Son, this year we’re going to make a man out of you. You’re going to Vacation Bible Gun Camp. From the good folks at Landover Baptist Church.
Yippee! It’s time for camp!
07.09.03 | Permalink | 2 Comments
But who comes after the ironist?
07.09.03 | Permalink | Comments Off on But who comes after the ironist?
A friend just presented me with a follow-up question to this entry: But who should Loki become?
I’m reminded of Nietzsche despising the “last men,” who come before his fabled ubermensch. (Dewey –contra Nietzsche– would call them the only men worth keeping around.)
The image of the arch also comes to mind. Without irony’s purposeful opposition, the two opposing walls cannot meet. But without the keystone, irony has produced nothing but a wreck of fallen stones. And what is the keystone? Lacan, Zizek, and Bataille would say it is an inaccessible excess, but what can the stone mason do with that? Rorty, Nietzsche, and Dewey would say it is whichever stone fits, but what if no stone fits and there is no stone mason?
The Trickster cycle plays itself out in the Major Arcana of the Tarot. The Fool starts the journey ill prepared except for his high ideals. As a young novice Magician, Trickster travels to and fro using his mastery of crossroads and contradictions (for a buck, if he can). But reversal eventually comes and Trickster as successful desperado becomes Trickster as the Hanged Man. If he can open himself to his own crossroads and contradictions, he can grow to encompass the World. Thus the movement from one to all is completed.
But what is the Hanged Man’s reversal? And if he fails, must he become the Hierophant? Or the Hermit?
On the failure of Redemptive Truth™
A gem from ironist Richard Rorty:
The question, “Do you believe in truth or are you one of those frivolous postmodernists?” is often the first one that journalists ask intellectuals whom they are assigned to interview. That question now plays the role previously played by the question “Do you believe in God, or are you one of those dangerous atheists?” [Intellectuals] are often told that they do not love truth sufficiently. Such admonitions are delivered in the same tones in which their predecessors were reminded that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.
Also, an intellectual is someone who yearns for autonomy and authenticity and “is lucky enough to have the money and leisure to do something about it.” And Redemptive Truth™? “A set of beliefs which would end, once and for all, the process of reflection on what to do with ourselves.”
Can anyone say Jeebus?
Ideas for Constitutional amendments (cont.)
07.07.03 | Permalink | Comments Off on Ideas for Constitutional amendments (cont.)
Amendment XXXI
Section 1. Congress shall balance the national budget each year, except in times of national emergency as declared by the President.
Section 2. Congress may separately apportion funds for use in times of national emergency.
Amendment XXXII
Section 1. Justices of the Supreme Court shall serve terms of ten years.
Section 2. No Justice may serve more than two terms.
Section 3. The Justice shall elect a Chief Justice each year.
Section 4. No more than three Justices shall be appointed during one Presidential administration, unless the number of active Justices falls below five.
Amendment XXXIII
Section 1. Election to the House of Representatives shall be according to the method known as proportional representation, apportioned by State.
Section 2. The State Legislatures may elect to combine their apportionments with other States, provided the Legislatures of all concerned States approve.
Section 3. Congress shall have the power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.
Amendment XXXIV
Section 1. Elections for National offices shall convene the first Saturday in November and conclude the following day.
Section 2. Duly elected officers of the United States shall be sworn in at noon the Sunday immediately following Thanksgiving.
Ideas for Constitutional amendments
07.05.03 | Permalink | 7 Comments
I’ve been cooking up some ideas for amendments to the US Constitution. Here’s three on the economic end of things. Please comment. I’ll make changes accordingly.
Amendment XXIII
Section 1. The right to health care shall not be violated.
Section 2. Congress shall have the power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.
Amendment XXIX
Section 1. The right to a livable wage shall not be violated or abridged.
Section 2. All persons shall be entitled to no less than one half of the value of their labor.
Section 3. Congress shall have the power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.
Amendment XXX
Section 1. The right to organize for the pursuit of life, liberty, and property shall not be violated.
Section 2. No such organization shall be granted the rights of a person, by the United States, nor by any of its states or districts.
Section 3. Officers of such an organization, or those holding the organization in trust, shall be held liable for crimes committed under the aegis of said organization.
Requiem for a Dell
07.03.03 | Permalink | Comments Off on Requiem for a Dell
My laptop has died and gone to computer heaven. All emails, calendar items, and address books have been lost. (Fortunately, ‘My Documents’ was backed up. And I can do without the mp3s.) It will be rebuilt from the inside out Monday afternoon: system board, processor, CD-ROM and memory. Yikes.
Until then, blogging will be light. In the meantime, check out the fine young cannibals stretched out along the right sidebar. I think you’ll agree that they’re all peachy-keen.
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