Bad mood We all have a bad mood once in a while. A bad mood is a bit like a thunderstorm. Sometimes you see it coming, sometimes it hits you by surprise. One can last longer than the other, but invariably they are accompanied by noise and doom.
If we are honest with ourselves, we usually know very well what caused the storm. Because our bad mood is our own private storm, generated by us, fuelled by us, maintained by us. Either it is because we are not at peace with ourselves, or because we are not at peace with something external.
Maybe you try to break the spell. In that case, use your own mind's resources. Do NOT look towards the Net for redemption.
Because you might stumble on this page. It looks promising enough at start. But very quickly you spot the huge yellow ad on the right ("YOU MAY BE OWED UNCLAIMED MONEY") and, even worse, the parasitic one on the left that moves along with you as you scroll. Result: your mood turns even more sour (do not expect to get out of this page without being slapped a few more times by ad pop-ups).
Save a screen Screensaver time. My own personal all-time favorite must be "Johnny Castaway". A lovely screensaver, depicting a castaway, Johnny, on his little island. Johnny sleeps, eats, swims, jumps, and many more things. From time to time a surprise. A little christmas tree for example at the end of December. Or a tribute to Saint Patrick. Sometimes pirates attack Johnny. Or he spots a voluptuous lady on a passing speedboat. Always fun to watch. You might still be able to get your own right here.
Currently my screensaver is generated by United Devices. Though at times I miss Johnny, this one is for a good cause. So it wins.
"Let's dance". Not really. I have never been the dancing type. Not at all. One time, in a drunken spell, on a local party, I let go. The Smiths, what can I say? And I ended up kicking off a girl's glasses. No harm done, luckily.
No, I just heard "Let's dance" from Bowie. Taking me back instantly to my "wonder years" (ha!).
I didn't hear it through the radio. I heard it through Internet. While reading mail and checking some links. Music is a great surfing companion. I hear you say "why not just turn on the radio?". Well because I don't want to. I prefer using Sonicbox and picking out the type of music that I am into at the moment. It comes streaming to my ears, baby. Wonderful! Right now I am tuning into club977.com - The 80s channel. But other times I might explore the jazz channels, or another favorite, the Folk band: Celtic Grove or Highlander Radio for example.
Important: you had best be on broadband for this. Because the music comes streaming in, meaning you need to be connected. On line.
Apart from Sonicbox, I also use the Radio Free Virgin Player. Same principle more or less. Less "gadgets" maybe than the Sonicbox, but pretty neat too. You can also choose among different styles of music (check out the soundtrack channel!), but - very handy - with every song, you get a display of the cd cover and of course name and title. Groovy!
Both players are free. Surf with music. But don't hang the deejay.
This morning it so happened that I was in a hospital. A hospital with a very good reputation. But that is beside the point.
It is a funny thing with buildings. They have their own "atmosphere". An airport for example either excites people - adventure! traveling! holiday! - or fills them with sadness (departures) or joy (arrivals) - or vice versa, depending on your relationship with the traveler...
A hospital is mostly a place of sadness (I say mostly, because I can imagine the maternity ward being an exception here).
While you are there, you observe all the doctors, nurses and staff busily moving around. One can't help feeling awe for these doctors in their white coats. They are human, just like you and me. The difference is that I can't patch you up, but they can. In some cases.
But there is also the strong sense of sickness, decay, suffering. This is the pitstop of us human beings. Some get fueled up, others get new tyres. Some don't get to return to the race.
And then, all of a sudden, in the midst of the usual brain clutter, there it comes. Hey! I'm not here for ME! There is basically nothing wrong with me! I don't have the problem this man there has, who comes wheeling in through the corridor. I don't have tubes in my arms. I don't get rolled in and out of operating rooms. I'm lucky!
And then you drive home. And the brain clutter resumes.
[soundtrack: 'Phaedra' from Tangerine Dream - with thanks to D.C.]
So that was the Valentine week. Yes, a week. Why not? Why not a Valentine month? Or a Valentine year? Wait, even better: the Valentine decade!!
Sarcastic? Not at all. But I don't like these "occasions" where people are supposed to do this or behave like that. I know the underlying Valentine motivation. I have seen it. "Ooh I'd better pick up some flowers on my way home today, or my wife will be pissed off". Now, is that the right mentality?
On Valentine's Day, I read a few things in the "local" newspaper. Hindu nationalists burning Valentine cards, because "it is against the Hindu beliefs to show love in public". Can you believe that? They even "surrounded an American woman and European man holding hands as they strolled in New Delhi... --- blocked the tourists from moving on and shoved anti-Valentine's Day handbills written in Hindi at them". Kewl. I'm sure the couple read the pamphlet very thoroughly. Read more about it here.
Just think about that. Before you know it, we'll be reading one day "a young couple was stoned to death in New Delhi after being discovered holding hands in public". Boy, what a wonderful world.
The same day, I read that in China a large number of priests had been thrown in jail. Why? Well, because they were catholic of course! What more reason do you need?
We are now well underway in the year 2002. Looking good...
But why not leave you this time on a more positive note? Do you have these moments when you are a bit bored? Then go to www.bored.com! Simple as that. Or have some fun with some movie sounds. But remember: no holding hands!
The Netherlands (my northern neighbours) had an internet page, it was called "Starting page". Basically a page full of links to useful sites. I guess this is called a "portal site". This "Starting page" somehow became big business and was eventually taken over for a lot of money. Do I sound naive or simple now? Well, that's the way I like it. A page of LINKS! Referrals, hints, tips... Is that worth money??? Excuse me, but where is the kid when you need him/her. To scream out "the emperor is not wearing any clothes!!!".
Having said that, everyone needs bookmarks. How else can you stock the "goodies" on Internet?
But everyone should keep in mind that they are just referring to existing sites. The collection of "referrals" is hardly to be called a valuable site in its own. Please.
And why would I trust or value someone else's links? Why?
Why would you be interested in any of mine?
By the way, if you followed the link, you found an address: tony@mail.be. Leave your comments as you will.
Thank you.
Sometimes I happen to zap by "Liberty-TV", a tv channel run by some tour operator. It runs and reruns (and reruns) tourist programs. All corners of the world are being highlighted and sometimes it is actually even interesting. Okay okay, there are the odd images of naked blondes on a nudist beach. And the whole thing is thickly covered with ye old familiar coating of commercialism. What do you expect? It's not National Geographic Channel (which reminds me, I never tune in there, not even on lost Sunday moments). But what really gets to me in this Liberty TV thing is the occasional appearance of ... Tess!! As I speak (sorry: blog) she is there, full screen, promoting a trip to Turkey. There is a lot to say about Tess... She is not exactly Bo Derek. Basically she looks like a good girl (my wife on the other hand thinks she looks like a porn actress - tastes differ I guess!). One thing though: she is invariably dressed up in an outfit that... well that almost reveals it all. I am talking major cleavage here. Let's just say that she is always wearing clothes that: A) reveal as much as possible of her bosom and B) makes you invariably stare at the dead center of the screen.
But I wonder... Is this their way of seeking viewers? True, considering myself, it does seem to work somewhat. But if they do get viewers, why would the generosity of Tess incite anyone to book a trip? Or am I being too naive?
I think you might be able to find a picture of Tess here. It looks like her but I am not sure.
Thank you Tess, for those heart-warming moments in the weekend...
