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How do we find lasting meaning in a world where nothing lasts? What role may art or fiction play in our search for meaning? I must leave for work soon, this Monday morning. The above thought came to mind. (a few minutes left)... The alembic, which distills the essense as gradual...

A Postmodern Platonic Dialog (Thor is a friend of mine on the Internet. He has read this thread and discussed it with me at some lenght. He is a great guy, so I want you to welcome him with a big round of applause. AND NOW ... drum roll.... HEEERRREEES Thor) Thor: I have read through...

Peter: I bought On the Road yesterday. Do you like it? Sitaram: To be honest, I never read it. Peter: Oh really! Not into the Beats? Sitaram: I have nothing against it. I am sure it is important. Just, so many books, so little time. Peter: What are you up to? Sitaram: I...

Sergo: you are the one who is preoccupied in speaking of better or worse, victory and defeat. I don't believe I have spoken in such terms. I am still busy trying to lay the groundwork of what is, and map the terrain. A hundred years from now, I shall be dead. Most likely all of us shall...

Playing the Game of Goodminton If I had to venture a guess as to one of the longest running threads, with the most views and the most post, I would say What is everyone up to today in General Chat. Now, if you read through my posts on "Playing the Game", then ask yourself, "What would it...

StillILearn quotes from this page: http://www.themodernword.com/pynchon/pynchon_grintro.html In closing, I would like to reaffirm my belief in the open text -- I am not suggesting that my interpretations are somehow definitive, comprehensive, or even correct. Pynchon's work is so large...

In my freshman year at St. Johns, I heard a story about the education of young Isaac Newton. I have no idea of the source for this story or whether it is factual or apocryphal, but it had a tremendous inspirational impact on my young mind. If the story is mythical, yet still it has a power to...

Sergo wrote: After that stated I would like to point that I am sure that the only thing drastically wrong is antagonizing of one culture against another, one type of psychology against another, and commenting to that effect that one culture/psychology is destructive, and another is...

Destructive is not necessarily a negative criticism. The Hindu concept of god is a trinity of creation-preservation-destruction. Some societies are war-like and see their colonial aggression in a positive light. Other societies lean more towards the extreme of pacifism and...

The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. But you already know this. The first Friday night lecture I ever heard at St. John's, in the Fall of my Freshman year, 1967, was given by Eva Brann, and entitled The Student's Problem. It might have been subtitled Poverty Amid...

What is Zen? I'm very glad you asked that excellent question, "What is Zen?" Perhaps long before the 6th. century B.C.E. (Before the Christian Era), which was the century of Siddhartha Gautama, the historical figure known as The Buddha, in India, in the Sanskrit language, the language of the...

Eli: thaks for your post. I was quite impressed with your quote from Pynchon about our ignorance having "a shape and contours". I am anxious to see his book of short stories one day. Gem: As I read your post, I am thinking of Sarvapali Radhakrishnan. I have a large paperback here filled...

There was a forest behind the houses on the next street. My father would take me for long walks in those woods. We would climb and climb through the tangled limbs up a steep incline until we finally emerged on a trail beaten smooth by the passage of many horses; a bridle path. One day, as we...

Time for a picture Here is my haircut in all its splendor. Now, here is a photo of a mophead hydrangea. There is no pun intended. Read on: I was born in New York City in Women’s Lying-In Hospital in February, 1949. As Snoopy would write, years later, seated upon his...

(How many 17 year olds are hovering their mouse over this link right now, drooling, quivering, trembling at the thought of all the forbidden lusty adventure which is only a click away. Yea, of all the posts in the forum, you may read freely, but this one post, read not, for surely you shall die...

The Lonely Crowd which I read in 1963 was by David Riesman only. The latest edition which I find in the search engines is showing 3 authors: The Lonely Crowd, Revised edition: A Study of the Changing American Character (Paperback) by David Riesman, Nathan Glazer, Reuel Denney And...

Part One Black, chilled, high, wavering extension, Straight, stretched out and away, away, Onward, lured by words which sing "Crawl forth, crawl forth! Time has come to this!" Muscles have strengthened, cells built, nerves arranged. Do not ask why, but when, There is only...

All things are naked Which is beauty. The trees are naked, As their leaves, Translucent green In questioning sunlight, Raked when they fall By neat, dressed men, Burned in the name of duty. The grass is naked blades. And the birds, As they pass through them, Naked...

Job sits upon a pile of dung, Cursing his conception. Job's cat sits on a windowsill In mindless reflection. Compassion's mongrels lick Job's sores. The cat just licks his paws. A bird, disturbed, takes wing and soars. Job's cat commits it's path of flight to heart...

This is precisely the place to go on and on. No need for apologies. I would certainly be a kettle to call the pot black, since I am always going on. As a child, in Connecticut, I would watch the relatively new and experimental Channel 13 PBS. One week, they played Eugene O'Neils "The...