Ephemerides
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A journal of sorts to record Jonathan Sturm's (and others') thoughts and observations on things worth thinking about. Feedback welcome, but be aware that unless you prominently say you want your communication kept private, I may publish it. |
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A busy day putting up plasterboard in The House of Steel.
Thought for the day:
My most brilliant achievement was my ability to be able to persuade my wife to marry me.
Winston Churchill
No post today. My Internet server was down.
Thought for the day:
Still plastering walls in The House of Steel.
Found in my inbox:
Two couples were playing cards one evening. John accidentally dropped some cards on the floor. When he bent down under the table to pick them up, he noticed that Bill's wife's, legs were spread wide, and wasn't wearing any underwear! Shocked by this, John upon trying to sit back up again, hit his head on the table & emerged red-faced.
Later, John went to the kitchen to get some refreshments. Bill's wife followed & asked, "Did you see anything that you liked under there?"
Surprised by her boldness, John courageously admitted that, well, indeed he did. She said, "Well, you can have it but it will cost you $500."
After taking a minute or two to assess the financial situation as well as the moral costs of this offer, John indicates that he is indeed interested. She tells him that since her husband, Bill, works Friday afternoons & John doesn't, that John should be at her house around 2pm Friday afternoon.
When Friday rolled around, John showed up at Bill's house for the planned time at 2pm sharp & after paying her the agreed upon $500, they went to the bedroom & closed their sexual transaction as Sue had promised. Afterwards, John quickly dressed & left.
As usual, Bill came home from work at 6pm & upon entering the house, asks his wife abruptly, "Did John come by the house this afternoon?"
With a lump in her throat, Bill's wife answered, "Why yes, he did stop by for a few minutes this afternoon." Her heart nearly skipped a beat when her husband curtly asked, "And did he give you $500?"
In terror, she assumed that somehow he had found out, & after mustering up her best poker face, replied, "Well, yes, in fact he did give me $500".
Bill, with a satisfied look on his face, surprised his wife by saying, "Good, I was hoping he did. John came by the office this morning & borrowed $500 from me. He promised me he'd stop by our house this afternoon on his way home & pay me back." NOW THAT'S A PLAYER! ! ! !
Thought for the day:
Quotation... A writer expresses himself in words that have been used before because they give his meaning better than he can give it himself, or because they are beautiful or witty, or because he expects them to touch a cord of association in his reader, or because he wishes to show that he is learned and well read. Quotations due to the last motive are invariably ill-advised; the discerning reader detects it and is contemptuous; the undiscerning is perhaps impressed, but even then is at the same time repelled, pretentious quotations being the surest road to tedium.
Henry W Fowler
Yet another day of plastering in The House of Steel. This is not the kind of getting plastered I prefer. The dust makes it thirsty work, so beer o'clock can never come too soon.
Thought for the day:
I'd rather have a bottle in front of me, than a frontal lobotomy.
Tom Waits
Another busy day working on The House of Steel. It's very difficult to think of anything else at this time. I am obsessed by it as progress is rapid and the feeling of the interior spaces alters with each step.
Thought for the day:
Single-mindedness is all very well in cows or baboons; in an animal claiming to belong to the same species as Shakespeare it is simply disgraceful.
Aldous Huxley
Last night we went to a musical fund raiser at the Franklin Palais for the independent candidates in a recent Municipal Council election. For "independent" you can read "green". The notorious Bob Brown was in attendance and we had a pleasant chat about friends we have in common, owner-building, organic farming and bushwalking. We had not seen each other for two or three years. While I disagree with much of Bob's politics, I like him a lot. When I first moved to Franklin nearly twenty years ago, someone at the pub said to me: "Bob Brown's a poofter!" I replied: "Do you know that, or did your best friend tell you?"
The music was to the usual high standard and as usual I drank a little too much beer.
Thought for the day:
When great changes occur in history, when great principles are involved, as a rule the majority are wrong.
Eugene V Debs
Today I put another 50 kg of gypsum into the dam in the hope of clearing the water. The 100 kg I put in a fortnight ago should have been enough to do the job, but it wasn't. The (US) recommendation I found on the Internet was for 150 - 300 lbs per surface acre and the surface area of my dam is somewhat less than an acre.
I also drove in the star posts for a fence around the dam to keep the livestock out. There seems little point to clearing the water only to have the cattle reverse the process. For the first time I used a proper post driver made from a length of steel pipe closed at the top with a piece of plate and iron rod bars for side handles. It makes driving posts almost a pleasure compared to using a maul. Much quicker and easier to keep the post vertical.
We watched Jack Lemmon in Tuesdays With Morrie on the television. A very moving performance. Watching a close friend die, slowly losing most of his senses is heartrending.
Thought for the day:
When I die I want to decompose in a barrel of porter and have it served in all the pubs in Dublin.
J P Donleavy
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© Jonathan Sturm 2001