A Little Help with your Search...

Ever woke up and thought: What's it all about? What are we doing here? Or even just been stuck in a traffic jam or supermarket queue and asked yourself it?

Sure you have! And you're not the only one. Philosophers have been pondering this little teaser since Ancient Greek times (though not in rush hour traffic or the nightmarish queue in Morrison's on Christmas Eve, admittedly!).

Here are some of their solutions:

• To pursue good
• To become virtuous
• To be happy
• To achieve self-fulfilment.

Your trusty blog-losopher, however, begs to differ with Socrates, Kant and friends! Although if intellectual push came to shove, they'd punch me out before I'd even passed back the spit bucket! 

The real answer:  

A mountain in southern Chile



Waterfall at Iguazu, Argentina



A breathtaking view of Bariloche, the lake zone

Glacier in El Calafate, Argentina

These are just a few of my pics from a truly marvellous trip to Argentina, plus a cheeky two days in southern Chile as well. The world is full of magnificent sights like these and we've been put on this earth to see them!

That's what it's all about for me. Sometimes life can be so simple!

And for you?

L-O-V-E Spells Coincidence!

Have you ever seen that film High Fidelity? The one where John Cusack meets up with his ex-girlfriends to find out where he went wrong with them, why his relationships keep breaking down.

I'm sure we all have reflexive moments like this from time to time. Not so much stalking our ex-girlfriends, no, but maybe just a moment in the day, week or month when you think about the past... try to learn from it. In fact, I've just got an email from a friend who was doing this in their message. 

Just yesterday evening, I was thinking about loves I've won, lost and never enjoyed in return, when I came to a curious and equally random conclusion: the name of nearly every woman I've been attracted to begins with either M or L!

Only three haven't. Even then, two of those have both begun with C (the other was an A), so maybe I can throw this into the mix as well!

I love a woman with dark hair and a sense of humour. But if you like the cut of my jib and have neither of them, or just one, fear not. According to life's plan, love may still blossom as long as your name begins with L or M! And you can just imagine what L and M in the same name would do to me! (LM or ML, I'm not fussy!)

Okay, so it's all coincidence and I'm just having some fun with this post, true as it is. But I'd love to hear the amusing coincidences (unless you consider this post completely sad!) you've identified in your own life.

I'm going to leave you with one-hit wonder Lou Vega while you have a little think. He likes a little bit of... Well, enjoy the track and see for yourself! What did her say her name was again?

Any Last Requests?

The great British barbecue, that most quintessential summer past time: that's what I was up to yesterday! The weather was glorious, the company was superb and the food and entertainment were both terrific. The hosts then rounded off the day with a camp fire. Beautiful! 

As the fire crackled away, my friend said she could happily stay there forever. By jove, she's right, I thought, I could too! I'd been stood there for nearly two hours and only stepped away for firewood.

Then I mused to myself: If I had to do an activity for the rest of my life and could only choose one, what would it be? Imagine I could do something I really enjoy and not suffer any consequences. What would I go for?  

Being an absolute sucker for a barbecue, I'd plump for an eternal dose of juicy burgers, sizzling sausages and succulent steaks. Mmmmm... de-lish! I'd love feasting like that with my friends and family, enjoying the vibe and not having to worry about all that saturated fat!

So there you go. That's my 'last request'. What would yours be?

Or are you already licking your lips at this like I am!

Like a Box of Chocolates

Was just browsing on Facebook last night when I saw some friends had joined one of those little 'statement-type' groups on there. You know, the kind with sentimental statements about broken hearts or trust or friendship, or with a cool or amusing line as the title. 

'I Wish Music Played During Epic Moments of my Life and Not Just in Movies' - that was one of the groups I was in. The title made me smile, though later on I deleted it - not my smile (that always stays on!)! There are only so many meaningless updates I can handle on my News Feed.

But it got me thinking: if you had to choose a soundtrack to your life, what would it be? What song would go perfect with your life? 

Something cheerful, like Walking on Sunshine, or something sadder, such as I Don't Want to Talk About It? Or would something more dramatic fit the bill, say Carmina Burana (that epic song from the 80s Old Spice ad!)? You may even be a bit of a hellraiser and want a little Born to Be Wild to go with your rebellious ways! 

Perhaps you're a happy-go-lucky person and something relaxed and cheerful would be more up your street. Soul Man? Or do you have some yearning ambition or dream still to live or fulfil? In that case, a little Born to Run might be more to your taste. Suits you, sir!

I'd love to hear what you'd have on your own personal musicography, and why. Maybe you know me personally and have a few suggestions for mine. If so, go easy on the why, yeah! What with the truth hurting and all that jazz hahaha!

I Don't Care What the Weatherman Says... If the Weatherman Says It's Raining

Come the sunny weather, the first thing I want to do is whip on my T-shirt and shorts, get out there, and let me and my moobs and muffin-top enjoy the glorious sunshine! I want to zip out for a stroll along the seafront, stop off for a 99, and then revel in the warmth some more.

(Of course, before doing all that, I slap on a bucket of sun cream.)

But come the wet and windy weather, my dressing gown and slippers go on, as does the kettle. Then I'll maybe hop into bed and let a good book do the rest. What else can I do?

On second thoughts, though, rainy days do have a purpose. They're Nature's way of making you clean out a cupboard, tidy your room, do homework or some other long overdue task. They're the chance to do everything you've been putting off because the weather has been so damned good!

Capitalising on your rainy day gives you such a boost. Then when the ole currant bun (sun!) comes back out to play, you can slip into your summer gear without that nagging voice in your head saying, 'You're gonna have to do it sooner or later.' 

So whatever it is you've gotta do, now's the time to do it. Then you can truly always take the weather with you!

'Gone Fishing'

Addressing you today, my dear reader, as a copywriter. I picked up a terrific tip from the copywriting e-zine The Writer and decided to pass it on.

This article was about the power of the 'Out of Office' reply and it hit the nail bang on the nut. I'd never thought about it before but, yeah, the automatic reply is a great opportunity to sell both your service and yourself. An absolute corker, in fact! 

Instead of putting 'Currently out of the office on business. Will be back on blah blah...', go for something that's witty, chirpier or shows a touch of character. You could tell the client about:

• how you're on holiday strolling round in a loud shirt
• how you're sitting in the dentist's chair hoping you'll still come out with all your teeth
• how you're in the doctor's waiting room and are onto your tenth issue of Bella.

Personality is a vital part of copywriting. Cliches and stock phrases assassinate copy whereas a sprinkle of personality brings it to life. It makes the copy fresh and invigorating while still gunning for its main objective: to sell or persuade.

But remember to include the number and/or email of the person assigned to solve your client's particular pickle while you're away. If not, you could come across as a bit of a joker. You're still still trying to do business, don't forget!

'I Bet They'd Scrub Up Nicely'

Gotta tell you about another smashing book I'm reading at the moment, The Philosophy of Andy Warhol.

Warhol's journey into his own mind is inspiring reading. Both entertaining and profound, there are some truly thought-provoking passages in the book. One of my favourites is this paragraph on work: 

The President has so much publicity potential that hasn't been exploited. He should just sit down one day and make a list of all the things that people are embarrassed to do that they shouldn't be embarrassed to do, and then do them all on television.

What a splendid idea! All we have heard in the UK this year is 'cuts', 'cuts' and 'cuts' again. To see the coalition scrubbing a few toilets (cleaning toilets being Warhol's original example) would do us the world of good, especially at a time like this.

Oh the sight of Clegg and Cameron with their marigolds on - blue for Cammo, red for Cleggy - laughing and smiling like a newly wed couple, as they always do! If you've lost your job during the crisis, you'll probably feel right as rain after seeing them on their knees too.

Come on, lads. Do it for Britain. After all, you do really love us, don't you?