I set out to write a thought;
I start a sentence.
I follow the grammar, or
the words, or something
undefinable, maybe the tune,
and it goes somewhere
that sounds completely different
than what I intended, hoped,
and thought
I was going to say
I am interested in what it all means. If we are here for a reason, then I think the best place to look for evidence is within ourselves. If we can become aware of how and why we do what we do, we may be able to infer something about why we are here. So, this blog is a series of essays which try to illuminate aspects of what it feels like to be me that I feel may have some bearing on why we are here. I welcome your comments. What does it feel like to be you?
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Phosphenes
The activation of the phosphenes
that appear as patches of color
in my visual field
are normally overwhelmed
by the energy of the light
in the everyday world.
But sometimes,
they're what I see,
and sometimes,
I see an alternate world
which does not seem like a dream
that appear as patches of color
in my visual field
are normally overwhelmed
by the energy of the light
in the everyday world.
But sometimes,
they're what I see,
and sometimes,
I see an alternate world
which does not seem like a dream
Some fat old guy
Standing naked
in the middle
of the living room
Taking a long time
scratching his back
with a stick
in the middle
of the living room
Taking a long time
scratching his back
with a stick
For a moment there
The juxtaposition
of words and sounds
and sights and textures
and events
resonated
with something within me
and evoked
or at least reminded me of
something
of words and sounds
and sights and textures
and events
resonated
with something within me
and evoked
or at least reminded me of
something
The tempest
We were hurled by the tempest
when we rolled to a stop
in the lane beyond the meadow's fence,
I immediately unbuttoned her pants
and put my hand inside her
and she unbuttoned my waistband
and I pulled down her pants
and we immediately made love
so urgent was our need
to stop being not one
when we rolled to a stop
in the lane beyond the meadow's fence,
I immediately unbuttoned her pants
and put my hand inside her
and she unbuttoned my waistband
and I pulled down her pants
and we immediately made love
so urgent was our need
to stop being not one
I need you
I don't "need" you.
I can survive,
I can succeed,
I can even do well,
without you.
However,
I can't do the kind of well I do with you,
without you.
I like to do the kind of well I do with you.
Indeed, I think it is important and wonderful
that I do the kind of well I do with you.
Therefore,
in a real way,
I need you.
I can survive,
I can succeed,
I can even do well,
without you.
However,
I can't do the kind of well I do with you,
without you.
I like to do the kind of well I do with you.
Indeed, I think it is important and wonderful
that I do the kind of well I do with you.
Therefore,
in a real way,
I need you.
Why we wear what we wear
I've been thinking for years about why people wear what they wear. I've been trying to figure out why the heck people wear attractive, fashionable, and alluring clothes.
I know there are obvious reasons:
They've become habituated to following the crowd during adolescence when they are particularly prone to experiencing peer pressure and have not yet developed confident enough personalities to resist it.
They simply don't think about it on a day to day basis. They simply select clothes from their wardrobe which are comfortable and which feel familiar and make them feel good.
But is that all there is to it?
Certainly sometimes we deliberately select clothes which we know are fashionable and even alluring. Who are we trying to attract?
A complaint that is supposed to be common among men goes something like this, "Hey Baby, Why did you wear that if you didn't want me to look at you?"
A reason occurred to me today that I'd never consciously articulated to myself before:
We select attractive clothing, not because are trying to attract everyone. Rather, we select attractive clothing to attract "the one", or at least people with whom we hope we will discover a kinship.
Through our clothing we advertise that we are intelligent, or graceful, or have some sensibility which we value. We hope that people who have similar sensibilities will recognize us by seeing what we have selected to wear.
If someone who does not share our sensibilities approaches us, our reaction may be, "Wait a minute. You don't share my sensibilities. I wasn't wearing this for you. Get away from me."
But when someone who does share our sensibilities approaches us, we feel a sense of kinship and are pleased to discover we're not alone.
It is similar to public displays of affection. We don't really care whether strangers see us being affectionate. We're being affectionate for ourselves.
I think we wear clothes for the invisible circle of future friends who share our sensibilities.
I know there are obvious reasons:
They've become habituated to following the crowd during adolescence when they are particularly prone to experiencing peer pressure and have not yet developed confident enough personalities to resist it.
They simply don't think about it on a day to day basis. They simply select clothes from their wardrobe which are comfortable and which feel familiar and make them feel good.
But is that all there is to it?
Certainly sometimes we deliberately select clothes which we know are fashionable and even alluring. Who are we trying to attract?
A complaint that is supposed to be common among men goes something like this, "Hey Baby, Why did you wear that if you didn't want me to look at you?"
A reason occurred to me today that I'd never consciously articulated to myself before:
We select attractive clothing, not because are trying to attract everyone. Rather, we select attractive clothing to attract "the one", or at least people with whom we hope we will discover a kinship.
Through our clothing we advertise that we are intelligent, or graceful, or have some sensibility which we value. We hope that people who have similar sensibilities will recognize us by seeing what we have selected to wear.
If someone who does not share our sensibilities approaches us, our reaction may be, "Wait a minute. You don't share my sensibilities. I wasn't wearing this for you. Get away from me."
But when someone who does share our sensibilities approaches us, we feel a sense of kinship and are pleased to discover we're not alone.
It is similar to public displays of affection. We don't really care whether strangers see us being affectionate. We're being affectionate for ourselves.
I think we wear clothes for the invisible circle of future friends who share our sensibilities.
Energy content in food
A calorie is the amount of energy required to raise one gram of water one degree Celsius.
The term calorie as it is used in regards to food is actually a kilocalorie, the amount of energy required to raise a kilogram of water one degree.
The FDA recommends eating 2000 kilocalories per day. How much is that? It's enough to raise 1 kilogram of water 2000 degrees, or 2000 kilograms 1 degree. Let's see what that means.
A typical bathtub holds about 60 gallons.
A gallon of water weighs about 8.35 pounds or 3.79 kilograms. So, 60 gallons of water weighs 227.4 kilograms.
2000 divided by 227.45 is 8.79.
So, we eat enough food each day to raise the temperature of 8.79 tubs of water 1 degree. Or one tub of water 8.79 degrees.
Except wait, those are Celsius degrees.
10 Celsius degrees are 18 Fahrenheit degrees. 8.79 Celsius degrees are 15.8 Fahrenheit degrees.
So, we eat enough food each day to raise the temperature of a tub of water 15.8 Fahrenheit degrees.
Hmmm. What about indivual foods?
A 12 ounce can of Coke contains 140 calories. Remember, food calories are kilocalories.
So, a can of Coke contains enough energy to raise a kilogram of water 140 Celsius degrees, or 250 Fahrenheit degrees. That's more than enough to bring a pot of water from freezing to boiling and evaporate it away.
Wow. Our bodies use a lot of energy!
The term calorie as it is used in regards to food is actually a kilocalorie, the amount of energy required to raise a kilogram of water one degree.
The FDA recommends eating 2000 kilocalories per day. How much is that? It's enough to raise 1 kilogram of water 2000 degrees, or 2000 kilograms 1 degree. Let's see what that means.
A typical bathtub holds about 60 gallons.
A gallon of water weighs about 8.35 pounds or 3.79 kilograms. So, 60 gallons of water weighs 227.4 kilograms.
2000 divided by 227.45 is 8.79.
So, we eat enough food each day to raise the temperature of 8.79 tubs of water 1 degree. Or one tub of water 8.79 degrees.
Except wait, those are Celsius degrees.
10 Celsius degrees are 18 Fahrenheit degrees. 8.79 Celsius degrees are 15.8 Fahrenheit degrees.
So, we eat enough food each day to raise the temperature of a tub of water 15.8 Fahrenheit degrees.
Hmmm. What about indivual foods?
A 12 ounce can of Coke contains 140 calories. Remember, food calories are kilocalories.
So, a can of Coke contains enough energy to raise a kilogram of water 140 Celsius degrees, or 250 Fahrenheit degrees. That's more than enough to bring a pot of water from freezing to boiling and evaporate it away.
Wow. Our bodies use a lot of energy!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)