Just a few points for those unfamiliar with my journal.

This is a place where I write whatever I feel like whenever I feel like it. It usually expresses my opinions (shocking, I know!). You are always free to not read it.

You are always welcome to disagree with any of the content, just like I am free to disagree with any comment you make.

Comments are always welcome. Questions, suggestions and vague conversations are likewise welcome.

You are welcome to add me. If you would like to be added and I have no idea who you are from your journal, please leave a comment. If you add me and I have no idea who you are, I won't add you back. I also reserve the right to not add you without providing a reason.

If an entry is friends-only, it is friends-only for a reason. Any information within such an entry is not intended for general viewing, and should only be quoted with discretion.

All journal content, including text, images and userpics is copyrighted to me unless indicated otherwise. Please do not reproduce any content without my permission and without crediting me if you do reproduce it. If at any point I fail to indicate copyright of any content that does not belong to me, and you are aware of the copyright proprietor, I'll be happy to rectify this.

Basically, this is my journal, I do as I please, and if you mess with me, I will not be impressed.

I am also a lot whiter and fluffier than I may appear from this post, so please don't be scared away.

Enjoy!

Subject:
ahmm jjg ohvo boeabj ren

Message body:
qrel nta positmmsjion
gnothe vovbopart
you abj by renb
youerkyme cvofrom tjdmmtart.
Illbeihoah beuhrfore umje.
beiuqr pouncelxnpony.
thisahmceremony
sjj filnohvlsmy vboea. a punjmrench toy voferkylunteer kcvonee.
is jdmmalu waihoahnt tohuhrear
aumjend aiuqryou wlxnsee.





Any bright ideas?

My dad just gave me a candle holder made out of orange Himalayan salt, which is supposed to release negative ions when the candle is lit (and negative ions are meant to be good for you). So what was the first thing I did?

Go on, guess.

I licked it.

*facepalm*

I heard the rumour that the world's gonna end
But if it ends today, I won't mind
'Cos for someone who's looking for an outward way
This is just another exit sign.

You say you always know where you'll spend the night
But that doesn't seem to make you smile
I'm on my way to the other side of now
And once you're up and walking, what's another mile?

I never stay in one place for a long time -
Either I relocate, or the Earth does
I may be longing for somewhere to settle down,
But I know I'll just leave, leave it all behind.

And for somebody that despises escapism,
I sure do run away a lot:
A new name, a new town, a new hairstyle,
A new job, a new hobby, a new life.

And you could wonder what I am all about,
But no more so than I wonder myself
I've always had trouble recalling nouns,
Because those anchors make no sense.

Because all I do is keep moving,
Keep shifting - adjectives, verbs;
I've never really existed
Why start now, if shape-shifting works?

In case you've ever had any doubt as to whether it is possible to get sunburn on your scalp, I can confirm that it is indeed possible. And it hurts. I burned mine last Friday, and it's finally peeling. Ouchies.

"Meditation is a dynamic process of cultivating heart and mind while actively engaged with the world."

-- www.luminousheart.com

...if I climb into the fridge and shut the door, what will kill me first: hypothermia or suffocation?

You know why I studied Zoology?

Because I love animals, because nature fascinates me, because spending time watching wildlife makes me feel incredibly happy and satisfied.

You know why I'm quitting Zoology?

Because I love animals, because nature fascinates me, because spending time watching wildlife makes me feel incredibly happy and satisfied.

Funny that:-)

I got this e-mail today. It is truly beautiful (original orthography has been preserved):


Hi buddy,
My name is Olga
I am from Perm and want to visit your Country as tourist.
I'm looking to meet a playful and open minded stud for a casual sexbuddy type
situation.
Emailme, I have setup a small photo album online so that I can show you some
pics of me. Take a look and if you like what you see, give me a call, my
contact info is there as well.
My emailid is
kynhywywax@gmail.com
I will waiting for your reply.
yours Olga


[This was followed by an entirely incongruous, lengthy and convoluted description of Canada]

Beautiful, I tell you!

Because I want to know what you think, and how your mind works, and what your life's like...

Tell me: what is the difference between loving and being in love? Which matters more? When? In what situations? Which would you rather have? What do you think?

I have my own answers, I just want to know yours...

"Mathematics may be defined as the subject in which we never know what we are talking about, nor whether what we are saying is true." - Bertrand Russell

"Science is nothing but trained and organized common sense, differing from the latter only as a veteran may differ from a raw recruit: and its methods differ from those of common sense only as far as the guardsman's cut and thrust differ from the manner in which a savage wields his club." - Thomas Huxley

There's a truly wonderful mindset that many are not aware of, and I've spent a while trying to find a word for it.

Russians already have a word for it: пофигизм (pronounced pofeegizm). It has been translated as "a devil-may-care attitude", "whateverness" or Don't-give-a-fuckism. But I don't think any of those terms are quite right.

What does it mean? It is a life philosophy based on the principle of not really caring all that much. Understanding that you'll never have time for everything, that things won't always go according to plan, and that life frequently sucks. And it's not your job to fix it, so there's no reason to care. What's the point of worrying? It's really not a big deal. You are not being chased by a bear (unless you are being chased by a bear right this instant, in which case I'd advise you to drop the laptop - you'll run faster!). The world is not about to end. Many things are actually somebody else's problem. So there's not any point to worrying. Keep breathing and have fun:-)

The good thing about this approach is that, while it can be thought of as apathetic, it is also quite positive at times. It allows you to maintain a positive outlook despite all the crap in your life by not caring about the crap. Which tends to result in cheerfulness. At least for me it does:-)

Let's face it - Buddha was right. Suffering comes from attachment. By getting rid of attachment, you get rid of suffering.

You are unhappy and stressed because you're attached to stress, because you care too much. Stop caring - it will make you happier!

The best word for it that I've found so far is the Italian menefregismo for the phenomenon, or menefregista to describe a person. In context:
Deep down, that, as much as anything, was what he was, a menefreghista -- one who simply did not give a fuck. (From "Dino" by Nick Tosches).


So this is menefregismo - cheerful Zen with attitude. I bask in the beauty of being a menefregista. Would you care to join me?

Today, I like:

1. Sunshine!

2. My orange trousers finally fit me again, so I am wearing them:-) Their only downside is that they make my arse look small:-(

3. The world is suddenly filled with pretty girls. They're everywhere - I saw at least two at the bank today. Perhaps not "pretty" in the standard meaning of the word, but quirky-pretty, both in terms of features and in terms of style. They're very enjoyable to look at:-)

4. I seem to have found a good way of maintaining a relatively upbeat mood:-)

5. Came across one of my corridormates in town today, and he seemed absolutely ecstatic to see me.

6. Weevil (www.weevilmagazine.com) is gradually becoming more popular - copies are disappearing faster than before, and more people are wanting to get involved.


I don't like:

1. The disgustingly windy weather (gusts up to 41mph). It messes up my hair and gives me a headache. Not impressed.

2. My moisturiser seems to be too heavy for summer, which is annoying - and Biore don't seem to make a lighter version:-(

3. I've been feeling really dehydrated over the last few weeks, despite drinking several litres every day. Not good, since this results in impressive 24/7 headaches.

Quiz nicked from compasslizard

Your result for The Social Persona Test (What kind of man/woman are you?)...

The Renaissance Faire Wench (QLAF)

Quirky Liberal Alpha Female

Take The Social Persona Test (What kind of man/woman are you?) at HelloQuizzy

Because my mind never stays focused on one thing for very long, I'm ignoring the magazine and thinking about hair. Why hair?

Well, because I LOVE HAIR!!! Looking at it, playing with it, doing things to it... I even wanted to be a hairdresser, but my dear father said he'd kill me. Oh well.

And I love my hair. And I like for it to reflect my "personality", or my thoughts, or just me. And at the moment I'm bored with it. Because I had it cut short in September, and now I'm growing it out again and it's at that boring and annoying stage where I can't really do anything with it, it gets in the way and generally looks meh. But I don't want to dye it or cut it. So - what should I do with it?

(One idea is to curl it, or at least make it wavier... Something like this or this... Don't know how that would look on me though. Also don't own any curlers. Hmmm...)

What to do, what to do...

Any ideas?

Oh dear, I am such a numpty sometimes... Not just because I am apparently incapable of simple arithmetic, which causes problems with the magazine I run.

But because I forget some helpful things until after I've learned them by experience, and then suddenly remember them again and go "Duh! I've known that all along!"

For today, it's a quote:

"Life is not the way it's supposed to be. It's the way it is. The way you cope with it is what makes the difference." -- Virginia Satir

This amused me a lot more than it should have done:
http://community.livejournal.com/shtukovina_ru/162184.html#cutid1
:-)

A while ago the "Writer's Block" thing on the LJ homepage asked what we consider to be the most important thing in a relationship (for the sake of the argument, I'll include friendship in this). I was amused by the cultural split: the russophones among the LJ users mostly want understanding, whereas anglophones tend to go for some version of honesty/openness/trust.

Now, I will agree that both of those things are important. I have had experiences with the lack of both of those things, and it's not good. But I'd like to add a third point: respect and acceptance. Something I very rarely find, and something that makes a huge difference when one does find it.

What do you think? What's important to you in relationships (again, including friendships)?

To make this more fun, have a poll:

Poll #1395723
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All

What's most important to you in relationships?

"The pussy is a prize, but it's not your life!"

-- Spoken a few minutes ago by one of the guys outside my door. This may well be the only intelligent thing I've ever heard him say.

Like most mathematicians, Alfred Lotka takes the hopeful biologist to the edge of the pond, points out that a good swim will help his work, and then pushes him in and leaves him to drown.

-- Elton 1935.