unrecognized labor, it’s like
diplomacy failing to reconcile greedy ego speed
and compassion filled wishing well deeds,
or one too many attempts at subtlety wrapped comically
big in philosophical arrangements, tenacious.
wishing it would all just
coalesce and acquiesce
in other words, gel
jam,
god damn,
it must be done just
work together,
recognize the dissolution of words
brought on by your reading me bland
like you puff away unwanted feathers above,
too lazy to use your hand.
maybe you know it but read on ever blindly, thus,
recognize the fact that i can’t help you all that much
you will mostly have to do it by yourself it seems
but you will do it,
and well, nonetheless,
for you are you, and i am me,
and we are together humanity, said so sardonically,
strained by scarcity propped up with patronizing animosity.
what makes it so hard to snap off the
clingy tendrils of dogma destined to
destroy those of us who look bleak?
let decaying vines crumble earthwise,
back down to base materialism not,
don’t let the wasted possibilities melt
in with our spent passion hot,
that which was meant
to be recovered, remade.
don’t back down to the base materialism we hate.
don’t back down at all.
answer the call – it’s for you…
i don’t want to hear you moan.
climb out of your fuzzy notions of hope of far-too-self-delimiting a scope.
let the curtains rest aside and the sunlight attest
to the fact that
we’re all doomed to
wear our best vest
on the day that we feel the worst,
but it’s no curse,
it’s just the first day we rehearse.
everyday should be this tangibly bitterly incomplete,
but not so much to
deplete that which keeps us up to
hear tales of grand folk
who smiled wide walking down empty wet streets.

Dr. Cornel West on the importance of philosophy and the examined life. He says so much in every sentence, I had to watch it at least three times to take it all in. We are being towards death. We have desire in the face of death. We face dogmatism and attempt dialogue within a cultural sphere quite limited by the structures of domination. We wrestle with it all, as he says, trying to keep alive democracy and individual dignity at the same time. I haven’t watched the film yet, but I will post here when I do…

The Actual Movie: Examined Life (IMDB: 7.1/10 rating)

“The first step towards philosophy is incredulity.” — Diderot

The seven aging mechanisms that run down our bodies are:

1. Loss and atrophy of cells
2. Accumulation of unnecessary cells
3. Chromosomal mutation
4. Mitochondrial mutation
5. Intracellular junk
6. Extracellular junk
7. Cross-links in extracellular proteins

Before gerontology comes to the rescue, you’ll have to take care of your own cells in the following ways:

1. Exercise – Preferably up to 1 hour a day, the more the better. Weights, walking, swimming, yoga, you name it. Personally, I love weights, the stationary bike, and soccer.
2. Sleep – 7+ Z’s per night will do you good.
3. Proper nutrition: In addition to fruits and vegetables, try throwing in some reservatrol (wine) and melatonin (use the supplement, or darken your sleeping area) to combat free-radicals, and perhaps lower your calorie intake (caloric restriction).
4. Lower your stress and blood pressure levels: Meditation, exercise, laughing, walking, talking with friends, creativity, making art and music — these are all good things.
5. Keep your mind in gear: Try to learn some synonyms, or read some great free books!
6. Stay social to stay happy: Again, this will help with lowering your stress and blood-pressure.
7. Keep up to date on important health research: try the Methuselah Foundation.

Read more about negligible senescence and what you can do to stay young and healthy.