Richard Zach Who are you? Richard Zach What is your tie to h2so4? I convert it to 0's and 1's. What is funny? Evany Thomas, when she doesn't make fun of me. What is not funny? Evany Thomas, when she makes fun of me. What book should I read? The Man without Qualities, by Robert Musil. Why do you (on occasion) work for no money? What do you mean? I've never worked for money in my life. What is your favorite movie? Or would you prefer to call it a "film"? Maybe Chungking Express, by Wong-Kar Wai? It's the only movie I recall having bought on video tape for myself. Your favorite quote from Evany Thomas: I no longer have one, after I read what she said is not funny.. Your favorite quote from elsewhere: "Mangez moins, pensez plus," graffiti on the walls of the University of Paris 7 campus. What piece of writing has most influenced your life? Tractatus Logic-philosophicus, by Ludwig Wittgenstein. Or Count Zero, by William Gibson. What person has most changed your life ("famous" or non-)? My friend Michael H. So tell me, what would a person be surprised to find out about you? I like submarine movies. What band would you have play at your next party (yes, historically open)? The Gang of Four. Or maybe Wire. Or fIREHOSE. Or Squarepusher. Does not the war perpetuate that which it is called to make disappear, and consecrate war and its virile virtues in good conscience? Sure. To what are you addicted? What is addiction? Computers. Can't stay away from them. Do you, too, love Abraham Lincoln? Why? Why not? No. Bad facial hair. How does the cameraman compare with the painter? The cameraman isn't obsolete yet. Authentic being-one's-self takes the definite form of an existentiell modification of the "they"; and this modification must be defined existentially. What does this modification imply, and what are the ontological conditions for its possibility? Anything necessarily equals itself, and hence I am necessarily myself. I could not have not been me, except, of course, if I had not existed. This is not to say that I could not have had properties other than those which I actually have; but being-myself is a property I necessarily have. So the only ontological condition for the actuality of being myself is that I exist, and, since it is surely possible that I exist, there is no condition at all for the possibility of being myself. But maybe I just don't know what you're talking about. Is everything popular a debasement of what it would otherwise be? Are we really looking for a salvation or meaning that only a few can access, with difficulty? Plenty of popular things are inherently low, so being popular does not debase them. And although I personally am looking for neither salvation nor meaning, others may be, and I suspect they don't care if it -- whatever it is -- turns out to be accessible only to few. I certainly would like salvation and meaning, if there were such things, or if I were looking for them, to be accessible by many and easily. So no, and no. Anything you would like to add? Jargon is evil, but may be necessary. The people thank you. Power to them!

Last updated 14-Apr-2007