Archives for February 2008

The internet is a wonderful thing! If nothing else, it provides me with an amazing stream of useless but entertaining information.

The BookSeller Magazine is now accepting votes for the 2007 Diagram Prize for Oddest Book Title of the Year. Here are the titles that made the cut:

• I Was Tortured By The Pygmy Love Queen
• How to Write a How to Book
• Are Women Human?: And Other International Dialogues
• Cheese problems solved
• If You Want Closure in Your Relationship, Start with Your Legs
• People who Mattered in Southend and Beyond: From King Canute to Dr Feelgood

There were some that didn’t quite make it, but almost did:

• Drawing and Painting the Undead
• Stafford Pageant: The Exciting Innovative Years 1901–1952
• Tiles of the Unexpected: A Study of Six Miles of Geometric Tile Patterns on the London Underground.

I want to go to Barnes and Noble, RIGHT NOW, and look at these books, and touch them to make sure they’re real, and then, if I can muster the guts, open them and take a peek. Oh wait, I can run to Amazon.com! OK guys, see ya! I’m off to find out if women are human!

Oh, and you can go and cast your vote for the oddest title at http://www.thebookseller.com//

“HOPE” is the thing with feathers–
That perches in the soul–
And sings the tune without the words–
And never stops — at all–

And sweetest — in the Gale — is heard–
And sore must be the storm–

That could abash the little Bird
That kept so many warm–

I’ve heard it in the chillest land–
And on the strangest Sea–
Yet, never, in Extremity,
It asked a crumb — Of Me.

Emily Dickinson (1861)

I’m not in the habit of consuming energy drinks, except for the odd Red Bull (thanks Jim for the habit). This evening I drank an energy drink, I don’t even remember what it was called, but I was feeling pretty tired and I had stuff to do and it said “energy drink” – what an understatement!!

WOW! I am so wired I feel like I’m bouncing off the walls! I’m talking real fast and I think kinda loud too, and I’m making it from one room to the other in record speed. As for dinner, that didn’t last on my plate for even 2 minutes… I’m even typing fast.

Am I ever having that energy drink again… nooooo, I don’t think so. Good thing I don’t remember what it was called huh?

And this was a totally useless post, wasn’t it?

I’ve been thinking a lot about how afraid we are to make mistakes. Life takes courage, and I think the reason that many of us live mundane and ordinary lives, (not that there’s anything wrong with that), is that we’re inordinately afraid of making mistakes, of messing up, of looking stupid.

So many times I contemplate doing things, I have all these great ideas (at least I think they’re great), and I can see all these possibilities. But when it’s time to jump in and do it, I start thinking about it, and about all the things that could potentially go wrong, and I slowly but surely think myself out of it.

I often say to those around me “Life is too short, just live it”. I use this logic when something happens that makes me want to sit around and mope (like not getting my immigration paperwork yet… grrrr!!), or when I feel like getting pissed off about something and blowing a gasket. It works really well for keeping me calm, but now I need to start using the same logic that life is too short to motivate me to just jump in and do things and not be afraid of making mistakes.

Life really is too short to live it on the fringes because we’re afraid to make mistakes. So who cares that you can’t dance and you’ll look like a fool, jump on the dance floor and dance anyway. So what if they turn you down and don’t give you the grant, apply anyway. So what if your project flops completely, do it anyway. So what if she refuses to go out with you, ask her anyway. So what if she laughs in your face, tell her you love her anyway. So what if you fall flat on your face… you’ll get up and keep going. True courage is not in never failing, but in trying and trying again. The universe has a way of righting itself, and staying on course. No matter what mistakes you make, things will work themselves out. The tragedy of life is in never trying. There’s nothing worse to take the grave with you than regret.

So come on, make a mistake with me.

If you’re familiar with country music you’ll know that I took the title of this post from the song by Brad Paisley – Make A Mistake With Me. Reason is because today is my Brad Paisley day and I was just listening to that song.