Saturday, December 12, 2015
Drink to thee.............................
Blur.........................................................The Wassailing Song
Friday, December 11, 2015
A Happy, Merry and a Wonderful.................
Unorganized Hancock...............................Generic Christmas Song
On political campaigning......................
Having learned my lesson, I've decided not to criticize the obscene amounts of money being spent by both sides to buy the presidency. Instead, I thought I might suggest a few alternative ways to improve the quality, if not the funding, of presidential campaigns. Here are four ideas ...
1. Instead of debates, require candidates to engage in UFC-style cage fights ... all proceeds would be used to cover campaign debts.
1a. Candidates incurring injuries in these fights would be required to obtain treatment via the healthcare.gov website, like Real People.
-As extracted from Bilbo's Random Thoughts. Hard to disagree with his other suggested improvements.
Fifty years ago...................
Burl Ives......................................Have A Holly Jolly Christmas
Thursday, December 10, 2015
Too warm for the fireplace tonight, but still............
Liz Story.....................................................Greensleeves
#16 on this list (same song, different album)
Make my wish come true.....................
Mariah Cary...............................All I Want For Christmas Is You
On obstacles...............................
All great victories, be they in politics, business, art, or seduction, involved resolving vexing problems with a potent cocktail of creativity, focus, and daring. When you have a goal, obstacles are actually teaching you how to get where you want to go - carving you a path. "The Things which hurt," Benjamin Franklin wrote, "instruct."
Today, most of our obstacles are internal, not external. Since World War II we have lived in some of the most prosperous times in history. There are fewer armies to face, fewer fatal diseases and far more safety nets. But the world still rarely does exactly what we want.
Instead of opposing armies, we have internal tension. We have professional frustration. We have unmet expectations. We have learned helplessness. And we still have the same overwhelming emotions humans have always had: grief, pain, and loss.
Many of our problems come from having too much: rapid technology disruption, junk food, traditions that tell us the way we're supposed to live our lives. We're soft, entitled, and scared of conflict. Great times are great softeners. Abundance can be its own obstacle....
-Ryan Holiday, as excerpted from The Obstacle Is The Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials Into Triumph
Can I get an Amen.............................?
The fact that so many past predictions missed the mark is a nice reminder that over-confident statements about the future are often a bad idea.
-as excerpted from this Vox post on the end of "peak car." This handy chart tells much of the story:
thanks craig
Fifty years ago........................
Gary Lewis & the Playboys....................................Just My Style
Fun with the language........................
The passions of mankind have boiled over into all areas of political life, including its vocabulary. The words most common in politics have become stained with human hurts, hopes, and frustrations.
All of them are loaded with popular opprobrium, and their use results in a conditioned, negative, emotional response. Even the word politics itself, which Webster says is "the science and art of government," is generally viewed in a context of corruption. Ironically, the dictionary synonyms are "discreet, provident, diplomatic, wise."
-Saul Alinsky, as excerpted from Rules For Radicals: A Pragmatic Primer for Realistic Radicals
Being a fan of irony, your faithful blogger consulted his edition of Webster's New World College Dictionary (which was published twenty-four years after Alinsky's book). While the definition matches, no synonyms were listed for "politics." However, under the word "politic," the following definitions were provided: 2 having practical wisdom; prudent; shrewd; diplomatic 3 crafty; unscrupulous. So........being "crafty" and "unscrupulous" equates to "having practical wisdom"and being "prudent"? Is there any wonder why we sometimes have communication problems? Is there any wonder why our language confuses people? Just wondering.
On a benefit of commerce (and diversity).......
| Take a view of the Royal Exchange in London, a place more venerable than many courts of justice, where the representatives of all nations meet for the benefit of mankind. There the Jew, the Mahometan, and the Christian transact together, as though they all professed the same religion, and give the name of infidel to none but bankrupts. There thee Presbyterian confides in the Anabaptist, and the Churchman depends on the Quaker’s word. At the breaking up of this pacific and free assembly, some withdraw to the synagogue, and others to take a glass. This man goes and is baptized in a great tub, in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost: that man has his son’s foreskin cut off, whilst a set of Hebrew words (quite unintelligible to him) are mumbled over his child. Others retire to their churches, and there wait for the inspiration of heaven with their hats on, and all are satisfied. | |
| If one religion only were allowed in England, the Government would very possibly become arbitrary; if there were but two, the people would cut one another’s throats; but as there are such a multitude, they all live happy and in peace. -Voltaire, from Letter VI, Letters on the English Ed. Note: "The Royal Exchange in London was founded in the 16th century by the merchant Thomas Gresham to act as a centre of commerce for the City of London." |
Wednesday, December 9, 2015
Be here with me...........................
Darlene Love.................Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home)
Fifty years ago...............................
The Beatles.....................................................Think For Yourself
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