Four Hundred & Fifty Lives

A 58 year old man of Barcelona died a couple of days ago, survived by his family of 50 cats. He had no other family. Apparently he had lived with these cats for many years according to neighbours. He took strays home to save them from being put down if they were caught by the city's sanitary department.

 

There was no will but he had left written request or instruction that all his cats should be looked after well for the rest of their natural lives, under the care of the health department of the municipal town hall. Wonder whether that's his last laugh seeing it's the same department that cleans out the streets of stray cats. In any case, Francesc F. of the municipal public health agency, had dutifully carried out his wish and collected all the cats.

 

He was fairly well off. Apart from the 'Ático' (penthouse, the most sought after private property in Spanish cities) right in the centre of Barcelona, there was sufficient money to see that all his faithful feline companions are well cared for. They say cats have 9 lives. So 450 lives saved from being put down as that's the destiny of cats with no owners.

 

A fair number of people criticised the man for not thinking of his own kind, that there are people who live a marginal life too, yet he gave his entire fortune to stray cats who wouldn't even as much as say thank you. I wonder whether any of these same people had ever looked in on him when he was sick and lonely.

 

Well, in the first place these cats are not strays. They are his only family, or better said, he considered them as such. They had given him comfort of companionship; neighbours had given him nothing but constant complaints of his cats. The rude ones called him crazy and the kinder ones labelled him eccentric. When all said and done, it's his money, his penthouse, his dying wish. 

 

His last Meow; a fitting end.

 

Tag:450Lives 

My Love Affairs With Books

It's extremely sad and alarming for me the likely death of books in the near future, disappearing altogether, replaced by online reading, like Kindle, called by some as the 'ipod' of books. I am in no way against advancement of any kind, but I fervently hope that this won't happen and, over optimistic it seems, I strongly feel that it won't, not for a very long time. Until the newer generation who had never touched a book to learn the pleasure of doing so reins the world. Sadder will surely be the death of good text, beautiful and poetic verses; so much of that is already replaced by shorthand writhing and unrecognizable abbreviations in the hands of the young today.

A true and avid reader will read anything anywhere that interests him. If one analyses the relationship between a book and the reader, it's not so much the book itself, but the text, the words, the subject matter and the story. Equally important, how these ideas or stories were represented and presented by the meticulously chosen words, phrases and arrangements used by the author. This would surely be a strong argument, that the demise of paper books is hardly the issue. Still ...

For me, the sight of a room with wall to wall bookcases or shelves full of books, in some learned people's home library, nearly always fills me with awe and definitely admiration, maybe even envy. Those other rooms with books well thumbed and hazardously scattered all over the place can seem to me homely and comforting.

A machine, even put on a decorative stand on an eye catching place of honour, won't do that. I even enjoy the feeling, almost intimate, of having a book in my hand, with the blanket pulled up to my chin, reading a few pages, bringing me a smile or a tear before I fall asleep, sometimes still with the book on my bosom ... Wouldn't have the slightest inclination to cuddle a machine! 

 Tags: LoveAffairs,Books

The Bath Tub Test

** The Bathtub Test for Mental Health **

During a visit to the mental asylum, Guy asked the Director what the criterion was which defined whether or not a patient should be institutionalised

'Well,' said the Director, 'we fill up a bathtub, then we offer a teaspoon, a teacup, and a bucket to the patient and ask him or her to empty the bathtub.'

'Oh, I understand,' said Guy. 'A normal person would use the bucket because it's bigger than the spoon or teacup.

'No.' said the Director, 'A normal person would pull the plug. (Pause) Do you want a bed near the window?'

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Research indicates that Genius cannot exist without mental disorder, George Orwell and Lewis Carroll suffered autism. While Mozart, Hans Christian Andersen and Mozart almost certainly suffered from Asperger's syndrome. Those suffering from Asperger's syndrome often have artistic creativity, as well as mathematical genius.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

** Psychiatric Terms **

• Neurotics build castles in the air.
• Psychotics live in them.
• Psychiatrists are the people who collect the rent.  

 Tag:PsychiatricTerms

•  

Nobel Prize & The Miracle Diet

** Nobel Prize **

Bob is walking down a country road when he spots Farmer Harris standing in the middle of a huge field of corn doing absolutely nothing. Bob, curious to find out what's happening, walks all the way out to the farmer and asks him,

"Excuse me Farmer Harris, could you tell me what you are you doing?"

"I'm trying to win a Nobel Prize," the farmer replies.

"A Nobel Prize?" enquires Bob, puzzled. "How?"

"Well, I heard they give the Nobel Prize to people who are out standing in their field."

** Miracle diet **

Reginald was terribly overweight, so his doctor placed him on a strict diet.

"I want you to eat regularly for two days, then skip a day, and repeat this procedure for two weeks. The next time I see you, you'll have lost at least five pounds," his doctor assured him.

When Reginald returned he shocked his doctor by having lost almost twenty pounds.

"Why, that's amazing," the doctor said, greatly impressed, "You certainly must have followed my instructions."

Reginald nodded, "I'll tell you what though, I thought I was going to drop dead on the third day."

"Why, from hunger?" asked his doctor.

"No, from all that skipping."

Tags: NobelPrize,MiracleDiet

My Fantasy World In A Library

Without a doubt we all want a peaceful world; even those who started the war. At least they say they do, and that's why they started the war, fighting so as to achieve peace. Looking back at human history through the past many centuries, the possibility is pessimistic not to insist on downright improbable.

The absolute peace does exist, with all the different cultures, traditions, upbringings, backgrounds, races and all the rest that make the world quarrel and fight with one another, can and does coexist side by side, peacefully in one place. The library.

Or simply a well stocked bookshop. A haven of peace. I don't mean the number of readers in the library or customers in the bookshop, but the hundreds and hundreds of books. By authors of every race and creed, from every origin, background, culture, and religion, immortalizing their opinions, thoughts and views, vehement outcries and radical reasoning ..., serious, frivolous, or humorous, collected in those books. In the form of art, literature, history, culture, languages ... All these live happily together in the same place, without quarrelling, fighting, imposing more advantageous positions over others. The mutual respect is absolute.

There they are, written words by all those different people, not two alike, and they will stay and withhold the pass of time, to last longer than the stones of a cathedral, the roman bridges and skyscrapers. They are creators of liberty and testimonials of freedom of speech we all have access to.

Our world should be like a library. Our neighbours are our friends and companions day and night, summer and winter, good time or bad, to live together peacefully and respectfully, till the pages turn yellowed and all the prints faded out ... then the 2nd and 3rd and 4th editions for our future generations, to carry on with the mutual respect, and to continue cohabiting in harmony and ultimate peace.

Tags:Library,Peace,Harmony

Thank Thee For Our Daily Bread ...

A new bakery-shop just opened it's doors in Barcelona called Turris, selling what they call bread of the artisan. Top quality bread made fresh each day, every loaf hand crafted, no industrial processing whatsoever, and never frozen nor precooked. The proprietor/director is Xavier Barriga (his surname in English means tummy, a coincidence?), who has been deemed an authority on bread after his first book published in 2002, on the merits of good bread and the correct way to achieve it, called 'Panadería Artesana, Tecnología y Producción' - Artesan Bakery, Technology and Production.

 

He decided to open this bakery because during the last decade, 350 traditional bakeries have closed up for good, replaced by bigger number of retail outlets, selling precooked bread, cutting cost with mass production, but sacrificing the quality. The abject result is that it's not easy at all to taste real good bread any more, just like what has happened with the milk and it's byproducts.

 

His new concept places great importance on fiber and cereals, but preserving the real taste of bread. The oven and the whole of the working area in this bakery is on full view of the public, another huge attraction to inspire confidence and faith of clients. Some of the specialities sound absolutely divine, like the loaf with olives and walnuts, or the one made with olive oil instead of butter and speckled with cumin, or with bacon ... This shop doesn't put bread in plastic bags, as that would create humidity which encourages deterioration even mould if kept long. Cotton bags are used, which guarantee to preserve the bread for 2 whole days at home, tasting as fresh as when it came out of the oven.

 

He runs classes as well for those who are interested in learning the process of making good bread. The main purpose being, he explained, that he wishes to dignify the profession, promote the idea to the young people to continue with a worthwhile tradition, to include it as a career choice, and that unlike the old custom, none of his bakers need to work in the middle of the night, nor on Sundays.

 

How I wish this bakery is not 2 and half hours away from my home!!

Tag: ArtisanBread

Giggles - Oops!

Two guys were discussing popular family trends on sex, marriage, and values. Stu said, "I didn't sleep with my wife before we got married, Did you?
Leroy replied, "I'm not sure, what was her maiden name?"

 

A little boy went up to his father and asked: "Dad, where did all my intelligence come from".

The father replied. "Well son, you must have got it from your mother, 'cause I still have mine."

 

"Mr. Clark, I have reviewed this case very carefully," the divorce Court Judge said, "And I've decided to

give your wife $775 a week."

"That's very fair, Your Honour," the husband said. "And every now and then, I'll try to send her a few bucks myself."

 

A doctor examined a woman, took the husband aside, and said, "I don't like the looks of your wife at all."

"Me neither Doc," said the husband. "But she's a great cook and really good with the kids."

 

An old man goes to the Wizard to ask him if he can remove a curse he has been living with for the last 40 years.

The Wizard says, "Maybe, but you will have to tell me the exact words that were used to put the curse on you."

The old man says without hesitation, "I now pronounce you man and wife."

 

Two Reasons why it's so hard to solve a redneck murder:

1. All the DNA is the same.

2. There are no dental records.

 

A blonde calls Delta Airlines and asks, "Can you tell me how long it'll take to fly from San Francisco to New York City?"

The agent replies, "Just a minute."

"Thank you," the blonde says, and hangs up.

 

Two Mexican detectives were investigating the murder of Juan Gonzalez.

"How was he killed?" asked one detective.

"With a golf gun," the other detective replied.

"A golf gun? What is a golf gun?"

"I don't know. But it sure made a hole in Juan."

 

Moe: "My wife got me to believe in religion."

Joe: "Really?"

Moe: "Yeah. Until I married her I didn't believe in Hell."

 

A man is recovering from surgery when a nurse asks him how he is feeling.

"I'm okay, but I didn't like the four-letter word the doctor used in surgery," he answered.

"What did he say?" asked the nurse.

"OOPS!"

 

While shopping for vacation clothes, my husband and I passed a display of bathing suits. It had been at least ten years and twenty pounds since I had even considered buying a bathing suit, so I sought my husband's advice.

"What do you think?" I asked. "Should I get a bikini or all-in-one?"

"Better get a bikini," he replied. "You'd never get it all in one."

 

He's still in Intensive Care.

 

Tag:Oops!