[Vision2020] [Norton AntiSpam] MIT's Focus On Mother Earth...

Mon Jan 15 12:38:53 PST 2007

My intent was merely a humorous (non-offensive) pointing of the finger at
MIT's connection to liberal arts.  MIT is not widely known for its programs
in music, literature, theater, etc..

As far as "It would be great to see the U of I sponsor such an event [an
environmental film festival], or maybe the Kenworthy" is concerned, I am all
for it.  Perhaps a well-placed suggestion with Kenworthy management and the
appropriate people at UI is in order.  I would support it, but perhaps not
actively.  My liberal arts interests are fairly well satisfied by the Lionel
Hampton Jazz Festival, which I have attended (almost to the extent of
addiction) since arriving here at Vandalville in 1992.

Tom Hansen

Moscow, Idaho 

"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving
safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in
sideways, chocolate in one hand, a drink in the other, body thoroughly used
up, totally worn out and screaming 'WOO HOO. What a ride!'"

  _____  

From: Ted Moffett [mailto:starbliss at gmail.com] 
Sent: Monday, January 15, 2007 12:26 PM
To: Tom Hansen
Cc: debismith at moscow.com; vision2020 at moscow.com
Subject: [Norton AntiSpam] MIT's Focus On Mother Earth...

Tom et. al.

MIT has SHASS, School of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences... Programs in
music, literature, theater, writing...

http://web.mit.edu/shass/undergraduate/programs/majors.shtml

As to the irony of quoting Macbeth off an MIT website... whatever!  

But consider this MIT offering, related to the theme of "The Earth is our
mother, and we are all her children..." under "Sustainability @ MIT,"
covering the subject of our beleaguered biosphere, the MIT Environmental
Film Festival, a week worth of films. It would be great to see the U of I
sponsor such an event, or maybe the Kenworthy? 

http://sustainability.mit.edu/Environmental_Film_Festival

http://sustainability.mit.edu/Main_Page

It appears there is quite a focus at MIT on the environmental and energy
crisis our planet is facing:

http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2006/energy-initiative.html

Hockfield thanked the members of the Energy Research Council (ERC) for
articulating recommendations that will allow MIT, with its unique talents
and capabilities, to address what she called "one of the most urgent
challenges of our time." 

"The need for new global supplies of affordable, sustainable energy is
perhaps the single greatest challenge of the 21st century," the report
stated. "Increasing tension between supply and demand is exacerbated by
rapidly escalating energy use in developing countries, security issues
facing current energy systems and global climate change. These converging
factors create an unprecedented scenario requiring a multifaceted approach
to increasingly urgent energy issues." 

-----------

Ted Moffett

On 1/15/07, Tom Hansen <thansen at moscow.com> wrote: 

No offense intended, at all, towards (I didn't even think it existed) the
Liberal Arts Department of MIT, but quoting Shakespeare's "Macbeth" from an
MIT website seems just a tad ironic. 

Just a thought.

Tom Hansen

Debi et. al.

"Which way to the egress?"

I could attempt an answer... I rehearsed, with poetic inspiration and lofty,
passionate ideals, philosophical dissection and illumination, scientific
precision and wonderment, the complexities of political and economic
systems, the universals and particulars of spiritual struggle, the Eros of
human compassion and empathy, the unthinkable and horrifying depths of evil,
cruelty and deception, and... 

"The Earth is our mother, and we are all her children, down to the most
infinitesimal living being...We live or die insofar as we respect this
truth" 

This ridiculous, laughable, simpleton, childlike statement will be dismissed
my most...It suggests more than I am capable of articulating.  But if all
that this statement implies was "respected," this might be an answer to your
question, which for some reason felt I should answer seriously, and simply,
however silly my response... 

Despite my all too human need to feel I have the human condition, our place
in the universe, figured out, that I can make sense of it all, really, I
have no clue!  

Which way to the egress, indeed!

http://www-tech.mit.edu/Shakespeare/macbeth/macbeth.5.5.html
<http://www-tech.mit.edu/Shakespeare/macbeth/macbeth.5.5.html> 

MACBETH 

She should have died hereafter;
There would have been a time for such a word. 
To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day 
To the last syllable of recorded time, 
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!
Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player 
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more: it is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, 
Signifying nothing. 

---------------------

Ted Moffett

On 1/14/07, debismith at moscow.com <debismith at moscow.com> wrote: 

Ted, very true. Anyone who believes his or her own bull can lie with a
straight face, dissemble
until dawn, and give you a Hale-Fellow-Well-Met firm handshake while picking
your pocket. 
Politicians have to believe their own BS to get elected. They also have to
be able to baffle with
their BS all those voters who will fall for a con.

I met both these men when they were candidates--I knew Brady wouldn't get
elected because 
he was a real person. While being near Butch raised the hair on the back of
my neck, I looked
at the folks around him and knew they were believing everything he said and
inventing wonders
he hadn't said, and I knew he was gonna get elected. People love to be lied
to. Just look at 
those (fewer than six months ago!) Bushites---they know he's a damn liar,
but they don't care.
They will invent their own story to justify his lies because they can't
admit they were conned.

Also keep in mind that the easiest person to con is a con artist...they do
believe there is a 
quick fix, a magic bean, a real get-rich-quick scheme. Bushites, and
Otterists, and
ChickenHawks, oh my....Barnum was right! Which way to the egress?

Debi R-S

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