Unspoken
Things we should say out loud
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Beware the irrational, however seductive. Shun the ‘transcendent’ and all who invite you to subordinate or annihilate yourself. Distrust compassion; prefer dignity for yourself and others. Don’t be afraid to be thought arrogant or selfish. Picture all experts as if they were mammals. Never be a spectator of unfairness or stupidity. Seek out argument and disputation for their own sake; the grave will supply plenty of time for silence. Suspect your own motives, and all excuses. Do not live for others any more than you would expect others to live for you.Christopher Hitchens 1949 - 2011
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South African cyclist gets taken out by an antelope. No, really. Think we can hire this buck for rugby matches? Intimidating buck vs. the Haka.
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Rather than live in rose-tinted bubbles of positive illusion, we would do better to face reality. Whereas the Chinese do not score highly on American optimism scales, they are positive about the future, but only realistically so… …they are almost fanatically determined to wrest control of their fate from destiny, and to take responsibility for it. Put the two together and you have positive volition. To the extent that you have an (American) unrealistic, inaccurate notion of your capacities, or the likelihood of misfortune befalling you, you cannot change your experience or behaviour for the better to function more effectively and evade disasters; on a wider scale, nor can you alter the world you are in so that it is less harmful to you. Spin, at least on a personal level, is not going to be good for your emotional well-being, and calling realism depressive is a grotesque distortion of the truth.
Affluenza, Oliver James. Softcover editon 2007, Random House.
Pg 91: 5-17
Read Oliver James’ ‘Affluenza’ a couple years back and it really changed my perspective on life. Re-reading it at the moment in the hopes for a refreshed outlook. It claims to give readers the ‘vaccines’ to the ‘virus’ of living in third-world, Western society but I also count it as the anti-dote, one I think we desperately need to combat the current ‘positive thinking’ movement, which I find disturbingly unbalanced in practice. I’m all for having an optimistic outlook but I think the current ‘sun shines outta my ass’ philosophy that so many people seem to be practicing is dangerous. Oliver James just explains why, better. -
I like Black Sparrows by Billy Talent, so of course I’m gonna love Little White Doves. Of course.
This has grown on me.
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Wakakaka! BEST ad in the dial-direct ‘yada yada’ campaign so far.
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Audio post reblogged from cereal comma
Apparat: Song of Los (Mogwai Remix)
A collaborative effort with all the expected flying colours: Sascha Ring has recruited Mogwai to make an adaptation of ‘Song of Los’, the latest single on forthcoming - and really rather special - album, ‘The Devil’s Walk’. Above the pre-assembled wave of grand synths are sharp, industrial sounds that only go to heighten the beauty of Ring’s vocals. “Losing our voices” is the mantra - but both Apparat and Mogwai have so far proven in 2011 that they’re only capable of finding new voices. [JM]
’The Devil’s Walk’ comes out with Mute on September 26Almost as good as the original - and I <3 Apparat, so that’s saying something.
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Proof that you can do plenty design-wise in a small space. I’d be quite comfortable living here, I think.
Click the pic to see more photos of this home.
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If this doesn’t make you laugh, you must be having a really terrible day. That, or you’re the poor sod in the email.
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There I am, cheeks stuffed with boerewors roll, eyes glued to the TV screen for the first game of the RWC 2011, and some kind soul manages to rip the sleeve off All Blacks’ Sonny Bill Williams’ shirt. The sleeve on the tattoo side, nogal. Chewing stops momentarily, then altogether forgotten during the actual shirt change, center field. Mmmm.
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Photo reblogged from ~ ~ Sleepy Eyes
“If you have food in your fridge, clothes on your back , a roof over your head and a place to sleep you are richer than 75 % of the world. If you have money in the bank, your wallet and some spare change you are among the top 8% of the world’s wealthy. If you woke up this morning with more health than illness you are more blessed than the million people who will not survive this week. If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the agony of imprisonment or torture or the horrible pangs of starvation you are luckier than 500 million people alive and suffering. If you can read this message you are more fortunate than 3 billion people in the world who cannot read it at all.”
This is a message I think we forget. _
blue-chalk: sophiaxtai: omgusosilly: mightymitty: windsdays: (via furk)
