Tuesday, August 31, 2010

The view from my window


OK me again, this entry achieves two purposes, first when I am going through a multi-month posting doldrum this two-a-day posting will hopefully even things slightly,

Secondly, It gives me a chance to try out the photo feature of blogger.

Thirdly it gives me a chance to show off a little bit.

For you readers located in Katmandu, this is the NYC skyline from 7 World Trade Center (the only building that has been rebuilt so far). Off in the distance you can see the Empire State Building.

What happened to the Barber?

Why am I even doing this, I guess two things come to mind, the first is that I am always amazingly impressed by people who just can sit down and write, you know just rip off a few paragraphs without even thinking. For me writing has always been laborious with all sorts of updates, revisions, amending.... fixing grammar right and left. So I guess reason 1. is that I want to maybe in a small way become that sort of person too and just be able to rip off those flights of fancy quickly.

Reason 2 gets back to the name of this post. In case you have never heard the story, King Midas was asked to judge a music contest of two of the gods, one of the gods was Apollo and the other one whose name escapes me at the moment was like the Tiny Tim of the musician/Greek God community. Sadly for Apollo, the fix was in, Tiny Tim won. Sadder for King Midas; Apollo was NOT a gracious loser. As a reward the Hellenic Schlamiel was given donkey ears.

Now Midas was still a King and he couldn't exactly go running around looking like a hirsute Mr Spock. So he had a custom fit crown made so nobody could tell. That is except for his barber who was sworn to secrecy. Now barbers back then were just as big blabbermouths as they are today, so this must have killed the poor guy.

Finally in desperation he dug a hole and repeated again and again "King Midas has Donkey Ears" having sated his loquaciousness, he filled the hole and moseyed off. Only a few months later reeds where the hole had been and every time the wind blew the barbers words: "King Midas has Donkey Ears" could be heard over and over again.

So anyhoo, this blog is my equivalent of a hole in the ground into which I will shout crap that I just can't otherwise say. The only problem is (as the barber discovered) that no matter what you do, if you start saying stuff, eventually it gets out. So what can I really say in this (stuff that I dont want my mother, father, kids, girlfriend coworkers to hear.

Man this is tough stuff.

So much for the first post. Hope you enjoyed.