Archive for the 'symposium' Category

An Allegory

November 29, 2007 in symposium

“I shall praise Socrates in a figure which shall appear to him to be a caricature, and yet I do not mean to laugh at him, but only to speak the truth.”
Alcibiades. The Symposium; by Plato.
And yet everyone laughed at what Alcibiades went on to say, after saying these words. Who’s laughing now– [...]

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    • The Sacrifice of the Gibbon
      We head out in search of the temporal layering of Newcastle. Temporal layering, W. says, is usually a hierarchical layering. Mumford said that. In the city, time becomes visible, Mumford says. Buildings, monument and public spaces, much more than the...
    • The People
      Where are the people? Where are the people of Newcastle?, W.'s question, which he asked in despair by the new courts on the quayside, finds an answer. Wending down The Side from the station, there they come, boozy and colourful,...
    • The Enemy of Art
      We wipe bap flour from our hands as we finish our pints. Later, as we walk up Grey Street, W. points out the building in which Eca de Queiroz, the famous Portuguese writer, used to work. How did he end...
    • A Traffic Canute
      The sole literary connection of my flat lies in Whiteknights, across the allotments, W. says, a former mental hospital. Boswell's brother was there, he told me. Once, as Boswell was taking his leave, his brother asked, with tears in his...
    • Great Bells
      Death, death, death: W. hears them tolling in the sky, the great bells. We're at the end, the very end! There can't be much more, can there? This is it, isn't it? The credits are rolling.... The game is up.......
    • The Road
      It's the end, the very end. W. can hear voices. Go towards the light, that's what they're telling him. Meanwhile, he has the sensation of floating above his body. Has he died? Has the world ended? Is this the apocalypse,...
    • Great, Dumb Animals
      We felt things. Like great, dumb animals, we were only feeling. We thought like cattle lowing in the pasture. We thought like pigs snuffling in the dirt. What could we understand of what we were called to do? But we...
    • Olympic Torches
      We felt things. That was undeniable. We set out our coracles on great currents of feeling. We were felt, we were sure of that. Pathos opened its door to admit us. But did we think, too? Did thought take flight...
    • Swallows in the Updraft
      Why did it chose us, the greatest of idiots, Dogma?, says W. - 'Why did it choose you?' Why were we singled out? It must be like the balance of electrical charges that produce lightning in clouds. There must be...
    • Transmitters
      Dogma, Dogma. What did it all mean? Should we even pronounce the word aloud? Perhaps it shouldn't be spoken of, like the name of God. Perhaps say it will only diminish its glory, and hearing it will only lessen its...

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    • Array
      In which we discover airs for airliners. Songs include "Flicker & Burn", "Blossoming", "Mont Blanc", "Tentative Cloud", "Shapeshifters", "Cloud 8", "Unravel Slowly", "Gymnopedie #1", "Temporariness", "No Where" (Graves), & "Déjà Vu" (Blanket […]
    • Ep 9: Music For A Rainy Day
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    • Ep. 8: Music For Cooking
      Wherein we discover a variety of songs to enhance your culinary creativity. Tracks include Twitterflated", "Wavy Glass", Cookin", "The Dirt", "Dimensions", "Invisible Is Not Invincible", "Movin' On Up", "Algo Rhythm", "Sweet and Sour San'ich", and "Brie"
    • Ep. 7: Music For Ghostbustin’
      Wherein we discover a variety of songs to enhance your Halloween 80's style. This episode is brought to you by Adolescence. Tracks include "Ghostbusters Theme", "The Monster Mash", "October Shuffle", "Boogie", "Le Monstre" , "Thriller", "Desperate Housewife Meets Ruffled Ostrich", […]
    • The Box Set ON SALE
      Only $22.99.  Get it here. Now featuring instant download, so you can start enjoying the music immediately. The definitive Podington Bear collection includes 10 CDs, 135 songs, and over 8 hours of music. Podington Bear is a modern music internet phenomenon. Profiled on NPR, Wired, heaps of blogs, and selected as a Best of 2007 podcast by [...]
    • Ep. 6: Music For Sailing On A Starry Night
      Wherein we discover a variety of songs to enhance your next nocturnal excursion. This episode is brought to you, once again, by 530-POD-BEAR. Tracks include "Night Vision", "Into The Unknown", "How Far Is Far", "Brightening", "Little Do", Dolphin Waltz", "Showers", "Perfect For Light" […]
    • Array
      Wherein we discover a variety of songs to enhance your Autumn experience. This episode is brought to you by 530-POD-BEAR. Tracks include "The Great Pumpkin Waltz", "Thimble OF Sun", "Dust In Sunlight", "The Call" "Autumn Leaves", "88", "Jazzer Incisers", "1-800-POD-BEAR" and […]
    • Ep. 4: Music For Tree Climbing
      Wherein we discover a variety of songs to to accompany you on your next tree climb. This episode is brought to you by the sound of the letter P and B, which are very tricky to record. Tracks include "Curious Jungle", "Squirrel Commotion", "Dolce Beat (Light Filtered Through Leaves)", "Pink Blossoms", "Biplane […]
    • Ep. 3: Music for City Walking
      Wherein we discover a variety of songs to enhance urban ambulation. This episode is brought to you by the words "homage" and "enhance". Tracks include "Floating Over The City" by Podington Bear, "Gnossiene 4" (composed by Erik Satie), "A Piece Of Me" (sung by Esperanza Spalding, written by Chad Crouch), […]
    • Podcast: Now With Or Without Jabber
      I'll be the first to admit, I'm no candidate for pro radio host (even in the trademark casual style of Ira Glass), so you'll have to bear with me as I begin to refine my narrative skills.  Having been a recluse for so long it's nice to open up a little, but I'm also aware [...]