Wednesday, February 29, 2012

the wonkerati on ponchos

With comments like these, you know it's a great Wonkette post!
 "Oh no, Mr. Romney - this isn't a raincoat - it's my house."
 "My wife owns two Ponchos, they're her poolboy and gardener."
Source: wonkette.com (One of the funniest sites on the Web! That is, if you like take-no-prisoners progressive snark, and sharp, cunning wit.)

visible music

German artist Martin Klimas set out to answer the question "What does music look like?". In order to find out, he selects some music, puts splatters of different colours of paint on a translucent sheet over the diaphragm of a speaker and then turns up the volume. The vibrations of the speaker send the paint up into the air, creating beautiful patterns and sculptural forms, and Klimas photographs the results.
See more: telegraph.co.uk

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

making progress

Miguel and Francisco work on the foundation for the new restrooms located near Bliss Beach. These facilities will serve the new beach bar (target completion date: November, 2012) and the Ananda Yoga Pavilion. Paya Bay Resort, Roatan, Honduras.

Sunday, February 26, 2012

payarazzi

Bliss Bar was rocking last night with happy, sun-drenched guests! Paya Bay Resort, Roatan, Honduras. [Apologies for the low quality photo; low light is a stretch for my Blackberry's camera.]

Friday, February 24, 2012

making a happy life

One great question underlies our experience, whether we think about it consciously or not: What is the purpose of life? I have considered this question and would like to share my thoughts in the hope that they may be of direct, practical benefit to those who read them.

I believe that the purpose of life is to be happy.

From the moment of birth, every human being wants happiness and does not want suffering. Neither social conditioning nor education nor ideology affect this. From the very core of our being, we simply desire contentment. I don't know whether the universe, with its countless galaxies, stars and planets, has a deeper meaning or not, but at the very least, it is clear that we humans who live on this earth face the task of making a happy life for ourselves.

Therefore, it is important to discover what will bring about the greatest degree of happiness.
-His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

just a baby


A vibrantly colored baby pineapple. (Note how, at its "birth," the tiny fruit is nestled in a "nursery" of colorful, specialized, tender, pink leaves). Fruiting is this plant's final act. It puts all its stored energy into creating the fruit (a fruit that - at full maturity - is typically 30 times the body mass of the plant itself). After the fruit has fully matured and begins to ripen, the plant peacefully wilts in the sun with what seems like a delicious, final exhale, "Aaahhhhhhhhhhh............." This reproductive altruism is not uncommon with tropical plant species. This pineapple's birth is visible on the Paya Trail near Bliss Beach. Paya Bay Resort, Roatan, Honduras.

quote of the day

In every country and in every age, the priest has been hostile to liberty. He is always in alliance with the despot, abetting his abuses in return for protection to his own.
- Thomas Jefferson

Monday, February 20, 2012

works like magic

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
To improve any day immediately, say and feel "Thank you" seven times in a row.
- lessons from The Secret 

I suggest saying/feeling it ten times, using your fingers as a rosary.

the mesoamerican barrier reef





Part of the immense Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System, Roatan's beautiful (and very healthy) coral reefs are fascinating to explore. Learn more about snorkeling and scuba diving at Paya Bay Resort.

Photos by various Paya Bay guests.

Sunday, February 19, 2012

overheard

Right now, Paya Bay is the only resort on the island that is completely full. The resort we were at previously only had about a 10% occupancy.
- A guest who checked in to Paya this afternoon after spending several days in Western Roatan.

omg. are you serious?

President Obama has got to be the luckiest man alive (well... after me, that is).



This ad is so wrong in so many ways. Does Santorum even know what santorum is? Surely Mittens has bought out The American Taliban's ad agency, and this is sabotage.

Rmoney, Frothy, and AnGrich are seriously damaging the image the rest of the world has of Americans. An image, mind you, already dragged through the mud by the Cheney-Halliburton administration. That either of these clowns is even being considered to lead the planet's most powerful nation is absolutely horrifying.

Who the hell needs Hollywood when there is Washington, D.C.?  Pass the popcorn!

Read more: Wonkette

Saturday, February 18, 2012

desiderata

Go placidly amidst the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible without surrender be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story.

 Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter; for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs; for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals; and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself. Especially, do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is as perennial as the grass.

 Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here.

 And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be, and whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul. With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful.

Strive to be happy.

- Max Ehrmann

Love you, Lisa! Thanks for the reminder, my dear friend.

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

love x 100


This video makes me SO happy. Love is so beautiful. Let's all intend more LOVE in our lives in 2012.

Monday, February 13, 2012

no excuse

There is no excuse not to give two minutes today to intend your tomorrow.
- lessons from The Secret

Sunday, February 12, 2012

bye, ms. whitney


Your light sure shined bright, girl. Thank you for sharing your beauty and excellence. It's not right that you left us so quickly, but it's okay. I know you will be okay, I know you will be alright.

Friday, February 10, 2012

a very hot potato

Nobody in the country wants the head of the Directorate for Combating Drug Trafficking [DLCN, by its Spanish acronym] the president of Honduras, Porfirio Lobo, said yesterday. The last director, General Aristides Gonzalez, was assassinated in December 2009. The crime remains unresolved and unpunished. [...] The President said yesterday that the candidates proposed by Attorney General Luis Rubi have so far declined to head the entity. Lobo maintained that this refusal by nominated candidates is the reason he has yet to name a new director of the DLCN.
- Translated from La Prensa

Seems like [mainland] Honduras continues its inexorable and accelerating evolution into a 'narco-state.' This predicament President Lobo finds himself in speaks volumes: the state is unable to guarantee the physical security of its anti-drug trafficking czar; as a result, no sane citizen dares take the job. This scenario highlights the fact that it is the drug cartels - not elected officials - that are deciding key anti-narcotics policies in Honduras. My cash poor country simply lacks the resources to take on the deep-pocketed international drug trade.

Pushed south by Mexico's determined and relentless effort to squelch them, narcotics traffickers have discovered an optimal haven here in Honduras (and in neighboring Guatemala, El Salvador, and Belize): Honduras is a country with many immense, sparsely populated areas (ideal for clandestine landing strips); a majority of citizens mired in grinding poverty who - without malice - appreciate the influx of narcodollars; a hyper-corrupt police force; an anemic, constipated judicial system; weak, mismanaged institutions; and government officials who can, in general, be easily intimidated and/or bought off (or, failing that, simply assassinated with impunity).

Unless North American and European governments (should they truly accept the fact that it is the voracious appetite of their First World citizens for Mexican and South American drugs that drives this twisted phenomenon) seriously and massively come to the aid of the seven Central American states (Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama), a narco-isthmus is pretty much already the new reality here.

Thursday, February 9, 2012

aunque te quites

Lo que es para ti, aunque te quites; lo que no, aunque te pongas.
- Latin American Saying

Wordy English translation: What is for you - IS for you - even if you get out of its way; what is not for you - IS NOT for you - even if you put yourself in its path.

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

protecting the leatherback

The U.S. federal government has designated 108,556 square kilometers (41,914 square miles) as critical habitat for the leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea), the largest of the world's marine turtles and one of the most endangered.
Great News Network

This is so generous, noble, and admirable. The American people really deserve a lot more credit than they tend to receive these (post-W) days.

carnaval!

It's carnival time in key party spots around the world: New Orleans, Trinidad, Sydney, and Rio de Janeiro! I'm convinced that Fat Tuesday celebrants are some of the world's happiest people. Laissez les bons temps rouler!

Photo: independent.co.uk

Monday, February 6, 2012

two words

Today, be grateful. Be grateful for your favorite music, for movies that make you feel good, for your phone that connects you with people, for your computer, and for the electricity that lights up your life. Be grateful for air travel that flies you everywhere. Be grateful for the roads and traffic lights that keep the traffic in order. Be grateful to those who built our bridges. Be grateful for your pet, for your child, for your loved ones, for your eyes that enable you to read this. Be grateful for your imagination. Be grateful that you can think. Be grateful that you can speak. Be grateful that you can laugh and smile. Be grateful that you can breathe. Be grateful that you are alive! Be grateful that you are You!

Be grateful that there are two words that can change your life.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
- lessons from The Secret

hey mister dj


Madonna rocks the Super Bowl. The lady still brings down the house!

Friday, February 3, 2012

fresh, fresh

The organic herb garden looks especially happy after the rains. In the forefront is the oregano bush. This garden has been one of the most successful projects I've introduced since beginning my tenure as Paya's general manager in 2007. Our cooks have totally embraced the fresh herbs and you can taste the results in our restaurant's food. I've been getting many compliments from our guests regarding the tastiness of our food lately. Paya Bay Resort, Roatan, Honduras.

yoga on the go @ sfo


Stressed out by flying? Travelers in Northern California can now find their inner calm in the Yoga Room at San Francisco International Airport. The quiet, dimly lit studio officially opened last week in a former storage room just past the security checkpoint at SFO's Terminal 2. Airport officials believe the 150-square-foot (14-square-meter) room with mirrored walls is the world's first airport yoga studio, said spokesman Mike McCarron.
Source and photo: Yahoo News

Wow, yet another reason to love SFO. Hope they add one in the international terminal. Californians never cease to amaze me. Something crazy good is in the water in that state.