Diary: Computer stuff beer books and talk:

~~John’s computer help is followed by a beer on Friday. On Saturday books are center stage, while Sunday is devoted my Palliser friends and talk.~~

John was over last Friday and in the aft we had a beer at James with a good chat. We exchanged experiences relating to his in betwixt and between employment position now and mine back in 1973. The future is always unknown, but sometimes situations that confront us with that when the daily routine comes to a full stop.

But, a time of uncertainty also holds the unlooked for opportunity in this game of risk. You are thrown back on your resources, confronted with forgotten ambitions, all to be weighed against present and future responsibilities. ‘Not simple’ as Marcel Kurpershoek’s Arabian Bedouins would say in his book ‘Deep into Arabia’. And by the way John, thanks for the computer helps and hints:-)!

No family visit on Saturday, but a walk to the library to pick up ‘The Innovator’s Dilemma’. The book is twenty years old, but has some interesting info on early computer disk development starting with the ’Winchester Disk’, I recalled from 1970s. And, not to forget, Calgary’s first local ’Computer Shop’ of Austin Hook at that time. That is looking at half a century of computer development for me as well as my sons and many others. I now have a solid state disk in my desktop!

The Congo has always been a closed book to me so to speak and this author comes highly recommended and already has my full attention.

I also stopped by at ShelfLifeBooks and succumbed to the call of the book titled ‘Congo’ by David Van Reybrouck, a Belgian Archaeologist. The Congo has always been a closed book to me so to speak and this author comes highly recommended and already has my full attention. The book reads like a novel says one of the comments and it does indeed.

Sunday evolved as usual. I walked to the Palliser without a jacket, but wearing long pants, as it was still coolish even with the sun out. Herman spoke on Creativity referring to his favourite author Joseph Murphy and his book ‘The Power of your Subconscious Mind’. My friend Jack had intended to come, so I took some extra notes in his absence to be shared when we have coffee.

Writings: Jefferson and Syrian conflict:

~~Jefferson’s and others’ search for guidance may inform our search for solutions to our world society’s conflicts. ~~

I finished reading the chapter ‘History’ in the Smithsonian edition of the ‘Jefferson Bible‘, which he himself titled as “The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth Extracted Textually from the Gospels in Greek, Latin, French & English“. Jefferson completed this project in 1820 within a decade of his life’s end. Only one copy existed for some time, but was later reproduced in larger numbers. This edition is a recent one dated 2011 and constitutes a print of the fully restored original.

Not the guidance that came from the European traditions directly, but one that would be ‘American’, suited and formed for the requirements of the New World and the idealisms that underlie its formation.

After I’d read that History chapter I was left with the notion that Jefferson with this composition of his, was aiming to define a guide for his newly formed country. Not the guidance that came from the European traditions directly, but one that would be ‘American’, suited and formed for the requirements of the New World and the idealisms that underlie its formation.

Half a year ago I read Waldo Emerson’s first essay and sermon titled ‘The Lord’s Supper’ and at that time I was already struck by that same sentiment. A search to redefine the handed down traditions to suite the requirements of this new country ‘America’ and that whole new world as a continent. And recalling some of William James’ travels and books I feel that he too was looking to define and give guidance to his evolving country and society.

Continuing in this vein, I can recognise this sentiment of searching out the new and unique in the various religious and self help movements of today. Some have become totally merchandised, but many have retained their integrity in searching out, formulating and applying the New World ways. New Thought, with which I am quite familiar, also is such a movement, which so typifies this continent’s idealism and that of the USA in particular.

As a matter of fact, we are engaged in a change process as it is sweeping us off our feet at times and in places, unprepared, unwillingly and catastrophically, while we struggle to contain it.

I am not quite done with these observations, because over this this past weekend I kept noting that our world of today also needs to define a new way forward informed, but not defined by the handed down traditions. Our present worldwide situation requires an extended scope that includes the very beginnings of humankind, going back at least as far as 60k (sixty thousand) years. As a matter of fact, we are engaged in a change process as it is sweeping us off our feet at times and in places, unprepared, unwillingly and catastrophically, while we struggle to contain it.

The Christian teaching as handed down by tradition is “Love your neighbour as yourself and God above all”. Now that our neighbour is a Muslim will we still love him or her? This illustration characterises the situation we can recognise the world, as the handed down traditions of our shared human heritage have come face to face.

The way forward from our present predicament needs much work. I can see a beginning recognition of this situation in some of the shifting world power politics and its dialogues. It only is a start and the process functions like a teeter totter at present, when we look at the Syrian conflict and others. Our world is changing quickly and that will need our undivided attention, if we are not to be overwhelmed by its tsunami like processes and forces. <10:14am~