It is a peculiarity, that the concept of pleasure/'fun' is accorded the person by his aptitude for work. A work-adverse person seeks pleasure in a world that needs recompense, and so he must work; regardless of the pleasure he obtains from income, job and duty looms over his head and he can never be said to be in a state of persistent pleasure. Yet for workaholics, the challenge and satisfaction afforded by his work gives him pleasure which requires no recompense. From such a perspective, it might only seem logical for everyone to delve headfirst into an unerring love of the job, yet few would do so. I, for one, fear that I might lose some special part of my personality I never knew dear to me.
I had an idea for a short story, a person given the ability to rewind time - some good ideas up in the head, but not fully fleshed out yet. Hope I can piece together a coherent article soon.
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Posting
I've just posted a couple of half-finished posts, stored away in drafts forever, the original intents and ideas forever lost as the epiphanies slipped away, but nonetheless publishing allows me to reflect on what the ideas might have been, grasping at shards of faded memories. In short, posting is important. Procrastinating sucks.
Just wanted to place a little nugget of thought here - when friends have diverged from your life far enough to actually oppose your life view in a significant manner, is it justified to take action up to the point of renouncing said friendships? Purely hypothetical, but certain close acquaintances seem to be headed in that direction.
This warrants further thought, but I would love to hear comments should anyone chance on this post.
Just wanted to place a little nugget of thought here - when friends have diverged from your life far enough to actually oppose your life view in a significant manner, is it justified to take action up to the point of renouncing said friendships? Purely hypothetical, but certain close acquaintances seem to be headed in that direction.
This warrants further thought, but I would love to hear comments should anyone chance on this post.
Perceptions
Speaking with two of my friends, I have been given new insight to human nature (though at an exasperating cost)with regards to conversation, conflict and perceptions.
Entertainment
By and by through major economic revolutions, people have become wealthier and more secure in resource and time. The feeling that we have traded free time for more material comforts is simply not true; research shows that just compared to a few decades back, the free time an average person has in a week has increased, albeit the time is being spent in a more uncontrolled manner.
Monday, November 14, 2011
Bastion song intepretations (Super Spoiler Article!!!)
Build That Wall (Zia's Theme)
I dig my hole you build a wall.
I dig my hole you build a wall.
One day that wall is gonna fall. /foreshadowing; also, an incessant obsession to security is a self-fulfilling prophecy -paranoia invites harm/
Gonn' build that city on a hill.
Gonn' build that city on a hill.
Someday those tears are gonna spill. /building a city on a hill hints to motivations of security, similar to stanza 1/
So build that wall and
build it strong cuz
we'll be there before too long.
Gonn' build that wall up to the sky.
Gonn' build that wall up to the sky.
Someday your bird is gonna fly. /"bird is gonna fly" - a loss of freedom; restraint of the psyche by hunkering down in material and mental sense/
Gonn' build that wall until it's done.
Gonn' build that wall until it's done.
But now you've got nowhere to run. /An ultimatum. The final choice for which there are no do-overs; the 'weapon' is the proverbial finished wall/
So build that wall and
build it strong 'cuz
we'll be there before too long.
A song with a rather straightforward message, though taking the background of the singer into context makes it more complex. Who exactly taught this song to Zia? Was it meant to be a prophesying folksong from ages past charting the route of Caelondia to ruin based on its zeitgeist? Or was it taught by her father implying that rebellion was long afoot in his mind?
Either way, it brings a very human message that a wanton devotion to security of the individual (state), at the cost of external considerations assures mutual destruction.
Mother I'm Here (Zulf's Theme)
I set my sail
fly the wind it will take me
back to my home, sweet home
Lie on my back
clouds are making way for me
I'm coming home, sweet home /implication of smooth sailing/
I see your star you left it burning for me
Mother, I'm here /belief that mother wants him back as well/
Eyes open wide
feel your heart and it's glowing
I'm welcome home, sweet home /a great joy of returning/
I take your hand
now you'll never be lonely
not when I'm home, sweet home /a belief that his return benefits mother as well i.e. he's wanted/
I see your star, you left it burning for me
Mother, I'm here
This song can be taken in one of three ways, and in a certain aspect, is bittersweet, fitting in with the melancholic tone.
The first manner is to reflect upon Zulf's unique attachment to his homeland. Born an Uraen, raised by a Caelondian and ingrained with the philosophy of peace, he was truly a man of both nations. Having stayed in Caelondia and proposing to a Caelondian woman just before the calamity happened, he had his life crumble before his eyes. However, it can be seen that Zulf holds an equally strong attachment to Ura as he "worried about his first home". Upon learning of the betrayal of Caelondia, Zulf wrecks the Bastion and heads to rally the people of Ura, hence his theme of returning to the terminals (an intepretation of 'mother').
The second manner is the consequence that befalls Zulf toward the conclusion. Battered by his country men for bringing more ruin upon them, he is attacked and left for dead, a deadly juxtaposition to the tone of this song. It is from the understanding that Zulf was a man of both nations, that we realize he is a man of no nation, no identity. He may be Uraean by race, but his upbringing and inclinations are not those of his country men, and neither do they view him as a native son of Ura. This song may reflect the bitter return to Caelondian land should the kid decide to rescue him, made more prominent by the fact that 'mother' in the chorus makes an explicit reference to Micia, the Caelondian Goddess of loss and longing.
The third manner would refer to the kid's choice of evacuation at which point Zulf's theme would not belong to Zulf himself but rather a reflection of the whole cast. Understanding the backgrounds of the main cast of characters reveal that none of them truly have a place to call home. The kid had his family taken from him, with only his work to call his 'home'; Zia was an Uraen in Caelondia with no particular inclination toward the place; Zulf as was mentioned was a man of two and no nations; even Rucks himself was a Mancer who did not agree with the ways of the institution, thus the construction of the Bastion as a fail-safe. Without roots and identities in their lives in the pre-Calamity days, there cannot really be any place to call 'home' they can return to as in the song. One can then abstract that by evacuating and starting new lives after the Calamity, the cast is effectively creating a new sense of identity and a new 'home' by leaving it all behind. This ties into Micia being the mother as well, as the cast is forced to come to terms with their loss and longing.
More pointless points to ponder:
-The degree of ties the cast had to pre-Calamity life affects the attitude they have in the end decision. Zia had just experienced a shit-hole life and is willing to evacuate and never look back; Rucks stands as a man undecided, a Caelondian through-and-through who doubts the wisdom of the governance; Zulf a man who was slowly anchoring his identity with marriage and settling down, dying to recover the world as it had been before.
-The end song being a composite is beautiful as it is interesting. The juxtaposition of pre-Calamity Caelondia's ruin and the post-Calamity search for a home is akin to the opposites of life and death, stagnation and growth.
I dig my hole you build a wall.
I dig my hole you build a wall.
One day that wall is gonna fall. /foreshadowing; also, an incessant obsession to security is a self-fulfilling prophecy -paranoia invites harm/
Gonn' build that city on a hill.
Gonn' build that city on a hill.
Someday those tears are gonna spill. /building a city on a hill hints to motivations of security, similar to stanza 1/
So build that wall and
build it strong cuz
we'll be there before too long.
Gonn' build that wall up to the sky.
Gonn' build that wall up to the sky.
Someday your bird is gonna fly. /"bird is gonna fly" - a loss of freedom; restraint of the psyche by hunkering down in material and mental sense/
Gonn' build that wall until it's done.
Gonn' build that wall until it's done.
But now you've got nowhere to run. /An ultimatum. The final choice for which there are no do-overs; the 'weapon' is the proverbial finished wall/
So build that wall and
build it strong 'cuz
we'll be there before too long.
A song with a rather straightforward message, though taking the background of the singer into context makes it more complex. Who exactly taught this song to Zia? Was it meant to be a prophesying folksong from ages past charting the route of Caelondia to ruin based on its zeitgeist? Or was it taught by her father implying that rebellion was long afoot in his mind?
Either way, it brings a very human message that a wanton devotion to security of the individual (state), at the cost of external considerations assures mutual destruction.
Mother I'm Here (Zulf's Theme)
I set my sail
fly the wind it will take me
back to my home, sweet home
Lie on my back
clouds are making way for me
I'm coming home, sweet home /implication of smooth sailing/
I see your star you left it burning for me
Mother, I'm here /belief that mother wants him back as well/
Eyes open wide
feel your heart and it's glowing
I'm welcome home, sweet home /a great joy of returning/
I take your hand
now you'll never be lonely
not when I'm home, sweet home /a belief that his return benefits mother as well i.e. he's wanted/
I see your star, you left it burning for me
Mother, I'm here
This song can be taken in one of three ways, and in a certain aspect, is bittersweet, fitting in with the melancholic tone.
The first manner is to reflect upon Zulf's unique attachment to his homeland. Born an Uraen, raised by a Caelondian and ingrained with the philosophy of peace, he was truly a man of both nations. Having stayed in Caelondia and proposing to a Caelondian woman just before the calamity happened, he had his life crumble before his eyes. However, it can be seen that Zulf holds an equally strong attachment to Ura as he "worried about his first home". Upon learning of the betrayal of Caelondia, Zulf wrecks the Bastion and heads to rally the people of Ura, hence his theme of returning to the terminals (an intepretation of 'mother').
The second manner is the consequence that befalls Zulf toward the conclusion. Battered by his country men for bringing more ruin upon them, he is attacked and left for dead, a deadly juxtaposition to the tone of this song. It is from the understanding that Zulf was a man of both nations, that we realize he is a man of no nation, no identity. He may be Uraean by race, but his upbringing and inclinations are not those of his country men, and neither do they view him as a native son of Ura. This song may reflect the bitter return to Caelondian land should the kid decide to rescue him, made more prominent by the fact that 'mother' in the chorus makes an explicit reference to Micia, the Caelondian Goddess of loss and longing.
The third manner would refer to the kid's choice of evacuation at which point Zulf's theme would not belong to Zulf himself but rather a reflection of the whole cast. Understanding the backgrounds of the main cast of characters reveal that none of them truly have a place to call home. The kid had his family taken from him, with only his work to call his 'home'; Zia was an Uraen in Caelondia with no particular inclination toward the place; Zulf as was mentioned was a man of two and no nations; even Rucks himself was a Mancer who did not agree with the ways of the institution, thus the construction of the Bastion as a fail-safe. Without roots and identities in their lives in the pre-Calamity days, there cannot really be any place to call 'home' they can return to as in the song. One can then abstract that by evacuating and starting new lives after the Calamity, the cast is effectively creating a new sense of identity and a new 'home' by leaving it all behind. This ties into Micia being the mother as well, as the cast is forced to come to terms with their loss and longing.
More pointless points to ponder:
-The degree of ties the cast had to pre-Calamity life affects the attitude they have in the end decision. Zia had just experienced a shit-hole life and is willing to evacuate and never look back; Rucks stands as a man undecided, a Caelondian through-and-through who doubts the wisdom of the governance; Zulf a man who was slowly anchoring his identity with marriage and settling down, dying to recover the world as it had been before.
-The end song being a composite is beautiful as it is interesting. The juxtaposition of pre-Calamity Caelondia's ruin and the post-Calamity search for a home is akin to the opposites of life and death, stagnation and growth.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
When you have wings, but cannot fly
When you have wings but cannot fly,
You'd much rather despair and die
Than lead on such a putrid fate
when you have wings but cannot fly.
When you have feet but cannot run,
With heavy limbs and burning lung,
Though you wish to reach the ends of earth,
when you have feet but cannot run.
When you have gills but cannot swim,
Such a curse most unnatural may seem,
Form developed, but functionless,
when you have gills but cannot swim.
When you have dreams you cannot chase,
Cowering from fear's baleful face,
The caged bird turns to you and smiles.
When you have dreams you will not chase.
You'd much rather despair and die
Than lead on such a putrid fate
when you have wings but cannot fly.
When you have feet but cannot run,
With heavy limbs and burning lung,
Though you wish to reach the ends of earth,
when you have feet but cannot run.
When you have gills but cannot swim,
Such a curse most unnatural may seem,
Form developed, but functionless,
when you have gills but cannot swim.
When you have dreams you cannot chase,
Cowering from fear's baleful face,
The caged bird turns to you and smiles.
When you have dreams you will not chase.
Monday, September 12, 2011
How to live
It is kind of funny how people seem to work so hard all the time, forgoing sleep, balanced lifestyles and passion as a trade for 'survival' - not even concepts like 'duty' or 'discipline'. With our current technology and capabilities, basic needs of food, housing, clothing and entertainment could be very well satisfied allowing us to pursue higher callings, but in the ever-sprawling web of power transfers, schemes, dreams and projections, everyone fights to survive. We are pushed to forever produce more, for material things to sate our empty hearts, for population growth that is never allowed to recede, and to push technology ever forward to solve issues conceived of this push in the first place.
What am I missing out in this mess? I don't think I'm the only one to feel this way, but from observation of the majority, most have accepted and subsumed into this lifestyle so expertly. Does the social mingling suffice in sating our higher needs? Is it hope that drives people to accept that this situation can be resolved in the future? Or is it an abject surrender to circumstance? If there is satisfaction to be found in subsuming into this society, then I want to experience it, but this occurs at the risk of losing the 3rd-person vantage point of an individual assessing a society. If the world moves in an air of defeat that 'this is life', then I want to defy convention and carve a path free of these expectations and uncertainty - but the issue is, how will I find out which situation is truth?
Before I resolve to act, I wish to understand both sides of the coin, but perhaps it can never be objectively assessed due to the inherent nature of the conflict. All I can do then is to make a choice, decide; and so here I stand at a crossroads, looking at a vast expanse of possibilities, never knowing where the horizon ends - in ruin or in hope, and I fear the possibilities, the first step. I fear the first day of the rest of my life, and so I shall lie at this junction, to sleep the time away...
What am I missing out in this mess? I don't think I'm the only one to feel this way, but from observation of the majority, most have accepted and subsumed into this lifestyle so expertly. Does the social mingling suffice in sating our higher needs? Is it hope that drives people to accept that this situation can be resolved in the future? Or is it an abject surrender to circumstance? If there is satisfaction to be found in subsuming into this society, then I want to experience it, but this occurs at the risk of losing the 3rd-person vantage point of an individual assessing a society. If the world moves in an air of defeat that 'this is life', then I want to defy convention and carve a path free of these expectations and uncertainty - but the issue is, how will I find out which situation is truth?
Before I resolve to act, I wish to understand both sides of the coin, but perhaps it can never be objectively assessed due to the inherent nature of the conflict. All I can do then is to make a choice, decide; and so here I stand at a crossroads, looking at a vast expanse of possibilities, never knowing where the horizon ends - in ruin or in hope, and I fear the possibilities, the first step. I fear the first day of the rest of my life, and so I shall lie at this junction, to sleep the time away...
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