Interview Six
Asilomar Conference Center, Monterey
Q: I have purchased a
Webster's New Collegiate dictionary in an attempt to duplicate the excellent connection
we had in St. Paul. Shall we talk about "Celestial Cavaliers?"
A: Side 1: camera [LL, room
-- more at CHAMBER] 1: the treasury department of the papal curia
Side 2: Canaanite
Q: {Repeating the question
after some meditation}
A: Side 1: linebreed:
to interbreed individuals within a
particular line of descent usu. to perpetuate desirable characteristics
Side 2: lionlike
Q: So what should this
linebred lion do to do Yahweh's will?
A: Side 1: CORNERSTONE 2: basis, groundwork
founder
Side 2: perjury: marked by perjury
Q: Be a founder of what?
I'll ignore the second comment, thanks. In fact, I'm going to stop doing the
opposite side of the page -- it's too complicated. Front side only, please.
A: introspectionist
{Introspectionism is a doctrine that psychology
must be based essentially on data derived from introspection (opposite of
Behaviorism).}
Q: Should we incorporate
the KIT Information Service non-profit?
{KIT is a project that grew out of my research on
the Hutterian Brethren (Bruderhof / Society of Brothers) a totalistic Christian
sect. KIT currently mails a monthly newsletter to approximately 250 ex-members,
survivors, and interested parties as well as hosts an annual conference.}
A: Manual alphabet sign for
"Z," {index finger
raised, which I have used previously as a symbol for "testify,
witness".}
Q: What should we call the
non-profit corporation?
A: Manual alphabet sign for "K," a "V" sign with thumb in the
middle {Somewhat obscene gesture in some countries!}
Q: Can I ask again?
A: {Drawing of a Peregrine
falcon.}
peregrine [ML peregrinus, fr.
L. foreign -- more at PILGRIM]: having a tendency to wander
{pilgrim: 1: one who journeys in foreign lands: WAYFARER 2: one who travels
to a shrine or holy place as a devotee}
Q: Wonderful name! What
should the Peregrine Foundation do?
A: eustele: a stele in which the vascular cylinder is broken
at leaf emergences and by interfascicular areas
{a type of plant stem with 'broken' stele}
Q: May I ask again?
A: style: 1a: STYLUS b: the shadow-producing pin of the
sundial. c: the filiform prolongation of a plant ovary bearing a stigma at its
apex.
{"Point" the way?}
Q: Point the way to what?
A: an implement that often
has a short handle and a broad flat blade and that is used for stirring, mixing,
hitting: paddle:
Q: More?
A: 3: done by design or
intention voluntary
Q: Either you're saying
"The way is voluntary" or "voluntary" what?
A: (Border) of various
light or dark bands produced by the interference of diffraction of light.
FRINGE
{What I understand so far: The Peregrine
Foundation will be dedicated to the reseach, nurturance and furtherance of
"pilgrims" which could include the bruderhof exiles, my brothers and
sisters from the 'sixties communes (who because of their attempt to live a
lifestyle of voluntary primitivism lost their homes to the Sonoma County
bulldozers), exiles of all sorts, the homeless.}
Q: Am I on the right track?
A: reline to put new line or lining in
Side 2: remora hindrance, drag (delay)
Q: Asking again, am I on
the right track? Should I do this at once?
A: fauna
Q: I should add the
nurturance of animals -- the PAL ratio?
{The People-Animals-Land
ratio, an ecological measuring device I developed to make sure the correct
balance of life forms live in a given area.}
A: die single of dice
Q: May I ask again?
A: see STRIKE (SMITE)
Q: i.e., "do it!"
But where do I get the money?
A: on the foremast and
above foretopman
Q: Who's the "top
man?"
A: at peace peace
Q: I assume that means
"be at peace about the $." Shall I stop for now?
A: picture of a dolphin.
Q: I'll add dolphins to the
Peregrine 'wanderers.' What else?
A: On a radio dial.
{Telemann is playing on the radio, and then two people saying
"Bye-bye."}
Q: Okay. Bye-bye for now.
{End of Interview Six}
Oracles & Divination 3
Aeromancy
In the list of divinations,
'austromancy' caught my eye, divination by means of the air and winds. Without
realizing the ancient tradition I was following, I once had practiced this
technique in a dialogue with the wind. Some years earlier, while attempting to
chat with a lizard ('reptilomancy?'), I had discovered the secret to holding a
conversation with anyone, be they human, animal, vegetable or mineral: approach
them as an equal. The equation 'equal equals equal' (= = =) overcame all
interpersonal and intra-species obstacles. If I avoided a down-the-nose,
more-evolved-than-thou attitude as well as its opposite, an awestruck fear of
the Nameless, wouldn't everything from the deity on down to forget-me-nots talk
to me?
The wind seemed a good test subject on a particularly breezy spring day, so I
walked out into the meadow behind my rural cabin, notebook in hand. The weather
was March-perfect, with occasional clouds scudding overhead. Above the adjacent
canyon of coastal redwoods, a local troupe of buzzards practiced an intricate
aerial ballet As good a time as any for a little chat, I decided.
"Hello, wind!" I shouted. "Hi wind! Hi!"
"Swooosh!" the wind replied, using a convenient pine in lieu of vocal
cords. For emphasis it bounced a bluejay off its perch.
I laughed, always appreciative of a good joke. "How are you?" I
yelled.
"M-wahhh," the wind replied, noncommital, and waved the laundry on
the line. "Howww ahhh youuu?"
"Oh, you know me," I said. "I get -- well, it just happens. My
ears plug up, I stop listening and stomp around like everyone else and then...
suddenly the universe -- or Mother Nature or whoever -- sends me a wake-up
message. Like today, for example. I can hear you, wind, and talk to you. I'm
back in the planetary present, the magical dimension."
"Hahhh yahna hahhh," the wind said, perhaps a chant in our local
Miwok Indian tongue. Unless it was classical Sanskrit. I made a note to check
it out. Meanwhile, a strong flurry rattled the page under my pencil.
"Hi, wind! I love you!" I shouted. Doubtless the neighbors were
watching through binoculars or dialing the local mental health hot line, but I
couldn't care less. This was important research!
"Eee-hoh," the wind said. Hijo -- that meant 'son' in Spanish, my native tongue.
Now that really impressed me! How many languages did it know? A gust grabbed me
in a breathy hug and tousled my hair like a favorite uncle.
"Amigo," I replied.
"Ah-mee-goh," it echoed, using a combination of a redwood and an oak
to form the word.
"Fraynnnnnnnd!" chittered the bounced bluejay from a fencepost,
butting in with a translation.
So passionate, this wind! It mentioned something and then insisted, yearning
for my understanding. Woof! That puff blew everything -- page, shirt, collar.
Anything flappable was flapped, a nudge from a friendly air serpent. And the
clouds! They approached me in two rows, their veils churning slowly. Just the
right amount of clouds today. Gobs of whipped cream, spun-sugar tips of a swirl
on an eddy of a current from the north, tag ends of a rainstorm.
"All," the wind sang.
It had been singing all along, but I had concentrated on the words rather than
the melody. The tune? Perhaps the middle of the first movement of a Tchaikowky
symphony -- filched by the composer, no doubt. Can't trust those Russians.
Off it went to rummage in the bottom of the canyon. Whoosh! Back again, roaring
from the treetops, building in a crescendo before laughing away to nothing.
"Haw haw," a raven interpolated. Again - "haaw haw," the
inflection on the first syllable this time. Was he being sarcastic?
A vulture scooted over me waggling his red head back and forth, slaloming
through the redwood grove. Meanwhile a duet for robin and wind began on the
other side of the garden.
"Hayyy, hehhh, hahhh, ow aw - dit-dit - ahhh, cheep! Ahhh, cheep! Hahhh -
cheep! --- hahhh!"
I applauded with 'bravos' when they finished, and the wind fished for an encore
with a tug at my pants leg.
"Shh aw wahhh!"
My mind wandered to how a college freshman English professor once had drilled
into my head an inordinate fear of falling into the heresy of Pathetic Fallacy,
the imparting of human characteristics to 'lower' species or inanimate objects.
Only dancehall poets and future opium addicts indulged in such cheap thrills,
he explained. It took me years to overcome his indoctrination, but the ancient
teaching, 'as above, so below,' helped me along If each of us contains a
mini-model of the universe and we talk, so then does everything else. As
children, most of us took this fact for granted. After all, our story books
were full of talking animals and birds, trees and teapots.
Busy writing down these ruminations, I missed the wind's next word. But I
waited patiently while it squawked the chickens in the neighbors' back yard.
Suddenly it said 'we're' very distinctly before whipping down the hillside. Or
was it 'weird?' More than likely. Annoyed at my woefully short attention span,
no doubt. A breath of a breeze began, the beginning of an inhale three times as
long as my own, another big build-up - but not over the top.
Gone again!
"Hey, wind-wind!" I called. "Come back! I'll pay
attention!"
Could it have become that peeved over one missed word? It must have been
important. Distant branches stirred in a sudden overflight, but it was
interested in something else, leapfrogging Douglas firs on the next ridge.
Fickle creature, I thought. Independent. Friendly though, passionate and
soothing in turn. Understanding too. A perfect companion for a springtime
afternoon.
"Awww," it said in the canyon. Could it read my thoughts too?
Amazing!
All at once it came booming back, pulling at everything. I listened carefully,
holding down the paper with one hand, pencil at the ready.
"Sure...." it said from its favorite redwood.
"Wishhh..." from the wild lilac bush.
"Youuu..." it hooted through the chicken wire of the garden fence.
"Were..." whirred a hummingbird, balancing on a sunbeam.
"Here..."
"Heyyy hehhh hahhh..."
#
Interview Seven
San Francisco
Q: How about today for a
conversation?
A: Side 1: close-fitting
knitted band attached to the top of a glove or the end of a sleeve wristlet
Side 2: wot pres 1st and 3rd sing of WIT - archaic "know"
Q: Okay, I'll assume that's
a "yes." I'd like to pick up a few earlier threads from our
conversations. Going back to our first one, what about tridimensionality?
A: Side 1: grade point
quality point (one of the points assigned to each course credit in accordance
with the letter grade earned in the course.)
Side 2: governess a woman who governs 2: a woman entrusted with the
care and supervision of a child.
Q: Tridimensionality is
like a teacher-nursemaid to us beings? And what are we here to learn?
A: Side 1: time [more at TIDE] 1a: the measured or measurable
period during which an action, process or condition exists or continues.
Side 2: tiller {ME tiler stock of a crossbow, fr MF telier, lit. beam of a loom, fr. L. tela web -- more at TOIL]: a lever used to turn the
rudder of a boat from side to side; broadly: a device or system that plays a part in steering
something.
Q: We are here to learn how
to steer through time. Where are we going? What's our destination?
A: Side 1: parallelism 1: the quality or state of being parallel. 2:
RESEMBLANCE, CORRESPONDENCE
Side 2: rope) with strips of canvas parcel
parcel
adj: PART-TIME, PARTIAL
Q: Becoming parallel to
what? Resembling who?
A: Side 1: embarkment
embarkation
Side 2: Elias ELIJAH a Hebrew prophet of the 9th Century B.C. who according to the
account in I Kings championed the worship of Jehovah as against Baal.
Q: Do you wish us, or
perhaps me, to champion the worship of Jehovah?
A: Side 1: Kirjatharba see HEBRON (from Geographical Names list)
Hebron
or anc Kirjatharba city cen Palestine SSW of Jerusalem in
modern Jordan.
{From the Encylopedia Brittanica: Hebron (Al Khalil) a city of Jordan, in Arabic Khalil
Ar-Rahman ("friend of God"), a designation for Abraham, lies in the
Judean hills in a valley (identified with the biblical Eshcol) 18 mi. SSW of
Jerusalem... It is said to be the burial place of Abraham and Sarah.}
Q: I'm intrigued, although
I can't find any connection between Elijah and Hebron in the encylopedia.
Perhaps you're just saying you want me to be a friend of Yahweh (Jehovah). I
hope I am, and have always been! Let's sum up and then continue.
We are here in this tridimensionality to learn how
to steer through time, our goal being to become parallel -- or similar to --
Elijah who championed Yahweh as the invisible God above the ecstatic nature
gods, knowable only in the "still small voice." I can go along with
that, although it's kind of theoretical/ theological. But let's continue with a
topic that came up in our second interview. I interpreted your description of
yourself(ves) to imply that you are a spiritual community of entities resting
or residing within the sunspot areas of the sun. Is this correct, and if so,
could you elaborate further?
A: Side 1: se arcebiscop
'the archbishop' masculine singular nominative
{from the introductory article on the English
language}
Side 2: ruling class by French speakers language.
English 'submerged'.
Further differentiation of dialects.
{from Tabular History of the English Language}
Q: May I repeat the
question, Shady?
A: Side 1: in the winning
run) 2: successful in a crucial situation (a 'clutch pitcher) clutch
Side 2: cobalt [G kobalt, alter. of kobold,
lit. goblin, fr. goblins]: a tough lustrous silver-white magnetic metallic
element that is related to and occurs within iron and nickel.
Q: "Clutch
cobalt?" I don't get it. One more time into the lurch.
A: Side 1: drawing of a
'cat's-paw' knot.
Side 2: klepht often cap [NGk klephtes, lit.,
robber, fr. Gk kleptes, fr kleptein
to steal]
Q: I'm beginning to
conclude that my best connection with you occurs on sunny days. Is this
correct?
A: Side 1: evulsion [L evulsion to pluck out, fr. e- +
vellere to pluck -- more at VULNERABLE]:
EXTRACTION
Side 2: the collection and management of the royal
revenue and judicial
Q: It's raining right now, so over and out.
{End of Interview 7}
Interview
Eight
San Francisco
Q: So here's a sunnier morning.
Could you elaborate further on my interpretation of you as a spiritual
community of entities resting or residing within the sunspot areas of the sun?
A: Side 1: middling 1: of middle, medium, or moderate size, quality of
position
Side 2: microminiaturized things
Q: Just how 'middling
microminiature' are you?
A: Side 1: lumpy 1a: filled or covered with lumps
Side 2: LR abbrv 1: left side
2: letter signed 3: library science 4: [L locus sigilli] place of the seal 5: long shot
Q: I like 'place of the
seal.' And 'lumpy' too! Tell me more about yourselves, please.
A: Side 1: 16: the basic
formation in a country-dance or square dance set
Side 2: sex 1: to indentify the sex of ( sex chicks) 2: to increase the sexual appeal of
Q: You want me to 'set sex?'
I assume you mean to ask what sex you are. So what sex are you?
A: Side 1: A POSTERIORI c:
presupposed by experience a priori
Side 2: Roman statesman]: an ancient paved highway
extening from Rome to Brundisium Appian Way
Q: So your sex is 'related to
or derived by reasoning from observed facts.' Hm, I guess the same could be
said of everyone. Either it's an 'innie' or an 'outie,' right?
A: Side 1: & standing
for the word and ampersand
Side 2: anecdotal or bibliographical concerning
(Americana) (Johnsoniana)
Q: 'Innie,' 'outie,' and
'Shadyana.' So let's have some more anecdotes.
A: Side 1: loricate 1:
having a lorica 2: a hard protective case or shell (as of a rotifer)
{rotifer: any of a class of minute, usu. microscopic but many-celled aquatic
inverterbrate animals having the anterior end modified into a retractile disk
bearing circle of stong cilia that often give the appearance of rapidly
revolving wheels}
Side 2: long-windedness
Q: So you are a bunch of
'long-winded' rotifer-like miniature entities with protective shells made of
cobalt resting on the surface of the sun?
A: Side 1: 2. a source from
which valuable matter is extracted ore
Side 2: orangish somewhat orange
Q: Sort of an iron-based,
obvious very hot, life form? Please continue.
A: Side 1: (drawing of a
type of plant grafting called a 'splice.')
Side 2: granitic granitoid granite-like
Q: "spliced with
granite?" I didn't know granite could exist on the solar surface.
A: Side 1: onside kick a
kickoff in football in which the ball travels just far enough to be legally
recoverable by the kicking team.
Side 2: 3: obs ARRANT omnipotently
Q: Try again, Shady. That's
very obscure.
A: Side 1: 3a: tending or
disposed to maintain existing views, conditions, or institutions. conservative
Side 2: consignment of, relating to, or received as goods on
consignment (a consignment
sale)
Q: It's clouded over, and I
feel our connection's fading. Shall I continue or quit?
A: Side 1: public house 1:
INN, HOSTELRY 2. chiefly Brit: a licensed saloon or bar
Side 2: logical thought psychologism
Q: Over and out.
{End of Interview 8}
Interview Nine
San Francisco
Q: So, you are an
affectionate iron-based, orange-hot, miniature life form. What new Shadyana
shall we discuss? Am I on the right track with this description?
A: Side 1: songful given to or suggestive of singing: MELODIOUS
Side 2: solsticial 1: of, relating to, or characteristic of a
solstice, and esp. the summer solstice
Q: Well, hm, the summer
solstice this year we'll still be in San Francisco. We'll probably go up to a Sonoma
County musical gathering. Okay?
A: Side 1: canal to construct a canal through or across
Side 2: cambric 1: a fine thin white linen fabric
Q: Or perhaps you want me
to sing my questions to you? (singing) Oh Shady, dear Shady, how can I improve
our connection today?
A: Side 1: litterbug one who litters in a public area
Side 2: agreement or by litigation the precise
amount of indebtedness liquidate
Q: Frankly, the
connection's lousy, old Shade. Unless I get some sort of decent response, I'm
going to sign off. What sayest thou?
A: Side 1: phrases) maker
suggests the use of appropriate material as an instrument through which one
gives form to one's own ideas. maker
Side 2: mainmast a sailing ship's principle mast usu. second from
the bow
Q: Good! You want me to
proceed with the "making of the vessel" discussed earlier (the
Peregrine Foundation) which will be funded by the "foretopman?"
A: Side 1: Concord in 1775
Side 2: pat 1a: exactly suited to the purpose of the occasion. APT
Q: Ah! Agreement! Good. I
promise to get the letter off today. Anything else?
A: Side 1: postnuptial
adults of insects (as ants) that drop their wings after a nuptial flight dealated
Side 2: to cut off the head: BEHEAD decapitation
Q: "Drop head and
wings?" That mean you're signing off?
A: Side 1: price tag
Side 2: primo: the first or leading part
Q: It won't be expensive at
this point yet. Later, perhaps. I COULD use some suggestions regarding
fundraising, by the way. You mentioned the 'foretopman' earlier. Any more leads?
A: Side 1: Hosea: 1: a Hebrew prophet of the 8th century B.C. 2. a
prophetic book of canonical Jewish and Christian Scripture. See BIBLE table
Side 2: a: to teach acceptable manners b: TAME,
SUBDUE housebreak:
Q: {Scanning
"Hosea" in the New Testament, I catch a reference to the
"ephod" as an article of divination used by the High Priest.} The
Encyclopedia Brittanica states that the ephod is an alternate name for the
'Urim and Thummin,' divination devices never really described in the OT but
assumed to be dice-like objects used to discover the will of Yahweh.
Interesting stuff, Shady. Could I actually be in communication with Yahweh
himself through you? What is your relationship to Yahweh?
A: Side 1: repro: a clear sharp proof made esp. from a letterpress
printing surface to serve as a photographic copy for a printing place
Side 2: reporter: one that reports: as a: one who makes authorized
statements of law decisions or legislative proceedings.
Q: You're sort of a
"chip off the divine block," so to speak, and an authorized speaker?
Anything more?
A: Side 1: practices and
interests of a particular church churchianity
Side 2: chromatographically: separating a solution by allowing it to seep
though an adsorbent so that each compound becomes adsorbed in a separate often
colored layer.
Q: So, what particular
"church" practices and interests do you represent?
A: Side 1: sugared cookie
or cake jumble
Side 2: just: [fr. jus right,
law, akin to Skt yos, welfare]
1a: having a basis in or conforming sometimes rigidly to fact or reason
REASONABLE
Q: So what are the rights,
laws or welfare of your churchianity?
A: Side 1: truss (as of a
roof) with the base king post
Side 2: kinetic energy: energy associated with motion
Q: So the 'main law' is
that of kinetic energy? How does that apply to us planetary folks?
A: Side 1: dative: L dativus lit. relating to giving,
fr. datus] of, relating to, or being the
grammatical case that marks typically the indirect object of a verb
Side 2: dead heat: a tie with no single winner of a race
Q: The law of kinetic
energy relates to there being no winners, no losers? All then are equal, right?
So then you are saying that the main law of your belief system, as it applies
to us planetary creatures, is equality?
A: Side 1: physis
nature, physique, appearance + gnomon
interpreter 1: the art of discovering temperament and character from outward
appearance.
Side 2: photostat to copy by a Photostat device
Q: We are, by nature, equal
copies, right? Is that 'equal copies' of Yahweh?
A: Side 1: empery [fr. emperer to command, fr. L imperatus]: wide dominion: EMPIRE
Side 2: encapsule: ENCAPSULATE
Q: I guess
"empowerment encapsulated" sums it up. Do you have anything else to
add?
A: Side 1: inanition: the quality or state of being empty
Side 2: ANGLE OF INCIDENCE incidence
Q: I guess not. So let's go
back a bit and pick up some loose threads. Just what did your reference to
Hosea mean earlier? Is that a name of someone to contact or what? Try to be more
specific.
A: Side 1: old
country: an emigrant's country of origin;
esp: EUROPE
Side 2: Olympic Games: an ancient Panhellenic festival held every 4th
year
Q: "Old country' for
me would be Spain, and the summer Olympics are in Barcelona in '92. You want me
to attend these?
A: Side 1: extrajudicial: 1a: not forming a valid part of regular legal
proceedings. (an extrajudicial investigation)
Side 2: eyebrow pencil
Q: Shady, you're a riot! I
think our connection is fading. Over and out?
A: Side 1: state of being
an animal b: animal nature 3: the animal world animality
Side 2: mineralogist]: a dolomitic iron-containing
mineral ankerite
Q: Okay, so what? You want
to keep chatting?
A: Side 1: by trolling a
hook 3. to sing or play in a jovial manner 4: to speak rapidly troller
Side 2: triplicate 1:to make triple or threefold 2: to prepare in
triplicate
Q: You want me to say it
quickly three times? Okay? What's-going-on-what's-going-on-what's-going-on?
A: Side 1: situations (remonstrated
with her son over his untruthfulness) object
Side 2: obligate 1: restricted to one particularly characteristic
mode of life ESSENTIAL
Q: The 'essential object'
is what's going on? I guess so. Now I'd like to try an experiment in which I
only count the single word which the pin pierces, an admittedly slower but
perhaps more accurate approach. You want to try this?
A: Side 1: c (1)
INCONTESTABLE ( positive proof) (2) UNQUALIFIED positive
Side 2: possibility 1: the condition or fact of being possible
Q: Neat! We'll continue
with both sides of the page also. So now, returning to our mutually favorite
subject, is the sun the actual geographical whereabouts of what is referred to
in earthly religions as 'heaven?' (repeated 3 times)
A: held TERTATOHEDRAL
(having one fourth the number of planes required for complete symmetry)
Q: Please continue, but
let's just do one side of the page from now on. And the pin has to be on the
word itself, not on blank space, or else it's a 'non-hit."
A: of spontaneous
polarized permanent MEAL
Q: So, the sun is a
movable, ongoing, permanent feast for all souls? That's the meaning I'm
getting.
A: one flower FACSIMILE
being of contain protein annulated (ringed)
Q: I read your answer as
'The sun is but one flowery facsimile of many "light blossoms" which
contain rings of protein.' Okay, but what about the Great Forgetfulness? How
come we forget where we came from when we are born planetside? What's the
reason for this?
A: relation indicating
actual peripety (a sudden or
unexpected reversal in circumstances) mosaically
Q: Let me get this: because
planetary birth is a sudden reversal in the soul's circumstances, the 'mosaic'
of stimuli wash out our memory?
A: game merganzer
('water goose')
Q: I think this is working,
Shady. Over and out, for now.
A: rowan (red) the
juxtaposition
{End of Interview Nine}
Interview
Ten
San Francisco: One
side of page, pinned word only
Q: Hi Shady. Do you wish to continue our
conversation?
A: river and OL (Old Latin) photophosphorylation {the conversion of ADP to ATP in photosynthesis
using radiant energy}
Q: It sounds like the phrase "river of
light" or "river of delight" from a song I once wrote.
A: airplane
granny
Q: You know, the pin is not landing on words very
frequently. Could we change to "the closest word" and try that? I'm
sorry to keep changing communication styles, but I'm trying to hone our
connection.
A: with 100
centimes found horse's pugmark
(print of a wild mammal)
Q: Please continue
A: digestivus
Sylvii (a natural potassium chloride mineral)
Q: More
A: belief CONFUSE master discharge saturated frequenting
Q: You believe we are confusing the saturated master
discharge?
A: tentacles
forming conforming range forward tendon
Q: I don't think this is working. Would you like to
return to our original way -- that is, the pin points to a general area like a
line and a defined word?
A: pro [Gk, before, forward, forth, for]
Q: I'll take that to mean "yes, as before."
Anyway, that was an interesting excursion. My left hand is getting tired
holding the dictionary, so I'm going to shift to our cut-up slips in the bag.
Okay?
A: a fruit product made by boiling sugar jelly
Q: I'm not sure what that means, but I'm switching
over. Would you comment on how clear our contact is?
A: Slip 1 Side 1: box office a place where admission tickets are sold as in a
theater
Side 2: brazier a metal container to hold burning coals
Slip 2 Side 1: posted notices 4. to put (a name)
on a posted or published list
Side 2: the monetary unit of the United Kingdom pound
Slip 3 Side 1: His (or Her) Majesty's Service 2. His (or Her) Majesty's Ship
hoard a supply or store
Side 2: historian write of or
authority on history
Q: I gather pretty good. So now, let's try again. It
seems you enjoy chatting about the universe and religion. How exactly is the
universe structured?
A: Side 1: alone [ME , fr. al all + one one]
apart from anything or anyone else
Side 2: ambiguity 1. a being
ambiguous 2. an ambiguous expression
Q: So the universe is all one ambiguous being. What
name does this being preferred to be called?
A: exclusive of, not including exclusively
Side 2: requiring special
education because mentally handicapped exceptionally
Slip 2 Side 1: center in, near
or of the center 2. equally accessible from various points
Side 2: cavil [L. cavillari to jest] to raise trivial and frivolous objection
Q: So the name the universe prefers to be exclusively
called is "Exceptional Center?"
A: Slip 1 Side 1: betterment improvement
Side 2: Bi bismuth
biannual
Slip 2 Side 1: [ fair game] 1.
Baseball that is not foul 1.
in a fair manner fair
Side 2: (blank)
Q: I love it, Shady! Our "Exceptional
Center" universe stands for 'biannual betterment' and fairness. Can I
communicate directly with Exceptional Center thru you?
A: Slip 1 Side 1: plentifully
plenty
Side 2: plead pleaded
Slip 2 Side 1: dependable, reliable responsibly
responsive reacting readily to
appeal
Side 2: requite to repay
someone for a benefit or service, etc.
Slip 3 Side 1: allurement, alluring
allusion
Side 2: to cause a transference of (affection) alienation
Q: I interpret your reply as "Plead plentifully.
E.C. is responsibly responsive and repays in an alluring manner." Okay, so
here's a direct message to Exceptional Center. Hi, Exceptional Center! Thank
you so much for this wonderful existence!!! How can I harmonize the best with
you?
A: (E.C. replying) Slip 1 Side 1: a) an act; deed: usually
used in pl. {good works]
Side 2: 1. a room or building where work is done 2. a seminar for specified
intensive study, work, etc. workshop
world earth
Slip 2 Side 1: offside position
for play
Side 2: [Gr. okto, eight + pous
foot] a mollusk with a soft body and
Q: Fantastic answer! What a great connection today! I
can harmonize best with the universe through "good works in the workshop
of the world." By the way, I will be giving a five-week workshop very
soon, Shady, as guest sound artist at the California College of Arts and
Crafts. What would Exceptional Center suggest as topics I should present to the
students?
A: Slip 1 Side 1: electoral college an assembly elected by the voters to perform the
formal duty of electing the president and vice-president of the United States.
electorate
Side 2: [L. e-, out + labor, work] developed in great detail, complicated elaborated,
elaborating to work out in great
detail -- to add more details (usually with on or upon)
Slip 2 Side 1: dredge an
apparatus for scooping up mud, etc.
Side 2: light sleep
dozen
Slip 3 Side 1: flashbulb a
bulb giving a brief, dazzling light for taking photographs
Side 2: now humorous flamed, flaming 1. to burst into flame 2. to grow red or hot
Q: You suggest developing in detail "good
works" and dredging up dozens of red-hot ideas (flashbulbs)? These
students are visual artists, I am told. I'm supposed to be introducing them to
a multimedia approach to art. Now that I think about it, Shady, you're sort of
multimedia, aren't you? At least 'multidimensional.' Any more thoughts about
topics for the workshop?
A: Slip 1 Side 1: soapsuds foam
soar 1. to rise or fly high into
the air
Side 2: sol, sun] a glassed-in
room, etc. for sunning
solar plexus a network of
Slip 2 Side 1: expressly 2.
especially, particularly
Side 2: 8. [often pl.]
judgment, opinion [in the eyes
of the law] eye
Slip 3 Side 1: for later or special use
for oneself 1. something kept back or stored up, as for later use reserve
Side 2: device used in an electrical circuit to provide resistance
resole -soled, -soling
Q: I'm beginning to get the idea, Shady, that you
suggest I put on my clown suit and hat, enter blowing bubbles, and use my book
"Being of the Sun" as a textbook. However I should keep some things
in reserve, and expect some resistance. Sounds more like a workshop on what's
called these days "Performance Art." But I guess that's okay too. A
little springtime clowning around. Am I on the right track?
A: Vitamin B
(complex)
Side 2: vocabulary [L. vocare, to call] 1. a list of words, etc. as in a
dictionary 2. all the words used in a
Slip 2 Side 1: noncommissioned
grades in the armed forces: in the U. S. Army, from corporal to sergeant
inclusive.
Side 2: without a stop
nonsupport failure to provide for
a legal dependent
non-union
Slip 3 Side 1: lagoon 1. a
shallow lake
one connected with a larger
Side 2: labial 1. of the lips
Q: Okay, I'm off to take my B complex. Or are you
saying my vocabulary is getting complex? Or perhaps you're making sure I'm
"using all the words without a stop, connecting to the 'larger entity'
labially. Am I not responding aloud? I usually say my side of the conversation
rather than just think it.
A: Slip 1 Side 1: hi-fi a phonograph, etc. having high fidelity
Side 2: hey an exclamation
used to attract attention, etc.
heyday the time of greatest
vision, prosperity, etc.
Slip 2 Side 1: group of slender, scaly reptiles with four legs and a tail
LL. Late Latin
Lama
Side 2: local [L. locus, a place] LOBSTER (graphic)
1. of, characteristic of, or confined to a particular place
Q: Hey back, Shady! You're right! We've got a
fantastically hi-fi connection today. Now what's this about a local lama? You
mean a Tibetan teacher of some sort? I think the Dali Lama is supposed to make
an important radio speech at some point. I can check.
A: producing benefits; advantageous; favorable beneficially
beneficiary
Side 2: belt 1. a band of
leather, etc. worn around the waist 2. any encircling thing like this
Slip 2 Side 1: ordeal
difficult or painful experience
order
Side 2: oscillation, oscillator
Slip 3 Side 1: perspicacious having
keen judgment, discerning
Side 2: to whistle, frivolous talk or writing; banter
Q: You're saying it would be beneficial for me to
contact this "discerning lama," because it would help bring order to
the oscillations? Does this individual have a name?
A: Slip 1 Side 1: day-to-day
Dayton
daze
Side 2: decant [L. de-, from + canthus, tire of a wheel] to pour off (a liquid) gently
without stirring up the sediment.
Slip 2 Side 1: form meaning:
1. first in time, original 2. first in importance, chief
protocol
Side 2: [L. pro-, forward + peller, drive} to drive onward or forward
propellant, propellent
Q: Mr. Day is my contact for the workshop. So perhaps
he can point me to the lama in question?
A: Side 1: Daguerreotype an early kind of photograph made on a chemically
treated plate
Side 2: 1. a small, pointed missile for throwing or shooting. 2. a sudden
movement 3. a short, tapered seam dart
Q: Okay, we're on target. I'm seeing Mr. Day later
this afternoon and will ask him about his Tibetan connection. Two bits the
lama's name begins with a "Dag." This has been a most fruitful
conversation, Shady! One of the best so far. Should we continue or sign off? I
don't want to wear you out!
A: Slip 1 Side 1: diplomat 1. of diplomacy 2. tactful diplomatically
dipole (antenna) a straight, level antenna separated at its
center by a line
Side 2: archaeological excavation digger
digest [L. di-, apart + gerere, to bear} a collection of condensed, systematic
to summarize
Slip 2 Side 1: the small part [the small of the back] feel small
to feel shame
Side 2: lazy; 2. slow or slow-moving 3. not functioning with normal vigor sluggish
Slip 3 Side 1: contemn to
treat with contempt
Side 2: 2. near; next contiguity
Slip 3 Side 1: music for performance by a small group, as a string quartet
Side 2: (pronunciation guide from the bottom of the page, a frequent sign-off
during previous sessions)
Q: Thanks so much, Shady! You're suggesting I proceed
diplomatically instead of my usual letting it all hang out. I'll keep my
antenna tuned, and give everyone time to digest this type of communication.
Also, thanks for the suggestion about the string quartet. I could bring the
score and share it with the students, and also some other unusual pieces from
the past. Perhaps we'll even perform some of the easier ones!
{End of Interview Ten}
