I just started an online course for Intro to Philosophy and they asked us to introduce ourselves on the discussion board and talk about what we hope to get out of the course and what if any life philosophies we subscribe to...this was my post...thought I would share!
I enrolled in this course because there is a dichotomy that lives inside of me and I feel that the only way to ever find some semblance of balance is to keep asking myself why? When I read a profound quote I grasp its truth and relish in the discovery of knowledge. When I speak to others about my passion towards humanity and the adventure that is life, I know that it comes from a well of truth inside me. But...(and this is the piece of the puzzle I will endlessly strive to solve) my actions don't often mirror my most solid beliefs. I see that I am capable of making a difference in the lives of others just when I half ass it, so I often daydream about what I could accomplish if I could somehow manage to make my beliefs and my actions be one in the same. If I can live my life just being true to myself I feel that I will have a greater impact than all of the eloquent things I could ever hope to conjure up.  There is a fundamental difference between being introspective and self-absorbed. I know that to live up to my full potential and fulfill my purpose here in this small spot of the cosmos that I must look within and constantly question my behavior. I grapple with how I can be so sure of something and not just instinctively act that out...but alas I am flawed. However, accepting that I am flawed (and shedding the delusion that perfection is attainable) is only the first step on my road to self-discovery. At this stage in my life I feel it is my duty, to dissect those flaws and learn something from them if I ever hope to have inner peace and make a positive impact on those around me...which brings me to this class. I have long thought of myself as a philosopher :), but I have come to think that perhaps I am being a little self-indulgent. I don't ever want to be the type of person who subscribes to a particular attribute without putting in the work to earn it. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading all of your posts and look forward to great discussions moving forward. And so we dive once again into the realm of the deeper tide that pushes our minds to contemplate...to me this is never idle time! Not all those who wander are lost!

Have you ever attended (or saw the poster) for a charity of a family trying to raise money to continue their child’s cancer treatment?  Have you ever met a single parent who lost their partner to an illness and now lives on food stamps in a government rent assisted apartment because they spent every last dime they had, even cashed in their 401k to pay the medical bills that accrued trying to save their loved ones life…and now have to struggle alone and raise their children in poverty?  Have you ever actually asked for an itemized bill from your doctor after a procedure and saw that they charged you $43 for that popsicle stick they shoved down your throat?  Do you know that the actual major component used in hip replacements costs $350 to make, but your total cost will be roughly $35,000?  The reason that we are not even close to being the greatest nation on Earth, and the reason why we are not respected in most parts of the world is because we are a nation filled with people who would rather let a child die than have their monthly premium raised.  Our respect for human dignity only extends to our close circle.  As we sit in front of our flat screen HDTV’s texting on our $400 cellphone, sending emails from our latest I pad…we bitch about “our rights” and “our problems”.  People go around saying that the government shouldn’t be involved in the medical practice and I totally agree…it is sad that it has come to this point, but the greed and indignity that is prevalent in our society has brought us to this point.  The ACA isn’t perfect, but it is a start.  This LAW mandates that all people will receive care regardless of their income, it makes it so that people like my Mother who has diabetes isn’t discriminated against and over charged because of her pre-existing condition.  It puts caps in place for how much doctors and pharmaceutical companies can charge for services.  So quit speculating about what might happen, quit making false and ignorant statements like Obamacare will allow the government to create death panels (insurance companies already have become that…deciding that if you can’t pay you die), quit spreading the lie that abortion will be a covered procedure.  I am disappointed that Obama hasn’t just come right out and said that fact...this bill is spreading the pain.  I for one (and I am a single mother just getting by) will gladly pay a little more every month for my insurance if it means that someone less fortunate can receive treatment…because I value human life and believe that everyone deserves to be helped in their time of need.  It is not for me or anyone else to speculate about what circumstances have put people in a place of need…our only purpose is to love and offer healing to as many people as we can while we are here.  There are a lot of good and generous people out there…but we need to stop being meek in our work.  And one more thing while I am at it…this whole thing about testing adults for drugs in order to receive welfare isn’t just affecting the addict…it is mostly affecting the children of the addicts.  As if it doesn’t suck enough to have a druggie or drunk as a parent…now we will let them grow hungry.  You wonder why our youth turn to crime, and our a generation that has record numbers of suicide and depression?  It is because they are shown from a young age that being poor makes you worthless and you most likely will not climb out of the pit of poverty…so they adapt to their environments and do what is necessary to survive.   Your pro-life and don’t think employers should have to provide birth control as a part of insurance to their employees…so you are willing to filibuster a LAW that’s very intent is to SAVE lives?  And in today’s top news Sarah Palin joined protestors in front of the Veteran Museum in an effort to re-open it?  REALLY…how about you protest for the government run before and after school programs that have been shut down and now little kids have nowhere to go, and aid was stopped for the government program that allows poor kids to get a free breakfast and lunch at school (sometimes their only meals)?  Why not protest outside the social security office so that our elderly and disabled don’t have their payments delayed?  If this rant lights the fire under even one person’s ass to begin to be vocal about the lies and ignorance that is spreading like wildfire in our own communities that would be cool.  This post is sponsored by the letters F & U and the good people at American Express J  Just kidding I am poor for an Amex J

My sister and I were just talking about how much we like the new Pope, whilst snickering that he probably has a bounty on his head from other members of the Arch Daises.  I just finished reading a TIME article about this very subject matter and it truly opened my eyes.  The position that the article was taking was that the Pope isn’t a new breed of radical…rather he is a radical traditionalist.  Most of the media does report the full interviews that showcase all of what the new Pope is trying to express.

 

When he says that we pay too much attention to the downfalls of homosexuality, abortion, and birth control…what he was trying to say is that everyone is entitled to their own beliefs.  He for one as well as most of his followers believe in the moral code laid out in the pages of the Bible.  He encourages his followers to remain steady in their faith, but in order to remain steady in your faith you must not forget the very basis of Christianity…which is that God gave us free will.  Christians are guilty of forgetting that one important piece of information.  God laid out a series of moral guidelines which he encourages his followers to use as a guidepost to life.  However, for those that do not believe the words He has written, they are free to make their own choices.

 

Mandating someone to follow your moral code is doing exactly what the Almighty didn’t want.  If you believe that true judgment will come from God at the end of your journey…why waste so much time judging those here on Earth.  Therein I believe is what the Pope was trying to get at.  In a follow up interview that was much less sensational, the Pope said that our purpose here on Earth was to heal our fellow man and by being so outspoken in your judgment of others decisions you rob yourself of fulfilling your purpose.  Instead he encouraged his followers to open their hearts and minds so that you can be a healing force and plant the seed of your faith with your actions.

 

Furthermore he pointed out that the number of souls needing healing in today’s world is greater than ever and requires those with faith to be a stronger light for refuge and hope.  Powerful stuff!   So I sum this up by saying that I REALLY like this new Pope because he isn’t encouraging people to throw away their beliefs…he is simply saying that your faith should be measured by your kindness and willingness to not just heal those that agree with you but to go out and proactively search out those most in need of your greatest gift…the gift of healing the broken and lost.  This is the humanitarian outlook that could make drastic changes in the world…because we already tried the harsh, judgmental method and it simply doesn’t work.  I feel ever renewed in my efforts to continue to let my love for my fellow people to be what guides me in my daily interactions and I can only hope that this is the next thing trending on Google J  Also I am guilty of looking down on others that do not agree with my liberal views…and so this was a great reminder that if we are to agree with the Pope it should be in the sense that we take it to heart in our own lives even if we are not governed by a spiritual mindset…two sides to every coin and all that.

Trees sing,
songs that float on the wind,
their leaves rustling gently,
hinting of love before it begins.

Trees breathe,
their arms open wide,
to pull the energy down,
turn the sunlight into life.

Trees smile,
at the birds in the sky,
the nests in their arms,
their reason for life.

Trees weep,
at the destruction of man,
oceans blue turned to black,
and forests reduced into sand.

Trees sleep,
in the winter snow,
wrapped like a blanket
around their stretched toes.

Trees dream,
of lilac skies,
aurora nights,
and the love in our eyes.

Worth Mentioning

So there is a quote from the movie "Get Rich Or Die Trying"...and don't even start with the rolling of the eyes...that movie was a biography of a man's life...and it was a pretty crazy life...but either way I am here to discuss the quote.

Terrance Howard plays Bama...a guy who saves Curtis Jackson (50 cent) from getting murked in the showers.  There is a scene were this guy is giving Bama some hard stares and Bama let's this guy and everyone else know that he doesn't like or trust this kid...and everyone is trying to tell him that the guy is cool...and so he says " Its like when I'm right I'm right, when I'm wrong I could been right, so I'm still right cause I coulda been wrong, you know, and I'm sorry cause I could be wrong right now, I could be wrong, but if I'm right...
I used to laugh at this whenever I heard it because I thought no...sometimes you are just wrong.  But when I was flipping through channels and I came upon this exact scene tonight, I took a whole other meaning from it.  I think what he was trying to say is even if I am wrong and this guy turns out to be cool...I am not wrong because my heart was in the right place by saying something.  If I feel like something isn't right, it is my position that I should say something, because even if my premonition is wrong, my desire to protect my friends and family is on point...so I am right either way...and I like that.

This movie is not even in my top 10, but I still love it so all you hatorades pour out your cup of hatorade.  This movie was greatly written because they told a really raw story and didn't even try to water it down.  The opening scene shows this ten year old kid describing his Mom.  He acknowledges that he knew that his Mother sold drugs, but as he so eloquently puts it "Selling drugs didn't mean anything to me but a place of our own, and new sneakers."  She is driving him along and they are singing and all of a sudden she drives up on this dude selling on her corner.  She tells him to stay in the car, and just goes and rushes on this dude!  Naturally this boy loses his Mother some months later...she was burned to death in her own house, and he has to go live with his grandparents who already have about 8 other children living there.  He is forced to sleep in a bed with three of his cousins.  The writing so good that when he at 12 years old is out in the street slanding, you aren't even that shocked.  The story unfolds and is interesting to follow...so I suggest checking it out,  but if you don't at least you got a good quote out of reading all of this.

Night Train

I love the way Amos Lee took the song "Night Train" and just made it look so effortless to give you this song....it became an instant favorite.  When I first got the CD, I would chill some Mango wine and clean my house whilst listening to it.  I would take a break when it would come on (7 songs in I believe) and I would lay on my back in my living room out in the country and just have a moment!

So when my sister and I got tickets to a show of his in Madison, we were stoked.  It was sometime in late October or Novemeber.  We headed down to Madison and got settled in the neighborhood of the venue which was the Barrymore Theater.  It was a very hipster neighborhood, but I was cool with that because hipsters always have great resturants and usually a pretty chill vibe.  So we ended up at this cool resturant called "Alchemy".  We had an awesome dinner of spicy grilled catfish, and the strongest Martini's one could imagine.  After dinner we headed right out to the Barrymore.  We got inside and scoped out which bar we wanted to order from...and to my great surprise they were serving Lambrusico on tap for $1.25 in huge plastic cups!  So needless to say my sister and I were all grins and giggles while the roadies were finishing up on stage...and than something unexpected happened.

The opener started.  You have to keep in mind that I prefer and attend many more outdoor events than indoor.  At an outdoor event, the opener is playing while you are getting settled, or making sure to get you last pee in...so sometimes you miss it!  But in an indoor venure, when the opener came out, people got quieter.  And when she started to sing....people fell silent.  The opener was Priscilla Ahn.  She was a beautiful waif of a dark haired girl, and she had a cazoo strapped to a face brace (like harmonica players do).  Her voice was haunghtily beautiful and she was singing a song called "Dream".  Words won't do justice to the beauty of this song, and the whole audience was captivated and we all got to our feet.  I looked over at my sister and the purest tears streamed down her cheeks, but it was the lazy smile that  occupied her expression that made me smile in turn...because it was a smile of utter joy.  We stood there smiling at each other and crying with no need to apologize because you don't apologize for sharing that kind of moment...there is just something about unspoken joy that makes life worth living.

So by the time Amos Lee played "Night Train" we had made our way to the front were you could stand.  We lost ourselves for the next couple of hours...and that is why I mention the song....because I love it and I loved that night with my sister...the only person who could have had the same understanding.  We drove home in a bliss with permagrin (probably the Lambrusico and Vicodin assisted that magic carpet ride)...so yeah...Amos Lee is the bees knees!

These are a few of my favorite things

OK...so I want to get talking about the five new movies I saw last week, but I realise that I haven't even discussed the types of film that I love.  And I feel like you need a reference point of what I consider "the best" before you can feel comfortable taking my suggestions.  I will not be able to tell you my favorite because I like such drastically different types of films that I would more than likely have to give my top favorite according to category....but I don't feel that is necessary.  So what I will provide is a top ten list (in no specific order) of movies that I have watched time and time again.  These are the movies that if nothing new is available to check out, I can safely fallback on my ICONIC yen because I know I will enjoy the tenth watch just as much as I did the first....and so we begin!  Here is the first movie that must be mentioned...

Almost Famous
Why do I love this movie so much?  Well it has great flow that is captivating from the opening scene, and as much as I want to call it a coming of age story, I am not sure that is accurate because the main character knew more than many of the adults.  It is a love story in some respect because there is so much love between the characters, but no happily ever after cheesy shit.  The stellar foundation of vintage classic music helps add depth.  For those of you who have not seen this film let me at least give you a brief synopsis.

 The main character is a young man named William and he is being raised by his single mother and his sister.  His mother Elaine (played by Francis McDermott) is a college professor on the upper end of brilliant.  She doesn't want her children to fall into the trap of drugs and evil rock music.  She wants them to pursue the path ok true knowledge.  Of course the older daughter Anita (played by Zoe Deschanel) hates that her mother tries to force her values on them. William on the other hand adores his mother and takes her advise to heart and doesn't even get mad when he finds out that she has been telling him that he is 15 so he won't feel weird about going to high school when he is only 13.

In one of the beginning scenes Anita gets caught trying to sneak a Simon & Garfunkel album in under her coat...and the following conversation takes place:
Anita Miller: It's unfair that we can't listen to our music!
Elaine Miller: That's because it's music about drugs and promiscuous sex.
Anita Miller: Simon and Garfunkel is poetry!
Elaine Miller: Yes it's poetry. It's poetry of drugs and promiscuous sex. Honey, they're on pot.
Anita Miller: First it was butter then it was sugar and white flour, bacon, eggs, Bologna, rock 'n roll, motorcycles. Then! It was celebrating Christmas on a day in September when you knew it wouldn't be commercialized! What else are you gonna ban?
Elaine Miller: Honey, you want to rebel against knowledge, I'm trying to give you the cliff notes on how to live life in this world.
Anita Miller: We're like nobody else I know!
Elaine Miller: I am a college professor. Why can't I teach my own kids? Use me!
Anita Miller: Darryl says that you use knowledge to keep me down. He says that I'm a "Yes" person and you are trying to raise us in a "No" environment.
Elaine Miller: Well, clearly "No" is a word Darryl doesn't hear much.
Anita Miller: I can't live here! I hate you! Even William hates you!
Young William: I don't hate her.
Anita Miller: You do hate her! You don't even know the truth.
Elaine Miller: Drama queen.
Anita Miller: Feck you!
Elaine Miller: Hey!
Anita Miller: This is a house of lies!

So as you can guess Anita decides to leave home with her boyfriend to find the freedom and independence that she has been seeking.  The pivotal moment is when she tells him right before she leaves that she left all her vinyl under his bed.  She writes a note that he should light candles and listens to The Dark Side of The Moon....fast forward several years and William is still a wonderfully innocent kid but he has fallen in love with the music that his sister left him and in his spare time he has been submitting articles to various magazines.  He meets with his mentor Lester Bang, who is a long time music journalist who can't suppress his cynicism.  But he likes William because he sees that his love for the music is why he has pursued this particular area, he knows that is has nothing to with a kid just wanting in on the "lifestyle".  He doesn't do drugs or drink...so Lester becomes a sounding board, gets him his first interview with the up and coming band Stillwater.  It is that fateful assignment that will land him in front of Penny Lane (played Kate Hudson) who oozes sex and coolness as well as brings Russel Hammond into the story (lead guitarist for Stillwater).  The foundation is set from that scene for what will come.  Penny Lane takes him under her wing because despite her actions she is just a kid too and feels a connection with young William right away.

Eventually one of his articles get picked up by the Rolling Stone and they call to interview him (having no idea that he is still in high school).  The lead editor ask's him who he is listening to at that moment and he replies Stillwater, and they kind of like the idea of doing a story on a small band making it big, and so they offer to pay him to go out on the road with the band and get some real intimate interviews. 

The story unfolds and there is not a single moment that is removable.  When I first saw the movie I remember the feeling that came over me when the band picked up the lead guitarist from a party where he had been dropping acid all night...by the time the tour bus arrived in the morning the dude was cracked out and things were tense...but over the radio Elton John's Tiny Dancer begins to play and one by one everyone on  the bus allows the music to breach the tension and everyone joins in.  William is so exhausted from babysitting an acid tripping rock star all night leans over to Penny Lane and says that he needs to get home...and she looks at him and says "You are home".

Those are just a few highlights.  The Mother plays an important role and there is closure in this movie.  It is the full package.  It is written brilliantly, casted to a tee, and directed so that the feel of 70's is palpable.  It is a story about a boy who just genuinely falls in love with music and his talent as a writer throws him into a world that he is not prepared for, and not really all that OK with. 

So this is one of ten movies that no matter how many times I watch always leaves me happy and pulling out some old school music.

I leave with you the best quotable from the movie:

Lester Bangs: Aw, man. You made friends with them. See, friendship is the booze they feed you. They want you to get drunk on feeling like you belong.
William Miller: Well, it was fun.
Lester Bangs: They make you feel cool. And hey. I met you. You are not cool.
William Miller: I know. Even when I thought I was, I knew I wasn't.
Lester Bangs: That's because we're uncool. And while women will always be a problem for us, most of the great art in the world is about that very same problem. Good-looking people don't have any spine. Their art never lasts. They get the girls, but we're smarter.
William Miller: I can really see that now.
Lester Bangs: Yeah, great art is about conflict and pain and guilt and longing and love disguised as sex, and sex disguised as love... and let's face it, you got a big head start.
William Miller: I'm glad you were home.
Lester Bangs: I'm always home. I'm uncool.
William Miller: Me too!
Lester Bangs: The only true currency in this bankrupt world is what we share with someone else when we're uncool.
William Miller: I feel better.
Lester Bangs: My advice to you. I know you think those guys are your friends. You wanna be a true friend to them? Be honest, and unmerciful.