What happens when the freedoms granted by law are tempered by the conventions of society/cultuere?
Is "freedom" merely abiding by the norms of society? 
It seems difficult to imagine ones self as free when one is tethered to societal expectations

Applying for a job? have to take a stupid personality test? here is the answer key: Answers to the Unicru personality test

Top of squaw peak

"What Experiences of Christians Living in the Early Christian Century Led to the Christian Doctrines of the Divine Sonship of Jesus, the Virgin Birth, and the Bodily Resurrection"

[13 September-23 November 1949]
[Chester, Pa.]

During King's second year at Crozer Theological Seminary, he took a two-term required course in systematic theology, Christian Theology for Today, with George W. Davis. For the first assignment of the first term, Davis asked his students to use George Hedley's The Symbol of the Faith, an examination of the Apostles' Creed. In this essay, King follows the book's structure and argument closely. When he discusses the "probable" influence of Greek mythology on Christian thought, Davis prods, "Is there any doubt about it?" On balance, King shows himself willing to abandon scriptural literalism, remaining confident that this would not undermine the "profound foundation" of the Christian doctrines. Davis commented, "Well done," and gave the paper an A-.

In order to understand the meaning and the significance of any doctrine or any creed it is necessary to study the experiences of the individuals that produced them. Doctrines and creeds do not spring forth uncaused like Athene sprang from the head of Zeus, but they grow out of the historical settings and the psychological moods of the individuals that set them forth. All ideas, however profound or however naive, are produced by conditions and experiences that grow from the producers' environment.

In this paper we shall discuss the experiences of early Christians which lead to three rather orthodox doctrines--the divine sonship of Jesus, the virgin birth, and the bodily resurrection. Each of these doctrines is enshrined in what is known as "the Apostles' Creed." It is this creed that has stood as a "Symbol of Faith" for many Christians over the years. Even to this day it is recited in many churches. But in the minds of many sincere Christians this creed has planted a seed of confusion which has grown to an oak of doubt. They see this creed as incompatible with all scientific knowledge, and so they have proceeded to reject its content.

But if we delve into the deeper meaning of these doctrines, and somehow strip them of their literal interpretation, we will find that they are based on a profound foundation. Although we may be able to argue with all degrees of logic that these doctrines are historically and philolophically untenable, yet we can never undermind the foundation on which they are based.Davis corrected "undermind" to "undermine." As Dr. Hedley has so cogently stated, "What ultimately the creed signifies is not words, but spirit." \[Footnote:] George Hedley, The Symbol of the Faith, p. 7.\

The first doctrine of our discussion which deals with the divine sonship of Jesus went through a great process of developement. It seems quite evident that the early followers of Jesus in Palestine were well aware of his genuine humanity. Even the synoptic gospels picture Jesus as a victim of human experiences. Such human experiences as growth, learning, prayer, and defeat are not at all uncommon in the life of Jesus. How then did this doctrine of divine sonship come into being?

We may find a partial clue to the actual rise of this doctrine in the spreading of Christianity into the Greco-Roman world. I need not elaborate on the fact that the Greeks were very philosophical minded people. Through philosophical thinking the Greeks came to the point of subordinating, distrusting, and even minimizing anything physical. Anything that possessed flesh was always underminded in Greek thought. And so in order to receive inspiration from Jesus the Greeks had to apotheosize him. We must remember that the Logos concept had its origin in Greek thought. It would {was} only natural that the early Christians, after coming in contact with the Greeks would be influenced by their thought.

But by no means can we designate this as the only clue to the rise of this doctrine. Saint Paul and the early church followers could have never come to the conclusion that Jesus was divine if there had not been some uniqueness in the personality of the historical Jesus. What Jesus brought into life was a new personality and those who came under {its} spell were more and more convinced that he with whom they had walked and talked in Galilee could be nothing less than a divine person. To the earliest Christians this breath-taking conviction was not the conclusion of an argument, but the inescapable solution of a problem. Who was this Jesus? They saw that Jesus could not merely be explained in terms of the psychological mood of the age in which he lived, for such explaination failed to answer another inescapable question: Why did Jesus differ from many others in the same setting? And so the early Christians answered this question by saying that he was the divine son of God. As Hedley laconically states, "the church had found God in Jesus, and so it called Jesus the Christ; and later under the influence of Greek thought-forms, the only begotten Son of God."\[Footnote:] Hedley, op. cit., p. 37.\ The Church called Jesus divine because they had found God in him. They could only identify him with the highest and best in the universe. It was this great experience with the historical Jesus that led the early Christians to see him as the divine son of God.

The second doctrine in our discussion posits the virgin birth. This doctrine gives the modern scientific mind much more trouble than the first, for it seems downright improbable and even impossible for anyone to be born without a human father.

First we must admit that the evidence for the tenability of this doctrine is to shallow to convince any objective thinker.Davis underlined "to" and corrected it to "too." To begin with, the earliest written documents in the New Testament make no mention of the virgin birth. Moreover, the Gospel of Mark, the most primitive and authentic of the four, gives not the slightest suggestion of the virgin birth. The effort to justify this doctrine on the grounds that it was predicted by the prophet Isaiah is immediately eliminated, for all New Testament scholars agree that the word virgin is not found in the Hebrew original, but only in the Greek text which is a mistranslation of the Hebrew word for "young woman." How then did this doctrine arise?

A clue to this inquiry may be found in a sentence from St. Justin's First Apology. Here Justin states that the birth of Jesus is quite similar to the birth of the sons of Zeus. It was believed in Greek thought that an extraordinary person could only be explained by saying that he had a father who was more than human. It is probable that this Greek idea influenced Christian thought.

A more adequate explanation for the rise of this doctrine is found in the experience which the early christians had with Jesus.Davis corrected "christians" to "Christians." The people saw within Jesus such a uniqueness of quality and spirit that to explain him in terms of ordinary background was to them quite inadequate. For his early followers this spiritual uniqueness could only by accounted for in terms of biological uniqueness. They were not unscientific in their approach because they had no knowledge of the scientific. They could only express themselves in terms of the pre-scientific thought patterns of their day. No laws were broken because they had no knowledge of the existence of law. They only knew that they had been with the Jesus of history and that his spiritual life was so far beyond theirs that to explain his biological origin as identical with theirs was quite inadequate. We of this scientific age will not explain the birth of Jesus in such unscientific terms, but we will have to admit with the early Christians that the spiritual uniqueness of Jesus stands as a mystery to man.

The last doctrine in our discussion deals with the resurrection story. This doctrine, upon which the Easter Faith rests, symbolizes the ultimate Christian conviction: that Christ conquered death. From a literary, historical, and philosophical point of view this doctrine raises many questions. In fact the external evidence for the authenticity of this doctrine is found wanting. But here again the external evidence is not the most important thing, for it in itself fails to tell us precisely the thing we most want to know: What experiences of early Christians lead to the formulation of the doctrine?

The root of our inquiry is found in the fact that the early Christians had lived with Jesus. They had been captivated by the magnetic power of his personality. This basic experience led to the faith that he could never die. And so in the pre-scientific thought pattern of the first century, this inner faith took outward form. But it must be remembered that before the doctrine was formulated or the event recorded, the early Christians had had a lasting experience with the Christ. They had come to see that the essential note in the Fourth Gospel is the ultimate force in Christianity: The living, deathless person of Christ. They expressed this in terms of the outward, but it was an inner experience that lead to its expression.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Hedley, George, The Symbol of the Faith, New York: The Macmillan Co., 1948.

Holman, C. T., Psychology and Religion for Everyday Living, New York: The Macmillan Co., 1949.

Micklem, Nathaniel, What is the Faith, Nashville, Tenn: Cokesbury Press, n.d.

THDS. MLKP-MBU: Box 112, folder 14.

Far best is he who knows al things himself; good, is he who hearkens when men counsel right; but he who neither knows, nor lays to heart anothers wisdom, is a useless weight.
- Hesiod

how are lightbulbs made?

You are insane if you live in utah valley and drive to the stadium of fire. Serious bumper to bumper traffic. Many cars were half empty! BIKE FTW!

books have come a long way

Wedding day: up early, almost late, waiting, 1,2,3 smile!, lunch yum! Reception=awesome backyard and even more awesome people. Good luck brother!

A photo taken in Naco, Arizona (1979) of a volleyball game between Mexican and U.S. citizens, using the border fence between Mexico and Arizona as the net.

Be thankful if you know your multiplication tables

“There are things we know we know about terrorism. There are things we know we don’t know. And there are things that are unknown unknowns. We don’t know that we don’t know.”

the scale of the universe

San Francisco to Los Angeles on Public Transit: 30 Hours, 14 Transfers, & Only $45.25

would like to try something like this someday

tribe meets white man for first time

social contract theory and injustice

watched first episode of the HBO mini series John Adams with Sam and Jake last night and it provoked some thoughts
First episode begins with John Adams defending a British Captain in court who was in charge of the soldiers involved in killing 5 civilians and injuring another 11 in the Boston massacre. This was a great place to begin the narrative of John Adams life because it shows his devotion to upholding the virtues of law and order in the tumultuous time the colonies were facing.
while I certainly agree with John Adams in the virtue of upholding the law I wonder what the appropriate response would be to an unjust law?
Is it ever right to commit an injustice? I would say no, it is never the right thing for someone to willfully commit an injustice.
however as noted first by Socrates and by later philosophers we have a duty of respecting and upholding the law with just reciprocity. The state and the community I live in have provided me with among other things security, peace of mind, an education, clean air and water, and to a degree representation and due process as a citizen. These things have afforded me certain luxuries that I would not have had other wise had.
But on the other hand I recognize that the state is not inherently virtuous and does not always act with the intent of justice in mind. written into our founding documents are the explicit recognition of slavery as an institution. Slavery and racial inequality are obviously unjust acts, yet they were permitted and allowed as acts of law.
What is the just response to injustice? Is reacting to injustice with injustice the ethical thing to do? Is it unjust to break the law even if it is an unjust law?
With this in mind I am led to agree with Jake: the individual must act with justice and virtue even in the face of breaking an unjust law.

Deferred yet again from donating plasma...

Moab

picture time before we took off for a day of rafting on the colorado river

all ready to rock the river

Demolition Derby!

just to give you a sense for how white trash a demolition derby is..

The crickets in concert. Colorado churning. Slumbering under the milky way

On the way to moab

So hot in the back of jakes car
No ac for the next 3 hours...

Cool idea: camera mail

I walked out of a supernova and you did too...

Lifecycle of monarch butterfly

Wow so cool! Butterfly metamorphosis

Here's a website I think you'll like: Journey North: Monarch Butterfly
I never knew that metamorphosis was such a drastic process! It is incredible to imagine the genetics and evolution of this process! Truly incredible!

sonic the hedgehog 3

better than pandora?

On 8tracks, people can do two things: listen to a mix, or create a mix. Listeners can search for a mix by artist or genre, stream it in a legal, radio-style manner, and follow others who make compelling mixes. DJs upload MP3s or AACs to craft a playlist, add context with description and art, and publish their mix on 8tracks.com and a personal webpage

allows you to on demand stream any artist with out the restriction of Pandora.

In bed @ 2:31...

woo hoo! got my google music invite!

Health

Plasma donation: so apparently I have increased levels of ALT in my blood which is an enzyme that is indicative of a likely liver infection. This defers me from donating till the lingering infection (from when I was sick a few weeks ago) clears up. This was kind of a surprise and is a bummer cause I wanted to donate and get some extra cash. Donating plasma has made me realize the delicate balance of maintaining health in my life. They are very thorough in checking for any problems or warning signs.

Optometrist: my cataract turned out to be pretty harmless along with the "freckle" found on the back of my eye. Probably just as a result of a scar I picked up some years ago. also my prescription changed just slightly, no big deal

Nap: much needed, still tired but  I think I will make it through the day.

Dentist: came in expecting to have a "minor" filling done but what I didn't realize was that still involved the suite of painkillers: laughing gas and injections. Mouth is still really numb and feeling pretty funky. It probably doesn't help that I am mentally and physically drained from lack of sleep.

I am really starting to realize the benefits of health. I am thankful that the problems I have had to deal with have been minor and have not gotten in the way of things I want to accomplish. Maintaining my health is something that I have realized is worth spending money on (yet I am still completely supported by my parents which is something that I am thankful for, some people do not have that luxury). I am lucky to have been born with a relatively sound mind and body. I hope I never have to deal with any huge medical issues in my life. Youth brings me the blessing and freedom from health issues that old age does not.

So I didn't exactly sleep last night. Should I load up on red bull and stay awake? Or take a nap later today?

This Hero Didn’t Stand a Chance

things that are important to us are things that are worth fighting for. the things that we enjoy today are here because those that have come before us stood up to protect them for future generations.
what do we stand up for today, what do we protect and cherish so that our future generations we know what we enjoy today?
I am thankful for the countless many who did protect and envision a future for us. they left and preserved vital resources and because they did so we stand to reap the fruits of their sacrifices.

***

when was the last time that you or I actually stood up for something? actually put our money where our mouth is to stand up for what is right? how often do we imagine ourselves coming to the rescue yet stand by the wayside when our voice is needed?

***

"I must confess that over the last few years I have been gravely disappointed with the white moderate. I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro's great stumbling block in the stride toward freedom is not the White Citizen's Council-er or the Ku Klux Klanner, but the white moderate who is more devoted to "order" than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice; who constantly says "I agree with you in the goal you seek, but I can't agree with your methods of direct action;" who paternalistically feels he can set the timetable for another man's freedom; who lives by the myth of time and who constantly advises the Negro to wait until a "more convenient season." Shallow understanding from people of goodwill is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will. Lukewarm acceptance is much more bewildering than outright rejection." -- MLK

schools into prisons

Dear Governor Snyder,
In these tough economic times, schools are hurting. And yes, everyone in Michigan is hurting right now financially, but why aren’t we protecting schools? Schools are the one place on Earth that people look to to “fix” what is wrong with society by educating our youth and preparing them to take on the issues that society has created.
One solution I believe we must do is take a look at our corrections system in Michigan. We rank nationally at the top in the number of people we incarcerate. We also spend the most money per prisoner annually than any other state in the union. Now, I like to be at the top of lists, but this is one ranking that I don’t believe Michigan wants to be on top of.
Consider the life of a Michigan prisoner. They get three square meals a day. Access to free health care. Internet. Cable television. Access to a library. A weight room. Computer lab. They can earn a degree. A roof over their heads. Clothing. Everything we just listed we DO NOT provide to our school children.
This is why I’m proposing to make my school a prison. The State of Michigan spends annually somewhere between $30,000 and $40,000 per prisoner, yet we are struggling to provide schools with $7,000 per student. I guess we need to treat our students like they are prisoners, with equal funding. Please give my students three meals a day. Please give my children access to free health care. Please provide my school district Internet access and computers. Please put books in my library. Please give my students a weight room so we can be big and strong. We provide all of these things to prisoners because they have constitutional rights. What about the rights of youth, our future?!
Please provide for my students in my school district the same way we provide for a prisoner. It’s the least we can do to prepare our students for the future...by giving our schools the resources necessary to keep our students OUT of prison.
Respectfully submitted,
Nathan Bootz
Superintendent
Ithaca Public Schools

Tip: blender and mason jar

Here's a website I think you'll like: Tip: Blender and Mason Jar | Simply Recipes
Via: reddit.com

clouds explained

on writing

recently I have been wishing I wrote more things. When I first started this blog I envisioned my self writing big, huge, important things but as you can see that has not come to pass. I have come to realize that certain things that are important yet boring take time such as being organize, basic hygiene, and writing. Yet these are all things that are worth spending time on...yet finding the time can be tricky.
this is a secret message!

Long Live the Web: A Call for Continued Open Standards and Neutrality

Is the web a public resource?

How Today's Conservatism Lost Touch with Reality

To make a thief, make an owner; to create crime, create laws

Eisenhower's Farwell address

 Eisenhower's worst fears came true. We invent enemies to buy the bombs | Simon Jenkins | Comment is free | The Guardian
In Eisenhower's farewell address he refers to the looming destruction that the "military-industrial complex" held  over democracy in America. Yet in his original drafts he referred instead to the "military-industrial-congressional complex". This makes sense to for Eisenhower to have pointed out as congress ultimately decides how to foot the bill of our defense budget.
  Eisenhower recognized all three (1. Military 2. Industry and 3. Congress) as threats to democracy to the point of "endager(ing) our liberties and democratic processes"

The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves but wiser people so full of doubts - Bertrand Russel

a safe, long-lasting way of improving both your life and your personal feelings of well-being: shrooms

"Is what is morally good commanded by God because it is morally good, or is it morally good because it is commanded by God?"

I often think about this because I would dare say that god commands things because they are morally good. yet if this is the case why worship god? why not just do what is right?
yes I can and do see religion as capable of teaching moral  truths yet I also believe that religion does not have a monopoly on morality. moral values can be conferred  upon individuals outside of the church house

deep shot

great idea that I would love to see more implemented. It really seem to solve the problem that divides mobile devices and computers.

Watercolor with Jake and Andrew!

We came with a blank posterboard and hope and left feeling mediocre

Can you buy something from the amazon rainforest on the amazon marketplace?

Geometry=earth measure. Geo=earth, metry=measure

Book covers

Why do they make crappy book covers. Yeah I know you are not supposed to judge a book by it's cover, but book covers should reflect at least the same attention to detail and depth of thought that the author placed in the work

Reading

So many books to read yet so little time! What a wonderful yet frustrating problem to have.
I need to find better ways of managing time and efforts so I don't squander what precious resources I have right now.

Looking forward to picking up some more books tomorrow. Possibly "The Dispossessed" by Ursula Le Guin (I think that is how you spell it) or "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress" by Robert Heinlein

Also am looking forward to possibly picking up a copy of "Ethics" by Gordon Marino which was recommended to me by a friend. Marino also has a book on existentialism which is something I would be interested in reading as well.

good idea

Swings: Los Angeles

What will I read next?

Finished "Journey of man: a genetic odessy" and "do androids dream of electric sheep"

Journey of Man: A Genetic Odessey

Recovery

Wow I am amazed at what a good stretch, massage, and hot shower has done for my muscles. I feel so much better now about getting back to the gym.

How to fund nasa

 How to keep the NASA space program afloat: 1: Create a TV show called "America's Top Astronaut". 2: Have people compete during astronaut training exercises. 3: Use the money from endorsements to fund the next manned shuttle into space : reddit.com

Do not regret growing older. It is a privilege denied to many.

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep/Blade Runner

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep begins with Rick Deckard and Iran Deckard awaking from sleep to a dreary post apocalyptic earth, complete with radioactive fallout which has killed off nearly all life leaving the strong that have survived (the regulars) and those who have fallen victim to the degenerating radioactive fallout (the degenerates/chickenheads) which bars them from emigrating to colony planets. Accompanying the the omnipresent dust are the varying technological advancements including animal replacements who serve as mere status symbols to owners.
On colony planets such as Mars androids play a future version of slavery, forming the underclass of society. Many androids/replicants escape to earth and hide among the remaining population. Rick Deckard is charged as a bounty hunter to seek and 'retire' (kill) escaped androids. The morality of killing a replicant and understanding what it means to be human are major themes that run throughout the book.

often the actions of human characters strike me as very robotic such as the "penfield mood organ" which is used by Rick and Iran to artificially modulate their moods on a whim. And the callous unforgiving nature of bounty hunting androids on the premise that they are emotionless and lack empathy. How can the killing of sentient beings be allowed when no empathy is shown towards replicants in the first place?

So sore...

88 lessons of life

Professor: Value Of College Extends Beyond Paycheck

the idea of intellectual growth — "not just learning things to make a living, but also learning things to enable you to do things with your life, to enable you to find interests and pursuits that may in some way or another expand the way we see things."

There are also social benefits, he says: learning to think together, learning to attack problems together, learning how to disagree.

With tuition costs rising and the economy being as bad as it is, I find it very easy to identify with others who question the value of a college education. As the article discusses our current mindset of more college=more money isn't necessarily a faulty ideal but contrary to the historical conception  which saw college of a place for intellectual growth and a moral duty (especially in a democratic society as our own.
I wonder what it will take to change our mindset with college. additionally I see a cycle being perpetuated as people see college as a ticket to a higher paycheck educational institutions respond by raising tuition and other costs.
if a college education is a moral duty as citizens what is the best way to balance the needs of responding to the inherent duty to fulfill that moral obligation while maintaining a fair price?

ok who is it? who is still using IE these days! get yourself a decent browser like chrome or firefox

Voters have up to five times more influence in early primaries

'Voters in states with early primary races such as Iowa and New Hampshire have up to five times the influence of voters in later states in selecting presidential candidates, according to research by Brown University economist Brian Knight. The paper, the first to quantify the effects of early victories in the race for the presidential nomination, is co-authored by Nathan Schiff and published in The Journal of Political Economy."Evidence that early voters have a disproportionate influence over the selection of candidates violates 'one person-one vote' -- a democratic ideal on which our nation is based."'

clearly this is something that needs to be addressed...

re-cap

since I did not write a blog post the other day because I kept myself pretty busy I though I would do a quick re-cap of my day.
plasma center: rode the scooter to the center so I was super cold when I got there and ended up having to wait a few minutes to warm up before I was able to 'donate'. Once I got in I decided to 'donate' with my right arm again, and the needle went it great and was much more comfortable than my left arm. However what sucked was I ended up having to go the the restroom REALLY bad mid 'donation' and ended up having to stop to take a pee break. For some reason I felt like I was being a quiter for not trying to stick it out and finsish up...
hike: afterwards I ran over to Out'n Back to redeem some store credit and picked up a sweet new headlamp and a new water bottle and headed up rock canyon to chill our for a bit. Weather is really great this time of year so it wasn't too hot and the foliage was happy with all this extra moisture we have been having this season.
Provo Bicycle Committee meeting: had to cut my hike short to make it over to the committee meeting in time. We had great meeting and discussed some great new developments for provo including a study conducted by a BYU student who did a connectivity analysis for provo which will help in determining the best location for a new infrastructure such as bicycle lanes. Also we discussed about organizing volunteers for the upcoming Tour of Utah which will be a great opportunity to see some professional riders up close and personal

work out log 1

dumb-bell bench: 4 sets 

30-35-35-20

incline press: 3 sets

65-65-65-bar

upright rows: 2 sets

55-55

bench flys:3 sets

10-10-10

incline flys: 3 sets

10-10-10

decline flys:

15-15-10

feels pretty good to get back in the gym, but it is also discouraging working out with people who are a lot stronger than I am. I will focus I being consistent with going to the gym, form, and nutrition (lots more protein, try to keep it from varied sources ex. not just whey protein but eggs, meat, nuts, and other things)

Hike - Rock Canyon

Gut Bacteria Know Secrets About Your Future

 "Right now, in your mouth, in your gut, on your skin, you are carrying about 10 times more bacteria cells than human cells".

Did you know that on the day of your birth you go from being almost completely clean to covered in bacteria as you made your way oh so long ago down mothers birth canal? And that the bacteria you become infected with can significantly alter your health?

"But they aren't all bad guys. In fact, without them, we wouldn't survive very long. We need them to digest food, to produce vitamins. We use them to fight off the bad bacteria. In spite of what you're reading in the papers this week, they are more helpers than hurters."

Yet scientists once speculated that the variety of microbial communities present on individuals was determined by environmental factors. Yet new research challenges this view and holds that the bacterial make up of humankind is much more homogenous than previously thought, with possibly three types of bacterial suites. 

I did not blog yesterday

Whoa! Such a Cool Adventure!

awesome account of exploring a mothballed fleet.

Thumbs Up for Rock and Roll!

You want him to do you so much that you could do anything

Skeuomorph

A skeuomorph, pronounced /ˈskjuːəmɔɹf/ skew-ə-morf, or skeuomorphism (Greek: skeuos—vessel or tool, morphe—shape)^[1] is a derivative object that retains ornamental design cues to a structure that was necessary in the original.^[2] Skeuomorphs may be deliberately employed to make the new look comfortably old and familiar,^[3] such as copper cladding on zinc pennies or computer printed postage with circular town name and cancellation lines. An alternative definition is "an element of design or structure that serves little or no purpose in the artifact fashioned from the new material but was essential to the object made from the original material"^[4]. This definition is narrower in scope and ties skeumorphs to changes in materials.

Who knew hard drives were so cool!

"it is characteristic of people who live in an advanced technological culture understand little of it and resort quickly to superstition and cultism"

***

"Any technology significantly advanced enough is magic"

"Mors certa, vita incerta"

Laura Veirs - "July Flame"

dream vacation

Life is pretty good

Just chillin and reading a book

One of the reasons I like blogger is the fact that it is a google service. Google to me seems like a very stable company that will be around for the long run. And I like the idea that this blog may well be around for a while. I often wonder what people in 100 years will think of todays internet technology, but nothing is permanent and technology is always changing 

But this makes me think about the idea that permanence plays in our lives. We often want things to stay the way they are and we often fight to keep them that way. Yet despite our best efforts entropy and decay are the ruling masters of our lives.

Sometimes the hardest thing to do is to let go of the  order that we strive so much for and embrace the transient, ever changing 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wabi_sabi

After reading this I realize I sound like a freakin hipster...

Political Orientations Are Correlated with Brain Structure in Young Adults

• Political liberalism and conservatism were correlated with brain structure
• Liberalism was associated with the gray matter volume of anterior cingulate cortex
• Conservatism was associated with increased right amygdala size
• Results offer possible accounts for cognitive styles of liberals and conservatives

amygdala - A primary role in the processing and memory of emotional reactions.

Anterior cingulate cortex - rational cognitive functions, such as reward anticipation, decision-making, empathy and emotion.
 

"the serious and erudite amateur is one of the best internet avatars we can play"
-Marco Roth

fashion trends and social media

what do fashion trends and social media have in common? Too much as they both uphold the ideals of new capitalism—flexibility, globalization, technology-enabled logistical micromanaging, consumer co-creation. Why are these bad? because,

We have more capability to share ourselves, our thoughts and interests and discoveries and memories, than ever before, yet sharing is in danger of becoming nothing more than an alibi that hides how voracious our appetite for novelty has become. It becomes harder for our friends and ourselves to figure out what really matters to us and what stems merely from the need to keep broadcasting the self.
And so we vacillate between anxious self-branding and the self-negating practice of seeking some higher authenticity: we have to watch ourselves become ourselves in order to be ourselves, over and over again.

as noted by the author fashion trends and social media both encapsulate emerging business models of commoditization of the self, or the need to find identity in consuming and promoting our day to day to the world

road trip ideas

many people say Utah is "such a boring place" but if you know where to look Utah has great natural wonders and unbeknownst to me home to some interesting oddities inlcuding

•  Pando, the Trembling Giant: World's oldest and most massive living organism
•  Modern day Egyptians who actually practice mummification
• 5,000 square foot home carved directly into rock  that even sports a petting zoo
• largest deposit of trilobites found in the world

and more via Atlas Obscura

stories and life

 because we grew up surrounded by big dramatic story arcs in books and movies, we think our lives are supposed to be filled with huge ups and downs! So people pretend there is drama where there is none.” -Kurt Vonnegut

we live our lives surrounded by stories of all types. But what happens when we begin to see our lives through the lens of the stories that we have heard?

I want to read this later- The Epidemic of Mental Illness: Why?

cybersecurity

these days we rely upon web services yet more and more the vulnerabilities of the web are coming to light

I think I still like blogger over twitter.
blogger gives me more flexibility in posting options with the  same flexibility that twitter offers

Truer Words...

You know who shares the Tea Party ideal of low taxes, limited government, religious values, unwaivering support for the military and disregard for the poor? Pakistan.

magic with the iPad

have a new computer? one stop for all your program needs

Synergy

Synergy is Free and Open Source Software that lets you easily share your mouse and keyboard between multiple computers, where each computer has its own display. No special hardware is required, all you need is a local area network. Synergy is supported on Windows, Mac OS X and Linux. Redirecting the mouse and keyboard is as simple as moving the mouse off the edge of your screen. Synergy is released under the GNU Public License (GPL)

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want this with ubuntu + windows 7

Party advertised on Facebook brings over a thousand

the true power of social networking gone awry.

also it shows that when 15,000 people RSVP to an event only 1,400 people will show up

"I am what I am because of who we all are."

A man-made world: Science is recognising humans as a geological force to be reckoned with

Welcome to the Anthropocene: Humans have changed the way the world works. Now they have to change the way they think about it, too

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