Judah's Judaism's

judahc — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 07:30:09 +0000

I’ve decided that I dislike comment pages. For me blogging is about listening (reading) what a blogger has to say about their life, something that is not meant for interaction or debate. I don’t mind sending people messages, I actually prefere it. I prefer to write private messages to my friends, because I feel like I can express my true self. I don’t have to worry about what other readers think of me. In some sense I dislike blogs as well. I think that they make me too accessible to the rest of the world. Part of what makes friendship meaningful is its accessibility. Because I can’t visit my friends all the time, I appreciate what little time I do have with them. Blogging seems to create this false intimacy between me and my friends, and I would even argue takes time away from my friendships. I would still post contact information in a blog, but the rest is subject to change. I may very well drop off the map altogether, that is, to make myself less accessible and my friendship more meaningful for the few who choose to pursue it. Indeed, I am in danger of becoming a hermet. I prefer sincere genuine friendship, not the superficial kind.

James Sosnoski is My Hero!

judahc — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 10:35:03 +0000

I loved the reading by Sosnoski. I actually was able to follow his reasoning [chuckle]. I think he really made a good point with respect to skimming in the print environment. I recall some of the very same feelings of jealousy he had toward those who skim through the readings before a lecture and asked questions as if they read the text entirely. I especially relate to the guilt that he felt when skimming through a book. I, too, have a compulsion to read every word of a printed book. Seldom am I satisfied with a superficial understanding of a text. I just have to squeeze out all the meaning, otherwise it would go to waste. But often I find myself lost in the details which is rather disheartening. I have worked so hard to be where I am and still envy those who get good grades without reading the texts. I’ve held desperately onto my principles of learning, but it seems that in order to progress academically I must loosen my standards. Skimming through college is, at least partly, inevitable.

The “Dismal Science”

judahc — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 10:17:49 +0000

Once again I’m awake into the wee hours of the night reading the various works of dead economists. This week it’s Mallthus and archnemesis Ricardo. Malthus is probably the most depressing economist I have ever read, and I’m sure will ever read. He views just about every kind of evil in the world as “necessary” in the interest of population control. He welcomes war and pleague like they’re his long lost sons. Indeed, his cynicism is at times difficult to bear. Ricardo, however, his far more optimistic believing in the perfectibility of humanity. His biography is rather amusing. Albeit he was a wealthy broker he supported policies that would take away his wealthy advantage, which also made him the target of criticism from other less scrupulous capitalists. I find most of my readings amusingly stimulating, more like a breath of fresh air compared to the readings I have from POMO authors. I am definately a linear reader!

Word of the Day is “Mantra”

judahc — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 08:32:43 +0000

American Heritage Dictionary – Cite This Source – Share This

man·tra (mān’trə, mŭn’-) Pronunciation Key
n.

Hinduism A sacred verbal formula repeated in prayer, meditation, or incantation, such as an invocation of a god, a magic spell, or a syllable or portion of scripture containing mystical potentialities.
A commonly repeated word or phrase: “Today’s edutainment software comes shrinkwrapped in the magic mantra: ‘makes learning fun.’” (Clifford Stoll).

A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse!

judahc — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 22:28:01 +0000

Meaning

One of Shakespeare’s best known lines. The quotation is sometimes now repeated ironically when someone is is need of some unimportant item.

Origin

From Shakespeare’s Richard III, 1591/2:

CATESBY:
Rescue, my Lord of Norfolk, rescue, rescue!
The king enacts more wonders than a man,
Daring an opposite to every danger:
His horse is slain, and all on foot he fights,
Seeking for Richmond in the throat of death.
Rescue, fair lord, or else the day is lost!

KING RICHARD III:
A horse! a horse! my kingdom for a horse!

CATESBY:
Withdraw, my lord; I’ll help you to a horse.

Source: http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/186700.html

It has recently come to my attention that my rebellion against the english writing process throughout middle-school failed utterly. Oddly, writing a final draft was the first step in my writing process. The second step involved a worsening of the first draft; the third step, an additional worsening of the second draft. In retrospect, what I like to call one of several various “Judah-isms”, exemplified academic lethargy. Indeed, it was LAZINESS that motivated such a scheme, though, I must admit, it was both ambitious and creative. >> To Be Continued

Philosophical Dialogue

judahc — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 21:13:27 +0000

Last night I had a rather lengthy philosophical discussion which lasted until approximately 2:00AM. Nathan and I facetiously concluded that it would be in our interest to construct an “intellectual diet pyramid” for intellectual planning purposes. Presumably, if we consume too much of one discipline we might experience any one of several various ailments, including but not limited to, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, indigestion, heartburn, etc. Indeed, we both had a good laugh, and I am certainly enjoying the thought of sharing it with the rest of cyberspace.

Hello world!

judahc — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 20:23:16 +0000

Welcome to WordPress.com. This is your first post. Edit or delete it and start blogging!