A World of Containers

We live in a world of containers. Our organs are contained within our bodies. Our bodies our contained within our buildings. Our buildings are contained within or countries, which are contained within our plane, which is contained within our atmosphere, which is contained within space, which is contained within... well, more space I guess. But where does the container for space stop? Does it stop? Can it stop? If space is contained within something, what is past the container?

I was recently watching Nova, or some such program on television, and they were talking about the big bang. They talked about the big bang in a very nonchalant way. They said "well, there was a point, then a little boom, and a big bang, and wham, you got your universe. Next question." And I'm still trying to wrap my mind around what that tiny point, that eventually exploded into and became the known universe, was contained in. Was it floating? Does the concept of floating apply? Was the point as infinitely small as whatever it was resting in infinitely large? Do the concepts of large and small apply? Or is it all simply infinite, and size is simply a state of being? If we continue to dig smaller and smaller past the quantum world, will we keep finding more and more building blocks of matter, or is there a point where we stop finding something? And if we stop finding things, what is that emptiness? Is it the same emptiness containing our planet? Does the concept of emptiness apply? Can it apply? Is there really no such thing as emptiness? If so, then what is emptiness made of? Whew, like the blog says, a gaggle of questions, and squiggles for answers. Except in this case I really don't have any answers.

Looking Forward - "Big Man Japan"

I simply do not have the vocabulary to instill, upon you dear internet, how excited I am for this movie. I don't know what I could say to possibly add to the images from the trailer. So here I am, looking forward.

Watchmen 12" Picture Disk - Wahoo!

Recently, I ordered the Watchmen 12" picture disk vinyl of the internets and now it's here. Side A is a cover of Bob Dylan's "Desolation Row" by the infamous My Chemical Romance. I haven't heard the song, nor do I care to, but I love Watchmen, and vinyl records, and this is a combination of those things. Anyways, I'm just happy and wanted to share it with you dear internet.

Side A: "Desolation Row" by My Chemical Romance

Side B: "Prison Fight" by Tyler Bates

Looking Forward - "Ballast"

Very rarely are there movies that I simply know nothing about. I don't mean to come off as cocky, but if a trailer makes it to Apple's trailer section then there's a good chance I've heard something. With "Ballast" I've heard nothing. All I know is that it looks absolutely gorgeous. Visually, the film looks like it was photographed, rather than shot. And it is so refreshing to see a quiet trailer. There seems to be a nobility and a confidence in its lower volume which really attracts me to the project. I don't know when or if this movie will ever be in theaters. I can only hope to see it in a few months on Netflix, but until then I'm just looking forward.

Can I Eat Meat Whilst Honoring Divinity?

In my world civilizations class, we're talking about Hindu religions and Buddhism. I don't want to go spouting off what I've read so far as truth. I don't want to be that cocky college student that thinks they now know it all and their about to drop some knowledge on everybody. I'm recognizing that this is all very new to me. So, naturally, I have a lot of questions. The one weighing on me right now is if I can still honor all sentient beings while being an omnivore.

In Hinduism, it tells you to honor every living organism as an expression of divinity, because it is. The idea being that one could not willingly bring harm or pain to the divine. And Buddhism similarly teaches a life of compassion. The Buddhist's define compassion as never willfully inflicting suffering on any sentient being. So can I show respect and honor to an animal while eating it? It had to die of unnatural causes to allow me to eat it. I didn't kill it myself, but it still had to die. While I'm not saying I'm a Buddhist, I am saying that I very much believe in never willfully bringing harm to any sentient being no matter how small. So if I'm not okay with killing the animal myself, can I in good conscience continue eating them? Obviously protein is key to human life, but protein can be found in places other than meat. And instinctual creatures eat other animals.

So Animals eat other animals. Do they take the same karmic hit even though they're not conscious beings? Does the gift on consciousness bestow some greater responsibility onto humanity? Is it my job to recognize that I am a conscious life form, and that I do not have to do as the instinctual animals do?

So if I do stop eating meat for a while, which I am considering, am I really making anything better? In our service industry and economy, even if I stop eating meat, the same number of animals will still be killed every year. So do I say "well, I'm doing my part. It's the though that counts"? Or is that simply feeding my Ego? Is it any better to stop eating meat so I personally won't be racking up the bad karma if those sentient beings in question are still "harmed"? Isn't what I'd be doing worse? Trying to save myself, while those creatures I claim to be honoring are being killed.

I am really torn on this one. I've been wanting to start meditating, so maybe this would be the perfect topic to think on. Ah well. It's all moot anyways when my stomach is digesting a bleu cheese and bacon burger from Clara's. Bah.

In Honor Of...

In honor of this day of days, I present the uncomfortably appropriate "It's Oh So Quiet" by the one, the only, the forever-jaded, Bjork. Favorite line from the song "So what's the use with falling in love."

Looking Forward - "Medicine for Melancholy"

I get excited about movies all the time, but rarely this excited. I love movies about people, as opposed to movies about the explosions happening around people, or the wacky/outlandish love triangle they end up in because their dead girlfriend comes back as a hilarious and wisecracking ghost. I love movies that feel like a camera just happened to be rolling as these people were living their lives. I also love movies that look different, and while "Medicine for Melancholy" isn't rewriting the book on how a film should look, it does have a very beautiful muted color pallet. And I especially love when comedians take serious roles. I want to clarify that I'm not saying there won't be funny parts. I'm saying that the comedian, in this case Wyatt Cenac of The Daily Show fame, is playing a character that happens to be funny rather than a funny character. The movie looks gorgeous, and right up my alley.