Thursday, September 21, 2006
Blog: How to Post Comments Here
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
An Introduction
Well, I’ve been tooling around with the idea of this blog for over a year, and now I’m finally going for it. It’s probably not as grandiose as I had first planned, and I guess I’m OK with that. This blog, much like my new house, seems to be a work in progress. I look forward to seeing how it takes shape.
About me
Well, the profile description is a start. If anything, it shows what happens when repeated viewings of the Muppet Movie seep into you. Nothing wrong with that I guess; it’s a great film. There’s a lot to me. To be fair, there’s a lot to nearly everyone with whom I choose to spend time. I have my faults just like anyone and am sometimes wary of sharing or dealing with them. Self-acceptance can be an outright pain; maybe blogging will help with that.
I guess anyone who knows me might agree that a description of me would involve some combination of loud, obscure music and family entertainment. Special thanks to barkingstars @ youtube for the following clip.
About the blog
I guess the general theme of this blog is “anything I want to share.” Life events, opinions, ruminations, meditations, and lamentations are probably all fair game. Due to the diversity of subject matter, I’ll do my best to give clear titles, so you can filter out posts that probably wouldn’t interest you as much.
While I might be smarter than the average bear, I certainly don’t know everything. By sharing opinions, I’m always open to hearing different perspectives and ideas as long as they are expressed respectfully. Feel free to comment on any related post. I can agree to disagree. I can call people out and am willing (on my better days) to be called out. My tolerance for name-calling and baseless prejudice, however, isn’t that high.
About the title
Skinhead: I shaved my head in December ’04 and lever went back. I think the look suits me.
Gnostic: Referring to Gnosticism, a belief system that I’ve developed some interest in over the past year. While practiced in many different areas over different time periods, it seems to be associated most often with early Christian movements and is often synonymous with heresy among some mainstream Christians. There are some elements that appealed to me right away: achieving gnosis (knowledge or understanding) of the Spirit that must be found within you and then can be seen in all people. I also enjoyed its different perspective on the creation story and how it adds to the debate of why is the world seems less than ideal. Stephan A. Hoeller’s Gnosticism is a great read if you’re interested in learning more. I’ve also provided the Gnosis Archive in my link list as a resource.
Neo-: Most of my spiritual study has been in Jesuit and New Thought environments, which have both provided a wonderful base. Both my high school and church in Denver provided open-minded discussion and freedom to make your choices. I believe those elements are absolutely crucial for one’s spiritual life. While a lot of Gnostic ideas really resonate with me, I doubt if I will embrace every facet of them. I also don’t want people to confuse my personal reactions and beliefs with official Gnostic practices. While I’m not dead-set on starting a new movement, I’ll be very pleased if any of my posts provide insight, clarity, or a willingness to explore an idea further.
Add all three together, and you get a clever title that (with any luck) brings up some slight discomfort and possibly thoughts of fascism. I don’t fancy myself as a fascist, and I’m certainly not going to spew outright hate or the supremacy of the white race… well, maybe if I’m quoting Uncle Ruckus of the Boondocks, but that will certainly be in context. All that said, I’ll probably write a piece about the original meaning of the swastika, how National Socialism corrupted it, and discuss the possibility of taking the symbol back. Stay tuned.
Make yourself comfortable. There will be more posts shortly. Glad to have you here.
