Carpe diem! Seize the day! Live like there's no tomorrow, for there might not be! I'm sure everyone has heard the philosophy. There is no guarantee of the future. So why put off until tomorrow what you can do today? All you have is right now and what came before. What came before? Ah, therein lies the problem.
What we are and what we have are the result of what has been left for us, done by us, done for us, and done to us. It is the sum of previous generations as well as our own choices. It is a collection of the thoughts, efforts, machinations, discoveries, loves, and hurts that have already occurred. History is what our civilization is built on, the knowledge of all who have come before.
But the past is something which no longer exists. Every moment past is nothing but a memory. The past is something to be learned from, not lived in. Unfortunately, so many people do. And if I am to be honest, I myself must be included in their number. For all of us, the past becomes an anchor. The day cannot be seized by those unable to seize it.
Memories can be crippling, whether positive or negative. Both extremes are dangerous. I remember the television series "Married ... With Children" in which Al Bundy, a shoe salesman stuck in a dead-end job, would always relive his glory days of winning the big football game in high school, the high point of his life. I think of all the has-been celebrities who have done nothing in their careers for a long time, yet still believe they should be taken seriously as celebrities because of things they did a decade or two ago. There are even those who choose lives of mediocrity, instead looking backward at their days in college or whatnot. And of course there are those who are long since retired but still have life in them, but choose not to make the best of the life they still have, instead looking back in perpetual nostalgia.
But the other is much more common. It is our prejudices, our pains and hurts, our guilt, our regrets, our mistakes, and our scars. They are like quicksand. One begets another. Pain builds upon pain. Before long, memories of the past lead to self-sabotage, lack of self-confidence, and the incapability to move forward in life. It's unfortunate how so many lives of great potential have been anchored by the shackles of memories of the past.
One cannot seize the day as long as one is seized by days gone by. But the past doesn't exist as anything but a memory. The past exists only to be learned from, and nothing more. In the end, it doesn't matter as much how you got where you are or how you got what you have as what you do with it. Every morning you wake up, it is the dawning of a new day. Look at who you are and what you have. Now make the best of it.
Stop laying blame for how things are and take responsibility for how they turn out. Stop relying on what you have done and work on what you're doing and going to do. Stop hating others for what their forebears have done when they weren't involved. Stop making excuses about why things are wrong and focus on how to make them right. Stop focusing at how things went bad and start focusing on solutions to make the future brighter. (I'm looking at you on that one, Glenn Beck.) Stop living in the past and start living for today! The past is there to be learned from, not lived in!
It's a lesson I'm still trying to learn myself. But it's not enough to do things today and not wait for tomorrow. We must all realize that the past, for better or worse, no longer exists. So stop living in the past. Don't worry about the things you can't change, and make what you can change be the best you can make it!
Live like there's no yesterday!
Friday, April 22, 2011
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
The Truth About Maturity (Parkour and Freerunning Version)
Oh, to be young again. That seems to be the mantra of the day. People hearken back to their childhoods and wish they could have it all back. Why? "It was an easier, simpler time." Oh, really? What planet are those people from?
All that some see is a state of play, completely carefree of all the burdens of the real world. They themselves, on a deep down level, want to frolic and join in the fun. What a great stress reliever! "But I'm just too old." Oh, really?
Have you ever seen children cry? There's a reason for that. Sure, kids don't have to worry about taxes, mortgages, insurance, and so on. But they have their own burdens to deal with, ones that their limited life experience barely has them prepared for. I remember how hard it often was as a child to fit in, memorize at school, obey rules, mind the grown-ups, and live in a world that I felt so helpless in. Most of my decisions were made for me and I had little or no choice in the matter. Sure, it's not a car payment or 9 to 5 job. But in a relative sense, there's not much difference.
And yes, play is a huge stress reliever. It's what humans are built for! It's how we first learn. It's how we explore and discover. We have our humanity trained out of us at such an early age. And why? To "grow up". To be more mature. That's right. We shoulder larger amounts of stress and stop keeping in shape the way we are intended to in order to trick others and ourselves into believing it's the grownup thing to do, seemingly oblivious to the fact that ulcers, aneurysms, strokes, and heart attacks are not achievements!
But what is maturity really? There are several things that make up one's maturity. Among them are the ability to put aside pleasure for necessity, to put others above one's self, to adapt to situations, to exercise patience, and to do what is best for one's self. That means doing what is best for your psychological health and physical fitness.
Think about the concept of avoiding what is best for your own being because it's "undignified" for someone your age. Now compare it to the concept of one child avoiding another child who "has cooties". It's the same thing! The only difference is in the details. To live one's life based on the fantasy of societal dogma is well within the realm of infantile behavior, and serves as a horrible example to younger generations. We need to break from those dogmas, stray from the path, to jump, climb, run, and be free! Everyone should embrace Parkour!
To play is mature. To deny play is childish.
Stop wishing you were younger and start having fun! Splash in puddles. Swing on monkey bars. Jump over railings. Dance and sing carefree along with your favorite song on the radio. When you rake the leaves, do it twice. The first time you make a pile, jump in. When you shovel the driveway, use the shoveled snow to make a fort. Then make snow angels. Leave the path and make the world your playground. Stop worrying about what the world will think and start playing.
If others don't like it, tell them to grow up.
And in conclusion ...
TAG! You're it! Nyah nyah nyahnyah nyah!! *PPPPBBBBTTTTT!!!!!*
All that some see is a state of play, completely carefree of all the burdens of the real world. They themselves, on a deep down level, want to frolic and join in the fun. What a great stress reliever! "But I'm just too old." Oh, really?
Have you ever seen children cry? There's a reason for that. Sure, kids don't have to worry about taxes, mortgages, insurance, and so on. But they have their own burdens to deal with, ones that their limited life experience barely has them prepared for. I remember how hard it often was as a child to fit in, memorize at school, obey rules, mind the grown-ups, and live in a world that I felt so helpless in. Most of my decisions were made for me and I had little or no choice in the matter. Sure, it's not a car payment or 9 to 5 job. But in a relative sense, there's not much difference.
And yes, play is a huge stress reliever. It's what humans are built for! It's how we first learn. It's how we explore and discover. We have our humanity trained out of us at such an early age. And why? To "grow up". To be more mature. That's right. We shoulder larger amounts of stress and stop keeping in shape the way we are intended to in order to trick others and ourselves into believing it's the grownup thing to do, seemingly oblivious to the fact that ulcers, aneurysms, strokes, and heart attacks are not achievements!
But what is maturity really? There are several things that make up one's maturity. Among them are the ability to put aside pleasure for necessity, to put others above one's self, to adapt to situations, to exercise patience, and to do what is best for one's self. That means doing what is best for your psychological health and physical fitness.
Think about the concept of avoiding what is best for your own being because it's "undignified" for someone your age. Now compare it to the concept of one child avoiding another child who "has cooties". It's the same thing! The only difference is in the details. To live one's life based on the fantasy of societal dogma is well within the realm of infantile behavior, and serves as a horrible example to younger generations. We need to break from those dogmas, stray from the path, to jump, climb, run, and be free! Everyone should embrace Parkour!
To play is mature. To deny play is childish.
Stop wishing you were younger and start having fun! Splash in puddles. Swing on monkey bars. Jump over railings. Dance and sing carefree along with your favorite song on the radio. When you rake the leaves, do it twice. The first time you make a pile, jump in. When you shovel the driveway, use the shoveled snow to make a fort. Then make snow angels. Leave the path and make the world your playground. Stop worrying about what the world will think and start playing.
If others don't like it, tell them to grow up.
And in conclusion ...
TAG! You're it! Nyah nyah nyahnyah nyah!! *PPPPBBBBTTTTT!!!!!*
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
The Truth About Maturity
Oh, to be young again. That seems to be the mantra of the day. People hearken back to their childhoods and wish they could have it all back. Why? "It was an easier, simpler time." Oh, really? What planet are those people from?
All that some see is a state of play, completely carefree of all the burdens of the real world. They themselves, on a deep down level, want to frolic and join in the fun. What a great stress reliever! "But I'm just too old." Oh, really?
Have you ever seen children cry? There's a reason for that. Sure, kids don't have to worry about taxes, mortgages, insurance, and so on. But they have their own burdens to deal with, ones that their limited life experience barely has them prepared for. I remember how hard it often was as a child to fit in, memorize at school, obey rules, mind the grown-ups, and live in a world that I felt so helpless in. Most of my decisions were made for me and I had little or no choice in the matter. Sure, it's not a car payment or 9 to 5 job. But in a relative sense, there's not much difference.
And yes, play is a huge stress reliever. It's what humans are built for! It's how we first learn. It's how we explore and discover. We have our humanity trained out of us at such an early age. And why? To "grow up". To be more mature. That's right. We shoulder larger amounts of stress and stop keeping in shape the way we are intended to in order to trick others and ourselves into believing it's the grownup thing to do.
But what is maturity really? There are several things that make up one's maturity. Among them are the ability to put aside pleasure for necessity, to put others above one's self, to adapt to situations, to exercise patience, and to do what is best for one's self. That means doing what is best for your psychological health and physical fitness.
Think about the concept of avoiding what is best for your own being because it's "undignified" for someone your age. Now compare it to the concept of one child avoiding another child who "has cooties". It's the same thing! The only difference is in the details. To live one's life based on the fantasy of societal dogma is well within the realm of infantile behavior, and serves as a horrible example to younger generations.
To play is mature. To deny play is childish.
Stop wishing you were younger and start having fun! Splash in puddles. Swing on monkey bars. When you rake the leaves, do it twice. The first time you make a pile, jump in. When you shovel the driveway, use the shoveled snow to make a fort. Then make snow angels. Stop worrying about what the world will think and start playing.
If others don't like it, tell them to grow up.
And in conclusion ...
TAG! You're it! Nyah nyah nyahnyah nyah!! *PPPPBBBBTTTTT!!!!!*
All that some see is a state of play, completely carefree of all the burdens of the real world. They themselves, on a deep down level, want to frolic and join in the fun. What a great stress reliever! "But I'm just too old." Oh, really?
Have you ever seen children cry? There's a reason for that. Sure, kids don't have to worry about taxes, mortgages, insurance, and so on. But they have their own burdens to deal with, ones that their limited life experience barely has them prepared for. I remember how hard it often was as a child to fit in, memorize at school, obey rules, mind the grown-ups, and live in a world that I felt so helpless in. Most of my decisions were made for me and I had little or no choice in the matter. Sure, it's not a car payment or 9 to 5 job. But in a relative sense, there's not much difference.
And yes, play is a huge stress reliever. It's what humans are built for! It's how we first learn. It's how we explore and discover. We have our humanity trained out of us at such an early age. And why? To "grow up". To be more mature. That's right. We shoulder larger amounts of stress and stop keeping in shape the way we are intended to in order to trick others and ourselves into believing it's the grownup thing to do.
But what is maturity really? There are several things that make up one's maturity. Among them are the ability to put aside pleasure for necessity, to put others above one's self, to adapt to situations, to exercise patience, and to do what is best for one's self. That means doing what is best for your psychological health and physical fitness.
Think about the concept of avoiding what is best for your own being because it's "undignified" for someone your age. Now compare it to the concept of one child avoiding another child who "has cooties". It's the same thing! The only difference is in the details. To live one's life based on the fantasy of societal dogma is well within the realm of infantile behavior, and serves as a horrible example to younger generations.
To play is mature. To deny play is childish.
Stop wishing you were younger and start having fun! Splash in puddles. Swing on monkey bars. When you rake the leaves, do it twice. The first time you make a pile, jump in. When you shovel the driveway, use the shoveled snow to make a fort. Then make snow angels. Stop worrying about what the world will think and start playing.
If others don't like it, tell them to grow up.
And in conclusion ...
TAG! You're it! Nyah nyah nyahnyah nyah!! *PPPPBBBBTTTTT!!!!!*
Saturday, April 2, 2011
The Bush and the Garden
I'm sure everyone's heard the old adage about how not one snowflake believes it's to blame for the avalanche, not one raindrop to blame for the flood. This is largely why an accomplice to a crime is often held in the same guilt as perpetrators. Punishment for a crime involving five criminals isn't divided evenly five ways. Each criminal is held fully responsible for the crime. Why? It's because each one is equally responsible for the crime. Each snowflake is fully responsible for the avalanche. Each raindrop is fully responsible for the flood.
But just as snowflakes and raindrops think they're innocent of mass-destruction, let's consider the flip-side. It is a sad reality of the world we live in. Not one bush thinks it's to credit for the beauty of the garden.
Think about it. No one questions why a World War II veteran should be credited for the defeat of Hitler and Japan, even though that veteran is just one of thousands who fought. But so many people think that they are somehow insignificant in the world around them, that they are powerless to make a difference. There are those who don't vote, and even those who isolate themselves from the rest of the world. It's like a bush thinking that the garden would be just fine, or even better, without it.
The saddest part is that such thinking is contagious. When one complains about not being as big and strong as a tree, as colorful as a flower, or as soft as the grass, others begin to think the same way. Can you imagine a garden where all the bushes were lethargic and refused to show their leaves out of some conditioned inferiority complex? Too many people ignore what can be accomplished by one person who stands up and chooses to make a difference. Too many people ignore what one can do when accompanied by many. Ask a skier who had to be rescued how insignificant one snowflake is. Ask a farmer in a floodplain how insignificant each raindrop is.
The contagious thinking shouldn't be how inferior one is, but rather how important one can be. There are many of us, and I am one. I may not be the biggest, strongest, softest, most colorful, smartest, wisest, fastest, or even have the best personality. But the garden would be less of a garden without me. And I choose to make a difference.
But just as snowflakes and raindrops think they're innocent of mass-destruction, let's consider the flip-side. It is a sad reality of the world we live in. Not one bush thinks it's to credit for the beauty of the garden.
Think about it. No one questions why a World War II veteran should be credited for the defeat of Hitler and Japan, even though that veteran is just one of thousands who fought. But so many people think that they are somehow insignificant in the world around them, that they are powerless to make a difference. There are those who don't vote, and even those who isolate themselves from the rest of the world. It's like a bush thinking that the garden would be just fine, or even better, without it.
The saddest part is that such thinking is contagious. When one complains about not being as big and strong as a tree, as colorful as a flower, or as soft as the grass, others begin to think the same way. Can you imagine a garden where all the bushes were lethargic and refused to show their leaves out of some conditioned inferiority complex? Too many people ignore what can be accomplished by one person who stands up and chooses to make a difference. Too many people ignore what one can do when accompanied by many. Ask a skier who had to be rescued how insignificant one snowflake is. Ask a farmer in a floodplain how insignificant each raindrop is.
The contagious thinking shouldn't be how inferior one is, but rather how important one can be. There are many of us, and I am one. I may not be the biggest, strongest, softest, most colorful, smartest, wisest, fastest, or even have the best personality. But the garden would be less of a garden without me. And I choose to make a difference.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
How To Divide By Zero
Ever since elementary school, I was always told that you can't divide by zero. After all, zero designates nonexistence, and you can't divide by nothing. But as of today, I am convinced otherwise. As my thoughts wandered a bit at work (as they often do), I wondered if there is some way that zero can be divided by, even if it's some lame excuse. And believe me, I'm great at lame excuses. Once I even found two different (and quite lame) ways to justify adding two and two and getting five. It was in trying to come up with a lame excuse that I found the answer. It was more a problem of logic than anything. And it's something we do all the time and just never realize it.
To understand how to divide by zero, one must first understand the absolute basics of what division is. Division is taking a certain quantity and evenly distributing said quantity to a number of locations. Simple as that. Now when one only uses whole numbers and doesn't split any of the components into smaller pieces, one often ends up with remainders. For example, if you have 42 apples and want to put them evenly into five baskets, each basket would have eight apples with a remainder of two. Now here's where it gets a little weird. What if you couldn't find the baskets to put the apples into? Then 42 apples not split into any baskets (basket quantity = 0), then the per-basket quantity is zero with a remainder of 42.
Now let's put it into somewhat practical use. Twenty school children at recess want to play a game of football. It doesn't matter if it's American Football or International Football (Soccer). They are just going to play some sort of football. Now don't pick nits. Anyway, we can assume that there will be two teams, as football (any type) tends to be played. So we know that, after the teams are chosen, that each team should have ten players. But what about before the teams are picked? How many are on each team? To find out, we take the total number of players (20) and divide it by the number of teams which have players currently allotted to them (0), thus getting the number of players on each team (zero with a remainder of 20, or 0R20).
When dividing a given quantity by zero, the answer will always be zero with a remainder of the quantity to be allotted. Dividing by zero is the ideal means of calculation when fractions and decimals are inappropriate (whole pieces must be distributed), even distribution is required, and either the source quantity has no destination or the quantity is less than what is needed for the destinations. For example, four apples divided evenly into five baskets is still zero with a remainder of four. If the destinations can't fit into the distribution "pool" then they can't exist in said pool (quantity of zero).
Since division is about allocation, then anything which is not allocated must be assumed as being divided by zero. And since there will always be categories which any item will not fall into, it must be assumed that all things, in one form or another, is divided by zero, until it is actively allotted in one way or another. Any thing in a normal state of being is divided by zero, and any non-zero division would suggest change. Therefore, it is not only possible to divide by zero, but it would seem to be the natural order of things.
This moment of mathematical bliss was brought to you by workplace boredom.
You now know how to divide by zero. Impress your friends.
To understand how to divide by zero, one must first understand the absolute basics of what division is. Division is taking a certain quantity and evenly distributing said quantity to a number of locations. Simple as that. Now when one only uses whole numbers and doesn't split any of the components into smaller pieces, one often ends up with remainders. For example, if you have 42 apples and want to put them evenly into five baskets, each basket would have eight apples with a remainder of two. Now here's where it gets a little weird. What if you couldn't find the baskets to put the apples into? Then 42 apples not split into any baskets (basket quantity = 0), then the per-basket quantity is zero with a remainder of 42.
Now let's put it into somewhat practical use. Twenty school children at recess want to play a game of football. It doesn't matter if it's American Football or International Football (Soccer). They are just going to play some sort of football. Now don't pick nits. Anyway, we can assume that there will be two teams, as football (any type) tends to be played. So we know that, after the teams are chosen, that each team should have ten players. But what about before the teams are picked? How many are on each team? To find out, we take the total number of players (20) and divide it by the number of teams which have players currently allotted to them (0), thus getting the number of players on each team (zero with a remainder of 20, or 0R20).
When dividing a given quantity by zero, the answer will always be zero with a remainder of the quantity to be allotted. Dividing by zero is the ideal means of calculation when fractions and decimals are inappropriate (whole pieces must be distributed), even distribution is required, and either the source quantity has no destination or the quantity is less than what is needed for the destinations. For example, four apples divided evenly into five baskets is still zero with a remainder of four. If the destinations can't fit into the distribution "pool" then they can't exist in said pool (quantity of zero).
Since division is about allocation, then anything which is not allocated must be assumed as being divided by zero. And since there will always be categories which any item will not fall into, it must be assumed that all things, in one form or another, is divided by zero, until it is actively allotted in one way or another. Any thing in a normal state of being is divided by zero, and any non-zero division would suggest change. Therefore, it is not only possible to divide by zero, but it would seem to be the natural order of things.
This moment of mathematical bliss was brought to you by workplace boredom.
You now know how to divide by zero. Impress your friends.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
The Problem With Democracy
I'm just going to come out and say it. Democracy is a terrible thing to fight for. WHAT?!?!? You read it right. Democracy is one of the worst things anyone can ever fight for. But wasn't democracy what America's Founders fought for? Not at all. Allow me to explain.
The Founders of America weren't tired of monarchy. They were tired of tyrants like George III. After being picked on by the ruthless king, they decided that they could rule themselves. They sought liberty. There is no indication that the colonists had any idea what type of government they wanted, just that it would be kept in check and out of their lives as much as possible. There were some who wanted to name George Washington as King of the United States. Then when one person after the Constitutional Convention asked Benjamin Franklin, "What have you wrought?", the elder statesman replied, "A republic, if you can keep it." A republic, one type of democracy, was chosen as the best means of protecting freedom.
So what is wrong with fighting for democracy? Isn't rule of the people the greatest means toward liberty? Yes. But that's the problem. It is a wonderful means, but not an end. Little good ever comes from a fight for democracy. Whenever there is a fight for democracy, the goal is normally to overthrow a ruthless dictator. Then a new leadership is democratically elected. Unfortunately, blindly overthrowing leadership results in a power vacuum. Nature may abhor vacuums, but tyrants love them. Democratic elections are typically nothing more than fashion competitions, with the people deciding which wolf looks the best in their sheep's clothing. The result is often an even worse tyrant. How can we forget that Adolf Hitler was democratically elected?
And now we see an uprising all across the Middle East. Dictators are falling like dominoes. And good riddance to them! But what are they falling in the name of? Democracy. This rarely turns out good. Now consider that the nations with fallen tyrants are of a similar belief system. Could there be new dictators under one banner, or worse, eventually a unified dictator? Of all the things that come with greater power, greater benevolence is rarely one of them. Such is often the result of democracy.
So now we need to make a decision. Do we continue to support democracy under the false pretense that there might actually be an occasional positive outcome? Or do we do the right thing and ignore the type of government, so long as the people receive liberty? That is, of course, we don't lose our own liberty first.
The Founders of America weren't tired of monarchy. They were tired of tyrants like George III. After being picked on by the ruthless king, they decided that they could rule themselves. They sought liberty. There is no indication that the colonists had any idea what type of government they wanted, just that it would be kept in check and out of their lives as much as possible. There were some who wanted to name George Washington as King of the United States. Then when one person after the Constitutional Convention asked Benjamin Franklin, "What have you wrought?", the elder statesman replied, "A republic, if you can keep it." A republic, one type of democracy, was chosen as the best means of protecting freedom.
So what is wrong with fighting for democracy? Isn't rule of the people the greatest means toward liberty? Yes. But that's the problem. It is a wonderful means, but not an end. Little good ever comes from a fight for democracy. Whenever there is a fight for democracy, the goal is normally to overthrow a ruthless dictator. Then a new leadership is democratically elected. Unfortunately, blindly overthrowing leadership results in a power vacuum. Nature may abhor vacuums, but tyrants love them. Democratic elections are typically nothing more than fashion competitions, with the people deciding which wolf looks the best in their sheep's clothing. The result is often an even worse tyrant. How can we forget that Adolf Hitler was democratically elected?
And now we see an uprising all across the Middle East. Dictators are falling like dominoes. And good riddance to them! But what are they falling in the name of? Democracy. This rarely turns out good. Now consider that the nations with fallen tyrants are of a similar belief system. Could there be new dictators under one banner, or worse, eventually a unified dictator? Of all the things that come with greater power, greater benevolence is rarely one of them. Such is often the result of democracy.
So now we need to make a decision. Do we continue to support democracy under the false pretense that there might actually be an occasional positive outcome? Or do we do the right thing and ignore the type of government, so long as the people receive liberty? That is, of course, we don't lose our own liberty first.
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