RIP Kurt Vonnegut - OT - Time Tech Talk

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Paxman
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We've lost one of the greats...

A literary hero of mine.

I had the pleasure of meeting and speaking with him in the early 90's at a book signing... what a blast.

Paxman
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No love for Vonnegut!!

Too counter- culture?? Vonnegut was an activist Unitarian, Atheist, and Secular Humanist.

The NYT write up:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/12/books/12vonnegut.html?ex=1334030400&en=5f47f4f343376a1f&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

oagaspar
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Kurt Vonegut was a guest speaker at my high school in 69' Pax along with Ralph Nader and Aldous Huxley and unfortunately Dr.Timothy Leary who was also scheduled could not attend ....way before your time....it was during a time of great unrest that he gained great noteriety and anti-war protests were abound.

Paxman
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O.A. Gaspar wrote: Kurt Vonegut was a guest speaker at my high school in 69' Pax along with Ralph Nader and Aldous Huxley and unfortunately Dr.Timothy Leary who was also scheduled could not attend ....way before your time....it was during a time of great unrest that he gained great noteriety and anti-war protests were abound.

Where did you go the High School...Hippie High? What a great opportunity!!

srh_pres
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"Schlachthaus fünf" - one of my favs... I did get the chance to meet Dr. Timothy Leary - a very minding-opening, ahem, experience.... :shock:

Paxman
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srh_pres wrote: "Schlachthaus fünf" - one of my favs... I did get the chance to meet Dr. Timothy Leary - a very minding-opening, ahem, experience.... :shock:

Slaughterhouse Five!!

"Billy Pilgrim has become unstuck in time..."

srh_pres
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Paxman wrote:
srh_pres wrote: "Schlachthaus fünf" - one of my favs... I did get the chance to meet Dr. Timothy Leary - a very minding-opening, ahem, experience.... :shock:

Slaughterhouse Five!!

"Billy Pilgrim has become unstuck in time..."

yamahaki
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When the last living thing

has died on account of us,

how poetical it would be

if Earth could say,

in a voice floating up

perhaps

from the floor

of the Grand Canyon,

“It is done.”

People did not like it here.

Paxman
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yamahaki wrote: When the last living thing

has died on account of us,

how poetical it would be

if Earth could say,

in a voice floating up

perhaps

from the floor

of the Grand Canyon,

“It is done.”

People did not like it here.

What's that from, Sean?

Cat's Cradle?

srh_pres
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10/7/2005 - PBS/NOW's David Brancaccio interviews literary icon Kurt Vonnegut about his life and the current state of American democracy. With his classic wit, the legendary author of CAT'S CRADLE and SLAUGHTERHOUSE FIVE comments on how American democracy works and delivers some choice words for our parties, our system, and our president. Excerpt from transcript:

KURT VONNEGUT: ... I'm also announcing that the world is about to end. And, that is the world as we know it, surely. One, we're destroying it as a life-support system.
DAVID BRANCACCIO: Destroying the environment.
KURT VONNEGUT: Yes. And I wrote a poem about that-- which was published, incidentally, by the Bertrand Russell Peace Foundation on their cover. But the poem goes, "The crucified planet earth. Should it find a voice? And the sense of irony might now well say of our abuse of it. Forgive them father, they know not what they do. The irony would be that we know what we're doing. And when the last living thing has died on account of us, how shapely it would be, how poetical if the Earth could say in a voice floating up, perhaps from the floor of the Grand Canyon; It is done.
People did not like it here. And they don't and they shouldn't.

Paxman
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srh_pres wrote: 10/7/2005 - PBS/NOW's David Brancaccio interviews literary icon Kurt Vonnegut about his life and the current state of American democracy. With his classic wit, the legendary author of CAT'S CRADLE and SLAUGHTERHOUSE FIVE comments on how American democracy works and delivers some choice words for our parties, our system, and our president. Excerpt from transcript:

KURT VONNEGUT: ... I'm also announcing that the world is about to end. And, that is the world as we know it, surely. One, we're destroying it as a life-support system.
DAVID BRANCACCIO: Destroying the environment.
KURT VONNEGUT: Yes. And I wrote a poem about that-- which was published, incidentally, by the Bertrand Russell Peace Foundation on their cover. But the poem goes, "The crucified planet earth. Should it find a voice? And the sense of irony might now well say of our abuse of it. Forgive them father, they know not what they do. The irony would be that we know what we're doing. And when the last living thing has died on account of us, how shapely it would be, how poetical if the Earth could say in a voice floating up, perhaps from the floor of the Grand Canyon; It is done.
People did not like it here. And they don't and they shouldn't.

Thanks Steve!!

Food for thought...

yamahaki
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he used a common thread throughout his writings. I really liked the guy. I read all of his books. The man himself had a agonizing life, but could find humor in everything.

Paxman
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yamahaki wrote: he used a common thread throughout his writings. I really liked the guy. I read all of his books. The man himself had a agonizing life, but could find humor in everything.
In a way isn't that the "human condition"?

srh_pres
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YW Pax and great book to get signed by him... very cool...

Paxman wrote: srh_pres wrote: 10/7/2005 - PBS/NOW's David Brancaccio interviews literary icon Kurt Vonnegut about his life and the current state of American democracy. With his classic wit, the legendary author of CAT'S CRADLE and SLAUGHTERHOUSE FIVE comments on how American democracy works and delivers some choice words for our parties, our system, and our president. Excerpt from transcript:

KURT VONNEGUT: ... I'm also announcing that the world is about to end. And, that is the world as we know it, surely. One, we're destroying it as a life-support system.
DAVID BRANCACCIO: Destroying the environment.
KURT VONNEGUT: Yes. And I wrote a poem about that-- which was published, incidentally, by the Bertrand Russell Peace Foundation on their cover. But the poem goes, "The crucified planet earth. Should it find a voice? And the sense of irony might now well say of our abuse of it. Forgive them father, they know not what they do. The irony would be that we know what we're doing. And when the last living thing has died on account of us, how shapely it would be, how poetical if the Earth could say in a voice floating up, perhaps from the floor of the Grand Canyon; It is done.
People did not like it here. And they don't and they shouldn't.

Thanks Steve!!

Food for thought...

canadajo
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I LOVED THE MOVIE SLAUGHTERHOUSE 5 ...(thanks to Pax for loaning it to me)..Billy Pilgrim !!!! He was a fixture of pop-culture for sure

oagaspar
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Paxman wrote:
Definitely one of the most progressive High Schools during that period Markhand6.gif We even had our own smoking lounge for students....go figure....I doubt that would exist today!..it was Shaker Heights High and was a great education although I transferred in the middle of my jr. year to attend a private sports high school on scholarship from which I graduated:) Those years were "High Times" in just about every High School Buddy!:D:D O.A. Gaspar wrote: Kurt Vonegut was a guest speaker at my high school in 69' Pax along with Ralph Nader and Aldous Huxley and unfortunately Dr.Timothy Leary who was also scheduled could not attend ....way before your time....it was during a time of great unrest that he gained great noteriety and anti-war protests were abound.

Where did you go the High School...Hippie High? What a great opportunity!!