My mother and I were sitting around watching telly the other night and came across a commercial for a Vancouver radio station and saying how humourous that we thought is was. It showed a group of people who looked as if they were doing their own version of the video for Kylie's "Can't get you out of my head". As the camera pulls out, you see the group, all dressed in white, lip-synching and dancing. Suddenly, the camera pans to a desk at a hospital where a pensioner in a wheel chair says in an annoying tone "It's time for my sponge bath" which results in the dancers straightening out their outfits to reveal that they all work in a hospital and they rush off to do their duties.

Today, I read a story online that says that they have been forced to pull it because nurses complained that it portrayed nurses in an unprofessional manner. I could not believe it!

I am not insensitive to the plight of nurses in today's world. I know that they get paid far less than they deserve and they go well beyond the call of duty. However, I do not think that this compromised their integrity. It was an advertisement!

Can someone tell me when the world turned into a place where the average person did not know the difference between reality and fantasy?

"Finally, it ends up on your plate. You look down on it. It still looks like a carrot. But it's not. Now it's a carrot cadaver." (Dr. Dharma Singh Khalsa, from Brain Longevity, commenting on the processing of foods and the journey of carrots from harvesting to your plate)

As you know, I am reading the above mentioned book and it is fascinating. It's the best read I have had since "Fast Food Nation". I have learned so much from it already and I am only half finished. If you are interested, you should definitely look it up.

Do you know that scene in the film Brazil where the main character and one other are in the department store listening to the muzak of some latin-type big band song and suddenly there is a huge explosion? Well, that same song is being streamed into my computer now and I am wondering when the other shoe will drop and my computer will explode. It's funny how things bring things to mind...

Funny as well, because I am reading a book on how to improve the state of one's brain and memory entitled "Brain Longevity" by Dharma Singh Khalsa who is also a practitioner of kundalini yoga. You really should give it a read if you have a chance.

In the meantime, the song is over and nothing has exploded... yet.

Relax. The weekend is nearly upon us...

"In life, you'll meet a lot of jerks. If they hurt you, tell yourself that it's because they're stupid. That will help you from reacting to their cruelty. Because there is nothing worse that bitterness and revenge... always keep your dignity and be true to yourself".

The above was a statement made by the grandmother of Marjane Satrapi in her graphic novel Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood.

I just finished reading this book which is about the childhood life of the author and deals with her life as a child in Iran during the time of the Shah and shortly after. The graphic novel form is easy to read and deals with some pretty insightful perspective. If you get a chance, you should check it out.

Is there anyone else out there who thinks that it is simply ludicrous that there are members of the media standing outside making news reports while Hurricane Ivan bashes the shores of the US when millions of people are fleeing? Are we that desperate for news? Or is it a ploy to rid the world of a few media types?

Okay, so I finally did it! I created a weblog for only good news! Simply click here and if you like, set a bookmark.

I would also appreciate any good news that you would like to share. Did someone do something nice for you? Did you find an uplifting news tidbit? Just forward it to the email address, along with any links to the story and I will do my best to post it. Feel free to include your name with your submission!

Ciao, and have a wonderful day!

I've heard of burnt offerings before but this story gives it a whole new meaning. It appears that the people of the Paharia tribe residing in Thipakhol (India) love to have guests in their homes. However, homeowners will burn down their kitchen if houseguests enters into them. The link provides an interesting look into these peoples lives.

Now, I can burn toast and boiling water but that is a statement of my cooking skills and not tradition...

Have an awesome day!

I was reading in the college newspaper called Nexus today that the number of people in Victoria that consider themselves non-religious is on the rise. Figures quoted from Statistics Canada census results for 2001, the number of non-religious individuals under 45 years old was 45 percent and those under 25 numbered 47.5 percent. The article then went on to say that with current trends continuing, in only a few decades the non-religious would outnumber those who considered themselves religious.

I find this interesting. Myself, I fall under the non-religious category but I suppose that I follow the ways of paganism. I think that paganism is conducive to my area of the world because we are surrounded by natural areas that some feel are unequalled anywhere. Nature is a force not to be reckoned with as far as I am concerned.

But, I digress. I went to a Christian Sunday school when I was young and have had enough experience to know that I do not fit in to that belief system. I found it suffocatingly staunch and pretty non-accepting of other people's beliefs. And I believe that this kind of "faith" sets a dangerous precedent in that it makes it alright for people to find fault in others.

When that happens, people get hurt or killed.

Far too often in the news do we hear of people getting killed because of their beliefs. There is too much emphasis on right and wrong and not enough understanding of people. I know that I cannot blame this entirely on religion but I really do think it plays far too heavy a role in society. I say let people believe what they want if it gives them hope but do not let it hurt anyone.

History is full of examples of this. We cannot call this a Muslim or Sikh or any other faith issue only. Even the Christians killed a fair number of people in their day. I am sorry but this is just not acceptable.

I read an interesting book once entitled
In Search of the Birth of Jesus, The Real Journey of the Magi written by a man who journeyed to Iran and, by using some pretty interesting documents, traces the Magi, those who brought gifts to the baby Jesus, to their Zoroastrian roots. He even discusses that Jesus himself was of that faith.

The most interesting thing that I read was that the son of god never really wanted his beliefs to become an organized religion. Theory, perhaps, but interesting just the same. If you are interested, you might want to check out the book. It was written by Dr. Paul William Roberts and it's not all dry history. His adventure proves pretty amusing at times as well.

My point really is this. We all have beliefs and we should respect that others may have other points of view. We should not consider anyone evil unless they personally have done something evil. Stereotypes are an evil thing.

Live and let live, I say

Here is yet another entry in the "Why should I care about celebrities?" category...

"Poor Naomi Campbell wants to talk about her drug problem. Come on Naomi, it's not like you are a starving person in a third world country trying to figure out when you will have your next meal. Just because you are so skinny that you look like you are starving doesn't mean that you will be getting my sympathy. You have too much money for your own good and not enough of a real life to worry about.

Let's have news about "real" people. And not just the bad stuff... can't the media have some uplifting stories?

I am going to start up my own 24-hour happy stories media company. Anyone care to join me?

What was the reason that Ahnold has made sleeping with corpses illegal? Is it because, he himself has become a "dead fish" in bed due to overuse of steroids and that he was tired of the rumors?

Surely he could come up with some more relevant legislation that applies to those who are mostly living. Some in poverty. Some without adequate health care. Some who wish to effectively preserve the environment.

What is it with these politicians that have come out of celebrity? Try doing something more relevant to the people there Mr. S...

Okay. So maybe I went a little overboard yesterday. I continue to feel that honesty is the best policy and I don't think I will ever change...

Today was a great day. Right now, I am on holiday in a small town. I have been helping my friend out with her small business as all of her student staff has returned to school. It was a busy day but I love that I was busy and there wasn't much time to think about silly things. The weather went from rain to brilliant sun back to rain again but it really was a beautiful day...

The downside to today was eating these Yves veggie hotdogs . They were like eating a weiner made from flour. Nothing could have made it any better... What I would like to know is what do they mean on the label in the bottom right-hand corner when it says "Just got better". After tasting them tonight, I wonder how much worse they could have been?

However, life is good. I am on holiday and have been having a busy yet restful time. I haven't felt as if I have been chained to a desk all day. I wonder whether I should just change careers and move to this small town. I suppose that it deserves some thought.

Had best finish up. Hope that you are all having a great day!

Ciao!

A friend of mine and I have been hanging out a lot together later and it could be said that we, in our own way, are kind of man-haters. Essentially, I don't hate men but their way of being perplexes me and their attitudes, often, rub me the wrong way. I believe this is what makes me so picky about the men that I hang out with. And if I discover that "macho male" mentality, I quickly discard them.

I find that, far too often, men initially appear to be nice and pretty much caring and then, after one gets to know them, that they become all about the sex thing. While this isn't always true yet it seems that I encounter these men all too often. Sometimes, I just feel like giving up on them altogether.

Some people say that I am lucky that men trust me enough to tell me anything about themselves and that it must be nice that they feel comfortable enough to talk to me honestly. Well, I guess it is but it, more often than not, becomes a way for them to spill their guts about their girlfriends or about girls that they like. The truth is that I don't mind talking with them but they really should be talking to their girlfriends or telling those girls that they like them instead of using me as a sounding board. I mean, it's great for them to tell me all about that stuff but it makes me feel like I just don't rate. Like I am not good enough for them or I am not pretty enough or sexy enough for them to think about me in any other way than a confidante or a big sister. And I am going to start telling them so...

Also, why is it that all men think that some single woman should be interested in them on the pretext that they are alone? Why is that men just assume that women want to be with them? What's with all of the delusions?

Face it, you guys out there, the only thing that we REALLY need men for is to procreate and to tell the truth, we don't really need the men, we need the sperm only. Now, if we CHOOSE to share our lives a man, that is different. Any man that has found that special woman should consider himself lucky to have her in his life.

I just want to let you know that I am not really a man-hater. I just like those men that are honest about themselves right from the start. There is enough dishonesty in this world that we could all start with ourselves and set off a worldwide epidemic of honesty. I also wouldn't mind hearing from some of you on this issue.

For those of you out there reading, have a wonderful day.

Take care and I will write again soon. I promise.

I suppose that it is time for some tough love. My man (or one that I am destined to be with) Jay Kay, has been banned for driving too fast. I was really wondering when that would happen.

Jay, take my advice, slow down.

I met a Japanese version of Paris Hilton today. Well, perhaps this wasn't that bad. This girl had a great sense of style, was really cute but kinda sexy and had a little dog. Only hers was cuter... it was a miniature pinscher and it had a pink rhinestone collar on. In fact, I saw her this morning and then just about an hour ago in a completely different part of town. It's funny how some things lodge in one's head, only to be remembered at a different time and place...

I am on holiday and am amused with what I have been observing now that the pressures of everyday life are gone.

Has anyone out there seen the advertisement on the telly for the Staples stationery chain that has Alice Cooper appearing in it? The concept is that there is a little girl in a stationery store and she looks totally unamused as having to be shopping for school supplies. She mutters something like "I thought that is was supposed to be school's out forever" to her parent, all the while Alice's tune "School's Out" is playing. The next scene is that her parent, played by Mr. Cooper, saying "No, it says school's out for summer". Pretty lame, I thought. Pretty sad as well with the original inspiration for Marilyn Manson plugging a stationery chain... What's next? In twenty years, will Marilyn be spokesperson for Walmart?

My friend asked me today why I have such strange and funny observations. We were wandering through IKEA and I saw this piece of office furniture that resembled those boxes that illusionists use when performing the "cut the woman in half" trick. She was laughing and that's when she asked me why it I see things in this way. I don't know really. They just pop into my head.

It's late and I suppose that I should get some sleep. Went out clubbing last night and really should go to bed before I fall asleep over the computer. I promise to write some more soon.