Tuesday, April 24, 2007

Wisdom From a College Notebook

Because of my obsession with recycling and conserving resources, I have a stockpile of scratch paper, much of it consisting of half-used notebooks from my college years.

While using one specimen, which carbon dating revealed to be about 12 years old, I came across an unexpected gem. Amongst the random names and phone numbers of long-forgotten classmates with whom I must have collaborated on English and Opera Appreciation (!) projects (Graham, Ann, Angie, Jared, Bobbie, and Angela, I hardly knew ye!), opera references ("La Boeheme", Benjamin Britten's "Peter Grimes" and Alfredo Catalani's "La Wally"), dates and places, and a reminder that a paper was due on Nov. 18th (before Thanksgiving Break, for English 370, which was held in HU349), I found this amazing quote, which I had carefully written out:

"My dancing, my drinking, and singing weave me the mat on which my soul will sleep in the world of spirits"

- Old Man of Halmahera, Indonesia


I have no idea where I heard this, but I can understand why I took the time to write it in my notebook. What a fantastic sentiment. "Life is short" has been bandied about to the point of cliche', but it's all too true. I shall put this quote up in my computer room, giving the wise Old Man of Halmahera, Indonesia full credit, of course.

Tuesday, April 3, 2007

"Like a normal outdoor market in Indiana in the summertime"

Does going to a normal outdoor market in Indiana in the summertime require a security detail consisting of a company of soldiers in armored Humvees, and attack helicopters circling overhead?

Does John McCain, the so-called "maverick", "straight-talking", "independent" Republican presidential candidate, honestly believe that things are improving in Iraq? Or is this happy talk a necessary part of his all-or-nothing presidential strategy to support the Iraq War no matter what, facts on the ground be damned? Did Saint McCain actually talk to the beleaguered Iraqi merchants quoted in this piece? If so, did he hear what they were saying?

Whether he suffers from a bad case of Beltway myopia or just plain senility, John McCain will never be president, barring another Supreme Court-facilitated coup d'état. They say we should never say never, but I'm saying never.

What about Rudy Giuliani or Mitt Romney?

This should kill Rudy's chances with puritanical America:



As far as Romney is concerned, many of the same folks who frown upon cross-dressing also think Mormonism is a cult rather than a Protestant denomination. Ergo, no Republican can win the presidency in 2008.

You read it here at Secret Hug Pro.