I'm Awake, I'm Alive

So at first as I read Thoreau’s “Where I Lived and What I Lived For." I thought that he would be disappointed if we were not all going around painting and sculpting art, but I realized that what he really means is that we all have our own talents to sculpt with, our own canvas and paint brush to color with, and our own lives to live. I loved when he said:

"It is something to be able to paint a particular picture, or to carve a statue, and so to make a few objects beautiful; but it is far more glorious to carve and paint the very atmosphere and medium through which we look, which morally we can do. To affect the quality of the day, that is the highest of arts."

It was the last line that I really loved, "To affect the quality of the day, that is the highest of arts." and truly it is! And this was important to me because at first I felt bad for not being a marvelous artist, and I began to justify myself in my life, saying that I was creating my own art with my own life, and then he actually said that I was right in doing so, so then I felt great!

Thing is though, is that I know that I could do better in my day brightening, I could do more, give more life and color to my canvas. That is why I love artistic writing like this, cause it helps me want to improve my life and my canvas and stop living like an ant.

I'd like to go into where I got the title for this blog post, its a song by a Christian hard rock band called Skrillex. The title of the song is "Awake and Alive," and its kind of like a prayer to God, a prayer of gratitude: 

"I'm awake, I'm alive
Now I know what I believe inside
Now it's my time
I'll do what I want 'cause this is my life

(Here, right now)
Right here, right now
Stand my ground and never back down
I know what I believe inside
I'm awake, and I'm alive

I'm at war with the world
'Cause I ain't never gonna sell my soul
I've already made up my mind
No matter what, I can't be bought or sold."

What this tells me, and how it relates to the topic, is that through God I am woken up, and in Him I am alive. He is the one that inspires my life to be magnificent. Living for God is what makes me walk away from what is expected of me and walk towards what I know is right. Doing so is what makes my work important and my life meaningful. I am waking up.

Modern Marriage

Hogarth’s series Marriage a-la-Mode is interesting in that it is an artistic parody of marriage in the eighteenth century. If I were to make a similar artistic parody of today, I would start out with a Facebook friend invite, since so many people are meeting online now-a-days. What would follow would be a photo of the couple texting literally for months on account of people today being far too lame to call each other on the phone (heaven forbid they should open themselves up to a real relationship). 

Next would be a first encounter where the couple is both excited to see each other, but feeling awkward, since they don’t get any romantic interaction except on the Internet.  The first encounter is a very important part of the series since these long distance/no physical relationships are so much more common now than they were once upon a time.

The next step (assuming the couple got as far as an actual relationship) would be the marriage preparation, which would basically be a print off of the woman’s Pintrest. The man on the other hand would be playing Call of Duty letting her do all the work.

After that would be a photo of an overpriced and drunken wedding with a lot of iPhones taking Instagram pictures of everything while the groomsman and the bridesmaids run off in the background together. Ladies crying, father’s cringing at the site of the bill, some things never change.

 Finally, (and this is my view of society’s view on marriage) the marriage would likely end a few years later on account of money problems or immaturity and boredom.

 I think that ever generation could have complaints to say and parodies to write on the subject of marriage, because marriage has never been a perfect institution.  It is a something that has to be worked at, and is not for the faint of heart.  Only the best of people can make a successful marriage last and remain happy, but that is something worth fighting for.

The World We Live In

The Renaissance was a call in the human heart to return to classical art and classical beauty. The Renaissance pulled away from the depressing notion that mankind was evil and needed to be reminded of it every Sunday, and artists and the public alike found a new faith in themselves. What was new in the minds of the people was that mankind was in fact not entirely evil, but that they had the potential for goodness of character, and brilliance in performance. It was a time to blend science and art, both united in seeking perfection in beauty.

The Baroque period was all about pushing the envelope. The idea was taking what was done and taking it further than ever before. The idea, "I did it because I can" was prevalent in their art and music, the true extent of human genius being made manifest. The use of counterpoint and fugue and toccata enhanced music and pushed musicians and the human mind further than either were accustom to. At the same time, art and religion began to become more personal, more down to earth and lifelike.

Since this time, man-kind has continued trying to expand its ability in every way possible. We continue to push the envelope on moral grounds and in art, adding variety to music has brought on a huge plethora of musical styles and ways to use the voice and instruments. Doing the same in art added different forms of paintings, and eventually photographs and movies and computer animations and video games. Making things bigger became the new trend, then making them smaller. Always seeking to improve detail, people began searching for the clearest sound or the crispest image.

Another new thing that came up was artists bringing notice specifically to themselves. This is something we can see today when artists say things like, “This is Dre” or “Jason Derulo” just before they start their song or spelling out F-E-R-G-I-E for the chorus. Clearly we as a society have never really left the Baroque mindset, and it has even taken us to the stars.

David vs. David

Donatello and Michelangelo were lifelong rivals in art, sports, and pie eating contests. Donatello was known to be able to eat 6 pies in 4 minutes (compared to Michelangelo's 4 pies in 4 minutes), but Michelangelo 4'7" vertical leap made it so he could dunk a basketball far easier than Donatello.

That leaves only their competition in art:

Donatello had a fairly naturalistic perspective, David's body was natural, if very small and soft seeming. His arms were small, not the arms of a warrior. The art was kind of confusing in a few ways, such as his armor was on the ground, not on his body except for the legs. In addition, Donatello's David has the hair and hat of a pansy man and the sword of a warrior. His eyes seem soft and sweet, the eyes of a lover, which makes sense on account of all of his wives. His head being down and soft facial features also probably added to this look of being a lover.

Michelangelo's David was much more strong and formidable, with the body and expression of a strong leader and warrior. His eyes were those of a king, a royal and stern and regal man, someone you would not want to mess with. At the same time though, his face was kind in a way, the sculpturing was amazingly well done and was probably the Apollonian Classical. His eyes were looking outwards, like he has something he is looking at, like his faith or destiny on his mind. I really liked this one much more, its how I envision King David, the warrior of God and King of Israel.

In this artistic showdown: Michelangelo wins!!

Cathedrals

Here's the thing with this story. I'd be pretty uncomfortable if my wife had a childhood sweetheart or an old lover come over for any reason to stay at my house. They had this relationship going on for so long and then she invites him over. If it had been the man talking to some ol' dame that he use to be with she would be just as uncomfortable, or I would hope she was. If not I'd be a little concerned that she had so little care for me being in a close relationship with another woman.

What ended up happening though is the blind man, Robert, was becoming friends with the husband. They smoke and drank together, and the husband came around. The wife I think lost her idolized version of Robert when he began smoking, in fact I think she became jealous that Robert and her husband started getting along. The wife seems pretty immature, she sleeps with one man and has been in love with the memory of another. That's still cheating in my mind, she's just sleeping with the man that can provide for her, the social norm as it were.

I think that the man and Robert actually have a better appreciation for each other than Robert and the man's wife, because they are both mature adults. In another situation Robert and the man might have been long time friends, but I think that could still happen. I don't think the man's wife would like that though, she felt left out of the entire thing, but that's what she gets for never growing up. She can't act like an adult, so she doesn't get to appreciate adult things.

This is nothing against women by the way, though a woman did once do this to me, and if it ever happened again... well I would be very upset. However I know that men are just as capable of having an old romance and keeping a flame in their hearts while sleeping with another woman. Its despicable. Love and romance should exist only between husband and wife, so that love can grow between them forever.

Today's Epic, Tony with a side of Heroism

 The Iliad and The Odyssey were the national epics of ancient Greece. They told of a hero that took on Greece's enemy Troy and conquered  then defied the gods and went on a legendary quest to return home. An American epic would be Iron Man, and this is why:

Odysseus was a super hero. He was a mastermind in outwitting gods and men, and had fantastic adventures. He was strong, a capable warrior, and good with the ladies. He had the honor honor of speaking with gods and they gave him help and the ability to complete his ultimate mission of coming home. He had everything every Greek could want, he had honor, fame, and glory, family, and upon his return he won his family and estate back, he lived out his days in peace.

Tony Stark has everything every American wants. He has wealth, power, and appeals to the ladies (this seems to be a common theme throughout all of history). His girlfriend however is a red head (Pepper Potts) which just makes him even more awesome. He fights for freedom and justice, battling overwhelming odds and coming out often without a scratch. He fought his competitors that wanted to use their power to enslave mankind and dominate them, and against terrorists that really didn't stand a chance. He is a mortal doing incredible things, and works for the good of mankind. 

Every generation wants super heroes, whether they be our gods, our poems, comic books, celebrities, the founders of a country, the list goes on. Any number of epics could be written on these, and many have been. However, so many of these great stories have gone untold, or been long since forgotten. Therefore, if a great story is to be nationally recognized in today's society, then it must be something that is easily accessible to the public and have a lot of explosions. That is why Iron Man is today's epic. 

Philosophy IRL (In Real Life)

The question of every child winning in musical chairs being "fair" or "right" is entirely the wrong question, or at least its the wrong issue that should be addressed. We as a society shouldn't be so concerned in making every child win at a game, because life is much more complex than a game, and more meaningful.

If we are teaching children that their happiness comes from winning at musical chairs then most children and eventually most people will be unhappy. That, in fact, is quite possibly one of the main problems that our economy is facing today, the idea that life is a game with people (the government) in charge, and that it is someone's responsibility to make everything fair for everyone.

Happiness, according to Aristotle, is more long lasting than its hedonist opposite. It is a general feeling of being happy, and so it is based on more steady and fulfilling things than material possessions, the social equivalent to winning a game. However, if we were to live in an impractical hedonist society, then we would tell people that its okay to tell run up your credit card bill so you can "keep up with the Jones'" and then tell people they deserve a house and car that they haven't worked for, and then when they fail in their payments tell the its okay and that the game keepers (the government) will take care of them from now on with money from the people who didn't spend their money so frivolously. Then no one is happy cause everyone has lost the game and no one has learned that real happiness comes in what you have and what you can earn, instead of what other people have and what you think you deserve.

The thing is that these are more than just philosophies, this is how people are living their lives.

The Good, the Bad, and the Right

In answering the question, “You’re so nice. You’re not good, you’re not bad, you’re just nice. I’m not good, I’m not nice, I’m just right.” What’s the difference between nice, good and right? I would say that it is best to be good, if that is an option. Being right doesn't make one good, because there is a write and a wrong way to achieve the same thing.

What about being nice though, where does that fit in? I would have to say that being nice is part of being good, however to be nice without being right can get you killed (in the case of facing the giant's wife in "Into the Woods"), or on a less dramatic and more realistic scale, get you hurt, or in some way enslaved. 

One real life application for this is the matter of self defense. Should people be allowed to defend themselves even if it means not being nice about it? Yes, I submit that as we as human beings have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of property and happiness, securing those things which we have lawfully and morally earned is a natural part of those rights. In fact, I would say that we have a moral responsibility to protect ourselves, and our families, which in some cases means our property as well. I am sure that God will not hold us as being wicked for protecting our own welfare, and that is what really matters is staying right with God.

The other argument would be, "Well if I'm hungry and someone has extra, don't I have a right to secure my own life?" I would say that you do have the right to secure your own life, however that does not include stealing from others. Just because someone has extra doesn't mean you are entitled to it, this thought process is a HUGE part of the problem in the United States and the world today in general. Stealing is wrong, charity is all together right, nice, and good. Those with extra should share, but they should not be legally forced to do so. It doesn't matter if the government does it, that's what Bastiat called "legal plunder," and he said that is plunder all the same.

In conclusion, be right, be nice, be good. Heaven will take the nice and the good over the right and the bad.

Into the Woods

In the play, "Into the Woods" I think the woods represent life. Its hard, and can be scary, but it is also beautiful and full of opportunity. Red Riding Hood learned that there are flowers and sights to see, but you have to stay close to the road or you get lost and distracted and don't get to where you want to go when you need to get there.

In fact, one of the things Red pointed out was “The prettier the flower, the farther from the path” which to me means the further off the beaten path you go, the less people have been around to spoil the opportunity. I think its OK to go off the path a little bit, because there are wonderful things to find and see, and that's a huge part of the adventure of living life! However, responsibility requires us to not neglect our duties.

Drunk on Life and Virtue

Is it important to be "continually drunk on life" as Louis Baudelaire's poem "Be Drunk," says we should be? It is my firm belief that we most certainly should! There are so many things in this life and this world to intoxicate ourselves on, whether it be friendships, music, dancing, running, laughing, there are so many wonders in the world to explore, we as people need to explore them! Living life to the fullest gives the most dull tasks meaning, and gives us something to look forward to!

In his work “On the Uses of a Liberal Education: As Lite Entertainment for Bored College Students” Mark Edmundson says that college students have lost their passion for education, and having studied Liberal Arts myself, I'd have to agree! This is sometimes on part of the instructors or the students, and other times its on account of the dull content. However, taking a new and exciting look at education, realizing the value of being an intelligent and well rounded person gives the student a desire to get drunk on learning! Soon they will be pouring over books and ignoring the Internet (cause lets face it, television is obsolete at this point), and we as students quickly come to appreciate the thrill of learning. 

Go read a book everyone. Not a dull book, start with a good one! Then when you get that passion for learning going you can go into something more for education's sake than for entertainment's sake. Oh, and avoid text books, they're like diluted knowledge, someone else thought they could teach you better than the great mind that actually came up with the original thought! Read it straight from the source, there's nothing like a great mind contacting your mind to inspire greatness in you.