An otherwise humdrum rural town council meeting was disrupted by a distant relative of an American patriot Wednesday evening.
The Knobby Point, Arkansas monthly meeting had just approved an omnibus ordinance to reduce from 20 to 15 the maximum number of cats permissible in a single-family household when interrupted by retired town water inspector Walter Henry.
Henry, the great-grandnephew of the illegitimate grandson of Patrick Henry, rose suddenly yet awkwardly to his feet while holding a cat aloft in one hand. Attempting to appear spontaneous while occasionally peering down at some writing on his fisted arm, he protested the unanimous resolution by reciting his ancestor's Revolutionary War speech widely credited with inspiring the fight for American independence from English rule.
"Gentlemen may cry, Peace, Peace-- but there is no peace. The war is actually begun! The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms! Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!"
Before several seconds of shifting-eyed, stunned silence could be broken by one of the three councilmen, two other attendees, or janitor present, the cat screeched and clawed at Henry's arm until he dropped it with a painful yelp and chased its escape out the back door.
Saturday, September 4, 2010
10th Follower Just In Time For 2,000th Post
Hidden Blog celebrated its 2,000th post late Friday night, just after its enrollment of official followers reached ten.
"Hidden Blog was founded on the principle of becoming more Googlable than Country Joe McDonald," explained the founder. "In time, we adjusted our goal to become more realistic - briefly, to make the earth rotate in the opposite direction, and now, to be a source of fun and optimism. The explosive growth in followers validates its success."
The most recent subscriber, "Lola Takes Pictures," was not immediately located for interview.
Hidden Blog was founded on July 1, 2007, averaging 52 posts monthly since its inception.
"Hidden Blog was founded on the principle of becoming more Googlable than Country Joe McDonald," explained the founder. "In time, we adjusted our goal to become more realistic - briefly, to make the earth rotate in the opposite direction, and now, to be a source of fun and optimism. The explosive growth in followers validates its success."
The most recent subscriber, "Lola Takes Pictures," was not immediately located for interview.
Hidden Blog was founded on July 1, 2007, averaging 52 posts monthly since its inception.
Friday, September 3, 2010
Emotional Soap
"People say that motivation doesn't last. Neither does bathing. That's why we recommend it daily." - Zig Ziglar
Most every motivational habit that passes through my head, no matter how appealing or powerful, has faded away over time. Like dieting, some great ambitions like repeating a certain phrase every morning or saying a prayer at a certain time of day eventually seem to slide.
Someone asked me this week why I attended the Get Motivated! conference. "What is it you're supposed to be motivated FOR?" is the relevant question. Maybe it's a sign of weakness, but I just find that the habit of cleansing myself with positive thoughts in various creative and sometimes repetitive ways is essential for keeping away the plaque of despair, fear or anger that pollutes the idle mind. Yes, motivation is cheap - and so is brushing and flossing. It's best for me as a daily practice, as valuable to a productive mental state as water is to the physical.
Most every motivational habit that passes through my head, no matter how appealing or powerful, has faded away over time. Like dieting, some great ambitions like repeating a certain phrase every morning or saying a prayer at a certain time of day eventually seem to slide.
Someone asked me this week why I attended the Get Motivated! conference. "What is it you're supposed to be motivated FOR?" is the relevant question. Maybe it's a sign of weakness, but I just find that the habit of cleansing myself with positive thoughts in various creative and sometimes repetitive ways is essential for keeping away the plaque of despair, fear or anger that pollutes the idle mind. Yes, motivation is cheap - and so is brushing and flossing. It's best for me as a daily practice, as valuable to a productive mental state as water is to the physical.
Get Motivated! Seminar
Dena and I had been talking about our periodic out-of-town getaway, and it was intriguing when she pointed out the Get Motivated! seminar on tap at the Peoria Civic center last Tuesday.
You look at the itinerary and eyebrows raise. The speaker list included nationally recognized names. Colin Powell. Laura Bush. Terry Bradshaw. Rudy Giuliani. Zig Ziglar. The last two guys have been well-chronicled through their books via Hidden Blog.
The ticket cost was... $5. FIVE DOLLARS? Unless you bought the tickets at the door. Then it was over $200.
What is the catch here? I tried to figure out how they'd manage to surprise us with hidden costs, or somehow the speakers listed were not the real speakers. Couldn't solve the mystery, and in the end there was no catch. This was eight hours of these and other polished, entertaining speakers for a supremely reasonable price. Our seats were unassigned, meaning that we had our pick of seats in the upper bowl of the arena (and it did eventually fill to the rafters).
Surprises?
I didn't know that 83-year-old Zig had experienced a fall that severely damaged his short-term memory, causing an altered, interview format with his daughter. Her role was to trigger some of his more popular phrases, while gently guiding him back on track if he started repeating himself. Still, he was beyond entertaining and they showed several clips of highlights from past speeches of his.
Two different fellows, charming and witty speakers, came up at different time to talk investments. It provided another visual lesson to me of how easily people can be persuaded by the right presentation. Convinced that a $3,000 get-rich-quick web site and seminar series could be had for just $99, hundreds of people stormed tables to scoop up the opportunity.
Even though we pitched in over $200 in hotel rooms to cover our two night Peoria date (featuring also a movie night and Italian restaurant trip), the Get Motivated! investment was well worth its tiny investment. And Hidden Blog readers will benefit too from a palette's worth of inspirational snippets to come!
You look at the itinerary and eyebrows raise. The speaker list included nationally recognized names. Colin Powell. Laura Bush. Terry Bradshaw. Rudy Giuliani. Zig Ziglar. The last two guys have been well-chronicled through their books via Hidden Blog.
The ticket cost was... $5. FIVE DOLLARS? Unless you bought the tickets at the door. Then it was over $200.
What is the catch here? I tried to figure out how they'd manage to surprise us with hidden costs, or somehow the speakers listed were not the real speakers. Couldn't solve the mystery, and in the end there was no catch. This was eight hours of these and other polished, entertaining speakers for a supremely reasonable price. Our seats were unassigned, meaning that we had our pick of seats in the upper bowl of the arena (and it did eventually fill to the rafters).
Surprises?
I didn't know that 83-year-old Zig had experienced a fall that severely damaged his short-term memory, causing an altered, interview format with his daughter. Her role was to trigger some of his more popular phrases, while gently guiding him back on track if he started repeating himself. Still, he was beyond entertaining and they showed several clips of highlights from past speeches of his.
Two different fellows, charming and witty speakers, came up at different time to talk investments. It provided another visual lesson to me of how easily people can be persuaded by the right presentation. Convinced that a $3,000 get-rich-quick web site and seminar series could be had for just $99, hundreds of people stormed tables to scoop up the opportunity.
Even though we pitched in over $200 in hotel rooms to cover our two night Peoria date (featuring also a movie night and Italian restaurant trip), the Get Motivated! investment was well worth its tiny investment. And Hidden Blog readers will benefit too from a palette's worth of inspirational snippets to come!
Inception
When I saw the previews of Inception, it looked like a complex plot a la The Matrix which might require a bit too much thinking to appreciate. Then I started hearing glowing reviews, one person proclaiming it the best movie of the year. That made it worth at least a look.
Pretty good!
As far as I know this is an original idea rather than a reused version of an old Hollywood story. Space-age technology enables crafty criminal artists to enter the dreams of people en route to accessing their hidden thoughts. The story of Leonardo DiCaprio's character follows his singular goal to be reunited with his children, after a dream-related mishap leads to the death of his wife and casts him as a fugitive from justice.
Ellen Page plays a winning support role as a talented architect of dreams, who ultimately gets closer to DiCaprio's life mystery and plays a daring role in the climactic scene.
Eventually, DiCaprio's team dives several "levels" into the mind of a wealthy heir to a family business, who himself becomes a brave part of the action within his own dream. The task - DiCaprio's ticket to absolution - is to create "inception." That is, to implant a thought into the heir's mind while tricking him into thinking that it was his own idea.
The web is tangled. Eventually some of the team is hanging out at higher dream levels while others dive more deeply, and trying to keep straight their exit strategy takes some doing by the viewer. But the characters are likable, and the good guys all get their prizes at the end. Catch it if you can!
Pretty good!
As far as I know this is an original idea rather than a reused version of an old Hollywood story. Space-age technology enables crafty criminal artists to enter the dreams of people en route to accessing their hidden thoughts. The story of Leonardo DiCaprio's character follows his singular goal to be reunited with his children, after a dream-related mishap leads to the death of his wife and casts him as a fugitive from justice.
Ellen Page plays a winning support role as a talented architect of dreams, who ultimately gets closer to DiCaprio's life mystery and plays a daring role in the climactic scene.
Eventually, DiCaprio's team dives several "levels" into the mind of a wealthy heir to a family business, who himself becomes a brave part of the action within his own dream. The task - DiCaprio's ticket to absolution - is to create "inception." That is, to implant a thought into the heir's mind while tricking him into thinking that it was his own idea.
The web is tangled. Eventually some of the team is hanging out at higher dream levels while others dive more deeply, and trying to keep straight their exit strategy takes some doing by the viewer. But the characters are likable, and the good guys all get their prizes at the end. Catch it if you can!
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