You are lost

Note:  This is a continuation of Value, but it started changing direction, so I thought I’d make it separate.

And so what determines if living in such a fashion has any greater value than continuing on an arid existence?  Unlike material goods whose value is based on blood and suffering, the value we assign to life is more incorporeal, and the basis for comparison immeasurable.  A life less ordinary may encounter great things of a spiritual nature that a common life lost to a material existence may never desire to attain, or even recognize to exist.

But cannot a life driven by material things lead to some grand source of inspiration too?  Kingdoms and nations rise out of the aspirations of conquest.

So where does the greater value lie, purpose?  Do we seek enlightenment or material goods to share and improve the circumstances of life for “the greater good” or do week seek to hoard and capitalize on the imbalance created from having what others do not?  But who is to say which is right?

So what do we see as our personal value of time, and what are we willing to trade it for?  If all life is suffering, what is the fruit of our strife?  Do we labor under the illusion that we can ever truly attain something physically tangible when we ourselves are incorporeal beings?

Each moment is precious and unique to an extent, and beauty is in part a product of scarcity.  So the more rare the event the more value we give it. But by influencing the probabilities we create a sameness in the happenings of our daily lives that can lead to a mundane existence and a sense of banality.  The workplace is the most obvious example, and generally where most of us experience this disconnect from grandeur.


The happenings of Day A, if too similar to Day B, lose significance even though each has it’s own unique set of values and circumstances.  More so if Days C-Z follow suit.

But doesn’t this also allow a basis for comparison to determine what is indeed a rare moment?  And from that to measure from greatness what is truly fantastic?  But it also implies that some moments are less rare, and by our definition, less beautiful.  We live in a world where the beauty of the unique is seen as abnormality, chance as insecurity, and seeking enlightenment as terrorism.  By organizing chaos do we not seek banality?

But value is not strictly determined by scarcity.  Why notice any particular moment, why hold it in memory?  We assign meaning to our experiences both common and great, whose value is based on perception.  If we see a moment as rare or meaningful the more we treasure it.  If we feel it to be common or trivial we disregard it.  So the issue at hand is what unseen forces influence our perception to say that one moment has more value another?  Is it all based on personal experience or do we allow cultural experience a greater say?  By raising our expectations of what each moment could hold, have we allowed our society to numb our senses to the subtleties of life?

What enlightenment could we achieve from perceiving every moment as rich in meaning?  And do we not risk imposing a greater meaning than there might be?  It is important to allow that which is mundane to remain insignificant; to allow value to remain uninfluenced and to appreciate what is for what it is.  To simply be and appreciate, and allow the experiences that unfold to enrich us as they will.

This is not to say we cannot create moments of rarity to enhance our experience.  But creating an atmosphere where enlightenment may be achieved is different from trying to discern meaning from the meaningless.  Should we all not seek to influence our own existence in such fashion?  To impose our own will upon our existence rather than allowing the influences prescribed to us by aforementioned social factors?  To create an alternative path to monotony?

After discovering such treasures as Sebastien Tellier or Verka Serduchka, and maybe even some non treasures as Pirates Of The Sea or Azerbaijan’s Elnur & Samir, I’m excited to see what this year’s Eurovision crop will turn up.  Only a couple of weeks to go.

Gatas Parlament has a new album out!  I’ve only heard a little bit of it, but I’m hooked.  I’ve never paid for anything in Kroner before.

Since I’m kind of on an international music theme here, I’ve also been digging the music of Belanova and Fobia.  Makes me wish I had put more effort into learning spanish.

Mien gott, that’s quite a few links!  I just got so carried away!  So…. much… to….. share….

The boy introduced me to the awesomeness of Ronald Jenkees.  I thought I’d share that experience.

Thanks to the loving patience of Sara my site works again.  Woohoo!  I’ve got a little tinkering around still to do, but it’s nice to have it working proper again.

We’ve got a lot of catching up to do.  But that’ll have to wait for another day.

After nearly 3 weeks of abstinence I have resumed my nicotine habit.  I’m beginning to remember the reasons I decided to quit but I can tolerate my job again.

My DM had to reschedule our meeting on account of his becoming ill after a trip to Mexico.  I haven’t heard back from him for almost a week.  I like the guy but part of me hopes it’s Swine Flu.

Speaking of overdue pandemics and scares over the years, does anyone else remember SARS?  God that was funny.

So I have a game for everyone to play!  You’re fucking excited aren’t you?  It only works well if you’re in debt, or at least being in debt makes it more interesting.  It all starts with a simple question:  What did you buy with the last of your money?  Let me clarify a little.  Most of us owe someone large amounts of money be it through student loans, credit card debt or perhaps a home loan.  So think back to before you saddled your debts to when you had any money you didn’t owe anyone else, the last money that was truly yours.  What did you spend it on?  Not the purchase that put you under, but the purchase that brought you to $0.  Then think about what that might say about your priorities in life.  I’d love to hear your stories so feel free to respond.

Here are a couple of examples from around the house to get you going:

Matt-  Shortly after turning 18 was down to his last few ill-begotten dollars which he used to buy a stick of Old Spice deodorant and a pack of cheap razors.  Conclusion:  Buying hygiene products turned out to be a good investment, potentially leading to his getting laid and eventually married.

Lynh- Used to pay for everything in cash.  Really good with her money.  She bought a car with the last large lump of it.  Then college began.  Conclusion:  Cars are made to go places.  Lynh wanted to go places in life.

And for me?  I haven’t really pinned it down to one item yet, but I’m working on it.  So far my unofficial answer goes something like this:

Chris- At the age of 23 I had a large disposable income and no financial obligations.  I would save up large sums of money then splurge on whatever took my fancy that month.  I needed a bedroom set, a car and a new computer.  I also had some other interests that we won’t mention here that took some capital.  Somewhere in there I hit the $0 mark and a little past.  I had nearly recovered fully before moving to AZ.  Conclusion:  Luxury.  SxRxR&R.  I traded the last of my financial freedom to create my own mini feel-good empire.

How about you?

Still not fixed.  Hmm.

It’s been 1 week of not smoking.  So far so good.

Explored around Prescott and Prescott Valley a bit more lately.  Found some neat areas.  I’ll have to take some new pictures soon.

Fallout 3 is great, and the soundtrack is wonderful too.

Full of buffet… must digest.

My blog is all hurr.  I’m still working on that.

I’m attempting quitting smoking again.  So far 4 days.

Wii fit is fun.

Starbucks is not fun.  Or cool.  Tell your friends.  Not cool.

I’ve been down for a couple months (for those of you who’ve noticed) and I’ve almost got things figured out.  A little more tinkering to do though.

I was hoping that by April I would have done enough damage to my debts to move again, but it’s looking like that might not happen.  Poop.

John McCain will be in Prescott tomorrow night.  I’m tempted to go.

In case I haven’t said it in a while or haven’t made it clear:  I hate my job.  Taking this position has been nothing but stress since I started.  Some days it’s not so bad, but some days it’s just not worth it.

I’m hungry.

Forwards, backwards, forwards, backwards… every time I turn around, any way I try to look at it there’s always more of it.  I could build a replica of every house I’ve ever lived in out of all the paperwork that keeps appearing for me to do.

Meetings here, a walkthrough there… make it happen.  Corporations suck.  This would be easier if I were on salary so I could just work without worrying about hours.

Nothing else really happening.