This is a song I wrote and was thinking of playing for the class but never really got around to it. Here are the lyrics and you can listen to the song at www.myspace.com/saverock . Hope you enjoy!
The Question
Anywhere but here my heart said to me
I'm not in the place I need to be
So I pack up my belongings and I jump the train
The bitter chill at my window and the pouring rain
Every once in a while when I'm driving I can never seem to run from
These telephone wires I feel they remind me of a crashing plane
Now I'm lost in this countryside I'm speeding past these
Golden tipped fields in their solitude their beauty is like
A burning white falling star.
Past my window are the rolling hills wet with rain
The shiny green reflects the way it used to be
Before the drone of the cities and electric lights
I see an ancient land the place of a beautiful sight
So here we are moving down this twisting road we're moving so fast
I can barely watch the scenery before it burns up in our wake.
Every once in a while I get caught up in my endless thoughts looking for an answer
to figure out how we came upon this empty place.
Oh are we ever going to see the world the same way again moving under these stormy skies which light up all through the night?
Or am I dreaming of a time which is never to return from the past? have we done it now? Will it ever be the same again?
We fly...through the fire. Are we ever gonna put it out?
Or will it swallow everything we hold in our hearts?
Are we searching for answers we won't ever find?
Or are we dreaming of a time which ended long ago?
Are we ever going to figure it out?
Sunday, December 2, 2007
Thursday, November 15, 2007
The beauty in Life
The following is a story about all the trials and triumphs of life. It tells of the adventures, the travels, the different dimensions. This is the telling of a wondrous thing. A thing made so perfect in the midst of the universe. The Greeks described the heavenly movement of the heavens as the best example of the beautiful. It is a study of art and awareness. However, it is as much a tale of real life events and occurrences, just as much as it is a written tale meant to incite the imagination. Who indeed can separate the writing of a story or tale from the actual real life events which are going on in the author’s life? Every action is necessarily preceded and followed by another action, in a seemingly endless chain of consecutive events. All occurring at the exact seam time all across the universe, or rather, occurring at completely different times, but on a level which makes them all appear as if they are all happening and working together to form the basis of an existence which we humans tend to call – reality. It continues onward into the ever expanding reaches of space, and flows forever forward through the mystifying existence of the space-time continuum.
To tie this back into our class discussion, and a little bit of art history, we turn to a German philosopher from the 18th century. In Georg Hegel’s “The Philosophy of Fine Art”, he states very adamantly that a beautiful, manmade work of art is of higher rank than any product of nature. He firmly believed that in order for something to be truly beautiful, it must be endowed with the mind and spirit of man. For this reason everything which has undergone the passage through the human mind, such as a work of art, is better than any element of nature. My argument is that although man has created many works of art which are considered to be beautiful, nothing man could ever create will be as truly beautiful as nature. I believe that nature provides the best examples of beauty in our world and therefore, as human beings we owe it to ourselves to do our best to capture that beauty in works of art. Hegel claims that nothing can be beautiful unless it is the product of a conscious human mind, but I believe that it is the human mind which is the key to seeing the overwhelming beauty found in nature.
To tie this back into our class discussion, and a little bit of art history, we turn to a German philosopher from the 18th century. In Georg Hegel’s “The Philosophy of Fine Art”, he states very adamantly that a beautiful, manmade work of art is of higher rank than any product of nature. He firmly believed that in order for something to be truly beautiful, it must be endowed with the mind and spirit of man. For this reason everything which has undergone the passage through the human mind, such as a work of art, is better than any element of nature. My argument is that although man has created many works of art which are considered to be beautiful, nothing man could ever create will be as truly beautiful as nature. I believe that nature provides the best examples of beauty in our world and therefore, as human beings we owe it to ourselves to do our best to capture that beauty in works of art. Hegel claims that nothing can be beautiful unless it is the product of a conscious human mind, but I believe that it is the human mind which is the key to seeing the overwhelming beauty found in nature.
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Art of Adventure
The following is taken from an article titled: What Should I Do With My Life? Following is a response to it.
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It's time to define the new era. Our faith has been shaken. We've lost confidence in our leaders and in our institutions. Our beliefs have been tested. We've discredited the notion that the Internet would change everything (and the stock market would buy us an exit strategy from the grind). Our expectations have been dashed. We've abandoned the idea that work should be a 24-hour-a-day rush and that careers should be a wild adventure. Yet we're still holding on.
There's a way out. Instead of focusing on what's next , let's get back to what's first . The previous era of business was defined by the question, Where's the opportunity? I'm convinced that business success in the future starts with the question, What should I do with my life? Yes, that's right. The most obvious and universal question on our plates as human beings is the most urgent and pragmatic approach to sustainable success in our organizations. People don't succeed by migrating to a "hot" industry (one word: dotcom) or by adopting a particular career-guiding mantra (remember "horizontal careers"?). They thrive by focusing on the question of who they really are -- and connecting that to work that they truly love (and, in so doing, unleashing a productive and creative power that they never imagined). Companies don't grow because they represent a particular sector or adopt the latest management approach. They win because they engage the hearts and minds of individuals who are dedicated to answering that life question.
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I originally wanted to write this in a facebook note, but despite my best efforts, I could not find the application. However, I’ve been using office for years now and it’s always done me well before. What I’ve just realized now, or rather have been on the process of discovering are some of the deepest and most profane truths, only evident upon very careful and prolonged investigation. More specifically, the inner working of this North American, consumeristic fucking capitalist corporate mass media network communication culture. This overlying network of communication allows the instant transmission of information to just about anywhere on the globe and beyond. It’s amazing, but it’s also very distracting. Sometimes we can get too caught up with what is happening on the higher level of consciousness known as our grand and ever present electronic and mass media communication systems.
Now here’s my science fair project; I will travel to a distant land, over many oceans. I will take a giant leap away from home and everything that I know dear. Plunge into an unknown (but quite well researched) land full of mystery, adventure and travel. I will learn a completely foreign tongue and embrace a new existence full of culture and novelty. And after a few months of adapting to their culture just imagine the perspective one would gain on one’s own country. The difference in perspective would be so enormous that you could not possibly imagine what it would be like to travel home at that instant because you had been so used to living in that community and trying [desperately at times] to learn and speak a new language with as many inhabitants of the new land as possible. After a prolonged amount of time, perhaps a year or more, it would seem like one’s past life is but a collection of memories, a distant land. But what an adventure! I believe in novelty and exploration as means of living an intriguing existence. I think the sooner we can implement the art of adventure into our days, we will be able to live much more fulfilling and meaningful lives.
That is my project and the process has already begun. I will keep a record of all accounts and perhaps share some of the most particularly enlightening aspects of it. At some point, I will post some pictures when I find some great ones.
----
It's time to define the new era. Our faith has been shaken. We've lost confidence in our leaders and in our institutions. Our beliefs have been tested. We've discredited the notion that the Internet would change everything (and the stock market would buy us an exit strategy from the grind). Our expectations have been dashed. We've abandoned the idea that work should be a 24-hour-a-day rush and that careers should be a wild adventure. Yet we're still holding on.
There's a way out. Instead of focusing on what's next , let's get back to what's first . The previous era of business was defined by the question, Where's the opportunity? I'm convinced that business success in the future starts with the question, What should I do with my life? Yes, that's right. The most obvious and universal question on our plates as human beings is the most urgent and pragmatic approach to sustainable success in our organizations. People don't succeed by migrating to a "hot" industry (one word: dotcom) or by adopting a particular career-guiding mantra (remember "horizontal careers"?). They thrive by focusing on the question of who they really are -- and connecting that to work that they truly love (and, in so doing, unleashing a productive and creative power that they never imagined). Companies don't grow because they represent a particular sector or adopt the latest management approach. They win because they engage the hearts and minds of individuals who are dedicated to answering that life question.
-----
I originally wanted to write this in a facebook note, but despite my best efforts, I could not find the application. However, I’ve been using office for years now and it’s always done me well before. What I’ve just realized now, or rather have been on the process of discovering are some of the deepest and most profane truths, only evident upon very careful and prolonged investigation. More specifically, the inner working of this North American, consumeristic fucking capitalist corporate mass media network communication culture. This overlying network of communication allows the instant transmission of information to just about anywhere on the globe and beyond. It’s amazing, but it’s also very distracting. Sometimes we can get too caught up with what is happening on the higher level of consciousness known as our grand and ever present electronic and mass media communication systems.
Now here’s my science fair project; I will travel to a distant land, over many oceans. I will take a giant leap away from home and everything that I know dear. Plunge into an unknown (but quite well researched) land full of mystery, adventure and travel. I will learn a completely foreign tongue and embrace a new existence full of culture and novelty. And after a few months of adapting to their culture just imagine the perspective one would gain on one’s own country. The difference in perspective would be so enormous that you could not possibly imagine what it would be like to travel home at that instant because you had been so used to living in that community and trying [desperately at times] to learn and speak a new language with as many inhabitants of the new land as possible. After a prolonged amount of time, perhaps a year or more, it would seem like one’s past life is but a collection of memories, a distant land. But what an adventure! I believe in novelty and exploration as means of living an intriguing existence. I think the sooner we can implement the art of adventure into our days, we will be able to live much more fulfilling and meaningful lives.
That is my project and the process has already begun. I will keep a record of all accounts and perhaps share some of the most particularly enlightening aspects of it. At some point, I will post some pictures when I find some great ones.
Monday, October 29, 2007
Decline of Interpersonal Communication and Spirituality
One of the most frustrating things about the dramatic increase in the rise of social networking devices/programs such as cell phones, MSN, and facebook is the inevitable decline of interpersonal communication. We are no longer required to talk to eachother face to face in order to maintain our relationships. The Bauman article discusses the rampant rise of individualism and the decline of meaningful, long-term relationships. He gives a few reasons for this phenomenon: 1) quantity is valued over quality (this includes relationships), 2) virtual relationships are easier to enter/exit, and 3) the idea that long-term relationships are a trap to avoid at all costs. We live in a world where we are always looking for our next immediate "entertainment fix", and unfortunately many people can't seem to find that excitement in meaningful relationships anymore.
Another result of the rise of virtual, network relationships is that communication is becoming more and more about organizing schedules and meet up times, or talking about what shows were watched on television the night before and less and less about the deeper and more significant things in life that we should be cherishing, but aren't. The less we think about existential issues in our lives, the less we learn about ourselves and the natural world around us. We need to get back into thinking about our soul and our place here on Earth and get back on the path to spiritual discovery.
Another result of the rise of virtual, network relationships is that communication is becoming more and more about organizing schedules and meet up times, or talking about what shows were watched on television the night before and less and less about the deeper and more significant things in life that we should be cherishing, but aren't. The less we think about existential issues in our lives, the less we learn about ourselves and the natural world around us. We need to get back into thinking about our soul and our place here on Earth and get back on the path to spiritual discovery.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Absolute: A form of activism in the education system
The following if an email I sent to Absolute; a very socially and globally conscious motivational entertainment organization who uses an exciting arrangement of entertainment media to captivate high school audiences and instill upon them messages of good morals, social responsibility, and the importance of the self. www.absolute.org.
These values compare nicely with some of Hannah Arendts' ideas. The need to use very fast-paced and highly visual presentations in order to maintain the attention of high school students, could be seen as a penetration of the mass entertainment culture into the sphere of education. Any group wishing to captivate the attentions of high school students, need to be aware of what it is that young people will respond to in terms of an entertaining presentation. The concept of action and the idea of actually doing something has to be stressed.
Here is the email I sent to Absolute:
Hello,
My name is W**** ***** and I'm writing this email as a response to the coincidental situation last night which brought me into contact with your organization's contact information. Last night I was part of a movement towards the universal and very realizable goal of abolishing poverty on this planet. I played guitar along with my band, The Very Excellent Goods, in the student center of McMaster University for the 'Stand Up and Make Poverty History' campaign. Halfway through our set, a woman approached our bass player and gave him a small sheet of paper with this email address along with a mailing address and the website name.
I did some research and watched some of your promotional videos. You seem like a very well organized and professional group of motivational leaders who are true believers in the causes that they are working towards. As time goes on, I begin to realize more and more that the best way to incite change is to do it using more intimate and personal forms of communication. It has to be exciting, captivating, and very visually stimulating. It has to be a spectacle that the audience can latch onto and derive meaning from. And above all, it has to leave a long lasting feeling of positivity and joy. We have to give these kids something to hope for. A happy person is someone who has hopes and goals to look forward to in the future and knows that through a combination of hard work and believing in yourself, you really can accomplish your dreams.
We find that music is one of the best and most accessible forms of communication. The medium is the message, so to speak. Music is a universal communicator and everyone can find something to appreciate about positive, meaningful music. The messages contained within the music will be inspirational and thought provoking. The spectacle will be entertaining and energetic. Some of my fondest high school memories are actually the times when we would get really good motivational speakers in to come talk to us, and I think it's so neat to combine that with professional live music and a much more visual show.
I am going to gather together a band resume and will send it to your mailing address which was given to me last night. Thank for your time! Take care,
W*** ******
-I'm currently awaiting a response.
These values compare nicely with some of Hannah Arendts' ideas. The need to use very fast-paced and highly visual presentations in order to maintain the attention of high school students, could be seen as a penetration of the mass entertainment culture into the sphere of education. Any group wishing to captivate the attentions of high school students, need to be aware of what it is that young people will respond to in terms of an entertaining presentation. The concept of action and the idea of actually doing something has to be stressed.
Here is the email I sent to Absolute:
Hello,
My name is W**** ***** and I'm writing this email as a response to the coincidental situation last night which brought me into contact with your organization's contact information. Last night I was part of a movement towards the universal and very realizable goal of abolishing poverty on this planet. I played guitar along with my band, The Very Excellent Goods, in the student center of McMaster University for the 'Stand Up and Make Poverty History' campaign. Halfway through our set, a woman approached our bass player and gave him a small sheet of paper with this email address along with a mailing address and the website name.
I did some research and watched some of your promotional videos. You seem like a very well organized and professional group of motivational leaders who are true believers in the causes that they are working towards. As time goes on, I begin to realize more and more that the best way to incite change is to do it using more intimate and personal forms of communication. It has to be exciting, captivating, and very visually stimulating. It has to be a spectacle that the audience can latch onto and derive meaning from. And above all, it has to leave a long lasting feeling of positivity and joy. We have to give these kids something to hope for. A happy person is someone who has hopes and goals to look forward to in the future and knows that through a combination of hard work and believing in yourself, you really can accomplish your dreams.
We find that music is one of the best and most accessible forms of communication. The medium is the message, so to speak. Music is a universal communicator and everyone can find something to appreciate about positive, meaningful music. The messages contained within the music will be inspirational and thought provoking. The spectacle will be entertaining and energetic. Some of my fondest high school memories are actually the times when we would get really good motivational speakers in to come talk to us, and I think it's so neat to combine that with professional live music and a much more visual show.
I am going to gather together a band resume and will send it to your mailing address which was given to me last night. Thank for your time! Take care,
W*** ******
-I'm currently awaiting a response.
Monday, October 15, 2007
Social Activism and Entertainment
We sure have had some interesting classes as of late. I love this whole idea of pushing the boundaries of our conventional education and taking the course in new and unique directions. It seems very fitting that a course about social activism should take this non-conventional avenue. I enjoyed out time with "quasi" activist Jon; he had some neat ideas and definitely a good drive. I thought he tended to blame a lot of societies problems on this all encompassing "government" who seemed to be out to get everyone but he sure has charisma.
One of the ideas I was left with is how much we depend on entertainment in our lives. These days, we won't walk halfway across the room unless there's some kind of entertainment value in it for us. It seems silly to say but I would recomend to Jon that if his campaign is going to succeed, he had better make it darn entertaining in the process.
One of the ideas I was left with is how much we depend on entertainment in our lives. These days, we won't walk halfway across the room unless there's some kind of entertainment value in it for us. It seems silly to say but I would recomend to Jon that if his campaign is going to succeed, he had better make it darn entertaining in the process.
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Recovering the full range of human power.
After reading the article Debord, Cybersituations, and the Interactive Spectacle, I began to look around me and realize how much the "spectacle" has invaded our everyday lives and how much most of us actually do not even realize it. It is very easy to look at a culture that is not your own and to point out what is right and what is wrong. However, I believe it is much more difficult to step back and take a look at one's own culture and to criticize it. So much of what we do, we simply do not question because it is "normal" and it is the way it is. Especially once something like the spectacle has pervaded every aspect of our lives, it is almost impossible to discern the spectacle, from the natural. Our life has become an accumulation of spectacles and we don't even realize it!
One of the points the article makes is that the idea of the spectacle as a tool of pacification that stupefies social subjects and distracts them from the most urgent tasks of real life. I believe that the only way to break free of this subtle but very real form of control, is to consciously put yourself into situations where you are acting on your own accord and creating your own situations. Get out of the city and go camping for the weekend, or stay in with your friends playing cards instead of going to the bar. Get together with musicians and jam, sing, and create your own music! humans are capable of far more than the average person realizes. Through revolutionary change, we need to recover the full range of human power.
One of the points the article makes is that the idea of the spectacle as a tool of pacification that stupefies social subjects and distracts them from the most urgent tasks of real life. I believe that the only way to break free of this subtle but very real form of control, is to consciously put yourself into situations where you are acting on your own accord and creating your own situations. Get out of the city and go camping for the weekend, or stay in with your friends playing cards instead of going to the bar. Get together with musicians and jam, sing, and create your own music! humans are capable of far more than the average person realizes. Through revolutionary change, we need to recover the full range of human power.
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