Better Than I Could Say It

A quote from a character in the movie Masked and Anonymous:


Jack Fate: "Beautiful animals."

Animal Wrangler: "They don't have time to bother with the success of getting rich, don't have fantasies of glory, don't borrow money to buy things that decrease in value while they own it. See, they're beautiful because they just are. They do what they do. Lion don't try to be a tiger, rabbit don't try to do an impression of a monkey. They don't try to be what they are not. Not like us, we human beings.

The cheetah, the tiger, the snake, the monkey, the baboon, the muskrat, the bobcat, the pig that's fat, the hippo, the rhino, the dodo, the honey badger, the slithy toad, each one, each perfect in their own original form. Then man came in. Who created him, or for what purpose, is still a mystery. Why is he here? It's a mystery. We know he's trespassing, doesn't know his own place. Of course he doesn't know his own place, he doesn't have one.

Man, the bear hunter, the fur trapper, the deer chaser, the baby seal clubber, the dolphin snagger, lowest form of existence, lowest form of existence............ He goes around sticking his nose where it doesn't belong. The zoo, the aquarium, they are prisons for the animals, those animals can't learn anything from man, man don't have a thing to teach them.

I don't even like looking at human beings, they disgust me so much with their atom bombs, their blow dryers, their automobiles. They build hospitals as a shrine to the diseases they create. Human beings, along with their secrets, masked and anonymous....... If I see a crack in the sidewalk, to me it's more beautiful than any human being. A crack in the mud at the bottom of a sun dried dead lake, I count that more beautiful than any human being. You know what I mean?"

Jack Fate: "Yeah, I know what you mean, it's kind of like a curse being born."




Masked and Anonymous is a funky movie co-written by Bob Dylan so you know it's got some fascinating dialogue. It features Bob Dylan, John Goodman, Val Kilmer, Jeff Bridges, Penelope Cruz, Jessica Lange and more.

The movie is not for the faint hearted. there are lots of acerbic Dylan quips and odd conversations but it's typical Dylan, baby - dig deeper and you'll see he's saying a lot more than you think.

Anyway, Val Kilmer is the Animal Wrangler, an odd character, odd only in the fact that he speaks the truth. He's an animal lover and a human hater. You cannot argue with that point of view.

These are perfect sentiments for the Christmas season. What you want to do at this time of year is strip away all the mud and get to pure emotion. The best way to do that is to stay away from other people, except family. The ultimate goal should be to live only in the company of animals, but you don't have the time to make that happen between now and 12/25.

For the time being, focus on minimizing exposure to and interaction with toxic humans. When they talk to you, look away - don't respond. This could be a fun experiment. They will become bewildered and bewilderment cracks the facade.

Surround yourself with family and pets - the love will rise up around you like the oceans as the climate changes (only faster). Your soul will come alive; it is smarter than you and will recognize a better way of living, it will relish the taste and want more of that.

This will get you through the holidays and give you the drive to completely recalibrate your life.

Beginning on January 1, 2013 begin to find a way to strip all humans out of your life except family. Acquire as many pets as you can, buy a farm and cloister yourself there on into eternity.

How you survive financially is up to you; trust me I am no where near being qualified enough to give that kind of advice. I ain't got two nickels to rub together, and the one thin dime I had slipped out through the hole in my pocket.

Let's meet on June 1, 2013 and compare notes. Maybe we can learn from each other as long as we don't get too close.