from the desk (blog) of Simon Beck

this blog post is dedicated to Devin:

"Phelps might reckon he can out-gold Mark Spitz, but without Spitz's matinee-idol looks and trademark '70s porn star moustache, all he'll ever be is a strange humanoid who practises a lot."

p.s. C'mon Canada!! Lucky Day 4!!

the problems of a 20something: Problem #137

It is easy and sometimes fun to be judgmental. However, the older I get the more I realize how destructive it can be.

So the other day I was talking to someone who said something quite judgmental.

Later I relayed the judgmental comment to Devin in a highly judgmental way. So it then occurred to me that not only was I being judgmental, but in being judgmental about someone else being judgmental I was also being a hypocrite. And isn't it worse to be judgmental AND a hypocrite than just to be judgmental?

Is the solution that I should embrace being judgmental in order to avoid being a hypocrite?

Quote of the Day: If you don't have anything nice to say, come sit by me -Dorothy Parker

when a relationship is like an ill-fated moon landing starring Tom Hanks

I think this is a super interesting description of how to make a relationship work.

"It's about taking what you have, and, instead of trying to change it, finding a happy way to live with it. The movie image that just flashed into my head is in "Apollo 13," when the earthbound scientists stand at a table full of stuff representing everything the astronauts have available to them in the capsule. Their job is to rig something from those materials alone.

Being part of a couple is the same way--you both bring certain things to the relationship, and that's what you have to work with. Either you can rig something with it or you can't."

-Carolyn Hax

An Irish Triad

The three most short-lived traces: the trace of a bird on a branch, the trace of a fish on a pool, and the trace of a man on a woman.

- Away, Jane Urquhart

more from Mr. Copeland

Heather: "Here's what I think: the five most unattractive traits in people are cheapness, clinginess, neediness, unwillingness to change and jealousy".

Douglas Copeland, Hey Nostradamus!

I don't know if I agree completely - but it is interesting to think about.

Sex and the City

"Here at last were women who talked to each other the way women talk (fast, furious, filthy) and - this was important to me - fought with each other the way women fight. Not like the pseudo-friends, the frenemies, you see in countless films and TV shows, where the subtext is that women only relate until some guy comes along, or that we secretly hate each other. The Sex and the City women fought for good reasons: They called out Samantha about using sex as a distraction; Carrie about her masochism over Mr. Big (Chris Noth); Charlotte about abandoning her career. But they didn't fight to crap on each other, they fought to protect each other. And they were pained by it, and palpably relieved to make up."

Johanna Schneller's Kick-Ass Commentary on the new Sex and the City Movie for the Globe and Mail

A parenting strategy I can get behind.

"Sometimes I think the only way to deal with turbocharged kids is to give them even more sugar and lock them in a room with a TV set. As I know zilch about kids, this is my first (and last) means of coping, and it seem to work just fine."

-Hey Nostradamus!, Douglas Coupland

american presdiential politics

Several months ago I wrote that if given the opportunity, I would support Hillary Clinton over Barak Obama for the White House. I still agree with that statement. However - I think that Obama has shown himself to be the candidate with the most momentum and I think that he will win the nomination - and more than that - I think he deserves to win the nomination.

Michael Moore wrote (in his endorsement of Obama today) "My endorsement is more for Obama The Movement than it is for Obama the candidate." Now I am not a huge Michael Moore fan (and he is not a huge Hillary Clinton fan), but I think this statement really crystalizes how I feel at this point. I think that though I don't love Barak Obama, the Obama movement is really really special. And it really does give or bring or provide hope - for everyone - and especially for those who need it most. And though I am disappointed that it seems likely that Hillary Clinton will not be the* next president, I think it would be a wonderful thing if Barak Obama was the next president.

*I wrote "our" next president, and then when I realized I changed it to "the". Interesting...

theory and practice

Today while walking home from the bus I had a lovely thought. Now I am sure that I did not come up with this independently, but it just sort of came to me and clicked tonight. So I have a new life motto to add to my collection of life mottoes.

Take care of today and tomorrow will take care of itself.

Quote of the Week

"Some problems we share as women, some we do not. You fear your children will grow up to join the patriarchy and testify against you, we fear our children will be dragged from a car and shot down in the street, and you will turn your backs upon the reasons they are dying."

Audre Lorde, Black Feminist Scholar

Honey

Dear Starbucks,

I know you and I (and you a millions of others) have a special relationship. I trust you. I trust your eggnog lattes and your pumpkin spice lattes and, after some initial hesitation, your cinnamon dolce lattes. And though I agree with this week's Globe column regarding your problem not being your coffee, but rather you horrible horrible food, I have always supported your coffee.

until now.

In theory a honey latte sounds lovely. I like honey. I like lattes. Honey is sweet. I like sweet lattes. But oh starbucks. The other morning I ordered a honey latte (minus the whip cream) and I took a sip. It was disgusting. Wanting to make sure I took a second sip. No. Still gross. So I returned it to the counter and had them make me a complimentary vanilla latte. I don't understand? You have teams of experts who consult on this kind of stuff. Taste specialists! Is it just me? Is that it? I still love you starbucks - but my trust in your judgment has just taken a hit.

Quote of the day:

"Well," said Pooh, "what I like best----" and then he had to stop and think. Because although Eating Honey was a very good thing to do, there was a moment just before you began to eat it which was better than when you were, but he didn't know what it was called.

Quote of the Day

"For many [parents], real estate is the preferred way to say "I love you."

-Pearce, Tralee "Financed by the Bank of Ma and Pa", Globe and Mail, February 12, 2008

I of course immediately called both my parents to inform this of this latest development in parent-child relations and to confirm whether or not their love for me extends to these new modern methods of showing love. Apparently it does not.

how did I miss this...?

Quote of the Day...

"I met the Dalai Lama in my office but I meet everyone in my office. I don't know why I would sneak off to a hotel room just to meet the Dalai Lama. You know, he's not a call girl. As I say, he's a respected international spiritual leader."

-Stephen "Steve" Harper

quote of the day

"The bitter will be punished because their lives are already punishment."

-Carolyn Hax


I think this is a super interesting observation. I cannot think of anyone I know who I would describe as bitter - and I do not think I have ever had a moment of bitterness (other negative emotions: envy, judgmentalness, self-pity, but never bitterness). And I hope that if I live to be 100 I never find myself with this emotion. For that matter, I hope I never find myself around anyone else with that emotion either.

quote of the day

"I have so many insecurities they fight for prominence."

Maura Tierney

Quote of the Day

Martin Sheen: I don't believe we go to heaven, I believe we become heaven.

I love this.

quote of the day

On life some generally: Every person, all the events of your life are there because you have drawn them there. What you choose to do with them is up to you.

On writing: RB: That is so true. Very often you need to get networked into "Don’t care." If we think that we must be erudite, intellectual, and must never be seen as foolish, you’ve really started out on the wrong foot as a writer. Most new writers do just that. It takes a lot of experience to learn that the gift I have to give is my foolishness. It’s the craziness of my ideas that make them interesting, make them worthwhile. Once we learn to relax and not to worry about how the reader, the editor, or the publisher thinks of us. Then we can get down to the interesting writing.

Richard Bach

most famously author of Jonathan Livingston Seagull, and author of "A Bridge Across Forever" my favourite book about love, fate and soulmates when I was a starry-eyed, daydreaming 13 year old.

At some point in the future I might actually post something that is not an image or a quote. In case anyone was wondering.

Quote of Day

So much unhappiness comes from trying to do what we think we're supposed to want, instead of what suits us. - Caroline Hax

I've got to say - I definetly know what I am supposed to want. The question is - what suits me? Or alternatly - what do I actually want.

Quote of the Day

Q: What is your biggest regret?
Sidney Poitier: I cannt recall what that might have been, but whatever it was, I survived it. And I have no regrets about that. Vanity Fair magazine, Feb 2007

According to itunes...

I thought is might be interesting to share my taste in music according to how itunes assigns genres to my current 20 favourite songs...

Alternative: 3
Rock: 6
Pop: 5
Folk: 4
Soundtrack: 1
Electronica: 1

Okay - so maybe that wasn't interesting :)

Quote of the Day: "Dreams aren't broken, they begin, they end, and they begin again".

Quote of the Day brought to you by "Canada's Next Top Model"