YO/U A_RE DI S/APP-E AR_IN G

The Absurdity of Criminal Sentencing

2011-05-13T14:31:00.000-07:00

Ok, so nobody needs to reiterate for the billionth time the remarkable absurdity regarding criminal sentences – especially when children are the victims. But I would like to point out, once more, just how ridiculous (and varying) criminal sentences can be.

Today it was announced that Angeles Cadillo-Castro (pictured below) was sentenced for the beating death of her five-year-old daughter.

See the story: http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=15528674

The prosecutor stated that it was the worst beating case he has ever seen in his thirty years, and testimony showed that it probably took about an hour for the young girl to die – she eventually bled to death from being beaten with various kitchen utensils (beaten for an hour, mind you). Cadillo-Castro’s sentence? Five-to-life. Now, this might be a fair sentence – it’s hard to say – after all, it contains the possibility of life in prison (so this might satisfy some) while also not containing a very harsh minimum (which may satisfy others). But let’s consider this sentence in light of other criminal cases.

Cadillo-Castro’s charges of beating her daughter to death for a long duration are strikingly similar to another familiar case that is still ongoing in Utah – namely, the case of Stephanie and Nathan Sloop.

See the story: http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=148&sid=10728945

The major difference is that the Sloop’s buried their son (step-son of Nathan) after killing him, whereas Cadillo-Castro didn’t bury her daughter’s body. But – and this is mere speculation – I have this nagging feeling that the Sloop’s are not going to get a five-to-life sentence. In fact, at last reporting, prosecutors were looking at the option of seeking the death penalty. But they committed nearly the same crime as Cadillo-Castro – albeit while being quite a highly publicized affair.

But let’s focus on Cadillo-Castro’s five-to-life sentence. This sentence is identical to that of Michael J. Pratt, a Utah Seminary teacher, who received the exact same sentence for having consensual sex with a sixteen-year-old girl.

See the story: http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=12499894

Granted, there was a lot of other factors involved in this affair (including manipulation, abuse of authority, among other things), and I’m not passing any judgment about whether or not Pratt’s sentence was too harsh or not harsh enough, but I am pointing out the odd fact that having sex with a minor – which was consensual at the time – can draw the same sentence as a mother beating her child to death. (Had Pratt beaten this sixteen-year-old to death rather than manipulating her into a sexual relationship, would he have received a worse sentence?)

Moreover, and even more peculiar, is the case of Linda Nef, who received three-to-life for her crime.

See the story: http://www.ksl.com/index.php?hl=19&sid=7245167

What did Nef do to receive nearly the same sentence as the woman who beat her daughter to death? She had consensual sex with a thirteen-year-old boy. Granted, this is appalling, but similarly as appalling as if she beat the boy to death? Even more interesting about this case is the fact that not only did the boy’s parents forgive Nef, but the parents and the prosecutor asked the judge to sentence Nef only to probation because she confessed to the crime in an attempt to try and make things right – to repent, as it were. She came forward on her own, without being a suspect, and confessed, plead guilty, apologized, and so forth, but received nearly an equal sentence to a woman who beat her daughter for an hour until she bled to death. Odd to say the least.

However, some of you may be thinking to yourself: “well, these sentences are both appropriate, since consensual sex – when manipulated or underage – are just as bad as beating one’s own daughter to death. The judge got it right." But if you are thinking that, then consider these two cases of sexual abuse of minors.

First, Melinda Deluca had sex with one of her students, but only received 90 days in jail.

See the story: http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=148&sid=792384

Furthermore, Deluca later lied about being beaten, just for some more sympathy (as if she hadn’t received enough)?

See the story: http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=487037

And finally, the infamous case of Debra Lafave.

See the story: http://wizbangblog.com/content/2005/11/24/tawdry-teacher-1.php

This woman had sex with a fourteen-year-old student (and, mind you, didn’t confess or initially plead guilty), and received… NO JAIL/PRISON SENTENCE AT ALL, but rather a few months house arrest and a few years probation. And, as if that’s already not fair, her sentence was later reduced!

See story here: http://mypetjawa.mu.nu/archives/192178.php

I guess the first sentence was just to harsh for her to bear… let’s not worry about the woman who received three-to-LIFE for doing the exact same thing (while noting that the child was thirteen rather than fourteen).

Certainly there are many factors that go into each of these cases, but do such factors warrant such a varying (or strikingly similar) range of sentences? Is consensual – albeit manipulated – sex with a minor equally as wrong (and thus deserving of equal punishment) as beating one’s own five-year-old child to death for over an hour? If so, why do some people get five-to-life or three-to-life while others get a reduction of their probation sentence? There are certainly some reasons (attractiveness, media attention, etc.) but how are judges coming to their sentencing decisions? And why is this still allowed to happen?

Graduate School Notifications (Continuously Updated)

2011-02-09T13:18:00.000-08:00

UPDATE: I've accepted the offer from the University of California, Riverside!

Last updated: 4/7/2011

Gay Marriage Legal in California Once Again

2010-08-12T13:43:00.000-07:00

But would you know that if you lived in Utah?

Just a couple of hours ago, a California judged lifted the stay, which prevented same-sex marriages from resuming. The result? Same-sex couples can begin getting married in 6 days (on Aug. 18th). Such news resonated through national (and international) headlines...

While some reports took a rather cautious middle-ground: yes gay marriage is legal once again in California, but not quite yet....

But what would you see on the headlines if you lived in Utah? Well, Fox's local news station failed to mention it entirely (at least as of now). But not to worry, other local news agency have stepped in to spread the word, which will assuredly make gay rights advocates teem with joy - BUT WAIT... what are the Utah headlines of this victory for equality?

That's right, JUDGE KEEPS GAY MARRIAGE IN CALIFORNIA ON HOLD (until at least Aug. 18.). The picture depicts solemn supporters of the gay rights movement, one of whom is appearing to cry.

How about the other Utah news agencies (that actually bothered to cover the story)?

Ah yes, quite similar.

So, should we trust the media? Could there be a bigger spin on a story from the CNN posting to the KSL posting? The former shows a triumphant victory for equality, while the latter depicts a solemn loss for the gay rights movement? These two are reporting the same story, after all.

Either way this story is spun, this is no doubt a victory for the gay rights movement. Sure, gay and lesbian couples cannot resume getting married yet - but they can in, well, SIX DAYS! I just thought I might inform the Utah public, just in case they only check the local news and remained confused about the matter.

P_ARA N -OI/D AN D_RO/I.D

2010-08-11T18:40:00.000-07:00

Proposition 8

2010-08-04T16:24:00.001-07:00

Prop 8 was struck down as unconstitutional today... it is a good day - although there certainly remains a long battle of appeals to be had.

I'm Sorry, Patches

2010-07-22T21:56:00.000-07:00

Patches was born a couple of years back to Hannah's cat Germany. This particular litter was plagued with problems. Of the five kittens born, one died for unknown reasons, one had to be euthanized due to problems, one had to have a leg amputated, one was perfectly healthy, and Patches - the fifth - had a hernia protruding from her abdomen. We thought Patches would also have to be euthanized, but they fixed her hernia and she healed up perfectly.

Over the two years, we never got Patches spayed - partially because of lack of funds, and partially due to ignorance and laziness about the number of homeless or abandoned pets. Once we learned that it is imperative to spay and neuter your companion animals, we began neutering and spaying all of our cats. However, throughout this two years, Patches had two litters of kittens. The first litter all found good homes. The second litter was peculiar, as she only had two kittens, and had them more than 24 hours apart. These two kittens now live with our dear friends Crystal and Dawson, and one of the kittens, Callie, looks just like her mother - it's uncanny; the other kitten, Tessie, looks just like a kitten (pictured below) from Patches' first litter.

We finally had the money to spay Patches, and we set an appointment with No More Homeless Pets for this morning (July 22, 2010). Paige got up early, took her in at 7am, went back and picked her up at 2pm, and immediately realized something was wrong. Patches was abnormally lethargic, and her eyes seemed to be glazed over. Paige called the vet, and they said this is normal for some cats. However, at approximately 8:30pm, my sister Bekka told me that Patches - who was sleeping in Bekka's room - was wheezing when she breathed. I went in and checked on her a couple of minutes after that, and she was no longer breathing or moving, her eyes were open, she had left us.

I have so many mixed emotions, partially because Patches was so amazing, partially because she did absolutely nothing wrong - we chose to take her to the vet and have her spayed, and partially because it was so unexpected. I cannot say much more about how I feel right now, besides that I feel how anybody would feel after losing a very close friend. If you don't know me well, you should know that I spend more time with my cats, and consider them better friends, than most any other human beings. I bond with cats much quicker and easier than I do with humans, and it pains me to know that this was our fault, and not hers.

All I can say is this: Patches, I love you, I miss you, and I am so, so sorry this happened. You were the best mother of any of the cats we've ever had the pleasure of knowing. And you were never happier than when you were raising your kittens. (I hope the picture below catches that fact well.) We buried you next to Mick in the backyard, I hope you may rest in peace.

Patches with her son (from the first litter). We love you. RIP

Thought of the Day: An Inward Universe

2010-07-21T02:08:00.000-07:00

String theory predicts (in a crude sense) that the entire universe is made up of vibrating filaments of energy - called "strings". These "strings" are supposed to be 10^-33 cm in size. To put that into perspective, the difference in the size of our entire solar system to the size of a the tree that sits outside of Utah Valley University, is not as great as the difference between the size of a single atom to one of these "strings". This means that when scientists tell you that, our solar system is so vast, there probabilistically must be life (probably sentient life) out there, we could also probabilistically presume that there must be life (probably sentient life) *in here* - here being anywhere, for example, a single cell which makes up a small portion of your cornea.

So, my thought of the day is really this: don't underestimate the small-in-size. Since, after all, "small" is a relative term. It's true that there are somewhere around 100 billion stars in our galaxy alone, but there are also roughly 100 billion neurons in our 3-pound brain - and the potential connections of those neurons are greater in number than the atoms in the universe. And if each of those 100 billion neurons is made up of innumerable "strings" - which are about as far distant from those neurons as the neurons are from the size of our galaxy, who knows wherein sentient life may lie...

Interesting (although I disagree w/ the Animal Testing): Researchers Select for 'Lesbian' Mice

2010-07-17T13:06:00.001-07:00

Link:
http://scienceblogs.com/neurophilosophy/2010/07/researchers_create_lesbian_mice.php

Researchers create 'lesbian' mice by deleting a single gene

Category: Neuroscience
Posted on: July 15, 2010 8:55 AM, by Mo

DELETION of a single gene switches the sexual orientation of female mice, causing them to engage in sexual behaviour that is typical of males. Korean researchers found that deleting the appropriately named FucM gene, which encodes an enzyme called fucose mutarotase, causes masculinization of the mouse brain, so that female mice lacking the gene avoid the advances of males and try to mate with other females instead. The findings probably have little relavence to human sexual orientation, however.

FucM is one of a family of enzymes involved in rearranging the atoms in small sugar molecules called monosaccharrides. In 2007, Chankyu Park of the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology and his colleagues reported that these rearrangements facilitate the incorporation of the monosaccharide fucose into cellular proteins. This process is one of numerous chemical modifications that are well known to regulate the function of proteins, but the biological significance of FucM function in mammals was until now unclear.

Park and his colleagues therefore created genetically engineered ("knock-out") mice lacking the FucM gene. Apart from a slight reduction in body weight, the mice seemed perfectly healthy and were no different in appearance from their normal littermates. But the researchers noticed something unusual when they put the mutant females into mating cages with normal, sexually vigorous males. Typically, the stud will approach a female, touch her body and then sniff her anal-genital region. If the female is receptive, she will invite the male to mount her, by arching her back and raising her hind quarters. But the mutant females actively avoided the advances of the males, suggesting that deletion of the FucM gene had somehow interefered with their sexual and reproductive behaviour.

In mice, sexual behaviour is mediated largely by pheromones secreted in the urine. These chemicals carry sexual signals - they enable the animals to recognize, and motivate them to approach, members of the opposite sex. Normally, females prefer the smell of male urine and vice versa, but females lacking the FucM gene were found to prefer the urine of other females to that of males, spending more time sniffing it when simultaneously presented with both. Their sexual behaviour was similar to that of males, too: they not only rejected the advances of males, but also attempted to mount and mate with other females. Nevertheless, they remained fertile - most became pregnant when forced to mate with a sexually experienced male, and the way they subsequently behaved towards their offspring was no different from normal females.

When the researchers examined the brains of the mutant females, they observed a reduction in the number of dopamine-producing cells in the anteroventral periventricular nucleus (AVPv), a part of the hypothalamus which regulates the release of hormones required for ovulation. The AVPv is known to differ in size between males and females - it is between two to four times larger in females, and contains more cells. It is smaller in females missing the FucM gene, and thus closely resembles that of normal males. The researchers therefore hypothesized that deleting the gene causes changes in brain development that masculinize the brains of the females.

They also speculated that the observed changes occur because deleting the FucM gene perturbs the function of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP). AFP normally protects the female mouse brain from masculinization, by binding to and sequestering the hormone oestrogen during development, and its function is thought to be regulated by the addition and removal of fucose molecules. To test this prediction, the researchers analyzed expression levels of AFP in the mutant females, and the chemical composition of the protein circulating in their bloodstream. This revealed that AFP was present at normal levels, but that there was a significant reduction in the number of AFP molecules that had fucose attached to them.

Other researchers have shown that the neural circuits underlying male behaviours are likely to exist in the normal female mouse brain, and the reverse is probably true. It is also likely that the embryonic human brain has the capacity to differentiate along both the male and female pathways, depending upon exposure to sex hormones during the early stages of development.

These new findings show that FucM is critical for steering the developing mouse brain towards female diffrentiation. But they probably have limited relavence to human sexuality, because although FucM probably plays the same role in humans, it is progesterone, and not oestrogen, that masculinizes the developing human brain. There has been much talk of a "gay gene" in recent years, but no such gene has been discovered, It is, however, only a matter of time before the genes governing human sexual orientation are found.

Park, D., et al. (2010). Male-like sexual behavior of female mouse lacking fucose mutarotase. BMC Genetics 11 (1) DOI: 10.1186/1471-2156-11-62.

The film 'Inception' has got me thinking...

2010-07-16T14:29:00.001-07:00

Isn't it interesting that when our brains are at their most creative also happens to be when we have the least control over our thoughts? While dreaming, our brains create and experience simultaneously - i.e. every instant of the dream is fabricated completely anew from moment to moment, without any external stimuli. However, the majority of us recognize that we are not in control of what we dream per se - e.g. most of us do not want to be held accountable for what we dream, due to this lack of control. So I find it interesting, then, that when our brains are literally creating a world around us, from scratch (or memory), moment-to-moment, also happens to be the time when we almost completely lack control over our mental processes. How could it be, then, that we become our most creative only after losing control of the organ that does the creating (so to speak)? And what might this mean for our intuitions about how we "create" decisions in our day-to-day lives?

Think about it, we hold very strong intuitions that we make decisions freely because we feel like we are making them, but our brain can create dream world (seemingly) against our will, and yet we will as if we have control and also feel like we're not the one's creating each moment. The brain-mind is amazing, but very deceptive - so it seems.

2 Short Animations

2010-07-15T11:31:00.000-07:00

Reposted from Earlier: Some Statistics about Animals

2010-07-10T12:38:00.000-07:00

Breakdown of Animals Killed and Tortured

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

It's About Time

2010-07-09T22:42:00.000-07:00

Given my interest in the philosophy of time, the following strikes me as especially intriguing.

Previous to 1883, almost every city (and even some villages) had no standardized time of which to go off, so those traveling across the country by train would have to reset their watches to the local time as many as 200 times on a single trip, in order to keep up with schedules. However, on November 18, 1883, the Railroad imposed a uniform time to which all stations must adhere. These were the four standardized time-zones that we still have today. Not soon after, the rest of the world followed suit and 24 time-zones in all were imposed, separating the different regions on the Earth. Until then, time - in its most elementary, and commonsense notion - was relative.

And the recent earthquake (2010) in Chile has reminded us once again about the relativity of time. The quake was so powerful, in fact, that it altered the Earth's axis - only to a miniscule degree, but nonetheless, enough that it shorted the Earth's days by a measurable amount (about 1.26 nanoseconds). See that story HERE.

Nevertheless, we are reminded just how dependent our conception of time is on the surrounding (albeit expansive) environment. Indeed, the Mayans had a different notion of time than we have - a much more complex notion at that. The commonsense view perceives time as linear, one dimensional, and asymmetrical. The scientific view holds that time is meshed with space, inseparable, and in some aspects probably not as asymmetrical as our simple minds comprehend it to be.

Needless to say, I find the concept of 'time' to be very fascinating. And I wonder if better understanding the nature of the universe will force us to eliminate time (and space) from our ontology altogether.

Neuroscience and Moral Responsibility

2010-07-06T13:25:00.000-07:00

Interesting read (or listen): click HERE!

Engaged, Studying for the GRE, & (hopefully) Grad School

2010-07-05T20:15:00.000-07:00

This is my first post (barring the preceding post) in a while.

I've not too much to say other than what seems to consume the majority of my life right now, which is: (i) my brand new engagement to the lovely Paige Hamblin; (ii) studying for the GRE; and (iii) preparing for graduate school.

To briefly recap - in order to (hopefully) put me back in blogging mode:

(i)
I returned from Philadelphia on June 19 - after spending two weeks at UPenn's summer workshop in Cognitive (Neuro)Science - and Paige, in her very nervous and cute nature, proposed marriage. And yes, I accepted her proposal. We tentatively (but more likely than not) plan to be married on June 24, 2011. It will be very low-key and awesome.

(ii)
I've especially not much to say about the GRE - other than it consumes me (currently). I spend 4-6 hours a day studying for this piece of garbage, which most assuredly does not project any real propensity for one's ability to succeed in graduate school. But, nonetheless, I play the game. I am progressing rather slowly, and have set the bar rather high. I've scheduled to take the test on July 26th (three weeks from today), and my goal is to hit a score of 1450 (or at least hit 700 in each of the two major sections). This probably will *not* be the case, however, and I'm sure - if I am still blogging in the future - I will express frustration about my less-than-goal-oriented-score, and plan to retake this horrid exam. Regardless, for now, I stay optimistic in my time-wasting studies.

(iii)
Grad school is (hopefully) approaching - I will send out applications this December. Details on that remain forthcoming.

On Blogging

2010-07-05T20:13:00.001-07:00

The following seem true to me (at least to some capacity):

i. I do quite poorly at keeping up with my blog.
ii. I really like reading past blogs - especially posts from two or more years ago.
iii. Blogs seem to portray a sort of evolution through life.
iv. I feel like blogging, to a certain extent, helps me to think things through in a less passive manner.

therefore,

v. I should (and probably will) start blogging on a semi-regular basis, once again.

I cannot promise I will keep up with it, although that is my wish, so without further ado... see the above post.

RIP

2009-10-27T20:27:00.000-07:00

R.I.P. Nolan. I don't know why it comes to this so often, but I'm certain you could have pulled through whatever it was.

My Story of Nature

2009-10-09T22:20:00.001-07:00

Two years ago, I was lying under the big tree in my front yard and staring up at the leaves - which had been falling to the ground. I was hoping to see a leaf fall from the tree, but after twenty minutes of anticipation, no luck. I began talking to the tree - believing full well that it could not hear me - and said: "Tree, if you can hear me, drop just one leaf from your branch for me to see, so I can believe that we have a real connection in this world." And less than 3 seconds after I said this to the tree - after 20 minutes of waiting to see a leaf fall - the tree let a leaf loose and I watched as it fluttered down and landed on my chest. I immediately stood up, thanked the tree, and went in to secure the leaf in a safe place (inside a Robert Frost book of mine). I have not seen the leaf since then - until today.

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.

Life: A Story

2009-09-19T14:34:00.000-07:00

Life, an exceptionally foreboding domicile, wrought with ~~the absence of~~ silence, eternity PEERING through you as each instant decays. She whispers… you can Feel it [TASTE], an ever-preening presence begging for that… [A TASTE] – she knows you, she knows you have it – the way in which you have it.

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 –

thewaylifeshouldbedrapedwithinconundrum[smelling]oftomorrowbreathingi~~nto~~THE~~END~~

A Few Movies that I didn't realize were Filmed (at least partially) in Utah

2009-09-19T12:04:00.000-07:00

The Way of the Gun
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...

Photographic Experiment 1: Facing West IS ONLINE

2009-09-12T11:01:00.000-07:00

See pictures HERE

Inhumanity in Hinckly, Utah

2009-09-10T07:30:00.001-07:00

Dogs/Cats euthanized by being shot in the head wander into woman's yard and die slow, painful death. Many dog corpses piled in mass grave, many still wearing collars, etc. Check out story - we should SERIOUSLY take this on as a project and get this inhumane practice ended ASAP.

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."

TOMORROW IS THE DAY!

2009-09-09T16:47:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow (Thursday, Sept. 10) an unknown few will embark on a photographic experiment, wherein many people from around the country - and possibly the world - will all snap a shot of the Western Horizon at exactly 7:40 PM (USA mountain time). The resulting pictures will be emailed to jorgen1225@gmail.com, where they will then be posted this Saturday at my other collaborative blog (The Ubiquitousness of Beauty), which is located here: http://theubiquitousnessofbeauty.blogspot.com

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

2009-09-09T16:39:00.001-07:00

Although I remain very busy this semester - and with each day only seeming busier - I don't have too much free time to read what I want to read.

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.

Short Poem

2009-09-07T12:18:00.000-07:00

Lock me up in heaven
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.

Quabity Aschwitz!

2009-08-31T21:40:00.000-07:00

Season 6 of The Office begins in a little over 3 weeks. YES!

New Semester

2009-08-31T20:44:00.000-07:00

Fall semester began last week. I have four semesters remaining and then I am (hopefully) out of Utah and off to graduate school. I, however, once again find myself incredibly busy this fall. I am taking four courses (biology, stats for psychology, ancient philosophy, and a senior seminar in philosophy), I am also working with the Animal Allies Club and the Philosophy Club, I am doing work study with the philosophy dept., I am planning next years Animal Ethics Conference, I am working on an honors CEL (Center of Engaged Learning) project, I am writing (minimally) for the UVU REVIEW (newspaper) and I am reading for Touchstones Literary Journal.

This fall looks promising, though, and I am excited to be progressing academically and helping to organize so many amazing events.

Allllllllllllrrrrrrighhhht.

2009-08-31T17:19:00.000-07:00

I fully intend to write on this blog much more often than I have been. So, keep on checking back (if you have been all of this time).

Boulder: Day 2

2009-07-15T11:07:00.000-07:00

Not MUCH new to report, I suppose. The second day of class went better than the first. People are getting to know each other and are loosening up. Today (the third day of class) should be even better as far as discussion, etc.

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).

Boulder: Day 1

2009-07-13T23:20:00.000-07:00

So, the idea here is that I am going to try and update about my time in Boulder as much as possible. We'll see how consistent I am with this. Nothing special, maybe just a quick recap of the day (even for my own memory), but if anything particularly interesting happens, I will post it here (maybe with some pictures?).

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).

My door is the first (closest) on the left.

My small room for the remaining pictures.

Day At The Capital

2009-07-06T05:00:00.000-07:00

(click to see larger)

Songs I Strongly Recommend

2009-06-28T01:01:00.001-07:00

The following is a list of songs that I (a) strongly recommend, and (b) have been listening to a lot lately:

[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)

I need to start doing more on this thing

2009-06-23T14:14:00.000-07:00

But I don't have the time. However, I will most likely begin contributing to this blog much more frequently in a few weeks...

...though I am fairly certain that nobody reads it. However, speaking in literal text to the cyber-universe isn't all bad.

Less than 3 weeks until Boulder

2009-06-22T00:58:00.000-07:00

In less than three weeks I am going to Boulder, Colorado (for 3 weeks) to attend the University of Colorado Summer Seminar in Philosophy.

I do not have much else to say as of now.

4 New Kittens!

2009-06-01T13:18:00.000-07:00

One of our cats (who we found out was pregnant about 2 days before we were going to make an appointment to spay her) just had four little kittens. People can come visit them if they'd like. They are awesome. One of them looks like a little cow :)

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

2009-06-01T00:44:00.000-07:00

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?)

In other news...

2009-04-03T07:27:00.001-07:00

Iowa is now officially more progressive than California. Take that!

Last Minute SUPER BOWL Predictions

2009-02-01T09:07:00.000-08:00

The game starts in about 6 hours and - of course - everyone is predicting that the Steelers will mop the floor with the Cardinals, and probably rightly so. However, the Cards have made it this far, and I have hope. So my prediction.

Cardinals 27
Steelers 24

I will most likely eat these words, but let's hope not.

Oscar Nominees, and who I THINK should win

2009-01-22T09:18:00.000-08:00

However, who I THINK should win never runs parallel with who ACTUALLY WINS. I think it is a safe bet to say that SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE WILL WIN ALMOST EVERYTHING, but here is my take. My picks will be highlighted in bold.

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

Police Kill Unarmed, Detained, 22 year old California Man

2009-01-06T16:12:00.000-08:00

This should not fall into the background of the media.

Oscar Grant, 22 years old, is now dead. Watch the video, do you think the officer was justified in killing this person?

Breakdown of Animals KILLED and TORTURED each year.

2009-01-03T00:51:00.000-08:00

If you care AT ALL for your own life, or for the future of the world, watch this.

2008-12-24T13:14:00.001-08:00

Resemblance to Buddhism

2008-12-23T11:29:00.001-08:00

Atsuhiro Takaichi Rears Abandoned Polar Bear Named "Peace".

2008-12-20T23:47:00.000-08:00

Meet "Peace". I love her.

Find information about this, it is a great story.

Environmentalist causes problems at BLM auction

2008-12-19T21:10:00.000-08:00

It is nice to know that SOME people are still sane, and care about the Earth enough to disrupt these crooked business deals.

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

PETAs top 10 Karmic Moments for Animal Abusers

2008-12-18T12:07:00.000-08:00

10. While striking his dog with a gun to make him release a bone, a man managed to shoot himself. Granted, I don't think there's any safe place to point a gun, but letting the "business end" face you as you swing it like a club? Wow. Maybe he'll think twice about hitting his dog next time—if he, ya know, survived.

9. What happens when you anger a 10-foot python who's been stuck in a cage for a long time? An intern at a Venezuelan zoo found out when he decided to play with the snake during his night shift. Turns out that snakes are fond of strangling and swallowing their prey (someone really should put that on Wikipedia).

8. Some people shoo wasps away with their hands. Others think it's fair play to go after them with lighted torches. One monk learned that when you play with fire, you (and your entire temple) might get burned (to the ground).

7. While tracking a deer whom he had shot and was in the process of killing, a hunter apparently misjudged a cliff's edge and fell off.

6. A New Jersey man tried to kill insects in his apartment with bug spray, but the propellant chemicals in the spray seemed to have some unforeseen consequences. He succeeded in killing many bugs, but probably not so much because of the poison as because of the explosion, which destroyed 80 percent of his apartment.

5. Though the purpose of "sea kitten hunting" is to dig a hook painfully into another being's skin, one guy seems to have misread the how-to manual and managed to drive the hook into his own hand.

4. Have you ever seen bears who were forced to perform in captivity and felt sorry for how helpless they look? Well, it turns out gigantic land mammals with sharp, sharp teeth aren't always that helpless—as demonstrated by the fatal attack that a bear at Predators in Action wild animal training center made against a trainer.

3. Why don't we allow children to drive? Because it's dangerous. Why do we allow children to kill animals with loaded firearms? Good question. Though some folks argue that children can be trusted with firearms if trained properly, I don't think that helps the two men who were allegedly shot by one eight-year-old boy who had reportedly been taught how to use a deadly weapon to hunt animals.

2. After being jailed on burglary charges, a man was attacked by another inmate who chewed off a part of his ear (ewww!). What are the odds that something so disgusting and awful would happen to someone? To top it off, what are the odds that it would happen to a man who had previously been charged with cutting off a dog's ears?!

1. Proving that using a .44 Magnum to kill mice is not a good idea, a trailer park resident managed to shoot herself and a bystander while trying to fire at a rodent who was simply trying to share her space. Is anyone else stunned that two accidental injuries occurred? PETA's humane mousetrap, on the other hand, has never hurt a living soul.

Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act

2008-12-12T22:07:00.000-08:00

A bill passed by congress to turn people who oppose the torture of animals and destruction of the Earth into terrorists. This bill was design to "give law enforcement officials more power when dealing with animal rights activism".

So, apparently those who care about ALL sentient beings need to be dealt with in a harsher manner than those interested in torturing and causing violent pain upon these beings. Thanks America.

I've always felt as though I've been missing a part of myself...

2008-12-12T17:02:00.001-08:00

But then I found it, in Johann Sebastian Bach's piece entitled "Toccata & Fugue in D-minor".

You complete me.

haha

Utahn's opinions of homosexuality? **UPDATED

2008-12-10T18:34:00.001-08:00

On the KSL News website here in Utah, you can post comments about the news stories posted. And every single time a story is posted that has anything to do with homosexuality, I see the most hateful, ignorant, and downright dangerous comments that exist on the website. I see how the normative view is in Utah, and it is a very sad thing. Below are a few of the comments taken directly from their comment board (also note that KSL moderates these comments, and doesn't allow words like "Fuck" or "Shit" or as far as I know, even words like "Damn," yet they allow words like "Fag" and so forth - it should also be notes that 20-to-1 of the comments is against homosexuality in general, not just against the marriage of homosexuals).

Comments from the KSL story: "Gay-rights group takes out ad in Prop 8 fight."

dragonempress writes:

Really... enough is enough. They want to make is legal to violate gods laws. ITS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN! END OF STORY! If you didn't give them air time they wouldn't keep whining like the whiney little babies they are.

Its like a child who has stolen a cookie from the pantry and got caught... its wrong the child knows it... but they whine anyway...

Like it or not all you gay freaks out there... religious people will stand up for what is right whether or not you like it.

---

Ben D. writes:

How many times can you beat a gay horse. Er, I mean a dead horse???

---

denn034 writes:

They are a bunch of sore losers that're just trying to wear down people's resistance to it... Promoting the gay lifestyle can only lead to more AIDS infections as the recent spike in AIDS infections shows.

---

DJC 47 writes:

Give it a rest. We don't want it and you have no right to demand it. Just get on with your immoral lives and leave the rest of us out of it.

---

newsreader435 writes:

Homosexuals are just wacko in mind as well as body.

---

Cankerpuss writes:

I agree with you 100%. Homosexuality by and of itself leads to death of a society because homosexuals cannot naturally reproduce themselves. It's insanity to put same sex marriage on the same legal status of children producing hetero sexual marriages.

---

And finally,

I'm so sick of the homosexual mafia throwing crap around. This fight against prop 8 is going to backfire against the perverts.

It's time to let it die. Maybe the up and coming generation of vacuuos souls will give someone the right to marry anyone or anyTHING they want. Until then, accept your losses and just go away. Gays are only inflicting more pain on an already painful situation by not going quietly into the realms of the defeated.

UPDATE:

Here is a quote from the same site (ksl.com) on another news story about gay marriage.

Why can't these qweers just go away and go back in the closet where they belong?

by Sambecks C. @ 8:36pm - Fri Dec 19th, 2008

Geez, this is getting SO OLD!!!!! Homosexual activists are nothing but predators and they should be treated as such.

This concerns me.

2008-12-01T09:19:00.000-08:00

Why is it that you have a better chance of having your named mentioned on the news (or in the newspaper) if you kill somebody (or are killed) than if you help somebody? Why is it that it is easier to find out who is on death row than to find out where the next great humanitarian project is happening?

Google News Search Results:

PERSON KILLED (38,000 results)
PERSON RESCUED (1,400)

WHAT I'M THANKFUL FOR

2008-11-27T14:05:00.001-08:00

I am thankful that I am not the type of person who only thinks about what he's thankful for one day of the year.

Moral Sense Test (especially for post-secondary philosophy graduates)

2008-11-26T19:26:00.001-08:00

http://moral.wjh.harvard.edu/eric1/test/testP.html

The above link is a "survey" of Experimental Philosophy directed primarily at philosophers who have graduate level degrees... think of it as "Experimental Ethics". I advise you take the time (15 min. or so) to answer the questions, whether or not you are a philosopher.

politicalcompass.org (try it!)

2008-11-26T14:03:00.000-08:00

At www.politicalcompass.org you can answer a series of questions to see where you fit on this scale. Most conservatives score more to the liberal (left) side than most liberal politicians! Take it, let me know your results. My result is depicted by the image above.

Catholic Priest calls for repentance if you voted for Obama

2008-11-17T16:10:00.000-08:00

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2008/11/17/nastasi.sc.priest.controversy.wspa

Obama is pro-choice, so if you voted for him and go to this church, you must repent. Somehow, though, if you voted for McCain (who supports killing BORN children in war), you don't have to repent.

Hmmm...

A SIGN FROM GOD???

2008-11-15T17:49:00.000-08:00

Most Christians who are anti-gay (marriage or otherwise) claim that homosexuality, and the acceptance of such, will bring a curse upon our country.

But it looks as though god is telling us otherwise. Gay marriage was banned this month in California and now half of the state is suffering from burning flames of fire (analogous to hell??). Is this a sign? YES! God is saying REINSTATE GAY MARRIAGE IMMEDIATELY OR HE'LL BURN YOU ALL!

California will pay for what they did. God is burning you all in hell RIGHT NOW for NOT supporting gay marriage!

WANTED: MORE PROTESTING

2008-11-14T16:21:00.001-08:00

"To sin by silence when they should protest makes cowards of men."
-- Abraham Lincoln

“There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest.”
--Elie Wiesel

Gay Marriage OK'd in Connecticut; Schwarzenegger fights to overturn Prop 8

2008-11-12T07:55:00.000-08:00

Gay Marriage passed in Connecticut!
http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/11/12/gay.marriage.ap/index.html

Schwarzenegger says Prop 8 fight isn't over.
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/11/10/schwarzenegger_proposition_8_fight_isnt_over/

The Price of Our Oil Addiction

2008-11-10T08:47:00.000-08:00

This link provides audio commentary matched with pictures taken in Nigeria, which regard the oil companies in the area.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/science/11/10/what.matters.niger/index.html?iref=mpstoryview

http://whatmattersonline.com/

Also, bookmark this page.

http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2008/planet.in.peril/

Unfortunately

2008-11-10T08:20:00.001-08:00

We are a society that views human life in a matter of degrees.

Rich over Poor
Men over Women
Home owner over Homeless
White over Black
Straight over Gay

etc. x infinity.

Hate vs Love

2008-11-07T08:46:00.000-08:00

Last word on this. I've lost a LOT of respect for the Mormon church for their influence upon the passing of Prop 8. I hope they enjoy the backlash and the reputation of a discriminative religion for hurting these people.

Quick thought about this:

If the government votes to go to war for no reason better than simply killing 1 MILLION civilians and fight and war on terror that can't be won, the Mormon church stands WITH this decision. Stands with HATE.

But if the government passes a law that gives adults more FREEDOM to LOVE whoever they love, the church stands AGAINST this. Stands against LOVE.

I'm very disappointed. Not like they will care. But when the Mormon church changes their opinion on this, much like in the way they changed their opinion on Polygamy and Racism against African-Americans, I hope some of their members will begin to see that they simply go with society, and not any type of god.

Many of my friends and family are LDS, but this is on thing that I cannot tolerate: hatred and discrimination. I'm very disappointed.

HOW CAN WAR BE LESS EVIL THAN LOVE?

THIS MAN IS A KILLER!

2008-11-06T23:13:00.001-08:00

This man was just convicted of killing a married couple on their yacht. According to CNN, the jury is recommending the Death Penalty and the victim's son is pleased with this. But does this man (pictured) deserve to be killed - even for the crime of murder?
Are we such an archaic society that we murder murderers - proving that we are no better? Are "we" so senseless and unforgiving as Christians that we want to send this man to Hell, rather than try to rehabilitate him and hope that he can get to a better place, regardless of whether he spends the rest of this life in prison? But this man killed somebody - two people in fact. So does he deserve death? Do we deserve to take the life of another human being, ever, in our judicial system? He is a murderer, no doubt, but he is still a human being. If we (as a society) choose to execute him, that is as premeditated of a murder as the murder committed by this man. Would you pull the trigger? Would you enjoy it? Or would you take pity on a lost soul and try to better him, and the world, in such a way that there remained a chance?

PROTEST BAN ON GAY MARRIAGE IN SALT LAKE!

2008-11-06T23:06:00.000-08:00

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=34322082542

Friday, November 7th (yes, that's technically today!), there will be a protest in Salt Lake City at North Temple and State St at 6pm. Go if you can! This will be a protest of Proposition 8 in California, which bans gay marriage in that state. The Mormon church is a large part of the reason why that past, so the protest will be primarily focused toward the Mormon Church (hence the location).

Again, show up if you can!

Here are some words about it.

http://www. sltrib. com/contents/ci_10918202

Have You Ever

2008-11-06T15:30:00.000-08:00

HAVE YOU EVER contemplated suicide?—
owned a bicycle

that wasn’t yours?—
swam alongside creatures
who accept you

more so than you accept
them?—

inhaled the world around,
drawing closer to an
inanimate object?—

wished for

for

forgiveness?—
slept with your eyes open?—

experienced an out of body
experience,
by the mere fact that you are
inside another or
another inside you?—

have you ever truly loved someone
today?

how?

Proposition 8 PASSED in California

2008-11-06T07:35:00.001-08:00

You stupid people. Go back to Nazi Germany or to the Dark Ages if you want to control who rational adults can love.

Suppressing LOVE? What the fuck kind of country are we? Besides a hateful, discriminative one.

Nov. 4 produced a couple of victories, and a milestone for America for sure. But unfortunately, not without the reminder that we still aren't past discrimination and hate IN GENERAL.

It's very disgusting to me. And I hope most of you will try and reexamine your lives to see if whatever it is you are doing is worthwhile. I hope that it is. I'm not so happy with my results. We could all do more.

I had more faith in California. Faith gets me nowhere though.

For the Record

2008-11-05T07:51:00.000-08:00

For the record, I'm very happy that Obama won. But not nearly as happy as I am that McCain lost and will, therefore, NOT be president.

Obama better make good on reducing troops, etc. etc. Democrats take the House and Senate, too. It's about time!

Reflecting Forward

2008-10-30T17:51:00.001-07:00

Beneath the eyes
Of every madman
Lies a smiling child
Born decades too early

SORRY OBAMA

2008-10-26T20:02:00.000-07:00

Lyrics

2008-10-16T11:13:00.000-07:00

Orbit Service - Thought You Should Know

my memory is a dream
and i fail to sleep
because i fail
to see the point

and in my midnight showdown
with the black black sky
i look upon your angel face
and for a moment
we are frozen
forever
for the moment

sometimes i can't see you through the fog
but i know you are there
when hand touches heart
it brings me back
when i'm lost
when i'm out there
nowhere
when i've lost my way
thought you should know
thought you should know

Things

2008-10-16T10:56:00.000-07:00

Things I Used To Believe In:
-God
-America
-Free Will
-A Soul
-Language
-The Death Penalty
-Religion
-Hatred
-History
-Heaven
-Creativity

Watch

2008-10-06T08:16:00.000-07:00

Listen to Parachutes

2008-09-29T12:52:00.000-07:00

I went and saw Sigur Ros last night and the opening band was Parachutes. The singer of Sigur Ros' partner is in the band, they are very good (they are the same genre as Sigur Ros, Icelandic style).

http://www.myspace.com/parachutesmakesongs

Click the link. Let me know what you think.

Vow of Silence

2008-09-11T13:37:00.001-07:00

For anyone who reads this, I am taking a "vow" of silence (or experimenting with silence) tomorrow (Friday). So if I seem rude, this will be the reason.

Ideas about Language

2008-09-05T23:40:00.001-07:00

In my class "Language, Most Dangerous of Possessions" we are speaking about how language contributes largely to our identity. From thinking about this I drew (with my lack of artistic talent) a picture of Elliott Smith (from the portrait of him standing in a black shirt, holding an umbrella), but instead of drawing with lines, I used only lyrics from his songs, album titles, or quotes of his (and once I used his name). I'm positive it won't show up in the picture with how small it will be, but I put a bigger copy up on a link (at the bottom) so hopefully you can click that and zoom up to see some of the letters/words/lyrics/language.

I'm obviously not "showing off" any type of talent in drawing, just a fun idea that I enjoyed bringing to life. I call it: "Elliott Smith, A Man of Many Words"

Link to a (hopefully) larger image of it: http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f16/JorgensPhotography/elliottsmithletter.jpg

Here is the original picture:

I just realized

2008-09-02T22:49:00.001-07:00

I just realized that my last few posts have been about RADIOHEAD. This one is technically no different, either. However, I will begin to post about normal life soon. Here's a surprising hint (for those who know me), it'll probably be about one of the following things:

Language
The Brain
Psychology
Philosophy
Free Will
or
Music

Maybe I'll throw a curveball. Not likely. I'm not all that interesting lately. Homework, homework, homework.

RADIOHEAD in AUBURN (Corb Watch)

2008-09-01T12:21:00.001-07:00

This was probably one of the bigger highlights of the Auburn, WA Radiohead show. I haven't even watched the video yet, but I'm posting it nonetheless.

Funny or Odd Thought

2008-09-01T11:53:00.001-07:00

According to the news in Los Angeles, the Radiohead show Paige and I saw at the Hollywood Bowl in LA was also attended by Heather Graham (we saw her), Elijah Wood, Christina Aguilera, Leonardo DiCaprio, Tim Roth, Seth Green, and a few more (we're pretty sure that we saw Jim from The Office).

I don't really know why I'm posting this... other than the fact that I suppose it is cool that the previously mentioned "celebrities" enjoy some good music. I guess I've never been to a show that so many "famous" people have also attended. Weird to think about.

First day of Fall 2008 semester in the books.

2008-08-27T16:08:00.000-07:00

Paige enjoyed her first day of school, but she is now suffering the aftermath of homework. This semester appears to look promising thus far.

RADIOHEAD VACATION!

2008-08-26T19:34:00.000-07:00

OK, here is a brief summary of my vacation with Paige. I wanted to go more in depth - and maybe I will at a later time - but I start my next semester tomorrow and have too much to do.

So, we left Utah on Saturday, August 16th. We drove 12 hours to Portland, OR. where we stayed (just) one night. We walked around the city for about an hour and got back on the road.

We then drove 3 hours up to Seattle (actually Kent), WA. Both Paige and I agree that, out of the place we were able to visit on our road trip, Seattle was by far the best. The people were nice. Everything seemed to click. It was my favorite city aesthetically and it just felt right. I would love to live there. We stayed in Washington for 4 nights before continuing on, but before leaving, we were able to see RADIOHEAD for the first time ever! And I must say, it was the best show I have ever seen in my life. It was amazing. I will spare details as I am strapped for time (there will probably be grammatical errors by the dozens), but I managed to list the setlist below.

On the 21st - the morning after RADIOHEAD - we drove 7 hours to Grants Pass, OR. This place was terrible. Maybe we just had a bad experience, and it was nothing on its own, but the people were odd, the town was boring, and, other than some nice sites, it wasn't worth the stay. The hotel wasn't anything to brag about, and we were a even a bit scared for our safety at times. We only stayed here one night.

On the 22nd, we drove 9 hours into San Francisco. Unfortunately, we weren't able to spend much time here, either. We had to get to LA for the second RADIOHEAD show. We stayed in a fancy hotel that we were able to get on discount (Paige forgot her pillow, whoops!) and we spent about 4 hours the following day site seeing (hopefully pictures for the entire vacation will follow soon - we took almost 400!).

But most importantly, before we got to San Francisco we drove through (and stopped at) The Redwoods in Northern California. We saw the "Avenue of the Giants". It is worth posting a picture here.

After 4 hours in San Fran, we drove 6 hours to Los Angeles: the down where spray paint/graffiti covers EVERYTHING! LA was pretty cool, and we saw RADIOHEAD once again. The show was amazing, of course, but the Washington show was better. I've listed the setlist for this show below as well. Before the show we visit the Elliott Smith memorial wall (it was on the cover of his album "Figure 8". It's worth a picture (I told you there is graffiti on EVERYTHING).

The next morning, Aug. 25th, we drove 9 hours home. Exhausted and ready to rest. But alas, there is no rest anytime soon, as today we had to prepare for school, which starts tomorrow!

Enjoy the RADIOHEAD setlists. I hope more pictures will follow.

RADIOHEAD setlist for Auburn, WA, August 20, 2008.

15 Steps
Reckoner
Optimistic
There There
All I Need
Pyramid Song
Talk Show Host
National Anthem
The Gloaming
Videotape
Lucky
Faust Arp
Jigsaw Falling Into Place
Climbing Up The Walls
Dollars & Cents
Nude
Body Snatchers

(Encore 1)

How TO Disappear Completely
Weird Fishes/Arpeggi
Idioteque
In Limbo
Street Spirit (fade out)

(Encore 2)

You And Whose Army?
No Surprises
Everything In Its Right Place

--

RADIOHEAD setlist for Los Angeles, CA, August 24th, 2008.

15 Step
There There
Morning Bell
All I Need
Pyramid Song
Nude
Weird Fishes/Apreggi
The Gloaming
The National Anthem
Wolf At The Door
Faust Arp
Exit Music (for a Film)
Jigsaw Falling Into Place
Idioteque
Climbing Up The Walls
Bodysnatchers
How To Disappear Completely

(Encore 1)

Videotape
Paranoid Android
Dollars & Cents
Street Spirit
Rechoner

(Encore 2)

House Of Cards
Lucky
Everything In Its Right Place

PS: At the Washington show Thom messed up and it was pretty funny. Here's a video for it (thanks Paige).

RADIOHEAD ONCE AGAIN

2008-08-23T10:08:00.000-07:00

Hello from San Francisco, CA. We're leaving the hotel in about 20 minutes to explore this city, then drive to Los Angeles a little later in the day - where we will see Radiohead for a second time this trip. I can't wait.

Anyway, Radiohead put a video up of them driving to the Muckleshoot Indian Reservation (where we saw Radiohead the first time on this trip) in Washingon (White River Amphitheater).

We drove this exact same route to get to the venue as well.

Find more videos like this on w.a.s.t.e. central

QUICK BLURB

2008-08-21T09:34:00.000-07:00

Really quick, because we're on the road (leaving Seattle to drive 7 hours to Grants Pass, OR)

This is Paige and I at the Radiohead show in Auburn, WA - going crazy.

Preparing for Euphoria

2008-08-14T13:42:00.001-07:00

In less than a week Paige and I will see Radiohead for the first time ever. I don't know if I've ever been so excited for anything. This will be one of those life-changing events for sure.

So, for preparation, I will listen to no other music (by my own free will) until after the first show.

BATTLE IN SEATTLE

2008-08-14T02:24:00.000-07:00

Here is a trailer for the new film entitled Battle in Seattle. It is about the 1999 protests of the World Trade Organization. It struck my curiosity. What do you think?

Language

2008-08-12T15:19:00.000-07:00

Beginning August 27th, I will embark on my new academic path with the Integrated Studies program at Utah Valley University. First and foremost on the itinerary, Scott Abbott and Alex Caldiero will be teaching the course: Language, Most Dangerous of Possessions. This will prove to be an amazing experience, I'm sure.

After that class I will have a Buddhist Philosophy course, which will specifically focus on the works from the Dalai Lama. This course will be taught by Wayne Hanewicz.

Then, on Tuesdays and Thursdays I will have Philosophy of Metaphysics with Chris Weigel and Intro to Psychology with James Cameron. These to courses will kickstart my integrated academic experience in philosophy of mind and psychology/physiology of the brain.

If anyone happens to be in these classes already (or interested in them), let me know.

Brothers Enjoying the Rain

2008-08-09T18:19:00.001-07:00

These are two of our cats. They are brothers. It's just beginning to rain the lightest of sprinkles.

My Personality Type

2008-08-09T13:59:00.000-07:00

Your Type is
INTJ

Introverted	Intuitive	Thinking	Judging
Strength of the preferences %
56	100	88	56

Qualitative analysis of your type formula
You are:

moderately expressed introvert
very expressed intuitive personality
very expressed thinking personality
moderately expressed judging personality

Other INTJs include:
Alan Greenspan, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Ulysses S. Grant, Friedrich Nietzsche, Niels Bohr, Peter the Great, Stephen Hawking, John Maynard Keynes, Lise Meitner, Ayn Rand and Sir Isaac Newton are examples of Rational Masterminds.

To outsiders, INTJs may appear to project an aura of "definiteness", of self-confidence. This self-confidence, sometimes mistaken for simple arrogance by the less decisive, is actually of a very specific rather than a general nature; its source lies in the specialized knowledge systems that most INTJs start building at an early age. When it comes to their own areas of expertise -- and INTJs can have several -- they will be able to tell you almost immediately whether or not they can help you, and if so, how. INTJs know what they know, and perhaps still more importantly, they know what they don't know.

INTJs are perfectionists, with a seemingly endless capacity for improving upon anything that takes their interest. What prevents them from becoming chronically bogged down in this pursuit of perfection is the pragmatism so characteristic of the type: INTJs apply (often ruthlessly) the criterion "Does it work?" to everything from their own research efforts to the prevailing social norms. This in turn produces an unusual independence of mind, freeing the INTJ from the constraints of authority, convention, or sentiment for its own sake.

INTJs are known as the "Systems Builders" of the types, perhaps in part because they possess the unusual trait combination of imagination and reliability. Whatever system an INTJ happens to be working on is for them the equivalent of a moral cause to an INFJ; both perfectionism and disregard for authority may come into play, as INTJs can be unsparing of both themselves and the others on the project. Anyone considered to be "slacking," including superiors, will lose their respect -- and will generally be made aware of this; INTJs have also been known to take it upon themselves to implement critical decisions without consulting their supervisors or co-workers. On the other hand, they do tend to be scrupulous and even-handed about recognizing the individual contributions that have gone into a project, and have a gift for seizing opportunities which others might not even notice.

In the broadest terms, what INTJs "do" tends to be what they "know". Typical INTJ career choices are in the sciences and engineering, but they can be found wherever a combination of intellect and incisiveness are required (e.g., law, some areas of academia). INTJs can rise to management positions when they are willing to invest time in marketing their abilities as well as enhancing them, and (whether for the sake of ambition or the desire for privacy) many also find it useful to learn to simulate some degree of surface conformism in order to mask their inherent unconventionality.

Personal relationships, particularly romantic ones, can be the INTJ's Achilles heel. While they are capable of caring deeply for others (usually a select few), and are willing to spend a great deal of time and effort on a relationship, the knowledge and self-confidence that make them so successful in other areas can suddenly abandon or mislead them in interpersonal situations.

This happens in part because many INTJs do not readily grasp the social rituals; for instance, they tend to have little patience and less understanding of such things as small talk and flirtation (which most types consider half the fun of a relationship). To complicate matters, INTJs are usually extremely private people, and can often be naturally impassive as well, which makes them easy to misread and misunderstand. Perhaps the most fundamental problem, however, is that INTJs really want people to make sense. :-) This sometimes results in a peculiar naivete', paralleling that of many Fs -- only instead of expecting inexhaustible affection and empathy from a romantic relationship, the INTJ will expect inexhaustible reasonability and directness.

Probably the strongest INTJ assets in the interpersonal area are their intuitive abilities and their willingness to "work at" a relationship. Although as Ts they do not always have the kind of natural empathy that many Fs do, the Intuitive function can often act as a good substitute by synthesizing the probable meanings behind such things as tone of voice, turn of phrase, and facial expression. This ability can then be honed and directed by consistent, repeated efforts to understand and support those they care about, and those relationships which ultimately do become established with an INTJ tend to be characterized by their robustness, stability, and good communications.

WHICH TYPE ARE YOU?

http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/JTypes2.asp

If you take (or retake) this test, post the results on your blog and give me a link to them. I'm very interested.

English Lyrics to Sigur Ros song

2008-07-30T16:10:00.001-07:00

Sigur Ros - Viorar Vel Til Loftarasa

I let myself flow onwards
I swim through my mind back and forth
My soul still sings the song we once wrote
Together
We once had a dream
We had everything
We rode to the end of the world
We rode on searching
We climbed skyscrapers
But they were all destroyed
The peace is gone now
I lack balance, I fall down
Still, I let myself flow onwards
I swim through my mind
But I always come back
To the same place
There is nothing left to say
This is for the best
God will provide a day
For us…
Tomorrow

Movie News

2008-07-29T02:49:00.000-07:00

Darren Aronofsky (Requiem for a Dream & The Fountain) is set to direct the new installment of Robocop. I am not sure how I feel about this, but I really love this director.

Thoughts?

On the Horizon...

2008-07-28T02:44:00.000-07:00

Here are a few things I have to look forward to.

First off, I no longer have a job. I don't have to work (for at least 8 more months, and hopefully for a few more years). I am extremely pleased about this.

Next, Paige's 20th birthday is August 10th. It'll be awesome!

Then, just 6 days after Paige's birthday, we both leave for our double-edged Radiohead vacation. We'll be leaving the 16th of August, staying a night or two in Portland, OR, then 3 or 4 nights in Seattle, WA (the last of which will be after we both see Radiohead for the first time ever!), then we'll drive down the coast to visit the Redwood Forests; from there we'll stay a night in somewhere close to the Redwoods--probably Crescent City, CA--then from there we are driving and staying a night in San Francisco, CA, then it is on to Los Angeles, CA for the second Radiohead show! We will stay in LA for two nights--as the plan currently tells us--and then drive home just in time to have a day off before school starts. Which brings me to the next thing I have to look forward to...

The Fall Semester of school. New major, University status (big deal, right?) and the best of all... Paige's first semester of college!

Corb, I wish you could drive out to Washington with us and see Radiohead, but I understand the reason(s) why you cannot. Any luck with a job?

College Changes

2008-07-23T14:07:00.000-07:00

A couple of changes have taken place this month at my school and for myself.

First off, Utah Valley State College became Utah Valley University. I'm not sure if this will affect my collegiate career in any way, but regardless, I am happy about the transformation.

Secondly, I have switched my major for the last time ever. And I've never been more excited about school.

The degree I am pursuing is a BA in Integrated Studies with emphases in Philosophy and Psychology.

Now, I realize on the surface this seems rather pointless. What will a degree in Integrated Studies get me, right? I mean, isn't it just a Bachelors degree in General academics with two minors pretty much? No. It's so much more.

At first, I thought that very thing. I thought, why would somebody pursue a major that is really just two minors? Here is the answer: Experience and Grad School preparation.

In this program I will take integrated studies courses, 21 psychology credits and 24 philosophy credits (a major in philosophy only contains 37 philosophy credits). The difference in this program? Research! The student of integrated studies is required to do a one year research project in their senior year. This includes independent research that is guided by a faculty committee - chosen by the student. This senior thesis can be anything from making a documentary film, to making an album, to writing an argumentive paper, to designing a magazine.

My senior thesis will be a research paper that will be 60-70 pages in length. This paper will integrate the two disciplines I am studying (philosophy and psychology) and will pay special attention to the anatomical and physiological processes of the brain and how free will plays into this equation. My definitive thesis is yet to be decided (I must take Philosophy of Mind, Metaphysics, Physiological Psychology, and Cognitive Science courses first), but will most likely deal an attempt to find empirical and quantitative evidence for free will or determinism within the physical aspects of the mind, and how, if such a metaphysical process exists, how the possibility hinges on the physical processes of the brain.

This research will be exciting and will help me prepare for graduate school like nothing else could. The faculty committee will consist of three professors (who will rip my apart for the next three years of my life). These three professors will be David Yells of the Psychology department - he is also the Dean of the School of Humanities; Christine Weigel of the Philosophy department - she is also the Department Chair of the Philosophy department; and either Scott Abbott (PhD in German Literature from Princeton and Chair of the IS program) or Mark Jeffreys (PhD in English from Emory and another PhD in Anthropology from the UofU).

Needless to reiterate, I have never been more excited about my academic setting. Wish me luck.

Radiohead's Revolutionary Video

2008-07-21T11:47:00.000-07:00

In Radiohead's new video for "House of Cards", no cameras or lights were used. Instead, 3D plotting technologies collected information about the shapes and relative distances of objects. The video was created entirely with visualizations of that data.

The Dark Knight

2008-07-18T09:43:00.000-07:00

This is not a movie review, this is all I am saying.

GO SEE THE DARK KNIGHT IN THEATRES!

It won't disappoint. I, like many people, bought into all the media hype - especially after the death of Ledger (though I was looking forward to the film beforehand, as were many) - and I had higher expectations than I should have; especially for an action film that is also a comic book film, since I am not a fan of either. However, it exceeded my expectations and then some!

This is not the average action movie where the villain talks for an hour and then doesn't end up doing much of anything. This movie is as realistic of a comic book movie you can get.

Last points:

Heath Ledger did an amazing job. It's too bad he won't be able to receive the acclaim he deserves.
Christian Bale, Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Aaron Eckhart (etc.) were all great as well. It held my interest the entire time.

GO SEE IT! You shouldn't regret it.

PS: It does have some semi-shocking imagery for a PG-13, but nothing that would constitute an R rating really (though they could have pushed for an R). But it's all just makeup folks!

Did you know...

2008-07-15T14:44:00.000-07:00

Did you know that the drug company Bayer first marketed heroin as a non-addictive cough syrup? They only relinquished the sale of this "cough syrup" when they discovered aspirin - which was much more effective and less harmful to the patients.

You see, businessmen aren't ALWAYS at the bottom of the list.

2008-07-15T14:21:00.001-07:00

DO YOU REALIZE?

2008-07-14T11:55:00.000-07:00

Do you realize...

That the brain forms at 250,000 neurons per minute while you are in the womb, and continues to form until you are five years old (most of it completed by the time you are two)?

Most people fill the first couple of years with Teletubbies. This is actually the best time to introduce languages (other than your own) to the child. The brain is born with a blank slate and begins making neural connections from birth. By the age of five, many of the connections are made - and permanent - and by the age of twenty your brain slowly begins to disintegrate (your learning ability disintegrating along with it). A two year old's brain is literally making language connections every minute, and if you don't feed that brain with good food and information, it will lose the chance forever.

Think about it.

LIFE IS A CONTRADICTION!

2008-07-09T12:52:00.000-07:00

There is no proof for what you believe, and if there is, the person who is better at speech will steal it away from you. LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL! This must never be considered a cliché phrase; because it is the only truth we have left on this Earth. We are walking contradictions. We pass by endless other entities with hopes that one day we will find some other thing that contradicts itself in the same sense we do.
I feel like screaming into the streets, “DO YOU FEEL LIKE I DO?” But I’m not certain if anybody would leave his or her television set to reply—even if the answer was a resounding “no”. The answer seems to sing “no” to my mind very often, because nobody seems to feel anything anymore. Nobody seems to FEEL. Our society has moved into the realm of artificiality. We have artificial nature—streams don’t run like that, trees don’t grow like that. We have artificial reality—TV. We have artificial intelligence—almost. And now, we have artificial emotions. Who do you care about? Who cares about you? Do you love somebody? Is humankind worth fighting for? Is life? Or can we just turn off the television?
We are becoming more and more like Plato’s cave-dwellers, presented in the famous allegory. And you know what?

IT PISSES ME OFF!

Life is too important to waste. Television is NOT real. Your school is NOT real. Your pricey handbag, your religion, your frets and worries, your goals, your aspirations, your sense of humanity, your EVERYTHING!!! These things are NOT real… unless you choose them to be as such. This is what free will means. This is what life is. It’s a choice. Unfortunately, the majority of us now choose artificial life.

Go swimming. Have sex. Eat ice cream with your siblings. Pet your cat. This isn’t The Sims unless you choose it to be.

This is your life, and it’s ending one minute at a time.

I would never pray for humanity, because I am no longer a religious person. But if you are, then you should. And if you are not, you should hope. And whether you are religious or not, you should all get off your asses and do something. Even if you can't stop what's coming, you can try to. And more importantly, you can embrace a non-artificial life until you no longer have it.

THIS IS MY GIRLFRIEND

THIS IS MY THREE LEGGED CAT

THIS IS HER SISTER

THIS IS TWO BROTHERS

THIS IS INSPIRATIONAL (albeit artificial)

THIS IS THE SETTING SUN

THIS IS A GIRL TAKING A PICTURE OF A CLOUD BUNNY

THIS IS MY CONNECTION TO NATURE

WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO LIVE FOR?

CURRENT INTERESTS:

2008-07-08T14:46:00.000-07:00

The Mind/Brain
Philosophy of Mind/Cognitive Science
Metaphysics (mostly Free Will and Personal Identity)
Evolutionary Biology
Memetics
Religion/Bible Studies
Language
Evolutionary Psychology
Buddhism
Rhetorical Theory
Edgar Allan Poe
Feminist Movements
The August Vacation
U.S. Government Corruption
and of course... PAIGE!

We Need a Brain THEORY!

2008-07-08T14:32:00.001-07:00

Two Days before D.C.

2008-07-06T23:50:00.000-07:00

Corbrett moved to Washington DC on July 4th (2008, in case this blog lasts a long time)... this picture was taken (by Paige) two days previous to that - outside of Sensuous Sandwich.

It's actually not a bad picture. As usual, I'm talking out of my ass and Corb is ignoring the hot air.

Our Sexual Determination

2008-07-03T12:45:00.000-07:00

Some quick facts about species and their sexual nature.

In humans (and many other species, including dolphins--who don't have a sense of smell--mice, etc.) we have pairs of nerves lined from front to back along each side of our brain. They label these as Nerve 1, Nerve 2, Nerve 3, and so on (1 being at front to 12 at the back). The closer the nerves are to the front of the brain, the more important they are to the entity. Nerve 1 is the front nerve (or was thought to be), which controls the sense of smell. Recently researchers have discovered a new nerve, even more toward the front--and thus, more important--than Nerve 1; they named it Nerve 0. This nerve is believed to control sexual attraction. Here are some interesting facts about Nerve Zero.

• Nerve 0 is suspected to be a sexual attraction sensing nerve
• Whales and dolphins have it, but do not have a sense of smell, which scientists thought Nerve 0 was directly related to. Indicating that it doesn’t aid in the sense of smelling.
• Nerve 0 is the very front nerve in the brain; even closer to the front of the brain than Nerve 1, which provides the sense of smell. (both nerves connect to the nasal passage)
• Female hamsters, when given the scent of a male’s urine after mating with a different male, could not get pregnant as a result. The pregnancy was literally aborted. If given the scent of the same male, it had no effect.
• Human brains contain 6 of the same pheromone receptors present in mice, which send sexual attraction signals through the nose.
• When severing Nerve 0 in hamsters to see if they could still find a hidden cookie as well as other hamsters that hadn’t had the Nerve severed, they could find it just as quickly; however, they failed to mate.
• On the way to the brain, some fibers in Nerve 0 took unexpected side trips and sent branches to the retinas of the eyes. Nerve 1 doesn’t take this route; this shows a difference between the two. When scientists stimulated only Nerve 0 on goldfish by sending a mild shock which didn’t stimulate Nerve 1, the male goldfish responded instantly by releasing sperm.
• Nerve 0 connects the nose to parts of the brain controlling sexual reproduction.

For details on this, read the April 2007 issue of Scientific American Mind Magazine

My Favorite "Brain Teaser"

2008-07-03T12:27:00.000-07:00

This is usually referenced as an illusion, which, I suppose it is... but I like the term brain teaser because that tends to be more accurate.

In this picture, both squares with the letters A and B on them are identical in color, but the context of the colors surrounding them make one appear to be lighter/darker than the other... so it is illusory indeed, by way of teasing the brain into seeing something that it is not.

I hope you enjoy it. (CLICK THE IMAGE TO SEE IF FULL SIZE)

Creationists: I can't find your opinion on these two things.

2008-06-25T17:24:00.000-07:00

Will any creationist who reads this (or anyone who rejects evolution at all) please lend me answers (of your own or from the web or in book-form) on the following two subjects.

1.
Influenza Viruses evolving to resist vaccinations:
Creationists completely reject evolution based off of "incomplete evidence" (but really because it conflicts with their archaic scripture and they wouldn't believe it anyway). So, if evolution doesn't exists, is God updating the flu virus to kill those with weaker immune systems--such as elder folks and children--similarly how he caused AIDS as the curse/cure for homosexuality, or what? How are these flu viruses evolving a resistance if evolution is a lie?

2.
Tiktaalik:
If you don't know what this is, and you reject evolution, then close your mouth until you study the evidences against your stance. If you do know what it is, what is your explanation for this if evolution doesn't exist. I'll even provide you a picture and wikipedia link.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiktaalik