Male torch singer against priest and one who becomes faithful, in high school and a dozen years later, both times at Christmas.
Faded and false piety ('our lost saints')
holy = lonely
commercialization
Stranger
Holiday song
Showing posts with label brain dump. Show all posts
Showing posts with label brain dump. Show all posts
20091210
20090225
Esaay on Gray Introduction
Sing to me, O Muse, of Precious Balance, of Judgement hard won, of the Tao of metis
I was chatting (in the technological sense) with some friends last night [this two years and gone], and remarked that my hair had grayed since last they saw me, December. It being now March [N.B. of 2007], I was vehement at the change. A gracious lady made remark that graying (actually whitening, I read in wikipedia) distinguishes men.
Which is the common observation of early 21st culture. At least in the industrialized world, and I suspect uniformly. Gray hair on a man signifies wisdom, victorious struggle, and dignity. On the other hand a woman's gray hair simply means she isn't young. Which, at least in this pleasure driven cultures that value objects, means she doesn't have one of the two qualities of worth to a woman. And of course that she's likely quickly losing the other: beauty.
(I dissent with the notion that age must rest ungraciously on women. I think we can see the beauty of potential: a young girl or small gazelle or budding gardenia; and the beauty of fulfillment: a mature woman or grizzled wapiti or withered wreath.)
Perhaps it is a specific and concrete achievement to notice, to appreciate the beauty, the good of each thing.
The hall of Elrond's house was filled with many folk . . . .J. R. R. Tolkien, quoted from The Lord of the Rings, Book 2, Many Meetings
Frodo looked at them in wonder, for he had never before seen Elrond, of whom so many tales spoke; and as they sat upon his right hand and his left, Glorfindel, and even Gandalf, whom he thought he knew so well, were revealed as lords of dignity and power.
Gandalf was shorter in stature than the other two; but his long white hair, his sweeping silver beard, and his broad shoulders, made him look like some wise king of ancient legend. In his aged face under great snowy brows his dark eyes were set like coals that could leap suddenly into fire.
I was chatting (in the technological sense) with some friends last night [this two years and gone], and remarked that my hair had grayed since last they saw me, December. It being now March [N.B. of 2007], I was vehement at the change. A gracious lady made remark that graying (actually whitening, I read in wikipedia) distinguishes men.
Which is the common observation of early 21st culture. At least in the industrialized world, and I suspect uniformly. Gray hair on a man signifies wisdom, victorious struggle, and dignity. On the other hand a woman's gray hair simply means she isn't young. Which, at least in this pleasure driven cultures that value objects, means she doesn't have one of the two qualities of worth to a woman. And of course that she's likely quickly losing the other: beauty.
(I dissent with the notion that age must rest ungraciously on women. I think we can see the beauty of potential: a young girl or small gazelle or budding gardenia; and the beauty of fulfillment: a mature woman or grizzled wapiti or withered wreath.)
Perhaps it is a specific and concrete achievement to notice, to appreciate the beauty, the good of each thing.
20090210
DAPPO: To set goals well. Also, a note on planning.
When setting goals,
DAPPO
Dated
Achievable
Personal
Positive
Objective Fulfilment
We never show values, vision, mission, objectives, or goals to anyone unless they ask to see them so they can help. Principle: It is better to
underpromise and overdeliver.
An inferior man speaks and does not act.
A good man's acts accord with his speech.
A superior man acts, and his actions speak for him.
DAPPO
Dated
Achievable
Personal
Positive
Objective Fulfilment
We never show values, vision, mission, objectives, or goals to anyone unless they ask to see them so they can help. Principle: It is better to
underpromise and overdeliver.
An inferior man speaks and does not act.
A good man's acts accord with his speech.
A superior man acts, and his actions speak for him.
20090204
5 Levels of Communication ala Powell
My paraphrase:
"If you are on fire, folks will come to watch you burn." - paraphrase of Dale Calvert, in his blog post about public speaking referencing the five levels.
So, when I speak to you, I notice, I know, I think, I believe, I feel, I desire, and I need all at once. In fact, I do all these things all the time every conscious moment of each day.
With the possible exception of believing. I'm understanding "beliefs" psychologically here, to mean mental structures somewhere in the no man's land between thoughts and feelings. That is, beliefs are neither evanescent impressions, like feelings; nor chains binding assumptions and propositions, like logical thinking.
Mood is a close word to what I mean here. A belief is abiding like a mood, but may include rather more thoughts. In fact, a belief might be simply a coupling of mood and thought--not merely what I think about something, but what I intend to do about it because ... . If one follows the linked causes all the way to their root, one will find somewhere a transition from objective statements to normative statements, and it is this transition that I find beliefs. At the interface of fact and feeling as it were.
I. Phatic (Cliches)
II. Factual
III. Evaluative (Opinions, I believe statements, I think statements)
IV. Emotive (Gut, Conviction, I feel statements, I want statements)
V. Communal or Peak (Needs, perforce Vulnerabilities)
"If you are on fire, folks will come to watch you burn." - paraphrase of Dale Calvert, in his blog post about public speaking referencing the five levels.
So, when I speak to you, I notice, I know, I think, I believe, I feel, I desire, and I need all at once. In fact, I do all these things all the time every conscious moment of each day.
With the possible exception of believing. I'm understanding "beliefs" psychologically here, to mean mental structures somewhere in the no man's land between thoughts and feelings. That is, beliefs are neither evanescent impressions, like feelings; nor chains binding assumptions and propositions, like logical thinking.
Mood is a close word to what I mean here. A belief is abiding like a mood, but may include rather more thoughts. In fact, a belief might be simply a coupling of mood and thought--not merely what I think about something, but what I intend to do about it because ... . If one follows the linked causes all the way to their root, one will find somewhere a transition from objective statements to normative statements, and it is this transition that I find beliefs. At the interface of fact and feeling as it were.
20090120
Commercialism
http://www.goldsgym.com/golds/commercials.php
The first one, called Reps, is somehow immensely pleasing to me.
I imagine it's partly the melding of loveliness and determination in the woman, but the music is shockingly delightful to me as well.
The first one, called Reps, is somehow immensely pleasing to me.
I imagine it's partly the melding of loveliness and determination in the woman, but the music is shockingly delightful to me as well.
Why He Isn't a Very Good Friend
I have only really really liked a few musicians' work. I remember having an immoderate love for Tchaikovsky when I was a child. I grew to love Bach, Stravinsky, and Rachmaninov.
Then I hit puberty. Five years passed, during which little of note to our story occured, and then there was Evanescence.
I had known folks who fanatically followed, who changed their lifestyles to reflect the culture of the band. I never thought I would even come close to that level of commitment.
Oh, but Amy Lee's wistful soprano made short work of that. Although I didn't ever change my lifestyle, so began and enduring love of goth girls.
Then a friend of mine introduced me to Andrew Peterson, an explicitly Christian poet and novelist, whose primary expression is writing terribly, wonderfully true songs.
More recently, an unfriend of mine pointed out Priscilla Ahn to me for
a listen. While I don't think she'll turn out to be quite as major as Andrew or Amy, she definitely appeals to my weakness for dark haired women who sing.
Which is why my friend Chris is a bad, bad man. No one should have a haunting temptress lowered on himm like a boom.
So beware of Chris Newton. He might introduce you to some winsome singer who alters your worldview.
Then I hit puberty. Five years passed, during which little of note to our story occured, and then there was Evanescence.
I had known folks who fanatically followed, who changed their lifestyles to reflect the culture of the band. I never thought I would even come close to that level of commitment.
Oh, but Amy Lee's wistful soprano made short work of that. Although I didn't ever change my lifestyle, so began and enduring love of goth girls.
Then a friend of mine introduced me to Andrew Peterson, an explicitly Christian poet and novelist, whose primary expression is writing terribly, wonderfully true songs.
More recently, an unfriend of mine pointed out Priscilla Ahn to me for
a listen. While I don't think she'll turn out to be quite as major as Andrew or Amy, she definitely appeals to my weakness for dark haired women who sing.
Which is why my friend Chris is a bad, bad man. No one should have a haunting temptress lowered on himm like a boom.
So beware of Chris Newton. He might introduce you to some winsome singer who alters your worldview.
20080828
Gerald J Sussman at Don Friedman's 60th Birthday Party
Original video here.
DECLARATIVE KNOWLEDGE
What is True
IMPERATIVE KNOWLEDGE
Find an Approximation to f(x)
Make Guess (G)
Improve Guess by averaging G and (f(x))/G
Recur until G good enough
Computer languages
I can say some things more precisely than before
CELESTIAL MECHANICS
Chaotic Motion shown by machine
I've learned a lot, and I'd like to tell you the things I've learned
Structure and Interpretations of Classical Mechanics
Mathematical Notation Fundamentally sucks
cos^2(x)
cos^-1(x) /= 1/(cos(x))
Mathematical notation is an impressionistic natural language.
Mathematicians haven't been clear because they don't have a good language.
No good for teaching elementary stuff.
Right answers by wrong arguments.
Understanding ideas /= Manipulating symbols
FUNCTIONAL PROGRAMMING
Requires precision.
Write a program to explain things.
precise
formal
~overly rigorous
Edgar Allen Poe The Philosophy of Composition 1846
Minsky Paper Title
MINDSTORMS: Children, Computers, and Powerful Ideas by Seymour Papert
20080827
Learning is fun!
I'd forgotten until my Digital Logic Tuesday morning the immense pleasure I obtain from lecture, on occasion.
The teacher, Dr. Singh, was explaining a method for designing a particular machine using some simple binary operations. It was very abstract and high level (i.e., right up my alley.)
It's probably somewhat gross psychologically, in that competition and therefore pride play a role. I catch on to abstract, numerate, or verbal things pretty quick. (Ah, the joys of unspecified scope in comparators. Quick relative to what population, Will?)
--
Learning is delightful, and some folks don't believe that. How utterly tragic. Nothing is simpler or humbler than our capacity to learn from every situation. It is the root of social relations, prediction, abstraction--so much that I'm abashed to have begun a list.
Frank Herbert writes of Paul Muad'Dib in Dune that he never forgot that one can learn from every situation.
(The learning/growth distinction is one I'm still working on--feel free to throw a comment down if you think you can add light [or, I suppose, heat].)
(Learning is our dyadic relation with All, oneself and the world at large. Surely there is no more basic joy. If you can think of a counterexample, I'll ask Thomas to send you brownies.)
The teacher, Dr. Singh, was explaining a method for designing a particular machine using some simple binary operations. It was very abstract and high level (i.e., right up my alley.)
It's probably somewhat gross psychologically, in that competition and therefore pride play a role. I catch on to abstract, numerate, or verbal things pretty quick. (Ah, the joys of unspecified scope in comparators. Quick relative to what population, Will?)
--
Learning is delightful, and some folks don't believe that. How utterly tragic. Nothing is simpler or humbler than our capacity to learn from every situation. It is the root of social relations, prediction, abstraction--so much that I'm abashed to have begun a list.
Frank Herbert writes of Paul Muad'Dib in Dune that he never forgot that one can learn from every situation.
(The learning/growth distinction is one I'm still working on--feel free to throw a comment down if you think you can add light [or, I suppose, heat].)
(Learning is our dyadic relation with All, oneself and the world at large. Surely there is no more basic joy. If you can think of a counterexample, I'll ask Thomas to send you brownies.)
20080503
Power vs Grace
Power is transferrable.
Power to kill, power to heal, power to organize, power to communicate. Any of these might be used for evil, or could be used for good.
Grace is personal.
Grace is transgressive. Grace is a bigger word than mercy, and orthogonal to power in several ways--I must think a while to enumerate.
Thought brought to mind while watching Iron Man, particularly the "Oh my goodness, I've been enabling betrayal and the death of my countrymen scene." It wasn't that I thought that plot arc was terribly well executed--I had no sense of truth in Stark's realization: it seemed superficial, like watching Jim Carrey in his first few non-comedic roles.
Power to kill, power to heal, power to organize, power to communicate. Any of these might be used for evil, or could be used for good.
Grace is personal.
Grace is transgressive. Grace is a bigger word than mercy, and orthogonal to power in several ways--I must think a while to enumerate.
Thought brought to mind while watching Iron Man, particularly the "Oh my goodness, I've been enabling betrayal and the death of my countrymen scene." It wasn't that I thought that plot arc was terribly well executed--I had no sense of truth in Stark's realization: it seemed superficial, like watching Jim Carrey in his first few non-comedic roles.
20080430
Story Ideas
20080430:
green star looks down on you inimically
fly fisherman = magician with wand
20080624:
. . .
green star looks down on you inimically
fly fisherman = magician with wand
20080624:
. . .
20080415
Spirit 2
Energy + Personality(Polarity?) = Spirit
Energy: passive, active (The tao that can be named is not the true tao.)/Food of the spirit, the soul; that which is necessary; cf. Maslow hierarchy, inversion.
Personality (Polarity?): Default reactions; Weltanschaaung or viewpoint
And yet. And yet--
The Spirit that can be named is not true Spirit.
The wind blows where it will.
Energy: passive, active (The tao that can be named is not the true tao.)/Food of the spirit, the soul; that which is necessary; cf. Maslow hierarchy, inversion.
Personality (Polarity?): Default reactions; Weltanschaaung or viewpoint
And yet. And yet--
The Spirit that can be named is not true Spirit.
The wind blows where it will.
20080407
Breath
Brain Dump inspired by ones from months back. Apologies for implied hierarchy, had I my way these would scattered around the pageview and slowly move.
Unseen
Heavenly
Living/Dead
Information dense/bearing/loading
"At just the right moment"
Love or Hate
Best or Worst
Ruling or Being ruled; Dominion; Hierarchy
Voice
Spiritual
Very Good or Very Bad; Dichotomous; Self arranging to extremes
Equilibrium
Homeostasis
Rhythym
Balance
The nature of God
Should rule Flesh and Bone
More at Spirit 2
Unseen
Heavenly
Living/Dead
Information dense/bearing/loading
"At just the right moment"
Love or Hate
Best or Worst
Ruling or Being ruled; Dominion; Hierarchy
Voice
Spiritual
Very Good or Very Bad; Dichotomous; Self arranging to extremes
Equilibrium
Homeostasis
Rhythym
Balance
The nature of God
Should rule Flesh and Bone
More at Spirit 2
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