hum

OK Colin go out there and take the world by the tail, pull it down wrap it around and put it in your pocket.
Warmly,

Concentrate And Relax

Place an extinguished piece of coal next to a live one, and either it will cause the other one to die out, or the live one will make the other reignite. Since a lot is at stake, you should be careful about fraternising with non-philosophers in these contexts; remember that if you consort with someone covered in dirt you can hardly avoid getting a little grimy yourself.

Epictetus

There are four types of cricket song: The calling song attracts females and repels other males, and is fairly loud. The courting song is used when a female cricket is near, and is a very quiet song. An aggressive song is triggered by chemoreceptors on the antennae that detect the near presence of another male cricket and a copulatory song is produced for a brief period after a successful mating.

Be content with what you have;
rejoice in the way things are.
When you realize there is nothing lacking,
the whole world belongs to you.

Tao

There’s a novel by Aldous Huxley called Island written in his later years when he became very interested in spiritual teachings. It tells the story of a man shipwrecked on a remote island cut off from the rest of the world. This island contains a unique civilisation. The unusual thing about it is that its inhabitants, unlike the rest of the world, are actually sane. The first thing that the man notices are the colourful parrots perched in the trees. And they seem to be constantly croaking the words “Attention. Here and now. Attention. Here and now.” We later learn that the islanders taught them these words in order to be reminded continuously to stay present.

Eckhart Tolle

Even Koko, the gorilla made famous for learning American Sign Language, has been caught red handed. After tearing a steel sink from the wall in the middle of a tantrum, she signed to her handlers that a cat did it, while she pointed to her kitten. It is unclear if this was a joke or a genuine attempt at blaming her tiny pet.

Deception and lies in other species

We are but
air and weight

I’d like to see much more understanding of emotional issues around hurt, abandonment, disappointment, longing, failure and shame, where they stem from and how they drive people and policies brought into public discourse.

You know, I don’t think my music is important, I don’t think it’s changing the world, I don’t think it’s art. I just think it’s music. It is what it is.

Sufjan Stevens