Everything is Abstraction

Abstraction is everywhere. It is a philosophy that helps us to understand that our regular experience of the operating world has many other minute processes occurring under the surface at all times. Abstraction is a building block, a process that occurs in and around us. Computers offer us a classic example to consider: It is not merely from pressing a keystroke that we are able to type words and see them on a screen. Rather, it is from a process of electrical charges that alter a sequence of 1’s and 0’s arranged in a particular format to be translated on a user interface. You cannot see this happen, and in this case the affect is instant. All that happens ‘under the hood’ is abstraction. This concept is so intriguing to me that I want to take this time out to ramble on about it.

I think that where abstraction gets to be the most exciting is in reference to our physical self. While the philosophy of abstraction is observable in automobiles, electronics, and other perfunctory forms, the human body is by nature, a sophisticated mechanical being. The body has a very high degree of abstraction. Every function you are capable of doing or performing is made up of a deeper, less understood series of processes that you are either born with, or have had to learn through personal development. Even still, all of the underlying processes that make up our exact being are often times diminished by our thought process and assumed to be a regular part of reality.

I believe that in truth these smaller, individual processes also make up the bigger picture. It has to start at the smallest part, the quark inside an atom, or the string whose theory is yet to be proven. Without spending too much time on these minute details we are able to progress through our blood pumping, our lungs breathing and our minds thinking and processing. Outside of our immediate self is the world and everyone in it, all with their own abstractions occuring 'under the hood'. We interact and communicate with these people, and that in itself is also abstraction. The concept grows to a point that we cannot even see or directly experience. If I am boring you now please read no further.

There are moments in life that define us. There are moments in life that define the environment that we inhabit, and they are both unique to every single individual being. They are as unique as you and I, but collectively they create the global perspective. It is the culmination of these unique defining moments that make up the world. It starts as you, and expands to your home, your street, your locality, your city, your region, your state, your time zone, your country, oversees and beyond. There is a theory of everyone being connected to every person on the planet through five or six individuals ( more info ) . This theory connects me to tribes in Africa, Terrorists in Baghdad, Eskimos in Alaska, and even the man across the street that I’ve never met. Not only am I connected to these people, but my life affects their being in some way. The actions I take every day, even those that I am not aware of, can affect every single person in this world, somehow. This is also working conversely as they are affecting me.

If you conceptualize this view you can see that an action taken by me has an affect on you that will cause you to then take another action at some point that in turn affects me. It is a constantly moving process and although not simultaneous or observable, is at the essence of abstraction.

This view can open oneself up to how the process of karma works. We are at times performing similar action so that in a theoretical circle a series of actions is taking place. Each action has a reaction that then sets off another series of cyclical and circular patterns that intertwine and spread throughout the world, multiplying and maneuvering overseas through cultures and eventually some day in the future returning to you. You are affected by an action, either positively or negatively in the future that is directly connected to an untraceable action that you have performed in the past. The only difference is that your action has multiplied and returned to you most likely 2- or 3-fold, and not always at one time.

If one person is removed, the entire world will be affected because that one person is part of a process. Conversely, if you do not remove individuals then the world is also being affected because that person will be able to alter the process. Therefore, the world is completely dynamic. It is always changing. We as humans try to identify with sameness so that we can construct a feasible reality to inhabit. This ‘clinging’ to sameness has implication. We initially may have been intended for static reality, but as nations expanded and the world became flatter and flatter in terms of how easily we can communicate with those in other cultures, the more dynamic life became.

The process from the most obtuse level of human communication down to the smallest partical of matter is full of abstraction. That’s really all I’m saying. Abstraction is everywhere, and it often gets taken for granted.

Alex Bard

Google Earth

I was wasting some time on Google Earth today and thought I would take a look at Baghdad in Iraq. Why not, right? There was a brief stroke of fear about whether or not the secret service would be knocking on my door. Not that I care. It's a free country and the information isn't being withheld from the public.

To make a long story short, I was dragging the earth across my desktop and this monstrosity of a building that you're looking at came into view. I actually had to zoom out to see the whole image. I don't know if this is the capital, a mosque, or one of Saddam's palaces, but it's design is very interesting...from a birds eye perspective at least.

4/8/08- Update
A friend of mine from Iraq identified this structure as the "Nasb Al-Shaheed", a place where soldiers from the Iraq-Iran war were buried.

Secret Service Calls on La Roche Professor

Read The Article Here

Here's and interesting tidbit I stumbled across about Jeff Ritter, chair of the CMT program at La Roche college.

I think it is really interesting that this event occured in the way that it did. It makes it seem like the patriot act is completely on point with the wrong kind of information.

I am amazed

I am in La Roche College's student activities office right now listening to this girl talk on her cellphone. She is literally sitting right next to me and is the only other person in the room. I don't even know this girls name, even though I have worked in this office with her since last fall. Everytime I see her I ask her how she is doing and get a typical, cliche response like: "Okay", "Pretty Good", "Not Bad", etc...

Now call me crazy, but don't you think that after all this time we should have at least had more than a two second introductory discussion? I try too. After I receive a cliche response I ask another question of equally cliche nature. This effort still yields no results. The response is quick and no follow-up commentary comes from her mouth.

What I am amazed about is that this girl, whoever she is, is able to sit less than three feet away from me and unload her life to a friend on her cellphone. In essence she is talking to me. I hear everything she says, and there are apparently no holds barred, because the information is coming from a pretty deep place. I won't go into details, but I am listening to this girls problems, which is more than I would ever want to deal with, even if I did know her.

I believe that this scenario is a true phenomenon that is happening all over the world...Don't let it happen to you.

Alex

I am blogging

This is the first of many posts and I'm going to keep it short and to the point. This coming week is the start of Mid-Term exams at La Roche College. The overabundance of course material that I have to concentrate on has led me to do the equivalent of absolutely nothing...create a blog. The relevant importance of the information you are reading is moderately low and has nothing to do with anyone but myself. There isn't any groundbreaking news or cutting edge theory contained in this post. The truth of the matter is that I can't just jump into this blog thing without a plan of action and expect for the material to be interesting.

There are a few things that I'd like to bring to your attention:

1). I bought the new Illy B Eats box set on Friday and I'm pumped. After I get it and find the tightest beats I'll post my creations for you to check out. (For more info about Illy B go to: http://amuletrecords.com/CATALOG/amt024_025/amt024_025.htm )

2). I am now an uncle, which is a first, and is freaking cool. It's like all the benefits of having a kid with none of the stress or responsibility. My nephew, who has yet to be named, was born on February 17th, and is 8 days old today. I loved being that old

3) I saw a band last night called skeletonbreath from NYC. They were sick. Check them out here---> http://www.skeletonbreath.com/ The tracks online don't do it justice, but still go check it out and see them live if at all possible.



4) If you get bored and want to check out some small time college radio go to www.electricbean.com and take a listen. Thursday nights have the best line-up, which includes myself, but only as a precursor to 'Talking with Tina' which is getting better every week.

Peace