotional resilience. You learn that your worth is not determined by others’ opinions or insults but by your own understanding of who you are.
In essence, silence is not empty. It is full of meaning, restraint, and self-possession. In a noisy world where many rush to defend themselves or retaliate, the person who chooses silence displays true strength. Their calm becomes a mirror that exposes the shallowness of the insult and the insecurity of the insulter. Sometimes, the most eloquent response is no response at all.
While you may think silence is a state of no opinion, it can convey so much more than words
This week in History
- 1954 (Polio Vaccine): On Feb 23, children at Arsenal Elementary School in Pittsburgh received the first inoculations of Dr. Jonas Salk’s polio vaccine.
- 1945 (Iwo Jima): U.S. Marines raised the American flag on Mount Suribachi, Iwo Jima, captured in an iconic photograph.
- 1978 (Grammys): A historic first-ever tie occurred for Best Song, awarded to Barbra Streisand and Debby Boone.
- 1917 (Russian Revolution): Demonstrations and clashes began in Russia that led to the end of the Russian Empire.
- 1947 (ISO Formed): The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) began operating.
- 1941 (Plutonium): Chemist Glenn T. Seaborg and his team identified plutonium.
- 2014 (NBA History): Jason Collins became the first openly gay athlete to play in one of the four major US professional leagues.
Strange But True Canadian Facts
- Milk in Bags: In Ontario and Quebec, milk is frequently sold in plastic bags, with three bags making up a larger 4-liter unit.
- Letters to Santa: Canada Post recognizes a unique postal code for Santa Claus—H0H 0H0—and volunteers reply to millions of letters sent to him each year.
- Less Gravity in Hudson Bay: The Hudson Bay area is known for having a lower gravitational pull than other parts of the world, a phenomenon linked to the last ice age.
- The Longest Coastline: Canada has the world’s longest coastline, stretching 202,080 kilometers (125,567 miles) along three different oceans.
- A “Maple Syrup Heist”: Canada produces 70% of the world’s maple syrup, which is so valuable that a “Great Canadian Maple Syrup Heist” once saw nearly 3,000 tonnes stolen.
- Lowest Temperature Recorded: The lowest temperature in Canada was recorded at -63C in Snag, Yukon, in 1947, which is as cold as the surface of Mars.
- World’s Smallest Jail: Located in Rodney, Ontario, the smallest jail in the world is only 25 square meters.
- The Name “Canada”: The name is derived from the Iroquoian word kanata, which translates to “village” or “settlement”.
- The “Apology Act”: Canada has a law called the Apology Act (passed in Ontario in 2009) where saying “sorry” does not legally mean admitting guilt.
- A Lake Within a Lake: The world’s largest island located within a lake, which is within a lake, is Manitoulin Island in Ontario.
A Solution To The Snow Days Travisty
The Good, The Bad & The Ugly
Good: Your husband is not talking to you.
Bad: He wants a divorce.
Ugly: He’s a lawyer.
* * * * *
Good: Your husband understands fashion real well.
Bad: You find out he’s a cross-dresser
Ugly: He looks better than you.
* * * * *
Good: You give ‘the birds and the bees’ talk to your 14-year-old daughter.
Bad: She keeps interrupting.
Ugly: With corrections
Editors Quote Book
“A mind is like a parachute. It doesn’t work if it is not open.”
—Frank Zappa
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The Power Of Silence In Communication
Can silence be your secret weapon in communication and conflict resolution? Dr. Debra Dupree, The EQ Alchemist, reveals the often overlooked art of strategic silence and how it can shift conversations from chaos to clarity.
Baseball Boy
A young boy stood alone at a baseball diamond, gripping a bat in one hand and a ball in the other. With confidence shining in his eyes, he tossed the ball into the air and declared, “Nobody hits better than me!” He swung hard — and missed.
Undeterred, he tried again. The ball went up, the bat came around, and once more he struck nothing but air.
Smiling, he picked up the ball for a third attempt. “I’m the greatest hitter there is!” he announced before swinging with all his strength — and missing again.
He paused for a moment, then laughed to himself. “Wow,” he said, “I must be an amazing pitcher.”
Guy Walks Into A Bar
A guy walks into a bar. He tells the bartender “I heard the best blonde joke today. Here it goes..”
The bartender says, “Sir, I’m gonna stop you real quick and let you know that the two gentlemen sitting next to you are combat veterans and they’re both blonde. The owner of this bar is sitting at a table behind you with his wife, and they’re both blonde. My girlfriend is sitting on the other side of you – she’s blonde. And I am blonde too. Now, do you still want to tell that joke?”
Guy says, “Nah, not if I’m going to have to explain it 6 times.”
* * * * *
A Roman centurion walks into a bar and says “I’ll have a martinus.” Bartender says “you mean a martini?”
“Look, if I wanted a double I would’ve fucking asked for it.”
* * * * *
A bear walks into the bar, looks at the menu and says “I’ll have a……………………………beer.” Bartender asks “what’s with the big pause?” The bear looks at his hands and says “because I’m a bear.”
Baseball Boy
A young boy stood alone at a baseball diamond, gripping a bat in one hand and a ball in the other. With confidence shining in his eyes, he tossed the ball into the air and declared, “Nobody hits better than me!” He swung hard — and missed.
Undeterred, he tried again. The ball went up, the bat came around, and once more he struck nothing but air.
Smiling, he picked up the ball for a third attempt. “I’m the greatest hitter there is!” he announced before swinging with all his strength — and missing again.
He paused for a moment, then laughed to himself. “Wow,” he said, “I must be an amazing pitcher.”
Fun With The Kids
Honeycomb goes by many names around the world – cinder toffee, hokey pokey, yellowman, sea foam, puff candy, sponge candy and sponge toffee are just a few of them. Whatever you call it, it’s very simple to make. You can also make something like a Crunchie bar by coating chunks or bars of honeycomb / cinder toffee in chocolate.
The Last Word
If you desire to make a difference in the world,
you must be different from the world.
I have been reading Brian’s paper since its inception over twenty years ago. Brian seems to have a sense of right, of common sense and great values. His compilations of philosophy, humour and brain teasers makes the delivery of the Perkolator one of the best pieces of email that I receive every week. My wife and I always sit back and do the quiz together. With permission, I have copied many of Brian’s articles into my National Newsletters which reach thousands of members across Canada. Brian, thank you. May you live safely and happily for many more years to come
I really enjoy receiving the Orillia edition in my inbox each month. ?
Hi Sharon, We take great pleasure in sending you a new edition every week, and then we have the pleasure of having you approve of it.
BG.
What a way to start 2025 Brian! The jokes were hilarious, the quiz was challenging, and the music video an exquisite compiliation of conductor expertise. You can be sure I’ll be coming back to this week’s edition all month long!
Thank you, Lynn; your comments will spur us to provide you and all our readers with content to start each week with a similar response. By the way, did you know that you can read two years of back issues. Go to the home page, scroll down to Perkolator archives and read all our back issues. BG
Every week, whenever I see this in my email, it brings me joy to see the jokes and the frequent inspiration, so I thank the Perkolator for perking up my inbox. Now I have something to look forward to every 7 days.
Every now and then, when a particular written word moves me, I take a snapshot of it and tuck it away in my ‘Lessons Learned’ file. This edition of ‘BG’s Positively Speaking’ titled “I Can Hear You” is one of them. Thanks for your continuing words of wisdom. Always much appreciated!
Who said…”It’s amazing what you can accomplish if you don’t care who gets the credit?” President Harry Truman.
My grandmother had a similar saying: .”More haste, more waste”.
I hadn’t seen a copy of the Perkolotar for sometime. I was thrilled to find one at the Orillia Bakery. I immediately signed up for the online delivery. I enjoy this little paper so much. I’m very glad I am able to get it.
Love this online version. Find it much easier to read than the printed copy. Great job!
I am so happy to receive the Perkolator in my in box.
Plus I laughed out loud after reading the Irish jokes. Will certainly share with my family when they get home today. Again thanks and keep up the good work.
M. Robertson
I´m so happy I can get The Perkolator to my email! I started read it when our son moved to Canada 1993 when he married a canadian girl. After that he have collected it and sent me in the mail a few times every year. It has been hard to find the last year. Yes, I live in Sweden! Thank yoy!!!