1—Read 60 books
2—Lose 20 pounds before my wedding
3—write something real; a project just for me, unrelated to my graduate degree
4—write something philosophically worthwhile, even if it’s just an idea that’ll take me into the future
5—be a better friend; more attentive, particularly, despite my tendencies to disappear into projects
6—start playing piano again, starting with Beautiful Maladies
Monday, January 9, 2012
Monday, January 2, 2012
Doctor Rafa Completed Last Year's New Year's Resolution
BOOKS READ-2011 (goal: 50)
After Graceland--Charles Spencer
Hunger Games--Suzanne Collins
Catching Fire--Suzanne Collins
Maledicte--Lane Robbins
The Man Who Mistook his Wife for a Hat and Other Clinical Tales--Oliver Sacks
Mockingjay--Suzanne Collins
Drink: A Cultural History of Alcohol--Iain McKelley
Fragile Eternity--Melissa Marr
The Magicians--Lev Grossman
I Like You: Hospitality under the Influence--Amy Sedaris
City of Glass--Cassandra Clare
Freedom and Neurobiology: Reflections on Free WIll, Language, and Political Power--John R. Searle
Bayou Moon--Ilona Andrews
White Noise--Don Delillo
Vampire Academy--Richelle Mead
Frostbite--Richelle Mead
Dreamtigers--Jorge Luis Borges
Squirrel seeks Chipmunk--David Sedaris
Shadow Kiss--Richelle Mead
Blood Promise--Richelle Mead
Shadow Dance--Robin Wayne Bailey
Warped--Maurissa Guibard
Anansi Boys--Neil Gaiman
River Marked--Patricia Briggs
The Oxford Handbook of Philosophy and Neuroscience--assorted authors
A World Without Time--Palle Yourgrau
Spirit Bound--Richelle Mead
Blue Bloods--Melissa De La Cruz
The Mind's I: Fantasies and Reflections on Self and Soul--Douglas R. Hoffstadter and Daniel C. Dennett
The Enchantress of Florence--Salman Rushdie
Masquerade--Melissa De La Cruz
Art In Three Dimensions--Noel Carroll
Paranormalcy--Kiersten White
Lamplighter--DM Cornish
Philosophy and Neuroscience--Bennett, Hacker, Dennett, Searle
Foundling--DM Cornish
Bossypants--Tina Fey
Divergent--Veronica Roth
I Am America(And So Can You!)--Stephen Colbert
Earth (the Book!)--Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Long for this world--Jonathan Weiner
Zombie Spaceship Wasteland--Patton Oswalt
The World In Six Songs--Daniel Levitan
Shit My Dad Says--Justin Halpern
The Moral Psychology Handbook--John M. Doris and the Moral Psychology Research Group
Spindle's End--Robin McKinley
Better--Atul Gawande
Darkfever--Karen Marie Moning
Pathfinder--Orson Scott Card
Bones of Faerie--Janni Lee Simner
Bonk--Mary Roach
Bloodfever--Karen Marie Moning
The Origin of Satan--Elaine Pagels
The Colour of Magic--Terry Pratchett
The Hob's Bargain--Patricia Briggs
Faefever--Karen Marie Moning
Infinite Jest--David Foster Wallace
Dreamfever--Karen Marie Moning
The Iceman Cometh--Eugene O'Neil
The Maze Runner--James Dashner
The Scorch Trials--James Dashner
The Poisoner's Handbook--Deborah Blum
Brave New World--Aldous Huxley
The Whale's Companion--edited by Adriana Klepac
Logicomix--Apostolos Doxiadis, Christos H. Papadimitriou, Alecos Papadatos, Annie Di Donna
The Witches of East End--Melissa de la Cruz
A Discovery of Witches--Deborah Harkness
Blood, Bones, and Butter: The Inadvertent Education of A Reluctant Chef--Gabrielle Hamilton
Huntress--Malinda Lo
Incarceron--Catherine Fisher
Basic Rights:Subsistence, Affluence, and US Foreign Policy--Henry Shue
A Visit From the Goon Squad--Jennifer Egan
Foundation--Mercedes Lackey
Intrigues--Mercedes Lackey
What is this thing called love--Kim Addonizio
Dearest Creature--Amy Gerstler
After Graceland--Charles Spencer
Hunger Games--Suzanne Collins
Catching Fire--Suzanne Collins
Maledicte--Lane Robbins
The Man Who Mistook his Wife for a Hat and Other Clinical Tales--Oliver Sacks
Mockingjay--Suzanne Collins
Drink: A Cultural History of Alcohol--Iain McKelley
Fragile Eternity--Melissa Marr
The Magicians--Lev Grossman
I Like You: Hospitality under the Influence--Amy Sedaris
City of Glass--Cassandra Clare
Freedom and Neurobiology: Reflections on Free WIll, Language, and Political Power--John R. Searle
Bayou Moon--Ilona Andrews
White Noise--Don Delillo
Vampire Academy--Richelle Mead
Frostbite--Richelle Mead
Dreamtigers--Jorge Luis Borges
Squirrel seeks Chipmunk--David Sedaris
Shadow Kiss--Richelle Mead
Blood Promise--Richelle Mead
Shadow Dance--Robin Wayne Bailey
Warped--Maurissa Guibard
Anansi Boys--Neil Gaiman
River Marked--Patricia Briggs
The Oxford Handbook of Philosophy and Neuroscience--assorted authors
A World Without Time--Palle Yourgrau
Spirit Bound--Richelle Mead
Blue Bloods--Melissa De La Cruz
The Mind's I: Fantasies and Reflections on Self and Soul--Douglas R. Hoffstadter and Daniel C. Dennett
The Enchantress of Florence--Salman Rushdie
Masquerade--Melissa De La Cruz
Art In Three Dimensions--Noel Carroll
Paranormalcy--Kiersten White
Lamplighter--DM Cornish
Philosophy and Neuroscience--Bennett, Hacker, Dennett, Searle
Foundling--DM Cornish
Bossypants--Tina Fey
Divergent--Veronica Roth
I Am America(And So Can You!)--Stephen Colbert
Earth (the Book!)--Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Long for this world--Jonathan Weiner
Zombie Spaceship Wasteland--Patton Oswalt
The World In Six Songs--Daniel Levitan
Shit My Dad Says--Justin Halpern
The Moral Psychology Handbook--John M. Doris and the Moral Psychology Research Group
Spindle's End--Robin McKinley
Better--Atul Gawande
Darkfever--Karen Marie Moning
Pathfinder--Orson Scott Card
Bones of Faerie--Janni Lee Simner
Bonk--Mary Roach
Bloodfever--Karen Marie Moning
The Origin of Satan--Elaine Pagels
The Colour of Magic--Terry Pratchett
The Hob's Bargain--Patricia Briggs
Faefever--Karen Marie Moning
Infinite Jest--David Foster Wallace
Dreamfever--Karen Marie Moning
The Iceman Cometh--Eugene O'Neil
The Maze Runner--James Dashner
The Scorch Trials--James Dashner
The Poisoner's Handbook--Deborah Blum
Brave New World--Aldous Huxley
The Whale's Companion--edited by Adriana Klepac
Logicomix--Apostolos Doxiadis, Christos H. Papadimitriou, Alecos Papadatos, Annie Di Donna
The Witches of East End--Melissa de la Cruz
A Discovery of Witches--Deborah Harkness
Blood, Bones, and Butter: The Inadvertent Education of A Reluctant Chef--Gabrielle Hamilton
Huntress--Malinda Lo
Incarceron--Catherine Fisher
Basic Rights:Subsistence, Affluence, and US Foreign Policy--Henry Shue
A Visit From the Goon Squad--Jennifer Egan
Foundation--Mercedes Lackey
Intrigues--Mercedes Lackey
What is this thing called love--Kim Addonizio
Dearest Creature--Amy Gerstler
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Arr-Pee
Rules for RPing
The rules for RPing well are basically the same for theatre improvisation. They’re sketched below because I can’t sleep yet.
1.Say yes to what’s happening (not the same as your character agreeing).
Just like in improv., if you block the progress of the other characters, you drain the scene of its momentum. This kills a lot of scenes that could be good.
2.Add to the scene, move the story forward with every post rather than simply
passively responding.
It’s really frustrating when characters just react to what everyone else creates, rather than moving the scene forward. In improv, I believe this is the ‘yes, and—‘ rule. Don’t deny; and once you’ve done that, add your own bit. Posts shouldn’t be space fillers.
3.Be open to creating opportunities for your partners to shine.
I’ve found a lot of players are weirdly selfish about this. When they see two characters start to do something interesting together..they feel the need to rush in and make sure their character is involved, whether or not it makes sense for her to be there, and despite how the presence of the character deflates the scene. Sheesh, cut it out, people.
4.Don’t just ask questions. Add more to the world and what’s happening (don’t put all the pressure on others to expand the story).
Self explanatory, possibly redundant.
5.Tell a story, don’t just write a character sketch.
Plot is important; RPers focus on their characters, as in the kinds I play people usually add their character to a (sometimes just barely) established scenario. In spite of this—players should drive to expand the world around their characters. Why?
So there’s room for the characters to play out of this scene/scenario, which rarely is sketched out entirely in advance. I mean, who would want to roleplay a finite world where you already know what’s going to happen?
I dunno. This is a little pretentious. Tee hee?
The rules for RPing well are basically the same for theatre improvisation. They’re sketched below because I can’t sleep yet.
1.Say yes to what’s happening (not the same as your character agreeing).
Just like in improv., if you block the progress of the other characters, you drain the scene of its momentum. This kills a lot of scenes that could be good.
2.Add to the scene, move the story forward with every post rather than simply
passively responding.
It’s really frustrating when characters just react to what everyone else creates, rather than moving the scene forward. In improv, I believe this is the ‘yes, and—‘ rule. Don’t deny; and once you’ve done that, add your own bit. Posts shouldn’t be space fillers.
3.Be open to creating opportunities for your partners to shine.
I’ve found a lot of players are weirdly selfish about this. When they see two characters start to do something interesting together..they feel the need to rush in and make sure their character is involved, whether or not it makes sense for her to be there, and despite how the presence of the character deflates the scene. Sheesh, cut it out, people.
4.Don’t just ask questions. Add more to the world and what’s happening (don’t put all the pressure on others to expand the story).
Self explanatory, possibly redundant.
5.Tell a story, don’t just write a character sketch.
Plot is important; RPers focus on their characters, as in the kinds I play people usually add their character to a (sometimes just barely) established scenario. In spite of this—players should drive to expand the world around their characters. Why?
So there’s room for the characters to play out of this scene/scenario, which rarely is sketched out entirely in advance. I mean, who would want to roleplay a finite world where you already know what’s going to happen?
I dunno. This is a little pretentious. Tee hee?
Friday, May 13, 2011
Trickster gods and breakfast cereal
The Trix Rabbit is probably the most striking example of a cereal trickster who closely follows the mythic conventions of the North American tricksters in particular. The plot of his 30-second tales follows a mind-numbingly predictable sequence. The Rabbit observes some kids eating Trix cereal, and decides to disguise himself in order to get some too. At first his plan appears to succeed, but then his manic enthusiasm for the fruit-flavor properties of the cereal cause him to convulse in such a way that his disguise is thrown off and the trick revealed. The kids take the cereal away from him and pronounce the ritual condemnation mantra: “Silly Rabbit. Trix are for kids.”
In his basic form, the Trix Rabbit resembles mythical trickster figures in that he is an anthropomorphized animal, like the hare trickster Wakjunkaga. He exhibits the insatiable hunger typical of Wakjunkaga, but not for foods typically associated with rabbits. He desires only the Trix brand breakfast cereal, and is willing to cheat and deceive in order to get it. In the early days of Trix, the variations on the specific disguise that the Rabbit adopted were still closely identified with the plot premise: He was attempting to appear as something other than a rabbit, so a little old lady or astronaut disguise would do. In more recent years the disguises have begun to take on the form of whatever the advertisers perceive as popular with kids at the time, so in the 1980s the Rabbit disguised himself as a breakdancer, and, most recently, a karaoke singer. In any case, the Rabbit is using these disguises, to appear more human than rabbit, which emphasizes the way in which the Trix Rabbit most closely corresponds to the archetypal Radin/Jung trickster.
Source: Thomas Green, “Tricksters and the Marketing of Breakfast Cereals,” J. of Popular Culture 40/1 (2007): 49-68 (doi:10.1111/j.1540-5931.2007.00353.x).
In his basic form, the Trix Rabbit resembles mythical trickster figures in that he is an anthropomorphized animal, like the hare trickster Wakjunkaga. He exhibits the insatiable hunger typical of Wakjunkaga, but not for foods typically associated with rabbits. He desires only the Trix brand breakfast cereal, and is willing to cheat and deceive in order to get it. In the early days of Trix, the variations on the specific disguise that the Rabbit adopted were still closely identified with the plot premise: He was attempting to appear as something other than a rabbit, so a little old lady or astronaut disguise would do. In more recent years the disguises have begun to take on the form of whatever the advertisers perceive as popular with kids at the time, so in the 1980s the Rabbit disguised himself as a breakdancer, and, most recently, a karaoke singer. In any case, the Rabbit is using these disguises, to appear more human than rabbit, which emphasizes the way in which the Trix Rabbit most closely corresponds to the archetypal Radin/Jung trickster.
Source: Thomas Green, “Tricksters and the Marketing of Breakfast Cereals,” J. of Popular Culture 40/1 (2007): 49-68 (doi:10.1111/j.1540-5931.2007.00353.x).
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
And the Angel Spake...
(From http://www.marriedtothesea.com/archives/2010/Jan/)
Also, I start my new job Monday.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Anti-Dualism Stories Are the Best
Raymond Smullyan: An Unfortunate Dualist
Once upon a time there was a dualist. He believed that mind and matter are separate substances. Just how they interacted he did not pretend to know--this was one of the "mysteries" of life. But he was sure they were quite separate substances.
This dualist, unfortunately, led an unbearably painful life--not because of his philosophical beliefs, but for quite different reasons. And he had excellent empirical evidence that no respite was in sight for the rest of his life. He longed for nothing more than to die. But he was deterred from suicide by such reasons as: 1)he did not want to hurt other people by his death; 2)he was afraid suicide might be morally wrong; 3)he was afraid there might be an afterlife, and he did not want to risk the possibility of eternal punishment. So our poor dualist was quite desperate.
Then he came upon the discovery of the miracle drug! Its effect on the taker was to annihilate the soul or mind entirely but to leave the body functioning exactly as before. Absolutely no observable change came over the taker; the body continued to act just as if it still had a soul. Not the closest friend or observer could possibly know that the taker had taken the drug, unless the taker informed them.
...our duelist was, of course, delighted! Now he could annihilate himself (his soul, that is) in a way not subject to any of the foregoing objections. And so, for the first time in years, he went to bed with a light heart, saying: "Tomorrow morning I will go down to the drugstore and get the drug. My days of suffering are over at last!" With these thoughts, he fell peacefully asleep.
Now at this point a curious thing happened. A friend of the dualist who knew about this drug, and who knew of the sufferings of the dualist, decided to put him out of his misery. So in the middle of the night, while the dualist was fast asleep, the friend stole quietly into the house and injected the drug into his veins. The next morning the body of the dualist awoke--without any soul indeed--and the first thing it did was go to the drugstore to get the drug. He took it home and, before taking it, said, "Now I shall be released." So he took it and then waited the time interval in which it was supposed to work. At the end of the interval he angrily exclaimed: "Damn it, this stuff hasn't helped at all! I still obviously have a soul and am suffering as much as ever!"
---
Excerpted fairly heavily, because I like to leave out the little snippy editorial comments that don't add to the idea that something is pretty wrong with dualism.
Once upon a time there was a dualist. He believed that mind and matter are separate substances. Just how they interacted he did not pretend to know--this was one of the "mysteries" of life. But he was sure they were quite separate substances.
This dualist, unfortunately, led an unbearably painful life--not because of his philosophical beliefs, but for quite different reasons. And he had excellent empirical evidence that no respite was in sight for the rest of his life. He longed for nothing more than to die. But he was deterred from suicide by such reasons as: 1)he did not want to hurt other people by his death; 2)he was afraid suicide might be morally wrong; 3)he was afraid there might be an afterlife, and he did not want to risk the possibility of eternal punishment. So our poor dualist was quite desperate.
Then he came upon the discovery of the miracle drug! Its effect on the taker was to annihilate the soul or mind entirely but to leave the body functioning exactly as before. Absolutely no observable change came over the taker; the body continued to act just as if it still had a soul. Not the closest friend or observer could possibly know that the taker had taken the drug, unless the taker informed them.
...our duelist was, of course, delighted! Now he could annihilate himself (his soul, that is) in a way not subject to any of the foregoing objections. And so, for the first time in years, he went to bed with a light heart, saying: "Tomorrow morning I will go down to the drugstore and get the drug. My days of suffering are over at last!" With these thoughts, he fell peacefully asleep.
Now at this point a curious thing happened. A friend of the dualist who knew about this drug, and who knew of the sufferings of the dualist, decided to put him out of his misery. So in the middle of the night, while the dualist was fast asleep, the friend stole quietly into the house and injected the drug into his veins. The next morning the body of the dualist awoke--without any soul indeed--and the first thing it did was go to the drugstore to get the drug. He took it home and, before taking it, said, "Now I shall be released." So he took it and then waited the time interval in which it was supposed to work. At the end of the interval he angrily exclaimed: "Damn it, this stuff hasn't helped at all! I still obviously have a soul and am suffering as much as ever!"
---
Excerpted fairly heavily, because I like to leave out the little snippy editorial comments that don't add to the idea that something is pretty wrong with dualism.
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