Tag: philosophy

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Word of the Day – Oblation

  • Noun:  Oblation
    1. the act of making a religious offering
      specifically, capitalized : the act of offering the eucharistic elements to God
    2. something offered in worship or devotion : a holy gift offered usually at an altar or shrine
  • Synonyms:
    1. gift
    2. offering
    3. presentation
    4. sacrifice
  • Usage:
    1. “We say [ Christian rulers] are happy if they rule justly; if … they are not inflated with pride, but remember that they are but men… if they do all this not for a burning desire for empty glory, but for the love of eternal blessedness; and if they do not fail to offer to their true God, as a sacrifice for their sins, the oblation of humility, compassion, and prayer… then we can call them happy in hope. “
  • Encountered:
    1.  While watching the Wondrium course, Books That Matter: The City of God. A book written by St. Augustine in the early 400s that is considered one of the seminal works of Christian theology and philosophy.

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The Sea Wolf by Jack London

Sea_Wolf_1005London is probably best known for his book The Call of the Wild and possibly White Fang. London had a short but very prolific career. He was first published at 21 and had drunk himself to death by the time he was 40. The actual cause of his death was a morphine overdose. It remains unknown whether it was accidental or a suicide. He detailed his alcoholism in John Barleycorn or Alcoholic Memoirs. In some ways he had great insight into his alcoholism and at the same time practice great denial. He also wrote a very good book on the slums of London, The People of the Abyss.

I had not heard of The Sea Wolf which only points out my literary ignorance. After reading the book I wondered if they had ever made a movie of it. They have a few times. There is the 1941 version starring Edward G. Robinson. There is a 1993 made for TV movie starring Charles Bronson and Christopher Reeves. There is also a TV mini-series from 2009.

As I was researching the movies I came across a review of the book that stated more than a few critics have called it possibly The Great American Novel. I am not sure I would go quite that far, but I would definitely put it high company. Continue reading “The Sea Wolf by Jack London”

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Nickel Philosophy for a Saturday

I think the Buddha had it right, when you are chopping wood, chop wood. We spend so much of our time living in the past or worried about the future, that we miss the here and now. The Here and Now is all we really have. We need to be present in the present. I frequently remind myself of this when I am doing mundane tasks with some degree of boredom and/or resentment. It is amazing how pleasant even a task like cleaning the bathroom can become if you focus your being on what you are doing. I’ve been known to say to myself, “When you are folding t-shirt, fold t-shirts.” The results are always better with the change in perspective. We spend so much time multi-tasking that we never really concentrate on chopping wood. And that my friend is my nickel philosophy for a Saturday, Be Present.

As an aside that sound you hear is Robin saying, “Why don’t you practice a little of the Buddhism you are preaching, and clean the bathrooms.”