I just saw one of the shorts on my YouTube page that was titled “Beautiful Samurai.” It had a picture of a young woman waving at sword. I did not click on the bait. I am not an expert on Japanese culture or history. However, something in me says that the idea of a female Samari goes against the grain.
We have the concepts of paradox and oxymoron. They make the statement that two things that seem to rule the other out can both be true. If you have one child or grandchild it is impossible to think about having enough love for the next. My brother has so many grandchildren I wonder if he knows all their names. He still loves them. Impossible but real. Theologically we have things like the trinity and the incarnation.
That is different from things that are logically impossible. Take for instance the idea of a square circle. One concept rules out the other. That is the situation with the Beautiful Samurai, but I reserve the right to be totally out of my depth. It won’t be the first time.
homo unius libri
Welcome to Varied Expressions of Worship
Welcome to Varied Expressions of Worship
This blog will be written from an orthodox Christian point of view. There may be some topic that is out of bounds, but at present I don't know what it will be. Politics is a part of life. Theology and philosophy are disciplines that we all participate in even if we don't think so. The Bible has a lot to say about economics. How about self defense? Is war ethical? Think of all the things that someone tells you we should not touch and let's give it a try. Everything that is a part of life should be an expression of worship.
Keep it courteous and be kind to those less blessed than you, but by all means don't worry about agreeing. We learn more when we get backed into a corner.
This blog will be written from an orthodox Christian point of view. There may be some topic that is out of bounds, but at present I don't know what it will be. Politics is a part of life. Theology and philosophy are disciplines that we all participate in even if we don't think so. The Bible has a lot to say about economics. How about self defense? Is war ethical? Think of all the things that someone tells you we should not touch and let's give it a try. Everything that is a part of life should be an expression of worship.
Keep it courteous and be kind to those less blessed than you, but by all means don't worry about agreeing. We learn more when we get backed into a corner.
Showing posts with label Movie Mantras. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Movie Mantras. Show all posts
Opus 2025-070: Click Bait: Sounds Good
Opus 2018-019: Headlines: Yes, but Is He Crazy?
I was called into the room to watch the president’s doctor report to a group of Tourette victims on the status of Trump’s health. His summation was straightforward: The president is healthy. Then it went to the question and answer period. Here is where the mental disorder became obvious. It was almost as if this group, mysteriously called the White House Press Corp, was suffering from a strange form of Tourette’s syndrom. They seemed like they could not utter a complete sentence without some variation of “crazy” included. We have several possibilities.
This could be a new form of malady. It seems to effect only Trump haters. It does not discriminate between political affiliation, sexual orientation or race. It does seem to be intensified by the presence of microphones and cameras.
Another possibility is that they are mentally unstable themselves. This often goes with people on the left, intense projection. An example would be Hillary Clinton talking about the “vast right wing conspiracy” when the left was the one conspiring. Or take the talk of Trump in collusion with the Russians when all the evidence points at the Clinton campaign. Or take the accusation of hate speech on conservative talk radio.
Another is megalomania. Do these “reporters” really think they are going to trick the doctor into saying, “Yes, actually, he is nuttier than a CNN talking head”. I did notice that the doctor had a hard time not laughing at them.
As I keep reading others comment, “Bring out the popcorn.”
homo unius libri
This could be a new form of malady. It seems to effect only Trump haters. It does not discriminate between political affiliation, sexual orientation or race. It does seem to be intensified by the presence of microphones and cameras.
Another possibility is that they are mentally unstable themselves. This often goes with people on the left, intense projection. An example would be Hillary Clinton talking about the “vast right wing conspiracy” when the left was the one conspiring. Or take the talk of Trump in collusion with the Russians when all the evidence points at the Clinton campaign. Or take the accusation of hate speech on conservative talk radio.
Another is megalomania. Do these “reporters” really think they are going to trick the doctor into saying, “Yes, actually, he is nuttier than a CNN talking head”. I did notice that the doctor had a hard time not laughing at them.
As I keep reading others comment, “Bring out the popcorn.”
homo unius libri
Opus 2017-113: Glory
I have never been enthused about looking for hidden meaning in literature. I really don’t like poetry. I don’t believe that the authors intended all of the mysteries that scholars claim.
Having said that I have been thinking about a movie I show at school when we are covering the Civil War. It is called “Glory”. If you have never seen it, I recommend it. It tells the story of a Massachusetts’s regiment, the 54th. It was one of the first black regiment in the war. It was very well done: Historically accurate, good acting and a great script. The only thing missing is romance.
Why would I suddenly dwell on the movie? It reminds me of the battle I have been fighting in education for years. In one scene Colonel Shaw says to his friend, a major who has been casual in his responsibilities, “I am here to get these men ready to fight. I am willing to give my life to get them ready. I owe it to them and I think you do to.” It reflected the different attitudes toward the black men being trained, attitudes that I find permeate education today.
There were at least three general groups of people on the issue of black men being trained and armed. All were represented in the movie. All are represented in education. One group was blatantly racist by any definition. One officer calls the men “little monkeys”. To them the training was a joke. Another group represent the masses of people. They don’t even think about the issue and just follow the path of the mob. Then you have a small group who see the issues, believe in the men and are willing to pour their lives into making them ready.
Too many people in education really don’t believe that today’s children can excel. Yes, they use the term and talk about rigor. They just don’t believe it in their hearts. Most just jump on board the latest fad. The fad can be whole language, cooperative learning, new math or whatever stirs the hearts of the ivory tower. I hope I am in that small group that really believes in Martin Luther King Junior’s call to judge people by their character, not their color. If there is anything that can bring tears to my eyes it is not a student saying, “I don’t like you.” It is the waste of potential I see by slogans instead of standards. It is the lie of rigor. It is a concern with feeling good instead of having a reason to feel good. It is modern education.
I only have a few months left to fight the battle. I have done what I can but feel I have been totally inadequate. Think of the German soldier of World War II. He may have been the best trained infantry soldier in the world. He may have had the best equipment in the war. He may have fought with courage and valor. It was not enough to overcome the foolishness and evil of the Nazi regime that was giving him orders.
I am ready to return the battle to you, the general public who votes and speaks out.
homo unius libri
Having said that I have been thinking about a movie I show at school when we are covering the Civil War. It is called “Glory”. If you have never seen it, I recommend it. It tells the story of a Massachusetts’s regiment, the 54th. It was one of the first black regiment in the war. It was very well done: Historically accurate, good acting and a great script. The only thing missing is romance.
Why would I suddenly dwell on the movie? It reminds me of the battle I have been fighting in education for years. In one scene Colonel Shaw says to his friend, a major who has been casual in his responsibilities, “I am here to get these men ready to fight. I am willing to give my life to get them ready. I owe it to them and I think you do to.” It reflected the different attitudes toward the black men being trained, attitudes that I find permeate education today.
There were at least three general groups of people on the issue of black men being trained and armed. All were represented in the movie. All are represented in education. One group was blatantly racist by any definition. One officer calls the men “little monkeys”. To them the training was a joke. Another group represent the masses of people. They don’t even think about the issue and just follow the path of the mob. Then you have a small group who see the issues, believe in the men and are willing to pour their lives into making them ready.
Too many people in education really don’t believe that today’s children can excel. Yes, they use the term and talk about rigor. They just don’t believe it in their hearts. Most just jump on board the latest fad. The fad can be whole language, cooperative learning, new math or whatever stirs the hearts of the ivory tower. I hope I am in that small group that really believes in Martin Luther King Junior’s call to judge people by their character, not their color. If there is anything that can bring tears to my eyes it is not a student saying, “I don’t like you.” It is the waste of potential I see by slogans instead of standards. It is the lie of rigor. It is a concern with feeling good instead of having a reason to feel good. It is modern education.
I only have a few months left to fight the battle. I have done what I can but feel I have been totally inadequate. Think of the German soldier of World War II. He may have been the best trained infantry soldier in the world. He may have had the best equipment in the war. He may have fought with courage and valor. It was not enough to overcome the foolishness and evil of the Nazi regime that was giving him orders.
I am ready to return the battle to you, the general public who votes and speaks out.
homo unius libri
Opus 2012-186, Movie Mantras: 2016: Obama’s America
Yesterday we went to see a new movie called 2016: Obama’s America. It is an adaptation of a book by Dinesh D’Souza. He travels the world interviewing people who knew Barak Obama and his family. His goal is to outline in a clear way the roots of who Barak Obama is and what that will mean to the country if he is re-elected.
I was amazed at the people who were willing to talk to him. D’Souza is not a secret conservative. He should be well known to these people. But they talked to him on camera.
His thesis is that to understand Obama you need to understand the historical philosophy he believes in and how we need to change America to bring it into the world as he sees it. The key terms are “Colonialism” and “Anti-Colonialism.” This comes straight out of the Communist playbook as they have gone into the third world and convinced people that their problems are all because of the greedy empire builders of Europe and America. They are poor because we stole their wealth. The answer is to make us poor.
For you this may be preaching to the choir but if you can get some of your fence sitting friends to see it with you and discuss it afterward it might help swing the election.
November is coming. Do the names Sotomayor and Kagan ring any bells? Elections matter.
homo unius libri
I was amazed at the people who were willing to talk to him. D’Souza is not a secret conservative. He should be well known to these people. But they talked to him on camera.
His thesis is that to understand Obama you need to understand the historical philosophy he believes in and how we need to change America to bring it into the world as he sees it. The key terms are “Colonialism” and “Anti-Colonialism.” This comes straight out of the Communist playbook as they have gone into the third world and convinced people that their problems are all because of the greedy empire builders of Europe and America. They are poor because we stole their wealth. The answer is to make us poor.
For you this may be preaching to the choir but if you can get some of your fence sitting friends to see it with you and discuss it afterward it might help swing the election.
November is coming. Do the names Sotomayor and Kagan ring any bells? Elections matter.
homo unius libri
Opus 2012-89, Movie Mantras: Live Long and Prosper
Most of us are familiar with the farewell of Mr. Spock, “Live long and prosper.” We have learned to give the double V of the Vulcan salute. It sounds like a great line. Who would not want to live long and prosper?
I have been thinking of it as the Vulcan curse rather than the Vulcan salute.
Follow my thinking here. Take another proverbial statement. I don’t know if it was famous before Disney had Jiminy Cricket sing it but the line from his song went something like this,
You may have heard it as “curiosity killed the cat.” It is a dangerous trait. It gets us sticking our nose in places it is not supposed to be. It gets us sticking our nose in places it should be but in which dangerous people don’t want it. It can get us hurt in different ways from a child putting their body parts in a flame to getting targeted by drug lords for asking the wrong questions. It can get us fired, ostracized, and fined. So I would submit that being curious about the world around you could keep you from living long. So the Vulcan curse is directing you toward being a conforming dullard. Not exactly what I want in life.
What about prosperity? Surely no one could be against prosperity. No, but let me ask you a question: Under what conditions do most people grow in character and skill? Does it happen when things are going well and life is good or is personal growth more often brought about by adversity? In my experience it is adversity. Maybe you are different. Maybe you live in Disneyland. Maybe you work for the government.
So although we all think we would like to live long and want to prosper I would suggest that we should have a few caveats to the Vulcan curse. Live well and experience victory.
homo unius libri
I have been thinking of it as the Vulcan curse rather than the Vulcan salute.
Follow my thinking here. Take another proverbial statement. I don’t know if it was famous before Disney had Jiminy Cricket sing it but the line from his song went something like this,
“Curiosity, people say,
Killed the kitty cat one fine day.”
You may have heard it as “curiosity killed the cat.” It is a dangerous trait. It gets us sticking our nose in places it is not supposed to be. It gets us sticking our nose in places it should be but in which dangerous people don’t want it. It can get us hurt in different ways from a child putting their body parts in a flame to getting targeted by drug lords for asking the wrong questions. It can get us fired, ostracized, and fined. So I would submit that being curious about the world around you could keep you from living long. So the Vulcan curse is directing you toward being a conforming dullard. Not exactly what I want in life.
What about prosperity? Surely no one could be against prosperity. No, but let me ask you a question: Under what conditions do most people grow in character and skill? Does it happen when things are going well and life is good or is personal growth more often brought about by adversity? In my experience it is adversity. Maybe you are different. Maybe you live in Disneyland. Maybe you work for the government.
So although we all think we would like to live long and want to prosper I would suggest that we should have a few caveats to the Vulcan curse. Live well and experience victory.
homo unius libri
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