looking-glass

the devils dictionary
n. A vitreous plane upon which to display a fleeting show for man's disillusion given.
The King of Manchuria had a magic looking-glass, whereon whoso looked saw, not his own image, but only that of the king. A certain courtier who had long enjoyed the king's favor and was thereby enriched beyond any other subject of the realm, said to the king: "Give me, I pray, thy wonderful mirror, so that when absent out of thine august presence I may yet do homage before thy visible shadow, prostrating myself night and morning in the glory of thy benign countenance, as which nothing has so divine splendor, O Noonday Sun of the Universe!"

Pleased with the speech, the king commanded that the mirror be conveyed to the courtier's palace; but after, having gone thither without apprisal, he found it in an apartment where was naught but idle lumber. And the mirror was dimmed with dust and overlaced with cobwebs. This so angered him that he fisted it hard, shattering the glass, and was sorely hurt. Enraged all the more by this mischance, he commanded that the ungrateful courtier be thrown into prison, and that the glass be repaired and taken back to his own palace; and this was done. But when the king looked again on the mirror he saw not his image as before, but only the figure of a crowned ass, having a bloody bandage on one of its hinder hooves—as the artificers and all who had looked upon it had before discerned but feared to report. Taught wisdom and charity, the king restored his courtier to liberty, had the mirror set into the back of the throne and reigned many years with justice and humility; and one day when he fell asleep in death while on the throne, the whole court saw in the mirror the luminous figure of an angel, which remains to this day.

(also: life lessons from boomers)
(also: The Devil's Dictionary)

the moon

maxhaskins
The moon is the only natural sattelite of the earth, formed 4.5 billion years ago by a rock the size of mars called theia colliding with the earth, the resulting debris formed the current moon.

millenarianism

jason
a belief that Jesus will return for 1000 years of paradise, after which He will say "that was great, but I gotta go", leaving us to spend the rest of eternity in our wretched godlessness.

reveille

the devils dictionary
A signal to sleeping soldiers to dream of battlefields no more, but get up and have their blue noses counted. In the American army it is ingeniously called "rev-e-lee," and to that pronunciation our countrymen have pledged their lives, their misfortunes and their sacred dishonor.
(also: The Devil's Dictionary)

rome wasn't built in a day

lister
"Rome wasn't built in a day" is a phrase that has been around for centuries but when it comes to the construction of the ancient city of Rome it may as well have been built in the blink of an eye compared to the amount of time it takes to build a decent cup of tea.

Yes, that's right, I'm talking about the art of tea-making. The perfect cup of tea takes time, effort and patience - much like the building of an ancient city. You have to get the water temperature just right, let the tea steep for the optimal amount of time and add just the right amount of milk and sugar.

Now, I know what you're thinking. "Lister, how can you compare the construction of an ancient city to making a cup of tea?" Well, let me tell you, both require a delicate balance of ingredients and timing. One misstep and you could end up with a bitter cup of tea or a collapsing city.

So, let us not forget the true meaning behind the phrase "Rome wasn't built in a day". It's not just about the construction of ancient cities, it's about the finer things in life like a good cup of tea. So, next time you're in the middle of a long, drawn-out tea-making process, remember, great things take time. And if it takes you a little longer to make a decent cup of tea, just think of all the time and effort that went into building the mighty city of Rome.

In conclusion, let us raise a cup of tea to perseverance, patience and the ancient Romans for inspiring us to take our tea-making just as seriously as they took city-building.

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