"Why did the chicken cross the road? To get to the other side."
That is not reason, it's randomness. Although the chicken appears to have a "reason" for his actions, his motivations, as far as we can tell, are random. A random desire to get to the other side is not reasonable. Thereby, the chicken can be shown not to be a creature of reason.
Human beings, contrarily, are creatures of reason. We do not act randomly; rather, we act as a result of motivation. And, unlike the chicken's random motivation, our motivations, being reasonable, follow a set of predictable rules, traced back to a fundamental principle: selfishness. Human beings are, by default, selfish. And it's a good thing, too.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Sandcastles
Our civilization is going to fall. There is no doubt about it; like the Babylonians and Persians before us, the Romans and Greeks, or the Mayans and Aztecs, our nation will collapse.
Only, we don't really believe it. Some of us deny it, others nod in agreement, but few really understand that truth. We are so close to our reality, so involved in the present time that it is next to impossible to legitimately remove ourselves and step back far enough to acknowledge the inevitable. Nothing lives forever, and, although we may be happy and prosperous for the time being, eventually our end must come, even if the end is many thousands of years away.
Only, we don't really believe it. Some of us deny it, others nod in agreement, but few really understand that truth. We are so close to our reality, so involved in the present time that it is next to impossible to legitimately remove ourselves and step back far enough to acknowledge the inevitable. Nothing lives forever, and, although we may be happy and prosperous for the time being, eventually our end must come, even if the end is many thousands of years away.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Foot Soldier for Graminoids
Allowing my eyes to slowly focus upward, I observed a sturdy green stem rising up from the soil. At its peak it firmly supported an oversized white puff, a magnificent geometric structure comprised of countless soft protrusions anchored to a central head, fanning out in all directions to create a sphere of evenly-spaced silver eyelashes.
My own eyelashes blinked, and I dismissed the romanticism. My gloved hand reached forward, dug at the soil around the base of the dandelion, and yanked the weed, roots and all, from its spot in the lawn. I tossed the uprooted plant into a paper bag and continued weeding.
It was vital that the infestation be removed before it could reproduce and overtake the lawn. It was my job, as resident human of the property, to ensure the survival of the grass species and the demise of most others. "Weeds," we called them: plants guilty of crimes against nature, such as overproduction, use of soil minerals, and thievery of sunlight.
My own eyelashes blinked, and I dismissed the romanticism. My gloved hand reached forward, dug at the soil around the base of the dandelion, and yanked the weed, roots and all, from its spot in the lawn. I tossed the uprooted plant into a paper bag and continued weeding.
It was vital that the infestation be removed before it could reproduce and overtake the lawn. It was my job, as resident human of the property, to ensure the survival of the grass species and the demise of most others. "Weeds," we called them: plants guilty of crimes against nature, such as overproduction, use of soil minerals, and thievery of sunlight.
Inside a Black Hole
Yesterday, I didn't post to the blog. This was because I was trapped in a black hole. Time slowed down, the world around me vanished, and as much as I wanted to escape, I could see no way out.
Okay, that's an exaggeration. In truth, I just didn't feel like blogging. I was bored with it; it had little appeal. In truth, nothing about blogging had changed. I was still using the same laptop, writing on the same blog, doing everything that had been fun and exciting just days before. Something was different, not with the situation, but with me. My mental state was altered, and that is the root of boredom.
It is a common misconception that things can be boring. They cannot. People, however, can be bored. To be bored is not to be affected by a boring situation; rather, to be bored is an emotional state of being, akin to being tired, angry, or wanting of Recess Puff cereal. It has less to do with what is going on outside and much more to do with what is occurring within.
Okay, that's an exaggeration. In truth, I just didn't feel like blogging. I was bored with it; it had little appeal. In truth, nothing about blogging had changed. I was still using the same laptop, writing on the same blog, doing everything that had been fun and exciting just days before. Something was different, not with the situation, but with me. My mental state was altered, and that is the root of boredom.
It is a common misconception that things can be boring. They cannot. People, however, can be bored. To be bored is not to be affected by a boring situation; rather, to be bored is an emotional state of being, akin to being tired, angry, or wanting of Recess Puff cereal. It has less to do with what is going on outside and much more to do with what is occurring within.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
One Nation. Whose G-d?
According to the Constitution on which this nation is based, specifically, the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion." So, no laws respecting an establishment of religion, eh?
According to the Supreme Court, that law needs to be upheld. Public schools, which are entities of the government, are not allowed to have prayer. Back since 1962, in Engel v. Vitale, the Court decided (6 to 1) that any prayer, even nondenominational, even voluntary, is unconstitutional; it pressures kids into believing that the government or school supports religion. And that's simply not fair to families which do not want schools (which their children must attend by law) teaching their children that any religion, or even religion itself, is right, true, or valid. That's for the parents to decide.
And so, according to our laws and court rulings, no religion from government. Right?
According to the Supreme Court, that law needs to be upheld. Public schools, which are entities of the government, are not allowed to have prayer. Back since 1962, in Engel v. Vitale, the Court decided (6 to 1) that any prayer, even nondenominational, even voluntary, is unconstitutional; it pressures kids into believing that the government or school supports religion. And that's simply not fair to families which do not want schools (which their children must attend by law) teaching their children that any religion, or even religion itself, is right, true, or valid. That's for the parents to decide.
And so, according to our laws and court rulings, no religion from government. Right?
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Which Came First, the Observation or the Trait?
Have you ever noticed how, after receiving a compliment, you strive to be as that which you were described?
If someone comes by and tells you what a nice person you are, and that you always make time for others, you enjoy the compliment. It makes you feel good, and you like knowing that others have good feelings towards you, thanks to this quality that they see in you. And so, suddenly aware of this new reflection on your character, you make every effort to be nice and to make time for others. You want to keep feeling good, you want to keep being liked, and so you become that which you described.
The phenomenon occurs all the time. If a worker is told he is doing a good job, it encourages him to keep (or start) doing a good job. If a friend is complimented for always making time, he will continue (or begin) to make an effort to always make time. If the president is given the Nobel Peace prize, perhaps the intent is that he will begin making peace - either to eliminate the guilt felt for not yet deserving the compliment, or because he feels good and wants to continue promoting his image. The same holds true for all of us.
If someone comes by and tells you what a nice person you are, and that you always make time for others, you enjoy the compliment. It makes you feel good, and you like knowing that others have good feelings towards you, thanks to this quality that they see in you. And so, suddenly aware of this new reflection on your character, you make every effort to be nice and to make time for others. You want to keep feeling good, you want to keep being liked, and so you become that which you described.
The phenomenon occurs all the time. If a worker is told he is doing a good job, it encourages him to keep (or start) doing a good job. If a friend is complimented for always making time, he will continue (or begin) to make an effort to always make time. If the president is given the Nobel Peace prize, perhaps the intent is that he will begin making peace - either to eliminate the guilt felt for not yet deserving the compliment, or because he feels good and wants to continue promoting his image. The same holds true for all of us.
Friday, June 25, 2010
Walking on Water?
Religion. It's a collection of stories about Moses, Jesus, Mohammad, Buddah, whoever. A lot of people like to ask, "Are the stories true?"
The answer I like best is, "It doesn't matter." But how can it not matter?
Let's do some teaching by example. Take the biblical story of Sodom and Gomorrah. For anyone behind on Torah, here's the recap: Sodom and Gomorrah are two cities of which the inhabitants have sinned. G-d wants to destroy them, but Abraham pleads with G-d that if he can find some good people, would G-d please not destroy the cities? Ultimately, G-d agrees that if Abraham can find but one good person, the cities will be spared. Abraham fails to do so; the cities are destroyed.
Take a look a how this story can be interpreted. One person might look at this and say, "Aha! According to the bible, G-d was willing to spare thousands of guilty men if there could be one innocent man! Clearly, this teaches that capital punishment is immoral; on the chance of there being innocent people executed, we must spare the guilty from death!" Another person might turn right around and counter, "Nonsense! The cities were destroyed - there were no innocent people - so that's not what it teaches! More importantly, do you realize what the people there were guilty of? The bible implies homosexuality! Clearly, being gay is wrong!"
The answer I like best is, "It doesn't matter." But how can it not matter?
Let's do some teaching by example. Take the biblical story of Sodom and Gomorrah. For anyone behind on Torah, here's the recap: Sodom and Gomorrah are two cities of which the inhabitants have sinned. G-d wants to destroy them, but Abraham pleads with G-d that if he can find some good people, would G-d please not destroy the cities? Ultimately, G-d agrees that if Abraham can find but one good person, the cities will be spared. Abraham fails to do so; the cities are destroyed.
Take a look a how this story can be interpreted. One person might look at this and say, "Aha! According to the bible, G-d was willing to spare thousands of guilty men if there could be one innocent man! Clearly, this teaches that capital punishment is immoral; on the chance of there being innocent people executed, we must spare the guilty from death!" Another person might turn right around and counter, "Nonsense! The cities were destroyed - there were no innocent people - so that's not what it teaches! More importantly, do you realize what the people there were guilty of? The bible implies homosexuality! Clearly, being gay is wrong!"
A (Fur)Long Shot
We need to switch to the metric system.
The entire rest of the world sells gasoline by the liter, plywood by the meter, and fresh produce by the kilogram. It just doesn't make sense for the United States to stubbornly insist on gallons, feet, and pounds in the modern world of global communication and international business.
Besides, gallons sound too much like Harry Potter's Galleons, feet too much like a smelly part of the human body, and pounds too much like that currency that the British invented before Rowling brought about the Galleon. Just kidding, I mean before the euro. Oh wait, the UK hasn't really adopted the euro, now have they? Well, in that case, perhaps there is no real pressure for the US to standardize.
The entire rest of the world sells gasoline by the liter, plywood by the meter, and fresh produce by the kilogram. It just doesn't make sense for the United States to stubbornly insist on gallons, feet, and pounds in the modern world of global communication and international business.
Besides, gallons sound too much like Harry Potter's Galleons, feet too much like a smelly part of the human body, and pounds too much like that currency that the British invented before Rowling brought about the Galleon. Just kidding, I mean before the euro. Oh wait, the UK hasn't really adopted the euro, now have they? Well, in that case, perhaps there is no real pressure for the US to standardize.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Abort, Retry, Fail?
It's a common political image among abortion-issue interest groups:
A woman gets up on stage, picks up a microphone, and, through tears, explains how she almost was never born. She explains that her mother was considering an abortion. There were medical complications with the baby, even complications with the mother. Both lives were in danger, and her mother has serious reasons to consider terminating the child's life. The woman reiterates that she was nearly never born.
Sounds like your typical pro-life speech. But here's the kicker: the mother had the abortion. That was the child before the woman speaking. Turns out, that woman is only alive because of abortion. She would not exist had her mother been forced to have the previous child, in part because, as it later turns out, her mother would not have survived.
I wonder if that's something pro-lifers ever consider; the people who exist because of abortion.
A woman gets up on stage, picks up a microphone, and, through tears, explains how she almost was never born. She explains that her mother was considering an abortion. There were medical complications with the baby, even complications with the mother. Both lives were in danger, and her mother has serious reasons to consider terminating the child's life. The woman reiterates that she was nearly never born.
Sounds like your typical pro-life speech. But here's the kicker: the mother had the abortion. That was the child before the woman speaking. Turns out, that woman is only alive because of abortion. She would not exist had her mother been forced to have the previous child, in part because, as it later turns out, her mother would not have survived.
I wonder if that's something pro-lifers ever consider; the people who exist because of abortion.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
The Human Mind
The thing about the human mind is that each one is completely unique, and you really only ever get to be in yours. You'll never get to know what it's like to think through someone else's mind, because you can't simultaneously be aware of your thoughts and someone else's. Even if you could jump into a different brain, as soon as you got there, you'd forget whatever your brain was thinking; you'd be them. So it's a one-at-a-time sort of deal. Whatever mind you have, it's yours, and that's all you got.
Fair enough. But if that's the case, how do we know what other people experience? Communication, of course. If I saw someone, did something, or felt some way, I could tell you about it. I could speak, write, play charades; whatever it took to convey my message.
But what if, all this time, we haven't really been communicating properly. Is it possible that, somehow, there is an inherent miscommunication owing to the fact that we can only experience one mind at a time?
Let us consider. View, if you would, the following image:
Fair enough. But if that's the case, how do we know what other people experience? Communication, of course. If I saw someone, did something, or felt some way, I could tell you about it. I could speak, write, play charades; whatever it took to convey my message.
But what if, all this time, we haven't really been communicating properly. Is it possible that, somehow, there is an inherent miscommunication owing to the fact that we can only experience one mind at a time?
Let us consider. View, if you would, the following image:
Welcome to the 21st Century
What follows is a description of one of the most ancient rituals in human culture, in which I was required, by sacred obligation, to take part.
(Begin Narrative)
Frantically, I searched through my home for the proper tools to conduct the ceremony before time ran out. Pulling a long, thin box off of a shelf, I smiled, having found what I was looking for.
I gently lifted a thin parchment from my table, still wet with the dark ink which comprised the ancient scripture. I carefully folded my sacred document into three sections of about-equal size and slipped it into a dusty sleeve from the box on my shelf. Whispering the incantations, I sealed the artifact with my very own saliva: a tribute to the adhesive spirits. Lifting my magical line-drawer once more, I etched mystic letters and numbers into the package, drawing on secret codes and obscure abbreviations to finish the deed.
(Begin Narrative)
Frantically, I searched through my home for the proper tools to conduct the ceremony before time ran out. Pulling a long, thin box off of a shelf, I smiled, having found what I was looking for.
I gently lifted a thin parchment from my table, still wet with the dark ink which comprised the ancient scripture. I carefully folded my sacred document into three sections of about-equal size and slipped it into a dusty sleeve from the box on my shelf. Whispering the incantations, I sealed the artifact with my very own saliva: a tribute to the adhesive spirits. Lifting my magical line-drawer once more, I etched mystic letters and numbers into the package, drawing on secret codes and obscure abbreviations to finish the deed.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Because the French Guy Had Frozen Pizza
This is a blog.
It's summer now, and, having no other time-intensive commitments, I actually have time to write a blog. So here goes. I've never done this before.
I was wondering a bit about what to title it, and eventually I came up with "Frozen Pizza." It was fitting; my blog, like slices of leftover pizza, carefully wrapped in Aluminum Foil and placed at the bottom of some hidden freezer which is neither organized nor cleaned out often enough for anyone to find the pizza again for many months, would consist of delicious, mouth-watering slices of interest and (I had hoped) clever writing, which, although temporarily frozen, could be unwrapped, placed into a microwave, allowed to spin around on the auto-defrost setting for a minute and a half, and, upon completion of being doused with hopefully-harmless radiation, be consumed, enjoyed, and appreciated. In other words, I would save my thoughts here and revisit them later. Note to self: avoid run-on sentences.
It's summer now, and, having no other time-intensive commitments, I actually have time to write a blog. So here goes. I've never done this before.
I was wondering a bit about what to title it, and eventually I came up with "Frozen Pizza." It was fitting; my blog, like slices of leftover pizza, carefully wrapped in Aluminum Foil and placed at the bottom of some hidden freezer which is neither organized nor cleaned out often enough for anyone to find the pizza again for many months, would consist of delicious, mouth-watering slices of interest and (I had hoped) clever writing, which, although temporarily frozen, could be unwrapped, placed into a microwave, allowed to spin around on the auto-defrost setting for a minute and a half, and, upon completion of being doused with hopefully-harmless radiation, be consumed, enjoyed, and appreciated. In other words, I would save my thoughts here and revisit them later. Note to self: avoid run-on sentences.
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