Investing in Failure

Very inspirational:

Monty Python Philosophy Football

“Reason and Emotion”

Wartime propaganda cartoons are an interesting thing; from an artistic perspective, there actually not all that bad (Keep in mind that many of these cartoons where showed before movies, and where intended to reach kids and adults alike.) The biggest studies that made these kind of cartoons where: Disney and Warner Brothers. Of the two, Warner Brothers attempted to be more frantic and comic, often dropping Bugs Bunny or Daffy into war zones (the shows where also incredibly racist, but that’s a different story.) Disney, on the other hand, created more quite and thought-out pieces of work. Like this one:



I suppose it’s too much to ask for a Disney cartoon from the 1940's to be philosophically perfect. Still, there is actually some good stuff there (though the film rather explicitly upholds the reason/emotion dichotomy.) It is surprising to find something so pro-reason, especially in wartime cartoons, which tended to appeal heavily to emotions. Disney was more positive then that, and made films that even today the company can be proud of (unlike Warner Brothers, which tries to hide much of their wartime propaganda.)

Though I do have one major complaint: why does ‘reason’ have to be a balding, scrawny guy in his mid-to-late forties?

One More Post on the Crisis

David, at Truth, Justice, and the American Way also has something to say about the current financial situation:

What you Need to Know about the Economic “Crisis”

"Economics is not a complicated science. This may not seem obvious to you if you’ve following the news from Washington, where a cabal of politicians, financiers and lobbyists have been spent the last several weeks desperately making a series of increasingly complicated, expensive, and ultimately unsuccessful plans to “save the economy.” As the costs of their schemes have spiraled from billions and into the trillions of dollars, it has become increasingly urgent for you, the source of Congress’ deep pockets, to examine the potential impact of their actions on your taxes, savings, and investments.

The key to understanding economic theory is to grasp that the same principles that apply to your personal finances, and perhaps to your interaction with your local grocer apply equally to the world at large, at all levels of economy activity. The key to understanding politics is to grasp that political success requires advocating policies which violate these basic
economic principles - and then evading the consequences of their own policies - with the voters’ eager participation in the delusion."

The God of the Banana

Finally! Somebody found irrefutable scientific evidence for the existence of God.

Abortion on Trial in Colorado

Colorado’s recent attacks on abortion have brought up some issues. Here is an article about why Amendment 48 (which would ban abortion completly) is a very bad Idea:

Amendment 48 Is Anti-Life: Why It Matters That a Fertilized Egg Is Not a Person

Even if the Amendment passes, it will have to make it through the federal Supreme Court; in which case I think Roe v. Wade will be upheld. Though I don’t know what Bush’s appointees will do (and it's clear that the whole purpose of this Amendment is to challenge Roe v. Wade.)

Good Writing and Health Care

Being concise is hard; saying what you want to say in the most compact form possible is what distinguishes great non-fiction writers from the rest (unfortunately, I currently land well with in the ‘rest’ zone.)

Take this article, about healthcare, for example:

Government Medical Care Always Becomes Political Medical Care

There is an incredible amount of argumentation and facts within this article; and it is less then 700 words long. In a short time the author: lists the various controls in the health care industry; explains why it doesn’t work; talks about the proper form of government; creates a parallel with the education system; and talks about the wider issue involved (with a few Thomas Jefferson quotes thrown in for good measure.)

What is incredible is that the article doesn’t suffer from all this information; it comes of as a completed and balanced piece of work. The clarity he achieves is fantastic. Just read this:

Only the government can maintain armed forces to protect us from the threat of foreign force, and only the government can maintain the police and the courts to protect individuals from the use of force by criminals. But it does not follow that government should use force to rule every aspect of our lives. Those who say that government should seize control of all of our medical care are ultimately advocating the elimination of all restraint on government.

I hope some day; I am able to achieve the same clarity and conciseness in my own writing. Unfortunately, with a blog name like “Ryan’s Rantings”, I might have doomed myself to failure.

Goodbye, Inspiring Guy: Randy Pausch, 1961-2008

Awhile ago I posted about a man dieing of cancer, who was going around the country with his “last lecture”, a speech he gave that was both sad and inspiring.

I’m sad to say that Randy Pausch succumb to Pancreatic Cancer. As this article on Yahoo mentions, Randy became an internet sensation; for good reason, he even appeared on an episode of Opera.

He got so much attention because most of what he said was genuinely uplifting; from a man that had less to be uplifting about then most of us.

He will be missed, not only by his friends and family, but by the millions who heard him talk.

How to Disagree

Here is a graph called the Pyramid of Disagrement:

A more in-depth analysis can be found here.

I found this at Accelerating Future.

Some Random Good News Snippets

Study says global warming not worsening hurricanes

Russian supply ship docks to space station

Da Vinci to be honored by small helicopter flight

China allows bloggers, others to spread quake news

Researchers teach 'Second Life' avatar to think

Cable companies to ramp up Web, HD, mobile service

Speculations on Identity (Which are More Likely to Confuse Then Inform)

What constitutes Identity?

Science has yet to come up with an answer; but philosophy (and practicality) can’t wait for it to find one. We usually define “identity” as a collection of things: A person’s actions, private thoughts, physical appearance, sense of life, genetics, philosophy, emotions and attitudes, tastes, and a million other things.

But all these are open to change; If I am horribly burned in an car accident (changing my appearance) I don’t cease to become me; in the same sense, if I think the ideas of the Communist partly are persuasive, and radically change my views, I am still me. Our concept of Identity also constitutes change; each element of identity is interchangeable with a different element. I have radically changed from my five-year-old self in nearly every category; but we don’t consider five-year-old Ryan and modern Ryan as different people (though we would if they existed in the same time and space.)

Identity doesn’t even have to be unique; if I was cloned in such a way that the new me was an exact replica of me in every way that I exist right now, it wouldn’t be long before we grant Ryan number two an individual identity.

Perhaps it’s simpler to think of identity as a center of focus. I am me because nobody but me can be experiencing this body, through these eyes, with this mind in the same way at the same time. In this-almost Buddhist- sense; “Identity” and even “Consciousness” are merely the center in which events, sensations, ‘elements’ of identity, and perception swirl. This too has its pitfalls; as it treats something we all experience, the current concept of an ego, as something non-existent, an illusion created by complex interactions of matter and energy.

This raises more questions; most notably: does 'consciousness' require 'identity' (or self-awareness.) The obvious answer is “yes”; a thought requires a thinker; though Buddhist and Materialists say “no.” Of course, if they where right, why would nature create the ‘illusion’ of identity (which, in some part, can be observed even in animals.) Is it some kind of byproduct, or does it serve a purpose? And if it is an illusion, and not needed, why haven’t we encountered and identity-less consciousness (or would we be able to tell if somebody lacked an ego?)

I think, one of the reasons people find the concept of the soul so comforting, is it gives an easy answer to the idea of identity; we are our souls, everything else is window-dressing.

I know I would find somewhat comforting. This question is more personal then most mysteries; we experience ourselves everyday, without knowing what those ‘self’s’ really are; we think, without quite knowing what thought or ‘intelligence’ or ‘consciences’ is; we are using our minds to discover just what the mind is (a tool trying to figure out how it works and what it is.)

These are wonderfully bizarre and brain-twisting questions and conundrums; and, rather then representing a lack of knowledge, are actually a testament to just how much we’ve evolved.

‘Ghost in the Shell’ to be made into movie

I love these stories; both the comic and the anime series are incredible (though I wasn’t a huge fan of the movies, didn’t like the “mood.”)

It’s a fair bet that Spielberg and DreamWorks (who are producing the film) will bring in the great action and style, and maybe even the political and social intrigue; but I don’t know if DreamWorks will do justice to the philosophical underpinnings, which is an important part of the stories.

After all, the very title “Ghost in the Shell” is riddled with though-provoking goodness.

A World in Darkness

I do thank the greens for one thing, for so perfectly displaying what they are fighting for; they literally want to ‘turn of the lights of the world.’

Just watch this clip from Northern Exposure whenever somebody arrogantly proclaims the moral need to darkness:

Couple Wants Deaf Child

A deaf couple in the UK have a deaf child that was naturally conceived; right now they want another child, but because of the mother’s age, the might have to resort to IVF. The couple wants their second child to be deaf as well (Which is now somewhat possible with new technologies.) Under UK law; a disabled or abnormal child can not willfully be conceived through IVF.

Check out the article here.

I was going to write a big long post about this, because it touches on so many issues (rights, abortion, abuse, morality, conception rights, law, ect.) but alas, I found myself lazy (though I plan to write it soon.) Plus, I need to clear my thinking about a few things first.

While it is clear this couple is morally wrong (willfully choosing a crippled life for their potential child) the real issues are about rights and the law.

A Little Heinlein

“[a] human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.”

Sins Reloaded

The Catholic Church has just released a list of brand spanking new worldly sins to avoid, can you guess what made the list?

Vatican Lists “New Sins”

Return of Inspiring Guy

Here is a video from the same man I posted before, He talks about time management, and how to make the most of the time we have:

PRODOS

It seems my eyes are being opened to the wider world of my Libertarian-esc ideals; I just found out about an Australian talk-show host who I mostly agree with.

He’s called Prodos, check him out Here. He also founded The Prodos Institute; which stated purpose is,” the advancement of global freedom, invention & prosperity”; now that’s a slogan I can get behind.

An Inspiring Guy

I usually not one to enjoy Oprah, but this one struck a cord with me:

Westboro Church

I fully support freedom of speech and association, but that doesn’t mean I support anybody’s right to say and do anything anywhere.

Perfect example: The Westboro Church.

It’s like every irrational and contemptible idea on the planet was squashed together into one. They are anti-American, anti-capitalist, anti-freedom, pro-blind faith; the list goes on. But it is not just their ideas that make them evil, it’s how they go about spreading them.

For those who don’t know, it is Westboro church that protested at soldier’s funerals, proudly holding up signs, “Thank God for Dead Solders”, and clapping when they where lowered in the ground (a women reported that she couldn’t even hear the eulogy because of these people.)

They are also “anti-gay”, often finding where gay couples or families live and harassing them.

In fact, there latest act in a long list of sins, they plan to go to Heath Ledgers’ funeral and protest because of his role in “Brokeback Mountain.”

They are so absurd, I almost have to believe they are a joke, to make other Christians look bad.

I will say, there are those who posses the same ideas of these people, and behave maturely, and even respect other people. Westboro church respects nothing. If it’s even possible; they seem to lack any redeeming qualities.

And I don’t even need to say, if you spend a significant portion of your life devoted to what you hate (which these people do), you’re missing out on life. Hate is all these people seem to have.

Yes, I support freedom of speech and association; but I don’t support assault, slander, or the violation of property rights. Let these people speak on there own land, or where they are invited; but when they force themselfs onto others land, point a microphone directly into somebody’s ear, or harass a person; they have stepped out of the realm of the First Amendment, and into the realm of assault.

The Westboro Churches’ right to speech doesn’t give it the right to violate another’s property and persons.

But there are cases where this group did peaceably assemble, and even though I support there right to speak in these instances, for the sake of class, and dignity, I wish they would shut-up. Supporting freedom doesn’t make the rants of the Ku Klux Klan or Westboro church any less contemptible.

Nothing I could say would be as damming as their own words. Here is a reporter from the BBC that interviews several of its members.