Wonderings of A Youthful Mind

I'll share again

2010-09-29T19:46:00.003-04:00

I stopped posting poems out of fear of copyright laws, and having my work plaigerized, but I haven't been published in a while, so who's going to steal my stuff anyway...

This one is rather new, and hopefully moving.

Modern Music (Title subject to change)
By Andrew Moravick

The beat of this generation is irregular:
A metaphorical heart murmur,
An anxiety induced palpitation,
A necessary puff off an inhaler
Before singing a cough strained song
Written while high on whatever
We could buy on weekly allowances.
The overture was hopeful,
With sweet melodies of what could be,
But soon silenced by blaring confusion,
And mechanical choruses programmed
For profits and expectations.
Each voice tries to sing alone,
Tries to sing in harmony,
Tries to sing coherently,
Before that voice dies quietly
In a soft, frustrated moan
Amongst others fated for the same.
The epic symphonies of our grandparents,
The pointed impassioned oldies our parents,
Gentle background music still echoing
In faintly remembered melodies,
Yet unincorporated nevertheless.
Ours is a mix of powerful pulsing rhythms,
Flattened by fickle lines,
Loud impassioned yells,
Screaming for nothing but to be heard,
Gentle, enchanting ditties,
Made with more math than magic,
Lonely, low income laments
That turn to high-profit whoo-ees,
Songs against conformity
Sung in uniforms of black,
And more and more,
With just one understood undertone:
The unity in our confusion.

State of My Union of Thoughts...

2010-02-23T16:28:00.002-05:00

Or in other words... what's going on with me.

Well, I gave up Facebook for Lent so I now am using the internet for more productive ventures like blogging about absolutely nothing. Actually, I have started up a new blog called,"Intentionally Bad Criticism" to try to use my comedic talents (if any) to get some more writing exposure. The link is: http://www.intentionallybadcriticism.blogspot.com/

Anyway, I'm still writing, and I've submitted some new individual poems for publication. I have stopped posting new poems on here since I'm a bit woried about conflicts between publishers, but for anyone who is interested, I'm more than happy to share my work.

Also, I'm waiting to hear back from Emerson, and Notre Dame graduate schools to see if I actually have a future or not... Let's hope the answer is yes.

Professional Athlete Trapped in an Almost Professional Athlete's Body...

2009-11-17T14:12:00.002-05:00

Yes, not only do I write, but I'm an athlete too. Aren't I a catch? Joking aside, the problem is, I've come to realize that I'd be happiest if I could just run track and write for a living, but both things don't exactly put bread on the table. Writing wise, I've paid my dues, refined my craft, and gotten to a point where I'm able to put my pen to paper with the best of 'em, but writing alone still isn't all that secure of an occupation. Athleticly speaking, I'm a world class runner... if you count those guys from the tiny countries who get smoked in the olympics (my times are on par with theirs, so yeah, I'd be the fastest guy in the country...of Kazakstan or Slovakia), and I pretty much just missed the cut off for being noticed by any colligate programs where I would get scholarships, extensive training, and a chance to really improve, sooo, despite enjoying the sport, there's nothing more I can really do with it. (So count yourself lucky Usain Bolt... for now)

Anyway, in both circumstances, in track, and in writing, I'm right on the cusp of being able to make a living out of it, but I'm not there. For writing, I'm planning on becoming a professor and making a steady income that way, but for track, I just have to face the facts that I'm faster than your average joe, but not fast enough to earn the money to pay for a cup o' joe. Although today, I spent about three hours promoting the track team I've been organising during my time here at St. Joseph's College of Maine, and despite doing nothing but posting flyers, taking names, along with thinking and talking track, I was just as happy as when I write a great poem. Figures, the two things I love doing don't pay a damn thing, so whoever said, "do what you love for a job" can bite me. However, should I turn around and find a way to make a stable income off writing and running, I will of course appologize to that sage speaker, and revoke the "bite me" declaration.

In summation, this was a rant. Nothing elaborate or cleverly designed, just me ranting away, and for that, I thank you, the reader, for spending (or wasting) your time reading this.

I Can Stop Writing When I'm Dead...

2009-11-16T11:33:00.004-05:00

I've neglected this blog for quite some time now, worrying about grad school applications, current classes, responsibilities, etc... but I'm a writer, a poet, or if nothing else, a guy with writing devices that he enjoys using, so why stop or refrain just to dedicate time to more pressing issues? After all, grad school means nothing if I don't continue writing, I'm an English major, so classes aren't all that hard, and sure, I have a ton of responsibilities, but my most important responsibility is to myself and my readers. So, I'm back. Hopefully you didn't miss me too much.

The idea of dedicating time to "more pressing issues," "more suitable endevors," or in blunt summation, "shit that will make me money in the long run," seems a little out of whack to the romantic in me, but strangely logical to the pragmatist portion. Sure, I could instead be pursuing love, passion, justice, nirvana, and all that jazz, but what good is it if I'm the broke, bearded, lunatic raving from his hut in the middle of the woods? Who would lend my voice an ear, or my writing an eye? Plus, if I were to find true love, first of all, how happy would my ideal, timeless beauty of a wife be married to a raving bearded bafoon? Fortunately, I'm not partial to beards, but all the same, sadly, but truthfully, to be happy, there must be some kind of success, and success, for the most part, is measured in dollars in this culture.

Honestly, I'd much rather be scribling smiles onto people's faces, erasing their tears, and printing passion within their hearts, and doing nothing else, and accomplishing nothing else, I'd be completely happy. The means by which that can be done, however, and to the degree I feel necessary, requires a decent amount of distribution, and that requires a decent amount of funding... which for an undergraduate college student, such things are in short supply.

But hey, I'm only 21 right? Sure, this would probably be where most people would be having a mid-life crisis a few hundred years ago, but now, I still have at least three more quarters of life left... unless the nut jobs are right about 2012, in which case, congrats to them in advance, cause if they're right, there will be no one around to hear them say "I told you so..." Anyway, the question is, to live every day to the fullest, despite sacrificing potential financial gains, or to put joy on the back burner, and till the fiscal field so that potentially greater joys can be harvested later? I'm neither a cook, nor a farmer, just a writer, so for now, I have no clue...

Poetry vs Music & Prose

2009-06-06T10:09:00.002-04:00

All too often, when I tell people I'm a poet, the response usually is "theres no money in that," or sometimes just a simple, "why would you want to do that?" Some say poetry is extinct- dissapeared like the dinosaurs. Others may suggest, like others suggest with dinosaurs, that poetry has just evolved. The rhythm of words was not enough, and poetry needed to adapt taking to music as dinosaurs took to feather and flight. So then if people want poetry, modern music should suffice, and if anyone should want writing, nothing is more necessary than prose. So of course, poetry is useless, and dinosaurs like me only find audiences in museums, right? Afterall, what can poetry possibly do that music can't do in expressing emotion, and what prose can't do in conveying a message, information, or a story?
Since the most pressing argument for music and prose being more useful than poetry is made by sales instead of people, it only makes sense to address the cold hard facts first. Music sells, and everyone loves it. It moves us, gets us through hard times, allows us to celibrate the good times, and excites the senses through pulsing rhythms, and melodic sounds. Yes, you can tell from my diction I do love music. As for prose, it gets right to the point. It's simple, clear, easy to understand, and accessable to everyone. Thus, music and prose sell very well, and poetry... poetry takes a special convergence of marketable aspects and talent to even push moderate numbers. If poetry is as important and influential as I intend to prove, "why then, doesn't it sell," would be a logical question.
The truth is, poetry has changed. It has split to appeal to two different audiences. First, after becoming something studied mostly by high level scholars, and well learned intellectuals, one variety of poetry has become a labarynth of literary, historical, and biblical allusions, references to known and unknown contemporaries and predecessors, and dizzying variations on form, rhyme, diction and syntax. This variety of poetry is undeniably thought provoking, and masterfull writing, but is highly inaccessable to the average reader. Though poems of this sort do attempt to convey feeling and emotion as well, these sensations can be lost in the segways to footnotes, or hurried searches for second meanings.
The other main division of poetry is the highly emotional, dramatic, and rhytmic slam poetry. Slam poetry is meant to be preformed, not necessairily read, so aside from those who are in the audience, or seeing a video of the performance, the effect of the poem can't be mass distributed. Furthermore, this kind of poetry becomes more and more theatrical, and not as refined. It is an amazing way to convey emotion, feeling, and thought, but it does not translate well to print, and doesn't always warrant credibility to the scholarly crowd who, for the most part, is responsible for publication. The other difficulty slam poetry faces, is that it is highly similar to hip-hop and rap, only without a beat, and if people want a good rhyme, why not get it with a catchy tune as well?
The great poets of the past, and some of the ones still writing today, however, are able to combine the strengths of the mind igniting scholarly school, and the emotional volitility of slam poetry. These poems are accessable marketable, but still don't sell very well, simply because of the stigma of being poetry. The poems written by a true master have something that music and prose can never offer. The music of a poem is stronger than anything that can be created with an instrument, and the meaning is far deeper than anything plainly stated. A good poem is active. It strums the strings of the soul instead of requiring ears to hear the struming of a guitar. Its meaning is not concrete like prose, but is alive, and is whatever the reader wants it to be.
Since poetry doesn't sell well, being a poet doesn't really mean money falling from trees, and as a poet, that means... I don't really have all that much money. So I have a few other jobs to pay the bills, one of which I need to be at in an hour. I plan to continue this topic afterward, but for now, I've got to bolt. Not to be cliche' but...

To be continued...

Is my life interesting yet?

2009-06-04T14:14:00.002-04:00

So, in the past three months of me not writing on here a lot has changed. So I suppose it's only fair to make up for my lack of posts with a complete update.
1. After posting a personal on craigslist, complete with a picture and a catchy title, I didn't really find any romance. However, because of the picture I was discovered by a modeling talent scout, who by some turn of luck, was actually not only legit, but local, successful, and just plain nice guy to work for. I've done four photo shoots so far, and I'm starting to dig the whole modeling thing... as maybe a hobby, or a potential side job. I don't really know how far I can go with it, but as continue to build my portfolio I can't help but feel that I might have a decent shot at something.
2. Somehow I became a lacrosse player. Don't ask me what caused it, I have no idea, but I ended up scoring three goals this season as a long stick mid fielder, and for those who aren't familliar with lacrosse, its actually pretty uncommon for an LSM to score. The game just gets more and more fun for me, and somehow, I was able to win a college award for most improved player...
3. Speaking of awards, I also ended the academic year winning the St Joseph's College Poetry Award for my work on A Taste of the Sublime. So now I'm an award winning poet. My sales have jumped as a result... ok a jump is pretty easy when it goes from one to four, but still, I've actually sold a few books on Amazon.
So those are pretty much the top three highlights of the past three months, and hopefully there will be more to come. Maybe I'll start posting regularly, and people might start reading again, and things will just keep going up.

Its been a while...

2009-03-22T13:12:00.002-04:00

Its been a long time since my last post, but I need to vent. I'm pretty much losing my mind at the moment. I'm taking 5 classes, playing varsity college lacrosse with a schedule of 3 games a week, I've been getting notheing but rejection letters back from publishers I've submitted individual poems to, and I have absolutely no free time to write anything new. I've heard people say "theres no money in poetry" so many times, and yet its what I love to write. I don't even know what TO write anymore since everything has to be marketable, targeted, formulated, and yet trivial, empty, or worthless. I'm just venting, but I have no idea what I need to be focusing on right now. I also have an option to make some money in modeling, but I have no time for that right now, and I might not have enough pictures to put together a substantial portfolio by the time I do have free time. I need some kind of relief.

First SALES!

2008-12-29T10:55:00.002-05:00

Hey, so I just ranted on the dificulties of self-publishing so I suppose I should now speak of the rewards. For one, I JUST SOLD MY FIRST BOOK YESTERDAY!Actually I sold three! The satisfaction in that small accomplishment goes well beyond the money made off the sales. It feels quite amazing to know that my work will be held in the hands of people, moving their minds to think and their souls to feel. I've had help along the way, my English professor who oversaw my independent study was a huge help through editing and creative advice, and my classmate who also helped to contribute to the process. The publishing aspect though, thats been entirely me, and it feels great to be able to make my work available to the masses.

I guess you could call this a happy rant, but I'm pretty happy. Hopefully many more sales will come, and people will really enjoy my writing. Its really not about the money, but getting my work out there to anyone who is interested. Soon, I should even be on amazon.com and Google. For now though, purchases just go through lulu.com
here

I'm also hoping to get started with some local book stores as well for all those who aren't as internet savy, or comfortable buying online. For me, it hasn't been all that difficult so far, yes I have been careful in calculating expenses and potential profits and losses, but it isn't all that risky.

Hopefully, in a few months, or years, you'll even be able to say you followed me in the process as I rose to be a reputable writer. Or maybe I'll just have moderate sales and still no one will know me, but either way, you read it here first.

The Difficulties of Self-Publishing/Rant

2008-12-26T10:28:00.003-05:00

As you know from my previous post of shameless self promotion, I've just released a new book. Just to give a brief update on sales; I've sold exactly ZERO copies. I'd like to say its the economy causing people to be careful with their spending, or not having any money to spend in the first place, but my book is only $11.85 which doesn't seem all that outrageous. The difficulty I'm finding is appealing to an audience. Its not like as soon as you release a book people say, "oh a new random book by a new and undistinguished author, lets buy it and see what happens." The actuality is everyone now has the ability to self publish, so even if an utter genious released a divine masterpiece, without the correct marketing, buzz, spin, and whatever other hip terms used for selling products, that literary gem will be drown out in a sea of mediocre stories, mindless drivel, and delusional authors. Not to say my work is a masterpiece by anymeans, nor am I suggesting my stories are mediocre, midnless drivel, or that I am a delusional author, but what I am saying is now that anyone can publish it seems to make the whole process seem less rearkable.

However, producing work is one thing, selling is an entirely different matter. With the right funding and spin, even the mindless drivel can sell. Then the brilliance is in the marketing of the book, not the book itself. In self publishing though, there is no powerful publishing company pushing the publication into the hands of readers. The only way my book, or the works of anyone else who self publishes will sell is if the self publishers can coax people to buy. Then, if enough people buy to create some talk about the work, then, if its truly good, it may sell itself. The problem of course, is getting people to buy. Getting published is just like getting a job in the sort of Catch-22 it involves. Publishers look for writers who have already been published. If you haven't been published though, how could you ever get published without being previously published? To allow your eyes to uncross from the confusing paradox that is publishing, think about how previous masterpieces, poets, and classic texts have been discovered. Emily Dickenson, for instance had all of her poems in a desk drawer in her attic. It wasn't till she died that she was discovered. William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge had to combine their geniouses to break into the market and gain credibility, and they both lived in poverty for most of their lives despite their brilliance.

Regular writing, which is appreciated immediately, can be rather profitable, successful, and fufilling, but brilliant writing it seems, will always be the opposite. I think this is why our society hasn't seen a brilliant writer to vie with Shakespeare, Frost, Wordsworth, or any of the classic wordsmiths. The reason of course is that its difficult. Our modern society hates difficulty. Those that suffer life's difficulties are those who can't escape. Those who have the ability flee from it, trampling over the aged, weak, and afflicted people who do not deserve the difficulties that bare down on them. The beauty of brilliant writers was that they would willingly meet any challenge in life and overcome it. Even Lord Byron, an aristocrat, a lady's man, and well loved public figure, bravely faced adversity, fighting in a conflic in Greece which eventually led to his death.

I'm sure, somewhere today, there are people who would willingly face the greatest challenges of the world, abandoning all comforts, security, and accolades to achieve brilliance and immortality in literature, but would we even accept them now? Or, would we laugh at them as fools. Perhaps that is how all geniouses are recieved in their time, but if we call ourselves civiliazed, advanced, and well educated, shouldn't we expect more? SHouldn't we finally embrace those who dare to look at the world differently? Shouldn't we, as intelligent beings, be able to recognize and encourage those who will outshine us all?

Now I can't even come close to saying that I'd ever hope to be such a genious. My IQ is well above average, but nothing remarkable. My background is average, my life experiences have been average, there is no indication of anything of transcendant brilliance in me. All I am is a dreamer. As a boy I used to dream of being a super hero, now I just dream of somehow rising to be a brilliant writer. I know its just a dream, and perhaps thats all it can be, but in that dream I can see the reality. I can see how brilliance is measured by number, success measured by profit, and any other thing of value in life is measured by what it was, or is now. What could be, well thats simply foolish talk. So what I was and who I am was undistinguished. My brilliance, not a high enough number. My success, low since I haven't profited much. What I am now, and who I am is no different than who I was, and so who and what I could be, well thats just foolish talk. So if a genious were to come along I can see him suffering the same fate of anyone like me. Unless some circumstances arise to distinguish them, their words will fall on the same deaf ears that mine befall. It does seem a little silly to expect brilliance to be created by chance instead of by the gifted individual who is able to face whatever chance gives them.

Well, I guess all we can do is roll the dice, wait, and hope someone will come to shake us out of the monotony that life has become. I know I wandered off from the topic of self publishing, but when a well crafted message, brilliant or otherwise, is not heard or allowed to at least be critisized, there is a problem. What I've published is meant to be read. My message may not be brilliant, but it is for all eyes to make of it what they will. In not being able to be read, to be critisized, I believe there is a problem. When we don't embrace whats new or different, we can never hope to find anything of greater value than that which we already have.

"A Taste of the Sublime"

2008-12-18T22:47:00.003-05:00

So one of the major reasons for the neglect of my blog has been the project I've been working on for some time now. The project, was to develop a collection of sonnets that told a powerful, inspiring, as well as passionate yet profound story. And now, I am proud to say I have finished. The end result is my book "A Taste of the Sublime." I've edited it, re-edited it, and now I have it up for sale online. I suppose this is an experiment in self publishing vs soliciting a publisher. Since I have no previously published work, it makes it much easier to self publish. Of course, being a broke college student, I do need money, which is why I'm shamelessly promoting this book in my blog. In fact you can buy it here:

Nonetheless, I am still coming to terms with the realization of what I've done. I'm boldly taking a step into the literary world, as not just a passive reader, but a conttributing author. The author of a book you can buy here:

Ok ok, enough shameless promotion, but I hope you all at least take a look, and if "A Taste of the Sublime" does interest you, I hope you'll buy a copy and enjoy every page.

Dear Barack Obama...

2008-11-21T12:52:00.004-05:00

Dear President-Elect Obama,
First of all, it is refreshing to see a young, hope-filled person coming into power, and I hope the difficulties to come will not harden your optimistic outlook. As one of the countless voices in a sea of thus-far undistinguished faces, I pray my words may not be discounted. You, Mr. Obama, were one of us, your powerful voice was once unheard like mine, and now that you have a platform for all the world to hear, it is my wish that you can restore the ideals that once made this nation a beacon of hope for the rest of the world. The "hope" you've so vigorously preached in your campaign is the very same hope the founding fathers had when establishing our proud nation, and it must live again in the government.

Mr. President-Elect, our economy has fallen, it is quite obvious, but to revive her, no amount of money invested in corporations will do. The market moves by the will of the people, and if companies are no longer serving the people, but themselves, then the market will continue to be unstable and unprofitable. Remind the people that this failing economy is a sign of their own power. Companies are not serving their purpose, and the people's response is a withholding of their funds which has driven the stock market to fall. This is not a time of fear, but awakening, companies must now see that they must be responsible for consumer satisfaction. Mr. Obama, use this down-turn as a rallying cry for the American consumer. People have been taken advantage of and exploited by businesses focused on profits instead of utility, this recession is the voice of the people declaring, "No investment without the consumer's consent!"

In this time of global chaos, our troubles at home often take precedence over the troubles of the world, but Mr. Obama, as you more than any other president before you should know, America is a country made up of all the people of this world. We cannot abandon our brothers and sisters suffering overseas, but if we provide aid, it must not be in the mistaken manner of our past. We can not support one side while abandoning another. If troops are to be deployed they should not already have targets painted on their backs before they land. If America is needed abroad we should be there to help all people, regardless of nation, regime, or creed. The terrorists we have been so viciously hunting are born out of our own violence. They are not mindless demons, but desperate people motivated by tragedy, heartbreak, or starvation to do the deplorable acts for which they are hunted. By not understanding that these radicals are bred out of hate and destruction, inequality and oppression, we can never hope to make the world safe. It may seem a much more difficult task to combat intangible enemies like hate, injustice, and oppression, but those are the true enemies, and though people may demonstrate those vile aspects, no victory can be won by the loss of life. This may seam quite ideological, and perhaps naive, but true hope means believing even during the darkest times. Hope is not misplaced, I have seen catholics and protestants embrace in friendship, I have read of Israelis and Palestinians acting like brothers on a soccer field, I have watched as countries who have openly condemned the United States chanting with pride your very name sir, while waving our flag which was once burned in those same streets.

Mr. Obama, I will be honest, I did not vote in this last election though I was of age. I did not vote not because I am unpatriotic, but because I wanted to see the will of the people unfold before me. I did support you then as I support you now, but I wanted to remove my voice from the masses to see if they would echo it, and it seems that my faith was not merely echoed, but resonated throughout the nation. You sir are our voice, America's voice, and America, unlike any nation before her, and any nation since, is a nation of the world. This world is hungry for change.
It is hungry for comfort and equality, and it is hungry for peace. Mr. Obama, I believe that it is time for this starvation to end. We have the ability, the passion, and the resources of the entire world within our borders to make this change, and I hope, with all the passion you have hoped, that you may lead us there.

Sincerely,
Andrew Moravick

An Intellectual Reflection on Unintellectual Events

2008-11-09T14:06:00.004-05:00

So as a college student, its almost expected that I go out and party on a Saturday night... So I did, and once again found no real benefit from the experience... as usual. Yet, every weekend night the scene is repeated, one way or another. We lose ourselves in the inebriated masses, or in the intoxicating beverages we carelessly consume, and find our fun from the freedom to be a fool in a forum where it is expected. Of course the fun also comes from the loss of inhibitions which supposedly allows us to more easily and confidently converse with the opposite sex in order to feel free enough to fornicate, although often the plans involve much simpler terms.

However, this particular practice of my plastered peers bothers me deeply. Alcohol is a depressant, a substance that dulls our senses and coordination so that all the splendor of life is blurred in a drunken haze. To have sex or make love is an act that sets our senses on fire, and awakens our bodies and minds to all the pleasures that life can contain. Clearly, by being under the influence when sharing one's self with another the act is less satisfying, meaningful, and usually vastly less memorable. Why people do it is simple though, the need is always there, we all desire love, but the difference is that we all may interpret love in a different way. Thus, those who see love as just a result of a shared physical attraction, the apparent logical means to acquire that love would be to take any shared physical attraction to its obvious conclusion. Alcohol, in this case is merely a social performance enhancer, which allows one to suppress all the fear and uncertainty that comes with trying to entice another to share one's bed.

Yet I do not share this idea of love. The fear and uncertainty that comes when a man recognizes beauty manifested in a woman, or when a woman recognizes beauty manifested in a man is not something to be suppressed or drowned away with alcohol. It is natural for people to be struck with awe in the presence of a beautiful painting, landscape, or moment in life, and the same should apply for when one encounters beauty in another person. This fear or awe of a beautiful person comes from a recognition of the immense power that love possesses to help us to transcend the mundane trivialities of life, and live for something greater than ourselves. To dull this sense with alcohol or merely ignore it as a social weakness, is to dull or ignore our own humanity.

These ideas, whether they may seem revolutionary, trivial, or simply common sense are not new. Plato, expressed these views almost 2,500 years ago in a work called the Phaedo. He however was revolting against a practice of philosophers during his time having carnal relations with their apprentices. Now today, most would argue that making love while drunk is not nearly as bad as those philosophers who took advantage of their pupils so long ago, but I argue that the problem is the same. Today, we see sex as just a primal desire that can be silenced by simply being fed, and in ancient Greece, the view of those philosophers who had outraged Plato is actually the same. In antiquity, they believed that the body was in conflict with the soul, and today we seem to have reverted to that same point of view. Politicians today, for example, are so afraid of having a natural sexual relationship with their own wives, that they bottle up their emotions until they can't resist anymore and explode in scandalous activity.

Plato, and I, if I am not out of place associating with his genius, would argue that the body and soul are not in conflict. I can give plenty of examples of instances when the bodily drives can lead to the satisfaction of the soul as well. Take athletics, the body's drive to compete and succeed gives the soul confidence and value in itself, and the soul's desire to succeed in those realms as well can drive the body to even further improvement. Love is no different. It does not conflict with reason but enhances it, if we are aware of all the complexity inherent to love.

Back to the party experience for a minute... The difference here, is that love is separated, there is sex, and there is love. Some people go out to these parties simply looking for sex, others looking to find someone to fall in love with, and of course some just want to get drunk, but the separation of sexual desire and the desire to love as shown here is a troubling issue.

Now it is possible to separate sex and love; one can be in love without having sex, and have sex without being in love, and both can be satisfying to a degree. The desire for sex and love however can not be separated. We simply try to satisfy it via sex or love when in actuality both desires are leading us toward the same thing.

Arguably, my gender, (men) are much worse at understanding the truth about the human desire to love. Which is why at the party I was at last night, there was a vastly greater number of guys, and most acting foolishly in an attempt to win the favor of what girls were there. The girls on the other hand, most likely were there blowing off steam but had faint hopes of finding some sort of deep connection, but assuming that every guy who talked to them just wanted sex. The biggest problem though is that both guys and girls expect to find some sort of satisfaction in these drunken encounters.

Furthermore, guys, or at least in my case, feel that women are more apt to be attracted to those who are confident than those who are struck by the true nature of the woman's beauty. So we desensitize ourselves with alcohol so that we nolonger are aware of true beauty and are not struck speachless. Women then understand this to be the normal male behavior and expect that those who are struck by their beauty are simply less confident, and less desirable. Thus, it seems both genders perpetuate the dulling of our senses and loss of understanding about beauty and love.

To end this long running reflection, I'd like to suggest something to anyone who takes the time to read this. For any men like myself; don't be ashamed of that fear that overwhelms you when you see beauty manifested in a woman. That is what you should feel, and it will lead you to find a love that is satisfying in every way. And women; don't take men who are stunned by your beauty as unconfident or unmanly. The most manly thing is to face one's fear, not deny it or hide it beneath a veil of intoxication or feigned confidence. For everyone, the desire to love is the most reasonable thing of all. It is not dirty or disgusting or perverse, but if it is allowed to be nothing more than a merely pleasurable fluid exchange, that's when we should be most disgusted.

RETURN OF THE RANT!

2008-11-03T13:24:00.003-05:00

This rant has been brewing since Saturday night and by now it has worked up quite a potent consistency. That night, I decided to go out to a party for once, see some of my friends, socialize, and just unwind after a rather long day. For some reason, for a few drastically delusional divas, this was not acceptable. My innocent presence appeared to them to be an attempt to get into their pants. At one point a group of apparent strumpets-in-training were dancing near where I had left my party supplies, but it seemed to them, that my only reason for being there was to try to seduce them to do horrible things (as if filling one's body with alcohol to the point that all senses are numbed isn't horrible enough to do to one's self) and with their senses dulled they said, thinking I couldn't hear them, "we should probably move, we don't want to be raped." Now I have no qualms with women being cautious and safe, however 1. these were not women, 2. I had made no advances,nor had any intention of contracting any of their venereal diseases, and 3. Suggesting an innocent, kind hearted person is a rapist is like raping the character and reputation of that person... oh and 4. I doubt anyone would even want to have consensual sex with them let alone rape them!

Now that event on its own seems more comical than infuriating, like a nudist worrying about someone stealing their clothes. But I was so unfortunate to experience other acts of girl's egos gone wild that night which ignited this fiery rant. A few girls I knew from other collegiate activities showed up at the party, and normally, when one sees people they recognize, a friendly greeting is proper and customary. However apparently saying hello, means "I want to get in your pants" and the only proper response is a to say "hi" then give a glance of pure disgust to the greeter. Once more, that alone would not have bothered me, but then, those same girls, who were clearly offended by the abhorred word "hello" happened to be in a room with one of my friends. Now once again, it is quite normal for a person to go talk to their friends, but apparently, me being in that room was yet another sign of me trying to get in their supposedly desirable pants, and they left the room without saying a word, but scoffing, and exchanging glances that clearly said, "run, before he sullies our oh so shameless names by possibly asking if we're having a good time." At this point it was clear that I was making them uncomfortable by being there, and being a gentleman, I decided to leave.

The outrageous thing is, I should not have felt like it was necessary for me to leave. I felt unwelcome because a few people thought that my presence, as an invited guest, as a friend and teammate of one of the hosts was unacceptable because they thought I was just there to have my way with them, while not actually knowing anything about me.

This is the root of the problem... gossip and here say, "Oh I heard he's a creep, so you better stay away..." when they don't wonder "well who says he's a creep" and then come to discover it was one crazy girl who may have been put off because the so called creep wasn't interested in her. Which seems to be my predicament, but for women too, the modern version of the scarlet letter haunts many innocent girls and women when they're called "sluts" just because they may have once or twice given in to natural desires which we all are troubled by at one point or another. The only true slut is the person who violates the reputations of other people by thrusting in their own ignorant judgments on matters which do not even involve them.

However, I give other people too much credit. In general, the social interactions of people are pretty disorderly, and often comically pathetic. There is no real way to find order or fairness in social interaction because social activity itself is governed by the masses, and the masses, though home to a few intelligent individuals, as a whole are mindless and obey only its own shared desires.

There can be no faith in people, only individual people with faith that someday,there will be enough bold individuals to show all the people who they really are, and to be truly united, every person must be an individual above being a part of the masses...

Where Have I Been?

2008-10-22T14:04:00.002-04:00

Ok, so to say its been a long time since my last post would be an understatement, and sure such negligence might be expected from a drunken college student, but not me. (OK I am a college student, but drunken... hardly) The reason for my absence, however, should excite you (my readers... if there are any of you left). I've been working on a poetry project that has become, thus far, the most legitimate thing I've undertaken in the world of literature. I've been churning poem after poem out, but to avoid any publication conflicts should my work actually be published when its done, I haven't posted any of the involved poems on here.

On another interesting note, after finally overcoming the disappointment of having my short story rejected...(Ok, ok, there was no recovery time, I was just trying to justify my delay) I've started putting together a list of publishers and poems which would best fit into each publication. Hopefully this will yield more results for me than my brief attempt at getting my short stories published. (I'll admit that attempt wasn't much of one to be honest.) This time I'm taking charge, and I'm not accepting failure. To stop would be to fail anyway, and theres no way thats happening.

So hopefully, as the process begins, I'll have plenty more to talk about, and won't be gone for so long. Hope you didn't miss me too much.

Pardon the delay...

2008-07-23T13:30:00.001-04:00

So I haven't posted anything new lately, so here is my newest poem, hot off the press, well keyboard. Read, enjoy tell me what you think, and or any concepts or ideas it inspires or you find in it.

Consensual Captivity
By Andrew Moravick

Her mysterious eyes captivate mine
While her body binds me to desire.
Whether work of evil or hand divine
I’m enslaved by her soul’s sustaining fire.
For I feel her like nothing felt before
A force so impossible to resist,
While the woes of wanting I must endure
And the lashes of longing must persist,
I feel no pain though my heart may be chained,
My freedom forlorn and given away,
My energy drained so all that remained
Is love for her which I’m bound to obey.
Though I could break free from her hold over me,
I’m content to consent to this captivity.

Sitting By The Sea

2008-06-18T10:55:00.000-04:00

Sitting By The Sea
By Andrew Moravick

The salt air caresses my nostrils
Into my ears flows the surf’s sound
While I see children bounding over swells
As if afraid of the water in which they stand.
They willingly immerse below
The water in the breaks between waves,
But after they surface up they go
Again to avoid the next oncoming crest.
The sun sinks into my skin as I
Watch from the shore, while the waters
Look ever more inviting to my
Dry, sand stung eyes, so I rise and go into the waves
Letting them break over me as I walk in,
Accepting them as they come to sooth my skin.

Slaves to Ourselves

2008-06-16T13:30:00.001-04:00

Slaves To Ourselves
By Andrew Moravick

When most enslaved by feelings inside
Are we really closest to being free?
Pent up in prisons where we can’t see
Liberation laying where slavery lied.
Are our shackles merely made by the mind,
Are we our own masters of oppression,
Our lives a self defeating obsession?
Why when with ease our escape we could find
We stay enslaved, content to be confined
To a known bondage we willingly bind
As we break our backs while teeth gnash and grind
All out of fear of opening our mind?
Yet what wonders would flow when we let go
To live to learn freely all we could know.

Content Check

2008-06-16T11:47:00.002-04:00

Hey readers, as you know, I've been posting a lot of my poetry, and a few short stories and such. I'd just like to get some more feedback on how those of you who have taken the time to read my work (which I can not thank you enough for doing) think of it all. A lot of writers write for personal expression and to share their own experiences in life, and thats great, poetry and writing can be an amazingly theriputic, and liberating activity. However, for me, it goes a bit beyond that level. I feel, from reading many of the romantic, transcendentalist, and over-all masters of poetry, that the craft is intended for more. Poets of the past have spoken not only for themselves but to, and for their generations, inspiring the people of their time, and those that followed. What I am trying to do with my poetry is ignite some sort of creative, or passionate fire in my readers so that perhaps we can escape the mundane trivialities that modern life is subject to. Throughout history, it has been poets that have awakened these passions in people, and changed the way we look at the world. Today, in a time when, pundits, news casters, and specified experts tell us how to look at the world, perhaps a poet's voice is needed again to paint a broader, more spectacular image. I can only hope that one day I may refine my craft to perhaps be that poet, but if maybe I could just get the ball rolling, and perhaps make it easier for a truly great poet to come along, even if I recieve no credit or acclaimation for it, I will be glad to have done my part.

Making Seen Beauty Heard

2008-06-16T11:46:00.000-04:00

Making Seen Beauty Heard
By Andrew Moravick

She stands alone as frigid snowflakes fall
While her eyes burn through the winter air.
Her body language sings an alluring call
And thus entranced and entrapped I stare.
It’s but a mere picture, lifeless and still,
Seen on a screen by all who wish to see,
Yet its infinite, even time can’t kill
The beauty beheld by the world and me
When we see her mysterious strong form
Captivating and exciting our eyes,
Showing us our souls, making cold hearts warm
With the truest beauty which in her lies.
Therefore I write so might I with a word
Use a word’s might to make seen beauty heard.

A Poet's Work

2008-05-29T18:37:00.000-04:00

A Poet’s Work
An Homage to: John Donne, William Blake, Robert Frost, William Wordsworth, William Shakespeare, Andrew Marvell, Dylan Thomas, John Milton, Edgar Allen Poe, Ralph Waldo Emerson, John Keats, & Lord Byron
By Andrew Moravick

What I must do is to be done,
To be a bard who all time sees
To down the path not taken run
From a world of too much- be free.
I will make plays on words at will,
Marvel at a well metered line,
Warm with words a gentle night’s chill,
And with rhyme make paradise mine.
I’ll live a dream within a dream,
Immerse in a transcendent time,
Hear unheard melodies that seem
To rove through the air with a rhyme.
Yet when this work is done n’er done will I be
Though enslaved by death, my work sets me free.

What Can Eye Say?

2008-05-29T12:37:00.000-04:00

What Can Eye Say?
By Andrew Moravick

Eye can not say what the mind sees,
The eye simply shows the scene,
Of course usually the mind with the eye agrees,
Yet the eye doesn’t always tell what a sight means.
Eyes allude to other sights entrapping the seer
To see a scene as if already seen,
Though the vision may be clear,
Still the eye may not know what that sight may mean.
Eye, for the most part may be right,
Red may be read as red and green may be seen as green,
But other senses exist beyond sight,
And eye surely can’t say what those senses mean.
All senses of course occasionally lie
But I tell you truly things seen with more than the eye.

Send Me To Hell With Your Heavenly Kiss

2008-05-12T22:00:00.001-04:00

Send Me To Hell With Your Heavenly Kiss
By Andrew Moravick

Send me to hell with your heavenly kiss
Lead me to Lucifer upon your lips.
For those furious fires can’t quell my bliss
From finding heaven harbored in your hips.
Make my hands heretics for touching your skin
Let them burn for their lamentable crime.
I will endure the agonies of my sin,
And suffer for tasting of the sublime.
Let my eyes burn for the beauty they see
Let the fruits of our flesh be my demise.
Let my caress of your curves condemn me
Yet may these supposed sins be but lies?
For what damage do we do when we love so well,
That could ever make our shared heaven into hell?

Know Me Anew

2008-05-10T10:12:00.001-04:00

Know Me Anew
By Andrew Moravick

I’ve known you for years yet never knew you
Just as you have never known all of me.
If you knew me now then what would you do,
When it’s a passionate poet you’d see?
Could you resist me as you’d done before,
If you knew what pleasures I could give,
When I can make our joys always endure,
And on my pages you’ll forever live?
My touch as my words have through time refined
My caress is as soothing as my verse.
My kiss like my lines may ignite your mind,
And into ecstasy your soul immerse.
So now, if me you may dare come to know
Into your life euphoria will flow.

The Blood of A Warrior

2008-05-08T13:11:00.000-04:00

The Blood of A Warrior
By Andrew Moravick

The blood of a warrior fills my veins,
My body has been forged for battle.
My desire to fight my soul sustains
My might makes the bones of my foes rattle.
Yet I swing not a sword nor fire a gun
Victory comes not from blood being shed
It is honor to which warriors run
And for glory we are glad to be lead.
My weapon is myself which I must test
My armor is my muscle and bone.
My shield is my team who shares in my quest
And with them my true power is shown.
We athletes wage war as warriors before
We gain glory and triumph from all we endure.

RETURN OF THE RANT!

2008-05-02T10:28:00.003-04:00

I was watching TV today, because of course, thats what one does when one is single and has entirely too much free time. (Right?) I see Lindsey Lohan talking as the new spokesperson for Proactive. She says something to the effect of, "When I leave my house, there are parazzi everywhere, and if I have one blemish or zit.." As if that is her biggest worry. Not being an alcoholic, poor role model for teenage girls everywhere, and a laundry list of other issues. No, its a freakan zit. How stupid do you think we are Proactive? I mean this could quite possibly be the worst commercial I have ever seen. What were the people who created this thing thinking? "Lets get a girl who has completely lost her marbles to talk about how our product, because it prevents breakouts, makes her life stable." The worst thing of all, is that it is kind of true. The worst thing about people today is that they're so visually oriented, that something like a zit might actually drive them crazy. Who knows, maybe Lindsey Lohan went on her drinking binges, and gratuitous pantyless streaks,so that people would look at her sad situation, and her uncovered genitles, and not at a zit.

On a scarier, more intellectual note, I read Brave New World recently, and realized that the mentality of that future society is actually the mentality of today. Sure no one belongs to everyone, but the idea that happiness comes from conformity and childish ignorance. Soma exists, its called alcohol,and we all willingly turn to it for our fun. Those who are different are outcast. Intellectuals who do not fit the mold, or silence their voices amongst the meaningless chatter of the common people, are ostrisized. Like Bernard was accused of having alcohol accidently poured into his blood surrogate as a developing infant, I, a peaceful, kind, moral, intellectual, am labeled a creep simply because I can function on my own outside of a group. Poetry nolonger exists, rhyme has been downsized to only being employed in catchy advertising jingles.What fools we are, fools! We are not free, we are slaves to confention, conformity and commerce. When we depend on others for our own needs we become slaves. Every human has the capacity to provide for themselves naturally. We could tend a garden, raise cattle, and exist comfortably by our own means. Yet out of convineince, and habit, social suggestion, and oure ease, we rely on others, while we must in turn provide for others whom we reap no benefits from aside from earning meaningless paper. The world is not all that it could be. There is no ultimate solution that will answer all of our problems, but can't we make more of ourselves?

I know, Lindsey Lohan to "Brave New World," what a rant. Well I don't know I'm annoyed at the moment. Who knows, tomorrow I could be praising the merrits of modern society. Thats the beauty of a rant, its completely senseless and is an outlet for frustration, and pent up ideas.

The Quest For Publication

2008-04-23T12:00:00.002-04:00

So now I have a site full of poems, and a computer even more full of poems, but its finally come time to try and share my works in print. Anyone can write online, but when it comes to being printed in a magazine, or a book, its a bit more difficult. I haven't even attempted to get published yet- out of fear of failure or being considered unremarkable. Still I'm excited to try to bring a little bit of legitimacy to my name, and perhaps a buck or two if my work merrits it. Now I need only to decide where to send my work, which is almost as hard as writing it all in the first place. Just as whomever publishes me must pick me out of a crowd, so must I pick them out of a crowd. I suppose its kind of like dating, one must find someone attractive who is also attracted to you. Hopefully publishing will go better than my dating life though.

Three Quick & Easy Steps To Getting A Highly Viewed Blog

2008-04-14T11:47:00.005-04:00

With these three steps your blog will be bombarded by readers in no time.

Step 1: Pick a topic that will attract the masses. It has to be something easy though, most people don't like difficulty. People love quick fixes most of all. So anything quick and easy is a gold mine, IE: "Taxes done quickly and easily" "How to Write an A+ paper quickly and easily" "Quick and Easy cooking" and of course, what draws a lot of people to the internet, (mostly men) "Quick and Easy Women"

Step 2: Structure- Present the information or topic in a familiar structured manner. People today like images more than words so the best thing one can do with words is make them look like images.
(.)(,)
Punctuation, such as the period and comma presented before also give structure. All to often people who are well versed in english and grammar forget to punctuate. Without punctuation the reader is forced to go on and on and on and on waiting for the sentence to end without any idea when it may stop or pause or when emphasis is needed or even when the idea is complete and a new idea begins.

Step 3: Make a "How to" blog with quick and easy steps (see step 1) which will make people think that your blog will solve all of the reader's problems. People Blog for trivial entertainment talk, jokes and political commentary, and answers. If you don't want to pander to having statements such as "Britney Spears Declared Brain Dead by Doctors After Reviewing her marrage to KFED" in your blog, or if you don't have enough readers for people to care if you endorse one politician or another, three easy steps is the way to go.

(If after step three your blog does not see an increase in readers repeat steps one and 2 with new ideas until one actually works.)

50th Post

2008-04-14T11:37:00.002-04:00

This is my 50th post, I guess I've been pretty busy over the past couple of months. So far I think I've been doing pretty well in the blogging world. I have comments, a diverse range of readers from all over the world, and some authority...(on Technocrati) I've made some good connections along the way, one of the best being Fuelmyblog.com (one of the best sites for establishing blog connections and getting started in the blogging world) ((shameless pitch I know))
Anyway, I've given you my readers poems, prose, rants, reflections, philosophical ideas, and other random writings. What I want now most of all however is feedback. I want to know what readers think. I want to know if I've moved you (whether intellectually spiritually, or even if I've written poorly and the only thing moving is your bowls.)
So for this special 50th post I ask you to look back through all that I've posted before. (If you have time) I would like to know what you would like more of, and less of in my next 50 posts.

Seduction Sonnet

2008-04-09T13:31:00.002-04:00

Seduction Sonnet
By Andrew Moravick

True love’s touch has yet to caress your skin,
And your body is free from corruption,
Still I long for you to feel me within,
And receive a new euphoric eruption.

Never have you felt the joys I can give,
Never will you feel yourself made more whole,
As when we two in one begin to live,
After I have penetrated your soul.

Though ravaged and reborn, pure shall you stay,
I’d never dare destroy innocent bliss,
Nor your chaste beauty would I try betray,
Yet to you still will I do all of this.

For I make love to you in poems where truth you may find,
When I satisfy your soul by stimulating your mind.

This poem is actually for someone, but the concept I think is something that can be enjoyed by all. Its kinda racey, but still tasteful as a whole.

Distance and Time

2008-04-02T15:18:00.000-04:00

Distance and Time
By Andrew Moravick

Distance, devious demon, dare you divide my love from me?
Seek you satisfaction by separating her from my embrace?
Foolish fiend, find you fulfillment when with my love I can’t be?
Cruel creature, content you does it to cleave my eyes from her face?

Time torture me must you to make me endure your expanse?
Troublesome tic take you joy in supping on my lonesome skin?
Tedious talk, try taunt me with others united undivided by chance?
Test me, torment me until I’m tempted to surrender to sin?

Bothersome burdens, be you so bold believing you can prevail?
Ignorant inhibitors, insist you in vain that you may quell my will?
Frivolous fools, fear you not that your accursed afflictions fail?
Contemptuous cretins, be you so conceited to think love you can kill?

Distance be damned, for love can’t be broken at any lamentable length,
And trivial time you are but a second thought to love’s eternal strength!

Self Discovery

2008-04-02T12:01:00.000-04:00

Self Discovery
By Andrew Moravick

All words of eloquence have already been said,
No thoughts of mine own reside in my head.

Oh to be the one that first created the word,
Or to be the writer of the first poem ever heard.

Such freedom to be valid for all places and times,
To have purpose and power retained in one’s rhymes.

Oh to live forever in lines personally penned,
To exist for eternity with no worries of an end.

Fear consumes me as I look deep within,
What can I say is mine if not simply my skin?

If my thoughts aren’t new and not even my own,
What attests for my existence, what evidence is shown?

Yet why should I fear to be nothing more?
Why hardship and pain do I seek to endure,

To attain greatness, prestige, fortune and fame,
To live on the lips of those praising my name?

Why can’t I find joy in a life mundane?
Why does mediocrity inflict on me pain?

What wondrous works can I do when all have been done?
What words can I use when of my own there are none?

If I am supposed to somehow transcend,
What means must I use to get to that end?

Am I but a bard, could that be my gift?
Is it my purpose to other’s souls uplift?

For all the fortune I have must I pay a price,
Must my own joy and comfort I sacrifice?

Perhaps another gift I unknowingly possess,
A power profound I unknowingly repress.

Perhaps I’m a fool to expect more out of life,
Piling on pain and supplying my soul with strife.

I was born, I live, and someday will I die,
But have I really lived if my life is a lie?

If I am not all that I was destined to be,
And my true purpose I have failed to see,

Than at least I can live on, in pages and in rhymes,
And let others discover me in new ages and times.

Truth

2008-03-31T10:29:00.001-04:00

Truth
By Andrew Moravick

In all of existence where does truth lie?
Is there an absolute which our frail forms can find?
Do we exist? Do we live and do we die?
Do we see all that is, or are we still blissfully blind?

In all that we feel is anything true?
Do our senses deceive and us do they betray?
Can you truly feel me as I can you?
Do we feel for infinity or is life only but a day?

In all that I am what truly am I?
Is this flesh an illusion and this soul a deception?
Am I all that I see when seeing my reflection?
Can I find any truth that does not lie?

There is only one thing that without a doubt I hold true,
And that my sweet love is all the truth that lies in you.

Come With Me

2008-03-22T16:55:00.001-04:00

COme WIth Me
By Andrew Moravick

Come with me to explore the workings of our souls.
Let me taste all of your treasures infinite in sum.
Let me give you my gifts to fill your life’s holes.
Let us lust for love so in passion together we come.

Die with me to loneliness and together will we live.
Unleash all your passion on me that beneath your skin lies,
And every ounce of my self to you I will give,
So that lovingly we survive laughing as death to us dies.

Erupt with me to rise above the common and mundane,
Have no fear that our actions be criminal or corrupt,
For never would I allow you feel punishment or pain,
So submit to your desires and allow your essence to erupt.

For eternity in a second let me the strings of your senses strum,
And for euphoria in an instant into each other’s lives may we come.

She Chose Me

2008-03-22T12:56:00.002-04:00

She Chose Me
By Andrew Moravick

She is every word written by any artist’s hand.
She is the life in every lyric uplifted in song.
She is energy that inspires the exhausted to stand.
She is the power which makes a poet’s voice strong.

She is the fire fueling every enlightened soul.
She is the earth within which treasures we find.
She is the wind which whispers ways to be whole.
She is the water which cools, calms, and enriches the mind.

She is every man’s dream, and every woman’s ideal.
She is the passion present in every love inspired kiss.
Yet she has chosen me to her heavenly self reveal.
She has chosen me to bestow the brilliance of her bliss.

Eternally in love yet in debt forever shall I be,
For out of all those she could love, she chose me.

Fear fills me in this unsure state

2008-03-22T12:51:00.000-04:00

Yet another poem by me

Fear fills me in this unsure state,
Terror troubles me as never before,
Worry overwhelms me as I wait,
The awkward anticipation I endure.

Foolishly I fret over all that I said,
Wondering if my words were wrong,
Paranoid that the passions gone dead,
Or perhaps presented itself too strong.

I am distressed yes, but also elated,
The potential for perfection to be attained,
For such sensations so long have I waited
To no longer allow myself to be contained.

Freedom I’ve found being imprisoned in her eyes.
Loneliness may I lose to gain life’s greatest prize

My eyes sing to my soul in seeing her face

2008-03-14T15:22:00.001-04:00

My eyes sing to my soul in seeing her face.
By Andrew Moravick

My eyes sing to my soul in seeing her face.
Words well up within me wanting to be written.
My heart flutters, pounding at a furious pace.
To brilliance I’m inspired, yet stupefied and smitten.

My mind begs logic, her I barely know.
Foolish infatuation I fear it could be,
Yet what evidence have I to show,
That it’s not with my heart that I see.

My soul smiles hearing the song of my eyes,
Ignoring the paranoid pleads of my mind,
Trusting the telling of my heart free of lies,
Believing boldly that in her truth I will find.

Love at first sight, such a preposterous proposition,
When love is ever present even before recognition.

Enlightenment

2008-03-11T15:33:00.000-04:00

Enlightenment
By Andrew Moravick

May my words fall as sparks that your mind may ignite,
May my lines fuel the flames of your thoughts to burn bright,
May those thoughts awaken the wisdom within,
So that you may enjoy existence and all there in.
Let the sounds of my phrases stimulate your senses,
Let my writings warm you to lower your defenses,
Let me show you pleasures produced by your mind,
So that the greatest joys of life I may lead you to find.
Open your eyes to see the world fully in light,
Open your mind to the word’s brilliant might,
In light, in the mind, in the soul do we see,
In sight with the soul we set ourselves free.

Philosophy in Non-Philosophical Concepts

2008-03-07T11:17:00.003-05:00

For a while the world has seemed incredibly stupid and shallow as a whole to me. I couldn’t understand what made us such intelligent beings when all that we do is motivated, or seems to be motivated by our simple natural desires. Then, when I looked deeper into some of the trivial seemingly stupid phrases and songs that have been popular I’ve found some what profound undertones.

Take the song “What is Love” made popular by the SNL Night At The Roxbury skit and eventual movie. The chorus goes, “what is love, baby don’t hurt me, don’t hurt me, no more…” This tune is catchy and seemingly devoid of profoundness, but looking deeper it could be an investigation of what love is; being willing to try not to hurt your companion. Ok that’s a stretch, but there are plenty more things to investigate.

Think about this quote from a person most see as the epitome of modern society’s stupidity, "All I can tell you is when the governor calls, I answer his phone." --George W. Bush, San Diego, Calif., Oct. 25, 2007 Yes it seems incredibly stupid at first, the grammatical agreement is off, and even if it was intended to agree in that way it would appear to make no sense at all. However, in actuality this phrase may demonstrate an over bearing belief in government, the idea that a third party may be listening when you pick up the phone. Bush may indeed answer the governor’s phone; because of the Patriot Act the government does have that ability. This takes us to Plato’s idea of an ideal republic. Bush perhaps believes an ideal government is one who has control over everything, like the governor’s phone. Plato would almost agree, but in Plato’s theory complete control was held by an ideal, just, and moral leader. Maybe Bush just didn’t read that far into Plato’s Republic. All right, maybe this one is just a good use of bull shit too, but come on people, I’ve got to find something intelligent in this world, or else what is the point of living?

Philosophy often explores the depth and extent of life. The well known philosopher Brooke Shields once said, "Smoking kills. If you're killed, you've lost a very important part of your life." Perhaps Ms. Shields believes that the physical life is not all there is to true life, but is an important part of total life, and throwing that away could be a mistake. She is after all a student of Aristotle, who would also argue against smoking since it goes against his theory of, “only doing things that enhance a person’s being.” Strangely though, Aristotle was known to light up after the occasional orgy. Ms. Shields perhaps overlooked that fact. Then again maybe that is just a stupid quote.

Maybe the late great genius Albert Einstein can enlighten us about stupidity and save me some time. "Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former." –Einstein. Damn! Well, that doesn’t help. Although, it does make me feel a little better that Einstein and I may be on the same wavelength. Who knows, maybe I can disprove Einstein here. Maybe I can find a truly profound yet stupid quote.

Perhaps Keanu Reeves can save my premise like he saves the world in all of his movies. His stupid quote: “I cried over beauty, I cried over pain, and the other time I cried because I felt nothing. I can’t help it. I’m just a cliché of myself.” does approach an interesting concept, although the wrong usage of cliché is apparent. Perhaps though, it is intended, the idea of crying from feeling nothing could stem from repeating your own actions so much that one make oneself a living cliché and therefore no longer know one’s actual self. Life is after all repetitious and after a while it can feel like our senses have been numbed by the tedium. Then again it is Keanu Reeves saying it. I think I am getting closer to Philosophy in stupidity though.

Once more I allow the supposed Sultan of Stupid to speak again, “I have opinions of my own --strong opinions-- but I don't always agree with them.” –George W. Bush. This does seem hilariously funny, however digging deeper it may express an inner conflict within our fearless leader, as well as within all of us. Are our opinions, no matter how strong they are actually our own? Also, even though we may have an opinion, we may explore it within ourselves and find that we may actually not agree with them. We all have experienced an inner conflict, such as temptation, whether to give in or not. Perhaps we may come to realize that our opinions are not actually our own, but imposed on us by the constraints of society. In that case it may be natural to not agree with one’s believed opinion. Sadly though, I doubt Bush thought this deeply about the phrase before he said it.

Shakespeare once said, “Brevity is the soul of wit.” In that spirit the next quote is not stupid at all, but full of wit. “Facts are stupid things.” –Ronald Reagan. Perhaps facts are stupid things. They do stop us from thinking, and stupidity could be considered to be a condition devoid of thought. Facts, though they may be true are often accepted as concrete. When we hear a fact presented in an argument, if it is believed to be an irrefutable fact, often times the argument will end or turn in a different direction because who dares challenge a fact? When we take things as fact however we prevent ourselves from exploring those things deeper and giving up on further understanding could in fact be said to be stupid.

Maybe I’m looking in the wrong place for the redemption of humanity’s stupidity. After all Ralph Waldo Emerson, one of the few hundred people in all of human existence to be free from stupidity once said, “I hate quotations. Tell me what you know.” There may not be anything to gain within quotes, and even geniuses may say a stupid thing every now and again. Stupidity is after all infectious. None of us are really above being called stupid. Maybe stupidity is merely one of our simple flaws that make us who we are. The world would be quite boring without humorous instances of stupidity.

The Influence of Super Heros

2008-02-27T21:55:00.004-05:00

Growing up I was fascinated by super heros. Saturday morning cartoons, comics, merchandise; I loved it all. The funny thing is I can attribute many of my good qualities from things I've learned from my favorite heros. Spiderman and his alter ego Peter Parker taught me to use my mind, and to have responsibility. The Fantastic Four made me value family. Iron Man and Batman taught me that you didn't even need to have special powers to be exceptional. All these fictional characters had a real involvement in my life. I can trace my fascination with women to what I had seen Tony Stark do in Iron Man episodes. My nerdy side which didn't always succeede with the ladies was nurtured by the same nerdy side of Peter Parker. Now that I'm older, and these old cartoons are becoming made into live action movies, I can't help but appreciate the lessons these characters have taught me. Plus it makes me feel like a kid again and I couldn't be more excited for the newest movie (IRON MAN on May 2nd) to be released. Ah, to be a kid again.

To Milton's Satan

2008-02-26T21:38:00.001-05:00

To Milton's Satan
By Andrew Moravick

In sin you ate and with death you dined
Bred in you hate and with malice of mind,
You exploded with actions and words of woe,
Destroying yourself instead of your foe,
And that foe whom you fought be truly a friend,
Though all that you sought truly led to your end,
So then seek you out by some secondary style,
A means and a manner to your opponent defile,
Cowering corrupt a conniving plan you prescribed,
From the spirits of revenge on which you imbibed,
Drunk in delight of dark deed to be done,
Rapidly to righteous retaliation you run,
On blackened wings to air you take to make haste,
TO your victims souls you go to damn and lay waste,
For they are the one weakness for you to make gains
Gainst your foe by bestowing on them the pains
Felt by you when in your pride you boldly blasphemed
And so set you upon them, a terror too great to be dreamed
By the innocent victims of your voracious villainy,
Outcast and cursed by your cruel craft, continually
Carrying on characterized by your terrible temptation,
Passing to posterity the lashes of your lethal lamentation
And so now in sin we hate and on us Death dines
While woefully we wait for salvations sweet signs,
Which will tell of a time when free from you we will be,
And no glimmer of further gain may your monstrous eye see.

Forget Not Rhyme

2008-02-26T11:46:00.002-05:00

Forget Not Rhyme
By Andrew Moravick

Poetry with no rhyme is like sex with no climax,
Yes it can be done but on your mind it will tax.
Rhyme they say is cheap, fickle, and out dated,
Why though are those poems today contemplated,
While modern terns of verse are just dozens for a dime,
And yet long lasting is literature with that ridiculous rhyme?
Modernism it’s called, poetry progressed past those previously penned,
Yet why not with Donne, Blake, or Byron can modernists contend?
The mind needs challenges, toils, tribulations, and tests,
Without these within the mind mediocrity manifests.
Rhyme with reason paired requires more thought in each line,
Through various vines of vocabulary a poet must pine.
Searching for words of worth, weight, and wonderful sound,
Pleasing the pen wielding poet when words are finally found.
Rhythm valued vastly above rhyme what a reckless reform.
Like wearing shirt without pants while wanting to keep warm.
Yes some unrhymed writings are beautiful and deep,
But can not rhymed wonders we also wish to keep?
Are we so vain to say we are absolutely above,
The poems of old all ages have shared in love?
Why not continue the old with the new?
Why value one way when both are true?
Why abandon rhyme in poetry without second thought,
When rhymes were the first part of poetry we were taught?

RANT TIME!

2008-02-15T12:00:00.003-05:00

So lately I've been posting a lot of my pieces, and gotten some decent comments, and a nice flow of readers. In this period I've been quite content, and being content I haven't felt the need to rant. However I feel a good rant every now and again spices things up, gets people talking, and gets a load off my chest.
So what to rant about..... hmmmmmmmmm..... what deserves an angry tirade courtesy of yours truly? You know what, I'm pissed off that there's nothing to piss me off about right now! The election is shaping up actually nicely so that we may have one or two decent candidates vying for the white house. I haven't heard any outlandish claims from televangalists saying that global warming is the gays fault or anything ridiculous like that. Britney Spears has killed her career enough already so me lambasting her won't do anything. Bush's term is coming ever closer to its end. The writer's strike is over. WHAT CAN I BE ANGRY ABOUT!?
I know! God! God is really pissing me off right now. He just can't seem to make up his mind can he? I mean he gives us clear signals that the world is coming to an end but then changes his mind, deciding to put it off for another day. If he's going to end the world he should do it already! I'm looking forward to heaven, or even hell. The way Gods been acting Satan may be a more interesting eternal companion, minus the eternity of pain and suffering and all. Then again this world is pretty much Satan's right now and it isn't all that great.
Another thing, could God clear things up again? Every time he sends a profit new religions branch out because the old ones can't accept a changed message. The new religions worshiping the same god start hating each other for no real reason. Way to go Big Guy. I'm sure its a tough job but isn't that why God is supposed to be God? I mean seriously what's his most recent miracle, the Giant's beating the Patriots in the superbowl? Who'd that help besides those people betting on the long shot Giants? God, don't make me come up there!
I'm kind of dissapointed now. That was the best thing I could think of to rant about. I suppose I'm just in a happy mood at the moment.

Drowning In Mediocrity

2008-02-12T18:32:00.001-05:00

Drowning In Mediocrity
By Andrew Moravick

Long enough have I tread this torrent,
Long enough have I fought this current,
Foolishly pined to float above convention,
Through feats, words, or some sort of invention.
Yet what am I in all and all,
Never to rise but bound to fall.
My arms grow tired and breath grows short,
Every effort I make the sea will thwart.
Should I exhale for one last time,
And descend into the suffocating brine?
Should I accept my future and take my place,
Settle for a walk when longing to race?
Long dead are the days of valued verse.
Long gone are lines of pith and terse.
Poets past what would you say,
If you saw the effects of ignorance today?
Imagination replaced by a screen,
Unheard are those who dream.
The wonders of each day have become so trivial,
Mysteries, majesties, mysticisms, none left to reveal.
Shakespeare today where would you be,
Silent, unheard, undistinguished by the SAT?
Blake, what visions would you put down on page,
That no one has seen in this cheap visionless age?
Emerson how could you possibly transcend,
When there are too many voices for the message you send?
Frost how now could you walk the path less taken,
With all roads explored, yet all left vacant?
How can I stand with all you my friends,
You who are gods made by nothing but pens?
Your words cemented on page as in stone,
Mine written on water never to be known.
Give me your voices o gods of the page,
Give me your powers to be heard in this age.
For my voice is lost, drown by my time,
Let the people hear yours if unmoved my mine.
Deeper down I continue to sink,
Starving for air, unable to think.
My mind now shrieks from insufferable pain,
Assaulted by a sea of thoughts so common and plain.
My body still lives while my soul nears death,
Thoughts of my friends my one lasting breath.
In your words my last comfort I see,
Yet if all you could triumph than why not me?
With this pen I can save myself from this mediocrity.
The waters drop back and high do I rise,
No longer a gill-less fish am I,
But a mighty eagle, lord of the skies.
Yet in eternal debt to you gods who bid me fly.
I cry out in joy with my pen,
The voice of the bard to be heard once again.

What A Woman Wants?

2008-02-11T11:14:00.001-05:00

Disclaimer: The following is a work of fiction, however it was based on some of my personal dealings with women. I have no intention of degrading, insulting, or doing any other type of harm to women in writing this. My intention was to highlight the sad, but habitual tendencies of women to not see that what they're looking for is right in front of them. I attempted to take a woman's perspective in this to also try and understand why such tendencies are common. Hopefully a little humor can be found in this piece as well. Also, ladies, I would like your input on this because I want to know if you can relate to this female character.

This has got to stop. What’s wrong with guys today? Is there even one decent guy around here?
“Hey Brittany.”

“Oh, hey Andrew.”
Seriously, guys have no class. All they want is to have their fun and leave me. I don’t think there’s single one of them who actually knows how to treat a girl. None of them ever care how I feel.
“How’re you today?”
“I’m fine thanks.”
Guys only seem to care about one thing. They just never think. They’re all just so stupid.

“So Britney, might you need any help with your homework?”
“No thanks Andrew. I’m fine.”

It’s like we’re just objects to them. They don’t even try to understand how girls work. If they even tried a little they could figure out what makes us happy. I can’t believe that none of them can figure me out.

“You ok Britney? It seems like something’s bothering you.”
“I’m just tired thanks.”

All I really want is a nice, funny guy who can make me smile. Is that too much to ask? Why can’t guys stop thinking about sex long enough to give me a laugh every once and a while.

“So this is a little random, but how many shrinks does it take to screw in a light bulb?”
"I dunno.”
“Just one, but he has to lay it down on a couch and ask it how it feels first.”
“That’s a good one Andrew.”

Guys are just so lazy too. I work hard to keep my body in shape while they just sit around playing their video games. What ever happened to guys being athletic?

“Oh by the way, I have a track meet this Saturday. You should come.”
“That’s nice Andrew, maybe I will.”

They’re always so creepy too. Every time I try to have a good time with my girl friends they’re always hitting on me. Just because I’m drunk doesn’t mean I want to have sex. Why don’t they just talk to me when I’m sober and get to know me?

“So have you been doing all right with your classes and working at the same time? I imagine its pretty hard?”
“It’s nothing really.”

What ever happened to romance anyway? Why do guys only buy girls flowers after they’ve cheated on them? Why don’t they write poetry or do all those sweet things that now only happen in movies?

“I know you’ve been busy, but did you get a chance to read the poem I wrote? I think it’s ok, but I could use an outside opinion.”
“Sorry Andrew, I didn’t get a chance.”

Even when I think they care they always end up hurting me. It’s like they enjoy it. When I was with Jonathan I don’t know what I did, but for some reason he just seemed to get off on hitting me and making me cry. No matter how nice I was to him, or however many times I apologized he just wouldn’t stop. Then after all I had done for him he got bored with me and left. Its like guys don’t have a single considerate bone in their body. I can’t remember the last time a guy has done anything remotely nice for me.

“Oh Britney, I almost forgot, I took a look at your paper and fixed a couple things and made a few recommendations. I thought you could use a little help if that’s ok.”
“Yeah, sure, thanks.”

They never make any time for me either. I have all the time in the world available for them, but they’d always rather spend time drinking with their buddies or doing something else. Why can’t guys ever make time for me?

“If you want, I have some time after dinner to go over the paper more. I don’t mind, plus I really don’t have much else to do tonight.”
“That’s ok. I think I’ll be all right with it.”

God, I wish Andrew would leave me alone. Yeah, he’s nice, and kinda funny, but he just seems to care too much. It’s just weird. Doesn’t he realize that he’s crowding me? I need my space. It’s like he doesn’t even know he’s bothering me.

“I hope I’m not annoying you. If I am, I’ll stop.”
“No Andrew, you’re fine.”

Why’d I sit next to him in the first place? Sure he looked cute that first day, and he’s pretty helpful in class, but he’s just so strange. Maybe he thinks I like him or something. I don’t know why he would think that.

“You know, if I am bugging you I can move next class. I don’t mind, and you can sit with some of your other friends.”
“No, no, it’s all right. I like sitting by you.”

I don’t even want to think about this anymore. Guys are all dogs. There isn’t one good one, and I shouldn’t even give them the satisfaction of being thought about.

-My God, my hair is all frizzy! This weather is brutal. I can’t believe I actually left my room looking like this. I’m hideous. I’m completely repulsive.

“If it’s not weird for me to say Britney, you look very nice today.”
“That’s nice Andrew.”

Drinking The Darkness

2008-02-06T10:49:00.001-05:00

Drinking The Darkness
By Andrew Moravick

He drank in the darkness. The spirits he imbibed filled him well. Those same spirits soon after began to consume him. He welcomed their effect. They moved him to join with others drinking in that same darkness. Their location was different, but the darkness was the same. With others around there were more spirits to be welcomed, and more darkness to be enjoyed. The more control the spirits held over him, the more liberated he felt.

His mind was asleep, tranquilized by the foreign solution he had allowed inside him. His soul was uninhibited. Every desire it had was forced out in his actions. The same was felt by the others in that same darkness. The door would occasionally open as others joined. Though a glow from the outside hall seeped in, no one could feel the light.

He moved only under the influence of the spirits. They drew him toward an alluring silhouette, noticeable in the dark only because of its greater darkness. Such a seductive shape could only belong to a female, and such an alluring female should only belong to him. He stumbled his way to her, feeling the first few ill effects of the darkness. He offered her some of the spirit he had, which she delightfully accepted, taking a little more than he intended to give. Their desires mingled, unrestricted by their minds. His hand was lifted to bring her into him so that his lips could have access to her ear. A few of his spirits left his body in his words and inserted themselves into her. She took his hand and in their darkness they walked through the dimly lit hall to her room.

“Wha- what was-shur name again?” he asked as she closed the door behind them.

“Britney, yuh, you’re Bry, Brian right?”

“Yeah. You- you still wanna do this?”

“Yuh- yeah,” she said as she freed herself from her shirt. Brian removed his shirt as well. She moved closer, locking her arms round his back. Brian kissed her. She unbuttoned his pants. He slid off her skirt. Their actions were fueled by the spirits within them. They stood naked, clothed in the darkness. They awkwardly embraced each other, stumbling through the unlit room, finally falling onto her bed. The world around them had disappeared. The dark walls which afforded them their privacy were invisible. The room was boundless. Brian could not even see the woman that lay beneath him. Her breaths and moans were drowned out by his. If not for the pleasure he felt resulting from his movements he would not have known she was there.

Exhaustion began to infect his body. The many dark nights he had enjoyed before were collecting their payment for his pleasure. The spirits which had afforded him such frivolities claimed Brian’s fitness as their compensation. His energy left him. The spirits’ hold became weaker, having less to feed upon within him. A stream of light slithered into the room through the window as a car passed by the building on the street below. Brian was finished. He rolled out of bed, feeling for his clothes on the floor.

“Whuh- where are you guh-going?” Britney asked.

“I have to go. I have class in the morning,” Brian replied.

He left her room. His eyes squeezed to a squint adjusting to the light in the hall. He made his way back to the dark room he had been in before. He thirsted for the return of the spirits within him. The others in the room gladly welcomed him back to their darkness, sharing their own spirits with him.

Brian was free once more. In the dark he couldn’t look down and see his growing belly. The athletic abs he had been so proud of in the past had left him. In the dark, their absence was not missed. He couldn’t see his widening legs which had grown not out of training, but because of the greater weight they had to bear. The legs that had bought his way into college stealing bases had become slow, but their former speed was not longed for in the dark. All of his worries, all of his imperfections, all the misery of life could not be seen in his darkness.

The people around him stood silent, but the spirits within them filled the room with their voices. Incoherent stories inspired strange fits of laughter. The sounds were familiar to Brian. He did not know whether those noises were from friends or people he had never met before. He didn’t care. They were the sounds of darkness, the voices of spirits which he knew on a most intimate level. They were not firm and commanding like the people he encountered during the day. These pleasant voices demanded nothing of him. They expected nothing of him.
The door opened. The same seductive silhouette Brian had seen before strode into the room. He didn’t care if she saw him. He had his fun. The door closed, but her dark outline stayed in his view. She staggered her way over to another silhouette; this one more robust, but equally dark. Brian watched as Brittney sipped some of the stranger’s spirits. Her hand fell flirtatiously on the stranger’s arm. Brian’s hand tightened into a fist. The spirits within him ignited rage in his veins. His diminished muscles inflated with adrenaline, surpassing even their previous potential. Brian stood up. The spirits which had hindered his coordination abandoned their inebriating effect to fuel Brian’s fury. Brian made his way toward the stranger. Each step fell as if the very floor was the offender he was walking toward. Brian’s hand wrenched down on the stranger’s shoulder.

“Woah! Oh hey Brian. You scared me, Man,” the stranger responded.

“Brian, I th- th- thought yuh- you-ad class in the morning. Whuh- why’d you”- Britney interrupted until Brian broke in.

“I do, but whuh what’re you doing talking to this guy?” Brian’s hand was tightening on the strangers shoulder.

“Dude, it’s me. It’s Jayson… From the team.”

“I unno you, and if I did, d’ya think I’d let you talk to her like that!” Brian’s other hand, clenched still in a fist, rose, rocketing into the stranger’s face.

“Why’d you do that Brian? Luh- leave him alone! I was only”-

“Shut up, whore! Ya plan on takin’ him back ta your room too?” Brian’s words fell as hard on Britney as his blows did on the dark figure lying on the floor.
Hands came out of the darkness around him, pulling Brian away. He struggled to return to his belligerent work, unsatisfied with the damage he had already done. In the dark, Brian could not see the bloody end result of the abuse he inflicted. The hands dragged him away as he watched others tend to the stranger. His eyes slammed closed, assailed by the light as he was thrown into the hall. Brian staggered his way out of the building. His eyes relaxed as he escaped the light. The night air was crisp, but unpalatable to Brian. He only took joy in his return to darkness.

The spirits were once again leaving him, burnt up in the fires of his anger. They urged him to hurry back to his room where he had more to take in. His frantic movement caused him to fall, scraping his skin across the paved path to his dorm. He didn’t feel the full extent of the pain. The spirits took care of that. The only real discomfort he felt was from the light that met him as he entered his building. He stumbled his way to his room. Inside he closed the door, sealing out the abhorred light. He felt his way to his fridge, finding a few remaining spirits waiting for him.
Exhausted by all the action, and the toll the spirits had taken on him, Brian collapsed onto his bed. Sleep replaced the dominant role over his consciousness held by the spirits. The gashes made on his journey bled into the sheets, staining them as he slept. Darkness was hanging over him.

The next morning light invaded the room The intruding rays burned Brian’s eyes beneath their lids. His head was spinning from the unwelcome awakening. He inspected the blinds. They were down as best they could be. He rolled himself off the sheets he had passed out on the night before, not noticing the blood stains he had left. Once off, he folded back his comforter. Then he slid himself back onto his bed. He pulled the sheets over his head blocking out any more of the invasive light. He took comfort in the darkness. Though he had been acquainted with light many times, darkness was a much dearer friend. His eyes closed, returning him to his ignorantly blissful sleep.

Hours later, an alarm clock attacked his slumber as the light had done before. He had set it to wake him in time for class. One lone outstretched hand snaked its way out from underneath the covers to shut off the bothersome sound. He had no need for class. At the moment, he was content to stay in darkness, but for the rest of his life, the darkness would never again allow him to be so content. He had no recollection of the night before. Such was the reward of his darkness. Had he known what he had done the night before, he might have been able to fix things before they got out of his control. Such was the curse of his darkness. Brian closed his eyes and returned to the tranquil darkness of sleep. He didn’t notice the ominous light flashing angrily from the answering machine on his desk.

The Activists

2008-01-30T11:32:00.001-05:00

The Activists
By Andrew Moravick

They marched proudly united on their way to class, each step in their Birkenstock sandals fell in defiance of their adversary. Their old, tattered antique rock band shirts blazoned across their chests, as ancient warriors wore depictions of heroes and gods upon their breastplates. They were rebels, outlaws, visionaries; voices of their time and generation; walking testaments to the advancement of modern knowledge through the internet. They had broadened their horizons with new, mind expanding substances, and armed themselves with ammunition from the media, and related websites. They were the future. They were also late.
Henry, Thomas, Aaron, and Jeff had allowed their morning, pre-class “wake and bake” ritual to run a bit longer than usual. It was alright though, it had to be done. They were dedicated students. They would be doing themselves a disservice by not attending class high. The whole lesson could not be fully appreciated and understood without their minds being as open as they were on weed. It was also their personal battle against the unfair social constraints that tried to tell them that marijuana was wrong. Every puff, every inhalation of that liberating smoke was a small victory over a government insistent on keeping them down.
“Hey, hey, Henry, check out Professor Parson’s mustache,” whispered Aaron, “Its wriggling around like a centipede.”
Henry choked out a stifled giggle before quieting himself. Henry was the common link between the other three. He had met Jeff on the school’s soccer team freshman year, getting high after practice together in Henry’s dorm. Henry had met Thomas in the library the week before mid-terms, stressing over his studies. Henry helped him unwind with a few hits from his bowl in the bathroom, and they had become the best of friends ever since. Aaron was the last one to be welcomed into Henry’s “Covenant of Cannabis” as he called it. Aaron had been dating a girl who got her weed from Henry. Eventually she introduced Aaron to Henry, and Henry introduced marijuana to Aaron. Aaron eventually dumped the girl, but never left Henry or his hemp. Together they had invested in an eco-friendly house off campus where they could live, study, and smoke all they wanted. Eco-friendly of course, because the government not only wanted to deplete college students of their minds and their happiness, but it also wanted to drain mother earth dry to feed its corrupt hunger.
“Dude, Parson’s voice sounds so funny right now, it’s reverberating like crazy,” Jeff said, inquiring to see if his friends were hearing the same thing.
‘It just makes so much sense,” Henry stated. “His words just flow into my head like running water. I don’t even think I have to be awake right now to learn what he’s saying.”
“Woah, the notes I’m taking don’t even look like real words. It’s like hieroglyphics, or cuneiform, but I still know exactly what I’m writing.” Thomas’s statement was a little loud, and some of the other students chuckled. Even after 3 years of smoking, Thomas still could not fully contain himself while high.
“Shush, control yourself Tom, people will hear you,” Henry commanded.
“Wow, guys look at Brittany, she looks so hot right now, plus she’s like, I dunno, glowing. She’s beautiful don’t you think?”
“Aaron, don’t even bother, she buys weed from me to get high with her huge jock boyfriend. She only talks to us because we supply her,” Henry whispered.
“Quiet down,” boomed Thomas, blushing after realizing how loud he had been, “I’m not getting what Parsons is saying.”

“Calm down Tom, who ever understands what Parsons says, that’s why he’s the head of the philosophy department. The other professors just get confused and assume that everything he says is profound. Just imagine how lost we’d be if we weren’t high?”
“Good point Henry,” Jeff added.
“Wait, why did we waste the weed for this class? Do we really need to know philosophy? We’ve got ecology next, and by then we’ll already be coming down.”
“Aaron, relax, I’ve got some papers and a small stash on me. We can smoke up in the third floor bathroom. No one ever goes in there. Just chill man,” Henry whispered.
The four stopped talking, realizing that silence had taken over the room. Dr Parsons had asked a question and as usual the class would fall silent and unresponsive.
“Anyone, can anyone answer my question? No one? Did any of you even read the last chapter in the book?”
“Dr. Parsons,” Henry interjected, “If you had posted the reading online we would have been glad to read the chapter, but as you know, my friends and I are against the wasteful practices of paper making. Since this is Philosophy and Ethics, I’m sure you can understand how we believe it is unethical to cut down forests when the same material can be read electronically instead of being frivolously printed on hundreds of pieces of paper.”
Acknowledging Henry’s suggestion Dr Parsons replied, “If that’s how you truly feel I will try to post your readings online from now on. However this does bring up an interesting point.” Turning his attention to the class as a whole Dr. Parsons continued, “The ethics of one person may differ from those of another. This means that even the universal theories we discussed earlier may be interpreted differently. Therefore one can’t help but question, is any ethical theory actually universal? If we look into Aristotle’s theory, ‘doing those things that make us better as people’, we see that…”-
“Nice one Henry,” Thomas whispered, “I couldn’t have come up with a better excuse if I had a week to think about it.”
“Thanks, I try. He really should post this stuff online though. I mean really, I hate how colleges encourage students to buy books full of pages they’re not even going to read. The system really is messed up, but when we get out of here we’ll fix things. Our generation is gonna bring real change.”
The class wore on while the four friends talked amongst themselves. Occasionally one of them would make an unusual observation resulting in a few short stifled giggles. By the time class had come to an end, Henry, Aaron, Jeff, and Thomas had started to come down from their high. As planned they strode up to the third floor bathroom. Their eyes were focused, unreceptive of the looks of disapproval of those who knew exactly what their mission was. The four knew it wasn’t the fault of those people for not understanding the importance of their activities. It was the government, the culture that told those poor souls that marijuana was bad. The horrible misconceptions that were spread about it being a gateway drug, leading to laziness, causing addiction, and doing harm to the users brain, all wrong of course. It was people with poor character to begin with that misused marijuana that gave the drug a bad name.
Henry took the first hit off of the freshly rolled joint. He slowly inhaled, smiled, then passed it around, each one of them taking their turn with a religious level of reverence. When every last puff had been had, Henry flushed the remnants down the toilet and the four floated back down to their next class together.
When class finally ended, Henry led the way back to his pale blue mini van which sat decorated in rust in the student parking lot. Henry drove the short distance back to their house as Jeff rolled another joint to smoke on the way. The van coughed every time Henry pressed down on the accelerator and smoke would pour out of the exhaust pipe. Henry could afford a better car with the money he made selling weed, but he didn’t want to be too obvious. The government hated it when young kids earn themselves nice things. Plus most of his profits had to go into paying off the house, the electric, and the water bills to maintain the lamps and water for the plants he grew in the basement. Henry had hoped to be able to make enough money to start paying off his loans as well, but his parents had been taking care of it so far, and there was no immediate need to worry about that.
As Henry turned down their street Jeff coughed out an alarmed shout, “Holy shit man, someone’s breaking into our house!”
Henry stomped on the gas and the van lurched forward, sputtering in opposition to its driver’s command. Henry pressed harder but the old gas lines could not pump gas fast enough and the engine choked out. They coasted along with some speed as they watched in horror as two men, about their same age, tossed plants into the trunk of their car. The van slowed to a stop and Henry leapt from his seat sprinting down the remainder of the street, closely followed by the other three. The two thieves threw the last plant into their car, and began to back out of the driveway, Henry was closing in, but breathing was becoming difficult. His lungs burned and his head began to spin. Jeff, Aaron, and Tom had already fallen behind him, panting in agony, hoping that Henry would make it even though they couldn’t keep running.
“Call the cops!” Thomas screamed as Henry careened his way in front of their drive way, blocking the path of the thieves’ car. The car did not stop, it just swerved around Henry as he was bent over in exhaustion with one lone outstretched arm uselessly pleading for the perpetrators to stop.
“Thanks for the weed assholes,” yelled one of the two men as they drove off.
“Call the cops man, I saw their license plates, call the cops,” Thomas pleaded.
“Call the cops? Call the cops? And tell them what, our marijuana plants were stolen?” wheezed Henry.
“Well, what can we do?” Jeff asked.
Aaron, paying no more attention to the others interrupted, “I think we should call the fire department guys.”
“Aaron, if the cops aren’t going to do anything what can the fire department do?” Henry retorted.
“Well they can stop the smoke that’s coming from a fire in the basement.”
“What?” Henry and the others turned back to the house to see smoke bellowing out of the basement windows.
“Those fuckers, those mother fucking rat bastards. Those degenerate low life potheads!” screamed Henry. “They must’ve knocked over one of the UV lamps, those fucking pieces of shit! Couldn’t they just grow their own fucking weed? What kind of lazy assholes steal another person’s plants?”
“Henry, calm down, we have to try to put the fire out,” Jeff interrupted.
“Its too late, look, its already burning the upper floor, if we put it out now they’ll be able to tell that it was the lamps that started it, and then they’ll search the rest of the house, and they’ll charge us with possession. We have to let it burn,” Henry sobbed, tears flowing from his eyes.
“But we don’t have any insurance,” Thomas added, “All the money we put into this house will go down the drain.”
“You wanna go to jail? Forget money, I’m not going to prison, not for something that shouldn’t even be illegal,” Henry said.
“All our stuff is in there, they only stole our plants, everything else that we own is still in there,” Aaron pleaded.
“What, you’re going to run in there and risk being burned alive for a lousy laptop, or pictures of your girlfriend, none of us had anything of real value in there besides those plants. Why do you think that’s all they took?”
“Henry, please, we can still save the house. Where are we going to live if we let it burn anyway? We have to do something,” Thomas pleaded.
“Oh, fuck you Henry,” Jeff muttered, as he Aaron and Tom ran to the house, grabbing a garden hose that had been sitting in front of the house ever since they bought it, and turned on the water. Little pin holes of water shot from breaks in the old, unused hose, and the stream coming out of the end was weak. Jeff kicked in the basement window, spraying what water he could into the basement as smoke spewed out.
Henry just stood there speechless, watching as everything he had made for himself was being devoured by flames. He watched as his friends fought in vain to stop the rise of the fire. Henry couldn’t take it anymore, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone, grimly dialing 911.
The fire trucks came in no time at all, and they quickly extinguished the fire. Soon after the police arrived and began questioning the four friends.
“Boys, do any of you know how the fire was started?” asked on of the officers.
“Well, uhm, you see sir, I must have left the oven on, and uhm…”-
“Tom, there’s no point in lying now,” Henry interrupted, “Sir, we had been growing marijuana in our basement, and some kids broke into our house and stole all our plants, and knocked over one of the UV lamps which started the fire. I was the one growing it, the other guys had no part in it, you can arrest me for possession.”
“Son, as far as we’re concerned, there was no marijuana present, you seemed to be an avid botanist, and anything further we don’t want to know about. However those fellows who supposedly robbed you, they were caught just up the road from here. Your neighbor across the street just so happens to be the mayor of our nice little town, he was home having lunch with his wife when he saw the two suspects break in. We arrested them just up the street from here and confiscated all the contraband plants they had in their car. As far as we’re concerned they broke into your house on their way back from scoring some plants, and finding nothing of value they left, knocking over one of your lamps and starting the fire.”
“Sir, why are you being so nice, I admitted I had had marijuana and was growing it in my basement?”
“Son, I wasn’t always an old man in a blue uniform. When I was your age it was the 60’s, you think what you had was bad, in my day people had fields of the stuff. I know it seems like the laws are against you, but really we don’t care about a little weed here or there. What do you think we do with the stuff we confiscate? The government really isn’t as against marijuana as you think, I mean look at our past couple of Presidents. We’re all just doing the best we can, and what we really want is just to make sure your generation doesn’t make the same mistakes as ours did. We’re not completely insensitive you know. Your house was broken into and almost burned to the ground, that’s a pretty scary thing to have to deal with, the last thing you need right now is some big scary police officer yelling down your throat.”
“So you’re not going to charge us with possession?” Henry asked in astonishment.
“Possession of what, cheap old clothing, and some psychedelic posters, cause that’s pretty much all you had in there? Son, I said, don’t worry about it. If we wanted to take you down for it we would have a while ago. Everyone knew what you were doing, but for the most part you guys were harmless about it, your neighbors never complained so there was no real problem.”
“Dude, I am freaking out, the cop is acting nice right now, I think I’m going crazy,” Tom whispered to Henry.
“Its ok, he is being nice, we got lucky I guess,” Henry replied.
“Alright boys, I believe we have enough for our report, you take care now, and if you need any help fixing the place up just give me a call down at the station. Me and the guys do odd jobs on the side just to make a few extra bucks, but we’d be glad to help you guys get your place back together.”
With the fire out, and the reports finished, the fire department, and police left, declaring the house still habitable. The four walked inside and sat down in their living room, which had a few scorch marks, but otherwise was left undamaged.
“I can’t believe all that just happened, I really need to get high right now,” Jeff said sinking into an ash covered chair.
“I don’t think you do Jeff, I don’t think any of us do, I mean what’s the point?”
“Henry, it feels good, it relaxes us, if we need anything right now, we need to relax,” Jeff replied.
Henry sat in confusion. All he had believed to be true was crumbling beneath him. The great evil he perceived to be the government wasn’t all that evil after all. All his efforts against his adversary were meaningless. He had achieved no greater good; he had just been shadow boxing an imaginary foe for the last few years of his life.
Jeff rolled another joint, and they sat, smoking, taking in their chemical escape, while their bodies sat confined to their chairs as the cycle was repeated until the last hit had been taken. They sat, waiting for all the stress to go away, but still there it sat with them. All they could feel was nothing, all that they were was nothing.

An Interview

2008-01-25T11:35:00.000-05:00

An Interview
by Andrew Moravick

John: Where am I?

Man in White: Well my friend, you are here of course.

Man in Black: It’s a small office building in Wisconsin.

John: Oh

Man in White: I apologize; my counterpart here enjoys trying to take the fun out of everything I say.

John: So why am I here?

Man in White: Everyone always seems to ask that question. Well of course you’re here because-

Man in Black: It’s an interview… of sorts, does that suffice?

John: An interview? I have a job already, I didn’t ask for an interview. How’d I get here anyway?

Man in White: Does it really matter how you got here? You are here, and here isn’t all that bad, so why worry?

Man in Black: I had some of my associates sequester you in your sleep and spirit you away safely situated in my personal jet; hence the pajamas.

John: Oh… Wait, why would you kidnap me for an interview?

Man in White: It’s not kidnapping as much as forcefully honoring ourselves with your presence.
You see we need your unique opinion because you have a special gift.

Man in Black: Yes, some special gift, sorry son, but it seems that you have been blessed to be sublimely simple. You sir are the most average person existing on the surface of the earth at this very second.

John: Hey! I’m not average! I have a wife, two kids, a decent paying job and a nice little house in the suburbs. That’s not average is it?

Man in Black: My sad simpleton seems you have answered your own question.

Man in White: Forget about that my friend, because of your gift; you represent the average tastes of every person alive today. So what we would like to see is which company you would rather work for.

John: Couldn’t you just take a poll or something to do that?

Man in White: One of my branches has been attempting that for a while, going door to door and such, but no one likes to let them in to talk, and often times they end up dealing with some of my other affiliates by mistake.

John: Ah. So you want to see whose company I’d rather work for, but you’re not actually offering me a job?

Man in White: That’s correct.

John: So why didn’t you just call me, I could’ve done a phone interview?

Man in White: That wouldn’t have worked my friend, because of my opposition’s over zealous advertising tactics; you would have just dismissed us as telemarketers.

Man in Black: Yes, of course, those tasteless telemarketers are mine, but those sorry souls aren’t half as bad as those self-righteous televange-

Man in White: Anyway, allow us to present our cases. My company, a moral, just, and upstanding institution offers a rewarding environment where you know that all that you do is for the good of others. Plus my company offers the best retirement plan one can imagine.

Man in Black: Rewards, that’s rich. Son it seems as if its success and satisfaction which you seek. My establishment supplies its employees with unsanctioned opportunities. Anything you desire shall be yours. It is my belief that all the sensations of a person should be stimulated to inspire the highest level of efficiency. My institution is based on results, and at this very second over sixty six point six percent of all other companies are affiliated with me in some sort.

John: That’s it? You brought me all the way out here for that! You want me to choose between a company whose spokesperson is incredibly vague and idealistic, and a guy who hisses as he pitches a company that sounds like hell. I can’t believe either of you! I want to go home!

Man in White: As you wish.

Man in Black: That’s it, I used my special jet to speed him out here, and in an instant you just send him straight home.

Man in White: Well if you weren’t hissing with all your unnecessary words with S sounds he probably wouldn’t be so scared off.

Man in Black: I’ve sincerely strived to cease speaking in such a serpentine manner, but it’s just so hard when that’s been my thing for thousands and thousands of years. Oh but splendid stuff on your presentation. No one ever seems to understand a single word you say.

Man in White: Well I can’t make them understand, it’s all up to them.

Man in Black: Yes well suddenly I’m sick of this business, I’m going back to hell; seems the place has seen a massive increase of occupants as of late, and their misery demands my company.

The Look (Short Story)

2008-01-22T11:06:00.000-05:00

The Look
By Andrew Moravick

She looked at me. I can’t believe she looked at me! She couldn’t have possibly been looking at me. Is there some other jock sitting behind me or something? Should I look back at her? No she’d probably be offended or think I was some kind of pervert or something. Wait is something wrong with me? Do I have like a huge zit or a cowlick or something? Are my glasses off center on my face? The look wasn’t of disgust though. I mean her eyes were gentle and kind. There was no hint of, “your tag is hanging out,” or “you have a booger hanging out of your nose.” It was almost as if she might like me. Why would she like me though? I just answered the last couple of questions correctly, that’s nothing impressive. Anyway she’s the kind of girl that gives those kinds of looks to the frat boys, and athletes, not guys like me. She probably doesn’t even know my name. Most people here don’t. In all the classes before this she’s never looked at me. What would make her look at me? Is she drunk? She did walk a little bit funny this morning, and her hair is kind of messy. Maybe she’s just drunk. That’s probably it, she does party a lot. Still why would she look at me when she’s drunk? You’re supposed to lose your inhibitions when you’re drunk, maybe she had a secret desire for me. Is it possible? No it couldn’t be could it. I’m still just a book worm. Plus, what would we talk about? I mean she never says anything in class, and seems more interested in her hair than any of our discussions. Then again her hair is beautiful. The blonde glow of it when the fluorescent light strikes it in just the night way is quite breathtaking. Perhaps she has a deep appreciation for aesthetic values. But if that’s true, and she does love beautiful things, why would she look at me? I’m 18 years old and I weigh 120 pounds. My skin is whiter than the ceiling tiles, and my hair more resembles a nesting place for birds than anything one should expect atop any remotely attractive person’s head. What’s so beautiful about me that would deserve her appreciation? Maybe it is just my intelligence. I mean brains can be sexy right? I do have the highest grade in the class, and sometimes I even correct the professor on certain things. Maybe that’s what she likes about me. I could after all recite several Shakespearian Sonnets to her from pure memorization, or speak to her in three different romance languages with perfect accents. Isn’t that sexy? I see it in the movies all the time where a guy just makes one clever turn of phrase and the woman is all his. I am way more clever than those movie characters anyway. If I can fire off a 10 page paper in two hours or less I think I can make one clever or provocative line. Maybe she knows that too, maybe that’s what she really wants? What kind of look was it though? It was definitely a nice look. I know that, but was it more of a “you look nice today I’m impressed,” sort of look, or maybe a “your last comment was very deep and inspiring” sort of look, but I know for sure it wasn’t a “damn you’re sexy I want to make love to you right now” sort of look. I don’t think I’ll ever get the “lovemaking” look, but anything is possible right? I mean some of the cretins here got in to college which I previously thought were impossible, and then likewise could it be so impossible that I could be sexy? I mean at least I’m not fat. Obesity is a huge problem, and I don’t think any attractive girl wants to settle for a fat guy. I do have abs, girls like abs. All the magazines girls read have somewhere in them some guy showing off his abs so in theory since I have abs I do have some physical sex appeal. Sure they aren’t all rock hard and so heavily defined but they’re there. When would she have seen my abs though? I mean for all she knows I have a pudge role tucked under all the sweatshirts and loose clothes I wear. Maybe that look was just her admiring my shirt. I am wearing a nice shirt today. My mom has good taste in clothing. Maybe I should wear more of the clothes she bought me for my birthday. I think the look she gave me was nicer than that though. There was a sort of fire in her eyes. Like there was some sort of connection she felt between us. Maybe some how we share the same wavelength of thought, and that’s why she might be attracted to me. Maybe tomorrow I should sit next to her so we can talk. I could even help her out in class. She hasn’t been doing very well. The professor at times seemed very frustrated with her for chatting with her friends in class. Wait maybe that’s not a good idea, she may like me but her friends don’t know me. They probably just think I’m a perve putting such an obvious move on her. Maybe that’s why she looked at me, she’s afraid of me. She thinks I’m one of those creepy friendless weirdoes who go crazy. Maybe the look was just supposed to be a nice gesture because she thought I might go crazy one day and that because of that nice look I wouldn’t hurt her. What a horrible thought. She should know I’m just a nice guy. I’m as friendly and caring as the best man she could meet. Probably more so. I have a great respect for women and all people for that matter. I would never do such an atrocious act. No she wouldn’t think that. Even though I sit alone at the cafeteria and don’t leave my room much I usually always have a smile on my face. I have no reason to be sad or angry I have a perfect 4.0 and in less than four years I’ll be enrolling at a top notch graduate school. Maybe that’s why she was looking at me. She knows how smart I am and knows I will be successful. A lot of girls do come to college looking for husbands, and I think I would be a good investment for any woman as a spouse. Would she really go that far in thinking about me though? I’ve never talked to her, how would she know I’m good husband material? Still the look she gave me did seem very kind. Maybe I should look up her number in the school directory and give her a call. Then I can really find out how she feels. No, I shouldn’t do that. If I do that it may seem like I’m stalking her, then if she did feel anything for me she’d be too frightened to talk to me. That would just ruin everything. Should I talk to her after class? That’s probably a good idea, a person to person meeting is much less bizarre, and since we're both taking the same class it’s not too out of the ordinary for two students to talk to one another. What would I say to her though? I mean I can’t really talk about what was discussed in class cause it really doesn’t seem like she’s paying attention. Plus if I talk about school she’ll probably find me uninteresting. Wait it is my mind she’d be attracted to. I mean what else could it be? So maybe a little intelligent conversation couldn’t hurt, but wait, if it’s the wrong topic she might not be interested anyway. That shouldn’t be a problem though, if I can figure out a quadruple variable calculus equation I can certainly figure out what I can talk to her about. Her appreciation for beauty could be a good topic. I do know a thing or two about fine art, and photography, that will probably interest her. Oh no, I can’t talk about art, that will seem overpoweringly gay, I don’t want to seem gay to her because then she’ll just think of me as her nice gay friend, even though I’m not gay. Then if she thinks I’m gay she’d probably tell other people and then I’ll get the reputation of being the quiet nerdy gay kid. I don’t want to be known as the gay kid when I’m not gay. Maybe I could offer her help in the class. That would be a good start, and then I’d have a reason to see her a lot too. Then maybe one thing will lead to another and I might even get to kiss her. I bet she’s a good kisser. She’d probably knock my socks off if we ever kissed. Wait, no that’s a bad idea too. If I offered her help she’d probably think I looked down on her, then she’d be intimidated or offended by me. I can’t risk that. What can I say to her? Does it even matter what I say? What would we do together; I’m sure she probably doesn’t enjoy studying, reading books and discussing them, or even watching the news. She is the kind of girl that wants excitement and real adventure. She doesn’t waste time on frivolous homework and worrying about every little score she gets. Perhaps that’s her strong point. She’s a philosopher. She probably understands the simplicity of life, and that existence in its entire splendor is only about enjoying the pleasurable things in life. Maybe I could learn a lot from her. She might be able to teach me how party, and make friends and live life to the fullest. The fire in her eyes did seem to be burning from deep within her being, maybe she could see how out of focus I am putting academics before myself. No, that couldn’t be it either; she would have said something before in class if she had such deep thoughts. Anyway I can’t risk living it up right now anyway. If I get good grades now and do well in graduate school I’ll get a high paying job, and then I’ll be able to live it up. Now I just have to focus. I’m sure she could respect my focus though. Maybe that’s what she is attracted to in me, my dedication to my studies. She probably knows how often I study and do work. I mean she never sees me at parties and whenever I’m eating in the cafeteria I’m still using my time for work. Maybe she thinks that if I’m that dedicated to my work than I will be equally dedicated to her. That is a very likely idea, girls I’ve talked to on the internet have always told me they love dedicated and honest guys. No, then again that can’t be it either, if girls were really into nice, honest, trustworthy, funny, and intelligent guys I would have at least had one date in my life by now. No, girls like those, tough macho guy types, who can drink an entire keg while bench pressing it at the same time. Why would she want to look at me then? I just can’t figure it out. I have a 4.o, I’m in all honors courses, and I can’t figure out why a girl would look at me.

What’s wrong with me? Am I getting stupider? Maybe that drink I had the first night here is doing this to me. Alcohol does kill brain cells, and I did drink a whole can of beer. Why did I give in to the peer pressure that night? Did I really think drinking would help me to make friends? It was a stupid idea. Plus all the guys there just laughed at me because it took me an hour or so to drink the whole thing. I don’t know how they drink all the beer that they do, the stuff tastes like nothing anyone in their right mind would enjoy drinking. Perhaps that will happen to me, the alcohol from the drink has killed some crucial cells in my brain, and now my brain is decaying. I do have Alzheimer’s disease in my family; maybe the alcohol set it off. I don’t want to lose my memory. I’ve learned too much to let it all go to waste. Wait that’s absurd, one beer won’t trash my brain. I’ve read studies where alcohol in moderation is actually good for you. What was I thinking?

Oh no, maybe that’s why she was looking at me. Word may have traveled of my failed attempt to drink and she was looking at me thinking, “that’s the guy who couldn’t handle one beer.” Her eyes did seem somewhat light, almost as if they were laughing at me. That’s probably why she glanced at me. Still I do have a better GPA than her. She can laugh and stare all she wants, I’ll be the success while she’s stuck in some do nothing job.

Wait no, that can’t be it, and what a mean thing for me to think. There are guys who don’t drink at all who still get girls. Sure, they do sports or something like that, but drinking really isn’t everything. Besides she would have probably made the connection a long time ago. The semester is almost over, and word travels fast here. She’s probably never even heard about that night. Maybe she’s impressed that I don’t drink. I have made it known that I’ve tried it, and it isn’t anything I really enjoy, or feel the need to do. Maybe she shares that idea and is looking for someone else she can be with who doesn’t drink. I know of some people here who hang out with people who drink, but still don’t drink themselves. Maybe she’s one of them. If she is that’s a very respectable thing. I mean to resist peer pressure every night and hold fast to your convictions is very hard to do. I can’t even study every night, sometimes I have to turn on the TV and watch a comedy or some mind numbing program. She must have the spirit of a saint. Oh no, that can’t be right either, I remember she was very much drunk one night and came to visit one of the guys on my floor. You don’t get that trashed if you’ve got that strong of convictions.

What am I doing? I’m losing class participation points by zoning out. Half the class has already gone by and I’ve only contributed a few answers. I can’t keep perfect grades by slacking off in such a frivolous manner. Then again I shouldn’t be selfish. I probably have enough points to not say a word for every class after this and still get an A. If I can’t figure out this simple question of why she would look at me, how can I hope to do anything else?

Female behavior is so strange and hard to understand. I know all about the whole playing hard to get game, and how some girls will pretend not to be interested and somehow one is supposed to find minute clues that a girl will give to let a suitor know she really is interested. Maybe her look at me was a clue. Perhaps it’s just the starting point for the whole hard-to-get game. Such a game seems to be based on tactics, logic, and reverse logic, and I do know all about such things. I should be able to do well at this game, and win her over.

Oh no, what if she’s just teasing me? Girls do that all the time too. They get some sort of pleasure out of playing with a man’s emotions. I do seem to be an easy target, and she was laughing and giggling with her friends shortly after the look. That’s probably it. I thought she was too pretty for me. What was I thinking that a girl like that could like me?

Wait a minute, if she was teasing me, she would have made some sort of gesture, or nod of the head toward me after the look to say to her friends, “what a loser.” She made no such move, and I know when people are talking about me or making fun of me. I’ve put up with it all my life and she wasn’t making fun of me. Girls have teased me like that before, but it’s always been much much more overt, and obvious.

One girl I remember dropped her pen right in front of me and bent down to pick it up rubbing her back side on me as she reached down. That was very awkward for me because I didn’t want to look like a pervert and I didn’t want to stare or enjoy it, but I did, and I blushed a bit, and all her friends just started to point and laugh.

No this was no tease. I would have to be humiliated some how for it to be a successful tease. Maybe she did want help with her homework. Maybe she even thought if she gave me a seductive look I’d be so desperate for a girl that I would easily turn to mush for her and do her homework and help her write papers, and in essence be her personal slave. I’ve had girls try that on me before. Like a fool I went a long with it, thinking that they did like me or something, and I obsessed on and on about them until I realized what they were doing to me. I won’t let a girl have that sort of effect on me again. No that can’t be it either. If she wanted a home work slave she’d have asked me much earlier. Now is no logical time to start asking for such a favor. It’s too late for any of my help to really make a difference in her grade. Plus I really don’t think she cares that much about this class. Maybe she knew me from somewhere. I do have a kind of familiar face. People mistake me for other people they know all the time. Maybe somehow my face triggered something in her mind and she just wanted to get another look at me to figure out if I was the person she knew or not. No, that can’t be it; she would have made an association like that a lot earlier. The brain just doesn’t put things together that slowly. Plus she seems like the type who if she thought she knew you, she’d come right up to your face and ask you.

Was she looking at me though, or was it my laptop? Maybe she just thought I have a cool computer. That is understandable it is top of the line, and designed to withstand all the rigors of usage by college students. No, it isn’t that either. She was definitely looking directly at my eyes.
I can’t help but admire her though. She is so beautiful even though she looks like she just came in here directly from bed. I think I may lose myself in those deep blue eyes of her’s. I hope she doesn’t notice me staring. I don’t think she will though, she’s just staring up at the ceiling now. I wonder what she’s thinking, maybe she’s dreaming of me, looking up at the ceiling just to be coy. Oh no, she looked back over at me, what should I do, I’ll just be coy too, I’ll look out the window, on the other side of me, just as if I was looking around the whole room. It is a beautiful day out anyway.

Fallen

2008-01-17T21:41:00.000-05:00

Fallen
By Andrew Moravick

Foolishly frivolous fraught with futility
Life has become. Death deviously grins
Killing not only us with effortless continuity,
But also our minds in our stupefying sins.

Destructive distractions divert our attention
Away from our inner potential. We are lost
In insignificant enjoyments. Our one intention
Is to please ourselves at our own soul’s cost.

Stubbornly suicidal, society sells its sustenance
To succeed. Abandoned have we our intellect
And as animals we breed. We are in a trance,
Hypnotized so our own purposes we reject.

So far have we fallen from an intellectual stage,
Oblivious to our ignorance, this is our darkest age!

Can An Ethical Economy Exist?

2008-01-15T11:58:00.001-05:00

Economy, directly translated means the study of scarcity. That is in essence what economies do; distribute resources in a manner in which the most people can benefit within the constraints of a scarcity of resources. The two most commonly understood economic systems are communism and capitalism, neither of which is perfect by any means, but both of which attempt to meet the needs of the people in an ethical manner. Communism attempts to give everyone an equal footing, where the government is supposed to distribute the wealth and resources equally. The problem with communism however is that it eliminates competition, which is a deeply rooted aspect of human nature, and so those who have a greater ability to compete are more limited and in a way repressed. On the other end of the spectrum is capitalism which is based on that deep rooted tendency to compete. In capitalism everyone must compete to provide for the needs of others to profit enough to provide for their own needs. The problem here comes when competition becomes unfair, dirty or corrupt; the people who succeed may do so by oppressing others, in a sense cheating. Both repression of human nature, and allowing others to benefit from the misfortune of others are in theory unethical, and so it would seem from the very beginning that the most dominant or well known economies are not morally sound.
So if modern economies are not ethical, what could be a solution? Well I suggest that the developments of economies were ethical in the beginning, when there was a true scarcity, and by scarcity I mean a limited amount of resources available to all people. Long ago, when mankind was still developing agriculture there was no real means to feed people on a large scale, and so means of distribution were needed. Now however the means to feed all people on a large scale, but the problem now lies with distribution. In America for example, the average person eats around 20 times as much per week as a person from the developing world. The people in the developing world still survive at their much lower level of consumption, leading more active lifestyles, while Americans live for the most part much more sedentary lifestyles. Americans in fact do not need to consume as much as we do and in a sense we are hoarding our resources. The top economists say we are a trillion or more dollars in debt; however we have more natural resources than any other country in the world. Our debt is why we justify the theoretical hoarding of our resources, suggesting that we can not afford to distribute our resources more fairly globally because we are in debt ourselves. However this stems from a mistaken assumption that currency is a resource. It makes sense because it takes money to acquire any other resource and for the person receiving the money to provide that resource, they must use money to gain other resources and so on.
If you step back and look at economies today, keeping the idea of meeting the needs of the people in mind, most fail miserably in performing that primary function. In capitalism, the money is not equally distributed and therefore the resources are not equally distributed. In communism, the equal distribution depends on the purity of the government, and with communist governments having such extreme centralized authority corruption, megalomania, or other disruptive human traits easily entangle themselves and so that system fails as well. So what can be done? If resources are not being distributed fairly, and current systems are not working what can be done?
The answer is simple, yet drastic, any child has thought about it when feeling a need. The child may be hungry in a store, and want a candy bar; not knowing it must be paid for. To the child, there are plenty of candy bars, they’re available, he wants one, and he should just be able to have one. Adults of course know that the candy bar company can’t afford to allow that, since they must make money to be able to make the candy bars. The child’s idea though, is actually brilliant if looked at with an open mind. If money were removed, and the resources which all people needed were available to people without penalty there wouldn’t be economic chaos, a rapture, or whatever most faithful financiers would suggest. Those who provide goods and services could continue to do so because all goods would be available, profit would not be necessary to allow a person to provide for themselves. Instead people would work to provide for themselves and everyone else using the technology which allows few people to produce large quantities of supplies. Yes Bankers, insurance agents, accountants, and all jobs associated with the handling of currency would be lost, however in the scheme of things these jobs are for the most part trivial in contributing to the wellbeing of society. They do take care of people’s money, but currency really isn’t a natural need of a human being. Those people however wouldn’t need to make money anyway so it wouldn’t really be that great of a loss. The problem of course with this more ethical system is that it depends on the good will of all people. Goods and services would not be done for personal gain, but based on the simple understanding that it must be done to provide for others. People would still be able to choose their work of course, but they would have to be rewarded by understanding that their actions are helping others and that their good acts are rewarded by others performing good acts. The most successful people would not be the most financially savvy, but the people who can help and contribute to the lives of others the best because others will wish to do the same for them. This ideal economy I fear however could only exist in an ideal world, there could be no jealousy, no envy, and no hatred between other people that would divide, and shift the distribution of resources. Maybe education could be the answer to this, and in a world like that education would be free, therefore available to everyone, and so reason, logic, and understanding could intervene and allow all people to understand the futility of negative behavior. It is just a dream I suppose, but then again, isn’t that how most great revolutions and advancements begin?

A Reflection

2008-01-14T09:53:00.000-05:00

A Reflection
By Andrew Moravick

In water’s wetted restless reflection myself I see,
Yet you, the onshore onlooker be,
I, imperfect, broken by ripples and wind will appear,
While you watch with vision uncorrupt and clear.
Yet if of you we are and be you uncorrupt,
Why than we, images of you, so easy to disrupt?
Why water’s waves which wander from your whispered word,
Tear us and taint us, your image broken and blurred,
While we must wage war ‘gainst waves with which disruption come,
Obstacles obscuring your image, yet from you this obscurity is from?
Be it test or tempest to try our mortal soul,
To galvanize our parts to be unbreakable when made whole?
Why shade you the sun so we you can not see,
And unseeing of you blind to ourselves we be?
Why warm you the water which dries up the depths,
Beaching us, breaking us draining us of our breaths?
Shackled to you, my shore mounted master I’m a slave,
I would rise to rebel from bondage were I too brave.
Had I the power to you subdue what good would it do,
If my life and power is produced from you?
If I remove you from looking on your reflective sea,
Than I remove myself for you I am and you are me.
For as a reflection I prove to you your existence,
Just as your image gives me my life’s persistence.
If you did not exist than neither would I,
But if I did not exist would you also die?

A New Direction

2008-01-14T09:36:00.000-05:00

The first two weeks of 08 have passed, and so far, my mission to use my blog as a place to encourage the consideration of world peace isn't going as well as I'd hoped. Also, the depressing thoughts that come along with considering was to accomplish world peace are incredibly taxing on my young mind. I remember it was about 8 years or so ago, when the world seemed beautiful, wondrous, and the people within it I held to be generally good natured. Everything I believed had a level of purity, innocence, and value. Going from that state of mind to one that must consider the greatest hardships people must endure, visualizing the horrors some people must see everyday in war torn nations, I must admit is painful just to think about. Maybe, perhaps this is another reason why we may not want to think about working toward peace, we try to think of other, more pleasant things besides war, the dark side of human nature, and the bloody violence associated with all that. If I could get more contributions, stories from other people, something so that I don't feel like I must bear the weight myself. I'd much rather explore the good parts of human nature, the wonderful mysteries of existence, and maybe get into a humorous post every now and again. Maybe someday, when I've experienced more, develop a larger audience, and am more eloquent in my writing I can return to this effort and have a greater influence.

I will of course be open to invitations of others to discuss the possibilities of peace at anytime here on my blog, however my focus for now will return to other philosophic or literary topics. Hopefully though, those of you who do read my writings will enjoy my poems and other philosophies as well. Writing I believe is my greatest talent, whether god given, luck, natural ability, or the benefit of a decent education, writing is my gift which I wish to share, and I hope a gift that others may enjoy.

Small Victories

2008-01-12T16:52:00.001-05:00

This weekend I was fortunate enough to be visited by my sister who is now living on her own in another state. I began to discuss with her, as I do with anyone willing to do the same, my ideas about moving toward peace and a general improvement on the quality of life world wide. The discussion became a debate as it usually does, with her stressing views she had developed from three extra years of experience in this world, and me countering with my idealistic, and philosophical understandings. Her most valid and powerful argument was my lack of perspective based on being so well off in life. This did frazzle me a bit, because how could I argue against that, I am fortunate to have a loving stable family who cares for me deeply. To that point I had to submit, because who could argue that, however I was able to produce an interesting counter point. “The biggest problem,” she said, “was that people in cultures or social structures where drugs, crime, poor education, or other oppressive conditions exist, are not able to change their minds, [learning to value all human life] until their needs are met and they are delivered from their oppression.” I could also not deny this statement, there are great injustices occurring in this world which perpetuate violence. However, these injustices are result of human actions, and human action arguably is always governed by the mind, since to create a policy or make a command that action must be described in language, and the mind must at least organize that language. Therefore a change which could stop the injustices could be made by a change of the mind. This is where I was able to make my most valid argument, I, even though I am fortunate, have no means to meet the needs of the people who suffer under injustices, however I do have the potential to change the minds of those who are committing the injustices. I argued that such an idealistic view was beneficial, because I was doing what I could to work for change. I could change some people’s minds, or rally other people together to get the ball rolling, so even though I am not able to share the same point of view of those who are oppressed I can still help to work toward stopping the injustice resulting in their oppression.
This concept of doing what one can I think may be the biggest step in moving toward peace and unity between all people. Everyone has the potential to do good, and trying to realize that potential and use it may seem like a small step, since everyone has a different ability or potential, and so this is an individual based process, but the small victories, whatever they may be, that lead us toward abandoning our hateful and brutal actions toward our fellow people, are momentous accomplishments.
A final parting thought to leave you with, just think of the role you may play in the whole goings on in the universe. You may think that your whole existence really may not account for anything, but if you think about it, one day you may have said something, maybe expressed an idea of yours, and another person heard it and took it to heart, then maybe added their own ideas to that thought, then shared it with someone else. Someday that message may reach the ears of someone who can actually make the change, but because you were a part of that chain, you mattered. So in seeking purpose and meaning in life, maybe just trying to do what you can, and take part in something that will improve existence for even a small number of people, can give you more meaning or more purpose than any of the most influential people who are remembered throughout the ages.

Build a Better Platform

2008-01-10T16:44:00.000-05:00

A good President builds him or herself upon a solid platform. The issues that are fought for are the things that will make life better for us all, and are actually relavant. Today however, the issues pressed upon Presidential candidates are pathetic and a massive insult to the intelligence of our nation. Those degenerative, platform rotting issues of course are abortion and gay marriage. Two so called problems, that every potential voter has heard about, but issues that only truly effect a fraction of the nation.

First of all I will address abortion. The issue is touchy, lives are at at stake and it is a serious ethical dilema. However, the lives involved are not even close to the majority of Americans. Abortion is also touchy, because it can't be universalized, there are times when it could be considered an abomination, and other times when it is necessary and serves a great good. Ethically speacking however there is one thing that I agrue is undeniable about abortion; according to John Steward Mill's theory of Utilitarianism, a president should seek the greatest good for the greatest number, focusing on abortion does not fit this requirement. Yes a President should value life, but also he or she should understand that extreme circumstances may arise where some things must be done. Personally I'd much rather have a President concerned with increasing diplomatic relationships with other countries, than one worried about the annals of unplanned pregnancy. Abortion is an issue, but not one a President should be worried about, let the sceintists, doctors, and women decide about abortion, the president's job is to lead, not endlessly debate ethics.

Secondly, there is the preposterous platform of gay marriage. THis should not even be an issue. What two people in love do is their business. In the chaotic hateful world that we live in today we should encourage any love that two mature, sound minded people may share. The President shouldn't have to come between love, and should not have to pander to right wing conservatives who are attempting to force their beliefs on the nation. As I have said before, the fundimental act that is universally unethical is to force one's will on another who is unreceptive to it. Yes it is fien if a person or a group does not believe that homesexuality is a morally acceptable lifestyle, but there are others who believe it is, and homosexuals do not go around forcing others to be homosexual, they respect the choice of heterosexuals to live as they want. No conservative bible thumping evangalist would argue against "treating thy neighbor as thyself." Therefore gay marriage is not an issue a president should waste their time with, it should be allowed because all people deserve the right to life, liberty and the persuit of happines, and THAT IS SOMETHING THE PRESIDENT SHOULD BE CONCERNED WITH.

If I could be so fortunate to have any of this year's presidential candidates read this, I would emplore them, focus not on those media pushed issues, but on those you believe to be the most beneficial to America, and the world as a whole. If your platform is based on those issues, you can not fail, even if you are not elected you will spread awareness, and get the ball rolling on the issue which you are most passionate about. Look at Al Gore, sure he lost the election, but he ended up with a Nobel Prize for the issue he was most passionate about.

Could You Spare Some Change?

2008-01-10T16:27:00.000-05:00

All too often in my life I have so much free time on my hands, and I can't help but think, "what is so horribly wrong with humanity?" We act so strangely toward one another, trying to love some, hate others, and exploit who ever we can along the way to make our lives that much better. People regularly ask, "what will I get out of this," before doing any task. We are so self oriented as a species it seems almost impossible to believe in peace and goodness among people because even if hate were removed, people would still hurt each other. Some of the most deplorable acts can occur with no malice, or hate, but simply a person's desire to benefit individually over another. Even when people join together, united by a similar cause, the reason they are united isn't because they all desire the same thing for themselves and those whom they've joined, they just want the goal for themselves. If these people could accomplish their goal individually they would, but it is the necessity of others that makes them band together.

So then how can I ever hope for peace if people are just inherrently bad? Well for the most part we are bad, self serving, ignorant characters. Even the best of us are vulnerable to lowering ourselves to this pathetic level. However we humans may be creatures of habit, but we are also creatures of change. Trends come and go, and we follow them, shape our lives to what we may believe to be popular, then once the next fad rolls around, we change all over again. What if appreciation for fellow human beings were made into a fad, a trend, the "cool" thing to do? And what if as a trend it lasted, and became a social norm. Then we wouldn't be so deplorable after all.

SO what would be the best way to get this trend going? How can we change our habits, because after all at times it can feel good to hate, be agressive, make gains at another person's expense? Well if the true value of each human life were known and made clear, that each person has the potential to improve the lives of every other person on this planet, then maybe those people we hate, or look to take advantage start to look better, and more valuable, holding everyone to be as important as we value ourselves to be. Peace is not something that can be won with conservatism, our old ways have lead us to war, and change is what may bring about peace, but we have to want it. We have to take the problem seriously, and make the change happen.

The Misunderstood Enjoyment of Violence

2008-01-04T10:45:00.000-05:00

In our culture it is undeniable that violence is entertaining and enjoyed by the masses. Our movies, sports, and overall entertainment all appeal to some primal enjoyment of violence. One could argue, as many have; that humans are a violent species, and it is simply in our nature. This assumption I also believe to be true- to a point. Violence wouldn’t be enjoyed if it wasn’t programmed into us, its illogical, and makes no appeal to our reason. Therefore violence must be instinct. However the degree to which it is instinct is what I’d like to explore.

TO better understand our own instincts we need only look at nature to discover the root of our primal urges. If we look at animal offspring for example, one might observe that some animal species, lion cubs, wolf pups, and other juvenile animals may appear to be incredibly violent toward one another. This would illustrate where our violent urges may come from, however I believe it goes a little deeper. After all what the pups, cubs or juveniles are doing is not trying to harm one another, but merely playing, they are training and preparing each other for the hardships of life. Humans no doubt probably share that playful instinct, and yet as a society we do not allow children to be so physical. We instead shove video games in front of them, or they desire video games on their own. The most popular videogames of course are the ones with violent actions, thus replacing the playful learning structure that was instinctive. So now our society, not learning the purpose of violence, such as play fighting, sports, or even healthy competition, which is at the root of play and learning, is maladjusted, and easily aggravated. All the aggression that should be vented in play, physical activity, or natural development, is stored up, and only released in harmfully violent outbursts.

This trend I have only observed for Americans, however it does explain a part of human nature. The idea that violence deserves retaliatory violence, when one is struck, one must always strike back. You see it on the streets, when one individual offends another, and an apology would suffice, violence is instead the resort. When America was attacked on September 11th, the blow was so great, and perpetrated by so few, we wanted to retaliate and cause an equal amount of devastation to our attackers. The science of vengeance is not an exact one however, and our violent retaliation only angered more people, not settling the score, but developing more violence. When we dropped those bombs on Afghanistan, and Iraq, there was a social enjoyment, why else would the media cover it so vigorously, and show all the videos they could of the attacks. Our violence fetish, as it were, seems to override our logic. Yes we were attacked, a great injustice was perpetrated, something must be done to correct and punish those responsible, but not by perpetrating another injustice. As I have stated in my previous posts, my fundamental theory describing what is universally immoral, forcing one’s will on another who is unreceptive of it, is the driving force behind all immoral activity. The extremists will was that we were a great evil, and deserved to die, they forced that will on the victims of 911, but then what did we do? The retaliation against Afghanistan may have been justified, the Taliban claimed responsibility and therefore reaped what they sewed by attacking us. It was after this however, when we made it our business to judge who was a terrorist, and who was a freedom fighter, and punish those we judged immoral, forcing our will upon them, when we over stepped our bounds, and increased the unnecessary level of violence in this world.

In conclusion violence is a part of our nature, war is not. It is not immoral to fight when both parties are on equal terms, and understand the consequences of their actions. This is why competitive fighting though violent, can be pure. It is a form of play almost, venting one’s aggression on an adversary who will give you equal treatment, and thus no harm is actually done. War however is immoral violence. Yes armies are made up of those willing, and understanding of the consequence of their actions, but such large scale violence also harms those who are unwilling, and unknowing of what they did to deserve harm. If two sides truly hate each other, or have an insatiable level of aggression toward one another, then they and only they should sort it out, in perhaps a violent, yet non-lethal manner. That way there may still be a victor and so a resolution may be reached, while still venting as much aggression as possible so that hatred may be removed and eventually true peace may occur. This is no grand solution, but a suggestion, if a group must fight, then fight in a manner where learning may be gained as well. TO kill one’s opponent denies that opponent to learn from you, or to be killed denies you that same lesson. This equality in competitive fighting can be seen by the respect shared between fighters after a match. Each fighter can hate each other at the beginning but if both fight with everything they have, though violent, they discover more about each other, and themselves, and thus learning is achieved.

I HAVE A MISSION NOW

2007-12-31T15:37:00.001-05:00

My previous post sort of outlines my idea to move toward peace, but I think such a goal deserves more attention than just a day's rant. So for the next year, my blog will be dedicated to spreading the idea that peace is possible.
Here are some things I hope to add, or incorporate if possible:

1. Points of view of readers from various countries.
A. I'm hoping this will help discover what other means to peace there may be
B. I'm also hoping that it will help to make clear the obstacles standing in the way, and how they may be overcome.
2. Stories of people from feuding cultures coming together
A. This will show that peace is possible, and even the deepest blood feuds can be resolved.
3. Eventually I'd like to get politicians and leaders involved.
A. These people are the ones who really have the power to make drastic changes.
B. If leaders of the world make global peace a priority they should be supported and have a place to contribute their own ideas.
4. I plan on posting daily ideas of how the world could benefit from peaceful relationships.

So I guess the biggest thing I'm wondering about looking ahead to 2008, is how much can be accomplished in spreading a peaceful and unifying message to the world.

A Simple Suggestion for The Middle East and The World

2007-12-31T14:44:00.000-05:00

First of all, I'd like to make it clear, so that my idea is not over shadowed by my inexperience with international relationships, yes I am a typical white American, living comfortably geographically and culturally separated from all the horrors of the war and hatred in the middle east. However I am involved in this conflict, as every other person on this planet is involved, others just like me are killing each other in futile wars which provide no benefits to those who fight.
My suggestion starts with the religious fundamentalists, these are the people who possess the greatest passion of all, and actually have a great potential to do good in this world. Any person willing to end their life for something they believe is good is not a fool, or a lunatic, but a person with the deepest faith, trusting that at the end of their life they will find meaning. However I in no way support the killing of other people, and that may be something which at first may seem like an insult to the fundamentalists, but it is in no way a biased point of view, human life is undeniably precious, no matter what religion one holds, and it should not be wasted. The suggestion I have, if only it could be heard, is that even those people who devoutly hate their opposition based on the belief that those they hate are also hated by god, and it is god's will to eliminate those people, should leave the punishment of so called "infidels" to God. These people no doubt believe that Allah, God, whatever the name may be, is the supreme ruler of everything, and has limitless power. If their enemies are as equally faithful to their beliefs as those who believe their cause to be just what good does killing gain? The enemy believes their deaths will be rewarded and so too does the other side. If one must hate, or look down on another people, what good is it to act on that hatred? The most powerful thing a person can do to another is kill them, but if there is a god and an after life killing does nothing. Instead if God is truly offended, or whomever, let him, her, or it act, for god's wrath, as a supreme being, would be far more effective, and pleasing to God anyway.
Lets get one thing straight, I in no way condone hating, disrespecting, or harming another person, or living being, but if people can not accept that such actions are just, then any other manner should be implored to convince others not to do harm. If that means allowing others to hate, but on the condition that they allow their god to judge and punish those who are not obedient or faithful, so that people may move toward global peace than so be it. The biggest obstacle in the way of peace is not the differences between cultures, but the simple idea that peace is impossible. We believe we can't do it so we stop trying before we even begin. We are not willing to give up the bad habits, and futile desires that take us no where. Philosophers have argued that people are just naturally war like, and so peace is impossible, how then do nation's exist in the first place though? People can be unified, and can live peacefully among each other. War is proof of that, instead of every man fighting wildly against every other man, an army works together for a common goal, thus peace exists between the ranks of each opposing army, a war is more like two larger bodies fighting against each other. In our modern world there is no longer a need to fight on such large scales, we have the means and intelligence to share resources, land, and whatever else older wars were fought for, so fighting does us no good, it only maintains unequal distribution, since to the victor goes the spoils. Instead what we truly lack is something to unify every person on this planet. Just as an army is unified to oppose its enemy, every person has the capacity to work, coexist, and benefit from existing and cooperating with every other person.

Ultimately, if we could put gender, race, religion, and whatever else we differentiate and discriminate against each other for behind us, not forgetting them all together, because there is good in knowing one's qualities, what one believes, and what not, but abandon the parts of those things that cause us to hate, peace would be easy, and attainable. Peace can not be attained through violence, there will be no war to end all wars, peace will come from seeing one's self in others, finding that we are not very different at all.

My deepest hope is that people will embrace my idea, and add their own ideas to help make peace more possible. I can not say this IS THE WAY, because nothing good comes from forcing one's ideas on others, thats why hatred is so prevalent in this world to begin with. Instead I hope that I can get the ball rolling so that peace and the unity of humanity becomes such a good idea it would just be foolish not to embrace
it.

New Years Resolution For The World :Give Up Hate

2007-12-30T21:17:00.000-05:00

In the spirit of New Years I'm giving the world a new year's resolution, abandon hatred. Don't worry about losing weight or quitting an annoying habit, the best thing anyone can do for even for a year, or to try to do for a year is to give up hate. Its a tough thing to do, people love to hate, if we didn't like to hate we would realize how pointless and harmful it is. But giving up hate doesn't just mean to stop hating other people, it also means to stop hating one's self. There's no use in worrying over extra pounds or that what one puts forth isn't any good. Hate is probably the greatest hindrance to complete and total happiness in this world. I know it seems idealistic, and childish, but it is such a simple concept, just don't hate, why not give it a try, what is there to lose anyway, war, feuds, genocide, do we really want to keep those things around anyway?

So if you share my feelings, spread the word, do something meaningful this year.
I wish you all a Happy New Year

When your eyes fall upon me what do they see?

2007-12-27T14:01:00.000-05:00

Another Seduction poem of mine, once more not directed to any actual woman.

When your eyes fall upon me what do they see?
For it can not be my body which would warrant desire,
Nor my mind which curiosity conceivably could sire,
So what do you see that with you does not agree?
Why chose you partners who are but simpler men,
Who with all means couldn’t match the gift I could give,
When all means I’d need would be mere paper and pen,
To make forever yours and so forever you will live?
How can you say no to a love transcendent to time,
Which would wash away worry with wondrous verse,
Enveloping you in euphoria and in ecstasy immerse,
With nothing more than words written in rhyme?
How when the body is secondary to the mind,
Can you refuse such intellectual and eternal bliss,
Which I could give without gain, bound by a kiss
Tell me please if folly in this offer you find?
If it is but physical pleasure that you require,
How do you miss my selfless submission,
To feed the flames of your passion’s fire,
To worship your body as my sole religion?
Even if not in love with me what can you lose,
If you I immortalize as a goddess divine,
And I am the one who willfully you may use,
So for at least one night I may call you mine?
Now when you look at me may you see this,
Immortality and ecstasy contained in a kiss.

Sex: An Intellectual Exploration Within Our Society

2007-12-27T13:59:00.000-05:00

Sex, it would seem, is one of the strangest aspects of human behavior. It is a necessary, natural, and for the most part, enjoyable activity. Yet the mere discussion of it can make people uncomfortable, embarrassed, or even offended at times. Sex is undeniably good, if it wasn’t for sex we wouldn’t exist. We enjoy it, otherwise it would be a chore, and for a few people it can be, but putting all the Al Bundys aside, sex is something we all at one point or another, want to have. The various religions of the world aren’t against it, how could they be, banning it would definitely reduce the number of believers. Sure there are rules when sex is good, and when it is bad, but even when those rules are followed, and there is nothing illegal or immoral going on, sex still may feel dirty, or naughty, or taboo. So how did sex become dirty? Animals seem to have no problem with it, besides us of course, our ancestors obviously didn’t have a problem with it, me being alive to write this, and you being alive to read this are a testament to that, so when and how did we decide that sex was “naughty”?
Well first of all let me clarify the “we,” by we, I’m talking about Americans, as well as any other culture where people are apparently afraid of their own bodies and desires. Yes there are social norms that must be obeyed with sex, but what doesn’t change is the awkward dance with dizzyingly different steps which two people must go through before it becomes clear that both people wish to have sex. In America, we men must first bashfully yet tactfully strike up a conversation, or in some manner first get to know the woman without even letting on that we are sexually interested for fear of the woman being frightened and running away. While for this to work the woman must obviously have some interest in the male, otherwise she wouldn’t even acknowledge him. The woman also, if she is sexually interested, may not let her desires become known, because it could earn her an undesirable reputation as being “easy” or a “slut.” All this occurs even before two people know each other. Then once an acquaintance is established the two often feel obligated to spend time to establish a relationship to develop a deeper connection or perhaps love. Love complicates things even further, because both may not actually love each other, but still desire to have sex, and so the two may fool themselves into thinking they are in love, just to have sex. Love is indeed a wonderful thing, but sex does not require love, just as being in love doesn’t require one to have sex. Sex can strengthen love, but it can also make it clear when love is not the true motivation for sex between two people. We seem to fear that sex without love is dirty, but why?
If two people knowingly, honestly, and being both of sound mind, decide to have sex safely, and in a manner that provides enjoyment for both people, where is the immorality? All three basic philosophical theories of ethics would be hard pressed to find a flaw in such activity. Aristotle’s theory, doing things that enhance one’s self and one’s society would be applied to show that that pleasure, and additional pleasure from pleasing another person lifts a person’s spirits, and allows them to do other activities with more zest and vigor. Immanuel Kant’s categorical imperative demanded that people should do things that treat people equally and with respect. When two consenting people decide to have sex to please each other, and in doing so benefit each other equally and do so in a respectful manner, that rule is perfectly obeyed, and no harm is done. Finally there is John Stewart Mill’s theory of Utilitarianism, “the greatest good for the greatest number.” If happiness is the greatest good, and it can be derived from pleasure, sexual freedom, and being comfortable with one’s sexuality and a society being free to be sexual the greatest good is given to the greatest number. It is the few that make people feel guilty, or dirty, for a perfectly clean, beautiful, and moral activity, that are immoral.
As those philosophers described their theories of moral action, I believe it is equally beneficial to define immoral action. Immoral action obviously is harmful, and destructive. It can corrupt an individual, or a society. Immoral acts prevent equality and respect among people. Therefore what I believe to be the most fundamentally immoral act is to force one’s will upon another who does not desire it. Theft is forcing the victim to submit their property to the thief according to his will. Murder is forcing the victim to accept the murderer’s belief that the victim does not have a right to live. Rape is forcing the victim to submit to the rapist’s will. All immoral activity can be reduced to the same principle. Consensual sex however does not fall into the definition of immorality. So why then should we endure the immoral act of being forced to feel guilty or immoral for doing a morally acceptable act?
Well those opposed would say that because the two participants are not married. Their augment may also contend that sex being moral relies on the theory of evolution, that we are animals, and animal nature is ok. However these refutations are relying on the Bible stories, or if the Bible is the true word of God, the actual demands of God himself, and that God did not create us as sexual beings, sex is necessary because of the sins of Adam and Eve. This answers how sex became believed to be dirty. It is associated with sin. Adam and Eve didn’t even know they had the capacity to have sex until they were cast out of Eden, and when they realized their sexual nature they were supposedly shamed. Well then, I apparently have lost this argument to my own invented opposition. But wait; were Adam and eve even married? There was no priest to conduct the ceremony, and God didn’t go through the whole spiel with the couple. In fact it was God who gave Adam and Eve their sexual parts in the first place. Sure they noticed them after original sin, but they were there before, so the capacity to have sex is not associated with sin. Sex being sinful is a Christian concept any way. Islam for example, came after Christianity; it is fundamentally the same god, only with a new message, and a new prophet speaking it. The notion that sex is immoral was founded in the Christian concept of original sin. Therefore it is the misconception of original sin that is the source of society’s sexual insecurity. Hinduism for example, uninfluenced by Christianity, holds sex to be a beautiful and divine activity; an act that their gods should be thanked and praised for giving, and also an act that brings the participants closer to their god or gods.
So how can sex not be associated with sin, even if original sin were true? Well the original sin was attempting to possess knowledge that God knew human minds could not fully handle. When Adam and Eve acquired this knowledge against God’s will that was the sin. The knowledge of course was of good and evil. Which still proves true today, people can often not decipher what is truly good, and what is truly evil. People do what they think, or apparently know to be good, when it may actually be evil, or refrain from something which actually may be good, thinking it is evil. Sex is universally good if done morally with both parties consenting, whether it’s believed as a gift from God, or pure nature. The punishment of original sin, if the religious point of view is adopted, is merely not being able to comfortably enjoy God’s gift.
Sex therefore is something people should not fear, or find discomfort in discussing it. What people do to make one another happy and pleased is good, and should be encouraged? The discussion of it can help us to learn more about ourselves, and to relate to people better. We should not feel like we must repress a part of ourselves. It is that repression that leads to problems within an individual. Every person should feel free to learn all that there is to know about themselves, and the world around them, and we are sexual beings, and we deny all that we are by denying even a small portion of what makes us who we are.

Seducing The Spirit

2007-12-27T13:54:00.000-05:00

Seducing the Spirit
By Andrew Moravick

Daily, devoutly, diligently you praise,
Softly submitting your obedient gaze
To a being you can neither feel nor see,
Yet how do you not stare so wanting at me?
For here in flesh in front of you I stand,
My body as yours the work of His hand,
Which crafted us to fit and be able to mesh,
So why think you so evil the joys of the flesh?
If we be more than these vessels of flesh and of bone,
And it is knowledge and wisdom which must be known,
And I a mystery your understanding I at present elude,
Than how would you knowing me be misconstrued?
Why would a being of such wisdom and grace
Give us such gifts if we’re to remain chaste?
If in any way to you harm it would do,
Do you think me so cruel to ask this of you?
So who do we hurt if not us than God it must be,
Because our love sins striving to be as divine as he?
You and I could be gods together ruling the world,
Erasing existence with a weakly whispered word,
As all that we are and all that is, in each other becomes,
Containing all that is countable and all of its sums.
Must misery molest you because obedience persists,
When all that’s inside you objects and resists?
Where in scripture does it say you and I
Should not be together lest we suffer and die?
Even then what hell could possibly harm us for our supposed sin,
When we know of such heaven harnessed in the heat of our touching skin?

This Poem was written as a seduction poem inspired by those of John Donne. The woman to which the poem is directed does not exist. My goal with this poem was to be seductive, and attempt to write in a manner as alluring as Donne wrote.

Religion: Truth, or a Defense Mechanism?

2007-12-24T11:56:00.000-05:00

Sigmund Freud theorized that people used natural emotional defense mechanisms to cope with difficult experiences in life, these mechanisms include denial, repression, projection, displacement, intellectualizing, rationalization, reaction formation, and sublimation. All of these mechanisms help people to cope, survive, or move past a difficult stage in life. Is there another mechanism to be added though, one that deals with one of the most fundamental crises which every single human being will face in their life time? I'm alluding of course to religion. I'm not denying any religion or saying that there is no god, or anything like that, I am however exploring the idea that religion may be necessary for an emotionally healthy human to exist. It is interesting after all that everywhere there are people there is a religion of some sort. Atheism is most popular in countries where there are other distractions to divert people's attention away from the most basic of human desires, the hunger for purpose. Religion explains all those unexplainable things, and for the most part gives even the most average, unremarkable person a sense of purpose, of value.
Religion it seems, true or not allows us to live, after all, if there was no god, or at least if we didn't believe in a god, what reason would any of us have to live? All of us common, unrecognized, people, whose presence may never even be known or cared for by the world as a whole; would have nothing to live for. As Shakespeare said, "Ti's nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, or to take arms against a sea of troubles, and by opposing end them?" Why should we suffer the pains of daily life if all that awaits us at life's end is but an un-waking sleep? Religion spares us that painful pondering, and affords us a reward, a goal, a purpose to exist. The idea that there is more to life than just what is experienced is infinitely powerful in killing the pains of life. TO be able to say, "yes its bad now, but things will get better," or "I will be rewarded for my suffering," these phrases give us hope, and a reason to continue to live, without a religion or at least the concept of it, we would be devoured by our own thoughts. Our primal urges would run wild, while conflicting with our intellectual inclinations, destroying us from within. We would want to live for each day, but be crushed by our own meaningless, and eventually come to realize what good is even the greatest euphoric experience, if every sensation will soon end, and all that we've done will count for nothing.
So this begs the question, is our tendency to lean on religion actually a defense mechanism, or a natural tendency to search for truth, and possibly come to know and love our creator, creators, or spiritual superiors? If any of the religions are in fact true then our habit of depending on, or searching for the defined supreme being, or state of being, is just as natural as depending on one's mother at birth. On the other hand if this life is all that we have, and we are actually only over analytical animals, who have no real right to rule the world as we do, then life is futile, and our very existence is a burden to all life on our planet. If that were the case we still could have purpose, of our own manufactured nature, to enhance all life, and prolong our planet so that we may live as long as possible, since that would be all we could gain in existence anyway.
TO sum up I'll spare you any more of my moderately depressing wonderings, and propose an idea of mine to relieve and hopefully uplift you. I believe that in truth God does exist. It is actually an undeniable fact. Philosophers before me have attempted to prove such a fact using dizzying logic, and calculated statements, however I believe it is much simpler. One of the few absolutes in this world is that something is absolute, or it is not. Since nothing can be almost absolute, and be considered absolute. Therefore God can either exist, or he can not. Likewise if we are God's creations we can also either exist or not exist. Assuming that we do exist, and anything that is created by God, or even by us also exists, then God absolutely exists. This is because even if God is not real, and is merely a thought shared by many people, that thought is a creation, and that which is created must exist. Whether God is actually God or just a creation of the mind also does not diminish his good. Love is also a shared thought, people believe in it, appreciate it, and benefit from it, just as people benefit from believing in God.
What troubles people I believe is when they become confused about whose God is the right one, and attempt to force theirs on others. God ultimately is good, otherwise there would be no point for he/ she or it to exist, so no religion can argue that their God is more good. To force anything on a person not desiring that thing is universally bad in fact, and would not be something a just and good God would desire. Also a universally good God would not punish people on a technicality for not finding him in the right manner.
Religion therefore whether a defense mechanism, or a search for truth should not cause different people to conflict with each other. Religions are all searching for the same thing, and should embrace other ideas which may help us understand our God or an ultimate good. Either way it gives us purpose, no religion, if true can deny that all humans are creations, or servants of the religion's deity, and to harm a fellow creation, or servant is harmful to that god, but enhancing the lives of others, so that they may worship better, or experience the best existence possible, can not be considered bad within any religion.
My conclusion, religion, no matter what it is, or what is true about it, if pure, and understood properly is a universal good. If people of all religions would practice them as they believe, but embrace others in the same search, but using a different religion to do so, we may either come to find the ultimate truth in existence, or at the very least come together is we should as human beings.

Intellectual Enjoyment

2007-12-23T20:31:00.000-05:00

Intellectual Enjoyment
By Andrew Moravick

Cut me and you alike and see
No difference in blood’s hue.
Live not on same air does me
As air taken and tasted by you?
Down to matter unmake us might
All our parts be compared,
No difference sensed by sight
Nor science if with paired.
Potential same have not our minds
To find pleasure in our thought,
Intellectual joy to our beings bind
From knowledge we have sought?
So why may I have pleasure profound
In an intellectual instance,
When from you wails of agony resound
In your deprived existence?
Deny of course you do your pain
Of the pleasure left un-enjoyed.
Seeking other outlets till all that remain
Is the only joy left unemployed.
So waste no time to your mind wake
From ignorance’s intolerable sleep.
Lessons of life neglect never to take
So stupidity into your mind may not creep.

Love: Cheesy, yet Interesting

2007-12-22T17:18:00.000-05:00

Yes, I'm addressing it, I've been trying to post intellectual, and interesting topics, but during the holiday love is supposedly everywhere. You see it in all the commercials, the man getting just the right gift for the woman he loves, or the woman doing the same for him, or whatever those brilliant marketing people can come up with to cram love down our throats. Yes I'm sure love is a wonderful thing when in it, but what about those of us who aren't. Its an annoyance to see all these happy couples everywhere you turn which reminds you how lonely and miserable you are. This makes me wonder however, why do we seek love, whats so great about it, and what is it? Well to answer the first two questions, one must first answer the third, what love is. Love is obviously good, otherwise it wouldn't be universally sought after. Love must be healthy, those who lack it are often unstable, depressed, or likely to have other disorders. Love must be an intellectual pleasure because it is intangible, it must be thought about, considered and appreciated, and its benefits are not limited to an amount of time. Love is not directly related to sex, some may love, but have no sex, while others may have sex and not be in love. Love however may enhance sex, along with any other activity in life. Therefore love can be defined as an intellectual pleasure that enhances the lives of the people involved, and is universally good. So why then is love so great? Love perhaps is so wonderful because it is one of the few things without a detriment. Usually in life there is always give and take, in order for the rich to be rich there will be poor people, for a heart transplant recipient to live another person must die, these trade offs can be found everywhere, but with love there is no trade off. Some may say the monogamy of a loving relationship is a sacrifice, if say I was going to marry a woman I loved I would be giving up the chance to be with countless other women. However if I am truly in love, then it isn't a sacrifice since I have attained a universal good, which is benefiting me, and furthermore, if I was truly in love with that woman, any other woman would most likely be inferior and would be no real loss anyway. So why do we seek love? Why do we turn green with jealousy when we're single and actually looking for our match? Well why are we jealous of anything? Love, being such a beneficial and good sensation or experience we of course want it, just like we want food when we're hungry, or drink when thirsty, we need it. I'll admit, it is difficult for me to talk about love, being single, and never having experienced true love in any of my relationships, however I think its a gift, my condition that is, so that I may see what others do, and feel when in love, and maybe understand it as a scientist studies something, from the outside, impartial, evaluating every aspect.
Hopefully some people who are in love will read this, and possibly be strengthened by it, or contribute comments to their beliefs on love. I know it is a cliche' topic, but it is interesting, and something we all eventually search for.

The Morality of Intervention

2007-12-21T21:15:00.000-05:00

In this post I'm not talking about an alcoholic intervention, I'm talking about an intellectual intervention. Is it ethical to step in and scream at the top of my lungs, or do whatever it takes to try to disrupt the downward spiral of intelligence in America, or is it better to let us fall, let us crumble, collapse until all that remains is a mass of poorly educated zombies shuffling here and there. The problem which I wish to put a stop to is our idiodic media, and pop culture putting emphasis on the fickle short term fun aspects of life, parties, drinking, popularity, and all the sort of issues you'd see depicted in any "TEEN MOVIE," and not drawing attention to the long term pleasurable activities, such as gaining knowledge, and bettering one's self as a whole. Our whole idea of education isn't focused on what we learn, but who we meet, what we do outside of the classrooms to entertain ourselves that our society cares about. The ethical issue here is should one try to convince others that it is better to sacrifice those fickle yet more instantly gratifying pleasures, to better one's self as a whole, and in doing so one improves society, and the relationships within it. Obviously people know that intellectual activity is good, otherwise we wouldn't have schools at all, but why do we put frivolous activities over our education? Ask any high school student, well almost any, there are a few outstanding intellectuals, but any average high school student what the best part of high school was and they'll say something like, "living it up with my friends," or "The parties," often followed by a "Woooohoooo," or an "ow ow." Now this is a great thing, social activity is healthy and necessary, but that shouldn't be the best part of HIGH SCHOOL, that should be the best part of being a teenager. The point of school is to learn, and yet for some reason, we as a nation HATE to learn. "I don't want to go to school," "I don't want to do my homework," "I don't wanna go to that class," "I DON'T WANT TO LEARN." Yeah I'll admit, even I have said this before, but its just what kids say, its what we've come to believe was cool to say. THe kids who enjoy learning are nerds, outcasts, lame, but those who live it up at the expense of their lessons are cool. Not to start some jealous rant on the cooler class, because I've been on both sides, I've had people tell me, "dude, what're you talking about being an outcast, I thought you were the popular one," and other people sayy, "dude you're a loser." The thing is I've learned from it all, but is it right for me to try to make others learn like me? Is it just to help others take pleasure in every activity in life because it is all a lesson? Is it possibly even an irresponsible act not to spread the knowledge? I don't know, but I am willing to err on the side of utilitarianism, it is better to help the masses, even if I or a few others must suffer to do so by shaking up the status quo.

That's Not What I Voted For

2007-12-11T10:37:00.000-05:00

Why, when believing we have voted for the right presidential candidate, we complain after he, or possibly after the 2008 election, she, is not the resolute leader we thought we were voting for? Well it all comes down to the whole campaign process. Plato, in The Republic suggested “A city whose prospective rulers are least eager to rule must of necessity be most free from civil war, whereas a city with the opposite kind of rulers is governed in the opposite way.” Although an ancient point of view this idea is interesting when we look at the mudslinging, and desperate advertising campaigns bombarding us as we approach the 2008 election. The candidates lower themselves, wasting millions of their own money which could be used to fund charities, aid communities, or go toward the overall welfare of society, but instead that cash is pilfered for a few frivolous images online or on television. All the candidates are doing this, they have to, otherwise their campaign would be a complete failure, but whatever happened to gaining popularity and praise through greatness, not public relations? A candidate should gain followers by having platforms so beneficial and well researched that it would be foolish not to vote for them.
So why don’t we have candidates like that, or if there are such candidates why aren’t they using this method? Its easy to see, when those who want the position not because they are best fit for it, and feel responsible to involve themselves, but because they want the power, prestige, and success for their party, compete against those who are actually the best fit. The just practices of the fit are useless against unjust mudslinging, and PR campaigns of those unfit.
So what’s the solution? Who in their right mind would read an article whining about the woes of the world without supplying an answer? Well a plausible answer would be to completely prohibit candidate advertising campaigns. This may sound like an embargo on the candidates freedom of speech and expression, however these are the people trying to represent us as a nation, we shouldn’t care how talented their marketing departments are, we should only care what they have to say when put to the test in debates and in public speeches, where one can not hide, or edit out mistakes. Then we would be voting for candidates who we understand to be the best. In the world of international relations a leader can not go back and undo, erase, or hide their mistakes, one slip of the tongue, one misinterpreted gesture could set off massive hostility, or make worse an already tense situation. No commercial can demonstrate a candidate’s ability to handle these situations. So when November rolls around next year, don’t look to the commercials to find your candidate, watch the debates, public speeches, and decide for yourself, instead of letting the media decide for you.

To Drink or To Think?

2007-12-10T10:54:00.000-05:00

College, where supposedly one goes to gain higher learning, is becoming more of a place where one would go to get a higher blood alcohol content. Like any other brilliant idea, colleges began with a pure, uncorrupt intention, to educate individuals so that they may better benefit society. Sure Harvard, America's first college, was founded on the premise that its graduates gained their degrees just to be able to read and understand the Bible, but still it was spreading understanding, and encouraging thought. Today however, students do go to college just to learn, of course that's what they will tell their parents, their teachers, and other adults, but that's not what they're looking forward to. No, in fact, as a college student encountering other college students, I rarely ever find anyone who truly enjoys their classes, learning, or the acquisition of knowledge, but when it comes to drinking, partying, and other fun but unproductive activities, its almost unanimous in agreement on the pleasures found in doing these things. Aristotle, though an ancient philosopher, would agree with them as well. I won't deny the fun found in drinking, I've had fun doing it myself, but Aristotle though he did say that those physical pleasures are enjoyable, he suggested that the pleasures of the mind, and intellectual activity are far superior to those physical pleasures. Having tasted both pleasures I would have to agree. What makes intellectual pleasure better than those physical pleasures is the way in which they satisfy us. Physical pleasures feel incredible, but only last for a few seconds, a minute, or in some circumstances an hour, but they end, they stop satisfying us, and often make us feel bad afterward, either from the loss of that pleasure, or the repercussions of what it took to give us that pleasure. When you're drunk sobering up often makes an individual feel sad or depressed, and coupled with a hangover it can make a person downright miserable, and yet people drink again the next night just to get that good feeling back. Intellectual pleasure however, has the potential to be sustained. When an individual thinks of a pleasurable thought, that thought not only makes the individual feel good, but if it is a beneficial thought, say a story one comes up with that is enjoyable to read, but also makes people think, that pleasure can be sustained, and further pleasure can be derived from the satisfaction of giving other people intellectual pleasure by encouraging them to think. I will confess intellectual pleasure is harder to discover, and it takes time, and effort, which is why most people do not find it, and resort to the much easier pleasures of the physical nature. So when people come to college they don't enjoy the massive amounts of intellectual pleasures available to them, and so instead alcohol serves as a temporary substitute. If it were at all possible to bring people into intellectual pleasure however, and students could enjoy the limitless benefits, college campuses would no longer be littered with empty beer cans, and emptied handles of the harder stuff, and instead be flourishing with students reading, debating each other, sharing their thoughts, and actually benefiting society.

The Point of Blogging?

2007-12-03T11:51:00.000-05:00

When I decided to make my way into the world of blogging I thought, "wow, the possibilities of blogs are endless, people of every race, religion, creed, and culture sharing their ideas and advancing the understanding of all those who read and participate." Well, I apparently was wrong. The most popular blogs are not those of philosophy, literature, science, or anything that actually assists in the acquisition of understanding. Instead petty pop culture pollutes the brains of the people involved in blogging. Why should we care about people who do their jobs, just like the rest of us? Actors and actresses do preform a legitimate service, entertaining us all, but don't they deserve to go home at the end of the day, and be done with work? Why must we make their lives the focus of ours? It seems silly to me to want to know what color a certain female celebrity's panties are, or who so and so is dating now. Why do people devote hours, or even days of their lives to discuss these trivial topics? Blogs, I still believe, have a great potential to provide a place where people can converse and enrich each other's understanding, but people must want to gain that understanding first. If only bloggers cared as much about furthering the spread of understanding and beneficial ideas as much as they cared about pop culture. If this were the case bloggers would become more mighty than any military, more intellectual than the most studious professor. We would have at our disposal the combined brain power of the world to solve the problems plaguing humanity. We could shake the ground with the power of millions of unified voices.

Individualism Out of Whack?

2007-11-27T11:50:00.000-05:00

In ancient times people valued the benefits of society far more than their own personal gain. This may have been by force of government, or lack of education, or any combination with or without those aspects. However, it is interesting because in those times gone by, there were far fewer people populating any specified society. Yet today, when the numbers of inhabitants has exploded the focus of the people is no longer toward the benefits of society, but for their own personal gain. This I would call Anti-utilitarianism, if no one has yet coined the phrase. The idea is that the people desire to benefit the few at the detriment of the many. Today people seek fame and fortune through financial, physical, or political superiority with no intention to advance the common good. In addition, within the highly populated societies of today the actual influence and or impact of a single individual is greatly reduced. A person today must rise above 6.6 billion other individuals to achieve greatness, while in ancient times, though repression may have been a factor, it was merely thousands to hundreds of thousands above whom one had to rise.
Ironically, in those ancient times the people had far less to gain in their selfless ways. The obedient common people who toiled day after day to serve their rulers rarely saw any reward for their selflessness. Meanwhile today, the individuals who do rise pay no respect to the system within which they rose, and often look at their government or culture as an adversary which they overcame, and take no concern in improving society's situation. These people actually are the reason why it is so difficult for others to succeed in the first place. There is, reasonably speaking, an amount of wealth or resources which one can posses which may sustain, or provide for that individual to live comfortably and happily for the rest of their life meeting all of their needs, and reasonable wants. It is when people exceed this limit, and posses more than they need which burdens society. Instead of using excess funds an average ego-centric person will continue to provide themselves with unnecessary wants. This takes resources away from others and limits what society can accomplish, and sustain as a whole.
Now I will not just make a complaint based on an observation of society and offer no remedy. I believe this can be changed simply redirecting our individualistic focus toward things that benefit ourselves but also benefit others. For example instead of buying say a million dollar yacht, creating a million dollar foundation which advances research or supports education. The foundation, if given the individuals name has the potential to do more good for the individual, by caring on the person's name and presence in society even after one dies, and it enhances the understanding and education of those helped by the foundation. Instead of asking, "what can I gain from this action?" Instead ask, "what can I and society gain?" This feeds our modern ego-centric appetite while also benefiting society. It is crucial that we return to value the benefits of others, because pure individualism is a dead end outlook on life. Even if everyone did gain all they desired people would still desire more if unconcerned for the well being of others. After all who would want to simply be the same as anyone else? In essence it would lead to the suffocation of society within its own success. People would continue to have more than others while consuming more resources, and depriving those who have less even more. Instead it may be advantageous for people to seek to advance society more, to gain fame and success by bettering society and others. Then our competitive nature is harnessed and used for a greater good.

Poems

2007-11-26T11:55:00.001-05:00

THe following are all poems by Andrew Moravick (Me)
Immortality

If think me dead perchance I die,
Than me you kill with watery eye.
Though this vessel descend to decay,
That which I am forever will stay
Alive with you and those with whom my life I’ve shared,
Eternally intertwined our fates forge on powerfully paired.
When my living words were welcomed to your ear,
Why when words still echo my absence you fear?
For here I am on page at present and in future found,
Whether my body still lives or lies still in the ground.
Though Time toils to test the strength of our will
To exist and persist though with us the earth he fill.
My body like all others will change and deform,
But why when gone must my body be mourned?
Death has no claim on page to me our my essence,
And so with words I make perpetual my presence.
I am immortal as long as others can read
The story of my soul and how it was freed.

Aspiration

Hauntingly hanging over my heavy head,
Aspiration an apparition I devoutly dread.
It chills and fills my soul with despair,
Biting and burning with its burdensome stare.
Painfully possessed through life I progress,
Current comforts canceled and satisfaction suppressed.
Eternal infernal spirit, what do you desire,
That require you pester and plague me in furious fire?
Why may I not find comfort in accomplishment common,
Forever fearing failure as yet I’ve not fallen?
To what lofty heights however high must I strive
To quench aspiration so that joy in me may thrive?

Sleep

My eyes are heavy and my body is slow,
Her control of me will never go,
My eyes close n’ asleep I fall,
Obediently answering her alluring call,
Now I am hers- the devoted slave,
Serving her after death n’ the grave,
Every day I try to break free,
Yet every night hers I’ll be,
Strong as I am I can’t fight back,
The more strength I use the more strength I lack,
So I submit to her sweet soft kiss,
Silencing senses and bestowing me bliss,
My eyes are shut and hers I become,
All pain is gone and my body is numb,
Silently I slumber- serving her desire,
I am her product and she my buyer,
Then I awake, thinking I’m free,
To go through the day and see what’ll be,
Then slowly she comes to reclaim her slave,
And then once again it’s her kiss I will crave,
Day after day I try to resist,
Till the last day that I am finally kissed,
Then I am hers- forever a slave,
Silently serving, asleep in my grave.

Sonnets

Should not for sublime climbs I strive?
Would wanting my words to have weight weigh on me woe?
Need I no more knowledge to know?
Does diligence and distinction of joy deprive?
Why then may mediocrity molest my mind?
Why find I agony in acts average and mundane?
Why suffer I such pain at present undefined,
Which wrenches my soul and becomes my being’s bane?
What can one do when all his essence thirsts
For fame found in works wondrous n profound,
Which forth from the prison of anonymity bursts,
So that forever echoing my name may resound?
Why worry I when still fresh is life’s lasting breath,
What will speak for me when I’m silenced by death?

Love Sonnet in Advance

When alone, uninspired, unable to create,
Her hands on my back descend to soothe,
Ridding the blockage all authors hate,
And my mind is inspired as is my pen to move.
When complacent and in satisfaction I cease,
She, knowing me ever critical will be,
And urge me to re-analyze my piece
So that all I put forth is the best of me.
When in lust my mind is held captive,
She comes to me, knowing my need,
And to me all her love she will give,
So in our passion my mind is freed.
And yet though not yet her name do I know,
In advance I write so love forever may show.

God, why when faith I almost acquire,
Fate intervenes causing me to question
Again, and with further self reflection,
Once more gone is the faith I desire?
Why when so wanting I am to believe,
When so willing and obedient I try
To think not that to me my senses lie
So that me your being does not deceive?
God, am I not what you craved in creation,
For you want not love blindly obedient,
Love learned at length not most expedient,
Wanting to obey by will instead of dictation?
So why supply me with such an unquenchable mind,
That deny me the means with which you I may find?

The Mind & Body

2007-11-26T11:43:00.001-05:00

I will start my exploration of the world and existence we share with the most familiar components of life, our minds and our bodies. Through the sciences of anatomy, biology, and chemistry, we have come to understand a great deal about how our bodies physically function. We understand that is our nerves that allow us to touch, taste, smell, hear, and see all by relaying messages to the brain. We understand that hormones within our bodies create natural urges to produce offspring. We understand that it is respiration, and the chemical reactions from digestion that fuels or bodies, and allows us to function physically. However, this is all just a level of complacency with the physical understanding of ourselves. Yes, we understand that the brain manages all of our senses and bodily functions, but what do we understand about our mind? Are our thoughts just electrical signals created by our brains, and there is no separation between the mind and the body? Or from what I understand, through the exploration of my thoughts, is there a separation between the body and the mind which can not be measured by science? Furthermore, is there more to discover about the human body alone?
I believe even the body has an infinite amount of aspects to be understood about it. To explore this I will begin at a basic understanding of all human bodies, the heart. If the heart stops beating, blood stops pumping and so without blood flow we die. We know we die if the heart stops, why do we die because of blood flow? We die because the blood carries oxygen and fuel to the body’s cells, and without it the cells cease to function and we die. Then why do we die if cells stop functioning? We die because the cells conduct all the functions of the body, from making up the muscle tissue of the heart which pumps nutrients to other cells, to carrying nutrients to other cells in the blood that is pumped. So it would seem that cells are the basis for all function of the body? This appears so, but what causes the cells to function? If the cells are not fueled then they die, but what does the fuel do for the cells? The nutrient fuel provides energy to the mitochondria, which powers all function for the cell. Well then how do the mitochondria generate power for the cell? The mitochondria do so by creating chemical reactions that produce energy. I will stop the exploration here, because this starts to approach concepts about the body we don’t understand. However, the way in which we were able to understand this much about the body is by continuing to explore what causes each level of our body’s system to do what it does. There is however much more to be understood about the human body. If we did understand everything about the human body, we could in theory satisfy all of the bodies needs, and compensate for all of the body’s natural short comings and thus make ourselves capable of immortality. Not immortality in a manner in which we can not be killed, but in a way in which our bodies do not deteriorate and bodily function can be maintained indefinitely. This would be knowing how the body works, because every component would be understood. This is one of the benefits of continually seeking an understanding of any topic. When something is completely known its perfect state can be realized. For the body the perfect state is immortality.
The mind however is much less understood. It is believed that the brain is the center of all consciousness, and that if the brain is altered our consciousness can be altered as well. This however I do not agree with completely. For one, if the mind is damaged in, for example, the speech center of the brain, words can still appear in a persons head, they can still think in complete sentences and know what should come out of their mouth when attempting to speak, but because that part of the brain is damaged it just will appear as if they can not communicate. However if given a keyboard, or any other manner to no verbally communicate, the individual will still be able to share complete thoughts. The reason for this is that what I understand the brain to be, is merely an intermediary between the mind and body. The brain translates our thoughts into messages which the body can understand and carry out, but the brain does not generate these thoughts. When a person has a degenerative mental disease, their body is decaying, the brain is physically breaking down, however there isn’t really a way to measure the capacity for thought, because the brain is the one thing that translates intangible thought into a physical electrical impulse. The brain works between the mind and the body much like an antenna, if some one is trying to send a message by relaying it through the antenna the message will go through as long as the antenna is there to conduct the signal. However if the antenna is gone, the message still exists, it is still expressed, however it is not sent. The brain if damaged does not result in the destruction of conscious thought, merely a disruption of the signal being transmitted. Even with chemical imbalances such as depression, where a person’s very emotions seem to be stemming from mental problems, the mind or consciousness still exists as it normally does, but the brain, frustrated by the inability to completely work to translate the mind to thoughts agitates the individual. When the imbalance is corrected the person is not content because of the substance or procedure used, but because the brain is working at full capacity once again. The mind’s fundamental purpose is to gain as much understanding through experience, observation, and shared information, which can ultimately better us as a whole being. Some aspects in life are painful to gain understanding of; such as the death of a loved one brings the understanding that we will never physically see them again. However even these negative things can be beneficial because they give us an understanding of what may cause our lives to end, or how to face the end of life. All things in life contribute to our understanding, however sometimes individuals will avoid the negative lessons, and focus only on things that are pleasurable. It is true that pleasurable experiences are just as beneficial; they raise our spirits and give us an increased thirst for life. However it becomes negative when we repeat actions we find pleasurable even though we have gained that level of understanding already. Those who party in excess for example, to understand what happens at a party, and how people interact to have fun is a beneficial lesson, and a good thing to understand, however to abandon the search for understanding because we believe we have found what makes us happy is negative, it limits our minds, and the repetition of excess that comes with parties harms our bodies as well. The mind seeks to understand all things, but by only focusing on lessons already learned the mind becomes useless. So what is the ultimate purpose of the mind? The body’s purpose was immortality, so that the mind could attain an understanding of everything in this world without being limited to just a single lifetime. Then what is the purpose of the mind gaining all this understanding? The purpose, I believe, is so that we may die. This is because if the body keeps us alive long enough to actually understand all that there is to be understood, there still remains one last lesson. That lesson of course is what happens when we die. By finally learning this, the mind becomes understanding of everything and attains true knowledge in this world. So then what good does knowing everything, when we die? This makes life complete and an individual completely perfect, the body has served its ultimate purpose, and the mind has attained all possible understanding thus serving its ultimate purpose in this world.
If immortality is the ultimate purpose of the body, and knowing all that is possible to be known in life is the mind’s purpose than what of love? Our bodies give us yearnings for physical love, and our minds seek out companionship on an intellectual and emotional level, than is this not a purpose in life as well? Yes, love is another purpose, the understanding of love is just one of the countless lessons we seek to learn in life. You see by saying the ultimate purpose of the body is to be able to maintain life indefinitely is not actually limiting the purpose at all. Likewise saying the ultimate purpose of the mind is to gain all possible understanding. If the body can exist indefinitely and healthily it allows us to do other things like helping others, working to improve the state of the world, and to make our own individual mark on existence, however we are meant to do so, and by the mind gaining all possible understanding, it allows us to do all the things we desire to do, or are meant to do in the best possible manner. Love, or the quest for love, is a tool for spurring us on. The body craves the sensation of a lover’s touch, while the mind craves the intellectual connection which allows us to share our deepest and most personal thoughts and ideas. Sexual attraction and desire is not a bad, or evil message, it is the body conversing with the mind its need for satisfaction. Likewise the lonely feelings that may drain our energy, or lower our spirits, stem from the mind desiring the body to find a companion to share existence with. One of the reasons why I understand sex to feel bad or inappropriate at times is because one party, either the mind, or the body, is not satisfied. There is a heavy sensation of guilt when sex happens only for immediate physical pleasure, and not to also satisfy the need for a mental connection. This sort of sensation is much more common than the inverse, when there is a mental connection, but the body is not satisfied. However this does occur when two people completely abstain from physical intimacy in a relationship. The body then sends messages to the mind resulting in a feeling of frustration. Our instincts, as I understand them, are good things, they lead us toward the things we truly need, however the messages they give us can be cryptic, and we often get the messages confused or omit components of that message. When the body seems to crave sex it is not for sex in general, but for the love that satisfies both body and mind. By finding love in someone who can satisfy both aspects of an individual, those needs are met, the mind becomes free to explore further, and gain more understanding of the world. Having a person to be in love with, I understand to be necessary to continually satisfy the mind and body.
If the body is merely a vessel for the mind though, is it necessary to maintain physical fitness? After all, if the mind is not truly connected to the body, than why divert focus away from the acquisition of understanding to maintain the body, since indefinite life is impossible, and the mind is the one thing that has potential to exist forever? It is true that the mind does have potential to continue forever, and at the moment physical immortality is not attainable, but we still are not certain if the mind does continue after death or not. Then logically it is acceptable to assume that the mind may also cease to exist upon death. Then all the time we have to gain all the understanding we can is limited to the duration of life our bodies provide us with. Therefore it is for our best as individuals to maintain good health to prolong life for as much time as we can. Furthermore, being in good physical condition allows us to understand more than if we were in an unhealthy state. A person who has allowed their body to expand due to inactivity is not able to walk as far as a fit person. And by walking and being active we can explore, we can see nature in all her splendor, we can experience the rush of athletic competition, we can better learn the physical limitations or gifts that are a part of who we are. It is however harmful, I believe, to develop the body at the expense of the mind. Every individual functions best when the body and mind work efficiently together in balance, depleting one to improve the other is detrimental to us as a whole.

Second Principle of Understanding

2007-11-26T11:41:00.000-05:00

Think, my friends, think often, think deeply, think passionately, think rationally, think thoughts that are correct, and think thoughts that are wrong. Thinking, in a way, is the mind’s method of walking. If one walks a great distance the walk becomes an exploration. The same applies for thought, the more we think the farther we can go. My friends when you think do not fear that your thoughts lead you down the wrong paths, many of the greatest discoveries made by explorers have come from going the wrong way. It doesn’t matter whether a thought is wrong or right, the right thoughts may be more useful at first, but even the wrong thoughts can be beneficial as well. Wrong thoughts, if met with a hungry mind, encourage more thought, such as why the initial thought was wrong, what made it wrong, and what about it can be changed to make it right? Just believing that something is wrong does not do us any good when we don’t understand why it is wrong. If you were to stare at an optical illusion on a piece of paper, and your eyes are deceived to believe that that object is three dimensional, when you understand it to not be possible, you would believe that your eyes are wrong. Does this mean your eyes are inadequate or compromised? Should you seek help or correction because your eyes were so easily fooled? Of course not, but without understanding how the lines of the illusion come together to fool the eye, then you will understand how your eyes are wrong, and you can see the real picture as well as the illusion.
Also my friends, do not fear the thoughts of others, these thoughts are just as useful to you as your own, even if the thought seems negative. If someone looks down on you for a thought you’ve shared it is beneficial to explore why that thought triggered a negative reaction. If the reproach is undeserved, than it is helpful for you to understand what made the other person react so negatively, to show that individual how your thought is justified, and to help the other person expand their mind if it was a close minded generalization that caused them to respond so negatively. On the other hand if another is justified for criticizing your thought, then it is helpful for you to understand what makes your idea so open for that criticism, and what can be done to improve upon that thought or be changed to make it correct. If a fool for example, tells you that, “you are wrong for saying 1+1=2,” then it is to the fool’s benefit for you to explain why 1+1 is 2. However if a mathematician tells you, “you are incorrect for saying X + X always equals 2X.” Then it is beneficial for you to understand why X+X is not always 2X. By being open and receptive to all ideas, and willing to accept the criticism of your own, you allow your mind to expand, and be prepared to embrace many more levels of understanding which you would have never considered before.
My friends, I must also advise you, never allow yourself to stop thinking about yourself. When we think about ourselves we often see what we want to see and stop looking at that point. By doing this we limit ourselves to our understanding of ourselves, and of everything else that can be possibly understood. When you think about yourself, do not just dwell on that which we want to see, whether it is a positive or a negative outlook. If think yourself to be wise, you have made yourself ignorant, or if you believe yourself to be ignorant you have made yourself wise. Yet by believing you completely understand yourself, you make yourself a fool. Life my friends, I understand to be infinitely complex, but by just dismissing it as complex and leaving it there if foolish and cowardly. We ourselves our complex as well, and to merely define ourselves as such is equally foolish and cowardly. Though we may never understand all there is to be understood, by thinking about all that we can, and exploring all the aspects of this world around us and within ourselves, we venture into the unknown, unafraid of what we might find, and receptive of all that we discover. My friends, nothing can be defined in this world, not ourselves, not our deeds, not even our very existence because a definition is absolute; some thing is absolutely what it is. When we understand enough about this world, ourselves, or our existence however, we can think on the potential for these things to be more. We can think that there is more than just energy and matter to the world; we can think that we have more abilities or purposes in this world, and we can think of all the spender and wondrous mysteries that are a part of existence. It is by thinking that we can understand things, and it is by understanding that we can think more.

The First Principle of Understanding

2007-11-26T11:40:00.000-05:00

My friends, to convey my message to you I must first show you that nothing in existence is certain. Instead what we believe to be the truth, or certain, is only that which we understand the most. One certainty proposed by the French philosopher Rene Descartes was, “I think, therefore I am.” This seems to be absolutely certain, because if we can think, our thoughts, no matter what existence they may be in, whether they are even correct or not exist because they are ours. However this statement is not as concrete as it would appear, to think means one has to have thought, so thought can be substituted for think, “I thought, therefore I am.” However to have thought does not verify present existence, one may have thought in the past, but can that person still be thinking now, but of course if you have thought, then that means you did exist, so the phrase becomes, “I thought therefore I was.” This statement holds just as much truth as Descartes, and means almost exactly the same thing. However it is possible to think now what was thought before. I understand this may seem complex, but I will explain this further to you. From what I understand of the mind all things which we see, feel and experience are catalogued in the memory, and that is how we believe things have happened. Furthermore that which we can create in our mind are combinations of words, meanings experiences, and other such things that we form with our own personal touches. If my understanding of this mental process is enough to be considered a truthful statement then everything in life becomes memory. Then it becomes possible to think that one could relive their own life if the consciousness does not die with the body. Then, in such a circumstance, the thoughts which are believed to be thought at that very moment are actually just thoughts remembered as one relives their life through memory. This may or may not be the case after death, but the point of this example is to illustrate that even our thoughts are not even certain. We may have thought them in the past, but at this very moment it is not absolute whether they exist or existed earlier. Therefore, “I think, therefore I am,” is not absolutely certain.
The one other aspect of life Descartes and many others will argue to be absolutely certain is mathematics. However, math does carry within it flaws, and imperfections where certainty is not absolute. One plus one arguably always equals two, and 1 is always 1, 2 is always 2, 4 is always 4, and 5 is always 5. However there are times where one isn’t always one and five is not always five. I will of course demonstrate this to you. Take 4.999 repeating to infinity. It approaches five, but never actually gets there, though the difference may be smaller and smaller each time. Therefore 4.999 repeating to infinity is absolutely not five. However, when 4.999 is multiplied by ten, then subtracted from ten times itself, (49.999-4.9999) the infinite nines are eliminated and it becomes forty nine minus four. This yields forty five, and because it was ten times four point nine subtracting one times four point nine, the answer is nine times four point nine repeating, however when divided by nine, this progression yields 5. This equation, which breaks no laws of mathematics, says that four point nine repeating actually equals five. This then, is not absolutely certain, five is not absolutely five if four point nine repeating is five as well. Though this may be only one mathematical phenomenon that illustrates a lack of certainty, it does prove, that even math is not absolutely certain.
The way in which I have disproved both “I think, therefore I am,” and mathematics to be absolutely certain was through my understanding of the human mind, and the subject of math. I am in no way an expert in either field, but it is beneficial to me to have an understanding of them both. I do not hold Descartes or any other philosopher in contempt for attempting to find something that is absolute in existence. It is in fact something that we all seek something that makes living seem worthwhile, and the things which we do in life seem fruitful. The only absolute I am willing to present to you however, is that nothing is absolute. This might seem discouraging, but if you consider it, it is actually quite liberating. If we look at ourselves and define our lives by that which we do, then we attempt to say that we are absolutely craftsmen, or absolutely teachers, or absolutely doctors. Instead it is much more gratifying to say, “I am more than just a craftsman, I am more than just a teacher, I am more than just a doctor, I am all that I understand myself to be, and even more which I may discover.” There is always more to everything in existence, and by never accepting something for what it seems to be, and attempting to understand all that it can be, we may never lose wonder within the world, and can move closer to attaining true knowledge. This is my first principle of understanding, that there is always more to be understood.

Preface

2007-11-26T11:39:00.000-05:00

Let me begin by thanking you the reader for taking the time to read and consider all the concepts and ideas that are presented in this book. Without a wonder about the world and what lies beneath all that is experienced within it, my words are useless. I will share with you, in intimate terms, my ideas and understandings of the world and its workings. I will also ask you to not take any of the things I convey to you as absolute fact. My primary understanding in this world is that nothing can be completely understood, and nothing is completely concrete in its definition. To seek knowledge I believe, is gaining as much understanding about as many things as possible. Understanding after all works like pixels within an image, by only seeing a few points the picture is incomplete, but the more pixels we have before us, the clearer the image becomes. So I will ask you to continue to wonder about the things I tell you, to take topics even farther in your thoughts than I can express them. It is human nature to seek more than that which we have, and when we seek things that can not be shared we do injustice to one another. Understanding however can never be had in surplus, there is always more understanding that one can have, and in sharing that understanding we improve each other and do others justice. So this book is not something I wanted to do, but something I must do, to share my views with you, and encourage you, my reader, to consider and wonder about all the things around you. It would be an injustice for me to remain silent and deprive you of the message I have to share. Throughout the ages philosophers have sought one single unifying truth that may better all man-kind for understanding. I however challenge them in that goal. By narrowing all things down to one truth, one definition, one purpose, we limit ourselves and make ourselves imperfect. Perfection as I understand it to be is to be without limit. We are imperfect because our lives are limited, our bodies are limited, our societies are limited, but the one thing in us that is not limited, that is perfect, is our minds, or our consciousness. If we so choose we may continually inundate our minds with the understandings of experiences, information, and the imaginings of our own minds and those of others. In that sense, we as people have the capacity to be perfect, but it is our own logic that limits our limitless minds. We think that it is not necessary to understand all that we can within our lifetime, but to merely believe we know enough to get by. So I ask you my friend, please seek perfection of the mind, take my words and continue wondering as I do. I believe I share in the wisdom of the old philosopher, in that I am wise because I know nothing. I ask you as well to admit you know nothing because all that we think we know we merely understand, and what I understand is that with all there is in this world to know, I only understand a miniscule part of it, and understanding is merely a part of knowing, and so I know nothing. So I ask you to continue to wonder as I do, so that someday, we who know nothing may through understanding approach the knowledge of everything.