I am a huge fan of this band. They have yet to even put out a first, full-length CD, but their EP and their live show has done wonders to create a massive buzz and word-of-mouth for these guys. Check them out when they come to your area and you won't be disappointed.
Here is the promo video
Saturday, January 21, 2006
Sunday, January 15, 2006
Time
Time is on my mind as of late. Unfortunately, my Grandmother is now under care at a home and she suffers from dementia. Witnessing this has made me curious as to how the mind works, in relation to memories and time. When she's enduring dementia, time has no definition for her. Memories criss-cross in conversations and there's no difference between something that occurred decades ago (even involving someone no longer living) and something that occurred last year. It's strange and perplexing.
I'm also reading a book, In Praise of Slowness by Carl Honore, which documents the current revolution in slowing down all aspects of life. It's fascinating to see how people are reacting to our modern state of speed lust. One thing that caught my attention the most is the organization (the Long Now Foundation) that's building massive clocks which measure one tick per year; this particular clock measures time over ten millennia. Another thing is the LongPlayer, which is playing a musical composition that lasts 1,000 years. While this may seem extreme, it forces you to re-examine your relationship to time. What's of special interest is the juxtaposition of current, urban life (everything measured by the clock; techno music; stress caused by overpacked schedules) and these movements which highlight the slowness and immeasurability of time. It's like a collision of two opposites: breakneck speed vs. eternity.
One other aspect of time that I've been exploring is Einstein's theories. After watching the film, Donnie Darko, I was intrigued by the idea of time travel. I never believed that it was possible and I still don't. However, I read into what Einstein and other physicists had researched (and this coming from someone who stayed as far away from math and advanced sciences in school as possible) in their careers. It gets into bizarre territory and most of it I've only grasped the faint idea of what they're aiming at (some reading this will undoubtedly already understand more than I do). What they and current experts have found is that time and space affect each other and, ultimately, are one and the same. Without going into details, all of this is based on calculations figuring in the speed of light. So, we aren't going to see any of this evidence with our physical eyes (such as how time slows down the faster you move, for instance, like when you're driving your car). We can't achieve the necessary speeds to witness such phenomenon. Nonetheless, it's very intriguing, especially when you get into ideas such as time portals, black holes, and other dimensions.
Since I'm not a sincere believer that we'll ever be able to go back in time (or forward) or that we can find some portal in the space-time continuum, I can't give myself fully to this. It does make my imagination roam, though. Going further, it makes me think of time and eternity and how God is in control of it all. This world is infinitely complex and our minds can barely make sense of these concepts sometimes. I'm awe-struck at the majesty of this creation and it certainly makes me want to slow down to appreciate it all.
I'm also reading a book, In Praise of Slowness by Carl Honore, which documents the current revolution in slowing down all aspects of life. It's fascinating to see how people are reacting to our modern state of speed lust. One thing that caught my attention the most is the organization (the Long Now Foundation) that's building massive clocks which measure one tick per year; this particular clock measures time over ten millennia. Another thing is the LongPlayer, which is playing a musical composition that lasts 1,000 years. While this may seem extreme, it forces you to re-examine your relationship to time. What's of special interest is the juxtaposition of current, urban life (everything measured by the clock; techno music; stress caused by overpacked schedules) and these movements which highlight the slowness and immeasurability of time. It's like a collision of two opposites: breakneck speed vs. eternity.
One other aspect of time that I've been exploring is Einstein's theories. After watching the film, Donnie Darko, I was intrigued by the idea of time travel. I never believed that it was possible and I still don't. However, I read into what Einstein and other physicists had researched (and this coming from someone who stayed as far away from math and advanced sciences in school as possible) in their careers. It gets into bizarre territory and most of it I've only grasped the faint idea of what they're aiming at (some reading this will undoubtedly already understand more than I do). What they and current experts have found is that time and space affect each other and, ultimately, are one and the same. Without going into details, all of this is based on calculations figuring in the speed of light. So, we aren't going to see any of this evidence with our physical eyes (such as how time slows down the faster you move, for instance, like when you're driving your car). We can't achieve the necessary speeds to witness such phenomenon. Nonetheless, it's very intriguing, especially when you get into ideas such as time portals, black holes, and other dimensions.
Since I'm not a sincere believer that we'll ever be able to go back in time (or forward) or that we can find some portal in the space-time continuum, I can't give myself fully to this. It does make my imagination roam, though. Going further, it makes me think of time and eternity and how God is in control of it all. This world is infinitely complex and our minds can barely make sense of these concepts sometimes. I'm awe-struck at the majesty of this creation and it certainly makes me want to slow down to appreciate it all.
Thursday, January 12, 2006
Kingdoms
I was thinking the other day as I was blowing leaves in our yard and trying to listen to music on headphones.... the recurring thought of the warring kingdoms in the spiritual realm. One is God's Kingdom and the other is Satan's (known as "the enemy"). Simple enough. What strikes me is how much the world we witness today is in the center of this battle. Of course, we see with "earthly eyes" most of the time and cannot see into this other realm. However, if you look at the fallout of events that we can witness with our senses, you can see clear evidence of something going on.
Primarily, an attack is underway and has been underway for quite some time on the family unit. This isn't new knowledge and most likely will seem like a cliched statement to some. But, if we see that God Himself is deeply relational and exists in the family of the Trinity, you would deduce that the enemy would attack such a structure as a family here on earth (I refer to God as "Himself" only for the sake of a way to personify Him as a Being. Of course, God is neither male nor female, but spirit. However, because God is such a deeply relational Being, I refer to Him as a He. The other option, if one is trying to be politically correct, would be to call God, "He/She." However, this doesn't have that personal ring, but rather a more objective tone which defeats the purpose of personification. Imagine calling your Dad, "It," or your parents, "He/She"). In whatever form you see it --- divorce, child abuse, pornography, isolation --- these attacks are gutting the foundations of trust, security, and intimacy in the family. Satan is waging a full-on war against what God would have as one of the greatest blessings here on earth.
People are becoming increasingly isolated and unplugged from a community. There are communities, such as the ones you see online, and even something akin to this blog would be considered a type of community. However, the basic tenets of a healthy community --- trust, friendship, knowledge of another, close proximity --- only go so far with internet-born units of people. You can talk with someone via email or chat for years, but you might never know who they are if you were to pass them by in the airport in person. That face-to-face intimacy that we have with our neighbors, friends, and co-workers is so essential. Even something like that goes awry these days, as an angry co-worker will go into their place of employment and gun down people who might've thought they were just a "nice, quiet person who would never hurt anyone." Do we really know people anymore? Do we take time to know people and invest in them or are we too busy? Does our trust erode and paranoia rise with all this non-intimacy?
We need a massive sort of healing to move in a different direction. What will it be?
Primarily, an attack is underway and has been underway for quite some time on the family unit. This isn't new knowledge and most likely will seem like a cliched statement to some. But, if we see that God Himself is deeply relational and exists in the family of the Trinity, you would deduce that the enemy would attack such a structure as a family here on earth (I refer to God as "Himself" only for the sake of a way to personify Him as a Being. Of course, God is neither male nor female, but spirit. However, because God is such a deeply relational Being, I refer to Him as a He. The other option, if one is trying to be politically correct, would be to call God, "He/She." However, this doesn't have that personal ring, but rather a more objective tone which defeats the purpose of personification. Imagine calling your Dad, "It," or your parents, "He/She"). In whatever form you see it --- divorce, child abuse, pornography, isolation --- these attacks are gutting the foundations of trust, security, and intimacy in the family. Satan is waging a full-on war against what God would have as one of the greatest blessings here on earth.
People are becoming increasingly isolated and unplugged from a community. There are communities, such as the ones you see online, and even something akin to this blog would be considered a type of community. However, the basic tenets of a healthy community --- trust, friendship, knowledge of another, close proximity --- only go so far with internet-born units of people. You can talk with someone via email or chat for years, but you might never know who they are if you were to pass them by in the airport in person. That face-to-face intimacy that we have with our neighbors, friends, and co-workers is so essential. Even something like that goes awry these days, as an angry co-worker will go into their place of employment and gun down people who might've thought they were just a "nice, quiet person who would never hurt anyone." Do we really know people anymore? Do we take time to know people and invest in them or are we too busy? Does our trust erode and paranoia rise with all this non-intimacy?
We need a massive sort of healing to move in a different direction. What will it be?
Wednesday, January 11, 2006
Starting something new....
I wanted to have a forum to express ideas, work out thoughts, and have a general playing field for the mind and spirit. This is that forum. Please feel free to add comments on the articles and insights posted here. I encourage open debate and intellectual discussion, by all means. Thank you for dropping by and I look forward to seeing you again soon. A new article will appear in the near future......
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