![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
"If men were angels, no government would be necessary."
-- James Madison
(Source: Ron Chernow, "Alexander Hamilton")
-- James Madison
(Source: Ron Chernow, "Alexander Hamilton")
Mar. 30th, 2013
Arthur Schopenhauer
Mar. 30th, 2013 04:06 pm“In this world, where the game is played with loaded dice, a man must have a temper of iron, with armor proof to the blows of fate, and weapons to make his way against men. Life is one long battle; we have to fight at every step; and Voltaire very rightly says that if we succeed, it is at the point of the sword, and that we die with the weapon in our hand.... Let our attitude be such that we should not quake even if the world fell in ruins about us.”
-- Arthur Schopenhauer, “Counsels and Maxims”
Intellectuals really do like their valiant imagery, showing that all of us are always little boys at heart.
-- Arthur Schopenhauer, “Counsels and Maxims”
Intellectuals really do like their valiant imagery, showing that all of us are always little boys at heart.
Saturday, March 30, 2013
Mar. 30th, 2013 10:34 pmI really needed that shower! Grocery Day threw me off my stride, and I would have showered last night, but since Pop wasn’t going anywhere, I held off on taking that shower for my walk this morning.
Though, it was a short walk, one of those half-walks. I didn’t take any duck food. Since people like to go to the pond on the weekends, thus assuring the ducks are well-fed, I thought I would conserve my cracked corn by saving it for the weekday walks. One of the reasons for the shortened walk, I admit, is that I don’t like to face the ducks without food. They get excited upon seeing me now, and I hate to disappoint. Though, in truth, I wasn’t feeling up to a full walk anyway. This history book, Sean Wilentz’s “The Rise of American Democracy”, is the heaviest yet, not only in terms of substantive content but also as a matter of literal poundage. It’s too uncomfortable to be holding up on a walk to the pond. I won’t try it again. My wrist just isn’t up to it.
Daimon says, “It sounds like maybe you are getting ready to drop the book. I don’t mean literally, to the ground. But to stop reading it.”
Heh, no, but I do find myself falling into ‘skim’ mode. Like I am ready to burn my way through it and just salvage some great quotes. Like with the Schopenhauer book. I was reminded that just because a book may not be a barrel of fun to read from page to page, it does not mean that there isn’t some great stuff in there, even in terms of a literary perspective. In a vast, dark sea, you can find some gorgeous specimens of fish.
* * * *
Jack came to edge the lawn. And to whip down those tall weeds, I guess. Those weeds were getting on Pop’s nerves. I’m glad he didn’t jump on my back about it. On the other hand, he only gave me short notice that Jack was coming. I was not able to get Sammy inside. In fact, when I went after him, Sammy only ran to the corner and took the fence-interchange out. I suppose he is okay. But I wish he would trust me. You would think That I have earned it. I even saved his life once, practically pulling him from the cold grip of the Grim Reaper, when we took him to the vet. But I suppose he doesn’t even remember that.
Though, it was a short walk, one of those half-walks. I didn’t take any duck food. Since people like to go to the pond on the weekends, thus assuring the ducks are well-fed, I thought I would conserve my cracked corn by saving it for the weekday walks. One of the reasons for the shortened walk, I admit, is that I don’t like to face the ducks without food. They get excited upon seeing me now, and I hate to disappoint. Though, in truth, I wasn’t feeling up to a full walk anyway. This history book, Sean Wilentz’s “The Rise of American Democracy”, is the heaviest yet, not only in terms of substantive content but also as a matter of literal poundage. It’s too uncomfortable to be holding up on a walk to the pond. I won’t try it again. My wrist just isn’t up to it.
Daimon says, “It sounds like maybe you are getting ready to drop the book. I don’t mean literally, to the ground. But to stop reading it.”
Heh, no, but I do find myself falling into ‘skim’ mode. Like I am ready to burn my way through it and just salvage some great quotes. Like with the Schopenhauer book. I was reminded that just because a book may not be a barrel of fun to read from page to page, it does not mean that there isn’t some great stuff in there, even in terms of a literary perspective. In a vast, dark sea, you can find some gorgeous specimens of fish.
* * * *
Jack came to edge the lawn. And to whip down those tall weeds, I guess. Those weeds were getting on Pop’s nerves. I’m glad he didn’t jump on my back about it. On the other hand, he only gave me short notice that Jack was coming. I was not able to get Sammy inside. In fact, when I went after him, Sammy only ran to the corner and took the fence-interchange out. I suppose he is okay. But I wish he would trust me. You would think That I have earned it. I even saved his life once, practically pulling him from the cold grip of the Grim Reaper, when we took him to the vet. But I suppose he doesn’t even remember that.