From: David Buchanan (DBuchanan@ClassicalRadio.org)
Date: Sat Jul 16 2005 - 21:32:16 BST
Dear MOQers:
My plane touched down here in Denver last Thursday night, but my feet still
haven't hit the ground. I was thoroughly inspired and I'm still quite stoned
on joy. Dr. Anthony McWatt is my hero. As I said in my little talk, heros
show us how to get better. That's exactly what he did for me. I want to do
what he did. I want to go back to school and try to earn the first AMERICAN
PhD on the MOQ. If there were a third MOQer Doctor all we'd need then is
some leather jackets and we'll have ourselves an international metaphysical
motorcycle gang. Whadya say? Who's with me?
Am I overestimating my own capacities? Am I being a bit too grandiose? Yea,
probably. In fact, at this point I really don't even know what that would
mean. I don't even know what it takes to get into such a program, let alone
get through one successfully. If anyone is familiar such things, Dumbo has
no ears compared to me.
My wife and I talked about it until two this morning. I asked Sally if she
thought I was crazy to come back from a philosophy conference wanting to
change my life. "Isn't it absurd? Isn't it a bit drastic and sudden?" "No",
she said, "I knew you would".
I was already the self-appointed President of the Anthony McWatt fan club,
but after the conference we talked for hours and hours and hours. (Guess
which one of us was the big blabber mouth and which one generously
listened.) By my calculations the man had to push his way through 22 metric
tons of bullshit to reach his goal. Please consider this the rhetorical
equivalent of a standing ovation. I believe we'll be friends from now on.
And he's not the only new friend either.
I already thought Paul Turner was a philosophical rock star, but now he'll
always have a place in my heart too. And Horse was amazing. No matter where
he goes, he's the hippest man in the room. Gav was like some kind of
Einstein sufer dude with a supermodel hippie chick girlfriend. I love them
all. Everyone I met was brilliant and fascinating, including the documentary
makers. I definately got the impression that its in good hands.
It was the most fun I ever had. By far. No contest.
Mark Steven Heyman said:
Thanks to both of you (Paul and Ian) for offering your thoughts on MOQ
Conference I - Liverpool. Let's hope it's only the first of many. I'm
sorry I was unable to attend, but maybe I'll make it to MOQ-Con II. ...Any
idea if the BBC coverage will make it to air?
dmb says:
I want everyone to know that we raised our glasses and toasted all the
absent MOQers more than once. And I want you, Mark, to know that I raised my
glass in your name while drinking a Cuba Libre with Ant at the cafe Cuba in
Amsterdam. It was a very beautiful moment. Also, I took your advice and kept
a kind of journal. Good thinking. Thanks for that.
On 13 July, Paul Turner wrote:
1) Bob
At the conference Robert M. Pirsig, author of one of the most popular
philosophical novels of all time, became Bob. One of the things he
said to me was: "Celebrity and Zen are diametrically opposed -
celebrity pushes the ego up, Zen knocks it down." It is probably not
surprising then to learn that there is no celebrity with Pirsig.
Partially because of this, and partially because of the intellectual
vigour of the attendees, although it would have been easy for the
group to sit and wait for a steady flow of pearls of wisdom to emerge
from the "Great Author," this didn't occur. The feeling I got was
that Bob was *part of* the conference, *part of* the discussion, but
not its centrepiece. And it was clear, and perhaps obvious, that the
discussion is for us to continue, not Bob. It felt to me as though a
tremendous intellectual effort that had started so many years ago
amongst enemies in Chicago had ended quietly amongst friends in
Liverpool.
dmb says:
Well said. That was exactly my impression too. I left home thinking of him
as Robert Pirsig and came back thinking of him as Bob. Maybe its some kind
of irony that my admiration for him only increased and yet he was so direct,
warm and generous that I can dare to think of him as a friend. Turns out we
both have a thing about Orpheus and I walked out of there feeling like we
had a very cool connection on a philosophical level too, but that whole idea
that he's some hyper-intellectual with no social skills simply isn't true.
He seemed to know everyone and seemed genuinely happy to meet the MOQers. He
and Wendy took care of people very well even in terms of creature comforts.
(I'm told Wendy deserves much of the credit for the warmth we all found
there.) And the man definately has a sense of humor.
Paul Turner continued:
2) moq.org
As we began to meet each other, the intellectual patterns we have
become familiar with over the years were supplemented by the
biological and social patterns of the individuals who comprise
moq.org. These patterns quickly formed a new kind of pattern, a new
social connection which, at this stage at least, may be as important
as the intellectual patterns which they support. Mati Palm-Leis'
paper, which will hopefully soon be available to all, has something
to say about this with respect to overcoming academic resistance to the
MOQ. ...A small word of caution though, which was discussed amongst a couple
of attendees over post-conference drinks, is that the social community must
not be allowed to overwhelm the intellectual development of the moq.org.
dmb adds:
As you may have guessed by now, I think the infusion of social level
connections only lit a fire under my ass. It helped to form this new found
resolve of mine to go back to school. In fact, Paul, I have to say that you
played no small role in that and would even dare to suggest that you also
should think about following in Ant's footsteps. You have the chops and I
imagine you'd be simply fabulous in leather too. As you may have guessed by
now, I think the social level part of it went very, very well. If I found
out that anyone had a problem with that or that there was ever any danger
that it would interfere with the substance of the matter, it would be news
to me. I think it just made everything real and actual where it was only
virtual and disembodied before.
Paul said:
3) This is how it happens
A number of times during the three days I spent in Liverpool, the
phrase "This is how it happens" drifted through my thoughts.
Intellectual development, evolution, occurs during a wet July in
Liverpool as much as anywhere else. A modest static latch it may
have been but I think it may turn out to be a significant one.
dmb says:
Yea, I don't want to get all new-agey on you here, but I have to say there
seems to be something about Liverpool. One of the conferees was a local
artist who just blew my mind. Everything that came out of her mouth was
something I'd never heard before. In every nook and cranny of her flat there
was something beautiful and amazing to look at. The city was just elected
culture capitol of Europe for 2008. There is that equally unlikely football
championship. Of course there's the Beatles thing too. I was walking through
the touristy section of the city center, by The Cavern where they used to
play and all that. And the only pub that remains unchanged has a quote from
C.G. carved in stone over the door. It says, "Liverpool is the pool of
life." Add the creation of the world's first MOQ thesis, the conference
itself and the possibility that the documentary might not only get financed
and produced, but also widely seen and well loved. Yep. Seemed like the
center of the world to me.
Paul said:
4) Gumption
The timing of the conference was significant for me personally. The
energy created by the events has replenished my waning enthusiasm for
philosophy and for the potential of the Quality idea to facilitate
change where it is needed most. Certainly, albeit regrettably, the
coincidence of the conference with the bombings in London (where I
would have otherwise been working) threw the significance and power
of values into sharp relief.
dmb says:
Amen.
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