Living in digital worlds

As a long time MMORPG player, I have noticed many things in my days of playing. I find that you only really reflect on these finer points about games, after you have both played, and quit, many of them. What I have noticed most is the behavior of people within the games, their attitudes toward people who have quit the games, and also, their feelings about all other MMO’s, except the one they currently play. If humans are good at rationalization, then MMO players are masters of it.RR

Read More

I shall name my first born son “Violence”

Seriously.  What is with the way people name their children these days?  Is the desire to be unique in some way so great that a name like Mike, Christopher, or John just not good enough?  Take a look at some of the craziest names celebrities have given their children quoting this article, I have taken my favorites since I don’t think all of them were that crazy. Princess Tiaamii (Jordan / Peter Andre) Audio Science (Shannyn Sossamon) Camera (Arthur Ashe) Fifi Trixibell (Bob Geldof and Paula Yates) Heavenly Hiraani Tiger Lily (Paula Yates and Michael Hutchence) Kal-El Coppola (Nicholas Cage – Kal-El is Supermans birth name) Lark Song (Mia Farrow) Moon Unit (Frank Zappa) Dweezil (Frank Zappa) Ahmet Emuukah Rodan (Frank Zappa) Diva Thin Muffin Pigeen (Frank Zappa) Sage Moonblood (Sylvester Stallone) So apparently this trend amongst celebrities has begun to trickle down into average homes.  This is the reason […]

Read More

Science is Racist

Today on Howard Stern I heard a news update which is apparently about a week old, but it was new to me. It centers in on the topic of ultra racial sensitivity.  A Dallas Commissioner during a meeting regarding ticket collections said: It sounds like Central Collections has become a black hole. Obviously this was intended to imply that their ticket collections system was comparable to a black hole where things which enter it, never escape.  I do not know much about the Dallas municipalities and their issues with ticket collections but when seeing this statement, no matter what the context, I do not see any semblance of racism. However, commissioner John Wiley Price felt that this sort of language was unacceptable, and racist. (You can view the original video of the conversation here.)  This is all fine and good, I suppose he is entitled to his stance that a black hole is a […]

Read More

Is there a God?

Such a lofty question for me to even attempt to answer.  I guess no blog related to Philosophy would be complete without a post like this.  In truth, though, I never planned to write on this subject, and in this instance I doubt I will even draw many conclusions.  The idea was brought to me by being posted as the question of the month on Philosophy Now, an online magazine I recently found. So to start, I suppose in order to discuss if there is a God, we need to define exactly what a God is, and discuss the implications of each definition. Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love. (John 4:8) We have come to know and to believe in the love God has for us. God is love, and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him. (John 4:16) Okay, well this […]

Read More

Presentism and Imagination, Depression

How much would you enjoy a nice big slice of pizza right now?  Ignoring the fact that somehow there are people out there who don’t like pizza any time, I would be willing to guess that those of you who are hungry, would enjoy it very much.  Those of you who just ate, probably wouldn’t.  In fact, if you just ate so much that you are stuffed, the idea of eating pizza which you might otherwise love, might just make you feel a little sick. All animals can predict the hedonic consequences of events they’ve experienced before. But humans can predict the hedonic consequences of events they’ve never experienced by simulating those events in their minds. Scientists are beginning to understand how the brain simulates future events, how it uses those simulations to predict an event’s hedonic consequences, and why these predictions so often go awry. (Prospection: Experiencing the Future) […]

Read More