The history of thought may be summed up in these words: it is absurd by what it seeks and great by what it finds.
Paul Valery
***********************
12 SECONDS THAT CHANGED THE WORLD
"If God had meant us to fly He would never have given us the railroads." Michael Flanders - At The Drop Of A Hat
He: "If God had meant us to fly He would have given us wings"
She: "Didn't give us wheels neither." Hume Cronyn - Foxfire
Harking back to Mr. O' Conner, my elementary school science teacher, who told me that man could never fly to the moon, I can imagine what the prejudices must have been in the late 19th, early 20th Centuries when men were actually contemplating and experimenting with machines that would enable them to fly through the air. "Man can't fly, it won't work." "It is a well known medical fact that if the human being gets too far above the earth's surface he will die." "Men don't fly. Birds fly. Bees fly. Men don't" "It is a mortal sin to build such a machine. If you try it the Lord will strike you down." "You will burn in hell if you try to fly."
"Did you hear about these two guys in Ohio who think they can build a flying machine?.....No, that they can sit in it and fly around.....They own a bicycle shop, that's all.....What do you think?.....Nah! It'll never work."
Can you imagine the feeling in the hearts of those two brothers when on that December day in North Carolina their machine actually took off, stayed up, and for 12 marvelous seconds, flew!
Now we have private planes, helicopters, intercontinental jets and ships that fly us to the moon (Mr. O' Conner), because two bicycle boys from Ohio had the ridiculous idea that they could build a flying machine. How absurd!
Note: The 105th anniversary of that flight is coming up on the 17th of this month. If you happen to be getting on board a plane on that day, tip your hat to Orville and Wilbur, and tell them I said hi.
The link to Vagabond Tales: http://db-vagabondtales.blogspot.com/
DB - Vagabond Journeys
Friday, December 5, 2008
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Unified Understanding 12/04/08
I think you have to refill the well at some point.
Skeet Ulrich
Those who are looking for my stories you will find them at:
http://db-vagabondtales.blogspot.com/
***************************
I know actors who go off and see the latest film or play (if they're in a theatre town) just because they enjoy it. Maybe I'm odd (I guess there's no question about that) but I've never been like that. I tend to chose what I see carefully, because I'm more interested in the performance than the piece.
When I was a youngster, long before I ever knew I would become an actor, I became very much enamored of Barbara Stanwyck and saw as many of her films as I could. It wasn't her or the characters she played, it was the acting that she did.
Later on I became equally fascinated by James Mason. And as time went by I began to notice more and more people whose work inspired me.
I can see a film or a play and not be able to tell you all the intricacies of the plot. But I can talk about the acting, because that's what I watch.
In college I discovered the films of Ingmar Bergman and saw as many of them as I could, some of them many times. "Wild Strawberries" is still my favorite film. It didn't matter to me that they were in Swedish, it was the language of the splendid acting that I enjoyed. I grew up listening to opera without understanding the language because opera is about the music, not the words.
My favorite all time actor is the late Paul Scofield. The first time I knew of him was when I went to see "A Man For All Season" on Broadway. I said "Wow! This guy is good!" I went back to see it again with a different actor in the part, who was equally excellent, but who didn't astonish me as Scofield had done. After that I saw as many Scofield films as I could, just to watch him work.
There's a certain kind of training experience that comes from watching someone do what we do and do more with it. It shows us what is possible and so we can set out to achieve more.
There are a lot of very poor actors out there, and some of them are stars. They
can teach me what not to do. But there are many excellent actors in the world. Those are the ones that can teach me to know what I am capable of. They refill my well.
DB - The Vagabond
Skeet Ulrich
Those who are looking for my stories you will find them at:
http://db-vagabondtales.blogspot.com/
***************************
I know actors who go off and see the latest film or play (if they're in a theatre town) just because they enjoy it. Maybe I'm odd (I guess there's no question about that) but I've never been like that. I tend to chose what I see carefully, because I'm more interested in the performance than the piece.
When I was a youngster, long before I ever knew I would become an actor, I became very much enamored of Barbara Stanwyck and saw as many of her films as I could. It wasn't her or the characters she played, it was the acting that she did.
Later on I became equally fascinated by James Mason. And as time went by I began to notice more and more people whose work inspired me.
I can see a film or a play and not be able to tell you all the intricacies of the plot. But I can talk about the acting, because that's what I watch.
In college I discovered the films of Ingmar Bergman and saw as many of them as I could, some of them many times. "Wild Strawberries" is still my favorite film. It didn't matter to me that they were in Swedish, it was the language of the splendid acting that I enjoyed. I grew up listening to opera without understanding the language because opera is about the music, not the words.
My favorite all time actor is the late Paul Scofield. The first time I knew of him was when I went to see "A Man For All Season" on Broadway. I said "Wow! This guy is good!" I went back to see it again with a different actor in the part, who was equally excellent, but who didn't astonish me as Scofield had done. After that I saw as many Scofield films as I could, just to watch him work.
There's a certain kind of training experience that comes from watching someone do what we do and do more with it. It shows us what is possible and so we can set out to achieve more.
There are a lot of very poor actors out there, and some of them are stars. They
can teach me what not to do. But there are many excellent actors in the world. Those are the ones that can teach me to know what I am capable of. They refill my well.
DB - The Vagabond
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Terse Truth 12/03/08
What we need is to love without getting tired.
Mother Teresa
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Even if you don't like them much, your relatives are always your relatives, family is always family, no matter what. But it's not the same with friends. They come along, but they can also go. Sometimes they just die. Sometimes they move away and you lose contact. I was talking with someone this afternoon who remarked that she feels she lost a bunch of friends when we moved from "the A word" over here to Google Land and I think that's true. "What ever happened to so and so? Where did she go?" If we didn't grab or send an email address in time a friendship is lost.
Also, it is more difficult to keep in touch with people over here with this cumbersome Google system. Soon I will put all the blogs I want to read on my favorites list as I did in "the other place."
But there are other ways to lose a friend. Sometimes one of them will marry or otherwise settle down with someone who doesn't like you. That's happened to me twice. You try to keep up a friendship, but it's torn.
Then there are those who are the unfortunate receivers of lies and gossip about you. Malicious people who have nothing better to do than to fabricate false information about you out of jealousy or some other sub-human motive, can destroy a friendship. That has happened to me three times.
What can be said for the friend who suddenly turns unfriendly and becomes malignant. That also happened to me in a very heartbreaking manner. Suddenly, for no stated reason, a friend of many years wasn't a friend any more.
Then there are those who simply disappear. Where is my friend George C.? We were sending emails back and forth and then mine began the DAEMON route. I don't know what happened to him. I don't know if he's dead, in jail, changed his name, won the lottery and moved to Portugal, or what. George, my dear friend, where are you?
One day I started to make a list of all the people I used to know and like that I don't know anymore. It was a very long where-are-you list. In fact it was so long I had to stop. There are too many of them. It made me sad.
Some friends are closer and more important to you than others but my advice is love all of your friends as much as you can because you never know when you might lose one.
DB
http://db-vagabondtales.blogspot.com/
Mother Teresa
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Even if you don't like them much, your relatives are always your relatives, family is always family, no matter what. But it's not the same with friends. They come along, but they can also go. Sometimes they just die. Sometimes they move away and you lose contact. I was talking with someone this afternoon who remarked that she feels she lost a bunch of friends when we moved from "the A word" over here to Google Land and I think that's true. "What ever happened to so and so? Where did she go?" If we didn't grab or send an email address in time a friendship is lost.
Also, it is more difficult to keep in touch with people over here with this cumbersome Google system. Soon I will put all the blogs I want to read on my favorites list as I did in "the other place."
But there are other ways to lose a friend. Sometimes one of them will marry or otherwise settle down with someone who doesn't like you. That's happened to me twice. You try to keep up a friendship, but it's torn.
Then there are those who are the unfortunate receivers of lies and gossip about you. Malicious people who have nothing better to do than to fabricate false information about you out of jealousy or some other sub-human motive, can destroy a friendship. That has happened to me three times.
What can be said for the friend who suddenly turns unfriendly and becomes malignant. That also happened to me in a very heartbreaking manner. Suddenly, for no stated reason, a friend of many years wasn't a friend any more.
Then there are those who simply disappear. Where is my friend George C.? We were sending emails back and forth and then mine began the DAEMON route. I don't know what happened to him. I don't know if he's dead, in jail, changed his name, won the lottery and moved to Portugal, or what. George, my dear friend, where are you?
One day I started to make a list of all the people I used to know and like that I don't know anymore. It was a very long where-are-you list. In fact it was so long I had to stop. There are too many of them. It made me sad.
Some friends are closer and more important to you than others but my advice is love all of your friends as much as you can because you never know when you might lose one.
DB
http://db-vagabondtales.blogspot.com/
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Striking Surprises 12/02/08
The artist's vocation is to shed light into the human heart.
George Sand
*********************
First of all here's some newsy updates. My stove and oven are back on. I have a new can opener so I could enjoy my beans and tuna for thanksgiving. The heat is on, but it's rather pathetic. I borrowed a space heater from someone. I have to return it so I'm thinking of getting one for myself. I have a monitor that works very well. I have a Marie Antoinette Award and a second NeoCounter. They are both buried way down at the bottom of my journal entries and on the wrong side. I was told I could click and drag them but that is not happening, Any advice?
I asked if anyone knew the author of yesterdays quote and someone did.
pacing
the shore
the ship's cat
- Raymond Roseliep
(Thank you George)
If you are not one who reads my stories you can skip this part. A full day of battle on the field at Agincourt has brought the result that all of my stories are now in a blog called Vagabond Tales, Oddly, someone else also has that title but has not posted an entry in 3 years. The best way to find me is to go to my extended profile and click on Vagabond Tales. All the Brian stories are there and The Lodge. Part One of the long story, The Long Walk, is there from beginning to end (with no cliff hangers). And all the entries of Part Two, Buffalo Gap, are there in reverse order the way they appeared in Vagabond Journeys. Don't worry about the numbering, It got all messed up, I'll fix it. I will soon have Vagabond Journeys unencumbered from Brian and Christine who will then reside solely on Vagabond Tales. The next entry of the tale will be tomorrow.
I started this journal, Vagabond Journeys, a little under a year ago. All I did was to put quotes from the famous and not so famous, brief slivers of light I thought would be helpful to people. Daily Dollops, I called them. I had some email friends reading me but no one read my journal until the amazing Linda in Washington State came upon it one day and started telling people, Then I had some readers and some other journals to read. So I started writing brief essays about the quotes I was using. From there I began sending News From The Burb every now and then, bits of information about the silly things that were happening in my neighborhood. That reached it highest level with the serial story of Blackie the town python. After that I started writing fictional short stories about Brian Sims. Now I'm writing a long one. All of them were an attempt to shed some "light into the human heart."
What's next?
http://db-vagabondtales.blogspot.com/
DB - The Vagabond
George Sand
*********************
First of all here's some newsy updates. My stove and oven are back on. I have a new can opener so I could enjoy my beans and tuna for thanksgiving. The heat is on, but it's rather pathetic. I borrowed a space heater from someone. I have to return it so I'm thinking of getting one for myself. I have a monitor that works very well. I have a Marie Antoinette Award and a second NeoCounter. They are both buried way down at the bottom of my journal entries and on the wrong side. I was told I could click and drag them but that is not happening, Any advice?
I asked if anyone knew the author of yesterdays quote and someone did.
pacing
the shore
the ship's cat
- Raymond Roseliep
(Thank you George)
If you are not one who reads my stories you can skip this part. A full day of battle on the field at Agincourt has brought the result that all of my stories are now in a blog called Vagabond Tales, Oddly, someone else also has that title but has not posted an entry in 3 years. The best way to find me is to go to my extended profile and click on Vagabond Tales. All the Brian stories are there and The Lodge. Part One of the long story, The Long Walk, is there from beginning to end (with no cliff hangers). And all the entries of Part Two, Buffalo Gap, are there in reverse order the way they appeared in Vagabond Journeys. Don't worry about the numbering, It got all messed up, I'll fix it. I will soon have Vagabond Journeys unencumbered from Brian and Christine who will then reside solely on Vagabond Tales. The next entry of the tale will be tomorrow.
I started this journal, Vagabond Journeys, a little under a year ago. All I did was to put quotes from the famous and not so famous, brief slivers of light I thought would be helpful to people. Daily Dollops, I called them. I had some email friends reading me but no one read my journal until the amazing Linda in Washington State came upon it one day and started telling people, Then I had some readers and some other journals to read. So I started writing brief essays about the quotes I was using. From there I began sending News From The Burb every now and then, bits of information about the silly things that were happening in my neighborhood. That reached it highest level with the serial story of Blackie the town python. After that I started writing fictional short stories about Brian Sims. Now I'm writing a long one. All of them were an attempt to shed some "light into the human heart."
What's next?
http://db-vagabondtales.blogspot.com/
DB - The Vagabond
Monday, December 1, 2008
My stories
Beginning tomorrow all of my fiction will be on another journal called Vagabond Tales That way if you don't want to read about Brian and Christine you don't have to plow through it to get to my entry. On the other hand the story will be over there uninterrupted. Thank you. DB
Googlantics
Trying to manipulate through this Google system and make it work has given me a stomach ache. Why is it so irrational?
Remarkable Reconsideration 12.01.08
Poetry often enters through the window of irrelevance.
M. C. Richards
***********************
"Pacing the shore, the ship's cat." Unknown
It isn't usually the obvious that slaps us in the face. It's the realization that we have missed the point.
Most people would probably pay no heed to such a cat, and if heed was paid one might say that there was a cat down by the shore. Some might opine that it was looking for a fish. But since when do fish jump out of the water and invite themselves to dinner? And if such an event were to occur due to some lunar influence why aren't there other cats down there to enjoy the repast?
But this is no ordinary cat. This is a ship's cat. How did the cat and his ship get separated? Did the ship sink? In which case how did the car survive? Or did the ship sail off and the car "missed the boat?" Anyone who knows cats knows how territorial they are. It's not likely the cat would stray too far from its home. Or did the captain get tired of the cat and throw it overboard. No, the cat has duties on board that ship. It's an essential part of the crew or it wouldn't be the ship's cat in the first place.
But lets assume the cat and ship got separated somehow and the cat is waiting for the vessel to return. But the cat is not just waiting, it's pacing. This is an anxious cat. And pacing means back and forth over the same part of the shore. Why is that? It must be where the ship is accustomed to dock.
Maybe the ship is on its way in and the cat knows it before any local humans do, Or what if its a female cat with babies on board. That's enough to make her pace.
See how the author of this simple 6 word line of verse has opened up a world of questions and taken us on a journey of investigation.
Any good poem will do the same. I'm not a poet, but I appreciate fine poetry because it does turn my mind inside out and blow perfume at it.
BTW, if anyone knows who wrote that line of verse, please let us know. I used to know but I've forgotten his name.
DB - Vagabond
M. C. Richards
***********************
"Pacing the shore, the ship's cat." Unknown
It isn't usually the obvious that slaps us in the face. It's the realization that we have missed the point.
Most people would probably pay no heed to such a cat, and if heed was paid one might say that there was a cat down by the shore. Some might opine that it was looking for a fish. But since when do fish jump out of the water and invite themselves to dinner? And if such an event were to occur due to some lunar influence why aren't there other cats down there to enjoy the repast?
But this is no ordinary cat. This is a ship's cat. How did the cat and his ship get separated? Did the ship sink? In which case how did the car survive? Or did the ship sail off and the car "missed the boat?" Anyone who knows cats knows how territorial they are. It's not likely the cat would stray too far from its home. Or did the captain get tired of the cat and throw it overboard. No, the cat has duties on board that ship. It's an essential part of the crew or it wouldn't be the ship's cat in the first place.
But lets assume the cat and ship got separated somehow and the cat is waiting for the vessel to return. But the cat is not just waiting, it's pacing. This is an anxious cat. And pacing means back and forth over the same part of the shore. Why is that? It must be where the ship is accustomed to dock.
Maybe the ship is on its way in and the cat knows it before any local humans do, Or what if its a female cat with babies on board. That's enough to make her pace.
See how the author of this simple 6 word line of verse has opened up a world of questions and taken us on a journey of investigation.
Any good poem will do the same. I'm not a poet, but I appreciate fine poetry because it does turn my mind inside out and blow perfume at it.
BTW, if anyone knows who wrote that line of verse, please let us know. I used to know but I've forgotten his name.
DB - Vagabond
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