There and Back

It is 6:34 am. I just got out of the hottest, longest shower I've had for some time. Probably since yesterday, that's just how I roll when it comes to showers. It was nice today though because I was up at 3 am to go hiking with some friends. Hiking, walking, it's all the same. We went to a hill, an old volcano actually, not very high up, but the walk nearly did me in. The path isn't more than a mile from base to peak, it only took us 30 minutes or so, I guess. I was so out of breath it felt like longer than it really was. I blame the thin mountain air, thinner than the comb over on your high school chemistry teacher. The elevation around here is somewhere in the 5,000 feet mark, twice that of my home, and 5,000 times that of where I lived until high school when we moved. Excuses aside, I'm just not in great cardiovascular shape. Which is to be expected when I don't exercise regularly and I just spent the last three days sitting around eating pizza. By the way, the chocolate lava cake from Domino's is phenomenal. Add some Breyer's triple chocolate ice cream and you've got yourself some magic right there. Despite my limited lung capacity, it was a nice hike. The trail is either sand or sheer rock covered with a sprinkling of sand, you know, just enough to make it slippery as a greased up pig at some type of hill billy rodeo. The sand on the sheer rock is my fave. We made it to the top and it was a nice view. For not looking like much of a hill at the bottom, it has a stellar view from the top. Our intent was to watch the sun rise, but some misinformation from others (who were not attending the hike) got us to the top of the hill by 4am. There wasn't much of a sun rising view, but it was still nice up there as it changed from dark to light. The moon was nearly full so that was neat too. It was pretty chilly, with a constant breeze blowing. As everyone was huddled for heat conservation, or friendship, our conversation naturally turned to anthropology. I was interested in the conversation about how people might be taller today than 100 years ago because back then energy was expended in physical labor and today we just sit in chairs all day. This leads to energy that could be expended in work is instead funneled into growing. The implication is that laziness leads to a large physical stature. We have no science to back this hypothesis up, however. It is just an interesting thing to think about. I think there is some credence to it. It makes sense in my mind anyway, but if you've been reading this blog (I refer you to my boiling ice cream idea) then you know what that means. Really though, if you are at a party and you tell people confidently that we are growing taller these days because we no longer expend as much energy in working so our bodies use that energy to grow, people will probably believe you. If not, just tell them you read it on a blog and thought it was funny because it was such a ridiculous claim, then laugh nervously and look around and do the one-finger-pull-on-your-collar deal. It'll be great. Take pictures. It didn't feel like 6 am when I got home, nor did it seem like I spent half the night out gallivanting around nature, but now it feels that way. I was surprised how many little flowers were growing on that old volcano. Mostly there is just rock and sage brush. The variety of colors in the flowers, though not very populous, was impressive. It was a good time. Now it is 6:51 am and I am going to sleep. Homework will just have to wait, again.

A Long Paragraph Regarding My Thoughts on Welfare

Receiving something you did not earn is not good for you. Let me rephrase, receiving the basic necessities of life without earning them is never good for you. Receiving gifts is good, the ones from your family and friends, as they are (hopefully) a token of appreciation, friendship or love. These are good feelings to express and I am not against giving gifts in order to express them. I am against giving someone a "free ride." People might think I'm just jealous, or look at the benefits I've received and think I'm being whiny or acting like an elitist. If I am, perhaps it is because of those benefits I have received? Look at children, we can learn a lot from them, as they are, we once were, and as we are, they will become. What happens to most children when they hit the two year age mark? The story is that they become "terrible" and out of control. Why? Is it because for their entire lives to that point they have been "babied" and given everything they need to survive? I'm not saying this is bad, there is no way that I think we should leave an 18-month-old alone to fend for their self. I'm not saying that; I'm simply saying that we should look at this experience that so many people share in and wonder. Maybe this stage of development has a correlation to the behavior of the people in the environment of the child. Maybe we breed a sense of entitlement in the children. They may simply be responding to our treatment. An interesting thought experiment. What is it that brings them out of the "terrible two's?" They become autonomous. The child starts learning to do things on their own. They now can tie their shoes, communicate their wants and needs with their parents through language, they can feed themselves with less help than before. Autonomy sets in and they act for themselves. Let's look back at ourselves. Are we autonomous when someone else is providing for our basic needs, such as food and shelter? Or are we reverting back to toddler hood...

The rest of this post can be found in the Ajax's Whimsical Revolution ebook for Amazon's Kindle. The book is a compilation of my favorite posts, 78 to be exact, of which this is one. If you don't have a Kindle e-reader you can download the free Amazon Kindle app for PC or Mac.

Animals

I was writing a paper for my ethics class - which, by the way, I think philosophy is ridiculously useless - and the question of what gives value to people came up. The topic for writing had to do with God as the source of morality, basically. My thoughts brought me to thinking that the value of people is dependent in some way, or to some people, upon their (our) relationship with God. For those who believe in a God that is real and relates to people as Father to child, I assume they must see value in other people because they are children of God. At the very least, even if they don't see individual value in human life, they see value in their own relationship with God so they follow what he commands them to do, which includes treating other people well. I come from the camp that believes all people are the children of God, thereby granting them intrinsic value. I wonder how I would value people if I didn't have this belief; I don't think that I can accurately suppose it as my beliefs are so much of who I am. Perhaps the value comes from a realization of what the self is. I would know how I value myself and then project that value upon other people. An interesting thing to think about. This next bit I will explore is heavily biased, which I don't apologize for, but I want to make it clear that I don't think this is how it is, it is just a route that my pondering took. It is a possible explanation from a strictly biological point of view, wherein humans are simply higher level organisms. It is interesting that I worry that my view might be offensive to someone who doesn't have the same core belief as me, when this approach may very well be what someone else's core belief is. All speculation of course, just another thought expansion exercise...

The rest of this post can be found in the Ajax's Whimsical Revolution ebook for Amazon's Kindle. The book is a compilation of my favorite posts, 78 to be exact, of which this is one. If you don't have a Kindle e-reader you can download the free Amazon Kindle app for PC or Mac.

Is it a Conspiracy if it is True?

I like to develop conspiracy theories, its sort of like a hobby for me, a thought expansion exercise. I think it is healthy to look around things and see all that there is to see. How often are you completely honest in your presentation of self to others? We all put up fronts in some ways and in some circumstances. Formulating conspiracy theories helps to be aware of those sorts of fronts when they are presented, maybe. I'm just making this up as I go along. It is all an introduction to my newest conspiracy theory. Do I believe it? No, but I wouldn't be surprised if it turned out to be true. Here it is:
The recent oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico off the Louisiana coast was perpetrated by President Obama and his goons in order to delay or exterminate the United States off-shore drilling program. That's right, my explanation for the disaster is that our President initiated it. Now, give credit where it is due, it probably wasn't his idea, it might have originated form one of his cronies, but he is the puppet, so I'll single him out for the blame. President Obama hates private industry and autonomy. He thinks that the earth has more value than people. Well why else would he put so much money and effort into being green when there aren't any jobs for people and so many are without food? Right, he is a politician. They are all the same these days. Power hungry and corrupt. They think we can't manage ourselves, so they try to do it for us. Maybe they don't actually think that, maybe they just think there is nothing we can do to defend ourselves so they'll just take over. Either way, they think they ought to tell us what to do. It is so bad that even when President Obama is responsible for this disaster, he comes out in the press conference and claims full responsibility for it. See! He is taking the blame, he did it, I knew it! He is so confident in his smoke screen that he can tell us the truth and we won't get it. He didn't say why though, so I'll fill you in on that. He wants to prove that drilling is dangerous and shouldn't be done. Then what? Well, then we have to go in for the cap and trade business. We then have to put forth more governmentally regulated green energy initiatives. We'll have to buy carbon credits.
OK, that's all fun and games. I highly doubt this was anything other than an accident, and I don't mean to trivialize the tragic toll it is taking on so many people. I am frustrated with the President and the trend of U.S. government over the last few years, namely 100, give or take. The government should not be its own entity. It is supposed to be of and by the people. This government is at the expensive of and in the face of the people. Maybe they ought to think about that "us vs. them" mentality and realize we are all together in this boat. I think we do need to increase research into renewable "green" types of energy, but I don't think the government should be in charge of it. The government isn't even a thing, its a concept. How can a concept invent new technology? The regulations and red tape need to come down so that human ingenuity can do what it does best and create. The technology is out there already in many cases, but something is holding it back. I'd suggest another conspiracy, but I don't think it is a conspiracy that these technologies are being held back by someone with power and money who stands to lose money if the current trends were to stop. Everyone has an agenda. We have to be careful whose agenda we are supporting.

Fortunes Are Best When They Come From Cookies

We were having a group present information on the Shinto religion and some of their holidays. As part of the presentation, we were all given a folded paper with a list of "fortunes." At the top of mine, it says "Fairly Good." It then lists different topics with a comment under each one. Here is my fairly good fortune:
Wish
Respect others, and it will soon be realized.
Expected visitor
No problem. He (she) will come very soon.
Business
All right.
Study
Work hard, or you will fail.
Love
Do not hesitate. Be positive.
Travel
Any direction will do.
OK. I don't really have any issue with any of these except Study. I don't want to work hard. I refuse to; I also refuse to fail. I'll show this piece of paper who is boss...Me. That's right. I do like the "All right" under the Business heading. As if to say, "you have business? fine. You don't? fine." I like it. You have to love the Expected Visitor one as well. My expected visitor will arrive soon? Thanks for the update. Finally, when I read the Travel section I feel a little bit like Rodney Dangerfield - a comparison I already regret making - no respect. As if to say, "are you travelling? great, go somewhere and do something, whatever."
Work hard, or you will fail. We'll see.