A · Tale · of · Two · Settees

One thing I never bothered to ask my theory professor until now (because until now I didn't understand what he was talking about), is about whether post-structuralism can reconcile itself with mathematics.

If language is only composed of signifiers, whose meanings are supported by traces of meanings, then how can I say "Two plus two equals four"? Mathematically, I can formulate a proof to establish why two plus two is four, but semantically, I cannot express what any of those words mean. Two is, among an infinite number of other things, one plus one, but two is also not three, nor a dog, nor a cat, nor a dolphin, nor God, nor the end of the world, nor an endless series of things, which are also not an endless series of things...

And yet... two plus two is four.

I don't understand this. Why is two plus two four?

Bloody stupid literary theory.

I hope that I'll reincarnate years from now and become a stand-up-comedian. I've always wanted to try my luck at it, but I think it'll only work if I live far into the future. Most of my jokes are ahead of their time, you see.

"Yeah, there's this one spaceline--I'm not gonna name names, but let's just say that it rhymes with "Blunited..." (pause for laughter)

"And let me just say service was awful. I mean, first of all, you know you're on a long space flight to Alpha Centauri and they tell you that by the time you return everyone you knew and loved will be dead... and that's just because the spaceship's still on the launchpad." (pause for laughter and rim-shot) "Hey-yo. Am I right, or am i right?"

Yes... I'll knock 'em dead, all right.

...in the future.

(In other news, the Food Maker is suffering from jetlag and now I have to go and make my own dinner. I'm beginning to appreciate what my cat goes through.)

We made a quick stop at Chase today so that Greg could make a loan payment. I found a seat in the lobby and waited for him.

A young man with a pale-colored mustache and a dark suit sat near me and said, "So, where do you do your banking?"

"Somewhere else," I said.

"Somewhere else? May I ask you what you think of Chase?"

"I don't."

"You don't?"

"I don't like any banks."

"Would you consider Chase?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Spite."

"In spite of what?"

I was somewhat hoping that he'd get the idea from my curt responses that all I was interested in doing was sitting down and waiting, and had no desire to be solicited by bankers. But no.

This is more or less preaching to the choir. I'm really only posting the link here so that I can go back and look at it whenever I want to, and because I lose track of bookmarked sites. Maybe you'll like it, though, citizens of Internetland.

Top Ten Reasons to Make Gay Marriage Illegal

The House has finally gone ahead and passed its own version of the Health Care bill, although not without resistance from the Right.

Check out the following scene:



Absolutely murderous our Congress has become. It's the sort of unruly Wild West behavior, which I thought had more or less come to an end following the cudgeling that South Carolina Representative Preston Brooks famously gave to Senator Charles Sumner with his gutta-percha walking stick in 1856.



Have we lost all sense of civility? I mean, I don't mind the occasional insulting remark, provided that it's witty, but "object, object, object" is a bit childish. One would have thought someone had replaced the Republican party with androids.

Ah... but more importantly for now, I suppose, is the question: In what shape will our fair Health Care bill be in by the time it comes to the Oval Office? Will she be the triumphant regina of egalitarianism, or will she be a battered, toothless old hag in need of life support?

Something's better than nothing, I suppose.Then again, a general strike wouldn't be out of order, either. Anyway, I could always do with a day off to catch up on my reading. A picket sign in one hand, and a book in the other.

I almost forgot. Halloween has come and gone, and I failed to post a photo, so here it is, your intrepid adventurer on a safari through the wild streets of West Hollywood in search of Big Game.

( More Photos Ahead! )

If the Kafkaesque and the unanswered questions of the universe are things you'll consider as comedy. And if you don't, or if you disagree with me, I'll battle you.

A Serious Man was a good Coen Brothers film, but then again, I'm prejudiced towards the Coen Brothers, and am likely to say any Coen Brothers film was a good one.

( Here is as good a place to click as any )

This article and the accompanying photos seem to suggest it's a good idea.

I'm hoping that in my case it results in slightly older (or at least legal aged) young men to go diving for pets.

I was rather proud of my response to bunglevolante's entry in randompictures (posted below for context), so I've pasted that entry here for posterity.

( Click for Entry and Response )

Maine Gay Marriage too Close to Call

Come on, Maine! Don't be dummies like California. If you dare to vote against marriage equality, I swear I will rise, gather armies, and declare myself despot of the United States. All who oppose me shall be trampled, and the wailing of my enemies shall resonate in the minds of generations not yet born.

They performed out in Pasadena in the Rose Bowl yesterday. I was not there, of course, since I hadn't heard they'd even be in town. As a matter of fact, I didn't even know they had a new album. I used to be a big fan, and suppose I should still consider myself one, but U2 simply doesn't hold my interest as much as it used to. Joshua Tree will probably always be my favorite album, both for sentimental reasons (it was the first rock album I ever bought) and for the sheer quality and uniqueness of the music. At the time of its release, there was simply nothing else comparable to Joshua Tree. And, it's simply lovely to listen to...over and over again...for just about any occasion, really.

( ... )

First they promise you a phone that can do everything for you, and then they play the old switcheroo and suggest Nova Scotia instead. That's like promising a little kid candy and giving him a raw onion instead.

Here's the link.

Halifax is going to be soooo inundated by angry stranded customers.

Oh, well... at least its clean.

Out on the plains just me and my mind
Took me a break to read some Wittgenstein
Born in Vienna in ’89
He obessessed with theories of language and time
Like “Tractactus” where Ludwig would claim
“The logic of our language is misunderstood”
Philosophy is based on a false pretense
So philosophy itself is nonsense! Nonsense!
Philosophy itself is nonsense!



Oh, I love it. The worst song ever!!

Click here to give it a listen

Source

( Click to for background and lyrics (for singing along) )

A friend on Facebook posted the following quote, so I thought I'd respond to it

First, the quote: "Visualize your eventual demise. It can have an amazing effect on how you live for the moment."

Now, my response: Apparently, there's going to be a rift in the time-space continuum, and when I go back in time, my three-year-old self is going to shoot and murder my 35 year-old self. I've had reoccurring nightmares about this, in addition to flashbacks (Why did I have that gun? Who thought it would be a good idea to give a 3 year-old kid a handgun?), but until now I haven't talked about this very much.

( Now, onto another topic that'll probably be of little interest... )

The bartender says, "Hey, why the long face?"

And then, the horse suddenly realizes that he's a horse and doesn't belong in bars, and furthermore, he doesn't even have a license that says he's 21 or older. So, he walks out and heads to a meadow where he rests and eats some grass.

So, the lesson is that even though horses don't have the speech and comprehension skills of an advanced hominid, they still know where they do and don't belong.

That's called horse sense.

Get it?

Oh... I forgot. The horse's name is Bill. That makes the joke funnier, I think.

Well, yes you're right.

Johnny, Mary, Kylie, Petey, Larry, Betty, Sadie, Markie, Carrie, Paulie, Sandie, Wendy, Andy, Bobby, and Hortence are going.

But so am I. Jamesey!