He Could Also Bite Your Knee-caps Off, So Be Careful
Dwarf with walking disability: Could you go upstairs and get me a glass of water?
Man: Water? To drink?
Dwarf: Yeah, to drink. What do you think I’m gonna do with it, wash my hair?
Nearby woman: You could swim in it, I guess.
–Abington Theatre Lobby
Overheard by: Chris
via Overheard in New York, Mar 28, 2008
sometimes I’m not exactly sure if there’s a difference. between being still and just being quiet.
other times, i see the difference clearly:
stillness sounds to be a meditative practice, whilst
being quiet is just that.
one sounds serene – even wise.
the other sounds a bit more depressing, really.
so which have I been lately?
mostly quiet…
Ever heard one of these on a hot tin roof? Or in heat? Then you haven’t been watching the latest installment of American Idol – have you now…
I cant watch everything – it’s excruciating! Just now, a very “bubbly” (not) girl attempted a Celine Dion number. “If… I…” or something. I had to get up, come to my room and write this up. I get embarrassed! Too embarrassed to stay in front of my TV – but too enthralled to not want to go back and take in some more. (I’m a masochist that way.)
Right. Better now. Let’s go for some more wondrous torture!
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After a seriously rushed day – I was blessed with the following comment (via Plaxo) on my “How I did yesterday” post:
Today I want to give you a reminder of what I tried to teach you for almost three decades: Do not be too hard on yourself!!!
Nobody is perfect, but more important, no mortal soul is so important that his/her choices or decisions will rock the world off its tracks (except some African leaders like Mugabe).
Take your own advice, and let go and let God. Even if you sometimes take the wrong decision, there is mostly something good to be learnt or experienced as a result. You may not become a millionaire in a week, or be the next big inventor, or the greatest leader ever, but you are unique and special to those lucky enough to know you.
Some of us cannot imagine a day without your caring , joking, honesty and sometimes scalding sense of humor.
Keep it up, and keep going.
Yesterday is gone – nothing can be undone or changed about it; Tomorrow is still a dream – the best you can do is plan for it, but TODAY is your day – your chance to do something special, to laugh out loud, to be someone’s friend, to live according to your principles and faith.
GO FOR IT!!
Love
Guess who.
Yesterday I listed my “just for today” goals.
Here is how it went, in retrospect:
Yesterday I almost managed not to stress about “tomorrow”. If banks would stop calling me and reminding me that my credit card payments are over due (of which I am painfully aware)- I might do better today.
Yesterday I was happy – until my Mom’s bad spell at Aquarobics. No-one’s exactly sure what happened – but it looks like another heart attack.
Yesterday I tried to adjust myself to what is. When I realised I was trying to adjust everything to my own desires, I reminded myself to let go – and let God.
Yesterday I strengthened my mind by attempting designs that pushed my skills. I almost tried to read Franz Kafka’s “The Trial” again – but didn’t.
Yesterday I only exercised my soul in one-and-a-half ways:
I did somebody a good turn, but got found out.
I only did one thing I didn’t want to – taking a lady home after Aquarobics.
I did, however, manage not to show anyone that my feelings were hurt.
Yesterday I was agreeable. I looked pretty well in a white, weather-appropriate outfit (thankfully we live and work on the coast). I talked low and with a smile, acted courteously and refrained from criticising anything – or anyone. (Scratch that – I did go off about Stormhoek…)
Yesterday I almost had a program. I didn’t write it down – and didn’t follow it exactly, though I did try to save myself from hurry. Indecision still plagues me though. And the indecision is about choices I have to make about my future. (See point one re: not tackling my whole life problem.)
Yesterday I had a quiet half hour all by myself. It was quiet outside, but noisy inside. I need to learn how to relax. During this half hour, I tried to get a better perspective of my life, but ended up going on tangents about the choices I just referred to.
Yesterday I ended up being afraid. Not of enjoying what is beautiful, but of screwing it up. I’m not sure what I’m giving to the world… and it feels like the world is giving me a headache.
It’s lunch time now. Maybe I’ll do better this afternoon?
(This morning has gone to the dogs already.)
As I lay in bed last night, it dawned on me that it might sound odd that I’m all in a huff about a winery. Why feel so strongly for a product I no longer use?
Well, here’s the deal. Yes, as an alcoholic I no longer drink, amongst other things, wine. Still, Stormhoek isn’t “just a wine”. Above and beyond the warm memories I associate with a bottle of Stormhoek at a dinner party – the people behind the wine feel like family. Many Geek Dinners (linklove to the Garden Route Geek Dinner that got me started) were sponsored by them, many younglings have been inspired by them and – not to put too fine a point on it – we know them! For crying in a bucket – some of us even own vines at Stormhoek!!
As a last thought on this matter, for now, here’s the deal with wine:
The wine is the brand. You can taste it. Wine carries the story of it’s origin within itself. The soil, the wind, the water, the sun – the actual vines… All of these are translated into the aroma and character of the wine itself.
You can take the same wine – and slap on any old label you please – it will always be the same wine.
Conversely, if you take the “Brand” and stick it onto any old wine – it will be fake.
Shame on you.
I am in shock. Forgive me for not saying more… but I just read this on stii‘s blog:
Stormhoek gets NO love from Origin Wines
Apart from getting a really raw deal from Stormhoek’s UK partners, Orbital, they are faced with even more obstacles. Since Orbital has gone under, it was sold to/taken over by Origin Wines. Their previous website (now, unfortunately also owned by Origin) are now used to spread a bunch of lies:
When we started Stormhoek back in 2003, we sat in our office in London and thought, “Why can’t we make great 5 pound South African Sauvignon Blanc? Why not beat the New Zealanders at their own game? Better, Cheaper and Faster!”
…
Ultimately we went ahead, brought some tech, contracted out our production, designed a label, marketed and launched Stormhoek. People loved the wine!
…
There are some very successful brands in ZA that some nothing more than a label, with everything else being outsourced, but we felt that we needed a place to call home. So, we bought an interest in a little vineyard called Siyabonga, near Wellington. After years of effort, Siyabonga had not been able to sell its wine very successfully, and with Stormhoek’s growing business, it was a perfect place to buy what we could call a home. So it was a good fit for both parties.
Read more here! (For the TRUE Stormhoek story, read here)
Luckily one person did notice that and left a comment, which would be interesting to see how long the comment remains there:
What has happened? I think I cannot say it better than Rob Stokes from Quirk:
The assets of the sunken Orbital were recently bought by Origin, and of course with this purchase came all of Stormhoek’s brand equity in what I would guess to be their biggest market.
In essence what they are now doing is cutting Graham and the team at Stormhoek SA (the people who really care about the brand) out of the UK profit loop. Sure their business will (hopefully!) go to another South African farm, but I’ll bet my favourite Google hat that vast majority of the profits will stay in the UK. As a proud South African, that doesn’t sit well with me.
From what I understand is that Stormhoek will continue to make the good stuff here (a.k.a. the real Stormhoek) and export to basically everywhere, accept the UK. In the UK, Origin is going to continue to bottle and sell Stormhoek, but not with real Stormhoek, which means nothing! I think this Jason guy misses the point about Stormhoek. See, Stormhoek is not just a good brand. The real Stormhoek is a massive success story. It is also a fantastic story! You can put the best bloody Bordeaux wine in a Stormhoek bottle, it is not Stormhoek, as the story is lost. However, all of this will be another great chapter with excellent lessons to be learned in the real Stormhoek’s story! As Rob said in a comment over at Quirk:
My point is that I don’t think the two can be fairly separated. The wine is the brand and vice versa.
Another blind turn of events is that this Jason guy told the real Stormhoek guys that they have to seize the use of all those brilliant little cartoons we grew used to by Hugh MacLeod. That is very sad. From the nasty article on the old Stormhoek blog, it seems like they will also retain the services of Hugh, so it seems that is also lost to the real Stormhoek. 
Very sad… BUT, is there maybe an opportunity lurking for some aspiring blogger in SA to take over that role?! 
Would be kinda tough to beat the brilliant Hugh at his own game though!
There is an upside to all this, of course! Stormhoek will now be more available right here in SA! Since they will not be shipping to the UK anymore, they will distribute much more right here. (At least, thats what I hope!) That sure is good news for all real Stormhoek fans!
So if you feel you’d like to help even more, the best you can do is to talk about all of this on your blogs. The truth will prevail!
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