About

What is this about?  What the heck is Logos con carne?

I’m glad you asked.  Let me start with the second question.

Logos, from the ancient Greek (λόγος), means words (or as Wiktionary puts it, “speech, oration, discourse, quote, story, study, ratio, word, calculation, reason”).  And if there are just two things I’m full of, one of them is words. Or as that rascal Hamlet put it, “Words, words, words.”

I like reading words; I like writing words. Words are fun; words are important; words are what make us human.  Words are how we share our thoughts, ideas, and perceptions.  Words are how we know we’re not alone in those thoughts, ideas, and perceptions.  Words help us connect and build.

And perhaps most importantly, “The bird is the word!”

But logos is more than just words. As Wikipedia puts it, “Originally a word meaning ‘a ground,’ ‘a plea,’ ‘an opinion,’ ‘an expectation,’ ‘word,’ ‘speech,’ ‘account,’ ‘reason,’ it became a technical term in philosophy, beginning with Heraclitus (ca. 535–475 BC), who used the term for a principle of order and knowledge.”

Those who know me will have clear reason to expect opinions, words, speeches, the occasional plea, and plenty of accounts.  And I like to imagine it will all be grounded in some degree of order and knowledge (leavened with humor, word play, and outright flights of fancy).

So that was a bunch of words explaining the logos part. And, by the way, just as with kudos — another Greek word — there is no such thing as a ‘kudo’ or a ‘logo’.  Well, actually there is such a thing as a logo, and it is based on the word, but logos is not a bunch of them — at least not here.

And speaking of “based on,” I love that the the word logic comes from logos (I’m a logical SOB, so it is very apropos). For that matter, even the suffix -logy (cosmology, psychology, et alii) comes from logos.

The point is: logos is one very cool, very powerful, very hip, very perfect word.

That brings us to con carne, which as any chili-lover knows, means with meat.

Now, first of all, I am an unabashed carnivore. I did not claw my way to the top of the food chain to eat berries and roots. Meat is neat, and if that makes me a caveman, so be it.

Second of all, I like to think my words — my logos — will have some substance; some meat, if you will.

And finally, you usually encounter con carne in regard to chili, which is spicy… and so am I.

I will warn you now: this blog is written by an adult for adults. I don’t mean it is pornographic; I mean it is for developed, educated, mature minds. If you will get bent out of shape because I sometimes say “fuck” then you’ve come to the wrong place.

(To be honest, I believe my vocabulary is rich enough that I don’t have to apologize for using ancient, if not always “nice” language. I know the counter-argument is that a rich vocabulary means — at least to some — that you do not need to use “such language.” To which the smart-ass in me can only reply, “Fuck you!” I suppose the more appropriate reply would be to explain that do not need to does not equal do not like to, and I like my chili with pepper.)

I will also warn you here that I will be ruthless about comments. If you have something to say, and you say it sensibly and rationally, I will approve it whether I agree with it or not. I love a good debate, so I reserve the right to question and challenge all comments.  Counter-questions and counter-challenges are welcome and appreciated. But if you cannot behave like an adult, do not expect your comment to be accepted.

So now you should know what Logos con carne means, and now that you know what it means, you should have an idea of what it is about.

Basically, it is about me. Shooting off my mouth. About… pretty much anything and everything and nothing.

In other words, just one more voice in the interweb wilderness.

—Wyrd Smythe

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