Knowledge of what is possible is the beginning of happiness.
George Santayana
**********************
Hello Stuart
*********************
Philosophy is a deep pit which once you fall into it you might not get out. But it's walls are painted with fabulous and beautiful scenes. There are strange objects to discover, precious jewels and lights in a vast array of colors, some of them very bright. One of those who left his gems down in the pit was the Spanish philosopher Jorge Agustín Nicolás Ruiz de Santayana y Borrás (George Santayana , 1863 - 1952).
As a philosopher Santayana was also a prophet. He was a naturalist before it was popular. He was a multiculturalist before it was popular. And he believed in philosophy as literature which eventually became the style of many American philosophers.
He wrote on art:
"An artist is a dreamer consenting to dream of the actual world."
"Graphic design is the paradise of individuality, eccentricity, heresy, abnormality, hobbies and humors."
"The degree in which a poet's imagination dominates reality is, in the end, the exact measure of his importance and dignity."
He wrote of knowledge:
"Chaos is a name for any order that produces confusion in our minds."
"Knowledge is recognition of something absent, it is a salutation, not an embrace."
"I believe in general in a dualism between facts and the idea of those facts in the human head."
On living in general:
"Happiness is the only sanction of life; when happiness fails, existence remains a mad and lamentable experiment."
"Nothing can so pierce the soul as the uttermost sigh of the body."
"For gold is tried in the fire and acceptable men in the furnace of adversity."
--------------------------------------------
I love philosophy and philosophers. If you want to know where I am, I'm down in the pit picking through more of Santayana's gems of wisdom.
DB - Vagabond Journeys
Never Give Up
***************************
Showing posts with label George Santayana. Show all posts
Showing posts with label George Santayana. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Singing With The Rain
I believe in general in a dualism between facts and the idea of those facts in the human head.
George Santayana
********************
Hello Alpine, Arizona. A joyful day to you.
***********************
H: What are you doing out there?
I: Sitting.
H: Can't you see it's raining?
I: Yes
H: Well come inside out of the rain.
I: No.
H: Why not?
I: I'm relaxing.
H: Oh, you're relaxing are you? In the purring rain?
I: Yes.
H; You're going to get wet.
I: Oh I hope so.
H: You want to get soaking wet?
I: Yes.
H: Why?
I: I like the rain.
H: Oh so you're going to sit there until you're soaking wet and then when you come inside where the air conditioner is on you'll catch your death of cold.
I: I'm not coming inside.
H: Why not?
I: I like the rain.
H: I think you're crazy.
I: The rain is a great blanket of beauty, a gift to the earth from the sky. It cleanses the air, it baptizes the ground and awakens the seeds of life within it. It makes a gentle drumming sound on everything it touches.
Each rain drop is like a word, a thought from nature, an idea spread around with other ideas to make a storm of thinking. It writes its poetry on every leaf and blade of grass. It lends its wisdom to my head and mingles itself with my hair and with my heart. And when I tilt my head back it washes my face with joy and energy. It brings remembrances to mind.
It is the music of echoes, of patience and the song of the earth. It lifts up as it lays down, it refreshes the mind as it stirs up the dirt.
When I hold out my hand I change the destiny of a rain drop. I am in the rain, I am at one with the rain, I am the rain.
H: I think you're crazy.
I: I am crazy. I love the rain.
DB - Vagabond Journeys
**************************
No fooling around, here is this week's puzzle.
These are all legitimate movie titles in translation.
Your task, if you wish to survive, is to translate them back into their original titles by the end of next week.
Several Saints
Uprising Over The Thanksgiving Dinner
How One Murders An Imitator
Swept Away In A Breeze
The Lion Is Burning It's Feet
What The Flute Makes
The Insects' Messiah
She Married The Monster
Mr. Summerfall Winterspring
The Chimpanzees Live There
Confessing When Drenched
He Paid Very Close Attention, Unfortunately
Boiling When It's Dark
Misplaced Religious Artifact Stolen
Trees Around The Little House
Leo's Secret Message
Ultimate Spanish Dance in France
Country In A Maternity Ward
Instructions In Stone
Creepy Creatures Aloft
The Bitch Is Domesticated
3 entries so far.
Good luck
dbdacoba@aol.com
DB
*********************
SPRING QUESTION
(This is not a contest)
NASA has planned to send a two man mission on an 18 month trip to the planet Mars. It would take 6 months for the astronauts to get there and after 6 months of exploration another 6 months to return.
Should they do it and why, and if not, why not?
dbdacoba@aol.com
4 answers so far
I eagerly await your answer.
DB
******************
George Santayana
********************
Hello Alpine, Arizona. A joyful day to you.
***********************
H: What are you doing out there?
I: Sitting.
H: Can't you see it's raining?
I: Yes
H: Well come inside out of the rain.
I: No.
H: Why not?
I: I'm relaxing.
H: Oh, you're relaxing are you? In the purring rain?
I: Yes.
H; You're going to get wet.
I: Oh I hope so.
H: You want to get soaking wet?
I: Yes.
H: Why?
I: I like the rain.
H: Oh so you're going to sit there until you're soaking wet and then when you come inside where the air conditioner is on you'll catch your death of cold.
I: I'm not coming inside.
H: Why not?
I: I like the rain.
H: I think you're crazy.
I: The rain is a great blanket of beauty, a gift to the earth from the sky. It cleanses the air, it baptizes the ground and awakens the seeds of life within it. It makes a gentle drumming sound on everything it touches.
Each rain drop is like a word, a thought from nature, an idea spread around with other ideas to make a storm of thinking. It writes its poetry on every leaf and blade of grass. It lends its wisdom to my head and mingles itself with my hair and with my heart. And when I tilt my head back it washes my face with joy and energy. It brings remembrances to mind.
It is the music of echoes, of patience and the song of the earth. It lifts up as it lays down, it refreshes the mind as it stirs up the dirt.
When I hold out my hand I change the destiny of a rain drop. I am in the rain, I am at one with the rain, I am the rain.
H: I think you're crazy.
I: I am crazy. I love the rain.
DB - Vagabond Journeys
**************************
No fooling around, here is this week's puzzle.
These are all legitimate movie titles in translation.
Your task, if you wish to survive, is to translate them back into their original titles by the end of next week.
Several Saints
Uprising Over The Thanksgiving Dinner
How One Murders An Imitator
Swept Away In A Breeze
The Lion Is Burning It's Feet
What The Flute Makes
The Insects' Messiah
She Married The Monster
Mr. Summerfall Winterspring
The Chimpanzees Live There
Confessing When Drenched
He Paid Very Close Attention, Unfortunately
Boiling When It's Dark
Misplaced Religious Artifact Stolen
Trees Around The Little House
Leo's Secret Message
Ultimate Spanish Dance in France
Country In A Maternity Ward
Instructions In Stone
Creepy Creatures Aloft
The Bitch Is Domesticated
3 entries so far.
Good luck
dbdacoba@aol.com
DB
*********************
SPRING QUESTION
(This is not a contest)
NASA has planned to send a two man mission on an 18 month trip to the planet Mars. It would take 6 months for the astronauts to get there and after 6 months of exploration another 6 months to return.
Should they do it and why, and if not, why not?
dbdacoba@aol.com
4 answers so far
I eagerly await your answer.
DB
******************
Monday, June 21, 2010
Spring Into Summer
To be interested in the changing seasons is a happier state of mind than to be hopelessly in love with spring.
George Santayana
********************
SPRING QUESTION ANSWERS
_____________________________________
In your opinion what is the most amazing thing that could happen during this decade? Make it as outrageous as you want but keep it within the realm of what you consider a possibility.
This question brought a wide variety of answers from many sources and points of view. I am impressed. Enjoy them. Then check out the Summer Question below.
------------------------------------
I am hoping for, and think it is possible, to have a cure for most if not all cancers.
---------------------------------------
At or towards the end of it I'll be collecting my pensions and be
close to, if not already, collecting Social Security.
---------------------------------------------
A spaceship from another world lands, makes peaceful contact and fills us in on what’s happening out there. Finally!
-------------------------------------------
My Spring event would be building bridges... Bridges to cross countries, cross barriers, cross cultures, bridges to close the gap of hate to love, close the gap of differences to see the similarities of all... I'm Building Bridges...
--------------------------------------------------------
What could happen during this decade? World Peace~wouldn't that be nice
-----------------------------------------------------
I think a very significant thing in the next decade, one that is definitely achievable, would be the development of a clean, safe, renewable energy source. It would change the world as we know it in many ways!
----------------------------------------------------
The most amazing thing...
One day the world suddenly changed and everyone was pleasant from then on- There would be no wars, no violence,no arguments--no nasty remarks,no dirty deeds done dirt cheap..just a world without tension from that day on.
Ooooh wouldn't it be lovely!!
P.S.
I thought about no more illness and no world hunger but those will maybe come in time if all is right with the world.
---------------------------------------------
The RAPTURE!!! (you asked!)
---------------------------------------------------
The Democrats will lose control of the US House and Senate. Obama will be a one term president. We will have a GOP president in next, who will have been elected in part by the help of the Tea Party Movement. Republicans will be in power for awhile (if they don't blow it -- by becoming too progressive).
-----------------------------------------------
I'm not sure what truly amazing thing will happen this decade, but I believe it will definitely have something to do with technology. Our advances are coming so quickly, even in the last several years alone. I think one of the things that could happen, perhaps, is everyone will get tracked by a number so that their daily doings and whereabouts will be known. Perhaps this will be done with an implanted chip (on one's body?). If you think this is nuts, I have seen, on documentaries, that this is occuring in countries other than the US -- although i think it may be done at this time only for political prisoners and not the average citizen of a country. This could get into a problem i think, like a big brother thing. Why? Bc if you start to track political prisoners bc of their values, polititics and opinions, who's to say whose political opinion is correct? I think it was in Iran (not sure) that people were getting chipped after protesting the dictator there who is not for democracy, and is for killing the people to keep his power. this is WRONG. they have a tracking chip on them and now will be forever followed by their country when they did nothing wrong but protest an evil dictator. Wrong
I'm hoping that something else amazing that will happen this decade will be a spiritual renewal of some kind -- and that people will come to know that Jesus is real and is Lord, and want to follow His ways. Many say Jesus is coming back soon. Soon for Him could be this decade or in a thousand years, bc, what does soon mean to the Lord? Soon for Him COULD be a thousand years and not this decade -- who knows? So while I don't think He will most likely come back in the 2010's or 20teens (not sure though), I do believe Jesus will give us some kind of spiritual renewal and awakening, and let those who don't know about Him know Him, and those who do will be able to ammend their ways and come to know the Lord more fully.
Okay, perhaps we'll have technology and the Lord at the same time I guess, then, this decade! This should be a fun decade i think!
-------------------------------------------------------------------
In answer to your question about the most amazing thing I'd like to see in this world...1. Peace 2. No starving people anywhere.
----------------------------------------------------------
I want us to go back in time --how far...back to the time of my childhood..when doors didn't have to be locked..you knew your neighbors and they all looked out for each other..jobs were there for the asking....children addressed elders as yes mam--yes sir,people were not looked down upon because of their clothing or education or lack of,a young girl could walk home in the dark from her friends house and sing and be happy,not fearful for her very life,I cry to think what has become of this world and what is yet to come...yes give me back those simplier,trusting,loving times.................
---------------------------------------------------------------
My thought on this is that it would be most amazing if in the next decade we could find an effective and total way to handle our waste safely and in a green manner without dumping it into the ocean or creating toxic dump wastelands and helping the world do this. Especially of focus would be the plastic that the animals keep swallowing, such as the plastic bags and the bottles…but in general keep our waste from harming the earth and each other. I’m not just talking about recycling efforts here and there. I’m talking about a comprehensive and total process that creatively handles this without fines and penalties. A process which would be something new that transforms our culture into making and using things with as little waste as possible without reducing our standard of living.
I’ve seen some of this beginning to happen, I believe it is doable. They (companies out there) can do all sorts of things with plastic that has been used once and in our area there is a program for those plastic grocery bags at our grocery store. Return them and the store will ship them off to be made into other things. Only problem is that I use them for the kitchen garbage and kitty litterbox cleanup and I forget to bring the excess unneeded bags back to the grocery store so I just save them and they stack up. I could use paper but it’s harmful to the environment to make paper even though it is biodegradable once it’s made. If we could just figure out another way…provide boxes like Costco? Just don’t have the bags…so people would bring their own as a habit or buy one at the counter when they forget? Ok…I’m not supposed to offer solutions here but it sure makes one think and I’m now positioned to do something different. Thanks for this very compelling question.
There you have it…
---------------------------------------------------
The most amazing thing that could happen in this decade would be a global nuclear arms treaty in which all nations agree to destroy nuclear weapons and nuclear weapons capabilities. And nations without weapons would agree to develop nuclear capability only for peaceful purposes. All nations would agree to engage their best physicists in a global panel of watchdogs, each nation providing the same number of participants regardless of their degree of nuclear capability.
----------------------------------------------
Spring Question: Most amazing thing that could happen in the next decade is bi-partisanship and that we balance our national budget.
************************
Thank you everyone.
------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------
SUMMER QUESTION
(This is not a contest.)
Who are the 2 (two) most important people alive today? Why?
dbdacoba@aol.com
Thank you.
DB
********************
George Santayana
********************
SPRING QUESTION ANSWERS
_____________________________________
In your opinion what is the most amazing thing that could happen during this decade? Make it as outrageous as you want but keep it within the realm of what you consider a possibility.
This question brought a wide variety of answers from many sources and points of view. I am impressed. Enjoy them. Then check out the Summer Question below.
------------------------------------
I am hoping for, and think it is possible, to have a cure for most if not all cancers.
---------------------------------------
At or towards the end of it I'll be collecting my pensions and be
close to, if not already, collecting Social Security.
---------------------------------------------
A spaceship from another world lands, makes peaceful contact and fills us in on what’s happening out there. Finally!
-------------------------------------------
My Spring event would be building bridges... Bridges to cross countries, cross barriers, cross cultures, bridges to close the gap of hate to love, close the gap of differences to see the similarities of all... I'm Building Bridges...
--------------------------------------------------------
What could happen during this decade? World Peace~wouldn't that be nice
-----------------------------------------------------
I think a very significant thing in the next decade, one that is definitely achievable, would be the development of a clean, safe, renewable energy source. It would change the world as we know it in many ways!
----------------------------------------------------
The most amazing thing...
One day the world suddenly changed and everyone was pleasant from then on- There would be no wars, no violence,no arguments--no nasty remarks,no dirty deeds done dirt cheap..just a world without tension from that day on.
Ooooh wouldn't it be lovely!!
P.S.
I thought about no more illness and no world hunger but those will maybe come in time if all is right with the world.
---------------------------------------------
The RAPTURE!!! (you asked!)
---------------------------------------------------
The Democrats will lose control of the US House and Senate. Obama will be a one term president. We will have a GOP president in next, who will have been elected in part by the help of the Tea Party Movement. Republicans will be in power for awhile (if they don't blow it -- by becoming too progressive).
-----------------------------------------------
I'm not sure what truly amazing thing will happen this decade, but I believe it will definitely have something to do with technology. Our advances are coming so quickly, even in the last several years alone. I think one of the things that could happen, perhaps, is everyone will get tracked by a number so that their daily doings and whereabouts will be known. Perhaps this will be done with an implanted chip (on one's body?). If you think this is nuts, I have seen, on documentaries, that this is occuring in countries other than the US -- although i think it may be done at this time only for political prisoners and not the average citizen of a country. This could get into a problem i think, like a big brother thing. Why? Bc if you start to track political prisoners bc of their values, polititics and opinions, who's to say whose political opinion is correct? I think it was in Iran (not sure) that people were getting chipped after protesting the dictator there who is not for democracy, and is for killing the people to keep his power. this is WRONG. they have a tracking chip on them and now will be forever followed by their country when they did nothing wrong but protest an evil dictator. Wrong
I'm hoping that something else amazing that will happen this decade will be a spiritual renewal of some kind -- and that people will come to know that Jesus is real and is Lord, and want to follow His ways. Many say Jesus is coming back soon. Soon for Him could be this decade or in a thousand years, bc, what does soon mean to the Lord? Soon for Him COULD be a thousand years and not this decade -- who knows? So while I don't think He will most likely come back in the 2010's or 20teens (not sure though), I do believe Jesus will give us some kind of spiritual renewal and awakening, and let those who don't know about Him know Him, and those who do will be able to ammend their ways and come to know the Lord more fully.
Okay, perhaps we'll have technology and the Lord at the same time I guess, then, this decade! This should be a fun decade i think!
-------------------------------------------------------------------
In answer to your question about the most amazing thing I'd like to see in this world...1. Peace 2. No starving people anywhere.
----------------------------------------------------------
I want us to go back in time --how far...back to the time of my childhood..when doors didn't have to be locked..you knew your neighbors and they all looked out for each other..jobs were there for the asking....children addressed elders as yes mam--yes sir,people were not looked down upon because of their clothing or education or lack of,a young girl could walk home in the dark from her friends house and sing and be happy,not fearful for her very life,I cry to think what has become of this world and what is yet to come...yes give me back those simplier,trusting,loving times.................
---------------------------------------------------------------
My thought on this is that it would be most amazing if in the next decade we could find an effective and total way to handle our waste safely and in a green manner without dumping it into the ocean or creating toxic dump wastelands and helping the world do this. Especially of focus would be the plastic that the animals keep swallowing, such as the plastic bags and the bottles…but in general keep our waste from harming the earth and each other. I’m not just talking about recycling efforts here and there. I’m talking about a comprehensive and total process that creatively handles this without fines and penalties. A process which would be something new that transforms our culture into making and using things with as little waste as possible without reducing our standard of living.
I’ve seen some of this beginning to happen, I believe it is doable. They (companies out there) can do all sorts of things with plastic that has been used once and in our area there is a program for those plastic grocery bags at our grocery store. Return them and the store will ship them off to be made into other things. Only problem is that I use them for the kitchen garbage and kitty litterbox cleanup and I forget to bring the excess unneeded bags back to the grocery store so I just save them and they stack up. I could use paper but it’s harmful to the environment to make paper even though it is biodegradable once it’s made. If we could just figure out another way…provide boxes like Costco? Just don’t have the bags…so people would bring their own as a habit or buy one at the counter when they forget? Ok…I’m not supposed to offer solutions here but it sure makes one think and I’m now positioned to do something different. Thanks for this very compelling question.
There you have it…
---------------------------------------------------
The most amazing thing that could happen in this decade would be a global nuclear arms treaty in which all nations agree to destroy nuclear weapons and nuclear weapons capabilities. And nations without weapons would agree to develop nuclear capability only for peaceful purposes. All nations would agree to engage their best physicists in a global panel of watchdogs, each nation providing the same number of participants regardless of their degree of nuclear capability.
----------------------------------------------
Spring Question: Most amazing thing that could happen in the next decade is bi-partisanship and that we balance our national budget.
************************
Thank you everyone.
------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------
SUMMER QUESTION
(This is not a contest.)
Who are the 2 (two) most important people alive today? Why?
dbdacoba@aol.com
Thank you.
DB
********************
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