Remember the post about tips for travel? It goes hand in hand with the section I forgot on dealing with your return. This isn't a very effective use for "spot the time traveler" either as if you follow the tips it can be very hard to do, as time travelers generally either don't stick out at all or draw so much attention it's too obvious to be believed.
Straight in to it you can expect massive headaches and severe dehydration after you return, keep aspirin and lots of water on hand. I haven't really noticed any substantial difference between using mineral water or purified water, I'm currently testing vitamin waters and sports drinks. You can expect random sweating for the following week and a strange burning smell which I haven't entirely figured out. Depending on when and where you travel you'll likely need a few good showers after you get back so I'd suggest some strong antibacterial soap and any additional stronger lye content soap you can find to remove a good layer of skin. The foreign bacteria has the potential to be an extremely serious problem if it gets out in the general public so I'd suggest a good full body scrub down as soon as you can manage after returning. When you come back make sure to follow the same rules as leaving, no public areas, structurally sound, away from any main roads, a clean change of appropriate clothes and anything to boost your immune system as it re-adjusts to the area which isn't so important if you're only gone a short time but if it's been a while it'll be just like going to a new place.
Sometimes you might have a hard time keeping food down and in this case it's more about nerves than anything making you sick. For this same reason sometimes uncontrollable hand tremors or other shaking may occur. Just to re-iterate from a previous post that time travel is an extremely violent process if it wasn't obvious enough already. Most symptoms go away after a week or two though thankfully. Other random or strange things may occur, once I cam back with grey hair that regained color after a day but in that day as it began to regain color it was changing colors at the ends at random. To my knowledge everything comes back in the same manner it left for the most part, no extra items or missing items so far though you never know what might happen. Sometimes you'll need to adjust for pressure or oxygen content if the air is thicker or thinner, usually the pressure isn't much more than popping your ears for which some gum may help. The reason I say usually is one time I remember coming through in a high pressure environment and the sudden change was as you can imagine less than pleasant, and I could easily imagine that had it gone the opposite way I might have had an explosive decompression scenario on my hands and I'm not exactly eager to find out how that would have ended.
It's hard to list everything as there aren't many constants the idea I suppose really is to just be ready for the consequences whatever they may be. One thing other than headaches and thirst that I noticed to be almost constant to every trip is ringing in my ears other than compression and sometimes it can be very painful, it's not loud or quiet it's hard to explain I suppose but it doesn't distort any incoming noise it's parallel to it. The good part is all this seems to be put on hold until you return. It's rare to have any of these things happen going in to a trip which is nice, though remember other posts for what to expect going in, however keep in mind when you return you'll wish you hadn't.
Last thing to mention is this only occurs with actual travel, stopping time or traveling locally like within one day in the same city generally don't have these kinds of results or if they do then they're substantially less serious by comparison. Also don't freak out if you skin feels a little oily or has a slight residue as I can assure you it's perfectly harmless, though it'd still be best if you remove it as quickly as you can, as it can be quite uncomfortable to try and go about regular business with it on you. If you're having a hard time removing it for any reason I've noticed acetone does wonders at drying it out and making it much easier to remove often it will flake away.
Hope you find this useful, and if you've already traveled and are cursing me for not telling you about this to begin with just keep in mind I'd previously warned you it was a violent process which should've indicated there's a good chance for consequences, and at least now you know.
Remember that reality is only perception and is therefore subjective and malleable if you can picture it you can make it happen.
Sunday, September 30, 2012
Monday, September 24, 2012
The Slender Man
When I was a kid there were a string of disappearances in my small town. Children were disappearing, most never to be heard from again. Apparently this year is my year for answers on the subject. I thought this movie called "the tall man" was in reference to the old phantasm horror movies only for it to turn out to be more or less garbage, along the lines of a B movie psychological thriller with no relation to the horror movies of old. Though in looking up info about it again to understand how I made my mistake I found my way to answers I didn't think existed. This is where I found my answers. The myth goes that the Slenderman has no face, tendrils that it sometimes moves about with and wears a business suit. It's tall and thin and can be seen and depicted in stories from centuries old up through modern day.
Learning about the story had the hairs on the back of my neck standing on end for hours I simply couldn't put them down. They were almost as strong as needles by how hard they stood out, similar to how I imagine they would be if encased in rubber cement and let dry. This is because what I thought was a childhood imagination turned out to be real. Over the years I've tried to rationalize it away and overcome the thoughts with logic and reason telling myself that what I'd seen simply wasn't real. I wonder now how I was so lucky that I did not disappear like the others?
In reliving that time I remember when it started. I noticed something while playing baseball with my friends, an object moving in the nearby woods in contrast to the trees and plants around it. We had a small baseball diamond in my back yard behind a church at the end of the forest where the town really begins with a small creek. I remember how it caught my attention and the attention of everyone else in the field because of how big it seemed to be or simply had to be to stand over some of the plants. It truthfully wasn't that far from the diamond at all. It seemed to show up with some level of regularity there after which caused our parents great concern as after the first disappearance they were convinced it was a pedophile. We stopped playing there after that and this once popular diamond to my knowledge has rarely been used since. I visited not too long ago and it was clear that nobody has used it in a long time, I believe since that day it just holds that negative energy. Even still I would sometimes see that thing from time to time until one week it seemed to gravitate towards me. I saw it outside my house at night and sometimes dreamed of it, one night I was even convinced it had entered my room at watched me as I slept. I could feel it there it's presence looming in the air. Then one night I was convinced it was evil and that it was coming for me. I was at my kitchen table enjoying some cereal before bed. I heard some noises at first, strange noises I don't quite know how to explain they seemed to come from everywhere and yet nowhere. That's when I noticed the smell, it was like something burning a kind of smoke. I don't remember if it was the smoke smell of meat, wood, leaf, or something else but it definitely reminded me of that light gray smoke that is almost appetizing making you wonder where it's coming from. Then a calling out of sorts, I knew it was for me but I didn't understand it. Like a gentle creaking smoothed over not sharp in the least. I've heard the sound of whales before and dare I suggest it was not horribly far off perhaps more rounded and short, it almost was musical in nature like a harp. Then I saw it! A reflection off the window in front of me I could see it standing right behind me right over me. Though I've tried to forget so hard it's an image that has lived with me my entire life. I was paralyzed with fear knowing that if I moved even the slightest it would take me, my only hope was that it didn't realize I was there. Remember that I was a child and that the thought did not occur to me that it was there for me or that I was in the open, all I could think was don't move, don't breath, don't show any sign that I was there and perhaps it would go away. I could hear it moving closer it's every step like a screaming heartbeat pounding in my ears, and yet it never seemed to move.
I sat there all night and through the morning transfixed on this reflection too afraid to scream. When my mother came in the room she was clearly worried but it seemed as though she didn't see what I did. I screamed for her to get out before it got her and continued for some time until the police arrived and cleared the house. I can't say when the reflection disappeared or if it ever was there to begin with for sure, as it's possible that it really was all just in my head. But the question to me then is how? How could I have imagined this slenderman as a kid? How could I know precisely what it looked like? I know the truth now and I finally have some closure, the only problem is that it has come at the cost of opening old wounds and I can't seem to purge the thought from my head. I've had a hard time sleeping the last few days. I imagine I'll see it standing there around every corner that it knows I know now and that it will finally come for me. Almost as if it was waiting for me all along. I keep all my lights on now and I'm beginning to learn to function by only sleeping as much as I have to a little bit at a time. It's good for me that I am used to sleeping in the day already and simply sleep as much as I can afford during daylight hours with my windows open and light shining in. I've begun research into upgrading my existing cameras for live streaming so that if something does happen that the world might know the truth. I haven't seen it again and I hope not to but it's still a feeling I can't shake. I review the footage on a regular basis looking for anything different, even a slight change in shadows outside. My hope now is that it won't come to the city and that it's forgotten about me, in particular now that I'm older.
I don't know what it is but I know it isn't human. Which makes me question what else might exist? If we're not the only intelligent life on this planet then what are we sharing the planet with, let alone the local systems clusters and galaxy. My firm belief was always that we are not alone in the universe however we were alone on this planet as alien life not unlike ours had not yet mastered intergalactic travel. Imagine if you will that this is the case and we're not alone on this planet, what then should we do to protect ourselves should the unknown turn out to be less than friendly?
Learning about the story had the hairs on the back of my neck standing on end for hours I simply couldn't put them down. They were almost as strong as needles by how hard they stood out, similar to how I imagine they would be if encased in rubber cement and let dry. This is because what I thought was a childhood imagination turned out to be real. Over the years I've tried to rationalize it away and overcome the thoughts with logic and reason telling myself that what I'd seen simply wasn't real. I wonder now how I was so lucky that I did not disappear like the others?
In reliving that time I remember when it started. I noticed something while playing baseball with my friends, an object moving in the nearby woods in contrast to the trees and plants around it. We had a small baseball diamond in my back yard behind a church at the end of the forest where the town really begins with a small creek. I remember how it caught my attention and the attention of everyone else in the field because of how big it seemed to be or simply had to be to stand over some of the plants. It truthfully wasn't that far from the diamond at all. It seemed to show up with some level of regularity there after which caused our parents great concern as after the first disappearance they were convinced it was a pedophile. We stopped playing there after that and this once popular diamond to my knowledge has rarely been used since. I visited not too long ago and it was clear that nobody has used it in a long time, I believe since that day it just holds that negative energy. Even still I would sometimes see that thing from time to time until one week it seemed to gravitate towards me. I saw it outside my house at night and sometimes dreamed of it, one night I was even convinced it had entered my room at watched me as I slept. I could feel it there it's presence looming in the air. Then one night I was convinced it was evil and that it was coming for me. I was at my kitchen table enjoying some cereal before bed. I heard some noises at first, strange noises I don't quite know how to explain they seemed to come from everywhere and yet nowhere. That's when I noticed the smell, it was like something burning a kind of smoke. I don't remember if it was the smoke smell of meat, wood, leaf, or something else but it definitely reminded me of that light gray smoke that is almost appetizing making you wonder where it's coming from. Then a calling out of sorts, I knew it was for me but I didn't understand it. Like a gentle creaking smoothed over not sharp in the least. I've heard the sound of whales before and dare I suggest it was not horribly far off perhaps more rounded and short, it almost was musical in nature like a harp. Then I saw it! A reflection off the window in front of me I could see it standing right behind me right over me. Though I've tried to forget so hard it's an image that has lived with me my entire life. I was paralyzed with fear knowing that if I moved even the slightest it would take me, my only hope was that it didn't realize I was there. Remember that I was a child and that the thought did not occur to me that it was there for me or that I was in the open, all I could think was don't move, don't breath, don't show any sign that I was there and perhaps it would go away. I could hear it moving closer it's every step like a screaming heartbeat pounding in my ears, and yet it never seemed to move.
I sat there all night and through the morning transfixed on this reflection too afraid to scream. When my mother came in the room she was clearly worried but it seemed as though she didn't see what I did. I screamed for her to get out before it got her and continued for some time until the police arrived and cleared the house. I can't say when the reflection disappeared or if it ever was there to begin with for sure, as it's possible that it really was all just in my head. But the question to me then is how? How could I have imagined this slenderman as a kid? How could I know precisely what it looked like? I know the truth now and I finally have some closure, the only problem is that it has come at the cost of opening old wounds and I can't seem to purge the thought from my head. I've had a hard time sleeping the last few days. I imagine I'll see it standing there around every corner that it knows I know now and that it will finally come for me. Almost as if it was waiting for me all along. I keep all my lights on now and I'm beginning to learn to function by only sleeping as much as I have to a little bit at a time. It's good for me that I am used to sleeping in the day already and simply sleep as much as I can afford during daylight hours with my windows open and light shining in. I've begun research into upgrading my existing cameras for live streaming so that if something does happen that the world might know the truth. I haven't seen it again and I hope not to but it's still a feeling I can't shake. I review the footage on a regular basis looking for anything different, even a slight change in shadows outside. My hope now is that it won't come to the city and that it's forgotten about me, in particular now that I'm older.
I don't know what it is but I know it isn't human. Which makes me question what else might exist? If we're not the only intelligent life on this planet then what are we sharing the planet with, let alone the local systems clusters and galaxy. My firm belief was always that we are not alone in the universe however we were alone on this planet as alien life not unlike ours had not yet mastered intergalactic travel. Imagine if you will that this is the case and we're not alone on this planet, what then should we do to protect ourselves should the unknown turn out to be less than friendly?
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Albert Carnus - Sisyphus Happy
Say what you will but I for one have a connection with one of his philosophies. While it's somewhat abandoned in favor of western philosophy it hasn't lost its relevance. He manages to reconcile the absurdity of life and maintain a positive outlook. Similar to a view I held yet hadn't bothered to think of as something that would show up in this blog prior to having read about this idea. To get down to my view is to say that I've long since realized that life in and of itself is a futile and painful existence and we're all burning alive slowly every moment of the day our entire lives amidst a world engulfed in flames, I merely put on some glasses and relax on the lawn with a smile to enjoy it all as everyone else runs around trying to put the fire out. I'm content with the fact this world is a sad and bleak place to live and would much rather enjoy it while I can than fret over everything making things only worse by making myself miserable while suffering away trying to change something all the while knowing it's for nothing as no single impact will ever be great enough to withstand the power of time.
Albert says to achieve this same state of being happy while acclimating to or accepting the fact that life is a random happening and a total absurdity with no meaning or purpose. Though that may be more extreme interpretation a more accurate way would be to say how to be happy in spite of everything. Is to imagine Sisyphus happy. First you may ask who is Sisyphus? He was punished by the greek gods to push a boulder uphill for all eternity. Or more accurately he was originally punished to do it and have it constantly roll downhill before he could reach the top, then eventually tasked with a myriad of useless efforts and unending frustration of a similar nature to the bolder, though it is widely believed now through the blur of the myth that he simply rolls a bolder up an endless hill for all eternity. This as you can imagine is quite demeaning to a former King on top of everything else and quite honestly he deserved it if you read up on what he did in life. Though perhaps not for all eternity... Moving onward you might ask then how could one possibly imagine him ever being happy? How could you ever enjoy the fact that everything you do is undone and for nothing and what you're doing isn't that important to begin with it's futile on a multitude of levels!
I for one like to think perhaps it's hope. His defiance and stubborn nature leads him to believe one day he'll prove them wrong and the boulder won't roll downhill. Or perhaps he believes they think he'll give up each day and thus he spends the day proving them wrong, which brings a certain level of satisfaction. Though perhaps that would be the least agreed upon concept or most likely to be disregarded. This idea as a whole also plays well with Schopenhauer's writing that life is a penitentiary. In which the concept is as straight forward as it sounds. Interestingly enough it would seem according to modern psychology that the mind searches for a natural state of happiness and will manufacture it if necessary to adapt to whatever monotonous task you assign yourself so long as you don't spend your time convincing yourself you should be miserable. Simply put if you don't think of how much your job sucks you're likely to be content with it.
The more commonly accepted interpretation of the idea is that it's an allegory of human life. Life in and of itself is an uphill struggle and every time you reach what you think is the top either everything you've done comes unraveled falling down hill forcing you to pick up the pieces or continue from where you are with nothing, or you find out that you haven't reached the top merely a stop on the way and you still have more to go. Indeed there's an art to reaching the top and staying there as long as you can before you have to work your way down the hill in some form or another. However in the time going up and down is when you find and enjoy your happiness if you allow yourself to have any, the rewards in life are not the accomplishments but the efforts necessary to reach them, the memories to look back upon once you reach the top. In realizing this you understand that in order for you to be happy it must be that others could also be happy with the same and vice versa thus Sisyphus can be happy with what he has and does as you are and both could be happy in the others scenario through understanding. To simplify all of our efforts in life are difficult and arduous like rolling a boulder uphill, and yet they amount to nothing like the boulder falling down the hill after we work so hard to push it up. The work involved in pushing the boulder is pain and suffering which in and of itself rewards nor achieves anything which could be said to justify it, proven more so by the end result which is the boulder rolling down hill. This then is the Sisyphean allegory of life.
To analyze Sisyphus' happiness we suggest his enjoyment of the labor not of itself but of the minor details surrounding it. Perhaps he enjoys a slight breeze and the fresh air under the sun. He may gain satisfaction in his abilities a proof to himself that he can accomplish it day after day. Then it may be the climax as he knows he reaches the top and thus the point in which he understands there's no further point to travel and in knowing what comes with that. There's a certain level of relief in knowing he is done for the day even if the day was for naught. It could be said his happiness is analogous to ours. Though for some they don't realize they've been pushing a boulder their whole life and have never had to see it roll downhill, they will be fortunate that their boulder will roll down after they are gone, as time destroys their work after it no longer matters. The infinite eternity laying waste to everything. Imagine if at all possible anything you know today that will be true in 100 million years. What will remain of anything that exists today? For many of us we can't even conceive what will remain of anything we've done in merely a millennium. (1,000 years)
This is why Sisyphus has learned to be happy with nothing and in spite of everything, his happiness comes from a place outside logic, in understanding the freedom that comes with knowing nothing you do in life is truly permanent and eventually it will all fade away. Though some might consider this to be rationalized nihilism or similar I would point out that nihilism is not defined by the pointlessness or uselessness of life, it's really not so depressing either as that would sound, though these may be considered objective truths they're not indicative of the nature of nihilism.
Not to beat a dead horse but let us also consider Sisyphus has a purpose then, which in itself can be a reward, and he cheated death a rare accomplishment worthy of eternal happiness in spite of any punishment. If I had tricked death I'd have an eternal smile for sure. To quote Carnus here "the struggle to reach the heights in itself is enough to fill a mans heart." which makes a good point as are you really any better off than him? At least he truly sees the futility of his efforts as they're straight forward, you on the other hand are blinded to this fact as it is well disguised by the vestiges which you have made for your boulder. Why then should he not be happy? Admittedly I think the unhappiest part of his day is when he reaches the top and realizes he has nothing left to do, which is also why I think he pushes the boulder downhill probably being the happiest part of his day knowing he'll have something to do tomorrow some sort of purpose. One of the most depressing things I ever did was finish my first game. I'd worked on it tirelessly as a sole consuming thought of my every waking moment, some days I would roll from my bed to my computer chair without ever touching the floor. I would then proceed to work all day sometimes without food or bathroom breaks and go back to bed again without touching the floor the entire day because I had things that close in my room and I was that obsessed, passionate, dedicated, and insane. Imagine then what it felt like for me to wake up and realize I had nothing to do. We all form an emotional attachment with our boulders that is why we can't climb the hill without them and can't bear the thought of just doing nothing with them at the top.
As a final note how many of you have actually seen a giant boulder roll down hill? It's a bit of an awesome sight to see these large chunks of earth colliding and pieces flying everywhere leaving indentations which will be seen for years to come. It's a sight such that if I really had the strength to do it I might just do it because I could just to see it again. Which leaves something to be said about making your own fun...
Albert says to achieve this same state of being happy while acclimating to or accepting the fact that life is a random happening and a total absurdity with no meaning or purpose. Though that may be more extreme interpretation a more accurate way would be to say how to be happy in spite of everything. Is to imagine Sisyphus happy. First you may ask who is Sisyphus? He was punished by the greek gods to push a boulder uphill for all eternity. Or more accurately he was originally punished to do it and have it constantly roll downhill before he could reach the top, then eventually tasked with a myriad of useless efforts and unending frustration of a similar nature to the bolder, though it is widely believed now through the blur of the myth that he simply rolls a bolder up an endless hill for all eternity. This as you can imagine is quite demeaning to a former King on top of everything else and quite honestly he deserved it if you read up on what he did in life. Though perhaps not for all eternity... Moving onward you might ask then how could one possibly imagine him ever being happy? How could you ever enjoy the fact that everything you do is undone and for nothing and what you're doing isn't that important to begin with it's futile on a multitude of levels!
I for one like to think perhaps it's hope. His defiance and stubborn nature leads him to believe one day he'll prove them wrong and the boulder won't roll downhill. Or perhaps he believes they think he'll give up each day and thus he spends the day proving them wrong, which brings a certain level of satisfaction. Though perhaps that would be the least agreed upon concept or most likely to be disregarded. This idea as a whole also plays well with Schopenhauer's writing that life is a penitentiary. In which the concept is as straight forward as it sounds. Interestingly enough it would seem according to modern psychology that the mind searches for a natural state of happiness and will manufacture it if necessary to adapt to whatever monotonous task you assign yourself so long as you don't spend your time convincing yourself you should be miserable. Simply put if you don't think of how much your job sucks you're likely to be content with it.
The more commonly accepted interpretation of the idea is that it's an allegory of human life. Life in and of itself is an uphill struggle and every time you reach what you think is the top either everything you've done comes unraveled falling down hill forcing you to pick up the pieces or continue from where you are with nothing, or you find out that you haven't reached the top merely a stop on the way and you still have more to go. Indeed there's an art to reaching the top and staying there as long as you can before you have to work your way down the hill in some form or another. However in the time going up and down is when you find and enjoy your happiness if you allow yourself to have any, the rewards in life are not the accomplishments but the efforts necessary to reach them, the memories to look back upon once you reach the top. In realizing this you understand that in order for you to be happy it must be that others could also be happy with the same and vice versa thus Sisyphus can be happy with what he has and does as you are and both could be happy in the others scenario through understanding. To simplify all of our efforts in life are difficult and arduous like rolling a boulder uphill, and yet they amount to nothing like the boulder falling down the hill after we work so hard to push it up. The work involved in pushing the boulder is pain and suffering which in and of itself rewards nor achieves anything which could be said to justify it, proven more so by the end result which is the boulder rolling down hill. This then is the Sisyphean allegory of life.
To analyze Sisyphus' happiness we suggest his enjoyment of the labor not of itself but of the minor details surrounding it. Perhaps he enjoys a slight breeze and the fresh air under the sun. He may gain satisfaction in his abilities a proof to himself that he can accomplish it day after day. Then it may be the climax as he knows he reaches the top and thus the point in which he understands there's no further point to travel and in knowing what comes with that. There's a certain level of relief in knowing he is done for the day even if the day was for naught. It could be said his happiness is analogous to ours. Though for some they don't realize they've been pushing a boulder their whole life and have never had to see it roll downhill, they will be fortunate that their boulder will roll down after they are gone, as time destroys their work after it no longer matters. The infinite eternity laying waste to everything. Imagine if at all possible anything you know today that will be true in 100 million years. What will remain of anything that exists today? For many of us we can't even conceive what will remain of anything we've done in merely a millennium. (1,000 years)
This is why Sisyphus has learned to be happy with nothing and in spite of everything, his happiness comes from a place outside logic, in understanding the freedom that comes with knowing nothing you do in life is truly permanent and eventually it will all fade away. Though some might consider this to be rationalized nihilism or similar I would point out that nihilism is not defined by the pointlessness or uselessness of life, it's really not so depressing either as that would sound, though these may be considered objective truths they're not indicative of the nature of nihilism.
Not to beat a dead horse but let us also consider Sisyphus has a purpose then, which in itself can be a reward, and he cheated death a rare accomplishment worthy of eternal happiness in spite of any punishment. If I had tricked death I'd have an eternal smile for sure. To quote Carnus here "the struggle to reach the heights in itself is enough to fill a mans heart." which makes a good point as are you really any better off than him? At least he truly sees the futility of his efforts as they're straight forward, you on the other hand are blinded to this fact as it is well disguised by the vestiges which you have made for your boulder. Why then should he not be happy? Admittedly I think the unhappiest part of his day is when he reaches the top and realizes he has nothing left to do, which is also why I think he pushes the boulder downhill probably being the happiest part of his day knowing he'll have something to do tomorrow some sort of purpose. One of the most depressing things I ever did was finish my first game. I'd worked on it tirelessly as a sole consuming thought of my every waking moment, some days I would roll from my bed to my computer chair without ever touching the floor. I would then proceed to work all day sometimes without food or bathroom breaks and go back to bed again without touching the floor the entire day because I had things that close in my room and I was that obsessed, passionate, dedicated, and insane. Imagine then what it felt like for me to wake up and realize I had nothing to do. We all form an emotional attachment with our boulders that is why we can't climb the hill without them and can't bear the thought of just doing nothing with them at the top.
As a final note how many of you have actually seen a giant boulder roll down hill? It's a bit of an awesome sight to see these large chunks of earth colliding and pieces flying everywhere leaving indentations which will be seen for years to come. It's a sight such that if I really had the strength to do it I might just do it because I could just to see it again. Which leaves something to be said about making your own fun...
Monday, September 17, 2012
Another Morality Exercise
A few ideas to consider today. If something can be done should it be done? Is the answer universal to all contexts or did you have something in mind? For example just because we could let everyone's children be taught morality by an educator aka "teacher" should we? Isn't it a bad idea to be so strict about morality and so concrete that we print a textbook about it and tell young minds that these are the only acceptable forms of right and wrong?
This example an exercise in and of itself, you're free to draw your own conclusions as there honestly is no right or wrong, good or bad. A child murders an adult, should he be punished? It's hard to have a ready to go answer because there aren't enough details and yet even so many people will already have an answer. To expand into detail the child murders the adult in protection of their sibling. To more accurately reflect this we'll consider this adult a serial rapist and convicted child molester. This swings votes. However let's say the child murdering the adult in this case has different motives, they're not driven to protect their sibling, let's say instead it's pure rage and hate of the adult or something darker a simple desire to kill. Perhaps this child whose motivation was blood lust and not protection may one day become a serial killer. Their motivation might determine if they are punished and to what extent if they are. How then does this change if it's one adult murdering another under the same circumstances? What if the rapist isn't going after children but adults. If the rapist is a woman? If the murderer is a young boy or a grown man, a young girl or a adult woman? If the murderer has a history of violence? What if it's one murderer killing another instead of a rapist? When it boils down to it, is it morally acceptable to commit a crime in protection of another if the motivation for committing this crime is not protection and instead the protection is a byproduct? If this changes between age and gender then can you truly explain why? If this were a subject taught in class at a young age, as morality and morals aren't something you pick up late in life, how would you expect it to be taught and what answers would you expect? Would you honestly consider the consequences of what this would mean and have as an impact by stating there is only one right answer? I for one believe it would be a detriment to establish morality as perfectly quantifiable. Not including the fact that as of yet we can not establish or provide accurate conjecture as to a persons true motives in anything we do, and the danger that would come with that knowledge should it ever become an option. For example a majority of theft is a matter of self preservation in some form or another and while I may be inclined to say it's a symptom of a corrupt system and doesn't warrant punishment others would hold a view perhaps extreme in perspective that theft as back in the old days mandates that the thieves should have their hands cut off. Once upon a time that was more than morally acceptable and just as we have changed away from that by practice we will one day have a different set of morals and this should be influenced much more rapidly than traditional or current education would allow and thus should remain something passed down partially from parents and adult figures to children in private with the remainder left for the child to establish on their own as they become adults.
If ever we can quantify motivation we enter dangerous territory as we may begin to punish thought and that slope is vertical. While I may never murder anyone that is not to suggest I don't think about it from time to time, or for some of us on a regular or nearly constant basis, and criminalizing this method of dealing with our anger in a non violent manner is quite dangerous. The justice system at all times should remain reactive and not proactive regardless of so called justifications to the contrary.
I hope the idea was conveyed clearly as admittedly it was not as clean as I'd intended in writing.
This example an exercise in and of itself, you're free to draw your own conclusions as there honestly is no right or wrong, good or bad. A child murders an adult, should he be punished? It's hard to have a ready to go answer because there aren't enough details and yet even so many people will already have an answer. To expand into detail the child murders the adult in protection of their sibling. To more accurately reflect this we'll consider this adult a serial rapist and convicted child molester. This swings votes. However let's say the child murdering the adult in this case has different motives, they're not driven to protect their sibling, let's say instead it's pure rage and hate of the adult or something darker a simple desire to kill. Perhaps this child whose motivation was blood lust and not protection may one day become a serial killer. Their motivation might determine if they are punished and to what extent if they are. How then does this change if it's one adult murdering another under the same circumstances? What if the rapist isn't going after children but adults. If the rapist is a woman? If the murderer is a young boy or a grown man, a young girl or a adult woman? If the murderer has a history of violence? What if it's one murderer killing another instead of a rapist? When it boils down to it, is it morally acceptable to commit a crime in protection of another if the motivation for committing this crime is not protection and instead the protection is a byproduct? If this changes between age and gender then can you truly explain why? If this were a subject taught in class at a young age, as morality and morals aren't something you pick up late in life, how would you expect it to be taught and what answers would you expect? Would you honestly consider the consequences of what this would mean and have as an impact by stating there is only one right answer? I for one believe it would be a detriment to establish morality as perfectly quantifiable. Not including the fact that as of yet we can not establish or provide accurate conjecture as to a persons true motives in anything we do, and the danger that would come with that knowledge should it ever become an option. For example a majority of theft is a matter of self preservation in some form or another and while I may be inclined to say it's a symptom of a corrupt system and doesn't warrant punishment others would hold a view perhaps extreme in perspective that theft as back in the old days mandates that the thieves should have their hands cut off. Once upon a time that was more than morally acceptable and just as we have changed away from that by practice we will one day have a different set of morals and this should be influenced much more rapidly than traditional or current education would allow and thus should remain something passed down partially from parents and adult figures to children in private with the remainder left for the child to establish on their own as they become adults.
If ever we can quantify motivation we enter dangerous territory as we may begin to punish thought and that slope is vertical. While I may never murder anyone that is not to suggest I don't think about it from time to time, or for some of us on a regular or nearly constant basis, and criminalizing this method of dealing with our anger in a non violent manner is quite dangerous. The justice system at all times should remain reactive and not proactive regardless of so called justifications to the contrary.
I hope the idea was conveyed clearly as admittedly it was not as clean as I'd intended in writing.
Friday, September 14, 2012
WW3
World War Three probably won't be fought with nuclear weapons. The widespread use and drawbacks don't make them viable options for a country or planet intending to survive WW3. That having been said it will be unlike any war you can imagine. Biological weapons on nuclear scale which is to say hundreds of square miles of bioweapon fallout and destruction are barely the beginning. Animal and plant life will be genetically modified into ultra deadly weapons that go unnoticed by security systems and cause chaos behind enemy lines. The war will be fought on multiple fronts, including a digital one in which access to and delivery of critical information particularly to the front lines will be determined on a regular basis. This can make it so operations are carried out on bad information or the lack of information cripples squads and leaves them without support. Even the support such as air, tanks, and artillery may attack the wrong targets or move to the wrong locations.
The consequences of the advanced weapons will cause the air itself to become hyper acidic destroying all it comes in contact with. Advanced robotics systems which are fought for digitally by cyber soldiers will attack friends and foes alike, they will malfunction dong the same thing or even simply going rogue on an almost AI like level, a true terror to consider while knowing of their accuracy that only a machine can provide. Debilitating weapons of all kinds will be used manipulating light, sound, microwave frequencies and much more. They will be amplified to the point that enemy combatants are permanently disable if they're unfortunate enough to survive.
There will be psychological warfare on a scale never before seen, including but not limited to induced hallucinations, a reckless disregard for rules of engagement, ruthless slaughter of civilians in the most brutal ways imaginable and their remains left for all to see, not including damage done as consequence of bio weapons. The weapons used will terraform the planet in both shape and inhabitability in which areas become impossible to survive for even a short while. Some areas so bad and changed that there's no oxygen of any kind to be detected let alone breathe. The consequential lack of resources around the world and polluted ecosystems will end up destroying the worlds population every single day for decades.
Truly the unfortunate souls that survive WW3 will wish they hadn't.
The consequences of the advanced weapons will cause the air itself to become hyper acidic destroying all it comes in contact with. Advanced robotics systems which are fought for digitally by cyber soldiers will attack friends and foes alike, they will malfunction dong the same thing or even simply going rogue on an almost AI like level, a true terror to consider while knowing of their accuracy that only a machine can provide. Debilitating weapons of all kinds will be used manipulating light, sound, microwave frequencies and much more. They will be amplified to the point that enemy combatants are permanently disable if they're unfortunate enough to survive.
There will be psychological warfare on a scale never before seen, including but not limited to induced hallucinations, a reckless disregard for rules of engagement, ruthless slaughter of civilians in the most brutal ways imaginable and their remains left for all to see, not including damage done as consequence of bio weapons. The weapons used will terraform the planet in both shape and inhabitability in which areas become impossible to survive for even a short while. Some areas so bad and changed that there's no oxygen of any kind to be detected let alone breathe. The consequential lack of resources around the world and polluted ecosystems will end up destroying the worlds population every single day for decades.
Truly the unfortunate souls that survive WW3 will wish they hadn't.
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Corruption
It starts small and insignificant barely even noticeable but that is the seed which will spread. Some things simply can not be contained and merely being around them can infect you. It's a subtle process that progresses over time. It's not as though you're rapidly consumed and somehow remain the same on the inside just waiting to break free. The truth is that corruption is complete in that it's not just a part of you eventually it is you. It works from the inside out so that it is almost entirely undetectable until it's too late.
There's more than one type of corruption though and not all of it is inherently bad. To reiterate though corruption comes from the inside, it's not something that can be truly forced on you. While some people may look corrupt or are forced in to situations a corrupt person would gladly accept that does not mean that they are in fact corrupt. For example corruption through subversion in which we manipulate existing corruption in a system for good is not a corruption of ourselves or if it is then it is equally balanced in opposite so that it may not gain. Receiving something for doing anything which you're already obligated to do for some reason or another is by definition corruption of some kind, yet it may be that you need what you are receiving and thus accepting it in return for nothing could be justified. The same would go if you were to use the above example inverse so that you are giving something to someone for what they already do with a byproduct to the benefit of someone else.
There are those who would say a little corruption can be good. The problem with that is even a little corruption leads to more substantial corruption without fail. It may start as a doctor seeing a patient early for a few extra dollars, yet it may end up as him manipulating organ donation systems for patient preference. Though perhaps in opposition corruption leads to generation. That is to say a deviation from ideal views may lead to a new acceptance in which what is correct may change. All of science was once viewed as a corruption of thought and now it's accepted as truth. The question then becomes are the consequences worth the gain which is indeterminate until it has been created as a byproduct. The answer to which I would say is likely to be no as the byproduct could be obtained through other less detrimental methods aside from the fact that the gain is less than the loss for a substantial period of time, and of which the consequences and effects could likely be observed and shown to have been a reduction in accelerated progress for which we may never recover. For example where would we be if the dark ages hadn't happened? From a science standpoint we can clearly see the loss and repression and how far we've come and at what rate which suggestively would have happened much sooner without the dark ages leaving a gap where we should be.
Thus corruption even under noble cause should be fought at every opportunity for the benefit of the world. Though sadly this will not happen and in the case of the world today that is probably to the benefit of it's people. If we suddenly ended all corruption today I'd be unsure if we would live beyond tomorrow.
There's more than one type of corruption though and not all of it is inherently bad. To reiterate though corruption comes from the inside, it's not something that can be truly forced on you. While some people may look corrupt or are forced in to situations a corrupt person would gladly accept that does not mean that they are in fact corrupt. For example corruption through subversion in which we manipulate existing corruption in a system for good is not a corruption of ourselves or if it is then it is equally balanced in opposite so that it may not gain. Receiving something for doing anything which you're already obligated to do for some reason or another is by definition corruption of some kind, yet it may be that you need what you are receiving and thus accepting it in return for nothing could be justified. The same would go if you were to use the above example inverse so that you are giving something to someone for what they already do with a byproduct to the benefit of someone else.
There are those who would say a little corruption can be good. The problem with that is even a little corruption leads to more substantial corruption without fail. It may start as a doctor seeing a patient early for a few extra dollars, yet it may end up as him manipulating organ donation systems for patient preference. Though perhaps in opposition corruption leads to generation. That is to say a deviation from ideal views may lead to a new acceptance in which what is correct may change. All of science was once viewed as a corruption of thought and now it's accepted as truth. The question then becomes are the consequences worth the gain which is indeterminate until it has been created as a byproduct. The answer to which I would say is likely to be no as the byproduct could be obtained through other less detrimental methods aside from the fact that the gain is less than the loss for a substantial period of time, and of which the consequences and effects could likely be observed and shown to have been a reduction in accelerated progress for which we may never recover. For example where would we be if the dark ages hadn't happened? From a science standpoint we can clearly see the loss and repression and how far we've come and at what rate which suggestively would have happened much sooner without the dark ages leaving a gap where we should be.
Thus corruption even under noble cause should be fought at every opportunity for the benefit of the world. Though sadly this will not happen and in the case of the world today that is probably to the benefit of it's people. If we suddenly ended all corruption today I'd be unsure if we would live beyond tomorrow.
Monday, September 3, 2012
What's it like? - Time Travel edition.
Previously I discussed the time travel itself, now it's time to talk about what awaits you on the other side. I could most aptly describe it as being similar to traveling to a foreign country. The language, customs and food are all a little different but usually recognizable. However the environment has dramatic effects on your gut, no matter what you eat it seems you're going to get sick anyway the first one or two times you try it. Infections and medicine are wildly different and you should take precautions beforehand to avoid getting sick to begin with. As for what to wear, the best suggestion is always something that blends well regardless of time. For men a nice business suit works well for most recent and future time periods, for women a dress or skirt doesn't stand out just think about which way you're going in advance and dress accordingly. If you're going back further than normal to a point where these things don't apply consider what people likely wear in the time period. Moving forward I haven't gone far enough that these things have become irrelevant however after the 2050's I suggest you not wear jeans or denim and that you not wear a business suit at that point instead try for something a little more casual.
These things aren't quite set in stone either, it also depends on which of the primary timelines you're moving. Subsets may diverge but follow trends which is important to know when distinguishing which you're on and how to plan accordingly for your movements on it. I also suggest learning sign language and pretending you're deaf when you first arrive until you get the hang of things, it seems to carry over very well. Of course it only works in time periods where it exists....
Some times when you first arrive things might appear a little blurry or sound a little weird but that's normal and goes away quickly so it's imperative you don't freak out or draw attention to yourself. That's actually the biggest piece of advice the single most important thing I can possibly tell you. By drawing attention to yourself you can make your life a living hell if you try to stay in that time. My rule of thumb these days actually is if someone sees you within a few seconds of when you first arrive just think of home and get out of there. Remember that your connection is extremely unstable at first for at least the first hour and if you think of things from your time too much you'll inadvertently switch right back to it. If you try to scout locations in advance for where might be a good place to travel through I recommend areas outside of civilization or well secured areas that aren't going to be under rubble or collapsed or not even made yet. The idea is you want stability and reliability. You don't have to be at a given location to appear there while traveling and when you revert you almost always revert to where you left unless you focus on reverting elsewhere. Also remember it's hard to take things with you so if you plan on taking a souvenir make sure it's worth it. I mean that not in terms of money which is quite frankly useless, instead I mean it as are you willing to put up with the frustration of repeatedly attempting it until you finally get it and is it something that will prove useful in your time. For practice I use small erasers as they seem to be the easiest things, whatever you choose make it simple and small at first until you're ready to try something like a flask.
Keep in mind everything, especially the future is subject to change. Don't fool yourself either, the past can change just as well, the problem being that you'll never know it because once it changes it's a part of your history as you learned it. That's one of the most beautiful things about it all is that changes that interact with your timeline have a hierarchy and once they're set they become indistinguishable from the originals which they replaced. To show an example, I saw a Charlie Chaplin film that doesn't exist because after I saw it an intersecting timeline changed an event that caused the film to never be made much less include him in it and thus because it doesn't exist you have also never seen it even though it was once a part of this timeline before it intersected and caused that part of the timeline to collapse. So the truth is that some of you have seen the film in theory, but have retroactively never seen it which is different from forgetting and so it becomes futile to discuss it further I suppose. That's probably the best I can explain it at this point, and I hope you understand it. Hope you find the information useful,
These things aren't quite set in stone either, it also depends on which of the primary timelines you're moving. Subsets may diverge but follow trends which is important to know when distinguishing which you're on and how to plan accordingly for your movements on it. I also suggest learning sign language and pretending you're deaf when you first arrive until you get the hang of things, it seems to carry over very well. Of course it only works in time periods where it exists....
Some times when you first arrive things might appear a little blurry or sound a little weird but that's normal and goes away quickly so it's imperative you don't freak out or draw attention to yourself. That's actually the biggest piece of advice the single most important thing I can possibly tell you. By drawing attention to yourself you can make your life a living hell if you try to stay in that time. My rule of thumb these days actually is if someone sees you within a few seconds of when you first arrive just think of home and get out of there. Remember that your connection is extremely unstable at first for at least the first hour and if you think of things from your time too much you'll inadvertently switch right back to it. If you try to scout locations in advance for where might be a good place to travel through I recommend areas outside of civilization or well secured areas that aren't going to be under rubble or collapsed or not even made yet. The idea is you want stability and reliability. You don't have to be at a given location to appear there while traveling and when you revert you almost always revert to where you left unless you focus on reverting elsewhere. Also remember it's hard to take things with you so if you plan on taking a souvenir make sure it's worth it. I mean that not in terms of money which is quite frankly useless, instead I mean it as are you willing to put up with the frustration of repeatedly attempting it until you finally get it and is it something that will prove useful in your time. For practice I use small erasers as they seem to be the easiest things, whatever you choose make it simple and small at first until you're ready to try something like a flask.
Keep in mind everything, especially the future is subject to change. Don't fool yourself either, the past can change just as well, the problem being that you'll never know it because once it changes it's a part of your history as you learned it. That's one of the most beautiful things about it all is that changes that interact with your timeline have a hierarchy and once they're set they become indistinguishable from the originals which they replaced. To show an example, I saw a Charlie Chaplin film that doesn't exist because after I saw it an intersecting timeline changed an event that caused the film to never be made much less include him in it and thus because it doesn't exist you have also never seen it even though it was once a part of this timeline before it intersected and caused that part of the timeline to collapse. So the truth is that some of you have seen the film in theory, but have retroactively never seen it which is different from forgetting and so it becomes futile to discuss it further I suppose. That's probably the best I can explain it at this point, and I hope you understand it. Hope you find the information useful,
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