Think and Explain

7.12.07

How things are going...

It has been a really long time since i have posted a blog. And, guess what, not so much has changed in the world. The West is still stuck, Russia is stuck, China is stuck, EU is stuck, Israel is obviously stuck, and my parents divorced.

Here is an amazing composition by Terence Blanchard, for the Spike Lee Joint "WHen the levees broke", on hurricane Katrina.

24.6.07

What on Earth are THESE?!

http://view.break.com/278059 - Watch more free videos

From onegoodmove.org

Crazy American church....

5.5.07

Relationships

In a month where relationships around me that seemed stable and grounded fell apart, or got destroyed, this song with this video helps reminding me what it is about

22.4.07

Symposium "Does History Evolve?"

What?

On June 9th 2007 a one-day Symposium will be held in the Great Auditorium of Naturalis, the Natural History Museum of Leiden. Everybody is welcome, entrance fee is 20,-, 10,- for students.

Register Now!

Why?

So if evolution is the theory of the development of life and human history is a collection of arguments, data and constructs, then what on earth would the two have in common? Seemingly, the point of this comparison is just to find out exactly whether or not these ideas fit. Both in their respect are an analysis of space and time, based on empericism and logic.

Besides, Steven and I (Jonathan) were so fascinated by the theory-of-history and global history colleges given by Peer Vries and the "Wolrd-Historical Turn" Seminars given by John E. Wills, we decided to organise a conference on Energy and World-History last year. This turned out to be such a succes, that we decided to organise another conference, partly inspired by works of Jared Diamond (Guns, Germs and Steel) and Robert Wright (The Logic of Human Destiny), who seek ways to incorporate laws and patters found in biology into cultural and social studies. Most of these biological schemes may be summarised as Evolution Theory. In this symposium we would like to present to the public different perspectives (anthropological, world-historical, cultural, biological, etc.) on how human history might fit clockwork evolutionary laws and mutations. And off course, we would like to offer the public the thrill of interdisciplinary and intellectual debate, mostly left out by the regular - not so global and interdisciplinary - curriculum.

Jonathan Even-Zohar and Steven Stegers

31.3.07

Information World

So what do we make of this? The end of the video concludes "Now You Know", but will the computers ever know? I guess not..

12.2.07

Pirates Ahoy!

So downloading movies and music without paying fo rit is piracy, and so major conglomerations and captains of legal industries are on the hunt to torrent spreaders and p2p-users. They may as well keep hunting as the economy of digital media is not on their side.

Insightfull and interesting aspect here.

5.2.07

Yet Another Spike Lee Joints

Never mind the regular joints, Spike Lee Joints always open my eyes. Last nights we watched Inside Man with Clive Owen and Denzel Washington starring a very unusual bank-robbery vs. NYPD story. I won't go into the details but this movie, mostly due to its soundtrack puts you in the position i as viewer enjoy most: thinking and consuming.

Not your average stampeding police action, or criminally violent masterminds, this movie is a multi-layered (whatever that may mean) excellent Spike Lee joint. Light, Dark, Heavy and Light again. Not to mention complex.

Time for me to rewatch Do the Right Thing, Mo Better Blues, Malcolm X and 25th Hour.

About Me

Name: jonathan even-zohar

Location: Leiden, South-Holland, Netherlands

A strange compilation of genes, sensors, motological movement and traces of soul-emulation exists within my biosphere of bacteria, virusses, phenotypes, memes and pumping blood. I intend to survive in way that increases existential harmony, as it is recognised by I & I. I listen to music that depicts happyness, violence, love, hatred, compassion, depression, complexity, honesty, silence and shock.

Archives

Technorati Profile

Jonathan Even-Zohar was born in 1982 in a hospital just outside of Tel-Aviv, the dune of spring. Already an intellectual at the age of five he amazed his mother and friends by pondering the meaning of life and death. However, being drawn towards Playmobil, television and computers he soon lost interest in these matters.

It was after the Gulf War that his mother and boyfriend at the time decided to 'descend' from the Holy land and set sail towards The Hague, being the birthplace of Even-Zohars mother. Jonathan managed well in Grade school and High school, so the next logical step was the University, the infinite source of knowledge. After speculating on Industrial Design, Social Geography and Journalism it was the study of History at Leiden that turned out to be his decision.

Now, four years into the study, matters have only become more complicated as this student advances towards World History; meaning the complete array of fields a historian may implement in explaining the entire past of the entire world to fellow men. It is especially the philosophical character of World History that attracted Jonathan.

For him there is only one question that stands above all others like a lonely chuchtower in some Flemish village, which asks the cause of the Western Rise and the Industrial Revolution. Furthermore, the role of the European self- and worldimage throughout its history may explain the role of Europe in the Eurasian Human Web. Thus, the direct contact between Islam and Christianity is to be investigated. Were Muslims constantly on the verge of invading Europe? How did Arab people perceive the 'barbaric' Christians? How was Science spread and how did the West pick up knowledge form the Arabs or from further East? Europe and the Islam are still not at peace, certainly not in the mind.