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Birthday presents

By lm (Fri Jul 13, 2012 at 09:04:52 PM EST) (all tags)

Awesome: my wife had a tie custom made for me. It has a blue field background with Arabic text on it. When translated, it's one of my favorite quotes by al-Farabi.

For there is no difference between a man who possesses the most perfect bestiality and performs the most perfect activities thereof, and assuming that he is dead and transformed into that beast and its shape. Thus there is no difference between a man who acts like a fish, and a fish with a shape like that of a man: his only virtue is his human shape and the fact that he acts like a perfect fish.

Not-so-awesome: it's not my birthday.

It's not often that I get a gift that shows that much effort. Quite some time ago, my wife asked me what my favorite saying of Farabi was. I told her. She then hunted through the poorly indexed corpus of his writings until she found the right passage. Then she found the Arabic text. Then she designed the tie. I feel pretty honored.

But this opening birthday presents before one's birthday is for the birds. It's like opening Christmas presents during Advent or having a honeymoon before the wedding.

My youngest picked up the insight pretty quickly, ``So if you're really acting like a jerk, there's no difference between you and a real jerk.'' I suppose not.

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Birthday presents | 7 comments (7 topical, 0 hidden)

If it quacks like a duck... by ucblockhead (2.00 / 0) #1 Sat Jul 14, 2012 at 02:00:12 PM EST

If it acts like your birthday, it's your birthday! Enjoy!
---
[ucblockhead is] useless and subhuman

That tie will get some interesting comments by wiredog (2.00 / 0) #2 Mon Jul 16, 2012 at 07:12:24 AM EST

on the Metro.

In parts of Va they would probably thing you were a tairist of some sort.

Earth First!
_{(We can strip mine the rest later.)}

I dropped my girls off at summer camp yesterday by lm (2.00 / 0) #3 Mon Jul 16, 2012 at 08:36:26 AM EST

On the way back, I stopped at the Flight 93 memorial. It may have been my imagination but it felt like I was getting looks from much of the crowd that made me feel distinctly uncomfortable.

On the other hand, it was good fun explaining the test to the parents waiting in line at the camp while checking my girls in.

Kindness is an act of rebellion.

[ Parent ]

That must be one loud MFing tie by houser2112 (2.00 / 0) #6 Tue Jul 17, 2012 at 08:48:33 AM EST

I'm not sure I'd even notice that it was in fact Arabic text, rather than some pattern unless I looked really close.

[ Parent ]

: Well, it could have been that ... by lm (2.00 / 0) #7 Tue Jul 17, 2012 at 08:54:05 AM EST

... I was the only guy in a collared shirt and tie on a very warm Sunday afternoon.
Kindness is an act of rebellion.
[ Parent ]

We need a picture. by ana

(2.00 / 0) #4 Mon Jul 16, 2012 at 10:16:44 AM EST

I'll admit I haven't gone looking for one at the usual pic-posting places.

I now know what the noise that is usually spelled "lolwhut" sounds like. --Kellnerin

: I'll take one the next time I put it on by lm (4.00 / 1) #5 Mon Jul 16, 2012 at 08:44:39 PM EST

That should be between two to three weeks from now. I rotate my ties.
Or if one of my friends from my old parish in Cincinnati sends me a copy of one of the pictures taken of me when I dropped my girls off at summer camp, I'll post it.

Kindness is an act of rebellion.
[ Parent ]

Birthday presents | 7 comments (7 topical, 0 hidden)