Somak

An infinite number of networked communities ranging from medical to educational to technological are all essential, credible, invaluable, veracious networked environments that support, educate empower, equalise, democratise, advise, inform and reach out to our audiences. Indeed an essential forum to integrate and communicate to the very community these networked groups were designed to engage.

In light of Kylie Minogue’s recent cancer shock, I explored a few of the breast cancer websites including Breastcancer Network Australia and Cancer Council Australia. These communities advocate a mandate of supporting, linking, informing, educating and communicating to those whose lives have been touched by cancer.

These virtual communities and so many more are having a profound impact on our wider audiences by generating awareness and educating larger populations and inturn, creating an increased tolerance and understanding in our society. It is these forms of networked communities that facilitate in dispelling fear and uncertainty often associated with misinformed patients and their families and consequently provision shifts in understanding, perception and attitudes to a more positive and enlightening space. Indeed such profound and constructive consequences of smart technology. If these networked communities were not reaching out and continuing to engage, inform and educate our audiences in a meaningful way, I would hasten to think of the very real and detrimental consequences that would be bestowed upon society.

Subsequently, if you further explore networked communities like chat rooms, blog groups and newsgroups, many seem to be more like virtual “empty” spaces often lacking integrity, credibility and substance. Such spaces appear to be more focused on meaningless and mindless entertianment, rather than contributing or exchanging with anyone in a meaningful way (Rheingold: The Virtual Community).

Inevitably, the world of virtual community is one large fragrant mix of virtual destinations, provisioning place and space for all!

The process of blogging has enabled me to capture some introspective thought, reflecting a level of transparency and interconnectedness between mindscape and virtualscape, in essence, a collaborative dialogue with self. The process of contextualising mental commentary has assisted me to deconstruct consuming and chaotic thought into an engaging narrative journey, the medium provisioning the potential to explore such possibilities. I have created an imaginary refuge to contemplate and envelop my thoughtful silences, to unpackage the nonsensical process of self-contemplation. Initial trepidation has been replaced with a guarded freedom to candidly express self. The mindscape is cognisant of editorial boundaries and the progress has been somewhat arduous at times, mental censorship is all consuming. While not profound or of any consequence to others, (Jenny being the exception) engagement in my blogg is a silent yet evocative flirtation with virtuality, my space between two worlds.

I have experienced little inspiration in blogville, the deluge of trivial insignificance is astounding. At the risk of vilifying or generalising (which is not my intention) I’m certainly beginning to question the intent of a number of “authors” existing in this scape, revelling in the sound of their own inconsequential commentary. Serial sermonises indeed, the Godscape has evolved! Disenchanted to say the least! (with the exception of my fellow bloggers in new media theory: creative, intelligent, articulate and insightful individuals).

Little has captured my imagination, however I was delightfully engaged in the following virtualscapes:

The spirit of the universe is calling, discover some images of the cosmos, visually mesmerising.

To indulge in some exquisite poetry visit Poems of the Week

Journey into the creative space, specifically the exploration of an online creative journal Discovery. The artist’s ability to express a meaningful and creative dialogue, parallel to being challenged by the creative process resonates with my own narrative journey.

For an intense and surreal cinematic journey see la dolce vita directed by Federico Fellini, indeed a master of his medium. Fellini’s vulnerability is awe inspiring; his aibility to express a personal journey through the medium of film is incredibly poignant, wildly imaginative and so whimsical and chaotic. The undertone of the film permeates intoxicating passion and dramatic excess, the imagery is so potent and the intensity so quintisentially italian.

I encourage you to take a journey into the world of Fellini, resplendent with symbolism, chaotic imagery and inspiration. Wildly imaginative indeed! Visit inblack and white for a comprehensive insight into the life of the master himself, his thoughts, his filmograhy, his screen credits and so much more…..

It was Gracie…….the much loved panel van beaten to the bone but low and behold still intact having driven through the nullabor from Perth to Melbourne. Indeed an epic journey only later to be revisited over copious amounts of wine. The morning after the night before and Brad is feeling overwhelmed with remorse.

It’s not that reality is necessarily a bad place to be it’s just not as enchanting or liberating as one’s imagination, indeed the source for nurturing one’s creative vision. Undeniably, an enticing realm to explore new and creative ways to express self, always so rich with new possibilities. Not unlike virtual reality, the further one immerses oneself , the further the boundaries are diluted between what is imaginative and what is real. Accountability and physicality simply dissipate and are replaced by imagination and wishful thinking. If you will, imagine.

Three minutes is all it took for his life to be so callously taken from this world to another. The immediacy of his death was so confronting, so unfathomable. He was only twenty seven, his life ended so abruptly, he was cheated, too young to die. He was driven by mania for new experiences; he was a thrill seeker, an exhibitionist, an extremist, a loyal friend, a passionate artist, a supportive brother and a devoted loving son. He was my dearest friend. He was so compassionate and endearing, so sensitive and kind, his generosity of spirit was exquisite, his passion for life so extraordinary. He loved with wild abandonment, he hated with fierce vengeance. He was a lover, a dreamer, a fighter, a foe.

How can one begin to articulate death and all its complexities, somewhat overwhelming, so very personal, so very profound. To comprehend death, we must first appreciate the vulnerability and fragility of life. To understand life we must be willing to discover death, indeed an enigmatic and precarious process. A journey I attempted to understand, subsequently I became stonewalled; besieged by a chaotic an intense myriad of emotions, very obscure. An unparalleled and enlightening experience I suppose, transcending from this world to that.

Years down the track and still mystified by the circle of life; birth, death, love and loss an unconditional path. Inevitably, I certainly believe that friends past or present are like beautiful angels that make good days even more extra ordinary.

All the very profound themes that encompass our daily lives; change, love, chaos, age, memory, freedom, death, magic, passion and the spirit of place, all intrinsicly woven into one’s life journey, one’s ability to be free, to express, to create, to seek, to be inspired. All of this stuff fuels the soul in some way shape or form….. fuel for the soul? You know the experiences that remind you that it is wonderful to be alive when you’re having a crap day, finding the beauty and wonderment in all that transforms our world, finding the extraordinary in the ordinary…. Like a rainbow coloured sky, incandescent moonlight, the intense and fragrant aroma of fresh ground coffee, imaginative dreams, luscious and very wicked chocolate, enchanting friendships and awe inspiring music.

The ability to inextricably capture the moment, store and relive the magic experienced at that time and at that place is a beautiful thing; it transcends all the crap days that have ever gone before us. Nonsensical ….who knows. Tomorrow is a new day.

Eternal Sunshine of the spotless mind…… a surreal and provocative film. Left me pondering……

To what extent do memories comprise our present and inherent sense of self? Unquestionably, memories are inextricably linked to our identity. Subsequently, who and what would we be without our memories, …something resembling a human shell devoid of substance. If we were to have our memories erased, where and how would we begin to weave back together the rich and intrinsic tapestry of our lives? Would we start from the very beginning, recoiling to our very first memory we were able to lucidly evoke as a three year old and continue to spool through all the years of our life thus far. Would we recreate, alter, delete or deviate from the enchanting journey that our lives have ensued. What would we modify, retain, or expunge? Today’s inciting contemplation.

Visit the official website for a full synopsis Eternal Sunshine

A rather timely email sent to me this week compliments my initial thoughts (see technology and society entry) regarding the profound impact that technology has had on shaping our lives….in this instance the childhoods of those children and teenagers now growing up in the third millinium. The wonderful memories of childhood come beckoning! Falling out of trees, elastics, hopscotch, walking to school, running around barefeet, the Famous Five….black and white TV…..a nostalgic read yes indeed! If you were born before 1986 and you have a few minutes to read this….ENJOY!

According to today’s regulators and bureaucrats, those of us who were
kids in the 60’s, 70’s and early 80’s probably shouldn’t have survived
because…

our baby cots were covered with brightly coloured lead-based paint which
was promptly chewed and licked. We had no childproof lids on medicine
bottles, or latches on doors or cabinets and it was fine to play with pans.

When we rode our bikes, we wore no helmets, just thongs and fluorescent ’spokey dokey’s’ on our wheels. As children, we would ride in cars with no seat belts or airbags - riding in the passenger seat was a treat.

We drank water from the garden hose and not from a bottle and it tasted the same. We ate chips, bread and butter pudding and drank fizzy juice with sugar in it, but we were never overweight because we were always outside playing.

A coke was a coke - we didn’t care if it was diet or caffeine free or fully loaded. We didn’t know what caffeine was, nor cared, and coffee came with milk and sugar or strong and black - that’s it.

We shared one drink with four friends, from one bottle or can and no-one actually died from this. We would spend hours building go-carts out of scraps and then went top speed down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into stinging nettles a few times, we learned
to solve the problem.

We would leave home in the morning and could play all day, as long as we were back before it got dark. No one was able to reach us and no one minded.

We did not have Play stations or X-Boxes, no video games at all. No 99 channels on TV, no videotape movies, no surround sound, no mobile phones, no personal computers, no DVDs, no Internet chat rooms.

We played elastics and rounders, and sometimes that ball really hurt!

We fell out of trees, got cut, and broke bones but there were no law suits.

We had full on fist fights but no prosecution followed from other parents.

We played chap-the-door-run-away and were actually afraid of the owners catching us.

We walked to friends’ homes. We also, believe it or not, WALKED to school; we didn’t rely on mummy or daddy to drive us to school, which was just round the corner. We made up games with sticks and tennis balls.

We rode bikes in packs of 7 and wore our coats by only the hood.

The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke a law was unheard of…They actually sided with the law.

This generation has produced some of the best risk-takers and problem solvers and inventors, ever. The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas. We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned how to deal with it all.

And you’re one of them. Congratulations!

Pass this on to others who have had the luck to grow as real kids,
before lawyers and government regulated our lives, for our own good!

For those of you who aren’t old enough, thought you might like to read
about us.

This my friends, is surprisingly frightening……and it might
put a smile on your face: The majority of students in universities today
were born in 1986……..They are called youth.

They have never heard of We are the World, We are the children, and the
Uptown Girl they know is by Westlife not Billy Joel.

They have never heard of Rick Astley, Bananarama, Nena Cherry or Belinda
Carlisle.

For them, there has always been only one Germany and one Vietnam.

CD’s have existed since they were born.

Michael Jackson has always been white.

To them John Travolta has always been round in shape and they can’t
imagine how this fat guy could be a god of dance.

They believe that Charlie’s Angels and Mission Impossible are films
from last year.

They can never imagine life before computers.

They’ll never have pretended to be the A Team, RedHand Gang or the
Famous Five.

They’ll never have applied to be on Jim’ll Fix It or Why Don’t
You.

They can’t believe a black and white television ever existed.

And they will never understand how we could leave the house without a
mobile phone.

Now let’s check if we’re getting old…

1. You understand what was written above and you smile.
2. You need to sleep more, usually until the afternoon,
after a night out.
3. Your friends are getting married/already married.
4. You are always surprised to see small children playing
comfortably with computers.
5. When you see teenagers with mobile phones, you shake
your head.
6. You remember watching Dirty Den in EastEnders the first time around.
7. You meet your friends from time to time, talking about
the good Old days, repeating again all the funny things you have
experienced together.
8. Having read this mail, you are thinking of forwarding it
to some other friends because you think they will like it too…

Yes, you’re getting old!! .

I have yet to effectively articulate a convincing argument, maybe there isn’t one. Is happiness simply about a state of being (albeit not constant) rather than an unrealised state of becoming? Each persons’ contemplation of happiness varies so dramatically, there is no one answer, no right nor wrong. Where does one derive happiness from, from another or within? Without reservation, people can and do have a profound influence on an individuals’ elevation of happiness. However, does true happiness actualise within?

Happiness is entwined in moments of wonderment, creativity and awe, it is re-awakenings and new beginnings, revelling in the splendour of life, happiness is so much and more.

Happiness is a magical and inspiring journey of self- discovery and life, a realisation of who we are, the potential of one. Happiness gives us a sense of worth and beauty that transforms our world, it is the consciousness of capturing this moment in time. Happiness gives us an immeasurable blissness that encompasses our daily lives, it is freedom, tolerance and compassion. Happiness is laughter, hope madness and love, it is fear relinquished and forgiveness. Happiness is embracing the vulnerable spirit and passionate creator within. Happiness is being able to clearly visualise all one’s hopes and imaginative dreams. Happiness is becoming what we envisage and living the life we have always imagined. Happiness is exquisite my beautiful one.