The Eighth Sermon to the Dead

This is a list of the 50 most significant science fiction/fantasy novels, 1953-2002, according to the Science Fiction Book Club. Bold the ones you've read, strike-out (or surround with # signs) the ones you hated, italicize those you started but never finished and put an asterisk beside the ones you loved. 1. The Lord of the Rings, J.R.R. Tolkien 2. The Foundation Trilogy, Isaac Asimov* 3. Dune, Frank Herbert 4. Stranger in a Strange Land, Robert A. Heinlein* 5. A Wizard of Earthsea, Ursula K. Le Guin* 6. Neuromancer, William Gibson 7. Childhood's End, Arthur C. Clarke 8. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, Philip K. Dick 9. The Mists of Avalon, Marion Zimmer Bradley 10. Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury 11. The Book of the New Sun, Gene Wolfe 12. A Canticle for Leibowitz, Walter M. Miller, Jr.* 13. The Caves of Steel, Isaac Asimov 14. Children of the Atom, Wilmar Shiras 15. Cities in Flight, James Blish 16. The Colour of Magic, Terry Pratchett 17. Dangerous Visions, edited by Har...

A little, at least. I came across these in abook the other day, and was startled to realize I understood them. אין אין סוף אין סוף אוף Now, if I could only read non-Kabbalistically...

HowManyOfMe.com There are: 0 people with my name in the U.S.A. How many have your name? It's odd that there are no people in the US named Rassbach. There should be at least one...

Not much info for the Canadians, but eh? What American accent do you have? Your Result: The Midland "You have a Midland accent" is just another way of saying "you don't have an accent." You probably are from the Midland (Pennsylvania, southern Ohio, southern Indiana, southern Illinois, and Missouri) but then for all we know you could be from Florida or Charleston or one of those big southern cities like Atlanta or Dallas. You have a good voice for TV and radio. North Central The West The Inland North Boston Philadelphia The South The Northeast What American accent do you have? Take More Quizzes

Home is behind, the world ahead, And there are many paths to tread, Through shadow to the edge of night, Until the stars are all alight. Mist and shadow, Cloud and shade All shall fade, all shall fade. -Return of the King

Ben Stein is what I think of as a true conservaative: Admit mistakes, look for solutions, be humble, be practical. I hope Mr. Bush takes his advice.

Ok, I'm feeling better now. I've had a great weekend of blowing off steam, and that has helped just a ton. Lots of fun things happened: My roommate got arrested (for carrying glass bottles across State Street, of all things. He wasn't even causing trouble), I went to a costume party that was about 25% populated by people in Guy Fawkes "V for Vendetta" costumes, We had 10 strangers stay in our house (all friends of my roommate), and lots of alcohol was had. It was fun. It reminds me of why we moved back to Madison in the first place. Now that all of that has been expelled, I think it's time to get moving on. My wife bought me a guitar, which I've wanted for 15 years and am now going to start trying to learn, which should be fun as it's a different mental muscle. I've just come into some money, so I'm going to bay some overhanging bills and get a new toy (I'm thinking Zen Vision:M from Creative Labs). I've got a little cash to buy...

Have you ever bored yourself? I have all this stuff going on (Formation, work, home life), but I feel bored and boring. I'm also bored by the stuff that used to interest me (technology, theology, gnostic posturing, etc.). I'm a little worried that clinical depression may be setting in. Perhaps it's just the fall, coming to roost. Maybe it's Halloween, one of those holiday's I'm supposed to like, and just don't. I have a hard enough time trying to be me, without having to show how creative I am by being someone else. My Birthday is soon, and I'm going to get a guitar saturday as a b-day present. I used to play piano, but I've always wanted to play guitar. Perhaps that will perk me up. Or beer. Maybe that'll work.

...This relates to work. who the hell is going to save me? he thought. as the knife stopped spinning the answer came: you're going to have to save yourself. still smiling, a: he lit a cigarette b: he poured another drink c: gave the blade another spin. --from The Last Night of the Earth Poems , Charles Bukowski Never read Bukowski before. Might have to give him a look-see.

In case you haven't guessed, I've been having a few problems of a personal nature. When that happens, I tend to post song lyrics. Not exactly sure why, but that's how it goes. Hopefully, gnosticky goodness will resume shortly. I love you, I love you, I love you, I do I only make jokes to distract myself From the truth, from the truth. -Zero 7, Distractions

Call me 'evil' call me 'tide is on your side' Anything that you want Anybody knows you can conjure anything By the dark of the moon Boy and if you keep your silence Silencer on you'll Talk yourself right into a job Out of a hole Into my bayou I'm sure that you've been briefed My absorption lines They are frayed And I fear My fear is greater than my faith But I walk The missionary way You always felt like suede There are days I am your twin Peekaboo Hiding underneath your skin... -Tori Amos, Suede

The world weighs on my shoulders But what am I to do? You sometimes drive me crazy But I worry about you I know it makes no difference To what you're going through But I see the tip of the iceberg And I worry about you -Rush, Distant Early Warning

Which Historical Lunatic Are You? From the fecund loins of Rum and Monkey. It fits. I've always been fascinated by Norton I, and wonder how I could be his successor without going to a looney bin.

I don't think you love me Confusion settling in I don't think I'll be staying Around here, anymore There's no question that I love you But I'm living in my own time And here I am debating Whether I'm wrong, or right Who am I To make a judgement of Your life I'm only Passing by Passing by All the promises I gave you Helped me to survive And all the times I wished you'd save me You were the love of my life Who am I To make a judgement of Your life I'm only Passing by Passing by -Zero 7

Organizations, relationships, physical objects-all the things that you build may be destroyed during your lifetime. You could lose them overnight. If they survive your own passing, they may not survive for long, because the world will continue to change. Buildings will be torn down, new inventions will replace the old, new ideas will be adopted, new organizations will arise, new relationships will be formed. But it is worth building anyway. It is worth it because the act of buidling brings joy and satisfaction. And even when the things you build are destroyed, that doesn't change what you have accomplished. What you accomplished was real. You will always be able to look back on it with pride and pleasure. What you accomplished can be a source of meaning forever. -Kent M. Keith, Do It Anyway

This is where the chapel is.

Jordan's post is definitely something I support. We should definitely make a document that proposes this, and I'm definitely going to support it in my limited administrative and clerical positions. Jordan has my whole-hearted support with no reservations whatsoever, and if I can be of any help I volunteer. I don't think it will succeed. I think there are too many egos and authoritarians who'll torpedo it, wary of those who step on their turf, or who's understanding is different than their own. I will support it anyway. It needs to be done, regardless of the possiblity of success. Most importantly, I could be wrong, and the gnosis will succeed where intellect fails. The wisdom of God is the folly of the world.

As a good gnostic should, I wholeheartedly agree and wholeheartedly disagree with Jordan's+ points. I agree that they are well thought out and pertinent. I disagree, in that I think they ultimately don't matter. A point by point response: Point 1: If you strive for art, eventually intellectual theories and utilitarian motives will follow. If you strive for intellectual theories, utilitarian motives and artistic endeavors will follow. If you strive for utilitarianism, Artistic endeavors and intellectual theories will follow. Out there, in the wide wide world, there are people who follow every stripe. And they bring their stripe to our church. Saying that people want this or that strikes me as blind to reality. If people didn't want intellectual arguing, why do we have so much of it? Eventually, we will have all three, and I would rather make a place for it, than fight about it. Point 2) Let me make one thing clear: Ministry does not require ordination . ...

Disturb us, Lord, when we are too well pleased with ourselves, When our dreams have come true Because we have dreamed too little, When we arrived safely Because we sailed too close to the shore. Disturb us, Lord, when With the abundance of things we possess We have lost our thirst For the waters of life; Having fallen in love with life, We have ceased to dream of eternity And in our efforts to build a new earth, We have allowed our vision Of the new Heaven to dim. Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly, To venture on wider seas Where storms will show your mastery; Where losing sight of land, We shall find the stars. We ask You to push back The horizons of our hopes; And to push into the future In strength, courage, hope, and love.