So, I'm home for the weekend and doing a good deal of chillin'. However, one chore that I did have to do last night was to bag a dead bird on our back porch so the dog wouldn't get it. My tools for this job were three plastic bags; two bags to put it in and one to pick it up with. So I grabbed this bird and began to examine it to find its cause of death. It was a beautiful specimen with a red throat and fine feathers. I hypothesized that it had died from either the cold or of a lack of food. Anyway, after a short examination I put it in the bags, tied them off and threw them in the garage. So here's the weird part. This morning, my dad was looking for the bird in the bags to dispose of it properly...and it was gone. All that was left were a few feathers in the bag in the corner near the bag. So here are my thoughts on the possibilities.
1. In a total departure from logic this bird was actually resurrected in a holy manner.
2. The birds remains were eaten by a creature that lurks in my garage or came in when my parents opened the garage and left soon afterward after smelling a tiny tiny dead bird in a bag far away from the garage door...but did not rip through the bag. Animals can be amazing.
3. The bird was not totally dead on my porch. It was in a frozen state but was saved in time to preserve its life and in the slightly warmer temperatures in my garage it was revived and after some struggle, escaped from the bad and flew the proverbiable coop when my parents open the garage.
4. There was no bird.
Soooo, I'll depart from Barnum and take a line from Ripley and say, "Believe it, or not!"
Saturday, February 17, 2007
Monday, February 12, 2007
In sickness and in health...
So, I've been varying degrees sick for the past week and a half and I finally think I'm beginning to gain an edge on the thing. In my battle with sickness very few things interesting enough to post have come into my mind. However, I can talk about two things: my opinion on health care and my feelings on the effect of the mind on healing.
First up are my feelings on health care. Let me start by saying that I like doctors as people. Every medical professional I have ever met has been interesting and good in one way or another. However, if I have any choice in the matter I simply won't have anything to do with them. Now, the only reason I feel bad about this is that my choice can sometimes leave me contagious for longer periods of time, endangering others...which is not cool. But in all honesty, I disregard that 90% because visiting a doctor just isn't worth it to me. Sorry gypsies. Anyway, I think my feelings stem from several sources.
Being brutally honest with myself
1. My mother took me to the doctor to many times as a child and now I feel it is a sign of weakness to go there.
2. Doctor's offices and hospitals contain many other sick people who can further infect me. I'm not really cool with that...in fact, I always wondered why doctors don't get sick more often.
3. Although it may reveal me to be odd in the head I can honestly say that when I'm sick I want to see how bad it can get and how long it will take me to recover on my own. I mean, people used to have to recover from things on their own all the time...I can handle it. Note: I am aware that many of these people died or were disabled due to their illnesses and that due mostly to the rise of modern medicine the average lifespan for an American has doubled. I just don't care to think about it.
4. Doctors cost money that I don't have and time I'd rather use for other things.
So that is perhaps my greatest departure from logic to date...excepting perhaps...well, if you know me, you know this.
The effect of the mind on healing is very interesting to me. I honestly think that getting well has about 35% to do with one's mentality...maybe more. I know there a lot of examples of this...most of them are probably flukes though. And the power of prayer, that's for another day. But all I really can say is this: the day after drinking my favorite fruit puree which contains 2000% of my daily vitamin C I always feel better. It's happened three times. I'm not saying that I think this Vitamin C saturation really helps me, but on some level I guess I do. They just make me feel better. I also try to get rid of headaches in a zen way. My standard technique is to declare them pointless and turn off the pain. Unfortunately this only works for about 3 seconds. Meh, it's all silliness.
First up are my feelings on health care. Let me start by saying that I like doctors as people. Every medical professional I have ever met has been interesting and good in one way or another. However, if I have any choice in the matter I simply won't have anything to do with them. Now, the only reason I feel bad about this is that my choice can sometimes leave me contagious for longer periods of time, endangering others...which is not cool. But in all honesty, I disregard that 90% because visiting a doctor just isn't worth it to me. Sorry gypsies. Anyway, I think my feelings stem from several sources.
Being brutally honest with myself
1. My mother took me to the doctor to many times as a child and now I feel it is a sign of weakness to go there.
2. Doctor's offices and hospitals contain many other sick people who can further infect me. I'm not really cool with that...in fact, I always wondered why doctors don't get sick more often.
3. Although it may reveal me to be odd in the head I can honestly say that when I'm sick I want to see how bad it can get and how long it will take me to recover on my own. I mean, people used to have to recover from things on their own all the time...I can handle it. Note: I am aware that many of these people died or were disabled due to their illnesses and that due mostly to the rise of modern medicine the average lifespan for an American has doubled. I just don't care to think about it.
4. Doctors cost money that I don't have and time I'd rather use for other things.
So that is perhaps my greatest departure from logic to date...excepting perhaps...well, if you know me, you know this.
The effect of the mind on healing is very interesting to me. I honestly think that getting well has about 35% to do with one's mentality...maybe more. I know there a lot of examples of this...most of them are probably flukes though. And the power of prayer, that's for another day. But all I really can say is this: the day after drinking my favorite fruit puree which contains 2000% of my daily vitamin C I always feel better. It's happened three times. I'm not saying that I think this Vitamin C saturation really helps me, but on some level I guess I do. They just make me feel better. I also try to get rid of headaches in a zen way. My standard technique is to declare them pointless and turn off the pain. Unfortunately this only works for about 3 seconds. Meh, it's all silliness.
Sunday, January 28, 2007
A story
I don’t know why I noticed it tonight, sitting there on my windowsill. I have no idea what compelled me to take any interest in it; and yet, there I was staring at the unlit candle in my window. It was blue, in the moonlight, with a pattern of squares pressed into it. One might say it was all-together unimpressive. Tonight was a cold night with a clear sky, and it seemed to me that the candle was gazing at the stars with an odd sort of longing. I, in my bed, covered in flannel sheets, could not begin to understand what a candle could possibly long for as it faced a clear night sky; but this did stop me from pondering it. After a bit of thought, it became apparent to me that the stars were ignoring the candle, purposefully paying it no interest, and that the new moon had its back turned from it, denying it even the smallest recognition. Yet the candle stared outward just the same.
It had to have been there before, I thought, but having never had to close my curtains I suppose I had just forgotten about it. I never simply noticed it. But tonight for some reason it stood out in my mind and dominated my consciousness. The candle had never known any fire. It had never felt the silky tongues of a flame. No, it stood tall and straight, clean and pure. But I knew the candle felt no pride in its posture…it had never done anything but stare outward. Why was the candle there in the first place?
“Candle, candle, with no fire you stand silent and steadfast, not a barrier against the darkness, cold, and fear, but a part of it.” The words fell from my lips without reason. But the candle paid them no mind. Instead, it was begging for me an action. And then suddenly I realized why the candle was there. It had been a gift from an old friend…not so old at the time. It was a parting gift from Chris to me, given when I left to start my first job, many years ago. I scarcely remember his face…but I remember his home. He used to light his home with candles in the evening and we would spend the nights laughing among the flickering lights and the smell of melting wax and sandalwood. I remember the candle now and how he gave it to me on my last day back home…to remember the good times. I set it in my window, as people often do, and paid it no more mind.
I don’t know what called my attention to it, but my candle on the windowsill, a gift from a friend as true as I ever had, was begging to be lit. I knew now that as it stared at the stars each night it was longing to show them its own light…even if it meant feeling the heat of a flame, losing its perfect posture, and gradually diminish. Who would have guessed I had been neglecting my candle?
But I did not move from my bed to light the candle. It was a cold night and the matches were in the kitchen. Instead I lay there and wondered; how long had the candle been waiting to be seen? How long had I let my candle simply collect dust? Candles cannot burn without first being given a fire to hold and I had never thought to give it one. It was just sitting there, night after night, waiting for the biggest candle of all to rise and taunt it with what it could never make… As I drifted off to sleep, glad to not have to face the candle anymore, I wondered if it would ever even light at all.
The next morning I shut the curtains.
It had to have been there before, I thought, but having never had to close my curtains I suppose I had just forgotten about it. I never simply noticed it. But tonight for some reason it stood out in my mind and dominated my consciousness. The candle had never known any fire. It had never felt the silky tongues of a flame. No, it stood tall and straight, clean and pure. But I knew the candle felt no pride in its posture…it had never done anything but stare outward. Why was the candle there in the first place?
“Candle, candle, with no fire you stand silent and steadfast, not a barrier against the darkness, cold, and fear, but a part of it.” The words fell from my lips without reason. But the candle paid them no mind. Instead, it was begging for me an action. And then suddenly I realized why the candle was there. It had been a gift from an old friend…not so old at the time. It was a parting gift from Chris to me, given when I left to start my first job, many years ago. I scarcely remember his face…but I remember his home. He used to light his home with candles in the evening and we would spend the nights laughing among the flickering lights and the smell of melting wax and sandalwood. I remember the candle now and how he gave it to me on my last day back home…to remember the good times. I set it in my window, as people often do, and paid it no more mind.
I don’t know what called my attention to it, but my candle on the windowsill, a gift from a friend as true as I ever had, was begging to be lit. I knew now that as it stared at the stars each night it was longing to show them its own light…even if it meant feeling the heat of a flame, losing its perfect posture, and gradually diminish. Who would have guessed I had been neglecting my candle?
But I did not move from my bed to light the candle. It was a cold night and the matches were in the kitchen. Instead I lay there and wondered; how long had the candle been waiting to be seen? How long had I let my candle simply collect dust? Candles cannot burn without first being given a fire to hold and I had never thought to give it one. It was just sitting there, night after night, waiting for the biggest candle of all to rise and taunt it with what it could never make… As I drifted off to sleep, glad to not have to face the candle anymore, I wondered if it would ever even light at all.
The next morning I shut the curtains.
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Wednesday, January 3, 2007
And God said...*nothing*!!!
Okay, so college has started and classes are rockin' so far; but enough about my daily life.
Today I was reading through the news and I stumbled upon this article about Pat Robertson and his claims. Apparently this fellow is a prominent religious figure as the broadcaster of the "700 Club". Cool, cool, that's fine. I don't mind that you host a religious program that also gives news...no matter how much spin that can create (heck, I'll admit to reading news from the Vatican press, so fooey on me if I get mad at things like that) but here's what gets me: Mr. Robertson comes out and says that during one of his prayer retreats, God told him personally that their will be a "mass killing" in the USA sometime after September of this year. God didn't say it was nuclear apparently, just that it would be big like that. Mr. Robertson also claimed that the USA's friendship with Israel is feigned and that "God punished then-Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon with a stroke for ceding Israeli- controlled land to the Palestinians". That's some pretty detailed stuff. What kind of maniacal mysticism is this man spouting!?
I have a lot of issues with this piece of news. First of all, let's assume that God is telling Pat Robertson these things. Was it God's intention that Pat Robertson should spread the Good News to everyone he could? I don't know, but if God wanted people to know (other than Pat Robertson) he should just come out and say it. Second of all, what good is it for people to know this? All this can do is create panic and, in case of an actual attack, maybe make for some more believers... Maybe that's the point right there! Who knows. What are my personal thoughts about this? I think it's a load of absolute bull crap. Sorry, if there is a God up there, he doesn't much want to talk to you, Pat, and he sure as heck isn't going to tell you when attacks are happening or if he gave Ariel Sharon a stroke. You know how this guy justifies his ravings? He cites his prediction that Bush would win both of his elections. Hmmm...you know who else predicted that? Republicans, more than half of the media, and 50% of the population. It's called democracy and to predict a result that is not even a 50-50 chance in favor of your guy doesn't make you a prophet, even if you do talk in the name of the Divine. It makes you a member of the conservative media. He also apparently made predictions of some "storms and possibly a tsunami" on the east coast in 2006. It didn't happen like that, but he claims that what rains did happen was enough to confirm his prediction. Whatever...How can anyone who makes unfounded claims be believed...and if he is wrong he just shrugs it off as God's will. You can't put stock in that! Men should stay out of the business of the Divine. It does not suit them.
Of course you can all laugh at me when something terrible does happen...not that you would. You're not rooting for that are you? We shall see. *sigh* This world is a confusing place.
Today I was reading through the news and I stumbled upon this article about Pat Robertson and his claims. Apparently this fellow is a prominent religious figure as the broadcaster of the "700 Club". Cool, cool, that's fine. I don't mind that you host a religious program that also gives news...no matter how much spin that can create (heck, I'll admit to reading news from the Vatican press, so fooey on me if I get mad at things like that) but here's what gets me: Mr. Robertson comes out and says that during one of his prayer retreats, God told him personally that their will be a "mass killing" in the USA sometime after September of this year. God didn't say it was nuclear apparently, just that it would be big like that. Mr. Robertson also claimed that the USA's friendship with Israel is feigned and that "God punished then-Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon with a stroke for ceding Israeli- controlled land to the Palestinians". That's some pretty detailed stuff. What kind of maniacal mysticism is this man spouting!?
I have a lot of issues with this piece of news. First of all, let's assume that God is telling Pat Robertson these things. Was it God's intention that Pat Robertson should spread the Good News to everyone he could? I don't know, but if God wanted people to know (other than Pat Robertson) he should just come out and say it. Second of all, what good is it for people to know this? All this can do is create panic and, in case of an actual attack, maybe make for some more believers... Maybe that's the point right there! Who knows. What are my personal thoughts about this? I think it's a load of absolute bull crap. Sorry, if there is a God up there, he doesn't much want to talk to you, Pat, and he sure as heck isn't going to tell you when attacks are happening or if he gave Ariel Sharon a stroke. You know how this guy justifies his ravings? He cites his prediction that Bush would win both of his elections. Hmmm...you know who else predicted that? Republicans, more than half of the media, and 50% of the population. It's called democracy and to predict a result that is not even a 50-50 chance in favor of your guy doesn't make you a prophet, even if you do talk in the name of the Divine. It makes you a member of the conservative media. He also apparently made predictions of some "storms and possibly a tsunami" on the east coast in 2006. It didn't happen like that, but he claims that what rains did happen was enough to confirm his prediction. Whatever...How can anyone who makes unfounded claims be believed...and if he is wrong he just shrugs it off as God's will. You can't put stock in that! Men should stay out of the business of the Divine. It does not suit them.
Of course you can all laugh at me when something terrible does happen...not that you would. You're not rooting for that are you? We shall see. *sigh* This world is a confusing place.
Thursday, December 28, 2006
The 8 I'd Really Rather You Didn'ts
Quoted from the Gospel of the Flying Spaghetti Monster
1. I'd Really Rather You Didn't Act Like a Sanctimonious Holier-Than-Thou Ass When Describing My Noodly Goodness. If Some People Don't Believe In Me, That's Okay. Really, I'm Not That Vain. Besides, This Isn't About Them So Don't Change The Subject.
2. I'd Really Rather You Didn't Use My Existence As A Means To Oppress, Subjugate, Punish, Eviscerate, And/Or, You Know, Be Mean To Others. I Don't Require Sacrifices, And Purity Is For Drinking Water, Not People.
3. I'd Really Rather You Didn't Judge People For The Way They Look, Or How They Dress, Or The Way They Talk, Or, Well, Just Play Nice, Okay? Oh, And Get This In Your Thick Heads: Woman = Person. Man = Person. Samey - Samey. One Is Not Better Than The Other, Unless We're Talking About Fashion And I'm Sorry, But I Gave That To Women And Some Guys Who Know The Difference Between Teal and Fuchsia.
4. I'd Really Rather You Didn't Indulge In Conduct That Offends Yourself, Or Your Willing, Consenting Partner Of Legal Age AND Mental Maturity. As For Anyone Who Might Object, I Think The Expression Is Go F*** Yourself, Unless They Find That Offensive In Which Case They Can Turn Off the TV For Once And Go For A Walk For A Change.
5. I'd Really Rather You Didn't Challenge The Bigoted, Misogynist, Hateful Ideas Of Others On An Empty Stomach. Eat, Then Go After The B*******.
6. I'd Really Rather You Didn't Build Multimillion-Dollar Churches/Temples/Mosques/Shrines To My Noodly Goodness When The Money Could Be Better Spent (Take Your Pick):
1. Ending Poverty
2. Curing Diseases
3. Living In Peace, Loving With Passion, And Lowering The Cost Of Cable
I Might be a Complex-Carbohydrate Omniscient Being, But I Enjoy The Simple Things In Life. I Ought To Know. I AM the Creator.
7. I'd Really Rather You Didn't Go Around Telling People I Talk To You. You're Not That Interesting. Get Over Yourself. And I Told You To Love Your Fellow Man, Can't You Take A Hint?
8. I'd Really Rather You Didn't Do Unto Others As You Would Have Them Do Unto You If You Are Into, Um, Stuff That Uses A Lot of Leather/Lubricant/Las Vegas. If the Other Person Is Into It, However (Pursuant To #4), Then Have At It, Take Pictures, And For The Love Of Mike, Wear a CONDOM! Honestly, It's A Piece of Rubber. If I Didn't Want It To Feel Good When You Did It I Would Have Added Spikes, Or Something.
I've been wanting to post this for a while but I didn't think it would get the best reception. So now that there is a new blog with a new flavor, I figured I'd let it fly. And yes, I do think this is a pretty rockin' doctrine. Sorry if you disagree. Cheers though.
1. I'd Really Rather You Didn't Act Like a Sanctimonious Holier-Than-Thou Ass When Describing My Noodly Goodness. If Some People Don't Believe In Me, That's Okay. Really, I'm Not That Vain. Besides, This Isn't About Them So Don't Change The Subject.
2. I'd Really Rather You Didn't Use My Existence As A Means To Oppress, Subjugate, Punish, Eviscerate, And/Or, You Know, Be Mean To Others. I Don't Require Sacrifices, And Purity Is For Drinking Water, Not People.
3. I'd Really Rather You Didn't Judge People For The Way They Look, Or How They Dress, Or The Way They Talk, Or, Well, Just Play Nice, Okay? Oh, And Get This In Your Thick Heads: Woman = Person. Man = Person. Samey - Samey. One Is Not Better Than The Other, Unless We're Talking About Fashion And I'm Sorry, But I Gave That To Women And Some Guys Who Know The Difference Between Teal and Fuchsia.
4. I'd Really Rather You Didn't Indulge In Conduct That Offends Yourself, Or Your Willing, Consenting Partner Of Legal Age AND Mental Maturity. As For Anyone Who Might Object, I Think The Expression Is Go F*** Yourself, Unless They Find That Offensive In Which Case They Can Turn Off the TV For Once And Go For A Walk For A Change.
5. I'd Really Rather You Didn't Challenge The Bigoted, Misogynist, Hateful Ideas Of Others On An Empty Stomach. Eat, Then Go After The B*******.
6. I'd Really Rather You Didn't Build Multimillion-Dollar Churches/Temples/Mosques/Shrines To My Noodly Goodness When The Money Could Be Better Spent (Take Your Pick):
1. Ending Poverty
2. Curing Diseases
3. Living In Peace, Loving With Passion, And Lowering The Cost Of Cable
I Might be a Complex-Carbohydrate Omniscient Being, But I Enjoy The Simple Things In Life. I Ought To Know. I AM the Creator.
7. I'd Really Rather You Didn't Go Around Telling People I Talk To You. You're Not That Interesting. Get Over Yourself. And I Told You To Love Your Fellow Man, Can't You Take A Hint?
8. I'd Really Rather You Didn't Do Unto Others As You Would Have Them Do Unto You If You Are Into, Um, Stuff That Uses A Lot of Leather/Lubricant/Las Vegas. If the Other Person Is Into It, However (Pursuant To #4), Then Have At It, Take Pictures, And For The Love Of Mike, Wear a CONDOM! Honestly, It's A Piece of Rubber. If I Didn't Want It To Feel Good When You Did It I Would Have Added Spikes, Or Something.
I've been wanting to post this for a while but I didn't think it would get the best reception. So now that there is a new blog with a new flavor, I figured I'd let it fly. And yes, I do think this is a pretty rockin' doctrine. Sorry if you disagree. Cheers though.
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
In the beginning...
This being the first post in my new blog I feel I should express some semblance of excitement. It is nice to look at thing like this as a nice beginning. However, it should be recognized that beginnings are by nature relative to the observer and dependent on the environment. As I see it, philosophically speaking, a true beginning can come from two things, a complete transition from some previous form or as a beginning from nothing - chaos from the order of absence. In its own way, this blog is being created with both concepts of beginning in mind. To address the former, this blog is meant as a complete and total transition from my xanga. I guess this is dependent on me shutting that site down and not bringing it up (in any form) again. I hope to do that to a large degree because of how that site depresses me sometimes...and that depression simply isn't productive. I will however archive it...perhaps contrary to my own good, but because I refuse to ignore and discard the past totally. This blemish on my new beginning will have to be recognized though. Perhaps in the creation of our own universe such a flaw was present. Who can say? I don't think so, honestly. With regards to the second concept, this blog is my thoughts manifested on a clean slate; it is something new set on a background that is nearly without adulterating factors. This definition is far stronger and closer to a true beginning in this case.
So, without sounding blasphemous (imitation is the greatest form of flattery)...though I doubt it matters at this point...Let There Be Light!
This new blog is open!
So, without sounding blasphemous (imitation is the greatest form of flattery)...though I doubt it matters at this point...Let There Be Light!
This new blog is open!
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