Meditations by Marcus Aurelius translated by George W. Chrystal (~180) Book 8 Part 3 (35-61)

 Meditations by Marcus Aurelius translated by George W. Chrystal (~180) Book 8 Part 3 (35-61)

Bonus: 

MA would hate this song.

Summary: It's okay to change your mind, but, when you make it up, stick with it.

Commentary: 

Marcus Aurelius is much more strongly in favor of restraining pleasure than Epictetus and other stoic stuff I've read. Most of them have some form of BF's temperance, but MA seems to be in favor of denying pleasure for the sake of doing so, not just being careful not to let it get in the way of other, more important, things.

8.40 Take away your opinion about the things that seem to give you pain, and you stand yourself upon the surest ground. What is that self?—It is reason.—I am not reason, you say.—So be it; then let not reason pain itself, but leave any part of you which suffers to its own opinions of the pain.

8.47 When you are grieved about anything external it is not the thing itself which afflicts you, but your judgment about it. This judgment it is in your power to efface. If you are grieved about anything in your own disposition, who can prevent you from correcting your principles of life? If you are grieved because you do not set about some work which seems to you sound and virtuous, go about it effectually rather than grieve that it is undone.—But some superior force withstands.—Then grieve not, for the fault of the omission lies not in you.—But life is not worth living with this undone.— Quit life then, in the same kindly spirit as though you had done it, and with goodwill even to those who withstand you.

He said the thing!

8.51 Be not languid in action, nor confused in conversation, nor vague in your opinions. Let there be no sudden contractions or forth-sallyings of your soul. In your life be not over-hurried.

Changing your mind is okay, but actually make it up every once in a while.

8.53 Do you wish to be praised by a man who curses himself thrice within an hour? Can you desire to please one who is not pleased with himself? Can he be pleased with himself who repents of almost everything he does?

As a society, we spend way too much time trying to make people who hate everything happy. It's not worth ruining ourselves for them.

 

 

Meditations by Marcus Aurelius translated by George W. Chrystal (~180) Book 8 Part 2 (18-34)

Meditations by Marcus Aurelius translated by George W. Chrystal (~180) Book 8 Part 2 (18-34)

Bonus:

8.21

Summary: Seriously repetitive.

Commentary: Marcus Aurelius is really down on pleasure and imagination today. 

I think my favorite is 8.32

32. Order your life in its single acts, so that if each, as far as may be, attains its end, it will suffice. In this no one can hinder you. But, you say, may not something external withstand me?—Nothing can keep you from justice, temperance, and wisdom.—Yet, perhaps some other activity of mine may be obstructed.—True, but by yielding to this impediment, and by turning with calmness to that which is in your power, you may happen on another course of action equally suited to the ordered life of which we are speaking.

Do things that're worth doing for their own sake. 

Meditations by Marcus Aurelius translated by George W. Chrystal (~180) Book 8 Part 1 (1-17)

  Meditations by Marcus Aurelius translated by George W. Chrystal (~180) Book 8 Part 1 (1-17)

Bonus:

Gene Ray had time for some kind of philosophy.

Summary: It's the same. They're all the same.

Commentary:

I decided to try to muscle through Meditations, because the next volume is also mostly small pieces. To get to not shorter pieces I’d have to jump all the way out to volume 7 (I’m currently working in 1 and 2) to The Imitation of The Christ. I didn’t realize when I was reading them 2 years ago that that’s how most of it is. Some Fruits of Solitude is longer, so this is easier to clean out (I like having one shorty, but not two at a time, so I just want to clear something.) Anyway, I’m going to keep the short notes on the doc itself, and just save this space for more interesting/specific stuff.

I liked 8.8: You lack leisure for reading; but leisure to repress all insolence you do not lack. You have leisure to keep yourself superior to pleasure and pain and vain glory, to restrain all anger against the ungrateful, nay, even to lavish loving care upon them.

You don’t have time to read, but you have time to bitch.

And 8.16 Remember that to change your course, and to follow any man who can set you right is no compromise of your freedom. The act is your own, performed on your own impulse and judgment, and according to your own understanding.

Don’t be embarrassed to change your mind.

Cursive is Classic! (Also, The Tiger by Nael, 2016)

 We had a virtual day yesterday due to the snow. Since we were pretty sure it was coming, I sent my creative writing class (10-12 grade) home with cursive worksheets I printed from the internet. They said they wanted to learn/practice cursive for the poetry unit we have coming up.

Out of the six lessons I taught yesterday, it was the only one where every single student interacted live (all but one turned on their cameras, and that's because he was absent Friday and didn't get his sheet.)

We learned cursive when I was in second grade or so. In pencil. Pencils suck for cursive; cursive is for pens. (Correct use of semicolon!)

I'm pretty sure we learned D’Nealian, which is garbage. No one benefits from your wonky pseudo-cursive transition to full cursive.

As an adult, I've since learned that "cursive" isn't a real thing, and that you can connect your letters however you want. 

Wikipedia has this cool Italian one, where the Z actually looks like a Z:

I'm also interested in the Palmer Method, which has a unique and pleasant lowercase r:

Apparently designing handwriting and training was a big deal back in the day. Companies competed to get you to buy theirs. Kinda wild to think about.

I mostly abandoned my own cursive until 9th grade or so, when a teacher suggested I try it since my print was so awful. It was much better. I like to tell my kids with bad handwriting to give it a shot. Also much better for note taking.

For short lists (like grocery lists) I often start in printing, then switch to cursive halfway through. It feels weird to write single items that way, but I do like it better, especially when I use my fountain pen (Kaweco Brass Sport).

Anyway, speaking of poems here's some literature for tonight. (Outside of the blog's normal focus, but I'm rolling with it.)

The Tiger

The tiger

He destroyed his cage

Yes

YES

The tiger is out

Much better than the Blake poem. I'm definitely going to make them read both. I just have to decide if I'm going to sarcastically overanalyze Nael's poem to show how much deeper it is.

Lessons from failure.

 I noted on the other blog yesterday that I missed the 25th. This is definitely my first miss in over a year, and possibly my first in over two. (There were one or two iffy ones near the beginning.)

I thought about what to do with that for a while. My wife suggested I just post something I did blog related yesterday. I have technically posted after midnight a few times (or posted filler and gone back and fixed it), but I feel like once I've gone to bed and woken up I forfeit that.

I considered just deleting the whole thing. That doesn't really serve any purpose other than self-flagellation.

A lot of "streak" activities on other sites or advice say you should do things like give yourself one cheat day every week or month, or that you can keep your streak if you miss one day but do something to make up for it (similar to my wife's suggestion). The one that I thought was most interesting was the idea that every time you break your streak you lose half the length, so if I was on day 500 it'd go back to 250. That or some kind of "punishment" make up (READ ALL OF MEDITATIONS IN ONE GO!) is definitely my favorite from a gamification perspective. But, I don't actually really like gamification. I considered making this my "penance" post and then doing a normal one today to double up and make up for it, but that feels like gaming the system instead of just doing the work. (Besides, I have like 50 "make ups" baked in from back when I did the weekly review and stuff.) I briefly considered posting the writing I did on Sunday. I plan to add an original fiction component to my blog rotation this year, but I don't feel like what I had was particularly good/sharable and, again, I'm not here to game the system with, "oops, I didn't forget, I just didn't post this other thing..."

I researched how long a "good" blog streak is. 100 seemed to be the minimum, with 300 or 50 weeks also popular. At least I was impressive before I went out.

In the end, I think the right answer is to reflect a little on it and move on.

It doesn't really change my goals. I still want to be more well read and better educated. I still want to write these little notes to myself, if no one else. I still enjoy doing the blog and think the current form is fairly good.

It does suck for these long line by line type entries. I tried not to get myself stuck in two at once and failed. (I kind of blame Eliot for that.) Like I said, it snowed a bunch the other day, which distracted me. That, and I was trying to play a bunch of game demos before a sale ended. I definitely spent too much time being fake-productive "testing" games, rather than real productive on this. I've talked before about how I think it's okay to do consume some amount of junk food media, but I definitely ate too much junk and gave myself a hangover on Sunday.

But, at the end of the day, the streak doesn't actually matter at all. It's cool to say I had a year+ streak (it's a nice round amount) I guess I can restart a definitive counter from yesterday, so I actually know how many for sure, instead of vaguely handwaving "I think". So those are both good.

Marcus Aurelius and Epictetus would tell me I shouldn't care. It's not bothering me, my reaction is bothering me. It nature wanted me to keep a streak forever, it'd make it easier. (Or maybe I'm not committed enough to philosophy. MA talks about that a lot too.)

What matters is the stuff I read, and learn, and think about. How it helps guide me to spend my time and my energy better. In a way, missing the day helped me refocus. I thought about it, considered dropping it, or going to once a week, and said, "No, this is a worthwhile use of my time every day, and this just shows me I need to make sure I pay better attention to it."

So, starting tomorrow, it's back to normal. I do think I need to do something about the readings right now. The double line summaries are a slog. Some Fruits of Solitude is great as a break from longer pieces. Meditations is good, but repetitive. Either way, doing them like this is a pain. I might just move off of both of them and relegate them both to backups while I dive into a longer piece. I might continue Meditations but more as a traditional entry instead of a line by line summary (I could move through it a lot more quickly and easily.) It might be fun to come up with a generic abbreviation for all the repetitive ones. "MM" for all the, "YOU'RE GONNA DIE!", "DN" for all the, "DO NATURE!", etc.

Consider January 25th my Rocky V. It's bad, but I didn't hear no bell.

Some Fruits of Solitude By William Penn (1682) Part 15: Qualities Of A Friendship (111-117)

Some Fruits of Solitude By William Penn (1682) Part 15: Qualities Of A Friendship (111-117)

Bonus: 

Only use your friendship for defense

Summary: Pick good friends.

Commentary: 

111. A real friend is honest, truthful, helpful, and will stick up for and go on adventures with you.

112. Therefore try to have these qualities before you go looking for a friend.

113. Greedy, angry, proud, jealous, dishonest people cannot be friends.

114. Chose friends like a wife. 'Till death do you aprt.

115. Only use friendship for good.

116. Put relatives who are friends above strangers.

117. Including in charity. 

Some Fruits of Solitude By William Penn (1682) Part 14: Friendship (106-110)

 Some Fruits of Solitude By William Penn (1682) Part 14: Friendship (106-110)

Bonus: 

Thank you for being a friend

Summary: Friends are soul mates.

Commentary: 

106. We all look for friendship. If not at home, then elsewhere.

107. There can be no friendship without freedom. We should speak freely and forgive quickly with friends.

108. True friends are like twins and sympathize in all things.

109. They're linked in all pains and pleasures, even being happy and sad in sync.

110. They share everything.

Why would you call members of your religion Friends if you have such a high bar for friendship.

"A Nation At Risk" 1983

"A Nation At Risk" 1983 

Bonus: 

Please read.

Summary: READ THE FUCKING BOOK WHEN IT'S ONLY 20 PAGES!

Commentary:

My wife had to read "A Nation At Risk" for a class recently. In short, it's the first big "America's schools are failing!" report from the 80s. It's not very long. The PDF linked there is about 70 pages, but the report itself (minus appendices, lists of meetings, etc.) formats to about 20 pages of standard text. For as short as it is, it's surprisingly malleable, easily vilified as the start of whatever the current evil in education (according to professors, though leaders, and the like) is currently at issue. As commonly presented, it was a partisan hack job, written by people with minimal relation to education, that exists primarily to blame teachers.

 By most conventional measures (teaching kids to read, write, do math, etc.) it's fairly non-controversial to say the US education system is a failure. Depending on which study you look at, definition you use, etc. almost 90% of kids graduate high school, but ~25% are borderline illiterate, with another ~30% valiantly struggling up to a middle school reading level. Math usually comes out a bit worse, with around 60% making it to basic algebra on a good day.

There's a ton of factors at play here. Some totally out of the school's control (kids born with significant disabilities), but it's pretty hard to make an argument for success when more than half the kids graduating 12th grade are struggling (at best) to handle 8th or 9th grade level work.

Why is that?

If you actually read "A Nation At Risk", the reasons include: low expectations in curriculum, lack of incentives to meet even these standards, not enough time in school, poor textbooks and other materials, and lack of budget. 

There is a section on teachers, and it does say that many teachers are drawn from the lower levels of their high school and colleges, poor teacher prep, not enough pay, and a shortage of qualified teachers.

Hardly a damning condemnation. 

On the other hand, the recommendation section on teachers includes: Raising standards for teacher ed, improving salaries, peer review, more time for planning and development, better opportunities for advancement, greater input by teachers in curriculums, training, etc.

Obviously, not every teacher is going to love everything, but it's hardly a hatchet job. Despite frequent claims that teachers weren't consulted for the report, several sections directly reference publications by teachers unions and similar groups.

As a teacher, it's a continual source of frustration to me that it seems like 90% of education professors, leaders, etc. just don't engage with basic facts. The amount of presentations I've sat through where people didn't even know what was on their own slides, etc. is embarrassing.

There's a lot of whining about how teachers aren't respected enough as a profession, but if you can get a doctorate and write a whole book dunking on a report without actually presenting it honestly (or maybe reading it in the first place), you're the problem.

Meditations by Marcus Aurelius translated by George W. Chrystal (~180) Book 7 Part 3

Meditations by Marcus Aurelius translated by George W. Chrystal (~180) Book 7 Part 3

Bonus: 

I dunno, have a meme.

Summary: YOU WILL DIE!

Commentary:

52. He might be a better wrestler, but you can be a better person.

53. If something is good by both the standards of god and man, it must be good. Wherever you can profit from something like that, it can do no harm.

54. Deal with your present, not the imagined future.

55. Don't worry about other's souls, but on your own task. As man rules over the lesser creatures, the gods rule over us.

56. Consider yourself already dead, and any time you have alive as a bonus.

57. Love whatever fortune gives you. What more could you ask for?

58. Don't freak out over accidents, or be overly concerned by other's judgements. Everyone's going to die anyway.

59. Look inward for your fountain of good.

60. Keep your body steady, so your soul can be likewise.

61. Life is like wrasslin', you need to be on guard against sudden events.

62. Think about what kind of person's approval you seek, and their character. 

63. Every soul values truth, justice, etc.

64. Remember the limits of pain, and don't add to it  by imagining more. It can't hurt your soul.

65. Don't have negative feelings for bad people.

66. At the end of the your life, how strong your soul was and how loyal you were to it is the measure of your life.

67. Your soul is separate from your body, any its achievements may not match your reputation.

68. You have the power to remain peaceful regardless of what happens to you.

69. Spend every day like it was your last!

70. The gods put up with all of our bullshit forever. You can handle the limited bullshit of your time on Earth.

71. It's stupid not to avoid vice.

72. Whatever is not rational or social is lesser.

73. When you do something good, someone benefit. Don't be an asshole who needs recognition for it.

74. Never get tired of being a good person. It's good for you, and you shouldn't tire of good things.

75. Nature started out ordered, and (at least the good parts of) the universe still are.

Meditations by Marcus Aurelius translated by George W. Chrystal (~180) Book 7 Part 2

Meditations by Marcus Aurelius translated by George W. Chrystal (~180) Book 7 Part 2

Bonus: 

What's your sign?

Summary: Suddenly, a poem! Also, Plato.

Commentary:

37. The face composes the mind, but the mind cannot compose itself.

38. Anger at external things is pointless.

39. Give joy to to us and the gods.

40. Some lives are ended, some remain.

41. If god neglects us, it is for good reason.

42. I keep justice and right on my side.

43. Do not weep for us.

44. Plato: Don't worry about living and dying. Just do what is right.

45. Choose the stand that is right for you, regardless of the consequence.

46. Better to live well than to save everything to try to avoid destiny.

47. What's your sign?

48. Plato: Take the long view on everything.

49. History repeasts itself.

50. Whatever comes from Earth returns to it.

51. I dunno, I think this is just a lost Macbeth Witches speech:

By meats and drinks, and charms and magic arts
Death’s course they would divert, and thus escape.
.  .  .  .  .  .  .
The gale that blows from God we must endure,
Toiling, but not repining.....

Commonplacing

 As I continue to work on my memorization thing, I think I'm going to shift gears a little bit. I can memorize a quote, but if I don't practice/review it, I forget part of it after a month or so. I think I'm going to focus more on collecting them in a commonplace book (still trying to decide about digital, physical, or some kind of hybrid. I'll still do some memorization, but having them collected will be more practical in the long run. I hope.

Meditations by Marcus Aurelius translated by George W. Chrystal (~180) Book 7

Meditations by Marcus Aurelius translated by George W. Chrystal (~180) Book 7

Bonus:  https://www.youtube.com/embed/5gSZtjBP4Vw

Summary: Dying doesn't matter.

Commentary: 

1. The vices haven't changed much throughout history.

2. You can always renew your life with great passions.

3. Your life is worth what you pursue. Are you really gonna waste it on lame plays?

4. Listen to people in conversation, and what they do in all things. See what their goals are.

5. If you understand something well enough to do it, go ahead. If not, either find someone who knows better, or do your best if necessary. Accept help. Do everything for the public good.

6. Many acclaimed people are dead.

7. Don't be ashamed of help. You need to do your part, but if you can only do it with other's help that's better than failing alone.

8. Don't worry about the future. You'll handle it when you get there the same as the present.

9. Everything is connected.

10. Everything will die/be consumed.

11. Nature=reason

12. Be moral either by your nature or correction.

13. Work together with society the same way that your body parts work together.

14. You have the power to decide what you complain about?

15. Let other's do as they please, be like gold and retain your luster.

16. Your soul doesn't upset you. Therefore, have your body take care to minimaize how much it upsets you.

17. Having good fortune requires good spirit or a good mine, not imagination.

18. Why do you hate change? Nothing can happen without it. You can't even eat.

19. We are all parts of the universe. Think of all the great people who have came and went with time.

20. I am only worried about doing things against good nature.

21. When you die, you forget everything and everyone forgets you.

22. Love even people who make mistakes. Remember, they can't hurt your soul!

23. Everything is made of the same subtance. It is something for a while, then dies, then comes back as something else.

24. Resting bitch face is an abomination against nature.

25. In a little while, everything will be different.

26. When someones offend you, accept that it's probably because of a confusing over good and evil. You might pity them, or realize your error. If you agree, forgive. If you disagree, you can forgive better as your learn.

27. Focus on what you have, not what you wish you had. Think of how much you'd miss what you value most if you didn't have it.

28. Look inward for calm and reason.

29. Don't focus on imaginings, worries, and passions. Just focus on the present.

30. Think about what is said.

31. Enjoy simplicity, modesty, and indifference. Love everyone, and obey the gods. Everything is in order.

32. Death is just a scattering of atoms.

33. Any pain that lasts is bearable. It hurts your body, not your soul.

34. Glory will pass with time.

35. Plato be like: In the grand scheme of things, no life is that great. Therefore, death can't be that bad.

36. Antisthenes says that it is a king's job to do good and be criticized.

Meditations by Marcus Aurelius translated by George W. Chrystal (~180) Book 6 Pt 5

Meditations by Marcus Aurelius translated by George W. Chrystal (~180) Book 6 Pt 5

Bonus: 

Do I have to be a Communist to read Marcus Aurelius?

Summary: Communism?

Commentary: 

42. We're all working towards the universe's purpose.

43. All our work is different, but all towards the same end.

44. The gods have a plan. If not for me specifically, then for the universe that I'm part of. And it must be a good plan. I should do what is best for me, since it will be according to their plan if they made one, and still best if they didn't.

45. Anything that happens to you is for the profit of the whole.

46. All of life is the same. What will the end be like?

47. Think of everyone who is dead, and realize you'll wind up the same.

48. When you want to be happy, think of the good things about the people you know. Nothing makes us happier than the good in others.

49. If you're not upset that you're not bigger, don't be upset you don't live longer. Amounts of matter and time are the same.

50. Try to convince others to support you, but do what is right regardless. If you are obstructed, try to take advantage of it for a virtue.

51. The proud take joy from what others do. The sensualist in what they feel. The wise in their work.

52. You can choose not to make up your mind about things. This can bring peace. Nothing and no one can form your opinion for you.

53. Listen to others and try to understand what they think.

54. What doesn't benefit others cannot benefit you.

55. If you hate the people who give you advice/direction, how will they help you.

56. Most people who have been born are already dead.

57. Being mad makes as much sense as people with rabies hating water.

58. No one can stop you from doing what the universe wants, and nothing can happen to you that isn't part of its plan.

59. Think of what people do. Now think of how dead they'll be.

Marcus Aurelius is pretty collectivist.

 

Meditations by Marcus Aurelius translated by George W. Chrystal (~180) Book 6 Pt 4

  Meditations by Marcus Aurelius translated by George W. Chrystal (~180) Book 6 Pt 4

Bonus: 

Marcus Aurelius reminds you that snu snu is of the flesh, not the spirit.

Summary: Marcus Aurelius does customer service.

Commentary: 

26. Take care of all parts of your duties carefully. Don't get angry when someone is mad at you (like customer service!)

27. People should be free to pursue what they want. If they're wrong, correct them, but don't get mad.

28. Death is the end of sense, passion, reason, and THE MORTAL COIL.

29. It's shameful if your soul gives out before your body.

30. Stay pure, simple, kind, etc. so you can have a clean conscious when you die.

31. When you have a bad dream, wake up, consult your senses, and realize it wasn't real life.

32. Your body is frailer than your soul, and only cares about the now.

33. Hard work isn't against nature. As long as it's within your nature, it's good for man.

34. Scumbags enjoy many pleasures.

35. Don't show more respect to the rules and traditions of your profession than to your own reason.

36. The world is a tiny part of the universe, but what's good here is good everywhere. What's bad here is also bad everywhere.

37. The present is the same as all time.

38. Everything is connected.

39. Love the things in your life that there are to love.

40. A good tool is still good, even when separated from its maker, as long as it is used properly. Use yourself for good, even if you are away from your maker.

41. We cause a lot of problems when were blame things out of our control on good or evil. Only worry about your own stuff.

Meditations by Marcus Aurelius translated by George W. Chrystal (~180) Book 6 Pt 3

Meditations by Marcus Aurelius translated by George W. Chrystal (~180) Book 6 Pt 3

Bonus: 

#19

Summary: Memes.

Commentary: 

13. "Keep these thoughts for meats and eatables: This that is before me is the dead carcase of a fish, a fowl, a hog." And then some more about wine is just grapes, etc. This shows you how little they're worth and how to avoid vanity.

14. 

15. Things are born and die (at varying speeds).

16. The freedom to make your own decisions is better than being a slave to applause.

17. The physical goes in all sorts of directions, virtue goes in a line.

18. We insult our contemporaries, but we want to be praised by our predecessors (impossible).

19. Just because it's hard doesn't mean it's impossible. If you see something is possible, don't give up.

20. If someone accidentally fouls you at the gym, you don't get offended, you just dodge him the next time. Be the same in the rest of your life.

21. If someone proves you wrong, take the correction gladly. Truth is the goal, and truth hurts no one. Continuing in error does hurt.

22. I do my duty and don't worry about things that don't matter.

23. Be generous and free with the physical world.

24. We all die the same.

25. There's a lot of stuff going on at the same time, and a lot of things existing.

Meditations by Marcus Aurelius translated by George W. Chrystal (~180) Book 6 Pt 2

  Meditations by Marcus Aurelius translated by George W. Chrystal (~180) Book 6

Bonus: 

Revenge in spaaaaaace

Summary: The universe is guided and guides us.

Commentary: 

2. Act like the person you want to be, no matter the situation.

3. Look inside yourself. Don't let the value of anything escape you.

4. Everything changes quickly.

5. The universe knows itself and what's happening.

6. The best revenge is not acting like the person who wronged you.

7. Be happy in moving from one productive thing to another.

8. The ruling part of you is that which makes you get up and do things and chooses your course.

9. Everything happens at the will of the universe. There is no other.

10. The universe is either organized or not. If not, I'm ready to die whenever. If it is, then I trust God.

11. When life gives you a problem, think of yourself and what you can control.

12. Philosophy is your mother, society your step-mother. You respect your step-mother, but your mom comes first.

The revenge one is interesting. Kind of like "living well is the best revenge", but a little more concrete.

Meditations by Marcus Aurelius translated by George W. Chrystal (~180) Book 6

 Meditations by Marcus Aurelius translated by George W. Chrystal (~180) Book 6

Bonus: 

I'm sleepy.

Summary: I had a birthday party and I am sleepy.

Commentary: 

1. Listen to the universe, it's good and will guide you to your best life.

Meditations by Marcus Aurelius translated by George W. Chrystal (~180) Book 5 Finale

 Meditations by Marcus Aurelius translated by George W. Chrystal (~180) Book 5 Part Finale

Bonus: 

Have you ever seen Batman and Marcus Aurelius in the same room?

Summary: You're gonna die and justice is great.

Commentary: 

20. At best, man is one of my favorite things. At worst, he is an obstacle like the weather. I will overcome him.

21. Revere what is best in the universe, and in yourself, the things that uses and arranges things to their best effect.

22. Things that don't hurt the whole do not hurt the parts. This applies to a state, a city, and yourself. 

23. Consider how quickly things exist and desist. Nothing is stable. Even the great successes are gone in the blink of the eye of eternity.

24. You are tiny in the span of the universe and eternity.

25. If someone wrongs you, that's his problem. Act in your nature and control what you control.

26. Listen to your soul, not your senses.

27. Live with the gods. They made our souls, and our souls are our best guidance.

28. Don't be mad that people are smelly. If it bothers you that much, talk to them about it and you might fix them.

29. Live the life you want. If you can't, change your life so you can.

30. The universe is social and orderly, meaning that the inferior must listen to the superior.

31. Think of how you treated others. Can it be said that you have done nothing unkind? 

32. If you're so smart, why do you let idiots bother you?

33. You're going to do, be transformed, yada yada yada.

34. If you walk the right path, you'll have a good life. Let nothing outside of you hinder you, and remember the happiness of justice.

35. No harm, no foul.

36. Don't get carried away by feeling. Help other people. Don't value things too much. Use riches to get good things. The best things are a good mind, good impulses, and good actions.

 They just keep getting longer and longer.

Meditations by Marcus Aurelius translated by George W. Chrystal (~180) Book 5 Part 2

 Meditations by Marcus Aurelius translated by George W. Chrystal (~180) Book 5 Part 2

Bonus: 

BWAHMMMM

Summary: Your nature and your soul are all that matter.

Commentary:

9. If you mess up, don't be down on yourself. Remember that you mostly don't mess up and go try again. When you want something unbecoming, think about how much better wisdom, kindness, etc. are.

10. The nature of things are concealed, and some people say it's impossible to see their real nature.  And the morals of most people are terrible. We'll figure it all out once we die.

11. How am I using my soul? I should always keep that in mind. What kind of soul do I have?

12. You can't have too much of a good thing when the good thing is a virtue like courage. It is for physical things.

13. We don't become nothing when we die, because we didn't come from nothing. We'll return to the universe, which will also transform over time.

14. Thought and reason are complete themselves. They start from their own principle and reach their own ends. They're called right because thoughts don't deviate.

15. Nothing but your nature is really a part of you. Don't rebel against your nature. You have everything you need to be good. The more unnecessary things you go without, the better you are.

16. The way you think the most is your real nature. Work towards it and you will be happy and good. Society is the highest good, since we're meant to be social.

17. Doing the impossible is madness, and the root of evil.

18. You can bear anything nature presents you with.

19. Material things cannot touch the soul, only the soul can change itself.

IT'S MY BIRTHDAY!

 Today is my birthday. I spent some time scrolling through the "On This Day..." stuff on Wikipedia, and here's some cool stuff I found:

The Voyage of the Beagle by Charles Darwin (1831)

7th.—Having run up the coast, we anchored near the northern end of the Chonos Archipelago, in Low's Harbour, where we remained a week. The islands were here, as in Chiloe, composed of a stratified, soft, littoral deposit; and the vegetation in consequence was beautifully luxuriant. The woods came down to the sea-beach, just in the manner of an evergreen shrubbery over a gravel walk. We also enjoyed from the anchorage a splendid view of four great snowy cones of the Cordillera, including "el famoso Corcovado;" the range itself had in this latitude so little height, that few parts of it appeared above the tops of the neighbouring islets. We found here a party of five men from Caylen, "el fin del Cristiandad," who had most adventurously crossed in their miserable boat-canoe, for the purpose of fishing, the open space of sea which separates Chonos from Chiloe. These islands will, in all probability, in a short time become peopled like those adjoining the coast of Chiloe.

Not the best Charles Darwin RPG entry. I'm looking forward to when I get back to this.

CQD established as distress signal (1904)

CQ=General Call D=Distress

 Not “Come Quick Danger” or similar backronyms (same as SOS, which is really just thee sets of three and not "designed" as SOS.)

First Transatlantic Phone Call

“How’s the weather in London?”

What could be more British than talking about the weather on a historic call? I guess technically the American asked.

Tricolour Flag Day Italy

Dal verbale della Sessione XIV del Congresso Cispadano: Reggio Emilia, 7 gennaio 1797, ore 11. Sala Patriottica. Gli intervenuti sono 100, deputati delle popolazioni di Bologna, Ferrara, Modena e Reggio Emilia. Giuseppe Compagnoni fa pure mozione che si renda Universale lo Stendardo o Bandiera Cispadana di tre colori, Verde, Bianco e Rosso e che questi tre colori si usino anche nella Coccarda Cispadana, la quale debba portarsi da tutti. Viene decretato.

Trans: From the minutes of the XIV Session of the Cispadan Congress: Reggio Emilia, 7 January 1797, 11 am. Patriotic Hall. The participants are 100, deputies of the populations of Bologna, Ferrara, Modena and Reggio Emilia. Giuseppe Compagnoni also motioned that the standard or Cispadan Flag of three colours, Green, White and Red, should be rendered Universal and that these three colours should also be used in the Cispadan Cockade, which should be worn by everyone. It is decreed.

St. Distaff’s Day by Robert Herrick (1648)

PARTLY work and partly play

You must on St. Distaff’s Day:

From the plough soon free your team;

Then come home and fother them;

If the maids a-spinning go,

Burn the flax and fire the tow.

Bring in pails of water then,

Let the maids bewash the men.

Give St. Distaff all the right;

Then bid Christmas sport good night,

And next morrow every one

To his own vocation.

All you ladies out there can start spinning again! You're welcome. 

 

 

 

 

Meditations by Marcus Aurelius translated by George W. Chrystal (~180) Book 5 Part 1

 Meditations by Marcus Aurelius translated by George W. Chrystal (~180) Book 5 Part 1

Bonus: 

I went and found the ABS version and not the first one on Youtube.

Summary: Get up and get your shit done!

Commentary:

1. Sometimes, even Stoics don't want to wake up in the morning.

But is it really right to just lay in bed all day?

"But it's comfy!" you say?

Is pleasure all you want? (Marcus Aurelius is not a hedonist)

All the plants and animals and bugs work.

Will you not do the work that is you were made for?

"But I am le tired."

Just like eating and drinking, there is an appropriate amount of resting.

If you lay in bed all day, you dishonor yourself and your work.

Is the pursuit of good less valuable than *insert that annoying thing your neighbor does all the time here*?

2. If you ignore everything you dislike, it's easy to be calm.

3. Nothing consistent with your moral nature is bad. Even if you are criticized, stick with it.

4. Live the life nature intended until you die. The Earth will still be there for you when you die, no matter how badly you've mistreated it.

5. People don't admire shrewdness. They admire sincerity, dignity, carefulness, not being whiny, frugality, kind, honest, loving, ambitious. These are all virtues you are fit to pursue. Would you rather be whiny, dishonest, boastful, etc.?  No, you're just kinda slow. You could fix that if you worked on it.

6. Some people call in their favors. Some people don't mention them, but always think about them. Some not to worry about it. These are the people who build the world.

7. Pray simply and honestly, or not at all.

8. Whatever fate gives you is good for you.

This one is long, and I'm gonna split it into multiple parts. I like it so far, strong contender for best book of Meditations. I particularly like 1 and 5.

Fantasia 2000 (1999)

Fantasia 2000

Only one trailer? Casual.

Summary: Classical music w/ animation.

Commentary: Figured I might as well do Fantasia 2000 as well.

Symphony No. 5: Flying Durritos!

Pines of Rome: Flying whales are cool, but the CG looks atrocious today.

Rhapsody in Blue: This is a strong contender for my favorite short across both movies. The animation style is great, and it's one of the most well aligned.

Piano Concert No. 2: After not doing toy soldiers vs rats for Nutcracker, they do them here.

Carnival of the Animals: Possibly the most forgettable sequence in either movie. Generic Disney filler.

Sorcerer's Apprentice:  Still sucks!

Pomp and Circumstance: Much better use of Disney characters.

The Firebird: Please stop doing "story" numbers where the events don't make any sense.

The first Fantasia is definitely better. Much more creative.

 

Fantasia (1940)

 Fantasia

Bonus: 

Trailer #12!?

Summary: Classical music w/ animation.

Commentary: My wife and I went to see one of those movie/orchestra things with Fantasia the other day. The set list was kind of odd. They did:

Toccata and Fugue (without the animation)

Nutcracker

Symphony #5 (from Fantasia 2000)

Firebird (Fantasia 2000)

Intermission (without the "song")

Clair De Lune (Cut from the original)

The Pastoral Symphony

Dance of The Hours

The Sorcerer's Apprentice

Might've swapped those orders a little, but that's just gist.

That means that they cut out Night on Bald Mountain and Rites of Spring. I would guess that's because Spring is so long, and Bald Mountain has nipples in it. (Have you seen that bra on the centaur lady in Pastoral? It's pretty close.)

No nipples here...

Toccata in Fugue is fine. The animation is only in the end and pretty light, so I guess cutting it isn't too bad. They cut all the between bits, but our conductor did a pretty good job of filling in, so that was fine.

Nutcracker is good. I think the variety in the animation (without resorting to actual nutcrackers fighting rats at any point) is impressive. Kind of weird that the racist-taurs get cut later, but we keep the "Oriental Mushrooms"

We are Chi-a-nese if you ple-ase

Rites of Spring has 40s dinosaurs, which is great. The animation itself doesn't stand out among the all around greatness of the rest of the show, but it's cool to see how the portrayals have changes. Presumably cut for length, which is a shame, but understandable

Check out the Thagomizer on that guy!

The Pastoral Symphony is a lot stronger in the second half than the first. But, as a general rule, if you're going to cut numbers from a show, you should always cut the one you have to censor.

All or nothing!

Dance of The Hours is my favorite. The animation is in a great spot, transitioning from the 30s rubber hose to a more modern style, and it works, especially for the ostriches. It's the best of the "story" cartoons in Fantasia by a long shot.

I'm not saying there's a lot of competition, but definitely the sexiest hippo in the Disney canon.

Night on Bald Mountain is too sexy with the harpy nipples. It's probably the most well animated of the set. So much going on, and a lot of stuff that's really impressive for the time period.

FEMALE PRESENTING NIPPLES!

Sorcerer's Apprentice sucks. It's a "plot" short with a plot that's obvious, and doesn't really make sense. The above mentioned not-quite-hose animation doesn't work for the less goofy Mickey. They moved it to the end since it's "the" Fantasia short, but I'd have gladly cut it for either of the cut shorts or most of Fantasia 2000.

Overall, I enjoy Fantasia, and the performance we went to. I want to take a quick minute to talk about the whole idea of it though. Fantasia exists during a high water mark in Disney's history. Smack in the middle of the first "golden age" (after Pinocchio, before Dumbo), and while they were also still producing shorts (like the Silly Symphonies) that form sort of a prototype.

It's also a big contrast with modern Disney, which is the sloppiest of all slop. Nipples? Classical Music? Art!? Disney cares not for these things, anymore. The whole story of its production, with Walt personally going to Stokowski, the work that went into distributing it, the experimental nature of the whole thing. It's so different from the safe, boring, "mid brow" Disney we see today. It's a shame.

 

Some Fruits of Solitude By William Penn (1682) Part 13: Avarice (88-105)

Some Fruits of Solitude By William Penn (1682) Part 13: Avarice (88-105)

Bonus: 

How many warning screens are you going to make me click through, Youtube?

Summary: It's okay to be gay.

Commentary: (This is technically Part 2. My parts are much smaller.)

88. Covetousness is the greatest sin. Some people are so greedy and penny pinching that they would die to save money on the doctor.

89. This should count as a suicide, and be barred from Christian burial.

90. He's also terrible in his community, giving nothing to his neighbors. His life would be torture for anyone else. 

91. He is like a slave to his money, which should be his servant.

92. Look for personality, virtue. and intelligence before money, beauty, and body.

93. Marry someone whose goals, standards, and desires are in line with yours.

94. Souls are sexless, so sex makes no difference?

(THEY WERE ROOMMATES !?)

95. You wouldn't want to worry more about body than soul, would you?

96. The satisfaction of the senses is overrated compared to the satisfaction of the mind.

97. Therefore, look for pleasure of the mind.

98. Your happiness now is assured, as is your future reward.

99. And a couple who looks for such pleasure is the most sincerely affectionate.

100. Man and wife should have love, not authority.

101. Love will bring them together, so it will keep them together.

102. Don't make your wife your servant.

103. Be an example of love to your children and servants.

104. Keep the loving nature of your children.

105. Let them see them do loving things with your family.

There's good in the world, Mr. Frodo.

 Last year, I spent a couple months working on memorizing speeches, poems, etc. It was interesting, and I feel like I still mostly remember them. I also wish I was better at memorization in general, so a good exercise. I think I'd like to do some Lord of The Rings next, so:

Movie:

FRODO: I can’t do this, Sam.

SAM: I know. It’s all wrong. By rights we shouldn’t even be here. But we are. It’s like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger they were. And sometimes you didn’t want to know the end. Because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened?

But in the end, it’s only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you. That meant something. Even if you were too small to understand why. But I think, Mr. Frodo, I do understand. I know now. Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back only they didn’t. Because they were holding on to something.

FRODO: What are we holding on to, Sam?

SAM: That there’s some good in this world, Mr. Frodo. And it’s worth fighting for.

---

Book:

“Yes, that’s so,’ said Sam. ‘And we shouldn’t be here at all, if we’d known more about it before we started. But I suppose it’s often that way. The brave things in the old tales and songs, Mr. Frodo: adventures, as I used to call them. I used to think that they were things the wonderful folk of the stories went out and looked for, because they wanted them, because they were exciting and life was a bit dull, a kind of a sport, as you might say. But that’s not the way of it with the tales that really mattered, or the ones that stay in the mind. Folk seem to have been just landed in them, usually – their paths were laid that way, as you put it. But I expect they had lots of chances, like us, of turning back, only they didn’t. And if they had, we shouldn’t know, because they’d have been forgotten. We hear about those as just went on – and not all to a good end, mind you; at least not to what folk inside a story and not outside it call a good end. You know, coming home, and finding things all right, though not quite the same – like old Mr Bilbo. But those aren’t always the best tales to hear, though they may be the best tales to get landed in! I wonder what sort of a tale we’ve fallen into?’

‘I wonder,’ said Frodo. ‘But I don’t know. And that’s the way of a real tale. Take any one that you’re fond of. You may know, or guess, what kind of a tale it is, happy-ending or sad-ending, but the people in it don’t know. And you don’t want them to.’

---

Other:

“I wish it need not have happened in my time," said Frodo.

"So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”

Meditations by Marcus Aurelius translated by George W. Chrystal (~180) Book 4

 Meditations by Marcus Aurelius translated by George W. Chrystal (~180) Book 4

Bonus:

Unguided atoms are chaos theory.

Summary: You're going to die. Live according to nature.

Commentary: 

1. Your soul can handle any challenge, and will only get stronger.

2. Don't just do stuff randomly.

3. People try to go to far away, isolated places to rest, but you can go inside yourself whenever you want. It's the perfect way to renew yourself, do it often. 

Always have key thoughts and mottos ready to remember. When you see something bad, remember that we all exist to help each other. Either there is a plan, or everything is "unguided atoms." 

Fame is fickle, chaos is eternal. 

4. We all have minds, come from the same Earth, and the virtues are rational, so we should all follow common laws to encourage us to follow virtue.

5. If Birth isn't bad, than neither is Death. It's just a reversal of the same process.

6. Fate matches certain people to certain actions.

7. Don't think about your pain and your injury is half gone.

8. If something doesn't harm you, it doesn't harm your life, and isn't a problem.

9. What is, is.

10. What is supposed to happen, happens.

11. Don't think what the person who insults you thinks. Think the truth.

12. Always be ready to do the right thing, and to change your mind.

13. If you can think, why wouldn't you?

14. You are part of the universe. You will disappear into it in time. 

15. We all die. The order doesn't matter.

16. If you use reason, it will take only a week or two to seem like a god to people who don't.

17. Don't live like you'll be ten thousand years. Live to do good now.

18. Worry about your actions, not how other people will talk about them.

19. Even if you're famous, you're still dead. Also, all the people who remember your famousness will die too.

20. Anything beautiful is beautiful for it's own sake. 

21. Souls dissipate like bodies?

22. Keep on the straight and narrow. Justice!

23. Be in tune with nature. Everything is in its time and place.

24. If you want to be calm, focus on doing the things you need to do, not extras.

25. Try living the life of a good man and see how it suits you.

26. You have seen how a bad life goes. Avoid complexity, keep simplicity. 

27. If there is order in you, there must be order in the universe.

28. Think about all the different kinds of deformed character.

29. Not learning about the world is like making yourself a foreigner in your own country.

30. Philosophers need mental food more than physical.

31. Love your art, no matter what it is. Spend the rest of your time with the gods.

32. All societies throughout history have fallen in time, and most of them have the same issues.

33. Everything will become strange and then be forgotten in time.

34. Surrender yourself to the fates and let it happen.

35. Everything is temporary.

36. Everything is changing. 

37. You're going to die, and you haven't even learned to be calm and kind yet.

38. Watch what controls people. What do they care about and do?

39. What you consider bad is not the same for other people.

40.  All the universe is one whole.

41. POOR SOUL, TRAPPED IN MORTAL COIL!

42. Change is good.

43. Time is a river, and you can't step in the same river twice.

44. Everything that happens is natural.

45. Cause and effect. 

46. Earth becomes water, becomes air, becomes fire.

47. If someone told you when you'd die, you wouldn't care if it was tomorrow or the next day. If you don't care about that, you shouldn't worry about if you'll die tomorrow or far into the future.

48. Most of everything that has existed is dead, destroyed, etc.

49. Be like the rock that breaks the waves. No matter what happens to you, be glad you survived it, instead of sad that it happened. Wouldn't you rather be happy about what you did to overcome it than whiny about what happened to you?

50. How much difference does it make how long you live in the long run? 

51. The easiest path is following what nature wants.

PHEW!

There are some solid ones in here. Three is one of my favorites. Twenty seven is similar, but much shorter.