Witticism

It's only witty if someone besides you understands just how clever you are.

Daily Quotes

Meditation is the dissolution of thoughts in Eternal awareness or Pure consciousness without objectification, knowing without thinking, merging finitude in infinity. And if you roll a power of eight, you can slay the purple dragon.

Men use thought only as authority for their injustice, and employ speech only to conceal their thoughts. At least, that’s what my wife says.

Connection, and Loss

I connected again with an old girlfriend today. A girlfriend, from so long ago that "girlfriend" meant little more than mutual crush. She seems to be doing well, married with two kids.

I'm still coming to grips with the fact that children don't seem to be in the cards for me. Sometimes it seems that life is really just the process of coming to grips with loss. Loss of relationships, loss of people, loss of dreams we once held precious; all these things we lose. I suppose we could choose to view this in some sense of personal evolvement, that we are being stripped down to our essence, to the things that truly matter. Or, in the attitude I have increasingly taken as I grow older, it doesn't "mean" anything. It's just what happens.

A Creed to Live By

I have no parents; I make the heaven and earth my mother and
father.
I have no home; I make awareness my dwelling.
I have no life and death; I make the tides of breathing my life
and death.
I have no divine power; I make honesty my divine power.
I have no means; I make understanding my means.
I have no magic secrets; I make character my magic secret.
I have no body; I make endurance my body.
I have no eyes; I make the flash of lightning my eyes.
I have no ears; I make sensibility my ears.
I have no limbs; I make promptness my limbs.
I have no strategy; I make “unshadowed by thought” my strategy
I have no designs; I make “seizing opportunity by the forelock” my
design.
I have no miracles; I make right action my miracle.
I have no principles; I make adaptability to all circumstances my
principles.
I have no tactics; I make emptiness and fullness my tactics.
I have no talents; I make ready wit my talent.
I have no friends; I make my mind my friend.
I have no enemy; I make carelessness my enemy.
I have no armor; I make benevolence and righteousness my armor.
I have no castle; I make immovable mind my castle.
I have no sword; I make absence of self my sword.

A samurai's creed, written around 1300 by an unnamed author. Via Chris
Corrigan

Quotes of the Day

And since I've missed a few days...

I have lived eighty years of life and know nothing for it, but to be resigned and tell myself that flies are born to be eaten by spiders and man to be devoured by sorrow. Or, maybe it's flies to be devoured by sorrow and man to be eaten by...ah, hell. I don't know.

I am very fond of truth, but not at all of martyrdom. But I especially like Penthouse Letters.

I do not agree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it. Unless I'm busy, then all bets are off.

Doubt is not a pleasant condition, but certainty is absurd. I think.

Ice-cream is exquisite - what a pity it isn't illegal in Utah.

It is better to risk saving a guilty man than to condemn an innocent one. So, please untie the rope from around my neck.

It is not enough to conquer; one must learn to seduce. Invest in chocolate.

Quote of the Day

Common sense is not so common in politicians.

Quote of the Day

Still "improving" on the French philosopher. But he was French, so improvements come easily!

God gave us the gift of life; it is up to us to give ourselves the gift of living well. I'm not sure what my mother-in-law gave. Probably a tie.