An excerpt from Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter
It may seem marvellous, that with the world before her, free to return to her birthplace, or to any other land, and there hide her character and identity under a new exterior, as completely as if emerging into another state of being - and having also the passes of the dark, inscrutable forest open to her, where the wildness of her nature might assimilate itself with a people whose customs and life were alien from the law that had condemned her - it may seem marvellous that this woman should still call that place her home, where, and where only, she must needs be the type of shame.
But there is a fatality, so irresistible and inevitable that it has the force of doom, which almost invariably compels human beings to linger around and haunt, ghostlike, the spot where some great and marked event has given the color to their lifetime; and still the more irresistibly, the darker the tinge which saddens it.
Her sin, her ignominy, were the roots which she had struck into the soil. It was as if a new birth, with stronger assimilations than the first, had converted the forest-land, still so uncongenial to ever other wandereer, into her wild and dreary, life-long home.
All other scenes of earth were foreign to her in comparison. The chain that bound her here was of iron links, and galling to her inmost soul, but could never be broken.
It might be, too - doubtless it was so, although she hid the secret from herself, and grew pale whenever it struggled out of her heart, like a serpant from its hole - it might be that another feeling kept her within the scene and pathway that had been so fatal.
There dwelt, there trode the feet of one with whom she deemed herself connected in a union, that unrecognized on earth, would bring them together for a joint futurity of endless retribution.
Here, she said to herself, had been the scene of her guilt, and here should be the scene of her earthly punishment; and so, perchance, the torture of her daily shame would at length purge her soul, and work out another purity than that which she had lost; more saint-like, becasue the result of martyrdom.
She, therefore, did not flee.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
~Carlin Quotes~
I posted this when comedian George Carlin died....
I remember well sneaking my dad's Carlin records into my room and hiding them in between CCR and Johnny Cash. Perhaps this flashback is a clue to my weirdness these days...He was infamous in his personal and professional life....this is perhaps one of my favorite weird people, simply because ' I love words, too....'
Here's just a little glimpse at an American historic icon....the late George Carlin....
Frisbeetarianism is the belief that when you die, your soul goes up on the roof and gets stuck. Honesty may be the best policy, but it's important to remember that apparently, by elimination, dishonesty is the second-best policy. I think it's the duty of the comedian to find out where the line is drawn and cross it deliberately.
If we could just find out who's in charge, we could kill him.
If we could just find out who's in charge, we could kill him.
If you can't beat them, arrange to have them beaten.
In comic strips, the person on the right always speaks first.
Inside every cynical person, there is a disappointed idealist.
Just cause you got the monkey off your back doesn't mean the circus has left town.
May the forces of evil become confused on the way to your house.
Most people work just hard enough not to get fired and get paid just enough money not to quit.
Not only do I not know what's going on, I wouldn't know what to do about it if I did.
Not only do I not know what's going on, I wouldn't know what to do about it if I did.
One can never know for sure what a deserted area looks like.
One tequila, two tequila, three tequila, floor. People who say they don't care what people think are usually desperate to have people think they don't care what people think.
Some people see things that are and ask, Why? Some people dream of things that never were and ask, Why not? Some people have to go to work and don't have time for all that.
Standing ovations have become far too commonplace. What we need are ovations where the audience members all punch and kick one another.
The main reason Santa is so jolly is because he knows where all the bad girls live.
The other night I ate at a real nice family restaurant. Every table had an argument going.
The reason I talk to myself is that I'm the only one whose answers I accept.
The status quo sucks.
The very existence of flame-throwers proves that some time, somewhere, someone said to themselves, You know, I want to set those people over there on fire, but I'm just not close enough to get the job done.
There are nights when the wolves are silent and only the moon howls.
There's no present. There's only the immediate future and the recent past.
Think off-center.
Weather forecast for tonight: dark.
Well, if crime fighters fight crime and fire fighters fight fire, what do freedom fighters fight?
What does it mean to pre-board? Do you get .. you get on?
When someone is impatient and says, "I haven't got all day," I always wonder, How can that be? How can you not have all day?
When Thomas Edison worked late into the night on the electric light, he had to do it by gas lamp or candle. I'm sure it made the work seem that much more urgent.
When you step on the brakes your life is in your foot's hands.
When you're born you get a ticket to the freak show. When you're born in America, you get a front row seat.
You know an odd feeling? Sitting on the toilet eating a chocolate candy bar.
You know the good part about all those executions in Texas? Fewer Texans.
~Signs You Race~
And this is one I posted in honor of my hubby and besties who dirt track race...some I jacked, some I wrote...
- You think the primary purpose of wings is to PREVENT flight. - You take your helmet along when you go to buy new eyeglasses. - You feel compelled on a road trip to beat your previous best time. - You are happiest when your street car's tires are worn to racing depth and the wear bars are showing. - When something falls off of your car, you wonder how much weight you just saved. - When you hear 'overcooked it', instead of food you think 'off the track'. - You change engine oil every week. - You sometimes hear little noises from your passengers when you get on the throttle right after turning in. - You thoroughly enjoy showing the tailgater behind how to drive around a highway off-ramp. - Your racing budget is one of the big three -- mortgage, car payments/maintenance, wife bribery. -Your email address refers to your race car rather than to you. - You walk proper lines through the grocery store. - You've been known to yell "It means 'check your mirrors' dammit!" at your television. - You've paid $4.00 a gallon for gas before George Bush ever had anything to do with it. - You buy new parts because you don't know where you put the spares. - You bought a race car before buying a house. - You bought a race car before buying furniture for the new house. - You're looking for a tow vehicle and still haven't bought furniture! - You find that you need a new house because you've outgrown your garage and the neighbors are threatening violence if you park one more vehicle on the street or in the front yard. - The requirements you give your real estate agent are (in order of importance): 1) 8 car climate controlled garage with an attached shop. 2) Outside parking for 6 cars, a motorhome, a crew cab dualie, a 28'enclosed trailer and a 34' 5th wheel. 3) 3 phase 220V outlets in the garage for your welder. 4) A grease pit. 5) Convenient to a hazardous waste disposal site. 6) Deaf neighbors. 7) Across the street from a paint and body shop. 8) Some sort of house with a working toilet and shower on the property somewhere -or- hookups for the motorhome. - You measure all family acquisitions in terms of the number of race tires that could have been purchased. - You know well that Orthodontic work is the equivalant of three sets of tires - You sit in your race car in a dark garage and make car noises and shift and practice your heel and toe, while waiting for your motor to get back from the machine shop. - You look at the purchase of tools as a long term investment. - Your wife says, "If you buy another set of tires, I'm getting a new redneck." - Your garage holds more cars than your house has bedrooms. - You have enough spare parts to build another car. - More than one racer supply house recognizes your voice and greets you by name when you call. - You have car parts in your office at work. - You think the last line of the Star Spangled Banner is: "Start your engines!" - You can't remember when you last worked on weekdays and rested on weekends. - You're registered for wedding gifts at J&H Garage & Motorsports. - Your Christmas list begins with another set of rods and peel-offs and your wife actually knows what they are. - After your answer to "What did you do this weekend?" the next question is always: "And you do this for fun? Right?" - You have a separate drawer for 'garage clothes,' but all your good clothes always end up there.- Your reading material in your bathroom consists of auto parts and racing supply catalogs, several books written by famous drivers, every book Carroll Smith has ever written.... and 400 car magazines, none of which have centerfolds. Those may be found giantly displayed on the walls and masked as Snap-On calenders.- People know you by your class car number and car color. - People know you by your "off"s". "Oh, you are the one stuck in turn 4 last weekend!" - You talk to other cars on the road, calling them by the manufacturer's name. - Your idea of a romantic Saturday night with your wife involves asking her to crew for you and pick up the order at Waffle-Inn on the way home. - Your criteria for selecting a friend include auto repair skills. Air tools optional. - Your friends don't recognize you without a helmet and driver's suit. - Your family remembers your hair color as "grease". - You plan your vacations around the race schedule. - You astound the clerk at Sears by bringing in a snapped breaker bar every other week or so. - You remember the dates and details of every race you've ever been in, but can't remember your phone number. - Your family brings the couch into the garage so they can spend some time with you. - You complain when cars in front of you on highway off-ramps don't stay on the line, causing your exit speed to drop. - A neighbor asks if you have any oil, to which you query, "Synthetic or organic?" and they reply, "Vegetable or corn." - You give out Summit Racing's number when a friend asks for the best hardware store. - You refer to the corner down the street from your house as "Turn One." - You look at the fire hydrant at that corner and see an apex marker. - You enjoy driving in the rain on the way to work or school. - You always late apex the intersection and try to pass a few cars coming out. - Everywhere you go, you try to find the fastest line through the turn. - You always do a toe & heel downshift while whoever might be your passenger gives you a real funny look. - You can't stand anyone telling others how to drive. Of course, you are the best. - You can't stand understeer. - You always want to change something in your street car to make it handle better. - You will gladly pay up to $8 for a quart of engine oil. - You hate long distance driving, but you will gladly drive 800 miles to the race track. - You think that traction control and ABS are for those who can't drive. - You've ever tried to convince your wife you needed that flow bench to fix the air filter on her station wagon. - You save broken car parts as " momentos". - Your last several freeway forays included just brushing the curbs as you apexed the on-ramps perfectly.... - You've found your lawnmower runs pretty good on 108 octane gas (but doesn't particularly care for alcohol). - The local tire shop won't honor the tread life warranty on any car you have been within 50 yards of... - The shop manager at your local car dealer mutters "dear Lord" under his breath after he sees the size of your exhaust piping. - The local police and state Highway Patrol have a picture of your car taped to their dashboard. - You spend more time polishing your exhaust tip every day than you do bathing. - Instead of pictures in your wallet, you have timeslips. - You would choose a rollbar over air conditioning if it were an option. - You enjoy driving through wet, empty parking lots and using the emergency brake to kick the back end out. - White smoke coming out from under your tires is a common sight. - You consider the redline a "conservative suggestion" and the rev limiter "a fun limiter" - You spend more on pit passes than on food. - Your idea of a good time is sitting around figuring out gear ratios and the ideal final drive ratio for given situations. - When someone refers to "The Good Book", you think of "The Auto Math Handbook" - When someone asks where you went to school, you reply, "Talladega". - You have racing shops programmed on on your speed dialer. - You own five cars and only one of them is street legal. - You know the 1/4 mile times and skid pad numbers of your riding mower and want to improve them. - You've embarrassed your wife at least once by insisting on wearing your full face helmet while driving. - You know the "racing line" of every turn in your daily commute, including your alternate routes, and practice hitting them every day. - You quote your street tire wear life in weeks rather than miles. - You regularly live test your rev limiter on that straight that's a little too long for 2nd but not worth going into 3rd for. - You've started looking for sponsors for your daily commute. - You've slalomed in a construction zone, and counted your penalty time in the rearview afterwards. - After you tell your wife where you'd like to go on your vacation she answers: "Why... is there a race there?"
- People think your kids are retarded because they can be seen at Sonic in the middle of summer strapped into your backseat wearing monster-sized helmets.
- You think the primary purpose of wings is to PREVENT flight. - You take your helmet along when you go to buy new eyeglasses. - You feel compelled on a road trip to beat your previous best time. - You are happiest when your street car's tires are worn to racing depth and the wear bars are showing. - When something falls off of your car, you wonder how much weight you just saved. - When you hear 'overcooked it', instead of food you think 'off the track'. - You change engine oil every week. - You sometimes hear little noises from your passengers when you get on the throttle right after turning in. - You thoroughly enjoy showing the tailgater behind how to drive around a highway off-ramp. - Your racing budget is one of the big three -- mortgage, car payments/maintenance, wife bribery. -Your email address refers to your race car rather than to you. - You walk proper lines through the grocery store. - You've been known to yell "It means 'check your mirrors' dammit!" at your television. - You've paid $4.00 a gallon for gas before George Bush ever had anything to do with it. - You buy new parts because you don't know where you put the spares. - You bought a race car before buying a house. - You bought a race car before buying furniture for the new house. - You're looking for a tow vehicle and still haven't bought furniture! - You find that you need a new house because you've outgrown your garage and the neighbors are threatening violence if you park one more vehicle on the street or in the front yard. - The requirements you give your real estate agent are (in order of importance): 1) 8 car climate controlled garage with an attached shop. 2) Outside parking for 6 cars, a motorhome, a crew cab dualie, a 28'enclosed trailer and a 34' 5th wheel. 3) 3 phase 220V outlets in the garage for your welder. 4) A grease pit. 5) Convenient to a hazardous waste disposal site. 6) Deaf neighbors. 7) Across the street from a paint and body shop. 8) Some sort of house with a working toilet and shower on the property somewhere -or- hookups for the motorhome. - You measure all family acquisitions in terms of the number of race tires that could have been purchased. - You know well that Orthodontic work is the equivalant of three sets of tires - You sit in your race car in a dark garage and make car noises and shift and practice your heel and toe, while waiting for your motor to get back from the machine shop. - You look at the purchase of tools as a long term investment. - Your wife says, "If you buy another set of tires, I'm getting a new redneck." - Your garage holds more cars than your house has bedrooms. - You have enough spare parts to build another car. - More than one racer supply house recognizes your voice and greets you by name when you call. - You have car parts in your office at work. - You think the last line of the Star Spangled Banner is: "Start your engines!" - You can't remember when you last worked on weekdays and rested on weekends. - You're registered for wedding gifts at J&H Garage & Motorsports. - Your Christmas list begins with another set of rods and peel-offs and your wife actually knows what they are. - After your answer to "What did you do this weekend?" the next question is always: "And you do this for fun? Right?" - You have a separate drawer for 'garage clothes,' but all your good clothes always end up there.- Your reading material in your bathroom consists of auto parts and racing supply catalogs, several books written by famous drivers, every book Carroll Smith has ever written.... and 400 car magazines, none of which have centerfolds. Those may be found giantly displayed on the walls and masked as Snap-On calenders.- People know you by your class car number and car color. - People know you by your "off"s". "Oh, you are the one stuck in turn 4 last weekend!" - You talk to other cars on the road, calling them by the manufacturer's name. - Your idea of a romantic Saturday night with your wife involves asking her to crew for you and pick up the order at Waffle-Inn on the way home. - Your criteria for selecting a friend include auto repair skills. Air tools optional. - Your friends don't recognize you without a helmet and driver's suit. - Your family remembers your hair color as "grease". - You plan your vacations around the race schedule. - You astound the clerk at Sears by bringing in a snapped breaker bar every other week or so. - You remember the dates and details of every race you've ever been in, but can't remember your phone number. - Your family brings the couch into the garage so they can spend some time with you. - You complain when cars in front of you on highway off-ramps don't stay on the line, causing your exit speed to drop. - A neighbor asks if you have any oil, to which you query, "Synthetic or organic?" and they reply, "Vegetable or corn." - You give out Summit Racing's number when a friend asks for the best hardware store. - You refer to the corner down the street from your house as "Turn One." - You look at the fire hydrant at that corner and see an apex marker. - You enjoy driving in the rain on the way to work or school. - You always late apex the intersection and try to pass a few cars coming out. - Everywhere you go, you try to find the fastest line through the turn. - You always do a toe & heel downshift while whoever might be your passenger gives you a real funny look. - You can't stand anyone telling others how to drive. Of course, you are the best. - You can't stand understeer. - You always want to change something in your street car to make it handle better. - You will gladly pay up to $8 for a quart of engine oil. - You hate long distance driving, but you will gladly drive 800 miles to the race track. - You think that traction control and ABS are for those who can't drive. - You've ever tried to convince your wife you needed that flow bench to fix the air filter on her station wagon. - You save broken car parts as " momentos". - Your last several freeway forays included just brushing the curbs as you apexed the on-ramps perfectly.... - You've found your lawnmower runs pretty good on 108 octane gas (but doesn't particularly care for alcohol). - The local tire shop won't honor the tread life warranty on any car you have been within 50 yards of... - The shop manager at your local car dealer mutters "dear Lord" under his breath after he sees the size of your exhaust piping. - The local police and state Highway Patrol have a picture of your car taped to their dashboard. - You spend more time polishing your exhaust tip every day than you do bathing. - Instead of pictures in your wallet, you have timeslips. - You would choose a rollbar over air conditioning if it were an option. - You enjoy driving through wet, empty parking lots and using the emergency brake to kick the back end out. - White smoke coming out from under your tires is a common sight. - You consider the redline a "conservative suggestion" and the rev limiter "a fun limiter" - You spend more on pit passes than on food. - Your idea of a good time is sitting around figuring out gear ratios and the ideal final drive ratio for given situations. - When someone refers to "The Good Book", you think of "The Auto Math Handbook" - When someone asks where you went to school, you reply, "Talladega". - You have racing shops programmed on on your speed dialer. - You own five cars and only one of them is street legal. - You know the 1/4 mile times and skid pad numbers of your riding mower and want to improve them. - You've embarrassed your wife at least once by insisting on wearing your full face helmet while driving. - You know the "racing line" of every turn in your daily commute, including your alternate routes, and practice hitting them every day. - You quote your street tire wear life in weeks rather than miles. - You regularly live test your rev limiter on that straight that's a little too long for 2nd but not worth going into 3rd for. - You've started looking for sponsors for your daily commute. - You've slalomed in a construction zone, and counted your penalty time in the rearview afterwards. - After you tell your wife where you'd like to go on your vacation she answers: "Why... is there a race there?"
- People think your kids are retarded because they can be seen at Sonic in the middle of summer strapped into your backseat wearing monster-sized helmets.
~Jayme's iPod~
I did this for my myspace page months ago and got great feeback, so I thought I'd drop it here, too, in case ya'll wanted to suggest some songs...
All-ritey, peeplez.
I'm trying to make the best playlist I ever had for my i-Pod.
Your homework is to leave me a comment with at least 10 songs that I should download. You can list as many as you want, but it's gotta be at least 10.
I anxiously anticipate listening to my playlist that will have been created by you. Then, if you're looking for download ideas, you can visit and check out all the comments, too.
Oops, I forgot the second part to your assignment...blog this so I can see what YOUR peeps suggest.
All-ritey, peeplez.
I'm trying to make the best playlist I ever had for my i-Pod.
Your homework is to leave me a comment with at least 10 songs that I should download. You can list as many as you want, but it's gotta be at least 10.
I anxiously anticipate listening to my playlist that will have been created by you. Then, if you're looking for download ideas, you can visit and check out all the comments, too.
Oops, I forgot the second part to your assignment...blog this so I can see what YOUR peeps suggest.
~I would NEVER want to 'imagine a world' without God~
This picture stunned me before I ever read the caption beneath. I realize this is a attempted stab at Christianity, but I wanted to post this for you guys because when I look at this photo, I think "Imagine how much worse it would be if there were, in fact, 'no religion.'
This saying, nothing more than a tiny, poisonous seed of spiritual doubt, was instantly destroyed by the sowing of God's presence in the gardens of my mind....instead of a blasephemous weed, a beautiful flower grew, its bloom a short meditation, reminding me of God's perfect beauty and timeless protection in this world of murderous 'religion.'
This saying, nothing more than a tiny, poisonous seed of spiritual doubt, was instantly destroyed by the sowing of God's presence in the gardens of my mind....instead of a blasephemous weed, a beautiful flower grew, its bloom a short meditation, reminding me of God's perfect beauty and timeless protection in this world of murderous 'religion.'
~Bad Predictions~
"When [the housewife of 2000] cleans house she simply turns the hose on everything. Why not? Furniture-(upholstery included) rugs, draperies, unscratchable floors- all are made of synthetic fabric or waterproof plastic. After the water has run down a drain in the middle of the floor (later concealed by a rug of synthetic fiber) [she] turns on a blast of hot air and dries everything."-Waldemar Kaempfert, Popular Mechanics, 1950.
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