Curiosity Over Pride (FYI: To comment, send an e-mail to scifidink@gmail.com)

Monday, November 9, 2009

Thought of the day

Being angry at a central bank is like being angry at your spinal cord while you cliff dive.

"How dare you be so presumptuous as to allow me freedom of motion" laments the diver as (s)he hurtles towards the rocks below.

23 comments:

Thai said...

Of course, I could be wrong. As it could be part of a larger pattern. ;-)

Debra said...

Sigh...
Thai, I didn't have enough stomach to turn the sound up on your link, as it would have covered my recording of Montserrat Figueroes (Hesperion and Jordi Savall) singing Arabo-Andalouse Sepharadic music...

Debra said...

My comment on the situation (by procuration) figures on SuddenDebt.

Street Dog said...

Patterns within patterns...plots within plots...Street Dog enjoys being angry at his spinal cord, he particularly enjoys base jumping (don't tell my health insurance agent).

Street Dog said...

For Deb the missionary,

"Arabo-Andalouse Sepharadic music..."

Street Dog met many interesting folks during his recent sabbatical. On the Solomon Islands, in the south Pacific, he heard beautiful a cappella choral music by the Melanesian Brotherhood (Street Dog dodges feminist claws) and the Choir of All Saints. Much of it was in Pijin/Kanaka, a local lingua franca. Street Dog later discovered that some of this music was featured in the haunting film "A Thin Red Line". Anyway, Street Dog thinks Debra might appreciate the chants. Hit the HQ button for slightly better sound. The lyrics for one of the chants are in the info box, click "more info".

Melanesian Choirs

Thai said...

"Street Dog('s)... recent sabbatical."

I am impressed as I know what this means ;-)

Perhaps the thing I like most about Hell's blog over all other issues (I do like Hell though I give him a hard time) is his readership.

FYI Deb and Dink, in the social hierarchy of medicine, Street Dog is low level royalty (if this was not clear to you).

Anyway, just an FYI. Move on

Thai said...

Deb, shades of past conversations.

Enjoy

Dink said...

"Thai, I didn't have enough stomach to turn the sound up on your link"

Its a satire, Deb, and I bet it will earn Jon Stewart another Emmy. Did you check out the whiteboard? "Purity of Essence" indeed :)

"Street Dog dodges feminist claws"

SD likes to play with fire. So we have SD/canine, Deb/feline, and Dink/squirrel (from back in the day). Thai needs a mascot too.

Street Dog said...

Dink,

Hmmm...Street Dog consults the Chinese Zodiac. Street Dog can't decide between Monkey and Rabbit for Thai. Dink, you are the original Rat.

Street Dog said...

Street Rats,

Street Dog recommends Base Jumping if boredom envelops your life. If necessary, Thai will patch you up or at least notify your next of kin.

Street Dog said...

Dink,

(earlier post) "What rabbit hole will SD stumble into?"

Street Dog learns from other people's mistakes. Street Dog still remembers watching Debra and Thai(Rabbit) making fools of themselves. Street Dog went his own way.

Dink said...

"Street Dog recommends Base Jumping if boredom envelops your life. If necessary, Thai will patch you up or at least notify your next of kin."

Ah, so SD will not stumble into a rabbit hole as such. He will rocket into it until he tastes magma.

I once heard a tale about a parachutist who illegally jumped off Seattle's tallest building, but didn't take the wind into consideration so the entire way down he was smashed against it creating a pattern of broken windows (a lazy google search didn't come up with anything so it may have been an urban legend).

"the original Rat"

I'll have to work through my western bias against rodents because it kind of works. Of course, it puts me at most mortal risk from feline Deb, but that kind of fits as well. And I second the motion to make Thai a rabbit.

I went down a few Chinese Zodiac rabbit holes (to make sure about this whole rat thing) and found out that you also have an animal based on birth date and birth hour. Then there is this whole metal, wood, water, fire, and earth designation. It was getting complicated. What if your birth was induced or c-section instead of "natural"? What about time zones and daylight savings? Could China mandate "black out" dates to avoid dangerous wood dragons with internal metal oxen tendencies? But luckily I then remembered that I'm an atheist and that I could go on about my day ;)

Street Dog said...

Dink,

The perils of a Microbiology Degree

For Thai,

Splatter Abstract

Debra said...

Well, lots of food for thought today, and not behind the mirror.
Thanks for the article on the pigs, Thai. Yes, the real mystery is why people are not impressed with pigs' intelligence. Maybe because they're... NOT as intelligent as the pigs ?
Street Dog is not reading me very carefully if he (still) thinks that I am a "feminist" (but then, who is reading anybody carefully these days ?...).
I'm intrigued... when did Thai and I make fools of one another, or each other ? Not that I mind... I've always felt that it was preferable to be naïve, or a dupe, than to not believe in anything.
I'm the one who prefers going down with the ship to... being on the "winner"'s side...
I am impressed with the... sabbatical. But... although I harp on about royalty, and the monarchy I am definitely... a democrat at heart.
Thanks for the link to the Melanesian choirs. I am going to have to go back for the lyrics because... I did not read you well the first time...
And... Street Dog, you omitted to mention what animal you thought I was. Was that... TACT ?
On the lines of strange things with tall buildings, Debra recommends Philippe Petit's book, "To Reach the Clouds", about his tightrope walk between the twin towers (before they came crashing down, of course). The book was made into a movie. Philippe actually spent two hours at least on the tightrope, and laid down and went to sleep at one point. He did NOT come crashing down.... Philippe is a little.. bonkers, but very interesting in my book. I bet you guys never heard of him, right ?

Debra said...

And...
Guess what today is ?
November 11. Armistice Day for WWI or 2, I've lost track... 1, I think.
France is a delightfully Latin country. We have all of the republic's holidays, all of the church's holidays, it's great, when do we work ?
And some of us have almost two months in summer.
Eat your heart out, you guys...

Street Dog said...

Debra*,

"Maybe because they're... NOT as intelligent as the pigs ?"

Yea, but can you teach a pig new tricks? Oh, maybe you can.

"Street Dog is not reading me very carefully if he (still) thinks that I am a "feminist" "

"... I did not read you well the first time..."

Street Dog's highly sensitive nose sniffs the pungent smell of irony.

"I'm intrigued... when did Thai and I make fools of one another, or each other ?"

Street Dog considers putting up disclaimers indicating his attempts at humor...nah, Street Dog enjoys being mysterious.

"And... Street Dog, you omitted to mention what animal you thought I was. Was that... TACT ?"

Street Dog, choking on irony, realizes that he didn't treat the noble Lady Debra "equally" as feminism dictates we tactfully should.

"Debra recommends Philippe Petit's book...I bet you guys never heard of him, right ?"

Street Dog lived in NYC at one time and vividly remembers verbally heckling Philippe as he walked on his high wire.

*DISCLAIMER: Unless you have a strong desire to do so, please do not take these comments seriously.**

** If the above comments are taken seriously, Street Dog chooses indifference over empathy***

*** If you took the above comment (**) seriously, Street Dog has abandoned all hope.

**** If you are not sure of what any of this means, please refer to the DISCLAIMER (*) above.

Thai said...

Deb, I go out of my way to make an outrageous fool of myself!


FWIW, I think SD like to make a small fool of himself as well. But I think this is also why we chose our respective careers- some of us just love to get into the mud more than others. ;-)



re: My Chinese Zodiac symbol

Horse

I like rat for Dink too. Deb is definitely a tiger and as for SD... I think Dog works.

And SD, I think some feminist view of Deb is appropriate (depending on your view of the meaning of the word), but I would not apply any traditional stereotype. As but one example, if you were unaware, she is a big fan of the hegab (within certain frameworks of course).

Re: base jumping

You really do this! Way way cool.

... And It is good to know there will always be job security. I was getting a little worried.


re: vacation time

It really sounds great right now.

re: disclaimers

LOL!!!!!!!!

Dink said...

""What he was talking about was BASE (Building, Antenna, Structure, Earth) jumping. That is the lunatic fringe element of skydiving that gets their kicks from near-earth freefalling. I hate it," said Woodward."

Thanks for the verification, SD! Sorry that it called you a lunatic and whatnot. You have to wonder about the conversation he had with the hospital he was going to start his residency at..."I'm going to be a couple weeks late since I illegally jumped off a skyscraper and got pretty banged up. I think I'd like to specialize in Pediatrics. How many bone saws do you have?".

"Armistice Day for WWI or 2, I've lost track... 1, I think."

WW1 (ended the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th year). We call it Veteran's Day here.

"re: My Chinese Zodiac symbol

Horse"

It doesn't have to be your "real" sign ( I'm technically year of the dog). Unless you really want to be Street Horse.

Thai said...

Oh, I didn't know I get to chose.

That is entirely different!

Rabbit it is then

Dink said...

"WW1 (ended the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th year). We call it Veteran's Day here."

ARGHH!!! Of course I meant 11th day of the 11th month of the 11th year. Sigh.

"Oh, I didn't know I get to chose.

That is entirely different!

Rabbit it is then"


Cool! And don't let any rabbit stereotypes irk you; herbivores can be ferocious!

Debra said...

Lady Debra looks with drooling envy on the outrageous humor of the previous comments, and sighs, wishing that she could be that clever.
And... I will swallow almost anything and everything...

Thai said...

Tiger(ess) ;-)

Debra said...

On the subject of the pig video...
Snort.
I am just waiting for the day when I can watch a... PIG telling a human "sit" "beg" and "roll over".
I'm sure that if we were trained correctly we could do it.
Oops, I forgot. Some of us have already been trained correctly...
When I see my family enter the kitchen in the evening with the inevitable question "what's for dinner tonight", and when my son lifts all the lids off the pots I say to myself... "yep, that pig treat is really in the back of EVERYBODY's minds."
And... Debra is going to indulge in a little... female chauvinism by remarking that she figured out a while ago that the shorter's route to a man's heart passed through his... STOMACH.

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