Healthy, Wealthy and a Whole Lot Less Wise

There is no career to be made in dissent. Apologetics and exclamations of legitimacy are what pays, if you’re to make a living selling make it houses or bonds – something negoiatable. Don't sell yourself short.

They swim in honey up to their ears – Erasmus –In Praise of Folly p49

The richest 1% of US households have increased their net wealth from 190 times that of the average household to 225 times that of the average household between the years 2004 and 2009. The poorest US households’ wealth further decreased to a negative $27,000 doubling their debt in just the two years from 2007 to 2009.

Sometimes I forget that I am writing, and the pen moves along, eating up paper, with grave detriment to me as author – Machado De Assis - Epitaph of a small winner, 1952 p69

In the sixth grade we were assigned names – I became Derrick (a crane for loading and unloading cargo, erecting skyscrapers, building America). We learned to play chess. I was never very good and haven’t played a game in over forty years. Occasionally I’ll get roped into a game of cards, but I don’t like cards either. I did my first research project. I tried to figure out the difference between kinetic and potential energy. Difference has been important ever since. The High School was still under construction, they used our lunch room. One of them tried to convince me to get a feel of one of my more well endowed class mates. It was an education I did not avail myself of. Do I regret it? Maybe. I've always been rather naive when it comes to the opposite sex. I could have used a good education. But then who knows? Maybe I'm better off. I don't know. I feel left out when all the guys exchange stories. I had a love. I wanted to murder her. Chris Rock says if you've not stared at a box of rat posison for at least thirty minutes, you've never really been in love. I didn't like my dark side.

A writer must continually defend his borders. But a writer is someone who must abandon borders – Susan Sontag – Where the Stress Falls, 2001 p103

“Society” is the ruling class and its employees chatting among themselves

I define the intellectual as an exile, someone on the margins, an amateur, and finally the author of a language that attempts to speak truth to power – Edward Said

There is always something of ‘gospel’ in a philosophical text

45% of the 1.7 million drugs arrests annually in the US are for marijuana. A RAND study indicates that the California state budge might have been enhanced by as much as $2 billion if Prop 19 had passed ($1.b bin in tax revenue and $200m in reduced law enforcement requirements).

What is, has become – Oswald Spangler – The Decline of the West, 1965 p35

Flags flapping low gray
Clouds southwest to
     Northeast
Condensation arising
     From tailpipes
     At the light
The sun is coming out
     It was expected
Above freezing had been
     Forecast
In the fifties
     Later in the week
Than another cold front
      Moving in
While watching bowl games
      Playing entertaining
      Laughing, crying, shouting
At the time – life was
      A festival – a funfest
      At least until you die
At least this is the theory

The presumption was that it was the destiny of a novel to “become” a film – Susan Sontag – Where the Stress Falls, 2001 p124

I went to see True Grit. I keep hearing it said that it is a remake of the John Wayne movie. It is not a remake I inform them, it is a re-dramatizartion. Altought Matt Damon did a pretty good Glen Cambell. There is a difference but that is something that is difficult form most people to grasp.