March 16, 2009
Do these body thetans make me look older?
March 14, 2009 (updated)
Let 'em eat cake
Beware the Ides of March.
The Cowboys beat the Sooners in a thrilling 1 point Big 12 tournament game, only to lose to Missouri who will face Baylor in the finals. Soon, the NCAA brackets will be announced and it will be March Madness for all the roundball fans. I’m not a big sports fan and basketball isn’t my favorite sport, but the college elimination tournament in the spring is one of my top sporting events of the year. No, not so big that I fill out a bracket and go nuts, but big enough that I will watch at least two or three games on TV, even if I have to leave the house to do it. College sports beat pro sports for me; I’m pretty unlikely to be a big Thunder fan, despite the hype in the local media.
Amid all the blooming Bradford pear trees, there are a few redbuds showing. I am getting antsy with all the cloudy and cool weather, being a convertible owner and all, but I’m hoping the rains mean a spectacular blooming around the corner. “If winter comes, can spring be far behind?” “And now, this winter of our discontent made glorious summer by this son of York.” “Everybody talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it.”
OK, now I’ve done the obligatory bit. How ’bout them Sooners? and banalities about the weather.
I intend this post to pile on the previous one about men and women: they are different and there’s nothing you can do about it. “Can’t live with ‘em, can’t live without ‘em.”
Any other old business? Oh, yes, I almost forgot the also obligatory personal bitch and trenchant observations about life in America. Well, let’s see … you eat, you crap; you drink, you piss; you sleep until you wake; and, you fuck until you can’t and then you die. Mysterious and paradoxical, no?
That’s why you read the blogs, folks. For the insight and deep, penetrating looks into the inner workings of life.
blogblah
March 13, 2009
Lex Luther Bailout Request
Congresswoman says let Calif. try legal pot
TODAY’S THOUGHT
When did Jon Stewart become Edward R. Murrow?
Here’s the link to video of the Jon Stewart/Jim Cramer smackdown on The Daily Show.
Blogblah
March 12, 2009 (updatedX2)
The Dem Party has bought this billboard to make sure Rush Limbaugh sees it on his way to work every day this year.
Blogblah
EXISTENTIAL ANGST
I’m having existential angst about this blog. I’ve been doing this for a long time. I’ve written about very personal things and national politics. I’ve written about art and movies and relationships and technology. I’ve written more than a 1,000 posts, many with multiple parts. There’ve been about 700 comments total, including my responses to comments.
That’s all good except that I’m tired of it. Continue reading
March 11, 2009
Chairman of the Bored
SINATRA SPEAKS!
Muffy, I have no idea what’s gotten into him. I had a perfectly serviceable jungle in the area behind the house, lots of places to hide and lots of hanging branches and vines to climb. All was well. I hunted and the birds flew away. I pounced and the squirrels fled. The lights came on and I brought him large black bugs as offerings. It was paradise. Just like a human, paradise wasn’t good enough for him. He came in the back yard and MOVED MY STUFF AROUND! How dare he? Then, after he moved my stuff around, he started clipping here and there, no big deal. Then he got a bigger tool and started taking off branches and making a big mess — too big for one of the big trash bins to hold. I was complaining and supervising as hard as I could, but that didn’t matter. When that mess was out of control, he went and got an even bigger tool and started taking down limbs and I don’t know what all. I knew no good would come of it and would you just look how he’s changed from the warm and sunny days to this cloudy cool and windy day. It even rained last night and the rain brought the light and sounds with it to keep me inside. I didn’t want him to do any of it and now I’m having to listen to him complain about his sore arms and sore back and sore legs. If he didn’t spend all his time in front of that flickering light pounding on those little buttons maybe a little exercise wouldn’t make him so miserably sore. Maybe not, but I think it’s his just desserts.
Speaking of just desserts, what’s for dinner?
March 9, 2009
WARNING!!!: LANGUAGE IS NOT SAFE FOR WORK
The New F***ing Citibank – watch more funny videos
shut up, he explained
TODAY’S THOUGHT
The more you know
The less you understand
Tao te Ching #47
I’ve read about alcoholism. I’ve read AA’s “Big Book” and the so-called 12X12 and other AA approved literature. I’ve read lots of other stuff, too. But, really, I don’t know all that much about the disease and don’t pay nearly as much attention to the subject as I might. Lots and lots of people know a lot more about it than I do. However, I do have an understanding of what it is like not to have any alcohol for more than 12 continuous years, no matter how much you may want a beer, a flute of champagne or a couple fingers Scotch, single malt, neat, with a sidecar of still water over ice. What that understanding is that I have I can’t tell you. I don’t have words for it. Even if I did have the words, you still would have only the knowledge of what I said and not my understanding of what I’ve lived on a day at a time basis.
Continue reading
March 8, 2009
The subprime mortgage debacle and economic morass made hilarious by the simple telling of the truth. I laughed at this until my sides were hurting and tears rolled down my cheeks and I recommend you watch this with a libation of some kind to take the edge off the wickedly sublime social satire of the Brits.
shut up, he explained
THE “i-DIE” PHONE APP
I just downloaded for the iPhone an app called “i-Die” that uses an actuarial table to determine how much time one has left before hitting the statistical wall. It says my life is 75% over and I have 7,400 days left until 80, my expected expiration date considering only my birthdate and gender. Tempus Fugit. Doing a little math of my own, every day is 0.000178 of my life if I live to 75, which, considering two packs of cigarets a day for 40 years, may well be closer to the mark. Age 75 would also mean I only have 5,600 days left. Considering that some significant portion of those days are likely to be days of being feeble, old and in respiratory distress, maybe I have 5,000 “good” days left, maybe less. I’m sorry to say this “out loud”, but I do not at this time intend to spend those days of trouble at the end of my life willingly. Rather, I’ll take myself out in the most humane way available to me. My attitude about that is really pretty simple: if I were my own pet, a dog or a cat, and I loved that pet and it was sick, hurting and no longer able to live according to its nature, I would not prolong the agony and would put the animal to sleep. I see nothing whatsoever that prevents me from having the same attitude about my own life. Wait! There’s More!, as the infomercials say. Death, dying and expiration dates is not what this puts in my mind. What it really makes me think about is how to spend the days I have left. It’s about living and living well in the time I have. Like the song says, what to leave in and what to leave out. I can still choose 5,000 days of joy or 5,000 days of fatalism or 5,000 days of balls to the walls frenetic activity or I can choose leisure and spend my 5K days lounging around. That’s enough time to love, gain wisdom and serenity. I can still go to Europe for an extended stay. I can still enjoy my friends and beautiful works of art and plenty of time to become the novelist I dream I may some day be. In 15 years, my grandchildren will be graduated from high school and maybe even college. Maybe they’ll marry and I’ll have great-grandchildren. So many surprising things still to come. Hold off on that obituary, if you please, I may well have some additions.
March 7, 2009
Rocking the Casbah
Kelly the Red Cup barista (among her many guises) rocked the scene at the emerging young artist show, Momentum, sponsored by OVAC, at the old SW Fifth St. Post Office last night. Since I was at the door as a volunteer, I happen to know that more than 1,200 attended the show which will reprise tonight (Saturday, Mr. 7).
IT’S BEING CALLED WEB 4.0 BUT I JUST THINK IT’S COOL
I READ THE NEWS TODAY, OH BOY
Did Turkish Kurd Find Garden of Eden? Maybe.
On this one, I hope my son-in-law happens to see this and will make a few comments since he’s actually in the field of human archeology. I can’t tell if this is a story about aliens visiting tabloid blahblahblah or the real deal of some kind. Some of you may remember a book by Daniel Quinn, Ismael, in which the principal character is a speaking simian who explains to the protagonist that the Garden of Eden Bible story is really a parable about the change in human society from hunter-gatherer to agricultural and herding “civilization”. This story purports to say that there is now historical evidence of a non-literary, actually existing Garden of Eden that enacted just that scenario.
(Just by the way, if you’ve never read Daniel Quinn’s Ishmael trilogy, I very highly recommend it. Very highly. In fact, I insist. It’s POYNE — Part of Your Necessary Education — and you cannot be culturally literate without it, IMHO. Besides, my late friend, mentor and sensi, Claude Anderson, did some of the graphic work, including a painting of the speaking gorilla at the center of the Socratic inquiry into our world. Follow the links, there’s even a Quinn online community discussing sustainability and … it’s a cool deal, folks, and you’ll do well if you follow up on this.)
March 5, 2009
Happy Birthday Sister!
I remember you in nothing but a sagging cloth diaper clutching a yellow tiger kitty with one hand and your other hand’s thumb in your mouth. Did you ever win any of the sister fights over clothes? I remember cradling Katie and the look of pure mommy love and satisfaction in your eyes. You can’t move far enough away or stay there long enough for me to ever ever ever stop loving you to pieces. What are the Vegas odds I’ll see you this summer? Ask Chumley, he’ll know. Sis, when did we stop being so young and start being so … experienced? … seasoned? … (ahem) mature?
Love love and love on your special day, special sis.