Casual Voyeurism

I was bumming about the other day and came upon a collection of internet enabled security cameras that had not been secured. Anyways, much fun was had, but it got me thinking about the similarities between watching some anal-retentive Japanese woman spend four minutes folding a shirt in a laundromat, and watching those horrid reality television serials. So far I haven't come to a satisfactory reconciliation between my fascination with one and my distaste for the other. Perhaps it simply comes down my recognition of the fauxity of "reality TV", or simple anti-populism. What do you think?

false edit: Does anyone else enjoy the quiet sadism of making poor people paranoid about the cameras and then trying to fend them off from covering the lens by panning the camera back and forth? I suppose I should feel bad about doing it, but I rationalize it by telling myself that any company willing to pay such a poor IT administrator deserves what it gets until I get a job.

Top 40 Countdown

Well, the year is winding down and 2005 is just around the corner. I find it incredibly bizarre that we are already half a decade into the new millennium. Anyways, it has been the custom of many organizations world-wide to provide lists of the most popular items, events, or what-have-you at the end of the year, and 2004 has proved no different. These "Top 10" lists provide an incredibly interesting method of looking at mass psychology and national trends. So far, the best of these has been Google's Zeitgeist (powered by pigeons no less), though I am also waiting for Penny Arcade's annual "We're Right" gaming awards with great anti-sss-cipation.

Ecclesiastes 3

After a torrent of final papers, late nights and early mornings tired eyes and fingers worn from typing such wonders as "The Web and We - How the Internet Is Changing Society's Concept of Community" for my college classes, I have returned to my childhood home to rest during the winter. As I returned earlier than many of my peers, this has given me plenty of time to reflect. I spend much of my time talking with my father, and his insights on everything from religion and life philosophies to the petty infinites of everyday life have left me in a state of peaceful sacrosanctity, as heretical that may seem.

In light of this I leave you (with no intended sarcasm) with this short passage from my favorite anathema, the Bible:

A Time for Everything

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
a time to get, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
a time to rend, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time of war, and a time of peace.

What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboreth?

I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it. / He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end. / I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life. / And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labor, it is the gift of God. / I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him. / That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past.

As a footnote, anyone with a more than passing interest in scripture will realize that I did not quote the entirety of Ecclesiastes 3, only the first part of it. However, in response to any disparagements by biblical purists regarding my perversion of the scripture's intent, I uphold my editing without remorse, as the latter section was clearly written by far lesser author than the wise comments of the former.

Do enjoy the holiday.

Addendum :: That Caustic Coating

In a follow up to my previous post regarding religion, I recently finished viewing a series of interviews conducted by the accomplished Dr. Jonathan Miller for BBC4's series Atheism - A Rough History of Disbelief (also known as Jonathan Miller's Brief History of Disbelief), and republished at greater length by BBC4 in a series called The Atheism Tapes. This mini-series details a series of highly interesting interviews with noted American and British thinkers and scientists. Personally, I found the British philosopher Colin McGinn to be intensely thought-provoking, as well as the questions raised by American Daniel Dennett. While I was not entirely impressed by all of the speakers, I found The Atheism Tapes to be absolutely enjoyable, and I would recommend it to anyone interested in an intellectual approach to the concept of atheism and the causes of the surge in religion (particularly Christianity) throughout the United States.

Personally, it was McGinn's comments that led to the realization of my antitheist beliefs and status, and it is (on a related note) those beliefs that make me very nervous about things like this. Whatever happened to separation of Church and State? Tangentially, that phrase, specifically the use of the word "Church" as opposed to "religion", speaks volumes as to the hypocrisy of that amendment.

That Caustic Coating

Ah, faith.

As our nation turn's its focus from politics and war, new subjects for discourse are popping up all over. One of the biggest ones I've noticed lately is that of religion and faith. Whether it is evolution in schools or societal acceptance of homosexuality, there is a discernable shift in American's view of how religion should interact with the government and our nation as a whole. Now, I am unabashedly anti-religious and my view of believers of a higher power is clouded by that bias. Even as I type I am forced to edit phrases like "forces of dumb" and "neanderthalic " from my post.

In light of this, I redirect your attention to a (rather long) speech by a man named Mark Thomas.

I would, however, like to conclude by saying that my disbelief in magic does not mean that I live in some drab, boring world (well, I suppose my dormroom could use a little work). Such aspersions have been indicated to me and other when our opinions are voiced. I do not need or want some mystical fairytale to liven up and moralize my existance, because I can read stuff like this.