Very American

In a recent blog (“Pardon my Whatever”, which was a follow on blog from my previous, “Pardon My Xhosa / French”) I commented on a reply from my oldest younger sister in response to my original post, where she replied with: ““Pardon my French or whatever”? “Whatever” now is usually used in a derivative/ derogative way. It really means I don't care. Very American!”
Now I replied to her full comment in the “Pardon my Whatever” blog, so here I just want to address the comment: “Very American!”
Now as an Australian, I can understand why we sometimes (and often rightly so), get upset at any foreign (and not just American) invasion of our Language and Culture. But at the same time, I certainly don’t think that everything Foreign, or worse, American, is per se` wrong or corrupting.
So I have two pleas for you today, whether you live in Australia like me or in any Country other than America.
The first is please don’t reject anything, just because it is foreign or worse “American”. Again please accept or reject everything on its merit and worth to you.
Secondly, and to those Aussies out there that feel I should have used another non-American word instead of the one (whatever) that I did use to close of my original blog, please tell me what Aussie word I should have used? Thank you!

Pardon my “Whatever”.

In a recent blog (Pardon My Xhosa / French.) I concluded with the following statement:
“Which finally brings us to our point today. Whether in French, Xhosa, any of the thousands of other languages currently in the world, or even in modern idiom, what words or expressions are you currently using, that the people that you are speaking to have no clue, what you are saying and by rights you too should be saying, “Pardon my French or whatever”? Over to you for now.”
Now there, I thought I had expressed the point I intended to get across quite clearly, but evidently not as I quickly received the following reply from my oldest younger sister. Where she replied with: ““Pardon my French or whatever”? “Whatever” now is usually used in a derivative/ derogative way. It really means I don't care. Very American!”
And to which I replied: “Wasn’t meant that way at all. In fact when I read your comment I wondered where it came from. My 'whatever" was meant as shorthand for "whatever other recognized spoken language" I might have used instead. But thanks for your comment as it again shows that what one means, is not always what others see/hear/read!”
So, with that for background, if my original blog confused or mislead you in any way, please pardon my “Whatever”?
In the meantime what are some other examples of misunderstood messages do you have?
Or even better, what are some other modern idioms that you either use a lot or just drive you crazy or ‘whatever’?

Over the top with the sledgehammer I think.

Recently posted a blog (How heavy is my sledgehammer?) about a 12 pound sledge hammer that I had bought previously, only to find later that it was a little heavier than I would have preferred. In response to that blog, I received this reply from a former South African friend now living in Scotland:
“This brought back another thought. In 1969, I worked with a lady, whose husband had been in a serious car accident, and due to this, she always carried in her car a 10 Pound Sledge hammer, when I enquired what was the reason, she replied "for anyone who hits me this will be my response"”
To which I replied: “Thanks for that. When in S A ourselves and after I had my car stolen, it was concluded that I could get a better choice, deal and quality replacement car, up in Johannesburg, where we already had a contact. Unfortunately Jo-burg was some 900 kms away from us and me with no car and no reliable/safe Public transport to get there however. Fortunately, I found a safe ride up there with someone going beyond Jo-burg. Not so fortunately, I had to wait a little while on the side of a busy road for our friend up there, to pick me up, a thought which I wasn't totally happy with. Fortunately it was winter and I had a big Overcoat that I was able to comfortably carry, yet keep concealed, a 10 oz. Ballpeen Hammer. Which I then later always carried in the car for the rest of our years in South Africa, handy in case I ever needed it for Totsies (local word for thieves & larrikins! ) Fortunately, I never did.

Now, I think a 10 ounce hammer, carried for self-defence is one thing! But a 10 pound sledge hammer carried for retaliation for car accidents, is way, way over the top, I think! Don’t you?
What are some unusual, if not downright strange things that have you heard of being carried for self-defence?

Civet Coffee anyone?

In a recent Blog “Junket, Rennet and You”. I briefly mentioned coffee made from Coffee beans that have passed literally through the digestive system of Civets, and is greatly prized for its flavour.
According to Wikipedia, “Kopi luwak (Malay pronunciation: [ˈkopi ˈlu.aʔ]), or civet coffee, is one of the world's most expensive and low-production varieties of coffee. It is made from the beans of coffee berries which have been eaten by the Asian Palm Civet (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus) and other related civets, then passed through its digestive tract.[1] A civet eats the berries for their fleshy pulp. In its stomach, proteolytic enzymes seep into the beans, making shorter peptides and more free amino acids. Passing through a civet's intestines the beans are then defecated, keeping their shape. After gathering, thorough washing, sun drying, light roasting and brewing, these beans yield an aromatic coffee with much less bitterness, widely noted as the most expensive coffee in the world.
Kopi luwak is produced mainly on the islands of Sumatra, Java, Bali and Sulawesi in the Indonesian Archipelago, and also in the Philippines (where the product is called motit coffee in the Cordillera and kape alamid in Tagalog areas) and also in East Timor
Its history of discovery is also very interesting.”
Again according to Wikipedia, “The origin of Kopi Luwak is closely connected with the history of Coffee production in Indonesia. In early 18th century The Dutch established the cash-crop plantations in their colony in Dutch East Indies islands of Java and Sumatra, including Arabica coffee introduced from Yemen. During the era of Cultuurstelsel (1830—1870), the Dutch prohibited the native farmers and plantation workers to pick coffee fruits for their own use. Yet the native farmers desired to have a taste of the famed coffee beverage. Soon the natives learned that certain species of musang or luwak (Asian Palm Civet) consumed these coffee fruits, yet they left the coffee seeds undigested in their droppings. The natives collect these Luwak's dropping coffee seeds; clean, roast and grind it to make coffee beverage.[2] The fame of aromatic civet coffee spread from locals to Dutch plantation owners and soon become their favorites, yet because of its rarity and unusual process, the civet coffee was expensive even in colonial times.”
Well now you know about Civit coffee, how would you like to try it? If you do, I know of one place in Australia where you can! (There are probably more, but I do know where this one is.)
In a rural café on the Hills outside of Townsville, there is a café there that boasts that it sells Civit coffee. No I haven’t tried it! I would, just to be able to say I have, but at $50 a cup, I decided I can do without that boasting point! (After all the name is Willy not silly!) Actually it is neither but it does start with a “W”!) What about you and Ciet Coffee? Would you pay $50* for a cup of Coffee? Really?
*That was last year’s price probably dearer now!

Think carefully before you speak

In an August 2010 blog called, “Not well”, I concluded with this statement and challenge:
“Just a little reminder to all here, and especially myself, that next time, before I speak, I stop, think and mean what I say! Will you try that too? Good for you! “
To which my good American blogger mate, wrote: “My aunt always said it was rude to say anything else - that no one REALLY wanted to know.”
To which I replied: “Also very true ******. And relevant too, as I once knew a man you never asked how he was, for he would literally take 15 minutes to tell you. And believe me, after you heard it once, you didn't really get anything new. So you learnt to choose your words very carefully around him. And that was what I was trying to achieve with this blog. I was just trying to show how trite some things have become to us and how often we tritely and unthinkingly respond. After all, I could have said anything other than that I was well. I could have said something like, "doing okay i guess". Or as a late great friend used to say, "Suffering in silence!" And He did!”
Yes although he did suffer greatly in his later years, he never bothered you with the details, unless you really wanted to know, and asked specifically. That was him but what about you and me? Yes, although I know I am getting a little personal here, I can’t help asking you, how much care to you take before speaking?
Well must be off now, but would love to have your thoughts on the subject.

Iron sharpens Iron

A while back I wrote to my American blogger friend expressing thanks for her comments on my blogs and how they had sometimes led to further blogs of mine.
In reply she wrote: “Always - and remember, you inspired quite a few of mine!”
To which I replied: “You are quite right again. As I think I long ago put in a blog and certainly as the Bible says, "Iron sharpens Iron'. Although some people annoy the heck out of us, we need other people to knock our rough edges off and to sharpen us, otherwise we just become duller and duller and less and less useful. Both to ourselves and to others.
So go out there today and sharpen someone (But gently) and let them sharpen you in return. (This may even end up in a new blog too If we are not careful.)”
Well it finally has made its way into a blog, and all I wish to add now, is to ask you if you know and realize who is your iron, and is sharpening you; and who you are also sharpening in return?
For all of us, whether for good or for bad, have an effect on those we come into contact with. So let your contact with others be good and see if you can’t sharpen one another rather than just dulling your / their edge.
Again and as I said above to my friend, go out and sharpen someone, and preferably someone who really needs sharpening, but again, please do it gently. Please?

You never know who will …

When our current property was bought, not too many years ago, there was an above ground swimming pool on it. A pool that we quickly found out, had no permit or proper pool fencing. We found this out because the man responsible at the local shire, saw the property advertised with a pool and quickly checked to see if it had a proper fence. Which it didn’t, but since then, things have been done to comply with his instructions. However when someone else had to sign off on the end result, we found that some of the things previously acceptable, were now not so and more work needed to be done on making the fence acceptable. All of which didn’t make us too happy about certain inspectors!
Anyway, a few e-mails changed hands with the new inspector, as we got things again up to scratch. Now although I have been very sporadic lately with my Blog postings, on the bottom of my e-mails I have a permanent message pointing to my Blog site where I also post these messages for the general public. Anyway the other day, the Inspector, a lovely chap by the way, came out for another inspection. And during the course of conversation, he mentioned that he had checked out some of my Blog postings and found them “Funny”.
Now I had not thought of it before hand but had I, I would not have thought that he would have been inclined to be checking out my Blog site, (Nor that were they particularly funny either!)
So, it was a good thing that I had not written anything bad about him on it wasn’t it? Not that there has been anything bad to write about him, but it did make me think about these open forums: like Blog sites, Face book, etc, and the need for us to always be careful of what we say, as we really do not know, who may “check them out”, nor how far down the track either, when our thoughts or ideas, may have changed or been modified by then.
So today’s lesson is, to not only be careful what you say and do, but to be even more careful about what you put down in print and in open forums. Your views please?

Think after you speak too!

In response to my blog “Think before You Speak,” I received the following response from my American friend in South Africa: ”I'm not sure that once you have made a decision you have to stick with it. I think it is often a sign of pride. I can think of instances where people in authority stubbornly held to decisions even when faced with the facts that showed that the decision was ridiculous. Why not simply admit that in light of the new information you have decided to make a change?”
Actually, I couldn't agree more with my friends comment. However that is dealing with the problem after the event. My blog was an attempt to get us all to think more carefully before making each and any decision. If that were done more often, there would be fewer occasions where we would need to correct ourselves. Which, as my friend implies, does occur more often now, than we would like.
So, as the topic is now on the table, is there some area in your life right now where you not only need to, but should re-evaluate your initial decision, even to the point of humbling yourself and saying, that in light of new information, you have decided to make a change?”
Again I thank my friend for his input on the topic. And if you have something you would also like to comment on or even correct, please feel free to do so.

A Tad Too simplistic, perhaps?

In my previous Blog, I asked the question, “Are You A Tad Over Melodramatic Too?” Even though I was asking about yourself, I did also offer some simple advice on how to deal with such people when you come across them. However, in keeping my advice simple, I have over compensated somewhat, as has been pointed out to me by someone who has been in the business longer than me. So to correct my over simplistic advice from yesterday, I offer His advice to you with my complete endorsement and appreciation.
“Hi Walter: This goes to the heart of a philosophy (or theology) of pastoral care. There is much that could be said and I will try not to do that.
The caricature of pastoral care is the Catholic priest saying to the newly pregnant 15 year old, "I know how you feel!"
I am sure you will know that this is wrong and unhelpful. Empathy - which you hint at by saying 'Don't laugh at them.' is certainly the right first response. However, moving too quickly to "try and show that there are worse situations than that, that they could be in etc." insults their intelligence and mostly shows you are not listening well enough to them. You are more likely to be on about your own agenda, which is probably that you are uncomfortable at their pain or too busy laughing at their perceived stupidity to care properly.
Here endeth the lesson! Cheers: ***”
As we both pointed out clearly, we do have to take their responses seriously, and to listen to them fully, but eventually, we will have to try and move them on, even if not as quickly as my original simplistic view indicated. As My friend correctly pointed out, our agenda has to be in helping them get through and over their perceived problem as quickly and as painlessly as possible, and not for any other reason; and certainly not from any personal agenda. What say you now?

Are our efforts ever wasted?

Recently did a couple of Blogs about job attraction. One was “what Draws you to a Job” and the other, "Architects & Hey Dad". In those blogs I took, first the negative and then the positive aspects of choosing your future profession based on what one sees depicted of it on TV. There, my emphasis and in both posts, was that even when positive, one should always check a career move out with much more care than simply taking what one sees on TV as real reality. Still wise advice I believe, however Anyway I received some comments from my oldest, but not older, sister in regard to my comments on, "Architects & Hey Dad", that has prompted me to look again at this issue and address two issues that she raised from it.

I already addressed the first one in my previous blog, under “How Well Can One Know A future Profession In Advance?” So here I will now attempt to address her second main comment here. Which was/is:

“Also I have come to believe that no time spent studying or working in a field that "is not for you” is ever really wasted. Something new is always learnt even it is only learning to be involved with others in your field, and that it is not want you want to do or be. It can make things clearer in what you might really want to do. Its really on how you look at it! Half full or half empty.”

Again a very true point, and one I couldn’t agree more with from the view that we can and in fact should, learn something from every new experience, even the Bad. However I still think it better, if not best to learn from other’s bad mistakes, rather than to make them yourself.

So if you have made a wrong choice somewhere along the line in the past, certainly learn from it, but also learn to be more careful and selective in future, so that you can learn, without the personal cost of time and effort and even pain, and choose something that will hopefully teach your more and nicer lessons at a much reduced coast of time and effort.

Our lives are short enough as they are, not to waste time from making obvious wrong choices. Goodness knows we make enough as it is without the need to find more through what is often just a little lack of extra research and activity first on our part, isn’t it?
So to answer my opening title, "Are our efforts ever wasted?" The short answer is no, but!

No, no effort can truly be judged as wasted, but they can be, and often are, judged as not a valuable use of resources and time, when other/better/ more practical options could/should have been used.

So again I urge you whether it be with a prospective new job, or house purchase, or any other significant life change, do some research first, learn from the mistakes of others, and if you do have to make mistakes, try and make new ones so that others can benefit from your bad experiences without unnecessarily making them their own. Well that’s my view! What’s yours?

How Well Can One Know A future Profession In Advance?

Recently did a couple of Blogs about job attraction. One was “what Draws you to a Job” and the other, "Architects & Hey Dad".

In these two blogs I took separately, first the negative and then the positive aspect of choosing your future profession based solely from what you see depicted of it on TV.

However my emphasis in both posts was that even when positive, one should always check a career move out with much more care than simply taking what you see on TV as ‘real reality’. Still wise advice I believe. Anyway, I received the following comment from my oldest, but not older, sister in regard to my comments on, "Architects & Hey Dad".

“You do have a point but I beg to differ about how well you may check some occupations out, it really comes down to what it is like in the real world. What you see some times is not what it is really all about. Some times it can come down to who you work with and where. Saying that one occupation is always a particular way is unrealistic a lot depends on depends on how you think as in the way you do things. Some personalities are more suitable for a particular job but you may not be that type of person and be brilliant in that profession. Interestingly some positions do the theory long before the practical and you can be great in one part and not the other, so how do you choose?? Also I have come to believe that no time spent studying or working in a field that "is not for you' is ever really wasted. Something new is always learnt even it is only learning to be involved with others in your field, and that it is not want you want to do or be. It can make things clearer in what you might really want to do. Its really on how you look at it! Half full or half empty.”
She makes some very good points here and two major ones in particular and so I will respond to the first now and address the second in another blog.

The first question to be addressed in this discussion in my humble opinion is not what is the best Profession to be in or even what profession are you best suited for, but in fact the real question is what is the best Profession for you?

As my sister rightly says, “What you see some times is not what it is really all about. Some times it can come down to who you work with and where. Saying that one occupation is always a particular way is unrealistic a lot depends on depends on how you think as in the way you do things. Some personalities are more suitable for a particular job but you may not be that type of person and be brilliant in that profession.”

Some times it is indeed the people you work with that can make your job “heaven or hell” so to speak, but that said, it is also common knowledge that certain jobs attract certain types of people and if you know that your personality cannot cope with that type of person then you should seriously not consider that career. Again if you are set in your ways on how things are to be done, then jobs that require a lot of regimentation are not for you.

Yes I know that there will always be some “Blankety Blank” people wherever you go, but that is sadly a fact of life that we all have to live with and if you struggle with that then you have to look for career opportunities where that type of personality, is not dominant.

Also, although some jobs encourage one type of personality, that doesn’t mean everyone is like that and it is possible for you to sometimes choose an employer where not everyone is like that. Which is why I harp back on my original point of doing your research a bit more carefully at the start, if you have that option.

I close with the reminder that while my blogs are meant to be simple and usually only address one side of a discussion, I do acknowledge that nothing in life is ever really simple, and that there are many variables and alternatives. However in my blogs, I try to present simple views, with the hope/wish that they will encourage you the reader to a further and a more fuller study on the subject. As such I also appreciate your input and views too and like with my sister’s comments, these often inspire other blogs, so thanks for your input. Whether it be past or future. Walter.

Made a mistake somewhere.

A little while back, I posted what was my 500^th Blog. I noted at that time that it was no big deal to me and it wasn’t. Still I had actually started to write that particular blog some 8 or 9 months earlier when I mistakenly thought I was quickly approaching that mark. I wasn’t! I was only approaching the 300 mark but I had received notification, not from my blog site, but from my blog’s statistical site, stating I was approaching the 500 mark and had to make a financial decision. Apparently there, you get an allocation for 500 hits to be recorded, and after that you have to either pay for more space, or have the oldest ones deleted to keep the figure at 500.

As I misunderstood the difference between the two sites, I thought I was filling up an allocated free limit on my blog site and had to make a decision whether to “Buy “ extra space at “so much” a month, so that I could continue to post my regular blogs.

Now there were also some other options too, of course.

1. I could have just stopped with my blogs.

2. I could have started another free site.

3. Or I could have just continued adding to that one, but when I did, the oldest one would be deleted, thus keeping the number at 500.

It was that option that I had decided to choose before I realized that I had made a big, big mistake, and didn’t have to make any such choice ever.

The above just shows that we all make mistakes and so we all always need to be careful in what we say and do before we actually act, to avoid making more serious mistakes, don’t we?

However, even though I didn’t have to make a choice based on limitations that time, there are many times in life isn’t there, where there are limits and restrictions on what we can and can’t do, and that we will always need to be constantly re-assessing and adjusting all that we do.

At least that is what we should always be doing, but some of us get stuck in ruts don’t we? So, how are you ‘traveling’ at the moment? Even if you are going with the flow, are you still moving at a pace of your own choosing and in the direction that you are choosing, or are you either stuck in a rut, or worse just being tossed this way and that by the world?

Maybe now is the time for you to just stop for a second or two, to assess your options? There may be even more than you think, just like there may have been more options for my blog site that the four I had noted. It is not that important how many there actually, are but that you find the right one for you. And finding it then put it into action. What say you?

Do You Judge Or Decide On looks Or On Qualifications?

Recently, in response to a comment on the American Presidential Race taking on a negative racial bias, I posted a blog that asked, “Are People Really Racist Or Just Scared Of The Unknown Quantity?” To which I received a couple of rather different responses. I have already shared the first view and now share the second. This is my American friend Lynx’s view on the political scene in America. “You know Walter, it's not so much about that, as it is, so many people's refusal to vote for ANYONE of a race or gender SOLELY based on that one characteristic. That is indeed the saddest part. After 232 years of wars and infighting for individual rights, we still haven't gotten beyond skin color. I'm not saying I'm pro-Obama or pro-McCain. I'm merely saying that we as Americans (and anyone in a democratic-voting nation) need to judge candidates based on qualifications, not things they were born being. We shall see how this "competition" changes us as a country and the entire world before too long. I can only hope it isn't a step backward.

Now you are right though too. A lot of the more "rural" folks, especially those who have rarely if ever visited a big, culturally diverse city, are usually not as "racist" as one would deem them. They just don't know how to approach something or someone so radically different from them.”

Now my original blog was actually in response to a comment from America about whether people would or would not vote for Barak Obama because He was black. My response took the view that many people were not really racist but were afraid of people who were different and that they usually needed time to get to know people who were obviously different to them before they will trust them. This little rule crosses all racial boundaries and covers the differences between young and old educated and un-educated and even between Locals and Outsiders. I was taking the view that the whole Obama thing was probably more that he was new and untested and an outsider rather than just a black and white issue.

Although I am sure that a small minority will most definitely take that view. However I was talking about the vast majority and not a few narrow minded bigots that you find in all races and creeds, which I also believe may be loud but still small in actual numbers when the vote is counted.

However that aside and I may turn out to be totally wrong here (as usual), but I believe that Obama will not win the Presidency this time around. Not because of skin colour, but only because people need time to get to know where He really stands. I believe it is the fact that He has not yet been “Blooded" into real politics and not His skin colour, that will stop him this time, but expect him to be the winner next time around, mainly because of the strengths gained from this election.

Thus I don’t believe that a loss now will really be because of his skin colour, or many people’s racial blindness and hatred, but because of his inexperience and untestedness. And one should not confuse that reason as being racial or racist. Well that’s my say. What’s yours?

How To Make Unknown Quantities into Known Quantities?

Recently I posted a blog that asked, “Are People Really Racist Or Just Scared Of The Unknown Quantity?” To which I received a couple of rather different responses. Here I will share the first and later, in another post, will share the other. Both add interesting insights into a very complex matter, that I can only touch on in my blogs, so thanks to all for your input into my thoughts and blogs. Anyway here is the first and I quote, “Hi Walter, Well I think I am in a position to comment on your little article and I have to agree with you because most people no matter who or what they are, turn out to be just like us in most respects. As you can imagine I have a lot to do with Chinese people and find them to be extremely nice people, (of course the fact that they are Christians helps a lot) but generally speaking they are terrific. I will give you a better example. Years ago when I was working for an English company here in Melbourne, we had a young German fellow start work with us. He was very reserved and everybody said he was a hard-nosed Kraut. I actually went out of my way to befriend him and used to go and sit with him for lunch. He turned out to be an extremely nice, but sensitive young man. He was frightened that being in an English company he would be looked down on by the other workers, (a hang over from WWII) and hence the reason for his withdrawal from the rest. We are still friends to this day but unfortunately I seldom see or hear from him because he bought a farm up near Wangaratta and he is kept very busy. If I had not taken the trouble to make the first move and let him know that he could be my friend, he would probably have gone on being lonely and dissatisfied with his job, but he blossomed and became a good worker for the company. ****” This is just a reminder that a person’s actions and motivations, may not necessarily be the same as we judge them and like this German, instead of being proud or arrogant and just another hard nosed "Kraut", was in fact a rather timid, shy and intimidated person and was only withdrawing into his shell as a form of protection and self-preservation.

That is not to say that one won’t occasionally come across some genuine hard-nosed “Krauts” of all races and nationalities, but that we should always judge each person individually and not collectively. And also that we should always do our best to get to know the true “Inner” person before we do judge too. What say you”? Either to my friend or to me?

Do You Really Know What You Are Doing, When You Say You Do?

I ask this question in light of the following story I received in reply to one of my Blogs. This is the story as related to me:

“Hi Walter: A little story that perhaps has some relevance to what you wrote. Some years back I worked for a man and he was walking past Melford Motors when they were in the Victoria Market end of Elizabeth St in the city. He stopped and saw in the window this gigantic great Ford Fairlane. It was around the very early sixties and most people would remember these cars as juggernauts. However, he fell in love with this car and decided he had to have it. Being not strapped for cash he went into the showroom and said to the salesman, "I have to have that car." The salesman said. "Okay but you'll have to wait until we get some more stock because that is the only one we have." He used to walk past the place often and stand there drooling like a kid looking in a lolly shop window just to make certain that 'his' car was still there.

Finally the day arrived when they rang him to say that he could come and pick up his car. At this point I should tell you that he was driving a Morris Minor. Not much difference to the Fairlane!!!! At any rate the salesman asked him if he had ever driven an automatic and of course he hadn't. They let him drive it around the block a few times and then he said he was okay. He started from Melford Motors and did a U-turn in Elizabeth Street and went down the service lane heading towards Victoria Street where he wished to make a left turn. When he arrived there the lights were against him as a Tram was turning from Elizabeth St into Victoria St. As the tram was passing in front of him he thought that the motor had stopped because he couldn't hear it. He blipped the throttle, (and yes you guessed it) he ran his brand new car straight into the side of the tram and that made quite a mess of it.

He arrived back at work less his new toy and with a very pained look on his face. It just goes to show how we can get caught up in something that is strictly material and how we can get chopped down very quickly. ****”

Has anything like that ever happened to you? A time where your pride or arrogance or self-confidence, has actually exceeded your real understanding? This man was lucky in that he only wiped out his car and not himself or someone on the tram.

There is nothing whatsoever wrong in being confident, nor in doing something new. But perhaps he would have been smarter to drive His new car around the suburbs first, to get a real feal for it before tackling the big city itself.

What about you? Don’t let this blog scare you off of doing something new or different but do practise it quietly first before you start to acting like a professional. What say you now?

Are you Generating Anger Or Support?

In my blog Your Say on Humour Verses Violence 2, I posted part of a response from my Musician friend in regards to my earlier Blog, Humour Verses Violence: Your Say?”

Here I would like to respond to a further comment in that same reply where he said, “Like you I think that if the Palestinians did a bit more laughing they might get a lot further but nobody is going to have any sympathy for somebody who bombs innocent civilians.”

Again he makes a very valid point, not just in regard to the Middle east situation, or terrorism in general but also to our everyday lives too. You may not like to agree but he is right when he says, “nobody is going to have any sympathy for somebody who bombs innocent civilians.”

If you want real sympathy and real support you have to earn it with respect and responsibility, not bombs, whether real bombs or simply metaphorical ones.

So, how are you travelling within your own little world right now? Do you think that you are being treated harshly and in need of some sympathy and active support from others around you? Well maybe like the terrorist groups everywhere, you need to stop throwing bombs and start trading civility and respect and see how far that will take you.

Put another way, do you want people to think of you as a Mugabe or a Mandela? One treats his enemies one way and the other treated them with respect and in turn, gained theirs in return, to the point that no one remembers now that he was once a terrorist himself.

So back to you. Are you a Mugabe or a Mandela, and will you give up your violence and bombs to become a Mandela instead of a Mugabe? I have said enough! Over to you now.