Here’s a poem.  I like it.  It’s by a guy named Max Ehrman.

Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others,
even to the dull and ignorant; they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter,
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love;
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be.
And whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life,
keep peace with your soul. With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

“There are all kinds of dream interpretations, but I have always believed they serve a simple eliminatory function, and not much more–that dreams are the psyche’s way of taking a good dump now and then.  And that people who don’t dream—or don’t dream in a way they can often remember when they wake up–are mentally constipated in some way.”

–Glen Bateman, “The Stand”  (finally got back into the book, and am savoring each delicious page)

• Does anyone have experience with an upconverting DVD player? If I am not yet ready for blu-ray wld a $25 up-convert DVD plyr be comparable? #
• @jclark88 Yeah, this is being blown way out of proportion. in reply to jclark88 #
• On average, 36,000 people in the U.S. die every year of flu complications. The Swine flu has 1 confirmed U.S. death so far. So… #
• Got 20 minutes? Listen to Brian Greene on String Theory: http://trunc.it/2gps #
• @Psx120 I don’t know, I don’t do research, I just react to headlines and hope I’m right. in reply to Psx120 #
• WTF of the day: One night, you wake up to find that liquid is dripping from the ceiling onto your face. http://trunc.it/2dym #
• Chrysler filing for bankruptcy… wait, the bailout didn’t work? WOAH WHO SAW THAT COMING? #
• @jlrabbit Don’t apologize, it gives you a “don’t mess with me” vibe. in reply to jlrabbit #
• My knee clicks when I walk now. Swelling is down, still no pain. #
• There are two kinds of people in this world at any given moment… those who need to poop, and those who do not. #

For the past few weeks I’ve stuck with the “if you have nothing nice to say, don’t say anything at all” line and avoided talking much about Lost.  Don’t get me wrong–it hasn’t been horrible or even bad, and I will watch it until the end no matter what, it’s just been kind of a disappointment for me.  I’ve said before it’s because I have high standards for it and once the standards are set it’s extremely difficult to lower them.

Here are a few things about Wednesday’s episode, “The Variable,” that are kind of indicative of the problems I’ve been having with the show all together this season.  Obviously, you should consider this a spoiler warning, too. Read the rest of this entry »