Member: marc_beherec

Just popping by to say Hi since it's been a while. "Hi!"

posted by slickdpdx at 11:32 pm (EST) on Nov 1, 2009

Marc,

So sorry to hear that. It is tough. My work is in mortgage lending - small brokerage. We are struggling mightily.

Where are you going in Nevada?

posted by richardbsmith at 11:52 pm (EST) on Jun 7, 2009

Got the FB notice. I think the problem you were experiencing is that the FB profile link requires that you are signed on to FB yourself. Once you have FB opened, then links to other profiles should work.

Thanks. Looking forward to your updates on LT and on FB.
Richard

posted by richardbsmith at 1:01 pm (EST) on Jun 1, 2009

It's the curse of having a name like Richard Smith that there are so many listed in every venue - phone book, google searches, and Facebook. I have sent a friend request. Thanks for joining the Isaiah group. Have some exchanges with Charles ?? on Isaiah 6, still in the Christianity group. He has not noticed that I tried to move the discussion to Isaiah group, and so we have continued in the Christianity group.
Please join in there, maybe it will stir some interest in the larger group, and the subsequent threads can move over to the new group. BTW, with your background and focus, you are the expert here.

posted by richardbsmith at 8:10 am (EST) on Jun 1, 2009

Quite a pleasure! Thank you for accepting my request :),

Lady Lovecraft

posted by LadyLovecraft at 4:18 pm (EST) on May 16, 2009

Marc, I just finished "The Place of Enchantment" by Alex Owen, and thought it was excellent. It starts out slow, not surprisingly for a scholarly work, as the author describes the cultural climate leading up to and including the occult movement in the fin de siecle and early modernist periods. But then Owen shifts to a more narrative style, and relates some of the experiences of the occultists, especially members of the Golden Dawn. Particularly the chapter "Aleister Crowley in the Desert" would be riveting to most readers, I think. She concludes the book by contextualizing these occult experiences and ideas in terms of modernism and post-modernism. In fact, she does such a great job of summarizing both movements that I wish I had read this book shortly before my MA exams.

posted by FredSmeegle at 6:07 pm (EST) on Mar 25, 2009

I don't know who provided that!

posted by slickdpdx at 6:10 pm (EST) on Feb 1, 2009

That book of detective stories from so many different eras and cultures looks like a good find!

posted by slickdpdx at 5:33 pm (EST) on Nov 26, 2008

I'm nearing the end, unfortunately. Seabrook has just set out with the botanist and they've overnighted at the ruins of an old plantation. Fortunately, there is more Seabrook to go. I've got Adventures in Arabia, Jungle Ways and Asylum. I also picked up the bio his (second?) wife wrote. I think I will pick up the air travel book. I am wondering whether the book about immigrants is worthy. If its told at the same level of observation and enthusiasm I don't see why it can't be almost as good as the books abroad.

posted by slickdpdx at 12:06 pm (EST) on Jul 28, 2008

Hey Marc,

Nice to see you here and yes, it's fun to browse other people's libraries....

Cheers, Matt

posted by BarkingMatt at 8:39 am (EST) on Apr 21, 2008

I think I have "Who Wrote the Bible" on my amazon wish list...Along with 160 other books...So tell me, what is your dissertation about? Is this for your Ph.D?

posted by SageWoodWitch at 12:08 am (EST) on Apr 20, 2008

Thanks for the boost, it really helps to know there's atleast one other person out there that has a Ph.D. without a highschool diploma. I'd love to go all way. I'd really love to be one of those people they interview on the history channel for the religion documentaries lol. And yes! It surely is a pain in the ass! Definitly not at all fair. I could be a damn prodigy ya know? I could have the cure for cancer! And the world would never know all because universities won't take me because I don't have SAT scores...What a shame...

Why did your professor like the book? Did he give you specific reasons? I think one of the main reasons I like the book is because of all the people in it that he meets along the way. It's actually given me an interest in reading biographies about biblical archaeologists.

posted by SageWoodWitch at 12:15 pm (EST) on Apr 19, 2008

I will be making my own Religions major at UMASS Boston (under their individual major option) because they no longer offer a major called "Religious Studies" though they do still offer courses in that area. The draw back though is that they don't have enough courses for an entire major so I will have to supplement by being a visiting student at other colleges like Boston University and Brandies, since both those colleges have Religion majors. I'm sure your asking yourself why I don't just apply to those schools. Well, it's actually a really dumb reason, I don't have a high school diploma, just a GED and those schools want SAT scores which I don't have.

This is actually rather unfair considering the fact that I have almost a 3.2 GPA, and I'm a member of Alpha Beta Gamma which is an honors society for business students. Now, when I change majors to transfer they would only really take my liberal arts credits to put towards a Religions degree, and those grades are even better than my business grades;
Anthropology - A
Philosophy - B
English 1 and 2 - A and B
College Writing - A
Psychology - A
Myth, Magic, and Mystery - A
Catch my drift? It really burns me that they wouldn't take me because I don't have SAT scores, you'd think I'd be a better cannidate because I'm a high school drop out and then rose to the occasion to prove myself in community college. So, I'm hoping that by getting my foot in the door at UMASS, it will pull some strings and maybe later I can get into a better school with a better Religions major.

So what are your thoughts on all that? ;-)

On a book note, I noticed there's one I have that atleast your not showing on LT. "Walking the Bible: A Journey by Land Though the Five Books of Moses." By Bruce Feiler. I'm reading it right now and it's actually really interesting. It reads like a biography of sorts, and it mentions many people I'm sure you know. I always like reading about people I've heard of before.

Also, have you ever seen the History Internation channel show "The Naked Archaeologist"? It's about biblical archaeology? Great show, I love it...

posted by SageWoodWitch at 6:24 pm (EST) on Apr 17, 2008

We must be long lost best friends!!! I'm super interested in biblical studies/archaeology though I'm not even close to being Jewish/Christian etc... I'm actually Pagan. In May I'll be graduating with a business degree but going on to change my major to religious studies, with alittle anthropology/archaeology mixed in. Right now we only share one book in our libraries, at the moment my pagan library far exceeds my religions library but it's slowly growing...I'd love to chat! Drop me a line!

posted by SageWoodWitch at 1:12 am (EST) on Apr 16, 2008