Tag: random

entelechy

en-TEL-uh-kee\ , noun;

    1. A realization or actuality as opposed to a potentiality.

    2. In vitalist philosophy, a vital agent or force directing growth and life.

My husband pecks my cheek and heads off through the cacophony of clanging metal, buzzers, and  ringing bells that is his playground. We are on the road, and have forgotten to get cash for lunch. It would be an easy crisis to remedy, but it gives him an opportunity to show off his talent. I stand at the edge of the action, unable to banish my ill ease at seeing the money in our pockets put at risk so he can exercises his inexplicable power.

He cruises up and down the rows of noisy machines, looking from side to side. Other patrons sit with their backs to him, focused on their own trials with fate. A Native American woman offers him a drink, but he declines. Instead, he tilts his head, like a spaniel listening to a whistle pitched too high for the human ear. He turns away from her, and takes a seat in front of a one armed bandit. In five pulls, the machine gives up its bounty with the loud clang of coins dropping into the metal tray below the spinning symbols of fruit. He scoops up the riches and stalks another machine. Eight pulls later he has enough for both our meals at the best restaurant in the casino.

The first time he did this, the logical one in the family informed him that he was playing into the casino’s evil plan by deluding himself that he had some sort of gift. The house plays the odds, which clearly can not be altered. He might win here and there, but, over time, they have the better odds, and will always get more money than they give. Now, I have seen him do it so many times, I no longer try to make my case.

As it turned out, science weighed in on the talents of gamblers and handed the logical one her ass in the process. Not only is my husband right to believe that he can sense a gambling machine about to pay out, but part of his talent is probably altering the odds that it will pay with nothing more than the power of his resolve.

So shove that testy white rabbit out of the way, and follow the girl with the apron down the hole. On this day of resolutions, I am taking you on a walk through the Wonderland of science. Today, we peer into the power of intent.

Anybody catch the Country Music Awards tonight?

Me either.

Some random thoughts below the tunes.

I’m talking about “mad” as in eccentric, and genius, maybe more so, as in creative. Not to say that I am one, no… I lack the genius aspect. I just have an affinity for some. Been known to, on occasion, marry one or two. Heh.

NOTE: This is not a political essay. As my essays often are, it’s intended to be an Open Random, for fun  Please add your nominees to the pool in the comments.  

I saw tabloids today. In the convenience store. In the drug store. In the supermarket.  All about Obama and his terrorist ties and homosexual liaison and god knows what else. And tomorrow? Move over Britney because tomorrow, Eliot Sptizer will get skewered in the great tabloid void.

I have to tell you. I was overcome with sadness. An unbearable sadness at these affronts in full-blown color, all screaming and prominently displayed. How did it come to this? How did we devolve to this?

We finally have a woman and a man of color in serious contention for the presidency of the United States and we’ve managed to make it cheap.

All the while the press plays hand maiden to a war criminal who, along with all the others of his ilk, are responsible for destruction and death on a scale hard to comprehend. It isn’t just Bush and it just isn’t Iraq. It’s Africa. It’s rain forests. It’s the oceans and plankton. It’s whaling and polar bears. And pushing for open season on wolves.