I was recently informed that Satanism is dumb because:
"The first rule of Satanism is to 'do what you want' therefore, if you follow any of the rules after that, that is someone else telling you what to do and not you 'doing what you want'. Hence Satanism is dumb."
I don't know the rules of Satanism and I'm paraphrasing this revelation from someone who promptly declared themselves to be very smart. So smart, in fact, they thought they might inform the Satanist 'Pope' at their first opportunity.
My article was prompted because this person was very pleased with their conclusion and, at the time, I didn't want to lock horns with such a theological master. (Notice how I'm using big words like 'theological' and 'revelation' to make it sound like I actually know something about this subject - I had to look both words up just to check I was using them in the correct context by the way).
Back to the rules of Satanism (which I suspect are much like the Pirate Code and more like guidelines than actual rules). Perhaps you've spotted the flaws in this argument against Satanism?
My immediate thought was, what if you choose to follow the rest of the rules? It's your choice right? You're doing what you want to do which is follow the rest of the rules.
Taking that thought to an extreme conclusion, if 'doing what you want' means choosing to follow all the rules of Christianity, does that make you a Satanist or a Christian?
Then, I thought a bit more about the original argument. If you follow the first rule of Satanism then, technically, that is someone else telling you to do what you want therefore you're not 'doing what you want'. Hmmm... almost as weird a logic as the argument its self.
At this point of my writing, I thought I'd do some research of my own. It turns out that the first rule of Satanism (at least the one referenced above) isn't actually a rule but rather it is a major Satanic social ethic that reads like this:
"Do whatever you want as long as you harm no undeserving person"
The same source article above references Eleven Satanic Laws, none of which state 'Do whatever you want'. The article also states that Satanists are not bound to these laws and that there is no taboo amongst Satanists if the laws are broken. Hence, one might conclude that these 'laws' are more like 'guidelines'.
Like most people I thought Satanism is akin to 'devil worship' but, based upon my very limited reading thus far I suspect 'devil worship' is a Christian label applied to Satanists. Reading the eleven laws, they actually seem quite reasonable statements, with one or two perhaps leaning towards extreme violence if taken too literally.
In any event, I don't wish to be thought of as promoting Satanism. This article was simply to vent some thoughts I had about someone else's conclusion on the subject.
I don't profess to have any detailed understanding of theology in general and wouldn't like to prove my ignorance by stating any further poorly drawn and unresearched conclusions. Best leave that to other people.
I'm an Adult Now. I can do anything I want!
Thursday, October 18, 2007
A common myth that teenage adults have as they start to get closer to that arbitary line of being an 'adult' is that adults can do anything they want. I'm sure millions of parents have heard from their teen, at one time or another, "I'm an adult now so I can do what I want." A statement that clearly is a childish justification for poor decision making.
Why? Because usually your teen will come out with this statement if you won't let them do something that they really want. To be fair, sometimes it's just the parents being overly protective but, for whatever reason, being an 'adult now' is a childish way to say I don't care for your concern I'm going to do what I want. (Though in that last sentence you can exchange the word 'concern' for 'unreasonable attitude' or more likely yet just insert the word 'sh_t').
Apart from the obvious physical differences the key difference between children and adults is that adults make all their own decisions. Children do make some of their own decisions and are given more and more decisions as they get closer to adulthood but making all your own decisions isn't the same as 'being able to do anything you want'.
Whilst adults do make a lot of their own decisions they can still be held accountable for poor decision making. Just ask Britney Spears who lost custody of her children due to her poor choices. All adults are answerable to the standards of behaviour that we, as a society, have agreed upon expressed in something called 'The Law'.
Of course few people know the fine details of the Law but most of us know simple stuff like treating each other with respect. Most of us also have a fair idea when we do something that breaks the law too.
Leading to the point of this article is the idea that the decisions any one of us get to make is largely affected by decisions made by other people. Decisions that are beyond our control. Things like the Law is one such example of decisions made by others that can affect our choices but I'm referring to decisions on a more local and personal level.
For example. Lets say your lawnmower is broken but you need to cut your lawn before the landlord comes over for a routine inspection of your house. You could either; 1) Not worry about cutting the lawn and wear the consequences. 2) Hire a lawnmower or, 3) Borrow the neighbours lawnmower.
Decision one, don't cut the lawn. Entirely under your control 100% your choice.
Decision two, hire a lawnmower. If you have the money and you can find somewhere that has a lawnmower available for hire then good. Another decision under your control. There's a few variables that you can't control though. If they can't be met then this decision may not be open to you.
Decision three, borrow the neighbours lawnmower. This one could be straight forward if you're on good terms with your neighbour however this decision is only open to you if your neighbour is the kind of person who would like to help you out.
You see, some decisions we have are made available to us through the decisions of others. Lets say, the last time you borrowed your neighbours lawnmower, they had to ask you for it back and you returned it with no fuel at all even though, when you borrowed it, it had a full tank.
Maybe this time you won't be able to borrow it. Your poor choices the last time you borrowed the lawnmower have lead to a situation where you no longer can make a decision to borrow it again. It's not an option, unless you have an extremely forgiving neighbour.
Being an adult who can seemingly do anything they want is not about passing some arbitary age where society says you're an adult. Being an adult is about understanding how the world works and how you can give yourself the widest possible number of choices when it comes to decision making.
In general, if you do the right thing by other people, they'll be more open and receptive to the decisions you want to make. Not only that, they may just throw in a few more options that could help you out. Doing the wrong thing will almost certainly mean fewer choices.
It's not a hard lesson to learn but it's one that so called 'teen adults' fail to grasp. They'll spend a lot of time trying to do the right thing by their friends yet fail to apply the same concept to the rest of the people in their lives.
Beauty Fades. Dumb is Forever.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
The title of this post is a classic Judge Judy quote which, is really only half true. Dumb doesn't have to be forever. All over YouTube a debate is raging about Miss South Carolina's incoherent answer to a question at this years Miss Teen USA pageant. She was asked to give her opinion on why it is that recent polls show that one fifth of Americans can't find the USA on a map?
She started out by saying that many US Americans (as opposed to non US Americans?) don't have maps... and it all went down hill from there with a monologue that, at best, could be described as words that might have been a useful answer if they were arranged into their proper order. Watch the video below for the full story and Miss South Carolina's attempt to redeem herself two days later on the Today Show.
Now, I can accept that she was probably very nervous and we've all been in a situation where we can hear ourselves talking but have no idea if we're still making sense. Her answer on the Today Show is certainly an improvement and may well have got her first place instead of third runner up (what did fourth and fifth place getters say to be beaten by her answer?).
Perhaps I should stop rambling like Miss South Carolina and get to my point. What this represents is a poster child for better education of young people. It's all very well to think looks will get you a long way but looks and brains will get you even further. In today's society people seem genuinely surprised when good looking people have brains too. Something that should be a given not a surprise.
Many young people seem to think that school is a waste of time because they are almost forced to learn about things that don't interest them. These young people have missed the point of school.
School is not just about learning stuff. It is also about learning how to learn. Learning how to teach yourself stuff that you have little to no interest in whatsoever. In life you will need to teach yourself all manner of things that you have no interest in but are necessary to live in todays society.
Nobody likes reading contracts (well most people don't anyway) yet in life you'll need to read and understand all manner of contracts. Tax laws and Tax Returns - mind numbingly boring but you'll need to know. Employer/Employee agreements... Superannuation, life insurance the list goes on. Are you smart enough to teach yourself these things or will you forever be looking for someone to explain it to you... like you were a four year old?
Looks maybe valued highly in the modern world but education is still much more valuable. For every good looking, brainless celebrity out there, there is a very smart agent earning a killing off their clients stupidity.
No matter how old you are you should never stop learning. Beauty may fade but dumb doesn't have to be forever.
The article, which is currently rated number 1 out of 17 articles, looks at the challenges faced by emerging artists in relation to income and why the phrase 'starving artist' is still very relevant in todays society both literally and as a metaphor. There are many barriers to a successful career in the Arts and it is these barriers that can have a detrimental effect on both the artist and their ability to earn a living.
This is the second time Helium has featured my work on their home page and twice in one month no less! Previously An introduction to Video Blogging earned its day in the sun and even featured higher up on the page.
Now if I could only get featured on YouTube's home page I'd be really happy.
Online Friends: The New Trading Cards.
Monday, July 30, 2007
I'm a member of so many online social networks I've lost count. Networks such as myspace, Hi5, Flickr, YouTube, ICQ, MSN, Yahoo etc. What's common to all of them is that people will request you become their friend and then, after you accept, they'll never communicate with you again. Why?
I have a theory that people on these networks collect friends like kids collect trading cards. The more friends you have the cooler you must be. There are people on these various networks that have over 1000 friends. I bet they only ever talk directly to maybe, at a stretch, twenty of them on a regular basis.
What further reinforces this idea of friends being like trading cards is the buzz you get when someone, who you know is really popular on the network, asks to be your friend or accepts your friend request. Now you can impress people more by saying that person is your friend.
I don't have many friends on any of the networks I'm a member of because I rarely make requests to other people to become my friend. When I do it's usually because it is someone I actually know in some way and not just some random person I found in a profile search.
The majority of friends I do have are randoms. People who sent a request to me. Some day I'm going to take the time to message them to find out who they are but for now they're pretty much trading cards in my friends list.
The Dog in the Dining Room.
Saturday, July 28, 2007
The image on the right could easily be an artwork all on its own that perhaps says something about modern art that isn't too flattering. It certainly appeals to my sense of humor on some level. A black dog spraying a wall with black paint.
It could also be a statement about depression taking the idea of 'The Black Dog' literally and as a symbol for a state of being. What it might say about depression I'm not exactly sure but like all art that would be open to interpretation.
Getting back to the bigger picture this photo isn't of a single artwork. It is a detail photo of a much larger artwork by artist Richard Jackson, currently on display at the Galerie GP and N Vallois in Paris. Be sure to click on the links below and take a closer look at what surely is a fascinating artwork to walk around in person.
The artwork is called The Dining Room, and is pictured on the right. Along side it and forming an additional part of the sculpture/installation is The Maid's Room, which is equally gross in its conception and implementation. Both artworks are recreations and adaptations that pay homage to an earlier work by well known French artist, Marcel Duchamp.
Personally I don't really know what to make of this kind of art. It is both fascinating to look at as well as shockingly grotesque but leaves me wondering why?
Many people describe themselves as being 'quiet' in real life social situations but as it turns out 'quiet' is a relative term.
I describe myself as quiet in real life. However, when I tell my internet friends that I'm quiet many of them will say 'oh really, me too' thinking that they're just like me in social situations.
No you're not like me. I've never met anyone who is quiet like me. I'm so quiet it's deafening. People notice that I'm quiet within a few seconds of meeting me (apparently).
In some situations my 'quietness' even makes people feel a bit uncomfortable (I think) as the urge to talk can be quite strong - even if you'd rather not speak first. I'm quite comfortable not speaking. I'm used to my own company. I'm an artist.
I'm not good at social gatherings because I think I have a moral obligation to wait until someone has finished speaking before I talk. No doubt you probably agree. However when someone is talking to me, I listen. I'm not formulating what I'm going to say the split second this person finishes their final sentence.
Apparently others do. I get next to no time to think and respond before someone else has started speaking and I've missed my opportunity to contribute to whatever the first person was saying. Now I have to wait until the second person has finished speaking...no time to think because now the first person has started responding to what person two just said... oh dear, they're going to think I'm 'quiet'.
My brain just doesn't work like that. It isn't inspired to recall stories of past high jinx based upon whatever story is being related to me... "oh yes, how we all laughed...that reminds me of the time we..." Doesn't work like that.
My brain just absorbs information then makes important connections an hour or so later. It stores stuff that may later be useful in creating... something.
So, 'quiet' is a relative term. You may think you're quiet compared to your friends but compared to me. I bet you seem... well... normal. No more quiet than anyone else meeting new people for the first time. Once they get to know you, you probably become more out going. Once people get to know me... nup - still quiet.
It would be remiss of me not to write a post about ANZAC day on April 25th. I would say that this day is about as patriotic as Australians get. Not even on Australia Day do we get this patriotic (in my opinion anyway).
If you're not familiar with ANZAC day, it is an Australian (and probably a New Zealand) holiday to remember all our service men and women who fought in many wars. Specifically it starts with those that fought during World War One at ANZAC Cove in Turkey.
Though I understand what ANZAC day is about and recognise its importance to Australia and its history, I've never yet attended a dawn service, watched a march of veterans or generally been involved in the spirit of the day.
Perhaps that makes me un-Australian? Maybe. The paradox is that all those service men and women fought for my freedom. My right to choose. Which includes how I choose to spend this particular day. There is no law that says you must attend an ANZAC day service. To make such a law would be a joke.
I do remember those from wars gone by. How can I not with all the media coverage this day receives? I am proud of what they achieved despite wishing that no one should ever have to go to war.
ANZAC day is safe from being forgotten. Sometimes I think those who served would prefer less of a fuss but deep down I'm sure they appreciate it.
This whole EMO culture is a thing that was probably called something else when I was in my teens. I don't even really know what it means to be EMO other than you're more than just a little sad.
Another blogger of my generation described an EMO as being like a small furry animal. Cute but easily startled. You've kind of got to tip toe when you're around them otherwise you'll frighten them off.
There is really little point to this post either, other than for some reason I've had the phrase 'Happiness is a warm EMO' floating around my brain for days. It is, of course, a parody of the Lennon/McCartney song 'Happiness is a Warm Gun'.
However, if you have an EMO in your family, I'm sure keeping them warm could lead to happiness. It couldn't hurt to try.
If School were a Video Game.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
"If school was a video game, many of the low achievers would have no trouble getting the high scores." This is a thought that occurred to me this morning (I don't know why, it just kind of bubbled up to the surface in my head).
Reflecting on the idea further, it is my observation that many kids that don't do so well in school are often quite good at their favorite video games. If school was presented in such a format where participating was fun and you could earn points for various levels of achievement, I think some children would have no trouble learning and might even excel.
I also wondered about those that currently can achieve great school results in the present system. Would they under perform or would they also do well if school was a video game? I'm not so sure. Would they be the new 'under achievers'?
I don't know if the phrase has already been coined but if not, I'm coining 'Car Nerds' now. Car nerds are like 'Rev heads' only they know next to nothing about how a car actually works. However they can wax on for hours about what brand of rims they bought and why their car stereo has better sound reproduction than their surround sound home cinema system.
A car nerd does know a little bit about how the engine works. Specifically how the engine on their car works. They're fairly certain engines on other cars probably work the same but they don't know for sure because, what they know about car engines, they learnt from trying to get their car going again after a break down.
That's as far as it goes. Car nerds have no idea what a differential is or why you need one. At least not until they break one with their 'natural talent for accelerating to just above the speed limit in under three seconds'. They have no idea that this kind of driving puts unnecessary wear on parts that should last the life of the car.
Car Nerds spend most of their money on things they don't need to improve the performance of their car. They're particularly attracted to any product that will make their car sound louder, like exhaust amplifiers. I must confess - I don't know if that is what they're called. I just know you can get something that increases the noise of the car by adding it to the end of the exhaust pipe. Kind of like adding a bit of cardboard into the rear wheel of a bicycle so that the noise of it flicking on the spokes makes a sound like a motorbike. It's a useless piece of equipment that attempts to make a four cylinder block sound like a V8. Does nothing to boost performance.
On the subject of making the car sound louder, car nerds do this because they want their cars (i.e. themselves) to be noticed wherever they go. Then they complain about police harassment because their car got noticed by a passing cop (who knows full well that car nerds are more likely to break road rules or have dodgy cars). Car nerds think they can drive simply because they know how to do a burn out and switch lanes on the highway more times than a formula one driver.
In short, car nerds know everything they need to know about driving. Their two years of driving experience means they can drive like a blind octopus trying to make a decision about which arm to adjust the volume on the stereo with. They know everything about how not to drive a car.
It's like all the habits of the worst drivers put behind a wheel.
My partner and I went to a local pub for a nice lunch time meal. As we were finalising our order an elderly lady, just preparing to leave with her husband, suddenly became overcome with some ailment causing her temperature to soar. She appeared to be in pain. The thought that she may even be having a heart attack crossed my mind.
Her husband was quick to act, flagging down restaurant staff for some assistance with cold cloths and things. Several people on nearby tables offered their assistance but he didn't seem overly concerned saying this was something that had happened before and that she would 'come right again' in a little while.
The staff were great in offering assistance, keeping the ladies arms and neck cool with their cloths, trying to determine exactly what was wrong and whether the lady required an ambulance (she did seem to be in a lot of pain from what I observed). She initially refused an ambulance as she was of the same opinion as her partner about 'coming right' eventually. But the staff decided an ambulance was probably a good idea because she didn't seem to be getting better.
The women really did appear to be struggling. I'm not sure if she tried to get up or whether it was just that someone suggested lying down might help, as staff helped her to lie down on the floor next to the table (it was carpeted so not too hard).
By the time the ambulance arrived she was actually coming good again, sitting up and even joking a little with concerned onlookers. All in all a good outcome.
My partner joked that it wasn't a good look for the restaurant, a customer leaving in an ambulance. I thought perhaps they should give her a sign saying 'It wasn't the food' just to ease the mind of passers by.
After lunch my partner and I went over to a local park to take photos of flowers with her digital camera. We'd only just arrived when we were approached by a women and a girl (possibly mother and daughter). They greeted us friendly enough by explaining that they wanted to give us an invitation to a function they were attending.
In that second, what little open personality I display, was violently sucked into the metaphorical bomb shelter of my inner being as the realisation hit - we were under attack by messengers from God. Well, more precisely, messengers of The Revival Fellowship. From the moment their first sentence hit I limited my responses to 'uh-huh' and not much else.
This did not seem to deter them any. My partner, who knew of my previous experience with the fear of God, wouldn't look at me because I knew she was ready to burst out laughing if she did. I'm not going to detail this conversation either because, just as before, I was only half listening. The rest of my thoughts were preoccupied with with the hope that the two of them would stop talking soon and move on.
What struck me though, was that these two were trying to convince me that the world is a terrible place, with everyone out for themselves, not thinking of others and with little hope. The usual doomsday kind of thing that many pro-active campaigners for religion preach in order to convince you of the need to follow Jesus or to accept God into your life.
It's an argument that pales when you consider the experience of the elderly lady in the pub earlier that day. Many people around her were very concerned, despite not knowing her at all. Many of them offered assistance, as did many additional restaurant staff, even though the situation was well under control with the two staff that were assisting her.
The world is not on the decline. It's always been this way. It all depends on which events you choose to focus on and what kind of out look you have on life. In this day and age more things are possible than ever before.
Perhaps I would be more open to religion if they didn't preach that the world needs saving from all the bad things. Why don't they preach about all the good things and encourage you to join in and help to make them better?
I am South Australian Artist, 'TET' or 'The Extraordinary Tourist'. Read about things that interest me, particularly art, social commentary, humour and life observations. Please feel free to leave a comment by clicking the 'Comments' link at the bottom of each entry.
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