If the evil doings of men...

"If the evil doings of men move you to indignation and overwhelming distress, even to a desire for vengeance on the evildoers, shun above all thing that feeling. Go at once and seek suffering for yourself, as though you were yourself guilty of that wrong. Accept that suffering and bear it and your heart will find comfort, and you will understand that you too are guilty, for you might have been a light to the evildoers and were not a light to them."

- Fyodor Dostoyevsky from,

The Brothers Karamazov

Do not pick the flowers...

Keepers have put up a sign telling visitors not to pick the...

by hikergirl

Keepers have put up a sign telling visitors not to pick the flowers - in the lion enclosure at Longleat Safari Park. Every spring the grassy paddock where the lions are kept gives way to a glorious display of bluebells.

Absolute power corrupts...

Russia Lawmakers Advance Bill on Penalties for Protesters

BY: SERGEI L. LOIKO | LOS ANGELES TIMES

Stiff new penalties aimed at opposition protesters were given preliminary approval Tuesday by Russian lawmakers loyal to President Vladimir Putin, the target of mass rallies and demonstrations before his March election victory.

Two Voices

Two Voices - Forward

A collection of poems written over the course of nearly 30 years. From the arrogance and innocence of youth to the vengeful musings of a crudmugeon. Romance, philosophy, death, religion, even *gasp* heartbreak are woven through these paltry offerings. In these scribblings you will find unfinished paintings. You will see the reflection of the war years... you have to choose which war - perhaps the one that best suits you. You will encounter mystical prophets and nearly naked young ladies and grumpy old men.

The title, Two Voices, is the mystique of this collection. Two Voices is the dance I don't do. Two Voices is the magic I don't do. Two Voices symbolizes the relationship between my writing and your reading. I "speak" with my one voice and you "hear" with the second voice, your own. So we collaborate. Much of the content that you will find in my work is not there in my voice. You will paint the picture. You will hear the music. You will write the poetry. I have written these pieces. They will not be rewritten - so I can say that I don't dance. I have imparted meaning to these collections of words. Yet the value comes from you reading them - so I don't do magic.

The title, Two Voices, is an insight into my writing. Seldom if ever do we hear just one voice in our world. More often than not we are subject to barrages of voices all speaking at the same time - and then there is our internal voice(s) offering continuous commentary. Many of these pieces are an attempt to capture in some small measure that multi-dimensionality of voices. Or at least two.

Birds of a feather...

Picture: Paul Miguel/Rex Features (via Pictures of the day: 22 May 2012 - Telegraph)

folding corner ladder by company & company

folding corner ladder by company & company:
a useful domestic tool is redeveloped, keeping its functional quality while making it compact and easier to store.

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