Distorted reality

Everywhere we go we are bombarded by images. Images selling a lifestyle. A promise of better life. If only you looked like the gorgeous model on the billboard, your life will be better. Complete. Perfect.

Wrong.

Because that image is fake. It is likely to only bear a passing resemblance to the model.
I, in my advancing years, can recognise this, but a lot of our young, impressionable people don't.

So they have a distorted view of reality. A distorted perception of beauty. And a distorted understanding that they themselves are truly beautiful.

The negative impact of this distorted reality can be lifelong.
80% of 13 year-olds have attempted to diet. Anorexia and bulimia in teens is increasing - and of those that develop anorexia in their teens, only 30% will ever recover fully.
The numbers of teenagers seeking cosmetic surgery has more than tripled since 2003, with some countries reporting that it has increased increased fivefold.

We need to re-empower our youth to love and respect themselves for their natural beauty. Not to aspire to a Photoshop unreality, and damage and mutilate their bodies in trying to achieve it.

Small steps are being made - such as Dove's Campaign for Real Beauty. This video is particularly revealing:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYhCn0jf46U

But it is not enough. The beauty and fashion industries need to take full responsibility. And fast.

Foreign headlines

I travel a lot, and love reading local newspapers for their journalistic style and "interesting" news items.

But nothing I have read on my travels, comes close to this journalistic gem:

From the no-nonsense "bum sex scandal", to the indelicate description of "terrorising his buttocks with monster whopper", and the photo of the alleged victim labelled as "shafted", this is front page reader captivation at its best.

With thanks to the Red Pepper News, Uganda

I was wrong

OK, so the baby food jar carousel display is pointless. But the STUPIDEST baby product ever award really must go to this:
http://www.babybangshairband.com/index2.php
I'm only going to link to the site, not put pictures on here. It would tarnish my blog.

But please excuse me whilst I shout....WHAT THE F*CK?!!
Why, just why?

Oh, according to the marketing blurb it's so your gorgeous baby girl doesn't get mistaken for a boy if she has no hair.
Well dress her in pink then! In a pink pram. With a flashing "I'm a girl" sign.
But please, do not ever resort to sticking a hairpiece on her.
That's just wrong.

Eye in the sky

I lead a busy life. Too much on. Running here, there and everywhere. Chasing my tail. Head down, pound the pavement, catch the train/bus, avoid eye contact with others, focus on destination; move, move, move.

A few days ago I decided to make a change. Just a small change. I decided to look up - at the sky.
It was only 20 seconds or so, but the effect was powerful.

Instant memories: days from my youth, spent lolling around on the grass with friends, looking at the expanse of sky
Instant calmness: the pace of life slowed, to that of a cloud, floating serenely against the pale blue background
Instant humility: the realisation of the scale and beauty of this world

So now, once a day, I make sure I take a few moments to look up at the sky. It grounds me and inspires me.

You should try it.

Is this the stupidest baby product ever?

The baby market is huge, leading to a lot of useless products foist upon naive parents. But surely no-one, but no-one, could ever believe they need this contraption:

I have rather strong views on jarred baby food. There can be a time and a place for them, such as when travelling, but happy as I am to feed myself crap processed food, I think babies should be spared from it as much as possible. And just how hard is it to boil some carrots and potatoes and blend?

Even if you are a lazy arse who uses jars on a regular basis, surely you wouldn't want to advertise the fact by having this on the kitchen counter?

Happy coincidences

I love happy coincidences. Yesterday I was reunited with a former work colleague I had not seen for more than 8 years.

It was a fleeting couple of seconds in a cafe, where she stopped walking and turned around, just as I looked up and crossed her path. Our eyes met, looked quizzically, registered...our arms opened, hugged - "Oh My God! It's you! I can't believe it!"

There was no real reason for me to be at that cafe. It was not planned. We were out shopping. We went into a shop I was planning to go to this week, not on Sunday. On an impulse I suggested we grabbed some food at the cafe there. It was mid-afternoon, not a traditional time to eat, but we decided to go for it. It was also just an hour from the shop closing time, so it turned out there was little food available, leading me to walk the length of the counters, which was where I had that coincidental meeting with E.

E had never even been to this city before - and didn't know I now lived here. She had been on holiday 50 miles away and was flying back from the local arport. But they'd arrived early so decided to do some shopping and get something to eat.

Every logical grain of my brain says this meeting should not have happened. What if....But you weren't planning to.... You never....

But greater forces were at work yesterday, and I'm so glad they were.

Confucian Cynicism

I like Confucius. He's a clever chap. But my respect of him is sometimes overcome by my cynicism. I try to quash it. But I can't.


Choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life.
- But you still might have a bastard commute on the Northern line


If you shoot for the stars and hit the moon, it's OK. But you've got to shoot for something. A lot of people don't even shoot.
- They do in America


Silence is a true friend who never betrays.
- Especially when it’s a silent fart


Everything has beauty but not everyone sees it.
- I take it he hadn’t seen any of these cats


To go beyond is as wrong as to fall short.
- Buzz Lightyear’s a bit fucked then

Blogging here we come

I've decided to blog. Great! My new project. And I will be sooo dedicated to it.
Except I won't. Because I'm lazy.

It has taken me many years to admit this to myself. I think most people who know me will be surprised. But it's true. I am a lazy fecker.

I start most things in a whirlwind. Get stuck right in. Everyone is impressed at my energy. But then I get lazy. And a little bit bored. And stop.

Somehow I have managed to disguise this laziness. Probably because I move on to the next thing with great gusto. So people focus on that, and forget my laziness when it comes to running/painting/cooking/...(insert hobby of choice, ad infinitum)

On the surface I am excited about starting blogging. But I don't hold out much hope for it. I am sure it will start with a flurry of blogs - many a day perhaps - and then wain.

How long til the wilderness of blogs? 3 days? 2 weeks? A month?

But then again, blogging can be done from the sofa. So I can be lazy whilst I do it. Maybe at last I have found a hobby suitable for a lazy arse like me.