Oedipus Crow

Social networking < real intervention.

This is a quick one, and hopefully lots of people will read and act.

The beauty of social networking and a more free distribution of ideas and information, is that we now have the ability to act on the things that matter, to show support and try and be the genesis of real change. The problem is, this can lead to an over simplification of the process involved in supporting something, for example, 15 years ago, to support Amnesty International, you would need to set up bank payments via a long postal form, receiving in return letter showing the effects of your financial support. Now you can ‘like’ the facebook group or sign an online petition. This may at first seem quite satisfactory, i myself just signed a petition to inspect the treatment of Tamil peoples in Sri Lanka, in the hope the 50k they need will be met for the UN to look at it with a real and focused intent on the protection of the innocent. But this simplification breeds lack of action. Its too easy not to give time or funds to incite real change.

There is a facebook page for the Sudaneese war, with well over 1million members, yet they have on average contributed 15 cents USD each. If you buy a cd every month, or music from itunes or anything like this, i urge you to buy one less song or disc or game, and give Amnesty or Greenpeace or Haiti or whatever charity you relate to, 1 dollar or pound or euro. I think the email and letter you recieve each month may well be a more satisfying end result than one extra song, and you may help make the world a better place.

Loving the Smiths right now!

"The important thing is this: To be able at any moment to sacrifice that which we are for what we could become. ~Charles DuBois"

The reel of life.

Most people live their lives as they are told: they consume and pay taxes and work every day and obey the law. They vote for who the media tells them, ensuring the status quo is always met, and imagine that there is an ending to it much like a film. That is a big problem. Did you ever go to the cinema and watch for 2 hours only for the film to stop dead, no lights come on and no conclusion that wrapped everything up nicely occour? No, you havent, because films and life differ, there are no credits and there is no rewind or directors cut re-release of your life. You get to the end and then it is done, so you must experience everything you can and attempt to further yourself.

Is this the time?

Have you ever woken up and wondered if you were born at the right time?

I have, and do ever more frequently these days, if now is the right time. I believe we live in a time of stagnation, a time of impotance not importance, a time during which we are fed more and more things to consume, things we need to be “up to date”, and “in the loop”, but all these things do are blind us to the important things we should really see. At this time, technology is produced for us to consume at an alarming rate, new means of control, surveilance and more violent and effecient ways of killing and destroying things are introduced weekly, and means of keeping us alive longer, healthy longer to ensure we work, contribute and consume longer, without any real thought for the reality of things.

The real consumables we should be attempting to obtain are those most rare examples of experience and insight and enlightenment, these are the things that make the difference between an open mouth and wide eyes or a wry smile and contented expression when it really matters, at the very end.

"My definition [of a philosopher] is of a man up in a balloon, with his family and friends holding the ropes which confine him to earth and trying to haul him down. ~Louisa May Alcott"

"If you worry about what might be, and wonder what might have been, you will ignore what is."

- Unknown (via Tiny Buddha) (via psuedoblogg)

"I swear to you there are divine things more beautiful than words can tell.” ~Walt Whitman"

A musing to sleep on.

So off to bed i go, but before i do, i wanted to get a thought down somewhere and here is as good a bet as any.

Do the people who make you feel the worst, the people who call you out, prod your deepest fears and concerns and twist your insecurities, the people who make you question your very being and your worth, do they actually affirm your life? Is it this process of self doubt inflicted by people you, in normal concious thought, would credit with making you feel your worst, which actually allows you to confirm within yourself that which is good whithin you. And does this process actually lead to positive steps forwards with the confidence gained from bouncing back from the crippiling deconstruction of self. Maybe they are actually doing you a favour?

I would love some other perspectives…