Crossroads

Crossroads

I’m standing at the crossroads
There are many roads to take
But I stand here so silently
For fear of a mistake
One road leads to paradise
One road leads to pain
One road leads to freedom
But they all look the same
(lyrics by Calvin Russell)

Blind Universe

The Universe

The universe is blind  to the events in our lives. Events that occur to us are assigned no polarity, either positive or negative, by the universe. They just happen either by our own design or by the design of those around us. The impact or the significance of these events is assigned by ourselves. We break the neutrality of the universe. We give priority and value to each and every event that we experience.  To maintain the neutrality of the universe we would have to adopt a cold and dark ambivalence. Be void of all emotion. Unconscious.

It is only through the constant assessment of the events in our lives that we are able to grow. Looking analytically at these events with an eye to understanding their significance, hopefully honestly and objectively, gives depth and life to the void that we might have become.

Crisp twenties!

Minimum Maximums

 

Doing Time

 

“A good friend will come bail you out of jail, but a true friend will be sitting right next to you saying,’Damn! That was fun.’” – Unknown

 

I’ve heard the hardest thing about doing time is reconciling the fact that you are going to do the time. The longer you resist the reality of your circumstances the more difficult it is to get on with fulfilling your sentence. As the adage goes, “Don’t do the crime if you can’t do the time.”

Prisons are not meant to conform to the will and desires of their inhabitants. The environment is structured such that you will have no choice but to conform to its harsh and cold nature. Reform is never an easy process. Typically those that are able to allow themselves to be molded, positively, come away with a new spirit. A spirit that is repentant for its wrong doing but refreshed in the fact that for lack of a better term, as been born again.

I give major respect to the men and women who are able to undergo these major life transformations. They successfully ignored the environment that surrounded them with familiar vices and many new ones. Emerging perhaps a little battle weary but stronger and focused on the new life ahead of them.

Live or Memorex

“Only in quiet waters things mirror themselves undistorted. Only in a quiet mind is adequate perception of the world.” – unknown

Or as I like to say, “If your head is up your ass the whole world looks like shit.”

Perception is really one of those odd things in life that we know what it is but it’s context changes from person to person. I’m sure there is more to it but I think perception is dictated by three things:

1. Reality. This would be the baseline by which perception is compared to. The deviation from reality determines the degree to which perception is innaccurate.

2. External influences to the reality. These would be anything that is not a part of us that would alter our view of the reality.

3. Ourselves. We distort reality to some degree based on our experiences and handicaps.

Number 1 is immutable. 2 and 3 are what cause the problems. Overcoming our own lenses and compensating for distortion out of our control is very challenging when looking to bring the truth into focus.

I guess you have to start by pulling your head out of your ass if you want the world to be less shitty.

Buckets, Ugly Sluts & Slip-on Uggs

Buckets

Buckets courtesy of Bo Mackinson

Why must we as a society label and categorize every aspect of our existence? Moderate, conservative, liberal, the left, the right, gay, straight, bi, black, white, and other.

We have created so many buckets to contain ourselves that we will eventually lose sight of what we were trying to set ourselves apart from. Dang it we even have buckets within buckets.

What’s wrong with just existing? Living each day to the full and accepting and if need be rejecting people as you encounter them? Life is for living not subdividing!

Ugly Sluts

Courtesy of gwalton1

Out and about this weekend I came across two young women. Probably in the their very early 20s. What caught my eye, from a distance, at night with very bad lighting, were curvy bodies, high heels and the chatter of young women. Like any male I had to investigate. So I did. I felt like a fish that swallowed a lure. So like most men that have been let down by their own foolishness I to had to blame the women.

Slip-On Uggs

Courtesy of Moodahocka's camera phone

Really what is the point of an Ugg slipper, slide, or mule? Isn’t the rationale behind Uggs is that it’s a very warm boot or shoe? If it’s cold enough outside to wear Uggs then wear Uggs. Does having your heel hang out really make that much of a difference?

Looking Back (But Not In Turns)

It is somewhat amusing and very scary when you take take a moment to reflect on your current position in life. When I say position I mean more of a high level overview and not specific to just one context. The majority of us will always fill as though we could be doing better, but the biggest room is the room for improvement, while some of us will feel that things are where they should be. I am not sure where I stand. On one hand I look at my current position and feel that I could have done better. Ok let me be honest the disappointment is in the fact that I am not doing better. This is not to say that I am not doing well.  You see herein lies my quandry. I find it easier to grasp air than I do obtaining contentment. Why is that? I look at others and their willingness to accept their position, their lot in life, and what seems to be a relative degree of reconcilliation with it and by a larger token what seems to be a greater degree of peace with that and feel a sense of resintment towards them. How dare they choose aquiessence over the struggle for more. Then it dawns on me, we are conditioned to push, conditioned to feel and think that we need and are entitled to more. More hurt, more heartache, more stress, more disappointment. Yes there is truth in the saying less is more. There is no harm in looking back to see how you much have progressed or regressed in some instances. I guess it all boils down to how you feel about where you are at and where you will be. Just be careful, the more time you spend looking back means the more likely you are to miss what is front of you.

About the picture. I usually attempt to make the pictures meaning overt as it relates to the post. Either in context or through the mood. I know some of you may not see the correlation between the motorcycle and the post. Piloting a motorcycle is very different that driving a car. The motorcycle and its driver truly become one unit. The slightest change in the riders position is transmitted to the bike. One of the first lessons you are taught when first learning to ride a motorcyle is to turn your head. The bike will go where your head is turned. When you see the sport bike riders racing around the track at 200+ mph and taking those turns with the bike only inches from the ground, they are never looking straight ahead. They must in order to successfully negotiate those turns look through the turn. They can not afford to look back. A quick glance over the should upon exiting the turn is typically all that they will give because at this point they must set up mentally and physically for the next scenario.

Break On Through To The Other Side

Had to borrow something from The Doors.  You are being given fair warning, this entry is definitely a little out there but will interesting none the less. It is not based on any scientific data but if you really need some just drop me a line and I will be more than happy to share my research with you.

I think worm holes, the kind that allow for matter to effortlessly travel through space and time, exist. My theory on them is a little different than most though. You see, I think that we do not need to travel to them nor do they appear and disappear like a magical door. I think it is much simpler than that. Yep I sure do. Here is my theory. Worm holes are merely a metaphysical construct that are accessed by a plain of consciousness. In order to use a worm hole you have to be in the right frame of mind. They just exist and are only “visible” when we are in the correct state to see them.

If you think of the worm hole as a tunnel then you have to think of the other side as your destination. Once you reach your destination via the worm hole your existence in the destination is not a physical one. You direct your consciousness in the same way that you would control a character in a video game or think about the Matrix. Neo controlled his avatar in the Matrix. His physical body was not in the Matrix but was back on the ship. This theory makes the assumption that the laws of interaction are universal not to mention there is a universal language. I think this theory aside from the afore mentioned assumptions is valid because it addresses some very critical issues that the current space exploration program is facing. The most significant being that in order for us to sustain life outside of earths atmosphere requires huge amounts of energy and superior materials that to my knowledge we, humanity, do not posses. However the one thing that we all carry with us that still is a source of great mystery is the gray matter between our ears. How much energy does it take to think and to dream?

Take for instance hallucinations. Are these nothing more than conscious dreams? Yet they become real to the one having them. It is a known fact that certain drugs heighten our senses and allow us to “see” what we normally would not see. While under the influence these individuals interact with the world on a different plain of  consciousness. Do you agree?

It takes very little energy for us to change the chemistry of our minds, even without drugs we are able to change our state of mind by literally just thinking about it. Now extend that same principle to space travel. If we knew for certain that there are some universal truths, laws (scientific not moral) and languages would it not be far easier to explore the cosmos from the comfort of ones favorite schair? No need to miss loved ones. No need to put your life in danger. No insurmountable barriers to overcome. This just makes more sense to me than the SS Enterprise.

It Has Purpose Not Meaning

This is going to be short and sweet. Life does not have meaning it has purpose. Meaning denotes that ones life inherently came with an intended message when it was just the opposite. At birth your life’s message was not defined because you had not yet lived enough of it to give it definition. However you did come with a purpose. That being to live your life and thereby giving it meaning. Meaning can only be achieved by action, by doing something with your life. Therefore the purpose or the intent of ones life is simply to live it. Once lived your life has been defined. Should that be to morbid for your taste then perhaps this will be more palatable. Your life is defined as you live it. Life is dynamic so its meaning will continue to change but never its purpose, to live.

Life is linear, it begins and it ends. What we do during that time is more important than trying to define who, what, why, how and where we are. Those questions might be answered along the way. If not then accept it and try not to waste time pondering them. There are still good times to be had.

To borrow an ad campaign from Reebok, “Life is short. Play hard!”

The Truth of the Matter Is…

Why is it that folks have such a hard time accepting the truth? What is it about truth that makes it so valued yet it is often treated like a plague riddled whore? (I know some of you are going to have to ponder that one.)

I’m not sure myself but I think accepting truths requires to much work on our part, being the lazy bastards we are we accept only as much truth that does not tax our fragile work deprived minds. I will put it in baby speak for you. Truth requires thought. Thought requires work. Me lazy, rather believe things that do not require thought. (Nod your head here)

I am increasingly coming into contact with people who base their decisions not on evidence but on a criteria of what decision requires less effort ergo, less thought. The thought process is not a bad thing nor should it be used only for the most simplistic of tasks. Revel and rejoice in thought. Thinking ability is your friend.

Yes people truth does require work. It takes effort to distinguish and decipher all of the bullshit that we are sold on a daily basis. So does purchasing the right plasma tv or the safest car or the best game console. For these trivial things we will go to great lengths to find the truth about and perform in depth comparitive analysis and draw conclusions based on evidence. Yet so many more substantial things fall by the waste side and are marginalized. Why? I just do not get it. Are we really that pathetic? Are we really that shy about the real world around us? Shy no, afraid probably. What ever happened to, “The only thing we have to fear, is fear itself.”?

Fear is only there to remind you that you have limits. It keeps us modest and hopefully humble. Fear should be a motivator. It should motivate us to step up and find out what I am afraid of. Fear is just like a pain in your chest. You have to examine it and determine if it is going to hurt you or even kill you. Sometimes you will find that there is nothing to be afraid of. Other times you will find that you have a dire situation on your hands. Regardless in both cases you need to investigate. Whether you choose to do nothing, leave things as they are or act, at the very least your decision should be made on the evidence. That is the truth of the matter.

I Am A Cactus

Not sure where this is going so it probably will not make to much sense.

Like the cactus I too exist in a harsh and desolate environment. The people around around me are as dry and lifeless as the sands that surround the cactus and are just as sustaining. There I stand weathering the hot arid days waiting for the reprieve of the cool darkness of night. Hoping for the soothing of the night winds to blow across my hot, thick green hide. How bitter sweet my break from the heat that seems to just stick to me. It sticks to me like soft chewing gum sticks to the unwary shoe. With the night’s coolness comes the threat of those lacking the ability to bare the searing heat of the day. Those that find the blinding heat draining and unable to cope with the heat from above them and the hot griddle beneath their feet. Don’t I look like an easy meal. Something to be easily exploited for their own needs. Yes you may harm me but how much damage will you do to yourself in the process? My needles are sharp and numerous. From every angle I have my armor in place to defend  me. In this environment a small wound can easily be your undoing. Just a small wound is all it would take for the tables to turn and for you to be exploited by another.

Instantly I see a flash of light. A bright orange glow in sharp contrast to the utter blackness of night. With each passing moment it grows in intensity. How silent it crept up on us, stalking us for hours. Then to pounce so quickly. Effortlessly bathing us in a warm glow. Like blood before it cools on the skin. Dawn has come to usher in a new day like a VIP on the red carpet. Who needs the artificial flashes of the paparazzi when we have the flash of a new day? Smile! I am a cactus.