Friam

What is friam REALLY about?

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Nick Thompson

What is friam REALLY about?

My father;s favorite saying was: Things are never what they seem, skim milk masquerades for cream! Not particularly elegant, but he LOVED to say it.

So it is that things are never about what they are called. For instance, if you have ever painted a house, you know that the proceddure should be called House Scraping, because the painting is a relatively insignificant part of the whole operation. And vacuuming should be called "furniture displacement".

Last year I discovered that faculty life is really about "finding high minded rationales from protecting our salary." At the university where I worked for nearly 40 years, there is a "faculty discussion" list that was created so the faculty could discuss matters of the mind. Since I left , it went completely silent. I assumed that the list was defunct. But when the compensation committee proposed a salary freeze as part of an austerity program, oh WOW did THAT sucker come to life!

And in the last week, I discovered that FRIAM is really about FOOD and PUNS. What a turnout! What amazing richness of information and imagination! Next I expect to discover that the NAME of FRIAM is really the name for a cockney method of cooking smoked pork.

Nick

Nicholas S. Thompson

Emeritus Professor of Psychology and Ethology,

Clark University ([hidden email])

http://home.earthlink.net/~nickthompson/naturaldesigns/

============================================================
FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv
Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College
lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org

John Sadd

Re: What is friam REALLY about?

Well, one of the things it seems to have turned into is a mechanism for various trivia discussions with a sometimes modest cultural or scientific connection, so in light of that, do you know, Nick (or anyone), who wrote the couplet your father loved to quote?

On Mar 29, 2009, at 10:34 AM, Nicholas Thompson wrote:

My father;s favorite saying was: Things are never what they seem, skim milk masquerades for cream! Not particularly elegant, but he LOVED to say it.

So it is that things are never about what they are called. For instance, if you have ever painted a house, you know that the proceddure should be called House Scraping, because the painting is a relatively insignificant part of the whole operation. And vacuuming should be called "furniture displacement".

Last year I discovered that faculty life is really about "finding high minded rationales from protecting our salary." At the university where I worked for nearly 40 years, there is a "faculty discussion" list that was created so the faculty could discuss matters of the mind. Since I left , it went completely silent. I assumed that the list was defunct. But when the compensation committee proposed a salary freeze as part of an austerity program, oh WOW did THAT sucker come to life!

And in the last week, I discovered that FRIAM is really about FOOD and PUNS. What a turnout! What amazing richness of information and imagination! Next I expect to discover that the NAME of FRIAM is really the name for a cockney method of cooking smoked pork.

Nick

Nicholas S. Thompson

Emeritus Professor of Psychology and Ethology,

Clark University ([hidden email])

http://home.earthlink.net/~nickthompson/naturaldesigns/

============================================================
FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv
Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College
lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org

Douglas Roberts-2

Re: What is friam REALLY about?

In reply to this post by Nick Thompson

Nick,

Perhaps FRIAM is finally discovering it's roots. (That's two).

--Doug

On Sun, Mar 29, 2009 at 10:34 AM, Nicholas Thompson <[hidden email]> wrote:

And in the last week, I discovered that FRIAM is really about FOOD and PUNS. What a turnout! What amazing richness of information and imagination! Next I expect to discover that the NAME of FRIAM is really the name for a cockney method of cooking smoked pork.

Nick

Nicholas S. Thompson

Emeritus Professor of Psychology and Ethology,

Clark University ([hidden email])

http://home.earthlink.net/~nickthompson/naturaldesigns/

============================================================
FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv
Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College
lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org

Steve Smith

Re: What is friam REALLY about?

In reply to this post by Nick Thompson

Well, the FriAM coffee klatch from whence the e-mail list gets it's name has *always* been about food (COFFEE is food, right?) and puns (or more generally WITTICISMS and CLEVERISMS) more than anything else.

- Steve

My father;s favorite saying was: Things are never what they seem, skim milk masquerades for cream! Not particularly elegant, but he LOVED to say it.

So it is that things are never about what they are called. For instance, if you have ever painted a house, you know that the proceddure should be called House Scraping, because the painting is a relatively insignificant part of the whole operation. And vacuuming should be called "furniture displacement".

Last year I discovered that faculty life is really about "finding high minded rationales from protecting our salary." At the university where I worked for nearly 40 years, there is a "faculty discussion" list that was created so the faculty could discuss matters of the mind. Since I left , it went completely silent. I assumed that the list was defunct. But when the compensation committee proposed a salary freeze as part of an austerity program, oh WOW did THAT sucker come to life!

And in the last week, I discovered that FRIAM is really about FOOD and PUNS. What a turnout! What amazing richness of information and imagination! Next I expect to discover that the NAME of FRIAM is really the name for a cockney method of cooking smoked pork.

Nick

Nicholas S. Thompson

Emeritus Professor of Psychology and Ethology,

Clark University ([hidden email])

http://home.earthlink.net/~nickthompson/naturaldesigns/
============================================================
FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv
Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College
lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org

Ted Carmichael

Re: What is friam REALLY about?

In reply to this post by Douglas Roberts-2

You mean the true nature of FRIAM is emerging organically? (three)

On Sun, Mar 29, 2009 at 1:08 PM, Douglas Roberts <[hidden email]> wrote:

Nick,

Perhaps FRIAM is finally discovering it's roots. (That's two).

--Doug

On Sun, Mar 29, 2009 at 10:34 AM, Nicholas Thompson <[hidden email]> wrote:

And in the last week, I discovered that FRIAM is really about FOOD and PUNS. What a turnout! What amazing richness of information and imagination! Next I expect to discover that the NAME of FRIAM is really the name for a cockney method of cooking smoked pork.

Nick

Nicholas S. Thompson

Emeritus Professor of Psychology and Ethology,

Clark University ([hidden email])

http://home.earthlink.net/~nickthompson/naturaldesigns/

============================================================
FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv
Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College
lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org

============================================================
FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv
Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College
lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org

Douglas Roberts-2

Re: What is friam REALLY about?

It's about time for a mashup. (four)

On Sun, Mar 29, 2009 at 12:26 PM, Ted Carmichael <[hidden email]> wrote:

You mean the true nature of FRIAM is emerging organically? (three)

On Sun, Mar 29, 2009 at 1:08 PM, Douglas Roberts <[hidden email]> wrote:

Nick,

Perhaps FRIAM is finally discovering it's roots. (That's two).

--Doug

On Sun, Mar 29, 2009 at 10:34 AM, Nicholas Thompson <[hidden email]> wrote:

And in the last week, I discovered that FRIAM is really about FOOD and PUNS. What a turnout! What amazing richness of information and imagination! Next I expect to discover that the NAME of FRIAM is really the name for a cockney method of cooking smoked pork.

Nick

Nicholas S. Thompson

Emeritus Professor of Psychology and Ethology,

Clark University ([hidden email])

http://home.earthlink.net/~nickthompson/naturaldesigns/

============================================================
FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv
Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College
lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org

============================================================
FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv
Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College
lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org

============================================================
FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv
Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College
lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org

Louis Macovsky, Dynamic BioSystems

Re: What is friam REALLY about?

Fri(ed)(y)ams

----- Original Message -----

From: [hidden email]

To: [hidden email]

Sent: Sunday, March 29, 2009 11:29 AM

Subject: Re: [FRIAM] What is friam REALLY about?

It's about time for a mashup. (four)

On Sun, Mar 29, 2009 at 12:26 PM, Ted Carmichael <[hidden email]> wrote:

You mean the true nature of FRIAM is emerging organically? (three)

On Sun, Mar 29, 2009 at 1:08 PM, Douglas Roberts <[hidden email]> wrote:

Nick,

Perhaps FRIAM is finally discovering it's roots. (That's two).

--Doug

On Sun, Mar 29, 2009 at 10:34 AM, Nicholas Thompson <[hidden email]> wrote:

And in the last week, I discovered that FRIAM is really about FOOD and PUNS. What a turnout! What amazing richness of information and imagination! Next I expect to discover that the NAME of FRIAM is really the name for a cockney method of cooking smoked pork.

Nick

Nicholas S. Thompson

Emeritus Professor of Psychology and Ethology,

Clark University ([hidden email])

http://home.earthlink.net/~nickthompson/naturaldesigns/

============================================================
FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv
Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College
lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org

============================================================
FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv
Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College
lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org

============================================================
FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv
Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College
lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org

============================================================
FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv
Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College
lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org

Robert J. Cordingley

Re: What is friam REALLY about?

In reply to this post by Ted Carmichael

Lettuce all turnip and root for FRIAM at the next meat. (four)
Robert C
(Can they get any worse? - But wait it can't be that bad, there was a NYT Op-ed 'Puns for the Ages' yesterday.)

Ted Carmichael wrote:

You mean the true nature of FRIAM is emerging organically? (three)

On Sun, Mar 29, 2009 at 1:08 PM, Douglas Roberts <[hidden email]> wrote:

Nick,

Perhaps FRIAM is finally discovering it's roots. (That's two).

--Doug

On Sun, Mar 29, 2009 at 10:34 AM, Nicholas Thompson <[hidden email]> wrote:

And in the last week, I discovered that FRIAM is really about FOOD and PUNS. What a turnout! What amazing richness of information and imagination! Next I expect to discover that the NAME of FRIAM is really the name for a cockney method of cooking smoked pork.

Nick

Nicholas S. Thompson

Emeritus Professor of Psychology and Ethology,

Clark University ([hidden email])

http://home.earthlink.net/~nickthompson/naturaldesigns/

============================================================
FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv
Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College
lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org

============================================================
FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv
Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College
lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org
============================================================
FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv
Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College
lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org

Douglas Roberts-2

Re: What is friam REALLY about?

It is curious that we find tuber puns so appealing. (Um, 5)

On Sun, Mar 29, 2009 at 12:44 PM, Robert J. Cordingley <[hidden email]> wrote:

Lettuce all turnip and root for FRIAM at the next meat. (four)
Robert C
(Can they get any worse? - But wait it can't be that bad, there was a NYT Op-ed 'Puns for the Ages' yesterday.)

Ted Carmichael wrote:
You mean the true nature of FRIAM is emerging organically? (three)

On Sun, Mar 29, 2009 at 1:08 PM, Douglas Roberts <[hidden email]> wrote:

Nick,

Perhaps FRIAM is finally discovering it's roots. (That's two).

--Doug

On Sun, Mar 29, 2009 at 10:34 AM, Nicholas Thompson <[hidden email]> wrote:

And in the last week, I discovered that FRIAM is really about FOOD and PUNS. What a turnout! What amazing richness of information and imagination! Next I expect to discover that the NAME of FRIAM is really the name for a cockney method of cooking smoked pork.

Nick

Nicholas S. Thompson

Emeritus Professor of Psychology and Ethology,

Clark University ([hidden email])

http://home.earthlink.net/~nickthompson/naturaldesigns/

============================================================
FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv
Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College
lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org

============================================================
FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv
Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College
lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org
============================================================
FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv
Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College
lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org
============================================================
FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv
Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College
lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org

QEF@aol.com

Re: What is friam REALLY about?

In reply to this post by Nick Thompson

Greetings, all --

For those who were wondering, it's from "HMS Pinafore", with Buttercup singing to the Captain, viz:

          DUET -- LITTLE BUTTERCUP and CAPTAIN



BUT.           Things are seldom what they seem,

               Skim milk masquerades as cream;

               Highlows pass as patent leathers;

               Jackdaws strut in peacock's feathers.

CAPT. (puzzled).    Very true,

                    So they do.

BUT.           Black sheep dwell in every fold;

               All that glitters is not gold;

               Storks turn out to be but logs;

               Bulls are but inflated frogs.

CAPT. (puzzled).    So they be,

                    Frequentlee.

BUT.           Drops the wind and stops the mill;

               Turbot is ambitious brill;

               Gild the farthing if you will,

               Yet it is a farthing still.

CAPT. (puzzled).    Yes, I know.

                    That is so.

BUT.           Though to catch your drift I'm striving,

                    It is shady -- it is shady;

               I don't see at what you're driving,

                    Mystic lady -- mystic lady.

(Aside.)       Stern conviction's o'er me stealing,

               That the mystic lady's dealing

               In oracular revealing.

BUT. (aside).  Stern conviction's o'er him stealing,

               That the mystic lady's dealing

               In oracular revealing.

                    Yes, I know--

                    That is so!

CAPT.          Though I'm anything but clever,

               I could talk like that for ever:

               Once a cat was killed by care;

               Only brave deserve the fair.

                    Very true,

                    So they do.

CAPT.          Wink is often good as nod;

               Spoils the child who spares the rod;

               Thirsty lambs run foxy dangers;

               Dogs are found in many mangers.

BUT.                Frequentlee,

                    I agree.

CAPT.          Paw of cat the chestnut snatches;

               Worn-out garments show new patches;

               Only count the chick that hatches;

               Men are grown-up catchy-catchies.

BUT.                Yes, I know,

                    That is so.

Words by W.S. Gilbert, Music by A. Sullivan

By the way, "Topsy Turvy" is an interesting exploration of "The Mikado" on and off the stage.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0151568/

- Claiborne Booker -

-----Original Message-----
From: Nicholas Thompson <[hidden email]>
To: [hidden email]
Sent: Sun, 29 Mar 2009 12:34 pm
Subject: [FRIAM] What is friam REALLY about?

My father;s favorite saying was: Things are never what they seem, skim milk masquerades for cream! Not particularly elegant, but he LOVED to say it.

Nick

Nicholas S. Thompson

Emeritus Professor of Psychology and Ethology,

Clark University ([hidden email])

http://home.earthlink.net/~nickthompson/naturaldesigns/

============================================================

FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv

Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College

lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org

A Good Credit Score is 700 or Above. See yours in just 2 easy steps!

Jochen Fromm-4

Re: What is friam REALLY about?

In reply to this post by Nick Thompson

The FRIAM Lists seems to focus itself more and more
about local topics related to Santa Fe (i.e. food and Italian
restaurants, the city university of Santa Fe, ..).

Therefore I have created a new mailing list about
Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS) and related topics:
agent-based models, complex systems, self-organization,
emergence and emergent behavior, unintended consequences,
which can be found here: http://is.gd/CZgE

I works and looks like the FRIAM list. Well, I know,
we don't really need another complex systems mailing
list, so maybe I will stick with this one - the FRIAM list -
and will delete the CAS list again if no one is interested.
Just a try.

-J.

----- Original Message -----
From: Nicholas Thompson
To: [hidden email]
Sent: Sunday, March 29, 2009 6:34 PM
Subject: [FRIAM] What is friam REALLY about?

And in the last week, I discovered that FRIAM is really about FOOD and PUNS.
What a turnout! What amazing richness of information and imagination! Next
I expect to discover that the NAME of FRIAM is really the name for a cockney
method of cooking smoked pork.

Nick

Nicholas S. Thompson
Emeritus Professor of Psychology and Ethology,
Clark University ([hidden email])
http://home.earthlink.net/~nickthompson/naturaldesigns/

============================================================
FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv
Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College
lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org

============================================================
FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv
Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College
lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org

Nick Thompson

Re: What is friam REALLY about?

In reply to this post by Nick Thompson

Jochen,

I would rather see myself publicly stoned for introducing such marginallly
off-list topics as the ""City University of Santa Fe" and "non-phoney
restaurants in Santa Fe" than see you take your marbles elsewhere. But
personally, I think there is some use for the local conversation on FRIAM.
Even when I was out there in the diaspora I loved the feeling that FRIAM
was a community of people living in a PLACE.

Stick with FRIAM and help us strike a good balance. .

Nick

Nicholas S. Thompson
Emeritus Professor of Psychology and Ethology,
Clark University ([hidden email])
http://home.earthlink.net/~nickthompson/naturaldesigns/

> [Original Message]
> From: Jochen Fromm <[hidden email]>
> To: The Friday Morning Applied Complexity Coffee Group <[hidden email]>
> Date: 5/24/2009 5:15:34 PM
> Subject: Re: [FRIAM] What is friam REALLY about?
>
> The FRIAM Lists seems to focus itself more and more
> about local topics related to Santa Fe (i.e. food and Italian
> restaurants, the city university of Santa Fe, ..).
>
> Therefore I have created a new mailing list about
> Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS) and related topics:
> agent-based models, complex systems, self-organization,
> emergence and emergent behavior, unintended consequences,
> which can be found here: http://is.gd/CZgE
>
> I works and looks like the FRIAM list. Well, I know,
> we don't really need another complex systems mailing
> list, so maybe I will stick with this one - the FRIAM list -
> and will delete the CAS list again if no one is interested.
> Just a try.
>
> -J.
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Nicholas Thompson
> To: [hidden email]
> Sent: Sunday, March 29, 2009 6:34 PM
> Subject: [FRIAM] What is friam REALLY about?
>
> And in the last week, I discovered that FRIAM is really about FOOD and

PUNS.
> What a turnout! What amazing richness of information and imagination!
Next
> I expect to discover that the NAME of FRIAM is really the name for a
cockney

> method of cooking smoked pork.
>
> Nick
>
>
> Nicholas S. Thompson
> Emeritus Professor of Psychology and Ethology,
> Clark University ([hidden email])
> http://home.earthlink.net/~nickthompson/naturaldesigns/
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ============================================================
> FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv
> Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College
> lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org