Before I got some news half-way through the week that my grandmother had passed away in her sleep things were looking a little bit brighter. Funerals of someone you love are always hard, and the stress it adds to an already stressful day or week makes life seem a little duller. And that's why this thought of the week is dedicated to hardship, unfortunately.
It's not unfortunate that she had die, or that she had to pass away the way she did, since she was a strong lady, and she lived a full life, and I did have a chance to form a relationship with her. The unfortunate part is that those still living often deal with hardship...the feeling that the weight of the world is heavy. And it's not heavy because it's too much or that we don't want to carry it. It's heavy simply because the facts of life simply are not what we expect them to be. And because of that, our world, which isn't perfect, often makes us face challenges we don't want to face, and deal with problems we don't want to be real.
Philosophy has always had a lot to say about the problems of humanity. (Heck, one of my specialities in philosophy is moral suffering. Eh heh. Drama.) One of the best accounts, of course, is by Viktor Frankl, the psychiatrist who survived the Holocaust and Auschwitz. He had some very brilliant things to say about the problems of human suffering. Frankl himself experienced deep suffering, given that he was separated from his wife and parents (who were killed in the camps), and the only direct member of his family that survived was his sister.
Frankl, through his experience in Nazi Germany, devised something called logotherapy. When the physical life is too much, there is a retreat into mental life that can keep us alive, even when suffering removes all reasonable hope. For every situation that creates hardship, we can let it dehumanize us, turn us into objects or collateral damage, or we can be as we are, human and free. And as we create and imagine, and grow as creatures that think and have spiritual capacities, we search for meaning and purpose, so that hardship is not the only answer at the beginning or the end of our lives.
There are answers beyond just pleasure and pain. And those answers are ours to create.
Monday, March 30, 2009
VOW: Treadmill Cats
I couldn't get this to embed, but you should view this here. It's pretty alright. TOW possibly later this evening.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
In SK
Just so everyone is aware, I am away in SK until April 1, and not available, really, until April 2nd. I have a funeral to attend, my grandmother just passed away, so I will be busy.
On top of that, I am moving as well April 1st, but thankfully my roommate is taking care of things for me *God bless him* and I can just do my thing here. I will try and put up a TOW and a VOW when I can, I just can't promise it will happen on schedule like it usually does.
Take care.
On top of that, I am moving as well April 1st, but thankfully my roommate is taking care of things for me *God bless him* and I can just do my thing here. I will try and put up a TOW and a VOW when I can, I just can't promise it will happen on schedule like it usually does.
Take care.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
TOW: Strength
Since I work out a lot these days, I have been thinking lately about my body, and my diet, age, etc. All this working out has got me thinking about strength. It's hard to be strong...physically, mentally, or spiritually. I am currently working a lot on the physical and somewhat on the spiritual, and the mental strength I feel like I have under wraps. (That's what an MA gets you. Har har.)
Nietzsche called human strength will to power. Even more than the desire to live, strong and intellectual beings want to be powerful, and will risk their lives for more power. We become most fulfilled when we struggle to achieve power in our own lives, to control the circumstances that surround us. (In a more negative interpretation, this also means being able to control people around us. Don't read too much Nietzsche.) Every time we fight beyond the will to just survive, we are doing something right. Taking risks for positive benefit is integral to being human. Every time we let people and circumstance overshadow our sense of self, our 'will to exist and be powerful' we are weak.
Perhaps the most common mistake each of us makes is the idea that strength equals the inability to fail. Nietzsche was right about one thing--there are some people that are truly strong that sink with their own ships. Strength is the ability to prevent the possibility of failure from paralyzing us. Strong people don't actually succeed a lot. They usually just manage to succeed once or twice while other people are watching. And that's all it takes.
Strength resides in our ability to take risks and not fear failure, and to laugh in the face of failure as it approaches from afar. Strength is integrity in the face of fear. And often our dreams are built out of this intergrity.
Nietzsche called human strength will to power. Even more than the desire to live, strong and intellectual beings want to be powerful, and will risk their lives for more power. We become most fulfilled when we struggle to achieve power in our own lives, to control the circumstances that surround us. (In a more negative interpretation, this also means being able to control people around us. Don't read too much Nietzsche.) Every time we fight beyond the will to just survive, we are doing something right. Taking risks for positive benefit is integral to being human. Every time we let people and circumstance overshadow our sense of self, our 'will to exist and be powerful' we are weak.
Perhaps the most common mistake each of us makes is the idea that strength equals the inability to fail. Nietzsche was right about one thing--there are some people that are truly strong that sink with their own ships. Strength is the ability to prevent the possibility of failure from paralyzing us. Strong people don't actually succeed a lot. They usually just manage to succeed once or twice while other people are watching. And that's all it takes.
Strength resides in our ability to take risks and not fear failure, and to laugh in the face of failure as it approaches from afar. Strength is integrity in the face of fear. And often our dreams are built out of this intergrity.
VOW: Youtube Symphony Orchestra
I could explain it, but this girl certainly does a better job. Sure to be fairly international news.
Happy Intergalactic Cow Day!

I didn't do this particular drawing because Chris is visiting, so I didn't have time for something fancy! Anyways, Always remember to celebrate this moo-ving holiday, which is every March 21st! Intergalactic Cows are friends of all people everywhere, so make this day an international friend day!
Saturday, March 14, 2009
TOW: Living in the Past
Hey friends, what were you doing yesterday? Ah, that was a good day wasn't it? How was your last fifteen minutes? You still remember that piece of cake you just had? Don't you wish you still had it? I do. The second piece wasn't as good as the first, at least for me. Didn't seem as nice. And let me say, I'm half-way through the third piece, and according to my memory, I didn't feel half as sick during my first piece.
This thought of the week is dedicated to my current nostalgia that has been affecting me to a large level since February. (This thought of the week is also brought to you by the letter Q. Har har har.) Nostolgia can have an interesting effect on you. You start thinking about past relationships, past accomplishments, and start wondering if you're on the right track. Wasn't I in a better place last year? Didn't I feel better about my circle of friends, about my family, my relationships and career a year or two ago? Weren't things easier back then? Why do things seem so hard these days?
Dang it, it was way better back then! The past tastes so yummy when I think about it like that! Hand me another piece of cake! I'm not hungry, but I'll eat it anyways! Gimmie that!
Ahem.
The philosopher Jacques Lacan had something to say about the past. He said, "Repitition is not the same thing as reproduction." We think, "Wow, the first time I did something, x happened. I bet that will happen again." We try and relive it, or in Lacanian terms, we try to repeat the past to prevent us from facing the future. This often applies to our desire for a certain kind of pleasure we had in the past that was so great we want it again and again. However, experience often teaches us that this is a bad idea. My first piece of cake didn't taste as good as my second piece. And my third piece, well, let's just say it wasn't pleasurable. Someone hand me my antacid. =(
Living in the past is a reaction which is (usually) brought on by an intense desire to feel happy in light of current circumstances. Sometimes we all experience moments in our lives that aren't as happy, or as rich as others. But that doesn't mean we can't value the present. It is often in those deeply unhappy moments, we do live in the past for a short time, and when we revisit the past when we can truly love ourselves for who we were.
The challenge is, naturally, to love ourselves for the people we are now and the present for what it is, versus the great person we thought we were in times past. And unless we choose to step away from those areas in which we are comfortable and easily victorious, we will never find out who we really are, now and for always. Even great men and women have desperate moments where they wish for a better life, or namely, the life they had. The characteristic that makes them great, however, is the fact that they let the past guide them into a brighter future, not a duskier one.
No more cake for me, please.
This thought of the week is dedicated to my current nostalgia that has been affecting me to a large level since February. (This thought of the week is also brought to you by the letter Q. Har har har.) Nostolgia can have an interesting effect on you. You start thinking about past relationships, past accomplishments, and start wondering if you're on the right track. Wasn't I in a better place last year? Didn't I feel better about my circle of friends, about my family, my relationships and career a year or two ago? Weren't things easier back then? Why do things seem so hard these days?
Dang it, it was way better back then! The past tastes so yummy when I think about it like that! Hand me another piece of cake! I'm not hungry, but I'll eat it anyways! Gimmie that!
Ahem.
The philosopher Jacques Lacan had something to say about the past. He said, "Repitition is not the same thing as reproduction." We think, "Wow, the first time I did something, x happened. I bet that will happen again." We try and relive it, or in Lacanian terms, we try to repeat the past to prevent us from facing the future. This often applies to our desire for a certain kind of pleasure we had in the past that was so great we want it again and again. However, experience often teaches us that this is a bad idea. My first piece of cake didn't taste as good as my second piece. And my third piece, well, let's just say it wasn't pleasurable. Someone hand me my antacid. =(
Living in the past is a reaction which is (usually) brought on by an intense desire to feel happy in light of current circumstances. Sometimes we all experience moments in our lives that aren't as happy, or as rich as others. But that doesn't mean we can't value the present. It is often in those deeply unhappy moments, we do live in the past for a short time, and when we revisit the past when we can truly love ourselves for who we were.
The challenge is, naturally, to love ourselves for the people we are now and the present for what it is, versus the great person we thought we were in times past. And unless we choose to step away from those areas in which we are comfortable and easily victorious, we will never find out who we really are, now and for always. Even great men and women have desperate moments where they wish for a better life, or namely, the life they had. The characteristic that makes them great, however, is the fact that they let the past guide them into a brighter future, not a duskier one.
No more cake for me, please.
VOW: The Nano Song
And we're not talking about iPods here, friends. This is so genius. I wish she had her own tv show.
Friday, March 13, 2009
Funny Conversations with Montse on MSN #30,302
m says:
already cured from your horrible flu? Is today your day off?
Brennan says:
Yes!
Brennan says:
Wait, I had the flu???
m says:
cool! have you got one day off per week or somethong?
Brennan says:
Well, basically.
m says:
sorry
m says:
no thongs involved
Brennan says:
LOL
Brennan says:
That's ok
Brennan says:
I think thongs are scary
Brennan says:
LOL
m says:
hmmmm not really... I think what's under thongs is often scary!
Brennan says:
Now you are just being even weirder than me.
m says:
well, what can I say? I had a wonderful master!
Brennan says:
OK, now I feel dirty.
already cured from your horrible flu? Is today your day off?
Brennan says:
Yes!
Brennan says:
Wait, I had the flu???
m says:
cool! have you got one day off per week or somethong?
Brennan says:
Well, basically.
m says:
sorry
m says:
no thongs involved
Brennan says:
LOL
Brennan says:
That's ok
Brennan says:
I think thongs are scary
Brennan says:
LOL
m says:
hmmmm not really... I think what's under thongs is often scary!
Brennan says:
Now you are just being even weirder than me.
m says:
well, what can I say? I had a wonderful master!
Brennan says:
OK, now I feel dirty.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
TOW: Discpline
I have been lacking some discpline this week. You might have noticed that because my posts are up two days later than they normally are. And I have been going to bed late, and missing out on going to the gym. And not doing much except watching trashy tv and playing mindless computer games, and then going leaving for work only to get there just in the nick of time...wait, I have something more important to do. I can hear internet tv calling my name, and it says I haven't watched my mandatory three hours of cute pet stunts and stupid videos where people put pencils up their noses.
Have I mentioned I've been lacking some discipline this week?
Philosphy has had a lot to say about the role of discipline in our lives. We can have disciplined minds, disciplined spirits, disciplined bodies, school teachers that hand out plenty of discipline. These are usually nuns.
Aristotle is famous for having said that all good things in life are in the ability to find the mean between two extremes; for example, the difference between sleeping all day and staying up all night. If you can find a mean in there somewhere, you might just wake up in time for work/school/doctor's appointments/watching the sun rise/etc. Life is about a spectrum of choices, and finding the balance in those choices generally leads us to happiness.
Discipline is the act of recognizing where and when you life is out of balance, and taking steps to correct that inbalance. The moment we let something unbalance us, other things start to fall apart as well. One night of bad sleep leads to bad eating leads to less exercise leads to gaining weight, leads to sitting in front of the tv wondering what happened to us that we could ever let ourselves 'become' a certain kind of person that we didn't expect or want. A tiny step backwards here, a misstep there, and suddenly we're on Weight-Watchers ten most wanted list. Or we've spent our entire budgets for the month without realizing it. A little bit of imbalance suddenly becomes a whole lot of pain. To prevent this, it's imperative we spend time with ourselves, thinking about what is really important in our lives, and what can wait until we have room on our plates for it.
So, take part in self-discipline awareness this week. Tie up loose ends, start new projects, and recognize what needs to be done to get you to your goals. Don't let items that are time-wasters take over your life and personal goals and values. There's nothing as embarassing as going through life with the label of 'too lazy to get what they wanted in life.'
Have I mentioned I've been lacking some discipline this week?
Philosphy has had a lot to say about the role of discipline in our lives. We can have disciplined minds, disciplined spirits, disciplined bodies, school teachers that hand out plenty of discipline. These are usually nuns.
Aristotle is famous for having said that all good things in life are in the ability to find the mean between two extremes; for example, the difference between sleeping all day and staying up all night. If you can find a mean in there somewhere, you might just wake up in time for work/school/doctor's appointments/watching the sun rise/etc. Life is about a spectrum of choices, and finding the balance in those choices generally leads us to happiness.
Discipline is the act of recognizing where and when you life is out of balance, and taking steps to correct that inbalance. The moment we let something unbalance us, other things start to fall apart as well. One night of bad sleep leads to bad eating leads to less exercise leads to gaining weight, leads to sitting in front of the tv wondering what happened to us that we could ever let ourselves 'become' a certain kind of person that we didn't expect or want. A tiny step backwards here, a misstep there, and suddenly we're on Weight-Watchers ten most wanted list. Or we've spent our entire budgets for the month without realizing it. A little bit of imbalance suddenly becomes a whole lot of pain. To prevent this, it's imperative we spend time with ourselves, thinking about what is really important in our lives, and what can wait until we have room on our plates for it.
So, take part in self-discipline awareness this week. Tie up loose ends, start new projects, and recognize what needs to be done to get you to your goals. Don't let items that are time-wasters take over your life and personal goals and values. There's nothing as embarassing as going through life with the label of 'too lazy to get what they wanted in life.'
VOW: The Secret Life of the American Teenager
I found a new web series. It's like Dawson's Creek, but with good acting, and it's all free on the net! Check it!
Edit: Wait, they require you to download zango. Bummer. Anyways, it's still a good series, and worthy of VOW.
Sunday, March 01, 2009
TOW: Under the Influence
This week has been very. very busy. And if there has been one thing I've learned (ok, I've learned many things this week) it's that you can have a profound effect on people by doing little things. The choices you make, and the acts you commit, will ultimately have effects you couldn't even have imagined, not even if you tried. Not even if you really tried. Not even if you really, really, really really, tried. No, not even if....well, you get the idea.
To have an effect on someone, to influence them, means that we create a real and personal change in someone's life because of our attitudes. Sometimes we influence people because they look up to us, like role models. Sometimes we influence people because we are authority figures, people who can give guidance at work or in our spare time.
And how we influence others always depends on our attitude. People with bad attitudes make us feel miserable, they make us not want to aspire to the things they like or admire. People with good attitudes make us feel like the weight is being lifted off of our shoulders for a couple minutes each day that we spend with them. People with great attitudes make us feel like the world can be a better place. Change is made possible through our attitudes towards others, and their attitudes towards us. Attitude is everything.
Surprisingly, most people spend a large portion of the day in auto-pilot failing to notice that other people even exist. Yet isn't it at the very moments we think nobody cares that people with great attitudes really influence us, make us feel that they brightened up our day? Aren't we often influenced by someone's choice to care about us when it seems that no one would care at all? (Unless you live in a big city like Toronto, where no one actually does care. But that is a different kind of problem, perhaps.)
You do not have to be a great leader to influence people. In fact, it is often those actions that you do effortlessly on a day to day basis that effect people the most in your life. So think to yourself, which actions do you do regularly, which of your habits continue to effect the people around you, and are they good or bad? You don't need to be phobic about your behaviour, but at the very least, realize that people are forced to drink a tall cool glass of your attitude towards the world every day. And wouldn't it be better if that tall cool glass was toxin-free and people-friendly?
So be aware that you are powerful in your own way. Because some day, some kid will remember the time you dropped his ice-cream cone in the sand-box because it was funny. And someday, that kid will be an international heavy-weight boxing champion with rage issues. And you will, when you are old and rickety, meet him in that dark alley after he's been drinking.
Not the best kind of influence.
To have an effect on someone, to influence them, means that we create a real and personal change in someone's life because of our attitudes. Sometimes we influence people because they look up to us, like role models. Sometimes we influence people because we are authority figures, people who can give guidance at work or in our spare time.
And how we influence others always depends on our attitude. People with bad attitudes make us feel miserable, they make us not want to aspire to the things they like or admire. People with good attitudes make us feel like the weight is being lifted off of our shoulders for a couple minutes each day that we spend with them. People with great attitudes make us feel like the world can be a better place. Change is made possible through our attitudes towards others, and their attitudes towards us. Attitude is everything.
Surprisingly, most people spend a large portion of the day in auto-pilot failing to notice that other people even exist. Yet isn't it at the very moments we think nobody cares that people with great attitudes really influence us, make us feel that they brightened up our day? Aren't we often influenced by someone's choice to care about us when it seems that no one would care at all? (Unless you live in a big city like Toronto, where no one actually does care. But that is a different kind of problem, perhaps.)
You do not have to be a great leader to influence people. In fact, it is often those actions that you do effortlessly on a day to day basis that effect people the most in your life. So think to yourself, which actions do you do regularly, which of your habits continue to effect the people around you, and are they good or bad? You don't need to be phobic about your behaviour, but at the very least, realize that people are forced to drink a tall cool glass of your attitude towards the world every day. And wouldn't it be better if that tall cool glass was toxin-free and people-friendly?
So be aware that you are powerful in your own way. Because some day, some kid will remember the time you dropped his ice-cream cone in the sand-box because it was funny. And someday, that kid will be an international heavy-weight boxing champion with rage issues. And you will, when you are old and rickety, meet him in that dark alley after he's been drinking.
Not the best kind of influence.
VOW: Brainteasers
This was one of my favourite of theirs. Very interesting comedy troupe.
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