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subscribeSaturday, October 30
Just in time for Halloween, lady wearing a skirt and no undies and riding a horse gets arrested by some cops: "As she was riding, Ellis was drinking from a 12-ounce can of malt liquor"
Sunday, October 24
I miss subtlety. The nuance between shades of meaning. That crack in the clouds in the storm where only one ray of light comes through. Subtlety is a spotlight... But on what?
And I miss that quality in conversations when it becomes too clever to contain falsehoods. I miss public speakers who are somehow both breathless and brilliant, where you sense quick subtle thought and movement, quick but not rushed. The individual notes of the symphony.
And I miss reading a good book instead of watching CNN.
I need to delete my cable or some-such-thing.
Here is a quote I liked:
"Human subtlety will never devise an invention more beautiful, more simple or more direct than does nature because in her inventions nothing is lacking, and nothing is superfluous."
Leonardo da Vinci
I liked this one too.
"Perfect love is rare indeed - for to be a lover will require that you continually have the subtlety of the very wise, the flexibility of the child, the sensitivity of the artist, the understanding of the philosopher, the acceptance of the saint, the tolerance of the scholar and the fortitude of the certain"
Leo F. Buscaglia
And I miss that quality in conversations when it becomes too clever to contain falsehoods. I miss public speakers who are somehow both breathless and brilliant, where you sense quick subtle thought and movement, quick but not rushed. The individual notes of the symphony.
And I miss reading a good book instead of watching CNN.
I need to delete my cable or some-such-thing.
Here is a quote I liked:
"Human subtlety will never devise an invention more beautiful, more simple or more direct than does nature because in her inventions nothing is lacking, and nothing is superfluous."
Leonardo da Vinci
I liked this one too.
"Perfect love is rare indeed - for to be a lover will require that you continually have the subtlety of the very wise, the flexibility of the child, the sensitivity of the artist, the understanding of the philosopher, the acceptance of the saint, the tolerance of the scholar and the fortitude of the certain"
Leo F. Buscaglia
Thursday, October 21
Wednesday, October 20
it's doritos, physically intimidating color, and silence
not summer, park
benches, and weevles
Monday, October 18
Bobby Fischer may get 10 years imprisonment for playing chess in Yugoslavia when it had sanctions. Also of note: he believes the Japanese authorities are trying to make him impotent. Strange article.
Friday, October 15
Jon Stewart, on Hardball, being critical of Hardball: "In many ways, it's funny. And I made a special effort to come on the show today, because I have privately, amongst my friends and also in occasional newspapers and television shows, mentioned this show as being bad... And I wanted to -- I felt that that wasn't fair and I should come here and tell you that I don't -- it's not so much that it's bad, as it's hurting America."
STEWART: See, the thing is, we need your help. Right now, you're helping the politicians and the corporations. And we're left out there to mow our lawns.
BEGALA: By beating up on them? You just said we're too rough on them when they make mistakes.
STEWART: No, no, no, you're not too rough on them. You're part of their strategies. You are partisan, what do you call it, hacks.
CARLSON: Jon, Jon, Jon, I'm sorry. I think you're a good comedian. I think your lectures are boring.
STEWART: Yes.
CARLSON: Let me ask you a question on the news.
STEWART: Now, this is theater. It's obvious. How old are you?
CARLSON: Thirty-five.
STEWART: And you wear a bow tie.
My commentary: Ouch, he does!.
STEWART: But let me ask you guys, again, a question, because we talked a little bit about, you're actually doing honest debate and all that. But, after the debates, where do you guys head to right afterwards?
CARLSON: The men's room.
STEWART: Right after that?
BEGALA: Home.
STEWART: Spin alley.
BEGALA: Home.
STEWART: No, spin alley.
BEGALA: What are you talking about? You mean at these debates?
STEWART: Yes. You go to spin alley, the place called spin alley. Now, don't you think that, for people watching at home, that's kind of a drag, that you're literally walking to a place called deception lane?
My commentary: Sounds about right. read the whole thing
STEWART: See, the thing is, we need your help. Right now, you're helping the politicians and the corporations. And we're left out there to mow our lawns.
BEGALA: By beating up on them? You just said we're too rough on them when they make mistakes.
STEWART: No, no, no, you're not too rough on them. You're part of their strategies. You are partisan, what do you call it, hacks.
CARLSON: Jon, Jon, Jon, I'm sorry. I think you're a good comedian. I think your lectures are boring.
STEWART: Yes.
CARLSON: Let me ask you a question on the news.
STEWART: Now, this is theater. It's obvious. How old are you?
CARLSON: Thirty-five.
STEWART: And you wear a bow tie.
My commentary: Ouch, he does!.
STEWART: But let me ask you guys, again, a question, because we talked a little bit about, you're actually doing honest debate and all that. But, after the debates, where do you guys head to right afterwards?
CARLSON: The men's room.
STEWART: Right after that?
BEGALA: Home.
STEWART: Spin alley.
BEGALA: Home.
STEWART: No, spin alley.
BEGALA: What are you talking about? You mean at these debates?
STEWART: Yes. You go to spin alley, the place called spin alley. Now, don't you think that, for people watching at home, that's kind of a drag, that you're literally walking to a place called deception lane?
My commentary: Sounds about right. read the whole thing
Thursday, October 14
My favorite new Bushism: "I hear there's rumors on the Internets that we're going to have a draft."
Wednesday, October 13
It's raining. I have the bass lines of Jeff Buckley, Last Goodbye, playing... and I got a lot of work done today. But I can't go home yet. The rain. So, I bought fritos downstairs. I like a wet drowned world. You're rainy-day girl-rock recommendation is Make It Hot by Mirah. I love fritos. It's becomming autumn and I'm not sad. The first cool breezes bring back a lot of good high school and college memories. The burning smell in the air. Campfires. Drifting brown leaves. The rain. Snow back east. Restrictions on outdoor play. Eating chili. Sneezing. Crawling into bed. Frito salt on my fingers. It's still raining.
Sunday, October 10
"Because today we live in a society in which spurious realities are manufactured by the media, by governments, by big corporations, by religious groups, political groups...So I ask, in my writing, What is real? Because unceasingly we are bombarded with pseudo-realities manufactured by very sophisticated people using very sophisticated electronic mechanisms. I do not distrust their motives; I distrust their power. They have a lot of it. And it is an astonishing power: that of creating whole universes, universes of the mind. I ought to know. I do the same thing."
Philip K. Dick, from How To Build A Universe That Doesn't Fall Apart Two Days Later
Will all U.S. presidents in this century be spin doctors? Have they always been?
The techniques of spin include:
Selective quotation
Selective use of facts
Non-denial denial
Phrasing in a way that assumes unproven truths
Euphemisms to disguise or promote one's agenda
Philip K. Dick, from How To Build A Universe That Doesn't Fall Apart Two Days Later
Will all U.S. presidents in this century be spin doctors? Have they always been?
The techniques of spin include:
Selective quotation
Selective use of facts
Non-denial denial
Phrasing in a way that assumes unproven truths
Euphemisms to disguise or promote one's agenda
Friday, October 8
Overslept. Carpooling to Dallas to see friends, relax, and that whole thing. Seems like a long time since making the trip last year. I overslept. Now I need this green tea to wake me up.
On that note, your recommended song of the day to steal:
the Walkmen: Wake Up.
On that note, your recommended song of the day to steal:
the Walkmen: Wake Up.
Wednesday, October 6
Take the quiz: "What is YOUR terror alert color?"
Green
Ahem, well ... I dabbled in pacifism once.. not during Nam, of course.
Green
Ahem, well ... I dabbled in pacifism once.. not during Nam, of course.
