Monday 20 October 2014

The subjectivity of taking offence

David Innes from Perth (Australia) giving the reverse victory salute.
Is taking offence to something a subjective experience? Could it be said finding something offensive is just a personal choice?

It certainly appears that what others find gravely offensive can also not be considered by another group as such. Or indeed, what was deemed to be offensive by past generations is no longer considered to be such today.

For Example: You are a bloody idiot and your mother wears army boots.

“I find that insulting” a cry is heard. “My goodness! That is just simply offensive” an exclamation is made. “How dare you say such a thing” cries another. “Wont somebody think of the children!” shrills a woman.

What! A woman you say?  Oh sure. It would be a woman that shrills about children. Women aren’t the only ones who get hysterical you sexist pig!!

Pig? How dare you label him as a pig? That is simply rude! Pigs are mighty fine animals. Unlike boorish chauvinists, pigs provide us with a diverse range of products from insulin to delicious bacon to go with my eggs on a Sunday morn…

Oh my GAWD! Eating bacon is simply evil. As a vegan I find your eagerness to murder and devour innocent life horrendously offensive and a direct crime against nature itself! It’s people like you that make this world a tremendously wicked place to live in.

People like you? It is that kind of hurtful generalization which fuels the hatred of xenophobic "us and them" divisions! I demand a retraction of your words via an apologetic admission of guilt in a form of a novel for everyone on this planet to approve.
 
What? Just everyone on this Planet? What about life on other planets you…you other-planet-species-ist! Your disregard of what other life forms feel or think outside this planet is deeply disturbing. We demand a committal hearing of epic proportions, to accommodate new laws, to prevent further outlandish remarks from being uttered, against potentially possible existing life forms, that may or may not understand, the pure bigotry of which you so casually utter within infinite space.


So yeah…

Regards
David Innes
Perth, Western Australia

Sunday 12 October 2014

It's a Conspiracy!

David Innes from Perth (Western Australia) surrounded by question marks.
Something has just happened…something tragic. It’s hard to reconcile how this could have occurred.

There just has to be more to it than this.

It simply doesn't make any sense in this day and age. The information at hand seems incomplete.

Did it really happen as they said it did?

Surely someone could have done something, anything…so why didn't they? If only they had.

Those bastards! It appears that there is more to this than meets the eye. That piece of information was wrong, they clearly lied about that…though they told the truth there. The media says one thing then tells us something different…and the government claims not to know.

Cover up? But why? Of course. Join the dots, follow the clues and confirm what was known all along! They don’t want us to know, because they are guilty! Clearly!!!!

Something needs to be done to expose all this!

An Independent media needs to be created to inform the ignorant masses; to encourage the misled. To reveal the truth at last! To empower the passive herd to take action against the tyranny that oppressing them all through the blankets of lies! To remove the systematic control of our freedoms! To release ourselves from the strings of the puppet masters! To clear the smoke and smash those mirrors! To destroy our reptilian overlords and the genocidal shadowy elite that enslaves us all!

Or…

Perhaps we can all just chill out...and admit..."shit just happens".

Regards
David Innes
Perth, Western Australia

Thursday 2 October 2014

Articulation Tribulations

In Perth, David Innes displays a thumbs up of appreciation
Do you find conversations hard to maintain when one utilizes interesting vocabularies that the other(s) involved in the discussion have little or no understanding of?

You know...when one uses "big words".

Or does one find that linguistic gymnastics are sometimes required to articulate collaborating points when addressing a dissertation about an inquisitive topic when others have trouble reaching an agreement?

In other words…finding the right words to politely end the argument?

Sure one could just nod in passive acknowledgement with a “Yes, yes – quite right…say, how about the weather we've been having?” directing a more mute topical shift.  Or yes indeed, one could simply announce a statement of “You sir are a buffoon!” and proceed to walk away into the other direction.

But more often than not, do you...like me, feel obliged to proceed into a flurry of words in order to prove some point, that clearly has become an exceptional necessity to establish, before one can end the discussion politely or otherwise?

Well…if you answered that with the affirmative; may I offer an extension of endearing heart felt sympathies towards you and your inter-personal conversational involvements with others.

However if you have no idea what the hell is going on in this post; I shall end by saying ever so politely..."Isn't spring just wonderful!"

Regards
David Innes
Perth in Western Australia

Thursday 25 September 2014

Polite Reflections of Captain Hindsight

Webcam Photo of David Innes
Having a moment of quiet reflection, looking back at the history of ones existence with mature, aged and refined eyes, we pause to contemplate..."honestly, what the jumping kangaroos expletive, was I thinking?!"

Ah, the magnificence of hindsight...

"It seemed like a good idea at time", we might say to consul ourselves. Or alternatively, and perhaps more harshly, one can be tempted to blurt "My goodness, I was an idiot" as if one is now non-idiot-able.

Yes, the comforting tones of blame. "Had that not been, it would not have been!" we'll scream in defiant judgement, cleansing ourselves of the folly.

But why do we entertain conversations with hindsight? Can we really rely on the superhero of "should have known better" to help improve our future selves from folly and errs?

Afterall, where was the bastard during those moments we now regret?

Oh sure, he has all the wisdom of answers now...but how does that help? And no doubt, when one makes future reflective mistakes, the bloody blighter wont be there either! No, as usual he'll swoop down to save the day after the day has long gone and inform us of how he would have done it better.

Well balls to you sir. Balls I say!

Sunday 14 September 2014

"It is always now" by Sam Harris

Picture of David Innes with a stuffed Valentine Day's puppy
The below transcript is from an interesting and inspiring talk given by Sam Harris back in April, 2012 at the Melbourne Convention Exhibition Centre.

"Sam Harris is a Co-Founder and CEO of Project Reason, a non-profit foundation devoted to spreading scientific knowledge and secular values in society. He received a degree in philosophy from Stanford University and a Ph.D. in neuroscience from UCLA."

I actually want to talk today about death. Now most of us do our best to not to think about death but there's always part of our minds that knows this can't go on forever. Part of us always knows that we're just a doctor's visit away or a phone call away from being starkly reminded with the fact of our own mortality or of those closest to us.

Now I'm sure many of you in this room have experienced this in some form. You must know how uncanny it is to suddenly be thrown out of the normal course of your life and just be given the full time job of not dying or caring for someone who is. 

But the one thing people tend to realize at moments like this is that they wasted a lot of time when life was normal. And it's not just what they did with their time. It's not just that they spent too much time working or or compulsively checking email. It's that they cared about the wrong things. They regret what they cared about.  Their attention was bound up in petty concerns year after year when life was normal.

And this is a paradox of course because we all know this epiphany is coming. I mean, don't you know this is coming?  Don't you know there's going to come a day when you'll be sick or someone close to you will die and you'll look back at the kinds of things that captured your attention and you'll think, "what, what was I doing?" 

You know this, and yet if you're like most people, you'll spend most of your time in life tacitly presuming you'll live forever. I mean it's like watching a bad movie for the fourth time or bickering with your spouse. These things only makes sense in light of eternity. There better be a heaven if we're gonna waste our time like this. There are ways to really live in the present moment. What's the alternative?

It is always now. However much you feel you may need to plan for the future to anticipate it, to mitigate risks, the reality of your life is now. This may sound trite but it's the truth.

It's not quite true as a matter of physics, in fact there is no now that encompasses the entire universe. You can't talk about an event being simultaneously occurring here and one at the same moment occurring in Andromeda.

The truth is, now is not even well-defined as a matter of neurology. Because we know that inputs to the brain come at different moments and that consciousness is built upon layers of inputs whose timing to have to be different. Our conscious awareness of the present moment is in some relevant sense already a memory. 

But as a matter of conscious experience the reality of your life is always now.

And I think this is a liberating truth about the nature of the human mind. In fact I think there's probably nothing more important to understand about your mind than that if you want to be happy in this world. The past is a memory. It's a thought arising in the present. The future is merely anticipated, it is another thought arising now.

What we truly have is this moment. And this...and this...and we spend most of our lives forgetting this truth repudiating it, fleeing it, overlooking it. And the horror is that we succeed. We managed to never really connect with the present moment and find fulfillment there because we are continually hoping to become happy in the future and the future never arrives.

Now even when we think we're in the present moment we are, in very subtle ways, always looking over its shoulder anticipating what's coming next. We are always solving a problem and it's possible to simply drop your problem if only for a moment and enjoy whatever is true of your life in the present.

This is not a matter of new information or more information, it requires a change in attitude. It requires a change in the attentiveness you pay to your experience in the present moment.


Wednesday 27 August 2014

Procrastination - I stab at thee!

Photograph of David Innes from Perth, pointing at the camera
Motivation to do things, one does not want to do, seems abundantly difficult to gather.

Name it...

If you aren't keen, passionate, salivating towards or even mildly interested in it - one wont do it. Or at the very least one struggles to do it.

However most of these motivational challenges are happily rejected with a lofty hand to shoo it away as the nuisance it appears to be.

Bah humbug I say to such shackles! To quote from Churchill:

"A pessimist sees the difficult in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."

Drawing philosophical muster from the above World War 2 Prime Minister's self-help guidelines; I am focusing upon the seemingly difficult task to re-train my diet and exercise routines (or lack thereof) for the opportunity of improving my physical and mental health.

To get back into a shape other than a circle.

Not that there is anything wrong with circle shaped objects. After all whom am I to judge the bountiful roundness of spherical patterns? The cuddliest soft puffiness of extra circumference...no sir not I!

I stand before my reflection...empowered to transform it into a different shape. Like an artist imagining the creative possibilities of manipulating a mound of clay, refusing to stand idle with diametric resentments. Like an conservationist recycling wasteful materials in order to improve our industries into a progressive, stable, and better environmental future. 

Or like a fat bastard who needs to shed some kilos.

Onwards!

Saturday 16 August 2014

When Zombies Attack!

David Innes as the Zombie from Perth
I have noticed an amazing amount of survival horror games appearing over the years within the gaming market. It's alarming to note that a clear majority of them focus on the promotion of killing Zombies with impunity.

Apparently, or so we are told...the undead, the non-living, these "Zombies" are a menace. They are a direct threat and the very reason why our virtual worlds are turbulent and full of suffering.

But who are we to judge their existence with negative word play; labeling them to be devoid of life...when clearly they live! Is it any wonder that when faced with such discrimination and prosecution that Zombies fight back?

"Wont somebody think of the Zombies!!!??"

Surely in this progressive world of encouraging democracies with a banner equality and freedom for all; the video gaming community should ask, nay demand these software companies, for games that promote understanding between the living and the alternative lifers.

That's right, you heard me...alternative lifers.

Little care is given in our societies about encouragement of violence being inflicted upon our alternative lifer associates, colleagues, family, friends and comrades. These horrible programmers are corrupting our generations with "games" focusing on alienating alternative lifers as just being smelly, vile, brain devouring and generally unpleasant.

But it is these differences that make them unique and that should be embraced...not discriminated against with an axe, bat, gun or blade.

If we continue to allow bigots to dictate to us that all "zombies" are the same; we will soon forget about how the majority of them are, like us, just trying to survive difficult times. Namely an Apocalypse.

Remember folks, we are all in this fight together. Alternative Lifers Forever! Peace out.

Monday 11 August 2014

Beads - My Beading Kit Project

A handmade beading loom by David Innes surrounded by beads and string.
There is little doubt that when a forty year old cat owner who lives on his parents property while looking for work, begins a blog entry entitled "My Beading Kit Project"...is livin' the dream.

However, one is more likely to declare that I've descended into madness,  perhaps "lost my marbles" or that I'm now officially "one can short of a six-pack".

And fair enough too. It may well be an accurate reflection upon the summary of circumstance. But sanity aside; I'm eager to deny such comments.

One could say I am a free-agent; a man standing at a world of oysters with no restriction nor burden of any real responsibilities. Funded by an empathetic society, supported by loving family, and encouraged through my cat to devour the luxuries of such dependencies.

Because of such, one is free to explore any and all creative pursuits; no heights to imagination nor choice. Nothing to lose, everything to gain; a potential entrepreneur ready to enrich and empower it's life without restriction! Oh how my half full cup runneth over comrades!

Yes, the freedom to pursue...the freedom to participate....the freedom to explore. Free to choose! Free to be! So free in fact...I can invest a portion of my time...to bead.

Hmm. Dress up a turd has much as you like - it's still a turd.

Seriously though, doing something so out of the box like this has to be rewarding in itself. I note that my girlfriend gets immense joy from this hobby; maybe I will too. Or maybe I wont. Either way one can quite sincerely say, I'm actively investigating different states of mental stimuli; having new experiences.

And surely, that's what being alive is all about.

Thursday 7 August 2014

In the Beginning...

David Innes giving a thumbs up from Perth
G'day. My name is David. David Innes in fact. I live on the western side of Australia, near the wonderful city of Perth. I have a cat. His name is Benton.

Fascinating stuff really.

In an attempt to build up a digital profile on the internet, my journey into Blogging thus begins.

The hope is that this adventure back into the digital realm will expand my horizons by exploring different online communities, improve my social networking circles avoiding isolationist lifestyles, and more importantly make myself appear completely interesting to random strangers for no other apparent reason than to appeal to my own vanity.

Well perhaps not the latter.

Although one does wonder about such online pursuits...such as blogging. Does the world really need any more online publications from unknown individuals claiming their opinion or experience is a worthwhile attention grabber of your precious time in which to contemplate or review? Probably not.

However, I shall thrust forward into the wilderness pretending that there is a continuing requirement and demand for such; regulate a sense of self importance and demand attention from you albeit for a few more minutes.

Yes. That's it. Continue reading. Validate the blogger's vanity. Perhaps leave a comment and then share this page with your friends...declaring to the digital world that information is worth devouring even when it is absent of any substance.

Okay...now...how does one send this via Twitter....