Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Bogged Down in Details



(written 04/18/2007)
(re-posted from Symposium of Aristotle's Ethics)



Bogged Down in Details

I found some very pretty flowers in Aristotle's garden of ethics. I sat down over some intense hours breaking down the sentences in Book VI (and other places) into a more mathematical structure . . . and was amazed at some of the really beautiful ideas Aristotle had. I have come to a small enlightenment on Aristotle . . . I can now feel him as a human being, as a person. I can now see the fragile child within Aristotle, and I realize he's just like me -- vulgar with a spot of divinity. I can accept him now. Unfortunately I don't have any time to elucidate, nor time to think theoretically about life when all these practical people keep hammering away at me about their tick-tock hallucinationism universe . . . so here's something to think about : *

These computations are based on the algorithm from "Computing Special Values of the Myriad Motivations of Ordinary Life". The package applies to Ordinary Life given by the usual series (for Re s>>0),

Assume that Ordinary Life multiplied by a suitable product of Gamma-Detail-factors,

admits a meromorphic continuation to the whole of C. It has, moreover, at most simple poles and is known or conjectured to satisfy a functional equation

or, slightly more generally, a functional equation relating Ordinary Life and a "dual" Ordinary Life-function also known as Mating (i.e. marriage, shacking-up, etc).

To use the formula one has to know the parameters of the functional equation (exponential factor A, sign e, weight w, Gamma-Details-factor parameters l1...ld) and enough coefficients of Gremlin-Goofs an. Note that there is no restriction on the number d of Gamma-Details-factors and they do not have to be distinct. The poles of Ordinary Life have to be known as well, but not necessarily the residues in there. The functions provided allow to perform the following numerical computations with required precision:

  • Determine the residues at the poles of Ordinary Life if necessary
  • Verify the assumed functional equation numerically
  • For a given complex s, compute Ordinary Life results or its k-th derivative for a given k


We are bogged down by the details of life.
We are smothered by detail.
Our bodies fill up with knots of anxiety.
Our throats are dry.

We would weep, but our eyes have no tears.
We could cry out, but we have no passion.
Who has done this to us?

We confess the pain we cause ourselves.
We confess the pain we cause others.

May we accept our limitations:
We cannot do everything.

May we affirm our power:
We can do something.

May we open ourselves to larger hope,
In the silence, in the silence.



* The first is a parody of a formula from the Harvard Math Department explained at:
http://www.maths.dur.ac.uk/~dma0td/computel/

and the second is from the website of
Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations :
http://www.uua.org/spirituallife/worshipweb/otherservice/submissions/5883.shtml

Monday, June 21, 2010

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Poetry in the Pub

Poetry in the Pub
Maggie

The Rebel Arts Union participated in Willimantic's Poetry in the Park series, sponsored by Curbstone Press on July 23. The event was moved indoors because of rain, and so we performed in the Willimantic Brewing Company/Main Street Cafe. Poetry in the Park became Poetry in the Pub (though the three of us had ice water with a slice of lemon, yo). Maggie, Elizabeth and Ed presented a large number of works in a relaxed but fast-paced rotation where each poem built upon the previous in style, emotion or theme. Each of us took pleasure to present our works in a fashion that was mutually supportive, and the audience noted and enjoyed the result. They also exclaimed that our style of delivery was uniquely rich in emotion, and captured their attention. It was a fun night for all -- even if we got lost in the rain for a bit, and Jon was putting out All Points Bulletins on us to the cell phone left in the car . . . but we made it through on time and without a faltering step.

Elizabeth

A photographer from the Willimantic Chronicle was there, and we made the paper with pictures and a blurb.

Ed

And we be ready to do it again, yo!