From: Mark Steven Heyman (markheyman@infoproconsulting.com)
Date: Sun Jul 31 2005 - 18:26:29 BST
Hi Khaled, Marsha, and all,
On 30 Jul 2005 at 7:53, khaled Alkotob wrote:
That's the beauty about Pirsing. He was able to tackle your question
early on in the book. And I bring it up again. Pirsig was able to
illustrate early on in ZMM when he was offering to fix John's
handlebars with a shim made from a beer can. John had nothing to do
with because: 1. It did not come from the Shop. 2. It did not have
the motorcycle's manufacturer approval/stamp/name on it 3. it was not
installed by a professional. Right there and then he was in the High
Country. That point is lost on some.
msh 7-31-05:
More than a few, I'm afraid. Thanks for this reminder; that scene is
one of my favorites. In fact, I referred to it a year ago, or so,
when someone on the list was telling us that "quality" music is
created by western symphony orchestras playing Bach, Mozart,
Beethoven, Rachmaninoff, not by people banging drums and guitars or
playing zithers. I pointed out the shim-beer-can error being made.
To no avail, of course.
khaled 7-31-05:
Remember in the movie good will hunting when the newly discovered
math wizard confronts the math professor. He said to him this is easy
for me, I am sorry it does not come so easy for you.
Zen. You feel it. you don't know it.
msh 7-31-05:
I'm delighted you found quality in "Good Will Hunting." Aside from
being beautifully written and acted, it's the only movie I can think
of that contains a plug for Howard Zinn and Noam Chomsky:
WILL
(looking at book)
"A History of the United States, Volume
I." If you want to read a real history
book, read Howard Zinn's "A People's
History of the United States." That
book will knock you on your ass.
SEAN
How about Noam Chomsky's "Manufacturing
Consent?"
WILL
(Agreeing, but still scanning the shelves)
You people baffle me. You spend all
this money on beautiful, fancy books--
and they're the wrong fuckin' books.
SEAN
You think so?
WILL
Whatever blows your hair back.
And here's one of the great riffs in the movie. Will has just been
offered a job with the NSA. You have to imagine these lines being
delivered in the inimitable Matt Damon fashion:
WILL (cont'd)
Say I'm working at N.S.A. Somebody
puts a code on my desk, something nobody
else can break. So I take a shot at
it and maybe I break it. And I'm real
happy with myself, 'cause I did my job
well. But maybe that code was the
location of some rebel army in North
Africa or the Middle East. Once they
have that location, they bomb the
village where the rebels were hiding
and fifteen hundred people I never had
a problem with get killed.
(rapid fire)
Now the politicians are sayin' "send
in the Marines to secure the area"
'cause they don't give a shit. It
won't be their kid over there, gettin'
shot. Just like it wasn't them when
their number got called, 'cause they
were pullin' a tour in the National
Guard. It'll be some guy from Southie
takin' shrapnel in the ass. And he
comes home to find that the plant he
used to work at got exported to the
country he just got back from.
And the guy who put the shrapnel in
his ass got his old job, 'cause he'll
work for fifteen cents a day and no
bathroom breaks.
Meanwhile my buddy from Southie realizes
the only reason he was over there was
so we could install a government that
would sell us oil at a good price.
And of course the oil companies used
the skirmish to scare up oil prices so
they could turn a quick buck. A cute,
little ancillary benefit for them but
it ain't helping my buddy at two-fifty
a gallon. And naturally they're takin'
their sweet time bringin' the oil back
and maybe even took the liberty of
hiring an alcoholic skipper who likes
to drink seven and sevens and play
slalom with the icebergs and it ain't
too long 'til he hits one, spills the
oil, and kills all the sea-life in the
North Atlantic. So my buddy's out of
work and he can't afford to drive so
he's got to walk to the job interviews
which sucks 'cause the shrapnel in his
ass is givin' him chronic hemorrhoids.
And meanwhile he's starvin' 'cause every
time he tries to get a bite to eat the
only blue-plate special they're servin'
is North Atlantic scrod with Quaker State.
A beat.
WILL (cont'd)
So what'd I think? I'm holdin' out
for somethin' better. I figure I'll
eliminate the middle man. Why not
just shoot my buddy, take his job and
give it to his sworn enemy, hike up
gas prices, bomb a village, club a
baby seal, hit the hash pipe and join
the National Guard? Christ, I could
be elected President.
msh continues 7-31-05:
As long as we're talking movies, anyone interested in the way
American politics really works should memorize every line of Warren
Beatty's "Bulworth," even the rap lyrics.
Best,
Mark Steven Heyman (msh)
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