Read it here.
Here is a snippet: "Wow. No God. If mum had lied to me about God, had she also lied to me about Santa? Yes, of course, but who cares? The gifts kept coming. And so did the gifts of my new found atheism. The gifts of truth, science, nature. The real beauty of this world. I learned of evolution – a theory so simple that only England’s greatest genius could have come up with it. Evolution of plants, animals and us – with imagination, free will, love, humor. I no longer needed a reason for my existence, just a reason to live. And imagination, free will, love, humor, fun, music, sports, beer and pizza are all good enough reasons for living."
'Tis the season and all that. BTW... I am having a VERY hard time being anything other than depressed this Holiday season. If I could just randomly punch passers-by in the face I would. Can't really say why I am so angry... I really don't know. All I do know is that if slipping into a coma for the next three weeks were offered; I should instantly close with such a deal.
Bah, fucking, humbug!
HH =)
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Wednesday, December 01, 2010
Good Grief...
Charles Schultz was a genius. Lucy holds a football. Charlie lines up to kick it. Charlie Brown is clearly aware of the history that Lucy will pull the ball away, yet decides to throw his experience, and reason out the window and run, full speed at the football. Sure enough... Lucy pulls the ball away at the last second. Charlie Brown ends up on his ass again.
This is life. One plays by the rules... has expectations of consistency... and yet, despite all evidence to the contrary, one trusts the improbable to happen. Is this stupidity inherent or is it culturally derived? Given that the bulk of Americans, currently, have tendency to celebrate ignorance, one might think it genetically endowed. "NAY", says I. It has become a part of our cultural zeitgeist. Any population that celebrates Sarah Palin is seriously fucked up; and deserving of a fitting Darwinian end. Yet, this celebratory cluster-fuck spreads like a virus across all cultural, environmental, genetic, and economic backgrounds. However, akin to most diseases it stays quarantined within the disposed group. But is this group disposed due to poor chromosomal development, or a weakened logical immune system due to constant over exposure to an environment riddled with similar pathogens?
I choose to believe that stupidity is inherent but curable. However, it takes two variables which must unite to defeat it. The first, is education. Simple exposure to information is part of the equation. The second, (which is lacking completely in public education) is "reason." When is "how"-to-think ever taught in schools? We sure as hell can not count on parents to teach that which they themselves do not possess. Some of the smartest adults I know are completely unable to analyze facts, weigh them against arguments, and then draw independent conclusions. They are smart in the sense that where cognitively untaxed innovation and creativity flourish. Yet, "stupid" when unable to let go of long-held beliefs which fail the simplest of smell tests.
Hope only thrives when acknowledging that both variables identified above can be introduced at any time to the living. One is never too old to learn how to learn. Today this gives me hope. Today this is the thought that allows me to be okay.
HH =)
This is life. One plays by the rules... has expectations of consistency... and yet, despite all evidence to the contrary, one trusts the improbable to happen. Is this stupidity inherent or is it culturally derived? Given that the bulk of Americans, currently, have tendency to celebrate ignorance, one might think it genetically endowed. "NAY", says I. It has become a part of our cultural zeitgeist. Any population that celebrates Sarah Palin is seriously fucked up; and deserving of a fitting Darwinian end. Yet, this celebratory cluster-fuck spreads like a virus across all cultural, environmental, genetic, and economic backgrounds. However, akin to most diseases it stays quarantined within the disposed group. But is this group disposed due to poor chromosomal development, or a weakened logical immune system due to constant over exposure to an environment riddled with similar pathogens?
I choose to believe that stupidity is inherent but curable. However, it takes two variables which must unite to defeat it. The first, is education. Simple exposure to information is part of the equation. The second, (which is lacking completely in public education) is "reason." When is "how"-to-think ever taught in schools? We sure as hell can not count on parents to teach that which they themselves do not possess. Some of the smartest adults I know are completely unable to analyze facts, weigh them against arguments, and then draw independent conclusions. They are smart in the sense that where cognitively untaxed innovation and creativity flourish. Yet, "stupid" when unable to let go of long-held beliefs which fail the simplest of smell tests.
Hope only thrives when acknowledging that both variables identified above can be introduced at any time to the living. One is never too old to learn how to learn. Today this gives me hope. Today this is the thought that allows me to be okay.
HH =)
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