What is the cost of ‘life’ to high achievers? What is the cost of ‘life’ to those who strive to reach their self appointed goals? What is the cost of ‘life’ to those women who opt for a career before all else?
I do not decry nor am I judgemental about their choice. That is their call and good luck to them. But they must never forget that to get to where they want to go they will have to pay a price – they will have to pay the ferryman (fate?). And the ferryman will demand recompense – this payment cannot be avoided and it is always paid in kind – they will reap their crop, like it or not. They will have to accept the consequences – and there are always consequences for everything we do or think or plan.
If you disregard your well being (body and soul) or someone else's well being, in fact if you disregard anything, to satisfy your own selfish ends the threads that entangle us all in the web of life will, eventually trip you up and bring you down. That is unless you conduct yourself in an ethical manner.
I know that you have heard this all before somewhere in this blog but it astounds me that some people always forget and try and please themselves at someone else’s cost. I have been thinking about this quite a bit recently after seeing the ABC’s 4 Corners programme on TV about one Bilal Skaf and his younger brother who, some years ago now, by mobile telephone, organised the pack rapes of some unfortunate girls in various Sydney suburbs. Eventually caught, Bilal seems, on the face of it, to be in a state of denial. He seems to think that he is above any need to be held accountable for anything he does. He can’t understand all the bother about raping these girls. They were white trash - sluts, and deserved what they got. He has done nothing ‘wrong’ in his eyes.
The Skaf’s mother seems also to be in a state of denial – in her eyes it is all an anti-Muslim conspiracy and her two boys would never do anything that they have been accused of doing. The father was away much of the time working to support the growing family so could not give his guidance and emotional support to the boys. So it must have been her who filled Bilal’s mind with stories about the lax morals of Australian girls – no one else was there to do it. And like many strong willed mothers she wanted the best for her sons and did not want them mixed up with such ‘trash’.
No one ‘deserves’ anything of this nature. This case was an absolute tragedy for all concerned. The Skaf brothers and their accomplices have got their just deserts and the victims and their families can now move on in the knowledge that for at least another twenty-five years the Skafs will no longer be a danger to the public.
It is so sad. The victims will need all the support the community can give for many years to come. Likewise the actions of this boy – he was just a boy at the time – have tarnished the image of Islam and the Lebanese community. It is necessary to distinguish between the fact that he came from a Muslim tradition (which is a noble tradition) and the fact that he organised and was a participant in pack rapes. There is no correlation between the two. Certainly there are good and bad Muslims, just as there are good and bad Christians, but because Bilal is a Muslim this did not cause him commit rape. Christians have been involved in pack rapes as well.
He is a human being who needs a great deal of help – I firmly believe that no one is beyond help or is too depraved ever to feel remorse and try to redeem themselves. But at the moment he is paying the ferryman good and proper.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Alzheimer’s disease
Husband and wife have been to see a doctor about their apparent loss of memory. The doctor suggests they start writing things down.
Back home wife says to husband, “Will you get me some ice-cream? You had better write it down.”
Husband, “No need to write it down – some ice cream.”
Wife, “Yes but I also want it with strawberries. Write it down.”
Husband, “No need to write it down – ice cream and strawberries.”
Wife, “Better write it down because I also want it with cream.”
Husband, now getting cross, “I don’t need to write it down – I can remember, you want some ice-cream with strawberries and cream.”
Husband comes back with bacon and eggs.
Wife to husband, “Where’s the toast?”
Back home wife says to husband, “Will you get me some ice-cream? You had better write it down.”
Husband, “No need to write it down – some ice cream.”
Wife, “Yes but I also want it with strawberries. Write it down.”
Husband, “No need to write it down – ice cream and strawberries.”
Wife, “Better write it down because I also want it with cream.”
Husband, now getting cross, “I don’t need to write it down – I can remember, you want some ice-cream with strawberries and cream.”
Husband comes back with bacon and eggs.
Wife to husband, “Where’s the toast?”
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
ESP
Most people, I believe, will have an opinion about extra- sensory perception (ESP) or psychic phenomena. I also believe that a person’s views will be either a ‘Yes. I believe’ or a ‘No. I don’t believe.’ It would be difficult to be in a ‘maybe’ position.
Most of the ‘no's’ would be of the opinion that there is no scientific evidence for the existence of ESP and would take a 'You can’t prove it, therefore it doesn’t exist,’ type approach. I understand this but because many scientists have a silo mentality regarding their particular discipline they are unable, or unwilling to see outside their particular box and therefore miss or overlook the signals from other disciplines.
Think of it this way - we have all heard of the famous Einstein equation E=MC2, which I understand means that ultimately, matter and energy are the same – matter is energy and energy is matter. Now energy can be measured (I think), by an oscilloscope in a wave form. If this is correct then everything, all matter, including humans, is giving out energy waves all the time. We humans then are transmitting these waves even now – thoughts, bodily heat and (I am sure) other forms of energy that I know nothing about.
If energy waves can be measured by a machine then why is it not possible to contemplate that human beings (and other life forms) could equally ‘receive’ this energy and ‘measure’ it by way of Extra-Sensory Perception – I mean it is the same energy after all? We casually use the phrases like “I picked up his vibes” or “I had bad vibes about that,” or “She is a good person to be around – she makes me happy”, so we all actually have a sense of this ‘energy’. There are many stories about domestic animals being ‘aware’ and sensitive to ESP and there are many people who at least claim to have this ability.
I have written before that I had an ESP experience, many years ago now, which is still vivid and comforting. The trouble is it would be impossible to recreate, in a laboratory, the exact situation, circumstance, mood and emotion that ‘created’ the ambience which ‘allowed’ the psychic event to occur.
This is the ‘scientific’ problem but it does not mean that ESP does NOT exist.
Most of the ‘no's’ would be of the opinion that there is no scientific evidence for the existence of ESP and would take a 'You can’t prove it, therefore it doesn’t exist,’ type approach. I understand this but because many scientists have a silo mentality regarding their particular discipline they are unable, or unwilling to see outside their particular box and therefore miss or overlook the signals from other disciplines.
Think of it this way - we have all heard of the famous Einstein equation E=MC2, which I understand means that ultimately, matter and energy are the same – matter is energy and energy is matter. Now energy can be measured (I think), by an oscilloscope in a wave form. If this is correct then everything, all matter, including humans, is giving out energy waves all the time. We humans then are transmitting these waves even now – thoughts, bodily heat and (I am sure) other forms of energy that I know nothing about.
If energy waves can be measured by a machine then why is it not possible to contemplate that human beings (and other life forms) could equally ‘receive’ this energy and ‘measure’ it by way of Extra-Sensory Perception – I mean it is the same energy after all? We casually use the phrases like “I picked up his vibes” or “I had bad vibes about that,” or “She is a good person to be around – she makes me happy”, so we all actually have a sense of this ‘energy’. There are many stories about domestic animals being ‘aware’ and sensitive to ESP and there are many people who at least claim to have this ability.
I have written before that I had an ESP experience, many years ago now, which is still vivid and comforting. The trouble is it would be impossible to recreate, in a laboratory, the exact situation, circumstance, mood and emotion that ‘created’ the ambience which ‘allowed’ the psychic event to occur.
This is the ‘scientific’ problem but it does not mean that ESP does NOT exist.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Injustice revisited
I am going to start with a quote from Leo Tolstoy’s book “A confession”, wherein he said, “The least productive attitude is that by which a person regards themselves as being a self motivated being, who exists in the world solely for the purpose of attaining the greatest possible personal well being, irrespective of the degree of suffering this may cause to others.”
How true this is. And it doesn’t matter if this attitude is adopted by individuals, companies and organizations, groups, religions, societies or by countries – the effect and the distress caused is the same. This attitude breeds arrogance, injustice, lack of compassion, racism and a general intolerance.
Tolstoy was writing in the 1870s and particularly about conditions in the Tsarist Russia of his generation but his comments fit perfectly many of the conditions experienced today by a significant number of people - just think of the conflicts and injustices between Christians and Muslims, Christians and Jews, Catholics and Protestants, Shia Muslims and Sunni Muslims, white and black peoples, Israel and Palestine, the ‘big four’ banks in Australia and the rest of the population, the Tamils and the government of Sri Lanka, the Chinese Government and the Tibetans, the minority Muslims the Uyghur people and then the Falun Gong religious sect, etc, etc, etc.
And then think of us individuals. I mean how many times have I spoken to someone in a totally uncalled for manner and said thoughtless and hurtful things? Many more times than I like to remember I’m afraid, and all to what purpose? To ‘please my ego? To save ‘face’? How puerile. But I suppose that is life – we have all done and said things we later regret all because we ignore or have forgotten the Golden Rule “Treat others the way you would like to be treated.”
How true this is. And it doesn’t matter if this attitude is adopted by individuals, companies and organizations, groups, religions, societies or by countries – the effect and the distress caused is the same. This attitude breeds arrogance, injustice, lack of compassion, racism and a general intolerance.
Tolstoy was writing in the 1870s and particularly about conditions in the Tsarist Russia of his generation but his comments fit perfectly many of the conditions experienced today by a significant number of people - just think of the conflicts and injustices between Christians and Muslims, Christians and Jews, Catholics and Protestants, Shia Muslims and Sunni Muslims, white and black peoples, Israel and Palestine, the ‘big four’ banks in Australia and the rest of the population, the Tamils and the government of Sri Lanka, the Chinese Government and the Tibetans, the minority Muslims the Uyghur people and then the Falun Gong religious sect, etc, etc, etc.
And then think of us individuals. I mean how many times have I spoken to someone in a totally uncalled for manner and said thoughtless and hurtful things? Many more times than I like to remember I’m afraid, and all to what purpose? To ‘please my ego? To save ‘face’? How puerile. But I suppose that is life – we have all done and said things we later regret all because we ignore or have forgotten the Golden Rule “Treat others the way you would like to be treated.”
Friday, July 31, 2009
What we share with a banana
Some of you may know of my interest in psychology and the why and the how of the human mind.
My study of psychology, to date, has not convinced me that it is anything other than a pseudo-science. Shoot me if you like but as far as I am concerned trying to reconcile the objective, the human body (which is a bundle of atoms and molecules) – with the subjective, the life essence itself, thoughts and emotions (which can only be guessed at) is fraught. To me such a reconciliation cannot be done. To do so you will have to convince me that the brain and the mind are one and the same thing (as far as I am concerned they are not).
The body is a physical entity that can be touched and measured whereas thoughts and emotions and the very essence of life itself are but ‘objects’ of pure speculation. They cannot be seen, touched or measured in any way.
To emphasise what I mean I have learned, from my text book, that we share half our genes with the humble banana. Where does that place psychology!!
My study of psychology, to date, has not convinced me that it is anything other than a pseudo-science. Shoot me if you like but as far as I am concerned trying to reconcile the objective, the human body (which is a bundle of atoms and molecules) – with the subjective, the life essence itself, thoughts and emotions (which can only be guessed at) is fraught. To me such a reconciliation cannot be done. To do so you will have to convince me that the brain and the mind are one and the same thing (as far as I am concerned they are not).
The body is a physical entity that can be touched and measured whereas thoughts and emotions and the very essence of life itself are but ‘objects’ of pure speculation. They cannot be seen, touched or measured in any way.
To emphasise what I mean I have learned, from my text book, that we share half our genes with the humble banana. Where does that place psychology!!
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Pre-what?
There seems to be a wide use of the term ‘pre-warned’ in Australian English. This, I assume, means to warn someone BEFORE they are warned! With normal English usage someone is ‘warned’ that an event or situation may arise – this is perfectly understandable and to my way of thinking a ‘correct’ use of language. But to ‘pre-warn’ them? This makes no sense at all.
I am no Latin scholar but I do think that I have a reasonable grasp of the English language. Now as far as I know ‘pre’ is from Latin meaning ‘before’ or something that comes in ‘front’ of a word to give that word a different meaning and has come into the English language with the same meaning. Hence the words ‘prefix’ (ie. in front of a word), ‘pre-empt’, ‘precursor’, ‘pre-adult’ etc. So to place the prefix “pre’ before the word ‘warning’ is, I don’t know – an oxymoron maybe? It is certainly superfluous and unnecessary.
So why use it? I will refer to my dictionary to confirm all this.
I stand corrected after referring to my English Language bible!! I will always admit an error (see my halo?)
The Oxford English Dictionary (henceforth the OED) states under ‘pre’ that ‘pre-warn’ is a rare usage and means to give advance warning of an event. Of course there is the perfectly good term ‘forewarned’!!
But I still stand by my original comment that ‘pre-warn’ is not good English (hence the ‘rare’ comment by the OED). And I stand by my comment that a warning is a warning and that an advance warning or to be forewarned is still a warning – that however one is warned a warning is a warning. Also that pre- or advance- or fore- are all superfluous. A warning is sufficient. No?
What do you think?
I am no Latin scholar but I do think that I have a reasonable grasp of the English language. Now as far as I know ‘pre’ is from Latin meaning ‘before’ or something that comes in ‘front’ of a word to give that word a different meaning and has come into the English language with the same meaning. Hence the words ‘prefix’ (ie. in front of a word), ‘pre-empt’, ‘precursor’, ‘pre-adult’ etc. So to place the prefix “pre’ before the word ‘warning’ is, I don’t know – an oxymoron maybe? It is certainly superfluous and unnecessary.
So why use it? I will refer to my dictionary to confirm all this.
I stand corrected after referring to my English Language bible!! I will always admit an error (see my halo?)
The Oxford English Dictionary (henceforth the OED) states under ‘pre’ that ‘pre-warn’ is a rare usage and means to give advance warning of an event. Of course there is the perfectly good term ‘forewarned’!!
But I still stand by my original comment that ‘pre-warn’ is not good English (hence the ‘rare’ comment by the OED). And I stand by my comment that a warning is a warning and that an advance warning or to be forewarned is still a warning – that however one is warned a warning is a warning. Also that pre- or advance- or fore- are all superfluous. A warning is sufficient. No?
What do you think?
Monday, July 27, 2009
The Goose with the golden eggs
I have said this before, but I wonder at the fact that people never seem to learn from the past. We seem to have to re-invent the wheel when it comes to our relationships with others and our ethical conduct.
I am particularly commenting on the ABC TV Four Corners programme screen this evening (27th July) about the education college scam.
Some 3000 years ago in Greece a freed slave called Aesop collated hundreds of wise and pithy comments saying and stories which have come down to us as Aesop's Fables. They are as true today as they were then - human nature does not seem to have changed a bit does it?
Aesop’s fable (CIV)
The goose with the golden eggs
Their was once a man who was lucky enough to own a goose that laid him a golden egg every day. However, since the process was so slow and since he wanted the entire treasure at once, he became dissatisfied and eventually killed the goose. After cutting her open, he found her to be just what any other goose would be.
Moral:- The more you want the more you stand to lose
I am particularly commenting on the ABC TV Four Corners programme screen this evening (27th July) about the education college scam.
Some 3000 years ago in Greece a freed slave called Aesop collated hundreds of wise and pithy comments saying and stories which have come down to us as Aesop's Fables. They are as true today as they were then - human nature does not seem to have changed a bit does it?
Aesop’s fable (CIV)
The goose with the golden eggs
Their was once a man who was lucky enough to own a goose that laid him a golden egg every day. However, since the process was so slow and since he wanted the entire treasure at once, he became dissatisfied and eventually killed the goose. After cutting her open, he found her to be just what any other goose would be.
Moral:- The more you want the more you stand to lose
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