P.H.I.L.O.S.O.P.H.Y. Shoebox

SLUT

2010-03-20T16:31:00.000-07:00

Slut. Oh boy, where to start with this. Do I start with the paradoxical social expectations of female sexuality. Do I start with the word slut itself. Or with my own sexual conflict, or the conflict of my peers and friends. Let's start with the word.

What do you mean when you call someone a slut? I think it safe for me to assume that most people intend it to demean the sexuality of the person that are labeling. Which is appropriate if the person being called a slut is using sex to abuse or manipulate. But the term slut is commonly used to demean a woman because of her sexuality. It is intended to make her feel embarrassed and ashamed of being sexual. It casts female sexuality in such a light as to make women feel like their sexuality ought to be a secret, and not at all depicted to anyone that they want respect from. Most females would not feel comfortable talking with a casual group of people about their own sexuality. It's because the media insists that women are to be very sexy, but society condemns revealing your sexuality. If I was at a party and a group of guys started talking about one of their totally hot exes and what a great lay she was it would be considered normal. But if I joined in and said something similar about an ex or contributed to the conversation all of those guys would think I was a slut. It's a social norm. It's expected.

So why am I the slut and they aren't? Why is this totally absurd double standard not recognized by the average person?

Obviously my personal views on sexuality may differ from yours. But this is pretty much what I think: porn is such a strong industry because humans like sex. It's natural. It's biological. Humans like sex. Men talk about sex because it interests them. Women talk about sex because it interests them. But we're not allowed to appreciate it in the same ways. Men are allowed to want to bang just about any chick they meet. And why shouldn't they want to? Sex is fun. And chicks are hot. But not for women, no way. If a woman said she'ed bang just about any attractive guy that she could, she'd be a slut. No longer a woman, no longer a friend, no longer a partner worth respect. Now she's a slut. There's no point in investing friendship in her. She's a slut. And that's dirty.

I don't see how people can make this crude assumption every day and not think about it.

Every time my friend or my boyfriend mentions something about my sex life in front of another person I act embarrassed. I act. I'm not really embarrassed. I like sex and I like talking about it. But I don't feel like I can be sexual and be respected. There are only three people that I can talk to about sex and not feel dirty. This is social oppression. I feel ashamed of myself for my perfectly normal and natural sexuality.

Fifteen year old girls are learning to manipulate with their sexuality, or are learning to fear and be ashamed of it, because their parents aren't teaching them otherwise. Neither are their friends or their teachers. These girls see that their sexuality is viewed as something bad or dangerous or fragile beyond understanding, so they treat it as if it really is. When parents refuse to teach their children what kind of sexual desires and displays are normal, then dumb ass teenagers have to figure it out for themselves. And dumb ass teenagers usually fuck up the complicated things in life.

But why is this the norm? Is it because the idea of a sexually liberated women intimidates the average Joe? Or is it just the general puritanism in our nation that most people don't abide but still feel like they should kinda act like they abide.

How do you feel about someone's sexuality being discussed or displayed. Why? Do you feel differently about that expression coming from a man or a woman? Why? Do you think I've got it all wrong and that all sexuality should be private and secretive? Why?

No matter what the source, this is a problem that needs to be addressed. I just want people to respect me as a woman, in everything that that entails. My sexuality is not abnormal or freakish. But I fear the disappointment and disrespect that usually accompany some enlightenment into my sex life. I have a healthy, normal, fun, and communicative sex life. And I'm ashamed of that.

I've Got a Case of the Crazies

2009-10-26T10:28:00.000-07:00

I keep having these dreams that I win the lottery. I've never even played the lottery. Like, ever. I'm not even having money troubles right now, not really. I just know that I'll be taking like four to eight years of school, and really love being a student and hate being a waitress. If I did just have a lump of money that I won or inherited my life wouldn't change that much. I might even keep my job. I'd just work like two days a week instead of five. I might look for a different job, but I don't think I'd not work altogether. I'd feel so useless if I didn't do some kind of work. I'd still be going to P.C.C. to transfer to a four year school. I'd just sit on the money until I graduated.

I don't even know why I waste my time thinking about it. I think that things are going really well for me and I just don't have anything else to stress over. My relationship is going really well, I have great job security, I'm a new college student that isn't living with my parents nor am I living off of Ramen or rice. I like my classes and my teachers. It's the holiday season, which I absolutely LOVE. I just had a doctor visit that gave me good news and put some stresses to rest.

So I give myself an ulcer over money issues that I don't even have. I've been doing this with different things lately. I just pick something that I really can't change and stress over it as if it's the end of the world. Two weeks ago it was my boyfriend's ex girlfriend. Before that it was all the things I didn't know about transfer degrees. Five days ago it was whether or not my insurance would cover a specialist that I needed to see. Most of these have answers that I could have taken the time to find out. But no. I sit and stew and stress until I'm ready to burst, then I move on to something else.

I think I'm going to leave town for a while before Christmas. Maybe go down to California and see some old friends. Just for a week or so after this quarter is over.

This shoebox is looking dusty, isn't it?

2009-10-23T16:54:00.000-07:00

Philosophy Club 2009/2010 School Year

2009-09-22T12:36:00.000-07:00

So, this year I will be attempting to help get Philosophy Club back into meeting! I've been working on a website and making it a bit easier to follow the club for members. I also created a poster, as is viewable on both my blogs (Novum.ARIA and Grandtree) as well as available full rez for download.

I will launch the website and then post the URL to both my blogs, and on here for others who follow to see and make suggestions. If anyone has suggestions now, go ahead and post them as a comment! I'd be glad to get some help in getting things rolling.

Also, any new topics for meetings will be listed and posted on the website so people don't get too confused. Hopefully that will help a bit!

Farewell for now,
~Anders

(P.S. I need to find out what time and days are best for everyone to meet.. If possible, including any still local members who wish to meet-up!)

It made me think

2009-09-12T17:03:00.000-07:00

WARNING: Spoilers for first episode of Star Gate Atlantis below.

I was watching the first episode of Star Gate Atlantis just today and it made me think. You see, in this episode John Sheppard kills Colonel Marshall Sumner. Sumner is being viciously murdered, slowly, and Sheppard shoots to put an end to the misery. Though there are other circumstances that complicate the situation. Sheppard has a black mark on his military record for disobeying orders and Sumner hates him because of it. Since Sumner is Sheppard's commanding officer he tends to make things difficult for him, and it is obvious to all that they do not get along. So, in shooting Sumner, Sheppard risks the threat of suspicion of his motives to shoot, dishonorable discharge, and even criminal charges including murder.

I think killing him was the right thing to do. Had Sumner survived (which he wasn't going to) he would have been miserably deformed and his life span would have been decreased by several decades. The pain he was in was immense and he was refusing to give up information. In that he was protecting billions of human lives and he deserved an out.

I would prefer to be given a quick death over a terrible one, and I think I would do the same for someone else. But is that necessarily right? Is it necessarily wrong? What would you want? What would you do?

--Cheater Fish

Too long.

2009-08-20T13:59:00.000-07:00

It's been far too long since any posts have been placed here, so I'll attempt to remedy the situation. Today's thought piece: Helping People.

An old friend and I were discussing helping people for the sake of it, and he described what lengths he would (does) go to to help people who are distressed, distraught, or just in a pinch of trouble. To me, some of it seemed ridiculous. Not only was the amount of effort and help given a bit more than I'd ever consider, it seemed to me that he was helping people that just did not deserve it.

But maybe you're not quite as callous as I am.

People -- how much help, or support, or whatever do you think certain people deserve? Start from the most obvious and work your way down. Your spouse? Your immediate family? Your friends? Your extended family? Neighbors? Co-Workers? Strangers? What sort of circumstances warrant your aid, and what factors disqualify somebody as deserving of your assistance?

An age old question.

2009-07-17T00:47:00.000-07:00

This is a question posed at our last meeting, one that I've been mulling over. I will not interject my own opinion right now; I will do that presently, after some feed back from you, the Club.

What is the/a soul, and do you believe it exists?

To help guide your thoughts, or at least the discussion, here is the dictionary.com definition of "soul."

--the principle of life, feeling, thought, and action in humans, regarded as a distinct entity separate from the body, and commonly held to be separable in existence from the body; the spiritual part of humans as distinct from the physical part.

Also:

--the emotional part of human nature; the seat of the feelings or sentiments.

Before you answer, you should also consider the synonyms for soul also provided by dictionary.com:

Breath
Divine Spark
Life Force
Psyche
Vital Force
Vitality
Spirit
Being
Body

What do you think?

Right -- one mo' time!

2009-07-09T12:41:00.001-07:00

Okay, let's try this again -- this time with feeling!

Tuesday afternoon, let's go for 2:00 for the sake of you late sleepers out there. I vote that we meet at Damma's Bakery. It's on 30, where Vinnie's Chicago Subs used to be, next to Shorty's Market and Javalation (I think those are the right names . . .). They're open until 3:30, they sell coffee (Though I've never tried their joe, so it might be awful), and they have the tastiest pastries I've had in a long time.

Who's with me?

WTF?

2009-06-30T19:09:00.000-07:00

Okay: what happened to the meeting? I was there, Kyle was there; did we decide to change the day and time, or did people lose track of what day of the week it was with summer and all? Or were you other folk just running scared because you didn't finish the reading?

First of all: Kyle, good meeting. It was fun.

Secondly: if people felt bad about not reading enough Plato, stop. I am no longer your teacher, this is not homework, you will not get in trouble or suffer mockery. This is a discussion group, like a book club; if you don't get to read that week, you just show up and say, "Hey, I never got to the reading this week. What are we talking about?" Then go from there. We can talk about anything; it doesn't have to be Plato.

Thirdly: I suggest next meeting be at the same time, but with more people. Next Tuesday, which will be July 7, 1 pm, at Fresh Start Espresso. And if people don't want to keep doing the meetings, for whatever reason, that's absolutely fine; we will always have the web for discussion of any philosophical topic.

So I hope to see all of you there, or to hear otherwise on one of these blogspots.

The Republic

2009-06-24T06:42:00.000-07:00

All right, here's the skinny on Plato. And Tia probably got better info from Schmor when her class read tha Apology, so chime in where I screw this up. There will be several places where I do: in fact, I probably shouldn't say any of this, since I don't really know much for sure. This is what I recall, or at least what I think I recall, from studying Plato in college and reading the Republic since then. I may be completely wrong. But then again, maybe my thoughts define my reality, and all it takes is a reasonable semblance of truth when we discuss historical figures as background before reading; maybe as long as you share my version of reality, we can communicate successfully with a common foundation, and that's enough -- maybe that's all the assurance of a defined reality we can ever have.

Oops -- sorry. Got off on a tangent there.

The Greeks were, so far as I know, one of the first societies to examine the laws and rules and concepts behind reality without dressing it all up in religion. This is the beginning of philosophy, at least west of the Holy Land. Actually, they probably were not the first or the only, but they wrote the shit down, which means they're the ones we know about (please note that, future writers and bloggers). In the same way, there were probably other geniuses who had more brilliant ideas than the Big Three, but these guys were the best writers. Well, one of them was.

The Big Three are, of course, Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle.

Socrates was the founder of philosophy in the Western world. He was a teacher who got the youth of Athens to stop and think about things, to question their assumptions -- yes, he's a hero of mine, but no comparisons, please. I couldn't hold Socrates's toga. He did create the Socratic method, which I have always used in class -- when Socrates taught, he didn't lecture so much as question his audience at length, and bring the truth out of them. His lectures always appear as explanations or expansions of difficult points that he has already gotten his listeners to think up. Socrates was arrested and convicted for corrupting the youth of Athens, and was sentenced to death.

However, Socrates never wrote anything down. He was a teacher, not a writer. The reason we know who Socrates was is that he had a student named Plato. Plato was the writer of these three. Plato wrote a number of books and letters and treatises, and he created a school, one of the very first, called the Academy. In several (maybe all? I dunno) of his books, Plato doesn't actually speak for himself: instead he uses Socrates as a character, depicting a conversation between the master and his students. That's how The Republic is written, which is Plato's most famous book. Aristotle was a student of Plato's at the Academy, and though I haven't read anything of his, my understanding of the situation is this: Aristotle might have been the smartest of the three, and was certainly able to solve a lot of the persistent flaws in the ideas of Socrates and Plato, and he wrote a LOT, but Aristotle is not so much fun to read. About as much fun as watching paint dry.

Anyway: the Republic. There are several summaries and such online, everything from Wikipedia to SparkNotes, and those might be good to read. The Republic is Plato's most famous and influential work. It contains a huge number of ideas, any one of which could be the inspiration for a whole lifetime of thought. In it, Plato describes what he thinks would be the perfect state, the ideal political and social structure for a group of humans; he explains why it would be perfect, and how to accomplish it. It's been the cornerstone of Western philosophy ever since it was written, somewhere around 2300 years ago. The whole concept of Utopia, and the idealization of society that was the driving concept behind the United States, begins in the west with Plato.

So this is some deep shit.

Now: I said the thing was split into two parts; I was misremembering. It's split into ten books, which have been divided into several different conceptual units by several different analysts. As I understand it, ancient Greek didn't have sentences or paragraphs or chapters; the original copy of the Republic is just one ginormous run-on sentence from beginning to end. So modern translators have to make up ways to divide it into human-sized pieces, and that's been done and redone several times. The most influential translation was the one that you can find online at Xian's link: the one by Benjamin Jowett, who was an Oxford professor in the 1800's. The copy I have, which I liberated from the school library yesterday, was translated 60 or so years later by a Cambridge professor, Francis Cornford. The book has been translated over and over again, and I have no idea which version is the best one.

The point is this: since we are not looking to understand every word of this thing, we should look for the simplest translation, the easiest one to understand. So if you can find a nice copy of "Dr. Seuss Does Plato!" then go with that one.

All right: for the first week's reading, let's just try and get through Book 1. In my copy that's about 40 pages. The book is written as a conversation between Socrates and several noblemen of Athens. It's a holiday, and because Socrates is just about the most interesting man in the country, everyone wants him to come to their dinner party; the first chapter is Socrates being invited to the home of Cephalus, a rich old Greek guy. He goes, and Cephalus makes a little speech about what it's like to be old. Socrates turns this speech into a conversation about justice: what it is, how to define it, how justice relates to daily life. This conversation takes up the rest of Book I.

The other people Socrates is talking to represent different modes of Greek thought, such as the Sophists (represented by Thrasymachus) and others. I don't know much about that. The point is that Socrates makes them keep thinking until they have a perfect definition of justice, one that is always reasonable and relevant in all situations -- if he can find an exception, then the definition doesn't work and needs to be changed.

So start there -- you can try to read the Introduction of whatever version you find, but note that the Introductions were written by PhDs and Oxford deans, who are not known for the simplicity of their writing style. Post any burning questions here and we'll try to deal with them. If we all finish Book I in six hours or something and understand it all, we can try moving on to the next section before Tuesday; post it here if you want to keep reading more as a group. Or post it here if this Plato guy pisses you off so much you can't even conceive of reading more of this book. We can always change to something else.

How's that for background, Kyle?

Summer reading.

2009-06-23T17:10:00.000-07:00

For those of you who missed the meeting, but still want to keep up, we came to the conclusion that we are going to read Plato's "Republic." If you don't have access to the book in your home, you seem to have several options:
A) Buy it for about seven bucks at any large bookstore (Borders, Barnes and Noble, etc.).
B) Check out a copy from our library. (Dusty thinks there are two copies there.)
C) You could just read it online here, or if you'd prefer you can find another place on the web to view it. It's all over the place.
It seems that we're going to try and procure the book and get the first section read by our next meeting on Tuesday. Dusty has already read it and is familiar with it, so he will likely be somewhat of a guide I assume. (Don't quote me. Maybe he doesn't want to be a guide. I'm just guessing. Er...assuming.)

Good luck, all.

Summer Meetings About to Commence

2009-06-17T14:20:00.000-07:00

I am taking on the role of coordinator for the club meetings that Dusty and I wish to hold over this summer. I wish to plan one for next week on Tuesday the 23rd at 1pm. I'm thinking the location would be the Fresh Start coffee place by the Saint Helens book store. If anybody has a problem with that time or location, and those who wish to confirm their attendance, please post a comment and I will arrange for such. Also please respond as soon as possible, it would be most helpful to me.

How far?

2009-06-09T22:21:00.000-07:00

My question for today:

About how far do you need to be pushed before you can loose a little bit of rudeness? Just how much does someone have to bug/annoy you before it's more or less kosher to unleash some snide remarks or aggressive comments? Is there no excuse for such disrespect, and if not, where is the line drawn?

Say there's somebody who consistently slams the door every single day, and you remind them every time: "Don't slam that door."

How many slams are you supposed to endure before, "What the fuck is the matter with you? It's just like every other fucking door! Close it slowly and simultaneously turn the fucking knob!" is erupting from your throat?

I only ask because I'm a pretty aggressive/offensive fellow, and I should probably set some guidelines for myself that I may sleep well at night, confident in my righteous furies.

The Last

2009-06-02T15:01:00.000-07:00

You all realize, of course, that tomorrow, June 3rd, is the last Wednesday of high school for pretty much every member of the PHILOSOPHY club. And there is no activity period. We will be meeting after school, though I will be at a short meeting at 3:15. Bring all your discussions -- this may be your last chance.

Piracy

2009-06-01T14:39:00.000-07:00

In today's society piracy has began to slow, but yet it has remained a major part of how we advance. There is even a book on the subject, "The Pirate's Dilemma" by Matt Mason. You should all give it a read. Anyways, on to the question...

What is your opinion on piracy?

Where's all the blue food?

2009-06-01T00:08:00.000-07:00

Interesting talk me and my friend had:

Have you ever noticed that there is no naturally occurring food with blue pigmentation? Sure there are blueberries, but those are really just purple fruits. And of course, bleu cheese, but that's mold. So my question is this: where's all the blue food?

Fuck yes!

2009-05-20T00:57:00.001-07:00

Awesome! Parents can now adjust game time for their children! All you have to do is buy a game doctor for $30. Creators are saying it's tamper proof but we all know that's a good laugh, kids always find ways to break things. I'm thinking about buying one for my PS3 though, I'd really like to set my limit for 3 hours a day. I already have a timer on my 360.

"The GameDr —whose degree I'm almost positive is honorary—can beep warnings at 10 and 1 minutes, hopefully to let them reach a checkpoint and turn the game off gracefully."

I am thankful I never had this as a child though, I loved my Final Fantasy way too much. I think it is kind of strange that this comes out as soon as it became a concern for me though.

Have a great day! I won't be their today so I thought I'd throw this in.

Cyborization

2009-05-18T10:46:00.000-07:00

The topic of cyborization, or becoming part machine, is familiar territory for myself. I am one of the few who would probably step up to be a test user of prosthetic bodies --such as they have in the anime "Ghost in the Shell." However, there are the many things involved with such a topic.

In the case of pre-cyborization: is it truly a humane act? Would it be good or bad?

In the case of completion of cyborization: What prevents others from stealing my identity, by prosthetic body or advanced hacking? Would I really be me, or would I be machine with a false me? Would we be allowed to call ourselves human, even as dolls (or androids) become more advanced, so much so that we could not tell them apart from ourselves? And, the laws applicable of maintaining such a world.

Just a topic that can go fairly deep..

(Idea gathered from watching too much "Ghost in the Shell," then playing the game on top of..)

Real or Not?

2009-05-11T09:17:00.000-07:00

A good topic to discuss in the meeting could be:

"What really makes a friend, enemy, ally, foe, etc?"

I myself have nothing to input for this as of yet..

Unification of Languages

2009-05-07T10:19:00.001-07:00

I've spoken to people before about this; but am unsure if the Philosophy Club has spoken of it; the Unification of Language.

Unification of language --if you need to know what I mean, is when all languages are removed but one which is then used widely. Somewhat assimilation alongside holocaust of language worldwide.

But what I wanted to know is; what is your opinions on the Unification of Languages worldwide? Should we make one language the single-used language on Earth? What would the language be? Would we simplify it? Etcetera, etcetera, etcetera..

(I got this idea while reading the newspeak appendix of George Orwell's "1984")

(Please note I myself am not for the Unification of Languages..)

Rights to privacy within Public Domain

2009-05-04T10:49:00.000-07:00

I am a terrible writer for initiating these thoughts, but bear with me..

So I was exploring the web a few, seeing the many great things and bounties --brought to us by Google, Blogger, Forums, and others alike; when I ran across a forum post that mentioned silly Google Street View images. This sent me into a mad want for more silly pictures that explore the public view of mankind as seen by the local cultures.

Sadly, the most of the reports I found were how the cameras are being targeted as "Privacy Invasion Tools" or "Assistants to theft" or whatever. People act all freaked out when a big, tall black device is staring down their nose. Even after blurring of faces, license plates, and other things.

Anyways, what I want to know is; do you think we should have a certain amount of privacy when in public? Or is this all hogswallop?

Should there be a limit on video game playtime?

2009-04-28T21:53:00.000-07:00

It's a good topic, and a topic that was a pick for this years writing test. I think it would be a great topic for our philosophy club because we all play games. Now before I get going let it be known I like video games, (hate Halo) in fact in some weird cases I love video games.... I'm only 18 and already own around 500. My dream is to make a library/museum of games. But despite how engaging video games are they have their side effects that could destroy the human race.

So the question for all of you is this. Should there be a limit on the amount of time video games are played? I certainly think there should be. An in-system timer should be made that shuts down game consoles after three hours of game time every 24 hours, but why?

Why would you do that when there are video game consoles out like the Wii that actually encourage family time and even little work outs with games like Wii fit. The reason is, the Wii has not actually changed anything. Talk to any REAL hardcore gamer and they will tell you they can't stand the system. The people it does appeal to are people that are already athletic and pro-active. The geeky demographic can't stand the Wii and what it stands for. It's often panned by them and called "casual garbage". And the selling points for the nerds that actually like the Wii are games like Zelda and Smash Brothers which do less Wii-mote choking... So as you can see, the audience that could use the Wii to possibly work out don't give a damn about it.

The most common side effect for gamers is obesity. Gamers love to game a lot, not a little A LOT. They have the urge to keep playing even when they know they should stop. I spent six hours beating one boss in Ninja Gaiden Black on Master Ninja Difficulty, and I still wasn't done with the game. Why did I do it? Because I'm a huge fan of Ninja Gaiden? Because I wanted satisfaction of beating the boss? A little bit of both. Me and Mr. Humphrey share a common gaming illness. When we lose we must keep playing tell we win. I don't care how long it takes. I refuse to stop playing until I beat that cheap ass hole that keeps using the same over powered move over and over when he gets down to about a cm of health left. This is a huge problem for my physical and my mental health. I think I gained about five pounds playing through Ninja Gaiden 2. Because not only did I waste hundreds of hours of my life playing on the hardest difficulty, but in the end I gained no benefit, only weight. Another reason why I gained weight is because gamers eat gross fattening food, we also drink a lot of Mountain Dew to keep us up all night long. For the most part, we eat the fattening food because in the moment it slows down our stress levels of playing so many games and not being as social as we could be. So my recommendation is this: Play the game on easy. Take it light, take it casual; you'll have more fun beating ass, and unlocking that special costume will be easier. If you want more of a challenge play with your human friends! Which brings me to the next topic "social lives".....

Me and my friends had the greatest time with Goldeneye 007. We played it three hours a day for over a year. All of us got REALLY good at the game. It was actually a real mental challenge after a month or two when it got more strategic on what guns we used and the level we played to use them on. This was my challenge. Fuck beating the game on ULTRA hard. I got my challenge playing with my best friends and we bonded like no other friends I have ever had all because of one of those video games. Those things that shrink kids brains. Video games bring people together and challenge. Isn't that great? Gaming can be a great solo activity, but if you're gonna get hardcore with it, the way to play is with your loved ones.

Another reason people want to play games is for the magical story lines some of them have. I still have memories of Final Fantasy VII and Metal Gear Solid. The games even changed my life and how I view certain things that go on in this world today! This is a great benefit in games, and it's hard to find something that goes against it other than don't play too many story line games consecutively. One of my friends played Final Fantasy 7-12 all in a row basically and now he's so addicted to those games he could care less about the real world. So play through story-lined games such as Metal Gear Solid and Final Fantasy at a steady,healthy pace.

So let's review my gaming tips for healthy living if you started forgetting or would just rather skip the reading and read the check list instead.

Tips for a gamer to have a healthy lifestyle and still enjoy gaming:

1. Don't spend too much time caring about single player gaming. Enjoy those harder games on the easier difficulties. Save yourself hours of time that you could spend reading or writing books.

2. Play games with your loved ones! Gaming is a lot more fun when you are playing with the ones you love. THIS should be your challenge when it comes to games. Not that cheap ass boss on master ninja difficulty that has no real goal other than to drain your lifespan that matters!

3. Don't fall into the gamer diet! The gamer diet consists of Twinkies, pizza and mountain dew. Obsessive drinking of Mountain Dew could destroy your entire urinal system, ask me personally for more information!

4. Play storyline-based games at a slow steady pace. Gamers can get addicted to those stories. Which require a lot of game play and watching time. Don't get to addicted to these to the point where you just don't give a fuck about friends or family. I'd recommend playing about two story themed games a year. Or if you're crazy bored playe the hell out of them during the hot summer.

5. Limit Yourself! Some people just play far too much. If I'm playing over three hours a day, half the time I ain't even having fun, I'm just play because I have a goal to finish the game. And once I achieve the satisfaction of beating that game I just spent hours on I usually just end up feeling like I wasted my time.

So there you have it. These are my tips for all the gamers out there! But I'm sure people disagree with my three hour a day thing, so what are your thoughts? Should gaming be a strictly forced limited activity? Or should we have the option to play as much as we want?

Obviously the three hour a day idea is in the realm of impossibility, but I still like the thought of it.

On Philanthropy

2009-04-26T20:28:00.000-07:00

"There are a thousand hacking at the branches of evil to one who is striking at the root, and it may be that he who bestows the largest amount of time and money on the needy is doing the most by his mode of life to produce that misery which he strives in vain to relieve." Henry David Thoreau

He talks at length of how philanthropy doesn't benefit soceity as much as those who devote their time, energy, and resources to works that are a blessing upon mankind.

"Do not stay to be an overseer of the poor, but endeavor to become one of the worthies of the world."

I could be wrong, but he's asking "why benefit the poor when you can benefit all of mankind or society?" And I see what he means. (If that is what he means.) I believe that if I spend my time reading, writing, thinking, discussing and arguing, I will benefit society more than aiding in a soup kitchen. Becoming a better person through my intellectual and philosophical pursuits enable me to act in the best interest of the people: to pass the best laws, to create things that inspire others to improve or think; does that not contribute more to humanity? The more I become, the more apt I am to give power to those who would apply it best, and to inspire others to do the same.

What does everyone else think: philanthropy or more personal pursuits? Should we hold ourselves back to help those less fortunate, or strive to make more of ourselves to the benefit of all around us?

Paper Books VS. Those HOT Digital Ones!

2009-04-24T00:40:00.000-07:00

So I saw something that scared the shit out of me yesterday. A kid reading a book on some touch pad type thing! I asked him for a look and god forbid he was reading Brisingr. But instead of being a book it was like a cell phone that had books on it... I thought instantly the end of the world must be at hand. Will books eventually go out of print? I think they will. And that's when it could be like 451.

Are you for these digital books? Or are you all about the paper books?

I vote paper. I love the smell of a book. The look of shelves crammed with books. The sound of a turning page.

The go green people might have their way in the long run, but really they should care about protecting the algae under the sea. Confused? Good!

Welcome!

2009-04-21T18:52:00.000-07:00

Glad you made it, gentlemen. I have also invited Tia and Steven, Donnie, and Demitri. I would have invited Andy, but I don't have his e-mail here; I'll get him at school tomorrow. Anyone else who should be on the list to get past the velvet rope? Should I take any of those people off?

I have also made all three of you admins (and will do the same for anyone else who is made a member here) which means you can all edit posts and alter the template for the blog and so on. Hope that works. If the power is going to go to your heads, I can revoke your privileges and maintain my autocratic rule. As you like.

Topic Suggestions for 4/22/09

2009-04-21T18:30:00.000-07:00

-What are you views on Miss California losing her crown?

-8 Jobs lost at Saint Helens High School or a certain amount of school days cut?

-Should diphthongs exist? XD

So here are three ideas from me.Anyone else got any?

Do you really need it?

2009-04-21T18:17:00.001-07:00

Recently I've been reading Thoreau's "Walden and Other Writings" (I found it cheap at a used book store.) and the main flavor of the work, so far, is simplicity. He states that if we were to live simply we would be better off. We'd be less stressed, less in debt, have to work less, and have far more time to devote to personal improvement and spiritual and mental advancement and refining.

I was wondering if this applies today, instead of in the 1800's. Would we be better off without a house with television, computers, appliances and the like? Okay, maybe not THAT simple, but the concept remains. Modest house, cheap transportation if any at all, and perhaps a computer with internet and a word processor. I only concede the point of the computer because the way I write and express and develop my character is all with a computer. My handwriting is too slow and poor to make much of a penman.

But the point is, should we strive so hard to advance our careers and formal education, or should we just work to get by and devote our time and energy to personal projects and study? Read books and write stories and poems and articles instead of playing video games or watching television/movies, and going out to shop and socialize and spend money? Would it be more emotionally healthy and less stressful? And even if it was, is it really worth it?

I'm not sure if I've managed to explain all the thoughts I put into my letter regarding this topic. I'll edit this post to reflect my topic more accurately tomorrow. I'm tired and I don't think my attention is sharp enough to get my point across, but maybe I succeeded. I guess we'll talk about it.

Welcome!

2009-04-21T16:33:00.000-07:00

"If you are a dreamer, come in
If you are a dreamer, a wisher, a liar
A hoper, a pray-er, a magic-bean-buyer,
If you're a pretender, come, sit by my fire.
For we have some flax golden tales to spin
Come in!
Come in!"
— Shel Silverstein

Welcome to the Shoebox, the online blog for the P.H.I.L.O.S.O.P.H.Y. Club. That's the Philosophical Honorable Insightful Learned Omnipotent Supreme Obliging Preeminent Highbrow Yokels, of course.

So here's the plan, folks. Ye Olde Philosophical Scribe, Xian, and I -- the Rhetor -- were discussing how best to collect topics for our meetings, so that we don't have this common occurrence:

Humphrey: Anybody have anything philosophical to talk about?
Philosopher 1: Uh . . .
Philosopher 2: Yeah, there was . . . uh . . .
Philosopher 3: Damn, I had something.
Philosopher 4: Hey, anybody see that YouTube video?

And so on.

Instead, the idea is, we will have a place where people can post their ideas for discussion topics when they think of them, instead of only between 8:10 and 8:40, and 3:05 and 4:00 on Wednesdays. You all can post them here. There will also be a physical box -- though I can't promise a shoebox -- in my classroom, for the more analog minded. The Scribe will be in charge of collecting the suggestions for meetings, and at this point, I'm thinking this blog should be invitation only.

Long term, I'd also like to see us use this space to keep in touch, continue to gather and discuss interesting ideas, even if we can't do it beard to beard, as Macbeth would say.

We'll meet tomorrow and discuss, but if any of you have any comments to make, start now.