What's nice about my friends is they'll let me know what they think, without thinking less of me. I had a couple of responses both on and off line to my previous post, and they were along the lines of "what prompted this, and have you thought it through?" Jim Pendery began a conscientious exchange in his posted comment, making sure I wasn't losing perspective or becoming closed minded. Jim's far-ranging interests, reading and abilities make him a Cincinnati--dare I say world-treasure. Take a look at his mandala-nouveau-psychedelia-societal-celebratory art. Oh, and he paints landscapes, too. And this lovely piece.

My friend Doug, in between taking me to school in pocket billiards the other night (six ball run to win, sheesh!), engaged me in a thoughtful political discussion. I don't talk much about politics or religion, and that trend shows in my web log. Really, I don't write on this site in order to safely defend my viewpoints and pretend that the world would be so much better if everyone would just believe me. I like to write about what's interesting in my life (not nearly enough), make you or me laugh, maybe get you thinking. I love the quirkiness of us, our goofy actions.

To express is human. To create art. To love illusion. Give us a solitary cell and a fingernail and we'll scratch our souls onto concrete. We'll paint a forest with the water from our prison food.

And love? All animals love. The complexity of our presentation of love, our ability to obscure love by chopping it to bits and throwing it along with selfishness, jealousy, and greed into our three-speed private blenders, those may be distinctly human. But an iguana knows and shows love as well as we. Probably better. Simpler.

Anyone recognize the source for this post's title? It's from a Far Side, one of my all time favorites. There's a western town, and a guy sitting on a horse, furiously trying to kick it into motion, and a sheriff looking at him, one hand on his hip, the other extended with something in it. The caption reads, "Hah! Figured you might try escapin', Bert. So I just took the liberty of removin' your horse's brain."