Bright Copper Kettles

I like Steve Pavlina's general approach to time managent. My version is very loosely based on it. Actually, I may have gone off on a tangent. Nevermind.

Anyway, not only is a guide to time management, but it is a guide to life!

1. Decide what really matters and what you really want.
   
2. Do those things first.
3. Everything else will sort itself out. Or not. But it doesn't matter because it doesn't matter!

Note: what really matters might change. Check in with yourself regularly to make sure that you aren't doing what really mattered 5 years ago.

Continue reading...

Thanks AL.

Click here to see this blog in Arabic. Cool huh? Who knows how accurate it is. But it looks beautiful!!!

You can do other translations here.

Continue reading...

So I was blissfully ignorant of the "Boobs on Bikes" parade and surrounding kerfufflism. Until I had to get across Queen St to Aotea Square at lunch time today. There were people EVERYWHERE! They were in my way!!! There was the Supersize My Pay march and rally in Aotea Square (clever idea that) then the "Boobs on Bikes" parade down Queen St.

Fascinating.

I have been completely peopled out for the past few days so I wasn't exactly in a crowd mood, and there I was stuck in a huge crowd. Luckily I had my camera and phone to amuse myself with.

The crowd was interesting. Far more so than the BOBs. For me anyway. Most everyone else seemed fascinated by the BOBs. I have no idea why. The BOBs were boring. Maybe the preceeding kerfuffle made the whole thing seem naughty and prohibited and therefore more exciting? I really do not know.

Anyway. I was a little disturbed. Not by the BOBs. Not by the lack of morality. I don't think it was immoral. The thing that disturbed me was the way in which the crowd seemed to perceive the BOBs - as something more than just BOBs.

And is it just me or do people seem to be getting more and more brainwashed and sheeplike?

Continue reading...

I made Mars (Moro) Bar vodka. It was good. It was strong. I needed to be able to stand. I needed a mixer.

I had a(nother) brilliant idea. Do not use ice. Do not use milk. Do not use Baileys (and defeat the purpose of lessening the alcohol content). Use vanilla ice cream. Movenpick. Delicious!

When I am not trying to decrease the alcohol content I will mix the Mars Bar vodka with my vanilla infused vodka. Lucky next birthday friend. They will get to drink yummy suze chocolate martinis.

Continue reading...

Here is an interesting article that points out the Gnostic elements in The Matrix (thanks Lucyna).

I didn't realise just how clever the script writers were.

Continue reading...

Lucyna is asking whether I have a sense of duty. I have to go look it up because I don't really know...

OK. After a quick search... I STILL don't know!! Here is the basic definition of "a sense of duty":
"a motivating awareness of ethical responsibility"

If I don't know whether I have a sense of duty how am I going to know whether I have a motivating awareness of ethical responsibility (whatever that means)? Silly words.

I will have to do more research. I *think* I have a sense of duty, but I am not absolutely sure. I also suspect that a sense of duty is related to morals/ethics and I know for certain that my morals are not the same as most other people's. Although I DO have them!

Continue reading...

I am observing from the sidelines. People are strange. They are seemingly inconsistent, but I guess their seeming inconsistencies just reveal aspects of their beliefs. I am quite sure I am just as inconsistent, even if I don't see it myself.

I am bemused, apparently people care about things like:
the survival of the human race
climate change (haha)
winning the "war"

And I don't care about any of those things. And I am not apathetic either, I am perhaps more idealistic than apathetic if that makes sense (and I fully expect it not to make sense). I don't "not care" in that way.

And I don't get why other people do care, but when I ask people "but why?" they think I am asking stupid questions. "Why?" is not a stupid question. I really truly do not get it. And I want to. And how am I supposed to get it if I don't ask why?

Continue reading...

Artist, Peter Callesen creates the most amazingly beautiful sculptures just by cutting out A4 paper. Seriously stunning.

A 42 string guitar with 4 necks.

I have only just discovered Bartleby. It publishes the classics of literature, nonfiction, and reference for free.

If I had an iPod (grr) and I lived in London (grrr) I would be using my iPod to find myself: iSubway Maps and iPod Directions.

And finally, the likebetter game. A cool interweb distraction thing: psychology + photos + quiz/test + interweb + time waster + it's all about me!!! The first results have not been entirely accurate, I mean a logical, conservative, religious guy in his 20s with a clean desk and no empathy?!!! Um. If that is what I am like, no wonder no one likes me!

Although I suppose I was lazy and with a lot of the pictures I didn't have a preference (or couldnt decide or wished there was another option)and just clicked the right hand one (because I like clicking on the right hand side better) and a lot of these statements I'd be hard pushed to answer about myself, and I know myself quite well!

You're the kind of person who thinks first and acts later.
You communicate best one-on-one.
I bet you find it hard to empathize with other people.
When it comes to politics, you're conservative.
You study/work better with music playing in the background.
You are right-handed.
You're a night person
You feel energized by meeting lots of new people.
You're a religious person
You probably like to take things as they come.
You're a guy
Your desk is pretty clean right now.
You often employ logic in your decision-making.
Seems like you don't mind indulging in some junk food now and then.
You are more comfortable with clear and concrete information.
You're in your twenties.

Continue reading...

The Gospel of Thomas is interesting indeed. I stumbled across it (again) in my travels. I have come across it before, it seems to be something I come across every so often and it is by far the most interesting and relevant aspect of Christianity to me. Although I'm not sure it IS Christianity. I don't care about details like that.

Anyway, this time The Gospel of Thomas is different (yeah I'm different). This time there are flashes in my mind as I read. And some intriguing puzzles that tease the edges of my awareness. But puzzles are good, not as good as flashes, but good nonetheless.

Here are a few that captured my attention:


"Whoever penetrates the meaning of these words will not taste death"

"Those who seek should not stop seeking until they find. When they find, they will be disturbed. When they are disturbed, they will marvel, and will reign over all."
"Recognize what is before you, and what is hidden from you will be revealed to you; for there is nothing hidden that will not be made manifest."

"Do not lie. And do not do what you hate. For everything is disclosed in view of . For there is nothing hidden that will not become revealed. And there is nothing covered that will remain undisclosed."

"Perhaps people think that I have come to cast peace upon the world. They do not know that I have come to cast conflicts upon the earth: fire, sword, war. For there will be five in a house: there'll be three against two and two against three, father against son and son against father, and they will stand alone."

The disciples say to Jesus: "Tell us what our end will be." Jesus says: "Have you then deciphered the beginning, that you ask about the end? For where the beginning is, there shall be the end. Blessed is the man who reaches the beginning; he will know the end, and will not taste death!"

Jesus saw some little ones nursing. He said to his disciples, "These little ones who are nursing resemble is those who enter the kingdom." They said to him, "So shall we enter the kingdom by being little ones?" Jesus said to them, "When you (plur.) make the two one and make the inside like the outside and the outside like the inside and the above like the below, and that you might make the male and the female be one and the same, so that the male might not be male nor the female be female, when you make eyes in place of an eye and a hand in place of a hand and a foot in place of a foot, an image in place of an image - then you will enter [the kingdom]."

His disciples said to him, "When will the kingdom come?" "It will not come by watching for it. It will not be said, 'Look, here!' or 'Look, there!' Rather, the Father's kingdom is spread out upon the earth, and people don't see it."

“If those who lead you say to you, ‘See, the kingdom is in the sky,’ then the birds of the sky will precede you. If they say to you, ‘It is in the sea,’ then the fish will precede you. Rather, the kingdom is inside of you, and it is outside of you. When you come to know yourselves, then you will become known, and you will realize that it is you who are the sons of the living father. But if you will not know yourselves, you dwell in poverty and it is you who are that poverty.”
"He who seeks will find, and he who knocks will be let in."

"Why do you wash the outside of the cup, and do not think that he who made the inside made the outside also?"

"He who is near to me is near the fire, and he who is far from me is far from the kingdom."

"I am the light that is above them all. I am the all; the all came forth from me, and the all attained to me. Cleave a (piece of) wood; I am there. Raise up a stone, and you will find me there."

"There are many standing at the door, but it is the solitary who will enter the bridal chamber."

"If you have gained this within you, what you have will save you. If you do not have this in [you], what you do not have in you [will] kill you."

"He who knows the all, (but) fails (to know) himself, misses everything."

"I speak my mysteries to those [who are worthy of my] mysteries. What your right hand does, let not your left hand know what it does."

"I have cast fire upon the world, and see, I am guarding it until it blazes."
Continue reading...