Yossarian (Joseph Heller Catch-22) “He had decided to live forever or die in the attempt\” “From now on I\’m thinking only of me.\” Major Danby replied indulgently with a superior smile: \”But, Yossarian, suppose everyone felt that way.\” \”Then,\” said Yossarian, \”I\’d certainly be a damned fool to feel any other way, wouldn\’t I?” “I’m […]
Descriptions of battles, by those who take part, always have the same basic elements (while differing in detail). Bullets are flying, bombs are falling, artillery shells exploding, mines being tripped, tanks grinding over trenches, flame-throwers burning. Men die at random, as a result of pure chance – a small movement to left or right, ducking
Matters of life and death Read More »
\”Fake News\” is nothing new. It began as a means of establishing the first religions, and continued as a means of establishing each new religion that has arisen ever since. Establishing new religions, and electing Presidents Bush and Trump – pretty powerful stuff, fake news. [Note – this post was inspired when I heard on
Believe it …. or not Read More »
Readers surprised by my post \”Books do furnish a (hospital) room\” where I list Shakespeare, Dickens, Conan Doyle, Wodehouse and Pratchett, as authors to take with me for an extended hospital stay, are obviously unfamiliar with Terry Pratchett. Pratchett is an author who can write thoughts like this – \”No one is finally dead until the
The colour of Pratchett Read More »
Donald Trump may not have the record for the biggest inauguration crowd, but he does have the record for the largest number of Remarkably Unpleasant People (RUP*) employed in and around the White House. Oh, yes, certainly GW Bush had a lot of Remarkably Unpleasant People, and Richard Nixon an even greater number of RUP,
Q. How do you tell whether you are suffering from an illness or from anxiety? A. You can\’t, that\’s the point.
Reaching your eighth decade is like walking out on to the Serengeti Plain at night and wondering which one of the predators will get you first.
Things that go chomp in the night Read More »
You can keep anxiety under control in the same way that you can keep the urge to vomit under control when you have a tummy bug. And, in the same way, when the need to vomit becomes overwhelming, it is uncontrollable; when the pushed-down anxiety needs to emerge, emerge it will.
Being creative just means thinking of something to do or say that not one of ten billion humans, past and present, has ever thought of doing or saying before.
