tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56690379874327403552024-03-13T03:22:25.914-07:00Certain ConditionsCertain Conditions Arise.On One Conditionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07657642869398856403noreply@blogger.comBlogger33125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5669037987432740355.post-34920783851671854622017-02-03T16:59:00.000-07:002017-10-27T11:37:54.131-07:00The Bowling Green Massacre<h3 style="text-align: center;">
Sung to the tune of <i>The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald</i></h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ytm6Jp0DFy4/WJUYfRzcP0I/AAAAAAAAFhQ/Lez1IXTeZlYVwKz6hSe4dPaLVGyucPL9QCLcB/s1600/Conway.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ytm6Jp0DFy4/WJUYfRzcP0I/AAAAAAAAFhQ/Lez1IXTeZlYVwKz6hSe4dPaLVGyucPL9QCLcB/s320/Conway.jpg" width="232" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We all will remember the place that we were when we heard of
the carnage forgotten,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Said media lied, but Kellyanne provided the name of the place
folks weren't shot in.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A massacre nobody knew of took place and the media didn’t
explore it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
She mentioned the name, but Chris Matthews took pains to move
on and completely ignore it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
She won't live it down, in Kentucky they frown when you
mention the time Missus Conway<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
not knowing a thing ‘bout the history she brings in to
justify acting the wrong way,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I said massacre, I meant terrorists.” Does she
know the difference? Just ask her.<o:p></o:p></div>
You can’t ask the dead, because you’ve been misled ‘bout the
fictional Bowling Green Massacre!<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
On One Conditionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07657642869398856403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5669037987432740355.post-33150907160418663962017-01-23T22:19:00.000-07:002017-01-24T22:19:51.163-07:00Subconscious Activism<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Last night, I woke from a nightmare. There were fires in the trees right next to a what my subconscious mind had created - a combination of my son's high school and the local state university. I somehow sensed that arson was to blame, but there wasn't time to dwell on the cause. I knew that the fire threatened the buildings and the people inside.</div>
<br />
I ran in, but all the fire extinguishers were spent, missing, or broken. I pulled the fire alarm switch, but it came off in my hand without any effect. Panic-stricken, I searched for a solution. I discovered a tool shop, and found an old pump-type extinguisher. I quickly popped the lid and filled the large tank with water. Acutely aware of the precious time ticking away, I grabbed a rusty hand cart and lugged the huge heavy canister outside.<br />
<br />
The flames were climbing higher into the branches and licking the sides of the buildings. I pumped the handle and sprayed from the nozzle at the conflagration until the stream dwindled, then pumped again. The heat was like nothing I've ever felt. I had to be close or the water wouldn't reach. It felt as if I would melt. The flames seemed indifferent to my efforts.<br />
<br />
I pumped and sprayed, pumped and sprayed, My muscles began to cramp, but I couldn't stop. I was so relieved when people joined in, taking turns pumping and spraying. The progress was painfully slow, but we began to make some headway. Our combined efforts were diminishing what was once a seemingly unstoppable conflagration. We turned that destructive force back. Even though the trees were damaged, a botany professor in the group thought they could be saved.<br />
<br />
<br />
When I told my wife a little bit about my dream, she said with a hint of sarcasm, “Really, so you had <i>that </i> dream? I wonder where that came from?” She's brilliant, and she saw it for what it was. I was too close to see the allegory of my subconscious mind.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NqLgpciSyPs/WIgwpsWp3lI/AAAAAAAAFgk/fWFamDAP93gahDDBh6HP7-hcSPTj5DxkgCLcB/s1600/2017-01-24%2B21.50.57.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NqLgpciSyPs/WIgwpsWp3lI/AAAAAAAAFgk/fWFamDAP93gahDDBh6HP7-hcSPTj5DxkgCLcB/s320/2017-01-24%2B21.50.57.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<h2 style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">My daughter gave away the other seven hats she made the week before the march.</span></span></i></h2>
<br />
On Saturday, my wife, my daughter, and many of our friends participated in our city's <a href="https://www.womensmarch.com/">women's march</a>. I was excited and grateful to participate. The feeling was electric. The <a href="https://www.womensmarch.com/mission/">message</a> was life-affirming. So many people were demonstrating how much they cared about each other, and the world we share. There was anger, too.<br />
<br />
People have devoted their lives to advance causes of equality and the environment. Turning back the clock on the progress they have fought for is a goal of those in power. Our institutions are being threatened. Cabinet picks are so averse to the functions of their posts that the great John Cleese compared the nominations to “Assembling the crew for a pirate ship.” Science and facts are disregarded in favor of inflammatory campaign rhetoric even in a “presidential” inaugural speech. The arson has reached the branches of the trees begins to threaten the core structures of our system.<br />
<br />
People reacted. They came together in the largest nationwide protest in the history of our country, but it transcended borders and oceans. This is a <a href="https://www.womensmarch.com/global/">global phenomenon</a>. It is inspiring to be just one small part of something so important and historic. The key, is the power of one. The numbers are impressive in size, but would not exist without each and every individual who participated, and it is a demonstration of the sheer number of individuals who will be acting as one.<br />
<br />
We'll be watching, demanding accountability, and contributing to those individuals and <a href="http://time.com/money/4566160/trump-election-charities-donate/">groups</a> fighting along with us to turn back the destructive inferno roaring before us.<br />
<br />
We have the old reliable tools that still get the job done like rusty carts, antique fire extinguishers, editorial pages, local organizing efforts, and postcards and letters to <a href="http://act.commoncause.org/site/PageServer?pagename=sunlight_advocacy_list_page">representatives</a>. There are comparatively new tools as well such as email campaigns, social media, and even the seemingly ancient form known as the <a href="http://www.certain-conditions.com/">blog pos</a>t. With a concerted and <a href="https://www.womensmarch.com/">consistent use of these tool</a>s a committed group can win the day and prevent disaster. Trees, buildings, and lives can be saved. We can protect a community, a culture, and a nation that values knowledge, diversity, and equity.<br />
<br />
My subconscious didn't create a perfect analogy, but this is an incredibly imperfect time. There is always room to strive for a more perfect union. It feels like there's more room now than there has been in a very long time.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<br /></blockquote>
On One Conditionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07657642869398856403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5669037987432740355.post-78600436742366023602017-01-12T16:43:00.000-07:002017-01-24T09:21:40.311-07:00Unintended InstrumentalSometimes, you can just be going along, doing something you've done hundreds of times before, and suddenly you are not around anymore. It can happen. It happens many times every day. It could even happen when you are reading something on the internet, for example. Granted, it's more likely to occur, if that thing that you've done so many times before is sitting alone in a motel room shooting heroin, but it can happen any time.<br />
<br />
Suppose that you have lived the equivalent of many peoples' lifetimes in a relatively short time. You have accomplished much and overcome even more, yet you feel that you are only just reaching your potential.<br />
<br />
One day, you complete a day of work in the recording studio. You sing an a cappella song called Mercedes Benz. It is the ninth in a set of excellent tracks you've already completed. You have finally found the right group of musicians, a producer you like and respect, and one who reciprocates those feelings. Everything is falling into place. Soon, maybe tomorrow, you plan to revisit the studio to lay down the vocals for a tenth song called, "Buried Alive In The Blues." You really like the instrumental track that's already been recorded.<br />
<br />
"Buried Alive In The Blues" will become a part of your most successful release ever. A set of songs that is destined to echo in the world of music far into the future. It may be timeless. Many will consider it your finest work; although, who knows what the future may bring? You are in the middle of something great, something that you will never see come to full fruition, although your absence will not impede its ascension.<br />
<br />
There are two big lessons to take from this. They are both nearly impossible yet vital missions.<br />
<br />
1) Don't be like Janis Joplin.<br />
<br />
2) Be like Janis Joplin.<br />
<br />
<br />On One Conditionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07657642869398856403noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5669037987432740355.post-21458052245480663962015-06-26T10:34:00.000-07:002015-06-26T10:34:06.980-07:00This Just In...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rKairtKFPOc/VY2MpJVFyrI/AAAAAAAAAQE/q9xF3NSzizw/s1600/SCOTUS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rKairtKFPOc/VY2MpJVFyrI/AAAAAAAAAQE/q9xF3NSzizw/s320/SCOTUS.jpg" width="131" /></a></div>
<br />On One Conditionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07657642869398856403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5669037987432740355.post-82435152984927673552014-07-08T13:39:00.000-07:002014-07-08T13:42:19.502-07:00Flame Skimmer Dragonfly<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wgiiVe38F0Q/U7xVVHYDA_I/AAAAAAAAAPQ/4zdJdabgAjg/s1600/Flame+Skimmer+Dragonfly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wgiiVe38F0Q/U7xVVHYDA_I/AAAAAAAAAPQ/4zdJdabgAjg/s1600/Flame+Skimmer+Dragonfly.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I love how the change in contrast in the background reveals differing detail in the wings.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
This was taken two years ago with my last phone.<br />
Click picture to zoom.</div>
On One Conditionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07657642869398856403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5669037987432740355.post-7625581478576416742014-01-20T14:21:00.000-07:002014-01-21T10:55:11.803-07:00Sun-Dappled Texas Ebony With Praying Mantis Egg Sacs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3P0ddbVrmVs/Ut60cZpSSSI/AAAAAAAAAO0/1vO04_rV1X0/s1600/20140120_133915.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3P0ddbVrmVs/Ut60cZpSSSI/AAAAAAAAAO0/1vO04_rV1X0/s1600/20140120_133915.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
On One Conditionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07657642869398856403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5669037987432740355.post-90533456580020020432013-09-12T15:05:00.000-07:002013-10-29T13:14:10.644-07:00The Artist, The Junior Farmer, and The Eagle<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 754px;">
<colgroup><col style="mso-width-alt: 27574; mso-width-source: userset; width: 566pt;" width="754"></col>
<tbody>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td class="xl65" height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt; width: 566pt;" width="754"><strong><span style="font-family: Calibri;">An Idea
is an egg.</span></strong></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">There are many kinds of eggs.</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">They come in many colors.</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">They come in many sizes.</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Some eggs are very small.</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Some eggs are really big.</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Sometimes, very small eggs can have
really a big impact.</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Sometimes, really big eggs can have a
very small impact.</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Big or small, eggs are great things.</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The word great has more than one meaning.</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Eggs are great, but not all eggs are
great.</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Some eggs are made great.</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><a name='more'></a></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Eggs must be <span class="font5"><em>nurtured</em></span><span class="font0"> in order to survive.</span></span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">They must be kept from getting too cold.</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Some eggs become lost or forgotten.</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">These eggs can become stale or rotten.</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Sometimes they just shrivel up and
disappear as though they never existed.</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It may be sad to think of how many time
this happens, but it's a part of life.</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This particular egg is truly great in
every sense of the word.</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The <span class="font5"><em>circumstances </em></span><span class="font0">of its </span><span class="font5"><em>incubation</em></span><span class="font0"> may be questionable.</span></span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It may bear a resemblance to eggs that
came before, but it is unique and wonderful.</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It may seem fragile, but this is a
powerful egg.</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Like a plan, this egg was hatched.</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td class="xl65" height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><strong><span style="font-family: Calibri;">A nestling is a plan.</span></strong></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This is a great nestling.</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It came from a great egg.</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This doesn't mean that its destiny was
manifest from some higher power.</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It simply shows that the answer to the
age-old question of which came first is "the egg."</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">No matter how great an egg is, keeping a
nestling alive is hard work.</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Some of the same rules apply.</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Cold or inaction can kill a nestling.</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Things are a bit sticky in the beginning
of the life of a nestling.</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It may seem fuzzy, or like there's too
much fluff.</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">With care, the nestling will grow and
mature.</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">A certain amount of <span class="font5"><em>brooding</em></span><span class="font0"> must take place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The largest concentration of effort goes
toward keeping the nestling sustained.</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It's always helpful to set a schedule so
as to make regular progress with the nestling.</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The nestling may have its own schedule,
so flexibility is important.</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This part of the process can seem like
the longest, but soon the nestling will yield a fledgling.</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td class="xl65" height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><strong><span style="font-family: Calibri;">A fledgling is creation.</span></strong></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This fledgling seems different from those
of other eggs.</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It seems to have its own personality.</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It even has it's own idea of the way
things should be done.</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This occurrence may come as a surprise,
but it should be encouraged.</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Like the fluff, parts may be shed or even
enhanced later if necessary in order to display the true color of the
fledgling.</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Many seemingly robust fledglings fail to
survive.</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Some fledglings, hatched from bad eggs
and/or without the proper nestling phase, fail.</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Others in the same circumstances thrive.</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Still others thrive, but only for a time.</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Some fall victim to predators.</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Some become bloated and perish.</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It may seem unfair, but this is the way
of the world.</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">This fledgling is still young, but
amazingly developed.</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Cause may be found to be amused or
entertained by it as well as to fear, reject, or respect it.</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">A lot of effort went into this.</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Further work must be done to ensure that
good comes from it.</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">At some point it's necessary for the
fledgling to take flight.</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It can overcome its possibly dubious
beginnings and mistakes.</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It can live up to its original promise,</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;">
<td height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">the promise that is one amazing egg.</span></td>
</tr>
</tbody></colgroup></table>
On One Conditionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07657642869398856403noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5669037987432740355.post-76473558308367212942013-05-08T10:13:00.000-07:002013-05-08T10:15:15.731-07:00I Wrote a StoryI wrote.<br />
I wrote a story.<br />
I entered.<br />
I entered a different world<br />
I watched.<br />
I watched it unfold.<br />
<br />
They uttered.<br />
They uttered surprising things.<br />
They made.<br />
They made their own choices.<br />
They lived.<br />
They lived until the words were done.<br />
<br />
I made.<br />
I made minor repairs.<br />
I introduced.<br />
I introduced some color.<br />
I straightened.<br />
I straightened the furniture.<br />
<br />
Who wrote?<br />
Who wrote the story?On One Conditionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07657642869398856403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5669037987432740355.post-16157858258858594092013-03-12T15:26:00.000-07:002013-03-12T15:26:22.682-07:00Book ReviewI reviewed another book. Eric Sipple, who contributed a short story to the last book I <a href="http://www.certain-conditions.com/2012/06/book-review.html" target="_blank">reviewed</a> has written a novel called <a href="http://www.amazon.com/review/RCLZ2DWTDO9R9/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B009FLIA9S&linkCode=&nodeID=&tag=" target="_blank">Broken Magic</a>. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/review/RCLZ2DWTDO9R9/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B009FLIA9S&linkCode=&nodeID=&tag=" target="_blank">Check it out! </a>On One Conditionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07657642869398856403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5669037987432740355.post-77045246909366840112012-07-23T13:52:00.000-07:002013-10-29T13:15:09.947-07:00The Highs and Lows of Human Potential<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">When a person makes the decision to take so many lives - as
happened in Aurora Colorado early Friday morning - it can lead to many
questions that no amount of evidence collection, witness interviews, or the
inevitable and seemingly unending media attention can answer. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Of
course, there have been many devastating examples of senseless violence in
recent US history. The 9/11 attacks, acts of arson, and bombings such as
occurred in Oklahoma City are just a few examples. The effect of these events
is difficult to overstate. No discussion of other tragedies can or should be
allowed to diminish the horror of these events in anyone’s mind.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Finding
recent examples of murder on a grand scale is made easier by the fact that <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/forum/2011-01-11-fox11_st_N.htm" target="_blank">three-quarters of the deadliest mass murders in the United States have occurred since 1980</a>.
And while mass murder comes in many forms, <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/forum/2011-01-11-fox11_st_N.htm" target="_blank">most of these deadliest acts involved firearms as the exclusive or primary weapon</a>.</span></span></div>
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<a name='more'></a><br />
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">How
does a person not only decide that they want to put bullets into the bodies of
other people – people they’ve often never even met – but seem to revel in the
act of random “up close and personal” murder?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We must assume that mental illness played a role. The alternative to
that assumption is that these acts could in any way be considered sane. Personally,
my reaction to the most recent of these events in Colorado was extreme and
visceral. My struggle and the struggle of my community to overcome the shooting
rampage of January 2011 are obviously still fresh in my mind. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Contributing
to the repugnance of the violence is the context of the killings in both cases,
as well as the cases of the murders at Columbine High School and Virginia
Polytechnic Institute. Consider the contrast of these acts with the activity
that was taking place in each location.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Self-betterment through education represents one of the most
noble of human endeavors. (Columbine and Virginia Tech) Attempting to further
the democratic ideals of our society by keeping an open communication between
politicians and the people is also an example of a human virtue. (Tucson) The
arts are also a reflection of the potential of human endeavor. Just one of the
abilities of the arts is to enable self-examination that can be the catalyst of
positive change. (Aurora) Further, the moralistic themes of the Batman series
to date have been studies in the pursuit of the betterment of society and the
conflicts and contradictions that arise when attempting to right wrongs which
are inherent within and outside the system. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Destruction of the type that happened in Columbine, Virginia
Tech, Tucson and Aurora is not only a senseless taking of innocent lives as if
that weren’t enough. Nor is it simply a salvo toward an institution or
industry. Whether it was a motive or not, it is an attack on these core societal
ideals, values, and aspirations. Serious discussion about how to limit the
ability of rogue individuals to visit this torment on others without unduly
hampering the rest of us seems as inevitable as it is unlikely.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In these immediate days following the killings in Colorado,
our thoughts and efforts surrounding Aurora must be primarily concerned with
the victims, their families, and their community. Stories are beginning to
emerge of the heroics of the moviegoers, first responders and medical care
providers. Yet another community that has been challenged in the past comes to
terms with a horrible day that will tarnish a date on all future calendars. Friday
mornings’ events painfully remind us of the heights and depths of human
potential.</span></div>
On One Conditionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07657642869398856403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5669037987432740355.post-14749454530016812582012-06-05T15:21:00.000-07:002012-06-05T15:21:35.234-07:00Book ReviewI haven't reviewed any books on this site, but I could start. Read my review of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/review/R3PJPQH9KUE4YU" target="_blank">Hot Mess: speculative fiction about climate change </a>by clicking on the title. Leave a comment below to tell me how I did and I will be grateful and maybe even try this again.On One Conditionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07657642869398856403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5669037987432740355.post-74368494205881923902012-05-19T20:38:00.001-07:002013-10-29T13:16:19.159-07:00Curse You, Binomial NomenclatureBear with me here, because I need to talk about flowers for a minute. With apologies to flora-lovers - the mother of my children, chief and foremost - I must apologize for the next couple of sentences. Often, my reaction to flowers is, "Yeah, you're right. That is kinda' pretty." Being olfactorily impaired - I'm capable of smelling, just not with my nose - flowers don't always capture my attention. That being the case, I'm learning to appreciate them. <br />
<br />
Yesterday, I helped drive my daughter's class on a field trip to the <span id="goog_639627211"></span><a href="http://www.fws.gov/refuge/buenos_aires/" rel="nofollow">Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge<span id="goog_639627212"></span></a> (No, I was not in Buenos Aires.) for a great hike on a fairly easy trail. When I saw this flower. <br />
<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2NBQzBsREAU/T7g0_LqFYvI/AAAAAAAAAH8/ySPPEV1wP-c/s1600/IMAG0273.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" kba="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2NBQzBsREAU/T7g0_LqFYvI/AAAAAAAAAH8/ySPPEV1wP-c/s320/IMAG0273.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Pretty, huh?</div>
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I remembered the effect that the same flower had on me about this time last year when I saw it on the grounds of the <a href="http://www.desertmuseum.org/">Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum</a>. The BANWR park employee said that the flower was named prickly poppy or cowboy egg. Another called it fried-egg flower, but I remembered the name being something different, maybe australian, having made some cursory research the previous year. <strong>See! It really made an impression on me, and I couldn't find a sign with the name on it. </strong>Anyway, somewhere along the hike, one of the park employees asked if the students knew anything about binomial nomenclature. I <em>joked</em> that since they are taking Latin, they are learning nomenclature and working their way up to binomials. </div>
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In case your high school biology is a little rusty, I always think of those Roadrunner and Coyote cartoons when I think of binomial nomenclature. You know, those faux-latin names for the coyote: <em>Carnivorous vulgaris, Nemesis ridiculii, Eatius birdicus, etc. </em>Genus then species. End of lecture you crazy Homo sapiens.</div>
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Today, when I found myself at ASDM, I rushed to the place where the lovely flower grows and snapped more pictures.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6YPued82tGQ/T7g7oN-OrSI/AAAAAAAAAII/bqhh5Yic1nE/s1600/IMAG0281.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" kba="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6YPued82tGQ/T7g7oN-OrSI/AAAAAAAAAII/bqhh5Yic1nE/s320/IMAG0281.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-td4reiqqWBw/T7g7rpVPGXI/AAAAAAAAAIQ/IDm8JXRfAN8/s1600/IMAG0282.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" kba="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-td4reiqqWBw/T7g7rpVPGXI/AAAAAAAAAIQ/IDm8JXRfAN8/s320/IMAG0282.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Not at all suggestive. It's like she <em>wants </em>to be smelled.</div>
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Sorry, you've got the wrong guy.</div>
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Then I saw something I hadn't seen before. Maybe it was new. but it changed everything.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lEaTHpuLNLA/T7g-_s3zUfI/AAAAAAAAAIc/4bQECAmRQvY/s1600/IMAG0283.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" kba="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lEaTHpuLNLA/T7g-_s3zUfI/AAAAAAAAAIc/4bQECAmRQvY/s320/IMAG0283.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Waltzing Matilija - Sort of Australian</div>
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I prefer dark CHICALOTE</div>
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_________________________________________</div>
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Wait, Romneya coulteri?!?</div>
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no. No. NO. <strong>NO! </strong>I slowly and reluctantly came to the realization that this couldn't be coincidence.<strong> </strong>Now, I'm not the least bit petty. I'm closer to the <em>most</em> bit petty, at least when it comes to politics. So, to discover that the one and only<em> </em>flower, able to make such an impression on me was named after Mittens (hat tip <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/lalunkee" target="_blank">@lalunkee</a>) Romney and Ann Coulter was a little like raining on my parade if the rain was produced by flying monkeys with OAB. I tried pronouncing it rohm-nay-ah cool-teh-ree but it didn't make me feel any less like clawing my eyes from their sockets and then clawing out the sockets. I'd rather not talk about my feelings toward either of these people. This is mostly because I don't want to be reminded of the distance in my mind between them and my (gulp) <em>feelings</em> for this flower.</div>
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I've learned that there is a Dolly Parton Rose, a Marilyn Monroe Rose (Marilyn Monrose?), and even a Julie Androse. Apparently botanist like women and roses. Now, obviously I'm no botanist, yet it's obvious that we share some interests. But it's even apparent to me that these aren't Latin names, they're nicknames.</div>
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<a href="https://twitter.com/#!/ZipZipskins" target="_blank">@ZipZipskins</a> says, "You really need to get to know Wikipedia." He tells me that The Romney genus is named for John Thomas Romney Robinson, an astronomer. Sorry, John Thomas <snicker>. I'm so relieved. Now, I can concentrate on the tune to "Waltzing Matilda" when I look at these pictures instead of, you know, the other thing. </snicker></div>
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Despite my efforts, this hasn't stopped me from applying the moniker to the Romney campaign. Once upon a time, Romney may have been a little closer to being a Romneya rockefelleri. I wouldn't have agreed with him about everything, but there was some overlap. His political views have metamorphosed and devolved so many times that now he's - it hurts to say this - Romneya coulteri.</div>
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According to Wikipedia, (are you reading this, <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/ZipZipskins" target="_blank">@ZipZipskins</a>?) in 1890, the California Poppy and Romneya coulteri were nominated for the honor of being California's state flower. Romneya coulteri lost in a landslide. Here's hoping history repeats itself.</div>
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On One Conditionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07657642869398856403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5669037987432740355.post-66321259508077590432012-04-12T17:10:00.001-07:002012-08-21T17:00:40.685-07:00Transforming Into a Taxi.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ixcWTZE3GMY/UDQhEmfmxvI/AAAAAAAAAKE/rqc5j7u9Vb0/s1600/Yo+Taxi.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ixcWTZE3GMY/UDQhEmfmxvI/AAAAAAAAAKE/rqc5j7u9Vb0/s1600/Yo+Taxi.gif" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://twitter.com/#!/OnOneCondition/status/190193193944485888" target="_blank"> It's happening again!</a></div>
On One Conditionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07657642869398856403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5669037987432740355.post-84847698922952000242012-02-17T13:40:00.000-07:002012-02-17T13:51:53.298-07:00Read This, for YourselfMy twitter-friend, <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/saalon" target="_blank">Eric Sipple</a>'s post <a href="http://www.saalonmuyo.com/2012/02/17/fragments-of-where-i-a/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=fragments-of-where-i-a" target="_blank">"Fragments of Where I Am"</a> really spoke to me, today. I always get something out of his <a href="http://www.saalonmuyo.com/" target="_blank">blog</a>. Even though I don't always understand some of the programming challenges and technical glitches he faces, those are only a small part of his writings and there's always something I can relate to in his posts. He writes conversationally, but deeply and I am very partial to his movie reviews.<br />
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<a href="http://www.saalonmuyo.com/2012/02/17/fragments-of-where-i-a/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=fragments-of-where-i-a" target="_blank">"Fragments"</a> is special. Here, Eric takes an extremely personal experience and shares it in a way that is completely affecting and, for me, eerily familiar in the same way that some of his aunt's revelations were to him. His journey toward understanding himself and as a consequence, understanding that he needs help is every bit as inspiring and engaging as his willingness to share this evolution with the reader. <br />
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Eric is a writer. It's incredible when his passion for writing becomes a tool for healing. What person that loves to write will not be moved when he shares, "...writing gives me a power over it that speech does not." I feel I know exactly what he means. There is a freedom that the written word affords, a compact between the writer and the reader that's lost with mere utterance. It's one of the reasons I avoid the telephone when I can. <br />
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Go now, read a post that contains the sentence, "The truth of it is that I’m only beyond help because that’s where I’ve been holding myself." You just might be better for it.On One Conditionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07657642869398856403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5669037987432740355.post-54392783574656406182012-02-16T09:45:00.000-07:002012-02-16T09:54:03.188-07:00These Go to Eleven<p><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dy_lI_dA0a1Gcw2EkLbU1ykDdQGNKfZrikV1cADZWkPJc5rjQFAzBzyMlZPpsFZ-u8d6LnpIjChcN4ufNrwMg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></p><br /><p>75% cornstarch + 25% water + 32.7 Hz + 34.6 Hz = Pseudonuclear reaction</p><br /><p>Science Fair has its moments.</p>On One Conditionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07657642869398856403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5669037987432740355.post-3923973145293934012011-01-16T17:01:00.001-07:002011-01-16T17:48:09.832-07:00Stray Dog Has No Problem With Car Travel<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4YQbJPihaHY/TTORNBiR_kI/AAAAAAAAAFY/NfsZw6PXktw/s1600/IMAG0044-782297.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 309px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 371px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5562949617669242434" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4YQbJPihaHY/TTORNBiR_kI/AAAAAAAAAFY/NfsZw6PXktw/s400/IMAG0044-782297.jpg" /></a>On One Conditionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07657642869398856403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5669037987432740355.post-26642183586944851062010-07-13T13:04:00.000-07:002012-02-20T10:38:15.957-07:00"Tweet" of the DayDon't hate me for this. It's not you, it's me. etc. "Howl" for the pseudocommunication age. <a href="http://bit.ly/ainFwS">"Tweet"</a> (McSweeney's)On One Conditionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07657642869398856403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5669037987432740355.post-26157540576229625602010-05-13T10:44:00.000-07:002010-05-13T10:49:55.105-07:00Times Were Tough Back ThenAccording to my child's family tree school project, my grandfather died in 1917 and then again in 1988. My Grandma lived to the ripe old age of negative 1.On One Conditionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07657642869398856403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5669037987432740355.post-54581906809449379052010-03-20T13:42:00.000-07:002010-03-20T18:40:53.418-07:00Hummingbird Sips a Golden Barrel Cactus<div align="center"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4YQbJPihaHY/S6U0CrX6W2I/AAAAAAAAAEs/Y5Xr-UtHu7k/s1600-h/IMAG0061.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450820144609254242" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4YQbJPihaHY/S6U0CrX6W2I/AAAAAAAAAEs/Y5Xr-UtHu7k/s400/IMAG0061.jpg" /></a><br />I took this picture with my HTC phone. I was a little surprised how well the wings were captured. <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4YQbJPihaHY/S6V4Yp_H27I/AAAAAAAAAE0/yWYIMyApZMg/s1600-h/closeup.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 355px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450895288984656818" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4YQbJPihaHY/S6V4Yp_H27I/AAAAAAAAAE0/yWYIMyApZMg/s400/closeup.jpg" /></a>Lucky shot! </div>On One Conditionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07657642869398856403noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5669037987432740355.post-78137193183959462682009-12-15T09:49:00.000-07:002012-05-07T11:49:12.205-07:00Fun and Prophet<span style="color: red; font-size: 180%;">This post and associated links have been rendered invalid by the demise of Air America Radio. It will remain here in memory of what once was. Please see the original version of <a href="http://www.beliefnet.com/News/2003/09/The-Gospel-Of-Supply-Side-Jesus.aspx">The Gospel of Supply Side Jesus here</a>. UPDATE: Watch the video on <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AK7gI5lMB7M" target="_blank">YouTube</a>.</span><br />
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In this video, <a href="http://airamerica.com/really/12-09-2009/al-frankens-gospel-supply-side-jesus/">The Gospel of Supply Side Jesus</a>, <a href="http://open.salon.com/blog/dorsey_shaw">Dorsey Shaw</a> brings the incredible collaboration of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Franken">Al Franken</a> and <a href="http://lesssaidbetter.blogspot.com/">Don Simpson</a> to further life. If you find the title to be sacrilegious, watch the whole thing before you judge. This is a fine piece of political humor which skewers self-serving posers. It's quite touching at the end.<br />
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<strong><a href="http://airamerica.com/really/12-09-2009/al-frankens-gospel-supply-side-jesus/">The Gospel of Supply Side Jesus</a></strong>On One Conditionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07657642869398856403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5669037987432740355.post-21292063148624435042009-12-15T09:39:00.000-07:002009-12-15T10:50:03.428-07:00A Really Funny Email<strong>My own mother sent me this email. I think it represents some of the <em>best</em> things about forwarded emails.</strong><br /><br /><br /><em>I just want to thank all of you for your educational e-mails over the past year. I am totally screwed up now and have little chance of recovery. <br /><br />I no longer open a public bathroom door without using a paper towel or have them put lemon slices in my ice water without worrying about the bacteria on the lemon peel. <br /><br />I can't use the remote in a hotel room because I don't know what the last person was doing while flipping through the adult movie channels. <br /><br />I can't sit down on the hotel bedspread because I can only imagine what has happened on it since it was last washed. <br /><br />I have trouble shaking hands with someone who has been driving because the number one pastime while driving alone is picking ones nose (although cell phone usage may be taking the number one spot).<br /><br />Eating a little snack sends me on a guilt trip because I can only imagine how many gallons of Trans fats I have consumed over the years. <br /><br />I can't touch any woman's purse for fear she has placed it on the floor of a public bathroom. <br /><br />I MUST SEND MY SPECIAL THANKS to whoever sent me the one about poop in the glue on envelopes because I now have to use a wet sponge with every envelope that needs sealing. <br /><br />ALSO, now I have to scrub the top of every can I open for the same reason. <br /><br />I no longer have any savings because I gave it to a sick girl (Penny Brown) who is about to die in the hospital for the 1,387,258th time. <br /><br />I no longer have any money at all, but that will change once I receive the $15,000 that Bill Gates/Microsoft and AOL are sending me for participating in their special e-mail program. <br /><br />I no longer worry about my soul because I have 363,214 angels looking out for me, and St. Theresa's Novena has granted my every wish. <br /><br />I no longer eat KFC because their chickens are actually horrible mutant freaks with no eyes or feathers. <br /><br />I no longer use cancer-causing deodorants even though I smell like a water buffalo on a hot day. <br /><br />THANKS TO YOU I have learned that my prayers only get answered if I forward an e-mail to seven of my friends and make a wish within five minutes.<br /><br />BECAUSE OF YOUR CONCERN, I no longer drink Coca Cola because it can remove toilet stains. <br /><br />I no longer can buy gasoline without taking someone along to watch the car so a serial killer won't crawl in my back seat when I'm pumping gas. <br /><br />I no longer drink Pepsi or Dr. Pepper since the people who make these products are atheists who refuse to put 'Under God' on their cans. <br /><br />I no longer use Saran Wrap in the microwave because it causes cancer. <br /><br />AND THANKS FOR LETTING ME KNOW I can't boil a cup of water in the microwave anymore because it will blow up in my face... Disfiguring me for life. <br /><br />I no longer check the coin return on pay phones because I could be pricked with a needle infected with AIDS. <br /><br />I no longer go to shopping malls because someone will drug me with a perfume sample and rob me. <br /><br />I no longer receive packages from UPS or Fed Ex since they are actually Al Qaeda in disguise. <br /><br />I no longer shop at Target since they are French and don't support our American troops or the Salvation Army. <br /><br />I no longer answer the phone because someone will ask me to dial a number for which I will get a phone bill with calls to Jamaica , Uganda , Singapore , and Uzbekistan . <br /><br />I no longer buy expensive cookies from Neiman Marcus since I now have their recipe. <br /><br />THANKS TO YOU I can't use anyone's toilet but mine because a big brown African spider is lurking under the seat to cause me instant death when it bites my butt. <br /><br />AND THANKS TO YOUR GREAT ADVICE I can't ever pick up $5.00 dropped in the parking lot because it probably was placed there by a sex molester waiting underneath my car to grab my leg. <br /><br />I can no longer drive my car because I can't buy gas from certain gas companies! <br /><br />I can't do any gardening because I'm afraid I'll get bitten by the brown recluse and my hand will fall off. <br /><br /><br />If you don't send this e-mail to at least 144,000 people in the next 70 minutes, a large dove with diarrhea will land on your head at 5:00 pm. Tomorrow afternoon and the fleas from 12 camels will infest your back, causing you to grow a hairy hump. I know this will occur because it actually happened to a friend of my next door neighbor's ex-mother-in-law's second husband's cousin's beautician . . . </em>On One Conditionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07657642869398856403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5669037987432740355.post-60658157837377525122009-12-09T10:28:00.000-07:002010-08-20T16:45:36.144-07:00Antici*PEACE*ion<a href="http://blip.fm/profile/OnOneCondition/blip/29453327/Bing_Crosby_:_David_Bowie-Peace_on_Earth:Little_Drummer_Boy">Warning! Seasonal content!</a>On One Conditionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07657642869398856403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5669037987432740355.post-12566953610212285762009-10-13T19:58:00.000-07:002009-10-15T21:22:02.215-07:00Boxed InThis really happened today represented here, in real time:<br /><br />@OnOneCondition Oh noes. Audio ads on Pandora. What sort of pestilential evil will come out next? #It'sAllGreekToMe <a style="FONT-SIZE: 85%" href="http://twitter.com/OnOneCondition/statuses/4841224853">twitter</a><br /><br />@OnOneCondition <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pandora">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pandora</a> <a style="FONT-SIZE: 85%" href="http://twitter.com/OnOneCondition/statuses/4841317672">twitter</a><br /><br />@OnOneCondition Apparently, Pandora heard that rhetorical question, and gave a totally non-rhetorical answer, "Debbie Gibson" <a style="FONT-SIZE: 85%" href="http://twitter.com/OnOneCondition/statuses/4841471581">twitter</a>On One Conditionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07657642869398856403noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5669037987432740355.post-18874568896654960412009-10-07T16:52:00.000-07:002009-10-07T17:01:35.229-07:00Grand CanyonThanks to <a href="http://www.pbs.org/kenburns/">Ken Burns</a>' <em><a href="http://video.pbs.org/program/1072181584">The National Parks, Americas Best Idea</a></em> I heard this great quote that I wanted to share.<br /><br /><span style="color:#99ff99;">If I were an American, I should make my remembrance of it the final test of men, art and policies. I should ask myself: Is this good enough to exist in the same country as the Canyon? How would I feel about this man, this kind of art, these political measures, if I were near the Rim? Every member of the Federal Government should remind himself with triumphant pride, that he is on the staff of the Grand Canyon.<br /><br />J.B Priestly, <em>Midnight on the Desert</em>, 1937</span>On One Conditionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07657642869398856403noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5669037987432740355.post-6300413897582679992009-04-30T11:47:00.000-07:002009-04-30T11:54:35.147-07:00He's Our Specter NowRead Kevin C. Murphy's well reasoned reaction to Arlen Specter's party change <a href="http://www.ghostinthemachine.net/006181.html">here</a>.On One Conditionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07657642869398856403noreply@blogger.com0