How to become a billionaire

This morning before dropping my nephew to school, I realised I had a dollar note in my pocket (change from buying newspapers earlier). Rather than put it in my wallet, I asked him if he wanted it. The following was our conversation.

Me: Do you want a dollar?

L: Yeah

Me: Do you want me to autograph it?

L: Yeah

(He watches as I sign my name on it)

Me: Hold on to that. Today it's one dollar, but when I'm famous it will be worth millions.

L: Great! I'll frame it. And I can get people to touch it.

Me: How much will it cost to touch it? Lots of people will want to.

L: $100 per touch.

Me: Nah. At least $1,000.

L: Yeah, but when I'M famous it will cost 500 million dollars just to SEE it.


Moral of the story: Don't think big or bigger. Think biggest.

Where would your flying carpet take you?

With friends Carol and Paula and Carol's dog, Rain on the flying carpet

National Jasper Geographic

Click here to see the wild cat in action.

Testimonial from Victoria T.

Alternative Imaging for DJs and Artistes by Elspeth Duncan
Victoria Trestrail: Johnny's Fool

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I had the pleasure of working with Elspeth on the "Johnny's Fool" music video that I produced. She was hired as a camerawoman and fulfilled every aspect of that portfolio - she was very innovative in the face of challenges such as poor lighting, and dealing with difficult backgrounds while shooting outdoors and drumming up energy from the cast while shooting in mid day heat outdoors. On reviewing the footage I found that there were many pleasing takes made up of great composition and eye catching angles allowing me much to work with while editing the video. She was great at her craft, punctual, helpful, and most importantly: took instructions well and was easy to work with. I would gladly work with her again.

Victoria Trestrail - Producer "Johnny's Fool"

You can see the Johnny's Fool music video here.
Music production: Rishi Motimes Ramlagan
Video production, direction, concept and edit: Victoria Trestrail
Camera: Elspeth Duncan

For sale: Roland XP-50 workstation

Looking for a great home for my keyboard, Haniel
(see below for meaning of the name Haniel)

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UPDATE: SOLD
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Great condition except for LCD screen which no longer works. However can be used as midi controller and for multitude of very authentic tones (for live or recorded playing), including diverse, realistic instruments from World music expansion board (e.g. sitars, tabla, pan, didgeridoo, etc). Great for fusion music with a global feel

Comes with leatherette zip up keyboard case, wrought iron keyboard stand and Roland DP-6 sustain pedal - All for $1,500TT

For examples of music created with this keyboard, click here and listen to:

1. Lovebirds
2. Your Song
3. Symphon-E
4. Spring
5. Easy

Please email me (nowiswowisnow at yahoo dot com) if interested.

MEANING OF THE NAME HANIEL:
Manifesting usually as a very beautiful woman, occasionally as an extremely handsome man, Haniel symbolizes beauty, pleasure, and sustaining friendship. Haniel has the power to make fruitful that which previously was not so: to turn states of sadness, anxiety and worry towards happiness. Haniel helps us to recognise and fill the gaps in our lives from within ourselves, rather than continuing to yearn to have them filled from the outside. Haniel inspires that which makes life worth living: friendship, love, companionship, harmony, and balance.
Haniel is associated with the rose, a symbol of the qualities of beauty, upliftment and unfoldment.

Haniel is the Archangel of all powers of love and harmony and can help you bring those influences into your life. Brings Friends, Lovers, Peace, Love, Beauty, Grace, Good Things, Common Sense! He can also aid you in artistic matters.

Bat cave adventure

Yesterday I went to Tamana Caves for the second time. With me were my friend Nicola, Pascal (a visiting French photographer/new friend) and Ivan, our tour guide. An easy hike through the forest (approx. 45 minutes, stopping to look at things) took us to our destination. The Tamana Caves are estimated to contain more than 3 million bats. At 6 p.m. daily they fly out in a mass exodus which lasts about an hour or more.

Me and Nicola in the cave

Some of the bats in the cave. The caves, filled with millions more bats, go really deep ... too deep for us to reach.
(l. to r.) Bat, Nicola, me, Pascal

Some of the bats beginning to emerge from the depths of the cave at 6 p.m. They pass so close that the air from their wings is constantly wafting against your skin. An intriguing experience.

Admit something

Full moon (blue moon) shot taken on 31 December 2009

This morning a friend in London sent me the below piece, which she received from someone she knows:

Admit something.

Everyone you see, you say to them, "Love me"
Of course you do not do this out loud
otherwise someone would call the cops.

Still, though,
think about this,
this great pull in us to connect
Why not become the one who lives with a full moon
in each eye
that is always saying,
with that sweet moon language,
what every other eye in the world
is dying to hear?

(Credited to Hafiz)

Petition for Gays in Uganda

To be gay in Uganda means the possibility of being imprisoned and/or sentenced to death if a new legislation currently being debated is passed.

The proposed new bill also threatens up to three years in prison for anyone failing to report the identities of any gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered individuals within 24 hrs.

This Avaaz petition (which I just got via email) is for those who wish to sign against this insanity.

On the petition site, look at the number counter below the photo of "Frank". It's amazing to see the numbers climbing rapidly by the second as people sign.

Happy Value Times Day

Page from: The Complete Poems of William Shakespeare

Is your Beloved: (a) Self (b) Other (c) Both?

Heart seen yesterday while leaving a friend's house

The Tongue Lingers have been made and will be delivered/collected today. I'm happy with them and I know that those on the receiving end will be as well.

When I first advertised them a few days ago, a friend called and said: "I wish I had a Beloved to order Tongue Lingers for." I understood her wistfulness, but as we acknowledged in further conversation, you really just have to be your own Beloved first and foremost, as 'challenging' or 'alone' as it may seem sometimes. It's worth it.

Interestingly, of the three orders for Tongue Lingers (all three are female), two of them are ordering for themselves ... treating themselves as their Beloveds, since they are single (or solo, as Alanis puts it). I'm not sure if the third Tongue Lingerer is ordering for another-as-Beloved or self-as-Beloved ... or both. (a), (b), (c).

Love = (a)(b)(c)

Most of my friends are single, as am I. We're not the kinds to 'be in a relationship' just for the sake of it or because we can't be 'alone' ... although, being human, we have our moments. We will soon be experts - if we aren't already - at option (a) given in the multiple choice above. According to my friend Nic, this is good because we are whole people (or becoming-wholer people) who want relationships with other whole people ... not half people who will fill a space for a while. She says many half people come together to form an illusory whole, which never lasts long ... and if it 'lasts', they're either not happy or are expending a lot of energy trying to 'make it work'.

Well, (a) is a lifelong process and, while it continues, I declare in this moment that I'm open and ready for (b) ... as intangible as it may seem right now. But intangible is where it all begins. In time, intangible vapours become clouds that send rain to make vast oceans.

Oceans of (c).

Fellow Librans

Source of image

This week's Rob Brezsny horoscope:

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Happy Valentine Daze, Libra! My astrological
hunch is that you'd benefit from the specific teaching that would come
from exploring a three-way relationship. But wait. Don't jump to
conclusions. Here's the form I think it should take: Fantasize that the
merger of you and your lover or ally has created a third thing that hovers
near you, protecting and guiding the two of you. Call this third thing an
angel. Or call it the soul of your connection or the inspirational force of
your relationship. Or call it the special work the two of you can
accomplish together. And let this magical presence be the third point of
your love triangle.

Making Love

I've already worked on the non-edible part of the Tongue Lingers love packages ... and may get started on the edible part today. Orders will be ready for Thursday.

Alternative Imaging for DJs and Artistes

Artistes and DJs:
Looking forward to working with you.

Two slots remaining for Tongue Lingers

See here to read all about Tongue Lingers and place your order.

Three out of five orders have been placed so far.

I started preparing the non-edible part of the packages last night.

Will make the Tongue Lingers on a day early next week in time for Thursday delivery/collection.

Give sweet, raw Love for Valentine's Day

Tongue Lingers: A gift you won't get anywhere else.

While every day is a day for Love, February 14th is THE day on which many the world over celebrate Love with others ... whether openly or as a 'secret admirer'.

Last year I worked in a friend's flower shop on Valentine's Day (you can read about that here. It was both hilarious and upsetting). I was shocked to see the amount of money (hundreds to thousands of dollars) being either casually or frantically forked out of men's pockets ... to buy flowers for their women (or men), who clearly expected nothing less than a massive, expensive display of commercial "Love". Otherwise, there would be trouble.

Interestingly, very few women were in the store purchasing blooms.

Special Offer
If you are inclined to express your Love commercially for Valentine's Day 2010, forget the cliché red hearts, cheesy stuffed toys, balloons and expensive flower bouquets.

Place your order today for custom made wholesome, irreststable, raw "Tongue Lingers". The name alone promises that your Beloved will enjoy this all natural treat.

- a 100% natural, original, delectable blend of sunflower seeds, dates, carob, cinnamon, coconut and Love
- Unique personalised packaging, created specifically for your Beloved is guaranteed to delight
- Special love notes included

For more details and to place your order(s) by Sunday 7 February 2010, please call me at 786-2539.

N.B. Maximum of five orders only (special limited edition) for 2010. First come, first served.

Deliveries or collections will be made before or on Thursday 11 February to avoid Carnival traffic. Tongue Lingers can be (should be) stored in the fridge until you are ready to give to your Beloved.

Wow

Can't buy me Love

Melting: from my ice tray for making heart shaped "cubes"

Yesterday I went into a store that sells local art and I was looking around. After a few minutes, the woman who owns the store said: "So what kind of art do you give to the art world?"

When I told her, she said: "Yes. I can see the creativity clearly in the aura."

We chatted for a while and, all the time, my eye kept going to a heart-shaped section of wood - cut from a tree trunk. It was standing on top of a shelf.

I figured it wasn't for sale, but when I was leaving, I still asked her if it was. She smiled, blushed slightly and said: "No, that's not for sale. It's a gift to me from a secret admirer."

She told me of all the gifts she had ever received from men, this section from the heart-shaped tree trunk was the best. Even the diamond studded heart pendant she had received from one man could never compare.

"Can't buy me Love," I said.

She pointed to a crack running from the top of the heart crease towards its centre and said that the secret admirer had indicated that his heart was broken.

I told her that I had noticed the crack, but that to me it didn't look like the heart was breaking. It looked like it was splitting open because it was getting bigger and creating room to let more in.

"Yes. Growth," she said.