Scene from NOTEFLIX’s “Troubles In The Garden”: Our hero, the Multicolored Bluebird of Happiness, returning from the battles, has succumbed to the temptation of a dangerous hallucinogenic mushroom – but may be on the road to recovery – and as the Japanese proverb says: “Fall seven times. Stand up eight.” – will he get up and head for home? (To be continued.)
MENTAL CROPPINGS:
- I have read there is an axiom which holds: “If man can think about it, man can do it.” Examples of which are: We thought about making an atom bomb. We thought about going to the moon. Climbing the highest mountain top. We thought about little phones you could carry around in your hand or on your wrist. We thought about lighter than air machines. We thought of submarines and parachutes. We thought about these things and we did them. Ok. Today, I see we are thinking about going to Mars. Oh, boy. But I have noticed some people are thinking about: Living pollution free, stopping it with the killing off of the animals and trees, stopping Global Warming, cleaning up the rivers and oceans, slowing down the over-population problem. I am not sure the above axiom holds true today. I think the truth goes more like: If man can think about it, man can (and will) make a movie about it. And if the show is really well received, we may make a sequel about it. Here is what I am thinking: I think we need to think about what we need to think about – and put off things like Mars for dessert.
- KEEPING UP WITH THE JONES’S: I am not familiar enough with my readers to know whether or not this phrase means anything to them. But ‘Back in the Day’ it referred to the problem many of us had with being able to do – and to have – what your neighbors were doing and having. Keeping up with them. Today, I find it is hard simply to keep up; period. Even the Jones’s don’t seem to be able to keep up with themselves. Look at your phone, for example. All those apps. What are they? What happens when your ‘Signal’ goes down on your TV screen? Who do you call? Will it ever be fixed? How’d that Public Utility bill just go up 20% – and you did not even use the ‘air’ last month. The traffic is getting worse and the roads are going in for congestion tolls and what do those little words say on the tiny food label things? And the rents are going up…And the waters are rising. And now you can’t go to the movies without having to pre-select your seat and you can’t find your seat in the dark without sitting on someone first…and…It is hard to keep up. Forget about Jones, he is long gone. My thought, for the moment is: Don’t even try to keep up, let it pass on by – it might not be going in the right direction anyway.
- “AVE CAESAR. NOS MORITURI TE SALUTAMUS”: “Hail Caesar, those of us who are about to die, salute you.” This is what the gladiators said to Caesar, before the fun began. I know I am treading on thin ice here; but it reminds me of our NFL players and what they are saying to their fans in the stadium. If I have read it right, 96% of all NFL players – who are dead – and who let researchers examine their brains – had dementia when they died. “Ave Caesar”? The only way out for the NFL is for the ‘Powers That Be’ to argue that all these players had dementia before they started to play the game in the first place. And that is a possibility – because man can think up just about anything.
OOPS, I’m out of my word allotment – and I barely got started. So much to talk about. So little time.
A few quotations, which make me think – so I give them to you and get them off my chest:
- “Our perception that we have “no time” is one of the distinctive marks of modern Western culture” -Margaret Vissar
- “Even if you are on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.” -Will Rogers
and then,
- “The singer ain’t singing and the drummer is dragging too slow. So, pick up the tempo a little – and take it on home.” -Song from Waylin & Willie
Until next time,
