Defiantly uplifting

My scrapbook of quotes:

"It doesn't matter if other people have bigger problems...
Until I get a bigger problem, mine is the biggest!"

"Tact is the unsaid part of what you think."

"There is no such thing as a sad ending. In time, every ending will become happy. The sad ending is only because the author stops telling the story. But, the story goes on, it's just a story untold."

"If you saw ypur house burning and there was a cat and Rembrant inside the burning house, which would you save? The cat or the Rembrant?
Well, you'd save the cat, because the cat is alive and art is dead! It's paint, on a canvas, which is dead...seemingly; but, if you save the art, the art represents life - without art, you couldn't discuss the cat, love the cat, touch the cat..."

"Because we don't know when we will die, we get to think of life as an inexhaustible well. Yet, everything happens only a certain number of times and a very small number really. How many times will you remember a certain afternoon of your childhood, some afternoon that's so deeply a part of your being, that you can't conceive of your life without it? Perhaps four or five times more, perhaps not even that. How many more times will you watch the full moon rise? Perhaps twenty and yet, it all seems limitless."

"Apollo stood on the high cliff. Come to the edge, he said. It's too high, they said. Come to the edge, he said. We'll fall, they said. Come to the edge, he said...and they did...and he pushed them....and they flew."

"Abundance and prosperity belong to each and every one of us. The trouble is, most people cannot accept that, so they lives lives of denial and self deprevation. You should not make the mistake...enjoy! May it be the first of many great indulgences in your life."

"Parted friends coming in contact at long intervals are like the characters of a play. The living drama maintains it's interest at every reappearance."

"If you measure success as a quantitive thing, you'll be very sad at the end of the day. Happiness isn't success, success is happiness."

"I know I am god, because when I pray, I find I am talking to myself."

"Goals are like stars; they may not be reached, but they can always be your guide."

"Success in relationships is more than finding the right person; it's being the right person."

"IF = Instant Failure."

"If A=Success, then the formula is:
A=X+Y+Z
X is work
Y is play
and Z is...KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT!
Nobody ever learns anything while they are talking. If you make it a habit to listen more than you speak, you can't go too far wrong." -- Albert Einstein

Superstars of irony

As is fitting for a world bent on irony, this might get you laughing, as it did me:
There is a company, called Clear Play, which takes any Hollywood film (on DVD) and filters/edits out all the profanity, sex scenes, violence and pretty much anything deemed inappropriate for our little ones (and prudes alike). This kind of service, although appreciated by a certain minority, is also incredibly maligned by those producers and directors within the film community at large.
The last name of the CEO for the company: Aho
Is it just me, or does his name seem edited too?

Driven into therapy

Most of my mates know that due to the nature of my job, I spend a lot of time on the road in my car. This affords me the opportunity to see many areas of the great city that I live in. Along my daily commutes, I am priviledged (and then again, not so much) to observe many interesting people and goings on about town. Here are just some of the things that I noticed this week:
Stopped at a railway crossing, there were several pedestrians and cyclists, along with the many cars, as the trains ran by. I happened upon a man, who was navigating his ancient 10-speed, in what I can only describe as a SPEEDO!
He had a cigarette strategically dangling out one side of his mouth which sported a very unique and terribly cheesy handlebar moustache. He had a six pack in the front basket of his bike and naturally, was wearing socks with sandals. I rubbed my eyes, hard, in disbelief, but when the head-fog cleared, he was in fact still there!
Then there was the truck driver who was inspecting his engine on a side street. I was just leaving a clients lot when I spotted him. He was parked just across from my car and when I got into the drivers seat, I was instantly faced with his back as he was trying to make his way up into the cab portion of his vehicle. At the very moment that I turned on the ignition, he hoisted himself up and bam! as if on cue, his ass crack revealed itself to me, as he proceeded to lose his jeans. I was so mortified, but in the hilarity of the moment, I burst out laughing. I am sure he heard me.
Later in the day, as if my brain could take anymore, I witnessed a real life mullet and equally disturbing pair of mutton chops...all on the same person! Where are the grooming and style police when you need them?

Divine Imagery

You can find religion and pretty much anything having to do with sex, everywhere.
It was reported from Taiwan that advertisers were forced to pull an anti-aids campaign ad that had a nun as a spokesperson holding a condom. The advert featured the holy roller preaching "Although I don't need one, even I know". Apparently this was plastered all over the walls of various hospitals in the region, as well as in train stations. It was said that the Catholic Church was outraged. Their reason: "nuns take vows of poverty, chastity and obedience and the Vatican considers all forms of contraception a sin." Although using a sister of mercy to promote safe sex is somewhat in poor taste, you have to admit, it's totally thought provoking. There are about 23 million people living in Taipei, of those, 300,000 are Catholics. Not only should they be promoting safer sex, they should also seriously address the issue of birth control. Actually, this puts me in the mind of The Simpsons when Marge equated the Vatican with it's opposition to birth control by stating: "no one is going Catholic...three children is enough thank you very much!".

Where's your head at?

I was chatting to a special friend the other day and he told me that the smell of Jersey Milk chocolate bars reminded him of fall. This set me wondering. How many of us suppress our olfactory senses, never expressing them to anyone. For those of you who aren't familiar with what "olfactory" senses are, here's what you should ask yourself: "How do you smell? Why do you smell? Have you ever actually thought about it? Did you ever smell something that made you hungry, happy, upset, angry...or made you recall a certain memory? Well, there is a part of our brain that contains something called the olfactory bulb located in the front of the brain which communicates scent. There are many theories surrounding the exact process to our sense of smell. The most popular of these theories are comprised of molecular rings and receptors that cause us to take in odor proteins, resulting in smells." I find this to be a fascinating part of the human makeup. With this in mind, I wanted to share exactly what smells gave me that deja vu feeling:
Stale cigarettes and coffee reminds me of my afterschool bible classes, where myself and a bunch of gradeschool kids would gather. It was held in the basement of the teachers home and clearly, though I didn't know it then, she was a chainsmoker and caffeine addict.
The odor of certain fried foods reminds me of my numerous visits (as an adult and a youngster) to my grandparents' homes.
Bleach and medicinal smells have me recalling all the visits I had to make to the hospital and nursing homes where my grandparents eventually ended up spending their remaining days. This is especially awful and I get really melancholy when in the face of it.
Certain deodorants remind me of a former boyfriends t-shirts. One of which I stole after a trip together and kept, unwashed, for months, until I accidentally threw it in a load of laundry. Serves me right for stealing it in the first place...you can all stop judging me now!.

Pushing the senses...

I suppose my appreciation for music began when I was a pre-teen. My brother was a Dj and thus, my exposure to all manner of different sounds began. Until a few years ago, I couldn't get enough of a band called Suede. Their influences: obviously Bowie, Bolan, Echo and the Bunnymen and the ever melancholy lyrics of duo Morrissey and Marr. The sound: always larger than life, fusing rock beats with orchestral overtures. It always manages to take me to a place that is euphoric. Since 1992, the music scene in the UK produced bands that took us from the ridiculous (Bronski Beat) to the sublime (Blur). From this, spawn a realm of sound that defies description and tickles the senses endlessly. My new obsession is a collaboration of the band Blur (amongst others), called Gorillaz. This animated pop-group combines hip-hop, dub sounds and trippy tunes that will provoke anyone to get their groove on. The genius behind this toon-army is down to Damon Albarn and artist Jamie Hewlett (most people familiar with the comic Tank Girl will recognize his work and moniker). The vision, techniques and colors used to create these 2D wonders are magnificent. If this animation creation doesn't peek your interest (and I defy anyone to pass it by without comment), surely the music will inspire and compel you to think beyond what any of us have come to expect from artists. Experimenting with the mainstream never sounded so good.

The legend in Somerset...

cool rants
The place: Somerset, England
The property: Bay Tree Manor
While renovating the southern wall on their property, an American couple living in England had a landscaper/contractor come and survey the area. He looked around, then told them that he was sure that because the home was built in the late 1600's that there was more than likely a well on the property some place. With ordinary metal hangers, he began water dowsing, making his way round the land and low and behold, the moment he came upon traces of water underground, the wires crossed! There was indeed a well.
Soon after they built up the well, complete with rope and bucket.
One night, whilst entertaining friends, they decided to use the well to chill some ale.
They lowered 6 bottles into the well and later went over to retrieve them for consumption.
Upon lifting up the rope, they soon discovered that two were missing and nowhere to be found within the well itself.
Legend has it that the property is inhabited by faeries. Thus, there are at least two faeries wandering round, underground or in the surrounding forest, drunk!

Sayonara Boris!

cool rants
So it finally happened. Robert Novak mouthed off during a live debate on CNN and walked off the set.
CNN was mortified by his obvious disregard for the viewing public and the reputation of that of the newstation and put him on suspension. Hallelujah!
This guy has been nothing more than pain in the backside of viewers for years. Crossfire was always interesting, but when he was on, it made your blood boil. During a debate with James Carville (hosted by Ed Henry), a few words were exchanged that let's just say, made Novak quite angry. Carville took some pot shots while discussing Novaks views on the GOP candidacy of Katherine Harris, teasing him about his leftist ways and asking him to prove that he had a backbone. Novak was outraged and instead of coming back at him with an equally compelling remark, he called it "bullshit" and promptly walked off the set. This, from a man that continues to refuse commentary for his involvement in outing the name of CIA officer Valerie Plame in his newspaper column. In the meantime, respected NY Times journalist Judith Miller has been jailed for months now for her lack of cooperation in the investigation in refusing to give up her sources. Novak should be probed, and deeply for his involvement. Come to think of it, maybe some time in the big house would help to that end.... ;-)