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David

What is the question...? (Gertrude Stein)

About Me

"What is the answer?" said Gertrude Stein repeatedly as she lay on her deathbed back in July 1946.Finally, she summoned her energy one last time and said, "What is the question?" - whereupon she died.Where to start? When to finish? What is the answer? Are these the questions...?More important to focus on the now, to change small things for the better, to acknowledge and respond to others, to solve problems which can be resolved without leaving the path, and to say yes to the right spirit, to the good and the graceful wherever we find it..."The truth is that our finest moments are most likely to occur when we are feeling deeply uncomfortable, unhappy, or unfulfilled. For it is only in such moments, propelled by our discomfort, that we are likely to step out of our ruts and start searching for different ways or truer answers." ~M. Scott Peck“Rest in reason; move in passion.” - Khalil Gibran "There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle, the other is as if everything is. Music doesn't lie. If there is something to be changed in this world, then it can only happen through music..." - quoted by Sylvia Calzolari on her profile."Happiness depends more on the inward disposition of the mind than on outward circumstances." - Benjamin Franklin"We can let the circumstances of our lives harden us so that we become increasingly resentful and afraid, or we can let them soften us, and make us kinder. We always have the choice." ~ Dalai Lama ~"You're alive. Do something. The directive in life, the moral imperative was so uncomplicated. It could be expressed in single words, not complete sentences. It sounded like this: Look. Listen. Choose. Act." (Barbara Hall)

My Interests

Trying to live a progressively more sustainable life... ...and remember that "life's too short to wake up with regrets. Love the people who treat you right, forget the people who don't. Believe everything happens for a reason. When you get a chance, take it. If it changes your life, let it. No one said life was going to be easy..." [Duchess Laura "Shorty" Vuitton]"If you're going to try, go all the way. Otherwise don't even start. This could mean losing girlfriends, wives, relatives, jobs. And maybe your mind. It could mean not eating for three or four days. It could mean freezing on a park bench. It could mean jail. It could mean derision. It could mean mockery, isolation. Isolation is the gift. All the others are a test of your endurance. Of how much you really want to do it. And you'll do it, despite rejection in the worst odds. And it will be better than anything else you can imagine. If you're going to try, go all the way. There is no other feeling like that. You will be alone with the gods. And the nights will flame with fire. You will ride life straight to perfect laughter. It's the only good fight there is." - Charles Bukowski

I'd like to meet:

...anyone who keeps up strong pressure on Gordon Brown and the G8 to keep their promises to Africa......anyone who accepts responsibility for his/her own well-being and happiness, and doesn't expect someone else to "make me happy"......anyone who has many happy memories of London in the sixties without needing alcohol or maryjane to induce them......anyone who thinks people are more important than objects, that being is more important than having...

Music:

Quality music in any interesting or provocative style... dullness is the cardinal sin against the musical spirit!

Movies:

Anything with a decent musical score rather than a medley of assorted favourite album tracks...

Television:

Television is primarily an agency of social control: turn the damned thing off and DO something, TALK to somebody, LEARN to play an instrument, DECIDE to change your life, WRITE a poem, BUILD a dry stone wall, PAINT a picture, PLAY a game, JOIN an action group, WORK as a volunteer for a charity, SING in a choir, PLANT a tree... don't forget that you're a long time dead!

Books:

Too many to list... Presently slowly exploring some of the writings of Italo Svevo, Eca de Queiroz, William Trevor, and Fay Weldon...

Heroes:

The millions coping on less than a dollar a day... The millions living more than a mile from fresh water... The millions in the above categories who also spend their days caring for loved ones too young, old, or ill to take care of themselves.

My Blog

Candle for Tibet - please read (20080810)

Hi,   Our light protest was a HUGE global success. Thank you for adding your light to it.   You can view photos and videos from around the world here: PHOTO, VIDEO Please feel fre...
Posted by David on Mon, 11 Aug 2008 05:56:00 PST

Mia Farrow in a refugee camp on the border of Darfur (20080810)

Dear Friends, Watch the "Darfur Olympics": Mia Farrow's report from a refugee camp... Yesterday thousands of activists remembered the people of Darfur by watching our alternative opening ceremonies ...
Posted by David on Mon, 11 Aug 2008 05:53:00 PST

Mia Farrow in Darfur [20080808 onwards]

Dear Friends, I am currently visiting the Darfur region for the tenth time since 2004.  On this trip, I will once again listen to people tell me their stories and again they will plead for...
Posted by David on Thu, 07 Aug 2008 05:32:00 PST

East Africa Food Crisis: Urgent info from Oxfam [posted 20080722]

East Africa Food Crisis Millions of people in East Africa are facing a humanitarian crisis driven by droug...
Posted by David on Tue, 22 Jul 2008 06:01:00 PST

"G8 eyes economy, oil woes" [Reuters, 20080708]

G8 eyes economy, oil woes (01:05) Report <!--[if !IE]> Video Tools Module <![endif]--> .. var RTR_VideoTitle = "G8 eyes economy, oil woes"; var RTR_VideoBlurb...
Posted by David on Tue, 08 Jul 2008 02:07:00 PST

Hebron settlers accused of beating... [Reuters, 20080708]

Hebron settlers accused of beating (02:12) Report <!--[if !IE]> Video Tools Module <![endif]--> .. var RTR_VideoTitle = "Hebron settlers accused of beating"; ...
Posted by David on Tue, 08 Jul 2008 02:02:00 PST

Downpours flood south-western China... [Reuters, 20080703]

Downpours flood southwestern China (01:01) Report <!--[if !IE]> Video Tools Module <![endif]--> .. var RTR_VideoTitle = "Downpours flood southwestern China"; ...
Posted by David on Thu, 03 Jul 2008 06:35:00 PST

Tokyo on high alert ahead of G8... [Reuters, 20080703]

Tokyo on high-alert ahead of G8 (01:43) Report <!--[if !IE]> Video Tools Module <![endif]--> .. var RTR_VideoTitle = "Tokyo on high-alert ahead of G8 "; var ...
Posted by David on Thu, 03 Jul 2008 06:33:00 PST

The G8 and the wars... [Reuters, 20080702]

The G8 and the wars (01:43) Report <!--[if !IE]> Video Tools Module <![endif]--> .. var RTR_VideoTitle = "The G8 and the wars"; var RTR_VideoBlurb = "Jul 2 - ...
Posted by David on Thu, 03 Jul 2008 06:31:00 PST

Gaza borders open but Rafah shut [Reuters, 20080702]

Gaza borders open but Rafah shut (01:57) Report <!--[if !IE]> Video Tools Module <![endif]--> .. var RTR_VideoTitle = " Gaza borders open but Rafah shut"; va...
Posted by David on Thu, 03 Jul 2008 06:27:00 PST