• Grab the nearest book.
• Open it to page 56.
• Find the fifth sentence.
• Post the text of the sentence in your journal along with these instructions.
• Don’t dig for your favorite book, the cool book, or the intellectual one: pick the CLOSEST.

Problem is, I have two bookshelves directly behind me and so I have two that are equidistant.  And arbitrarily I chose the closest books on the shelves that are arm-reach level where I sit.

1.

“Remember kids,” he tells them sternly.

— Mark Z. Danielewski, House of Leaves

Not my fault that the author chose to put a full stop there.  Only because I am a nice guy will I give you the follow-up sentence at no charge:

“Don’t shoot each other.  Aim at the fragile, expensive stuff.”

2.

The great hierophant, confronted with a thoroughly ambiguous symbol, is compelled, just because of his office as hierophant—that is, one who manifests the mystery—to “diminish the message to the dog”.

— The Master Therion (Aleister Crowley), The Book of Thoth

For that one, you are on your own.

That is all.

a

The presidency, the executive office of our republic, is not a prize to be sought and claimed but is a duty that we all must tend with our voices and our thoughts.  We must seek to judge the decisions of our leaders, and strive to make them see reason and light at every turn.

Let us not grow complacent.  Let us not forget the struggles that have led us to this place.  The fact of this election is not overwhelming victory in the popular vote, though decisive it may be.  The electoral vote was wider, but still we must examine our positions with ever greater care.  We must recognize that four states have voted on the issue of equality and (as of this writing) two more of our neighbors have offended their own children with the continuance of discrimination.

We must not lose sight of the closing words to our nation’s pledge: liberty and justice, for all.  We must remind those that are careless in their governance (for voting is indeed governance) that they have a duty to uphold the ideals that have made this country great.

Stay strong.

a

If only Florida and Missouri drop Obama of the aforementioned, we’ll get 311/227.  That one is closer to my initial prediction.  We can also pull that one off with Virginia, Ohio, and Nevada.

So yeah, let’s go with 311/227.  Sounds good to me.

See you in the future.

a