Quabity Aschwitz!

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

New Semester

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.

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

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

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

(click to see larger)

Songs I Strongly Recommend

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

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

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!

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

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...

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

Last Minute SUPER BOWL Predictions

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

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

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?