My Library

the more elegant, costly kind. But tucked in a front corner behind the street window was a small coffee bar which brewed and sold cups of some of the most delicious coffees I had ever tasted before or since. I was especially fond of Italian espresso liberally laced with milk. In somewhat the same way that people went to the South or North Lounges at the United Nations to discuss substantive matters, in Menlo Park people went to Pete's to do so. On the morning's work agenda were a number of experiments Puthoff had set up having to do with psychokinesis (also known as PK). Also, he was to introduce me to Dr. Bonnar (Bart) Cox, Executive Director, Information Science and Engineering Division. "Well," I said, "please don't introduce me as a `psychic.' I can't stand being thought of as one." And with this began discussions about something which was forevermore to cause more heads and asses to ache than any other thing: the problem of NOMENCLATURE, a problem somewhat akin to the fabled "black hole of Calcutta" into which much goes and nothing ever comes out - - a problem of extraordinary importance - - a problem no one pays any attention to - - and a problem which most people absolutely refused to believe IS a problem. As I told Puthoff, I never claimed to be "a psychic." I did not give psychic readings and never intended to do so. And in any event the term didn't have a very good definition in the first place and therefore acted merely as a stereotyping label. Indeed, I have always had, and still do, much disgust with stereotyping labels since these always serve as the method others use to REDUCE a human to a simple object. I learned very early, via my favorite avocation of people watching, that EVERYONE is composed of many things, everyone is very complex. Therefore I didn't at all see why such multifaceted-faceted creatures should be reduced to a single label.