It takes so little, so infinitely little, for a person to cross the border beyond which everything loses meaning: love, conviction, faith, history. Human life — and herein lies its secret — takes place in the immediate proximity of that border, even in direct contact with it; it is not miles away, but a fraction of an inch. — Milan Kundera, The Book of Laughter and Forgetting Read more →
Author Archive: Paul Epps
Good Morning Midnight
Good Morning—Midnight— I’m coming Home— Day—got tired of Me— How could I—of Him? Sunshine was a sweet place— I liked to stay— But Morn—didn’t want me—now— So—Goodnight—Day! I can look—can’t I— When the East is Red? The Hills—have a way—then— That puts the Heart—abroad— You—are not so fair—Midnight— I chose—Day— But—please take a little Girl— He turned away! — Emily Dickinson Read more →
Cross to Bear
We are nailed to ourselves. Each of us is our own cross to bear. Read more →
Female Code Breakers Who Helped Defeat the Nazis
Politico tells us that more than 10,000 female “cryptoanalysts” were enlisted by the U.S. Army and Navy to help crack Nazi codes and ensure the Allies’ victory in World War II , but until now they have been mostly overlooked by history. (Politico: The Female Code Breakers Who Helped Defeat the Nazis) OK, but male code breakers have been overlooked by history too, haven’t they? Name a few famous male code breakers. Name one. Don’t say Alan Turing, he was British. Read more →
The Pearl
A raindrop, dripping from a cloud, Was ashamed when it saw the sea. ‘Who am I when there is a sea?’ it said. When it saw itself with the eye of humility, A shell nurtured it in its embrace. — Saadi of Shiraz Read more →
Aside
Do I understand your question, man? Is it hopeless and forlorn?
Aside
Destiny eats prayers like a toad eats flies . . .
World Series Game 7: Houston 5, LA 1
Yu Darvish gives up 5 runs in an inning and two-thirds. Unless I’m forgetting someone, there really aren’t any clutch Asians in professional sports. Sorry Dodgers . . . see you again in 30 years. Embed from Getty Images Read more →
A Keyword Search = Advanced Machine Learning?
A team of researchers at UC San Diego has used “advanced machine learning” to develop technology that mines Twitter to identify entities illegally selling prescription opioids online. Apologies to everyone involved if I’m misunderstanding the media release, but the advanced machine learning seems to consist of looking for tweets that contain any of the keywords codeine, Percocet, fentanyl, Vicodin, Oxycontin, oxycodone or hydrocodone and include a hyperlink. Read more →
Umbrage
Overheard
That is a great fright wig! . . . it’s not a fright wig? Read more →
Russian Propaganda on Facebook
Facebook says that as many as 126 million people may have been exposed to 80,000 posts from a Russian propaganda group known as the Internet Research Agency over a two-year period. Who cares? People believe what they want to believe. Have you ever heard anyone say “I completely changed my mind on this issue after reading a Facebook post by nobody I know”? Or “I was going to vote for Candidate A and now I’m going to vote for Candidate B”? Neither have I . . . Read more →
The Miser and the Angel of Death
A miser had accumulated, by effort, trade, and lending, three hundred thousand dinars. He had lands and buildings, and all kinds of wealth. He then decided that he would spend a year in enjoyment, living comfortably, and then decide as to what his future should be. But, almost as soon as he had stopped amassing money, the Angel of Death appeared before him, to take his life away. The miser tried, by every argument which he could muster, to dissuade the Angel, who seemed, however, adamant. Then the man said: “Grant me but three more days, and I will give you one-third of my possessions.” The Angel refused, and pulled again at the miser’s life, tugging to take it away. Then the man said: “If you will only allow me two more days on earth, I will give you two hundred thousand dinars from my store.” But the Angel would… Read more →
Round Up the Usual Suspects
Nose-Picking Masturbator Terrorizes NYC Subway Riders — NBC New York That description doesn’t narrow it down very much. Unless he was doing both at the same time. That would be unusual. Read more →
Stuff With No Knowledge
John Muir walked away into the mountains in his old overcoat a crust of bread in his pocket we have no knowledge and so we have stuff and stuff with no knowledge is never enough to get you there it just won’t get you there — Greg Brown, “Two Little Feet” Read more →
See You in Hell, Breakfast Lovers
[See You in Hell is a feature by our guest blogger, Satan — PE] Breakfast in Hell: GAZE UPON MY CROISSAN’WICH AND TREMBLE! See you in Hell . . . Read more →
The Family Nut Tree
A brother of Las Vegas shooter Stephen Paddock was arrested in Los Angeles on child pornography charges. Their father was a bank robber once on the FBI’s Most Wanted List. The nuts didn’t fall far from the nut tree in the Paddock family . . . Read more →
Good News, Bad News
Bad News: Americans are retiring later, dying sooner and are sicker in-between. Good News: I found this video of a rescued raccoon who thinks she’s a dog: [youtube https://youtu.be/I5KgXfBg5hU] Read more →
Wild Wild Life
Sleeping on the interstate oh oh oh Getting wild, wild life Checkin’ in, checkin’ out! Uh, huh! I got a wild, wild life Spending all of my money and time oh oh oh Done too much wild, wild We want to go, where we go, where we go oh oh oh I doing wild, wild life Read more →
What’s So Funny ‘Bout Peace, Love and Understanding?
As I walk through This wicked world Searchin’ for light in the darkness of insanity. I ask myself Is all hope lost? Is there only pain and hatred, and misery? Read more →