Waxing Poetically: News and Lifestyle with a Twist of Poetry

In my view, when it comes to beliefs and perspectives, no one is really one thing or another and neither is he or she completely defined as one group, party, culture or experience because all people only have their own unique point of view from which they draw conclusions that really cannot be “known” by anyone but through specific experiences.

The video below argues very deliberately that conformity is in fact a kind of deformity of logic by which nothing is ever questioned, examined or debated effectively because of the belief holders’ unwillingness to waver on ANY stance even when there is evidence to the contrary. In plain English, only a willingness to be proven wrong enables a person to be right. The speaker is Gennady Stolyarov II of one of my favorite today.com blogs The Progress of Liberty. He is featured in my previous post listing my favorite today.com blogs.

Why You Will Disagree With Me and Why This is Not a Problem by Gennady Stolyarov II

This one is a little boggling, so take your time and wax rationally in your comments.

Hey, Folks! I’m happily and rejoicingly able to inform you that the new blog Art from the Outskirts has been approved! It will be up within the next two days and I’m hoping will be a great success. My goal is to present the arts from unique and some what otherworldly perspectives. By doing so I mean to showcase work that may push your minds a bit further than you would have thought possible before arriving at the “outskirts.”

Let me emphasize that I do not wish to conflate or confuse the term “outskirts” with the “edge” that has dominated popular culture with its overextended and exploitive lexicon of commercial soft drinks, movies, music - and those goth kids on your block who are ravenously starving for that moment when their overworked, barely apparent parents say, “hello” to them. Rather, I refer to that place in art that makes us cringe and smirk with the same first glance or listening. It is in truth, that part of us that wants to “go there” with out any fear of what may lie ahead which interests me most. Art from the Outskirts‘ objective is to take that random detour you’ve always considered but never taken.

So join me, won’t you? You’ve always wanted to come along and now you can! I promise the worst that will happen is that you should gain a well-exercised mind! You might even wax poetically!

Coming up: Oscar Wilde’s Lecture to Art Students and What it Means Today

It’s been a while since I last gave you a poem to digest. So tonight,the piece below is a dedication to the Rap, Poetry and Music Club and Slam team of the college of SUNY New Paltz (RPM) and to all the writers and bloggers that compose my readership who believe fervantly and passionately in the power of words. The setting is in a lounge area where my friends and I shared some of our deepest hopes and concerns through verse every Tuesday night.

“These Walls: A Dedication”

Forever and ever!

Waxy, waxy everywhere and just enough to think!

The paradox of free will and freedom to choose good versus evil is surely an age-old dilemma since the very beginning of existence from all angles, the question of why we do what we do, and why we make the decisions we make . It’s all very strange and disconcerting. The following argument was initially my attempt to solve this problem but in the end, it was all much more a comedy than a solution. It contrasts animal instinct against human ingenuity and makes the case that though we human beings do have the ability to make logical choices, that can never assure that we will decide to do so.

In the Biblical Garden of Eden when God told Adam and Eve not to eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, the two were inevitably tempted toward it, with wide-eyed, childlike precociousness and when given a pass by the guile and tricks of the serpent, they felt it reason enough to throw all God’s rules aside even when God had told them verbatim they would surely die. Both Adam and Eve risked death to embrace the most base and immediate desires, rather than listen a logical argument which if followed though would guarantee eternal life with no further thoughts, questions, instructions or payment needed. Now that’s a deal that seemingly not even the most ravenous game show player could refuse (even if Howie Mandel were hosting).

Yet, somehow, someway, somewhere in the deepest, blackest recesses of our minds, we human beings will still reach the forbidden fruit. We are often the the ones to laugh at danger. While the the other creatures retire to the comfort of their caves, holes and nests, We wrestle alligators and hunt bears for the thrill. While the birds of the sky fly south to escape the harsh air of winter, we prodigious, fun-loving and earth-walking homosapiens who have not even the slightest natural ability to fly, volunteer to jump out of planes and “almost” die by allowing gravity to hurl and tumble our bodies to ground and at the proper time, pulling open our “death saving” parachute in order that we prevent our untimely (but quite likely under normal circumstances) deaths; and While the unwitting beasts of the wild instinctively scavenge for the proper food to best fit their nutritional daily recommended allowances, humans fumbling though their refrigerators will say a hardy, “f*** you” to the broccoli on their left and instead snatch up the “one third of a baby cow” angus burger to their right. Finally, lest we forget the paradox of human relationships. Unlike Johnny Bumble Bee and Felicia Fox who are likely in search of the strongest, smartest and healthiest mates in the hive or pack, the young men of our time often notice that the ladies love the bad boys, dropouts and beer swillers.

The examples are many and though this post is partly in jest, it is nevertheless based fully on real life observations. The anguish and absurdity of this shot essay is factual and shows freedom of choice might actually be a kind of cosmic joke. If so, God, or at the very least, nature is awesomely hilarious!

In closing Below is the parable “Good God, Evil God” by Khalil Gibran from his book The Madman to put all the points discussed together without making anyone’s brain short out. Read it carefully and with much thought. See what meaning you can take from it. What does it say to you about the nature of man? What does it say for man’s concept of God?

“The Good God and the Evil God”

The Good God and the Evil God met on the mountain top.

The Evil God walked away cursing the stupidity of man.

Keep waxin’ folks! I’ll be here.

Hello, My Blogheads! I’m writing to invite you all to my new blog that is currently pending review. It will be an all arts-based blog called Art from the Outskirts featuring the most unique, innovative and sometimes little-known art, music, performance and creative literature of today. Everything from interviews and biographies to gallery reviews an musical masterpieces will be fair game.

The site will be broken down into several segments:

Profiles will feature a bio of a particular individual or group to make an impact in any of the arts.

Perspectives will tell the artist’s vision though his or her own lens.

In Review will give be my personal take on a particular work and will likely be the most first person oriented of all the sections.

In A Picture in Words I will write a short piece based solely from my analysis of a single picture.

Beyond these, I’m really just opening myself to whatever little muse may come my way. But until that time comes, I’m very content to wax poetically! Stay tuned!

The San Francisco Chronicle is reporting today that a federal judge has ruled from a 2005 suit filed by several Christian high schools that the University of California is fully permitted to disallow credits from any high school courses whose texts propagate the infallibility of religious arguments in place of empirical or historical evidence and do not allow critical thinking.

According to District Judge James Otero of Los Angeles, he does not begrudge any school the right to teach religion, but draws a clear line when arguments of Biblical infallibility are stated as facts in the text. Examples include Biology for Christian Schools which unabashedly opines on the first page that “if (scientific) conclusions contradict the Word of God, the conclusions are wrong” and Christianity’s Influence on America which according to one UC professor on the course review committee, the primary text, published by Bob Jones University, “instructs that the Bible is the unerring source for analysis of historical events.” UC standards deny credit from any courses which include religious doctrine as fact and exclude current scientific theory.

Christian schools claim that UC’s code infringes on religious freedom. “It appears the UC is attempting to secularize private religious schools,” said attorney Jennifer Monk of Advocates for Faith and Freedom. Yet, UC does allow texts which advocate religious views when used in a companion or supplemental capacity for analytical purposes. Judge Otero also made it clear that he felt that after review, the plaintiff presented no evidence and Christian school students were being denied admission into UC based on their religious orientations or personal beliefs.

It appears as if this kind of thing is happening - where religious beliefs creep into text books and squash, pummel, mutilate rational thought all too often. I was personally unaware that this was major issue. Even as a believer in Biblical teachings, I’ve always appoached the Bible from the context in which it was written and have very quickly and easily found that while it contains brilliant philosophy in my view, it has absolutely NO science in it whatsoever and any historical data therein must be verifiable outside of Biblical texts in order to carry any weight at all. As for the Bible’s infallibility, a consensus as has yet to be settled - and while as a practicing Catholic I fully believe the Truth of God is infallible, I still find interpretations of what that Truth is to be varied at best.

With that said, I have taken Courses in which religious text were to be read as literary works, such as The Inferno, Fear and Trembling and even the Bible itself. I can only tell you that reading the books this way allowed me to have a clearer understanding of what I believe and any restriction on free thought would have probably crippled my faith rather than uplifted and sustained it. Any such prohibition, to me, turns God into some kind of magical, Orwellian Big Brother clone. The very idea makes me want to vomit a bit. Faith by indoctrination is no different than slavery and mind control. Christian’s: If you really want to teach people the Gospel say, “This is what I believe” and leave the rest to your students… PERIOD!

Today, I’d like pose a question to you: What makes a law really work? Is it the law itself or is it the citizenry’s belief in the correctness and morality of a law that makes each law possible to be upheld?

Last night, while chatting with my friend online, I asked her about a her previous statement she made several weeks ago saying she agreed with certain Mormon beliefs. On, in particular, is the belief in a mandated family bonding time. I replied telling her in short that I don’t think mandates work and that for any law to be followed or adopted it must be agreed upon by the majority society or it will fail..

To illustrate I’ll use the topic of abortion. Right now in the U.S. it is legal to have an abortion to terminate a pregnancy. Why? Currently many Americans hold up the 1973 Supreme Court ruling of Roe v. Wade to maintain that because a woman has an autonomous right to do what she wishes in regard to her body, she may to such ends, abort an unborn fetus as it is part of that body.

However, many people identify the same fetus as being a potential human life. Pro-lifers feel very strongly about this and oppose abortion seeing it as a form of preemptive murder. They feel therefore the only sensible thing to do is to make abortion illegal and thereby nourish a culture of life. Their argument is one of hope, optimism and good will toward all life, one that says, “Welcome to the world, Precious Child!” It assumes once a child is born, one of two things will happen: His or her parents will have a change of heart, or the unready parents will give him or her to an adoption agency that will care for him or her in the place of the parents.

Yet, when examining the original argument of how laws can only be maintained if the public by in large accepts them. That is to say for example, we don’t steal, killor lie, not because there are a multitude of laws prohibiting these, but because our moral compasses tell us these actions are wrong. Otherwise, we are nothing more than disingenuous, manipulative and downright evil people.

So, now examine the pro-life argument from the latter point of view. Much of the country is pro-choice. Assuming that the abortion law is overturned, unwanted children would be forced to be born to parents who didn’t want them. Next, those parents would most likely want to give them up. Then consider that an average of one million pregnancies that would have been aborted would then result in new children. Are the adoption agencies ready to handle such a huge influx of children? Are those who would be forced to have children even fit to make a judgment on the matter? It seems clear that many people (the same people who are likely to have abortions) are just are not ready for the kind of whirlwind the overturning of Roe v. Wade would call into existence.

Simply think of all the laws that have been passed through the years. The more radical they were, the longer they took to take hold in society. Abolition of slavery led to Jim Crow laws, voting rights, led to some towns’ prejudice against blacks and women. Making a law is never enough. The people must believe in that law for any significant, prolific and palpable change to happen. As Victor Hugo once said so rightly. “There is nothing more powerful than an idea whose time has come,” Yet, My Friends, that idea can only adhere itself when and if the masses are ready for its arrival.

Until we meet again…keep waxin’ and think a little too!

Photo: Most Holy Name of Jesus Parish, Pittsburg, PA

Apparently, the Archdiocese of Cincinnati has drawn up a list of inappropriate behaviors which its priests must avoid if they want to love and serve their Lord. The list includes kissing, hugging, tickling and even wrestling and makes only a few exceptions for friendly gestures such as handshakes, pats on the back and high fives. The list comes in response to a recent earnest and sorrowful apology by the Pope this past year for years unrecognized abuse the Church. Victim advocacy groups are generally in support of the measure.

Yet, my contention is this: With all respect to victim advocacy, is there something to be said about a society who tells its children that priests, police, doctors and parents are perfect people who can do wrong? While I understand that emotional trauma can easily silence a victim, (even for 30 years or more) shouldn’t children be told that bad behavior is bad behavior NO MATTER who the victimizer is? I think it was best said by the late George Carlin in his book When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops when he reminded Catholic children to speak up by kicking such priests in the groin and saying, “F*** you, Father! I don’t do that!” and then running away and TELLING EVERYBODY! It is that simple!

So I beg you, Catholics! For “the love of God,” tell your kids the truth and raise them with common sense and of course… wax poetically!

Love
When you think of China, what comes to mind? You might think of something well-known or partially stereotypical such as fried rice or kung-fu, even acupuncture. But did any of you think of eight- minute speed dating? Did any of you think of a romance course? Well if not, the video below may surprise you.

The video below is a documentary on the romantic struggles of single Chinese men and woman who just want to find a good mate. I found this clip while checking my Youtube account this morning and I thought that you, my adoring public, (as I say that with my tongue nestled firmly in my cheek) might enjoying watching it and probably noticing that although the world’s cultures may be oceans apart at times, love is something that any one of us can relate to no matter the distance that separates us.

When watching, keep in mind that the Chinese, as with many Asian cultures, live in the humble traditions of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism among others. Therefore, self-control, and restraint of impulsive actions is preferred over the outgoing, carefree approach to dating prevalent in the West. Chinese often rely on their ability to pick up nuance rather than express too much emotion and this makes dating a tough task. Couple this with the booming economy and late work hours and the chances to meet that special person become even fewer.

Overall, this video opened my eyes to thinking about Chinese culture in a new way. I felt as if the people in it could be my friends and that we’d get along fairly well. On a side note, I noticed that while China’s communist government may not allow free elections, civilian life is still very free.

Watch the video and feel very free to leave a long comment or two. This one may surprise you, but moreover it may even cause you to wax poetically!

(Watch the video).

A few days ago, one of my most loyal fellow today.com-ers, violetteb and her multi-topical blog for women BigShoes, gave my blog special praise in her roll off of her favorites. So in good will, I thought I’d return the gesture in some form.

Writely Applied - Another one of Violette’s gems, it explores how we can be better writers in our workplace, schools and homes among others. It has all the basics broken down into easily understandable terms.

The Progress of Liberty - This blog is for all of us who think outside the constraints of party, culture, religion and race… because we are all in this world together.

Get to Know Her - This blog was one of last month’s runners-up in the best blog category and rightly so! This is a hip hop blog for true hip hop heads! From the disco era, Run-DMC and Rakim to West Coast Crumpin,’ old school graffiti and international emcee and b-boy battles. It’s the most thorough expression of the culture I’ve seen in a long while!

Asian America - This cultural adventure lays out multiple Asian cultural topics on everything: dating, stereotypes, fashion and art among others. Check it out!

This was just a quick rundown, but there are others in all topics. Please explore. Note that I did not mention names because of a few names I didn’t know. I will correct this in the future ! Keep waxin’!