tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-156810462024-03-05T04:54:11.521-08:00The Search For The Meaning of LifeIs it truly possible to find an answer?Willhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15777812830019821156noreply@blogger.comBlogger97125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15681046.post-76520837794627526752014-02-09T16:19:00.003-08:002014-02-09T16:19:43.332-08:0011 year olds, volcanoes and GodFunny thought occurred to me yesterday.<br />
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I was helping a friends son to make a volcano. Interesting though that he had a lot of trouble getting motivated for the project. The laptop was a constant distraction for him. I just observed the whole process. My participation was mostly just to point the family at my video tutorial on how to make a volcano.<br />
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About an hour later the project was just about done, needing only paint. And I chirped in a bit; giving him praise for doing a nice job. He didn't respond much to that.<br />
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"Wasn't that fun?" I asked.<br />
"No"<br />
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"You made something with your hands. You did it yourself." That wasn't fun?<br />
"No, it was work"<br />
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I was a bit stumped here. Trying to figure a way to make it a positive experience for him.<br />
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"But firing off that volcano will be fun right?"<br />
"Yes"<br />
His disposition brightened a bit.<br />
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The interaction triggered a series of thoughts in me.<br />
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On a daily basis I make things. That's my "job". And I enjoy it thoroughly. But it occurred to me that there is a subtle goal with certain things like catapults and volcanoes. The building is an act of bringing the thing to "its" potential. You build it then release it to do what it was supposed to do.<br />
The catapult shoots its projectile and the volcano erupts its magma.<br />
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There are two joys in all this.<br />
The first joy is the feeling of the work I am doing. The second joy is the knowing that the catapult, or volcano, has become what it is supposed to be. It does what it was meant to do. It can only be that which it is. That which it was meant to be. And it does it with perfection. I can't interfere in that. I have to release it to be what it is. And feel the fun and joy of that.<br />
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And therein lies the parallel to God - and why he doesn't interfere in our lives.<br />
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<br />Willhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15777812830019821156noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15681046.post-74578585264556386732013-12-04T17:51:00.003-08:002013-12-04T17:51:56.207-08:00Starry under a sky<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmEDiyZ79vOm8vFNzlHHEhC0CgOIi0EJeZlWipDz-98gOC2MW9DKf5xTxcgTq8XTBRwxLVra9vdHDoD1EFCSmijYXs6NQ4IJlQ-EDrHwP3B4RPObOxUi_QVzHitVcSZHKbjA/s1600/jupiter-in-sagittarius-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmEDiyZ79vOm8vFNzlHHEhC0CgOIi0EJeZlWipDz-98gOC2MW9DKf5xTxcgTq8XTBRwxLVra9vdHDoD1EFCSmijYXs6NQ4IJlQ-EDrHwP3B4RPObOxUi_QVzHitVcSZHKbjA/s320/jupiter-in-sagittarius-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The photo above is Jupiter in Sagittarius. Just a simple star photo I took with an old film camera. </div>
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I was over a friends house. We dragged the telescope out of the house and let it cool down in the Winter air. Then we pointed it around at some easy things like Jupiter, the moon and the Andromeda Galaxy. These things are old friends to me. I have pointed telescopes at them many times over the past few decades. </div>
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It has been a long time since I was with a telescope and the joy within me was overwhelming. It just burst within me.</div>
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Well, on to the actual story I want to tell. My friend is a good man. We went around the other side of the house, to the back, to see if the sky was darker and if there were any different celestial objects that might be seen. It was after a wonderful hour of observing through the scope.</div>
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He felt the need to talk about something.</div>
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"You know, I was a religious man, went to church and followed that for a while. Then I went even more extreme and joined a very strict religious organization. We observed no work from dusk on Friday until dawn on Monday. It was very strict and I did that for ten years." He paused and I waited for him to continue. "But I have come to the conclusion now in my life that there is no God. I am now a devout atheist".</div>
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He looked at me for a response. </div>
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All I did was look up again at the stars.</div>
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<i>.</i></div>
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<i>About me</i></div>
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<i>I am a dyed in the wool Agnostic. Always have been. That means I just don't know anything and I admit it. Know nothing, zero, nada, zilch.. </i><i>But sometimes, under a starry sky, and the absolute magnificence of it I do wonder. </i></div>
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Willhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15777812830019821156noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15681046.post-67123908726562673602012-10-11T21:42:00.000-07:002012-10-11T21:42:11.778-07:00The Journey and the Destination or the destination is the journey?Well, Interesting thing I have been going through lately.<br />
You see some eight odd years ago I embarked on my quest to find "The" answer. The real meaning of it all, the secret to be revealed. And I had a two-pronged attack.<br />
Prong One: Continue with the thinking, reading, searching<br />
Prong Two: Build a business that would give me the means to support my quest. The goal was to build it to the point where I could retire and devote myself to the search.<br />
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Well, picking out the business was a tricky thing. I wanted only to engage myself in activities that brought me joy. I know I only have so many hours left and I wanted to use them wisely. That hard line decision was a challenge. There was a period of time where I had to cancel my phone, take my car off the road, turn the heat down to 60 and eat in soup kitchens. True story. But I stood true to the ideal. It's important to me.<br />
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Ok, through that fire and a few years later I find myself in a peculiar place. The business is built and doing well. I am probably now at that point where I could retire and focus on my quest. Really. The business should keep me well until I die. I could walk away and focus solely on the quest.<br />
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But what would I do? Quit the business that I have grown to love and sit under a bodhi tree? Travel to Tibet? Go see the dalai lama? Seek a meeting with the pope?<br />
<br />And in giving this whole situation a lot of thought something has occurred to me.<br />
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I have very much enjoyed the adventure of building a business, and by staying the course to only pursue what gives me joy. It has been a wonderful journey. It's as if Iktomi himself has had a hand in this and sought to grant me the possibility of a small wisdom -Maybe the journey of building something out of sheer love and joy is the meaning of life.<br />
<br />Willhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15777812830019821156noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15681046.post-73320763060905286932012-05-16T10:55:00.001-07:002012-05-16T10:55:53.527-07:00Toys in the attic and the meaning of lifeFirst a story....<br />
I grew up in a pretty typical american setting... suburbs, nice home, local school, christmas mornings, etc. My bedroom had two doors. One door was to the rest of the house and the other door lead up to the attic. Bit of a quirky thing. <br />
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Every year, during the holiday season, my parents would make trips up to the attic carrying our christmas presents. They would place them in a pile on the attic floor, cover them with a blanket and lock the attic door behind as they left. <br />
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Every year I would sneak up the attic stairs and peek through the keyhole trying to get a glimpse of the presents. True story. All I ever saw was a blanket draped over things. <br />
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So now it's many years later. I am a full grown adult and I am peeking through a keyhole, trying to get a glimpse at something. Still no luck.<br />
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Second an insight..... maybe/maybe not<br />
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My parents in their wisdom and their love kept the gifts away from me. This is because they knew it was best. My joy would be good if I waited until I crossed that threshold of night into Christmas morning. <br />
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So the easy inference here is: Is it the same for the meaning of life? Will I cross a threshold into revelations and joy?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaTAMK-5C8nQIFZATPzPPvJvC4PAHq4OjkmTMMRUPqekDK2VOdxUPBGzjIaYOWVoGT-pXSgs_XagOxGwU_YaHhbqpWyJpKt4BtrQtwO9kn36jvhnlhnA3GFmAzjpQyyC8o7w/s1600/christmas-presents.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaTAMK-5C8nQIFZATPzPPvJvC4PAHq4OjkmTMMRUPqekDK2VOdxUPBGzjIaYOWVoGT-pXSgs_XagOxGwU_YaHhbqpWyJpKt4BtrQtwO9kn36jvhnlhnA3GFmAzjpQyyC8o7w/s1600/christmas-presents.jpg" /></a></div>Willhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15777812830019821156noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15681046.post-33613501145288058062012-02-03T12:30:00.000-08:002012-02-03T12:30:43.325-08:00First the what and then the how of itThis is a bit of a peculiar post and I will try my best to put it all into the proper context. <br />
Typically, from my experience anyway, we are creatures that like to follow a certain process. It's the cause and effect thing. First see the goal, then figure out how to get there. That sums it up nicely. First understand what it is you want to achieve, then figure out how to achieve it.<br />
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This isn't just modern day motivational speaking<br />
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This kind of thing goes for every single thing we do/are.<br />
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I am hungry - I go searching for food<br />
I am tired - I find a place to sleep<br />
I am bored - I find something to do<br />
I want a home - I build one or get a job then buy one<br />
I don't want to be eaten - I run from the lion<br />
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See what I mean? It's a causal chain - And it is a fundamental part of our everyday life. I believe it is a fundamental part of the everything. <br />
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So..... <br />
This leads me to the point of this post.<br />
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What is the purpose for all this? What is the reason why I am here? What the the thing I am supposed to be achieving?<br />
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If I knew that the second half of the causal chain would be easy. I would be able to take the actions needed to move me toward that goal. Even if the action was something as nonaction as meditating on the top of a mountian in Tibet.Willhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15777812830019821156noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15681046.post-5806559186270951942011-10-23T13:15:00.000-07:002011-10-23T13:15:50.474-07:00Color Blind to the Meaning of Life<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0XwmCdK24zJ8uLAGpDISQ4mbDFO5xpJUDt-o41mJ44VG4ot4enhii2YGHBZchMhtgVpwrKzA-glxIZLpmlutDJaIvr-QJoov3LfZwSyubCXX9D4unbBMyxd_heyb5LbWULQ/s1600/color-blindness-test.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0XwmCdK24zJ8uLAGpDISQ4mbDFO5xpJUDt-o41mJ44VG4ot4enhii2YGHBZchMhtgVpwrKzA-glxIZLpmlutDJaIvr-QJoov3LfZwSyubCXX9D4unbBMyxd_heyb5LbWULQ/s320/color-blindness-test.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">To best describe how I feel about this whole quest for the meaning of life I will tell you a little story from my life.</div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I very clearly remember a heath check up in high school. And that was a very long time ago. The school nurse administered a variety of tests. One of which was a vision test. Part of that was a series of cards that checked for color blindness. She showed a series of cards with colored bubbles. Embedded in each circle was a number. 12, 6, 24 etc. I easily worked my way through the cards until I got to one that showed no number. I stopped. The nurse stared at me. There was no number. "can you see the number?" she asked me. </div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I shook my head. "There's a number there?" </div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">"yes" she said. "But that's ok. It is ok if you don't see that one. It's pretty common."</div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I was thunderstruck by this.</div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">How is it possible for something to be there, to be obvious, yet not be seen? </div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And this summarizes how I feel about the secret of everything, the real meaning of it all. The thing we cannot see or feel or know. </div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Is this the thing? Am I missing something? Is there a tool or a thought or a thing that I don't have that prevents me/us from seeing the secret?</div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Is it right there and clear as day yet unseen?</div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Willhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15777812830019821156noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15681046.post-45483885895981797422011-10-17T18:30:00.000-07:002011-10-17T18:30:27.581-07:00The difference between in and ofI get regular email from people. Because of this blog and because of a lot of stuff I have on my website that revolves around my search for the meaning of life.<br />
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Almost always the email is from a good and kind person who just wants to help. They always offer advice by telling me about how they get deep meaning and satisfaction in their lives by giving to others, by being with family, by contributing to humanity. <br />
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This is all true. We are social creatures, community, family, love, caring and many other things give us a deep sense of meaning in our lives. But.....<br />
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But, This really isn't what I mean. I am trying to pull away the curtain, rake my fingers through the air and catch a small corner of the fabric that can't be seen, and tear it down - to gaze upon the secret that can't be known. The mystery that can't be explained. The meaning of life. <br />
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There is a very big difference between in and of.Willhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15777812830019821156noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15681046.post-48119495887507291172011-09-27T17:53:00.001-07:002011-09-27T17:53:33.753-07:00The Great StorytellerI have this little tidbit nipping away at me. It is the memory of something I saw or heard. There is a tribe of people somewhere (Zulu?) that believes that the god force is the great storyteller and appreciates story. <br />
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Is the everthing not this amazing collection of story?<br />
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And there is a beautiful enigma in this for story has no form, no tangible shape, no weight, no height, no molecules. None of the five senses can perceive story yet it can carry an enormous energy and weight - a story can race around the world, change the everything.Willhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15777812830019821156noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15681046.post-55561536433916680732010-11-13T19:21:00.000-08:002010-11-13T19:21:37.274-08:00It burns within meIt burns within me; the desire to know. It dances in circles around my senses, teasing me, close within my grasp. But I feel that the more I learn the less I know. <br />
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I feel that as I grow larger in learning I grow closer to less, and closer to knowing. <br />
It's a delicious yet scary enigma.Willhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15777812830019821156noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15681046.post-73074254198070307552010-10-30T08:49:00.000-07:002010-10-30T08:49:21.395-07:00The Riddle of the Sphinx - a Trip to Egypt<em>A note from Will: This is a long blog post. But I really think there is something delicate yet profound in this whole story. I ask you to make a cup of tea and read through this slowly so it can really sink in. If you don't have the time now, or are not feeling relaxed and open then bookmark and comeback later. I think this is worth it. Be happy to hear your comments and thoughts about this whole experience. </em><br />
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I just recently came back from a trip to Egypt and it was a profound experience on a few different levels. I had a variety of goals I wanted to accomplish on the trip including broadening my search for the meaning of it all. First off I embarked on a very fun adventure which is part of my youtube channel. You can check out that quest here on my youtube channel: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSm8F3GzM7w">Ichabod Oddman and the Quest for the Sword of Lightning.</a><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdJryVXY-zeF9S9fiIzQ87uoCuKL09G14xQx0rDgk1F1gQoq2PTKAp868VUI94oDuYenBqBorWaf-863hoKEu5UfQOQhVQXfzc1IMps9WOhLWQzWKXcas_7DumMidrHIjmeg/s1600/me-and-the-sphinx.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" nx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdJryVXY-zeF9S9fiIzQ87uoCuKL09G14xQx0rDgk1F1gQoq2PTKAp868VUI94oDuYenBqBorWaf-863hoKEu5UfQOQhVQXfzc1IMps9WOhLWQzWKXcas_7DumMidrHIjmeg/s320/me-and-the-sphinx.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Egypt is a place of power. No doubt about it and for some reason I had a bit of trepidation about the trip. I just didn't know what it was but I tried to be cautious. The same kind of thing happened on my trip to Greece and the Acropolis. That too is a place of great power and I approached it slowly. I didn't actually go up to the top of the Acropolis until my third day. I spent the first two days walking around it, paying a sort of respect to it and seeing the sights around it. It worked well and I planned on doing the same thing with the pyramids and the sphinx.<br />
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After my travel day to Cairo I hit the sack and woke up the next day feeling pretty good. I hired a taxi driver for the day and we discussed my plans for all the various places in and around Cairo I wanted to see. I had planned on the Pyramids and the Sphinx on my third day. This would give me time to respect the power and it would give Giza a chance to accept me.<br />
But.... my taxi driver told me that today would be a perfect day to visit the pyramids and sphinx. It was a holiday in Egypt and traffic would be light and there wouldn't be a crowd at the site. <br />
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So, against my instincts I agreed to go see the sphinx and pyramid right away, first thing in the morning of my first day.... Bad Idea.......<br />
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Maybe it means nothing, maybe it's coincidence, or maybe it is something more but while riding on my camel out to the pyramid site the saddle slipped right off the side of the camel and I fell to the ground hard. I mean hard. This is not a horse. A camel is quite a bit taller than a horse so it was a big fall. I did fall onto the sand of the Sahara which was a good thing and I only got bruised and hurt my knee a bit. But that wasn't the big thing.<br />
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The big thing was that the camel, for some reason, turned on me. I found myself looking up at the camel as it quickly turned. It's legs and hooves were flailing and I think it might have been angered or scared. And it might have been either trying to avoid me or trying to kick me. <br />
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So , with those big legs and hooves flailing I managed to roll, tumble, and scamper far enough away so it calmed down and just stared at me. - I escaped getting kicked or stomped on which could have been a real disaster. A kick from a fifteen hundred pound camel could be tremendous.<br />
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I don't know if it was a lucky break or a misinterpretation on my part but I came though it relatively unharmed. And I rode a horse the rest of the way to the Pyramids and Sphinx. <br />
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After that whole thing happened and I had time to think the whole trip changed for the best. I had an uneasy feeling about the whole trip going alll the way back to the states. And getting that incident behind me gave me the feeling that I had passed through something and the rest of the trip would be ok. And I was right. The rest of the trip was great. I felt like a weight had been lifted from me and everything was now ok. <br />
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<strong>Finally Conferring with the Sphinx</strong><br />
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I made my plans to go back to the Sphinx and Pyramids on a later day like I had originally intended. I wanted, in particular, just to sit with the sphinx and talk, ask questions. But a funny thing happened to me along the way to that fourth day. <br />
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I spent those days in a hired taxi. It was a great experience for me. I hired one driver to be my guide and chauffer for four days. This way I had the freedom to go anywhere at any time. And well, over those those days the driver and I got to know each other pretty well. <br />
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At first it was formal and informative. We mostly talked about Egypt and the various sights and how we could manage my time to accomplish the various goals I had set out for myself. But by the third day we had become traveling companions and we discussed a lot of things including his dreams, his aspirations, his family, his career, and the challenges he is facing as an Egyptian trying to make a living in Cairo. It was quite wonderful and while I got a lot out of Egypt herself I also got a tremendous amount out of the taxi rides. <br />
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Anyway, on the fourth day I finally went to confer with the Sphinx in the right way -so we could just sit together and talk; Not only did we converse about me, my life, my quests and the riddle. But we also talked about my taxi driver. I also asked for guidance for his life. And got answers. It was a wonderful experience and afterward, during the drive back to the hotel, the driver and I talked about it at length. It affected him deeply. <br />
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This has made me think a lot about the meaning of it all and the real reason why the Sphinx drew me in to visit and talk. Was it just for me? Or was I drawn all the way over to Egypt to help my driver? Or us both?<br />
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I can't tell you the questions I asked of the sphinx. Nor can I tell you what we discussed. But I can say that aside from those direct things I learned a profound lesson about people, life, and the threads that bind us all together in this mysterious web. Willhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15777812830019821156noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15681046.post-39991029164330057392010-05-12T06:26:00.000-07:002010-05-12T06:26:00.291-07:00That star died a million years agoI have been working on some telescope projects and it got me thinking about stars and light. It is a difficult thing to wrap my mind around but there are stars that we see that are dead. <br />
Let me explain. You probably already know that the starlight we see isn't in the present - it is the light that emitted from the star a long time ago and if that star is 10,000 light years away then that light we are now receiving left that star 10,000 years ago. Well, we are able to see light from stars that are millions of light years away and this means that right now in our now some of those stars are dead - yet their light continues on through the universe.<br />
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Ok, the simile is easy to see and you probably already taken a guess at my point here. Same as the star, once we die, does our light continue on? <br />
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Ahh.... nope... .that is way too easy. What I am proposing here is that we look at it a bit differently.<br />
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What I am suggesting is, and of course it is just a thought, but what about the possibility that in our current configuration and shape we are not the star .... but the light?Willhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15777812830019821156noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15681046.post-10093095450431382682010-02-16T09:10:00.001-08:002010-02-16T09:10:42.436-08:00Kafka's thoughts about my search for the meaning of lifeThere is no need for you to leave the house. Stay at your table and listen. Don’t even listen, just wait. Don’t even wait, be completely quiet and alone. The world will offer itself to you to be unmasked; it can’t do otherwise; in raptures it will writhe before you.Willhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15777812830019821156noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15681046.post-20838862918626175292010-02-02T03:45:00.000-08:002010-02-02T03:45:07.797-08:00The Toyota Recall and the Meaning of lifeYou are probably asking yourself what possible link there could be between the Toyota Recall and the meaning of life. <br />
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Well, my thinking here all revolves around a dream I had last night about the Recall. In my dream I had a toyota and I was with some people and we were trying to get my car in for the recall. Well, the details about the dream, although interesting, are irrelevant. What is important here is the dream itself. <br />
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I don't watch much television, I don't watch much news, and the Toyota recall has occupied very little space in my mind. I have caught little snippets of it here and there but that's it. And I rarely dream about real things or real people. So why did I dream about the Toyota Recall?<br />
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Well, Is it possible that dreaming isn't just a personal event? Is it possible that there is something going on here? At any one time there are an awful lot of people asleep. They are all in that nether world of sleep and dreams. And if you look at it sideways there is this wave of sleep that washes over the planet, following after the sun. <br />
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It's kind of bizarre, yet amazing. If you could do a real time google map of the world as it spins and note the masses of people as they fall asleep it would appear to be this blanket of darkness that just follows around after the sun, people falling asleep in a sort of wave that just perpetually follows the setting of the sun. <br />
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Is there something going on there? Did I dream about the Toyota Recall because an awful lot of the world is thinking about it - dreaming about it? <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVOVozQcIhc5drlDiVl_RP2mZdMZpQjH4Ej4TS9HS7FCxBzd_8wsSAHWkB2G3d7fxjMrkYoWfs9QpJjNT7pzRK_LEpNnB9hNYvJ9qZ8UA369VKjNUMV5AbPtuRewKJSlAXbA/s1600-h/pomegranate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" kt="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVOVozQcIhc5drlDiVl_RP2mZdMZpQjH4Ej4TS9HS7FCxBzd_8wsSAHWkB2G3d7fxjMrkYoWfs9QpJjNT7pzRK_LEpNnB9hNYvJ9qZ8UA369VKjNUMV5AbPtuRewKJSlAXbA/s200/pomegranate.jpg" width="150" /></a></div><br />
Ok, I don't know why I chose this but this is what I am going to do. Tonight, before I sleep I am going to think about pomegranates. I will contemplate the flavor, look and concept of the pomegranate. <br />
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And now that I have planted that seed in your mind let me know what happens. If you have a pomegranate dream tonight send me a comment or email.Willhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15777812830019821156noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15681046.post-63834061305656207322010-01-27T04:23:00.000-08:002010-01-27T04:23:33.038-08:00Butterflies and Karasses<span><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=stormthecastl-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B001RV53TE" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;" width="1" /></span><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I watched a Nova special last night called "The Incredible Journey of the Butterflies". In short it tells about how four generations of butterlies make their way across 2,000 miles in a migration between Mexico and Canada. (and back again).<br />
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A couple of things struck me about this. First off, yes, it is quite an accomplishment but the fact that is a repeating multi-generational cycle really got me thinking. <br />
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Here is a rough sketch of how this multi-generational task happens:<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Incredible-Journey-Butterflies-n/dp/B001RV53TE?ie=UTF8&tag=stormthecastl-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="The Incredible Journey of the Butterflies" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=B001RV53TE&tag=stormthecastl-20" /></a><br />
</div>Generation 1 leaves mexico and adventures into the US and dies along the journey<br />
Generation 2 continues the northward quest<br />
Generation 3 continues northward into Canada and finds the final destination<br />
Generation 4 makes the trek all the way back from Canada to Mexico<br />
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Each generation does it's thing and lives it's life as it was "supposed to". And each generation is a critical component of a successful whole, yet totally unaware of the grand plan of the whole thing. ( I can't really speak to the philosphy, wisdom, or Omniscience of butterflies but it's a good guess that they are unaware of the plan)<br />
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You can probably see the simile coming but doesn't this seem like it could be plausible when it comes to us human beings? <br />
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Is there a grand plan that we are only a part of? A plan that spans more than the 80 or so years of one life? <br />
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If that is the case then it begs the question of whether or not I will be able to appreciate this "Grand Plan". Will I still be around as it continues it's unfolding? Or will I have just been food in a spider web somewhere between Mexico and Canada. <br />
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It brings to mind Vonnegut's concept of the Karass.Willhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15777812830019821156noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15681046.post-81401358213192659612010-01-23T08:43:00.000-08:002010-01-23T08:43:00.344-08:00yes, no, maybe so, and I dunnoI have talked about the importance of <a href="http://tsftmol.blogspot.com/2010/01/asking-right-question.html">asking the right question when it comes to the meaning of life.</a> and in this post I want to shed a little light on that theme. <br />
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The point I want to get at is the difference between a person finding and having meaning in their life and something that has been called "Transcendant or Cosmic Meaning".<br />
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This branching sheds light onto exactly what I am driving at here. <br />
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Everybody finds meaning and meanings in their life. I don't have anything to add to that. That is something defined by the individual. What I am searching for is the possibility that there is a "transcendant" meaning to all of this. <br />
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So far I have been able to boil it down to a question that can be asked several ways. Here are two examples:<br />
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"Is there a transcendant meaning to all of existence? "or "Why do we <strong>and the universe</strong> exist?"<br />
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Nice, Now we have two options:<br />
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1. No<br />
2. Yes<br />
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And of course there is always the fine art of dodging the question which gives us some possibilities:<br />
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3. Yes... but<br />
4. dunno<br />
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This transcendant meaning is something that people have wrestled with for a long time. Here are some proposed answers to the question:<br />
<ul><li><strong>Nietzsche (NO):</strong> He believed that life had no transcendant meaning but humans can create their own meanings. This is very much in line with existentialism. </li>
<li><strong>Frankl (YES):</strong> Believed that transcendant meaning was something that humans could not create. But they could discover it. </li>
<li><strong>Many Religions (YES, But...):</strong> Believe that there is a transcendant meaning but it is not possible for humans to understand it. </li>
<li><strong>Albert Camus: (dunno):</strong><em><strong>"</strong>I don’t know whether this world has a meaning that transcends it. But I know that I cannot know that meaning and that it is impossible for me just now to know it."</em></li>
</ul><strong>Let me leave you with a Stephen Hawking quote</strong><br />
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<em>"If we find the answer to that, (why it is that we and the universe exist), it would be the ultimate triumph of human reason - for then we would know the mind of God."</em><br />
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hmmm... the search continues..<br />
Am I still at square one?Willhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15777812830019821156noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15681046.post-18169092750497978132010-01-21T04:26:00.000-08:002010-01-23T08:46:52.917-08:00I get the distinct feeling...I get the distinct feeling that there is something we are not understanding; that there is a secret we are not perceiving. An angle we are not viewing....<br />
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Part of the riddle and the question we have to ask is whether or not this lack is by design, happenstance, chance, inability or something else. <br />
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You know I might possibly be ok with it if it's design, happenstance, chance, or inability. It's the possibility of it being something else that really gets me. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3IBoYRJf-l6S7cwdldBXWYS7rlJ2yxE4w_hQat48iZmatrMscMw6j9LsGHX7vCmUcXoIGtPKucfUJ08cnAdCY5uf8s4jZczF8zF_YJn5E8GSIOrrwXsaDL6zCH4i0_b-d1A/s1600-h/behind-the-curtain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" mt="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3IBoYRJf-l6S7cwdldBXWYS7rlJ2yxE4w_hQat48iZmatrMscMw6j9LsGHX7vCmUcXoIGtPKucfUJ08cnAdCY5uf8s4jZczF8zF_YJn5E8GSIOrrwXsaDL6zCH4i0_b-d1A/s320/behind-the-curtain.jpg" /></a><br />
</div>Willhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15777812830019821156noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15681046.post-83978904531222699532010-01-06T06:31:00.000-08:002010-01-06T06:31:52.343-08:00Asking the right questionThe phrase "The Meaning of Life" has become such an over used term. It's almost as if it has become diluted or even a charicature of itself. It's also become a good source of humor. I got to thinking about this phrase and this search for the meaning of life. And I think, as in all other things, the answers you get are very dependant upon the questions you ask. How and what you ask is a factor in your answer. <br />
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And one of the big pitfalls of this particular phrase is the often assumed meaning of "meaning in life" Many people hear the question and automatically jump to " Everyone must find their own meaning in life" or "Everyone is an individual so the meaning will be different". Some more common answers are: "I find deep meaning in caring for my children" or "Giving to others", "Helping mankind" .<br />
These things are all wonderful and I believe in them. They do add meaning to life, but, this isn't what I am getting at with my search. The search for meaning in life has been well thought out by brighter minds than mine (<span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mans-Search-Meaning-Viktor-Frankl/dp/0807014273?ie=UTF8&tag=stormthecastl-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Man's Search for Meaning</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=stormthecastl-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0807014273" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px;" width="1" />)</span> .<br />
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So, I have been thinking that maybe the words and rthe question "The Search for the meaning of life". needs to be refined, tweaked or even changed. Maybe something akin to "What is the purpose of life? or What is the reason for life? maybe What is the mystery of life? <br />
What is the secret that we don't understand about life? <br />
What is this thing I really don't understand? <br />
What am I and what is life all about?<br />
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Anyway, I have a feeling that when I find the right question I might find the answer.<br />
-WillWillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15777812830019821156noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15681046.post-35754626991832178382009-12-30T06:40:00.001-08:002009-12-30T06:59:49.523-08:0047 Minutes to think aboutOn the radio I heard a short snippet about a man in a hospital who was dead for 47 minutes before being revived. <a href="http://wcbstv.com/seenat11/joe.tiralosi.back.2.1330407.html">story here</a> And wow does this bring up a lot of questions. Here are some of my thoughts on what this incident means:<br /><br />1. wysiwig - What you see is what you get: We are simply biological functions, nothing more and when you are dead you are dead, your memories and essence are gone.<br /><br />2. Thinking about time: There is a longer period of time before you pass into another realm of existence and it is more than 47 minutes. (This brings up the question of where you are during this time. Maybe the same place you go when you sleep?)<br /><br />3. You can travel back and forth between this place and that place. We just don't know how, or we don't do it much, or when we do, or when in one place we have no recollection of the other. Did joe spend 47 minutes in an afterlife and doesn't remember?<br /><br />4. Time is irrelevant: This is hard to grasp but time, being a major focus of this essay, is actually irrelevant. How long you are dead is not important because it doesn't equate in the other life. Although the concept of eternity does kink that up a bit.<br /><br />5. The unknown and unthought solution: This one really ticks me off because it is probably the right one. Maybe the answer lies in something that I cannot grasp, don't even have an inkling of a shadow of a clue about.<br /><br />addendum: It will be interesting to see whatever becomes of the people cryonically <a href="http://www.alcor.org/">frozen at Alcor</a> But then again, if any of them are brought back to "life" will it really answer any questions?Willhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15777812830019821156noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15681046.post-67951730105849695022009-12-05T19:01:00.000-08:002009-12-05T19:05:23.818-08:00First Snow<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzvofM5bnejYKluo211V500jhPYVmdLiJ493aHFf1IWg815rjz80y2RR_rJs_1sPtUHMkZ7ySJlTuw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>Willhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15777812830019821156noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15681046.post-44049278933084363292009-12-01T07:37:00.000-08:002009-12-01T07:38:19.787-08:00Ever wonder why<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMTUrvJMaQGLWyYZhoPboAKFY7MhuvxrW8HhKnolVYtZlHOe26gxmyXvAYHfXufpbcycSELb3lDf6cr1uGFgS1qrhTg1eHhY7TqiaJ61eE5Qhs3f3q1ZLggIGytm3Z4MJzyQ/s1600/working-hard.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5410292412814689234" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMTUrvJMaQGLWyYZhoPboAKFY7MhuvxrW8HhKnolVYtZlHOe26gxmyXvAYHfXufpbcycSELb3lDf6cr1uGFgS1qrhTg1eHhY7TqiaJ61eE5Qhs3f3q1ZLggIGytm3Z4MJzyQ/s320/working-hard.jpg" /></a><br /><br />Do you ever wonder why you do the things you do?Willhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15777812830019821156noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15681046.post-30021730097623377522009-11-21T10:50:00.000-08:002009-11-21T10:56:09.763-08:00Where was I for the past Billion Years?This is a question that really affects me. Where was I for the billion years of infinity before I came into what I know as my life? It's very bizarre. As far as I know, the universe existed for a very long time before I came into existence. Why is it that I don't have any recollection of anything during all that time of existence?<br /><br />A big thing to consider about this is whether or not that time actually existed. I mean that time is a very peculiar thing. We all sense it -at least we think we sense it. But there is nothing but a never ending now. There is only the "now" of now. <br /><br />Ok, the really big question is " When I die, will I go back to that same place I was in for the billion years that I don't remember"?<br /><br />Harrowing thought.Willhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15777812830019821156noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15681046.post-48251100046682587912009-11-12T07:47:00.000-08:002009-11-12T08:00:06.340-08:00Endless strains of meaningless crapI have three thoughts for you today.<br /><br />It is an absolutely beautiful day here in New England, even a bit blustery. The trees are giving up the last of their colored leaves and winter is being prepared for. These three thoughts came to me during my walk.<br /><br />First thought: Why is it that thoughts come so easily to me when I walk? I don't think this is just peculiar to me. I think it is a human thing. We walk and think. They seem to go very well together. The simple act of walking gently invigorates the mind. And, it's funny how people don't walk like they used to walk. Everybody drives. Kind of a shame. This theme reminds me of a short essay I wrote entitled: <a href="http://www.willkalif.com/a-walk-in-the-snickering-rain.htm">A Walk in the Snickering rain</a>.<br /><br />Second thought: This one addressess the title of this post. We, as humans, occupy ourselves with an awful lot of stuff. I mean that there are endless strains of amusements and thoughts and other things. We seem to spend a lot of time on things that aren't really important. Seriously. Why do we waste so much of our lives on things that don't matter? You know what I am talking about. You do it too. We all do it - spend an inordinate amount of time and energy on things that matter so little - car, tv, bills, what people think, things, on and on and on and on. When it comes down to it what is really important?<br />Now before you say "Family". I just want to say what about the big question? What the heck is this all about? Doesn't anybody spend any time on that?<br />In any pursuit one of the most important things you have to ask yourself is "What is my outcome?" It is important to ask yourself this question so you can get a clear grasp of what you are doing, why you are doing it and how you should do it.<br />Doesn't this apply to life too? Whats your outcome?<br /><br />Thought three: I am really stuck on the whole subject of Michael Crichton. I have been an admirer of his for most of my life and I can't get over his death. He was a life long learner and explorer- not just a writer. He explored life on many different levels and he laid this out in his book "Travels". In that book he talks about his travels through life both external and internal. He lays out his attempts to explain the unexplained. Well, this got me thinking that maybe there are clues in that book. I am going to have to re-read it and see what comes. Maybe he laid out a way to contact him after he passed. Interesting thought.Willhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15777812830019821156noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15681046.post-55113618183950724302009-10-30T17:28:00.000-07:002009-10-30T17:31:14.882-07:00thlcci ekd an le alciene n ne ulandaflaslffbne sdkf ene ddl aslen d dkn enelacienaosz sldk sleen l ndf len a einn g eleng eaoziend dopen pquesnsit slpqne nszone azoend dzeneld thena atne adoene alzoienzpen sio eiena ziene aqahg a nenezuen azplene azoen e r94 f8e 3n sa uD OSEIEZ id ena asspooien a xxne eix ne soqht woa aidiene a doena zoene a aoshfa gh ghe eheuauepq a sllieen pquens squenesss soeiuin soin soe ns squepw weienq azciend...Willhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15777812830019821156noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15681046.post-82965410280748492292009-09-25T03:30:00.000-07:002009-09-25T04:07:54.203-07:00An Endless loop of Gods - and why my cat sits on the radiator<div>I was listening to a radio program that had Erich von Daniken as the guest speaker and he said something that I thought was very profound and interesting. This is a small excerpt here:</div><br /><div align="center"><em>"The Creation of the Spirit of Creation"</em></div><br /><div></div><br /><div>This statement brings up a lot of thoughts. First off it makes me wonder about the nature of creation and how it seems to almost be the all of everything. The creative force is an amazing thing and it lies at the very heart of the mystery. It is one of those things that sits in the center and knows while we dance around the circle and suppose. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>But the real profundity of the statement is the implication of the creation of god. Let's assume that God created the universe. God had this desire to create and God created. But what instilled in God the desire to create? What created the spirit of creation? Was it a God that created God? Is there an endless loop of Gods? Does this circle go on forever? It's a paradox and paradoxes are something that I will be exploring in further posts. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Is what we think of as God simply "The Creative Force in the Universe?" The Force that through the Green fuse shoots the flower?</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Is there a God?</div><br /><div>Is there an endless loop of Gods?</div><br /><div>Or is it all something we simply cannot fathom?</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>And that last question brings me to my cat and the radiator.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy4MH5ngMx66CtjHwwFubwYAm0494H7TDCJ73ohpP9zhHvIYMHc_ZeAIWBemZvMgepKV7V3KvEi9pYzqGaQ15C0TsrrXdbZVhpB0hvTRn7fGWQKNQ_RqlOVCROUcx0b0VkfQ/s1600-h/ditto-on-the-radiator.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 135px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385358775313836434" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy4MH5ngMx66CtjHwwFubwYAm0494H7TDCJ73ohpP9zhHvIYMHc_ZeAIWBemZvMgepKV7V3KvEi9pYzqGaQ15C0TsrrXdbZVhpB0hvTRn7fGWQKNQ_RqlOVCROUcx0b0VkfQ/s320/ditto-on-the-radiator.jpg" /></a>It is Autumn here in New England and the mornings are getting brisk. There is a beautiful chill in the morning air. This morning chill re-ignites a seasonal pattern in my cat. He sits on top of the radiator in the kitchen because it is nice and warm. He enjoys the warmth of it. Does he have any clue about what all had to be created and what all had to happen for that radiator to be warmed? Nope, He doesn't understand any of it and he is incapable of understanding how the Gas company pipes gas to my house and how the boiler in the basement warms up water and how the water circulates through pipes and passes through the radiator giving it a soft and comfortable warmth. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Nor does he understand that I keep all of this in motion by paying the gas bill and by adjusting the thermostat.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Nope, he doesn't understand any of that.... yet he enjoys it and, in the way of cats, he appreciates it. </div><div> </div><div>And what does this all lead us to? I am not really sure because as in just about every other post on this blog I end up with more question marks than I expected. But, The sun is shining outside and it's burning away the morning briskness and I think that maybe I will just go outside for a walk and enjoy the sunshine on my face. </div><div> </div><div>-----------------------------</div><div> </div><div>Next post: I just recently returned from a trip to Greece and one of the things I visited was the Oracle at Delphi. This is the place that the Ancient Greeks considered to be the Center of the Universe. I will be posting pictures and my thoughts about the experience and the place. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div>Willhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15777812830019821156noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15681046.post-87289260245691958262009-08-25T10:31:00.001-07:002009-08-25T10:40:05.593-07:00A World Without Keys<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-jsc96y-aMTRRBcXL-xAL8UFmk6Wz5yWDFXPgJZr-TObCZy9mC6bwhM6d507eweTXE_-1XVg7KSJfeWWKbJaSgBnpORd8FwszmO4SWe5KM5n6Kqc-zhxHARsuJMcgqkkOEg/s1600-h/world-without-keys.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 245px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 256px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373955656886105746" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-jsc96y-aMTRRBcXL-xAL8UFmk6Wz5yWDFXPgJZr-TObCZy9mC6bwhM6d507eweTXE_-1XVg7KSJfeWWKbJaSgBnpORd8FwszmO4SWe5KM5n6Kqc-zhxHARsuJMcgqkkOEg/s320/world-without-keys.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><p align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj52d_O4F_KN2PM9W41NXZPyJfSHnxBLrjbnyXcb2czWAgESHKWtBTY0E5zqStWCZrgYUFABtAoRWlR9FysiVJ67UhJpiIgsLDwWytkSKeTHQI7wdb7RMbglaUTNPGt1DHpQA/s1600-h/world-without-keys.jpg"></a></p><strong>A World Without Keys</strong> - I stopped in a shopping center one morning to get myself a cup of coffee from a Dunkin Donuts. As I was walking back to the car I stepped on something. Looking down I saw a key. It appeared to have been run over a few times and the key ring was pretty rusty.<br /><br />It started me thinking about the simple deception that a key is. Wouldn't it be wonderful if there was no need for keys in this world?<br /><br />But, regrettably, there are keys. And it leads me to the very scary thought that everything we see is all there is. It leads me to the thought that we are just biological units that live then die and that's it. We are simply units in a chain of meat that is vying for natural resources, nothing more and nothing less. And this is why the need for keys. Because natural resources are precious and must be guarded. After all, sitting in my ivory tower I must admit, or at least acknowledge, that people die of starvation every day. And if I am to be sure I do not follow in that path I must use a key to lock away things, hide them and protect them from others. The implications are saddening. . .<br /><br /><p align="left"></p>Willhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15777812830019821156noreply@blogger.com3