The mostly black one looks a lot like my daughter’s cat, Blanket. She was my ex’s cat, and when he died last winter, she took her home. She sleeps right on my daughter’s stomach, just as she did her father’s. Cats are so special! But, then, so are dogs. :-)
Annie, I was reading an obit of Christopher Hitchens (he’ll be missed) and realized that he was another April 13th baby. My wife, upon discovering this, wrote to me “I guess the whole lot of you are grouches, grumps, and misanthropes of varying degrees.” I had to remind her that you were also an April 13th baby!
Me. He was an irascible drunk, and not a very good person, but he had the courage of his convictions, and was even willing to follow those convictions to unpopular points of view. Even if I disagreed with him (and mostly I did) I appreciated that part of his character. Plus, he was funny.
Hey, i’m back!!! I missed pymt to my server– and then procrastinated in calling them to reinstate…
Love the pictures of your babies, amba. Are you keeping them both, now? They fit nicely together:0).
Christopher Hitchens– i saw him on 60Minutes and i really found him(for lack of a better word)endearing. I don’t know if it’s just that he isn’t afraid to speak his mind(wasn’t, i guess i should say)or if his battling cancer just made me see how very brave he was…
Hitler was a freak- a mad mad. Hitchens… an angry one.
Ice, I was in a surly mood when I made those comments. Heaven knows [irony intended], the world needs thinkers of all kinds. I found his cynicism tiresome [rather like that of Mencken] but I’m truly sorry he suffered from cancer and died too young. :-( As is so often said, we shall be somewhat poorer for his absence.
Karen, I was not comparing Hitchens with Hitler–just pointing out that they both had the courage of their convictions, my point being the insufficiency of that courage as cause to commend. ;-)
I have to get to bed- early to rise in the morning(demmit!)- but, can we really call what Hitler had ~courage~? Being mad– wouldn’t it just be madness?
Although, he sure had his convictions… The(expletive)madman.
I had a typo– i said above… mad mad. I meant mad man. The only reason i noticed was because i had connected the two words– and got the red, squiggly line, so separated them. i guess mad mad doesn’t go madmad– even if it is pertaining to Hitler.
Why do we call the bad mad? Was Stalin also mad? How about Haman in the book of Esther? He wasn’t mad at all. Just bad. Rasputin, the ‘mad’ monk! He wasn’t mad. He was a conniving, manipulative, power seeker. Much like many lobbyists. :-)
Does anyone here remember Dr. Thomas Szasz? He was [is–I think he’s still alive] a controversial psychiatrist who held that mental illness was never a valid defense in a criminal court. Nor should the villains of history get off the hook, IMHO.
Please note: I do NOT consider Christopher Hitchens a villain. I was merely saying that having the courage of one’s convictions does not necessarily rate accolades. Rasputin certainly had the courage of his convictions–they just happened to be very BAD convictions.
I was merely saying that having the courage of one’s convictions does not necessarily rate accolades.
Actually it does, if that means one must suffer loss from them. Courage is a virtue, and in and of itself a good thing. What it’s used for may be bad, but that is another matter.
I know we’re not all the same age but don’t you think that many of us have experienced a broad spectrum of political philosophy and now are more balanced in our views? Anyway, I’d like to think so. When I was young, it seemed like we had all the answers on the left. A little older, I was an enthusiastic Reaganite. Now, I’m an Independent with a distaste for both parties and a particular dislike for neocons. Why, oh why, are they still so gung-ho on the ‘wars’ in the Middle East? They’d like nothing better than to start another one in Iran. :-( I wish just one of them would tell me what was accomplished in Iraq that was worth the lives of over 4K of our troops and heaven knows how many Iraquis. Sure, we finally got bin Laden but we should have been able to pull that off as an intelligence operation.
I know–way off topic. Love your kitties, Amba! What a sweet source of solace!
I’m late to the session… again. My computer is old and slow even w/my wireless thingy. Heh– i always spell thingy w/an ~ie~ and get hollered at- visually. Who knew(ok- maybe all of you)that it’s the ~y~ that counts?
Anyway– i don’t know why i called Hitler mad- as opposed to bad. Maybe because his convictions involved extermination of a race and faith– more than one and on his decision of what purity was? He had a vision. Courage? Idk– did he have courage? I personally don’t equate power or ambition w/courage.
I grew up w/a mentally ill person– crazy as a coot, he was– w/out his meds. Today, one would never know what his brain was like. He’s a great guy(IMhumbleO).
Who was the other guy– the one w/the cult that ~drank the koolaid~? Was he mad or bad– Jonestown? There’s a line,somewhere– that should be permanent, yet hooligans(or righteous?)keep moving the pins. Damn.
Funny, Karen, I was going to mention Jim Jones. To me, ‘courage of one’s convictions’ just means boldly following through with what one strongly believes, undeterred by adversity or naysayers [or moral reason, for that matter]. Interesting that Jim Jones apparently studied the likes of Hitler, Gandhi, Stalin and Marx [Karl, not Groucho].
IMHO, a far better case would be John Brown, the abolitionist. Some said he was mad but he certainly had the courage of his convictions. Fighting against evil, he sometimes used terrorism to accomplish his goals. I happen to like John Brown, whose body may still be ‘ a-moulderin’ in the grave’.
Thanks, mockT– i don’t kow things in depth– other than pedigrees or anything about cows, i guess. It’s probably not an either/or type of choice, anyway:0).
:0)– that’s cause i hang w/the cool catz at amba’s!!
I’m sure i’ve said this before, but when i 1st started reading blogs(i think in ’05)everyone around me in this real, tangible world would look at me like i should be committed. You are my invisible friends– who talk back in script. I’d say– Amba said this, amba said that… and all the various opinions that we share… to the great consternation of my family.
Then we met Randy– a real, tangible & great friend whom i could take by the hand, introduce and say– this is my invisible friend from the internet– shake his hand:0).
Then amba breezed in & we stared for so long at e/other– such hungry eyes– because we pour out our thoughts to e/other& trust… you know? It was so short a time to memorize the love we feel for e/other.
I would love to meet all of you, some day. In my cool neck of the woods– i’m pretty simple. I’ve got wicked cool friends, that’s all. Invisible, yet you feel so great in my heart.
Ambiance
Icepick said,
December 14, 2011 at 1:54 pm
The little one looks a little like Rorschach, just doesn’t have as many spots. Rorschach continues to amaze.
mockturtle said,
December 14, 2011 at 6:20 pm
The mostly black one looks a lot like my daughter’s cat, Blanket. She was my ex’s cat, and when he died last winter, she took her home. She sleeps right on my daughter’s stomach, just as she did her father’s. Cats are so special! But, then, so are dogs. :-)
E. said,
December 16, 2011 at 10:55 am
So THAT’s what it’s all about. If I would have know this earlier I would have lived my life a whole other way! ;-) Happy holidays Amba. E.
amba12 said,
December 16, 2011 at 11:24 am
On the other hand, some say it’s the Hokey Pokey. :) Happy holidays to you too, my friend.
Icepick said,
December 16, 2011 at 2:53 pm
Annie, I was reading an obit of Christopher Hitchens (he’ll be missed) and realized that he was another April 13th baby. My wife, upon discovering this, wrote to me “I guess the whole lot of you are grouches, grumps, and misanthropes of varying degrees.” I had to remind her that you were also an April 13th baby!
amba12 said,
December 16, 2011 at 4:53 pm
Close — I’m an April 12th baby. What a difference a day makes! LOL.
Icepick said,
December 16, 2011 at 6:07 pm
Why can’t I remember that? oh well, I guess we’re also forgetful….
kngfish said,
December 16, 2011 at 7:00 pm
My friend’s son, Noah, was born on April 20th….when she asked me offhandedly who’s birthday that was i said….”ummm……Hitler?”
Such a look I got…
amba12 said,
December 16, 2011 at 7:20 pm
The Buddha’s birthday is right around then too.
mockturtle said,
December 16, 2011 at 8:01 pm
On the other hand, some say it’s the Hokey Pokey. :)
That’s right! I’d forgotten that! ;-)
Christopher Hitchens (he’ll be missed)
by…..???
Icepick said,
December 16, 2011 at 8:45 pm
Me. He was an irascible drunk, and not a very good person, but he had the courage of his convictions, and was even willing to follow those convictions to unpopular points of view. Even if I disagreed with him (and mostly I did) I appreciated that part of his character. Plus, he was funny.
mockturtle said,
December 16, 2011 at 9:15 pm
he had the courage of his convictions
So did Hitler.
karen said,
December 16, 2011 at 10:01 pm
Hey, i’m back!!! I missed pymt to my server– and then procrastinated in calling them to reinstate…
Love the pictures of your babies, amba. Are you keeping them both, now? They fit nicely together:0).
Christopher Hitchens– i saw him on 60Minutes and i really found him(for lack of a better word)endearing. I don’t know if it’s just that he isn’t afraid to speak his mind(wasn’t, i guess i should say)or if his battling cancer just made me see how very brave he was…
Hitler was a freak- a mad mad. Hitchens… an angry one.
mockturtle said,
December 16, 2011 at 10:09 pm
Ice, I was in a surly mood when I made those comments. Heaven knows [irony intended], the world needs thinkers of all kinds. I found his cynicism tiresome [rather like that of Mencken] but I’m truly sorry he suffered from cancer and died too young. :-( As is so often said, we shall be somewhat poorer for his absence.
mockturtle said,
December 16, 2011 at 10:16 pm
Karen, I was not comparing Hitchens with Hitler–just pointing out that they both had the courage of their convictions, my point being the insufficiency of that courage as cause to commend. ;-)
karen said,
December 16, 2011 at 10:44 pm
I have to get to bed- early to rise in the morning(demmit!)- but, can we really call what Hitler had ~courage~? Being mad– wouldn’t it just be madness?
Although, he sure had his convictions… The(expletive)madman.
I had a typo– i said above… mad mad. I meant mad man. The only reason i noticed was because i had connected the two words– and got the red, squiggly line, so separated them. i guess mad mad doesn’t go madmad– even if it is pertaining to Hitler.
amba12 said,
December 16, 2011 at 11:52 pm
Well, Hitch — although an atheist — was half Jewish and fiercely pro-Israel and anti-anti-Semitic.
Icepick said,
December 17, 2011 at 1:10 am
So did Hitler.
So did Jesus.
One thing to keep in mind is that one’s enemies often qualities that we would admire in friends, and they may even have virtues.
Icepick said,
December 17, 2011 at 1:11 am
And Hitch was also very pro-Palestinian. I actually seem to recall that he was anti-Zionist, though. Sometimes it’s hard to keep everyone straight.
mockturtle said,
December 17, 2011 at 1:19 am
Why do we call the bad mad? Was Stalin also mad? How about Haman in the book of Esther? He wasn’t mad at all. Just bad. Rasputin, the ‘mad’ monk! He wasn’t mad. He was a conniving, manipulative, power seeker. Much like many lobbyists. :-)
Does anyone here remember Dr. Thomas Szasz? He was [is–I think he’s still alive] a controversial psychiatrist who held that mental illness was never a valid defense in a criminal court. Nor should the villains of history get off the hook, IMHO.
Please note: I do NOT consider Christopher Hitchens a villain. I was merely saying that having the courage of one’s convictions does not necessarily rate accolades. Rasputin certainly had the courage of his convictions–they just happened to be very BAD convictions.
Icepick said,
December 17, 2011 at 1:25 am
I was merely saying that having the courage of one’s convictions does not necessarily rate accolades.
Actually it does, if that means one must suffer loss from them. Courage is a virtue, and in and of itself a good thing. What it’s used for may be bad, but that is another matter.
amba12 said,
December 17, 2011 at 3:39 am
Ice, hard to keep straight because Hitch switched. He started out very socialist. He was kind of a neocon in some ways.
kngfish said,
December 17, 2011 at 11:35 am
From kittehs to kittenkrads all in one thread….just another day here at Ambiance….oooo Snow Video!
Icepick said,
December 17, 2011 at 2:32 pm
Ice, hard to keep straight because Hitch switched. He started out very socialist. He was kind of a neocon in some ways.
Yeah, but most of the true neo-cons had been leftists in their youths!
amba12 said,
December 17, 2011 at 2:42 pm
Well, exactly. That’s what made them “neo-“.
mockturtle said,
December 17, 2011 at 3:36 pm
I know we’re not all the same age but don’t you think that many of us have experienced a broad spectrum of political philosophy and now are more balanced in our views? Anyway, I’d like to think so. When I was young, it seemed like we had all the answers on the left. A little older, I was an enthusiastic Reaganite. Now, I’m an Independent with a distaste for both parties and a particular dislike for neocons. Why, oh why, are they still so gung-ho on the ‘wars’ in the Middle East? They’d like nothing better than to start another one in Iran. :-( I wish just one of them would tell me what was accomplished in Iraq that was worth the lives of over 4K of our troops and heaven knows how many Iraquis. Sure, we finally got bin Laden but we should have been able to pull that off as an intelligence operation.
I know–way off topic. Love your kitties, Amba! What a sweet source of solace!
amba12 said,
December 17, 2011 at 3:39 pm
Now, I’m an Independent with a distaste for both parties
Hey, that’s what I am!!
karen said,
December 18, 2011 at 9:06 pm
I’m late to the session… again. My computer is old and slow even w/my wireless thingy. Heh– i always spell thingy w/an ~ie~ and get hollered at- visually. Who knew(ok- maybe all of you)that it’s the ~y~ that counts?
Anyway– i don’t know why i called Hitler mad- as opposed to bad. Maybe because his convictions involved extermination of a race and faith– more than one and on his decision of what purity was? He had a vision. Courage? Idk– did he have courage? I personally don’t equate power or ambition w/courage.
I grew up w/a mentally ill person– crazy as a coot, he was– w/out his meds. Today, one would never know what his brain was like. He’s a great guy(IMhumbleO).
Who was the other guy– the one w/the cult that ~drank the koolaid~? Was he mad or bad– Jonestown? There’s a line,somewhere– that should be permanent, yet hooligans(or righteous?)keep moving the pins. Damn.
mockturtle said,
December 18, 2011 at 10:46 pm
Funny, Karen, I was going to mention Jim Jones. To me, ‘courage of one’s convictions’ just means boldly following through with what one strongly believes, undeterred by adversity or naysayers [or moral reason, for that matter]. Interesting that Jim Jones apparently studied the likes of Hitler, Gandhi, Stalin and Marx [Karl, not Groucho].
IMHO, a far better case would be John Brown, the abolitionist. Some said he was mad but he certainly had the courage of his convictions. Fighting against evil, he sometimes used terrorism to accomplish his goals. I happen to like John Brown, whose body may still be ‘ a-moulderin’ in the grave’.
karen said,
December 19, 2011 at 8:32 pm
Thanks, mockT– i don’t kow things in depth– other than pedigrees or anything about cows, i guess. It’s probably not an either/or type of choice, anyway:0).
mockturtle said,
December 19, 2011 at 10:23 pm
On the contrary, Karen, you seem to have an innate understanding of things.
karen said,
December 20, 2011 at 8:03 pm
:0)– if it were not for the internet, i think i would have a very difficult life. Tonic, you all are:0).
Can Randy pipe in and say hello????? Randy?
mockturtle said,
December 20, 2011 at 8:38 pm
Hope he’s OK! :-\
kngfish said,
December 20, 2011 at 10:31 pm
Karen, you’re pretty cool….don’t forget that the Internet said so! :0
Icepick said,
December 21, 2011 at 1:34 am
But does it say she’s cool in her Wikipedia entry?
mockturtle said,
December 21, 2011 at 2:17 am
Yes. It says, “Thermodynamics studies have indicated that Karen is cooler than most”.
karen said,
December 21, 2011 at 8:03 pm
:0)– that’s cause i hang w/the cool catz at amba’s!!
I’m sure i’ve said this before, but when i 1st started reading blogs(i think in ’05)everyone around me in this real, tangible world would look at me like i should be committed. You are my invisible friends– who talk back in script. I’d say– Amba said this, amba said that… and all the various opinions that we share… to the great consternation of my family.
Then we met Randy– a real, tangible & great friend whom i could take by the hand, introduce and say– this is my invisible friend from the internet– shake his hand:0).
Then amba breezed in & we stared for so long at e/other– such hungry eyes– because we pour out our thoughts to e/other& trust… you know? It was so short a time to memorize the love we feel for e/other.
I would love to meet all of you, some day. In my cool neck of the woods– i’m pretty simple. I’ve got wicked cool friends, that’s all. Invisible, yet you feel so great in my heart.
mockturtle said,
December 22, 2011 at 11:49 am
I am deeply honored to be counted as your friend, Karen. :-)