‘Flowercide’ June 13, 2008

[not a real word!] From flower+’cide’: denoting an act of killing.

I first heard of “random acts of kindness” from my friend Jon who loves spending his life anonymously giving out significant stuff, preferably to strangers. He picks a day and then figures out what the lovely act could be. It might be signing up to collaborate  with a charity, buying somebody a sandwich, playing along with a tube musician…who knows. Whatever it is, it is always something that “builds”: it builds relationship, it builds the other person up, it’s good for the environment; it’s always anonymous and inspiring.

Surfing on YouTube I came across LiquidBio’s version of Random Acts Of Kindness. It consists of giving out roses to random people in the street, filming it and then putting it on YouTube. It made me laugh! It does work, people smile, they appreciate it but there are a couple issues at hand: it’s sexist, as these roses are only awarded to women, and not environmentally friendly. Imagine, if they gave out one rose per day…that’s 365 roses a year! (yes and 365 smiling women as well but - think! it’s still 365 murdered flowers!!!)

LiquidBio guys: your intentions are good, you’re kinda cute but the whole point of random acts of kindness is doing something useful…

This flower giving custom is rather peculiar. Why use a dead being to say “You’re beautiful” or “I love you so much that I would waste £60 in 6 dead-but-alive-looking-roses”? Don’t get me wrong, I do like receiving flowers; but from the right person! If some random stranger came up to me and handed me a flower along with have-a-nice-day wishes I’d think he’d wasted that flower’s life. I would thank them but at the same time I’d feel sorry for that flower’s pointless death.

Some of my friends think I’m taking this too far: they’re just flowers, they don’t feel a thing when you cut them off and don’t suffer while dying… True. But still, aren’t we meant to use our resources responsibly? Shouldn’t we avoid waste in general? Isn’t that the best way to co-exist with the planet?

§2 April 27, 2008

In every work of genius we recognize our own rejected thoughts; they come back to us with a certain alienated majesty.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Persistence April 18, 2008

N. Firm or obstinate continuance in a course of action in spite of difficulty or opposition.

The neon lights in bars
And headlights from the cars
Have started a symphony
Surrounding me
The things I left behind
Have melted in my mind
And now there’s a purity
Inside of me

I’ve been sitting watching life pass from the sidelines
Been waiting for a dream to seep in through my blinds
I wondered what might happen if I left this all behind
Would the wind be at my back ? Could I get you off my mind?
This time

(Listen to the rest of the song)

Elapse April 16, 2008

Verb. (of time) to slip or pass by.

The human brain is not designed for happiness, says spanish physiologist Francisco Mora from Universidad Complutense de Madrid. Is that why it’s so hard to have long periods of happiness in our lives?

Apparently our emotional brain is to blame! The “thing” feeds off feelings such as pain and pleasure which, in theory, make it hard for us to be happy. Mr Mora concludes that our brain is really designed for fighting for survival.

The report also says that there would be only two ways to reaching happiness:

1. By finding a balance between pain and pleasure (”since both extremes produce unhappiness”)

OR

2. By isolating oneself from everything else…. to the point of not interacting with the World (so your brain has nothing to process)

Wow, I reckon I’ll go for option one.

Sadly, this proves that the guy in Cast Away could have found happiness right there where he was, alone in the middle of nowhere. How tragic! This is exactly how some of us live: letting chances slip us by.

Carpe Diem everybody!

Via Yahoo! España

Mastery April 12, 2008

N. Great skillfulness and knowledge of some subject or activity;

Right. Next time you people start telling me that I am an American-wanna-be I will email you a certain set of YouTube links!

Today, during my daily WordPress browsing, I came across a beautiful blog on which I read about the finale of the American version of Project Catwalk, Project Runway. I immediately surfed to YouTube and watched the whole episode: it was unbelievable!!!

It’s so american, I loved it! The contestants loved each other, the judges were nice and shared positive, up-building comments rather than plain blunt criticism and even the models showed they had feelings!!! How radically different to the emotionless and bitchy british equivalent, Project Catwalk!

I’m not trying to say that these programmes reflect the countries they’re from and that, therefore, everyone in England is blunt and bitchy, and all Americans are nice and friendly. No. I’m just pointing out the style in which something is made or portrayed. At the end of Project Runway I wanted to jump up and down and celebrate the fact that Christian had won! I know it sounds extreme but that’s the effect that American television has on me! I don’t know how they do it but they really get the audience involved with what they’re watching and that’s something I truly respect and really admire.

So, until the day I find and English TV programme able to enthuse me as much, I shall not be criticised for singing the Star Spangled Banner every now and then

Dubitative April 10, 2008

Adj. Expressing doubt.

I wonder what the song is about. Any ideas?

§1 April 9, 2008

- “The serial, about a group of beach lifeguards, gained notoriety for its attractive male and female cast members coupled with glamorous locations and slow-motion running sequences”

The BBC talking reporting on a Venezuelan channel’s decision of replacing The Simpsons with Baywatch Hawai.

Hats off for the best description ever written!