word of the day:  Influenza

Contemplating "The written word" this morning. 

One of my favorite rock bands TRAPT poses the question: Who’s influence are you under, now?!”  Interesting question.  Think about it, it’s kind of important.

"How do you know just who your friends are>?"  Who is right>?  Who do you trust and why>?  Who REALLY knows the truth?  When posed with a difficult decision, we all seek guidance in some fashion.  I believe that even if ‘make our own decision,’ the influence of our habitat play  a prominent role. 

Consider the source:  Commenting only on personal observation only, a list of these prominent influences can look something like this:

·         Family (elders & peers alike)

·         Societal Standard (Rebel or confirm; like it or not, you’re still forming a society when your rebellion expands to more than one person.) 

·         Religion.  (such a multitude of ideologies contained in ancient texts; human blood has been shed over these ancient ideals.  Fathom that!

·         Pop Culture ( more prominent in United States than anywhere, yet still prominent in the more industrialized nations)

·         Governmental Regulation.  Even in America’s ‘free society, governmental policy plays a key role in every day life for everyone. 

·         Et al; (look it up if you don’t know what it means)

However long this list goes, the common thread between them all; (have we discovered a true absolute?) is that every one of them is reliant upon what has been written down by a person:  “Man’s written word.”  “So let it be written:” Once spoken by Societal Rulers who dictated that which was to be written down “for all the world to see!”: [Tool : Rosetta Stoned : 10,000 Days: 2006]  Of course, in keeping with the times, modern society’s “written word” has been replaced by television.  Now we have direct access to the likes of the Great Egyptian Pharaohs who were the ancient rulers and celebrities combined at the times.  So now days, Ramses the Great’s written word comes to us live in our homes!  Yes, the TV has replaced the majority’s written word influence and plays far too great a consideration in far too many people’s lives; Far too important because its far too easy to exploit.  “Consider the source.”  (Every major media source is financially connected to major political caucus, ‘Why wouldn’t they use their influence on the culture for their own political {read financial} gain?”    A wise man once told me : “All you, read and, wear and, see and, hear on TV, is a product, begging for your very dirty dollar. {Tool: Hooker with a Penis: Ænima: 1996}  Try as you may, I believe with any amount of consideration, or research, it’s impossible to find this statement inaccurate. 

In recent history, the internet has begun to gain ground on the only 90 year old invention.  With the internet, though, the source of influence has now given some say to the people.’  Anyone with access can obtain greater influence merely by writing on the net.  Just ask the social networks e.g. twitter, facebook, blogfrog,  “Follow” ME ON TWITTER!!!  Follow…hmm…Who do you follow?  With the people now included in the influential media, now even the ‘pop-source’ has been more than slightly improved.  However, the drawback here is that each influence’s ranking is dependent upon the individual’s reasoning skills, which sadly cannot be taken as “common sense” through an idealist’s would hope. Some of us need quality influence.  In any case, we have to believe that those whom would use the internet and “alternate” sources of information in the first place are at that moment displaying greater reasoning skills in that they seek information via any extent of research, rather than the far too popular “hear-say” employed by far too many “sheep” these days.   However, a more optimistic approach to this we can consider too that there is something significantly different about those of us whom take pleasure in writing, than those of us whom do not.   Can there be any other purpose for writing than to fundamentally influence an audience?  So writers are leaders by design in that they seek to influence others by design. 

Even with extensive research, in these and other and ALL sources we can find, it comes down to what Man has “written” down.  {Hence when I say to someone “Write it down!” – It means: Write it down, lest ye forget!”  The writing process is conducive to memorization; thus heightened influence.}  So as my coffee cup has reached ‘Empty’ status, and the sun has cleared the horizon on this beautiful Saturday morning in South Texas, I pose a question to all of ‘my followers’: 

“Who’s influence are you under, NOW?!”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KbR2YQ_JkU

I’ll close this post with some words of wisdom from Maynard James Keenan, one of my more trusted sources of influence: (definitely more on this in a future post):

(You owe it to yourself to read the following lyrics and watch this video)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDlC7oG_2W4

[about 7:30 in the video:]

“With my feet upon the ground,

I lose myself between the sounds

And open wide to suck it in,

I feel it move across my skin.

I’m reaching up and reaching out,

I’m reaching for the random or,

Whatever will bewilder me,

Whatever will bewilder me,

And following our will and wind,

We may just go where no one’s been,

We ride spiral to the end,

It may just go where no one’s been!

Spiral OUT!  KEEP GOING~!"  {Tool : title track: Lateralus 2001}

 Who's influence are you under now?

Post Script:  I want to thank you all for ‘following’ from before…but I have recently been ‘called upon’ to make this blog into that for which it was intended when my lovely wife felt inclined to influence me to start a web log.  I welcome you all, and hope that with this rejuvenation comes a greater following.  ScEYEnse truly has something to offer.  EYE want to share this acquired view of Mother Earth through the EYEs of a ScEYEntist.  I anxiously await your reaction.  See ya next weekend!