Got up this morning and one of the lead stories in the paper was UA to close Flandrau; trim arts, 2 museums | www.azstarnet.com ® . It figures. The worsening economy has every branch of government and the private sector scrambling to make ends meet. I haven't taken a close look at what percentage these cuts are supposed to represent, but they sound pretty deep. I just don't understand the states call to zap education. Of all the services offered by the government I can't think of a more important one, or a better investment. What happens to the un and under educated? They have a tendency to become huge burdens on society. I don't know where the cuts should be made and I am at a loss.
Now the U of A decides it will make huge slashing cuts to programs that are part of the community (not counting the sports programs of course, because those bring in money). The article specifically says they are closing Flandrau while at the same time they have no idea how much that will save. There is even a comment latter on in the article stating that these programs where chosen in order to irk some people into making a change. It's a pretty good plan, but also irritating. All the misery going on and coming up just reek of greed. Why is are society so self serving and greedy, why is money so loved? Didn't we all grow up with the same fables, and fairy stories, and warnings of what greed does?
One of the best parts of the article was seeing the huge list of comments on-line that just sounded of chest thumping and name calling. Cries of "Hear, Hear I never used those programs anyway so good riddance", and denunciation of first one political party and then the other. Most of the comments read as if they came from the under educated with little culture offered them in their lives. Maybe I'm too petty as well.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Grandma: Octuplets mom obsessed with having kids - Yahoo! News
Grandma: Octuplets mom obsessed with having kids - Yahoo! News
This is an amazing story. From the sound of things this mother of now 14 children is mentally ill along the lines of those people who want to be amputees. It doesn't sound as if she had any interest in adoption or fostering. She is not in a good position for raising 14 children (of course I don't know who would be) with no husband and no job. It really sounds like there is some sort of chemical imbalance.
I have some issue with in vitro fertilization because of the questions regarding what happens to those not implanted. I also get confused when people say they will risk their life and that of all the children implanted because God would want them to carry them all, but they don't consider the idea that God didn't let them become pregnant in the first place and they decided to trust to science.
Those issues are personal though and highly debated as to their legitimacy. What I want to know is what the doctor who approved this at all was thinking? Were there any red flags that went up? Were there any attempts to have the woman evaluated psychologically? Should this doctor have his/her license revoked for? If so, for what exactly? Pride?
The story seems to make a lot about the fact that the woman has no husband. Odd because our media and society constantly seem to present the idea that a dad is not that big a deal, a strange twist to new morals. They went to great lengths to defend Murphy Brown's right to have a child, but seem more appalled when the numbers get bigger. My own view is that a father is the desirable situation and it should not have been allowed, but legally I don't know where it should stand.
The facts now are that there are eight more beautiful people in this world who need love and affection. They should not ever be scorned or made to feel that they should not exist. The medical community needs a serious moral overhaul, just because things are possible does not mean they should be done. We all should look closely at our beliefs for inconsistencies and hypocrisy.
This is an amazing story. From the sound of things this mother of now 14 children is mentally ill along the lines of those people who want to be amputees. It doesn't sound as if she had any interest in adoption or fostering. She is not in a good position for raising 14 children (of course I don't know who would be) with no husband and no job. It really sounds like there is some sort of chemical imbalance.
I have some issue with in vitro fertilization because of the questions regarding what happens to those not implanted. I also get confused when people say they will risk their life and that of all the children implanted because God would want them to carry them all, but they don't consider the idea that God didn't let them become pregnant in the first place and they decided to trust to science.
Those issues are personal though and highly debated as to their legitimacy. What I want to know is what the doctor who approved this at all was thinking? Were there any red flags that went up? Were there any attempts to have the woman evaluated psychologically? Should this doctor have his/her license revoked for? If so, for what exactly? Pride?
The story seems to make a lot about the fact that the woman has no husband. Odd because our media and society constantly seem to present the idea that a dad is not that big a deal, a strange twist to new morals. They went to great lengths to defend Murphy Brown's right to have a child, but seem more appalled when the numbers get bigger. My own view is that a father is the desirable situation and it should not have been allowed, but legally I don't know where it should stand.
The facts now are that there are eight more beautiful people in this world who need love and affection. They should not ever be scorned or made to feel that they should not exist. The medical community needs a serious moral overhaul, just because things are possible does not mean they should be done. We all should look closely at our beliefs for inconsistencies and hypocrisy.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Where does all the time go?
I have a condition that I assume is normal for most people in the world (well the USA anyway). I live for long periods of time in a depressed unfulfilled sense of being then a big swing comes along and I am just happy with life and my lot. I've been wondering about these modes and the catalysts bringing them on, and oddly FaceBook may have given me a little glimpse into the conundrum.
I always hear "our lives are so busy and hectic". We can't find the time to be in community and foster friendships, and once you have kids you have even less social time that is other than focus on the raising of the kids. The household responsibilities, work responsibilities, parental responsibilities, spousal responsibilities, it's all work and as work goes on and on there is a feeling of drudgery, a sense of being Sisyphus. You awaken in the morning with your head swimming with all you have to accomplish and struggle all day and go to bed with your head swimming of all you didn't accomplish and must now be moved to tomorrow. As this goes on day after day after day and you think of things you would like to do instead of have to do, and as you realize you haven't had a friendship conversation or communion with a kindred soul in so long you notice the heavy dark cloud descend. When you get a good evening out with friends talking of things you enjoy, relaxed - no schedule, the cloud lifts. The kids become a joy in their childhood, something to admire and cherish, not something that must be raised.
I noticed this because on FaceBook I have a whole host of virtual friends and just spending some time online with them passing little anecdotes and pictures, remembrances of the past and promises to meet there seems to be a lifting of the cloud. Talking easy without responsibility, little care for the chaos around us, it just shows how social and communal we are deep down, how much we really need relationships.
So why don't we have them? FaceBook is fun, but not a substitute for real contact. We live in the modern world where we are surrounded by all manner of "time saving" devices. Why can we not get together? Why are we always just tired and overworked and too laden down with responsibilities to take care of what is existentially important? I think it is wrinkle in our modern world a real screw-up in our priorities a total loss of identity and true value. I think greed has doomed us all. Or maybe just me, like I said at the beginning I assume this is a universal problem, but it could just be me.
I always hear "our lives are so busy and hectic". We can't find the time to be in community and foster friendships, and once you have kids you have even less social time that is other than focus on the raising of the kids. The household responsibilities, work responsibilities, parental responsibilities, spousal responsibilities, it's all work and as work goes on and on there is a feeling of drudgery, a sense of being Sisyphus. You awaken in the morning with your head swimming with all you have to accomplish and struggle all day and go to bed with your head swimming of all you didn't accomplish and must now be moved to tomorrow. As this goes on day after day after day and you think of things you would like to do instead of have to do, and as you realize you haven't had a friendship conversation or communion with a kindred soul in so long you notice the heavy dark cloud descend. When you get a good evening out with friends talking of things you enjoy, relaxed - no schedule, the cloud lifts. The kids become a joy in their childhood, something to admire and cherish, not something that must be raised.
I noticed this because on FaceBook I have a whole host of virtual friends and just spending some time online with them passing little anecdotes and pictures, remembrances of the past and promises to meet there seems to be a lifting of the cloud. Talking easy without responsibility, little care for the chaos around us, it just shows how social and communal we are deep down, how much we really need relationships.
So why don't we have them? FaceBook is fun, but not a substitute for real contact. We live in the modern world where we are surrounded by all manner of "time saving" devices. Why can we not get together? Why are we always just tired and overworked and too laden down with responsibilities to take care of what is existentially important? I think it is wrinkle in our modern world a real screw-up in our priorities a total loss of identity and true value. I think greed has doomed us all. Or maybe just me, like I said at the beginning I assume this is a universal problem, but it could just be me.
Friday, January 30, 2009
People
I have made mention of my fear of people in a recent FaceBook post and someone questioned me on this thinking it was odd because they think I am one of the friendliest people they know. I like to think I'm friendly. I do like people or rather the idea of people. I like hang out and talk and eat and drink. I love to discuss religion and philosophy and books and movies and music. The problem is I see people trying to always advance themselves somehow, and one of the oldest and easiest ways is by knocking other people down or using them. I also find that I get together with someone and all of the sudden the conversation is sports. I don't despise sports and if I have to I can even watch some, but the absolute obsession we collectively seem to have just drives me up a wall. I also will find myself with judgemental people. We are all judgemental in many ways so I don't want to sound hypocritical, but I get very uncomfortable when I start hearing such judgements. It is amazing to me the damnation people cast down things that are truly truly trivial. The soul is so much more damaged by intent than situations and I do not like confrontation so I just listen and can't wait to get away. Then I try to just avoid meeting anybody new for fear of the same situation. I also don't like the way people are in groups, they feel comfortable enough in their group to start attacking people around, outside of the group. People just seem to have a mean streak, but maybe I'm just paranoid. I'm big enough that I suppose I can be intimidating to see coming so a defensive posture is already up and I get that vibe that scares me and others don't. I really need to work on this.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Match Point
Spent a couple of hours last night watching Match Point a movie written and directed by Woody Allen. I love Woody Allen movies and I really like listening to his philosophies. I almost never agree with his conclusions, but as an existentialist I find him very riveting.
This movie was slow. I could imagine a wonderful short story to sum up his thesis, but instead they used two hours. There was a lot of dead time, slow dialog, almost no humor (Woody is pretty famous for his humor), and very little action. It was not great cinematography that kept me in the film either. The movie spent all two hours driving into the viewer that luck is the only force in the universe, that there is no guidance and definitely no justice.
I really appreciated how he made his point and there are so many times I feel likewise,... but; there was a portrayal of more than chance. I don't know if it was intentional, I doubt it, but as the main character talked of chance it was ignored that HE constantly put himself in situations. He used to be a tennis pro, grew up poor in Ireland and caught the eye of a coach. Now if he had been a fisherman in Alaska and while working on the boat a tennis coach happened to be rescued from the sea who thought the lad could be taught tennis - that would be chance (still debatable I think). Then he goes to London to instruct at one of the most exclusive clubs. He love art and culture therefore he goes where it is and mingles among the rich and cultured, and acts rich and cultured. Not much luck is needed to be pulled in from those surroundings.
The big 'life is luck' scene comes after a murder. There is a speech that claims quite blatantly that if he is caught at least that would give some small consolation, some inkling of the possibility of cosmic justice, but without that there is only the void. I have to disagree. The common view of God holds that He knows all, we can not possibly track where all the billions and gazillions of choices lead too. We cannot even track for one person let alone all the people of all the ages who are affected by every choice and action. So much more good might be carried out by delaying justice to a point outside of human history - we don't know.
The uber-man can only claim superiority during this incredibly short physical existence, beyond that he can only hope (quite ironic) to be correct.
This movie was slow. I could imagine a wonderful short story to sum up his thesis, but instead they used two hours. There was a lot of dead time, slow dialog, almost no humor (Woody is pretty famous for his humor), and very little action. It was not great cinematography that kept me in the film either. The movie spent all two hours driving into the viewer that luck is the only force in the universe, that there is no guidance and definitely no justice.
I really appreciated how he made his point and there are so many times I feel likewise,... but; there was a portrayal of more than chance. I don't know if it was intentional, I doubt it, but as the main character talked of chance it was ignored that HE constantly put himself in situations. He used to be a tennis pro, grew up poor in Ireland and caught the eye of a coach. Now if he had been a fisherman in Alaska and while working on the boat a tennis coach happened to be rescued from the sea who thought the lad could be taught tennis - that would be chance (still debatable I think). Then he goes to London to instruct at one of the most exclusive clubs. He love art and culture therefore he goes where it is and mingles among the rich and cultured, and acts rich and cultured. Not much luck is needed to be pulled in from those surroundings.
The big 'life is luck' scene comes after a murder. There is a speech that claims quite blatantly that if he is caught at least that would give some small consolation, some inkling of the possibility of cosmic justice, but without that there is only the void. I have to disagree. The common view of God holds that He knows all, we can not possibly track where all the billions and gazillions of choices lead too. We cannot even track for one person let alone all the people of all the ages who are affected by every choice and action. So much more good might be carried out by delaying justice to a point outside of human history - we don't know.
The uber-man can only claim superiority during this incredibly short physical existence, beyond that he can only hope (quite ironic) to be correct.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Take off...
I've been reading 'Lost on Planet China' (it has been taking me forever even though it is a great book, well written, and I truly enjoy it). It paints a grim view of China especially modern China, it is a travel book of sorts and intrigues me. I have no love for China and I can't stand how much our government bends to China in an ever increasing effort to get cheap crap out of them. At the same time this book (and the other anti-travel guides written by Mr. Troost) give me antsy feelings of wanting to get up and see the world. I personally would like to go to France and then England, then the rest of Europe. I would like to visit the eastern bloc countries of Russia and Europe as well. I think South America would be enticing as well, but scares me a little more.
Something funny in all of this though, I haven't seen my own country. America is vast and varied and yet I have little interest. I think there is a stigma that America has no real culture. It seems to be a giant land of big business, a gross assault on the senses in the endless pursuit of wealth. Every city is littered with chain stores all having the same thing. There is something good to be said about being able to find what you want, when you want, but it feels as though something huge has been lost.
Ginger and I were in Phoenix the other day and it just seemed so dead metaphysically. We didn't pass any local restaurants, we didn't see local owned stores, we kept passing huge sporting arenas that are home to teams with players that aren't even from the city, don't even live there, and the team will pack up and move in a heartbeat with the tiniest offer of tax savings. The town takes pride in the team to a huge degree, but the team cares not a wit for the town. I guess it is probably this way all around the world, it is just so prevalent here. I know there is culture to be found, it just seems so hard to find and getting harder.
Maybe before I start looking to the whole rest of the world for adventure it would be best to start digging around here to see what can be found.
Something funny in all of this though, I haven't seen my own country. America is vast and varied and yet I have little interest. I think there is a stigma that America has no real culture. It seems to be a giant land of big business, a gross assault on the senses in the endless pursuit of wealth. Every city is littered with chain stores all having the same thing. There is something good to be said about being able to find what you want, when you want, but it feels as though something huge has been lost.
Ginger and I were in Phoenix the other day and it just seemed so dead metaphysically. We didn't pass any local restaurants, we didn't see local owned stores, we kept passing huge sporting arenas that are home to teams with players that aren't even from the city, don't even live there, and the team will pack up and move in a heartbeat with the tiniest offer of tax savings. The town takes pride in the team to a huge degree, but the team cares not a wit for the town. I guess it is probably this way all around the world, it is just so prevalent here. I know there is culture to be found, it just seems so hard to find and getting harder.
Maybe before I start looking to the whole rest of the world for adventure it would be best to start digging around here to see what can be found.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
They all seem so afraid
Sitting in the break room today I was stuck listening to FOX news (I'm not sure which show). The host was ranting about President Obama and how we are all doomed because of his election. How he is not even sure there is a president because there were some hiccups with the oath. How every and all government programs are giant wastes of money and while they give you nice tingly feelings they always make things worse. He even mocked the president for including non-believers in his speech as being members of our society (for even though they have always been with us we have never directly acknowledged this for fear of bringing down the wrath God). The thing that really boggled me though was the outrage at the closure of the Guantanamo Bay prison within the year being signed by the president. Out right fear that these 250 people that are incarcerated there will bring fire down upon us. That we could not house them in the states, or release them, or even try them. These prisoners do not like America and they want our down fall, so we feel that makes it OK to treat them as less than human. They might very well treat us as dogs or worse if we were their prisoners, but isn't that what makes the American ideal so much better? We believe ALL men are created equal even if men don't. Why are we so willing to throw away that which we believe in under the guise of protecting ourselves?
I don't pretend to understand all that is going on with this issue. Indeed I don't know a lot about it, but I do believe the words 'Those who would sacrifice freedom for security deserve neither' - (Benjamin Franklin). And these FOX (news) casters seem very afraid that they are about to lose all their freedoms to socialism, and be killed by terrorist roaming our streets, and their answer seems to be anarchy or let businesses run everything. (Businesses have done such a wonderful job caring for anything but the bottom line). I don't know. I don't trust government to save me, but I don't trust people to just be left to themselves and not hurt others in pursuit of their own selfish desires.
I don't pretend to understand all that is going on with this issue. Indeed I don't know a lot about it, but I do believe the words 'Those who would sacrifice freedom for security deserve neither' - (Benjamin Franklin). And these FOX (news) casters seem very afraid that they are about to lose all their freedoms to socialism, and be killed by terrorist roaming our streets, and their answer seems to be anarchy or let businesses run everything. (Businesses have done such a wonderful job caring for anything but the bottom line). I don't know. I don't trust government to save me, but I don't trust people to just be left to themselves and not hurt others in pursuit of their own selfish desires.
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