You Don't Gotta Have Faith-a-Faith-a-Faith

On this day in 1974, Philippe Petit walked on a tightrope between the Twin Towers. 

"If I die, what a beautiful death!"

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He's making an excellent case for reclaiming those nuclear codes, am I right? I mean those nicknames, so smart, and very, very, VERY funny. Everyone knows that great decision-making stems from a scattered, hatred-poisoned mind. How about his supernatural ability to understand Biden's regret and drive for vengeance? This guy just gets it!

Unrelated, does anyone have the number for Ether-Sniffers Anonymous?

August 7, 2024

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Bertrand Russell, Why I Am Not a Christian- "... it is thought virtuous to have faith—that is to say, to have a conviction which cannot be shaken by contrary evidence. Or, if contrary evidence might induce doubt, it is held that contrary evidence must be suppressed."

You can't put it any better than that!

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Meditation is good for nothing.

https://www.upworthy.com/amp/zen-master-explains-why-meditation-good-for-nothing-2657510176

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Ricky Gervais on Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee:

Ricky Gervais: On the last day, the Russians were advancing. They were 200 yards down the road. He married Eva Braun, right? They had a cake, and some champagne. The retired to bed early. In the morning, he poisoned her and shot himself, and the gardener burned the bodies. Right? Now, say what you would about Hitler, but that’s a terrible honeymoon isn’t it? That’s a crap honeymoon!

Jerry Seinfeld: The funniest part of that joke, is “Say what you would about Hitler…”

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Bill Maher's eulogy of Trump:

Dear family and frenemies of Donald Trump: Some men look at the world and ask, ‘Why?’ Donald Trump looked at the world and asked, ‘What’s in it for me?’ His generosity knew only limits, and he never once failed to put himself before others.

He was a devoted father who every day tried to teach his children the wrong lessons of life. Be quick to anger, never never let go of a grudge. See the worst in people, and treat them all equally based strictly on how much money they make and what they look like.

So many wanted to speak here today, but couldn’t break their non-disclosure agreements. And our hearts go out to Melania who RSVP’d ‘maybe.’ Donald always said he knew she was the one the moment he saw her and said those three little words: ‘add to cart.’

Donald loved so many things: money, golf, lawsuits, porn stars, dictators, organized crime, and the 35 percent of the American people who still like him. The other 65 percent can go fuck themselves.

He once said that the experience of not being in Vietnam taught him the most important lesson of all: that there’s no problem so big you can’t lie your way out of it. And when it came to flouting the law he was a criminal’s criminal. And intellectually a midget among giants. A man of few words. About a hundred. Mostly ‘tremendous,’ ‘disgusting,’ ‘strongly’ and ‘shithole.’

Donald Trump never met a man he liked. And yet he always suffered fools. You could tell him anything and he’d believed it. It’s painful to think he could still be with us if only his personal physician wasn’t that lady who believed medicine came from outer space.

Donald’s greatest hero, Winston Churchill, said of his own mortality, ‘I’m ready to meet my maker. Whether my maker is prepared for the great ordeal of meeting me is another matter.’ Well, God. Trump’s your problem now.

As for me personally, I guess what I’ll miss most about Don is his dull wit. He was never laughing. And when he made you laugh, it was always unintentional. But as a walking parody of himself he was a challenge to satirize and made me a better comedian for it. He died as he lived: wearing makeup and lying in front of all of us. So fly free, whiny little bitch. Fly free. May you find the peace your Twitter thumbs never could.

https://fb.watch/mgE4zYSiMQ/

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I'm listening to Jim Jarmusch answer fans' questions on the Blu-ray of Dead Man. Someone asked him about all the space that he leaves in the movie- the space between sentences, physical space between actors, space in the landscape, space between life and death, etc. Jim said that he didn't know how to answer, but that he's reminded of his admiration for the films of Ozu. He said that he visited Ozu's grave in Japan with some friends and his gravestone has no name and no dates, just a single Japanese character mu, untranslatable into English. He said it's roughly taken to mean, "the space between all things." That's a pretty good answer!

August 7, 2018

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Kurt Vonnegut's favorite joke. He's certainly looking down from heaven, pleased we appreciate it:

"We had a memorial service for Isaac (Asimov) a few years back, and I spoke and said at one point, 'Isaac is up in heaven now.' It was the funniest thing I could have said to an audience of humanists. I rolled them in the aisles. It was several minutes before order could be restored. And if I should ever die, God forbid, I hope you will say, 'Kurt is up in heaven now.' That's my favorite joke."

August 7, 2018

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We used to be all by ourselves in the park but now all those pokey-people are milling about. Strange to think that just a few short weeks ago there was a pokemon-sized hole in their lives. If you told them I bet they wouldn't have believed you! I'm nobody to judge though. A few weeks ago there was a locust shell-sized hole in my own life.

August 7, 2016

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For the sake of argument would you prefer to have a boss who was untrustworthy, or one who was an untrustworthy, unhinged, race-baiting, sexist lunatic, a proven con man who lacks all empathy and who has open contempt for the rule of law yet eagerly looks for any reason to sue? Also, again for the sake of argument, let's say his catchphrase is "you're fired." Well, if you wouldn't like the second one as your boss, how would you like him for your... mayor???

August 7, 2016

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Parting advice from John Stewart, "So I say to you tonight friends, the best defense against bullshit is vigilance- so if you smell something, say something." Nobody smelled it better, or said it better.

August 7, 2015

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Emma spilled her drink on the living room floor pretending she was an Olympic gymnast.

August 7, 2012

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The last confirmed lynching took place on this day in 1930, in Marion, Indiana, when Thomas Shipp and Abram Smith were killed as people watched with smiles on their faces. I've been visiting Fairmount Indiana since 1995, when 75-year-old men could have been the 10 year old kids watching.

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From Lost Trails of History:

The photograph of Sharon Tate and Wojciech Frykowski, captured by Jay Sebring on August 7, 1969, holds a poignant place in Hollywood history. Taken at 10050 Cielo Drive, the image shows them near the French doors of Sharon’s bedroom that led to the pool, a serene setting that contrasts with the tragic events that would unfold later that night. This residence, nestled in the hills of Los Angeles, was a hub of artistic and social activity during the late 1960s, frequented by luminaries from the entertainment world.

Sharon Tate, a rising star and style icon of her era, exuded grace and charm, captivating audiences with her performances in films like Valley of the Dolls (1967) and The Fearless Vampire Killers (1967). Wojciech Frykowski, a Polish filmmaker and close friend of Sharon's husband, Roman Polanski, shared the couple's bohemian lifestyle, reflecting the creative and carefree ethos of the time.

Jay Sebring, a renowned hairstylist and close friend of Tate, documented many personal moments of their circle, including this intimate snapshot. The photograph, taken on what was to be the last day of their lives, captures an unassuming moment—two friends in quiet companionship, unaware of the horrific events to come.

The murders at Cielo Drive on August 8, 1969, orchestrated by members of the Manson Family, shocked the nation and marked a grim turning point in Hollywood’s golden age. This photo, like others from that day, has become a haunting reminder of their untimely deaths, symbolizing the end of an era defined by youthful exuberance and artistic freedom.

The legacy of Sharon Tate endures as a symbol of beauty and talent, and the photograph serves as a bittersweet relic of a moment frozen in time.

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On this day in 2007, Barry Bonds hit a meaningless 756th career home run.

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Garrison Keillor was born on this day in 1942. Prairie Home Companion and the Writer's Almanac are anachronisms. They take you back 50 years. There were times I got done playing racquetball, 100% exhausted, and The Writer's Almanac came on. I can't say that I've ever been more at peace.

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African-American actress, Charlize Theron, was born on this day in 1975.

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Perhaps the best baseball player of the current generation, Mike Trout, was born on this day in 1931. He's no Kevin Bass.

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Other notable birthdays- Mata Hari (1876), Billie Burke (1884), Louis Leakey 1903), Nicholas Ray (1911), James Randi (1928), Robert Mueller (1944)

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After working 16 and a half hours yesterday I saw a monkey in the middle of the road on the way home.

August 7, 2009

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Marshall Grant of the Tennessee Two left us on this day in 2011. He played guitar as if he was a train engineer.

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Apollo 13 Commander Jim Lovell died on this day in 2025. Imagine being trapped in space 200,000 miles from Earth and you have to figure out how to get back. 

Later he said, "Be thankful for problems. If they were less difficult, someone with less ability might have your job."

What a quote. Here's another:

"There are people who make things happen, there are people who watch things happen, and there are people who wonder what happened. To be successful, you need to be a person who makes things happen."

A life well lived.

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John Waters- “Ever feel like killing somebody just to see if you could get away with it? Sure, you have. Everybody has little things that get on their nerves.”

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The Onion headline, August 7, 2019- Being Eaten Alive By Shark Not Nearly As Terrifying As Man Had Imagined

"As several more ravenous sharks began to circle the gruesome remains of what used to be his torso, Roberts noted that his recent real-world experience had pretty much ruined Jaws for him."

https://local.theonion.com/being-eaten-alive-by-shark-not-nearly-as-terrifying-as-1837027261

August 7, 2019

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James Randi- "I've repeatedly found that people relieved of their superstitions and misconceptions of the world react in a manner which is much different than what might be expected. Most of these folks have expressed to me a profound sense of relief and renewed strength, rather than disappointment." 

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Seneca- "All cruelty springs from weakness."

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Christopher Hitchens- "If I come up against a pile of evidence that makes it seem as if my first assumption was untrue, I would rather change the assumption than try and change the evidence. That may seem obvious when I say it, but I do know that for a lot of people, that isn't easy.”

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Herman Melville, Moby-Dick- "Better to sleep with a sober cannibal than a drunk Christian."

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Henry Miller:

“For the artist to attach himself to his work, or identify himself with it, is suicidal. 

An artist should be able not only to spit on his predecessor’s art, or on all works of art, but on his own too. 

He should be able to be an artist all the time, and finally not be an artist at all, but a piece of art.”

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