True Believer

A Conversation of Faith

A gentleman holding a bible enters a mid suburban coffee shop and seats himself at a table. As he sips his coffee he places a small yellow card on the table. He gets up for a refill and on his way he drops more of the small yellow cards on each table he passes by. The card he places on each table reads, "Are you saved?" and includes an addressed invitation to his church. The gentleman has been to three public places before coming here and has left the yellow cards on every table at each location. This is the information phase of indoctrination. He sees another gentleman seated on the outside patio of the crowded coffee shop and approaches him. The contact phase begins. "Excuse me, but are you saved, Sir?" the gentleman asks?

The other gentleman seated outside looks up at the other gentleman and then looks to the bible. He motions with his had inviting the gentleman to join him at his table. He stares at the bible as he replies, "I guess, saved would be a relative term, as I have seen no one upon this earth saved from anything."

The gentleman takes a seat across from the other and thinks for a moment. His people at the church had prepared him for such encounters. He was well versed in the teachings of the bible and alone had increased the numbers of the congregation by hundreds. As he started to speak the other gentleman raised his hand to stop him.

"Be careful, Sir. Because I assume you are about to introduce yourself as a representative of God." The gentleman spoke in a calm voice that made the other a bit uneasy. "If you do speak for God, and your book holds his words then be prepared to prove it."

The gentleman realized he was gripping his bible now. He still felt relatively confident with his well rehearsed lines. This conversation was leading toward a subject of faith. Faith is the fallback to proof and since it can neither be proven nor disproved, it always serves its purpose. "Sir, we can only have faith in God's word which has been left for us as a guide to teach others and lead them to his flock."

The other gentleman sat up in his seat a bit now. He now took his gaze from the other's bible and stared him deeply into the eyes. His voice had a chill to it now. Yet still calm, he seemed to be biting his words off. "I am faithful to my God and diligently await a sign, but even I have never seen the face of God nor heard a word spoken from the lips of God as I speak to you now."

The gentleman was very uncomfortable now. He had not ever encountered a person such as this. He counted himself a talented salesman and this talent had until now served him well in his role for the church. He responded, "I can only attest, Sir, that these words here in this bible, the King James, version is the true and correct word of God."

The light around the other gentleman seemed to get dimmer and shadows grew darker around him. The warm air was now colder. He sat for a moment then replied, "You mentioned faith, Sir. Can you have faith you are speaking to a man seated across from you?" His skin now appeared pale in the decreasing light of the sun. "Does your faith, tell you I am a man?"

The gentleman was now keenly aware there was no one else seated near them and he was out here alone with the gentleman. He peered around nervously. He then realized that he had never before had to think about God in a very real sense. He, himself, had been indoctrinated to believe as those around him believed. He spoke again but his voice was trembling and unsure. "I have faith in God, Sir."

"I do not question your faith… I doubt your sincerity." The other gentleman responded raising his cup to his lips. The man's eyes were darkening in an unnatural way. It could have simply been a trick of the failing light as the sun passed behind the clouds now. But the gentleman's eyes were off in a way that was quite unsettling.

As he spoke again the shadowy gentleman's voice carried a tone of sincerity. Anyone that heard him speak these words could have faith he meant them. "If you speak for God… be well prepared to prove it... for the sentence of the sin of blasphemy is death. And I judge every man that claims to knowGod."

Previously Posted on FullofKnwledge.com
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Are We Prepared for the End of the World?

The End is Near... Again

Innovations throughout history have brought about the end of life as we know it and began life anew. As we stand on the brink of a new age are we prepared?

No. I have not gone apocalyptic and will not be donning my billboard to walk the street announcing the "The End Is Near!" But the end of our way of life could, in fact, be nearing the end of its era.

We learned from history that our civilization has evolved as the result of certain innovations that changed the way we lived. These innovations marked the end of an age and the new beginning of another. As progress did its work those that could not adapt found themselves leading the world one day and struggling to survive the next.

Throughout history the innovations that we mark as defining moments are classified as the Stone age, Bronze age, Iron age, Age of invention (Agricutural age), and the Industrial revolution age. Those that mastered the defining innovations of each age rose quickly to dominance over those that could not. And today we are seeing history repeating itself. Today, the face of our civilization is evolving so rapidly that we have three defining and life altering ages materializing at once, Technology age, Information age, and Space age.

Today, the value of human thought is not only a sellable commodity but is the engine that is effectively tolling the bell for the previous Industrial Age. As information is pooled worldwide, transformed into ideas, and molded into technology at an astronomical rate those that still hold on the increasingly outdated Age of Industrialism must adapt or face extinction.

Teenagers are creating applications for our computers, Ipads and smart phones that make our everyday lives more efficient and productive while simultaneously rendering entire production lines obsolete. Eesha Khare and Henry Lin created a supercapacitor that is said to have the ability to charge batteries within seconds, and they haven't even graduated high school. This supercapacitor is wonderful news for those of us spending a small fortune on batteries, but not so good news if your job is on an assembly line making batteries.

Governments and government contractors enjoyed sole access to space for years after innovations in rocket fueled propulsion, before Sir. Richard Branson, CEO of Virgin Atlantic looked into the heavens and said, "I want to go there." Today Branson has built an air/spacecraft that can taxi from the surface of the earth and fly to the edge of space and land again. Branson promises that soon, we will be able to make reservations to resort hotels orbiting the earth.

As our economists wrestle to solve the mystery of the collapsing job markets and entire governments are crumbling into economic ruin perhaps they should look to the world around them and ask themselves if the Industrial Age that sustained them so well yesterday will be obsolete tomorrow?

People are dropping out of the job markets. They are more educated, connected and free to share ideas and collaborate in the creation of technology so amazing it hinges on the verge of science fiction. As people find more work opportunities available online they are less reliant upon the typical job market. As more people learn their own ideas, personal talents and ingenuity have value to the world the less they want to work for some one else.

Together, people are quickly bringing in a new age where the typical employer/employee relationship is becoming increasingly outdated. Replacing this outdated business model is a more creative and efficient partnership between talented people and corporations equally invested in their ideas and products. Out with the old and in with the new has been the way of things repeatedly throughout our history as a civilization.

I end this article with an appropriate medieval end to this foreboding prophesy. Lay down the old ways of the previous age and embrace the new. I say, the end is near.... Repent! The value of your ideas and talents are worth more to the world than the burgers you flip!

Source:
Previously Posted on FullofKnwledge.com

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Isolation: A Real Concern for the Online Generation

If you are like me and your profession is the internet isolation can become an issue. It's an interesting psychological problem not easily understood or resolved. In fact, one need not be alone to become isolated. We are, in essence, more united now as a civilization than we ever have been in history. So how can we possibly be isolated?

Even if our profession is not online we do tend to spend a great deal of time online while at home. We shut out our friends, family and spouses drawing into ourselves more and more. And we absolutely never go anywhere without our smart phones. Some of us, me included, can even reply to a text message without even looking at the screen while simultaneously carrying on a conversation face to face with someone. Texting and walking can become as dangerous an activity as texting and driving, especially when the two intersect.

I am reminded of some amusing images I've seen while researching this article. A soldier standing at parade rest is addressed by his superior while texting behind his back. A woman topples into a mall fountain while texting and walking. A police officer directs traffic with one hand and checks his smart phone with the other. Even surrounded by people we quite simply close ourselves off to the world around us sometime with disastrous results.

Are we lost souls? Are we doomed to a fate of only connecting with others via cloud based relationships? No, we are not hopeless cases. With some simple guidelines we can cure ourselves of our own isolation and reconnect with those around us. But it is not easy and will feel unnatural at first.

Allow and embrace life's little interruptions. I have a cat that roams freely about my home. She will eventually make her way to me and require affection. Rather than shooing her away I force myself from whatever I'm doing and show her attention. This is therapeutic for me as well, forcing me to return to the world around me. When friends and family visit, I leave my smart phone on vibrate in another room. If for any reason I do require my smart phone to receive a call related to a deadline or new contact, I let my visitors know that I'm expecting a call. My friends and family know this about me and appreciate my efforts to remain centered into the here and now.

Many of us do, however, have deadlines and online obligations that require us to focus on what we are doing. I resolve this by reserving time to myself that I feel certain I will not be interrupted. I awaken early and sit in my window with a cup of hot tea or coffee during the early morning hours. And while the rest of the world sleeps, I tend to my assignments. By the time the first rays of the sun warm my face I have my pending assignments completed.

With laptop and smart phone in tow, I drive to the coffee shop in town. I am warmly greeted there by friends and colleagues, the two are synonymous. Here we chat and exchange ideas and opinions over an early morning cup. Admittedly, this is often where I get my ideas and subject matter I share with all of you. 

There are moments of my life reserved for work and online activities but there are definite moments specifically reserved for those directly in my life. As with all things, a balance must be maintained. This is vital as we delve ever deeper into this new era, so we don't loose ourselves in the thickening cloud around us.

Previously Posted on FullofKnwledge.com

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Movie Censorship: Is it Time to Reconsider What We Are Allowed to Watch?

If you are like me you have probably read a great novel and were later thrilled to see that it's coming to the big screen. But alas, upon reading the novel you were let down by the watered down screen version. 

In this internet age we are bombarded by our news, media and search engines with images displaying in graphic detail every known atrocity and deviance under the sun. Our senses have become dulled by the sheer volume of it all. So why are our movies being censored when, with a click of a button, nothing is left to the imagination? Why do we need to be protected from the mad minds of Steven King and Clive Barker? And how did it all get this way? To understand this we must first delve into a bit of Hollywood history.

The Motion Picture Association of America is the film ratings authority that reviews our movies and gives them their stamp of approval. A movie is rated based upon its content and a subsequent rating attached to it. This rating governs who, if anyone can even watch it.

It all started in 1922, with some risqué films and a series of off-screen scandals involving Hollywood stars. There were those that felt the antics of Hollywood were corrupting our morals as a society. Political pressure was building, with legislators in 37 states introducing almost 100 movie censorship bills in 1921. So the studios enlisted Presbyterian elder Will H. Hays to rehabilitate Hollywood's image. Hays was paid $100,000 a year, a great sum of money for that time, to clean up Hollywood's image. Hays served for 25 years as president of the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America (MPPDA), where he defended the industry. He devised "The Formula" in 1924, which the studios were advised to heed, and asked filmmakers to describe to his office the plots of pictures they were planning on making. The Supreme Court had already decided that free speech did not extend to motion pictures. But stage theater productions remained a frequent source of topless shows, performances filled with curse words, mature subject matters, and sexually suggestive dialogue. 

In 1927 Hays suggested studio executives form a committee to discuss film censorship. They collaborated on a list they called the "Don'ts and Be Carefuls" based on items that were challenged by local censor boards. The list was approved by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the guidelines evolved into what we have today to govern the content of our movies. It has been largely unchanged for eighty years. 

Today, we have great independent film makers getting their movies out to the masses on shoestring budgets that are unfettered by censorship. And we have the option to watch it or not. It is this movie lover's sincere hope that the great novelists and directors will get on board with this trend as well. Their talent and vision should not be chained by a rating. If we had the opportunity to see Wes Craven's movies as he really envisioned them we'd truly never sleep again. 

Reference

"MPAA: Censorship Is Good For Consumers | Techdirt" . n.p., n.d. Web. 3 Aug. 2013.

"Motion Picture Production Code" Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. n.p., 1 Aug. 2013.Web. 3 Aug. 2013.

Previously Posted on FullofKnwledge.com

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Book Review: Where Darkness Dwells, a Great Depression Horror Novel

This book kept me a bit off guard in the beginning with its many plot twists. Experienced readers will recognize the author's writing strategy of providing only enough details in the beginning to make readers believe they know where the story will lead. I found this book to be smartly written, compelling and difficult to put down.

The characters were colorfully envisioned and easily relatable but slightly difficult to identify the main characters. I would have preferred to have remained with the main characters more and less with those on the periphery. To some degree, this led to an overall distraction that caused the storyline to be slightly less frightening than it could have been. In this respect I felt the author left a lot on the table.

Readers like myself, who enjoy not only the character believability but the scenery will appreciate the author's gentle references to the surroundings that allowed the reader to easily envision the environment. The contrast between the town above ground and the tunnels underneath instantly places the reader in a state of unease.

I found the plot to be disturbing, sadistic and twisted from the very start, which is exactly what I look for in a good horror. It all comes together wonderfully towards the end and nothing is left to the imagination. Be warned, I would recommend this book to my friends who prefer their fear slightly on the deviant side.

Reference

"Where Darkness Dwells" by Glen Krisch. copyright 2010,2012 by Glen Krisch. Stray King Publishing.

Previously Posted on FullofKnwledge.com

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