Miriam: Rutgers is the number two philosophy department in the country, numbe one is NYU, number three is Princeton. me: yeah, the professor was telling me how the school isn't that great but their philosophy and certain other departments are pretty swell Miriam: If you've been invited there you must be as slick as hot rat shit according to sources me: maybe, my first book was well-received Miriam: huh. You are considered pretty fucking rad amongst the philosophy set then. me: mostly the skeptic set me: although I suppose I've made a couple of contributions to media theory in particular, but I'm only known among certain circles Miriam: which ones? me: mostly those involved with or who follow the intelligent design thing, in which I became one of the better-known defenders of evolutionary theory and antagonists of the ID leadership, which has attacked me a couple of times as a result me: also, just the skeptic/science education/pro-science crowd in general me: the National Center for Science Education got in touch and offered to assist me in whatever I'm up to, for instance me: otherwise, I'm mostly known for media criticism me: what are you up to? Miriam: If you want to be a public person you've got to be more cautious of the way you choose to present yourself. me: This Haiti thing is putting my financial problems in perspective me: well, there's precedent; political humorists can get away with a lot me: and I don't generally talk about my personal life or otherwise convey it me: in the course of my public undertakings Miriam: It worries you are not Al Hirshfeld for ex....bad ex. me: ? me: don't understand Miriam: Sorry, too many people chatting me at once. You are not Al Hischfeld, bad example as it is... Miriam: Can't escape city tonight ng.dwinking champers and seeth Miriam: seething me: you're not heading off? work issues? Miriam: Si senor. me: that's a shame Miriam: Well, Katie popped in since plans were canceled and informed me that you're the beez kneez. Miriam: Philosophy teachin' wise. me: who's that? Miriam: Bad ass Barriticus. me: I'm actually in philosophical turmoil Miriam: My philuddy.osophy phd candidate b Miriam: buddy. me: or rather, political science turmoil Miriam: pour quoi? me: I'm starting to abandon my libertarian leanings due to my anxieties over the technological innovations of the future and humanity's poor track record in preparing for impending disaster Miriam: join the club. Amputations. me: basically, I'm becoming a statist out of concern for humanity me: which is weird to me Miriam: You're human? me: I didn't say that Miriam: ;) me: perhaps I'll convert to Islam me: I just need some acid and I can do it Miriam: Me too man! Totally rad my miiiiiindddddddddddd. me: Used to live with a Muslim who was always scared of djinn sitting on his chest Miriam: Do Islamic folks like kitties? me: yes Miriam: whew! Miriam: what's djinn? me: creatures of fire, present in Islamic theology; they live essentially with us but are invisible to us. Seeing one can cause a person to go mad; they possess people. Occasionally they even move buildings, as they allegedly did in Muscat twenty years ago, according to one of my old Muslim cronies Miriam: What is your Chinese sign and element? me: rooster me: not sure of element Miriam: I'm a metal monkey for example. me: metal monkey me: very good me: what does that mean? Miriam: I'll look you up. Miriam: what time were you born? me: not sure me: 7-8 am, I seem to recall me: not recall, rather, but that's what I seem to have been told me: Ben Stiller on Haiti me: that's a CNN headline right now Miriam: bargf. Miriam: barf. Miriam: Roosters are adept at presenting themselves in both speech and writing. Miriam: Yay. Well, that workst doesn'tit? ou me: we have to, no real job skills Miriam: Tee hee. Miriam: perfectionists and tireless workers..... me: nope me: I'm often slapdash in my work me: luckily it works out me: what does your metal monkey signify? Miriam: A rooster born at dawn will be the loudest and most talkative of the of the lot... Miriam: You are a metal rooster. me: very well Miriam: Opinionated and headstrong roosters have an ovveriding need for recognition and fame. me: yep Miriam: practical and industrious and can dazzle others with their brilliant powers of deduction. Gifted and high-powered orators. Miriam: Inclined to simply shut down their opponents. Miriam: Although inclined to material wealth, they find fulfillment in service to humanity and may be passionately committed to instituting social reforms for the good of all. Miriam: Whew. me: hmmm Miriam: there you go Barriticus! me: surprisingly accurate Miriam: I know! me: doesn't seem to fall under false hit category me: false positives, rather Miriam: Nope, pretty dear-on. Miriam: dead-on me: what are you drinking? Miriam: I apologize for the crazy type. Cats sat on my key pad. me: used to have that problem Miriam: Pink Champers (Cava) on ice.....like the Eagles song maaaaan! me: very fancy Miriam: I'm a fancy gal. Miriam: Yer a fancy boy. We should discuss in the hot tub at Erin's b-day party whatever pops up.... me: very well, is that the 30th party? Miriam: Si senor! Miriam: I'm getting a car to pick us up. me: ultra-fancy Miriam: And deliver us to crown heights. Miriam: wheeeee Miriam: I'm not fancy, just festive. Didjya get my spiritualized video? me: I did indeed Miriam: here's another Miriam: It sounds like you. I am sound. me: haven't found any songs of theirs I like outside of come down album Miriam: Dandy Warhols "I am Sound" Miriam: It is you. Miriam: Kinda like Sinatra jr's some velvet morning.... Miriam: Find it and post it yo! me: no problemo me: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sb-SVPJM4L4 Miriam: I think you're more like the dandy's song "I am sound" but whatevs. me: nah, not my mentality, sort of morose or something me: Haiti's so fucked me: they have zero infrastructure and low level of institutions me: it's just going to get worse Miriam: I know!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1 me: over next few days me: U.S. response is pathetic Miriam: I have no emotions. me: 100 million me: world bank, IMF, UN Miriam: Try being a doctor over there. Bullshit. There is nothing we can do. me: UN gave 10 million me: I know me: can;t even get supplies in Miriam: lemme call yon, me: word Miriam: phone died. Miriam: Bucky balls. me: yeah, caught that Miriam: Ennyvay, you would lurve this book. It's such an oddity. Miriam: Like you. Miriam: Brilliant. me: Fuller's a hell of a futurist; sorry, my English neighbor just called, wants to come by in an hour me: Buckminster Fuller spoke and wrote in a unique style and said it important to describe the world as accurately as possible.[34] Fuller often created long run-on sentences and used unusual compound words (omniwell-informed, intertransformative, omni-interaccommodative, omniself-regenerative) as well as terms he himself invented. Miriam: Sorry for what? me: my 20-second absence me: I'm a very apologetic person Miriam: Well, Bucky is a family friend and you remind me of his tendencies. Miriam: He's long gone of course. me: he's very admirable Miriam: But I'm in touch with his daughter Leslie. Miriam: Very Barrett speed. me: surprised I haven't heard of him, he's clearly a significant thinker Miriam: My grandmother lived with him. He was groovy. And progressive. Miriam: Well,you pointed out that book of all the gobbeldygook I'm reading and thought I'd elaborate. me: he words "down" and "up", according to Fuller, are awkward in that they refer to a planar concept of direction inconsistent with human experience. The words "in" and "out" should be used instead, he argued, because they better describe an object's relation to a gravitational center, the Earth. "I suggest to audiences that they say, "I'm going 'outstairs' and 'instairs.'" At first that sounds strange to them; They all laugh about it. But if they try saying in and out for a few days in fun, they find themselves beginning to realize that they are indeed going inward and outward in respect to the center of Earth, which is our Spaceship Earth. And for the first time they begin to feel real "reality." me: I'm very impressed with his tendency to revise accepted aspects of world view Miriam: I'm almost crying! Miriam: YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1 Miriam: This is how I live! Miriam: At least you appreciate a clever mind. Miriam: Bucky is beyond the beyond. Miriam: :'( me: I'm going to read some of his work me: might be useful to me Miriam: please do and it will! Miriam: He is a force to be reckoned with. me: has a background in math and physics, which I don't; my output is more politically- and socially-oriented me: simply because I know nothing else Miriam: Sigh, I'll be happy even if we never speak again but I know that you've been turned on to Bucky Fuller! I mean that. His outlook on the world is gorgeous. Miriam: He went to harvard with my grandmother's brother's Miriam: brothers. Miriam: She went to bryn mawr. Miriam: Women weren't allowed. Miriam: to harvard. Miriam: at the time. Miriam: In a cogent sense me: disease is going to spread like wildfire in Port-au-prince Miriam: Indus is a religiontrialization me: is that a Fuller line? me: religiontrialization Miriam: My computer is scrambles, wait a sec Miriam: Industrialization is a religion,and the first to ever promise Miriam: self perpetuation me: wonder if he ever had any connection to Ayn Rand me: she's the only other person I can think of who spoke of industrialization in those terms Miriam: Industrialization considered as a religion Miriam: is also unique in that it has no preists Miriam: that is if we exempt me: capitalists? me: foremen? me: perhaps they're more like acolytes Miriam: the self appointed publicitors Miriam: who are willing; nay eager,- nay nuts Miriam: to be druid Merlins, Richelieux, Rasputins Miriam: Savonarolas, or Wolseys Miriam: to anybody with enough money,- Miriam: their only criteria of authority. Miriam: But the Publicitors cannot be said Miriam: to sufficiently comprehend Industrialization me: who did he mean by term Publicitors? Miriam: to be considered representative preists. Miriam: They are more in the nature of being Miriam: if furtively meddling buffoons Miriam: They make it a merry religion Miriam: when they get foolrd;- Miriam: as they always do. Miriam: You've got to read this Barrett. me: yeah Miriam: You'd swoon. me: I don't swoon all too easily Miriam: To this you ld. Miriam: would Miriam: I do! Miriam: It's my most valuable object. Miriam: This freaking book. me: I'll bet me: inscribed to your grandma?