MY LIGHT ON THE SPECTRE THAT IS HAUNTING REDBUBBLE.
I did not come on to RB much over the weekend, nor yesterday as I was doing non-PC stuff but for the few brief moments I did, I sensed something was amiss. Call me paranoid, or delusional, but even on an internet website, there are certain vibes that are as obvious as dogs’ balls. This place, energetically and psychically has felt, to me, like a graveyard these past few days but without the inherent peace. There has been a wave of chill, empty and uninhabited.
I have always been one to avoid the dramas and bickering that can go on on these types of sites and will usually not even get myself up to speed on the latest debates. Admitting to myself however that I am, in some way, a part of this “community” I tried to educate myself about what’s happening with this issue about the closure of a bubbler’s account due to “inappropriateness”. I must say that I am unfamiliar with the work of both people involved and only have the “facts” to go by which I read in someone’s journal.
Anything in life is potentially something to learn from, to perceive Power and how it plays out.
There is, with all human dramas, a deeper cause, something that exists beyond appearances. All the time, we react to appearances, to what is on the surface. For instance; someone gets up at 6am and steps on a nail when they get out of bed. They then drive to the doctor to get a stitch and they get a speeding ticket. Then they go to work and find out they have been demoted. Dejected, they go downstairs to the cafeteria and someone bumps into them and they spill their coffee. Any other day, they would laugh it off. This day however, they launch a vitriolic no-holes-barred assault on this person and condemn them for every sin they have ever committed.
To the person on the end of the assult, all they have is this isolated “Now” moment, it just appears, unsolicited, stark and direct. In that isolated “Now” moment, it is not apparent the history, the cause and effect that has led the other person to this moment.
Here is where we enter a great paradoxical difficulty, for the person on the end of the barrage is receiving something out of proportion with the event, and with their own action. In other words, getting something that may be unwarranted in some way. Yet from the other person’s perspective, there day has become a whirlpool of circumstance, where the momentum gets progressively stronger to the point where things have become unstoppable. The words spoken, and the energy behind them, seem to have an existence of their own that extends beyond the speaker or the doer. In this way, how could we rightly say that something is unwarranted, since we are dealing now with something more like an Elemental force? Do we blame the sun for shining ot the wind for blowing? It is futile to try and punish the sun or the wind, yet that is exactly what we try to do with humans.
It seems, in this situation, there must ultimately be a winner and a loser and in our current case we are assuming the winner is the one whose membership is intact. From what I have seen, the vast majority of reactions on here are in sympathy for the “loser”, an outrage at the injustice. RB is usually a very free place where people can use colourful language, express emotions even the dark ones and can interact with other souls on a conceptual, word-based level. Yet there is also a level we interact beyond words, we are connected in subtle ways also, energetically. The same magnetic attraction-repulsion laws apply here as they do in physical reality and we may be able to learn from them in a similar way.
I do not have a solution, not even an opinion. This is not because I am a fence sitter, but because in this type of scenario it is futile to “take sides”. All I can say is, RB has highlighted a problem that exists across the board in human society and it is not only connected to authority (daddy scolding me for stepping out of line by taking away my membership) but it also is how we split “Now” into fragments, when actually Now is one long constant moment (which paradoxically is also quite short).
When you were born, it was Now. When you die, it will be Now. And where you find yourself this very moment is not some different, exotic moment but rather it is the exact same moment as when you were born and when you will die. You will not die “over there” in some forgotten niche of consciousness that is “way off in the distance” and so can be forgotten about or pushed aside. This is the great Illusion that puts us in a trance and allows us to be so easily controlled. A divided house is easy prey. Only seeing beyond this illusion grants us freedom and soverignty, and it only comes about if you are sincerely prepared to unlearn what you have been taught, whatever the cost.
In truth, the moment you die will be a moment very much the same as this one you are living right now. The fear of death is not a natural condition, it has been inseminated into humans since “civilisation” (slavery) was founded. Someone who is afraid of dying will split all his Now moments up into discrete categories; now I am eating chocolate cake, now I am fighting my brother, now I am voting for Labour, now I am watching telly, now I am studying for my biology exam, now I am hating Sylvia, now I am loving Max, now I am seeking pleasure, now I am avoiding pain…. and somewhere, way off, though I will pretend it is on a different plane… now I am dying.
The result of this segmentation of ourself is extremely tragic, though not many see the full extent of its effects. For every time we identify with something different and say, for instance “I am a feminist” or “I like girls” or “I get sad when I watch the news”, we set up in ourselves a resistance to the rest of ourselves. But the shocking part is that each time we “identify” we do not just change our mood like changing gears in our car. Instead each “identity” is a complete being state, right down to the anatomical level. You look in the mirror when you are depressed and then on another day when you are happy, you will see in your body the way you hold tension and breath have produced two entirely different people Where is the constant “I” that we are told we are? It is not there! As circumstances change, so do we.
So how could we honestly expect Red Bubble to see that this person, when she made a remark to someone that held an obvious connection to the situation to her but not to someone else, how could we expect the administrators to see the long version of Now playing out in her life? It was the short version that got her into trouble, and that is what society rewards and punishes with people, the short fragmented stunted expressions of Self, the tiny particles of human expression and not the vast mythic Mural of each individual life-form. How could Red Bubble, being a part of this conditioned way of perceiving Now, possibly see it any differently? All instituitions, even the “free” ones are still institutions and they reflect not the sanity of Heaven but the schizophrenia of society.
Judi Taylor
OMG … your thought pattern and execution of them is beyond amazing. I wish I could be Spock and “pick your brain” ... your celebral speech is well thought out and has given me shivers. Not many pieces of writing can do that!
May I hold your pen?
jim marshal replied
haha well the pen is dispensable, hopefully the brain will endure ;)
JenniferB
What a wonderfully wise, global and refreshing perspective about the issue. Sure wish there was a way a Win/Win scenario could be achieved that would heal all pain an ‘inclusive’ approach that ensure the longevity of this community, without people fragmenting and forming ‘sub-tribes.’
jim marshal replied
I think as soon as the “sub-tribe” thing has white-anted its way into a community it is difficult for anyone to see the big picture, so if there is a way of preventing it before it occurs we should speak up. Thank you for your attention, from what I have read you reason very soundly within this issue.
madvlad
hey i am pretty simple but i think it works this way??/ redb owns the book and we are the pages, if the book owner dont like whats on the pages . they get to tear the page out so maybe the page person should start their own book?? and who wants can go follow? can go start blue bubble,,??not popular but just a dumb thought i have no idea who hellen is my self or seen her enlighments but we are guests ? nice ones i hope with good taste and wise fairness prevales too haha relationships ugh haha
jim marshal replied
yes, its on their terms, and bottom line prevails. I don’t know her either. Thanks for the comment :) and see you on bluebubble
Juilee Pryor
beautifully put
jim marshal replied
thanks Juilee
JenniferB
it makes me feel kinda sad to think of people being torn out like pages in a book… :-(
And why would anyone want to write a book of any description that has missing pages?
Just a thought or two… :)
jim marshal replied
It is a somewhat impersonal way of looking at it, I agree.
Marion Cullen
:) An eloquent and enlightening approach.
jim marshal replied
Pleased you thought so. Thanks.
Solar Zorra
I feel it too Jim, this cloud of depression that’s been hanging like a storm cloud. I too am on the fence, like you, not attached directly to the situation. But there is definitely a disturbance in the atmosphere here. I’m so glad you put it out there like this, even though this is a “cosmic” community, it’s truly amazing how the vibes still bleed through. I hope everything is going to be okay after the mourning period is over, I personally can’t take too much more of this depression. Solar
jim marshal replied
It is literally mindboggling to see the vast change within a week on here. Thanks for your thoughts.
JaneSolomon
Sobering intelligence. Thanks Jim. xx
jim marshal replied
Pleased you think so. Thanks Jane.
Lisa Jewell
Unfortunately or fortunately that is how society attempts to keep from falling into anarchy.
Tight rules that apply to given behaviour. Of course if Helen’s case went to court a legal aid student would get her off without so much as a warning. Mitigating circumstances are admissible.
jim marshal replied
I think there is a vast difference between natural law and man-made law. For instance, our body exists within a framework, a magnetic grid that keeps us drawn together. We would not last very long without such law and our life would be useless, falling to pieces.
Yet unfortunately, within the network of organs, tissues, bloodcells, breath, tendon, nerve etc. there can be imbalance. If one part breaks the law, that is, does something its not meant to be doing, the whole organism suffers.
Society is a macrocosm of the body, a scale replica. The injustices that occur “out there” also occur within us. That is my take on what “law” actually means.
Man-made laws on the other hand are there largely to serve the agenda of those who seek power and domination. There are some rare exceptions but largely this is the case. I have no idea how Helens case would hold up in man-made laws but, if there is one point I try to make in all these things I write, it is that like Einstein says… you can’t solve a problem using the same type of thinking that got you into the mess in the first place. It is only my perception, and neither right or wrong.
Sally Omar
In cases such as this, both parties should have been allowed to give their sides of the story….
unfortunately Helen’s account was cancelled before she was allowed the right to speak. The
other party continues to stab at her in his journals. What Helen said may have stepped out-
side of RB’s rules but was dealt with in an extremely harsh and unfair manner. And yes there
is a dark cloud hanging over RB.
Your writing skill never ceases to amaze me!!!
Sally xoxoxooxxo
jim marshal replied
Ok, I wasn’t aware that was the case. The experience was one of being “cut off” without warning so that is why people here seem to be in shock somehow, like rabbits in spotlights? That is difficult, as there may be no sense of completion.
Nuh Sarche
So great written!!!
And I also see a big dark cloud over RB until the case isn’t solved…...............
Thank you for your words….......
jim marshal replied
No problem, I felt I had to share my perspective.
Ena Lü
this energetic shift has been here awhile now, and what has happened here NOW has happened many times, it’s just no one noticed before like they are now. It’s something reflective of a global condition, right now it’s important to connect with what you truly value, what has meaning for you and to let go of what isn’t.
jim marshal replied
Yes, the great Let-Go. Thanks for your thoughts :)
Gregory John O...
A bit long winded and over the top for me, but point taken…... The Australian High Court ruled years ago that the use of the word Fuck is not offensive. The Redbubble agreement guarentees arbitration before an account is deleted,; helen did seem to get any. Articles 18, 19, and 20 of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights have been denied helen by RedBubble
jim marshal replied
amazing how an art site can invoke such deep issues. Thanks for the comment and link.
BiographyofRed8
I really enjoyed reading this, because you make some really good points. Also, because you did notice the “deadness”. I went away to think about whether I would leave redbubble. I still think I will leave at some point, not now, due to people encouraging me to stay so much. But something has been bleed out of the site since the incident. For me it has, I can only speak for myself.
Back to what you have written. I think you are a very deep thinker. We need more of them.
jim marshal replied
I am glad this was meaningful for you in some way. The dark cloud was very noticeable and good for you to stay on, even if its for but a short while.
Gregory John O...
Art is all emotion !!!!
DragonFlyer
Yes – the dark cloud is still looming… I did expect it to fade in the wind – with time, but that is not happening. To me it feels to be growing almost darker with every day… the connection, the flow of life in this community has been broken – or at least perceived to be broken – by far too many of its members. Of course there is no ‘sense of completion’ – in the circumstances that is impossible. You write with beautiful depth of feeling of the inner nature of what it is to be human… I admire your ability to do so greatly!
In some ways – even though I know the person at the centre of all this well – it seems amazing that the ‘removal’ of one member could so incredibly affect so much of such a large community. But – that is how life flows… at the first trickle of water that comes out of the earth, and hundreds of miles further on flows into the sea a mighty river, if you pick up one tiny pebble and put it ‘just THERE’.... the whole course of that mighty river may be altered…. It seems that in this case it was exactly THAT pebble that was removed… in precisely THAT way…..
Kallena xx
jim marshal replied
Its amazing how one pebble in the pond has reverberating effects for the whole. Just goes to show the importance of your intent with any action or speech. Thanks for the read and thoughtful reply.
Lisa Jewell
Such a dichotomy
Man being very much a part of the natural order…
I do think it is fascinating making the distinction as though we are alien to nature.
So much to ponder,
Thanks Jim. x
jim marshal replied
I feel we have strayed from the natural order like Icarus with all our cleverness and mind. Humans feel their body the same way they did a few million years ago, and within that is wisdom beyond the intellect, its an evolutionary instinct. Getting in touch with the roots again is a momentous task, especially in a place dedicated to preventing its realisation and power.
Its somewhere in the belly.
Erika .
It was the short version that got her into trouble, and that is what society rewards and punishes with people, the short fragmented stunted expressions of Self, the tiny particles of human expression and not the vast mythic Mural of each individual life-form..wow, wow, wow. This makes complete sense, it’s like you pulled apart human life and eloquently explained it. This was so amazing to read.
All instituitions, even the “free” ones are still institutions and they reflect not the sanity of Heaven but the schizophrenia of society....yes, I completely agree. This is why injustice is committed everywhere…the world only knows fragments of ourselves, and we are judged based upon what they see at that moment.
Such interesting and though-provoking words Jim.
jim marshal replied
Yes! I am so pleased you “get it”. Thanks Erika, your energy is so valuable here and in the world. xx
Wendy Slee
You are a breath of fresh air, for those who seek to breathe the truth.
Thank you for speaking with all the eloquence and serenity of the voice of reason…..
jim marshal replied
My pleasure Wendy, thank you.
ambient-1
Thank you for your very thoughtful words J-im! Two things stand out: 1) this is an opportunity for learning and growing. 2) The very least that we should expect in a truly GLOBAL COMMUNITY is justice. Hell, if we as artists and as thoughtful and compassionate human beings can’t come together on this, what does this say about humanity as a whole? Without getting too abstract here, I think that there are very concrete issues to address. For example, do we want a community that is lorded over by a dictator who can delete at will any account that annoys him? Given what you’ve said, if he’s had a bad day he may not be infallible.
To me, the moral imperative here is, how important is this community? Is it so important that we should override our beliefs in democratic and Socratic principles? I think not. But again, if we strive to create this kind of community – are we not in that microcosmic way doing so in the greater community as well? If we want peace in the macrocosmic world we must first achieve it in the micro.
Therefore, reaching an understanding and making agreements based on this understanding is the only way to resolve the issue. Otherwise, we are merely buying in to willful IGNORANCE and sweeping it under the carpet. And as we all know, it will surface again and we’ll back here feeling depressed and gloomy all over again.
I love this website, but I don’t feel good about it right now. I hope that I can again.
Lastly, addressing your comment to Gregory John O: This is an article written by Helen.
I thought that since she’s the only one whose voice has been silenced it would be better to let her speak for herself. Please read it if you have time because it speaks to the kind of person she is and what a loss it is to have her important contributions silenced.
http://bubbleidiots.blogspot.com/2009/10/art-of-politics.html
jim marshal replied
Hi Robert, thanks for your thoughts. I am very happy someone has the sense to see that this site is a microcosm of social order and organisation “out there”. People criticise the internet on account of ot being “not real” but it is a very impoartant realm we have to work with becuase it sits somwhere between the void and manifestation ie. the realm of Intention. The work we do here has an impact on the Manifest, so its important to try and makie it work for all, and that it be a free space for All possibilites.
I had a look at H.’s page, I did skim-read it and will go back and read it in depth whan I have time, but the connection between art and politics is very real and that is another issue again. She obviously was very insightful, and it is such a shame that those who have great passion are often put in the too-hard basket.
Also, the idea that one person can control our accounts does beg the question – what kind of community do we want here? And we all have to ask this to ourselves.
So glad that people like you are around the traps.
Peace – J.
hsien-ku
well said. courageous and shrewd.
we are legion. we do not know which of us speaks at any given time – how could we know? we are asleep most of the time. and in our sleep we are savage because all unconscious action is violent. we are driving cars, starting wars, making love, writing books all in our sleep. i am writing this in sleep too. god help us.