Collage Help

Hey you, you who are reading this. Do you believe in coincidences? In the work of something beyond us? Sometimes called destiny? I cant say I did, but notice that I said "did", past-tense. Well, I really dont know what it is but it sure is something I cant explain. Yesterday was a day I sure wont forget, ever. I woke up, did my usual routine; logged on the computer to see that I had two projects coming up very shortly to which immediately went into berserk-mode. I started on a collage project that I have to do for my art appreciation class. So I got the materials went to work, after about three or four hours I was stuck and I didnt seem to have inspiration. I just wasnt flowing anymore, it didnt seem smooth. I was happy with what I had but I sure was not finished, so I decided to get inspired. I went online to see what I could find, to get my "feel". Listened to some Metallica, some Iron Butterfly, some Pantera, a little bit of everything if you will. There I was, still couldnt come to think about the project. Well, I decided I would go to Omegle, the random chat site which i barely frequent. First chat click and there I was with some stranger chatting. Now, I will paste the chat log of this conversation to let you know about this experience I had. In the first part I was a bit skeptic as to who I was chatting with. I thought it might be a computer, or a "bot". So here goes....

You're now chatting with a random stranger. Say hi!

Official messages from Omegle will not be sent with the label 'Stranger:'. Strangers claiming to represent Omegle are lying.

You: hey

Stranger: hey

You: i need some help

Stranger: perhaps i could help

You: yea

You: i hope

You: so ive got this little collage im trying to accomplish

You: and I need some damn inspiration

You: lets talk about life

Stranger: ok, lets talk about life

You: so who are you?

Stranger: i don't know, i could tell you my name but its not me just a name, would worth it?

You: what would you like to be named?

You: im asking about you

You: not the name you got :)

Stranger: then i guess i don't want to have a name

You: okay stranger

You: so how has your day been?

Stranger: tiring, everything that regularly happens has happened again, same people, same bullshit, but it rained

Stranger: yours?

You: well here the sun is out, its chilly, clear sky, strong winds..Good day to be alive

You: I have been trying to get this collage done

You: the theme, is life

Stranger: thats difficult

You: yea ive got some metallica playing at the same time

You: trying to get the gears in the head working

You: so tell me what do you do in a day like today?

Stranger: usually i'm online for a while to read e-mails but today got bored

Stranger: then i go watch some movie i've downloaded and read, even study

Stranger: you?

You: me? wake up, masturbate, watch some depressing sad news, walk the dog, start to study, stay on until i feel like i have accomplished something, go to the chive.com log off and then go work

Stranger: oh yeah, working..

Stranger: so what exactly is this collage? i mean i can't imagine right

You: okay its about 10.5 x 8

You: its got so far

You: a human brain

You: in this brain the image of the planet earth

You: its got several matchstick sperms going towards it

You: to the left its got an ad i got from a mag that says "Hold on tight. Then let yourself go." it has five holes that pretend to be handles for your fingers

You: ive got a picture of a chess board

You: thats what ive got so far

Stranger: i wish i could see it, seems fascinating

You: it sounds nice

You: i just wish i was better at arranging it

You: and putting a little more

You: ive got fire in my head

Stranger: it's already pretty interesting and it's not even done yet...

You: i want to put that there but i have the matchstick

You: i dont know

You: it doesnt feel done you know?

Stranger: yeah, i sure know

You: im very sloppy and rough with art i cant seem fine and clean

Stranger: i did something kinda similar last year, it was pictures of models who are already dead, like the 70's mixed with chairs, grapes and buildings

Stranger: my mom doesnt really like it

You: ohh sounds nice

You: ha why?

Stranger: seriously, its not really nice at the first time

Stranger: but i like it, because they look pretty natural, i mean, their faces

Stranger: they dont want to be beautiful, they just are

Stranger: nowadays, they are all desperate

You: yea i get you

You: reminds me of a poem

You: if only i could remember

You: it

You: its

You: about this woman that died and is inside her casket

You: and the narrator is talking about how all of her life the woman tried to be beautiful

You: to fit the standards

You: finally, at death she is beautiful

Stranger: oh just like that tom waits song! " and now shes dead, shes do dead...shes dead and lovely now.."

Stranger: so*

You: havent heard it...

You: but yea i just figured i have life in the collage but not death

You: im thinking a skeleton

Stranger: i want to see it, perhaps you could take a pic?

Stranger: i'm not curious, but now i feel like i am

You: haha

You: okay

You: let me take a pic

Stranger: oh thank you!

You: kay it will be a sec

Stranger: thats ok, i'm here

Stranger: its taking an eternity haha

You: haha

You: sorry

Stranger: nnah, that's ok, did it work?

You: yea

You: im uploading it

You: ive got the poem i was telling you about right now

You: http://www.americanpoems.com/poets/Marge-Piercy/7926

Stranger: Doesn't she look pretty? everyone said.
Consummation at last.

Stranger: thank you, its pretty cool

You: is it somehow like the song?

You: flickr is taking its fucking time

Stranger: the song is a bit different but i guess death is always the same

Stranger: http://www.oldielyrics.com/lyrics/tom_waits/dead_and_lovely.html

You: http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5176/5426577684_97c4368292_b.jpg

You: done!

You: well not the damn collage

You: it needs work

Stranger: =)

You: i need something dark on it

Stranger: show me show me show me show me

You: ha well i dont know what

You: death, night, something else

You: i want to label the numbers on the brain picture

Stranger: show me because thats like a torment, i need to see it

You: see what?

Stranger: the picture

You: http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5176/5426577684_97c4368292_b.jpg

You: i had posted the link earlier

Stranger: yes you have, i didnt see, sorry

You: haha

Stranger: they do look like sperms

You: haha YES!

You: ive got one wandering off, looking at the picture

You: with message

You: to me its sort of like the different being

You: the one who thinks

You: the ubermunchen

Stranger: i see something different, i guess its because this weird phase of my life but, i see more like you have nothing because you are everything

Stranger: like you don't have a table because you are the table and the walls, and the birds whatever

Stranger: you know, the brain and the earth

You: damn, your words got to my life!

You: im sort of in the same

You: i never thought of it like that

You: maybe its the soul speaking thru the art of how i really feel

You: ive got so many things i do and i dont feel like i am destined for one

You: thanks

Stranger: it sure is the art speaking

Stranger: i think a lot about that, in fact, i'm writing about it but it has been hard

Stranger: its looong story..

You: damn you left me speechless

You: i write too you know

You: in a damn blog that nobody visits :0

Stranger: hahahha me too!

Stranger: but thats ok, i write just to take it out of my brain anyways

Stranger: now, this thing i told you, i told myself i would try harder and be serious about it

Stranger: so i intend to finish it

Stranger: and it will take suffering

You: ohh man

You: i write about things in my life, sort of like a diary?

You: i dont know

Stranger: could you show me?

You: sure

Stranger: thank you

You: http://davesinternetzpage.blogspot.com/

You: ha

Stranger: oh spanish?

Stranger: oh also spanish

You: english and spanish

You: there is some in english and some in spanish

Stranger: yeah, now i noticed, i liked that

You: u know spanish?

Stranger: not much, some words i can undertand because i don't really speak english

Stranger: i speak portuguese

Stranger: understand*

You: ohh that is cool

Stranger: so i'm reading you now David

You: yes, thats me name

Stranger: They had forgotten that these people were just like anyone else, a human being, a spirit, a force. The generations came and went, with this a bigger population. The silence that was instilled in the sad, terrorized, faces of the slaves slowly but surely became into a whisper, a murmur, and gradually into a voice. The silence was broken forever, the giant awoke. What had always been there became evident. They were here and there. And just as sparks of wild fire spread here and there flying up in the air carried with the wind; the African American had stood up

Stranger: this is beautiful!

You: your going to make me cry!

Stranger: whys that?

Stranger: i'm following you

You: nobody had read my stuff

You: where are you from? if you speak portugese?

Stranger: brazil, são paulo

You: ohh cool

You: i mostly write about music

You: but there are days that demand to be written about other things

You: you write in english or portuguese?

Stranger: portuguese mostly, once i wrote something in english but don't know where it is now, i'll look for it

You: ohh okay, im going to have to learn portuguese to read you

Stranger: hahaha

You: :)

Stranger: when i found it, you're gonna be the first one to read it

Stranger: since its in a paper somewhere

You: okay thanks

You: how do you know english?

Stranger: i decided to study it

You: ohh and you are doing well!

Stranger: but i like languages in general

You: you know what is a very interesting language?

You: sign language

You: for deaf people

You: i studied it

Stranger: hahahaha i cant believe it, thats a coincidence

Stranger: i was searching for that right now

Stranger: in fact, you are the coincidence since i'm never online and then you exist tonight when i am

You: really?

Stranger: life scares me

You: haha yes

You: haha its weird

You: speechless again : )

Stranger: you don't have to say anything, you're the first human being i'm actually talking to in three weeks, and i'm not even talking, i'm typing!

You: haha

You: yes!

You: why is that so? you havent spoke to anyone in three weeks?

Stranger: i'm a mission, like i kinda told you before

You: ohh

You: i wanted to try that before

Stranger: i need to write about the truth of things, about the meaning of everything around me, because sometimes i do feel like i am everything and i need to prove i'm not insane, still i need a time apart from world

Stranger: so all i do is mostly read and write, like i mission

You: yes i see

You: have you studied philosophy?

Stranger: i don't want, i need to be someone better, for that, understanding and suffering

You: filosofia

Stranger: a little bit

Stranger: like thoreau did

You: it is filled with people like you, that go on a mission

Stranger: and mostly of them got some answer, i hope i'll understand something...

Stranger: but it's a long long long story

You: oh yes, long story

You: you think you will find an answer?

Stranger: i don't know for sure, i think it's more like transcendence

Stranger: you feel, the words come..

You: yea

You: i have a friend

You: that wrote something about the origin of life

You: you want to read? it is loooong

Stranger: yes i do, i may not read now but i sure will, everything i can read about will be interesting

You: http://cborngracemusik.blogspot.com/

Stranger: thanks again

You: we study together

You: we formed a philosophy club here in our university

Stranger: how old are you, Dave?

You: 20

Stranger: oh you're a child =)

You: u?

Stranger: 18

Stranger: hahaha ok not funny

You: haha why?

Stranger: i was kidding

You: haha okay

Stranger: and hey

Stranger: you know i will lose you forever, right?

You: i dont think so

You: you are now living in this instant, in my imagination

You: even if you were not real

You: i have you forever in my mind

You: in words

You: that is all i need : )

Stranger: that was beautiful

Stranger: i don't wanna lose you, i wanna add you, thats ok if you don't want to and also i may not be online as often as i wish but i could try to be

You: thats cool

You: i wanna add you

Stranger: ok, thats my msn: "I will leave this out ; ) "

You: okay!

You: got it

Stranger: mostly because i need to see your collage finished

Stranger: :)

You: haha

You: yes, i completely forgot about it

You: now i know what i need to put in it

Stranger: and what is it?

You: well, i guess you will have to see it at the end? ; )

Stranger: oh...ok, i guess i can control myself untill there

Stranger: haha

You: yes

You: what time is it in brazil?

Stranger: 21:56

You: here it is 17:57

Stranger: huge difference!

Stranger: the sky is all black

Stranger: no starts, no wind

Stranger: stars*

Stranger: theres some red far away

Stranger: what about there?

You: here there is light still

You: it is blue sky

Stranger: a good day to be alive

You: yes indeed!

You: i hate not seeing stars

You: when i was a kid in my country i could see the stars at night and many other things

Stranger: now you can't?

You: not here in this country

You: i live in US

Stranger: where are you from?

You: mexico

Stranger: oh cool!

You: yes

You: you have lived in brazil all your life?

Stranger: yes i have

Stranger: in the same city

You: ohh you feel like sometimes running from it?

You: i know i do here

Stranger: sometimes i do

Stranger: but then i thought that the funny thing about feeling lost and sad is that you can be lost and sad everywhere

You: feeling sad and lonely?

You: you are saying that you can feel like that anywhere? yea, i agree

Stranger: yes, thats it

You: i was going to say something but i forgot

You: haha

Stranger: haha

You: i was going to say

You: that if you believe in reincarnation?

Stranger: i do believe

You: my friend was saying about instances in life when you feel like you know someone from somewhere even though you have met them for the first time

You: or when you feel like deja vu

You: or you have a connection with someone

Stranger: yeah, these are things that makes sense not manking sence

Stranger: making*

You: well he wrote about these things

You: that in past life you knew this person

Stranger: i like to think someday i'll meet someone who probably have alread met me

Stranger: it would be easier to talk

Stranger: and the eyes would say much, i'm too lazy to say things

You: that if you feel like you in this life you have to search for answers, for something else

You: that this will probably be your last life before you return to the place where your soul will stay

You: i like this vision

Stranger: oh my god

Stranger: i'm totally screwd

You: haha why?

Stranger: i am this person who need to find something else

Stranger: and in 18 years i haven't

Stranger: oh my god

You: naa

You: you have much more time

You: you have lives to do so

You: rome was not conquered in one day

Stranger: but, i'll die and...and i'm scared!

You: which is beautiful because you get to do life again

You: to do new things

You: to improve

You: you can, in one life, advance a lot

You: come back, if you have to, and finish

Stranger: but Dave, i'm doing this because i want to live a truthful life, i want to be pure, never lie, respecting myself and controling the wild feelings

Stranger: the problems is that the world doesnt help

Stranger: and in the next life

Stranger: it will get worse!

You: i feel the same, but you have to have hope that it will be better

You: i know i feel like letting loose sometimes

You: and i do

You: and it feels horrible

You: because you go against your morale

You: and then you say again, i will try, and then again you do the same

You: but you can do it

Stranger: will you try again and not give up?

You: well, anything that is natural to human beings cannot be entirely wrong

You: i try everyday

You: and small steps do it

You: but it is better to be conscious of your life and know that you can do better than to not know

Stranger: you are right, cannot be entirely wrong

You: there is an old hindu story

You: about a god who visited earth to see what life was like in earth

You: he took the form of a pig

You: and was happy living in earth

You: he had food to eat

You: place to stay

You: family

You: he had everything

You: he eventually forgot that he was a god

You: that he had come to the world only to experience life on earth

You: he did not want to come back

You: and his fellow friends in the heavens, other gods, wanted him to remember

You: that he was not a pig

You: that he had to come back, to come to his true form

You: but the god did not want because he loved his new life

You: he was killed one day and returned to the heavens

You: there, he still missed his good life

You: but knew that he was not living like he was supposed to

You: he was happy to experience that life

You: moral of the story

You: is that just like him, the gods, we forget about our purpose, of our origins with all the good things here, but eventually we can and will remember

Stranger: that is the most beautiful story i've ever heard

Stranger: i mean, read

Stranger: and its so real and sad

You: ha

You: i think it is happy, it gives me hope

You: another cool thing about hindu faith

You: it is the oldest religion in the planet

You: and their ancient scriptures talk about a message that was received from the skies to their prophets

You: thru deep meditation

You: the message was that sound of our lives, the sound of life, the sound of the world was OHM

You: ohm

You: this is the sound they received from the sky

You: and that is why they recite this sound in prayer

You: it is the sound of life

You: well

You: surprisingly enough

You: ohm is the sound that the earth, the planet, produces when it spins in its axis

You: when the earth spins in its orbit it produces a deep very little sound

You: that sounds like

You: OHM

Stranger: didn't know that, i'm amazed

You: that got me when i first read it

You: i knew that there was more to this life at that point

You: there is many truths in world religions but there is also lots of distortion

Stranger: have you ever actually felt the "around" you?

You: explain

Stranger: Dave

Stranger: i'll live you now

Stranger: leave

You: ?

You: why

Stranger: showers

Y Ahora Que?

Si han estado siguiendo esta saga, sabran entonces que pues yo soy un vato. Tengo veinte años y unos diez meses viviendo en este planeta tierra. Yo naci el trece de diciembre de mil-novecientos-noventa, un lunes, como a las diez u once de la mañana en el municipio de Uruapan en Michoacan, Mexico. Y asi, entre varias complicaciones de parto fue que yo finalmente sali ese dia en el hospital que esta frente de el parque Nacional. Se que existen razones por las que yo vine a este mundo, porque soy parte de aquellos que aun todavia no llegan al nirvana. Se que en esta vida tengo que ser mejor que en la anterior. A eso vine, a mejorar mi espiritu y para eso tengo que seguir una vida ejemplar. Esto, no por impresionar a alguien mas, si no, para que sea liberado. Bueno, a muy temprana edad yo recuerdo ser bastante curioso sobre muchas cosas. Recuerdo ser muy precoz, era bastante solitario, vivia a mi manera. Recuerdo un dia que me quize ir a limpiar parabrisas para ganar dinero, esto fue aproximadamente a los cinco. Tambien, dice por ahi, que agarre las joyas de mi madre y me sali a regalarlas a la gente (esto no se cumplio ya que una amiga de mi madre me lo impidio.) Yo creci con mi madre, mi abuelita, mis dos hermanos, y un perro. Asi fue que recibi mis primeras lecciones de vida. Creci viendo el canal cinco, en su gloria de los noventas. Mire todas las caricaturas de esa epoca, tambien ahi recicibi mis primeras influencias. Luego llego la escuela. Yo pienso que en la escuela es en donde me hice un poco mala persona. Las malas influencias, los malos habitos, la verguenza, el temor, el amor, y algunas otras cosas se me gravaron en la mente durante estos doce largos años de mi vida. Cometi el error de tratar de ser parte de los grupos mas populares. Cometi el error de lastimar los sentimientos de algunas personas inocentes. Vaya, hice de todo. Creo que nunca en verdad me llegue a conocer a mi mismo. No sabia quien era, cada dia era alguien diferente. Y no me gustaba. No me encontraba porque gracias a las fuerzas externas e internas de mis alrededores me daba miedo ser como yo era. Tenia miedo de ser tema de burla, tenia miedo de no gustarle a la gente, tenia miedo. Es asi, que la escuela me dejo muy confundido hacia mi persona. Era bueno como estudiante pero pesimo en mi mismo.
En algun periodo de estos doce años tuve que mudarme hacia otra nacion. Igual que miles de familias de America Latina tuvimos que dejar nuestro hogar para ir a un lugar foreño. Llegue a Houston, Texas con mi familia completa; mi padre que todo este tiempo estaba viviendo en California decidio ir por nosotros a Uruapan e irnos a vivir a Texas. A Texas llegue, llegue y no sabia ni que era que, era otro mundo. Era bastante raro, aqui no habia los lagos, los rios, los arboles, los animales, y ni la gente que habia en Uruapan. No me gustaba. No me acomstumbraba. Queria regresar. Pero como cualquier sueño que tiene uno en una noche profunda se fue hiendo a lo profundo de mi descanso. Aveces soñaba con Uruapan, soñaba en regresar a ver a aquel lugar que si conocia. Queria ver a mi abuelita, a mi perro, y la gente. Tres años se fueron volando aca en el gabacho y yo todavia con la ilusion de regresar. En este punto de mi vida el regresar se habia convertido en un premio si es que iba a la escuela y me portaba bien. Como regalo de dia de reyes me llego la noticia de que regresariamos ya a Uruapan. Emocionado me encontraba al saber esto, todo iba a ser tal y como lo era. Pero como cualquier otro regalo que te dan en Dia de Reyes, este tambien tenia que durarme muy poco tiempo.
Llegamos, otra vez, a el lugar que todos conocian. Todos felicez, todo igual a la normalidad. Todo seria igual. Pero no. La situacion economica estaba mal, el dinero se acabo. No teniamos fuentes de ingreso para sostenernos como familia. Todo empezo mal. Depues mi abuelita se enfermo y murio. Aquella señora de piel blanca y pelo gris, con lentes grandes, manos grandes y arrugadas, su chal, su andadera, su olor a longevidad no los volvia a experimentar jamas. Se fueron. Desvanecieron. No llore. No se me daba. No se que habia pasado. Se fue.
Ahora si, sin dinero y con la moral baja pues no habia nada mas que hacer en Uruapan. Todo estaba perdido. Para que quedarnos si no habia nada alentador?
De regreso a el lugar donde la carrera nunca termina. Si pudiera describir a los Estados Unidos lo pondria asi. Es un lugar frio, un sotano, donde existen demasiadas personas buscando la felicidad, todas en el mismo cuarto. Todas gritando, tratando de aventajar en una carrera en donde no se ve el premio. Asi como una carrera de perros donde los perros siguen a el conejo. Todos amontonados, tratando de salir de la meta; pero es imposible. Los que si logran salir arrastrandose se paran y comienzan a trotar solo para ser derribados por alguien mas que trata de aventajar. Y asi, y asi. Todo este espectaculo entreteniendo a las gradas donde se encuentran los hombres blancos mas poderosos de el mundo, los mas ricos. Ellos dictan cuando empieza la carrera, cuando termina, quien gana, y quien pierde. Ellos deciden quien se puede acercar a la meta, solo para dejar a ese pobre imbecil sentir la gloria. Y despues, agotado de el cansancio Muere. Esta imagen es este lugar. Ultimamente, los dueños de las vidas son ellos.
Bueno, en que estaba? Ahh, si. De regreso, aqui llegamos otra vez a lo mismo. Escuela. por otros seis años segui en lo mismo. Hasta que me gradue. Sali y entre a el colegio. Aqui conoci a la filosofia. Esta materia de la vida me facino. Yo le dije a mi profesor, "Esta es la unica clase con la que me e podido relacionar y en verdad entender. Y estoy hablando desde el dia en que empece la escuela!" Si, es mucho tiempo para poder al fin llegar a algo familiar. Llegue a algo que se sentia como aquellos recuerdos que tengo de Uruapan. Aquellas personas, lugares, y circumstancias que tanto adoro solo existen en mi memoria. Todo aquello que algun dia fue en realidad hoy en dia no existe en materia, solo en fragmentos de recuerdos. Con eso me conformo. Pero, asi sigo. Con la filosofia. Con la vida. Con los seres vivientes y no vivientes. Sigo en la carrera; vivo.

A New Start

With a new year comes changes. Many changes. I am at the time of my life where I am beginning to experience independence. I am trying to experience new things in every aspect of my life. Yes, everything. I really do not care much for what happens, I know I will be okay somehow. Anyways, I have made major changes in my life I am beginning to see myself in the future. So, with this new year I have a lot more chances to experience life to the fullest of my potential. I have secluded myself from people who were of a negative influence in my persona. I plan to be as honest as I can to everyone, including myself. I expect nothing but good things from these changes. Okay, so enough of me.

Today is Monday, January 17 2010. I am here, in some city of Texas. It is cold, grey skies, and there is not much to do today. The reason behind everyone's lazy Monday is a holiday. Here in America we have sort of a "Free" day; a free day meaning as in no school or for some, no work. It is Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Martin Luther King Jr. was a civil rights activist that fought for the equality of his people, the African American. He was a religious activist that was the voice of the oppressed during the 60's. The 60's was the decade that marked the beginning of the end of obscurity for the Black community. There had always been black people in America ever since slavery began. Time progressed and everything was the same, except that the slaves began to become familiar to this land. Generations and generations of families were born in the land where they had been taken against their will. For the next years these people would pretty much become part of the nation. They were always there, always present, but they were never really noticed. Crimes were committed upon these individuals for the only excuse of being what they were. They were black, they were slaves, they were not human beings, but a tool a means to an end. Slaves were used for one sole purpose; to work. The life of a slave was simple; be born, work, reproduce and die. In between the stages of life nothing but horrible treatments for most of these human beings. It was truly horrible. But as always, for human beings, the rule will always apply. Human beings will always seek knowledge and a better condition for him and his offspring. That was something that the rulers of the slaves were unaware of, of human nature. They had forgotten that these people were just like anyone else, a human being, a spirit, a force. The generations came and went, with this a bigger population. The silence that was instilled in the sad, terrorized, faces of the slaves slowly but surely became into a whisper, a murmur, and gradually into a voice. The silence was broken forever, the giant awoke. What had always been there became evident. They were here and there. And just as sparks of wild fire spread here and there flying up in the air carried with the wind; the African American had stood up. The short lives of these sparks became a model to follow for the rest. Now, everyone had looked up to the sky and seen the wonders of what could happen. The lives of men and women who said a big Fuck You to the rules became fuel for the fire. Individuals that sacrificed themselves to prove that it was not correct. Amongst the many in history that you might know one African American made a huge impact in the 60s. Martin Luther King Jr. At a time when the Black Community could not find a secure voice to speak of their needs came Reverend King. He envisioned a future full of hope and equality. King, being the spark of fire that got to be carried by the wind, had to extinguish. He was killed, but the voice of the Blacks had now been found. Today, more than forty years after his life what can be said?

Thank You

So, my questions, to whoever is still out there reading this for pleasure is...

Has anything changed?

Is there still slaves here in the United States?

Who are the new Slaves?

Where is the voice?

Have we learned anything?

Comments?

I leave this post with one thing. 

"One Day"

More Stuff

So another Monday and I have just the thing for today. A while ago I was asked this question in one of my school assignments.

• An interesting relationship is the one between reason and faith, religion and science.  Since reason & science are often paired in opposition to faith & religion, people often have strong feelings about both, loving one while hating the other, on both sides. Share your own thoughts on the relationship between faith and reason, science and religion.  Where does reason end and faith begin?  Or, are the two inseparable?  Can one help the other or are they necessarily opposites?  Do you even accept faith at all as a viable means of gaining answers or do you have to see in order to accept something as truth?  Are you comfortable believing that there are some things humans will never figure out the answers to through reason and science? (The first answer was at the beginning of the semester and the second was at the end of the semester, it is a compare and contrast of how much we had grown in religious terms.)

·         Reason is when you see something, experience it, understand it, and finally live with it. Faith is more like a feeling; you know you have it, sometimes hard to control, it is not reasonable sometimes. The mind can make do of both, reason comes from understanding your experiences, and faith comes from the unknown, untamed side of the mind. We don’t exercise this concept a lot, we do not use it enough to feel it completely, experience it completely, let alone understand it. Both of these have their proper field where one does not usually cross into the other. Science and Religion do not go hand in hand; the same applies when talking comparing Reason and Faith. Just like in Algebra we solve for the unknown variable, life seems to follow the same pattern. For anything we cannot solve use Faith, faith helps us solve many of the world’s greatest enigmas. It has been done so for millions of years, should we change what works for us humans? Is there some way to evolve from our way of thinking? Who knows? I have faith that we can.

·         Now that I somewhat understand some of the spiritual side of this world I can truly make a fair judgment. Science and Reason can sometimes NOT agree, they go well most of the times when trying to solve many problems faced by humans. Faith and Religion, in my eyes, are very much like Science and Reason. If we take a look at how things were done years before science and reason were developed we can see that people were already trying to explain things by faith and religion. Yes, they had the curiosity and ventured to ask things such as, “Why does it rain?” In efforts to explain this event people formulated a scheme were a god existed and gave them water for the crops. This can be seen as a very basic step in the Scientific Method. They formulated that because it rained, the gods were happy and wanted their people to live joyous. When it did not rain, they asked the same question, “Why does it not rain?” So, again they came up with the theory that it was their god being unhappy with them. So, (at least in my country) the people would find out ways to make the gods happy. Some would sacrifice, some would pray, and eventually as the years came and the methods were perfected many more methods came about. Sometimes they worked, sometimes they did not; but it was this way that Faith and Religion worked to solve the unexplainable. Years later people would eventually set off fireworks that reached the skies and filled the atmosphere with the burnt produce of combustion. Who knew that by setting off a firework in the sky, that the reaction would produce a chemical imbalance in the air that may produce precipitation? So we cannot discard the fact that it has been faith and religion that has brought upon science and reason to existence.

What would you answer if asked the same?

Old School

Hello there, its been very hectic the past days for I havent had time to write in here. So, in efforts to keep this place as alive as possible I am posting stuff I wrote in the past. All of these things I will post have been works I have done in the past and I dont consider them that good. I think that they are alright and not so very clear. You might have to research a little to understand what I am talking about. So here goes!

Descartes Reviewed
(Find his Meditations here)

Rene Descartes was a French philosopher who wrote the controversial Meditations in 1641. At the time his work was majorly criticized, in this era, religion had much more power and say. This is how when he released his work, the church and many religious leaders opposed  and frowned upon some of the declarations made in this well thought out series of meditations. A statement that is controversial in today’s society, but powerful, is in the Third Meditation. The third meditation basically states that God, is true and that it is the highest degree. Which cannot go be fully understood without one of Descartes criteria for finding what is true. Descartes designs a “system” to prove that what one experiences is in fact real of not, he calls this “clear and distinct”. If something like a cup of water is clear and distinct it must feel to the senses as clear and distinct but also to the mind. So, back to the matter at hand, in the Third Meditation, Descartes makes the declaration that god is and must be “clear and distinct”. This declaration has a few errors, for one; How can one be “clear and distinct” about god if you cannot experience him, and two; this whole work by Descartes was published at a time where thinking otherwise would mean death. So you see the problems that arise when one truly thinks not only about the matter at hand but furthermore from the subject and its surroundings. Descartes like St. Anselm, set a very childish argument, one which is practically set up as to where you are wrong if you oppose the belief that God is in fact “that than which nothing greater can be conceived”. Descartes takes this same basic principle and only modifies the wording. God is not in fact “clear and distinct” if it was we could experience him and know for fact his existence. In addition, what kind of God, if not one that does not wish to deceive us, does not make himself “clear and distinct”, why must we suffer in the search for his love? Perhaps finding the so called unmoved mover, is the path to enlightenment? Whatever might be the case, one really might never know. However, one thing that is certain is of the oppression that Descartes and many other thinkers during this era faced if they ever dared to oppose the church. Many great thinkers were burned alive for thinking that the earth was round, and even worse to think that this God whom they were forced to venerate was in fact real. The one thing that history teaches us is that one mustn’t go on the contrary of powerful entities like the government or church; for it is only death that follows this disobedience. So this is why Descartes whole arguments seem weaker when one really puts the historical context in play. Descartes theories have reinforced many believes out there but it CAN be argued that it is based on oppression.