Whether we fall by ambition, blood, or lust,
Like diamonds, we are cut with our own dust
As quoted by Ferdinand in The Duchess of Malfi (1612 – 1613) by John Webster, one of the great early writers. Though I’ve yet to read it, I’ve always been struck by this quote since seeing it on Amy’s blog, where she quoted it again recently.
Taken at the ArcelorMittal Orbit in the Olympic Park, as designed by Sir Anish Kapoor and engineer Cecil Balmond. As part of the experience you get to go down the 178m slide (created by Carsten Höller), which lasts for 40 seconds and goes round 12 times. This was taken on the floor above, which features a special mirror exhibition. Click below for a bonus photo.
She loved me once and I threw it away
A love so pure there was plenty to spare
And yet not enough for me to keep
And not enough for me to share
Her and I loved in different ways, speeds and styles
At contrasting times and in different places
Her love for me now sat with old newspapers
Faded clothes, expired milk and long-forgotten faces
But my love for her caught in a sandtimer
With my heart waiting for the last grain to fall
Memories varying from light to dark and dark to light
And questions and questions challenging it all
Whether better to have loved and lost I’m not certain
I wanted to love you the way you did me
My love took too long to catch up with yours
And you never slowed down, more’s the pity
I will let go, I hold on with fewer fingers now
The future is coming into view more than the past
But while we’ll never be that us again
Your role in my life will last
After finding an old poem Some Things, I decided to fine tune another poem I wrote while back.
Frasier: I was drawn to the theatre because of its discipline and collaborative spirit!
Niles: Oh please, in your sixth grade production of “Oklahoma!” you took so many curtain calls, Mrs. Van Raphorst had to lasso you and pull you from the stage!
Frasier: That woman never understood me or the role of Farmer Number Three!
Kelsey Grammer and David Hyde Pierce in the supreme Seattle-based sitcom Frasier (1993 – 2004). I have quoted the multi-award winning show numerous times on my blog, and yet there is always so much more to quote. Make sure to check out my Gr8at post on Frasier and Niles for more examples of their sublime humour.
Some things aren’t meant to be forgotten.
The first memory we hold
The poignant story we were always told
The first kiss we received
The lovely fantasies we once believed
The fantastic gifts we got
The ice creams we had when hot
The first person we had a crush on
Those neighbours with whom we always got along
The first difficult obstacle we got through
The wise words we’ve always listened to.
I wrote this poem a while ago and came across it when tidying my room and looking through some old papers. Hope you like it.
Perfection is an asymptote. It is never achieved and only two things will happen if people go looking for it. Either they live unhappy lives because they are unable to find it, or they think they’ve found it and then worry every day they are going to lose it.
Taken from The Secret Footballer’s Guide to the Modern Game. Written by an anonymous former footballer, it lifts on the role of tactics, nutrition and psychology in current day Premier League football. The quote is taken from a Q&A with a secret sports psychiatrist.
Vivian: People put you down enough, you start to believe it.
Edward Lewis: I think you are a very bright, very special woman.
Vivian: The bad stuff is easier to believe. You ever notice that?
Julia Roberts and Richard Gere in the modern day fairy tale Pretty Woman (1990). In the very fondly remembered film, a prostitute and a wealthy businessman fall in love despite vast differences in personality, wealth and social standing.
While I usually focus on individual lines, I’ve done a few lengthier musical posts, like with covers better than the originals, impressive foreign language songs and songs to lighten your mood and make you smile. I’ve been listening to quite a lot recently, so thought I’d add another. The really talented bands can keep you listening for minutes on end and make you lose yourself, even just with one song. Limiting myself to one song per artist (and you’ll see most of them represented here), here are eight awesome tracks of seven minutes and above. Feel free to share your favourites below.
I believe in the sun,
even when it is not shining.
And I believe in love,
even when there’s no one there.
And I believe in God,
even when he is silent.
A poem written on the wall of a cellar by an unknown Jewish victim in a Cologne concentration camp during World War II.
With Novak Djokovic’s life on court continuing to unravel after his unceremonious dumping out of the French Open tournament, his relationship with his newly-hired coach Andre Agassi will be more vital than ever. As the finals of the male and female take place this weekend (Agassi is the last American male to win in Paris), here are eight quotes from the Las Vegan’s seminal autobiography Open. Published in 2009, three years after his retirement, it tells of the 47 year old’s struggle in losing is childhood to tennis, being a prodigy, his rivalries with other competitors and fall down the ranking after years of success. The hugely honest and insightful memoir also tells of his inspirational recovery to the top of the game and later contentment in retirement. You can also see my review of the book here.
Alex Raphael 