... and his reception here has me thinking about how mis-understood Borges writing is.

I've even encountered graduate level courses teaching Pierre Menard, Author of The Quixote as if it was something other than a grand satire.

There is nothing more comical than watching a tenured professor leading a bunch of dim-wits in a discussion about how it is that Menard's Quixote is superior to Cervantes’s.

Now I'm not saying that I know for sure that our little drummer boy is a brilliant satirist, but consider the context will ya?

I don't believe anyone could be this brilliantly crazy.

exactly, and I did consider that it might be an elaborate scam. But I asked myself this:

Which is the sicker person? The schizo who obsessively posts about his tympanums, hour upon hour? Or the diabolically clever genius who devises an elaborate plan to make everyone think he's a schizo who obsessively posts about his tympanums, hour upon hour?

I just can't split that hair.

Yeah, I'm not crazy. I just spent the last four days making people think I'm crazy. Brilliant.

wg o'connell?

There was some to-do back on the old fray, when he was applying for jobs. He heard that some employers conduct a net search as part of their employment screening process, and had put his name to some posts on controversial, and potentially objectionable, subjects (like, legalizing drug use, is my dim recollection). Seems like he'd just finished college, or was in college. I think he was friendly with either Geoff or Kevin, and some more venerable (maybe absent?) posters.

This doesn't look like parody to me - it looks like mania (though it could easily be chemical in nature, ala methamphetamine, or the like). I feel for the guy, but really - what's to say? All the persuasive argument in the world isn't going to instill rationality in a person in an irrational state. Right now, if I'm correct, he's (subjectively) living in the realm of the Gods. To call the feeling he's experiencing "inspired" doesn't really do it justice.

What people should do is go back to ignoring him, and requesting his posts be flushed. And hoping there's somebody out there who loves him, and is checking on him, and will see he gets the help he needs - meds, or detox and treatment.

It's makes me very sad. I just hope he comes around.

... I think that a mildly inteligent person could find a couple of third-rate wholistic-wacko sites and C&P the same kind of useless pile of shit without much effort.

And I think I know why, which is what I said.

And Yes, you're right, they're not as brilliant as they think.

... smart-ass who's point is not so important, and who's technique is not so impressive.

As I posted to Tony, I think I could find a few dull-witted,and long-winded sites to C&P to equal effect.

The only serious point I'm trying to make is that our country has been and is being pillaged by a band of criminals who know we're never going to do the heavy-lifting involved in holding them accountable because we're obviously suckers for any debate that requires only typing, and pushing buttons.

Tin Drum is not typing more meaningful words, or pushing more meaningful buttons, he's just typing and pushing different meaningless words and buttons.

I'm not as embarrassed as he thinks I should be, but I'm also not too proud that it's taken so long for me to admit that all this posting/debating does not equal real political action.

...or it's somebody having some warped fun. In the first case, not much we do here makes much of a difference. In the second, you know, art is in the eye of the creator.

I'm glad you could find something meaningful in all the gibberish and ambiguity. For myself - the guy sounds sadly familiar. If he's feigning, he's doing a good job of it.

This is one of those situations where I'd rather be wrong.

But your point - about the meaningless activities we substitute for meaningful action - is apt enough. I'd go one further and speculate that many people here think they're doing one thing, but instead are doing something else; the content is unimportant, it's the process that motivates involvement.

But that isn't really all that profound - the same could be said about any activity one becomes (perhaps over-) involved in, nor does it mean that the underlying motives for being here are bad ones. Many of us tend to be too harsh in our interpretations about the behavior of other people, hereabouts. I think it's just a reflection of our own shame, perhaps at being here instead of somewhere else, or perhaps for other issues.

But there are some beautiful people here. Really. The place inspires me, sometimes (admittedly, not so often of late), and I chuckle frequently (often despite myself, like at Schmutzie's Gilligan's Island retort).

Though I agree that posting/debating does not equal real political action, the same could be said for other forms of social commentary. That doesn't mean it's a waste of time, however.

Nice to see you, W4B.

rhetorical lark; some purposive meta-narrative. The line between that and manic or dissociative tendencies may be hard to trace sometimes. Case in point---do you remember the poster "Star of Moira"? He/she would repeatedly post nothing but the old "Re:...." reply subject-line, with no post content, or (seemingly) nonsensical and non sequitur mantras ("Tim Noah and David Plotz"), but yet one always got the sense he/she closely and insightfully observed the personalities and goings-on here.

This guy is a two year old who just discovered what a delight it is to play with his own poo.

Having said that, I've said too much. Now I'm going back to ignoring him and giving him the thumb.

One way to describe mania is a surplus of inspiration. You also raise a good point about discriminating dissociation (or the activities undertaken to maintain a dissociative state) and mania. So it's entirely possible everybody's right - it's a meta-point lost on the rest of us because it only seems profound and worth making from within a mindset that's gotten more than a little loose.

I don't really want to get into a discussion about projective identification. The Star of Moira was either a Rorschach, or an artist of sorts, I suppose - every observer gets to decide for themselves.

A lot of the meta-games (not wanting to get into this much) seem to involve pattern recognition (novel creation, interpretation, and reciprocation). This doesn't feel like that (though granted, I've only given the most cursory of readings).

"The banana is big, but the skin is even bigger."

That sounds more like it, to me.

re. projection/projective identification/projected meaning.

That's an interesting analysis and choice of descriptives. Was your mother so disgusted by your natural biological functions that you were potty trained very young, perhaps*?

*I shouldn't have to say it, but in case I do, I was joking.

just barely.

beyond a cursory and superficial observation (derrida featured some bits on the tympanum in his "margins of philosophy"), i can't tell what's going on here.

i resist the temptation to label it--lest i dismiss it out of hand for discomfort--because maybe there's a point to be revealed. but i'll say, there's such a thing as overbuilding a punchline and killing a joke.

Yes of course, and I surely count myself among the accused.

Good to see you too.

"but i'll say, there's such a thing as overbuilding a punchline and killing a joke."

I like that.