Even in a time of elephantine vanity and greed, one never has to look far to see the campfires of gentle people.
Garrison Keillor
*****************
Hello Sandy
*****************
While trudging through this tangled jungle of human behavior one day in the merry, merry month of April, I was taken by surprise by a pair of roving ideas. One was that I was lugging around with me a heavy sack of my past, recent and otherwise. The sack contains all kinds of useless and harmful memories, impressions, thoughts, beliefs and regrets. It was clear to me that I could not go forward in my life with any degree of energy and purpose until I had unloaded this sack, threw it off the edge of a cliff.
But the other idea is that maybe not everything in this sack is worthless. I know better than to go through everything that's in there to make a value judgement about each thing. I might as well throw myself off the cliff if I tried to do that.
I took a nap this afternoon and woke up with a start thinking about someone I hardly knew. I had been working at the Provincetown Playhouse on Cape Cod. It was my day off and suddenly there was a French Canadian girl following me around. She was very nice and we spent the day together, the evening and eventually went to sleep somewhere around the playhouse. We didn't have sex, we just knocked around and did things. I remember I woke up in the middle of the night and she was staring at me, eyes wide open. I spoke to her but she didn't answer. She was asleep. She slept withy her eyes open. I remembered hearing about people who did that. It was strange. I went back to sleep. When I woke and went back to work she disappeared. I never knew her name. What a strange memory to have. It happened over 50 years ago. And why did it suddenly come back to me?
What it tells me is that there are things and people in that bag of trash that will come out to be looked at and thrown out or saved and that I probably don't need to go searching for them.
That experience quite unnerved me. I went for a walk in the cold and rain. As I can tell I'm still having trouble getting rid of the bag of junk I brought with me when I moved. The only time I feel alright is when I'm typing. It's logical and therefore calming. As someone said I'm putting the pieces of the puzzle back together after an upheaval. There's a strange paradox here. It doesn't matter what goes on around me here, It's unimportant. But it's the only thing going on around me. Meanwhile I'm trying to sort through the thoughts, emotions, point of view about this and that, memories, and find the right place in my head and my heart for the things that need a home while I look at the same chaos with my material belongings. I don't want to do either. I've never felt this way before that I can remember. I hope I'm not losing my mind.
I think Bruce had the best solution. He told me to read a novel of far away places. So I read some philosophy. I'm searching for the campfires of those gentle people. Haven't found them yet.
DB - Vagabond
Never give up.
**********************
Showing posts with label chaos. Show all posts
Showing posts with label chaos. Show all posts
Monday, April 2, 2012
Monday, August 31, 2009
Marauding Mirages 8/31/09
The popular notion of an antithesis between appearance and reality has exercised a very powerful influence on scientific and philosophical thought.
Ernst Mach
************************
Welcome, whoever you are.
________________________
Hurry and get your note book ready because September is coming and that means all the quotes will be from DB The Vagabond.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Are you really sure that what you're looking at right now really exists? Are you sure that, if it does exist, that it exists in the form and state in which you see it? Furthermore, are you sure that things you can't see really exists just because you have been told they do?
We know there are atoms because mathematicians and phycisists tell us so. They must exists because, even though they can't be seen, the calculations of all the scientists prove they're there. Ernst Mach, a distinguished 19th and early 20th century physicist and philosopher doubted the existence of atoms. His theories influenced many scientists, including Albert Einstein. If he was right it means revolutionizing the whole practice of chemistry.
There are some current physicists working on a theory which would render an object invisible by refracting all light away from it. So far they have managed to make it transparent. But they're still busy.
That poses another question. Are you sure that just because you can't see something or have any evidence of it that it isn't there? A simple argument of the empiricist would be that if it exists there must be evidence of it somewhere and if no evidence can be found then one has to conclude it doesn't exist, Does that mean if the object is rendered invisible it no longer exist? Well, an interesting side observation those scientists made is that, even though the object is transparent and may become invisible, if their experiments are successful, they can't make its shadow disappear. That brings us to another question. Are we living with the shadows of things that are there even though we can't see them? Are we still in Plato's cave staring at the shadows and not seeing the reality behind us? That's a scary idea.
Unless, perhaps, no matter how grotesque the shadow may be, the invisible reality that casts it is a benevolent thing. But, how do we know? How de we measure or identify the invisible? Only by how it behaves. In other words, how it interacts with things we can observe. Ah, but physicists tell us that the process of observing things makes them change their behavior. Is that also true if we attempt to observe things we can't see? And are the invisible things the ones that are changing the behavior of the visible things? There are metaphysical twists to these questions.
A NASA Astrophysicist was asked if he was depressed by the fact that there are so many unanswered questions. He responded that on the contrary he was excited. I don't like foolish law suits against me, but I don't mind unanswered questions, unfinished business, a little chaos in my life. It reminds me that I always have something to do.
I have books on scientific issues: astrophysics, calculus, anthropology, chaos theory, the philosophy of science, genetics, as well as history, religion, psychology, other subjects of a philosophical nature, a few novels and probably some trash. I dearly wish I could get to Walmart to buy a new desk lamp to replace the one that broke so that I can get on with my reading, like a good boy should.
(What's an actor doing reading books? I thought all actors were dumb.)
I hope you made it over the roots and rocks, in and out of the caves and around the boulders of today's entry. These are subjects that require more thinking and writing about. I also need more studying.
DB Vagabond
______________________
Send a nice juicy blessing out to someone.
*************************************
Ernst Mach
************************
Welcome, whoever you are.
________________________
Hurry and get your note book ready because September is coming and that means all the quotes will be from DB The Vagabond.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Are you really sure that what you're looking at right now really exists? Are you sure that, if it does exist, that it exists in the form and state in which you see it? Furthermore, are you sure that things you can't see really exists just because you have been told they do?
We know there are atoms because mathematicians and phycisists tell us so. They must exists because, even though they can't be seen, the calculations of all the scientists prove they're there. Ernst Mach, a distinguished 19th and early 20th century physicist and philosopher doubted the existence of atoms. His theories influenced many scientists, including Albert Einstein. If he was right it means revolutionizing the whole practice of chemistry.
There are some current physicists working on a theory which would render an object invisible by refracting all light away from it. So far they have managed to make it transparent. But they're still busy.
That poses another question. Are you sure that just because you can't see something or have any evidence of it that it isn't there? A simple argument of the empiricist would be that if it exists there must be evidence of it somewhere and if no evidence can be found then one has to conclude it doesn't exist, Does that mean if the object is rendered invisible it no longer exist? Well, an interesting side observation those scientists made is that, even though the object is transparent and may become invisible, if their experiments are successful, they can't make its shadow disappear. That brings us to another question. Are we living with the shadows of things that are there even though we can't see them? Are we still in Plato's cave staring at the shadows and not seeing the reality behind us? That's a scary idea.
Unless, perhaps, no matter how grotesque the shadow may be, the invisible reality that casts it is a benevolent thing. But, how do we know? How de we measure or identify the invisible? Only by how it behaves. In other words, how it interacts with things we can observe. Ah, but physicists tell us that the process of observing things makes them change their behavior. Is that also true if we attempt to observe things we can't see? And are the invisible things the ones that are changing the behavior of the visible things? There are metaphysical twists to these questions.
A NASA Astrophysicist was asked if he was depressed by the fact that there are so many unanswered questions. He responded that on the contrary he was excited. I don't like foolish law suits against me, but I don't mind unanswered questions, unfinished business, a little chaos in my life. It reminds me that I always have something to do.
I have books on scientific issues: astrophysics, calculus, anthropology, chaos theory, the philosophy of science, genetics, as well as history, religion, psychology, other subjects of a philosophical nature, a few novels and probably some trash. I dearly wish I could get to Walmart to buy a new desk lamp to replace the one that broke so that I can get on with my reading, like a good boy should.
(What's an actor doing reading books? I thought all actors were dumb.)
I hope you made it over the roots and rocks, in and out of the caves and around the boulders of today's entry. These are subjects that require more thinking and writing about. I also need more studying.
DB Vagabond
______________________
Send a nice juicy blessing out to someone.
*************************************
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Querulous Quest 6/13/09
One should live a well ordered life, but a little bit of chaos now and then keeps one alert.
DB - The Vagabond
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THE WEEKEND PUZZLE
Below is a list of 13 (your lucky number) 13 elements. Your mission is to tell me how many of them are phony names and which ones they are. Cheat if you have to, and then live with the shame.
5 guessers so far.
1 winner.
1. Americium
2. Californium
3. Canadium
4. Einsteinium
5. Europium
6. Hafnium
7. Lawrencium
8. Newtonium
9. Nobelium
10. Palladium
11. Roentgenium
12. Ruthenium
13. Seaborgium
Good luckium.
_________________________
This is a "woe is me" entry. Some people don't like to read about my problems. So, if you're one of those you can skip this part. "What? The Vagabond? Come on! He doesn't have any problems."
I have edited a few of my short stories and now they are ready for publication. I am almost finished editing my novel, "Brian and Christine" and it will soon be ready.
I read that some people I know are publishing their short stories here and there. And a couple have published novels.
I would surely like to do that myself, but to do that you have to submit a manuscript which means printing out the story, obviously. Doesn't it.
Yesterday I spent another 2 hours trying to get my printer to work. It worked a few times when it was first installed but hasn't printed anything now for a year. At one point yesterday it grabbed two sheets of paper and returned them blank. Most of the time it doesn't even do that. When I turn it on it clicks, clanks, rattles and thumps, then it stops and just blinks at me. I follow all the instructions and do what it says to do. Nothing. It scans just fine. It doesn't print. I can't afford to buy another one and this one is only a year old. Why doesn't it work?
Meantime I keep writing. The words, paragraphs, essays and stories keep piling up with nowhere to go. I want to publish my books, maybe do a collection of Vagabond Jottings and a collection of the "Best of Vagabond Journeys" with its mustard colored prose.
Never mind getting to first base, I can't even suit up and join the team if I can't print anything. It has caused me a lot of distress and discouragement. "For the want of a copy the book was lost."
DB
_________________
I am unhappy.
********************
If you think being querulous doesn' have its value sometimes, consider this: someone just emailed me with a solution to my printer problem, something I would never think of, and now it's gaily printing out my stories. Thank you.
DB - The Vagabond
*************************************
THE WEEKEND PUZZLE
Below is a list of 13 (your lucky number) 13 elements. Your mission is to tell me how many of them are phony names and which ones they are. Cheat if you have to, and then live with the shame.
5 guessers so far.
1 winner.
1. Americium
2. Californium
3. Canadium
4. Einsteinium
5. Europium
6. Hafnium
7. Lawrencium
8. Newtonium
9. Nobelium
10. Palladium
11. Roentgenium
12. Ruthenium
13. Seaborgium
Good luckium.
_________________________
This is a "woe is me" entry. Some people don't like to read about my problems. So, if you're one of those you can skip this part. "What? The Vagabond? Come on! He doesn't have any problems."
I have edited a few of my short stories and now they are ready for publication. I am almost finished editing my novel, "Brian and Christine" and it will soon be ready.
I read that some people I know are publishing their short stories here and there. And a couple have published novels.
I would surely like to do that myself, but to do that you have to submit a manuscript which means printing out the story, obviously. Doesn't it.
Yesterday I spent another 2 hours trying to get my printer to work. It worked a few times when it was first installed but hasn't printed anything now for a year. At one point yesterday it grabbed two sheets of paper and returned them blank. Most of the time it doesn't even do that. When I turn it on it clicks, clanks, rattles and thumps, then it stops and just blinks at me. I follow all the instructions and do what it says to do. Nothing. It scans just fine. It doesn't print. I can't afford to buy another one and this one is only a year old. Why doesn't it work?
Meantime I keep writing. The words, paragraphs, essays and stories keep piling up with nowhere to go. I want to publish my books, maybe do a collection of Vagabond Jottings and a collection of the "Best of Vagabond Journeys" with its mustard colored prose.
Never mind getting to first base, I can't even suit up and join the team if I can't print anything. It has caused me a lot of distress and discouragement. "For the want of a copy the book was lost."
DB
_________________
I am unhappy.
********************
If you think being querulous doesn' have its value sometimes, consider this: someone just emailed me with a solution to my printer problem, something I would never think of, and now it's gaily printing out my stories. Thank you.
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