Speaking in Tongues

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Ms. Morgan, a co-author of the study, was also a research subject. She is a born-again Christian who says she considers the ability to speak in tongues a gift. “You’re aware of your surroundings,” she said. “You’re not really out of control. But you have no control over what’s happening. You’re just flowing. You’re in a realm of peace and comfort, and it’s a fantastic feeling.”

-- Benedict Carey for The NY Times

We have some neuroscience imaging on this rather striking phenomenon of 'speaking in tongues.' The article is surprisingly both fairly positive and sciency on this excited mental state:

Contrary to what may be a common perception, studies suggest that people who speak in tongues rarely suffer from mental problems. A recent study of nearly 1,000 evangelical Christians in England found that those who engaged in the practice were more emotionally stable than those who did not.

I expect that I would still find it off-putting if I were to come across it, but such are the varieties of religious experience and the human.

xXx

Speaking in Tongues

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Ms. Morgan, a co-author of the study, was also a research subject. She is a born-again Christian who says she considers the ability to speak in tongues a gift. “You’re aware of your surroundings,” she said. “You’re not really out of control. But you have no control over what’s happening. You’re just flowing. You’re in a realm of peace and comfort, and it’s a fantastic feeling.”

-- Benedict Carey for The NY Times

We have some neuroscience imaging on this rather striking phenomenon of 'speaking in tongues.' The article is surprisingly both fairly positive and sciency on this excited mental state:

Contrary to what may be a common perception, studies suggest that people who speak in tongues rarely suffer from mental problems. A recent study of nearly 1,000 evangelical Christians in England found that those who engaged in the practice were more emotionally stable than those who did not.

I expect that I would still find it off-putting if I were to come across it, but such are the varieties of religious experience and the human.

xXx

Those Whacky Europeans

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European politicians on Monday spoke out against the death sentence for Saddam Hussein.

-- Hassan M. Fattah for The NY Times

You know the French must be behind it, as it smacks of their kind of enlightenment. Yeah, I think a good round of community service would be just the thing for Saddam.

I mock the world, especially the Europeans and the French, but it's so funny and fascinating.

xXx

Those Whacky Europeans

♠
European politicians on Monday spoke out against the death sentence for Saddam Hussein.

-- Hassan M. Fattah for The NY Times

You know the French must be behind it, as it smacks of their kind of enlightenment. Yeah, I think a good round of community service would be just the thing for Saddam.

I mock the world, especially the Europeans and the French, but it's so funny and fascinating.

xXx

Mandelbaum and Bloom: Love at First Page

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It is love at first page! Monk found a treasure trove on the Homer shelves at the library. First and foremost, he discovered Allen Mandelbaum's "The Odyssey." Mandelbaum is the one who saved Ovid's "Metamorphoses" for him, and he has brought his ability to make these classics sing in even greater force here, making the phrases rhyme more faithfully.

As if that were not enough, Monk also found a great exegetic volume. It is a volume of essays put together by no less than Harold Bloom, "Modern Critical Interpretations: Homer's The Odyssey." Monk's eyes brightened when he saw that on Amazon, only to learn that one has to get it through their used-books dealers. And now he has it in his excited hands, even if it is not his own property - possession is nine-tenths of the law, and ten-tenths of the heart.

As for that history book, "Grand Expectations," it is being left aside again. It is not that bad a book, though it also is not that fun either, but this Homer fever is just burning too hot now. Indeed, one is tempted to forget the weekend fiction and give all seven days a week to these "Odyssey" works. Sense has prevailed over passion on this question, however, and, if for no other reason, Charles Dickens on the weekend should help to keep Monk from burning out too soon on Homer. Neverthemore, the expectation is to keep Dickens to two-day weekends, not three days.

After finishing "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" last weekend, reading life continues to soar higher than ever. And it really does make all the difference!

xXx

Mandelbaum and Bloom: Love at First Page

♠
It is love at first page! Monk found a treasure trove on the Homer shelves at the library. First and foremost, he discovered Allen Mandelbaum's "The Odyssey." Mandelbaum is the one who saved Ovid's "Metamorphoses" for him, and he has brought his ability to make these classics sing in even greater force here, making the phrases rhyme more faithfully.

As if that were not enough, Monk also found a great exegetic volume. It is a volume of essays put together by no less than Harold Bloom, "Modern Critical Interpretations: Homer's The Odyssey." Monk's eyes brightened when he saw that on Amazon, only to learn that one has to get it through their used-books dealers. And now he has it in his excited hands, even if it is not his own property - possession is nine-tenths of the law, and ten-tenths of the heart.

As for that history book, "Grand Expectations," it is being left aside again. It is not that bad a book, though it also is not that fun either, but this Homer fever is just burning too hot now. Indeed, one is tempted to forget the weekend fiction and give all seven days a week to these "Odyssey" works. Sense has prevailed over passion on this question, however, and, if for no other reason, Charles Dickens on the weekend should help to keep Monk from burning out too soon on Homer. Neverthemore, the expectation is to keep Dickens to two-day weekends, not three days.

After finishing "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" last weekend, reading life continues to soar higher than ever. And it really does make all the difference!

xXx

The Death of YouTube

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YouTube officially sucks now. A young gal put up a video in which she writhes around a bit in her skimpy underwear, without showing any nudity, and they yanked it before the first person could comment.... Okay, I just looked further and she is only fifteen actually 21, and, still, there was no nudity. More than that, my "Irreversible" scene is gone, and that Theo Van Gogh film on the Islamist oppression of women is gone. YouTube has gone corporate, and now promises to be as interesting as network television.

Well, at least this is still up, which is appropriate for tonight:

One More Time!

xXx

The Death of YouTube

♠
YouTube officially sucks now. A young gal put up a video in which she writhes around a bit in her skimpy underwear, without showing any nudity, and they yanked it before the first person could comment.... Okay, I just looked further and she is only fifteen actually 21, and, still, there was no nudity. More than that, my "Irreversible" scene is gone, and that Theo Van Gogh film on the Islamist oppression of women is gone. YouTube has gone corporate, and now promises to be as interesting as network television.

Well, at least this is still up, which is appropriate for tonight:

One More Time!

xXx