I know this is waaaaayyyy late
Well I went to Seattle the weekend before last (Friday the 19th to Monday the 22nd) and well... it was wonderful. I never thought I could be so happy to see someone as I was to see Shaelyn but I was! I hadn't really seen her since August and so it was really just kind of surreal that we were together again. The weather was fantastic--a true blessing on the trip. It was a big change from the extremely crappy weather in VA. We went to a park on Friday, Downtown on Saturday, and Church on Sunday, but all I could really think about was being with her. I mean of course I was soaking in the environment and being in a new place (hopefully not for the last time) but all I could think about was how good it felt to be with her. It was truly a weekend that can't be topped.
I guess part of the reason I delayed this is because I was still coming down from seeing her and well... this last weekend was awful in comparison. I mean I didn't have any homework so I certainly can't complain but... it certainly wasn't the same. Friday when I woke up I was like... well last week I was in a much better place than this. Lame. But no worries. We have lots of good memories that will help us out. I truly think things are going work out really well with us.
I truly can't wait to see her again. Hopefully over this summer--if I have anything to say about it!
Monday, March 1, 2010
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Re: Memory
Dunno why I felt to make this a new post but I would like to succeed my last post by saying not all memory is bad.
Memory is great when you have the people around to remember them with.
Memory is also only meaningful if everyone remembers it. If no one thinks of a memory, does it even exist?
Memory is great when you have the people around to remember them with.
Memory is also only meaningful if everyone remembers it. If no one thinks of a memory, does it even exist?
Thursday, January 7, 2010
The burden of memory
So coming home often causes me to get real nostalgic. But lately I've been thinking a lot about much older memories from Elementary school, Middle school, and onward. Thinking about people I used to hang out with and talk to regularly--the same people who I lost contact with so long ago, I'm not even facebook friends with them. And I've tried to find them but can't; makes me surprised at how many people don't have a facebook.
But the point of this post is to talk about the memories I've been thinking about that involve these people I've lost contact with--old and new(er). I mean, these memories from middle school: do the other people involved think about them too? Do I ever cross their mind? I mean sure, I've got a mostly photographic memory (even though I'm losing it) and I probably think about a lot of things I've seen more than most people (so I assume). But these memories are so old and the people in them are long gone that sometimes they just seem like figments of my imagination. I can't find these people so maybe they never truly existed. Yeah there's a little picture of them in the yearbook but anyone who is anyone has a facebook too (haha). I'm just saying... it's weird to think of all these events in my life and all of the people that used to be in it.
I think about memories as fresh as Freshman year and think about people I used to talk to and when I look at all of these fond end-of-year messages in my yearbooks I wonder what happened.
But of course, I'm thankful for what i've been able to do in my life and all the people who are still in it--despite so many losses. My current friends and my girlfriend mean the world to me and I hope to never be without them.
But the point of this post is to talk about the memories I've been thinking about that involve these people I've lost contact with--old and new(er). I mean, these memories from middle school: do the other people involved think about them too? Do I ever cross their mind? I mean sure, I've got a mostly photographic memory (even though I'm losing it) and I probably think about a lot of things I've seen more than most people (so I assume). But these memories are so old and the people in them are long gone that sometimes they just seem like figments of my imagination. I can't find these people so maybe they never truly existed. Yeah there's a little picture of them in the yearbook but anyone who is anyone has a facebook too (haha). I'm just saying... it's weird to think of all these events in my life and all of the people that used to be in it.
I think about memories as fresh as Freshman year and think about people I used to talk to and when I look at all of these fond end-of-year messages in my yearbooks I wonder what happened.
But of course, I'm thankful for what i've been able to do in my life and all the people who are still in it--despite so many losses. My current friends and my girlfriend mean the world to me and I hope to never be without them.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
On Humans
So I may be beating the proverbial dead horse with this one, but I've been wondering a lot why we are here on this earth. Well... Not so much wondering but more like relating. I mean if you think about it, with all the stars in the universe that are like ours (that is, ample size and brightness to sustain life), statistically speaking there are many planets like ours that are capable of sustaining life.
If you think about it, there are many chances that there is life on those planets. But what are the chances of civilizations of thinking, developing, and rational life? Out of all the species that have ever existed, Homo sapiens and their relatives are the only ones who have developed tools, grown, and established relationships and civilizations. We think and reason. We ask questions and learn.
We are the only thing we know of that contemplates the meaning of its own existence. The only living thing that will voluntarily break from its routine to ask itself why it does what it does. We re-evaluate ourselves and even move around to accommodate.
Out of the entire universe, is it possible that there are things that exist that ask themselves what their life is all about? That engage in discussions about the nature of the universe?
To clarify, I think my main question is why us? Why things that look like us? Why does it seem more than coincidental that beings that look like us have the powers of reason and thought. Why not things that look like dogs or cats or cows or lions? Why did they not ever develop the ability to reason? Surely if a lion could plan and think more than they already can, we would be done for. Maybe I'm wrong but it seems to me like there is very few reasons why it was our ancestors that caused us to be what we are today. Just seems like everything is following a plan. If what gives us these abilities is our mind (and existentially and espistemologically speaking, that is all we can deduce exists) then why cant our minds have existed in something else? Why is it this upright, two-legged thing can reason, think, and learn when something with better senses, four legs, and a big set of sharp teeth is stuck in a cage in a zoo?
It can't just be our thumbs...
I know WHY we are here, but I am consistently amazed with the sheer idea of it.
I know that we are here because of a plan much greater than we can fully understand.
If you think about it, there are many chances that there is life on those planets. But what are the chances of civilizations of thinking, developing, and rational life? Out of all the species that have ever existed, Homo sapiens and their relatives are the only ones who have developed tools, grown, and established relationships and civilizations. We think and reason. We ask questions and learn.
We are the only thing we know of that contemplates the meaning of its own existence. The only living thing that will voluntarily break from its routine to ask itself why it does what it does. We re-evaluate ourselves and even move around to accommodate.
Out of the entire universe, is it possible that there are things that exist that ask themselves what their life is all about? That engage in discussions about the nature of the universe?
To clarify, I think my main question is why us? Why things that look like us? Why does it seem more than coincidental that beings that look like us have the powers of reason and thought. Why not things that look like dogs or cats or cows or lions? Why did they not ever develop the ability to reason? Surely if a lion could plan and think more than they already can, we would be done for. Maybe I'm wrong but it seems to me like there is very few reasons why it was our ancestors that caused us to be what we are today. Just seems like everything is following a plan. If what gives us these abilities is our mind (and existentially and espistemologically speaking, that is all we can deduce exists) then why cant our minds have existed in something else? Why is it this upright, two-legged thing can reason, think, and learn when something with better senses, four legs, and a big set of sharp teeth is stuck in a cage in a zoo?
It can't just be our thumbs...
I know WHY we are here, but I am consistently amazed with the sheer idea of it.
I know that we are here because of a plan much greater than we can fully understand.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Today...
This kind of stuff would probably be better on a twitter... but I don't want to do that to my dignity.
Today, I found out what Sweet & Low tastes like by itself because my philosophy professor dared me to.
(this was actually on the twelfth)
Today, I found out what Sweet & Low tastes like by itself because my philosophy professor dared me to.
(this was actually on the twelfth)
Friday, November 20, 2009
Today...
I want to start this thing where i try to post every day with at least something I thought about or saw...
Today, I saw a guy step in a puddle. As his foot went in, the water went about to his ankle, but he didn't break stride. As I walked away, I wondered if he thought, "Wow, that puddle was way deeper than I thought it was."
Today, I saw a guy step in a puddle. As his foot went in, the water went about to his ankle, but he didn't break stride. As I walked away, I wondered if he thought, "Wow, that puddle was way deeper than I thought it was."
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Transhumanist Movement
I'll cut to the chase...
The transhumanist movement makes me sick. Absolutely sick. Not only is it another group of over-educated stuck-up scientists with the most holier-than-thou attitude, but they are constantly striving to gain immortality on this Earth. I have a lot of issues with this.
1) Over population. If no one died, the population would skyrocket. Okay, say we said no more having kids. Well then the entire earth for all of eternity would be comprised of the same people always. Presidents, dictators, radicals, idiots, and the like would never die and we would all be stuck at the same age and not getting older. We would literally have the same neighbors with the same habits and going to the same job 5 days a week for the rest of eternity.
2) That's not what God has in store for us. Whether you believe or not, we are simply not here to live forever. It makes no logistical sense and for the religious perspective, it is ludicrous.
3) Say we gained the ultimate transhumanist dream and all became immortal. What next? Technology would continue forward while the human race does not. Now we can all be alive to see the machines take over. Transhumanists want to replace our bodies with machines. To upload our brains onto hard drives and them turn us into terminator machines.
"We would be transcending our physical limits" a transhumanist would say.
"not our mental ones," I would contest. "Additionally, we would be annihilating the very things which make us human."
"but we would be able to perceive things and gain memories."
"But we would be gaining the same memories over and over and logging them and sorting them like a computer. We would be gaining them through artificial eyes and storing them on hard drives. We might remember our names but what we 'see' in the mirror would be the same mass-produced body that everyone else has. we would kill the individual and all be clones. If our bodies and genes is what gives us our talents and differences, but are ultimately what kills us, I would rather have that," I would say.
These people just make me sick.
The transhumanist movement makes me sick. Absolutely sick. Not only is it another group of over-educated stuck-up scientists with the most holier-than-thou attitude, but they are constantly striving to gain immortality on this Earth. I have a lot of issues with this.
1) Over population. If no one died, the population would skyrocket. Okay, say we said no more having kids. Well then the entire earth for all of eternity would be comprised of the same people always. Presidents, dictators, radicals, idiots, and the like would never die and we would all be stuck at the same age and not getting older. We would literally have the same neighbors with the same habits and going to the same job 5 days a week for the rest of eternity.
2) That's not what God has in store for us. Whether you believe or not, we are simply not here to live forever. It makes no logistical sense and for the religious perspective, it is ludicrous.
3) Say we gained the ultimate transhumanist dream and all became immortal. What next? Technology would continue forward while the human race does not. Now we can all be alive to see the machines take over. Transhumanists want to replace our bodies with machines. To upload our brains onto hard drives and them turn us into terminator machines.
"We would be transcending our physical limits" a transhumanist would say.
"not our mental ones," I would contest. "Additionally, we would be annihilating the very things which make us human."
"but we would be able to perceive things and gain memories."
"But we would be gaining the same memories over and over and logging them and sorting them like a computer. We would be gaining them through artificial eyes and storing them on hard drives. We might remember our names but what we 'see' in the mirror would be the same mass-produced body that everyone else has. we would kill the individual and all be clones. If our bodies and genes is what gives us our talents and differences, but are ultimately what kills us, I would rather have that," I would say.
These people just make me sick.
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