Saturday, March 1st
Well, I survived February. 2 down, 10 more to go. And it's the 1st, which means I'm supposed to be filing tax stuff right now... as we speak... but no. I would rather type things into here.
I find myself missing time more and more. I blame it on sleepies. According to my memory, I woke up at 3 today, took a shower, and then it was 4:30. What actually happened (or so I'm guessing -- assuming no aliens or time-warps involved) is that I slept until 4, which is normally when I'm busy drinking coffee before work. I did still make it to work on time, if you're wondering. But it's unnerving. I should be able to trust my brain more than that.
And I'm pretty sure I need new glasses. I keep seeing things out of the corners of my eyes (in my imagination, they're ghosts). And yes, that does translate into needing new glasses. But I can still drive without them, so it may be delayed while I save money.
So yeah. I'm falling apart - brain doesn't work, eyes not working, what will it be next? Who Knows...
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Tuesday, March 4th Well, it snowed again here in Green Country - but not everywhere. But it did here. I didn't get pictures this time though, because it snowed at night, and I was asleep, and then this morning I had to go to work. But it looked like snow. You can refer to my other snow pictures if you're curious.
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Wednesday, March 5th It is my mom's birthday today. Happy birthday!
I got her a new dictionary for her birthday, as sort-of an in-joke, and because she really does like dictionaries. The old dictionary had been around since I can remember, and so I make a joke about it being from like the 30's or something. She corrects me, it was from '68. So yeah. Time to update. She's happy, so I'm happy. Yey!
Funny thing about birthdays. I know that people keep getting older year after year, and they do visibly age, if I wait long enough, but I can never seem to really wrap my head around it. People's ages just freeze at some point, and they're always that age to me, even if it's quite obvious they aren't. For instance, my younger sister is always 17 going on 18, even though she's not anymore. My parents are trapped somewhere in their 40s, and they'll never really be older than that to me. Weird, huh?
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Wednesday, March 12th GRR! Where did my week go? I thought it had been merely 2 days since I posted. I don't have anything exciting. But for the sake of having something, I will post a recipe.
Need:1 bag of instant mashed potatoes
1 can of chili (I like Hormel - no beans)
Some sprinkle cheese
Make the mashed potatoes per directions, heat up chili, put chili on top of mashed taters, add cheese. Serves 2.
Apparently I keep losing track of time, so I plan to update again tomorrow to get back into the swing of things. There may be pictures.
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Thursday, March 13th And thus ends February. Today is pics (You can click to see larger):
Because flowers are pretty. Another post tomorrow?
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Friday, March 14th It occurred to me yesterday that I'm a happy person. It's not that I've sought happiness & found it, or that I'm always in a good mood (I'm not always), it's really that when there's nothing for me to be miserable about, and there are still wonderful things & people about, I'm ... well, happy. So, in a general sort of way, happiness isn't achieved, it's something to be maintained.
And that's all my deep thoughts for today.
I tend to have somewhat mixed feelings when someone moves on. It's sad that I won't get to see them every day or week, but then, they're going on to better things for them, and it opens opportunities for those of us still here. So, I don't think I'm sad, but I hope we keep in touch. It's like a storm moving in. Not bad, just different. Change.
And, I went to see 'The Bank Job', or whatever it's called, today. It's alright. I'm not an enormous fan of the 'Let's Rob Something & Add a Clever Twist' genre. Some are hilarious. Some are amusing. Some are beautiful. But... like any genre, there are the middling-quality ones. And I think this falls into that category. The plot itself was fantastic, the twists not really twists but well-done. It was also somewhat graphic, which I can't really handle these days, and the pacing seemed ... off. But the pacing issue might be because I went after work, and I can't focus immediately after work. Or maybe the pacing is off, I just don't know.
So, if you're into robbery movies, or you have some time & money, it's not half-bad. But if you're picky and poor, wait until the dollar theater gets it.
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Tuesday, March 18th So I was asked today about what I think about time, in an abstract theory sort of sense. And basically, I don't believe it exists.
Disclaimer: I have no math or physics degrees, the highest math I took was Calculus, so take my thoughts for what they're worth & no more. But hey, what could it hurt, to have my thoughts? Also, no degree in biology or any science whatsoever. I just find humans & the universe fascinating & worth thinking about.
First, some background. I'm basically a determinist. Ok, not basically. Everything around us (& in us) is the effect of a cause somewhere. From the sun burning, to the sun rising & setting, to our appreciation of its beauty, are all effects of causes. The sun burns because of whatever happened when it was born, it rises & sets because the earth goes around it, and we appreciate its beauty because of a complicated series of things that are left over from our evolution as a species (the concept of beauty, our attraction to bright colors & novel sights, and so forth). So, what we think about a thing or situation is a reaction to the environment (our perception of the thing) & other causes inside of us (other things we've seen recently, our emotional state, and so on). Our actions are a reaction to what happens in our brains & bodies, which sets off another reaction inside our brains -- big cycle of reactions. Presumably, this cycle goes back to the moment the universe was born, but I've no way to confirm this, or to know what caused the universe to be born. I don't even know that the universe was necessarily caused. There is a level of existence where things get screwy. But basically, as long as I accept that for life on a macro scale (human existence), cause & effect hold, I stay a determinist.
Yes, before you ask, I believe people should be held responsible for their actions. Yes, I believe people have the ability to make choices that change their life for better or worse. These are issues related to the practice of being human, not to the theory behind existence. Think about it for a while, does it matter why you tripped & fell? Even if you could have chosen otherwise, you're still down there with scraped knees. The consequences are what must be dealt with, not the existential questions regarding your choice in falling.
So, back to time.
Because cause & effect are the ruling factors of why we think what we think, our concept of time & ability to perceive it are reliant on cause & effect. The clock ticks, therefore we think a second has passed. We wake up in the morning, therefore we think the night has passed. Without the cause, the effect does not happen. So, if we do not perceive the sun rising, or the clock striking 8am, or our internal clocks going off -- if we have zero cause to perceive morning, we won't have the effect of perceiving morning. If the world did not change around us (and inside us - internal clocks, aging, etc), what cause would lead to the effect of our perception of time? Time is a measure of change. Things are different now than before, therefore time must have passed.
So, I conclude that our ability to perceive time is nothing but a convenient illusion. Just because we see it, does not mean it exists.
To explain it another way, the universe is a sweater. It's a big piece of yarn, wound into a 3-dimensional shape. To any one stitch, the universe at point x is different than the universe at point y. This measure of change is perceived as time passing. Really, it's nothing but an illusion. You can't pull one stitch out, and put it into a 'different' time (aka different part of the sweater), because that stitch being in that place is one of the causes that allows the other part of the sweater to exist. You can't separate the causes & effects, and you can't pull one stitch out from all the others.
Yes, you can cut the string and unravel the sweater, but this is the metaphorical sweater of space. If you figure a way to physically cut the sweater of the universe up, please don't. I like existing.
So, the only reason that now is different from the past, is because the past has effects which cause us to be in the present. And the only reason the future is different from the now is because our brains haven't felt the effects which lead us to believe that it is the future.
So why do we live in the now? Because there is only now, and the now changes as different causes affect our brains, but it's not a different time, it's merely a different state of mind, a different perception, a different effect.
And yes, I do make it to work on time. The existence of time or lack thereof do not change the fact that when the clock says a certain time, a show happens.
I do welcome discussion on this.
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Thursday, March 20th Happy Equinox Everybody!
The grass is turning green, we have assorted nice days & thunderstorms, therefore I conclude it is spring.
The flowers & trees are starting to bloom, and they do look absolutely beautiful.
Also, the full moon is tonight or tomorrow (tomorrow I think), so there are many things to enjoy.
We should have a celebration. For convenience, we can have it on a weekend, Sunday, perhaps, and eat the chocolate eggs that the bunnies lay. We'll call it 'Easter'.
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Sunday, March 23rd So there were indeed chocolate bunnies who had chocolate eggs this morning. And I ate the eggs.
I also watched HogFather, which is a brilliant movie. If you have a chance to watch it, it's worth the $5 or whatever blockbuster charges these days. It takes place on DiscWorld, which is a Terry Pratchett thing. Seriously, watch it, it's hilarious. Or mildly humorous. Only downside - I couldn't find subtitles.
On a side note, I think my brain has left the building... I keep missing pronouns in my sentences. I'm gonna go take a nap.
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Wednesday, March 26th So, what do I do when I find myself up at 3am? Take pictures of course. Click to see larger.
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Saturday, March 29th So I got me a Lexus. A real one this time. Which I believe gives me bragging rights. Not because it was expensive (it wasn't), or because it's something you want (I don't even pretend to know what you want), but because it's something I want, and now I have it. How many times have you said "I would like such & such...", and left it at that? I do it alot. I asked for a Lexus for XMas, got a toy one, and now I have a real one. And so... I win. At life.
Now I need a house.
And a million dollars.
P.S. - I will eventually put pics up, but my camera is full, AND it's in the other room, AND I'm a little lazy today.
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I find myself missing time more and more. I blame it on sleepies. According to my memory, I woke up at 3 today, took a shower, and then it was 4:30. What actually happened (or so I'm guessing -- assuming no aliens or time-warps involved) is that I slept until 4, which is normally when I'm busy drinking coffee before work. I did still make it to work on time, if you're wondering. But it's unnerving. I should be able to trust my brain more than that.
And I'm pretty sure I need new glasses. I keep seeing things out of the corners of my eyes (in my imagination, they're ghosts). And yes, that does translate into needing new glasses. But I can still drive without them, so it may be delayed while I save money.
So yeah. I'm falling apart - brain doesn't work, eyes not working, what will it be next? Who Knows...
Top of Page
Tuesday, March 4th Well, it snowed again here in Green Country - but not everywhere. But it did here. I didn't get pictures this time though, because it snowed at night, and I was asleep, and then this morning I had to go to work. But it looked like snow. You can refer to my other snow pictures if you're curious.
Top of Page
Wednesday, March 5th It is my mom's birthday today. Happy birthday!
I got her a new dictionary for her birthday, as sort-of an in-joke, and because she really does like dictionaries. The old dictionary had been around since I can remember, and so I make a joke about it being from like the 30's or something. She corrects me, it was from '68. So yeah. Time to update. She's happy, so I'm happy. Yey!
Funny thing about birthdays. I know that people keep getting older year after year, and they do visibly age, if I wait long enough, but I can never seem to really wrap my head around it. People's ages just freeze at some point, and they're always that age to me, even if it's quite obvious they aren't. For instance, my younger sister is always 17 going on 18, even though she's not anymore. My parents are trapped somewhere in their 40s, and they'll never really be older than that to me. Weird, huh?
Top of Page
Wednesday, March 12th GRR! Where did my week go? I thought it had been merely 2 days since I posted. I don't have anything exciting. But for the sake of having something, I will post a recipe.
Need:
Make the mashed potatoes per directions, heat up chili, put chili on top of mashed taters, add cheese. Serves 2.
Apparently I keep losing track of time, so I plan to update again tomorrow to get back into the swing of things. There may be pictures.
Top of Page
Thursday, March 13th And thus ends February. Today is pics (You can click to see larger):
Because flowers are pretty. Another post tomorrow?
Top of Page
Friday, March 14th It occurred to me yesterday that I'm a happy person. It's not that I've sought happiness & found it, or that I'm always in a good mood (I'm not always), it's really that when there's nothing for me to be miserable about, and there are still wonderful things & people about, I'm ... well, happy. So, in a general sort of way, happiness isn't achieved, it's something to be maintained.
And that's all my deep thoughts for today.
I tend to have somewhat mixed feelings when someone moves on. It's sad that I won't get to see them every day or week, but then, they're going on to better things for them, and it opens opportunities for those of us still here. So, I don't think I'm sad, but I hope we keep in touch. It's like a storm moving in. Not bad, just different. Change.
And, I went to see 'The Bank Job', or whatever it's called, today. It's alright. I'm not an enormous fan of the 'Let's Rob Something & Add a Clever Twist' genre. Some are hilarious. Some are amusing. Some are beautiful. But... like any genre, there are the middling-quality ones. And I think this falls into that category. The plot itself was fantastic, the twists not really twists but well-done. It was also somewhat graphic, which I can't really handle these days, and the pacing seemed ... off. But the pacing issue might be because I went after work, and I can't focus immediately after work. Or maybe the pacing is off, I just don't know.
So, if you're into robbery movies, or you have some time & money, it's not half-bad. But if you're picky and poor, wait until the dollar theater gets it.
Top of Page
Tuesday, March 18th So I was asked today about what I think about time, in an abstract theory sort of sense. And basically, I don't believe it exists.
Disclaimer: I have no math or physics degrees, the highest math I took was Calculus, so take my thoughts for what they're worth & no more. But hey, what could it hurt, to have my thoughts? Also, no degree in biology or any science whatsoever. I just find humans & the universe fascinating & worth thinking about.
First, some background. I'm basically a determinist. Ok, not basically. Everything around us (& in us) is the effect of a cause somewhere. From the sun burning, to the sun rising & setting, to our appreciation of its beauty, are all effects of causes. The sun burns because of whatever happened when it was born, it rises & sets because the earth goes around it, and we appreciate its beauty because of a complicated series of things that are left over from our evolution as a species (the concept of beauty, our attraction to bright colors & novel sights, and so forth). So, what we think about a thing or situation is a reaction to the environment (our perception of the thing) & other causes inside of us (other things we've seen recently, our emotional state, and so on). Our actions are a reaction to what happens in our brains & bodies, which sets off another reaction inside our brains -- big cycle of reactions. Presumably, this cycle goes back to the moment the universe was born, but I've no way to confirm this, or to know what caused the universe to be born. I don't even know that the universe was necessarily caused. There is a level of existence where things get screwy. But basically, as long as I accept that for life on a macro scale (human existence), cause & effect hold, I stay a determinist.
Yes, before you ask, I believe people should be held responsible for their actions. Yes, I believe people have the ability to make choices that change their life for better or worse. These are issues related to the practice of being human, not to the theory behind existence. Think about it for a while, does it matter why you tripped & fell? Even if you could have chosen otherwise, you're still down there with scraped knees. The consequences are what must be dealt with, not the existential questions regarding your choice in falling.
So, back to time.
Because cause & effect are the ruling factors of why we think what we think, our concept of time & ability to perceive it are reliant on cause & effect. The clock ticks, therefore we think a second has passed. We wake up in the morning, therefore we think the night has passed. Without the cause, the effect does not happen. So, if we do not perceive the sun rising, or the clock striking 8am, or our internal clocks going off -- if we have zero cause to perceive morning, we won't have the effect of perceiving morning. If the world did not change around us (and inside us - internal clocks, aging, etc), what cause would lead to the effect of our perception of time? Time is a measure of change. Things are different now than before, therefore time must have passed.
So, I conclude that our ability to perceive time is nothing but a convenient illusion. Just because we see it, does not mean it exists.
To explain it another way, the universe is a sweater. It's a big piece of yarn, wound into a 3-dimensional shape. To any one stitch, the universe at point x is different than the universe at point y. This measure of change is perceived as time passing. Really, it's nothing but an illusion. You can't pull one stitch out, and put it into a 'different' time (aka different part of the sweater), because that stitch being in that place is one of the causes that allows the other part of the sweater to exist. You can't separate the causes & effects, and you can't pull one stitch out from all the others.
Yes, you can cut the string and unravel the sweater, but this is the metaphorical sweater of space. If you figure a way to physically cut the sweater of the universe up, please don't. I like existing.
So, the only reason that now is different from the past, is because the past has effects which cause us to be in the present. And the only reason the future is different from the now is because our brains haven't felt the effects which lead us to believe that it is the future.
So why do we live in the now? Because there is only now, and the now changes as different causes affect our brains, but it's not a different time, it's merely a different state of mind, a different perception, a different effect.
And yes, I do make it to work on time. The existence of time or lack thereof do not change the fact that when the clock says a certain time, a show happens.
I do welcome discussion on this.
Top of Page
Thursday, March 20th Happy Equinox Everybody!
The grass is turning green, we have assorted nice days & thunderstorms, therefore I conclude it is spring.
The flowers & trees are starting to bloom, and they do look absolutely beautiful.
Also, the full moon is tonight or tomorrow (tomorrow I think), so there are many things to enjoy.
We should have a celebration. For convenience, we can have it on a weekend, Sunday, perhaps, and eat the chocolate eggs that the bunnies lay. We'll call it 'Easter'.
Top of Page
Sunday, March 23rd So there were indeed chocolate bunnies who had chocolate eggs this morning. And I ate the eggs.
I also watched HogFather, which is a brilliant movie. If you have a chance to watch it, it's worth the $5 or whatever blockbuster charges these days. It takes place on DiscWorld, which is a Terry Pratchett thing. Seriously, watch it, it's hilarious. Or mildly humorous. Only downside - I couldn't find subtitles.
On a side note, I think my brain has left the building... I keep missing pronouns in my sentences. I'm gonna go take a nap.
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Wednesday, March 26th So, what do I do when I find myself up at 3am? Take pictures of course. Click to see larger.
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Saturday, March 29th So I got me a Lexus. A real one this time. Which I believe gives me bragging rights. Not because it was expensive (it wasn't), or because it's something you want (I don't even pretend to know what you want), but because it's something I want, and now I have it. How many times have you said "I would like such & such...", and left it at that? I do it alot. I asked for a Lexus for XMas, got a toy one, and now I have a real one. And so... I win. At life.
Now I need a house.
And a million dollars.
P.S. - I will eventually put pics up, but my camera is full, AND it's in the other room, AND I'm a little lazy today.
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