mysticism for material girls

[jinian]

Now fueled by the Young Wizards books and "Story of Your Life"!

If you haven't read "Story of Your Life" go do it NOW. I don't care what else you're doing. This spoils it in the very mildest of ways, but it should remain completely unspoiled. I don't believe in virginity until marriage, but if virgins could fuck like Ted Chiang writes, I would reconsider.

Both of these together pointed me at an answer to "why are we here?" It's not an answer that's my answer right now; my answer is "to uncover truth, love others, and dig in the dirt" approximately. But "to enact or instantiate" is actually a very appealing answer, though of course it invites a direct object. Gods? More truth? Myth, which is the same thing as truth in this case? We, consciousness, may make things more real by understanding them. (So I guess this ties back to me worshiping the god of Science after all.)

In completely unrelated news, I have acquired a new favorite dress. The only question is, when at Wiscon shall I wear it? I have no meal dates as yet, so can't go just by who is most likely to be flatteringly susceptible to my accentuated charms. :)

Comments

[rushthatspeaks.livejournal.com]

Speaking of Wiscon, we should totally have some sort of meal there.

[jinian.livejournal.com]

Yes please! I'm arriving Thursday afternoon and leaving Monday afternoon, and so far totally uncommitted. Any time is fine by me.

[rushthatspeaks.livejournal.com]

I am arriving Thursday afternoon also and leaving Tuesday morning; also totally uncommitted. So we could do the Thursday-evening-before-it-becomes-a-mob-scene option, or the weekend-and-expect-a-lot-of-other-people-along-to-be-determined-later option. Preference?

[jinian.livejournal.com]

Thursday sounds a lot better to me, as I do poorly with vast accretions of people. And I determine "vast" as a rabbit might.

[rushthatspeaks.livejournal.com]

Thursday dinner, then?

Unfortunately, I do not have a cell phone, but I totally have the ability to wait in the hotel lobby, which I recall as not being large enough to really lose people in.

And have you any preference about time?

[jinian.livejournal.com]

Thursday dinner it is! There's the GOH reading at Room of One's Own from 6-7:30, which I'll be late to but want to try for some of; maybe after that? As to cuisine, I figure we can see what we feel like at the time.

[rushthatspeaks.livejournal.com]

Oh, hey, I completely forgot about the GOH reading, which does interest me. So we could find each other in the leaving-bookstore phase of that? And seeing what we feel like at the time sounds good.

[jinian.livejournal.com]

Okay!

[baratron.livejournal.com]

"Story of Your Life" by Ted Chiang is one of my favourite short stories/novellas of all time.

I can't do it justice right now because I'm in pain and not feeling very wonderful, but I found it actively inspired some of my religious/spiritual feelings. The idea that our lives may be somewhat or entirely predetermined, but it doesn't matter. Ask me about it sometime when I can manage coherent thought.