Jorge Luis Borges was born August 24, 1899 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.  He was a genius scholar, writer, critic, and an inspiration to many writers and artists.  "Borgesian" societies have emerged after his death that try to continue the convoluted, paradoxical sense that his writing evoked.  

A small essay entitled Borges_and_I  illustrates his twist of mind and ability to turn a phrase. His works are generally quite short and yet complete.  According to Borges:

The composition of vast books is a laborious and impoverishing extravagance. To go on for five hundred pages developing an idea whose perfect oral exposition is possible in a few minutes! A better course of procedure is to pretend that these books already exist, and then to offer a resume, a commentary . . . More reasonable, more inept, more indolent, I have preferred to write notes upon imaginary books.

-- 10 November 1941

Another resource on line that has good biographical information (provided the above quote)  and also pursues the "Borgesian" artistic future is the Garden_of_the_Forking_Path_website.  Forking Path refers to the fascination and fear Borges had of labyrinths--the garden variety and the simple one created by positioning two mirrors at an angle.  He invites the reader into these mazes, and from time to time points the way.

My login is borges because I so admire the real Borges.  A friend of mine who is from South America laughed at my use of borges, and said she will create a login neruda...then won't we be a pair?  Yes, that would have been nice.

Four lectures on the alchemy of consciousness,using the alchemical mandala of the four elements as the basis -includes exercises for entering and developing each level of consciousness

Organizers are looking for early registration on this if possible. Register by phone to Brian, at 608~637~8890 or Email: bwickert [at] frontiernet[dot]net

Earth Consciousness Friday 7-? PM Water Consciousness Saturday 9-? am Air Consciousness Saturday 1-? pm Fire Consciousness Saturday 7-?pm

LOCATION for Lecture and Workshop: 321 E. Decker St., Viroqua, WI. 54665

Those of you who were born in Wisconsin or grew up here and have either passed up an opportunity to leave the state or returned here after a few years away, you're not alone.

As it turns out, Wisconsinites know there's no place like home.

image from here

Recent U.S. Census figures show that three out of four of the United States-born population - 75 percent - were born in Wisconsin.

According to an American Community Survey, Midwestern states lead other regions of the country in number of residents - about 70 percent - who live in the state where they were born.

In Wisconsin, it's even more prevalent. Among Wisconsin's larger cities, Appleton has the highest rate of residents who were born in Wisconsin (78%) and Madison has the lowest rate at 63 percent, explains the data.

While the statistics don't surprise me, they prompted me to ask, "Why stay?" What makes you stick around Wisconsin?

And I found out about it happening from the TED Tweets. Not a bad way to figure out what is worth watching when their 2009 conference starts up in February.