Archive for the ‘Encouragement’ Category
Watch what you’re doing …
Larry Norman‘s name came up on one of my friends’ Facebook walls last night … I loved what this musician gave as his gifts — and his influence. He was a cool cat with great intelligence and, it seemed to me, a sense of mission and virtue. He was a gutsy individualist, a trailblazer as […]
Learning how smart our elders can be …
“When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished at how much he had learned.” — Mark Twain That’s true. And funny. And then there are times when it seems the old […]
Adam – a movie about Asperger syndrome
I recommend you watch Adam, a terrific film about the struggles of someone with Asperger syndrome. What a lovely, moving, poignant story! See this movie if you have anyone in your life who you think could possibly have Asperger’s tendencies. It will help you empathise (is this my word for 2011?) with their journey and […]
What does your ‘opinion’ reveal about you?
People seem not to see that their opinion of the world is also a confession of character. — Ralph Waldo Emerson Everyone is entitled to my opinion. — attributed to pop singer Madonna Now, there’s a powerful pair of thoughts. Expressing one’s ‘opinion of the world’ through writing is, by its very nature, the result […]
In their shoes …
I was surprised recently when someone whom I know is in financial trouble himself emailed me with news of another person’s financial and personal struggles. He said he thought I’d be ‘interested’, as the person and I had previously had some negative interchanges. What the hell? Truly, it struck me as ghoulish, almost akin to […]
Happy Christmas
Happy Christmas to all readers and contributors at thePaepae.com My wish for you is that you get the chance to re-connect with family and loved ones. Whatever your religious or spiritual beliefs, may you get the time and opportunity for some positive reflection … and I hope that you take it! I’m going to be […]
Nice-looking bike!
This caught my eye in Howick yesterday … Nice! It’s a Suzuki Boulevard M109R Limited Edition … I didn’t see the word ‘Suzuki’ on it anywhere … which made me think about the power of branding … and my friend Mark’s latest ‘low cost’ mode of transport (well, compared to his Range Rover): What statements […]
Is narcissism the new normal?
I love the irony in this news. Apparently an upcoming revision of the psychiatric diagnostic standards manual, the DSM-V, has removed the narcissistic personality disorder from its roster… does that mean it has become so pervasive that it’s no longer thought of as pathological? Is narcissism the new normal? Well, maybe it is. Certainly it […]
Keeping the ‘network’ in its place
Jason Kottke put me on to this wry and wise observation from Scott Simpson… … And I thoroughly agree. ‘Love the one you’re with’ seems like a good goal. ‘Split attention’ is rampant. Nothing says ‘you are not interesting enough’ than setting the phone on the table at coffee/lunch/dinner … and waiting for someone more […]
RIP Tom Newnham
This hero of the anti-racist protest movement (and so much more) has died. Farewell indeed to Tom Newnham whose book By Batons and Barbed Wire, about the 1981 Springbok Tour and the popular social uprising that disrupted it — found its way into many homes, including mine. He was an activist in more ways than […]
U2 360 Auckland
Pretty impressive night, in all ways. Great crowd, too.
Attention to details
Following up on some people’s sensitivity to Facebook comments, I understand singer Gin Wigmore is very particular about her image — and fair enough, too. That’s an important thing to keep under control. Michelle Hewitson, interviewing her for the NZ Herald, said: [Gin Wigmore] won’t be photographed without hair and make-up, her record company said, […]
Nicely put — Australian Values Statement
I stumbled across this Australian Values Statement and quite like what it’s saying. It seems fair enough to make this an ‘initial communication’ for people considering emigrating to Australia. It seems to me in part a fleshed-out version of the cry of the French Revolution (Liberty, equality, fraternity). I wonder what the background is, how […]
Pix from space
This is one of a series of amazing photos from the International Space Station. Awesome! A while ago I blogged about living with a mountain in your backyard and the effect on one’s psyche to live in proximity of a peak. This amazing picture shows a different influence. – P
Let’s be reasonable…
Here’s a sign from the San Francisco satellite rally of Jon Stewart’s Rally to Restore Sanity, inspired, I think, by a line he delivered on The Daily Show. I think it’s just brilliant. In my dealings with those with whom I strongly disagree about things that are important to me, I make a real effort […]
