from the two books i am reading.

"Most of us, I think, shy away from this kind of cultivation of acquaintances. We have our circle of friends, to whom we are devoted. Acquaintances we keep at arm's length...The purpose of making an acquaintance, for most of us, is to evaluate whether we want to turn that person into a friend; we don't feel we have the time or the energy to maintain meaningful contact with everyone. Horchow is quite different. The people he puts in his diary or on his computer are acquaintances - people he might run into only once a year or once every few years - and he doesn't shy away from the obligation that that connection requires. He has mastered what sociologists call the 'weak tie,' a friendly yet casual social connection. More than that, he's happy with the weak tie. After I met Horchow, I felt slightly frustrated. I wanted to know him better, but I wondered whether I would ever have the chance. I don't think he shared the same frustration with me. I think he's someone who sees value and pleasure in a casual meeting."

"'Like Romans!' she mocked. 'Behave like Romans! And what does a Roman ever get for being brave - and pretending it is fine - and noble - to give up everything - and make-believe it is glorious - glorious to suffer - and die - for Rome! For Rome! I hate Rome! Look what Rome has done to you - and all of us! Why can't we live in peace? The Roman Empire - Bah! What is the Roman Empire? A great swarm of slaves! I don't mean slaves like Tertia and Demetrius; I mean slaves like you and me - all our lives bowing and scraping and flattering; our legions looting and murdering - and for what? To make Rome the capital of the world, they say! But why should the whole world be ruled by a lunatic like old Tiberius and a drunken bully like Gaius? I hate Rome! I hate it all!'"

wow.

i can't say anything nice about this.

"...the Constitutional requirement in Art. III, Sec. 3 that 'No Person shall be convicted of Treason unless on the Testimony of two Witnesses to the same overt Act, or on Confession in open Court.' To deny a citizen the right to a lawyer and go to court on the ground that they’ve 'betrayed their country' and thus deserve to be imprisoned without a trial (or, worse, to be assassinated without one) is as violent a betrayal of the U.S. Constitution as one can imagine, literally."

"I’m willing to believe that there is genuine White House opposition to having the military detain and imprison U.S. citizens on U.S. soil, and that’s commendable if true (though it’s a sign of just how extremist our government is that we’re grateful for that)."

my thoughts on tea.

so hot that either:

1) it burns my mouth, which is not enjoyable. who likes that?
2) i have to wait for it to cool, thus delaying whatever enjoyment i am supposed to get from drinking it.

there's not enough flavoring for it to be delicious, but

just enough flavoring to make me think:

"there's something wrong with this water."

i see the resemblance.

important.

the worst thing.

...having a headache

not being able to get the pills out of the bottle because of the weird, giant, non-pill thing that will not get out of the way.

what is that thing? the bottle is sealed with foil and a cotton ball, do we really need the random thing in there too?

i hate that thing.

The Beauty of Self-Destruction

Rick Perry:


Herman Cain:


Mitt Romney:


Newt Gingrich?

Dear Republicans,

Are you SURE you want one of those people that the media has declared to be a frontrunner? You’re the ones who declare frontrunners…not the media. Don’t let them tell you who you like the most. Do you really want one of them?

After all the flip flop videos, and bloopers, and confusion answering questions, and scandals, and questionable behavior...there is someone left standing.

You’re really sure you don’t want him?

outdoor concert.

i forgot my camera, so...

sunlight shining through the trees.

someone selling sparkly necklaces.

a purple balloon, and a yellow balloon.

a dance crew up front.

a little boy building a house with sticks.

puppies fighting.

soccer players who stopped their game to listen to music and read. they brought a soccer ball and books to the park.

a spider who picked the wrong chair to start building a web on.

blue sky and leaves changing colors.

a lot of georgia bulldog fans who decided to tailgate at the park and take up all the parking. who told them that this was a good park for that? i want a name.

and ben sollee.

the only musician i clap for these days.