Subjective Units in measurement have long been used in the field, but in the lay community, these units are often misused or misunderstood. I would like to present here a list of the most commonly used S.U.’s, their proper definition, and usage.
Click to continue reading “Standardized Subjective Units”
Did I mention I am starting a church?
Perhaps church isn’t exactly the right word, but its the one that seems to fit best. I will be posting my more philosophical and socially-minded thoughts over there.
“There” being passionatemind.org.
So what is it exactly? Something like a athiest’s rational analysis of what humanity wants and needs out of religion, and and attempt to provide those things without all the tedious mucking about with supernatural beings.
My thermometer tells me I don’t have a fever, at least in the traditional sense. I do, however have that feverish sort of hallucinatory wooz going on. The body is an amazing and finely tuned machine, and when things go off-balance, that mind-body connection makes itself felt in the fine details. Ever wonder why it is so hard to think when you are sick? Surely the body should be able to handle its immune system cleanup jobs just fine without dragging the software down along with it, right? No, sadly, the software is really firmware, wetware, biochemical messiness of the highest order.
Click to continue reading “Fever Dream”
I haven’t posted in a while due mostly to school and its harsh demands on my time and creative energy. There have been a few things on my mind, though. Little things, liberty, government, morality.
It seems to me that government, by its nature, walks a very fine line between legitimate communal necessity on the one side and all the worst possible human failings on the other.
In any group beyond a certain size, (and I tend to think this size is defined by the number of people you can know on a first-name basis) some form of collective organization eventually becomes necessary. Some form of conflict mediation between members of the group, and some form of collective decision-making in issues that affect the community as a whole, are both needed for any kind of cohesiveness and stability. The problem seems to be that it is very hard to build a governing structure that does not put individual humans in positions of power. Once the position of power exists, the certainty of corruption exists. Perhaps more insidious than corruption is the tendency of people to do what they think is right. This is great on an individual basis, but when someone’s moral sense can become law, this is bad news.
Click to continue reading “the problem with government”
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So what would you do if you didn’t have to do anything? Say you’ve won the lottery, or someone solves the great problem of peace on earth and work becomes obsolete. Or maybe you just ascend to heaven, where you have all of eternity to do… what? What do you do when you aren’t required to do anything?
Click to continue reading “What would you do?”
“A great man once told me, on a dark night, in a terrible storm - he said ‘Son, live every moment of your life like it is the very last one you’ll ever get’. Well, I’ve been in this cell for a week now, and damned if I’m not beginning to wonder about that advice.”
I’ve been enjoying this webcomic lately:
I Drew This
Despite the rather philosophical bent of recent posts, I’ve been thinking politics a lot recently, and this one sums up well a lot of my own gut reactions to what I hear in the news.
I’ve always wanted to draw my own strip, but I know I don’t have the drawing chops, nor the devotion to keep it up. I respect those who can consistently turn out good comics, and if you are curious, here are a few like to read:
I should also mention Goats, but with a caveat - I’ve only found the storyline interesting in the last few months, but there have been good comic moments throughout.
You might detect a pattern here, you might not…
What do you like?
Electrons and Yellowstone National Park both struggle with a similar problem. By observation, the thing you wish to observe is changed.
I was struck while reading something in which a character considers traveling to several different cultures, to experience their unique characteristics. He was visiting localized cultures, physical land areas in which the people live in a certain way, with specific traditions and behaviors. This character also lives in a future of instantaneous travel from one point to another, across dozens of worlds - all of these cultures he visits exists in a framework where every other culture is easily available. We have a similar situation here and now in the real world. More and more, the artifacts, ideas, music and food of distant localities is available to us. Right here in Oregon, I can buy sushi, durian fruit, brie, Ethiopian coffee, and lichee flavored Chinese black tea. Immigrants have brought with them the flavors of their old world, and commerce takes care of the rest.
Click to continue reading “culture = audience?”
Many thoughts, in fact. I’ve been buried in school work and other obligations, but the ideas I have been trying to illuminate have been bubbling away for the last few months, and maybe I can tie this together a bit now.
Julie hits the nail on the head with this reply to my previous post:
” Your questions walk a very slippery slope. Is it right to do what you can for the good of humanity? Yes. Is it right to force what you think is right and good upon humanity “for their own goodâ€?? No.”
To which I have to say What is the difference?
Click to continue reading “Long delayed thoughts”
