The Little Dog Jumped into the Last Lifeboat with the Women and Children as the Titanic Sank, I Sang Nearer My God to Thee

For a moment the computer monitor worked – I got the whole screen. Then this morning it was back to the bottom third not refreshing. And I have to sit outside because of the dog. Chet wanted to know if I wouldn’t like to take the dog inside with me? I don’t think they will allow it, I tell him. They have public health regulations in most jurisdictions that prohibit animals except for Seeng-Eye Dogs in places whee food is served. I’ll ask, he said. He came back out and shook his head. I though so, I said. There are three guys out here talking sports – right after the war he played for Indiana. Today’s trivia questions is – “In what year did the Titanic sink?” “1912.” I responded. “April, I think.” I thought it might have been the 12 of April but no use showing off. “Right!” and I got the discount and put it in the tip jar and took my coffee outside where I could be with the little dog. I looked it up later – it was April 14th. The Titanic had left Southhampton on its maiden voyage on April 10th. On the 12th it had been half-way to hell.

And the little box is out on the sidewalk / next to the delicatessen / so the old man can sit on it and drink beer / and get knocked off it by his wife later in the day / while the sun is still shinning – Frank O’Hara – The Collected Poems, 1971 p371

There is something melancholy about the first time you undress together. It was not like this when I was younger. I did it without reflection – who had time to waste thinking. It all went by in a blurr. There was no thinking at all, at least not by the conscious brain

Or if her tits be rose, or roses, or any / flower, with what say, to water this / garden of particular / intent – Robert Creeley – The Collected Poems, 1945-1975, 1982 p35

What we receive in return for giving up what we know is the allusion of knowing what we don’t know

Mediated people in a world of effects aspire to exclude all genuinely tragic visions of the human condition – Thomas De Zengotita – Mediated: How the media shapes the world and the way you live in it, 2006 p70

The trains roar out onto
     The prairies like rocking horses
The plains with their associated ponds
Where blue gill and sunfish reside
The bobbing cork’s bobbles tells
The boy that there is a bite
Another six will make a decent fry
The lad waves and the engineer
      Waves back


The young man holds up his catch. The older man
       Smiles. Steam hisses from his machine
A plume of smoke lingers on the horizon and then
      Dissipates

I think I see how his taunt can be my staircase, / For if I brought all this stuff inside / There must be an outside to bring it from – Thom Gunn [Collected Poems] 1994 p276

26% of currently employed Americans suffered at least one spell of unemployment since Dec. 2007. Of these 37% are being paid more than at their former job but on 28% of them say that their benefits have improved. 80% of the recently re-employed say that they are satisfied with their current job but for workers who had not lost their jobs the satisfaction rate is 89%. 54% of the re-employed feel that they are overqualified for their new job. I suspect that expectations have diminished.

“Yes, but what does the term ‘human rights ‘ mean? The American idea is based completely on the fact that American have always had more than their share… and they’ll understand soon enough that what they had so far have been only privileges, not rights – Paul Bowles – Too Far From Home: Selected Writing of, 1993 p70

Eliminate the middle class and you have eliminated the need for the security state and also any hope for democracy

Happy the man who loves what / he has and worked for it also – Robert Creeley – The Collected Poems, 1945-1975, 1982 p414

Katy did
Katy didn’t


Katy might
Katy can’t


Katy in daylight
Katy at night
Katy on the line


Katy danced
Katy sang


Katy slept
Katy awoke

The beginnings of expression but not the ends, the ends of expressions but not the beginnings… They all keep moving. And the camera keeps moving too, gliding, peeking, glimpsing… everything in motion, every which way – De Thomas De Zengotita – Mediated: How the media shapes the world and the way you live in it, 2006 p195

The liberal wants to improve the situation (the process needs moral guidance). The conservative believes that the process is already ideal and would correct any problems if only left alone. The liberal believes that men can behave ethically and that ethical guidance of society is necessary. The conservative believes that the process is perfect and that man is imperfect and the ideal can only be obtained when the process is left to run its course. One set of believes constitute a pragmatic view of capitalism and the other is a utopian view of capitalism. Both believe in Capitalism. Even Socialist believe in Capitalism. The Conservative believes in the Capitalist State. The Socialist believes in State Capitalism. The Liberal is suspecious of both ideological positions. They all believe that their positions are non-idological and that all that believe otherwise are ideologues.

All left-wing parties in the highly industrialized countries are at bottom a sham, because they make it their business to fight against something which they do not really wish to destroy – George Orwell – Dickens, Dali and Others, 1946 p144