Sunday, November 30, 2008
I finally saw it
I thought they did a good job getting the important points across. What did you think?
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Shape-shifters Anonymous
The idea of the animal called man being able to transform into some other form of animal has been around since the dawn of time. Ever since cave men first scratched out depictions of the hunt, man's mind has striven to inhabit the mind of the creatures he pursues, whether those creatures be real, imagined, or even extinct.
The animal of choice for me has varied over the course of my life. The marine biologist phase was obviously going to be dolphins (owing to a heavy dose of Flipper on TV). The teenage years saw the horse phase because everyone knows a girl's best friend is her horse. My brief flirtation with veterinary medicine would have seen me as a cat.
Today I'd have to be a friend of Jacob. I have so become a dog person due to sharing my house and life with the two best dogs in the world. Of course I'd sincerely hope that I wouldn't pick up all of my dogs habits. Apparently one of them thinks there's nothing quite like rolling in turkey shit.
So what animal would you shift to?
The animal of choice for me has varied over the course of my life. The marine biologist phase was obviously going to be dolphins (owing to a heavy dose of Flipper on TV). The teenage years saw the horse phase because everyone knows a girl's best friend is her horse. My brief flirtation with veterinary medicine would have seen me as a cat.
Today I'd have to be a friend of Jacob. I have so become a dog person due to sharing my house and life with the two best dogs in the world. Of course I'd sincerely hope that I wouldn't pick up all of my dogs habits. Apparently one of them thinks there's nothing quite like rolling in turkey shit.
So what animal would you shift to?
Sunday, November 16, 2008
The other power of the mind
A close cousin of being able to read thoughts in a one-way fashion, there's the pack mentality of being able to read the thoughts of all your pack-mates.
How creepy would that be if it was a familial trait? Parents would always know what sneaky things the kids were up to and might even be able to prevent some of the stupider actions. The kids would know that Dad cheats on his taxes and Mom lusts after the husband of the neighbor two doors down. Serious blackmail material for the kids...but then dark-hearted me would focus on the nasty consequences of such a world.
On the flip side, you'd always know when something was amiss and what it was you could do to make it better.
If this was the way things were, do you think it would be a good thing or a bad thing?
How creepy would that be if it was a familial trait? Parents would always know what sneaky things the kids were up to and might even be able to prevent some of the stupider actions. The kids would know that Dad cheats on his taxes and Mom lusts after the husband of the neighbor two doors down. Serious blackmail material for the kids...but then dark-hearted me would focus on the nasty consequences of such a world.
On the flip side, you'd always know when something was amiss and what it was you could do to make it better.
If this was the way things were, do you think it would be a good thing or a bad thing?
Sunday, November 9, 2008
The power of the mind...
When I was younger, I wished I could be a mind reader. I dreamed I could read minds. You'd think that would be a pretty spectacular talent to possess, wouldn't you? Not in my world...
Can you be honest with yourself? Forget about being honest with the people around you for a moment. Are you honest enough—no, brave enough—to admit how selfish you really are? Look at the world around you with a critical eye. How many truly selfless actions do you see committed every day by your fellow man? What are the core reasons behind the decisions we all make day in and day out? Even those actions that could be deemed, on the surface, to be beneficial—deep down isn't there always some thing in it for self and self alone?
As an adult looking back over those dreams, that desire to know the minds of the people around me, I thank my lucky stars that it's nothing I was gifted with. Had I known the thoughts of several of the people that passed in and out of my life, I should be like Alice; firmly committed in some sort of institution. I've known some very dark people, had some very dark experiences. Now I can only guess at the malicious intents of some I've loosely called friend in the past. Were I to know the true depths of the darkness in their hearts and minds, I can't imagine being able to hold onto my sanity. There's not enough good in the world to counter the poison that runs through some.
Don't think I hold myself above a deep and abiding self-interest. I state quite clearly that if you, dear reader, could see my thoughts and know my heart, you would run screaming from me in terror. There surely is more dark side to me than light. I just know how to hide it better than others. If you had a sixth sense, what would it be?
Can you be honest with yourself? Forget about being honest with the people around you for a moment. Are you honest enough—no, brave enough—to admit how selfish you really are? Look at the world around you with a critical eye. How many truly selfless actions do you see committed every day by your fellow man? What are the core reasons behind the decisions we all make day in and day out? Even those actions that could be deemed, on the surface, to be beneficial—deep down isn't there always some thing in it for self and self alone?
As an adult looking back over those dreams, that desire to know the minds of the people around me, I thank my lucky stars that it's nothing I was gifted with. Had I known the thoughts of several of the people that passed in and out of my life, I should be like Alice; firmly committed in some sort of institution. I've known some very dark people, had some very dark experiences. Now I can only guess at the malicious intents of some I've loosely called friend in the past. Were I to know the true depths of the darkness in their hearts and minds, I can't imagine being able to hold onto my sanity. There's not enough good in the world to counter the poison that runs through some.
Don't think I hold myself above a deep and abiding self-interest. I state quite clearly that if you, dear reader, could see my thoughts and know my heart, you would run screaming from me in terror. There surely is more dark side to me than light. I just know how to hide it better than others. If you had a sixth sense, what would it be?
Sunday, November 2, 2008
And then there was light...
Who knows what God was thinking when God set upon creating our sphere? Lord knows this is the biggest science project I could possibly imagine and not a task I'd take up for myself. I have enough trouble exerting any sort of control over my own sphere within the sphere.
So you've got this ball covered with earth, wind, water, and fire; a self sustaining environment. What creatures will you populate it with? Do you make them all at the same time? Is it a process of trial and error? How long do you let an experiment with one form or another continue before you deem it a success or a failure? What's your criteria for success? For failure? Are you striking for some sort of balance or do you just let the chips fall where they may and leave each form to fend for itself and determine it's own fate? Can you bear to destroy that which you've taken the time to create should you deem it a failure? Can you picture God as the ultimate abortionist?
So you've got this ball covered with earth, wind, water, and fire; a self sustaining environment. What creatures will you populate it with? Do you make them all at the same time? Is it a process of trial and error? How long do you let an experiment with one form or another continue before you deem it a success or a failure? What's your criteria for success? For failure? Are you striking for some sort of balance or do you just let the chips fall where they may and leave each form to fend for itself and determine it's own fate? Can you bear to destroy that which you've taken the time to create should you deem it a failure? Can you picture God as the ultimate abortionist?
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