Random thoughts too small to stand alone...

[capri0mni]

• The music video that calapine made of the song "What About Everything," using Doctor Who images, was one of the things I missed most when I switched to a new computer. I think what makes it stick in my brain most is the refrain "I am not in need."
  
  You see, "Not" is one of those strange words that is only understood by a very small part of the brain -- the cold, rational, logical part of the brain. To the deeper, ancient, emotional and instinctual parts of our brains, "not" is effectively silent -- outside their range of perception. So while the argumentative part of our brain hears: "No problem. Everything's fine and dandy," the feeling part of our brain hears: "Help me! I'm lost, I'm hurt! Ack! :::Flail::!"* Which is how I've been feeling since Dad called, back in January, right when I was getting ready for his visit, to tell me he'd broken his leg -- and then called again to tell me they'd found lung cancer (It wasn't a "midnight phone call," but it sure did wake me from my peace). So the song validates how I feel. Also, Dad used to fly aeroplanes, and whenever we went out to eat, and the waitress would come by and ask: "How is everything?" we'd always answer with something like: "Well, we can't say about everything in the universe, but right here, it's dandy!" So ... it just fits (also, calapine did a faboo job of finding just the right clips for each line).



• I've been wanting to come up with an lj icon for glarmaco, with the motto, in Latin, for: "Life is short. Art is messy" (a take off on "Vita brevis. Ars longa"). But those militeristic, order-obsessed, Romans didn't really have a good word for "messy." But after a bit of Googling, I found a guide to Latin grammar and translation from Notre Dame, and came up with a few alternatives for "Mixed up"
  

  1) farrago -inis f. [mixed fodder for cattle , mash; a medley, mixture] -- which is a lot like the English word "sloppy" (from the slop we feed to pigs). or, 2) vinolentus -a -um [mixed with wine; drunk , intoxicated] -- So my motto would end up being "Life is short. Art is drunk," or maybe I should make it: "Life is short. Art is intoxicating." Which do you prefer?



• And finally, with a new computer, comes a new photo/picture management program. I now have Photo Pro for Windows. Anyone here familiar with it? Specifically, anyone know if I can use its 'slide show' function to make animated gifs for lj icons (like, say, ones where I want to fit a Latin motto with a translation and a picture? ;-))

*To prove this point, try to follow this instruction: "Do not think of a purple polka-dotted elephant." Could you do it? ;-) That's why it's better to tell yourself: "I'm brave" instead of "I'm not scared."


Holiday quiet on these streets, except for some stubborn leaves
That didn't fall with the fall, and now they clatter in vain
Holiday sky. Midnight clear. Wind is high, hard to steer
Old muffler rumbles like an old fighter plane
In search of some rest. In search of a break
From a life of tests where something's always at stake
Where something's always so far
What about my broken car?
What about my life so far?
What about my dream?
What about.....

What about everything?
What about aeroplanes?
And what about ships that drank the sea?
What about...
What about the moon and stars?
What about soldier battle scars
And all the anger that they eat?
I am not in need.

Get away and come with me.
Come away with me and we'll see
If I was right on that night, that a future was made
Before time takes each year, like a knife cuts it clear
It's school, then work and then life that just sharpens the blade
I think about time for fun. I think about time for play
Then I think about being done, with no resume
With no one left to blame
What about fortune and fame?
What about your love to obtain?
What about the ring?
What about....

What about everything?
What about aeroplanes?
And what about ships that drank the sea?
What about...
What about the moon and stars? What about soldier battle scars
And all the anger that they eat?
I am not in need.

Holiday quiet on these streets, except for some reason me
The hometown harbor lights bright, the sailboats clatter in vain
Holiday sky. Midnight clear. Wind is high on this pier
I find it hard to complain when compared with what about...

What about everything?
What about aeroplanes?
And what about ships that drank the sea?
What about...
What about the moon and stars?
What about soldier battle scars
And all the anger that they eat?
What about...
What about aliens? What about you and me and...
What about gold beneath the sea?
What about...
What about when buildings fall?
What about that midnight phone call...
The one that wakes you from your peace?
Well, I am not, I am not, I am not in need.

Comments

[lizziebelle.livejournal.com]

Speaking of your dad, how is he doing?

[capriuni.livejournal.com]

Pretty good. The last time he had a CAT scan, it showed that the tumor was the same size it was in April, so it kind of reached a platau. But it doesn't seem like the kind that matacizes, so... And the doctor switched him to a different chemo schedule (smaller, but more frequent, doses). I think a ne CAT scan is coming up soon, and we'll see if that's working.

Still, it doesn't seem like he'll be able to come down for a visit, so we can go out to a movie and dinner and banter with the waitresses. And we're in the stage of getting both our "houses in order," for the inevitable. So...

meh.

[lizziebelle.livejournal.com]

Well, that's good. At least he's not worse. Tell him I said hello!

[capriuni.livejournal.com]

Will do ... of course, he reads this journal, so... you just did! ;-)

[gordon-r-d.livejournal.com]

Good to hear that at least he's not gotten worse. *crosses ginfers that everything goes well*

[capriuni.livejournal.com]

Thanks. Fingers crossed all around, I think know.