quid pro quo

June 12, 2006So let's take a poll.

If a person destroys something that you care about due to accident or negligence, should they replace it?  If someone bumps your car, should they pay for damage?  If they knock your laptop off a desk and break it, should the pay to have it repaired?

My vote: yes.  People should take responsibility for their actions, even if that means losing time or money.  It's a matter of maturity and respect.

But they don't!
In highschool, one person borrowed and trashed a $1600 guitar, and didn't even apologize.
Someone else thought it would be a good idea to bounce a basketball in the church, breaking a friend's sunglasses
Another borrowed an article of clothing, ruined it, and offered "sorry, I like that shirt too" instead of replacement.

Geez.

Does anyone think the person causing the damage is not responsible?  If you loaned your iPod to a friend, would it be okay for them to accidentally go swimming with it in their pocket, give it back to you, and say "yeah, sorry 'bout that.  That really sucks."?  Well?  Vote.

Speechless, anyone?

June 11, 2006Well, the first week of work was very fun.  I spent a lot of time in the lab learning about equipment, picking up vocab, and doing some building and testing.  I really enjoyed the work, and am really excited about what's coming.  I can't go into a lot of detail, but I get to work directly with new product development, specifically building and testing.

In unrelated topic, I was asked to post something about logic or otherwise debatable, so here's something: if you didn't teach your child to speak, would they be more or less intelligent?  When you think, you often think in words.  Well, what if you didn't have those words?  Perhaps you wouldn't be able to consider abstract or complicated ideas.  Perhaps you would think faster, be better at games like Speed, Egyptian Rat, or a slew of reaction-needing games like FPSs (First person shooters).  Basically, does language make you think faster, think slower, changes nothing, or does the impact depend on the nature of the activity.  Don't confuse this with whether language helps you know more, since an inability to communicate would greatly hamper collection of knowledge.  This is about raw intelligence, analyzing, and reacting.  Post, all, and I'll weigh in later.

So much to type, so little... motivation.

June 05, 2006 So life has been absolutely crazy.  Much has happened, and my energy is waning.  Two big pieces, neither of which I intend to do justice.  Please accept my apologies.  I just don't have the attention to give it.

TRW
I started today.  I think it will be great.  I get to do a lot of hands on work, including prototype testing, troubleshooting, and apparatus design.  I got to see a lot of it today, and I'm really excited.  I have to deal with some sellers, but the hands on aspect will be a blast.  I'm told some days will drag on, but others will be really busy.  I'll keep you all updated.

RAFTING
Wow.  The ride was crazy.  If you've done rafting in TN, it's not like the Colorado.  For starters, they don't stick 8 people in one boat, hand each one a paddle, and tell you what to do.  I went through 17 rapids just like this.



Waves measured up to 15ft from crest to trough, and there is nothing like the feeling of seeing a wave get larger and larger as you drop lower and lower in front of it.  Sometimes, you abandon forward motion just to keep the boat pointed towards waves.  Exhausting and Exhilirating.  Check out the rest of my pics if your interested.  Injuries: scraped elbow and sunburn.  Not bad considering the ride.

Leavin' on a Jet Plane

May 24, 2006Well, this will be my last blog for a little while.  I'll be headed on vacation soon, and will be even more out of touch than usual.  ;)

To those of you who don't know, I've been following American Idol this season.  Having never gotten into it before, I really enjoyed it.  Unfortunately, tonight marked the end of the season and the crowning of a third-rate singer and second-rate performer.  Taylor beat Katherine.

Click here to hear why Taylor should have lost

Click here to hear why Katherine should have won

Anyway, I'm irritated.  I don't often get emotionally involved in TV, but I love music, and I hate that America is tone deaf.  It's not fair to people with talent.

Alright, I'm done.  I'll likely not post until I come back (tomorrow will be busy, and I leave Friday), so have a good one!  I'll report back soon.

Relative Reality

May 24, 2006There are some questions right now about reality, perception, and truth.  I thought I'd weigh in.

I think reality is objective.  Something happens.  A pinecone falls, a clock hangs on a while, a moon orbits a planet.  We, as individuals, observe these events.  Each of us chooses what to focus on and how to interpret the event.  Do these decisions change the way you experience life?  Yes.  Do they change your reality?  No.  Reality is the medium from which you gather perception.  If two people saw a painting, one might consider the color while another might consider the form.  Is the painting different for each?  Their reactions are, their effects are, but the reality of the painting (the actual marks on a canvas) is constant.

I've heard it said that the following is a proof of relativism: "See that clock on the wall?  To you, it is on the right; to me, it is on the left.  Thus, reality is relative."  Incorrect.  Spacial relations (like all relations) are relative.  The clock is on the wall.  Whereever you are, the clock is on the wall.  Even if you don't know about the clock, it is on the wall.

It is said that something only truly exists to you if you make it exist.  If you believe it, it's true to you.  If you refuse to believe it, it is not true to you-it's not your reality.  No matter how unsuspecting or disbelieving, the victim of a drive-by is still dead.  He didn't know it would happen, he didn't believe a bullet was flying towards him, but he's still dead.  You shape your view of reality, but reality exists independent of you.

Reality is objective, though your view and interpretation of it is not.  Reality is always true.  When we interpret and perceive properly, we learn the truth.