THE DEEP AND ABIDING ELOQUENCE THAT WAS NELSON MANDELA

If there ever was a human being who could embody the seemingly impossible, who could be steeped in ugliness but never allow it to touch him, that would be Nelson Mandela. I like that picture of him, rising above the fray, both physically and symbolically. 

Here's an excerpt from his 1964 speech:

"During my lifetime I have dedicated my life to this struggle of the African people. I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons will live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal for which I hope to live for and to see realised. But, My Lord, if it needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die."

The lessons you can take away from Mandela and his life are potentially legion, so I will just point out a few:

• forgive
• release yourself from the burden of hatred
• embrace humility
• speak with eloquence
• accept all people, equally
• hold passionate ideals and be willing to fight for them

Mandela encapsulated that quality of transcendence - when you become more than who you are, a man, and you become that instrument whereby others can recognize their own potential, for the qualities that you exude: acceptance, compassion, and change. You become that enduring mirror that others can hold up as a reflection of themselves and as an outward projection of hope and all that is good in the world.  

Whenever I think that I was alive at the same time that Mandela was alive, whenever Mandela makes a cameo in my subconscious, he leaves behind him the residue of a smile.

WEEKEND DIY: LIGHTING IDEAS

Image via Bolig

I've been MIA lately. No particular reason. Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and/or Crazy Monday might have been involved. On the plus side, nothing has been able to stop me from browsing around in the online universe and - since unique lighting can really make a dramatic difference - I thought of some things it might be interesting to try with hanging bulbs, metal poles, and ladders.

I really like that kitchen above, with the lights strung across a metal pole and dangling down at different lengths. To be honest, I like the entire kitchen, the house, and the minimalist black and white decor, but since that's not happening, I'm just going to stick to pointing out the lights. So - the lights. Nice, eh?

Now below, if you can get your hands on an old stick ladder, you can wrap a light around it - and behold! Another light fixture. There are an infinite number of ways to add a little bit of light. That one's not bad, and the punk print's not bad either.

From March Collective

EASY WEEKEND DIY: STRING LIGHTS

This is the adult version of the Christmas lights I used to string up in my college dorm room way back when ago. And old habits die hard. Possibly you see a picture and the idea resurrects itself in the dark nether regions of your mind - should I do this? And more importantly - how?

The short answer is Yes.  Cup of Jo has thoughtfully provided the source of the lights as One Forty Three. Below I have thoughtfully provided a nice closeup of the more mature, adult bulbs involved. Do what you must. 

OneFortyThree

FAILURE

"Failure has got its teeth in me... and it won't stop shaking."

-from Where'd you go Bernadette?

PHARRELL PUTS THE HAPPY IN HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Happy Thanksgiving!  

And because no one can express this sentiment better than Pharrell, I have attached this video chock full of subliminal messages and excellent dance moves.

THE THING IS, BY ELLEN BASS

to love life, to love it even
when you have no stomach for it
and everything you've held dear
crumbles like burnt paper in your hands,
your throat filled with the silt of it.
When grief sits with you, its tropical heat
thickening the air, heavy as water
more fit for gills than lungs;
when grief weights you like your own flesh
only more of it, an obesity of grief,
you think, How can a body withstand this?
Then you hold life like a face
between your palms, a plain face,
no charming smile, no violet eyes,
and you say, yes, I will take you
I will love you, again.

- Ellen Bass 

 

FUN LINKS

As it's Thanksgiving weekend coming up, I'm going to up my link quota.

Writing
Nanowrimo Punctuation Tips
How to properly use dashes, hyphens, parentheses, quote marks (double and single), apostrophes, ellipses, brackets, slashes, question marks, and exclamation points.

Dating and Inspiration
The Craziest OkCupid Date Ever
They traveled 8 countries in 21 days. With no luggage and no money.
They visited all the places I've always wanted to go: Turkey, Croatia, Hungary, except they did it in a way that I can only recreate in my imagination.

Productivity
The Successful Writer's Work Ethic with Kerry Wilkinson
This man writes 1000 words per hour. My God. This post makes me deeply ashamed of the amount of time I spend trolling Craigslist for used bikes.

Filmmaking
Everything You've Ever Wanted to Know About Filmmaking (in 240+) Links
Ever thought/considered/dreamed/fantasized/fetishized/investigated/vaguely mentally analyzed how to make a movie? I have. Here's a link.

Photography
How Squinching Will Make You Look Good in Photos
Squinching: to slightly squint your eyes. It has never occurred to me to do this - I usually just smile so it looks like I'm having fun regardless of reality, but could this work?

Movies
You Can Do Anything: Must Every Kids' Movie Reinforce the Cult of Self Esteem?
True? Not true?

Travel
10 Travel Web Sites Worth Bookmarking

GREAT CREATIVE MOMENTS: THE DESCENDING BED

Well, hello there, Bed. These images are from actor Vincent Kartheiser's home, as profiled in Dwell magazine. The style here is Japanese industrial, and that first shot is of Kartheiser pulling his bed down from the ceiling. That wooden slab in the background there? It's the headboard. When the bed is up, the slab folds down to become a desk. That's right: a desk.  

To offset the weight of the bed, there is a 300 lb. weight hidden away somewhere, in a way that is built into the cabin. There are so many different ideas going on here (Red as an accent color anyone?), I don't even know where to point (Red curtain??). It's all just too good. It baffles and astounds me. I have no words. Look and enjoy.* 

* Okay, one small final point. This cabin was designed by Funn Roberts. How did this creativity happen? As Kartheiser puts it: "Funn is an artist, he's going to do his best work if he's trusted. You trust the artist and you don't micromanage him." There, all done.

QUICKIE ON BATKID

Image via Cinema Fanpage

Wow, when you dream - dream big! Miles Scott asked to be BatKid as his wish for MakeAWish Foundation. And he got it. I am in awe of this kid.



Batkid from San Francisco Chronicle on Vimeo.

PHOTOGRAPHER DENISE GRUNSTEIN

Via

This series from photographer Denise Grunstein caught my eye recently. It looks like the good part of a dream. Everyone carries an idea in their head of what the world they've created looks like. I know I do. The world I create is always different from the world I observe - it's an enhancement. The colors are stronger, and objects more meaningful, or are possibly a plot device to be referenced later. Grunstein captures that unreal quality here. It's reality, but better kind.