ratsonjulia

we are all humanoids, all 7 odd billion of us, just knockin around on this big earth trying to live, trying to feel good things, intersecting in all kinda ways with other humanoids knocking around on this rock...full of folly, weakness, strength, and flaws.

don't be too hard on yourself, cookie.

Yeah! Hoorray for Mexico!
I was just admiring how symmetrical were Ambrose Bierce's and B. Traven's existences: one disappearing without traces, the other appearing suddenly out from nothing... when I read your post about the findings you made, websites where was exposed a theory according to which Bierce and Traven were one and the same! You bet it made a big grin to appear on my face. As Traven died 1969, this hypothesis should include some secret research plant hidden somewhere on the Mexican altiplano, where mad scientists conducted forbidden experiments on rejuvenation... and maybe Pancho Villa's guerillas storming it in the end and setting it in flames, releasing human guinea pigs, clueless about what happened to them, in the middle of unexplored sierras...


Edited for spelling! Caramba!

[Edited on Mar 07, 2003]

Gee! I got some good reviews.
You'd notice it: I borrowed entirely from Herodotus this first paragraph of the "marginal annotations" I attributed irreverently to Paracelsus , attempting to give my english translation something of a 16th century flavor... a desperate attempt, I'm afraid!

Excellent idea, by the way, applying a patent for "a squirt of H*r*d* t*s"
(I'm cautious, as I don't want to infringe any copyright: I plan to use your invention for my Easter cards -on which I'll give my friends a traditional Provenal recipe for Easter salad- please wait till Easter to send me the bill)

How's Mexico?

clarification of above:

the "itty" in question is Greymalkin (or "aymalkin"), a tiny little ball of tortoise-shell fur that contains, possibly, more malevolence in a space the size of a hard roll than the entire Bush Administration, who loves nothing more than fastening on, & placidly gnawing on, exposed flesh. often little niece would walk across the living room & be taken down like a chubby little gazelle in those nature films, except that gazeeles aren't known to say "Aymalkin! Tupidhead!"

NO! NOOOO!
Don't eat THAT brain! It's not for little zombie babies!
Throw it away!
Throw it away!
No!
Not in the kitty's bowl!
Awwww... too late.

no.

should I?

Yesterday one of the local TV channels aired The Treasure of the Sierra Madre... (sigh.. what a film) and there was a bit of a B. Traven's biopic (sp?) after that... so it's rather fresh in my memory (are you a psychic, rats? how did you manage to know that?) They said he was born in Germany, published an anarchist paper, had some official functions when, after the collapse on the German empire, Bavaria briefly adopted institutions inspired by the libertary ideology (the "Republic of the Bavarian Councils")... then he was sentenced to death for that by some Weimar Republic's court, and fled to Mexico, where he settled in Tampico. He used many pseudos, wrote many (mostly crime and aventure) novels, and his true identity remained unknown until he died1969. His true name is said to have been Ret Marut, wich sounds more like a pseudo than most pseudos do, uh?
Now it's up to you! I'm sure you still knew something about this guy, aside him having written The Treasure of the Sierra Madre!

Hey I've been meaning to ask you, How's the thumbtip?

total craziness. at least it's not dull.

coincidentally, last night was the final episode of oz. it was pretty good.

have a super day.

Indeed! In a coming episode of my serial I plan to have the damp kitten my unnamed hero (should I name him Duncan Gillis? or Jules de Loiseau?) calls "Ms" fire a semi-automatic rifle, in order to save the guts of her human sidekick. So, considering your abovementioned experience, your advice on how this coup de theatre could be made credible is desperately needed.

PS: it was The Tide at Norderney, or whatever it's called in English. It probably has the name "Norderney" in it. It ends so beatifully with the line "Shahrazad saw the morning breaking and, discreetly, ceased talking".

PPS: Take care.
If your journal was a fiction, the recurrent appearances of the Sharpened Toothbrush could be considered a menacing leitmotiv used with the intent of inducing the reader to fear a tragical issue.


[Edited on Feb 25, 2003]

He's a world-famous guerilla boxer with acid for blood. She's a radical African-American politician with a knack for trouble. They fight crime!

hee hee!--I'm gonna have a LOT of fun with this one. thank ham!

Ummmm.... good old Isak Dinesen. I first noticed that this story whose english title is The Old Chevalier in entitled, in french, le vieux chevalier errant...
Does it mean that chevalier, in english, is usual for "knight errant"? I t seems the same mechanics are at work as in this french translation of "girl" by "showgirl"...

When grabbing the old volume on the shelter, I first opened it on the preface's page... I hope you'll be pleased reading that Marcel Schneider, author of this preface, wrote:
"I know a young man for which Seven Gothic Tales is a livre de chevet; he doesn't make his mind about important decisions without opening this book randomly, as it was once used with the Bible, in order to find an inspired answer".

Of course my copy of Seven Gothic Tales is a french one...I bet I would find interesting to read the english version: the genuine original version apparently, as I have read that the books Karen Blixen signed with the name Isak Dinesen were written by her directly in English, the ones she wrote in Danish having been first published under her real name...
It gives me an idea; so, learning some french is on your to-do list.?
For a start, let's do a little French translation exercise.
.... if you find out from which of the Seven Gothic Tales it is, it could help....

Comme je le disais, la plupart des hommes croient qu'ils auraient pu crer le monde. Allons mme plus loin. Peu de gens peuvent dclarer que, de temps en temps, ils ne se sont pas imagin que ce monde qui les entoure ne ft pas leur oeuvre propre, un produit de leur imagination.
En sommes-nous contents, alors? En sommes-nous fiers?
Oui, quelques fois. Dans les premires soires du printemps, au milieu d'enfants et de belles jeunes femmes intelligentes, j'ai parfois t content et fier de mon oeuvre. Mais il m'est aussi arriv, au milieu de gens vulgaires et grossiers, d'prouver des remords d'avoir cr ce mlange insipide et coeurant, et j'en ai eu honte.

[Edited on Feb 26, 2003]

Paolo Conte is my unattainable ideal! Still so many cigarettes to smoke before having a voice like his....

What great hobbies you have!

Now I will add looking for this to my to-do list...

"groovy".... sounds good.
Now we want details about your new groove!

--To.

I'm back too. Most likely not quite as groovy though.