Just watched a documentary on PBS-FRONTLINE, about a preacher who self-immolated himself. The note he left behind said, and I paraphrase, was because he believed racism was rampant in the small town of Grand Saline, Texas. The symbol for making a statement about his beliefs was to set himself on fire in the middle of town and leave a note behind saying why he did it. As we know, folks do things for all sorts of reasons and we "justify" them in a multitude of ways. Spiritual, material, financial, selfishness and causal are just a few off the top of my head. We look to leadership for making statements and actions for the greater good of society as a whole, at least I do. What happens when leadership becomes misguided and withdrawn? What happens when leadership believes the things they are doing is for the greater good and no one will set themselves aside enough to see that the person in leadership is in need of an intervention. That the things they believe, are saying and planning are self-defeating and life threatening. What happens when leadership's actions effect and affect beyond themselves. The preacher's daughter said, ..."he was not thinking about the effect of his actions on his family-others..." We can arguably say that greatness is misunderstood. We can say that visionaries are often misunderstood. We can also say that people in leadership, when their actions are left unchecked and reignless, are steering a ship in the dark. Windlessness and smooth waters may mislead into shallow grounds and strand a boat, though a tide may rise to release it, as the sun rises and visions a new course can be endeavor. Tormented seas in the dark without good leadership can lead to rocky cliffs and a sinking ship. One man burning himself in the middle of the day can make a profound statement, though its end may only blow smoke in time, however profound and seemingly selfless the intent may be. One man making repeated statements, creatings fires in attempts to persuade a belief statement in the minds of others and for the cause of bait-and-switch, can only exist if more fires are created. Eventually, there will be a big fire while we stand around and watch the burning. When the the smoke thickens and the flames draw closer, most likely we will flash on a moment when we saw the writing on the wall, like the sound of a tweet of a bird. Subtle, impersonal, impersonable, deplorable or agreeable, mooooving on like a cow chewing the cud while waiting in line for an eventual end; for the next tweet to eventually become numb to. The town of Grand Saline, named by the Native American Indians of the region, denotes Big Salt. Salt is an amazing mineral with many beneficial physical properties and in quantity, profuse dispelling properties. It also has metaphysical properties of protection, healing and dispulsion and dispelling. Make a statement in "Revelation" of your vision and heart. Squawk now, loudly, or forever hold your tongue, "...for he knows the time is short...". Just another chapter sub-plot in the evolving book.
Tuesday, December 18, 2018
Thursday, November 10, 2016
Keys to the White House
By now, I am sure you are privy to the different ways in which folks are reacting to our recent presidential election results. To say the least, I am disappointed that folks are separating themselves, in some cases life long relationships, from physical, social and virtual relationships, as a result of the way someone voted or not. These lines in the sand are not only dividing relationship, they are dividing lines of communication for understanding and healing.
Humor and satire are always a great means for viewership of a topic that seems otherwise unapproachable to some. Recently a friend posted a comment on face book with the photo below as motivation. Most of the folks who commented, had an opinion pro and con one or the other of our Presidents. I posted the comment below:
Right now Mr. Trump is a guest and future resident, being shown some of the rooms, passageways and dumb-waiters of a very large multi-leveled historical house. l sense President Obama has just introduced him and family, to a wink of vision and scope of reality that must be experienced to fully grasp; A reality I only think fully digestible well into or even post the experience. Holding the keys to that house is no light task. I think he is considering what is in store for him, feeling what may be similar to the equation of a virgin tripper on 20 hits of blotter just starting to tingle, and perhaps thinking something along the lines of.....whooooooa shit, heavy man...heavy! Well, Breathe man... Brrreeeeeaaaathe, the ride is still climbing, you've still got the coasts, drops and rolls to go bro...hehehehe...By now we know this is a photo from Mr. Obama and Mr. Trump meeting, for the first time ever I may add, at the White House. Over the years, I though what it may be like to be President and what I may do in the case of a particular situation. The varying states of love and hate, in combination with the varying states of tolerance and intolerance, have led me to believe we need a new way of looking, approaching and communicating with others and our own selves. If you look at my recent facebook posts- https://www.facebook.com/LCASHN -you will be able to read and view some of how I feel about life and the current state of our Nation.
I continued with another thought today. Playing with films of a couple of the worlds more noted artists of parody and play, Monte Python's film the Meaning of Life and Cheech and Chong's film Nice Dreams, I decided to make a very quick video commentary/short as an addition to my reply, to my friends Facebook post. I grabbed the CNN cut of the interview from YouTube, and added the short press corps statement to a few excerpts from the above films. For Better of for worse, attached to this entry of my blog, is the video.....Engage it at first view, comment and go forward, hopefully with at least a chuckle, or view it more than one and witness the parallel's, trippy connections, references and ironic final mention of "it's always the last one..." and the corresponding scene "...that gets 'ya". If for some reason you are not able to view the video here, check my Facebook-Notes section or
my YouTube page https://youtu.be/IMcqNcwAw-k ...
Cheers Neighbors and Truly Be Very Well!
LArry
Thursday, May 5, 2016
Sunday, December 6, 2015
Logic, Reason and Extinction...A Walk in the Park
Thoughts on Logic, Reason
and Extinction...A Walk in the Park
: a note spurred from a quick read in the New Yorker…
In my
opinion, a curious thing about most research is it and observer only believe what it
sees. A collective and comprehensive projection of compiled phenomena is only said to be true when it is observed
(all so very relative to the perception of the viewer’s lens). Here is an example research assertion for
thought... One day dinosaurs will be extinct.
We know this to be true, but our mind and discipline will only allow us
to believe it when we see...all of our math has to have a number after the
"=" so we can prove it to be true.
Prove, this supposition. Climate
change is real. Human is expediting a
naturally occurring process at magnificently exponential rates. Therefore, human, by its own hand, is
increasing the death rate and extinction of its own via its actions and denial
of consequence. Unnaturally, we are building in an environment that cannot
naturally recuperate from the demands of its inhabitants. Darwin elaborated on
the "survival of the fittest". It considers the actions of a natural
world. What we build is not
natural. We may win in a survival
battle, as we are essentially the top of the food chain. We can construct, blowup, melt, by-produce and
equate more than any other physically known thing on this planet. The issue is, we are using the planet as our
laboratory and lab monkey. The monkey
can only take so much. A monkey will die
or, if given the opportunity, naturally defend itself. The Earth and creation
is much larger than us in free standing, though we are of it, and it is of
us. It naturally seeks balance...biosemiosis
to function in Holon. The universe is
natural in order and will do naturally to compensate and maintain balance on a
concept of time far beyond the tick-tock of a second hand of a time clock…the
one "we" call real. We are a
part of a whole. The body fights
dis-ease, seasons cycle and stars burn out.
In a system, dependent on balance, the system finds a way to naturally
isolate and destroy a factor and perceived invader that fashions itself as demanding, aggressive or in control. Again, we are
not bigger than the spark of life, we are a part of the spark and we can be
dimmed abruptly as a result of our egocentric
endeavors of selfishness separation, selective blindness and greed. I assert the plant/universe/creation/spark
will win against this (our) invasion. It is
not personal it is survival, natural inherent survival. It is the design of chaos and order, it is
the space between the finger of God and the universe. It is the web of life that is interconnected
and senses the breeze and the break of a link as profoundly the same. Would you
allow invasion without defense? We are
offending the plant we inhabit. We are effecting systems about us, that
comprehension is "mind-blowing" in the nature of what we collectively
consider as real. We may be blessed to
one day have comprehension and vision of of the whirling beauty of
"It All" - all that is. Meanwhile, or planet is changing and we are exponentially effecting the
change. Do you really want to be around and a part of the proof/answer to an assertion that we are the cause of our own extinction? Get it together people, we hold a wand,
and can build and destroy just the same. Mind, effort, inconsideration, greed,
consumption and denial as a mindset for progress, on one side of the coin,
builds. In part, It has created what we have now...a degradation of conscience,
consequence, accountability and environment by the result of our own actions
and for "progress". To
continue to "build" what we equate as progress, will expedite the endangerment and extinction of the dinosaur...in this case humans being. Do we really need to see the result post
"=" to know the factors are leading up the an inevitable sum. That is not science. This is
"head-in-the-sand" enacting of plausible deniability, ignorance, insanity and greed. In agreement with or not from
a political point of view, Mr. Obama said something recently that seems to be a
sentiment of heart that we all, at some level, desire and may be able to
collectively ensure for everyone in the future.
"In twenty years or so, if I am still around, I would like to be
able to take my grandkids on a walk through the park."
Larry Cashion
Be Well
Thursday, July 2, 2015
I Met Roy G. Biv Today
Final Video Project
Below is a copy of a Facebook post I wrote after the recent Supreme Court Ruling on Marriage. I know lots of people and have been moved by the combinations of fear and joy in peoples posts and conversations. I wanted to engage people in an in-person / face-to-face way and hear how people really would express themselves if given the opportunity. I do not consider this a complete sample of the population view but was happy to have the experience and meet some new folks. I look forward to talking with and meeting some more folks...Roy G. Biv is an acronym for the colors of the rainbow. My take away from the culmination of this experience thus far is we are all Roy G. Biv and we shine brightly at various and modulating frequencies and wavelengths along the spectrum of Light. Shine!
I Met Roy G. Biv Today
Thanks Dr. Thompson for our discussions and for being open to design and flow of the project.
Some notes regarding guidelines, concept and goals...
We had a time limit for length and time to work on this project. If I had only chosen 4 or 5 people, I would have been able to feature a deeper look at a smaller sample of people. I wanted to pay respect to the people that took time to share with me (I hope I did so) and chose a different path for the edit.
With regard to completion of my masters degree...Although I have been rolling around and increasing the desire to do so, this project was not intended to be a maiden voyage toward the utilization of audio and video capture as a method for the presentation of research in lieu of papers. Our world is full of technology and I feel that the use of multi-media is viable and broad reaching as a vehicle for education and research presentation. As an after thought and within what I had for footage, I attempted to establish that a survey of people can be taken and that an hypothesis can be explored. The concept I developed and attempted to present, was around the questions of human origin and human nature, how technology and social media has influenced the nature of communication and how the "personal" medium of Facebook and the way we communicate within its walls, is different from how we communicate in person. My thought was that people may say what they think about something from the comfort of a keyboard, but when asked to express on a topic in person or truly outwardly, that willingness to do so may change. I'll elaborate on this by adding that, on the whole, if their opinion differs from what is the majority social statement at any given time, they will clam up. That assertion was somewhat supported by a number of people who were not open to or in my opinion, feared the opportunity to express themselves in a face-to-face situation by not participating or by not really engaging the question regarding "impression" of the photo.
I finally chose to go with a concept that could be perceived as artistic in form, but if reviewed and contemplated, that hopefully something else could be interpreted or impressed. Still neutral and respectful of individual and or collective opinions and passion and remarking/bringing to light on a dynamic of a phenomena(s) at the same time.
Upon hearing feedback, some got it and some did not. I am good with that for a lot of reasons. At the least, so far anyway, feedback has been positive, it has stimulated discussion and informed. My intent was to say something in a video that was engaging, informative and included as many "faces" as possible in a very short period of time and still meet the class assignment requirements and deadline for the final video project. As I stated in the beginning of the video, "...it turned out to be more than I thought it would and that is a very pleasant surprise...". That is a mild statement for the possibilities of exploring the nature of human and utilizing multi-media as a vehicle for it.
Below is a copy of a Facebook post I wrote after the recent Supreme Court Ruling on Marriage. I know lots of people and have been moved by the combinations of fear and joy in peoples posts and conversations. I wanted to engage people in an in-person / face-to-face way and hear how people really would express themselves if given the opportunity. I do not consider this a complete sample of the population view but was happy to have the experience and meet some new folks. I look forward to talking with and meeting some more folks...Roy G. Biv is an acronym for the colors of the rainbow. My take away from the culmination of this experience thus far is we are all Roy G. Biv and we shine brightly at various and modulating frequencies and wavelengths along the spectrum of Light. Shine!
I Met Roy G. Biv Today
I
met Roy G. Biv today...pretty cool cat...kind of all over the place
though. Amazing what can happen in such a brief moment when you're open
to an experience. It happened so fast, I was shown so much, I was not
even expecting it. So challenging but really still so easy. Once I
stopped thinking and just opened up to the opportunity, I learned a lot about
myself and another as well. Pretty cool cat, kind of all over the place
though. Catch ya' on the flip-side Roy G. Biv. Hope you learned as
much as I did :-)
Thanks Dr. Thompson for our discussions and for being open to design and flow of the project.
Some notes regarding guidelines, concept and goals...
We had a time limit for length and time to work on this project. If I had only chosen 4 or 5 people, I would have been able to feature a deeper look at a smaller sample of people. I wanted to pay respect to the people that took time to share with me (I hope I did so) and chose a different path for the edit.
With regard to completion of my masters degree...Although I have been rolling around and increasing the desire to do so, this project was not intended to be a maiden voyage toward the utilization of audio and video capture as a method for the presentation of research in lieu of papers. Our world is full of technology and I feel that the use of multi-media is viable and broad reaching as a vehicle for education and research presentation. As an after thought and within what I had for footage, I attempted to establish that a survey of people can be taken and that an hypothesis can be explored. The concept I developed and attempted to present, was around the questions of human origin and human nature, how technology and social media has influenced the nature of communication and how the "personal" medium of Facebook and the way we communicate within its walls, is different from how we communicate in person. My thought was that people may say what they think about something from the comfort of a keyboard, but when asked to express on a topic in person or truly outwardly, that willingness to do so may change. I'll elaborate on this by adding that, on the whole, if their opinion differs from what is the majority social statement at any given time, they will clam up. That assertion was somewhat supported by a number of people who were not open to or in my opinion, feared the opportunity to express themselves in a face-to-face situation by not participating or by not really engaging the question regarding "impression" of the photo.
I finally chose to go with a concept that could be perceived as artistic in form, but if reviewed and contemplated, that hopefully something else could be interpreted or impressed. Still neutral and respectful of individual and or collective opinions and passion and remarking/bringing to light on a dynamic of a phenomena(s) at the same time.
Upon hearing feedback, some got it and some did not. I am good with that for a lot of reasons. At the least, so far anyway, feedback has been positive, it has stimulated discussion and informed. My intent was to say something in a video that was engaging, informative and included as many "faces" as possible in a very short period of time and still meet the class assignment requirements and deadline for the final video project. As I stated in the beginning of the video, "...it turned out to be more than I thought it would and that is a very pleasant surprise...". That is a mild statement for the possibilities of exploring the nature of human and utilizing multi-media as a vehicle for it.
Thursday, June 25, 2015
Class I-Movie Project
We are learning I-Movie on MAC for Media Production. I have been a PC guy until I started this class. Prof (h) ET, thanks for the introduction to MAC and for the opportunity to stretch my brain a bit. Below is my cut (edit) of some footage we shot in class. I dropped in a few V.O.'s (voice over) and foley art (sounds) for fun....Hugo is so method (an acting style)!
Monday, June 22, 2015
The Roots Of Tradition- Episode 1: Excerpts from the book "American Negro Songs and Spirituals".
This post is my Sound Story Project. It is the application part of the Sound Editing and Podcast Exercise for Dr. ET's class as well. I have chosen to title this, The Roots Of Tradition- Episode 1:
Culture and the arts are two of my deepest passions. The pursuit of Knowledge, Consciousness, Spirit and Soul are driving forces in my life. Respect for and understanding of diversity, along with appreciation of what and how we believe as individuals and societies is paramount for the possibility of knowing more of what our own beliefs are and for a lasting peace among ourselves.
The title of this post, The Roots Of Tradition, will be the home of searches and knowledge of traditions that have shaped individuals and cultures of our little planet. I create it in hopes of learning more myself and sharing this knowledge with someone else along the way. Enjoy!
On to Episode 1: Excerpts and Audio Examples from the book American Negro Songs and Spirituals. Below is a podcast I have created from an excerpt from the book I mentioned above. You will hear my voice and some of the original recordings mentioned in the reading. I found the recordings on Archive.org. Because of time constraints of the class exercise, this is a shorter version than what an episode will actually be.
Below is the transcript for my podcast...
AUDIO INSERTS
Intro:
Segue: - "The Songs"
Culture and the arts are two of my deepest passions. The pursuit of Knowledge, Consciousness, Spirit and Soul are driving forces in my life. Respect for and understanding of diversity, along with appreciation of what and how we believe as individuals and societies is paramount for the possibility of knowing more of what our own beliefs are and for a lasting peace among ourselves.
The title of this post, The Roots Of Tradition, will be the home of searches and knowledge of traditions that have shaped individuals and cultures of our little planet. I create it in hopes of learning more myself and sharing this knowledge with someone else along the way. Enjoy!
On to Episode 1: Excerpts and Audio Examples from the book American Negro Songs and Spirituals. Below is a podcast I have created from an excerpt from the book I mentioned above. You will hear my voice and some of the original recordings mentioned in the reading. I found the recordings on Archive.org. Because of time constraints of the class exercise, this is a shorter version than what an episode will actually be.
AUDIO INSERTS
Intro:
Thanks for dialing in to The Roots of Tradition. I am your host, Larry Cashion. The Roots of Tradition, is a once-a-month podcast of content, dialogue and interviews surrounding the rich and diverse cultural heritages of our world.
You are listening to Episode1: Excerpts and Audio Examples from the book titled American Negro Songs and Spirituals. There is no author acknowledgment in the book, but is edited by John W. Work of Fisk University. The book is a comprehensive collection of 230 religious and secular folks songs and contains seven chapters that are titled "Origins, The Spiritual, The Blues, Work Songs, Social and Miscellaneous, The Songs and Bibliography".
I have chosen to read an excerpt starting on page 18 of the book, which explains the three basic types of traditional American Negro spirituals. Here's that excerpt...
V.O. - book reading pg. 18
Segue: - "The Songs"
Now we have a base of knowledge regarding the structure of the songs. I did some digging on "the net" and found sound tracks of some of the songs I mentioned in the excerpt.
The first song is, The Great Camp Meeting and the second you'll hear is, Swing Low, Sweet Chariot
Both of these are examples of the "Call and Response Chant" category. Let's listen to some short clip
(Insert SONG: #1 and #2)
The third song is, Nobody Knows the Touble I Seen, and is an example of the "slow, sustained, long phrase melody"
(Insert SONG: #3)
(Insert SONG: #3)
The fourth and final song is titled, Shout All Over God's Heab'n, and represents the "Syncopated Melody".
(Insert SONG: #4)
(Insert SONG: #4)
Outro:
That wraps the show for today. I hope you enjoyed it and that you'll find your way back around to these parts again...
I'm Larry Cashion and again, thanks for listening to The Roots of Tradition.
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