Comments on: My Excluded Middle http://www.oleoptene.com/2009/03/21/my-excluded-middle/ A blog for Mara Collins Sun, 20 Nov 2011 04:12:17 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 By: unreliable narrator http://www.oleoptene.com/2009/03/21/my-excluded-middle/comment-page-1/#comment-7366 unreliable narrator Fri, 10 Apr 2009 23:47:46 +0000 http://www.oleoptene.com/?p=328#comment-7366 And, well, of course I thought of you: http://therumpus.net/2009/04/i-married-a-novelist/ <i>Still, there are plenty of things about Katharine—and her writing life—that I don’t pretend to understand. For instance: How can she write such beautiful novels while listening to Sonic Youth and My Bloody Valentine? Is such a thing possible without drugs? And why did it take her eight years to write her first novel, when what I hear drifting from her room all day is breakneck typing? What’s she actually writing in there? A hidden masterpiece? All day long, too, I come across enigmatic notes scribbled on Post-its or bookmarks or subscription cards sitting by our bed. 'A gradual introduction to the sport of boredom' or 'F has very small penis!' I sometimes worry if they were inspired by me.... What does it mean that the one quote she’s chosen to tape to her computer, in distressingly large caps, is “Write as if everyone you know is dead”?</i> And, well, of course I thought of you:

http://therumpus.net/2009/04/i-married-a-novelist/

Still, there are plenty of things about Katharine—and her writing life—that I don’t pretend to understand. For instance: How can she write such beautiful novels while listening to Sonic Youth and My Bloody Valentine? Is such a thing possible without drugs? And why did it take her eight years to write her first novel, when what I hear drifting from her room all day is breakneck typing? What’s she actually writing in there? A hidden masterpiece? All day long, too, I come across enigmatic notes scribbled on Post-its or bookmarks or subscription cards sitting by our bed. ‘A gradual introduction to the sport of boredom’ or ‘F has very small penis!’ I sometimes worry if they were inspired by me…. What does it mean that the one quote she’s chosen to tape to her computer, in distressingly large caps, is “Write as if everyone you know is dead”?

]]> By: Dana http://www.oleoptene.com/2009/03/21/my-excluded-middle/comment-page-1/#comment-6343 Dana Thu, 26 Mar 2009 14:09:13 +0000 http://www.oleoptene.com/?p=328#comment-6343 What I like is the idea that P always has some of not-P in it, and, conversely, not-P always has some of P in it. It is the prakriti and the purusha, that which is always changing (prakriti) and that which does not, is eternal, inexpressible, beyond time (purusha). And there is this Sanskrit chant which basically says "All we cannot see is verily the infinite. All that we can see is also the infinite. The whole universe has come from the infinite. Although the finite universe has come from that, it remains infinite." Basically, both are perfect, and even if we remove a part from that, it still remains perfect. Does that make any sense in relation to this post?? Or would it suffice to say, the ever-expanding middle is merely a function of age, and is to be accepted as such. Oh, that's "excluded" middle....Happy Birthday! What I like is the idea that P always has some of not-P in it, and, conversely, not-P always has some of P in it. It is the prakriti and the purusha, that which is always changing (prakriti) and that which does not, is eternal, inexpressible, beyond time (purusha). And there is this Sanskrit chant which basically says “All we cannot see is verily the infinite. All that we can see is also the infinite. The whole universe has come from the infinite. Although the finite universe has come from that, it remains infinite.” Basically, both are perfect, and even if we remove a part from that, it still remains perfect.
Does that make any sense in relation to this post?? Or would it suffice to say, the ever-expanding middle is merely a function of age, and is to be accepted as such. Oh, that’s “excluded” middle….Happy Birthday!

]]> By: jenny http://www.oleoptene.com/2009/03/21/my-excluded-middle/comment-page-1/#comment-6257 jenny Wed, 25 Mar 2009 04:11:01 +0000 http://www.oleoptene.com/?p=328#comment-6257 Oh my God, this is brilliant. I suddenly <em>got</em> it. I'm sorry I'm so dense. Oh my God, this is brilliant. I suddenly got it. I’m sorry I’m so dense.

]]> By: unreliable narrator http://www.oleoptene.com/2009/03/21/my-excluded-middle/comment-page-1/#comment-6129 unreliable narrator Mon, 23 Mar 2009 20:40:44 +0000 http://www.oleoptene.com/?p=328#comment-6129 What's all this about a banjo, then?! And a new flavour of kombucha?! I turn my back on you for ONE SECOND missy.... I want to say something smart about this post but find myself feeling extraordinarily dumb. Also nearsighted, suddenly, as I squint at P and not-P. What happened my brain? Why everything blurry? Well, but I exaggerate (being "pretty" instead of "smart"?). And I come back into sharp focus with the last four paragraphs, especially, laser-like: "The polarity that arises in friendship, as if to stem competition...." YES! Because there's some sense of dividing the (as it were) booty, and you actually LIKE the green ones, don't you? And that way there will be plenty of red and purple ones for me? (I actually thought lime was my mom's favorite flavor for, like, decades.) And even better this: "...and I cannot find my way back to the whole I was before we divided the world between us." The Brujo goes spring-break cactus-hunting for five days, and this smites me less than twelve hours into his absence. Look at all these parts of me I forgot about! Still there! Perhaps one of the ways, then, in which time is (momentarily) merciful. What I refer to, to the End of the World students, as literature's hungry desire for a "do-over." Lately (she remarked irrelevantly, or maybe not) the only poet I can stand to read is Rumi. What’s all this about a banjo, then?! And a new flavour of kombucha?! I turn my back on you for ONE SECOND missy….

I want to say something smart about this post but find myself feeling extraordinarily dumb. Also nearsighted, suddenly, as I squint at P and not-P. What happened my brain? Why everything blurry?

Well, but I exaggerate (being “pretty” instead of “smart”?). And I come back into sharp focus with the last four paragraphs, especially, laser-like:

“The polarity that arises in friendship, as if to stem competition….” YES! Because there’s some sense of dividing the (as it were) booty, and you actually LIKE the green ones, don’t you? And that way there will be plenty of red and purple ones for me?

(I actually thought lime was my mom’s favorite flavor for, like, decades.)

And even better this:

“…and I cannot find my way back to the whole I was before we divided the world between us.” The Brujo goes spring-break cactus-hunting for five days, and this smites me less than twelve hours into his absence. Look at all these parts of me I forgot about! Still there!

Perhaps one of the ways, then, in which time is (momentarily) merciful. What I refer to, to the End of the World students, as literature’s hungry desire for a “do-over.”

Lately (she remarked irrelevantly, or maybe not) the only poet I can stand to read is Rumi.

]]> By: jenny http://www.oleoptene.com/2009/03/21/my-excluded-middle/comment-page-1/#comment-6117 jenny Mon, 23 Mar 2009 18:04:13 +0000 http://www.oleoptene.com/?p=328#comment-6117 What's that saying? We <em>can</em> have everything, we just can't have it all at once? Something like that. There are many reasons why I shouldn't blog everyday, not the least of which is that I can't even keep up with my own comments let alone make any comments on other people's blogs. It feels a little selfish and lopsided. What’s that saying? We can have everything, we just can’t have it all at once? Something like that.

There are many reasons why I shouldn’t blog everyday, not the least of which is that I can’t even keep up with my own comments let alone make any comments on other people’s blogs. It feels a little selfish and lopsided.

]]> By: Steve Lewis http://www.oleoptene.com/2009/03/21/my-excluded-middle/comment-page-1/#comment-6086 Steve Lewis Mon, 23 Mar 2009 05:40:14 +0000 http://www.oleoptene.com/?p=328#comment-6086 I think you nailed it. Propositional logic doesn't see in gray, it goes one way or the other. It is one-dimensional. Project our lives into one dimension: time. Now we can see the exclusion of the middle. Time is our limiting reagent. I think you nailed it. Propositional logic doesn’t see in gray, it goes one way or the other. It is one-dimensional.

Project our lives into one dimension: time. Now we can see the exclusion of the middle. Time is our limiting reagent.

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