Bertrand Russell - Reasons for Living

Big Frank is reading Bertrand Russell's autobiography. This is a great book in every sense of the word. A taste of the insight, compassion, and beauty of the writing is eminently clear in the prologue to the book. The prologue is entitled "What I Have Lived For". And here it is unabridged:

"Three passions, simple but overwhelmingly strong, have governed my life: the longing for love, the search for knowledge, and the unbearable pity for the suffering of mankind. These passions, like great winds, have blown me hither and thither, in a wayward course, over a deep ocean of anguish, reaching to the very verge of despair.

I have sought love, first, because it brings ecstasy - ecstasy so great that I would often have sacrificed all the rest of life for a few hours of this joy. I have sought it, next, because it relieves loneliness - that terrible loneliness in which one shivering consciousness looks over the rim of the world into the cold unfathomable lifeless abyss. I have sought it, finally, because in the union of love I have seen, in a mystic miniature, the prefiguring vision of the heaven that saints and poets have imagined. This is what I sought, and though it might seem too good for human life, this is what - at last - I have found.

With equal passion I have sought knowledge. I have wished to understand the hearts of men. I have wished to know why the stars shine. And I have tried to apprehend the Pythagorean power by which number holds sway above the flux. A little of this, but not much, I have achieved.

Love and knowledge, so far as they were possible, led upward toward the heavens. But always pity brought me back to earth. Echoes of cries of pain reverberate in my heart. Children in famine, victims tortured by oppressors, helpless old people a hatred burden to their sons, and the whole world of loneliness, poverty, and pain make a mockery of what human life would be. I long to alleviate the evil, but I cannot, and I too suffer.

This has been my life. I have found it worth living, and would gladly live it again if the chance were offered me."

WORDS - NEW ONES

Image taken from the New York Times article on which this post is based.

WORDS WORDS WORDS! What would we do without them? Well this blog certainly would be different - that's for sure. Our reservoir, our lexicon is constantly being emptied and refilled. Some words go unused (there are actually websites that allow people to adopt and promise to use words that are being neglected; Big Frank signed up on one, but forgot the word and so couldn't use it - for those or you interested in saving unused words - go here!) Well that the outflow of words; the inflow - the new ones, that is what this post is about. The image above, and the words, well most of them anyway, come from the New York Times article on the "Words of the Year". Go here for the full article.

Some of the famous new words are sweet: "retweet"; some are funny: "refudiate"; and some are befuddling: "quantitative easing". Some of Big Frank's favorites are: "porn scan" - the new air safety scanners, also called "strip-search scanners". Transportation was a rich area - how about "cuddle class" - we all know where on the airplane that is. And, of course, the "enhanced pat-down" - you know, when they slide their hands around on you looking for scary stuff. Then there is the "halfalogue" - that half of a conversation that you overhear when someone is on their cell phone. However, Big Frank's favorite is "mansplainer": "A man compelled to explain or give an opinion about everything — especially to a woman. He speaks, often condescendingly, even if he doesn’t know what he’s talking about or even if it’s none of his business. Old term: a boor."

However, there is one word that was left off this list, and Big Frank is going to put it on: "waa waa waamulance". As in: "You get to go out skiing and I have to toil away at work; not fair!" "Uh Oh: sombody better call the Waa Waa Wambulance".

Feel free to comment with your favorite words of the year. Big Frank would like to hear from you.

IT

The Chinese zen master put IT like this: "nothing is left to you at this moment but to have a good laugh!"

James Broughton put IT this way:

This is It
and I am It
and You are It
and so is That
and He is It
and She is It
and It is It
and That is That.

Big Frank puts It this way: What It Is!

Christmas with the eagles

Wolf Lodge Bay on Lake Coeur d'Alene is the winter home for lots and lots of migrating bald eagles. When the lakes of northern Canada freeze up and their food supply dwindles they head south to Idaho. Their numbers vary, but generally run from 10 to over 150. They come to Wolf Lodge Bay to feast on the dying kokanee salmon that spawn and die during the winter - peaking around Christmas. Big Frank and Gina went eagle watching on Christmas. They saw about 20 eagles or so. It was a clear day with some lingering fog over the lake - beautiful backdrop for a Christmas day of eagle watching!

Peace on Earth Good Will Towards Men

Merry Christmas to everyone. Big Frank has been thinking about that well known Christmas phrase - you know: Peace on Earth, Good Will Towards Men. Big Frank is also aware of the bias in the phrase - but let's assume in those angels who first uttered those words meant it to encompass all humans - mankind, that kind of deal. So then what does the phrase mean? Well, Big Frank took to Wikianswers and it just got more confusing. Big Frank is going to post the whole discussion here because it seems to reveal the confusion of trying to nail anything down that is expressed in words. Perhaps that's the real answer - look to it in your heart not in a book, or a word, no matter what language. Good will to all of you!

Here's the extended discussion:
peace on earth= peace on earth,...as in, give peace a chance
good will to all men = be good to one another
The question is based on a secular miss-translation of the following bible scripture:
"Glory to God, and on earth peace, toward men of good will" (Luke 2:14). It could also be worded: "Glory to God, and on earth, peace among men who please God" or "among men with whom God is pleased"
Therefore the correct answer is:
Peace on earth = peace between men and God
Good will toward men = God's peace between himself and men who accept his Son

The above answer is based on this argument:

"Peace on earth, goodwill to men"? The Latin has it, `et in terra pax hominibus, bonae voluntatis". Note the Latin genitive case in the words `bonae voltuntatis'. The phrase properly rendered is, "PEACE ON EARTH TO MEN OF GOOD WILL". The angels' words are not universalist, if you get my drift. by elcid1970

Maybe not - Check this out - I am not literate in Greek or Latin but it's an interesting view:

But the text was not originally written in Latin, it was written in Greek. The Greek is 'Δόξα ἐν ὑψίστοις θεῷ καὶ ἐπὶ γῆς εἰρήνη ἐν ἀνθρώποις εὐδοκίας. Epi ges: on earth eirene: peace en anthropois: to people (in the dative, for the preposition) eudokias: good will (accusative) The translation that makes the most sense is, in fact, "good will to men". If you had wanted to say "peace to men of good will", then "good will" would modify "men", and thus it would be in the dative to agree with anthropois. But it's not in the dative. It's in the accusative.

by solargecko

I know a little Greek and Latin so would add this:

Solargecko is right to say that Greek was the original language. However the word 'eudokias' (satisfaction, approval) is genitive not accusative, so has much the same force as the Latin (men of good will) giving us literally 'men of approval.'
I have also seen it said that the Greek word eudoxia(s) is a possible variant here, from 'eu' meaning 'good' and 'doxa' meaning 'sentiment'. This would give 'men of good sentiment'.

I would add that whereas the Latin says 'peace TO men of good will', the Greek literally says, 'peace IN/ AMONGST/ ON men of good will.' That gives us another shade of meaning.

by adibden

Read more: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_does_'Peace_on_Earth_Goodwill_Toward_Men'_mean#ixzz198gz5Nct

"Agog Christmas Eve"

[Photo: Big Frank Dickinson]

Some Thoughts on Christmas Eve

Merry Christmas Eve? No, you can't really say that; just like you can't say: "Happy New Year's Eve!" Why not? There are only two Eves that we celebrate and there is no agreed upon way to greet people on those days. Merry and Happy don't really work, so let's try out some new ones. How about "Felicitous Christmas Eve to You"? Big Frank likes the alliteration, but 'felicitous' is kind of a high falootin word that might could put some people off, and it starts with a dangerous letter: 'F'. That could lead into such abominations as "F-ing Christmas Eve to you". So, scratch that. If we look a little closer at what the notion of Eve is all about that might help. It's a kind of waiting deal, a day of expectation. The big days (Christmas and New Year's Day) are coming, and you're all excited. In fact, for many the Eves are actually bigger days than either Christmas itself, or New Year's Day. Christmas is really all about presents. Yeah, Big Frank is aware of the Christian deal (peace on earth and good will to men and all), and the whole notion that we were all potentially saved from everlasting damnation when Jesus was born, well actually it all came to fruition when he died, but his birth was kind of like a Salvation Eve, but that's getting way too relgious. So back to the gifts and all . . . many families actually open those gifts on Christmas Eve! So how about something like "Good Openings to You"? Too commercial, it should be a bit more veiled, and should entail some excitement - you know about opening the presents and all. Here's Big Frank's suggestion "Agog Christmas Eve". This is good, because it rhymes with egg nog, and agog is kind of an oldish word, not much used - like merry. Finally it has all the right connotations - impatient, eager, and curious. So to all you blog readers out there "Agog Christmas Eve."

Space

[Photograph: Big Frank Dickinson]

Space
By Big Frank Dickinson

"Space is the relationship between bodies." - - Alan Watts

I was talking to this guy at a Christmas party;
He was crowding me, getting inside the 3-foot mark,
And at that time, exactly, someone said about him:
“I had to tell him not to invade other’s space so much.”,
At which point I told him, “Yeah, you are kind of close.”
Then he went off on me, “I bare my soul and this is your response.”
Well, he was in my space to an unacceptable degree.
And even though he was telling me nice things about
My writing, and sharing vulnerabilities of his own . . .
Those are not justifications for invading social space!
He should know that mere acquaintances in a social
Setting stand 4-feet apart unless it's a crowded room which it wasn’t.
But he either did not know this or ignored it.
We all know the right amount of space to give others:
Four feet - that’s the American standard (not talking about toilets here either).
All things being equal, you stay four feet away from other Americans.
It’s different in India, Mexico, and Peru, but we were here so -
Twenty-five feet - that’s public space; socially - 4 feet,
Go inside that to less than 2 and you are getting very personal,
And when it’s less than 1 . . . you should be able to kiss.
Disregard these parameters and you are messing with people.
Lexical space? Same difference. The public lexicon will allow
Twenty-five emotional spaces: you can make an emotional comment,
But it had better be qualified times 25: for example, to a stranger -
“Would you mind if I told you that you seem to possibly be a very nice person?”
No offense taken . . . (a complement can be offensive and invasive!)
Socially: “You seem to me to be quite a nice person.”
Mark how inside four feet the language gets close: “You’re so nice!”
Closeness begets absoluteness - no qualification at all.
Then move closer - get absolutely intimate and here comes the
Directness that comes with contact: “I love you.” . . . Or (strangely)
The extremely personal diss works both publicly and intimately,
Whether to the irritating stranger who won’t leave you alone,
Or the lover who does - irritation . . . is spaceless.

[Photo: Big Frank Dickinson]

Thoughts on Reflexive Actions (Do It Yourself)
---- Big Frank Dickinson

You have but few things you can’t do;
Unto your precious self;
You can’t begin yourself
Nor with yourself fall in love. However,
You can love yourself; hate yourself;
Touch yourself, and taste yourself;
Be good to yourself and make yourself cry;
Talk to yourself; and listen to yourself;
Lie to yourself even when telling the "truth";
Be yourself; and disguise yourself;
Discover yourself; and lose yourself;
Take yourself seriously; and make yourself happy;
You can also hurt yourself; and heal yourself;
Introduce yourself; and ignore yourself;
Bore yourself; and entertain yourself;
You can take yourself apart;
Hide from yourself; and fool yourself;
In all these dances its always true that
The self same self that yourself serves
In turn serves you yourself.
You yourself deserve yourself.

He and Himself

s [Photo: Big Frank Dickinson, Berlin]

Reflex(ivity)
by Big Frank Dickinson

Talking to himself often seemed like talking to someone else, which prompted the thought that someone else was in fact himself. In that case, that other person should rephrase things and change the focus, which in this case would mean being talked to by someone else often did not seem like he was talking to himself. Then it dawned on him that his self could only follow him, himself, but never he. In fact there was no heself at all only himself.

The Snowman

[Photo: Big Frank Dickinson]

Here's one of Big Frank's favorite winter poems by Wallace Stevens - The Snow Man. Great artistic creation going from the reader/winter scene observer to the snowman and his imagined perception of winter to what that really would be . . . nothing.


The Snow Man
--- Wallace Stevens

One must have a mind of winter
To regard the frost and the boughs
Of the pine-trees crusted with snow;

And have been cold a long time
To behold the junipers shagged with ice,
The spruces rough in the distant glitter

Of the January sun; and not to think
Of any misery in the sound of the wind,
In the sound of a few leaves,

Which is the sound of the land
Full of the same wind
That is blowing in the same bare place

For the listener, who listens in the snow,
And, nothing himself, beholds
Nothing that is not there and the nothing that is.

Reluctance

[Photo: Big Frank Dickinson]

Big Frank's thoughts at the end of this autumn, his favorite season, turn to Robert Frost's great poem.

Reluctance
---- Robert Frost

Out through the fields and the woods
And over the walls I have wended;
I have climbed the hills of view
And looked at the world, and descended;
I have come by the highway home,
And lo, it is ended.

The leaves are all dead on the ground,
Save those that the oak is keeping
To ravel them one by one
And let them go scraping and creeping
Out over the crusted snow,
When others are sleeping.

And the dead leaves lie huddled and still,
No longer blown hither and thither;
The last long aster is gone;
The flowers of the witch-hazel wither;
The heart is still aching to seek,
But the feet question 'Whither?'

Ah, when to the heart of man
Was it ever less than a treason
To go with the drift of things,
To yield with a grace to reason,
And bow and accept the end
Of a love or a season?