Wednesday, December 13, 2023
Friday, October 20, 2023
Big Bang disproved
When I learned in 6th grade in 1970 that there were/are two basic views about the universe: the Steady State universe and the Big Bang, I felt that that the Steady State universe was the correct view based on having grown up with Buddhism. I found it absurd to believe that the totality of the universe originated out of nothingness violates the laws of physics and stretches credulity beyond the breaking point, at least for me. And now the JWST is....ohh! Btw, the Doppler red shift is another hare-brained idea. The universe is not expanding but rather, the light has traveled so far in its journey here that it's slowing a fraction enough to produce a shift to a lower energy state. And now the JWST is showing pictures of mature galaxies just as anyone there looking at us would also see a mature galaxy, indicating a more uniform consistency of the universe which itself indicates the timelessness of it. And if anyone thinks 13 billion years is a long time doesn't understand the mindbogglingly huge numbers the Eastern Indians invented. Eternity is like that. At the same time it also means that that which is eternal is also ever-present. Hence Steady State. Do you see how the consistency works? There is no beginning or end to the universe. Only the arising and demising of the phenomena that occurs within it, from the formation of galaxies, stars, planets, and living beings to their eventual demise. Yin/yang.
Monday, June 13, 2022
The Real Johnny Depp
Friday, January 28, 2022
The Four Beginnings
2A:6 Mencius said: "All people have a heart which cannot stand to see the suffering of others. The ancient kings had this heart which could not stand to see the suffering of others, and, with this, operated a government which could not stand to see the suffering of the people. If, in this state of mind, you ran a government which could not endure people's suffering, you could govern the realm as if you were turning it in the palm of your hand."
"Why do I say all human beings have a heart which cannot stand to see the suffering of others? Even nowadays, if an infant were about to fall into a well, anyone would be upset and concerned. This concern would not be due to the fact that the person wanted to get in good with the baby's parents, or because s/he wanted to improve his/her reputation among the community or among his/her circle of friends. Nor would it be because he/she was afraid of the criticism that might result from a show of non-concern."
"From this point of view, we can say that if you did lack concern for the infant, you would not be human. Also, to lack a sense of shame and disgust would not be human; to lack a feeling of humility and deference is to be "in-human" and to lack a sense of right and wrong is to be inhuman."
"The feeling of commiseration is the beginning of humanity. The feeling of shame and disgust is the beginning of righteousness. The sense of deference and compliance is the beginning of courtesy, and the sense of right and wrong is the beginning of wisdom."
"People's having these four basic senses is like their having four limbs. Having these four basic senses and yet claiming inability to act on them is to cheat yourself. To say that the ruler doesn't have them is to cheat the ruler. Since all people have these four basic senses within themselves, they should all understand how to enhance and develop them. It is like when a fire just starts, or a spring first bubbles out of the ground. If you are able to develop these four basic senses, you will be able to take care of everybody within the four seas. If you do not develop them, you won't even be able to take care of your own parents."
~Wing-Tsit Chan, A Sourcebook in Chinese Philosophy, 1963.
Tuesday, January 25, 2022
Falling down rabbit holes - The Wizard of Ahs: Nick Beggs - part 1
@ricoF I agree about Nick's basslines having that special something. It goes way beyond words to describe, but it feels like making love through sound. True love, the kind that holds your soul in their own. And is deeply sensual as well.
Saturday, January 22, 2022
What's a Leftist?
Thursday, March 11, 2021
Sunday, March 07, 2021
TERF Wars
Monday, January 25, 2021
More than nostalgia for the 1960s.
Saturday, January 23, 2021
Mando & SG-1: Aspiration and Teamwork
1-21-21
I'm watching SG-1 and listening to an awesome mix of the best music clips from both seasons of The Mandalorian.
SG-1 was on air for 10 years. I've watched interviews of the people who acted in and work on this show and it had a lot in common with all the people on The Mandalorian. But Jon and Dave in doing The Mandalorian and especially in creating the Child, baby Grogu in the Star Wars universe has tapped so deep into the consciousness it touches the infinite. That feeling you get when looking at the baby Yoda, is being in touch with the infinite. I might even call it the Force. We know when things feel good and wholesome, and when they stink. But apparently, as in all other abilities, having a good moral compass and a very astute bullshit detector is not as common as we would like to think. These are vital in being able to tell right and wrong, and knowing that is how one follows the Way. And there is a Way. You can feel it within yourself. And The Mandalorian is all about the Way. It is about caring for one another. To me, this is the way, tho it is much easier said than done.
Oh that's right. I had originally started with the thought about wanting things to be more aspirational, uplifting, trite as that sounds. I go back to the shows I watched and the way the world felt, at least to me, it was like a golden age and there are many ideals we need to recover and bring forward to today.
The lesson to learn from SG-1 is how to be a team. Each member has their strengths along with their own set of quirks. O'Neill, Jackson, Carter, and Teal'c. Would that we could find some way to do this in the groups we belong to. The goal is to not only accomplish necessary tasks but also to accomplish that sense teamwork. Something that the Japanese culture works hard to cultivate in their society. There is such a huge difference, but bridging that gap is doable and working on learning how to do that. Wish me luck.