sapper-in-the-wire:

The ancient Chinese parable of a farmer as told by Alan Watts

Once upon a time there was a Chinese farmer whose horse ran away. That evening, all of his neighbors came around to commiserate. They said, “We are so sorry to hear your horse has run away. This is most unfortunate.” The farmer said, “Maybe.”

The next day the horse came back bringing seven wild horses with it, and in the evening everybody came back and said, “Oh, isn’t that lucky. What a great turn of events. You now have eight horses!” The farmer again said, “Maybe.”

The following day his son tried to break one of the horses, and while riding it, he was thrown and broke his leg. The neighbors then said, “Oh dear, that’s too bad,” and the farmer responded, “Maybe.”

The next day the conscription officers came around to conscript people into the army, and they rejected his son because he had a broken leg. Again all the neighbors came around and said, “Isn’t that great!” Again, he said, “Maybe.”

The whole process of nature is an integrated process of immense complexity, and it’s really impossible to tell whether anything that happens in it is good or bad — because you never know what will be the consequence of the misfortune; or, you never know what will be the consequences of good fortune.

Gather ‘round ye mongrels of media as we attempt to satisfy our primal urge to consume!

TV

I started watching Steven Universe and these tasty 10 -12 minute episodes are like candy for my soul. Fun and light and happy.

Warrior Nun - Three episodes in and it’s a bit slow paced and I’m not a fan at all of the narration, but the action is very well done and it seems to be getting better.  I do love how seriously they’re taking a seriously ridiculous concept.

Game of Thrones is on rewatch. Not sure if I’m doing this to try to gain a new respect for some of the show’s lowest moments or just to relive the dragon fights and bastard fights and girl fights and wight fights and Tormund making goofy lusty eyes at Brienne. Also, can we get a GOT X-Files type of spin off with these two please? The first episode can be them figuring out whatever happened to Daario Naharis.

MOVIES

Take Shelter - This is an oldie that I was recently reminded about. Directed by Jeff Nichols and starring Michael Shannon and Jessica Chastain Take Shelter is a lazy snake that you’re not quite sure if it’s poisonous or not. Nothing in this film happens fast and everything feels cramped. Whenever Shannon’s Curtis LaForche is on screen he feels ill fit to the world around him. Like he’s wearing clothes that are too big for him and indeed in some scenes he looks that way as well. Chastain as Samantha, displays a weary tension throughout, but has a steady mid-western constitution that allows her to maintain her sanity when things get weird. Watch it, but not if you’re the least bit sleepy.

Life of Pi - In one of my bouts of insomnia I decided to rewatch this. It was as good as I remember and I even teared up. After it was over I found my blessed pillow and drifted of to a dreamland filled with tigers and boats and monkeys.

MUSIC

Crushing - Julie Jacklin (2019)- If you believe a song can have a hauntingly danceable groove look for me at the edge of the dance floor hoping Julia Jacklin will pick me. Body, the opening song to her album Crushing is like walking the hallways of your high school at 2am in the morning. Everything is stuffed with an adult melancholy that the kids only mime in broken hearted text messages. The soft plodding bass and spare drums plucked at my emo heart strings so deftly that my first listen turned into a second third and a then a fourth when I watched the video. Now I’m off to listen to the rest of the album.

Oh My God - Kevin Morby (2019)- Oh my god indeed. I recently stumbled across Kevin Morby and I’m so glad I did. There’s a yearning religiousness that runs through this album, but don’t let that burden you. The music here is haunting, beautiful and vividly illustrative of those parts of America that feel sleepy, dark and a few years behind.

To Pimp A Butterfly - Kendrick Lamar (2015) - When this album dropped I remember being slightly disappointed as I was expecting something more in the realm of good kid, m.A.A.d city. After several listens I realized it is very much in the same realm. It’s just that the realm is Kendrick Lamar’s and he roams large. I’ve returned to this album lately as a salve for what’s happening now. It’s a salve and also a guiding light. How can it not be with songs like, Alright and the self realization of Momma and I?

The simple fact is Kendrick is a storyteller from a different time, the future perhaps, or maybe the past. Alternate dimensions are not out of the question. In a time where we are careening wildly from fear to hopelessness to hate to the unknown, Kendrick’s lyrics are the guideposts leading us home.

Tobe Nwigwe - I mentioned him in a WIC recently and was pleasantly surprised when a friend posted a video of him on a track with a guest verse by Paul Wall. The track Juice is a banger through and through with my favorite verse being when Paul calls Tobe, “Too real. True and real. Trill.”

Love What Survives - Mount Kimbie (2017)- Sometimes an album digs deep into your ear like Dig Dig and you can’t shake it no matter what. This is a good good thing. I’d heard a couple of songs from this album (Blue Train Lines with King Krule and Marilyn with Michau), but never gave it a full listen. I finally did and it’s like a lazy drive with the windows down on a cool day that ends with a sweet makeout session at night in a parking lot. Soft, electronic music with a deep soulfulness.

COMICS/BOOKS

Silver Surfer - Parable - This old classic by Stan Lee and Moebius is an interesting ride. It moves at a brisk pace and some of the story feels a bit dated, but it’s always a joy to see work by Moebius.

I re-read Jupiter’s Legacy Part 2 recently and was just as immediately enthralled as I was in my first read. The art from Frank Quitley is as gorgeous as ever and while the story by Mark Millar rushes a bit too fast to the end it’s still a great read.

The History of the Marvel Universe - This plucks all my Marvel nerd boy heart chords. The art is beautiful and while the writing feels a bit cramped as it struggles to fit in all the bits and pieces it’s a must have for any Marvel fan. (Add artist and writer names)

GAMES- I’m still driving with Mario Kart. It’s just too good.

RANDOM NOTES

I have re-discovered candy from my childhood. Obleas Mini Wafers and Gloria’s Goats Milk! I used to get these when I was a kid when my mom went to Mexico and brought them back for me. The Obleas are like tiny tortillas, about the size of a silver dollar, with a caramel filing in the middle. The outside is this super thin wafer that always reminded me of the wafers you get when you take communion. You can eat these without having to admit your sins so that’s great!

The Glorias are like mini sausages, but have nothing to do with meat. They’re made from goats milk and often come with pecans. As a kid I used to eat these by the handful, but now I savor them and take a half a bite and then come back later for the other half. Andalé!

roachpatrol:

magica-tenore-regina:

lizthefangirl:

ademigodgirl:

rainbow-bear:

A king has no sons, no daughters, and no queen. For this reason he must decide who will take the throne after he dies. To do this he decides that he will give all of the children of the kingdom a single seed. Whichever child has the largest, most beautiful plant will earn the throne; this being a metaphor for the kingdom. At the end of the contest all of the children came to the palace with their enormous and beautiful plants in hand. After he looks at all of the children’s pots, he finally decides that the little girl with an empty pot will be the next Queen. Why did he choose this little girl over all of the other children with their beautiful plants.

The seeds were all dead (burned, fake, etc.).  The other kids cheated and got different seeds and planted them.  The little girl didn’t cheat and was not able to grow anything because the seed was dead.  She was the only one who didn’t cheat.

damn

Nothing like original fairy tales! 

i get the moral it’s trying to convey but that king is an idiot and the kingdom’s doomed. you don’t appoint an honest kid who will forthrightly admit a failure like that to leadership of a country, you put that kid in charge of like… the army, or something. the department of agriculture. 

i’d send out dead seeds, then appoint the kid with the biggest and most beautiful plant anyway.ideally the same kind of plant as the dead seeds were from. and ideally a kid with a really good pokerface. that kid knows:

a) how to perceive failure early (a well developed second plant means they knew how soon the first seeds should sprout and didn’t fuck around when they didn’t) 

b) how to fix the situation (a second plant of the same species means they got someone to help them identify the seeds and plant more, or are observant enough to do it themselves)

c) how to get the best people for a job in to do it (kids aren’t great gardeners. a beautiful science project probably means mom did all the work— just what you want from a child ruler and their regent)

all around, that kid (or their mom) is the kind of devious results-oriented bald-faced liar you want to go toe-to-toe with the lords of your country and the rulers of your neighbors. not a little kid who admits defeat so early and in a situation with such high stakes. ‘whoops i didn’t grow a plant’ sounds a lot less sweet when you phrase it like ‘i give up on ruling my country’. 

you know, i think i’d also send agents out to encourage the kids to destroy each other’s plants. let’s see who’s good at seige warfare, too.