Collie's Bestiary

Oppression & technology The previously mentioned example is not the only instance of the co-existence of both a lack of, and a distinct awareness of, knowledge regarding a particular object or subject. For example, there's also how technology is treated in these prose tales.

("The Warrior Women") by Monique Wittig translated by David Le Vay (first reviewed April 2005)

I also understand the human psyche or spirit is sometimes baffling in its complexity. I have both read about, and experienced situations, where what seems like a simple and beneficial command to oneself (such as "stop being afraid of riding in elevators" or "lose 30lbs.") can be unwittingly short-circuited by other equally strong internal desires [...]

This will be a quick review, I think. I've just finished reading a book by C. E. Murphy titled Truthseeker. On the whole, I enjoyed the book: Murphy writes well, with vividly described backgrounds, protagonists I can usually identify with on one level or another, and an often interesting fantasy/spiritual basis for the plot-producing strangeness [...]

There's a fascinating chapter on the pleasure center and altruism center of the brain. The pleasure center fires up when we're, say, gambling — greed appeals to it, for example. Apparently these centers can't both run at once, though… and the altruism center is always overridden by the pleasure center if we get conflicting input. [...]

I have a new book club! I'm very pleased; I hope it works out well. The club is reading Sway: the Irresistible Pull of Irrational Behavior by Ori Brafman and Rom Brafman. Very readable! I don't know if the examples of studies given are all completely accurate (I'm not going to research the book that [...]

Because I too love symbolism, I checked the meaning of the various names used. There's an interesting mix which made me think the composer, Adolphe Adam, picked some deliberately for their translations, while others were simply chosen either for their commonality, or for reasons I cannot fathom. Giselle, for example, is Old German for "pledge" [...]

I got to watch the gorgeous ballet Giselle this last Friday night! One of my housemates is an astonishing sweetie, and has taken me to both concerts and ballets for the past two years as birthday/C-mas presents. I'll enthuse about the ballet, but first a quick plug, because I really, truly enjoy the performing arts [...]

Well, that was clumsy of me. Not only did I forget I had another posting scheduled, but of course, right after I get through chastising patronizing over-simplification of complex issues… I do it myself. How embarrassing. ;) A big thank-you to Velvetpage, whose critiques never fail to be both thought-provoking and courteous. With her permission, [...]

I emphatically do not understand this. How can a woman on the one hand lyrically proclaim not just the equality, but the apparent spiritual supremacy of women – and then in practically the very same breath, choose to kneel at the feet of a male deity that demands not just submission, but has a brutal [...]