My favourite ritual would have to be visiting and conversing with whoever I'm living with.  I don't think there's anything more calming and pleasant than simply sharing time and thoughts with the people close to you.

If you're like me, you seek distraction and relaxation from a number of entertainment media; books, music, tv and movies.

I just thought it could be fun to make a list of the quirky little things that strike viewers as being disconnected from reality in today's films... things that hinder your willing suspension of disbelief.
Now, i do mean 'quirky' and 'little'.  I'm not looking for rants about excessive and unbelievable action sequences, a la Die Hard.  I'm looking more for things like:

- The fact that RARELY do characters ever talk OVER each other... everyone waits their turn to deliver their carefully manicured script no matter how intense the situation in which they find themselves may be.  Bullets can be flying, walls collapsing and pigs flying... and still all we get is a back and forth rally of one liners.  I don't know about you, but I'd be screaming like a lunatic in that situation and I'm sure many others would too!  The only time you ever find characters talking at the same time is in cutesy love scenes where it's used to portray ackwardness and bumbling love.  C'mon!  I probably run into several situations a day when I talk over someone else or vice versa and the conversation grinds to a halt until one of us invites the other to continue.

- Inconsistencies in prop/food placement.  A perfect example can be found in Hot Fuzz.  There's a scene where the two main characters (Angel & Dany) are sitting in a car watching townsfolk and discussing who could be a danger.  As the camera cuts back and forth between Angel & Dany, you'll notice Dany is eating an ice-cream drumstick.  The drumstick will go from being half eaten, to nearly full, to almost totally eaten and back to half eaten again.  Not drastic by any means, and most people might not even notice it... but i do.

- Slightly 'off' accents.  Ed Norton in The Illusionist is a good example.  What the heck was the accent he was going for?

- Poor setting choice.  This is hard to explain and could cover a lot of different problems.  But one example that comes to mind is anytime a movie is SET on the west coast but FILMED on the east coast or vice versa.  Not much of an issue during day or night... but at dawn and dusk the sun rises over the ocean when it should be over land and sets over land when it should be over the ocean! 

Anyhoo... that's all i have time to put down for now.  But please, add as many more as you like!

Mine is strong, like a willow or a reed.  Able to bend with ease, but not break.  That's good enough for me. 

I feel that 9/11 was a tragic, yet unavoidable, event.  When it first happened, I couldn't really decide how I felt about it for quite some time.

Eventually, I realized that I wasn't sad or surprised that it had happened.  I was sad for the families involved, for the people who lost their lives and dreams, but I wasn't sad for the nation.

The U.S. has been pissing on - and pissing off - many of the world's nations ever since the conclusion of WWII.  With 20+ industrialized nations holding trade embargoes against the States, the anti-U.S. & anti-Bush rallies and riots being held at every summit or leader's conference that the President attended, and just the general messages of discontent that many nations and people were voicing against the U.S., it was only a matter of time until something drastic happened on American soil.

My hope was that the American people would take this as a cue to wake up and realize that they were not the rulers of earth, not the planet police - That it's better for all to WORK as one... not BE the one.

Sadly, the opposite happened.  The corrupt managed to galvanize multiple nations into condoning a half decade of reciprocal atrocities that have done nothing to curb terrorism and everything to promote growing discord the world over.

Among the regular people Apathy reigns.

I'm most judgemental about myself.  I'm not perfect, and until I am, I have no right to judge anyone else.

I've always found the tales of the Irish Celtic Monks to be pretty entertaining, and I like how they're often credited with saving European society from the dark ages. 

The Shaolin Monks are also very intriguing and I love how they've mastered mind, body and soul.

So, either of those two monastic groups would be fine by me.  I don't really care about which religion any group follows.  I care more about their personal beliefs and activities.

I've been relishing zaadz.com for about a month now.  The novelty still hasn't worn off - this is where I come for my daily dose of positivity!  However, the source of my positivity dose has changed much in the course of just a month. 

When I first found zaadz I was amazed and over-awed by the concept of the site, of the community.  I was on a constant high, always looking forward to logging in to see what interesting discussions were happening, what efforts were being made to improve the world, what socially conscious business ideas were forming... just a few short weeks later, that's no longer the case. 

Today my dose of positivity comes in the form of emails with several of the good friends I've made in my brief time at zaadz.com.  And, that's just about all that provides positivity.  Day after day I log in, and all I see are the same Religion vs Spirituality or Religion vs Religion debates.  Each debate is full of 'pundits' from one faction trying to pull the 'opposing' faction down, inch by inch.  And many will respond, saying there are no opposing sides, that we're all taking different routes to the same destination and it's right and honourable.

Well, if that's the case... then my question to you is... why discuss spirituality or religion at all?  If we're all just doing our own thing and we're comfortable with it... why is it the prominent topic on this site?

Why do so many feel the need to pass judgement or comment on this day after day, without fail?

I'll tell you why.  It's because everyone, be they religious or spiritual, has their own prefered belief system that they think is correct.  And for some reason, they just cannot keep that opinion to themselves.

Every one of these blogs, debates, questions of the day are FULL of statements that contain sentences like:  "I don't mean to offend", or "don't take this the wrong way", or "i don't mean to judge", or "I'm not saying you're wrong to believe"  .....
But they DO mean to offend and they DO want people to take things the wrong way and they DO mean to judge and they ARE saying that the opposing side is wrong to believe in whatever they believe in...

Heeme's blog http://heemes.zaadz.com/blog/2007/9/what_was_the_greatest_spiritual_challenge_of_your_life  is a perfect example of this... Several commentors tried to bring in the age old arguments about the lies that the whole  christian religion is based on...  WHO BLOODY CARES?! 

I understand the frustration one can feel when one thinks someone is believing a falsehood.  The feeling that it's up to you to enlighten them, but really... in the grand scheme of things... who cares?  People will believe what they want to, and if it's different from what you believe, does it really matter?  Why can't you just be happy with what you're doing with your own life? 

I understand that spirituality/religion is a VERY important issue to a lot of people.  I mean, it's pretty much what determines our very core - of that there is no doubt.  However, I (and I hope a few others are too) am getting DAMN sick of the same shit, day in, day out.  The ONLY times that anyone should seriously be discussing either religion or spirituality are:

1) when they're having difficulty reconciling events in their life with the components of their faith.  
2)  when someone who is not religious/spiritual may be calling out for options and help in that regard.
3) when someone is genuinely interested in learning more  

This pounding the discussion into the dirt simply for the sake of having your say and trying to get 'one-up' over others.... is for the dogs.

Zaadz is supposed to be primarily about improving the world through social measures.  Specifically it's supposed to be about developing socially intuitive and conscious businesses/organizations that will lead our societies forward in a sustainable and healthy manner. 
I see very little going on in this regard.  If everyone who spends time trying to express their feelings for religion/spirituality... spent a measely FRACTION of that time actually devising tiny ways to improve our lives on this planet... think of the good that would do.

Trying to figure out the nuances of this universe is admirable... and it's awesome that zaadz is a place where people can come to have all sorts of great discussions... but I really feel more people should be doing more on/with zaadz... and maybe debating less.

Just my thoughts.

There are many, many, MANY circumstances under which I would lie.  I don't really understand my compulsion to protect/boost others' emotions or why I feel the need to withdraw and contain my own, but I do it.

However, I don't really think my lying has reached epic proportions and until they do... I won't worry about it much.

Anyone who cares enough to ask.  Most often that turns out to be someone who's interested in being a significant other.

To rebel one must feel oppressed or constrained in some manner.  I've never felt this way about anything I can remember... I've just lived my own life and while it may have bumped up against (or shattered completely) the wall of conformity... I did it unknowingly and just went on my merry way.

To rebel one must feel oppressed or constrained in some manner.  I've never felt this way about anything I can remember... I've just lived my own life and while it may have bumped up against (or shattered completely) the wall of conformity... I did it unknowingly and just went on my merry way.

Depends on the day.  Some days my character is lacking... some days my accomplishments don't seem so grand...it's all a matter of perspective really.  And my perspective changes from minute to minute.

Do I WANT to leave money in the bank when I die? No, not particularly... but... it is only money and the whole reason banks exist is to house it.  I'd hate to see a thing's reason for existing to be nullified... so I'll probably leave money in the bank.  Y'know... so the bank doesn't feel neglected or useless or anything.  I'll leave my carrot stick collection to my kids.

Can't I just end?  I'm perfectly comfortable with this life being all that I get... it's not so bad. 

Why do people need to believe that there is something more?  How typically human is that?  "I'm not quite happy this this life, there must be something else out there, something more just around the corner"  Bah... what a joke. 

I haven't had a single dream come true... yet.  And I can no longer remember most of the ones I've chased and lost. 
However.... all of the fun and excitement is in the pursuit!