Geek Orthodox Pilgrim's Blog - Monasticism, Music, Machines and everything in between.

"God's Revelation To The Human Heart" - A lecture by Fr. Seraphim Rose - Now Streaming Online!

Mon, 04 Feb 2008 14:40:16 -0700

Fr. Seraphim Rose gave a notable lecture at the University of Santa Cruz in 1981, just a year before he reposed, to a class which was a survey of world religions. Several people found this lecture (alongside another that was given) to be life changing for them. Amidst the spiritual smorgasboard that was UC Santa Cruz, Fr. Seraphim stood out. The lecture which is now available in streaming form, is preceded by an introduction by Fr. Damascene Christiansen, and the lecture is read by a member of the St. Herman Brotherhood for the first several minutes (this part of the lecture wasn't taped). Then the audio switches, and you can hear the rest of the lecture as given by Fr. Seraphim.

Listen here: God's Revelation To The Human Heart, and get the book here.

How to give everyone a piece of the pie without destroying the pie.

Fri, 11 Jan 2008 14:12:44 -0700

Popular media constantly creates the false dichotomy between free enterprise (which is portrayed by greedy destructive industrial capitalists), and socially responsible action (which always seems to mean some form of socialism, big government programs, handouts, government control of people and the economy, etc.)

FreeToChooseMedia.org is creating a series of documentaries that combat this narrow dichotomy. An offering which is now airing on PBS, showcases some programs and companies that have been effective in alleviating poverty, stimulating economic growth, and allowing people to participate in rather than be marginalized by, free trade, self-determination and the rule of law. Check out the website above, watch the excerpt below, and watch for this program on a PBS station near you.

The 25th Anniversary Of The Repose of Hieromonk Seraphim Rose

Sat, 08 Sep 2007 21:04:06 -0600

I had the great priviledge to attend the services and other events this past labor day weekend, which coincided with the 25th anniversary of the repose of Hieromonk Seraphim Rose, who is one of my greatest "spiritual heroes". If you have never read the biography, Father Seraphim Rose: His Life and Works by Hieromonk Damascene, I highly recommend it.

Both laypeople and clergy came from all over the US and Canada for this event. I have described the event briefly at phronema on this page, where you can also find a link to photos.

A Jesus Movement Flashback: Randy Stonehill at the Koinonia Koffeehouse

Mon, 23 Jul 2007 14:15:08 -0600

The last time I heard Randy Stonehill play live was 25 to 30 years ago! This was back in the day, when Randy, Larry Norman, Tom Howard et al, were on Solid Rock Records. Randy also co-wrote songs with and was a good friend to Keith Green, whose concerts and newsletters I fondly recall (I was even involved in helping with the San Jose memorial concert). Randy is one of the major contributors to the Keith Green documentary "Your Love Broke Through" (see excerpt).

Just Say No to Real ID! (National ID Card)

Fri, 20 Jul 2007 13:58:22 -0600

OK, you're going to think I have taken the plunge into fringe world, and perhaps I have on this issue. But allow my alarmist tendencies to come to the front for a moment, and consider this juxtaposition: The words of Elder Pasios the New and a portion of the film by Aaron Russo "Freedom To Facism" on the National ID card. As fringe as this would seem, this is an actual issue now!

Exhibit #1: A clip of the film: Freedom To Facism by Aaron Russo

Exhibit #2: The words of Elder Paisios on National ID Cards (below):

The Ron Paul Rally In Silicon Valley

Mon, 16 Jul 2007 17:36:07 -0600

In Charleston Park, amidst the buildings of the Google campus (what used to be SGI and Sun Microsystems), people set down their lawn chairs, coolers and signs, and listened to Ron Paul and supporters make the case for Paul's presidential bid. Paul had done an extensive interview for Google employees the day before (view here). Now on a makeshift stage in the park, he gave a rousing speech after four of his supporters. The first four speakers were:

Dr. Clark Carlton: The Orthodox Case for Ron Paul in 2008

Tue, 10 Jul 2007 13:21:56 -0600

Dr. Clark Carlton, author of The Faith book series, as well as several good essays and articles around the net and podcaster for Ancient Faith Radio, has sent an open letter (pdf) to fellow Orthodox Christians about the presidential election of 2008. Being Dr. Carlton, he does not leave ancient Orthodox history out of the discussion, but the discussion ends up coming to the same conclusion that I have: “We need a Ron Paul in the White House more desperately now than we ever have at any time in our history.” Read the open letter (pdf) here.

Vespanomics solves environmental, financial, traffic, parking and oil dependency problems!

Thu, 28 Jun 2007 15:51:59 -0600

While not condoning the sort of forced eco-facisms and questionable science proclamations that seem to be in vogue, I *DO* heartily support voluntary eco-responsibility as the best long term developmental solution to all sorts of problems.

A quote: "If Americans were to switch just 10% of their total mileage to scooters, they would consume 14 - 18 million gallons less fuel per day and carbon dioxide emissions could be reduced by 324 million pounds per day as well. (Source ICR survey, May 2006) On a personal level, they could also reduce fuel consumption by approximately 58%, carbon dioxide emissions by 80%, and significantly reduce traffic congestion."

Official Presidential Candidate Endorsement

Wed, 27 Jun 2007 14:56:01 -0600

I initially intended to keep politics out of this blog. I hate the fact that the campaigning starts earlier every time. It occurred to me that by the time the campaigning is at it's peak, most of the good candidates are gone, and I always end up thinking I want to vote "none of the above".

So I am jumping into the fray, and jumping early. I am hereby endorsing Ron Paul for president in 2008 and I will only make one request of you my readers: check him out as thoroughly as you like before you decide on anyone else. Check out the principles he is endorsing (and has consistently stood by for his entire congressional career). I think he ought to generate bipartisan appeal for several reasons, although he is a classical conservative (and therefore also a classical liberal) with strong libertarian sensibilities where it counts. This is the first presidential candidate I have seen for a long time that I didn't think was merely the lesser of candidate evils.

Via Dolorosa

Fri, 15 Jun 2007 15:52:01 -0600

Ah the wonders of spring cleaning! Here is a poem I wrote after a return from Israel and Greece back in 1995, that I had entirely forgotten about:

Via Dolorosa

A moment unfolds into history;
a mountain, a shore, a person, a word;
within an hour glass, movements leave marks;
eroded hillside and sunken city.
A stone is not left upon another,
but where a footprint was, a fragrance lingers.

A net is cast upon the morning sea.
The ripples spread like an echoing voice,
calling a name beyond tides of ages,
leaking from stone cisterns of fallen kings;
a patch of green is found in the desert.

Save Net Radio!

Thu, 03 May 2007 16:25:39 -0600

From the EFF newsletter:

"Proposed Bill Aims to Save Music Webcasters A new bill in Congress could help save music webcasting. Due to a recent ruling by the Copyright Royalty Board, the government-set rates that most Net radio providers pay to license sound recordings will radically increase. This ruling threatens small and non-commercial webcasters as well as commercial services like Pandora, and it could take away the broad diversity of stations that exists online but never has been available through traditional broadcasters. If passed, the "Internet Radio Equality Act" would nullify the royalty ruling and bring some sensible changes to the standards used to set rates in the future. This bill's introduction has been driven by the massive grassroots outrage among webcasters and listeners, and you can help keep that momentum going. SaveNetRadio.org is among the many great sites that have helped spearhead this activism -- go there to learn more and take action now: http://www.savenetradio.org"

Global Warming Doomsday Called Off

Mon, 30 Apr 2007 17:42:11 -0600

I'm not about to turn this blog into a big global warming resource center or debate, but while I'm still on the topic, I thought I would post another film link. While not as good as "The Great Global Warming Swindle", "Doomsday Called Off" is still of interest:

Junk Science Debunking Resources

Fri, 23 Mar 2007 19:02:20 -0600

Here are some resources related to the Great Global Warming Swindle:

junkscience.com is a particularly good general resource, where you can take a short course on spotting junk science, called "junk science judo".

The Great Global Warming Swindle

Sun, 18 Mar 2007 00:34:37 -0600

I am interested in conservation of the natural world, which apparently is something different from being an environmentalist, according to my environmentalist friends. In any case, I have been alarmed by an increasing number of discussions with fellow conservationists or environmentalists who seem to be greatly distracted by a number of things "in the air" at the moment, such as global warming. Those of us old enough to recall the global cooling alarms of yesterday, find it equally difficult to get to the bottom of the climatological science, which is surely there underneath the many shrill voices. Here is a video I came across on youtube, which at least poses enough questions to cause one to pause, and hopefully redirect one's distractedness to more urgent (real) concerns:

The Other California

Mon, 12 Feb 2007 11:13:53 -0700

I took a few random snaps while in Northern Baja last month, and have finally got around to posting them. You can view them here.

I hadn't been for seven years. There was a lot of new development and more Northern retirees down there now - one fellow told me that he liked living in Mexico, because it reminded him of living in the U.S. in the fifties. It was a lovely place to be, even with a cast on my arm, but will want to go back when I can do some kayaking, fishing, etc.