The Dark Side

I'm tired of peoples' bullshit.

I'm tired of being disappointed.

I'm tired of the cold and gloomy weather.

I'm tired of seeing people so unhappy with life...

I'm tired of being tired.

Sometimes, I want to make like an Anakan and join the Dark Side, but that's not me.

Is the Grass Really Greener?

Life presents us with many options, especially when it relates to people and the complexities of attraction (the term attractive is subjective, denoting something different to all of us). Nonetheless, according to Desmond Morris' studies of human behaviour (link: www.desmond-morris.com) humans are commonly attracted to attributes such as facial symmetry, a strong gene pool, and of course, sexual prowess.

Although it may be human nature to be attracted to objects of beauty in various shapes, colours, or forms, it does not suggest that we act on our impulses and/or desires in the attempt to make them our novelties. What makes people feel the need or desire to go elsewhere especially when they are already involved in a relationship that is so comfortably good? The the answer is quite simple: it is a behavioural phenomenon that is intrinsic to human nature - as is our strive for perfection - in that we desire those things that we do not have. For example, people with curly hair want straight hair.

As a hopeless romantic I strongly believe in both exclusivity and monogamy. That being said, I would like to see more marriages work, and, for couples to be able to rave about the strength and longevity of their unions. Furthermore, I believe that two people in love should co-exist in a virtual bubble, creating an impenetrable wall to prevent intruders and wannabe contaminators from entering. There is something quite calming about being in a relationship with that special someone who has seen you at your odious worst; who provides you with the three legs of support (i.e. physical, emotional, and spiritual); who provides you with the reassurance that they will be with you in the good times and the bad; and, who embraces all that you are - somewhere between the person you are and the person you want to be.

This is not to say that all relationships must work. Most of us have been in sex-driven relationships that, like sticks of dynamite once ignited, fizzle out, leaving nothing more than a realization that a true relationship was non-existent. Nevertheless, for some this is all what they want or need.

For those who want, entering into, or already involved in a forward-looking and mutually amicable relationship, it would be wise to avoid confusing vulnerability and complacency of one-self with unhappiness. This is often the case when a couple are living together, someone will feel apprehensive and/or anxious about letting their guard down, afraid that it might expose their true nature and perhaps their deepest and darkest secrets. Consequently, that person may progressively feel even more guarded and edgy....eventually evoking negative feelings (e.g. anger or resentment) for their significant other.

There is an old maxim that I am sure most of you have heard, "better the Devil you know than the Devil you don't know". Unless you met your significant other on false pre-tenses or you have reached the limits of your sanity being with that person, try to validate your feelings by communicating with love and compassion, and every now and again, reminisce about what qualities attracted you to him/her rather than looking for a new field to play on. With this approach, at least you will only be presented with your current relationship issues (most often times, easily resolved) and not a basket of new, unknown issues, that you could be facing in a new relationship.

Focus on what 'is' rather than on what 'is not'.

"...you know when you've found it, that's something I've learned, because you feel it when its taken away"

Lyrics from the song Amie by Damien Rice

Coffee Shop Talk

The little black bean. It is truly a wonderful thing...traveling to us from far away places so that it can be roasted to perfection, ground to a fine powder, then infused in a spa-like treatment of hot water and steam. Soon after, we give it a farewell ceremony by showering it with gifts of love, like sugar and cream. We admire it for its surreptitious-like transformation as it weeps with the steams of joy, for now it has no choice but to surrender to its final destination. The story of O', both aromatic and flavourful... Bon Voyage, dear friend!

Coffee shops are great places to read, work, hang-out with friends, or to just chill by oneself. What's more, they're great places to engage in conversation with people, resulting in the creation of new friends and/or acquaintances. Over the past few years, I've had the pleasure of meeting some rather interesting folk from all walks of life, learning so many new things, hearing about others' life's experiences, perspectives and/or philosophies. The stories are endless.

The next time you pull a cup of java to the vermilion of your lower lip, pause for a moment, as you gaze down into the eye of your mocha-coloured friend and pay tribute to the wonderful people and things it has brought to your life. I know I will.

An End to Forever

Can words become extinct? If so, will their meanings be re-incarnated in the afterlife? If you are wondering what I am talking about, you will soon understand, I hope.

More often than not, the word forever (adv.) is being used for lack of a better word. It is being used by people to describe or define, perhaps even embellish, their idealistic and limitless views of life, love and romance. However, does forever really exist? Or, is its meaning only an abstraction in our minds? As we have all witnessed, it can be a very subjective term that is manipulated and used in different contexts and with various connotations. We have all said it, seen it, or heard it, in either literature, poetry or song. Likewise, we have either said it or heard it, in an emphatic way, to or from our loved ones. My ex-girlfriend would often say, "I will love you forever"; since we are no longer together I can only assume that two years was what she really meant by that blanketed statement because that was the length of our relationship. In biblical terms, we believe that GOD is eternal, which also means forever. Problem is, the New Testament does not reference the word eternal or forever, rather it uses the word 'eon', a Greek word meaning a specific period of time, with a beginning and an END (religion is not my cup of tea, so I will just stop there). In another context, forever can be used to describe circumstance, like for example, the extinction of the dinosaurs that once roamed our planet. But, does extinction really mean that they have ceased to be forever, or, will it be only a matter of time before geneticists and scientists extract the nuclear material (i.e. DNA) from the remains of a mummified dinosaur and use it to artificially recreate a life that once was? I do believe that this will happen because let's face it, that's what science is all about.

Therefore, does forever really mean endless, everlasting, or eternal? Obviously, forever as we understand it, has NO conclusion. If however, us humans understand what life is, then we should also know that death is a consequence of life and that we will not live forever.

Over the course of my life I have probably used the term forever a gazillion times, but after giving it some deep thought, I have chosen to make a conscious effort to eliminate it from my vocabulary forever...Oops!

Mis-Informed on an 'Organic' Scale

Are you tired of being inundated with claims by expert nutritionists of sorts, that 'organic' foods are tastier, more nutritious, and better for one's health overall? I am.

If we assume the above-mentioned claims of organic foods are true, so then, where is the empirical evidence to support these such claims? Oh, I see.... I am supposed to blindly subscribe to this quasi-power of suggestion because someone, a so-called certified nutritionist, said so. Hmmmmnn....

**News Flash!** Genetically modified agriculture or foodstuffs are not considered organic!

Here's another tid bit of information, most plants produce their own natural pesticides called tannins - you know, for survival of the species. Tannins are naturally occuring plant polyphenols that act as a defense mechanism in plants against pathogens, herbivores and hostile environmental conditions. Generally, tannins induce a negative response when consumed. These effects can be instantaneous like astrigency or a bitter or unpleasant taste or can even have a delayed response related to antinutritional/toxic effects. What's more, biotech companies like Monsanto take these natural occurring pesticides (e.g. tannins) and synthetically reproduce them on a mass scale. By no means am I suggesting that this is a good thing, I'm just stating the facts by saying that synthetic pesticide compounds are commonly derived from naturally occurring ones.

In general, organic food is, food that is produced without the use of artificial pesticides, herbicides, and genetically modifies organisms (GMOs). In common usage, the word organic is a broad reference that can apply equally to store-bought food products, food originating in a home garden where no synthetic inputs are used, and even food gathered or hunted in the wild. However, the term organic is increasingly associated with certified organic foods, which are produced and labeled according to strictly regulated standards. In many countries, including the United States, Japan, and in the European Union, certification is a matter of legislation, and commercial use of the word organic, outside of the certification framework, is illegal. The specifics of certification are the subject of wide debate and disagreement among organic producers and consumers; at present, there is no universally accepted definition of organic food.

The majority of food industry research of the last 100 years has been focused solely on developing chemical agriculture and modern food processing - very little, if anything has been done to formally investigate side effects of conventional agriculture that are not immediately obvious. Also, organics is an "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" proposition, concerned in large part with what NOT to do - "as much as possible, let nature do its thing" - rather than in devising precise formulas for organic production. A strictly rules-based definition of organic farming and organic food, consisting of approved inputs and practices, created and maintained by regulatory agencies, is inevitably subject to "exceptions" and to special interest pressures to modify the rules. As organics become "whatever the rules say it is", the line between organic and conventional food can get blurry.

Without getting into too much detail, a few years ago Canada sold and exported what were believed to be non-genetically modified (non-GM) soybeans to EU member countries only to later discover that a very small percentage of these beans were in fact, genetically modified. Unfortunately, it was too late by the time they discovered this, the organically grown soybean crops of France were contaminated by GM soybeans. An inquiry was later opened by both the French Government and the WTO into this matter. Furthermore, an international conference (GMCC '05) was held - hosted by France's L'Institute National de la Reserche Agronomique and the EU Commission's Joint Research Centre - to establish a better understanding of the world's plant and agriculture producers' empirical findings with regards to the "ecological consequences of gene flow (e.g. by way of seed and pollen) from crops to wild relatives". (Search the web, for example, go to: http://www.pri.wur.nl/UK/publications/ for more information)

Mes chers amis, the conclusion is this, many of these claims of what organic 'is' supposed to be are contentious. To date, the most important issue seems to be the effect of pesticides on people, animals, and the environment. However, this is still being debated by toxicology experts. There are research reports, expert opinions, and anecdotal evidence both supporting and rebutting them.

So please, spare me the 'organic' bullshit!

Did someone say, "fair trade"? ;-)

My Philosophy

If we are supposed to be the chauffeurs of our own destiny, then we should expect to encounter bumps and obstacles along the way. It is in the mode of learning from and dealing with those challenges, subsequently placing them behind us, that allows us to move forward.

Passion Is

Passion is
A speck of crimson red
That invades an otherwise blank canvas
Rendering it impossible for the untrained eye
To see anything but
Red
Passion is the notes of a piano
That resonate into the chords of your soul,
Composing a chorus of crescendos;
A template for all that is beautiful.
But more than this,
Passion is what I feel in your embrace,
Completely saturated by your breath,
Your smell,
Your touch.
In the same way the earth thirsts for and absorbs the rain,
I would take you into me forever,
Without a thought of the consequences,
Without a thought of anything else.