Calvin (XVI-century-theologian-who-believed-in-predestination) & Hobbes (XVII-century-philosopher-with-a-dim-view-of-human-nature)
Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2001 - 11:28 a.m..

I must obey the inscrutable exhortations of my soul. - Calvin.

I did a little thing yesterday. I called and changed the date, I'm leaving on the 13th of january. I did it, no one else. That was my great little accomplishment of yesterday. Excuse me, it is an accomplishment for me, since I'd been bugging my brother to please-call-for-me, as if they were going to eat me on the phone. I called once. They said I had to pay $100. I told Denise and my brother. They said: call again. I didn't dare until yesterday (about one week later). I'm sorry, but you have to go to our main offices and check if the change can be done, because of the ticket you've got. I called yet again. And everything went fine. It's switched and it'll cost $20, not $100. Today I should top that off, I guess.

My cousin left this morning. He was thinking over staying some more time because all of a sudden, someone offered him some bussiness with a car. But he couldn't, because of his stand-by ticket and the holiday season, plus he had to go back and sell everything he's got at home to get money and drive up here with the 1963 Cadillac he bought and, by the way, plans on selling here. It still amazes me how he works. Yesterday in the afternoon, he got three calls, involving bussiness. I have not a fuckin' clue where he finds that many people, in so short time and, even more, how can he get them what they want so quick. It does surprise me, because he does it in a legal way.

He told me yesterday that the best thing that could have ever happened to him was to be kicked out of the school he dreamed of graduating from, in 10th grade. He got thrown out because he got caught selling exams. He'd buy one for 50 bucks. He'd make about 50 copies of it, every photocopy at 15 cents, and then sell every copy at 40 bucks. Those are the amounts, if I'm not mistaken. Well, just do the math. He obviously got profits. But he got thrown out. He thought it was the end of the world because his biggest dream was to graduate from that prestigious school. My uncle sent him to a "trash bin" school. A school with all of the kicked-outs from every school. That's where my cousin realized a lot of things. It was a different enviroment, with different kind of people (in that time, the most prestigious schools were just for rich people...not that our families were rich but parental units have always worked hard to send us kids to the best schools)....that was like his wake-up call. He did end up graduating from the school he wanted, because he got accepted back, but he definitely learned more about real life in the other one.

When we were talking at the mall yesterday, he mentioned the books he likes to read, and told me that he's found a pattern...he loves to read biographies of famous people, emperors and stuff and he's found out that most of times, the person doesn't have an "appropriate" education. Walt Disney didn't, but he was the one who created the "flipping" to make cartoons. He even created his own institute, because he wanted his artists to be well-prepared and the education they had wasn't enough for Walt. But I don't admire Walt Disney for his cartoons or for his techniques....I admire him because of his parks. Because he had a dream and actually made it come true. Everyone could have come up with the idea of a park like those, but actually bring them to reality....that's very different. I asked him what did Walt study to become so successful....that's the funniest part, he said. ...nothing. He didn't study.

I think she seriously believes in the value of education so, needless to say, she's an unhappy person.- Bill Watterson, on Calvin's teacher.

Of course, that doesn't mean that I have to drop out of school, suffer and wait for myself to change. I see you are a bit shy but you're also smart. When I was your age, I was shy AND dumb. Sure, but by the time he was 18, he had earned five thousand bucks. But those are other stories.

I was watching Titanic last night. Morbid stuff sells big time. It's horrible how the people suffered, but you just can't help it, right? You have to see that. I actually got the last part, right when it was sinking....well, the sinking scene seems to be a short movie itself...it was right when people is aboarding the boats. My brother said that in 15 years, Hollywood will do the same (make a movie) about the Twin Towers tragedy. My cousin said that it'll be in 10, maybe less. Who wouldn't see it, huh? Talk about morbid bussiness. I hope whoever does that movie is not from the US. No offense but...some of us kind of get tired of seeing only one side of the story. And sometimes it seems those kind of movies are just for the US audience (maybe it is, I don't know).

Well, I read the entire Calvin & Hobbes book. I think I'm gonna have to buy another one, since this one is more personal. I suppose my brothers and sister will want some entertainment. I wanted some enlightment. Of course they don't need that, since they already made their decision and has nothing to do with art: two doctors, a psychologist, a sociologist...and then...uh, me. Anyway...I did get some enlightment. Quite a lot. Calvin is a genius. Hobbes is a genius. Bill Watterson is a genius.

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"You can lead people to truth, but you can't make them understand it."

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"You die a thousand deaths before you even get in trouble."

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CALVIN: Every time I've built charachter, I've regretted it! I don't want to learn teamwork! I don't want to learn about winning and losing! Heck, I don't even want to compete! What's wrong with just having fun by yourself, huh?
CALVIN'S DAD: When you grow up, it's not allowed.

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"You can make your superhero a psychopath, you can draw gut-splattering violence, and you can call it a 'graphic novel', but comic books are still incredibly stupid. (...) Comic strips have historically been full of ugly stereotypes, the hallmark of writers too lazy to honestly observe the world (...). The trick is to remember that the way we describe things reveals the way we think. The cartoonist who resorts to stereotypes reveals his own bigotry"

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CALVIN'S MOM: Well, how's your math coming along?
CALVIN: I've almost started!

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"Much of the job of being a cartoonist lies in keeping alive a sense of curiosity and wonder. Sometimes the best way to generate new ideas is to go out and learn something."

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"The best part of being a cartoonist is the ever-present opportunity to be silly."

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"Sharing with people, I'm always impressed by how they share back."

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CALVIN: (I pray for) the strenght to change what I can, the inability to accept what I can't, and the incapacity to tell the difference.

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Well, that's it. And you know what I've learned today? I love apple pie. So I'll eat some and see what's flowing in the 6th dimention.

(...) and after so many strips about boys, I think a strip about a little girl, drawn by a woman, could be great.

Reading that book was like talking to the man himself....or should I say, it was like he was talking to me....Stand up and do your thing, Simeon...you'll be wearing a wig and a dress!!!....

*crickets chirping*.

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