J. R. Uder

a work of art, July 1 2004

Although I'd love to bore the readers with my thoughtful analysis of this incredible film, I will restrain myself, because the previous reviews (especially those concerning mythologies) are quite thorough and nicely stated.

What I *would* like to point out are the easter eggs throughout the film. Any art buff will have a wonderful experience as classic works of art are recreated "live" during the movie. The movie is worth watching just to see how many you can catch.

But the deeper plot of the movie is art in itself. I highly recommend.

more on diabetes and veganism, Oct 26 2003

One of the problems in this book seems to be that people are bothered Lyman's gloss over diabetes. While it's true that type-I (or "juvenille") diabetics do not produce enough insulin to meet even basal-insulin needs (this the amount of insulin a person would need even if she wasn't eating anything), I think that Lyman probably meant that a vegan diet can help diabetics in other ways.

A diet which includes a lot of animal products is very high in cholesterol. All people, diabetic or otherwise, should watch their cholesterol levels... but diabetics, both type-I and type-II, tend have higher levels of cholesterol than "healthy" individuals; therefore, they are already… Read more

Scott Cairns is an inspiration, July 8 2003

I took a literature class with Scott Cairns, and (I have to be honest) he is absolutely enchanting. I've never heard a man read poetry quite like he can--drawing out meanings without imposing his "self" upon the words. I was so impressed by his teaching style that I began investigating his work, and I was enthralled all over again.

Philokalia is a exploration of the spiritual, but it's also incredibly grounded; Cairns never loses sight of the ~body~ (and yes, sometimes "it hurts to see"). I think that tomorrow's literature classes will be citing Cairns as one of the most profound poets of this time period.

Scott's work has been (and I most sincerely hope) will… Read more