Something Else

I find that a great part of the information I have was acquired by looking up something and finding something else on the way.
—     Franklin Pierce Adams
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On This Day In:
2017	Courage
2016	Don’t H8! — I’m With Her!!
2015	$20 Anyone?
2014	And Yet I Still Study
2013	Use Your Own
2012	Strengthen Freedom
2011	Attrition = A Lack Of Imagination
2010	Mind The Fire, Love
	Just Beyond My Reach…
	Even A Life Of Quiet Desperation!
	Acts Of Courage

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Playing Makes Sense

As it turns out, however, to make sense of new and strange phenomena, one must be prepared to play with ideas.  And I use the word “play” advisedly:  dignified people, without a whimsical streak, almost never offer fresh insights, in economics or anywhere else.
—    Paul Krugman
From the introduction to his book:  “The Return of Depression Economics“
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On This Day In:
2021	Let Yourself Soar In 2022
	Where You’re Concerned
2020	The Most Dynamic Link
	Looking Forward To 2021
2019	A Proud Assertion
2018	Ask #45 About Anything
2017	Playing Makes Sense
2016	And Fathers, Sons
2015	My Suspect Confidence
2014	Disguised Blessings
2013	Be
2012	The Only Way to Win
2011	Honest Writing

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All I Ever Wanted

If you find the world is harsh then you must be stronger.  And though you may falter, you may feel the flow of hatred running through your veins, you must never lose your humanity.
Though life will change you, scar you, you must never allow it to break you, nor tarnish your soul.  If there is good remaining after all this time then you must protect it.
We may be small and insignificant in this vast and terrifying universe, but we have each other.  So even if every bone in your body is screaming enough, don’t ever stop being kind, you won’t regret this.
And if your existence makes the world a little less cruel then yours will have been a life well lived.  And God I hope to die in those arms, my last shelter, my sweetest memory.  If life must end in tragedy then let mine be a beautiful one.  All I ever wanted was a little less loneliness, a little more love.
[Found at one of the blogs I follow:  Serendipity
The specific post is at:  http://inkonskin.wordpress.com/2015/10/04/216/
If you have a minute, please check out the original site.    —    kmab]
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On This Day In:
2021	In My Unending Story
	Say You Will
2020	A Day With No Sun
	A Beautiful Thing
	A Moment To Rejoice
2019	Where And Why
	Day 12: Pause Or Plateau?
	Eating Later
2018	Here And Hope
2017	Choose
2016	All I Ever Wanted
2015	Compassionate Toward Yourself
2014	All And None
2013	Voices In The Dark
2012	Does Uncommonly Flexible = Flip-Flopping?
2011	A Modest Review Of A Modern Day Classic
	Encouragement Is The Path To Immortality

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Defining Maleness

What Every Boy Should Know
I love reading great lessons that mothers should impart to their sons!  My college roommate has 2 boys older than our son, and she has often shared her advice to me.  She insisted her sons always ring the doorbell when picking up a girl, rather than the texting method most used by teenagers these days.  And as the mother of 2 girls, I must say that would have been refreshing.  So not only for the sake of your son, but also for the sake of the girl who captures his heart, teach him well.
1. Play a sport.
It will teach you how to win honorably, lose gracefully, respect authority, work with others, manage your time and stay out of trouble. And maybe even throw or catch.
2. You will set the tone for the sexual relationship, so don’t take something away from her that you can’t give back.
3. Use careful aim when you pee.
Somebody’s got to clean that up, you know.
4. Save money when you’re young because you’re going to need it someday.
5. Allow me to introduce you to the dishwasher, oven, washing machine, iron, vacuum, mop and broom.
Now please go use them.
6. Pray and be a spiritual leader.
7. Don’t ever be a bully and don’t ever start a fight, but if some idiot clocks you, please defend yourself.
8. Your knowledge and education is something that nobody can take away from you.
9. Treat women kindly.
Forever is a long time to live alone and it’s even longer to live with somebody who hates your guts.
10. Take pride in your appearance.
11. Be strong and tender at the same time.
12. A woman can do everything that you can do.
This includes her having a successful career and you changing diapers at 3 A.M. Mutual respect is the key to a good relationship.
13. “Yes ma’am” and “yes sir” still go a long way.
14. The reason that they’re called “private parts” is because they’re “private”.
Please do not scratch them in public.
15. Peer pressure is a scary thing.
Be a good leader and others will follow.
16. Bringing her flowers for no reason is always a good idea.
17. It is better to be kind than to be right.
18. A sense of humor goes a long way in the healing process.
19. Please choose your spouse wisely.
My daughter-in-law will be the gatekeeper for me spending time with you and my grandchildren.
20. Remember to call your mother because I might be missing you.
Found at:  http://www.tropicalspiceliving.com
The original posting is at:  http://www.tropicalspiceliving.com/?p=4114
[This is not a blog I follow, but it’s a posting I enjoyed stumbling on.    —    kmab]
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On This Day In:
2022	Happy Meeting Day 38 (And Counting)
	9 (40) – Done
2021	Happy Meeting Day 37 (And Counting)
2020	Happy Meeting Day 36 (And Counting)
2019	Happy Meeting Day 35 (And Counting)
2018	Happy Meeting Day 34 (And Counting)
	Storytelling
2017	Happy Meeting Day 33 (And Counting)
2016	Picture Perfect
2015	Life Showed Compassion
2014	And Then I Met Her
2013	Defining Maleness
	The Run Continues
2012	All Set
2011	Not Always

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Ripples From The Water’s Edge

It is the polite outsider who attracts my attention.  For me at least, possibly as part of my oddness, it is the sensibility of the Blogger or writer which piques my interest rather than their age or sex.  It is the resonance I get from their responses or circumstances.  It is a feeling that, yes out there, beyond the scope of normal conversation or interaction, lives a being who is almost my double or ambassador in a different set of circumstances, on a continent I am unlikely to visit.  The feeling is strangely re-assuring.  It’s almost, if only for a moment, like being less odd.
From:  http://countingducks.wordpress.com/2013/05/18/parallel-worlds/
Let me hope that you who caught my words, and held them briefly in your thoughts, find the peace to quench your doubts and walk with me towards your chosen path.
From: http://countingducks.wordpress.com/about/
Beauty, I believe, is a proportionate derivative of suffering.  That is to say, that the potential for beauty is born within suffering, and if cultivated in a particular manner, its subject can thereby become beautiful.  Or, to put it differently, true beauty is the struggle to transcend the human condition.  It is the place in between suffering and the attainment of perfection in its entirety.  It is complicated, but I find, well worth the effort in trying to define.
From:  http://thecultivationofbeauty.wordpress.com/
I forget though, where beauty actually lies.  I forget that perfection lies in the struggle of the human spirit to achieve what is merely believed in our minds to be perfection.  The struggle is what is perfect, what is beautiful.  Not the end.  It’s the journey.  It’s the choices.  It’s what defines us.  It’s the pursuit of character that makes us beautiful beings.
From:  http://thecultivationofbeauty.wordpress.com/2013/05/12/the-pursuit-of-character/
[Today’s post are two quotes from two sites (four in all).  I must admit to a certain amount of laziness in my pursuit of other blogs.  Someone finds my blog and “likes” it, or comments on a posting, and I go see who they are.  Occasionally, by extension, someone will have “liked” a couple of posts on a blog I’m looking at and I’ll go see what they’re up to.  VERY serendipity, I know, but that is my nature.
Anyway, above are the two quotes from the two sites which recently “liked” one of my postings.  The first two are from “countingducks” (http://countingducks.wordpress.com/ ).  The second two quotes are from “thecultivationofbeauty” (http://thecultivationofbeauty.wordpress.com/).  As always, if you enjoy the quotes, go visit the original sites!    —    kmab]
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On This Day In:
2022	Or The Day After
	9 (40) Redux – And Tips To Make It Through The Day
2021	And Yet I Still Pray
	I’m Still Listening To It
2020	What Am I Missing?
	If Only
2019	For Most #IncompetentDonald Followers
2018	I Dare You
2017	To Republicans Who Choose Party Over Country
2016	All About Control
2015	Liberty Is Extravagant
2014	Always Remember To Reach
	Have You Registered To Vote Yet?
2013	Ripples From The Water’s Edge
	Because I Was Alone
2012	POI vs Reality
	Dear And Sacred
2011	Chilled Again

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Books About Books

Today’s book review is a “funny” book.  This is a book about a series of seminars which were held to discuss an earlier book the author wrote.  The book I just completed is titled:  “Things A Computer Scientist Rarely Talks About“, (2001©) and the original book was titled:  “3:16 Bible Texts Illuminated” (1990©), both written by Donald E. Knuth.  Basically, a world famous computer scientist (Knuth) wanted to “know” something about the bible.  Having grown up as a Lutheran, he felt he had a general understanding of the Bible, but he felt he wanted a “depth” of knowledge as well.  As a computer scientist, Knuth felt one way to accurately get the measure of anything is to do a random sampling of the thing, and provided you used a large enough sampling, you could gain a “probable” understanding of thing being studied.  He therefore chose to study Chapter 3, verse 16 of each book in the Bible.
Knuth found he had to study the verses immediately before and after the target verse to actually determine the meaning of the verse.  He also discovered a number of other things which he found personally interesting.  For example, in examining the works of others who discussed the various verses, he found there was general (and specific) disagreement as to what was actually being said.  He therefore went back and personally translated the verses from Greek and Latin.  Knuth then rewrote the verses as he understood them and approached a friend (a world expert in calligraphy), who in turn approached a number of other world experts in calligraphy and asked if they would each take a verse and “interpret”.
The series of verses became a an integral part of the book and later a world traveled exhibition which is currently (permanently housed) held at the San Francisco Public Library.  (And which I hope to make a visit to see.)
To make a longer story shorter, the book (and exhibit) produced a wide amount of interest which led to the series of lectures, which in turn led to the book I’ve recently completed reading.  For those of you who have been reading my blog for a while, just prior to my trip to Baltimore, I selected twelve books to take with me to read.  “Things…” was one of these twelve.  Before anyone gets the idea this was “planned”, the taking books was indeed planned, this book was not.  I found the book at my local Half Price Books store in the storefront $2 racks.  Complete serendipity!!
So much for background, how did I like the book?  I enjoyed it tremendously!  What are the things a computer scientist rarely talks about?  His religion, his faith and his God.  The lectures were interesting and faintly humorous.  The author’s brilliance (depth and breadth) are obvious and his humility is engaging.  Knuth’s reasons for belief are straight forward:  Faith gives me comfort and I choose to have / keep it.  He seems to be perfectly willing to straddle both worlds:  science and faith;  and, more importantly, he seems quite willing to let others enjoy whatever faith (or lack of faith) they may have.
If there is a weakness in his book, it is his occasional lapses into trying to explain a facet of God by comparing it to a known (or unknown) in science.  For example, his comparison of infinity (God) and human ability to comprehend (or more accurately not comprehend) very large values like Super K – which he describes as 10 to the 10th power, to the 10th power.  Because this value is greater than the projected number of atoms in the universe, the “value” of the number is purely symbolic.  It exists as an imaginary number (symbol) which we can describe, but which is still not the end of numbers, even though it would be impossible to even write the value down as anything except a symbol.  The bottom line is we can never understand God, we can only choose to believe or not.  Knuth chooses to believe.
I probably found 50-plus great ideas or things worth quoting in this book, so you’ll have to bear with me for a while as I post them periodically.  I will be scheduling them, so you won’t be hit with them all in one go, but you may find getting them over the course of the next month just as annoying.  Once again, highly recommended reading!
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On This Day In:
2022	There Is No Fate But What You Make
2021	The Silent Word
	Touched My Hand
2020	Releasing Their Fears
2019	17 Days Until The Next Government Shutdown
2018	Disciplined Models
2017	We Cannot Afford Enemies
2016	Love Is Just A State Of Mind
2015	Waiting?
2014	Big C, Little B (II)
	Where God Has Not
2013	Chasing His Dragon
	Shaped And Molded
2012	Believe In Yourself
2011	Cultural Equivalence
	Why Not?
	Books About Books
	The Basis For Adult Continuing Education

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