are elevated in the community. while no possible site - specific link might exist, information regarding the presence or absence of elevated disease rates could either help allay fears or identify a disease trend in the community warranting follow - up. the decision to proceed under such circumstances is left to the discretion of the site team, but is generally not considered part of the public health assessment process. - are there one or more current ( or past ) potential or completed exposure pathways at the site as defined in section 6. 6? if there are none, conducting a health outcome data evaluation will not be helpful in assessing potential harm related to the site. - can you determine the time period of exposure? if the length of exposure and places where exposure did occur, or is occurring, cannot be estimated, the requirement to consider analysis of site - related health outcome data is a reasonable estimate of the length of exposure is necessary for determining whether the health outcomes evaluated are site - related. this ensures that the health outcome data being analyzed could be the result of exposure to site contaminants. the relevant exposures could have been for a few days or many years before the onset of disease, depending on the chemical involved, the age of the individual exposed, the specific health outcome, and other factors. the health assessor should ensure that the available health outcome data are from the time period when site - related health effects are likely. - can you quantify the population that was, or is, being exposed? the evaluation of possible links ( or associations ) between site - related exposures and illness or disease in a population is not scientifically reasonable unless a reliable estimate can be made of the number of people exposed and the total number of people in the study population. the availability of demographic information within the exposed and non - exposed study population ( e. g., age, number of years at residence, smoking status ) is also an important consideration. if such an estimate cannot be made, the requirement to consider analysis of site - related health outcome data is complete. statistics might be available showing the number of people identified with certain health outcomes in a selected population. however, an estimate of the number of people exposed is needed to calculate the rate of health outcomes among the exposed population. this information is required to adjust the mortality or morbidity ( i. e., incidence / prevalence ) rates in the exposed population to the population ( s ) used for comparison ( i. e., non - exposed ) to determine any difference in disease rates. to identify the exposed population,


knowledgeable individuals, or other relevant information. qualitative estimates should be based on more than one type of evidence and should be made in consultation with knowledgeable environmental staff. - are health outcome data available at a geographic level or with enough specificity ( i. e., census tract or census block ) to allow for correlation with the exposed population? to be able to analyze for health effects that might be site - related, the health assessor needs to be able to make an approximate identification of the exposed population within the data source or database to be utilized. if this is not possible, the requirement to consider analysis of site - related health outcome data is complete ; no further analysis is appropriate. to assess potential site - related effects, health assessors need to be able to separate the health outcomes for the exposed population from the unexposed population ( at least as much as possible ). if the area for which the disease rate can be calculated using the health outcome data is much larger than the area exposed, then exposure mis - classification bias will be introduced, and disease risks will be severely underestimated. for populations with past exposures, a site with high population turnover ( in - and out - migration ) could be the basis for not analyzing health outcome data because of the possibility of exposure mis - classification. - do the validated data sources or databases have information on the specific health outcomes or disease ( s ) of interest likely to occur from exposure to the site contaminants and are those data accessible? when analyzing health outcome data that could be site - related, the health assessor should focus on specific, sufficiently known ( or suspected ) health outcomes in the available morbidity or mortality databases ( e. g., specific cancers, specific birth defects ). the health outcomes likely to occur from exposure to site contaminants might not be in the available databases. for example, if exposure to a contaminant is linked to birth defects but not to cancer, it is not appropriate to evaluate cancer data because they are available and birth defect data are not. if a health outcome data analysis is performed, there should be a coordinated effort among all the staff involved with the site to inform or educate community members. also, the community should be informed about the strengths and limitations of descriptive epidemiologic analyses. in particular, the community must be made aware that descriptive epidemiologic analyses cannot establish cause and effect. elevated disease rates alone cannot be considered conclusive evidence that living near a waste site is the sole


descriptive epidemiologic analyses. in particular, the community must be made aware that descriptive epidemiologic analyses cannot establish cause and effect. elevated disease rates alone cannot be considered conclusive evidence that living near a waste site is the sole cause for the occurrence of a specific disease. health outcome or descriptive epidemiologic analyses are only an initial step in determining the nature and extent of disease in the community around a site, and what that might mean. if it is decided that a health outcome data analysis should be included in the public health assessment, the team should seek assistance from an epidemiologist knowledgeable in analyzing mortality and morbidity data. every public health assessment should include a brief description of the requirement to consider health outcome ( mortality and morbidity ) data and the reasons why a health outcome data analysis was or was not included in the document. if a health outcome data analysis is included, then the public health assessment should have a concise description of the methodology used and the results and limitations of the analysis. in some cases, biologic data might be available to further define or quantify exposures to site contaminants. biologic data for exposed or potentially exposed populations can provide additional evidence when evaluating potential health effects. depending on the levels detected, it could support or disprove plausible biologic outcomes. site - specific, biologic sampling results must be interpreted with caution. specifically, issues that you and the other experts on your team need to consider include : - biologic data, like environmental data, need to be collected by trained professionals and analyzed in a standard way. - detected levels might not be the result of site - related exposures ( e. g., increased blood lead levels could be the result of lead paint exposures or traditional medicines ). - for chemicals with short biological half - lives, results will likely only represent recent exposures. - the correlation between detected levels and clinical effects might not be understood. - the people tested might not be representative of the exposed population ( i. e., results from a small sample group may not reflect the range in exposures across the entire exposed population ). biologic testing is most commonly conducted using blood or urine samples. however, background or reference ranges for many chemicals in blood or urine have not been well defined. the utility of hair analysis as a biomarker of exposure to environmental contaminants is not well established except for methylmercury ( atsdr 2001b ; harkins and susten 2003 )


urine have not been well defined. the utility of hair analysis as a biomarker of exposure to environmental contaminants is not well established except for methylmercury ( atsdr 2001b ; harkins and susten 2003 ). when biomonitoring data are available, they can provide additional perspective for the health assessor. measured levels can be compared to levels shown in the literature to be associated with overt clinical effects from case studies or more subtle effects that might be inferred from population - based studies. useful information sources on biomarkers include atsdr ' s toxicological profiles ( sections related to biomarkers ) and case studies in environmental medicine. in addition, human exposure data for selected environmental contaminants are being collected as part of the cdc ' s national health and nutrition examination survey ( nhanes ). in 2003, the national center for environmental health reported biomonitoring data for 116 environmental chemicals in the non - institutionalized, civilian u. s. population ( cdc 2003 ). in the future, the list of chemicals will be expanded to include other important environmental contaminants. these data are valuable in comparing an individual ' s exposure to a chemical to exposure levels in the general u. s. population. however, these data only reflect national exposure levels, and they are not indicators of potential adverse health outcomes. health assessors should consult with medical professionals and toxicologists for guidance in interpreting the health significance of biomonitoring data. medical data, such as individual medical reports or logs of health conditions reported by community members, could be presented to atsdr for evaluation in the public health assessment process. this type of data could provide some additional insights to health issues in the site community. but any form of medical data must be used and interpreted with caution. first, if the data are privileged or confidential, precautions must be taken to respect the individual ' s right of privacy ( see chapter 3, section 3. 5 ). second, the documentation of a particular medical condition in an individual ( s ) does not inform you of causes or patterns of disease in the community. it is necessary to identify plausible biologic links between exposure and reported medical concerns. credible reports of illness or disease, along with available health outcome data, can be used to support recommendations for public health actions, such as targeted biologic sampling or a health study. 8. 7 presenting findings in the public health assessment document as you and your team consider the topics highlighted in this chapter, you will face


, can be used to support recommendations for public health actions, such as targeted biologic sampling or a health study. 8. 7 presenting findings in the public health assessment document as you and your team consider the topics highlighted in this chapter, you will face the challenge of integrating and communicating the findings of the analysis in a clear and concise way in the public health assessment document. as mentioned repeatedly, the goal of the in - depth analysis is to put site - specific exposures into perspective. this requires integrating the exposure and health effects data that have been identified throughout the public health assessment process and describing in qualitative terms those exposures most likely to be of public health concern and most likely to require public health action. as part of this process, you will probably need to integrate conclusions generated by a variety of analyses and, possibly, performed by various specialists. the discussion section of the public health assessment document should include narratives describing the exposures that could be of greatest concern. it should also state clearly those exposures that are not of public health concern. keep the main discussions brief and include only information that will help the reader understand the public health conclusions. the focus should be on the possible health concerns of the potentially exposed populations. do not present a mini - toxicological profile with information that has little relevance to the site or to the exposure situation under discussion ( e. g., describing all physical characteristics of the chemical, all reported adverse effects, etc. ). include in - depth toxicologic evaluations and dose calculations in an appendix, as determined by the information needs of your audience. because sites differ, the emphasis of discussions can vary depending on site - specific conditions. no specific formula can evaluate the range of exposure conditions that might be observed across sites. no specific weighting factors can be assigned to each factor considered throughout the analysis. the process is one of judgment. still, use of the guidance presented throughout this chapter and, when assimilating the findings of the analysis, consideration of the following questions will help ensure the scientific evidence is explained in a clear and consistent manner across sites. you will be building on information from other steps in the public health assessment process. - what pieces of evidence were used in the analysis and why? describe exposure conditions ( see chapters 5, 6, and 7 ) and health effects data. tie in exposure condition information that might provide additional perspective ( e. g., how exposure levels compare to background and the likelihood of exposures ). explain all assumptions used to estimate site - specific doses ( see chapter 7


) and health effects data. tie in exposure condition information that might provide additional perspective ( e. g., how exposure levels compare to background and the likelihood of exposures ). explain all assumptions used to estimate site - specific doses ( see chapter 7 ). identify the overall availability of pertinent health effects data for the substance and pathway of concern. - what information evaluated by the site team will help provide dose perspective? describe how site - specific exposure levels compare to observed health effect levels reported in relevant studies. consider possible acute and chronic adverse health effects. where possible and appropriate, present ranges of effect levels reported in the literature. - what site - or substance - specific factors might affect the ultimate toxic potential of the substances of interest ( e. g., bioavailability, persistence in the environment, interaction with other substances )? highlight any factors identified during your exposure or health effects evaluations that might make a particular exposure more or less likely. for example, explain why the presence of a particular metal in soil is not expected to be bioavailable and therefore unlikely to cause harm. on the other hand, explain why long - term exposures to detected levels of pcbs in fish, for example, might, under site - specific conditions, warrant more concern. - are there any populations that might be at increased risk? at a minimum, your document should have a stand - alone section describing child health issues. carefully examine demographic information for particular groups on or near the site who, based on your review of substance - specific information, might be especially sensitive to toxic effects. any suspected high - risk groups should be specifically identified in the public health assessment report. where possible quantify the number and proximity of people in high - risk populations, recognizing that such information might not be readily available. - what conclusions can be drawn looking at the overall site - and substance - specific information? depending upon site - specific exposure conditions, you and your team will have a variety of information to sort through and pull together. ultimately, you will need to make a qualitative judgment about the direction in which the available information leads you. that is, how strong is the evidence suggesting the potential for harm compared to that suggesting no potential for harm? as mentioned earlier, finding a definite answer to whether a harmful effect will occur is generally not possible. again, your jobto the extent possibleis to put the exposures in perspective. this will enable you and the site team to identify those exposures, if any, that warrant further public health action ( see


effect will occur is generally not possible. again, your jobto the extent possibleis to put the exposures in perspective. this will enable you and the site team to identify those exposures, if any, that warrant further public health action ( see chapter 9 ). - how do missing information or uncertainties limit the conclusions that can be drawn? the strengths, weaknesses, and uncertainties of contributing evidence should be highlighted and organized to support your public health conclusions. clearly state those instances when, because of weak or missing exposure or health effects data, an answer is not possible. be as explicit as possible about why exposure levels are or are not expected to be a potential problem. for example, do not state that " groundwater contaminant exposure levels were too low to be of health concern. " instead, indicate that " exposures to detected groundwater contaminants are not expected to result in adverse health effects because dose estimates were 5, 000 to 10, 000 times lower than those shown to cause harmful effects in both human and experimental animal studies. " qualifying terms such as " low " or " high " by providing a comparison will help provide perspective. also, state any assumptions used in your dose estimates ( e. g., ingestion rates, exposure duration ). the two hypothetical scenarios presented below help illustrate the concepts presented in this chapter, including sample narratives. the first example offers a somewhat exaggerated set of conditions to emphasize the components of an in - depth analysis and the decision - making process. the second example presents a scenario in which exposure doses fall closer to observed effect levels, but in the past only ; it illustrates the way in which observations and uncertainties would be communicated. alexander m. 2000. aging, bioavailability, and overestimation of risk from environmental pollutants. environ sci technol 34 ( 20 ). atsdr. 1993. cancer policy framework. atlanta : us department of health and human services. http : / / www. atsdr. cdc. gov / cancer. html. january 1993. atsdr. 1998. promoting children ' s health, progress report of the child health workgroup, board of scientific counselors, 1998 - 1999. atsdr 1999a. toxicological profile for uranium. atlanta : us department of health and human services. september 1999. atsdr. 1999b. child health : guidance for the preparation of toxicological profiles. atlanta : us department of health and human services. july 1999. atsdr. 2000.


: us department of health and human services. september 1999. atsdr. 1999b. child health : guidance for the preparation of toxicological profiles. atlanta : us department of health and human services. july 1999. atsdr. 2000. toxicological profile for arsenic. atlanta : us department of health and human services. september 2000. atsdr. 2001a. guidance manual for the assessment of joint toxic action of chemical mixtures. atlanta : us department of health and human services. draft for public comment. february 2001. atsdr. 2001b. summary report. hair analysis panel discussion : exploring the state of the science. prepared by eastern research group, inc. for atsdr. atlanta : us department of health and human services. http : / / www. atsdr. cdc. gov / hac / hair _ analysis /. december 2001. atsdr. 2002. case studies in environmental medicine. pediatric environmental health. us department of health and human services. july 2002. bogdanffy ms, daston g, faustman em, kimmel ca, kimmel gl, seed j, and vu v. 2001 harmonization of cancer and noncancer risk assessment : proceedings of a consensus - building workshop. toxicological sciences 61 : 18 - 31. calabrese ej. 1986. age and susceptibility to toxic substances. new york : j. h. wiley and sons. calabrese ej. 1994. high - risk population groups. protecting those with genetic predisposition to adverse effects following exposure to chemicals. occupational medicine. third edition. c. zenz, ob dickerson, and ep horvath, jr., editors. mosby - year book, inc. st. louis, misssouri. pp 800 - 12. cdc. national health and nutrition examination survey ( nhanes ). centers for disease control and prevention. macrobutton htmlresanchor http : / / www. cdc. gov / nchs / nhanes. htm centers for disease control and prevention. 2003. second national report on human exposure to environmental chemicals. available at : http : / / www. cdc. gov / exposurereport / 2nd / pdf / secondner. pdf crump ks. 1984. a new method for determining allowable daily intakes. fundam. appl. toxicol. 4 : 854 - 71. epa. 2001. toxicological review of chloroform ( cas 67 -


crump ks. 1984. a new method for determining allowable daily intakes. fundam. appl. toxicol. 4 : 854 - 71. epa. 2001. toxicological review of chloroform ( cas 67 - 66 - 3 ). in support of summary information on the integrated risk information system ( iris ). epa / 635 / r - 01 / 001. october 2001. epa. 2003a. draft final guidelines for carcinogen risk assessment final ( external review draft ). u. s. environmental protection agency, risk assessment forum, washington, dc, ncea - f - 0644a. march 2003. epa. 2003b. supplemental guidance for assessing cancer susceptibility from early - life exposure to carcinogens ( external review draft ). u. s. environmental protection agency, risk assessment forum technical panel, washington, dc, epa / 630 / r - 03 / 003. february 2003. feron vj, jonker d, groten jp, horbach gj, cassee fr, schoen ed, opdam jjg. 1993. combination technology : from challenge to reality. toxicology tribune 14 : 1 - 3. fda. 1993. guidance document for arsenic in shellfish. washington : us department of health and human services, public health service, food and drug administration, center for food safety and applied nutrition. http : / / www. foodsafety. gov / ~ frf / guid - as. html. january 1993. francesconi ka, edmonds js. 1997. arsenic and marine organisms. advances in inorganic chemistry 44 : 147 - 89. gough m. antagonismno synergismin pairwise tests of carcinogens in rats. regulatory toxicology and pharmacology 35 : 383 - 92. groten jp. 2000. mixtures and interactions. food chem toxicol 38 ( 1 suppl ) : s65 hall ej. 2000. radiobiology for the radiologist. philadelphia : lippincott williams and wilkins. hardman, jg, gilman, ag, limbird, le, editors. 1995. goodman and gilman ' s pharmacological basis of therapeutics ( 9th edition ). mcgraw - hill, new york. chapter 1. harkinsdk and susten as. 2003. hair analysis : exploring the state of the science. env health perspect 111 ( 4 ) : 576 - 578. hill


. mcgraw - hill, new york. chapter 1. harkinsdk and susten as. 2003. hair analysis : exploring the state of the science. env health perspect 111 ( 4 ) : 576 - 578. hill ab. 1965. the environment and disease : association or causation? proc r soc med 58 : 295 - 300. jonker d, woutersen ra, van bladeren pj, til hp, and feron vj. 1990. 4 - week toxicity study of a combination of eight chemicals in rats : comparison with the toxicity of the individual compounds. food chem toxicol 28 ( 9 ) : 623 - 631. jonker d, woutersen ra, van bladeren pj, til hp, and feron vj. 1993. subacute ( 4 - week ) oral toxicity of a combination of four nephrotoxins in rats : comparison with the toxicity of the individual compounds. food chem toxicol 31 ( 2 ) : 125 - 136. jorgenson ta, meierhenry ef, rushbrook cj et al. 1985. carcinogenicity of chloroform in drinking water to male osborne - medel rats and female b6c3f1 mice. fundam appl toxicol 5 : 760 - 69. kimmel ca and gaylor dw. 1988. issues in qualitative and quantitative risk analysis for developmental toxicology. risk anal 8 ( 1 ) : 15 - 20. krishnan k, haddad s, beliveau m, and tardif r. 2002. physiological modeling and extrapolation of pharmacokinetic interactions from binary to more complex chemical mixtures. environ health perspect 110 ( suppl 6 ) : 989 - 94. larson jl, wolf dc, butterworth, be. 1994. induced cytotoxicity and cell proliferation in the hepatocarcinogenicty of chloroform in female b6c3f1 mice. comparison of administration by gavage in corn oil vs. ad libitum in drinking water. fundam appl toxicol 23 : 537 - 43. larson jl, templin mv, wolf dc, jamison kc, leininger jr et al. 1996. a 90 - day chloroform inhalation study in female and male b6c3f1 mice : implications for cancer risk assessment. fund


mv, wolf dc, jamison kc, leininger jr et al. 1996. a 90 - day chloroform inhalation study in female and male b6c3f1 mice : implications for cancer risk assessment. fundam appl toxocil 30 ( 1 ) : 118 - 37. mahaffey kr and fowler ba. 1977. effects of concurrent administration of lead, cadmium, and arsenic in the rat. environ health perspect 19 : 165 - 71. rios r, poje gv, detels r. susceptibility to environmental pollutants among minorities. toxicology and industrial health 9 ( 5 ) : 797 - 820. rothman k. 1986. modern epidemiology. boston : little, brown and co. seed j, brown r, olin ss, foran ja. 1995. chemical mixtures : current risk assessment methodologies and future directions. regul toxicol pharmacol 22 : 76 - 94. stacey nh. 1989. toxicity of mixtures of trichloroethylene, tetrachloroethylene, and 1, 1, 1 - trichloroethane : similarity of in vitro and in vivo responses. toxicol ind health 5 ( 3 ) 441 - 450. susser m. 1973. chapter 11 : criteria for judgment. in : susser m. 1973. causal thinking in the health sciencesconcepts and strategies of epidemiology. new york : oxford university press. wade mg, foster wg, younglai ev, mcmahon a, leingartner k et al. 2002. effects of subchronic exposure to a complex mixture of persistent contaminants in male rats : systemic, immune and reproductive effects. toxicol sci 67 : 131 - 43. van sassenbroeck dk, de paepe p, belpaire fm, and buylaert wa. 2003. characterization of the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic interaction between gamma - hydroxybutyrate and ethanol in the rat. toxicol sci 73 : 270 - 8. atsdr science page, presented by the office of the associate administrator for science ( http : / / www. atsdr. cdc. gov / cx. html ), with links to government and non - government scientific resources. national library of medicine ( http : / / www. nlm. nih. gov / databases ) : pubmed and


atsdr. cdc. gov / cx. html ), with links to government and non - government scientific resources. national library of medicine ( http : / / www. nlm. nih. gov / databases ) : pubmed and toxnet epa integrated risk information system ( iris ) ( http : / / www. epa. gov / iris / ), including peer - reviewed toxicologic reviews for selected substances. epa region iii risk information page, including region iii risk - based concentrations ( http : / / www. epa. gov / reg3hwmd / risk / riskmenu / htm ). international agency for research on cancer ( iarc ) monographs ( http : / / monographs. iarc. fr ) national toxicology program ( ntp ) ( http : / / ntp - server. niehs. nih. gov / ) toxicology excellence for risk assessment ( tera ) ( http : / / www. tera. org / ) ottoboni ma, editor. 1991. the dose makes the poison : a plain language guide to toxicology. 2nd ed. new york : nostrand reinhold. atsdr. child health web page. http : / / www. atsdr. cdc. gov / child /. atsdr. 1997. healthy childrentoxic environments. report of the child health workgroup. atlanta : us department of health and human services. bearer c. 1995. how are children different from adults? environ health perspect 103 ( 6 ) : 7 - 12. epa. children ' s environmental health and safety inventory of research ( chehsir ). http : / / www. epa. gov / chehsir. el - masri ha, reardon kf, yang rsh. 1997. integrated approaches for the analysis of toxicologic interactions of chemical mixtures. crit rev toxicol 27 ( 2 ) : 175 - 97. epa. 1986. guidelines for health risk assessment of chemical mixtures. 51 fr 34014. september 24, 1986. groten jp, feron vj, suhnel j. 2001. toxicology of simple and complex mixtures. trends pharmacol sci 22 ( 6 ) : 316 - 22. mumtaz mm, derosa ct, groten j, feron vj, hansen h, durkin pr. 1998. estimation of toxicity of chemical mixtures through modeling of chemical interactions. environ


) : 316 - 22. mumtaz mm, derosa ct, groten j, feron vj, hansen h, durkin pr. 1998. estimation of toxicity of chemical mixtures through modeling of chemical interactions. environ health perspect 106 ( suppl 6 ) : 1253 - 60. mumtaz mm, next re, lichtveld my, lewis cr. 1994. the public health impact of chemicals and chemical mixture by - products at hazardous waste sites. in : andrew js et al., editors. hazardous waste and public health : international congress on the health effects of hazardous waste. princeton : princeton scientific publishing co. pp. 508 - 16. 2 the evaluation of non - cancer and cancer endpoints are described separately in this manual because of the non - cancer / cancer dichotomy used historically in quantitative risk assessment and in the derivation of many health - based screening values. ( see the text box in section 8. 3. 1 for a brief discussion on the movement toward harmonizing the approaches used to evaluate non - cancer and cancer endpoints and its relevance to the in - depth analysis described in this chapter. ) 3 in some cases, the health guideline can be based on benchmark dose " ( bmd ) or " point of departure. " the benchmark dose method involves fitting mathematical models to the available dose - response data ( from single or multiple studies ) and using the results to select a dose associated with a specified low level of risk ( e. g., a 5 % or 10 % increase in the incidence of stomach lesions ). scientists have long recognized the limitations of relying on the noael from a single study when deriving health guideline values ( crump 1984 ; kimmel and gaylor 1988 ). the approach is limited to a single dose within a study and is dependent on study design. it does not account for the variability in the estimate of the dose - response and does not account for the slope of the dose - response curve. 4 see appendix f for further discussion on how epa derives its cancer slope factor and its current approach to cancer risk assessment.


atv safe riding tips atv riding has become very popular for work and recreation, backcountry roads and trail systems provide a wide range of recreational opportunities for responsible riding on public lands. these many opportunities range from atv touring, hiking, hunting, fishing, and other public land uses, such as unconfined vehicle use at designated atv open area parks ". please take good care of our trails and roadways so that others may enjoy these areas for years to come by practicing some of the following actions : - plan ahead. the weather can change rapidly. - carry all necessary supplies including an emergency repair kit, food, water and warm clothing. - develop a supply checklist to include the above items and other equipment such as area maps and guides, protective gear, flashlight, sunscreen, etc. - know what to wear. quality helmets, gloves, boots, goggles and protective clothing will keep you comfortable and help prevent serious injuries. - know your vehicle. keep it in good condition and read the owner ' s manual. - let someone know where you ' re going and when you expect to return. - travel with other people. - know before leaving what to do in an emergency. trail use guidelines - respect all private and public property and the rights of all recreationists to enjoy nature. - park considerately without blocking other vehicles or impeding access to trails. - keep to the right when meeting other recreationists and yield the right - of - way to downhill traffic. - slow down and use caution when approaching or overtaking another. - travel only where motorized vehicles are permitted. - respect designated areas, trail use signs and established ski tracks. stay out of wilderness areas. - do not block the trail when stopping. - do not disturb wildlife. avoid all areas posted for their protection or feeding. - do not litter. pack out everything you pack in. - realize that your destination and travel speed are determined by your equipment, ability, terrain, weather and traffic on the trail. plan accordingly. - do not interfere with or harass others. recognize that people form opinions about all motorized vehicle users based on your actions.


if you haven ’ t made the decision on which replacement heifers to keep or buy, you are probably getting close to reaching a decision. i have had several questions the past few weeks on replacement heifer development and the costs associated with raising or buying them. i found a good article that helps explain turning those heifers into productive cows. i would like to share it with you. if you have any questions about heifer development rations and which minerals work best on growing heifers, contact your aurora cooperative animal nutrition specialist today. april weather and calf scours by meghan anderson april 17, 2012 most spring calving herds in south central nebraska are either calving or finishing up with calving right now. the month of april historically brings large swings in temperature, and even some cool, wet days, both which we have had this year. this type of weather creates conditions ideal for calf scours. what causes calf scours? as new calves arrive, so does the threat of the common condition known as " calf scours " or neonatal calf diarrhea. infectious agents such as viruses and bacteria cause this condition. these agents have the common property of causing loss of water and electrolytes from the calf ' s body. this causes potentially life - threatening dehydration and electrolyte imbalances that can result in death. the diarrhea is the result of a combination of factors including : dose ( number ) of organisms the calf is exposed to, calf immunity ( colostrum ) and stress on the calf. the number of organisms in the calf ' s environment is a result of sanitation or the lack of sanitation - mud, manure and other cattle. the immunity of the calf is dependent on the quality and quantity of colostrum that the calf received from the cow. calves that do not receive adequate colostrum are much more susceptible to disease and are at much greater risk of dying from the resulting diarrhea that occurs. stressful conditions ( low milk production by underfed cows, bad weather, crowding ) further increase the risk of diarrhea in young calves. the balance of all these factors determine if disease occurs and the severity of disease. the biggest management practice to prevent calf scours is to turn pairs out on a clean pasture, and avoid overcrowding. if you have cool season grasses in your summer pastures, turn the pairs out a little early to utilize this forage. this is excellent grazing management also. cows won ’ t eat cool season grasses once they mature.


, and avoid overcrowding. if you have cool season grasses in your summer pastures, turn the pairs out a little early to utilize this forage. this is excellent grazing management also. cows won ’ t eat cool season grasses once they mature. if turning out isn ’ t an option, bed animals with clean straw to provide a clean, dry area for the calves to lie in. also, if possible, avoid overcrowding of pens. i get several phone calls this time of year regarding calf scours. producers sometimes don ’ t know when to treat calf scours. calves running around the pasture with their tails in the air, bucking and kicking with yellow or white diarrhea may not need treatment. the main indications for treatment are general disposition, appetite, dehydration and body temperature. if the calf is weak, depressed, or reluctant to move these are all indications that something is wrong. if the calf is not eating, the cow ’ s udder will be distended and this is sign of trouble also. to develop the right treatment protocol for your herd, visit with your veterinarian. aurora cooperative has feed additives to help with a scouring situation. to find out more about these products, visit with your aurora cooperative animal nutrition specialist. mar. 30, 2012 please click on the above link for this article from m. beefmagazine. com april 2, 2012 time to watch for grass tetany with the fast growing grass in the aurora cooperative trade area, cattlemen need to watch for grass tetany in cowherds. if you haven ’ t started supplementing lactating cows with magnesium, now would be a good time to start. early spring grass is low in magnesium which can lead to deficiency because cows cannot store magnesium and rely on steady intake. also called “ grass staggers, ” affected cows will have a staggering gait. when supplementing magnesium, cows need to consume the mineral on a daily basis. contact your aurora cooperative animal nutrition specialist to find the best way to supplement your cowherd with magnesium to prevent grass tetany. i am including a link to an informative article on grass tetany, courtesy of the purdue university animal science department.


" personal life is the fine flower of life. ” emanuel mounier i. the gist of existentialism personalism might be a popular ideology or at least a household word today if existentialism had not better suited the aversive reaction to the cult of supreme personality that had fostered two massive world wars. whereas personalism emphasizes the social human being, existentialism places the onus on the individual alienated from society, and affords bare existence priority over clothed being. existentialism is an anxiety - bound melange of rationalizations spawned by homelessness, alienation, the meaningless of life and absurdity of death made apparent in the horrors of two world wars systematically fought pursuant to the institution and breakdown of political and economic systems deemed " objective ', " rational ", " reasonable. " not only irrational faith in a personal god but faith in impersonal reason and universal, abstract systems - of - being was also lost when confronted with the disastrous effects of being fanatically rational and reasonable. considering humankind as a whole, it does seem suicidal and therefore unreasonable to murder others ; yet it also seems quite rational to align individuals or divide the population into fractions that murder perceived enemies for the sake of individual and group survival – there is safety in numbers. the term " existentialism " was picked up by the press in a smoky paris jazz cellar from a casual remark made by a jazz singer to a reporter about the " scene " observed by the american tourists flocking to paris in the aftermath of the war. jean paul sartre and other “ existentialists ” dismissed the term at first - they were just philosophizing – but when the label came into vogue, they adopted and employed the appellation much to their advantage. existentialism as they described it includes especially the notion that the particular individual must be solely responsible individual for his own thinking instead of relying on habitual culture or rationalized systems of being ; but existentialists seek the impossible, for language itself is a social tool dependent on and responsive to the will of others. existentialism is not a system at all, but is more or less an anxious and absurd reflection of the human predicament, particularly the predicament of a man ' s individuality made obvious by the disturbing fact of death. indeed, any sort of systematic existentialist thought put forward by a so - called existentialist would contradict the very premise of existentialism – thus did sartre, for example, strive never to repeat


by the disturbing fact of death. indeed, any sort of systematic existentialist thought put forward by a so - called existentialist would contradict the very premise of existentialism – thus did sartre, for example, strive never to repeat himself. the subject of existentialism abstracted from human personality, the subject that is individual human existence as distinct from and prior to human being, is the broadest of subjects, the subject of all subjects subjected to particular existence. kierkegaard appropriately called abstracted individuality the “ category of one. ” being and existence somehow converge in the category of one. the category of one is presumably a general term for particulate being or qualitative individual existence, as if objects stripped of their predicates still had a quality in common – “ existence ” – but still remain unique in themselves. we might revert to leibniz and speculate on independent existences as windowless monads that are identical but for number, yet, although identically constituted, somehow have slightly different perceptions. suffice it to say that the category of one is incomprehensible hence is compatible with irrationality ; the non - categorical category of absolute individual freedom has no relation to hence no dependence for its category on others ; thus is existentialism is non - systematic, indefinite, and irrational despite the volumes of rationalizations that justify it. a perceived individual or particular is a unique coincidence of universal qualities had in common by many particulars, qualities that “ survive ” the individuals involved, so to speak ; the qualities are sorts of general beings that have no perceivable existence absent their coincidence in particular objects. the uniqueness of individuals, needless to say, does not preclude their being typecast according to their similarities, thus they are accorded with a higher, more conceptual being. but denuded existence, or the conception of existents stripped of the qualitative predicates necessary for being, is virtually nothing and unknowable to boot. christian existentialism, for instance, is a contradiction in terms ; christians in need of an seemingly objective standard or external authority in order to prolong isolated or “ freed ” subjective individuality beyond the inevitable fate of all individuals, death, project the vague qualitative impressions of the fleeting willful self within onto a screen : the eternal subject external, the immortal subject of subjects, the unknown self - god painted large, the divine individualist crucified by existence in the world. but then the


qualitative impressions of the fleeting willful self within onto a screen : the eternal subject external, the immortal subject of subjects, the unknown self - god painted large, the divine individualist crucified by existence in the world. but then the christian existentialist has placed being before denuded existence, and in the form of a social creature, a human being, thus slips from existentialism to personalism. yet here the human being is still alienated from the supreme being although reflecting it. as boethius said, “ nothing is said to be because it has matter, but because it has distinctive form. but the divine substance is form without matter, and therefore one, and is its own essence. but other things are not simply their own essences. for each thing has its being from the things of which it is composed. the pure form “ is truly one in which is no number, in which nothing is present except its own essence, ” of “ god that differs from god in no respect, ” and “ where there is no difference there is no sort of plurality and accordingly no number ; here therefore is unity alone ….. ” precisely how this being differs from nothing is unclear, but like the category of one that is said to be individual existence before being, the being before existence strips or alienates the godly person from material existence, and it remains to be seen how this person really exists at all. however that might be, long before the term ' existentialism ' was coined, the abstract yet irrational subject of individual subjective existence was considered to be unlimited by or even antithetical to grandiose systems - of - being such as those cranked out by theologians and the likes of hegel and marx. indeed, we have a history of centuries of alienation, freedom, irresponsibility, guilt, despair, and dire circumstances of persecution unto death, not to mention other factors of enormous interest to today ' s existentialists. ii. the gist of personalism personalism shares existentialism ’ s concern with the plight of the existent individual ; the rhetoric is similar is several respects. yet we may draw a convenient distinction to posit that personalism is the hopeful affirmation of the absolute value of the socially organized human personality, in contradistinction to existentialism ’ s pessimistic denial of the virtue of socially organized being. personalism ’ s social optimism is not the positive mental attitude of the bourgeois towards the rational organization of economic mass man for production


, in contradistinction to existentialism ’ s pessimistic denial of the virtue of socially organized being. personalism ’ s social optimism is not the positive mental attitude of the bourgeois towards the rational organization of economic mass man for production and consumption. shortly before the great war, optimistic leaders at international peace conferences declared that free trade between countries had rendered war obsolete ; for, they argued, unprofitable war would certainly be self - destructive hence insane. but self - destruction is the unconscious motive for war. of what avail is it to tell angry competitive men, for whom economic trade is an unsatisfactory surrogate for war, that the murder of particular enemies is on the whole a form of mass suicide no matter who wins or loses? the enemy, sayeth the prophets, are the rods of god, thus does the death instinct serve the god of death and relieve the swarm of its crowded stress that the remainder can begin anew with more elbow room. once the ground is leveled, the survivors clutch their bibles, glorify their god, and the say ‘ never again ’ during the reconstruction period ; but once prosperity sets in, bibles are laid aside and the golden calves are reestablished on altars for a repeat performance. emmanuel mounier, a pioneering personalist of catholic disposition who took refuge in vichy france, where he was involved in the moral indoctrination of youth, had this to say of the vicious cycle wherein the cheap, hypocritical optimism of having a positive mental attitude no matter what transpires plays an important role when business is done as usual before the next apocalypse : " but our countries, devastated by weariness, now need the builders of hopes and duties. i have developed the theme of triumphant history, because it is the christian view of history, not in order to make the plethoric christians feel more at ease than the cavaliers of anathema and scorn. perhaps tomorrow we shall be invaded by worse than barbarians, by babbitts, with crucifixes of gold, teeth of gold, and hearts of gold, coming to preach their new theologals in a big way : optimism, good temper and philanthropy, which can be achieved much more easily, we know, through using the right toothpaste, well - adjusted foundations and a parker pen, than through the word of god. then once more we shall need those great sombre voices. " personalism is essentially conservative and at odds with modernism and the unrestrained


using the right toothpaste, well - adjusted foundations and a parker pen, than through the word of god. then once more we shall need those great sombre voices. " personalism is essentially conservative and at odds with modernism and the unrestrained advancement of objectivist science. “ material ” science, with its emphasis on analytical thought, its obsession with breaking everything down into bytes and bits, disintegrates the various social masks upon which dynamic human intercourse depends, reducing the human being to the status of a bare unit, a programmed, windowless monad whose program gives him cause to perceive that his existence is independent, while, at the same time, responsible. ironically, he has been thoroughly socialized in the totalitarian sense. nothing stands between him and the political - economic dictatorship. so devoted is he to rational production and consumption that he has little or no time left for clan or club or community ; as for the nuclear family, it is an empty vestige of the productive institution it once was. not only has science dispelled belief in spirits, gods and other mythical entities, but its mechanical way of thinking if taken to its logical conclusion would transform nature and man into machines. thus god, nature, and man are dead. yet if a man were acting like a machine, we would deem him insane ; providing, however, that we were not machines ourselves - in which case his behavior would seem normal. wherefore we must revitalized and restore the human person - the social human being. this person is at least metaphysical or spiritual if not " divine. " biological evolution and scientific progress are irrelevant in the personal context : in that context, only the person is real ; the rest is mere phenomena. our thoughts about the phenomenal world may or may not be valid, but reasoning will never disclose the ultimate foundation of reality or nature ; for thought itself is phenomenal, and being is prior to thought. a being, say, a human being, then, is always more than and prior to a thought. personality has an individuality or existent aspect, but it is one shaped by society : the individual human being is naturally a social, thinking, rational and reasoning creature. theological personalism - in contrast to anarcho - christian protestations of anarchic individuality represented by an arbitrary, divine anarchist, avers that the ultimate reality of the world is a divine person who sustains the universe by a continuous act of creative will. for emmanuel mounier, that incarnate god or christ


prehistoric times. even people who fervently believe in abstract existents denuded of personal qualities tend to imitate personal models and behave according to their socially derived personal biases and prejudices – camus depicted the typical atheist of his day, who fell down on his knees and prayed to god in secret when he felt his life was at stake. despite the many professions to the contrary, personality is the ultimate reality for personalists. mundane personalism strives for the full awareness and understanding of the human condition so that an happy accord may be realized between the universal we and the particular i, or the person as the synthesis of individual existence with the socialized individuals or persons it introjects from its environment during the course of its development towards being an ideal human being in existence ; that is to say, in a philosophical phrase, the human concrete universal, or, in theological terms, god incarnate. personalism therefore is not contemporary individualism : " individualism is a system of... mutual isolation and defense, ” mounier explained. “ man in the abstract... the sovereign lord of a liberty unlimited and undirected, turning towards others with a primary mistrust, calculation and self - vindication ; institutions restricted to the assurance that these egoisms should not encroach upon one another, or to their betterment as a purely profit making association.... ( personalism ) is opposed to contemporary individualism. personal man is not desolate, he is man surrounded, on the move, under summons.... it is the primal sin of the west to have departed dangerously from the original truth. " nor is personalism other - worldly : " it is not affirmed outside the world or separately from the other, but against the impersonal world of the ' one ', the world of irresponsibility and flight, of lethal slumber, amusements, ideologies and chatter, it asserts the world of responsibility, presence, of effort, of ' abundance. ' " personalism, according to mounier, is a form of communion : " there is one affirmation that is common to all personalist philosophies... that the basic impulse in a world of persons is not the isolated perception of self ( cogito ) nor the egocentric concern for self... but the communication of consciousness.... we should prefer to call it the communication of existence, existence with the other, perhaps we should say co -


isolated perception of self ( cogito ) nor the egocentric concern for self... but the communication of consciousness.... we should prefer to call it the communication of existence, existence with the other, perhaps we should say co - existence. " iii. religious implications of personal existence we find nothing fundamentally novel in the modern personalism that places being before existence and thus emphasizes social being over the individual existence or existential aspect of the personal unity we call a person. the late polish pope was certainly conservative of the ancient personal tradition ; his admirers may be unfamiliar with the term, personalism, yet the pope, whom they consider qualified for personal sainthood at his death, was committed to formal personalism early on in his intellectual career. and the ancient eastern orthodox church has as a matter of course taken religion personally ; that is, as a religious commune of individuals who have their personal identify in the divine person of jesus the christ. hindus have enjoyed a lively dialectic on the personal or impersonal nature of the divine subject of subjects for many centuries. religious personalists insist that persons can only have genuine and effective faith in personal deities or in supreme personal being. they claim that impersonalists, who roundly deny the reality of personal deities, are in fact atheists. the invocation of the sri isopanisad, purportedly the essential verse of the variegated hindu religion, of ultimate importance since it seems to indicate that people would presumably overlook their differences and be at peace if only everyone would realize that everyone and everything is part and parcel of the infinite, has become the main bone of contention on that point : om purnam adah purnam idam purnaat purnam udacyate. purnasya purnam aadaaya, purnam eva vashishyate the gita society ( www. gita - society. com ) publishes this translation : that is infinite, this is infinite ; from that infinite this infinite comes. from that infinite, this infinite removed or added : infinite remains infinite. this purport follows : brahman is limitless, infinite number of universes come out and go into the infinite brahman, brahman remains unchanged. if we assume that numbers do not exist in themselves but are merely invented counting terms of a contrived mathematical language, then the insertion of the numerical concept in the purport to demonstrate the being of an ideal infinite super - reality abstracted from material existence is problematic, for there would be


themselves but are merely invented counting terms of a contrived mathematical language, then the insertion of the numerical concept in the purport to demonstrate the being of an ideal infinite super - reality abstracted from material existence is problematic, for there would be nothing in that infinite sphere to count. at first glance we find nothing particularly religious in the original verse, unless religion is the exaltation of the abstract idea of the infinite or unlimited, which can indeed be expressed metaphorically as the mathematical concept of the infinite series ; it is not difficult to conceive that there is an infinite number of odd numbers within the infinite series of numbers. infinity is certainly not a conception beyond the reach of mere mortals, for something is always beyond our grasp ; we always want something more than what can be had : so when we think of an object, even the universe, we think there must be something beyond it, perhaps more universes, ad infinitum. if the infinite is the unlimited deity, then we might hold that the adoration of any particular form besides the metaphysical form named by an arbitrary term ( e. g., the infinite ) is sacrilegious idolatry. there may be an infinite or countless number of finite things to dispose of, but infinity itself, which transcends every particular thing, is not finite. one might say that infinity is the feeling of something more to be had, something besides what is grasped and apprehended, the unsatisfied want or desire for complete satisfaction that constitutes the essential disatisfaction of existential life ; for each instantiated life would persevere forever without impedence if only it could, and thus be unlimited power. each thing would want for nothing and no thing would stand in another ’ s way ; in time, every other installation would be consumed by an existent ’ s absolute power, and likewise for each other instance – in fact all things do perish, but they perish variously in differing instants of time. individual identity depends on relationship. mr. & mrs. jones say they want to be one with one another in marriage, yet once in holy wedlock both complain that they cannot be their true selves because they have lost their identities to each other. if they were in fact identical, they would not have their separate identities, and in fact they need each other and others to be themselves. by virtue of their individual existence they are moved to fly apart. yet the two may, instead, because they abhor the isolation within


identical, they would not have their separate identities, and in fact they need each other and others to be themselves. by virtue of their individual existence they are moved to fly apart. yet the two may, instead, because they abhor the isolation within which they would each, standing alone, as social creatures be worthless or unwholesome ( not sane ), work to make inherent strife harmonious, that their differences be concerted in the composition of a mutual personal relationship transcending occasional discordance and cacophony. and that ideal marriage would be naturally motivated - although its ultimate success would require personal education of the existential motive - for each existent would not perish, and to that end it seeks temporal refuge in relationships with others. although intimacy is lost in the crowd, safety is found in numbers greater than one, and the more the better. hence the whole is called good. absolute safety in an infinite number compounded is thought best. that ideal security might be called infinity or supreme being ; as a relationship between socialized individual existents, namely, persons, the whole that is greater than its parts might be projected as supreme personality. but compound things are bound to disintegrate, for each particulate as such is, in the final analysis, fated to strive for independence or absolute power over the others and the whole to the best of its ability, and to perish in the process. even harmonious strife will eventually bring the particulates as they exist to an end, as if they must die for one another that each may live. but if each arrived at the same conclusion at once in the one, nothing finite would remain ; call it not - finite or infinite nothingness, if you please. that is to say, the apocalypse would uncover nothing. everyone might set aside multiplicity at once to end the war over differences ; they might then “ enjoy ” absolute peace, but the death of the struggle for life would be beyond celebration, wherefore we are naturally moved to struggle against total assimilation and to take pains to enjoy some independence. wherefore the wave prays to the ocean to protect it from the other waves. understanding the very process that seemingly makes fools out of us might move us to make sport of war and to take to the arenas instead of the killing fields. variety is indeed the spice of life. a little girl in a pink blouse with the word sweet embroidered across its front appeared with her mother at the starbucks on south pointe – the south end of miami beach. she had


arenas instead of the killing fields. variety is indeed the spice of life. a little girl in a pink blouse with the word sweet embroidered across its front appeared with her mother at the starbucks on south pointe – the south end of miami beach. she had her mom ’ s facial features and her dour expression as well. her mother got her a glazed donut, a bottle of orange juice, and a plastic cup of ice. as the tot chewed on her donut, without much interest despite her serious countenance, her mom offered her orange juice from the plastic bottle ; but she reached for the ice instead, picked up and popped a cube in her mouth. instead of pouring the juice into the container with the ice, her mother starting dropping cubes into the bottle, as if to show her child what should be done with ice cubes if picked up one by one. but the girl did not have that objective : she insisted on pressing the plastic lid on the bottle ; then she took another ice cube from the glass and popped it into her mouth, whereupon her face lit up with delight. she did not want the liquid ; she wanted the ice : she appreciated the sensational difference of form, and no doubt she appreciated the fact that she had obtained it for herself. again, nothing in particular would exist without differences ; nothing exists within the simple unity and absolute self - identity of the perfect wholeness sometime called the final cause or the end for which all things were created and in which they are presumably perfected and therefore have their truth and beauty ; to wit : good. all existents in unity have hypothetically canceled each other out ; nothing but infinity remains once the vanities are consumed by the bonfire ; but that would be nothing in itself, which is to say nothing in particular. on the verge of the abyss, then, we might say “ from nothing to nothing ” instead of “ from dust to dust. ” we find variations of such nonsensical nihilism or idiotic iconoclasm at the esoteric or occluded core of several religions. religious ascetics whose sacrificial religion constitutes the good death or virtual suicide, and who identify absolute being with nothingness, might deny the charge of negativity by stating that the affirmation of what is tantamount to nothing is in fact an affirmation of the all ; for example : empty space is the positive permanent fact ; the forms of space are ephemeral negations. in any event one might want


. absolute power might be personified as an almighty god and named brahma. but that would be a waste of breath according to other scholars, for the brahman found in the vedas is not eternal or immutable but is said to be “ carpented ” or made. according to hindu lore, the personification of brahman, brahma, was the first created living being. accordingly, brahma does not get the attention or reverence due to an almighty god, not even from his wife, who considers him as her subordinate in one context. indeed, brh might have been made by ma, she who draws out or gives birth to “ breathing ” things – maya is at once the maker, the making, and the made. now brh might also mean “ swelling ”, as in the swelling of “ breath ” or speech, or “ formation ” and “ formulation ” ; wherefore our strongest power might be the creative power that formed the one verse or universe in one breath, perforce in a big bang from a non - dimensional point. such an incredible inflation presents a paradox or riddle to this very day – the term barh, incidentally, means “ riddle. ” such enigmas are best presented by poets in poetic form. we might imagine brahma as the poet who utters the universe as a poem ; vishnu maintains the verse by chanting it ; siva finishes it when he decapitates brahma. of course there is quite a debate as to this illusory process of creation, maintenance, and destruction. the riddling contest is called brahmodya ; it is a life or death ritual because the maintenance of life above and below depends on it. the loser must submit to becoming the disciple of the brahmin who wins the contest, or else lose his head. the winners inhabit brahman, “ the highest heaven of speech. ” now the intellectuals are at leisure to ponder at length and to weave finer and finer abstractions out of nothing and mount the metaphysical ladder or chain of being to the vacuum of being - in - itself, where they have their faith in supreme being, which is indistinguishable from nothing, the vulgar lot below, who are given to working for their living or who do not want to wither away chained to their computers at the tops of towers, have cause to believe that the highly educated brahmins, no matter how pure they might be, are in fact atheists. what is sorely needed is an exoteric and practical


wither away chained to their computers at the tops of towers, have cause to believe that the highly educated brahmins, no matter how pure they might be, are in fact atheists. what is sorely needed is an exoteric and practical religion ; a material religion with representative objects to adore ; a personal model, if you please, for the vulgar masses. a totemic idol, say a black bull or golden calf or redheaded jackass will not suffice : only a perfect person will serve the purpose of realizing completion of the whole as god - headed good. yes, a perfected human person, a supreme being, an absolute power incarnate might do very well. but how could that be that if the essence of that or the being of being has no delimiting form or positive definition? we are confronted with an absurd riddle if not the vanity of human vanities, the sort of contradiction that luther liked to confidently refer to as “ one of god ’ s mysteries. ” for example, in hinduism we are confronted with krishna. the mystery is further compounded by those who claim that the cosmos is really the body brahman created out of itself, which is nothing in particular ; and if we substract that finite creation, we are somehow left with the universal infinite form, that of the famed person, krishna, who would seem to be, at least to an ignoramus, a formless form or nothing at all that can somehow, nevertheless, take fantastic personal form on our planet. the gita society puts it this way : ” after taking away the infinite creation from the infinite brahman during the creative cycle or adding infinite universes to the infinite brahman during the great dissolution, the infinite brahman remains in his infinite universal form. this can be mathematically expressed as infinity, plus or minus infinity, equals infinity. this infinite universal form of krishna, the brahman, was revealed to arjuna and is described in the eleventh chapter of the bhagavad - gita in great detail. ” how the infinite brahman wound up as an he, instead of a she or s / he or it, to begin with, we do not know as of yet. how a form might remain after the forms of the universe are subtracted remains a mystery – we might suppose the possibility of a formless form, whose gender is merely metaphorically male, a he who may be described in detail when he appears on earth to tell warriors it is their duty to make war even against


subtracted remains a mystery – we might suppose the possibility of a formless form, whose gender is merely metaphorically male, a he who may be described in detail when he appears on earth to tell warriors it is their duty to make war even against their own relatives because that is what warriors are ordained to do – we are mindful of the fact that the cause is ethical, for the society our enemies fight for is decadent and dissolute, as the brahmins who sanction war know very well. suffice it to say that brahman may be considered as a fictional persona, a mask over reality, as it were, analogous to a man ’ s personality, a mask worn by, say, brahma, the primordial living being, who is analogous to the super man who composes the constituent castings of humankind - his feet are the lowest caste of people, the sudras, his head the highest class, the brahmins. how brahman can be a presumably subordinated form of krishna, allegedly the supreme personality of godhead, is a question only bona fide spiritual masters can answer appropriately. and answer they must, for the most of us are left clutching at thin air despite the mention of the being of a divine personality. a. c. bhaktivedanta swami prabhupada, founder of the international society for krishna consciousness, examined the invocation to sri isopanisad and declared that om literally means, “ the complete whole, and purnam means, “ perfectly complete. ” he is not satisfied to leave it at that, and goes on to discuss the traditional implications. he rejects the obvious meaning, that, since no persons were mentioned, the deity must be impersonal. he says the sanskrit words ‘ sri isopanisad ’ means “ the knowledge that brings one nearer to the supreme person, krishna. “ he identifies “ brahman ” as eternal existence. in that impersonal sense, brahman alone is insufficient for the hari krishna swami and his followers ; although they do celebrate arjuna on the warpath, bhakti yoga, the path of love, is their path to the union with the godhead ; they would be conscious of their dance and blissfully blessed in it. so the ‘ prab ’ the acarya rendered this interpretative translation of the verse : “ the personality of godhead is perfect and complete, and because he is completely perfect, all emanations from him, such as this phenomenal


. so the ‘ prab ’ the acarya rendered this interpretative translation of the verse : “ the personality of godhead is perfect and complete, and because he is completely perfect, all emanations from him, such as this phenomenal world, are perfectly equipped as complete wholes. whatever is produced of the complete whole is also complete in itself. he is the complete whole, even though so many complete units emanate from him, he remains the complete balance. ” “ realization of impersonal brahman or paramatma, the supersoul, ” prabhupada explains in his ‘ purport ’, “ is incomplete realization of the absolutely complete. the supreme personality of godhead is sac - cid - ananda - vigraha. realization of impersonal brahman is realization of his sat feature, or his aspect of eternity, and paramatma realization is the realization of his sat [ existence ] and cit [ consciousness ] features, his aspects of eternity and knowledge. but realization of the personality of godhead is the realization of all the transcendental features – sat, cit, and ananda, bliss. when one realizes the supreme person, he realizes these aspects of the absolute truth in their completeness. vigraha means “ form. ” thus the complete whole is not formless. ” the impersonalists speak of an infinite number of finite things, and hold that human beings can rest peacefully as replicated common denominators of the common denomination called infinity ; they are somehow comforted by knowing there is no fundamental difference between the waves in the ocean, or between the material forms of energy ; fundamentally speaking, a cow, a man, a rock and a tree are the same. in fine, thou art that, so stop fighting it, just accept it. but contemporary western culture would rather demolish the traditional forms or render them into commercialized relics in order to accept each other as equals in mutual animosity and make a profit to boot. once the war of democracy on the world is won and the booty distributed according to merit rather than privileged rank, everyone shall presumably live most complaisantly. the disintegration of traditional cultural modes is graphically represented by the iconoclastic assault on the old art forms that paid ample respect to common human beings if not allegorical or divine persons. art became increasingly abstract, and eventually the order or structures abstracted fell under the iconoclasts ’ hammers, until the art world


assault on the old art forms that paid ample respect to common human beings if not allegorical or divine persons. art became increasingly abstract, and eventually the order or structures abstracted fell under the iconoclasts ’ hammers, until the art world was converted to a post - modern anti - art world, a veritable junkyard or trash heap where ‘ thou art that ’ means the individual is a junkyard dog. the only value remaining was the subjective appreciation of junk, perchance expressed idiotically as an absurd concept that nobody understands, particularly the anti - artist, whose popularity is determined randomly as each rebel contends to be more original or idiosyncratic than the next rebel, not understanding that the their rebellion is stultifying conformity with the status quo of the junkyard. no particular production is really worthy of praise or blame, not according to the dictum, “ art is not right or wrong. ” everything has equal moral value or is amoral, and this is all very democratic and seemingly peaceful and tolerable until the bombs start exploding at home – democracies thrive on wars abroad to tame anarchism at home, and are inherently imperialistic in their pre - emption of competition. underneath the appearance of peaceful existence in substantial equality lurks an alienated crowd of potential suicide - bombers who would be glad to finally settle any remaining differences between people. all this would be perfectly acceptable to someone who recognized the supreme impersonal being in it all, for such is life and one might as well enjoy it. swami prabhupada also believed that peace could be found in the complete whole, but only if it were a supreme person. a human personality, in contrast to the ‘ personalities ” of animals, is a cooperative fabrication learned and in part fashioned by individuals – hence we use the term “ person ” in the sense that a person is a synthesis of individual existence and social being. for swami prabhupada, the person of persons, or supreme person, seen by arjuna as krishna, was the ultimate or transcendent reality of personal life. people who believe civilization causes their discontent may want to revert to wild - animal life, figuratively speaking, they would fain don an animal mask and dance around their totemic fetish. at least there would be no sin, then, in fighting over the kill and its scraps. “ men face one another in enmity and snarl just like cats and dogs, ” observed swami prabhupada in his


of being social, a system of relatively defined good and evil, but chooses his or her existence or self, or at least all subsidiary choices are meant to obtain that “ selfish ” end, an end compatible with certain protesting forms of christianity, where the eternal salvation of the individual self and the will to endure forever of the existent meet and embrace. iv. existentialist godfather soren kierkegaard ( 1813 - 1855 ) is the godfather of the anti - systematic movement of thought we call existentialism. his corpus elevates the arrogant individual to divinity and therefore gives us due cause to pause and distinguish between existentialism and personalism, a less well - known response to the horrors of the two world wars. the subject of existentialism, the individual existent, when socialized, is a person. the person, the socialized individual, is a synthetic system. while existentialism focuses on the individual, personalism emphasizes the socialized individual. indeed, its adherents may go so far as to claim that the person is a blessed spiritual substance. for example, karol wojtyla ( the late john paul ii ), confronted with the despairing and anxious mental processes of war - shocked intellectuals whose main concern was their dreadful existence as alienated individuals, worked to rejuvenate the conception of the substantial person in his early work, the acting person. as a devout catholic, he undoubtedly had a universal model in mind ; that is to say, a supreme personal model people could systematically imitate and identify with rather than losing themselves speculating on an incomprehensible unknown god or impersonal force. a number of existentialists, all too familiar with the crimes against humanity fomented by charismatic personalities, abhorred the cult of personality in any shape or form, and they decried the “ rational ” systems of thinking and corresponding ways of acting that had apparently led to widespread havoc and panic instead of a new world order. many but not all existentialists were atheists. some christians among them were “ protesting ” christians if not philosophical anarchists. after all, soren kierkegaard, existentialist godfather, studied for the lutheran ministry and was in effect an independent danish theologian. most of all, existentialists are supposed to hate systems – kierkegaard believed intricate systems of thought were big lies leading the world to ruin. the greatest existentialists systematically decried systems at length. their literature often interchanged the term “ person ” with “ individual, ” but


to hate systems – kierkegaard believed intricate systems of thought were big lies leading the world to ruin. the greatest existentialists systematically decried systems at length. their literature often interchanged the term “ person ” with “ individual, ” but make no mistake about it, inasmuch as the person is a social system, anti - systematic thinkers would rid the world of that fictional entity along with the lies of the establishment. but the reduction of the person to a supposedly “ responsible ” individual would unwittingly leave him, in his discontent, vulnerable to the charismatic likes of mussolini and hitler. thus do we notice that some of the philosophical notions of the existentialists who survived world war ii resembled in some instances the ideology of the enemy – not that the existentialists knowingly or willingly collaborated with the occupiers. of course, the same might be said of personalists – after the war was over, the ranks of the resistance swelled dramatically. in any case, one cannot get rid of the vulgar person and still communicate effectively. although kierkegaard ’ s contempt for society led him to prefer the abstract individual or “ category of one ” behind imperfect personal masks, he preferred to project his inner conflicts and conceal his self - contradictions and hypocrisy by speaking indirectly through several personifications : his thought - provoking either / or, for instance, is presented as a conversational work of fiction involving fictional persons, and not as a direct philosophical tome in the form of a coherent system of thought. prominent existentialists deliberately tried to popularize their abstract philosophy by presenting it in fictional form, in plays and novels, behind which their fundamental incoherence would be hidden by the obvious absurdity of characteristic life. albert camus, for instance, who admired kierkegaard, is best known as the philosopher of the absurd ; he noted in his diary that a good novelist must be a philosopher. jean paul sartre and others followed suit. philosophers have traditionally identified the highest good if not god with social goodness ; however, as far as kierkegaard was concerned, an ethical man had no choice but to choose himself, the penultimate good ; the religious man worshiped the unknown god, his ultimate good ; while the aesthete was a sort of pantheist, finding his good in anything he pleased. we concoct three equations for kierkegaard ’ s three types. for the aesthete, the relative : i am that multiplicity. for the


was a sort of pantheist, finding his good in anything he pleased. we concoct three equations for kierkegaard ’ s three types. for the aesthete, the relative : i am that multiplicity. for the ethical, the duality : i am not that world. for the religious, the absolute : i am i. we shall see that kierkegaard ’ s distinction between the ethical and religious realms was in vain. despite his assertion that the ethical man chooses his true self instead of creating it from scratch, his fondness for the individual reveals the individual, as an abstract “ category of one ”, as the indefinite or infinite wherefore unknown i - god, the yhwh or i - am of yore. " only when i absolutely choose myself, ” wrote kierkegaard, “ do i infinitize myself absolutely, for i myself am the absolute for only myself can i choose absolutely, and the absolute choice of myself is my freedom, and only when i have absolutely chosen myself have i posited an absolute difference, the difference, that is to say, between good and evil.... the good... being in and of itself, and this is freedom.... it is... not so much a question of choosing between willing the good or the evil, as of choosing to will, but by this in turn the good and evil are posited.... " hence it appears that the absolute one chosen by kierkegaard is a private and absolutely free godhead, an anarch, in a word, that disposes of and therefore transcends relative good and evil. of course the essence of this " category of one ", the universal individual and god presumably chosen by all self - chosen, self - integrated, hence ethical individuals, differs from the nature admired by unethical persons, the dissolute aesthetics who are preoccupied with the highest sort of feelings called beauty. beauty is normally identified with pleasurable feelings ascetics abhor because the painful contrary, the want of pleasure or pain, is implied by pleasure felt – in either case, of pain or pleasure, the dignity of the self - caused person, an arrogance found in his freedom, is threatened to be demolished by an external cause. to rid themselves of pain, ethical ascetics would dispose of pleasure as well ; they throw out the baby with the bath water and lay claim to transcendental indifference to the felt qualities


freedom, is threatened to be demolished by an external cause. to rid themselves of pain, ethical ascetics would dispose of pleasure as well ; they throw out the baby with the bath water and lay claim to transcendental indifference to the felt qualities of life, the relative value of which philosophers tend to dispute. the aesthete ’ s preference for felt qualities instead of abstract ideation seems mistaken because the feelings vary one from the other, hence provide no absolute escape from the disturbing dialectic rooted in the basic social conflict between the existent individual and its society. the basic conflict is internalized and gives the person over to normal anxiety. the person ’ s joint role as an “ i ” and a “ we ” – the “ i ” as part and parcel of “ we ” – are both “ introjected ” as social conditions, yet the mystical unification and at - one - ment of subject and object wanted by the anxious ethical individual in flight from his existence cannot be obtained in fact short of death ; and then the objective world ironically survives the particular subject, which was in fact the temporary, unique coincidence of universal conditions, but who when alive might find take pleasure in his existential crucifixion, on the crossbars of time and space, in the notion of eternal life free of the impediments that gives him cause to suffer life in hopes of salvation from it. this supreme arbiter loves himself only, in his finality, and cannot part with himself to merge with the nymphs calling to him from the social forest. life then, for kierkegaard ’ s ethical person, burdened by the necessity of dreadful choices, which in effect constitute a negation of possibilities, is a bitter thing. but the lemon can be made sweet by a faithful leap to the religious sphere, a transcendental planet far removed from both the aesthetic and ethical planets. that ideal religious sphere, fortunately for kierkegaard ’ s temperament, would not be inhabited by the established church of socially compromising and therefore hypocritical christians he knew on earth. as a devout christian - of - one, kierkegaard, instead of loving his neighbors wholeheartedly despite their sins, was moved to hatefully denounce professed christians for falling far short of his fundamentalist notions. he chose to elevate himself to the rooftop and to cry out to his neighbors, “ hypocrites! ” when he collapsed on the street in the midst of his violent attack on the


for falling far short of his fundamentalist notions. he chose to elevate himself to the rooftop and to cry out to his neighbors, “ hypocrites! ” when he collapsed on the street in the midst of his violent attack on the danish national church, he told a friend that someone must die for the cause, and he died shortly thereafter. it is no wonder that the seemingly absurd commandment, to love thy neighbor as thyself, had to be written down long ago for lip services, since it is so easily forgotten by the human heart. thus does the anarcho - christian become the reflection of his fellow enemy – a bigoted, irrational, unethical hypocrite – instead of the reflection of the only christian who has walked upon this earth thus far, the very criterion of christianity, jesus the christ. although kierkegaard may not have been the strange god of love ’ s prophet, he was certainly a seer, and in his prescience he was himself, in his representative anxiety and egoism, a prefiguration of our own time. the godfather of existentialism is highly regarded as a theologian. indeed, he was a good christian as far as many of our contemporaries are concerned, a christian who died for a good cause : calling organized christians hypocrites for the usually reasons : for selling their souls to the devil and their consciences to the state. kierkegaard advocated individual integrity and responsibility. but to what end? what does he integrate his self with? the ethical individual abandons his reasonable reflections, which are the very means to ethical conduct, and leaps blindly to faith in what, which, when described, turns out to be some quiddity or the other. he evidently no longer has faith in his ability to choose, so he chooses nothing, really, but non - sense, and he does whatever might come to mind in the form of an authoritarian command from the charismatic leader of a totalitarian state of being – kierkegaard admired the biblical willingness of a father to kill his own son ( isaac ) upon command of the unknown god. thus do intelligent men whose criticism eventually leads them to suspend judgment even in the value of criticism fall prey to the preaching of that ignorance in which they find their bliss, and may go forth to wreak havoc throughout the world for its sake. wherefore, until freedom is realized in death, let individuals rebel. “ down with the establishment! down with the system! give me liberty or give


find their bliss, and may go forth to wreak havoc throughout the world for its sake. wherefore, until freedom is realized in death, let individuals rebel. “ down with the establishment! down with the system! give me liberty or give me death! ” are the slogans of misfits ; that is, until their own system is firmly established on uncompromising, fanatical principles. freedom from compromise is found only in the omnipotent god, and those who believe they are gods have the noun spelled backwards. kierkegaard, to pursue what he believed was the ethical life of either / or, ultimately choose himself alone. some of us may choose things to get rid of them, so that we may feel miserable for doing what we thought was the self - righteous thing to do. only a mate can adequately sum up humanity. kierkegaard dismissed the flawed queen of his mundane affections, his girlfriend, regine, upon whom he thereafter literally reflected at length, in lieu of the consummation he had forsworn. she was not good enough or god enough for him : only the unknown god was worthy of his debasement. the true lover must always be wrong ; the beloved must always be right. he thought he had ditched her to save her from the mistake of loving the likes of him, a man with cold feet. he eventually made the ultimate choice, a suicidal leap to faith in perfection. only god can do no wrong despite appearances to the contrary. but nothing is perfect. kierkegaard ’ s faith was really in his own reflection in the pool slowly swirling around the drain, the very mirror of his perturbations, as it were, from which only a chimpanzee with distorted figure could foolishly grin back, for the apostle gazing therein had renounced his reason with an open proclamation of his foolhardiness. only faith in something absurd can escape the torment of doubting reason ; absolute certitude can only be had in ignorance. nothing, no thing in particular, is really worthy of unadulterated love. " ( the ethical ) is not a question of the choice of something.... the alternative is the aesthetical, the indifferent.... " the aesthetically inclined person would find his escape from the ultimate cause of anxiety – mortality – in the enjoyment of ephemeral feelings and the appreciation of beauty found in nature and art, including the art of personal living, but kierkegaard ’


the aesthetically inclined person would find his escape from the ultimate cause of anxiety – mortality – in the enjoyment of ephemeral feelings and the appreciation of beauty found in nature and art, including the art of personal living, but kierkegaard ’ s ethical individual finds his solace in absolute solitude, in premature or living death, in virtual suicide. he mistakenly charges the aesthete with his own melancholic indifference to the world at large : he claims that the ethical realm is an infinite movement along hierarchically arranged values whereby one realizes ( not creates ) what he is by making important choices, but the choices available in the aesthetic realm are relative hence of equal value, constituting a flight from the ultimate either / or, that of good or evil. of course kierkegaard ’ s ethical doctrine does not require a preoccupation with choosing good things : his point is that an individual must make willful decisions, and it is in those decisions and not the particular things or acts chosen that he eventually finds his real self. kierkegaard was an idealist in the platonic sense : the ideal is the real ; reality is in heavens unknown as of yet – if only horses had wings. " the poetic ideal is always a false ideal, for the true ideal is always the real. so when the spirit is not allowed to soar up into the eternal world of spirit it remains midway and rejoices in the pictures reflected in the clouds and weeps that they are so transitory. a poet ' s existence is therefore, as such, an unhappy existence, it is higher than finiteness yet no infiniteness. " infiniteness is, to wit, the ineffable x – we might aptly call it nothing, or, if you wish, the origin. the path to x is heady stuff ; as kierkegaard himself remarks : " there is hardly an anaesthetic so powerful as abstract thinking. " [ indeed, we who are given to infinite reflections recommend that aesthetes withdraw from their addictive substances and take up philosophy instead. still, we would not have them forsake the fine arts. in truth, the highest aesthetic expression of intelligent love of life found in fine art varies largely in technique but little in principle. works of fine art would be worthless without social agreement, and that accord or harmony is common to human nature. the so - called anti - art movement of the modern cult of individualism that rejected the traditional and only principle of art, the


principle. works of fine art would be worthless without social agreement, and that accord or harmony is common to human nature. the so - called anti - art movement of the modern cult of individualism that rejected the traditional and only principle of art, the feeling of beauty, amounts to a lazy reduction to an absurd claim that art is merely subjective, hence one individual work is as good as another, and any criticism of an individual work is an unwarranted intrusion into the right of “ contemporary ” artists to individual equality. since the anti - artist is unable to think coherently, that is, along social lines, his concepts are as incoherent as his constructions – he is unable to give us a beautiful drawing of a person ; may heaven forbid if he does turn to fine art, and that his gift of personal beauty is the ideal beauty of a clothed madonna or nude venus. the anti - artist ’ s success of course is a matter of whimsical chance – some piece of nonsense or an accident widely publicized may turn him into a celebrity ]. kierkegaard ’ s self craves its very self, apparently the highest good or good, or even god. the dualist refrain is familiar : self is good, wherefore world is evil. kierkegaard wants it all for himself : unity, freedom, omnipotence. he chooses nothing in particular : he chooses will in general, the will to the good, or goodwill. but that constant choice is really of the self, for self is good. such a choice would make a subjective god of a man, a man whose will is free no matter what the objective circumstances might be. kierkegaard ’ s iconoclastic self, in its constant flight from objective determination by sensation, would be perpetually becoming and not a choice of a permanent being ; only nothing or god is permanent. his subjectively omnipotent self - god would apparently be, in opposition to its circumstances, more reliable than a projected hence ambivalent objective god, particularly if that unreliable objective god represents good, in the social sense that the good of society is good, or in the sense that society itself is god. in that case, power would have to be gradually rationalized, no doubt by political intervention - religion worships power, politics distributes it. no, the individual must be absolutely free. man ( humankind ) is naturally social. but thou shalt not have any god before god ; wherefore thou shalt not idolize man


- religion worships power, politics distributes it. no, the individual must be absolutely free. man ( humankind ) is naturally social. but thou shalt not have any god before god ; wherefore thou shalt not idolize man, for man exists by virtue of original sin – he is aesthetically inclined. thus it seems to follow that, at least for kierkegaard, the individual soul is, ironically and actually, the sole good, and not the absolute god or supreme being. he does not mention the possibility that the real original sin is the sin of individuality, of being born individuals, and that his choice of self as the category of one adds insult to injury. of course one might imagine that the microcosmic god reflects the macrocosmic god, or is part and parcel of god, or is in fact god in mystical unity with himself. ah, but that would be utterly selfish and solipsistic. kierkegaard avoids that conclusion with ambiguity or doublespeak : " the mystic chooses himself abstractly... out of the world... the truly concrete choice is that wherewith at the very same instant some instant i choose myself out of the world i am choosing myself back into the world. for when i choose myself repentantly i gather myself back into the world... in all my finite concretion, and in the fact that i have thus chosen myself out of the finite i am in the most absolute continuity with it. " furthermore, " i do not create myself. i choose myself. therefore while nature is created out of nothing, while i as an immediate personality am created out of nothing, as a free spirit i am born of the principle of contradiction. " is not that the principle of original sin? is not that the hypocrisy or underlying crisis of man? is not that the principle of original slavery that dooms us to choose or to die? free will disobeys to god ’ s law, hence kierkegaard ’ s formerly lauded ethical choices were in fact sinful acts. he says he repents even of his father ' s sins. why does he not repent of original sin? in effect he has repudiated his creative choice and his freedom. afraid to love another, he had no choice but to choose himself, but that self must die. in the end, once he finds his true nature, he must resign his freedom and accept god ’ s law, that all individuals are born in


. afraid to love another, he had no choice but to choose himself, but that self must die. in the end, once he finds his true nature, he must resign his freedom and accept god ’ s law, that all individuals are born in sin and must therefore must die. repenting of it all, the existentialist theologian gets it all back : " he repents himself back into himself, back into the family, back into the race, until he finds himself in god. " repentance, he says, is the only word that expresses love for god. he chooses to surrender to x. his choice destroys all options. he sets the self up as god and chooses god, thus destroying self and god for he has not chosen something but has rejected everything. from nothing he came and to nothing he returns - god or nothing is permanent. it appears that he identifies his instinct to survival with his particular self or the apotheosis thereof. " i do not create myself. i choose myself. therefore while nature is created out of nothing, while as an immediate personality i am created out of nothing, as a free spirit i am born of the principle of contradiction, or born by the fact that i choose myself. " kierkegaard would forsake the evil world for himself, for the category of one ; but once he is at one with the category of one, he shall love the world : " if the despairing man makes a mistake, if he believes that his misfortune lies in his multifarious surroundings, then his despair is not genuine and it will lead him to hate the world.... when in despair you have found yourself you will love the world because it is what it is. " and what is despair? " despair is doubt of personality, " he says. again, the assumption is that this self, whatever it is, is good if not the highest good or good or god. it seems that if only one would love the self for what it is, first of all, then love for the world would follow, just as night follows day. if one loved himself rightly, he would love the world so much that he would gladly stretch out his neck for his executioner if need be. it is a matter of attitude, really, and one ' s attitude in choosing oneself must be sincere, for as one believes, so one is. what counts, says kierkegaard, is the energetic sincerity of choosing the real either / or over the mere either /