Friday, February 26, 2010
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Monday, February 15, 2010
Legacy of Brutality
Nowhere else in the world does an eardrum shattering, teeth chattering and gut busting assortment of gain and reverb laden chord progressions transcribed to an amp through slightly chatter-some rail humbucker pickups from a double necked, ivory fret inlaid, drop-tuned, Gibson Les Paul, Flying V style guitar –overlain with automatic rifle-esque rapid fire kicks from a dangerously taut double bass drum and the sickly melodic, half screamed tirades of a sweaty, oversexed and altogether barbaric leather-lunged crooner– garner as much reverence from a literal legion of hellish demon spawn (mostly black t-shirt clad, pasty face teenagers with the occasional jaded ex-hipster and true blooded thrash metal sociopath) as it does in the Western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula; vengeful gods of all things “heavy” and Cthulhu, dark lord of chaos, discord, madness and patron saint of Black Metal unite to preserve Norway, the land of white face paint, fake blood and troublesome piercings!
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Emotions
Emotions are the microphone of the mind as I see it, because they deliver the message of the mind that others are unable to hear, for instance people are going to know what is going on inside your head based upon your emotions on the outside, if you are thinking good thoughts and having a positive experience in life you will act happy, if you are thinking sad thoughts, depression is sure to show, sometimes the microphone doesn’t get turned on and your emotions are in short supply, occasionally the microphone is up far too loud and your emotions blare, and unfortunately there are those times that you get all tangled up in the cord not knowing what you are feeling and confusing your audience in the meantime, but when used correctly your microphone can be just the motivation and inspiration that your audience needs.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
to seise to exist?
Monday, February 8, 2010
"Expect the Unexpected"
“Expect the Unexpected”
To “expect the unexpected,” was a quote my father originally used to make my baseball team always stay one step ahead. Now that I'm older I realize that he was instilling in all of us, a tool that we can use for the rest of our lives. Originally the quote by Oscar Wilde reads, “To expect the unexpected shows a thoroughly modern intellect.” None of us on the team even knew who Oscar Wilde was at the time. Back then, we thought the quote only applied to baseball. To us it meant to never expect everything to go as planned. Errors are always bound to happen in baseball, so a player should think ahead about what to do to counter those errors in the event one takes place. If we were always thinking ahead and expecting the unexpected, then we would be better baseball players. Now my baseball years are long gone, but I can still fully appreciate the meaning of the quote when dealing with the curve balls life can throw at you at any given moment. I've realized that baseball is just a very elementary level for this quote, and only when you apply it to everyday life can you fully appreciate the entire meaning behind the brief phrase.
In a nut shell, to “expect the unexpected,” is to be prepared for every situation. People cannot live their lives believing everything is going to unfold perfectly to plan. Instincts definitely help, but instincts come more with experience, and a lot of times experience alone cannot prepare people for the crazy situations life can throw at you. Someone with “modern intellect,” as Oscar Wilde would describe, is an individual who has a plan when things go haywire, or in other words have the ability to adapt in unexpected situations. One who can see alternative solutions to alternative outcomes is a true intellectual. Some people may assume that to “expect the unexpected,” is to have a plan for every possible outcome, but this is not necessarily true. The ability to adapt is crucial because one cannot possibly derive every possible outcome of every possible situation. The idea and lesson behind the quote is both true and necessary in the pursuit of success. Though a little cliché, it becomes evident that this quote can be used in an endless variety of life situations. To “expect the unexpected,” is a brief phrase that encompasses an overwhelming truth, and any individual living by this code truly possesses “modern intellect.”
As far as style goes, the quote displays deductive logic, where the premise of truth is validated through the trial and error of all humans both past and present. Also, its use of repetition provides an interesting play on words. “Expect,” and “unexpected,” may sound the same, but these words completely contrast each other. This repetition is meant to emphasize and possibly even dramatize the meaning behind the quote. Although the idea of the quote is somewhat cliché, the words used to emphasize the idea are both fresh and witty. The word choice also leads to alternative conclusions such that if one truly does expect the unexpected, then aren't they assuming they ultimately have a solution no matter what? Is it possible to truly take into account all possible unexpected outcomes and have reactions for each of them, or does expecting the unexpected have more to do with one's flexibility in unfamiliar territory? As I explained before, I am a proponent of the ability to adapt as the quotes ultimate meaning. The quote can be seen many ways, and used in a wide variety of situations, but it is ultimately up to each person to make it their own.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Walking with Friends...
This quote is by Helen Keller and knowing that, it can take on a whole other meaning. To me in this case it means that Helen Keller would rather be blind and have a friend to go through life then to be able to see, but have no friends. Keller is physically walking through the dark, and with no amount of light would she give up her friends. It is important to understand that even though Keller is “walking in the dark” physically, it is also mental. She is on a mental journey of the mind it is extremely difficult, so having a friend with her to aid her in that journey is also crucial.
I also think it is important to realize that this quote mentions nothing about actually finding an end, because many have heard before that it is not about the destination, it is about the journey. And think in a way this quote is sort of rewriting that. The ones who think only of the destination are likely to go about it in the light and alone. But those who value the journey and learning on the way would rather be in good company regardless if they are fully aware of where there steps will take them.
I think the word choice is also very important in this quote. I like the choice of the word “walking” because to me it is more of place holder for anything you would want to insert there, and it really could be any number of things, it is left up to the interpretation. It could be interpreted by saying “Traveling…,” “Growing…,” “Learning…,” or maybe “Exploring…” It allows the imagination of the reader to turn this saying into whatever he or she needs it to be. Walking in the dark does not get solved by being with someone else, but it makes it easier to figure things out when you have two people there. So instead you have two blind people putting their heads together trying to sort through this “dark” place. In the second part of the quote “light” signifies and end or solution, and that it is “better” to not know where you are headed or how to get there as long as you are with a friend then it is to know exactly where you are going and how to get there but to be alone.
People are dependent on other people. Nobody’s life is fulfilled unless they have friends that help them or are helped. Inductive reasoning is used in this quote by showing us how to go through life. From past experiences it has shown us that we rely on other people and nobody can or even should be or act alone.
The tone of this quote, I think, is empowering. It shows that why should anyone have to go through life alone, when you in reality it is much better to have a friend to assist you and for you to assist them. The sacrifice of knowing where you are going is worthwhile and necessary when comparing whether to have friendship or to be alone. It is inspirational and one is wise to follow it. The diction of this quote is important, because in order to induce a tone of empowerment, the words need to be understandable to greater audience and something that people can relate to, so it does not have a high diction and I think it makes it easier to relate to in that sense. Many people have a lot of pride and think they are capable of doing things alone, and that’s ok if you know what you are doing. But think about whether or not you really do know what you are doing because what if you ended up walking through the dark alone.
V for vendetta
I, Like God, do not play with dice and do not believe in coincidence.
This fantastic introspective quotation was derived from the film, V for Vendetta (based off of Alan Moores graphic Novel). This idiom posse’s inductive logic. It was originally coined in the film as a que to the spectators that, the similarities in V’s and EVE’s (The two protagonists in the film) names are not just a silly coincidence, but rather a symbolic meeting of two different people uniting in pursuit of a bigger image, and perhaps the meeting of soul mates. And for me, it’s also the way I apply this little piece of Buddha intellect: as an explanation that certain events might not make sense in the present time, but they still posses context.
This quote was presented and highlighted through spectics. Because “V” is a fictional character, clearly this thought was not derived from himself, but derived from the author’s ideas, Mr. Alan Moore. If Alan Moore, released a statement like this, on a web posting or a blog, it might facilitate creative sparks with whoever reads it, there inlies the problem. From Alan Moore this quote would be quickly forgotten. But, coming from the fictional character V- a freedom fighter from one of the higher selling graphic novels of all time, and a character from the same Blockbuster movie- this quote will be heard numerous times, and becomes something more to its viewers like me. So although this quote may be emphasized and highly marketed through a spectic crazy superhero who harnesses a Guy Fox mask (Guy Fox attempted to blow up Parliament some time ago), it still has meaning and power.
The reason that I like this quote is because it combines many different idioms, “Everything happens for a reason,” “Everyone one has there own unique path.” V’s quote is certainly not the genisis of these idioms, henceforth it they cannot be derived from V’s quote. However, because Mr. Alan More, did such a fantastic job in combining these idealistic ideas into one phrase, I do see the dice quotation as a negative derivative function, (from quotations like “everything happens for a reason,” a true base was reversely derived). Lastly to me, this quote provides hope. Given that god exists, it gives us hope that we have all have a plan and a purpose.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
"Ending is Better Than Mending"
Huxley Knows How to Get Under My Skin…In a Good Way
Musings on Thought Terminating Clichés
My background in writing has always taught me to treat clichés as taboo, a cardinal sin tarnishing your journalistic credibility. However, clichés and especially thought-terminating clichés have always been of particular interest to me. A thought-terminating cliché is a saying that dismisses dissenting opinions or validates improper logic, often employed in a clever or almost lyrical sentence structure. Examples of this include sayings like: “an apple a day keeps the doctor away”, “the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away” and “if you’re not with us you’re against us”.
Simple and memorable sayings like this can punctuate narratives and introduce incredibly pleasing rhythms. Aldous Huxley makes extensive use of this type of saying in one of my favorite books, Brave New World. Huxley creates so many catchy little phrases it is almost impossible to choose a singular favorite. One of the more memorable examples of this type of phrase is, “ending is better than mending” (pg. 49, 2006 edition).
To understand the nuances of this saying a little context must be given first. Brave New World is Aldous Huxley’s critique of the way modern civilization is continually trending towards an increasingly unabashed adoption of pain avoidance and consumerism. He does this by creating a dystopian world government set in the distant future where “everyone belongs to everyone else” and the entire system is founded on industrialism and fed by constant consumption. “Ending is better than mending” is a term that epitomizes this schema; the whole system relies on production so it is integral that the upper echelons of this government create a throwaway culture.
“Ending is better than mending”, like most of the phrases in the book, is a short and memorable phrase. Phrases like this usually rely on a simple rhyming scheme to increase their validity. This validation is achieved through the phrases ability to be easily remembered and subsequently repeated. Constant repetition is a way to drive in the subject matter, to the point where it seems second nature and above criticism.
At least that is the purpose of these types of sayings in the novel. However, when I hear singsong phrases like this they produce almost the opposite effect. Not simply the catchy ones, but the entire menagerie of thought terminating clichés, feel incredibly hollow to me. While many of them are so ingrained in daily life that people rarely notice them, I cannot help but prick up at their dismissive and often insubstantial level of analysis.
I must be in the minority because these types of trivializing comments have been around for centuries, despite how much they perturb me at present (maybe it is the masochist in me but this is also why I have find them enthrallingly interesting as well). They have successfully permeated all forms of discourse. They adorn signs of support and protest at liberal and conservative rallies alike. They can be found emblazoned throughout children’s stories concerning fluffy bunnys, in pamphlets proselytizing hatred or simply serving as the catchphrases of popular T.V. characters.
Their wide use and extensive reach is founded in their effectiveness in spreading rhetoric; as in ”(in writing or speech) the undue use of exaggeration or display; bombast” or ”the art of influencing the thought and conduct of an audience” and not “the art or science of all specialized literary uses of language in prose or verse, including the figures of speech” (dictionary.com). These types of phrases just brim with possible applications.
Despite my chagrin I must admit that phrases like “ending is better than mending” have a definite time and place. Like in children’s shows or forums where complicated discourse is difficult. Juxtaposed, these types of sayings should have no home in a political, philosophical or educational setting. Discourse is a necessary part of any society and one sentence cannot substitute for a fully thought out argument. While it is able to synthesize a main point into a key phrase its prevalent usage is alarming. If I may be permitted to use a thought terminating cliché to end my tirade as well as denounce thought terminating clichés, it would have to be: thought terminating clichés are bad!
While I feel that I may have strayed too far from my original saying: “ending is better than mending”, it is my humble opinion that Aldous Huxley would forgive me. I think he would enjoy my quibbling with abridged discourse and applaud my efforts. Hopefully my blog moderator does as well.