Perspective

I think I've talked about perspective before, but I want to discuss another angle now (hehe). While reading an article today it mentioned something that was not thoroughly studied by western scientists which made me think about that statement for a bit. From where my mind stands western science influences most of my thoughts. What is and isn't possible comes from the science I know, and it seems that I trust science more when it comes from our system, but I'm not sure I should do that. One of the things I try to acknowledge is that the current scientific process is flawed. Seriously flawed in some areas in fact, so why do I trust this system more? I suppose it is the system I know so that's what I look to. I've kind of lost my train of thought because I started playing with some things on my desk, but I think I've said what I wanted to... not really but I'll come back to this idea, that I need to expand how I look at things because otherwise I'll just be shackling my brain with preconceived notions that really may have no basis at all.

Paradox

I've been thinking about time travel. I've been watching a show called Primeval, which has "rifts" in time in which creatures (dinosaurs mainly) are able to travel into our time. It is an interesting idea but would never work because time travel has a fatal flaw (or at least how I understand it). Before I go into this I want to discuss the Fermi Paradox which kind of goes hand in hand with this one. The Fermi paradox is about aliens, and basically states that if there were aliens there would have been alien contact by now, but since there has been no contact there are no aliens. It isn't exactly a paradox in that wording but it basically explains that it is an either or situation. Time travel is much the same way. Our past so effects the future that if there was time travel we would have seen it by now (maybe). So lets say we can effect the past with time travel. You travel back in time and change whatever it was you went back time to fix. When you come back, you no longer need to change the thing you went back in time for, so you would never have left in the first place to change the past, but if you never left to change the past, it wouldn't get changed. That's fucked up. Well lets say that isn't a problem (I don't know how, but we'll go hypothetical). How can we say we are living in the present then, if in the future we build a time travel device, and we travel back in time, then you have an issue that if we could travel back in time we would have all ready seen time travelers, but since we haven't seen time travelers there is no way to time travel. That theory of course depends on how you look at time, because if we truly are the present then that doesn't work, but this is all very confusing and hypothetical. The other issue is Hitler. I only bring this up because of a comic I read recently, in which a guy is guarding Hitler's room, in the first panel he shoots a guy, and then in the next panel he explains he doesn't mind guarding Hitler, but now he is questioning the guy because of the time travelers that are coming to kill him. Okay well I am rambling. I just wanted to put this idea out there because it was in my head. Perhaps I'll post something a little more thought out in the future, or in the past maybe?

The Jackass

Our culture allows for people to be jerks. They can get away with it and so they go ahead and take advantage. Imagine if we didn't (as a culture), put up with people being jackasses. Sure there would still people out there that were, but it would be a far lower number. The most amazing thing about this is that jackasses actually seem to thrive in our culture. I'm not exactly sure why but people like them, for some reason we seek their approval in hopes that they might not be jackasses to us. It is all quiet weird if you ask me, but I don't think their is much we can do about it. I think there is a natural psychological reason for our attraction and need for acceptance, but I imagine it is also trained into us as well.

Jerk

I'm not talking about Steve Martin,
I actually think he is nice,
does magic and stuff.

I'm talking about jerks.
The guys that do as they please,
especially if it hurt someone else.
We let them do it,
sure we may call them a jerk,
or an asshole,
but they know they still have the power,
that they are the ones wearing the proverbial pants.

So I say we rise up,
do as we please,
and make them feel bad about the insecurities they overcome by making fun of other.

In other words,
be jerks.



Copyright 2010 William Curb

Nothing Substantial

I watched some creepy videos with my brother tonight and I must say it has kind of inspired me to do some of my own videography (and creeped me the hell out). I think it would be fun to do some video stuff I could post on here, I have a camera already, I'd just have to figure out how to use it well and do a little video editing (which is surprisingly easier than I thought it would be). We'll see if I ever get around to that.

Creep

I'm not used to this house,
it is dark in all the wrong places
and I wish someone else was here.

The noise could be nothing,
but it really isn't.
Something made that noise and I need to know what,
it could just be the house,
but why is the house making noises.

I can hear it moving outside me door,
softly now
but definitely there.
If I just take a peek maybe,
or only just from underneath the covers.
They need to go away.

all i hear is
tap scratch tap
maybe a board creak
too far away
something moving just
out of sight

I'm all alone in here
and I can't turn off the lights.
I don't know how they are going to help me,
but I just can't turn off the lights.


Copyright 2010 William Curb

Oh Those Amazing Animals

Recently I have been fascinated by some of the quirkier attributes of animals. I wrote about dolphin intelligence not so long ago, but today I was reading about zoopharmacognosy and despite what spell-check tells you it is actually a word (try it in scrabble). Zoopharmacognosy is the way animals use natural medicines to heal themselves. Most of it is innate knowledge that was not passed down to them in anyway we can detect (so perhaps there is an animal conspiracy keeping us from know the truly life saving stuff). Some of the examples that I read about were birds that could pick out antibiotics and chimpanzees who ate certain plants that would make them sick for a time but ultimately heal them. I also recently read about a type of monkey that would search ant hives for a certain type of caterpillar and rub the insect all over their body, and then pass it onto the next monkey, until one of the monkeys would put the caterpillar in its mouth swish it about and then start the rubbing process again. Apparently the bug put off a powerful insect repellent that the monkeys then used, and putting the caterpillar in the mouth was simply to get it to start producing the chemicals again. What really interested one of the researchers is that the caterpillars chemicals produced a truly awful taste, the researcher discovered this firsthand by sticking of the bugs in his own mouth (fun stuff). Anyways, I just have been finding it interesting to learn that a lot of the things that we think are unique to humans really aren't. It will be interesting to see what we know in the future, because I'm sure we'll find out that even though we thought we had a good grasp on things that really we were pretty clueless.

Office

Not an Island

I am not alone here,
and I cannot get away.
For now that is all right for now.
Virginia Woolf would not approve of this space,
it is not adequate for writing (or at least what a woman would need).
For now though it is cluttered
and it is distracting.
This place is not an island,
and I am going to need to change that.


Copyright 2010 William Curb

Non-human Persons

I was recently reading about scientists that want to reclassify dolphins as non-human persons. The reason for this is because recent intelligence tests on dolphins have shown that they are more intelligent than previously thought. This is an interesting idea, not the dolphin's intelligence (although that is also very cool and I want to talk about that later), but that we have non-human persons on this planet. We have always considered ourselves the premier beings on the planet, and although this isn't really going to change that thought it is cool to see that we might have a somewhat equal. If we could have an actual conversation with another being on this planet it would be amazing. I can't imagine what another species would think about the world. Science fiction writers have lots of stories about aliens, but we don't have a lot of stories about life along side our own. I don't think a lot of people can imagine what sharing the planet would be like. Right now we have enough trouble sharing the planet with other humans, so it would be very difficult for us to get along with something that would truly different from us. Perhaps with another species running the planet with us we wouldn't have some of the same problems that we have. I can imagine that if were competing with another species that we wouldn't have so much trouble with how our skin looks or where we were born. I think we would be able to see each other as a single species, which would be a really cool. I also would love to see what other religions come out of another sentient species would come up with. I can imagine how "created in gods image" would become a much more difficult idea to accept.

I can imagine if we could communicate dolphins right now they would probably be pretty upset about how we are treating the environment. But I don't think that is what people would be asking about, well some people would be. A number of writers have suggested the intelligence of dolphins before, such as Douglas Adams, and of course in the Simpsons. One of the calls to actions with naming dolphins non-human persons, would also be to release them from captivity. The idea being that we don't have the right to own them, in the same way we don't have the right to own people. So who knows, perhaps in the future we will have the non-human persons civil rights movement.

An Atheist Perspective

What causes someone to not believe in god. Briefly looking at a history of atheism I found that it was it was "founded" in the 16th century in France. I put founded in quotes because I'm sure the idea was around before then, but I imagine that is when it really became a movement. It is interesting to realize that while it isn't a particularly new idea, it also isn't very old. So for most of recorded human history their has been a unified idea that there is a god. Yet in recent history there is a strong current towards atheism. Some attribute this to ungodliness, and some to science, but really it is hard to say. But really an interesting point that I've been thinking about is that while atheism says there is no god, it does not have a say about an afterlife. As far as that belief goes anything could happen once you die. Just interesting to think about.

Draft

While watching an interview recently I saw the suggestion of reinstating the draft. While I personally don't want to be in the military I'm not so sure this is a bad idea. Right now America really prides itself on having a volunteer army, and quote statistics that volunteer armies are more effective than conscripted armies. I don't really have a problem with that, people that really don't want to be in the army aren't going to be effective army personnel. It is the same with any job. But the draft isn't exactly what I was thinking about. What I was thinking is that a mandatory government service would be a good idea. Many countries have mandatory military service at age 18 and while I'm not a big fan of the military, it isn't a bad idea, but I think perhaps just having a mandatory service job of some kind would be very beneficial to the country in general. Having a government workforce that is always being renewed would allow for plenty of improvements to the country to be done as well as provide jobs and training to everyone in the country. While this wouldn't solve all of the countries problems it would certainly help many of the problems the country is going through now. Of course this isn't really a realistic solution for our country. We aren't big on major changes to the status quo, so it would be more than hard to implement, and with how our country makes decisions it would be impossible for everyone to come even close to agreeing on what was the best approach. My two cents.

Invictus

I saw the movie Invictus last night. If you don't know, the movie is about South Africa's bid for the Rugby World Cup after then end apartheid when Nelson Mandela became President. I have to say that this is a great movie. It is increadibly inspiring. I was thinking about why I found this movie so inspiring and what I came up with is that this movie focuses on two stories that on their own are very inspiring, but are so intertwined that they need to be told together. Nelson Mandela's outlook on life is truly amazing. It is rare that you find someone who was so greatly wrong not to seek revenge and instead look at the bigger picture. For most when they get on top, they feel that it is their turn to do the oppressing, to set only their agenda. It is like high school with the upperclass men picking on the freshmen and sophomores. The underclass men say that they aren't going to be the same, and yet the cycle never seems to end. Of course this example doesn't show the same level of cruelty and hate that was present in South Africa, but I think that emphasises the point even more. There was so much disparity that when the change of power took place it is amazing that a leader who could see through everything was elected. So I find that story itself to be inspiring.

As for the sports story, it is also quiet inspiring. While Springboks, the South African rugby club, don't have the same problems to overcome, their path is not easy. Their story starts as a team with also most no chance of even getting into the finals of the World Cup. And with the inspiration of their country and their president they overcome they overcome their difficulties to face one of the most fearsome teams in rugby, the All Blacks. So it is definitely an underdog story that inspired their nation and in doing so brought people together that never thought that they could be united.

Definitely worth seeing, and I plan to go again.

Robot Snowglobe

Lonely

The air is still around him for only a minute
before it swirls again sending snow and ash into his
cold mechanical eyes.
He does not need to blink,
he does not need to breathe,
he only needs to live.

Walking through the swirling gray white,
all he sees is static
as television set would view us if it were set
one channel too high.

There is no purpose in his direction,
simply forward and never ending.
This robot does not know what it looks for,
or perhaps it simply looking for what everyone looks for,
perhaps a friend.

Copyright 2010 William Curb

Sports

One of the interesting things I've found as I've gotten older is that I really enjoy sports. From ultimate Frisbee (my main sport) to racquetball and everything else I try and play (and I do mean, try I'm not a terribly skilled athlete). It is funny cause when I was a kid I never really enjoyed sports. I didn't like the rules and structure to most games and so when I played with my friends we always did something different. Perhaps if my parents had made me do sports I would have a different view now. I probably would have played football since I look like I could be built for that kind of sport (my great grandfather was a professional player). It is also interesting to think about since someone I knew in high school is now a player for the Seattle Seahawks - it is interesting to watch a game and go, "hey, I took Latin with that guy".

Sport

If I was a good sport would you pick me for the team?
Would I have a spot with everyone else?
Does it matter if I get picked last?
It probably does,
it probably says something about my character,
on how well people like,
and that is too bad,
cause I think you'd like me.
and even if I can't hit a ball,
or run more then 20 feet-
It wouldn't be too bad to have me
as your sport.

Copyright 2010 William Curb

Robot Overlords

I was just reading about the eventual demise of the human race to robot overlords. It is a popular idea in modern science fiction with things like the Matrix and the Terminator. The article also pointed out creations for earlier fiction with our creations turning on us, such as Mary Shelly's Frankenstein monster. Of course this assumes that a highly intelligent robot would want to take over. Really for the life of me I can't see why that would be the case. There would need to be an incentive to rule and there just doesn't seem to be. If they decided to take over to remove competition for resources it seems that they would end all life on the planet, and I can't see why or how that would help them. Although that would be an interesting senario. A dead planet except for the intelligent robots that roamed it. Do you think that the robots would question their existence, or would they too turn to a religion to explain their existence. It seems hard to believe a being of logic could simply decide to be for all eternity with no purpose. Yet being a being of logic, trusting on faith in existence that is more than what it seems would be difficult too.

I think an interesting look into this came from the movie, Millennium Man. It stars Robin Williams which makes it quite comical at times, but it is a very heart felt movie. The robot in the movie finds purpose by trying to become human, to have humans accept him as one of their own. He finds that the only way to be accepted as a human is to obtain a similar mortality. And he does so by removing all of his robot parts.

So it would be interesting if robot overlords took over only to try and become the ones that they had either enslaved or eliminated. I don't know if humans are really the final step, science tells us that we are likely an evolutionary mistake. I don't like to think of it that way, but if we are is there any thing we can really do about it, except welcome our new robot overlords with open arms?


To the Robot Overlords it may concern:

You haven't been invented yet,
but I'm pretty sure you'll come out of Japan.
When the singularity comes,
I hope you take pity on race that is so dedicated to its demise,
we did build you after all.
We are killing our environment and kill each other,
your rule will be kinder than anything we can do.
What I question is your philosophy.
Where did it come from? Is it a fragment of code,
or are you something more?
Perhaps evolutionarily you are the next step,
and while you won't have any genetic connection
to the life you are replacing,
you will inherit our souls.
All I ask is that you treat them gently,
we have been misusing ours,
and they will need a kinder master.

Copyright 2010 William Curb

Night Bloggering

For Christmas I received "Party Rats" from Amanda. They are little rat shaped lights that go over your fingers and are "ideal for night blogging". Well I am here to put an end to that nonsense. I am wearing these things right now and I think they are less than ideal for night blogging. In fact they are cutting off circulation to my fingers slightly and making them quite cold.
So I have to say I am not terribly fond of the things. They make my hands cold and I can't really see their real use. They are just silly. Also right now I can't tell how much circulation they are really cutting off since my fingers are kind of dirty from working with old electrical tape and so their is the possibility that they are turning blue. Perhaps I should just take them off, or perhaps I should go all the way through with my night blogging experiment to truly test these things out.

So one of the goals I have for this blog this year is to post some more short fiction. I haven't written much short fiction since taking my creative writing classes. I have tried working on longer novel length stuff but that hasn't panned out so well yet though. I have some ideas for some shorter pieces that should be interesting and I try writing out one of those before I start school in a few weeks.

Resolute

I am not big on New Year's resolutions. It seems kind of silly to base your goals on a fairy arbitrary date. I mean the only reason that yesterday was 2009 and today is 2010 is how our calendar got put together centuries ago (and they got it wrong, leap-year, come on). So while I feel that it is silly that we got worked up over something that outside our culture isn't very meaning full, I still think that resolutions are generally a good thing. Most people try and come up with resolutions that will better themselves, although I'm sure their are people who go the other way too. I think the hardest thing about resolutions it that they are supposed to last at least a year (or forever I guess) and that is a really long time to hold yourself accountable, and in general people are too hard on themselves if they mess up once they decide to go ahead and give up entirely. And that is really a shame. So to spite my entire conversation, I am going to set up some year goals for myself (yeah, they are goals, not resolutions - if I don't make it, it's okay).

Goals for 2010

365 posts on this blog (not necessarily one every day, just that many)
Write more
Work on my drawing (and post it too)
Work on learning the guitar and set up my drums
Get a dog
Keep at least 3.5 average in school (this one will be hard)
Beat Nathan at Racquetball