As many know, for Lent this year I decided to “add something” rather than give something up.
 
 

We’re going to get a little random here, because I still hold to the belief, previously stated both here and on various social media vehicles, that for all the myriad benefits of social media, one of its detractions is that it encourages us to sometimes forego updating our blogs — a more temporary place setting in space-time, and instead just pour out our thoughts and emotions on some social media platform instead — easy convenient and instant gratification yes, but a very temporary and unorganized place. Not the best place to lay down one’s deepest innermost feelings, best kept secrets or most interesting observations.
 
 The key is to use discernment; if it’s a passing thought of little substance, one that can be communicated in 140 characters or less that will never compel a desire for retreival from anyone for anything, then social media it is. But for everything else, a blog is still the proper home to house such things; lest we forget that a blog is already a step down the data communication and archiving ladder when it comes to permanence and perhaps even sentiment and import, compared to say the book or letter format. The problem still being that uploading those aforementioned thoughts feelings and observations is much easier to do on social media than in a blog.
 
 For whatever reason we humans now at this time carry a belief that anything goes on social media– proper grammar, punctuation, full sentences and well thought out ideas be damned. Hence our near immediate mutual love and almost unanimous embrace of it. Likewise there is still a belief one can feel rumbling in mass consciousness that ours blogs still maintain a sense of order and propriety and an adherence to protocol that is all but lost on social media. This is probably a healthy and helpful belief. It just takes longer to get one’s message across.

 
 With that said I have found that the secret is to occasionally treat the blog post as one would a social media update; just let it all out with more focus on getting the points across and less focus on the rules of style propriety or protocol. Which is what we’ll be doing here today.
 
 Without fail once winter begins to come to an end the western world is abuzz with discussions of what everyone has decided to give up or commit to for Lent. It’s similar to New Years resolutions in that regard, though I dare say I believe that a larger majority of people seem to be able to complete their Lenten missions compared to sticking to their New Years resolutions. It used to always be the same, no matter where you were in the world: most people speak of giving up sugar or alcohol or caffeine or soda. Those are the big ones the most popular.
 
 Over the last few years though — and I admit that this might have more to do with the changing circles I hang out in than a general shift in mainstream society — Lenten disciplines have become much more evolved and thought out, more nuanced. Gone are the days of people simply announcing they’re going to give up sugar for 40 days and then making excuses for the few or many occasions they’re unable to keep the commitment. (The other day someone announced to a room of us that they were told that “you’re allowed to cheat on Fridays for Lent.” That was a new one to me. And totally misses the point of even bothering to do it in the first place if you ask me.) But that now seems more like the exception rather than the norm.
 
 Say what one will about drone strikes and imperialism, campaign financing gone amuck, political corruption, increased violence selfishness and materialism in society and gratuitous sex gore and vulgarity in our arts and entertainment… All true unfortunately. But there is at the same time still a growing trend towards a deeper spirituality in the United States. A palpable longing for a more sincere authenticity. One that belies and seems ironically counterintuitive to the increased cynicism reflected in our entertainment. We’re in a strange place at the moment. Like Tweens. So ready to grow up, but still so caught up in the toils troubles toys and habits of our youth.
 
 (I believe the core reason for this seeming dichotomy is fear. Fear of being vulnerable. We wear our cynicism on our sleeves as a badge of honor, as a warning to everyone around us that we haven’t fallen off the wagon or given up yet, for fear of being caught off guard by those who are less motivated by morals and values and instead purely motivated by greed and profit. Our cynical outerwear protects us from being taken advantage of. So we believe. It shows the world that we’re tough and just as hardened as the next tribe. Ready to fight or defend at any moments notice.
 
 Yet in our underbelly lies a great spiritual longing for more honesty, more sincerity, more tolerance and compassion, more true authenticity and connection with one another. Which side will win out in the end? That’s the question… If we continue to draw war and conflict into our collective lives, as our (s)elected political leaders seem want to do at the moment, then we will surely bring about yet another war with our neighbors that will complete the hardening process for another generation or two at the least and say goodbye to all the progress we’ve made on our path towards enlightenment. War tends to do that to civilizations. If we can somehow manage to avoid this plight, then we may just evolve right out of this mundane and childish propensity to battle anyone who disagrees in the slightest with us or happens to possess something we don’t have but want.
 
 But this evolution is going to take a continued commitment on our part to keep encouraging those around us to step up and honor that same feeling of desire for more maturity and enlightenment that we are sure now everyone can feel tugging at their heart strings.
 
 This new trend toward a more detailed and thought out Lenten discipline cycle is a sign of this collective longing in mass consciousness. People who aren’t even necessarily practicing Christians are getting in on the act. And those who are are no longer satisfied with just “giving up sugar” for Lent. The new trend is to go much deeper; to “add something”. People are committing to “unplugging” (from all technology) every night in order to spend more time with family; or committing to more quiet devotional time; to daily forgiveness; or to mentoring on a weekly basis or a weekly practice of some form of service to others. Long gone are the days when Lent just meant “not drinking alcohol for a few weeks except on Friday nights.
 
 Having already spent countless years giving things up for Lent, this year I decided to add something. But what? For me it was simple: stay a good Christian/Avatar Wizard. Remember who I am and how much time and energy I’ve spent honing these skills and qualities that make up a good Christian and Avatar Wizard. (The two are not connected in any way. Though to those of us who happen to be religious, whether Jewish or Buddhist or Muslim or christian, they fit together perfectly.) it isn’t about how much time or energy I’ve spent learning the knowledge and honing the skills nor even cultivating the characteristics of such a person as much as it is the desire to be such a person. That’s the real motivation.
 
 One of the ways I would do that would be to commit to communicating or connecting with the Divine at least three separate times per day. Call it prayer. Or meditation. It doesn’t matter what we call it. It’s the turning everything else off to stop for a moment and connect with that higher force in the universe and then communicate with it. A lot of prayer for others. A lot of prayer for the connection itself. A lot of prayer for knowledge, the kind of knowledge one can only acquire through an intuitive connection with something much bigger than ourselves. Much grander and/or greater in size and scope.
 
 While I must admit I have gotten a lot out of this practice so far, I haven’t been able to keep to it as much as I wanted to or expected to. Some days go by and I don’t even remember to do it until the very end of the day when I’m in bed and way past sleepy. This surprised me. I actually thought it would be easy. But it hasn’t been. It’s actually been quite difficult. I keep wondering if half the reason for giving something up is to act as a constant reminder OF THAT commitment and in return we would automatically connect and communicate with the Divine more often just to help us stay committed to NOT doing whatever it is we gave up. I know that’s pretty much the idea behind giving something up that we love — it forces us to relate more readily to Jesus of Nazareth and reminds us of all of his sacrifices. (I feel like for those who aren’t christian one could substitute Jesus with The Buddha or Ghandi or Lao Tzu or even Abraham… The point being that these exemplary humans serve to act as a catalyst to reach a greater connection to the inexplicable Divine force that flows through all things in the known and unknown universe…)
 
 But that for next year. And honestly one is well aware that we don’t even need Lent or any other manmade holiday for such a practice. For what man of substance isn’t already practicing this on a daily basis every day of their lives anyway? In the meantime I awoke this morning with the realization that the one thing I did commit to this Lent was to mentor a young man –meeting with him for an hour at least once a week for six weeks — throughout Lent while he takes his Confirmation classes, to act as a friend and guide on his way becoming Confirmed in the church on Easter Sunday. This particular discipline I have been able to follow through with and keep to it. Sort of snuck up on me. Didn’t even see it as a Lenten practice until today, nearly five weeks in. In that there has been a necessity for prayer and connection with the Divine simply because I am acutely aware of the fact that I am nothing but a physical vehicle for the Divine to speak to and work with this boy. So I constantly pray for guidance to make sure that I am communicating everything to this young man that God wishes to get across to him. So I am in turn benefitting as much as the “Confirmand” is. A bonus to be sure.
 
 But I must admit that next year I will seriously consider giving something up during Lent to see if it better serves to keep me more committed to communicating with the Divine more frequently than I have been able to this year. Not that I am complaining. I’m not. It’s been a wonderfully fulfilling Lent so far. And I am more convinced of a divine intelligence at work and play in the universe than I’ve ever been before.
 
 
 
 
 

We’re three episodes into the global premier of the eagerly anticipated remake of Carl Sagan’s scientific documentary masterpiece, Cosmos. Word of it spread quickly through the various worlds of the literati and public alike. Over thirty years have passed. So…. Not only have scientific discoveries evolved, almost exponentially, leaving much new to cover, but so too has the technology used to create such a bold broad and far reaching work.

To aficionados and purists of course the original was perfect, without flaw and incapable of inspiring nothing but praise; certainly no complaints. But still… Curiosity is easily drummed up when contemplating a project of this size, with the big budget FOX would surely allot to it, not to mention having animation funny man Seth McFarland on board (?!?!) and the new narrator and guide for this remake would be celebrity physicist Neil degrass Tyson.

Being only three episodes in one could easily forgive the slightly humdrum pace at which the show is traveling thus far. Perhaps they’re saving the good stuff for later? Breaking out the big guns once the series catches on with a few more million viewers? But it’s not just the slow pace at which the show’s storyline is moving. With a seemingly infinite treasure trove of cash at their disposal the producers of the series have certainly spared no expense on breathtaking visuals and computer generated graphics and animation; but that seems to be, so far at least, the best aspect of the show.

Where Sagan’s Cosmos seemed primitive and quaint in the visual effects department at times — downright cheesy even, especially now, every episode left the viewer feeling inspired enthralled and captivated. More than anything though one walked away feeling educated, over-educated usually — with a ton of new knowledge to digest. So much so that it is common to find that anyone who has seen Cosmos has seen it numerous times. Usually more times than they can count. That was half the fun of the show. Trying to keep up with Sagan’s brain and his insatiable appetite to soak in every fact and ounce of important science data that had ever been discovered or postulated in the history of humanity. His enthusiasm for science and learning inspired us all to feel that same thirst. This is one of the many reasons why the man –a scientist mind you — became such a celebrity in his time, and a legend today.

The new Cosmos is not only slow but it also seems geared towards a less intelligent and curious audience. The science behind the science, the details, the math and equations, even the practical applications for said discoveries are all but gone in this new version. The script wiped clean of anything remotely mentally challenging or even intriguing. It’s as if the purpose is more to wow the audience into believing that science is “cool” without explaining any of the actual science itself. Names are dropped here and there, completely out of order and context — which is maddening for those who are familiar with the timeline of science’s greatest discoveries, and probably frustratingly confusing for those who don’t, but the exuberant raw passion and admiration Sagan seemed to have for these masters of human potential seems lost on Tyson. As if it’s all old hat to him.

There’s nothing particularly offensive or annoying about Tyson, but there’s also nothing particularly appealing either. Whereas Sagan could coax a drunken sailor to get excited about some of the most complicated scientific theories and equations ever invented with nothing but the sparkle in his eye and his soothing voice at once sonorous and excited, Tyson seems relatively tame if not downright bored half the time talking about the same matters. As if he’s either been there done that too many times already or he simply just isn’t as interested in the subject matter as Sagan was when discussing the same things.

So far the viewer finishes each episode feeling not much more than “meh… It was okay…”, but certainly not enraptured or on fire or ready to pop another one in immediately afterwards. The original Cosmos to many is a downright spiritual experience. No matter how times they watch it. Something very special and magical was created there that stands all by itself and alone in the annals of filmmaking. A concise but hefty 13 volume collection of boundless knowledge expressed and presented with excitement and reverence. The new Cosmos so far at least is an adequate passers by explanation of only the very basic ideas science has offered us through the years. Lukewarm tea without much flavor, sweetener or spice.

Whether this was done on purpose or not is more of an industry question. Perhaps the producers and the network felt that for audiences used to The Simpsons and American Idol, this was the best way to serve it. Almost hypnotically slow and filled with animation. We really don’t know. Choosing Seth McFarland — God love him for the hysterics of Ted — as an executive producer may have also played a role in why the show seems relatively bland to connoisseurs of the original series.

The man is after all a jokes writer, not a scientist nor even a science documentary producer.

Another factor that one finds a bit disturbing is the none too subtle atheistic view the show so far seemingly means to promote. It was no secret that Sagan was an agnostic at best. He stated as much quite early towards the end of the original series, though delicately respectfully. In this new age when certain cretinous minds are hellbent on forcing everyone to unnecessarily but unequivocally choose between believing in a God or not, the new Cosmos seems to be upping the ante on trying to prove that science displaces God somehow, when in reality we may just be discovering the intricacies of how the Divine Force has things worked out and coming up with our own names for these very natural systems in His/Her/It’s master plan. Either way, it’s an entirely unnecessary point to be making regardless; the exploration of spiritual, cosmological and theological ideas doesn’t really belong in a show extolling the virtues of scientific achievement. The sharpest minds understand that science and religion are not in competition with one another any more. Together though they are in fact creating some marvelous discoveries. And one day I believe will make THE most marvelous one of them all. In time.

Don’t get me wrong regarding the new Cosmos though. This show is still better than most anything else on TV but for PBS or HBO. It just isn’t the original. Nor an adequate update to it. I’ll still look forward to each new episode for the next few weeks at least. You can’t really get a subject matter closer to my heart than what this one explores. And who knows, it may just be gearing up and get really good once it gets going. I hope so. We need more television like this in America right now.

One very positive aspect of the show, (McFarland be damned for he’s one of the worst offenders in this arena), is that it isn’t filled with rampant gratuitous sex, violence and vulgarity like nearly everything else on modern American television. One cannot get through a half hour of TV during prime time today without more fucks cocks cunts balls bloody corpses axes through the head and naked bimbos riding alleged tough guys than one would normally encounter in an entire lifetime just ten years ago. Our grandparents — thank God they’re dead– wouldn’t recognize this nasty wicked and violent world we live in today. Why on earth today’s writers and producers think that adding the word fuck cock or dick to every sentence somehow makes a show funnier is beyond me. Frankly I believe the opposite is true. The shock and offensiveness of this new trend takes away from the viewers ability to be amused. This is one thing at least viewers of the new Cosmos don’t have to worry about. At least not yet anyway.