A.M.H.'s Blog

Nightmares

2012-02-22T18:34:00.003-05:00

We have all had all them; bad dreams that cause us to jolt up out of bed still shaking with fear. I quickly forget about most of these nightmares--sometimes as soon as I fall back asleep. In other instances, the dream is too irrational or fragmented to be of much worth. After all, who would be afraid of a small frog in their waking hours? But perhaps it is worthwhile to recount some of my most memorable nightmares; you might learn more about me from these stories than you would from an entire autobiography. More importantly, I think that we come to understand each other when we recount stories that derive from our subconscious/semiconscious selves. For deep down, we are all human beings--with the same instinctual ability to love, to laugh, to cry, and to feel other emotions containing elements, which are unique to our species. I think that our nightmares, as well as our dreams, help us to understand these aspects of our humanness.

These nightmares may also serve to entertain, to humor, or even to scare people (though I doubt the latter) and there may be some value in that fact as well. :-) At the same time, my recollection of these things may bore everyone to death (pun intended). So, I'll test out the market. I will posit one story/recollection. If you like it and want to hear about the other nightmares, leave a positive comment. :-) If no one comments, I will assume that it's not beneficial to continue...

The Ghost of the Old Sailor

I lived in an old, Victorian style mansion (5300 sq. feet or so) from the time I was born until the end of my 2nd Grade year. Now, before anyone goes ah and ooh, it's probably worth noting that the house was situated in one of the worst areas of town. My grandfather had purchased the mansion during the Depression (he amazingly paid for it in silver dollars and silver certificates) when the neighborhood was still rather upscale. Things had changed by the time I was born.

The house and staircases were made of hardwood, which seemed to always creek and groan. Combine this noise with the house's size, the antique furniture in my room, and the fact that the residence was always drafty, and you can imagine how scary it would be for a child of four or five (or even of six and seven). Every night the same ritual occurred. My parents would force me to turn off the lights in my room, and I would become scared. I would sometimes lay in my bed with the covers over my head until I fell asleep. At other times, I would try to sneak into my parents' room, but that didn't work out all that well. The creaking of a floorboard would usually give me away. Heck, my parents should have bought me a nightlight--but noooo... ;-)

Anyway, this first nightmare, like most dreams, contains some contradictory elements. Alas, that is the case with most of my dreams. My subconscious mind just can't get all the details right (wrong time period, etc.). This is the earliest nightmare that I can still remember; it occurred when I was around 5 years old.

I dreamed that I worked for a newspaper and had entered an old, two story house with a female reporter in tow to interview the widow of a famous pirate. I can no longer recall the face of the female reporter [I was only 5 at the time] nor the interior of the house with any clarity. The elderly woman had white hair and a large frame. I had the impression that she was describing the life of her late husband, the pirate, but few details remain (if my mind had ever bothered to create those narrative elements), though my dream mind did see a (recreated) flashback as she was speaking of her husband's dying moments in a hospital, no less (haha--see, the 5 year old dream mind wasn't that sophisticated yet). And of course, her deceased hubby had a peg leg [what else did you expect ;-)]. At the end of her story, she told us that her husband still haunts the house, blah blah, and lo and behold, we hear footsteps upstairs. The footsteps kept getting closer as the ghost started to walk down the upstairs hall and down the stairs. My dreamself was rooted in place by fear...And that is when I sat straight up in bed.

Unluckily for me, my conscious mind rarely takes over fully immediately upon waking up. Usually, I can see everything around me clearly but some dream elements remain. In this case, I could just make out the dim outlines of my cedar closet and kiddie rocking chair (red velvet covered rocking chair) via the faint moonlight coming in from the cracks in the window shade. I also espied the peg-legged pirate standing next to my rocking chair. He started walking towards my bed and only disappeared when he reached the foot of my bed (about five steps). As you can imagine, I immediately got out of bed and started to sneak into my parents' room.

This nightmare has something in common with all of the ones that stick in my memory. It has some component that links it to my waking world. In this case, some of the dream elements didn't immediately disappear when I opened my eyes. With the Thanksgiving Day nightmare (see my "11 Things" post), I received a stuffed clown that resembled the characters in that bad dream.

The next nightmare is unique (for me) in that it didn't have any imagery attached; it is the only dream of any sort that was... (to be continued?).

Clip Art courtesy of Microsoft (and Istockphoto).

11 Things about Me

2012-02-17T14:37:00.002-05:00

Ok, Sujana tagged me in one of her blog posts. You can find her post here: http://dreamingindecember.blogspot.com/2012/02/tagged-im-exhausted-after-finishing.html.

According to the rules, I am supposed to posit 11 random things about myself; answer the 11 questions that Sujana posed at the end of her post; and at the same time tag 11 other bloggers and ask them to answer 11 different questions (which I have created). The official rules are below.

Rule#1: Put the rules on your blog.

Rule#2: Every person tagged should tell 11 things about themselves, answer the 11 questions asked by the one that tagged you, tag 11 other people and ask them 11 different questions.

Rule#3: Let the people whom you tagged know you've done so.

Rule#4: Don't tag anyone who's been tagged before.

Rule#5: Really do tag 11 others, don't go all ''if you want to take this tag''

Ok, well, considering the fact that a) I currently only have 30-37 followers and b) most of you have already been tagged at one point or another. I will edit rule # 5 a bit. ;-)

Revised Rule #5: If you want to be tagged (and have not already been tagged), put a note in the comments section stating "Tag me :-), " I will then edit my blog post to include you among the tagged. When I receive the first "Tag me :-)" comment, I will create 11 questions for you and all future tagged individuals. I will also include your name/pseudonym and link to your blog in the body of this post.

Hmm, now that I have bent the rule a bit to better suit me (hah aha), I can move on to the next step...so, without further ado, here are 11 random things about me. I have even added in some totally random color schemes to add some authenticity. :-)

Random Things About Me (or that I did/do)

Randomness #1: I eat one square of dark chocolate per day. Studies have shown that eating one square per day can help an individual maintain his her cardiovascular health, and blah, blah, blah...Anyway, lots of people love dark chocolate; however, I am not all that fond of the taste (especially 90+% dark).

Randomness #2: When I was a very young child, I had a dream (on Thanksgiving night to boot) that I was being chased by people who had lost half their bodies (so chased by people without anything more than a head and chest area). Lo and behold, without knowing anything about my dream, my nanny (yes, I was very young) handmade a doll/toy for me of a clown that had only half a body (no stomach, legs, etc.)...She presented this to me at Christmas as a gift. Ayeek.

Randomness #3: When I was a young child (but not "very young" so about the 4th/5th grade), I received an indoor basketball set. The ball was a sponge about 4 inches in diameter and the net hung on my closet door. Well, I created a game in which I would control the ball by bouncing it up in the air with my hand. I would use this technique to bounce the ball into the basket. If the ball dropped on the ground, my team lost. Of course, I usually represented both teams, so I lost/won either way ;-).

Randomness #4: Writing a blog entry which lists random things that I do/have done.

Randomness #5: The last time I was in Las Vegas, I walked the entire strip (and past the traditional strip sections) just to do it. Of course, I am not sure what I gained by this action. Actually, I tend to do a lot of walking when I am in Vegas. I bet I walk 5-7 miles a day while there.

Randomness #6: Speaking of Vegas, how much more random can I be than when placing a bet on black or red on a computer simulated roulette table.

Randomness #7: As a child (see a theme?), I sometimes made a decision by flipping a coin.

Randomness #8: I have to wash some of my clothes today.

Randomness #9: When I was a youth (7th grade), I once caught a touchdown pass in P.E. class because it bounced off of someone else's shoulder.

Randomness #10: I just recently finished writing my first original article/post for Yahoo Voices (not sure how random that one is): http://voices.yahoo.com/egg-cracking-contests-candy-childhood-easter-10968564.html I also edited and posted the piece on my aunt and Facebook: http://voices.yahoo.com/why-deceased-aunt-might-liked-facebook-10955656.html

Randomness #11: As a child, my room as a perpetual "mess."

1) What's your favorite place?

Las Vegas (physical location) my mind (metaphysical location)

2) If you had to marry a celebrity, who would it be?

Jokingly, I'm not really picky...Any female celebrity that would agree to give me 1/2 of her wealth once the inevitable divorce occurs. Actually, maybe Brittany Spears or Kim Kardashian--then I won't have to wait all that long to collect. Seriously, I don't know if I would marry any celebrity. Of course, I don't know much about them as actual people, so who knows...

3) Do you want a twin?

Hmm, given that any "twin" would be a cloned version of myself, probably not. Though I don't know...perhaps a "mini-me" would be kind of cool...having to raise that twin, not so cool.

4) How long is your oldest friendship?

I would have to say the ones with my family--since I've known my Dad and sisters the longest. ;-)

5) What's your greatest achievement?

Being born within the last few decades. Just think what life would have been like for me as some hunter gatherer type living, in say, 5000 B.C. I would have been hungry often, sick even more often, and likely dead by now--killed by disease, a rival tribe, an unfortunate hunting accident, or some other calamity. At the same time, I wouldn't be able to sample a variety of foods, including dark chocolate (haha), pizza, ice cream, etc. Additionally, I wouldn't be able to play any fun games--well, pin the tell on the cave bear might be fun for a bit--until the bear ate me.

6) If you could only talk to one person for the rest of your life, who would it be?

Myself...I have the greatest of conversations with that person. ;-)

7) Socks and sandles- yes or no?

Socks yes, sandals no.

8) Choose your power: Mind reading or invisibility?

Invisibility of course...do you really want to know what someone else is thinking?

9) What's your method of transportation?

It depends on the situation.

10) Favorite book?

I really don't have one.

11) Facebook, twitter or neither? Why?

Neither, they are passe. I yearn for something new.

Wow, that appears to be a long post. I wonder if anyone will read it all. Well, as the old saying goes, "We'll see."

All clip art courtesy of Microsoft Office.

Some Things Never Change....

2012-02-14T14:58:00.000-05:00

While recuperating from my cold, I had the opportunity to begin reading Twentieth-Century America: Politics and Power in the United States 1900-2000 by M. J. Heale. When I bought the book, I noticed that the author is a British historian, so I was hoping that his views on American history might differ from those posited by most U.S. historians. I haven't read enough of the book to be able to answer that query. What really interested me, at least early in my reading, was this passage from page 10 of the book.

It seemed to many that the tensions that threatened the peace of American society stemmed in no small degree from the malfunctioning of the political system. Government no longer reflected the will of the whole community; special interests...had insinuated themselves at strategic junctures...generally warping public policies. Party political machines too had intruded between the citizenry and the government, illicitly perpetuating their own power and promoting the interests of their particular clients...The idea of purifying politics by restoring power to 'the people'...

If one did not know which era the passage referred to, he or she might think Heale was discussing key problems confronting today's society instead of the sociopolitical environment in the the U.S. circa 1900-1917. Eerily, other issues, including the power of the courts, unlimited corporate donations to politicians, and voter apathy also figure prominently in this period. Granted, many of the specific problems facing the U.S. in that period, such as bossism, differ from the conundrums current Americans have to deal with. However, it appears that the meta-concerns are synonymous. The same thing probably holds true in other countries as well.

My takeaway from my reading is simple. Many of the underlying issues that divide Americans are not new. Rather, they go back decades if not centuries. However, many of us, including myself, tend to forget this fact due to our short lives and even shorter memories. With this in mind, it might behoove us to peruse through a history book before we try to devise solutions to our problems or to craft compromises on divisive issues. Perhaps, via our reading, we will be able to identify some approaches that did work or alternatively some schemes that failed (and will fail again if applied to today's situation).

My review of the book brought home for me the meaning of an old cliche, "The past often repeats itself."

Photo courtesy of Barnes & Noble website: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/twentieth-century-america-m-j-heale/1006245698?ean=9780340614075

A Tad under the Weather

2012-02-12T00:48:00.001-05:00

Hi All,

I had the misfortune to come down with a cold on Thursday night and am still recovering. I had planned to create a new entry on Friday or Saturday, but I will probably postpone that project until Tuesday. I have to spend today and Monday catching up on things like job applications, interview follow-ups, etc. I apologize for the delay. I hope that all of you are having a great weekend--free of sniffles and coughs. :-)

Clip art courtesy of Microsoft Office

Why I Hope Genetic Testing Advances Rapidly

2012-02-08T15:44:00.002-05:00

Like everyone else (or at least most everyone else), I hope that future advances in genetic testing will help us (and me) both to succeed in preventing diseases and to ameliorate or even cure illnesses when they do occur. At some point in the future, I would love to be able to take a genetic test and not only learn whether or not I am more susceptible (than average) to getting certain conditions but also to determine whether a certain drug or neutriceutical will work for me. Heck, I might even one day be able to use my genetic test to help me decide what foods to consume. However, while I believe all of these (and perhaps other) potential health benefits are important, I am more excited about genetic testing's potential in helping me garner knowledge about my family's past.

To quote an oft used cliche, I have "often wondered where my family came from." In this case, I am not referring to the last few generations of relatives, as I can trace their histories. Rather, I am much more interested in determining where my family started out, in say 300 B.C. or even prior to that period, and what path their history took from that point. I would be happy if I were able to look back a few centuries. For instance, my paternal grandfather's family were Protestants (probably Anabaptists) who immigrated from German to the U.S. in the 1700s. It would be nice to trace their ancestry further back. Did my ancestors migrate from place to place in Germany to escape persecution? Perhaps they moved from Switzerland or some other area of Europe in the 1500s or 1600s as a result of opportunities (the German population was decimated by the religious wars, especially the 30 Years War)? It might be possible to answer some of these queries via traditional techniques (ie. looking in baptismal records); however, most of these questions are currently unanswerable.

Both of my grandparents on my mother's side of the family were Lebanese. My grandmother was born shortly after her parents arrived in the U.S. and my grandfather immigrated to the U.S. when he was between 7 and 10 years old (he was not sure what his birth year was). Both of their families lived in the mountains/hills surrounding Beruit. They and their relatives differ from most of the other people living in Lebanon (or elsewhere in the Middle East) in that many of them possess blue eyes or very light brown eyes. Additionally, they exhibit other features which do not appear to be common to people living in the region. Perhaps some of my ancestors married Crusaders from Europe or the French (when they controlled the area) or some other visitor from Europe? At the same time, is it possible that my ancestors migrated to Lebanon within the last few centuries from some other part of Europe/Asia where features like blue eyes are more common? I would be interested in learning these answers. I am unlikely to solve these conundrums using traditional methods.

I might be able to answer all of these questions and more if genetic testing comes of age. I have read reports of research studies that used genetic tests to trace familial lineage to the first few centuries B.C. by analyzing the differences in gene sequences between individuals/families in different regions or via looking at changes in mitochondrial DNA. Currently, companies like 23andMe can provide some, basic information about genealogy. However, it will take a lot more work in this area to satisfy my desires. For instance, researchers, DNA testing companies, and others would have to create massive genomic databases consisting of DNA from people living (and dead) in most regions of the world. They would then have to isolate specific genes, gene signatures, etc. However, I feel that these groups will eventually overcome the hurdles necessary to trace personal ancestry back centuries or even millenia. When that day comes, I might be able to take a DNA test and the results will show that my paternal grandfather's family lived in area A in 500 B.C. and migrated to area B between 100-200 A.D. and then progressed to area C. sometime around 1500 A.D., etc. That will be a great day!

Photos/Clip Art courtesy of Microsoft Office

Books I Would Like to See Made into Films

2012-02-03T22:58:00.001-05:00

I am a huge fan of the fantasy genre. I read my first fantasy novel in the summer of my 5th grade year and have been hooked ever since. For a while now, I have been hoping that producers would decide to translate some of the most popular fantasy novels into films. While Hollywood has turned two of the biggest series (LOTR and Harry Potter) into big budget movies, there are many more, good fantasy novels that could easily be turned into hit movies. Even people who aren't huge fans of the fantasy genre might agree with me in a few years, as they sit in theaters watching the 5th reboot of the 'Superman' series or the tenth reboot of 'Spider-Man,' etc.

In an effort to make this blog post more dynamic and to create dialogue (as opposed to a one-sided discussion of the topic), I will only posit one fantasy series that I think would look good on the big screen. I will let you fill in the remainder. Feel free to add additional ones in the 'Comments' section (or write anything you'd like in the Comments section). If you can add pictures in the comments section, even better. :)

The original Dragonlance trilogy by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman.

While I don't consider these novels to be literary masterpieces, they are pretty good. Perhaps more importantly (to movie producers anyway), the trilogy spawned a bevy of other books, including other Dragonlance novels as well as the Forgotten Realms series (whose books once spanned an entire section of the fantasy/sci-fi aisle at my local bookstore). Millions of readers have either read the Dragonlance series or are familiar with the narrative/world. As such, anyone who produced this movie would already have, at hand, three good narratives as well as access to a large, captive audience. The movie would require a large special effects budget; however, I think the money would be worth it. In saying that, whoever takes this project on must do a better job than the team who created an animated, straight to video version of the first book.

The book cover is courtesy of Books 'A Million. You can find the link here: http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Dragons-Autumn-Twilight/Margaret-Weis/Q187887277?id=5283275760604

Why My Deceased Aunt Might Have Benefited from Social Media

2012-01-31T15:23:00.008-05:00

For most of her life, my great aunt lived in a world that relied on typewriters, slide-rules, and notebooks (the paper type). To the best of my knowledge, she never owned a computer and died in the middle 90s before the Internet came into its own. She did not have any children and her husband had passed away years earlier. She kept a diary of sorts--as written snippets on yearly calendars (which she never threw away), in notepads, on receipts, and in other, unlikely places. These thoughts represented who she was---her dreams, beliefs, ideas, and montages of her daily life.

At the same time, she lived alone. We only visited her a few times that I recall, perhaps other family members went to see her more often. She did have cousins and nephews who resided close to her home; however, for all of that, she seemed like a lonely person--at least that is what I recall. And perhaps her loneliness (if she truly was lonely) derived from living in a house full of memories without the ability to interact with society often enough or perhaps due to the fact that her circle of friends was too small to replace the diaphanous memories with new, solid experiences.

When she passed away in the mid-90's her estate was split between several family members. Perhaps the family did keep some items as "mementos." I am sure that at least one or two of these people still have a photo or two of my great aunt and her late husband. Nonetheless, her story has almost completely disappeared; the notepads, receipts, and the calendars that contained her words--her life--were long ago consigned to the dumpster. Rare is the time when anyone speaks her name, much less recalls any fond (or perhaps not so fond) memories of her. In many ways, she is as anonymous as the men and women who grace family portraits hanging up in Cracker Barrells or who appear in old newspaper photos. Of them, nothing much remains except perhaps for a picture and a gravestone. Even their relatives have forgotten them.

Perhaps my great aunt is/was content with this situation. For her, the next life was the more important one. Nonetheless, I can't help but wonder what she would think about the Internet and more importantly about social media. With these tools, she could have left her story behind on a blog, on Facebook, or on some other, on-line site--for a future generation of curious relatives or for anyone at all. As importantly, while living, she could have used social media to keep in constant contact with friends, family, and acquaintances. When she logged into her Google + account for instance, she might have been cheered to see a post she'd written had garnered 15 responses.

I will never know what my aunt would have done if she had spent the majority of her life in the new, social media driven world. However, I am thankful that I might have the chance to leave behind some aspect of myself--some part of me that a future relative (say in a couple hundred years) can access.

First photo courtesy of Microsoft Office via iStockphoto. Neither site indicates provides any other information on this photo (ie. location), which is fitting.

The second photo courtesy of Microsoft Office via iStockphoto. The tomb is in Salzburg; no other information provided.

When Technological Advances Hit Cultural Roadblocks

2012-01-26T23:26:00.000-05:00

I have just finished reading an article self-driving cars written by John Markoff for the on-line version of The New York Times. The article is titled, "Collision in the Making Between Self-Driving Cars and How the World Works" and is available here: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/24/technology/googles-autonomous-vehicles-draw-skepticism-at-legal-symposium.html?_r=2 .

Reading the article reminds me that the growth and development of an innovative tech system or medicine is often more dependent on cultural, legal, and economic issues than it is on advances in technology or know how. Societal inertia has often stalled or thwarted new innovations. As an example, healthcare facilities would be much better off if they all adopted and properly utilized the latest EHR systems (complete with clinical practice guidelines, decision analysis tools, data collection features, POE systems, etc.). However, the implementation rate has been painfully slow and this is due more than anything else to cultural and economic factors which are specific to the healthcare industry. At the same time, some technologies which look really cool on the drawing board or in a research lab prove to be uneconomical (or a huge liability issue) when the attempt is made to utilize them in real world settings. Hence, the self-propelled walkways that figured prominently in science fiction stories of the 50s and 60s are by and large restricted to airports. Sometimes a society adopts a culture too quickly; its citizens (and leaders) don't take the time to assess the technology's impact on cherished ideals or time worn work patterns. This situation routinely impacts corporations; they buy a new software package or automated system, or some other technology believing it will save them money. In reality, these companies becomes more inefficient once they implement the change because their employees do not alter their workflow patterns to successfully handle the changes (or sometimes because the employees rebel at the changes forced on them as a result of the new tech). These issues certainly provide food for thought.

Clip art courtesy of Microsoft Office

A Little Humor for Today

2012-01-25T15:43:00.001-05:00

This post is intended as a humorous follow-up to my "Predictions" post. I do not mean to offend anyone's beliefs, etc...With that said,

'Tis unfortunate that not all of my predictions came true...then I could have set-up shop on the Internet as the new psychic sensation. My ad would have looked something like this:

Problems with love, money, in-laws? Need to know where your life is heading and what key events lie in your future? Call 800-***-**** and talk to Super Psychic A.! For only $9.99 the first minute and $3.99 each additional minute, you get the chance to have your fortune told by this world renowned psychic. All major credit cards accepted.

We are sorry, Super Psychic A. does not offer refunds on this service; however, if you are dissatisfied with your reading for any reason, let A. know. He will provide you with a voucher good for 2 free minutes on your next call!

For entertainment purposes only!

Things I Want to Do in the Next Few Months

2012-01-24T23:26:00.001-05:00

Here are some of the things I am hoping to do/accomplish over the course of the next few months. These goals aren't part of any bucket list--maybe a basket list instead...

Vacation in Vegas

I am hoping to vacation in Las Vegas this summer. I usually travel to Las Vegas once a year. Over the past few years, I've taken the trip at different times of the year--sometimes in winter and sometimes in summer. I always have fun, though I never seem to win any money. More importantly, I usually get the chance to connect with friends who live in Vegas or further west. And I LOVE the buffets! Unfortunately, so does my waistline, lol. I might have to invest in a good camera before/if I head out to Vegas this summer. The camera on my smartphone does not take good night pictures (or great daytime photos for that matter).

The above photographs are from my last Las Vegas trip; I used the camera in my Android smartphone to take them.

Get a Job

I think that my decision on whether or not to travel to Las Vegas in the next few months will depend on when/if I land a full-time job. After I finished grad school in May, I came back to my hometown to help Dad with some things. I have more or less completed that task and have begun the job hunt. I decided that--at least at first--I will not use any connections to try to help me land a job because I want to understand the process fully--from resume creation to job application to negotiation/interviews to employment. Well, I've been at it for about a three weeks now (so still relatively early in the process) and no luck yet. While I can't yet convey to you what will work, I can probably tell you some of the things that are ineffective. They include, sending e-mails customer service with an attached resume in the hopes that a friendly customer service representative will forward it along to HR (or for small companies whatever passes for HR); looking at profiles of unaffiliated people on Linkedin (without sending them a message) in the hopes that this action will peak their interest enough for them to review your profile and call you (highly ineffective); posting your CV on a job search site (ineffective for me). Well, I did say that I wanted to understand the process, and I am learning something from my failures.

Photo courtesy of Microsoft Office.

Read George R. R. Martin's A Dance with Dragons

I enjoyed reading the previous books in Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series and look forward to purchasing and reading A Dance with Dragons sometime soon. While the reviews of the book on Amazon.com were mixed, the grade is still average to above average. Either way, good or bad, I probably need to read the book because it sets things up for the finale to the series (which should encompass two more books).

Photo from the Books A Million (r) website. The link is:

http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Dance-Dragons/George-RR-Martin/Q814546307

My Personal Ethics: When Transparency Conflicts with Individual Dignity--Part 1

2012-01-23T15:18:00.001-05:00

Part 1

Two key elements which underlie my personal value system are the ideals of transparency and of individual dignity. It would take me a long time (and a lot of words) to define these two ideals in full and explicate how they both influence and are incorporated into my moral coda. However, I think I can provide a brief synopsis here; I can then move on to the topic at hand: explaining what I do when the two ideals collide with each other.

For brevity's sake, I assume that the ideal of transparency requires me to tell the truth (or at least what I perceive to be the truth) in every situation. Additionally, I not only have to tell the truth but also refrain from creating structures which limit viewership of my materials or censor discourse. As an example, I would fail to uphold this ideal if I limited my blog access to certain groups or if I censored comments that did not agree with my views on topic. In both instances, my blog posts my might adhere to the highest level of veracity; however, I would still be obfuscating these views by limiting access and/or discourse.

In order to fully honor my commitment to individual dignity, I not only have to respect the rights of others (a complex task in and of itself), I also have to do what I can to ensure that I do not do anything (or fail to do something) which limits the ability of someone else to act as an agent. For instance, if I own a company, I have obligation to pay my workers a living wage. If I fail to accomplish this task, my employees will likely not be able to satisfy their most basic wants, which is a prerequisite to being able to achieve the higher tasks required of free men and women. As another example, I have a responsibility as a citizen (of the U.S. or wherever) to advocate for and help to maintain a public education system (at least K-12) because I realize that many people will not have the opportunity to actuate their potential agencies without this education.

Now, I note that these two notions are ideals for a reason. It is impossible for me to live a life that honors these ideals in full. One key reason is that society contains structures which limit my ability to achieve these goals. For instance, most academic journals (and especially the first and second tier journals) are not open-source. By contrast, users are required to pay (sometimes large) subscription fees in order to read the articles in these journals. If I want to publish something in an top-tier, academic journal, I have to follow their guidelines, which means I have to conform to rules that limit readership by commodifying my publication. This is just one of many examples I could use to prove the point. Suffice to say that in any country, whether authoritarian, socialist, democratic, or something in between, citizens (including myself) will often have to moderate or adulterate their ideals in order to survive much less to thrive.

I accept this fact and have few qualms with it. I do what I can to honor the two ideals given my situation. What bothers me is when I have to make a choice that favors transparency over dignity and vice verse. In these situations, I often have a range of options to choose from; however, each option will favor one ideal (to some extent) at the expense of the other one. At the same time, I am rarely able to quantify the trade-offs. I can't for instance, usually say, "Well, this option is ideal in that it allows me to be 80% honest while only impacting individual dignity by 10% for 100 individuals..." The next part of this personal essay will elaborate as to how I decide on which path to choose when confronted with this issue. And yes, I know that I still have to write a Part 3 for another topic...

To be continued....

Random Thoughts

2012-01-22T13:30:00.003-05:00

Football

I hope that both of today's games close, hard fought battles and not blow-outs. I think that San Francisco has the advantage against N.Y. They are two, fairly evenly matched teams (at least at this point in the season); however advantage to SF because of the weather (favors defense) and the fact that they are playing in San Francisco. New England is the odds on favorite to beat Baltimore (some analysts are calling for a blow-out); however, for some reason, I feel that Baltimore will pull this one out--no logical reason for it. Of course, given how poorly my intuition has performed in the past (I've never won the lottery for instance), I wouldn't put any money on a Baltimore win (or even for the team to cover).

Republican Primaries/Caucuses

My predictions in a previous post aside (see "Predictions for 2012"), what are the odds that this one is decided at the Republican Convention? If I were any of the four, remaining candidates, I would be hesitant to drop out of the race until someone achieves the magical 1144 delegate count. Even if I finish in 4th place in the primaries/caucuses, I will still garner some delegates and can use those amassed delegates to negotiate for a V-P/Cabinet spot or perhaps to try and pull a coup at the Convention and win it on a ballot vote.

Plato: 'The Republic' and Other Works (translated by B. Jowett)

Plato's works are an interesting read; however, this translated text is a slog to get through. I find it easy to get distracted while reading this one (and that is unusual). And granted, the book was published before I was born; nevertheless, who uses the term "sillybillies?" Was that a popular phrase in the 1970s? (not a jab at the author--just an attempt at humor).

Okay, that is all for now.

Life's Little (or Big) Questions

2012-01-21T12:00:00.001-05:00

Perhaps I am different than most other people in that I have not answered many of life's questions. Additionally, I prefer to keep an "open mind" with regards to some topics instead of coming to a hard and fast conclusion about them. One could view this ambivalence as timidness; I prefer to view it as rational. With that said, here are some of the things, great and small, that I continue to ponder.

Are we alone? While I have little doubt that primitive life may exist on other worlds; I am not sure intelligent life exists anywhere else in the universe except on Earth. One the one hand, there are likely to be millions or even billions of planets that are capable of supporting advanced civilizations. The planets are both old enough, large enough, with the right environment (could be something other than an oxygen/nitrogen/carbon one) to support the growth and development of highly advanced life forms. On the other hand, it is quite difficult for primitive, single celled organisms to evolve into multicelluar entities. It is also difficult for a multcelluar organism to progress to the point where it reaches a human (or near human) level of intelligence/capability. Finally, the evolving organism would have to luck out and develop during a time when its planet did not suffer from any major calamities, ie. it isn't hit by an asteroid, it doesn't suffer from a surge in volcanic activity, etc. The answer to my question may come in my lifetime or it might not.

When does human life begin? Most people that I've met have answered this question for themselves. Whether they believe human life begins at conception, or at a certain point in the pregnancy, or at birth, etc. They have made up their minds on the subject. For my part, I could posit a viewpoint to support any begin point I chose and that worries me. So for now, I have decided to say, I don't know at what point in a pregnancy the fetus become human.

If something changes radically over a period of time, has its essential being also changed? I find it very difficult to expostulate on this one in an ad hoc (off the cuff manner), but here it goes. Many things, from corporations, to sports teams (which are usually corporations), to religious organizations, to ourselves change radically over time. In some cases, the only thing that seems to link a corporation, a team, a religious body, or a person over time is its (his/her) name. When this is the case, do these entities share some continuity to their old selves that fans/followers/etc. can celebrate? If for example, Team X of today exhibits a different culture, has 100% different players, coaches, staff, plays in a new city than Team X of 40 years ago, do the Team X's share something important besides the name? Are fans of Team X deluding themselves when they trace their loyalties back generations or when they do something else that conflates the two. I do not think I have explicated the question well; nonetheless, I hope you understand. Anyway, I am not sure I will ever be able to answer this question.

Okay, that is all for now.

Clip art courtesy of Microsoft Office

The ACA Is Likely to Exacerbate the Trend towards Delayed Adulthood among 25 to 34 Year Olds

2012-01-18T15:22:00.001-05:00

In looking back through some of my old papers, I noticed a faux press release that I created for one of my graduate classes. Two caveats here: 1) this is not a real press release and 2) the statements in the release do not represent ad hoc thoughts but instead refer to carefully crafted/edited views. Nonetheless, I think the document will provide readers with some valuable information or talking points. If anyone is interested, I can post the full paper on here.

Contact: Anthony Hopper For Release on 12/6/2010

Telephone: 434-249-2994

E-mail: amh42@georgetown.edu

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act Is Likely to Exacerbate

the Trend towards Delayed Adulthood among 25 to 34 Year Olds

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act will likely encourage the continuation of a trend, developing for several decades, in which the transition period between youth and adulthood is delayed until one’s late twenties or early thirties. The issue brief explores this topic as it relates specifically to Americans between the ages of 25 and 34. This research provides important information for policymakers as well as for the general public because it describes changes that will impact cherished cultural, economic, and social norms.

The Affordable Care Act contains two, key sections which are likely to encourage Americans, between the ages of 25 and 34, to delay transitioning from the protected, transient lifestyles that defined their teenage years and their early twenties. One of these segments, “Title I,” contains language which reinforces the perception that many people in their late twenties are not ready for all of the cares and responsibilities that come with adulthood. At the same time, its creation of state sponsored healthcare exchanges and its subsidization of the insurance coverage provided by these entities may attenuate the need for people, aged 25-34, to secure full-time, long-term employment or to marry.

“Title V” of the Affordable Care Act will also likely have a significant influence on young Americans. This section of the bill allocates money towards loan forgiveness programs, funds training for nurses, and sponsors other initiatives, which are designed both to increase the number of healthcare professionals and to improve the quality of this workforce. These actions will likely encourage many people in their late twenties or early thirties either to stay in school longer or to return to college, thus further encouraging a trend towards older students which has been developing for the past few decades.

One task of this issue brief is to describe the ways in which these segments of the Affordable Care Act will help exacerbate a trend in which Americans, between the ages of 25 and 34, delay getting married, having children, seeking long-term employment, and taking on other responsibilities which are considered part of being an adult. However, the paper will also briefly touch on some of the cultural, social, and economic changes that may result from the continuance of this trend, including adjustments in parents’ relationships with their adult children, changes in childrearing behaviors, and the redefinition of what it means to be an adult. As such, it contains pertinent information for both legislators and the general public. They can refer to the data in this document to help them understand policy related issues involving 25-34 year olds.

This press release has been created by Anthony Hopper to promote his upcoming issue brief. Copies of this document will be available to the public on Friday, December 10. Please contact Anthony Hopper on or after this date if you are interested in obtaining a facsimile of this paper.

Predictions for 2012 (For Entertainment Purposes Only)

2012-01-18T05:35:00.000-05:00

The people reading this post likely have differing views of psychics and their ability to predict future events. While I personally do not believe that human beings can predict the future via paranormal/para-psychological methods, I respect other views on the subject.

Now that I have thrown that disclaimer out there...I must say that I was absolutely amazed at the sheer volume of predictions that have been posited in the press or on websites in the past couple of weeks. It appears that thousands of people have thrown their hat into the "prediction ring"--perhaps after drinking too much bubbly at New Year's. With that said, I thought I would join in on the "fun" and make some predictions of my own...:Let's see how many come true.

Another caveat, these predictions are for entertainment purposes only. I do not purport to possess any psychic abilities! :-)

An earthquake will occur somewhere in the world. In fact, the earth will experience at least one of these tremors (however tiny) every day this year.

A large wildfire will wreak havoc somewhere in the western U.S. this summer/fall.

Someone, somewhere will win a large lottery, and it won't be me.

Someone's Pisces will cross with someone else's Taurus, thereby portending some event of significance...which---cloudy, very cloudy....can't quite make it out...

Good news, 2012 is not the end of the world as we know it.

I will invariably forget to wear a coat or carry an umbrella and thus will have to brave a rainstorm in only a t-shirt/shorts (obviously a prediction for the summer).

I will not travel outside the U.S. this year.

The San Francisco 49'ers will play the Baltimore Ravens in the Superbowl. San Francisco will come out victorious.

Mitt Romney will lose the South Carolina primary but will win in Florida and thereby seal up the Republican nomination.

The winner of the presidential race will be...uh, my crystal ball fogged up once again. I should have gone with that Magic 8'Ball I saw at Walmart...Oh well...

That's all for now.

Anthony H. Super-psychic...

Photo courtesy of Microsoft Office clip art.

Personal Interlude

2012-01-16T21:17:00.001-05:00

Most of my posts deal with topics or issues of a non-personal nature, ie. fantasy football, philosophy, etc. I thought I would "change things up a bit" by adding a personal post to the mix. I think we all sometimes wonder about the author a post, an article, a book, etc. We (or at least I) wonder what his/her personality is like, their behaviors, views, etc. Well, in case anyone is wondering, here are some things about me.

I do not ensconce my memories in a chronological time frame. In other words, I tend to remember events but not remember what month/year it was in or how old I was, etc. In one way that is odd because I have an excellent ability to recall information; I can read an article or book and remember specific passages and/or facts from it. In another way, I think it is simply representative of my views on chronological aging; I don't focus much attention on how old I am or what my age means, etc.

Another thing about time...As I get older, time seems to speed up. Days seem to run together and hours/moments lose some of their significance. If you asked me the 5th grade me whether a month was a long time, I would have exclaimed that it was. If something important (to me) was going to happen in a month, I would have anxiously counted down those days--it would have seemed like an eternity. Now, a month is "nothing." I am not sure that I even consider a year to be "a long time" anymore.

While I might be able occasionally to remember verbatim passages from a book or lines from an article, for the life of me, I can take the same path to a particular location 500 times and still not remember it. In other words, I have absolutely no sense of direction. I can even get lost in a large shopping mall. Garmin is a lifesaver, let me tell you!

Finally, I like ice cream--so much so that I tend to down a couple of pints every time I indulge. Luckily, I restrict myself to eating ice cream once a week. :-)

Photos/Sketches courtesy of Microsoft clip art (Microsoft Office).

Quick Thought on Yesterday's and Today's NFL Playoff Games

2012-01-15T20:30:00.001-05:00

All I can say is that I am glad I don't bet on NFL games (unless by chance, I happen to be on vacation in Las Vegas). My predictions for this weekend's games would have not been stellar. To whit, I was not surprised (and would have predicted) New England's beat down of Denver and the Ravens win over the Texans. However, I was dumbfounded by San Francisco's victory over New Orleans, especially given the way in which the 49'ers won. I was equally amazed by the margin of victory in the Giants v. Packers game. I would have expected a very close game that was decided in the final minute of play.

I wonder who will win next week's contests?

Image courtesy of Microsoft clip art (from Microsoft Office).

Part 2: Why Amateurs Are Sometimes Better than Experts at Conveying Information

2012-01-14T23:39:00.000-05:00

Continued...

Most of the people I have met are dynamic individuals who adhere to complex philosophies and value systems. Further, they are not static beings; rather, they change and grow with the seasons (or sometimes over a period of days or weeks). These men and women also sometimes posit questions which have no easy answers--perhaps no final answer at all. They may ask, "What is the meaning of life?"; "Is my view of morality correct or are their deficiencies to it?"; "Does God exist?"; etc. People often need (and utilize) information and guidance from external sources in order to help them answer these very personal, yet nuanced and byzantine questions.

At the same time, most human beings live in a complex world. In order to thrive personally, spiritually, financially, they have to engage in a wide variety of tasks that require knowledge of economics, philosophy, ethics, sociology, math, and history to name only a few disciplines. Even if they do not have to directly rely on information from these fields, they will have to use skills that derive from these areas of study. For instance, if I will use logic, statistics, or a similar technique to help me assay differences in insurance policies or home loans, or to decide whether to fold or raise in a poker game. I might rely on local history to help me craft a solution to a long-standing, land dispute issue or to renovate a Victorian era house. I will certainly need to draw on some skills to help me navigate customer disputes or employee problems, etc. In these and in other ways all of us (or at least most of us), utilize information or methods from academic fields of study to help us successfully navigate around or through the events, problems, and conundrums which comprise our daily lives.

Even if we could somehow get through our daily lives without having to face any complex tasks or problems, most of us (at least those living in democratic nations) would still need to draw upon a diverse, nuanced set of skills and knowledge areas when we take on the role of voter. In our current age, a person who vets candidates using reason and care, as opposed to, for instance, choosing a favorite based on his/her hairstyle or height), needs to have at least a modicum of understanding of economics, history, philosophy, and a hundred other fields. In fact, they might sometimes have to possess a solid understanding of a field in order to assess a candidate's positions in relation to those posited by his/her opponents.

Added to these issues, the world seems to be changing faster than ever. I don't just mean in terms of population or demographics. In modern societies at least, our political, cultural, economic, and philosophical/ethical norms change at a speed that would be utterly amazing to someone living just a century or two ago (perhaps to individuals living just a few decades ago). It seems that new ideas today become cliched tomorrow. The same rapid change also impacts our material lives--everything from the foods we eat to the cars we drive, to the phones we use, change rapidly. How long have smartphones been the "in thing?"

In short, most people, including myself, ask difficult questions which do not have any easy answers. They live in complex worlds where they have to interact with people from a variety of different cultures. They have to confront and solve complex problems on a daily basis. They are also tasked with choosing the best leaders for their respective countries--a difficult thing to do. Finally, they have to accomplish all of these things in a world that is constantly on the move. In order to succeed in this environment, they need to draw upon a wide range of skills--sometimes on short notice. The notion that experts can satisfy the needs of this population is antiquated. Sometimes they can; however, more often than not, amateurs--people like you and me--are best able to help their fellow men and women to access the skills and information necessary to thrive in today's world. There are several reasons why amateurs excel at this task.

Conclusion coming soon....

Keeping 55 to 64 Year-Olds Healthy: A Significant Healthcare Challenge

2012-01-12T19:11:00.004-05:00

An admission right from the start--this post will deviate from the norm in that it consists of a well-thought out, well documented entry. In other words, I spent some time pondering my subject, researching it, and editing my paper on it for content as well as for grammar. With that said...In looking back over the papers I wrote while in graduate school, I came across one that might be useful to others. I composed this essay for the National Capital Healthcare Executives' annual scholarship essay contest. I am not sure who has the copyright to it, so I will posit a link to the document. Feel free to read through the essay, entitled, "Keeping 55 to 64 Year-Olds Healthy: A Significant Healthcare Challenge." Just click on the link below and it will take you to the paper.

http://nche.ache.org/documents/anthony_hopper.pdf

If you want more information on the National Capital Healthcare Executives, click on this link:

http://nche.ache.org/

Travails and Triumphs of a Neophyte Blogger

2012-01-11T20:26:00.001-05:00

I'll hopefully sit down tomorrow and compose Part 2 of "Why Amateurs are Sometimes Better than Experts at Conveying Information." Even though that post will contain my rough thoughts (ie. no content editing), it will still take me a while to write it. For tonight's fare, I thought I would provide readers [if there are any readers ;)] with a brief snippet or perhaps a brief set of snippets discussing my experiences as a new blogger. As an aside, I want to state that these comments do not represent a critique of any alternative blogging style. One of the benefits of the blogosphere is that it allows a blogger to experiment with a range of different styles, modes, etc. and find one that represents a good fit for him/her.

* Blog Creation Is a Process: I am literally learning as I go...I seem to constantly make adjustments to my site design in response to comments/things I see on other blogs, ie. the new "grab button." Additionally, I have altered some other things, such as including more "labels," based on my experiences in the blogosphere and what I have read on forums, seen in other blogs, etc. I have also become more proficient at using Google Blogspot's tools over time (and use).

* One Shouldn't Expect to Hit the Blogosphere Jackpot Overnight: It takes time to build up a readership base and to attract a sustainable number of daily viewers to the site. I'm not there yet, and I might never be there, which brings me to my next point.

* Blog about Things You Enjoy Talking about: I would probably garner a lot of additional views/hits if created a specialty blog; however, I would not be satisfied with the result. While I admire people who are able to keep one or more specialty blogs flowing with new posts, I would become tired of writing solely on one subject. I enjoy the chance to expound on any topic I choose. Granted, I could create a host of specialty blogs; however, I might not be able to keep all of them going (due to future work demands, etc.). I also enjoy the freedom/release that comes with being able to write free-form on any topic I so choose.

*Blogging and Reading Other Blogs Provides Me with a Sense of Community. I think that one is self-explanatory. :-)

A Funny Thing Happened. On a recent day, I checked my stats and became very excited when I noticed that the visits for that day were well above average. That euphoria didn't last long, as I quickly realized that many of the "visits" were my own views. I forgot to turn off the self-tracker. Hah! :-)

Part 1: Why Amateurs Are Sometimes Better than Experts at Conveying Information

2012-01-09T15:45:00.006-05:00

Part 1:

In my first blog post, "About My Blog-My First Post," I discussed some of my reasons for creating this blog and posited some of the things/benefits I hoped to convey to my readership. I would like to touch on that subject again; however, the attempt here is to cover new ground by answering a simple question: "Why comment on subjects when I do not have an expertise in those fields?"

On first glance, this appears to be a valid question. I have a dearth of knowledge about politics, philosophy, etc. in comparison to the information that an expert in the subject might possess. As such, some of my posts will perhaps contain amateurish or even incorrect views. Additionally, an expert in a field will almost certainly be able to posit more in depth views on topics that are in his/her field of study. Some would say, "These people often devote their lives to studying these topics, so they should be the ones who are most capable at conveying this information to the populace?" In some cases, the answer to this question is yes; however, I would bet that in many more instances, the experts on a topic are the least able to transmit their learned knowledge to the public. The reasons are evident.

The experts on a topic also tend to be specialists. They may know a lot about one specific area of a field; however, they know very little about the other areas. Sometimes, their lack of a more general understanding of their field may incorrectly bias their viewpoints about the field in general. Either way, most of their papers, lectures, and scholarly focus on a narrow topic area. Additionally, their writings are intended for other experts in the field and contain jargon, arcane symbolism, etc. How many busy "average Joe's and Janes" have the time to spend to puzzle through dozens or even hundreds of these texts to build a generalized knowledge of a specific topic, such as free will, evolution, culture, etc.? Besides, most of these journals are inaccessible to the "average person" anyway, unless one happens to live near a library that contains a sizable journal collection or wants to pay significant sums for individual submissions.

Even when an expert in the field does create a book or an article that is intended for the general public, the work does succeed in disseminating information to the general populace. One could point to a number of reasons for this failure, including poor marketing, length, etc. However, in my opinion, these books fail to enlighten many non-academicians because they are boring reads. The writers text based comments are not entertaining. Just as importantly, expert authors often fail to connect with their readership because they can't build any empathetic connections. As such, large numbers of potential readers will choose not to read a book on history, culture, philosophy, etc. because they cannot "connect with it." Other people, who do read the book, will not remember much of what they read because it will not "stick in their minds." As a case in point, how many people have read Stephen Hawkings' A Brief History of Time?

Perhaps worse is when a tiny passage from an academic publication or a high brow book written for the masses is taken out of context (thereby skewing its original meaning and purpose) and disseminated throughout the population. Few people questions the erratum because only a tiny percentage of them read any part of the original text. They sometimes readily accept its message because it comes from an expert on the subject. This event occurs so often that it's not worth listing any specific examples, we can all think of numerous ones.

This situation would (to quote an oft used cliche) "be fine and dandy" if most people living outside of academia were automatons, or specialists who didn't need to concern themselves with anything that didn't involve their jobs or families. It would also be fine if our cultural, economic, and political situations were simple, and we lived in societies whose rules, values, etc. changed slowly if at all. However, this is not the case.

To be continued....

Free Will Revisited

2012-01-05T19:51:00.000-05:00

See my last post on the topic of free will. In addition to posting a response to Coyne's article on the USA Today site, I also posited another copy on to a philosophy blog--'Talking Philsophy.' You can find this response under a blog post by Russell Blackford that is titled, "Jerry Coyne and Sam Harris on Free Will." at: http://blog.talkingphilosophy.com/?p=4045.

My post is a response to a blog response posted by Michael. You can find his text at the link above (under Blackford's article).

@ Michael...I probably guilty in conflating two arguments. One thrust of my post/response sought to find weaknesses in Coyne's argument. The other presented statements supporting the potential existence of "free will."

As to your first question, the randomness argument does not support the existence of free will (nor does it necessarily undermine it). However, if some human actions are random, it most certainly weakens Coyne's hypothesis which imputes that all human actions have a direct causal antecedent. One can still posit the that human actions are not free; however, he/she would have to use an argument that did not rely on pure causality.

I think it would be possible to test this hypothesis--actions are predetermined versus actions are sometimes predetermined. A researcher could take an organism (perhaps a mouse) and place it in the exact same situation more than once (probably numerous times). The analyst could them stimulate a response using a fear vector and see what happens. If the organism does not respond in the same way each time, ie. the mouse jumps to the right once, to the left another time, etc., then that provides strong evidence refuting Coyne's hypothesis.

On evolution: I think Coyne needs to demonstrate that evolution favors the development of human beings with no free will since he relies on evolutionary statements to bolster his hypothesis.

My first attempt at connecting free will and evolution was kind of weak and opaque, so let me try again. Numerous organisms, such as wolves, chimpanzees, dolphins, etc. engage in complex, social behavior. None of these organisms exhibit (to the best of my knowledge) self-awareness much less any sense of control over their actions. They live in the moment. Ergo, evolution has tended to favor organisms that are non-self aware and at the same time can create complex societies.

With that said, the burden of proof is on Coyne to demonstrate why human beings would differ from these other organisms. Namely, why would evolution favor the development of a species with an enlarged cerebrum (and all of the problems that come with this development) if the only benefit this organ part provides to human beings is one of deception? This is an especially pertinent question given that many other, non-aware creatures successfully engage in highly complex social networks.

Also, I think we are all approaching this subject from a biased stance. However, by acknowledging that fact and trying to overcome it, perhaps we are demonstrating that we are not automatons after all. :wink:

Finally, I agree with other posters that it is important to define what I mean by free will. I would equate free will with the ability of an organism to choose from a limited set of possibilities. This action is not predetermined. I would also add that it is not important whether the subconscious or the conscious mind makes the decision, as long as the choice is not predetermined (by an internal or an external process).

I don't think any of the posters have mentioned it and maybe I am incorrect in this assumption--however, I believe that the first question we need to ask is not, "Does free will exist?" Rather, we need to query, "Can an organism create?" A free choice (if extant) is an act of creation whereby a predetermined choice, like a birth, is a result of predetermined actions. If human beings have the ability to create (as defined above), then they have the potential to possess free will. If not, they do not have the potential to be free.

Do Human Beings Have Free Will? And Just What Is Free Will Anwyay?

2012-01-04T14:38:00.001-05:00

I thought it would be worthwhile to post my response to an article on USA Today's on-line publication that deals with the subject of free will. The author, Jerry A. Coyne, is a strict determinist who disavowed any belief in free will. My response attempts to rebut his hypothesis. Please note that I wrote it without edits. As such, the response represents a visceral (and ironically perhaps non-autonomous) response to Coyne's remarks. You can find Jerry A. Coyne's article, "Why You Don't Really Have Free Will" here:

http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/forum/story/2012-01-01/free-will-science-religion/52317624/1

I posted an additional response clarifying some of my remarks on a blog...I will posit that entry later on tonight...For now, here is my response to Jerry Coyne:

Jerry Coyne's hypothesis seems to be flawed. I have listed some of my reservations to Coyne's analysis below. Perhaps, apologists in the "no free will" camp can provide valid rejoinders to these queries. As an aside, this list represents my immediate concerns with Coyne's article; I could probably posit a more erudite, lengthy list if I had the time to devote to research the issue.

From an Evolutionary Perspective:

1) If I recall, isn't 1/3 of the human brain devoted to higher-end, thought processes (ie. not subconscious but conscious actions). If that is the case, and assuming no free-will, human minds are horribly inefficient. We should have been out-competed by organisms which utilized more efficient means to overcome the problems inherent in living in complex societies (mentioned in Coyne's piece).

2) From my view, wouldn't evolution favor organisms with free will over animals whose behavior was wholly determined by their genes and past experiences? The more dynamic and fluid a creatures have the best chance of overcoming unique environmental occurrences long enough to maximize the number of off-spring they produce.

From a Statistical Perspective:

Even in closed systems, it is impossible to predict some outcomes, which is due to the inherent randomness in these systems. The existence of this randomness calls into question Coyne's view that all human actions are predetermined. It is impossible to say that something is foreordained if the same object placed in exactly the same conditions behaves in differently in each test.

From a Biological Perspective:

It is possible that free will, as such, could be an emergent trait and thus is "more than the sum of its parts." While this may seem unrealistic, it is worth noting its possibility, given the existence of another emergent trait--consciousness. In regards to consciousness, it really should not exist. Its antecedents cannot be traced (ie. it does not seem to emanate from any part of the brain), and it does not seem to derive its powers from any particular grouping of cells.

From a Sociological Perspective:

Even if we assume that people could not make free choices if they were closed entities (ie. made up of and controlled by genes and environment, it is worth noting that human beings are not closed systems. Individuals interact with each other and transmit ideas, information, feelings, behaviors, etc. via these social interchanges. Further, these interactions are dynamic. In other words, people don't act as passive entities in these interactions; they respond in both active and passive ways. Their open-ended relationships provide them with the impetus and occasions necessary to make decisions which run counter to their internal programming.

From a Neurological Perspective:

It appears that Coyne's article conflates two types of choices that human beings make. He refers to scientific research (which might or might not be flawed; I have not reviewed the literature) to debunk instantaneous choice-making. It would make sense that human beings would rely on their subconscious when making quick decisions, ie. which button to push. One wants to be able to process a decision quickly (ie. via the subconscious) when making instantaneous choices. However, I think it would be more difficult to prove (or disprove) that human beings utilize free will when making decisions after thinking on the matter for some time.

Conclusion:

Personally, I think that this issue is complex. On some occasions, we certainly rely on instinctual behaviors to guide decisions. In these instances, our choices are foreordained (not a free choice). In other instances, we do not consciously make a decision; however, our unconscious choice is not predetermined (so the choice is free to some extent). In both of these cases, our conscious minds trick us into believing that we made conscious, free choices. At other times, we are able to exert some conscious control over our choices; however, we make a decision from a limited set of possibilities (greater freedom of choice). Finally, I cannot conceive of it ever happening, but it is always possible that someone, relying on the input of numerous other individuals, is able to make a free decision from an almost unlimited set of potential choices (absolute freedom of choice).

Quick Fantasy Football Post

2012-01-03T00:35:00.001-05:00

Fantasy Football Recap:

I owned/managed four fantasy football teams this season (see previous posts related to fantasy football).

2 teams finished 1st (2 10-team draft and play leagues).
1 team finished in 3rd place (10-team draft and play league) but did secure the regular season and total points title(s).
1 team finished in 4th place (12-team keeper/auction league).

All in all it was a good year. Wait, who am I kidding, that is the best year I have ever had. :) Maybe I can build on that success next year. I think that I benefited from having played (often poorly) in previous years. Hopefully, I have learned from my "rookie" mistakes and am ready to do well every year....Nah, probably not...

Hypothetical, Third Party (in the U.S.)

2011-12-31T01:50:00.002-05:00

As some people who read this blog might guess, I am an independent with regards to my political affiliation. While I haven't created a blog post that specifically points to the weaknesses in Democratic theories/dogma, I could posit as many problems with liberal ideas as I do with neo-conservative approaches. Both sides often take hard-line stances on issues which precludes rational discourse and reasonable legislation. I could also find fault with all of the well-known, third parties including the Libertarians and the Green Party. With that said, I thought I would quickly outline my ideas for a hypothetical, new party.

Right off the bat, I will acknowledge that no party is ever going to be created using my guidelines. At the same time, any, third party would have to overcome almost insurmountable hurdles in order to actually gain relevance in the U.S. One only has to look at American post-bellum, American politics to realize this fact. The Grangers, the Socialists, the Bull Moosers, Ross Perot's followers (whatever they called themselves), and others could never achieve any lasting prominence. Even so, I think it benefits Americans to try to imagine what a third party might look like; they can compare their construct to the extant parties and thereby gain a better understanding of the methods, philosophies, infrastructures and motivations which define modern, American politics.

I am not sure what I would name the party. The rationalists would accurately describe its philosophical focus; however, rationalism is too closely tied to atheism. I need a more inclusive name...Perhaps the Independent Party; that one has a nice ring to it and may appeal to frustrated voters.

The platforms of all the major political groups, including the small, third parties, represent positions on certain issues. They favor this bill or are averse to this economic policy, etc. By contrast, my party would adopt a method as its key, platform proposal. Politicians from the Independent Party would promise their supporters that they would use empirical methods to create the best legislation and determine the best political strategies, ie. for dealing with foreign countries. The key aspects of this ideology are below:

1) Emotion/Empathy are important but should be mitigated by reason.
2) Rely on data to drive conclusions. Don't pick and choose (and warp) data to make it fit your ideological principles.
3) Political discussion should take into account the desires and needs of all stakeholders--not just one's followers. Two corollaries follow from this view.
A) Focus on discourse with politicians from other parties and not just on debate.
B) Compromise is okay and in fact it is welcomed.
4) Put the interests of the nation over your own interests.

That's a very brief description of my hypothetical, third party. If I were to continue the exercise, I would flesh out the party's principles, organizing strategies, infrastructure, etc. over the course of several months/years. In the end, my final document would be much larger than this one. :)