Net Neutrality

"man constructs according to an archetype"

When Mireca Eliade said, “Man constructs according to an archetype” he was commenting on the underlying themes that all of our stories share. There are certain ideas and images that pervade the human consciousness and that manifest themselves when we tell stories. These archetypes are easily recognizable and depending on how they are used can instill fear, love, anger, or allegiance to a character or a real live leader.
I believe that archetypes are very much alive in our world today and that we cannot escape them. From history I see that every leader who has been able to grasp the power of the archetypal figures and ideas has been able to rally his respective people and do great or terrible things, but most importantly, that leader is remembered and becomes part of the collection of archetypes themselves. Man does not just construct his reality through archetypes, we live archetypes whether we know it or not. We create groups for ourselves with certain characteristics that we must meet in order to belong to said group. The characteristics make each individual adhere or identify to much older archetypes which evolve with men, but we can always find our way back to the original.
The Original figure of each archetype is immortalized and to varying degrees others come along and copy the actions of the original and make new the original, the power of that individual is strengthened even more by the underlying history of the archetype they fit into. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein has several strong references to much older archetypes and it also creates a new category based on older ideas. The scientist Viktor Frankenstein fits into archetype of Prometheus, Viktor attempts to harness a power reserved for God and only regrets his actions when his fruits of labor destroys his life from the outside in. Viktor also becomes the original mad scientist who acts without considering the possible consequences or the morality of the action. In Michael Crichton’s Jurassic Park, geneticists recreate dinosaurs from DNA sealed in frozen mosquitos, one character remarks that the scientists were so preoccupied with the idea of whether they could they didn’t stop to think whether they should. Ultimately humans have to deal with the most powerful archetype of God, we fear the power but we yearn for the power to create and to yield that power to control what is uncontrollable. We construct according to an archetype because we long to be gods ourselves, when we create a powerful idea we share some small part of that dream of being a god.

Existence and Power

How scary can it be to really realize that you exist? For so many of us we take it for granted and accept the distractions of modern life without really thinking about the mystery of our own individual existence, and what it means to ignore our senses and turn inward to ask, do I really exist, and furthermore for what purpose and why continue if I actually do exist? There is something to the question in that in asking whether I exist I do not cease to exist at least as far as I know.

A bit off subject but relevant is the question of why others feel power over others by controlling them in some fashion? Control through means of brainwashing, distraction, lies, leverage, training, etc... What need does control over others satisfy if satisfying at all? What effect would ensue if people who long for power stopped and thought about their need for power and control of others?
It is important that I make a difference between leaders and manipulators. There are leaders who lead because they care about the progress of their people/followers, then there are those who manipulate their followers to do their bidding and accumulate property or services.

What would happen to the world if tomorrow all of civilization had access to unlimited energy and food (through replication) eliminating the need to farm or ranch? Energy independence would bring down the number of jobs that employ energy workers in oil/gas/electricy. Farmers and ranchers would be nearly extinct except for people who wanted to grow gardens or live like their ancestors. It would remove a whole section of the worlds economy and perhaps stabilize some conflict areas.
With so many people in need of a job to serve as their purpose in life, we would need a new industry, something easily learned. Of course there will be people opposed to the change, even if it is for the greater good of mankind and the planet.

A headline in the Guardian

"Lawyers poised as US vote hit by technical glitches"
This disgusts me. I have no problem with ethical lawyers or trying to iron out voting issues, but throwing a rabid pack of party biased lawyers at each other trying to claim vote fraud on the other side is not going to solve anything and is an absolute waste of time and money from both parties and the population of the United States. These damn voting machines seem to be causing nothing but problems and the alleged tampering with computer code is unacceptable. Hijacking voting machines is absolutely unacceptable and the penalties are not harsh enough. It is a threat against our republic and threatens this nation ruled by the people. When a political party sees voter fraud as a means of holding onto power instead of working to satisfy the voters and keep their confidence we have lost our democracy and we have lost our way.  When this vote is over congress needs to harshen the penalties on vote fraud and have the same company that writes software for the Space Shuttle and life support systems in hospitals write the damn voting machine software. No glitches! Double check votes so that people can fix mistakes before submitting their ballot.  We need to remind more of our politicians and bureaucrats that they serve us and not we them.  There is little room for big egos in politics. I hope that more voters come to realize the difference between true leaders and egotistical opportunists.

The future of 3D video

A thought from the Movie Donnie Darko...

So I got to thinking about the thing Roberta Sparrow tells Donnie "Everything on this earth dies alone." I wonder if I will feel alone when I come to the end of my life.  I dont believe that I will, I believe that I will feel connected to the universe at the time I leave my body many years from now.  The beauty and the complexity of the universe tells me that the Universe was no mistake.  Perhaps we were created in order to give God an idea of what it is like to be an imperfect being, I wonder that since God is and ever shall be that the one thing he doesnt understand is what it is like to be mortal. It seems stupid even still cause I would imagine that He would know the feeling through Jesus or any other being He inhabited on earth.  The one thing that I truly dont understand about all life is why we were created.  I feel that it is a gift, but why create life in the first place?  Was God lonely? Did the Angels not serve as good as men and women might? I know that this is an answer that I am not meant to know until I have passed on.  And I may not care about the answer once I do, I may find solace in the life that I lived, the people I met, the children I will raise, the love that I will share.  The next time you want to appreciate your life, just drive out to the country and sit out under a clear sky and look into the sky and try to imagine all the 782 billion light years it takes to get from one edge of the universe to the other.  Think about all those stars and galaxies, the eternal race with time that all matter and light will encounter as it moves through the Universe serving its mysterious purpose to exist.  I find peace when I think about all that, when I see pictures of stars and other galaxies, when I feel the suns rays on my skin in the late afternoon or the wind touching my skin.  My oh my the repercussions of butterfly wings...

This is just too cool not to post...

Heres a little something that might blow your mind...

Frank Zappa on Crossfire

Best view of middle east problems Ive found

Zurich

So Im in Zurich Switzerland on business, actually meeting future business partners.  The weather has been beautiful, and the food is as good as I remember. I went hiking with a business partner outside of Zug, I missed the mountain air and the views so much.  I have another 7 days before I go back to the states, and I still have to find a few things for family and friends.  Gotta bring back some Swiss wine since you cant find it stateside, one of those little "CH" stickers for my car, and a few other little things.  

Mens Shaving

As Ive gotten older Ive learned a few things about shaving.  Just because its new and flashy doesnt mean its gonna give you a great shave.  Now that Im getting into my mid 20s my beard has gotten thicker and more difficult to deal with, which means that gilette Mach 3 just doesnt cut it.  I tried switching to Schick quatro and those worked ok, a little bit better than gilette anyway, but the cartridges are just too expensive for the job they fail to do and how few shaves you get out of them.  I decided several months ago to go old school, so I went to Crabtree and Evelyn and got myself the good badger hair brush and shaving soap and noticed an immediate improvement in closeness of the shave and much fewer bumps and little to no irritation.  But the blade cartridges still werent lasting long enough and I still had a shadow around my chin.  I remembered that I had my grandfathers old safety razor buried in my bathroom drawer and decided to give it a try.  To my surprise its the closest shave Ive had since I started shaving in high school.  Its taking a bit getting used to, but the results are great.  I no longer have a shadow on my chin and can run my hand up my face with little resistance.  It just goes to show me that sometimes the old way is still the best, so Ill definitely think a bit more before I jump for the new and improved over the tried and true. Using the old style blades is definitely much cheaper and theyll last even longer if you keep them dipped in 3% peroxide between uses and help to keep the face clear of bumps.  So if you find an old razor and feel that youre not getting your moneys worth out of your Gilette or Schick, try the old razor and youll be surprised. 

wow

So I just took the June LSAT. Glad its over, all that prep with Kaplan was killing me, but they did get me better prepared than I would have been if I had gone in cold.  Now I can really enjoy my summer.  Im on vacation in Nantucket with my family.  Meanwhile other things are looking up, OSX and Linux are getting some well deserved attention and I keep learning more and more about my Apple, UNIX and linux.  The internet just keeps evolving at such a wonderful rate and I am so thankful to be alive and have access to such a wonderful tool.  My mind just soaks up all this free information and I get so interested in all the science and sociological changes that are happening because of the internet.  I just wish more people would try to not be so afraid of technology, I have met so many people who are more than capable of learning about their computers, electronics, and would benefit from wading just a little further into the net.  Im literally swimming in it these days.  Hope everyone is having a great summer. Peace.

Nudity...

Why are we so concious about being naked? We are born naked, so why do we comport ourselves in clothing? For one part it is to conceal our sexual organs, which is understandable as its not exactly prefereable to have genitals near food.  What my concern is our society's foolish problems with sexuality.  Sex is natural, we believe it was created by God and that He said it was good.  So why do we constantly infer sex or portray it in clever ways or use it to sell materiel goods? Sex is not something that has to be hidden, what is neccessary is that people understand its use and do not abuse it.  We should not fear explaining it nor seeing it portrayed in movies and tv.  Sex at its core is about procreation, what man in our "concious" state have made it simply about dominance and made it ugly.  Dominance is a dangerous concept for man, it begets violence and warps our institutions and creates enmity.  How much more peaceful could the world be if people were not so bent on dominating others? Sex should not be abused, like anything it can be addictive simply for the pleasure it brings, but pleasure is a basic experience and repeating an action simply for pleasure makes us more like the lower animals. 
"Consider your origin; ye were not made to live as brutes, but to pursue virtue and knowledge."- Dante; Hell
I agree wholeheartedly with that statement.  Acting like animals pushes us farther from God, or at least a higher purpose, cause without purpose we might as well just all destroy ourselves.  Everything in moderation is the way to live life. Do not allow any material thing to rule your life, whether it be sex, cigarettes, heroin, marajuana, gambling, etc...  Accept that in life there will inevitably be suffering and that nothing you do will ever fully remove loss in your life, but appreciate life for the gift that it is. Dont feel compelled to buy into the rat race to give your life meaning chasing after the possibility of fulfillment on earth.  Be naked once in a while its a freeing experience, do not think of it as shameful or degrading, just natural and beautiful.  But exercise good judgement in all you do and do not force your beliefs on anyone just because you believe your beliefs are the answer.

A hopeless romantic

What does it mean to be a romantic?  What is it like to be one?  Is it healthy or wise to be in love with love?  
I think that being a romantic consists of appreciating each day, stopping to smell the roses so to say.  Its about finding the beauty in life, appreciating how mysterious the universe is from the creation of a star and its solar system down to watching a leaf float on the air as it falls from its branch.  
What would you do for love?
People do lots of crazy things for love. The two extremes seem to be self destruction and the other (which I prefer) is self realization.  
Self Realization you ask...
What I mean by that is the possibility of finding your purpose in life, raison d'etre.  I think that too many people feel that their job is supposed to be their calling in life.  I propose a different idea of a life calling.  I realized that what I want is a family of my own. I want to be a husband and a father.  (Not immediately mind you) In due time of course.  But I realized that there are few things more beautiful than life, than being responsible for another person.  It seems that most people today being responsible for another being is horribly terrifying to them.  I guess I just want to be apart of something more than just myself. Not because I feel alone in the universe.  I just think that loving someone else more than yourself is the only real way to be happy.

wierd dream and doubts

I feel strange today.  I got 7 hours of sleep, but it was my dream this morning that has put in a bit of a funk.  It was a sequal to a dream I had several weeks ago in which I dreamt that I got a girl pregnant and we decided to have it and raise it ourselves. And this morning it got really depressing cause her family moved her away from me cause they didnt think I was capable of being a good father or they were still mad at me for getting their daughter pregnant.  Im not sure what a dream like that is supposed to mean to a 22 year old guy. Maybe I have some feeling in the back of my mind that Im frustrated about not being in full control of my own life, and trying to deal with the new kinds of responsibilities that are being placed on me and what Im taking on for myself.  Maybe I need to take some days for myself after I finish this semester and ponder my life and get things in perspective.  I thought I had a pretty good handle on my life, but it seems that wasnt the case.  Growing up is a bitch.  Can you remember what it was like to be seven and to be oblivious to the problems in the world?

hmmmm

So Im down to the last 9 days of school this semester.  Im so tired, so drained. This semester has been a mix of fun and pain.  Summer cant get here soon enough for me. I have lots to do and many places to go this summer, I just want to be able to enjoy myself and deal with as few problems as possible. I think that I need my personal space again and a good bit of Tender, Loving, care.  It'll be good to spend time with my friends again.  At least its warm again, if it was cold I would really be miserable.  I need some time to unwind and enoy the silence and a quiet mind and a good nights sleep. I hope everyone else is having a decent enough time these days.  I think I need to stop reading the world news, it depresses me too much lately.

Do you ever wonder...

Do you ever wonder what your life would be like if you didnt have your parents and friends guiding you to certain professions? Today I started thinking about my aspirations in a different way than I usually do.  Foremost I want to be a husband and father, that role is what I know Im meant for.  As a profession my parents have tried to carefully guide me into being a tax attorney which doesnt bother me, interesting clientelle, good money.  But I feel like Im lacking in adventure in my life.  The idea of being a helicopter pilot in the armed forces blowing things up, playing with big machinery seems like a fun time mixed with a good discipline and skill set.  I would also like to be a cross country truck driver, I love to drive, the idea of seeing all those miles of America gives me chills of excitement.  Big highways, beautiful scenery, small two lane roads through the desert or forests appeal to me on a very spiritual level. I know that as a tax attorney I will be able to provide much more for my family and friends and being a father is sure to be all the adventure I will need, but my young heart yearns for a little excitement (that doesnt involve getting hit by cars or falling off cliffs).  I guess Im frustrated because I dont feel like my old self, Im dealing with some new emotions that Ive never felt before and I actually thought that whole emotional crap was over when puberty ended.  Maybe Im thinking too much about this.  Maybe Im just upset about a test I thought I did well on and want to escape from that shock.  I guess its kind of hard on me to not have a private space for myself right now, my roommate is always around and his tv habits clash with my study time and space.  I think I can fix that easily enough, I just wish I had dealt with it earlier this semester.  Also Im managing to get myself into an exercise regime, actually noticed more stamina yesterday while swimming, but having trouble with my lower back while rollerblading in the park, guess its just been too long since I used those muscles and asking too much of them on short notice.

The nice stuff

Its amazing how much better some things can be when you spend just a little more $.  How much better wine or liquor can be when drank from fine crystal, or how much closer your shave can be with good soap.  It takes experience and research to develop good buying habits.  Sometimes its fine to buy cheap, I personally love the $1 marble cover notebooks without the metal spirals, theyre small and durable, perfect for college classes etc.  Other things like my computer or music player, nothing but the best will suffice or I felt like Ive cheated myself.  I love my Macintosh Powerbook and iPod, well made with excellent software, and very dependable.  The most important thing to remember is that no matter how much you accumulate, its never enough and that to be truly happy we should seek solace in our God/higher power, our families and friends, cause thats all were left with when tragedy strikes.  Enjoy life, but dont give up ever, tomarrow is another day.  Your fate will reveal itself to you in due time, its left up to us to choose how we live our short lives on this planet.

THE WORST MOVIE EVER MADE!

So I just wasted an hour and a half of my life to see "Ultraviolet".  I have never in my whole life seen a movie that made me so mad about wasting money and time.  They didnt even try to make it a good movie.  Every scene was made with computer generated backgrounds, the fight scenes tried to copy great scenes from other movies, but fell horribly short.  It was always overkill and blurred the action or focused on a small area that it killed the moment.  I have seen better B movies on showtime or starz that held my attention better.  I waited patiently for the whole movie despite my better judgement in the hope that it would improve or I would be proven wrong.  DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME EVER IN YOUR LIFE TO SEE THIS MOVIE.  Warn your friends, warn your family, warn your dog, do not see this movie, do not buy or rent the dvd!  

Post Mardi Gras

So it started off good, had lots of fun from Thursday to Saturday, but then on Sunday just as I had spent an hour looking for a parking place and gotten out of my jeep, a woman caught the edge of my back door and ripped it forward.  So being unable to leave my jeep with the door open I had to drive home to my apartment and find a place to fix my door and make a claim with my insurance.  Monday I spent dropping off my car and then came home and cooked dinner.  Tuesday morning I got to the parade and found a decent parking spot for my rent car and got to the parade and proceeded to get lit up.  It was a fun day, but that night amazingly couldnt find anyone to go to the quarter with me.  Now I have a day off before classes start again.  I guess Ill celebrate my birthday with some friends on friday night, not like thursdays are a great night anyway. 

back in school

Well Im back in New Orleans, how I missed her so. School is moving right along into week 3. All my classes require massive amounts of reading, and Spanish Literature is stretching my spanish abilities. At least Im learning what each teacher is asking for now on quizzes and daily. To all who read my rants Im sorry I have not updated in a while, I will try to post more this year. I would also ask that you readers leave me posts so I know at least someone is reading them or that someone has interest in my thoughts in even the slightest degree.
Well I hope everyone had a wonderful New Years and best of luck and health in 2006. I spent my break in Manzanillo, Mexico with some good friends from boarding school and got to meet my new God daughter.
Anyway to all a good evening.