Thoughts from Maya

I do not watch the Oprah show (lawd massa, I got better things to do).
However, she interviewed Maya Angelou in April (ok, I am behind, so sue me...lol), when Maya was 80 yrs old.
During the interview, Maya said some wonderful things (yes, I do read her poems), and the things she said, gave me pause, so here are some excerpts.

"I've learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow.
I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights.
I've learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents, you'll miss them when they're gone from your life.
I've learned that making a "living" is not the same thing as making a "life."
I've learned that life sometimes gives you second chance.
I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands. You need to be able to throw something back. "

If you wish to read the entire interview, please go here.
http://www.montana.edu/wrt/Don't%20Break%20the%20Elastic.doc
or
http://sv.typepad.com/arian/2005/08/oprahs_meeting_.html
or
http://www.oprah.com/omagazine/200012/omag_200012_maya.jhtml

Peace
Walk Good

Dreams

Sleep child
Dream of times better
Better than our reality today
If you dream of times past
Idealize but don't analyze
Fantasize but please don't realize
Dream of knights and damsels
Rajputs and djinns
Ra the sun god and Musa the explorer
Keep the facade alive
If you dream of the future
Dream in brilliant color
And beautiful landscapes
Dream of what you loved today
Because it may not exist tomorrow
Imagine worlds elsewhere
For ours may not last long
The red planet beckons
Mysteries in the sands beyond
Enjoy your sleep now my child
Tomorrow you will wake up
And all your wondrous dreams

May fade away and forever be lost

Some Odd Things

Disjointed
I returned to Ottawa early Friday morning (1.30am). Got three hours sleep and went into work, as I had to complete both reports and meet my deadline. Early in the afternoon, my boss called me into his office and told me that he was going to Washington DC for some meetings. Now that is not strange as he travels a lot, but what got me going was that he wanted myself and another coworker to go with him and attend the meetings.
I like travelling, but I do not like to live out of a suitcase for weeks, and I had just returned from such a trip …. I needed to sleep. Anyway, I leave later today (Sunday, Nov 4th) and I will be back next Thursday (assuming I don’t fall asleep or go into hibernation).

Yesterday I was catching up on my reading and two items struck me, like a tone of bricks.
ITEM 1
I came across a word (if it can be classified as such) being used by comedians. That word is “meta bigotry”. This got my ears up to ask myself this rhetorical question…. Are we inventing words to minimize the adverse effect of the original word? …. Are we letting certain comedians twist our principles to laugh with them when they utilize the “N” word?
It's difficult to define meta-bigotry because of how closely it resembles pure stupidity -- or actual bigotry, for that matter. Meta- bigotry is offensive, subversive humor that forces us to re-examine the way we think.
http://www.answers.com/topic/meta-bigotry?cat=technology

http://www.philosophistry.com/archives/2005/11/what_are_metabigots.html

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4155/is_20060108/ai_n15994032

ITEM 2
This I had some difficulty in comprehending, and although it may have happened some months ago, it is still troubling to me.
It revolves around “Red Stripe” (the company) being involved in, party to, some “racist” remarks in a published magazine.
What???
The brand “Red Stripe” represents a symbol that is synonymous with Jamaica, Jamaicans and the Jamaican culture for more than 70 years. What on earth would they be involved with such remarks? It begs the question …. What on earth were they thinking?
I refer you to the following for more information.

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/lifestyle/html/20070901T150000-0500_126928_OBS_RED_STRIPE_SAYS_SORRY.asp

http://onejamaica.blogspot.com/

http://www.nowpublic.com/racist-comments-red-stripe-jamaica

Until next time, I leave you with this quote.

Expecting the world to treat you fairly because you are a good person is a little like expecting the bull not to attack you because you are a vegetarian.

Walk Good