The universe has an uncanny and universal pattern of repeated themes at all levels of its existence. At the largest level the patterns of galaxies resemble living tissue under a microscope: The roads, cities, rivers, and suburbs have a strikingly similar pattern: From our view of the night sky, the lines between stars (the constellations)… Continue reading The Patterns of Life
Category: Philosophy
Channeling the Creative Spirit
I consider myself a decent writer. I can usually express myself in a coherent and even sometimes entertaining fashion, and dive deep into analytics when the situation demands. And yet after all of these years of writing and pouring nearly half a million words onto paper in my books, I still cannot tell you precisely how I… Continue reading Channeling the Creative Spirit
The Canvas of Life
Life is an art project that insists to be drawn. It will happily take no input from the artist. People and circumstances will cheerfully doodle and sketch as they will upon its blank, white surface. If you have the courage to stand in front of the easel, you have a choice. The first, and easiest, is to… Continue reading The Canvas of Life
Artificial Culture
I saw an interesting quote on Facebook today about the state of pop music. It was attributed to David Grohl, but I cannot 100% verify that he said it. Either way, I found it incredibly accurate. While I would disagree that most of it is fun to listen to, he makes a very valid point… Continue reading Artificial Culture
Don’t Be Offended
You do not have the right to be free from offense. There are many times where things you see, hear, or watch, will offend you. These things can strike deeply into your heart, sometimes creating a wound that will keep you occupied for quite some time. This is normal, and it will pass – if… Continue reading Don’t Be Offended
Sandboxing People
That sounds rough, doesn’t it? It’s not quite what you think, is it? Allow me to explain. In computers, the term sandboxing means to take a program and run it in a protected environment where it can’t hurt or alter the rest of your system. It is commonly done by developers who are testing out… Continue reading Sandboxing People
The All-Powerful Dreamer
Audio/video presentation of this article Humans are powerful, creative beings. Individually, and collectively, we can do some amazing, and horrible things. But at the core of our being is a boundless creativity that knows no limits. Sometimes, the creative mind becomes bored or complacent and falls asleep. It dreams awful dreams – creating villains so… Continue reading The All-Powerful Dreamer
The Usefulness of Debate
Is debate a useful technique in hashing out issues, learning from one another, or exploring solutions? I used to think it was, but I am beginning to question that wisdom. I used to consider debating an enjoyable sport, but I have been lately seeing the futility of this tool of discourse. In the debates I have… Continue reading The Usefulness of Debate
The Carnival is In Town
Think about what happens to a TV show when it begins to struggle in the ratings. It tries new and drastic things, turning the plot and character development up on its end to be bold, innovative, and keep viewers tuning in to see what’s next. It vaguely reminds me of our current political situation.… Continue reading The Carnival is In Town
Taxation is Theft, But…
It’s an oft-repeated phrase, especially around tax season. That libertarian friend you know and love will remind you that taking anything by force violates the non-aggression principle (or the NAP), a philosophical view that force of any kind, outside of self-defense, is wrong. In the strictest sense, your friend is right. No one wants forced… Continue reading Taxation is Theft, But…
