About Pasiphilo.com
Pasiphilo’s Supposes is a reinvention of my previous blog, HikerJoe – which was, itself, a reinvention of my very first blog, Procrastination. I’ve undergone some life changes since my first blog post in 2005 involving career path, creative pursuits, and home life. These changes have influenced my blog ideas and how I wish to frame them online.
Who is Pasiphilo?
There are three answers to that question.
First, Pasiphilo is the name of a clown-like character from a 16th century Italianate comedy by George Gascoigne entitled Supposes. Aptly described as a “parasite” in the Dramatis Personae, Pasiphilo spends the entire play finagling food from various patrons.
Pasiphilo is also the name of my cat. When I say “my” cat, what I really mean is “the cat belonging to my wife that lives in my house, chews on my phone cord, and wakes me up at 3:00 am.” My wife conceded to let me name the cat when she got him. He emulates his namesake.
Finally, Pasiphilo is one of several “screen” names I use, specifically for Google. Ultimately, I chose this name because it was unique, available, and related to one of my passions (Elizabethan/Jacobean Drama) and not, I can assure you, because I bear any likeness to cats or parasites.
What are Supposes?
As explained in Gascoigne’s prologue, “supposes” are the misapprehensions that drive the plot: “For you shall see the master supposed for the servant, the servant for the master, the freeman for a slave, and the bondslave for a freeman, the stranger for a well-known friend, and the familiar for a stranger.”
I suppose (mind the pun) that my own thoughts may be the result of misapprehensions, but, moreover, I feel that many of our opinions are derived from a misreading of what is really going on around us. A bit of critical thinking would do us all a lot of good. Before I begin to sound like I’m preaching, however, I’ll merely state that the title Supposes resonates with me because it serves as a reminder to look beneath the surface for the truth.