rattus rattus’ blog

He said I would be disappointed.
And I was.

A local advertisement company is currently running a campaign where they print quotes on big posters at public places (Zeit für ein Zitat 2007). One the quotes repeatedly caught my attention on my way home:

Freedom’s other name is responsibility.
— Thomas Mann

Well done, Thomas. And thanks for the entertainment. It was a two corner walk until I saw the lie within.

P.S.: The original German quote is: Der Freiheit anderer Name heißt Verantwortung. I could not find any other reference of it. So, who knows, maybe Thomas Mann never said or wrote it anyway.

A friend just told me a wonderful story of today’s after lunch coffee klatch. They were cutting apart a longish piece of pastry (a Nußstangerl) and had a little talking about who prefers ends and who likes middle parts more. There she said she didn’t like ends, she would prefer beginnings.

Go ahead!

When ecologists advertise their recommendations to save the world this often appears to me like young lovers who are enjoying a diverse sex life but who rarely practice safe sex.
And they think that if they used condoms more often the chance of catching STDs is decreased. In fact, it is (if we trust their numbers), nevertheless, they are probably already spreading their disease.

Are oracles always telling the truth? — I don’t know, but Aapo Puskala‘s On-line Oracle does tell the truth as one of my recent conversations reveal:

Me: Dear Oracle, are you lying sometimes?
Oracle: Usually I’m not, but right now I surely am.

rattus rattus is not getting tired of adding to his life (and blog) this most serious statement:

Parody! Not to be taken seriously!

ik (anyway wittily) asked:

Is it a parody that you are not to be taken seriously or are you a parody which is not to be taken seriously or….? :))

After all, the parody is parody. — Not just trivially, also seriously.
Of course, the phrase is part of the parody — and as such — it is seriously not to be taken seriously either.

Serious as in law suit or getting shot. As the man, who signed many of his illustrations with this very phrase, knew so well.

What’s really wrong with most people is hey take life too seriously.
— Larry Flynt

If this is part of your life (don’t) take it too seriously. Or be wrong.

[Ratta says: If you think it is time to move on, please do!]

I am not into telling the future (please note the nicely hidden self-contradictory aspect of this statement; thanks) but this blog ain’t dead.

Yet. ;-)