This month's article: THE

    A word that holds so much power, when used properly it carries with it a weight that is definitive, authentic, absolute and unique.

Today, I'm writing about:

Stars claim themselves to be worthy of namesake, by which many may be known, defining themselves to be one and only.

    We use it to assert ourselves as the only person or thing with that name that anyone should bother knowing.

The Age.

The Far Side.

The Fray.

The Lonesome Peanut.

The Mandalorian.

The Muppets.

The Queen.

The Reject Shop.

The Royal Tenenbaums.

The Simpsons.

The Witcher.

The list goes on and on...

    Is there only one Queen? How many other The Queens do you know? Perhaps it stands as a reminder of how redundant a monarchy is in today's world.

Truth is absolute, bedrock that cannot budge under any and all burden. Lies are as grains that litter the shore, built over and over they are washed away by even the soundest sea.

The Truth

vs

a lie

    Anyone can tell any lie. There is only ever one truth. The truth has always been there, but lies can be born just yesterday. The truth will set you free. Every lie you tell is another chain around your neck. Constricting you until even a short breath causes you to question reality. What about little white lies? Little, to imply it's lack of potential impact on the grand scheme? Is white meant to imply that the lie is pure? Am I diverging to far from my original theme? I think so. Let's move on.

the the the t h e the the the the the the the the the the the the the the teh the the the the the the the the

    When something claims to be the original, it is a product recognizing that a good idea will always have imitators. They have to assert dominance by declaring that they were the first. First the worst, second the best, third the one with the hairy chest. It is often the case that second is best because they can see the mistakes of the first. They can iterate and come up with something that is more of the same, only better. The smart companies are the ones that beat themselves at their own game. Coke No Sugar is the better version of Coke Zero, which is really just a spin on Diet Coke. The Coca-Cola Company has competitors for sure, but it's been around long enough that it need only compete with itself.

the world wide web

    If you could only pop one question, would it be "Will you marry me?" If they are the one then you definitely should. Have you used the L word with them? What is the L word? Subversion of traditional answers are what make for some hilarious jokes.
    "I'm in lesbians with you." You say.

    They respond with a question, " I thought you were American?"

all the colours of the rainbow

    Are you the best? I'm the best I've even been, yet I can still be better. Once you've made it to the top you come back down to climb again, to beat your PB, or perhaps you pick a different mountain altogether. You want to be the very best, like no one ever was. That's the catch, the real test. The cause is to train others so they can rise to the challenge like you did, and perhaps to go even further beyond. You are the best, because you help others to succeed alongside you.

t                h               e

    My patience wears thin for this post. What follows are just brief thoughts about different ways today's article is used. Take them with a grain of salt.

    Do you have the time? Do you have a time? Which time do you have? The time of my life! I don't have the time. Whenever you give the time, you've already lost it. Unless you have all the time in the world. 

    Gone to a better place. Some of us, uncertain if there is one definite place, hope that anywhere is better than here.

    The finer things in life. Those things are still the most basic of human needs... only finer... more expensive. Maslow's pyramid can be made of any material, be it straw or solid gold, in the end a triangle is still just the triangle.

    The talk. We had the talk. She broke up with you because you didn't know enough about the birds and the bees.

    To the moon. Our moon. Many moons. Such moon.

    The worst. At least based on what you've experienced so far. It could always be worse.

    The End. No alternate timelines. No sequels. The story has been told. Are we brave enough to stop leaving our creative works so open all the time? Finish it and try something new.

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    Thanks for sticking through another post. This was a bit more experimental and creating the artwork for it was a lot of fun! Can you think of other interesting uses of the? Did what I share here make sense to you? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments, or come join the PEANUTS Facebook Group to have a more open discussion. The secret code word to join the group is SMOOTH. Looking forward to seeing you there.

- TLP