February 26, 2007

hitchhiker's guide round four

first of all, i would like to issue forth my sincerest apology to all my frequenters. i have been slightly lax in my updating as of late - not because i didn't want to update, but because i had 21 pages worth of paper due last week, and, thus, my motivation to type anymore of anything was relatively minimal. also, my life didn't consist of much more than writing papers and sleeping and working, so i really didnt have anything ultra-interesting to type about.

not to say that all my present and future topics of type are and will be ultra-interesting, but my motivation seems to have returned a bit. and i just farted.

so here we are on the third-to-last day of february and i have conquered the first wave of school destruction of the semester. which means that i now dont have anything to do for a while. so i am taking this opportunity to read one of my favorite books, 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'. i'm on page 113 and i started it yesterday. again, i wish my personal reading excitement crossed over into that of my required reading. because, man, it sucks.

but anyways. THGTTG is officially the funniest book i've ever read. i'm rolling on the floor laughing my tukus off (ROTFLMTO) more often than not. i've read if three times before, but it never loses any humor. my favorite character: Marvin. he's an ultra-depressed robot. hilarious.

and now i'd like to share the first paragraph of the book with you:

"far out in the uncharted backwaters of the unfashionable end of the Western Spiral arm of the galaxy lies a small unregarded yellow sun. orbiting this at a distance of roughly ninety-eight million miles is an utterly insignificant little blue-green planet whose ape-descended life forms are so amazingly primitive that they still think digital watches are a pretty neat idea."

and the book continues from there. the wittiest, cleverest, most ridiculously pointlessly dumb book ever. i say this with an infinitely positive connotation however, because every moment of stupid humor is so great. so so so great.

anyways. like i said, i dont really expect my posts to be worth...anything...but i'm significantly more thrilled to be back on the blog.

-ap.

February 23, 2007

girls do not equal apples.

girls are like apples on trees.
the best ones are at the top of the tree.
the boys don't want to reach for the good ones because they're afraid of falling and getting hurt.
instead they just get the rotten apples that are on the ground that aren't as good, but are easy.
so the apples at the top think there is something wrong with them, when in reality, they're amazing.

just a little wisdom for you all. whatever. punch me in the head. please.

this is potentially the biggest load of crap ever, and i don't say that just because i am personally afraid of 'falling and getting hurt'. i say it because i'm serious. this is so lame.

for starters, if life is how i think it is, and i like to think that it is, then every guy is destined for one specific apple (apple and girl will be used synonymously from here forward). and if there is just one tree holding every female/apple in the world?! that makes the picking rather difficult, regardless where 'the one' is situated on the tree. plus, i think everyone would agree, that if this is your typical tree shape, there would be more apples situated near the bottom of the tree than at the top, thus, every man's chances of having 'the apple of his dreams' be the very top apple on the tree is highly improbable. it is much more likely that the apple will come from the bottom. it's simple probability.

and what nonsense is this?! the ones at the top - the ones the guys are apparently striving for - are NOT the ones that are picked last. please. every guy tries for the ones at the top and they go first. so don't tell me that the closer to the top you are the less likely it is you'll get in a relationship. thats a load of crap. if anything it means you're more likely to be sought after by more fellas. hence, more of a chance of finding 'mr. right'.

furthermore, it makes the idea of relationships a complete one way street - the guy just climbs until he finds the one he wants and then picks it...right. like he just saunters into Special Nice Lady Friends R Us and picked one up. or maybe he just checked out the catalog. NOT how it works. more often than not the apple has something wrong with the guy. the guy can try as hard as he wants to pick some apple, but that one just will not budge from the friggin tree...and that doesnt make any sense. apples don't have a choice who their picked by once they get chosen they're history - which only furthers the fact that the ones at the top would go first.

good point. booyah.

besides, any girl that just sits at the top of the tree and makes no effort to get picked doesn't have my sympathy at all. if the apple isn't going to put forth any effort to be seen or to let anyone know it is even interested in being picked then how is she ever going to get what she wants? she'll end up settling for whatever guy gets there first. not very romantic and, in reality, pretty stupid if you ask me...but you didn't, so forget i mentioned it.

another thing i find dumb: this thing's intent is to make guys look stupid and at fault. you mean to tell me that it isn't the chick's fault she's single; it is every guy on the planet's fault? you're really going to blame us ALL? thats just immature. the whole idea is to make guys look lazy and worthless, when, in reality, isn't it the girl that is just sitting there doing nothing? you're just sitting on the tree waiting and hoping while we work our butts off to get anywhere near. sounds fair to me.

whatev. i'm not climbing any trees soon. heck i don't really even like apples. except granny smiths. but i don't really want to pluck any apples named granny. i'm not really in to senior citizens.

i started this thing trying to be funny, but i'm finding i'm becoming more and more frustrated as i type. i will now go back and add in bits and pieces so that it is more enjoyable to read and doesn't appear at first glance that i am venting about the fact that girls are dumb.

nah. i'm too lazy. it'll chill as is.



late.

-ap.

February 17, 2007

High Fidelity

last night i got off work around 12:15 and a group of us decided to watch High Fidelity. this movie came out in 2000, and it is an absolute crime that i hadn't seen it yet. nor had half the other people there. this is a strong statement to make, i know, but this movie is in my top five" favorite movies ever. i was literally ROTFLMAO multiple times during this flick.

the movie centers around a middle aged dude named Rob Gordon (John Cusack). he plays a over analytical and cynical record store owner who, along with his buddies Dick and Barry (Jack Black), are total music snobs and know anything and everything about every recording artist ever to exist. Rob's sidekicks help run his store, Chamipionship Vinyl- Dick is the most socially awkward, hesitant and bald human ever while Barry is everything Dick is not. he is obnoxious and loud and will not hesitate to denounce everything you think you know about the musac.

while Dick and Barry appear to have no life beyond their audio obsession, Rob is beyond obsessed with his relationship problems. he frequently refers to his "top five" of everything - songs, dream jobs, albums and the one which receives the most thought: breakups. he dwells religiously on his past relationship woes (his number 1 happening when he was in 6th grade behind the bleachers - some slut kissed another guy and broke his heart) and he spends the greater part of the movie attempting to solve the mystery that is his dating life. he over analyzes everything and we have the pleasure of hearing the interior and exterior monologues that happen throughout the movie.

this movie was so witty and so well done. nick and i were talking on the drive home about how most comedies are done such that it is funny for the first 3/4 of the film and then there is an "oh crap" moment with 30 minutes left where they realize, "dang. we need to figure out a plot at some point." this movie is perfect. it has more wit and humor than i've experienced in a LONG time and it tells a terrific story at the same time. plus Jack Black is great, and every time Dick opens his mouth i laugh. my favorite line from the whole movie i think:

Dick: Marie de Salle's playing. You remember I told you about her. I like her. She's kind of Sheryl Crow-ish crossed with a post-Partridge Family pre-L.A. Law Susan Dey kind of thing, but, you know, uh, black.

hahahaha. ROTFLMAO moment number 1 of many.

the only thing i didnt like about the movie was the fact that the lady friend that John Cusack chases after throughout the movie, Laura (Iben Hjejle), sounds like she has a Perma-Cold the entire time. she's got this nasty nasal husk to her voice that makes me want to bash a watermelon over my head...but as long as you can make fun of it during the movie it is tolerable. listen for it though if you watch it. its kinda hilarious...kinda revolting.

but, Perma-Colds aside, this movie is the best i have seen in quite a while. this rivals, dare i say, That Thing You Do! for the top spot in my cinema world. i know you probably don't believe it (Holly especially), but it is true. i could watch that movie 79 times straight and never get tired of it. so many incredible lines that i simply HAVE to hear again.

this movie is a 10. period. go see it now because it is all sorts of awesome.

-ap.

salmonella in the house!

my roommate and i had a funny situation a few days ago. he was looking at an article online and read that ConAgra Foods has been linked as the source of a salmonella outbreak in 39 states. apparently there was a batch of Peter Pan peanut butter, made by ConAgra, that was infected.

now, this made us panic slightly because he and i are both huge peanut butter & honey addicts...and we primarily use Peter Pan. we checked the manufacturer number on the top of the yellow lid and discovered to our horror that each of us had the fated "2111" batch the article warns about and that we had indeed purchased a tub of the infected spread

...and they were each halfway gone.

a terrifying situation? not really. i'll continue to eat the hazardous creamy goodness with no trouble. it is a weird thought though. i could've been seriously ill and died from dysentary or cholera or a snake bite or something.

-ap.

February 15, 2007

Jake Gyllenhaal on SNL

prior to seeing this video i really had no preference towards Jake Gyllenhaal. i liked October Sky, but i haven't really seen anything of his other than that. i know i need to see Brokeback Mountain in order to be culturally relevant - and i will at some point - but even then i dont know what i'd think of the guy.

either way. this video makes me respect JD so much more than i ever expected to. i will forever be a Jake Gyllenhaal fan based solely off of this single performance on Saturday Night Live. prepare yourself to be not only entertained, but also shocked, inspired, impressed and a little sick to your stomach at the same time. but it is so worth it. this is my favorite video in a while. watch it. you wont regret it.


-ap.

February 13, 2007

one-month-until my-birthday...eve.

its true. march 14th.
here is a brief list of today:

+ this evening as i was walking home from campus, the wind i was walking into had such a frigid bite to it that a tear literally froze by the corner of my eye. i got home, looked in the mirror, and chipped it off. so strange, so painful, so cool (utilizing both meanings of the word).

+ i have come to the conclusion that Danger Mouse is an absolute genius, and that no matter what he does, i will love it. Danger has been a part of Gnarls Barkley, Gorillaz, Danger Doom, and a bunch of others. one of my good friends recently introduced me yet another Danger Mouse masterpiece called The Good, The Bad and The Queen. i realized immediately that the lead singer is the same as of Gorillaz (Damon Albarn, also of Blur), but i had no idea that it was another Danger Mouse album until i looked it up about an hour ago. got me even more thrilled about it. i also just bought The Grey Album online - an unreal mashing of the White Album by The Beatles and The Black Album by Jay-Z. it should be here by this weekend. holla.

+ i officially have three shifts a week at my new job. i'm working as a barista at my favorite coffeehouse, Radina's. its great coffee, it's fun, and the people i work with are incredible. i'm on wednesday afternoons along with friday and saturday nights. goodbye weekends, hello cash flow. actually i wont miss out on much. half of my friends work with me so it ain't no thang.

+ my mom sent me a Valentine's Day gift in the mail. a little stuffed animal frog, some of those chalky conversation hearts (not my favorites...or anyones really...but they're kind of a cute idea), a York Peppermint Patty, a sample Russell Stover's box, and (do do dooo!) a Target gift card. holler times quite a few.

+ i am going BOWLING tonight. i haven't bowled much lately. if you've been a regular follower of my past blogs (facebook, sthanga, myspace) you know that last spring i was in a bowling league and went about 2-3 times a week. i'm sad to say that i haven't been but about 5 times since last spring. heartbreak, i know. heather, brittany, nick and i are going here in a couple hours. get hyped. coopdizzler's back.

+ lastly, i must mention briefly that i have two books two read by next tuesday and 11-15 pages to review on them. if only i was as enthused about that as i am about...well, really everything else in my life.

in the words of Ivan, everything is happy happy joy joy here.

-ap.

February 12, 2007

grammys 2007.

i don't care how the chicks or last year's american idol did.
i'm not a fan. even if they do love jesus.
i'm just happy for john mayer, john legend and gnarls barkley. and mary j too.
and how about beyonce's performance? whoa.
but my favorite part of this years' grammys: corinne bailey rae, john legend and john mayer playing together. freaking tight.



-ap.

February 11, 2007

become an m&m.

this is really fun. i tried my best to reproduce myself, but it is really hard. the hair is awful, but it is the best they had. try it out:

http://www.becomeanmm.com/


books and piano.

it's really too bad that there is such a difference between reading for my own personal enjoyment and reading because i am required to for class. because when it boils down to it, the books i'm reading for class are very similar, if the the, books that i'd be reading in my own spare time. but when i'm given a deadline and a due date and when i have to write a formal paper over it and not an entirely informal blog entry it gets slightly more frustrating.

but anyways. thats not important.

what is important is that i spent last night playing piano. i haven't done that in far too long. i was most unfortunate in my youth to have learned from teachers that didn't know how to teach playing by ear. i fooled my teahers into believing that i knew how to read music until i was a freshman in high school, but then when the music go too difficult and i couldn't reproduce the music by ear anymore my was found out. i should've stuck with it. i love it and i can play fairly well. i think i'll bring my keyboard to manhattan next time i'm in town. yep. i think i will.
maybe i can learn to jam with my itunes. holla.

but now i must spend my sunday reading. i have two book reviews due by the end of february. boooo.

-ap.

February 10, 2007

Pan's Labyrinth

at 9:45 i get a phone call from my friend to go see some random movie at 10:05. i was being extremely productive at the time (playing nintendo 64), but i dropped everything i was doing and went to the local Carmike Cinema to find out what this whole thing was all about.

upon arrival at the theater, i sort of wished i was going to see Norbit instead for two reasons: 1) it looks ridiculous and 2) the entire basketball team was in line to see it when we got there. i informed Maybank that i approved of his performance against KU. he called me bro in return. holla.

anyways. so i get in there and sit down and sit through the preview for "the number 23" and then lean to my friend heather and ask, "what's this movie?"

this movie turned out to be not only an extremely well spent 8 bucks, but also an extremely interesting and overall great movie. The movie opens up with a narrator telling us all about some curious little girl who was the daughter of the king of the underworld and she wanted to see what the earth's surface (much like Ariel). so one night the princess eludes the city guards and sneaks out of the underworld and on to the earth's surface, but upon making it, the sunlight blinds her and she forgets all about her former life underground. eventually she dies, but her father, the king, vows that he will never rest until her spirit somehow, someway, finds its way back to the underworld. after this quick fairy tale reading the movie officially begins.

Pan's Labyrinth takes place in the Spainish woodlands during WWII. the whole movie is in Spanish, so there are subtitles, but it didn't take away from this movie whatsoever. The movie centers around about a 11 year old girl named Ofilia. She is a brave, adventurous, and emotionally strong young girl who travels with her pregnant mother to stay with her step-father, a Captain of the Spanish army. Also, and more importantly probably, Ofilia loves to read fairy tales and, as a result, has an unbelievable imagination.

Upon arriving at her step-father's military home she explores the surrounding area and discovers a creepy archway leading into a hedge maze. Ofilia's curiosity eventually fuels her deep into the labyrinth and eventually to a huge spiral staircase way down into the earth (the same staircase the princess of the underworld had apparently used to escape). her fairy tale mind works wonders with her from here and all sorts of awesome creatures show up throughout the movie due to her heightened levels of fantasy.

while all of this is going on, there is a constant struggle between the Spanish armies and a group of guerrillas who are supposedly plotting to attack the Captain's base. The Captain is a ruthless and heartless man and really makes for a graphic movie. some parts are very "Saving-Private-Ryan-Esque-Kinda" he tortures a guy, bashes a guy's face with a glass bottle for no reason, and you get the sense that he truly only cares about himself. anyways, Ofilia is caught up in all this tension between what is real and what is her imagination and who she can trust and who she can't.

It becomes rather obvious rather quickly that Ofilia is the spirit of the king's daughter that he is waiting for, and while all of the people she loves and hates continue to tell her that fairy tales are a waste of time, she continues to explore and search deeper into the mystery of the labyrinth.

i'm not explaining it too terribly well, i realize that, but what i will say is this - you should probably see this movie. i think it was nominated for like 6 golden globes. it gets your creative mindset really flowing, and, at the same time, it really ups your intensity level.

another thing i really liked about this movie is that it is loaded with spiritually significant stuff. lots of really cool Jesus images in this film, so if you go see it - keep an eye out for the parallels. they do abound.

anyways. thats that. i was glad i went. i give it a 7.38.

-ap.

February 08, 2007

WINTERBELLS



http://www.ferryhalim.com/orisinal/g3/bells.htm




this is officially the most addicting game i've ever played.
i've been playing for about an hour solid.
try it out. my best score is 7600220. holla.

-ap.

nintendo sixty-FOOOOOOOUR



this kid opens up the greatest system on earth and goes absolutely bizonkers.

-ap.

February 07, 2007

gnarls at the grammys.

gnarls barkley is up for three grammys.
they'll probably win best alternative album.
but mary j will take them out in record of the year.
and justin will for sure take home album of the year.

at least they're likely to lose to two other artists i respect.
if they lose to like...the dixie chicks or carrie underwood...then i'll be hacked.

but i dont see that transpiring.
anyways. watch for cee-lo and danger mouse at the grammys.
chances are you wont miss them.
cause chances are they'll look ridiculous.

-ap.

Praise Habit

it has taken me a while to get through this book. i bought it in Atlanta at Passion right before we left for the airport, and i was done with the first 48 pages before i even got on the plane. however, because of the way Crowder decided to write this mug, i decided to slow down my reading throughout the core.

before i say anything else about this book i have to throw out some major props to Crowder. he has such a skill in creative non-fiction - the master of the slightly pointless yet overwhelmingly clever appendix/footnote. plus his wit is so enjoyable. he's goofy enough to keep me chuckling, but that isn't what keeps me reading. he also has some seriously stellar thoughts.

the core of this book turns into a series of short dissertations about Crowder's favorite Psalms. such awesome insight into both Crowder's mind and, more importantly, the Bible. So many different themes and ideas too. He pulls out some great analogies. (i am partial to a terrific analogy. sometimes i like to sit around and try to come up with awesome analogies. one of my more recent favorites: motivation is like eggnog...it is rarely available, and when it is you run out in like two days.) if a group of English professors decided to come up with an Analogies Dream Team - i think Crowder would be the center. like a white Ben Wallace (fro version, of course, not dreads).


but anyways. when i first got to the Psalms (pages 46-149) i started blazing through them. i made it to about the third one and realized i hadn't comprehended the first two whatsoever because right after i finished it i'd start replacing that idea and understanding with the Psalm i was reading next. that is NOT how you should read this book. give this book a month. maybe two. take each Psalm and wrestle with it - spend a few days on each one. that is how you'll get the most out of this book.

and what an awesome view into DC's heart. what passion and heartfelt ideas. there are spots in every chapter in this book where i was just blown away with the text. i love passionate writing. especially when it is by a skinny punk with wacky hair. (he also makes fun of his 'about the author' picture in the back of the book. so entertaining.) but seriously. through the silliness and ridiculous graphics Crowder is able to convey some serious soul here. when reading this book you can totally tell that he's applying his own ideas from this book to his own life.
praise habit. how seriously cool is that idea?

person 1: i like to bite my nails. i just can't stop - such a habit.

person 2: oh yeah? i have a habit too. i can't stop praising God.

-ap.

ps. the only part i didn't like in this book was when he claimed that Texas BBQ was the best in the world. he likes beef. "not that Kansas City and Memphis pork nonsense." that hurts Dave. and here i was complimenting you on your writing style...i didnt finish reading that chapter. i just couldn't focus - let alone respect the author for saying something so blasphemous. bad form.

but i will concede. i prefer beef to pork, but its only 50% meat. the other 50% is a smoke/wood/rub/sauce combo. that is where KC excels beyond the Lone Star State. phooey.

February 06, 2007

...sit out on my poach...

today is WAY too beautiful to be sitting inside typing.
and i am WAY too poor to go buy a laptop so i can type out on my deck.**
solution: don't blog right now.

it's science.

-ap.

** - even though i just got a job and soon enough i'll be rollin in the stuff.

René Descartes: Meditation IV

Explain Descartes' claim that God is not responsible for our false beliefs. What is the justification for this claim and why does Descartes think he needs to defend it?

Thus far in Descartes' Meditations on First Philosophy he has arrived at two realities: that both he and God exist, and with those two inherent conclusions Descartes begins to wrestle with the idea of false beliefs, and, more importantly, do false beliefs come from God?

He wonders that if God is infallible, and everything in him is of God, then wouldn't Descartes be perfect as well? "It is impossible for God ever to deceive me, for trickery or deception is always indicative of some imperfection." (Descartes, p. 81) Though deception or trickery are often synonymous with cleverness or power, Descartes retorts that it would also be synonymous with maliciousness or weakness, neither of which God is capable. "Accordingly, deception is incompatible with God." (p. 81)

In an attempt to explain this conundrum, Descartes introduces the idea of nothingness. Nothingness is the absence of what is correct and the extreme opposite from any perfection. Descartes sees nothingness as the root of all deception and is the extremity of evil. His idea of nothingness being the lack of perfection allows for God and nothingness to coexist as two extremes. Humans fall in the middle ground between the two. We are created by a perfect entity but are simply unable to attain an infinite amount of knowledge equal to that of God. We are lacking and, thus, have the possibility of making mistakes.

However, another issue arises with this claim: how and why would an infinitely perfect being create other beings that were not? "For if it is true that the more expert the craftsman the more perfect the work he produces, what can supreme creator of all things make that is not perfect in all respects?" (p. 82) God's will is always the best way, so is it possible that error is the best way? Thus Descartes needs to defend his idea because otherwise there is doubt as to whether God is truly the source of all his ideas and ultimately perfect. He offers two different possibilities for defense against such a thought.

First, he makes the point that since we lack the infinite understanding of God then we are not capable of understanding why our ability to err could be the best option. "I know now that my nature is very weak and limited, whereas the nature of God is immense, incomprehensible and infinite." (p. 83) Thus is it very plausible that God might understand something we do not. Secondly, Descartes defends by introducing the possibility that error is not evident when looking at the whole. It is possible that error is only on the individual level, the individual may "have the status of a part in the universal scheme of things." (p. 84) We are simply a small part of a bigger picture, and perhaps in the big picture individual error leads to universal perfection.

--------------

very interesting eh? thats modern philo post 3 of 10. i'm on a serious roll.

-ap.

February 05, 2007

United 7111

and now a conversation between the stewardess and i on United Express flight 7111 from Denver to KC:

Stewardess: can i get you something to drink hun?

Me: um yeah, do you have coke products?

S: no, i'm sorry, we have pepsi.

M: ah, bummer, do you have DP then?

S: diet pepsi?

M: ew, no. dr. pepper.

S: oh, no, we don't.

M: dang. i'll just get a sierra mist then.

S: i'm sorry sir, we don't have sierra mist.

M: really? isn't it a pepsi product?

S: i don't know.

M: okay. then what do you have?

S: pepsi, diet pepsi, 7-up.

M: aren't 7-up and dr. pepper made by the same people?

S: um. pepsi right?

M: no. they're made by CSAB.

S: what is that?

M: cadbury schweppes americas beverages, i think. they make all sorts of random drinks. it used to be dr. pepper/seven up inc.

S: oh. well. we only have those three. which do you want?

M: do you have orange juice?

S: we actually just ran out two rows behind you.

M: of course you did. i'll just have a water then.

S: what kind?

M: i'm sorry?

S: we have Dasani, Aquafina, Osarka and Deja Blue. which would you like?

M: you have 4 different kinds of water?

S: yes sir.

M: wow. it....doesn't matter. (turns out deja blue tastes like crap.)

but seriously? more types of water than types of soda? United Express flights rule.

-ap.

February 02, 2007

starting february off on the right foot.

hey guys. adam here. just here to tell you about my day.

today was long, but so good on so many levels. i will attempt to articulate these different levels in terms of their "goodness". ready go.

Level 1: i am officially back in a Coca-Cola Classic phase. every 6 months (nearly to the day) i shift from Dr. Pepper to Coke and back to Dr. Pepper and so on and so forth. today was day one of 183 glorious days of Coca-Cola Classic until eventually i will tire from it and go back to DP. if only they sold my favorite beverage, Vanilla Coke, at stores ANYWHERE. if anyone knows of anywhere in Manhattan where i can purchase such a delicacy, please let me know NOW. k thanks.

Level 2: listening to Ratatat whilst walking on campus. for those of you who haven't heard Ratatat before - you are missing out. it is about 99% instrumental, but it is the perfect music to listen to whilst walking between buildings on campus. especially on this campus where people seem to be more concerned with never making eye contact with anyone - i get to strut around bobbing all over the place to some serious beats. smiling, of course.

Level 3: Ichthus. i feel kinda bad, like i'm jipping my campus ministry big time, but that's just how great this day was. nothing bad about 'thus. in fact, i rather liked it. for the first time in a long time I've felt 100% thrilled to mingle around with people afterwards. i met some new people and talked to some of the usuals as well. we focused tonight on the fact that "it's not about you" (as Rick Warren so eloquently puts it in the first 4 and a half words of the Purpose Driven Life - i counted "it's" as 1.5 words). really good words. a solid Ichthus experience.

Level 4: i wrote a paper today in less than an hour. yes, it is the one i posted around noon today - the post immediately proceeding this one. i was going to write it last night before i went to bed, but i had a serious headache and i couldn't keep my eyes open. so i decided to throw it down between classes instead...good decision. i got 8 hours of sleep. woke up with no headache, and threw down what i think ought to get me a 10 out of 10. pat on the back.

Level 5: dance party sizzler. i like to dance. it is one of the many things in life that God decided to bless me with that will truly get me nowhere (other items on this list include foosball, disc golf, the ability to do the wave with my eyebrows, etc.) There was a decent turn out. there was bad weather and a plethora of other things going on tonight so the fact that i got as many people over here as i did was pretty astonishing. total number was probably around 20 or so. not nearly as large as the dance party i threw last semester. but the good thing about this one: everyone came to dance. not a sole was there that didn't come to dance. that made life really really fun. plus the girl to guy ratio was like 6:1. jackpot for real.

Level 6: during the dance party the song Sandstorm came on. i, of course, having planned this from the beginning (i was the DJ), decided to throw down a little Strobe Light action when the insane part first hit. oh man. pandemonium in the living room of the House of Kings. could not have been better. right on key ALL the lights dropped and the strobe came on in perfect timing with the music. man i love my life again.

Level 7: i got a job today. starting next week i will be a barista part-time at my favorite coffee shop. at least in this city. I'll be doing something i love and working with some of my favorite people and getting discounts on the best coffee in the city. this place is tight. not only is it 100% fair trade, but they also roast their own coffee in the shop on their own roaster. my favorite coffee there: India Monsoon Malabar. apparently the beans for this coffee are HUGE because, as the name suggests, the coffee trees go through the monsoon season in India so they get massive amounts of water and, in turn, these beans grow to ultra-large sizes. it is so smooth and so tasty. oh man. love the Malabar. so yeah, i start soon. winner.

and, as a continuation of the list of excitement, i leave for Denver tomorrow for a Youth Workers Connection conference. flying out of Kansas City at 3:39 on United. it is actually Pre-MidWinter. but since I'm a full-time student here at KSU my schedule doesn't allow me to be gone from the 5th-9th. plus i have a job now - an extensively rigorous schedule. but I'm pretty pumped for the Pre-MidWinter events. you'll probably here about them on here. i can't imagine i wouldn't type about it. heck i type at length about my love for Coca-Cola Classic, why wouldn't i fill you in on something like this?

anyways. I'm planning on wearing my Larry Johnson jersey for most of the trip. i hate the Broncos. remember that time they got beat up at home by the 49ers to miss the playoffs? hahaha. that was a good day. choke artists.

ok i need to pack. talk to you guys soon.
and if i don't see ya - Happy Groundhog Day.
(spring will come when it feels like it. even that shadow-searching rodent up in Punxatawney can't predict Kansas weather. please. we do what we want.)

-ap.

ps. props to double dizz for teaching me how to put up what i'm currently reading.

February 01, 2007

René Descartes: Meditation III

another short writing assignment for my Modern Philosophy class:

What is Descartes' central claim about causation and why is this claim so important to his argument in favor of God’s existence?

In Meditation III, René Descartes presents his argument for the existence of God, that is, "a supreme deity, eternal, infinite, omniscient, omnipotent, and creator of all things other than himself." (Descartes, Meditation III, 73) His argument relies heavily on the concept of causation, specifically the causation of ideas, and even more specifically the idea of the all power being listed in the proceeding sentence.

Descartes' central claim concerning causation is the following: every idea must have a cause "in which there is at least as much formal reality as there is objective reality contained in the idea." (74) He argues that regardless of whether an idea is ultimately true or ultimately false, that idea undoubtedly exists in mind, and, because nothing comes from nothing, everything in existence - including an idea - must have a cause. With this logic, Descartes proceeds to explain that nothing in existence can be the product of a less perfect cause. An example Descartes uses in Meditation III concerns the creation of a stone. The cause of such a stone must have contained all the properties of the resultant stone for "how could the cause give that reality to the effect, unless it also possessed that reality?" (73) Again, nothing comes out of nothing, and, likewise, something must come from something.

This idea of causation is particularly important to Descartes' argument for the existence of God. With this logic in place, Descartes is able to deduct that the following: for there to be an idea, there must be "something else, that is the cause of the idea, that exists." (74) Because every idea must come from something, and since humans are in no way infinitely perfect we could not have been the cause of such an idea, so there must be a cause that is, in fact, infinitely perfect. The concept of causation is essential to Descartes' rationalistic conclusion that God must exist.

Descartes' central claim regarding a causation of equal or greater formal reality than its effect is key to his argument because without it he cannot explain the origin of his thoughts. If he cannot account for a causation then he must rely on "spontaneous impulse" (72) which is in no way rational. Descartes has already concluded that he exists - i think, therefore i am - but without any knowledge of causation, he must rationally conclude that he is alone in the world and that there is no other object outside of himself. Without a concept of causation he must continue to doubt the truth of all of his sensory ideas.

-ap.