Dharma Bums 1

"he had me on pins and needles all the time and did eventually stick something in my crystal head that made me change my plans in life"
page 13

This quote comes when the main character is talking about his and Japhy's conversations. This occurs shortly after the main character meats Japhy and they are at the poetry reading. Japhy's simple come backs to Rays word strike Ray in a manor he describes as life changing. This is important because it hints that Japhy may be an important character in the rest of the book.

"which would be a number of sand grains uncomputable by IBM"
page 8

Ray thinks this statement while lying on the beach in California. He is by himself sipping wine and wading in the water. During this time he beings to wonder about things which seem to be endless, like the number of sand grains on the beach. He says that an IBM computer which at that time must have been on the edge of technology at that time could not unlock the mystery of nature. It seems Ray uses this as a justification of his nomadic natural lifestyle. It conveys that nature is better than technology.