Monthly Archives: April 2007

A Comment on Plato’s "Lovers"

I’m all over the place preparing for oral exams – I’ve always been one to read like 8 books at once, and not get any done, but I’m exceptionally bad nowadays. The problem on my mind right now is from Plato’s “Lovers.” There, Socrates confronts a man trained in music (our equivalent – liberal arts, …

April 16, 2007 – 11:06 pm | By ashok | Posted in philosophy, plato | Comments (0)

Dreaming in America

Note: What follows is from a while ago. I will be posting older stuff here more often, as I want to transfer all my writings to one place, and have backup copies. This trip actually happened; it was the second trip I took that summer, and it was a learning experience, as you can see …

April 15, 2007 – 5:30 pm | By ashok | Posted in lincoln, politics | Tagged , | Comments (0)

The Death of Freedom

Not good. Not good at all. Kasparov and his allies mustered, by their own reckoning, about 2,000 people — far fewer than the 30,000 people who patronize the McDonald’s restaurant at Pushkin Square on an average day. But some protesters said they were not discouraged by the small turnout or intimidated by the overwhelming force …

April 15, 2007 – 3:44 am | By ashok | Posted in politics | Tagged | Comments (0)

The Joys Of Self-Governance

The Parliament building has its own security arrangements, not managed by either the American military or by the Interior Ministry of Police or Ministry of Defense, said Mr. Rubaie, the security adviser to Prime Minister Maliki.Several lawmakers said that their guards were often able to bully their way through checkpoints without being searched and that …

April 13, 2007 – 2:31 pm | By ashok | Posted in politics | Tagged | Comments (0)

Words

1. Comment left on The Weakerthans’ Myspace page: I just wanted to say that I appreciate the time and thought you put into your lyrics: I feel it is that, above all, which creates the “honest” sound you’re looking for. What is really wonderful is how I’m growing older with your work, and how it …

April 12, 2007 – 11:53 pm | By ashok | Posted in personal, weakerthans | Comments (0)

Communicating with the Heart: On "Babel"

Most of the observations below, if not all, belong to Paul Drozdowski. Many thanks, as always. Spoilers abound below. I disagree thoroughly with Pajiba on this film – the argument there is that the weakest of the three locations where narrative unravels (Morocco, Mexico/US border, Japan) is Japan. The passage in full that I think …

April 11, 2007 – 1:10 pm | By ashok | Posted in movies | Comments (1)

Are There Purely Formal Considerations in Politics? A Comment on Aristotle’s "Politics," Bk. 2 Ch. 9, First Paragraph

for Glen Thurow Note: All quotes of Aristotle’s are from Carnes Lord’s translation of the Politics, pub. by the University of Chicago Press. A recent discussion on secession which treated the issue as if it in-and-of itself had no moral content, as if it were something like taking out the garbage or doing problems in …

April 10, 2007 – 12:46 pm | By ashok | Posted in aristotle, politics | Tagged | Comments (0)

Remembrance

for Rachael The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is lurking at the door; its desire is for you, but you must master it.” – Genesis 4:6-7, before Cain kills …

April 8, 2007 – 7:16 pm | By ashok | Posted in christianity, politics | Tagged | Comments (1)

Weekend Update: Brought to you by Myspace

Those of you who know me personally will know that I have many negative things to say about Friday night, although I am very grateful for having seen what I saw then, and much more thankful to one friend for taking me to places I wouldn’t go on my own. Here’s the good of the …

April 7, 2007 – 4:22 pm | By ashok | Posted in personal | Tagged | Comments (0)

Good Friday

Alcohol, clarified butter -all desire is clean;mind speaks notstomach seeks filland one wonders about other liquidsspilled from the sideeach diluting the other.Purity and vivacitycollapsed into the streamlike waste leaving the land.What killed Godwas in itselfnot messy.Technorati Tags: poetry, christianity, easter, good friday Powered by ScribeFire.

April 6, 2007 – 3:03 pm | By ashok | Posted in poetry | Comments (0)