datanode.net Where the totally inane meets the totally mundane

Reflections on syllabi

Posted by mcummings

I promised myself I'd work on a syllabus for my grand experiment, so last night I began looking into formalizing my vision of self educated evolution. First, let me concede that any plan I develop may only be appealing to myself. I have a decent exposure to philosophy and literature, science and history, such that I may unintentionally skim material that others might find fundamental to everything else. Then again, my ego is probably getting the better of me and anyone else of a like mind or inclination is as well versed if not better on the material. I tend to suspect the latter.

Last night I spent a good deal of time looking at the incarnations of the "great idea" and "great book" approaches. Though I like them, and would love to own a complete set of the Britannica rendition, I find them lacking in both context and breadth for my needs. The basic principle of each is to provide the reader with the roughly 50 to 100 works who's concepts shaped our view and understanding of the world and humanity. But there is no context here. What is the social and political world that the Odyssey takes place in? Without the Iliad and its tie to Greek cultural history, do you get the tie into the Aeneid and its mythical birth of the Roman world? What was playing in the music halls while Newton penned his Principia? Does it matter? Maybe not for a strict understanding of the ground breaking physics - but allegory though the falling apple story may be, it does illustrate that we take inspiration from the seeds scattered around us. Without knowledge of what was going on in the 19th century, do any of Mark Twain's works carry the same message? And if I'm just starting off on this adventure, do I have any idea what I'm talking about??

Probably not. But I also think these books lack a breadth. They cover some of the big works, but not the nuances. I know that this personal endeavor's success will only be gaugeable (unless its an obvious failure) after a decade or more of work - there's no other way to do everything I have in mind in less time. Yes, my goal is tantamount to attempting to do a college work load in my spare time after being at work for 11 to 13 hours a day. But what else am I going to do with my mind in my spare time?

Funny thing is, this takes me back to past interests. I'm reminded of Giulio Camillo's Theatre of Memory, of all things. Why? Because it too was about context - about supplying the viewer with images, sounds, and text in combination to provoke an experience that broadened the mind. I've no idea what life is all about, and that isn't a goal, but I'm pretty sure its about more than eating pecan pie and watching "Nightmare Kitchen" in bed.

But I said originally that I was "emancipating [myself] from the prison I have allowed myself to construct around me" - that means more than simply making my head hurt. That also means making the rest of my body hurt (after all, original concept was a super hero weight loss book with a splash of maniacal laughter). Not sure how I'm going to accomplish that. it's pretty obvious self-control isn't my strong suit. But I thought that about other things, and in the last month have managed to pull through.

Bah. Enough thinking for now.

Kindled desire

Posted by mcummings

If money (and price) weren't what they are, I'd have a Kindle sitting on my desk right now. Sure, you still have to buy the books separately, but this thing looks pretty darned cool

Self Version 3: Introduction

Posted by mcummings

This is not intended as a work of fiction, nor is it a self help guide. That said, the first few title versions that floated though my head were “How to be a Super Hero” and “So you want to be a Super Villain,” which will make sense as you read.

Looking back at my life, I see that I have gone through various stage. Version 0, the beta, was my time as a child, learning and exploring this world. Version 1, aka adolescence, was about defining the self based on what was learned in version 0.

Version 2 was dictated by the world around me. Though I was shaped and molded from Version 0 to Version 1, when I stepped into the 'real world' of work, responsibility, and ultimately family, the person I was, the dreamer and learner, was set aside so that I could meet the needs of living and providing in modern day America.

This is my emancipation from the prison I have allowed myself to construct around me. Why do I no longer strive to learn new things? Why do I no longer challenge myself to solve problems and expand my horizons? There is nothing in my life that dictates this. My wife doesn't curb or cripple this desire; if anything she supports and encourages me. My job doesn't disable me – it only accounts for 9 to 11 hours of my day (one must include the commute, though I will work to overcome even that in time). My children certainly don't hold me back – they look to me as a role model, and I want them to know and enjoy the same freedom of mind that I had as a child.

And how exactly does this relate to my two alternative titles, “How to be a super hero,” or my personal preference, “So you want to be a Super Villain?” With a bit of guilty indulgence, I have to admit that it has to do with how these characters are portrayed in media. Movies, TV, books, even comics, these arch-types demonstrate their superior knowledge of science, art, history; they tend to have well developed physiques and are in tune with the world around them. My guilty motto has long been, "My body is a temple; I simply choose to dedicate that temple to Bachus." Funny (to me at least), but ultimately self-defeating.

I used to be this person (minus the physical prowess - I have never been a good example of fitness, hence the Bachus reference). When I was entering High School, one of my teachers noted in my paperwork that I had the Renascence mentality – my interests were wide and varied. I think it is possible to reclaim that mindset.

Moving forward, I don't think its necessary to do away with my current interests and past-times, but to instead augment them. By slowly including a syllabus that draws from the classics, modern and historical, as well as from the various sciences and arts, I think it is feasible to reclaim a sense of wonderment and joy that I knew as a youth. Above all, I want to stare back at the world with a keen and inquisitive perspective again, one that isn't simply shaped by the subjects of my career but that exceeds those limits.

Next: A first stab at a plan.

Goodbye…food…for now…

Posted by mcummings

Tara had her allergy tests today (I know, finally). Kim and I had been growing increasingly worried as it seemed more and more foods were causing a reaction lately, the latest being fish last week, which caused her to puff up and turn a little blueish around her lips. Tara is officially allergic to (and this means that at least for the next month, they are completely removed from our diet too):

• All nut products (including peanut butter - don't ask me how the other kids are going to cope...)
• Eggs
• Fish
• Poultry - including last week's turkey :/

Yes, for now, Tara is *that* child - the one allergic to everything. Poor pumpkin.

[EDIT] Forgot to include rice in the above list, bringing the food groups allowed down another notch.