Stix Nix Hix Pix: The Colonel Carries On

Twelve Texts for Today

“You learn something new every day, unless you’re lucky.” [1]

Although Braille appears on elevators and drive-through ATMs, it is seldom used anymore by the deaf. [2]

Albert Einstein is supposed to have said, “Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler,” but no one has cited to where he said or wrote it. Doesn’t matter; it’s great advice. [3]

“Now, this may seem strange from someone who writes about pretty dresses (mostly) every day, but: You Don’t Have to Be Pretty. You don’t owe prettiness to anyone. Not to your boyfriend/spouse/partner, not to your co-workers, especially not to random men on the street. You don’t owe it to your mother, you don’t owe it to your children, you don’t owe it to civilization in general. Prettiness is not a rent you pay for occupying a space marked ‘female.’” --Erin McKean, A Dress A Day (http://dressaday.com/) [4]

“I just wanted to say thank you for your statement about ‘You don’t have to be pretty. You don’t owe prettiness to anyone.’ It is one the the most liberating statements I have heard in years. I have stopped expecting it of myself or of others, and it enables me to let go of judgment by looks so much more easily. Thank you thank you thank you. Many times.” --Tess Frost, March 27, 2013 at 12:06 am [5]

“When you start talking to slugs, apologizing when you step on them and such, things have reached a certain point. But when they start answering you, things have reached another point.” --after Margaret Atwood [6]

“If you’re not paranoid, you’re crazy. Put on your tinfoil hat, stat.” There’s an article online in The Atlantic that says, in fine, paranoia is appropriate, and why. The link is here. [7]

“Paranoia, we scorned you, and we’re sorry. We feared you were crazy, but now we’re crazy too, meaning we’re ready to listen, so, please, let’s talk. It’s time. It’s past time. Let’s get to know each other. Quietly, with the shades drawn, in the dark, in the space that is left to us, so small, now nearly gone.” --from that Atlantic article [8]

Fun quiz: what is the source of the following lines? “Pigeons plot in secrecy/ And hamsters turn on frequently.” [9]

“Sculpture is what you bump into when you back up to look at a painting.” [10]

“Writing is a collaboration between writer and reader, and the more the reader does, the better the writing.” [11]

“Some people think football is a matter of life and death. I don’t like that attitude. Football is much, much more important than that.” --Bill Shankly [12]

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