The Difference Between A Genius & A Fool

Hung out with Bruce today and wrote a bunch of different stories using Happy and Tunnel Of Love as the soundtracks but you see them because they aren’t published.

Got a late season Winter cold that snuck up on me and has done a fine job of accentuating the hard edge.

The fire in the belly is set two notches past bonfire which means I absolutely shouldn’t engage in political discourse because my interest lies in eviscerating the Kool Aid drinking, lollipop land living fools who debate by calling me “snowflake.”

That is not a good use of my time because most are too stupid to understand the subtle differences between an evil genius and a fool.

Brown Eyed Girls & Signs

The music moves through Wonderful Tonight, Brown Eyed Girl, Hurt and on to Sign Of The Times.

None of them hit the note I am searching for so I keep pointing-and-clicking my way through 10,000 songs and settle for the moment on American Pie.

Jack has been nimble and Jack has been quick but it doesn’t mean he didn’t burn his ass on that candlestick.

Danced in the damn fire and when he was told he’d had enough he danced a while longer because he wasn’t going to be told what to do or how to do it.

Pushing harder and faster didn’t make a difference nor did patience and forbearance but eventually he lay down upon his back and watched the clouds pass by overhead because it just didn’t matter anymore.

Or so he tried to tell himself until he looked in the mirror for that mythical authentic self the self-help gurus say people should find.

There inside the reflection of his eyes he caught a glimpse of what he was looking for and wondered if Van Morrison or Prince ever got tired of playing their hits.

M Sees A Different World

I wasn’t certain I would like Dame Judi Dench as M but she won me over with this scene.

It might be a movie, but she is so very right about our world being more opaque than transparent now.

But her recitation of the last section of Ulysses is what really captures me because there is magic and majesty in those words.

So much beauty to think about and discuss.

We are not now that strength which in old days
Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are;
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.

Self Made Limitations

There are better movies than Skyfall but part of what I have always appreciated about it is how it provides a vehicle to show that age hasn’t caught up with James Bond the way some people think it has.

As 48 comes closer and closer it is easy for me to appreciate how I can’t take for granted that my body will respond as it always has.

There are things that prove to me that I can’t do as I have always done and expect to get the same results.

But I have a choice.

I can accept the limitations that society places and the self made I place upon myself or I can choose to go a different direction.

Those few of you who really know me already know the answer.

Talking Past Each Other

Most of the online acrimony is fueled by people talking past each other and our refusal to stop and listen to what other people are saying.

I make no claim to being the better or bigger man because I am not giving most of the opposition time to explain to me how the monster that assumed the mantle of leadership isn’t so bad.

It is ridiculous to say he is as bad as Stalin or Hitler because he is a long way off but it doesn’t mean he isn’t awful either.

I don’t believe a man who calls the free press an An Enemy Of The American People understands or values democracy.

It is unacceptable and troubling.

There is no excuse.

But what I have really noticed is there are some people I would like to have real conversations with and we haven’t.

It is noticeable and troubling to me.

I haven’t decided if the best move is to let things go and see what happens or to tell them I miss the conversation.

Can’t decide if ego says “screw them, it is their loss” or if it is a softer “they made their choice.”

Given my position as a father of a teen and preteen it is a conversation I am sure will come up except I’ll be asked for advice.

So I cannot help but ask myself what advice I can or should offer when I am not sure what to do in my own life.

The good news is some of the personal stuff that is on my plate is of such importance I can’t take time to think about what I should or shouldn’t do on these other matters.

Sort of a contradiction there huh, I did mention it which means I clearly thought about it and yet, I said I don’t have time to focus.

Well, I am capable of chewing gum and walking at the same time so there is that.

Fear

Fear and I are involved in an intimate relationship.

There are a few things that frighten me and it takes some effort to keep them from making life more challenging than necessary.

I don’t like admitting it, but have found acknowledging these things makes it more manageable and sometimes that is all it takes.

Want to know the difference between a genius and a fool?

Well I like to think a genius recognizes he might fall and fail and that this never occurs to a fool.

Go ahead and put that on a greeting card or t-shirt and see if it sells, just remember I want 20 percent of the profit.

Time to roll, this cold is trying to kill me so sleep must come soon.