Tuesday, October 27, 2009
RIP
Friday, October 9, 2009
My Story of Nature
Four days ago, on Monday, October 5, my best friend, Mr. Mick, was hit and killed by a car in front of my house. It has shaken the very foundation of my view of reality. Long story short, to help cope with this immense loss, pain, and sadness, Paige and I have been collecting flowers every single day to put on Mick's grave - which is in our back yard - while constantly talking to him as well. I don't believe he can hear us, because I don't believe in any sentient afterlife; however, I assured Paige that Mick, being a cat and all, could not understand what we were saying to him while he was alive, so the fact that he cannot understand us now makes no difference to me. So I continue to talk to Mick, outward and openly, with the faint hope that doing so matters in some way - that some spark of our connection allows such utterances to be well-received, somehow.
Today, Friday, October 9th, Paige and I were planning to cut another sunflower from my front yard to put on Mick's grave. But just before doing so, I remembered the leaf I had tucked away inside my Robert Frost book two years previous. I remembered what the leaf stood for: My connection with nature. My connection with a tree, that although not sentient, could drop a leaf to my chest if I asked appropriately. I thought about my utterances to - my one-way conversations with - my no-longer-sentient friend, Mick, and I realized that it was once again time for that fallen leaf to serve as a connector for myself and my fallen best friend. Paige and I walked out to where Mick's body rests, and I pushed some dirt from the surface of the ground, placed the leaf (which was still in perfect shape) beneath the soil, and told my no-longer-sentient friend that I miss him and love him. While walking back into my house I knew... although Mick cannot understand the words I speak to him, the connection is still there.
I no longer need such a memento, which once hid within my Robert Frost book, to remember such connections. Like Mick (and with Mick), I buried the leaf forever, yet I will continue to speak to my best friend, and will stay connected to him always.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Life: A Story
She Wants It
DEATHhhhhhh: drawn out of my every pore – my being – defiant in nature, of life, defiant of herself. Her tongue flickers speaks [tastes]. She [smells] you immortal. Her. Breath. Less. Lungs.
wondering: “what now?”
Her tongue flickers… again. [TASTE], she craves it like sex. Like émigré, drawing foreign blood with her pencils – a [SIGHT] unseen, like air departing… forever.
And who’s to tell her ‘ no ‘ ?
ɹǝɥ ɟo ǝɯ spuıɯǝɹ ǝɟıן
But, who am I? tocr, tocr, tocr, to critique – WHO AM I to gaze?
We paint each other backwards. Her, fresh, lilacs light up
up the room. With fingertip embraces and Sistine eyes
devouring the very SOUL which resides within my
bleed. blood. I bleed for her safety (amusement)
with both hands trembling, staring to the sky
she wants to [FEEL] it, to [HEAR] it, to…
contain it within her whimsy. a dream
and me. standing here. alone. here
SCREAMING!!!!!! silent
barren desolate. amalgam
THIS was my vision of her, of us – death, like a horseless carriage barreling down the turnpike of disaster.
ME – reaching for the ropes, but none sufficed to steer this bird… down down down down
HER – remembering me this way.
Lips sealed together, concealing secrets within one, eternal kiss. And
Life. An exceptionally foreboding domicile.
Wrought with THE ABSENCE OF silence.
Peering Whispering ever-Preening
KNOWING –
A Few Movies that I didn't realize were Filmed (at least partially) in Utah
There's Something About Mary
Forrest Gump
2001 Space Odyssey
Easy Rider
Dumb and Dumber (I knew this already, but I still want to list it)
Galaxy Quest
To Wong Foo...
etc...
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Inhumanity in Hinckly, Utah
http://www.fox13now.com/news/kstu-hinckley-strays-shot,0,6584876.story
HINCKLEY, Utah - Residents in the small town of Hinckley, Utah are speaking out against the city's animal control policy. The mayor of Hinckley says after strays are held for 72 hours, they are shot. Critics call it an archaic and cruel form of animal control. Hinckley resident Suzanne Folsom said, "It's so sick and its so very very wrong." According to city officials and residents, the dogs and cats are taken to a fenced-in sewage pond on the outskirts of town, shot and their bodies left in an open pit.
Tamra Hanks says her property touches the site, and that cats wounded from bullets have crossed through her property, only to die a slow and painful death. Hanks said, "It's probably one of the worst things I've ever seen." As to the dogs in the massive grave, "They had collars on them. They were people's pets."
Mayor Donald Brown says the city's policy is efficient and cost-effective. It is legal to shoot dogs and cats in Utah if done humanely with one bullet to the head. City maintenance supervisor Stephen Beagley said, "I have never a time when it took more than one bullet." The city denied any allegations that the animals suffered from their policy.
The Humane Society of Utah is weighing in on this issue. The executive director, Gene Baierschmidt, says the only humane form of euthanasia is through lethal injection. "Something like this it's just unacceptable," said Baierschmidt.
Even if the city is following the law Folsom and Hanks say the city should be held to a higher standard. Folsom said, "There's so many dogs and cats in this pit. Its wrong." Hanks agreed, saying, "Somebody needs to finally stand up and say, you can't do this. It's not right."
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
TOMORROW IS THE DAY!
I will be sure to post here when the pictures are online there. So, let's hope this 'experiment' goes well.
For more details, you can see the facebook events page HERE.
The Universe in a Single Atom
I continue to further my understanding of Philosophy of Time, but I think I am going to begin studying Buddhism at a deeper level again.
It has been almost a year now since I was in Wayne Hanewicz's Buddhist Philosophy course (a course he is teaching once again in Spring 2011, mind you), and the timing feels right to delve back into that direction. While in the course, we were set to read four books. However, we ran out of time before coming to the fourth book - that being the book pictured on the right: "The Universe in a Single Atom". I've thumbed through this book now an then, and it will certainly be a fascinating read. So, if I find myself with some free time in the coming days and weeks, I hope to read this book with careful attention. And, though I've not yet read it, I recommend that others either check this book, or other Buddhist literature (particularly from the Dalai Lama), out. I think you will be pleasantly surprised. It will, at worst, provide some food for thought regarding thinking, time, being, and existence.
Monday, September 7, 2009
Short Poem
she tells me—
all white and boring.
I’ll paint my way out,
with blood, if necessary.
Brushes create doors,
from which to escape—
an enigma, for all
who are dreaming
of beautiful things:
things like heaven,
things to destroy
with a brush,
an epistle,
an idea.
Monday, August 31, 2009
New Semester
This fall looks promising, though, and I am excited to be progressing academically and helping to organize so many amazing events.
Allllllllllllrrrrrrighhhht.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Boulder: Day 2
On a negative note, I somehow managed to acquire a GIANT blister on my left foot that goes up between my toes, and now I have a small blood blister on my right foot on account of walking funny to guard my left. Hopefully those will disappear by Saturday so I can go hiking with everyone, but I'm skeptical about that.
Nothing interesting happening. Still missing Paige, cats, family, etc.. Here are some random pictures (the first and third pictures are of the dorms we are staying in).
Monday, July 13, 2009
Boulder: Day 1
First off, my dorm room is nothing to brag about. I have one free outlet, and I have three or more things to plug into this outlet at any given time. So I have to juggle between my laptop power adapter, my phone charger, and my alarm clock. The room is smile and kitchen-esque (complete with tile floors, a small fridge and microwave). I have a small desk, a fake closet, a bookshelf and a tiny bed (and no Paige to sleep with).
The pre-first day (yesterday, before classes started) went well. I met everyone and everyone seems nice enough. Not many people share my exact interests (one or two maybe), but it is good to learn of others' interests and learn from them. The campus and surrounding areas are absolutely beautiful. And there are quite a few vegan options close by (including VG Burgers, which I still need to try).
The first day of class went well. A lot of people talking a lot, so it seems a bit fragmented and crowded, and it is, but that was to be expected. Dr. Pasnau was nice and insightful and I enjoyed his lecturing. We had a few interesting discussions in the three hour session and some, albeit fewer, interesting discussion in the later 2 hour session. I don't have much details to give on such discussions, but they concerned Scholastic thoughts regarding identity and Post-Scholastic responses and objections/rejections to such thoughts.
Bob (Pasnau) took us all out to dinner afterwards. We went to 'Old Chicago', which, as it turned out, did NOT have many vegan options and they had to make a special pizza for us vegans (there are three of us, wow!). I've walked around town and seen, well, not much, but some. It's been interesting. I've had a few enlightening conversations so far, with more to certainly come.
However, I do miss Paige, miss home, miss the family and the cats. I am not able to sleep well at all, but I'm getting used to this place. I would really like to attend graduate school here (so far anyway).
Until further notice, that is all.
PS: Here are a few pictures (nothing interesting so far, just the dorm room).
Monday, July 6, 2009
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Songs I Strongly Recommend
[Band:
List of songs by band]
Boards of Canada:
Music is Math
Gyroscope
Peacock Tail
1969
Radiohead:
Lucky
The Tourist
Reckoner
Nude
the entire Hail to the Thief album
Explosion in the Sky:
The Birth and Death of the Day
The Moon is Down
The Only Moment We Were Alone
Catastrophe and the Cure
Welcome, Ghost
Silversun Pickups:
Kissing Families
Lazy Eye
Well Thought Out Twinkles
Two Gallants:
Despite What You've Been Told
Las Cruces Jail
Some Slender Rest
and last but not least
Kings of Leon:
Fans
Use Somebody
Notion
Arizona
Closer
Sex On Fire
...that is all (for now)
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
I need to start doing more on this thing
...though I am fairly certain that nobody reads it. However, speaking in literal text to the cyber-universe isn't all bad.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Less than 3 weeks until Boulder
I do not have much else to say as of now.
Monday, June 1, 2009
4 New Kittens!
Their birthday: June 1 (same as Brantly's).
And on a side note, yes, I hope to start updating this blog regularly again - though sometimes it shuts down my wireless internet when I come to blogspot??
Unconscious Decision Making
People should read more into unconscious decision making (even if by only searching Google). Forget Freud (well, not entirely), because the new research currently in progress in the field of cognitive science (neuroscience, psychology, philosophy, and computational theory) will revolutionize the way you think about the brain/mind.
Topics concerning the Unconscious that I'm currently interested in:
• Illusory Decision Making (what is an actual decision? When is a decision made? Is a decision a “mental process” or a “physical action”? That is, if I decide to click the left button over the right button, but then a moment later I change my mind, did I ever actually make a decision to push the left button or was the only decision the one that led to an action?
• Unconscious Confabulation (how and why we can have false memories?)
• Heuristics for Decision Making (how reliable are these, how do they occur?)
• Unconscious Awareness (can we, as organisms, be aware of things of which we are not conscious?)
• States of Unconsciousness (are there levels of the unconscious mind similar to the levels presumably present in the conscious mind?)
• Unconscious Computation vs. Conscious Computation (is there a difference in how our conscious and unconscious functions? Is the unconscious strictly computational, while our conscious may be something more than that? - think quantum mechanics)
• Unconscious Communication (how does the unconscious mind communicate with the conscious mind?)
• The Evolution of the Unconscious (both physiological – via evolutionary biology – and historically – via how we think about unconsciousness)
• Unconscious Deception (does our unconscious deceive our conscious, or, more likely, does our conscious misperceive the information in the unconscious?)
• Unconscious Deliberation (how does our unconscious prepare decisions for our conscious minds?)
• Unconscious Memories Retrieval (how does our brain intake memories, of which we are unaware, and how is it possible that we can consciously retrieve them?)
• Collective Unconscious (what’s with Jung’s theory?)
Friday, April 3, 2009
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Last Minute SUPER BOWL Predictions
Cardinals 27
Steelers 24
I will most likely eat these words, but let's hope not.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Oscar Nominees, and who I THINK should win
Winners to be announced on Sunday, February 22nd.
Best Motion Picture of the Year
Nominees:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Ceán Chaffin, Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall
Frost/Nixon (2008): Brian Grazer, Ron Howard, Eric Fellner
Milk (2008): Bruce Cohen, Dan Jinks
The Reader (2008): Nominees to be determined
Slumdog Millionaire (2008): Christian Colson
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
Nominees:
Richard Jenkins for The Visitor (2007/I)
Frank Langella for Frost/Nixon (2008)
Sean Penn for Milk (2008)
Brad Pitt for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)
Mickey Rourke for The Wrestler (2008)
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role
Nominees:
Anne Hathaway for Rachel Getting Married (2008)
Angelina Jolie for Changeling (2008)
Melissa Leo for Frozen River (2008)
Meryl Streep for Doubt (2008/I)
Kate Winslet for The Reader (2008)
Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
Nominees:
Josh Brolin for Milk (2008)
Robert Downey Jr. for Tropic Thunder (2008)
Philip Seymour Hoffman for Doubt (2008/I)
Heath Ledger for The Dark Knight (2008)
Michael Shannon for Revolutionary Road (2008)
Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role
Nominees:
Amy Adams for Doubt (2008/I)
Penélope Cruz for Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)
Viola Davis for Doubt (2008/I)
Taraji P. Henson for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)
Marisa Tomei for The Wrestler (2008)
Best Achievement in Directing
Nominees:
Danny Boyle for Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
Stephen Daldry for The Reader (2008)
David Fincher for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)
Ron Howard for Frost/Nixon (2008)
Gus Van Sant for Milk (2008)
Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen
Nominees:
Frozen River (2008): Courtney Hunt
Happy-Go-Lucky (2008): Mike Leigh
In Bruges (2008): Martin McDonagh
Milk (2008): Dustin Lance Black
WALL·E (2008): Andrew Stanton, Pete Docter, Jim Reardon
Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published
Nominees:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Eric Roth, Robin Swicord
Doubt (2008/I): John Patrick Shanley
Frost/Nixon (2008): Peter Morgan
The Reader (2008): David Hare
Slumdog Millionaire (2008): Simon Beaufoy
Best Achievement in Cinematography
Nominees:
Changeling (2008): Tom Stern
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Claudio Miranda
The Dark Knight (2008): Wally Pfister
The Reader (2008): Roger Deakins, Chris Menges
Slumdog Millionaire (2008): Anthony Dod Mantle
Best Achievement in Editing
Nominees:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Angus Wall, Kirk Baxter
The Dark Knight (2008): Lee Smith
Frost/Nixon (2008): Daniel P. Hanley, Mike Hill
Milk (2008): Elliot Graham
Slumdog Millionaire (2008): Chris Dickens
Best Achievement in Art Direction
Nominees:
Changeling (2008): James J. Murakami, Gary Fettis
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Donald Graham Burt, Victor J. Zolfo
The Dark Knight (2008): Nathan Crowley, Peter Lando
The Duchess (2008): Michael Carlin, Rebecca Alleway
Revolutionary Road (2008): Kristi Zea, Debra Schutt
Best Achievement in Costume Design
Nominees:
Australia (2008): Catherine Martin
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Jacqueline West
The Duchess (2008): Michael O'Connor
Milk (2008): Danny Glicker
Revolutionary Road (2008): Albert Wolsky
Best Achievement in Makeup
Nominees:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Greg Cannom
The Dark Knight (2008): John Caglione Jr., Conor O'Sullivan
Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008): Mike Elizalde, Thomas Floutz
Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score
Nominees:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Alexandre Desplat
Defiance (2008): James Newton Howard
Milk (2008): Danny Elfman
Slumdog Millionaire (2008): A.R. Rahman
WALL·E (2008): Thomas Newman
Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song
Nominees:
Slumdog Millionaire (2008): A.R. Rahman, Gulzar("Jai Ho")
Slumdog Millionaire (2008): A.R. Rahman, Maya Arulpragasam("O Saya")
WALL·E (2008): Peter Gabriel, Thomas Newman("Down to Earth")
Best Achievement in Sound
Nominees:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): David Parker, Michael Semanick, Ren Klyce, Mark Weingarten
The Dark Knight (2008): Ed Novick, Lora Hirschberg, Gary Rizzo
Slumdog Millionaire (2008): Ian Tapp, Richard Pryke, Resul Pookutty
WALL·E (2008): Tom Myers, Michael Semanick, Ben Burtt
Wanted (2008): Chris Jenkins, Frank A. Montaño, Petr Forejt
Best Achievement in Sound Editing
Nominees:
The Dark Knight (2008): Richard King
Iron Man (2008): Frank E. Eulner, Christopher Boyes
Slumdog Millionaire (2008): Tom Sayers
WALL·E (2008): Ben Burtt, Matthew Wood
Wanted (2008): Wylie Stateman
Best Achievement in Visual Effects
Nominees:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008): Eric Barba, Steve Preeg, Burt Dalton, Craig Barron
The Dark Knight (2008): Nick Davis, Chris Corbould, Timothy Webber, Paul J. Franklin
Iron Man (2008): John Nelson, Ben Snow, Daniel Sudick, Shane Mahan
Best Animated Feature Film of the Year
Nominees:
Bolt (2008): Chris Williams, Byron Howard
Kung Fu Panda (2008): John Stevenson, Mark Osborne
WALL·E (2008): Andrew Stanton
Best Foreign Language Film of the Year
Nominees:
Der Baader Meinhof Komplex (2008)(Germany)
Entre les murs (2008)(France)
Revanche (2008)(Austria)
Okuribito (2008)(Japan)
Vals Im Bashir (2008)(Israel)
Best Documentary, Features
Nominees:
The Betrayal - Nerakhoon (2008): Ellen Kuras, Thavisouk Phrasavath
Encounters at the End of the World (2007): Werner Herzog, Henry Kaiser
The Garden (2008/I): Scott Hamilton Kennedy
Man on Wire (2008): James Marsh, Simon Chinn
Trouble the Water (2008): Tia Lessin, Carl Deal
Best Documentary, Short Subjects
Nominees:
The Conscience of Nhem En: Steven Okazaki
The Final Inch: Irene Taylor Brodsky, Tom Grant
Smile Pinki: Megan Mylan
The Witness from the Balcony of Room 306: Adam Pertofsky, Margaret Hyde
Best Short Film, Animated
Nominees:
La Maison en Petits Cubes: Kunio Kato
Ubornaya istoriya - lyubovnaya istoriya (2007): Konstantin Bronzit
Oktapodi (2007): Emud Mokhberi, Thierry Marchand
Presto (2008): Doug Sweetland
This Way Up (2008): Alan Smith, Adam Foulkes
Best Short Film, Live Action
Nominees:
Auf der Strecke (2007): Reto Caffi
Manon sur le bitume (2007): Elizabeth Marre, Olivier Pont
New Boy (2007): Steph Green, Tamara Anghie
Grisen (2008): Tivi Magnusson, Dorthe Warnø Høgh
Spielzeugland (2007): Jochen Alexander Freydank
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Police Kill Unarmed, Detained, 22 year old California Man
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Breakdown of Animals KILLED and TORTURED each year.
Animals Killed in USA for Food:
Yearly: 10,000,000,000 (10 billion)
Monthly: 833,333,333 (833 million)
Weekly: 192,307,692 (192 million)
Daily: 27,397,260 (27 million)
Hourly: 1,141,552 (1 million)
Minute: 19,025 (19 thousand)
Second: 317 (3 hundred)
This is for food only and in the USA only!
Animals Experimented on in USA (Dogs only) [Cats only] {with pain & suffering, without anesthesia} NOTE--THESE NUMBERS DO NOT INCLUDE RATS, MICE, BIRDS, ETC. (WHICH ARE THE MOST POPULAR TEST SUBJECTS):
Yearly: 1,416,643 (69,516) [25,560] {104,202}
Monthly: 118,053 (5,793) [2,130] {8,683}
Weekly: 27,243 (1,336) [491] {2,003}
Daily: 3,881 (190) [70] {285}
Hourly: 161 (8) [3] {12}
Minute: 2.7 (.11) () {.2}
Most are euthanized after experimentation.
A dog is killed in the USA every 2 hours with pain, without anesthesia.
6 cats are killed every day in the USA with pain, without anesthesia.
Every 5 minutes in the USA an animal is experimented on with pain, without anesthesia.
Animals Experimented on WORLDWIDE:
Yearly: 115,000,000 (115 million)
Monthly: 9,583,333 (9.5 million)
Weekly: 2,211,538 (2 million)
Daily: 315,068 (315 thousand)
Hourly: 13,127 (13 thousand)
Minute: 218 (2 hundred)
Second: 4
4 animals per second, meaning every 4 seconds one is tortured w/ pain, w/o anesthesia.
Includes about same stats as in USA (using cats, dogs, etc., with over 7% of testing being performed with pain, without anesthesia.
YEARLY RESULTS TAKEN FROM THE FOLLOWING:
Dr Hadwen Trust and the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection
USDA-NASS
USDA