Currently I've been listening to safe in the steep cliffs, an album by Emancipator. I find that music without lyrics can be the most thought-stimulating for me. The meaning is my own, conjured from within (partly, the elements of the music definitely guide the feelings).
It is a good album - definitely on the sad side. It makes me incredibly contemplative. I will need a happier album soon!
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Peace, please.
I just watched the movie UP - yes I'm way behind the times I know. I've been thinking so much about what it means to be a human being lately... It is getting exhausting. I read the first chapter of War and Peace (I would like to finish it someday...) and this also has been churning the gears in my brain.
First of all, UP is a story of a boy who meets a girl and they have dreams and aspirations - but life gets busy and they grow old and never meet those dreams and aspirations. It is a compelling story about how little time we have to really achieve what is important for us in life.
War and Peace (chapter one anyhow) appears to be making the case that war is possibly the greatest abomination known to humanity - and I have to agree. I cannot fathom what in a human being allows us to make butchers of each other. Perhaps it is not what is in us, but what we lack. The absolute horror of war is so real to me, the reality that we, as peoples, send warriors to destroy each other and determine who will survive. How does it ever come to this? How does it ever become the case that two groups of people decide that the best course of action is to annihilate each other?
I've been rolling this concept of power around in my mind a lot lately. There is a bumper sticker I saw that makes the claim, "No well-behaved woman has ever made history". Now I think that the point being made here is that women need to stand up for their equality, and that to do so will make them stand out as 'bad'. What is interesting to me though, is that the argument makes a couple suppositions that I don't really agree with. First of all, do we want to make history? There are a great many people who weren't well-behaved and made history (Pol Pot, Idi Amin), and anyone wanting that kind of reputation is already dubious from my perspective. So I disagree with the assumed claim that to make history is desirable.
Secondly, I disagree with the claim as a whole! Mother Theresa? Florence Nightingale? Clara Barton? Marie Curie? Now don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that women shouldn't desire or even work towards equality. All I'm saying is that the bumper sticker takes a concept and tries to wrap it up in one sentence, which isn't worded too well. I think it might be more effective if it read, "Women for equality", or even, "Equal rights for women". I just get the impression that the "No well-behaved woman has ever made history" quote is inflammatory; women should seek to be disruptive if they want to be known. I disagree that this is the most effective way about it. Perhaps in seeking equality they may become disruptive, however the starting point is different.
This has been part of a larger theme in my mind that people feel the need to show 'power' through how much they can disrupt others' lives. I've been thinking lately, that this is not real power. Of course it looks like power when people exert their will over others. Is this really power though?
From a Christian perspective, I have to say no. As a Christian, and believing that God is the ultimate power, I would say that real, good, power is in the interest of giving and sustaining life. What was it that made Jesus powerful to those around Him? His ability to give and sustain life - healing the blind and sick, casting out demons from the afflicted, raising from the dead..... these are all to give and sustain life. Even feeding the 5,000. And what was Jesus's ultimate purpose in coming to us? To die, so that we might have life.
This ultimately leads me to thoughts on life and death in general, and my ability to play a role in this dynamic whenever it comes up. I am little able to give life (I take care of some plants... and they do ok) and am more able to take it (any of us are capable of dealing out death in some capacity, whether it is an insect, animal, or human being). It leads me to thoughts that wars are the most abhorrent events that can take place in human history.
A friend of mine (a Christian friend) asked me recently if I thought that we should have a National Guard, or a military force of some sort. I said of course I do, that yes we should indeed. And now, I go back on myself. Why did I say that? What are we really telling the world here? We are a Christian nation that looks no different from any other nation - we destroy and kill just as any other nation does. You know what is really funny? When Jesus walked in Israel, everyone expected him to take the throne, and kick Rome out of Israel. To lead an army, to make Israel rise up like any other nation and kill and destroy the people that disagreed with them. Instead, Jesus said, "Render to Caesar what is Caesars"! Can you believe it?!?! Imagine telling this to Americans today! Render to America what is America's. Render to the Lord what is the Lord's.
First of all, UP is a story of a boy who meets a girl and they have dreams and aspirations - but life gets busy and they grow old and never meet those dreams and aspirations. It is a compelling story about how little time we have to really achieve what is important for us in life.
War and Peace (chapter one anyhow) appears to be making the case that war is possibly the greatest abomination known to humanity - and I have to agree. I cannot fathom what in a human being allows us to make butchers of each other. Perhaps it is not what is in us, but what we lack. The absolute horror of war is so real to me, the reality that we, as peoples, send warriors to destroy each other and determine who will survive. How does it ever come to this? How does it ever become the case that two groups of people decide that the best course of action is to annihilate each other?
I've been rolling this concept of power around in my mind a lot lately. There is a bumper sticker I saw that makes the claim, "No well-behaved woman has ever made history". Now I think that the point being made here is that women need to stand up for their equality, and that to do so will make them stand out as 'bad'. What is interesting to me though, is that the argument makes a couple suppositions that I don't really agree with. First of all, do we want to make history? There are a great many people who weren't well-behaved and made history (Pol Pot, Idi Amin), and anyone wanting that kind of reputation is already dubious from my perspective. So I disagree with the assumed claim that to make history is desirable.
Secondly, I disagree with the claim as a whole! Mother Theresa? Florence Nightingale? Clara Barton? Marie Curie? Now don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that women shouldn't desire or even work towards equality. All I'm saying is that the bumper sticker takes a concept and tries to wrap it up in one sentence, which isn't worded too well. I think it might be more effective if it read, "Women for equality", or even, "Equal rights for women". I just get the impression that the "No well-behaved woman has ever made history" quote is inflammatory; women should seek to be disruptive if they want to be known. I disagree that this is the most effective way about it. Perhaps in seeking equality they may become disruptive, however the starting point is different.
This has been part of a larger theme in my mind that people feel the need to show 'power' through how much they can disrupt others' lives. I've been thinking lately, that this is not real power. Of course it looks like power when people exert their will over others. Is this really power though?
From a Christian perspective, I have to say no. As a Christian, and believing that God is the ultimate power, I would say that real, good, power is in the interest of giving and sustaining life. What was it that made Jesus powerful to those around Him? His ability to give and sustain life - healing the blind and sick, casting out demons from the afflicted, raising from the dead..... these are all to give and sustain life. Even feeding the 5,000. And what was Jesus's ultimate purpose in coming to us? To die, so that we might have life.
This ultimately leads me to thoughts on life and death in general, and my ability to play a role in this dynamic whenever it comes up. I am little able to give life (I take care of some plants... and they do ok) and am more able to take it (any of us are capable of dealing out death in some capacity, whether it is an insect, animal, or human being). It leads me to thoughts that wars are the most abhorrent events that can take place in human history.
A friend of mine (a Christian friend) asked me recently if I thought that we should have a National Guard, or a military force of some sort. I said of course I do, that yes we should indeed. And now, I go back on myself. Why did I say that? What are we really telling the world here? We are a Christian nation that looks no different from any other nation - we destroy and kill just as any other nation does. You know what is really funny? When Jesus walked in Israel, everyone expected him to take the throne, and kick Rome out of Israel. To lead an army, to make Israel rise up like any other nation and kill and destroy the people that disagreed with them. Instead, Jesus said, "Render to Caesar what is Caesars"! Can you believe it?!?! Imagine telling this to Americans today! Render to America what is America's. Render to the Lord what is the Lord's.
Monday, March 16, 2009
A/S/L?
Life is absolutely crazy. So recently I've been on this community kick, just keeping my ears and eyes open and bringing it up in every conversation I have. What is community? How can we have it? We need to DO something about all the people being shoved off to the wayside of life!
I've been interested in creating community because I believe it is a lack of good community that is directly contributing to our current social state - which is in dire straits. Children are raised by television sets because their parents are working, our elderly are put away to be kept there until they die, its just out of control the amount of pain being perpetuated by our current situation.
Then yesterday this opportunity comes up that offers a chance to live in within a group of people who are concerned about being intentionally communal. I mean this is just absolutely mind-blowing. What is really amazing is that if it pans out, it would satisfy so many long-held desires of mine all at once, while just creating an amazing atmosphere to step into the next stages of life from.
Needless to say, I am pumped.
I've been interested in creating community because I believe it is a lack of good community that is directly contributing to our current social state - which is in dire straits. Children are raised by television sets because their parents are working, our elderly are put away to be kept there until they die, its just out of control the amount of pain being perpetuated by our current situation.
Then yesterday this opportunity comes up that offers a chance to live in within a group of people who are concerned about being intentionally communal. I mean this is just absolutely mind-blowing. What is really amazing is that if it pans out, it would satisfy so many long-held desires of mine all at once, while just creating an amazing atmosphere to step into the next stages of life from.
Needless to say, I am pumped.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Of One Accord
I've been studying the Mind/Body problem pretty extensively in a few classes lately, and it has been the focus of my thinking as a result. It is interesting to read studies on growth and development of the self in respect to this Mind/Body relationship because there are definite separate forces which drive the self to grow or not.
First of all I think that a human being is composed of many separate things:
1. Mental Faculties (the Mind)
2. Emotional Faculties (the Heart)
3. Physical Composition (the Body)
4. The Self or Essence (the Soul)
I believe primarily that the Soul is the most fundamental yet mysterious piece of every human being. It is the part of us that I think is virtually unknowable in this life.
The Soul's relationship to this world in my conception is that it is given utility of a Mind, Heart, and Body with which to interact and experience and cause change in this world. The Mind, Heart, and Body are only tools used for understanding in this conception.
What I mean by 'Of One Accord' is that these three tools have a tendency to break down if they are not maintained. All things in this world demonstrate this tendency, and if they are not properly cared for, will decompose until ultimately they can no longer serve their purpose. I believe that part of this maintenance is to have these three parts of the person 'aligned', or 'of one accord'.
The Body is our physical piece. It gives us the ability to engage physically with the world - to use our five senses and feel our way in space. It is a tool very equipped for establishing the happenings of the present; such as assessments like cold, hot, soft, hard, sweet, sour, light, dark, loud, quiet, etc.
The Heart is our emotional piece. It gives us the ability to assess the present apart from the physical happenings alone - fire in a fire-pit can inspire joy or contentment, whereas that same size fire in a kitchen can inspire fright. The Heart assesses the qualitative parts of a situation.
The Mind is our mental piece. It gives us the ability to operate outside the boundaries of time and space. The Mind equips human beings with planning and foresight, as well as creativity and conceptualization. Because it can operate outside of time and space, it allows critical thinking. For example: there was rain yesterday, and plants have grown today. Rain must be essential for plant growth. Of course there is much more to that process than those two simple steps, however it illustrates the concept adequately. Assessments can be made of the present from knowledge of the past.
These three pieces are very important for growth of the Soul. If they are not maintained properly and begin to deteriorate, then it becomes useless. An example of deterioration for the Body would be the development of lung cancer from smoking. The Body's desire for the present act of smoking over-rules the Heart's feelings of doubt as to its goodness, and the Mind's knowledge as to its health hazards. In a similar situation with a restored Body, the deteriorated Heart's feelings for the act of smoking in order to be accepted or look cool or be rebellious etc. over-rules the Body's assessment that it hurts the throat and lungs and is producing acid-reflux, as well as the Mind's knowledge of its health hazards. In the last scenario, with a deteriorated Mind, the Mind chooses smoking because of ignorance or naivete and over-rules the Body's assessment that it is painful and the Heart's feelings of doubt as to its goodness.
In any of these three scenarios, there is a lack of unity, resulting in discordance. So the Body is addicted to nicotine, the Heart does not want to stop, and the Mind does not see the need to stop. In order for the person to stop smoking, all three of the pieces must be aligned, 'of one accord'. Of course if one tool is strong enough, the Soul can use it in order to initiate and in time the other tools will follow (for a human being cannot live Mind without Body or Body with Heart, etc).
I believe that when all are aligned and of one accord, then, and only then, may growth take place.
First of all I think that a human being is composed of many separate things:
1. Mental Faculties (the Mind)
2. Emotional Faculties (the Heart)
3. Physical Composition (the Body)
4. The Self or Essence (the Soul)
I believe primarily that the Soul is the most fundamental yet mysterious piece of every human being. It is the part of us that I think is virtually unknowable in this life.
The Soul's relationship to this world in my conception is that it is given utility of a Mind, Heart, and Body with which to interact and experience and cause change in this world. The Mind, Heart, and Body are only tools used for understanding in this conception.
What I mean by 'Of One Accord' is that these three tools have a tendency to break down if they are not maintained. All things in this world demonstrate this tendency, and if they are not properly cared for, will decompose until ultimately they can no longer serve their purpose. I believe that part of this maintenance is to have these three parts of the person 'aligned', or 'of one accord'.
The Body is our physical piece. It gives us the ability to engage physically with the world - to use our five senses and feel our way in space. It is a tool very equipped for establishing the happenings of the present; such as assessments like cold, hot, soft, hard, sweet, sour, light, dark, loud, quiet, etc.
The Heart is our emotional piece. It gives us the ability to assess the present apart from the physical happenings alone - fire in a fire-pit can inspire joy or contentment, whereas that same size fire in a kitchen can inspire fright. The Heart assesses the qualitative parts of a situation.
The Mind is our mental piece. It gives us the ability to operate outside the boundaries of time and space. The Mind equips human beings with planning and foresight, as well as creativity and conceptualization. Because it can operate outside of time and space, it allows critical thinking. For example: there was rain yesterday, and plants have grown today. Rain must be essential for plant growth. Of course there is much more to that process than those two simple steps, however it illustrates the concept adequately. Assessments can be made of the present from knowledge of the past.
These three pieces are very important for growth of the Soul. If they are not maintained properly and begin to deteriorate, then it becomes useless. An example of deterioration for the Body would be the development of lung cancer from smoking. The Body's desire for the present act of smoking over-rules the Heart's feelings of doubt as to its goodness, and the Mind's knowledge as to its health hazards. In a similar situation with a restored Body, the deteriorated Heart's feelings for the act of smoking in order to be accepted or look cool or be rebellious etc. over-rules the Body's assessment that it hurts the throat and lungs and is producing acid-reflux, as well as the Mind's knowledge of its health hazards. In the last scenario, with a deteriorated Mind, the Mind chooses smoking because of ignorance or naivete and over-rules the Body's assessment that it is painful and the Heart's feelings of doubt as to its goodness.
In any of these three scenarios, there is a lack of unity, resulting in discordance. So the Body is addicted to nicotine, the Heart does not want to stop, and the Mind does not see the need to stop. In order for the person to stop smoking, all three of the pieces must be aligned, 'of one accord'. Of course if one tool is strong enough, the Soul can use it in order to initiate and in time the other tools will follow (for a human being cannot live Mind without Body or Body with Heart, etc).
I believe that when all are aligned and of one accord, then, and only then, may growth take place.
Monday, February 16, 2009
The Times We Are Living In
I've been walking around today with an almost surreal view of my surroundings. I can't believe the things that go on in the world around me. Last night I was watching a documentary on the sex-slave industry. I was sickened to say the least. I cannot describe the pit that the knowledge of these things forms in my stomach. While I know there are people out there fighting this thing, the most alarming factor is this: the industry flourishes as any other capital enterprise - it is meeting a demand.
Are we so depraved? Are we so inhuman? I wish that I could say that we are not, however I am beginning to lose faith.
And after I watched this, I retreated to my room. I was numb. My entire life suddenly seemed meaningless. What is this? What is the value of learning Anatomy and Physiology? What is the value of earning an A on a History and Systems Paper? What is the value of any of my dreams or aspirations compared to these human lives that are being destroyed? What makes this sickness even more bitter is that I thought this, and then rationalized it in my mind. Even if I could save some, there would still be millions exploited. What power do I really have? I can't accomplish any real change from my current vantage point.
Edmund Burke famously said "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing"
To give you an idea of what he stood for, he was an English member of parliament advocating for the American Colonies.
I don't know how to change things right now. I only know that I don't want them to go on this way.
I would encourage anyone to research this subject and to get involved in some way in opposition to it. I feel as if it is time for me to do more than nothing.
Some links about sex-trafficking:
http://www.rferl.org/Content/UN_Says_Human_Trafficking_Appears_To_Be_Worsening_/1492561.html
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/09/11/earlyshow/main3250963.shtml
Are we so depraved? Are we so inhuman? I wish that I could say that we are not, however I am beginning to lose faith.
And after I watched this, I retreated to my room. I was numb. My entire life suddenly seemed meaningless. What is this? What is the value of learning Anatomy and Physiology? What is the value of earning an A on a History and Systems Paper? What is the value of any of my dreams or aspirations compared to these human lives that are being destroyed? What makes this sickness even more bitter is that I thought this, and then rationalized it in my mind. Even if I could save some, there would still be millions exploited. What power do I really have? I can't accomplish any real change from my current vantage point.
Edmund Burke famously said "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing"
To give you an idea of what he stood for, he was an English member of parliament advocating for the American Colonies.
I don't know how to change things right now. I only know that I don't want them to go on this way.
I would encourage anyone to research this subject and to get involved in some way in opposition to it. I feel as if it is time for me to do more than nothing.
Some links about sex-trafficking:
http://www.rferl.org/Content/UN_Says_Human_Trafficking_Appears_To_Be_Worsening_/1492561.html
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/09/11/earlyshow/main3250963.shtml
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Twitter: Updated
So I've decided to start a Twitter. In the wise words of my brother (who got them from someone else undoubtedly...as all things go), "No disclaimers". I'm really intrigued to figure out what the heck this thing is, and why its so interesting to everyone. My name is musicnaut for anyone who wants to find me and...I don't know yet what the point of finding me on there would be, but whatever is...do that.
Update:
I found a use for Twitter! Kind of.....but it is actually pretty exciting for me that I even set it up - perhaps demonstrating how behind the curve I am. Twitter can be used in tandem with Facebook to update status. Not that impressive you say? I agree. What is so amazing however is the incredible ease with which you can set up your mobile phone to update your Twitter. A text message to Twitter equals a text message to Facebook, voila! You can now update your Facebook status from your cellphone, completely devoid of any fancy or expensive web technology on your phone! Trust me, if anyone would have trouble with this it would be me, my phone is completely obsolete at this point - but because all you need is text capabilities, most any phone should be compatible.
I probably won't even use it all that often, but it is very cool to have gone through the process/experience. I'm still on top of the game at this point! Patrick 1, Technology 0.
Just found this article this morning, a real journalist who did pretty much the same thing I did.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/12/technology/personaltech/12pogue.html
Update:
I found a use for Twitter! Kind of.....but it is actually pretty exciting for me that I even set it up - perhaps demonstrating how behind the curve I am. Twitter can be used in tandem with Facebook to update status. Not that impressive you say? I agree. What is so amazing however is the incredible ease with which you can set up your mobile phone to update your Twitter. A text message to Twitter equals a text message to Facebook, voila! You can now update your Facebook status from your cellphone, completely devoid of any fancy or expensive web technology on your phone! Trust me, if anyone would have trouble with this it would be me, my phone is completely obsolete at this point - but because all you need is text capabilities, most any phone should be compatible.
I probably won't even use it all that often, but it is very cool to have gone through the process/experience. I'm still on top of the game at this point! Patrick 1, Technology 0.
Just found this article this morning, a real journalist who did pretty much the same thing I did.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/12/technology/personaltech/12pogue.html
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Sometimes Things Blow My Mind - Unfortunately That Leaves My Brain In My Skull
I realize that the tidal wave of technology is growing at such an incredible rate that we are all closer to being obsolete every second that we are not on a computer. Insanity. The newest technology that I have interacted with is Twitter, and it brings me very close to expletives at how astounded I am. In Twitter's own words, "Twitter is a free service that lets you keep in touch with people through the exchange of quick, frequent answers to one simple question: What are you doing?" It almost sounds like text messaging, but then what the hell do you need a web-page for if that is all it is?
Before I go on (in case you are just slightly more obsolete than I am) here is an example of a Twit(ter?).
http://twitter.com/lynncardona
It is just so incredible to me that Facebook status has been taken and turned into a separate and completely viable entity unto its own! People are you serious?!?! To quote Yeasayer's 2080, "I can't sleep when I think about the times we're living in".
Of course I see that Twitter is the new fastest growing phenomena on the internet, I'm sure everyone will have one in a week and pretty soon we'll all be wearing computer screens on our heads because who needs face to face conversation with one person at a time when you can just throw your comments in EVERYONE'S face with no one ever there to tell you to shutup?
This is why The Matrix is so ironic - it is made to glorify Neo, who would save everyone from the evil Matrix, when really the freaking robots would be hailed as the hero with their cure-all - tubes and wires for everyone!
Reserve yours today!
http://www.thebestcasescenario.com/projects/matrix_regenerator/mr_worklog/mr_images/matrix_complete_16.jpg
Before I go on (in case you are just slightly more obsolete than I am) here is an example of a Twit(ter?).
http://twitter.com/lynncardona
It is just so incredible to me that Facebook status has been taken and turned into a separate and completely viable entity unto its own! People are you serious?!?! To quote Yeasayer's 2080, "I can't sleep when I think about the times we're living in".
Of course I see that Twitter is the new fastest growing phenomena on the internet, I'm sure everyone will have one in a week and pretty soon we'll all be wearing computer screens on our heads because who needs face to face conversation with one person at a time when you can just throw your comments in EVERYONE'S face with no one ever there to tell you to shutup?
This is why The Matrix is so ironic - it is made to glorify Neo, who would save everyone from the evil Matrix, when really the freaking robots would be hailed as the hero with their cure-all - tubes and wires for everyone!
Reserve yours today!
http://www.thebestcasescenario.com/projects/matrix_regenerator/mr_worklog/mr_images/matrix_complete_16.jpg
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