http://selfnoise.net/quiet Using words to get rid of words? That's crazy talk. Wed, 07 Oct 2009 01:45:49 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Here's a story about something that happened to me the other day. I often find myself sitting in one park or another during the lunch hour. Portland(Maine) has many different city parks, large and small, although it sometimes seems that very few people have heard of more than Deering Oaks ... http://selfnoise.net/quiet/2009/10/nature-you-are-not-ready/ When I was sixteen years old, like many Americans, I got my driver's license. Among many other things, it opened up the possibility of regular trips to the comic store across town. In between buying some really embarrassing manga, I also liked to visit the adjoining martial arts ... http://selfnoise.net/quiet/2009/09/sometimes-objects-are-smarter-than-you/ Going Back to Bed Up early, trying to muffle the sounds of small tasks, grinding, pouring, riffling through yesterday's attacks or market slump, then changing my mind—what matter the rush to the waiting room or the ring of some later dubious excuse?— having decided to return to bed and finding you curled in the sheet, a dream fluttering your eyelids, still unfallen, ... http://selfnoise.net/quiet/2009/04/sleepy-sunday/ Descartes tells us that monkeys could talk if they wanted to, but they have decided to keep silent so that humans will not force them to work. The Bushmen of South Africa believe that there was a time when all animals could talk. Hochigan hated animals; one day ... http://selfnoise.net/quiet/2009/03/hochigan/ The Vigorous North is a blog by a Portland(original flavor) resident about the intersections of nature and human development. It's good stuff, and it led me to this awesome Google Maps mashup showing live ship locations. So now I can check and see what's in harbor without walking ... http://selfnoise.net/quiet/2009/03/vigorous-tracking/ Nature's trying, consarn it! It may not be green, and it may squelch under your feet, but the wind doesn't bite so much, and the birds and squirrels are giving outdoor living a try. http://selfnoise.net/quiet/2009/03/mud-season/ Here's a lovely poem by the current Poet Laureate. I can testify that the desire to strip away things that are needless is as powerful, once begun, as the desire to build luxuries. That Will to Divest by Kay Ryan Action creates a taste for itself. Meaning: once you've swept the shelves of spoons and plates you kept for guests, it ... http://selfnoise.net/quiet/2009/02/that-will-to-divest/ You have to love it in Maine. Otherwise you might go crazy. http://selfnoise.net/quiet/2009/01/snow/ Yeah, I don't post much. What can I say; when the ground is full of snow, it is the time to snowshoe. Anyhow, if you have ever wondered how horrible a Metafilter post about the Tao te Ching would be, it turns out just about this horrible. EDIT: Actually, after ... http://selfnoise.net/quiet/2009/01/you-see-what-i-mean-about-fitful/ http://selfnoise.net/quiet/2008/11/frost-on-bark/