Thank you so much for your responses to the previous post! It may take me a while to throw together the post I have planned and for which I needed your input. In appreciation of your comments, I give you a video which moved me to tears, because neither Kermit nor Jim Henson were part of it, although both were a huge part of it. After the jump: [Read more…]
From 1797, A Burlesque Translation of Homer. Two volumes, 360 and 432 pages respectively, of bawdy humor. No more dactylic hexameter, this one is in the far friendlier iambic tetrameter. It’s like I have a twin. [Read more…]
Some of you may remember the discovery of the Cuttlefishism religion; I am happy to report that the founders have noticed our attempts at exploring their delightful playground. In a comment here, the original admin says:
I’m the original admin for the site. If there’s enough interest I’ll go in and redo the site to make it more modern. It’ll be in free time, so it may take a while though.
A kind and generous offer, and probably a bit of work, so I am asking here whether there is enough interest. I’d hate for someone to put in some effort, even on free time, if no one is interested. So, let me (or rather, them) know in the comments here.
As for me, I think it’s pretty cool, but that’s all I have to say right now. I have a stack of papers in front of me that should already be done, but for a surprise conference last Friday (which I found out about on Thursday, but which was worth every moment). So it’s radio silence for me for a bit. The comments are yours.
My new not-to-be-missed stop, thrice weekly:
(click to embiggen)
Once again, art mirrors life.
There are many reasons I am not there today, but I hope all who *are* there have a great time.
Same goes for next week’s Rock Beyond Belief. And more and more events all the time!
Anyway, I posted this recently enough, so I’ll just point at it today, as what I would have contributed had I been given about 2 minutes to speak.
Comment, on a Yahoo News story on a FoxNews debate about the presence or removal of Tacky Jesus on Big Mountain:
If the statue is removed, then technically there will be an invisible statue to atheism standing in its place. Why should atheism get special treatment?
Salvador Dali created a scene
With “Invisible Bust of Voltaire”
The viewer can see it as plain as the day
But the truth is, no sculpture is there
Invisible statues may come and may go
But of course, we can never quite see ‘em
They seem to be lacking in matter and mass
So they can’t clutter up a museum.
An artist may sculpt an invisible piece
As a tribute to negative space
With a negative body, and negative limbs
And a negative head and a face
And having so done, could display it, of course,
Though I really don’t know why you’d do it—
The time and the effort, the planning and thought,
And the public just walks the hell through it!
Invisible statues hold meaning for some
While others just wish they would go—
Which brings up a question I’m dying to ask:
If it disappeared, how would you know?
I also want to ask her–if I remove the invisible statue to atheism, what remains in its place?
I guess the good news is that the vast majority of the universe, technically, is an invisible statue to atheism. Makes me feel a little better about all those red dots.
When it comes to rhyming verse, I’ve seen better; I’ve seen worse
But at least I know the form to write it true
There’s a problem, though, with these, cos I don’t speak Japanese
So I’ve learned I must decline to do Haiku
With a sonnet in pentameter, I know the right parameter,
In ballad form, I’ve written one or two
If I have a tale to tell, I can write a villanelle
But I’ve learned I must decline to do Haiku
I compose my double dactyls with internal rhymes, like fractals
And my limericks? Renowned the whole world through
Should you want an ABC, you could leave it up to me,
But I’ve learned I must decline to do Haiku
Oh, there’s one that stands alone, I invented on my own
Cos it seemed the sort of thing that I should do
I could sharpen up my quill, and could write you what you will
But I’ve learned I must decline to do Haiku.
Haikus are only haikus
When in Japanese.
English? Counting syllables.
More, after the jump: [Read more…]
Regarding de Botton’s proposed atheist monument, commenter Crudely Wrott writes:
Build a cathedral? Build a cathedral?!
Shit, de Bottom, we are born inside the grandest one of all!
Look about you.
We don’ need no stinkin’ interpretive scale models!
Or, in Cuttlespeak…
We could pillage, pilfer, plunder
All religion knows of wonder
We can take the best from all their holy books
We can ask the three-in-one set
What they’ve got to match a sunset
Which is there to see for anyone who looks
When reality is greater
Than some fictional creator
There’s no reason we should steal the lesser stuff—
We should simply look around us
What we witness will astound us—
Cos the world itself is beautiful enough.
Once upon a time, there was
An evil little thing,
Who faced the slings and arrows that
She knew her acts would bring.
The folks in her community
Are treating her like dirt—
You want to stand with Jessica?
It’s time to buy a shirt.
An “Evil Little Thing” shirt, that is–proceeds go to Jessica Ahlquist’s college scholarship fund (set up by The Friendly Atheist). Click the link, take a look–if you wish, you can order a customized version, with your choice of font and/or your message on the back.
Der Aufstand der Tannenbäume
cuttlecap tip to commenter “inPhobos” at SailorTwain.