Athena Aquinas

The Disappearance of Shane!

Written by Administrator Friday, 20 August 2010 07:15

It was 9:53 when I awakened from a deep slumber to the sound of our neighbor screaming my name.

"The front door and outside gate were open for a while and I wanted to see if everything was alright", she yelled from the foyer of our house.

I was still groggy from a late morning nap with our middle son Shane, who will be three in October.  "Who could have left the door and gate open and why" I thought.  I turned to Shane to see if he had any clue as to what was going on, only to see Shane was no longer in bed next to me.

"Shane", I called out.  To no reply.  I guess it took a good 15 seconds before the reality hit me.  Shane was the one who left the front door and gate open.

My Alter American Ego

Written by Administrator Friday, 20 August 2010 06:36

Kierkegaard wrote...  "Once you label me, you negate me."

Of all the philosophers that I've been exposed to, and I can honestly say there are many, one line by Kierkegaard, more than any other theory, philosophy or idea, somehow, burned itself into my mind. I had a period of pseudo-intellectualism in college. Most college "goers" know what I'm talking about.

Anyway, I went through most of my teens and twenties making sure that I stayed true to that one concept. No matter whatever else changed, and in your twenties, ideas and theories come and go like trendy clothing, I made sure I was not "label-able". If someone could sum me up, I felt embarrassed and shallow.

Going To See James Dean

Written by Administrator Thursday, 19 August 2010 07:06

I was watching on the Biography Channel; Last Days Of A Legend - James Dean, the other night. I found it still surprising at how his name and the Trademark has lasted so long. For a man who only made three films, he sure is handled as the second coming of Olivier.

I also found it rather macabre, to say the least, that the legend himself, had no idea how famous he would become. Few know this but he died before Rebel Without a Cause and Giant were released. East of Eden had its premiere shortly before his death.

( A bit of side trivia... The co-stars of Rebel Without A Cause, also met tragic fates. Nathalie Wood drowned in 1981; and Sal Mineo was stabbed to death in an alley while returning home to his West Hollywood Apartment at age 37 in 1976.)

Watching the show, out of the blue, I was reminded that I too had made the journey to Cholame, California, to see where died. We were on our way up to San Francisco to campaign for... perhaps I will leave his name out of this but it was for a fella who didn't win and because I no longer affiliate myself with that political party, Thank God.

Avoiding the Quality over Qauntity Myth

Written by Administrator Wednesday, 18 August 2010 07:11

In a conversation I had with an online acquaintance regarding that age old debate of Quantity vs Quality and how it pertains to 'blogging', traffic and time spent per visit,  I was rather surprised by his statement that went something like...

I'd rather have 100 people(uniques) reading my posts,  staying 10 minutes per visit, than 10,000 people(uniques) that only stayed 3 minutes per visit.

I find this to be a rather naive if not presumptuous statement.  

First of all, it assumes that because in the first scenario the readers stayed longer, they found more value in the post, than the second scenario.