If you die in The Matrix do you die in real life?

Cynopsis Digital reports today that a 43-year piano teacher from Kyushu was jailed last week after illegally hacking into the account of her digital partner in the interactive game Maple Story and destroying the character he had spent a year creating after he had unexpectedly demanded a divorce from the woman's avatar. If convicted she faces up to 5 years in prison, according to reports.

Seymour Simon's new book, THE HUMAN BODY

There is nice mention of Si's latest photo essay book in "Notes from the Horn Book."Notes from the Horn Book | October, 2008
Well deserved. This is a beautiful new addition to Si's Smithsonian series.


I found a detailed and adorable review on Amazon, written by a 6-year-old named Evan. It made me smile - a new addition to the list of "raising an intelligent child tips" that one of his parents is clearly employing! Amazon.com: The Human Body: Seymour Simon: Books: "I really liked looking at the pictures. There were some pretty big words in this book. I think lots of people would enjoy 'The Human Body' by Seymour Simon, even grown-ups."

HarperCollins: THE HUMAN BODY by Seymour Simon

Mathematics as Poetry on the London Stage

While in London earlier this week we saw a thought-provoking drama called "A Disappearing Number," from the highly regarded experimental theater Complicite (the director, Simon McBurney, directed the revival of Arthur Miller's "All My Sons," which just opened on Broadway with Katie Holmes).

The play was amazing - interweaving the story of the famous Indian mathematician Ramanujan with a contemporary story of a tragic love affair between a mathematics professor (who sees beauty and poetry in her beloved equations) and a globetrotting business executive (who much as he tries, just can't see what she sees). The story was brilliantly couched in the context of the mathematical concept of infinity, representing the continuum and interconnections of life, past, present and future. If it sounds like the story was complicated, it was - but incredibly moving.













McBurney liberally incorporates multimedia into his staging - there was an Indian tabla musician onstage the whole time playing a sort of underscore to the drama, and film clips were often projected on a screen that was part of the set (and often projected onto the actors themselves). The whole thing was staged as if it were choreographed, even though it is hardly a musical. Fascinating evening of theater.

SACRIFICIAL SHEPHERD

Busted because I was afraid to say ‘no.’ Idiot.

They say Christ died for our sins, but what good did that do, for Him or for us?

I think God got himself killed so he’d understand fear.

You act stupid when you’re afraid. Now He knows, and forgives.

GRIEF (IN DOG YEARS)

The night the old dog died he convulsed for hours, tears and juices mingling on the ground.

“Don’t clean it up,” I said.

Next morning the young pup sniffed, then leapt at the throat of the dog next door until we had to kick him off.

Alpha male redux.