Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Monday, September 13, 2010
Love is all you need
Sometimes I think J.K. Rowling just enjoys making me cry.
Okay, I don't really think that, but COME ON ALREADY!!
I'm so damn nervous for Year Seven.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
The Hammer Speaks
"Why so hard?" the kitchen coal once said to the diamond. "After all, are we not close kin?"
Why so soft? O my brothers, thus I ask you: are you not after all my brothers?
Why so soft, so pliant and yielding? Why is there so much denial, self-denial, in your hearts? So little destiny in your eyes?
And if you do not want to be destinies and inexorable ones, how can you one day triumph with me?
And if your hardness does not wish to flash and cut through, how can you one day create with me?
For all creators are hard. And it must seem blessedness to you to impress your hand on millennia as on wax.
Blessedness to write on the will of millennia as on bronze -- harder than bronze, nobler than bronze. Only the noblest is altogether hard.
This new tablet, O my brothers, I place over you: Become hard!
Eden
A desert was behind him, his physical eyes were blinded and sharpened, his other vision became crisp, in the distance an old set of mountains and an old queen, young in age, with a new king. A bridge built from a third mountain in the same range.
He sighs, and the breeze carries his breath, opening his companions eyes. Her necklace a key, hanging loosely and swaying over smooth, but prominent collar bones; her eagle perched near both their donkeys grazing on new, fresh grass sprung up about her planted flower; her eagle, silhouetted by a glowering sun behind it.
---
She sighs and breathes him in; the air of a new mountain top, in a new range, a desert hiding an ancient bridge, and an even older tree with a man sitting at its roots; eyes closed in the dark and cold underside of the desert floor. The swirl of sand which blinded him, the intense light still whitening even the deepest browns.
He sees the city of his old kingship; he remembers the valley below and the meeting amongst fire with the queen. He sees her laughing among new kingdoms in the same mountain range and his companions eagle takes to the sky - moving violently in ascent.
---
He blinks his physical eyes, he sees the old and new mountains, he sees the sky; he smiles at the abandoned bridge, happy that a new one, more suited, has been built from different mountains in the same range, to and from his old Queen's rhythmic kingdom.
He sees the rain clouds and his companion sighs, shutting her physical eyes; her key doesn't move, but her hair pools in the shallow of her collar bones; the fondness of the sun reflecting off her lips.The mountain air is sweet, the desert wind is dancing, the valleys mist closes and opens in a slowing pattern; the Eagle soars over the old kingdom, over the burned, abandoned bridge, soars level with the queens kingdom and rises as it lets out its call.
---
A blessing like a burst of flames covers the sky and the man sighs, the breeze carrying his breath to his companions open mouth; she sighs and he breaths her in. The eagle returns, its feathers unceremoniously ablaze; a soft crackle of ceaseless fire pops as it rests, perched near their donkeys, both grazing on the fresh grass growing around their garden.
---
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
From my sketch books - Art, circa 2008
Self portrait, during class
Page one: "Old age was a worthy adversary"
Page two: "She will say that she is the storm"
Page three: "Hindsight has gone blind"
Self portrait, after the end of class.
Friday, September 3, 2010
Lego Harry Potter Years 1-4
Well, I am not near even into this game yet, but I can tell you that I am enjoying it thus far and will most likely continue to as time wears on. It is a change of pace from the standard role playing action adventure games that I play, and the co--op is something completely awesome - though that trend is becoming the standard in gaming now and I worry that it will dilute the potency of good co-operative work as we have seen happening with the 3-D trend (also hitting gaming and television soon). However after writing thus, I might just be becoming old.
Moving on - The trip with Hagrid down Daigon Alley and into the Leaky Cauldron and Grinnots is awesome. You go to the shops and following Nearly Headless Nick around to get the lay out of Hogwarts is a charming gaming device. It has that affect on me where I want to get back and play it to see how the Lego Harry Potter characters will enact the major scenes from the books and movies. They of course do it in a completely 'Lego' way - which up until I played this game, i was unaware of though now understand the appeal of the "Lego" series of video games.
There is something playful and adorable about the characters. You never feel you are in great danger and yet there is enough anxiety to keep you wanting more - especially since you know how these things are unfolding. Skip the next part if you've never read these books...and go buy these books used.
As I learned Wingardum Leviosa and Lumos I thought about having to run into the Basilisk or Bezulbub (sp?) - I already fought the Mountain Troll and even that was initially nerve wracking because I wasn't sure of the controls. I came to find out - as is perfect for a 'children's' game' - that destroying everything with "Expelliarmus" pretty much gives you the answer you want. The puzzles are fun and being able to - and sometimes having to - toggle between the character I think maintains the spirit of the book where you don't just make friends with Harry, but you care about all of them. I will admit I was more comfortable (on the Qudditch level) playing as Hermonie versus using Ron (though him and Scabbers were helpful).
I will give a final review once I am finished with the game, but as a fan of the books, and as one with a conscious effort to be as engrossed as possible (its easy and awesome and you always want more), I can tell you that this game will probably get a great rating from me.
The negative -
Some layouts aren't very clear and the controls are clunky in part - which is kind of easy to forgive because it's amazing that Lego's can even move like that; which is a fact I knew they were hiding when I used to try and turn myself around fast enough to watch my toys playing.
Kaa-kawww!
Karan
Thursday, September 2, 2010
More Amor Fati
Nothing changes. All comes around. I hated Nietzsche years ago, and his overarching death of God just makes more sense now, but his definitions I still disagree with on Theology though understand them better by his location in history and geography.
The 'Eternal Re-occurrence' - that I think he was dead right on.
Truly then, we must go through the birthing pains to become yes-sayers. To struggle through the canal and feed on extracted nutrition. To wail and moan and whine as children. I must say yes to all of it.
It has been what has led me to desire suicide - so really an escape, i.e. drugs, alcohol - for many years. And as I learn to give up on drugs and alcohol day by day - and it does get easier - simultaneously I have to learn to not hate that with all good comes attached a bad, and that with all bad comes attached a good - though seldom less recognized by our strained 'post-modern eyes'.
Then I, and we, are left with a wash. A blank emotional slate where I cannot expect either good nor bad, but truly nothing. This is not Nihilism, this is immaturity.
"Say yes. Be hard so you can create with me my brothers!" to paraphrase various times Nietzsche says these things.
I have never been able to answer the question of why we are here and simple theology is not easily adopted by me...or maybe more accurately, I am the simpleton; I do not reflect the face of Christ that brightly yet, if I may ever. I am left with the only other option thus far - which in it has the seed of the tree which sprouts a belief in God beyond words and so true faith - to rid myself of the question entirely, to simply say "yes".
---
But why? Why not just give up? why strive to keep myself alive by trying not to answer a question whose lack of answer drives me to suicidal thoughts in between my moments of pleasures? But is this not just asking the same question again! Is it still not concerned with it's own satisfaction! So does it not yet bellow, "NO!"
So you see, I/we, must say yes; for as Rumi says, "the real work is outside, digging in the garden."
I must shut down the simpletons thinking and function off the faith that the history of human wisdom tries to tell me - that there is a way to have Heaven on Earth. To become actively accepting. To become a yes-sayer and to thus be able to express my will - for what is, is still that - even when it may not seem to be. And further that as I find my will, and the will to say yes to me, that I would glean the tools to live "As you love yourself" - and so too learn the, "Love one another" - finally then reflecting Christ's face in my will, as my will expresses itself as an extension of His and so our Fathers.
"etc. etc. blah blah. Listen to the roosters crow. Ka-kaw! ka-kaw." All philosophy is an egg says the madman.
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