Heh. I've been reading up on Saussure and semiotics and I can tend to get caught up in the moment. Anyhoo. Every now and then when I have a bit of time on my hands, I check out Barry's Blog which usually has short, interesting entries and is updated pretty faithfully. Through his link I ended up reading up on Noah Levine's Dharma Punx movement, a combination of, let's call it "New Buddhism" and slick self promotion, and his Against the Stream community I'm respectful of the Buddhist practices of meditation, mindfulness, silence, compassion, and frequently listen to Thich Nhat Han's Deer Park Podcast, but this is clearly decidedly Eastern and Levine is up to something else, maybe worth checking out. Maybe I'll swing by for a Sunday morning Dharma talk. The reviews of his first book "Dharma Punx" on amazon seem to be lukewarm, but his more recent "Against the Stream" seems to have been received more warmly. Interestingly enough, these reviews led me to quite a different web site, or maybe not so different, in its spiritual response to those disillusioned with...well, disillusionment. I'd be interested in Barry's insights on this, but I'll order a copy of this book by Punks turned Eastern Orthodox Christians called Youth of the Apocalypse. I'm also reading Michael Chabon's immensely enjoyable and obliquely inspiring book of essays "Maps and Legends." Insightful, erudite, funny, one of the first books in a while I could hardly put down.
