September 26, 2007 archive

Sep 26 2007

Profiles in Literature: the Book of Job

Greetings, literature-loving dharmosets!  Last week the series had a guest poster who tackled a close reading of one of Edith Wharton’s best known works, The House of Mirth.  This week we’re going to crawl into the WayWayback machine to address one of history’s most baffling short stories.

Why do people suffer?  If there is a God, and he does have a ‘plan’, why do people who believe in him find themselves suffering the same indignities as people who don’t?

I have no interest in the religious side of this question (I’m an atheist), but the it makes for fascinating art. If you think religious texts aren’t appropriate fodder for literary analysis… well, then this ain’t the essay for you!

Otherwise, join me below for a trip through ancient Edom.

Sep 26 2007

35% of the Iraqi population is either dead, maimed or a refugee **update

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            1 in 3 people is the stunning reality of this war and no one speaks for them
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I wish to inform and hopefully to move you. I have gathered this information from various sources, UNICEF, the United Nations, WHO, medical journals and relief organizations. The figures are often based on estimates along with some verifiable reports and eye witness accounts because hard figures are difficult to gather. I tried, whenever possible to use multiple sources. Additionally, the UN places the prewar  population of Iraq at 22 million. With numbers so large they are already incomprehensible, understand  it is very likely the toll is greater than we can imagine or ever be able to document.
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You are invited below the fold where I hope we will find a sense of proportion and perspective and most of all outrage. 

Sep 26 2007

OPOL (not quite an Essay)

I just responded in a a thread to one of your detractors.

  I find nothing “RADICAL” about OPOL  (1.00 / 1)

He is just a run of the mill 60’s nostalgist spouting cliche talking points and  dated iconography.

Maybe he would have been radical 40 years ago.
by: Dharmando @ Tue Sep 25, 2007 at 10:34:18 AM PDT

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I call Bullshit. (4.00 / 1)

I may have butted heads with him about one thing, but the man believes what he says, and actual IDEALS don’t change with time.

If more people had not sold out & laughed at it as you have done, the world would be a better place.

OPOL cares about the world.  Do You?

by: Diane W @ Tue Sep 25, 2007 at 14:10:17 PM PDT

Sep 26 2007

Pony Party, “not enough for a separate essay” edition ;)

Jenny McCarthy, the beautiful actress you may remember from movie appearances in ‘Dirty Love’ or ‘Scream 3’, or numerous television appearances (oh, yeah, and the whole ‘Playboy’ thing…) has recently gone public about 2 aspects of her life.  She has a 5-year-old son who is autistic, and she has been dating actor Jim Carrey, whom she calls an ‘autism whisperer’.

From the linked Yahoo!News article:

“He’s actually helped Evan get past some obstacles I couldn’t. I sometimes call him the autism whisperer. He speaks a language Evan understands, and Evan feels safe with him.”

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