Wiardgroup

Wow!
I check the message window on this group habitually- nearly every day.  I'm=
 a bit obsessive about numbers so I watch the message count too . I was pret=
ty disappointed in November when, at mid-month, there was only a paltry 18 m=
essages . So I sighed and gave up.
"Another slow month", I figured, and I quit checking for a couple of days. =
Then I was out of town and unconnected for a few more.
When I returned, I called Grant about a technical issue and he asked "why h=
aven't you posted something on the group?"
"Oh p'shah" (or something to that effect!), says I, "It's a ghost town this=
 month, what's the use?"
 "Go, log on and look!, doc " , says Mr. Richter…. "Just do it"
Wow!  

I just finished gnawing through  the "Gormenghast" novels by Mervyn Peake a=
nd I was wondering what I would read next….
I guess I'm going to read "November" on the wiard list and sacrifice none o=
f the pathos or humor!

Diving into that mosh pit last week would, no doubt,  have made my Irish bl=
ood sing. Nevertheless I'm glad that I could see it all at once like a novel=
. It afforded me the ability to read the parries and responses like dialogue=
,  imagine the characters, and compare assertions made early in the fracas t=
o later ones. Another interesting vantage was the variance of tone in the re=
sponses. It changes with the person to whom it was addressed. After reading =
this traffic (so far) ,  I find it hard to bite back my recalcitrant tendenc=
y to be a completely disingenuous smart ass.  But , taken as a whole, that t=
hread is just a little to remarkable not to be taken seriously.

Mr. Konkuro and I agree about one thing: The standout virtue of the wiard g=
roup is it's openness to uncensored discussion. One member asked "where is t=
he moderator?" and I couldn't tell whether the comment was tongue in cheek o=
r not. I doff my hat to Mike Fisher for NOT blowing the whistle on this hock=
ey game even after it degenerated into a game of calvinball!

As for Mr. Konkuro's positions , on the whole, I see more energy directed i=
nto provocation than exposition. But when I had the aforementioned advantage=
 of seeing it all as a `big picture' I decided that there is really nothing =
wrong with that at all. In fact, I decided that  it's a bit of all-right!  O=
ur `agent provocateur' catalyzed some of the best responses from us that hav=
e appeared in any of the discussion groups I've seen. I'd have a hard time b=
elieving that this was not , at least, partially intentional. For my part, I=
've never seen Grant's ideas articulated so eloquently before. And  there's =
just oodles of sincere wrangling about subjects  that are important, and ver=
y much neglected. like... for instance, aesthetics and the nature and form o=
f absolutes in perception.I attended some pretty fancy colleges (see all the=
m multi-syllabic proof-of-purchase boxtops?)  and I can tell you that this l=
ast thread contains better (and certainly more vital) discussion than thousa=
nds of dollars would buy in some name-brand college philosophy classes.  It'=
s hard to get people to talk about the difference between the objective and =
the subjective (tools vs. instruments) because the subjective issues are so…=
…..
Wellllll, um, SUBJECTIVE!
 Almost every one of my philosophy teachers basically threw up their hands =
when it came to aesthetics ,and  in fairness, given the temperament of their=
 students,  I hardly blame them. But cultures ignore these issues at their p=
eril. I disagree categorically with nearly every point that Mr. Konkuro arti=
culates but those points make me access and exercise the underpinnings of th=
ose objections. That's good for me. I also got the benefit of  seeing  gobs =
of cogent and articulate thought  from the other members . It's a good educa=
tion MUCH cheaper  than  the pedigree mills offer. And it's inspiring to see=
 how much mental muscle is out there on this list .

Hell! Who gives a rat's ass whether some guy likes the panels or not… (not =
Grant, that's for sure!) He's just plum good for business here.

Thank you for your  indulgence in reading this lengthy screed!
`doc'