Reading 6 Degrees & finding connections!
6 Degrees has always been about looking for connections in everyday lives. Whether it is in films and popular culture, news items and current topics, food and health issues or looking for things to boost your mood and just brighten up your day! All of these topics can find connections with the fast-paced life we lead when we stop and look for them.
Here are some samples of favorites from past blog posts, from books and essays from the 6 Degrees Writer. Here’s hoping that you will find connections too!
The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg…
By Mark Twain
round about. It had kept that reputation unsmirched during three generations, and was
prouder of it than of any other of its possessions. It was so proud of it, and so anxious to
insure its perpetuation, that it began to teach the principles of honest dealing to its babies
in the cradle, and made the like teachings the staple of their culture thenceforward through
all the years devoted to their education. Also, throughout the formative years temptations
were kept out of the way of the young people, so that their honesty could have every
chance to harden and solidify, and become a part of their very bone. The neighbouring
towns were jealous of this honourable supremacy, and affected to sneer at Hadleyburg’s
pride in it and call it vanity; but all the same they were obliged to acknowledge that
Hadleyburg was in reality an incorruptible town; and if pressed they would also
acknowledge that the mere fact that a young man hailed from Hadleyburg was all the
recommendation he needed when he went forth from his natal town to seek for
responsible employment.
But at last, in the drift of time, Hadleyburg had the ill luck to offend a passing stranger—
possibly without knowing it, certainly without caring, for Hadleyburg was sufficient unto
itself, and cared not a rap for strangers or their opinions. Still, it would have been well to
make an exception in this one’s case, for he was a bitter man, and revengeful. All through
his wanderings during a whole year he kept his injury in mind, and gave all his leisure
moments to trying to invent a compensating satisfaction for it. He contrived many plans,
and all of them were good, but none of them was quite sweeping enough: the poorest of
them would hurt a great many individuals, but what he wanted was a plan which would
comprehend the entire town, and not let so much as one person escape unhurt. At last he
had a fortunate idea, and when it fell into his brain it lit up his whole head with an evil joy.
He began to form a plan at once, saying to himself “That is the thing to do—I will corrupt
the town.”….(Read More….
My Vignettes…
Note of Excitement: “Not all who wander are lost!”
I was driving and saw a sign that was attached to a rear spare tire on a Jeep that read: “Not all who wander are lost.” You can’t imagine the excitement I felt when seeing a ‘sign’ that there was someone else who loved the special saying I have on a pendant. I loved the saying because it reminds me so much of Oedipa Maas and The Crying of Lot 49 (a book I dearly love.) Oedipa saw ‘signs’ everywhere that led her to think there was a secret underground conspiracy that was huge! And in this current day and age, the message seems so much more relevant. People seem to find meaning in signs and seeds for conspiracies just about everywhere these days.
This phrase that I love on my pendant: “Not all who wander are lost” is either from The Lord of the Rings and /or Shakespeare. The original goes something like: Not all that glitters is gold….& Not all who wander are lost!
I suppose the point is that nothing is as it seems. And that is how it should be in life!
My Love Affair with “VIP!”
I’ve often had love affairs with words. One of them was from the old Stephen Colbert opening when he was on the Comedy Channel: It was “Grippy!” Colbert was on this Dana Carvey Comedy Show with Steve Carell and I used to be haunted by the fact that I was the only one who thought that show was hilariously funny! Now these people are famous and acknowledged and it validates my instincts for comedy in some quiet way. It doesn’t have to be shouted from rooftops but I can say this: I know funny when I see it!
And the other love affair with words is for Dorothy Parker and her great vocabulary. There is Robert Benchley and James Thurber as well. All had great love affairs with words… And I, in turn, have this continuing flirtation with their creative displays and the lovely playful word feasts they have created. (Never a simple ‘word salad’ for these artists!)
My newest love affair with words comes from an old Rock Hudson/Doris Day movie where Hudson saw the V.I.P designation and decided to make up a company called “VIP” And it’s like “Zudz!” or some fifties style brand that is just hilariously funny and teeming with meaning and onomatopoeia!… To my mind, VIP! embodies this great McGuffin of undertones for all the things we think are out there like widgets and prototypes and templates for items that are creative ideas and thoughts that never take flight! Instead…They VIP!
Reading 6 Degrees & finding connections!
6 Degrees has always been about looking for connections in everyday lives. Whether it is in films and popular culture, news items and current topics, food and health issues or looking for things to boost your mood and just brighten up your day! All of these topics can find connections with the fast-paced life we lead when we stop and look for them.
Here are some samples of favorites from past blog posts, from books and essays from the 6 Degrees Writer. Here’s hoping that you will find connections too!
My Vignettes…
Note of Excitement: “Not all who wander are lost!”
I was driving and saw a sign that was attached to a rear spare tire on a Jeep that read: “Not all who wander are lost.” You can’t imagine the excitement I felt when seeing a ‘sign’ that there was someone else who loved the special saying I have on a pendant. I loved the saying because it reminds me so much of Oedipa Maas and The Crying of Lot 49 (a book I dearly love.) Oedipa saw ‘signs’ everywhere that led her to think there was a secret underground conspiracy that was huge! And in this current day and age, the message seems so much more relevant. People seem to find meaning in signs and seeds for conspiracies just about everywhere these days.
This phrase that I love on my pendant: “Not all who wander are lost” is either from The Lord of the Rings and /or Shakespeare. The original goes something like: Not all that glitters is gold….& Not all who wander are lost!
I suppose the point is that nothing is as it seems. And that is how it should be in life!
My Love Affair with “VIP!”
I’ve often had love affairs with words. One of them was from the old Stephen Colbert opening when he was on the Comedy Channel: It was “Grippy!” Colbert was on this Dana Carvey Comedy Show with Steve Carell and I used to be haunted by the fact that I was the only one who thought that show was hilariously funny! Now these people are famous and acknowledged and it validates my instincts for comedy in some quiet way. It doesn’t have to be shouted from rooftops but I can say this: I know funny when I see it!
And the other love affair with words is for Dorothy Parker and her great vocabulary. There is Robert Benchley and James Thurber as well. All had great love affairs with words… And I, in turn, have this continuing flirtation with their creative displays and the lovely playful word feasts they have created. (Never a simple ‘word salad’ for these artists!)
My newest love affair with words comes from an old Rock Hudson/Doris Day movie where Hudson saw the V.I.P designation and decided to make up a company called “VIP” And it’s like “Zudz!” or some fifties style brand that is just hilariously funny and teeming with meaning and onomatopoeia!… To my mind, VIP! embodies this great McGuffin of undertones for all the things we think are out there like widgets and prototypes and templates for items that are creative ideas and thoughts that never take flight! Instead…They VIP!
Please leave your name & email here to get in touch with us!
