I recall dreams from time to time. It's not really all that often, probably once or twice a month according to my dream diary. The diary logs any dream that is significant, so of course there are a number of dreams I've had that are recalled but quickly forgotten for whatever reason. This night, I write about tracking dreams.
Dreams often have nonsensical premises, and one wonders where the dreams came from. For me, I interrogate my mind using the dream itself to gain some insight. If I dreamed about something that I was crossing the bridge at night with only a flashlight on, I'd run a search with concepts like flashlight and darkness. The first memories that surface are often the most salient ones that are most closely related to the dream itself. In this case, it was when I was guiding my folks down a dark passageway because they didn't see as well in the dark as I did.
The next step is to interrogate that memory for the emotions associated with it. It turns out that works as well, which makes a rather nice match to what the dream was about. After filtering for these memory associated aspects of the dream, it becomes possible to root out the other dream aspects that did not come from the memory. That is the essence of the dream.
Monday, January 23, 2012
Friday, January 20, 2012
Chinese New Year Superstitions
Like with many superstitions, Chinese new year superstitions often make little sense. As usual, they are probably best thought of in terms of tradition rather than logic and actual practicality. Too much of it is based on the concepts of sympathetic magick, apparently without understanding of the principles of such spellcraft.
Now, let's consider the matter of luck and how it's purported to operate during the new year period. Supposedly, the practice of getting new things and cleaning out old (bad) things is intended to rid the house of ill luck. Makes sense. However, one's also told not to clean up for a period after to accept the good luck. Wait, if cleaning's good, why's cleaning suddenly bad? Gota make up our minds somewhere here...
In my opinion, if the year's been good, wouldn't it be generally harmful to attempt a thorough cleaning around the period since it may involve clearing the good luck along with the bad? Simply put, I really don't think the luck related superstitions hold much water at all. For one, I don't note religious adherents to such practices as being particularly rich or lucky. And for those who are about to say it...yup, both will involve empirical observations.
Now, let's consider the matter of luck and how it's purported to operate during the new year period. Supposedly, the practice of getting new things and cleaning out old (bad) things is intended to rid the house of ill luck. Makes sense. However, one's also told not to clean up for a period after to accept the good luck. Wait, if cleaning's good, why's cleaning suddenly bad? Gota make up our minds somewhere here...
In my opinion, if the year's been good, wouldn't it be generally harmful to attempt a thorough cleaning around the period since it may involve clearing the good luck along with the bad? Simply put, I really don't think the luck related superstitions hold much water at all. For one, I don't note religious adherents to such practices as being particularly rich or lucky. And for those who are about to say it...yup, both will involve empirical observations.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Processing Power
Human minds have limited processing power. One of the effects of living in a city is that processing power becomes overloaded fairly easily, and people go into shutdown mode in order to deal with it. That is, to avoid going positively nuts. Everyone does it to a greater or lesser extent.
Now, my consideration is with why it is that some people think for themselves and others don't. I'm going to assume that processing power norms exist, and most people are similarly smart. I'm also assuming that people are able to think, and most aren't necessarily running their brains in suspend mode all the time. With these assumptions in place, the logical question is what exactly the processing power is spent on.
Some of the supposedly "mindless" folk most probably do run their processors. They just seem to have their processors set on dealing with seemingly unproductive activities, such as fashion perhaps. However, it does seem to me that the constraints they set upon themselves (or have internalized from wider society) is the set of prescribed topics to think about. The reason "mindless" folk are as they are is that they are simply processing within the prescribed paradigm, and it never really does occur to them to consider anything beyond those confines. Not so mindless after all. Just...misguided.
Now, my consideration is with why it is that some people think for themselves and others don't. I'm going to assume that processing power norms exist, and most people are similarly smart. I'm also assuming that people are able to think, and most aren't necessarily running their brains in suspend mode all the time. With these assumptions in place, the logical question is what exactly the processing power is spent on.
Some of the supposedly "mindless" folk most probably do run their processors. They just seem to have their processors set on dealing with seemingly unproductive activities, such as fashion perhaps. However, it does seem to me that the constraints they set upon themselves (or have internalized from wider society) is the set of prescribed topics to think about. The reason "mindless" folk are as they are is that they are simply processing within the prescribed paradigm, and it never really does occur to them to consider anything beyond those confines. Not so mindless after all. Just...misguided.
Friday, January 13, 2012
The Game Of Thrones
Power has ever been something that the people have fought over. In this current age, the internet is quite a potent powerhouse indeed, and once again control over this resource has become quite salient.
Unlike any other time in human history, a resource has been created that can potentially link the people of the world who are capable of accessing it. In fact, the sheer ubiquity of the internet has made it such that even common folk can have access in a goodly number of countries. Never before has a resource been created that can fell governments and change societies. Coordination becomes possible, and for once people can band together in sufficient numbers to a common purpose that may be contrary to the unified will of the authorities.
On the other side, the governments and corporations that help run them are feeling the pinch and are attempting to wrest back control of the internet from the people. Given the concentration of old fashioned political power and money in these folk, it would be interesting to see if people power has a chance to fight back this time. The key weakness of the mob has always been that it's too divided to fight back except in exceedingly dire situations, but this time it may well be different.
Unlike any other time in human history, a resource has been created that can potentially link the people of the world who are capable of accessing it. In fact, the sheer ubiquity of the internet has made it such that even common folk can have access in a goodly number of countries. Never before has a resource been created that can fell governments and change societies. Coordination becomes possible, and for once people can band together in sufficient numbers to a common purpose that may be contrary to the unified will of the authorities.
On the other side, the governments and corporations that help run them are feeling the pinch and are attempting to wrest back control of the internet from the people. Given the concentration of old fashioned political power and money in these folk, it would be interesting to see if people power has a chance to fight back this time. The key weakness of the mob has always been that it's too divided to fight back except in exceedingly dire situations, but this time it may well be different.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
The Inbetweeners
What did I just watch!? Alright well the background is that I was (again) asked along for a movie that I knew nothing about. (Perhaps I should stop doing this). Ultimately, I am perhaps a poor critic for this particular film because I didn't watch the TV series, and there is undoubtedly a lot of the flavor of the backstory that is whizzing right past me.
Simply put, this is a comedy about a bunch of boys who are really quite eager to get laid. Perhaps every bit as much as any other boy around their adolescent ages. There's the insensitive, the stupid, the geeky and the know-it-all. They stumble through their attempts to find their mates while on holiday, and the rest you just have to watch to get it.
So what do we have...a film chock full of good ole English adolescent humor. Perhaps a bit slapstick, but English humor regardless. Bunch of characters that I ought to recognize were I a fan, which I am evidently not. And lots of sex. And attempts at sex. And failed attempts at sex. And sex. With more sex. Without really explicit sexual moment. Which are sometimes explicit regardless. Right, then. I'd just say that this film is clearly a fan service, and the dude who watched with us was a fan so he did appreciate it. Unfortunately, I have no idea on that front, so I'll speak as a non-fan and give the film a 4/10.
Simply put, this is a comedy about a bunch of boys who are really quite eager to get laid. Perhaps every bit as much as any other boy around their adolescent ages. There's the insensitive, the stupid, the geeky and the know-it-all. They stumble through their attempts to find their mates while on holiday, and the rest you just have to watch to get it.
So what do we have...a film chock full of good ole English adolescent humor. Perhaps a bit slapstick, but English humor regardless. Bunch of characters that I ought to recognize were I a fan, which I am evidently not. And lots of sex. And attempts at sex. And failed attempts at sex. And sex. With more sex. Without really explicit sexual moment. Which are sometimes explicit regardless. Right, then. I'd just say that this film is clearly a fan service, and the dude who watched with us was a fan so he did appreciate it. Unfortunately, I have no idea on that front, so I'll speak as a non-fan and give the film a 4/10.
Saturday, January 07, 2012
On Group Think
One of my friends pointed out today that the high intellectuals of any day are highly susceptible to group think. That is, when their peers within their fields think in a particular way, the others start to follow suit. This leads to periods where people think in very particular ways, such as the trends in economic policy.
Truly, social proof is exceedingly powerful. Thinking from the perspective of an intellectual, it is rather difficult to convince people of a different point of view when everyone of the time basically agrees that a particular convention is incorrect. Man this is our entire world now, so who are you to disagree? I like to think that an individual can move a mountain all by herself, simply because she is right. Yes, it is unrealistic and against convention, but it is also the stability-giving convention that holds us back from thinking outside the box. It may not even be a question of can a single person move the mountain this instant, but a question of is it possible to do so at all and how can we make it possible...then easy?
I guess people really do need to be taught the ways of thinking that'll equip them with the ability to break out of group think. It's difficult, and sometimes it isn't even apparent that one's sinking into that particular morass. Truly it can work well most of the time to achieve a consensus, but at others, it's also downright important to be able to hear the dissenting voices so that progress can be made.
Truly, social proof is exceedingly powerful. Thinking from the perspective of an intellectual, it is rather difficult to convince people of a different point of view when everyone of the time basically agrees that a particular convention is incorrect. Man this is our entire world now, so who are you to disagree? I like to think that an individual can move a mountain all by herself, simply because she is right. Yes, it is unrealistic and against convention, but it is also the stability-giving convention that holds us back from thinking outside the box. It may not even be a question of can a single person move the mountain this instant, but a question of is it possible to do so at all and how can we make it possible...then easy?
I guess people really do need to be taught the ways of thinking that'll equip them with the ability to break out of group think. It's difficult, and sometimes it isn't even apparent that one's sinking into that particular morass. Truly it can work well most of the time to achieve a consensus, but at others, it's also downright important to be able to hear the dissenting voices so that progress can be made.
Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol
A Tom Cruise movie. Honestly, if the reviews weren't all that great and my friends weren't asking me to watch it with them...I really wouldn't. Mission Impossible 1 was fascinating, but I still feel it should have just ended at that. Anything beyond will tend to become repetitive. Much like Ocean's 11. Regardless, the reviews looked fine and all that, so I watched this particular release.
First things first, this is a Mission Impossible movie. If the title didn't suggest it already, it's all about people trying to get a job done despite effectively impossible odds. Unfortunately, that seems to be the plot of a goodly number of action flicks nowadays, so the meme ceases to amaze or amuse me. Then again, for an MI flick, the movie is not half bad either.
So we've got the usual fodder of impossible situation and high tension moments that leave some of the audience gasping in their seats (fails to work with me, because the heroes invariably make it out just fine). Some of the classic MI accept your mission moments, and cocky operatives in action. Yet, despite all the tensioned shock and awe, the movie kind of zips past with few truly memorable moments. Perhaps I have become jaded by the glut of similar films.
Regardless, it's a respectable enough MI, but I would have to say that it isn't quite up to the mark of what a lot of review sites are saying. I'd give it maybe a 7/10. Predictable, both in a good and bad way.
First things first, this is a Mission Impossible movie. If the title didn't suggest it already, it's all about people trying to get a job done despite effectively impossible odds. Unfortunately, that seems to be the plot of a goodly number of action flicks nowadays, so the meme ceases to amaze or amuse me. Then again, for an MI flick, the movie is not half bad either.
So we've got the usual fodder of impossible situation and high tension moments that leave some of the audience gasping in their seats (fails to work with me, because the heroes invariably make it out just fine). Some of the classic MI accept your mission moments, and cocky operatives in action. Yet, despite all the tensioned shock and awe, the movie kind of zips past with few truly memorable moments. Perhaps I have become jaded by the glut of similar films.
Regardless, it's a respectable enough MI, but I would have to say that it isn't quite up to the mark of what a lot of review sites are saying. I'd give it maybe a 7/10. Predictable, both in a good and bad way.
Friday, January 06, 2012
Skyrim
If anyone noticed that I've been kinda missing over the last couple weeks, let us blame Skyrim. For the precious few who have yet to hear of this game, it is pretty much the biggest current Western style RPG. If anything, it is actually a huge open world with an incredible amount of content with a satisfyingly complex progression system to back it up. In short, it is stellar.
I recall the last game that managed to hook me this way was back in the days of Morrowind. Oblivion sort of dropped the ball due to its obvious console roots, and the perceived lack of sophistication in the gameplay system.
The thing about Skyrim is its sheer scale and varied atmospheric environments. One can march from lush forests to arid wastelands and up frigid mountains with a blizzard blowing in one's face, dealing with the wildlife and other stray humanoids along the way. That's in addition to the main attraction of doing errands...er...quests... to push the storyline along. Or not. The choice is yours.
So, what would I say in conclusion? Skyrim isn't really a game. It's more of a world created by game developers, and a rather engaging world as it were. I think I shall have to leave this boring one for a while now, so I can appreciate the truly beautiful things in life.
I recall the last game that managed to hook me this way was back in the days of Morrowind. Oblivion sort of dropped the ball due to its obvious console roots, and the perceived lack of sophistication in the gameplay system.
The thing about Skyrim is its sheer scale and varied atmospheric environments. One can march from lush forests to arid wastelands and up frigid mountains with a blizzard blowing in one's face, dealing with the wildlife and other stray humanoids along the way. That's in addition to the main attraction of doing errands...er...quests... to push the storyline along. Or not. The choice is yours.
So, what would I say in conclusion? Skyrim isn't really a game. It's more of a world created by game developers, and a rather engaging world as it were. I think I shall have to leave this boring one for a while now, so I can appreciate the truly beautiful things in life.
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