It IS just you and they ARE out to get you...

I have described the Frankendog before.... Blind in one eye (spooky looking too), chewed-up ear, and now limping along on three feet (arthritis-mother nature's a bitch).

I have also spoken of Turtle-dude. The anchor of my philosophical world.

Psycho-kitty - who may be crazy or.... she may see dead people, or cats, or dead whatevers.....

They're all out to get me.

Psycho- kitty stares. I mean REALLY stares. The stare of Jeffrey Dahmer as he picks out the best cut of meat. However, she has always done that. She also stares at people who are not there. Psycho-kitty is special, as in special class or special olympics...

My favorite recliner is right next to the Frankendog's bed. When it is reclined fully, my head is literally inches away from the dog's head.

The recliner is Uber-comfortable. It is the King of all Recliners. There are none higher. Combined with my new 57" HDTV, I have achieved near-vegetable status.

The draw of the black lotus is strong.

As you may imagine, I have developed a propensity for falling asleep in the afore-mentioned uber-chair. My wife will usually leave me there. So some entire evenings have been spent snoozing in the chair.

The other night I had a bad dream. I am in my garage (never mind the fact that we have a carport, not a garage) and there is a rattlesnake in it. A friend (no one I now recognize - looked like Democritus with a funny hat...or Jesse without the funny hat) tells me to be still and not annoy it. So I am perfectly still. The snake crawls up my back. It noses at the side of my neck. I am - understandably - frightened. Then it occurs to me. The snake's nose, touching my neck, feels an awful lot like a dog's nose - or a cat's nose....

I wake up.

Frankendog and Psychokitty are inches away from me. They are STARING. Is that a smile I see?

Later I will tell you how turtle-dude has become a zombie....

I have described the Frankendog before.... Blind in one eye (spooky looking too), chewed-up ear, and now limping along on three feet (arthritis-mother nature's a bitch).

I have also spoken of Turtle-dude. The anchor of my philosophical world.

Psycho-kitty - who may be crazy or.... she may see dead people, or cats, or dead whatevers.....

They're all out to get me.

Psycho- kitty stares. I mean REALLY stares. The stare of Jeffrey Dahmer as he picks out the best cut of meat. However, she has always done that. She also stares at people who are not there. Psycho-kitty is special, as in special class or special olympics...

My favorite recliner is right next to the Frankendog's bed. When it is reclined fully, my head is literally inches away from the dog's head.

The recliner is Uber-comfortable. It is the King of all Recliners. There are none higher. Combined with my new 57" HDTV, I have achieved near-vegetable status.

The draw of the black lotus is strong.

As you may imagine, I have developed a propensity for falling asleep in the afore-mentioned uber-chair. My wife will usually leave me there. So some entire evenings have been spent snoozing in the chair.

The other night I had a bad dream. I am in my garage (never mind the fact that we have a carport, not a garage) and there is a rattlesnake in it. A friend (no one I now recognize - looked like Democritus with a funny hat...or Jesse without the funny hat) tells me to be still and not annoy it. So I am perfectly still. The snake crawls up my back. It noses at the side of my neck. I am - understandably - frightened. Then it occurs to me. The snake's nose, touching my neck, feels an awful lot like a dog's nose - or a cat's nose....

I wake up.

Frankendog and Psychokitty are inches away from me. They are STARING. Is that a smile I see?

Later I will tell you how turtle-dude has become a zombie....

It IS only you and ther ARE out to get you

I have described the Frankendog before.... Blind in one eye (spooky looking too), chewed-up ear, and now limping along on three feet (arthritis-mother nature's a bitch).

I have also spoken of Turtle-dude. The anchor of my philosophical world.

Psycho-kitty - who may be crazy or.... she may see dead people, or cats, or dead whatevers.....

They're all out to get me.

Psycho- kitty stares. I mean REALLY stares. The stare of Jeffrey Dahmer as he picks out the best cut of meat. However, she has always done that. She also stares at people who are not there. Psycho-kitty is special, as in special class or special olympics...

My favorite recliner is right next to the Frankendog's bed. When it is reclined fully, my head is literally inches away from the dog's head.

The recliner is Uber-comfortable. It is the King of all Recliners. There are none higher. Combined with my new 57" HDTV, I have achieved near-vegetable status.

The draw of the black lotus is strong.

As you may imagine, I have developed a propensity for falling asleep in the afore-mentioned uber-chair. My wife will usually leave me there. So some entire evenings have been spent snoozing in the chair.

The other night I had a bad dream. I am in my garage (never mind the fact that we have a carport, not a garage) and there is a rattlesnake in it. A friend (no one I now recognize - looked like Democritus with a funny hat...or Jesse without the funny hat) tells me to be still and not annoy it. So I am perfectly still. The snake crawls up my back. It noses at the side of my neck. I am - understandably - frightened. Then it occurs to me. The snake's nose, touching my neck, feels an awful lot like a dog's nose - or a cat's nose....

I wake up.

Frankendog and Psychokitty are inches away from me. They are STARING. Is that a smile I see?

Later I will tell you how turtle-dude has become a zombie....

It IS only you and they ARE out to get you...

I have described the Frankendog before.... Blind in one eye (spooky looking too), chewed-up ear, and now limping along on three feet (arthritis-mother nature's a bitch).

I have also spoken of Turtle-dude. The anchor of my philosophical world.

Psycho-kitty - who may be crazy or.... she may see dead people, or cats, or dead whatevers.....

They're all out to get me.

Psycho- kitty stares. I mean REALLY stares. The stare of Jeffrey Dahmer as he picks out the best cut of meat. However, she has always done that. She also stares at people who are not there. Psycho-kitty is special, as in special class or special olympics...

My favorite recliner is right next to the Frankendog's bed. When it is reclined fully, my head is literally inches away from the dog's head.

The recliner is Uber-comfortable. It is the King of all Recliners. There are none higher. Combined with my new 57" HDTV, I have achieved near-vegetable status.

The draw of the black lotus is strong.

As you may imagine, I have developed a propensity for falling asleep in the afore-mentioned uber-chair. My wife will usually leave me there. So some entire evenings have been spent snoozing in the chair.

The other night I had a bad dream. I am in my garage (never mind the fact that we have a carport, not a garage) and there is a rattlesnake in it. A friend (no one I now recognize - looked like Democritus with a funny hat...or Jesse without the funny hat) tells me to be still and not annoy it. So I am perfectly still. The snake crawls up my back. It noses at the side of my neck. I am - understandably - frightened. Then it occurs to me. The snake's nose, touching my neck, feels an awful lot like a dog's nose - or a cat's nose....

I wake up.

Frankendog and Psychokitty are inches away from me. They are STARING. Is that a smile I see?

Later I will tell you how turtle-dude has become a zombie....

You're not paranoid and they ARE out to get you...

I have described the Frankendog before.... Blind in one eye (spooky looking too), chewed-up ear, and now limping along on three feet (arthritis-mother nature's a bitch).

I have also spoken of Turtle-dude. The anchor of my philosophical world.

Psycho-kitty - who may be crazy or.... she may see dead people, or cats, or dead whatevers.....

They're all out to get me.

Psycho- kitty stares. I mean REALLY stares. The stare of Jeffrey Dahmer as he picks out the best cut of meat. However, she has always done that. She also stares at people who are not there. Psycho-kitty is special, as in special class or special olympics...

My favorite recliner is right next to the Frankendog's bed. When it is reclined fully, my head is literally inches away from the dog's head.

The recliner is Uber-comfortable. It is the King of all Recliners. There are none higher. Combined with my new 57" HDTV, I have achieved near-vegetable status.

The draw of the black lotus is strong.

As you may imagine, I have developed a propensity for falling asleep in the afore-mentioned uber-chair. My wife will usually leave me there. So some entire evenings have been spent snoozing in the chair.

The other night I had a bad dream. I am in my garage (never mind the fact that we have a carport, not a garage) and there is a rattlesnake in it. A friend (no one I now recognize - looked like Democritus with a funny hat...or Jesse without the funny hat) tells me to be still and not annoy it. So I am perfectly still. The snake crawls up my back. It noses at the side of my neck. I am - understandably - frightened. Then it occurs to me. The snake's nose, touching my neck, feels an awful lot like a dog's nose - or a cat's nose....

I wake up.

Frankendog and Psychokitty are inches away from me. They are STARING. Is that a smile I see?

Later I will tell you how turtle-dude has become a zombie....

It Is Only You and They ARE Out to Get You

I have described the Frankendog before.... Blind in one eye (spooky looking too), chewed-up ear, and now limping along on three feet (arthritis-mother nature's a bitch).

I have also spoken of Turtle-dude. The anchor of my philosophical world.

Psycho-kitty - who may be crazy or.... she may see dead people, or cats, or dead whatevers.....

They're all out to get me.

Psycho- kitty stares. I mean REALLY stares. The stare of Jeffrey Dahmer as he picks out the best cut of meat. However, she has always done that. She also stares at people who are not there. Psycho-kitty is special, as in special class or special olympics...

My favorite recliner is right next to the Frankendog's bed. When it is reclined fully, my head is literally inches away from the dog's head.

The recliner is Uber-comfortable. It is the King of all Recliners. There are none higher. Combined with my new 57" HDTV, I have achieved near-vegetable status.

The draw of the black lotus is strong.

As you may imagine, I have developed a propensity for falling asleep in the afore-mentioned uber-chair. My wife will usually leave me there. So some entire evenings have been spent snoozing in the chair.

The other night I had a bad dream. I am in my garage (never mind the fact that we have a carport, not a garage) and there is a rattlesnake in it. A friend (no one I now recognize - looked like Democritus with a funny hat...or Jesse without the funny hat) tells me to be still and not annoy it. So I am perfectly still. The snake crawls up my back. It noses at the side of my neck. I am - understandably - frightened. Then it occurs to me. The snake's nose, touching my neck, feels an awful lot like a dog's nose - or a cat's nose....

I wake up.

Frankendog and Psychokitty are inches away from me. They are STARING. Is that a smile I see?

Later I will tell you how turtle-dude has become a zombie....

The Angst of Leonardo...

It is Sunday - past midnight. That means that it is officially my birthday. A rather momentous one at that. I am (of course) engaged in the time-honored tradition of reflecting on the first batch of years....

Time is a burden.

I feel it is especially so for those who have a small modicum of intelligence. Taking into account our tongue-in-cheek self-appointed title of "Intellectual Elite" I am assuming that many of you may empathize with my assertion:

Intelligence begets dissatisfaction.

I have thought long on this. I know stupid people (this is not derogatory - they didn't ask to be born that way). It seems to me that (sometimes) happiness is in direct proportion to intelligence.

The absence of all but the simplest of thoughts must be the essence of peace...

Intelligence begets worry.

Intelligence allows you to see possibilities. What might be. Good or bad. The more intelligent, the more possibilities. That is a burden. You have two choices - go with the worry and work like hell for the best possible outcome, or throw in the hat - you know how; alcohol, apathy etc...

Intelligence begets regret.

This relates to the visualization of possibilities. We have all done stupid things in our lives. When we reflect on these things - intelligence acts like a mirror - the greater the intellect, the clearer the reflection. Some things are best remembered unclearly.

But there is hope...

Intelligence expands our world.

Appreciation and intelligence are intertwined. Doesn't the fragility and transitory nature of a snowflake enhance it's beauty? The duality of the human race - capable of works of extreme beauty or extreme depravity - this enhances our appreciation of the former without diminishing our abhorrence of the latter.

Intelligence begets striving.

This is the flip side of the worry coin. Striving is born of the conception of possibilities. Some possibilities are worth fighting for, they are noble goals that we can gift the rest of the world with, they are the reason our heroes have fought the way they have.

Intelligence begets an appreciation for learning and discovering.

This is something I consider to be one of the highest callings of man. The old cliche - man as a means for the universe to know itself. The more cynical among us will laugh (14 year-old enlightened philosophy - right Jim?). However, the renaissance man is something that has been praised as noble in the years since the birth of the idea. I think that is something that this group (however unconciously) has strived to be.

To me there are very few higher callings - knowledge and enlightenment as an end in and of itself.

But these are just the ramblings of someone feeling their mortality on this day....

Now to go and get drunk.....

Avoiding the intellectual chunks...

The ellipsis...

You may have noticed my love of it...

(Latin ellpsis, from Greek elleipsis, from elleipein, to fall short.)

One reason that I use it so much in my writing is that people use it in everyday conversation more than they realize:
"You never know..."
"I wonder what the weather will be like tomorrow...?"
"Are you going to make that noise during the entire road trip...?"

I like to think of it as mental shorthand - you write (or verbalize) a thought in one or two lines - but the ideas behind your statement are too large to be limited by one or two mere sentences! They trail off, like a bird receding into the clouds.

In many ways, I believe that an ellipsis lends more emphasis than an exclamation point! I mean - think about it! It is probably the first punctuation we learned after the period and the question mark! Does this imply importance!? Significance!? Depth of thought!?

I believe that the exclamation point may be the ellipsis for the masses, the proletariat...

Or is the ellipsis a bourgeoisie affectation? A form of intellectual concealer that hides the lack of thought or meaning beyond what is written on the page?

Is it a disguise? A form of adumbration that allows me to write without exposing the personal, the white underbelly of my psyche?

It may be pure laziness. An ellipsis implies that there is more - yet three dots are easier to type than several sentences. If this is so then (why) (my) (love) (of) (parentheses)? Parentheses imply that you are adding extra thoughts - thoughts that are not central to the idea but (asides). That certainly implies extra work and typing.

In fact, if Thursday evening is the opposite of Sunday afternoon, wouldn't parentheses be the opposite of ellipses?

So - to carry this to its logical conclusion:
- If ellipses imply laziness
- And parentheses imply extra effort
- The law of the conservation of mass dictates that you cannot be considered lazy for using ellipses if your composition has an equal amount of parentheses!

Or,
... > () = intellectual sloth
... < () = pedantic snob

And,

... = () = Pure intellectual creaminess!


So what have we learned...?

Well - go back and count and you will find I am the creamiest Bitch here...

(Don't forget the title)

It's like those foreigners have a different word for everything

I'm all over the place this week (intellectually speaking)

I just finished viewing Fahrenheit 911 for the second time. While it is admittedly slanted with a director that has a clear agenda, the sheer amount of evidence is overwhelming. How could we have come to this? Was it something we did? Or something we failed to do? I know it is an old subject - but it bears revisiting now and again.

Lately I have come to notice that I have become a little soft around the middle. The response - high-protein diet (sorry Merc) and an increase in the workouts. If you stick to protein only (less than 20 grams carbs per day) the weightloss is amazing. After eating this diet for one week - and patting myself on the back for my willpower, I walk into Starbuck's with my wife, she orders a grande white chocolate mocha and I (very tired late Sat pm) smartly say "I'll have the same." It is Sunday morning before I even realize what I had done. Well - it helps that it is about 1000 degrees here in Florida. You can lose a pound sweating in just a few minutes...

The business venture has had its share of hurdles. I have often thought that some of this type of thing was made difficult purposely. Like it is an exclusive club and you cannot join without running the gauntlet.

I view the nascent IE forums with interest. It seems that the community is starting to get a sense of itself.

I promise more frequent updates. I plead the full-time job and the company startup - however writing here has a cathartic effect.