Another urban nomad kind-of-a-Sunday was the same as always. Nothing exciting occurred. I simply went through the motions of routine in a zombie-like state. When I returned to Slob Manor (read: rental housing), I performed the dreaded laundry chores. That's about as good as it gets.
Although I have not completed my religious research, I must admit that I am very close to mummifying the situation. I had shifted the focus of my research to the Hebrew Scriptures (so-called "Old Testament") in order to see whether Christianity had any solid foundation to rest upon. The Hebrew Scriptures really did not come into being until the 4th century BC, which means that, in all likelihood, the Scriptures were compiled, edited, and redacted by the priest-prophets (who were also scribes) in that time period. We are looking at the likes of Jeremiah, Ezra et al. The roughshod compilation was probably based on other existing texts which were largely based on tribal oral traditions. We have no guarantee that any of it was Divinely "inspired." The Hebrew Scriptures "canon" was not established until as late as 2 AD. As one can imagine, there was a deluge of document candidates (i.e., the apocrypha and the pseudepigrapha) awaiting approval. The process was quite similar to the questionable derivative of the Greek Scriptures (so-called "New Testament") "canon."
Let me get to the punchline. If the Hebrew Scriptures are suspect, then there is no basis for Christianity. Neither Jesus or the Gospel writers lambasted the Hebrew Scriptures. Rather,they embraced the latter and even quoted verses! If the Hebrew Scriptures have diminished credibility, then what does that say for the Greek Scriptures? Believe me, I am quite numbed by shock as a result of the discoveries. And, as can be seen, Islam collapses as well.
I have not been able to properly reflect on the idea that the Judaism/Christian/Islam religious empire is a total joke ... a bad joke upon all of humanity. That is way too big for my puny brain (in the oversized cranium) to comprehend. I ruminate on all of the foolish comments that I read on the various Christian ex-[domination] Web sites. What a joke! Why are those fools worried about simple doctrinal issues when the entire Christian faith may be suspect? I see people like moms who have devoted almost their entire lives to a bogus religion. They have myriad hope. They pray incessantly. They modified their lives to seek righteousness. They made numerous sacrifices. Yet, in the end, nothing may happen. Their reward may be no different than the evildoers' punishment. I can safely say that, if I don't throttle back those kinds of thoughts, I am going to end up insane.
I am not intentionally attempting to sound like an atheist or an agnostic. I still firmly believe in the Creation. However, I am no longer certain about the Creator's intentions. Why was the universe made? Why were complex biological and ecological systems placed on the earth? Why were self-aware humans created? Unlike the animals, humans had to be nurtured for a significant period of time to insure that procreation could continue. We were not given the gift of instinct, so we had to be trained. Thus, there was an oral tradition. However, I have no idea what happened to it. Is part of it still embedded in the Good Book, or in various myths and legends?
I am also beginning to revamp my beliefs about evil as well as pain and suffering. However, I do not want to get too ahead of myself.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Saturday, May 09, 2009
Hi Ho, Ho Hum
Another urban nomad kind-of-a-day passed without incident. Perhaps, that's because my whole attitude towards humans has slightly changed since I learned of the possibility that the Creator has left us to our own devices. I am still a misanthrope, but I no longer regard humans as "sinners."
At the library, I continued to read Daniel Silver's book, "The Story of Scripture." As I mentioned before, Silver's book is primarily about the origin of the Hebrew Scriptures (so-called "Old Testament"). Silver, by the way, was a Rabbi (before he passed on). That's probably what makes the book a surprising read. Although Silver has not explicitly stated that the Hebrew Scriptures are less than "inspired" (not from the hand of God), there is almost no other logical conclusion. As I near completion of the book, I should have more comments.
According to the Feedjit® Live Feed, about 99 percent of the visitors to the "blog" are searching for babe pictures. And, out of that number, the majority are still looking for Lindsay Meadows images. Even though baby has retired, she is more popular than ever. Yowza!
At the library, I continued to read Daniel Silver's book, "The Story of Scripture." As I mentioned before, Silver's book is primarily about the origin of the Hebrew Scriptures (so-called "Old Testament"). Silver, by the way, was a Rabbi (before he passed on). That's probably what makes the book a surprising read. Although Silver has not explicitly stated that the Hebrew Scriptures are less than "inspired" (not from the hand of God), there is almost no other logical conclusion. As I near completion of the book, I should have more comments.
According to the Feedjit® Live Feed, about 99 percent of the visitors to the "blog" are searching for babe pictures. And, out of that number, the majority are still looking for Lindsay Meadows images. Even though baby has retired, she is more popular than ever. Yowza!
Friday, May 08, 2009
Ultimate Zero-Sum Game
I walked to Kawaikui Beach Park at 7:30am this morning. I spent about an hour there. I did nothing except to stare blankly at the ocean and the horizon. At odd moments, I glanced at the birds chirping in the trees and the various feral cats roaming around. I tried to make sense of the creation, but the concept alludes me at this point in time.
I was on my way to Hawai'i Kai in my Nissan® Frontier truck at 9am. Moms was home when I arrived. Moms and I only visited Foodland in Koko Marina. For lunch moms served fresh grilled salmon steak, lamp-baked chicken, fresh vegetables, and rice. For dessert, moms served Foremost® coffee and vanilla ice cream. A little while later, my nephew and two of his friends arrived home early from school. So, I had to cut my visit short.
I drove to Koko Head Park to spend more time in a comatose fashion. I meandered around the park, shuffling about like a moron. I found a wallet and a cell phone sitting on one of the benches near the basketball courts. I had seen three guys shooting hoops earlier. I brought the items to the park office. About 20 minutes later when I was ready to leave, I saw the same three guys drive back into the park. They parked just ahead of my Nissan® truck. I asked them if one of them had lost a wallet and cell phone. One of the guy, looking frantic, affirmed that he was the owner. I told him that his stuff was in the office. As I drove off, they waved.
Back at Koko Marina, I found shaded parking, walked to the gym, performed my usual workout, shopped at Foodland, and returned to Slob Manor (read: rental housing). I was stuffed from lunch, so I only ate a green salad, a pathetic Reser's® frozen burrito, and an orange. A fitting meal for a mendicant nomad (read: monk). The evening? An urban nomad kind-of-an-evening, of course.
I will make one short obligatory comment about the Good Book. From what I have gathered, the Good Book was never composed to become Scripture. The Good Book is also not Holy. That's another reason why I donated the cheap edition of the New Living Translation to the library. Emblazoned on the cover were the words, "Holy Bible," in gold lettering. The Hebrew Scriptures (so-called "Old Testament") was written, edited, and redacted by a group of Hebrew priest-prophets. Later, its final "canon" was established by the Jewish religious order, much in the same way that the Greek Scriptures (so-called "New Testament") "canon" was. Obviously, the hand of the Almighty was not involved. I am doing my best to not blaspheme the texts. All I can say is that, from my own research, the authors of the Good Book never intended that its contents become Holy Scripture. Rather, tribal oral tradition was being preserved to its best possible recollection.
In view of the possibility that the Creator is not God (i.e., YHWH1) and has, for all intents and purposes, left humans to their own devices, I have become rather anxious. I am speaking of high anxiety. I am actually not at all certain about what to do. I do not want to go all-out Hedonistic. It is far too late in the game for that. However, knowing that I have little time left before I cease to exist, I must engage in some kind of meaningful pursuit. Obviously, we are now speaking of "real time" meaning because neither meaning or purpose will extend to posterity. Once my neurons perish, so will my meaning and purpose perish. This is the ultimate "zero-sum game."
Philosophically speaking, I will have to revisit the concept of "good and evil." I will also need to rethink the idea of justice. We are physical beings living in a physical and material world. We cannot cross into another dimension. We are forced to accept the unidirectional heuristic of time. Pain and suffering also cannot be avoided or deferred. Both are natural states for our existence. Our soul (i.e., spirit or life force) is intricately tied to neuronal and dendritic connections in our brain, both of which are physical and biological systems. Once we lose those connections (e.g, by injury or natural causes), we essentially experience the fragmentation of our soul.
Well, the Creator has not made any attempt to communicate with us. Had the Good Book actually been the conduit of communication with the Creator, then we would know of our final disposition. However, we have already seen that such communication ceased at least 1,900 years ago. There has been no further communication directly or through a medium ever since. Prophesies remain unfulfilled. Billions and billions of souls have come and gone since then. As the earthly mausoleum fills up, there has been no indication concerning redemption, salvation, justice, or resurrection. Eventually, we must conclude that the Creator had no further intentions with regard to the transience of human life. We are highly sophisticated lifeforms, but we are not worthy of much more. We only have the marked and humbling awareness that our end is coming.
1YHWH, the tetragrammaton representing Yahweh, Jehovah, Ieovah, the name of the God.
I was on my way to Hawai'i Kai in my Nissan® Frontier truck at 9am. Moms was home when I arrived. Moms and I only visited Foodland in Koko Marina. For lunch moms served fresh grilled salmon steak, lamp-baked chicken, fresh vegetables, and rice. For dessert, moms served Foremost® coffee and vanilla ice cream. A little while later, my nephew and two of his friends arrived home early from school. So, I had to cut my visit short.
I drove to Koko Head Park to spend more time in a comatose fashion. I meandered around the park, shuffling about like a moron. I found a wallet and a cell phone sitting on one of the benches near the basketball courts. I had seen three guys shooting hoops earlier. I brought the items to the park office. About 20 minutes later when I was ready to leave, I saw the same three guys drive back into the park. They parked just ahead of my Nissan® truck. I asked them if one of them had lost a wallet and cell phone. One of the guy, looking frantic, affirmed that he was the owner. I told him that his stuff was in the office. As I drove off, they waved.
Back at Koko Marina, I found shaded parking, walked to the gym, performed my usual workout, shopped at Foodland, and returned to Slob Manor (read: rental housing). I was stuffed from lunch, so I only ate a green salad, a pathetic Reser's® frozen burrito, and an orange. A fitting meal for a mendicant nomad (read: monk). The evening? An urban nomad kind-of-an-evening, of course.
I will make one short obligatory comment about the Good Book. From what I have gathered, the Good Book was never composed to become Scripture. The Good Book is also not Holy. That's another reason why I donated the cheap edition of the New Living Translation to the library. Emblazoned on the cover were the words, "Holy Bible," in gold lettering. The Hebrew Scriptures (so-called "Old Testament") was written, edited, and redacted by a group of Hebrew priest-prophets. Later, its final "canon" was established by the Jewish religious order, much in the same way that the Greek Scriptures (so-called "New Testament") "canon" was. Obviously, the hand of the Almighty was not involved. I am doing my best to not blaspheme the texts. All I can say is that, from my own research, the authors of the Good Book never intended that its contents become Holy Scripture. Rather, tribal oral tradition was being preserved to its best possible recollection.
In view of the possibility that the Creator is not God (i.e., YHWH1) and has, for all intents and purposes, left humans to their own devices, I have become rather anxious. I am speaking of high anxiety. I am actually not at all certain about what to do. I do not want to go all-out Hedonistic. It is far too late in the game for that. However, knowing that I have little time left before I cease to exist, I must engage in some kind of meaningful pursuit. Obviously, we are now speaking of "real time" meaning because neither meaning or purpose will extend to posterity. Once my neurons perish, so will my meaning and purpose perish. This is the ultimate "zero-sum game."
Philosophically speaking, I will have to revisit the concept of "good and evil." I will also need to rethink the idea of justice. We are physical beings living in a physical and material world. We cannot cross into another dimension. We are forced to accept the unidirectional heuristic of time. Pain and suffering also cannot be avoided or deferred. Both are natural states for our existence. Our soul (i.e., spirit or life force) is intricately tied to neuronal and dendritic connections in our brain, both of which are physical and biological systems. Once we lose those connections (e.g, by injury or natural causes), we essentially experience the fragmentation of our soul.
Well, the Creator has not made any attempt to communicate with us. Had the Good Book actually been the conduit of communication with the Creator, then we would know of our final disposition. However, we have already seen that such communication ceased at least 1,900 years ago. There has been no further communication directly or through a medium ever since. Prophesies remain unfulfilled. Billions and billions of souls have come and gone since then. As the earthly mausoleum fills up, there has been no indication concerning redemption, salvation, justice, or resurrection. Eventually, we must conclude that the Creator had no further intentions with regard to the transience of human life. We are highly sophisticated lifeforms, but we are not worthy of much more. We only have the marked and humbling awareness that our end is coming.
1YHWH, the tetragrammaton representing Yahweh, Jehovah, Ieovah, the name of the God.
Thursday, May 07, 2009
Human Condition
"In other words, according to Jung, what we call 'good' and 'evil' need each other and in our binary thinking are opposite poles which in reality comprise the whole of the human experience; one needs the other for completion, and particularly for the transformation of consciousness. This is why Jung adamantly declared that 'Mental illness is the avoidance of suffering.' He was not referring to meaningless anguish but suffering which we endeavor to make sense of so that our genuine human purpose may be revealed to us." -- Carolyn BakerAnother cloned urban nomad kind-of-a-day ... you know the drill. Only Pete, the pipe-smoking homeless guy, was at Kawaikui Beach Park this morning. Later, Pete waited with me at the same bus stop. I have never spoken to the guy. What I find amazing is that he's been living in the park for over six years.
At the library, I commenced reading the book, "Story of Scripture: From Oral Tradition to the Written Word," by Daniel Silver. This is another obscure book, but very much worth reading. Since there are zero legitimate readers of the "blog," I won't go into any detail.
When I finally returned to Slob Manor (read: rental housing), I performed the dreaded laundry chores. Then, I prepared for another urban nomad kind-of-an-evening, for what that's worth.
Life is becoming much more surreal for me as each day passes. My foray into religious research has opened up a real can of worms, so to speak. The idea that billions of followers of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam could be basing their faith on a foundation of Scripture rooted in a priest class war is unnerving as it is. Yet, for each one of us as individuals, the problem become more intense. Gone are any hopes for a life beyond the piddly 70 years we have on the planet. The injustices will never be made right. The evildoers will never pay for their actions. The meek will not inherit the earth.
In effect, humans will have been left to their own devices, to do as they please, with no ramifications for their actions. And, that's exactly what we've been doing. Gone, too, is hope of any kind. We are just a small blip on the timeline of history. Once our physical bodies pass on, our soul will vanish along with our memories. I guess we can really call it what it is ... the human condition.
Wednesday, May 06, 2009
Blind Faith
Another urban nomad kind-of-a-day ... a carbon copy of yesterday. I should report that there are only two homeless guys residing at Kawaikui Beach Park. Just Pete, the pipe-smoking homeless guy, and the homeless guy who owns a bicycle are left. I cannot say that I envy their situation. However, they are living far more cheaply than I am. And, they have far more freedom than I do. By the way, this morning, I was sitting at the concrete picnic table in the picture below.
At the library, I completed reading Richard Friedman's book, "Who Wrote the Bible?" I am pretty much convinced that the Hebrew Scriptures (so-called "Old Testament") has been compiled from a variety of original sources (which no longer exist). I find the scenario of priesthood rivalry that he proposed to be quite plausible. However, we have come full-circle to the beginning.
The Hebrew Scriptures are unique because the latter comprise the only book of history from that era. Thus, there is almost no way to verify its contents except archaeologically. However, if "document hypothesis" is correct, then the priest-prophets took great liberties to edit and revise the Scriptures. Thus, we are simply left with faith.
I am surprised that the NLT (New Living Translation) Study Bible has included quite a bit of information about Biblical scholarly research. However, such information has been dismissed as "speculative." I had much more to discuss concerning the matter. Why bother, though?
The bottom line is that there is no way to verify that the Hebrew Scriptures came directly from the Almighty. From all indication, that does not seem likely. There is the possibility that some portion of the Scriptures may have been handed down by oral tradition from the Creator. So, in essence, extreme faith is what is required to "believe." I am afraid that I am not capable of blind faith.
At the library, I completed reading Richard Friedman's book, "Who Wrote the Bible?" I am pretty much convinced that the Hebrew Scriptures (so-called "Old Testament") has been compiled from a variety of original sources (which no longer exist). I find the scenario of priesthood rivalry that he proposed to be quite plausible. However, we have come full-circle to the beginning.
The Hebrew Scriptures are unique because the latter comprise the only book of history from that era. Thus, there is almost no way to verify its contents except archaeologically. However, if "document hypothesis" is correct, then the priest-prophets took great liberties to edit and revise the Scriptures. Thus, we are simply left with faith.
I am surprised that the NLT (New Living Translation) Study Bible has included quite a bit of information about Biblical scholarly research. However, such information has been dismissed as "speculative." I had much more to discuss concerning the matter. Why bother, though?
The bottom line is that there is no way to verify that the Hebrew Scriptures came directly from the Almighty. From all indication, that does not seem likely. There is the possibility that some portion of the Scriptures may have been handed down by oral tradition from the Creator. So, in essence, extreme faith is what is required to "believe." I am afraid that I am not capable of blind faith.
Tuesday, May 05, 2009
Mind Games
Another urban nomad kind-of-a-day commenced with an early morning walk to Kawaikui Beach Park. I spent about 30 minutes there. The rest of the day followed the patented urban nomad itinerary. No details are necessary.
At the library, I continued to read Richard Friedman's book, "Who Wrote the Bible?" I must say that I have been quite affected by what I have read so far. Although Friedman stops short of questioning the actual validity of the Hebrew Scriptures (so-called "Old Testament"), there is really very little leeway concerning the latter. To anyone who is truly interested in novice Biblical research, I recommend Friedman's book as the absolute starting point.
I will also note that I have been researching the available rebuttals to Friedman's work, most of which originate with hard-core fundamentalists or apologists. I do not believe that most Biblical scholars are determined to prove the Good Book to be a joke. Were it not for Biblical scholarship, we would not have the level of understanding about the Scriptures that we do now. For the time being, I have avoided atheists or pure agnostic commentaries for obvious reasons.
Mind you, Friedman has provided his own thesis concerning the context of the Scriptures and when (and why) they were written. He has also postulated the political and religious climate that existed at that time. While I found the material quite entertaining, I intentionally kept it separate from my own assessment. Just on the basis of "documentary hypothesis," I became almost totally convinced that the Hebrew Scriptures are not the purported infallible word of God. I am, however, impressed by the extensive genealogy in the Hebrew Scriptures, which leads me to believe that there is probably a strong basis that a reliable oral tradition (originating with the Creator) exists below all of the editing and redacting that was performed later.
Of course, "documentary hypothesis" is adjunctive support for my strong belief that the Hebrew Scriptures are not totally "inspired." The Jewish prophet-priests indicated that the kingdom of Israel would be reunited and restored under a Davidic king for eternity on earth (not Heaven). That has been the premise of the Abrahamic, Mosaic, and Davidic covenants with the Almighty. The prophesy never came to be. Ezekiel's prophecy of the permanently restored Temple was also a no-show.
The coming of Jesus was supposed to mark the fulfillment of the Hebrew prophecies with Jesus installed as the Davidic king in Jerusalem (in Heaven). We have already discussed that both Jesus and his Apostles preached an urgent message that the Kingdom of God was very near. Yet, over 1,900 years have passed, and there has been no Second Coming. The Christian church then metamorphosed into some kind of apostate monstrosity to compensate. Still nothing happened.
I am further inclined to comment that Revelation should not have been included in the Good Book "canon" (although the point is moot given the previous discussion). Revelation was included only because its author was thought to be the Apostle John. However, the prevailing belief is that the author is a guy named John, a Christian who was exiled to Patmos. Mind you, the bulk of Christian prophecy is from Revelation. Scary, isn't it? In my own research about Revelation (documented in the "blog"), I found that almost the entire content was undecipherable. In addition, most biblical scholars have equated Patmos John's rantings with the Roman Empire. In that context, Revelation makes sense. Incidentally, the Straight Dope site has an interesting five-part discussion about the origin of the Good Book.
Although I will continue to soldier on with my research of the Good Book, I also understand that the time has come for me to begin discussing the ramifications of a possibly discredited Good Book. First of all, the existence of the God of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam comes into question. How does that affect the billions of "believers"? Then, we must contemplate the real identity of the Creator. Finally, we must look at the philosophical implications concerning concepts such as justice and hope insofar as humanity is concerned. On a personal level, I have to wonder what exactly is my soul, and what is its ultimate destiny.
At the library, I continued to read Richard Friedman's book, "Who Wrote the Bible?" I must say that I have been quite affected by what I have read so far. Although Friedman stops short of questioning the actual validity of the Hebrew Scriptures (so-called "Old Testament"), there is really very little leeway concerning the latter. To anyone who is truly interested in novice Biblical research, I recommend Friedman's book as the absolute starting point.
I will also note that I have been researching the available rebuttals to Friedman's work, most of which originate with hard-core fundamentalists or apologists. I do not believe that most Biblical scholars are determined to prove the Good Book to be a joke. Were it not for Biblical scholarship, we would not have the level of understanding about the Scriptures that we do now. For the time being, I have avoided atheists or pure agnostic commentaries for obvious reasons.
Mind you, Friedman has provided his own thesis concerning the context of the Scriptures and when (and why) they were written. He has also postulated the political and religious climate that existed at that time. While I found the material quite entertaining, I intentionally kept it separate from my own assessment. Just on the basis of "documentary hypothesis," I became almost totally convinced that the Hebrew Scriptures are not the purported infallible word of God. I am, however, impressed by the extensive genealogy in the Hebrew Scriptures, which leads me to believe that there is probably a strong basis that a reliable oral tradition (originating with the Creator) exists below all of the editing and redacting that was performed later.
Of course, "documentary hypothesis" is adjunctive support for my strong belief that the Hebrew Scriptures are not totally "inspired." The Jewish prophet-priests indicated that the kingdom of Israel would be reunited and restored under a Davidic king for eternity on earth (not Heaven). That has been the premise of the Abrahamic, Mosaic, and Davidic covenants with the Almighty. The prophesy never came to be. Ezekiel's prophecy of the permanently restored Temple was also a no-show.
The coming of Jesus was supposed to mark the fulfillment of the Hebrew prophecies with Jesus installed as the Davidic king in Jerusalem (in Heaven). We have already discussed that both Jesus and his Apostles preached an urgent message that the Kingdom of God was very near. Yet, over 1,900 years have passed, and there has been no Second Coming. The Christian church then metamorphosed into some kind of apostate monstrosity to compensate. Still nothing happened.
I am further inclined to comment that Revelation should not have been included in the Good Book "canon" (although the point is moot given the previous discussion). Revelation was included only because its author was thought to be the Apostle John. However, the prevailing belief is that the author is a guy named John, a Christian who was exiled to Patmos. Mind you, the bulk of Christian prophecy is from Revelation. Scary, isn't it? In my own research about Revelation (documented in the "blog"), I found that almost the entire content was undecipherable. In addition, most biblical scholars have equated Patmos John's rantings with the Roman Empire. In that context, Revelation makes sense. Incidentally, the Straight Dope site has an interesting five-part discussion about the origin of the Good Book.
Although I will continue to soldier on with my research of the Good Book, I also understand that the time has come for me to begin discussing the ramifications of a possibly discredited Good Book. First of all, the existence of the God of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam comes into question. How does that affect the billions of "believers"? Then, we must contemplate the real identity of the Creator. Finally, we must look at the philosophical implications concerning concepts such as justice and hope insofar as humanity is concerned. On a personal level, I have to wonder what exactly is my soul, and what is its ultimate destiny.
Monday, May 04, 2009
Blind Vision
I was on my way to Hawai'i Kai at 8:45am this morning. Moms was home when I arrived. Moms and I made the rounds in Hawai'i Kai ... Longs® In Kuapa Kai and Foodland in Koko Marina.
Lunch was courtesy Panda Express® in the Hawai'i Kai Towne Center. As moms and I sat outside by the marina to eat lunch, I heard some distinct quacking noises. I then saw the same two ducks waddling over to our table. I threw a couple of chili peppers to the ducks from my Kung Pao Chicken entrée. The ducks rushed over to the chili peppers. I saw them chewing on the chili peppers but, within a few seconds, they spit out the peppers. However, they seemed to enjoy the rice that I gave them. Those silly ducks!
Later, moms served Foremost® coffee ice cream for dessert. I kept moms company until 1:30pm. I then spent a relaxing hour at Koko Head Park. I was essentially the only person in the whole park. I really did not want to leave. However, I had no choice. I must always follow the urban nomad itinerary. I drove my Nissan® Frontier truck back to Koko Marina. I found shaded parking, walked to the gym, performed my usual workout, shopped at Foodland, and returned to Slob Manor (read: rental housing) where an unexciting urban nomad kind-of-an-evening awaited me.
I actually experienced some semblance of piece of mind today. I was not privy to any form of stupidity. I dropped off some useless crap in the Goodwill drop box, which made me feel as though I am still on track with the exodus. I experienced intermittent moments of deep contemplation about the meaning of life, especially one without any knowledge of the Creator. I tried to avoid pondering my plight as a trapped slave, but that was not possible after I transferred money from my investment accounts to my local bank to cover all of my expenses of enslavement.
I realize how easily we humans fall into the trap of the everyday routine. We move about mindlessly, fulfilling all of our mundane tasks that only serve to distract the mind. We follow human institutions and beliefs that often has us locked in slavery of one kind or another. Human bondage brings no reprieve, nor does it satiate the innate quest which serves to justify our existence.
As for me, I am at the point where I can barely contain my anxieties. The urban nomad life-style allows me to hover within the core of dereliction - the losers, the homeless, the poor, the destitute - in such a way that I vicariously become one of them. I observe. I learn. I relate. I abhor. I regret. I pity. There's something tragically flawed about humanity. I have seen the hopelessness. I have lived the inequality. Not much makes sense. However, for a brief moment I had peace of mind.
Lunch was courtesy Panda Express® in the Hawai'i Kai Towne Center. As moms and I sat outside by the marina to eat lunch, I heard some distinct quacking noises. I then saw the same two ducks waddling over to our table. I threw a couple of chili peppers to the ducks from my Kung Pao Chicken entrée. The ducks rushed over to the chili peppers. I saw them chewing on the chili peppers but, within a few seconds, they spit out the peppers. However, they seemed to enjoy the rice that I gave them. Those silly ducks!
Later, moms served Foremost® coffee ice cream for dessert. I kept moms company until 1:30pm. I then spent a relaxing hour at Koko Head Park. I was essentially the only person in the whole park. I really did not want to leave. However, I had no choice. I must always follow the urban nomad itinerary. I drove my Nissan® Frontier truck back to Koko Marina. I found shaded parking, walked to the gym, performed my usual workout, shopped at Foodland, and returned to Slob Manor (read: rental housing) where an unexciting urban nomad kind-of-an-evening awaited me.
I actually experienced some semblance of piece of mind today. I was not privy to any form of stupidity. I dropped off some useless crap in the Goodwill drop box, which made me feel as though I am still on track with the exodus. I experienced intermittent moments of deep contemplation about the meaning of life, especially one without any knowledge of the Creator. I tried to avoid pondering my plight as a trapped slave, but that was not possible after I transferred money from my investment accounts to my local bank to cover all of my expenses of enslavement.
I realize how easily we humans fall into the trap of the everyday routine. We move about mindlessly, fulfilling all of our mundane tasks that only serve to distract the mind. We follow human institutions and beliefs that often has us locked in slavery of one kind or another. Human bondage brings no reprieve, nor does it satiate the innate quest which serves to justify our existence.
As for me, I am at the point where I can barely contain my anxieties. The urban nomad life-style allows me to hover within the core of dereliction - the losers, the homeless, the poor, the destitute - in such a way that I vicariously become one of them. I observe. I learn. I relate. I abhor. I regret. I pity. There's something tragically flawed about humanity. I have seen the hopelessness. I have lived the inequality. Not much makes sense. However, for a brief moment I had peace of mind.
Sunday, May 03, 2009
Expenses & Foolishness
Another urban nomad kind-of-a-Sunday was made meaningful only when I caught a glimpse of the hottie gym trainer. I was on the chest press machine when baby suddenly appeared just a couple feet away. Baby was busy working with a gym member on the adjacent machine. Yes, baby was looking hot ... El Diablo hot.
On the way back to Slob Manor (read: rental housing) on the bus, I had to yell at a bunch of punks who were jumping around and bumping into me. I made one stopover at the Foodland in the Aina Haina Shopping Center. I was not able to secure a good bento. So, I settled for a few Reser's® frozen burritos and a pint of Dreyer's® ice cream. My spending continues unabated, but I seem to spend money of food (and snacks) rather than useless trinkets.
I performed the dreaded laundry chores once I was back in my squalid room. The weather was extremely hot, so my squalid room was like an oven. At 6:30pm, I felt as though I was about to suffer an attack of Montezuma's Revenge. So, I trotted over to Kawaikui Beach Park as fast as I could. I made my way to the filthy restrooms. In the distance, I could see the homeless guy who owns a bicycle. He was walking his bike toward the restroom as well. We converged at the front entrance. I chatted with him briefly. Then, both of us ended up occupying the two available stalls. The beach park was nice and cool compared to my squalid room. I meansered about for a little while. Then, I reluctantly walked back to the dump. As for the evening ... same ol' shit.
On the way back to Slob Manor (read: rental housing) on the bus, I had to yell at a bunch of punks who were jumping around and bumping into me. I made one stopover at the Foodland in the Aina Haina Shopping Center. I was not able to secure a good bento. So, I settled for a few Reser's® frozen burritos and a pint of Dreyer's® ice cream. My spending continues unabated, but I seem to spend money of food (and snacks) rather than useless trinkets.
I performed the dreaded laundry chores once I was back in my squalid room. The weather was extremely hot, so my squalid room was like an oven. At 6:30pm, I felt as though I was about to suffer an attack of Montezuma's Revenge. So, I trotted over to Kawaikui Beach Park as fast as I could. I made my way to the filthy restrooms. In the distance, I could see the homeless guy who owns a bicycle. He was walking his bike toward the restroom as well. We converged at the front entrance. I chatted with him briefly. Then, both of us ended up occupying the two available stalls. The beach park was nice and cool compared to my squalid room. I meansered about for a little while. Then, I reluctantly walked back to the dump. As for the evening ... same ol' shit.
Saturday, May 02, 2009
Bad Joke Ubuntu
Late last night, I heard a clicking noise coming from my Toshiba® Satellite notebook computer. I recognized the sound immediately. The hard drive heads were being aggressively parked. I then recalled that there was an ACPI daemon update just a day or so ago. I quickly scanned the power management scripts, but nothing was changed. So, I had to revert to the old ACPI daemon using Synaptics Package Manager. The process itself was quite obscure, not like other operating systems. Frankly, I still do not see Ubuntu (or any other flavor of Linux) winning over many mainstream users.
I still experience many other problems with Ubuntu Linux. Sometimes the problems disappear, only to come back again at a later date. The Gnome® desktop still randomly freezes with any media player. The LCD screen brightness control rests itself all the time. After a year of using Linux, I can still say that it is a bad joke.
Another urban nomad kind-of-a-day ... same ol' shit. At the library, I found Richard Friedman's book, "Who Wrote the Bible?" So, I have commenced reading it. Friedman posed a quite a few questions that he planned to answer in his treatise. I should mention that he only focused on the Hebrew Scriptures (so-called "Old Testament"). One question stood out: Were the Hebrew Scriptures meant to become the Bible as we know it? In other words, was that the intention of the authors? I will be quite interested in the answer.
I still experience many other problems with Ubuntu Linux. Sometimes the problems disappear, only to come back again at a later date. The Gnome® desktop still randomly freezes with any media player. The LCD screen brightness control rests itself all the time. After a year of using Linux, I can still say that it is a bad joke.
Another urban nomad kind-of-a-day ... same ol' shit. At the library, I found Richard Friedman's book, "Who Wrote the Bible?" So, I have commenced reading it. Friedman posed a quite a few questions that he planned to answer in his treatise. I should mention that he only focused on the Hebrew Scriptures (so-called "Old Testament"). One question stood out: Were the Hebrew Scriptures meant to become the Bible as we know it? In other words, was that the intention of the authors? I will be quite interested in the answer.
Friday, May 01, 2009
Escape from Freedom (Reprise)
I was on my way to Kahala Mall at 8:45am this morning in my Nissan® Frontier truck. I ended up at Barnes & Noble® as to be expected. I purchased a cup of decaffeinated coffee and browsed the store.
I left for Hawai'i Kai at 10:45am. Moms was home when I arrived. Moms and I only made the rounds in Koko Marina ... Zippy's for lunch and Foodland. Later, moms served Foremost® coffee ice cream for dessert. I kept moms company until 1pm.
I spent over an hour at Koko Head Park before driving back to Koko Marina. I was able to find shaded parking. Then, I walked to the gym, performed my usual workout, shopped at Foodland, and returned to Slob Manor (read: rental housing) to prepare for another urban nomad kind-of-an-evening.
There is a reason why I launched into another diatribe about the "Original Sin" yesterday. The entire Good Book focuses on one underlying theme. Can you guess what that theme is? Did you say, "sin"? Human propensity to "sin" is the result of first human pair's decision to eat the forbidden fruit of the "Tree of Knowledge of Good and Bad. Ever since then, humanity has gone downhill. Compare that to the condition of the "heavenly" creatures (i.e., archangels, seraphim, and cherubim). They apparently exist for eternity with no propensity to "sin." However, there is the entity called Satan, who apparently has an army of "heavenly" creatures who have also turned away from the Almighty. Satan is known as a liar or deceiver. Sometimes he is called "Devil." Yet, there has never been any mention that "sin" overcame Satan. Are "heavenly" creatures even capable of "sin"?
The spirit world is, no doubt, much different from the physical and material world that we reside in. I would assume that "sin" in the spiritual world would be close to impossible because there are no physical construct (or limitations). A spirit creature couldn't covet, steal, or murder. The only likely "sin" is deception or a philosophical diversion from the Almighty. However, such an act is never labeled as a "sin." Spirit creatures are indestructible unless the hand of God comes upon them. Not being constrained by either time or space, do spirit creatures have memory? Do their perceptions span a window of one instantaneous moment or over the whole gamut of eternity? Obviously, I cannot answer those questions in any certainty. However, the answers are relevant to understand a spirit creature's ability and propensity to "sin."
Well, I really need to evaluate my precarious situation soon. I am not at all pleased, to say the least. Frankly, I do not want to return to wage slavery. I have enjoyed my limited freedom. However, I am still trapped. There's little wonder why the government bailed out the banks and other financial institutions, that is, the nefarious entities which are responsible for enslaving the entire population of the world (except for a handful of the elite class).
Although I have been seemingly distracted by my on-going religious research, the exodus still remains a top priority. In all honesty, the latter research will be instrumental in determining my future. I do not have much productive time left on the planet. If the Good Book proves to be nothing more than a myth, then my life experiences in the last few years will have to be of greater meaning. I certainly do not plan to go "hog wild," nor will I attempt to make up for lost time. I only need to seek fulfillment.
I left for Hawai'i Kai at 10:45am. Moms was home when I arrived. Moms and I only made the rounds in Koko Marina ... Zippy's for lunch and Foodland. Later, moms served Foremost® coffee ice cream for dessert. I kept moms company until 1pm.
I spent over an hour at Koko Head Park before driving back to Koko Marina. I was able to find shaded parking. Then, I walked to the gym, performed my usual workout, shopped at Foodland, and returned to Slob Manor (read: rental housing) to prepare for another urban nomad kind-of-an-evening.
There is a reason why I launched into another diatribe about the "Original Sin" yesterday. The entire Good Book focuses on one underlying theme. Can you guess what that theme is? Did you say, "sin"? Human propensity to "sin" is the result of first human pair's decision to eat the forbidden fruit of the "Tree of Knowledge of Good and Bad. Ever since then, humanity has gone downhill. Compare that to the condition of the "heavenly" creatures (i.e., archangels, seraphim, and cherubim). They apparently exist for eternity with no propensity to "sin." However, there is the entity called Satan, who apparently has an army of "heavenly" creatures who have also turned away from the Almighty. Satan is known as a liar or deceiver. Sometimes he is called "Devil." Yet, there has never been any mention that "sin" overcame Satan. Are "heavenly" creatures even capable of "sin"?
The spirit world is, no doubt, much different from the physical and material world that we reside in. I would assume that "sin" in the spiritual world would be close to impossible because there are no physical construct (or limitations). A spirit creature couldn't covet, steal, or murder. The only likely "sin" is deception or a philosophical diversion from the Almighty. However, such an act is never labeled as a "sin." Spirit creatures are indestructible unless the hand of God comes upon them. Not being constrained by either time or space, do spirit creatures have memory? Do their perceptions span a window of one instantaneous moment or over the whole gamut of eternity? Obviously, I cannot answer those questions in any certainty. However, the answers are relevant to understand a spirit creature's ability and propensity to "sin."
Well, I really need to evaluate my precarious situation soon. I am not at all pleased, to say the least. Frankly, I do not want to return to wage slavery. I have enjoyed my limited freedom. However, I am still trapped. There's little wonder why the government bailed out the banks and other financial institutions, that is, the nefarious entities which are responsible for enslaving the entire population of the world (except for a handful of the elite class).
Although I have been seemingly distracted by my on-going religious research, the exodus still remains a top priority. In all honesty, the latter research will be instrumental in determining my future. I do not have much productive time left on the planet. If the Good Book proves to be nothing more than a myth, then my life experiences in the last few years will have to be of greater meaning. I certainly do not plan to go "hog wild," nor will I attempt to make up for lost time. I only need to seek fulfillment.
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