Weekend Frolics
"Revolution can't be automated."
—Shoshana Zuboff, Professor, Harvard Business School
Why on earth would anyone be reading Fernando Claudin's Eurocommunism and Socialism (1977) at this conjencture? Well, I was trying to check something and had been looking up old notes and textbooks (yes, I'd bought this one at a campus Bookstore sale for $9.25 - for my thesis). The book was left on my desk when I read Sadie's post on a meme she couldn't resist.
Instructions:
1. Grab the nearest book.
2. Open the book to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the text of the next 3 sentences on your blog along with these instructions.
5. Don’t you dare dig for that “cool” or “intellectual” book in your closet! I know you were thinking about it! Just pick up whatever is closest.
Enjoy!
"Parties cannot substitute for trade unions and vice versa. Representative democracy cannot substitute for rank-and-file democracy, or vice versa. No class organisation can fulfill the role of the women's liberation movement or the student movement - and so on."
posted by dystropoppygus at 5:56 pm
11 Comments:
Ah yes, don't feel the need to explain why you had that book readily available. I made the comment to my friend last night that if she completed the meme, she'd be forced to explain why she copied page 123 of the telephone directory onto her blog. Now THAT would be completely embarrassing.
I see that you've grown another alternate personality..er..'contributor.' What gives?
Am I the geek of the gang or what? I swear to God I was studying page 71 when I stopped to read this post.
Here's
page 123Fifth sentence my ass...
PS. Aha! Another comment about the dystropossoula (sissouloppygus?) mystery! I'm telling you, there's something fishy going on here :-)
Hmmm, no, come to think of it sadie's post probably referred to Pygolambis.
Still...
NURBS Curves?? Looking nice but I have the faintest idea what these are all about. Care to clarify Steph?
As for the mystery, I believe Sissoula has provided a most clarifying explanation for it. And I am sure she can elaborate further in this blog, should she feel such is required.
Our newly 'contracted' third contributor is surely a real person, with an appropriately enticing resume. Dee will start posting as soon as she feels at home... which we all hope is real soon!
I wonder where that stupid Richard is now, Richard being perhaps the only identifiable person ever to witness us in a room together, unmbiguously distinct, if not especially distinctive. Maybe Sophia can straighten this out. Or we can arrange a meeting with you Steph, somewhere in the neighborhood even, if you're willing to suspend your disbelief just that much. I'll stipulate that you bring the baby, though, because now that we're all letting our suspicions run wild, I have to admit that I don't think any baby can possibly pee that much!
Back to the meme, are we talking fifth complete sentence? Do I have to identify the book?
Here goes: Indeed, he delighted in ridiculing the policies of the Democratic Party, and was a vocal admirer of Ronald Reagan. At Emory he went so far as to co-found a College Republic Club. Chris's seemingly anomalous political positions were perhaps best summed up by Thoreau's declaration in "Civil Disobedience": 'I heartily accept the motto - That government is best which governs the least.'" (Gratuitous sixth sentence: Beyond that, his views were not easily characterized.)
OK, OK, touche' distropossoula. I'm off your case; you have persuaded me; I am now a believer: you are two different real people!*
*I can immagine dystrop. now, in a dark a damp basement (equipped with ultra-high-speed internet connection, though), sitting in front of his laptop, thousands of green and red leds flashing in the background to reassure him that he is still connected to cyberspace, wearing a female wig "a' la psycho", rubbing his hands in satisfaction and relief, thinking "That was close, he almost uncovered me... but I am safe now. Good... good...". And a few feet beside him a deep medieval well ("a' la Silence of the Beeeee"), Sissoula lying in the bottom of it crying for help, and Distrop laughing maniacally "You do not exist!! I am you!! We are one!!!! Ha ha ha!!!!"
(OK, I admit I have not taken my pills yet...)
As for the Nurbs (Non-uniform Rational Bezier Splines) thing, well, it's boring stuff that you have to learn if you want to do computer graphics that look a little nicer than Asteroid or Pakman, or if you want to write the program that will be used to design the new space shuttle. I'm into the latter (I wish, anyway...)
What a dark and chilly turn these comments have taken! Maybe I need a blankie down here in my deep medieval well. But I'm disappointed, Steph. You know all about nurbs and curves and calculus, but you didn't catch me out on my simple arithmetic mistake. (It was the 8th sentence, not the 6th.) Don't worry, some incoherent know-it-all (I'm being nice) has assumed this responsibility, and he’s doing a pretty good job of keeping me on my toes.
Watch out, vague tourist. If you're cheating, sb's gonna catch you out too.
I thought a left a comment earlier, but it's not here...
anyway, I was saying that I am probably in trouble also... :-)
You people can't stand in one place, can you? Now you've got Incoherent on your tails, you come hide in da basement? Out, out - go fight with your poor language skills. I don't have time to read yet another trail of comments and come to the rescue. Besides, I like this guy.
VT, this could be Poe. It could be Doyle, but I'd be surprised. Doubt it. Far-fetched: Twain. Is it too much to mention van Gulik? Ah, I am hopeless, I know.
You are so cruel...
OK, I'll take this to my back alley...
:-)
Ah, Steph - don't get me wrong now. You were supposed to react; some violent remarks never harmed anyone. So, whose fault is it if someone never experienced breastfeeding -- on the receiving end? Does that ignorance legitimize one's trashing of this wholly magical sacre?
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