Thanks for your thoughts on Steiner. I read a couple of exerpts online and am really looking forward to reading Real Presence and others of his work. It's so much fun to find a new-to-me author that resonates so deeply. My University days were spent on the 'other side of campus' in the chemistry and microbiology labs; I'm just learning now some 30 years later what I missed out on by skimping philosophy and literature.

posted by streamsong at 11:14 am (EST) on May 11, 2008

Hi--I'm reading Karen Armstrong's book Muhammad A Biography of the Prophet and found an absolutely wonderful quote on God and aesthetic experiences. It's from George Steiner's book Real Presences: Is There Anything In What We Say. Ah one more book for my tbr pile! But I thought I'd inquire whether you've read George Steiner, and if not, call this book to your attention, too. It reminded me so much of your post about losing yourself in a painting.

posted by streamsong at 10:52 am (EST) on May 9, 2008

Hi, I am surfing Librarything and discover your site and found out that we have one thing in common, we both working with the dying. I am a hospice volunteer. I find the work very rewarding but at times very intense. I also do volunteer work at a middle school, which is a very nice balance, that work is also rewarding and intense. I love there sense of joy. Anyway I wanted to say hello
Michael

posted by michaelbartley at 5:10 pm (EST) on May 2, 2008

Thanks again for the advice, although I'm afraid of spending whole time thinking only "I can't possibly stay in this position for 20 minutes." I hope I can find a way to get comfortable, maybe I'll try lying down. Cheers,d.

posted by dchaikin at 9:57 pm (EST) on Apr 27, 2008

Hi, Some feedback from a not so successful first try. I had lots of trouble. I couldn't get comfortable and spent a lot of time trying to think of way I can sit for 20 minutes. I couldn't get the breathing rhythmic, and I don't think I was doing it correctly. I had trouble staying awake. But, there were some good things. Labeling my thoughts, when they weren't about how uncomfortable I was, was a really nice idea. Interesting that I labeled most of them "uncertainty" (generally where it's unwarranted). And, my mindset was very different afterwards. Apparently it was relaxing although I couldn't sense it at the time. Cheers,d

posted by dchaikin at 10:13 am (EST) on Apr 27, 2008

Thanks for the post. I think that's what I needed, a starting point. I'll let you know how it goes. Cheers, d.

posted by dchaikin at 3:57 pm (EST) on Apr 26, 2008

Hi Arctic. If I were interested in meditation, do you have any suggestions on a place to start...hopefully a book. Cheers, d

posted by dchaikin at 9:29 pm (EST) on Apr 25, 2008

I never thought I'd wish to have Fairbanks weather right now. But it would be nice. We now received over a foot.

posted by codyed at 8:43 pm (EST) on Apr 25, 2008

Too. Much. Snow.

posted by codyed at 7:49 pm (EST) on Apr 25, 2008

I am still lurking at HH, and saw one of your comments. I am curious. Why do you seem to have to believe that NO ONE really believes? That seems to be very important to you for some reason. Why?

It is one thing to talk about your own faith, but you seem to need others to be with you. You are not even saying they are deluded, like some people on HH. You are saying they really don't believe what they say they believe. That seems different to me.

People do believe, and they don't have to fit anyone's narrow categories of what it means to believe. You don't get to define what REAL faith is for believers just like I don't get to define what unbelief is (You are for death camps, forced abortions, etc.)

I dont know how I feel about private communication. Why not make all this readable by whoever is interested?

If you change your question from "why do you seem to have to believe ..." to "why do you seem to believe ..." I can produce some jabber.

To me, the word "have" implies a compulsion. IF all the evidence were to point to a conclusion I suppose I would "have" to embrace it. At the moment, I dont think I know where the evidence points, or even if I have enough data to count as evidence of anything, so I'm officially neutral on the question.

As to why I might "Seem to believe" etc; one reason might be that it was the "Default" position or assumption or suspicion I started out with as a kid. When I first discovered that there were people who called themselves belivers, my first primitive thought was "No way! Nobody can believe that!" But I was a kid, so what did I know? HEre. when I say "believe" I mean in the simplistic way that is deprecated by both atheists of the Dawkins and HArris schools, etc and by "sophisticated theologians".

AS time went on, and I met with or heard about a greater variety of the planet's denizens I slowly became aware that there is a great diversity in knowledge and sophistication among individuals. There is also the complication that members of the club dont always subscribe to the club's stated charter, even thought they swear to uphold it on their membership application. THe situation is further complicated
by people's desire to fit in and not make waves. The little story about the soldier's none of whom believed the received wisdom, but all of whom tried to uphold it because the other's believed takes its
"punch" from the element of truth it communicates. As if that werent bad enough, there are poeple who are down right scheming, and will pretend to believe things to futrher their own ambitions or to gull the rubes. WHen it comes to people and what they do or do not believe, the complications compound without limit. It baffles, me but also fascinates me.

I think I have mentioned more than once, that I have very weak antenna. I'm on the very low end of functional when it comes to knowing or guessing a persons emotional state or "feelings". But just because I have klutzy sensors doesnt mean I'm not interested, and that I cant improve a bit with practice. Since I cant rely so much on my antenna, I need other instruments to compensate.

"you seem to need others to be with you". Well, I suppose its a "common human need" to take some comfort in the thought that one is not totally alone in one's opinions. One likes allies as a practical matter and emotional support or validation. Since I'm a human, I "have" to admit that I am subject to the human condition, for good or ill; but I have to say, I dont "feel" that I have deep need for everyone else to agree with me. For one thing, I'm a stubborm cuss, or at least thats what my wife tells me. (My mother second's her; thanx Ma!) I also like the idea that there are people who believe weird stuff. I love reading about the New Guinea Cargo Cults, the Voudon guys (eat only white foods on Friday, only red foods on Tuesday). Tibetan lamas ( a one L Lama's a priest) , Japanese new (i.e. syncretic ) religions
such as O Moto ( I did a bit of Aikido, so I've heard some about Uyeshiba and his relation to Onisoburu et al). Coyote, the Hero twins Monster SLayser and Born For Water, we would be poorer without them.

ARe there present day Navajo who takes the stories lierally? Who knows. Were there, once upon a time? Why not? Is there anyone not a NAvajo who does? Not bloody likely (my guess. I dont KNOW diddly)

I'm an honest straight arrow, not because I'm necessarily moraly more correct than the next guy, but because I'm a terrible liar. The "down side" of having lousy antenna is that I couldnt fool anybody if I tried. With me, what you see is what you get, its really a lack of what do you call it, "emotional intelligence" ...Beg to report sir, idiot sir. But I didnt just fall off the turnip truck this morning. I know that there are people out there trying to fool the pants off me, and some of them are pretending to believe stuff that they dont believe a word of. Therea re also the curious cases of those who have
done such a good job of fooling themselves that it seems churlish to say they're trying to fool me too.

And then, there are the poeple who make themselves sufficiently obscure. Fascinating.

posted by modalursine at 10:57 am (EST) on Apr 24, 2008

Well, Happy Heathens is going to be rather dull, now.
I hope everything in your private life works out well and quickly, too.

*hugs*
Clare

posted by clamairy at 10:21 am (EST) on Apr 16, 2008

Hey, A-S, saw your "word of explanation" post and wanted to say how much I've enjoyed your input over the months. You seem to be the kind of open-minded seeker that I try to be in my better moments, and to have tremendous patience. I'll be holding you in the light for a bit, hoping that good things will be happening in the other parts of your life. Best, Jim

posted by Jim53 at 9:13 pm (EST) on Apr 15, 2008

I hope things improve for you soon, and that you'll return to your friends.

posted by LolaWalser at 6:28 pm (EST) on Apr 15, 2008

I owned up to the fact that other things in my life that caused me to over react.

Well, it makes no sense to overreact because of someone who's got nothing to do with you, at the expense of your friends.

And please don't hold back on your meanness--only make sure you're mean in public, for all to see. I'll be forced to expose any private meanness, you see. ;)

posted by LolaWalser at 5:28 pm (EST) on Apr 15, 2008

There seems to be a lot there, and I'm not sure I can say anything worth saying (which doesnt mean
I wont try, worse luck whoever tries to read it!)

I'm also a little surprised that you chose to send a private message, but OK I'm game.

Oh yeah, and before I start in earnest, I wouldt worry too much about "deep". I'm just an ordinary bear, so what would I know from deep?

As I'm sure you know, rabbinic literature is full of "midrashim", stories set before, after and around the cation in the scriptural stories (the way Rosencrantz and Guildentern are Dead is set mostly between the acts of Hamlet)

The early commentators noticed that the hebrew scriptures begin with the letter "Base", the second letter of the alphabet, corresponding to "B" for the "B" in Boreshit (in the beginning). But something is wrong here. Surely the great book should begin with the first letter of the alphabet, the aleph. THey decided that that was a hint that the story of Genesis though completely true, was not the whole story, and that there must have been other things happening "before" the beginning of the world which are not recored in the official transcirpts, so to speak. The incident with Lilith being one of those.

I have no literary training and less literary talent, so I cant say much about your version of the story beyond the obvious. Its a plausible reading, but I tend to think that much of genesis is a "just so" story designed to explain how come this and how come that? Why do we speak so many different languages?
So there's the story of the tower of Babel to "explain" it. Why is it that we have to work our tails off just to make a lousy living? At the time the stories were composed I imagine that the mores were rather prudish, at least by California standards, so the question was "why are we embarrased to go about naked? " and so we have a story to tell all about it. I have a private speculation of my own, that the ancient authors must have known about some aboriginal people or other who wore "aprons" or breach-cloths or some such and put those into the story as mankind's earliest form of clothing.

I have heard the theory that Job once stood alone without the opening scene where the satan gets the job of tormenting Job, and the last scene where God speaks to Job out of the whirlwind and then "makes him whole again" as the legal term goes by restoring his possessions and family, The theory is that the first and last act were "sown on" as a sop to the pious to cover what was otherwise a pretty "anti god"
sort of play. Oh. Part of the theory was that it was or was modeled after the style of a Greek play 9not that it copied any actual Greek work, but that it adapted a Greek form to a Hebrew preoccupation)

In your own gloss (and the same comment goes...I'm not a literary guy, so what do I know), I hear an echo of the Hindu vedic commentary "Not this, not this" whenver the qualities of the divine are at
question. Also shades of the RamBam (Rabbi Moses ben Maimon aka Maimonides) whose schtick is that we
can say nothing possitive, only negatives about the divine. It comes out better in Hindu, in my opinion
because Not this, not this seems to get the flavor more than "You cant say he's intelligent, only that i is SO not stupid")

Expecting evil at the hands of the Lord should not have been an unexpected sentiment. Isnt it Isaiah who reports the lord as saying "I make the light and I make the dard, I make weal and I make woe, ,,,, I
am the lord and I do all these things". From the middle 600's BCE if not before, the Hebrews must have been aware of the Persians and of Zorastrianism with its two gods, the Lord or Wisdon and the Vengeful Spirit. Isiah's speach sounds to me like a direct confrontation with the Zoroastrians. No, its NOT the cas that the good god creates fire and the other one creates smoke. the one true god does it all.
I once met someone who claimed that scripture never or hardly ever talks about the lord as being good, only that he is "holy". Maybe in the early days "holy" could cover both good and evil. The full name of the tree of knowlege was "The tree of knowlege of good and evil" I dont know if that's supposed to mean that taking a bite enabled the first couple (ultimately) to learn the secret of making cluster bombs and Depleted Uranium Ammo, or whether it was just a gloss or idiom to mean "everythng, the works, all there is".

Forgive my scattered thoughts as we bounce back to the "whirlwind" scene of Job. One of the elements that has always repelled me about the pious is Gods bullying "argument" to Job. I was there at the foundation of the universe "Was you there charlie?". All that business about "do you know how long a gazell is pregnant, have you seen the treasury of the hail, can you draw out leviathan with a hook" , Might as well have asked "Can you go two rounds with Joe Palooka? Can you do integration by parts and Laplace transforms? " I call that the "You shut up your donkey face" defence and it always seemed to me a bit below the dignity of the master of the universe to resort to it.

I still dont know where any of this leaves us wrt the question at hand; Whats an example of a religious
view that unmasks the AA characterizations as attacks on a straw man?

posted by modalursine at 4:31 pm (EST) on Apr 15, 2008

Your humor and thoughtful contributions at Happy Heathens will be greatly missed.

posted by Essa at 9:48 am (EST) on Apr 15, 2008

Just thought I'd leave a note to say that, though I know you're fed up with Happy Heathens at the moment, I hope you'll keep fighting the good fight--or will take a quick breather and return. I really enjoy your posts. I'm one of those folks out there silently nodding their heads.

HH and Pro and Con both seem to be distinctly unfriendly on occasion lately. Tax time? April showers? *shrug*

posted by Medellia12 at 8:52 pm (EST) on Apr 14, 2008

Well, after our chat this morning, I couldn't not add you as a friend! I tend to work out my issues in closed forums, it's easier for me that way. Trust issues and all that good stuff. Hope you had a good lunch.

posted by tclucas at 10:41 pm (EST) on Mar 27, 2008

It's a mutual admiration society, there, Arctic. In fact, my husband refers to you as my "Alaskan boyfriend."

Keep walking your path and speaking your truth. We're out here listening.

posted by littlegeek at 3:04 pm (EST) on Mar 27, 2008

Hi, Arctic.

On the "Political Conservatives" group (...where I seem to be unwelcome...), you mentioned to enevada
I have some very interesting Neuhaus stories, if you want to hear the real dirt

I Googled Neuhaus, and now I'm intrigued.
Could you fill me in?

- Bob

posted by AsYouKnow_Bob at 8:13 pm (EST) on Mar 21, 2008

Hey, Arctic. Haven't seen you around the GD much lately and I'm just wondering how you're doing these days. I do enjoy lurking on Pro & Con, but I'm usually too intimidated to post on there. My political understanding is way too limited.

At least Spring is on the way. Hope yours is sunny.

posted by littlegeek at 4:35 pm (EST) on Mar 14, 2008

Arctic - thanks for your personal perspectives and clear-headed reviews. Not familiar with your other contributions, but after reading the range of your spiritual quest on LT, I hope you are not offended if I ask if you are a "closet Unitarian Universalist" ?! Thanks again, and in your low moments which I hope are few think of us who have seen who you really are and are grateful.

posted by keylawk at 12:07 am (EST) on Mar 10, 2008

Hi - I have become totally obsessed (well, where did you think that name came from?) with entering bookstores in LibraryThing Local. I thought I knew every bookstore within 500 miles, but I am finding out how wrong I was.

Anyway, I stumbled onto one called Circuit Rider Books that I thought you might find interesting. They specialize in hard to find Christian titles in the mainline Protestant tradition, as well as international Protestant music. They appear to be very thoughtful and scholarly. Let's just say I was able to add them to Local without breaking out in hives. (Right next to them on the alphabetic list was Cosmic Monkey Comics - what a contrast!).

posted by oregonobsessionz at 11:26 pm (EST) on Mar 5, 2008

Hi Arctic,

I'd be interested to do some Guinea Pigging for your Users Guide to the Bible course. I might be a bit more conservative theologically than your intended audience but that makes it all the more fun, right? ;-) Though actually I have a feeling that I'm a raging liberal masquerading as a conservative...

Anyway, I would definitely be keen, though I reserve the right to ask lots of annoying questions (my Bible study group will sadly be able to tell you that I do this a lot!)

Liz

posted by LizT at 5:04 am (EST) on Mar 4, 2008

Just wanted to drop by and say hello. I live in Anchorage, and saw that you are a NT teacher up here. I do some OT teaching myself, so I was interested in your library.

posted by somejumps at 9:28 pm (EST) on Feb 20, 2008

Hi Arctic - well, you may be silent most of the time now, but when you 'speak', as in your message #50 (on the topic - Some prominent Republicans have caught Obama fever, from the Political Conservatives Group), then your words are worth reading. Just thought I'd pop in and say hi to you, since I don't want to post on Political Conservatives again. (PandaBaby says "ow, ow, ow" to the comments thrown at my little post #15 there.) I'm one of the many concerned about health care accessibility, and appreciate your approach to the subject.

And thank you for starting up the Pro and Con Group - I enjoy the discussions there.

posted by Pandababy at 3:21 pm (EST) on Feb 14, 2008

psst - looks like a really interesting discussion starting here (in case you hadn't noticed): Early Reviewers : 'Unlocking the Torah Text' by Shmuel Goldin

cheers,
d

posted by dchaikin at 9:48 pm (EST) on Feb 12, 2008

No, I didnt' get negative comments. (I did get a positive one, tho.) Perhaps I'm skittish because of the poster complaining about the pretty girls. *sigh* And I was just about to post a pic of Beyonce.

Jim Croce as Eric Clapton! That is some kind of sacrelige!

posted by littlegeek at 5:27 pm (EST) on Feb 7, 2008

We don't share too many books or personal habits but after stumbling on your profile I know that I would like you. We could have a nice conversation -- many of them in fact. Glad to have you as a colleague on LibraryThing.

posted by dwsact at 3:00 pm (EST) on Feb 5, 2008

Just wanted to tell you that I ordered both Night Watch books today on your recommendation (from the thread). I can hardly wait! So, thanks!

posted by citygirl at 8:45 pm (EST) on Feb 2, 2008

If one of us should be scared, I believe that would be you.

posted by Jesse_wiedinmyer at 5:00 pm (EST) on Feb 1, 2008

I just felt a need to come by and high-five you.

Cheers
Dani

posted by philosojerk at 6:00 pm (EST) on Jan 31, 2008

I guess you've figured out I'm not above being provocative from time to time. ;-)

posted by littlegeek at 2:42 pm (EST) on Jan 30, 2008

I'm beginning to lose patience with the HH thread. It seems like some feel that they are so "logical" and "rational" that they can't possibly be bigots.

However, I think I used to be just like them, so I hang in there.

posted by littlegeek at 3:48 pm (EST) on Jan 29, 2008

I didn't get a chance to recommend on the recommend-a-book-thread, so I'll recommend here. Have you come across A New Kind of Christian by Brian McLaren? I see you have A Generous Orthodoxy, and I'd love to know what you thought of it.

posted by WillSteed at 4:36 am (EST) on Jan 25, 2008

Hi Arctic, i don't recall if i already made this recommendation, but you might really enjoy Here If You Need Me, by Kate Braestrup, an often funny, very moving memoir about a chaplain serving others through their tragedies in Maine. Heartening, good stuff. ~ NR

posted by NativeRoses at 10:32 am (EST) on Jan 24, 2008

Must fight against the darkness...Arctic-Stranger. I totally understand. Seattle does not have as much darkness as Alaska but we do have our short days - I think just under 8 hours of daylight near the solstice.

I will check out pro and con. Ihave read it a bit, and sometimes just get overwhelmed by the length of people's comments. But I will see if there is more to see...

Good thing we are on the downhill side of winter. Spring is just around the corner.

posted by maggie1944 at 2:46 pm (EST) on Jan 16, 2008

After posting the question on a couple of other forums and googling some more, I found it...

Shrapnel in the Heart: Letters and Remembrances from the Vietnam Veterans Memorial

Dearest Eddie Lynn,

I'd give anything to have you shell just one more pecan for me on Grandma's porch.

All my love,
Your cousin
Anne

I may have to look into the one you found. I'd definitely recommend the Palmer.

posted by Jesse_wiedinmyer at 6:31 pm (EST) on Jan 9, 2008

Quick question for you, that you may or may not have the answer to...

When I was in High School, I used to spend quite a bit of time sitting in the library reading. There was one book that I distinctly remember without knowing the title. It was a collection centered around the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial (the Wall in D.C.). It was basically a collection of letters, notes and mementos that had been left at the wall by visitors. Notes to the deceased. Old letters from soldiers in the field that survivors had decided to let go of. Letters from ex-soldiers recounting their experiences both during and after the war.

It was one of the more moving things I'd ever read. There was a single sentence from that book that condenses grief more explicitly than anything I've ever read. Something simple like "What I would not give to have you sitting on grandma's porch cracking one more walnut for me."

I'm not seeing anything when I search Amazon and Google with the obvious phrases, but my Google-Fu seems to be off today. Does this ring any bells for you?

Hope the New Year is treating you well.

posted by Jesse_wiedinmyer at 5:06 pm (EST) on Jan 9, 2008

Hi, I'm enjoying the discussion over at the "Atheists and Morality" thread (...but I've learned not to raise my head on the "Political Conservatives" group).

Yesterday at #39 you had said: (the divorce rate among Christians is no different than that of non-Christians, for instance)

But the Barna survey seems to show otherwise. They reported:

Religion....... % have been divorced

Jews : ............... 30%

Born-again Christians: 27%

Other Christians:......24%

Atheists, Agnostics:.. 21%

There's are any number of explanations for this - born-agains are more likely to marry younger, more likely to be poorer, both of which are factors in making divorce more likely; and atheists are somewhat less likely to marry in the first place - but it seems to be a real finding. It's food for thought, anyway.

So, strictly speaking, atheists are less likely to be divorced than are Christians.

(Thanks again for being a voice of reason on LT.)

- Bob

posted by AsYouKnow_Bob at 1:59 am (EST) on Jan 9, 2008

Hello, and happy new year (I hope). I thought you might find
this article from USA Today interesting, if you haven't already seen it.

posted by oregonobsessionz at 6:42 pm (EST) on Jan 3, 2008

Hi - I just read your message from Dec 26. I hope you'll enjoy the little book and wish you a Happy New Year!

posted by udo at 6:06 am (EST) on Jan 2, 2008

I just saw your comment of Dec 20 to me. Thank you. I discovered Hesse at 16 and was just taken with him. My collection is complete! Look forward to interacting with you.

posted by MagisterLudi at 2:38 pm (EST) on Dec 22, 2007

With regard to something zooming randomly through my mind, I suddenly thought of the Philokalia and then thought that these volumes might appeal to your Eastern Orthodox/Shaker interests. Of course, I checked your library and noted that you are already familiar with them. Duh! as the kids say.

Regarding Byzantium, every May 29th I raise a glass to the Last Emperor of the Romans.

Cheers

posted by makifat at 4:38 pm (EST) on Dec 20, 2007

Seeing your comments in a happy heathen group topic i thought to check if you had a book i believe you'd love and since it is one of the three score i put up here and we had only paglia's sp in common, and you would surely have put it in your LT library among the 976 (unless it is a diff edition and that should count(does it?) if you had it, here you are:

g.k. chesterton: heretics --- cheap pb copies are now available
i am not xtian but i mailed a copy of this bk to my godfather, a writer, recently, because it is a bk i never tire of, and a good influence on writing style.

"Rise, Ye Sea Slugs!"

posted by keigu at 11:14 am (EST) on Dec 20, 2007

Thanks for your patience and persistence in the American Gulag and 2008 threads.

posted by krolik at 6:04 pm (EST) on Dec 18, 2007

Arctic, I've been meaning to drop by for ages and finally I'm here. Just wanted to let you know how much I appreciate your wonderful input in the Green Dragon and Happy Heathens. I know I haven't joined HH, but I read it all the time and really value your voice. Thanks Arctic.

posted by katylit at 4:09 pm (EST) on Dec 13, 2007

Have you seen The War Tapes? The first-hand accounts from soldiers' perspectives may help with your work.

posted by NativeRoses at 9:35 am (EST) on Dec 8, 2007

And thanks for taking up the defence of 'liberalism'.

posted by AsYouKnow_Bob at 7:26 pm (EST) on Nov 29, 2007

Thanks for the reassurance; yes, I did 'get' that you were joking. I hope that my reply was taken in a similar jocular way. (Sometimes it IS hard to read 'tone' on-line....)

I've read enough of your posts to know you wouldn't have meant that in a nasty way. And I think that your contributions to the discourse here are one of the best things about LT.

posted by AsYouKnow_Bob at 7:03 pm (EST) on Nov 26, 2007

Thank you for your help. I will look into that book and talk to our OPO.

posted by catalina7 at 4:25 pm (EST) on Nov 23, 2007

Wow, I've never been here before, to your house. That's a great picture of a bright, optimistic looking young man, where'd you get it?

The reason I came by was to say I didn't know you were an ex-Tarheel. I went to High School in NC, down in the tidewater. We lived in Oriental, Pamlico County during the early sixties.

posted by geneg at 4:31 pm (EST) on Nov 21, 2007

I'm not sure how familiar you are with Anchorage, but I drove from one end of Tudor to the other going about 5 mph the whole way. We had snow over the weekend, and I dealt with the residual on the road the following days. But this afternoon, after a morning full of classes, I come home, take a nap, and wake up to discover about 2.5 to 3 inches of snow on my car. I pull onto Minnesota only to discover it was completely whited out, with no discernible lane lines. Snow was being whipped up in the air by passing cars, leaving behind a giant wall of white.

Take make matters worse, I got stuck on an incline at an intersection. My car couldn't get any traction, so i was spinning my wheels.

Anyway, it was like one big community today--everyone was going through the same garbage.

I suppose I'm just a big whiner considering that you live in Fairbanks, a place where -80 F winters are common and polar beer rampages are constant.

posted by codyed at 1:41 am (EST) on Nov 14, 2007

Thought you might like this article -

Two lives blurred together by a photo

I apologise if that's heaping insult on injury (ie. you see enough of such things as is), but I was thinking of you as I read it...

posted by Jesse_wiedinmyer at 2:36 pm (EST) on Nov 12, 2007

I read your post in the Green Dragon about organ donation, and that you are a spiritual advisor in a hospital. I am writing a paper on religion and organ donation (for my honors science, values and religion class) and was wondering if you could recommend any good resources to me on the subject. Thank you.

posted by catalina7 at 5:12 pm (EST) on Nov 9, 2007

Arctic,

In the Mr. Rodgers thread, you asked about my research into how music can help heal. I would suggest that you start by taking a look at the American Music Therapy Association, http://www.musictherapy.org If you are wanting up-to-date medical research and you have access to a library for interlibrary loans, check out the Journal of Music Therapy, and Music Therapy Perspectives.

-Danny

posted by buchleser at 8:13 am (EST) on Nov 9, 2007

Hi - i hope today was better for you than yesterday.

posted by NativeRoses at 9:41 pm (EST) on Nov 7, 2007

Thanks for the welcome, Arctic! I don't know how much I'll contribute to the discussions in Pro & Con. Tracking the arguments, if they exist beyond long-winded rhetorical flourishes, can be baffling and tends to raise my blood pressure to an unhealthy degree. Then again, I like things that are bad for me. :D

posted by ExVivre at 1:27 pm (EST) on Nov 6, 2007

Thanks! I am not much of a joiner. More in tune with the Progressive & Liberal group than with the Political Conservatives, but I am not in total agreement with any of them. Since Pro and Con is about the debate itself rather than about any particular position, I decided to plunge in. I just love to argue, but cannot do that with friends, co-workers, and clients. I really appreciate LT as a safe venue for sharing thoughts on hot-button topics.

I am surprised to see that we share only 27 titles, but the ones we do share are far more interesting than the “100 best” and other classics that I share with other LTers. Stegner, Vonnegut, Chouinard, McPhee, Abbey, Le Guin and Kesey, (2 Oregonian writers), and Thomas Mann. Try Jonathan Raban sometime…I think you might like him.

posted by oregonobsessionz at 5:16 pm (EST) on Nov 1, 2007

Thanks for the offer for giving more reading suggestions. As usual, however, my eyes have been bigger than my reading time and so my tbr mountain is sky-high. I moved up Anthony de Mello, and Byron Katie after rummaging in your library; I mooched and received Anne Lamott's Traveling Mercies, Dakota A Spiritual Geography and Richard Rohr's Discovering the Enneagram. I also added a few books on contemplative prayer to various wishlists. My readings in spirituality tend to be eclectic--or as a friend says, downright heretical at times. The mountain contains quite a few Eastern, Islamic and skeptical books and commentaries. The scientist in me wants to thoroughly view all sides of the elephant. I may well be back for suggestions when I get a few of these digested. And now after that wonderfully grand mix of metaphors, I'll head off to read.

posted by streamsong at 2:31 pm (EST) on Oct 27, 2007

Hmm. We don't have many books in common, but I felt obligated to comment and say that Spoon's Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga is plague of musical glee just waiting to decimate an overpopulated musical market.

posted by MrJessDub at 7:47 pm (EST) on Oct 26, 2007

I know you get a lot of questioning in HH about your faith, but just a brief note to say thanks for sharing. It's always of interest to see how others view the world.

Considering how many groups and talk posts we share, I'm surprised how divergent our libraries are.

posted by reading_fox at 3:57 pm (EST) on Oct 26, 2007

I thought I'd introduce myself since I added you to my 'favorite libraries' list and you may be wondering who I am.

While you were off pursuing your real life last weekend, I tiptoed into your virtual library and rummaged a bit through the shelves. I've been on a spiritual journey the last few years so I borrowed a few titles from your 5 star list to add to my tbr pile. A couple were already on Mount Toberead--they've moved a bit closer to the top. A couple more I've requested and wishlisted from swap sites.

So thanks for the recommendations even though you had no idea you were doing it (isn't that a great feature of LT?) I'll probably be back, so if you return to your library to find virtual fingerprints and books slightly moved in their virtual places, and the feeling that someone has been there...it's not really a stalker, or a ghost--just me --or other LTer's-- rummaging through for virtual recommendations when you're not around.

posted by streamsong at 11:16 am (EST) on Oct 23, 2007

Pro & Con - great group. glad you started it.

posted by NativeRoses at 2:19 pm (EST) on Oct 16, 2007

Fantastic work with Pro and Con, AS!

I don't know if anyone else could have pulled this off.

-BGP

posted by BGP at 1:52 am (EST) on Oct 14, 2007

Well done on Pro and Con. You built it and they came!
Claire

posted by claireonsixth at 5:12 pm (EST) on Oct 12, 2007

Thanks for sharing your peculiar sense of humor in TGD!

posted by buchleser at 4:44 pm (EST) on Oct 8, 2007

Welcome to Books Compared. I'm so glad you joined, and hope you'll feel inspired to contribute.

posted by margad at 4:59 pm (EST) on Oct 3, 2007

Not a problem. And I'll second NR's recommendation of Housekeeping. One of my absolute favorite books of all time. A breathtaking depiction of negative space.

posted by Jesse_wiedinmyer at 7:41 pm (EST) on Oct 2, 2007

Hi - i just finished Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson and, based on your profile, thought you might really like it. It focuses on identity and isolation, grief and loss, scapegoats and sheltered vagrants, the beauty and sacredness of the everyday world, as well as resurfacing of the deeps. Her next novel, Gilead, is supposed ot be equally amazing -- i've just started and, thus far, it's brilliant, lyric writing about a pastor contemplating his forthcoming death.

Also, if you're enjoying Rilke's Duino Elegies, you would probably like Denise Levertov's Selected Poems -- the one about the swimmers and the one about the blue elephants are particularly moving.

posted by NativeRoses at 7:03 am (EST) on Sep 24, 2007

Just a quick note to say `thanks` for your attempts to clarify my comments on the `bomb-thrower` thing. I don`t know if I`m missing something, but I actually assumed my remarks would be taken as intended and everyone would by now have moved on to something else.

Your coments on the IRA thing are pertinent - I`m sure we Brits would be more likely to react in light of that particular background, but I still have difficulty imagining anyone from any background reacting well to the use of that phrase.

For what it`s worth (this is just a fact and not a political point) quite a few bombs thrown in the UK have actually been thrown by fascists - the Soho nail-bomber, and quite a number of fire-bombings of houses,businesses.

Personally, I think I`ll just leave the topic alone myself, but I am puzzled that deniro found anything at all to object to in my comments.

Best,

Nick

posted by nickhoonaloon at 2:05 pm (EST) on Sep 21, 2007

You need to find a Zen magazine ;)

posted by dchaikin at 9:18 pm (EST) on Sep 20, 2007

Hi - I'm relatively new to the LT and somehow stumbled across the Happy Heathens group and the long series of posts on the "i believe in god" thread. I just felt compelled to reach out to you and let you know that I find something about your posts to be wise and helpful ... many of the other posts were fascinating as well. I'm not sure really what to say except that in some way, this means something to me that I don't understand yet. So, thanks.

Iris

PS - wow, you live in Alaska!

posted by villandry at 11:43 am (EST) on Sep 18, 2007

You are welcome. I understand your frustration. So human, we are! Be well and enjoy the fun.

posted by maggie1944 at 2:06 pm (EST) on Sep 17, 2007

hello? where are you? I think I have been missing you on the threads and posts? Did you get completely tired of the 'believe or not in God' discussion? I found it a bit tedious and sometimes a bit harsh. Any way, hope you are well and not off the computer because of illness or other emergency type life events.

posted by maggie1944 at 3:04 pm (EST) on Sep 16, 2007

Thanks for the offer. Though I must admit, it will be a while before I ever make it to Squarebanks again. :D

posted by codyed at 3:24 pm (EST) on Sep 14, 2007

I firmly believe that you can achieve enlightenment living in the society that we dwell in. A key to the difficult balance act is to be in a situation that allows you to not worry about paying your daily bills without spending all your time at a job because you won't have time to discover your humanity. Food for thought.

posted by KennyG at 11:08 am (EST) on Sep 7, 2007

That reminds me of the time I visited Maharishi University in Iowa and they talked of 8,200 getting together anywhere in the world and the place would be more peaceful. I believe that each day I will encounter some happy people,some unhappy people as I must be centered and not have my mood influenced by anyone else. I need to be a bright light for my own well being and in turn I will brighten others lives.

posted by KennyG at 8:23 pm (EST) on Aug 27, 2007

Artic, are you flirting with me? Melisande....sigh....ok sometimes I miss it.

posted by littlegeek at 6:35 pm (EST) on Aug 27, 2007

Why does that not surprise me? I used to be a version of Phedre, so there you go. Do I miss it? Not much....most of the time....

posted by littlegeek at 6:08 pm (EST) on Aug 27, 2007

Hey, Arctic,
How did you like Kushiel's Dart?
I'll be listening to your radio show tonight. Hope you enjoy your last broadcast with the spawn.

posted by littlegeek at 5:18 pm (EST) on Aug 27, 2007

Hi,

Please help me to understand the concept behind remaining silent for long periods of time. I firmly believe that most spoken words are seemly a waste of time and energy.This is true with the cellphone as the first line is always How are you doing? How does the concept of silence play out when you are having a dinner party for 40 people?

posted by KennyG at 5:17 pm (EST) on Aug 17, 2007

It's also nice to be able to meet people who are your age or older, in my case, and just see the different views on what they believe, how they think. That's what I love most, because I love discussing things with people. :D

posted by QueenAlyss at 8:14 pm (EST) on Aug 16, 2007

I know, these are awesome. I absolutely love being able to talk to people about books I love, especially since it seems to be lacking (the urge to read that is) in youth these days

posted by QueenAlyss at 8:12 pm (EST) on Aug 16, 2007

Hey, I've seen you around on The Green Dragon, (and others I think) and thought I'd stop by to say hey cuz you seemed like a cool guy.

posted by QueenAlyss at 7:17 pm (EST) on Aug 16, 2007

Hi,

I recently read a book explaining one man's quest to find his guru or spiritual teacher. He concluded that you dont have to go anywhere to find enlightenment and you are probably not going to meet a wise soul like Dan Millman did in the peaceful warrior. Do you believe that like in many books that you can be walking down the street and just happen to meet a spiritual teacher?

posted by KennyG at 3:47 pm (EST) on Aug 15, 2007

Welcome to the Political Conservatives group. As you can see, the group welcomes comments from those who don't identify themselves as conservatives -- although some of the resulting discussions are more cordial than others. :)

posted by ggchickapee at 1:13 pm (EST) on Aug 15, 2007

Except maybe your son decided that maybe if he just put a little dent in it, he'd get to take it home and instead the thing shattered into a million little pieces.

posted by Jesse_wiedinmyer at 7:34 pm (EST) on Aug 10, 2007

I haven't joined any groups yet. I'm supposed to be carefully monitoring how much time I spend on here so I don't go overboard. So far, that's not working, Heh.

posted by mmonk at 7:18 pm (EST) on Jul 26, 2007

We're on each other's Interesting Library lists! Just wanted to say, "hi!"

posted by mmonk at 6:30 pm (EST) on Jul 26, 2007

Hi,

Hope life is treating you with a gentle hand. One question that remains for me concerning Paradise Lost is Noah. Everyone else in the world was killed including children but Noah and his family were allowed to survive. What was Noah doing or thinking that made him superior to everyone else. How did god decide that this one man and his family were the chosen ones to start to populate the world. If I know what Noah was doing to receive this great reward I would follow in his foot steps.

posted by KennyG at 7:24 pm (EST) on Jul 18, 2007

Just stopping in to say hi so I feel less stalker-ish about watching your library :)

posted by 9days at 1:39 pm (EST) on Jul 13, 2007

bondage-a-go-go

posted by Jesse_wiedinmyer at 1:16 am (EST) on Jul 12, 2007

Hi,

I agree with your take on god's love but in human terms
he created man,allowed them the freedom to choose our life path and then starts over after we make bad chooses. On a positive note I have added yoga to my daily life. Real great!

posted by KennyG at 10:24 am (EST) on Jul 6, 2007

Hi,

A question comes to mind as I read Paradise Lost. Got created Adam and Eve and they failed to be able to live in Eden. Then the world was flooded and Noah was the being good enough to be spared. What did he do to deserve this honor. Then we started over with all new people. Is the product that
was created after the Arc any better? Look at our society??

posted by KennyG at 7:15 pm (EST) on Jul 5, 2007

Thanks, Arctic. I knew that, but it's such a weird experience. I can't imagine how it affects people who didn't discuss it first, or even those who didn't discuss it as thoroughly as Dad & I did. It's just the biggest thing there is.

Thanks for the pastoral care. Your parishoners (constituents?) are lucky.

posted by littlegeek at 4:36 pm (EST) on Jun 29, 2007

Hello! I noticed that although we both have somewhat eclectic libraries, we still have a good number of books and interests in common.

To start with: I've read Osama Tezuka's Adolf series and found it to be very good. Every time I go to a bookstore, his Buddha series is sitting there just begging for me to read it and I'm very close to giving in! (And you seem to approve!) Have you read anything else by him?

posted by PhoenixTerran at 10:36 am (EST) on Jun 15, 2007

>I was wondering if you had read As Francesca? I am trying to place it on my "to read" list, and i am wondering how high it should go.
posted by Arctic-Stranger at 5:32 pm (EST) on Mar 1, 2007 | reply | archive | delete

Wow - I haven't looked at my comments in a while! No, I haven't read it yet. I'm famous for picking up things that look interesting when I find a good book sale, and they tend to pile up. Have you read it since posting?

posted by LisaLynne at 6:05 pm (EST) on Jun 9, 2007

Hope life is treating you with a gentle hand. I am looking to discuss the book Paradise Lost or just discuss religion in general. Any willing participants?

posted by KennyG at 10:11 am (EST) on Jun 8, 2007

Did you read paradise lost.Want to discuss religion?

posted by KennyG at 7:32 pm (EST) on May 23, 2007

My LJ is public, no snooping involved.

Let's see....when I lived in NY I was a Yankee's fan, still am but it's probably not your fault you're a Red Sox fan. Must be your sad upbringing....;-) Now that I live on the left coast again, I'm into the Giants & A's, both of whom are mediocre at the moment. That doesn't stop me from watching them, tho. I guess I'm just a diehard. Next year will be better once Bonds finally goes away. I never liked that guy.

My favorite Tarot deck is one based on baseball. It really works! I wonder if it will touchstone....?

posted by littlegeek at 3:29 pm (EST) on May 17, 2007

You know, the older I get, the more I find navel-gazing tiresome. The whole idea of spirituality is that one thing it is not is rational. Once you have accepted rationality as a limited-use, but important, tool, you are free to let go of the need to justify God's actions, or your own. Then it becomes a quest to refine yourself into closer approximations of what an actually good person should look like. Here, on planet Earth, 21st century. Let the afterlife take care of itself.

First there's a mountain, then there isn't, then there is. If you don't get back to chopping wood eventually, you're missing the point.

But then, I'm a Capricorn so I age backwards. Looking forward to an enchanting childhood.

btw, I love the diversity of your catalogue. You review your porn, and that is so cool! I can see why we are 98%, we've read so many of the same books.

posted by littlegeek at 12:54 pm (EST) on May 17, 2007

Artic, thanks for the scintillating discussion today about Graham Greene on Happy Heathens. It's always great chatting with you.

posted by littlegeek at 8:22 pm (EST) on May 16, 2007

read some of your comments on a 'talk' thread, and am now very intrigued by your library. i think i am going to enjoy wandering through it.

posted by veritas at 7:41 pm (EST) on Apr 10, 2007

In reality your teacher might come to you in your small town or is it best to look for you guru. I agree with the notion of the unspoken word as much of our verbalization is unneeded and not fruitful.

posted by KennyG at 6:34 pm (EST) on Mar 28, 2007

An interesting concept that is the theme in many of the books that I read is a characters search for a guru. A book titled the Way of the Peaceful Warrior the man found his spiritual teacher in a garage. When traveling through India I was told that the Guru is inside of you as you need to bring that out. I went to the Maharishi University in Iowa and was told that the answers are floating above us and we need to plug into this
other reality. Many people go to India to find their guru.Give me some feedback on the issue.

posted by KennyG at 11:00 am (EST) on Mar 27, 2007

Hmmm, My ex once rubbed elbows (literally) with Carol Channing...

I'm enjoying The Princess Bride immensely. Having seen the movie a few dozen times, I'm actually enjoying the book all the more. It makes me want to go see the original text, just as a comparison of writing styles.

WHL

posted by WholeHouseLibrary at 6:00 pm (EST) on Mar 22, 2007

Hi there, One Flew Under the Cuckoo's Nest is set in a psychiatric institution. Some of the patients have schizophrenia. A few are depressed and others are in because of sexual abuse or anorexia or an unknown cause. They don't seem to get help or even understanding from the shrinks. The central characters are a husband and his schizophrenic wife. They are very much in love. The strength of their love is really put to the test as she gets progressively worse. As I read it I felt heartbroken by their plight. Strangely my sympathies went out to the husband. The poor guy couldn't cope. I wanted someone to help him. I think the 'under' in the book's title refers to him. There's many other dramas unfolding as well. Some are hopeful, others inconclusive. I found the book educational among other things. Psychiatric care is still portrayed as lacking in expertise and humanity the way it was in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. It's a good read and challenging. I was moved, and I suppose overall the feelings were ones of outrage mixed with sadness and frustration. There's also poignant moments when I really tried not to laugh but I had to.

posted by nikki5 at 8:35 am (EST) on Mar 17, 2007

Re: Thai and Japanese cookbooks

I'm sorry, the reason I have so many cookbooks is because I'm a pastry chef. Unfortunatly I don't know the first thing about Thai or Japanese cooking. I'll ask around at work and if I get an answer, I'll post it here.

posted by Acelina at 5:07 am (EST) on Mar 17, 2007

Have you read by any chance One Flew Under the Cuckoo's Nest?

posted by nikki5 at 4:49 pm (EST) on Mar 14, 2007

The book by Jack Kornfield deals with an issue that has interested me for many years. It is simple to be enlightened up in the mountains with no responsibilities. I believe a great test is bringing a swami into a regular house with two kids,a stressful job ect. I realize that the swami wouldn't pick to live in the burbs but what if.....

posted by KennyG at 8:29 pm (EST) on Mar 13, 2007

Loving what is : four questions that can change your life
by Byron Katie. Ok. I will read this book on your command. I have been looking for those little twists of fate. My belly says that I already know the four answers though.

posted by buddagirl at 1:17 am (EST) on Mar 13, 2007

Re: Your comment at my place

Yep. :)

posted by Ragnell at 12:18 am (EST) on Mar 9, 2007

I'm pretty sure I'm a girl dork, or, for you, I could be a girl, dork! Have a great day!

posted by iamagirldork at 3:48 pm (EST) on Mar 7, 2007

Thanks for the comment about my rating habits. I think commentary -- even just little bits, carefully chosen -- is important. The rating stars only say so much and can be easily taken out of context; a few choice words can provide that.

Your profile says: "I am more interested now in the things I cannot talk about than the things I can discuss." I have been feeling much the same way of late, the more so after reading Maugham's "The Razor's Edge" and Mistry's "A Fine Balance" back to back. The penultimate paragraph of "The Razor's Edge" is worth a read all by itself.

posted by TTAISI-Editor at 10:35 pm (EST) on Mar 6, 2007

Well, you can always ask.

Let see, personal and academic interests both really. The joys of being both a practitioner and someone who studies practitioners, its an interesting and fun life sometimes.

posted by nuadu at 4:33 pm (EST) on Mar 5, 2007

Well, if you are going to only try it the easy way . . .

Well, lets start with theory over practice then? I know its not the "in" way of doing things these days, but call me a traditionalist. My own areas of interest are both Kabbalistic and Neoplatonic/Hermetic (Hermetism having largely derived its cosmology from Neoplatonism). That being the case, here are some of my metaphysical suggestions:

Kabbalah (Jewish rather than post-Christian)
-Kabbalah by Gershom Scholem - a good history along with topics and people of import
-Zohar: Book of Enlightenment trans by Daniel Matt - excerpts from the Zohar, not the whole thing. Gives a nice feel so you can decide if you want to spend the money on the full thing.
-Sha'are Orah (The Gates of Light) - by Joseph Gikatilla. A slightly pre-Zoharic classic, focusing exclusively on the nature of the sefirot.
-Sefer Yetzirah - trans by Aryeh Kaplan. A pre-Kabbalistic work expounding on the mystic nature of the letters of the Alef-Bet.

Neoplatonism/Hermetism/Gnosticism
-The Enneads - by Plotinus, the founder of Neoplatonism. For Neoplatonic cosmology and theology.
-Pseudo-Dionysius: The Complete Works trans by Karlfried Froehlich. An early Christian take on cosmology, heavily influenced by Neoplatonic and Gnostic thought.
-Hermetica - trans by Brian Copenhaver. The complete Corpus Hermeticum, the foundational text of classical Hermetism, alas frequently forgotten by modern Hermetic magicians.

By no means are all of these necessary and by no means is this list exhaustive, but its a start.

posted by nuadu at 10:11 am (EST) on Mar 4, 2007

Appreciate the comment. My wife came up with it as an alias to use for me on her blog. She said it was a combination of what she believed to be my two favorite things. Where does your name come from, by the way?

Happy cataloging to you.

posted by coffeezombie at 11:31 am (EST) on Mar 3, 2007

Well, it is one of the most influential of the Kabbalistic texts. That being said there are good translations and not so good translations, the Matt translation is probably the best of the lot. My ranking system is somewhat loose and is a combination of how useful I thought the book was, how important it is and how good a translation/commentary attached to it is. Dr. Matt's work is second to none and the importance of the Zohar is monumental, and I rather quite enjoy reading it, when I have the chance, as well, so high marks. _That_ being said, I'm a bigger fan of Sha'are Orah (Gates of Light).

As for recommendations, I guess it depends on what you are looking for. I'm always happy to share, I just need a little more to go on is all.

posted by nuadu at 6:05 pm (EST) on Mar 2, 2007

Hi there! I personally didn't find it particularly useful, though that might be because it wasn't really geared towards me and my own practices tend to not be particularly GD-esq in nature. While I am planning on going back and looking at the variants on the middle pillar exercise, that will probably be about it. You can find my admittedly mixed review at http://www.jwmt.org/v2n11/work.html

posted by nuadu at 4:28 pm (EST) on Mar 2, 2007