Diamonds are forever, but not for everybody. It's all in the head.
Monday, July 16, 2007
Socrates
"I do nothing but go about persuading you all, old and young alike, not to take thought for your persons or your properties, but and chiefly to care about the greatest improvement of the soul. I tell you that virtue is not given by money, but that from virtue comes money and every other good of man, public as well as private. This is my teaching, and if this is the doctrine which corrupts the youth, I am a mischievous person."
-- Socrates, quoted by Plato, 'The Death of Socrates'
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Quoth Laurie:
"Socrates, you rock.
Some interesting facts about Socrates. He never wrote a single line in his life. He was known to stand lost in thought for hours at a time. He heard and followed, what he believed, was a divine voice within. He devoted his life to the teaching of Athen's youth, but was known to be indifferent to his own sons. He was considered enigmatic by his own countrymen, and by his disciples as well. As an aside, but perhaps not, he was known to be exceedingly ugly, a big potbelly, bulging eyes, flat nose. He was a beautiful mind. Socrates was known to say "Athens is a sluggish horse, and I am the gadfly trying to sting it to life." (what do people do to gadflies?)
The Sophists considered themselves the learned and wise of their culture. They were Masters of rhetoric, and charged money for their teaching.
But Socrates never wanted to be known as a teacher. He never charged for his "teachings". He remained poor all his life. "She is wisest who knows she knows nothing."
In life and death, he considered himself a "philo-sopher" -- a lover of wisdom, a lover of truth. He could have saved himself from drinking the hemlock by appealing for mercy, or agreeing to leave Athens, and quit his philosophy. He said, it would be like asking a soldier to turn back in battle if he thought he was going to be killed. He chose to die, because for him truth was far greater than death of the body.
He listened to people, asked questions, never "taught" people the truth --- and he sparked in every one who dared talk with him the spirit of inquiry."
-- Socrates, quoted by Plato, 'The Death of Socrates'
-------------------
Quoth Laurie:
"Socrates, you rock.
Some interesting facts about Socrates. He never wrote a single line in his life. He was known to stand lost in thought for hours at a time. He heard and followed, what he believed, was a divine voice within. He devoted his life to the teaching of Athen's youth, but was known to be indifferent to his own sons. He was considered enigmatic by his own countrymen, and by his disciples as well. As an aside, but perhaps not, he was known to be exceedingly ugly, a big potbelly, bulging eyes, flat nose. He was a beautiful mind. Socrates was known to say "Athens is a sluggish horse, and I am the gadfly trying to sting it to life." (what do people do to gadflies?)
The Sophists considered themselves the learned and wise of their culture. They were Masters of rhetoric, and charged money for their teaching.
But Socrates never wanted to be known as a teacher. He never charged for his "teachings". He remained poor all his life. "She is wisest who knows she knows nothing."
In life and death, he considered himself a "philo-sopher" -- a lover of wisdom, a lover of truth. He could have saved himself from drinking the hemlock by appealing for mercy, or agreeing to leave Athens, and quit his philosophy. He said, it would be like asking a soldier to turn back in battle if he thought he was going to be killed. He chose to die, because for him truth was far greater than death of the body.
He listened to people, asked questions, never "taught" people the truth --- and he sparked in every one who dared talk with him the spirit of inquiry."
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Slowing down
Re my quest for laziness, ttl pointed out this video'd lecture. Carl Honore: Slowing down in a world built for speed. Warmly recommended.
Some of those suffering the most under today's super-pressure are children and teens. A Scottish school banned homework for kids under thirteen. Of course the parents were horrified, but it turns out exame results not only did not suffer, but actually improved.
Some of those suffering the most under today's super-pressure are children and teens. A Scottish school banned homework for kids under thirteen. Of course the parents were horrified, but it turns out exame results not only did not suffer, but actually improved.
Borat experience
It took me a while to getting around to watch Borat. I had seen bits of Borat on "Ali G" DVDs, and he struck me as not so interesting. But the film certainly is. It is one of the most dividing bits of culture in recent history, and it is no wonder. I found I got all the same reactions just in little me: rolling on the floor laughing... cringing with embarrassment... flinching with revulsion... Seriously, this film is really hard to watch, but impossible not to.
I bow to Sacha Baron Cohen's sheer balls. In the name of comedy he mortally insults a stadium full of drunken rednecks at a rodeo. He has a naked fight with a 200-kilo man who sits on his face. And he speaks blatantly offensively to policemen, politicians, street gangs, and worst of all, to organized feminists. I know I could not come within a million miles of doing any of that.
I wonder what Cohen is like in person. When he is in character, he is vile. And dead funny. And like the best comedians, he puts the finger right on the most sore spots of what's wrong with our world, racism, misogyny, war-lust, ignorance...
Cohen out of character on Letterman.
Cohen as Ali G, interviewing "Beck and Posh".
Update 19/7:
Pascaleiev said...
"When I first saw the Ali G Show, I didn't know he was a role. And I found he was an incredible mix of outraging, funny and sometimes even cute in his badly raised child style. Always shocking yet never mean."
Yes! Exactly right. And that is another reason I don't sympathize with people who get so damn offended: if you are not the type who get automatically offended by some things, it is clear that he is not mean. If Borat or Ali G were real people, they would just be brought up wrong or something, they are good people.
Saturday, July 14, 2007
Lady Marmalade (Voulez Vous Coucher Avec Moi)
One of the bright poins of pop in the seventies was Lady Marmalade, the song which tought us all how to say "do you want to (bleep) me tonight?" in French.
Originally by Labelle.
Many versions since, a good one by All Saints.
And a big one by four big stars.
And a bigger one by four even bigger stars.
(The last one is blocked for minors on YouTube. What, it's inappropriate for kids to see large people in skimpy outfits? Where are the kids in Houston gonna go?)
Sick, Oh!
I just noticed that while the USA's health care system has put it at 37th on the World Health Organization's list, my home country Denmark is barely higher at 34th. And this is a country with some of the highest tax rates in the world. Sales tax is at 25%, a worker pays around 50%, and a manager can pay 68% in tax. And their health care system ranks at 34th? (UK ranks at 18, and they have about 30% less tax pressure.) For shame! It seems that socialized health care is not all that's needed to do it well. Don't ask me what is needed, though, I honestly thought Denmark was at the top, and they have no reason not to be that I know of.
Friday, July 13, 2007
Art from Wednesday
Map of the dark side of Venus:
The view just before coming out:
Rhapsody in Green no. 4:
Scene from a science fiction movie:
The view just before coming out:
Rhapsody in Green no. 4:
Scene from a science fiction movie:
My Way?
David Pogue explains how he did a song spoof based on My Way, about the iPhone. He pulled six singers from the crowd waiting for their iPhone and made them sing.
This is fun in itself, but I was greatly surprised by this statement:
"(None of the six, all of whom were under 45, knew the song "My Way.")"
No friggin' way!
(Especially since they were those from the crowd who could sing, and were at least educated enough to want an iPhone.)
I am under 45, I am not even American, not very interested in crooner music, and I can't imagine any adult not being familiar with My Way. I even know the Sid Vicious version. (Which I like better than the version by that mob guy.) Am I more educated than I realize? Or is this the twilight zone? Or does the cliche about the level of knowledge/education of Americans have a grain of truth? I hate to think so. I think I'll go on the street over here (UK) and ask people if they know this song.
This is fun in itself, but I was greatly surprised by this statement:
"(None of the six, all of whom were under 45, knew the song "My Way.")"
No friggin' way!
(Especially since they were those from the crowd who could sing, and were at least educated enough to want an iPhone.)
I am under 45, I am not even American, not very interested in crooner music, and I can't imagine any adult not being familiar with My Way. I even know the Sid Vicious version. (Which I like better than the version by that mob guy.) Am I more educated than I realize? Or is this the twilight zone? Or does the cliche about the level of knowledge/education of Americans have a grain of truth? I hate to think so. I think I'll go on the street over here (UK) and ask people if they know this song.
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Friday 13th
Blogger's maximum image size is 1600 pixels on the long side (quite reasonable). But the detail in the last image is so awesome that I could not resist uploading a super-sized version on my own server.
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