Author Archives: Shawn R. McDonald

Individual Converts

For the past couple of months, my hits have been decreasing. It’s easy to tell why when I look at my search logs. Earlier in the school year, I was receiving hits from people searching for the TI-83+ calculator. Pepperidge Farm has quit its pervasive use of the new goldfish jingles. Searches are down, and so are hits that used to come from it.

Yet, what good were these hits? People visited and left. I need to garner repeat visits. This is where my new strategy comes in.

I’ll call this new strategy IC, for Individual Conversions. It’s really just a new method of shameless self promotion. Yet, shameless self promotion was more mass-oriented. People recognized it, but it did not get them to visit. Now, I will concentrate on individuals. I will find a target, and get him or her to visit psycho-ward.org.

The purpose is to establish a relationship with the target of IC. I’m essentially a salesman for my website. A good relationship with the target will gain more repeat visits, just as good customer service at a store will gain more repeat business. Eventually, I can get that person to a stage where they will visit automatically with practically no urging on my part.

Furthermore, by associating with me, as a person, not as a website, it’ll be more likely they’ll spread the word. A satisfied customer will refer others to your service. I want to sell the website along with myself. So, if I’m mentioned, my website will be mentioned, and people will visit.

So, there’s my next experiment, and I’ll keep you updated on how it works out. Eh, don’t be offended if you’re the next target of IC. Remember, the “purpose is to establish a relationship”. And if the website shtick fails, that doesn’t mean I’ll cut off relations with that person (notice how I’ve shifted my language from “target” to “person”). Not everyone will like my website (sniffle).

Iraq: Casualties

I read an article on Bush’s State of the Union address at Yahoo! News. (Why is this the UK Yahoo! site? Because I use the Opera browser, and the default home page is giving me UK news.) I missed it this year. Oh well. When I listened in 2002, they clapped after just about every sentence. I noticed the same thing in Schwarzenegger’s State of the State address (not much to comment on that except it was good in ideals but skimpy in concrete ideas). I never followed politics much earlier than that, so I don’t know if that was a new thing, or what.

Anyway, this stuck out: “‘American taxpayers are bearing almost all the cost — a colossal $120 billion and rising. More importantly, American troops are enduring almost all the casualties,’ [House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi of California] said.”

Are we really enduring almost all the casualties? I notice in the news reports that it’s not only US troops being hurt, it’s also Iraqi citizens. If the American troops were taking almost all the casualties, why do the Iraqi citizens feel unsafe? Something to ponder, I’m sure.

Propaganda to the rescue, once again! There needs to be more spin on how the terrorists target “collaborators,” also known as an average Iraqi citizen. Try to take out some of their support base.

However, that’s not the whole problem: I’ve read that many simultaneously view the US as good, but as an occupying force. One part of the solution is holding direct elections that allow the people to vote. But let me hold off any talk about elections until any are actually held, or when some interesting news pops up.

On a side note, there were two more earthquakes last night, but none as large as the second earthquake. After the fourth one, I noticed how close my tall lamp was to my bed and wondered how it could hurt me during an earthquake. I moved it.

Because of an “Internal Server Error” there was a double-post. I have to “Rebuild” to get rid of it, but then I get another error. I’ve been having some problems with MT, lately. The error message is pretty generic, so I have no idea how to fix it, as of now. [EDIT: Few minutes later — double-post is gone, but I’m still having problems with MT.]

American Idol and Agnoiology (Part 1)

American Idol is fascinating. What, me, watch American Idol? Yeah. I think you can all guess that I can identify with Simon.

Anyway, it’s funny to watch the people who suck. The fascinating thing is: How can these people believe that they are good singers? This is where agnoiology comes in. Are these people unpleasantly ignorant, or just plain stupid? How can they not hear themselves?

Maybe it should be mandatory for everyone to listen to themselves sing on a tape recorder. Can these bad people watch the episodes they’re on and still think they’re good? I just don’t understand it. Anyone else have any clue?

Oh, and I felt two earthquakes tonight. Around 10:30ish. Second one was bigger than the first. The first was just a jolt. Maybe there’ll be a third one, and school will be shut down. Yeah, I doubt it. But one can dream, can’t he?

Visiting Preacher at MLK Mass

I go to a Catholic school, as some of you readers might have heard before. Last Friday, we had mass. Technically it wasn’t a mass, just a MLK “celebration of peace,” but whatever, it’s the same thing me as an atheist. Anyway, we had a preacher from, I think, Oakland visit us. He was a rather powerful and articulate speaker, I have to admit, even though he pronounced affluent as affluent (just nitpicking). As other people were getting into it, giving “amens” as requested, I still maintained a cynical detachment. Thus, I caught this one point of hypocrisy. I’m willing to bet $10 that I’m the only one in the building who caught it. This reaffirms my earlier entry that hypocrisy arises from ignorance.

Anyway, here it goes. He says that us kids don’t have to live up to the standard that the media and corporate America gives. We should be who we are and be happy with that. Not too long afterwards, he mentions how we should live up to God’s standards. Granted, one set of standards, the one he condoned, was better than the other. Yet, it’s still hypocritical when to say be who you are, then say you should strive to reach a different standard instead. Perhaps this can be reconciled with a technicality, by saying that those standards allow you to live to your true potential, becoming your true self. Whatever, still seems hypocritical to me.

I also noticed a bit of anti-intellectualism, despite the fact that he did go to a good school (can’t remember which one). It reminded me of our studies in AP US history on the Second Great Awakening. One could argue that we are going through a third.

On a lighter note, his hairstyle made it seem like he could sell an ’84 Ford. I mean, he looked like a used car salesman. But, as you can see from my analysis, I didn’t judge him by his appearances (part of the message of that one guy I mentioned in the beginning). Besides, I couldn’t get a good view from my seat. Yet overall, despite my nitpicking on that one point of hypocrisy, he did give a good talk with a good message.

[01/24/03 – EDIT: Added that link to my earlier entry on hypocrisy, so I also took out “(will add link later)”]

One-Way Ticket to Mars

This New York Times article makes a case for a one-way mission to Mars (registration required). It’s a brilliant way to cut the costs of an initial Mars mission. Despite that they’d never see Earth again, there would still be no shortage of volunteers for such a mission. The article also makes the point that they wouldn’t die right away. So, you drop them off. Eventually, you’ll drop off more, and you’ll have a colony built piece by piece. Making one-way trips is the most practical option for human Mars exploration and colonization.

No More Hubble Space Telescope

From Yahoo! News, here’s a report on how the Hubble Space Telescope will meet an early death.

This is the part I consider the worst: “A Hubble mission would have required launching one shuttle and having a second on standby, ready to launch if a rescue was needed, said NASA spokesman Al Feinberg. ‘Tying up two shuttles that way wouldn’t work with the construction schedule for the international space station,’ he said.” So, I ask: What has the International Space Station done so far, compared to the Hubble Space Telescope? Let’s compare the ratios of money to actual scientific output. I’m not saying the ISS is a money-sucking waste, but I just don’t know what it has done for us, so far.

… I need to find more details about the next telescope.

Implications of Nonlethal Weapons

Nonlethal weapons have a lower “use threshold,” meaning that they are more likely to be used more often. Could a war be waged with weapons that don’t kill? The logistics of taking that many prisoners would be horribly unfeasible. It’d be hard to secure any places.

Weapons of mass nonlethal destruction would have different problems. I’m envisioning a weapon that could perhaps put an entire city to sleep, or temporarily paralyze them. This would be especially effective in towns where weapons are produced. Imagine infrastructure temporarily completely shut down. Scary. Though, to be most effective, the weapon would be used simultaneously in multiple cities. Then, one could conceivably just waltz in and capture the leaders.

It’d be just like having nuclear weapons go off, only no one gets killed.

Yet, what happens when these weapons proliferate? Entire economies devastated because people in all the big cities in many countries are temporarily incapacitated. Couldn’t a whole small country be held at bay?

After the success in wars, smaller ones will be developed for civil unrest. Dictators will hold their populations hostage. First, they can be incapacitated, and the later killing is optional. Then, these same populations will be incapacitated again when they are quickly “liberated” by new forces.

Nonlethal weapons are still violent and still carry some of the same consequences as lethal violence.

First Time Driving In Traffic

I got me a little taste of traffic jam, while I was in the driver’s seat. I got to see a flaming car (yes, actually on fire, pretty high too), and then the fire truck block the only route of escape. Hooray for putting the fire out! But once it was out, it still took forever to get the lanes moving again, or at least one of them. If only that third lane was done… alas, it made me late for the oral surgeon. Now, I’ve got little time for homework, thus no entry regarding non-lethal weapons.

Declare Osama Tapes Fake

If cigarette companies successfully combatted the information that smoking causes cancer for years, why can’t we do the same with Osama bin Laden’s purported tapes? Produce propaganda that outright lies, denying that bin Laden ever made any tapes after the war in Afghanistan. There only needs to be a few “scientists” to claim this, in order to produce controversy. As long as there is a perceived debate, people will be apt to believe that bin Laden is dead. It takes some of the “oomph” out of the War on Terror, but, oh well. Actually, if your goal is what’s in the previous sentence, there’s your ticket.

Advantages? Helps calm the American public. Sending out the propaganda now would go along nicely with Saddam’s recent capture. It could also put doubt in the minds of the international community, taking away from his message.

Wisdom Teeth Update

Just to chronicle my experience: I was awake during the procedure. Not fun. Twelve shots, three in each corner, to numb the mouth and the lower jaw. I decided to close my eyes when I saw those long sharp needles that were going to poke me. However, I did get a good glimpse of the blood covered thread they were using to stitch up the holes in my mouth. When they first started with the tooth, I felt like something was going to go down my throat, but the doctor told me that was my numbed tongue. So, it got a little better. The first tooth was the worst — not just because it was the first one, but it was the one with the most pushing. Afterwards, that side was more swollen. I felt lopsided. It got easier to stand as it progressed. I tried to focus on the music (I brought a walkman), but the drill occasionally drowned it out. Having the eyes closed did help with the music. Easier to relax that way, too. My mouth was chomping down pretty hard on that piece propping it open.

So, I get home. I drip blood on the floor without realizing it because my mouth is numb. The gauze is a real bother. The bleeding stops right about the time my mouth starts to regain feeling. Once my mouth started regaining feeling, the pain started. Of course, I didn’t have my pain killer yet. So, my parents went out to get it for me. I think about screaming. Screaming doesn’t actually make the pain go away. It doesn’t make sense. So, why do I want to scream? I think it’s a response to pain to alert others in the vicinity. That way, they can help you. However, humans aren’t hardwired for expected, prolonged pain, where screaming is annoying to others. Anyway, I’m alone, so I decide what the heck. It didn’t make me feel any better, but I couldn’t get my mouth open wide enough for a proper scream.

All I can drink is soup, at that point, which I do, because I must before taking the vicoden. Vicoden is mostly the stuff in Tylenol. Supposedly can make you drowsy and whatnot, but I never get drowsy from medicine. The pain does subside after a while, but it’s still a bother to try to sleep.

The next day is when it got swollen, one side more than the other, as I mentioned before. Then, there I am in my disgusting state, at New Year’s Eve with the extended family, and they want to take pictures. I wasn’t smiling in any of them.

Now, I just want to recover more quickly. I’m getting impatient because when you avoid using your very back teeth, it takes longer to chew. Much longer. And, I want to play trombone. I think I’m just going to tomorrow. Whatever happens, happens.

2004

Happy first day of the year 2004. Loved ya, 2003.

I actually manage to keep a majority of my New Year’s resolutions. It is because my New Year’s resolutions are more like to-do lists, than lists of improvements for general character foibles. I’m going to list mine here, so I can find them next year and comment upon them.

  • Get my driver’s license
  • Learn C++
  • Learn how to solo on trombone
  • Get 200,000 hits in one month at Psycho-ward.org
  • Finish one of my long stories
  • Get both French videos finished (subtitles and commentary, too)
  • Write and film Majestic, the Movie
  • Write songs and lyrics for that fake musical (don’t absolutely need story done yet)
  • Finish the stuff currently on my Coming Soon list at psycho-ward.org
  • Learn and memorize all of Hungarian Rhapsody no. 2
  • Update psycho-ward.org more often (the only one that’s more general)
  • Do at least 40 TPVs this year
  • Do at least 12 Majestic comics this year

Out of Context Awards: December 2003

Looks like it’s the month of me for this month’s edition of the Out of Context Awards.

In fourth place: “Who needs internet when you’ve got booty?”

Context: While I was talking about how I wish I could be a pirate, I mentioned that pirates wouldn’t have an internet connection. Then, I uttered that quote.

In third place: “Ian McKellan is not girly!”

Context: Well, we (my cousins and I) always said Orlando Bloom (Legolas) looked like a girl. Then, Wenschel, noticing all of them had long hair at one point in the video game, I think, says that they all look girly. I say that because earlier I was joking about how Ian McKellan was the hottest one in the Return of the King. (Might have spelled his name wrong, too lazy right now to check the DVD.)

In second place: “You’re still ramming this metal rod into someone, and you can still hurt them, even if it does have a rubber tip.”

Context: I was talking about a fencing foil, okay.

Winner: “I’ve yet to meet a ninja with a ghetto accent.”

Context: Interestingly enough, this quote came from the same conversation as the 2nd place quote. Still talking about how a foil can hurt, I try to use an analogy involving the hand and how soft, yet deadly it is. To further illustrate my point, I ask the person to imagine that she is a master ninja. She replies with something like, “Whatchoo talkin’ ’bout? I am.” So, I reply with my line.

Picture: Best Xmas Ornament

Best Xmas Ornament: Pumpkin

Indeed, it is my favorite Christmas tree ornament… and I bet it beats any of yours!

On a happier note, I got my wisdom teeth pulled out. I hurt. However, I took medicine, so it’s starting to hurt less, as long as I don’t move my mouth around too much. Worst of all, I can’t play trombone.

Angry Bookmarks

I am angry. I just lost all my bookmarks in Opera. I don’t know if it was the stupid AIM+ I was trying to use, or what. So, I’m not using that AIM cloner anymore. My computer froze, I shut it off, Opera came up with an error. I reset the computer, my E: drive doesn’t show up. I reset it again, Opera still has all the preferences lost. Now, I have to go back to all the sites I want and bookmark them again. And now, my wand doesn’t work, so I have to retype all my passwords (Opera users will know what I’m talking about). That’s why I am angry.

Signs of Lucidity

Lucid dreaming is when you’re dreaming and you are aware that you’re dreaming. There are various levels of lucidity. When you know you’re dreaming, you’re more likely to have the ability to control that dream. You can do what you want, since it has no consequences. There are certain signs that can tip you off as to whether you’re having a dream or not. Here’s my current list:

  • Deja vu – I have never experienced deja vu when I’m awake. I think it comes from previous dream experiences which are only remembered vaguely.
  • Wondering whether this is a dream or not – If I have to ask yourself if I’m dreaming, then I am dreaming. When things are real, I have no problem identifying that they are real.
  • Flying – This isn’t just restricted to flying, actually. It also applies to when gravity is not working properly.
  • Eyes not opening properly – Sometimes I have problems with my eyelids when I’m dreaming.
  • Changing scenery/Unstable environment – This is a sign I have in my head, but it’s almost never the one that manages to tip me off.
  • Being lost in a place I know well – This isn’t quite the same as the previous item. This environment is relatively stable while I dream, but the place is way off from what it should be while awake. Sometimes, this manages to produce deja vu.

There are more, but I’ve yet to actually use them.

Concerning the Absence of Color

I came upon this site claiming atheism is a religion via atheism.about.com. Anyway, the site claims:

But this [that atheism is not a religion] is like saying that “black,” (which physicists define as the total absence of color) is not a color. The car I drive is a big, old Chevrolet, whose color is black. In common practice throughout the world, “black” is understood to be a color, despite the technical definition of the physicists. Likewise, “Atheism” is a religion, despite any technical definitions to the contrary.

If black is a color, then Atheism is a religion.

The analogy is flawed. The answer is clear when you think about it the right way. What color is a window?

Yes, black is a color, but atheism is still not a religion.

So, I decided to send an e-mail to the webmaster (which is pretty much what I said up here). It’s subject is “Concerning the absence of color” and it reads:

Dear Rev. Bill McGinnis,

In your web page titled “The Religion of Atheism” (found at http://patriot.net/~bmcgin/atheismisareligion.html) you state:

“But [saying atheism is not a religion] is like saying that “black,” (which physicists define as the total absence of color) is not a color. The car I drive is a big, old Chevrolet, whose color is black. In common practice throughout the world, “black” is understood to be a color, despite the technical definition of the physicists. Likewise, “Atheism” is a religion, despite any technical definitions to the contrary.

If black is a color, then Atheism is a religion.”

I believe your analogy is incorrect. An object that is transparent, such as a window, can be said to lack color.

If you believe I am incorrect, please reply. If you believe that I am correct, could you please e-mail me if you decide to make any changes to the aforementioned web page.

Thank you for taking the time to read this e-mail.

I’ll keep you updated if he decides to e-mail back.

I Was Quoted

Check this out: My weblog (the one you’re reading right now) was quoted in the Agnosticism/Atheism section of About.com. I subscribe to the newsletter and was rather surprised when I clicked on a link and then found myself quoted. I feel special. The internet is a beautiful place.

Animals and Self

Certain animals can be conditioned to be called by a certain name. Does that mean that they have a sense of self? It seems like it to me. I don’t know exactly what the limit is, but the main question comes to killing. If the life form is too low to have a sense of self, it should be okay to kill it, right? But then, what about young babies? They don’t have those cognitive abilities at the very beginning of life, do they? No answers for today… I’m tired.

Drugs are bad for you

According to my philosophy I’m building, drugs are bad for you. They artificially alter your mind, and your thoughts, and thus, your perception of self. If self alters self, it’s not the same. That’s change, not outside interference.

More in this vein tomorrow…

Axiom of Others’ Existence

You have to take it as a given that other people exist, that you aren’t the only one thinking. If you’re not familiar with solipsism, you probably are somewhat confused. Some think that self is the only thing that can be verified. I’m assuming from interactions with other people and scanning of the brain, that other people do think. Therefore, they have a perception of self. Since self is the most important thing, even in others, destroying “self” is wrong. Killing is wrong because it ends thought and a sense of self.

Axiom of Imperfection

The axiom of imperfection states that all humans are imperfect. I’ll define perfection as without fault. Yet, how does that work in humans? I suppose I’ll say a human is perfect when he or she can make all decisions in a correct manner as to provide perpetual happiness for themselves… that’s making a lot of presumptions (look for one more axiom tomorrow). But the purpose of the axiom of imperfection is to provide the basis for the statement that all problems, individual and social, stem from imperfection.

Saddam Gone

And so, Saddam has been captured. Let the media hullabaloo begin… oh wait, it already has. What can I say that’s new? Probably nothing.

This capture symbolic, but the symbolism can only been seen in hindsight. If the US is lucky, the attacks will begin to decrease. If the attacks decrease, we’re probably looking at Bush with a second term as president. Then again, the attacks could spike, or remain the same. Actually, it doesn’t matter what happens, as long as the “correct” spin is put on it.

Hm, or even better yet, we could find some more information on any stuffs or links that might still be hidden. Vindication of the war would be a better symbol, but I doubt Saddam’s capture could bring this about. Still, preemptive war is a scary precedent.

I think “no” to international court. Tried in Iraq would look better and be more symbolic. It would have better spin for democracy. Yeah, that’s my reason better spin. Really, though, symbolism is important, and I think that a symbol of democracy and independence for the Iraqi people is better than false “cooperation” among the international community. It’s also a good symbol for a new start, by punishing the head of the old regime.

I don’t understand this from Dean: “This development provides an enormous opportunity to set a new course and take the American label off the war. We must do everything possible to bring the U.N., NATO, and other members of the international community back into this effort” [emphasis mine; quote found in Lycos news article, can’t remember link, but those expire quickly anyway…]. Uh, “back”? When were some of them in it in the first place? I don’t see any reason why Saddam’s capture should change anything with the international community’s involvement. To the victor still belong the spoils. How can anyone else really take credit for Saddam’s capture? If anything, it’s positive propaganda that the US can do and is doing it right.

In any case, I thought that piece of news was important enough to preempt axiom number two. I’ll get back to that tomorrow, unless something else happens.

Axiom of Self

When I originally started this weblog, I wanted an unorganized way to just get down my ideas for my future agnoiology.com. Well, agnoiology.com still hasn’t progressed. So, I’m going to try something more organized. I’m going to try to build my philosophy with a bottom-up approach. I’ll be doing for a while, with some breaks in between.

I’ll start with my axiom of self. I think the most important thing is self. It’s hard to really back-up. Self is the only thing you know truly exists. You are yourself, and if you’re not happy, then, well, you aren’t. I don’t know how to phrase it without being circular, so I have to call it an axiom in order to get anywhere. Geometry is based on certain axioms that aren’t proven. They are just accepted. This is my first axiom.

Following from this, you have the statement: “I think; therefore I am” — Descartes. Self is the most important thing. Self derives from thought. Without thought, how can you know you are yourself? You don’t know anything. You have no identity. Since self derives from thought, thought is considered just as important. But what constitutes thought? What degree of intelligence is needed to come up with a concept of self? These will be addressed later with different issues.

Tomorrow, I’ll have axiom number two.

Chaos Theory and Significance

Not taking into account the truth of it, I think part of the popularity of this is that people think that they are significant, no matter what they have done. They think they are not insignificant because they are like the butterfly, and can change things in unexplainable ways.

Part of chaos theory is applied to hypothetical time travel situations. Change one thing and everything in the present is changed. Perhaps. Though if Columbus hadn’t lived, one cannot say that none in Europe would have “discovered” the Americas.

As time goes by, there are more and more people on this planet. Go back in time, kill one of the first moving out of Africa, and the genetic makeup of the human race is greatly altered. However, go back in time five minutes ago, kill some random person, and there probably wouldn’t be as much change. How many starving people are already out there dying?

I, for one, think the tornado is more important than the butterfly. Or, at least, I’d rather strive to be the tornado than the butterfly.