I know that I am not a category,
a hybrid specialization.
I am not a thing - a noun.
I seem to be a verb -
an evolutionary process -
an integral function of the Universe.
And so are you.
Harold Pinter (2005 Nobel Prize speech):
I believe that despite the enormous odds which exist, unflinching, unswerving, fierce intellectual determination, as citizens, to define the real truth of our lives and our societies is a crucial obligation which devolves upon us all.
It is in fact mandatory.
A random thought for now:
WELCOME ... to a bit of History and a taste of Philosophy as it is!John Lerwill was employed in the computer industry for 40 years, essentially as a business applications' software developer and project leader but also as an independent consultant, and, in later years, was a technical writer within I.T. He is also a published writer.
This website is devoted to John's considerable interests in history and practical philosophy, which he hopes you will find to be of great interest and enjoyment. In addition, there is a substantial portion of the site devoted to the history and records of Aston Villa FC.
The following option buttons represent John's main interests, but please refer to the site map for a more detailed view all of the topics on his site (or scroll down on the right side of this page):
John says:
"I have a simple fascination about my own family's history and its study revealed a great deal that struck home with me. But, my interest in history stemming from that research brought me to starkly recognise that mankind repeats and repeats the same errors of his forebears. Man's capacity for learning how not to repeat those mistakes is not very strong unless - and only if - he makes a determined effort. The problem seems to me to have been 'how' (along what set of rules) to make that effort. And that question brought me more and more into the realm of spiritual thought and practical philosophy. The answers are there - if only we would look ... and have faith ..."Click here for more on this siteor
go to my blog.
Thank you very much for visiting!
But ... something is not right.
"... We are becoming a country of anger, selfishness and fear. It doesn't have to be like
this. Let's try to stop it."
- reported in the UK press, March, 2009.
These were the words of a parent, stricken by the senseless murder of his son.
"What can one person do?", you ask (the eternal conundrum)
Well, you are the light of the world. Do you not know this?
Everyone is, when they choose to be.
Fear is the issue of the day ...
All we have to do is wake up to our situation.
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." - Margaret Mead
In the Philosophy and Wisdom Teaching of all ancient civilizations, human beings and the Universe were seen as being interconnected and inseparable. In contrast, Modern Empirical Science is only a net of observations that permit the development of a smoggy outlook of the reality, a tiny window to the Universe, always incomplete in this vast endless search for the meaning of existence.
Modern Empirical Science and Secular Education are blind without spirituality, ancient heritage and the teachings of past and present spiritual teachers.
Modern Empirical Science lacks a practical value system.
For the survival of humanity, a spiritual and ecological consciousness entwined with moral and ethical values is needed. There is a great need for putting Wisdom Teaching into practice in every day life in all areas of human thought and action. This is the time in which we have to address the survival of humanity. Wisdom Teaching needs to integrate into world educational networks to connect universal human values and spirituality into the various moral and cultural codes of world societies.
...More.
Politics, Life and Us:
(For U.K. residents) OR - Don't you sometimes wonder what the politicians are on about?
Don't you wish for a fairer world?
How can we obtain proper answers to those questions when we have the situations of:
Action without proper discretion;
Power not justified by credentials;
Leadership lacking commonsense;
Leadership lacking sincere humility;
Erudition lacking sagacity;
Education sans wisdom;
- and more! But perhaps we (individually) do have the answers - if we but wish to find them!
It has been reported that, in 2004, Britain exported 1,500 tons of potatoes to Germany - and imported the same amount!
Also that the UK sent 10,200 tons of milk and cream to France - and imported 9,900 tons! What kind of logic is this?
But, of course, it's not just the illogicality, but also the question of wasted energy usage in the transportation of those goods.
Sustainability is a current and unavoidable issue: There have been opportunities to hold back growth and be less
greedy - but now we're rapidly losing the race against time. The following sites promote further debate on this issue of
great concern:
Right Conduct, Truth, Love, Peace and Non-violence - do not these characteristics in a person appeal to you?
Aren't they best embibed when young? British schools (and in other countries) have received much valued input from
the work of The Sathya Sai Education in Human Values (SSEHV). Volunteers work tirelessly in this regard.
Please click here to link to the UK SSEHV site
Helping The Poorer World:
Nobel Peace Prize Winner, 2006:
Muhammad Yunus and the Grameen Foundation,
a unique method of funding cottage industry.
On that fateful day, it just so happened I was on contract to do some computer installation work at our local hospital (the same hospital where Elizabeth Taylor's life was saved in 1959!). It was when I went about my task in the Maternity Ward on that day in 2001, that I saw the most incongruous sight of so many heavily pregnant ladies watching those very events unfold on the lounge television screen. They were in a state of shock.
John Lerwill was employed in the computer industry for 40 years, essentially as a business applications' software developer and project leader but also as an independent consultant, and, in later years, was a technical writer within I.T. He is also a published writer.
Nobel Peace Prize Winner, 2006:
Muhammad Yunus and the Grameen Foundation,
a unique method of funding cottage industry.