January 2012
1 post
6 tags
Wittgenstein + Race?
In preparation for a talk by Richard Eldrige (from Swathmore), I ran into the following selections from Wittgenstein’s lectures on aesthetics:
Lec. I, §26. What belongs to a language game is a whole culture. In describing musical taste you have to describe whether children give concerts, whether women do or whether men only give them, etc., etc. In aristocratic circles in Vienna...
November 2011
2 posts
Yesterday, a friend and I were watching a show called Toddlers and Tiaras—a reality series that follows young beauty pageant contestants and their parents. One child, when asked why they want to win a particular pageant, claimed they wanted the $1000 prize.
My friend muttered, with a sassy you-go-get-it-girl tone in her voice, “That’s right…if you’re worth it.” The...
May 2011
1 post
April 2011
2 posts
A Police Report's Omitted Details
In an email from publicaffairs@ucsc.edu with the subject line: “Information from UCSC Police”:
On Sunday, April 24, 2011 at approximately 1:00 A.M, four UCSC students were robbed by a group of men near the corner of Laurent and King streets on westside Santa Cruz. Three male students and one female student were walking to a bus stop on Bay Street when they were approached by four...
Philosophical Word of the Month: April, 2011
anscombe (v.)
(1) To gather for safe-keeping. “She anscombed with all the notes and letters.”
(2) To go over carefully, with a fine-tooth comb, in an oblique direction.
March 2011
9 posts
4 tags
“Despite the cultural prominence of video games and technology-based art,...”
– Aaron Smutts, “Are Video Games Art?”
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WatchSnuggles on Bach Day
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Hey—I have a new personal page. →
Here’s a preview:
Not too shabby, if I do say so myself.
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…really? (Hacking video feeds?)
This is pretty awesome. I cannot wait to see if it’s real life, how it works, how to do it, and…of course…to make my own!
More information here: http://www.alexandrosmaragos.com/2011/03/hacker-in-times-square.html
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“One of mankind’s greatest desires in life is the desire to discover truth.”
– The first sentence of an anonymous student’s first draft of a term paper.
Philosophical Word of the Month: March, 2011
rand (rænd/),
n. An angry tirade occasioned by mistaking philosophical disagreement for a personal attack and/or evidence of unspeakable moral corruption. “When I questioned his second premise, he flew into a rand.
v. To attack or stigmatise through a rand. “When I defended socialised medicine, I was randed as a communist.”
(Care of the Philosophical Lexicon, of course.)
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Pre-rigorous thoughts on the future of education.
Finally, the world is beginning to look as futuristic as cinema once thought it would be. Flying cars are still far off, but who is looking forward to alcoholics gaining access to aircraft?—I’m sure George Jetson knocked back a few bottles in his college years… demolished a few houses…
I’m particularly excited about recent rethinking of pedagogical methods. Take a look at Ray...
February 2011
6 posts
“Shouldn’t we return to sanity from all this mad proliferation of worlds?...”
– Nelson Goodman’s Ways of Worldmaking (pp. 20-21)
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Why Do Americans Carry Guns? (Part 2)
(A few preliminary notes: The following is Part 2 of a conversation that occurred on the comments page of a youtube video here: http://goo.gl/EHxMC . My interlocutor is the gentleman who created it. "Why Do Americans Carry Guns?" You can find Part 1 here: http://goo.gl/v3RsD. The conversation is still in progress. I hope it comes to a civil end.)
Him: do you think someone who is in a public shooting seeing people die around them doesn't have mental issues afterwards? I dont see a difference having gun makes...not everyone can kill without remorse, I can its justifiable if I shoot a man trying to kill me, or even a women, I cant kill innocent people and rest easy at night though because Im a normal emotional human being, but a threat is a piece of meat, not a person to me
Me: Yes, I think there is an anxiety that comes after any dangerous situation.
I simply do not think it's ever permissible to kill another person. Even if you do it out of necessity, I would hope you'd feel some remorse. Your statement, "A threat is a piece of meat, not a person" is strange. You believe that persons cease to be persons once they pose a threat to you (or your loved ones)?
I'm not being (or trying to be) confrontational with the question, I mean it seriously.
Him: yes if my life or the life of my loved ones are in danger I cna and will kill another human being or several, whatever it takes, I know they too have families they might be a son or a father, ect, but Im not concerned with their story at that moment, I will kill them and have no remorse for it, knowing it was justified, them or me it will be them everytime, even after the fact when their family is in court looking at me Ill try to explain to them he gave me no choice
Me: Hm. A grieving family might not accept your reasoning. If you believe it's wrong to kill human beings, and you believe it's alright to kill someone if they have the intent to kill you (or anyone else), what makes you any better than the guy with murderous intent? Your intent would be the same. More over, what makes your life more valuable? Do you think we can forfeit our rights by murdering others? Would be exempt if you did the same in self-defense? This is a very old problem.
Him: I would like to add the law tells me (and society) its ok to kill instead of being killed...so if the majority of society and other people feel the same way as I do, that would make your way of thinking the minority and whether your right or wrong doesn't matter at all...as bad as it sounds there are people on this world that deserve to die, they serve no purpose other than making others suffer, with your thought process we dont need a military or police, at all for ANY reason...
Me: Majority rule does not dictate correct moral action. The woman's suffrage, black civil rights, and Indian anti-occupation movements were fought against majority rule. Be careful here.
Also, I don't claim to have any answers to the question of what's permissible in war and defense. I only claim that the practice of gun carrying is questionable. (The use of non-lethal weaponry—like the new Taser 12gauge rounds—might present a viable alternative in the future.)
Him: Im really not concerned with the grieving family to be honest their family members makes their own decisions, it comes down to survival of the fittest, with your logic you can stand and watch your child or parents be killed in front of you without any chance if you stopping the killer because you value every human life? come one, there is no right answer besides I feel my life is worth more than anyone else, everyone thinks thats if you would rather die and not defend yourself, ok
Me: The conversation does not need to go there—"If you'd rather die and not defend yourself." That's not the case. However: if you think it's okay to kill a person who is trying to kill you, you deserve to die just as much as he does. I suppose the best we can say is, "It is wrong to kill, but I don't want to die either."
(I'm trying to get you to see the problem here; I'm not trying to convince you not to carry. I understand that most people don't argue this way.)
Him: this is a dog eat dog world, I see it as its ok to kill people who serve no purpose on this planet other than to harm people, if I could legal walk into crack houses and gang territory and shoot as my wil I would, but I cant so from a legal standpoint Ill shoot anyone who allows me to do so legally, not good people, no good human being will ever give me a reasons to kill them, from your comments I assume you dont own or carry a gun, can I ask why you rely soley on police to help you?
Me: Wow. That's pretty extreme. You're okay with the mass slaughter of gangsters, drug dealers, and and drug users? That's more than callous… that's downright cruel. If we desire to gun down our fellow man, how can we consider ourselves good people? I rely on police by default. Their uniform scares most people, and that keeps a lot of trouble at bay. However, I don't trust them: they make too many mistakes, and there is corruption in the average PD. —but what are you asking, really?
Him: I carry a gun because cops are too heavy...my overall reply to you is why not want the option of havign a gun if you need it? I mean guns are not for everyone, if your scared of them dont have one but its stupid to ask people why they do, criminals have guns, so I want one to again to even the odds you fight fire with fire, Im not looking forward to shooting anyone either but ikf I have to I will without thinking about it
Me: I don't carry a gun because: (1) no one has ever wanted to shoot me, nor do I have any indication that anyone ever will. (2) I also don't carry one because I don't feel it would improve the situation if someone were to pull a gun on me. Who am I?—Quickdraw McGraw? I'll likely get myself (or others) killed, even with training. (3) Speaking of training, I don't want to spend my life preparing for a rare occasion I heard about on the news (or, perhaps, something I saw in movies). :/
Him: what Im saying is when seconds count cops are minutes away to rely solely on law enforcement to save you is pretty trusting, I would rather have options, if someone broke into your home and wanted to rape your family you would probably grab a kitchen knife and try to stop them right? so why not event the odds with a gun? why make it harder on yourself to defend against a gun with a lesser capable weapon, and yes I see criminals and drug attics as a waste of life
Me: What does it say about our character if we are so willing to kill?—if we wish we could go kill all of the people we feel don't belong here? Who gets to decide who lives or dies?—you? Suppose that I am down on my luck and I start selling drugs to provide my family. If there were no law against it, you would judge it appropriate to murder me? I find it hard to see the moral difference between you and the "criminals." Who should I be afraid of: them or you? This clearly infuriates me.
Me: I've never had anyone try to do such things to me or anyone I love. I know literally dozens of women who have been raped. It's usually their stepfathers, uncles, family friends, or (supposedly close) male friends who end up raping them. Random abduction is not as common. Why take such heavy precautions against something fairly unlikely? Why not lock your doors and windows? Why not just learn self-defense and escape? Why be prepared (…or even eager) to *kill*?
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WatchReason #1 to carry a pocket knife (certainly not for the silly reason of self-defense): breaking bread.
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Why Do Americans Carry Guns?
(A few preliminary notes: The following conversation occurred on the comments page of a youtube video here: http://goo.gl/EHxMC . My interlocutor is the gentleman who created it.)
Me: You say you're not paranoid. I can buy that—I wouldn't call you paranoid just because you carry a gun. However, your cited reason for carrying a gun (or a knife) is self-defense. You've also talked about worries about people who break into houses. You've talked about "balancing the odds" against such people. Questions:
Do you prepare for other uncommon (or even rare) contingencies?
Are you comfortable with having the power to kill another in exchange for self-preservation?
Him: yes I store food and water in case of a nationwide/worldwide event, such as terrorist attack on our power/natural disaster/ government collapse, etc...we all prepare some simply keep a spare tire in the car other people carry a gun some build a bunker, just depends on how much you prepare....and yes I gave this a lot of thought over a year...I have no problem what so ever with killing someone, or multiple people if I feel my life or my loved ones lives are in danger
Me: Notice I asked about uncommon or rare contingencies. There are other contingencies that we might prepare for, but we do not. Which situations ought we prepare for, and which should we handle with cunning?
The scenario where a person threatens me or my loved ones, I'm not sure that's so easily solved by owning a gun. What about the danger of a gun fight? What about the malfunctioning weapons? What about the psychological aftermath (for your family and yourself)? What about virtue?
Him: every question you may have about what to do if you had a gun can be countered with what would you do without a gun...Im willing to bet every single person who has been involved in a public shooting not only wishes they had a gun at the time to defend themselves they also think that was never going to happen to them...I can own and carry a gun so why not…
Me: Ok, then let's approach that head on. What would I do without a gun? I would duck, run, talk my way out of the situation, or get the hell out of there. I have been involved in a shooting. (A few gangstas on my block shot a guy behind the gas station in a public area.) What I did is what everyone should do (even people with guns): I ducked, and I hid. I'm sure this sounds cowardly, but it's pretty effective. I've been in many dangerous situations, and I've lived to tell the tale.
Him: yeah lots of people feel the same way, and when a shooting occurs some dont get to be so lucky, they cant run as fast as the bullets flying at them, some get away some dont, do you wish to chance that? Perhaps you get away butr your family member doesn't...then what? suppose a crazy person pulls the gun out 2 feet from you and theres no were to hide, there not looking to rob you there is no talking they went there to die and now your involved...a gun gives you options is the point
Him: lets take this most recent Arizona shooting into consideration do you know why it lasted so long and why so many got hurt, because no one else had a gun to fight fire with fire they had to wait for him to reload so they could tackle him...how can you fight a gun with fists? a gun is no more dangerous than a car, its how the user handles it, more people die from car accidents than gunshots, thats a fact
Me: Listen to the chain of thought though: "what if there's no way to run, hide, talk, and you're trapped?" We could continue, "What if I can't get to my gun fast enough?"—or "What if I miss and he shoots me?" We can think of dire situations until we're old and gray. The answer I can give you is: "I'd be screwed."
The point: these "what-ifs" smack of paranoia. I could not live my life in such fear, and I wouldn't want that fear on my hip all day. :(
Him: god forbid your ever in a situation like that you'll be hoping a guy like me was there to help, on a side note do you feel cops should not have guns too? what makes them any different? they tokl can just run away from a bad situation? they to can try to talk themselves out of a bad situation they too cna miss and shoot inoocent peopel or not draw their guns fast enough, its happen time and time again they too are peopel and not perfect, I ask you whats the difference?
Me: God forbid is right. If I were in that situation, and you saved my life, I would be grateful. I would also worry about our mental health (PTSD and Anxiety Disorder are problems—to say the least) and conscience.
The police? That's a good question. I wanted to believe that police are better trained than we are (and better able to make these decisions), but I cannot believe that (—especially after Mehserle shot Oscar Grant in the back). Either way, the answers aren't easy.
Him: your suggesting anyone who carries a gun might have an issue with their mental health? you do realize that there are hundreds of thousands of gun toting citizen who walk around you at all times no matter where you go right? Im guessing you didnt know that until now, when I went to go get my concealed carry permit I found out there were 70 applications approved a MONTH for my county alone!!!!!! thats only the legal good people never mind the criminal's guns, more reason to carry my own
Me: No. I not suggesting that. Be careful how you read me. I am suggesting that if you use your gun in the ways you're preparing for, there are lots of consequences (including detriments to mental health). There are also potential consequences that come with pulling out a gun in the first place.
I also suggest that carrying a gun is indicative of—and reminiscent of—fear, and this fear is indicative of a worse societal condition in the U.S.
June 2010
1 post
April 2010
4 posts
“White power, Nigger!”
– Drunk Kid (who shouted at me from the back of an SUV in Downtown Santa Cruz)
Apple's Mental Disease
Apple’s product launches are so successful because they know how to drive people nuts. Everytime another one of these Apple products come out, people act like they have a mental disease! You guys know what I’m talking about. It’s as if people come down with Apple-itus. Here are the 4 stages of Apple-itus:
#1: Denial. “The iPad is just a giant iPhone. It doesn’t do...
1 tag
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On a public bathroom wall at UCSC—
A: Masturbation is counter-revolutionary.
B: …then sign me up for the CIA.
March 2010
2 posts
4 tags
Google != the Wizard
Why are there so many websites telling people to Google the answers to their questions?—there’s Let Me Google That For You, and Just Fucking Google It for starters.
I don’t know about you guys, but Google isn’t the most easy tool to use. Sure, Google is simpler than search engines have been, but to get the most out of it you’ve got to be good at Googling. There is even...
2 tags
“Man believes the world itself to be overloaded with beauty — and he forgets...”
– Friedrich Nietzsche,“Die Götzen-Dämmerung” (English: “Twilight of the Idols”), 1895.
January 2010
1 post
4 tags
The iPad Problem
Apple released the near-mythological iPad to hungry audiences on Wednesday, and the critical response inspires dèjá vu—even the necessity of this blog entry reminds me of 2007’s iPhone release. Most opinions jeer at the device’s apparent similarity to the iPhone or the iPad’s lack of “features”, but many of us are enamored with it despite the naysaying. The iPhone...