Fancy Foods Vs Simple Tastes.

This “For Better Or For Worse” Cartoon Strip by Lynn Johnson from July 8 has the Husband and wife discussing food issues as she places a bowl of fruit on the Bench and then feeds the Dog.
He says, “ Look, it’s not that I don’t appreciate fancy dishes! I like simple food, that’s all! I could probably eat the same thing every day! Surely there are others like me!”
At this point the strip ends with the dog hoeing into his doggy food like only dogs can do!
Leaving aside the obvious connotation that plain food is no better than dog food; I have to basically agree with the husband. Although it is true that one would quickly get sick of just the one variety of food very quickly, there is nothing wrong with simple foods.
Yes fancy dishes often look nice, but do nothing to fill you up or sustain you. And sometimes they just taste terrible. (Even if they only taste bad to you and not others!) Some people love fish! So do I when they are swimming around my Fish tanks or pond. I will admit that I do not mind a piece of Grilled Flake anytime I have it, and occasionally even Fish Fingers, but most other fish tastes off to me. I’m not overly fond of Chicken either but give me a Roast any day with Pork lamb or Beef and I’m yours. So you can see I stand largely with the husband depicted above. Where do you stand on the great food divide? Fancy or Plain?
I understand and even appreciate the fact that a lot of time and effort and even love that often goes into producing this fancy food, But would prefer that time, love and effort be transferred to something that will be both pretty and pretty darn nice for me too. (If in fact it is being primarily produced for me!) Again what say you?

Be prepared For Payback!

This blog comes from the “Heart of the City” Cartoon Strip by Mark Tatulli from July 2, and has the little Girl (Heart) lying on the floor reading a comic with a cat sleeping comfortably on her back. Comfortably for the Cat it seems but not for Heart, who comes up with the devious idea of scaring the life out of the Cat with a loud Bang. Which works. For a few seconds at least as the cat jumps high in the air, but then comes down fast, claws extended and lands on Heart’s butt, much to her pain and sorrow.
Another case of comics imitating life isn’t it? For how often have we come up with so called ingenious, but devious ideas to solve our perceived problems, only to have our solutions turn around and, if not bite us, certainly stick their claws in, like in this illustration?
So when trying to deal with annoying problems, think carefully and try and come up with effective solutions that won’t turn around and claw you too and make your own problems worse!

The Difference Between Knowledge And Wisdom.

Found this little Gem in the Text Talk section of the Letter pages in The Melbourne Herald Sun on July 8th. It simply states that” knowledge is knowing that tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is knowing not to put it fruit salad.”
Thanks Clinton from Hawthorn, for that brilliant illustration. Although very simple, I found this illustration very illuminating, because it shows that just having knowledge is simply not enough. No. You also need to have the wisdom to know how to use, it too! Or, as in the above case, how not to use that knowledge!
So today’s question for you is, what current knowledge do you have, that you still need the proper wisdom of, in regard to its appropriate, if not proper, usage?

Your Opinion Depends On From Where You See Things.

Having lived in South Africa for nearly 12 years, we still have some contacts there and occasionally get News Items from there. A recent article from there, told about a Taxi (Read 12 –15 seat mini Buses here,) that was extremely overloaded with Kindergarten children being picked up by Traffic officers.
Having seen it first hand during our own time in South Africa, I had no trouble with the e-mail Title of: “Crazy Taxi! --- ONLY IN SOUTH AFRICA”.
However when I sent it to a former South African, (Now living in Australia), his reply was, “not just South Africa, all over Africa.”
So, not having experienced this gross overloading of Passengers in Australia and not really having travelled much elsewhere in Africa, (other than briefly in Zimbabwe and Swaziland,) I, like the author of the article, tended to see this problem as only a South African one. But one who has seen much more of Africa than I have, has been able to put it into the broader perspective.
This still doesn’t excuse it, but shows that it is not exclusively a South African problem, but also happens elsewhere in the African Continent. Just like I’m sure it happens in other parts of the world too, like India and even some other Asian and even South American countries.
So today’s’ lesson, which I am still learning is, when something is wrong, look around you and do not blame just one guilty party but look to all guilty parties where they are wrong; and then rather than just blaming them, try and help them solve or resolve their problems. What say you?

Which End Are You At?

Another from the “For Better Or Worse” cartoon strip. This time from July 2nd. This one has two little boys playing with a big furry dog. One at each end!
And one says,” Sniff? Bleah! What is that? The other says, “I don’t know!” The first says, “Gross! Get him away from me!! I’m gonna BARF! I’m gonna HURL!” To which the second Boy says, “ Lawrence… It’s not that bad!!! To which Lawrence replies, “ That’s cause you’re sniffing the wrong end!!!”
How like real life is that? Each of us often has a different opinion, (whether to the good or bad,) than another, all because of which end of things we are currently at, at any particular time.
So today’s lesson is, whenever you have doubts about another’s opinion, change ends with them for a while and see, or in this case experience, things from their end!

The Difference Between Knowledge And Wisdom.

Found this little Gem in the Text Talk section of the Letters pages in The Melbourne Herald Sun on July 8th. It simply states that” knowledge is knowing that tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is knowing not to put it fruit salad.”
Thanks Clinton from Hawthorn for that brilliant illustration. Although very simple I found this illustration very illumination, because it shows that just having knowledge is simply not enough. No. You also need to the wisdom to know how to use, or as in the above case, not to use that knowledge.
So today’s question for you is, what current knowledge do you have, that you still need the proper wisdom of, in regard to its appropriate, if not proper, usage?

My unique style?

Went swimming back in Oz today, after over a month away. The little bit of Snorkelling I did while away, must have helped my breathing, if not my speed, today, as I swam so much more easily as far as my breathing was concerned. So much so that I was able to swim 800 metres (16 Laps) without having to rest between laps or even touch the end of the pool. And I only stopped then because my swimming partner decided to stop after his 20 laps. (So I am still slower than him despite my ease in breathing.)
Anyway, as I was turning around in the shallow end without stopping after two laps, I saw someone else getting ready to swim. I did not originally recognise him, but he obviously did me, as he said, “I thought I recognised that unique Style.”
Later when I had finished, I told my swimming partner and the Pool attendant about this friendly dig at me, and they both remarked, “What style?”
So you can see by this, that my length of swimming may have improved but my style and speed hasn’t, and probably never will. But that doesn’t bother me too much as I can still swim further than a lot of other people can.
So today’s lesson is: “Don’t worry if your “style “ is not good enough for anyone else!” As long as it gets you where you want to go safely and comfortably, then be happy with it.
Either that or lash out and take swimming lessons! (Which I don’t intend to do anytime soon!)