Those who speak my language

I love when I read something someone else has said and it captures exactly what I have thought myself about something.

Like Eric Hobsbawm's comment about the Mona Lisa not speaking his language (she didn't speak mine either, but his comment did).

Peter Porter, a poet who I have not read passed away recently and the Guardian had one of his poem's on their site, where there was a phrase that did speak my language. It is from the poem "Random Ageist verses":

"Like Auden, I have always felt
The youngest person in the room."

The bit about Auden was tantalizing, but otherwise I do not think I could have expressed that sensation any better!

Life is an amazing experience!

On Friday I became the proud owner of a MacBook! Recently, in an episode of House, the patient (”the patient”) was a blogger, and kept reaching for her MacBook. I think it was a picture which I enjoyed, and now that I have my very own MacBook, perhaps I can get back into blogging.

Of course inspiration helps, and there is something about Europe (ahem, even Norway apparently :-) which seems to work in that respect, but to achieve everything which I would like to, I am going to have to be profoundly self-disciplined, which at the age of 37 will be no joke!

But to today’s comment. I love Star Trek. Not that I am a major "trekkie", in the sense that I do not know all sorts of arbitrary information about all the planets and humanoid species! But on an episode to episode basis, how things are treated raise wonderful questions about human life and consciousness. I have not read much fantasy or science fiction, but what I have read I have enjoyed for the most part, especially the latter (until this moment I hadn’t really separated the two in my mind, but after being at the library yesterday I have suddenly realised that there is a distinction, and I may be a greater fan of science fiction than of fantasy, but I digress).

I have just watched an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation on television. In it, an old, dying scientist manages to "cheat" death by inserting his consciousness into that of Data, an android. In the episode which I caught last week, Professor Moriarty (of Sherlock Holmes fame) was created by the computer when the charceter Geordi asked the computer to create an adversary in the holosuite which was capable of defeating Data, thereby requiring a programme with a consciousness, capable of learning. (I may have to learn more about the Star Trek technology and terminology if I am going to make a habit of writing about this).

These two episodes raise interesting questions about consciousness and intellect. The 24th century (??) Professor Moriarty, quite a formidable bad-guy you may imagine, who connects to and learns from the computer, nevertheless agrees to be ”saved” and be switched off (after putting in place an override which prevented the holosuite programme from being shut down). A somewhat tame ending (bearing in mind that the Guy Ritchie Sherlock Holmes movie is fresh in my mind) to such a character. Does this mean that the Professor Moriarty-”consciousness” is now lurking around the computer of the Starship Enterprise! Furthermore, Ira Graves, the brilliant scientist who inserts his intellect into Data, after realising that while he did not respect the rights of Data as an android, did not want to harm humans, then puts his intellect into the ship’s computer, and without Data’s consciousness, is no longer a danger. So yes, both of these intellects, with or without consciousness are now part of the computer of the Starship Enterprise. Hmmm, why does it not all add up somehow? Or perhaps it was only his intelligence, not his intellect, what is the difference between the two anyway? And consciousness, where does that fit in? From both of the above episodes I would think that it might be in the ability of both Professor Moriarty, and Ira Graves to make the decision to give in. Ah, rational man to the end.

Ironic, as while I write there is an episode of ”Nuremburg” on National Geographic, with film footage of the disposal (there is no other way of putting it) of bodies at Buchenwald.

Indeed, rationale man. Science fiction is a product of humanism, that humankind is essentially rationale and well, good. Though, to be fair. the darker side can be present in some cases.

Hmm, this will require further consideration.

My life in a changed climate

Well, it has been a while! And I certainly need to strategise more about what I do with this site (which I recently discovered at least one friend had actually checked out!)

So just to start things off, with my new life in climate change in a changed climate...

Why I love Harper's Weekly newsletter: such titbits as...

"Researchers determined that climate change could make the world more fragrant." and

"...hackers stole $4 million worth of carboncredits in European trading markets."

Welcome to my world, 24 February 2010!!

Respect for Leaders

Well, it has been a while (not that anyone has noticed :-) but now suddenly I am inspired again! So, here it is:

The saga around Congressman Joe Wilson calling President Obama a liar was in the news, but even more so the response to the whole thing is quite amazing.

I am quite a fan of "West Wing" - even though I initially (naively) believed it was a vision of how the country wanted to be, and have realised that even if things were that good (which in some senses they are with President Obama), I still wouldn't be entirely satisfied (then again, who would ever be "entirely satisfied" with the state of a country, the things I say! But I digress). One of the scenes which made quite an impression on me was when President Bartlett (played by Martin Sheen) was considering whether to give Debbie Fiderer (played by Lily Tomlin) the job as his personal assistant. The exact details are a bit hazy but the point which struck me was that despite the fact that she had written a letter of protest to a previous President, she had still shown respect for the office, but referring to "Mr. President.

This made an impression on me, and even in our own country, where we now have a President which was under investigation for corruption prior to his taking office, and who also was tried for rape (and found not guilty), but who will remain infamous for saying that he believed a shower was sufficient to protect him from HIV infection! (Following on which, he was always recognisable in cartoons by our most well-known political cartoonist Zapiro, by the showerhead attached to his head). But the man is now my President, and even Zapiro, out of respect for that position, made a great show of removing the showerhead (even if it does hover above his head in most cartoons, a bit like a halo of sorts). That might not have gone as far as some would have liked, but it was still a show of respect on the part of Zapiro.

Then we come to the "you lie" incident. I have to say that I am disappointed! Even under the presidency of George W. I thought that there was still some semblance of respect (although what do I know?), but for a Congressman, during a speech in the House to yell such a thing, shows, as he admits himself, a complete lack of self-control, and I daresay, self-respect. That is one thing, the show of support however is something else, and it is astounding to me how much emotion the Health Bill seems to have invoked in the US. What scares me even more is wondering how many "christians" are the ones who are supporting Wilson and doing the heckling themselves. Like Sarah Palin's emotional rather than factual comments about "death panels". I have to be honest and say that it is "christians" like that who make me ashamed of the label!

Guys, just remember, the Bible clearly says we should pray for our leaders, and render to caesar what is caesar's. I do not understand how you can react emotionally and disrespectfully for someone you pray for. Even politics and legislation is a bit like the Bible: though we see through a glass darkly (it's not easy to fully understand everything). But I think the point that I am making is that perhaps it is time to grow up, and remember that we're to live in the spirit, not in the flesh (or by emotions), and that is what will make us a good fragrance to God. Though I may not always be able to live up to it myself, this saga with Congressman Wilson has made me think about how that fragrance is about respecting leaders, and where we strongly believe that they are not doing God's will, to pray, and when acting, act in respect, for they too are the creation of God.