Wednesday, July 01, 2009
1st July. Philosophical thoughts.
Today has been a hot lazy day - little to write about.
So today's blog is a little different.
Bill has been getting frustrated with his computer - he bought a new hard drive and took an age to get everything working properly. But with a bit of advice from friend Peter in Wales and a quick download of a Hard Drive set up programme all is now well.
The pedestal fan has been there to keep him cooler.
Ashley is also dealing with computer problems - cause perhaps, probably or definitely by a virus invasion.
He seems much happier this afternoon after finding a web site of people in New Hampshire who have helped him and continue to support him.
This is how he expressed his day on facebook.
Ashley Monk is, for the first time in weeks, feeling a bit better about this machine. There are total grotbags who create all the malware. But there are also some wonderful people who are prepared to spend time, for no payment, helping you to get rid of it and keep clear(er) of it. We might not be there yet but I think progress has been made in the last hour. E minor will be glad if it means she doesn't lose her games.
I introduced the nom de plume E minor for Ekatarina a while back when I was not sure how much he wanted her name in a semi public domain. It seems to have stuck.
Liz (Elizabeth) is of course is E major.
And so to my day - some of it was spent reading in the sunshine out in the garden.
Can you see what I am reading?
It is Barack Obama's autobiography, first published in 1995.
That man is a really good writer. I am loving to hear his story and also loving his vocabulary and turns of phrase.
The subject ties in with some email bantering bewteen me and Roger yesterday evening.
Which I will share with you and see what others think.
Yes, I know you saw this picture yesterday. I admired the philosophy and encouraged others to feel the same.
Roger was sure he would not be able to change his thinking about some things.
But I take you to task, in totally friendly manner, for the motto. There's an awful lot I can't change but surely I don't have to change the way I think about things. I have zero control over who becomes American President - said to be the most powerful person in the world but had it not been Obama elected - and I still have some time for him, I don't think I'd have changed the way I think about who ever it was. It seems like there's not a lot I can do about my memory and it can annoy me. I suppose I could relax about that.
I now invite you to change the way you think about the racist BNP. Yes of course, they are cuddly, nice men who are just aware that they have been made better and more important than other people who have a different skin colour. Can we really change the way we think about them - and I'm not sure it is in my power to change them. So sorry, it's not a motto I shall take to my heart.
I protested .......
Neil Kinnock once responded to some personal questioning with.....
"Resentment is an extremely bitter diet, and eventually poisonous. I have no desire to make my own toxins," declares Neil Kinnock. Hanging on to anger and resentment is toxic, and the resulting sludge can slowly poison you.
Buddhists are not alone in having this sort of philosophy - you must have heard the Christian prayer....
God grant me the serenity
To accept the things I cannot change;
Courage to change the things I can;
And wisdom to know the difference.
So - no, of course you keep to your own principles and thoughts - and whims, like me!
And you cannot change everything - indeed we can't probably change very much.
The only power we have is to be the one person who has control over how we react to things.
And you know that already - and act on it; most of the time!
And that is how I prefer to organise my thoughts and reactions too - and fail sometimes.
I do feel frustrated when I see people reacting to things in a way that is over the top and building up all sorts of bad feeling.
Relax! Calm down! Let it be - to quote that great philospher, Paul McCartney.
But I can't change other peoples' reactions can I?
And now scroll down to see pictures of the children and their studies - and Bill flirting in Thailand.
So today's blog is a little different.
Bill has been getting frustrated with his computer - he bought a new hard drive and took an age to get everything working properly. But with a bit of advice from friend Peter in Wales and a quick download of a Hard Drive set up programme all is now well.
The pedestal fan has been there to keep him cooler.
Ashley is also dealing with computer problems - cause perhaps, probably or definitely by a virus invasion.
He seems much happier this afternoon after finding a web site of people in New Hampshire who have helped him and continue to support him.
This is how he expressed his day on facebook.
Ashley Monk is, for the first time in weeks, feeling a bit better about this machine. There are total grotbags who create all the malware. But there are also some wonderful people who are prepared to spend time, for no payment, helping you to get rid of it and keep clear(er) of it. We might not be there yet but I think progress has been made in the last hour. E minor will be glad if it means she doesn't lose her games.
I introduced the nom de plume E minor for Ekatarina a while back when I was not sure how much he wanted her name in a semi public domain. It seems to have stuck.
Liz (Elizabeth) is of course is E major.
And so to my day - some of it was spent reading in the sunshine out in the garden.
Can you see what I am reading?
It is Barack Obama's autobiography, first published in 1995.
That man is a really good writer. I am loving to hear his story and also loving his vocabulary and turns of phrase.
The subject ties in with some email bantering bewteen me and Roger yesterday evening.
Which I will share with you and see what others think.
Yes, I know you saw this picture yesterday. I admired the philosophy and encouraged others to feel the same.
Roger was sure he would not be able to change his thinking about some things.
But I take you to task, in totally friendly manner, for the motto. There's an awful lot I can't change but surely I don't have to change the way I think about things. I have zero control over who becomes American President - said to be the most powerful person in the world but had it not been Obama elected - and I still have some time for him, I don't think I'd have changed the way I think about who ever it was. It seems like there's not a lot I can do about my memory and it can annoy me. I suppose I could relax about that.
I now invite you to change the way you think about the racist BNP. Yes of course, they are cuddly, nice men who are just aware that they have been made better and more important than other people who have a different skin colour. Can we really change the way we think about them - and I'm not sure it is in my power to change them. So sorry, it's not a motto I shall take to my heart.
I protested .......
Perhaps it would be better to say change the way you react to things even when you can't change the actual things themselves.
I will never change the way I think about the BNP and maybe if I had the right sort of energy I would set off to change things.
But I don't have that sort of energy.
So I have to accept that I can do nothing to change the BNP and therefore it is better for me not to react in a way that fills me with negativity and resentment
Those sort of feelings are bad for me.
If I had realised that a long time ago I might have been happier as a young adult - all the way until I exploded in 1992!
I will never change the way I think about the BNP and maybe if I had the right sort of energy I would set off to change things.
But I don't have that sort of energy.
So I have to accept that I can do nothing to change the BNP and therefore it is better for me not to react in a way that fills me with negativity and resentment
Those sort of feelings are bad for me.
If I had realised that a long time ago I might have been happier as a young adult - all the way until I exploded in 1992!
Neil Kinnock once responded to some personal questioning with.....
"Resentment is an extremely bitter diet, and eventually poisonous. I have no desire to make my own toxins," declares Neil Kinnock. Hanging on to anger and resentment is toxic, and the resulting sludge can slowly poison you.
Buddhists are not alone in having this sort of philosophy - you must have heard the Christian prayer....
God grant me the serenity
To accept the things I cannot change;
Courage to change the things I can;
And wisdom to know the difference.
So - no, of course you keep to your own principles and thoughts - and whims, like me!
And you cannot change everything - indeed we can't probably change very much.
The only power we have is to be the one person who has control over how we react to things.
And you know that already - and act on it; most of the time!
And that is how I prefer to organise my thoughts and reactions too - and fail sometimes.
I do feel frustrated when I see people reacting to things in a way that is over the top and building up all sorts of bad feeling.
Relax! Calm down! Let it be - to quote that great philospher, Paul McCartney.
But I can't change other peoples' reactions can I?
Roger replied.....
No, that's not muddled feelings. I was trying to find the word that expressed what I thought the motto meant but just couldn't come up with 'react'. Yes of course we can manage how we react to things - or at least we can sometimes. I'm not sure, though, it does any good trying not to feel angry with not only the BNP but also with their ability to influence people.
Do you know what? We are both sounding like our father. Now is that a scary thought?
No, that's not muddled feelings. I was trying to find the word that expressed what I thought the motto meant but just couldn't come up with 'react'. Yes of course we can manage how we react to things - or at least we can sometimes. I'm not sure, though, it does any good trying not to feel angry with not only the BNP but also with their ability to influence people.
Do you know what? We are both sounding like our father. Now is that a scary thought?
I could start to protest a little at the last remark!
No - Roger, you have become like our Dad! That frustrates me just a bit sometimes!
I have just become wiser!
Harry (named after our Dad) understands the best way of living and thinking.
And now scroll down to see pictures of the children and their studies - and Bill flirting in Thailand.
