hypertext poem, sorta

[Joseph Tracy]

Totally correct, point taken.  Though the Buddhists do seema bit less inclined to warfare over these things. Anyway, correct that to the human obsession with text. I think I remember Feinman talking about a converstion with his Father where the Father gives the Latin name for a bird and then  says something to the effect that that has nothing to do with science, nothing to do with understanding birds or this specific bird.

> On May 29, 2016, at 1:19 PM, Monte Davis <montedavis49 at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> JT > the  western obsession with text 
> Not to be confused, surely, with 
> 
> "[In Vedic chants,] The various pathas or recitation styles are designed to allow the complete and perfect memorization of the text and its pronunciation..."
> 
> "Memorization of the sutras and their commentaries is a standard monastic practice in all Buddhist countries..."
> 
> "Hafiz, literally meaning "guardian" or "memorizer," depending on the context, is a term used by Muslims for someone who has completely memorized the Qur'an..."
> 
> 
> On Sun, May 29, 2016 at 12:39 PM, Joseph Tracy <brook7 at sover.net> wrote:
> Before hypertext: Strong’s Bible Concordance-Look up any word; find every instance of use in Bible. Could be a model for Thomas Ruggles Pynchon’s web of word play before digital hypertext. That and Encyclopediativeness.
> Word jazz ensues.
>  Strong’s is an example of both the  western obsession with text and an example of the illusiveness, allusiveness, inclusiveness and delusiveness intrinsic to language. It comes out of the western history of Biblical authoritative text as a revolutionary force, directly connected to the press as a revolutionary force,  leading first to the reformation then to capitalism, Shakespeare, Jefferson, overthrow of monarchy, enlightenment, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Lady Chatterly’s Lover, Das Kapital, I have a Dream…
> 
> What do the words mean? Is there a true and pure  language which is the machinery of God ordering all things aright? Will mathematics work?  Missile guidance? Precision of sacrificial blood? Access to all the data?  The true history of the known and unknown universes? It’s a poser what with them squelchy, slippery words, them fluttering birds crossing borders like Mexicans with private airplanes, them stock options, refrigerators, figidity,  fiery flowers becoming fruit becoming fruit salad, becoming eyes ablaze with wonder, becoming shit, becoming dirt with thousands of microbes per teaspoon, becoming wet seedy birthplace of new green shoots, and we as recyclable as
> 
> any other droppings, leavings, beatings, flutterings,  words.-
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> 

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