tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post7719840941635638645..comments2024-03-27T11:16:36.951-07:00Comments on One Cʘsmos: Whitehead, Blockhead, WholeheadGagdad Bobhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14249005793605006679noreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-63292608786783103772011-12-14T15:48:24.318-08:002011-12-14T15:48:24.318-08:00Thanks.
Yes, the monkeys-to-Mozart formula. I thi...Thanks. <br />Yes, the monkeys-to-Mozart formula. I think computer programming may be even less forgiving.Rickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13720790978632771716noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-15148379887220556482011-12-14T07:18:34.856-08:002011-12-14T07:18:34.856-08:00That is a good analogy.
Think how a fax machine...That is a good analogy. <br /><br />Think how a fax machine sounded when you called it. Or the handshake on a dial-up modem. Then there were the control characters we used to have to put in explicitly to get printers to act right. You see it now when you put in the HTML control characters around a link. <br /><br />Why would there be any order in the universe at all? Oh, yeah, because there "laws". <br /><br />The argument will run that once there is some limit or some constant then things begin to coalesce around that. Eventually, it will come down to "we are here, so it must have happened". Which is, in essence, no different than the explanations of a voodoo priest, a Keynesian economist, or the Weather Girl.mushroomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07651027035577798096noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-71181796338898372122011-12-14T06:36:54.044-08:002011-12-14T06:36:54.044-08:00Rick,
Ever get a garbled email? Like some very tin...Rick,<br /><i>Ever get a garbled email? Like some very tiny, single character of code was left out and the whole thing is a total random, incredibly long string of useless characters is the result.</i><br /><br />What a perfect illustration! Or think of the static that used to show on a tv screen when there was no signal. People love to use that expression about monkeys typing Shakespeare, but I think they only believe that because they don't understand true randomness. You could randomly generate text for all of eternity, but I doubt there would ever be a coherent sentence more than a few letters long. It takes a a <i>mind</i> to create even the merest hint of meaning.juliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15975754287030568726noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-81896378088306025962011-12-14T05:54:14.704-08:002011-12-14T05:54:14.704-08:00Thanks, ge.
You know, speaking of the "guide...Thanks, ge.<br /><br />You know, speaking of the "guided evolution" vs "random change", I'm not sure most people appreciate just how random "random" tends to be. Or rather, how random random often proves to be in its natural habitat. Maybe Van and Mush cooncur. Ever get a garbled email? Like some very tiny, single character of code was left out and the whole thing is a total random, incredibly long string of useless characters is the result. Minus "that critical character" why isn't THAT the normal state of the cosmos?<br />Seems to me there is a greater potential for more randomness without order than we appreciate. The infinite is not as finite as we think it is.<br />As far as potentials go, it is almost as if there are two infinites: infinite order (language, meaning) and infinite disorder (random characters, words, sentences, etc). Yet everywhere you look in the natural world is order, order, order.Rickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13720790978632771716noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-4795261533478823192011-12-14T04:51:04.481-08:002011-12-14T04:51:04.481-08:00fyi: NYT article
Philosopher Sticks Up for Godfyi: NYT article<br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/14/books/alvin-plantingas-new-book-on-god-and-science.html?_r=1&hpw" rel="nofollow">Philosopher Sticks Up for God</a>gehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02015936407999495181noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-60629032469961060712011-12-13T20:36:56.046-08:002011-12-13T20:36:56.046-08:00That poor cat. He looks like he's one tofu mo...That poor cat. He looks like he's one tofu mouse from homicide.mushroomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07651027035577798096noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-16849879315870644392011-12-13T18:29:09.804-08:002011-12-13T18:29:09.804-08:00Egads, Julie! Just when I thought it was safe to o...Egads, Julie! Just when I thought it was safe to open my eyes again!<br /><br />Ain't that one of our trolls? The one that believes everything Hitler said?USS Ben USN (Ret)https://www.blogger.com/profile/07492369604790651538noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-59076061525078838612011-12-13T18:15:46.430-08:002011-12-13T18:15:46.430-08:00De Montaigne was the guy who wasn't sure if he...De Montaigne was the guy who wasn't sure if he was playing with his cat or his cat was playing with him. Maya Angelou wasn't sure if she was playing with herself or herself was playing with her ... <br /><br />Flux and permanence -- it all fits together. Even Einstein had to have the speed of light as a constant. <br /><br />I don't find Ron Paul creepy. He has the crazy grandpa thing going, for sure, but so do I. Anyway, I have decided that I'm going to vote for him in the primary. <br /><br />Obama is fully as insane in the other direction. Imagine that debate. It'll be like a matter-anti-matter engine. <br /><br />Warped drive. <br /><br />We can sell tickets and pay off the national debt.mushroomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07651027035577798096noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-75231335935545274832011-12-13T17:02:49.158-08:002011-12-13T17:02:49.158-08:00Awwww...
I was about to link to a whole different...Awwww...<br /><br />I was about to link to a whole different pet photo, but now I almost feel bad. Almost. <br /><br />Here's <a href="http://imgfave.com/view/1022197" rel="nofollow">the link</a> anyway (via Ace); I'll just refrain from commenting on it...juliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15975754287030568726noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-80333601804741021192011-12-13T13:50:42.032-08:002011-12-13T13:50:42.032-08:00"One cannot simply blindly apply first princi..."One cannot simply blindly apply first principles to every situation, for this ends in a dogmatic and false absolutism. <br /><br />This is, for example, what creeps people out about Ron Paul."<br /><br />At the very, very least it applies to his ardent followers... yikes. <i>'Liberty. Constitution. Liberty-RonPaul. I win the debate!'</i>Van Harveyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08470413719262297062noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-17289694595340999522011-12-13T12:01:06.992-08:002011-12-13T12:01:06.992-08:00Maybe an earlier Bob would have liked it more.
Bt...Maybe an earlier Bob would have liked it more.<br /><br />Btw, The Thirteen Petalled Rose was great. You mentioned it recently. For some reason all these years I thought it was about some other religion. Or rather, viewed through a different one.<br /><br />Anyway, back to the books one discovers, isn't it odd how one leads to an other but never out of order? By that I mean, one seems to find them when one is ready for them. Or maybe the word is recognize when ready. As if previous it were cloaked. May as well have been for my peepers. So the Neuhaus book, you were ready for it a long time ago. Maybe.Rickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13720790978632771716noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-34917144218954747832011-12-13T11:40:55.685-08:002011-12-13T11:40:55.685-08:00No, wait, I'm confusing that with another one....No, wait, I'm confusing that with another one. Oddly enough, same critique, though. I thought I'd like it more than I did, given Neuhaus' reputation. For whatever reason, it's always a little difficult for me to relate to the completely exoteric.Gagdad Bobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14249005793605006679noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-8394753435787151942011-12-13T11:36:54.960-08:002011-12-13T11:36:54.960-08:00Finished a long time ago. Didn't make a big i...Finished a long time ago. Didn't make a big impression, but it's more of a heartfelt devotional book, so others may differ.Gagdad Bobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14249005793605006679noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-39658127518324510542011-12-13T11:18:45.056-08:002011-12-13T11:18:45.056-08:00Bob, this book was in your sidebar:
"Death o...Bob, this book was in your sidebar:<br /><br />"Death on a Friday Afternoon: Meditations on the Last Words of Jesus from the Cross"<br /><br />Have you had a chance to begin it yet?Rickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13720790978632771716noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-40918985305810288082011-12-13T10:42:15.409-08:002011-12-13T10:42:15.409-08:00This comment has been removed by the author.John Lienhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15607964922479543670noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-38679216428169809362011-12-13T10:38:09.222-08:002011-12-13T10:38:09.222-08:00"The Great Mother, the source of all warmth, ..."The Great Mother, the source of all warmth, comfort, and nourishment, is missing! This is the First Thought."<br /><br />Bloody brrrrrilliant!<br /><br />Interest we much, hopefully sufficient.Rickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13720790978632771716noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-66863303395825965232011-12-13T10:12:48.877-08:002011-12-13T10:12:48.877-08:00Julie said:
"Also, I think there needs to be...Julie said:<br /><br />"Also, I think there needs to be a chart developed for the Sphincter scale. You could use those vary-sized colored squares they use to show seismic activity, with a photo next to it for comparison, just so we know what we're dealing with..."<br /><br />LOL!<br /><br />Or, howzabout a fruit n' vegetable porn chart? <br />For the Muslim eggheads with way too much time on their hands.<br /><br />BTW, I wonder if nuts are also taboo for muslims women?<br /><br />This would explain why most muslim men have a preference for goats and boys I suppose.USS Ben USN (Ret)https://www.blogger.com/profile/07492369604790651538noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-71918788661851218392011-12-13T10:05:09.900-08:002011-12-13T10:05:09.900-08:00"Although one of the premises of process theo..."Although one of the premises of process theology is the unification of science and religion, I found that their real objection was to theology, and that they simply misused or misunderstood various scientific principles in order support a secular agenda more to their liking."<br /><br />So, basically, they wanna unify science and religion by getting rid of science and religion.<br /><br />I can see why this appeals to leftists.USS Ben USN (Ret)https://www.blogger.com/profile/07492369604790651538noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-28456429183944080102011-12-13T09:46:55.251-08:002011-12-13T09:46:55.251-08:00He's nonlocal, so he could be anywhere.He's nonlocal, so he could be anywhere.Gagdad Bobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14249005793605006679noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-70314096316823691912011-12-13T09:41:34.722-08:002011-12-13T09:41:34.722-08:00OT, and then I'll shut up,
This kid's nam...OT, and then I'll shut up,<br /><br />This kid's name is <a href="http://rivals.yahoo.com/highschool/blog/prep_rally/post/Player-8220-Matrixes-8221-his-way-out-of-tac?urn=highschool-wp9782" rel="nofollow">Petey</a>. Do you know where your gnome is?juliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15975754287030568726noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-55284732701566567742011-12-13T09:37:39.958-08:002011-12-13T09:37:39.958-08:00Ted,
Maybe it is the fallibility of man that we ca...Ted,<br /><i>Maybe it is the fallibility of man that we can never really dance one-pointedly on the razors edge and hold the complementarity perfectly.</i><br /><br />True, we can never do so on our own. We must trust in grace to lift us. To the extent that any metaphysic leaves out the (⇅), no matter how carefully considered otherwise, it will fall short.juliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15975754287030568726noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-84310423026398223192011-12-13T09:28:33.000-08:002011-12-13T09:28:33.000-08:00The one is "in" the other, and vice vers...<i>The one is "in" the other, and vice versa. In normal logic, such an arrangement would be impossible, while in process metaphysics it is necessary, since the process is the reality.</i><br /><br />Bion helps with understanding this, as well. And in truth, much of the natural world expresses this arrangement, only it's almost never <i>obvious</i>; complementarities often masquerade as contradictions (and vice-versa, I suspect). For instance, looked at one way, white is no-color and black is all-color, but in another sense the truth is the exact opposite. Yet both are necessary.<br /><br />And yes, this is interesting.juliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15975754287030568726noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-7497289187987113392011-12-13T09:10:11.812-08:002011-12-13T09:10:11.812-08:00I'm pretty sure the proper balance is already ...I'm pretty sure the proper balance is already there in orthodox Christian theology, but we shall see as we proceed...Gagdad Bobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14249005793605006679noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-51300962291101352252011-12-13T09:05:00.942-08:002011-12-13T09:05:00.942-08:00This is a meaty post. I’ve grappled with this also...This is a meaty post. I’ve grappled with this also, and agree that it is more likely than not that one will either privilege the flux or the Absolute. Maybe it is the fallibility of man that we can never really dance one-pointedly on the razors edge and hold the complementarity perfectly. While I believe in the flux as a necessity for our telos, the flux must be informed by the Absolute always. While I don’t want to claim anyone has done this well, I do believe Andrew Cohen’s community is taking a legitimate stab at it (although I believe there is an emphasis on the flux there also). Process thinking always seems to fall back on pragmatism without Absolutes, and I think that problem will remain until individuals get a non-conceptual groundedness in the divine reality of the cosmos.tedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07354048695798015131noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8580258.post-83112604112942464582011-12-13T09:02:20.160-08:002011-12-13T09:02:20.160-08:00Come to think of it, I bet you could do the same w...Come to think of it, I bet you could do the same with the Loonibrain scale, then graph the two together at cross-vertices and come up with one of those handy quadrant maps so you could <i>really</i> have an idea of what you're dealing with...<br /><br />Now let me try that reading thing again...juliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15975754287030568726noreply@blogger.com