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There is a school of thought that posits that Adam - of Genesis fame - was not actually the first man, but rather the first prophet in the line of prophets that spawned the Abrahamic faiths. The crux of this is that there was nothing good nor evil prior to the teachings of the creator having reached us - hence like the ravening wolf or the ferocious lion, there was nothing intrinsically wrong in anything we did since it was only natural. Once the concept was introduced that there was a purpose-driven, life-loving God, however, good and evil could be finally identified as those behaviors which departed from that purpose and interfered with that life. Hence the tale of Cain and Abel and most everything else in the Torah.
Now I am not here to argue this idea today. I am more interested in the location. Adam is said to have appeared in the garden of Eden, and of all the locales that have been proposed as the "real" Eden, I have been most convinced by the suggestion of David Rohl that it might have been Tabriz. I think it was the documentary, In Search of Eden - which can be found on You Tube that mostly convinced me. I may well be mistaken, however, so do your own research.
What intrigues me about this location is that some six thousand years later, around 1844, another man appeared in Iran claiming to be next in the Adamic line of prophets. Ignoring every gory detail about this, I will merely note that the Islamic clergy of Iran had this man executed on July 9, 1850 in what was then downtown Tabriz.
In a sense, then, what began with Adam in Eden came full circle and was brought to a close in the same location. Curious.
So, if Iran was in fact the host to the original garden of Eden, then it would follow that some of the oldest cultural elements of civilization may have sprung from that region, and one might expect that some of the most mature concepts regarding life the universe and everything have been and continue to be evolving there.
Sadly, Iran is mostly being demonized these days - not without good reason, mind you - to the citizens of the USA, so it is a knee-jerk reaction of many in the West to eschew everything associated with Iran. In fact, most of the evils that issue out of that country seem to be caused by a minority of fanatics who have a stranglehold on governance and their oppressions are evident and well documented. To some extent, the people of that country are rising up against that oppression, so there may well be an end one day to that circumstance.
All of this is a long way around to recommending that every "educated" American should be familiar with the story of Layla and Majnun - perhaps the original "Romeo and Juliette". It is a tale familiar to most every Iranian, one that inspired Eric Clapton in composing perhaps his most famous tune. Maybe one day, Hollywood will grace us with a worthy film depiction of it.
Likewise, those who would account themselves as culturally informed might wish to peruse some of the poetry of Rumi:
BeyondOut beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing,
there is a field.
I'll meet you there.When the soul lies down in that grass,
the world is too full to talk about.Ideas,
language,
even the phrase "each other"
doesn't make any sense.
and Hafez:
Will Beat You UpJealousy
And most all of your sufferings
Are from believing
You know better than God.
Of course,
Such a special brand of arrogance as that
Always proves disastrous,
And will rip the seams
In your caravan tent,
Then cordially invite in many species
Of mean biting flies and
Strange thoughts-
That will
Beat you
Up.
So just some ideas on how to fill your new year, or whatever.
Oh yeah, and if any of your neighbors are Iranian refugees, consider going out of your way to talk with them. For the record, I am not Iranian, but one of my neighbors is.
--
"So make the best of the situation before I finally go insane", -Derek and the Dominos, Layla
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 10, @01:40PM (7 children)
Thanks for the links. If I can find time, I'll delve into them - no guarantees. I have always appreciated his werewolves of london and lawyers guns and money tunes.
Lately I've been being haunted by the other "Ze..." artist/producer of contemporary fame - Zedd. In particular, this morning "Find You" has been on repeat in my head, and his "Spectrum" made my "trapped on a desert island with only one ipod" list last year - maybe I am moved by the vocals of Matthew Koma - it's hard to sort out. Of course, Zedd seems to be all about techno-pop-dance tunes, but it kind of gives me hope for the next generation. Who knows, maybe in forty years some geezers will be quoting lyrics from his tunes at each other. It would be interesting to see how well they age - I'm sure I won't be around then. Big dollar music is all collaborations anymore, so it's getting harder to see where the real genius springs from - but then maybe humanity is moving beyond the need for singular geniuses.
-nostyle
--
-Zedd, Clarity
-Zedd, Stay
-Zedd, Happy Now
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 10, @05:24PM
> "trapped on a desert island with only one ipod"
There ya' go, a blog topic, right there. One with legs. It's almost but not quite as good as '30s movies.
After that final cleansing fire to release the magic blue smoke and release this one to its well deserved place in time, of course.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 10, @05:42PM (5 children)
Or a topic even more worse yet, "Desert island Decameron," by H. Allen Smith.
Just throw it in the water, when you're done.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 13, @01:06PM (4 children)
It looks like your wish for all this to burn might be granted. I dreamed the other night that I will be dying on or before March 15.
This morning I've had chest pains for the past four hours. Nitro pills having no effect. Using some opioids from old prescription to dull the pain enough to type this. Debating whether to self-hospice or incur the unknown costs of serious medical intervention. At least I lived long enough to read about Azuma's visit to Canada. Luv ya doll!
If I am alive after the 15th, I will post an update. If not, so long and thanks for all the fascism. It been one riot after another. Watched "Women Talking" last night with my wife. As a survivor, it was a bit too close to home for her, but she will recover. I'm sad that I might not get to see that "Everything Everywhere..." movie.
Seriously, it's been fun posting here. As James Taylor once sang, having gone to Carolina - "Say nice things about me..."
Please pray for me, if you are able.
-nostyle
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 13, @10:13PM
Can't imagine how you're going to delete this from... do they have wifi, anyway?
Remember that husband and wife who both wanted to run off? Well, she died, and her deathbed wish was for a nice, modest, tasteful tombstone... inscribed with "I TOLD YOU I WAS SICK!" And so it was.
You don't sound that bad, anyway. As Miracle Max said about Westley, "I've seen woise."
And Westley went on to save the picture.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 13, @10:46PM
> Debating whether to self-hospice or incur the unknown costs of serious medical intervention.
See the Jimmy Carter post in this thread for more about home-hospice.
"Intervention" would be the same, whether you stayed at home, or went to some dreadful facility and eternal bedsores... they'll call an ambulance, whether you're at home or in a... [looking for a nice euphemism].
Staying home is about how much of a burden you are, and expect to become, for family members. If you can get up and down, dress and poop, you have a good family who likes you enough, and who knows the bottom line about living wills, mortgages and such, your decision is easier. Please leave some bucks to those who sacrifice for you. Or don't go, at all.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 16, @11:16PM (1 child)
Posting now 'cause I said I would. Still here. Dreams of my demise were great exaggerated. I guess I get to endure another round of March madness.
-nostyle
--
-Everly Brothers, All I Have to Do Is Dream
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 17, @02:23AM
He could be waiting at any crossroad.
Always take the road less traveled.
I do.
Of course, I'm just lost.
Saint Peter don't you call me, 'cause I can't go...