Let go and let...

If you live in a primarily Christian society, I’m sure you’ve heard the saying, “Let go, and let God.” I have always taken the meaning of this to be don’t worry so much about micromanaging your life because bad/good things will happen that you can’t possibly predict and therefore have any control over. You should trust that God is looking out for you; accept his will and go on with your life.
There’s a very Buddhist feeling to that. You can remove God from that sentiment and plug in the ‘Universe,’ not in the sense that the Universe is interested controlling any aspect of Human fate, but that the Universe is what it is and has no concerns or motives.

Let go and let universe

I bring this up because happiness (as least for me) is something I struggle with. Yes, I know I ended my sentence with a preposition; let go grammarians. It is all of the little and big aggravations of daily life that take away my awareness of why I should be happy--or at least not so bothered and annoyed (see the previous post about fairness).

I think that the key is detachment from the world in which we were conditioned to exist; the world that was constructed by our predecessors. I’m not talking about running away to the jungle, living naked and eating berries. It’s similar to the way that Buddhists and Christians are taught to live; it’s a matter of focus.

<begin aside>The teaching of Buddhism and Christianity are the most familiar to me. I have studied both. When I refer to the teaching, I am referring to the ‘ideals’ put forth, not the actual Buddhists or Christians walking and breathing. In my experience the real world practitioners are less than ideal. <end aside>

The teachings instruct to focus beyond this life; that this life is less important than the existence after death. By accepting that and setting our focus beyond the ‘pettiness’ of this world, we can live a happier life, less bothered by the problems humanity.

To me it seems unfortunate that an afterlife (of sorts) has to be postulated in order to deal with the here and now. I know that in Buddhism there is no afterlife like that of the Christians, but there is an ‘after-this-place’ that serves a similar function at least for my point. I am trying to consider focus in my personal philosophy. Instead of focus after this life, I am trying to focus on this life as a whole.

To do this a level of detachment from the emotions caused by annoyances must be maintained. Emotions confine us to the here and now like nothing else in our lives. (On reflection, perhaps pain concretes our feet to the here and now more than even emotions—but emotions can be controlled). If I can focus (or at least be aware) beyond the here and now, then perhaps I can assess the individual annoyances against the whole and then, perhaps, I can let them go more easily.

Let go and let happy

The concept of Fairness

The concept of fairness is difficult for me to let go. The idea is of course a construct of humans. It sprang from our desire to make some sense of the world around us. Likewise, I think religion came from the same place, and perhaps it is the source of the concept of what is fair.
The universal forces act as they act, regardless of human feelings or concepts. So if we cannot expect fair treatment from the extraneous world then at least we *should* be able to expect it from other like minded people. That is if only they can see past their personal need, want, feeling of justification, greed, etc.
So where are these like minded people? They fade in and out.
They all can seem to find justifications as to why they deserve better and therefore do not have to be fair. I do not wish to be hypocritical and point all fingers outward; I too am guilty, more often than I'd like to be, of such thoughts and actions. I try to recognize it in myself and take the opportunity to change or rethink my action.
Do not think that philosophy or religion are the answers. They may be used as tools to gain the personal strength of character necessary to grasp and promote fairness. Philosophy and religion can help teach the concepts to people unexposed by their particular upbringing. But to make fairness a part of your daily thoughts and actions takes personal practice and fortitude.
Fairness and other 'humanely' concepts, like compassion and kindness, are worth the effort otherwise we're reptiles.
And I for one am tired of sharing my world with human reptiles.

Where are all of the SUVs going?

I’ve been ruminating on this for a couple of weeks and I think I’m ready to write about it. I read it in the Business & Farm section of the Arkansas Democrat Gazette, the July 20th, 2008 edition. I don’t normally read that section, but the title caught my attention: “Traded-in SUVs a hot commodity abroad”.

You can view the first paragraph here:
http://www2.arkansasonline.com/news/2008/jul/20/traded--suvs-hot-commodity-abroad-20080720/?business/arkansas
The paper wants to charge you $1.95 to read the story online, HOWEVER if you click the “print story” link on the left you can read it for free-go figure, sigh. Not my fault; I didn’t hack crap.

Anyway the basic gist here is that since the USA and other countries are being pinched hard by oil and subsequent gasoline prices we are buying smaller cars with better gas mileage and not the big gas gulping SUVs. Along the same lines we are trading in those big SUVs when we buy the smaller cars. So we have a glut of big cars and SUVs on our used car lots and they are being snapped up for a song by entrepreneurial people (such as the brothers mentioned in the article) and are being shipped overseas “to places such as Middle East, West Africa and Mexico.”

The kicker here is that these places (where these vehicles are being shipped) all pump and sell oil to the rest of the world. Because they do this they can offer subsidies to their citizens so that their gasoline “costs less than 50 cents a gallon.”

I don’t need to remind you what we are paying!

There are two reasons why this should tick you off!

First reason - the environment. Supposedly we are concerned about mileage because of the environment. Better mileage, we waste less gas, fewer hydrocarbons in the atmosphere, better for everyone.
So no matter how many tiny cars we drive, the rest of the pumping world is still driving gas gulpers and globally nothing is being conserved and hydrocarbon production is not being reduced by our green efforts!

Second reason – economy. So the US builds big cars out of pride or gluttony, call it what you want, we still built them, we should get to drive them. There is no lesson being learned here. If we’ve built such behemoths that shouldn’t be driven because they are larger than we need and are wasteful then no one should get to have them. The wastefulness is being prolonged while we get squeezed.

It fries me to know that somewhere else someone who only pays 50cents a gallon for that sweet go-go juice is riding around enjoying my SUV with plenty of leg and head room, while I’m putting along in a little car bumping my knees and head on the roof.

There is plenty of oil out there; we're being played for suckers.
Cya on the road.
-Fat

Black Holes: The Other Side of Infinity

I have always wanted to be an astrophysicists but could never cut the math.

Watch in a bigger format at Black Holes: The Other Side of Infinity on Hulu.com

Apple Software EULA

EULA - End User License Agreement.
I know it's because of their legal dept wanting to keep them out of any and all trouble, but come on. As if...last week I installed iTunes on my iron lung and now my iron lung only breaths me when I play songs I bought from iTunes Store and not my CDs. Or after I installed Quicktime I couldn't get my Air Traffic Control Radar to work, all I could see was dancing hamsters...

Apple's great quote:
APPLE SOFTWARE IS NOT INTENDED FOR USE IN THE OPERATION OF NUCLEAR FACILITIES, AIRCRAFT NAVIGATION OR COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS, AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS, LIFE SUPPORT MACHINES OR OTHER EQUIPMENT IN WHICH THE FAILURE OF THE APPLE SOFTWARE COULD LEAD TO DEATH, PERSONAL INJURY, OR SEVERE PHYSICAL OR ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE.

Maybe Quicktime caused the Chernobyl meltdown and Apple wants to make sure they're not liable next time.

Rube Goldberg would be proud

Too Many People in the World...cha cha cha.

Recently having been to Las Vegas, Denver Airport, Chicago Airport, I have decided that there are too many people in the world without courtesy or manners. I don't like it.

Lesch-Nyhan Syndrome

Have you heard of Lesch-Nyhan Syndrome? - Self cannibalism.

Listen to NPR Science Friday June 6th 2008, it's about half-way through. Interviewee is
Richard Preston with a new book "Panic in Level 4"

For more information visit:
Lesch-Nyhan Syndrome Information Page at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
Quote from website: "Lesch-Nyhan syndrome (LNS) is a rare, inherited disorder caused by a deficiency of the enzyme hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (HPRT). LNS is an X-linked recessive disease-- the gene is carried by the mother and passed on to her son."

Braincast - on the frequency of mind and brain

A great podcast aiming to explain difficult topics to uncomplicated people. This podcast is by Arvid Leyh and started in Germany in 2005. Thankfully, for those of us who only understand every third word in German, he has started a version in English. Thanks Arvid!
English version
German version

Gas Prices and European Tour

So, it seems everyday we hit a new record. Price per gallon is up a dollar over last year, and thirty-three cent over just last month. And our beloved President Bush is kicking off his farewell tour of Europe. Who the hell is he Cher? David Hasselhoff? Does Europe love him so much that he needs to tour around saying his goodbyes burning up extra jet fuel? Because you know he doesn't fly public; he's got the whole USAF to cart his sorry, lack-luster, butt around.

Guess who's invested heavily in oil...me? No, President Bush. What is he doing to
alleviate the plight, ney blight, of the common American? Tootling around the world shaking hands and rubbing shoulders.

Mommy and Daddy Bush are you happy with what your son has done? Are you proud? Can you look America in the eyes and say it?

Surprise, surprise, Rural U.S. Takes Worst Hit as Gas Tops $4 Average
Hey Prez, don't forget who grows the food...is it the big cities with ample public transportation who don't give a crap about gas prices? No. It's the farmers rural America. So fix it.

Puzzle Games

I have a new addiction--online puzzle games. I don't like jigsaw, or slide the tile, or get X# of gems in a row Connect Four type crap; I mean real mind bending puzzles that force you to think in three dimensions or more.
If you love great puzzles like me check these out on www. shockwave.com

Hyper Frame:
http://www.shockwave.com/gamelanding/hyperframe.jsp

Bloxorz:
http://www.shockwave.com/gamelanding/bloxorz.jsp

And this one combines puzzle-like thinking with destruction (bonus!)
Metalix Tower Defense:
http://www.shockwave.com/gamelanding/metalixtd.jsp

I've completed Hyper Frame and Bloxorz, and have gotten to level 20 on Metalix. Post a comment and let me know how far you get.
If Bloxorz drives you crazy, I've heard that there are solution videos on YouTube. But come on, the fun of puzzles is figuring them out without getting help.

Short Browser Rant

Why do web browsers have 'stop loading' buttons if they don't work? Have you ever typed an incorrect URL and hit enter before you realized you typoed and clicked stop and it didn't?
Arrgh!

"Muto" by Blu. This is basically stop-frame animation graffiti style. Very neat! Artist's website is www.blublu.org

MUTO a wall-painted animation by BLU from blu on Vimeo.

Lonely Piles of Money - Boycott the RIAA

Look who’s wearing the big-boy pants now!
No more
—mother may I.
I want.
I take.
I the RIAA.

Hey there that sure is a nice laptop; my six thousand dollar poodle could use that to watch you tube videos of itself riding in the backseat of my Escalade while I’m in court suing some other sap for making a mix tape for his girlfriend. It’s gimmie all your stuff, and I’ll have the local cops take it for me, so I never see you cry; not that I’d care.

I’m the RIAA; you see, I don’t care about people, only money. Only money. It’s not my fault; it’s just that my piles and piles of money (made from the sweat of other people with real talent) are lonely. That’s right my money is lonely, so I need yours and your computer, and your house, just because you only like that one Black Crowes song and didn’t want to buy the album for it (where I get 90% of the profits).

I found my news here:

www.boingboing.net/

tailrank.com/

And from
tech.blorge.com/ the following is quoted:

"The RIAA sued 83 year old Gertrude Walton. When they sent the letter stating that they were going to sue unless Mrs. Walton chose to settle, her daughter received the letter as part of her mother’s estate. She sent the RIAA a copy of her mother’s death certificate. The RIAA sued her mother anyway. Apparently when the case went to court the RIAA had to accept the fact that Mrs. Walton was indeed dead.

In the case of Patricia Santangelo, a divorced mother of three, the RIAA lost that case because Ms. Santangelo successfully proved her own computer illiteracy. The Judge dismissed the case. The RIAA then chose to sue her three children.

Unfortunately, another single mother, Jamie Thomas, was found guilty by a jury who set damages for her to pay at $222,000 or $9250 per song. A single mother who sells lingerie, there is no way that Ms. Thomas has the funds currently to pay this exorbitant amount. There is very little chance that she will ever be able to pay the damage award. Ms. Thomas has appealed the damages as being excessive. The Department of Justice has filed an Amicus brief arguing that the verdict amount is not excessive and should stand."

For all you drummers out there

Muppet Show - Drum Battle Buddy Rich Vs Animal

Korgoth of Barbaria

This is a pilot made for Cartoon Network's Adult Swim that wasn't picked up, and I have no idea why. It is one of the funniest damn 30 minutes of cartoons I've seen in a long time. Yeah, I watch a lot of cartoons, so what?!
I'm a grown up! I'll watch what I want.
Watch it you'll laugh. Really.
I'm not kidding you...

Part 1



Part 2



Part 3



You laughed didn't you; I told you.

Creation vs. Evolution

Last year I had to write an extra final paper in a class to ensure an "A" and I did a lot of research on the Scopes Trial. If you don't know it was a trial testing the Butler Act in Tennessee that disallowed the teaching of any theory in contradiction of the Bible's theory of human creation. You can read a nice write up on Wikipedia Scopes_Trial.

After doing a lot of research, I decided to write about a topic that I know better and that was how and where St. Thomas Aquinas 'borrowed' his five proofs for the existence of God from Aristotle's writings. You can read my paper "Aquinas' Five Ways".
However, continuing with creationism, it has a long history in our legal system of which I was unaware. You can find a nice list here: Creationism-related_court_cases
The one that made the biggest impression on me was not the most recent; (at the writing of this the Kansas evolution hearings were the most recent)
It was the Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District trial.

Before reading the Wikipedia write up, I watched the NOVA documentary (on PBS) on this trial and was amazed. Watch it if you have time. I've always been a skeptic about most things. In my formative years, my father always had a saying that captured the lesson in every bad choice of mine; some were original some borrowed. For instance, "If it sounds too good to be true; it isn't," and one of the one's I heard the most was, "I'm from Missouri; show me." That one I heard when I was trying to tell him about the theory of Quarks from particle physics. Well, I couldn't and can't. Hell, I tried to become a physicist in college and couldn't hack the math.

Anyway, the science presented in the NOVA documentary is incredibly detailed, effectively proving the theory of evolution; for me, it was the equivalent of 'being shown' . Check it out for yourself and then see if a book rewritten several times and translated into several languages is proof enough for you.
Believing is nice; it is comforting, but I want the truth. Believing in magic is cute, but don't bet your life on it; you will be disappointed.
I will acknowledge the possibility that what science has discovered could be the work and plan of a God. The old watch winder that set this whole process of evolution in motion. We okay? We cool like Fonzie?
Well, if that still works for you, complicating the idea to save your precious little ego, then check out a little idea called Ockham's Razor.

Back to the reason for addressing this topic, recently a movie was produced called "Expelled." It is the creationist (now called Intelligent Design or ID for short) view of 'it all'. I heard about this movie on one of my favorite podcasts called "The Skeptics Guide to the Universe" (Podcast #140 3/26/2008) the hosts interviewed Eugenie Scott and she told a story of some very non-Christian treatments from the movie's representatives in asking her for interviews. She asked that people link to this site http://www.expelledexposed.com/
as a way to get the word out. When people search for the movie this site will be ranked highly.
Hypocrisy pisses me off. If you call yourself a Christian then act like one; don't use the cop-out of forgiveness or that non-Christians don't deserve Christian treatment (chicken pox blankets ring a bell?). You should be good, honest, and respectful now and to all (or shove it and go to Hell).
Oh and did I mention that Ben Stein (once considered an intelligent person) is involved with the movie. Sigh...
Poor guy...

Dennis Leary takes us for a visit to the rehab...

Let's all watch, and don't miss the lesson.

Michael Pollan: The omnivore's next dilemma.
Just listen, and find out that plants are really controlling us. <pun>intended</pun>

Two blogs worth noting

"The Skeptics Guide to the Universe is a weekly Podcast talkshow produced by the New England Skeptical Society (NESS) in association with the James Randi Educational Foundation (JREF) : discussing the latest news and topics from the world of the paranormal, fringe science, and controversial claims from a scientific point of view."


Astronomy Cast -- "Take a weekly facts-based journey through the cosmos with Astronomy Cast."

The Little Trees of Vaughn Banting

Vaughn Banting's Home Page

His Trees
I'm talking amazing Bonsai here people!

Salute!

Seam Carving for Content-Aware Image Resizing

Holy Crap!
Shai Avidan & Ariel Shamir have created software that is straight out of a scifi movie. Have you ever wanted to remove an ex-boy/girl friend from a great travel photo? Here you go: iSeam


Utterly brilliant gentlemen:
Ariel Shamir's home page
Shai Avidan's home page

Art of Creatures

Theo Jansen is an amazing Dutch artist. He creates creatures out of wood and twine of the like you've not see unless you are familiar with his work.
He gave a TED talk March 2007

Remember the Tooth

Do your tech a favor...
Remember Your Password!

http://www.wikihow.com/Remember-Your-Password

and "Remember the Tooth"

Crazy Towing

We are Crazy Towing and we tow like crazy.
Your neighbor parked to close to your house and is killing your grass?
Call us and we tow it like crazy!
Your daughter's boyfriend's piece of shit car is in your driveway and you don't like how it looks?
Call us and we tow it like crazy!
Want to screw with your friend's car and move it while they're in a bar drinking?
Call us and we tow it like crazy!

Remember that's Crazy Towing call 555-T-O-W-D
that's 555-8693
Crazy Towing when you want it towed like CRAZY!

Viva La Resistance

Hollywood writers are on strike and I support them. Writing is an art, and no one is willing to pay for quality art. So few quality painters, writers, and other creative artists make a good living at their craft for most of their early life. A few lucky ones get recognized shortly before they die and have a few comfortable late years.
But mostly they struggle. They don’t get the bizillions of dollars that actors and actresses make for saying lines written for them and showing a little skin. And the ones that make the big money aren’t even creative.
The CEOs in charge of the networks and production companies, even though they deal with it everyday, must just see creativity as a commodity. Art is not something you can just mine out of the ground and affix a price based on demand.
Art takes constant study so repetition and cliché can be avoided. Art is a craft that takes constant honing and there are dry spells. Writers need those extra residuals to survive the dry spells, because not everything put to paper sells or is worth selling.
So I say hold out writers, hold out until you get what’s due you. And America turn off your TVs and stop going to the movies; put the crunch on the deep pockets that deserve it.
They tried to put writers on a leash with Reality TV years ago, and to some degree it worked. We are still suffering with Survivor, Dancing with the Stars, Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader, Kid Nation, and etc. I can’t go on anymore…
I need intelligent humor and intricate plot lines or I will go back to reading books; I mean it.

Dan Dennett speaks of memes

This talk is from TED. If you do not know about TED please inform yourself here. It is a forum for the best and brightest to share ideas. I found the podcasts on iTunes, but this is the website (www.ted.com) with much, much more.

Memes are contagious ideas. Dennett's biological attack metaphor and how other cultures want to protect themselves from what we are immune to (our immunity gives us the mentality of "what's the big deal?") was very interesting to me. View for yourself and post what you think.

Dan Dennett's bio. Read that and you'll know why you should listen to what he says.

Thoughts on traffic

For all you chum-buckets driving in the left lane with your blinders on--the sign reads, "Slower Traffic Keep Right".
Get over.
This means you Mister Magoo!
I know you see me back there; I get over for people wanting to go faster than me. They'll draw the cops attention and I'll be able to slip by ticket-free.
Now move!

My Knock-off of Esher

Some days I just don't have the rant in me. Some days I feel more like a bubble on the ocean. No control of direction, an ineffectual will that no one regards as closely as they do heirloom jewerly in a sunbeam.
Plato's allegory of the cave to our perception of the world of everyday is insightful, but hard to hold onto. When everyone around you is always and constantly talking about what you see as shadows and refuse to engage you at any deeper level, you are forced by survival skills to let go of your extra dimensional concerns. Existing in shadow is a comfortable place of possessions, knowables, and vicarious living (SUVs, high ceiling houses, reality TV, and 'our team' won the game). Accept these transparent offering for complacency and ignorance. Do not try to see through to the real reality.
Do not question; do not ask; do not wonder; do not want what we do not burden you with. Zero percent financing for six month and spend the rest of your life laboring in debt. Our respected leaders helping us spend the money we have yet to make. Children truly pay for the parents follies. Slavery is flourishing in a different guise…serf on, serf on.

My Knock-off of The Scream

You know sometimes you just feel like screaming. Why did we develop consciousness if we don't get to use it to its full potential? No wonder why people believe in New Age crap like psychics. We have sent men to the moon, and yet some people don't turn on their lights on the highway and use their turn signals when it's raining. Not that they use their turn signals when it's not raining.
The things I’ve seen!
** I've seen a woman brushing her teeth and spitting in a zip-lock baggie zooming down the freeway at 70+. Here's to a fast break and cleaning your bronchial tubes! Minty!
** I've also see a guy Q-Tipping his ears on the freeway. Hear's to ya...what...what'd you say? Is that freedom rock? Well, turn it up man!
** And the most surprising to me (so far) was seeing the man with battery-powered nose hair trimmers up his nose a fair distance (more than a finger could go) and checking his progress in his rear-view mirror pass me at 75+ like it was nothing. Multi-tasking needs a new word! A sweet kiss on the rear end of the car in front of him and he could’ve given himself the lobotomy that he so sorely needs. No need to go through the eye socket anymore. Hell, that’s how the Egyptians removed the brains of a Pharaoh; a sharp thingie up the nose, scramble them up good and suck them out a nose hole. Presto! Wrap him up, I’ll take him home to the missus!

Cheese and Crackers, is everyone that wrapped up in themselves that obviously bad ideas can't get through? Plato’s Republic doesn’t have a chance; the Philosopher Kings would be watching football and clipping their toenails on the couch in no time.
All hail the self-aware ape! They can drive and text and smoke and flip me the bird all at the same time!
I’m going to go paint the wall…