Fun_People Archive
8 Aug
Zen Master Rama - New horizons in fund raising

Date: Sat,  8 Aug 92 15:51:55 PDT
To: Fun_People
Subject: Zen Master Rama - New horizons in fund raising

Begin forwarded message:
From: Charles A. Bigelow <bigelow@Sunburn.Stanford.EDU>

The budget constrictions that confront university computer science
departments suggest that today's computer science faculty must explore
new methods of funding.

Some new techniques in CS education and fund raising are discussed in
an article in yesterday's San Francisco Chronicle, Thursday, July 30,
page B3. The article is entitled, "Yuppie Guru Finds Cash in
Computers: Devotees pay $3,000 a month to sit at his feet."

This in-depth study of major breakthroughs in computing education
could be used as a virtual syllabus by innovative computer science
departments. It concerns the research techniques and funding methods
of "Zen Master Rama', also known as "Atmananda", just plain "Rama",
and, "Fred Lenz".

Zen Master Rama has gone beyond structured and object-oriented
programming, beyond parallel processing and neural nets, to higher
levels of tantric mandala software creation, which, among other
techniques, requires the discipline of tuxedos, limousines, and
expensive dinners at expensive hotels, followed by dalliance with
naked young women. (It is true, according to the press, that British
Cabinet Ministers and American Senators have occasionally used similar
methods to deal with their many burdensome affairs of state, so Zen
Master Rama's contributions are not entirely original, except in their
application to computer science teaching.) The mandalic
visualization-fabrication of resumes is another technique of some
interest to aspiring students and junior professors, not to mention
grant applicants.

The fact that Rama's students pay him $3,000 per month - tuition even
higher than Stanford's - suggests that further numerical advances are
possible in this area.

Finally, one of the last important points in the article is the
observation that  Rama's students see "golden light pouring off him"
and are "in ecstasy when they see him". This does seem to contrast
rather starkly with the typical responses that many CS professors
receive from their students. It should, perhaps, be taken as an
indication that we could improve the quality of our classroom
presentations.

Serious readers who are interested in other forms of social progress,
may also be intrigued to learn from the same pages of the SF Chronicle
that a significant number of Americans (10% of one poll) would like to
see a portrait of Elvis on paper money, which puts Elvis in 2nd place
behind JFK, that the term "voice mail" has been added to Webster's New
World Dictionary Third College Edition, and that "Supermodel Cindy
Crawford" has a new fashion show on MTV. 

© 1992 Peter Langston