All Good Things...

Stanislaw Lem

September 12, 1921 - March 27, 2006

"We all know that we are material creatures, subject to the laws of physiology and physics, and not even the power of all our feelings combined can defeat those laws. All we can do is detest them. The age old faith of lovers and poets in the power of love, stronger than death, that finis vitae sed non amoris, is a lie... So must one be resigned to being a clock that measures the passage of time, now out of order, now repaired, and whose mechanism generates despair and love as soon as its maker sets it going?

...I knew nothing, and I persisted in the faith that the time of cruel miracles was not past."

...from Solaris by Stanislaw Lem

Comments

[Gryka]

"Truth can rebel against censorship, but what is to be done when it is drowned in a universal hum of spurious half truths and falsehoods?"

I shall miss him.

[mondrian5]

this round world
as it collapses on me
this round world
as it collapses on me
the wind blows through me
the wind blows through me
and the old and the new
and here and far away
familiar and unknown
and you and everything
the love of the universe
this sky will cover you when you fall down
this sky will cover you when you fall down

goodbye mr. lem

[michael]

Lem once said that after his death there will be the same thing as before his birth - nothing.

I wonder how he reacted when he was proven wrong.

Mondrian, I regret that I brushed you off quickly when I said a long time ago that I don't like the idea of mixing science and religion. I guess you were really having spirituality in mind not religion which I don't think much of and doubt I ever will. Yes - enlightenment is the ultimate goal of psychotherapy. The ultimate goal in general. I really like Eckhart Tolle.

michael

[Gryka]

Oh boy! "this sky will cover you when you fall down" - I can't shake it. It follows me. It's kind of pleasant and sad. What is it? I know! I'm sure I know... I'm thinking experimental klezmer... It's driving me mad. Not far to go, I know... but still - help!

Hi Glimmung, Mondrian, Michael!

[glimmung]

Not to get excessively solemn... :^)

All we have for certain in this life is our selves, and the web of relationships we exist within from day to day, year to year.

These webs arise in unforseen ways. And via the web they now take new forms. How could I have predicted the results of clicking on that K26 website? That I would come to feel that I knew an assortment of anonymous personages better than I knew many of the people I saw every day?

I thought this milestone might bring a few of us back, even if it is just once. I reflect that we are all different (and better) in at least some small ways because we encountered each other.

Thank you, Gryka, mondrian5, michael. And all. And do widzenia, Mr Lem. This is one sense (among many) in which you are still here.

[mondrian5]

I hate to speak after Glimmung's fine coda. He was definitely speaking for my heart.

I didn't want the poem to go uncredited for Gryka. It is by Endre Szk¡rosi, a Hungarian poet. I hope it ends up on my headstone.
Michael, good to hear from you. All of you, I hope all is well.

My good wishes to you all. I think of you fondly.

[Andromeda]

"What we know is a drop -
what we not know is an ocean."

Thinking of all. Andro

[Zero-Equals-Infinity]

The drop is in the ocean,
And the ocean in the drop. -- Rumi

"Material world is a product of our time-bound consciousness. Just as the ocean is one; but, it is the substratum for countless waves, wave-lets, foam, ripples and bubbles. These waves and wave-lets, ripples, foam and bubbles have no existence apart from the ocean. They all merge out of the ocean, exist in the ocean and ultimately sink themselves back into the ocean. So too is life. The matter ripples out of the bottomless pool of the Timeless Essence to form the universe in time and space, and ultimately all merge in this Homogeneous Oneness."

[Yeti]

Hello all.

I just happened to be browsing through my "favorites" button and out of curiosity came to visit.

It is very sad to hear of Lem's death. I must confess that Solaris is the only book of his that I've read, but it and all of you have played a very interesting and enjoyable part in my life. As someone else pointed out, the fact that we are having this discussion right now illustrates that something of Lem lives on in all of us.

I hope all of you are well. I hope Gryka has had many enjoyable dining experiences in the city of big shoulders, I hope Michael and Viragpali never cross paths, and I hope that Glimmung has been able to maintain control of his own personal animal kingdom.

In classic Yeti fashion, I'd like to toss in a topic for anyone who may be interested...Veganism. Anyone care to discuss it? I recently ran into someone I went to high school with who is now getting a PhD in philosophy, and is a die-hard Vegan.

I hope all is well with everyone

-Yeti

[glimmung]

Hello Yeti! Glad you checked in. I hope Bigfoot and LIttle Foot are well.

Our animals are mostly well, though with so many there are always a few with health issues, usually age-related.

I was able to visit Gryka for another all-too-brief half-day in July, on my way to northern Michigan. No Bongo Room this time, but we took the train downtown, wandered Millenium Park and had some good Thai food.

If you liked Solaris, you might try the thematically related Fiasco (Baloyne's favorite, if you remember him/her) or His Master's Voice.

I also really like the philosopical playfulness of The Cyberiad.

Well, one doesn't become a vegan without having devoted considerable thought to the issue, and it requires an impressive amount of dedication. I admire vegans, but I'm not one.

Glimmette and I are "mostly" vegetarian (occasional seafood) and have been for many years. I don't want to speak for her as our reasons differ somewhat. For me though, none of the reasons I gave up meat require veganism. These reasons embrace a collage of ethics, health, and the environment.

The ethical considerations alone would be sufficient for me, however. I have been a longtime member of PETA. And I suspect that if every middle-school civics curriculum included a visit to a factory farm or stockyard, the number of vegetarians would increase exponentially.

I realize that dairy cattle and egg producing hens don't all have ideal living conditions, and I could be challenged on that basis for my continued consumption of eggs, cheese, milk (and ice cream). But I make an effort to restrict my purchases to organic, eco-friendly, cruelty-free sources.

I realize it is possible to treat meat animals humanely. But the act of deliberately killing complex, aware animals crosses a line for me. A line that fishing does not cross. I am probably also open to challenge on that one. But we all draw lines in different places... if we didn't, there'd be nothing to argue about!

[Yeti]

Hi Glimmung,

Nice to hear from you again. Some day I will get around to reading one of the books you've suggested. Right now I'm working my way through "White Jacket" by Melville, and not too quickly either. There is so little time with Little Foot and Little Foot's new (9 mo.) sibling! But I'm enjoying these first few years of their lives while they still enjoy playing with me.

On the subject of Veganism, let me relate to you a brief anecdote of how this whole topic came up. I recently attended an alumni event at my high school, and some of us went to a restaurant afterward to have a few drinks and appetizers, etc. One of the women in the group was offered some artichoke dip, to which she said, "No thank you, I don't eat dairy products." To which the person that offered it replied, "Oh, I'm sorry." and she then said, "But is it good, though? I mean, considering it's immoral, you know." And that started a brief, but lighthearted conversation about the evils of meat-eating. One person chimed in about how they could understand her point of view, but that they just couldn't resist a nice, juicy porterhouse steak. And so the evening went on.

I later sent her an e-mail because I had thought about what she said and ruminated on it a little. The nut of my concern lies in her use of the term "immoral" when describing meat-eating. Her position (which I later was able to research on-line a little) is basically that it is immoral for us in today's world to eat animals when there are plenty of other options availble for our nourishment. Tofu, protein supplements, etc. being as readily available as they are. In situations where survival depends on it, though, it's morally O.K. to kill the animal.

My objection, as I said, is in her use of the term "immoral". To me, "moral" issues are a little more black and white. Killing an animal because I'm starving seems perfectly reasonable to most people. Killing the animal just because I can (such as "sport" hunters do) to me seems inhumane, but there are those who might disagree. But what about the gray areas? What about dairy products? For my vegan friend, these are unacceptable because we are exploiting the reproductive process of animals to obtain dairy products, and most dairy farm animals are treated poorly.

But what about the subsistence farmer who takes good care of his cows and chickens, (puts blankets on them when it gets cold, feeds them well, gives them plenty of area to roam) but still milks them and eats their eggs? Let's assume that by not eating the dairy products they produce, the farmer would be forced to work in a factory or something in order to make enough money to feed his family. In this case, is it "immoral" for the farmer to eat the dairy products if not doing so will create an economic hardship for him? Let's say the factory is really a dangerous coal mine. What then?

Another scenario may illustrate my point. If I'm on a lifeboat with another person and a dog, and we are starving, even if the other person is a criminal, I would have to kill the dog first so that we could survive. Nobody would question that decision. But what that basically implies is that the life of the animal is not worth as much as that of the criminal human. Or if you like, the animal doesn't have the same "moral standing" as the human. So can we legitimately say that animal mistreatment or eating is immoral? OR is it simply unethical, or inhumane, or irresponsible?

[Gryka]

Hi Yeti!

I spoke to Glimmung recently and he mentioned you were visiting… So I thought I’ll say hello…

A new baby! Congratulations! Another Little Foot! :o) Now you have both feet, the Left and the Right! :o)… Tell more! Please tell more! :o)

[Yeti]

I wonder what ever happened to Glenn Ghoul.

[Yeti]

Posting to this blog is a little like being involved in the SETI project. You point your antenna here every once in a while to see if there are signs of life. Occasionally you find an intelligent pattern, but most of the time it is blank, barren, and unresponsive....

Very sad. I miss the days of Glenn Ghoul and Viragpali. I wonder if he ever broke down and started eating meat...

I wonder if Gryka is still in Chicago eating at all those nice restaurants I used to frequent. I wonder if Glimmung still has a menagerie of animals.

[glimmung]

Yeti!

I miss the Solaris conversations too. It was a challenge to keep my commentary worthy of the company. :^)

GG was gone by the time I arrived, but over time I visited all the old threads. I still have archived versions of many of them, which I hoped to put up here but never made the time. I did get a couple of the threads posted here, at least...

I hope you and you family are well. We are fine, and still have far too many cats and dogs...

I read and enjoyed Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma. Recommended.

[Yeti]

Hi Glimmung,

Sorry for taking so long to cycle back around, but I was beginning to lose hope.

I'm not familiar with Michael Pollan's work. I actually don't get much time to read these days. Littlefoot is now 5 years old and demands pretty much all of my time along with his younger (3yr old) sister. I did, however, stumble across Tarkovsky's "Stalker" that someone has posted on YouTube.

So far, I've gotten through part 7 of 16 parts on YouTube. It's really a very cool movie so far. Visually stunning, even over my poor internet connection. Have you seen it? I don't want to spoil anything if you haven't, and if you haven't seen it you should. I hope to watch the rest of it this evening or tomorrow evening.

Have you kept in touch with Gryka? How about any of the other folks that used to post here?

-Yeti

[glimmung]

I actually have the Criterion edition of Stalker, but haven't watched it yet. You have inspired me to make time for that.

Yes, I keep in touch with Gryka - she is a good friend. And I hear from mondrian5 every so often, I should drop him a line.

LIttlefoot is 5. Gosh, but the years pass, don't they...

[Yeti]

Yes. The years certainly do pass...

I finished watching Stalker. I found that it was a lot like Solaris in that there are many long scenes without dialogue, and a lot of philosophical discussions between the characters. Definitely worth watching late at night when you find yourself in a melancholy or contemplative mood.

The movie was filmed in Estonia, and now after seeing it, I want to go find the locations where the film was made. Several people have posted photographs on the web, but most of the sites are in russian and thus difficult (impossible) to read.

Let me know what you think of it once you do watch it. As with Solaris, there is nobody here that has any interest in Tarkovsky and hence nobody who wants to watch and discuss Stalker..

[Gryka]

Hey Yeti! Hi Glimmung! :o)

Re Stalker - link to these sites, I can probably decipher Russian. Well, it's been years but - it's like riding a bike, right? :o)

Per wikipedia the filmed locations were in Jagala

Tallinn

Maardu

and

Lasnamae

There are some maps of Estonia saved on google by few individuals - very interesting... And cold, cold, cold! :o) I don't know if I can see Stalker again... So much of this film reminds me of the future I saw than and live now...

I miss our discussions too :( Well, all that is good must end sometime, right? :o).

[Yeti]

Gryka,

It's nice to hear from you. Here is a link to someone's photo slideshow of photos of the abandoned power plant where much of Stalker was filmed. (sorry it's not a "clickable" link. I'm not too computer savvy)

http://www.reisijutud.com/gallery/Neeruti290106/w_neeruti290106_34

What I find incredibly sad is that many of the actors, and Tarkovsy himself, got incredibly ill from their exposure to toxic waste while filming this movie. I believe Anotoly Solonitsyn died of cancer only a few years after "Stalker" was filmed.

Since I last posted, I also watched "The Mirror" which I enjoyed, but not as much as "Stalker". I started watching "Andrei Rublev" but haven't had time to see it all.