Re: virus: Personally?

Tim Rhodes (proftim@speakeasy.org)
Mon, 29 Mar 1999 14:09:03 -0800

Snow Leopard wrote:

>Hi, everyone!
>This is Joy.

Hi, Joy! Whatup?

>So long as web-sites and personality types have entereed the
>discussion, I might add that I am a 15 year old student, female, who
>writes science fiction.

I hope you'll excuse my he/she's then, I hadn't read this yet. Who are your favorite SF writers at the moment? And what are your favorite themes? (Generally speaking.)

>Anyone who’d like to drop in a personal bio, I’d like to know who I’m
>talking to.

Well, I'm not a Ph.D, but I play one on TV. (And here too--you'd be amazed how many people let their "voice-o-authority" buttons get pushed just by my attaching something silly like "Prof." in front of my name. Why, imagine what you'd be able to get away with on some lists as Dr. Joy, M.D.!!!!)

I'm a troublemaker. Can't help it, it's part of my nature--the Aries in me (although I'm sure you realize that horoscopes are nothing but completely irrational rubbish--mindless claptrap! And a good way to start a conversation at a party too, BTW.) I easily identify with the tricksters and shaman in most mythologies, Christianity included. I think the relationship God and Satan (whose name just means "accuser," if you didn't know) have in the Book of Job is informative and often overlooked by the "religious" church. They aren't antagonistic to one another in the least, God & Satan are friends from way back. Satan's just making sure God stays humble (and if you're God, that's the kinda friends you *really* need, right?), but he's still got big G's back.

The first chapter of Job is just great, paraphrased, it goes something like this:

God was cold chillin' in the crib with his posse when Satan happen in on. God said to him, "Nigger, where you been hidin'?" Satan replied, "Shi-i-i-it, you know, Dog. I be roamin' the hood, crusin' with the top down, getting heavy." And the Lord did reply, "Ya' seen my man Job on the street, fool? He's one rightous upright muthafucka--down with the plan 800%! Wish I had more soldiers like`em." "Well, shit," replied the S-man to Big G-Daddy, "Of course he is. As long as you gots `im all set up with d'bitches an d'gold an d'pocket fulla dead presidents, he's gonna be your man fer sure. What knida fool wouldn't, G?!? But check yerself here, Big Dog. Take a-a-all that away, an your man Job... well, your "Rightous Job" he gonna go "law-n-order" an turn your nigger ass in in a heartbeat."
"Yah, so you say, Black!" replied the Almighty Kingpin, "Tell you what, I got money down on it. You be my man as always--you go on out, you do
what you want with his bitches and his gold--hell you can even jack his ride for all I care--but if I find out you messed with one hair on his rightously jerry-curled head I'm gonna bust a cap in ya', ya' dig?" And so the S-man went out into the hood to fuck some shit up on the brotherman Job. Poor Job didn't even know what was comin'.

>A pleasure communicating with such a vast intelligence as this
>Meme-fixated collective, to be sure.

BTW, if you want to check out curious conundrums in the bible, just start with the beginning; with Genesis. The first couple of chapters contain two complete, but slightly different creation myths, one from Gen. 1:1 to 2:3 and the other from Gen. 2:4 to 2:25. (As an aside, Genesis 2:25 is probably the bit of scripture I've quoted most often in my life, "And they were both naked, man and woman, and were not ashamed." It comes in handy quite often.) I suggest reading the two versions in reverse order (2:4-2:25 first and then 1:1-2:3) so you can see how different they are.

There are many explainations for the two different myths side by side. (And a couple good books on the subject too.) Most biblical scholars feel that one was from the patriachal myths of the nomadic Hebrews and the other possibly adopted from the matriachal, agrucultral cultures of Egypt. However it happened, it's interesting to see the two different versions side by side right from the very beginning of the book.

Makes you wonder what the point of that was, doesn't it? Maybe that the words themselves aren't as important as the meaning--that how the story is told isn't as important as the story itself. (Or even the meaning hidden _inside_ that story.)

"And the Lord God said, "The man has now become like _one of us_, knowing good and evil." --Gen. 3:22

-Prof. Tim, man-god.

P.S. I think whoever wrote "Gala" was pointing you to the book of "Galatians," FYI.