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16 October 2014

I.B.H.Q.


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Christmas Message

"The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.

We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often. We've learned how to make a living, but not a life.

We've added years to life not life to years. We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbour.

We conquered outer space but not inner space. We've done larger things, but not better things. We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We've learned to rush, but not to wait.

Remember, spend some time with your loved ones, because they are not going to be around forever. Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away."

by George Carlin

Posted on I.B.H.Q. at 15:01

Comments

The piece stroked me in all the right places at this time of the year. Thanks for putting it up Blog Blog.

(P.S. I wish to apologies a lot 鈥 heaps in fact, for what I am about to write. I could let it go....but think the whole thing is quite curious. It鈥檚 interesting to think that these days a piece of writing may have a life of its own on the Internet. The real paradox of our time is that Mr Carlin鈥檚 reputation is tied to something that he appears not to have written. I checked him out. He says he didn鈥檛 write the piece. In fact he has written rather a lemon-flavoured note, which acts as a bitter sorbet against the sweetness of the piece above:


"PARADOX OF OUR TIME"
One of the more embarrassing items making the internet/e-mail rounds is a sappy load of xxxx called "The Paradox of Our Time." The main problem I have with it is that as true as some of the expressed sentiments may be, who really gives a xxxx? Certainly not me.

I figured out years ago that the human species is totally xxxxxx and has been for a long time. I also know that the sick, media-consumer culture in America continues to make this so-called problem worse. But the trick, folks, is not to give a xxxx. Like me. I really don't care. I stopped worrying about all this temporal bullshit a long time ago. It's meaningless.

Another problem I have with "Paradox" is that the ideas are all expressed in a sort of pseudo-spiritual, New-Age-y, "Gee-whiz-can't-we-do-better-than-this" tone of voice. It's not only bad prose and poetry, it's weak philosophy. I hope I never sound like that.)

pondhead from Mull


Thanks for that quote. I took the liberty of passing it on to others. I and two friends are facing our last Christmas with a much loved family member and sometimes with all the stresses and strains we don't put things in perspective - that does.

Anon and friends from Scotland, Devon and Wales


Maybe if we gave Christ his place then things would be so very different. Then too, George Carlin would also have to find different material for his comedy routines.

A Baker from Oban


Ha ha, that's fantastic Pondhead. It's kind of apt that it's a hoax! I edited the piece down abit deleting some of the cheesier bits. Not sure I agree with hi assessment about what 'the trick is' though...

Mike from Blog Blog HQ


There is a touch of the ha ha about it I agree but it really does highlight how some things have a life of their own on the Internet. Two pieces of raw material, the "poem" and the author, are now suck together and are spreading un-aided in the virtual world of the Internet. As we enter the soft focus world of Christmas, picture if you can, the figure of poor, grumpy, baa humbug George Carlin as he desperately tries to disassociate himself from this uplifting poem. He has no chance. He is dealing with something with a life of its own which is self-propelling and extremely infectious.

As I am accused of being an anorak and it is Christmas, lets try a little experiment. I suggest Island Blogging becomes the first exponents of the "THE PONDHEAD GORRILLA ADVERTISING TECHNIQUE, which I give to the world today. I suggest we re launch this piece of writing but insert a piece of foreign DNA into it and send it on its way. The test DNA to be inserted is the sentence:鈥 We are the most powerful country in the world but we are too lazy to save energy鈥 (A special hello goes out to our friends in America this Christmas, perhaps you will embrace the Kyoto Protocol next year?) That鈥檚 the plan, post it on the web and see what happens. What do you think Blog Blog鈥oes the idea amuse? We could always attribute the poem to Mr G.W.B.Ush esq and give Mr Carlin a break.

pondhead from Mull


I haven't seen it all together like that, although I'm familiar with small chunks of it. In a big lump it is a bit indigestible. My favourite bit is "Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away."
Thanks Blog Blog
PS The faster upload is SO MUCH NICER!

Nic from Coll


Christmas has returned. Release the doves of peace. The real author appears to be Dr. Robert Moorehead who was the pastor of a church in Redmond, Washington. He wrote the poem in his book: Words Aptly Spoken, published in 1995. (I think the experiments off Bloggers.)

pondhead from Mull


Hi Pondhead
You are simply amazing!!
My mental picture of you is a cross between Stephen Hawking, permanently plugged into a machine and never making personal contact with people (not true because you climb Mull and go to pantomimes and drink beer), and some snooty pedantic person with a team of gofers digging out all this information (not true because you climb Mull and go to pantomimes and drink beer).
The truth probably is you get on better with search engines than I do, get distracted less and care more. Anyway, I salute you, Happy Christmas.

Nic from Coll


Hi Nic. I gave up golf after I had a miracle round 鈥 it was pointless going on when there are other things to try out. I don鈥檛 see Highland golf as being snobby. I wish the club had been more inviting when I was a kid but they do a great job now. Anyone is welcome to join and it鈥檚 probably much like the club on Coll although over different terrain. Tobermory Golf course doesn鈥檛 have the sculpture park in the middle as you have on Coll. Not sure about the rest of your picture - I would have described myself as rather laid back but when it comes to monstrous acts such as the proposed 500 turbine project suggested by Wind Energy Ltd, I am going to put in the time to think it out. As for me checking out Moorehead's poem, that鈥檚 because its not very fare if I didn鈥檛 take the trouble to see if I could find the author prior to doing my little experiment. It only took a couple of mins to find out.(My anorak instinct estimate that there is a higher than 50/50 chance he voted for Bush so he may have sued the pants off me.)

pondhead from Mull




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