Comments for If This Be Method ...

Comment on Re: It’s The End of the World As We Know It by Robyn Russell

Robyn Russell — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 23:17:48 +0000

The previews don’t quite specify. Apparently some sort of high tech arks although, judging by the ginormous waves o’ destruction, I’m thinking giant surfboards might be a better idea …..

Comment on Re: It’s The End of the World As We Know It by PhantomMidge

PhantomMidge — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 22:27:52 +0000

Ha! I’m going to have to check out the previews to see what kind of ships…

Comment on Re: Little Triumphs by PhantomMidge

PhantomMidge — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 22:26:39 +0000

It’s one of those times you think, “Damn, I love my job!” Gotta celebrate those

Comment on Re: Little Triumphs by Daniel Cornwall

Daniel Cornwall — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 22:01:58 +0000

“In doing this bit of extra digging, we set the historical record straight and gave this woman back her identity. A small thing and no more than our job, but we were glad to do it.”

Value of a restored identity – Priceless!

Thanks for the deed and for the sharing. – Daniel

Comment on Re: It’s The End of the World As We Know It by Daniel Cornwall

Daniel Cornwall — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 21:59:32 +0000

Amusing and accurate. Thanks for sharing.

Comment on Re: EEEEEEEK! by civilservant

civilservant — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 23:42:20 +0000

Trick or treat, smell my feet, give me something ….ur…on second thought, I seem to have lost my appetite ….

Comment on Re: EEEEEEEK! by Dokterozda

Dokterozda — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 20:25:03 +0000

dr.Ozda says: Take two of these and call me in the morning.

Comment on Re: Improving My Mind by PhantomMidge

PhantomMidge — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 19:41:04 +0000

This post and the Times article make me think of a book I just read called The Right of the Reader by Daniel Pennac.

I would be curious to know what you think of the Times article & Great Books after you read it (it’s an amazing book and it’s very short)…

Comment on Re: Improving My Mind by civilservant

civilservant — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 22:51:10 +0000

Thanks for your suggestions, Paul. I haven’t read the Odyssey or indeed any of the Greek/Roman myths in years, not since elementary school. Could be time for a re-read.
Have read Chekov’s “The Bear”, also known as “The Boor”–a fun little one-act play. Actually, I read the collected Grimm’s Fairy Tales, very interesting when taken as a whole, recommend it to people who only know a couple of the well-known fairy tales.
Tried “The Prince”, but had to give it up. Machiavelli keeps giving historical anecdotes about Italian political history which possibly would be more interesting if I knew what the heck he was talking about. It’s impossible to judge his understanding of the events without understanding the events themselves.
Don’t know about the political philosophy stuff. “Rights of man” is synonymous with “nap time” in my book.

Comment on Re: Improving My Mind by Paul Adasiak

Paul Adasiak — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 17:54:05 +0000

Have you read Odyssey yet? Old translations make it seem stuffy, but the Fagles translation (as I recall; it’s been over a decade) is exciting.

Aristophanes’s Lysistrata is a fun, bawdy read. Like most of the classics, just as applicable today.

Try out some Euclid. (Don’t try to “read” Elements front to back.) It’s amazing what he could do with just a compass and a straightedge.

Dabble in Chaucer. Again, don’t try to read Canterbury Tales straight through, but pick and choose your tales.

Ever read Machiavelli? Hafta read The Prince.

Try a Shakespeare play you haven’t read before. Get a version with lots of footnotes.

Descartes’s Meditations on First Philosophy is a good read — although kids who have seen “The Matrix” will never again be impressed by it — and it’s fun to punch holes through René’s arguments for the existence of God.

Hobbes (Leviathan), Locke (Concerning Civil Government), and Rousseau (The Social Contract) are all essential reading in the philosophy of government that’s based on human needs rather than the divine right of kings.

Chekhov’s plays and short stories are nice reading. Don’t start with something heavy like The Cherry Orchard; instead, try The Marriage Proposal or The Bear.

Have you read Grimm’s Fairy Tales? Even the gruesome or anti-Semitic ones?

From the Hebrew Bible, I especially like Song of Songs and the book of Job. (Neil Simon did a hilarious adaptation of Job called God’s Favorite; read this even if it’s not a “Great Book”.)

Bon appétit!