The standard narrative for On the Origin of Species is that it changed the way people saw the world and rocked the intellectual foundations of Christian civilization. The truth is, it didn't change anything. People didn't abandon their faith and shift their paradigms because they read Darwin; they ate up Darwin as a perfect narrative … Continue reading Thought of the Day: On Darwin’s Popularity
Thought of the Day
Thought of the Day
The giant, profit-oriented corporation does not care about your personal happiness or fulfillment. They are not pushing ideas upon you because they genuinely and disinterestedly think that they are true or beneficial; they do it because it is profitable to them. It's really kind of odd how often we seem to forget that.
Thought of the Day: On Uploading Consciousness
One of the tropes of modern materialist religion is the idea of a final 'salvation' for the elect via uploading their consciousnesses to some kind of supercomputer that would allow them to 'live forever' free of their imperfectly limited fleshy parts. It's rather hilariously absurd (even granting that such a thing is possible), because a … Continue reading Thought of the Day: On Uploading Consciousness
Thought of the Day: A Long Off-Day
Often times addicts insist, and indeed believe, that they are in fact all right. Their decision to take another drink or what have is just that; a decision. They could stop any time they wanted just by choosing something else. "I can stop any time I want, I just don't want to." Except that this … Continue reading Thought of the Day: A Long Off-Day
Thought of the Day: Bram Stoker’s Classic Story
From Fathom Events, I discovered that tonight they're showing Francis Ford Coppola's Bram Stoker's Dracula (which may be the most ludicrous adaptational title expansion on record). I find that they begin their summary this way: Based on Bram Stoker's classic and dark love story about the vampire who travels from Eastern Europe to England in … Continue reading Thought of the Day: Bram Stoker’s Classic Story
Things I’m Grateful For In My Former Job
Today was my last day at the present (now former) job. Though I’ve been trying to leave almost since I arrived, it is still rather bittersweet to be finally departing from my job. There were things I enjoyed about it, mostly the people, who were largely very friendly, especially those on the specific Catholic chat … Continue reading Things I’m Grateful For In My Former Job
Thought of the Day: Challenging
‘Challenging’ (when applied to a non-interactive work or aspect of a work) is one of those compliments that seems to me to say more about the critic than the subject: what does it mean that a piece of fiction is ‘challenging’? Whom does it challenge? Why is this challenge a good thing? Is the challenge … Continue reading Thought of the Day: Challenging
Thought of the Day: Harmony with Nature
Inspired by this video (which I'm at present only halfway through, so caveat spectator: so far, while I'd dispute some points and his overall framework, his main argument is pretty sound. Spoilers for both Avatar and Princess Mononoke, by the way). Though this is also something I'd concluded a while back. To live in harmony … Continue reading Thought of the Day: Harmony with Nature
Thought of the Day: Hollywood Friendships
I think the most positive aspect of Hollywood as an industry, in its golden era at least, were the great, intense friendships that sometimes resulted; people like Laurel and Hardy, or Jimmy Stewart and Henry Fonda, or Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing, or Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. The entertainment industry has always been a … Continue reading Thought of the Day: Hollywood Friendships
Thought of the Day: Most Important Authors
My preliminary picks for the five most important authors of the 20th Century: -J.R.R. Tolkien-Edgar Rice Burroughs-Agatha Christie-Raymond Chandler-H.P. Lovecraft (A case could be made for H.G. Wells, except that his most important works were almost all written at the tail-end of the 19th century)
Serpent's Den 