Ask Bella

[Maharishi Miyagi Yoda]

Dear Bella,
I kindly thank you for another very helpful answer. It's very strange that you should mention Christopher Marlowe's  Dr. Faustus, and it may be a synchronicity. You see, last weekend, I went to a used book fair out of town with my mother. I picked up about thirty used books at 25 cents apiece, and Dr. Faustus was one of them. I grabbed it because I'm a fan of the Faust legend by Goethe, and have also read a book of black magic called The Black Raven, which is attributed to the real Dr. Faustus. I was most pleased to see that my new book contained the Good Angel/Evil Angel counselor spirits that I asked you about. I began reading it immediately, and the introduction refers to the same image that I asked you about, saying that it was popular in Medieval Morality Plays. I now have a new lead to follow in this line of inquiry.

As to the movies you mentioned, none of the video stores in my home town have them, but they seemed to be pretty obscure (being that they're old and I had never heard of them), so this did not surprise me. However, it is my hope that I will eventually be able to track them down and watch them.

On the Shakespeare reference, did SpongeBob happen to mention where Shakespeare makes the claim of having a good Angel and an evil Angel attending on him? Or do I misunderstand you, and the reference to the good and evil Angels is in one of his works? I have a copy of The Complete Works of Shakespeare, which includes all his plays, poetry, and the Sonnets, so if it's in one of his works then I've surely been sitting on it for a long time and simply haven't known about it.

When I first noticed this thread, I was thrilled because I thought it would be a great place to ask all the stupid questions I have that no one knows the answer to- like the ones I asked you earlier. Madam Bella, you have not let me down! I am glad that I asked you and I will be returning with more of these stupid questions. I hope you don't mind, and I hope that I don't invoke the ire of SpongeBob. This is currently my favorite thread on the whole forum.

Respectfully,
the Maharishi Miyagi Yoda

[Bella]

Cool.    Thanks
You're welcome and here's the Shakespeare reference:

SONNET 144
Two loves I have of comfort and despair,
Which like two spirits do suggest me still:
The better angel is a man right fair,  
The worser spirit a woman colour'd ill.
To win me soon to hell, my female evil
Tempteth my better angel from my side,
And would corrupt my saint to be a devil,
Wooing his purity with her foul pride.
And whether that my angel be turn'd fiend
Suspect I may, but not directly tell;
But being both from me, both to each friend,
I guess one angel in another's hell:
Yet this shall I ne'er know, but live in doubt,
Till my bad angel fire my good one out.


And look what I found the other day:  

[Maharishi Miyagi Yoda]

And look what I found the other day:  

When I saw that smily thing, I laughed for about five minutes! My devil says he thinks it's funny, too, but my angel was angry at me for laughing at it.

Oh, and thanks for the Shakespeare reference.

[Mangrove]

Dear Bella,

It would appear that OB has returned and he's resumed his hobby of making very poor satirical photoshop pics.

What are the long term ramifications?

Yours sincerely,

Worried of CT.

[LMNO]

Dear Bella,

What are the dangers of internalizing such extreme opposing dichotomies as angel/devil shoulder pets, forsaking any sort of subjective interpretations, or excluded middles?

[Bella]

Dear Bella,

Why are my tulpas/shoggoths in such a shitty resolution? Can you help?

Dear revidc,

Okay I did some research, asked my own thought form servitors what they thought and consulted my witchy aunt. They're saying that maybe your mind was wandering due to pre-occupation with any number of things - like world domination, Xenu, $$$, etc.  when you thought your creations into existence. Also, if you happen to be one of the undead, your tulpas will naturally be confused as they tend to fade once their creator dies. Which would also explain why I have a similar problem from time to time.

Anyway, my Aunt Mimi says that all you need to do is find a quiet whirlwind-free corner of your mind and work from there. Unless, like me, you are undead - in which case take a hot shower first to warm the flesh and fool the tulpas/shoggoths.

[Bella]

Dear Bella,

It would appear that OB has returned and he's resumed his hobby of making very poor satirical photoshop pics.

What are the long term ramifications?

Yours sincerely,

Worried of CT.

Dear Mangrove,

I saw that OB was back. Yay! :P

But what does CT mean?

Bella,
Can't answer because she doesn't know what CT means.  

[Bella]

Dear Bella,

What are the dangers of internalizing such extreme opposing dichotomies as angel/devil shoulder pets, forsaking any sort of subjective interpretations, or excluded middles?

Dear LMNO,

I don't know. I think this will require personal experimentation in addition to consulting the SpongeBob Oracle. I mean part of me is saying "No, Bella.....don't even go there!" and another part of me is saying, "Yes, it never hurts to give something a try, does it?" I think I'll go with the second part for now.

No, wait. Nevermind - I'm going to listen to my better half and not get personally involved in this investigation.

Yes, yes.  On second thought, I think I will go forward with this.

No..........

[East Coast Hustle]

Dear Bella,

It would appear that OB has returned and he's resumed his hobby of making very poor satirical photoshop pics.

What are the long term ramifications?

Yours sincerely,

Worried of CT.

Dear Mangrove,

I saw that OB was back. Yay! :P

But what does CT mean?

Bella,
Can't answer because she doesn't know what CT means.  

that's what I keep asking.

ECH,
saw a funny street sign the other day...

[LMNO]

::raises hand::


Oooh!  Oohh!  Mr. Kotter!  I know!



LMNO
-knows.

[Mangrove]

Dear Everyone who doesn't know about CT.

For me, CT = Connecticut. It's like uhhh..postal or something.

[Bella]

Like a Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court only in your case it's reversed, huh?

Then in that case, my answer is:

Dear Mangrove,

Finally and at last there is hope for the uber stuffy, uber American, but otherwise mostly good-hearted folk of Connecticut. The overall long-term ramifications are that the good peoples in your neck of the woods are going have a much more interesting life now that OB has returned and is busy with the photoshopping. Please to not try and stop him.

P.S. Tell him to wear gloves

[Slithis]

Dear Bella, if one would like to, say, form a cult for the purpose of having a disposable army of drones that do their leader's bidding without second thought, pamper their leader to his/her every want and desire, and willingly wear the uniform of their leader's choice, how could one go about obtaining this goal? Is there any literature on the subject? Perhaps a website even?

[East Coast Hustle]

there is, in fact, a website designed with that purpose in mind.

[Bella]

That's exactly what I was thinking, ECH. Thanks.