Chill.....................................

The piano prelude to The Spy Who Came In From The Cold....

Those were the days....................

Deep Purple..............................................Smoke On The Water

Theyocracy.................................

My political opinions lean more and more to Anarchy (philosophically understood, meaning abolition of control not whiskered men with bombs) — or to ‘unconstitutional’ Monarchy. I would arrest anybody who uses the word State (in any sense other than the inanimate realm of England and its inhabitants, a thing that has neither power, rights nor mind); and after a chance of recantation, execute them if they remained obstinate! If we could get back to personal names, it would do a lot of good. Government is an abstract noun meaning the art and process of governing and it should be an offence to write it with a capital G or so as to refer to people. If people were in the habit of referring to ‘King Gerorge’s council, Winston and his gang’, it would go a long way to clearing thought, and reducing the frightful landslide into Theyocracy. Anyway the proper study of Man is anything but Man; and the most improper job of any man, even saints (who at any rate were at least unwilling to take it on), is bossing other men. Not one in a million is fit for it, and least of all those who seek the opportunity.

-J. R. R. Tolkien, from a letter written to his son in 1943

On the early 21st century

We always thought that the early 21st century was kind of steampunk cool, what with all the advancements in lasers, artificial intelligence, computer hacking and the automation of stupidity,...

-as excerpted from this Political Calculations post (do follow the red lettered link)

Fifty years ago............................

At the movies...Richard Burton...The Spy Who Came In From The Cold

At least we hope so....................................

via Swiss Miss

Ain't that the truth............................

"Human crises have a way of happening at inconvenient times."
-Amelia Earhart, as extracted from here

Don't bother asking for explanation....................

Al Stewart.............................................................Year of the Cat

Anyway......................................

1.   People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered. Love them anyway.

2.  If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives. Do good anyway.

3.   If you are successful, you win false friends and true enemies. Succeed anyway.

4.   The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway.

5.   Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable. Be honest and frank anyway.

6.  The biggest men with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men with the smallest minds.  Think big anyway.

7.  People favor underdogs, but follow only top dogs. Fight for a few underdogs anyway.

8.   What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight. Build anyway.

9.   People really need help but may attack you if you do help them. Help people anyway.

10. Give the world the best you have and you’ll get kicked in the teeth. Give the world the best you have anyway.

-as extracted from here

Complex.................................

"Human nature is complex. Even if we do have inclinations toward violence, we also have inclination to empathy, to cooperation, to self-control."
-Steven Pinker

Lessons learned................................

    "The point is, in business you shouldn't self-destruct just because the other side takes a surprisingly aggressive attitude.  Don't let personalities scare you away - because in a lifetime you are going to be selling to a lot of obnoxious people.  Stay focused on your goals and stay in the game."
-Mark McCormack

I grew up in a conflict adverse household.  As a result, confrontation has often been difficult for me and there was a time I would go to great - and not helpful - lengths to avoid it.   Then there was this client about ten years ago who, in a bit of pique,  slammed his fist on our conference table and got fairly red-in-the-face mad at me.  Trapped, it was a confrontation I could not avoid.  Just had to hang in there.  At meeting's end, a half hour later, you might have thought he was my best friend.  I learned a great lesson that day.  Some conflicts cannot be avoided, and that is just OK.

Fifty years ago......................................

Wayne Fontana & the Mindbenders.......................She's A Rebel

A diagnosis.............................

"No one can tell the future. No seer, no physician. But one thing for certain is that the sun will rise and the sun will set and in between is the grandeur of all that we have and all that we are capable of. And all the tales that can be told…"

-Jeff Kopito, as excerpted from here

Ah, the human element..............................

      What sort of mysterious creature is a human being, Augustine mused, who can't carry out his own will, who knows his long-term interest but pursues short-term pleasure, who does so much to screw up his own life?  This led to the conclusion that people are a problem to themselves.  We should regard ourselves with distrust:  "I greatly fear my hidden parts," he wrote.
-David Brooks, The Road To Character

Maybe I'm dreaming.........................................

The Byrds........................................................Renaissance Fair

On being and doing..........................

Lots of people want to be the noun without doing the verb. They want the job title without the work.

“Forget about being a Writer,” says novelist Ann Packer. “Follow the impulse to write.”

Let go of the thing that you’re trying to be (the noun), and focus on the actual work you need to be doing (the verb).

Doing the verb will take you someplace further and far more interesting than just wanting the noun.

-As extracted from this Austin Kleon post

Way............................................

"Allow children to be happy in their own way, for what better way will they find?”
-Samuel Johnson

Apparently I am confused..............................

........................According to this test, as presidential candidates go, I am most closely aligned with Rand Paul and Bernie Sanders, with Donald Trump not far behind.  Dear God........

Thanks Kurt

Better...............................................

"It is better to live rich than to die rich. ” 
-Samuel Johnson


cartoon via

Fifty years ago.........................................

The Byrds....................................I'll Feel A Whole Lot Better