Sculptures.

Every little thing is going to be alright. I'm sure of that.

I had two relationships that were not working end on me in less than 24 hours - what a blow to my self-esteem.

Am I sad? Yes, very much so.

Do I think it was the right decision? Yes, unfortunately. Yes.

I have been accused of being a hopelessly romantic. I am hopelessly hopefull, if that is possible.

I guess, I will have to live with that.

And thank God for great friends.

How to Dissuade Yourself from Becoming a Blogger.

Via WikiHow

1. Find five completely random blogs, and read them daily for a month. After thirty days, you will absolutely dread your self-imposed requirement to read all that dreck. Any blog you create will most likely be on par with what you've been reading. Don't put anyone through that. Consider that your voice, even if it is truly a good one, is a tiny peep against the massive wave of tripe out there. The odds of anyone you don't already know finding your blog are low.

2. Write on a regular basis in a text editor instead. If that doesn't satisfy your urge, and you feel that you must post your blog online, then you might just be craving attention and validation--which you'll never truly find in a blog. If you give up on your Wordpad journal after about three days, you'll do the same with a blog that just takes up server space.

3. Ask yourself if you really have the time to commit to a blog. What about that treehouse you wanted to build? Or the book you wanted to write? Or the car you wanted to fix up? Or the restaurant you wanted to take your significant other to? Or the new career you wanted to pursue? Instead of writing about pretty much nothing, or whining about all the things you wish you were doing instead, start doing something that'd actually be worth writing about. And if it's really worth writing about, you'll be having too much fun doing it to tear yourself away from it.

Final Tip:

Rest easy in the knowledge that it's perfectly okay and respectable to not have a blog at all. If attention and validation are what you're looking for, know that you will get neither from blogging. As above, very few people will ever know that your blog (or you, by proxy) exists. The remainder of comments posted to your blog will be sappy treacle, which you won't trust as being sincere anyway.

Neck Face.

Some silly fun with video editing and an obliging model. I had no idea who Neck Face was until I decided to google him, after I had already made this little "masterpiece". On the soundtrack is Kylie Minogue's Locomotion - her first U.S. hit, in 1988.

Blues

West 19th Street.

Questions and Answers.

Hello José,

Just a quick line to tell you I love the blog and really liked your first attempt at video editing. Two questions though; firstly the music is very catchy just what is it? Secondly; I take it the dish being eaten is Brazilian what is that?

Thanks, it's all just silly fun.

The song is called Samba da Minha Terra and it is a bossa nova classic. This version is by BossaCucaNova, a group that has revisited - and updated - the classics with a tinge of electronica. I highly recommend their last album.

The dish is called Feijoada and it's considered the Brazilian National dish. It is a slow cooked concoction of black beans and pork parts and it is served with rice, collard greens and sliced oranges (to help digest it). It originated among the African slaves, which were given the left over from the slaughtered pigs at the farm. It's served on Saturdays because it's so heavy it takes the rest of the weekend to recover from it. But it is delicious.

Obrigado,
V.

NY's Brazilian Independence Day Celebration 2006

Brazilian Independence day is September 7th but in NY it's always celebrated Sunday of Labor Day Weekend.

Sunday of Labor day is also the day, 2 years ago, that I ended up in a hospital bed for reasons that have morphed into something much bigger, in people's mind, than the accident that it really was. It's ok with me that you appropriate of my story, if it is going to help you with your own issues. I just think I'm an unlikely role-model.

This year, Mr DF & Co, in a showing of support - and support to my heritage - decided they would spend the day with me. In spite of all his head-shaking, he says he had fun.

This is my first time using a movie editing software - and it shows.