One of the small historical details that I have an increasing amount of admiration for is Dr. King's use of the flag as a part of his movement. At a time when Black people were segregated, discriminated against, spat on, and hosed down by police, Dr. King marched with the flag. He understood that the … Continue reading A Symbol to Unite
art
Featured
On Art
We are not animals. We are conscious, and we live through beauty, literature and art. We are inspired by concepts bigger than ourselves and we strive for ideals.
Lessons From Daedalus
The tale of Icarus and his wings of wax is one of the more famous classical myths. It tells of a talented Athenian craftsman named Daedalus who was trapped on the island of Crete with his son Icarus. Daedalus, you see, had built an unsolvable labyrinth to contain a beast called the Minotaur for the King of Crete near the King's palace in Knossos. When the King imprisoned the great hero Theseus in the Labyrinth to be killed by the Minotaur, Daedalus helped Theseus escape by giving him a special spool of string. For this, Daedalus and his son Icarus were themselves imprisoned within the Labyrinth.
On Shadows
We have a shadow, says Jung. A reservoir for human darkness. A place where everything we choose not to accept about ourselves exists. Whether we acknowledge it or not, it is buried behind all the desirable aspects of our psyche. It is our 'dark side', trained and caged by societal and cultural norms. But every once in awhile, we see it manifest itself. We see it rear its ugly head.
The American Mythos
The National Anthem is one of the only songs other than the Marine Corps Hymn that gives me the chills. The story it tells of Fort McHenry reflects the deepest good of the American people. It takes a special kind of person to live for something larger than themselves. To be willing to lay down … Continue reading The American Mythos
The Destruction of the Sacred
"Nothing is Sacred," says Man. "Nothing is sacred save SCIENCE!" "We've christened Science, Omni-Science. All-knowing. Infallible. And incompatible with Religion. With ritual. With tradition. And so we've cast religion out. We've burned our Holy Books. We've made our devout, the heretics, and our heretics, the devout. We've erased the divine standard of morality. Man gives law unto … Continue reading The Destruction of the Sacred
The Course of an Empire: The Arcadian or Pastoral State
Thomas Cole. Oil on canvas, 1834, 39 ½ x 63 ½ in. Collection of The New-York Historical Society, 1858.2. The day is further along than in "Savage State". Clouds dance slowly around the mountains. A small village has been established near the bay. Nature and humanity are in harmony. Peasants engage in simple pleasures. From … Continue reading The Course of an Empire: The Arcadian or Pastoral State
The Course of an Empire: The Savage State
Cole's first work in The Course of An Empire series. Depicts the dawn of civilization, the entirety of the picture being in a state of motion. The mysteries of nature swirl about, as if molded from nothing with the outset of the fog. Primitive people dance around a camp fire. Men organize in tribal governments … Continue reading The Course of an Empire: The Savage State
