19 September 2026
Ship It!
Sometimes you just have to accept that you can't include everything before publishing a web site that you are revising and reformatting at the same time. The kitchen sink will just have to wait until the next edition (hopefully out before the election).
7 September 2026
Reinterpreting Sisyphus on Labor Day
In Greek Mythology Sisyphus was not a particularly nice person, so perhaps he deserved his punishment.
I had an appreciation of Albert Camus's writings during my undergraduate education, but recently I have come to think of rolling the rock up the hill each day as a metaphor for the struggles of my own daily life (the vicissitudes, as I sometimes call them). Set aside whether his punishment was deserved [probably it was]; another way to think about it is: every day one must meet the challenges of that specific day, and start all over again the next day! Sort of like "living in the now". There are many ways to react to the need to keep rolling the boulder up the hill every day. One can curse one's fate, or one can embrace the task and do one's best to accomplish the task at hand. Sort of a happy Sisyphus. I admit that it is very difficult to be happy every day, and I think my wife's theory that I have a happy gene might explain why my setbacks are temporary and why I can keep up with current events without plunging into despair. Naturally these thoughts led me to my copy of the myth of sisyphus and other essays by albert camus. Another book to read when time allows [LOL]. My copy [the 1955 translation by Justin O'Brien] has much yellow highlighting, some underlining and some bracketing of passages; I have no recollection of having defaced the Vintage Book [394-70075-9] but I probably acquired the book in Evanston, Illinois around 1976, so I am possibly the culprit. The good news is you can read or print the book from the Internet Archive.
Another great way to absorb the material is to listen to the YouTube video by Make it easy - 10/10/2020 [2:07:00]. One advantage of watching/listening this way is stopping to focus on a particular bit, or rewinding to repeat something that was hard to follow.
The Myth of Sisyphus is a 1942 philosophical essay by Albert Camus. The English translation by Justin O'Brien was first published in 1955. Influenced by philosophers such as Søren Kierkegaard, Arthur Schopenhauer, and Friedrich Nietzsche, Camus introduces his philosophy of the absurd. "There is but one truly serious philosophical problem, and that is suicide". Albert Camus, a 20th Century French Existentialist, discusses the absurdity of life, and addresses the question of suicide (actual, and philosophical) as a possible solution to the lack of a definite meaning to life. In the end, Camus asserts that one must affirm life, and choose it, over the alternative.
Originally published: 1942
Author: Albert Camus
Original title: Le Mythe de Sisyphe
Original language: French
Subjects: Existentialism, Absurdism
Genres: Essay, Absurdist fiction, Existential Fiction
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Yesterday was a good example to challenge my happy theory. We spent about two hours getting Cosmo into the cat carrier to visit the emergency animal clinic in Lewiston [he struggled as if we were taking him to the guillotine]. After traveling to Lewiston (because closer veterinarian assistance was closed for the weekend), we waited patiently in the crowded parking lot for several hours to see the veterinarian on duty [she was probably a saint]; after a thorough review, including x-rays, Cosmo was pronounced "fine". Famished at this point (all three of us), Cosmo had his normal special diet at around 7 pm instead of 4:30 pm in his cat carrier in the car. We ordered a tasty pizza from DaVinci's and ate it in the car around 7:30 pm, then drove home in the dark to recharge our watches and phones, and to fall sleep exhausted from our labors (perchance to dream) to prepare to roll the boulder up the hill again today (ironically called Labor Day). "Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof", according to Jesus (in Matthew 6:34). On the bright side, we took a nap and managed to read part of our book while waiting in the car.
IMAGE: Cosmo waiting patiently to be seen by the vet.♘Catching up with recent events (however distressing):
- ♢ Dolly Parton is gone.
- ♢ The maps keep changing; this time it is Lake Ontario! No kidding.
- ♢ The trade war against Canada continues (see the revised map). Another brain dead decision.
- ♢ The Epstein Files are still hidden somewhere.
- ♢ Trump is still President. Why?
- ♢ Artificial Intelligence [a.k.a. "AI"] is still at large. Creators keep providing excuses for inappropriate behavior. No fines have been levied so far.
- ♢ Campaigning for the November 3rd elections is about to go into high gear. The campaign ads are something else. Maybe there should be fines and penalties for bald face lies?
- ♢ Coverage of other wicked important things like genocide and other military atrocities has taken a back seat to more pressing concerns (e.g., Natalie Harp).
- ♢ Glacier disintegrates hitting Nepal and Tibet!
- ♢ Only his hairdresser knows for sure?
- ♢ First New Mexico; can Mexico, Maine be far behind?
Note: I am indebted to friends and unsolicited emails for some of the material above.
The astute reader will understand that the words and images on this page were captured at a specific moment in time (whatever that means) and will be overtaken by subsequent happenings, making them either quaint or inoperative. Perhaps Winston Smith will go back over this material and fix it later.
![Enhanced map of the Great Lakes [from the U.S. side]](images/Great-Again-Lakes-Detailed-Map-blog.jpg)
