Funderberg.com

The Art of Sophie Blackall (Missed Connections)

Sophie says, “Messages in bottles, smoke signals, letters written in the sand; the modern equivalents are the funny, sad, beautiful, hopeful, hopeless, poetic posts on Missed Connections websites. Every day hundreds of strangers reach out to other strangers on the strength of a glance, a smile or a blue hat. Their messages have the lifespan of a butterfly. I’m trying to pin a few of them down.”

She does a fantastic job at doing just that, pinning a few down.

Sophie Blackall’s Website
http://www.sophieblackall.com/

Missed Connections Website
http://missedconnectionsny.blogspot.com/

Missed Connections Shop on Etsy.com
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6341992

Cardboard Love (in a Digital World) Website

JH says, “I never really intended for these little bits of cardboard to be a big deal, but the response has been both surprising and uplifting.

In general, I am a pretty negative person. This project has been a chance for me to focus on the positive for a change.

Some people like these, some think they are lame, to each his or her own.

I’m just glad to have someone in my life that makes me not afraid to be lame.”

Cardboard Love Website
http://www.cardboardlove.com/

The Art of Phil Blank

Comstock Lode

Goodbye Virginia City
And these tall Nevada pines
I’ll marry my soul to a ghost town
When I lay me down to die

Wisht I had a copper coin
For all the gold I’ve known
I’d trade it all to a highwayman
For a half a pint of rum

This old gold has took my soul
And left me for the tomb
I spent my last nickel on a whiskey still
What else would a miner do?

All I got’s this old grey mule
Two blankets & some rum
She rode me all the way to Reno
I’ll trade her for a pistol gun

Goodbye Virginia City
And these tall Nevada pines
I’ll marry my soul to a ghost town

Even though my son was born with a some-what large head which he gets from his big brained dad Phil Blank seems to be fixated on painting humans and animals alike with them as well. His art is quite imaginative and dreamy but also dabbles on the line of delusional. To top it off, Phil also has some excellent writing to go along with some of the paintings. Link

I’ve Learned – Omar Washington

I’ve learned that you cannot make someone love you.
All you can do is be someone who can be loved.
The rest is up to them.
I’ve learned that no matter how much I care,
some people just don’t care back.
And it’s not the end of the world.
I’ve learned that it takes years to build up trust,
and only seconds to destroy it.
I’ve learned that it’s not what you have in your life,
but who you have in your life that counts.
I’ve learned that you can get by on charm for about fifteen minutes.
After that, you’d better know something.

I’ve learned that you shouldn’t compare yourself
to the best others can do,
but to the best you can do.
I’ve learned that it’s not what happens to people,
It’s what they do about it.
I’ve learned that no matter how thin you slice it,
there are always two sides.
I’ve learned that you should always leave loved ones with loving words.
It may be the last time you see them.
I’ve learned that you can keep going
long after you think you can’t.

I’ve learned that heroes are the people who do what has to be done
When it needs to be done
regardless of the consequences.
I’ve learned that there are people who love you dearly,
but just don’t know how to show it.
I’ve learned that sometimes when I’m angry I have the right to be angry,
but that doesn’t give me the right to be cruel.
I’ve learned that true friendship continues to grow even over the longest distance.
Same goes for true love.
I’ve learned that just because someone doesn’t love you the way you want them to
doesn’t mean they don’t love you with all they have.

I’ve learned that no matter how good a friend is,
they’re going to hurt you every once in a while
and you must forgive them for that.
I’ve learned that it isn’t always enough to be forgiven by others.
Sometimes you have to learn to forgive yourself.
I’ve learned that no matter how bad your heart is broken,
the world doesn’t stop for your grief.
I’ve learned that our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are,
but we are responsible for who we become.
I’ve learned that just because two people argue, it doesn’t mean that they don’t love each other.
And just because they don’t argue, it doesn’t mean they do.

I’ve learned that sometimes you have to put the individual
ahead of their actions.
I’ve learned that two people can look at the exact same thing
and see something totally different.
I’ve learned that no matter the consequences,
those who are honest with themselves get farther in life.
I’ve learned that your life can be changed in a matter of hours
by people who don’t even know you.
I’ve learned that even when you think you have no more to give,
when a friend cries out to you,
you will find the strength to help.

I’ve learned that writing,
as well as talking,
can ease emotional pains.
I’ve learned that the people you care most about in life
are taken from you too soon.
I’ve learned that it’s hard to determine where to draw the line between being nice
and not hurting people’s feelings and standing up for what you believe.
I’ve learned to love
and be loved.
I’ve learned…

The Poetry of Hafiz-e Shirazi

Even after all this time the sun never says to the earth, “you owe me.”
Look what happens with a love like that, it lights the whole sky.
-Hafiz, a Persian poet of the 1300s

Very little credible information is know about Hafiz’s life, particularly its early part. Immediately after his death, many stories, some of mythical proportions were woven around his life. Link