The occasional person will look at a piece of artwork and ask me what inspires me.
This is quite a difficult question to tackle, and rarely do I have thick enough shoulder pads to counterattack with a touchdown answer because so much of what inspires me is drawn randomly from my life. Things that I find inspiring derive from vast assortment of situations, scenarios, daydreams, environments, and even little things that creak in the nighttime. I guess it's appropriate to answer the question with another question; "Inspires me to do what?". It is obviously a personal question fueled by one's own interpretation of "inspiration". From there it is easy to see how that opens a whole new can of worms...ok, let's forget the worms, those things are kind of gross anyways.
I mean if someone were to threaten to waterboard me I'd probably say something along the lines of
Literature
1. Stotan
2. A Beautiful Mind
3. In Joy Still Felt
4. Master and Margarita
5. The Little Prince
6. Whale Talk
7. Without You
8. I Can't Tell You
9. 1984
10. Farenheit 451
Recording
1. Vienna by Billy Joel
2. Try Not To Breathe by R.E.M.
3. Warning Sign by Coldplay
4. The Journey by Mpulz
5. Tidal Wave by Owl City
6. In Her Eyes by Josh Groban
7. Finale B by Jonathan Larson
8. Saras Band by Mannheim Steamroller
9. The Sound of Silence by Simon and Garfunkel
10. Love of the Common People by Bruce Springsteen
Film
1. The Little Princess
2. Rent
3. October Sky
4. Baraka
5. Dirty Dancing
6. The Notebook
7. The Truman Show
8. A Clockwork Orange
9. I'm Not There
10. Brokeback Mountain
I mean, lists are an easy way out of things, but honestly, I would want an easy answer if I were approaching the alternative of being water boarded. However, this threat is not imminent at this present time, so allow me to take a step beyond the idea of somewhat materialistic things that inspire.
For example, I enjoy a great deal of soft rock and classical music. You might call me an escapist, which is more to say that I enjoy thinking about what the world would be like if it were different...better than it currently is. This thought is odd, but at the same time it puts me within the broad plane of idealism.
Given paint and a canvas I can forget my surroundings yet still be highly sensory. It is almost as if I am closing my eyes to what I do not want to see and directing my focus onto my present object of affection. I love painting material that neither suggests nor blatantly tells me exactly how to represent it. It just sort of falls onto the canvas will a little prodding.
Life is so beautiful, and when I paint the world becomes even more beautiful still because I must pause and focus on the little nuances and shadows that make the sky shine and the clouds dark. I'll be the first one to admit that I haven't figure out a single damn thing about life, but as the days go by the more a realize that I have no interest in living for myself. My focus is much more upon things unseen. I realize that I am being a bit elusive, but it shouldn't be that difficult to discern my true meaning.
Every second is fine because that is ultimately the way that it must be. You can only alter the present, but by the time you are done hesitating it has passed you by.
That alone, unequivical kick in the ass, and reason enough to motivate and inspire me.
29 October 2010
28 October 2010
Airports
Airports captivate me. I mean it seems like it is the central waiting point for everyone. Everyone there is waiting to come or go somewhere. Ther's really nothing to do and nowhere to go before your flights is ready. You sit there, maybe do some work, reread last night's texts, or you sort of slouch in your chair like a zombie and stare into space. It's impossible not to notice a million things around you, and honestly, the surge of new people is both thrilling and depressing. You might meet the love of your live, your new best friend, or someone else that will have a huge impact on your life. Or you could get lost in the crowd forever. You see strangers, you wonder where they're from, where they're going, and what is their motivation for making this journey. The airport is a place for travelers and perpetual motion. Inside an airport there is so much living going on, and so many trips being taken physically, spiritually and emotionally. Not only are you a witness to these journeys, but you too, are embarking on a journey.
Waiting at an airport you know that beyond the gates, beyond the clouds everyone is waiting. Some are hesitating, some are wishing for time to speed up. Some people don't even know what they are waiting for. Maybe it's because waiting is comfortable because we all know what it is like. People here are content, some are entirely discontent with their entire lives. Some people love waiting because it gives them a break, others hate it because it gives their mind time to wander. Some people are tired of waiting. They dislike the unknown.
Airports are formulaic. They're process oriented and not meant to entertain. Waiting is common all around the world. Waiting in Rome is exactly the same as it is waiting in Seattle, or New York City. It's no reason to wish the time away though. Boredom is your own fault. It is fueled by your desire to be somewhere else and doing something else.
Why would you want to fast forward hours or even minutes? Even I'm guilty of that day dream. I've wanted to just get to my destination as soon as possible, and just bypass the journey. I'm not proud of that day dream. I don't want to wish my life away, the days and seconds that I would wish away will be far too valuable down the road. I cannot plan my last day, I could pass into eternity in a hundred years or tomorrow. I need to appreciate the time I have been given because it is not something I can count on always being there.
Yes, airports are difficult places to truly be present in the moment, but if you refuse to try to live in the current world, then you are cheating yourself. I'm tired of waiting zombie-like. I am sick of wishing I was there already. I want to be able to see the surrounding beauty without having to pull on my rose colored glasses.
I mean, this is my life. I am who I want to be, and my life is dictated by a series of choices I make and my reaction to surrounding environmental incidents.
Waiting at an airport you know that beyond the gates, beyond the clouds everyone is waiting. Some are hesitating, some are wishing for time to speed up. Some people don't even know what they are waiting for. Maybe it's because waiting is comfortable because we all know what it is like. People here are content, some are entirely discontent with their entire lives. Some people love waiting because it gives them a break, others hate it because it gives their mind time to wander. Some people are tired of waiting. They dislike the unknown.
Airports are formulaic. They're process oriented and not meant to entertain. Waiting is common all around the world. Waiting in Rome is exactly the same as it is waiting in Seattle, or New York City. It's no reason to wish the time away though. Boredom is your own fault. It is fueled by your desire to be somewhere else and doing something else.
Why would you want to fast forward hours or even minutes? Even I'm guilty of that day dream. I've wanted to just get to my destination as soon as possible, and just bypass the journey. I'm not proud of that day dream. I don't want to wish my life away, the days and seconds that I would wish away will be far too valuable down the road. I cannot plan my last day, I could pass into eternity in a hundred years or tomorrow. I need to appreciate the time I have been given because it is not something I can count on always being there.
Yes, airports are difficult places to truly be present in the moment, but if you refuse to try to live in the current world, then you are cheating yourself. I'm tired of waiting zombie-like. I am sick of wishing I was there already. I want to be able to see the surrounding beauty without having to pull on my rose colored glasses.
I mean, this is my life. I am who I want to be, and my life is dictated by a series of choices I make and my reaction to surrounding environmental incidents.
20 October 2010
October 20
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSFUvpmdVp8
Reasons That Gay Marriage is Wrong
(taken from http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=162245191716&topic=11279)
1. Being gay is not natural. Real Americans always reject unnatural things like eyeglasses, polyester, birth control and air conditioning.
2. Gay marriage will encourage people to be gay, in the same way that hanging around tall people will make you tall.
3. Legalizing gay marriage will open the door to all kinds of crazy behavior. People may even wish to marry their pets because a dog has legal standing and can sign a marriage contract.
4. Marriage has been around a long time and hasn't changed at all: women are property, matches are arranged in childhood, blacks can't marry whites, Catholics can't marry Jews, divorce is illegal, and adultery is punishable by death
5. Straight marriage will be less meaningful if gay marriage were allowed; the sanctity of Britany Spears' 55-hour just-for-fun marriage would be destroyed.
6. Straight marriages are valid because they produce children. Gay couples, infertile couples, and old people shouldn't be allowed to marry because our orphanages aren't full yet, and the world needs more children.
7. Obviously gay parents will raise gay children, since straight parents only raise straight children.
8. Gay marriage is not supported by religion. In a theocracy like ours, the values of one religion are imposed on the entire country. That's why we have only one religion in America.
9. If we look to the word of God, His punishment for sexual immorality is equal to that of murder. Therefore, teaching kids to tolerate homosexuality is equal to teaching them to tolerate murder.
10. Children can never succeed without a male and a female role model at home. That's why we as a society expressly forbid single parents to raise children.
11. Gay marriage will change the foundation of society; we could never adapt to new social norms. Just like we haven't adapted to cars, the service-sector economy (insurance, government, tourism, banking, retail, education, and social services), suburban malls, or longer life spans.
12. Gay marriage should be decided by people not the courts, because the majority-elected legislatures, not courts, have historically protected the rights of the minorities.
13. Civil unions, providing most of the same benefits as marriage with a different name are better, because a “seperate but equal” institution is always constitutional. Seperate schools for African-Americans worked just as well as seperate marriages for gays and lesbians will.
14. There is no separation between religious marriage and legal marriage, because there is no separation of church and state.
15. Devout, faithful Anglicans should never accept same-sex marriage, because it is an affront to the traditional family values upheld by Henry VIII and his wife, Catherine of Aragon, and his wife, Anne Boleyn, and his wife, Jane Seymour, and his wife, Anne of Cleves, and his wife, Catherine Howard, and his wife, Catherine Parr. They all knew the meaning of marriage and none of them lost their heads over the matter.
16. Married gay people will encourage others to be gay, in a way that unmarried gay people do not.
17. Legalizing gay marriage will lead to legalizing dog marriage. This can be inferred from the history of other political initiatives for gender equality. For example, when American women got the right to vote in 1920, it led to terriers voting in 1925, and when Title IX was passed in 1972 to prevent sex discrimination in any federally-funded school, resulting in the creation of athletic opportunities for girls, it led to Bichon Frises on the basketball court during the Reagan administration.
18. Legalizing gay marriage will open the door to legislative change in general, which could possibly include the legalization of polygamy, incest, medical marijuana, and unmuzzled pit bulls. Because we don’t know what might come down the next slippery slope, we should never change any law.
19. Legal marriage will inspire gays to mimic straight traditions, such as spiritual commitment ceremonies and celebratory parties, which is currently impermissible for them to do and which they have never done before.
20. Marriage is designed to protect the well-being of children. Gay people do not need marriage because they never have children from prior relationships, artificial insemination, surrogacy, or adoption.
21. Civil unions are a good option because "separate but equal" institutions are always constitutional. In fact, compared with marriage, civil unions are so attractive that straight people are calling dibs on them.
22. A man should not be able to marry whomever a woman can marry, and a woman should not be able to marry whomever a man can marry, because in this country we do not believe in gender equality.
23. If gays marry, some of straight people's tax dollars would end up supporting families whose structure they may find morally objectionable. Clearly, it is more just to continue taking gay people's tax dollars to support straight families, who are going to heaven regardless of what anyone else thinks of them.
24. Gays should hold off on the marriage question until society is more accepting of them, because they are not part of society.
25. The people's voice must be heard on this issue. Therefore, we must have a vote on a federal constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage, because we can't think of any other way to discuss the issue.
26. Each state should decide for itself whether gay marriage will be recognized, because there is no "full faith and credit" clause that requires states to recognize each other's institutions.
27. Gay marriage attempts to replace natural heterosexual instinct with a cultural institution. Morality demands that we subordinate institutionalized commitment to raw, unfettered, biological impulse.
28. Gay marriages could very well suffer maladies like domestic violence and substance abuse. That's why we invented the Quality Control department to pre-approve the righteousness of all marriage applicants.
29. Those who support gay marriage aim to overthrow the dominant culture, as evidenced by their enthusiasm to participate in it.
30. If the state performs gay marriages, Christians might become more liberal and divide into more mutually opposed parties. Since the government is an arm of the church and is responsible for keeping the peace in Christian leadership councils, it should not get involved with gay marriage.
31. After gay marriage was legalized in Scandinavian countries in 2004, more heterosexual couples realized they wanted to live together and bear children without marrying first. Banning gay marriage is a good way to prevent this practice, as is banning independent thought and mandating straight marriage by age 21.
32. Heterosexual marriage was invented in the Biblical book of Genesis. Written somewhere between 1500 and 500 BCE, Genesis came as a great relief to people in many cultures, such as China, who, prior to 1500 BCE, sat around waiting for the Mesopotamians to invent the family unit.
33. Gay marriage would allow more partners and children to sign onto the family breadwinner's healthcare plan. Given that 44 million Americans do not have health insurance, it is safe to say that health insurance is not an American value.
34. The possibility of getting a gay marriage might encourage some married heterosexuals to divorce and seek a gay union instead. These marriages were obviously happy and successful, and the justices who provide gay second marriages should be charged with alienation of affection.
35. Gay marriage may hurl the populace into existential crisis and cause spontaneous divorces. Divorce triggers our moral hemorrhaging, but we will keep it legal. It is easier to seek the criminalization of gay marriage than the criminalization of divorce, particularly because most of us have had a few divorces.
36. Gay marriage is tainted because some of the applicants might be divorcees marrying for the second time. We oppose remarriage, and would like to ensure that no one marries more than once; therefore we will oppose the entire institution of marriage, to ensure that no one ever marries at all. That casts the net wide enough to catch all the would-be second-timers.
37. The people have the right to demand to vote on a Massachusetts constitutional amendment against gay marriage. There is no reason for proposed amendments to go through the state Legislature first, as is constitutionally required, because the Legislature doesn't spend all that many paid hours sitting around discussing the legal ramifications on behalf of ordinary citizens who are too busy with their own jobs to figure out everything at stake.
38. The arguments for gay marriage are flawed because Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry has made inconsistent statements about gay marriage, and he is known for his consistency on other issues.
39. Married gay couples will find it easier to adopt children, who might then be bullied and teased by other children for who their parents are. This reflects poorly on the judgment of gays who adopt children with the risk that their child could possibly be teased. It does not, of course, imply anything about the responsibilities of heterosexual parents, whose children only pick up rocks for geological interest and couldn't have been listening when their parents made those comments about their neighbors.
40. Children of married gay couples might suffer bullying and teasing more often than children of unmarried gay couples, because playground bullies are sensitive to the nuances of contract law.
41. It is reasonable and fair to institute "civil unions" that provide all the rights and responsibilities of marriage, but we cannot apply the holy, mystical word "marriage" to this contract. Deriving from the Latin maritare, "marriage" evokes the dignity of the typical Roman man who engaged in licentious sex with both sexes until he reached middle age, at which time he maritared a teenage girl to bear his children.
42. According to the three proposed "compromise" Massachusetts constitutional amendments defeated by the Legislature on Feb. 11 and 12, 2004, the best way to "protect the unique relationship of [heterosexual] marriage" is to institute civil unions that are in every way identical to it.
43. God created the institution of marriage, just after he created 2.9% APR automobile financing, student loans, HMOs, and divorce.
44. We must defer to the President's opinion on gay marriage, since the Republican party was given its authority by God. As it is written: "Republican and Democrat created He them." Paul elaborated: "Democrats, submit to the Republican."
45. In San Francisco, where renegade officials have married same-sex couples for the past several weeks, experts suggest that the city may suffer an earthquake in about ten years. Geological experts, that is. But good Christians don't recognize the opinion of Earth scientists, who falsely claim the Earth is 4.5 billion years old; they get their seismic information from their preachers, who say the earthquake's coming next week.
46. Allowing same-sex marriage could increase gay public displays of affection, because marriage has historically been proven to stimulate couples' interest in sex.
47. Making civil marriage available to same-sex couples could spur the wedding industry, and businesses would sure hate to pay taxes on all that profit.
48. Straight men are opposed to gay marriage because they would prefer that gay men try to be straight and compete with them for access to women, trimming down the pool of eligible dates to make courtship more challenging and exciting.
49. The country can't afford to provide benefits for any more married couples. That's why President Bush would never consider spending $150 million on programs that encourage more straight people to get married.
50. Gay marriage is wrong because children might be led to think that it is right and that would clearly be wrong.
Reasons That Gay Marriage is Wrong
(taken from http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=162245191716&topic=11279)
1. Being gay is not natural. Real Americans always reject unnatural things like eyeglasses, polyester, birth control and air conditioning.
2. Gay marriage will encourage people to be gay, in the same way that hanging around tall people will make you tall.
3. Legalizing gay marriage will open the door to all kinds of crazy behavior. People may even wish to marry their pets because a dog has legal standing and can sign a marriage contract.
4. Marriage has been around a long time and hasn't changed at all: women are property, matches are arranged in childhood, blacks can't marry whites, Catholics can't marry Jews, divorce is illegal, and adultery is punishable by death
5. Straight marriage will be less meaningful if gay marriage were allowed; the sanctity of Britany Spears' 55-hour just-for-fun marriage would be destroyed.
6. Straight marriages are valid because they produce children. Gay couples, infertile couples, and old people shouldn't be allowed to marry because our orphanages aren't full yet, and the world needs more children.
7. Obviously gay parents will raise gay children, since straight parents only raise straight children.
8. Gay marriage is not supported by religion. In a theocracy like ours, the values of one religion are imposed on the entire country. That's why we have only one religion in America.
9. If we look to the word of God, His punishment for sexual immorality is equal to that of murder. Therefore, teaching kids to tolerate homosexuality is equal to teaching them to tolerate murder.
10. Children can never succeed without a male and a female role model at home. That's why we as a society expressly forbid single parents to raise children.
11. Gay marriage will change the foundation of society; we could never adapt to new social norms. Just like we haven't adapted to cars, the service-sector economy (insurance, government, tourism, banking, retail, education, and social services), suburban malls, or longer life spans.
12. Gay marriage should be decided by people not the courts, because the majority-elected legislatures, not courts, have historically protected the rights of the minorities.
13. Civil unions, providing most of the same benefits as marriage with a different name are better, because a “seperate but equal” institution is always constitutional. Seperate schools for African-Americans worked just as well as seperate marriages for gays and lesbians will.
14. There is no separation between religious marriage and legal marriage, because there is no separation of church and state.
15. Devout, faithful Anglicans should never accept same-sex marriage, because it is an affront to the traditional family values upheld by Henry VIII and his wife, Catherine of Aragon, and his wife, Anne Boleyn, and his wife, Jane Seymour, and his wife, Anne of Cleves, and his wife, Catherine Howard, and his wife, Catherine Parr. They all knew the meaning of marriage and none of them lost their heads over the matter.
16. Married gay people will encourage others to be gay, in a way that unmarried gay people do not.
17. Legalizing gay marriage will lead to legalizing dog marriage. This can be inferred from the history of other political initiatives for gender equality. For example, when American women got the right to vote in 1920, it led to terriers voting in 1925, and when Title IX was passed in 1972 to prevent sex discrimination in any federally-funded school, resulting in the creation of athletic opportunities for girls, it led to Bichon Frises on the basketball court during the Reagan administration.
18. Legalizing gay marriage will open the door to legislative change in general, which could possibly include the legalization of polygamy, incest, medical marijuana, and unmuzzled pit bulls. Because we don’t know what might come down the next slippery slope, we should never change any law.
19. Legal marriage will inspire gays to mimic straight traditions, such as spiritual commitment ceremonies and celebratory parties, which is currently impermissible for them to do and which they have never done before.
20. Marriage is designed to protect the well-being of children. Gay people do not need marriage because they never have children from prior relationships, artificial insemination, surrogacy, or adoption.
21. Civil unions are a good option because "separate but equal" institutions are always constitutional. In fact, compared with marriage, civil unions are so attractive that straight people are calling dibs on them.
22. A man should not be able to marry whomever a woman can marry, and a woman should not be able to marry whomever a man can marry, because in this country we do not believe in gender equality.
23. If gays marry, some of straight people's tax dollars would end up supporting families whose structure they may find morally objectionable. Clearly, it is more just to continue taking gay people's tax dollars to support straight families, who are going to heaven regardless of what anyone else thinks of them.
24. Gays should hold off on the marriage question until society is more accepting of them, because they are not part of society.
25. The people's voice must be heard on this issue. Therefore, we must have a vote on a federal constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage, because we can't think of any other way to discuss the issue.
26. Each state should decide for itself whether gay marriage will be recognized, because there is no "full faith and credit" clause that requires states to recognize each other's institutions.
27. Gay marriage attempts to replace natural heterosexual instinct with a cultural institution. Morality demands that we subordinate institutionalized commitment to raw, unfettered, biological impulse.
28. Gay marriages could very well suffer maladies like domestic violence and substance abuse. That's why we invented the Quality Control department to pre-approve the righteousness of all marriage applicants.
29. Those who support gay marriage aim to overthrow the dominant culture, as evidenced by their enthusiasm to participate in it.
30. If the state performs gay marriages, Christians might become more liberal and divide into more mutually opposed parties. Since the government is an arm of the church and is responsible for keeping the peace in Christian leadership councils, it should not get involved with gay marriage.
31. After gay marriage was legalized in Scandinavian countries in 2004, more heterosexual couples realized they wanted to live together and bear children without marrying first. Banning gay marriage is a good way to prevent this practice, as is banning independent thought and mandating straight marriage by age 21.
32. Heterosexual marriage was invented in the Biblical book of Genesis. Written somewhere between 1500 and 500 BCE, Genesis came as a great relief to people in many cultures, such as China, who, prior to 1500 BCE, sat around waiting for the Mesopotamians to invent the family unit.
33. Gay marriage would allow more partners and children to sign onto the family breadwinner's healthcare plan. Given that 44 million Americans do not have health insurance, it is safe to say that health insurance is not an American value.
34. The possibility of getting a gay marriage might encourage some married heterosexuals to divorce and seek a gay union instead. These marriages were obviously happy and successful, and the justices who provide gay second marriages should be charged with alienation of affection.
35. Gay marriage may hurl the populace into existential crisis and cause spontaneous divorces. Divorce triggers our moral hemorrhaging, but we will keep it legal. It is easier to seek the criminalization of gay marriage than the criminalization of divorce, particularly because most of us have had a few divorces.
36. Gay marriage is tainted because some of the applicants might be divorcees marrying for the second time. We oppose remarriage, and would like to ensure that no one marries more than once; therefore we will oppose the entire institution of marriage, to ensure that no one ever marries at all. That casts the net wide enough to catch all the would-be second-timers.
37. The people have the right to demand to vote on a Massachusetts constitutional amendment against gay marriage. There is no reason for proposed amendments to go through the state Legislature first, as is constitutionally required, because the Legislature doesn't spend all that many paid hours sitting around discussing the legal ramifications on behalf of ordinary citizens who are too busy with their own jobs to figure out everything at stake.
38. The arguments for gay marriage are flawed because Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry has made inconsistent statements about gay marriage, and he is known for his consistency on other issues.
39. Married gay couples will find it easier to adopt children, who might then be bullied and teased by other children for who their parents are. This reflects poorly on the judgment of gays who adopt children with the risk that their child could possibly be teased. It does not, of course, imply anything about the responsibilities of heterosexual parents, whose children only pick up rocks for geological interest and couldn't have been listening when their parents made those comments about their neighbors.
40. Children of married gay couples might suffer bullying and teasing more often than children of unmarried gay couples, because playground bullies are sensitive to the nuances of contract law.
41. It is reasonable and fair to institute "civil unions" that provide all the rights and responsibilities of marriage, but we cannot apply the holy, mystical word "marriage" to this contract. Deriving from the Latin maritare, "marriage" evokes the dignity of the typical Roman man who engaged in licentious sex with both sexes until he reached middle age, at which time he maritared a teenage girl to bear his children.
42. According to the three proposed "compromise" Massachusetts constitutional amendments defeated by the Legislature on Feb. 11 and 12, 2004, the best way to "protect the unique relationship of [heterosexual] marriage" is to institute civil unions that are in every way identical to it.
43. God created the institution of marriage, just after he created 2.9% APR automobile financing, student loans, HMOs, and divorce.
44. We must defer to the President's opinion on gay marriage, since the Republican party was given its authority by God. As it is written: "Republican and Democrat created He them." Paul elaborated: "Democrats, submit to the Republican."
45. In San Francisco, where renegade officials have married same-sex couples for the past several weeks, experts suggest that the city may suffer an earthquake in about ten years. Geological experts, that is. But good Christians don't recognize the opinion of Earth scientists, who falsely claim the Earth is 4.5 billion years old; they get their seismic information from their preachers, who say the earthquake's coming next week.
46. Allowing same-sex marriage could increase gay public displays of affection, because marriage has historically been proven to stimulate couples' interest in sex.
47. Making civil marriage available to same-sex couples could spur the wedding industry, and businesses would sure hate to pay taxes on all that profit.
48. Straight men are opposed to gay marriage because they would prefer that gay men try to be straight and compete with them for access to women, trimming down the pool of eligible dates to make courtship more challenging and exciting.
49. The country can't afford to provide benefits for any more married couples. That's why President Bush would never consider spending $150 million on programs that encourage more straight people to get married.
50. Gay marriage is wrong because children might be led to think that it is right and that would clearly be wrong.
15 October 2010
Commando?
I should explain. My two best friends for the longest time were Army brats. Born and raised in various European countries, they learned "the Queen's English". Their conversation has a definite British twang to it, that I've learned to somewhat disregard. Even though it is faint, it still comes out at some of the most awkward times.
D, my male friend, and I were walking down the street one night after a cocktail reception for a music recital of his. I was wearing a dress, and he was of course dressed in a tux.
Here was the conversation that ensued.
D: It's a bit chilly tonight. Isn't it A?
Me: You think you're cold. At least you're wearing pants!
D, ever proper looked at me an turned a deep shade of burgundy (I've been told he can do this quickly because of his Irish heritage). I looked at him quizically, and he seemed to snap to reality.
Well, he explained to me, in England, pants are underwear...which are knickers, which are decidedly not trousers. In his mind, in the midst of children and drunken men I had just announced (rather loudly), that I was going commando. Which I wasn't.
Ah...wishful thinking much D? I think so. =)
D, my male friend, and I were walking down the street one night after a cocktail reception for a music recital of his. I was wearing a dress, and he was of course dressed in a tux.
Here was the conversation that ensued.
D: It's a bit chilly tonight. Isn't it A?
Me: You think you're cold. At least you're wearing pants!
D, ever proper looked at me an turned a deep shade of burgundy (I've been told he can do this quickly because of his Irish heritage). I looked at him quizically, and he seemed to snap to reality.
Well, he explained to me, in England, pants are underwear...which are knickers, which are decidedly not trousers. In his mind, in the midst of children and drunken men I had just announced (rather loudly), that I was going commando. Which I wasn't.
Ah...wishful thinking much D? I think so. =)
14 October 2010
Food For Thought
"But would you kindly ponder this question: What would your good do if
evil didn't exist, and what would the earth look like if all the shadows
disappeared? After all, shadows are cast by things and people. Here is the
shadow of my sword. But shadows also come from trees and living beings.
Do you want to strip the earth of all trees and living things just because
of your fantasy of enjoying naked light? You're stupid."
-Mikhail Bulgakov (Master and Margarita)
evil didn't exist, and what would the earth look like if all the shadows
disappeared? After all, shadows are cast by things and people. Here is the
shadow of my sword. But shadows also come from trees and living beings.
Do you want to strip the earth of all trees and living things just because
of your fantasy of enjoying naked light? You're stupid."
-Mikhail Bulgakov (Master and Margarita)
02 October 2010
Happy Birthday to Me
Tidbits of Wisdom
(disclaimer: all learned in 2 decades)
(disclaimer: all learned in 2 decades)
- You have no control over who you fall in love with
- Sometimes the hardest thing and the right thing to do are the exact same thing
- Live Love and Learn. Pass it on.
- People are mortal. Memories are not.
- Just because you live far far away doesn't mean you can't still love that person
- An orgy isn't always what you think it is
- Just when you think your life is bad, more shit hits the windshield
- Conversely, when life is good, enjoy every minute of it
- It is okay to break down
- Don't do drugs.
- Also, don't drink alcoholically. It's a nasty downward spiral
- Insomnia is both a blessing and a curse
- The most difficult thing to accept is the unknown
- Patriots fans are annoying as shit
- A friend is someone who cares about you, and likes you for who you are
- Sometimes it's the words you don't say that matter the most
- You decide what you want to be for the rest of your life
- Walgreens is open later than Rite Aid
- Photography shoots can be fun
- Your first kiss with someone should give you butterflies, not heartache
- Find something that makes you feel alive and do it often
- Don't microwave soap
- The title of "best friend" should not obscure the person behind it
- Workaholics don't enjoy life to the fullest
- Love sort of sneaks up and bites you on the ass when you least expect it
- Skyping at 1am is one of the few ways to stop back spasms
- Baby socks are adorable
- Procrastination is not worth it. Especially when it comes to matters of health.
- Even boys cry sometimes
- Karma exists
- I can no longer even smell beef Ramen
- Develop a backup plan
- Don't let people talk you into pole vaulting
- Laughing during Romeo and Juliet is highly inappropriate and will not be tolerated by QV staff
- Do what you love
- You'll laugh at the stupid things down the road
- Being proposed to isn't the end of the world
- Wanting something doesn't mean it is the best thing for you
- Never settle for anything less than the real thing
- Bringing religion up in every conversation does not make you religious
- Rock, Paper, Scissors can be a very fun game
- Just because someone has a title doesn't mean they deserve it
- Don't assume you will be the crazy cat lady
- When you give up on me, it makes it that much harder to listen to you when you have a problem
- Cops are looking to make quota at the end of the month, be careful driving
- If you think he's gay, he probably is
- Swine flu was a bad choice
- Apparently I should be more confident (?)
- There's only so much shit you should have to put up with
- The male IQ drops about 40 points once they cross the threshold into Victoria's Secret
- Music is a good way to connect with people
- Sidney Crosby is a nice guy
- You really don't know what you have until you almost lose it
- Anthony Rapp is gay (aka having a crush on him is rather pointless)
- Going to church often doesn't make you holier than thou
- It is very possible to sleep in the middle half of the bed
- Kissing someone in Disney doesn't mean you are dating in Pittsburgh (?)
- You might be the world to someone and you'll never know
- The best things in life are often the simplest
- Forever seems like a long time, but it can be reached a day at a time
- There is only so much you can do
- Gunpowder can indeed be manufactured in a basement laboratory
- Replacing the batteries makes it way better
- Subtlety is overrated
- Don't ask for an opinion unless you want an honest answer
- A smile from you makes my day
- Watching macho guys play with little animals or babies makes me melt
- Familiarity is often comforting
- The first goodbye is always the hardest
- Give a guy a condom and he will have sex in a boxcar with a somewhat random girl
- The middle of the night is a good time to think
- Abuse is more common than you think, and it is easier to rationalize it the closer gets to you
- Holding the one you love for the first time after a long time apart can bring tears of joy to your eyes
- Live for moments of whimsy
- Pretending to be someone you are not is stupid
- Just being there for a friend is oftentimes the best thing you can do
- Everyone needs a hug sometimes
- There are things in your life that truly take your breath away
- Girls night is frustrating for males
- Sushi is interesting
- We're all going to die anyway
- Nutella fixes a lot of things
- Understanding that you've outgrown a friendship takes maturity and courage
- Performing on stage is just not my cup of tea
- You can't hide forever
- Loving someone makes you vulnerable
- I am not the most graceful
- Circus living is not all the media makes it out to be
- I am top heavy
- "Imagine there's no heaven"
- Rice is rather difficult to make
- Suicide is a move of despair
- I cannot sing to save my life
- During difficult times, your true friends will remain by your side
- Having a nervous breakdown is not your fault
- When the whole world stops when someone walks into a room, you've found the one
- A dream is a wish your heart makes
- Love indiscriminately and as fully as you dare
- Never judge anyone until you've walked a mile or more in their shoes
- You are who you are when no one else is looking
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