martino loves you

[martino]

hello everybody, i know i have been gone for what looks like no particular reason.

i have been travelling a bit. look below and you will see me with my dear daughter. perhaps the picture proves that de nile is a river, after all.

(no, i am not the guy with the fanny pack).

i have been working a lot, too.

my life has changed: hedonism as practiced and propagated by paxacidus helped me to get away from a bad old life and find a new one. for this, i am more grateful than you could imagine.

something happened however on my new path. i think it was that i discovered for myself that happiness is not to come from yet more pleasure.

a few years ago i was consumed with work and family . then i neglected work and re-found the enjoyment of sex&drugs&music.

for my new life i am trying to balance family, sex, friends, work, pleasurable consumption, introspection, music, literature and a degree of contribution to society. but -- and here's my problem -- getting this balance is really, really hard!

(it sounds like a cliché, but i assure you it isn't.)

trying to do this takes a lot of time.

give me some time and i will be back, better than ever.

in the mean time i will get off this lower case-thing and repeat: MARTINO LOVES YOU. you, and you, and you. and especially you, mccutcheon.



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[mccutcheon]

I love you too (especially because it ain't you in the fanny pack) I hope you got my one million emails!

[bfj]

that's really the nile? you have been traveling... sounds like healthy approach you're taking. i'm trying the same, burying myself in work seems to help.

[martino]

to both of you guys' questions, sure

[Tommy Martyn]

Ahoy shipmate.

I recall a conversation in "Mayweek was in June," by Clive James. An american friend of Mr James was laying out his plans in relation to his responsibilities. Clive accused him of always wanting to ,"do the right thing." His accusation was that his chum was bending a little too strongly to the expectations of society. His chum corrected him by saying tha he was merely trying to ,"Do things right." They were students at the time and James acknowledges that it was only as he matured he saw that he had been full of shit and his friend was right.

[martino]

coming from you, and seeing it put that way, this is a book i know i am going to read.

[Tommy Martyn]

"May week was in June," is the third volume of autobiography from Clive James. The first is, "Unreliable memoirs" and the second, "Falling towards England." I've read the first and third. The Unreliable memoirs covers his childhood growing up in Austrralia. The second one (I think) is about him failing to "make it" in London and the last one is about him going off to Cambridge to do a degree. ("May week" is the last week of the summer term in Cambridge. Exams are over ,you are not allowed to go home and there is nothing else to do but go to the endless parties. It was the most wonderful time of my life.)

One thing I should point out about Clive James is that he is hugely popular in Britain. He is prolific journalist and has fronted numerous TV shows. Many people (like me) have an affection for him before they start to read his stuff. This may colour my opinions of his work. My favourite novel of his is Brilliant Creatures. (one of the characters is based loosely on Christopher Hitchens!)

If I may, I would suggest you read "Dark Star Safari" by Paul Theroux. The subtitle is (I think) Overland from Cairo to Capetown. It will hopefully stir up fond memories of your time in Egypt. Me and Mrs Tommy both loved it.

[Myke115]

something happened however on my new path. i think it was that i discovered for myself that happiness is not to come from yet more pleasure.

That's the best line I've read in a long time.

[martino]

after all the differences of opinion expressed through unkind words, i am glad to say i have love in my heart for myke, too