Had to put Dog down today. Came home, Dog is crying on the garage floor, covered in poo, unable to stand. Well, Dog is/was 15 ordinary years, or 105 in doggo years. Had a good life, if I may say … puffy doggie beds, regular vet care, daily meds, treats, butt rubs, walks (when Dog …
Law #8 – Honey, Vinegar, or Poo / Also, Hey DJ
There is an ancient idiom in Chinese culture that encourages taking the long view; meaning, look beyond the immediate towards long-range consequences and/or results of a particular action. Hong Kong is an excellent example. In 1898, the British “leased” Hong Kong and its territories from China for 99 years, with the region released to China …
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Law #7 – The History of America
Seems fitting that a guy with no real talent, vision, or intellect would affix the name of America’s greatest (Serbian) inventor to his self-piloted, suicidal automobile. Was this old when discovered that Nikola Tesla not only pioneered the AC system of electricity (inapposite to and more effective/efficient than Edison’s preferred DC) but his patent was …
Law #6 – LOOK!!!
In 2004, the world received its very first celebrity sex tape. “One Night in Paris” is a grainy, night-vision, cringefest starring a neo-celebutante hotel heiress and some random meatstick with whom she was drugging and smacking uglies. Methinks “viral” is the appropriate term, in all the possible ways. A few years later a similar mess …
Law #5 – Perception is Reality; or, You Are What Others Think
Back in the … my heavens 1980’s? (shuddercringe) there was this really good cop show called “Hill Street Blues.” My favorite character was (of course) the cop who bit people but overall the entire cast was really, really good. One character who really stood out was Sgt. Phil Esterhaus, a gentle, no-nonsense giant who genuinely …
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Law #4 – Hold Your Tongue; see Proverbs 21:23
Louis XIV (the very same he who would banish Darling Nicky) was legendary for being extremely taciturn; he kept his thoughts, opinions, and fears to himself, revealing his decision only in deed. After agonizing over matters of state, his advisors would finally settle on a few alternatives to present to the French king, and reportedly …
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Law #3 – Never Let ‘Em See You Coming or, for that Matter … Going
In our age of oversharing, TMI, and the quest for external validation of every inner thought, this next law of power will be anathema to those beyond the Boomer. By concealing true intentions, it is more likely to achieve the ultimate goal. Everyone likes to be a spoiler, but one cannot spoil the unseen, the …
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Law #2 – Trust No One; AKA – Keep Your Friends Close, and Your Enemies In Your Underwear
At some point during the ninth century A.D., a young man named Michael (through the machinations and duplicitousness of his uncle) was thrust onto the throne of the Byzantine Empire. Michael had a buddy named Basilius, from peasant stock who worked in the horse stables, and Basilius – right place, right time – saved Michael …
Law 1 – “Never Outshine the Master”
Methinks excellence shall inevitably be punished. How very disheartening. In mid-1660’s France, there lived two very vain men … Nicolas Fouquet, and King Louis XIV. Both loved money, and ostentation, and spectacle, but only one could punish the other for his preference. Bit of a backstory: someone high up in the king’s cabinet died, and …
Let the Bloodletting Begin
A while ago I started reading Robert Greene’s “48 Laws of Power” and have to say … mucho disturbio. Is the world really this corrupt? Are people really this horrible? Am I really that naïve? It appears the answer to all of those questions is a resounding “Yes!” Sigh. Well, the banality of evil is a …