Just too much black bile today
Is there such a thing as Tuesday blues? If not, too bad. It seems I’ve got them.
Maybe it’s the beginning of the fall rainy season here in Vancouver. Who knows? Not getting out of bed though is a sure sign of my state of blueness.
I like the old medical term “melancholia” — where all bodily matters were an imbalance of one or other of the four basic bodily fluids, or humours. Personality types were determined by the dominant humour in that person.
Melancholia was caused by an excess of black bile; hence the name, which means ‘black bile’ (Greek μελας, melasmelasack”, + χολη, kholé, “bkholé; a person whose constitution tended to have a preponderance of black bile had a melancholic disposition.
Oh for the old medical ways where bile dictated disposition entirely.
Like John Dowland should I consider making my own motto? Granted, he lived in the post-Elizabethan period where the cult of melancholia was fashionable. His motto is pretty grim: Semper Dowland, semper dolens (Always Dowland, always mourning).
Well, just thinking about old John Dowland makes me feel better. I just need to go and sleep. Back into bed. Not melancholic, no black bile, just Tuesday rainy day blues I’m sure.
Just look at old Kermit the Frog (click on the cartoon to enlarge) — my blues have nothing compared to his greens!
Last 5 posts in JOURNAL
- But will there be cobs? - September 6th, 2008
- Blast from the past - September 1st, 2008
- September long weekend makes me melancholy - August 30th, 2008
- Save me from summer linen shirts - August 22nd, 2008
- Carports suck energy - August 20th, 2008


October 18th, 2006 at 8:26:15 AM
Hey Larry, I can totally relate, you got me thinking of blues days..”rainy days and Mondays always get me down”..yeah I know dating myself..now I’m blue..lol rainy days especially if there a few in a row always get to me and I just want to say in bed and pull the covers up and over..maybe it’s just something you need right now..you know getting adjusted to the season changes et al…I did enjoy your cartoon..take care and peek out later you never know maybe something will peak your interest..:)…m
October 21st, 2006 at 11:49:36 PM
LOL @ Kermit! I normally like the rain, but it’s been pouring here lately. Just a precursor to Texas winter.
February 19th, 2008 at 11:02:51 AM
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