Book

As I continue to read Wittgenstein's Poker, I wonder, why does anyone care 
about what happened along time ago, in England, in a small room, when a few 
philosophers had a tiff, huffed off, and, basically whatever. I had no answer to 
this " philosophical question" until I started to get into the backgrounds of 
Wittgenstein and Popper. Both, Austrian Jews during the Nazi takeover, both 
having similar friends and business associates, both living in the same area, 
both so different, but both so deeply affected by their early lives that it 
impacted their way of thinking and their star crossed relationship forever.  
Wittgenstein, born into an incomprehensibly wealth Jewish family, who converted 
for assimilation into the Viennese society, was, to cut to the chase, a true 
genius, but truly " disturbed".  He could not find happiness or contentment, 
despite giving his vast sums to his sisters and teaching underprivileged kids.  
Then there was Popper.  His family was also Jewish, his father a lawyer, and 
comfortable, in many of the social circles as Wittgenstein, but never as rich or 
connected. 
No one can claim that Popper was unintelligent by any means, but, he was like 
the step child of the Wittgenstein's.  His family and he not as rich, 
intelligent, connected or special, but a player nonetheless.  
Wittgenstein and Popper were also extremely fortunate that they and their family 
were able to escape the death camps due to money, connections, luck and denial 
of heritage. 
I think, on some level, this denunciation of who they were ( Jewish) weighed on 
them. A conscious choice to change religion based on ones personal beliefs is 
quite different than changing to assimilate, fit in, be accepted, or, 
ultimately, not be persecuted or exterminated under Hitler's rule. 
Popper seemed to be an intelligent, deep thinker, but not nearly to the level of 
Wittgenstein.  Wittgenstein, aside from all the  money and connections, was a 
tortured genius, able to think on levels that Popper could only dream of. 
Wittgenstein had seemingly effortless ability to command a room and concept 
while Popper had a hard time getting people to listen or respect him (although 
he was quite respectable and intelligent) . 

Book

I always thought I liked philosophy ..... Or do I? What is philosophy and what 
not is philosophy? Based upon these ideas, I can blog about Wittgenstein poker 
in numerous ways.  I can write about this book and the ideas contained therein 
in such a ways as to sound really intelligent but leave the reader saying (if 
they were brave enough) "what?" I can also profess not to really get the point 
of the book except that there were great philosophers with mega ego issues and 
major emotionally problems who disagreed with each other, except when they did 
not. Perhaps I can do both? Perhaps I can do neither? Perhaps the best idea, in 
keeping with the tradition of philosophy, is to ask what you, the reader thinks, 
and then disagree, except when I am agreeing.
I guess I have learned something from this book, or have I?

Fish

The question that I have is simply, when do you tell a kid that their pet 
Goldfish has died. We have all been there. You go to the to carnival and win the 
holy grail of prizes- the elusive gold fish! Never mind that you spent $5.00 on 
ping pong balls to throw them into a tiny glass bowl, set apart in such a way as 
to have the ball bounce onto the ground, to win a .15 fish. You win the prize 
and you are happy. Forget that now you have to go out and get a bowl, gravel, 
ornaments and food. You are too thrilled to worry about that! So now you have 
spent around $30 on your .15 prize. Your fish, now named, " fish" or "dog" or 
something like that is now part of your family. You go off to school and come 
home to say hello to your new friend, but wait, "fido" looks different. You are 
positive he was bigger or she was smaller.

Time passes and so do many "sushi's", all without your knowledge, and you are ok 
with that.

For me, I now understand that concept.  I was put in that position recently when 
my sister's fish died. I was faced with the choice of telling her that her pet 
was never coming back and having to explain where it went, or, going to the pet 
store and replacing "Tuna". The choice was simple- I am a coward.  "Veronica" 
was happily swimming around in the bowl and the question of doesn't he look 
different was answered with, " uh, nope".  

Maybe next time I will be honest, or maybe the time after that because there is 
always time to grow up. Not today, however.

Poker Stick

Did the poker stick even exist in the first place?

I read the first few chapters of Wittgenstein's Poker by David Edmonds and John 
Eidinow.  I have to say that at this point, I am not sure what to say, except I 
am intrigued.

Basically, there was a man named Ludwig Wittgenstein, who was one of the 
greatest minds of all times, mostly known for philosophy, and Karl Popper, also 
a philosopher, who was always in Wittgenstein's shadow.  

On a day that will "live in infamy" ( in the philosophical world I kid you not), 
specifically, October 25, 1946, in a small, crowded room at Cambridge 
University, these two men met, argued, a hot poker stick was bandied about and 
feelings and egos got bruised.  Wittgenstein subsequently died, and the authors 
tracked down all the eye witnesses to the "poker meeting" as they could to write 
this book of the account of that night. 
 
The authors, with little doubt, will delve into the lives of Wittgenstein and 
Popper.  The readers will likely see how these two men have changed our lives 
through their deep thoughts.  I also imagine that we will learn about their past 
and given their age, how the Nazi's deeply effected them.