Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Tuesday, July 25, 2006
Hi everybody. This is just an announcement that this site is discontinued. I'll write elsewhere from now on. If you're interested, please email me and I'll give you the URL. Thank you very much for your visiting Amapolas all through these years; I wish you came by the other site, too, from time to time --I'd be honored by your visit.
Bye and cheers,
Eduard.
PS. You can find my email address at the right column at the bottom of the page.
Bye and cheers,
Eduard.
PS. You can find my email address at the right column at the bottom of the page.
Friday, March 31, 2006
Mr Noone's Scattered Thoughts (L) has added a new section, Hat Off, where subjective outstanding moments of literature get marked and celebrated. Read his last one here.
It happens right now I'm reading Mark Twain's Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn and I thought Good grief — this is so damned good there's no way I can avoid writing it down in Amapolas, a la Noone... So here it goes:
(Speaking about the old woman who takes care of him)
After supper she got out of her book and learned me about Moses and the Bulrushers, and I was in a sweat to find out all about him; but by and by she let it out that Moses had been dead a considerable long time; so then I didn't care no more about him, because I don't take no stock in dead people.
Pretty soon I wanted to smoke, and asked the widow to let me. But she wouldn't. She said it was a mean practice and wasn't clean, and I must try not to do it any more. This is just the way with some people. They get down on a thing when they don't know nothing about it. Here she was a-bothering about Moses, which was no kin to her, and no use to anybody, being gone, you see, yet finding a power of fault with me for doing a thing that had some good in it. And she took snuff, too; of course that was all right, because she done it herself.
What's one to say? Apaga y vámonos...
It happens right now I'm reading Mark Twain's Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn and I thought Good grief — this is so damned good there's no way I can avoid writing it down in Amapolas, a la Noone... So here it goes:
(Speaking about the old woman who takes care of him)
After supper she got out of her book and learned me about Moses and the Bulrushers, and I was in a sweat to find out all about him; but by and by she let it out that Moses had been dead a considerable long time; so then I didn't care no more about him, because I don't take no stock in dead people.
Pretty soon I wanted to smoke, and asked the widow to let me. But she wouldn't. She said it was a mean practice and wasn't clean, and I must try not to do it any more. This is just the way with some people. They get down on a thing when they don't know nothing about it. Here she was a-bothering about Moses, which was no kin to her, and no use to anybody, being gone, you see, yet finding a power of fault with me for doing a thing that had some good in it. And she took snuff, too; of course that was all right, because she done it herself.
What's one to say? Apaga y vámonos...
Friday, March 17, 2006
GIVE CREDIT...
There are no aliens in the Internet (my own's).
'Please don't arrange to have me sent to no asylum' (Supertramp, Asylum).
'Collecting teardrops in a paper cup' (Supertramp, A Soapbox Opera).
'Ain't nobody but me gonna lie for you, gonna die for you' (Supertramp, Ain't Nobody But Me).
'They tell you not to hang around and learn what life's about' (Supertramp, School).
'La más prohibida de todas las frutas' (Joaquín Sabina, Una canción para la Magdalena).
'Living is easy with eyes closed' (The Beatles, Strawberry Fields).
'Before you go to sleep say a little prayer' (John Lennon, Beautiful Boy).
'Apartem els núvols que ens amaguen la claror' (Lluís Llach, Cal que neixin flors a cada instant).
'Esta forma tan cobarde de no decirnos que no' (Joaquín Sabina, Cerrado por derribo).
'What crisis?' (Supertramp, Crisis, What Crisis?).
'Aprendre que en certesa res no tinc si no m'ho dónes' (Lluís Llach, Aprendre).
'Acá está lindo' (heard in the street).
This quiet corner at the shadow of the Internet (my own's)
'Dile a papá que me voy de la ciudad' (Christina y Los Subterráneos, Dile a papá).
'Aprendre per saber-se desprendre, vet aquí el vell secret' (Lluís Llach, Aprendre).
'Tidings of comfort and joy' (Simon and Garfunkel, Comfort and Joy).
'If you think the harmony is a little dark and out of key, you're correct' (The Beatles, Only a Nothern Song).
'I mentres aprenc el preu d'un anhel' (Lluís Llach, A força de nits).
'All the lonely people, where do they all come from?' (The Beatles, Eleanor Rigby).
Liberating insignificance (my own's).
'But it seems a time of sadness is a time to understand' (Supertramp, Lord is it mine?).
'El día que yo fui feliz no me di cuenta y me dormí' (Christina y Los Subterráneos, Ni una maldita florecita).
'I may be mad I may be blind I may be viciously unkind. But I can still read what you're thinking' (Annie Lennox, Why).
'Choosing my confessions' (R.E.M., Losing My Religion).
'Her name was Magil and she called herself Lil, but everyone knew her as Nancy' (The Beatles, Rocky Raccoon).
'I amb el somriure, la revolta' (Lluís Llach, I amb el somriure, la revolta).
'Mai no he sabut dir-ne lo just del nostre absurd' (Lluís Llach, Respon-me).
...WHERE CREDIT IS DUE (I)
There are no aliens in the Internet (my own's).
'Please don't arrange to have me sent to no asylum' (Supertramp, Asylum).
'Collecting teardrops in a paper cup' (Supertramp, A Soapbox Opera).
'Ain't nobody but me gonna lie for you, gonna die for you' (Supertramp, Ain't Nobody But Me).
'They tell you not to hang around and learn what life's about' (Supertramp, School).
'La más prohibida de todas las frutas' (Joaquín Sabina, Una canción para la Magdalena).
'Living is easy with eyes closed' (The Beatles, Strawberry Fields).
'Before you go to sleep say a little prayer' (John Lennon, Beautiful Boy).
'Apartem els núvols que ens amaguen la claror' (Lluís Llach, Cal que neixin flors a cada instant).
'Esta forma tan cobarde de no decirnos que no' (Joaquín Sabina, Cerrado por derribo).
'What crisis?' (Supertramp, Crisis, What Crisis?).
'Aprendre que en certesa res no tinc si no m'ho dónes' (Lluís Llach, Aprendre).
'Acá está lindo' (heard in the street).
This quiet corner at the shadow of the Internet (my own's)
'Dile a papá que me voy de la ciudad' (Christina y Los Subterráneos, Dile a papá).
'Aprendre per saber-se desprendre, vet aquí el vell secret' (Lluís Llach, Aprendre).
'Tidings of comfort and joy' (Simon and Garfunkel, Comfort and Joy).
'If you think the harmony is a little dark and out of key, you're correct' (The Beatles, Only a Nothern Song).
'I mentres aprenc el preu d'un anhel' (Lluís Llach, A força de nits).
'All the lonely people, where do they all come from?' (The Beatles, Eleanor Rigby).
Liberating insignificance (my own's).
'But it seems a time of sadness is a time to understand' (Supertramp, Lord is it mine?).
'El día que yo fui feliz no me di cuenta y me dormí' (Christina y Los Subterráneos, Ni una maldita florecita).
'I may be mad I may be blind I may be viciously unkind. But I can still read what you're thinking' (Annie Lennox, Why).
'Choosing my confessions' (R.E.M., Losing My Religion).
'Her name was Magil and she called herself Lil, but everyone knew her as Nancy' (The Beatles, Rocky Raccoon).
'I amb el somriure, la revolta' (Lluís Llach, I amb el somriure, la revolta).
'Mai no he sabut dir-ne lo just del nostre absurd' (Lluís Llach, Respon-me).
...WHERE CREDIT IS DUE (I)
Friday, March 10, 2006
Legitimwhat?
Never thought I'd have to quote this for the benefit of a religion other than mine, but boy, times are a'changin'...
If one imagines oneself as a fully aware founder of a society, a kind of combination of Moses and Machiavelli, one could ask oneself the following question: How can the future continuation of the institutional order, now established ex nihilo, be best ensured? There is an obvious answer to the question in terms of power. But let it be assumed that all the means of power have been effectively employed - all opponents have been destroyed, all means of coercion are in one's own hands, reasonably safe provisions have been made for the transmission of power to one's designated successors. There still remains the problem of legitimation, all the more urgent because of the novelty and thus highly conscious precariousness of the new order. The problem would best be solved by applying the following recipe: Let the institutional order be so interpreted as to hide, as much as possible, its constructed character. Let that which has been stamped out of the ground ex nihilo appear as the manifestation of something that has been existent from the beginning of time, or at least from the beginning of this group. Let the people forget that this order was established by men and continues to be dependent upon the consent of men. Let them believe that, in acting out the institutional programs that have been imposed upon them, they are but realizing the deepest aspirations of their own being and putting themselves in harmony with the fundamental order of the universe. In sum: Set up religious legitimations. (Peter L. Berger, The sacred canopy, 1967).
(Thanks to Ryan for the revisiting of the old, extraordinary, admired professor's book).
Which translated into Spanish says:
Si uno se imagina un fundador de sociedades consciente de ello, algo así como una combinación entre Moisés y Maquiavelo, se podría plantear la pregunta siguiente: ¿Cómo se podría asegurar la conservación de este orden institucional establecido ex-nihilo? En términos de poder existe una respuesta obvia a esta cuestión. Pero si se imagina que todos los medios de poder han sido efectivamente empleados, todos los opositores destruidos, que todos los medios de coerción se hallan en nuestras manos y han alcanzado un resultado positivo, y que han sido tomadas todas las medidas razonables para la transmisión de poder a los sucesores designados, quedará todavía por solucionar el problema de legitimación, que resulta más urgente debido a la novedad y a la consciente precariedad del nuevo orden. La mejor solución del problema sería la siguiente:
En resumen: que se establezcan legitimaciones religiosas. (Peter L. Berger, Para una teoría sociológica de la religión).
Now go and burn.
Never thought I'd have to quote this for the benefit of a religion other than mine, but boy, times are a'changin'...
If one imagines oneself as a fully aware founder of a society, a kind of combination of Moses and Machiavelli, one could ask oneself the following question: How can the future continuation of the institutional order, now established ex nihilo, be best ensured? There is an obvious answer to the question in terms of power. But let it be assumed that all the means of power have been effectively employed - all opponents have been destroyed, all means of coercion are in one's own hands, reasonably safe provisions have been made for the transmission of power to one's designated successors. There still remains the problem of legitimation, all the more urgent because of the novelty and thus highly conscious precariousness of the new order. The problem would best be solved by applying the following recipe: Let the institutional order be so interpreted as to hide, as much as possible, its constructed character. Let that which has been stamped out of the ground ex nihilo appear as the manifestation of something that has been existent from the beginning of time, or at least from the beginning of this group. Let the people forget that this order was established by men and continues to be dependent upon the consent of men. Let them believe that, in acting out the institutional programs that have been imposed upon them, they are but realizing the deepest aspirations of their own being and putting themselves in harmony with the fundamental order of the universe. In sum: Set up religious legitimations. (Peter L. Berger, The sacred canopy, 1967).
(Thanks to Ryan for the revisiting of the old, extraordinary, admired professor's book).
Which translated into Spanish says:
Si uno se imagina un fundador de sociedades consciente de ello, algo así como una combinación entre Moisés y Maquiavelo, se podría plantear la pregunta siguiente: ¿Cómo se podría asegurar la conservación de este orden institucional establecido ex-nihilo? En términos de poder existe una respuesta obvia a esta cuestión. Pero si se imagina que todos los medios de poder han sido efectivamente empleados, todos los opositores destruidos, que todos los medios de coerción se hallan en nuestras manos y han alcanzado un resultado positivo, y que han sido tomadas todas las medidas razonables para la transmisión de poder a los sucesores designados, quedará todavía por solucionar el problema de legitimación, que resulta más urgente debido a la novedad y a la consciente precariedad del nuevo orden. La mejor solución del problema sería la siguiente:
- Que el orden institucional sea interpretado de modo que oculte su carácter de algo construido.
- Que aquello que ha surgido de la nada aparezca asimismo como algo que había existido desde el principio de los tiempos, o al menos desde el comienzo de este grupo.
- Que la gente olvide que este nuevo orden ha sido establecido por unos hombres y que su continuación depende asimismo del consentimiento de los hombres.
- Que crean que, al proceder de acuerdo con los programas institucionales que les han sido impuestos, no harán sino realizar las más hondas aspiraciones de su propio ser y ponerse en armonía con el orden fundamental del universo.
En resumen: que se establezcan legitimaciones religiosas. (Peter L. Berger, Para una teoría sociológica de la religión).
Now go and burn.
Wednesday, March 08, 2006
Pistas: Estadísticas para el día internacional de la mujer
Thanks, Wonka, for counter-thinking
(and counter-statisticsing) :-)
Thanks, Wonka, for counter-thinking
(and counter-statisticsing) :-)
Monday, March 06, 2006
Epitafi
Take a look at:
ST Lite: Epitaph - 11
That's superb —Mr. Noone at his best.
Mine is no big deal indeed, but here it comes anyway:
Conte contat, conte acabat.
That is to say: Story told, story finished.
(Catalan-speaking parents with young boys will like it a bit better, I hope).
Take a look at:
ST Lite: Epitaph - 11
That's superb —Mr. Noone at his best.
Mine is no big deal indeed, but here it comes anyway:
Conte contat, conte acabat.
That is to say: Story told, story finished.
(Catalan-speaking parents with young boys will like it a bit better, I hope).
Friday, March 03, 2006
Speaking about friendship, Ravi Mohan writes:
One Man Hacking: The Importance of Having Friends Who Disagree
...and it's difficult not to agree.
I'd just add two notes of caution... Remember being not too loud either about
1. Politics, because, in your friends' view, you're as good a person as you're so leftist or rightist as them, or about
2. The entertainment business, aka The Arts (literature, film-making, music, paintwork, etc.) because you'll be as intelligent a person as you conform to their tastes (which, not incidentally, they don't usually regard as tastes, but as statements of culture).
And never, ever, think of giving them your sincere opinion when they've asked you explicitly for it.
One Man Hacking: The Importance of Having Friends Who Disagree
...and it's difficult not to agree.
I'd just add two notes of caution... Remember being not too loud either about
1. Politics, because, in your friends' view, you're as good a person as you're so leftist or rightist as them, or about
2. The entertainment business, aka The Arts (literature, film-making, music, paintwork, etc.) because you'll be as intelligent a person as you conform to their tastes (which, not incidentally, they don't usually regard as tastes, but as statements of culture).
And never, ever, think of giving them your sincere opinion when they've asked you explicitly for it.
Tuesday, February 21, 2006
El historiador David Irving es condenado en Viena a tres años de cárcel por negar el Holocausto | elmundo.es
M'avergonyeix ser ciutadà d'un estat on també ser ignorant, imbècil o malintencionat és delicte. Mal defensam les nostres llibertats si les anorream. Si contra l'estupidesa malèvola no ens basta la ignomínia, i per contra ens cal recórrer a l'eliminació física de la seva expressió i dels seus expressors, és que hem començat a recórrer, perillosament i lamentablement, el camí de la tirania.
Que se veu que ens ataca des de fora i des de dins, i ni ens n'adonam.
Al contrari, la celebram com a progressista.
UPDATE 17:29
PS. Addendum:
Marginal Revolution: Holocaust denial and hypocrisy
Alex Tabarrok on the same topic.
M'avergonyeix ser ciutadà d'un estat on també ser ignorant, imbècil o malintencionat és delicte. Mal defensam les nostres llibertats si les anorream. Si contra l'estupidesa malèvola no ens basta la ignomínia, i per contra ens cal recórrer a l'eliminació física de la seva expressió i dels seus expressors, és que hem començat a recórrer, perillosament i lamentablement, el camí de la tirania.
Que se veu que ens ataca des de fora i des de dins, i ni ens n'adonam.
Al contrari, la celebram com a progressista.
UPDATE 17:29
PS. Addendum:
Marginal Revolution: Holocaust denial and hypocrisy
Alex Tabarrok on the same topic.
Tuesday, February 14, 2006
Explica Pere Quintana Seguí a bitsenblocs perquè s’ha d’enllaçar i s’ha d’ésser enllaçat, i me convenç:
Gràcies Pere, tens raó. Anem per feina, idò.
Marta Contreras, la catalana del món, thinks aloud about friendship here and asks what she should do about a (not so concreted) situation. She graciously let my reply in, which went as follows:
>What should I do?
So start coming, links. And you Google guys, upgrade my pagerank, now! And you my dear hasty visitors, my statcounter is telling me seventy five percent of you spend less than five seconds in this place... Five seconds? Five secs when you could do it in three and have a coffee on the remaining two? Please begin considering not so lamely wasting your time here...
La meva experiència em diu que molts blocaires no són prou conscients de la importància que tenen els enllaços en aquest món. No són poc els blocs que escriuen articles sense enllaçar a ningú i esperen amb els braços creuats que els lectors arribin.
De motivacions per escriure blocs n’hi ha moltes, d’això en podríem parlar en un altre fil, però, siguin quines siguin, en general ens interessa que el que hem escrit sigui llegit pel màxim nombre de gent possible, encara que no sigui el nostre bjectiu principal.
[...]
L’única manera d’aconseguir això és ser actiu i participar a les converses de la xarxa. Si un troba en un bloc un article interessant que mereix ser comentat, és millor escriure un comentari elaborat en el teu propi bloc, en el qual enllaçarem l’article original, que deixar un comentari ràpid al bloc. És probable que l’autor el primer article detecti el teu article mitjançant serveis com Technorati.com, o gràcies a un missatge de correu electrònic queli hauràs enviat, i que et contesti des del seu bloc, tot enllaçant el teu article. Així, no només hauràs guanyat un enllaç, amb l’augment de puntuació als cercadors i de visites que això comporta, si no que també hauràs participat en una reflexió col·lectiva que sol ser sempre més interessant que els curts i, en general, ànomis comentaris al peu dels articles.
Gràcies Pere, tens raó. Anem per feina, idò.
Marta Contreras, la catalana del món, thinks aloud about friendship here and asks what she should do about a (not so concreted) situation. She graciously let my reply in, which went as follows:
>What should I do?
Stop thinking other people mustn't disappoint you. That's not saying people should disappoint you, either :-) I mean it's a common but erroneous assumption to think friends should never let you down; and that if they do, they're not friends of yours anymore. Friends are not out there to please you or satisfy you; you shouldn't force them to act the way you think they ought to act in order to gain your favour...
Having said that :-) my take on your entry is that if you're in doubt about that particular friend of yours, the friendship is over. You know who your friends are, and friendship doesn't depend on phone calls or frequent contact...
So start coming, links. And you Google guys, upgrade my pagerank, now! And you my dear hasty visitors, my statcounter is telling me seventy five percent of you spend less than five seconds in this place... Five seconds? Five secs when you could do it in three and have a coffee on the remaining two? Please begin considering not so lamely wasting your time here...
Thursday, February 09, 2006
La Fundació Catalunya Oberta diu:
I això està ben dit i per això ho reproduesc, i perquè la sang em bull i no vull dir-ho de manera més visceral.
Siguem conscients —en aquestes coses ens jugam el ser o no ser. I siguem valents, també.
Que quan saps que te poden fer explotar per no pensar com ells, no deixa de tenir el seu mèrit.
Aquesta darrera setmana, arran de les protestes en el món musulmà per la publicació la passada tardor d’unes caricatures de Mahoma en un diari danès, ha semblat que es feia realitat la famosa teoria del xoc de civilitzacions. La reacció del món musulmà, dels seus sectors més integristes, dels seus règims més dictatorials, ha posat en relleu les resistències a acceptar les normes bàsiques que configuren les societats democràtiques occidentals. La resistència a acceptar la llibertat d’expressió, sense la qual no hi hauria societats lliures i obertes. La reacció d’aquest sectors musulmans no pot ser una sorpresa per a ningú. Han aprofitat una excusa qualsevol per defensar el que sempre han defensat: la lluita contra “els infidels”.
El que sí que sorprèn, i preocupa, és la reacció del món occidental. Des de la Unió Europea fins als Estats Units, els màxims dirigents occidentals han cridat a la “prudència” i al “respecte”. La prudència i el respecte mai no sobren, però Occident no pot autolimitar la seva llibertat perquè un determinat grup de persones se sentin ofeses. La prudència no ens pot dur a la submissió als desitjos d’un grup religiós. Les bases de les nostres societats democràtiques es van construir al llarg de segles de tensió entre l’àmbit religiós i l’àmbit civil. La preeminència de l’àmbit civil i de les seves lleis sobre l’àmbit religiós i les seves lleis és una conquesta irrenunciable. Ho és quan es parla del cristianisme però ho ha de ser també davant qualsevol altra religió. La llei, civil, ha de ser igual per a tots els ciutadans. Siguin quines siguin les seves creences. Igual per a totes les comunitats religioses.
No pot ser que ara, quan l’amenaça de la intolerància ens arriba des de l’islam, cedim el terreny llargament guanyat quan l’amenaça intolerant venia del cristianisme. Cal mantenir-se ferm siguin quines siguin les pressions. De res no valen els reiterats discursos del president del govern espanyol sobre l’Aliança de Civilitzacions si aquesta aliança s’ha de basar en la claudicació de la civilització occidental, en la renúncia a la llibertat que tants segles ha costat de guanyar. Davant els intolerants, davant aquells que volen fixar-nos unilateralment el que és lícit i el que no és lícit, no hi ha altra resposta que la defensa de la democràcia i la llibertat. No hi ha altra resposta que la tolerància zero amb la intolerància.
I això està ben dit i per això ho reproduesc, i perquè la sang em bull i no vull dir-ho de manera més visceral.
Siguem conscients —en aquestes coses ens jugam el ser o no ser. I siguem valents, també.
Que quan saps que te poden fer explotar per no pensar com ells, no deixa de tenir el seu mèrit.
Tuesday, February 07, 2006
Llegit a Libertad Digital:
Una raó més perquè no el guanyin, vet aquí...
Los jugadores de la selección española de fútbol cobrarán 540.000 euros cada uno si ganan el Mundial de Alemania.
Una raó més perquè no el guanyin, vet aquí...
Friday, January 27, 2006
AMBROSIES' LAST
A selection of fables from Ambrose Bierce, Fantastic Fables
The Faithful Cashier
THE Cashier of a bank having defaulted was asked by the Directors
what he had done with the money taken.
"I am greatly surprised by such a question," said the Cashier; "it
sounds as if you suspected me of selfishness. Gentlemen, I applied
that money to the purpose for which I took it; I paid it as an
initiation fee and one year's dues in advance to the Treasurer of
the Cashiers' Mutual Defence Association."
"What is the object of that organisation?" the Directors inquired.
"When any one of its members is under suspicion," replied the
Cashier, "the Association undertakes to clear his character by
submitting evidence that he was never a prominent member of any
church, nor foremost in Sunday-school work."
Recognising the value to the bank of a spotless reputation for its
officers, the President drew his check for the amount of the
shortage and the Cashier was restored to favour.
The Devoted Widow
A WIDOW weeping on her husband's grave was approached by an
Engaging Gentleman who, in a respectful manner, assured her that he
had long entertained for her the most tender feelings.
"Wretch!" cried the Widow. "Leave me this instant! Is this a time
to talk to me of love?"
"I assure you, madam, that I had not intended to disclose my
affection," the Engaging Gentleman humbly explained, "but the power
of your beauty has overcome my discretion."
"You should see me when I have not been crying," said the Widow.
A Forfeited Right
THE Chief of the Weather Bureau having predicted a fine day, a
Thrifty Person hastened to lay in a large stock of umbrellas, which
he exposed for sale on the sidewalk; but the weather remained
clear, and nobody would buy. Thereupon the Thrifty Person brought
an action against the Chief of the Weather Bureau for the cost of
the umbrellas.
"Your Honour," said the defendant's attorney, when the case was
called, "I move that this astonishing action be dismissed. Not
only is my client in no way responsible for the loss, but he
distinctly foreshadowed the very thing that caused it."
"That is just it, your Honour," replied the counsel for the
plaintiff; "the defendant by making a correct forecast fooled my
client in the only way that he could do so. He has lied so much
and so notoriously that he has neither the legal nor moral right to
tell the truth."
Judgment for the plaintiff.
Dame Fortune and the Traveller
A WEARY Traveller who had lain down and fallen asleep on the brink
of a deep well was discovered by Dame Fortune.
"If this fool," she said, "should have an uneasy dream and roll
into the well men would say that I did it. It is painful to me to
be unjustly accused, and I shall see that I am not."
So saying she rolled the man into the well.
The Man and the Viper
A MAN finding a frozen Viper put it into his bosom.
"The coldness of the human heart," he said, with a grin, "will keep
the creature in his present condition until I can reach home and
revive him on the coals."
But the pleasures of hope so fired his heart that the Viper thawed,
and sliding to the ground thanked the Man civilly for his
hospitality and glided away.
The Lion and the Mouse
A JUDGE was awakened by the noise of a lawyer prosecuting a Thief.
Rising in wrath he was about to sentence the Thief to life
imprisonment when the latter said:
"I beg that you will set me free, and I will some day requite your
kindness."
Pleased and flattered to be bribed, although by nothing but an
empty promise, the Judge let him go. Soon afterward he found that
it was more than an empty promise, for, having become a Thief, he
was himself set free by the other, who had become a Judge.
Friday, January 13, 2006
All this fearful event of the fast-spreading avian flu has reminded me of this short story by Patricia Highsmith. It would have graciously fit in her collection of stories about animals-turned-revengers, The Animal-Lover's Book of Beastly Murder, but for one reason or the other it wasn't included and was shamefully left unpublished for life. Fortunately, Highsmith's editors rescued it from their papers and published it after her death in Nothing That Meets The Eye. Although it's an outstanding story, you're warned to read it at your own risk.
Two Disagreeable Pigeons, by Patricia Highsmith.
One goes around doing his chores in an ordinary way in an ordinary day while some music's being played at the computer, and sometimes, just a few, precious times, one has to give up broom, brush and paint to stop, breathe and hear, because something extraordinary, unexpectedly, has managed to break the dull routine, and in so doing, find a way through your skin down to there where weakness is kept. This is one of those songs, and that's happened to me just a few minutes ago.
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Life is bigger
It’s bigger than you
And you are not me
The lengths that I will go to
The distance in your eyes
Oh no I’ve said too much
I set it up
That’s me in the corner
That’s me in the spotlight
Losing my religion
Trying to keep up with you
And I don’t know if I can do it
Oh no I’ve said too much
I haven’t said enough
I thought that I heard you laughing
I thought that I heard you sing
I think I thought I saw you try
Every whisper
Of every waking hour I’m
Choosing my confessions
Trying to keep an eye on you
Like a hurt lost and blinded fool
Oh no I’ve said too much
I set it up
Consider this
The hint of the century
Consider this
The slip that brought me
To my knees failed
What if all these fantasies
Come flailing around
Now I’ve said too much
I thought that I heard you laughing
I thought that I heard you sing
I think I thought I saw you try
But that was just a dream
That was just a dream
Powered by Castpost
Life is bigger
It’s bigger than you
And you are not me
The lengths that I will go to
The distance in your eyes
Oh no I’ve said too much
I set it up
That’s me in the corner
That’s me in the spotlight
Losing my religion
Trying to keep up with you
And I don’t know if I can do it
Oh no I’ve said too much
I haven’t said enough
I thought that I heard you laughing
I thought that I heard you sing
I think I thought I saw you try
Every whisper
Of every waking hour I’m
Choosing my confessions
Trying to keep an eye on you
Like a hurt lost and blinded fool
Oh no I’ve said too much
I set it up
Consider this
The hint of the century
Consider this
The slip that brought me
To my knees failed
What if all these fantasies
Come flailing around
Now I’ve said too much
I thought that I heard you laughing
I thought that I heard you sing
I think I thought I saw you try
But that was just a dream
That was just a dream
Nothing That Meets The Eye
Patricia Highsmith
Read on December 20, 2003
Es curiós comprovar com les narracions més antigues que són bones (The Mightiest Mornings; Where the Door Is Always Open and the Welcome Mat Is Out; In the Plaza; The Still Point of the Turning World) no es llegeixen amb tanta suavitat i facilitat com les bones més recents (Man's Best Friend; Born Failure; The Returnees; Two Disagreeable Pigeons; It's a Deal; The Trouble with Mrs Blynn, the Trouble with the World). Segurament Highsmith va anar agafant la tècnica i el seu estil propi amb el temps.
Thursday, December 08, 2005
Ambrosies for everybody!
A Matter of Method
A PHILOSOPHER seeing a Fool beating his Donkey, said:
"Abstain, my son, abstain, I implore. Those who resort to violence
shall suffer from violence."
"That," said the Fool, diligently belabouring the animal, "is what
I'm trying to teach this beast - which has kicked me."
"Doubtless," said the Philosopher to himself, as he walked away,
"the wisdom of fools is no deeper nor truer than ours, but they
really do seem to have a more impressive way of imparting it."
The Conscientious Official
WHILE a Division Superintendent of a railway was attending closely
to his business of placing obstructions on the track and tampering
with the switches he received word that the President of the road
was about to discharge him for incompetency.
"Good Heavens!" he cried; "there are more accidents on my division
than on all the rest of the line."
"The President is very particular," said the Man who brought him
the news; "he thinks the same loss of life might be effected with
less damage to the company's property."
"Does he expect me to shoot passengers through the car windows?"
exclaimed the indignant official, spiking a loose tie across the
rails. "Does he take me for an assassin?"
The Kangaroo and the Zebra
A KANGAROO hopping awkwardly along with some bulky object concealed
in her pouch met a Zebra, and desirous of keeping his attention
upon himself, said:
"Your costume looks as if you might have come out of the
penitentiary."
"Appearances are deceitful," replied the Zebra, smiling in the
consciousness of a more insupportable wit, "or I should have to
think that you had come out of the Legislature."
A Causeway
A RICH Woman having returned from abroad disembarked at the foot of
Knee-deep Street, and was about to walk to her hotel through the
mud.
"Madam," said a Policeman, "I cannot permit you to do that; you
would soil your shoes and stockings."
"Oh, that is of no importance, really," replied the Rich Woman,
with a cheerful smile.
"But, madam, it is needless; from the wharf to the hotel, as you
observe, extends an unbroken line of prostrate newspaper men who
crave the honour of having you walk upon them."
"In that case," she said, seating herself in a doorway and unlocking her satchel, "I shall have to put on my rubber boots."
Alarm and Pride
"GOOD-MORNING, my friend," said Alarm to Pride; "how are you this
morning?"
"Very tired," replied Pride, seating himself on a stone by the
wayside and mopping his steaming brow. "The politicians are
wearing me out by pointing to their dirty records with ME, when
they could as well use a stick."
Alarm sighed sympathetically, and said:
"It is pretty much the same way here. Instead of using an opera-
glass they view the acts of their opponents with ME!"
As these patient drudges were mingling their tears, they were
notified that they must go on duty again, for one of the political
parties had nominated a thief and was about to hold a gratification
meeting.
The Witch's Steed
A BROOMSTICK which had long served a witch as a steed complained of
the nature of its employment, which it thought degrading.
"Very well," said the Witch, "I will give you work in which you
will be associated with intellect - you will come in contact with brains. I shall present you to a housewife."
"What!" said the Broomstick, "do you consider the hands of a
housewife intellectual?"
"I referred," said the Witch, "to the head of her good man."
Ambrose Bierce, Fantastic Fables
A Matter of Method
A PHILOSOPHER seeing a Fool beating his Donkey, said:
"Abstain, my son, abstain, I implore. Those who resort to violence
shall suffer from violence."
"That," said the Fool, diligently belabouring the animal, "is what
I'm trying to teach this beast - which has kicked me."
"Doubtless," said the Philosopher to himself, as he walked away,
"the wisdom of fools is no deeper nor truer than ours, but they
really do seem to have a more impressive way of imparting it."
The Conscientious Official
WHILE a Division Superintendent of a railway was attending closely
to his business of placing obstructions on the track and tampering
with the switches he received word that the President of the road
was about to discharge him for incompetency.
"Good Heavens!" he cried; "there are more accidents on my division
than on all the rest of the line."
"The President is very particular," said the Man who brought him
the news; "he thinks the same loss of life might be effected with
less damage to the company's property."
"Does he expect me to shoot passengers through the car windows?"
exclaimed the indignant official, spiking a loose tie across the
rails. "Does he take me for an assassin?"
The Kangaroo and the Zebra
A KANGAROO hopping awkwardly along with some bulky object concealed
in her pouch met a Zebra, and desirous of keeping his attention
upon himself, said:
"Your costume looks as if you might have come out of the
penitentiary."
"Appearances are deceitful," replied the Zebra, smiling in the
consciousness of a more insupportable wit, "or I should have to
think that you had come out of the Legislature."
A Causeway
A RICH Woman having returned from abroad disembarked at the foot of
Knee-deep Street, and was about to walk to her hotel through the
mud.
"Madam," said a Policeman, "I cannot permit you to do that; you
would soil your shoes and stockings."
"Oh, that is of no importance, really," replied the Rich Woman,
with a cheerful smile.
"But, madam, it is needless; from the wharf to the hotel, as you
observe, extends an unbroken line of prostrate newspaper men who
crave the honour of having you walk upon them."
"In that case," she said, seating herself in a doorway and unlocking her satchel, "I shall have to put on my rubber boots."
Alarm and Pride
"GOOD-MORNING, my friend," said Alarm to Pride; "how are you this
morning?"
"Very tired," replied Pride, seating himself on a stone by the
wayside and mopping his steaming brow. "The politicians are
wearing me out by pointing to their dirty records with ME, when
they could as well use a stick."
Alarm sighed sympathetically, and said:
"It is pretty much the same way here. Instead of using an opera-
glass they view the acts of their opponents with ME!"
As these patient drudges were mingling their tears, they were
notified that they must go on duty again, for one of the political
parties had nominated a thief and was about to hold a gratification
meeting.
The Witch's Steed
A BROOMSTICK which had long served a witch as a steed complained of
the nature of its employment, which it thought degrading.
"Very well," said the Witch, "I will give you work in which you
will be associated with intellect - you will come in contact with brains. I shall present you to a housewife."
"What!" said the Broomstick, "do you consider the hands of a
housewife intellectual?"
"I referred," said the Witch, "to the head of her good man."
Ambrose Bierce, Fantastic Fables
Tuesday, December 06, 2005
The Discontented Malefactor
A JUDGE having sentenced a Malefactor to the penitentiary was proceeding to point out to him the disadvantages of crime and the profit of reformation.
"Your Honour," said the Malefactor, interrupting, "would you be kind enough to alter my punishment to ten years in the penitentiary and nothing else?"
"Why," said the Judge, surprised, "I have given you only three years!"
"Yes, I know," assented the Malefactor - "three years' imprisonment and the preaching. If you please, I should like to commute the preaching."
Ambrose Bierce, Fantastic Fables.
A JUDGE having sentenced a Malefactor to the penitentiary was proceeding to point out to him the disadvantages of crime and the profit of reformation.
"Your Honour," said the Malefactor, interrupting, "would you be kind enough to alter my punishment to ten years in the penitentiary and nothing else?"
"Why," said the Judge, surprised, "I have given you only three years!"
"Yes, I know," assented the Malefactor - "three years' imprisonment and the preaching. If you please, I should like to commute the preaching."
Ambrose Bierce, Fantastic Fables.
(Yeah... A good piece of advice for us conscientous
parents)
Tuesday, November 15, 2005
Once in a lifetime...
...these things happen :-)
I was about to leave for work when Mika said he wanted to drop by, later in the afternoon. He's fond of coming to see me at work on Fridays since the place is nice and there are some playground attractions nearby, but especially because I usually have a cheap, little new toy for him in stock for when he comes by. That day, though, I hadn't any —I felt the whole thing was going to become awkward so I tried to convince him not to come, but to no avail. At last, I agreed at his dropping by, but warned I had no toy to give him. If you're not a parent and aren't used to offspring's disdain and secular ungratefulness you won't fully appreciate the sheer elation I felt when he said it's alright dad, I won't ask you for anything, we'll just play around with the old hen-shaped rolling-stick and the balls, you and me, you with one ball, me with the other...
...these things happen :-)
I was about to leave for work when Mika said he wanted to drop by, later in the afternoon. He's fond of coming to see me at work on Fridays since the place is nice and there are some playground attractions nearby, but especially because I usually have a cheap, little new toy for him in stock for when he comes by. That day, though, I hadn't any —I felt the whole thing was going to become awkward so I tried to convince him not to come, but to no avail. At last, I agreed at his dropping by, but warned I had no toy to give him. If you're not a parent and aren't used to offspring's disdain and secular ungratefulness you won't fully appreciate the sheer elation I felt when he said it's alright dad, I won't ask you for anything, we'll just play around with the old hen-shaped rolling-stick and the balls, you and me, you with one ball, me with the other...
Friday, October 14, 2005
Hi ha dies que, no en sé el motiu, aconseguesc llevar-me les ulleres del donar les coses per descomptat; aquests dies, que en són ben pocs, m'agraden i em meravellen, i em fan caut i alhora orgullós de pertànyer a una gran civilització, la que ha fet possible això mateix: que les ulleres de la cotidianeïtat no ens deixin veure com és d'anormal que el meu fill sigui ara mateix a escola, on uns estranys se'n cuiden i l'eduquen; que surti aigua de l'aixeta i que la pugui beure; que obri la gelera i que estigui plena; que si perd la feina o em pos malalt sàpiga que no em trobaré desemparat.
Es tan extraordinari, tot això, tan històricament excepcional, que podríem i deuríem pensar, o saber, que no és l'estat natural de les coses; que la veritat no està en l'ordre, sinó en el caos; no en l'abundància, sinó en la misèria; no en la pau, sinó en la guerra. Que, com diu la lletra petita, rendibilitats passades no garanteixen rendibilitats futures, i que, per tant, més ens val no badar i perdre-ho. I en comptes d'això, de sentir-nos orgullosos, ben conscients d'allò que hem fet, i sabedors de com ho hem fet i de com ho haurem de seguir fent perquè no se'ns vagi en orris, negligim el passat, ens avergonyim del present i renunciem, cada cop més, a reconèixer i assumir la responsabilitat dels actes propis; comprometem el futur, tot lastrant-lo amb els grans errors de la peresa, l'abús, la indolència i la pusil.lanimitat.
Es tan extraordinari, tot això, tan històricament excepcional, que podríem i deuríem pensar, o saber, que no és l'estat natural de les coses; que la veritat no està en l'ordre, sinó en el caos; no en l'abundància, sinó en la misèria; no en la pau, sinó en la guerra. Que, com diu la lletra petita, rendibilitats passades no garanteixen rendibilitats futures, i que, per tant, més ens val no badar i perdre-ho. I en comptes d'això, de sentir-nos orgullosos, ben conscients d'allò que hem fet, i sabedors de com ho hem fet i de com ho haurem de seguir fent perquè no se'ns vagi en orris, negligim el passat, ens avergonyim del present i renunciem, cada cop més, a reconèixer i assumir la responsabilitat dels actes propis; comprometem el futur, tot lastrant-lo amb els grans errors de la peresa, l'abús, la indolència i la pusil.lanimitat.
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