{"id":7897,"date":"2010-09-18T13:19:07","date_gmt":"2010-09-18T17:19:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/johnesimpson.com\/blog\/?p=7897"},"modified":"2010-09-18T13:20:00","modified_gmt":"2010-09-18T17:20:00","slug":"pocketing-the-key-to-your-own-cage-or-not","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/johnesimpson.com\/blog\/2010\/09\/pocketing-the-key-to-your-own-cage-or-not\/","title":{"rendered":"Pocketing the Key to Your Own Cage (or Not)"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

(Yes, I know<\/a>: a day late…)<\/em><\/p>\n

From whiskey river<\/em><\/a> (italicized portion):<\/p>\n

[Skeptics, on why they dislike dogma] mean that the universe is itself a universal prison; that existence itself is a limitation and a control; and it is not for nothing that they call causation a chain. In a word, they mean quite simply that they cannot believe these things; not in the least that they are unworthy of belief. We say, not lightly but very literally, that the truth has made us free. They say that it makes us so free that it cannot be the truth. It is like believing in fairyland to believe in such freedom as we enjoy. It is like believing in men with wings to entertain the fancy of men with wills. It is like accepting a fable about a squirrel in conversation with a mountain to believe in a man who is free to ask or a God who is free to answer. This is a manly and a rational negation, for which I for one shall always show respect. But I decline to show any respect for those who first of all clip the bird and cage the squirrel, rivet the chains and refuse the freedom, close all the doors of the cosmic prison on us with a clang of eternal iron, tell us that our emancipation is a dream and our dungeon a necessity; and then calmly turn round and tell us they have a freer thought and a more liberal theology.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

(G.K. Chesterton, from The Everlasting Man<\/em> [source<\/em><\/a>])<\/p>\n

…and<\/a>:<\/p>\n

Three-fourths of philosophy and literature is the talk of people trying to convince themselves that they really like the cage they were tricked into entering.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

(Gary Snyder [source<\/em><\/a>])<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Not from whiskey river<\/em>:<\/p>\n

Caged Bird<\/strong><\/p>\n

Some believe there’s somewhere in the brain
\nthat senses minor fluctuations in the Earth’s
\nmagnetic field and uses a sort of memory
\nof that to travel the same route year after year
\nover thousands of miles, over open ocean
\non moonless, clouded nights, and a built-in clock
\nthat, save for weather’s influence, tells
\nwhen it’s time to go. But they utter nothing
\nof thwarted dreams in birds’ brains, how
\na few cubic feet near the ground, however
\nwell-kept and lighted, however large it seems
\naround a small bright bird, is like a fist
\nclosed tight on feather and bone, how, certain times
\nof year, the bird’s heart races as if to power flight.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

(Matthew J. Spireng [source<\/em><\/a>])<\/p>\n

…and:<\/p>\n

Song of the Round Man<\/strong><\/p>\n

(for Sarah when she\u2019s older)<\/p>\n

The round and sad-eyed man puffed cigars as if
\nhe were alive. Gillyflowers
\nto the left of the apple, purple bells to the right<\/p>\n

and a grass-covered hill behind.
\nI am sad today said the sad-eyed man
\nfor I have locked my head in a Japanese box<\/p>\n

and lost the key.
\nI am sad today he told me
\nfor there are gillyflowers by the apple<\/p>\n

and purple bells I cannot see.
\nWill you look at them for me
\nhe asked, and tell me what you find?<\/p>\n

I cannot I replied
\nfor my eyes have grown sugary and dim
\nfrom reading too long by candlelight.<\/p>\n

Tell me what you\u2019ve read then
\nsaid the round and sad-eyed man.
\nI cannot I replied<\/p>\n

for my memory has grown tired and dim
\nfrom looking at things that can\u2019t be seen
\nby any kind of light<\/p>\n

and I\u2019ve locked my head in a Japanese box
\nand thrown away the key.
\nThen I am you and you are me<\/p>\n

said the sad-eyed man as if alive.
\nI\u2019ll write you in where I should be
\nbetween the gillyflowers and the purple bells<\/p>\n

and the apple and the hill
\nand we\u2019ll puff cigars from noon till night
\nas if we were alive.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

(Michael Palmer [source<\/em><\/a>])<\/p>\n

Ah, mid-September. With the approach of fall, inevitably, a young man’s fancy turns to thoughts of… Halloween<\/em>. In Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas<\/em>, hero Jack Skellington contrives to abduct Santa Claus, in a misguided effort to bring the magic of Christmas to the Nightmare<\/em> world. Mangling Santa’s name to the more Halloween-suitable “Sandy Claws,” Jack dispatches three comically wicked little hench-imps (Lock, Shock, and Barrel) of the evil Oogie Boogie Man to do the dirty work. (Naturally, they deliver Santa not to Jack, but to Oogie Boogie himself. They may be comic, but they’re not crazy.)<\/p>\n

Here’s the scene, with lyrics below:<\/p>\n

<\/object><\/p>\n

Lyrics:<\/p>\n

Kidnap The Sandy Claws<\/strong>
\n(Danny Elfman)<\/em><\/p>\n

[Lock, Shock, and Barrel]<\/em>
\nKidnap Mr. Sandy Claws<\/p>\n

[Lock]<\/em>
\nI wanna do it<\/p>\n

[Barrel]<\/em>
\nLet’s draw straws<\/p>\n

[Shock]<\/em>
\nJack said we should work together
\nThree of a kind<\/p>\n

[Lock, Shock, and Barrel]<\/em>
\nBirds of a feather
\nNow and forever
\nWheeee
\nLa, la, la, la, la<\/p>\n

Kidnap the Sandy Claws, lock him up real tight
\nThrow away the key and then
\nTurn off all the lights<\/p>\n

[Shock]<\/em>
\nFirst, we’re going to set some bait
\nInside a nasty trap and wait
\nWhen he comes a-sniffing we will
\nSnap the trap and close the gate<\/p>\n

[Lock]<\/em>
\nWait! I’ve got a better plan
\nTo catch this big red lobster man
\nLet’s pop him in a boiling pot
\nAnd when he’s done we’ll butter him up<\/p>\n

[Lock, Shock, and Barrel]<\/em>
\nKidnap the Sandy Claws
\nThrow him in a box
\nBury him for ninety years
\nThen see if he talks<\/p>\n

[Shock]<\/em>
\nThen Mr. Oogie Boogie man
\nCan take the whole thing over then
\nHe’ll be so pleased, I do declare
\nThat he will cook him rare<\/p>\n

[Lock, Shock, and Barrel]<\/em>
\nWheeee!<\/p>\n

[Lock]<\/em>
\nI say that we take a cannon
\nAim it at his door and then
\nKnock three times and when he answers
\nSandy Claws will be no more<\/p>\n

[Shock]<\/em>
\nYou’re so stupid, think now
\nIf we blow him up into smithereens
\nWe may lose some pieces
\nAnd then Jack will beat us black and green<\/p>\n

[Lock, Shock, and Barrel]<\/em>
\nKidnap the Sandy Claws
\nTie him in a bag
\nThrow him in the ocean
\nThen see if he is sad<\/p>\n

[Lock and Shock]<\/em>
\nBecause Mr. Oogie Boogie is the meanest guy around
\nIf I were on his Boogie list, I’d get out of town<\/p>\n

[Barrel]<\/em>
\nHe’ll be so pleased by our success
\nThat he’ll reward us too, I bet<\/p>\n

[Lock, Shock, and Barrel]<\/em>
\nPerhaps he’ll make his special brew
\nOf snake and spider stew
\nUmmm!<\/p>\n

We’re his little henchmen
\nAnd we take our job with pride
\nWe do our best to please him
\nAnd stay on his good side<\/p>\n

[Shock]<\/em>
\nI wish my cohorts weren’t so dumb<\/p>\n

[Barrel]<\/em>
\nI’m not the dumb one<\/p>\n

[Lock]<\/em>
\nYou’re no fun<\/p>\n

[Shock]<\/em>
\nShut up!<\/p>\n

[Lock]<\/em>
\nMake me<\/p>\n

[Shock]<\/em>
\nI’ve got something, listen now
\nThis one is real good, you’ll see
\nWe’ll send a present to his door
\nUpon there’ll be a note to read
\nNow, in the box we’ll wait and hide<\/p>\n

[Lock, Shock, and Barrel]<\/em>
\nUntil his curiosity
\nEntices him to look inside
\nAnd then we’ll have him
\nOne, two, three<\/p>\n

Kidnap the Sandy Claws, beat him with a stick
\nLock him up for ninety years, see what makes him tick<\/p>\n

Kidnap the Sandy Claws, chop him into bits
\nMr. Oogie Boogie is sure to get his kicks
\nKidnap the Sandy Claws, see what we will see
\nLock him in a cage and then…
\n……throw away the key!<\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

(Yes, I know: a day late…) From whiskey river (italicized portion): [Skeptics, on why they dislike dogma] mean that the universe is itself a universal prison; that existence itself is a limitation and a control; and it is not for nothing that they call causation a chain. In a word, they mean quite simply that […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","h5ap_radio_sources":[],"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"activitypub_content_warning":"","activitypub_content_visibility":"","activitypub_max_image_attachments":3,"activitypub_interaction_policy_quote":"anyone","activitypub_status":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[247,1393,74,274,5,251],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-7897","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-ruminations","7":"category-whiskey-river-runningaftermyhat","8":"category-music","9":"category-cartoons","10":"category-06_writing","11":"category-poetry-writing_cat","12":"entry"},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6kZSG-23n","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/johnesimpson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7897","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/johnesimpson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/johnesimpson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/johnesimpson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/johnesimpson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7897"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/johnesimpson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7897\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7901,"href":"https:\/\/johnesimpson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7897\/revisions\/7901"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/johnesimpson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7897"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/johnesimpson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7897"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/johnesimpson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7897"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}