Sophie's Corner of LJ

Watch, listen and learn.  Peace.

This song just about sums up how I'm feeling about things these days.  Just wish the family felt the same way and we could all just pull up stakes and head north.  I can dream, can't I?

Peace.

I absolutely love this skit.  The Brits still have the best sense of humour, hands down. I watch this every now and again - it never gets old. Everytime you think you've seen the last celebrity in the skit, another one pops up.  I have to admit there are a few I don't know, not being a Brit, but the skit still works for me.  Just sharing it here because we all need to laugh more.

Peace.

Dr. Viktor Frankl is a psychiatrist who survived Auschwitz during WW2.  He wrote a book about his experiences which led to the development of his philosophy that the one freedom that man (in the gender neutral sense) retains under all circumstances, even the very worst conditions, is the freedom to choose how they will react to those conditions.  At the core of his work is the idea that finding some meaning in life, something of importance to that individual, will take them through any circumstances to triumph as a human being.

I read his book "Man's Search for Meaning" many, many years ago and I take it out every few years to re-read and recharge.  It has sustained me more than any other book on philosophy or psychology that I have ever read - and believe me, I've read hundreds of them.

Here is an interview with the good doctor - about 28 minutes long - which captures this man's passion and dedication to the triumph of the human spirit over any diffculties.  He can speak with authority, having experienced what has to be one of the most horrific experiences a human being can suffer, and he endured his captivity without any harm done to his incredible spirit.  On the contrary, he seems to have been enriched and enlightened by the experience and shares with us how he survived, how all of us can survive, if we just embrace some meaning in our lives and proceed toward the fulfillment of that goal, without any expectation of immediate gratification - to live our life because even if we can't find meaning in our lives, life may be expecting something meaningful from us.

The guy in this video (and his partner) are more daring than Felix Baumgartner, in my opinion.  Baumgartner had a small army of professionals assist him at every stage.  These guys only have their hands, some basic equipment and nerves of steel.  If you are afraid of heights, best not watch this.  I AM afraid of heights but made myself watch it anyway.  Incredible demonstration  of bravery and skill performed all in a day's work.

I don't know what took me so long to see this movie.  I watched it yesterday afternoon on a whim.  Since I host a big family Christmas party on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day is always a day where I lay low, relax and watch some movies. 

Pixar is amazing.  I was mesmerized for the entire movie.  How can one fall in love with a cartoon character?  Well, technically, two cartoon characters - Wall-E and Eve.  I still have fantasies of post-apocalyptic earth; the whole "last person on the face of the earth" scenario.  At times, the idea is horrifying and other times, it is intriguing.  What Wall-E inherited - perpetual clean-up duty, strikes me as more intriguing than horrifying.  And it did occur to me that we (our civilization) will be the study of a future archeological dig.  What will they make of us from the junk we leave behind - millenia from now?  It's most likely to be an alien culture who sift through our debris and study such things as condoms, ipods, segways and love dolls. If they aren't studying us already.


Wall-E was adorable with an innocence and optimism that warmed my heart.  The way he picks through the mountains of human-produced refuse and rescues little items he deems of some use and importance was my favourite part of the movie.  His stash of abandoned toys, household stuff like toasters and sporks, and even a bra that he mistakes for a blindfold - made me think of all the odd things I have collected over the years.  Things that are only important and meaningful to me.  Everyone should have a small stash of objects that make them feel good or safe or just connects them to some happier time in the past. 
    

Wow, the Onion's getting dark..............

There's going to be some weird happenings.  The world is so juiced up on war and rumours of war, apocalyptic weather events, sinkholes in Louisiana, UFO's over Denver;  that folks are bound to be jittery as we approach the dreaded 12-21-2012. 

Some are even looking forward to it all coming to an end - um,  tinhuviel 'm talking to you!

I admit to being a conspiracy theorist even though I resent the label because most so-called conspiracies are actually much more fact that theory.  But even with my very jaded view of humanity, I hope things keep going.  I hope everyone finds a reason to be grateful for 12-22-2012.  But that's not to say that I think the Mayans were wrong.

I think the world as we know it will slip away from us not too much further in the future.  The debt bubble being inflated all over the world (yes, here in North America as well) will finally reach a cataclysmic end that will turn all we know, and take for granted, on it's ear. 

I used to have more faith in the powers that be and the fact that even they are subject to any demise they bring upon the rest of us.  But, the more I see, the more I'm convinced that greed and psychopathy are the predominant traits of the players who hold all the cards in this game of life on planet earth. 

So, these are the good times.  Celebrate life.

Despite how I come across, believe it or not, I'm an eternal optimist; I still keep hoping that somehow, the fools in charge will be routed from their positions of power and influence in time to turn this Titanic around.   

Peace to you.