Thought and its role in my life

Thought. What is it? How does one explain the "voice" that processes impressions, sensations and perceptions and derives sometimes simple, sometimes complex scenarios within one's head by which one takes action.

Thought is a process for me, one by which I examine issues, problems, questions, almost anything I can conceive, with an inner eye that's colored by my subjective experiences -- both past and present -- and by the circumstances under which I labor in the moment.

At present I am not thinking, I'm simply acting out a stream of ideas on the keyboard, the "rifle" that fires my "thoughts" onto this electronic page.

NO big deal, really. Until one is confronted with knowledge or information that exceeds one's bounds - one's context library, as it were.

I just finished watching a screener (advance copy) of the new film "Primer," and I must admit that I was challenged by its plot lines, its characters and its concepts. And while I found the film "entertaining," I also found myself rewinding the tape to certain scenes that baffled me when I tried to fit them into the overall jigsaw puzzle of the story.

Is it Abe or is it Aaron who's telling the tale? And what actually happened up in that attic?

Maybe you can tell me? I recommend that everyone sees this film, if only to see what can be done with very little money and a rich imagination.

Alas, I entered the Blog writers contest (if you're unaware of it, it's a one-month race to write a short story, one that can lead to book deals for authors and prizes for participants. But my work schedule had me so exhausted (same old excuse, right???) that I couldn't get it together to approach the project with any discipline. Subsequently, I made one entry (so far) and faded. But I love the idea and I hope to have an opportunity to try again at a later date.

I haven't given up on this story that I began. Perhaps I'll press ahead with the story to see where it takes me, but I'm quite sure I won't meet the deadline (end of November), so that's that.

Politics have begun to fall lower on my daily scale of "to do - consider - solve, etc," so far, in fact that I've not given it a thought for a whole day now. I know that Powell is thrilled to hear that Sharon (Israel) promised to give the Palestinians a fair opportunity to hold an election to replace Arafat. I know that more Marines died today in Iraq. And I know that Allawi, Iraq's ad hoc leader has announced that an election will take place at the end of January 2005, a short postponement. The Bush administration will be too embarrassed if that election does not take place, so they're willing to risk lives to get it done. But that's de riguer for Bush and his team. Lives for democracy, that's the way it is, was, and always will be, I suppose.

Still, it's depressing!

No, I'm more focused on my relationship with my girlfriend and my colleagues at work. Those two agendas seem to screaming for attention, especially with the holidays rapidly approaching.

Ugh! The holidays would be so much less stressful if they weren't all about spending lots of cash on gifts that, for the most part, are expected and, therefore, not much appreciated when it's all said and done.

Sigh. C'est la vie.

So Happy Thanksgiving; Happy Christmas; and Happy New Year, in case I forget or - God forbid - die in the interim.

Let's hope that the Bush crew doesn't put us all into a worldwide conflict in the next four years. And, keep on keepin' on.