Free Will vs Fate

This idea of how much control we can have seems about right to me:

“Actually, you're just the captain of a paper boat drifting down the river. If you try to resist, you're not going to get anywhere. On the other hand, if you quietly observe the flow, realizing that you're part of it, realizing that the flow is ever-changing and always leading to new complexities, then every so often you can stick an oar into the river and punt yourself from one eddy to the another.”
W. Brian Arthur quoted in M. Mitchell Waldrop, Complexity: the emerging science at the edge of order and chaos (1992), at 331 and again by Thomas Earl Geu, The Tao of Jurisprudence: Chaos, Brain Science, Synchronicity, and The Law (1991) 61 Tenn. L. Rev. 933 at 987

The said Belfast Californian W. Brian Arthur has a new book out this month. Maybe I'll read it

A Great Man

I recently came across Eric Avebury's Blog.

Eric Avebury, formerly Eric Lubbock, runs a blog well worth a visit and is greatly to be admired for his fantastic work supporting a wide range of important causes.

Silbury sun roll

Visit here to see the amazing sun roll on Silbury Hill. The video is from photographer Pete Glastonbury and I came across it on Eric, Lord Avebury's blog.

Song of the Diamond Heart

The pine tree’s voice is always whispering,
Yet how many pause to listen?
For when the churning mind is still,
The Diamond Heart within
Reflects even the falling dusk that
Shrouds every eye and branch,
And hears, but listens not.

Walking, then, with Courage and Kindness,
Never ceasing to walk in Wonder,
We follow our ancient path.
For the Way of the sword is folded two;
Like the rose we have thorns,
And like the rose, we unfold.

- Jo Aoi Isshi

Thanks to Dailyzen (well worth a visit) for this poem.