Timewasters Anonymous: The Pensieve

sabato, dicembre 31, 2005

The Pensieve

Remember that cool little gizmo in Harry Potter that Albus Dumbledore has? Yes. The Pensieve. For those who have no idea what I'm talking about, it looks just like a fishbowl for really rich goldfish. It is here that thoughts and memories are and dragged-and-dropped into for further reference. Kinda like your KIV folder for the mind.

As 2005 winds to a conclusion, here's what you'd probably find in my Pensieve; assuming that I owned one and, perhaps more importantly, assuming that I knew better and didn't use it to keep my goldfish in:

To love someone is to let her go?

Note the question mark here. On paper, the answer is as obvious as Robert De'Niro's mole on a 2000-inch TV. However, in reality, this is hardly the case. When you know someone (or at least when you think you know someone) up to a certain point, familiarity can certainly be a damper on any romantic aspirations that one may so harbour. On the flip-side of the coin, without familiarity, would there be room to get yourself involved in a relationship? People often tell you that balance is the key. They make it sound so easy, don't they? It's like having a piano virtuoso saying to a five-year-old kid, "Oh come on, it's only Chopin's Fantasie Impromptu, it's dead simple! I don't see why you can't get it."

The question now, as it always has been for the past twelve months, is: what should I do now? I give myself all sorts of answers. People give me all sorts of answers. They are good answers. They are decent answers. But I still ask myself the same question. Give it one more year? That's what I said last year. Let go? But what if I fall and can't get up? Don't give a rat's ass? I don't even have a rat's ass, what are you talking about? Stay friends? Is it humanly possible? Become a monk? You're not getting anywhere close to my mane!

Just a friend

Now this can get whiney, but if you choose to look into my Pensieve, you'll have to live with that. It's been frustrating to learn that everyone sees me as a friend. It stops there. I don't know about you, but I get the feeling that nobody has taken the extra trouble to look beyond that. Two reasons: (1) They don't bother, or more insidiously, (2) they don't see a need to. I once stumbled across this greeting card that goes like this "I have enough friends. Fuck off". To be honest, I have been tempted to adopt that kind of mindset. But would that betray my true identity? Do I really have a true identity? Is there such a thing as an "identity"? Fuck you, Sigmund Freud! Fuck you and all your gay partners which include, but are not limited to, Althusser and Foucault!

A friend indeed!

If you think my worries stop there, think again. Being everyone's "friend" ain't exactly a bed of roses either. On second thought, with all the thorns, it actually could be. Whatever. Someone once said that it's sometimes better to have enemies than friends because you don't have to work so bloody hard to keep them. Okay I'll stop being modest. It was ME who said that. Yes, I came up with that. Regardless, in retrospect, I find this really true. If you kept a log of all the telephone conversations that I receive, a good 80% of them start with "Hey, you know our assignment ah..." What sickens me the most is that everyone should know by now that I only start on my assignments one day after it's bloody deadline. It is also interesting to know that the same people who open with that aforementioned line tend to conveniently forget my entire existence when they're planning a night out. Ho-hum. If you're feeling queasy after reading up to here, then chances are I'm referring to you. Either that or it must have been the pepperoni pizza.

Do unto others

Still, I see no reason why I shouldn't lend a helping hand whenever I could. The reason: helping others is a reward unto itself. I kid you not. The idea of being walked on all over like a doormat is repulsive no doubt, but if that were to stop me from going the extra mile to help my friends (with our without the inverted commas), then my name isn't Eddie G.. Of course, the daily task of reminding myself of this is not easy by any means. Still, I find it a constant challenge to be able to help people unconditionally. A word of warning for those who intend to abuse this knowledge though, my middle finger has a mind of its own. If in the event that it should rear its ugly head, take a hint and get stuffed, for both our sakes.

Well that's about it for now I guess. Happy New Year, everyone, to you and yours. And remember: in the Bible, the number "7" represents perfection while the number "5" represents grace. Take it from me, it's not a coincidence that E and G are both the fifth and seventh letters of the alphabet respectively.

Ye who seek for audience, let ye speak now!

And so it came to past that at 07 gennaio, 2006 14:58, in the presence of The Eddie G., Fikri had spoken the following...: Finally. Took you a while for new material.

E is also short for ecstasy, a form of recreational drug, which you appear to be on from time to time, while G is the first letter of Goldfish, a movie you acted in. Perhaps you could have put inverted commas around the two 'goldfish' that I spotted in this post to accentuate that fact :>
And so it came to past that at 07 gennaio, 2006 18:48, in the presence of The Eddie G., Leanne had spoken the following...: inside my pensieve you will find many a times when you called me to catch up, cheer me up from a grey mood, or simply to say hello. and all the way from malaysia on your mobile phone too, i might add.

so thank you for all those calls. i feel bad (for your phone bill) so ill shout you to a nice, oily, mamak mee goreng when i come back yar?

you're an absolutely cool friend eddie, a rockstar! definately one of a kind! i know that many more good things will swing by your way in 2006.
And so it came to past that at 08 gennaio, 2006 21:35, in the presence of The Eddie G., Eddie G. had spoken the following...: Fikri: For the record, I don't do E. :) Still, witty as ever I see

Leanne: I'm watching my weight, luv. But thanks for the offer :)
And so it came to past that at 09 gennaio, 2006 17:54, in the presence of The Eddie G., Fikri had spoken the following...: It's no use just watching your weight. You've got to work to get rid of it as well. And you've got to do this yourself. You can't 'weight' on others :>
And so it came to past that at 11 gennaio, 2006 10:32, in the presence of The Eddie G., Nathaniel Soo had spoken the following...: The only friend anyone ever needs is "MONEY".

You have that, the world smiles at you and the dumbest & hottest bimbos suddenly will offer their boobs for you to cry on, politicians sharpen your knives for you and enemies will lick your boots.

Life's tough like that, I guess.
And so it came to past that at 11 gennaio, 2006 15:23, in the presence of The Eddie G., Eddie G. had spoken the following...: Fik: I was waiting for that. Heh

Chang Hao: Astute observation, friend mine. Alas, it's the way of the world. But they who have money lack one thing - the ability to know what to do when faced with a lack of it.

Like the Spice Melange of Arrakis, it gives with one hand and takes with the other. While it proffers influence, status and luxury, with them come a dependancy no drug could possibly emulate.

Envy them not, friend. For in our poverty, we too are blessed.
And so it came to past that at 13 gennaio, 2006 21:40, in the presence of The Eddie G., Nathaniel Soo had spoken the following...: True, but love cannot fill an empty stomach. Girls reading this, you'd be lying if you tell me that you're willing to marry a poor slob with a heart of gold. And this is something I've squeezed out of a few girls myself: that as much as they like a person, they'd have to marry someone who can clothe and feed them. In short, no money, no love.

As for the spice melange: apparently, the Tleilaxu were close to creating an exact copy of the melange in their axlotl tanks until Shaddam V sent his Sardaukar for a "friendly visit".
And so it came to past that at 14 gennaio, 2006 13:43, in the presence of The Eddie G., Eddie G. had spoken the following...: What the Tleilaxu failed in doing, the Bene Gesserit succeeded at long last. Their Chapterhouse is now the new Dune :)
And so it came to past that at 14 gennaio, 2006 18:08, in the presence of The Eddie G., Nathaniel Soo had spoken the following...: Really?! Damn those Bene Gesserit witches!!! See what happens when women wield too much power!!! Haha!

And damn, I've only read up to "God Emperor of Dune" where Leto II disintegrated into a thousand lil' makers... Looks like there's a lot I've been missing! Dune 2 was a great game though...

B'ilal Khaifah!!! Long live the fighters!!!
And so it came to past that at 15 gennaio, 2006 11:47, in the presence of The Eddie G., Eddie G. had spoken the following...: Lol I'm reading Heretics, the 5th book. Won't spoil it for you, but yea you'll understand how and why they succeeded by the end :)

Dune II is a wicked game. And if you played their latest of the Dune series, Emperor: Battle for Dune, it's even more kickass. You can summon the aid of two subhouses from any of the five - the Fremen, the Saudaukar, the Bene Tleilax, the Ixians and the Spacing Guild
And so it came to past that at 15 gennaio, 2006 14:01, in the presence of The Eddie G., Nathaniel Soo had spoken the following...: Hehe yeah~ PLayed the game, but since it's basically non-canon, it kinda made the gameplay less interesting. After all, the Harkonnens weren't all that stupid/brutish as the games made them out to be.

It's fun to level an entire base with a troop of 25 Sardaukar though!
And so it came to past that at 08 marzo, 2006 17:41, in the presence of The Eddie G., Writer n Journalist had spoken the following...: Interesting writing! keep up the good work of fiction writing and enjoy WRT3421!