The thing about “senseless violence” is that it implies there’s another kind of violence. The sensible kind. Everybody talks about senseless violence, but I can’t get a decent conversation going about sensible? Here are a list of sensible reasons to kill… Read More ›
sayings
VIOLENCE OF THE SENSIBLE KIND – Marilyn Armstrong
The thing about “senseless violence” is that it implies there’s some other kind. The sensible kind. Everybody talks about senseless violence … but what about the other kind of violence? How come no one talks about sensible violence? Sensible Violence: Good… Read More ›
STANDING ON THE ACHING SHOULDERS OF THE PAST – Marilyn Armstrong
Don’t you absolutely love pithy quotes? They always get me thinking either because I agree with it, or because I don’t. Today I went wandering down the mental pathways of history because someone repeated something I’ve heard a million times… Read More ›
THEORETICALLY SPEAKING – Marilyn Armstrong
FOWC with Fandango — Theory Theoretically speaking, “This too shall pass.” With all the hysteria, fervor, passion, anger, sheer madness … THIS TOO SHALL PASS. Her son died. Her husband died. Their father died. His brother died, then his father. It… Read More ›
IT’S THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN
They are at it again, the annual “lets make EVERYONE SAY MERRY CHRISTMAS.” Not that anyone was ever prevented from saying it, mind you … or that every celebrates it, either. The leaves have just changed and I don’t know… Read More ›
WISDOM, WISE WORDS AND WTF?! – BY TOM CURLEY
Ellin and I were watching something on TV last week, I don’t remember exactly what, when somebody blurted out: “You should live every day of your life as if it were your last.” It’s an old platitude. I’ve heard it… Read More ›
ANOTHER CATEGORY OF VIOLENCE
The thing about “senseless violence” is that it implies there’s some other kind. The sensible kind. Everybody talks about senseless violence … but what about the other kind of violence? How come no one talks about sensible violence? Reasonable, well thought-out violence. “He… Read More ›
EVERYTHING IS TEMPORARY
Bad things happen. People die. War happens. Careers end. What can you say? “This too shall pass.” Life is temporary. Our world is temporary. It was my mother’s favorite expression. She said it to comfort me when I was unhappy, if… Read More ›
WHAT FOREST?
CAN YOU SEE THE FOREST FOR THE TREES? As early as the 1500s, “you can’t see the forest for the trees” was in wide enough use that it was published in collections of proverbs and slang. As anyone who has been… Read More ›
MY 8 LEAST FAVORITE PLATITUDES
I am one platitude over my limit. I understand why people say this stuff. In most cases (but not all), I have to assume they mean well and lacking anything original to say, fall back on stuff they’ve heard. Or… Read More ›
IF THERE’S SMOKE …
“A lie can run round the world before the truth has got its boots on.” ― Terry Pratchett, The Truth “When you are rich and powerful, no one will challenge you to your face or give you a chance to… Read More ›
RAMBLINGS ON CHANGE AND LIFE
SHOULD I CHANGE ME? This is one of those disorganized, rambling posts that we all write sometimes. Sorry about that. I had a few things to say and this seemed a good place to say them. No one is perfect, least… Read More ›
THE OTHER KIND OF VIOLENCE
Everybody talks about senseless violence … but what about the other kind of violence? How come no one talks about sensible violence? You hear about senseless violence even more often than the ubiquitous “stay in the car.” We know no one stays in the… Read More ›
LOVING HISTORY
“If you don’t know history, then you don’t know anything. You are a leaf that doesn’t know it is part of a tree. ” ― Michael Crichton “History doesn’t repeat itself, but it does rhyme.” ― Mark Twain “History, like… Read More ›
WHEN YOU DON’T HAVE WORDS …
Her son died. Her husband died. Their father died. His brother died, then his father. It was. Cancer. Heart attack. A minor infection turned virulent. A holdup gone wrong, a bullet gone astray. Senseless because death, disease, disaster are always senseless…. Read More ›
THE THINGS PEOPLE SAY
I am one judgmental platitude over my limit. “God never gives you more than you can bear.” Not only does God (via the bible or any other sacred text) never say that, but it’s not true, whether God is or… Read More ›
TREES AND THE FOREST
YOU CAN’T SEE THE FOREST FOR THE TREES. As early as the 1500s, “you can’t see the forest for the trees” was in wide enough use that it was published in collections of proverbs and slang. As anyone who has… Read More ›
SMOKE AND FIRE, SMOKE AND MIRRORS
“A lie can run round the world before the truth has got its boots on.” ― Terry Pratchett, The Truth “When you are rich and powerful, no one will challenge you to your face or give you a chance to… Read More ›
WAITING ISN’T
Waiting Room – “Good things come to those who wait.” Do you agree? How long is it reasonable to wait for something you really want? In “Stranger In A Strange Land,” Michael Valentine Smith typically said “Waiting is.” It was one… Read More ›
PAIN AND GAIN? NO SUBSTITUTE FOR USING YOUR BRAIN
Rabbi Ben Hei says, “According to the pain is the gain.” — Pirkei Avot 5:21 (second century) NO PAINS, NO GAINS. If little labour, little are our gains: Man’s fate is according to his pains. — Hesperides 752 (1650) Industry… Read More ›
SERENDIPITY: SEEKING INTELLIGENT LIFE ON EARTH 