A Bertrude by any other name would be just as awkward, right?
Well, weird compound names are fun. Bertrude and Jeffica having already been established, here are a couple that occurred as I was trying to name some characters in the play-type thing I have in the works. My guess is that I'll continue to add to this post as time wears on, because a list of goofy names is something worth having on-hand.
Jilliam
Sethew (or, Sethieu, as it was originally spelled in my head)
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Monday, May 7, 2012
Autobiographical
I've been mostly writing since 9:00 this morning, so I'm very creatively talkative at the moment. That's why I'm making a tiny post about a book title that just came to mind:
Spiritual Calculus: Learning the Lord's Timing for Maximum Growth and Blessings
The best thing is that if this winds up being the title of an autobiography-style work, people who don't know me will go into it thinking I'm a math person. Granted, I did do well in Calculus during high school... There are all sorts of levels at which this title and the connotations it carries are appropriate.
Now you know.
P.S. It feels really weird to me to post rough, unfinished parts of ideas that may or may not actually go anywhere.
Spiritual Calculus: Learning the Lord's Timing for Maximum Growth and Blessings
The best thing is that if this winds up being the title of an autobiography-style work, people who don't know me will go into it thinking I'm a math person. Granted, I did do well in Calculus during high school... There are all sorts of levels at which this title and the connotations it carries are appropriate.
Now you know.
P.S. It feels really weird to me to post rough, unfinished parts of ideas that may or may not actually go anywhere.
Thursday, March 29, 2012
E-pistemology
Hallo! It's been a while, mostly because I've been desperately swamped in writing papers for the last three months.
Here's some stuff for one of them, my final paper in my Philosophy 150 class. We're supposed to write about a topic that falls somewhere in the vast realm of epistemology, which is the branch of philosophy that deals with knowledge. A philosopher exploring the field of epistemology might ask questions such as: "How do we know what we know?" "What is the origin of knowledge?" "Is it more important to know than to love?" and, "What about Naomi?"
The question I'm asking (as prompted by a "discussion" with a friend a while back) is, "Does subjective knowledge have value?"
Many people, my physics-major-friend among them, would contend that it doesn't on the basis that subjective knowledge cannot have a solid "right" and "wrong," and therefore there can be no solid foundation of basic understanding upon which to build. No building of knowledge means no advancement, so subjective knowledge kind of doesn't go anywhere. By the same token, it's relatively easy for anyone with any level of training to jump into a subjective field and make it look good, whereas it takes years of studying the right subjects in the right order to get anywhere in an objective field. Thus, the compared realms of subjective and objective knowledge tend to look like this.
However, in my paper I'll be maintaining that subjective knowledge does have value, though obviously not for the same reasons that objective knowledge does. Here, with little explanation, are a couple of fuzzy images that came to mind as I worked out my reasons.
Here's some stuff for one of them, my final paper in my Philosophy 150 class. We're supposed to write about a topic that falls somewhere in the vast realm of epistemology, which is the branch of philosophy that deals with knowledge. A philosopher exploring the field of epistemology might ask questions such as: "How do we know what we know?" "What is the origin of knowledge?" "Is it more important to know than to love?" and, "What about Naomi?"
The question I'm asking (as prompted by a "discussion" with a friend a while back) is, "Does subjective knowledge have value?"
Many people, my physics-major-friend among them, would contend that it doesn't on the basis that subjective knowledge cannot have a solid "right" and "wrong," and therefore there can be no solid foundation of basic understanding upon which to build. No building of knowledge means no advancement, so subjective knowledge kind of doesn't go anywhere. By the same token, it's relatively easy for anyone with any level of training to jump into a subjective field and make it look good, whereas it takes years of studying the right subjects in the right order to get anywhere in an objective field. Thus, the compared realms of subjective and objective knowledge tend to look like this.
However, in my paper I'll be maintaining that subjective knowledge does have value, though obviously not for the same reasons that objective knowledge does. Here, with little explanation, are a couple of fuzzy images that came to mind as I worked out my reasons.
We begin with Plato's conception of knowledge.
 | ||||||
| Knowledge is the intersection between truth and beliefs (see Plato's Republic). But what if there are different kinds of truths, so that not all truths can be accessed by one kind of knowledge? |
 | ||||
If there are different kinds of truths, there must be different kinds of knowledge. To discount one kind of knowledge would be discounting an entire area of truth (e.g. "Subjective knowledge is not valid, therefore the truth that subjective knowledge covers are not valid"). Here's another way to look at it.
|
Friday, March 2, 2012
BIEBSES, BEST BIRTHDAY EVER HAVINGS IT WAS!
And this is a lot of what made it so.
Here is a special comic created for me by my doge, re-posted here with permission.
If this Emil/Baba thing confuses anyone, I...don't know that I have much of an explanation for you. These two characters just hijacked a texting conversation my doge and I were having one day, and then... well, yes.
Here is a special comic created for me by my doge, re-posted here with permission.
If this Emil/Baba thing confuses anyone, I...don't know that I have much of an explanation for you. These two characters just hijacked a texting conversation my doge and I were having one day, and then... well, yes.
The first known image of Baba and Emil.
Thanks for the birthday thoughts, my doge!
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Pictures of people!
That I drew! I was trying out a new process for my very first job as a caricature artist (woohoo!), and these are what happened. I used pencil (for layout), brush pen, and crayon.
 |
| My roommate has the coolest hair... |
 |
| ...but maybe not the coolest hat. |
 |
| So dashing! (Aww, yeah!) |
 |
| So rugby? |
 |
| These yellow cowslip cheeks... |
And these guys also happened. Brush pen, crayon, and some goofing around on Photoshop. With a mouse.
 |
| The unwitting model for the man is never that creepy-looking. |
Monday, January 16, 2012
Demon of idealism
In the following scenario, let us define B as a friend from French class. French is one of those things that I frequently accuse of being meaningless (or at least pointless), confusing, and often painful (see also literature, art, philosophy, psychology, and sometimes even music). Which is obviously why I keep trying to learn and do it.
B also did not get to hear the bulk of this conversation, because I thought of it later. He started it, though.
E: Just because I think it's meaningelss and confusing doesn't mean I won't work to be good at it.
B: A remarkably effective philosophy for surviving and thriving in college.
E: There's this pesky idelaism demon, though, that objects to my doing anything without meaning it. Makes for a lot of rationalizing, existential crises, and internal pep talks. Though I often wonder whether everyone doesn't experience life in much the same way?
B also did not get to hear the bulk of this conversation, because I thought of it later. He started it, though.
E: Just because I think it's meaningelss and confusing doesn't mean I won't work to be good at it.
B: A remarkably effective philosophy for surviving and thriving in college.
E: There's this pesky idelaism demon, though, that objects to my doing anything without meaning it. Makes for a lot of rationalizing, existential crises, and internal pep talks. Though I often wonder whether everyone doesn't experience life in much the same way?
Thursday, December 22, 2011
That's my cousin!
I was privileged to attend his mission non-farewell* this past Sunday and hear his testimony of the gospel once more in person before he leaves to serve the people of Japan for two years. While he was speaking, I scribbled him:
His most telling quote was: "I have many doubts about myself, but I have no doubts about my God." And that, cousin, is why I have no doubts about you. Good luck, Peter!
*Oh, right. Just in case there is ever a reader who is unfamiliar with the customs of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the U.S. Traditionally, when a young man (or woman) is about to leave on a mission, he and his family or close friends will give the sermons, prayers, and/or musical numbers in their ward's Sunday worship meeting (sacrament meeting). These meetings are often termed "mission farewells," as the family and ward will not see the missionary again for 1 1/2 to 2 years. However, central Church leadership has recently requested that this practice be changed, as the farewells have tended to focus more on the missionary and less on the gospel he is about to go out and share. The transition is happening, if slowly.
 |
*Oh, right. Just in case there is ever a reader who is unfamiliar with the customs of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the U.S. Traditionally, when a young man (or woman) is about to leave on a mission, he and his family or close friends will give the sermons, prayers, and/or musical numbers in their ward's Sunday worship meeting (sacrament meeting). These meetings are often termed "mission farewells," as the family and ward will not see the missionary again for 1 1/2 to 2 years. However, central Church leadership has recently requested that this practice be changed, as the farewells have tended to focus more on the missionary and less on the gospel he is about to go out and share. The transition is happening, if slowly.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)