Sketch Soland

Whether or not Clarke had Nietzsche in mind when he wrote the book is a question I can't answer. I would be very surprised if he wasn't familiar with Nietzsche, though. I would also say 2001 was written and exists within the same spirit and thrust of consciousness. The monolith is the intermediary through which the apes' begin to "overcome" their apeness and "evolve" with more "complex" uses and interaction with the world around them. The apes discover something in the world can be used to do other things, i.e., they discover "tools". This is a "jump" in consciousness and can be fairly correlated with a utilitarian expression of the will to power. The monolith, however, could be anything. It has an exoteric existence in the world of the novel/movie, but, when push comes to shove, it is a metaphor for how consciousness seems to develop and augment over time: "outside" experience births "inside" awareness, and "inside awareness" fosters new consciousness interaction with the "outside". In regards to Dave, the monolith becomes the intermediary for "overcoming" his present consciousness and augmenting it via being "born again" (for lack of a better phrase) as a "new child" of consciousness. The "odyssey" is both exoteric (the space voyage) and esoteric (the journey within to discover the "new child" within, which, ironically, is analogous to developing ubermensch traits). The monolith, imo, is Clarke's symbol for an aspect of the universe "intervening" in another aspect of the universe to foster augmentation of consciousness evolution. In the sense that Nietzsche and Clarke both privilege transformation of present consciousness as fundamental to what it means to be a conscious being in the universe, I would say that 2001 can be fairly said to be of a Nietzschean vein.

twenty pounds of flax

You "know" they were "men of peace" because you choose to "understand" them through a lens that furnishes this perspective. You choose to see them as "men of peace" because it fits and affirms your world view. Beware thy own lens, for it shows you what you want to see if you are not constantly calibrating the focus.

It would be interesting to hear you explain this statement in detail.

:lol: Never heard that before.

THWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK! [NET]

What rank are you in the Chicken Little Crackhead Brigade?

Seagulls are also notorious Marxists. I say cut off their wings and dump some oil on them. It's what commies deserve.

ten pounds of flax

:lol:

I hear Pennsylvanians eat their own poo.

Ted Nugent is attending a rally with her, from what I hear.

I should form a queue of those who want to kill me. That way I can pick who gets to do it. Equestrians are invited to present their case, as well. It would be kinda like that Lending Tree thing.

Isn't it amazing how there's a billion muslims out there who want me to die?

I hope someone has a sense of humor and pairs them up.

I only laugh at cartoons that defame Mohammed.

I agree Crayonz. If you look at the facts, Pacman Jones has just been in the wrong place at the wrong time. He has strong Christian values when you look at the man instead of the hysteria. We should turn the other cheek.

Don't mess with the dicksuckers. If you piss them off, they chomp on your knob.

SMAAAAACKKKK [NET] AUTOMATIC RE-SERVE [NET] DOUBLE FAULT AUTOMATIC RE-SERVE

Nah, he likes pure owls. If I altered the owls in any way, Lieberman would rain painful havoc all over my person.

QFT

Lieberman has a fetish for screech owls. I sold him one the other day.

What a !@#$ing joke. People are retards, and not the natural born can't help it kind, the "divest myself of autonomy" kind of retard.