The "What Are You Doing This Moment" Thread

[Einherjar86]

You teaching some sort of Western Civ sequence? I'd love to do that one of these years. I've already done lectures on the Roman Empire but to handle all that would be a thrill.

Also, love reading about Machiavelli. Here's is most of an essay done by a political philosophy professor here at UMaine you might find very interesting - http://books.google.com/books?id=f9...=onepage&q=palmer masters slaves text&f=false

Machiavelli's great. I sincerely believe there are certain figures that stand out as introducing new, radical ways of thinking. Machiavelli is one of those. Usually we don't detect such monumental change in a single individual.

The class is a Western Humanities: Ancient to Renaissance class. It tends to gravitate more toward a history class, but what I try to do is focus on the material conditions of society and culture as they shift ever so slightly throughout history, thus leading society in new economic and political directions.

So I really like to look at the Ancient cosmologies of the Greeks and Romans, then contrast that with what ethical monotheism introduced. Then look to how increased Catholicism intensified feudal social structures and political hierarchies, and then finally look at how new humanist writers of the Late Middle Ages and Renaissance, and how the rise of early industry, began moving the economy away from landed property and the toward the gradual dismantling of the feudal hierarchy.

That's kind of a broad overview for what I like to cover throughout the course, looking at concrete examples and artistic practices as we go.

I'll check that essay out soon.

 

[Der Morgenstern]

Yes, relatively speaking. Obviously since the majority of the earth's population lives on the coast, it would be bad. But these changes happen over hundreds/thousands of years, and there would be ample time for people to move away from the encroaching ocean (Although, this is highly unlikely, the earth is overdue for massive cooling judging from historical trends). But the global scale loss of agriculturally viable land from extreme global cooling would send the world population and civilization plunging. The recent "mini Ice Age" showed this.

There is science that doesn't agree with the politicized predictions and politicized scapegoats , and to claim that someone who disagrees "doesn't understand science" (whatever that means), or "doesn't believe in science", is at best a strawman. I would say that someone who can't follow a simple money trail doesn't understand life itself.

All that's really being sought politically as supposed "solutions" is just more government/corporate control, distancing of the political process, and higher barriers to entry/rent-seeking in both corporate and government arenas.

Edit: Btw, in the field of "climate science", thou art also a "layman", so you can deconstruct that ivory house of cards.

I have a hard time taking someone seriously who thinks that because there's a central tendency, it means that tendency cannot be exacerbated by influences and affects that are man-created and man-influenced. If you expaned the Duheme-Quine thesis from beyond their practidcal discussion about the lack of ability to test anything in isolation, the same philosophy can be expanded to just about anything. Climate change, aka. massive temperature shifts don't happen in pure isolation. No matter how you dress it up and call strawman foul, a pig with lipstick on it is still a pig.

Maybe read some Karl Popper.

Also, the history of climate change science and the overwhelming evidence that supports the 'climate change whackos' has been around for far longer than the 'environmental greenwashing' business. I mean I wouldn't go back to Arrhenius as proof of climate change occuring, but if you look at the work of Syukuro Manabe in the mid 1960s, the money wasn't exactly there for any research condemning carbon dioxide emissions. Big business was still BIG BUSINESS then.

 

[Zephyrus]

Sounds like fun, Pat. I would have taken a similar approach though probably with more literary emphasis.

 

[CF87]

Drinking coffee. It's what I do. Coffee and cigs, what would I do without them.

 

[monoxide_child]

using an expensive pair of tweezers to make my small open wound slightly bigger

 

[damnromulans]

That's revolting!

 

[Vimana]

I wish our culture made it okay to talk to random strangers. It's so fun to do. You can learn a bunch of stuff that way.

 

[divine_torture]

Drinking coffee. It's what I do. Coffee and cigs, what would I do without them.

I drink a 24oz cup of Circle K's breakfast blend coffe, black, every morning. I used to drink a lot more and more delicious brands/flavors, but honestly, that's all I need now. Cigs are constant though.

I am eating a sandwich from a local restaurant called La Gandola. It's amazing. Hot, roast beef with american cheese on seet bread with spaghetti sauce. Amazing. Also my nightly King Cobra and Percocet. Ha.

 

[damnromulans]

I wish our culture made it okay to talk to random strangers. It's so fun to do. You can learn a bunch of stuff that way.

I don't think it's not okay, as long as you don't try to interrupt people while they're clearly busy

 

[Dak]

as long as you don't try to interrupt people while they're clearly busy

Which is usually what happens. Or you get the cashier exuding creepy vibes asking a few too many questions.

 

[Vimana]

I usually never have a conversation with a person who's working unless they're clearly not busy. But most of my random conversations with strangers happen while waiting to cross the street.

 

[unknown]

when I worked as a cashier, I actually liked talking to the customers. it's amazing what people will tell you with only a few minutes. it's like speed dating without the possibility of commitment

 

[damnromulans]

Yeah man. I talk to a lot of people under a TON of stress (caring for sick/disabled parents/relatives most commonly) and I've heard a lot of life stories.

 

[A1a23]

I had a few interesting conversations with homeless people once while being stuck at Chicago Union Station for several hours. Heard some pretty crazy stuff. Some of them were clearly schizo, but they were entertaining none the less.

 

[monoxide_child]

I had a few interesting conversations with homeless people once while being stuck at Chicago Union Station for several hours. Heard some pretty crazy stuff. Some of them were clearly schizo, but they were entertaining none the less.

yeah
talking to homeless people is very entertaining

 

[divine_torture]

I was at the Circle K I go to every morning for coffee and to see my grandpa who works there, and my biker buddy (who got me my job) was there too. We were talking, and this kid about my age kept interrupting asking him about his bike and whatever else. I have seen him there before when I worked there and he always has a Sons of Anarchy shirt (and a SoA TATTOO!!). He's just a loser all around. My grandpa, our biker buddy, our other family friend, and I see each other every morning and talk a little before work. I hate how an outsider who is so obnoxious and worthless jumps into our crowd like he belongs. It was irritating.

I'm eating a Lean Cuisine 4 cheese pizza, drinking a few beers, listening to Krohm, then headed to bed.

 

[Krigloch the Furious]

Highland Park 12. Really good!

 

[unknown]

that's a damn good scotch. You should try Balvennie Doublewood, Krig. That's probably my favorite

 

[SentinelSlain]

I wish our culture made it okay to talk to random strangers. It's so fun to do. You can learn a bunch of stuff that way.

You can though. Unless America is different.

 

[Krigloch the Furious]

that's a damn good scotch. You should try Balvennie Doublewood, Krig. That's probably my favorite

I have had it, still have the empty bottle sitting on my counter