D.A. Cairns's Blog, page 60

Fearlessly Fragile

I feel strange today. My senses are a knife with a dull blade, my eyes peer out through foggy glass, my tongue tastes shadows of flavour, faint aromas fail to arrest my attention. If I really knew what, or who myself was, I would say that I am not feeling myself today.

I'm achievement oriented; a big fan of 'to do' lists, a planner and a thinker. My down time from work is often filled with reflection and imagination. I envision the future I want, and I spend considerable energy trying to figure out how to get it, how to make it mine. I guess I am not unusual in my desire to maintain some degree of control over this crazy messed up thing called life.

Some days it's a piece of cake. I'm well organised and energetic. Decisive and productive. But in the words of Chris Cornell "Some days it ain't so easy." Some days I really flounder. Some days I feel like Samson, other days like a dandelion. The slightest puff  of a breeze can destroy me, the most insignificant of obstacles or distractions can render me useless.

I am okay with my weakness. Really. In fact, I believe that the strongest people are those who admit their weakness, who acknowledge their faults and who ask for help. As I Lay Dying wrote a song called Upside Down Kingdom. The chorus says:
"Simplicity is not a curse where strength is humbled and the powerless rise. This is a kingdom born upside down. This is a kingdom where the broken are crowned."


Have you embraced your weakness and accepted the fact that control is an illusion? 

Broken Egg in Nest photograph by Brian J Krummel http://scannography.org/artists/krumm...

Lost in the Twittersphere

I thought Facebook was addictive but it pales in comparison with Twitter. Twitter isn't new, but I'm always behind the times. The only cutting edge I am a familiar with is my MiracleBlade knife, (it slices beautifully without undue force.) I am a newly hatched chick discovering the Twittersphere, hopping around, tweeting, and learning what I can about how to use this terrific communication tool: social media. What a modern wonder.

As a writer, I am told by those who know, that if I am not tweeting then I am barking mad. What do I say and how often should I say it, and to whom? And who should I follow? How do I make Twitter work for me instead of enslaving me with promises of popularity? There are lots of people offering advice on how to get the most out of Twitter. How do I decide which pieces of advice to heed and which to reject? If I encounter conflicting nuggets of wisdom, how do I choose between them? How many people need to say the same thing before I can accept it as gospel? Fumble, bumble, somebody turn on the light please. Credibility is an issue. Authority is an issue. I need to consider what I want to achieve - that's a piece of cake but how do  I get there? Which ferry will take me to the other side? Or do they all travel to the same place but use different routes? I just don't know. It could be me. My lack of technical nous and my paucity of social media experience has me floundering in the Twittersphere. How am I going to break through the noise and be heard?

I know one thing for sure: popularity is not necessarily a refection on quality. Whether my writing is popular has very little to do with how good it is. It is very good actually, in case you were wondering. An average singer came second on X Factor and won a recording contract while better singers were eliminated from the show because they didn't receive enough votes. People get more likes on Facebook for pictures of their bellybuttons than they do for saying something intelligent or thought provoking. Sometimes Facebook makes me despair for humanity. There's a YouTube video featuring ducks crossing a road which has been seen by millions of people. Popularity is a weird beast, and in the Twittersphere, excellence does not seem to count for more than a hill of baked beans which give you gas. I may be lost but I'll keep trying to find my way through the maze. I am a work in progress. Tweet! Tweet!

A final thought, a question: Who Tweets more? People who care about what others think, or people who don't?

My Penis is the Dark Knight

I went to buy some boxer shorts recently. I like to sleep in boxer shorts for obvious reasons. Also for obvious reasons I am not especially concerned with their appearance. Very few people get to see me in my boxer shorts so it doesn't really matter what colour they are or what slogan is printed on them. What I should say is that it shouldn't matter what is printed on them, but apparently it does bother me. Some of the words I have read on boxer shorts (in stores and on line, not on bodies) disturb me. Here I am blogging about it, so what does that tell you? That I'm a prude who is obsessed with trivialities?


[image error] Maybe I don't have a sense of humour. 
Let's try some out, what do you think?
Rise and Shine (giggle). Handle with care (titter) Yes, I'm happy to see you (snicker) Go ahead make my day (tee hee) I've got a Big Banana (chortle), Danger Big Load (guffaw) Satisfaction Guaranteed (rolling on the floor), and my favourite, The Dark Knight Rises.(hysteria)

Is it just me,or are there too many double entendres here? An oversupply of references to penises and erections? I mean, I do get erections but I don't feel the need to advertise them, and although I have a penis, I am not going to start calling it the Dark Knight. It's all a bit much, isn't it?

What do you think? Double entendres on boxer shorts? Comical or crass? Amusing or embarrassing?