You're Already Out.

Every now and then I have remind myself that the internet is a data stream that I am already in. Even if I tried to keep myself anonymous, I could not actually be anonymous. You can't be hidden. There is nowhere that you can have no register of yourself. The stores you use have data in which you are listed. You're on the reports of sales registers, card-swipe readers. Security cameras contain recordings of you, both audio and visual. So where is there to try to hide? Where can one be anonymous?
I have railed at the injustice of using the "Sacred Anonymous" in the service of political backbiting. One of the most revered authors in the western monastic tradition is Anonymous. Being anonymous is having humility.
Anonymity should be reserved for those who would be persecuted for exposing crimes of their superiors who are actually in a position to retaliate. I'm totally for protecting the anonymity of whistle-blowers. And inside sources. But that really isn't the case with much of the blog-splotter being thrown around. With so much casual anonymity, it's too easy to speak so much "for" and "against" people, regular common people who are known. But, the speakers are unknown.
Also, our computers are like our fingerprints, we have so many interchanges with other computers giving our URL's to sites we don't even know. So we can only be anonymous to our peers, while those with power can identify us at will.
And finally, it's just sad that so many smart, literate people are afraid to just be themselves. To actually own the words coming from their minds. In the new-millennium, all of us have been "outed" on the internet.

Link to download picture

Beauty of Fields Landing

Link to download picture.

This is one of the drawings from my CR Art class. I’ve so enjoyed getting back to the basics of drawing in charcoal and graphite. I look forward those mornings when my dedicated classmates and I tackle some new artistic adventure created by our talented Professor Smith.

The Blessings of the Monastery.

Reconstructing the Ancient

Why I Support "The Plazoid."

It is my position that we need more people like “The Plazoid”. I feel that even in my own writing I am too circumspect. Why? Am I going to get sued? Probably not, I’m not worth the attorney’s fees. So why do I self-censor? I think it’s because I live in a society where we’ve been taught to self-censor as a matter of survival. You don’t know what kind of nutcase you might anger. You don’t know who is reading your thoughts and there are people out there who think they’re tough-guys.
Tad (the blog’s editor.) and I have many things we don’t agree on. But hey, when you deal with prophets and activists; you should expect a little friction. Prophets are not like regular people. We edit ourselves at all times. We go over our writings to see if it comes across well, is there something that might be too offensive in tone? Did it seem like I was attacking the person instead of attacking the person’s stance on a particular subject? We will go over this writing before we publish. But, activists like Tad, are not so inclined.
The Tads of this world are not held by such conventions. The Plazoid can write his rants and right his wrongs as he sees fit. And more power to him. I know that in Tads lexicon my wife and I are probably: “Poverty-Pimps.” But that’s OK, He’s looking at it from the point of view of a person on the other side of the desk from a Social Worker. Maybe the Social Worker has a nice car, and good clothes. I’ve seen a social worker (Managerial level) decked out in diamonds. Now that is something the Plazoid can sink his teeth into. But, just like in my church; you have the priests dressed in Ermine, and you have priests dressed in rags. Some priests are in league with the dictators, and some priests are in league with the peasants. In the Catholic church, we have both. So it is in the Human Services departments. Honestly though, most social workers have more in common with their clients than they do with their bosses. But that is not always apparent to the clients.
I’ve never met Tad. I’m not a relation, or friend. I guess maybe I am a friend; in theory. I do respect the guy. And I am not blind to his abrasive tactics. But it is a “what you see; is what you get” kind of thing. And that kind of thing is sorely lacking these days.
I don’t know about “Love Eternal.” So I’ll just say: Hang in there, Man.