Ungodly hours for God's creatures
I drove home from work around 3:20 am last night. I am constantly amazed at the sheer volume of people up and about at this outrageous hour. There is no time period these days where you can go out and not see someone, somewhere, doing something. And I'm not talking about Vegas or Manhatten. I'm talking about sleepy, go-to-bed-early Los Angeles (pronounced "loss ang-hell-eez").
Another observation about ungodly hours and God's creatures involves Señor Boosh, Jr. The quote for today's Bushisms is a classic that can be passed down through the generations:
"Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we."
Washington D.C.; August 5, 2004, as quoted by "Bushisms"
Um, Señor Boosh? Are you talking about the suiciders?
"That's right. They want to bomb us? I'll bomb us first! For every American they kill, I'll kill 10!"
Disclaimer: The above quote is not factual and has no basis in reality.
And some more thoughts on the poker quote from my previous post:
Some people commented that as a Zennist, there should be detachment, removal from a "game" so that the feeling of "death" or suffering would not be present. That is not precisely what I meant, although I do not say that I stated it clearly. Allow me to elabourate:
When playing poker, there are decisions that must be made with imperfect knowledge. To some, the decisions are fluff; mere puffs of smoke that disappear. If I am hungry, I eat, if I decide to cut grass with my sword, I cut grass with my sword. Any passing fancy or action is meaningless and slides by without thought. Poker decisions, while fleeting and fluff, cause you to leave the table at some point. When I am done playing poker, I get up and leave. When I sit down, I play. When you get up again, do you carry a bunch of chips with you or not?
Sitting under the lights pondering the correct poker decision is pure, raw existentialism combined with Zen no-mind. You can sit for an hour or a second. You must rely on your own decisions. There is no crying to mommy or daddy, or honey, or bro. You must stand on your own square foot of space with no crutches or support and make a decision.
Standing on that square foot of space (borrowed from Dostoyevsky) is not better or worse than death in my experience. It is death to me. When that bus or train comes rushing at me and takes me from this place, I will feel like I am standing on that square foot of space as I flinch, bracing for the impact. I hope that in the moment of death I won't panic or cry like a baby. I should like to go in a calm, graceful manner. Who am I kidding?
Another observation about ungodly hours and God's creatures involves Señor Boosh, Jr. The quote for today's Bushisms is a classic that can be passed down through the generations:
"Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we."
Washington D.C.; August 5, 2004, as quoted by "Bushisms"
Um, Señor Boosh? Are you talking about the suiciders?
"That's right. They want to bomb us? I'll bomb us first! For every American they kill, I'll kill 10!"
Disclaimer: The above quote is not factual and has no basis in reality.
And some more thoughts on the poker quote from my previous post:
Some people commented that as a Zennist, there should be detachment, removal from a "game" so that the feeling of "death" or suffering would not be present. That is not precisely what I meant, although I do not say that I stated it clearly. Allow me to elabourate:
When playing poker, there are decisions that must be made with imperfect knowledge. To some, the decisions are fluff; mere puffs of smoke that disappear. If I am hungry, I eat, if I decide to cut grass with my sword, I cut grass with my sword. Any passing fancy or action is meaningless and slides by without thought. Poker decisions, while fleeting and fluff, cause you to leave the table at some point. When I am done playing poker, I get up and leave. When I sit down, I play. When you get up again, do you carry a bunch of chips with you or not?
Sitting under the lights pondering the correct poker decision is pure, raw existentialism combined with Zen no-mind. You can sit for an hour or a second. You must rely on your own decisions. There is no crying to mommy or daddy, or honey, or bro. You must stand on your own square foot of space with no crutches or support and make a decision.
Standing on that square foot of space (borrowed from Dostoyevsky) is not better or worse than death in my experience. It is death to me. When that bus or train comes rushing at me and takes me from this place, I will feel like I am standing on that square foot of space as I flinch, bracing for the impact. I hope that in the moment of death I won't panic or cry like a baby. I should like to go in a calm, graceful manner. Who am I kidding?
posted by T. Pascal | 9:35 AM
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