Remembering Charlie

CHARLIE CHAPLIN once said, "I remain just one thing, and one thing only — and that is a clown. It places me on a far higher plane than any politician.” 

Is Charlie Chaplin famous or something?? Now before anyone says anything, I grew up in the 60's, many years after Mr. Chaplin, so no, I wasn't around when his movies were made. But I did see some of the reruns that they would play once in a while...

If you remember him, either when he was around, or by just watching reruns, or if you don't know who I am talking about, here is a short video of some of his movies, for memories or to see how they use to watch movies... http://youtube.com/watch?v=1MNzVEy_mnE

Charlie Chaplin, considered to be one of the most pivotal stars of the early days of Hollywood, lived an interesting life both in his films and behind the camera. He is most recognized as an icon of the silent film era, often associated with his popular "Little Tramp" character; the man with the toothbrush mustache.

The Charlie Chaplin Collection can be downloaded from this site.  http://www.hotfiledog.com/search/Charlie%20Chaplin 

Squalid Hopes

They say that he came from from the seamy side of life! They say you could smell the sordid details of his existence... that he was foul and run-down and repulsive...  from a flyblown bar on the edge of town.  But he didn't come from a squalid overcrowded nook in the poorest part of a sordid shantytown. No. He came from worse....  He was marked by filthiness and degradation from neglect and poverty.

 But he was not morally degraded. For he had hope. And he had a dream. A dream kept alive by his willingness to die.

His was a sick society that honored his willingness to bleed  with every cut inflicted on him... where thieves stood beside the righteous to watch him die.... God willing....

Yes, he had hope. 
Then he had none....




(Felt tip drawings from photographs by Justin Reyes)

Time to Listen!

Floods in Queensland. Floods in Brisbane, Pakistan, Malaysia, Brazil, Vietnam, China, Philippines, Russia & Europe. Someone is trying to tell us something! Floods in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Dang! When it floods in the desert, isn't it about time we listened?

Except in very rare cases...

...working conditions in the Philippines are closely related to one's social class. Those belonging to the upper class enjoy the best opportunities in terms of job satisfaction, facilities, advancement, and choice of career. Those from the middle class are usually able to land white-collar jobs with some room for advancement by capitalizing on education, company loyalty, and hard work. Those belonging to the lower class, due to their lack of education or capital, largely engage in poorly paid manual labor or blue-collar jobs, viewed as menial in Philippine society. But regardless of circumstance, one word personifies the working class spirit: "tagay!"

(pencil sketch from a photograph by Justin Reyes)

Notes from Alice in Wonderland

Much has been said that life is about choices... that life is like a road… that there are long and short roads; smooth and rocky roads; crooked and straight paths…. Much has been said that there are roads that lead to a life of single blessedness and marriage. There are also roads that lead to fame and fortune on one hand, or isolation and poverty on the other. There are roads to happiness as there are roads to sadness, roads towards victory and jubilation, and roads leading to defeat and disappointment. Much has been said that you do not really know where a road will lead you until you take it.

Remember when Alice came to a fork in the road and saw a Cheshire cat in a tree? “Which road do I take?” she asked. “Where do you want to go?” was his response. “I don't know,” Alice answered. “Then, ”said the cat, “it doesn't matter.” Nothing could be truer than Lewis Caroll’s “If you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there.” Still, there are no guarantees that knowing where you are going will end in happiness. There just are no guarantees! This is one of the most important things you need to realize about life. Nobody said that choosing to do the right thing all the time would always lead you to happiness. Loving someone with all your heart does not guarantee that it would be returned. Gaining fame and fortune does not guarantee happiness. Is it possible then that if happiness is the “Holy Grail” most people seek, then being always right is not always right, right?

Is there a road to happiness? Or is happiness simply inside us? It is all a matter of perspective. I find peace in isolation. I find joy in solitude and not pain in loneliness when I am by myself. And where I find solitude, I find happiness. There is a difference between a lost traveler and a tourist of life.

'But I don’t want to go among mad people,' Alice remarked.

'Oh, you can’t help that,' said the Cat. 'We’re all mad here. I’m mad. You’re mad.'

'How do you know I’m mad?' said Alice..

'You must be,” said the Cat, 'or you wouldn’t have come here.'

Wrong decisions are always at hindsight but “I can't go back to yesterday - because I was a different person then” My rule is, “jam tomorrow and jam yesterday - but never jam today.”

“Everything's got a moral, if only you can find it.”

Living life as Woody Allen would have wanted it....!

I want to live life backwards. I start out dead and get that out of the way.

Then I wake up in an old people's home feeling better everyday until I get kicked out for being too healthy. I collect my pension and then when I start work, I get a gold watch and a party on my first day.

I work for 40 years until I'm young enough to enjoy my retirement.

I party, drink alcohol and I am generally promiscuous until I am ready for high school.

Then I go to primary school where I become a kid and play. I have no responsibilities and become a baby until I am born. Then I finish my last 9 months floating in luxurious spa like conditions with central heating and room service. Then I finish my life as an orgasm....