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From Helsingin Sanomat, reviews of a couple new biographies of Sibelius, including the reviewer's musings on pantheism:

According to Mäkelä, Sibelius had an "elemental" relationship with nature - not a romantic, or pantheistic one. If Sibelius, in his sensitive moments, experienced the presence of the impersonal primitive strength of divinity, then that should be pantheism by definition. And pantheism is not a religious cult of any kind, but rather a wordless, mystical experience.

Finland’s even nature is not the kind that Mäkelä feels is likely to give birth to pantheistic experiences: gorges, mountains, and rumbling mountain waterfalls are needed for that.

But is it not possible for a Finn to experience the forest in a pantheistic manner? In Sibelius’s last great work Tapiola, mystical primitive strength run wild in a Dionysian manner, and "divine" instinctive energy flows.

It had mysticism and Sibelius in the same paragraph, so it amused me.


Today, while walking from the train to the office, I passed through the Conference Center, where smallish expos/trade shows/conferences are regularly held, often with small goodies, also called "gimmes".

I've become a gimme snob, I admit it. Spare me your ballpoint pens, for when I may whistle up boxes of (navy, not royal) gel pens at my slightest whim ballpoints fail to appeal. So, too, do I abjure your pencils, for mine are mechanical and need no sharpening.

However, I am well amused by the metahumor of a gimme tote bag. Here, at last, is the gimme that holds all others, and besides one can always use more shopping bags: ones one needn't pay for are best.

Last week, it was a conference of German scholars and others interested with networking with German scholars. This appeals, and they had a tote bag.

This morning, it was an organization dedicated to using more ecologically responsible building materials, especially in schools. This, too, appeals, and not only did they have a tote bag, but another booth yielded a 6" ruler, and yet a third offered Dracaena sanderiana, known better as "lucky bamboo". Good haul!


Last, this week's Onion (you know they're satirists, right?) brings the following heartwarming article:




Last, [livejournal.com profile] lysana and [livejournal.com profile] erynn999 have returned from the beach, wherein much went well. If you know what that means...you know what it means.

Hope to see many of you Sunday!

-- Lorrie

Date: 2007-09-27 06:21 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] lwood.livejournal.com
You didn't! You didn't!

...Mike did, bless him. I was spazzing about delivery of ice cream cake to the sushi restaurant, and he spilled at that point.

-- Lorrie

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February 2011

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