diem ex diei

gone with me
from tired day
and dawn

free to find
life and death
and fear

knows He is
before and after
the dark

the light
and God has
gone with me

Heaven and Hell

Hell ----------------------------------------------------- Heaven

zoom zap -------------------------------------------- new morn
cracked cage --------------------------------------- whole hymn
damp dead ----------------------------------------------- elf hill
bad bat ---------------------------------------------- honey lorn
cackle cadge ---------------------------------------- hey ho
vapid torpor ------------------------------------------ sun helm
rattle kettle ------------------------------------------- full wine
grab rake -------------------------------------------sum journey
tackle gag -------------------------------------------- here moss
chalk vat -------------------------------------------- warm smile
toad bag -------------------------------------------- solemn horn
rat cake ------------------------------------------------ no woe
dank crag ----------------------------------------------- well life
zig zag ----------------------------------------------- color mine

buzz zip ----------------------------------------------- cool wind
kill adze ------------------------------------------------ we feast
rave rot ----------------------------------------------- run swift

rack raze ---------------------------------------------- joy here

Note:
Some of the meaning is contained within the sound. Try reading it out loud.

More Field Notes

Cafeteria

This is a treatise on the variants of Student sp. to be found in the Cafeteria.

Talkers
These students have incredible lingual endurance. Articulation, pontification, and exhortation seep out in one magnificent solo strain. Silence is anathema. A relative of this genus is the Talker flirtacianous which couple ceaseless verbal badinage to a wholehearted preoccupation with the opposite sex. The natural counterpart of the Talkers are the Silents, which act in general to balance each other out.

To Go-ers : two types
A) The Shys
There is no two ways about it: this group has decided for once and for all that they've had enough of those desperate "quick -- look for friends -- feeling despondant and uncomfortable while holding my tray" moments. It will be "To Go" until death do us (student and styrofoam) part.
B) The Hermits
Video games or Studies or Something. Whatever it is, it's definitely worth the grim promenade past the more social friends. It is Simeon Stylites reincarnate looking down from his eyrie. A thoughtful stroke of the beard, a blazing wift of righteous ruthlessness, and they're gone.

Solos
It's a book, or those tater-tots, or the empty chair across the table: there's something that holds a dedicated ensemble of students to this lonely post. Solos are a somewhat frequent sighting at breakfast. They may be a phylogenetic relation to the To Go-ers, as there are some common threads of bashfulality, maverickishness, and sleepy drear.

Cliques: two types
A) Small: usually 2-3 people. Everyone at this table has known each other since day 2, hour 7. Efforts to break the ice typically fail: things are kept well below thawing temperature by constant reference to times and places and things and people and animals and situations and grand-step-neighbor-inlaws parties where you were NOT THERE.
B) Big: tables line up and everyone sorta knows everyone. There is an immense flurry of scandalously superficial conversation which everyone is half listening to. About 10/11ths of the way through the meal, someone suddenly starts up a serious conversation. Great, just the time you have to leave.

Intros
These students are the ones who break out of some of the patterns above and have the courage to sit down with someone new. On most occasions, these students follow a fairly predictable line of conversation: name --> studying? --> live? --> Ok, gotta go, see you later! Occasionaly, however, things can get exciting: once I had a conversation with a girl about the relationship between Bolivian potato farmers and Washington Irving -- which incidentally isn't as tenuous a connection as you might suspect.

Weirdfoods
This group has outstanding tolerance for culinary atrocities. The scarecrow creations that appear on their trays are enough to welter the internal orders of the most hardened campaigner. I suspect that they are operating under a secret oath: something about the hegelian dialectic of strawberries and mushrooms.

Thanks!

Kristin:

The cookie and bar were terrific.

They really cheered me up whilst I was entertaining some dour thoughts about the brachial plexus. Little things mean so much. So do big things.

Thank you!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Christy & Allana:

The pasta was fabulous.

I note with regret that the word "fabulous" immediately conjures up a sugar-coated sort of person saying "thank-you" with a damp smile. No, no, no. It was fabulous.

Thanks for sharing. And I WILL get your tupperware back to you!

Thanks!

John

My Hum Dup

tshumm tsc uh tshuun tsc uh tshumm tsc uh --> tsah-eah ...

I like to hum. I've liked it ever since I was little.

It's something I do when I'm being.

I just tried to make a visible hum for you. I know. It doesn't work. But just imagine:

tshumm tsc uh tshuun tsc uh tshumm tsc uh --> hummm ...

be-dah h h h h

Field Notes

Vespers.

Plumage:
Males appear to molt their 6-day plumage at around 7:49 P.M. Some bathe hastily, and then don new plumage at extraordinary speed. This plumage varies considerably between individuals, but a brightly colored piece of cloth is invariably observed dangling from the neck region. Rates of plumage shedding, bathing, and subsequent atireation vary considerably between individuals. Most individuals appear to fuss with the vertical piece of plumage aforementioned and with hair in front of a piece of glass before exiting the premises of Talge Hall. The exact reasons for this ritual shedding and re-accoutretization process are as of yet undetermined, but some research suggests that the males are competing for female selection. Two-piece plumage sets were noted for ubiquity, as were bright colors, especially (but not limited to) pink.

Females go through a similar molting and regrowth process, although it appears to take some of them slightly longer. Friday-night accoutrements are slightly harder to typify for females. I observe that females tend to wear less than males, and hypothesize that they must have a higher cold tolerance. Of special note in the female population was the ubiquitous use of footwear with long and pointed spikes. I hypothesize that the females may use these to jab predators in the case of attack, as I can see no other functional use.

Pheremones:
The Natriantic Olafont System Enceterron (N.O.S.E.) indicated extremely high levels of Pheremones in the vespers assembly. Females were especially prone to extreme levels of pheremones, but my N.O.S.E. indicator showed that some males were also exuding pathological levels of odorant. I presume that the students use this as a signal that they are ready to select a mate: and predict a positive correlation between N.O.S.E. indications and the mate selection instinct.

The Promenade:
Males and females generally seem to walk in ordered pairs on their way to and from the vespers assembly. This walk assumes an almost ritualistically slow pace. Individuals who have paired will sometimes hold hands, and murmer in low tones. If the weather is temperate, these pairs often pause at the entrance to either dormitory. I hypothesize that they may be making calculations as to the proximity of the lunar constellation, as their gaze is frequently directed in that way.

The Huddle:
Males and Females sit quite close together. I hypothesize that the students have arranged a Male-Female Male-Female seating conformation in order to save space in the sanctuary. An alternative hypothesis which bears consideration is that the males are cold. (See plumage thermogenesis observation).

Final Observations:
Much complexity of behavior is observed in the Student species. Some males and females are strongly independent. While I have made some useful generalizations, there are many things which cannot be accounted for: the twinkle in an eye, a blush --- even the lifting of an eyebrow.

Students sp. is at some times coquettish, spirited, energetic, vain, arrogant, foolish, idealistic, fun-loving ... and at all times, just a little silly.

Comfort and Truth

I have a question for you.

Is comfort your God?

If not...

How do you then live?

ketchup

Time to Ketchup

On Life





photo credit: here