Greased Poles Of Indonesia

Every country has it's very own unique traditions and customs. Yakarta is celebrates each anniversary of Independence of Indonesia, with games and the traditional greased pole competition. As in the photo, these poles are greased and therefore very slippery. They are all adorned with bicycles, toys and other objects. The idea is that you try to climb up the pole, if possible, all the way to the top. The higher you could manage to get without falling or sliding down, the better the prizes are. Considering that the poles are very high, it would be quite a task to get up there without them having been heavily greased, making it almost impossible to grab and hang on to. What you can reach and grab is yours, as a prize. And, if you are very good and grabbed more than one prize, how do you bring them down the pole I wonder? Tags:greasedpoles,Indonesia

Current Mood: Accomplished

Forbidden Fruit

Did you know smoking is bad for you? Of course you did. It's printed on all the cigarette packets and seen all over the place on posters. Perhaps some of us still don't know how bad it is to get fat because the hanburgers don't come out of the grill pan with a label saying so, nor does the other fatty food.

The experts recently assured us that ''Bad or inadequate nutrition is a health risk factor more serious than tobacco (possibly these experts are smokers!), as the impact of it is more grave in many systems. Well then do we put warning labels on everything? Or not?

What about cars? The fume coming out of the exhaust pipes are no better than cigarette smoke surely. Do we put up posters saying 'Driving is harmful to your health'? Or perhaps we could also warn about working? The work related stress is responsible for heart diseases and accidents caused by vascular blockage in the brain and all that. And excess of age? The source of many ills. Yes, friends, old age could provoke impotence.

Twenty years or so ago, there was a new brand of cigarettes on sale in London called 'Death' . The packet is jet black, the only decoration consisted in a skeleton with 2 crossed bones. The promoters' intention was to discourage smoking amongst teenagers (so they said. I say nobody invents something, put it on the market, and hopes to encourage people to ignore it!) And, (yes, you guess it), it sold like hot cakes, especially to the young who all considered it rather cool and it became their favourite brand. So much so that they had to retrieve the lot and stopped it's production. Short lived, but huge profit and priceless advertising. I bet they expected the outcome right from the beginning, as the Spanish idiom says 'Ya ha hecho su agosto' (Literally: they have by then made their August; meaning having made their pile, fun, profit, etc.) Or, in English: Forbidden fruit.

It's what is called reversed advertising. The more dangerous or evil you shout about something, the more appetising it becomes for the young and curious. Haven't we all done something we are specifically warned or forbidden to do? I did. Still do them.

Tags:forbiddenfruitt,reversedadvertising

Current Mood: Accomplished

Philosophy On Life

I did not write this; I wish I had. This is marvellous!! Scroll through slowly and read carefully to receive and enjoy the full effect.

The following is the philosophy of Charles Schulz, the creator of the 'Peanuts' comic strip.
You don't have to actually answer the questions. Just ponder on them.
1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.
2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.
3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America pageant.
4 Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.
5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners for best actor and actress.
6. Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners.

How did you do?
The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday.
These are no second-rate achievers.
They are the best in their fields.
But the applause dies..
Awards tarnish..
Achievements are forgotten.
Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.
Here's another quiz. See how you do on this one:
1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school..
2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.
3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.
4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special.
5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.
Easier? The lesson:
The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the
most credentials, the most money... or the most awards.
They simply are the ones who care the most.
Pass this on to those people who have either made a difference in your life, or whom you keep close in your heart, like I did.
'Don't worry about the world coming to an end today. It's already tomorrow in Australia!'

Be Yourself. No One Else Is Qualified!

Tags:Philosophy,CharlesSchulz

Current Mood: Accomplished

My Favourite Advert Video - Russian Cars On Ice

I do wish all our adverts were as good as this one. Lovely dancing and music, and terrific driving. I could watch ones like this quite happily in the middle of programmes couldn't you?