Lying Liars!

I want to start this by saying that from a young age my Mom taught me the value and importance of honesty. Now, there is a radio show/podcast that I listen to regularly called Radiolab. They take a particular theme and explore the science behind it. The most recent one I listened to was about Deception. A segment within the show was about self-deception. In the 1970's two psychiatrists came up with a self-deception questionnaire used to gauge how honest a person is with themselves. And here's what is interesting about the results: people who scored higher on the test, meaning those people that were less honest with themselves, (i.e. liars) performed better at things such as sports and business, and overall tended to be happier. Whereas people who were more honest with themselves, and thus more realistic about their own faults and the way of the world, tended to be more depressed. Thanks, Mom.

люди!

This, right here, is why Russian men are super tough and you're just a great big sissy. A Russian man was knifed while drinking with a security guard at his workplace. He woke up the next morning, still at work, took the bus home, ate some sausage, then went to sleep. His wife noticed the knife handle sticking out of his back. Yuri Lyalin, the man who was stabbed, apparently has no ill will towards the man who stabbed him. He said:

"We were drinking and what doesn't happen when you're drunk?"

That reminds me of the time I once stepped on a dried lentil with my bare foot and it stuck there. I found the lentil in my bed and wondered how it got there until I later found another lentil stuck to my foot and did the math. What I'm really trying to say here is that I need to sweep my floor more frequently.

Zombie Strippers!

Yes I Said Yes I Will Yes!

Last year when I finished reading War & Peace, I said I wasn't sure which would be next on my reading list: Ulysses or The History of Western Philosophy. Apparently neither were. At the beginning of this year when listing my resolutions I also mentioned those two books. And while I'm making very slow work of the latter (I'm at Plato) I have now completed the former. I took it with me on my trip to Ireland (a bit of light vacation reading anyone?) to force myself to read it, plus I'm the kind of pretentious sort that would read Ulysses while traveling in Ireland. I would also read the Odyssey while Greek island hopping, in case you were wondering. And while I didn't finish the book on my trip I did get two thirds of the way through it and have now, just over an hour ago, finished it. Apparently James Joyce said that it took him ten years to write it so it should take people ten years to read it. And while I had no intention of spending ten years on it, I can see why one might need the time. It is a masterfully crafted book, full of references, at times captivating, at times confusing, at times witty, at times, umm, confusing. Some episodes of it captured me, others left me wondering what exactly was going on. But for all that, I think it was worth the effort. I didn't necessarily understand all of it, but I'm not sure I needed to. At those times it was enough to enjoy the writing, the play with language etc. And while I have no intention of rereading it just yet, I may feel the need to do so someday. At the James Joyce Institute in Dublin they had a great little post card that summarized Ulysses in 36 words. And while I didn't buy it and so am unable to post that here for you, here is the BBC's Cheat's Guide to Ulysses complete with plenty of amusing readers comments. Next up? Finnegan's Wake. Or not.

Yoga Time!

I recently told a friend of mine that I had been thinking about getting back into yoga. She mentioned an ad in the Georgia Straight for some Lululemon men's yogawear and wanted to know if I would wear such a thing to yoga. I hadn't seen the ad in question so I told her I'd check it out and let her know. I'm kind of torn about Lululemon. On the one hand, I have a strong dislike for their trendy, Kitsilano, SUV driving, Starbucks sipping, yoga, lifestyle bullshit, but on the other hand, Lululemon pants can do wonderful things for a woman's posterior. But I digress. When I finally checked the ad out Lululemon stock went up a few points in my mind. Ladies and gentlemen, introducing "The Mansy:"

Turns out it was only an April Fool's joke. Which is too bad for any ladies that might happen to be in my upcoming yoga classes.

P.S-You can't see it in this picture, but the back part is only a very thin strip of material highlighting the yogi's, shall we say, cheeks.