...on Albert Einstein (aka The Man)

Okay, I admit it. It's sounds ridiculous. And nerdy. And crazy. Did I mention nerdy??

But he's amazing:

"A human being is part of the whole, called by us "universe," limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest - a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a prison, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons close to us.

Our task must be to free ourselves from our prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all humanity and the whole of nature in its beauty."

-The Man

He's full of a whole bunch of quotes like this; stumbled upon this one last night and realized how true this is and how much I've been pondering such ideas lately, but also how Einstein is one of those people who knows how to take the formless thoughts in my head that are as of yet undefined very well and state them so...elegantly. The man pretty much defined (or redefined) our universe, and then went on to talk about what that meant for humanity and for this whole World Peace thing, and for religion and God and philosophy. And he was a physicist?? Who does that? Einstein.

What other physicist has pages of quotes on all those quotey websites? Someone once described him in a quote I love by saying the only way he could come close to adequately describing the universe was in the words of poetry. The Man has a way with words. And math. And life, the Universe, and everything.

And on top of all that, he pretty much revolutionized the entire field of physics. And that had repercussions everywhere; on art, on politics, on books, on war.

According to Time, I think he was Man of the Century. To me, he's kinda just The Man.

(And yes, I do have the poster of him sticking his tongue out hanging in my suite. 'Cause it's awesome.)

poem?

the clouds and the mist
the reds and the greens and the greys,
greys

the wind, that whispers
and towers
and at the same
time
escapes

and "the spirit of God hovered on the face of the water"
and rippled and was blown by the wind

wind of
change

yes, dollars and cents
but also
the wind

and the rain
faintest drizzle,
thunder-lightning-rumbling-torturous-granite-face-worthy
Storm.

but what of the earth?
those reds and greens
and oranges and purples
and green
and blue blue sky

after the storm
these are Flourescent
not of highlighters and
camera settings

but of
the Exploding Wildflower
waking up to see the sun

and the Sun!
who sees all
illuminates. every. thing.
in its ultimate energy
all-life-giving

this is what we are left with
to light the darkness
on a stand
in the world
on earth
our earth

like Him we

shine

Academia, how I love thee (let me count the ways...or rather, the syllables in your words)

(I think I'm actually going to use this article for my final paper, but reading this abstract was quite an experience, to say the least...just check out the epic wordage)

"Abstract:

Finding a pragmatic exit from the semantic labyrinth surrounding ‘ideology' and ‘culture', this article considers the neutral connotations of ‘ideology' as a formative, intrinsically paradoxical, constituent of culture, and argues that the heterogeneous, volatile, and contested nature of all ideologies when viewed through some postmodernist lenses is their hallmark only under the historically exceptional societal conditions of high modernity. It moves on to consider the virtues of several non-reductionist variants of Marxist theory that postulate a subtle dialectic between ideology's coercive and emancipatory functions, aspects that can be seen at work at the generative and experiential core of all human cultures, and not just capitalist ones. These reflections lead to a call for a dialectical, anthropologically informed approach to the interface between culture and ideology. It concludes on a speculative note by suggesting that analogies made between ideological self-replication in cultural processes and the genetic basis of evolution could be more than metaphorical should the infant science of ‘memetics' prove to have an empirically sound base."

(Yeah academia)

On papers, college, snow, and....SNOW

So I haven't posted in quite a while, and now seems a rather odd time to do so--three in the morning the night before (or rather, morning of) my first final paper due date of college.

But sometimes there's just those moments where everything clicks into place and it's so beautiful you kinda have to record it (even though at the moment that sounds like the cheesiest thing the world could think of).

In college I seem to have become quite an epic procrastinator of sorts, and tonight I was of course in the library finishing my paper at a mildly ungodly hour of the morning (much to the scorn of a few of my more organized suitemates). After a few hours of sketchy work, I finally cracked down, got a lot written, and decided that some sleep and finishing up in the morning would be a fantastic idea, and got ready to head home (aka to my suite) for the night.

I looked across the room, and noticed another of my peers accomplishing about the same task, but at the same time staring out the window, to then quietly get my attention by whispering, "Pssst...it's snowing!!"

The native southern Californian in me just about jumped for joy over to the window to see that, indeed, snow showers had begun, the first real ones (aka ones not chock full of rain and sleet) of my time here.

That little (well, giant) burst of excitement carried me the two-ish blocks back to my suite, reveling the entire time in the epic loneliness and peace that 3 am snowflakes drifting down from the heavens, it seemed, brought to a kind of stressful night.

That was a few minutes ago. Now, as I look out my window onto the New Haven green (yeah, New Haven...!) and the snow begins to cover the grass, it's quite simply...good. Most definitely. I love snow.

First real snow of college, and of a new home? First majorly procrastinated big paper of college? Exact same time? Coincidence? I'm not thinking so. (If it is, I'll take these coincidences any day)

Semantics!

Why do we call one who practices physiology a physician and one who practices physics a physicist?

Verbage

"Goodness is a process of becoming, not of being. What we do over and over again is what we become in the end." -Joan Chittister

"It's not who you are underneath, but what you do that defines you." -Batman Begins

Yes, they're both admittedly very cliche quotes. But I heard/read both of these yesterday, and it clicked with something that's been ringing in my mind lately that says that no matter what's in our "minds" or our "hearts", it's not worth anything when on an everyday basis, the things we do don't particularly match up with it.

Someone I remember once said that you can have all the systematic theology (or for that matter any personal philosophy) in the world, but if there's no practicality about it, it's worthless.

I think the process of becoming who we want to be, or just acting like who we want to be, is a lot easier than we think. We make decisions every few seconds, and who's to say that we can't start making the ones we want to now??

That whole mildly entertaining ad campaign was "verb. it's what you do." It kinda works, though. We could spend all our time studying and never do anything that lines up with it, right? Worthless? Perhaps. Who really knows.

(In the meantime, my easily procrastinated "action" at the moment is doing homework...)

Speaking of...

Speakers! In the last week (ish): Queen Rania of Jordan, Tom Brokaw, Judy Blume, Jodi Picoult, Paul Farmer, Bishop John Rucyahana, John Mather--Nobel Prize-winning physicist, writers of The Onion, Shihan--most famous slam poet alive, Sir Peter Crane, the President of Latvia, at least eight more I'm forgetting, the list will never end...

In one week at this school, I've seen and met more "famous" (aka my definition of famous) people than ever before in perhaps my entire life. It's unimaginable--every day I remain shocked to be living here, much less learning with and from such incredible people. (And that's just the guest speakers! My professors have their own wikipedia pages, faculty advisor, deans and masters and presidents oh my...)

It's easy to get a little starstruck, but it seems as if at some point all these cool people eventually get to be, well, just another part of Yale. Upperclassmen seem far too underwhelmed compared to the innocent frosh and to be honest, I'd only actually heard of maybe five of the speakers beforehand (gasp!).

But part of me never really wants to lose this giddy feeling that "ohmygosh, where am I?!" One of my suitemates saw Paul Farmer and Anne Fadiman in the same room on a 55-minute stop to the keynote speech of the Medical Anthropology conference here between dinner and section for class. Where does this happen?? How does this happen?? It seems crazy every day that people take tours of this place where we live, but it's hard not to admit that there is something weird, something magical here.

I guess my only hope is to not become complacent, to not miss out on these opportunities, to live it up...? It's going to happen, though. I will have to do laundry during a Master's Tea (like today), or nap through something amazing (almost every day), and eat dinner or do reading while the world remains turning and churning as I do so.

Perhaps this is just another part of life--you grab and do and enjoy and take advantage of and accomplish and revel in what you can, attempting to remain alive and well and passing in the process? Sounds good to me. At least for a couple years.

[Random orthodox-ly dressed Jewish guy on street corner]: "Excuse me, are you Jewish??"
[Me, walking by and chuckling to myself]: "Sorry, no..."
[Aforementioned guy]:"Oh, okay then. Nevermind."

Two minutes and one block later...

[New random orthodox-ly dressed Jewish guy on new street corner]: "Excuse me, are you Jewish??"
[Me, chuckling significantly more]: "Sorry, no..."
[New aforementione guy]: "Oh, okay then. Have a good day."
--------------------------------------------------------

Only at Yale on (near?) the high holy days.

"I have heard and seen many examples of the cruelty that we are able to visit on one another in my time... I have also seen incredible forgiveness and compassion... Yes, each of us has the capacity for great evil... But for every act of evil there are a dozen acts of goodness in our world that go unnoticed... It is only because we believe that people should be good that we despair when they are not. Indeed, if people condoned the evil, we would be justified in losing hope. But most of the world does not. We know that we are meant for better." -Desmond Tutu

Did I Miss Anything?

Nothing. When we realized you weren’t here
we sat with our hands folded on our desks
in silence, for the full two hours

Everything. I gave an exam worth
40 percent of the grade for this term
and assigned some reading due today
on which I’m about to hand out a quiz
worth 50 percent

Nothing. None of the content of this course
has value or meaning
Take as many days off as you like:
any activities we undertake as a class
I assure you will not matter either to you or me
and are without purpose

Everything. A few minutes after we began last time
a shaft of light suddenly descended and an angel
or other heavenly being appeared
and revealed to us what each woman or man must do
to attain divine wisdom in this life and
the hereafter
This is the last time the class will meet
before we disperse to bring the good news to all people
on earth.

Nothing. When you are not present
how could something significant occur?

Everything. Contained in this classroom
is a microcosm of human experience
assembled for you to query and examine and ponder
This is not the only place such an opportunity has been
gathered

but it was one place

And you weren’t here

SCHOOL!!!

So it's official. After having gone to class for an unofficial three days, I've decided I'm in love with school.

I'm not even positive what I'm taking yet, and don't have to register officially for a week or so, but am astonished nonetheless and how ridiculously exciting taking classes has become. Admittedly, this is the pre-homework hurricane season, and the first few days of school always have that air about them that seem as if this year is the one when you'll love class and do your work and succeed, but no matter what feelings may come when four papers are suddenly due on the same day, I think what's most exciting is the freedom that this education allows to take incredible classes from incredible professors at an incredible place and ultimately leave with...an education?? Perhaps this is the word for it.

After years of intermittent complaining about all of the oh-so-wonderful aspects of high school life (and likely of middle school life before that), college is definitely amazing. But it's not even that; I think it's more of a perspective on things. Here, at this newfangled college place, it's intentional. We're here for a reason, and it's not just cause the state mandates it or, well, "to get into college". Yes, some of us want a good job afterwards, and many certainly aim for med school, but there's something more purposeful here. Enjoying classes, using the crazy abundance of resources that are available, and some kind of community in knowing that the vast majority of us really do want to be here because we enjoy what we're learning about and we choose to do so willingly? Perhaps. Whatever it is, I'm certainly all for it.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

At the same time that I've been in this hectic amazingness of the beginning of school, I've finally begun to read a book that has been recommended to me about seven hundred times in the last year (approximately of course)... Three Cups of Tea. (Which is, in a far too oversimplified synopsis, about a guy who takes on building a school and educating girls in Pakistan and Afghanistan and has now brought over 70-ish schools to rural areas there).

It just seems fitting (or in a general theme) that the insane excitement I'm experiencing at the moment for school should coincide with the realization of the fact that education for those across the globe is at this point not only crucial, but something that is beginning to come to fruition for a lot of people who seem to share my giddiness at the prospect of schooling. And that same intentional nature of the process, where school isn't forced, but chosen, looked forward to.

I could theorize endlessly about how important an education is for a "good life" in the sense that said life involves an apparently high-paying job or an *cough cough* ivy league education. But the reality that tends to exist is that the mere act of going to school and getting oneself an education is a path that leads to so many incredible places that we (as the Americans that we tend to be) oftentimes excessively take for granted.

In all honesty, Oprah and I have a tendency to not think on the same plane (there may or may not have been multiple derisions in the recent past headed in her general direction), but hey, the woman built an incredible school that is probably making a big difference in a lot of people's lives. For now, I applaud her. And Greg Mortenson. And everyone else who sponsors education.

To end as to begin,

YAY SCHOOOOOOL!!!

Oh, Blog.

Yes, blog. About five years after the tidal wave of them hit, admittedly. It's kind of a funny word, but I'll go with it, at least for now.

Why, you ask? Hmmm I like writing? Philosophizing and stuff. I'm going to college and I figure it'll be a decent way to record some of that, and my thoughts on it. To keep in touch, I guess? Not that I really expect anyone to read it....I'd much rather it be a quietly-existing-journal type of thing. Not going to post every day, or with any regularity for that matter, though it'll probably be exciting for the first few months or so. I find it fascinating that a blog is by nature a temporary thing, and almost all of them die at some point (oftentimes when they start), so I'm going to call it a thought repository. A journal that can be typed to avoid horrible handwriting and an impeccable ability to lose things.

The title? Shakespeare. Much Ado About Nothing, I think. Yeah, it's kind of reminiscent of what goes on in my head most days. And hopefully what will happen in college, at least in those classes and papers and whatnot. Maybe even on this journal-ly blog-thing, if a) someone decides to comment on it or b) my writing becomes schizophrenic (b is more likely). But more than anything, I just think the phrase "skirmish of wits" sounds cool.

The end. (Or perhaps, the beginning)