The writing block

Shakespeare had a writer’s block. He wanted memorable lines for his play about the Prince of Denmark, but he could think of nothing. 

His friend Richard Burbage stopped by. Will complained about his lack of inspiration. Richard said, “My friend, your mind is stuffy because this room is stuffy. Outdoors, the green leaves quiver with the cooling wind. Let us put aside your cares and go forth for a stroll.” 

Shakespeare put on his hat and they went for a stroll by the burbling brook. He pointed to a pretty scene, and said, “There is a willow grows askant the brook, but see, smooth runs the water where the brook is deep.”

Richard stopped and turned his head to a verdant brush nearby. He said, “Hark.”

Shakespeare listened and said, “I hear a buzzing in the underbrush.” 

Richard said, “Bees. There may be a bee, there may not be a bee, there may be two bees, I know not.” 

The rest is history. 

 一粒籽 

數百年前，華北土壤蘊著一粒籽。籽發芽了，經過多少歲月、風吹日曬，冉冉長成大榆樹。

樵夫看在眼裏，知道是好料。某年冬，他拿了大斧利鋸伐了樹。去了樹枝、樹皮，木料堆放好了，又等了數年。

客人需要一張桌子，請了木匠師傅做。價碼、設計談妥，師傅選了幾塊上好榆木料，憑著多年功夫，斲、刨、磨，慢慢成形，設計樸素高雅，厚重桌面加四支有弧度的腳。師傅用熟練的技藝準確地做了榫卯，將腳裝上。桌子成了。送去給客人。

客人用了幾十年、上百年。時日已久，桌子略晃，腳用鐵釘固定住了。

又過多少時日，不知如何因緣，桌子入古董傢俱商人的手。二十幾年前，臺北天母開古董家具店的王先生，本身也是技藝超群的木匠師傅，看上了這張歷經風爽的榆桌，買回臺灣，放到店裏了。

之前朋友介紹王先生，我在他店裏物色了幾件上好家具，有空也去逛。

那天我進去，王太太抓住我，說，「有老件，你要買。」這張榆木桌真的漂亮，價錢合理，我就請他們送到我家。

放客廳。桌子藏著很多故事，造型、木紋優雅寂靜，天天看，是很日常的一張桌，且有它安穩脫俗的氣勢。

王先生過世了，店收了，王太太失去聯絡，桌子不移。

糟了，去年發現桌下有細粉。持續觀察，蠹蟲進攻了。帶到陽台防蟲處理，轉位時，腳脫落了，蛀壞了。想盡辦法，最後只能認命，四腳報廢。幸好美麗的桌面無損。

腳鋸成節了，燒。當年吃著華北土壤長大的樹，不知道多少年後，終究歸臺灣的土。成住壞空，因緣起，因緣滅。

乾脆不要搞這些罷免甚麼的，直接將舉辦的錢分給大家，皆大歡喜。
管它的，知道臺灣隊在世界警消比賽稱霸嗎？這才有意思！
Meanwhile, Taiwan's team walked all over everybody else at the World Police and Fire Games, held this year in Alabama. 164 medals, 74 of them gold!

LINK

 有的男人一生的故事

婚前
向她雙膝跪
求婚

婚後
向她雙腳跪
求饒

 又十年了
https://talovich.blogspot.com/2013/10/#4612961912054022171

You've got to hand it to the American right wing: Trumpsters, the Tea Party, and other assorted fascists. Every time you think they've reached the absolute extreme of stupidity, narrow-mindedness, or inhumanity, somebody comes along and takes it to a new realm. 

In a discussion on the absurd price of taking an ambulance in the United States, a Republican said, 
"An ambulance is not a taxi to the hospital."

Fantastic. If an ambulance is not a taxi to the hospital, pray tell, what is an ambulance? 

FYR: a few years back, I carelessly inserted a carving knife into my wrist and hit an artery. Blood was pumping and I couldn't stop it, so my neighbors called an ambulance. The ambulance ride took about half an hour. They signed me off at the hospital emergency ward, nodded to me, and left without another word. Stitches and a couple follow up visits came to about US$20. This is a humane system.