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Tim Makinson's
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This Page is mainly a list of Links to subjects I'm interested in
and a Gallery.
Contents
Background
I was raised in a fairly liberal Presbyterian church. The last time I
can remember being a true believer is in my early teens. Thereafter my
belief gradually faded over the next decade until a crisis of faith in
my mid-20s led me to seek a new spiritual basis. After researching a
number of religions I stumbled upon Taoism, which filled the void. A
piece on my points of disgreement with Christianity can be found here.
Negative Definition:
Do I believe in God? Am I a Pagan?
I'm afraid the answer to both would depend on your definition of "God"
and "Pagan".
I can state that I do not believe in an anthropomorphic God, nor is any
specific deity or deities intrinsic in my spirituality.
I might be considered to be a-theistic - lacking theism (belief
in Gods), but not a-gnostic - as gnosis is central to my
spirituality.
Positive Definition:
I believe in Balance, in Change and in a lack of Absolute Truths.
I am a Taoist-Discordian with some
leanings towards Shamanism. To find out what this means follow these
references.
- Taoism
- Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom.
- Tao Te Ching
(my favourite translation by Stephen Mitchell,
no less)
- Discordianism - A Discordian is Prohibited of Believing what
he reads.
The point is that (little-t) truth is a matter of definition relative
to the grid one is using at the moment, and that (capital-T) Truth,
metaphysical reality, is irrelevant to grids entirely. Pick a grid, and
through it some chaos appears ordered and some appears disordered.
Pick another grid, and the same chaos will appear differently ordered
and disordered.
- Shamanism
My views on morality
- Carl
Gustav Jung (Psychiatrist, Freudian Protégé/Heretic,
Psychological Theorist, Mystic)
- Enneagram
Semi-mystical psychological typology with purported Sufi links(I'm a 5w4)
- Abnormal Psychology
He's not mine is he? His madness...his madness keeps him sane.
(Delerium, Sandman: Fables and
Reflections)
- Oldham
Personality Self Portrait
Psychological typology based around less extreme cases of the traits
seen in Personality
Disorders.
- My views on relationships can be found here.
- Dead Can Dance (Ethereal)
But don't let them make you and break you
The world is filled with their broken empty dreams
Silence is their only virtue
Locked away inside their silent screams
- Diamanda Galas
(Schrei Opera)
A four-octave vocal assault & battery evoking madness and
dissolution.
...her performances make a Skinny Puppy or Swans album seem like
a romp in the park.
Oh and the lady can really sing the blues too.
- The Sisters of
Mercy (Goth Rock)
And the wind blows still
And the wind blows wild again
For a little child can never kill this clean
This way
And it feels like me today
Tell me
Do you feel the same?
Isabelle?
Or do you feel like nineteen fifty-nine?
...Do you feel like nineteen fifty-nine?
- Mephisto Walz (Goth
Rock)
Like broken dreams of rich men
Who really don't have much
A pocketbook of promises
Their dreams are made of such
But silent desperation sold
They shop for what they want
They say stop it are you using me
Come talk to me in grunts
- Tori Amos
sometimes I think you want me to touch you
how can I when you build the great WALL around you
in your eyes I saw a future together
you just look away in the distance
- Eric Clapton
all along this path I tread,
my heart betrays my weary head,
with nothing but my love to save,
from the cradle to the grave....
- John Lee Hooker
- Queen
The vision fades, a voice I hear
"Listen to the Madman!"
But still I fear and still I dare not
Laugh at the Madman.
- Sandman (a series
of graphic novels by Neil Gaiman)
It is sometimes a mistake to climb; it is always a mistake never
to even make the attempt. If you do not climb you will not fall. This
is
true. But is it that bad to fail, that hard to fall? Sometimes you
wake,
and sometimes you die. But there is a third alternative...
... And sometimes when you fall, you fly.
- C J Cherryh
Know that it was Morgaine kri Chya who wrought this ruin.
Morgen-Angharan, Men named her: the White Queen, she of the white gull
feather, who was the death that came on us. It was Morgaine who
extinguished the last brightness in the north, who cast Ohtij-in down
to ruin, and stripped the land of inhabitants.
- David
Gemmel
He turned to her. 'I am a stranger. You do not need to lie to
me, or pretend. Only with friends do you need masks.'
'How sad,' she said, softly. 'Surely it is only with friends
that one can be at peace?'
'It is easier with strangers, for they touch your life but for an
instant. You will not disappoint them, for you owe them nothing,
neither
do they expect anything. Friends you can hurt, for they expect
everything.'
- Katherine
Kerr
- David
Eddings
'No Flute. I'm afraid it's not going to be that way. I'll jump
in every time I think you're in danger.' He grimaced. 'It's not
really my idea. I want to be sure you understand that I haven't
completely lost my mind. It's just that I can't help myself. When
I see you do something like that, I'm moving before I even think. If
you're really serious about trying to keep me alive, don't do things
like that when I'm around, because I'll try to stop you every time -
regardless of how stupid it is.'
'Why'? she asked intently.
'I guess it's because I love you.' He shrugged.
- Glen
Cook
- Terry Pratchett
- Lois McMaster
Bujold
- Transmetropolitan
(a series of graphic novels by Warren Ellis)
- The Devil's Dictionary
by Ambrose
Bierce
Cynic: A blackguard whose faulty vision sees things as they are,
not as they ought to be.
- The
Raven by Edgar Allen Poe
"Prophet!" said I, "thing of evil! --prophet still, if bird or
devil!"
- TV
- Edge
of Darkness
Short BBC Series staring Bob Peck, Joanne Whalley and Joe Don Baker. A
dark thriller of alienation, betrayal and madness. Soul-chillingly
bleak and spartan soundtrack by Eric Clapton.
- Babylon 5
Dark and well-drawn Science Fiction series.
All love is unrequited.
- Yes Minister/Yes Prime
Minister
A satire on Westminster politics. British comedy at its best. Look
for Nigel Hawthorne as Sir Humphrey Appleby.
- Black Adder
Historical comedy with a dark twist, starring the inimitable Rowan
Atkinson
- The
Young Ones
Anti-establishment humour at its most cutting. Highlight: Video
Nasty episode, when Alexi Sayle takes a break from being a
homicidal
vampire to deliver a monologue on how difficult it is being a
socialist when you're a successful actor.
- Radio
- Goon
Show
Surreal 1950s British radio comedy.
- Cinema
- Tim Burton
Darkly surreal visions. Particular favorites include the first two
Batman movies, Bettlejuice and The Nightmare Before Christmas.
- Ridley Scott
Bladerunner and Alien.
Role Playing Games (RPGs)
What Role wouldst thou play, unshackled by the limitations of
mundane reality? What Mask wouldst thou wear? Mayhap 'tis closer to thy
real Self
than the Mask which the mundane world forces upon thee.
(I will have to admit, I have not had the time for such adventures
in recent years.)
- People
- Grace (aka Dryad)
A friend originally from IRC, residing in my home town.
- IRC Channels
- #intp
(on
superlink.net)
- #goth_angels (on undernet)
- #kaos (also on undernet)
- Internet Commerce (sites I have tried & would recommend)
- Bookstores
- AddAll (New and
Secondhand Book Metasearch Site)
- Music
- Gemm (Multistore Music
Search Site)
- DVD
- Other
- eBay (Internet Auction
Service)
