Well I left the book store early today because another employee came in. Yeah. I should have stayed and worked a couple of more hours, but I wanted to relax, I've gone into the bookstore everyday this week, and while it's not bad, it's nice not to have to be there sometimes. I've begun working at Gossner's in earnest. I'm only working a few days a week. I don't want to be employeed full time again because I don't know how long I'm going to be able to stay there (only a few months I imagine). It was, well... disgusting last night. I dumped rotten milk, stuff that I wouldn't feed to pigs, though it is headed directly for a pig farm to 'fatten up the little sholts'. Some of you are saying: "Oh, yuck!" and that would be an accurate discription of this stuff. I don't enjoy it that's for sure, but I don't completely hate it. The work it's self isn't incredibly hard (not like stacking pallets) and the opportunity for conversation is ample, though not all the folk there are conversant. I also start, on Monday, opening the store everyday. That should be fun. I'll spend the first two hours by myself calling people about books and such. This will only last a month I think, then I'll be back to my usual time to come in.
By the way if you haven't noticed, I haven't yet got the link in on the Fourth of July post... I'll work on it... and I'll try to put one in on the Constitution too. My comment link is fixed however (it wasn't working yesterday) so feel free to post once again.
Labels: Life
The Constitution of the United States of America, ratified in 1787, carries the idea of a goverment functioning for the people to a great height. The protest of the founding fathers, and the idea of changing or erradicating a goverment that is harming a population is fully thought out in this document. It's primary feature is setting up how cheques and balances work and what the goverment can dictate as far as laws are concerned and what they can't, but the most interesting feature are the admendments. They are a way to change the way the goverment is working, and as they are voted on by a majority by 2/3s of all the states, the change of law should have more benefits than hinderances. Interesting to note that not all the founding fathers were in agreement with the amount of control the goverment should have. There were fights to get things like the first amendment placed in the Constitution.
So some of you are asking; "Why Frank, are you bothering us with all this history that we already know?" Well I'll tell you. The initial revolution (and oh what a revolution it was) was intended to break away from a tyranny and set up a goverment that works for the people. We should be willing to serve "our country" with the knowledge that it is meant to serve us. We should actively pursue endeavors that will benifit the population (and no I'm not a Utilitarian). Do not forget this one thing: The United States is the greatest country in the world not because we have the most money, not because we have the best military, not because we have the most clout when it comes to world politics. We are the greatest country in the world because our goverment is made to serve us, the people of this nation. When you lose sight of this one fact alone, then none of the other stuff matters, because the true intention of our country is lost.
Labels: musings
Happy fourth of July everybody. Now is the day of celebration of our nations founding. It is the day that two hundred and twenty five years ago, a group of men, "rebelious, tenacious, and criminal" men told the soveriegn nation at the time "No thank you sir" and left. Of course you know the rest of the story, at least you better. If you don't, ask your local history teachers about it, they'll clue you in. (I'd say go watch the History Channel, but with the frequency of WWII stuff they play on thier, those that don't know "the rest" would get the impression that history started with the Nazi rise to power and WWII). These men, who were "rebelious, tenacious, and criminal" became some of the most well respect politicians and diplomats in history. And well they should, they created some of the most well thought out and influentional documents in history. The Declaration of Independence and The Constitution of the United States of America.
The Declaration is a wonderful document. It's an official breaking of ties with the original soveriegn nation (England). The most inspirational thing contained in the document (in my opinion) isn't the unalienable rights of man, but, and I quote:
"
Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed, that whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these Ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its Foundation on such Principles, and organizing its Powers in such Form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. "
This is the idea that the people should have full control of the government itself, and if the government isn't working, then change it, fix it, or eradicate it and set up a new one. Not even the Greeks or the Romans had thought of that with thier various democracies and republics. Here is a link to this great document, and I'll continue with this line of thinking tomorrow, writing about The Constitution. (I think everyone should have a copy of both of these documents, but for now here's that link I promised).
Labels: musings
Woman. What is it about her? The ideal woman, there isn't a single one for me, but there are many things that cause my heart to flutter.
Hair. That is something. Long, flowing, vulouptious hair. Blonde, oh I love the blonde, there is something refreshing about a head of blonde hair. The lighter the better. The sunny California gold, to the platinum. Brunette, yes brunettes are wonderful too. There is something seductive about a brunette that I can't put my finger on. Redheads, they are the source of inspiration for many a poem I have written. Knees weaken at the thought, of the strawberry blonde to the fiery head of hair that seems to ignite in the light.
Oh fair maidens. Milky skin. Like a porcelain doll. There is a beauty there that I can drink in with my eyes. I am victorian in mindset on this manner. Full soft lips, that can purr the wisest of philosphies into my ear on love and life. Oh. how enamored am I with the thought of her. How enamored I have been with many a woman. I remember each one distictly. I have written poems about each. And music for others. I can still hear each of thier laughter. Like music. It makes me smile.
And the Eyes. There is something about a womans eys. Deep, dark brown eyes. Eyes that you can get lost in, mysterious, yet caring. Blue. Like pools of water, or icicles, that shine with a vibrant life. Green. There is something lush and delicious about green eyes. I love gazing into womens eyes, if only for a moment. It's easy to get lost there, of all the place to get lost in, a womans eyes are the greatest.
So if you have some one who is the opposite of you, go give them a kiss, and look into thier eyes, and get lost in them.
If you don't. Then dream.
Labels: poetical musings
So here I am. Not working at Gossner's tonight, I did however work there last night. It's a wee more physical than the book store, but I knew that. At the bookstore I've been moved away from religion. Gene, my employer, feels that I was not dividing the books into finite enough of categories. He has very specific ideas about what should go on in the religion, though I do not completely agree with how finite he wants to make the categories, I can do nothing but say yes sir. I am cautious when sorting books, I lean towards the philosophy that to much organization can lead to chaos, just as to little is chaos. It can be summed up in a quote from Frank Herberts "The Dosadi Experiment": "The more control, the more that requires control. This is the road to chaos." Some of you are saying: 'how does this apply to books and sections of books?' The problem lies in maintaining the sections themselves. The more finite the sections are, the more difficult it will be to maintain the sections after customers have come into the store browsing through them. The more difficult it will be to judge what section a book that has much in common with other sections would go into. And the more difficult it will be to keep related sections from blending into each other. There is a need for distinct categories, but the categories must first make sense apart from related categories and must be easily maintainable as distinct categories.
Labels: bookstore, Life, musings
Another night. Another series of strange thoughts from ol' frank. I've returned to sorting, pricing and organizing a category at work that is near and dear to me as far as interests go. Religion. Everyone seems to have something to say about it whether they be bible thumping baptists or obnoxious atheists. Religion along with politics is one of those topical areas that really impassioned society as a whole, especially society that is allowed to think for itself. That is of course not saying that most people do think for themselves, I personally do not see it as the case, but that is another topic for another day, today is religion. I find the variety of theological viewpoints within given faiths the most fascinating thing about religion. There is not a single religion out there that isn't affected by a rift of differentiating sects, or wasn't at least considered a sect of another whole at one time. Even Christianity starting with Christs death (or ascendance) branch off with a multitude of sects and 'churches'. Buddhism experienced the same rift about the same time in its religious infancy. Hinduism was almost set up to be sectarian in nature. And Islam sects are oft times at such discordance as to be violent towards one another. What does all this mean? First and foremost that humans can't agree with each other. Secondly that no one person holds the apparent rights to the truth. What is the truth you ask? I don't know. Find that out for yourself, but remember whatever it is you find, someone is going to have a different either interpretation of that said truth, or a completely different truth. None of us will know what is right until the time comes to find out, and when that time comes, well, we won't be at liberty to divulge that information to anyone else.
Labels: musings
So here I am. I was going to work at Gossner's tonight, I went out there and got sent home. Thus the trials of working through a temp service begin. I can only keep trying at it I suppose. The rest of the evening will consist of writing, playing games and bass guitar (I play with out an amp at night), and your basic vegetating.
Labels: Life
Well here is a new post for the day. I have screwed my schedule up for the job tonight. It's now almost 9:30 in the morning in I have stayed awake all night long. I'm going to go to bed in a couple of more hours and sleep the rest of the day, then get up sometime late in the evening. I spent the night arguing with Kip and playing video games with Tom. In all an interesting night. This is the second one in a row I've spent arguing with Kip. The first night was about what philosophy is exactly. Tom had previously given Kip the dumbed down answer of "Philosophy is about asking questions". He later regretted that and tried to explain in better detail what philosophy, and the study of, tries to succeed in doing. I finally gave Kip a short and concise answer by saying "Philosophy enables one to develop cognitive reasoning skills" This however did nothing to satisfy Kip and only annoyed him further. He wanted definitions for reasoning, cognitive, and (because he didn't understand the answers we gave him) philosophy. We gave a dictionary and he was able to find reasoning and philosphy (this was only the second half of the dictionary) and essentially these definitions said the same thing that our explanation of the words meaning did. (In some cases almost word for word). But he still wasn't satisfied and we gave him a definition by using understanding. This really confused him, he made the statement that "if an answer isn't understood then it's not an answer." I replied that it simply wasn't true, there are many legitimate answers to questions in which I do not understand the answer (or the question for that matter. We finally got him to understand through carefull explaination and analogies... I think.
To nights argument was a little bit different. Kip was trying (for the thousandths time) to claim that horror and dark genre are easier to do than light genres. His claim is; that if someone is a true master story teller, or filmmaker, or playwright, that they will be able to concoct a story with no conflict and still keep it interesting. I don't know where he has gotten this idea, or why it would have occurred to him. I argue that the main reason a story is a story is because of the conflict contained with in. He thinks I'm missing a point. I feel the same way about him. Conflict is the only thing to keep the audience's interest. A story can only be driven by characters so much, and even then, with out conflict in the characters personality and life, the character would seem unrealistic. There has to be a plot, even if the plot is centered around a minor incident of conflict, in order for there to be anything compelling. What the conflict is, is naturally dependent on the story being told. Kip has seem to have lost sight of this in his storytelling. Which is unfortunate, because I've heard some of his stories and he's not bad. Oh well. He's a little mad at me now. I wish Joel had been around for this, it would have proved to be more interesting than it turned out.
Well I start back up at Gossner's tonight at midnight, wish me luck.
Labels: Kip, Tom
