Art has nothing to do with intellectual pursuit—it shouldn’t be in a university at all. Art should be practiced in gutters—pardon me, in attics.
Phillip Johnson Architect & Mischief Maker
Balloon Art
Walking along Alameda Creek I often meet interesting people. Bob noticing the “discarded ” balloons congregating in the San Francisco Bay along Alameda Creek , made a commitment to cleanup and assembled the balloons into a visual.
Balloons wandering free in the San Francisco Bay.
“There is trash and junk that are far too close to the fish and birds in the area.”
Personal stories told
The visual exhibit.
Alameda Creek
In the morning I usually do some floor exercises in front of the tv and often some version of Law and Order is on. Today the behavioral science professional was on the witness chair, and prosecuting showed evidence that his methodology was not scientific. The defense attorney then stated that “Just because the methodology was not acceptable does not mean the conclusions is wrong.”
lf that were so then why bother doing the experiment, save time and money by just writing out the conclusion and submitting. Forget data gathering and go right to data processing..
Philosophy influenced, perhaps gave birth to, Science and regarding “knowing,” Philosophy had two important concerns : What do we know and How do we know it,
What is the data and how did we get it? What are the conclusions and how did we get there? Actually its What did we do and what are the conclusions.based on the data. —the experiment comes before the conclusions.
In Science there those scientists who specialize in collecting data—methodology— and those who specialize in reviewing and drawing conclusions. from the data.
In Science there is a “standard,” the “Scientific Method,” which defines how to do the experiment, and how to draw and write observations and conclusions.
The “Scientific Method” was developed over centuries by discussions in Philosophy of knowing —What you know and how you know it are equal parts of the knowing process.
The standard is “set”, but not “set in stone.”
Its set ( and taught) so everyone scientist knows what is. and can check on it every once in a while, and, its not set in stone because Science is a process which may never complete, a goal of differentiating and defining every “thing” in the Universe. it seems it will always be learning and growing.
Science is not claiming an “ in and of itself truth” about the Universe and the things in it, but a “to the best of our knowledge,” where knowledge is measured by Did the scientist adhere to the Scientific Method.
If they did not, which may well occur, and mostly does occur, unintentionally and further investigation oftens lead to modification—advancements— in defining and measuring ”—of the Method itself.
The body of scientists is held together by the personal commitment of choice by individual scientists to the Scientific Method. Its an unwritten agreement among self declared individual scientists
There are professional organizations, big and small, and perhaps the main commonality is higher education levels and the more specialized jobs associated. But still scientists around this world are united by their personal commitment to the scientific method.
There are “amateur scientists,” sometimes you hear of discoveries in space, and individuals who collect data adhering to the Method (migration for example) but today science businesses are common as well as well funded university projects.
Still all of these people .who identify themselves as scientists agree to follow the Scientific Method, one part of which is to publish their experimental data for peer review. And they do it peacefully with a balance of rights and responsibilities.
Still, whether we can know the Universe, and all the “things that make it up” is a whole other question. Can we know the Universe only through our biological senses— Empirical data alone —or by our biological capabilities of the mind—Reason interpreting our sensual data.
EndPapers
But happiness is being able to hope, however faintly, for happiness. So, at least, we must believe if we are to live in the world of today.
Osamu Dazai Japanese author 1909 – 1948
A couple from Mumbai visiting their son who live near by, while enjoying the splendors of Alameda Creek
If you’re ever down in Houston,
Boy you better walk right
And you better not squabble,
And you better not fight
Bason and Brock will arrest you,
Payton and Boone will take you down
You can bet your bottom dollar,
That you’re Sugar Land bound
Let the Midnight Special,
Shine a light on me
Let the Midnight Special, Shine the ever-lovin’ light on me.
Midnight Special lyrics by Ledbelly (Huddie Ledbetter)
Summer, 1971, Phillips church summer school
The story is that Ledbelly wrote this song while in prison. He got into a fight in a bar, killed someone and was sent to prison. Perhaps he wrote it, perhaps he heard it sung and improved on it
.Ledbelly claimed to have written lots of songs, who knows but he had a singular memory capability and tens if not hundreds of “folk songs” would have been lost if there had been no Leadbelly. The story tells that the warden was so impressed with his singing that he helped him get out of jail.
Ledbelly played the 12-string and Fannon Street tells of his younger days.
Summer, 1971, Phillips church summer school
1969 I made photographs of the Toledo Model Cities program. Ed Douthet (sorry if wrong spelling) in white shirt was training these young men in the Art of brick laying. I was still yet to leave Sociology. much less have a moving business, live in Maine, go to art school, work at a big printer and then move to SiliconValley to start a design business. Ed talked about brick laying as a public Art where design, skill and commitment pf the craftsman made people’s everyday lives better. Some of his words about the public responsibility of artisans doing “the trades” have been with me all my life, he was teaching his students that what they were learning was attached to a vision of how everyday experiences are better because of the visual quality of the work.
Leaving Strong, Maine, at the edge of the town, while driving I looked out the window, picked up the camera and shot, . circa 1971, fifty-one years ago, that makes them over 55 years old. Photographs are frozen moments connecting the past and the future.
In Filene’s, Washington Street, Boston, around 1971
Its cold in Maine
Avalokiteshavara —he who hears the sounds of people all over the world, and now that is the sound of one man, for his personal pleasure killing thousands of people as the world watches in horror as it happens, on prime time television..
Gate gate paragate parasamgate Bodhi Svaha
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