Somewhere in Egypt...

Well, last night was certainly exciting! I went to see Drag Me To Hell, and thought it was really good. The ending was a real surprise, although all the clues as to what could happen were laid out right in front of you. Looking back, I can see why there were comparisons to the Evil Dead movies. I would have said more specifically, Evil Dead 2, as there seemed to be a couple nods to fans here and there. But if you're ready for a good jump-out-of-your-skin scary movie, check it out. My sister said it reminded her of a haunted house, where you're never sure what's going to jump out at you next- I agreed. Of course, us haunted house veterans live for that kind of thing. I've got to admit, I don't think I'll ever be too old for stuff like that. And if I do get too old, well, I'll have to start lying about my age.
In other news, I started on something that has begun to turn into a huge project- I began a series of drawings based on the Tarot's Major Trumps. I began with the Magician, the second card in the series, and am going pretty much out of order. But as I go, I get ideas for the other cards in the series, and strangely enough, it seems to be taking shape around this imaginary night club in Egypt. Why Egypt, I don't know- perhaps the Middle Eastern imagery works well. The Magician wears a fez and a mask, and performs on a small stage in the club. Death waits at the bar, dapper down to the rose in his tuxedo's lapel, watching the sand run through an hourglass. The Wheel will be a fortune-telling machine in a corner of the bar- these are the only three currently being worked on, but I think they're coming out pretty good. Silly, I know, but the inspiration kind of came to me, and I thought it would be fun to do them as somehow all tied together, the nightclub itself being kind of an analogy to the world we live in, with each scene representing some different aspect of that. This will no doubt turn into an ongoing project, but who knows? Maybe it'll look pretty cool in the end. I don't know if I'll come up with a scene for all 22 cards, but I've seen much stranger sets than this. Wish me luck!

Tarot Origins And Current State

This is from the Crowley Thoth Tarot, not really recommended for beginners, but that's okay, as it looks pretty cool. Aleister Crowley, of course, is at best a dubious source of occult knowledge, at worst a fraud and weirdo. I can recall getting flack from church-going friends about becoming a student of the Tarot. The usual response- Tarot is 1. demonic and/or of the Devil, 2. will prompt you to explore the occult, and guarantee your passage to Hell, 3. an affront to God, and 4. forbidden by the Bible, or 5. All of the above. By way of response, I have read the Bible cover to cover five times. (Not in one sitting, obviously). The best that I can figure is that there were reasons for forbidding certain things- for example, the people were not to eat pork due to improper cooking procedures that would result in becoming sick from it. So in the interest of keeping people alive and well, pork is off the menu. The famous passage in Leviticus, (ch. 22, verse 18) that says "thou shalt not suffer a witch to live", that is, go kill witches, is another example. The original wording of this has a variety of interpretations, none of which have the slightest thing to do with actual witches. The most accurate version I've heard is do not allow a poisoner to live- someone who uses and creates poisons- an assasin, in other words. Again, having someone running around and poisoning your friends and family is clearly less than desirable. Was this inspired by God, or just practical, common knowledge? I leave that for you to decide.

The Tarot has been grouped together with witchcraft, which in turn has been grouped together with the occult practices for as long as anyone can remember. However, the Tarot has existed for quite a while, and in its simplest form, is nothing but a deck of cards. What you do with them varies widely from application to application- to say that these harmless pictures are evil or bad is rather silly, it seems to me. If indeed we are made in God's image, how is it that something so simple can lead us astray so quickly? Seems to me to be something of a glaring flaw in our design. But at any rate, the history of the Tarot is a long and complicated one- suffice it to say that no one is really sure where they came from. However, it looks like they began as simply a deck of cards, paralleling the more well-known playing cards- these were developed in France and bore simplified versions of the suit symbols for ease of printing and manufacture. Tarot did not become a tool for divination until around 1776, when a Frenchman named Antoine Court de Gebelin encountered an ordinary deck of Tarot cards, and subsequently began a long process of assigning and interpreting arcane meanings from the cards. In actuality, this is the basis for Tarot divination, and can be applied to pretty much any system you want to use it for- an interpretation of a pattern in some part of the world around you can then be extrapolated to include the whole. And so it was that Tarot became used for divination, and summarily condemned by the Church. The Tarot existed before the Church condemned it, presumably in harmony with it, although gambling was generally condemned by the Church as well, and where there are cards, there is always someone who uses them to gamble with. The cards later were incorporated into various systems of magic and witchcraft, however they are not limited to them. I find the principles operate pretty much independently of any system of religion, although individual experience can and will affect how the cards are interpreted.

However, there is an interesting article on the alternate origins of the Tarot- http://www.yhwh.com/Tarot/Tarotint.html that indicates the origins are from Jewish mysticism. It's true, there are Kabbalistic correspondences in the Tarot, but again, whether these are deliberate, accidental or simply point to a greater common ground in all of human understanding, I doubt anyone really knows for certain. There are even Christians who use the Tarot, I'm told. But again, I leave it up to each person to find their own path through all this. Find a way that works for you, and use it!

Mama Tara's House of BBQ

Recently I watched a pretty good film- Zen Noir, which is a takeoff on the film noir genre of movies. This movie has, like all film noir movies, a private detective, trenchcoat and .38 revolver and all, a lost love of the detective's, and what at first appears to be a murder. However, it goes on from there into a commentary on Zen Buddhism. Actually, students of Zen will recognize common questions and riddles that they probably encountered in their own practice. So as time goes on, various questions are answered, but we never learn the detective's name. Zen has often used seeming nonsense to strip away layers of analysis and thought, and bring the student to a state of initial understanding- this is difficult to describe, but a good analogy I've encountered is a mirror- the mind of a Zen student should be like a mirror- the mirror simply reflects, and does not choose or pass any judgement on what it sees. However, in order to come to such a state, the student needs to remove countless layers of perception and analysis. The film reminded me of a koan I once studied- (A koan is a term for a riddle presented to Zen students- they have to 'solve' the puzzle, or give an answer. Students have spent years on single koans- the more I study them, the more I find layers of meaning in them, too) But this is one of my favorites-

Nansen saw the monks of the eastern and western halls fighting over a cat. He seized the cat and told the monks: `If any of you say a good word, you can save the cat.'No one answered. So Nansen boldly cut the cat in two pieces.That evening Joshu returned and Nansen told him about this. Joshu removed his sandals and, placing them on his head, walked out.
Nansen said: `If you had been there, you could have saved the cat.'

In this story we have the cat- don't worry, the cat wasn't really cut in two- that's just an analogy, it's not common Buddhist practice to go cutting animals in half. The "good word" Nansen asks for is also called a "turning word", and means a word, gesture or action that demonstrates understanding and at the same time communicates that understanding to everyone else- Joshu's sandals, for instance. The cat is just an example here- what the two halls of monks are arguing about is the nature of the cat- what is its nature? Let's say, West Hall says "the cat is A, but not B". But East Hall says, "No, the cat is B but not A". So in comes Nansen, and notes that because of this disagreement, the cat is already in two pieces. Actually, neither of the halls are correct- to say something is and is not is not considered a useful practice in Zen. So Nansen here is really asking- does anyone have understanding enough to get past "this and that" and tell me the true nature of our feline friend?" Probably the monks were too busy trying to disprove the other (debate remains to this day a lively practice in Buddhist schools of all stripes) that they were too busy to simply see that the cat is. True Zen understanding would end at "cat". No more, no less. Again, this is difficult to explain. However, the cat is already cut in two pieces, as it were. Nansen did not need to do anything except reveal this fact to the monks.

Now in comes Joshu, who appears frequently in Chinese koans. I always pictured him as a tall, kind of goofy-looking guy with a perpetual dumb grin on his face. But he always seems to find the heart of the matter. In this case, he simply answers Nansen's question- here's my understanding. Bye! This is an interesting common thread- the response often seems at first glance strange or completely unrelated, but deeper examination shows that in the sense (or lack thereof) of Zen, the answer rings true.

However, my school is Mahayana, not Zen. But at the end of the day, I guess we're all on the same page. There are a wide variety of Buddhas in Mahayana, and it's the Mahayanas that produce much of the Buddhist art you see around. My particular Buddha is Tara, or more specifically, Green Tara. There are 21 manifestations of the same gal, who is considered the mother of Buddhas. Not literally, as the Buddhas are not really identified as being born or dying- they're just kind of there. Tara, so the story goes, was created from a tear of Chenrezig, a male Buddha who has a thousand arms. The reason being, he is then able to help all living beings, but not even his thousand hands could manage. So, seeing the incredible scale of the work he needed to do, he shed a tear in despair- from this tear a lotus grew, and on that lotus was Tara. I'm also told this particular deity dates back to the shaman cults of Tibet, which existed prior to the introduction of Buddhism- Tara became a Buddha, whereas prior to this she was a snake goddess. I've heard the term, but have never really been able to determine what a snake goddess is or does. But long story short, she became Tara Drolma in Tibet and the Himalayas, meaning roughly "Mama Tara". In other words, she is able to watch your back, and respond quickly to anyone who calls on her. This gets into the question of what do you need a god for? To bail you out? Well, experience tells that this doesn't happen- as you sow, so shall you reap, or something like that. But again, technically Buddhas are not gods- they are Buddhas. Most of the Buddhas are largely symbolic- students try to embrace and embody the characteristics of the Buddhas. In Tara's case, selfless service and compassion. This is another interesting point- compassion vs. pity. Compassion is not the same as pity- pity says, "oh, you poor creature, down there in the dirt! I feel sorry for you!", whereas compassion says, "You creature in the dirt, take my hand and let me help pull you up- you belong upright, embracing your full potential! That which can walk should not be made to crawl." And apart from many diverse elements, this is the core of what Buddha actually taught and meant. Now go drink your tea!

Towel Day

The day comes, as it does every year since 2001- National Towel Day, to honor author Douglas Adams, author of The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy. From this book, originally a series of BBC radio broadcasts, comes the book, and from the book, an on-line Guide, an ambitious attempt to put together all the world's knowledge, practical or less so. Towel Day is every May 25th- now I know you're dying to know how, exactly, to celebrate Towel Day. Simple- carry a towel with you all day. And if anyone asks you, remember to tell them- the universe is a tough place. You've always got to know where your towel is.
Why a towel? Well, the book mentions that a towel is the single most useful object in the universe, and provides several examples of how a towel can be used. Although most of us don't venture off the planet very much, a towel does have many practical applications here on our own humble corner of the cosmos. And as time has gone on, the phrase "to know where your towel is" has taken on a new and different context- to know where one's towel is means to be prepared, to be with it, to know what's going on and what to do about it. Thus, knowing where your towel is can be a useful characteristic.
Somewhat more bizarre, although not by much, is X Day. X Day falls on July 5th, the first occurence being July 5, 1998. This was the date established by the Church of the Subgenius (actual organization) upon which the earth would be invaded and conquered by aliens- the X-ists, also called Men from Planet X. Apparently this has nothing to do with the black-and-white film of the same name, although surprising similarities do exist. For more information on this, go out and find a copy of Revelation X: The "Bob" Apocryphon. I could tell you about it, but then what's the point of reading such an obscure piece of arcana? See Chapters 10 and 11 for full details. So at any rate, X Day came and went, and we're all still here. Like any good cult, the Church did not admit defeat, or even that they were wrong. Conspiracy theories abounded, as conspiracy theories are the core rhetoric of this particular Church. Looks like the Church saved our collective bacon on that one... or did they? The question arises, do any of us really believe in the Church's teachings? The most common answer is, why the hell not? It's more fun that way. But now, every day on July 5th, X-Day is celebrated with X-Day drills, which are basically big keg parties (take that, church picnics!!) with various weirdness interspersed. Picture Burning Man with guys in Roman collars, and you've pretty much got it. The funny thing is, there is also a burning figure, in this case an effigy of the Church's mythical and probably fictional founder, one J. R. "Bob" Dobbs, a one-time salesman turned prophet and visionary. For the full details of this complex and relevant religion, check out the site- www.subgenius.com . Of course, you'll be repeatedly solicited for money, and presented with the opportunity to "wash your sins away and be presented with brand-new ones". The funny thing is how much sense this particular religion makes. If you suddenly become converted, don't come blaming me.
Other fun holidays include the Feast of Fabulous Wild Men, every year January 12th- basically, it involves relentlessly checking out every attractive man that crosses your path. (straight men, you can either be the checker or checkee, depending on preference). January 23rd is, of course, Pie Day, when pies are celebrated for the fact that they are pies. And good to eat. Then next month is National Cherry Pie Day, February 20th. However, you may wish to celebrate this on Valentine's Day by baking your sweetie a cherry pie. Also of note is Lost Sock Memorial Day, every year May 9th, when we take a moment to remember the lost socks that have gone before us. Or something. Well, as the saying goes- X-Day is A'Comin! So, meet me somewhere, some time, and we'll have ourselves a ball, and show those aliens we Earth men still know how to have a good time! Cherry pie will probably be served.

Holy Blood And Gore, Batman!

Well, it looks like the Fangoria convention is in town! I'd love to go, but don't think it's in the budget. There's always next year, though! I read through the guest list, and was bummed I can't make it this year- there are a whole slew of people I would love to meet- Caroline Williams and Marilyn Burns, from Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 and 1, respectively, Kane Hodder, from many of the (better) Friday the 13th movies, Russ Steiner from the original Night of the Living Dead, (Johnny, who actually doesn't make it past the first scene of the movie before getting killed) and Ashley Laurence and Doug Bradley, from the Hellraiser movies.
These last were my long-standing favorites, and the two characters actually provide an interesting contrast. On the one hand is Bradley's urbane Pinhead, leader of the Cenobites. A cenobite is a Latin term meaning a monk, or member of a religious order. Although never identified in the movie, the story it was based on identifies them as members of the Order of the Gash, also called Gashites. They exist somewhere "at the upper reaches of human experience" and can be called here by a willing soul to provide him or her with "new experiences". These generally involve what would generally be called mutilation and torture, but in this context are perhaps a little harder to define. But at any rate, Pinhead, so named because of the elaborate grid drawn on his face, each intersection marked by a metal pin, shows up when certain conditions are met to claim the soul for his own enjoyment. Again, in the book and subsequent stories, there are many ways to meet these conditions. The movies identify only one, a now-famous puzzle box that had been constructed in the 15th century and later enchanted by black magic to produce a way for the Cenobites to reach whoever opened (solved) the box. However, the interesting thing about this is Pinhead himself- he displays no emotion, no pleasure, and no fear. Originally recruited by the Order for his emptiness and jaded spirit, he now lives or exists solely to feed off the emotions and suffering of others. He is little more than an animal, albeit an intelligent one. He no longer takes pleasure in his work, if he ever did. All this exists solely as a means to fill his need, give him some relief from his own emptiness. The box is opened, he comes and takes the person away, keeping them in some kind of limbo where their bodies can be destroyed and reassembled time and time again. I always thought this made him an effective monster, like a juggernaut. He has no conscience, he cannot be appealed to, he has no humanity. But at the same time, he has but one purpose, and will carry that purpose out unerringly, and cannot be stopped.
The humans in these movies are something different entirely, and perhaps are even more monstrous than Pinhead. They open the box with the full knowledge of the consequences, yet are so jaded, so dulled in the senses that they will do anything for a new experience, some new debauchery to provide however passing a thrill. These are the real monsters, it seems. Because they were once human- Pinhead is not, he has had the humanity somehow extracted from himself. But these humans were once capable of happiness, before they became the thrill junkies they currently are. The only reason Pinhead exists is because of people like this- what they have is never enough, what they experience is never thrilling enough.
And the interesting thing is, that this is a condition long known- the pursuit of something more, be it more of some addiction, whatever form that may take, or the pursuit of some greater conquest, more money, more status, or more of anything. There's a fine line between wanting to improve your situation and gain solely for the sake of the conquest. And this seems to be, at least in the first couple movies, what the real horror is. That's the best way I can come up with to describe it- if you're up for it, I'd rec0mmend seeing the film. There's an edited version and a director's cut- go for the director's cut if you can find it, I think the scenes left out do actually have relevance to the movie. Be advised, however, this is not for the faint of heart, and not just for the blood and gore, either, although this does factor into it. The film paints a very grim picture of human nature, and this, I think, makes it a good film. If you make it to the end, go outside and see the sunshine and the flowers- try to find the good in every person, as I believe it's there, however far below the surface it may be.

Bike Route

I decided it was a good day for yet another bike ride. Actually, anything short of hurricane conditions is a good day. There are no real bike routes to speak of, and those that are in the vicinity go nowhere useful. I've often wondered that- what the purpose of bike routes are that first, people also walk on (again, this is a good thing to be doing, but putting people on foot and people on bikes in close proximity is asking for trouble) and that the bike routes seem to terminate abruptly at some random point. Are people on bikes likely to suddenly forget where they were going and go back the way they came to regroup? There is a scenic value to the average bike route, but unfortunately no practical one. I've heard from people who don't use bike routes on principle, finding them rather pointless. But sharing the road with cars is occasionally a challenge. I ride a bike everywhere not because I don't have a car, (actually I don't- fact is I can get by without one for now) but because I prefer a bike. My rationale is first, it's good exercise, second, everyone thinks of you as That Crazy Guy On The Bike (easy identification, especially in a small town like this), cost-effectiveness (no fuel costs, unless you count food and water) and ease of use. Besides, if you get tired of waiting for traffic lights, you can usually find a way around them. But technically you're subject to traffic laws- thus, if you're doing something stupid and you get hit, well, that's kind of your own lookout. If someone else is doing something stupid and hits you, then that's usually their fault. So be careful. Actually, most people behind the wheel of a car, (as opposed to being behind one of two wheels) are courteous and careful. Some are not- my advice is screw with them mercilessly. I can recall one cool fall day in East Hartford, waiting at a red light. I had moved to the left-hand side of the lane, the reason being that first, this is what you're supposed to do, second, that this allows drivers behind me to both get around and have me out of their way. So I wait at the red light, mind wandering as usual, when a car pulls up behind me. Nothing unusual about this, this is a fairly populated area, and bikes abound. This driver, despite being at a red light, decided my waiting at the light was somehow interfering with his waiting for the same light, and laid on the horn. Not one to be intimidated and move out of the way, I decided to play innocent and figure out what he wanted. I parked the bike in front of his car (a big Buick luxury car, if that's at all relevant), forcing him either to run it over or go around, (I already had noted his plate number, should the former occur) and went over to his window with a puzzled expression to see what was the matter- did I have a flat tire? Was I in some danger I was unaware of? The driver was forced to back up, go around the bike, and run the red light hauling ass away from me, no doubt expecting a beating with a water bottle or something. (not that I was interested in violence, as that would result in me getting in trouble rather than him). But still, it's the little things that get you through the day. Or the ride. I think I was heading to the grocery store that day.
On a completely insane note- check out the following- www.mountainbikemilitia.com - all your paranoid conspiracy theories, now in a convenient two-wheeled model!

Learning to Draw

In my spare time, I decided to do something worthwhile- we're never too old to expand our horizons, I guess. At any rate, I decided to learn to draw. This is about the extent of what I can do so far, apart from pencil sketches. Cartoons always seemed to come somewhat easy, as anatomical proportion takes a back seat to message, but anyway, hope you like it! Apart from that, I'm reading up on the subject, and have produced a couple pretty decent sketches so far. Not that I plan on making a business out of art- leave that for the pros. But it is enjoyable, and I'm learning some pretty interesting things- like the features on the average human face

start about halfway down the total area of the front of the head, and you can put your thumb against the side of your pencil, or whatever you're using, to determine the correct perspective for a feature or object. It will, oddly enough, stay about the same from your viewpoint to the paper. Unless you're doing something like painting a mural on the side of a building, or something like that. But anyway, the above was done on ordinary copy paper with marker and crayons. And since it's now out there on the Web, guess I'll have a good motivation to follow up on it, and keep working at it, since it's no longer a secret.

Political Stuff That No One Cares About

In an attempt to keep this at least somewhat interesting, I figured I’d comment on a recent read- Boomsday by Christopher Buckley. This is the same author who wrote Thank You For Smoking, later made into a pretty good movie. As the title suggests, the book deals with the Baby Boomer generation, that generation born more or less right after WWII. If you remember your history, it was WWII that pulled the US out of the Depression. Upon returning home, soldiers found themselves in a somewhat unique position- they had both the ways and means as well as plenty of opportunity to settle down, start families, buy houses, all that good stuff. The result- babies, and lots of them. This generation gets pretty well blasted in the book- personally, I don’t know of anyone who lives quite to the excess of these folks- gated communities, spending social security funds on private golf courses and BMWs, but then again, I don’t really know that many Baby Boomers. But the main focus of all this is the righteously screwed-up Social Security system. Enter one Cass Devine, who, apart from sounding like a porn star, proposes a way to fix the system that would make Jonathan Swift blush. The funny thing is, it would actually work. She proposes massive tax breaks and perks for people who choose to shuffle off this mortal coil at age 70, in a voluntary suicide. Nothing necessarily gross, extreme or messy, either. But at any rate, this would, well, eliminate much of the burden on people paying into social security, and the system would then even itself out. Not to mention a good deal of other savings, too. I am not certain I would advocate this, but the numbers are easy enough to figure, and are not dependent on the morality of the issue. Wiping out half the population would increase the resources available to the remaining half, but that doesn’t make it a good idea.
Needless to say, the suggestion provokes a massive controversy in Washington, with a whole new outlet for what is unfortunately in many cases pro-life venom. But as the story progresses, even this ‘modest proposal’ becomes secondary to a kind of black comedy about the political machine in this country. In a three-hundred-odd page book on Washington politics, the word democracy does not occur once. The strange thing is, it isn’t missed. This, apparently, is the backstabbing, opportunistic way our government works. What the people think is what the press spins- a term meaning to manipulate public opinion. Turn monsters into saints, or vice versa. And here I thought Franz Kafka wrote fiction... At any rate, this was a good book- I’d recommend it. But it does point to many of the problems in government. People feel that the government does not represent them. Yet the government, ideally, is supposed to do that. People feel that they have no voice in government, and subsequently do not care. And politics is slightly less complicated than neuroscience, although not by much. Thus the world of politics is further insulated from (dare I say it) your Joe The Plumbers out there who have no real idea where there tax dollars are going. I know I sure as hell don’t! The system in place really is that bad. The question is, will anything short of an economic apocalypse save us from ourselves? Probably not. But then, when the time comes, humanity will no doubt continue on, perhaps the wiser for the mistakes of its so-called leaders.

Like Da Vinci's Flying Machine

I finished Naked Lunch- the afterword was pretty interesting. It mentioned the title came from Jack Kerouac, as a reference to a moment when everyone in the room realizes exactly what they’re eating. This may not be as negative or shocking as it sounds- seems to me, we may not really think of, say a burger as ground-up cow muscle, but I would warrant that the reality is always there. And not really that shocking after all. Another interesting note- Burroughs notes that he was mostly unaware of writing the book, notes being compiled when he was on what would usually be thought of as enough drugs to stone most of the continent for a month. Despite this, it has a good deal of the same kind of literary impressionism that you found in Kerouac and Ginsberg, as well as Ferlingheti. (Not sure on the spelling of that). Often imitated, never duplicated, as they say.

When will things be okay? I wonder that myself. I guess that depends on the definition of okay. Life in the day-to-day is rarely okay, and it seems like no matter what you do, there will always be some other problem cropping up. It reminds me a good deal of the fight against the Hydra in Greek mythology- when you cut off one head of the Hydra, (which was basically a big snake with a lot of heads) two more would grow in its place. The monster was finally defeated (was it Odysseus? I can't recall offhand) by burning the necks closed after the heads were removed. Which brings up the question, why didn't you just stab the thing in the heart or something? But at any rate, in some ways things are okay now- I can only hope that the world is evolving towards a better solution, and a better way of life. I used to try to change the world- at this point I'm lucky if I can remember to change the batteries.

Words We Need

I came across this article on www.cracked.com and am passing it on to you for your edification and general knowledgifying. Here goes- the top ten words that are not in the English language but need to be-
1. bakku-shan- Japanese in origin, this word denotes a woman who appears attractive from the back, yet upon frontal inspection is not so much so. A derivative, presumably, of the butter face- everything attractive, but her face. Not entirely nice or PC, but hey.
2. espirit d'escalier- French origins, meaning coming up with a witty barb or comeback far too late. Literally translates as spirit of the staircase, this refers to coming up with the correct zinger while walking down the stairs after having been put in a situation where said zinger would have proven useful an hour ago.
3. Mamihlapinatapi-derived from some language called Yaghan (origins unknown) ,this means an unspoken shared desire between two people, usually strangers. Sharing a look across a room that indicates to the both of you that you are thinking the same thing at the same time. The closest English equivalent would probably be rapport.
4. Backpfeifengesicht- German- translates literally as a face in need of a fist. I find a wide range of situations in which said fist would be applicable to a face, so taken on its most literal translation, I believe we can assume that any and all persons who require a fist to the face can fit under this definition.
5. Nunchi- Korean in origin, this refers to the innate ability to sense what should not be said, done or expressed in a given situation and with that, the discretion and taste to not do that thing. People who do rather idiotic things in such situations would be said to lack nunchi.
6. Shlimazl-Yiddish in origin, this refers to a person who has a string of monstrously bad luck. Not just 'oh darn, left my cell phone on the counter', but rather 'oh darn, I left my cell phone on the counter, the pipes exploded and the resulting short circuit burned down my house that the insurance lapsed on yesterday'. That kind of bad luck. Avoid being a shlimazl at all costs.
7. Taetame and Honne- Japanese in origin, these are two words that are linked together- the first, what you actually believe, deep in your heart, and may not tell other people. The second is what you claim to believe- what you tell other people you believe, and what your understanding is of what society generally expects of you. The two may be similar, or may be completely different. Many times taetame goes unspoken or unshared, and honne does. I find this doesn't exactly translate- I guess it would be like taetame is what you would do when no one's looking, and honne is what you would do when someone is looking.
8. Sgiomlaireachd- Scottish Gaelic in origin, this refers to a person who interrupts you while you are eating, or preparing to eat something, thereby disrupting your enjoyment of your food. Say you're sitting down to lunch, and the annoying co-worker who won't shut up accosts you to ask you if you've seen his stapler (...) and an hour later, lets you return to your lunch.
9. Tingo- Pascuense in origin, this refers to the act of borrowing from a friend until said friend has nothing left- the term literally translates as borrowing one item at a time from a friend's house until the house is empty. Sounds a bit like being a mooch, but apparently this is not an exact translation.
10. Desenrascanco- Portugese- to literally disentangle oneself from a situation. It means to come up with a solution out of thin air, with no real resources or advance plan to speak of. In other words, you just throw something together at the last minute that, incredibly enough, works perfectly. How much you can rely on this is not known, although there are always situations where you find yourself like a deer in headlights.
At any rate, no doubt there are many other words we need and don't have. Like the word for feeling bored and edgy with no specific solution in mind- you want to do something, but don't have the first clue what that could be.

Meanwhile, Back in Interzone...

I’m about halfway through Naked Lunch, by William Burroughs. I had read a collaboration of his with Jack Kerouac which was also pretty good- this is much more Burroughs, however. Interestingly enough, both Kerouac and Burroughs use a kind of stream of consciousness technique that so far, no writer I’ve encountered has been able to pull off. However, with Kerouac there is a linear narrative- things go from point A to B. With Burroughs, much less so. A to B may have been the original plan, but the narrator gets sidetracked, often to jail, other times setting out for B, finds himself at Q. The stream of consciousness is that of a heavy drug user, so we are treated to his perspective with no outside reference points, and what exactly is real and what is not, at least in that sense, is really not discernible, or arguably even relevant. Is there really an Interzone (a kind of alternate world populated with various and sundry mind-altering substances)?
There are, for example, Mugwumps, creatures that produce a chemical that greatly increases longevity, and is also highly addictive. There's also the meat of the giant black aquatic centipede, which is a powerful narcotic when eaten, although difficult to keep down. There are many more non-human creatures populating Interzone, and their relationship to humans can at best be called predatory. The humans don't seem to mind, due to the fact that there are so many mind-altering substances that most humans in Interzone are baked out of their skulls all the time anyway. I'll leave it up to you to determine what the significance of this is-there are multiple and complex levels of symbolism and meaning throughout this, despite its somewhat random and trippy style.
The book is also breathtakingly obscene. However, I am not entirely certain obscene is the correct word, as obscene generally denotes something without artistic value. In this case, there is artistic value to it. Yet no one would debate, I think, that this is not homoerotic imagery, (Burroughs was an admitted drug user and homosexual, and both colored his work very heavily. Out of all the Beat generation writers, Burroughs stands out as one of the heaviest drug users). This was at a time when homosexuality was widely considered a much bigger deal and much less socially acceptable than it is today. In an interesting parallel, Allen Ginsberg also used some homoerotic imagery in his own work (the two were literary contemporaries as well as peers), but Burroughs’ imagery is deliberately grotesque and shocking in the extreme. And yet, it is not, by that definition, obscene. I suppose this raises the question of obscenity vs. art. No doubt greater (and for that matter far more prudish) minds than mine have struggled with this question and not come to any conclusive position. However, I would say something like the situation at Guantanamo Bay is obscene- it degrades the human form and spirit without any artistic or meaningful value. Using obscenity in art or literature, as Burroughs does, contrasts this with the way people really are, and so in this way, retains some artistic merit. At least, that's the best explanation I can think of. I guess it's kind of a tricky question no matter which way you look at it. At any rate, it's a really good book, though definitely not for the faint of heart. The questions it raises about the nature of humanity (or the absence thereof) are tough ones, perhaps not to be taken lightly.

What You Get Is What You Have To Give Away

I'm kind of hanging out feeling like I should be out doing something productive today. Nothing really comes to mind, though. I'm hoping to try a little experiment, getting down to the local forest to run there instead of out on the mean streets of Suffield. I've noticed that there's a difference in where and how, and for that matter with whom, you run. Going it alone over uninteresting terrain is probably most difficult, as there are two factors to consider here- one, you're all alone, no one to talk to, keep up with and/or offer mutual encouragement to. Second, this isn't offset by all the cool and interesting stuff going on around you, as there's nothing except your own imagination to keep you occupied, and you do have to pay at least some attention to the road in front of you. Contrast this with the annual Manchester 5K- I could run two of those and not feel it, because there's so much going on- the streets are lined with people, many cheering, some discussing some strange and interesting topic, some playing music, some drinking beer at 10 in the morning. All very much interesting, so you hardly notice you're running. Actually, this should be the case anyway- generally you fall into pace and just forget about it- your breathing kind of clicks in with your steps, and your mind becomes free to wander. Also in the road race are the vast array of other runners, many wearing bizarre costumes. Again, this occupies your mind much more than your running. The point being, if it interests you, like pretty much anything else in life, it's really much easier, much less of a chore. But when you have to do it and it bores you, it becomes that much more of a burden. Apart from this is the fact that trails are composed of dirt, which is a little easier on your joints than asphalt, the occasional rock or tree root aside.
I can remember running the Laurel Marsh trail, along the Hockanum River. Called Suicide Swamp, after an obscure video game reference, (Twisted Metal 2 and prior to that JetMoto 2, in case you were wondering), this was about 5 miles of really interesting terrain, varying from skunk-cabbage filled swamplands, often marked by planks or bridges spanning the mires, to flat grass along the edges of the swamp, and several steep uphills with tree roots forming tiers or almost stairs. Needless to say, it may not have been the best thing for a timed run, but for a visually and mentally engaging environment, tough to beat. Don't try this at home, but I found you can, with a sufficient amount of momentum, get a good six or seven feet up a tree trunk, then kick off of the tree horizontally and land back on the trail. A silly stunt, but always fun- I saw it in a kung fu movie once, and decided to take the typical guy route and try it myself. Good times!

Planned Obsolescence

I just finished the book version of Watchmen- really good! The story was definitely above and beyond what you would expect for a graphic novel- the characters were believable, (well, at least their humanity was) and I'd recommend it to anyone, whether you like graphic novels or not. Unless you're a little kid- some R-rated stuff in there.

This is probably my favorite character, and one surprisingly sympathetic. Called The Comedian, he winds up murdered at the beginning of the story. Who, and why we don't find out until the last chapter. But apart from being a chauvinistic, probably-insane jerk, here is a person who thinks he has things figured out. As a member of the US military, (never made clear what his affiliation was, if any- maybe Special Forces?) he sees the absolute worst the world has to show him. His gleeful violence seems to be the only logical response to his admittedly warped view of the world. Hence (I think) his name- the world's just a bad joke, and the punchline comes at the end of a gun barrel. Like I said, he thinks he has the world figured out, and takes what he sees as the only possible course in such a world. Rorschach, another warped superhero, is largely the same- having seen the worst the world can show, he responds with a black-and-white morality that leaves no room for gray. Of course, Rorschach is completely raving mad, The Comedian only a few steps behind. The Comedian, once he finds out that things are nowhere near what he thought they were, is crushed. Fortunately, he winds up dead soon after, but the question goes unanswered as to what he, or for that matter any of us here in the real world would do if suddenly everything we know to be true is proven wrong, with indisputable evidence right before our eyes? In this case, everything he lived for has proven false. This extreme moral code (such as it was) keeps him going. When that's gone, his response is to unload on an old super-villain, who never actually figures out what the hell he's talking about.

This is a question we probably face, but only gradually and by degrees- as we mature and grow, we find the world is not as we imagined it- things are a bit more complex than the good-guys-and-bad-guys ethos a lot of us had when we were kids. Good was good, evil was evil, and that was that. Good always won, evil was always defeated, despite continual efforts. As time goes on, we find that good is not always the shining white example of virtue we thought it was, and evil sometimes is either much more interesting or not a little sympathetic. After all, we're imperfect beings in an imperfect world. But that's no reason not to make this world the best place we can. There are things worth fighting for, and who knows, perhaps in the longest run good does come out on top.

Monday of Another Week

It is indeed Monday. I would say things are really incredibly exciting, but they're not. On the other hand, things are not involving stuff hitting the fan, so that's good. The sun is shining (for a while I was worried it wouldn't, then I realized my stupid ass woke up in the middle of the night). At any rate, I'm almost done reading Watchmen- the comic book/graphic novel. I guess they call them graphic novels as they really aren't supposed to be funny. Well, it does have The Comedian in it. At any rate, it's actually a really interesting and engaging story, involving people that aren't technically superheroes (that would imply superpowers, which, with two exceptions, there aren't) who manage to get into all kinds of weird shit. I liked the fact that gasoline engines pretty much were phased out when lithium becomes synthesizable (don't want to give away how this is done, in case anyone wants to read the book). The result is that batteries become easier to produce than gas does. Actually, they probably already are. Solar power is a viable option, although not that easily collected. You need big solar panels to do anything with, but then on the other hand, why not put them in some space that really doesn't have any other use? (Like Republican headquarters... oops, did I just type that?) Actually, perhaps the desert would be a good choice. Not that we don't need deserts, obviously they exist for some arcane reason, but why not go stick some giant solar panels there? I'm guessing it wouldn't be a desert without a good deal of sun. Some areas have wind farms- that name cracks me up, makes me think of... well, never mind. It'll come to you. At any rate, they incorporate large turbines- they look something like big propellers, and presumably work on electromagnetics. I can see that this would be a good secondary source, but to generate a lot of power you'd need either a lot of them or a really big one, or more likely, a lot of really big ones. It's strange, at least to me, how long it took us to develop hybrid engines for cars. Interesting how other countries rely more on public transportation, although this gets into the questions of city planning, whether or not you want to be in close proximity to other people, all that good stuff. Personally, I need space. I've been to New York city about three times in my life- the food's good, but there's always an overwhelming sense of being inside an anthill- too many buildings surrounding you, and not enough trees. No offense to New Yorkers, unless of course you're Yankees fans- but that's a whole other issue. At any rate, there's no reason we New Englanders can't keep our distant-from-our-neighbors lifestyle. We can do a great many things, but there just doesn't seem to be the motivation to research alternative energy sources on any grand scale. It seems to be a bit like shooting ourselves in the foot. The argument against this that comes immediately to mind is profitability- why go out of your way when you can line your pockets now? Oddly enough, I noticed one telling scene in Watchmen that also disproves this- Ozymandis, the world's most intelligent man, monitors the media and by doing this, predicts what the dominant market trends will be, and thereby where to invest. It would seem that fossil fuels won't last forever, (but then again, how many times have we heard that argument?) Regardless, it seems to be that getting fossil fuels is becoming more and more of a pain in the collective ass. Now, wouldn't it be more cost-effective to simply invest in other sources of power, that can be generated without inter-country conflicts? The conflict (not war, see previous entries) is at least in part due to oil. But I'm pretty sure no one country has a monopoly on the wind, sun or geothermal energy sources. Why not make use of them? In terms of patented technology, (hey, just look at Windows!) the profits would be astronomical. If a more efficient energy system could be patented, that company would be in a position to distribute it at a fair and affordable price, and at the same time, since they would be the only ones who could do it, would be assured of a sustainable profit indefinitely. The actual methods of collecting energy are pretty much already spoken for, but I would be extremely surprised if the process can't be improved upon. We've known how to make steel for centuries- the Bessemer process is a much more recent development.
Hopefully this isn't turning into another long, dull rant from the depths of your humble narrator's little gray cells. But at any rate, life goes on, does it not? Here's hoping I don't miss the boat...

Cadence Songs

Yesterday was an Army function- a cookout and formation, basically. It was actually fairly exciting. Most of my platoon was there, and we went over marching and formations in Wickham Park in East Hartford. There were lots of onlookers, who probably wondered why squads were marching along the park roads, and standing in formation in the parking lot. Because we can, that's why! My unit was under the command of one PFC Malloy, recently finished out of AIT. She was pretty cool, and obviously had had a good deal of practice with marching. There were, prior to all this, several civilian speakers, all of whom had useful information, however one tended to drone on and on, filling about 20 minutes with examples and stories that didn't actually seem to go anywhere. I was sitting with a couple of people in my unit, and we debated throwing hot dogs at the drill sergeant, our rationale being then we would have to run laps or something- anything except listen to this person go on and on! But then we realized, as punishment we probably wouldn't be doing pushups or running laps- we'd have to sit there and listen to the whole thing again! Besides, throwing hot dogs at the drill sergeant is not something we would generally do anyway. Actually, I kind of liked the drill sergeant- clearly, this is a person to whom one listens. But apart from that, not without a sense of humor, and he worked well with us. Perhaps we need more drill sergeants in everyday life- I would imagine things would get done then! Or just those Smokey the Bear hats- anyone ever in the military knows them, and they do indeed strike terror into the hearts of the bravest soldiers! But really, the DS is not a bad guy, just a hardass. And besides, no one takes it personally.
Apart from that, yesterday it rained initially, then giving way to sun. And humidity- a nice little foretaste of the conditions in Fort Benning, no doubt! But that's okay, if the skies are that clear and the breeze smelling of trees and flowers, I wouldn't mind a full pack and a little humidity!

And, on a closing note- here's a running cadence I happened across- if I ever get called out in basic to do cadence, this is going to top my list-
Drill Sergeant and the Devil
Out jumped the Sergeant from the coconut grove,
He was a mean Drill Sergeant you could tell by his clothes.
He wore a wide brim hat and BDUs,
Had badder breath than the CO and you.
Lined a hundard soldiers up against the wall,
Made a two dollar bet he could train 'em all.
Trained ninety-eight and we thought he was thru,
Backed off, right stepped, and dropped the other two!
Well, when he died, he went straight ta' Hell,
Where he trained the Devil's daughter, and his sister as well.
The Devil said Drill, let's make a deal,
You can have my daughter if you get outta Hell!
Ain't no problem is all he said,
If I can't train ya', then ya' should be dead!
Hey! All the way!
I run every day!
Hey! All the way,
I run all the way!
The Drill Sergeant runs the earth today
,And if you listen close, this is what he'll say.
Gotta like it, gotta love it,Gotta have, more of it!
Hey, Hey! All the way!
Gotta run, all day!
Gotta run, all night.
And all night, is all right!
I guess you wonder how I know this tale,
cause I'm the Drill that came from Hell!
I gotta mean, mean wife and father-in-law,
But they're not the meanest people that I ever saw.
Can't be, like me.Can't do, like you!
Blood and guts,Thru and thru!

The Continuing Adventures

I almost finished the book I'm reading- Norwegian Wood, by Haruki Murakami, perhaps my favorite author. This, supposedly, was the book everyone in Japan "had" to read- I guess like an equivalent to the Oprah book club or something. Actually, I really don't know that much about Oprah's book club, only that there are books that have a round sticker on them and are endorsed or something. At any rate, most of my own literary choices come like this- I see a book, read the title, then maybe read the jacket. If it sounds interesting, I read it. Many books do turn out to be good- some do not. If I liked one by that author, I'll keep a lookout for others. That's what happened with this book- I've read, to the best of my knowledge, everything else by this author-mainly because it's good. The same thing with a few obscure authors- Lewis Shiner comes to mind, as does William Kotzwinkle. Actually, my sister got me reading him. I wonder what one's taste in fiction, written or otherwise, says about them? I tend towards kind of offbeat, surrealistic fiction. Does that make me weird? Well, I guess that depends what your definition of weird is. At any rate, the main character of this story is a young twenty-something who is kind of in love with two women- I say kind of, because this is an attempt to accurately mirror life. I can't say I've been in the same situation, but I wind up feeling kind of exasperated with the guy and a little sympathetic. Here's a guy who can't sort out his feelings- he wants to do what's right, as one woman is in a kind of mental institution, and another is just kind of eccentric. He doesn't want to hurt the woman in the hospital, and is afraid if he falls in love with the other woman, that he will. Personally, I think he blames himself too much for her problems, and is trying to shoulder her burden. If the woman in the hospital is to get better, perhaps the key is for people around her to be healthy. I would suggest that, since they're more friends than anything else, that they discuss the situation. But then again, it's fiction, not real life. However, it's believable, and not far removed from something that could actually happen. If I were in a similar situation, I would try to ascertain the hospitalized woman's feelings- will she be crushed if the man falls for someone else? It's obvious it doesn't mean he doesn't care about her- he obviously loves her very much, as well as his eccentric friend. But she may not want a romantic relationship, and I think deep down, neither does he. A good story does tend to draw you in like this, I find.
Things are quiet today- my knee's been bothering me a bit, but it's nothing serious- probably just a little stiff, so I decided to take the day off from running or biking. Maybe I'll settle for a walk in the forest. Maybe not. There's a few things I should get done, but apart from that, nothing left to do but clean up a little bit, get things more in order. I find that sometimes there are things in life for which there are no words- in that case, all you can hope is that what goes unspoken is understood by the both of you.

Begin Again

Lately it seems time to start over- time for a change. Things in this world are not so much difficult, as just seeming to be a lot of effort for very little difference. This life sits heavy on my shoulders- but everyone, I'm sure, feels that way now and again. I'd like to think I'm on the verge of something new- a new career, a new start. I'm 30 years old, not old by any standards, but am well aware that my younger days are behind me. But like an old Checker cab, I'll never die, just get decomissioned some day. Actually, I find myself smarter and in better shape than when I was younger. In the meanwhile, things drag on each day. I won't say there's no point in getting out of bed in the morning, because if there isn't, I can usually make something up. And besides that, there is always a reason to face the day. There were times when I wasn't able to do that-so now I make it a point to stay focused. But at the same time, it's like there's some force sucking the life out of me, making every step an effort. This is why I think it's time for a change.
A part of me wants to leave New England and move somewhere else- make a new start, where the sun shines and living expenses are less. Where I get assigned after AIT is unclear- I know for a good three or four months I'll be decidedly south of the Mas0n-Dixon line, no doubt growing used to accents that now sound strange to me. After that, I'm not sure. I don't know how much leeway I get in choosing an assignment, or if it's just whatever comes down the pike. Either way, I know myself and the kids will be taken care of. For me, the hardest part will be being apart from the kids. I don't mind moving around a good deal, and in fact look forward to seeing the world. But at the same time, I want the best for the dynamic duo. Actually, this was one of the main reasons for enlisting in the first place- I saw the service as an opportunity to work hard and not have to worry about anything else- do your job, and let the bean counters do theirs. And so far, that has been the case. This explains the huge rise in enlistments the military has seen- the civilian world is drying up, so to speak, but we could always use more cannon fodder. Or, in my case, more intelligent cannon fodder. I hold out hope for the family, hope for myself. But in the end, it's not the size of the paycheck- rather, it's what your life was that really counts.

Wardrobe Malfunction

Did you really think this one would go by without comment? Looks like there is a big lawsuit surrounding the unintentional boob-ification of America during some Super Bowl or another- I don't really follow football, so wasn't watching, and probably wouldn't have been paying much attention if I did. But for less than a second, the viewing public was treated to Janet Jackson's pectorally adjacent front quadrant. And the resultant press upheaval was, like most non-news stories, quick to come and quick to go. Now it's back in the paper, as the lawsuit is expected to drag on for several years. Am I the only one who is thinking, who the hell cares? Of course, there are TV (and presumably other forms of media) watchdog groups that sued the FCC over this. I hate to be on a conservative tirade here, but I would guess that they are the right-wing nutjobs we hear tell of. Indecency, they cry! Scandalous! Well, call me crazy, (you wouldn't be the first), but isn't this first off, making a mountain out of a molehill, (pun not intended, hee hee) and second, a bit of a priority problem? Let's see- people are suffering the world over, people in our own country oftentimes can't afford healthcare, and we're freaking out about a little skin on the 'boob tube'? (once again, pun not intended...) It seems to me that with the resources these groups have to monitor the media, could we maybe put a little of that back into helping people? But then again, there are stated causes, so let's examine those. Look anywhere, and you'll see the words "family values". Great! What could be more important than families? People that love each other, hang out together, and build a better world? With me so far? Okay. Now the "family values" here apparently don't extend to things like birth control, which is a heck of a lot cheaper than an unwanted baby or an abortion, so in this way makes good sense- more money = happy family. Also failing to make the cut- healthcare. Again, having affordable healthcare leads to healthy families who don't need to worry about debt. This means happy families with lots of neat disposable income that they can put back into the economy, or line the pockets of the movers and shakers of society. But who cares, everyone is happy, and families are doing family stuff together. Good deal! But no, healthcare is not a family value, apparently. I guess if you're not raking it in, despite decades of mismanagement in government, God doesn't like you, so you must deserve what you get for pissing the Big Guy off.
Oh, and you can't be gay, either. That's not a family, in fact gay people undermine families. I can just see them now, with their upside down triangles and rainbows on their black SS uniforms, marching in step to their secret meetings to discuss the "gay agenda"-
Guy #1- Excellent, comrades! We are now able to get married in Massachussetts! Tomorrow the world!
Guy #2- Soon we will undermine marriage for the straight guys in this world! They'll be so confused, they won't know men from women, and we get dibs on the cute straight guys!
(evil laughter ensues).
Apparently there is a gay agenda, and it's a threat to straight people, as they're trying to undermine straight families. How this works is a little fuzzy, but with all the noise surrounding it, it must be a crisis... right? Because preventing gay people from being married or enjoying any rights is a family value, because the Bible may or may not say it's wrong. And the Bible should be the basis of government, except when it's time for the churches to pay taxes- then it's separation of church and state- don't take our money, we need it to defend ourselves from the gay enemies at the gate! (What are they going to do, redecorate your living room viciously?) Separation of church and state must be why the churches have not pushed for universal healthcare, despite having money to run media campaigns against any legislation they don't approve of- let the feds get this one, it's more along their lines anyway. But when it's time to vote, be sure to vote for the guy who claims that he answers to Jesus. How about if I answer to Shiva? Could I get elected? Come on, the guy's bright freakin' blue and has six arms! How badass is that? I wonder if there are many Hindu officials in the States? It's a pretty fascinating religion, too. Or how about the Medicine Buddha? Also bright freakin' blue, and he always comes prepared- he is always seen carrying a vase full of medicine, good for what ails ya. But at any rate, in case it wasn't obvious, I occasionally get carried away. Envisioning a better world is all well and good- never let them take your dreams away, no matter how impossible they may seem.
And enjoy the information age- we get the opportunity to write whatever we please, then send it out into the ether for the rest of the world to read. And that's pretty darn cool, in my opinion. So I'll conclude this raving diatribe by saying, everyone out there, my best wishes for you and your loved ones, whomever and wherever they may be. Here's hoping that the dream of a better world someday becomes a reality for all of us. Buddha bless!

Flight of the Garuda

Once again, at the library. There's a kind of in-joke with my sweetheart about the library, as she once called me the day of a surprise party we were planning for her- I was not there, and she was told (correctly) that I was at the library, as I had a little time before the party. So she assumed that this was some premeditated excuse to tell her as to why I was not there. Actually, that would make a good deal of sense. At any rate, the library is indeed filled with books- this is strangely comforting, to be in a large room filled with bookshelves. I have heard that the Christian churches sometimes burn or destroy books, as this is listed in the book of Acts- something about a sorcerer bringing books to the apostles, which were subsequently destroyed. I find this completely repellent in every way- I don't believe any book should be destroyed, especially if it does not agree with a predetermined set of ideas. I should clarify, I don't condemn all churches because of this practice, and am well aware that the Christian monasteries were the main force in preserving written works throughout the Middle Ages. Without them, no doubt many works which we have today would be lost forever. I also am aware that this practice is far from the norm- certainly not every church burns books, nor would that provide an accurate picture of churches. Most churches are peaceful places, and the exchange of ideas is usually free and open. However, to decide what books should be preserved and which burned should not be the decision of any one group.
Of course, not all books are for all people- I can remember the controversy surrounding the book Flight of the Garuda, by Keith Dowman. It revealed some teachings of a Buddhist school called Dzogchen that had prior to this been kept secret, available only to initiates. That is, a person would have to prove their readiness to the school before being able to learn these things. I have a copy of the book, and it is indeed pretty heavy stuff, dealing with the nature of reality vs. perception. But for this reason, should that book be destroyed? It existed in one form or another long before, (it's actually a translation of old Dzogchen texts that the school had used for hundreds of years prior to the book's open publication) and was fine for certain audiences. To say that a book is evil takes away any semblance of the idea of free will- we are rendered to little more than passive containers, incapable of deciding good from evil, and blindly accepting whatever comes our way. Perhaps this is what the same people who would burn books want- that we accept and do not question, as long as we accept and do not question what they tell us to. Control is maintained this way, but not the exercise of the mind the self-same God these people claim to serve so faithfully gave us. If there is a sin, it is to waste intelligence and the spark of creativity, and to encourage others to do the same.
This was one of the main things that drove me away from the Orthodox Church, and subsequently out of Christianity altogether. Not that I have any real issue with Christians, and know that the official position of the Church is not always the same as the thoughts of its members- it turned out my own understanding grew along different lines, although I'd like to think that ultimately we wind up in the same place.

Happy Beltane!

Yes, it's that time of year again, when the grass turns green, spring comes (and not a moment too soon!) and Pagans have another holiday. That's the great thing about those tree-huggin' hippies- eight holidays a year, and really rocking Halloween parties. Actually, they would be Samhain parties, which marks a point during the year when the veil or boundary between this world and the world of the dead grows thin to the point of absence, and the ancestors are honored. And besides, my experience with the Pagan mentality has been, any excuse to get together and have a good time! But Samhain is in October, and here it is May 1 already. The sun is shining, the air is warm and the trees are green, and pretty much everyone I know has allergies.
I heard the schools in Vernon are closed for half of this week, as a student came in with flu-like symptoms. Let's review for a moment- elementary school, kids in elementary school, allergy season. These things are the first to pop into my head, not swine flu. True, there have been over 100 deaths, and I regret the loss of life and wish well to those families affected by it, but this does not a pandemic make. But then again, I'm not an epidemiologist (another word we don't get to use enough). But closing the schools does seem a bit extreme. The press, that guardian of free thought in the world, seems to have blown this a bit out of proportion. The ebola virus, which is probably one of the worst ways to die, occasionally pops up in the depths of Africa once in a while. If it spread, it would indeed be a pandemic. But the press seems to let that slide. (actually, the virus is so destructive it usually burns itself out, decimating a population before it can spread). So be on the lookout for sneezing pigs, and don't eat them. As for the rest of us, wash your hands, don't kiss strange animals, and be good to each other.