The year of the Horse

[ChiDragon]

The year of the horse is coming. Have we pick out the horse yet?

[Apech]

I’ve been through the desert on a horse with no name

It felt good to be out of the rain

In the desert you can remember your name

‘Cause there ain’t no one for to give you no pain
 

[Gerard]

Here's my pick:

 

[Wordless]

Aww stupid image link didn't work..... oh well...

Joke link instead: https://umamusume.com/

Edited January 2 by Wordless

[Cobie]

I’m calling to the rescue pls  @liminal_luke and partner.  
 

 

Edited January 2 by Cobie

[Cobie]

 

19 minutes ago, Gerard said:

Here's my pick:

 

That sounds so funny to Dutch ears. 

[liminal_luke]

58 minutes ago, Cobie said:

I’m calling to the rescue pls  @liminal_luke and partner.  
 

 

 

Thanks for the vote of confidence Cobie!  I´m not sure how much rescuing I´ll be up for though in the Year of the Horse; thinking of taking 2026 off.  In lieu of a rescue, would you accept some dubious neidan advice (please see my contributions to the new subforum!) or an ironic personal anecdote? Those things are definitely on the docket.  

Edited January 2 by liminal_luke

[Cobie]

 

10 hours ago, liminal_luke said:

... thinking of taking 2026 off. 

 

Sound idea. I kind of decided, when I was young, to take 'this-whole-life' off. 

 

Quote

... neidan advice (please see my contributions to the new subforum!)

 

While no doubt your advice will be sound, I have decided not to read the neidan subforum. 

 

Quote

or an ironic personal anecdote? ...

 

Now those are always worth reading. 

 

 

 

Edited January 2 by Cobie

[Taomeow]

[Sanity Check]

[liminal_luke]

A horse poem by Sherman Alexie...

 

The Year of Horses, Wild

 

My sister swears that a herd of wild
horses lives on the rez. She swears
there are two or three hundred mares,
stallions, and colts. What is the proof?

She says that Indian hunters have seen
the epic trails in the dirt and grass 
made by hundreds of hooves. So, I say,
nobody has actually seen the horses?

No, she says, but a myth about wild
horses is just as real as the wild itself.
She says that everything, at its best,
is a wild horse. The earth is a wild

horse, she says, and so is the sky. She
says you're a wild horse and so am I.

 

-- Sherman Alexie

[Apech]

 

[Taomeow]

 

[Apech]

 

[Nungali]

On 1/2/2026 at 9:26 AM, Apech said:

I’ve been through the desert on a horse with no name

It felt good to be out of the rain

In the desert you can remember your name

‘Cause there ain’t no one for to give you no pain
 

 

So .....  Chi Dragon  does not go to  the desert  ? 

[ChiDragon]

On 1/2/2026 at 3:29 AM, Cobie said:

Sound idea. I kind of decided, when I was young, to take 'this-whole-life' off. 

Aren't lucky you didn't!?

I tried that too, but didn't have the courage!

 

On 1/2/2026 at 3:29 AM, Cobie said:

..... I have decided not to read the neidan subforum. 

How come this time you become so wise? 

[ChiDragon]

1 hour ago, Nungali said:

 

So .....  Chi Dragon  does not go to  the desert  ? 

Up in the mountain is a better place for seclusion! 

[Nungali]

7 hours ago, ChiDragon said:

Up in the mountain is a better place for seclusion! 

 

 

 

Choose your mountain wisely then   .... 

 

 

^  ' Firehorse Mountain ' . 

[Apech]

 

[Taomeow]

Here's a taoist legend for you:

 

When the Jade Emperor decided to put twelve animals in charge of the twelve Earthly Branches, he announced a race -- the animals were to compete for their place in the calendar.  In those ancient times, the Cat and the Rat were friends, and the Rat told the Cat that it could safely take a nap before the race -- I'll wake you up in time, don't worry.  And then the cunning rodent tiptoed away...  and didn't.  So the Cat who had every chance to win the race (remember, the fastest animal on Earth, the cheetah, is a cat) overslept.  By the time it was done napping the race was over, and the treacherous Rat won, becoming the number one animal in the cycle of twelve.  Ack, you're too late, the Jade Emperor told the Cat, no spots left in the calendar.  Sorry.  Go get that treacherous friend of yours, nothing else I can suggest at this point.  And unlike in Casablanca, that was the end of a beautiful friendship.  

 

In Vietnam, however, they kicked out the Rabbit and have the Cat in its place in their version of the calendar.  Some say that's because they mixed up the characters, but in thousands of years they would have figured it out...  yet the Cat stayed.  To justify its inclusion they pointed out that the Cat was a worthy and useful animal for hunting mice and rats, while the Rabbit was only of culinary interest.  

 

 

 

 

 

[steve]