Fig. 1. Detail: Part Of The Whole. Acrylic on canvas.
T h e D R A G O N O P O L I S P h i l o s o p h y
Scope and Intent / Behind the Pages, the Words, and the Art
Fig. 2. My own design. God did do the Earth.
Okay, so the following is nowhere near as sexy as The Playboy Philosophy, but for those to whom it matters, the purpose of this website is twofold: At its most fundamental level, "breaking even" on the expenses required for site operation and maintenance ranks high on my list of aspirations. Maybe earn enough of a profit such that I make a few extra bucks in the process. Secondly and most importantly, the site is designed to entertain, enthrall, even amaze the visitors (of all ages) who choose to linger here. On display are the proverbial "labors of love" where financial enrichment is never deemed essential, but quality and integrity always are.
Update: In the months since the website was first initiated, it's become apparent that a standard shopping cart would be unwieldy and essentially out of the question for the time being. Therefore, despite a mention here or there about making money, the site is not (and may never be) inclusive of selling any of the stuff currently on display. If and when this situation changes, I won't hesitate to promote sales with the same enthusiasm as I am presently discouraging the same. If that doesn't make sense, you'll have to forgive me; I'm still new at this.
The scope and intent of this endeavor is both humble and grand. A good deal of humility stems from my recognition of the great genius and talent underlying the very technology that allows this site to exist. Also from an acknowledgement of the brilliant creativity of my competitors, each of whom vie for attention at every turn, with every click of a mouse button, every swipe of a handheld screen.
Admittedly many of my goals are grandiose, seeking recognition by connoisseurs of both literature and art. At the very least, I hope to bring a smile to someone’s face, and maybe spread around the work of some fellow artisans. At most, to add to the brightness that forever struggles to hold back the encroaching gloom of mediocrity.
Though mostly secular in nature and apolitical, the words and pictures promenaded before my guests possess a perceptibly conservative agenda. But one that is also, at times, outlandish and idealistic. In other words, no true agenda at all. Other than to amuse, bemuse, and offer visitors something of value, some tidbit that might provide substance for thought, for light or serious contemplation. Providing a big pile of stuff for sale is, of course, a cornerstone to most business endeavors and in this respect, I must confess to sporting a deep regard for the basic principles of American capitalism.
As mentioned elsewhere (unless it's the first time you're seeing this) the philosophy behind the website has evolved since its original inception. I left the text above in place because it has (had) a certain honesty about it that I liked. In actuality, however, the site is no longer a commercially driven enterprise. It is instead very similar to other not-for-profit websites that I discuss at the top of the Lobby page. DRAGONOPOLIS is not only a celebration of my own writing and art, but is now intended to showcase the work of other talented artists and writers. Even now, as this is written, additional thought is being given on how best to present the imaginative products created by others -- and more importantly, how to convince them to exhibit some of their stuff on my website. I may have to bribe or coerce them in some fashion, so I'm always devising schemes along those lines as well.
In any event, I want guests and visitors (and potential exhibitors) to know "where I'm coming from" as they used to say. I wonder what the modern-day equivalent is, of that particular saying? If you know, give me your best shot; I bet there's several variations. I could Google it, but I'm tired of Googling everything all the time, aren't you? It's a great tool, but after a while, you start to question whether you know the real facts behind anything. And you're usually only partially correct about everything. I've learned more about what I don't know from Google, than I've ever learned that's brand new, under-the-sun. Hey, maybe that's a good thing. I should know; I've written a dozen essays on that very topic. Thanks for listening.
Update: In the months since the website was first initiated, it's become apparent that a standard shopping cart would be unwieldy and essentially out of the question for the time being. Therefore, despite a mention here or there about making money, the site is not (and may never be) inclusive of selling any of the stuff currently on display. If and when this situation changes, I won't hesitate to promote sales with the same enthusiasm as I am presently discouraging the same. If that doesn't make sense, you'll have to forgive me; I'm still new at this.
The scope and intent of this endeavor is both humble and grand. A good deal of humility stems from my recognition of the great genius and talent underlying the very technology that allows this site to exist. Also from an acknowledgement of the brilliant creativity of my competitors, each of whom vie for attention at every turn, with every click of a mouse button, every swipe of a handheld screen.
Admittedly many of my goals are grandiose, seeking recognition by connoisseurs of both literature and art. At the very least, I hope to bring a smile to someone’s face, and maybe spread around the work of some fellow artisans. At most, to add to the brightness that forever struggles to hold back the encroaching gloom of mediocrity.
Though mostly secular in nature and apolitical, the words and pictures promenaded before my guests possess a perceptibly conservative agenda. But one that is also, at times, outlandish and idealistic. In other words, no true agenda at all. Other than to amuse, bemuse, and offer visitors something of value, some tidbit that might provide substance for thought, for light or serious contemplation. Providing a big pile of stuff for sale is, of course, a cornerstone to most business endeavors and in this respect, I must confess to sporting a deep regard for the basic principles of American capitalism.
As mentioned elsewhere (unless it's the first time you're seeing this) the philosophy behind the website has evolved since its original inception. I left the text above in place because it has (had) a certain honesty about it that I liked. In actuality, however, the site is no longer a commercially driven enterprise. It is instead very similar to other not-for-profit websites that I discuss at the top of the Lobby page. DRAGONOPOLIS is not only a celebration of my own writing and art, but is now intended to showcase the work of other talented artists and writers. Even now, as this is written, additional thought is being given on how best to present the imaginative products created by others -- and more importantly, how to convince them to exhibit some of their stuff on my website. I may have to bribe or coerce them in some fashion, so I'm always devising schemes along those lines as well.
In any event, I want guests and visitors (and potential exhibitors) to know "where I'm coming from" as they used to say. I wonder what the modern-day equivalent is, of that particular saying? If you know, give me your best shot; I bet there's several variations. I could Google it, but I'm tired of Googling everything all the time, aren't you? It's a great tool, but after a while, you start to question whether you know the real facts behind anything. And you're usually only partially correct about everything. I've learned more about what I don't know from Google, than I've ever learned that's brand new, under-the-sun. Hey, maybe that's a good thing. I should know; I've written a dozen essays on that very topic. Thanks for listening.
Fig. 3.
Fig. 4.
A Word (or two) about Heroes and Myths
(with apologies to Joseph Campbell)
Times are such nowadays that many people, too many of them young, are living lives devoid of personal heroes who, although we may never know them personally, help us to make sense of a seemingly crazy, often harsh, illogical world. Simultaneously an ironic twist exists whereby contemporary films and literary fiction not only brim with ultra nasty villains, but with all manner of heroic figures, both super and otherwise. A troublesome dichotomy has evolved wherein the problems of the real world are increasingly viewed as unsolvable, while those who crave justice and the triumph of Good over Evil -- as a fleeting substitute -- routinely defeat the imaginary villains of escapist fiction. Unable to find living, breathing people who can compare to their literary or Hollywood heroes, many folks have resigned themselves to a cynical appraisal of peers, politicians, and would-be leaders of societies and nations alike. The opinion is widely held that most persons are more or less equally flawed and given to licentiousness in one form or another, to one degree or another.
Although it's true that celebrities can represent a type of role model, for better or worse -- more often an example of a certain level of success to which one might aspire -- it's rarely the case that someone famous can indefinitely sustain a ranking of unflinching integrity, decency, and good character. Or as a hero to be admired and emulated over a long period of time. Rather it's more often the situation that many such individuals typically disappoint us, falling short of our expectations and in some instances revealing themselves as antithetical to almost everything we hold near and dear. Which can be downright depressing when those same people portrayed heroic characters in some of our favorite films.
But what does it mean to be a hero? How is the term even defined in today's world? And why again is it important that people adopt one or more ethical, moral "champions" in their life? Essentially a hero is classically defined as a person of exceptional courage, nobility, and strength (of character). A more modern and realistic definition could easily drop the word exceptional and replace it with consistent. Consistent, unwavering courage, nobility, and strength. Granted such persons are indeed exceptional in contemporary society, the qualities themselves no longer need be extraordinary. Depravity, corruption, perversity, and degeneracy are at such high levels nowadays, that the standards for courage, nobility, and decency can be set fairly low. Or rather at a minimum level, let's say.
And still, when I talk to people, relatively few possess personal heroes who are, as they say, beyond reproach. Someone whose integrity is so solid, whose beliefs are so undeniably compatible with their own, that they willingly adjust and revise their world views in favor of a chosen hero's positions on almost everything. This is not to be confused, however, with fanaticism or zealotry, which are defined by their intolerance of others' views. A modern-day hero who manifests the qualities to which I refer, is the most tolerant of individuals. Even a mentor is often more to do with the teaching of life skills and abilities, than are they an authentic philosophical or moral guidepost by which we can judge the virtue of many if not most things, including other people.
Finding heroism is a lot like finding love. And equally difficult. As opposed to infatuation which doesn't discriminate between propriety and sex, true love is a reflection of ourselves in the eyes of another person. When somebody possesses the same values, attitudes, ideas (and ideals) opinions and especially beliefs that we ourselves embrace, we tend to like that person a lot. And when it's intense and genuine enough, we fall in love with them. Which is a little (or a lot) like falling for ourselves, as if we fell for our own clone in a way. As silly as that sounds, the notion itself is psychologically sound. Consider the opposite for a moment, and you can quickly appreciate how it is we might hate someone -- instead of love them.
Consequently, only one of the reasons why it's so difficult to find a hero is immediately obvious when one realizes that, whether our personal standards of behavior are set high or low, we are voluntarily submitting our beliefs to the presumed (and superior) wisdom of another person. That's a lot to ask of ourselves under the best of circumstances. And it's all the more reason why it's so important that we do so. A strong temptation exists otherwise, where we tend to think that our understanding of the world is pretty much as good as that of anyone else. Maybe we don't have all the collegiate letters after our name, but basically we get what's going on. Or we see the abundant ignorance (and stupidity) the same as any other. We need to have heroes precisely so we don't consider ourselves as the final authority on life's most important issues. Even more so, that one is rarely an autonomous authority about anything. Humility is among the greatest of human attributes, but it can only be achieved by the recognition of things greater than ourselves. Of people both smarter and of greater goodness of character.
Worth repeating is the acknowledgement that while it's fairly easy to find such individuals within a historical context, meaning those who have come and gone and left an enviable legacy for the rest of us, acquiring a living, modern-day guru poses a particularly persnickety challenge. Whether your personal favorite from history is Jesus Christ, Ronald Reagan, Martin Luther King or one of a thousand others, active, contemporary heroes are conspicuously vulnerable to mistakes, lapses of judgment, and fringe beliefs that may conflict with one or more of our own. Rarely does some relative stranger espouse ideas that for the most part, are in complete and utter sync with our own opinions and beliefs. When those same beliefs support our deepest and most important core values that give meaning to our life, there's a good chance we've found a hero. It's not a certainty by any stretch, but such a person deserves our additional time and attention. Likewise, we need to listen especially close for lies, even small ones -- prevarications that include embellishments which deviate from the truth in some seemingly insignificant way. The heroes to whom I refer never intentionally practice deceit. It's not in them to do so. And it is such people, as the old saying goes, to whom we should lend our ears. And our loyalty. Some money if need be. But our support most of all. They are indeed the champions who fight for what we hold near and dear.
In addition, I should briefly mention how heroics are both passive and active. In our personal and private lives, how we conduct ourselves, how we behave, is a form of passive heroics that are almost never considered as such, but they are, nevertheless. We are passive role models for those with whom we interact on a daily basis. For most good and decent people, these actions are of a generally positive nature. Especially as concerns children. I always liked the modern aphorism that suggests we do the right thing even when no one is looking.
Adults and especially parents may, in some ways, find it difficult to compete with the virtuous heroes who populate movies, books, and video games in particular. The one big advantage on the side of grown-ups is that the lines between the good guys and the bad are often blurred in today's fictional stories for kids. Children still need heroes in the real world. And because they are sorely lacking in many instances, we see a certain disconnect, I think, between the young and the old. Among the several different generations that now populate modern-day America.
The cool, aloof separation among these same generations is where a more active form of heroism -- to which I referred earlier -- comes into play. If we as adults do not have heroes in our lives, the chances are likely that neither will our children. And when neither do, we live in a realm of controlled chaos which is how I believe conditions currently exist in America. It took many years for me to find my private paladins. Longer than it should have, but mainly because I wasn't in the market for heroes. Particularly after I had adopted a few along the way and was badly burned, so to speak. I voted for Bill Clinton for president when he ran the first time. I loved the guy. I thought he spoke for me and more importantly that he thought like me. This represented the first time I voted in any election and I took it all very seriously. Needless to say, I was seriously disappointed. Not only did he fail on many of his campaign promises, but ultimately the whole Monica Lewinsky affair, Paula Jones, the charges of rape and so forth left me devastated. Let alone impeachment and later disbarment. This man did not represent my views after all. At all. So much for heroes. There were others here and there who came and went, but it would take me over twenty-five years to find another hero who I could believe in with every fiber of my being.
None of this, by the way, is meant as a personal attack on either of the Clintons -- which is where I could also go, but won't. I only mention Bill as a real-life example of what I'm talking about -- to put meat on the bones, so to speak. By the same token, I'm not out to actively endorse the people who have since become my personal role models. This is not my intent, nor should it be. My aim is simply to encourage others who feel somewhat lost, and other than a church pastor or priest, a close friend or family member, embrace no real heroes in the world. Global heroes, if you will, who champion issues on local, national, and international stages. In my specific situation, based largely on an increased concern over certain activities within the political arena, I consider radio hosts, Mark Levin and Rush Limbaugh, as two of my biggest heroes. Texas senator Ted Cruz is another. And maybe a few more here and there. Michelle Malkin, Sarah Palin, Mark Steyn, to name a few. The point is that these people need to have proven themselves to me, over a period of time, that not only do they never lie, but their views remain consistent, sensible, and accurate. Then comes all the rest of it, the honesty, integrity, intelligence and wisdom -- the whole package. It's not easy being one of my heroes. Neither do I come close to living up to the standards I establish for these other people. But they do. Gary Sinise is in there, too.
I'll end this by saying that I believe there's a lot of really bad people living in the world today. And I mean really nasty, scurrilous, absolutely evil human beings whose presence in the world diminishes the planet as a whole. Because my perception of the world is more bleak than it is for some, less so than others', I need heroes to help me make sense of it all. I think it would be too much for me by myself. I don't know how other people can do it. Or how I did it for so long. Too long. Allow me to nudge you to try and find one or two uber-friends -- people you may never meet in person -- and bring them into your life if possible. If you like what they say, then listen more closely and give them a chance. And if you don't feel empowered or strengthened as a result, you might want to move on and find someone else. And should they lie, even a little, you must definitely move on to someone else. Until they try to deceive. I think you get the idea.
Just as in love, you'll know when the right one(s) comes along. Be open to the effort, the promise of what might be gained in the process. Get informed, stay informed. Spread the word, let people know who your heroes are and encourage them to befriend those who celebrate the causes they both believe in. You'll know your hero is right for you because when that person speaks, they'll be putting into words those same ideas, thoughts, and feelings that you couldn't have said better yourself. But wanted to.
Although it's true that celebrities can represent a type of role model, for better or worse -- more often an example of a certain level of success to which one might aspire -- it's rarely the case that someone famous can indefinitely sustain a ranking of unflinching integrity, decency, and good character. Or as a hero to be admired and emulated over a long period of time. Rather it's more often the situation that many such individuals typically disappoint us, falling short of our expectations and in some instances revealing themselves as antithetical to almost everything we hold near and dear. Which can be downright depressing when those same people portrayed heroic characters in some of our favorite films.
But what does it mean to be a hero? How is the term even defined in today's world? And why again is it important that people adopt one or more ethical, moral "champions" in their life? Essentially a hero is classically defined as a person of exceptional courage, nobility, and strength (of character). A more modern and realistic definition could easily drop the word exceptional and replace it with consistent. Consistent, unwavering courage, nobility, and strength. Granted such persons are indeed exceptional in contemporary society, the qualities themselves no longer need be extraordinary. Depravity, corruption, perversity, and degeneracy are at such high levels nowadays, that the standards for courage, nobility, and decency can be set fairly low. Or rather at a minimum level, let's say.
And still, when I talk to people, relatively few possess personal heroes who are, as they say, beyond reproach. Someone whose integrity is so solid, whose beliefs are so undeniably compatible with their own, that they willingly adjust and revise their world views in favor of a chosen hero's positions on almost everything. This is not to be confused, however, with fanaticism or zealotry, which are defined by their intolerance of others' views. A modern-day hero who manifests the qualities to which I refer, is the most tolerant of individuals. Even a mentor is often more to do with the teaching of life skills and abilities, than are they an authentic philosophical or moral guidepost by which we can judge the virtue of many if not most things, including other people.
Finding heroism is a lot like finding love. And equally difficult. As opposed to infatuation which doesn't discriminate between propriety and sex, true love is a reflection of ourselves in the eyes of another person. When somebody possesses the same values, attitudes, ideas (and ideals) opinions and especially beliefs that we ourselves embrace, we tend to like that person a lot. And when it's intense and genuine enough, we fall in love with them. Which is a little (or a lot) like falling for ourselves, as if we fell for our own clone in a way. As silly as that sounds, the notion itself is psychologically sound. Consider the opposite for a moment, and you can quickly appreciate how it is we might hate someone -- instead of love them.
Consequently, only one of the reasons why it's so difficult to find a hero is immediately obvious when one realizes that, whether our personal standards of behavior are set high or low, we are voluntarily submitting our beliefs to the presumed (and superior) wisdom of another person. That's a lot to ask of ourselves under the best of circumstances. And it's all the more reason why it's so important that we do so. A strong temptation exists otherwise, where we tend to think that our understanding of the world is pretty much as good as that of anyone else. Maybe we don't have all the collegiate letters after our name, but basically we get what's going on. Or we see the abundant ignorance (and stupidity) the same as any other. We need to have heroes precisely so we don't consider ourselves as the final authority on life's most important issues. Even more so, that one is rarely an autonomous authority about anything. Humility is among the greatest of human attributes, but it can only be achieved by the recognition of things greater than ourselves. Of people both smarter and of greater goodness of character.
Worth repeating is the acknowledgement that while it's fairly easy to find such individuals within a historical context, meaning those who have come and gone and left an enviable legacy for the rest of us, acquiring a living, modern-day guru poses a particularly persnickety challenge. Whether your personal favorite from history is Jesus Christ, Ronald Reagan, Martin Luther King or one of a thousand others, active, contemporary heroes are conspicuously vulnerable to mistakes, lapses of judgment, and fringe beliefs that may conflict with one or more of our own. Rarely does some relative stranger espouse ideas that for the most part, are in complete and utter sync with our own opinions and beliefs. When those same beliefs support our deepest and most important core values that give meaning to our life, there's a good chance we've found a hero. It's not a certainty by any stretch, but such a person deserves our additional time and attention. Likewise, we need to listen especially close for lies, even small ones -- prevarications that include embellishments which deviate from the truth in some seemingly insignificant way. The heroes to whom I refer never intentionally practice deceit. It's not in them to do so. And it is such people, as the old saying goes, to whom we should lend our ears. And our loyalty. Some money if need be. But our support most of all. They are indeed the champions who fight for what we hold near and dear.
In addition, I should briefly mention how heroics are both passive and active. In our personal and private lives, how we conduct ourselves, how we behave, is a form of passive heroics that are almost never considered as such, but they are, nevertheless. We are passive role models for those with whom we interact on a daily basis. For most good and decent people, these actions are of a generally positive nature. Especially as concerns children. I always liked the modern aphorism that suggests we do the right thing even when no one is looking.
Adults and especially parents may, in some ways, find it difficult to compete with the virtuous heroes who populate movies, books, and video games in particular. The one big advantage on the side of grown-ups is that the lines between the good guys and the bad are often blurred in today's fictional stories for kids. Children still need heroes in the real world. And because they are sorely lacking in many instances, we see a certain disconnect, I think, between the young and the old. Among the several different generations that now populate modern-day America.
The cool, aloof separation among these same generations is where a more active form of heroism -- to which I referred earlier -- comes into play. If we as adults do not have heroes in our lives, the chances are likely that neither will our children. And when neither do, we live in a realm of controlled chaos which is how I believe conditions currently exist in America. It took many years for me to find my private paladins. Longer than it should have, but mainly because I wasn't in the market for heroes. Particularly after I had adopted a few along the way and was badly burned, so to speak. I voted for Bill Clinton for president when he ran the first time. I loved the guy. I thought he spoke for me and more importantly that he thought like me. This represented the first time I voted in any election and I took it all very seriously. Needless to say, I was seriously disappointed. Not only did he fail on many of his campaign promises, but ultimately the whole Monica Lewinsky affair, Paula Jones, the charges of rape and so forth left me devastated. Let alone impeachment and later disbarment. This man did not represent my views after all. At all. So much for heroes. There were others here and there who came and went, but it would take me over twenty-five years to find another hero who I could believe in with every fiber of my being.
None of this, by the way, is meant as a personal attack on either of the Clintons -- which is where I could also go, but won't. I only mention Bill as a real-life example of what I'm talking about -- to put meat on the bones, so to speak. By the same token, I'm not out to actively endorse the people who have since become my personal role models. This is not my intent, nor should it be. My aim is simply to encourage others who feel somewhat lost, and other than a church pastor or priest, a close friend or family member, embrace no real heroes in the world. Global heroes, if you will, who champion issues on local, national, and international stages. In my specific situation, based largely on an increased concern over certain activities within the political arena, I consider radio hosts, Mark Levin and Rush Limbaugh, as two of my biggest heroes. Texas senator Ted Cruz is another. And maybe a few more here and there. Michelle Malkin, Sarah Palin, Mark Steyn, to name a few. The point is that these people need to have proven themselves to me, over a period of time, that not only do they never lie, but their views remain consistent, sensible, and accurate. Then comes all the rest of it, the honesty, integrity, intelligence and wisdom -- the whole package. It's not easy being one of my heroes. Neither do I come close to living up to the standards I establish for these other people. But they do. Gary Sinise is in there, too.
I'll end this by saying that I believe there's a lot of really bad people living in the world today. And I mean really nasty, scurrilous, absolutely evil human beings whose presence in the world diminishes the planet as a whole. Because my perception of the world is more bleak than it is for some, less so than others', I need heroes to help me make sense of it all. I think it would be too much for me by myself. I don't know how other people can do it. Or how I did it for so long. Too long. Allow me to nudge you to try and find one or two uber-friends -- people you may never meet in person -- and bring them into your life if possible. If you like what they say, then listen more closely and give them a chance. And if you don't feel empowered or strengthened as a result, you might want to move on and find someone else. And should they lie, even a little, you must definitely move on to someone else. Until they try to deceive. I think you get the idea.
Just as in love, you'll know when the right one(s) comes along. Be open to the effort, the promise of what might be gained in the process. Get informed, stay informed. Spread the word, let people know who your heroes are and encourage them to befriend those who celebrate the causes they both believe in. You'll know your hero is right for you because when that person speaks, they'll be putting into words those same ideas, thoughts, and feelings that you couldn't have said better yourself. But wanted to.
Fig. 5.
|
The late Steve Irwin (1962-2006) naturalist extraordinaire. Nicknamed the "Crocodile Hunter", he is shown here with his daughter, Bindi, reading her dad's eulogy. Steve was not only one of my personal heroes, but he served as a great role model for both young and old, in teaching us about wildlife management and respect. In a world where animals have too few champions as it is, his absence in the world will be sorely felt. |
Fig. 6.
A L L P A R T O f O N E
O N E P A R T O f A L L
T h e D R A G O N O P O L I S S h i b b o l e t h
Although my little motto seems like a simple variation on, "One for all, and all for one," from The Three Musketeers, it is actually a bit more than what might first meet the eye, or mind. It's fairly obvious what the Musketeers intended by their pronouncement of camaraderie, whereby one bore allegiance to all, and all were allegiant to the one, including fighting when necessary. There's probably a French translation that is more profound than my meager explanation, but the general idea is that the one is responsible for, and both protective and representative of the other two. Likewise the two should watch over and be forever responsible for the one. It's a nice male-bonding thing, suitable for women, and symbolizes the very epitome of loyalty among friends.
In my own homespun version, the suggestion is made that everyone on planet Earth is part of one community. And that we subsequently bare an allegiance to that community, like it or not. It's something we inherit by virtue of being born, especially those of us who live relatively comfortable lives. To some extent it's a play on the Eastern schemata of becoming one with everything or, at a minimum, the recognition that the individual is inseparable from the continuum of existence. Likewise that the whole of humanity, of all living things, of all that exists, is an extension, a refection of a single consciousness.
A hologram, when reduced to its most basic elements, is composed of separate images, each a complete (and miniature) encapsulation that contains the entire picture of the whole. Another way of describing this is in terms of information. That's how astrophysicists like to think of the universe, as a collective of data, formulas, laws and the like. The long sought, but as yet undiscovered unified field theory, which would explain the four known forces of the cosmos in a single equation, is expected to be somewhat akin to a hologram. This is to say that the smallest pieces of existence, the realm of the quanta, will contain all the information that comprises the macro realm of the galaxies. Just as time that runs infinitely fast is indistinguishable from time that has come to a dead stop, the information contained in the one, whether large or small, is indistinguishable from the characteristics of the other. That is what the one equation is intended to qualitatively quantify.
It was long believed that Black Holes were so destructive that any and all information that got pulled into such a cosmological phenomenon was lost forever. Even if spit out the other end, such as via a worm hole, there was still a factor of loss involved. Such a destruction of information had always thrown the scientific community into a tizzy, because it suggested that enough Black holes could not only strip the universe of irretrievable structure, but would one day consume the whole McGillicutty, as they say. Well, as the Irish say, that is. The good news is that the theory of information-loss has recently been scrapped. Information, it seems, is just too integral to existence itself to be swallowed up so easily.
The ironic twist to the whole affair is that one can't be part of something. Nor can something be part of us. You are it. It is you. Without parts. The schism that forces us to use language in such a way that we are compelled to describe a single process as possessing constituency, does not necessarily diminish our appreciation for the concept, provided we remain aware that such divisions are solely the consequence of limited verbal skills. All of this sort of adds new meaning to the exclamation, "I can't put into words how much you mean to me."
The phrase, one part of all, does not refer to us as being one part of a total of parts. Rather it should be read as one, part of all. More over, the one is part of all there is. Accordingly, all part of one, does not mean all of us as individuals are part of the one. Rather, that all of us collectively are part of the one. And since any important, relativistic truth is self-reflexive, the exact opposite of its definition is also true. All of which is an elaborate way of saying that no matter how the shibboleth is read, interpreted, or defined, its asseveration is singular and without contradiction.
In my own homespun version, the suggestion is made that everyone on planet Earth is part of one community. And that we subsequently bare an allegiance to that community, like it or not. It's something we inherit by virtue of being born, especially those of us who live relatively comfortable lives. To some extent it's a play on the Eastern schemata of becoming one with everything or, at a minimum, the recognition that the individual is inseparable from the continuum of existence. Likewise that the whole of humanity, of all living things, of all that exists, is an extension, a refection of a single consciousness.
A hologram, when reduced to its most basic elements, is composed of separate images, each a complete (and miniature) encapsulation that contains the entire picture of the whole. Another way of describing this is in terms of information. That's how astrophysicists like to think of the universe, as a collective of data, formulas, laws and the like. The long sought, but as yet undiscovered unified field theory, which would explain the four known forces of the cosmos in a single equation, is expected to be somewhat akin to a hologram. This is to say that the smallest pieces of existence, the realm of the quanta, will contain all the information that comprises the macro realm of the galaxies. Just as time that runs infinitely fast is indistinguishable from time that has come to a dead stop, the information contained in the one, whether large or small, is indistinguishable from the characteristics of the other. That is what the one equation is intended to qualitatively quantify.
It was long believed that Black Holes were so destructive that any and all information that got pulled into such a cosmological phenomenon was lost forever. Even if spit out the other end, such as via a worm hole, there was still a factor of loss involved. Such a destruction of information had always thrown the scientific community into a tizzy, because it suggested that enough Black holes could not only strip the universe of irretrievable structure, but would one day consume the whole McGillicutty, as they say. Well, as the Irish say, that is. The good news is that the theory of information-loss has recently been scrapped. Information, it seems, is just too integral to existence itself to be swallowed up so easily.
The ironic twist to the whole affair is that one can't be part of something. Nor can something be part of us. You are it. It is you. Without parts. The schism that forces us to use language in such a way that we are compelled to describe a single process as possessing constituency, does not necessarily diminish our appreciation for the concept, provided we remain aware that such divisions are solely the consequence of limited verbal skills. All of this sort of adds new meaning to the exclamation, "I can't put into words how much you mean to me."
The phrase, one part of all, does not refer to us as being one part of a total of parts. Rather it should be read as one, part of all. More over, the one is part of all there is. Accordingly, all part of one, does not mean all of us as individuals are part of the one. Rather, that all of us collectively are part of the one. And since any important, relativistic truth is self-reflexive, the exact opposite of its definition is also true. All of which is an elaborate way of saying that no matter how the shibboleth is read, interpreted, or defined, its asseveration is singular and without contradiction.
M O M E N T U M S
Timeless points wherein decisions are freely made without apprehension, unreflectively and directly integrated. No longer subjects or objects, nor observers and observed; phenomena wherein awareness is without parts or summation.
Fig. 7. Departing view from DRAGONOPOLIS.
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