I Can Fly

I don’t know why but for some reason a memory from my youth popped up in my head, that memory was of me flying.

Now obviously it wasn’t real flying because that would be crazy, and I don’t remember a lot of detail, I just remember the sensation, and if I stop and concentrate I can remember the feelings I used to have. It wasn’t superman flying whizzing round the sky, it was a kind of floating, hovering, levitation and then  a strained, forward movement, it wasn’t easy.

So I can only assume it was one of three things, either a dream, or a memory of some old TV show, or some form of OBE (Out of Body Experience). Personally I tend to lean towards the latter, purely because while I can remember some of my dreams from when I was younger, if i think about them I don’t remember any of the feelings. If I think back on this I can remember the feelings and sensations that went with it.

Whatever it was, dream or something else, I miss it.

And no I’m not crazy.

The Miracle Man

Every now and then we read or hear about somebody who evokes strong responses in us, sometimes its disgust, sometimes it’s inspiration. Today it’s inspiration.

While watching ‘The Secret‘ on DVD, which you should all watch, it really is full of some interesting ideas and thoughts and has the potential to be life changing if you let it.

During the film there comes a part in which a gentleman called Morris Goodman tells his story. At the age of 35 he was one of the worlds leading life insurance salesman, and then tragedy struck, he crashed while flying his light aircraft, crushing his spine and breaking his neck, unable to do anything except for blink he was left trapped in a hospital bed with doctors who told him he would never walk or talk again, never do anything but move his eyes. Most of us would, with some difficulty and sadness, accept that but not Morris Goodman, he set a goal to walk out of hospital by Christmas that year, and he did, he managed to breathe again without a respirator, he managed to walk again and he did walk out of that hospital.

That to me is amazing, that to me is inspirational, and it makes me believe that surely if he can do that then anyone can, and I hope, or perhaps believe that if I was ever to be in that situation I could do it too.

Summer woes

A friend of mine just pointed out that I haven’t posted anything for a while, my excuse, and it’s a bit crappy but here it is. In summer my room gets really really hot and I get really really lazy, I also find it hard to really think about anything, maybe my brain is melting.

I did have to wonder yesterday though, why the hell are there so many of these annoying kiddie band films being released, first it was High School Music, 1, 2, 3 and I think their on the 50th now or something, and now we have Bandslam, are kids really watching these films?

Oh and I saw a blog post the other day with the new Lightcycle from the Tron sequel that’s in production, that and the Daft Punk music they’re using actually raised my interest in this film.

Habit Forming

Somebody once told me it takes 30 days to make or break a habit, I don’t know if that’s true or not, maybe somebody did a study sometime, I could Google it but I won’t.

The reason this springs to mind is I find it hard to form new habits, everything starts well, and then shortly it goes down hill. For example, knowing how websites don’t pay for themselves, not the free ones anyway, I made it a point to click on an advertising link on any website I want on that I liked, and I started well, but I soon found I read things and move on so fast it’s difficult to consciously remember to click that advert.

Maybe you guys will succeed better than I have, if you like a website click on the ads there, the owner will appreciate it, and yes feel free to include my ads in there too lol.

Desiderata

Searching through my hard drive I came across this which I’d saved years ago because it just hit a chord with me. See what you think

Desiderata by Max Ehrmann

Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible without surrender
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons,
they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain and bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.

Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs;
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals;
and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself.
Especially, do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love;
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment
it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.

Transformers 2 – Revenge of the Fallen (Afterthoughts)

Okay having thought about the latest Transformers movie It springs to mind that there are three things that would have made it even better, in my opinion, they are…

3) Get rid of or have less of the ‘unicycle bots’ they just look stupid, it’s not a circus and just because your vehicle of choice has two wheels instead of 4 doesn’t mean they will be 1 legged.

2) Considering it’s a film about a war between giant robots they don’t actually spend much time warring. The only real fight scene of note that I recall is when Optimus Prime fights Megatron half way through. The whole last 15 minutes of the film is one long battle scene and it focuses so much on Sam that you don’t actually see all that much fighting, then the final battle itself is over before it can even really get going. More giant robots fighting please.

1) One word … Dinobots

Anyone can change?

I’ve spoken in the past about people and the bad things they do, one of the great things about the internet and a username is it allows me to discuss my private life without friends and family knowing.

Anyway back to bad people, maybe it’s a flaw, maybe I’m too optimistic but I find it almost impossible to actually hate someone, not because I’m a nice person, I am, but thats not it. It’s because I believe that all people are capable of change, and are capable of being better people.

My sisters boyfriend is a drug using scumbag, and yet I can’t hate him because he has the potential to change. You could argue that I can hate him because he isn’t trying to change, but if I do that then am I not just saying I don’t think he can change? And if I don’t think he can then why should I think anyone else can?

What do you guys think? Do you believe everyone can change?

RIP – Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett

Short today. As everyone has already heart, both Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett passed away yesterday. It is a sad loss to the world.

I have a rendezvous

I happen to love my games, or video games as the older generation calls them. One of my favourites from last year was Gears of war 2, an excellent game. The thing with games this year is that all the really big titles have really big marketing campaigns. One of the best trailers in a long time was called Rendezvous, you can see it here. (Note: it is a large file, try right clicking the link and choose “save as.”)

The poem in the trailer though I actually quite liked, written by Alan Seeger during the first world war, and while not the only great poetry to come from that war you have to wonder what was going through these young mens minds at the time. In modern times poems like this carry this almost heroic imagery, I wonder if perhaps in 100 years time we will be reading poetry from our own conflicts, and if it will evoke the same feelings.

If you followed the link and watched the trailer you will see what I mean, and I should add the narrator’s voice adds a lot of weight to the presentation here, below I have put the whole thing for those who are interested.

Alan Seeger. 1888–1916

“I Have a Rendezvous with Death”

I HAVE a rendezvous with Death
At some disputed barricade,
When Spring comes back with rustling shade
And apple-blossoms fill the air—
I have a rendezvous with Death
When Spring brings back blue days and fair.

It may be he shall take my hand
And lead me into his dark land
And close my eyes and quench my breath—
It may be I shall pass him still.
I have a rendezvous with Death
On some scarred slope of battered hill,
When Spring comes round again this year
And the first meadow-flowers appear.

God knows ’twere better to be deep
Pillowed in silk and scented down,
Where love throbs out in blissful sleep,
Pulse nigh to pulse, and breath to breath,
Where hushed awakenings are dear…
But I’ve a rendezvous with Death
At midnight in some flaming town,
When Spring trips north again this year,
And I to my pledged word am true,
I shall not fail that rendezvous.

Speaker of the House?

While I don’t normally care about politics events this year have led me to take an interest, first it was our leaders handling of the ‘global financial crisis’ and more recently the whole ministers expenses fiasco. I don’t follow to much but it appears to me our politicians are hoping that the appointment of the new speaker of the house of commons will in some way bring things back into some semblance of order.

And how do they plan to do it? By drawing a shortlist of possible candidates most if not all of whom have themselves been claiming daft expenses at our expense. Great idea, I can see the logic behind it. Take the recent elections, Labour got absolutely destroyed, Conservatives won just about everything, but not on merit, and anyone who thinks so is mistaken, they won purely because people didn’t want to vote Labour and they were the next best alternative.

Overall the sooner all these idiot politicians wake up and remember just who pays their wages and just who they work for the better.