tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-85996395155258270382011-07-08T10:05:22.621-07:00Heavily Influenced by St. John's Annapolis GREAT BOOKS Program, Class of '71, this is my 10th year posting on the Internet: Philosophy, Religion, Poetry, EssaysSitaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630194981284121812noreply@blogger.comBlogger761100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8599639515525827038.post-16919044627390473822009-08-06T09:15:00.001-07:002009-08-06T09:49:08.441-07:00

The first lesson, simple as it is, is that whatever court we're in, whatever we are doing, at the end of our task some human being is going to be affected. Some human life is going to be changed by what we do. And so we had better use every power of our minds and our hearts and our beings to get those rulings right. - Justice David SouterAccording to Jeffrey Toobin's book The Nine, Souter has a

Sitaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630194981284121812noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8599639515525827038.post-63716853215070052632009-08-02T17:26:00.000-07:002009-08-02T17:43:04.855-07:00

Plurk's short responses do not really allow for lengthy philosophical replies.Someone has asked the question:If you were asked "Why do you *want* a child?" what would you respond?So, I shall try to reply here at some length, and then just post the link into the Plurk thread.I shall add to this blog over the course of the coming hours and perhaps days, so if you have some interest in what I write,

Sitaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630194981284121812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8599639515525827038.post-32355843139499877342009-07-24T21:45:00.000-07:002009-07-24T21:46:07.467-07:00

Viktor Frankl states (in "Man's Search for Meaning") that our final freedom, which no one can take from us, is how we choose to REGARD our circumstances. Freedom is a word which has many different meanings in various contexts, but does not imply absolute freedom. Sartre in the opening pages of "Being and Nothingness" basically says that we are doomed to be free, since to totally give up ones

Sitaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630194981284121812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8599639515525827038.post-64701213831056180392009-07-16T15:51:00.001-07:002009-07-16T15:51:47.771-07:00

My friend opened a fortune cookie which said "act before the window of opportunity closes" and she thought "what the hell does THAT mean."Here is my response.Life is a series of "windows of opportunity."Those windows are constantly opening, and then closing. Often we are not aware. We have many choices as we pass through life. When we are age 6, we can choose to take up ballet, and we have some

Sitaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630194981284121812noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8599639515525827038.post-20337060243419842922009-07-12T07:30:00.000-07:002009-07-12T11:50:56.016-07:00

Child's Question: Where was I when you and mom got married?Father's Answer: A part of you was in mommy and a part was in daddy?Child's Next Question: Where was my HEAD?My reaction:It may more prudent to provide children with accurate information when they request it, to the level which they can understand. What you said IS clever, but obviously part of your cleverness is your success in being

Sitaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630194981284121812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8599639515525827038.post-27366378114009711152009-07-09T11:28:00.000-07:002009-07-09T11:29:23.578-07:00

Suppose you were in a Bonhoeffer type situation. Suppose it were revealed to you that a certain person was going to develop a weapon of mass destruction and use it to kill one billion innocent people. Suppose you were suddenly placed before this person with a gun in your hand. You know that if you assassinate this person, the weapon technology will never be developed and those one billion people

Sitaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630194981284121812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8599639515525827038.post-21007549894816819672009-07-05T14:13:00.000-07:002009-07-05T14:33:21.113-07:00

The Greek word in the New Testament that denotes "sin" is "hamartia" which has its origins in Homeric Greek as a word in archery to denote "missing the mark".Remember the crucial scene in the Odyssey, where the suitors all fail to string the bow, and Ulysses is the only one to both string the bow, and shoot the arrow through the small target.Here is how Aristotle used the word in "Poetics" and in

Sitaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630194981284121812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8599639515525827038.post-45437174085472851402009-07-02T17:21:00.000-07:002009-07-02T17:59:58.983-07:00

We are animals, as opposed to plants or inanimate objects (a virus being a curious transition between living and inanimate).. I once asked a Jungian M.D. what he considered to be Jung's greatest single work, and he replied a small monograph entitled "On the Nature of the Psyche". Jung describes there the "psychoid" aspect of matter, in that it strives towards consciousness. Jung states that if

Sitaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630194981284121812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8599639515525827038.post-9504136985898259132009-06-30T07:23:00.000-07:002009-06-30T07:24:25.467-07:00

Clearing It Up: Neo-Conservatives and Neo-LiberalsShareYesterday at 12:33am by one of my favorite alumni, Calvin JohnsBelieve it or not, you can be BOTH a Neo-Con and neo-liberal. In fact, that's kinda common.Neo-Conservatives are a POLITICAL faction that believe in a couple things: First, the average person is not smart enough to rule him/herself. Second, a small group of wealthy elites should

Sitaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630194981284121812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8599639515525827038.post-65509277579540150092009-06-28T11:34:00.000-07:002009-06-28T11:58:39.867-07:00

How does each of you define what it means to say someone is "an intellectual?" In what sense is it a good thing to be and intellectual and in what sense is it bad? How many of you consider yourselves to be intellectuals. Name 3 or for publications which you see as intellectual, and 3 or four which are definitely not intellectual. Name the 10 top people in your lifetime, living or dead, who are

Sitaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630194981284121812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8599639515525827038.post-86888408914080877772009-06-26T17:14:00.000-07:002009-06-27T17:27:54.698-07:00

I shall be using this post to comment upon a number of links I have found today, which touch upon what Herodotus described in his History of the Persian Wars, regarding ancient burial practices now confirmed by archeologistsI might as well get right to the point, up front, of what is on my mind, and then below are various supporting links.If we look at ancient texts like Herodotus and Homer, and

Sitaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630194981284121812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8599639515525827038.post-20045696437887672572009-06-24T17:32:00.000-07:002009-06-24T17:36:14.178-07:00

Lillian I completely agree with you, Michelle. It's important for wronged individuals to reclaim their dignity when it has been bruised.Taynia I can't agree more!! he made a fool out of her and his staff....let him sing about crying in Argentina by himself!Cathy I am not happy with Governor Sanford. He had been doing so many things right now he bucked it up.Rose This just confirms Mitt Romney was

Sitaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630194981284121812noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8599639515525827038.post-32282384421077607282009-06-24T12:43:00.000-07:002009-06-24T12:46:50.477-07:00

I have been using clipperz.com for a few weeks now as well as 4mypasswords.comclipperz.com offers you the ability to RANDOMLY generate a long strong password, one that you could never possibly remember, and barely write down, since it contains all sorts of random signs as well as numbers and upper/lower case letters.clipperz.com does have a gmail support forum that one may join to post questions,

Sitaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630194981284121812noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8599639515525827038.post-58578850451396631422009-06-23T17:44:00.001-07:002009-06-23T17:44:43.212-07:00

I once asked my shrink (an M.D. who did counseling and prescribed things like inderal and valium for a bargain $80 for an hour on a Saturday)... I asked him to "draw me a tree", he grined a wicked knowing smile, and in 30 seconds, produced a drawing of a tree all chopped in pieces with an axe lodged in the stump (and a superb drawing it was... revealing that the good doctor was a very gifted

Sitaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630194981284121812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8599639515525827038.post-82633785852437555992009-06-20T12:47:00.000-07:002009-06-20T12:52:25.329-07:00

Curious to relate, it was my participation in DO IT AGAIN group, rereading Iliad, which led me to purchase "Greek Religion" by Walter Burkert, a German scholar (in English translation.) Burkert's book occasionally describes somethings as "atavistic" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atavismwhile others are "chthonic"http://www.answers.com/topic/chthonic Occasionally Berkert mentions findings from the

Sitaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630194981284121812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8599639515525827038.post-47135042670251007112009-06-17T19:24:00.000-07:002009-06-17T19:25:41.683-07:00

I am very glad to have received your email reply.Yes, indeed, your memory is correct! That gallon of leather conditioner that I gave to Fr. Nicholas was a product which my late step mother Eleanor Spalding used to mix in the basement lab and sell to libraries, and it was called MITT SPITT, (refering to the leather catcher's mitts which are also in need of such an oil conditioner.)I have not yet

Sitaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630194981284121812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8599639515525827038.post-754559633344941272009-06-15T20:54:00.000-07:002009-06-15T21:17:06.629-07:00

1.) We know that the first three words of the Iliad areMenin aedei Theawhich isRAGE SING GODDESSSo, it is rather obvious that the Iliad has something to do with RAGE in particularand passions or excess of passions in general.I would LOVE to know if the Greek word hamartia occurs in Homer.We KNOW that Aristotle uses the word hamartia in his Poetics to mean"miscalculation" (understood in

Sitaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630194981284121812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8599639515525827038.post-88731041530881661472009-06-14T21:41:00.000-07:002009-06-15T08:17:17.000-07:00

Due to member requests, the Facebook discussion group "Do It Again - Rereading the St. John's Program" will remain a private group for members only, and no summary or paraphrased synopsis shall be made available.I am of course free to post my own personal observations at my blogspot regarding my re-reading of The Great Books program, but my own comments shall have nothing to do with the private

Sitaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630194981284121812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8599639515525827038.post-71870931160308289462009-06-13T11:13:00.000-07:002009-06-15T08:20:53.247-07:00

Due to member requests, the Facebook discussion group "Do It Again - Rereading the St. John's Program" will remain a private group for members only, and no summary or paraphrased synopsis shall be made available.I shall feel free to continue to blog my own personal thoughts and opinions at my blogspot as I re-read the "great books" program, but my remarks shall in no way paraphrase or represent

Sitaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630194981284121812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8599639515525827038.post-77870349625792050742009-06-12T17:01:00.001-07:002009-06-15T08:25:19.286-07:00

Compare and contrast Achilles and Odysseus from the point of view of conservative vs. liberal values. What do you see in Achilles that says "Democrat?" What do you see in Achilles that say "Republican." Same questions for Odysseus.To put it in a different way, do you see a polarization of the liberal personality and the conservative personality which could be applied to personalities from any

Sitaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630194981284121812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8599639515525827038.post-8977240510231972332009-06-11T14:30:00.001-07:002009-06-11T14:30:37.802-07:00

I used to work at a job which required a commute on the N train, which passes through Chinatown. One night, the train service was interrupted, and I decided to walk around Chinatown to pass the time. I wandered into a shop which had many Buddha statues. A very devout Chinese Buddhist woman, a visitor from Ohio, approached me with great excitement. She was staying at famous Pureland Temple. I had

Sitaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630194981284121812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8599639515525827038.post-77815212387391283672009-06-11T14:14:00.000-07:002009-06-11T14:15:08.040-07:00

I live in NYC. Our city-dwellers are stereotyped in various negative ways. Once, 15 years ago, I had an afternoon free and I was sitting on a bench in Union Square park, near the Gandhi statue. A young man from Bangladesh in his early 20s was sitting at the other end of the bench, smoking. We began to talk and he mentioned that he needed a job in a restaurant. I said, "well, you come with me and

Sitaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630194981284121812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8599639515525827038.post-52842248796951176422009-06-07T17:57:00.000-07:002009-06-15T08:23:29.345-07:00

Due to member requests, the Facebook discussion group "Do It Again - Rereading the St. John's Program" will remain a private group for members only, and no summary or paraphrased synopsis shall be made available.I shall feel free to continue to blog my own personal thoughts and opinions at my blogspot as I re-read the "great books" program, but my remarks shall in no way paraphrase or represent

Sitaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630194981284121812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8599639515525827038.post-78925689822380599592009-06-07T11:31:00.000-07:002009-06-07T12:02:46.656-07:00

Love as stages of acceptanceI heard one song of K.D. Lang with one verse... "I had you in my web/... now here I am instead / hanging by a thread..." which caught my attention.What occurred to me is that love, for anyone, is stages of acceptance.First, in pre-adolescence, there is the process of self-acceptance. We first realize and accept that we are sexual beings. Later comes the discovery and

Sitaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630194981284121812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8599639515525827038.post-14065411867640014672009-06-06T22:13:00.000-07:002009-06-06T22:20:22.331-07:00

IF YOU ARE VISITING FROM FACEBOOK, I shall be adding thoughts periodically to the end of this blog. I have continued here because Facebook sometimes has a problem with to many posts to a single thread. Thanks!Tolerance and apathy are the last virtues of a dying society. AristotleI was suspicious of this quote when I encountered in in PLURK.I began to search for it in google, and found over 5000

Sitaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630194981284121812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8599639515525827038.post-53016439557314637972008-03-27T06:47:00.001-07:002008-03-27T06:47:45.117-07:00

http://hocna.info/Testimony-Elias.shtml

Sitaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630194981284121812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8599639515525827038.post-88649989458205947442008-03-24T09:22:00.000-07:002008-03-24T09:23:23.179-07:00

Who are you? I asked myself.I am not a who; I am a what.I am a misstatement written into the divine dissertation.I am an object of scorn and derision,Fit only for the role of hobble-de-hoi to the mass ofHumans who were turned out perfectly to plan. Yes, a something to be burlesqued and poked atAnd never meant to be part of the whole.Not from outside, no. But within, which shows without,A storm;

Sitaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630194981284121812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8599639515525827038.post-34827755298326653582008-03-23T15:43:00.000-07:002008-03-23T15:49:01.874-07:00

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SarlaccI became interested after reading this blog on the brutality in the Old Testament.

Sitaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630194981284121812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8599639515525827038.post-4280002181854777282008-03-22T19:08:00.000-07:002008-03-23T15:49:54.717-07:00

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06643a.htmGood Friday, called Feria VI in Parasceve in the Roman Missal, he hagia kai megale paraskeue (the Holy and Great Friday) in the Greek Liturgy, Holy Friday in Romance Languages, Charfreitag (Sorrowful Friday) in German, is the English designation of Friday in Holy Week -- that is, the Friday on which the Church keeps the anniversary of the Crucifixion of

Sitaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630194981284121812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8599639515525827038.post-8646956399657773292008-03-21T13:49:00.000-07:002008-03-21T14:09:35.513-07:00

I found a fascinating introductory tutorial on Accounting, which describes prehistoric accounting, prior to the invention of writing and numbers.http://www.middlecity.com/ch01.shtmlAnd the above page refers to a fabulous history of accounting athttp://acct.tamu.edu/giroux/FIRST.htmlI had a long chat today with my best internet friend in Singapore, and I mention it at the end.I would post the link

Sitaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630194981284121812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8599639515525827038.post-11826778670138795502008-03-15T19:26:00.000-07:002008-03-15T19:31:48.840-07:00

Here is the link where I found the entire novel on line.http://www.fullbooks.com/Sons-and-Lovers-by-David-Herbert-Lawrence-D.htmlWhen I tried to embed this link at my blog on Myspace, it was instantly disabled and the message that appeared was kind of unprofessional, talking about "head lice".I guess Myspace has problems with malicious links, so this is their solution.Perhaps, programatically,

Sitaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630194981284121812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8599639515525827038.post-18469313877168763672008-03-15T12:56:00.000-07:002008-03-15T16:30:28.076-07:00

Hanuman (Geetanjali) Cheryl Lynn BrownJust An Irishman (Rich Merritt)Scott (Nebraska)Krishna (Singapore) FalstaffLynnFather V.RebeccaJackieDream girl the realtorAloyisius GrantStephen Pitkin (Music)AmiInMemoryOfTheSurvivedDennisP (St. John's Alumna)JudyCee, Southern Lady of ColorJazCeasarCamarqueBryanJimHell Hendonzer (very funny)Old Bearded OneDeepamGrinnin SinnerE.P.DaliborEnglishLaurenPatrick

Sitaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630194981284121812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8599639515525827038.post-52417165791577151512008-03-11T15:58:00.000-07:002008-03-11T16:00:12.312-07:00

I mentioned in a previous blog that I would be posting upon the following book. I found it germane to post this in reply to someone else's blog, but I shall take the liberty to repost in my own blog, so that I may more conveniently continue this important topic. If we stand back and consider the phenomenon of alienation in its broadest possible abstraction, whether it be on the basis of religion

Sitaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630194981284121812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8599639515525827038.post-87813493829913926422008-03-10T14:58:00.000-07:002008-03-10T15:57:29.728-07:00

I just started using a cell phone (Verizon Wireless). I practiced taking this photo, of scissors on a desk, and then sending it to Verizon's PIX PLACE. I used Microsoft PAINT to crop the photo and show only a certain portion of it. I guess the quality is not so bad. It takes a while to figure out how to sign up, log in, upload, and access a photo from the cell phone. And, supposedly it costs

Sitaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630194981284121812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8599639515525827038.post-11453899153730547412008-03-10T14:31:00.000-07:002008-03-10T15:54:54.921-07:00

Sitaram: Since we all must die one day, therefore, all things eventually pass away. It is hard for people to recognize the benefits of a frame of mind which desires the respite of death. If one fears death, and desires to live forever, then they are doomed to disappointmentKrishna: One should accept deathSitaram: Whereas, if one welcomes the relief of death, then, one is guaranteed that their

Sitaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630194981284121812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8599639515525827038.post-44529744438413441862008-03-10T11:52:00.000-07:002008-03-10T15:55:21.746-07:00

This looks promising! It holds my attention.I must slowly re-read this.No big deal but, this sentence caught my eye:"I followed the quieted sounds in the rooms ahead. "I question it, grammatically.Perhaps, "I followed the faint sounds from the rooms ahead."The sounds are faint to the listener, but no one has "quieted" them in a transitive sense.The sounds come FROM the rooms ahead.The hearer is

Sitaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630194981284121812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8599639515525827038.post-49147243526414541432008-03-10T11:22:00.000-07:002008-03-10T15:56:08.278-07:00

Friend: I paint, write music, short stories, screenplays, and am generally "creative"since creativity really has no more to do with those activities than business or what-have-you and have had an abiding interest in the creative process which tends to be my filter in most conversations - picking through the information for further insightsSitaram: Robert Ornstein and Charles Tart describe

Sitaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630194981284121812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8599639515525827038.post-15679227241129675852008-03-10T10:50:00.000-07:002008-03-10T15:56:54.278-07:00

Conversation at bed-timeFinding FrankensteinThe TrainFernando goes to workIn the Woods at night, seeing the monsterThe Black CatThe EyesMushroomsThe BeesPiano and Photos

Sitaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630194981284121812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8599639515525827038.post-14964442242882840562008-03-10T10:31:00.000-07:002008-03-10T15:56:28.628-07:00

Quite by chance, I stumbled upon a paperback biography of Thomas Mann, on sale for $1. The biographer, Richard Winston, passed away at a tragically young age, before he could finish the biography (which ends with a chapter on the writing of Death In Venice.)The amazing thing is that Thomas Mann actually went on a vacation to Venice with his family, and actually had many of the experiences which

Sitaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630194981284121812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8599639515525827038.post-31211759937842893692008-03-09T13:42:00.001-07:002008-03-10T15:58:28.976-07:00

Mr. Phibbs was found as a kitten, in a basement, with a broken leg.Here is what we find in Wikipedia regarding the Mephiposheth of the Old Testament:Mephibosheth - "exterminator of the shameful one", while textually earlier parts preserve the name Meribaal. This change from "-Baal" to "-Bosheth" is common throughout other Biblical names, the exception being Beliah (Yahweh is Lord/Yahweh is Baal)

Sitaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630194981284121812noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8599639515525827038.post-17427657283825258702008-03-05T16:40:00.001-08:002008-03-09T16:04:09.440-07:00

Think about this mystery: If you have a container filled with some gas then, if you examine the behavior of each molecule, each molecule seems totally free, random, irrational, unpredictable.BUT, if you study the behavior of the entire container of gas, it conforms to very precise laws of temperature, pressure, flow, etc.Think of the gas molecule as one person, individual, but think of the

Sitaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630194981284121812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8599639515525827038.post-25141317522318952712008-03-05T16:39:00.001-08:002008-03-06T06:23:49.736-08:00

Survival Advantages of Mortality and Discord We are all mortal. We all die within 100 years or less. Have you ever noticed that? Why yes, of course you have.We can never all agree upon anything of great significance. Have you ever noticed that? Even in democratic

Sitaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630194981284121812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8599639515525827038.post-50770930771578215422008-03-05T16:34:00.001-08:002008-03-06T06:29:21.008-08:00

Earthly Paradise is Within our Grasp Category: Religion and Philosophy http://literarydiscussions.myfreeforum.org/ftopic53.phpSuppose you were transported to a different land, and you met some doctors or counsellors in that land, and they wanted to advise you, help you.... but it

Sitaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630194981284121812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8599639515525827038.post-83253655154805104102008-03-05T16:30:00.001-08:002008-03-06T06:35:42.584-08:00

Authorship and Social Responsibilityhttp://literarydiscussions.myfreeforum.org/ftopic856.phpA friend of mine, from the United States, once told me an interesting account of his time spent in a monastery. There he came to know an old Russian professor, retired, a layperson, who lived at the seminary school which trained future priests. The professor was a worldly man and an intellectual, but very

Sitaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630194981284121812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8599639515525827038.post-6375005485624390722008-03-05T16:26:00.000-08:002008-03-06T06:43:14.785-08:00

Here is a letter I wrote to Mr. Rogers on 12-15-2000. He wrote a reply. He read all of his mail and answered it personally.Dear Mr. Rogers,I am 50 years old (male). I did not begin watching your show until I was in High School in the mid 1960's.For the past several years, I have wanted to write you a letter of praise and thanks.Today, I saw your program on PBS Television, and I decided to search

Sitaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630194981284121812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8599639515525827038.post-51915434568935759202008-03-05T16:23:00.000-08:002008-03-05T16:24:50.043-08:00

One summer night, around 1965, I returned home around midnight, and turned on the television to catch the last few minutes of the movie version of "Cyrano de Bergerac", with Jose Ferrer.I was so caught up in the rhythm and mood of that final scene that I wrote down the following poem as fast as I could write.A Summer Evening Lives Into The NightThe subtle shade of laurel leaves abidesThe red of

Sitaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630194981284121812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8599639515525827038.post-83962391571607985402008-03-05T16:21:00.001-08:002008-03-05T16:21:44.926-08:00

I wrote thishttp://toosmallforsupernova.org/page003.htmafter watching Cube, because I found it inspiring.Morality is a game which only makes sense when played by the rules of free will and for high stakes.The playing field may be as small as a four foot square prison cell, or as large as the surface of the earth or even as geometrically

Sitaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630194981284121812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8599639515525827038.post-24791021104686400582008-03-05T16:16:00.000-08:002008-03-06T13:19:57.756-08:00

Mother's Day in Malaysia One long time friend of mine in Malaysia has written anunusual 'Mothers Day' list greeting.She shared with me that some of her friends were offended bythe list, finding it too negative. Here are my comments(posted with her permission):Malaysia_Mom:

Sitaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630194981284121812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8599639515525827038.post-89881085274030279222008-03-05T16:12:00.000-08:002008-03-05T16:13:07.327-08:00

Who shall liberate freedom? Category: Religion and Philosophy What do we mean when we say "free?""Free" is an adjective, as in "free lunch," which apparently does not exist, since we are always saying "There is no such thing as a free lunch." But then we turn around and sing

Sitaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630194981284121812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8599639515525827038.post-36205336512017850172008-03-05T16:07:00.000-08:002008-03-05T16:08:37.196-08:00

(8-17-2001) The Broken Tray Koan and Commentary There once was a little hut called Fei-t'ien, meaning rich field, where a monk lived for thirty years. (Fugai: Maybe he did not know how to move.)(Sitaram: Wherever we are is a "rich field" of experiences, Sukkha and Dukkha, in which we may find meaning and solve the Koan of Self. Wherever we are may be a sacred Tirth, if we cultivate the

Sitaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630194981284121812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8599639515525827038.post-77277524758628804052008-03-05T16:05:00.001-08:002008-03-05T16:05:28.414-08:00

My memory has not always been the best (if mymemory serves me correctly).The above is my playful response to someones thoughtful reply tosomething I wrote, long ago, as I search now for something (I am notcertain yet what.)I am not speaking to you now. I am speaking to that other person (overthere)... you see. Oh, I guess you can't see from where you are. But thatother person has been reading me

Sitaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630194981284121812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8599639515525827038.post-36309753837838333162008-03-05T16:04:00.001-08:002008-03-05T16:04:36.086-08:00

An erotic image is simply an illusion, a gestalt of countlesscolored pixels upon our senses. The individual pixels have realityand existence. The woman in the image has no real existence. And yetwe are aroused by the woman and are not conscious of the individualpixels. We can respond to this non-existent image because itis an outer reflection of something which is actually within us andwhich

Sitaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630194981284121812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8599639515525827038.post-24257352564607284772008-03-05T15:59:00.000-08:002008-03-05T16:02:26.166-08:00

Discussing Plato's Dialogue "The Gorgias" Category: Religion and Philosophy We are discussing Platos dialogue, The Gorgias. Below are some excerpts from the thread. For greater detail, look first here: http://www.literatureforums.net/vb3/showthread.php?t=4622

Sitaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630194981284121812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8599639515525827038.post-9727739423036897512008-03-05T15:55:00.000-08:002008-03-05T15:56:11.620-08:00

Be Ye Therefore These 15 Things Category: Religion and Philosophy Search engines add new dimensions to our study and understanding. I realized one day that there is a motif running through the Bible of verses which say "be ye therefore." So, using a search engine, I quickly

Sitaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630194981284121812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8599639515525827038.post-29367831468873426702008-03-05T15:50:00.000-08:002008-03-05T15:51:33.865-08:00

Out of So ManyFunny how just one can find us out.Out of so manyFireflies in the night.So much darkness,Yet there is some light.- Sitaram(Sept. 2005)

Sitaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630194981284121812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8599639515525827038.post-23266478798800589162008-03-05T15:45:00.001-08:002008-03-09T09:35:32.012-07:00

The city is at its darkest several hours before sunrise, when the thieves have only just fallen asleep. Good reader, you ask "Who are these sleeping thieves and what do they steal?"All thieves sleep at such an hour that are unsuccessful and have given up and gone home. Even a thief has a home. Home is a good word, even when someone bad lives there.A gentle rain begins to fall, more like a mist

Sitaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630194981284121812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8599639515525827038.post-34067682690551635622008-03-05T15:41:00.000-08:002008-03-05T15:42:18.147-08:00

Necklace of YouthsThe sky above the island is a palimpsest for centuries of celestial motions, as is the sand for prints of youth gone generations; at least, that is the impression on an open mind whose viewpoint is the pre-eternal.The tiny island had posed for time-exposures of a heavenly paparazzi since long before the scandal sheets of legend went to galley stage.The island and adolescence

Sitaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630194981284121812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8599639515525827038.post-34686459199577840772008-03-05T15:25:00.001-08:002008-03-05T15:25:34.552-08:00

Wall-less Is Best Current mood: creative Category: Writing and Poetry Wall-less is best.But if walls are a must,Then second best are wallsWhich many seek to enterAnd none seek to escape.- Sitaram(Friday, July 21, 2006 at 5:30 a.m.)

Sitaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630194981284121812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8599639515525827038.post-49299463529588016372008-03-05T15:17:00.001-08:002008-03-05T15:17:31.004-08:00

How Free is Freewill? Category: Religion and Philosophy It is a paradox that, on a microscopic level, the motion, direction and temperature of any given molecule of gas seems totally random and unpredictable, and yet, on a macroscopic level, the temperature, pressure and

Sitaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630194981284121812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8599639515525827038.post-61166877624016146512008-03-05T15:14:00.000-08:002008-03-05T15:15:29.793-08:00

"Flowers" (a short story) Category: Writing and Poetry Flowers, flowers red, blue, white, yellow random wild flowers and fancy ones filed in rows peopled the lawn which fell from the windows and milled as the wind rolled through them. A slight breeze rustled the open

Sitaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630194981284121812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8599639515525827038.post-89946753084010704642008-03-05T15:13:00.000-08:002008-03-05T15:14:03.767-08:00

Our Greatest Sin What is our greatest sin? Our greatest sin is that we lack vision. Our greatest sin is that we became gods, but we never became godly. Unlike Faust, we do have the means to sweep back the ocean and make dry land. We have power but we lack vision. It is not that God looked and saw that it was very good. The goodness was in the seeing, in the vision. Vision is seeing before there

Sitaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630194981284121812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8599639515525827038.post-24449794493716991192008-03-05T15:09:00.000-08:002008-03-09T09:38:52.264-07:00

Category: Religion and Philosophy A question was posed at a literary forumhttp://www.literatureforums.net/vb3/showthread.php?t=2757(regarding "Clockwork Orange")Is it better to be able to choose to be evil, or to be forced to be good?Sitaram replies:This is an interesting thread. I am a bit short on time this morning, so I must come

Sitaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630194981284121812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8599639515525827038.post-52944406725226102442008-03-05T14:51:00.001-08:002008-03-05T14:51:41.792-08:00

Excerpt from "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck (1902-2002) Penguin Books ISBN 0-14-200423-5 Chapter 19, pg. 216 A new country seems to follow a pattern. First come the openers, strong and brave and rather childlike. They can take care of themselves in a wilderness, but they are naive and helpless against men, and perhaps that is why they went out in the first place. When the rough edges are worn

Sitaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630194981284121812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8599639515525827038.post-89411406257770063732008-03-05T14:48:00.001-08:002008-03-05T14:48:49.838-08:00

The Talmudic Mind Current mood: contemplative Category: Religion and Philosophy http://lind.org.il/parsha/5765/korah65.htmIn the world of halakhah, minority dissenting views are never nullified; these opinions are also part of the

Sitaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630194981284121812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8599639515525827038.post-69192405281031585222008-03-05T14:46:00.000-08:002008-03-05T14:47:04.471-08:00

How Does God Answer Prayers Current mood: contemplative Category: Religion and Philosophy In my opinion, we ourselves BECOME the answer to our prayers. Praying can be like askig for a handout sometimes. Such handout charity can

Sitaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630194981284121812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8599639515525827038.post-87828525171311758972008-03-05T14:43:00.001-08:002008-03-05T14:43:33.764-08:00

Wisdom, Number, Measure, Hunger, Thirst Current mood: contemplative Category: Religion and Philosophy (9-29-2000) When we dwell as pedestrians in a land, we behold the scenery from the most intimate detail and perspective, but

Sitaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630194981284121812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8599639515525827038.post-82953062893413394442008-03-05T14:38:00.000-08:002008-03-05T14:39:50.206-08:00

Transit - a poem by Richard Wilbur Current mood: artistic Category: Writing and Poetry TransitTransitA woman I have never seen beforeSteps from the darkness of her town-house doorAt just that crux of time when she is madeSo

Sitaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630194981284121812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8599639515525827038.post-21770530154119478062008-03-05T14:07:00.000-08:002008-03-05T14:08:29.044-08:00

Oscar Wilde’s "Picture of Dorian Gray" and Salvation by Faith Alone Current mood: contemplative Category: Religion and Philosophy As I browse through my past year of blogs, I found these interesting excerpts.I had met a young South

Sitaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630194981284121812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8599639515525827038.post-526379447668171032008-03-05T13:53:00.000-08:002008-03-05T13:55:59.735-08:00

What Is Love? Current mood: touched Category: Romance and Relationships Several years ago, a dear friend wrote me and asked me to speak on love.Here is my reply:We do not have to worry about how to tell when it is love, for Love

Sitaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630194981284121812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8599639515525827038.post-70117016486622162092008-03-05T13:34:00.001-08:002008-03-05T13:34:50.497-08:00

A Blank Page Current mood: creative Category: Writing and Poetry A blank page is a portal, orAn emptiness, inviting,A sail to catch imagination's windsAnd voyage far from where we now despair.We drift within, to worlds which would

Sitaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630194981284121812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8599639515525827038.post-16187040888971078182008-03-05T13:29:00.001-08:002008-03-05T13:29:57.761-08:00

Pentacle de la Mere Current mood: romantic Category: Writing and Poetry Pentacle de la Mere (circa 1965) When I was young I first reclined Among the clustered shells and weed and living brine. I felt the rhythmic swells As

Sitaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630194981284121812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8599639515525827038.post-42080681085655714142008-03-05T13:23:00.001-08:002008-03-05T13:23:33.058-08:00

The Noonday Siren Current mood: sad Category: Writing and Poetry The Noonday SirenWhat is it about this blank page that I fear?When I allow my mind a certain freedom, yet with introspective resolve, then my mind becomes a vehicle

Sitaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630194981284121812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8599639515525827038.post-75205607942025700622008-03-05T13:14:00.001-08:002008-03-05T13:14:39.961-08:00

The Devil is in the Details Current mood: contemplative Category: News and Politics Originally posted: 18 Sep 2005 09:36 am A friend of mine is a very devout Roman Catholic. She considered herself a Democrat during most of her

Sitaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630194981284121812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8599639515525827038.post-22025498824300731162008-03-05T13:09:00.001-08:002008-03-05T13:09:24.032-08:00

Doing Your Own Thing Current mood: contemplative Category: Religion and Philosophy This is an important point you raise, about the homeless man who could not paint that well but did it because that was all he could do.There is a

Sitaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630194981284121812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8599639515525827038.post-72082043849254713842008-03-05T10:56:00.000-08:002008-03-05T10:58:25.486-08:00

I want to see what happens at this new blog, if I post from my blog at myspace. Monday, March 03, 2008 Cheryl Lynn Questions Miracles/Faith Current mood: contemplative

Sitaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630194981284121812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8599639515525827038.post-76003654530997988772008-03-05T06:38:00.000-08:002008-03-05T11:54:48.260-08:00

to join here, since she has a blog here also. http://www.myspace.com/theinkisblackI need some blogging practice to learn the ropes here!I am Sitaram athttp://www.myspace.com/literarydiscussions

Sitaramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11630194981284121812noreply@blogger.com0