Why Do I Blog?

why do i blog? thats a question which was posed to me the other day. "why do you blog?" he wanted to know. "it seems to me that people blog for 2 reasons. either they feel a need to tell everyone what goes on in their life, or else they feel they have something to say."

do i agree with that? yes, i suppose i do. what other reason would there be to blog? either you feel that you possess some information that should be passed on, or you need to tell everyone what's happening in your life.

which category do i fall into? why do i blog? i dont know. its not to tell people the details of my life, as to be honest, i really can't. too many people read this. too many people who all know different sides of me. who all know "zena" from one small perspective. who all know multiple things about me, with no 2 people knowing exactly the same things. mother, sister, cousins, friends from all over the world, people ive dated, people im dating, people i may yet date, university friends, school friends, religious friends, those for whom the dancefloor is the new temple and pills the new bread. there are too many, and so in order that i keep myself in relatively safe waters, i just cannot blog about everything going on in my life.
personally, i wouldn't want to. some things are better kept private.

so why do i blog? maybe i feel i have something to say. maybe deep within me i feel there lies some secret to which only i hold the key. i do feel i have something to say. i havent said it yet. i dont know what "it" is. maybe "it" is this. these random posts that seem to mean nothing. maybe, like life, the journey is the destination. but its there. and its slowly coming out. there are things about this world i want to change. things i need to change. maybe thats where this desire to blog stemmed from. the dissatisfaction for the way things are in this world. the belief that i, one person, can change things. i can only try, and i can only blog. blog with no set reason, and with no predictable result. a random, all over the place blog, that gives you a small insight into the randomness that has become my life, and an even smaller insight into the craziness of my thoughts, in the hope that in taking the long way round, ill reach the point that im so desperately trying to reach.

maybe thats the reason.

Did I Just Brush My Teeth??

its amazing how, during the day, i'll get these flashes of inspiration! things i just must write about in this blog. yet, for some reason, when i've come online, checked my mail, done all your usual online routine stuff...the ideas have just dropped out of my head. just literally dropped out. does that ever happen to you? last night, after brushing my teeth, i was about to floss and i swear to god, i had to stand there for about a minute thinking.."DID i just brush my teeth?" i finally decided i HAD after feeling the brush to see if it was wet. ie making sure it had just been used! how old do you have to be to get alzheimers??
this is the problem. not living in the moment. not being fully conscious of all our actions. can you believe it i mean! forgetting whether you brushed your teeth 2 minutes after you had.

on another note, the thing i need to keep reminding myself on a daily basis: FACE YOUR FEARS!

Back Stabbing Saddam Hussein

Saddam Hussein's defence is starting.
If convicted he apparently faces the death penalty.
Funny isn't it how it's so obvious that he's going to be killed. This trial is being staged so that noone can turn around and say "hey! wait a minute! you never gave him a fair trial!"
i'm not saying this trial is fair. What i am saying is that noone in the world even CARES that it's going on.
honestly speaking, how many of you are regularly following this case? No one cares, and in effect, America is almost guaranteed the death of Saddam. As long as they follow the little protocols, those of 'justice', 'right to a trial' blah blah blah then they're flying.
I'll tell you who i want to see dead, and right now it's not Saddam.
How dare America get up on its high horse and claim to be on a moral highground when they are the ones who put Saddam in power and kept him there!
There's a word for it...its called back stabbing.

i just know it's true

the darkness of the night has fallen upon the buildings outside. inside the artificial sun has just risen. it is artificial because it pulls no one toward it. no one except the moths, who choose to be fooled. no gravitational pull. no attraction. not like the real sun outside. on a sunny day, you feel yourself turn your head toward the sun. like the flowers, the plants, the cat lazing on his back in the midday sun, you raise you neck and close your eyes and turn your face to bask in its warm light. this doesnt happen with the artificial sun that keeps us up all the night. an artificial sun, so we may ignore the beauty of the moon. the mystery of the stars. and the noise. it seems that one forever must have some noise about oneself. as soon as the tv is off, the radio comes on. even your laptop makes sounds. the keys clicking, the motor whirring. and all around the muffled voices of your neighbours. people whose lives are playing out so close to your own. whose daily habits you learn to expect, without ever knowing their faces. you know how your neighbour screams at his wife, but you could have passed him in the parking lot, and his would have been just another one of the empty faces you choose not to see. choose to ignore. or perhaps choose is the wrong word. have no reason to notice. an old man swayed on the sidewalk the other day. whether he was drunk, or just so old that he couldn't walk straight, i don't know. the crowds pushed around him, anxious to cross the road. your first instinct was to shirk away from him. as if you might catch something off of his unwashed clothes, his matted hair. as i crossed the street, i stopped and turned. maybe a moment of humaness, if that's even a word. but no, i looked at him, i turned and i kept going. he was just another homeless man. he must be alright, must be just another homeless person. nothing on the television said that there was a homemore man who died of a heart attack on the side of the road while pedestrians walked around him. because nowadays we use the tv to tell us whats happening in the world we exist in. hurry home from our walk in the park, so we won't miss the programme about the leaves falling from the trees. things are only real if they're shown through a square. try it. try cupping your fist into a cylinder and looking at the world through it. for some reason, it feels more real. why? i don't know. i just know it's true.

a rant and a rave...

At the very high risk of sounding materialistic and vain, which I strive not to be, allow me to get these rants off my chest

I hate the fact that I can't get a manicure/pedicure here because I know from experience that if I do, I'm just going to be pissed off because the standards are so low, and frankly a monkey could do a better job.

I hate the fact that I can't get my hair done, because simply the hairdressers in Ireland are nothing but sorry excuses who get annoyed if you say you don't like what they've done. Sitting there with what resembles a birds nest on the top of your head, and if you dare to say anything other than "lovely" your life as you know it is as good as over. Why do you think I always come back looking like I've fought a war?

I hate the fact that the beauticians don't know how to wax properly. That they don't know the difference between waxing, and breaking the hair at the skin. That they wax where you DON'T have hair, which any sane person knows just encourages more hair to grow.

I hate the fact that the masseuse's massage you like you're going to break. That they don't understand the fundamental concept of massaging...that is, work out the knots. Instead, they simply give the mandatory little rub to all parts of your back, call it a massage and charge you 50 euro.

Finally, I hate the fact that as well as looking after a house, paying bills, buying food, cooking, cleaning, trying to study, bringing up a cat who spends the nights awake and currently eats about twice his weight in food a day, worrying about a sister who doesn't need me to worry but for whom I can do nothing else, and crashing my car, I have to be my own beautician, hairdresser and manicurist. Mostly, I hate the fact that most of the time, I feel like a complete and utter failure in all the above aspects of my life. I think I hate that most of all.

Letter To America From Iran

I'll tell you this much...but Mahmood Ahmadi-Najad is the only one who seems to be talking sense in this God Forsaken world of ours.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE LETTER FROM MAHMOOD AHMADI-NAJAD TO GEORGE W BUSH

Apparently, George W Bush has refused to even acknowledge this letter, let alone answer it. Why?
Because for once someone is standing up to America's policies?
Because for once someone is strong enough to stand up to America and say, even though you are powerful, even though you are rich, even though every other country is scared of you, WE are not scared of you. We will NOT tolerate the way you treat the rest of the world. We will NOT STAND for being subjected to DOUBLE STANDARDS. We will not stand by and watch you ruin the world for the sake of your greed.

Probably. You see, sometimes, if you ignore something...it might just go away.
Not this time Bush..I really really hope.
Read the letter. How can you make up your minds if you don't know what both sides have to say? Click on the link, and read it.

honey in the matrix

if taunted, the honeybee will strike. but what motivates this suicidal tendency? does he know that with this sting, his life will end? does he know? does he weigh up the options carefully before launching the attack? is it rage that propels him? is it fear? does the honeybee take a vow of allegiance to his hive...to protect the queen, to protect their stock? is his life only as important as the protection it affords his community? or do you think he knows nothing of the consequences of this act? they say ignorance is bliss..did nature bless this creature with the ignorance that allows him to deliver this deadly prick? was it a kind allowance on the part of mother nature, or her idea of a cruel joke?
i was in a car accident today. you know what they say about things going in slow motion? its true. and yet, its more of a slow motion in retrospect. they say love at first sight happens only in retrospect. well the shock of a car accident rears its head only in retrospect. its shocking. ive been in shock all day. i keep replaying it in my mind, and thinking...if only i had been a second earlier. or a second later. if only.. if only.
should've, would've, could've. i hate it when people use those words. i know someone who constantly uses those words. the people who wait for life to happen to them. who sit back in a comfortable chair, wait all day, and as the sun goes down, wonders that perhaps, they should've got up and done something, and if they would've done so, perhaps they could've achieved the one thing they wanted to happen. they could've lived. life doesnt come to you. its there. take it or leave it. what did he say in teh matrix again? "how can you have time, if you don't take time?" and how true that is.

Mr. Time Waster Himself

It never ceases to amaze me, coming up to exams, how amazingly talented most people are at NOT studying. Apparently, for many college students, sitting in the library can be equated with studying in the library. Of course, I'm really not one to talk as, in times of need, I can be extremely inventive when it comes to finding ways of not hitting the books. Trying to study at home for me is a lost cause because, for some unknown reason, it suddenly becomes so incredibly important to do something as trivial as my washing! I mean there could be nothing in the bottom of the laundry bag but a pair of socks, but I will make it my business to FIND other things, ANY other things, that could be washed. For reasons beyond my control, hygiene seems to become a much more serious issue coming up to exams. So, it appears, does dusting, polishing, vaccuming, and sorting my cd's into order both alphabetically and chronologically. Of course, it takes a few hours to realise that just might be impossible...but not to worry, because by that stage its time to start cooking dinner. And as everyone knows, you should give yourself plenty of time to cook your standard 5 course evening meal. Sure I do this every day of the year!

Today, while sitting in the library, and actually studying might I add (because I am a mature, level headed, graduate now)..I was lucky enough to come back from the bathroom to find that Mr. Time Waster himself had taken up residence in the chair next to mine. It was an interesting few hours I must say, because I do believe that I have found the one person who just might be able to beat my friend Richard at wasting time!

He started out motivated enough. Highlighter pen at the ready. Photocopied article in front of him. Bent over the desk, furiously highlighting what seemed to me to be every single word on the page. Apparently though this seemed to be requiring him to expend more energy than his bowl of weetabix had given him, and after 5 mins or so, he laid the highlighter down and stretched. The sort of stretch you'd do after a 5 mile run, or a 5 hour exam...or seemingly a 5 minute highlighting session. Whoever said highlighting isn't a sport should talk to Mr. TW!
Time for a break evidently. And after a half hour chat with a friend of his, who I presume was also "studying" for the day, Mr. TW disappeared for a good hour only to return with a bottle of Sunny D and a box of revels. After spending an unnecessarily long time opening the box of revels, and sipping from his Sunny D, Mr. TW decided a spot of textual socialising was in order...proceeding to send texts to what seemed to be every single person in his phone book. *Sigh* job well done. Crisis averted. He found out what to put on that massive spot on his nose. Now it was time for a nap. So he lay his head on the table, on top of his highlighted article, and dozed off for 15 minutes or so. Nothing too long mind you. Not at all! Just a power nap! Sure, Margaret Thatcher SURVIVED on them! Just a little kip to keep the overactive brain cells on their toes. Everyone knows that an alert and keen mind is EXACTLY what is needed when one decides to pick at ones elbow for 20 minutes. Oh yes, after his nap, Mr. TW seemed to find some sort of scab on the tip of his elbow. I don't know, as I really couldn't bring myself to look. Don't know whether he got it off or not, I was too busy vomiting into my handbag.

After a while, I packed up my things, and headed home. While walking away from the desk, I turned around, and I swear to God, Mr. TW was stretching himself across the ENTIRE length of the desk he now solely occupied, smiling to himself and seemingly relishing the fact that NOW he could have a proper nap! Because THAT was the problem with his study technique!

Just "Fine"!

"Fine". The word has lost all meaning. Or perhaps aquired a new meaning. You see, nowadays, something is only fine if it, in actual fact, really isnt fine at all. Fine has evolved into "not-fine". Like if everytime you said yes you really meant "not-yes" (ie. no). Come to think of it though, isnt that what most women do?
I honestly prefer dealing with men, because they will always say yes when they mean yes, and no when they mean no. Although, I fear perhaps that this yardstick of sanity that the world has been clinging to throughout the ages is indeed sinking beneath the emergence, and recent creation, of the Metrosexual male. The man who is comfortably in touch with his feminine side. Who knows the winners of this years Oscars, and the location of his cuticles. Ask a man 10 years ago where his cuticles were and he'd think you were hitting on him!
I remember once, while taking part in a pageant, visiting a sheep farm. Our days were filled with visiting different places, and people, and yes, one day we were taken to a sheep farm. Needless to say, sheep farmers were present. Many of them. They were greatly removed from metrosexuality, and any type of sexuality I'd venture to guess! Anyhow, they were enjoying their day. Watching the girls in their pretty dresses sink lower and lower as their stilettos sank into the mud beneath their feet. Some girls mistakenly wore sandals. Myself and another included. And herein lies the story..for, and I swear to God, as we passed two sheep farmers on our way through the muck, one turned to the other, and with a face as serious as I've ever seen, said "Jesus Mick, but they've got fine toes too!"
Of course, here 'fine' meant 'fine'. and so I return to the point of my post. Which is that we should just stop asking people how they are. Because, all we're going to hear is "fine". Which actually means "not-fine", and really doesn't help the situation at all. Because you're not really getting a proper answer to your question. Of course, you could just not give a rats tail about how that person really is. Which I also fear, mostly is the case. So perhaps, we should go on asking people how they are when we couldnt care less, and hearing an answer that we know isnt true, but are thankful for, because when you meet someone in passing, the last thing you want to hear about is the fungus growing on their toes, or God forgive, the fact that they may be so hopeless and helpless and despairing that the only way out they can see is to end the life they've been given. No. Perhaps "fine" will do just fine. For now anyhow.

Someone You've Never Seen

Sitting here listening to Tom Waits "Closing Time".. "no one's awake except for the moon and me". obviously not quite, but sometimes it feels that way doesn't it? Sleep seems so futile sometimes. Unfortunately though, I can't cope without a good nights sleep. Although its occasionally tempting to have a good day's sleep, and to stay up through the night. So much more productive under the cover of darkness. Things can happen during the night, lives can change, there's something so much more magical about the night. About moonlight. "With nothing but moonlight to guide our paths, we shared a few nights of memorable laughs".
Also thinking about how people can just come back into your life. And it always happens when you least expect. You can do all you can to keep some people out, but others.. well others you just know will always have a foot in the door. well, for the time being anyhow. is there ever a right time to meet someone? more importantly, is there ever a wrong time? yes, i think so. i think the key is knowing yourself. if you dont know who you are, then how can you get to know other people? or maybe that's what we do. spend so much time and energy trying to get to know other people, that we forget to save some time for us. know what everyone's favourite colour is, except your own. who cares. favourite colours are like favourite hairstyles..they change. they change with time and they change with you. what happens though when you wake up one day and realise that you've never changed your hair and you have no idea whether you prefer blue, or black, or pink, or green. or whether you're just not really a colourful kind of girl. some people see the world in black and white. what about the shades of grey? colours seem different to different people. i say black, you say navy blue. the world is never seen in colour, because no one's colour is ever the same. just like no one's perception of you is ever the same. no one is ever going to know the real you, because there is no real you. You are who you become when you're with different people. you are who you want yourself to seem to be....
but, who are you when the lights are off, when everyone's gone, when the bar's stopped serving, and even the hobo's are asleep? who are you when the world as you've created it is stripped bare until the sun rises again? thats why the night is the scariest time for alot of people. because there's usually no one there with whom we can pretend to be who we want to be. the stage is dark, the curtains down, the audience is gone home...and the actress doesn't know how to make her legs move to take her off the stage, because she doesnt know how to act like herself. how can you act like someone you've never seen?

A Cone Too Far..

Currently, O'Mally has a huge plastic cone around his head. Doctor's orders, I wont go into the details. But do you think for one minute that he's sitting in a corner feeling sorry for himself? Do you think that he's given up eating, sleeping, playing, because he perhaps feels like a freak with a plastic cone on his head? Nope. Do you think he feels like less of a cat, if you will, simply because he no longer possesses that fundamental cat trait of being able to squeeze through small spaces? Nope. Is he on a diet, thinking that perhaps this turn of events is in someway related to his excessive consumption of catnip and kibbles? Nope.

In fact, it took him less than an hour to realise that there was no way the freaking thing was going anywhere anytime soon. It took him less than an hour to realise that no matter what he did, he wouldn't be able to be cone-free anytime soon. It took him that long to realise that you know what? Sure, its a little (read: alot) awkward. Sure its not very flattering. Sure his mom's gotta put his food into wierd shaped bowls in order that he may maintain some semblance of normality at mealtimes. Sure now instead of licking his body, he licks the plastic cone. Sure its annoying and bothersome. But you know what? I'm not going to let it ruin my life. I'm not going to let it get the better of me. Instead, I'm going to keep playing, keep living, keep going. It's only a plastic cone.

And you know what? I'm learning from this cat. Because, I'll tell you this much.. if that was me with the plastic cone around my head, I'd be curled up in the corner feeling VERY sorry for myself!

What Allergy??

You'd wonder why I got a cat when I'm deathly allergic to cats hairs.

Yes...I wonder that as well. Same way I sometimes genuinely wonder if the lights kinda faulty up there. You know, a flickering on and off kinda thing. The days and nights when I cant breathe through my nose, cant smell the roses of spring, cant pick him up without sneezing...I wonder why I decided to subject myself to it.
Yes, we all wonder why I sometimes do the things I do.

So why? And why don't I send him on to another home?

Because I can't. Because its not something I can do. Because I've made a commitment to him, and God knows even though its not easy getting me to commit, once I do, its permanent. Because the crazy cat lady would hunt me down and neuter me herself. Because he's just so God damn gorgeous. One look from those eyes and you'd melt too.

Nope. The point is, no matter how allergic I am to him, O'Malley is here to stay. He's a permanent fixture at Chez Zena, and you know what? I wouldnt have it any other way.

Just make sure to bring a box of tissues when you come round!

O'Malley

Oh, and his name is O'Malley.

Thanks for all the suggestions..it was a very hard decision to make

The Eyes Of My Eyes Are Opened

In the words of ee cummings
"i thank You God for most this amazing
day:for the leaping greenly spirits of trees
and a blue true dream of sky;and for everything
which is natural which is infinite which is yes

(i who have died am alive again today,
and this is the sun's birthday;this is the birth
day of life and of love and wings:and of the gay
great happening illimitably earth)

how should tasting touching hearing seeing
breathing any--lifted from the no
of allnothing--human merely being
doubt unimaginable You?

(now the ears of my ears awake and
now the eyes of my eyes are opened)"

But For How Long More?

while driving i wonder why no driver smiles. why everyone has upon their face a look of sadness and regret. anticipation not of good times to come, but of the troubles that are bound to come their way. if we expect troubles then we will get them. if we don't we still might. but at least we've saved ourselves some years of worry. and yet, im not going to drive around with a stupid smile on my face, because its really hard to. beeping horns, dim-witted pedestrians who feel the need to cross as the traffic lights turn green, traffic jams, petrol prices, sun in my eyes. oh how i long for the simplicity of the days i never experienced. when the whole world you would ever know was a mere mile or two around you. the world is contracting, our own worlds are expanding, our ability to love perhaps shrinking, our capacity for real communication gone.
a few months ago i posted about our increasing ability to practice the art of what i called "politeful ignorance". click here to read it.
we've also become adept at believing that everyone is against us. with all that's going on around the world, its no wonder. what ever happened to helpful salespeople? or friendly drivers? or happy children?
well, maybe the children are still happy. but i cant help but wonder..for how long more?

A Break. With Normality..

It's really hard to study when you've got a million and one things going through your head. Its even harder when those million and one things are all the same one thought. just in different forms... quite pointless.
Ah its all really quite pointless if you think about it.
At the end of it all, it doesnt matter what we do. What we say. Whether we get out of bed in the morning, whether we do our job. Give it 50 years and the world will have forgotten who we are. Except for the small few who do something which this superficial world deems worthy of committing to its memory. The strong write history. So do the dictators, the controllers, and the "democratically elected elite". So why do we carry on? I dont know. Maybe because if we didnt we'd probably go crazy. Someone once said "We're all born crazy. Some of us stay that way."
It's those who live at the edges of society that still hold on to the craziness that lies within us. Those who have been shunned by state and society are those who are most in touch with the demons and deep emotions that we daily bury deeper into our subconscious. Deeper until one day some of us explode, and do something so "out of character" that we wonder how we ever thought he was "normal". It's not normal to conform. Or maybe it is. Normality is what we label it to be and in this world that we live side by side in, conformity is normality. The law tells us what is normal. The law is written by those who for some reason believe themselves to be more "normal" than others. Some people are born more "normal" than others. Like the animals in Orwells Animal Farm, "all animals are equal, but some are more equal than others". Abiding by this code of normality is unfortunately what most of us spend our entire lives worrying about. We worry that we'll betray the demons within us if we act strange. Yes, normality is the mask we hide behind when we can't face the depths of our emotions. And yet...what would happen if there wasnt this yardstick against which we can measure our actions? How would we ensure society would be protected from those who would cause it harm? Perhaps normality is safety... and it is if you think about it. When you meet someone who arouses intense emotions within you, a sense of fear overcomes you. A sense that you may have met a person for whom "being normal" is significantly harder. May have met a person who has access to a part of humanity, of eternity, of life, that we have forsaked in order to conform.

Oh, I dont know. I dont know where this is going...but I do know i have to go. Adios.

CAT!

Presenting..due to popular demand...

CAT!



This afternoon I put a blanket on my windowsill, and he had a brilliant time just lounging in the sun watching everyone come and go downstairs!






So guys, any names spring to mind? Oh and, the pictures dont do him justice! *sigh*

Stolen My Heart With A Meow

Two days ago, I took a step. A small step for mankind, a gigantic step for me. I adopted! He's less than a year old, with the most gorgeous eyes I have ever seen. Big green almond eyes that seem to search your soul when he meows for his supper. Yes, he's a cat. Perhaps more accurately, he's a catten. Not a kitten, not yet a cat. Oooh, I can see Britney making a fortune out of this one!
He's been with me 2 days already, and although he's stolen my heart, I just cant think of a name that suits him! Currently stuck between a few...including Toulouse. O'Malley was a favourite for a while..he had been hit by a car so his back legs are a bit wobbly still. Currently he swaggers around with a bit of a John Wayne strut! Same strut that Thomas O'Malley the alleycat had in "The Aristocats". My boy definately always gets the girls! Too bad he's *neutered* shhhh

Adopted him from this classic crazy cat lady. I swear to God her house is overrun with cats. I'm talking opening the front door and a swarm of cats milling in the hallway! Apparently though, once you adopt, (I keep referring to adoption because, and I kid you not, she made me sign ADOPTION PAPERS!!) you're not allowed to have a life. Nope, everything must be pushed aside for your cat..and although this seems to be what she herself chose to do, its not the path I personally feel inclined to walk!
"DUBLIN??!! YOU'LL BE GOING TO DUBLIN?? But...But...But what will happen to HIM??"
"INTERNATIONAL POLITICS???!! BUT...What about HIM??"
I assured her I would look after him, after which she turned to him and said "Did you hear that Sweetheart, you're going to be an international jetsetter!" So it seems I have to take him wherever I go. Lord above, it'll all work out, I cant be expected to decide all this now! By the way she was talking, she seemed to be expecting me to call up some random airline and book a seat for my cat "in the event that I may be travelling around the world for work purposes in ten years time!" ?!

She had named him Sweetheart. Although it suits him, he is a sweetheart!, I don't think I really want to be bringing up a cat with masculinity issues. Perhaps Hercules? Or Thor? Hmmmm...Or maybe the Rock! Ideas??

How Old?!?!?

You Are 27 Years Old

Under 12: You are a kid at heart. You still have an optimistic life view - and you look at the world with awe. 13-19: You are a teenager at heart. You question authority and are still trying to find your place in this world. 20-29: You are a twentysomething at heart. You feel excited about what's to come... love, work, and new experiences. 30-39: You are a thirtysomething at heart. You've had a taste of success and true love, but you want more! 40+: You are a mature adult. You've been through most of the ups and downs of life already. Now you get to sit back and relax.

What Age Do You Act?

Take the quiz and let me know...am I the only one acting older than I am??! ;)

Paradise Almost Lost

Back in December, a "Lost World" was discovered in the Foga mountains of Indonesia. Over 2 million acres of rainforest. An area of land where no human had ever walked. "As close to the garden of Eden as you'll ever find on Earth" was how one of the scientists described it. Click here to read about it. Mammals that were hunted to near extinction were found in abundance here. Over 2 dozen new species of butterfly, bird and frog were discovered. No traces of civilisation, no knowledge of any person ever having set foot within this paradise.

And do you want to know the strangest thing? These "wild" animals, showed absolutely NO fear towards humans. They had never known the cruelty that humans shower upon the animal race, and so had never known the fear that other animals have toward us. The animals walked right up to the scientists and allowed themselves to be picked up!

When we describe something as WILD we are defining what is "wild". Perhaps we are the wild ones. We are most certainly the ones who have lost our way; the ones who have lost touch with the natural world and all that encompasses it. We are the ones who are empty within, who believe that nothing else exists but us. A whole world has been developed where the only thing that seems to matter is the human being. We forget that without animals, without plants, without nature, we would not be able to survive.

The Earth willingly gives us more than enough crops to feed us, and yet we rape and pillage her. Taking without appreciating. As if she is there just to serve us. Have we forgotten the animals that share our earth?? Oh how greedy and foolish we are. These "worries" that we have. These "cares", they are not real. They are a part of this elaborate play of 'modern life' that we are putting on. Putting on for whom? For our own enjoyment??

Where did we go wrong?

More Than A Nina Simone Coincedence?

Does it mean anything that every shop I went to in town today had Nina Simone playing in it?
4 shops on different sides of the city...all playing Nina Simone...2 of them the same song at the time I walked in.
Does it mean anything else that these are shops I didnt mean to go into, but were drawn to as I passed?
Hmmm...I think I know what it means. But I dont think I can post it here. Let's just say, the universe may be telling me that I made a wrong decision with regards to a certain person lately.

The Respectable Dead

Francis Stuart, from "Things To Live For"

"There is an emptiness within the human breast, a hunger for we hardly know what, that is the deepest and wildest of all desires. It is the falling in love with life, the dark deep flow below the surface. Subtle, crude, beautiful, terrible. A few have dared to open their arms to it, to plunge into it, and always they are wounded and humiliated; but they have been touched, have been caressed by those fiery fingers that curved the universe, and there remains about them a breadth, a spaciousness, a warmth of genius.
...the wounds are as precious to me as the ecstasy. For both bring me close to that lovely, terrible, profligate, austere thing that is life. To love, that is all that matters. To lavish love even on objects unworthy of it is infinitely better than living a cold, ordered life in a study, in an office, or even in a garden tending flowers. It is only through opening one's arms to life that one will find the ultimate peace and security. Only through suffering and loving. There is no short-cut. Protecting oneself against life is not peace but death. Of all the strage varied people I have met it has not been the sinners, the degraded, the drunkards, the gamblers, the crooks, the harlots who have made me shudder, but the dead, the respectable dead; cut off like a branch from the tree."

Francis Stuart

For lack of anything of significance to write about, allow me to quote from a favourite book of mine, by a wonderful writer. From "Things To Live For", by Francis Stuart.
He speaks of Dublin and Ireland.

"I walked through those streets that I once fought to defend, feeling a little like a stranger. And it was this spirit of smugness and deadness that we fought against and were defeated by. The spirit of liberal democracy. We fought to stop Ireland falling into the hands of publicans and shop-keepers, and she has fallen into their hands...
...Democracy is the ideal of those whose lives as individuals are failures and who, feeling their own futility, take refuge in the mass and become arrogant in the herd. The productive worker, who takes pride in his work and exults in it, is never democratic because he feels no need for this refuge. He stands alone. He does not believe in the rule of the majority because he does not feel himself to be one of the majority. The skill that he brings to his work is something unique and differentiates him."

Image Is The Truth You Want To Know

It's all about outer image isnt it? Forget what's on the inside, if it looks good on the outside, that's all that counts nowadays. Things could be falling apart, but if it seems like its not, then its all fine. Let's build more roads and ruin more of the countryside. Yes, we know thats irreversible damage. The ruination of habitats and scenery. Yes, we know that. But we'll tell you what....we'll plant LOADS of trees and bushes, so you cant see the road. Then it will look like the natural environment still remains beyond those new trees and bushes. It seems like it, so unless you decide to delve deeper and investigate what lies behind the trees, you can safely go on with your ignorant lives believing that beyond the bushes there is no destruction. Closing your mind to the truth. That greed has led to more tar and cement.
God, I think its at the stage where humans KNOW they're stupid, but they just don't care. Because if they were to care, they'd have to do something to right the wrongs on this earth, and well quite frankly that requires time and energy. Two things that most people aren't prepared to give unless it leads to their own personal satisfaction and gain. What a selfish race we are.

A Full Fat Mistake?

For the past few years I have been annoyed over and over again by those who feel obligated to question my choice of foods.
"FULL FAT MILK??!!"
"REAL BUTTER??!!"
"OH MY GOD, WHITE BREAD??!!"
Yes, bar the white bread which I agree is less tasty and nutricious than its brown counterpart, I feel that if I want to eat or drink something, I want to eat or drink something that doesnt taste like its been put through a rubber factory. Additives, Preservatives, EI this, BA this, Vitamin this, Mineral that. It really is a bit too much to handle at times. And well, forgive me if sometimes I feel the need to have something NATURAL in my system. Sure, real butter has some fat, but is that a bad thing? It has taste! It has quality! And to me, thats worth the extra millimetre around my waistline. I remember living with this over-weight, obnoxious, arrogant girl who was always trying to lose weight. It was quite amusing watching her have dinner every night, because along with the pound of lard, she always made sure to have skimmed milk! Got to have your priorities right you know!
Of course, as it is with all media inflicted ideas, there came a time when I too began to question my choices. Began to question whether I too was committing a sin with each gulp of full fat milk cascading down my throat into my stomach. Whether "a moment on the lips, a lifetime on the hips" applied to dairy after all.
Finally though, what did it for me, was the fact that dairy actually clouds your aura. Its not good for your vocal chords, and apparently not good at all for your spirituality and to be honest, when I was feeling quite misty and aura-clogged the other day, I decided that I needed to cut down on my dairy consumption. Granted, it was neither concern about my weight nor my physical health that prompted the shift in perception, but a concern for my other-wordly qualities, I was sure that this new outlook would be greeted with agreement, acknowlegment, a "well, its about time"!
Going into a random little shop I came across, I walked confidently over to the fridges, and reached for "LOW FAT MILK". Imagine my suprise when, as I placed the milk on the counter to pay for it, the old woman behind the till gave me the look I had been on the receiving end of for many years, and with a voice full of disbelief and worry at the tragic mistake I was about to make, turned to me and said "No dear, you must have made a mistake, this is actually LOW FAT MILK!!"
*Sigh* You just can't win can you?

Nee How! I Want To Send Fax!

It's a truth universally acknowledged that not many people in China have a need to telephone Ireland. Or maybe they do and I've been kept in the dark...until this morning that is. This morning, I was fortunate enough to be the lucky person to be called from China! About 10 times to be exact actually!
4:30 AM, did I mention it was AM???!!!! My home phone starts ringing. Oh this piercing, shrilling, God-awful sound that awakened me from the depths of my slumber. I answered:

"Nee How, I want to send fax! Can you turn on machine?"
"I'm sorry, but you have the wrong number."
"Long Number?? Oh hee hee, ok."
"Bye"
"Bye!!"

So I thought that was that and I could go back to sleep. Nope..that would just be too easy. It's no fun doing something if you don't do it right you know! Snuggling under the duvet, I was just closing my eyes when the phone rang again!

"Nee How, I want to send fax! Can you turn on machine?"
"This is the same number. Wrong number."
"Oh! Solly! hee hee"
"Ok BYE"
"Bye"

Obviously Miss Nee How didnt believe me when I said it was the wrong number because what followed within the next 20 minutes was a series of, im not joking when i say 5 or 6, 2 ring calls. Her obviously hoping that by typing in the same number over and over it would magically get her through to the right number! No! That's not the way it works!!
I lay awake staring at the ceiling, waiting for the next 5 second ring, and eventually picking up the phone and although there was no-one on the other end explaining: "This is a home phone number. Wrong Number. Do not call it again!"

It must be remembered that prior to the interruptions I was having a wonderful sleep. Dreams filled with good times, and happy times and great things! Well, ok I don't really remember what I was dreaming, but I had been asleep and at 4:30 AM that is the state I most prefer to be in!

Finally the phone rang AGAIN. I picked it up before they had time to cut off. It was a man. Mr. Nee How I'm thinking? And oh the noise in the background! It sounded like a betting office, a greyhound track, a restaurant and an underground black market organ selling den all rolled into one!

"Hello?? HELLO??" (I was getting mad at this point!)
"NEE KEE!!! NO! NAI! NEE KEE! Koni chios rhgoish kos hai haa hoo hee, oh *realising he had made a phone call to the other side of the world* Nee How? Nee How?"
"Yes, HELLO. You have the WRONG number!! WRONG NUMBER! NO! NO FAX."
"Nee How? Nee How? Koni choigh chi ni ho di!"
Apparently he thought I spoke Chinese, I dont know. But I hung up.

Don't worry though. He rang me back! Did you think I'd be lucky enough that he wouldnt?
I couldnt take it anymore!! I just couldnt!! Before he could even say anything, I picked up the phone and just let him have it!

"THIS IS THE WRONG NUMBER! IT IS THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT HERE AND WE ARE TRYING TO SLEEP! SLEEPING! SLEEPING! NO CHINESE HERE! NO FAX! WRONG NUMBER! PLEASE DO NOT CALL THIS NUMBER AGAI.."
He hung up on me!

I didnt take anymore chances though...I unplugged my phones!
I still have his number on my caller ID though... And the temptation to do the same to him when he's asleep is oh so strong!! Nee How anyone?

Still Smiling!

Strikes me as typical that a blazing sunny day would turn to rain the minute I'm too far from home to walk back, in shoes that were NOT meant for the rain! *sigh* It's ok though, I'm still smiling! ;)

A Day In The Life Of......

The Sexual Politics of the Vegetarian Section of the Freezer!

Was doing my grocery shopping today. On my way to the vegetarian section of the freezer, I noticed there was a man choosing some vegetarian frozen options. Noone out of the ordinary, your average Joe if you will, but you know what? I stopped in my tracks because at the moment that I noticed him, I had to mentally slap myself on my mental behind because not only was I shocked, but I was also puzzled. Puzzled that a MAN would be buying vegetarian food. Had it been a woman I am certain my reaction would have been blind indifference. However, here was this man making the choice I agree with and do you know what rushed through my mind?? "Huh! What's HE doing there? Oh, he's probably buying for his girlfriend!"
Can you believe that?? This is what society has reduced us to! It's a truth as old as time, but for a man not to eat MEAT points negatively toward his masculinity! For a woman, it has always been expected that she would ensure her man received the meat, since he was the dominant member of the family and for the dominant member of the family, the best foods are firstly his. Confound it, but I still cannot believe I subconsiously associate men with meat and meat with power. But I do. I do, and I believe that mostly everyone does too.
This was the idea behind an extremely interesting book I read last year. Click here
to check it out. The objectification of animals is equated with the objectification of women. The consumption of meat, equated with the consumption of women (whether through pornography or rape). It's an extremely interesting book and one which I would encourage anyone to read.



According to the website here's a little peek at what to expect:

- Sexualized fragmentation. Fragmented body parts of animals who will be eaten depicted in such a way that thoughts of women as sex objects are clearly evoked as well. Breast and thighs advertised on menus, as well as specific examples like "We serve the best legs in town," draw upon the patriarchal fixation on women's bodyparts.

- Animals feminized/sexualized. Animals presented in poses and clothes human females are represented in our culture (svelte legs, a "chick" in high heels, often animals posed like women, animals who are four-legged made to appear both "sexy" and bipedal, animals in bikinis). "I ate a pig..." Exactly who are they referring to?

- Back-entry shots of both animals and women. In pornography, back entry shots are constructed to convey both women's accessibility and imputes to them an "animal-like" nature, that is, "animal-like" in a speciesist culture, a view that sees women as desiring being sodomized; sometimes animals who are seen as consumable are positioned that way as an invitation to consumption.

- Connecting flesh eating and other forms of animal oppression to prostitution and pornography ("strip", "buck-naked", "Live Nude Lobsters!", and the "Happy Hooker," etc.).


Now you must excuse me, I have some peas to shell and a hut to clean... "COMING HONEY"

The Sagernator

THE SAGERNATOR...

Possibly coming to an Irish City near you soon!! Stay Tuned!!

Don't Correct Disney! Or Israel!

Listening to the "Tiny Cities" album by Sun Kil Moon, those of you in Cork, you should have read my review on it! In the fabulous An Sceal... No? *sigh* Yes I know, I hadnt heard of it either, until they asked me to start doing reviews that is.

Today, Liam Thornton told me a story which I think pretty much sums up the attitude taken by the States (and its Corporations) towards Israel.
While in school, him and his class were taken to Euro Disney, Paris, for a trip. Anyhow, some ride, I think it was "It's A Small World" (the classic that it is), showed the countries around the world and their respective capital cities. Jerusalem was listed as the capital of Israel. What was the capital of Palestine? Nothing, since there was no mention of Palestine...at all. Liams teacher stood up and brought to the attention of the workers there that the information shown was wrong, and that Jerusalem is NOT the capital of Israel. The capital of that "country" is Tel Aviv. Simply a teacher of Geography pointing out a simple mistake. Like if they listed Manchester as the capital of England. I'm sure it would be EXPECTED that someone would point out the mistake.

Apparently Disney didnt take lightly to this simple correction...they threw the teacher out of the ride for Anti-Semitism!!

A Helpless Situation?!

I've always been told never to talk about religion or politics. Why? Because it just leads to arguments. Somehow though, I seem to always want to talk politics. And I'm not referring to internal national politics. I'm referring to INTERNATIONAL politics. Especially things close to my heart...for example the Palestinian situation.
I cannot explain how much what's happening to the Palestinians upsets me. Even talking about it upsets me, and what gets me the most is that way that the majority of the world are Pro-Israeli. Or if not Pro-Israeli, then Pro-letting it all carry on the way its been for the last century because they couldnt care less.

This is the problem with the world...they couldnt care less. As long as they're happy, as long as they are not directly affected, they're happy to carry on even while this injustice is being carried out not very far away.

Im so sick of it, because I don't know what I can do. How can I make people care? How can I change the way people think? How can I make some people realise that the way they are thinking is completely one-sided and totally influenced by Western media? I dont know what I can do. I don't know what I should do. It feels like such a helpless situation. For once in my life...I feel totally, completely and utterly helpless.

The Sugar Hut

What an amazing end to a brilliant weekend!!

Last night we went to what has to be one of the coolest places I've been to in a long long time. The Sugar Hut.

The girls made reservations, and we arrived to the place. All that marked The Sugar Hut out along the street was a massive, black, iron door towering over the sidewalk. No way to open it from the outside. Just a doorbell, and a small round peep hole of sorts.
We rang the doorbell and waited...
A dark shadow was cast upon the peep hole as someone plainly stepped up to the door and looked us up and down. Slowly the door swung open...
"Can I help you ladies?" A bouncer of gigantic proportions stood in the doorway, and by his side, a little man that couldnt have been taller than our waists.

Our names were on the list, and the, now gentle, giant stepped back, and let us through. We stepped into the dark and with a flourish, the BFG had parted the thick velvet curtains that hung before us. We had arrived. We had discovered an eden among the dark, dirty streets of London. We were home.

Before us lay a sea of people lounging on sofas, cushions, tables... the air was thick with the smoke of a thousand cigarettes and a hundred shieshas. The atmosphere was static. The crowd electric. The mood chilled. Chandeliers hung from the ceilings, candles lit the tables...and in the background. In the background was the funkiest beat I have ever heard. Every atom in your body was vibrating with the need to dance. The desire to move. Of their own accord your walking feet stepped in time to the bass. Your hips swayed in time to the rhythm. Whatever you wanted to say or do was put on hold... the desire to surrender to the mood, surrender to the music...the desire to do so was overwhelming.

We were shown to our table, and then began one of the funk-tasti-est nights of my life!
One of the best things about The Sugar Hut was the feeling, nay the knowing, that what happens in The Sugar Hut, stays in The Sugar Hut. No matter who you were, no matter what you did, the fact seemed to remain that within the confines of that eden in Fulham, you were merely another person searching for that perfect beat in that perfect place. The band who were playing there were called "Rain" and if you EVER get the chance to check them out I couldn't encourage you more. Although the vocalist brought alot to the performance, you knew that without him the beats would still be just as freaky and just as freaking good.

Service at The Sugar Hut was very good, with

taxi just came! ill finish later

Dancing With The Common People

Well its a bright, crisp, fresh morning in London town and I've just had my breakfast and had a daily dose of Sex in the City...the TV series that is!
Absolutely WRECKED! Got to sleep at about 7 this morning and subsequently dragged myself out of bed 4 hours later! The LAST thing I want to do while in London is sleep! Although, believe me, the need to do so is quite over-whelming!

The girls are still asleep, and rather than wake them up too early, I'm going to update everyone on our Saturday night escapades.

First and foremost, before I delve into our midnight adventures, I feel that I really must tell you that I fell in love yesterday. Somehow deep in my heart I know this is neither fleeting nor superficial. It's as real as I am, and I'll tell you this much...I'm a changed woman. Yesterday in Portobello market, I found the shoes that I want to spend the rest of my life with! They were f**king amazing boots, and I was so close to bringing myself to the point of bankruptcy and shelling out the 600 pounds for them there and then! Only thing stopping me was the fact that they didnt have my size yet. Still though, like I said yesterday... at least I had my moment with them!

Portobello Market was great. The atmosphere was addictive and there were some unbelievably original clothes, shoes and accessories! All types of people, all types of things...a perfect metaphor for the city of London itself.

We tried to get a table at Nobu for dinner last night, but unfortunately we couldnt. Even though Mudawi has Virtue, which is this cool phone that provides access to a concierge 24 hours a day. Usually he can get you anything...but apparently last night Nobu was the exception. Not to worry though, because we went for the most delicious Japanese noodles in Soho instead! Yum!

For an update on what else we did check out Buthy and Leen's blog...I'll add their address to my quick links on my sidebar.

Our clubbing experience was cut short by the arrival of some obscure pop star called Antoine (WHO?!) and his entourage. Honest to God, they even had a camera man with them. I use the term "man" loosely, as he more resembled someones 12 year old brother with a camera on his shoulder. Honestly, I felt like a second class citizen! The bouncers were pushing everyone out of the way for these people who obviously believed they were much more famous than they really were. They had a table, which we didnt. Nope, we were resigned to standing on the dance floor...the cattle mart that most clubs are! A table for our crowd would have cost 1000 pounds! One Thousand Pounds?! No thank you! Maybe if it was somewhere incredibly amazing, but this was just an ordinary club. Nothing more, nothing less. So we danced with the commoners while Antoine and his not-good-looking-at-all posse watched on. Hmmm..somehow, no matter how hard they tried, they just couldn't pull off that LA gangster feel that you know they so desperately were trying to project!

Needless to say, we left for greener pastures! Something a little closer to home, and had hummous, fatayer, sambousa, and all the rest of it in a cosy little Lebanese place that apparently never closes!

So that was yesterday, and today's today, and I've wasted too much time telling you all about it! It's time to go get ready and head into town.

LONDON BAYBEE!!!!

It's LONDON BABY!!!!

Arrived in London this evening...and already I can feel adventure in the air!
The birds are singing, the bees are buzzing, the rain is raining...it's all good!

I finally met the infamous Leen and I'll tell you this much...she doesnt disappoint!
It's going to be a great weekend chilling with the girls in London, and apparently I'm supposed to get as much sleep as I can tonight, because I won't be sleeping anymore!

So it's off to Portobello Market tomorrow morning with Buthy and Leen, then going to one of the hippest restaurants in town where Lionel Richie and Kevin Backstreet Boy are frequently seen! After that, we paint the town red! ;)

I'm going to SLEEP!!

Can I Take Him Home?

Haven't posted in a while, as I've been busy playing perfect housewife, cooking, cleaning and wiping snotty noses. The latter belonging to my cats! We sent our housemaid back to the Phillipines, and so now, being unemployed and unproductive, its all down to me!

Leaving AD on Friday... going to miss everyone so much! Yas, Ismaooool, Pieri, The Sagernator... what will I do without you guys??

I'll be chilling in London for a few days with the one and only Bathoona! Can't wait! Plus I get to meet the infamous Leen!

Then its back to Cork, where my friends are all waiting for me! And I'm so looking forward to seeing them all again! Dana, Shelly, Jacq, The 2 Liams, Daryl, Tara, Char, Ciara...to name but a few. Of course a very large amount of study is also waiting...not as enthusiastic about that!

On another note, my hair has grown already! It's no longer shockingly short anymore! Ahhh
Hmmm...maybe I should chop off a bit more before I leave?
Or else just take Nicola the genius hairdresser with me...I wish!
Having said that, if I could take people home with me...I'd take someone else as well!

Acting Like An Ass Day It Seems...

Everyone has been pissing me off today.
In fact, if you know me, I would seriously recommend keeping your distance for the day.
Of course, some of you may have already noticed that...

But WHY are you all acting like asses today??!!
Aaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

I'll be ok by tomorrow....

Daydreaming Is Good For You

When I was younger, I used to daily disappear into daydreams. My mind would just think about everything and nothing at the same time, and for what seemed like a minute I would just zone out. When I'd snap back to reality I'd realise that more than 15 or 20 mins had passed! I'd feel fresh and energised, but I never thought of them as anything more than day dreams. After all, I was, and still am, a dreamer!

As I got older, there were such "important" things to do that I didnt allow myself the time to just think about anything, everything and nothing. I pushed myself to constantly do something productive, never allowing myself the chance to zone out.

What I hadnt realised was that those "daydreams" were actually meditation!
Without consciously deciding to meditate, my body and subconscious, daily encouraged me to do a little bit of meditating, knowing that that was what my body needed to recharge its batteries.

Today I rediscovered the health benefits of just zoning out and disassociating oneself from daily reality. Today for over 10 minutes I "daydreamed" again, and I gotta tell ya... I'm going to be doing it everyday! I feel great!

Water, Camel Milk and Lady Drivers!

Ismail was telling me why I should drink more water... im really thirsty at the moment, which is the number one BAD thing apparently! I'm dehydrated! So at the moment I've taken a leaf out of his book and I've got a bucket and ladle next to me. Scooping the water out and guzzling it down.
Ok, maybe not...but I'm drinking more water than I've ever drank in my life. Ok, maybe not...but I'm drinking alot! Edge...this sip's for you!

Oh yeah, and camel milk is gooooood!!

On another note, some things that have annoyed me today:

-women drivers! theres such a thing as being too careful!
-people who put cheese back in the fridge without wrapping it up well, meaning it's got HARD edges when I want some!
-human beings belief that they're superior over every other living thing on this planet...we're not! im going to have to post on this point again!

Liberty Who?!?!

I was in Dubai for one night during the weekend.
Yasmin was filling me in on all the gossip.

Yas: "Mona can't come out tonight, she's busy. She has to hang out with this band that's here from England. Her boyfriend wants her to show them around. We don't even know who they are! They went clubbing the other night and no one even recognised them or anything. *sigh* Anyhow, so she can't come out with us tonight!"

Me:"Oh, yeah? What's the name of their "band"?! lol"

Yas:"I don't know. Liberty X or something like that."

!!!!!!!! Yep, having lived in Ireland I think I just may have heard of Liberty X!!! Just maybe!!

Is Plastic Surgery False Advertising?

Not long ago, I was wondering if I was really a blonde...I have those days! As everyone does I'm sure! Check out that older post here. So, I just came across this little quiz that you can take if you've ever wondered how blonde you really were!

You Are a Golden Blonde

Men see you as flirty and fun, yet deep and thoughtful You've got all the pizzazz of a blonde... With the intensity of a brunette

How Blonde Are You?

On another note, during the weekend this guy I don't really know all that well decided to tell me that he had had 2 nose jobs...and he's only 24! Well, I got to thinking about plastic surgery and it struck me that in a way its almost like false adverstising.
I mean, let's fast forward to a few years time, his wife will have just given birth to their first child, and the first thing they see is this HUGE nose staring back at them! He may not be all that suprised, but she will! There she was thinking her husband naturally had a movie star nose, when the truth is that his nose genes were so far from perfect, perfection was nothing more than a dot to them!

In a world where your looks are a part of your "worth" in the marriage market, can plastic surgery that significantly alters a physical feature of yours be considered False Advertising?!?!

Stupid White Men

I think Michael Moore is great!
From my experience of him, which I confess is only limited to "Farenheit 9/11", "Stupid White Men" and an old film he shot called "Canadian Bacon", I have found him to be intelligent, truthful and in possession of a sarcastic sense of humour that catches your attention and keeps holding on strong!
It really annoys me then when I come across Americans who hate him.
Granted, it's to be expected, but it always strikes me as strange that they should uphold Moores work as rubbish when it is so obviously simply a record of REALITY.

I remember meeting this guy from New York, and I don't know how the conversation turned to Moore, but it did. And this guy HATED him! He thought that Moore just made things up, and he disapproved so much of his anti-Bush stance that he didnt even watch Farenheit 9/11. Basically, he was so willing to believe everything thast was being pushed down his throat by the media and the government, that he was NOT OPEN to hearing what the other side had to say.
First off, that's against democracy! Against the very idea of justice. Against the very ideas that the government and policies he so blindly supports is supposed to be encouraging.

I tried arguing with him..but as you know, it's impossible to argue with a fool! See one of my last posts on arguing with a fool here.
His mind was made up. Even though he wasnt open to hearing the other sides of the argument, he fully supported the farce of a war that his country was waging against Iraq.

Funny thing is, this same guy turned to me later on in the conversation and said with immense knowlegdge and confidence that "all muslims are short. They're a very short people."
Biting my tongue and trying to keep myself from literally shaking some sense into him, I explained that Islam is a religion, not a race. Muslims come from many different countries, and like other religions, you have some short Muslims and some tall Muslims.

*Sigh* This is the level of intelligence of the supporters of Bush it seems. Oh well, like attracts like as you know. Great minds think alike; or as the case most definately is here, fools seldom differ.

Royalty, Pens and a Valley Girl!

Today I attended the "Women As Global Leaders" conference in Emirates Palace, Abu Dhabi. I'm so happy I decided to stay here longer because, among many other reasons, I got to go to this and hear some of the world's better known people talk.
Her Majesty Queen Rania of Jordan was there. Her presentation was great and oh my God she's amazing. She is so beautiful, elegant, graceful. She seems to be a true queen.
Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland, was talking too. A very good presentation, although she seemed almost too optimistic, if that's a fault. But all in all, I was very impressed by her. She was the only one who stressed the importance of following up on the conference. That is, its all well and good to get together for a day and talk about all that needs to be done, but its another to actually DO something about it all afterwards!
Shaikha Lubna, Minister of the Economy UAE, spoke and was very impressive. She was intelligent and articulate.
Cherie Booth, wife of Tony Blair, gave a presentation, and although it was obvious that she was both well-spoken and intelligent, her speech was boring. If we wanted to hear about the history of Human Rights law we could buy a book and read about it. However, she chose to give us a long winded and tedious account of the whole process. Although, if it was shorter it may not have seemed as bad!

As in any gathering of over 1 person, there were alot of strange people there. And as is usually the case in my life, they flocked to me like a moth to a flame. I mean, do I have a stamp on my forehead saying, come talk to me, I'll feel sorry for you and have a chat?? Maybe. Anyhow, Cherie was in the middle of her LONG speech, and there was a man of chinese origin, perhaps, a couple of seats away from me. I'm not joking when I say that it must have been a half hour into her monologue, when this guy leans over to me and in a tone much too loud for the place and occasion asked me
"Who exactly is that talking now?!?!"
So as you can imagine, I was a little more than surprised. Firstly, because it was Tony Blair's WIFE and he had been listening for a half hour, and Secondly, because he chose to scream the question at me!!
Slightly off-put and a little more than annoyed, I quietly told him who it was.
"WHO?!?!"
I told him again.."Cherie Booth"
"CHERIE WHO?!?!"
"Cherie...Booth..."
"HUH??!!"
"Tony Blair's wife ok?!? Now, I'm trying to listen so can you please be quiet?"

Apparently that wasn't rude enough for him because 5 minutes later he leaned his excess body fat across the table and screaming over the salt and pepper shakers asked me where I was from!!
Seemingly, he didnt read the title of the conference and thought he was going speed dating!!

And what about the chewing gum popping, hair twisting valley girl that sat next to me in the second half.
"Didn't you like think that like the stuff like this morning were so like INSPIRING? I mean, like its so totally unbelievable that like there's all these people here in this room like talking about like women! Like I mean like WOW right?" *chomp, chomp, chew, blow, burst, chew, chomp*
Such an observant young girl! Nothing gets past her huh?

What about the guy who snatched my pen out of my hand! "Hey, that's a nice pen" shoving the delicate nib of it onto his paper, meanwhile slobbering over the gold plated cover. It's a Montegrappa, not a Biro, you idiot, keep your hands off other peoples stuff! Especially if that stuff is a ridiculously expensive, limited edition Motegrappa!
If it's one thing that I hate, it's people who snatch. It's rude, its intrusive and it's annoying!!
Like the girl everyone knows who grabs your new expensive bracelet and trys to squeeze it over her wrist...without opening the catch! Aaaaaarrrrgggggghhhhhhh!

Or the girl in the bathroom, who while standing in line queuing to pee, decided to voluntarily tell me that her parents divorced when she was young but she's "doing alright now, even though it was tough on her and caused her serious psychological damage which will probably cause her to beat up her children in the future..." She was American by the way....aren't they always though!

I mean...do I ATTRACT them? *sob* Lord, I think I do! Still though, it makes for some interesting stories. *sigh*

A Neuro-Surgeon Cat!

I really hate it when people humour me.
I have some strange thoughts sometimes, people may even go so far as to say all the time, and granted I do believe in things that much of the severly misguided public have been conditioned to think are stupid. But you know what, if you don't agree with me, please tell me. Tell me you think its an idiotic idea and that I'm a mad woman who probably has a million stray cats following me around...I don't care! It wouldnt be too far from the truth and its alot better than just nodding and smiling.

I have a cat called Fluffy. She's no ordinary cat, even though her name may imply some sort of ordinariness if you will. She's super intelligent, and I would even go so far as to say that she's a cat genius. I sometimes feel that we havent given her enough chances in life you know. She has the talent and brains to be whatever she wanted to be. A fire-fighter, a surgeon, an actress, a model, a spokes-cat for the UN!! She could do it all and still have time for a cat nap in the afternoon. And yet...why do people have such a hard time believing this? Why is it so hard to believe that animals can be so intelligent? Ok, I'm not actually serious when I say she could be a surgeon...her paws just wouldn't be able to hold that scalpel too good. But when people smirk and humour me when I tell tales of her intelligence, I feel I must hold firm and say with a resounding YES that I fully believe she could be a neurosurgeon if the thought so came upon her. It's the principle of the thing.

Animals are no less smarter than humans and alot of them are smarter than some humans I know. So there! Fluffy is a genius and I defy anyone to prove otherwise. In the meantime... let's talk about telepathy!

Battle Of The Sexes

Back when I started this blog, I posted on a little something I called Role Reversal. Click here to read it. I brought up the question of whether, in our modern society, women, in their quest to break free from male domination, have succeeded in reversing traditional gender roles and have indeed begun to dominate the men!

Today, I'd like to make some attempt at talking about something slightly more serious than what fruit you are! Today, I'd like to talk about equality...well to an extent anyhow.

It really annoys me when women insist on being treated like men. This, it seems, is their idea of "equality". Can they not see that by these actions they are indirectly affirming the dominance and emminence of the male gender? By placing as a prerequisite of being treated as an equal human being, the condition of being treated like a MAN, we are inadvertently placing men in a superior category to women. We are saying that, yes, we acknowledge that men are superior to women, and therefore we demand that you treat us as a man in order that we may achieve the same level of superiority as the average man.

Superiority? What superiority? Men may rule the world, but women rule the men. A woman who is confident with herself, with her sexuality and with her femininity will understand that although men may be in possession of the token position of power in this world, it is really the women that wield the most power. The importance of being a woman is immeasurable, and it really upsets me to see so many women today deny themselves the pleasure of their femininity in order to become more like these men they hold such aspirations to imitate.

When I studied Feminism, I was browsing a second hand bookstore and came across this amazing book written by one George Gilder, entitled "Men and Marriage" (Check it out here, make sure you scroll down and read the reviews!). Unlike the suggestion of the title, the book is not about getting a man to marry you. Instead, this book deals with differences between the genders, deals with problems in society caused by these differences and most importantly, deals with the problems caused by feminists upsetting the delicate balance of the sexes and setting in mortion events which are leading to the destruction of society.

Perhaps you might feel that the effects of feminism are being exaggerated, however, it cannot be denied that irreversible changes have been brought about by the denial and ignorance of womens powers of femininity, and these changes are slowly but surely leading to devasting effects on society as we know it.

Gilder makes alot of valid arguments, however I will deal with just one of them here. From the outset, there is an imbalance between the sexes. Women possess what he calls "sexual superiority" over men. They go through pregnancy, breast feeding and greater bonding with the children as a result. Their monthly periods are a continuous reminder to them that, as a woman, they possess the ability to continue the human race so to speak. While any man can provide the sperm, the role of the woman is much more important in reproduction. Men are replaceable in such situations. One man can impregnante a whole town! While men have less control over their sexual urges, women can control theirs somewhat more, and in doing so can control those of their men. Through their sexual superiority, women encourage men to look toward the future.

In such ways, women from the outset are superior to men. There is an imbalance between the sexes.

In order to achieve balance, a forte must be created for the men. An area in which the men will excel, will be superior to women and therefore achieve balance between the sexes. Enter Society. Men became entrusted with providing for the women and children. They were given social superiority in order to offset the imbalance caused by the sexual superiority of women.

So what happens when women come along and insist on taking the place of men in society? When women insist on being the providers instead of the men? Men feel emasculated. Their purpose in life is gone. They have no reason to exist, if you will. (Realise I am slightly exagerrating in order to get the point across). Gilder goes on to point out that in such cases, men have nothing controlling their 'barbaric' and 'irresponsible' urges. They begin to wreak havoc on society. See the ghettos in America. Or street gangs. Are you telling me that if those men had families to support they would be sitting around on their asses pointing guns at whoever pissed them off? No, they wouldn't.

It's an interesting theory, and I would recommend that, if you're interested in the battle of the sexes, you should try and get your hands on a copy of Gilder's "Men and Marriage". I think Amazon has a few second hand copies for less than $3.

Point is, men and women are fundamentally different. Men are physically stronger, there's no use in trying to deny that. And because women are physically weaker, over the generations we have had to evolve intricate ways of controlling them not by using our brawn, but using our brains and the sexual superiority given to us by mother nature. I have no time for women who insist on being treated as an equal to men. I am not unnequal, but I am a woman. I accept and embrace my differences, and I will not accept a man treating me like one of the boys.

Know What It Means To Be Effortless

Tao Te Ching said:
"Practice not-doing, and everything will fall into place".
How true that is. How true, and yet how difficult to grasp. The human mind seems to feel that in order to get anything done, one has to expend energy. One has to exert oneself.
It's true that some things deserve alot of thought, others require much concentration, indeed many things we do must be done with skill and precision. But, the longer I spend on this earth, the stronger I feel that the best things happen when you let them happen. You perform your best when you act effortlessly, and without strain. You do things you never thought you could do when you don't try so hard.

If I try to sing something and I find it doesnt really suit my voice that well, I strain and I push my voice and to be honest it sounds terrible. But the minute I sit back and let the song come forward without push, without effort, its just comes...naturally.
Last night at salsa, I couldnt get some moves. I tried and tried, and they just wouldnt come. But when I cleared my head, stayed calm and just moved without thinking, they came to me perfectly.

When you want something in life, it usually comes to you when you dont try and push it. True you need to work for what you want in life, but if its not coming to you straight away, dont worry, keep doing what you're doing, dont stress, and trust that if its meant to be it will.

Lieh-Tze tells us:
"If you understand what it means to be effortless, then there is nothing you cannot do. You can be yin or yang, hard or soft, short or long, round or square, hot or cold; you can live or die, float or sink, strike a high pitch or low, appear or disappear, take on colourations of black or yellow, become sweet or bitter, and be fragrent or pungent. By knowing and doing nothing, you can know all and do all."

On A Mission

The sun is shining, the birds are singing, the bees are buzzing and i'm officially unemployed again!
ahhhh the sweet smell of satisfaction!
Its gooooood!
So what have I done to mark the occasion? What have I spent each morning doing since I handed in my notice? It's amazing isn't how things always seem alot better when you're not doing it. When I was but dreaming of these days they seemed filled with promise.
Filled to the brim with endless possibilities.
A healthy breakfast, perhaps a quick workout, a chapter written in the novel I'd start, shopping, a spot of baking, perhaps a little trip to pool to swim a hundred laps or so, with just enough time to squeeze in a bit of saving the world before lunch!
Brilliant! Unfortunately, things never really do work out the way you plan do they?
So far, I have tried unsuccessfully both days to drag my lazy ass out of bed. Manage to get myself into the shower, and then thats when it hits. The laziness sets in...and I slowly begin to remember why I wanted to work in the first place!

So today marks the last day of laziness and boredom! Starting tomorrow...my life and my house are getting a complete makeover. I'm going on a major shopping spree, with the money I earned thank you very much! I cut so much off my hair last week, now its time for a new look to match the new hair! Watch out Mom because I'll be turning the house upside down...havent used it in the last week? It's outta here!! I will take no prisoners! This is WAR!

God help anyone who gets in my way...I'm on a mission! Wonder how long it'll last? ;)

Where'd He Go?

I want this!!!! Click here. Next house I buy, I'm getting one of these installed!!

Never Argue With A Fool

"Never argue with a fool; They'll drag you down to their level and beat you with experience!" How true that saying is. How unfortunate that most fools think they know it all; How unfortunate that since they believe they know it all, most fools are stubborn as hell; And how unfortunate indeed that our world seems to be immensely over-populated with class-A fools!
How unfortuante indeed.

A Strawberry? Could Be Worse!

Take the What Fruit Are You? test by Ellen!

An Epiphany and A Cheese Sandwich

This morning, around 5 am, I woke up with a revelation.

A revelation beyond all revelations. An epiphany; A divination; A vision. The truth manifested itself before me, and I was born again! Well, maybe not, but it was pretty strange!

In my dream, I was handed a book. And without opening this book, I instantly gathered the essence of its message, of what it was telling. My eyes popped open, I was wide awake, and for reasons I could not grasp I just knew I had to write this message down before it escaped me.
Was it a strangely vivid dream? Was it just my brain coming up with ideas in my sleep? I don't know, but what I do know is that, at 5 am, this seemed pretty big! Before my sleep filled eyes I was being handed an oscar, a grammy, a nobel prize for all categories rolled into one, a cheese sandwich. I dont know where the cheese sandwich fitted in, maybe I was hungry.
Point is, this is MY idea. I've got a law degree, so if any idea-stealing person decides to steal this here idea which I am about to reveal to you, I shall personally hunt him (or her) down, squeeze them till their eyes pop out, then sue them and take everything they have. Simple as that.

Last night, it was revealed to me why so many tragedies and disasters are raining down upon us now. The answer, my dears, is....SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST. Yes, a theory that has been put forth many times, but not this way.... listen closely.

As a race, we have become so dependant on oil. Oil for everything. From washing our clothes, to cooking our food, to electricity, to communication, to transportation. Ok look, I'm not a scientist, but I do know that we have evolved into beings that would be unable to survive at our present state without oil. Oil is running out. Countries are blowing other countries up for their oil-look at Iraq. Oil hungry Americans stealing all their oil. Point is, in another decade or so, we will have nearly run out of all oil reserves. In another 50 years who's to know what's to become of us?? These disasters are the worlds way, our way, to ensure that less people will have to deal with this ultimate crisis that we will be facing in the not so distant future. It's the earths way of ensuring only the fittest survive. That, at the end, only those who are able to live without being dependant on oil will survive. Our only hope for survival is to come up with alternative fuels. Yes, you know that already. But these disasters are the earths way of telling us again. Its way of drilling the point into our brains. I was given the answer, now spread the word my messengers, spread the word.

Strangely enough...this sounded ALOT better at 5 am!

Don't Piss Off A Giraffe

Some things I've learned today:

A giraffe can kill almost any animal by using its neck and head as a club.

Checking your email every 5 seconds doesnt increase the chances that someone will email you.

Checking your watch every 5 minutes doesnt make time go any faster.

Popeye's four nephews are called Pipeye, Peepeye, Pupeye and Poopeye.

No piece of square, dry paper can be folded more than 7 times in half.

The only 15 letter word that can be spelt without repeating letters is "uncopyrightable".

Drinking water makes you want to pee.

First Generation American

It's amazing who you meet and what you learn wherever you are. Last night, I went Salsa Dancing with a friend. First time, but I was up there shaking my tail feather with the rest of them! :) Unbelievable fun! This guy and I got talking, and it turned out he was from Houston, Texas. A tall, handsome black guy with a booming voice and a personality to match. He was asking me where I was from, and so on, but when I asked him if both his parents were from Houston, he said no no. haha They're expats. That's it. No elaboration. Nothing. Suffice to say, I knew something wasn't quite right.

Anyhow, he introduced me to this annoyingly bad dancer called Winston, who tried to latch on to me for the night. Thats the good thing about Salsa, you can Salsa away from people! On another note, why have all the [two] Winston's I've met in my life been annoying? And more importantly, why do people make the rational decision to name their sons Winston?!!?

Winston let slip that Kenny, the Texan, was half American half Nigerian. You should have seen the look on his face. He was embarrased. I asked him which one of his parents was Nigerian? Both, he said, I'm first generation American.

First Generation American. No Generation Nigerian?? Is American the nationality you hide behind when you want to forget your own? When you're embarrased of where you've come from? When you feel that its in your best interests to ignore where your parents came from, to ignore their story, to ignore your roots?? It struck me as strange, and somewhat sad, that he would choose to gladly shout from the rooftops that he's from Houston. That he's from a country who's public policy has resulted in the destruction of countries, lives and races of people. That he's from a city that can claim to be home to the money-hungry vultures that supported and orchestrated the illegal and unnecessary war on Iraq. That he would choose to deny the rich history of his parents land, albeit a history of recent violence, bloodshed and unrest. That he would be content to accept the measly few hundred year history of America, a history that that is both short and not very impressive. That he would choose to pledge allegiance to a country that once forcibly took men from his homeland and used them as slaves. More importantly, that he would be embarrassed to tell people where his parents are from. I'm not saying that Nigeria is better than America, its a matter of opinion, and seeing as I have lived in neither country, it's an opinion I feel I am in no postition to hold.

I don't know about you though, but I'd prefer to say I was from Nigeria.

Giving MC Hammer A Run For His Money!

Just sitting here thinking how unfair it is that MC Hammer just started a blog this month (click here to see it) and is already getting hundreds of comments. I know, I realise that it's MC Hammer, and it's unbelievably cool that he's blogging! I also realise that because its MC Hammer people will read his blog, tell their friends about it and comment. But it really is so unfair that many other blogs go unnoticed. That others have to work for years, blogging every day, churning out seriously talented material, in order to get to where he's gotten in just over a week. Let's take fafblog for example. There is amazing stuff on this. Genius in fact. And yet, it took them three years to make it to the top of the blogs list on blogspot. Hammer got there in a week! It's not fair, but then again, the last word that can describe life is fair.

It's not fair that the rich seem to be forever getting things for free, when the people who need those things could onlu dream of getting them for nothing. That celebrities, who can afford whatever they want, are always the people being given freebies. That someone would consider taking an influential person for dinner, but would never dream of taking a poor person in need of food for the same dinner.

When guys complain that its not FAIR that they have to pay for everything on dates, they should remember that its not really fair that women have to put up with periods, have to go through 9 months of pregnancy, a painful labour, and not to mention the sleazy stares of most men their entire life. Life isn't fair.

But to be fair to him, Hammer does seem to have a brain. His blog really isn't bad so far. It's a look into his personality, into his thoughts...I just hope its not a publicity stunt for his album which is coming out in a couple of months.

In the meantime, pass on my blog to everyone you know! Let's see if we can give Hammer a run for his money!! And if not, well, at least we've tried.