Update On The Misanthropundit
I have bought a template, but I will confess having some problems getting started with it. As soon as I have a better understanding of how to manipulate it I will be up and running.
I have already decided upon a new direction. My first effort is going to be Big Bubba's Neighborhood. Many of the participants in this Blog seem to be interested in Art and Culture. Part of Big Bubba's Neighborhood will be devoted to the Art and Culture of San Antonio.
Muralismo
I have already decided upon a new direction. My first effort is going to be Big Bubba's Neighborhood. Many of the participants in this Blog seem to be interested in Art and Culture. Part of Big Bubba's Neighborhood will be devoted to the Art and Culture of San Antonio.
Muralismo
Architecture
And if Hillary is elected in 2008 her veep,
posted by BigBubba at 7:38 AM
![[Link to THOMAS Home Page]](http://thomas.loc.gov/images/link.gif)
26 Comments:
I didn't mean to sidetrack you with all my art references BB, I only selected to the theme to better harass the duck and perform a demonstration of other uses for fine Corcyrean leather wings.
I think your VP selection for Hillary eminently approriate. Who better to perform the function of dogmatic philosopher advisor to the president than an actual dog. I suspect any vision of heaven must be entirely natural. Some modern day Theseus will one day have to slay this ferocious boar and put this fertility goddess to bed.
And your refuge from the coming storm, an ancient chapel appears quite appropriate as well. Perhaps the single golden bell located at the uppermost height can keep the silver and bronze bells on the second level tolling in harmony to the rather rectangular four sided and earth bound, fixed, and stone laden domestic residence below. Courage and Temperance cannot be reconciled without some Golden vision leading them.
And it would appear that despite the storm, Moses feet have grown rather fixed in stone as well. His wandering appears to have ceased. I see his "natural ends" but cannot quite make out his more divine visions appearing above them. Perhaps BB could elaborate as to what they are. It also seems the metals in Moses pedestal appear rather pure. I like that.
-FJ
I leave the analysis of the arched gate and windows in BB's refuge to others.
-FJ
Ooops, one more question for BB. Do the walls and volume of the rectanguar foundations of your refuge get represented by a doubled cube or golden rectangle?
-FJ
Perhaps a doubled cube with the addition of a natural "phi" inspired intervening linkage to "combine the two" and find a harmonious mean like this...
Parthenon
The intervening wall might prove rather physically limiting, but perhaps the upper levels can be left open so as to allow thoughts access to the entire domain without having to walk outside and around to other doors. Don't forget to sleep with head within the phi section. Athena will thereby bless your nightly dreams and visions. ;-)
-FJ
An interior view...
Inside
Perhaps the winged deity sitting at Athena's right hand could go penetrate the stones to the upper triangular/rectangular levels and bring aery/and etheral thoughts back to her feathered head-dress?
But if not, perhaps these geometries might be adhered to...
Domes
so as to pure thoughts collect on the feathers of this specific Head-dress
-FJ
errata:
so as to pure thoughts collect on the feathers of this specific Head-dress
-FJ
erratum:
so as to pure thoughts collect on the feathers of this specific Head-dress
One of these times I'm bound to get it right!
-FJ
Yeah, I guess Bush is having the same problems Pericle's experienced in raising his own wards. Seems to be a generation from opposites at work here. Alcibiades, your ship to Syracuse awaits, but stay out of mischief till then, for you'll likely end up allying yourself with all kinds of riff-raff before you ever get a chance to return to Athens and be made a ruling oligarch. Wealth is not the blessing one imagines it to be, for necessity remains "un-learned". Perhaps they could use Rousseau's tutor ("Emille"). But perhaps Athena herself might guide and "mentor" Telemachus (Homer, "Odyssey")
-FJ
Farmer John, I didn't think about the endless possibilities for dogmatism with D. Pugs Pugsley. I just thought that with William Jefferson Clinton as a mate she would feel comfortable with a dog as running mate.
mr ducky,
Perhaps I link them because I possess both. I'll admit that most rhaspodes cannot give reason for their devotion to a work of art, be it a painting or literature. (Plato, "Ion"). But I have to admit that reason is divinely inspired from aers and aethers, and this provides the original artist with his inspirations (in - spir- a- tion)...a taking in of spirits from the air.
Might I suggest the Duck to lose his Napoleonic hair stylings and revert to the more free and natural long hair of the Spartan and hippie. A few more "reasonable" thoughts might get captured and penetrate the skull cap that way.
-FJ
BB,
The newly proposed VP shares much in common with the ex-President, but I suspect he lacks his running mates mate's "cunning"? (feminine wyles for man-ipulation). In this regards, I'm sure he is better suited to BOTH his running mate, AND the public at large. And so I heartily second his nomination for the office he wishes to serve.
-FJ
Speaking of Telemachus, who was it that lined up all those axe handles for Odysseus to the "thread" with his rather stiff and mighty bow? I wonder. (Fenelon, "Telemachus").
-FJ
ps - Iwonder why I never quote Joyce. Hmmmm.
Our first Black President, William Jefferson Clinton, has had many storied affairs. Not one single affair has been with a Black lady. Why? I am certain we can rule out morals, integrity and family values as a reason why. Could the public face of our First Black President differ from the private face? I know he hugs Black women in public, but I doubt if his sensibilities have taken him into the boudoir of a Black woman. I think that when Big Bubba becomes aware of a Clinton tryst with a Black woman I will become a believer that Clinton's affection for Blacks extends beyond the ballot box.
BB,
I've heard more than one rumour of our ex-president's affairs with black women... I believe it was the Aldrich Ames book? But it might have been Bob Woodward's "The Choice" or that screed by "Anonymous". A certain teacher/librarian on a campaign tour and the underage daughter of a cetain Little Rock barbeque entrepeneur who became pregnant in spite of his father's great friendship with Bill. But I'll admit, it's PURE rumour, as far as I know.
-FJ
Rolling Stones, "Brown Sugar"
Gold coast slave ship bound for cotton fields
Sold in a market down in New Orleans
Scarred old slaver knows he's doing alright
Hear him whip the women just around midnight
Brown sugar how come you taste so good?
Brown sugar just like a young girl should
Drums beating, cold English blood runs hot
Lady of the house wonderin' where it's gonna stop
House boy knows that he's doing alright
You shoulda heard him just around midnight
Brown sugar how come you taste so good, now?
Brown sugar just like a young girl should, now
Ah, get along, brown sugar how come you taste so good, baby?
Ah, got me feelin' now, brown sugar just like a black girl should
I bet your mama was a tent show queen
And all here boyfriends were sweet sixteen
I'm no schoolboy but I know what I like
You shoulda heard me just around midnight
Brown sugar how come you taste so good, baby?
Ah, brown sugar just like a young girl should, yeah
I said yeah, yeah, yeah, woo
How come you...how come you taste so good?
Yeah, yeah, yeah, woo
Just like a...just like a black girl should
Yeah, yeah, yeah, woo
---
That's what I like about the Stone's, always impugning the motives and identifying with victims. Some things never change. Oh sweet neocon.
-FJ
I suspect this about sums up the "Progressive Left's" current intentions...
"You call yourself a Christian, I call you a hypocrite. You call yourself a patriot, well I think you're full of s***."
"How come you're so wrong? My sweet neo-con, where's the money gone, in the Pentagon."
"It's liberty for all, democracy's our style. Unless you are against us, then it's prison without trial."
---
I especially like the prison without trial part. So Stalinesque.
-FJ
-A golden bark saw I gleam on darkened waters, a sinking, drinking, reblinking, golden swing bark!
At my dance-frantic foot, dost thou cast a glance, a laughing, questioning, melting, thrown glance:
Twice only movedst thou thy rattle with thy little hands- then did my feet swing with dance-fury.-
My heels reared aloft, my toes they hearkened,- thee they would know: hath not the dancer his ear- in his toe!
Unto thee did I spring: then fledst thou back from my bound; and towards me waved thy fleeing, flying tresses round!
Away from thee did I spring, and from thy snaky tresses: then stoodst thou there half-turned, and in thine eye caresses.
With crooked glances- dost thou teach me crooked courses; on crooked courses learn my feet- crafty fancies!
I fear thee near, I love thee far; thy flight allureth me, thy seeking secureth me:- I suffer, but for thee, what would I not gladly bear!
For thee, whose coldness inflameth, whose hatred misleadeth, whose flight enchaineth, whose mockery- pleadeth:
-Who would not hate thee, thou great bindress, in-windress, temptress, seekress, findress! Who would not love thee, thou innocent, impatient, wind-swift, child-eyed sinner!
Whither pullest thou me now, thou paragon and tomboy? And now foolest thou me fleeing; thou sweet romp dost annoy!
I dance after thee, I follow even faint traces lonely. Where art thou? Give me thy hand! Or thy finger only!
Here are caves and thickets: we shall go astray!- Halt! Stand still! Seest thou not owls and bats in fluttering fray?
Thou bat! Thou owl! Thou wouldst play me foul? Where are we? From the dogs hast thou learned thus to bark and howl.
Thou gnashest on me sweetly with little white teeth; thine evil eyes shoot out upon me, thy curly little mane from underneath!
This is a dance over stock and stone: I am the hunter,- wilt thou be my hound, or my chamois anon?
Now beside me! And quickly, wickedly springing! Now up! And over!- Alas! I have fallen myself overswinging!
Oh, see me lying, thou arrogant one, and imploring grace! Gladly would I walk with thee- in some lovelier place!
-In the paths of love, through bushes variegated, quiet, trim! Or there along the lake, where gold-fishes dance and swim!
Thou art now a-weary? There above are sheep and sun-set stripes: is it not sweet to sleep- the shepherd pipes?
Thou art so very weary? I carry thee thither; let just thine arm sink! And art thou thirsty- I should have something; but thy mouth would not like it to drink!-
-Oh, that cursed, nimble, supple serpent and lurking-witch! Where art thou gone? But in my face do I feel through thy hand, two spots and red blotches itch!
I am verily weary of it, ever thy sheepish shepherd to be. Thou witch, if I have hitherto sung unto thee, now shalt thou- cry unto me!
To the rhythm of my whip shalt thou dance and cry! I forget not my whip?- Not I!"- -
2. -
Then did Life answer me thus, and kept thereby her fine ears closed:
"O Zarathustra! Crack not so terribly with thy whip! Thou knowest surely that noise killeth thought,- and just now there came to me such delicate thoughts.
We are both of us genuine ne'er-do-wells and ne'er-do-ills. Beyond good and evil found we our island and our green meadow- we two alone! Therefore must we be friendly to each other!
And even should we not love each other from the bottom of our hearts,- must we then have a grudge against each other if we do not love each other perfectly?
And that I am friendly to thee, and often too friendly, that knowest thou: and the reason is that I am envious of thy Wisdom. Ah, this mad old fool, Wisdom!
If thy Wisdom should one day run away from thee, ah! then would also my love run away from thee quickly."- -
Thereupon did Life look thoughtfully behind and around, and said softly: "O Zarathustra, thou art not faithful enough to me!
Thou lovest me not nearly so much as thou sayest; I know thou thinkest of soon leaving me.
There is an old heavy, heavy, booming-clock: it boometh by night up to thy cave:-
-When thou hearest this clock strike the hours at midnight, then thinkest thou between one and twelve thereon-
-Thou thinkest thereon, O Zarathustra, I know it- of soon leaving me!"-
"Yea," answered I, hesitatingly, "but thou knowest it also"- And I said something into her ear, in amongst her confused, yellow, foolish tresses.
"Thou knowest that, O Zarathustra? That knoweth no one- -" -
And we gazed at each other, and looked at the green meadow o'er which the cool evening was just passing, and we wept together.- Then, however, was Life dearer unto me than all my Wisdom had ever been.- -
Thus spake Zarathustra. -
Plato, "Symposium"
Eryximachus spoke as follows: Seeing that Pausanias made a fair beginning, and but a lame ending, I must endeavour to supply his deficiency. I think that he has rightly distinguished two kinds of love. But my art further informs me that the double love is not merely an affection of the soul of man towards the fair, or towards anything, but is to be found in the bodies of all animals and in productions of the earth, and I may say in all that is; such is the conclusion which I seem to have gathered from my own art of medicine, whence I learn how great and wonderful and universal is the deity of love, whose empire extends over all things, divine as well as human.
And from medicine I would begin that I may do honour to my art. There are in the human body these two kinds of love, which are confessedly different and unlike, and being unlike, they have loves and desires which are unlike; and the desire of the healthy is one, and the desire of the diseased is another; and as Pausanias was just now saying that to indulge good men is honourable, and bad men dishonourable:-so too in the body the good and healthy elements are to be indulged, and the bad elements and the elements of disease are not to be indulged, but discouraged.
And this is what the physician has to do, and in this the art of medicine consists: for medicine may be regarded generally as the knowledge of the loves and desires of the body, and how to satisfy them or not; and the best physician is he who is able to separate fair love from foul, or to convert one into the other; and he who knows how to eradicate and how to implant love, whichever is required, and can reconcile the most hostile elements in the constitution and make them loving friends, is skilful practitioner.
Now the: most hostile are the most opposite, such as hot and cold, bitter and sweet, moist and dry, and the like. And my ancestor, Asclepius, knowing how-to implant friendship and accord in these elements, was the creator of our art, as our friends the poets here tell us, and I believe them; and not only medicine in every branch but the arts of gymnastic and husbandry are under his dominion.
Any one who pays the least attention to the subject will also perceive that in music there is the same reconciliation of opposites; and I suppose that this must have been the meaning, of Heracleitus, although, his words are not accurate, for he says that is united by disunion, like the harmony-of bow and the lyre. Now there is an absurdity saying that harmony is discord or is composed of elements which are still in a state of discord. But what he probably meant was, that, harmony is composed of differing notes of higher or lower pitch which disagreed once, but are now reconciled by the art of music; for if the higher and lower notes still disagreed, there could be there could be no harmony-clearly not. For harmony is a symphony, and symphony is an agreement; but an agreement of disagreements while they disagree there cannot be; you cannot harmonize that which disagrees.
In like manner rhythm is compounded of elements short and long, once differing and now-in accord; which accordance, as in the former instance, medicine, so in all these other cases, music implants, making love and unison to grow up among them; and thus music, too, is concerned with the principles of love in their application to harmony and rhythm.
Again, in the essential nature of harmony and rhythm there is no difficulty in discerning love which has not yet become double. But when you want to use them in actual life, either in the composition of songs or in the correct performance of airs or metres composed already, which latter is called education, then the difficulty begins, and the good artist is needed.
Then the old tale has to be repeated of fair and heavenly love -the love of Urania the fair and heavenly muse, and of the duty of accepting the temperate, and those who are as yet intemperate only that they may become temperate, and of preserving their love; and again, of the vulgar Polyhymnia, who must be used with circumspection that the pleasure be enjoyed, but may not generate licentiousness; just as in my own art it is a great matter so to regulate the desires of the epicure that he may gratify his tastes without the attendant evil of disease.
Whence I infer that in music, in medicine, in all other things human as which as divine, both loves ought to be noted as far as may be, for they are both present.
The course of the seasons is also full of both these principles; and when, as I was saying, the elements of hot and cold, moist and dry, attain the harmonious love of one another and blend in temperance and harmony, they bring to men, animals, and plants health and plenty, and do them no harm; whereas the wanton love, getting the upper hand and affecting the seasons of the year, is very destructive and injurious, being the source of pestilence, and bringing many other kinds of diseases on animals and plants; for hoar-frost and hail and blight spring from the excesses and disorders of these elements of love, which to know in relation to the revolutions of the heavenly bodies and the seasons of the year is termed astronomy.
Furthermore all sacrifices and the whole province of divination, which is the art of communion between gods and men-these, I say, are concerned with the preservation of the good and the cure of the evil love. For all manner of impiety is likely to ensue if, instead of accepting and honouring and reverencing the harmonious love in all his actions, a man honours the other love, whether in his feelings towards gods or parents, towards the living or the dead. Wherefore the business of divination is to see to these loves and to heal them, and divination is the peacemaker of gods and men, working by a knowledge of the religious or irreligious tendencies which exist in human loves.
Such is the great and mighty, or rather omnipotent force of love in general. And the love, more especially, which is concerned with the good, and which is perfected in company with temperance and justice, whether among gods or men, has the greatest power, and is the source of all our happiness and harmony, and makes us friends with the gods who are above us, and with one another. I dare say that I too have omitted several things which might be said in praise of Love, but this was not intentional, and you, Aristophanes, may now supply the omission or take some other line of commendation; for I perceive that you are rid of the hiccough."
---
-FJ
In other words, does Monks music consist of one sensor stream, or two. We have two ears.
Music is interpretted and transformed to Stereo depth in the more emotional and intuitive right hemisphere, which funnels "muse-ic" directly to the id and "wit" for instinctual gratification. And is it possible to turn off or temporarily suspend and surprise the temperate "reasonable" mono- forms of coordinated harmonies and rythms in the left hemisphere and embrace more intemperate ones like rock and roll and jazz and experienced in a state of "rapture" (or a drug or alcohol induced haze).
So how does rock/jazz differ from classical? Are you saying there is no differences? Dionysian and Apollonian are the same? One stirs pure passions, the other pure reason. Then mixes and looks for sym-phonia (symmetry).
Rhetoric (Intuitive) vs reason (logical) in word/music. That you prefer the former, I have no doubt. It is much easier to digest and not difficult at all to acquire. But please do not suggest there is no reason in even rhetoric for our brain experiences "mixes" of the two. For it is simply a matter of which strings I play, and which I am willing to ignore or suspend judgement on.
Monk plays within forms and limits. If not, how could his music be captured and written down? He plays by both instinctual inspiration AND art. Like you, he flies and is a master of the lower aers. But he links the whole together through limit and art, which is impossible to do unless he also engages his reason. And it is during the more rhythmic and harmonious riffs that he links his music together. Without this linkage, only dischordant noises would result.
-FJ
There's nothing wrong to giving free reign to wit for an occassional holiday to rest, surprise, and easily entertain the mind (Freud, "On humor/jokes"(?)).
But asymmetry is much easier to achieve than symmetry. And symphony much more difficult than mere harmony and rhythm. One engages reason fully with instinct and intuition and "calibrates" the mind. The other de-synch's and creates the fog of unreason and more closely couples one's mind to instinct.
Wow, take drugs, and you could be groovin' to Felonious Thelonious. Art "less" required. Or is that Less art required? Serendipity will do, just don't overdue it. Either that, or simply alter brain chemistry.
But show me some chemistry that creates reason. Now THAT would be something worth seeing. A "smart" pill. Stupid pills are easy. Alchohol or just about any psychotropic substance will do.
Man was never a slave to reason. Quite the opposite, it was reason that freed him from slavery He, as well as all mammals, always had intuition and instinct as well. But you'd prefer to make man a slave to instinct and intuition. You'd "take away" a capability (reason, the means) to achieve freedom so as to achieve incapacity (an end). What a marvellous innovation! Call it Modern Art or call it Modern something. "High" Art, it is NOT. At best, one could call it "Low" Art.
Like your idea of Progress. The Lowering or is that "Low-ing" of mankind. Mo-o-o-o-o-o. Mo-o-o-o-o. Now there's something unique. An animal. Aren't I something, Epimetheus? I too can make mud people.
Sequence, order, method, logic. Who needs 'em. They're a bummer man. ooops isn't THAT art? They sound like a lot of work. I'm part of a Labor Union. My goal, to create less labor. To limit one's ability to perform "spiritually rewarding" work in favor of a single monotonous and repetitive task. Why, To allow the most incompetent member of my union to make more money than he's worth. To make people so stupid and unreasonable, they'll even think Pollack is "good" art. Noble.
Go steal yourself some more upsi-dasium Boris. But stay out of Frostbite Falls. Moose and squirrel are looking for you there. They've already spotted Natasha.
-FJ
Mr. Ducky, so Stephen Dobyns digs Thelonius Monk. How about you? What do you think? Dobyns lives in Boston, but I know Mr. Ducky has no connection. Dobyns has been contaminated by the heartland that the Duck despises.
I love music in general. I love jazz. I have the bass permanently etched on my brain for any type of music from jazz to march to dance. I spent many hours listening to my father play. He was especially good on the bass fiddle. He also could play the baritone, sousaphone, tuba, trombone, bassoon, and french horn.
mr. ducky,
I never read Hemingway's "For Whom the Bell Tolls". Perhaps you could summarize for us. Or doesn't your top bell "toll" anymore? The silver and brass ones peel away and create such a racket that gold never get a word in edgewise?
-FJ
In case you can't recall, here's a summary of the plot for you
FWtBT Summary
Have you placed enough charges on the bridge to bring it down, Mr. Jordan. And why are the tree's pines and not cypress or cork? ;-)
-FJ
PS - How do you like this abandoned cave?
samwich,
How does one get from time and times and the dividing of time end up 3 1/2 years? My wit does travel quite that deep. Can you enlighten me?
-FJ
erratum
Does NOT travel quite that deep.
-FJ
PS - I get the 3 1/2. Where do the years come from?
-FJ
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