On Portraiture

 

 

Cluttered Yet Cosy

is inviting to me. Especially when books make up the clutter.

To The Apples Of My Eye, Po and Awa (or, "On Things I J'adore About November")

A few days ago, i went for a walk and there were the most superbly bright fuchsia-coloured wild flowers growing out of a patch of overgrown weeds. This picture i took with my phone doesnt do them any justice, but they look like little spikey pompoms, perfectly bulb-shaped and strangely solid-looking. At the ends of the spikes of the petals are tiny little yellow star-shaped speckles.

I picked the whole bush.

Apparently November blossoms the prettiest, most uniquely exquisite and perfectly delightful things.

Happy 14th (1988) and 16th (1986) of November, pumpkins.
I love you both more than this, that, and everything in between.
x

On I'm A Part-time Space Cadet

Kent said he imagined my happy place to have paper people, balloons, and talking animals in it.

On Irks

I recently read that researchers at Oxford University have ranked the phrase, "I personally", as the 3rd most irritating expression in the English language.

The reason for the ranking was two-fold: It is overused, for one. Secondly, it is redundant.

I personally (ha ha ha) would add a third reason to the list: It is essentially a pompous facade that acts to out-confidence the listener into agreement. Whipping out the old, "Well I personally believe that *insert some typically vague, generalised statement about a usually highly polarised issue here*", is an effective way to subtley diguise a deficit in a logically defendable opinion.

Anyway, what i realised today was that i have my own list of most irritating expressions, and somewhere in the top-half of this list lives the expression, "I love my friends".

The reasons more or less boil down to the same 3 as above. Overused. Redundant. Deficiency-disguising self-assurance (probably).

But the real reason it irks me, i realised today, is cos ,"I love my friends", is the way of the world. Myself included. What's so commendable about loving your friends? Obviously nothing. They're your friends for a reason. One would hope that you love at least them, if noone else.

It's loving those who AREN'T your friends that distinguishes a great person from an average one. And it irks me to think that im average.

On Disclaimers. And stuff

As much as i hate the self-absorbed-ness of "today, i did this" blog posts, i realise mine are increasingly steering that way..... kinda....and stuff.

BUT.

The best advice i've ever heard* is to "write what you know best".

*slight to moderate exaggeration for emphasis purposes