Musing on morality

I was just pondering a question of morality and thought I'd write it down to see if it makes sense. It stems from an argument I have with my dad on whether morality can change with circumstance or whether it has a finite set of standards that dont change. I believe that there is a core moral standard and that we as a society are always moving towards it. I was thinking that if a person accpets a religion they are in essence accepting a set of moral standards set by an omnopotent being. However as far as I can determin these religious guide lines can become out dated (such as christian views on gay marriage) and this serves as evidence that A: the religion is not governed by omnipotence and B: that the previous moral standard was wrong. The very nature of the religion implies that we are looking for moral guidance and direction and so I would suggest that things like drug abuse, dictators, petty crime, war are humanities ebbs and flows on a meandering river that will eventually lead to an ocean of, umm, neutrality?

The Great Beyond

What is the drive that encourages us to reach beyond our day to day existence in what is an ever increasing atheistic society and how do we attain these sensations of breaking the shackles of everyday life. Why cant we take the world at face value? What is the biological mechanism for this desire?

It's seems to me that Humans thrive in chaos, we yearn for it. We seem to enjoy the fear of things that are bigger than ourselves. Perhaps it is a run off from the days when we lived in the wild, where a predator could be round any corner and our environment will constantly change around us, ever upsetting the balance.

Youth dance group

There's a youth dance group that practises by the big silver ball in millennium square. I like seeing people doing things like that.

It seems like millennium square was slow to blossom but its slowly coming into its own, you can see people practise various pursuits or watching the big tele. I think its a nice vision of society where we don't all have t.vs but instead there is just one big community tv that we can all watch together.

Trains cranes and paranoia

One of the things I like about Bristol is that we have taken efforts to protect and re-engage our heritage. Looking down corn street and the harbour some of the architecture and industrial age machinery are a thing to behold. Its good that we can still ride a steam train down the harbour and go on the old boats.

To stand by the M Shed a stark contrast between the eras emerges. You have the industrial age, a time when people worked or starved often put to work in dangerous environments since childhood. Then the modern era where we have paranoid parents wrapping their children up in bubbles who will grow up largely unprepared for the larger world until university and even then their character is dubious.

Anyway! go Bristol for not selling away our history!

Weston-Super-Mare Kite festival

Kites! ah yes, what fun! I went to Weston's first kite festival on Saturday. It was windy, a little too windy and I don't think some of the kites could fly. There were kite buggies, a giant kite turbine ad much more. The live commentator was having a hard time finding things to say and often would break conversation to remark ' OH! he's fallen over, is he ok? yes hes fine".

I found myself watching videos of kite based festivals in Asia and the middle east, in India for example during the festival of Basant the whole city would go onto their roofs and fly little fighting kites all day. so many that it looked like a swarm of bees over the city.

People really like kites! Maybe its the feeling of control, the breaking of our earthly shackles? I guess they're just really cool.

Picton street fayer

Time for the Picton street fayer again. it was a good natured event, the music finish at a reasonable time due to it being a residential area and when it finished the eco warrior types got to litter picking which was really good to see, so proactive, it was awesome!

 

At one point as the music and dancing was in full swing the crowd suddenly reacted with joy to the sight of an old lady appearing in a window above the crowd to have a dance.

420 legalise cannabis event in Hyde Park

On Saturday the 20th April I went to Hyde park to attend an event to promote the legalisation of Cannabis. I was hoping for a large event with a stage and important/informative speakers but instead I found myself sat with a group of people on the margins of the park smoking weed, the ambiance permeated by the music emanating from those 'sound systems' that I have come to loath other the years.

You could easily fall into the trap of saying the people were annoying, mostly young kids with up turned caps and that gangster vibe but lets give it some perspective. If it were an event where people came to drink and party the event could easily get of hand and you can only imagine the raised tempers but this event was calm and largely unobtrusive. I mean come on the only concern on their minds was probably where to get a bag of crisps and some water right?

Thatcher party

ARRRGH I'm so angry, I didn't go to the party but I find it an offence to humanity that it happened and think it really show the arrogance of these radical f@*ks. Fine you don't have to agree with her politics but celebrating her death shows that your lifestyle isn't a beacon for whats right in society. Its the implication that they believe their opinion is the right one, arrogance! take a look at the indymedia report on it, its full of rhetoric just like the main stream media maybe even more.

http://bristol.indymedia.org.uk/article/731883

They try to emphasise the good nature of the event but lets put it this way, one mans gold is another mans trash. They say that sound systems appeared and people were in good spirits *pissed* and if it wasn't for the establishment it would have been peaceful. Ignoring the fact that they are keeping people awake who don't share their opinion and have to get up to work the next day. One person in the comments expresses that he was kept awake by it and disagreed with the party saying it was local residence complaining that alerted the police to it. The party caused the problem but they are off in their little world where they think everybody wants to drink and listen to sound systems without responsibility.

Selfish arrogant bastards.

p.s I'm not pro Thatcher I'm anti twat.

Alcohol

Following on from the series on the drunks in the bearpit I thought it would be logicall to document the drinking culture in Bristol, so I took my pen for a night on the town, hoping for inspiration. I have to say its the first time i'd been out in Bristol on a Friday or Saturday night and it is a real eye opener.

To be frank, it's a bastardisation of liberty. I can't tell whether it's because they feel strong or weak. Regardless it creates conflict, it's not just an innocent bit of fun, it puts mens egos in conflict with each other and it reduces people to a sexual commodity. That's no foundation for a civilised society.

Ofcourse theres always a way to rationalise it for yourself. 'Go on my son!'

Greek anti fascists

Happened apon a group of protesters, an odd mix of Greek anti fascist and Bristol Health Services.