June Solstice

Today is the June Solstice (1st Day of Summer in the Northern Hemisphere and 1st Day of Winter in the Southern Hemisphere) and the longest/shortest day of the year. In Portland, today, the sunrise was just about 5am and the sunset was about 9:30pm. The temperatures, for our 1st day of Summer were wonderful (high of 77F low of 54F) with partly cloudy skies, intermittent showers, and a slight breeze. A good day to be a Portlander, no matter how liberal that means you are.

...burn out all the recent immoral developments...burn out the poison of immorality which has entered into our whole life and culture as a result of past liberal excesses. — Adolf Hitler (in a speech proclaiming his staunch conservative christian beliefs)

etch-essomenic

If degenerate artists see fields blue, they are deranged, and should go to an asylum; if they only pretend to see them blue, they are criminals, and should go to prison. — Adolf Hitler

Curiouser and Curiouser

Powell, 4 months

I am providing this to avoid being cited by feline-failure-to-post-a-feckin-foto enforcement officials.

More importantly (and to insure you don't think this has become one of those) I pose this rhetorical observation:

Because I do not happen to own a book of Hitler's writings or quotes, I used a small strand of the web to find some of what he said or wrote. This month, I decided, would be Adolf's month not only because I wanted to know what the web would reference for a notoriously bad guy (and since he was prolific and outspoken, I chose him) but, mostly, because I thought that evil people probably say the darnedest things.

Before I could get to that strand of the web, I let the google do its thing. But, it declined.

Normally, I would type a few letters and it would give me ten options and I'd scroll-click. Not this time. All the way to 'a.d.o.l.f. .h.i.t.l.e' . . . and not listed as a suggestion. I found the lack of his name in the suggestion drop-down rather baffling.

It is there now. Obviously. As soon as I type 'a.d', but that's because I'm treading trodden ground.

The first time around though, the google didn't want me to learn about the bad man. It caused me to mutter, 'Open the door Hal'.

That was my first curious hmmm. My second hmmmm (a bit longer) came as I scanned the things he is attributed with saying. I try to make some association with the topic of my post in the quote. Not always. And the quote I choose does not always have a connection that's readily apparent to others, but I try. Not so easy with this extremely insane Austrian.

Every quote engine has the same few dozen (or less) quotes. Almost all of them paint a very bleak picture. To scan his quotes is to see he was a bigoted dullard. A manipulative, fucktard. Not very imaginative. Not very well spoken.

The weak offerings from the quote engines may be sufficient for someone writing a 3-page paper for World History Class, but it only makes me want to know where the real writings are; because it's too much like the google declining to help me.

A lengthy search did uncover some translations of his writings; I still haven't found any direct quotes about pets, or his dogs, or animals in general. So, this will suffice.

A meeting between two beings who complete one another, who are made for each other, borders already, in my opinion, on a miracle. — Adolf Hitler

New Cat

Decided it was time (the 14 months without a cat was fine, but it was time), so I looked for a month or so and finally found and brought home a 3 to 4-month-old kitten from a shelter.

He's mostly white with black splashes. Some of the black spitter-splashed in a smattering of small speckles...so he has almost a Dalmatian-thing going in coloration (but not in shedding). Although he is a domestic shorthair, his coat is extremely short and slick—like a seal's—and there's a sizable dollop of Abyssinian in his not-too-distant ancestry, so he has large ears and a small, pointy head (which lends him a Spuds Mckenzie-thing in the looks department).

I've named him Powell. I call him Pow.

He has been living here for five days and has demonstrated:

• Fetching. Throw a wad of paper, it's returned in short order to be re-thrown.
• He easily drinks from a syringe placed in the corner of this mouth. This is essential to taking cats hiking in the wild...so I can decide when and how much he needs to re-hydrate. It also makes administering liquid medications simple.
• He sleeps near my shoulder or curled under an arm (it is important to me that he enjoys human proximity). Also, a plus because our other cat, Aggie, prefers the between-our-legs spot.
• Allows the clipping of nails, the administering of earmiticide, and immersion in water without display of anger or fear (not that he loved a bath, just that he tolerated it).
• Socializes wonderfully with other cats (ours and a couple of locals who visit routinely).
• Rides in a car (in and out of a carrier) with no problems or complaint.
• Not overly boisterous. He has a diminutive vocal range, and seems to use quiet vocalizations rather than loud or incessant ones.
• Will drink out of a plastic water bottle cap held in my hand (valuable for when he's thirsty and a larger receptacle is not available).
• Doesn't extend his claws or forcibly bite when engaging in pseudo-aggressive play behavior.
• Follows me when I walk ahead (for 200+ feet). This was done only in a controlled setting, but it looks promising that he may be able, and willing, to hike with me when he gets older.
• Still working on: 'No', 'Come here' and his name as a 'pay attention to me' signal. Need to test his ability to ride in a cat-backpack. Need to locate an 'open' area (visually) to train him to hike. Establish wearing a collar = going hiking.
  

Films - Early Summer

UP - Pixar continues to generate greatness. It will make you cry and laugh; for adults who like an intelligent story behind their animation.

The HANGOVER - You will explode with laughter every ten minutes; not really the film the trailer paints it to be.

AWAY WE GO - A couple in love, who stay in love all the way through the film; more about all the "crazy other people" (in the world)...since I generally hate people in general, this film played to that part of me.

STAR TREK (2009) - A superbly scripted and produced story. Action SF at its best.

Beatbox by Daichi

True genius is always inborn and never cultivated, let alone learned. — Adolf Hitler, Mien Kampf

Think about Thinking (Just This One Time)

When was the last time you thought for yourself?

It is a simple question.

Immediately, one wants to—jumps to, knee-jerks to—say: I always think for myself. Because the obverse is to admit to being a proud member of the follower-masses. But. Think about it. Think about thinking.

How do you pick a film, listen to a song, or buy an outfit? Do you purchase anything—from the smooth creaminess spread on your soft-crusty-whole-grain-goodness, to the quantity of dots per inch on this screen—without first seeking advice, doing research and comparing your need-desire with your budget?

No?

Are you thinking for yourself—then—or are you asking for and allowing marketing specialists (formal and informal) to be your umpires?

When a new slice of information hits your eardrum and lodges into your neurons—do you allow that snip of data to stand? Do you question it? Do you seek out the actual facts, or do you accept what ‘someone says was said’?

Are you a critical thinker or have you chosen an information provider, which shapes and spices the data it provides so that it informs your mental palate in a manner that does not upset your subjectively slanted sensibilities?

Or... are you open and objective?

The 1st Amendment to the US Constitution, which prevents the government from limiting religion, free-speech or the press, is a double-edged sword. While it allows me to say (here, for example) whatever I want, it also permits Rupert Murdock to broadcast any fiction, on all of his news outlets—from print, to TV, to the internet. I may get read by two or three. He will be BELIEVED by millions.

Are you a tool? Are you one of Murdock’s millions?

I am not saying that FOX News should not be watched, nor that the New York Post or Wall Street Journal or The Times should not be read, nor that American Idol or hulu should not be viewed, nor that MySpace should not be used (all owned by Murdock) what I am saying is—be a critical thinker. And. Stop. Listening. To. Talking. Heads. They. Are. Only. Making. You. Bleat.

baaa.

[For more on Murdock: his picture above, and the title of this post, are informative links.]

All propaganda has to be popular and has to accommodate itself to the comprehension of the least intelligent of those whom it seeks to reach. — Adolf Hitler

Fetching Summer

Learn from the mistakes of others. You can’t live long enough to make them all yourself. — Eleanor Roosevelt

Never Ending Sun

Surely, in the light of history, it is more intelligent to hope rather than to fear, to try rather than not to try. For one thing we know beyond all doubt: Nothing has ever been achieved by the person who says, `It can't be done.' — Eleanor Roosevelt, You Learn By Living (1960)

Fractured and Vibrant Echoes

     In his latest post at ex movere, Driz included his interpretation of the quote:  The disappointed man speaks: ‘I listened for an echo and I heard only praise.’  After exchanging comment volleys, I couldn't leave the thought alone.  I started picking at it and decided to expand-expound.

     What did this Nietzsche quote mean?

     My thoughts: when one spends a quantifiable amount of anything (hours, brain-cells, words, brushstrokes, it-matters-not-what) on creating something, I think the result is the echo Nietzsche was listening for.  My drive to create has resulted in more than a few select two-dimensional echoes, or reflections of my inner self, which I proudly hang on my—and other people's—walls.

     Along this vein, I think Davecat's blog title: Shouting to hear the echoes captures this action-idea in its barest simplicity. And my vague memory of Davecat's (years ago) statement that a web log containing many-years (decades?) of essays is a portrait of a persons life, an accomplishment, a digital distillation or reflection of a person's gestalt ... or something like that, I don't recall his exact words and now that I think about it, I may be attributing words to Davecat that he never typed. But, anyway.

     A created object is a reflection of the author-creator-artists imagination. Although the intent of the creator was, initially, primarily and ultimately, to see what his brain could create—to translate something from his imagination to reality—once it was created, and (as Ditz has correctly pointed out) the creator has made the decision that it is finished, it immediately becomes subject to criticism. This includes self-criticism.

     Praise is what Nietzsche was disappointed to receive; because praise is (almost always) synonymous with apathy.

     To me, every "I like it" feels like a white-lie or an act of guest-book-signing.

     Want to see what I mean by this?   Go to any blog which averages more than 25 comments per post. About 90% of those comments are pap—each saying less than nothing; muttering their praises because if they don’t...I guess, nobody will know they were there, right? (If ANYONE knows of a blog where this is not true, where the majority of the more than two-dozen plus comments are viable, helpful, insightful and interesting, please point me there!) In a deeper ring of hell than that which broils sycophantic blog comment-ers are: micro-blog Twitter-ers and their constant desire to amass followers who will read their rarely thoughtful, mostly vacuous, and wholly innocuous tweets (and the reply-comments they spawn).

     An artist receives praise with a skeptical smile, but welcomes derision, comparative-criticism, and advice (no matter how unhelpful) with a warm embrace. In my case, viewers who tell me what they see in my digital renderings are great, because my creations are nurtured by pareidolia and are mostly-worthless to those who are unable (or unwilling) to be afflicted by the phenomenon.

Revised/re-posted Apr 2020

     You get more joy out of the giving to others, and should put a good deal of thought into the happiness you are able to give. — Eleanor Roosevelt