ex-static

"Society can and does execute its own mandates: and if it issues wrong mandates instead of right, or any mandates at all in things with which it ought not to meddle, it practices a social tyranny more formidable than many kinds of political oppression, since, though not usually upheld by such extreme penalties, it leaves fewer means of escape, penetrating much more deeply into the details of life, and enslaving the soul itself.”
-- John Stuart Mill

I'm pretty busy, and not inclined to indulge much in blog culture, but whoever's reading this is surely loved. :)

Gandalf : Sauron has yet to release his deadliest servant. The one who will lead Mordor's armies in war. The one they say no living Man can kill. The Witch-king of Angmar. You've met him before. He stabbed Frodo on Weathertop. He is the lord of the Nazgûl, the greatest of the Nine.

Pippin: What, the puss Strider sent screaming with an improvised torch?

On an almost entirely unrelated movie set,




after Frodo's unpleasant stay at Chateau de Cirith Ungol, where he received a most unhobbity haircut,
as Frodo's eyes glaze over in rapt focus on his precious boom pole, Sam encourages him to share the load.

[this space reserved for thoughtful and hopefully well-balanced reflections on Obama's inspiring victory]

What an amazing place... but surely, a few guys gotta jump off and look for the main land sometimes.
I'm an art student, so this must mean all kinds of deep shit right? ;)

"Toyota will start testing three types of the stand-up-and-ride contraption, that travels at up to 6 kph (3.7 mph)..."

3.7 mph; Why does that sound familiar? Oh, because it's the exact damn speed I walk at?
I sure hope it has an option for powered sitting and standing up...

I don't really have anything to say; I just couldn't pass that by. :P

I still have little desire to seriously and thoughtfully blog to a group of people, even folks as lovely as would tend to see this. But when I signed in right now, I was stricken by how bleak and/or worrisome my last post might seem. Rest assured, there's lots of light in my life.

That's all for now. Feel free to write any time. :)

Just because I can't say anything doesn't mean I don't care.

I could not resist repeating this quote from the lovely musidora's blog:

"Loneliness does not come from having no people about one, but from being unable to communicate the things that seem important to oneself, or from holding certain views which others find inadmissible.
-Carl Gustav Jung"

Here, for my random appearance of the month, let me present the most reasonable, thoughtful and articulate two comments I have ever seen for youtube videos:

"MOVIE SUX...
A Gorilla Can Kill a Leopard... But The Gorilla NOT IS A KARATE Black streak. GORILLA WINS ( Sorry for my Bad English)

Talleho90 (2 days ago) Ridicules fight, however a Silverback would make short work of a Leopard if they ever fought, but not with karate moves... "

I'm doing quite well! <3 <3 <3

I wish I had the balls to wear http://www.tshirthell.com/store/product.php?productid=902

"Time is the longest distance between two places." -- Tennessee Williams

I had a box of presents from my mom to open today. When I started doing it, I thought back to how much I loved the Partridge Family Christmas album in my childhood. I realized that it might be on Yahoo Music, so I looked it up and played it. God bless the Information Age.

Listening to that album, while sitting on my bed opening gifts with my cat beside me, was distinctly surreal. I was once again amazed at how familiar a long-lost experience can seem. I felt a bit dissociated and concerned that I'd be hit by messy old psychic influences and I reminded myself hey, I'm Greg and I'm 38, I'm past 90% of that old stuff, and I'm relatively aware and comfortable with the rest. I 90% believed myself. I think I'm going in a good direction.

I don't know if I've publicly stated how special our modern Christmas mythology was to me. I think it was my primary belief in magic and wonder, and when I was disillusioned about my belief in Santa Claus-- not until age ten or eleven-- I became questioning, cynical and perhaps even bitter about lots of other things. If that belief and disruption were the catalysts I often perceive them to be, I may owe them much of my individuality, my especial strengths, weaknesses and possibilities.

Christmas means very little to me anymore. I wish it could acquire more meaning again, even though I'm neither Christian nor materialist. I like the idea of holidays; they can create valuable conscious structure-- I'm just not very good at feeling and living them now. I'm too generally unsettled for it. I do have some nostalgia though, and some warm fuzzy feelings for the important people throughout my life. I hope everyone can use the holidays to renew some relationships with their most basic, important values; or, if those values no longer suffice, to imagine some better ones.

There's far, far too much to write; and any bit of it will, in isolation, acquire undue gravity. So as usual, I'll write just about as little as possible, without writing nothing at all. Kinda convenient when one feels busy.

I had a tough fall, to the point of contemplating some ways to end my participation at SCAD. After classes ended, I went on a magnificent journey to the Northeastern USA. I was challenged and inspired in many ways, and now, I feel ready for more things than ever. Not that my path seems clear or easy... I hope it never quite does. In addition to core cognitive issues, it involves many material variables.

I hope everyone's hopeful and positive as the New Year approaches. It's an exciting time to be alive.

It's funny because it's true:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20071106/od_afp/britainlawsoffbeat

I must admit, this is directly from my (infrequent) facebook blog. :)

------------------------------------------

I’ve always had lots of confidence in my academic ability. I can readily admit, however, that my first quarter at SCAD was harder than expected, and this quarter could be much harder yet. It’s mostly a matter of time demands, but it relates also to my often draining expectations and self-criticism.

I’ve thought lots and I finally had a talk with my boss yesterday, saying that I could only keep working up to about 12 hours per week, if they want me to do that. I also told him clearly that I can afford to stop working altogether, and I don’t mind if they have nothing to suit me.

This was a very logical decision on my part, based partly on my growing ability to manage time wisely and to make the most of a full time education. It still hurts me somewhat though. Much of my historic pride has been based on being a productive and responsible worker. I must be brave enough to cast that aside for now, and to face many inner conflicts that prevent me from realizing my full academic, artistic and social potentials. I’ve already made lots of progress, but the path is still scary and disorienting at times. It’s also more fulfilling and exciting than previously dreamed.

In these challenges, as well as lighter and gentler things, I am particularly inspired by the toughest and bravest person I know. Thanks so much for everything, Maia.

Now I’m going to challenge my assumptions about how much my brain can do at once. :)

When we prioritize our perceived possibilities, we do well to remind ourselves that nothing survives throughout the spacetime continuum. Most of the time, though, we'd be better off living each moment as if it's forever-- as it must truly be, beyond the continual illusion.

Either way, I intend to treasure these days. :)