More Random Thoughts

-- Based on what I saw yesterday, for once it was the Australians who were the better soccer players and the Italians who were better actors. A little history... Soccer: Italy always makes it to the World Cup and has won it twice. Australia made it once prior to this time and didn't score a single goal. Acting: famous Italian actors... Roberto Benigni (and he vanished shortly after his manic Oscar acceptance speech). On the other hand, Australia has given us Mel Gibson (who was actually born in New York, but never mind that), Russell Crowe, Geoffrey Rush, Hugh Jackman, Naomi Watts, Nicole Kidman (who was actually born in Hawaii, but never mind that) and Keith Urban. OK, Keith Urban isn't an actor but he is, well, OK -- I have a bit of a man crush. I wish I was Keith Urban, and that's nothing to do with his recent nuptials. Anyway, soccer ... the Aussies kept right with the Italians yesterday and lost it on a flop. A legitimate foul really, but still a flop because he could have easily cleared him and carried on with the play.

-- I think there's a conspiracy among soap producers. When I get a new bar of soap, it's great. It lathers very nicely. But after the top half inch or so has been used up, it doesn't lather well anymore and I have to re-sud my washcloth. I find this very annoying. I think the soap substance in the middle of the bar is not the same as what goes on the outside. It's a conspiracy to get us to throw half-used bars of soap away and buy new ones. But I'm about to stick it to The (soap)Man. I'm going to buy new Dial for Men body wash because I can't get that tuba song out of my head and because it's shaped like an oil can, which makes me feel very manly.

-- Nothing spoils a pretty good movie (such as Garden State, which I watched last night -- excellent soundtrack by the way) like ending it with an idealized view of relationships: the whole "I'm-messed-up-in-numerous-ways-but-I-like-you-and-you-make-me-feel-better-so-therefore-we'll-have-a-really-great-relationship" thing. That sort of relationship lasts about 10 minutes because it's entirely about using another person to feel better about yourself. And, inevitably, because that person has a sin nature which will make them do selfish and self-protective things, that person will fail to make you feel better about yourself at some point. Then what? Au revoir, I'm off to find someone else who'll make me feel better about myself. The only lasting foundation for a relationship is a commitment to serving the other person. It's much more about blessing the other person than how they make me feel. It seems to me there are way too many movie writers and directors that haven't figured that out yet. They are often also the ones who've been married and divorced seven times. Go figure.