What? The people wanted to vote?

What a turn up for all the negative reporters and naysayers all over the world, I salute the Iraqi people, they have proved themselves and the USA right and the world wrong.
V for victory!
Talking about positive things, today went off smoothly at the saltmine, no ques no tantrums, seems like calm has returned to Hecticville, I may even get some work done!
No recipe today as the kids and I went out for lunch on Sunday, Primi Piatti Bloemfontein Waterfront, thanks for brilliant service and a stunning meal, I think of all the "Italian" restaurants in Bloem they are the best for Italian fare. Oh by the way, they grow their own Basil and the Pesto is devine, beware the chilli though, take teeny helpings if you do not want a meltdown...
I think these lyrics from The Tremeloes are most fitting today.
Even the bad times are good - Tremeloes
La la la la la la la la la ....

There are times in this life of
mine
I think that the sun forgot how to shine
But as long as you're
always there
It don't bother me 'cos why should I care
When all I've
gotta do is run to you

Even the bad times are good
Soon as I get
to you baby you just gotta hold me
And even the bad times are
good
Even the bad times are good
Soon as I get to you baby you just
gotta kiss me
And even the bad times are good
La la la la la la la
la la ....

When the day seems to drag along
And all that I do is
workin' out wrong
Still I find that I never cry
As long as I know
that you're standing by
Then all I've gotta do is run to
you

Even the bad times are good ...
"Hope doesn't come from calculating whether the good news is winning out over the bad. It's simply a choice to take action." Anna Lappe.** O Magazine, June 2003

Resident Evil Apocalypse - escape from reality

I had to admit, I was sceptic when the kids said they wanted to see Resident Evil-Apocalypse... I really enjoyed the movie, a typical escapist plot, mayem, monsters, zombies, virii, guns blazing and an A Bomb finale! and the girls were the main heroes, my kinda movie! Milla Jovovich (5th Element, Dummy) is back with a vengeance and kicks some serious butt. Seriously, not for the pre-teens but then the Terminator series was not either! It did have a goodish ending (some of the good guys survive, the baddie buys the farm) with a slight twist leaving open the door for a sequel... Milla also sings and writes her own lyrics, her site has some demo's and after listenig I am quite impressed! So we go out with her song:
Breathing In Your Sleep - Milla Jovovich
timing ain't holding up
but my world is blowin up
you make me feel so fine
now you're surprised that i ain't ordinary

i feel me breathing in your sleep
can you feel it?-
grazing your lips with my fingertips
we wake up a few times
to speak of dreams that make it hard to sleep

are you dying in your dreams
i know sometimes i can feel it
turn into to stone by the light of morning
disappear without meaning
are you taking up time
that thoughts pressing thru my mind
oh baby, i'm fine
can you believe it?
can you believe it?
Strange how one discovers something new every day...
"Marx, Darwin and Freud are the three most crashing bores of the Western World. Simplistic popularization of their ideas has thrust our world into a mental straitjacket from which we can only escape by the most anarchic violence." William Golding

Unfamiliar view of the familiar

From where I live the Southern Cross is not nearly as low on the horizon, still an amazing picture of our southern stellar guide...
This picture makes me think of Karen Zoid's song Southern Skies... Cool lyrics that I as a South African can relate..
Doom da da da da doomda doo da
Doom da da da da doomda dee
Doom da da da da doomda da da da da da
Stop everything
Look up to the sky
These cries
Solstice born
Thoughts of you

Doom da da da da doomda doo da
Doom da da da da doomda dee
Doom da da da da doomda da da da da da

Stop everything
Look up to the stars
Sometimes you need them
Sunshine requiem

There’s a hole in the southern sky tonight
As I watch you smile
These things that supposedly happen for reasons
Got none at all
All your friends…
They come to see the show
As I watch you smile
Walking away with my heart and my smile (x2)

Hope that you’ll find your soul
Hope you’re there to remind me of mine
Hope that you find yourself again
There’s a hole in the southern sky tonight
As I watch you smile
Leaves falling indefinitely after the season
Something small
All your friends
They came to see the show
All those things I wish I didn’t know
Someone teach me how to let this go
Let it go
Walking away with my heart and my smile (x2)
"We are bits of stellar matter that got cold by accident, bits of a star gone wrong." Sir Arthur Eddington (1882 - 1944)

Angelicus

Today I was contemplating my intro and realised I have never mentioned Angels in any of my blogs, so here goes. As I say I truly believe each and every one of us has a Guardian Angel, I am not going to quote all the scripture that proves this as for me it is more experiential but this one sums it up best I think:
Be not forgetful to entertain strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Hebrews 13:2
I know this to be true because of what I have been through. I also know very often Divine Intervention comes in many guises, the best being a friend in a time of need. So do yourself a favour and acknowledge that you have a guide sent from Heaven, you will be blessed.
That brings me to my weekly compilation, I call it Angelic, some songs with the title and some groups with angelic names... this helps me remember that Angels are out there.
33 tracks in playlist, average track length: 4:07 - Playlist length: 2 hours 16 minutes 9 seconds
1. Ace Of Base - Angel eyes (3:14)
2. Agnelli & Nelson - Angels (3:23)
3. Amanda Perez - Angel (3:40)
4. Amanda Strydom - Engel Met 'n Angel (4:29)
5. Angelic - It's my turn (3:18)
6. Blank and Jones - City of angels (4:48)
7. DJ Point - Heart of an Angel (3:32)
8. MLTR - Angel Eyes (3:50)
9. Nia Nell - Angel tongue (2:45)
10. Nightwish - Angels fall first (5:34)
11. Nightwish - Wish I Had An Angel (4:06)
12. No Angels - Feel Good Lies (3:21)
13. Paul Oakenfold - Traci Lords - Fallen Angel (Perfecto Mix) (8:49)
14. Paul van Dyk - For an angel (mixed by System) (3:56)
15. Richard Marx - Angels lullaby (3:55)
16. Roy Orbison - Blue angel (2:53)
17. Russ Castella f/ Karen Vazquez - Angel Eyes radio rip 128 (3:48)
18. Sarah McLachlan - Angel (4:35)
19. Tavares - Heaven must be missing an angel (3:51)
20. The Angels - My boyfriend's back (2:11)
21. The Corrs - Angel (3:26)
22. Toni Childs - Walk and talk like angels (5:48)
23. Train - Calling All Angels (3:38)
24. Watershed - Angel (4:27)
25. Westlife - Angel's wings (4:05)
26. York - Angels will help you (5:32)
27. Gregorian Masters of Chant - Angels (5:40)
28. Dido - I'm no angel (3:54)
29. Counting Crows - Angels of the silences (3:48)
30. Rammstein - Engel (4:27)
31. Erasure - Angel (5:33)
32. Toni Braxton - How could an angel break my heart (4:17)
33. Robbie Williams - Angels (1:36)
My favorites on the list are Agnelli & Nelson - Angels and The Corrs - Angel, the others are also very enjoyable listening.
"Music is well said to be the speech of angels." Thomas Carlyle (1795 - 1881)

At last... the end of Hectic week...

Hectic [hektɪk] from Wordrefrence.com - adjective - feverish, hectic
marked by intense agitation or emotion; "worked at a feverish pace"
full of activity; very busy and fast:
- a hectic schedule
- The area has become a haven for people tired of the hectic pace of city life.
That sums up the last week to a T, I just hope the next is more peacefull.
Today's lyrics are from Metallica, Frantic.
If I could have my wasted days back
I'd use them to get back on track
Tried to warn
Karma's burning
Look ahead but keep on turning
Do I have the strength to know how I'll go?
Can I find it inside to do what I should have known?
Can I have my wasted days back?
I'd use them to get back on track
You live it or lie it
You live it or lie it
You live it or lie it
You live it or lie it

My lifestyle determines my deathstyle
My lifestyle determines my deathstyle
Keep searching
Keep on searching
This search goes on
This search goes on
Keep searching
Keep on searching
This search goes on
On and on

Frantic-tic-tic-tic-tic-tic-tic-tic-toc
Frantic-tic-tic-tic-tic-tic-tic-tic-toc
Frantic-tic-tic-tic-tic-tic-tic-tic-toc
Frantic-tic-tic-tic-tic-tic-tic-tic-toc

I want out of always being afraid
In this stream of fear that I've made
Treading water full of worry
Frantic-tic-tic-tic-toc of hurry
Do I have the strength to know how I'll go?
Can I find it inside to do what I should have known?
Can I have out of always being afraid?
In this stream of fear that I've made

You live it or lie it
You live it or lie it
You live it or lie it
You live it or lie it

My lifestyle determines my deathstyle
My lifestyle determines my deathstyle
Keep searching
Keep on searching
This search goes on
On and on
Keep searching
Keep on searching
This search goes on
On and on

Frantic-tic-tic-tic-tic-tic-tic-tic-toc
Frantic-tic-tic-tic-tic-tic-tic-tic-toc
Frantic-tic-tic-tic-tic-tic-tic-tic-toc
Frantic-tic-tic-tic-tic-tic-tic-tic-toc

Do I have the strength to know how I'll go?
Can I find it inside to do what I should have known?
Do I have the strength to know how I'll go?
Can I find it inside to do what I should have known?

My lifestyle determines my deathstyle(Life is pain)
Rising tide pushes to the other side(Life is pain)
My lifestyle determines my deathstyle(Life is pain)
Rising tide pushes to the other side(It's all the same)

Keep searching
Keep on searching
This search goes on
On and on
Keep searching
Keep on searching
This search goes on
On and on

Frantic-tic-tic-tic-tic-tic-tic-tic-toc
Frantic-tic-tic-tic-tic-tic-tic-tic-toc
Frantic-tic-tic-tic-tic-tic-tic-tic-toc
Frantic-tic-tic-tic-tic-tic-tic-tic-toc
"My life is very crazy and busy, but I love it that way." Hilary Duff (1987 - )

Boy with toy gun shot by Israelis

Boy with toy gun shot by Israelis And pray tell, who's fault can that be? Surely not the parents, I mean they did not know that Israeli troops get shot at on a daily basis from Palestinians? Another "What were they thinking!" moment, and of course the media loves this, reviling the soldiers as these horrible blood lusting killers... never thinking of the stress they come under every day while doing their duty as Israel requires.

The real culprit is the terrorist mentality that has been instilled in the Palestinian mind by the extremist muslim indoctrination, until they can start thinking for themselves and realise they are being played like puppets for the "glory" of muslim domination this will remain a fact of the region ad infinitum.

Wendy said...

Normally I try and do the playlist/compilation on a wednesday but due to surprises I had I decided to do it today instead.
I have compiled a few playlists during my vacation, this one is relevant to my present state of mind and happenings... A set of songs that flowed together rather well with a touch of irony in the lyrics, a cool listen...
I Titled it;
Wendy Said
19 tracks in playlist, average track length: 4:09
Playlist length: 1 hour 18 minutes 56 seconds

1. Kim Wilde - Wendy said (3:48)
2. Paul van Dyk - For an angel (mixed by System) (3:56)
3. Vertical Horizon - We are (4:02)
4. The Magnetic Fields - All my little words (2:48)
5. Third eye blind - Semi-charmed life (4:26)
6. Alpha Set - I Would Do Anything (5:10)
7. Sandra - Heaven Can Wait (3:59)
8. Ricky Martin - She's All I Ever Had (4:56)
9. HIM - Funeral Of Hearts (4:30)
10. Moby - Natural blues (4:13)
11. Duran Duran - Save a prayer (5:28)
12. Natasha Bedingfield - Unwritten (4:19)
13. Annastacia - Welcome to my Truth (4:04)
14. Nick Cave & Kylie Minouge - Where the wild roses grow (3:56)
15. Erasure - Love to hate you (3:56)
16. Vanessa Carlton - White Houses (3:42)
17. Sherbet - Howzat. (3:44)
18. Evanescence - Everybody's fool (3:16)
19. Lara Fabian - The Dream Within (4:43)
I decided to take the lyrics of the day from Natasha Bedingfield's song from the compilation;
Unwritten

I am unwritten, can't read my mind, I'm undefined
I'm just beginning, the pen's in my hand, ending unplanned

Staring at the blank page before you
Open up the dirty window
Let the sun illuminate the words that you could not find

Reaching for something in the distance
So close you can almost taste it
Release your innovations
Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins
The rest is still unwritten

Oh, oh, oh

I break tradition, sometimes my tries, are outside the lines
We've been conditioned to not make mistakes,
but I can't live that way

Staring at the blank page before you
Open up the dirty window
Let the sun illuminate the words that you could not find

Reaching for something in the distance
So close you can almost taste it
Release your inner visions
Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins

Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins
The rest is still unwritten

Staring at the blank page before you
Open up the dirty window
Let the sun illuminate the words that you could not find

Reaching for something in the distance
So close you can almost taste it
Release your inner visions
Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins

Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins

The rest is still unwritten
The rest is still unwritten
The rest is still unwritten
Oh, yeah, yeah
Quite inspiring lyrics wich I try to live by as well...
"Make the best use of what is in your power, and take the rest as it happens." Epictetus (55 AD - 135 AD)

Flashback

Got a call from a LLL today (work that one out yourself), it must be 35 years I last heard the voice but it seems like yesterday. This makes me realise that things sometimes seem to go round in circles. Things at work have gotten less hectic and we seem to be winning the war on the western front... As soon as things stabilise there will be more, so watch this space.
Found this gem and it made me realise the fact that one can only tackle one moment at a time...
"Most of us think ourselves as standing wearily and helplessly at the center of a circle bristling with tasks, burdens, problems, annoyance, and responsibilities which are rushing in upon us. At every moment we have a dozen different things to do, a dozen problems to solve, a dozen strains to endure. We see ourselves as overdriven, overburdened, overtired. This is a common mental picture and it is totally false. No one of us, however crowded his life, has such an existence. What is the true picture of your life? Imagine that there is an hour glass on your desk. Connecting the bowl at the top with the bowl at the bottom is a tube so thin that only one grain of sand can pass through it at a time. That is the true picture of your life, even on a super busy day, The crowded hours come to you always one moment at a time. That is the only way they can come. The day may bring many tasks, many problems, strains, but invariably they come in single file. You want to gain emotional poise? Remember the hourglass, the grains of sand dropping one by one." James Gordon Gilkey

US blamed for tsunamis - Give me a Break!!

US blamed for tsunamis and they wonder why we shake our heads and mutter "nutters"? These sick individuals need serious counseling or a quick way off the planet... whatever is the most expedient. My vote goes to the latter option...
Maybe they should read up about what the topography around Diego Garcia is, another group of islands also came of lightly compared to other places was the Maldives due to the same reason, by the way the Maldives are on average only 1 metre above sealevel whereas Diego is up to 15 metres... Also what must be borne in mind is that contrary to the general perception the waves from the Tsunami were not concentric in nature at all but more like two crecents diagonal to the epicentre, as shown on modeling on the web. This is due to the fact that the area of slippage of the earth's crust was estimated to be 1000 kilometres long. These crecents had their main force focused if you will on Sumatra to the east and Siri Lanka to the west, places like Madagascar were only affected by a slightly abnormal tide pattern...
Some links:
http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/io.html

What is blogging?

BBC - Webwise - Ask Bruce - What is blogging? This article has quite an interesting writeup about us Bloggers...
Jawellnofine, seems like I am also one of those Bloggnuts... Although I must say the addiction has waned a tad, I still find it quite pleasant to write even just to put some order in the junkyard residing in my head.
Second day back at work and I need a Vacation! I really think Oom J had a lot of wisdom in the way he used to ease back into the workstream (is there such a word?). He used to start on a Thursday with a half day leave, Friday would be another day off as well as Monday. So here he had his first long weekend see, Tuesday would be another half day and then 2 full days followed by another Friday off again! Drove the boss around the twist but it worked for Oom J..
I picked up some bargain CD's recently, two had some great Soul / R&B oldies like Take Time to Know Her by Percy Slege... some great music from that era... just a pity some Hip Hop Rappers did not take a leaf from that book.
Today I go out Nice and Slow with Jesse Green...
Wo-o-o, wo-o-o, wo-o-o, wo-o-o ....

I feel so good like a lover should
You set my soul on fire
You get me gone, go on and on
And see the flames grow higher

Wo-o-o, wo-o-o, wo-o-o, wo-o-o ....

We got it made, don't let it fade, keep movin' on
Let's keep it high, don't let it die, keep a groovin' on.
We got it made, don't let it fade, keep movin' on on and on

Wo-o-o, wo-o-o, nice and slow
Nice and slow, wo-o-o, wo-o-o ....
"A loving person lives in a loving world. A hostile person lives in a hostile world. Everyone you meet is your mirror." Ken Keyes Jr., Handbook of Higher Consciousness

Aceh, land of desolation and hope.

Today I was in tears, a woman from Aceh province lost all in the Tsunami, I did not need to understand her language to understand her sorrow... At the same time I saw USN SH-60 Seahawk helicopters from the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) delivering aid and this within a week of the disaster, unprecedented even though some say it was late. I personally think it is amazing that aid has reached this disaster area so soon. As one that has served in the armed forces I know how long some things take to get organised and to me it is a miracle that one of the world's superpowers has responded so rapidly while waging a war on two fronts against Terror. I salute every person doing there bit however small for this tragedy.
Photo from above link... Go, Golden Falcons!
Lyrics for today are from Pink Floyd, High Hopes as performed by Gregorian Masters of Chant. Their new CD The Darkside is brilliant by the way.
High Hopes
Beyond the horizon of the place we lived when we were young
In a world of magnets and miracles
Our thoughts strayed constantly and without boundary
The ringing of the division bell had begun

Along the long road and on down the causeway
Do they still meet there by the cut

There was a ragged band that followed in our footsteps
Running, before time took our dreams away
Leaving the myriad small creatures trying to tie us to the ground
To a life consumed by slow decay

The grass was greener
The light was brighter
With friends surrounded
The night of wonder

Looking beyond the embers of bridges glowing behind us
To a glimpse of how green it was on the other side
Steps taken forwards -- but sleepwalking back again
Dragged by the force of some inner tide

At a higher altitude with flag unfuried
We reached the dizzy heights of that dreamed of world

[Instrumental Interlude]

Eneumbered forever by desire and ambition
There’s a hunger still unsatisfied
Our weary eyes still stray to the horizon
Though down this road we’ve been so many times

The grass was greener
The light was brighter
The taste was sweeter
The nights of wonder
With friends surrounded
The dawn mist glowing
The water flowing
The endless river
Forever and ever
Quite a few words to consider in the light of current circumstances...
"Tomorrow is the most important thing in life. Comes into us at midnight very clean. It's perfect when it arrives and it puts itself in our hands. It hopes we've learned something from yesterday." John Wayne (1907 - 1979)

New Year Resolutions, made to break.

New Year Resolutions are stupid ideas... I broke all mine the moment we all got sprayed while popping the champers... whooooo party time! It was all fun though and all I have is a stiff body from all the dancing... plunging into the pool to cool off and then back to more dancing and of course I need a bed seriously soon now... Saw the sun rise as well...
Oh the resolutions?
1. Be more grown up... (The water was sooooo warm!)
2. Get to bed early... (is going to bed at 6 am early?)
3. Get more exercise... Ok this one is still standing!
1 out of 3 ain't bad? (Me sitting here with this evil grin)
The music was great and this is one we played a few times...
We Like To Party - Vengaboys
We like to party
We like, we like to party
We like to party
We like, we like to party
We like to party
We like, we like to party
We like to party

I've got something to tell ya
I've got news for you
Gonna put some wheels in motion
Get ready 'cause we're coming through
Hey now, hey now, hear what I say now
Happiness is just around the corner
Hey now, hey now, hear what I say now
We'll be there for you

The Vengabus is coming
And everybody's jumping
New York to San Fransisco
An intercity disco
The wheels of steel are turning
And traffic lights are burning
So if you like to party
Get on and move your body
We like to party
We like, we like to party
We like to party
We like, we like to party
(Repeat x3)
And did we repeat it... I think the neighbours thought it was a teenage party... Ah well... Tis but Newyear only once a year... thank goodness!
"Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we're here we should dance." Unknown