Siren Song

A poem with wit! I analysed this for an exam once, under the theme of seduction. Loved it! It ensnares the reader!

Siren Song

This is the one song everyone

would like to learn: the song

that is irresistible:

the song that forces men

to leap overboard in squadrons

even though they see beached skulls

the song nobody knows

because anyone who had heard it

is dead, and the others can’t remember.

Shall I tell you the secret

and if I do, will you get me

out of this bird suit?

I don’t enjoy it here

squatting on this island

looking picturesque and mythical

with these two feathery maniacs,

I don’t enjoy singing

this trio, fatal and valuable.

I will tell the secret to you,

to you, only to you.

Come closer. This song

is a cry for help: Help me!

Only you, only you can,

you are unique

at last. Alas

it is a boring song

but it works every time.

Margaret Atwood

Marxist Synonyms(?)

A previous post titled "Simulative Engagement" could also be called "Aesthetic 'Opiation'" by staunch Marxists or Bolsheviks who believe that art is to advance the status quo towards utopian socialism.

Justice in a Globalized World

(image at http://pej.ca/images/foelogo.jpg)

*As this is a casual blog post, I didn't include my sources. If anyone feels that they would like to assert their copyright, please leave a comment.

Thinkers from the Enlightenment thru to the present day have postulated many ideas on what justice is. They attempt to identify perfectly just societies and the institutions present in these hypothetical cases. In his book The Idea of Justice, Amartya Sen has noted that such 'transcendental idealism' is too detached from the practice of justice to be useful, and I agree with this viewpoint. As Sen notes, justice in practice involves reducing manifest injustice and choosing between imperfect alternatives. It is irrelevant to consider 'airy fairy' conceptions of perfectly just worlds that are impossible to achieve. We must remember that justice is ultimately practice, not theory, and efforts should be focused on overcoming practical difficulties.

An Android's Poetry

In the series "Star Trek: The New Generation", there is an android played by Brent Spiner who takes on human appearances and features in an attempt to become 'more human'. I greatly admire the versatility of this actor because his role often involves switching from humanistic behavior to something less easily defined. He has truly made the character come alive.