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CLINIC

PATIENT

DIAGNOSTIC

Patient refers to it as stargate-eight-eight

A Stooge.4

Obliqueness.2

 

TOOLSET

INFORMAL FALLACY

 

Nothing urgent. 

—You're kidding!

—Nowhere near.

—Not even.

Moxie's

Disease

 

Ignoratio Elenchi —
(Ignoring the Point in Question) Red herrings are powerful, because they often do prove a case — though not the one at issue. Nassim Nicholas Taleb says, "You need a story to displace a story ... Ideas come and go, stories stay." (The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable, Random House, New York, 2007, p. xxxi)

 

NOTES TO MYSELF

PSYCHOLOGICAL AGE

CLASS

[nipping curs & sore subjects] - These people are totally preoccupied by their thoughts and feelings - It's dog eat dog - They're trying to distract you, being evasive, and avoiding things - Being irrational to keep you off your toes - It's a defense - It couldn't be sheer terror.

The Age of Significance, ages 20-23

Challenges

 

 
 
 
 
 

Exactly what someone said [or did]
... usually not very original.

The thoughts of a "bad child"
... to free your mind again.

TRICKS

WINGS

IDEAS

"Going somewhere?"

—Nothing urgent.

—Brick by brick, my citizens.

"There's a lesson here somewhere."

—Nothing urgent.

—How bad can you get?

"You driving somewhere?" [Bumming a ride after you commit to where you're going]

—Nowhere near.

—Let's not ... Don't cheat me.

"Why aren't you at IBM anymore?"

—Nothing urgent.

—So there can be a place naked women can come and yearn for me.

"It's too bad you lost your job at IBM."

—Nowhere near.

—It's the people who stay in the monastery who get into trouble.

"What, you're justifying what happened?"

—Nowhere near.

—It's a betrayal.

"How'd you do it?"

—Nothing urgent.

—Magic and sorcery.

"Why do we do these exercises you call 'silk reeling' —? Why not do what Dr. Starr does?"

—Nothing urgent.

—Not after the Crusades ... That's what he thinks ... They're all into fads ... That's why they go crazy ... Out-of-control happiness! ... It just helps to realize, when you're talking to your mother and father, you're afraid of them ... even when they're dead!

["Is your name Christie?"] "No, it isn't."

—Nothing urgent.

—Lower heating bills.

"Give it to Richard." [Some food they're rejecting and sending back to the kitchen]

—Nothing urgent.

—Tell me who you run with, and I'll tell you who you are.

"Is it paying off?"

—Nothing urgent.

—Fast and furious.

"Did it cost fifty dollars?" [Scornfully]

—Nowhere near.

—Real punishment.

"Does it really matter?"

—Nothing urgent.

—Don't worry about it.

"Does it mean anything?"

—Nothing urgent.

—This is the story of my life.

"That's funny, I heard [a certain well-known drummer] had died, and that reminded me of you."

—Nothing urgent.

—When I'm dead, I'll take time off.

"Let's get off this subject."

—You're kidding!

—Thank you for saving me.

"Why are you changing the subject?"

—Nothing urgent.

—I'm going to try that sometime.

"You're one sick, miserable, evil SOB." (–Sean Hannity to cleric Anjem Choudary, Fox News, February 2, 2011)

—Nowhere near.

—That's the way you want 'em! ... This American life ... Don't ask me to carry any crosses ... Put the spotlight on yourself! ... The spike! ... Divide and conquer ... Try to look at the big picture ... It's very third world ... History is lies agreed upon ... Who knows? ... They're not talking ... What don't they tell people ... It's rude to talk about religion because you never know who you're going to offend.

"I'll drop the subject entirely."

—Nothing urgent.

—I've heard about it all my life.

"I bet you cry after sex."

—Nothing urgent.

—Wait a few months, right? ... Hatred, they want you to. Anger, burn it off. Sadness, it was. Fear, turn it off. Greed, what's next? Jealousy, your own path. (Greed, jealousy ... Both indicate you hate what you have.) Worry, it all depends who your mother is.

"You talk funny." [One five-year-old boy to another]

—Nothing urgent.

—It's different every day.

"I'm glad I'm just wearing a skirt."

—Nothing urgent.

—It's called a Danish sense of fun.

"Check your skirt at the door."

—Nothing urgent.

—Dress is optional.

"They shut it down because you don't pay the bill?" [The phone line is down, and the repair people aren't going to come for a week]

—You're kidding!

—What is this, Night Court?

"You paid for it?"

—Nothing urgent.

—You can't just count money twenty-four hours a day.

"Will it ever get easier?"

—Nothing urgent.

—Could you do it for me? I'm an MBA.

"I'm not going to ask him because I see he's clammed up."

—Nothing urgent.

—Why get angry?

"How much do you pay for gates?"

—Nothing urgent.

—I can't reach that level of functioning.

"How much do they give you each month?"

—Nothing urgent.

—There's more to it than that.

"Where did you hide the money? When you're not here, I'm going to go through your things and find it."

—Nothing urgent.

—An Irish job.

"Well, I don't want to get into it. Let's forget it."

—Nothing urgent.

—You can see why nobody goes there.

"You don't have to make money with your art to survive."

—You're kidding!

—You don't think that's magic? – Maybe it is magic.

"What difference does it make? – It's just money."

—Nothing urgent.

—Wait until you don't have any.

"So what do you have to complain about?"

—Not even.

—It all hinges on what you think you are.

"I can't complain."

—Not even.

—Remember that.

"Can't complain."

—Not even.

—I had that all planned.

"He's probably trying to Jew 'em down."

—You're kidding!

—That's very healthy.

"Don't Jew me down."

—You're kidding!

—I don't have the budget for it, so I'm not spending anything on that now.

"Richard would never vote for a Jew."

—You're kidding!

—Would you like to buy the Shroud of Turin?

"It seemed to be a rational decision at the time."

—Nothing urgent.

—Did any shoe drop?

"Are you a Zionist?"

—You're kidding!

—That's something a dog would never understand.

[Someone going off on a tiresome tangent, as if they're telling their mother something they did to kiss a school teacher's ass]

—Nothing urgent.

—Do you have that on toast for breakfast?

[Someone telling you things you wish you didn't know about their distant relatives]

—Nothing urgent.

—It makes flowers every year.

"Now I'm leader of the pack! Except I'm wiser, more relaxed, happier, warmer, more filled with life ..."

—Nothing urgent.

—There you go: human oil.

"Are you right wing?"

—Not even.

—I see things differently – I'm just a person.

"Is it against the law?"

—You're kidding!

—Take all the money and run.

"Does it cost anything?"

—You're kidding!

—Just when you don't need it.

"Did you have to pay for it?"

—Not even.

—I used to think you were Irish.

"Sex." [Suggesting why you might like the movie]

—Not even.

—Something hidden, deeper, quieter.

"Was it busy today, sir?"

—Nothing urgent.

—A thirty-year-old Jewish woman in a nightie.

"Is that all you think about, is sex?"

—You're kidding!

—One out of twenty-two chromosomes is devoted to this stuff.

"What, do you think that's sexy? Is that the way you roll?"

—You're kidding!

—Where are the screwballs of yesterday? ... What happened to them? ... I don't know who you guys are ... I don't have a mother and father ... I'm an orphan ... Wonderful stories ... There are people who have a fondness for children ... Oh, I've heard of that before ... They're ruthless in their perfection, if you know what I mean ... And don't take any crap from them!

"So that makes it okay?"

—Nowhere near.

—You're always assuming ... The bite of the ignorant frightens me ... You should get a new name, like Roostaphanishti ... Just push me; I'm malleable.

"She's a little snotty."

—Nowhere near.

—You can't turn on someone else without turning on yourself.

"You're saying viciousness is attractive?"

—You're kidding!

—Just like the leopard.

"I want to know who you are going with and where – I don't want any ambiguity about anything – None of those half-truths."

—You're kidding!

—There is no dark stranger; there is no mother.

"Can't you talk?"

—You're kidding!

—Some people can't hit bottom.

"Cat got your tongue?"

—You're kidding!

—A frozen moment.

"You're picking on my child." [Parent to teacher]

—Not even.

—What else do you think it could be?

"I can't be ten places at once, can I?"

—You're kidding!

—There's only one way to find out – See what happens!

"Your car smells like chocolate."

—You're kidding!

—This, we could sell.

"What am I – chopped liver?"

—You're kidding!

—Too intelligent.

"Did you talk to Joe?"

—Nowhere near.

—The factory burned down.

"How much did it cost?"

—Nothing urgent.

—Whatever you do, don't buy any race horses.

"Did you pay for it?"

—Nothing urgent.

—There's more to life than counting money.

"Do I look like a Dave Matthews fan?"

—Nothing urgent.

—Aside from that, you look darn swell!

"That's surprising, coming from a cop."

—Not even.

—This isn't the Spanish Inquisition.

"Where are the dogs, in the doghouse?"

—Nothing urgent.

—That's a waste of time.

["I'm using it right now."] "Can I use it after?"

—Nothing urgent.

The store is closed ... Is this a fishing expedition? ... This is getting really heavy duty ... Who can bear the shame?

"You could have fooled me."

—You're kidding!

—It's true!

"You still haven't answered the question."

—Nothing urgent.

—I want you to know it has nothing to do with what's going on.

"But I have to do it!"

—Not even.

—Well, you could start with goldfish.

"Don't flatter yourself."

—Not even.

—I do enough.

"Do you have diarrhea or something?"

—Nowhere near.

—You should be so lucky!

"You get paid for this?"

—Nothing urgent.

—Sooner or later everyone has to light a fire under their own stove.

"You're the biggest idiot I've ever met."

—You're kidding!

—How many?

"How do you defend yourself against Uncle Tomism?"

—You're kidding!

—I guess I'm the white sheep of the family.

"I've created a monster!"

—Not even.

—You haven't created anything – It would have been that way, anyway.

"You accuse me of cheating, but doesn't everybody cheat a little bit?"

—Not even.

—Some sharpie!

"Why shouldn't I cheat if everyone else is doing it?"

—You're kidding!

—When they ask you for money, tell them to get a scholarship.

"We did it!"

—Nothing urgent.

—You can't cheat George Washington.

"I just don't get it."

—You're kidding!

—You can elevate yourself above your time and place.

"I love it!"

—Nothing urgent.

—Why do you look at me when you say that?

"Never mind! – I'll take care of it."

—Nothing urgent.

—An earthshaking human disaster.

"Never mind! – Forget it!"

—Nothing urgent.

—You can't blame people for trying.

"I know, take it out on me! I can handle it."

—Nothing urgent.

—You know, not everyone has to kick the chicken before they boil it.

"JUST LEARN IT!" [From Seventh Grade Latin teacher, now deceased]

—Nowhere near.

—Ancient footprints.

["My first phone number was 2540, and my best friend's phone number was 2260."] "Four digits? This is a put-on."

—Nowhere near.

—Those were the days ... Can you believe it?

"Another guy picking on you, huh?"

—You're kidding!

—Read Civilization and Its Discontents by Sigmund Freud.

"I've had it up to here."

—You're kidding!

—Things have changed so much.

"Did you get it registered?"

—Nowhere near.

—Not everybody is Flash Gordon.

"Go ahead and do it! You've got the money."

—Nothing urgent.

—We don't need it at all.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

REFLECTIONS

 
 
 
 
 

26-MAY-1999. The stranger in the back seat of my taxicab regarded me with quickened interest when I told him I was writing a book. "I'll tell you something Americans don't know but which many Greeks know — It's the origin of your word, O.K." He sat back with a mysterious air and regarded the shoppers in Union Square. His girlfriend gazed languidly out the other window. Now here was a gift. I knew lexicographers had been trying to pin down the roots of "O.K." for years.

"It's the Greek, 'Ola Kala,' meaning 'Everything's fine.'" He went on, "Two centuries ago, when Greek shipping dominated world trade, signalmen on sailing vessels would haul flags for 'O.K.' up their masts when they came to American ports such as Boston or Portland so the shore parties would know everything was all right. On shore, warehousemen would find the mysterious Greek letters, 'O K,' (among others) stamped on crates and boxes."

You're kidding!

 
 
 
 
 
     
 

"Everything's fine!"

 
     
         

I had to laugh when he handed me a sheet of paper with the Greek words written in our own Roman alphabet: "Ola Kala." It was so obvious, I just had to ask him how American etymologists had missed it. He shrugged his entire body and said,

"Nothing urgent."

At the next red light, I turned and looked at the woman.

"It must be wonderful over there in Greece," I said with a smile.

"—Less bitter," she said, and looked away.


26-SEP-2011.

 

Thick
of
It

ShortCuts

Top
of
Page

 

As follows

CODE WORDS: ambiguity, answered, biggest, [bumming], cat, cheating, chocolate, chopped, clammed, complain, diarrhea, doghouse, each, entirely, exercises, flatter, fooled, gates, half-truths, IBM, it, Jew, justifying, leader, Matthews, messing, monster, once, paid, picking, put-on, [relatives], reminded, roll, sex, skirt, snotty, SOB, somewhere, subject, surprising, survive, talk, [tiresome], Tomism, wing, Zionist

 

LXXXVIII
Vulpecula
"Little fox"

—You're kidding!