Amen.

Kat

http://epw.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Minority.SenateReport

It’s also a form of time-management — akin to sorting through the mail. That’s junk. This is important. That’s valuable but I can deal with it later.

Over all, I agree with you. But I also understand why people like labels (I don’t). They do simplify life, allow you to feel “safe” and allow you to avoid introspection (which really does require time and takes a lot of effort).

The reason we get along, you and I, is because we enjoy the challenge of actually facing life, and because we accept that not all of it will be easy or even enjoyable. My two favorite quotes from M. Scott Peck are:

“Life is hard. Once you accept that, it gets easier.”
“Everything that happens in life is there to aid our spiritual growth.”

The other reason we get along is that we are both enigmas. People may label us, but somewhere in the back of their minds they are pretty sure they don’t have us all the way in the box and it bothers them. I believe enigma-people challenge those who are lazy about life and it’s lessons. So I’m not bothered by the occasional hostility that comes from people who want me to get in the freaking box and stay there, so they can sleep in peace. You’re the same way. It’s not that either of us want to upset people, but it is good to challenge once in a while.

I liked the “God in a Box” site. I intend to forward the link to several friends. Some will think they get it and I accept that they will miss the point — at least at this point in their lives. But several of them really will get it and those connections are wonderful.

Thanks for this — I learned a lot today.

But you know, I’m kinda thinking that your timing was off a little on this incident. Those holes in the yard might have been sort of handy right now.

I’ve heard you describe yourself as a husband; a father; a film maker; a man with aspirations, hopes and dreams; as someone who values introspection and critical thinking … I think that last bit is the reason you occasionally blog, and why conversations with you are so interesting.

Anyway, your “random aperiodic dumps” are fun because you cram so much information into them. It often takes me days to fully digest the offering. Blogging is a good way to explore those profound topics we’d like to discuss, but which usually don’t find their way into the typical dinner conversation. And the nicest thing about posting thoughts in a blog is that they are waiting there for your extended network – for whenever each of us finds the time to read and ponder and maybe eventually comment.

But it’s not an assignment, it’s a venue. And there are no deadlines. And, yes, email and phone and other types of conversations do count.

I should have talked to you about this IPTV thing before our French student arrived. Blockbuster really loves me right now. I’ve rented so many movies, in an attempt to keep him entertained when we’re not on some excursion, that I actually considered having Time Warner turn on the mega-big-expensive-all-inclusive-package for a month. It was more expensive to be sure, but then I wouldn’t have had to get in my car and drive down to Blockbuster. And I wouldn’t have had to program those little “return the movie” reminders on my phone. (Yes, I am technologically challenged, but necessity is the mother of invention.) Who knew I could plug him in to a computer and let him watch TV for free?!?! You’ll have to educate me about this venue. Maybe I DO like watching TV if it’s free (or at least cheap) and on demand.

I loved Charlie Stross’ essay. Lots of good stuff there … I book-marked a bunch of links … which is the real beauty of blogging (especially the way you and a lot of your blogging network do). I keep accumulating interesting reading material for “some day when I have time to read this.” The book-marked material is accumulating faster than I have time to explore, but I figure this is a hedge against boredom when I’m too old to hike, bike, and travel.

But back to the idea of colonizing other planets: the Ender series leaps to mind. (I’m not the only one who thinks hive species are especially good candidates for interstellar travel. And by the way, Orson Scott Card also provides endless fodder for philosophical and religious debates – in case someone just doesn’t blog for lack of ideas, which would be my excuse.)

Although I really want Gene Roddenberry’s ideal to become a reality, one does have to consider the likelihood that Card has it right regarding the future characteristics of humans who did actually colonize other planets: the hierarchy of alienness – Utlannings, Framlings, Ramen, Varelse – does that suggest that Roddenberry’s bipedal aliens are likely? Obviously not, because over time each unique planetary environment would morph the characteristics of its colonists. But it’s a nice little explanation that I keep in my back pocket for use against those who pick on my Trekkie side. LOL! If one wants to tease, one should also be willing to debate.

I, too, am accursed. We all are. And the concept explored in “Made to Stick” would seem to explain not only email, but all forms of interpersonal communication. I am ever amazed at what people “get” from what I write or say. Someone once explained to me that no one ever actually responds to what you say. They respond to your words, but they bring to that some event that happened to them when they were 8 years old, and what sort of relationship they had with their moms, and whether or not they became socially adept, and what sort of drive-to-work they had this morning, and the tone their spouse took when discussing the toothpaste in the sink yesterday … that idea keeps me from taking a vow of silence. Instead, when I get weird reactions to my communications, I just shrug and figure there is always next time … except that I am aware that THIS time just factored into next time. It joined all those other events that colored the listener’s perception of what I actually said.

Well, I’m off to share “last.fm” with at least three people. Thanks for that. I hesitate to share it with my husband, lest I spend the next several weeks looking at the back of his head while he looks at the computer screen. LOL! But I know he will sincerely enjoy that site. He got his Zen player at Christmas, and he is just now able to talk to me without thinking “Wait, did I up-load the White Album yet or not?”. ;-P

Isn’t it funny, the way things arrive . . . This from reading Scott Adams’ blog . . . Hmmmm.

On to Alanis. Rumor has it this was an April Fools joke. Certainly looks like a joke of some sort. At least the Black-Eyed Peas version was a good work-out song.

Have you ever looked at your entries? They kinda look like a page out of the O.T. sometimes. All that red ink . . .

Don’t pout. Someone has to tease you and it is my calling.

Ok let me get serious now. Utopia eh? I don’t think that’s all that difficult to define. In a Utopian society, art would be labeled as such so there would be no guessing. And also alarm clocks would be outlawed. Instead there would be coffee-bots. They would bring your coffee to your bedside in the morning and softly talk to you, maybe pat you on the back, until you were able to sit up to ingest it. ;-P