Friday, September 07, 2007

Brain-based knowledge greed is a good thing…

The Sisters Bitch stumbled upon the documentary Zizek! about the philosopher Slavoj Zizek and we are now deep into reading all things Zizek and therefore also Lacanian based.

C-Money is the real philosopher junkie of the house, but a bitch can dig deep thinking too (wink).

Anyhoo, I’m concerned that the masses don’t appear to exercise their brain muscles anymore. What ever happened to learning new shit for the joy of learning new shit? When I read that one in four Americans didn’t read a book last year it made this bookish bitch weep!

Okay…so I didn’t weep because that would have fucked up my make-up, but it did make me sad.

Jesus to Gawd, people…use it or lose it!

Mercy.

Graphic novels, trash fiction, science fiction, fiction, non fiction, philosophicals…the subject doesn’t matter as long as it engages the mind. Books are fantabulous, reading kicks ass and every book has a reader just waiting to be hooked up.

We must get back to the business of reading! The written word stimulates specific parts of the brain that need regular stimulating…and that’s all I’m going to say about that.

Humph.

Anyhoo, C-Money is currently consuming Zizekian books at an alarming rate. She’s threatened to move on to his source material!

A bitch will have to catch up and I mean catch up fast. One can’t have one’s sister knowing more shit than a bitch.

That just will not do (wink).

So, bring forth the theory of Maximilien Robespierre!

I ain’t scared of you or your sponge like brain, C-Money.

Bring it!

Brain-based knowledge greed is a good thing indeed…

15 comments:

The Lazy Iguana said...

I admit to not having read a book in the last year. I started to, but just never finished it. Too lazy. The book was about economic theory, so we are not talking something very exciting.

I still use my brain by thinking of dumb things that have absolutely no bearing on the here and now. For example

1. what will "oldies" radio sound like in 30 years? (already shared this one)

2. if video killed the radio star, what will kill the video star? And will someone make a song about it?

3. How did I manage to live back when the TV did not have a remote control?

4. Why do I think boating is not that expensive, but I do think that spending $70 every 6 months to get my teeth cleaned is expensive?

5. Why do toasters all have a setting that translates into "burn the crap out of the bread"? Do people really eat charcoal?

6. Can I use morse code and the horn in my truck to tell the asshole in front of me what I really think? YES I CAN! I know morse code! HAAHAHAHHAAH

And so on. I think about this kind of stuff all the time. It keeps me from thinking about economic theory.

Shark-Fu said...

Mmmhmmm, that is classic avoidance of the real!

And isn't charcoal consumptuion related to poisoning?

Ugh.

Nasty.

You be safe on that boat...

Frogspond said...

Lazy Iguana - LMAO

It is comforting to know that someone else out there thinks of random shit like I do.

For example I spent all last summer trying to figure out a way to heat my landlady's in-ground pool without costing any money. I figured it out then spent all last winter and spring convicing her to let me try it. Boy the pool was nice this year. :-)

Sorry, wandered off there for a minute. Back to topic.

I read all the time but I still think this stuff up. Hmmm. Yea, too much time on my hands and away from my partner who is in StL while I am stuck here in the hinterland in Washington DC.

Glad you are starting to feel better ABB. Colds blow.

Anonymous said...

Zizek rocks! Don't worry fu. You read faster than me. It'll be months before I move on to the Jacobins.

Now that I'm onto my second book, his big new brainy piece The Parallax View, I'm seeing everything in philosophical terms. Wicked fun!

C-Money

Anonymous said...

It is amazing that people don't read but if they use their brains in other ways that still work it, I think that's fine. For instance there are people who spend their entire lives learning how to grow huge pumpkins. That kind of thinking is fasinating to me. I want to interview these folks.

Me. Here. Right now. said...

I agree so much! Reading is our portal to possibilities. I ran across a blog not long ago called The Other Mother - the woman, Robin Reagler, is also executive director of Writers in the Schools down Houston-town way- reading/writing passion building when the kids are young is so important.

Anonymous said...

..."one in four Americans didn't read a book last year..".I'd be more surprised if one in four Americans DID read a book last year!

Maya's Granny said...

I was upset when I read the stats about one in four not having read a book in the last year. I go get my eyes checked when I fall below two a week -- and so far that has always been the reason!

Ross said...

Bitch, there is no theory of Robespierre. He was responsible for the Terror during the French Revolution. Fatal Purity is a good book on this dude, who was later be-headed.

Shark-Fu said...

Nancy...mmmhmm, gotcha with that one didn't I?

Wink.

I know Lacan and feminism have a difficult past but Zizek is yielding some powerful thought from that source.

At the very least this exploration has kicked my brain into gear.

Lulu Maude said...

Thank you, thank you, ABB.

It's not that there aren't other things to do besides read, but reading is one of those very good things to do. You don't have to choose between reading and having random thoughts. In fact, reading enhances and expands random thoughts.

Get your asses into your local library. Show up. Look around. Sit in the comfy chairs with a magazine , something besides People. Wander up and down the aisles. If you don't wanna read economic theory, read something else. There's so much out there.

In reading you get to go deep with someone who has taken the time to go way deeper than most of us ever will... but it doesn't have to be economic theory (which would be a lousy choice for me, anyway.)

ABB, you are so right: Use it or lose it!

Anonymous said...

Must. Read.

If I went blind or poor-vision, I'd be learning braille or hunting down e-books that could be read using the magnify option on the computer (you can get 6" high letters if you wish, and with a big enough screen, or a projector, you're in business).

I am not fabulous about modern philosophy. ZZZZZZZ (icek? haven't tried him/her/zie). Waver between sci-fi, mystery; modern novels; history; feminist - gay - trans Biblical study and theology. Not counting the job-related science and medical stuff.

One of the best amenities of my flat is that I can walk to the grocery store and the library.

NancyP

Anonymous said...

I had someone who visits my blog mention a few books to another reader, and a minor cat fight erupted (see the Alberto Gonzales post). I love reading, even if I disagree with the author.

I think that people are more concerned with what is on the boob tube and with what is on the radio than actually opening up a book.

Lulu Maude said...

Don't forget books on tape and CD. You can sit in traffic a little more peacefully, paint the living room or paint a portrait and have fascinating voices at the same time.

Voices. That's what it's all about: hearts, minds, voices.

Lacey said...

Hey. Just recently started reading your blog. I notice that your commentors often hijack your blog, which is pretty cool, actually. Your voice resonates like a bell. Me like.

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