The Word I Was Looking For

in stinct n. 1. An inner pattern of behavior that is not learned and results in complex animal responses such as building of nests and nursing of young. 2. A powerful motivation or impulse. 3. A natural capability or aptitude.

It sometimes takes a brother to illuminate the obvious; Jim Teacher writes in:

Wouldn't the opposite of convention be instinct? In that it's not taught.

Instinct can't be eclipsed.

Thanks, brother. Instinct is the word I was looking for.

I've been presented with many awesome and thoughtful e-mails concerning the last couple of blog entries. E-mails dripping with purple prose, e-mails dropping hits of perspective, e-mails tracing lines and fondling titties, e-mails filled with poetry and enthusiasm. I'll see about sharing them with you. I'd like to make poets of you all. In the meantime, I'll let you know that today is my last day on the antibiotics and my first day on the therapy. I'm feeling pretty good. Let's keep it that way.

Today I expect the fuses for my Moscode to arrive. The generous George Kaye is sending them my way.

Today I received an invitation to fashionably booze it up. It went like this:

From: Steve Silberman
Sent: Monday, April 03, 2006 5:47 PM
To: Mejias, Stephen
Subject: Ayre

Hi.
I'm sending a reminder that I will be coming to see you on Tuesday the 18th with kit in hand.

Do you like gin?

Best regards,
Steve Silberman

From: Mejias, Stephen
To: Silberman, Steve
Subject: RE: Ayre
Date sent: Mon, 3 Apr 2006 18:10:19 -0500

It's totally on my calendar; looking forward to it.

Do I like gin? Shrug of shoulders: sure, I like gin.
SM

From: Steve Silberman
Sent: Monday, April 03, 2006 6:16 PM
To: Mejias, Stephen
Subject: RE: Ayre

Great. I'll bring a bottle of Hendrick's... ;)

From: Mejias, Stephen
To: Silberman, Steve
Subject: RE: Ayre
Date sent: Tue, 4 Apr 2006 14:07:46 -0500

Yo Steve.
I want to blog this e-mail exchange.

From: Steve Silberman
Sent: Tuesday, April 04, 2006 2:14 PM
To: Mejias, Stephen
Subject: RE: Ayre

I think that would be fun, starting with the gin question. Some readers are going to think that I’m going to pry you with booze. If so, we can have some fun with them.

I laugh Sam Tellig's evil laugh.

Finally, today is a day of meetings. The editors are holding hands with the sales team, sitting around a big shiny table, working things out. Voices are chiming in from across the country. Perhaps there is much head-banging and sweat, perhaps it's all smiles and pizza. I'll join them in a little bit, with limericks of gin, singing songs about crimson birds, arab straps, and all I haven't been taught.
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