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CELESTINA
SURREALISM: You have two giraffes. The government requires you to take harmonica lessons.
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Member Since: 2/2006
Member Since: 2/2006
73 Comments
PrintPoltergeists, Superpowers, and The Tao
News Type: Opinion — Wed Apr 25, 2007 10:14 AM EDT
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When I was about ten years old, my Mom laid down the law: I was old enough to sleep in my room with the door closed and the light off. I don't know exactly why she felt compelled to declare such a policy at that time, though it could have had something to do with her being sick of me rushing into her room at three in the morning begging her to help me shake off the nightmares and subsequently keeping her up half the night. Whatever the reason, it backfired. As I was lying in my pink canopy bed, covers pulled up to my nose and literally shaking from fear in the moonlit room, toys began to fly off the shelves. First the plastic Barbie horse fell off the dresser with a light, clanky noise. Then the china collectibles began to crash to the floor, one after another, splintering into thousands of tiny pieces in a cacophony of tinkles and jarring miniature explosions, accompanied by my high-pitched screaming. I don't actually remember my parents coming into the room, but the horse collection was never the same. And the light stayed on, after that, night after night for a long time.
There were other incidents, later on. Toasters, books, spice racks....thrown to the floor, sometimes even wrenched out of the plaster (as in the case of the spice rack) by invisible hands. And I wasn't always alone to see these events, though calling anyone who has witnessed a poltergeist episode an "objective witness" is probably a stretch of the term. For years I felt haunted, hounded by supernatural forces which were out to get me for reasons I could not imagine. They followed me from house to house, often dormant for years at a time, then returning with a vengeance whenever I was already at my most vulnerable to further destroy whatever peace I had managed to create. Boyfriends sooner or later came to look at me with that wide-eyed fear normally reserved for charging bulls, and having roomates was...tricky. I, myself, managed to link these "episodes" to times when I was terribly frightened or angered...but I figured it was just the ghosts @!$%#ing with me when I was weak, and that was not exactly a comforting thought.
Years later, though, I found a book which changed my perspective on my invisible tormentors, and therefore began a subtle shift in my perception of the world which would eventually filter through to everything I could see. The book was named Poltergeist, by Colin Wilson, and was a comprehensive investigative study of the subject, complete with multiple case studies and Mr. Wilson's considered evaluation of the causes. He noticed that poltergeist incidents, when recurrent, tended to follow people, rather than remaining fixed at a single locale. Most commonly, the initial incident could be correlated to the onset of puberty in a child in residence, often coinciding with stressful events in the child's life. Further episodes were seemingly triggered by emotionally tense situations, sometimes settling down over the years, but sometimes following them throughout a lifetime. His conclusion was that poltergeists were not in fact supernatural beings with a sadistic streak, but rather a series of uncontrolled psychokinetic episodes generated by distraught people. I fit the profile exactly.
Remember the game of "What superpower would you have?", played with other kids around the lunch table (or, perhaps, other geeks over a few beers)? Invisibility or flying? Super-strength or super-intelligence? Imagine if you had a superpower which you couldn't control, one which was destructive and violent, but you just knew that if you could ever get a grip on it you could save the world (or at least make a lot of money). In recent years there has been a rash of superhero movies as geek culture gets more credibility (funny how they need us now...I always told those bastards I would get them back). Early superheros were vicarious escapes from a sense of powerlessness. Superman was just born that way, and the only thing that could take him down was a rare rock not even originating on Earth. The early X-Men were replete with amazing, in-born powers, and it wasn't until much later that we started getting folks like Wolverine who came in with enough baggage to almost cancel out their amazing gifts...a trend which seems to sweep the board in today's heroes. Spiderman and Batman just seem to develop more pathos as time goes by, and they are wusses compared to the likes of John Constantine or Shade the Changing Man (no, there's not a movie about him yet, but I keep hoping), who suffer from real existential crises. The new superhero is one who, first and foremost, battles with himself. None of this ultimate Good and Evil nonsense for us. The lines are blurry, and the real war is waged in our own unruly minds, where we struggle to gain control of the subversive elements of our psyches which seem determined to undermine our quest for happiness.
Years of study, meditation, and going cross-eyed have not yet resulted in my moving a paper clip across a table top even a fraction of an inch. On the other hand, it has been a while since anything flew off the shelves, seemingly under its own impetus (though electrical systems of anything within reach do seem to have a half-life of approximately six hours, give or take a little). We know so little about the full capabilities of the human mind that it is hard to say what its potentials are, what effects my efforts have had, or whether there is even the possibility of ever bringing such an ability under conscious control at all. What I do know, however, is that the original path I sought -- that of complete control over my emotional state -- has not been achieved. I still get angry (though much less often than I used to), and I still worry and get frustrated. What I did wind up with was the ability to step back and make choices which were in line with what I wanted for my own happiness, and that, rather than iron control, is what led to a lifestyle which has less use for random acts of subconscious violence. Sometimes, contrary to what the storylines teach, winning the battle within us is not so much a matter of setting up fortresses and rallying the defense as it is a matter of retreat, reflection, and learning to let go of the things which don't matter in favor of the ones which do.
Each of us has within themselves powers they may never see or guess unless circumstances call them forth. Like Cyclops with his silly visor, our most important gifts are hidden from the world, and often we cannot see them ourselves. When glimpsed in a moment of crisis we may misunderstand and fear their nature, wondering whether they will one day be used for evil purposes, damaging those we love. We rarely ask ourselves the reverse; whether the abilities we admire in ourselves have ever been used to hurt others, and if not, why not? I have always known, for example, that I have a special gift with gaining the trust of animals. It never occurred to me to wonder why I had never turned an abused dog back on its owner, much less on the annoying Girl Scout troop down the street (well, until now...but it would backfire on the dog, so the Girl Scouts are safe...for the moment). I have never used my ability as a mediator to turn two people against each other. I have never...well, I have rarely used my ability with language to eviscerate another person (and they totally had it coming). We are far too willing to weigh our faults and fears heavier than our compassion and caring, and it is this more than anything which keeps us from being able to utilize our gifts to the fullest.
The Tao Te Ching states:
Nothing in the world is softer than water,
Yet nothing is better at overcoming the hard and strong.
This is because nothing can alter it.
In being completely what we are and embracing whatever obstacles life may place in front of us, we eventually will wind up where we need to be, and the barriers to that end will be smoothed over. Simply to accept and believe in ourselves is often the one quest we run blindly from, as do many of our favourite superheros. Batman fears to let anyone too close, not trusting himself to be a positive force in intimate relationships. Wolverine, deep down, knows that he does not merit Jean Grey's affection, as he cannot even earn his own. Green Lantern, as perhaps the ultimate example of this internal battle, is capable of anything at all...hampered only by his own willpower, which turns out time and again to be quite sufficient limitation. And then we have the moralistic tale of Jean Grey/Phoenix, wherein Jean finally embraces the full extent of her powers, only to wipe out an entire solar system. Not exactly encouraging news.
Ultimately, each of us has the potential to be superheros fully meriting our own comic series. Whether we have an aptitude for mathematics, an uncanny ability to finish others' sentences, or a gift for combining unlikely ingredients to turn out fantastic gourmet dinners, each of us possesses abilities the source and scope of which we do not fully comprehend. Each of us also holds powers which we refuse to recognize, because we fear to come face to face with what our own nature makes us capable of. Yet there is no way to escape ourselves, and so again and again we come up against our self-imposed barriers, which block our view of the future and prevent us from moving effortlessly into happiness. No amount of control will save us from ourselves if we do not admit what that self is and what it is could do. The quest to unravel our own psyche is the ultimate Hero's Quest, and not one taken on by the faint of heart. But facing and embracing our own power is mandatory if we ever wish to earn our place in the story. From that vantage point we can look out and decide how to use our powers for good, instead of evil (assuming good is your thing, of course).
As for me, I am back to contemplate the sage words I have been studying for the last few years: It is not the spoon that bends...
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7.3
{"commentId":665115,"authorDomain":"darkside"}
that sounds like a mozart to me...
{"commentId":665115,"threadId":"97295","contentId":"682883","authorDomain":"darkside"}
- 8 votes
#1 - Wed Apr 25, 2007 11:03 AM EDT{"commentId":665156,"authorDomain":"deatienza"}
I think Celestina in this contest is cheating. She could probably win all the awards just with this post.
{"commentId":665156,"threadId":"97295","contentId":"682883","authorDomain":"deatienza"}
- 7 votes
{"commentId":669747,"authorDomain":"ansab"}
And no, Eric, I am not eligible to win the Brahms award.
Thank you Jesus Jacobsen
{"commentId":669747,"threadId":"97295","contentId":"682883","authorDomain":"ansab"}
- 2 votes
{"commentId":665153,"authorDomain":"deatienza"}
Years of study, meditation, and going cross-eyed have not yet resulted in my moving a paper clip across a table top even a fraction of an inch.
I remember one day I was sitting in class, we were at a conference table and the professor was lecturing two seats to my left. I was so bored I literally spent 45 minutes trying to tip over his Sprite bottle using my mind. Though this was more engaging then his lecture, sadly it did not work.
{"commentId":665153,"threadId":"97295","contentId":"682883","authorDomain":"deatienza"}
- 10 votes
#2 - Wed Apr 25, 2007 11:17 AM EDT{"commentId":665317,"authorDomain":"firsty"}
the only superhero who america is unable to wrestle from the 1930s ideal of truth justice and the american way is, obviously, superman. he has no dark side. they didnt even let nic cage play him in the last film which, by all accounts, was a sequel to the christopher reeve films.
thats probably why we have the superman curse, for actors who dare to pretend to be so perfect in every way, barely flawed, hardly complex. another article i've been meaning to write. crap.
great read, from night drama, which always interests me — i suffer from sleep paralysis and am facinated with nightmares, the hag, sleep patterns, etc. — to superheroes to taoism. thanks!
{"commentId":665317,"threadId":"97295","contentId":"682883","authorDomain":"firsty"}
- 4 votes
#3 - Wed Apr 25, 2007 12:23 PM EDT{"commentId":665337,"authorDomain":"deatienza"}
the only superhero who america is unable to wrestle from the 1930s ideal of truth justice and the american way is, obviously, superman. he has no dark side.
This is one of the reasons a lot of my comic reading friends hate Superman. That, and his practical invincibility stemming from America's subconscious fear and vulnerability at the time of his creation. I think they should have left him dead, and I hope Marvel doesn't make an equally tawdry decision to bring back Captain America.
{"commentId":665337,"threadId":"97295","contentId":"682883","authorDomain":"deatienza"}
- 3 votes
{"commentId":665425,"authorDomain":"darkside"}
Superman is Teh Lam0rz!
{"commentId":665425,"threadId":"97295","contentId":"682883","authorDomain":"darkside"}
{"commentId":665763,"authorDomain":"celestina"}
{"commentId":669749,"authorDomain":"ansab"}
I always did endorse slapping on a kryptonite condom and ending Superman's reign once and for all...
{"commentId":669749,"threadId":"97295","contentId":"682883","authorDomain":"ansab"}
- 3 votes
{"commentId":676624,"authorDomain":"the-pitytorium"}
This is article is fantastic. I only voted the first time, but came back and saw this thread and had to speak up.
All you Superman haters who haven't already done so should pick up Frank Millar's superb The Dark Knight Returns and The Dark Knight Strikes Again. I just got into comics last year and these are two of my favorites. They'll take you from hating Superman to (drumroll please) pitying the fool.
{"commentId":676624,"threadId":"97295","contentId":"682883","authorDomain":"the-pitytorium"}
- 3 votes
{"commentId":676966,"authorDomain":"darkside"}
Haha Amen, Tom. That's a pretty good way to look at it.
{"commentId":676966,"threadId":"97295","contentId":"682883","authorDomain":"darkside"}
{"commentId":677529,"authorDomain":"firsty"}
interesting. but in those books is superman a dark, flawed character or just an overwhelmed character? i dont hate on superman. i just wonder why he's so far the only superhero who america cant seem to darken.
{"commentId":677529,"threadId":"97295","contentId":"682883","authorDomain":"firsty"}
{"commentId":677558,"authorDomain":"darkside"}
oh, he's all-american alright. Miller plays with exactly the idea youre talking about. :)
{"commentId":677558,"threadId":"97295","contentId":"682883","authorDomain":"darkside"}
- 1 vote
{"commentId":677650,"authorDomain":"firsty"}
nice. i'll check it out.
{"commentId":677650,"threadId":"97295","contentId":"682883","authorDomain":"firsty"}
{"commentId":677704,"authorDomain":"fawnshore"}
In the Miller books, he is the President's lap dog.
{"commentId":677704,"threadId":"97295","contentId":"682883","authorDomain":"fawnshore"}
- 1 vote
{"commentId":679763,"authorDomain":"danish"}
i just wonder why he's so far the only superhero who america cant seem to darken.
Because he is JC. You don't darken JC. Even his family name, El, is Hebrew for God. He is the "only begotten Son", sent down to Earth to save and inspire mankind; he can fly, etc...
I think the most interesting difference between "The Dark Knight" and Superman is that Superman, working for the CIA and the US Army as an independent contractor, takes out tanks and planes. You see him killing people.
"I never killed anyone" is Batman's tormented defense, framed by Joker and called a monster by people around him.
On the symbolic level Superman, as an icon, serves US National Security interests. He is a part of the spin about a morally superior nation, a super-state of shiny, happy people barbecuing in the garden, while clean cut tight shaved young men with cleaved chins march out under the Stars and Stripes to secure Law and Order in the world.
This is also the reason for the animosity against Superman. It is not anti-Americanism. Hell, anti-Americanism isn't even anti-Americanism. What people hate is the lies. It is the all too obvious spin on clandestine intelligence operations and military invasions that can only be justified if you have dollars flowing into your money tank through a drop.
Superman kills.
{"commentId":679763,"threadId":"97295","contentId":"682883","authorDomain":"danish"}
- 4 votes
{"commentId":679806,"authorDomain":"deatienza"}
On the symbolic level Superman, as an icon, serves US National Security interests. He is a part of the spin about a morally superior nation, a super-state of shiny, happy people barbecuing in the garden, while clean cut tight shaved young men with cleaved chins march out under the Stars and Stripes to secure Law and Order in the world.
Yeah as soon as I was insightful enough to understand that I stopped liking Superman.
{"commentId":679806,"threadId":"97295","contentId":"682883","authorDomain":"deatienza"}
- 3 votes
{"commentId":680071,"authorDomain":"danish"}
I actually wanted to write a Superman story - after reading the Dark Night series - that tried to understand Superman's position in life and "darken" him a bit, and at the same time extending humanity and personal development to this the second most static character in literature. It would start out with Superman sitting on the Eiffel Tower. Lois Lane is dying in a home for senior citizens, and Clark Kent is working as a reporter in Europe under a new name. He is forever young, losing all connections to what used to be his humanity. His only friend is the ageing Lex Luthor. Then he gets the call from NSA, and he has a choice to make...
{"commentId":680071,"threadId":"97295","contentId":"682883","authorDomain":"danish"}
- 2 votes
{"commentId":680284,"authorDomain":"firsty"}
thank you claus!
{"commentId":680284,"threadId":"97295","contentId":"682883","authorDomain":"firsty"}
{"commentId":680286,"authorDomain":"the-pitytorium"}
Claus,
Doesn't Superman age and die? In The Dark Knight Strikes Again he is presented as older and consequently weaker. I don't know if that's considered canonical or not, but he certainly had a childhood. I don't think he's meant to end up going the Highlander route---faking his own death and constantly beginning new identities which he enters and leaves middle-aged. It seems to clash with what he represents.
Also, would you happen to know if the El/god link was on purpose? My cursory googling didn't turn anything up, and I wonder if that was intentionally done by his DC creators or just a strange coincidence. "El" is also the Spanish word for "the", you know.
and at the same time extending humanity and personal development to this the second most static character in literature
I'll bite. Who wins number one?
{"commentId":680286,"threadId":"97295","contentId":"682883","authorDomain":"the-pitytorium"}
- 3 votes
{"commentId":680298,"authorDomain":"deatienza"}
"El" is also the Spanish word for "the", you know.
Well by all accounts it's his last name.
Jor-El
Kal-El
So if you want to go by Claus' metaphor (unless you are assume Kryptonian language had a sort of backward sentence construction) the God/Son of God theme fits.
{"commentId":680298,"threadId":"97295","contentId":"682883","authorDomain":"deatienza"}
- 2 votes
{"commentId":680331,"authorDomain":"the-pitytorium"}
I completely agree the theme fits. I just wonder if it was intended to from the start.
{"commentId":680331,"threadId":"97295","contentId":"682883","authorDomain":"the-pitytorium"}
{"commentId":681991,"authorDomain":"danish"}
TomPitysFools
Is he presented as weaker in Dark Night? How I see it he is at full vigour until the nuclear blast that robs him of some of his powers, and Green Arrow who has turned communist shoots him full of synthetic Kryptonite at the behest of Batman, which allows Batman wearing his exo-skeleton to give him a beating he will remember. But I may not remember it altogether correctly. I don't think Superman is supposed to age and die. It may be illogical, considering the fact that he has a childhood, but it just strikes me that "the man of steel" won't even rust very easily.
Also, would you happen to know if the El/god link was on purpose?
Well, there were some articles recently seeded for Newsvine that delved into the history of Superman, as well as other superheroes, and they argued that being invented by Jewish cartoonists, they represented a new secular Jewish mythology.
The Jewish Virtual Library has this article about Superman.
Superman obeys the Talmudic injunction to do good for its own sake and heal the world where he can. Siegel and Shuster had created a mythic character who reflected their own Jewish values.
In Superman returns there are numerous allusions to Christ. Then again, the same goes for Spiderman II, where Spidey is virtually crucified on the front of a running locomotive, his body lifted down and carried into the train in a scene that resembles Medieval portraits of the death of Christ. Still, Superman is, as Quentin Tarantino has Bill explaining it in Kill Bill II, a unique superhero mythology because the superiority is Superman's real identity, while his weaknesses are faked.
It reminds me of the announcement in Watchmen, when Dr. Manhattan appears and is hired by the US Army to go into the Vietnam War:
"God exists. He is an American".
{"commentId":681991,"threadId":"97295","contentId":"682883","authorDomain":"danish"}
- 2 votes
{"commentId":682190,"authorDomain":"deatienza"}
It may be illogical, considering the fact that he has a childhood,
Though his powers don't manifest immediately. They slowly make themselves apparently as he goes through his teenage years. It seems he aged to a certain point where his body was capable of fully doing whatever it does with the rays from a yellow sun, and then he stopped.
{"commentId":682190,"threadId":"97295","contentId":"682883","authorDomain":"deatienza"}
- 2 votes
{"commentId":682431,"authorDomain":"fawnshore"}
You guys are thinking about this way too much. Jerry Seinfeld once asked, "wouldn't Superman have a super sense of humor too?"
Something to ponder.
Waaaay off topic, BTW.
{"commentId":682431,"threadId":"97295","contentId":"682883","authorDomain":"fawnshore"}
- 3 votes
{"commentId":682598,"authorDomain":"the-pitytorium"}
Eric,
That's how I remember it too. Kind of fitting, if he's a metaphor for America. We grew from Colony to regional Power, to World Power to Superpower. And then...do we maintain the status forever, or have we already begun to "age" back into a less eminent role? And will/does Sup already reflect that?
Claus,
The events you describe take place in Dark Knight Returns. I'm mostly citing the sequel, Dark Knight Strikes Again, which leaves little doubt---gray hair, fading strength/heat vision and general weariness. I think at one point he's lifting Something Absurdly Heavy and thinks to himself, "This...used to be...so easy.". It's worth a read, and not just to see that happen, though it doesn't quite match its predecessor.
Thanks for posting the link. That was an extremely interesting read. Because of all the Christ-imagery you rightly point to, I never would have guessed his creators were Jewish.
"God exists. He is an American".
Maybe Frank Miller read some Nietzsche too, and he's playing off the Superman-ubermensh theme. America loses its sense of righteousness it possessed during the war that made Superman a cultural icon, so Superman's powers consequently bleed away. He was a god, but now he's a dying/dead god, and only the madmen yet realize it. Relating the two ideas could make a hell of an essay. Maybe the next time I have a few spare weeks...
{"commentId":682598,"threadId":"97295","contentId":"682883","authorDomain":"the-pitytorium"}
- 1 vote
{"commentId":682606,"authorDomain":"the-pitytorium"}
Hey Walt, just saw your comment pop up when I posted.
Wouldn't he have a super sense of irony too?
{"commentId":682606,"threadId":"97295","contentId":"682883","authorDomain":"the-pitytorium"}
- 1 vote
{"commentId":683635,"authorDomain":"fawnshore"}
Wouldn't he have a super sense of irony too?
"Stand back while I defeat this villain using my withering super-sarcasm! Wow...nice shoes, Lex!"
{"commentId":683635,"threadId":"97295","contentId":"682883","authorDomain":"fawnshore"}
- 2 votes
{"commentId":683663,"authorDomain":"danish"}
I'll bite. Who wins number one?
Eh... almost ashamed to offer such a banal response, Tom, but I think that would be JC... I mean, he is forever, up there, devoid of any human trait except endless compassion and a secret plan to return and separate the goats from the sheep and sent the first half to burn in the bottomless pit.
nice shoes, Lex!"
Bald guy says:
"Nobody who wears tights, and particularly not with his underwear on the outside, should ever aspire to sarcasm, superdude... here, have some more Kryptonite... it's complimentary..."
I guess I am with Walt D on this one. Superdude needs to be sanctimonious at all times.
{"commentId":683663,"threadId":"97295","contentId":"682883","authorDomain":"danish"}
- 3 votes
{"commentId":683933,"authorDomain":"the-pitytorium"}
Wow...nice shoes, Lex!
Nobody who wears tights, and particularly not with his underwear on the outside, should ever aspire to sarcasm
Heh heh.
The only superhero I ever thought the whole make-a-wise-crack-before-punching-somebody thing ever really worked for was Wolverine. I think it was because of the short guy complex coupled with the fact that he drank beer (and the writers had the nads to call the beer beer).
Superman isn't smart enough to wise-crack.
I think the Super-irony I saw was in us taking a character whose symbolism began as something Super-simple and making it into something Super-complex. (I hope it wasn't Super-lame, but I have a feeling this comment might be.)
{"commentId":683933,"threadId":"97295","contentId":"682883","authorDomain":"the-pitytorium"}
- 1 vote
{"commentId":684052,"authorDomain":"thevineofhob"}
The only superhero I ever thought the whole make-a-wise-crack-before-punching-somebody
Tom! BUFFY? That is basically the entire show and now comic book. Not to mention Angel as well.
{"commentId":684052,"threadId":"97295","contentId":"682883","authorDomain":"thevineofhob"}
- 1 vote
{"commentId":684063,"authorDomain":"the-pitytorium"}
Bah. She's hardly in the same league as the Man of Steel. Far, far too human to ever achieve respectable superhero status.
{"commentId":684063,"threadId":"97295","contentId":"682883","authorDomain":"the-pitytorium"}
{"commentId":684075,"authorDomain":"thevineofhob"}
But other than Superman, the other really powerful superheros are boring.
{"commentId":684075,"threadId":"97295","contentId":"682883","authorDomain":"thevineofhob"}
{"commentId":685653,"authorDomain":"the-pitytorium"}
the other really powerful superheros
...such as?
{"commentId":685653,"threadId":"97295","contentId":"682883","authorDomain":"the-pitytorium"}
{"commentId":665545,"authorDomain":"winsomecowboy"}
Be it that your writing is the classiest thing about you I think it easily enough to make up for your social position. :)
{"commentId":665545,"threadId":"97295","contentId":"682883","authorDomain":"winsomecowboy"}
- 6 votes
#4 - Wed Apr 25, 2007 1:45 PM EDT{"commentId":665547,"authorDomain":"winsomecowboy"}
the 'is' should be 'were'. speculative rather than definitive which is impolite.
{"commentId":665547,"threadId":"97295","contentId":"682883","authorDomain":"winsomecowboy"}
- 2 votes
{"commentId":665771,"authorDomain":"celestina"}
{"commentId":666081,"authorDomain":"aine"}
One of these days I am going to get a rhinestone tiara to go with it.
You already have it and those diamonds are shining brightly.
- someone whose seen it
{"commentId":666081,"threadId":"97295","contentId":"682883","authorDomain":"aine"}
- 3 votes
{"commentId":665828,"authorDomain":"indelible"}
I've been reading your articles for a long time now Celestina, and I can easily say you impress me the most out of anyone 'here'. I don't even think I've ever commented on an article of yours for fear of inadequacy and feeling unworthy of typing on the same page as your words...seriously, it's strange. Really strange. I don't even understand it myself, and I'm fluent with strange.
I guess I just read your articles and feel like "Woah (Keanu style), I shouldn't be here. Time to vote and move on."
You have an undeniable and extraordinary talent. I really hope you write 'professionally-professionally', and not just for this site. I'm very happy you're here though.
Keep writing, Mozart.
{"commentId":665828,"threadId":"97295","contentId":"682883","authorDomain":"indelible"}
- 6 votes
#5 - Wed Apr 25, 2007 3:24 PM EDT{"commentId":666003,"authorDomain":"noah"}
I heard this story once, in a class, from a completely trustworthy source:
There was this class -- probably some dumb existential class or something -- where they were talking about ghosts. The professor asks, "who here has seen a ghost?" Some people raise their hands. "Who here has talked to a ghost?" A few people raise their hands. "Who here has touched a ghost?" A couple people raise their hand. Just for fun, the professor asks one last question, "who here has had sex with a ghost?" One man raises his hand. In shock, he asks the student to come to the front, and inquires further, "I really must hear this story. You really had sex with a ghost?"
"A ghost? Hell, I thought you said a goat."
{"commentId":666003,"threadId":"97295","contentId":"682883","authorDomain":"noah"}
- 16 votes
#6 - Wed Apr 25, 2007 4:32 PM EDT{"commentId":666038,"authorDomain":"fawnshore"}
I can't say that I have had sex with a ghost (or a goat, though that would be preferable to some of the women I've been with). I have had sex with a few Goth girls..does that count? Under a black light, they look exactly the same.
{"commentId":666038,"threadId":"97295","contentId":"682883","authorDomain":"fawnshore"}
- 12 votes
{"commentId":666049,"authorDomain":"deatienza"}
Under a black light, they look exactly the same.
As a goat or ghost?
{"commentId":666049,"threadId":"97295","contentId":"682883","authorDomain":"deatienza"}
- 11 votes
{"commentId":666102,"authorDomain":"paperdragon"}
Yep.
{"commentId":666102,"threadId":"97295","contentId":"682883","authorDomain":"paperdragon"}
- 10 votes
{"commentId":666389,"authorDomain":"indelible"}
Yep.
And that's why people love you. Seriously, you're awesome Dennis. Always with the right words at the right time.
{"commentId":666389,"threadId":"97295","contentId":"682883","authorDomain":"indelible"}
- 5 votes
{"commentId":667773,"authorDomain":"fawnshore"}
Seriously, you're awesome Dennis. Always with the right words at the right time.
Yeah. A freakin genius. You'll notice my comment had more than one word. Anyone can be hilarious when I set them up.
{"commentId":667773,"threadId":"97295","contentId":"682883","authorDomain":"fawnshore"}
- 5 votes
{"commentId":667788,"authorDomain":"paperdragon"}
Hah. Yeah, right. You set me up.
Never mind that Noah was the one who said goat or ghost to begin with. Never mind that Eric asked the question that I answered. You set it up.
What an ego.
{"commentId":667788,"threadId":"97295","contentId":"682883","authorDomain":"paperdragon"}
- 4 votes
{"commentId":667799,"authorDomain":"fawnshore"}
You know I'm kidding. Calm down... go do one of your drawings or something. Jeez!
{"commentId":667799,"threadId":"97295","contentId":"682883","authorDomain":"fawnshore"}
- 4 votes
{"commentId":667863,"authorDomain":"paperdragon"}
Don't patronize me, bass boy.
{"commentId":667863,"threadId":"97295","contentId":"682883","authorDomain":"paperdragon"}
- 6 votes
{"commentId":667919,"authorDomain":"fawnshore"}
Don't patronize me, bass boy.
Wouldn't dream of it. Oh..and that's "guitar boy" to you. That's the instrument with six strings. I don't know what you're smoking in that Turkish pipe of yours, but it's making you a little dim and kinda touchy.
{"commentId":667919,"threadId":"97295","contentId":"682883","authorDomain":"fawnshore"}
- 6 votes
{"commentId":667943,"authorDomain":"paperdragon"}
Yeah. Real nice.
To paraphrase FZ -
Shut the hell up and play yer guitar.
{"commentId":667943,"threadId":"97295","contentId":"682883","authorDomain":"paperdragon"}
- 6 votes
{"commentId":667990,"authorDomain":"fawnshore"}
Oh I get it... this is where the "sophisticated artist" casually throws in a Zappa quote and impresses his breathless fans.
How pretentious.
{"commentId":667990,"threadId":"97295","contentId":"682883","authorDomain":"fawnshore"}
- 5 votes
{"commentId":667991,"authorDomain":"raatkiraani"}
guys guys. This part of the thread is much bluer than usual. Has Newsvine got colours mixed up?
{"commentId":667991,"threadId":"97295","contentId":"682883","authorDomain":"raatkiraani"}
- 5 votes
{"commentId":668017,"authorDomain":"paperdragon"}
Oh I get it... this is where the "sophisticated artist" casually throws in a Zappa quote and impresses his breathless fans.
I've been listening to Zappa a long time, son. Hell, I met Zappa. I'm on a discussion list with a few members of the Mothers, and Cal Schenkel. Don't even think you can keep up with me on Zappa.
And as far as the "breathless fans" - no, not breathless. People on Newsvine just like my comments. Don't believe me? Look at the Leaderboard. It'll give you a reason to play the Blues.
This part of the thread is much bluer than usual. Has Newsvine got colours mixed up?
Raat, the blue comments are people on your friends list. For me, this whole section is blue.
For now, anyway.
{"commentId":668017,"threadId":"97295","contentId":"682883","authorDomain":"paperdragon"}
- 8 votes
{"commentId":668033,"authorDomain":"deatienza"}
guys guys. This part of the thread is much bluer than usual. Has Newsvine got colours mixed up?
That's a pretty clever way to say "We're all friends here." Maybe they'll figure out what you meant after their dick measuring contest.
{"commentId":668033,"threadId":"97295","contentId":"682883","authorDomain":"deatienza"}
- 8 votes
{"commentId":668053,"authorDomain":"raatkiraani"}
Tried Eric. The sentiment remains. Once a blue, always a blue. Even if my politics may not reflect that:-)
{"commentId":668053,"threadId":"97295","contentId":"682883","authorDomain":"raatkiraani"}
- 4 votes
{"commentId":668055,"authorDomain":"fawnshore"}
That's a pretty clever way to say "We're all friends here."
Hell, I'll accept anyone who sends me a friend request, even name-dropping narcissists. Maybe I should reevaluate my policy. I hate to think this bozo has the ability to track me.
{"commentId":668055,"threadId":"97295","contentId":"682883","authorDomain":"fawnshore"}
- 5 votes
{"commentId":668091,"authorDomain":"paperdragon"}
I hate to think this bozo has the ability to track me.
Had.
{"commentId":668091,"threadId":"97295","contentId":"682883","authorDomain":"paperdragon"}
- 5 votes
{"commentId":668183,"authorDomain":"fawnshore"}
Real mature, Dennis. At least we've established that you can't follow me if I leave this thread, which I believe I'll do before you go from my friend list to my ignore list.
Have a real nice day. >:P
{"commentId":668183,"threadId":"97295","contentId":"682883","authorDomain":"fawnshore"}
- 4 votes
{"commentId":668254,"authorDomain":"raatkiraani"}
Did I see a conductor here just now? Improvization appears to have gone awry.
{"commentId":668254,"threadId":"97295","contentId":"682883","authorDomain":"raatkiraani"}
- 7 votes
{"commentId":668634,"authorDomain":"paperdragon"}
Improvisation? I don't understand.
Walt must be in a really foul mood. he's attacked me on three different threads now. What a jerk.
{"commentId":668634,"threadId":"97295","contentId":"682883","authorDomain":"paperdragon"}
- 5 votes
{"commentId":668964,"authorDomain":"winsomecowboy"}
AOD?:)
{"commentId":668964,"threadId":"97295","contentId":"682883","authorDomain":"winsomecowboy"}
{"commentId":671626,"authorDomain":"fawnshore"}
{"commentId":671626,"threadId":"97295","contentId":"682883","authorDomain":"fawnshore"}
- 2 votes
{"commentId":666052,"authorDomain":"aine"}
Celestina,
What many spiritual belief systems seem to have in common is what is often called the "journey within", and I would agree that it is probably the most difficult journey of all. So easy is it to focus entirely on all our faults, mistakes, bad decisions, etc. that we can get "stuck" there... coming out of that into acceptance and self-love is often the longest and most difficult part of that journey.
So much happens that is entirely out of our control... our parents die, our friends die, someday we too will die... hurricanes and tsunamis happen... governments and guerrillas wage war and it's often those who had no part in any conflict who are the victims... experiencing all of that, even vicariously through reading the news can be horribly negative and lead to feelings of depression, powerlessness, and helplessness. That's our kryptonite, much as most of us don't really like Superman's perfection, even he has a fatal flaw.
And the gods and goddesses, whether they are real or simply creations of our own minds (I'm not here to debate that topic), whisper all around us... in the sound of wind through the trees, or the chirping of birds, or the aroma of fresh air after a rain storm... and so many of us go on in this rush-rush lifestyle of work, eat, sleep, work, repetitive cycle of existence that perhaps we are no longer listening to them, or hearing what they might advise.
Things often do get a little unsettling when we forget who we are, where we are, what we are doing, why we are doing it. Just when things are going along swimmingly, something else we hadn't noticed asserts itself: reality.
Mystics do not describe enlightenment, they illuminate it. They help you recognize the path, they don't put you on the path... because you were never really off it, you just didn't See it. No one can give you enlightenment, teach you what it is; it must be discovered.
Ahhhh, but now I'm rambling... these essays of yours, Celestina, do that to me. In closing, I'll just post a poem...
Oh, I have slipped the surly bonds of earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I've climbed, and joined the fumbling mirth
Of sun-split clouds -- and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of -- wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there,
I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air.
Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue
I've topped the windswept heights with easy grace
Where never lark, or even eagle flew.
And, while with silent, lifting mind I've trod
The high untrespassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand, and touched the face of God."High Flight" by John Gillespie Magee, Jr.
{"commentId":666052,"threadId":"97295","contentId":"682883","authorDomain":"aine"}
- 8 votes
#7 - Wed Apr 25, 2007 4:50 PM EDT{"commentId":670091,"authorDomain":"tamh"}
That's a wonderful comment Áine, and a beautiful poem- just lovely :)
Celestina, thanks for the read, I like your style and your thoughts- I 'specially liked this bit:
In being completely what we are and embracing whatever obstacles life may place in front of us, we eventually will wind up where we need to be, and the barriers to that end will be smoothed over. Simply to accept and believe in ourselves is often the one quest we run blindly from, as do many of our favourite superheros.
so hard to embrace the obstacles, we run and hide and fight them but in that case, they will always remain obstacles. My mantra of the moment...Acceptance yields love
thanks for reminding us to appreciate ourselves.
{"commentId":670091,"threadId":"97295","contentId":"682883","authorDomain":"tamh"}
- 4 votes
{"commentId":666481,"authorDomain":"ForestBrowne"}
Just spectacular...I'm always waiting for the next piece of art from you.
Thanks
Forest
{"commentId":666481,"threadId":"97295","contentId":"682883","authorDomain":"ForestBrowne"}
- 5 votes
#8 - Wed Apr 25, 2007 7:58 PM EDT{"commentId":666510,"authorDomain":"djehuty"}
It's not really appropriate to such a worthwhile article, but I was reminded of a comedian I saw on the tv the other day. He talked about having "really ordinary super powers", including the ability to find an open bottle-o [off license], and to get ball point pens to start working again if they're stuck. These powers came with very mild super weaknesses. Not kryptonite but a mild fear of paperclips.
But all our real super powers, as you point out Celestina, are not "ours" so much as a product of our open hearts and creative imaginations. That's the dream-team.
{"commentId":666510,"threadId":"97295","contentId":"682883","authorDomain":"djehuty"}
- 6 votes
#9 - Wed Apr 25, 2007 8:12 PM EDT{"commentId":666865,"authorDomain":"lughshand"}
Great article, I really enjoyed it, and I believe it's all true.
{"commentId":666865,"threadId":"97295","contentId":"682883","authorDomain":"lughshand"}
- 6 votes
#10 - Wed Apr 25, 2007 11:54 PM EDT{"commentId":666895,"authorDomain":"susanclaire"}
You have a lot of gifts, but your words are definitely one of them.
{"commentId":666895,"threadId":"97295","contentId":"682883","authorDomain":"susanclaire"}
- 8 votes
#11 - Thu Apr 26, 2007 12:12 AM EDT{"commentId":667522,"authorDomain":"raatkiraani"}
true grit, grace and staying power behind your words here. compelling read. glad I didn't come here till after I'd posted mine. your gift would have terrorised me into giving in to excuses and not play at all.
your insipiration drives us on. don't stop now.
{"commentId":667522,"threadId":"97295","contentId":"682883","authorDomain":"raatkiraani"}
- 4 votes
#12 - Thu Apr 26, 2007 10:24 AM EDT{"commentId":668605,"authorDomain":"splittooth"}
Lovely article. Its a beautiful thought that one day we will be able to harness the natural energy around and within us to achieve great physical and spiritual feats in this plane of existence. I see it as a natural progression in the evolutionary progress of our species, pending we don't fall prey to the "lowest common denominator" methods of governance we fall under, or extinction.
{"commentId":668605,"threadId":"97295","contentId":"682883","authorDomain":"splittooth"}
- 4 votes
#13 - Thu Apr 26, 2007 3:39 PM EDT{"commentId":673545,"authorDomain":"danish"}
Great writing, Celestina. As usual. I spend a lot of time thinking about this one, and I have come to the conclusion that the world needs me, so I will just have to work over my tumultuous, but beautifully universal inner conflicts so that pesky humans can benefit from my brilliant insights, dashing good looks and astonishing eloquence.
Hrem... The question is, Celestina, can a Newsvine goddess like you participate in an improvisation contest between mere mortals? I do realize I would be trampled to death by stampeding fans if I denied you entry, so I guess that qualifies you for the award for "most intimidating". I mean, you just basically argued we all possess psychological powers, and not one science fanatic rebutted you. Well done.
{"commentId":673545,"threadId":"97295","contentId":"682883","authorDomain":"danish"}
- 8 votes
#14 - Sun Apr 29, 2007 5:33 AM EDT{"commentId":673564,"authorDomain":"danish"}
Make that "para-psychological powers". I guess I am so struck by awe that I am making a fool of myself in public - "we all possess psychological powers" - what a huge realization... pffft (to quote a famous Newsviner)...
{"commentId":673564,"threadId":"97295","contentId":"682883","authorDomain":"danish"}
- 4 votes
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