Sammy's 4 a.m. Yowl

Sammy did his yowling rouline at four, again. I steeled myself to ignore him, and Sammy did indeed give up after only about ten minutes. It was a long ten minutes, but that was the end of it. Then, the next thing I know, it is eight o'clock. A good night's sleep.

Schopenhauer

“It would be a great advantage to a young man if his early training could eradicate the idea that the world has a great deal to offer him. But the usual result of education is to strengthen this delusion; and our first ideas of life are generally taken from fiction rather than from fact.

In the bright dawn of our youthful days, the poetry of life spreads out a gorgeous vision before us, and we torture ourselves by longing to see it realized. We might as well wish to grasp the rainbow.”

-- Arthur Schopenhauer, “Counsels and Maxims”

The Litter Box

Judging by the mess and the scatter of the litter box, I dare say the cats have successfully made the adjustment, provided that I don't stumble upon any rude surprises walking around the house.

Nice Swimsuit

A simple, captivating elegance.

1984

from George Orwell’s handwritten manuscript of 1984.

Those tall weeds

I am glad that I worked up the nerve to tackle those tall weeds today. Despite those hard storms, the ground is surprisingly dry. I am enjoying moderate success at pulling these weeds by their roots, but if I had let my laziness to hold off for another day, it would have been pointless.

Accordingly, when I came inside and was confronted by Sammy's begging to be let outside, I said, why not?

Nick Tosches

Tosches’s alter ego/protagonist, in his delusion of becoming a sort of vampire, may have killed a couple of young lovelies for their blood, and since this is kind of new to the aging writer, he grapples a little with the issue.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

I had killed. I had killed without even really knowing it. I felt no remorse. maybe a cheap metaphysical Hallmark sympathy card cast to the wind with scant emotional postage; nothing more. There was no sin in killing. Like the rest of the Ten Commandments, it was merely a reflection of man’s fearful desire to protect himself by transferring to the supreme authority of an imagined God decrees against those things that man feared - being murdered; being robbed; having his wife fuck around; and so on - that consigned them to the realm of “sin” and the punishment of eternal damnation.... There was no morality. There was no sin. There was only fear.

-- “Me and the Devil” by Nick Tosches

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

In truth, I cannot recall if he did kill those girls. There was some purposeful ambiguity. Though, it would make for a more provocative novel if he did indeed kill them. It would better mark out the nihilist course he is favoring as a writer. Yeah, he may have killed a couple of people when he was a little out of his mind, in his late-midlife crisis, but the law didn’t catch him and shit happens. And, yeah, the world is fucked up anyway, isn’t it?

Big day planned tomorrow

Pop has a big day planned tomorrow. Ronny will be coming to help with the carpets. Hopefully not my room! And hopefully without me. And I think he is looking to have his new TV and Blu-Ray DVD-player set up.

So old is he; you'd think I might be able to enjoy a few days of peaceful stability for my little daily routines. But it's like I am a parent to a hell-raising teenager. Not in the sense that I have to take care of him, but in terms of the havoc he brings to my life.

At least the weather promises to be nice for the cats to be let outside, where they will be able to fend for themselves.

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert, the movie critic, has died from cancer at the age of 70. I am somewhat familiar with him from my childhood television days. I liked watching "Siskel and Ebert at the Movies", seeing the movie clips and enjoying the discussion of the movies.

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Daily Fun

Green eyed leopard by picture girl

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