Debate on Space Travel

Questions to ask:

We were born on Earth, so we should stay on Earth? It doesn't matter where we were born, we come fron star stuff, so we should explore where we originated from?

We were born on Earth, but Earth is dying, so we should explore the cosmos? We were born on Earth, but Earth is dying so we should focus on saving it rather than space travel?

Earth isn't going to die in my lifetime, so why bother with space travel? Earth very well may be uninhabitable in my lifetime, so we should be involved in space travel?

In order to understand life better, we need to explore space? All we need in order to understand life is already here?

It doesn't matter if we are alone or not in the universe? We need to know if we are or are not alone in the universe, so we should pursue space travel?

Space exploration is too expensive? The money we spend on space exploration is worth every penny?

Space travel technology doesn't help people on Earth - why bother? Space travel technology has lead to many significant and useful inventions for the people of Earth?

Space travel is distracting? Space travel is inspiring?

Space travel tears countries and people apart? Space travel brings people together for a common goal?


...What are your views?

Kitty musings, Moving Sofa Problem, Prime Number Patterns, other animal societies, more about hieroglyphics, water jug man interaction, metaphors, superhero stories, The Way of Chuang Tzu, language from Hesiod's time vs today, what Einstein worried about, music of the week, and More!

When your cat brings her favorite string toy to your sleeping boyfriend, asking him to play with her, and she's all sad-face because he won't unconsciously oblige.

The Moving Sofa Problem: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moving_sofa_problem

Patterns in the first 1000 Primes. Why are the 20's missing in the 300s and 600s?

How do other animals organize their societies?

Understanding art and effiency are important elements of understanding hieroglyphics.

Hieroglyphics, despite looking like separate ideograms, are much more like how we read English, by recognizing distinct patterns of symbols and sounds and putting together their meaning.

Water Jug Refiller Man: "Hello Nice Lady."
Me: *Laughs*
"Why are you laughing? You are nice, aren't you?"
*Laughs again* Thoughts: "I don't normally get an adjective, more or less a 'lady'."
"I'm scared..."
*Creepy staring contest ensues*

"Although you don't know all the steps, you must learn to join the dance." - I feel like that's a pretty accurate metaphor for life.

Those awkward Google searches you make because you have a cat: "How deep does a cut have to be to need stitches?"

Purpose of superhero stories? Superheroes and ideals. Finding our limits.

"To dwell nowhere
And rest in nothing
...
To start from nowhere
And follow no road."

AND

"Therefore come with me
To the palace of Nowhere
Where all the many things are One;
There at last we might speak
Of what has no limitation and no end.
Come with me to the land of Non-Doing:
What shall we there say...
Here the highest knowledge
Is unbounded. That which gives things
there thusness cannot be delimited by things."

AND

"If you have no appreciation for what has no use
You cannot begin to talk about what can be used."

AND

"The purpose of words is to convey ideas. When the ideas
are grasped, the words are forgotten.
Where can I find a man who has forgotten words? He is
the one I would like to talk to."

- from The Way of Chuang Tzu (finally finished reading this one, highly recommend it) :-)

Intention. Do we have a bias toward thinking that all humans have intention in their actions? (Empty boat vs. boat with another human runs into your boat - how do you react? Replace with car if boat doesn't work for you).

Epistene vs. Techne

Can you imagine saying, "Grapes are best cut at the heliacal rising of Arcturus"? (Hesiod). Instead of "Grapes are ripe in September?"

"The development of the special theory of relativity by Albert Einstein was made possible by Einstein’s refusal to worry about what electrons are. Instead he worried about how observations of anything (including electrons) depend on the motion of the observer." -- from To Explain The World

How do you explain the color orange to someone who has never seen it? How do you explain calm to someone without an example?

Red Sonnet: https://youtu.be/Rub_ZGkZq-I

Tum Hi Ho Aashiqui:https://youtu.be/O73VTo57AlE

Stephen Ulrich: https://youtu.be/fIOEdQMwPuc

A Tale Untold: https://youtu.be/Rqz1sPkOAu4

I can't get this out of my head! https://youtu.be/pX613U_DWzE

When will humans be ready to stop killing each other?

When you put hair gel on your face because it has aloe vera in it and nothing else matters other than stopping your face from burning...

When a friend helps you see a part of life in a new way!

How being right (in society's eyes) is sometimes less important than being yourself and showing love in your own way.

Don't forget to work on the things you love. Your passions, your relationships, anything you love.

Cheers dears.

Daylight Savings, Lessons in Hieroglyphics, Sounds, Role of Poetry, What's in an essay?, Interpreting Hans Christian Andersen stories, social germs, The First Mover, Problem with Techological Future, Disney and the Real World, St. Patrick's Day, Anaximander, Kittens and Surprises, and MORE!

Is it better to be measured and calculated, or to sing in the morning? #EndDaylightSavingsTime

It don't mean a thing if you aint got that swing! *dances in the kitchen with kitty*

Hieroglyphics is so interesting! And so similar to Chinese! Hieroglyphics has 4 different "h" sounds. Symbols for plural and other determinatives. Symbols for sounds, singular, or 2 and 3 sounds together. Hieroglyphics can be written horizontally or vertically, and the way you read the text often depends on what has a face and the direction it is looking! Words were also most often written without vowels (efficiency!) and so they looked a lot like our Text Speak today! Ppl r crzy! 

The effects of sounds - perception of hard and soft consonants in English.

Contraindication vs. Contradiction - one of these things is not like the other.

The role of poetry in expressing an understanding about the world. It's not just aesthetics.

What's in an essay? Understanding our understanding of life through the lense of each type of essay. Narrative. Description. Expository. Persuasive. I should write an essay about essays. Hrm.

Hans Christian Andersen's "The Tinderbox" - Glory without consequence? Story as expression of personal events and feelings rather than to convey a moral message...But was it RIGHT to cut off the witch's head???

AND

"The Most Incredible Thing" - Political, emotional, moral, and message about the impact of art. You cannot destroy/kill it, the soul of art lives on. 

What part of "germs multiply" do people at potlucks not seem to understand? 

The First Mover. Why does the universe move? Bah to the bang the bang de bang diggy diggy.

Technology problem: So few understand all that technology is capable of that we are going to be staring at the future in the same way as we are dumbfounded and frustrated when our computer crashes or is slow. It might be wiser to put the knowledge in the hands of the many, rather than the few. Or maybe we should reconsider the technological future?

When you don't know the limits, you will always be reactive.

Queen of Hearts: Do something she doesn't like and off with your head! Not unlike ISIS. (It's not a joke, but a fair assessment/analogy). Unjust death without trial. Not saying what is punishable, and then punishing ignorance when the crime is actually the unclear system in place. But the unclear system may be on purpose - it allows for violence for the sake of intimidation. 

Dehumanization via name calling in Pocahontas.

The theme of "escape from walls" (real or psychologically constructed) in Disney movies. Aladdin, Hunchback of Notre Dame, Ariel, Beauty and the Beast. I'm sure there is more I'm not thinking of.

How many people actually celebrate St. Patrick's Day with Irish food and traditions in America? I love it, I'm just amused at hearing of more people who do. Like "I always slow cook my cornbeef and cabbage all day."

How some people change your life in a great way, how they impact you, and thinking where you might be without them in your life. 

How social media is like TV for some people. To be watched, but not used as a medium of interaction.

"If they will listen, sing them a song. If not, keep silent. Don't try to break down their door. Don't try out new medicines on them. Just be there among them, because there is nothing else for you to be but one of them." - from The Way of Chuang Tzu

Anaximander and his fragment.

Why is personification funny? (It is). But why? 

"We never use transfiguration as punishment." - from Harry Potter, said by McGonagall when "Moody" turns Malfoy into a ferret.

VS.

"Let's teach this shallow prince a lesson by turning him into a Beast." - paraphrase plot point of Beauty and the Beast.

Playful kitten gonna play. Sleepy kitten gonna take a bath on your lap.

Happy surprises! How someone who loves you will go out of their way to make your day! <3 <3 <3

Seasons, Metaphors, literature as enhancement to life, Wuxia, routines, industry goals, rejection is not the end, nostalgia X 3, Kitty Training, The Importance of Imagination, Bitter heals, Learn from those who don't know, What guides you?, Gulliver's Travels, NotSoCommonDivination, Who is a Leader You Could Respect?, Castle In The Sky, Phoenixes and more!

The stage between hardcore winter and spring is like that awkward stage right before actually saying, "Yes, I need a haircut." It doesn't look great or feel quite right, but it seems to be a necessary step.

If you're focusing on getting to the weekend, stop what you doing now, it's not worth it. Although, maybe there's a different reason for why so many people mention the days of the week like they are milestones? Maybe it just goes along with our metaphor that "life is a journey (with a starting point and a destination)", and we've cropped each week with a beginning and end to maintain that metaphor week after week.

Making literature not an escape from, but rather an enhancement to life.

Jin Yong and Wuxia.

How culture screams through literature, which is both wonderful and agonizing.

How repetition leads to habit, which leads to affecting others when others are involved, for better or worse. Pay attention to what you do consistently.

Routine/predictability in the world and universe.

Industry fuels and exploits wants. Life has needs. Industry bases itself off demand, not need, usually. Perhaps industry works on the understanding that needs can be satisfied, but wants are insatiable? Hmm.

I think I'm one of those people who will be better understood after I'm dead.

Twice in my life I have told people who have had a romantic interest in me that they will find someone else. They never believed me. But today, both of those men have found someone else, and one of them married the girl he started dating after I denied him. People move on. Rejection is not the end of the world.

That one time as a child that I made a comic about a ghost monkey...

That other time I wrote mystery plays...

And those days when I used to walk to class in college while keeping my nose in a book. Yep. #AccidentWaitingToHappen

I apologize just a little bit for being that person who posts pictures of her cat all of the time.

Kitty training is hard. But part of me wonders whether it just might be better if she doesn't learn her name, ya know? "The Name which can be named is not the Eternal Name." Oh, Master Kitty.

The strange consideration to fein stupidity in order to prevent other people from being intimidated.

Observation gained over the last few months: How employers don't seem to understand that even though you just started working for them, that doesn't necessarily mean you are "just starting your career".

Never lose the importance of imagination. Keep it with you always, in your pocket, or in your imaginary handbag that is shaped like a dragon, smells like musk and oranges, and is stored in your pirate boot.

Raison d'etre. I should write mine, but it wouldn't have any words.

Why do bitter things heal?

Choose your influences wisely.

"You know that one can fly with wings: you have not yet learned about flying without wings. You are familiar with the wisdom of those who know, but you have not yet learned the wisdom of those who know not." - from The Way of Chuang Tzu

What guides you? Morality? Curiosity? Belonging? Desire? Needs? Something else?

What causes different artistic movements?

The two faces of Pride.

"Undoubtedly, philosophers are in the right when they tell us that nothing is great or little otherwise than by comparison.” ― from Gulliver's Travels

Sometimes I learn about the past, present, and future by reading the swirling ginger fragments in my tea. #NotSoCommonDivination

I keep asking myself what it would be like to be governed by a leader who I really respect. I feel like America would do a world of good to ask that question too. Not just asking, "Which candidate out of those presented to me is the one I could support?"

Loverly: https://youtu.be/LRVU5iSLFso

"Now I understand why the people of Laputa vanished. This is a song from my home in the valley of Gondoa that explains everything. It says, "Take root in the ground, live in harmony with the wind, plant your seeds in the winter, and rejoice with the birds in the coming of spring." No matter how many weapons you have, no matter how great your technology might be, the world cannot live without love." -- from Castle in the Sky

Excited to have our second visitor from Florida!! ^_^ So good to see Nick's sister! We made Coco's Ichibanya-inspired curry together tonight, and it was awesome. :-)

"Life is a road, and I wanna keep going. Love is a river, I wanna keep flowing on. Starting out on a journey..." - Life is a Road, Anastasia. Metaphors. Metaphors. Metaphors.

Sleep is death, sleep is reviving, sleep is when we all get to be phoenixes sans flames.

Lessons Learned and Thoughts Made While Listening to Disney Songs

The world is vast. We can't do everything. Or know everything.
AND
The path is not set, it's unwinding. And we are only part of it.
- "The Circle of Life" from The Lion King

Find your center.
AND
Men have a lot of social expectations, physically, emotionally, and mentally .
- "I'll Make a Man Out of You" from Mulan

Trust is important.
AND
Relationships help gain new perspectives.
AND
It's nice when people encourage you to dream.
AND
The world/life is lovely when shared.
- "A Whole New World" from Aladdin

Less is more.
AND
Don't look for things you can't ever know or find.
AND
Learn from your mistakes.
AND
Nature provides.
AND
Relax!
AND
Back rubs are awesome.
- "Bare Necessities" from The Jungle Book

Music fuels romance.
AND
People can still make a good impression without talking much.
AND
Names can be "pretty".
- "Kiss the Girl" from The Little Mermaid

Strong and loyal friendships are the best.
- "You've Got a Friend in Me" from Toy Story

Maybe socially defined gender roles aren't what should define us?
AND
Every now and then, people have identity crises.
AND
The best life is one where your inside and outside world agree and reflect each other.
- "Reflection" from Mulan

What is the measure of a true hero?
AND
Songs are a great way to retell stories and myths.
AND
The world was once new.
AND
Chaos is something to be stopped?
AND
Tone matters when telling stories.
- "The Gospel Truth" from Hercules

Earth is not a dead thing to be purchased.
AND
We can learn a lot from strangers and people who are different from us.
AND
All creatures of Earth are family.
AND
There is more than one type of "value".
AND
If you destroy things, you can't learn as much as you could about them. You miss out on their potential.
AND
We are all connected.
AND
There is beauty and richness in nature, even if you can't see it.
- "Colors of the Wind" from Pocahontas

Different men look for different qualities in a woman.
AND
A girl that always speaks her mind and has a brain is...?
- "A Girl Worth Fighting For" from Mulan

Love is caring for someone else.
AND
Love is as old as time.
AND
We're not always prepared for love.
AND
If you care about someone, you should tell them.
AND
Grooming is a part of wooing, lol.
AND
"Bittersweet and strange, finding you can change, learning you were wrong..." - well said.
- "Tale As Old As Time" from Beauty and the Beast

Word of mouth and storytelling was marketing "back in the day" (and still is, partially).
- "Prince Ali" from Aladdin

Denial is the first stage of love?
AND
Peer pressure is everywhere.
AND
Sometimes people feel things, they just don't say it. And that's better sometimes.
- "I Won't Say I'm In Love" from Hercules

Singing and music help make work more pleasant.
- "Happy Working Song" from Enchanted

Be curious about your fellow man.
AND
Human bonds can be confusing.
- "Stranger Like Me" from Tarzan

You can do a million things in life and still not be satisfied.
- "When Will My Life Begin" from Tangled

Genies are like restaurant servers?
AND
Sometimes power is just luck.
- "Friend Like Me" from Aladdin

In life, it's important to have both strength and wisdom, and they will come in time.
AND
Faith and understanding makes a man?
AND
"In learning, you will teach, and in teaching, you will learn."
- "Son of Man" from Tarzan

The river is not steady, and neither is life. Life is always changing.
AND
Explore life! Don't build up walls and stay in them.
AND
Smooth and easy path, or hard and rugged?
- "Just Around The Riverbend" from Pocahontas

From nothing to something is the Symbolic American Dream.
AND
"Sweet, our favorite flavor." - Wordplay is awesome.
- "Zero to Hero" from Hercules

Why do we compare emotions to weather?
AND
Test your limits.
AND
Don't care what people say. Be you.
AND
Distance can help emotional burdens.
- "Let It Go" from Frozen

People can change.
AND
It takes time to get to know a person fully. First impressions are misleading.
- "Something There" from Beauty and The Beast

New experiences open up our world.
AND
To be a hero is a work of "heart".
- "One Last Hope" from Hercules

When you dedicate your life to something, you crave opportunities to continue that dedication.
- "Be Our Guest" from Beauty and The Beast

No one can force you to stop dreaming.
AND
The clock in this song foreshadows the midnight deadline later in the movie. Killjoy, indeed.
- "A Dream Is A Wish" from Cinderella

"Seasons go and seasons come."
- "Steady as the Beating Drum" from Pocahontas

Who is to blame for the behavior of someone without parents?
- "One Jump Ahead" from Aladdin

Take chances while you can.
- "For the First Time in Forever" from Frozen

Enjoy your crazy, even if others don't.
AND
Work hard.
AND
Miracles are your own doing.
AND
Move past your problems and keep your spirits up.
- "I'm Almost There" from The Princess and The Frog

Extremes don't mix, but some people think so.
AND
Everything isn't always what you imagine it to be.
AND
Is imagination better than truth?
- "In Summer" from Frozen

Love is protection and influencing positive emotions and being there/presense and physical comfort.
AND
Not everyone will understand your love.
AND
"We need each other to have two WHOLES." You are not a half a person. Bravo to this songwriter for knowing that.
AND
Be strong while fulfilling your destiny.
- "You'll Be In My Heart" from Tarzan

Believe in something.
AND
Trust your heart.
AND
Should we let fate decide?
AND
Keep your head up.
- "Two Worlds" from Tarzan

Animals are great imitators.
AND
Fire makes us human?
- "I Wanna Be Like You" from The Jungle Book

Love has an impact on friendships and friends worry about losing people because of it.
AND
People are afraid of their past, sometimes.
AND
It's beautiful when others see your potential, even if you don't.
- "Can You Feel The Love Tonight?" from The Lion King

Some people teach us the real value of life.
AND
Be grateful to those who make your world a better place.
- "If I Never Knew You" from Pocahontas

Scar was power hungry.
AND
Duty. Loyalty. Planning. Murder. Fear. Were his strategies.
- "Be Prepared" from The Lion King

Songwriters are amazing.
AND
Some people only want to use you.
AND
How some people call people insults affectionately.
- "Cruella de Vil" from 101 Dalmations

"Visions are seldom all they seem."
AND
What if someone in a past life dreamed us into existence?
- "Once Upon A Dream" from Cinderella

We don't always agree with our parents.
AND
Accumulation of things doesn't create happiness.
AND
Different environments expose us to different things.
AND
"Sick of swimming, ready to stand."
AND
The desire to explore.
AND
How it feels to be outside of a culture, looking in.
- "Part of Your World" from The Little Mermaid

The book Belle describes as her favorite is a summary of The Beauty and The Beast plot.
AND
Provincial life, and routine, and the desire for a grander perspective/for adventure.
AND
Busy people don't have time for imagination.
AND
The common questions people ask day to day. "How's the kids? How's the wife? Yada yada"
AND
When the whole town knows you are different...
AND
Beauty is more than looks.
AND
The feeling of someone who understands, really. Who gets you.
- "Little Town" from Beauty and The Beast

Not everyone sings well, but at least they sing.
- "Oh, Sing Sweet Nightingale" from Cinderella

Glory, belonging, and adventure.
AND
Pleasing the Gods.
- "Go The Distance" from Hercules

Someone is always going to try to convince you that you belong where they belong.
- "Under The Sea" from The Little Mermaid

No worries, yo.
AND
The philosophies we live by.
AND
Adapting to your environment sometimes means trying new and exotic food.
- "Hakuna Matata" from The Lion King

All of this is interpretation. And that's one of the wonderful things about music! ^_^