My Blog

The law is a jealous mistress

Claytor — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 03:32:33 GMT

who keeps me from going out to play. But c'mon, for the whole freaking month of January?! People have started calling to see if I am still here. One more weekend to go, but I am going to step out this weekend anyway. F*ck 'em!

me go florida

Claytor — Sun, 02 Sep 2007 04:40:47 GMT

Greetings from sunny Florida, where I am hangin' with the folks this weekend, wondering how my dogs are (they're fine--Angie (from the Cafe) and Gretchen are watching them) and thinking of all you Jellyphishes. Does anyone know how I caused all of my avatars and pictures to go blank when I am on Tribe on my home computer? I think I was in the middle of uploading a new picture and making it my main picture. Hit a key and suddenly, wham! pictures and avatars gone. I haven't a clue as to how to get them back.

The Art of Living

Claytor — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 04:15:03 GMT

I've been reading Epictetus, and it's been doing me some good. Epictetus was a first/second century Greek philosopher of the Stoic school. "The Art of Living" is a modern interpretation of his classic works by Sharon Lebell. The subtitle is "The Classical Manual on Virtue, Happiness, and Effectiveness." The book consists of 93 "witty, wise, and razor-sharp instructions" through which "readers learn to successfully meet the challenges of everyday life and face life's inevitable losses and disappointments with grace." From the foreword: "How do I live a happy, fulfilling life? How can I be a good person? Answering these two questions was the single-minded passion of Epictetus." More: "The Discourses [the source material] could be thought of as the West's answer to Buddhism's Dhammapada or Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching. Those who fault Western philosophy with being overly cerebral and inadequately addressing the nonrational dimensions of life may be surprised to learn that The Art of Living is actually a philosophy of inner freedom and tranquility, a way of life whose purpose is to lighten our hearts." The author also says that although it is Western in that it exalts reason and is full of no-nonsense moral directives, "a soft Easterly wind seems to blow when Epictetus discusses the nature of the universe. His depiction of Ultimate Reality, for instance, which he equates with Nature itself, is remarkably fluid and elusive: startingly reminiscent of the Tao." Finally, the page before Chapter One [what do you call that page?]: "First, say to yourself what you would be; then do what you have to do." Enough of all that. If you're still reading, here's my take: Epictetus fits me like a glove. I needed something like this, and Epictetus presented himself. Funny how that works. It is a short book you can knock off in a couple of sittings. But it's not something you knock off. I keep reading and re-reading it, savoring the words and the lessons. I tell you, it is a salve for whatever ails you. Just wanted to share my Epictetus with my friends.

Happy Halloween, Jellyheads!

Claytor — Wed, 01 Nov 2006 04:33:28 GMT

Boo hoo, poor me. I am still in the middle of a 3-week workathon and cannot go out tonight. I tell ya, it's rough being me!

Gift it forward

Claytor — Thu, 12 Oct 2006 17:50:19 GMT

Leslie started this. Good idea, Leslie. The first five people to respond to this blog will receive a special gift from me. In turn, you must pass along this same open invitation yourself. Gift it forward!

All the world's a stage

Claytor — Thu, 05 Oct 2006 02:56:11 GMT

All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players...(Shakespeare) My question is, how do we come to choose the roles we end up playing? Certainly we are assigned a role or various roles when we are born and raised. We are given a personality. But after that, how do people choose what role to act out on the grand stage? Why does someone choose the role of an unhappy person when he could choose the role of a happy person? Each of us having chosen his or her role, why is it so hard to change roles when you want to change roles?

tagged

Claytor — Tue, 13 Jun 2006 04:34:24 GMT

by August and Hoops. RULES: Once tagged, you must write a blog with 8 facts/things/habits about yourself, saying who tagged you. In the end, choose 6 people to be tagged and list their names. 1. When I was in high school I saw Kiss in a small beat downtown movie theatre in Toledo, Ohio, with a handful of other kids before Kiss was known. Had to have been one of their earliest gigs. Full costume and theatrics but no one was there. I wasn't impressed. 2. I worked on submarines in a Navy shipyard in Vallejo, California, for a year. I worked for several years as a psych tech in psychiatric hospitals. In California I was licensed to pass meds. I still carry a leather restraint key on my key chain. Hey, I might need it someday. These days, I work as a lawyer. 3. Among other places, I've lived in Germany, the San Francisco Bay area, the Tampa Bay area, and now Houston. I am spoiled. 4. I have a wonderful blood family of many very cool siblings, nephews and nieces. I am blessed. 5. I yam what I yam. 6. I like baseball. I got to hang out with one of baseball's all-time greats, Stan Musial. Uncle Stan came to my sister's wedding. (She married his nephew.) Sat next to him at dinner. Better than any autograph. 7. I gots to get back to San Francisco. 8. I'm a dog person.