Loosely Speaking

By Ciel - About Me - E-mail this page - Add to My Favorites - Add to Blog List - See other blogs in Everything Else

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

The thing about chickens,,,

is that poultry has not forgotten when they were dinosaurs. In fact, they don't acknowledge that they are not today, strictly speaking, dinosaurs. I have not kept chickens, but I have kept turkeys, and have encountered geese and swans and can nod vigorously in agreement with the dino-theory. Birds are fierce, and hard-wired not to back down. Wise and wary cats give such creatures a wide berth. So do I, while they are wearing feathers and gazing out of angry little eyes. Sign in to see full entry.

Saturday, September 19, 2009

Playing It False

It's such a short, snapped out accusing word: lie! Nothing sets match to social or political tinder more dramatically than "You lie!" as we have seen in recent days. What if the guy had blustered out, "You utter falsehood!" What kind of reaction would that have provoked? Or, " What you say is completely untrue!" Which is going to get the audience on board, which is going to generate outright laughter and immediate mockery? Which is not even going to be heard? People lie... they fib... they... Sign in to see full entry.

Friday, September 4, 2009

Teaching kids about truth and lies

Between child and parent truth is extra-ordinarily important. Every lie is a wall that comes between them and becomes harder and harder to get around or take down. Every kid discovers that life is full of greys: rules and exceptions. Growing up takes us from the simple world of strict polarities--yes/no and right/wrong and all that stuff--into the more real world of complex relationships, of mitigating circumstances, and creative expressiveness. Even some really young kids can handle the idea... Sign in to see full entry.

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Kids Lie

I just heard a promo for an upcoming NPR program about what makes kids lie, and how punishment 'makes kids lie better and more often.' It's part of a program called What Parents Get Wrong. In my growing-up family, lying was the only spanking offense. I got spanked a few times, and once when I had not lied, but the truth was not what my parents were prepared to believe. In fact, it went as far as the raised hand, but my adamant indignation and insistance on my truth finally convinced my dad I... Sign in to see full entry.

Monday, August 24, 2009

Legalize pot? Maybe not...

Yesterday was that sort of diffuse but bright sunlight that makes it hard to keep the eyes open. That, and when we took Davy for a jaunt by the lake downtown, we found the Hemp Fest going on. At first I thought it was maybe Bon-a-dori, but pretty fast it was clearly Stone-a-dori. All I can say is--the people we saw there, blithely immersed in the hemp culture were damn poor PR for legalizing any form of hemp. The vibe was kind of like coming across a field of diseased wildflowers all emitting a... Sign in to see full entry.

Friday, August 21, 2009

Why get married?

I saw a clunky old car, a little Volvo station wagon, cruising down the highway yesterday. On the back window, the words JUST MARRIED! It got me thinking, why do people get married nowadays? Living together doesn't have the stigma it used to, people do it--as they have done for ages, regardless of formal law, in 'common-law'--all the time. So why, one day, do they decide to take the step to actual, formal, official marriage? Of course there are the legal benefits which are considerable, and the... Sign in to see full entry.

Saturday, August 8, 2009

I've heard that...

...in Japan there is silence, even side-by-side with conversations of others. The ear does not hear, the thought does not note what's said or done, what stimulates laughter or fires anger or causes expressions of wonder. Perhaps in Japan it's thus even in Starbucks which I do not doubt are there. It's not so here however and the details of your illness, your business, your gossip, complaints, your confidences are all mine over my silent cup of tea. Do you think I do not hear? I do not note? Four... Sign in to see full entry.

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

They take a lot for granted...

the People of the System, the doctors, nurses, et al... With their happy assumption of their own sublime autoritas, they also assume that we are all on board their ship, just waiting to be directed. So they direct. They don't ask, they don't consider, they whisk you along at their pace, regardless of what your own pace is. They speak to you in language they know you will have to learn. They expect perfect compliance; they assume unobstructed willingness. They presume you see all things as they... Sign in to see full entry.

Saturday, July 4, 2009

I find the high pitched whining of mosquitoes most unpleasant.

Neither am I much liking that of these sonic skeeter-discouragers. I haven't decided if it's working yet, but I wonder if skeeters care, seeing as they are making such a similar sound themselves. What if they like it? Well, I could put it across the room, if they do. Sign in to see full entry.

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Music again!

Last week, Charlie and I took Amtrak up to Seattle--that was a first for him, and first in a long while for me--to attend another symphony concert. The first piece was a surprise. Not a good one. It was something very new, commissioned by the Seattle Symphony--so I guess they had to play it. The fact is, my musical ear simply lacks the sophistication to appreciate Aaron Jay Kernis' Symphony of Meditations: interminable and tedious to my ignorant ear, this choral work work is translated from... Sign in to see full entry.

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