gmctd
02-05-2005, 09:28 AM
Throughout history, there have existed among us those, who, by some strange quirk, were gifted to see things above and beyond our understanding.
To wit -
Ugh, who invented the axle, but had no wheel.
Trog, who invented the wheel, but did not know how to use it, till it fell on Ugh's axle, rolled across the ground, hit a stump, flipped over, and landed flat on that stump.
"Whee", they cried, as the 'whussat' rolled - "oh, hell", they wailed, as it flipped and came to a rest on the stump, thereby smashing their lunch, all but one boiled egg, which they agreed to share.
Tyrannisaurus Rex eggs were, after all, often advertised as 'more than a meal'.
The terms for the event stuck - "whee oh hell" - but were soon shortened to the singular "wheel", as "oh, hell" was a useful term for any unfortunate event.
Words were scarce, in those primitive times.
After staring at the "whee oh hell" many hours, fretting over their lost lunch, sharing that boiled egg, an idea slowly congealed.
Soon, they had a fine breakfast, dinner, and supper wheel, and their significant-other mates were pleased to invite many folks over for the occasional round-wheel buffet.
But, as the years passed, the tree-stump grew through the center of the wheel, and grew higher, raising that early dining wheel beyond their reach. Sadly, Ugh and Trog were forced to cut it down, whereupon it rolled across the compound, struck the gate post, knocking aside the large carribou horn tied to the cross post, and coming to rest at a slight angle, against the post.
A thought stirred, ever so briefly, but was lost in the necessity of designing another dining wheel.
After many axles, and equally many wheels, they succeeded in duplicating the original event, first having moved their lunch to a safer location.
And, again, the tree grew thru the middle, raising the wheel higher, necessitating that it be cut down, whereupon it also, oddly enough, rolled towards the gate, striking and coming to rest on the opposite post, jarring that side of the cross post down at an upward angle to the wheel, thereby causing the opposite gate post to lean in that direction.
Once again, as they looked, an idea passed thru their minds, stronger this time, more formative.
Many hours were spent there, trying to grasp that idea, knowing only that the sight was strangely exciting - stirring.
Many nights were spent in the cave, patiently scratching those formulative thoughts on the cave walls, by firelight.
Cut to the present -
Today, as a result of those early proto-typical cave-drawings - a familiar gut-stirring rumble announcing it's presence on any street in America, it's marquee gleaming proudly in the sunlight, that big V-twin Harley Davidson is the ultimate culmination of that first primitive outside-the-box thinking.
Down thru the millenium, many established thinkers have attempted, and succeeded, to drag us, kicking and screaming, up from the muck from which we arose, by outside-the-box thinking.
Aristotle, Pythagorem, Galileo, Da Vinci.
In our times : Schwitzer, Einstein, Tesla; Westinghouse, Ford, Wright Bros, etc.
Each fully grounded in what was known - inside the box - in their time, that knowledge base prepared them for their startling outside-the-box ideas.
And, today we also have a noted outside-the-box thinker, achieving instant fame and reknown for his singular thinking.
Internationally known, and recognized throughout the world, his countenance continues to grace the cover of his significant journal, month, by year, by decade, by century.
His credo, widely accepted and adopted by many as their own, is simple, yet profound, in it's concept.
Powerful in it's message, it is defined in only three words.
Folks, I give you --
MAD MAGAZINE, it's powerful figurehead, ALFRED E. NEUMAN, and his world shattering concept "What me worry?", which defines total rejection of inside-the-box knowledge base.
;)
To wit -
Ugh, who invented the axle, but had no wheel.
Trog, who invented the wheel, but did not know how to use it, till it fell on Ugh's axle, rolled across the ground, hit a stump, flipped over, and landed flat on that stump.
"Whee", they cried, as the 'whussat' rolled - "oh, hell", they wailed, as it flipped and came to a rest on the stump, thereby smashing their lunch, all but one boiled egg, which they agreed to share.
Tyrannisaurus Rex eggs were, after all, often advertised as 'more than a meal'.
The terms for the event stuck - "whee oh hell" - but were soon shortened to the singular "wheel", as "oh, hell" was a useful term for any unfortunate event.
Words were scarce, in those primitive times.
After staring at the "whee oh hell" many hours, fretting over their lost lunch, sharing that boiled egg, an idea slowly congealed.
Soon, they had a fine breakfast, dinner, and supper wheel, and their significant-other mates were pleased to invite many folks over for the occasional round-wheel buffet.
But, as the years passed, the tree-stump grew through the center of the wheel, and grew higher, raising that early dining wheel beyond their reach. Sadly, Ugh and Trog were forced to cut it down, whereupon it rolled across the compound, struck the gate post, knocking aside the large carribou horn tied to the cross post, and coming to rest at a slight angle, against the post.
A thought stirred, ever so briefly, but was lost in the necessity of designing another dining wheel.
After many axles, and equally many wheels, they succeeded in duplicating the original event, first having moved their lunch to a safer location.
And, again, the tree grew thru the middle, raising the wheel higher, necessitating that it be cut down, whereupon it also, oddly enough, rolled towards the gate, striking and coming to rest on the opposite post, jarring that side of the cross post down at an upward angle to the wheel, thereby causing the opposite gate post to lean in that direction.
Once again, as they looked, an idea passed thru their minds, stronger this time, more formative.
Many hours were spent there, trying to grasp that idea, knowing only that the sight was strangely exciting - stirring.
Many nights were spent in the cave, patiently scratching those formulative thoughts on the cave walls, by firelight.
Cut to the present -
Today, as a result of those early proto-typical cave-drawings - a familiar gut-stirring rumble announcing it's presence on any street in America, it's marquee gleaming proudly in the sunlight, that big V-twin Harley Davidson is the ultimate culmination of that first primitive outside-the-box thinking.
Down thru the millenium, many established thinkers have attempted, and succeeded, to drag us, kicking and screaming, up from the muck from which we arose, by outside-the-box thinking.
Aristotle, Pythagorem, Galileo, Da Vinci.
In our times : Schwitzer, Einstein, Tesla; Westinghouse, Ford, Wright Bros, etc.
Each fully grounded in what was known - inside the box - in their time, that knowledge base prepared them for their startling outside-the-box ideas.
And, today we also have a noted outside-the-box thinker, achieving instant fame and reknown for his singular thinking.
Internationally known, and recognized throughout the world, his countenance continues to grace the cover of his significant journal, month, by year, by decade, by century.
His credo, widely accepted and adopted by many as their own, is simple, yet profound, in it's concept.
Powerful in it's message, it is defined in only three words.
Folks, I give you --
MAD MAGAZINE, it's powerful figurehead, ALFRED E. NEUMAN, and his world shattering concept "What me worry?", which defines total rejection of inside-the-box knowledge base.
;)