happy valentine's day (for tomorrow)

I love this quote from an old copy of Natural Health magazine (February 2004). I scribbled it down in one of my journals, and it's stuck with me ever since: "This is the time of year when it's easy to succumb to the symbols and trappings of feelings, to love as defined by others. The rituals of romance, the rich foods and vibrant flowers, are gratifying in the moment, and we can take delight in their sensuous pleasures. But the greatest affection is tendered and received - with neither encumbrance nor expectation. It's the quieter rituals of the devoted heart, so often overlooked, that provide the security and the strength we need to embrace the wondrous opportunities of life."

quote of the day

“Do you want me to tell you something really subversive?
Love is everything it's cracked up to be.
That's why people are so cynical about it.
It really is worth fighting for, being brave for, risking everything for.
And the trouble is, if you don't risk anything, you risk even more.”
(Erica Jong)

eco love

Surfrider have a great idea for Valentine's Day: show the ocean how much you love it. Become a member or make a donation and they'll send your loved one an e-card. This reminds me - Imax's Under The Sea 3D is out today - which I heard is like "snorkeling in the cinema."

mix tape love

Making a mix tape online isn't quite the same as sitting cross-legged in front of your tape deck, loading tape after tape, lining up the intro to each song, hitting play and record repeatedly and then hand writing your own liner notes... but it sure is fun. Not to mention instantaneous. You can create a playlist, make a mix tape design of your own, geek out over this mix tape USB port (which, admittedly, would make for a pretty sweet and thoughtful gift), and then check out Rob Sheffield's book, Love is a Mix Tape: Life and Loss, One Song at a Time, which tells of the relationship he had with his wife, via fifteen old, beat-up cassettes. And while you're at it, the folks at exopolis have made you a special mix tape... Enjoy.

the meaning of certainty is getting burned

"The meaning of certainty is getting burned. Though truth will still escape us, we must put our hands on bodies. Staying safe is a different death, the instruments of defense eating inward without evening out the score."
- Rosmarie Waldrop, Lawn of Excluded Middle