My Blog

Do you know the source movie of these movie quotes?

Bloke72 — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 04:07:35 GMT

Join the trivia tribe to answer ! http://tribes.tribe.net/triviarocks/thread/6d76808c-a89f-438d-b16b-a58cf9f1689f

The Fixer by Bernard Malamud (1966)

Bloke72 — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 04:06:02 GMT

I finished reading “The Fixer” last night. The book won Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1967 and the National Book Award in the same year. It was the sort of book I wish I had read at University and would have enthusiastically attended lectures and tutorials about. I could easily read it again to with the benefit of hindsight to re-examine the themes presented throughout the book Before the book starts, the reader reads the following; What is your name? Yakov Shepsovitch Bok Did you murder this unfortunate child ? Never. Why should I kill an innocent ? Yakov could not understand why they were asking such a question. He knew he had broken the law by living and working in a part of Kiev forbidden to Jews. But even so, why should he, a poor fixer, a mere handyman, be accused of murder? So even before beginning to read the book which starts in Yakov’s village as he sets out for better things, the reader knows disaster will befall him. The Book is set in Tzarist Russian. It takes a while to find out when but halfway through the book the date of 1911 of the crime is given. Interesting to me because of the historical context. The book explores and touches on a myriad of themes. Anti-semitism in obviously key. Yakov is innocent but imprisoned as a social, political and religious scapegoat because he is “Jewish”. However the author is not obsessed with it, perhaps because of my bias in reading I make that statement, but there is a wider issue of a minority being denied justice, victimized, persecuted and demonized through vindictive invention which a rational mind must reject, as indeed some characters do only to themselves fall victim to corruption. To me as a reader in a Western Democracy in 2011, Yakov’s ‘Jewishness” is there as a prism to explore wider universal issues of the suffering of humans, especially at the hands of others foe (and friend), but also supported by the historical reality that persecution of Jews in Russia was a fact, culminating in the 20th Century in the Holocaust. On just looking something up on the author, I find a quote from him ““All men are Jews, though few men know it’ which is self evident in his writing of “The Fixer”. There are many other strong themes in the book such as self, *freedom*, honour, redemption, death, corruption, injustice and the weak (and just) being victimized by the corrupt and pathological strong. The author allows the reader to see Yakov struggle in harsh captivity and at certain points become insane, but even then clinging onto his innocence. Corruption and vilification for political power are central themes in the book, as is the used of irrational hysteria to provide a scapegoat for problems divorced from the victims of this calumniation. Failed Marriage is a sub theme, as is parenthood, law, relativity, absolute power, Russia, ambition and the man’s awareness of the world around him through simplistic philosophy influenced by rudimentary attempts at self education of a strong character, fearful but true to himself.. Yakov has a fatalism about him, perhaps stereotypically ‘Jewish” but for me it transcends that stereotype. As I reader I saw him more as ‘a man” rather than “a Jew” if that makes sense. However to call the above ‘subthemes” sells them short. They are powerful themes and the author deals with them well and they could easily become the focus of discussion on the book. The novel is readily accessible to the reader, but has deeper layers to contemplate. One quote from it I will remember is “The purpose of freedom is to create it for others”. The author helps the reader by subtly posing questions in the form of such observations. I have put it back into my “to read” pile and certainly plan to revisit it in the near future. I am positive is will deserves a second read. I just started a thread on it here http://ijustfinishedreading.tribe.net/thread/fd7d0337-1127-4f17-9ce9-c0ddfc9996e9

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Bloke72 — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 05:28:28 GMT

May they be safe, happy and prosperous for you all.

I Believe...

Bloke72 — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 02:42:34 GMT

Got this from somewhere... liked it.. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I Believe... That just because two people argue, It doesn't mean they don't love each other. And just because they don't argue, It doesn't mean they do love each other. I Believe... That we don't have to change friends if We understand that friends change. I Believe.... That no matter how good a friend is, they're going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that. I Believe... That true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance. Same goes for true love. I Believe... That you can do something in an instant That will give you heartache for life.. I Believe... That it's taking me a long time To become the person I want to be. I Believe... That you should always leave loved ones with Loving words. It may be the last time you see them.. I Believe... That you can keep going long after you think you can't. I Believe... That we are responsible for what We do, no matter how we feel. I Believe... That either you control your attitude or it controls you. I Believe... That heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences. I Believe... That money is a lousy way of keeping score. I Believe... That my best friend and I, can do anything, or nothing and have the best time. I Believe... That sometimes the people you expect to kick you When you're down, will be the ones to help you get back up. I Believe... That sometimes when I'm angry I have the right to be angry, But that doesn't give me the right to be cruel. I Believe... That maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had And what you've learned from them and less to do with how many birthdays you've celebrated. I Believe... That it isn't always enough, to be forgiven by others. Sometimes, you have to learn to forgive yourself. I Believe... That no matter how bad your heart is broken the world doesn't stop for your grief. I Believe... That our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, But, we are responsible for who we become. I Believe... That you shouldn't be so eager to find Out a secret. It could change your life Forever. I Believe... Two people can look at the exact same Thing and see something totally different. I Believe... That your life can be changed in a matter of Hours by people who don't even know you. I Believe... That even when you think you have no more to give, when A friend cries out to you - you will find the strength to help. I Believe... That credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being. I Believe... That the people you care about most in life are taken from you too soon. I Believe.. That you should send this to all of the people that you believe in, I just did. 'The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; They just make the most of everything.

SOME VERY WISE WORDS‏

Bloke72 — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 02:09:03 GMT

Stress A lecturer when explaining stress management to an audience, Raised a glass of water and asked 'How heavy is this glass of water?' Answers called out ranged from 20g to 500g. The lecturer replied, 'The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long you try to hold it. If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem.. If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance. In each case, it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.' He continued, 'And that's the way it is with stress management. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, As the burden becomes increasingly heavy, We won't be able to carry on. ' 'As with the glass of water, You have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again.. When we're refreshed, we can carry on with the burden.' 'So, before you return home tonight, put the burden of work down. Don't carry it home. You can pick it up tomorrow. Whatever burdens you're carrying now, Let them down for a moment if you can.' So, my friend, Put down anything that may be a burden to you right now. Don't pick it up again until after you've rested a while. (and nope.. not stressed.. I just liked it :)

A CARROT, AN EGG AND A COFFEE BEAN

Bloke72 — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 10:05:54 GMT

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her struggles in life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting for survival and struggling. It seemed that as soon as one problem was overcome, a new one arose. Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to the boil. In the first pot the mother placed some carrots. In the second pot she placed an egg and in the third pot she placed some ground coffee beans. She let them sit on the fire, without saying a word. Fifteen minutes later she turned off the burners. She fished out the carrots and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the egg out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter she said, “Tell me what you see.” “Carrots, egg and coffee,” said the girl. Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take the egg and break it. After pulling off the shell she noted the hard boiled egg. Finally the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted the rich flavour and aroma of the coffee. “What does it all mean, mother?” she asked. Her mother explained that each of these things had faced the same adversity, that is, the boiling water. Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile, but after being subjected to the boiling water, its inside became hardened. However, the ground coffee beans were different. After they were in the boiling water, they changed the water. “Which are you?” the mother asked the daughter. “When adversity knocks at your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean? Ask yourself, Am I the carrot that seems so strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength? Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a major loss, a break-up, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same but on the inside am I bitter with a hardened heart and an unyielding spirit? Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases its flavour and fragrance. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hour is the darkest and the trials are at their greatest do you elevate yourself to another level?” How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean? May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong enough sorrow to keep you human, and enough hope to sustain you. The happiest of people don’t necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes their way.

Virus

Bloke72 — Tue, 19 May 2009 02:30:06 GMT

I have a computer Virus.. So will not be around unitl it is sorted... And I will be deletingt this newsflash when I am :) Hope you're all well !

I'd Better Blog..

Bloke72 — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 04:47:51 GMT

I am well and as are my family. Basically most of us are city folk and were always safe. Thanks to those who PM'ed or thought of me. So far I only have one friend missing in the Victorian Fires.. but should see him tonight. Not super worried about him.. yet... If you're in Oz, you might be interested in this http://www.ourcommunity.com.au/giving/giving_article.jsp?articleId=4026 And check the blog here you bastards.. it is a really good project ! http://people.tribe.net/bloke72/blog/38a4ce78-c575-429c-9bc5-29de9ba94b40 And I doubt you will see an image to this entry :(

Read this thread.......

Bloke72 — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 04:12:26 GMT

And think about how lucky you are to have the gift of reading.. maybe you could help share it with others ? http://tribes.tribe.net/triviarocks/thread/b8c7dbe0-c0ec-4d99-88e5-b22eb882b593

A Simple Message

Bloke72 — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 04:05:47 GMT

Merry Christmas Folks. Thanks for the Year that was and for the Year that will be. I hope you all have a Safe and Merry Christmas. If I get drunk enough - I might come back and ask you all for your phone number so I can call you and tell you in person. (and sorry I have been slack over the last few months keeping up) Peace, Joy and all the best of the Season.

Genealogy

Bloke72 — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 06:28:33 GMT

(Sometimes we could all use a giggle..) A little girl asked her mother, 'How did the human race appear?' The mother answered, 'God made Adam and Eve and they had children and so was all mankind made.' Two days later the girl asked her father the same question. The father answered, 'Many years ago there were monkeys from which the Human race evolved.' The confused girl returned to her mother and said, 'Mom, how is it possible that you told me the human race was created by God, and Dad said they developed from monkeys?' The mother answered, 'Well, dear, it is very simple. I told you about my side of the family and your father told you about his.' (and the pic came from http://www.ecotao.com/holism/hu_neand.htm )

The New Hotmail SUCKS !

Bloke72 — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 02:45:02 GMT

Created a new tribe at http://tribes.tribe.net/hotmail_users The Tribes Description;It is November 2008 and changes to hotmail have hit my inbox now for over a week And I must say - I liked the old version better before "Windows Live"... ick ! This tribe might morph into a wider "web based email" group - but for now.. lets bitch or praise the new changes to hotmail... and exchanges tips and such... I have looked over tribes - but cant find one on hotmail.. so if you know of one - let me know because I would rather join that create a tribe. ~ Please let others you know who have an hotmail address know if you think they might be interested..

Just spam stuff..

Bloke72 — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 05:07:45 GMT

I get heaps of those spam type things in Powerpoint.. I liked this one.. ~~~~~~~~ Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day. When you wake up in the morning complete the following statement, "My purpose is to … today." Live with the 3 E's … Energy, Enthusiasm, Empathy, and the 3 F's … Faith, Family, Friends. Spend more time with people over the age of 70 and under the age of six. Dream more while you are awake. Try to make at least three people smile each day. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn, pass all your tests. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime. Smile and laugh more. It will keep the energy vampires away Life isn't fair, but it's still good. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagreements. Make peace with your past, so it won't mess up the present. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special. No one is in charge of your happiness except you. Forgive everyone for everything. What other people think of you is none of your business. Time heals almost everything. Give time, time However good or bad a situation is, it will change. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up. Do the right thing! Call your family often. Each night before you go to bed complete the following statements: "I am thankful for..." "Today I accomplished ..." Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed. Enjoy the ride. Remember that this is not Disney World and you certainly don't want a fast pass. Make the most of it and enjoy the ride.

Shortest Blog in the World.

Bloke72 — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 01:59:07 GMT

Hey folks. Just a quick note to say I might be a bit scarce over the next week or so. Would write more - but I am too Lazy :) And I don't talk much :)

Getting Naked with Cas !

Bloke72 — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 07:23:50 GMT

Not that’s sort of naked ! - the Naked Ale which is the house beer at Young and Jackson's in Melbourne.. Although the house shiraz was Cas's choice of poison - so the heading is really wrong.. and should be "Bloke gets Naked" -either way it is catchy - yes ? Teehee :) Cas was down from Sydney for a few days on a conference and she did me the pleasure and privilege of catching up face to face last Monday. I first met her on tribe - and she dragged me off to "Ambassadors for Peace" on orkut. A great group ! Cas is the moderator. Cas is as down to earth as they come. With a strong commitment to community and social justice - we share a lot in common. As well as being very personable and engaging with a great and balanced sense of compassion and empathy - she also has a wonderful sense of humour. (the description of your son is sill making me smile Cas) She is only the fourth person I have met in the flesh from tribe. As many will know - I love an extended conversation - especially via intimate means like small tribes and private messages - and always like getting them from interesting folk like Cas. Interestingly, we also share another thing in common - we both hold the same medal from the Federal Government for Community Service - and it was really interesting discussing previously, and in the pub, how such recognition affected us and those around us - especially our families. Speaking to people on the phone, but especially face to face, is a wonderful experience because it allows for much more rapid communication - and there is nothing like seeing someone's smile and the twinkle in their eye as they laugh with you.. And you get to hug them :) Cas is a very sort of huggable person :) My only regret was that we were not able to spend more time together than just few hours. Next time she comes to Melbourne, hopefully we can meet again and take up where we left off. Mind you - she did call my blokehood into question - but I think I managed to convince her otherwise as I compulsively offered to play with the camera.. sometimes us Blokes cannot help ourselves :) I would have got to this earlier - but Tribe has not been cooperating - so sorry to those who sent PMs I have not replied to or who posted in tribes I have not been into this week..

A.W.O.L Bloke.

Bloke72 — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 07:42:15 GMT

A sad and heavily mourned death of the crap flat’s hot-water service has occurred and this is why I have not been about.. Three days of no hot water (cold showers!) and two days of hanging about at home without the internet access I need, not only critical for a bit of Tribal Action – but also a couple of paying and voluntary projects I have on the go.. Not really the Managing Agents nor tradesmen’s fault.. just a series of unfortunate circumstances - for which all are very apologetic.. I would not be worried about it, but tomorrow starts a long weekend.. and I am not sure my good humour, sanity, nor gonads could take seven cold showers in a row.. I guess I could just skip them… but … it is the punctuation that moves sleepy night into the action of the day… I don’t keep a computer at home in a long tradition of separating home from work – I used to have a largely ignored desktop PC when living in Richmond, and if the laptop was not on the blink I would have it at home, but I am on the Niece’s Computer for the first time (known for freezing apparently) – so if you are reading this I probably did not take to it with a hammer :) Life slowly flows on. Still have not found the dream job but am earning enough money for the odd trip to a restaurant. Beer consumption it at an all time low and single malt indulgences are very occasional.. I am down to my last two bottles of Johnnie Walker (one Blue, one Black) but I would give them away in a flash for a working hotwater unit :) The recent social highlight remains a return to the Reception Center where one of my sisters had her Wedding Reception. A bit of a family tradition – but this time the clan did not head off on mass – but only my sister, brother-in-law, their two sons, a few of their friends, and yours truly went. The food is great and the floor show outstanding.. probably not everyone’s cup of tea – but always entertaining. One of the owners is a very good Tenor and always makes a special appearance and is known for dragging up audience members for Happy Birthdays and also Elvis Impersonations.. they can be very funny and he does a great job. One Birthday Girl was obviously well briefed on this.. and when he wandered over to their table she hid under it to avoid the attention.. Unexpectedly the highlight of the night came at the end after the car broke down. We have something here called the “RACV” (Royal Automotive Club of Victoria) who come out and try to get your car back on the road.. The problem was a hose off the radiator which we ourselves could not reattach because the sleeve by which the hose is attached had broken.. the highlight of the night was singing with my sister while waiting for the RACV to appear.. all those silly songs from childhood which mum used to lead when we were board in the back seat of the car on long trips… so we put on our own little show for embarrassed nephews (teehee) and the funny thing was we were not even drunk :) I am still singing a few of them a couple of weeks later.. but not in the cold showers which are filled with groans of words like “God” - and giggles and shivers :) The plumber has just appeared. so maybe I will be singing in a hot shower tomorrow morning :) ******************************** Yay ! All fixed. Poor Bloke.. with the storm that knocked my power out recently and the latest hot water adventure – I have had more cold showers in 2008 than in the previous decade ! (Let the jokes begin :) But the hotwater is now fixed… so I withdraw the offer of giving the Scotch away…

Nice Quote !

Bloke72 — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 10:15:19 GMT

"I think people have a civilization when they can think of someone as a neighbor without having met them before." Nice Quote ! It came from a Tribe..... http://anthropologyclub.tribe.net/thread/9b89c151-9d24-455a-9f6e-575bdfa6d576#4c89fa66-6c7e-4611-a915-9a675071c395

How long since the Iraq War began ?

Bloke72 — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 10:23:59 GMT

Two Years ? Three... ? maybe four ? Five. "The Iraq War, also known as the Second Gulf War, Operation Iraqi Freedom (US), Operation TELIC (UK) or the occupation of Iraq, is an ongoing conflict which began on March 20, 2003 " Source http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iraq_War I thought it was worth noting as we tuck into our Easter Eggs..

Eat, Drink, and Be Merry !

Bloke72 — Sat, 22 Dec 2007 07:27:40 GMT

Merry Christmas Folks!

Darren, Tribe.net employee, on Google Ads..

Bloke72 — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 02:49:49 GMT

http://brainstorm.tribe.net/thread/d46e088e-bf7d-4275-99a7-690b57d5bb64

Check this

Bloke72 — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 03:47:28 GMT

http://people.tribe.net/pi/blog/79914cf1-b949-4a36-a964-73d97c94b047 Make a comment there ....

Enthusiasm and Curiosity can be a Two-Edged Sword..

Bloke72 — Sun, 30 Sep 2007 17:18:23 GMT

Ninety Tribes… Why the hell am I in 90 tribes ?? Why, why, why ? I must be stoo-pid ! Oh - and join the Trivia Tribe you smucks ! http://tribes.tribe.net/triviarocks

No Trivia Tribe ?!

Bloke72 — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 02:27:06 GMT

"What ?!" Bloke said to himself in the wee and dark hours of a 3 am session in Tribe, "No Trivia Tribe !!!!!!" How has Tribe survived without a Trivia Tribe ?!!!!! Bloke must fix ! I have established a Tribe for Trivia Buffs to share with the world trivial but interesting facts. Sources and references are alway good.... Let's kick arse in Trivia Competitions ! http://tribes.tribe.net/triviarocks TRIVIA IS CRITICAL TO ONES EXISTENCE !!!

The Blessings of Affluence and Generosity

Bloke72 — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 03:19:15 GMT

Something an associate recently said struck a chord with me. While discussing a downturn in revenues in his business - I noted that he was still generously financially supporting many community endeavours. His response was that it was really important to him that he supported the local community in which he both lives and operates his business. He quietly and consistently continued his charitable support. How many times do you hear the statement "Well, he can afford it" about someone who gives financial support to individuals and organisations? Too often. Indeed my friend probably could not "afford it" - but he was willing to "tighten his belt" in order to continue to help others. Recipients of his generosity generally made the mistake of confusing his philanthropy for an affluence that in fact he did not enjoy. Many did not even to thank him, dismissing his generosity with "Well, he can afford it". While many people give without the expectation of thanks or acknowledgment, unfortunately their efforts and sacrifice can be missed by those who assume that they suffer no detriment but only give their "spare change" even when the apparent "spare change" is tens of thousands of dollars. Taking people for granted can be so easy, but it can also be very hurtful. ~~~~~~~~~~~ From Devotion News 2007 07

Dilemma

Bloke72 — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 15:20:24 GMT

Okay… So I now have 24 friends on tribe… Most of my current friends will know how slow I was accepting with the “ I don’t accept invitations from people I don’t know” blah blah crap… Is it hard to keep track of your friends blogs when you have 50 friends ???? How about 100… How about a couple of hundred?? What if you only log in every few days… It’s pointless being my friend to watch my blog – cause I don’t really use it.. and feel no great inclination to…. Should I just start accepting all these invites I get or what ?