rectal dysfunction

[footnotefetish]

One problem with using those short, Asian-style tables is that if your cat decides to sit on your lap while you're eating a meal, and then she decides to turn around on your lap, her posterior can pass dangerously close to your plate. Last night as I was eating dinner, I had to quickly push my plate away to avoid what I feared would be a cat-

Comments

[mi_tigre]

I guess, its sorta of a knee jerk reaction, while living in KKKS, many people talk about book that only fit within their own political/God views.

Yea, both times your list fell within the boundries of your viewpoints. Maybe I am reading too much into the titles, I admit, I mostly read textbooks, so not much other than homework there.

I just get worried that you are becoming a lefist version of the narrow minded people in kansas we couldn't stand. Its not that I want you to be more center or what not, but yes, I do tend to focus upon the interplay of humans.

Its the outliers that grab my attention, while a large sample (society) falls within the relm of the Law of Large Numbers, yes I know that there are conditions required for Law of Large Numbers.

I just get a bit worried, more about how people are self-diagonsing themselves with info from the internet. Yea, the heathcare system sucks and the person that graduated last in medical school is still called doctor, but damn, uh.. The internet. There are wikipeida post in which the person that the post is able, says is wrong and some events never happened.

So, its like the counter arguements I would present while you came back to hutch. Its not a personal attack. I do think very highly of you.

Oh, and fiction is a very open, way open dude, so the comparison is a bit weak, than to say "Leftist, progressive social/political" writtings, than to compare Hickhickers Guide to Sarte. Even still even with ones that seem like poetry from the title it still leaves a ballpark figure of 70% that falls into one broad but still major theme.

I mean how about reading some howto? Like building a house (would be helpful for non-profit gigs) or native plants of Arizona, or cooking bread or the history of bread.

On a side note, I am honest when I say that you would enjoy Abstract Algebra, dude the shit gets tripy from there. When you think of objects that obey group properties. Yea.

[footnotefetish]

I guess I feel as if my intelligence is being insulting when you worry that by reading things that reinforce my viewpoint, I'm becoming like those people who assume the same politics and religious views as their parents and then spend their lives in near-complete ignorance.

Whether you're reading things that fit within or beyond your views, the point is whether or not you're actively reading, evaluating the logical merits of what's being presented on the page. What I'm doing is a very far cry from that Christian person who reads (1) the Bible, (2) religious fiction, and (3) non-fiction books by Christian scholars and, in the end, still thinks the Bible is an appropriate tool for guiding our lives today, because (s)he isn't reading anything critically but is merely accepting it all, out of obedience to "God."

I've also said, many time already, that having grown up in a very conservative area, I'm not unfamiliar with conservative ideas. If I were a child of hippies who has always lived in a blue part of a blue state, I would find your concern more appropriate.

And while novels do cover a wide array of subject matter, they're still very limiting in the sense that the information they present tends to conform to the conventions of fiction, and with the exception perhaps of the occasional explanatory introduction or afterward, there's very little in the way of empirical or historical information presented. There are exceptions, but those exceptions still fall very short of a non-fiction book that would explain the same things. Comparing a historical novel about Lebanon to a history book about Lebanon would illustrate what I'm saying.

Incidentally, I find it very contradictory that you encourage me to go to graduate school but find it problematic that I read a large volume of literate that falls within a narrow (or what you perceive as narrow) spectrum of information. I think that kind of reading is necessary for a lot of graduate programs....

I'm not angry or anything, but--damn!--I think you're projecting onto me, as you alluded to in your first paragraph. It's not like I don't have other curiosities or knowledge of other viewpoints.

[mi_tigre]

I do think its awesome that you read so many books, and I know that you are very proud of it.

I know that graduate school requries a more narrow focus upon a subject, etc; however, that is because it is what is expected for that specific class.

I know that you have developed your viewpoints more after moving to AZ, and I am not discounting the material you reading. I guess i always get a bit nervous when anyone has a narrow focus upon viewpoint. I know that you disagre with me that your reading selection is not narrow; however, I don't know if you are reading so much to have valid evidence to refute the mostly ironic viewpoints that comes from the right, or if its because that is what smart leftist does. I do think its the former than later. Plus, I always make the remarks of the other side; its how I find understanding. You know that.

The reason that I suggest graduate school to you, is that I know that you are a great with prose, and you do so much reading on the meta level of society and I think what you have to say is needed. I think you would be a wonderful teacher of truth.

I think you should write the books that you read, rather than you just reading them, you have a great skill of brining understanding to any conversation, be it written or spoken.

[footnotefetish]

You're really focusing on this list and not considering the fact that, as I said, I've been around conservatives most of my life, and while I may not be reading conservative books, books are not the only avenue for garnering information about a political party, political ideology, etc.

You also don't always explicitly say so when you're taking up a contrary position just for the sake of finding understanding. That's why I'm not sure what to make of your comments a lot of times. Sometimes it almost sounds as if you're trying to cut me down a notch or two. I take things too literally sometimes. I have that kind of personality. So I'm pretty clueless when you're playing Devil's advocate.

Pink and Plump

[mi_tigre]

As for the books, it would suggest all the books by Issac Asimov. That I guess is more of my point. But, I am one that likes to be very "rounded" in my information intake. Shit, Issac wrote a hella lot of books.

Yea, it takes me a while to structure what I am thinking and I needed to express the thought, its like throwing clay. I need to just put it on the wheel then let it take shape, then I can present the finish thought.

But, I think you should get invovled with the discourse of thought, by publishing articles, you have wonderful talent for writting. That is mostly why I suggest graduate school. A couple of the proffs at the coffee shop, say that you would get an an assistanship and would be paid to attend school. Plus, the love the idea that you know how to write grants.

[footnotefetish]

Maybe we're just talking past each other, but I think your first paragraph really underscores what I wrote above--that you're focused on this list and not considering other ways I stay in tune to what conservatives are saying: the radio, television (on those random occasions when I watch it), newspapers, blogs, etc.

I do a lot of my book reading at the earliest and latest hours of my day: when I first wake up and want to rehydrate after six to eight hours of not consuming fluids, I drink water and read in bed; and before I fall asleep at night, it helps me to read. Because of the timing of my book reading, I really don't want to read much by conservatives, since it will piss me off--a bad way to start or end my day (more importantly the latter, since it could affect my sleep).

So the middle of the day is the best time for me to pick up on the twisted, hypocritical, sociopathic messages from the right. But in the middle of the day, I typically only have time for the aforementioned sources: "radio, television...newspapers, blogs, etc."

As for grants, I've never written one. I've only been paid out of grants for which other people have applied.