Scary Shit

The whole world knows, yet we don't. That's some scary shit. That's my 4th signature since seeing the movie. It seems so helpless, and looks so like it will turn out badly.

Up date

I continue to be quite certain that my audience is invisible, and I find myself writing more and more about the things I really think about. I continue to think that I should talk about these things, and wonder what it's like for those who dominate conversations, especially with ideas which aren't so especially valuable. Unfortunately, I am sometimes feeling sorry for myself. I just softened my e-mail signature, which now reads...

Before Bush fraudulently (his fraudulency) manipulated what did not belong to him, I only viscerally hated him. (I have a computer, you know, which is quite different than having a TV). Since the AirAmerica radio station went on air, this has properly blossomed into a quiet, seething rage. However, seeing the fahrenheit movie has furthered this into a louder, more explosive rage, I'm aware. I suppose I can continue to keep my mouth shut, but it will be much tougher than it was..

I must admit that telling people to avoid seeing me until the middle of November was just a tad extreme :-) tomorrow is the party with Michael Moore, and I just may discuss

Blame the Dragon Dictation program -- ride with a glide -- Segway, my signatures if there is time.

Study Review, Plans

Last week's study, inspired by the Satyagraha, was interesting enough to have saved files, both audio and text. The Satyagraha, as well as the opera with its name, have brought up all kinds of ideas, so I read more than most weeks, even a friend of mine said it was about burning bras, making love, and other hippie things. Sometimes I think I should find more people to hang out with.

Using the Knowledge Navagator, I just discovered that Religion is found with abstract thought. Very good. I believe for this week I shall go from Abstract Ideas and Thought/religion/Eastern Religions/ 6 are listed, but Islam is not listed! Islam is considered Western. hmmmmm. I believe I can find a weeks worth of studies indeed.

Come to my Fahrenheit Party Monday

June 28, Monday, 7pm my house, at the suggestion of MoveOn.org, I'm throwing a party for the movie. My computer will be plugged in to Michael Moore's party, and I hope it will be an enjoyable evening. If you haven't, or won't see the movie, you can party with those of us who have! I'll be happy to see you!

Michael Moore.com : Mike's Message : Mike's Latest News

Mike's comments on opening day:

Michael Moore.com : Mike's Message : Mike's Latest News: "Fahrenheit 9/11"

Fahrenheit 9/11, New Email Signatures

My new email Signature:

Before Bush fraudulently (his fraudulency) manipulated what did not belong to him, I only viscerally hated him. (I have a computer, you know). Since the AirAmerica radio station went on air, this has properly blossomed into a quiet, seething rage. However, since I’ve seen the movie, it has blossomed further into explosive rage, I’m capable of sometimes being quite verbal, you know, in my old age. It may not be safe for anyone to be around me until the middle of Nov. I suggest that you avoid me until that time. My only goal until then will be to fire him. I shall be happy to meet you again, after November.

Boring?

Today I learned of Trillian chat program, which combines all the others. Nice, but I guess the companies are really fighting over this. I can say it seems to work now, and it's nice, but I better not uninstall my other programs, I guess. Oh.. Yahoo tk54401, MSN tkfuahl@charter.net, I think, AOL graysinger3, or ICQ 321083072.

In the afternoon I learned that Trillian is fighting bitterly with AOL and Yahoo, MSN.

Tomorrow I'm going to Green Bay to see Farenheit 9/11. I'll probably have a report on it.

Entertained family today with sub sandwitches. My sister, Gail is in form Minnesota. We watched some of the Lord of the Rings. Not earthshaddering, but very nice!

Time for another picture. The flowers always show the speed at which summer passes. 

Change of Study Plans for This Week Already -Something More Interesting

I just rented Philip Glass' Satyagraha and had to look up the word to spell it. ---Waaaayyy out there. The seriousness of the music and the beauty of the text makes me want to figure out Ajuna/sp, Krishna/sp. etc. I have no idea what the text is. Do you? I would bet Indian (India Indian) Hindu? Let me snoop. So much more fun that recreation, much less sports.

Here we go... (Hindi: “truth force”), philosophy introduced in the 20th century by Mahatma Gandhi of India; in practice, it is manifested as a determined but nonviolent resistance to some specific evil. Satyagraha was the guiding philosophy for the Indian people in their fight against British imperialism and has been adopted by protest groups in other countries.

Cool! No, Much more than that! Fantasic? I think much more than that. Related to civil disobedience, right up my natural ally! Some day I hope a human will read here. I would not count on it, though! Ever never no one ever never. Now should I be angry about that or compassionate about that. Well, if God could get angry (he was all the time in the oltestamentnt we read (not the real thing) so if God can be angry all the time, maybe I can be angry sometimes!

Let me read a bit more.

This Week's Studies, Last weeks Report

4. Regarding Economics and Money

5. There are people who think that economics is not a science. People who believe that The argument is that human behavior is to abstract to be a science. There are many times the number of economists today than any previous time in history, and many times increase in kinds of economic studies.

6. Socioeconomic issues. Hyphen Standard of Living, cost of living, health insurance, labor economics. Yikes, I sound like a communist, reading about these things. Don't tell McCarthy, who's name I also found. starting with spelling his name, and learning his first name, Joseph McCarthy. Hmmm. Born in Appleton Wisconsin. Hmmm. What would crime have to do with socioeconomic issues? I think I could spend a lot of time here and not get very far. It looks like finance brings up the ideas I would normally think of.

Next week Recreation. Yeuch.

7. Frankly I'm glad to move on to the ideas for next week. However, I shall choose the area I know least of all about and don't really look forward to. Imagine listing recreation as a top level idea. I suppose we all call a lot of our time recreational, and I did find at least some interests that I have. I think I shall choose my very worst area, though… Sports. That shall prove to be a miserable week!

Comments on The Lord of the Rings.

If there is one thing to be learned from this Movie, it would be that the uglier you are, the badder you are, and the more handsome you are, but better you are. I was just thinking, Just what if those slimy Auks (right word?) were really very nice and they were just discriminated against. If everyone treated them badly, wouldn't they become bad? They were probably just never given a fair chance in life, no? Just because they were slimy and ruined not only your clothes and furniture, but your entire house and property with their stinking, slimy (not their fault) ooze. This makes sense to me.

On the other hand, it makes a story so superb that I really believe it's the closest thing to a work of art made to this date. If I examined that sentence for a decade or so, I might change my mind on that, but the beauty of work and production, together with the emotive qualities it arouses makes it a masterpiece of art. I rather thought that the next works of art should show up in multi media, and I rather think that this is the first example of it. Does this make any sense? It kind of does to me.

Boring Stuff

I've already forgotten what I was going to say. It was just that boring. Roomba #2 (1/2 price) Thank heavens, as it was getting dangerous in this house. Sister Faye had a nice summer picnic. We are cleaning for the July bird meeting. I have a new voice for the text reader. He's very, very kind and sincere. His name is Paul. Lord of the Rings 3 is out. I really suspect it's the master piece of our time... Certainly compared to Citizen Kane, I'd say. Facet DVDs are coming. Scott actually read stuff that I've never thought another living human would read. Oops, I've forgotten to write him. All is fine.

Some of the Strawberries mentioned below. I'd love to have the Golfinches singing! 

A Scene from Today

I was just working on my latest DVD today, and when I captured a scene of a beautiful red rose, a dish of strawberries that I was eating, a European Goldfinch singing in the back ground, and Driegon snoozing back by the TV. The scene is captured on DVD, and I was thinking, "How could it get better than that on this earth"!

Rosicrucian Order AMORC

Rosicrucian Order AMORC

I never considered mentioning this, but after I thought through this post, the thought has become most interesting indeed! I'm writing this completely being sure that no living human will never read it, yet, on the other hand, it is in open view to the entire world. Very interesting indeed. On the one hand, this world does not give up its secrets easily, and on the other hand, knowledge must be protected from the unworthy.

In the mid-eighties, one of my students told me that I talked very much like his brother and that he wanted to give me a pamphlet and an address. Expecting something like Jahova's witness or some such, I was still polite and kind, and said I would be happy to my student.

It probably was the next day that he gave me information on the Rosicrucians, and I was hooked solidly from the first moment. With an interest in art, philosophy, religion, I intensely fastened myself every word of the pamphlet that you can send for free. Of course, as no one will read this, no one will send for the pamphlet. If anything here makes sense to you, and you want to know more, go to the http above. Most of it is private for members, but there must be an area for visitors, with an invitation to order their free introductory pamphlet. It's been updated, and perhaps I should read it. I can say that it has caught my eye from that moment on. It certainly seems hard to keep and optimistic attitude in times that are so dedicated to hedonism (or any attitude dedicated to the easy way out) and I must say that is one of my struggles.

Continuing from the mid-eighties, I really can't say that my study has never waned since then. That's a long time to be interested in one thing. I can't say that this study has opened all the world's of my other study, that it has given me the strength to separate myself from the populace, even though it does not espouse that. Separating myself from the populace while maintaining my self-confidence has proven to be very advantageous for me. Imagine me, should you come to know me, looking for approval from those around me! That would be a job which would never make me happy!

I suspect that this topic will be continued tomorrow, and I don't know how else it will show up in the future, but it will in some form! I have especially enjoyed making this log, and in imagine my invisible audience!

Week's Study Comments

As I said, I spent this week on a weak topic for me, Geography - top level importance for Britannica. I didn't take many notes, but I can say that I never realized that the topic was so expansive. Very interesting, not very dull. Best of all, I can look out the window, or look at a scene, and think of all kinds of geographical things. It has changed the way I look at the world! Now I'm always ready to return to Geography and Earth.

Next week I shall go to Money and Economy. I have learned in the past that it is now possible to help solve poverty, but, look at what's actually happening! I've also learned that economics of today is almost an entirely different subject then one generation ago. I think I shall never go into the mathematics aspect of it, though. Let's see what I do next week.

There could be a lot more study notes, but that may even bore the invisible. Not me, though. I had a great week.

Encarta

I just spent a few hours on Encarta just so that I could give it equal time to Britannica. There are more knobs and buttons and gizmos to Encarta than I could ever even imagine. When I purchased it I couldn't put it down for hours. It's still the greatest pleasure to pass time with it. You can just click on buttons and began with nothing on your mind at all -- without any purpose. It's almost like being in a castle. You can run around for ever and look at things and then run on to the next thing that hits your fancy. I've broadened many additions of Encarta from the very beginning, by the way. Version 2004 is by far the most fun to play with. I just should think that children, teenagers, and adults would have much more fun with that than any possible computer game. No place on earth is there a better deal than Encarta. I would still recommend Britannica for studying a topic, though. Britannica also has its share of gizmos but they don't match Encarta's. The feature to Britannica is still the text. I would tell you to go out and get it right now, and I don't get any kick back.

Am I talking about Cycles Here?

I'm thinking that, like sleeping and waking, summer and winter, living and dying, Moon phases, etc. etc.. Etc. There are cycles and cycles and cycles and cycles. It wouldn't be so good to be hauling hay when you should be sleeping. As I would say that I had a burst of creative energy around the time that I started this blog, maybe intensified by darn ol Still's disease (compared to others with more energy) I felt quite like the guy who's plodding along the last 2-3 days. All is going well, it's just time to plod along to get enough done for the next cycle phase. Without getting the work done, a creative phase would result in nothing. Good things have happened these days (not that that's always true) but still the feeling is of plodding along. It seems especially hard to study at those times, and it seems very hard to notice that I'm learning. I just remembered that's probably the reason that my hero's have told me that it's important to have a daily study routine. I basically have followed that during my lifetime. I can look back (one of the good things of old age) and say that I've done pretty well. Not exemplary, but at least well. Maybe sometimes a bit exemplary, hehe. Lots of action on the Crawly blog.

Note

I'm thinking that daily posts might not be the way of the future, but frequent posts will. Even with all the computer time yesterday, I didn't post (except on the crawly blog. Check that one out if you wish,... Good news there) and the diverticulitis ruining activity, I didn't post. There's probably no advantage to over posting.

From the Banana Republic Bird Club. Doesn't look like we could accomplish anything serious? 

Race with my neghbor's contraptionthingy. I let him win. 

The bird club, Carolyn 

I Forgot to Mention Diverticulitis

Darn, just a bit of digging in the garden, & what happens? Diverticulitis. If you know it, it's too painful to work or even stand. I've taken enough prednisone to cut the worst of it, but it's not going away, & I'll call the doctor tomorrow. Too bad prednisone affects are so bad. No Garden work, anyway.

Study Example

Geography and the earth is one of the 10 top level topics in Britannica, and it's one that I haven't spent much time one. I think it will be my study this week. I'm still at the beginning, so I'll stick to the main topic. Not surprisingly, it's Geography. I shall set up the text reader to read the topic to me for a few days. This is SO much better than watching TV!

Why my Downer Won't Last

I can say that writing the past few posts is only a short downer, is one among several reasons for toting study. Reading and Study are among the most pleasurable activities a human can engage in. Sorry, animals not included here. Even Mortimer Adler, my hero, told of thinking he was at the end of his rope (I remember that's a direct quote). He said it turned out to be absolutely false, the he was just fine.

Anyway, I believe that I've looked enough at my downer, got through with it, but will leave it on the blog for others to think about and learn from. Only rarely do I allow myself to think through that, as I know the way out, All the great masters know about the problem and have more advice and ideas than you could ever want. I think it's very close to what Liberal Arts are about. There is lots of company! I suppose it's too bad that they are invisible, but that's plenty good enough for me!

This downer is completely different than depression, I should say. This comes from merely a realization that things aren't the way we think they should be, but that fixing it doesn't look anyway possible. It's familiar to everyone to at least some degree. There are hundreds and hundreds of ways to get over it, but the best of all these ways is by learning from Great Writers, the best of which are stable and classical. You can see their names on the cover of Great Books or with a Google search of "Great Books".

See you tomorrow with a new attitude. Wait a moment. I'll not see you, my invisible audience. My attitude will be new, but I don't know what it will be yet. Let's seeeee.....

A Bit of Backup For my Previous Statements. .

A simple blog search of the word "study" brings up 7 results. Really low. Notice, if it posts, how many are from America.

Blogger: Browse Profiles: "Browse Profiles
Profiles with an interest in study.

Results 1 - 7

Thomas Kufahl 61-year old male Aries
Wausau : Wisconsin : United States
55 recent posts (55 total)
Interests: study,computers, art, nature, birds, reptiles, fish, great books, britannica, Still's Disease, flowers, gardening, segway, canaries,

Amith Chandhran 21-year old male Sagittarius
Nashik : Maharashtra : India
4 recent posts (4 total)
Interests: Music, languages, study

zhaf Portland : Oregon : United States
21 recent posts (191 total)
Interests: english, literature, study, spirit, art, reading, astronomy, books, photo, television

gdiN blanK-183 16-year old male Libra
AMpang : kaY-L : Malaysia
2 recent posts (2 total)
Interests: music, study, guitar, drawing, hang out, T.V, kumpul setem, menangkap kupu-kupu, chatting, pinjam pen, conteng buku member and a lot more!!!!!!!!!!!

Wei Yin 13-year old female Sagittarius
SiNgApOrE : pAsIr rIs/tAmPiNeS : Singapore
3 recent posts (3 total)
Interests: lyks to watch movies, study, chat wif pple

liliaway 18-year old female Taurus
ma chambre : Ile de France : France
2 recent posts (2 total)
Interests: travels, technology, les fringues, histoire, dance, sharks , nimals, etre tanquille, music , sea ,tennis, plong�e ,clean , study ,lire,

javad ahmadi 25-year old male Capricorn
Tehran : Iran
0 recent posts (1 total)
Interests: research, study, movie "

To Young people or children

"The world will belong to you, but it is a hard world. You will need to know all you can to get along in and understand at least some of it". --Mortimer J. Adler

Written with Hopes of Bottoming out Soon. Don't read if you have a weak stomach

I believe that if I have something to offer, it has something to do with learning and education. I shall first tell you that I believe that I have no exceptional learning gift, and if I have any intelligence worth noting, that most definitely is not being well-rounded.

I do believe that I do have a unique quality, however. And the reason I mention bottoming out is because I think many or most people should have done what I have with regards to learning. Although I do not intend, at least yet, to talk about politics, they may seep through the walls a bit from time to time. This is one case where they will. I am firmly convinced that America is living in a very perilous moment, and that the outlook is very frightening. I am not at all afraid of terrorists, I am afraid of ourselves. I believe that the attitude that America has toward education cannot sustain a democracy. I would hesitate to say what I'm saying, except that I think family and friends are already gone or won't get this far. It would be interesting to hear if any of them did but I'm not holding my breath. I plan to soon conduct therapy with myself because it's not my nature to be so serious. I want to go through this to think through this part of it.

I'm losing a thread. A moment ago I said that I have done something that I cannot find in any one that I know. That's just the facts. I have studied all my life and that seems to be rare indeed. Already in grade school I was reading things that my grandfather, a minister, left in a bookcase upstairs. I did the library thing, I rented good music as soon as I went to high school at which time I could already play piano and organ quite well. Thanks to my ever beloved mother, I went to the bachelors and masters thing which I am quite sure helped me to pan out the way I am. Some of these things seem to be like flukes, but maybe there more than that. Not long after I got my masters degree, I brought a set of great books and as far as I know I'm the only person who has read them for a lifetime. Encyclopedia Britannica came in the eighties. That is a set of books for study, you know, not for just looking things up.

I also had the good luck of living in Chicago where I met Mortimer Adler of both the great books and Encyclopedia. During the 30 years I followed him any time he spoke. Apologies, but I had to look up when he died. I'm out of touch. In Wisconsin. He died in 2001. His speech was very difficult to listen to in the nineties. I want to give only two of his philosophies which I cannot go forward without mentioning.

He very much insisted that children or teenager's are much too busy learning how to learn to be able to learn. Learning can only began after school is over. Only adults can do the kind of learning which can be called education. That doesn't make sense, does it? He never suggested that everyone should go into education and study the way I have, but I believe that is totally ridiculous in the minds of -- shall I say everyone?

The other basic thing is that children should be prepared for education, which I do not believe is being done. Most of my career I kept a quote in the front of my room for kids to see all year long. It said, "the world will belong to you but it is a hard world. You will have to learn all you can to get along in and understand at least some of it".

Today I heard Bill Moyers on the radio very much saying what I am saying. If Americans were educated as well as the rest of the world is, we would not be in the fix that we now are in, whether we know it, or probably more truly don't know it. I still haven't looked at a web site he mentioned. www.inequality.org

I'm feeling like I should apologize for being so serious, but it had to come out. I hope to very soon conduct therapy with myself and lightened up a bit. Learning doesn't always have to be this serious! These things have been sitting with me a long time.

Peace

So Many Downers.

I did a blog search on the word "study" and I believe I noticed the source of a lot of my downers. The search finds people all over the world, ESPECIALLY Middle East. Could it be that no one in America studies?

Driegon last fall. Sweety, no? 

Poor Old Driegs

I'm afraid poor old Driegon had his last long walk today with the segway. He was barely clomping along, took no extra steps to satisfy his nosiness, and his poor old hips were wobbling all over. He's still fine as long as he doesn't have to walk much, though. Let me find a picture of him in case you don't know him.

Thee ol Roomba Vac

Cindy, my dear, blovid roombavac has been giving me luxery service for 1 1/2 years, now, & I'm afraid she has to go to the cemetary. www.roombavac.com was very good about it. They just picked her up and they will deliver a nice, new one for 95$. I'm happy with the solution. I could never hire a maid for that price who was a kind, gentle, and lovable as her. I shed a tear as she went off in the herse, though. I will get over it and be fine. It will be interesting to watch dustbunnies turn on to Orkbunnies in the mean time. I wonder if she will be a doner and have her internal organs spread around the country?

Central Wisconsin Cage and Wild Bird Connection

Home page

If you want to peek in on some of my work, I am serving as webmaster (or minister of propaganda) for this great group.

This Developing Blog

I've always studied, and now that I'm retired, I'm studying all the more. Generally speaking, this is a secret from most of the people I know, and it rarely or almost never fits into the conversations I have. In spite of, or because of this, I have had a flash of insight this morning that, as I'm writing to an invisible audience, where would there be a better place than this blog to work on these things. After all, invisible does not mean nonexistent!

Right after this flash of insight, I changed the title to Tom's Studies and Commentaries, and that has been happening all along. It made me feel happy to realize it and to change the title once again.

I think that this is a most happy development for me. I also repeat that I shall try to change past posts as well as make new ones. I expect to keep cleaning up the past as well as the future.

It looks like this will become a better and better place for me and my invisible audience!

Notes on Studying Britannica

Study in Britannica would work fine if a certain idea would be the center of a web branching out. However, Britannica has a tool which branches from the top level, or center of the encyclopaedia. I think I can list the top 10 webs by now. They are: Science and nature, the earth, the human body and health, mind and emotion, human society, money and economics, technology, art, abstract thought. I forgot recreation, which I constantly am forgetting. In the late 70's, Mortimer Adler devised the propaedia, which I thought was very interesting. And it took awhile for Britannica to abandon his outlines. I don't know the process that caused this, but the "knowledge navigator", as it is called, seems to be more of a webbing attitude more than an outlining attitude. This is very worth looking in to. The price of the Britannica DVD is unreal, it's so cheap compared to what you get. I almost think people will be tempted to belittle it for its price. It is the entire Britannica and much more, I assure you. Version 2004 has so many webbing features that it seems too intense most of the time.

Speaking of Britannica, I might mention Encarta. In the 2004 version, Encarta has so many entertaining features that it seems like reading the articles might be one of the last choices! The two encyclopaedias have branched in very different directions. I have studied certain topics enough to realize that The quality of the writing, especially for study do not compare. Britannica is vastly superior for study.

Why not get both?

I find reading text for any length of time to be trying and tedious. I really believe a textreader ( nextup.com ) is essential. This is sooooo much better than watching network TV!

Another Orchid! The smaller, wilder ones to the left. 

Making DVDs

We are just arriving at the time that it's possible to make DVDs, TV style, you know. I have made a couple already, and DVD players have gotten really cheap, but the recorders aren't, yet. I spent time tonight working on a DVD for just my birds. That's several hours of birds, you know. I'm making it heavily menu driven, which is probably a laugh, because if you've heard one bird, you've heard them all, you know. Well, I'll appreciate it!