Comments on: Blognotes from the Underground

By: Joan Michaels Paque

Joan Michaels Paque — Sat, 24 Feb 2007 14:33:57 +0000

Both as well as individual
sites like yours.
JMP
http://www.joanmichaels.paque.com

By: oschene

oschene — Fri, 23 Feb 2007 13:12:39 +0000

Do you mean the Flickr tessellations group or Eric's site?

By: Joan Michaels Paque

Joan Michaels Paque — Fri, 23 Feb 2007 04:56:32 +0000

Don’t know why my messages don’t get
through but will try again. Is anyone
else suffering from brain strain from
the onslaught of tempting ideas that
are flooding the tessellation site? Am
trying to concentrate on interpreting
Fujimoto’s complex pleat folds and the
distractions are just too tempting.
JMP

http://www.joanmichaels.paque.com

By: christine

christine — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 01:00:10 +0000

It sounds vaguely familiar, but that could be because I read much and remember little. If you wish to foray into the history of man and machine there is a delightful little book called “Edison’s Eve,” a brief history of automata, by Gaby Woods. It is a quick, but satisfying read. I’ll look into the story sounds amusing.

Christiane-It is a lovely quote I do quite agree with. I put my foot in my keyboard, often, when having a bit of stress.

Noticing a holiday theme-today’s word tinsel

By: oschene

oschene — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 00:08:20 +0000

Though I am not of the Romish tribe, I’ve a soft spot for such hymns — Latin has an economy of meaning that you just can’t achieve in English. Or French, I’m guessing. This is a lovely lyric and is aptly quoted.

I know I shouldn’t worry about determinism, but occasionally, I do. I work with machines so much, they color my vision. Since you’re speaking of science fiction, are you familiar with Sheckley’s Can You Feel Anything When I Do This? Short story about a vacuum cleaner who falls in love with a human. Written years before the invention of the Roomba.

By: christine

christine — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 16:38:38 +0000

Christiane you may be allowed to type. I have been relegated to Santa, a host of responsibility I have never requested or looked for.

I just needed to say Aquinas??? can’t we all just get along without the need for thought? Thoughts lead to potential emotion and emotions can destroy rather than create. Spambots do well what spambots do well and I think less thought and more consistent focus on the basics that let us live would be helpful.

Perhaps I’ve read to much Phillip Dick, but I don’t exclude the possibility of machine with the potential to enjoy the creative process. Clearly much of mankind is good at the opposite end of the spectrum, destroying inanimate as well as animate objects.

Perhaps I should pick up a few old college textbooks and review my dusty old philosophers.

By: Mélisande

Mélisande — Thu, 08 Feb 2007 13:51:36 +0000

[was asked to type "allow" by your anti-spam robot, so I am grateful to be allowed to write here...]

Sub diversis speciebus
Signis tantum et non rebus,
Latent res eximiae.
– St-Thomas d’Aquin

Not that his complete works are actually my livre de chevet ; we are learning Lauda Sion from Mendelsohn at our choir.
Yesterday evening, instead deciphering notes and listening to our director, I began to think about the meaning of the lyrics and got messed with the music.

Whole text is kind of mystico-cryptic poetry, even in french I can’t achieve a proper and elegant translation.

A metaphoric one could be as follows :
Best things are not real, they are hidden under various symbols.

We are able to recognize and share these things, spambots are not.