Saturday, April 25, 2015

Who do we think we are ??




Thoughts about enemies

Not long ago, I watched the 2001 film, "Enemy at the Gates," which centers around the Battle of Stalingrad during World War II. It is a first-rate motion picture, in my view, well acted by people such as Jude Law, Joseph Fiennes, Rachel Weisz and Ed Harris, among others. It is a typical war story in most respects, with a love element to make it complete.

I thought I might like to read the book from which the title came. I ordered it without doing any research, and when it arrived I discovered that while the film is mostly fiction, the book is straight non-fiction. In other words, they have little in common.

No matter. The movie stands on its own and is worth watching; the book stands on its own and is worth reading.

There was one scene in the film which struck me in particular. It consisted of these words spoken by the character of Soviet Commissar Danilov moments before he sacrifices his life:

"I've been such a fool, Vassili. Man will always be man. There is no new man. We tried so hard to create a society that was equal, where there'd be nothing to envy your neighbor. But there's always something to envy. A smile .... a friendship. Something you don't have and want to appropriate. In this world -- even a Soviet one -- there will always be rich and poor. Rich in gifts .... poor in gifts. Rich in love .... poor in love."

Such a basic, fundamental, elemental truth. Yet, so many among the so-called far left, self-styled elitists round the world, such as Barack Obama and the ilk he surrounds himself with, simply cannot grasp it and are determined to turn the United States into a socialist nation, which would then be ultimately and most assuredly destined to collapse within itself.

Human nature declares socialism an impossibility and history defines it a failure: Some men strive to ascend Mount Everest; some men are content to watch cartoons on television. It has always been, and always shall be ....

Sweet child in time

It seems the past persists. Deep Purple will be performing in Sioux City, Iowa, on August 7. That is about a two hundred, seventy-five mile drive for me, and right across the border from where I once lived in South Dakota. Plenty of places to camp out –- in a comfortable bed at the home of friends or, if I really wanted to play coureur de bois again, on a beach alongside the ever-wondrous Missouri River. Sounds like a plan, hah?

Ian Gillan, Ian Paice, Roger Glover and more recent members, Steve Morse and Don Airey, compose the current Deep Purple crew. I regret that Ritchie Blackmore would not be among the players and that Jon Lord is in another existence (sort of), but it sure would be worth the time, money and effort to see even this rendition of a rock legend in concert.

It just occurred to me, if things would have worked out just a little bit differently, this concert would have made a good day-after-birthday present for someone I know. Such is life ....

The mist in the morning

Not long ago, I was asked if I thought of "god" as a "he" or a "she." The opportunity to respond to the question was eliminated almost immediately, so, rather than play games, I will post an answer here:

As for the personification of "god," I was taught, "Our father who art in heaven" .... but I do not follow any organized religion, so that is irrelevant. My imagination revolves around pantheons such as the Old Greek or Old Norse deities, which included any number of gods, both male and female .... but that realm lurks within my "id" and not in my actual reality. My beliefs trend toward a mixture of deism and pantheism (I dislike the term "Mother Nature," too), and my own blend of Native American spirit concepts = if "god" exists, "it" is the mist in the morning and my own conscience coupled with an unfathomable energy which may or may not require our physical being to sustain.

1) If this needs clarification, just whistle ....

2) Of course, my answer might be different tomorrow ....

20 comments:

Anita said...

Hello and goodmorning Norway on the line..

Enemy at the gates is a good movie!Seen it long time ago..Think the book is better..Books always are..For me iam stuck in HBO Nordic..The vikings!

You should also see Bloodline..Best moveie ever about a typical American family..


I can belive you are discussing God is female aka male?..If Gods excist..Its pure nature source.(Or aliens...)

Ohh boy i did look at a program where our implants(you know many get those cement things in our body operated) go when we are cremated..The Aoeroplanes in Germany!!!Ohh boy!!!!Just imagine Fram whenever you see a plane!!What are they made of:)))

Ok this is out of the record..

Wish you a great weekend Fram!Be strong and happy!

A Cuban In London said...

First of all, Enemy at the Gates is a first-rate film as you said which I must, must, must watch again. I saw it on a late-night flight on my way back from Cuba shortly after it came out. I didn't do it any justice, watching it like that. Ralph Fiennes might be one of the finest actors this country has ever produced. Please, watch him in Coriolanus which he also directed.

Secondly, Deep Purple. Wow, so many memories flooding back and none of them related to seeing them live. Lucky you. :-)

Greetings from London.

Fram Actual said...

I am not sure if the HBO Nordic "Vikings" for you is the same as the History Channel "Vikings" here for me, but if it is, I have watched all three seasons of it. I enjoy it for the most part, and it does maintain some actual ties to actual history, which I appreciate. But, then, too, it is beginning to get a bit too much like a typical "soap opera" in some ways, which dilutes my interest.

"Vikings" is the only series I have been watching. I had not heard of "Bloodlines," and could not find any solid, detailed information about its plot.

Hmmmm .... you have an interesting concept regarding god, Anita.

I guess I am not too talkative this evening, Anita, so I will bid you farewell for now and thank you for coming to visit me at my blog. I wish you a pleasing, pleasant Sunday. Take care, and see you here and there ....

Fram Actual said...

I agree with you completely about the film, "Enemy at the Gates," and about actor Ralph Fiennes, CiL. I will look for the motion picture you mentioned, "Coriolanus," and learn what I can learn. I was not aware there was a film version of the play, and I have not read the tragedy since the second of two courses devoted entirely to the works of William Shakespeare that I took during my college days. Most interesting ....

No, I have never seen Deep Purple live in concert, either. I would much, much, much prefer to have seen the band back during its "glory days," when Ritchie Blackmore and Jon Lord would have shared the stage, but you take what you can get. Since you have been absent for a while, you probably do not know that I will be seeing the Rolling Stones at the end of May in Minneapolis. It could be quite a summer.

Thank you, CiL, for finding your way back to me and my blog.

Anita said...

Hi again!Agree with you about The vikings.It turned out to be a soap opera!!Instead ..went on too Klonyke--with Sam Shepard(you know up in Dawson Creek in Alaska)

I cant belive you not heard about Bloodline???Its the most family cruel serie i have seen in some time The..Plot..A family of adult siblings find that their past secrets and scars are revealed when their black sheep of a brother returns home.

Well I asumme you dont have Netflix then..Since its a original serie by them

Deep Purple is good..but right away imstuck with Creedence Clearwater:))

Btw..have you heard about Wishbone Ash?Came over it the another day onyou tube,,

Okhave a nice day!

Anita said...

I ment Klondyke!

Fram Actual said...

There is no series I watch on television at this point in time other than "Vikings," Anita, and now that show has concluded for this season. I do not like series or any entertainment program which is a continuation going on week after week after week with sequential shows. I like films; they have a beginning and an end. A miniseries that has a specific number of episodes is fine at times, too. That is why I have never heard of most of those shows you mention.

I have at least one television on throughout the day, but unless I take some time to watch a motion picture, the tv usually is mute and usually is set at a news channel, which I glance at now and then. I prefer to spend my time with books, rather than tv. I even prefer books over the computer, unless I am looking for something in particular.

I do have access to Netflix, and occasionally use it for a film or to watch old British detective shows originally broadcast through the Public Broadcasting Service. Many of them are literary in nature.

Anyway, that is my story in regard to television.

Nice to see you again so soon, Anita. Thank you ....

Smareis said...

Não assisti ao filme Fram, às vezes o livro sempre é mais completo que o filme. Parece ser muito bom os dois pelo que você diz. Vou procurar saber mais sobre o filme e o livro.
Deus está em tudo que é belo, a natureza tem as digitais de Deus. A névoa da manhã é a própria presença do Criador. DEUS é o começo, o meio, o fim, é tudo que é ser vivos, a força, o amor e a simplicidade. Sem ele nada sou, (nada somos). Deus fez tudo perfeito, mas, o tempo, a humanidade encarregou de colocar tantas imperfeições só pra alterar a beleza do Criador.

Até breve Fram!
Volto mais devagar pra fazer outros comentários.

Boris Estebitan said...

Gran banda Deep Purple, ya es tiempo de que entren al salon de la fama del rock.

Snowbrush said...

“The opportunity to respond to the question was eliminated almost immediately…”

I quickly put the post back up with an explanation of why I took it down. Your answer here doesn’t touch upon the reason that the Biblically-based practice of referring to the church as a “she” annoys you when, since you didn’t mention it, the practice of calling the Biblical deity a “he” doesn’t. After all, no one could read the Bible and literally conclude that the church is a female, yet the Biblical God is literally described as a being that either is, or is at least like, a male.

Fram Actual said...

The book, "Enemy at the Gates," is a lengthy, detailed and reasonably historically accurate account of the Battle of Stalingrad during World War II; the film is a fictionalized story about some of the people who actually were there and other "make-believe" characters who were not there. I would suggest, Smareis, you watch the motion picture because it is an excellent one in many respects, but not think about reading the book unless you wish to become a student of the battles between the Soviet and the German armies.

I know your concept of God, Smareis, and I am glad you wrote it here. Possibly, some others will read your words here and, upon reflection, gain a greater understanding of themselves and what it means to be a person of faith and belief in a presence greater than themselves -- a presence which offers comfort and love. I am glad you have a tranquility in your life and I am pleased you share it with others – and, I am grateful that it seems to reach me across time and space to bring me a few moments of calmness. You are an angel.

Thank you, Smareis, for coming here today. I was beginning to worry about you.

Fram Actual said...

Yes, Deep Purple is one of the greatest hard rock bands in the history of the genre, in my opinion, Boris. I especially "love" this outfit and Rainbow, and the way the members of the two bands seemed to drift back and forth from one band to the other.

Thank you, Boris. I am glad when you take the time to visit me and write a comment here.

Fram Actual said...

It seems strange that you would chastise me for sometimes not permitting comments on my posts and a few days later you would delete one of your posts entirely, along with the comments made by several people who had visited that post. It left me with the impression you have a tendency to be inconsistent and sporadic in your thought patterns and opinions.

Anyway .... you have a propensity to over-exaggerate and to change the rules in the middle of the game to make your position appear greater than it is. My original comment to your post had nothing to do with the word "he" in relation to god because it was not part of your post. I referenced the word "she" in relation to "the church" because it was part of your post. So, why "in god's name" would I comment about something not present in the post? Never-the-less, you chose to expand the point without rhyme or reason to include "he," and then to draw conclusions out of thin air. I also did not mention the "holy ghost" since that was not part of your post, either. I am amazed you have not drawn still more illogical conclusions in this respect, too.

I would add that the roots of the Christian concept of god and religion extend beyond the dawn of history, while the Christian church is barely two thousand years old. This dichotomy in itself furnishes one reasonable explanation why, in a sense, "he" is a plausible notion regarding god and "she" makes little sense in terms of "the church."

Anyway, again .... what is going on within any organized religion is not something I spend much time thinking about, Snowbrush, and even the topic of religion in general is no longer of special interest to me and I have not studied any elements of it in any detail for years.

Thank you, Snowbrush, for stopping by to visit me and to write a few words here.

Snowbrush said...

"It seems strange that you would chastise me for sometimes not permitting comments on my posts and a few days later you would delete one of your posts entirely, along with the comments made by several people who had visited that post.'

The post and comments are all there.

Fram Actual said...

I think you are incorrigible, Snowbrush.

Fact: You did chastise me for not always allowing for comments on my blog.

Fact: You did delete one of your entire posts along with the comments made by several people who had read that post.

You evidently are incapable of understanding the hypocrisy of those actions.

So, you did return the post to your blog after a few days. So what? That does not change any of the previous facts, and that you try to twist things only supports my belief you are inconsistent, sporadic and try to change facts when you think it might benefit you.

Anyway, this conversation on this topic ends now as far as I am concerned.

Anita said...

Hello Beautiful!

Anita Frøya is here for a short visi and look after you.You must not quarrel so much in here..Be patient with each other...

The only one to tell in here..My own misery..

The father of my son Alexander has just had a major stroke..Totally lame from the head and down..Soo bad and very sad..Iam trying to be as much help as I can,,I think you know..you have had some exwifes with bad health too??

Ok Fram.Take care of your family.Your childs.Itz the most important in life.

See you when the conditions is better.

Fram Actual said...

Well, hello, beautiful yourself. That is quite a greeting, and it made me happy until I read the rest of your note and learned of your current situation.

Business first: I have no patience with con men, and Snowbrush has the characteristics of such a person. He can change his style if he is capable and if he wants to come down off his cloud of self-indulgence .... or, c'est la vie and good luck, to him.

I hope things will work out for Alexander's father. It was my mother who had a stroke which affected her physically. She had no arm or leg movement on her left side, but her mind remained intact. It was when the stroke happened that she went into a care center/nursing home and I moved to Saint Paul to be within a few miles of her. She lived another seventeen months. It is my former second wife who has had a reoccurrence with cancer this winter. Her problem is an ongoing situation, and she has a follow-up examination at the end of May.

You are a big girl and I know you can handle matters, but, as you said, it is necessary to take care of your family. It is Alexander who will need the most support and guidance while this ordeal for his father is taking place. I do not know how close he is to his father, but I believe he is closer to you and will be able to get through everything all right as long as he knows you are there walking beside him.

You caught me on a late night for me. It is approaching four in the morning. I cannot sleep. I had a new post almost ready to go up, but will postpone it. I wish you and Alexander and this man who once was the love of your life luck and strength. You know where I am if you need someone you can trust to talk with or to hold your hand.

Take care, Anita .... I will think of you ....

Anita said...

Thank you Fram :)

Snowbrush said...

“Anyway, this conversation on this topic ends now as far as I am concerned.”

Okay, I’ll move on. When you portray my motives, you invariably frame them in the worst possible light. I get the feeling that you simply dislike me.

Fram Actual said...

My thoughts are with you and Alexander, Anita, and I hope Alexander's father will experience a full recovery.

Something special ....