Which will show blooms first?
The sakura and i wait...
Winter gone, spring hope.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Monday, April 20, 2009
Sentient Meat
I was reading a talk given by John Daido Loori of Zen Mountain Monastery today and in it he includes a rather long quote from the science fiction writer Terry Bison. I laughed so hard that i just had to include it here. On the first reading it was just very, very humorous. On the second, it makes you think, really, really think, about that perplexing issue of whether or not you are what you have always simply assumed you are — or that little issue of eating meat.
------------------------
“They are made out of meat.”
“Meat?”
“There’s no doubt about it. We picked up several from different parts of the planet and took them aboard our recon vessels and probed them all the way through, and they are completely meat.”
“That’s impossible. What about the radio signals, the message to the stars?”
“They use radio waves to talk, but the signals don’t come from them, the signals come from machines.”
“So who made the machines? That’s who we want to contact.”
“They made the machines. That’s what I am trying to tell you—meat made the machines.
“That’s ridiculous. How can meat make a machine? You are asking me to believe in sentient meat?”
“I am not asking you, I am telling you. These creatures are the only sentient race in the sector and they are made out of meat.”
“Maybe they are like the orpholia—you know, the carbon based intelligence that goes through a meat stage.”
“Nope. They are born meat and they die meat. We studied them for several of their life spans—which doesn’t take too long. Do you have any idea, the life span of meat?”
“Spare me. Okay, maybe they are part meat, you know, like the werdelie, a meathead with an electron plasma brain inside?”
“Nope. We thought of that. They do have meatheads, like the werdelie, but I told you, we probed them, they are all meat, all the way through.”
“No brain?”
“Oh, there’s a brain, it’s just that the brain is made out of meat.”
“Thinking meat? You are asking me to believe in thinking meat?”
“Yes, thinking meat. Conscious meat. Loving meat. Dreaming meat. The meat is the whole deal. Are you beginning to get the picture?”
“Oh, my God! You are serious, then? They are really made out of meat?”
“Finally! Yes, they are indeed made out of meat, and they have been trying to get in touch with us for almost one hundred of their years.”
“So what does this meat have in mind?”
“Well, first it wants to talk to us. Then I imagine it wants to explore the universe, contact other sentients, swap ideas and information, the usual.”
“We’re supposed to talk to meat?”
“That’s the idea. That’s the message they are sending out by radio, ‘Hello, anyone out there, anybody home?’ That sort of thing.”
“They actually do talk then? They use words, ideas, and concepts?”
“Oh yes, but they do it with meat.”
“Oh my God, speaking meat! This is altogether too much.”
“So what do you advise?”
“Officially, we are required to contact, welcome, log in, any and all sentient races, multi-beings, in this quadrant, without any prejudice, fear or favor. Unofficially, I advise we erase the records and forget the whole thing.”
“I was hoping you would say that.”
“It seems harsh, but there is a limit. Do we really want to make contact with meat?”
“I agree one hundred percent. What’s there to say? ‘Hello, meat, how’s it going?’”
“I know. Too much.”
“So how many planets are we dealing with?”
“Just one.”
“Do we just pretend there is no one home in the universe?”
“That’s it.”
“Any others? Anyone interesting on that side of the galaxy?”
“Yes, a rather shy but sweet hydrogen core cluster in Class 9 Star G45 that was in contact two galactic rotations ago wants to be friendly again.”
“They always come around, don’t they?”
------------------------
So, tuck your ego under the edge of your zabuton and climb up on your zafu and ponder that for a while, meathead.
:-)
------------------------
“They are made out of meat.”
“Meat?”
“There’s no doubt about it. We picked up several from different parts of the planet and took them aboard our recon vessels and probed them all the way through, and they are completely meat.”
“That’s impossible. What about the radio signals, the message to the stars?”
“They use radio waves to talk, but the signals don’t come from them, the signals come from machines.”
“So who made the machines? That’s who we want to contact.”
“They made the machines. That’s what I am trying to tell you—meat made the machines.
“That’s ridiculous. How can meat make a machine? You are asking me to believe in sentient meat?”
“I am not asking you, I am telling you. These creatures are the only sentient race in the sector and they are made out of meat.”
“Maybe they are like the orpholia—you know, the carbon based intelligence that goes through a meat stage.”
“Nope. They are born meat and they die meat. We studied them for several of their life spans—which doesn’t take too long. Do you have any idea, the life span of meat?”
“Spare me. Okay, maybe they are part meat, you know, like the werdelie, a meathead with an electron plasma brain inside?”
“Nope. We thought of that. They do have meatheads, like the werdelie, but I told you, we probed them, they are all meat, all the way through.”
“No brain?”
“Oh, there’s a brain, it’s just that the brain is made out of meat.”
“Thinking meat? You are asking me to believe in thinking meat?”
“Yes, thinking meat. Conscious meat. Loving meat. Dreaming meat. The meat is the whole deal. Are you beginning to get the picture?”
“Oh, my God! You are serious, then? They are really made out of meat?”
“Finally! Yes, they are indeed made out of meat, and they have been trying to get in touch with us for almost one hundred of their years.”
“So what does this meat have in mind?”
“Well, first it wants to talk to us. Then I imagine it wants to explore the universe, contact other sentients, swap ideas and information, the usual.”
“We’re supposed to talk to meat?”
“That’s the idea. That’s the message they are sending out by radio, ‘Hello, anyone out there, anybody home?’ That sort of thing.”
“They actually do talk then? They use words, ideas, and concepts?”
“Oh yes, but they do it with meat.”
“Oh my God, speaking meat! This is altogether too much.”
“So what do you advise?”
“Officially, we are required to contact, welcome, log in, any and all sentient races, multi-beings, in this quadrant, without any prejudice, fear or favor. Unofficially, I advise we erase the records and forget the whole thing.”
“I was hoping you would say that.”
“It seems harsh, but there is a limit. Do we really want to make contact with meat?”
“I agree one hundred percent. What’s there to say? ‘Hello, meat, how’s it going?’”
“I know. Too much.”
“So how many planets are we dealing with?”
“Just one.”
“Do we just pretend there is no one home in the universe?”
“That’s it.”
“Any others? Anyone interesting on that side of the galaxy?”
“Yes, a rather shy but sweet hydrogen core cluster in Class 9 Star G45 that was in contact two galactic rotations ago wants to be friendly again.”
“They always come around, don’t they?”
------------------------
So, tuck your ego under the edge of your zabuton and climb up on your zafu and ponder that for a while, meathead.
:-)
Heros of The Day
Anyone with any knowledge knows that those that really threaten the US don't come from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, or anywhere in the middle east. They come from Kenya, Ethiopia, and, particularly the women, Russia. They have threatened our roads and conquered our best for over 20 years, yet you never hear much about it. Unless you happen to be a runner, that is.
Today was a great day for US runners. Kara Goucher and Ryan Hall, both good old home grown US citizens, entered today's Boston Marathon — not with the intention of doing well, but with the intention of winning. Winning. The Boston Marathon. An American. Did you get that? They, and a lot of other insiders, thought going into the race that both of them had a chance of actually winning. I still get goose bumps at that pleasant thought. It has been over 20 years since an American has even finished in the top three.
Ryan led, or was right up at the front, for a good portion of the race before dropping off the pace near the end. With guts and determination, though, he fought back and came in third.
Kara ran like a goddess. The Greeks would have idolized her back at one point in history. As the end came in sight, Kara was in the lead — all the way up to about Mile 26. She had whittled down the entire field to two other runners and was staying just steps ahead. Unfortunately, though, those two challengers came from Kenya and Ethiopia. In the end, they had just a little more gas in their tanks than Kara did and Kara finished in third place as well.
Non-runners may not understand what it took, physically and emotionally, for these two to accomplish what they did. It is hard to explain to someone who hasn't tried to run a marathon how incredibly draining this distance can be. It's like taking your entire body, mind, and spirit, and running them through an old-fashioned clothes wringer. The guts Kara and Ryan displayed was nothing short of breathtaking.
Two American runners, both finishing on the podium. Today is one sweet day.
Today was a great day for US runners. Kara Goucher and Ryan Hall, both good old home grown US citizens, entered today's Boston Marathon — not with the intention of doing well, but with the intention of winning. Winning. The Boston Marathon. An American. Did you get that? They, and a lot of other insiders, thought going into the race that both of them had a chance of actually winning. I still get goose bumps at that pleasant thought. It has been over 20 years since an American has even finished in the top three.
Ryan led, or was right up at the front, for a good portion of the race before dropping off the pace near the end. With guts and determination, though, he fought back and came in third.
Kara ran like a goddess. The Greeks would have idolized her back at one point in history. As the end came in sight, Kara was in the lead — all the way up to about Mile 26. She had whittled down the entire field to two other runners and was staying just steps ahead. Unfortunately, though, those two challengers came from Kenya and Ethiopia. In the end, they had just a little more gas in their tanks than Kara did and Kara finished in third place as well.
Non-runners may not understand what it took, physically and emotionally, for these two to accomplish what they did. It is hard to explain to someone who hasn't tried to run a marathon how incredibly draining this distance can be. It's like taking your entire body, mind, and spirit, and running them through an old-fashioned clothes wringer. The guts Kara and Ryan displayed was nothing short of breathtaking.
Two American runners, both finishing on the podium. Today is one sweet day.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Thursday, April 16, 2009
More Road Kill
It must have been dangerous on the roads over the winter, i found more road kill on the shoulder of the road during today's run.
You stupid jogger.
Hold fast and it disappears.
Let go it remains.
Let me try again.
Change clothes, lace shoes. out the door.
Just run the miles.
Shit for brains you have.
Where did the miles come from?
Just run. Now go sit.
You stupid jogger.
Hold fast and it disappears.
Let go it remains.
Let me try again.
Change clothes, lace shoes. out the door.
Just run the miles.
Shit for brains you have.
Where did the miles come from?
Just run. Now go sit.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Found these while running today...
Road Kill 1
Sometimes it's cloudy.
Sometimes the full moon shines bright.
Running helps you see.
Words, words. All bullshit.
The moon. The clouds. Who sees what?
Now tell me something.
Even runners know,
If you let go of the string
The kite flies away.
Sometimes it's cloudy.
Sometimes the full moon shines bright.
Running helps you see.
Words, words. All bullshit.
The moon. The clouds. Who sees what?
Now tell me something.
Even runners know,
If you let go of the string
The kite flies away.
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