People

What a lovely lot of them I've just hung out with, and a great wedding on Waiheke. But what's with all their mosquitos? My feet were eaten alive, and i had blood trickling down my forehead from being bitten there lots too.

So great to be with people dear to me - HiDive and Ingrid, of course. Kiwi, Kathy, Bruce, Jen, Sam, Poppy, Hana, Heather, artist Abbie and meet some kewl new peeps too, eg Stephen the hairdresser, Kirsten (old aquaintance), Monica, that English guy, that Scottish guy, Michelle from Canada/San Fran... etc.

I had the lovely Tatjna and Mistress Polly staying with us there and back. A drizzly, grey Auckland day coincides with returning to earth and having STUFF TO DO.

But i'm mostly happy.

I'm really craving Tuna or Salmon a lot these days, what's with that? *Goes to find can opener*

listening to the distant sound of children playing

Ama et quod vis fac

Having nearly completed Garry Wills' biography of Augustine which I blogged earlier, I agree with the reviewers who say it's not really an introduction. Short it is, but it seems to move at an unclear pace and assumes knowledge of philosophy and theology that a lay person might not have. Having said that, it's well enough written and has been reasonably diverting.

I particularly liked these words of Augustine

Because of various circumstances, we see one man looking harsh because he loves and another looking pleasant because of vice. The father gives a son blows, the whoremonger gives blandishments. Consider them in themselves, blows or blandishments – who wouldn't take the blandishmenst and duck the blows? But look at the motives – they are the blows of love, the blandishments of vice. You see my point, that human acts should be judged by their basis in love. Many things have a surface appearance of good, but are not based on love – like blossoms on a thorn plant. Other things look hard, look forbidding, but they instill a discipline informed by love. Once again, to put it simply: Act as you desire, so long as you act with love. If you are silent, be silent from love. If you accuse, accuse from love. If you correct, correct from love. If you spare, spare from love. Let love be rooted deep in you, and only good can grow from it.

(Interpreting John's Parthian Letter 7.8)


I'm conscious I'm writing on academic topics a lot these days; I must find something trivial to comment on next time. It's blinkin cold tonight ;)

listening to Glad I'm Not A Kennedy | Shona Laing

How Do You Decide Who To Marry?

HOW DO YOU DECIDE WHO TO MARRY? (written by kids)
----------------------------------------
You got to find somebody who likes the same stuff. Like, if you like sports, she should like it that you like sports, and she should keep the chips and dip coming.
-- Alan, age 10
----------------------------------------
No person really decides before they grow up who they're going to marry. God decides it alway before, and you get to find out later who you're stuck with.
-- Kristen, age 10
----------------------------------------
WHAT IS THE RIGHT AGE TO GET MARRIED?
Twenty-three is the best age because you know the person FOREVER by then.
-- Camille, age 10
----------------------------------------
HOW CAN A STRANGER TELL IF TWO PEOPLE ARE MARRIED?
You might have to guess, based on whether they seem to be yelling at the same kids.
-- Derrick, age 8
---------------------------------------
WHAT DO YOU THINK YOUR MOM AND DAD HAVE IN COMMON?
Both don't want any more kids.
-- Lori, age 8
---------------------------------------
WHAT DO MOST PEOPLE DO ON A DATE?
Dates are for having fun, and people should use them to get to know each other. Even boys have something to say if you listen long enough.
-- Lynnette, age 8
----------------------------------------
On the first date, they just tell each other lies and that Usually gets them interested enough to go for a second date.
-- Martin, age 10
----------------------------------------
WHAT WOULD YOU DO ON A FIRST DATE THAT WAS TURNING SOUR?
I'd run home and play dead. The next day I would call all the newspapers and make sure they wrote about me in all the dead columns.
-- Craig, age 9
----------------------------------------
WHEN IS IT OKAY TO KISS SOMEONE?
When they're rich.
-- Pam, age 7
----------------------------------------
The law says you have to be eighteen, so I wouldn't want to mess with that.
- - Curt, age 7
----------------------------------------
The rule goes like this: If you kiss someone, then you should marry them and have kids with them. It's the right thing to do.
-- Howard, age 8
----------------------------------------
IS IT BETTER TO BE SINGLE OR MARRIED?
It's better for girls to be single but not for boys. Boys need someone to clean up after them.
-- Anita, age 9
----------------------------------------
HOW WOULD THE WORLD BE DIFFERENT IF PEOPLE DIDN'T GET MARRIED?
There sure would be a lot of kids to explain, wouldn't there?
-- Kelvin, age 8
----------------------------------------
And the #1 Favorite is........

HOW WOULD YOU MAKE A MARRIAGE WORK?
Tell your wife that she looks pretty, even if she looks like a truck.
-- Ricky, age 10

Posted on the BLJ forum. Classic!

Getting better slowly, drinking Jack Daniels (yuck! why don't i have vodka in the house?) and taking vitamins. I don't know if I will have the energy to make my 2 DJ commitments tonight. Anyone out there want to massage my achey back?

Girls Are So Like This

listening to The Mercy Cage | Hymn 0.1

The Dangers of Love

Moved rooms into my new separate bedroom and STUDIO! I LOVE it. Speaking of love, my old flatmates left this on the wall. No idea where it's from. I'm gonna leave it there.

To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to be sure of keeping your heart intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully around with hobbies and little luxuries. Avoid all entanglements with others. Lock it up safe in the casket or the coffin of your selfishness, but in that cold casket, safe dark, motionless, airless, it will change; it will not be broken, it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. The only place out of heaven where you can be perfectly safe from all of the dangers of love, is hell.

listening to Sneaky Alien | The Lesson (Deep mix) on VINYL. I have decks set up to DJ again for the first time in nearly three years :D