Day 675

More content featured by Blake's "Comrade in Arts," the talented bibi16 for the Day 675 entry on THE 800 DAYS blog!

Selections by bibi16:

• "Artificial Intelligence or Ten Ways Not to Communicate with Other Human Beings" [doesn't just the TITLE say a whole bunch here, already?]
• "When Taking Pictures In Public Places"

 I think the 10 points in the first article should be posted ANYWHERE that language is used... which means "posted pretty much everywhere"! In libraries, schools, coffee shops, stores, community hall bulletin boards, etc... In my opinion, if people adhered to the suggestions bibi16 offers, communications between people would be less confusing, more open and straightforward - and people would be able to understand each other as well as respect each other much more than we do at present. As well, since some of the points in bibi16's article are about considering the written word/languages we speak, I think if people acted upon the information in the article, many would decide to learn written language better, too.

bibi16's second article featured in the post gives some information on what is permissible and not permitted when people are taking photos with cameras, cell phones, etc. I didn't know some of the things in this article before - like that if you're on private property you can be asked/told to stop taking photos but that your cell phone/camera is not supposed to be taken away from you. Luckily, I don't use my cell phone camera that much or do not use it often in any location without asking people if they mind...but for those who love using their phone-cam, bibi16's article is a good read providing important information.

The Day 675 post on The 800 Days blog features bibi16 again and is associated with Monday February 14 2011.

Oh and for those who celebrate - it's Valentine's Day. Happy Valentine's Day.

(belated as I am writing post date)

Day 676

Blake is featuring works by bibi16 on his The 800 Days blog for Day 676! Blake announces bibi16 as his "comrade in arts," which is fitting when you see one of bibi16's poem titles:

"Hitler's Mother"

The last two lines strike me hard,

"No one offers consolation
To Poor Hitler's Mother"

The second featured piece, "Blowing Him Again," by bibi16 caught my attention immediately - not by its title but - by its alliteration and repetitive rhyming at the beginning... weaning, tiny, teeny djinni (genie/jeannie), breaking, bottles, barefeet, burning [...] Butterflies bleed."

POWERFUL attention-getters, along with impact of concept once you read how these words are all used together!

It ain't over til its over.

bibi16's works arrive on Blake's Day 676 post on Sunday February 13 2011.

Day 677

Over on Blake's The 800 Days blog there is some comic relief (vid-clip of Robin Williams' "Golf" comedy bits) for the Day 677 post - along with a Force Majeure statement...

Force Majeure statements generally free involved or associated parties from liabilities when unseen circumstances or extraordinary events and circumstances cause said parties unable to fulfilling obligations. This is the short and basic explanation, anyway.

Where a "obligations" are concerned - with respect to The 800 Days blog, there is no heavy-handed signed legal contract, anyway, for Blake (or myself) to provide unlimited absolutely steady content online (or content strictly of a certain type). There is, however, a sort of unspoken agreement (along with some expectations) that all parties (Blake, myself, readers) enter into concerning blog posting... whereby content goes out (and is read) in steady fashion.

My thoughts are that this Force Majeure piece can be used to remind readers that, basically, "stuff happens" sometimes... to prevent a steady flow of content to the 800 DAYS project.

The Force Majeure created by Blake is definitely worth reading closely as it contains a mix of comedy, reality, satire, seriousness, social commentary and is its own little bit of art.

The Day 677 post is associated with Saturday February 12 2011.

Day 678

For the Day 678 entry on Blake Hall's The 800 DAYS blog, we are treated to some poetry. As always, the content contains items that will make you think, "Hmm." The title of this piece, "In This Spiritual Conspiracy."

Although in a number of places, the text appears to argue upon itself, don't let the messages stand as such - but instead, take time to consider opposites. What struck me most is how opposites in this piece exist as they are. A bit of a new concept outside of our Western either-or mentality... things existing as opposites without being detrimental to each other...

ie:  "I have no words: I make silence out of silence" and "I have no words: I make silence out of words" opposites words (sound) and silence exist here without detrimental opposition... they just ARE - but also, the narrator has transformed sound to make it silence...where silence was in the first place (I have no words/sound?).

I like the concept that "Love is the religion we come to share." Repetition of this line is like a reminder that we "come to this," are required to provide action toward this. It's more like a reminder than a statement of "what is." I also like the call to action line late in the piece, "Be the change you want to see in the world."

"Be the change you want to see in the world" will be my mantra for a little while and this is one of the lines that sticks with me most potently of all the text in this piece...

What thoughts do you have about this Spiritual Conspiracy?

The Day 678 post on The 800 Days blog is thought provoking art, associated with Friday February 11 2011

The Day The World Did Not End

On May 22 2011, I woke up surprised and thought... "The world did not end yesterday." I am thankful for this as May 22 is my birthday!

:)

On the day the world did not end, I didn't feel the ground shake, didn't hear of anyone claiming to see Jesus up in the sky or walking the Earth - didn't hear of World War Three starting when I listened to my radio. Actually, I heard sirens yesterday evening but that was when I walked to the store to get some cat food for my trusty rescue cat companion. The sirens ended up being fire trucks responding to a fire alert that likely turned out okay as I heard no report of an out of control fire in my region on the radio throughout the evening when I got home from the store. Fire response teams are on particularly heightened alert state and round-the-clocks schedules in my area as there is a province-wide fire ban in my region.

What were YOU doing The Day The World Did Not End?

Harold E. Camping from the USA was the driving force behind some of the "End Of Times" hysteria and phenomena we recently witnessed in/from North America. Although Biblical text is available which says we cannot know the end times or the time of Christ's return, Mr. Camping felt he had calculated a time of Christ's return - AGAIN in 2011. He has done this before in 1988 and 1994...

“But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. -- Matthew 24: 36-44.

Unfortunately, for some believers in Camping's calculations and message, there were some heavy losses as some people sold their belongings - expecting not to need material wealth and items after May 21 2011...

What is more disturbing than all of this is a general public's brand of ridicule-inducing criticism of all this End Times stuff... Perhaps it's just me - and the fact that I just observed turning one more year older (I'm in my forties) so I may need more calm and less confusion (including energy-sapping DRAMA) in my life - but what on earth DOES criticism do, anyway, if it is not thought out well first?

I have criticisms of Camping's theories - but I do not share a general public's viewpoint that Camping is a madman, an idiot, or any of the negative descriptors used for Camping's character that I have heard as of late. I would love to sit and discuss the topic of End Times with Camping (though I have heard he has taken ill). I would criticize theory, not the man.

Camping was born in 1921 and is an elderly individual... c'mon General Public - speak TO or ABOUT the man WITH your critical thinking skills engaged rather than your reaction mode on full power...

"Camping is wrong because he is an idiot" and "Camping is wrong because he is a whacko" are not reasonable statements that anyone can follow up on... try something like "Camping's literalist interpretation of Scriptures and understanding of Numerology combined led him to believe the world would end/Jesus would return May 21, 2011 - which was an event that did not come to pass." From the latter, we can discuss what went wrong for Camping, where theory, calculations, etc., veer to the side and do not serve us, Camping, followers, a general public, etc.

On the day after Camping (and others) believed the world would end, I was listening to talk radio, various stations, about this End Times phenomena... and heard some distraught followers of Camping say they did not know what to do as of May 22 2011...

For these people, part of their world DID END...

This is tragic.