15 March, 2006

Abandon ship!

I like this blog thing, but I want to have a reason for it instead of just blabbing senselessly and posting vanity pictures, therefore I've decided to keep this one as a personal blog and open shop elsewhere and make a food blog. There will be a link to that one on this page, and vice-versa, rest assured.
Happy trails folk(s).

Offroad Luca. Santorini 2004
as crappy as this pic is, consider it copyrighted.

Luca luca luca is my looooove. I am hopeless.
as crappy as this pic is, consider it copyrighted.

The London Eye with purty blue lights. Around New year's 2006. Copyright 2006 K. Zei.
as crappy as this pic is, consider it copyrighted.

banner take three
steal this pic!

another banner attempt
steal this pic!

repeat for the benefit of my future possible banner
steal this pic!

Omg, i look like a real archeologist! Indy, eat your heart out. Copyright 2006 K. Zei

The Official Reader's Rights, courtesy of the Bologna library. May 2004.
copyright 2006 k.zei

Some Tartar people at a market in Sudak, Crimea, Ukraine. July 2005. Havin' fun with Hello...
copyright 2006 k.zei

A banner i made for the Ireland-Italy soccer friendly match, 2005. Thanks to il bisteccone.
copyright 2006 k.zei

Some dolphins that we swam with on our first dive to Banco Chincorro, Xcalak, Mexico
copyright 2006 k.zei

Me with Capitano Jorge about to go on first dive near Xcalak, Mexico. Dec. 2005
copyright 2006 k.zei

14 March, 2006

Okay, so it works

Years ago, I got it in my silly, pointy little head to write to a complete stranger--and give advice! (gasp!) Whatever possessed me to do so I shall never discern. At any rate, I actually wrote some decent things, so I'm going to copy some of the letter into this post to attempt to disseminate the point of view:

START
There are a lot of things on this planet created by people just like ourselves that really really suck. There is a lot of misery, a lot of pain and all in the name of what? Religion. Opinions. Nonsense. We pollute ourselves, pollute the earth, defecate where we eat, urinate where we drink. Have you ever seen rotten.com? It's bloody disgusting. A lot of things about humans don't make much sense. There is a lot of evil.

But it doesn't mean that you have to add to it. It doesn't mean that you have to let it touch you. It doesn't mean that you can't rise above. It doesn't mean you have to try to sink below, either.

There are a lot of things that should be changed about this world, and often a really helpless feeling takes over those who are intelligent enough and can see reason, and therefore want to do something to make it better; improve the lot of everyone -- and their own. It feels terrible being so powerless; it's a horrible sucking feeling that makes you want to kick and scream your way out. But kicking and screaming usually only suck you in further. And wastes energy.

The best thing that you can do is learn to accept the unwieldly amount of horribleness that there is here on earth. This planet sometimes sucks, but it's the only one that there is -- and for now, there is no way off of it. Nor will there ever be, in our lifetime. We are stuck here, whether we like it or not, and useless feelings of anger and dispair just waste energy.

Acceptance doesn't mean apathy. It means something different to everyone. For me, it meant accepting the fact that I am not perfect and learning to be myself around other people, something that was not very easy for me. The more I am myself, the more I am likely NOT to add to the compendium of hate and anger that seems to prevail, that causes people to act in destructive ways against others and against themselves.

Self-indulgence and egotism are often used as defence mechanisms of intelligent people, as a way of dealing with the world and all its shortcomings. But they aren't very effective ones if all they do are make you unhappy. I'm not saying that you should be happy at all costs, and that you shouldn't block out your razor sharp criticism; because we need laser beams like you slicing off the excess fat of the world. But maybe you should give yourself a bit of a break, dude. And giving the rest of the world one might help a bit too.
END

I think that the guy I wrote this to seemed so unhappy he must have touched me somehow, hence the letter. I don't think he got the message though. Bless those who fight themselves and each other, that they may one day stop.

Worst blogger in recorded blog history

I think I should get an award. An anti-award. I haven't updated this blog for simply ages. Put it down to too much life beyond the net. Went to Mexico over Christmas. Tres fun. Did lots of dives, did a cenote dive, even saw some dolphins while diving (about 15 of them, and they're actually pretty scary when they're excited and whipping madly around the sea).

Anyways, this post is to see if I can figure out how this baby works... again...