My Ego from the Archives: The Light In-Front of the Tunnel

The following essay, "The Light in Front of the Tunnel," was written by My Ego in 2002. The essay is dedicated to the essential nature of the Apocalyptic thinking. Happy Easter...

Download The Light in Front of the Tunnel.

~mIe

Winning is A Losing Strategy

My Ego is competitive... perhaps a bit too competitive at times. And while My Ego certainly loves to win, the end goal is always to grow stronger and wiser as a player.

As described by game theory philosopher James Carse, there are (at least) two types of players: finite players, and the infinite players. The former plays the game to win, the latter plays for the continuance of the game, or, "finite players play within boundaries; infinite players play with boundaries."

When My Ego goes for a game of tennis, My Ego wants the best possible opponent to play with. Doing so greatly raises My Ego's game, helping to take it to the next level, and creating a more intense match, where both sides are playing their best. When watching sports, My Ego rarely roots for one team or another, in favor of seeing a great game. While one player may lose, the crowd wins when the game is played with the utmost talent, respect, and tense competition.

So for My Ego to hear the respected leader of the GOP, Rush Limbaugh, exclaim that he "wishes for Obama to lose," My Ego can only laugh out loud at the utter futility of such a statement, as once again the reductionist, ignorant philosophy-manifest by Rush's "base" proves the Republicans have yet to realize why they lost the election so badly to an inexperienced young bi-racial man. This attitude typifies the "play to win" philosophy of the finite player, the player who will win at any cost... including the cost of the utter downfall of our country.

It's time for an Infinite Republican to STAND UP and TAKE CONTROL of the party, yet playing by the rules of infinite play, or, with the rules. An intelligent, forward thinking Republican who renounces intolerance and hatred in the same breath as providing Integrally-minded, fiscally conservative solutions to the immense problems we face. Yes, Republicans can be Integral, too.

To be clear: My Ego WANTS an amazing Republican to step up and lead the party out of the morass of hate it is currently consumed within. My Ego certainly doesn't want the downfall or failure of the Republicans, rather, for them to play at their highest potential at all times. This way, the crowd--or the world--will win.

What a game it would be!

~mIe

Are You Even Really Out There

Ok people.

My Ego needs to be FED. Do you even want My Ego here? Is there a point to continue this blog? Rarely are there ever comments (love you Ana), or what My Ego wishes were thoughtful, ongoing meanderings with the blogosphere at large. This takes much of the wind out of My Ego's sails, people.

If you actually care, leave a comment... If you don't, the Ego will be archived soon.

You know how My Ego loves a good ultimatum to motivate.

~mIe

Meet the First Integral President

When My Ego thinks of Barack Obama, My Ego does not think of the first black president.

Barack Obama is the first integral president in history. Integral, in short, is a model of living that seeks to integrate the positive (while facing the negative) elements of all stages and levels of consciousness, that unfold in all human beings, across all cultures and societies.

Less inclusive stages of consciousness are myopic in perspective, seeing all of reality as being of one, and only one "real" reality. For instance, from the traditional perspective (using the graph from the all stages and level link above), you either believe in the God I believe in, or you don't know the Truth. There is one and only one interpretation, either with it, or against it. From the modernist/rationalist perspective, if it can't be proven with logic, science, and math, then it certainly isn't real. From the post-modern consciousness, all is equal, nothing is better or higher than anything else, and believing otherwise is a mere illusion.

Surely My Ego is over-generalizing here, as if there were a choice in this limited, short-attension span format.

Now, the Integral consciousness differs from those stages that precede it specifically in that it's ever-present objective is to balance the simultaneous truths at all levels of the spiral of conscious development. Rather than requiring all humans to operate at this and only this level, the goal is now to foster the health and positive sides of each level, regardless of how limited in awareness.

Yesterday morning, February 5, 2009, President Obama gave what could be the most defining speech in history that was a thorough, awe-inspiring creed of the Integral perspective, given on the topic of faith--really, Integral spirituality and faith. My Ego's words pale in comparison, so without further ado, watch the entire speech to see what the Integral consciousness manifest sounds like. Enjoy... ~mIe

WTF is a DANCE PARTY.

Make them Famous

On the 2008 campaign trail, we saw John McCain, in regards to spenders of pork projects, resuscitate Ronald Regan's call to "make them famous" for their unnecessary spending. While My Ego is not opposed to calling out those who cause harm, My Ego believes now is certainly the time for famous making, yet of a different variety.

My Ego finds no fault with the idea of celebrity in and of itself--the challenge is to redefine celebrities as those who challenge our dying ways of being the most, those who's intellect is as sharp as their Armani suits, and those who lift us to be our better selves, and not let us fall into the shadows. Celebrity isn't the problem; who we look at as celebrity and how we use their influence is.

Imagine a world where our leading scientists were lauded as rock stars; where historians were idolized on TMZ, where philosophers were no longer seen as dusty old men, rather the keepers of expanding and encompassing value systems that are being debated by text-messaging teenagers.

Imagine TED talks being held as a part of Bonnaroo, where Eaves Behar jammed on the 100$ laptop with Wilco, and Jeff Han VJ'd for NIN with his touch screen technology. Think of William McDonough dating Jennifer Aniston, and Malcome Gladwell surrounded by a swarm of press following him everywhere he went.

Some say My Ego is just a dreamer...

~mIe

Gamechanger Alert :: YouTube HD

YouTube now offeres the ability to load and play HD resolution video. This is a quite a game changer, and the biggest issue with YouTube has been the utterly lack-luster render quality of their video. The high quality was an underwhelming step, but the HD vid looks just amazing.

The first video My Ego watched in YouTube HD was a stunning stop motion commercial for Brussel's-based Electrabel. My Ego isn't a huge fan of promoting commercials, but simply can't help it on this one...

My Ego really misses RESFEST...


~mIe

Where is the Meta-Media Channel?

My Ego is enjoying some coffee and cereal, with a tangerine soon to come. CNN buzzes in the background, as seems to be the normal morning routine now that My Ego has cable--for better or worse.

A particular story caught My Ego's eye, the concept of which seems to be a recurring theme across the news networks. This theme: covering the media's a/effects on our culture. In this case, the "media" is covering the effects of the media's influence on the Obama girls.

If My Ego had many millions of dollars, My Ego would most certainly launch the Meta-Media channel, which, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, would cover the effects the media has on the media in covering the media's effects on culture. It would be something of a constant Daily Show, but without the humor--at least not purposeful humor.

The vision is a real-time "media literacy" channel that takes each worthy story, and shows how each relevant major and indie media outlet filters the story, and focuses on the difference between them.

~mIe

It

is a bar of soap.