The Isaac-Shiva Database

Narrator relates his life work with the contours of American rhetoric...and angst.

Here's a special addendum, something I've always wanted to rework since reading the works of Edward Abbey. Hope you like it (signing off),

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My name's Isaac. I have a secret. But first let me tell you about my plan to create a lifestyle oriented think tank. It's sort of a life-based approach to the Montessori philosophy of home-schooling/education. I studied at Dartmouth College. I'm a typical nerd. This isn't a typical story, however. I'm definitely however a typical nerd.

When I was at Dartmouth, I was the operating Rush Chair of my fraternity BonesGate (BG), a multicultural offshoot of what was once Delta Tau Delta, the inspiration for Animal House many believe! This participation in BG fraternity gave me an appreciation of the construction of social customs as they may pertain to cultural life in America.

My philosophy is based on the Cartesian straight-curve line illusion in which regularly intersecting straight lines on a reversed descending value graph create an indentation curve by confluence. This illusion reflects my philosophy that constructing the complexity of consciousness on Earth requires a serious adherence to the fluidity of regular decisions!

From this philosophy of sanity-builds-complexity, I celebrate my love of the flowery and colors of Catholic stained-glass art and religious dogma I've learned from my readings of the Bible. I consider myself a born-again Christian. My spirituality feeds my sense of life vitality and decision-making and creativity.

To live in America, you have to embrace the flowery of the life gems that pop up in the 'matrix' of capitalism, such as the highly convenient and well-placed Whole Foods Market superstores featuring easy-to-find foods and goods ready for consumers embracing the highways of American dollars. This is just common sense, right?

Not really. I'm also a bank robber. I've robbed over 20 banks in California over the course of 2 years. I use water-guns filled with corrosive acid to keep crowd control and send the message there's no reason for violence during a designed Wild West heist that would draw out the demand for chemical warfare! I never use these 'acid-guns' and almost always bring normal handguns along for my robberies. I believe in resurrecting the Wild West folk-tales of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.

As you now see, this isn't a typical American story about life or culture. I'm a radical but not a terrorist! I've served as a college associate teacher and now I'm a professional thief. I also have a weblog about the divinity behind American folklore and storytelling as they relate to simple Christian values. So why am I telling you all this about my sense of awareness and complex life in the USA (my double-life even)?

Why'd you want to know that a random American eccentric named Isaac likes to shop at RadioShack for digital clocks and rob banks for American folklore canonization? Well, I rob banks with perfect nonviolent skill to denounce violence and terrorism. But why'd you care about my fascination with RadioShack?

Now, I'll tell you my secret. My name's not really Isaac. I'm actually the Hindu god Shiva, master of meditation/destruction. I'm here on Earth to contend with my nemesis known as the Red Dragon, an advocate of pure anarchy! As Shiva (aka, 'Isaac'), I can use folk-tales and spiritual logistics to counter the Red Dragon's dark message about the pervasiveness of anarchy as a way of thought. As Shiva, I can advocate a more 'human' approach to American conversation.

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SHIVA: As you can see, I've become a ninja of capitalism!
RED DRAGON: You're a philosopher of creative living.
SHIVA: What's so dangerous about that?

RED DRAGON: I prefer the tides of anarchy for intuition.
SHIVA: That's fine, but there're ways to embrace the logic of community too!
RED DRAGON: What's so community-oriented about bank robbery?

SHIVA: If done without violence, it promotes sanity about anti-terrorism.

RED DRAGON: You only intend to resurrect folk-tales of the Wild West.

SHIVA: Isn't that better than 9/11 terrorism?

RED DRAGON: Well, news stories about bank robberies may corrupt youngsters.

SHIVA: I don't imply that capitalism invention isn't risky, but terrorism is worse!
RED DRAGON: So there's no better way to endorse the shape of capitalism than through folk-tales?
SHIVA: A good story about the drama of living angst is better than uncontrolled terrorism.

RED DRAGON: What if during your bank robberies, you had to kill people?

SHIVA: That would only arise if my skill was untrained or mediocre!
RED DRAGON: So you value your skill as a way to celebrate the logistics of folklore.
SHIVA: There's no better way to build colors and history than through active protests.
RED DRAGON: Is bank robbery a new form of counter-culture protest for you, Shiva?
SHIVA: It's certainly a better way to talk about social inequality than outright terrorism!
RED DRAGON: Is that why Americans almost canonize bank robbery films and legendary thieves?

SHIVA: Sure; Arthur Penn's Bonnie and Clyde is considered a trophy of American fantasy.

RED DRAGON: I suppose it's not censored as anti-Christian heresy.
SHIVA: Crime is always tragedy, but controlling the urge to embrace terrorism is very American!
RED DRAGON: Bank robbers may someday become terrorists.
SHIVA: It's our duty to sift through the curving lines of anti-capitalism diaries.
RED DRAGON: I'll always prefer the general anarchy of antisocial dance.

In this seminal debate with the Red Dragon, I argued that the proliferation of games and adventures embracing the shared sanity of capitalism flowery, such as SimCity urban-illumination video-games, is always better than radical antisocial anti-American terrorism. However, Red Dragon did indicate to us all that capitalism meditation requires serious focus on the shape of complex money. This was informative!

RED DRAGON: Something Shiva and I agreed on is the general social spirit behind New England Clam Chowder!!

My girlfriend Shelbye likes to remind me that my preoccupation with the 'matrix' of American capitalism shouldn't cloud my natural imagination about the human vitality behind constructed dreams!

So that's my philosophical diary about negotiating American capitalism rhetoric with folkloric daydreams/fantasies about experimental wrought life. No, I'm not really a bank robber, but the point of that thought-exercise and the debate with my adversary (as 'Shiva'!) the Red Dragon was to perhaps illuminate how far we've come because of media diagonals from the much more biased days of Timothy Leary! What do you think?

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"Money is everything" (Ecclesiastes)

Reviews

[Delmar Cooper]

Very convincing. I left the table believing you are in fact a bank robber. That confession is good for the soul and a perfect disguise for the felon. I am convinced you do believe you are: a Christian, Shiva, a game player, and culture addict. It is all perfectly plausible in its improbable appearance.

Therefore go forth and prosper. In the way of suggestion, I can only say togas are drafty.