"[Bertrand] Russell's analytic approach had its origins in numbers; mathematics was his first love. In his autobiography he recalled his miserable adolescence and a footpath down which he would wander on England's south coast. 'I used to go there alone to watch the sunset and contemplate suicide. I did not, however, commit suicide, because I wished to know more about mathematics.'"
~Wittgenstein's Poker p. 222
Thursday, June 02, 2005
Wednesday, June 01, 2005
Figure 8
Saint Ide's Heaven
I'm a Junkyard
Alameda Closed
They Took Your Life Apart
The Elliot Smith Memorial
Monday, May 16, 2005
Back to the Rock
(C'mon Hollywood!)
No more waiting on them
As you rise inside new rooms
It's official, you've gone,
You could live for no one
Else man, the guilt must be huge
There's no pain in failure
You succeed at being mine yeah,
Old friend, see you there
I will be proud from afar
I can paint a picture in a moment
Of memories, and there are many left
I am extradited
Uninvited
(Yeah, C'mon!)
It's just another Saturday
Take a step to freedom
You and her loathing
This cruel world
Take a breath of shelter
Then exhale trust and allegiance
Liberate yourself from hell
It's just another Saturday
It's just another Saturday
(Let's Go!
C'mon Dude!
C'mon!
There you go fucker!)
(Goddamn Hollywood, Thanks very much.)
~Lagwagon, May 16th
(Taken from Live in a Dive)
No more waiting on them
As you rise inside new rooms
It's official, you've gone,
You could live for no one
Else man, the guilt must be huge
There's no pain in failure
You succeed at being mine yeah,
Old friend, see you there
I will be proud from afar
I can paint a picture in a moment
Of memories, and there are many left
I am extradited
Uninvited
(Yeah, C'mon!)
It's just another Saturday
Take a step to freedom
You and her loathing
This cruel world
Take a breath of shelter
Then exhale trust and allegiance
Liberate yourself from hell
It's just another Saturday
It's just another Saturday
(Let's Go!
C'mon Dude!
C'mon!
There you go fucker!)
(Goddamn Hollywood, Thanks very much.)
~Lagwagon, May 16th
(Taken from Live in a Dive)
Saturday, May 14, 2005
GRE Practice
Prompt:
The concept of free will is a fallacy. Many actions are not the product of choice and thus people should not be held responsible for them.
My response:
The above argument makes several bald assertions concerning free will and responsibility. It basically states that, since there is no free will, people cannot be held responsible for their actions (because they are merely "pawns" in a predestined world, one would guess). The statement assumes that if there is no free will, then there is no will at all, and only with will can one claim responsibility. The statement does make a good point against the argument for free will, because it states that, "[m]any actions are not the product of choice..." which is true. But to conclude from that reason that people cannot be held responsible for their actions is a fallacy in itself.
It is true that many actions are not the product of choice, and the situations we encounter are sometimes beyond our control. Take, for instance, the recent tsunami disaster in South East Asia. I doubt anyone willed such an event to occur, and the aftermath--the lives lost, the destruction, the disease, and the famine--certainly was beyond any person's control. Even on an individual scale, there are actions that are performed by people that they do not control. There are reflexes that just occur when stimulated, there is the need to evacuate one's bowels, gas, and hunger. Even breathing is not necessarily controlled by will. From the grand-scale tsunami to the individual breath, there are a wide array of actions that are not a product of choice, which would make a case against free will. It does not follow from this that man is not responsible for his actions.
Man is responsible for his actions, because, although he might not have free will, he does have a will. And while this will is bonded with destiny, it does not exclude man from taking responsibility for his actions. Returnng to the tsunami example of the previous paragraph, once the tsunami had ravaged South East Asia, people's reactions to the tsunami were governed by their wills. Whether one chose to help reconstruct ravaged homes, donate money, or completely ignore the problem, one needed a will to react, and hence one must take responsibility for the action. Even on the individual level, while being hungry, breathing, and evacuating one's bowels are things that the individual does not necessarily control, the will can choose whether one eats, whether one continues breathing, or when one needs to relieve oneself. Hence every action, whether chosen are not, can be taken into account because man does have a will, even though it is not a free will.
The argument above makes a good point about free will--it is a fallacy. There are so many actions that we cannot control. However, the argument automatically assumes that if there is no free will, then there is no will at all, and hence, no responsibility. This is not true. Man does have a will to choose how to react to situations that are beyond his control, and hence he must be held responsible for how he reacts. While he may not have a free will, it does not mean that he has no will at all.
*****
Something tells me I'm going to do very poorly on the GRE.
The concept of free will is a fallacy. Many actions are not the product of choice and thus people should not be held responsible for them.
My response:
The above argument makes several bald assertions concerning free will and responsibility. It basically states that, since there is no free will, people cannot be held responsible for their actions (because they are merely "pawns" in a predestined world, one would guess). The statement assumes that if there is no free will, then there is no will at all, and only with will can one claim responsibility. The statement does make a good point against the argument for free will, because it states that, "[m]any actions are not the product of choice..." which is true. But to conclude from that reason that people cannot be held responsible for their actions is a fallacy in itself.
It is true that many actions are not the product of choice, and the situations we encounter are sometimes beyond our control. Take, for instance, the recent tsunami disaster in South East Asia. I doubt anyone willed such an event to occur, and the aftermath--the lives lost, the destruction, the disease, and the famine--certainly was beyond any person's control. Even on an individual scale, there are actions that are performed by people that they do not control. There are reflexes that just occur when stimulated, there is the need to evacuate one's bowels, gas, and hunger. Even breathing is not necessarily controlled by will. From the grand-scale tsunami to the individual breath, there are a wide array of actions that are not a product of choice, which would make a case against free will. It does not follow from this that man is not responsible for his actions.
Man is responsible for his actions, because, although he might not have free will, he does have a will. And while this will is bonded with destiny, it does not exclude man from taking responsibility for his actions. Returnng to the tsunami example of the previous paragraph, once the tsunami had ravaged South East Asia, people's reactions to the tsunami were governed by their wills. Whether one chose to help reconstruct ravaged homes, donate money, or completely ignore the problem, one needed a will to react, and hence one must take responsibility for the action. Even on the individual level, while being hungry, breathing, and evacuating one's bowels are things that the individual does not necessarily control, the will can choose whether one eats, whether one continues breathing, or when one needs to relieve oneself. Hence every action, whether chosen are not, can be taken into account because man does have a will, even though it is not a free will.
The argument above makes a good point about free will--it is a fallacy. There are so many actions that we cannot control. However, the argument automatically assumes that if there is no free will, then there is no will at all, and hence, no responsibility. This is not true. Man does have a will to choose how to react to situations that are beyond his control, and hence he must be held responsible for how he reacts. While he may not have a free will, it does not mean that he has no will at all.
*****
Something tells me I'm going to do very poorly on the GRE.
Friday, May 13, 2005
Failure's Art
They had Little Billy tied up in the basement when the doorbell rang.
"It’s them!"
"I can’t go South again–not again!"
"We have to do something!"
"I’m not going South, you hear me?"
At this point, Little Billy began to cry–a low moaning crescendo becoming a cacophonous howl.
"They’re going to hear him, what are we going to do?"
"I can’t go South, I can’t. I just can’t go South."
Tears began to form around the corner of Sid’s eyes; his long eyelashes seemed even longer when wet. Pacey continued to pace around the foyer, mumbling.
"I just can’t. Not again. Not ever."
"Well, we sure as hell will go South if you don’t help me think of what to do with Little Billy!" Sid was not openly weeping, but the tears were coming down now, the hint of desperation not so subtle anymore. Pacey stopped. He gave an incredulous look at Sid, as if realizing for the first time the real possibility of going South. Little Billy yowled violently. The doorbell rang again.
"Why didn’t we get a muzzle for him? We could have bought a muzzle from some pet store on the way back, I’m sure it would work. We just can’t deal with them if Little Billy is free to howl and wail as if Judgment Day has come!"
"We didn’t have time to get a muzzle! We should have gotten the muzzle before we started the operation!" Pacey said, the fear of going South bleeding through his eyes as he spoke. Sid was weeping now, his frail body rattling as he buried his face in his hands. Sid looked like some skeleton resurrecting itself.
"Sid, stop it! You’re worse than a woman!" Pacey checked himself— they might hear him if he yelled too loudly. He couldn’t go South, and now Sid was going to send both of them there. Little Billy’s moans abated. The doorbell rang, followed by knocking. A thought occurred to Pacey.
"Sid, listen to me!" It was a hushed yell. In two steps, Pacey was shaking Sid’s limp shoulders.
"I have an idea but you have to listen to me!" Sid looked up at him, tears all over his face, in a sort of grimace that only people who are crying can attain.
"This is what you’re going to do. Go down to the basement and calm Little Billy down, and I’ll handle whoever is at the door [Pacey suddenly began to deny that it was them who were at the door.]. I’ll give you a signal—it’ll be something like, well, there’s nothing down in the basement—when you hear that, hide Little Billy and yourself, and then we won’t go South!"
The thought caught Pacey by surprise, and there was a moment when he suddenly felt free. He was far away from this run-down, two-story house, from Sid, from this failed "operation," and especially from Little Billy. He was on the shores of Africa, on the pinnacles of the Alps, and in the basins of Death Valley. He was everywhere and nowhere, with no responsibility and no liability. He was absolute.
The knocks on the door now, vicious and constant, brought him back. Pacey released the nodding, contorted grimace. Despite the exigent circumstances, Sid shuffled past the stairs over to the basement door. Sid looked back at Pacey, rubbed his nose and his grimace with his entire palm, rolled his neck, and then opened the door to the basement and disappeared.
"It’s them!"
"I can’t go South again–not again!"
"We have to do something!"
"I’m not going South, you hear me?"
At this point, Little Billy began to cry–a low moaning crescendo becoming a cacophonous howl.
"They’re going to hear him, what are we going to do?"
"I can’t go South, I can’t. I just can’t go South."
Tears began to form around the corner of Sid’s eyes; his long eyelashes seemed even longer when wet. Pacey continued to pace around the foyer, mumbling.
"I just can’t. Not again. Not ever."
"Well, we sure as hell will go South if you don’t help me think of what to do with Little Billy!" Sid was not openly weeping, but the tears were coming down now, the hint of desperation not so subtle anymore. Pacey stopped. He gave an incredulous look at Sid, as if realizing for the first time the real possibility of going South. Little Billy yowled violently. The doorbell rang again.
"Why didn’t we get a muzzle for him? We could have bought a muzzle from some pet store on the way back, I’m sure it would work. We just can’t deal with them if Little Billy is free to howl and wail as if Judgment Day has come!"
"We didn’t have time to get a muzzle! We should have gotten the muzzle before we started the operation!" Pacey said, the fear of going South bleeding through his eyes as he spoke. Sid was weeping now, his frail body rattling as he buried his face in his hands. Sid looked like some skeleton resurrecting itself.
"Sid, stop it! You’re worse than a woman!" Pacey checked himself— they might hear him if he yelled too loudly. He couldn’t go South, and now Sid was going to send both of them there. Little Billy’s moans abated. The doorbell rang, followed by knocking. A thought occurred to Pacey.
"Sid, listen to me!" It was a hushed yell. In two steps, Pacey was shaking Sid’s limp shoulders.
"I have an idea but you have to listen to me!" Sid looked up at him, tears all over his face, in a sort of grimace that only people who are crying can attain.
"This is what you’re going to do. Go down to the basement and calm Little Billy down, and I’ll handle whoever is at the door [Pacey suddenly began to deny that it was them who were at the door.]. I’ll give you a signal—it’ll be something like, well, there’s nothing down in the basement—when you hear that, hide Little Billy and yourself, and then we won’t go South!"
The thought caught Pacey by surprise, and there was a moment when he suddenly felt free. He was far away from this run-down, two-story house, from Sid, from this failed "operation," and especially from Little Billy. He was on the shores of Africa, on the pinnacles of the Alps, and in the basins of Death Valley. He was everywhere and nowhere, with no responsibility and no liability. He was absolute.
The knocks on the door now, vicious and constant, brought him back. Pacey released the nodding, contorted grimace. Despite the exigent circumstances, Sid shuffled past the stairs over to the basement door. Sid looked back at Pacey, rubbed his nose and his grimace with his entire palm, rolled his neck, and then opened the door to the basement and disappeared.
Sunday, May 08, 2005
Mr. Smith on a Plane
baby britain feels the best floating over a sea of vodka
separated from the rest
fights problems with bigger problems
sees the ocean fall and rise
counts the waves that somehow didn't hit her
water pouring from her eyes
alcoholic and very bitter
for someone half as smart you'd be a work of art
you put yourself apart
and I can't help until you start
we knocked another couple back
the dead soldiers lined up on the table
still prepared for an attack
they didn't know they'd been disabled
felt a wave a rush of blood
you won't be happy 'til the bottle's broken
and you're out swimming in the flood
you kept back you kept unspoken
for someone half as smart you'd be a work of art
you put yourself apart
and I can't help you until you start
you got a look in your eye
when you're saying goodbye
like you wanna say hi
the light was on but it was dim
revolver's been turned over
and now it's ready once again
the radio was playing "crimson and clover"
london bridge is safe and sound
no matter what you keep repeating
nothing's gonna drag me down
to a death that's not worth cheating
for someone half as smart you'd be a work of art
you put yourself apart
and I can't help until you start
for someone half as smart you'd be a work of art
you put yourself apart
~ baby britain, Elliott Smith
And,
The worst paper ever written.
separated from the rest
fights problems with bigger problems
sees the ocean fall and rise
counts the waves that somehow didn't hit her
water pouring from her eyes
alcoholic and very bitter
for someone half as smart you'd be a work of art
you put yourself apart
and I can't help until you start
we knocked another couple back
the dead soldiers lined up on the table
still prepared for an attack
they didn't know they'd been disabled
felt a wave a rush of blood
you won't be happy 'til the bottle's broken
and you're out swimming in the flood
you kept back you kept unspoken
for someone half as smart you'd be a work of art
you put yourself apart
and I can't help you until you start
you got a look in your eye
when you're saying goodbye
like you wanna say hi
the light was on but it was dim
revolver's been turned over
and now it's ready once again
the radio was playing "crimson and clover"
london bridge is safe and sound
no matter what you keep repeating
nothing's gonna drag me down
to a death that's not worth cheating
for someone half as smart you'd be a work of art
you put yourself apart
and I can't help until you start
for someone half as smart you'd be a work of art
you put yourself apart
~ baby britain, Elliott Smith
And,
The worst paper ever written.
Wednesday, May 04, 2005
Friday, April 29, 2005
Let the Bad Times Roll
For all those that are getting way too fed up inside
Now's a celebration of failure and losing
Like to put a shout out to all ya'll far and wide
Sorry people but this is the way it's gotta be
I know, I know, I know, I know
We are pushing the parameters to a brand new low
The end is near, there's lots to fear
No such thing as a good day is what I'm told
Let the bad times roll
The grass is never greener on the other side
I'll stay right here and frolic in the dirt and gravel
Where's the love in this room? I feel teary eyed.
Between you and me I don't think it's ever gonna change
Descend, rear end, offend a friend
It is wise of you to run and hide from what's around the bend
The end is near, there's lots to fear
No such thing as a free lunch is what I'm told
Let the bad times roll up to me I'll embrace them happily
Let you people know, I ain't foolin'
Come and take a ride with me down to Riverside
Show you what it's like to be coolin'
Life's gotta be a little better overseas
Where everyone's drivin' a Mercedes
Unsatisfied with my mail order bride
So much for my last attempt with the ladies
Listen to nobody, this is the way I think
Tell 'em all your gonna live at least until your forty
Just be glad you're only one shade of blue in the face
Wake up smell the shit and think that everything is great
I know, I know, I know, I know
We are pushing the parameters to a brand new low
The end is near, there's lots to fear
No such thing as a good day is what I'm told
Let the bad times roll
~The Vandals
Now's a celebration of failure and losing
Like to put a shout out to all ya'll far and wide
Sorry people but this is the way it's gotta be
I know, I know, I know, I know
We are pushing the parameters to a brand new low
The end is near, there's lots to fear
No such thing as a good day is what I'm told
Let the bad times roll
The grass is never greener on the other side
I'll stay right here and frolic in the dirt and gravel
Where's the love in this room? I feel teary eyed.
Between you and me I don't think it's ever gonna change
Descend, rear end, offend a friend
It is wise of you to run and hide from what's around the bend
The end is near, there's lots to fear
No such thing as a free lunch is what I'm told
Let the bad times roll up to me I'll embrace them happily
Let you people know, I ain't foolin'
Come and take a ride with me down to Riverside
Show you what it's like to be coolin'
Life's gotta be a little better overseas
Where everyone's drivin' a Mercedes
Unsatisfied with my mail order bride
So much for my last attempt with the ladies
Listen to nobody, this is the way I think
Tell 'em all your gonna live at least until your forty
Just be glad you're only one shade of blue in the face
Wake up smell the shit and think that everything is great
I know, I know, I know, I know
We are pushing the parameters to a brand new low
The end is near, there's lots to fear
No such thing as a good day is what I'm told
Let the bad times roll
~The Vandals
Wednesday, April 27, 2005
The Dangers of Blimpie Stations and Diet Coke
This is one of those forwarded email things that I get from time to time (thanks a lot, Megan). It's flawed in many respects, but it has a pretty decent--even though it may be fictional--case against empiricism.
"Just an FYI - to be aware - not afraid.
I am not sure if this is a hoax or not. However, it does sound like it could be real so I pass it along to you. Just never know in this world. I imagine I would have been one of those folks to open the window!!
All:
people are getting more brazen every day. I do not like sending these letter things, but this is worth reading for safety purposes. This is especially important for ladies. It is good advice and something to think about...and it may save your life someday. This is a report from a woman who works with criminals on a daily basis and should be aware of things like this. Criminals are coming up with craftier, less threatening methods of attack, so we have to be extra cautious.
Here's her story:
I live in Alexandria, VA, but I often work in Lafayette, LA, staying with friends when I'm there. As you know from America's Most Wanted TV program, as well as the news media, there is a serial killer in the Lafayette area.
I just want to let you know about an 'incident' that happened to me a few weeks ago, and could have been deadly. At first I didn't go to the police or anyone with it because I didn't realize how serious this encounter was. But since I work in a jail and I told a few people about it, it wasn't long before I was paraded into Internal Affairs tell them my story.
It was approximately 5:15 A.M. in Opelousas, La. I had stayed with a friend there and was on my way to work. I stopped at the Exxon/Blimpie Pie station to get gas. I got $10 gas and a Diet Coke. I took into the store two $5 bills and one $1 bill (just enough to get my stuff).
As I pulled away from the store, a man approached my truck from the back side of the store (an unlit area). He was an 'approachable-looking' man (clean cut, clean shaven, dressed well, etc.) He walked up to my window and knocked. Since I'm very paranoid 'always looking for the rapist or killer,' I didn't open the window ... I just asked what he wanted. He raised a $5 bill to my window and said, 'You dropped this.' Since I knew I had gone into the store with a certain amount of money, I knew I didn't drop it. When I told him it wasn't mine, he began hitting the window and door, screaming at me to open my door, and insisting that I had dropped the money! At that point, I just drove away as fast as I could.
After talking to the Internal Affairs Department and describing the man I saw, and the way he escalated from calm and polite to angry and volatile....it was determined that I could have possibly encountered the serial killer myself. Up to this point, it had been unclear as to how he had gained access to his victims, since there has been no evidence of forced entry into victim's homes, cars, etc. And the fact that he has been attacking in the daytime, when women are less likely to have their guard up, means he is pretty BOLD.
So think about it...what gesture is nicer than returning money to someone who dropped it????? How many times would you have opened your window (or door) to get your money and say thank you.... because if the person is kind enough to return something to you, then he can't really be a threat....can he????
Please be cautious! This might not have been the serial killer...but anyone that gets that angry over someone not accepting money from them can't have honorable intentions. The most important thing to note is that his reaction was NOT WHAT I EXPECTED! A total surprise!
But what might have happened if I had opened my door? I shudder to think!
Forward this to everyone you know....maybe they can be as fortunate as I was!
P.S. Ladies, really DO forward this to EVERYONE you know. Even if this man wasn't a serial killer, he looked nice, he seemed polite, he was apparently doing an act of kindness, but HE WAS NOT A NICE PERSON!"
"Just an FYI - to be aware - not afraid.
I am not sure if this is a hoax or not. However, it does sound like it could be real so I pass it along to you. Just never know in this world. I imagine I would have been one of those folks to open the window!!
All:
people are getting more brazen every day. I do not like sending these letter things, but this is worth reading for safety purposes. This is especially important for ladies. It is good advice and something to think about...and it may save your life someday. This is a report from a woman who works with criminals on a daily basis and should be aware of things like this. Criminals are coming up with craftier, less threatening methods of attack, so we have to be extra cautious.
Here's her story:
I live in Alexandria, VA, but I often work in Lafayette, LA, staying with friends when I'm there. As you know from America's Most Wanted TV program, as well as the news media, there is a serial killer in the Lafayette area.
I just want to let you know about an 'incident' that happened to me a few weeks ago, and could have been deadly. At first I didn't go to the police or anyone with it because I didn't realize how serious this encounter was. But since I work in a jail and I told a few people about it, it wasn't long before I was paraded into Internal Affairs tell them my story.
It was approximately 5:15 A.M. in Opelousas, La. I had stayed with a friend there and was on my way to work. I stopped at the Exxon/Blimpie Pie station to get gas. I got $10 gas and a Diet Coke. I took into the store two $5 bills and one $1 bill (just enough to get my stuff).
As I pulled away from the store, a man approached my truck from the back side of the store (an unlit area). He was an 'approachable-looking' man (clean cut, clean shaven, dressed well, etc.) He walked up to my window and knocked. Since I'm very paranoid 'always looking for the rapist or killer,' I didn't open the window ... I just asked what he wanted. He raised a $5 bill to my window and said, 'You dropped this.' Since I knew I had gone into the store with a certain amount of money, I knew I didn't drop it. When I told him it wasn't mine, he began hitting the window and door, screaming at me to open my door, and insisting that I had dropped the money! At that point, I just drove away as fast as I could.
After talking to the Internal Affairs Department and describing the man I saw, and the way he escalated from calm and polite to angry and volatile....it was determined that I could have possibly encountered the serial killer myself. Up to this point, it had been unclear as to how he had gained access to his victims, since there has been no evidence of forced entry into victim's homes, cars, etc. And the fact that he has been attacking in the daytime, when women are less likely to have their guard up, means he is pretty BOLD.
So think about it...what gesture is nicer than returning money to someone who dropped it????? How many times would you have opened your window (or door) to get your money and say thank you.... because if the person is kind enough to return something to you, then he can't really be a threat....can he????
Please be cautious! This might not have been the serial killer...but anyone that gets that angry over someone not accepting money from them can't have honorable intentions. The most important thing to note is that his reaction was NOT WHAT I EXPECTED! A total surprise!
But what might have happened if I had opened my door? I shudder to think!
Forward this to everyone you know....maybe they can be as fortunate as I was!
P.S. Ladies, really DO forward this to EVERYONE you know. Even if this man wasn't a serial killer, he looked nice, he seemed polite, he was apparently doing an act of kindness, but HE WAS NOT A NICE PERSON!"
Tuesday, April 26, 2005
TV! Must Go!
In 1996, I was a freshman in high school. I was fourteen, I couldn't vote, and I don't think I had cable then. During 1996, the government decided to take television away.
Of course, they set the date for December 31, 2006 at midnight (isn't that January 1, 2007?), and they only set it for analog television, so those of us with High Definition Television, satellite, or cable are unaffected. Those who have rabbit ears on their sets--70 million television sets according to this article--will lose their television. One could buy a converter box so their television will not be obsolete, but those would cost about $100 next year. Unfortunately, if you do not have satellite, cable, or HDTV yet, then you probably could not afford to spend another $100 on a converter box. Don't worry, the government will take care of that for you:
"Most discussions in Washington contemplate some sort of free or subsidized converters for low-income households, paid for by the government, perhaps with the help of broadcasters or consumer electronics manufacturers. Estimates for the costs of that subsidy range from under one to several billion dollars — the cost declining as the cut-off date is moved further into the future. Proponents argue that the cost of the subsidy is small compared to the economic benefits, although last year the Bush administration indicated it was not in favor of subsidized converters."
(Note: several billion dollars is not small, and how would anyone compare several billion dollars to "economic benefits"? How would you measure the economic benefits?)
There are more problems with this "end analog campaign" than just tax dollars. The federal government is not sure if they will even enforce the cut-off date:
"Congress, however, left itself a loophole in the 1996 legislation, and could actually let the cut-off date slide by. But powerful lobbyists now are pressing legislators to set a 'date certain' for the analog lights-out. The debate over when to throw the switch is a strange brew of big money, high technology, homeland security and a single, unanswerable question: just how angry are the couch potatoes going to be? It’s also a textbook example of why the future almost never happens as fast as technologists promise."
Mr. Rogers seems to blame technologists as the reason why we will lose television so soon. But why the hell did the government decide ten years would be enough time? Why did they even propose a cut-off date for analog television? The answer is simple: so the government can aggrandize itself:
"In addition, both Silicon Valley and your local police force are lobbying for an early analog cut-off. The reason is simple: when the cut-off happens, TV channels 52 – 69 will no longer be needed, freeing up broadcasting spectrum for other purposes. Public safety workers have been promised four of these channels — a commitment even more pressing in the wake of the 9/11 Commission’s finding that the nation’s first responder communications systems need a major upgrade. And companies like Intel and Cisco want to use other parts of the newly freed spectrum for very powerful wireless broadband networks that could offer seamless high-speed Internet service virtually everywhere in the U.S. Other advanced uses will materialize. Already, cell phone pioneer Qualcomm plans to use some of the spectrum to build an advanced video network for mobile phones. And finally, there’s a bonus for the U.S. Treasury as well—much of the new spectrum will be auctioned off to the highest bidders, raising billions of dollars."
While wireless broadband and advanced video networks seem like a good idea, the fact that Qualcomm, Intel, and Cisco need to pay the government for it is terrible. It ruins enterprise and competition. It encourages monopoly. And, the government gets more money.
Of course, public safety is automatically granted four channels. Those channels will be worthless until something terrible happens.
So analog television, whether it will or will not end in December 2006, will eventually end by mandate. People that cannot afford to convert to the newer system may or may not receive aid from the federal government so they can continue to be unproductive. Of the useless channels, public service will get four, and then the rest will be bidded off to the richest companies to do whatsoever they please with them. While cable, satellite, and HDTV customers see really no change at all.
Ultimately, this problem was created by the government and posed as a solution. When the government tries to fix this problem, they will inevitably cause more problems which will need more "solutions," and the cycle never ends. Maybe congress should let go of its strangle-hold on the air-waves, and actually let technology become popular naturally, not forcing people to convert by midnight of December 31, 2006.
Of course, they set the date for December 31, 2006 at midnight (isn't that January 1, 2007?), and they only set it for analog television, so those of us with High Definition Television, satellite, or cable are unaffected. Those who have rabbit ears on their sets--70 million television sets according to this article--will lose their television. One could buy a converter box so their television will not be obsolete, but those would cost about $100 next year. Unfortunately, if you do not have satellite, cable, or HDTV yet, then you probably could not afford to spend another $100 on a converter box. Don't worry, the government will take care of that for you:
"Most discussions in Washington contemplate some sort of free or subsidized converters for low-income households, paid for by the government, perhaps with the help of broadcasters or consumer electronics manufacturers. Estimates for the costs of that subsidy range from under one to several billion dollars — the cost declining as the cut-off date is moved further into the future. Proponents argue that the cost of the subsidy is small compared to the economic benefits, although last year the Bush administration indicated it was not in favor of subsidized converters."
(Note: several billion dollars is not small, and how would anyone compare several billion dollars to "economic benefits"? How would you measure the economic benefits?)
There are more problems with this "end analog campaign" than just tax dollars. The federal government is not sure if they will even enforce the cut-off date:
"Congress, however, left itself a loophole in the 1996 legislation, and could actually let the cut-off date slide by. But powerful lobbyists now are pressing legislators to set a 'date certain' for the analog lights-out. The debate over when to throw the switch is a strange brew of big money, high technology, homeland security and a single, unanswerable question: just how angry are the couch potatoes going to be? It’s also a textbook example of why the future almost never happens as fast as technologists promise."
Mr. Rogers seems to blame technologists as the reason why we will lose television so soon. But why the hell did the government decide ten years would be enough time? Why did they even propose a cut-off date for analog television? The answer is simple: so the government can aggrandize itself:
"In addition, both Silicon Valley and your local police force are lobbying for an early analog cut-off. The reason is simple: when the cut-off happens, TV channels 52 – 69 will no longer be needed, freeing up broadcasting spectrum for other purposes. Public safety workers have been promised four of these channels — a commitment even more pressing in the wake of the 9/11 Commission’s finding that the nation’s first responder communications systems need a major upgrade. And companies like Intel and Cisco want to use other parts of the newly freed spectrum for very powerful wireless broadband networks that could offer seamless high-speed Internet service virtually everywhere in the U.S. Other advanced uses will materialize. Already, cell phone pioneer Qualcomm plans to use some of the spectrum to build an advanced video network for mobile phones. And finally, there’s a bonus for the U.S. Treasury as well—much of the new spectrum will be auctioned off to the highest bidders, raising billions of dollars."
While wireless broadband and advanced video networks seem like a good idea, the fact that Qualcomm, Intel, and Cisco need to pay the government for it is terrible. It ruins enterprise and competition. It encourages monopoly. And, the government gets more money.
Of course, public safety is automatically granted four channels. Those channels will be worthless until something terrible happens.
So analog television, whether it will or will not end in December 2006, will eventually end by mandate. People that cannot afford to convert to the newer system may or may not receive aid from the federal government so they can continue to be unproductive. Of the useless channels, public service will get four, and then the rest will be bidded off to the richest companies to do whatsoever they please with them. While cable, satellite, and HDTV customers see really no change at all.
Ultimately, this problem was created by the government and posed as a solution. When the government tries to fix this problem, they will inevitably cause more problems which will need more "solutions," and the cycle never ends. Maybe congress should let go of its strangle-hold on the air-waves, and actually let technology become popular naturally, not forcing people to convert by midnight of December 31, 2006.
Monday, April 25, 2005
Friday, April 22, 2005
An Excerpt
Since John has posted poetry (and good poetry, at that) on his blog, the vice of envy has prompted me to put up prose. 'Tis an excerpt, the best paragraph out of all that I have written so far, and I hope you enjoy it. Take this, John.
She was almost invisible next to the structure. The black dress and veil were easily indiscernible in front of the dark, clay-like stone of the cathedral. But he noticed her. Mascara was running down her cheek from behind her crepe veil. She had no handkerchief or tissue, allowing the tears to stain her face in reoccurring rivulets. He stared at her. He found it odd that she was mourning: a church this size would have had a funeral procession or church bells or some sign that one of their parish has perished. He found it odd that she was mourning silently, her frail frame not wracked with sobs—no wails common to widows. He found it odd, but there she stood, on the steps of this church he had never seen before, silent tears and no signs of death. Maybe she was there early.
The rest of what I have is crap and needs a lot of work. In fact, the paragraph above needs a bit of work, but I like it the most out of everything else. I'm hoping the other story that I have planned will turn out better. At any rate, I guess I should be happy that I have not simply abandoned this story like many of its predecessors. Maybe I'll post more, if any of you who read my blog want me to.
She was almost invisible next to the structure. The black dress and veil were easily indiscernible in front of the dark, clay-like stone of the cathedral. But he noticed her. Mascara was running down her cheek from behind her crepe veil. She had no handkerchief or tissue, allowing the tears to stain her face in reoccurring rivulets. He stared at her. He found it odd that she was mourning: a church this size would have had a funeral procession or church bells or some sign that one of their parish has perished. He found it odd that she was mourning silently, her frail frame not wracked with sobs—no wails common to widows. He found it odd, but there she stood, on the steps of this church he had never seen before, silent tears and no signs of death. Maybe she was there early.
The rest of what I have is crap and needs a lot of work. In fact, the paragraph above needs a bit of work, but I like it the most out of everything else. I'm hoping the other story that I have planned will turn out better. At any rate, I guess I should be happy that I have not simply abandoned this story like many of its predecessors. Maybe I'll post more, if any of you who read my blog want me to.
Sunday, April 17, 2005
Coming Up Roses
I have no excuse for not posting: it's not that I've been busy. I do not have to go to any more GRE classes, though I still have to finish homework and take a bunch of practice tests. I'm steadily doing worse on those practice tests. I'm deteriorating.
I finished reading Orwell, but I have not yet come up with a post encapsulating what I've learned from his essays. I have begun writing short stories again, and I am currently working on a project (it's about a page long so far) and I have an idea for another one, but it hinges on me having read Wittgenstein's Poker. I bought the book. I also bought Elliott Smith's self titled album. I have been playing a lot of Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory, and generally wasting as much time as I can.
If I can ever extricate myself from this lassitudinous web, I'll post something soon. Maybe my magnum opus on Orwell, maybe some excerpt from the short story I'm working on, or maybe more excuses. Either way, don't expect much: I'm deteriorating.
I finished reading Orwell, but I have not yet come up with a post encapsulating what I've learned from his essays. I have begun writing short stories again, and I am currently working on a project (it's about a page long so far) and I have an idea for another one, but it hinges on me having read Wittgenstein's Poker. I bought the book. I also bought Elliott Smith's self titled album. I have been playing a lot of Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory, and generally wasting as much time as I can.
If I can ever extricate myself from this lassitudinous web, I'll post something soon. Maybe my magnum opus on Orwell, maybe some excerpt from the short story I'm working on, or maybe more excuses. Either way, don't expect much: I'm deteriorating.
Saturday, April 09, 2005
Friday, April 01, 2005
It's April, Fool.
Thursday, March 31, 2005
Terri Schiavo, Requiescat In Pace
I'm not sure if Terri Schiavo was "alive" or not (Derrida never answered that question as far as I remember in that seminar I went to three years ago), and I am not even going to try to answer the moral conundrum of whether the tube ought to have been pulled or not. I don't quite understand why her case is so famous, but it was all over the news, incessantly, for a week or so now. But now that everyone agrees that she is dead, I figure a Lagwagon song will serve as a eulogy.
Can't believe Alison's disease
Flourescent, the storelights describe the end
and I can't forget it
Demons can return. He caught up with her.
Murderous hands cripple her eyes and mind
and I can't blink so
Hail defeat. It's reached everyone.
Plague generation (our last one)
The sun will rise again.
Not for Alison
That's what I see when I look in her eyes
and I can't breath so
Hail defeat. It's reached everyone.
Plague generation (plague generation)
Maybe I can piece together
five cold days in late December.
Stories of a monster swallowed
in a snow covered Lake Tahoe.
Shining in her desperate despair,
Alison was there.
A moment I can freeze but she can't
be the same person she used to be.
Alison is gone. Alison is gone. (Alison is gone)
And Alison resides, on that frozen mountain side.
Thats what I see when I look in her eyes
~Lagwagon "Alison's Disease."
Can't believe Alison's disease
Flourescent, the storelights describe the end
and I can't forget it
Demons can return. He caught up with her.
Murderous hands cripple her eyes and mind
and I can't blink so
Hail defeat. It's reached everyone.
Plague generation (our last one)
The sun will rise again.
Not for Alison
That's what I see when I look in her eyes
and I can't breath so
Hail defeat. It's reached everyone.
Plague generation (plague generation)
Maybe I can piece together
five cold days in late December.
Stories of a monster swallowed
in a snow covered Lake Tahoe.
Shining in her desperate despair,
Alison was there.
A moment I can freeze but she can't
be the same person she used to be.
Alison is gone. Alison is gone. (Alison is gone)
And Alison resides, on that frozen mountain side.
Thats what I see when I look in her eyes
~Lagwagon "Alison's Disease."
Saturday, March 26, 2005
I've Got A Question, Mark.
Do you want to help the poor? Do you want to help the poor by having the ailing pope set up a seven-point plan for an international lottery for orphans? Do you wonder how you can get the pope (who is far more important than you) to hear this message and to listen to you? Well, I have the answer: climb over the guard rail onto the dome of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, and then let world know!
Since we are on the topic of the Catholic Church, I guess it's interesting to note that the pope is still around, maybe. There was a long period of silence from March 13 until yesterday (Good Friday), when all the world got to see the pope's back on video. Why just his back? How do we even know it's the pope?
What's even more interesting to note is that, according to this article, the Universal Church might change again. There is talk of "governing by gesture and image," which, at best, is next to impossible. It seems to me--and it only seems--that the Church is hiding something.
Since we are on the topic of the Catholic Church, I guess it's interesting to note that the pope is still around, maybe. There was a long period of silence from March 13 until yesterday (Good Friday), when all the world got to see the pope's back on video. Why just his back? How do we even know it's the pope?
What's even more interesting to note is that, according to this article, the Universal Church might change again. There is talk of "governing by gesture and image," which, at best, is next to impossible. It seems to me--and it only seems--that the Church is hiding something.
Saturday, March 19, 2005
Friday, March 18, 2005
America, Your England
"In spite of the campaigns of a few thousand left-wingers, it is fairly certain that the bulk of the English people were behind Chamberlain's foreign policy. More, it is fairly certain that the same struggle was going on in Chamberlain's mind as in the mind of ordinary people. His opponents professed to see in him a dark and wily schemer, plotting to sell England to Hitler, but it is far likelier that he was merely a stupid old man doing his best according to his very dim lights. It is difficult otherwise to explain the contradictions of his policy, his failure to grasp any of the courses that were open to him. Like the mass of the people, he did not want to pay the price either of peace or of war. And public opinion was behind him all the while, in policies that were completely incompatible with one another. "
...
"England is not the jewelled isle of Shakespeare's much-quoted passage, nor is it the inferno depicted by Dr. Goebbels. More than either it resembles a family, a rather stuffy Victorian family, with not many black sheep in it but with all its cupboards bursting with skeletons.... It is a family in which the young are generally thwarted and most of the power is in the hands of irresponsible uncles and bedridden aunts. Still, it is a family. It has its private language and its common memories, and at the approach of an enemy it closes its ranks. A family with the wrong members in control-- that, perhaps, is as near as one can come to describing England in a phrase."
Eric Blair, my friend, that's pretty close to describing America in a phrase.
...
"England is not the jewelled isle of Shakespeare's much-quoted passage, nor is it the inferno depicted by Dr. Goebbels. More than either it resembles a family, a rather stuffy Victorian family, with not many black sheep in it but with all its cupboards bursting with skeletons.... It is a family in which the young are generally thwarted and most of the power is in the hands of irresponsible uncles and bedridden aunts. Still, it is a family. It has its private language and its common memories, and at the approach of an enemy it closes its ranks. A family with the wrong members in control-- that, perhaps, is as near as one can come to describing England in a phrase."
Eric Blair, my friend, that's pretty close to describing America in a phrase.
Sunday, March 13, 2005
Why are less nets working?
Too much has happened this past week, and I do not want to explain it all here. Here's the synopsis:
1) My older sister is sick (of being sick), and is going to spend a few days here,
2) My father and I installed a new kitchen faucet (which was a lot more work than it sounds),
3) I have managed (with tons of help from Tony, Allen, and the good people at Linksys) to set up a wireless network in my home, and
4) One of my co-workers has not shown up for the past two weeks, and he only called in sick once.
As one can imagine, these four things have caused an inordinate amount of stress, pressure, and anger. The wireless network also cost me quite a bit of money. Things have eased up a bit, now that the faucet is installed and the wireless network is (for the most part) working. But my co-worker is still gone, and my sister is still sick. I guess I'm batting 500. My frame arrived for my diploma as well, so now I seem more like a graduate. I'm still behind in my GRE prep course, but I should be able to catch up rather quickly, since now my brother and I can be online at the same time. So that was a week in the life of Omer. Now I must clean (and possibly rearrange) my room so that my sister can recuperate in hospital-like conditions.
1) My older sister is sick (of being sick), and is going to spend a few days here,
2) My father and I installed a new kitchen faucet (which was a lot more work than it sounds),
3) I have managed (with tons of help from Tony, Allen, and the good people at Linksys) to set up a wireless network in my home, and
4) One of my co-workers has not shown up for the past two weeks, and he only called in sick once.
As one can imagine, these four things have caused an inordinate amount of stress, pressure, and anger. The wireless network also cost me quite a bit of money. Things have eased up a bit, now that the faucet is installed and the wireless network is (for the most part) working. But my co-worker is still gone, and my sister is still sick. I guess I'm batting 500. My frame arrived for my diploma as well, so now I seem more like a graduate. I'm still behind in my GRE prep course, but I should be able to catch up rather quickly, since now my brother and I can be online at the same time. So that was a week in the life of Omer. Now I must clean (and possibly rearrange) my room so that my sister can recuperate in hospital-like conditions.
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