Just seen a very cool plugin for SketchUp that allows architects to check the efficiency of their materials during the design process and ensure that it is as "environmentally friendly" as possible. The software, from Integrated Environmental Solutions boasts in-design "energy, carbon, daylight and solar analysis". How neat is that!
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Randy Pausch
On the 26th July 2008, I read an article reporting the death of Professor Randy Pausch of Carnegie Mellon, author of the famous incarnation of said institution's "Last Lecture" series. Professor Pausch (personal website here) passed away from pancreatic cancer 12 months after the doctor's gave him "3-6 months of good health". His inspiring lecture, entitled "Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams" can be viewed here:
I was so uplifted by the dignity and positivity that he showed in the face of such adversity that I really have begun to think about what my childhood dreams were and how I can achieve them. Expect another post detailing the results of this later.
Another of his lectures that is worth watching, "Time Management", is viewable here:
Thanks for the advice Professor, I'm sure your wife and kids are proud of all the good that came of those last few lectures.
Monday, August 11, 2008
Gibraltar and Morocco
After my exams, I took a well-earned 10 day break in Gibraltar to unwind and begin contemplating my next move. It was my first visit so I seized the rare opportunity to spend time with the plethora of my cousins and other relatives that I had not seen for years, if ever at all.The place itself is a bizarre fusion of Spain and Britain: there is something truly unique about seeing two British bobbies, complete with mandatory funny helmets, chattering away in thick Andalucian Spanish in the full heat of the blazing Mediterranean sun whilst outside Mothercare.
The people there are fantastically friendly and hospitable: when you first meet them it really feels like they have to consciously stop themselves from asking you round to dinner. The imposing majesty of the Rock, the tranquillity of the little marinas and the secret alleys that wind between quaint side streets inside the city walls make up for the messy herds of cruise-ship tourists that disembark to clog up Main Street each day.As a city boy, I must say that I do find the size of the place a bit uncomfortable. The couple of trips over the border into Spain were quite welcome, as being confined to a 0.5 mile x 1.5 mile strip of sand and limestone bordered by sea and fenced in by EU border patrols stirred up mild claustrophobia. I find it fascinating is the way that the locals speak of the various places on the Rock as if each one was a shrine; as if the Rock really is the centre of the Universe and that anything outside is foreign, strange and irrelevant.
It is possible that I just imagined this (pen)insular attitude as I live in a city of 7 million + and consider myself to be some slick, cultured, jet-setting urbanite. It then dawned on me that it could actually be a nice microcosm of mainland Britain itself, as I imagine many visitors would find it difficult to understand how we can differentiate the accents of places as close to each other as Liverpool and Manchester with such detail.
No trip to Gibraltar would be complete without a textbook trip over to Morocco for the weekend. Staying in "Gib" with locals meant that I had the luxury of being able to stow-away on a typical visit to their villa just outside Assilah (half an hour's drive from Tangiers).
This was my first visit to an Arab nation; indeed, it was also my first to what we Westerners refer to as the "developing world". It occurred to me that it was going to be an interesting trip when I realised that we had to temporarily import the car at the border, as they have to keep a tight reign on the amount of vehicles (presumably due to the high cost of importing fuel). There were scores of cars waiting to leave while their owners frantically tried to haggle with the various official scribes harassing them for tips as they help them fill out the import forms. I soon noted how normal it was in this part of the world to see an outstretched hand waiting to be appeased with a few dirhams. The high temperatures frayed a few tempers and a fist fight broke out a few cars behind, attracting the attention of every border guard, scribe and vehicle owner, all rushing over to voice their informed opinion on the matter.
The first port of call, past a man with his entire family hanging off his motorcycle that he was wisely steering the wrong way up the dual carriageway, was the bakery to pick up some bread and cakes for the weekend. What I saw next was a real shock but when I think back to it now, is really not a big deal. In the bakery, the cakes were all uncovered and as a result were covered with clouds of bees. When a customer pointed to the morsel they fancied, the bakers assistants simply scraped off the bees and plonked the cake into a box before any others could jump back onto it. The sight of all those bees crawling over the cakes was the most vivid image for me that the rules for the UK didn't really apply here.
Cue camel ride on the beach (touristy I know but I couldn't resist), sampling of the national cuisine cooked in a tagine, trip to haggle for a new mattress from a local bazaar, wander around the old town of Assilah and visit to a hammam (public baths/sauna). All very conducive to the act of relaxation. The weather was equally marvellous, a scorching sun every day works wonders on the post-exam zombie skin tone.
This was my first visit to an Arab nation; indeed, it was also my first to what we Westerners refer to as the "developing world". It occurred to me that it was going to be an interesting trip when I realised that we had to temporarily import the car at the border, as they have to keep a tight reign on the amount of vehicles (presumably due to the high cost of importing fuel). There were scores of cars waiting to leave while their owners frantically tried to haggle with the various official scribes harassing them for tips as they help them fill out the import forms. I soon noted how normal it was in this part of the world to see an outstretched hand waiting to be appeased with a few dirhams. The high temperatures frayed a few tempers and a fist fight broke out a few cars behind, attracting the attention of every border guard, scribe and vehicle owner, all rushing over to voice their informed opinion on the matter.
The first port of call, past a man with his entire family hanging off his motorcycle that he was wisely steering the wrong way up the dual carriageway, was the bakery to pick up some bread and cakes for the weekend. What I saw next was a real shock but when I think back to it now, is really not a big deal. In the bakery, the cakes were all uncovered and as a result were covered with clouds of bees. When a customer pointed to the morsel they fancied, the bakers assistants simply scraped off the bees and plonked the cake into a box before any others could jump back onto it. The sight of all those bees crawling over the cakes was the most vivid image for me that the rules for the UK didn't really apply here.
Cue camel ride on the beach (touristy I know but I couldn't resist), sampling of the national cuisine cooked in a tagine, trip to haggle for a new mattress from a local bazaar, wander around the old town of Assilah and visit to a hammam (public baths/sauna). All very conducive to the act of relaxation. The weather was equally marvellous, a scorching sun every day works wonders on the post-exam zombie skin tone.Friday, August 08, 2008
Life After University
So it finally happened: the university experience is over. For the final three frenzied months, physics occupied my thoughts for every waking moment; billions of neurons desperately pumping electrical sparks around my feeble brain as I, with questionable wisdom, tried to cram in an entire degree's worth of knowledge that I had spent four long years not even attempting to learn.
March and April were truly horrid months. So many hours chained to my desk, locked away in solitary confinement. No sun, no fun, just equation after equation after equation bludgeoning me into submission like some cerebral battering ram: I felt like a zombie.
The exams came and went. But when the moment of freedom finally arrived, things felt considerably different to how I had anticipated. No feelings of elation, ecstasy or even relief; in fact, I couldn't really even switch off. Even though I had earned the right to go and utterly obliterate every alcoholic beverage within the M25, I just couldn't enjoy myself. It just didn't seem right that I had nothing to do after such an intense few months.
Three months on, I breath a sigh of relief as I cast my weary eyes upon the three characters that I had spent so much time and money to earn. Four years and £25,000 later, I have achieved the bare minimum that was expected of me and that I will need to get a decent job. It seems that my whole life has been leading towards this moment, following a well-defined path up to this event. Now I possess the key to unlock any door I want, to follow whichever route I so choose. But the problem, it suddenly occurs to me, is that I don't know what I really want.
At last I have the 2:1, but where do I take it from here?
Three months on, I breath a sigh of relief as I cast my weary eyes upon the three characters that I had spent so much time and money to earn. Four years and £25,000 later, I have achieved the bare minimum that was expected of me and that I will need to get a decent job. It seems that my whole life has been leading towards this moment, following a well-defined path up to this event. Now I possess the key to unlock any door I want, to follow whichever route I so choose. But the problem, it suddenly occurs to me, is that I don't know what I really want.
At last I have the 2:1, but where do I take it from here?
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Stupidest Charity Ever
Reading an article on the BBC website [1] about a woman in the UK bitten by a rabid dog, I was dumbfounded after the first line:
It transpires that Kim Cooling, the lady in question, runs a charity that rescues street dogs from Sri Lanka and brings them back here for rehoming. Now call me harsh, but isn't this a bloody awful waste of money? Why can't she just rehome them in Sri Lanka? The money spent on airfreight combined with the cost of facilities and wages for carers in the UK must be enough to pay for a Sri Lankan mansion for the little rascals!
People don't often realise that the effects of charity can be doubled if the money raised in the UK is used fully in the country of destination. In this particular instance, I think it is an absolute joke that people would dare to run such a charity in a country torn apart by a brutal 25 year civil war that has killed 70,000 people [2]. What about the orphans that these resources could feed/house/educate? What about the hospitals that these resources could fill with medicines?
Kim Cooling, congratulations on Animal SOS Sri Lanka receiving my vote for the stupidest charity ever.
Sources
[1] http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7368808.stm
[2] http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/7369516.stm
"A social worker who runs a charity that brings street dogs from Sri Lanka into the UK was one of three people bitten by a puppy infected with rabies."A charity that brings street dogs from Sri Lanka into the UK? Is this woman totally stark-raving mad? Don't get me wrong, I'm not against animal charities: RSCPA, Battersea Dogs Home and the like all do a sterling job of looking after animals that have been subjected to cruelty and provide assistance in the prosecution of the idiots responsible.
It transpires that Kim Cooling, the lady in question, runs a charity that rescues street dogs from Sri Lanka and brings them back here for rehoming. Now call me harsh, but isn't this a bloody awful waste of money? Why can't she just rehome them in Sri Lanka? The money spent on airfreight combined with the cost of facilities and wages for carers in the UK must be enough to pay for a Sri Lankan mansion for the little rascals!
People don't often realise that the effects of charity can be doubled if the money raised in the UK is used fully in the country of destination. In this particular instance, I think it is an absolute joke that people would dare to run such a charity in a country torn apart by a brutal 25 year civil war that has killed 70,000 people [2]. What about the orphans that these resources could feed/house/educate? What about the hospitals that these resources could fill with medicines?
Kim Cooling, congratulations on Animal SOS Sri Lanka receiving my vote for the stupidest charity ever.
Sources
[1] http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7368808.stm
[2] http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/7369516.stm
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Exhumation of Padre Pio
The body of Padre Pio, the famous 20th Century Italian priest who became St. Pio of Pietrelcina in 2002, has been exhumed and put on display on the fortieth anniversary of his death.
I am no longer a practising Catholic (I would probably describe my beliefs as agnostic leaning towards theistic) but it must be said I find the whole affair thoroughly distasteful and, dare I say it, irreverent. By digging up his body and placing it on public display, it seems to me as if the Church wants to make money from pilgrims or stir up publicity. Cynical as that is, I can't help but feel disgusted by the public display of a famous corpse on an anniversary, it just seems to me as such a disrespectful act. When I've conked out and am six feet under I want to be bloody well left there!
I am no longer a practising Catholic (I would probably describe my beliefs as agnostic leaning towards theistic) but it must be said I find the whole affair thoroughly distasteful and, dare I say it, irreverent. By digging up his body and placing it on public display, it seems to me as if the Church wants to make money from pilgrims or stir up publicity. Cynical as that is, I can't help but feel disgusted by the public display of a famous corpse on an anniversary, it just seems to me as such a disrespectful act. When I've conked out and am six feet under I want to be bloody well left there!
Friday, April 18, 2008
From Erol Alkan's MySpace profile
The beat breaks down so we pick it up
The floor shakes down but it’s not enough
The beam is up and the kids are high
I’ve seen them move and it blows my eyes
The floor’s an ocean and this wave is breaking
Your head is gone and your body’s shaking
There is nothing you can do because there is no solution
You gotta get down to the noise and confusion
The sound goes round and we start to climb
The lips curl up and it kills my line
The beat is steal and the scene is sown
I see her eyes and her eyes are blown
The floor’s an ocean and this wave is breaking
Your head is gone and your body’s shaking
There is nothing you can do because there is no solution
You gotta get down to the noise and confusion
Out of our minds on the stage
"There is nothing you can do because there is no solution
You gotta get down to the noise and confusion"
’Sons Of The Stage’ written by Tony Ogden and Gordon King
The floor shakes down but it’s not enough
The beam is up and the kids are high
I’ve seen them move and it blows my eyes
The floor’s an ocean and this wave is breaking
Your head is gone and your body’s shaking
There is nothing you can do because there is no solution
You gotta get down to the noise and confusion
The sound goes round and we start to climb
The lips curl up and it kills my line
The beat is steal and the scene is sown
I see her eyes and her eyes are blown
The floor’s an ocean and this wave is breaking
Your head is gone and your body’s shaking
There is nothing you can do because there is no solution
You gotta get down to the noise and confusion
Out of our minds on the stage
"There is nothing you can do because there is no solution
You gotta get down to the noise and confusion"
’Sons Of The Stage’ written by Tony Ogden and Gordon King
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
Imagining the Tenth Dimension
Here is a simple (albeit very hand-waving) explanation of how to imagine the 10th dimension.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
lele [SPEAKS]
The Mentalist Daily
●●●○○
The first mixtape from this witty young pipsqueak, 18 year old rapper lele [SPEAKS], boasts tracks that are not only amusing and scarily catchy, but is available free for legal download from her MySpace page!
Her childish voice and portrayal of themes relevant to teenage girls, complemented by the simple yet effective production and guest appearances from her Croydon clique the Sick Kids, makes this brand of kid-hop a naive yet original listen. It’s a bit like the shock of catching your little sister and her mates in the garage at midnight smoking weed and rapping to each other and then suddenly realising they are actually pretty good.
myspace.com/leleisbanging
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Shut Up And Listen: Live Session!
dear all,
tonight I'll be playing my last set on www. icradio. com and to ensure I go out with a bang, I've got a veritable treat for you! From 7pm-10pm we will have two bands playing live sets for us with a short interview after:
Spectrum 7 (myspace. com/spectrum7)
Take Aim Fire (myspace. com/takeaimfire)
plus special guest DJ set from Dan Browne!
tune in and wig out!!!
:D
tonight I'll be playing my last set on www. icradio. com and to ensure I go out with a bang, I've got a veritable treat for you! From 7pm-10pm we will have two bands playing live sets for us with a short interview after:
Spectrum 7 (myspace. com/spectrum7)
Take Aim Fire (myspace. com/takeaimfire)
plus special guest DJ set from Dan Browne!
tune in and wig out!!!
:D
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Shut Up And Listen 23/02/08 Playlist
| 1. ZPU - Yo Soy Un Soldado |
| 2. Example - Diamond Days |
| 3. Wiley - Get Along Gang (instrumental) |
| 4. Pharoahe Monch - Simon Says |
| 5. The Purple Pixels - Ready, Steady, Go! |
| 6. Maniac - Wiley Freestyle |
| 7. Tinchy Stryder ft. Goldielocks - Stereotype |
| 8. Xzibit - Saturday Night Live |
| 9. Jay-Z - Izzo (H.O.V.A.) |
| 10. The Cribs - Hey Scenesters! |
| 11. Idlewild - Little Discourage |
| 12. Fenech-Soler - The Fight |
| 13. Not Idea - Worthless Treasure |
| 14. Imajim - Single Crumb |
| 15. Hello Saferide - San Francisco |
| 16. Robyn - Who's That Girl |
| 17. The Cranberries - I Can't Be With You |
| 18. Tripwires - Kings And Queens |
| 19. Arty Karate - Ammunition |
| 20. Foo Fighters - Generator |
| 21. Spectrum 7 - The Last Great Train Robbery |
| 22. Garbage - Vow |
| 23. The Knife - Heartbeats |
| 24. Hadouken! - Love, Sweat & Beer |
| 25. Dizzee Rascal - I Luv U |
| 26. Kano - P's & Q's |
| 27. Papa Vito - Drill It (Lillica Libertine remix) |
| 28. Roni Size & Reprazent - Snapshot |
Friday, February 15, 2008
Troops to Teachers in the UK
Once again the BBC website of which I am so fond (and arguably over-dependent on) has covered an excellent story and raised a proposal that I consider to be an excellent idea.
The Centre for Policy Studies, a British government think tank, has suggested that the UK should model an American scheme called Troops to Teachers, known as T3 [1]. This scheme retrains experienced ex-members of the armed forces to become teachers.
This is expected to bring back respect to the classroom, as the servicemen and women would bring with them self-discipline and act as role models for them. Their experience in maintaining discipline is anticipated to work wonders in inner-city schools, where children look up to physical strength as a key quality.
I must say this would also be mutually beneficial to former servicemen and women, as it is often very hard to reintegrate into "Civvy Street" (i.e. the real world). Some ex-soldiers, sailors and airmen struggle with the lack of a rigid hierarchical structure, absence of strict discipline and no longer having the feeling of serving society, their country and the greater good in general. Some can also lack qualifications that will help them compete in the commercial job market. This scheme would allow them to train for another job and bring a very useful set of skills to our education system in addition to bringing a vast wealth of life experience into the classroom.
The scheme on paper sounds like a fantastic idea and indeed the US scheme has proven to be highly successful (88% retention rate of T3 participants as opposed to the national average of 50% as one example). However, I think that it will need to be handled very carefully and the right candidates will need to be vetted thoroughly. Also, could it be possible that the scheme would further the romantic idealism of violence in modern culture and continue to ingrain the notion of aggression being directly linked to respect, power and authority?
It may be that some of these ex-servicemen/women will also struggle to cope with the lack of respect in the classroom: after all, working in the forces is voluntary but school is compulsory (to paraphrase the comment of "Voice of the Voyager" below the article in question.
A British analogue of the T3 scheme has the potential to have a positive impact on our education system provided it is handled well, with the recruits being correctly selected and given the right training.
Sources
[1] http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/7245122.stm
The Centre for Policy Studies, a British government think tank, has suggested that the UK should model an American scheme called Troops to Teachers, known as T3 [1]. This scheme retrains experienced ex-members of the armed forces to become teachers.
This is expected to bring back respect to the classroom, as the servicemen and women would bring with them self-discipline and act as role models for them. Their experience in maintaining discipline is anticipated to work wonders in inner-city schools, where children look up to physical strength as a key quality.
I must say this would also be mutually beneficial to former servicemen and women, as it is often very hard to reintegrate into "Civvy Street" (i.e. the real world). Some ex-soldiers, sailors and airmen struggle with the lack of a rigid hierarchical structure, absence of strict discipline and no longer having the feeling of serving society, their country and the greater good in general. Some can also lack qualifications that will help them compete in the commercial job market. This scheme would allow them to train for another job and bring a very useful set of skills to our education system in addition to bringing a vast wealth of life experience into the classroom.
The scheme on paper sounds like a fantastic idea and indeed the US scheme has proven to be highly successful (88% retention rate of T3 participants as opposed to the national average of 50% as one example). However, I think that it will need to be handled very carefully and the right candidates will need to be vetted thoroughly. Also, could it be possible that the scheme would further the romantic idealism of violence in modern culture and continue to ingrain the notion of aggression being directly linked to respect, power and authority?
It may be that some of these ex-servicemen/women will also struggle to cope with the lack of respect in the classroom: after all, working in the forces is voluntary but school is compulsory (to paraphrase the comment of "Voice of the Voyager" below the article in question.
A British analogue of the T3 scheme has the potential to have a positive impact on our education system provided it is handled well, with the recruits being correctly selected and given the right training.
Sources
[1] http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/7245122.stm
Monday, February 11, 2008
BBC iPlayer: amazing
The TV is officially dying and internet TV is rising from its ashes. The new iPlayer from the BBC allows UK viewers to watch any missed programs for up to 7 days after they have been broadcast. I have recently used it for the first time to catch up on games from the first weekend of the Six Nations rugby tournament, and I am very impressed. I am a child of the internet generation: in my student flat we don't even have a telly (although one of the girls has a TV card for her laptop which is also impressive technology).
Hopefully the England rugby team can put together some decent performances to make the most of it!
Hopefully the England rugby team can put together some decent performances to make the most of it!
Friday, February 01, 2008
Six Nations Excitement
So it's nearly the start of the 2008 Six Nations and I'm not the only rugby fan who's excited. Here's the thoughts of The Manic Street Preachers' cross-dressing bassist Nicky Wire on the BBC website [1]:
Sounds like one hell of a party! What a fruitcake!!!
Source
[1]http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/welsh/7221292.stm
"I'm just a huge sports fan and the start of the Six Nations is just one of the most exciting times of the year - close the curtains, get a sausage sandwich on and have a shandy."
Sounds like one hell of a party! What a fruitcake!!!
Source
[1]http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/welsh/7221292.stm
Monday, January 28, 2008
Just For A Giggle
Here's a little footage from the Harry Enfield/Fast Show archives. Classic, if a little naughty...
Shut Up And Listen 26/01/08 Playlist
Guest DJ: Sean Williams
1. Tiny Masters of Today – K.I.D.S.
2. Does It Offend You Yeah? – Battle Royale
3. Peter Bjorn & John – Young Folks (Punks Jump Up Remix)
4. Tapedeck – Falcon
5. Justice – Phantom
6. Friendly Fires – Your Love
7. Vampire Weekend – A Punk
8. Filthy Youth – Boys Don’t Smoke
9. High Contrast – White Stripes Blue Orchid Remix
10. Blood Red Shoes – It’s Getting Boring By The Sea (Blamma Blamma Mix)
11. Dan Le Sac VS Scroobius Pip – A Letter from God to Man
12. Skream – Smiley Face
13. Example – Vile
14. Whitey – Stay on the Outside
15. Radiohead – Bodysnatchers
16. Late of the Pier – Bathroom Gurgle
17. Babyshambles – The Man Who Came to Stay
18. Lightspeed Champion – Devil Tricks for a Bitch
19. Danger Mouse – Public Service Announcement
20. Plan B – Missing Links feat. Radiohead
21. Maps – You Don’t Know her Name
22. Trash Fashion – Mom & Daddy (Jet Storm’s Ear Cleaner Mix)
1. Tiny Masters of Today – K.I.D.S.
2. Does It Offend You Yeah? – Battle Royale
3. Peter Bjorn & John – Young Folks (Punks Jump Up Remix)
4. Tapedeck – Falcon
5. Justice – Phantom
6. Friendly Fires – Your Love
7. Vampire Weekend – A Punk
8. Filthy Youth – Boys Don’t Smoke
9. High Contrast – White Stripes Blue Orchid Remix
10. Blood Red Shoes – It’s Getting Boring By The Sea (Blamma Blamma Mix)
11. Dan Le Sac VS Scroobius Pip – A Letter from God to Man
12. Skream – Smiley Face
13. Example – Vile
14. Whitey – Stay on the Outside
15. Radiohead – Bodysnatchers
16. Late of the Pier – Bathroom Gurgle
17. Babyshambles – The Man Who Came to Stay
18. Lightspeed Champion – Devil Tricks for a Bitch
19. Danger Mouse – Public Service Announcement
20. Plan B – Missing Links feat. Radiohead
21. Maps – You Don’t Know her Name
22. Trash Fashion – Mom & Daddy (Jet Storm’s Ear Cleaner Mix)
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Considering Erasmus? My advice: DO IT!
May I start by confirming the fact that choosing to do Erasmus is probably one of the best decisions you will ever make, so put aside any fears about language barrier or the distance from home! After a year you will have loads of friends from every corner of
In pretty much every university the Erasmus students form a very tight community, so any problems with language barrier are instantly removed by the fact that everybody else is in the same boat! I personally found the mixture of people from all different nations absolutely mind-blowing. I wasn’t very well travelled before Erasmus and thought it was going to be a problem: on the contrary, I think that’s why I enjoyed it more!
Conversations consisting of more than 3 languages at once will become the norm and you will not cease to be amazed by the cultural and linguistic peculiarities of our neighbours. Exploring the language and culture of the host country with your new Erasmus mates makes it so much less scary and a hell of a lot more fun. I met some incredible people whilst in
It is probable that many of your fellow Erasmus students may be doing the year for little or even no credits, so keep this in mind towards the end of the year when deadlines are approaching, especially if you want to do well. If you are writing a thesis or project out there, remember to see your supervisor as much as humanly possible and continuously ask members of the group questions.
I would advise you to try and organise a language buddy with a native speaker as soon as possible, because it is tempting to only hang around with Erasmus guys which linguistically is a bad move! Also try to join a local gym, sports team or some form of club as this will allow you to widen your social network and get some good local chat on the go!
Make sure you get a Skype account for a free or very cheap way to call back to the
Sunday, January 20, 2008
The Meaning of Life... via text message
Last week I received a text from a company called Texperts offering me a free text message as a trial of their service. They apparently have a panel of experts that quickly answer any question that you text them for the sum of £1.
Seeing as I am studying a Philosophy module this year I used my free SMS to ask the eternal question "What is the meaning of life?", hoping to get some sort of humorous reply from a bamboozled "expert". About two minutes later I received the following answer:
The first part is very bleak indeed and anybody religious would be exceptionally liable to disagree. It plainly contradicts the Aristotlean idea of every life having a telos (Greek: specific end, goal or purpose) and the theistic idea of us existing due to God's grand scheme, the divine purpose.
I find the second part equally disagreeable. Can someone's life be worth more because they consider it to be? Is the life of a depression sufferer worth less than that of a happy newly-wed just because they value their life less? I find this hard to agree with; in my opinion every life has an equal and unwavering value, regardless of their state of mind.
The final part has its feet firmly embedded in the relativism that seems to be prevalent in a lot of moral thinking today. It also elevates man above God and says that our will is central to defining our own meaning. I don't like the sound of this: what happens if I believe my life's meaning is that I was put on this Earth to be an axe murderer?
Whoever wrote the text message has given an answer that ignores that we may have a specific telos or reason to exist. By suggesting that our life gains meaning depending on what we believe seems to be reminiscent of Anselm's ontological argument. Just because I believe that my life meaning is to eat muffins does not necessarily correlate with the truth. It's like saying that because I can imagine a pineapple with legs that can run as fast as an ostrich, that it must exist in reality.
I'm tempted to write Texperts an email and get them to update their answer to something a bit less bleak! What if someone in a fragile state of mind asks the same question and gets this reply? I hope that there's nobody out there vulnerable enough to take an answer to the meaning of life via text message as gospel.
Seeing as I am studying a Philosophy module this year I used my free SMS to ask the eternal question "What is the meaning of life?", hoping to get some sort of humorous reply from a bamboozled "expert". About two minutes later I received the following answer:
"No inherent meaning to life other than to create meaning. The more one values life the more valuable it is. Each individual defines their own meaning."Of course the first thing that came to mind was the sweet irony of receiving the answer to the eternal question of existence via a mobile telephone. Oh how technology enhances and enriches our modern lives! I wondered if it was a quote from some revered 20th Century thinker. It seemed a fair statement, albeit staunchly from the perspective of a modern atheist. But as I looked at it more and more, I started to doubt its credibility. It seems more probable that it is just some pseudo-profound waffle from the office's self-appointed "thinker".
The first part is very bleak indeed and anybody religious would be exceptionally liable to disagree. It plainly contradicts the Aristotlean idea of every life having a telos (Greek: specific end, goal or purpose) and the theistic idea of us existing due to God's grand scheme, the divine purpose.
I find the second part equally disagreeable. Can someone's life be worth more because they consider it to be? Is the life of a depression sufferer worth less than that of a happy newly-wed just because they value their life less? I find this hard to agree with; in my opinion every life has an equal and unwavering value, regardless of their state of mind.
The final part has its feet firmly embedded in the relativism that seems to be prevalent in a lot of moral thinking today. It also elevates man above God and says that our will is central to defining our own meaning. I don't like the sound of this: what happens if I believe my life's meaning is that I was put on this Earth to be an axe murderer?
Whoever wrote the text message has given an answer that ignores that we may have a specific telos or reason to exist. By suggesting that our life gains meaning depending on what we believe seems to be reminiscent of Anselm's ontological argument. Just because I believe that my life meaning is to eat muffins does not necessarily correlate with the truth. It's like saying that because I can imagine a pineapple with legs that can run as fast as an ostrich, that it must exist in reality.
I'm tempted to write Texperts an email and get them to update their answer to something a bit less bleak! What if someone in a fragile state of mind asks the same question and gets this reply? I hope that there's nobody out there vulnerable enough to take an answer to the meaning of life via text message as gospel.
Shut Up And Listen 19/01/08 Playlist
| 1 | Akala | Electro Livin' |
| 2 | We Smoke Fags | Photo Fitness |
| 3 | Take Aim Fire | A Barren Spell |
| 4 | Bombay Bicycle Club | Open House |
| 5 | Kasha ft Composure | Hustling |
| 6 | Edan | Emcees Smoke Crack |
| 7 | Yila ft Scroobius Pip | Astronaut |
| 8 | Sway | Black Stars |
| 9 | Spank Rock and Benny Blanco ft Amanda Blank | LOOSE |
| 10 | Roots Manuva | Seat Yourself (Miami Mix) |
| 11 | The Mitchell Brothers | Don't Try This At Home |
| 12 | Timbalana ft Dr Dre, Justin Timberlake and Missy Elliot | Bounce |
| 13 | Illastate Mixtape | What You Doing |
| 14 | Tinchy Stryder | Xtra |
| 15 | Faith SFX | Oh My |
| 16 | Lady Sovereign | Chi Ching (Cheque 1 2) |
| 17 | M.I.A. | XR2 |
| 18 | Bolt Action Five | Stand By Your Lover |
| 19 | The Cleft Palettes | Seasnake (Yes Sir Idol remix) |
| 20 | Simian Mobile Disco | Sleep Deprivation |
| 21 | Lillica Libertine | Diamonds |
| 22 | Yes Sir Idol | Idol vs Bul!m!atron! |
| 23 | Bloc Party | Banquet (Phones Disco Edit) |
| 24 | Hadouken! | Leap of Faith (Chase and Status Vocal Remix) |
Saturday, January 05, 2008
China: a nation of dichotomy
I've just finished reading two articles about China on the BBC website and I can't help but be totally flabbergasted at the difference between them. It transpires that China, the world's oldest political entity (at approximately 2,000 years old), executes more people than the rest of the world put together [1]. According to the article, Amnesty International estimates 1,010 people were executed there in 2006, amounting to 60% of global executions for that year. China does not actually release official figures on the topic, so worse still it could be "just the tip of the iceberg".
In complete contrast, there has been a recent boom in people reading the works of Confucius, with new nursery schools entirely dedicated to his teachings and a recent publication of his main sayings reaching the best-sellers list [2]. His teachings "extol the virtues of harmony, humility and courtesy to others" [2] and he has been described as "one of the most humane thinkers of all time" [3]. The discrepancy between the morals of the government and morals of he people would appear to be as divergent as one would be inclined to expect from a communist society!
Sources
[1]http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7169122.stm
[2]http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7169814.stm
[3]http://www.amazon.co.uk/Analects-Classics-Confucius/dp/0140443487/ref=wl_it_dp?ie=UTF8&coliid=I1X2T99HPQIZQ4&colid=2V0GOPK79A8NQ
In complete contrast, there has been a recent boom in people reading the works of Confucius, with new nursery schools entirely dedicated to his teachings and a recent publication of his main sayings reaching the best-sellers list [2]. His teachings "extol the virtues of harmony, humility and courtesy to others" [2] and he has been described as "one of the most humane thinkers of all time" [3]. The discrepancy between the morals of the government and morals of he people would appear to be as divergent as one would be inclined to expect from a communist society!
Sources
[1]http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7169122.stm
[2]http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7169814.stm
[3]http://www.amazon.co.uk/Analects-Classics-Confucius/dp/0140443487/ref=wl_it_dp?ie=UTF8&coliid=I1X2T99HPQIZQ4&colid=2V0GOPK79A8NQ
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