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Midnight Pic
Apr. 23rd, 2012 12:00 am
I think this is a striking picture, even though I cannot figure out what is going on.
Apr. 23rd, 2012
I think this is a striking picture, even though I cannot figure out what is going on.
Midnight Pic
Apr. 23rd, 2012 12:00 amI think this is a striking picture, even though I cannot figure out what is going on.
Living with Lions
Apr. 23rd, 2012 08:00 amMelanie Griffith has a more storied biography than I realized with her mother Tippi Hedren, who got into lions in a big way, and even apparently came to look upon them as pets. My little kitty cats are enough trouble. And how big does the litter box have to be?
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Living with Lions
Apr. 23rd, 2012 08:00 amMelanie Griffith has a more storied biography than I realized with her mother Tippi Hedren, who got into lions in a big way, and even apparently came to look upon them as pets. My little kitty cats are enough trouble. And how big does the litter box have to be?
More
More
1984 (2,8) To Incriminate Ourselves
Apr. 23rd, 2012 02:07 pmJulia and Winston are now directly confronted by O’Brien, and Winston takes the revolutionary plunge and crosses the Rubicon, officially making he and Julia political criminals. Of course, they had crossed that line a long time ago, he with keeping a diary of thoughtcrime and she in seeking illicit love affairs, but now they have now gone beyond amateur rebels to join the professional ranks. Maybe, before this time, they could have been simply re-educated and reformed, but now it is surely death.
_ _ _
He was opposite them now. His solid form towered over the pair of them, and the expression on his face was still indecipherable. He was waiting, somewhat sternly, for Winston to speak, but about what? Even now it was quite conceivable that he was simply a busy man wondering irritably why he had been interrupted. Nobody spoke. After the stopping of the telescreen the room seemed deadly silent. The seconds marched past, enormous. With difficulty Winston continued to keep his eyes fixed on O'Brien's. Then suddenly the grim face broke down into what might have been the beginnings of a smile. With his characteristic gesture O'Brien resettled his spectacles on his nose.
'Shall I say it, or will you?' he said.
'I will say it,' said Winston promptly. 'That thing is really turned off?'
'Yes, everything is turned off. We are alone.'
'We have come here because --'
He paused, realizing for the first time the vagueness of his own motives. Since he did not in fact know what kind of help he expected from O'Brien, it was not easy to say why he had come here. He went on, conscious that what he was saying must sound both feeble and pretentious:
'We believe that there is some kind of conspiracy, some kind of secret organization working against the Party, and that you are involved in it. We want to join it and work for it. We are enemies of the Party. We disbelieve in the principles of Ingsoc. We are thought-criminals. We are also adulterers. I tell you this because we want to put ourselves at your mercy. If you want us to incriminate ourselves in any other way, we are ready.'
-- “1984” by George Orwell
_ _ _
He was opposite them now. His solid form towered over the pair of them, and the expression on his face was still indecipherable. He was waiting, somewhat sternly, for Winston to speak, but about what? Even now it was quite conceivable that he was simply a busy man wondering irritably why he had been interrupted. Nobody spoke. After the stopping of the telescreen the room seemed deadly silent. The seconds marched past, enormous. With difficulty Winston continued to keep his eyes fixed on O'Brien's. Then suddenly the grim face broke down into what might have been the beginnings of a smile. With his characteristic gesture O'Brien resettled his spectacles on his nose.
'Shall I say it, or will you?' he said.
'I will say it,' said Winston promptly. 'That thing is really turned off?'
'Yes, everything is turned off. We are alone.'
'We have come here because --'
He paused, realizing for the first time the vagueness of his own motives. Since he did not in fact know what kind of help he expected from O'Brien, it was not easy to say why he had come here. He went on, conscious that what he was saying must sound both feeble and pretentious:
'We believe that there is some kind of conspiracy, some kind of secret organization working against the Party, and that you are involved in it. We want to join it and work for it. We are enemies of the Party. We disbelieve in the principles of Ingsoc. We are thought-criminals. We are also adulterers. I tell you this because we want to put ourselves at your mercy. If you want us to incriminate ourselves in any other way, we are ready.'
-- “1984” by George Orwell
1984 (2,8) To Incriminate Ourselves
Apr. 23rd, 2012 02:07 pmJulia and Winston are now directly confronted by O’Brien, and Winston takes the revolutionary plunge and crosses the Rubicon, officially making he and Julia political criminals. Of course, they had crossed that line a long time ago, he with keeping a diary of thoughtcrime and she in seeking illicit love affairs, but now they have now gone beyond amateur rebels to join the professional ranks. Maybe, before this time, they could have been simply re-educated and reformed, but now it is surely death.
_ _ _
He was opposite them now. His solid form towered over the pair of them, and the expression on his face was still indecipherable. He was waiting, somewhat sternly, for Winston to speak, but about what? Even now it was quite conceivable that he was simply a busy man wondering irritably why he had been interrupted. Nobody spoke. After the stopping of the telescreen the room seemed deadly silent. The seconds marched past, enormous. With difficulty Winston continued to keep his eyes fixed on O'Brien's. Then suddenly the grim face broke down into what might have been the beginnings of a smile. With his characteristic gesture O'Brien resettled his spectacles on his nose.
'Shall I say it, or will you?' he said.
'I will say it,' said Winston promptly. 'That thing is really turned off?'
'Yes, everything is turned off. We are alone.'
'We have come here because --'
He paused, realizing for the first time the vagueness of his own motives. Since he did not in fact know what kind of help he expected from O'Brien, it was not easy to say why he had come here. He went on, conscious that what he was saying must sound both feeble and pretentious:
'We believe that there is some kind of conspiracy, some kind of secret organization working against the Party, and that you are involved in it. We want to join it and work for it. We are enemies of the Party. We disbelieve in the principles of Ingsoc. We are thought-criminals. We are also adulterers. I tell you this because we want to put ourselves at your mercy. If you want us to incriminate ourselves in any other way, we are ready.'
-- “1984” by George Orwell
_ _ _
He was opposite them now. His solid form towered over the pair of them, and the expression on his face was still indecipherable. He was waiting, somewhat sternly, for Winston to speak, but about what? Even now it was quite conceivable that he was simply a busy man wondering irritably why he had been interrupted. Nobody spoke. After the stopping of the telescreen the room seemed deadly silent. The seconds marched past, enormous. With difficulty Winston continued to keep his eyes fixed on O'Brien's. Then suddenly the grim face broke down into what might have been the beginnings of a smile. With his characteristic gesture O'Brien resettled his spectacles on his nose.
'Shall I say it, or will you?' he said.
'I will say it,' said Winston promptly. 'That thing is really turned off?'
'Yes, everything is turned off. We are alone.'
'We have come here because --'
He paused, realizing for the first time the vagueness of his own motives. Since he did not in fact know what kind of help he expected from O'Brien, it was not easy to say why he had come here. He went on, conscious that what he was saying must sound both feeble and pretentious:
'We believe that there is some kind of conspiracy, some kind of secret organization working against the Party, and that you are involved in it. We want to join it and work for it. We are enemies of the Party. We disbelieve in the principles of Ingsoc. We are thought-criminals. We are also adulterers. I tell you this because we want to put ourselves at your mercy. If you want us to incriminate ourselves in any other way, we are ready.'
-- “1984” by George Orwell
Nietzsche: In a Meaningless World
Apr. 23rd, 2012 05:10 pm“It is a measure of the degree of strength of will to what extent one can do without meaning in things, to what extent one can endure to live in a meaningless world because one organizes a small portion of it oneself.”
-- Nietzsche
I suppose this is the life-task before us: to survey our circumstances and to make the most of our life out of these circumstances. It can be dispiriting, especially if your circumstances are spare and humbling. No wonder we starve for some deeper significance, even to think that there might be a God, a larger and much more wondrous and exalting world. Yet, it does seem that one is left to look around and say, “This is it; this is who I am.” It is alright to cry, but you need to get over it and go on. At least there is always the consolation of art to give us that frisson of transcendent wonder and hope, to take us out of our sad and pathetic lives, for a little while.
-- Nietzsche
I suppose this is the life-task before us: to survey our circumstances and to make the most of our life out of these circumstances. It can be dispiriting, especially if your circumstances are spare and humbling. No wonder we starve for some deeper significance, even to think that there might be a God, a larger and much more wondrous and exalting world. Yet, it does seem that one is left to look around and say, “This is it; this is who I am.” It is alright to cry, but you need to get over it and go on. At least there is always the consolation of art to give us that frisson of transcendent wonder and hope, to take us out of our sad and pathetic lives, for a little while.
Nietzsche: In a Meaningless World
Apr. 23rd, 2012 05:10 pm“It is a measure of the degree of strength of will to what extent one can do without meaning in things, to what extent one can endure to live in a meaningless world because one organizes a small portion of it oneself.”
-- Nietzsche
I suppose this is the life-task before us: to survey our circumstances and to make the most of our life out of these circumstances. It can be dispiriting, especially if your circumstances are spare and humbling. No wonder we starve for some deeper significance, even to think that there might be a God, a larger and much more wondrous and exalting world. Yet, it does seem that one is left to look around and say, “This is it; this is who I am.” It is alright to cry, but you need to get over it and go on. At least there is always the consolation of art to give us that frisson of transcendent wonder and hope, to take us out of our sad and pathetic lives, for a little while.
-- Nietzsche
I suppose this is the life-task before us: to survey our circumstances and to make the most of our life out of these circumstances. It can be dispiriting, especially if your circumstances are spare and humbling. No wonder we starve for some deeper significance, even to think that there might be a God, a larger and much more wondrous and exalting world. Yet, it does seem that one is left to look around and say, “This is it; this is who I am.” It is alright to cry, but you need to get over it and go on. At least there is always the consolation of art to give us that frisson of transcendent wonder and hope, to take us out of our sad and pathetic lives, for a little while.
The Republican Billionaires
Apr. 23rd, 2012 09:30 pmFrank Rich reminds us of the Republican money machine that Obama will be running against. I have seen reports that Obama actually has a big lead over Romney in terms of campaign money, but I do not doubt that this picture will change soon. However, I am thinking Obama should be quite competitive, especially having the platform of his office to run on, along with Osama bin Laden's scalp. Nevertheless, one is reminded that it is not like Obama has been the champion of the common folk. Obama has arguably gotten a lot of campaign money for a reason. In the end, we have to be content with the fact that he is not as bad as the Republicans, especially the robber baron Republicans of our day.
_ _ _
If you want to appreciate what Barack Obama is up against in 2012, forget about the front man who is his nominal opponent and look instead at the Republican billionaires buying the ammunition for the battles ahead. A representative example is Harold Simmons, an 80-year-old Texan who dumped some $15 million into the campaign before primary season had ended. Reminiscing about 2008, when he bankrolled an ad blitz to tar the Democrats with the former radical Bill Ayers, Simmons told The Wall Street Journal, “If we had run more ads, we could have killed Obama.” It is not a mistake he intends to make a second time. The $15 million Simmons had spent by late February dwarfs the $2.8 million he allotted to the Ayers takedown and the $3 million he contributed to the Swift Boat Veterans demolition of John Kerry four years before that. Imagine the cash that will flow now that the GOP sideshows are over and the president is firmly in Simmons’s crosshairs.
-- Frank Rich at New York Magazine
_ _ _
If you want to appreciate what Barack Obama is up against in 2012, forget about the front man who is his nominal opponent and look instead at the Republican billionaires buying the ammunition for the battles ahead. A representative example is Harold Simmons, an 80-year-old Texan who dumped some $15 million into the campaign before primary season had ended. Reminiscing about 2008, when he bankrolled an ad blitz to tar the Democrats with the former radical Bill Ayers, Simmons told The Wall Street Journal, “If we had run more ads, we could have killed Obama.” It is not a mistake he intends to make a second time. The $15 million Simmons had spent by late February dwarfs the $2.8 million he allotted to the Ayers takedown and the $3 million he contributed to the Swift Boat Veterans demolition of John Kerry four years before that. Imagine the cash that will flow now that the GOP sideshows are over and the president is firmly in Simmons’s crosshairs.
-- Frank Rich at New York Magazine
The Republican Billionaires
Apr. 23rd, 2012 09:30 pmFrank Rich reminds us of the Republican money machine that Obama will be running against. I have seen reports that Obama actually has a big lead over Romney in terms of campaign money, but I do not doubt that this picture will change soon. However, I am thinking Obama should be quite competitive, especially having the platform of his office to run on, along with Osama bin Laden's scalp. Nevertheless, one is reminded that it is not like Obama has been the champion of the common folk. Obama has arguably gotten a lot of campaign money for a reason. In the end, we have to be content with the fact that he is not as bad as the Republicans, especially the robber baron Republicans of our day.
_ _ _
If you want to appreciate what Barack Obama is up against in 2012, forget about the front man who is his nominal opponent and look instead at the Republican billionaires buying the ammunition for the battles ahead. A representative example is Harold Simmons, an 80-year-old Texan who dumped some $15 million into the campaign before primary season had ended. Reminiscing about 2008, when he bankrolled an ad blitz to tar the Democrats with the former radical Bill Ayers, Simmons told The Wall Street Journal, “If we had run more ads, we could have killed Obama.” It is not a mistake he intends to make a second time. The $15 million Simmons had spent by late February dwarfs the $2.8 million he allotted to the Ayers takedown and the $3 million he contributed to the Swift Boat Veterans demolition of John Kerry four years before that. Imagine the cash that will flow now that the GOP sideshows are over and the president is firmly in Simmons’s crosshairs.
-- Frank Rich at New York Magazine
_ _ _
If you want to appreciate what Barack Obama is up against in 2012, forget about the front man who is his nominal opponent and look instead at the Republican billionaires buying the ammunition for the battles ahead. A representative example is Harold Simmons, an 80-year-old Texan who dumped some $15 million into the campaign before primary season had ended. Reminiscing about 2008, when he bankrolled an ad blitz to tar the Democrats with the former radical Bill Ayers, Simmons told The Wall Street Journal, “If we had run more ads, we could have killed Obama.” It is not a mistake he intends to make a second time. The $15 million Simmons had spent by late February dwarfs the $2.8 million he allotted to the Ayers takedown and the $3 million he contributed to the Swift Boat Veterans demolition of John Kerry four years before that. Imagine the cash that will flow now that the GOP sideshows are over and the president is firmly in Simmons’s crosshairs.
-- Frank Rich at New York Magazine