And, finally, today's quote: "A mind all logic is like a knife all blade. It makes the hand bleed that uses it." -- Rabindramath Tabore

Screw the New Twenty, Chocolate Should Be Our New Currency
Wednesday, November 5, 2003

Something I've learned today: You can buy friendship with chocolate. For any of you friendless surfers out there, I highly recommend finding some high-quality cocoa bean and sugar concoctions (usually the foreign-made products are better) and buying yourself some friends.

I cannot wait to see the new Matrix. I want to go see it tonight, but I'm sure the lines will be as long as hell. Still, it's always a little surreal to see a movie at it's opening with a crowd of enthusiasts. That's how I saw the second Lord of the Rings installment. (The only trilogy I'm more excited about seeing the conclusion of than "The Matrix" is "Lord of the Rings.") I recently watched "The Matrix: Reloaded" again. We rented the DVD and I watched all the background footage as well. What impresses me the most about "The Matrix", and especially the sequel, is its complexity. I like a movie that I can wrap my brain around, that calls up connections to literature or philosophy, that demonstrates truths I've embraced about life, that is "deep". I like things with layers.

The most ironic truth about the "layers" of "The Matrix", is simply this: It is a movie about computers deceiving humans into believing a false reality; in which the movie-makers use advanced technology to depict a false world indistinquishable from reality. In other words, the special effects are not only badass, they are also more innovative and more convincing than previous special-effect filled flicks.

As for how Halloween went, I quite enjoyed it. If you want to see me dressed as Daria, click here. I was told by a certain friend of mine that he never realized Daria was so sexy. (Though I don't think that's a defensible belief based on this pic. I never like my pictures. So we'll just assume I'm sexier in person than I am on camera.) Now, that's just about the best compliment ever, don't you think? I mean, a sexy Daria would have to be the most perfect person alive! ;-)

Links:
Literary References in The Simpsons - The episodes on Chuck Palahniuk and Stephen King were of particular interest to me.
Homepage for the Wondering Minstrels - A rather eclectic collection of poetry. Classic poems mixed in with modern works, and each poem gets at least a couple sentences of commentary. One poem is added daily, based on the tastes of those running the site and on suggestions made by subscribers. (I am a subscriber.) Not everything is great, but then I'm picky about poetry. I have to credit this site, however, for exposing me to more writers than I otherwise would have read.
My Favorite Poems from Wondering Minstrels - Of the poems that Wondering Minstrels has posted, these are my favorites. Feel free to read through them and let me know what you like or dislike.

Today's Quote: "I must have something to engross my thoughts, some object in life which will fill this vacuum and prevent this sad wearing away of the heart." -- Elizabeth Blackwell

Oooooh. Must share. Must share.
Sunday, November 2, 2003

I've been going link-happy lately. So here's a few more for you to explore:

Eaten By Monsters Error - Proof that I am easily amused.
You Need Some Fresh Air Error - Further proof that I am easily amused.
Catholic School Girls Revenge! - If only there was video footage. Then we could see this guy getting his ass kicked by a bunch of uniformed high school girls. Their faces contorted in self-righteous anger, his face bruised and bloody in humilated disbelief. Not to mention the neighbors and police officers watching the spectacle, and doing nothing.
Man drops cell phone in train toilet, jams arm - Wow. Some people are too attached to their electronics.

And, your witty quote for the evening: "It's a control freak thing. I wouldn't let you understand." -- S.H. Underwood

Hmmm, what to write about...
Thursday, October 30, 2003

Sorry about the big gaps in posting. I'm just not currently feeling prolific with the Pita.

I just got ITunes. I have to say, I'm quite impressed. Definitely better than WinAmp.

Currently listening to Foo Fighters. I'm not crazy about everything they do, but God when they're good they are so good. Gotta love Dave Grohl. Not to mention FF makes some of the most entertaining videos. Dave goes from geeky to goofy to sweet guy to funny man to sexy rock star, and he does it all so well.

I'm being Daria for Halloween. If I remember to buy film, and I get any decent pictures, I'll be sure and post one to my pictures page so that everyone can see Daria personified.

Okay, switching over to listen to Garbage. Mmmm Garbage, lovely stuff.

Okay, now for links:
Where Did the Yo-Yo Come From? - Man, I totally want a battle yo-yo!
Anchor Woman: Tina Fey Rewrites Late Night Comedy - I'm a nut for a successful woman in a position typically held by men. That's just too damn cool. Rock on Tina Fey. I love ya on Weekend Update with Jimmy Fallon. You need to be in more skits!
Brad and Jennifer Try Mid-East Diplomacy - Wow. Hollywood politicians are just popping up everywhere lately.
Kaleidoscope Blog Games - "Kaleidoscope is an ongoing game project in which six weekly tasks are set, for players to interpret and complete within their own weblogs and journals." Prizes are given.
A.L.I.C.E - I amuse myself by asking interactive bots like this one existential questions. Sadly, artificial intelligence still has little to say about the nature of existence.
Pattern IQ Test - Well, I enjoyed taking this, but I'm a nerd.

dra
You are Form 5, Dragon: The Weaver.

"And The Dragon seperated the virtuous from
the sinful. He tore his eyes from his sockets
and used them to peer into the souls of those
on trial to make a judgement. He knew that
with endless knowledge came endless
responsibility."

Some examples of the Dragon Form are Athena
(Greek), St. Peter (Christian), and Surya (Indian).
The Dragon is associated with the concept of
intelligence, the number 5, and the element of
wood. His sign is the crescent moon.

As a member of Form 5, you are an intelligent and
wise individual. You weigh options by looking
at how logical they are and you know that while
there may not always be a right or wrong
choice, there is always a logical one. People
may say you are too indecisive, but it's only
because you want to do what's right. Dragons
are the best friends to have because they're
willing to learn.

Which Mythological Form Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

To Tide You Over ...
Monday, October 27, 2003

Sorry about the lack of updates. I hope to do another one soon. Until then, here are some links to tide you over:

Funny Schwarzenegger Pic - Heheh, amusing.
Tennessee Changes the Way Prisons Do Business - Tennessee worries me.
Mark's Bitch Letter Generator - A lovely tool for ticked off ladies.
Ga. Considering Joining Crime Database - Very, very distrubing. Can we say, 1984? And what dumbass thought to name it "The Matrix Project"? People seriously worry me.
Rambo #5 - Hehehe, I wish I could be half so witty.

Philosophical Pop Culture. Brilliant!
Friday, October 17, 2003

I went to BookWorks yesterday, accompanied by a pleasantly caffeine-filled "Om" tea from Poets, with the intent to nose through their collection for cool-looking publications which I do not yet own. (I prefer New Century, since it's more unique and less expensive, but I like the occasional trip to BookWorks too. Their cozy location right next to a coffee shop doesn't hurt either.)

What I found there, that I absolutely had to buy, was a copy of The Matrix and Philosophy: Welcome to the Desert of the Real, edited by William Irwin. I know it sounds cheesy, but I read most of the first chapter in the book store and was impressed enough to buy the book for nearly 20 bucks.

Last semester I spotted another book from this series in the cafe of our school bookstore: The Simpsons and Philosophy: The D'Oh! of Homer. After discarding my smirking skepticism in reaction to the title, I picked up the book and found much more depth than expected. It was a collection of essays relating the characters of The Simpsons to different philosophical ideologies. Not only were these essays insightful, they were also easy to read and damn funny. I haven't bought a copy of that book yet, but I plan to.

It's amazing to me how many movies and TV shows are actually exploring deep philosophical, moral, and societal questions, despite the American public's reluctance to ponder issues more sophisticated than whether or not "Bennifer" will survive as a parasitic organism-- I mean, as a couple. The idea of introducing the general public to philosophical inquiry in a non-intimidating and entertaining way, without sacrificing quality of research or depth of thought, is brillant. I wish I'd thought of this first!

So far, the series includes the two books I've already mentioned, plus Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Fear and Trembling in Sunnydale, The Lord of the Rings: One Book to Rule Them All, and Seinfeld and Philosophy: A Book About Everything and Nothing. A book on Woody Allen is the next project in the works, which I'm not as excited about, but hey, I'm sure others will like it. If ONLY they would include other favorites of mine! What about the philosophy of Fight Club, Donnie Darko, The Truman Show, or American Beauty? Those would freaking ROCK! And, oh my god, what about sci-fi? If they did a book on the philosophical quests of Star Trek: The Next Generation, can you imagine how much money they would make!? Hell, I'd buy that one too. (TNG is the only Star Trek I ever really got hooked on.)

Also, I know this series focuses on philosophy, but I'd really like to see a psychological series too. They could use American History X, Girl Interrupted, Interview with the Vampire, The Shawshank Redemption, Memento, and Daria. We should take advantage of what depth of character we can find in pop culture, and put it to better use.

Anyway, these books seem to be good introductions to philosophy. I can't claim this for 100 percent sure, because I've only thumbed through a couple of them. Still, I can hope that such books might get one or two people thinking beyond the surface of things that otherwise might never have done so.

A Morality Tale for Co-Eds
Wednesday, October 15, 2003

As I biked in to class on Monday, here is the scene that greeted me: It was a crash right in front of the University Center. The first thing I noticed was the ambulance waiting with its lights flashing, and a cop car next to it. In the street lay a severly mangled red bicycle. The back wheel had been ripped off entirely and lay seperately in the middle of the street. The car had a dent so huge it looked like it'd had a close encounter with at least a mini-van, if not a train. A grotesquely bright red liquid was splattered liberally over the hood, as though the victim's head had opened up into a geyser of blood.

Now, imagine this scenario in a 15-mile per hour school zone. Doesn't it look just a little bit sketchy? Just a teensy bit ridiculous? That's right, it's drunk driver week, and this was a demonstration meant to scare college students into sobriety. They do something similar every year. Still, I have to give them props for actually adding blood this year. It was a nice touch, considering they usually just bash up a couple cars beyond recognition. What I find even more amusing is that they parked the blood-stained car out on our busiest patio ... right next to the bike rack. There have been mysteriously few bikes on that particular rack this week. Gee, I wonder why.

Links:
Schwarzenegger in Japanese Commercials - This is the governor of California? America is so weird.
No More Stupid Forwards, Please - Ironically, I received this link in a forwarded e-mail.
Evil Animal Minion Generator - The click of a mouse generates fanastical creatures, like 'the minature ninja psychic ferrets.'
Jesus Is My Crush - 'A popular new Bible for teen girls dresses up the New Testament to look and read exactly like a fashion magazine.' ... Scary, disturbing stuff.

Convoluted Thoughts of the Evening
Sunday, October 5, 2003

Unskilled and Unaware of It - Basically, this article dicusses the origin of inscrutably inflated egos among the less talented. We've all seen people like this. Wannabe class clowns oblivious to the fact that no one else is laughing. 'Star athletes' who can't make the school varsity teams. People who simply don't understand that others are much more talented than them. These people are doomed to stagnate, rarely improving their alleged skills, because they can't see that work needs to be done.

Now, what I'm curious about, is the opposite effect. What about students who turn in mediocre work throughout school, who are never pushed to their limits, who receive excessive praise for the half-efforts they put forth, but they realize that their efforts are not up to par? At least, not up to par according to what they were capable of, and what they expected themselves to do. For a person who feels the drive to improve themselves, lack of constructive criticism is depressing. Ideas start forming like, "They're just being nice because they don't have the strength to be honest with me," "They don't think I'm mature enough to handle constructive criticism," "They aren't willing to work with me because they don't expect very much of me," or "They aren't intelligent enough to see that this is not good work." It makes you think that the majority of people value "being nice" over being honest, and a certain cyncism about the world start taking shape. A callousness to the "stupidity of the masses," who are content with accepting mediocrity in place of progress.

I've seen people with this attitude, at least partly due to the circumstances I described. I've even felt that way myself, very strongly in the past. However, there is another problem with this scenario besides churning out self-aware cynics. Namely, it is possible to lose faith in one's ability to interpret the outside world. Getting pats on the back all the time for inferior work really starts to get you wondering. Am I really that talented, or do I believe that because everyone else praises me? Do I deserve that praise? Am I being arrogantly ignorant of my own shortcomings? Am I competent enough to perceive my own shortcomings? How am I supposed to know whether or not I'm progressing if no one is willing to challenge me beyond my current efforts? I could get through on cruise control, but would my life then be an exercise in mediocrity? Can I sit back and be a happy pig without challenging myself? What if one day, late in life, someone finally DOES call me out on my lack of skill, my lack of knowledge, my lack of effort, my lack of success? Will I be disappoint in the way I spent my time during this life? How the hell am I supposed to figure out who I am, where I'm going, what I want, what is best, or what kind of impact my life is having? It seems, at times, that everyone is so damn scared about offending their students that they aren't willing to name and work on their weaknesses. This is nothing short of a tragedy.

Argh, okay, now I'm venting. This turned out much longer and less objective that I intended. I think I'll move onto the other links.

Links:
Prez Dubbya is a Poet? And We Didn't Even Know It! - Charming? Cheesy? Scary? You tell me.
Remains Of Xena-Like Woman Found - 'The remains of a six-foot tall woman, buried with a shield and knife, were recently discovered in an Anglo-Saxon cemetery in Lincolnshire, England.'
What's Your Name Mean? - Heheh, this is a humor site. Enjoy.
Adventures With An Ice-Pick - A short history of lobotomy.
OneLook.com - Best dictionary resource on the web, period.

Quick, Let Me Add This
Friday, September 26, 2003

Don't have much time to write today. I'd just like to say, I really like the fact that I've been riding my bike to class. I'm not wasting gas, I don't have to find a parking space (not to mention a legit one), I get exercise (I make two round trips a day, typically, and this involves several hills), and it just gives a certain freedom that neither driving nor walking gives. Namely, I get to whiz past the bipeds, ride on grass and streets, and get to go wherever the hell I want to without repercussion. Plus I have a nice little seat cushion to keep me all comfortable-like, and a very bright bike light just in case I'm ever coming home late (though I generally avoid biking at night). Both of those addons I keep with me whenever I'm not on my bike, because they'd be way too easy to steal.

That is all for now. Enjoy your links!:
Surlalune Fairy Tales - 26 annotated fairy tales, including histories, similar tales across cultures, and over 1000 illustrations.
Plus - An online magazine aimed at introducing readers to 'the beauty and the practical applications of math.'
I Love Carnivorous Plants - Ever wanted to buy a carnivorous plant? Of course you have! Here's your chance!
(last three via Eclectica)
Southern Methodist shuts down bake sale protesting affirmative action - Personally, I see this as a violation of the freedom of speech. Whether you agree with their view or not, they were engaging in a peaceful demonstration and, imho, should not have been shut down. Any thoughts?

An Update and a Gratuitous Diatribe Against Pure Evil
Monday, September 22, 2003

Well, last week was stressful. The most stressful week so far this year. I was not happy. Last week is over. Therefore, I feel better. I'm really liking my English Methology and Research class (the class I'm retaking because I failed it the first time). It's great. There are significantly fewer projects this time around, and the students are being taught to think critically about the teaching of English. My favorite class, though, is when I get to peer mentor for the Honors 1010 class. I'm thinking this week I'll walk into class on my stilts. Then I can make the terrible quip: Hey look at me! I'm growing as a person!

Tonight I have drama troupe rehearsal. It should be fun. The show this year should be quite entertaining. Other than that, I've been doing work study. Hopefully, this will be the last week that I'll be working on the audio-visual instructions. I've been writing up the step-by-step process for trained monkeys-- I mean, English professors to use their CD players, VCRs, DVDs, and Proxima. (I can make fun of English professors because I might eventually be one. The rest of you, your English proffessor mocking privelages have been revoked.)

In other news, I have seen the anti-Christ. Unsurprisingly, he is a televangelist. (I won't say his name because I don't want people searching for him to find this site.) I was surfing between VH-1, MTV, and Comedy Central as I pulled an all-nighter studying for a Spanish test a couple weeks ago; and came across this waste of human flesh on BET promising the weak and poor of America an instant solution to all their ills. He was telling people that their lives were terrible because God was unhappy with them. That their family was cursed, because they weren't tithing. He guaranteed people that God would turn their lives around once they donate one thousand dollars to his ministry.

What bothers me the most about this is that he was specifically addressing people with nothing to lose. It was the "down on their luck", the desperate, and the poor that he was appealing to. People who should be taking money managment classes because they are in debt up to their ears. Life-battered and insecure people who don't believe they have anywhere else to turn. From THEM, he asks for a one thousand dollar donation, with the guarantee that their lives will automatically turn around. (Who was it, again, that was known for false promises? Who preyed upon people's insecurities and fears in order to manipulate them for his own benefit? Let me think. I'm sure I'll remember his name eventually.) I hate that people are duped by these lies (they must be convincing some people to give, otherwise the program wouldn't stay on the air), but I hate the liars more.

One funny thing, is that about a week after I saw this guy "preaching", I saw the exact same recording aired again. Considering that he claimed he "could feel the lord moving someone's soul towards righteous" (ie. towards giving their money to him), I found it terribly ironic that the program was pre-recorded. (By the way, he never even made the pretense of having a legitimate use for the money. Never said that he gave to charity. He said that your money was God's money, and therefore, it should be his money.)

I would like to mention that there probably ARE sincere televangelists out there; and while I don't agree with what they're doing, I have no quarrell with them and actually respect them for their faith. This guy, however, was textbook evil. His continued existence on this Earth is appalling.

Links:
We Want Your Soul - Get the purity of your soul rated, then sell it online! (You weren't really using it anyway, were you? ;-)
Giantmicrobes.com - These diseases are just too cute for words. I can't wait to see their 'calamities' line.
Alessandro Bavari - A gallery of art that is at times quite creepy, but very creative none-the-less.
Techworthy Laptop Index - I want to buy one of these eventually. Advice is appreciated.
Power from blood could lead to 'human batteries' - One Step Towards 'The Matrix'? (An old article, but I'd forgotten to post it until now.)

Adventures in Pointlessly Arrogant Stupidity
Monday, September 15, 2003

And now, for an antecdote. I am very VERY stupid. Friday afternoon, I was hungry. I was still on campus, and didn't feel like riding back to my apartment just to pick up my car and drive somewhere for food. So, I decided to ride my bike down to the local Chinese food restaurant, order something To-Go, and ride valiently into the sunset. (I didn't want to stay there and eat because there was nowhere to lock up my bike, and I'm paranoid that someone will steal it.) My food came in a brown paper bag, without handles. Being the dumbbutt that I am, I didn't bother to go ask for a bag with handles. I didn't think they'd have them anyway, and figured I was talented enough to get the food home safely. (Boy was I ever wrong.)

I wrapped the top of the paper bag around one of the handle bars on my bike, and proceeded to head back to the apartment. About 2/3 of the way back, a couple blocks away from my destination, the bag ripped from underneath. All the contents spilled out, but some of the food remained in its boxes. All I lost were three of my sweet-and-sour shrimp and my double sized carry-out of egg drop soup. (That broke my heart. I was looking forward to that soup.)

The bag was ripped to shreds and I couldn't carry any of what's left home with me. So, here I am, sitting on the side of the road, my bike propped up next to me, a whole lotta egg drop soup spilled about 8 feet away, eating Chinese food. (I tried to clean up the soup as much as possible, but had no napkins.) That scenario, my friends, is my whole reason for telling you this story. Because that image is damn funny, even if it did happen to me. Five or six cars drove by and gawked (thankfully no one I recognized). It wasn't too long, though, before someone offered help. A nice family driving by gave me a plastic bag (with handles) to carry the rest home in.

One thing I'd like to mention that bothers me, the Perry model of cognitive development. (We're examining different models of intellectual and moral development in one of my classes.) I don't have a problem with the theory iteself. It seems to make sense. What I have a problem with is the way research was conducted to develop this theory. Namely, surveys were done of Harvard students.

Now, why in the hell are so many studies done at Harvard? It never made sense to me. Why are these considered valid studies, representative of America or the world as a whole? The students who attend Harvard are not exactly a representative mix of individuals. The vast majority of students there are upper-class, legally minded, white males in their mid-twenties. (Harvard used to be a single sex educator, including the period when Perry was developing his model.) Perry published his model completely ignoring the cognitive development of the lower-middle classes, those studying anything other than law (not to mention those who never attended college), minorities, women, and anyone younger or older than their twenties. The is a whole lot of people he left out of his research. Which I find rather horrid and embarrassing.

I am not sure what research has been done concerning his theory since then. If they want more reliable results, though, someone should take his survey to other colleges all across the U.S., to places of business filled with those who only graduated high school, to other countries, to women, to middle-aged folks and senior citizens, to anyone not represented by the Harvard group originally tested. I would be interested in seeing those results.

Now, I know Gilligan developed a model to represent women, and I applaud her for striving to do so, but I don't like her model. She says that women are more emotional and care more about community then justice. Well, that's definitely true for some, but not for all. I cringe at the stereotype that women are moody, mushy feelers. I'm not. I know plenty of women who are much more thinkers than feelers, and resent the fact that that stereotype still continues.

Anyway, that's my two cents for the day. Now, for some links:
Junkbot - Fun flash game that requires you to think like an engineer. You move legos around so that a little lego-robot can reach trash cans. If you login then you can save your results.
Computer Stupidities - If you never had sympathy for Tech Support workers before, now you will.
Bash.org - The most hilarious quotes from AIM conversations.
Matrix Reloaded posts on the IMDB - Someone posted the query "I have recently been thinking that maybe Neil isn't the one?" The responses have been hilarious.
Rotsnake - Cool optical illusion. (Last two sites found by Eclectica)

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