Xmas eve in a pew.

He was a long wispy fellow. Always there but never noticed. A mere afterthought; an apparition. Aloof to the whole social process. Sad, sappy, stagnant was he. I speak in the past tense because it was as if he vanished that Christmas past. In church, 8 o'clock, no no 9 o'clock service at a local church was it, and in walked his shadow. Greasy locks of hair the daggers of his soul shielding his eyes, that is if he even had any; no one could really say with any definitive authority. The warmth of the occasion was depressed by the icy cold breaths he exhaled; he was simply a bane to the human economy of life. He was dead then, he was dead then... Who bore such a thing. What vile creatures bear the same family name? It was around half past the hour and unbeknownst to all, the atmosphere had warmed considerably until a cry was heard from the bell tower ahead. From the icy depths of hell a shriek resounded within the souls of all. The already fragile flames of the delicate candles extinguished in unison. Glassy eyed and solemn all stood and headed to the origins of the death to see what they already knew. Hanging above, limbs quivering like the whisps of a willow over a frozen pond, eyes engorged and bulging with bloody burst capillaries, exposed torso whiter than sun bleached bone. Everyone stood, heads tilted at a revolting angle, mouths slightly parted almost as if about to mumble a few words, but nothing escaped them. Nothing could be said for nothing was known. Nothingness was ever filled in that hollow shell gently swaying overhead. An undulating omen to remind us of what is really important on this day; to fill not boxes with some material commodity, but to allow the experience of life to enter then grow like yeast filling our souls with meaning and a diverse spectrum of individually unique hues and colors. Have a joyous and bountiful Christmas everyone! 

Revolutions in Communications

James Curran’s article entitled “Communications, power and social order” attempts to assess the impact of communications on the power structures of society by comparing and contrasting the uses and effects of various modes of communications during the papacy’s imperialistic and apostolic times and during the era of Britain’s ‘Press Barons’. This post will firstly summarize the main elements of Curran’s summary of the Papal dynasty and the connection of various modes of communications including the Bible, other forms of printed material as well as various religious symbols. Following I will focus on the similarities between the papacy and the British ‘Press Barons.’ Finally I will attempt to examine the newly emerged modes of communications, social networks systems or SNS for short, and try to see if there are any similarities or differences in how they are affecting existing power structures and future implications.

During the middle ages the papal government was able to maintain immense centralized power over almost the entire continent of Europe. How was such a small area of Rome, Italy able to ascend to the summit of the Church in such a relatively quick and dominant fashion? The precursor to dominance as well as the ultimate act that sealed its dominion lay in the interpretation of the Bible. During the 4^th century the papacy claimed leadership of the church on the basis of a scriptural passage in the Gospel of Matthew that referred to St. Peter as the metaphorical rock of the church. According to Kantorowicz the answer lies in what he termed in 1957 ‘the monopolization of the Bible’ –the selective interpretation of the Bible in a way that constituted not only a compelling way to view the world but one in which formed the ideological backbone of the papacy: first that all power derived from God; and second that the Church was indivisible.

It was through the total monopoly and control of the Bible itself that allowed the church to maintain power for so long. However, as time went by and the Bible was produced on a larger scale, the Bible became more and more disseminated naturally breaking the iron grasp of the Church upon it. Ironically, as we shall see, it will be the Bible, and how the words inside are printed that will lead to the demise of the Church in terms of absolute power. But first, it is important to recognize other reasons for the extreme power of the church; the role of non-verbal communication and symbolism being foremost. The Church’s pretended unlimited ability to magically forgive and pardon, through various sacraments, benedictions, tithes, absolutions etc… as well as the physical institutions of worship (i.e. the grandiose and overbearing Gothic cathedrals, painted glass, statues and relics) all served to solidify the church as a container of magical power.

This all allowed the church to maintain close control over all aspects of citizens lives; from the spiritual, ideological, academic, secular and most importantly cultural problems. Although there are many instances, for example, that the church wasn’t able to absolutely and unequivocally dominate all areas of culture, the Churches dual domination over the institutions of mental production and mass communication are indisputable claims. The first being that the Church was able to gain increased authority and power at the expense of it’s adversaries with its seemingly unlimited resources. A perfect example is found in the German monarch, Henry IV, around 1075. This monarch was excommunicated by the papacy, or to view it from the eye of the times: a king, who was only king by the grace of God, was removed from office by God’s supreme agent, the Church. Having no recourse to historical documents to prove his case, for the church maintained the monopoly over not just history records, but the writing of such records and was thus able to selectively control what was written about it, he was eventually relegated, despite his status as the most powerful ruler in the west, to crawl on hand and knee to Italy as a penitent to seek the pope’s absolution. In summary the churches domination and manipulation of the elites and mass media to spread its ideological perspective of the world solidified its domination of elite knowledge and thus power.

Despite such power, such as that exemplified through the case of Henry IV, there were obviously those, particularly elites in various countries, who opposed the Churches monopoly of power but had no recourse other then total submission. As mentioned prior, the dissemination of the Bible changed that. It is well established that when new channels of communication are provided, bypassing established mediating agencies; the new media tend to pose serious threats to stable, hierarchical control of social knowledge. According to Curran the best example is the rise of the book in late medieval and early modern Europe. The change from parchment to paper made the total cost, preparation and process unimaginably simpler, quicker and cheaper. For example, according to Eisenstein after the introduction of movable type in 1450 output per capita involved in printing increased over one-hundred fold. This increase in output, drop in cost and increase in literacy led to a drastic increase in consumption of books.

The expansion of book production was most important in terms of the mass dissemination of the Bible in many vernacular languages. Particularly Martin Luther’s translation of the Bible into German from Latin as well as his 95 theses played a major role in undermining the traditional power structure of the papacy. Initially this change weakened the churches power structure by removing its importance as the almighty interpreter and intermediary of the word of God by placing that word in every citizens hands. This coupled with the fact that the church could no longer control the means of production regarding printing, meant that it could no longer control centralized elite knowledge and that knowledge was thus transmitted by those who chose to print to those who chose to read it. According to Wilks and Ullmann this improved medium of print helped foster new political thought and ideas, none being more important in the context of the churches power structure than the separation of church and state. In short, while after many still chose to believe in the theological doctrines of the church, the church itself lost its imperialistic control, falling from the ranks of a state or continental religion and all of the political power likewise associated with it to merely one religion out of many.

If the continental imperialistic power of the church was shattered an important question arises; where did the power go? As we can see from history, power apparently shifts temporarily to the mode of communication itself and those who utilize it until a new power group asserts their authority over that mode of communication. It is important to bear in mind the main tenant regarding mass communication that “mass media legitimizes the social systems of which they are part of.” In Curran’s article the reader jumps between the Church and the press barons, but it leaves out one crucial time period, the era of divine monarchs. It’s essential to view the era following the continental religion of the church as the rise of state religions centered around the monarchs of those various European countries that absorbed the dispersed power of the weakened church and the press to increase its own power structure. Here, Curran’s example of the increase in power of the press becomes explicitly analogous to the increase of book production during the peak of the Church.

The book displaced power from the Church onto the various monarchs. There thus became a power struggle, since book production was not easily controlled, between the monarchs and print leading to the monarch eventually being relabeled a constitutional monarch. The move toward freedom and democratic forms of government is crucial to understand the importance of the newspaper as an antagonist to the older monarchy and as the form of mass communication reinforces the state religion of democracy. It is indisputable that when the first newspaper was introduced in 1622 in Britain monarchical government was the state religion of most European countries. As Curran points out, newspapers were not respectable outlets of discourse let alone communication. However, they gradually attracted viewers, and as the newspaper stamp act of 1712 during the waning years of the War for Spanish Succession, it is plausible the government wanted to control a medium that despite its relatively unpopularity in the nobility could have very easily served as a vehicle for rival political parties such as the Tories to vent their frustration at the immense cost of what they deemed to be a worthless war.

This attempted suppression of the newspaper through stamp acts is very similar to the direct censorship that the Church employed in that the act itself is designed to limit the number of people who consume certain knowledge. However, as Curran mentioned during the nineteenth century the prestige and influence of press proprietors increased with an increased measure of ‘political autonomy.’ This increase in political weight, he continues, was reflected in the substantial legal immunities awarded the press between 1868-1898 and was introduced as the fourth estate or branch of government. In other words, in terming it the nominal fourth branch of government, a government that was democratic, is saying that the newspaper is the form of mass media that legitimized the state religion of democracy. A recent article in the British The Independent aptly titled, “Democracy Can’t Exist Without Newspapers”, reinforces this point further. In it the writer says, “Wherever you take your starting point, it is impossible to identify a society in which the scrutiny of a free and diverse newspaper press has not been vital to the development and success of representative democracy. They are so inextricably linked it is alarming to contemplate the possibility of one trying to function without the other.” (The Independent)

As Curran mentions, the newspaper maintained initially the fragile relationship of the aristocracy and bourgeoisie in parliament and also furnished the moral framework that legitimized the British capitalist system, the heart of the modern state religion of democracy. By doing so, the press opened itself up to being a commodity to be used for advertising and thus something whose ownership can be transferred to the wealthiest capital entrepreneur who then controls the press. Nowadays ownership has become more concentrated in the hands of a few multi-national corporations ameliorating the control system institutionalized by the free market. This point is essential to understanding how the current power structure may control and limit certain knowledge through the media. As Graham Murdock explains in his article “Large corporations and the control of the communications industries,” he refers to the above mentioned trend towards conglomeration and growth of institutional development where media enterprises such as the press are increasingly linked to companies operating in socially and politically contentious areas such as oil and military technology. This leads to the increase of potential “no go” areas for critical reporting and presentation, as corporations seek to use their media enterprises to promote a favorable image of their other activities.

While Curran focused on the original British Press Barons in control of a majority of the press from the mid-nineteenth century to the mid-twentieth century, the previous quote from Murdock leads the reader into contemporary times and the arguments regarding concentration, conglomeration and capital in the media at large. However, I will not enter this area as I feel Murdock does a great job analyzing and highlighting the specifics of this intricate, ideological debate. I will now briefly try to draw light onto the new social mode of communication, SNS’s, and try to examine how the traditional power structure of the democratic state and its free market heart are responding and dealing with the rapid changes posed by SNS’s. I will briefly use the case of Twitter and its controversial role in the previous Iranian political election.

The most important change in communication has been the advent of instantaneous SNS such as Facebook and Twitter allowing individuals to contact one another at anytime regarding anything and the increase in smart-phones have made this process even quicker. During the 2009 Presidential elections held in Iran, many have singled out Twitter, including many within the government in Washington DC, as having played a key role in the controversial elections even going as far to label it a ‘Twitter Revolution.’ However, a very interesting article that appeared on the Korean Blotter.net written by “Vision Designer” asks the simple question of, “Really?” According to him, if you follow the well documented time-line of the elections and records of the ‘Tweets’ coupled with the knowledge that the language used during the election was the native language of Farsi not English, it becomes apparent that there is a large difference in the expectations of outsiders mainly in the West regarding the role of Twitter and its actual effect on the elections. In other words, Twitter may have served an important role in allowing foreigners to find out what was happening with the country, but if one is conscious of the fact that the Iranian government fully implemented censorship programs and attacks on dissidents within the country the real effect of Twitter becomes apparent. (Blotter.net, Vision Designer)

Now if you consider the relationship between Silicon Valley and Washington the problem really gets complicated. Following the “Twitter Revolution” it was revealed that a censorship evasion program labeled ‘Haystack’ had been created by a San Francisco programmer in his 20’s to help resist the movement by the Iranian government to step up it’s control over internet censorship leading up to the elections. For a time Austin Himmun became a media hero. However, Evgeny Morozov of Foreign Policy pointed out the actual accomplishments of ‘Haystack’ hadn’t been published nor had the technology itself been officially verified before the Department of defense had decided to ignore its own trade sanctions on Iran and have the technology exported to Iran. With such apprehensions, Morozov was able to utilize some connections to reveal that in fact the story surrounding ‘Haystack’ itself had been intentionally spread by the media and that within Iran due to serious problems surrounding ‘Haystack’ users have been warned not to use the program as it exposes them to more danger. On top of this Hilary Clinton had positively praised Twitter as being an example of how social media is leading democratization around the world as one part of America’s 21^st Century Statecraft.

There is no miraculous solution to help bring about such a democratization movement, so why then did such an event as ‘Haystack’ occur? Vision Designer purports that this has close links between Washington and Silicon Valley and their desire to export the ‘diplomatic good’ of the freedom of information. Briefly touching upon the current example of Google's actions towards China. Although there are 40 countries around the world that censor the Internet, why did Google single out China? Also, did this decision have anything to do with the fact that the former strategic planner of the US Department of Defense is now a part of Google’s “Google Idea” think-tank? The only things that can be proven by these events are that there is a deepening of relations between Washington and Silicon Valley. The motive of such a relationship is as of yet indeterminable. Is it for their proposed “Information democratization” or “To make a better world?” Regardless, the danger of such a close relationship is exemplified through the Iranian election where if social media had actually caused a revolution it would have been for the benefit of those behind the scenes. In conclusion it is important to move beyond questions regarding whom is behind furthering social change through social media and look critically at potential answers to who this change is for and who it will benefit.

아 참 추수감사절 놓쳤네...

아는 사람들 다 아는데 어제는 미국 일년 중에 가장 중요하고 미국다운 빨간날 추수감사절이었다.  

모르는 사람이 있을지도 모르겠지만 있으면 한국의 추석이랑 비슷한 날이라고 생각하면 된다.  온 가족들이랑 일년 내내 모든 일을 반성하고 감사하는 마음으로 모으고 칠면조를 비롯하여 풍부한 음식을 배가 터질 정도로 엄청 많이 먹는 날이다.  

한국에 온지 벌써 3년 연속 이러한 행사에 참여하지 못했다.  거의 반세계 떨어지고 가을 학기가 얼마 남아 있지 않아서 몇일간에만 고향에 돌아가는 게 아까워서 그리운 마음을 참고 겨울 방학을 도착할 때까지 기다릴 수 밖에 없는 상황이다.  

어쨋든 추수감사절 바로 전날에 미디어와 사회변경이란 개지루한 강연을 들었을 때 심심해서 그런지 책가방에서 오래동안 점차점차 독서하는 "한자의 이해"란 책을 꺼냈고 읽기 시작했다.  

이 책은 독자들에게 한문을 익혀주기 위한 목표로서 성어와 격언, 한시 (漢詩），당시（唐詩），사서삼경 등등 한문의 대표적인 고전의 제일 중요하고 한문을 배우는데 가장 도움이 되는 부분을 한권에 모으고 각각 나누어 있다.  

그날에 진난번에 읽어온 당시 부분에 이백 （李白）다음에 우연히 왕유 (王維）가 지어진 《九月九日憶山中兄弟》란 시가 나왔다.  

이 시를 처음으로 감상했을 땐 유학생으로서 고향의 동생을 생각하는 심정이 참으로 진실된다고 생각했다.  

시의 기구에 있어서는 외로운 나그네로서의 쓰라림을 참아견디는 심정이 넘쳐흐른다.  

나처럼.  

승구에는 항상 부모를 생각하는 마음에 사로잡펴 헝클어지는 심사를 달래는 다부진 내심이 연보인다.  

내 마음과 같다.  

전구에 있어서는 형제들의 워애로운 정이 넘쳐 곧 달려가고 싶은 결구의 애절함이 얽히는 것이다.  

내가 하고 싶은 것처럼.  

우애 넘치는 家族愛의 풍부함과 사랑스런 정감이 무르녹고 있다.  아래에 왕유의 작품을 원전으로, 한국어로 그리고 영어로 된 번역을 드리고 있다.


九月九日憶山中兄弟       王維

獨在異鄉為異客
每逢佳節倍思親
遙知兄弟登高處
遍揷茱萸少一人

구월구일 날에 산위에 있는 동생을 생각한다

홀로 타향에 있어 타향의 나그네 되었으니
매양 佳節을 만날 때마다 갑절이니 어버이를 생각한다
멀리 알건대, 형제가 높은 곳에 올라
모두 茱萸를 꽂았지만 나 하나 모자란다

The 9th day of the 9th month I think of my brother on top of the mountain

Alone in a foreign town I'm just another passerby,
this time of year doubles the thoughts of my loved ones.
From afar, I know my brother must have reached the summit;
everyone must have planted their cornel seeds by now, everyone but me.

Hungry for...

I'm hungry for knowledge
of you
and yours
of the earth
and its wisdom.

I'm hungry for knowledge
of the truth
and it's riches
of the absolute lies
and their crimes against us.

I'm hungry for knowledge
of love
and hate
of natural luxury
and bare necessities.

I'm hungry
and hope I remain hungry.

Escape Plans

It just got real.What the fuck are you going to do?


I've been here for a little over two years. This is one of the last bastions of toe to toe war status. While it has become one of the select few case studies for econometricians to use as a blueprint delineating a 'how to' for the developing world, all is not calm on land this morning. Most citizens pour down into the subways in the mornings and spout out of them during the reverse rush hours like it's New York City, however, there be no apple here; the only thing red is to our North.


At times the tension flows from the atmosphere in reverse osmosis fashion creating a palpable fear-like pudding that surrounds everyone, slowing their movements to Bill Cosbyesque drawl like tempos; if only for a few seconds at a time. This happens during the regularly scheduled military exercises where the jets screech over our heads in the metallic cold rhythmically precise guillotine fashion that is war, reminding us all of what was and could imminently be.


The boat sank, was sunk, or sunk itself; 46 of this countries soldiers perished. Politicians officially won't or don't want to admit what really happened to save face and avoid the choice of actually going back to war.Today the North OFFICIALLY shelled Younpyong-do killing 2, wounding 19 more.  Shit's like a hernia; you can push your intestine back below the stomach lining it popped out of, but it'll keep popping back out. Each time it rears it's shitty head it hurts more and becomes progressively more of a Jew demanding more time, energy and money be spent on rectifying its shitty predicament.


Shit is still popped out all mangled like and the international realm is just gawking at it, or as the case may be, intentionally omitting it from popular discourse. Unfortunately, this time it may have ruptured itself and has the potential to spew its gastric acid all around the surrounding vital organs. If/when it starts to rain acid, to quote the indefatigable master of war imbedded prose, Mohammed the prophet, "the fuck you gonna do?" 


Living in this splintered cell world, where would you meet up with your family or loved ones in the event of a military strike above our heads? Are you going to be the Prometheus and wield the power of the cosmos, or will you be burnt out like Bob's lazy ass. Do you have any inkling of what you can fit in a sack that you will have strapped to your back all perpetual like, back to the wind facing the dawning of a new day? Most importantly, can you steam up some bomb rice without a fucking electric rice cooker?


Should a major offensive war break out today, it would be more destructive then anything the world has ever seen, not simply due to the highly sophisticated nature of military weaponry today and the ease at which it can be procured (fucking pirates that roam the coast of Africa have fucking sonar and anti-aircraft rocket launchers...) but it would be owing to the fact that very few people are capable of living with the earth and survivingin tandem with it. Fuck military training, how about sleeping bag and camp fire training?

Dead November

Today marks the death of November. Those reds, golds, oranges and chinese yellows flutter no more. Under ones foot, walking by oblivious they lie. Tears run out their vains till they breath their last; left as brown castes of their former glory. All that is left is the heartless trampling. Oblittering all memory of their beauty is how we will survive these impending months of colorlessness... Foolish thoughts all ye philistines bear. You may drudge through in the grayness of ye mire buy not I...not I this time. For I have saved life in my portable heart. When your death comes round but a flick flick of my thumb on it's living glass and saved am I. That's right, this winter will be one of life; one of color; one of perpetual beauty.

You say 'Democracy'

Democracy is a term not much unlike that pasty skinned goth chick sitting at the back of your sophomore chemistry class.  It is often cut up, passed around, turned inside out and generally taken for granted by most people; even those nearest and supposedly dearest.

While most people in the free world cite the idea of 'democracy' as one of the crowning achievements of the Western world, I would first like to say the idea and form has existed in the East centuries prior (e.g. 民本主義 or 민본주의 or the populace as the root of rule in Korean) so the persistent egotism and, if I dare say, prejudiced bias surrounding the term should cease.  "The diamond of the world" or "The diamond of mankind's history" would be much more apt expressions.

But I digress; the points I would like to make are twofold: Firstly, I would like to proffer my personal definition of 'democracy' quoted  from the often overlooked Libertarian Political-Philospher of the UofC school Henry Simons; and Secondly, I will raise the importance and necessity of living for life juxtaposing that life system with the contemporary conceptual prison society finds itself locked in guarded by the almighty dollar.

Democracy is "...government by discussion and consensus...and political consensus, especially at the higher and highest levels, focused on clear-cut, general rules of law and policy.  It is such a discussion that feeds the growth and diffusion of the moral consensus.  Only from slow action out of such a discussion may a nation build solidly and progressively the principles and working rules which afford political security and economic stability.  Only by adherence to the rule of law and to announced rules of policy may a people have strong government without granting inordinate, arbitrary power to ruling parties, factions and majorities of the moment.  Only thus may freedom be protected..." (Simons, Econ. Policy for a Free Society, pg. 19)


"The alternative  is "plebicitary democracy," the antithesis of libertarian government.  Elections then merely choose among leaders or factions.  Campaigns are mere contests for power - slogan-mongering, promising everything to all minorities save the scapegoats, absurd eulogies and vilifications.  Platforms are unprincipled in themselves and binding, if at all, only during the campaign.  Parties are simply organizations for promising and dispensing patronage, standing for nothing but unlimited prerogative of tactical opportunism, either as "government" or "opposition" (if any).  Such, at all events, is the meaning of government by men as the antithesis of government by law and policy rules." (Simons, Econ. Policy for a Free Society, pg. 19)


To make it quite explicit I am in favor of, in the context of the American political spectrum, Libertarian Democracy; as defined as a hybrid form of Democracy and Aristocracy.  Where all members of the nation state are citizens in the sense that their main focus or occupations reside not in the government but in the private sector and the day-to-day government consists of a small number of individuals in comparison to the overall population of citizens.   Although this is obviously not quite ideal given the sheer size of the American continent and population, it appears to me at least to be the most efficient, least intrusive and fairest.

This form of government is what the founding fathers created.  A country free under the rule of just law. However, as we can see in the contemporary realm of politics that this law and legislation and the overall state of politics has fallen into the category of 'plebicitary democracy' defined above.  Recalling Rousseau's misgivings toward the feasibility of true democracy in states of large size and population, it is clear to see and more importantly can be overtly sensed that it is the influence of the various private interests in public affairs at the root of the problem; in short, the corruption of the legislative body.  Taking the tax code as an example, government is convoluted leading to a drastic increase of esoteric business and tireless, unceasing discussions; and no considerable degree of equality exists coupled with great luxury that are the possessions of but a small minority corrupting both rich and poor at once, one through possession, the other through vanity; it has put the country on sale to vanity and soft living; it has deprived the state of all its citizens, making each of them subject to the other, and all of them to public opinion.

A degree of virtue is required in every citizen to prefer freedom regardless of the instability and dangers coupled with it as opposed to tranquility and servitude.  Obviously this virtue espoused in Rousseau's 'The Social Contract' or as I like to refer to it as the "Character of Gods" is absent in contemporary America and has been for some time.  Thus, the country's political state has fallen into the abyss of "plebicitary democracy," a vicious cycle flaring up at every electoral interval. Even the Judicial branch, following the Executive and Legislative branches has succumbed as evidence to the recent supreme court rulings regarding the "humanity" of corporations and legality of private undisclosed campaign funding.

Emphasis placed on such an abstract and ideal notion such as 'virtue' has long been esteemed in Eastern philosophy with unlikely a bigger proponent or laudable figure as Confucius.  To quote from the second book of The Analects entitled 'Administration' or ‘為政’ chapter 3, "Confucius said, "If the people be led by laws and punitive measures to bring about uniformity they will seek to evade punishments and not  know shame.  If the people be led by virtue and courtesy and etiquette to bring about conformity they will have shame and know the difference between good and bad.""  ［子曰“道之以政， 齊之以刑，民免而無恥。道之以德，齊之以禮，有恥且格。”］Is this the virtue Rousseau spoke of? The virtue he so eloquently decried as being a pipe dream only suited for Gods?

The perception of what a God is differs when viewed from a Western perspective and Eastern point of view.  Western theologies have stripped mankind of the direct links to omniscience of the mind and heart leaving only a vague and metaphysical dotted line leading towards the Gods.  Eastern thought, specifically traditional and pre-imperialist thought, on the other hand, emphasizes that every man and woman is capable of achieving and possesses "godliness." Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism etc... all have titles for the "godlike" state or peak state of the enlightened.  Therefore Eastern thought produces a more humanistic state of mind and consequently the hitherto metaphysical ideal of virtuousness and virtuosity, being a part of human existence, is materially and temporally closer and more attainable.  It moves from the realm of idealism which implies an otherworldly connection and thus risks ostracizing many who feel that they are not worthy of the gods, into the world in which we live turning it into the most equal yet significant goal of each and every individual performing in the concert of humanity.

At this point I would like to bring up my second point; the importance of living for life.  When I say living for life, there is an inherent assumption and acceptance that everyone has different preferences and the idea of an all encompassing secular or societal goal will not and hasn't worked evidenced through such failures and imminent failures as the former USSR and the DPRK.  Living for life is the daily struggle to refine oneself and try to develop ones every faculty, with the metaphysical goal of sharpening each and every aspect to its highest point eventually coalescing at the "God" point; seeing the world through a pure lens and reflecting oneself back onto the world.  That reflection is virtue.  Virtue isn't just found in the end, but during the stages of leading up to the the point where one exits this world and the conscious acknowledgment of such a process.

This stage and process is more eloquently explained in The Dao and Self-Independence of the Korean People (韓國人의 主體性과 道）the seminal work written by one of Korea's original founding fathers of modern psychiatry and more importantly taoistic psychiatry, Dr. Dong-shik Lee (이동식 박사님). The 'Self-Independence' is simply stated the point at which and individual becomes the main actor of one's own life and the pinnacle of such a mind state being found in the words of Buddah, “In terms of myself, in this universe the most revered being is Me."  (天上天下唯我獨尊）Without self-reverence and respect how can one respect anyone else.  So what is to say that our current generation with its innumerable scientific and technological advances hasn't already achieved this?

Referring briefly back to Rousseau's quote regarding luxury, it deflects everyones attention to superfluities that benefit no-one.  In other words our societies life quest for money in the name of capitalism acts as a deflector taking our minds off of ourselves, and thus off of our fellow man onto an inanimate abstract nothingness.  Is there any room to question what is the root of the unspeakable inhumanity (you fill in the ______ in terms of what atrocities have been committed or are still underway....) our generation is witnessing? To clarify, of course it is not money itself that is the problem, but our preoccupation with it.  The same can be said of religion in the past and now that perverted mans eyes away from himself to a nothingness above.  An the Warring past of Asia that despite the teachings and nominal state religions of Confucianism, saw leaders diverting the eyes of the people onto the conquest of abstract territorial power.   These diversions are labeled ‘礙膺之物’ or objects that obstruct/hinder the heart or in other words unhealthy obsessions; true addiction.

The only way to get rid of such obsessions is to admit that such a problem exists.  There be no methadone for the masses to estrange itself from its opiate.  Time is necessary, and more importantly our leaders need to help set examples and lead themselves in a healthier way.  I'm afraid that there is no pre-fab model for this either.  However, the answer lies in education.  I repeat education as an enlightening process as opposed to the indoctrination that has  persisted until present day in most schools.  To emphasize the need for reform in education, one need not argue on such an abstract and metaphysical basis because the three elements that currently define and control our era and the world itself, science, economics, and political technology are taught to not a single student with the exception of science although the quality is extremely sub-par.  It is extremely dumb founding as to the extent that the masses have been misdirected from the forces that affect their everyday lives to the pursuit of such an abstract  commodity.

More needs to be written.  More needs to be said.  More needs to be done.

3년 6개월 만에

3년 6개월 만에

멍든 다리로 떠났어요 그 암울한 여름밤에
가슴도 마찬가지었겠지요
많이 힘들었어요 많이 기다렸어요

3년 6개월 만에

붓고 미움으로 빨개진 눈에서
눈물 마치 장맛비가 넘친 한강처럼 흘러내리면서
그 코너 돌아가고 영원히 사리지기 전에 너는 날 되돌아봤어요

3년 6개월이라는 오랜 시간 만에

Are you "Checking out?"

It's happening again.  This ball and chain I have bolted around my chaffing right ankle is being picked up by the hands of time.  With a jolt the chain is jerked hard sending me crashing to the ground.   Fingernails splintering over the rock crusted road as I'm being dragged forward like a speeding train I grope frantically for any firm hold, moving ever faster towards the upcoming new year.  I know what fate awaits;  I will undoubtably be dropped on my ass only to be faced with the same Sisyphusean cycle again.

쉬즈모 (徐志摩）

徐志摩(1897-1931)는 중국 현대문학사 중 대표 시인이며 중국 문학 경계를 넘어서 세계 문학계에게 혁명적인 영향을 끼친 중대한 인물이었다. 《굿바이 캠브리지 (再见康桥）》，《눈꽃의 기쁨（雪花快乐）》, 《우연 (偶然）》은 주요 작품.  쉬즈모는 또한 여러 문학 단체에 활약하게 참여하였으며 1920대 중에 소위 '사상문학혁명'을 제창한 후스(胡适）, 이른바 '삼미(三美）를 제기한 원이두(闻一多)등이랑  낭만주의에 바탕을 둔 신월파 (新月社)를 결성하였다.  

신월파는 당시에 활발한 창조파(创造社）의 분발한 상상력과 자유체 의 시형을 주장한 낭만주의적인 시의 운동을 계승하면서 또한 그것을 부정•극복하고자 한 시인 그룹이었다.  그들은 시인의 이상에 근거하여 자연과 사회 속에서 아름다움을 더 정련해 내고자 했으며, 이로부터 '이성에 의한 감정의 절제'라는 미학 원칙과 '시형식의 격률화"라는 주장을 제기하였다.   결국 그들의 격률시는 감정과 정서를 시의 핵심을 보면서도 이를 응축한 시 형식 속에서 정련화하려는 의식적 노력의 성과였다고 하겠다.

여기에서 '이성에 의한 감정의 절제'가 추구하는 것은 주관적 감정 토로에서부터 주관적 감정의 객관적 대사화이었다.  이를 예술적 상상과 구체적인 객관 현실에로의 변화를 통해  함축적•형상적인 표현을 이루어 내고자 하였다.  또한 이러한 미학의 원칙을 구현하기 위해, 그들은 시적 감정을 엄격히 규범화된 형식 속에 정제시키기 위한 시의 격률화를 제기하였다.  위에서 언급된 '삼미' 즉 음악미, 회화미, 검축미를 추구하였다.

쉬즈모는 낭미주의적 시를 상징한 자유, 사랑 및 아름다움의 추구를 통해 내면의 정감과 독특한 개성을 객관 사물의 이미지 속에 투사해 내면서, 한편 시의 내재적 형짓미와 음악 미의 조화를 바탕으로 한 미적 내용과 형식의 통일을 모색하였다.  역설적이게도 이러한 아름다운 사랑의 탐구를 중국 현대역사 중 가장 추하고 폭력적인 시적 때 진행한 것이다.

*공사중*

Hey man

Mi blood is blue
sometimes red.
You're black,
I'm white he's yellow and she's tan.

We're all the same
you're not
he is
but not her

I stand on my hands
fuck my face
fuck you!

Shit's up
shit's down
it's all around
but you
I am speaking to YOU!

Sit on your hands
your feet
your dick and ass
and apparently lips.

I stand on my hands

fuck my face

fuck you!

Fuck everyone.
I guess...

An Evolution in Musical Aesthetic

Performance.  For far too long it has been neglected or accepted as a given following the innovations that had been wrought by some of the 60's and 70's leading innovators in the art of the musical performance.  The Who, Hendrix, Pink Floyd, Ozzy Osbourne etc...  To compile a thorough list is a job for another time, but suffice it to say that since the mid-80's due perhaps to the standardization of sound and performances featured in music videos and rap music as a new genre, the musical performance itself has, at least to this writer, felt and appeared to be rather sterile and meant for reproduction over and over.

Rock music has had the luxury of the 'Jam' or the 'Freestyle' in Hip-hop; that is to say nominal musical ad-lib during a live performance to serve in a guise as a brand new gift to the crowd to provide a sense of innovative creation.  This element, however, usually adds little to nothing to the overall musical aesthetic if it doesn't negate from the overall production as a contrived superfluity.  Musical aesthetic is a term that refers to the visual aspects of a musical performance (i.e. wardrobe, style of performance, colors and their symbolic importance as they relate to lyrics and the tenor of each song/set, background visuals/movements, and most importantly source of sound) and their emotional contribution to the overall musical performance.

Kanye West as an impetus; an impetus of change and evolution in musical aestheticism.  After viewing his recent performances on the MTV Music Video Awards and on the October 2nd episode of SNL it's apparent that the movement begun by the Philadelphia based live instrumental Hip-hop collective known as the Roots, picked up by Mr. West beginning with is 'Late Registration' that witnessed a live orchestra performance has culminated in the complete deconstruction of the musical performance.   A deconstruction not only in regards to Hip-hop, but as Linkin Park is also intimating at with their own deconstructed theatrical performances of our contemporary musical zeitgeist if you will.

In the language of the culinary sciences, a food properly deconstructed will maintain the essence of whatever food that is being deconstructed (e.g. taste and flavor levels) but will present the cuisine in a totally different manner often utilizing subterfuge in an attempt to psychologically manipulate onlookers expectations and palate.  The pinnacle achievement of a truly great deconstructed food is to elicit an even greater emotional response from the taster; a feat synonymous with the creation of an even higher level of refinement and overall product.

The recent performances of Mr. West's are the epitome and, at the least, most contemporary if not only example of live musical deconstruction.  Specifically speaking on behalf of Hip-hop, aside from the previously enumerated examples and the hackneyed DJ, Hip-hop performance has been similar to Georgian Architecture in the sense it has tried to hide all production from view and has kept the focal point on the performers only.  The Roots brought the instruments back along with Mr. West's Orchestral arrangement, but his recent performances featured perhaps the very electronic beat machine used to create the song being performed, something that hitherto has remained in the production studio hidden during actual performances, with a twist.

At the beginning for "Runawayz" Mr. West seemingly punches in the ambient piano echos that loop over followed by the pre-selected bass-line and other complementing sounds.  During the performance beautiful ballerinas pulsate and contort to the various tenors and pitches of the song re-creating what the electronic visualizations seen in Windows Media Player and more successfully in Apple Itunes. He also had fun with censorship and instead of either omitting the word in question or substituting an alternative word, he punched on stage a key with pre-record "'Hey!' in addition to adding new sound levels by superseding the DJ hitting with varying rapidity and frequency a few other pre-recorded sayings such as "Look at you!"

The red suit with gold accouterment, symbolizing the bleeding heart of musical royalty convulsing over an all white stage is powerful visual imagery serving to reinforce the base-emotion and raw essence that his new songs are implying.  His movements on stage carry the same implications, contorting his body like the emotion he has experienced over the course of the past few years that twisted his psyche and soul.  Mr. West has stripped all of the superfluities and ostentatious display for displays sake away from the performance, leaving only raw symbolic emotions and a deconstructed performance coalescing into a new pinnacle of musical aesthetic.

물음표 물음표 물음표

바로 이 순간에 이제까지 내가 이 24년 동안 함부로 이용해온 몸집의 온힘으로 견디고 버텼던 회오리바람이 다가오는 듯한 미래가 마침내 도착했다.  

40박40일 동안 사막생활을 견뎌냈던 예스 크리스토같은 건조된 내 입술에서  패배의 숨막힌 소리가 나왔다.  

지금 내가 마주보고 있는 것은 날 한입으로 먹어벌릴 수 있는 침을 튀기는 미래의 크게 벌인 입이지.  

아무리 그래도 난 후회 따위는 없다.  

이 순간은 바로 내 마지막 기회이니까.   

과연 인연의 신들이 내 불확실한 장래를 어떻게 짤까???  

답할 수 있는 건 바로 물음표 물음표 물음표일뿐.

Novemeber Dusk

A man walks solitarily along 5th Ave. passing the Museum of Natural History; his bearing aimed at the rusted memory of this town.  The brisk fall wind ruffles his red and black lumber-jack flannel collar protruding slightly outside a grease stained olive colored canvas jacket.  Hands stuffed deep in faded, well worn light blue jeans he looks up to his left at the washed out 7 story brick apartment-esque building and continues on...

While you and I float atop my warm tannish down comforter.  Light fluffy rustic melodics meander out from the speakers cones enveloping our souls.  Outside the eye of my new college room, reds golds and more browns are fluttering waves obfuscating the museum behind.  Blink.  My hand carreses your blushed tender cheek.  Blink.  I feel your fingers run through my velvety locks.  We stare into one anothers eyes; this is the closest we will ever be, and I know it...Blink.

Descending down a narrow tree lined dirt path behind the university, dead leaves crunching underfoot he heads toward the clouds evanescently frothing out of a factory.  Nearby a bridge, it's 1970's sickly yellow paint scarred with dark cold iron veins forged by death; he stands beneath.  Staring out at the horizon, warm majestic red and golden hues fill his periphery.  A tear suddenly forms, wavering, then while convalescing in the corner of his eye, the sound of steel grinding enamel overtakes his soul.

From whence we came...

Surrounded by the societal superfluities we call progress, i close my eyes and cover my ears to this world.  I'm left with emptiness: the essence of utility.  "Nothing," unlike zero, more like a negative harmonized with it's absolute.  That is what is in all of us, that's what should be all around us.  Everything we need can be found within ourselves.  Journey there my friend.  It's too dark you say?  Then open your eyes; everything you see is you, both good and bad parts.  This world is the overarching framework whereupon the archetype of our self can be expressed.  Just like the sanctions we place on the DPRK, our environments have the potential to displace our instinctual energy.  Every action has a reaction is the adage, and if suppressed our instincts have the potentiality to manifest into a trojan horse right in front of our own ocular receptacles.

Rape, hate, murder, pillage, plunder; what are all these actions but responses to imposed constraints? Constraints placed on us through societal regimentation, by our ancestors beliefs or by our very selves.  Reverting to these states of our Raw Primitive we accept them as a conscious inevitable reality, rationalizing them with the "Law of Progress," but in actuality our consciousness has been paralyzed.  Our unrestrained, unchecked, hitherto neglected sub-concious is shouting out; shouting for us to look inward as a society, as a people.  Isn't it ironic how this warfare of life is so harmonious?  The machine of war, so precise and methodical; a myriad of independent components working together; harmonizing and coalescing beautifully at the instant of death.  This machine of death, can very easily be converted into a machine of life; the difficulty lay in the task of lifting the egoistic veil away, of cutting the pseudo-conscience spouting from external loud speakers and inserting the earbuds of the inner self of all the individual automatons.              

To be continued...

There was love

There was love this day. This day last year there was love.

The light evening May breeze wisps by us as we run across the crosswalk, headlights highlighting our bemused grins and mischievous eye lock. A green bottle of soju in my hand, that plus a coke in hers, laughs leaving our lips about that joke. Her friends trailing behind, next to, and in front of us; we are at the center.

We are at that point. You can feel it. It isn't about what we say now, only the looks on our faces, our equally inclined postures towards one another and those laughs with a hand coming up to shield what hasn't been shared yet. Just call it sex. We head to the green central quad in the center of campus, walking, just living up an incline.

On the hill sips grow longer in duration, the time faster. In our reverie a call is received and we're off to a tent meeting more friends; dope as always. Laughs we share, but the countdown has begun. The wind has swept the 'tree dust' up and our time away. In that sway-sway walk-walk against time, our interlocked fingers do the talking for our minds.

This day last year there was love. There is love this day.

유종원 柳宗元(773-819)

중국의 당시(唐詩)라면 사람들이 자꾸 이백 李白(701-762)이나 두보 杜甫(712-770)를 무의식적으로 생각이 나게 마련이에요. 그들은 중국의 고전시뿐만 아니라 중국 문학 자체를 대표하는 시인들이기 때문이에요. 그런데 두보와 이백 이외에 또 다른 주목할 만한 시인이 누구십니까 공경하게 의문하면 제가 이렇게 대답할 거예요. 유종원이요. 저말고는 고려대의 중어중문학의 위대한 이재훈 교수님 등이 지적하듯이중국의 고전문학을 전문가로서 공부하신 학자들도 중당이나 당시 중에 유종원은 언급을 많이 받은 시인이래요.

그의 시풍은 아주 한적하고 투명하여 대부분의 전문가들에 따르면 그 시대의 매우 유행했던 산수자연의 모습과 그 속에서 체험하는 심경을 읊은 산수시로 종류되는 거예요. 유종원의 시를 감상할 때 화가가 잘 그린 그림를 눈 앞에 출현하듯이 그의 시는 잘 다듬어진 시구와 정교하고 깨끗한 풍경 묘사를 통해 산수의 신비스런 아름다움을 효과적으로 포착하고 있어요. 거의 평생을 유배지에서 보냈던 유종원은 자기가 보였던 환경을 시로 바로 그대로 간직할 수 있어요. 개인적으로 매우 재미있고 잘 지어진 유종원의 한 시를 여러분과 함께 나누워 드릴게요. 강설이라...

江雪

千山鳥飛絶, 萬徑人踪滅.

孤舟蓑笠翁, 獨釣寒江雪.

강설

온 산에 새도 날지 않고

모든 길에 인적 끊어졌다.

외로운 배에 사립 걸친 한 노인

눈 내리는 강에서 홀로 낚시 드리운다.

River Snow

Through the mountains not a bird flutters, the many trails marks now extinct.

In a lonely boat a straw hat and caped grandfather, alone holds a rod on the snow falling river.

헤아릴 만한 관념

인생에서는 제가 가장 감명 깊게 읽었던 책은 지난달까지 읽었던 이동식이 쓴 《한국인의 주체성과 도》이라는 책이에요. 책은 전체적으로 360 페이지로 구성되고 있는데 그중에 거의 모든 페이지에는 주목할 만한 아주 귀중한 지식이 많이 담겨 있어서 두번째로 세번째로 네번째로 읽는데도 다 파악될 수가 없을 정도이에요. 그러므로 매일밤에 이책을 한 장 한 장으로 다시 읽고 있어서 어젯밤에 재독한 '현대의 인관소외'란 장는 현대적 상황, 인간소외의 의미, 인간소외의 치료 세 부분으로 분리되고 있는데 제가 인간소외의 의미, 인간소외의 치료이란 부분에서 나온 중요하고 자기 자신의 가져온 상식을 바꾸게 한 구절을 옮겨 줄게요. 잘 읽어 주십시오^^

『 西洋의 르네상스는 틀림없이 自我의 自覺, 人間性解放의 요소를 지니고 있다. 西洋의 精神分析學的인 개념으로 르네상스의 自覺을 검토해 본다면 精神分析에서는 人間의 人格을 本能, 自我, 超自我(良心)으로 區分한다. 自我는 本能과 良心 그리고 外部環境을 知覺하고 이 3者를 조절하는 구실을 한다.

The awakening of the ego and the liberation of human nature are indisputably linked to the Western Renaissance. If you examine this awakening using a Western psycho-therapeutic conceptual framework, human character is divided into instinct, ego and super-ego (i.e. conscience). The ego perceives instincts, conscience, and the external environment. It also controls all three of these elements.

르네상스의 自我는 이 人格의 3大 構成要素 중 自我가 아니라 주로 本能의 解放이다. 르네상스가 解放시킨 人間性은 性的 衝動, 他人을 말살하려는 競爭心, 他民族을 정복하려는 侵略的인 本能, 自然의 征服과 破壞의 衝動, 利己心 등이었다. 앞서 말한 현대의 특징은 모두가 진정한 自我의 君臨이 없는, 고삐를 잃은 破壞的인 本能 解放의 결과라는 것을 쉽게 볼 수 있다. 여기에서 우리는 西洋文化에서 일어나고 있는 진정한 自我, 진정한 人間性 回復의 움직임이 必然的으로 東洋의 휴미니즘으로 접근해 오는 것을 볼 수가 있다.

As for the ego of the Renaissance, it wasn't the ego that controls the three main elements of human character, rather it was mainly instinctual liberation. The instincts that the Renaissance set loose included sexual impulses, destructive competition, the instinct to violently invade and conquer other nations and races, as well as the urge to demolish and conquer nature, and self-centeredness. It's easy to see our peculiar modern predicament as the result of instincts for unbridled destructiveness freed without a controlled, true ego. Within Western Culture presently, we can view the movements for the search of our true ego and restoration of human nature as a necessary rapprochement with Eastern Humanism.

西洋文化에서 이러한 르네상스의 나쁜 결과를 물리치려고 일어난 思想이, 合理主意와 人間疎外의 폐단을 가장 예민하게 體驗한 키에르케고르, 니이체로부터 시작되는 일련의 實存主意事象이고, 곧 이어 나타난 것이 精神分析 카운슬링이고, 최근에는 美國에서 대두하고 있는 第三勢力의 心理的이라고도 불리는 일명 人間主意心理學 또는 存在心理學, 필자는 道心理學이라고 하는 것들이다.

In the West an ideology has arisen to combat the terrible results of the Western Renaissance. After the flood of existential thought that started with Soren Aabye Kierkegaard and Friedrich W.Nietzsche - two individuals who acutely experienced the harmful effects of rationalism and human alienation - psycho-therapeutic counseling appeared. Now today in the United States we have what is being coined ‘Third Force Psychology’, or humanistic psychiatry, in addition to existential psychology. It is here that this writer would like to rename these latter instances ‘Daoistic Psychology’.

現代文明의 위기는 르네상스로부터 시작된 人間의 本能 특히 破壞的 本能이 解放된 反面, 이를 制御하는 주인인 自我의 喪失에 기인하기 때문에 이 위기의 극복은 맘포드 등이 지적한 바와 같이 本能을 調節 制御하는 自我가 回復 또는 길러져야만 한다.

On one hand, the crisis of modern civilization arose out of liberated human instincts – destructive instincts in particular – that started during the Renaissance, in addition to the loss of an instinct regulating ego. Therefore, to overcome this crisis Lewis Mumford - amongst others - has pointed out that it is imperative to cultivate and restore an instinct regulating ego.

現代文明의 위기는 人間이 自己內面을 모르고, 따라서 內面의 破壞的인 힘을 制御하지 못하기 때문에 인간의 복지를 향상시키는 도구로 생각했던 機械의 組織이 破壞性을 띠게 되는 데 기인하므로, 이 위기의 극복은 人間이 自己內面世界를 檢討, 理解하고 스스로를 단련하고 制御하는 힘을 얻어서 內面의 破壞性을 建設的인 方向으로 이끌어가는 것, 다시 말하면 진정한 自我의 回復이요 人間性의 回復에 있다... 필자는 누차 現代西洋文明의 위기는 道로써만 극복이 가능하다고 주장한 바 있다.

The crisis of modern civilization has arisen out of the inability of individuals to control their destructive instincts since they don’t know they contain such instincts in the first place. Thus it follows that since the technical organization (which we have thought of as a tool to advance human welfare) has highlighted these destructive instincts, it should hold that the key to overcoming this crisis lies in each man and woman examining and understanding everything that is inside of them. Only by understanding their true nature and tempering it so as to regain control can they then guide their destructive instincts in constructive directions. In other words, a return to the true ego and humanity is needed. As this writer has oft asserted, the crisis of modern Western civilization can only be overcome through Dao( the Way).

다시 道로 돌아가서, 道는 主體性이요 진정한 自己를 찾는 것이요, 본래의 自己로 돌아가는 것이요, 自己反省, 自己理解, 自己制御이고, 佛敎나 유교, 道敎에서의 道를 닦는 목표가 부처가 되고聖人이 되고 道人 神仙이 되는 것이기 때문에 東洋의 道의 휴미니즘은 人間의 最高成熟段階를 神으로 보는 人間觀에서 출발하고 있는 것이 이미 2,500 년 전부터의 일이다...

Returning to the Way(Dao), we find that the Way is autonomy. It is finding your true self. It is returning to your original self. It is self-reflection, self-understanding, and self-control. The purpose of cultivating and developing the Way in Buddhism is to become a Buddha. In Confucianism it is to become a sage. In Daoism it is to become a person on the Way or a Daoist hermit. Thus Eastern Daoist Humanism has, for over 2500 years, viewed mans most mature, elevated, and cultivated state as god-like.』