Lacking Any Serious News

Like a change of leader for the first time in a decade...

I am a very disappointed man as the Duct Tape Appreciation Society name has already been taken.

The Weasel Way

If it moves and it shouldn't: gaffer tape
If it doesn't move and it should: use a hammer

You Know When...

You know your life has been turned upside down when, even despite the fact that the day job may have lost its sparkle and weekends are still good, you enjoy the idea of the week more than the weekend.

A Writer's Heart

A man has loved a great love. He speaks fondly of his first love. The interesting thing is that this can be seen to place huge pressure on his next partner. It is like she will constantly have to face up to this great pedestal on which he placed his former partner which she will find insurmountable in some way despite, or possibly because, of the fact that he would expect her to as he is so much better than the man he was back then.

The reality is somewhat different. That’s a single story in which his life entwined. There was happiness and sadness, it began and it ended. It was written. As we know with any writer, you never know which is going to be their best book. Should they be a better writer at the time of writing the second book? Of course. Will the second book be better than the first? Who knows?

It may be there’s no time like the first time. It may be that experience pays off. Does it really matter to the author? Not really. The author is a writer. It’s what he does. All he wants to do is put ink to paper and see what comes out, enjoying every part of it he can. And if he puts ink to paper with strength, faith and conviction the second book will be written.

Identity

Some people indicate a sense of pity to those of us who know little or nothing of their fathers. It is seen as an obstacle to knowing who you are if you don't know where you come from.

Far from it.

With half of my genetic make up a mystery it is actually quite liberating to be free of that shackle of limitation and expectation that comes from the knowledge of what's doing to happen to you should you take on those paternal attributes.

A Healthy Change of Tense

To say you are always living in the present is a misconception or at least a very narrow view of life. The past month I was very much living in the present. It was the best place to be. The past week, however, I've very happily gone either other way.

Discovering Facebook has given me a wondrous sense of nostalgia. Memories popping back that were left in the recess of my mind for a decade or more. I never really thought of myself as one of those people that looks back fondly at their school years. Turns out that there were times I really enjoyed it and all it needed was a trigger to come to the fore.

The future, well, that just keeps on looking better. Visions to become memories. An ever improving sense of faith and direction. What's not to like about that.

All that said, I'm very much looking forward to returning to the present next week.

Facebook is Disturbingly Impressive

Over the past week I've had a couple of invites to see what Facebook is all about. Last night I took it up. I thought MySpace had it going on with social connections but this is something else. Within a few clicks I'm seeing great long lists of the folks I went to school with and details of who is still friends with who.

On top of that I can also see how those relationships bleed in with working life. It is commonly said that Andover is a small town and everyone knows everyone within a couple of degrees of separation. The written proof is there for all to see.

Great for nostalgia. Wonder if it is any good for the modern day...

Questionable Will Power

Odd situation in the kebab house last night. For one, I didn't order anything. Fellow badgers over me near fame for the insatiability of my gut. Because of that I was offered the compliment "I admire your will power, Dot."

I gave my friend a strange look and responded with "will power has nothing to do with it". This was the absolute truth. Will power requires an opposing force and there was nothing to resist.

Never was a fan of the concept of having to overcome yourself in order to stop you doing unpleasant, unsavoury or harmful things to yourself. Much better to remove the offending instinct entirely.

Returning to Abnormality

I have tried to make it more obvious in the static descriptions on this blog that I mainly see this as a channel for my personal development. Thoughts that I wouldn't ordinarily attempt to articulate are what I expect to bring up. Sadly for you delightful, loyal, devoted readers that means I'm going to start making less sense. (Yes it's possible)

This week is bowing down to the weight of expectation. Post holiday, absent of Muse and heavy on challenging (read "impossible") deadlines it was always going to be self-fulfilling destiny that it was going to be long and uncomfortable.

In the past I used to choose the path that led to an easy life. The existence that leads to is flat-lined. Barely worth the bother and so I find myself eager to avoid it nowadays. I wouldn't have this week any other way. It is almost as if I forced this period to manifest, felt it necessary to have a gruelling time in order to recognise the rewards of coming out of it.

Weird feeling, being happy about being sad...

Possibly the World's Greatest Voice

Someone I know doesn't know who Jeremy Irons is. For the record I think he has the most interesting voice of this earth so this always shocks me.

Going through his list of acting appearances didn't jog the memory either. So, going to a film which I'm sure everyone has seen, his performance as Scar in the Lion King for your benefit.

Weekend Away

It's prep time for the weekend trip to sunny Cornwall. Usually I'm terrible the day before I head out. Never worked out why that is. Perhaps it is the side effect of mixing doing some new and being dragged out of my comfortable normality.

The good thing this time around is that my comfortable normality was been thoroughly disturbed enough that I do not believe it actually exists at the moment. I have a feeling it's going to be a while before I build a new one.

I'm looking forward to the transition. A change is as good as a rest after all.

Anti-insomnia

Lesson for today:

Cheese gives you nightmares...
Cheesing gives you dreams.

The Frustrating Power of Logical Conflicts

In the same way that the obsessive compulsive can't stand an ornament out of place I can't stand conflicts what should be clear and simple logic.

Every time I read a BBC article about Nigel Reo-Coker they kindly mention that he is the captain of the England Under-21 side.

Why does that hurt my head so? Because prior to that they refer to him as a 23 year old. For some unclear reason, that actually causes a stab of mental pain to read.

23<> Under-21. Does not compute. Thankfully wikipedia provides the reasoning behind the situation. Still, ouch.