Hamartia - a fatal flaw leading to the downfall of a tragic hero or heroine.
I learned of the word from watching The Fault in our Stars (and confirmed the definition via Google search results).
(I was also surprised to learn that the lead character in the movie had thyroid cancer, and it had spread. I know it’s fictional, but it reminded me how fortunate I am that we found my thyroid cancer early.)
A song called “Truth,” from Ghost Brothers of Darkland County, featuring some people whose names I don’t yet know, along with John Mellencamp:
Favorite song of the moment: I just learned about Dave Alvin & The Guilty Ones performing the song, “Harlan County Line,” after learning that they sang/performed on the album/musical Ghost Brothers of Darkland County (created by John Mellencamp and Stephen King). This is a fun song that reminds me of living in Texas and Alabama:
This album called Spread the Love, by Ronnie Earl and the Broadcasters, is also very good if you like the sounds of the blues, as heard in states like Texas and Alabama (places where I was first introduced to blues music):
The doctor says I need to stay on clear liquids for a little while. We didn’t discuss the details, but I assume that means “gin and tonic” instead of “margarita.”
I just read another story about millenials choosing to live at “home” (with their parents). I have to say, I don’t understand that at all. I was ready to leave the house and be on my own when I was 17, but I knew I couldn’t make enough money to do that, so I hung around until a little after I graduated high school. Why young people would willingly choose to live at home with their parents rather than be out and on their own is an attitude I can’t grok at all.
One of my favorite songs by The Rolling Stones is Harlem Shuffle. My liking of this song may be influenced by working in a nightclub where this song was very popular.
I have found that by adding a small dab of Superglue to Apple earbuds (EarPods) I can get them to stay in my ears. Of course getting them out is another matter ...
In one of the funnier things I’ve seen in baseball, A.J. Pierzynski attempts to “frame” a pitch that bounces about five feet in front of home plate. :)
“Joe don’t care about tomorrow.” ~ Anthony Rizzo, talking about Cubs’ manager Joe Maddon
Alan Watts on writing: “Stop aspiring and start writing. If you’re writing, you’re a writer. Write like you’re a goddamn death row inmate and the governor is out of the country and there’s no chance for a pardon. Write like you’re clinging to the edge of a cliff, white knuckles, on your last breath, and you’ve got just one last thing to say, like you’re a bird flying over us and you can see everything, and please, for God’s sake, tell us something that will save us from ourselves. Take a deep breath and tell us your deepest, darkest secret, so we can wipe our brow and know that we’re not alone.”
“Hey, I fixed your toilet paper. It was hanging upside down on the roller.”
Some of the best quotes from former football coach Bum Phillips (many of them from here):
“You fail all the time, but you aren’t a failure until you start blaming someone else.”
“Two kinds of players ain’t worth a damn: One never does what he’s told, and one who does nothin’ but what he’s told.”
“The only discipline that lasts is self-discipline.”
“Coaching is not how much you know. It’s how much you can get players to do.” (The same is true for managing people.)
Thought of the day: Every atom in your body is as old as the universe.
Pretty much everything I know about country music involves Willie Nelson, The Dixie Chicks, and a few songs by Kenny Chesney. But yesterday I had this thought in my mind about “living on borrowed time,” and I remembered the beat to an old song based on those lyrics. Long story short, after googling the lyrics for about 15 minutes I discovered that the words of the song I had been humming were not “living on borrowed time,” but “living on Tulsa time.” The song is by Don Williams, and how I ever heard it in the first place I’ll probably never remember.
Today there’s a story on Reuters titled, “The Ashley Madison hack ruined my life.” Um ... no ... I think your infidelity is what ruined your life.
“You have to be true to your weirdness.”
(I don’t remember where I heard that, but I just saw it in the last few days.)
My life has been full of John Lennon the last few days, so here’s Elton John’s Empty Garden:
“What should be done eventually, must be done immediately.” ~ Jeremy Foley, commenting on the proper time to fire coaches.
That’s a pretty good quote for other situations as well ... though I’m still going to wait to take the garbage out until the bag is full.
