Monday, November 30, 2009
Sunday, November 29, 2009
natures blockade
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Friday, November 27, 2009
The Ugly Fish
Date: September 30, 2009
Title: Ugly Fish
As I sit here, I wonder about this second short story. What would be the name of it? Let us call it Ugly Fish. That sounds like a good name.
David was a good guy. He was known as the happy guy at work, but times were bad and even though he was very a very nice person, that he got along with all the other employees, that he had been laid off. So he came home that day very dejected. It was early in the morning and his wife had already gone to work. He was thinking about this on the way home and he came home and he came to the house. And no one was there. Well, he thought, “I can hang around the house and worry about what she will do and how she will be angry when she comes home.” Recently he had some arguments with her and some of them were quite verbal. She would always say that he was a lazy guy and that he always wanted to go fishing when there was work to be done around the house. So the home had some problems with the roof, with the plumbing, and with so and so. And each time he didn't fix it, these problems, his wife grew angrier. But now he would have plenty of time to repair the house. But how could he face his wife? She would be so angry. All he could tell her, “Now I have plenty of time to repair the house.” But she would probably scoff at him and tell him, “You? Repair this house? You'd probably repair somebody else's first.” He needed to relax. So how would he relax before she came home and prepare himself for the onslaught? Well, let's try his favorite – fishing. Since there was a path from his house to a little bridge that led over the Des Plains river, and he loved to fish from the other side of the bridge at Riverside. Riverside forbid fishing on the other side. That's why he liked to go. But nobody really enforced the rule. The Des Plains river had come back and now instead of the three types of fishes there were 35 different ones. He thought to himself, “I don't even know 35 different species of fishes. I wonder what they all are.” One of the fishes that he liked to catch was the pike. A pike was long and thin and a predator – number one predator of a lot of fishes. It had a lot of teeth. But when you catch it, it really put up a fight. So he liked to catch that fish but then he would like to throw it back in for he never like to kill a fish. As the day wore on, he was thinking about all his problems and all his life and all about what he was going to say to his wife about loosing his job. He didn't realize that time had gone so fast as it began to grow dark and sunset had occurred – or was setting. So he said, “One more cast.” And he cast out his line. All of a sudden he became so excited. He had a fish! And he reeled it and fought with it and reeled it in until he said, “Boy, this is a big pike.” And when he pulled out the fish, it was not a pike. It was a saligralla – one of those fishes that look so ugly and had terrible spines on it and it had a big mouth with lots of teeth. He didn't want to keep this fish. It is one of those fishes that left over when the river had been polluted. But he wanted to get it off his line. He wanted to save his line. It was tangled up in it. How would he get it off? He fought with the fish to untangle it and to get the hook out of its mouth so he could throw it back. He was inflicted – his hands were hurt His face was scratched by one of the poisonous spines. He was in a terrible fix. Finally he got this fish off the line and threw it back. He felt somewhat injured but at least he had gotten the fish away and threw it back into the river. He said, “This enough is enough!” So he put all his tackle back in the box, his fishing box. He picked it up, crossed over the bridge, the swinging bridge, and walked home. On his way home, again came the thoughts of his wife. She will really give him hell now since he's late to getting home. Even after a day's work, he was always on time coming home and now he had been playing – fishing. And she would not forgive him. As he approached his house, he noticed it was dark. She would not leave all the lights off. So he came in and opened the door and called her name. She was not there. He was really puzzled. He looked all around in every room and she was not there. Now what was he supposed to do? He turned on all the lights so he would not feel alone. And turned on the tv as well. All of a sudden there came a knock on the door! And he thought, “My wife, she wouldn't knock.” So he went to the door. And it was somebody beating on the door. Who could this be? He opened the door. There was a man dressed in a uniform with a badge. And he said, “Yes? What can I do for you?” It was the local sheriff and he looked very curiously at David. And he noticed the wounds on his hands and his face. Then he gave his report that he had to give and he said “Is your wife Silvia?” And he said, “Yes.” “We found this identification on this woman by the bridge.” “Oh, you mean the one where I fish?” “Yes. Near the Des Plains river.She had been strangled. But she must have put up a heck of a fight.” He looked amazed. He couldn't believe it. The sheriff looked at him cautiously and suspiciously and said to him, “Why don't you come down with me to the police station and we will talk about this? “ So, he said, “OK.” He went and got his coat while the sheriff followed into the home with him. And he got dressed and put his heavy coat on for it was getting kind of cold out at night and he left and closed the door and locked it. And they went downtown to the police station.
What did I try to do with this particular story was relate that David was a kind man and David was a nice man but circumstances change you. Circumstances that we don't even realize, or don't want to realize, and this is David's predicament. What he did is justified in the end. And the old adage comes to mind, “A person justifies the means to the ends” instead of admitting that he had lost his temper when his wife spotted him by the bridge fishing and came over and confronted him. And he had strangled her and thrown her into the river. He could not justify that he had murdered his wife for in some way, in the back of his mind, he still loved her.
Title: Ugly Fish
As I sit here, I wonder about this second short story. What would be the name of it? Let us call it Ugly Fish. That sounds like a good name.
David was a good guy. He was known as the happy guy at work, but times were bad and even though he was very a very nice person, that he got along with all the other employees, that he had been laid off. So he came home that day very dejected. It was early in the morning and his wife had already gone to work. He was thinking about this on the way home and he came home and he came to the house. And no one was there. Well, he thought, “I can hang around the house and worry about what she will do and how she will be angry when she comes home.” Recently he had some arguments with her and some of them were quite verbal. She would always say that he was a lazy guy and that he always wanted to go fishing when there was work to be done around the house. So the home had some problems with the roof, with the plumbing, and with so and so. And each time he didn't fix it, these problems, his wife grew angrier. But now he would have plenty of time to repair the house. But how could he face his wife? She would be so angry. All he could tell her, “Now I have plenty of time to repair the house.” But she would probably scoff at him and tell him, “You? Repair this house? You'd probably repair somebody else's first.” He needed to relax. So how would he relax before she came home and prepare himself for the onslaught? Well, let's try his favorite – fishing. Since there was a path from his house to a little bridge that led over the Des Plains river, and he loved to fish from the other side of the bridge at Riverside. Riverside forbid fishing on the other side. That's why he liked to go. But nobody really enforced the rule. The Des Plains river had come back and now instead of the three types of fishes there were 35 different ones. He thought to himself, “I don't even know 35 different species of fishes. I wonder what they all are.” One of the fishes that he liked to catch was the pike. A pike was long and thin and a predator – number one predator of a lot of fishes. It had a lot of teeth. But when you catch it, it really put up a fight. So he liked to catch that fish but then he would like to throw it back in for he never like to kill a fish. As the day wore on, he was thinking about all his problems and all his life and all about what he was going to say to his wife about loosing his job. He didn't realize that time had gone so fast as it began to grow dark and sunset had occurred – or was setting. So he said, “One more cast.” And he cast out his line. All of a sudden he became so excited. He had a fish! And he reeled it and fought with it and reeled it in until he said, “Boy, this is a big pike.” And when he pulled out the fish, it was not a pike. It was a saligralla – one of those fishes that look so ugly and had terrible spines on it and it had a big mouth with lots of teeth. He didn't want to keep this fish. It is one of those fishes that left over when the river had been polluted. But he wanted to get it off his line. He wanted to save his line. It was tangled up in it. How would he get it off? He fought with the fish to untangle it and to get the hook out of its mouth so he could throw it back. He was inflicted – his hands were hurt His face was scratched by one of the poisonous spines. He was in a terrible fix. Finally he got this fish off the line and threw it back. He felt somewhat injured but at least he had gotten the fish away and threw it back into the river. He said, “This enough is enough!” So he put all his tackle back in the box, his fishing box. He picked it up, crossed over the bridge, the swinging bridge, and walked home. On his way home, again came the thoughts of his wife. She will really give him hell now since he's late to getting home. Even after a day's work, he was always on time coming home and now he had been playing – fishing. And she would not forgive him. As he approached his house, he noticed it was dark. She would not leave all the lights off. So he came in and opened the door and called her name. She was not there. He was really puzzled. He looked all around in every room and she was not there. Now what was he supposed to do? He turned on all the lights so he would not feel alone. And turned on the tv as well. All of a sudden there came a knock on the door! And he thought, “My wife, she wouldn't knock.” So he went to the door. And it was somebody beating on the door. Who could this be? He opened the door. There was a man dressed in a uniform with a badge. And he said, “Yes? What can I do for you?” It was the local sheriff and he looked very curiously at David. And he noticed the wounds on his hands and his face. Then he gave his report that he had to give and he said “Is your wife Silvia?” And he said, “Yes.” “We found this identification on this woman by the bridge.” “Oh, you mean the one where I fish?” “Yes. Near the Des Plains river.She had been strangled. But she must have put up a heck of a fight.” He looked amazed. He couldn't believe it. The sheriff looked at him cautiously and suspiciously and said to him, “Why don't you come down with me to the police station and we will talk about this? “ So, he said, “OK.” He went and got his coat while the sheriff followed into the home with him. And he got dressed and put his heavy coat on for it was getting kind of cold out at night and he left and closed the door and locked it. And they went downtown to the police station.
What did I try to do with this particular story was relate that David was a kind man and David was a nice man but circumstances change you. Circumstances that we don't even realize, or don't want to realize, and this is David's predicament. What he did is justified in the end. And the old adage comes to mind, “A person justifies the means to the ends” instead of admitting that he had lost his temper when his wife spotted him by the bridge fishing and came over and confronted him. And he had strangled her and thrown her into the river. He could not justify that he had murdered his wife for in some way, in the back of his mind, he still loved her.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
. I have always sought to be understood and, while I was taken to task by critics or colleagues, I thought they were right, assuming I had not been clear enough to be understood. This assumption allowed me to work my whole life without hatred and even without bitterness toward criticism, regardless of its source. I counted solely on the clarity of expression of my work to gain my ends. Hatred, rancor, and the spirit of vengeance are useless baggage to the artist. His road is difficult enough for him to cleanse his soul of everything which could make it more so.Henri MatisseCreativity takes courage. Henri Matisse
Monday, November 16, 2009
ghost of my father
I talk with his painting To the other sid
Lloyd,We miss you and your yarns at Grumpy's. David and the coffee-klatchers.
# posted by docmoreau : 12:32 PM
Oh, Lloyd. I love this. It is a masterpiece. It's just gorgeous. I am beyond words.
# posted by SandyCarlson : 6:24 PM Post a Comment e
Ghost Painting...Skiting and painting Then blending
# posted by docmoreau : 12:32 PM
Oh, Lloyd. I love this. It is a masterpiece. It's just gorgeous. I am beyond words.
# posted by SandyCarlson : 6:24 PM Post a Comment e
Ghost Painting...Skiting and painting Then blending
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Comments:
Suggestive, beautiful, dreamy.
# posted by SandyCarlson : 7:07 PM
your loving existance is well noted Sandy
# posted by Lloyd Irving Bradbury : 7:46 PM Post a Comment
Suggestive, beautiful, dreamy.
# posted by SandyCarlson : 7:07 PM
your loving existance is well noted Sandy
# posted by Lloyd Irving Bradbury : 7:46 PM Post a Comment
Friday, November 13, 2009
a mAN AND hIS dREAM
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
You see things; and you say "Why?" But I dream things that never were; and I say "Why not?"
You see things; and you say "Why?" But I dream things that never were; and I say "Why not?" George Bernard Shaw
a thought
Think...A Thought
If you realized how powerful your thoughts are, you would never think a negative thought.”
Comments:
Gotta love the Irishman.
# posted by SandyCarlson : 5:46 PM Post a Comment
# posted by scott and vikki : 7:35 PM Post a Comment
Gotta love the Irishman.
# posted by SandyCarlson : 5:46 PM Post a Comment
# posted by scott and vikki : 7:35 PM Post a Comment
Sunday, November 08, 2009
Those Dan Deer
Story By Lloyd Bradbury
Date: September 1, 2009
Title: those deer – those damn deer
Running and jumping about – there are many of them. They would eat anything now. One of them even approached Ray, as he was going down the trail – to bite him! Ray quickened his pace now. He saw the deer and they seemed to be closing in on him. It was getting toward dark and he hurried home from work, from the company. He was hurrying down the path. He wished he was home – his home that was so safe and so neat to him. He had built it himself. Well, that was all there was to be – his home and the company. At the meeting they told him that the company was everything. It was not what you could do for yourself, but what you could do for your company. It was one of those strange meetings that occurred everyday. He worked in the morning and went to meetings at night – or at least toward dawn. In this meeting it was accompanied by the recording machines – the display machines – and a few of the workers. There seemed to be fewer and fewer as he noticed, as he looked around the room. But then that was work and now it was time to come home to his beautiful wife. He loved her so. She had another job. It was also part of the company's expansion program.
Thinking about home, he had slowed down a bit. One of those crazy deers tried to come up and bite me. Luckily he had his cane with him. He hit him, the deer, as hard as he could. The dumb animal looked at him and gave him one of those stares and ran off. The others got the idea too. They ran off into the woods. Those damn deer.
He was happy to come to his home. He had built it very lovingly into the side of the hill. It had natural grass on the top. This gave it an insulation both to cold and hot. He had made the windows too. They were those protective type of windows that had the plastic laminate inside of them. They were very strong for defense against the wild creatures.
He came to the door. This door he had made too – of the best oak. Now, this oak was very hard to come by. It had been used for so many things. He inserted his card, his id card. The door sprung open. He went in very quickly. All of a sudden, lights went on. These were the sterilization lights that allowed him to enter to and from nature – and to his closed environment.
He headed for the chair, his recliner, his everything. It was a recliner chair that he had built and long gone and it was all the things that he needed. Even his food processor was there. He could put on his earphones and listen to the forbidden music that he had recorded long ago.
His wife called out lovingly from her recliner which was very close by. “Is that you Ray?” “Yes, it is I. I just had a run in with those deer. I hope the company doesn't punish me for whacking one of them.” “You actually hit one of them?” “Yes, they're getting more and more aggressive. They will eat anything if you allow it.” “Well, I hope they don't eat the grass on the top of the house. It would be very uncomfortable, if they started eating the house.” He ate his processed food and switched on to the screen. The screen showed various things that the company wanted you to see. There was the news. There was the story of the good employee. There was the story of the bad employee. There was a story about the good company. All was this over and over again. Well, he decided he'd put on his earphones so the company could think that he was watching but he was really listening to his forbidden music.
She too, his wife, his beautiful wife, had learned to use this trick as well. And she was listening to her opera of long ago.
Two, he awoke. He had slept very well in his recliner. He also had a processed breakfast. And then he wished his wife good-bye as he left his wonderful environment that had fresh air, and was filtered and all the nature irritants were left out. But he had to go through the sterilization doorway again so he could face the outside environment. It was dark and he hurried down the path. It used to be – this path used to be so nice. He had to stray it every once in a while to keep the plants from invading it. The plants over the years had become very aggressive as did the deer. They seemed to be all in combat with each other. The beautiful flowers had now been really like tiger lilies – they were like tigers to the other plants. Even the trees seemed to be in combat and seemed to push away from him as he went down the trail. He didn't see any of the four legged creatures or the two legged creatures as well around the forest.
At dawn the sun was pretty warm. The sun, now, had become very hot, so he had to use his special glasses and he had to use his special covering so that he was not burnt by it. All the other creatures and even the plants, were trying to take cover from this sun. The company had told him not to worry about the sun anymore, but just make sure you had your protective coating on. He had noticed that there were very few clouds and those, they were kind of blackened. He remembered when the clouds were blue and the sun was not so hot.
He arrived at the company and put in his id card in the lock. Again the door opened and the sterilization process and he walked in. Now, he looked around. There were not too many people here – just mostly machines, machines everywhere. He went to his cubicle, his workstation, and he checked in with his id card. The machine sprung to life and in front of him. There were buttons to push. He didn't know why he pushed the buttons but he pushed them. He pushed them in a way he was told many times. Then a sound went off. It was the dinner sound. So he stopped and turned his machine to neutral.
There was a treat in his processed food. It was something called apple pie. He remembered the name. It rang a bell somewhere in his brain. OK so the bell rang and he knew what he had to do now. It was the afternoon meeting. So he went into the meeting. In the meeting was mostly machines, and there was a screen. Today a special speech would be how the company is good for you and how you are good for the company. He was so bored with this stuff. It seemed to be always in the favor of the company. Nothing about him and the other workers. Then a bell rang and it was time to go. He looked around the room, the meeting room. He didn't see his supervisor. And a lot of the workers seemed to have disappeared as time had gone on. But he shrugged and thought “oh well, they're probably out on another part of the company, another part of the building, or working at a different job somewhere else. So he got up and exited. Again, the damn sterilization as he exited.
He thought when he went down the trail that the company had been there, it seemed, a long time, and he had worked for many years for it. It had changed over the year. It always said the company was something better for you. The company was voted in by his other inhabitants. They had voted in to take the place of the government because the company said it would protect both the natural and the unnatural beings that covered the earth. They had all accepted that for life had become easy. They had processed food. They didn't have to work for it. They just had to work for the company and the company provided for them what they needed. But he had rejected some of their ideas. But he hid it well. He had kept a lot of the old things that the company had said was not important. He had kept some of his music. He had kept a lot of the books that he hid. He had also one of the few homes that he had made by hand to protect himself both from the company and nature.
As he entered his home he had noticed he had not seen any of the deer. That was not very clear to him why had they not shown up at least to look at him. So as he entered and was sterilized, he went and sat in his chair. And he called his wife's name out, “Marija, where are you today?” “I'm in a chair too and how was your day?” “Well, the company sent me to this lady's house where I was to take care of her and make sure she ate her processed food. I tried to talk to her but the machines were droning on – that were keeping her alive. She said so, suddenly a timer went off. And the machines stopped. And the lady that was protected by them, and kept alive by them, died.”
Marija said that this lady had lived very long, almost two hundred years, with the aid of the machines. And the company made her an example of the long life they could provide. Marija said she was spooked at this. She rolled her in the white sheet provided. And put her in the disposal unit, pressed the button, and then ran out the door. She was very disturbed. She had wondered, if this too, would be her fate. I told her that nature has a way, a natural and real nature, and the laws can not be neglected, they can just be delayed. She accepted that and smiled at me, smiled at Ray, and said “Ray, I love you for I am so proud of you for giving us this home and a life outside the company.”
The next day again, I left my home. I noticed that the woods and the creatures were all in disarray. They were running about. There seemed to be a disturbance within the woods. I didn't go and look for sure for there were many dangers if you left the path. Upon approaching the company I noticed something strange. The company seemed to be dark. I entered through my keypass, of course was sterilized, and entered into my cubicle. I noticed and looked around, that all these years, I noticed that there were less and less people but then I noticed there was just me. What had happened to the others? I wondered about that. I was going to ask my supervisors but then my workstation bell rang. I went there and pushed the buttons and I pushed the buttons and I pushed the buttons. Then the bell went off again for my meal.
Then it rang again for the meeting. I went to the meeting. And again, there was a picture on a screen and the title was “The Company Lives Forever”. And it showed the lady who had lived two hundred years and you too, can live this long. I wondered about that as I saw there were not employees around. Where had they all gone? It was against the law to miss a meeting. I looked around further and there were many of the machines but they all seemed to be turned off. Even when this last machine of the meeting, it turned itself off, which is kind of strange because all these machines were on at one time or another.
I looked around the building, for the meeting had been short. I thought, maybe I can explore. I explored a little bit around but could find no one. There were many rooms, all forbidden to go into. I went back to my station, and I saw the intercom. It was still on. I pressed the button. It said, “View employee.” I pressed the button and viewed myself. And then it said, “View his home.” A button was there. I pressed the button. And what did I see, my home, and I pressed the intercom as well. I said, “Marija, are you home early?” She said, “Yes, it was kind of strange. I went to the company and it said there was no work for me to do. To go home.” “I looked at my workstation as well, she said, but it was turned off. I looked around at the other people. They were not there. So I came home and was glad to have some time to sit here and listen to my music. Ray said, “Marija, I'll soon be home and we will both listen to music and we'll both touch hands and we'll think about the past. We will not think about the future right now, and the company and the path but just our home. And not about nature or not about the unnatural things. You know, I even have some books I'd like to read to you. One is about Aristotle, Plato, and Socrates. It is an old book that I saved. One that is about the philosophy of long ago.
Thanks Lloyd. That was very interesting in a chilling sort of way.
Richard (In Champaign)
Date: September 1, 2009
Title: those deer – those damn deer
Running and jumping about – there are many of them. They would eat anything now. One of them even approached Ray, as he was going down the trail – to bite him! Ray quickened his pace now. He saw the deer and they seemed to be closing in on him. It was getting toward dark and he hurried home from work, from the company. He was hurrying down the path. He wished he was home – his home that was so safe and so neat to him. He had built it himself. Well, that was all there was to be – his home and the company. At the meeting they told him that the company was everything. It was not what you could do for yourself, but what you could do for your company. It was one of those strange meetings that occurred everyday. He worked in the morning and went to meetings at night – or at least toward dawn. In this meeting it was accompanied by the recording machines – the display machines – and a few of the workers. There seemed to be fewer and fewer as he noticed, as he looked around the room. But then that was work and now it was time to come home to his beautiful wife. He loved her so. She had another job. It was also part of the company's expansion program.
Thinking about home, he had slowed down a bit. One of those crazy deers tried to come up and bite me. Luckily he had his cane with him. He hit him, the deer, as hard as he could. The dumb animal looked at him and gave him one of those stares and ran off. The others got the idea too. They ran off into the woods. Those damn deer.
He was happy to come to his home. He had built it very lovingly into the side of the hill. It had natural grass on the top. This gave it an insulation both to cold and hot. He had made the windows too. They were those protective type of windows that had the plastic laminate inside of them. They were very strong for defense against the wild creatures.
He came to the door. This door he had made too – of the best oak. Now, this oak was very hard to come by. It had been used for so many things. He inserted his card, his id card. The door sprung open. He went in very quickly. All of a sudden, lights went on. These were the sterilization lights that allowed him to enter to and from nature – and to his closed environment.
He headed for the chair, his recliner, his everything. It was a recliner chair that he had built and long gone and it was all the things that he needed. Even his food processor was there. He could put on his earphones and listen to the forbidden music that he had recorded long ago.
His wife called out lovingly from her recliner which was very close by. “Is that you Ray?” “Yes, it is I. I just had a run in with those deer. I hope the company doesn't punish me for whacking one of them.” “You actually hit one of them?” “Yes, they're getting more and more aggressive. They will eat anything if you allow it.” “Well, I hope they don't eat the grass on the top of the house. It would be very uncomfortable, if they started eating the house.” He ate his processed food and switched on to the screen. The screen showed various things that the company wanted you to see. There was the news. There was the story of the good employee. There was the story of the bad employee. There was a story about the good company. All was this over and over again. Well, he decided he'd put on his earphones so the company could think that he was watching but he was really listening to his forbidden music.
She too, his wife, his beautiful wife, had learned to use this trick as well. And she was listening to her opera of long ago.
Two, he awoke. He had slept very well in his recliner. He also had a processed breakfast. And then he wished his wife good-bye as he left his wonderful environment that had fresh air, and was filtered and all the nature irritants were left out. But he had to go through the sterilization doorway again so he could face the outside environment. It was dark and he hurried down the path. It used to be – this path used to be so nice. He had to stray it every once in a while to keep the plants from invading it. The plants over the years had become very aggressive as did the deer. They seemed to be all in combat with each other. The beautiful flowers had now been really like tiger lilies – they were like tigers to the other plants. Even the trees seemed to be in combat and seemed to push away from him as he went down the trail. He didn't see any of the four legged creatures or the two legged creatures as well around the forest.
At dawn the sun was pretty warm. The sun, now, had become very hot, so he had to use his special glasses and he had to use his special covering so that he was not burnt by it. All the other creatures and even the plants, were trying to take cover from this sun. The company had told him not to worry about the sun anymore, but just make sure you had your protective coating on. He had noticed that there were very few clouds and those, they were kind of blackened. He remembered when the clouds were blue and the sun was not so hot.
He arrived at the company and put in his id card in the lock. Again the door opened and the sterilization process and he walked in. Now, he looked around. There were not too many people here – just mostly machines, machines everywhere. He went to his cubicle, his workstation, and he checked in with his id card. The machine sprung to life and in front of him. There were buttons to push. He didn't know why he pushed the buttons but he pushed them. He pushed them in a way he was told many times. Then a sound went off. It was the dinner sound. So he stopped and turned his machine to neutral.
There was a treat in his processed food. It was something called apple pie. He remembered the name. It rang a bell somewhere in his brain. OK so the bell rang and he knew what he had to do now. It was the afternoon meeting. So he went into the meeting. In the meeting was mostly machines, and there was a screen. Today a special speech would be how the company is good for you and how you are good for the company. He was so bored with this stuff. It seemed to be always in the favor of the company. Nothing about him and the other workers. Then a bell rang and it was time to go. He looked around the room, the meeting room. He didn't see his supervisor. And a lot of the workers seemed to have disappeared as time had gone on. But he shrugged and thought “oh well, they're probably out on another part of the company, another part of the building, or working at a different job somewhere else. So he got up and exited. Again, the damn sterilization as he exited.
He thought when he went down the trail that the company had been there, it seemed, a long time, and he had worked for many years for it. It had changed over the year. It always said the company was something better for you. The company was voted in by his other inhabitants. They had voted in to take the place of the government because the company said it would protect both the natural and the unnatural beings that covered the earth. They had all accepted that for life had become easy. They had processed food. They didn't have to work for it. They just had to work for the company and the company provided for them what they needed. But he had rejected some of their ideas. But he hid it well. He had kept a lot of the old things that the company had said was not important. He had kept some of his music. He had kept a lot of the books that he hid. He had also one of the few homes that he had made by hand to protect himself both from the company and nature.
As he entered his home he had noticed he had not seen any of the deer. That was not very clear to him why had they not shown up at least to look at him. So as he entered and was sterilized, he went and sat in his chair. And he called his wife's name out, “Marija, where are you today?” “I'm in a chair too and how was your day?” “Well, the company sent me to this lady's house where I was to take care of her and make sure she ate her processed food. I tried to talk to her but the machines were droning on – that were keeping her alive. She said so, suddenly a timer went off. And the machines stopped. And the lady that was protected by them, and kept alive by them, died.”
Marija said that this lady had lived very long, almost two hundred years, with the aid of the machines. And the company made her an example of the long life they could provide. Marija said she was spooked at this. She rolled her in the white sheet provided. And put her in the disposal unit, pressed the button, and then ran out the door. She was very disturbed. She had wondered, if this too, would be her fate. I told her that nature has a way, a natural and real nature, and the laws can not be neglected, they can just be delayed. She accepted that and smiled at me, smiled at Ray, and said “Ray, I love you for I am so proud of you for giving us this home and a life outside the company.”
The next day again, I left my home. I noticed that the woods and the creatures were all in disarray. They were running about. There seemed to be a disturbance within the woods. I didn't go and look for sure for there were many dangers if you left the path. Upon approaching the company I noticed something strange. The company seemed to be dark. I entered through my keypass, of course was sterilized, and entered into my cubicle. I noticed and looked around, that all these years, I noticed that there were less and less people but then I noticed there was just me. What had happened to the others? I wondered about that. I was going to ask my supervisors but then my workstation bell rang. I went there and pushed the buttons and I pushed the buttons and I pushed the buttons. Then the bell went off again for my meal.
Then it rang again for the meeting. I went to the meeting. And again, there was a picture on a screen and the title was “The Company Lives Forever”. And it showed the lady who had lived two hundred years and you too, can live this long. I wondered about that as I saw there were not employees around. Where had they all gone? It was against the law to miss a meeting. I looked around further and there were many of the machines but they all seemed to be turned off. Even when this last machine of the meeting, it turned itself off, which is kind of strange because all these machines were on at one time or another.
I looked around the building, for the meeting had been short. I thought, maybe I can explore. I explored a little bit around but could find no one. There were many rooms, all forbidden to go into. I went back to my station, and I saw the intercom. It was still on. I pressed the button. It said, “View employee.” I pressed the button and viewed myself. And then it said, “View his home.” A button was there. I pressed the button. And what did I see, my home, and I pressed the intercom as well. I said, “Marija, are you home early?” She said, “Yes, it was kind of strange. I went to the company and it said there was no work for me to do. To go home.” “I looked at my workstation as well, she said, but it was turned off. I looked around at the other people. They were not there. So I came home and was glad to have some time to sit here and listen to my music. Ray said, “Marija, I'll soon be home and we will both listen to music and we'll both touch hands and we'll think about the past. We will not think about the future right now, and the company and the path but just our home. And not about nature or not about the unnatural things. You know, I even have some books I'd like to read to you. One is about Aristotle, Plato, and Socrates. It is an old book that I saved. One that is about the philosophy of long ago.
Thanks Lloyd. That was very interesting in a chilling sort of way.
Richard (In Champaign)
Comments:
I love your art. In images. Words. All of it.
# posted by SandyCarlson : 6:57 PM Post a Comment
I love your art. In images. Words. All of it.
# posted by SandyCarlson : 6:57 PM Post a Comment
Friday, November 06, 2009
LITTLE RED CAP
Once she gave her a little cap of red velvet, which suited her so well that she would never wear anything else; so she was always called 'Little Red- Cap.
Wednesday, November 04, 2009
I be leive...
I believe in one God, and no more; and I hope for happiness beyond this life.
I believe in the equality of humans; and I believe that religious duties consist in doing justice, loving mercy, and endeavoring to make our fellow creatures happy.-- Thomas Paine
I believe in the equality of humans; and I believe that religious duties consist in doing justice, loving mercy, and endeavoring to make our fellow creatures happy.-- Thomas Paine
Tuesday, November 03, 2009
Sandy inspired me to paint thr next paimting
Sunday, November 01, 2009
CSLA Meeting in River ForestSept. 13, 2009; 4-6 pmCSLA -- "Congregations in Solidarity with Latin America" as a part of theChicago Presbytery of the P
-- Of all the indigenous groups in Colombia, the Awá have beenthe most affected by the conflict this year, accounting for 38 of theknown 77 indigenous peoples killed so far in 2009. In February this year17 Awá indigenous peoples were killed in two massacres believed to becommitted by the "Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia" (FARC). TheFARC is a military terrorist group established by the Colombian CommunistParty in the 1960's. The Awás are largely located in the ColombianPacific coast and lowlands of Nariño which are ideal places for theColombian tourism industry and coffee growing. Through the FARC, theyexpel and kill the Awás to make enormous profits off of their lands.In addition to the National Police, the "Departamento Administrativo deSeguridad" (DAS) is the principal Colombian organization responsible forenforcement of laws relating to national security. This organization hasa national role comparable to that of the Federal Bureau of Investigationin the United States. However, the DAS is infiltrating civilian camps andreporting on contacts with foreigners, outside organizations andreligious-based institutions. The DAS has planted people in oppositionrallies to "create chaos," disguised themselves as journalists, andplanted false information in the press, among other actions intended todisrupt or discredit civil society activities.Just as the Bush Administration did before, the Obama Administrationcertified on September 8th that Colombia meets the human rights conditionsin law. The conditions, which refer to gross violations of human rights byColombia's security forces and collaboration between those forces andparamilitary or other illegal armed groups, are attached to thirty percentof Colombia's military aid. The State Department took this decisiondespite the overwhelming evidence that the Colombian army had killed over1,500 civilians, and dressing their bodies up in guerrilla uniforms so asto count them as enemy dead. Earlier this year, when EcuadorianPresident Rafael Correa decided to not renew the US lease on the militarybase in Manta, Ecuador, the US set its sights on Colombia, a long-time USally and one of the biggest recipients of US military aid in the world. Under the agreement the US eventually developed with Colombia, the USwould have access to seven military bases for ten years, stationing up to1,400 US personnel and private contractors, and will continue currentpolicies between the US and Colombia.Although the "Iglesia Presbiteriana de Colombia" (the Presbyterian Churchin Colombia, or IPC) executive secretary, Milton Mejia, has repeatedlyinsisted that the IPC does nothing illegal, it appears that Colombianauthorities are trying to link the church with Colombia's guerrillamovement. This puts IPC workers at risk and scares off those in need whowould ordinarily turn to it for help. IPC leaders have recently learnedthat the church's synod office in Barranquilla is apparently under videosurveillance. Government interrogators have shown to those arrested videoclips of people entering and leaving the church offices.Presbytery of Chicago Leaders in Colombia -- At the request of the IPC,Mamie Broadhurst and Richard Williams serve in Colombia as pastoralaccompaniers. Prior to her appointment as a mission co-worker, Mamieserved for four years as an associate pastor of First United Church of OakPark, IL. Before that, she spent a year (2004) as an intern in theplanning process for the Council for a Parliament of World Religions inBarcelona, Spain. She claims that the current position in Colombia needs$35,000/yr. for support. (No action has been taken.) From 2006 to 2009,Richard served as the pastor and campus minister at Agape House of theUniversity of Illinois at Chicago. He was recognized with the Rookie ofthe Year Award by the National Campus Ministry Association in 2008. Theyaccompany human rights individuals for escort out of Colombia and stand upfor issues. Currently, the CSLA is seeking to replace Mamie at herrequest.Alice Winters is a graduate of the University of Michigan Law School andworked as a tax law specialist for the U.S. Internal Revenue Service inWashington, D.C. Her involvement in an inner-city Washington church ledto her call to the gospel ministry, and she worked as pastoral assistantat Sixth Presbyterian Church in Washington before her studies atGordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in South Hamilton, MA. In 1983 shejoined the faculty of the Presbyterian Theological Seminary, predecessorto the School of Theology of the Reformed University, and served as itspresident from 1987-1992. She was the first woman to be named presidentof a seminary in Latin America. She is active in the Ecumenical Networkof Churches and Christian Organizations for Human Rights and in the workwith displaced persons in the area of Barranquilla, where she lives. Alice will be in Chicago for three weeks in late Nov. and early Dec. Shewill speak at the Presbyterian Church of Western Springs Sunday afterThanksgiving (Nov. 29, 2009). Her current planned schedule is attached.Colombia Delegation for 2010 -- Up to 15-20 individuals with personalfunds or with church support will travel the last two weeks of July, 2010or early August. Leave Fri. and back 10 days later on Mon. or Tues. Costper delagate will be approx. $2,200. The delegation will be inBarranquilla in coastal northern Colombia, and Urabá, a more ruralmountainous region near Panama in northwest Colombia. Previous CSLAdelegations have claimed to feel safe despite recorded incidences. Thedelegation will visit with two of the three presbyteries of the IPC, aswell as with internally displaced Colombians, who number more than fourmillion - now more than those in Sudan/Darfur in Africa. The group willalso visit Afro-Colombian communities, and the Reformed University inBarranquilla, which has recently formed an academic partnership withChicago's McCormick Theological Seminary. More details of the trip willcome later in the fall, and sign-ups for delegates should start shortlythereafter.Submitted by Richard & Mary Crang
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