Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Monday, June 25, 2012
The Lunar Safari Online Radio by The Lunar Safari | Blog Talk Radio
The Lunar Safari Online Radio by The Lunar Safari | Blog Talk Radio
This is going to be one of my new hubs for spiritual guidance. I hope you will all tune in to receive advice and tarot readings. I am very excited by this and I'm sure this is going to be a blast. I have been doing a lot of planning for this and am certain you will enjoy what The Lunar Safari has to offer.
This is going to be one of my new hubs for spiritual guidance. I hope you will all tune in to receive advice and tarot readings. I am very excited by this and I'm sure this is going to be a blast. I have been doing a lot of planning for this and am certain you will enjoy what The Lunar Safari has to offer.
Monday, March 12, 2012
If you have lost your way...
...you might want to read this blog. Admittedly, I have been going through quite a bit in my personal life. As a result, I have been suffering from depression. On many occasions, I feel like I have lost my way. Sometimes, it can be difficult to be inspirational when you are going through the motions. I don't want to go into details as to why I have been feeling this way, but the stress in my life is insurmountable.
For those who know what I am going through, I thank them for exposing me to the light. There have been many times where I became reclusive and barely left the house. There have also been times where I lost the urge to write. Of course, writing this blog sometimes feels like a chore when you feel like you are at a dead end. Dealing with my depression has been difficult over these past couple of months. Admittedly, there are times where I lose interest in my appearance and even my hygiene. This is mainly due to me losing my will to be productive. I have dealt with depression my entire life. On certain occasions, it is easier to deal with, and on other occasions, I have reached my breaking point and even attempted suicide on more than one occasion. It has caused me to have some serious issues with drinking in the past. Thankfully, after spending two years sober, I have kept it under control and can be responsible.
If I were to offer some advice, people who suffer from depression need people with whom they can be open. Granted, it helps to have a therapist, but people need friends to lean on sometimes. The conversations we have with people can oftentimes lift us out of these hopeless states into which we fall. I am planning on entering something called reconnective therapy. Once I learn more about it, I will post my feelings about it and even use this blog to track my progress while I am in therapy. In the meantime, I would like to thank my good friends for sticking by me in these trying times and express that I am grateful to each and every one of you. You know who you are. :)
P.S. I celebrated 7 years of freedom from psychiatric incarceration. Let's keep that streak going.
For those who know what I am going through, I thank them for exposing me to the light. There have been many times where I became reclusive and barely left the house. There have also been times where I lost the urge to write. Of course, writing this blog sometimes feels like a chore when you feel like you are at a dead end. Dealing with my depression has been difficult over these past couple of months. Admittedly, there are times where I lose interest in my appearance and even my hygiene. This is mainly due to me losing my will to be productive. I have dealt with depression my entire life. On certain occasions, it is easier to deal with, and on other occasions, I have reached my breaking point and even attempted suicide on more than one occasion. It has caused me to have some serious issues with drinking in the past. Thankfully, after spending two years sober, I have kept it under control and can be responsible.
If I were to offer some advice, people who suffer from depression need people with whom they can be open. Granted, it helps to have a therapist, but people need friends to lean on sometimes. The conversations we have with people can oftentimes lift us out of these hopeless states into which we fall. I am planning on entering something called reconnective therapy. Once I learn more about it, I will post my feelings about it and even use this blog to track my progress while I am in therapy. In the meantime, I would like to thank my good friends for sticking by me in these trying times and express that I am grateful to each and every one of you. You know who you are. :)
P.S. I celebrated 7 years of freedom from psychiatric incarceration. Let's keep that streak going.
Monday, January 30, 2012
Monday, January 23, 2012
Garden State Rockstar
I would like to use this blog entry to promote a friend of mine by the name of Criss Patrik. Many of my friends are musicians who are trying to get signed and have one foot into the door. I am grateful to be surrounded by such a tremendous amount of talent. I kid you not, I have heard this guy sing and he is American Idol material. Don't just take my word for it, though. Check out Criss Patrik on his website and give his music a listen. He is a very talented singer who could use some musical accompaniment. Give this guy some love, and if perchance there are any musicians in the Freehold area that stumble upon this blog, you might want to give him a holler.
A little bit of news
I will have a poem published in Boston Literary Magazine in the very near future. I am super-excited about this. Once I find out when it will be published, I will update this blog entry. In the meantime, here is the poem:
"Coffee"
by Jack M. Freedman
I watch attentively
As your sensuality starts to percolate.
You are now nice and hot.
I want to put some cream into you
Stirring it in deeply.
Your spirit is light.
Your demeanor is sweet.
Your essence is strong.
Sometimes I like to whip the cream,
Adding some sugary goodness to the mix,
For these gentle gestures make all the difference.
You make me rise.
You make me shine.
You make me smile.
I engulf myself within your pool
Of flesh felicity,
For you make me jittery.
I ricochet off walls
Just thinking about you.
You put a sparkle in my eyes
As I taste you,
Swishing you around
In my mouth.
Pupils dilate with delight.
Cranial neurons shimmy.
Muscles tighten
As the last drop is consumed.
You are definitely
The best part of waking up.
In addition, I will also have a poem published in the next couple of months in Espresso Ink, a journal based in Tallahassee, Florida. Whereas the the first poem deals with one of my favorite beverages, the next poem centers around one of my favorite fruits:
"Under One Thick Skin"
by Jack M. Freedman
Branches bear blood
connected to the navel of nature.
From Valencia to Jaffa,
seeds of labor and peace
scatter through the grass.
Pry open the fruit
and you will see
no section is superior.
Every section is equal.
If only the world was an orange,
with all divisions united
under one thick skin.
"Coffee"
by Jack M. Freedman
I watch attentively
As your sensuality starts to percolate.
You are now nice and hot.
I want to put some cream into you
Stirring it in deeply.
Your spirit is light.
Your demeanor is sweet.
Your essence is strong.
Sometimes I like to whip the cream,
Adding some sugary goodness to the mix,
For these gentle gestures make all the difference.
You make me rise.
You make me shine.
You make me smile.
I engulf myself within your pool
Of flesh felicity,
For you make me jittery.
I ricochet off walls
Just thinking about you.
You put a sparkle in my eyes
As I taste you,
Swishing you around
In my mouth.
Pupils dilate with delight.
Cranial neurons shimmy.
Muscles tighten
As the last drop is consumed.
You are definitely
The best part of waking up.
In addition, I will also have a poem published in the next couple of months in Espresso Ink, a journal based in Tallahassee, Florida. Whereas the the first poem deals with one of my favorite beverages, the next poem centers around one of my favorite fruits:
"Under One Thick Skin"
by Jack M. Freedman
Branches bear blood
connected to the navel of nature.
From Valencia to Jaffa,
seeds of labor and peace
scatter through the grass.
Pry open the fruit
and you will see
no section is superior.
Every section is equal.
If only the world was an orange,
with all divisions united
under one thick skin.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Thursday, January 12, 2012
וַיִּגַּשׁ
A good friend of mine is a student at the Kabbalah Centre here in New York. I also know her through Toastmasters, a club dedicated to training people to become better public speakers. When the meeting ended, we started chatting. She told me that I had fulfilled the parashat for that particular week: Vayigash. Vayigash is Hebrew for, "then he drew near.". After researching the parashat, I learned about Judah's plea for mercy to Joseph on behalf of Benjamin, the youngest brother of Jacob and Rachel. Joseph pretended not to know him, but as Judah offered himself as a servant, Joseph became emotional. He reveals himself to his brothers and weeps as he learns of his father's welfare. In the end, Jacob's family takes refuge in Egypt, as per the permission of Pharaoh.
In many cases, one must confront the darkness that befalls them. In this case, Joseph had to confront the trauma of the malice aforethought of his brothers. Eventually, he would forgive, and then release. We, like Joseph, must confront our darkness and our demons head on. They often linger, waiting to strike at vulnerable moments. This is where your bravery comes into effect. When the Light is embraced, one may eradicate the sordid past that manifests itself in the present.
After giving an extensive 10 minute speech on bullying, the Kabbalah student informed me of this parashat from the Zohar. This was a wonderful synchronous moment, for I felt a huge release from speaking about a subject that hit close to home. I feel that now, I have a greater chance of healing from these scars.
In many cases, one must confront the darkness that befalls them. In this case, Joseph had to confront the trauma of the malice aforethought of his brothers. Eventually, he would forgive, and then release. We, like Joseph, must confront our darkness and our demons head on. They often linger, waiting to strike at vulnerable moments. This is where your bravery comes into effect. When the Light is embraced, one may eradicate the sordid past that manifests itself in the present.
After giving an extensive 10 minute speech on bullying, the Kabbalah student informed me of this parashat from the Zohar. This was a wonderful synchronous moment, for I felt a huge release from speaking about a subject that hit close to home. I feel that now, I have a greater chance of healing from these scars.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
RIP Amanda Cummings
This is the first blog of the year. I want to start it off right by addressing an issue that plagues our nation to the nines. This video says it all.
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Friday, December 23, 2011
Short hiatus
Naturally, the holiday season has been pretty hectic, so I haven't been able to blog recently. Today, I break that silence, since I have a few things to write about.
I read this book by Yehuda Berg called "Kabbalah On Love." With the help of Kabbalah, one can definitely learn how to attract a soulmate. The only way to feel the love from a soulmate, according to Berg, is to love and give unconditionally. For many, this can be a hard task. In relationships, we often think about how convenient it is to be in a relationship with a particular lover. We think about what kind of needs we need met. Yet, we don't think much about how we can meet the needs of another. Love is a selfless endeavor and reciprocity often falls by the wayside. We must also take into account that the human ego gets in the way of us being able to love wholeheartedly. We may become bitter over not finding a fulfilling relationship. We may unintentionally, and in some cases intentionally sabotage ourselves because we believe that we cannot love or be loved. However, the mission to finding true love is to develop enough confidence to believe that you can give to another, so that when another unconditionally gives to you, the Light becomes more prevalent and the inner saboteur known as the ego dissipates with every protective curtain removed. Naturally, this is a work in progress for all of us. However, it is essential if we are to accept the challenges that come along with being in love and letting your mind and your ego not dictate the actions you must take to attract that special someone.
As a shameless plug, my poetry will be featured in Eunoia Review in late March. I am also hoping that I will be accepted into The New School for next year to pursue an MFA in Creative Writing. I mentioned this blog in my statement of purpose as a legitimization for not only my writing, but to reinforce the theme of spirituality that the statement of purpose was centered around. If I get accepted, there is a chance you will be seeing more poetry on here, so watch out for that. Also, in a future post, I will be plugging the photographic styling of Jaclyn Shaw. We did a photo shoot last night and the photos were excellent, so I will be linking them very soon.
Happy Chanukah! Merry Christmas! Happy Solstice! Joyous Kwanzaa!
Peace and love to all!
I read this book by Yehuda Berg called "Kabbalah On Love." With the help of Kabbalah, one can definitely learn how to attract a soulmate. The only way to feel the love from a soulmate, according to Berg, is to love and give unconditionally. For many, this can be a hard task. In relationships, we often think about how convenient it is to be in a relationship with a particular lover. We think about what kind of needs we need met. Yet, we don't think much about how we can meet the needs of another. Love is a selfless endeavor and reciprocity often falls by the wayside. We must also take into account that the human ego gets in the way of us being able to love wholeheartedly. We may become bitter over not finding a fulfilling relationship. We may unintentionally, and in some cases intentionally sabotage ourselves because we believe that we cannot love or be loved. However, the mission to finding true love is to develop enough confidence to believe that you can give to another, so that when another unconditionally gives to you, the Light becomes more prevalent and the inner saboteur known as the ego dissipates with every protective curtain removed. Naturally, this is a work in progress for all of us. However, it is essential if we are to accept the challenges that come along with being in love and letting your mind and your ego not dictate the actions you must take to attract that special someone.
As a shameless plug, my poetry will be featured in Eunoia Review in late March. I am also hoping that I will be accepted into The New School for next year to pursue an MFA in Creative Writing. I mentioned this blog in my statement of purpose as a legitimization for not only my writing, but to reinforce the theme of spirituality that the statement of purpose was centered around. If I get accepted, there is a chance you will be seeing more poetry on here, so watch out for that. Also, in a future post, I will be plugging the photographic styling of Jaclyn Shaw. We did a photo shoot last night and the photos were excellent, so I will be linking them very soon.
Happy Chanukah! Merry Christmas! Happy Solstice! Joyous Kwanzaa!
Peace and love to all!
Friday, November 11, 2011
11-11-11 Prayers
To everything there is a season,
a time for every purpose under the sun.
A time to be born and a time to die;
a time to plant and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
a time to kill and a time to heal ...
a time to weep and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn and a time to dance ...
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing;
a time to lose and a time to seek;
a time to rend and a time to sew;
a time to keep silent and a time to speak;
a time to love and a time to hate;
a time for war and a time for peace.
ecclesiastes 3:1-8
-----
In the house made of dawn.
In the story made of dawn.
On the trail of dawn.
O, Talking God.
His feet, my feet, restore.
His limbs, my limbs, restore.
His body, my body, restore.
His voice, my voice, restore.
His plumes, my plumes, restore.
With beauty before him, with beauty before me.
With beauty behind him, with beauty behind me.
With beauty above him, with beauty above me.
With beauty below him, with beauty below me.
With beauty around him, with beauty around me.
With pollen beautiful in his voice,
With pollen beautiful in my voice.
It is finished in beauty.
It is finished in beauty.
In the house of evening light.
From the story made of evening light.
On the trail of evening light.
american indian - navajo
-----
To our Gods of old, we bless the ground
that you tread in search of our freedom!
We bless your presence in our lives and in our hearts!
Take of this offering to your delight,
and be filled with our prayers of thanksgiving!
May our lives remain as full as our hearts on this day!
yoruban - africa
-----
You are the peace of all things calm
You are the place to hide from harm
You are the light that shines in dark
You are the heart's eternal spark
You are the door that's open wide
You are the guest who waits inside
You are the stranger at the door
You are the calling of the poor
You are my Lord and with me still
You are my love, keep me from ill
You are the light, the truth, the way
You are my Saviour this very day.
you are god - celtic oral tradition - 1st millennium
-----
O love, O pure deep love, be here, be now.
Be all; worlds dissolve into your stainless endless radiance,
Frail living leaves burn with you brighter than cold stars;
Make me your servant, your breath, your core.
sufi mystic - jelaluddin rumi - 13th century
-----
May all beings have happiness and the causes of happiness;
May all be free from sorrow and the causes of sorrow;
May all never be separated from the sacred happiness which is sorrowless;
And may all live in equanimity, without too much attachment and too much aversion,
And live believing in the equality of all that lives.
traditional buddhist prayer
-----
Om namah shivaya! Om namah shivaya! Om namah shivaya!
Oh Almighty! We all pray to you!
shiv mahima - sacred hindu mantra
-----
Elohai neshama sh’natata bi tehorah hi. Elohai neshama sh’natata bi tehorah hi. Elohai neshama sh’natata bi tehorah hi.
My God, the soul You have put in me is pure.
hebrew meditation
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
בָּלָק
On a similar note, this blog will be about Haftarat Balak. In the Jewish tradition, when a portion of the Torah is read during services, a portion of the Haftarah, or the succeeding books of the Bible, is read as well. When I had my Bar Mitzvah back in 1994, the passage from the Haftarah was from the book of Micah. The most renowned scripture from this book reads from 6:8:
Higid l'cha adam, mah-tov; umah-Adonai doreish mimcha, ki im-asot mishpat, v'ahava chesed, v'hatzneya lechet, im-Elohecha.
It hath been told thee, O man, what is good, and what the LORD doth require of thee: only to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God.
To summarize, justice and mercy represent the feminine and masculine attributes of humanity. Although Western civilization often associates justice (Gevurah) with man and mercy (Chesed) with woman, it is essentially intended to be the opposite in the Tree of Life. In Buddhism, the middle path is often emphasized. This is also the case in Kabbalah, for there are not two but three columns. Femininity lies on the left and masculinity on the right, but the column in the middle is the asexual bridge between the female and the male. So therefore, humility and purity are to be embodied by all, with the crown of the Creator (Keter) on the apex of the middle column, and the tree as a whole. We need the balance of all three columns, maintaining a balance of the masculine and feminine energies within ourselves, all the while staying centered and linking to the Light. From there, we can transcend the physical world (Malchut) and create a direct connection to the Creator.
Naturally, I did not appreciate this scripture from Micah when I turned 13, but now that I am 30, there is definitely a grand appreciation I have for this verse. As I stated in the previous blog entry, stepping outside of the comfort zone is important and spiritual journeys are not all jolly at times. One does need to suffer regardless. However, it is more rewarding to suffer actively than stagnantly, for there is a greater reward in the continuing confrontation of one's insecurities and personal demons. In life, there is no turning back. You either stay still and create an illusion of regression, or move forward and evolve. Hopefully, anybody who reads this will choose the latter option.
Higid l'cha adam, mah-tov; umah-Adonai doreish mimcha, ki im-asot mishpat, v'ahava chesed, v'hatzneya lechet, im-Elohecha.
It hath been told thee, O man, what is good, and what the LORD doth require of thee: only to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God.
To summarize, justice and mercy represent the feminine and masculine attributes of humanity. Although Western civilization often associates justice (Gevurah) with man and mercy (Chesed) with woman, it is essentially intended to be the opposite in the Tree of Life. In Buddhism, the middle path is often emphasized. This is also the case in Kabbalah, for there are not two but three columns. Femininity lies on the left and masculinity on the right, but the column in the middle is the asexual bridge between the female and the male. So therefore, humility and purity are to be embodied by all, with the crown of the Creator (Keter) on the apex of the middle column, and the tree as a whole. We need the balance of all three columns, maintaining a balance of the masculine and feminine energies within ourselves, all the while staying centered and linking to the Light. From there, we can transcend the physical world (Malchut) and create a direct connection to the Creator.
Naturally, I did not appreciate this scripture from Micah when I turned 13, but now that I am 30, there is definitely a grand appreciation I have for this verse. As I stated in the previous blog entry, stepping outside of the comfort zone is important and spiritual journeys are not all jolly at times. One does need to suffer regardless. However, it is more rewarding to suffer actively than stagnantly, for there is a greater reward in the continuing confrontation of one's insecurities and personal demons. In life, there is no turning back. You either stay still and create an illusion of regression, or move forward and evolve. Hopefully, anybody who reads this will choose the latter option.
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
לֶךְ-לְךָ
Last night, I went to a couple of workshops at the Kabbalah Center in Manhattan. I picked up quite a number of good lessons regarding how I can embrace the Light. I will be more than happy to share these lessons with you. The parashat, or passage taught was known as Lech-Lecha. This literally translated means, "To go out for yourself." In the Zohar study, we were educated on the story of Avram (later to be called Avraham) and the denouncement of his father's idol worship. In an act of rebellion and righteousness, he destroyed all but one of his father's idols and placed a staff in the hands of one of these idols. When questioned on the destruction of these idols, Avram claimed that one idol destroyed all the others and that it must have been true, since his father placed so much faith in the idols. This story, combined with many others, made for a very interesting night at the Kabbalah Center.
Another theme of the night involved busting through the barriers of self-imposed limitations. If one opens himself or herself up to the Light, the Light will connect. However, the Light will not do all of the work for you. Zohar encourages people to step outside of their comfort zone and to explore new territory in life, encouraging those embarking on a spiritual journey to not only think outside the box, but more importantly, to travel outside of it as well. The only way to evolve is to embark upon a journey that will allow you to eradicate the negativity we all possess and embrace the Light by actively making changes and not copping out regarding blind acceptance to your excuses and your insecurities.
I leave you with these questions. How can you incorporate Lech-Lecha into your life? Also ask yourself what you will do differently this week to escape your comfort zone and evolve into the Light. The choice is yours.
Another theme of the night involved busting through the barriers of self-imposed limitations. If one opens himself or herself up to the Light, the Light will connect. However, the Light will not do all of the work for you. Zohar encourages people to step outside of their comfort zone and to explore new territory in life, encouraging those embarking on a spiritual journey to not only think outside the box, but more importantly, to travel outside of it as well. The only way to evolve is to embark upon a journey that will allow you to eradicate the negativity we all possess and embrace the Light by actively making changes and not copping out regarding blind acceptance to your excuses and your insecurities.
I leave you with these questions. How can you incorporate Lech-Lecha into your life? Also ask yourself what you will do differently this week to escape your comfort zone and evolve into the Light. The choice is yours.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Animal spirits
Many people have totem animals that they identify with. There are various traits that an animal possesses that can be identified with humans. In this case, mine is a falcon. Falcons are known for being quick, protective, and intuitive. My mother identifies with the camel, which is known for resourcefulness and surviving in harsh situations. My father relates to the mole, since he is introverted and keeps to himself, all the while sensitive to light and dark.
A good friend of mine and fellow poet, Jackie Cassen, passed away last year. A medium told me that I should look out for the image of a peacock, since this was her sign to me and most likely her animal spirit. Peacocks represent immortality, beauty, and psychic powers.
Some people take on the traits of multiple animals. One friend of mine is a panther/firefly/skylark. This is quite a variety. I myself, as well as falcons, also relate to owls. In order to find out what your animal spirit is, there are certain meditations that can be done. During your visualizations, stay aware of your surroundings and you will get closer to which animal you relate to.
Another route is to take this quiz. It immediately recognized me as an owl, so that's pretty accurate.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Prophets on profits
"For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs." -1 Timothy 6:10
While I am not a literati of all aspects of the Bible, I can hold my own in a religious discussion. I can say with the utmost certainty that men like Moses and Jesus Christ would endorse Occupy Wall Street. After all, Moses is the original revolutionary against systemic oppression. Having led the Israelites out of Egypt with the help of God, I would certainly hope that if Moses were alive today, he'd be able to shed some insight as to how we can alleviate ourselves of the societal ills we face now. Jesus would encourage us to stay peaceful while standing up for what we believe in. I am not a Christian, but Jesus, in essence, was a cool guy. You could say that he was one of the original hippies. Though many have taken his message and interpreted the scriptures as a means of carrying out the hatred of God (Fred Phelps and The Westboro Baptist Church), most Christians who have love in their soul know that Jesus would never condemn anybody. A quote about casting the first stone comes to mind. Also, as the quote states above, Jesus would not have sold his soul for money by backstabbing coworkers while wearing a suit and a saccharine smile. WWJD? Certainly not endorse taxpayers to bail out corporations. That is for certain.
Having gone to Occupy Wall Street earlier this week, I saw a wide variety of people protesting. Though many of my beliefs stem from a socialistic mindset, I do not believe that organized religion is "the opiate of the masses." For starters, all the major religions share the same positive message in different words. We share a lot of the same traditions and structures. If you get past the dogma regarding certain rituals, know that you can fill the void in your soul with a healthy dose of inspiration from a holy text. Bibliomancy is a common practice in this regard. I recommend thinking about what you want to get out of your life through religion. Open up a holy book. Any one will do. When you crack open the book to a random page, look towards where either one of your thumbs are placed and read the scripture. Miraculously, you will get an answer you did not expect. But I digress.
Services have been held at Occupy Wall Street, because there are strong spiritual ties that the protesters have to one another and to their respective deities. Spirit links more than it divides. It is my belief that love will prevail amongst the chaos and the ruin. I still stand in solidarity and might make another trip down there soon.
While I am not a literati of all aspects of the Bible, I can hold my own in a religious discussion. I can say with the utmost certainty that men like Moses and Jesus Christ would endorse Occupy Wall Street. After all, Moses is the original revolutionary against systemic oppression. Having led the Israelites out of Egypt with the help of God, I would certainly hope that if Moses were alive today, he'd be able to shed some insight as to how we can alleviate ourselves of the societal ills we face now. Jesus would encourage us to stay peaceful while standing up for what we believe in. I am not a Christian, but Jesus, in essence, was a cool guy. You could say that he was one of the original hippies. Though many have taken his message and interpreted the scriptures as a means of carrying out the hatred of God (Fred Phelps and The Westboro Baptist Church), most Christians who have love in their soul know that Jesus would never condemn anybody. A quote about casting the first stone comes to mind. Also, as the quote states above, Jesus would not have sold his soul for money by backstabbing coworkers while wearing a suit and a saccharine smile. WWJD? Certainly not endorse taxpayers to bail out corporations. That is for certain.
Having gone to Occupy Wall Street earlier this week, I saw a wide variety of people protesting. Though many of my beliefs stem from a socialistic mindset, I do not believe that organized religion is "the opiate of the masses." For starters, all the major religions share the same positive message in different words. We share a lot of the same traditions and structures. If you get past the dogma regarding certain rituals, know that you can fill the void in your soul with a healthy dose of inspiration from a holy text. Bibliomancy is a common practice in this regard. I recommend thinking about what you want to get out of your life through religion. Open up a holy book. Any one will do. When you crack open the book to a random page, look towards where either one of your thumbs are placed and read the scripture. Miraculously, you will get an answer you did not expect. But I digress.
Services have been held at Occupy Wall Street, because there are strong spiritual ties that the protesters have to one another and to their respective deities. Spirit links more than it divides. It is my belief that love will prevail amongst the chaos and the ruin. I still stand in solidarity and might make another trip down there soon.
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Friday, October 7, 2011
Steve Jobs (1955-2011)
In this picture, you will see a photo of my first iPod. It was bought on Christmas of 2004 by my mother, who did not realize that this was a U2 Special Edition iPod. Needless to say, I am a big fan of U2, so this was a great gift. After that iPod went kaput, I eventually bought an iPod Classic Black and later on purchased an iPad and an iPhone 3GS. When I was studying graphic design in college, I worked with the Apple iMac G3 and G4 respectively. Eventually, I will work my way up to purchasing a MacBook Pro when it becomes economically feasible. I was even alive when the Apple II computer came out. One girlfriend I had still had her Apple IIe and it still functioned. Oh, the joys of playing Where In The USA Is Carmen Sandiego. I have a great relationship with Apple products and have found them to be quite useful in my day-to-day life.
Say what you will about Steve Jobs, but there are certain things that nobody can deny. He was an amazing inventor, had a great marketing savvy, and most importantly, had a vision. Amid all of the protests on Wall Street and representing the 99%, let us also realize that many people in our generation have been cradled by the comfort of modern technology. This is not a bad thing by any means, Steve Jobs has put forth some of the most user-friendly inventions known to the modern man and woman. There's no denying the fact that he was a venture capitalist, but I would be also if I had half the ideas he had. Protesting the 1% definitely should not apply to a CEO who actually made a difference in this society and not head a think tank of ways to destroy other countries, disenfranchise the poor, and pollute our already fragile environment. Steve Jobs was never the enemy here. In fact, as a means of showing how brilliant this man was, let me share with you a quote that was used in a television commercial for Apple, followed by the video:
"Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They're not fond of rules, and they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify and vilify them. About the only thing you can't do is ignore them because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as crazy, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do." - Steve Jobs
"In order of appearance they were: Albert Einstein, Bob Dylan, Martin Luther King, Jr., Richard Branson, John Lennon (with Yoko Ono), Buckminster Fuller, Thomas Edison, Muhammad Ali, Ted Turner, Maria Callas, Mahatma Gandhi, Amelia Earhart, Alfred Hitchcock, Martha Graham, Jim Henson (with Kermit the Frog), Frank Lloyd Wright and Pablo Picasso. The commercial ends with an image of a young girl (identified as Shaan Sahota) opening her closed eyes, as if to see the possibilities before her."
L'shana tova
In light of the Jewish high holy days, I will post a blog about Judaism. I have identified with the Jewish faith my entire life and hope to stay inscribed in the book of life. Of course, we as humans are not infallible, so the repentance for our sins is important for us. To ask for forgiveness is paramount, but it is even more important to forgive and release. When you aspire to let your ego settle down, you are in turn releasing a burden from your soul.
I know that this Yom Kippur, I have some things that I have done that I am not proud of. I know that I need to use my judgment to see whom I must ask for forgiveness. Honestly, sometimes the best type of forgiveness is to let go of destructive forces in your life: people, places, and things. Specifically, all of these things pertained to my last job at South Beach Psychiatric Center. To be diplomatic about my experience there was difficult, but I will try. I encountered people who were not compassionate individuals. They were people who even demanded that everybody else be compassionate to them, but no reciprocity existed when the tables turned. My mission for this Yom Kippur is to release these bitter feelings I have possessed for the past five months. It has eaten away at me for quite some time.
To anybody who happens upon this blog and is going to be fasting tonight and tomorrow, please have a blessed Yom Kippur, and may all of us be inscribed in the Book of Life this year.
I know that this Yom Kippur, I have some things that I have done that I am not proud of. I know that I need to use my judgment to see whom I must ask for forgiveness. Honestly, sometimes the best type of forgiveness is to let go of destructive forces in your life: people, places, and things. Specifically, all of these things pertained to my last job at South Beach Psychiatric Center. To be diplomatic about my experience there was difficult, but I will try. I encountered people who were not compassionate individuals. They were people who even demanded that everybody else be compassionate to them, but no reciprocity existed when the tables turned. My mission for this Yom Kippur is to release these bitter feelings I have possessed for the past five months. It has eaten away at me for quite some time.
To anybody who happens upon this blog and is going to be fasting tonight and tomorrow, please have a blessed Yom Kippur, and may all of us be inscribed in the Book of Life this year.
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