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UnFree

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A curious miscarriage

Not free to go

It was Monday morning, the weekend had been longer and more tedious than usual, and Norbert was preparing to leave for the office, when there was a knock at the door. Norbert was surprised to find Jeremy the local bobby outside.

Good morning, Jerry. What brings you here today?

I am very sorry, sir, but I must take you away to a place of confinement where you will remain for an indefinite period.

I don’t understand, are you saying that you are taking me to gaol?

Yes, sir, that is what I must do. You were condemned by the Court yesterday, and I have been instructed to escort you to the lawful place of confinement.

I know you must do your work, Jerry, but perhaps you would enlighten me. For what have I been condemned?

I have not been told, sir. I am aware that your statement was presented to the court, one witness was called and then came the judgement, but I was not permitted to enter to courtroom.

May I have a few moments to pack a bag? Please come in and take a seat. I shall not be long.

As he packed, Norbert reflected upon the situation. He had been called into the station several weeks ago to give an account of his movements on a particular day in December. He thought carefully about what he had said in that document. He had been out of town all of that week on business, and could think of nothing in it that could give rise to what was now taking place. He mused thoughtfully, as the absurdity of the situation pressed home upon him. Here he was about to be committed to a place of confinement on the judgement of a court at a hearing of which he had no knowledge. He supposed that had he troubled himself to go to the court every day, he would have seen his name on the list of cases to be heard: Person or persons unknown v Norbert Smith Defendant 1230 Room B, he imagined to himself. What had been said about him? Why had he not received a call to attend the hearing and reply to his accusers?

He resigned himself to his fate. He remembered that the wise man said: the first to present his case seems right, till another comes forward and questions him. (Proverbs 18:17)

Coco © 2015

Coco wonders how many of us feel a little bit like Norbert. There are flaws in many processes which would not be permitted in the legal process in a liberal state. And if you wonder why Coco wrote this, it is quite simple, there are two reasons. Firstly, the document, which claims to be an assessment, appears to be empty. Nothing has been said, so there is nothing to which a reply can be given. And secondly, there has been no process meeting with the preparer of the document, but only an informal chat with the one who has been interposed between Coco and the Assessor. It is of course nothing less than is expected to happen or not happen however you may wish to look at it.

[Coco attempts to make some changes and add comments to the document, and then having second thoughts to remove them.]

“Ah, but how strange, it seems not to be possible to remove comments, even draft comments, after they have been saved….ah well I shall post the whole thing again with the correction…”

[It is for this reason that the first related tale finds its way into the document. Then there is a question to which an answer must be given, but the only answer available is not the answer which Coco either wished to give or would have been true if given]

“It would seem that there is only one possible answer to the question. HMRC require non trading partnerships who wish to file on-line and also to complete the additional information box, which is intended only for trade use, to pretend that they are trading partnerships (ie to lie) and to declare that the type of trade is NO TRADE. In the light of this and in the same spirit I have selected the only option available.“

[Coco is left as perplexed as Norbert was at the process which led to his gaoling, but without having to face the same consequences.]

η αυτοκτονια του η-αυ

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The original thought, which was not original to me, was that the chapter would open with the words:

   As Eeyore slipped his neck into the noose…

But upon further reflection it was apparent that such an opening would raise many questions which, in consideration of the possible consequences of Eeyore’s action would have been of necessity left unanswered. It was therefore considered that a more open approach to the situation in which we found Eeyore would provide the appropriate opportuntities to speak about, to explore and to expose the context in which the most unfortunate incident arose:

It was a far brighter and sunnier morn than that to which the inhabitants of the Hundred Acre wood were accustomed. Such a morn as this was rarely seen. The butterflies fluttered by, and the bees hummed busily as they gathered the nectar and pollens which, by and by, would be turned into the honey that our dear friend Pooh loved to use to suage his voracious appetite.

Piglet and Roo were playing together going deeper and deeper into the wood towards the house in which Eeyore lived. They were enjoying the warm fresh air of the forest as it mingled with the aromas of a thousand fresh flowers.

All at once they found a rope hanging from a tree.

A swing, cried Roo and ran towards it as fast as he could, which was much faster than most of the other animals could run.

Wait for me-eee! cried Piglet, who then remembered that it might be Owl’s door bell. Be careful! he shouted, but it was too late, Roo was swinging on the rope for all his might, and so high that Piglet thought he might lose him in the tops of the trees.

This was not Owl’s rope then, but if it did not belong to Owl, to whom did it belong? Piglet tried to think very hard.

Just then Eeyore appeared walking as he does slowly into the clearing where Roo was swinging wildly from the rope.

What are you two doing with MY rope, Eeyore asked.

Your rope, Eeyore?, they replied.

Yes, my rope. I left it there hoping someone might come along and be so kind, not that I suppose some one would be so kind, – taking the end of the rope between his teeth, for Roo had stopped swinging and was listening both intently and very excitedly – and he continued: be so kind as to help me tie a k-not in it.

Tie a what in it?, they both asked wondering what a k-not was.

A k-not, that is what I said, didn’t I? Eeyore replied in his inimitable way.

Yes, but why? And how?, Piglet wondered out loud.

I can’t show you how, these hooves and teeth are simply not up to the job, not up to the job you know. It is the missing opposable thumb that is the problem. But I can tell you how to do it. Owl told me. It will make a better swing if we put a loop in it.

Oh! let’s do it then, said Piglet full of excitement.

Piglet and Roo worked together listening carefully to Eeyore’s instructions. It was not so easy, and sometimes they had to undo what they had done in order to do it again.

But eventually they completed the work and when they had finished, Eeyore asked them to find something round to put inside the loop so that it would keep its shape.

That’s a good idea, said Piglet, and he trotted off to do so with Roo bouncing after him. On the way they met Kanga who announced that it really was time for Roo to go to bed.

But, but, but we have to find something for Eeyore, they protested, and proceeded to tell Kanga all about the day’s events.

We shall see about that then, Kanga replied, Christopher Robin will surely know what is needed and have the right sort of Special Equipment. We shall go to find him, but no more than half an hour mind, and then it is to bed.

They went to find Christopher Robin.

Meanwhile, Eeyore had been examining the knot that Piglet and Roo had put together in the rope.

He lifted his head and pulled the knot gently with his teeth. Yes it slipped quite nicely, just as Owl had told him that it would. Splendid, he thought to himself, it is the very thing that I need, as if I would need anything, and to call it splendid hardly describes its purpose well, but then what could.

Now he took hold of the rope above the knot and slowly climbed with it up the nearby bank. He had very carefully made sure that that would be possible to do that with the rope before our two little friends arrived.

As he reached the top of the rise, he stopped. A dark cloud passed by the sun, and for a moment Eeyore thought it might rain. A fitting end, he said to himself in the very heavy way that only Eeyore can say things, especially when he says them to himself.

He paused for a moment to reflect. There is nothing for it, he said in his deep throated voice. Then as Eeyore slipped his neck into the noose that Piglet and Roo had carefully prepared for him, Christopher Robin ran into the clearing. Eeyore! he cried out, I have just the thing. This will stop the knot from slip….

All was quiet in the clearing

*

as Eeyore swang happily in the new swing.

* But what happened in the gap? There are of course two, and only two, possible ways in which to fill this gap. The one you choose will depend upon your predilection for Eeyore and your own predisposition of course. So which ending will you choose?

All was quiet in the clearing. Christopher Robin looked on helplessly and as hopelessly as Eeyore, until that moment, had thought things were. The cloud had passed by, and the butterflies continued to flutter by and the bees continued to hum, as Eeyore swang happily in the new swing.

Or,

All was quiet in the clearing but what a surprise! Eeyore landed in Christopher Robin’s outstretched hands. O! Eeyore, he cried, I do love you. Giving him a great big hug, he placed him on the ground and fitted the swing with its Special Equipment, then carefully placing Eeyore back into the swing gave him a gentle push. That will be much more comfortable for you now, Eeyore, he smiled.

Kanga, Roo and Piglet, who had been left behind by Christopher Robin, then arrived at and entered the clearing just as Eeyore swang happily in the new swing.

Taxology?

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If you are a taxologist, or even if you are not
then this will appeal to your sense of injustice.
Do not forget to do your research first…..read the story below.

Before Coco makes any, as perhaps some would interpret it, apositive comments, do not think that Coco is not unaware that languages change in their construction, grammar and syntax, and that words change their meaning, a phenomena to which many of the so-called false cousins of the European languages will be very willing to attest. So his comments may be understood to be quite miserable, but they are certainly, Coco says with not with unalloyed hope, but not hype, not intended to be misérable. For this reason it is very important that we have a proper understanding of words and their use, it is for this reason that every one of us carries within him a taxonomy by which we classify words so that we know which set of words are appropriate at any particular time. Parts of our taxonomic classification, if that is not a tautological repetition of the same conceptual idea, will indicate to us that certain classes of words are appropriate in one circumstance; for example, language may not be used in the discussions that take place in the nursery between a mother and her child, which would not be out of place in the context of seeking a negotiated settlement of certain difficulties which may have arisen as a consequence of a perceived, or perhaps even putative, breach of contract, even though the purpose of the use of the language in both cases is propitiatory, which is to say that in its intention it seeks to bring about the reconciliation of two estranged parties.

So to come to the point of my post, if it were not for its progeny Coco would not have believed it possible for this to have been suggested by R*****s. Now although Webster’s is not his favourite dictionary, it behoves Coco to avoid, or should that be evade, perhaps even eschew the use of a British dictionary in this context, and Coco does happen to have a copy of an authorised British printing of the 1924 edition, which rather helpfully warns him that should it be found in his possession after emigrating to Australia it will be liable to confiscation.

Turning to page 2118 in the second volume we find in the footnotes this entry

The main entry on the following page then provides a clear definition of the word under discussion.

Coco is not entirely sure how well the photographs will turn out here, so here is a transcription for the two root words:

tax-ol´o-gy (tăk-sŏl´ṓ-jĭ),n. [Gr. τάξις arrangement + -logy.] Taxonomy.

tax-on´o-my ({tăk-sŏn´ṓ}-mĭ), n. [Gr. τάξις arrangement, order + νομος a law.] Classification; esp., classification of animals and plants according to their natural relationships; also, the laws and principles of such classification.

The meanings of the derived terms; taxonomist, taxonomic, taxonomical, taxonomically, and those derived from the synonym taxology, need no further explanation.

Coco will draw no conclusion, but rather leave the reader to draw his own.

By the way Coco too is a taxologist in the way that he thinks about and understands tax, but his taxological understanding and methods do not end there. The use of taxology is important in our approach to many different aspects of knowledge without which we would remain in extreme ignorance of the world around us. So, taxology is important to us in our understanding of who God is, the universe, life and everything. Of course, taxology is not itself a substitute for these things. It merely provides a framework for us within which we may build our understanding and hope to build up our understanding of these things.

The Story

{A} monumental discovery became evident after plenty of sleuthing. A senior director of marketing for the corporate business, and her team recruited countless players: leaders across the industry, numerous accounting firms, and even the IRS. Persona work cut through a jungle of questions. Suddenly the uncertainty dissipated. What remained was a clear gap in the market…and the team seized upon this opportunity to address the need for a personality.

We fill that gap as the industry’s trusted partner in tax technology. {The} team knew it was time to take ownership of our prestigious status and create a campaign with which the customers identified.

And the Taxologist was born.

Taxologist noun [taks-ol-uh-jist]: a tax professional that excels in the use of technology to maximize tax function effectiveness.

How does one identify this breed of professional? It’s simple, really: they are typically tax managers or directors, engineers of change that operate as a driving force for new tax technology. By challenging the status quo of the tax department, they have moved away from Excel and toward total management of their professional skillsets using the utmost technological efficiency.

The big word in the Taxologist campaign is {Taxological}. {Taxology} transforms today’s tax professionals into Taxologists. It empowers them – which, as eye-opening persona work reveals, is important for this customer.

“[The campaign] has a personal feel to it. [The customers] are unique characters,” A said.

Her team’s extensive persona work greatly shaped the Taxologist campaign. By analyzing the buyers’ behavio[u]rs(sic!) and psychology, they gained eye-opening results that helped them better anticipate the content they desire to see and better understand their current situation. The team learned that these customers sometimes don’t hear enough accolades though they’re essential operators of tax processes. They often work as behind-the-scenes players in the company, but their work is crucial to their business. The Taxologist campaign is a personal way to reward them and make them feel special. Now we’re speaking their language.

{Taxology} noun [wuhn-sohrs]: the art, science, and skill of combining tax with technology to gain efficiency across the tax lifecycle. It transforms today’s tax professionals into Taxologists.

Taxology is the tool that fills the gap in the industry for a tax technology leader. The Taxologist campaign is what we’ve crafted to get the customers excited about the technology they utilize and their pivotal roles in the industry. With this identity, they can feel confident about the change they’re enacting. It is okay to embrace technology and we are their partner in that.

The Taxologist campaign will invade and conquer using a broad range of materials. Currently….

Advertising campaign by {name redacted} media group

Names have been redacted both to protect the innocent and to not promote the advertising further.

Transport?

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If you are a tube enthusiast, or even if you are not:

Scene 1

If you enjoy travelling on the tube, but especially if you do not read on….

It had been a long and a wearying day, All the particles were feeling quite low and certainly less energetic than usual. A bunch of electrons arrived on the platform at pretty much the same time as a bunch of photons, so the platform was quite full. The train pulled in. There seemed to be plenty of room. True there were some rather large neutrons and several terribly attractive protons, but not so many that they should have been the cause of a problem.

The doors opened. The electrons stood, as only electrons could, looking at each other in that inimitably negative way in astonishment. Perplexed, they listened again: Will all particles use all available doors!

The train started to move. They watched as the train departed with all photons safely on board.

Scene 2

More photons descended to the platform to join our beleaguered electrons. Shortly, a second train, which was rather more crowded than the first arrived.

The announcer blared out his instructions: Please move down the carriages, and will particles please use all available space!

Our poor friends, for we are beginning to get to know them quite well now, were no less confused by this message than by the first. How? How could they? Those rather large neutrons could make a pretty good attempt at it, but we? How can we do that.

The train pulled away. The electrons watched in dismay as the train departed with all photons safely on board.

Scene 3

Niels Bohr descended to the platform to join our now very excited and quite heated electrons. Shortly, a third train, which was completely packed arrived.

The announcer blared out his instructions: Please allow particles off the train before boarding! Use all available doors and move down the carriages using all available space!

Niels, noticing the excitement of our poor friends and their seeming inability to do anything other than race around the platform at high speed, suggested that they might like to get into the carriage. This so incensed the electrons that they collided with each other with immense energy causing the utmost chaos on the platform.

Fearing for the safety of the other particles the announcer ordered the driver to close the doors and pull the train away without delay. Niels smiled as the electrons now calming down watched the walls of the tunnel passing by the windows.

在她的心脏

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在她的心脏 (Zài tā de xīnzàng/In her heart)
首被平原的管家

曾几何时,
晓新, 的一天,
晴 火, 烧金,
认真的* 意图,
年轻人* 在她的心脏		Céngjǐhéshí
Xiǎo xīn, de yītiān,
Qíng huǒ, shāo jīn,
Rènzhēn de* yìtú,
Niánqīng rén* zài tā de xīnzàng
斯图尔特 (Sītú’ěrtè)

Translation (translation tools and native speakers may offer a different set of words):
Once upon a time
New dawn, day,
Clear fire, burning gold,
Earnest* intent,
In her young* heart

The twelfth

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Tambourin, gamelan, erhu and pipa
Whisper to each, and each to the other
Eager to sound and sound out a melody
Longing to sing, and sing much in harmony
For the day has arrivèd, a day of great history.
Tambourin, gamelan, erhu and pipa
Herald the dawn with chanson and Lieder
Never before have they pipèd such meaning
Igniting a flame on an altar so pleasing
Gladly, and gaily, ‘til late in the evening.
Hear now their words and forget them not ever
Tambourin, gamelan, erhu and pipa.

As Presidents

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From The Times correspondent

This post has been obtained from an external source which does not permit its pages to be embedded here (at least Coco has not successfully found a way to do it), it has been necessary to take a suitably edited version of the original page to embed here. As a consequence updates made by the writer may not appear here. If you find anything that is different in a significant manner, please notify Coco using the comments section below. Thank you.

Silent praise

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Patricia and Qing
为听 (sic.) 太阳和月亮

Whereas others are very public,
A quieter approach is my take.
Is not the glory yours not mine
To share or claim? As, when the moon,
Intent on giving light to men,
Now returns the brightness of the sun’s
Glory in which she rejoicing runs.