Why this Blog?

A place where I can lament the changing times; for eccentric comments on current affairs and for unfashionable views, expressed I hope, in cogent style; also occasional cris de coeur largely concerned, I regret to say, with myself.



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I welcome your comments, so do please write. Please note however that all comments are moderated prior to publication. Whilst I fully appreciate that life can be frustrating, nevertheless, abuse, SMS language and illiteracy will not be tolerated!

Friday 12 April 2013

Another Reprise: Infinity + 1.1

I warned the other day that I might be re-cycling poetry.  Here's another.

The Hill

Breathless, we flung us on the windy hill,
Laughed in the sun, and kissed the lovely grass.
You said "Through glory and ecstasy we pass;
Wind, sun, and earth remain, and birds sing still,
When we are old, are old...." "And when we die
All's over that is ours; and life burns on
Through other lovers, other lips" said I,
"Heart of my heart, our heaven is now, is won!"

"We are Earth's best, that learnt her lesson here.
Life is our cry. We have kept the faith!" we said;
"We shall go down with unreluctant tread
Rose-crowned into the darkness!".... Proud we were,
And laughed, that had such brave true things to say.
—And then you suddenly cried, and turned away.


Rupert Brooke

It's just that the damned poets have that infuriating knack, talent, ability; but not always only the poets; she was much more succinct:  "Infinity +1"  she said.

Until the next time

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

perhaps ,like the poets ,she just said what she thought you wanted to hear...
.......perhaps she stalks your blog?

`o

Paul said...

Well she's the mathematician and came up with the concept.

As for the stalking, I wish...

Anonymous said...

''The pain, the calm, and the astonishment,
Desire illimitable, and still content,
And all dear names men use, to cheat despair,''

000000000000000000`

The so-called Pythagoreans, who were the first to take up mathematics, not only advanced this subject, but saturated with it, they fancied that the principles of mathematics were the principles of all things.

Paul said...

I think that the Pythagoreans may well have been correct; I haven't though, the capacity to see the beauty inherent undoubtedly in mathematics. She did.

Anonymous said...

The Pythagoreans were a one trick pony , they had "the Theory" and after that it was all back to... "my religion is better than yours".

o`

Paul said...

But if one has only one trick, the idea of mathematical beauty is perhaps a good one is it not?

Anonymous said...

Yes ,a good one, just a shame it was used by your lover to capture, then discard you.

`O

Paul said...

No it was not that; that was just one of the many of her opinions with which I agreed.

Anonymous said...

with my limited maths skill I can find no meaning for "Infinity +1" beyond "Infinity is not a number. Therefore addition is not defined on it."

this is more my level....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQej8AOjEHc

`0

Paul said...

That's good (the Lehrer) I wish I had known about it 18 months ago. And you probably know this one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8dtquYDXEU

Not adding to infinity? well that of course was the idea - a sort of metaphor for something beyond infinite commitment - hyperbole you might say. In fact we often, at my instigation, used to finish our messages with "Tan 90" - the tangent of 90º of course being infinity.

Anonymous said...

ah...love as a metaphor. I thought hyperbole might have sneaked in there somewhere,perhaps the answer to "everything" is 43.

I saw the Bonzos do the periodic table (to the tune of urban spaceman)
last year
http://youtu.be/qM4VuKqHX88

`0

Paul said...

It wasn't the love that was the metaphor of course.

The Bonzos: I used to go with Ray to see them at the Tiger's head at Catford - in his bubble car.

She recorded all the Ray stories I could recall; they made her roar with laughter.

Anonymous said...

I remember those trips...Jake the Peg. beer in front of you ,stay all evening.
I tell Ray stories all the time as well, (though not so much now)many shared by both of us I am sure.

a night to remember....self service sandwich-o-mat Brighton.

love00000000000000`

Paul said...

I don't remember the ones you mention - but then there were so many; remember the Saturday when he demolished the chair on my Panther outfit with his new Big T boots?

Anonymous said...

The demise of the s/car is indelibaly ingrained in my memory, like many others. You don`t remember Viv Stanshall singing Jake the Peg at the Tigers Head.? and as for the Brighton Sandwich-o-mat night ,I can almost relate your part in it .... but i`m not going to...



`"the memories of a man in his old age are the dreams of a man in his prime."

Every year is getting shorter never seem to find the time.
Plans that either come to naught or half a page of scribbled lines
Hanging on in quiet desperation is the English way
The time is gone, the song is over,
Thought I'd something more to say.

poetry, maths, or mislaid memory. You decide. `O

Paul said...

No I associate Jake with Rolf Harris. All I can remember from Tiger's Head is something about Mr & Mrs Mickey Mouse.

Recognised of course the Pink Floyd quote; another good one was Lieber & Stoller's "Is that all there is?"