Just finished watching Face the Nation and Meet the Press and, as usual, had a difficult time listening to the interviewees, mostly politicians, defending their positions, opinions, actions or inactions. Their responses were a barrage of pretentious words and opaque sentences, full of rhetorical excess, with the intent to:

Baffle, bamboozle,, befog, befuddle,, bewilder, buffalo, confound, confuse,  disorient, dodge. flummox, fox, muddle, muddy, mystify, perplex, puzzle, deceive, delude, dupe, fool, gull, hoax, hedge, hoodwink,, misguide, mislead, snow, string along, take in, trick,, cozen, deceive, be dishonest, cheat, falsify, misinform, misreport, misrepresent, misstate, fabricate, fib, prevaricate and lie.  

[Choose one or more and rank from 1 to 5 antacids]

Day ?? Of the Quarantine. Nothing to do. House is clean. Cold rain keeps us inside. Boredom solved by watching one of our favorite operas Rossini’s Barber of Seville on our big screen TV. Especially enjoyed the buffo aria "La calunnia e un venticello" sung by the cynical music teacher, Don Basilio. It starts out slowly and softly but he soon becomes out of control and the song ends up in a tumultuous explosion of voice and lyrics, referred to as “Rossini crescendo.” Also enjoyed the amazing patter songs, always leaving us wondering “how do they do that.” 

It’s time to rummage through the freezer and food cabinets to choose dinner.

The other day I woke up and, as usual and put on my glasses. 

My vision was completely blurred. 

It seems that some time during the night the eyeglass prescription expired.

Fortunately I had a copy of the script in my sock drawer and had it renewed that morning.

Cheerfulness VS Happiness

I have long believed that the concept of  “happiness”  is a false god like Baal – fools gold in realty. Happiness or the good life is the goal of us all, usually in the original Greek sense of  the word,  “eudaemonia,” which stressed the importance of external goods such as health, wealth, and beauty. Rather, it it should represent the highest human good, virtue, personal excellence and ethics. Happiness, is fickle, a state of well being that is subject to events outside of your control.  Cheerfulness, on the other hand it is a way of life that recognizes the good in your life and spurs you on to sharing it.  You can will it, merely by your attitude toward yourself and others.  

Thackeray, summed it up nicely in  his novel, “Vanity Fair.”  

Ah! Vanitas, Vanitatum,  

which of us is happy in this world?   

Which of us has his desire, 

or, having it, is satisfied?  –BHsr ‘10