Chimaera

10th February 2010

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Mardi 9/2/10

Bonjour !  Ça, c’est la première entrée sur mon nouveau journal français.  J’ai décidé de créer un journal français parce que j’ai un devoir pour mon cours appelé « Intro to Experiential Education » de faire un projet personnel, et j’ai choisi le français pour mon thème.

Pour améliorer mon français, je ferai plusieurs choses.  D’abord, je projette d’écouter plus souvent de la musique française.  A ce moment-ci, j’aime mieux les artistes Kyo, Emily Loizeau, Indochine, et Amadou et Mariam.  En fait, je viens d’acheter deux CDs – un de Kyo et un d’Amadou et Mariam.  Ensuite, j’espère pratiquer plus souvent la conversation en français.  J’avais obtenu un tutor, et on s’est rencontrées pour la première fois aujourd’hui.  C’était super !  Elle est une gentille fille qui se spécialise en français pendant qu’elle étudie les sciences pour pre-med.  Chaque semaine, on se retrouvera au même temps qu’aujourd’hui pour une heure entière de discussion.  Pour plus de conversation en français que simplement avec mon tutor, j’espère parler avec mon voisin au même couloir que moi dans mon dortoir, Aycock.  Il parle couramment français à cause de ses parents français.

Peut-être que ça suffira pour améliorer mon français.  Si non, je m’intéresse aux films doublés en français, et je peux commencer d’en regarder.  Des exemples de films que j’aimerais regarder en français sont « Là-Haut », « Mary et Max », et « Max et les Maximonstres ».  Il semble que je m’intéresse au nom « Max », haha.

Et ça, c’est tout pour maintenant (seulement parce qu’il est 1h00 et je dois me réveiller à 8h00).  Un autre jour, je voudrais vous expliquer pourquoi j’ai choisi ce thème – le français – pour mon projet personnel.

Bonne nuit !

7th February 2010

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27

Have written 27 pages so far this semester.  And ‘tis only 3 weeks into the semester.

5th February 2010

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Procrastination

En ma procrastination sur mes devoirs français, je fais une entrée de blog sans but en français.  Voilà.  Beau, non?  Je suis d’accord:  non, pas du tout.

Maintenant, que dire?

Ah!  Aujourd’hui, j’ai mangé avec les autres personnes affiliées avec le programme “Duke in Togo.”  Celles qui sont déjà allées au Togo, et aussi celles qui y vont avec moi cet été.  Et, bien sûr, le professeur qui dirige le programme.  Ce rendez-vous était formidable.  Mon voyage va vraiment se passer!  Il n’y a plus de doute.

14th January 2010

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OMG

I’m spending this summer in Togo!!!  I’ll be doing volunteer work and staying with a host family in a northern rural village.

6th January 2010

Text reblogged from Who said I was interesting? with 138 notes

Tumblr Atheist Questionnaire

jlamere:

Now there there has been a list compiled of us (thanks to aprettygoodstart) hows about a little atheist challenge. I’d love to read what everyone has to answer.

The Atheist’s Challenge

1. Where do you get your morality from, and please explain your morality.
   Although it might sound contradictory, morality arises from selfishness.  For my well-being, I want people to treat me kindly, and I want justice and fairness.  To receive such kindness and fairness, I need to demonstrate these qualities myself.  Voila!
2. Why do you accept evolution? Explain how you came to your conclusions.
   First of all, it makes sense.  The strongest creatures are more likely to survive and reproduce, and the weakest are likely to die off before they reproduce - d’oh.  Secondly, there is all sorts of evidence that this natural selection occurs, and scientists have even watched it firsthand in long-term experiments on contained animal populations.
3. What is the meaning and purpose of your life?
   The purpose of my life, I think, is to enjoy it as much as possible while helping others enjoy it too.  Love, romantic and/or friendly, is vital for this enjoyment.
4. What is the greatest thing you have ever done for others?
   I’ve done a lot of volunteer work and tutoring, but… no particular memory stands out.  The instance that popped into my mind after reading this question just occurred a few weeks ago.  My mom and I parked in one of the two remaining spaces in a really crowded parking lot.  There was a shopping buggy blocking the very last spot and a car in the distance was coming, so I absentmindedly moved the shopping cart while muttering, “I’ll get this out of the way so they can park.”  Not very impressive, but.. yeah.
5. Would you kill for atheism?
   Hell no.
6. Why are you an atheist and consider your position valid?
   I’m atheist about the Christian, Muslim, Jewish, and other such human-like gods, but only agnostic about whether there is any sort of god.  I really like the cosmological argument, which is this:  1.  All beings must be dependent (explained by other beings) or self-existent (explained by themselves).  2.  Not all beings can be dependent.  If 1 and 2 are true, then we conclude that there must be a self-existent being - a god.  This is a valid argument; if the premises are true, then we have no choice but to conclude that there’s a self-existent being.  The premises, however, rest on this subpremise, which is called the Principle of Sufficient Reason (PSR):  all beings and positive facts (such as the fact that a series of beings exists) require explanations.  There is no way to know if the PSR is true, so we do not know if 1 and 2 are true, so we do not know if there is a self-existent being.  Hence my agnosticism about whether there’s a god.  Suppose we grant that the PSR is true, however; then we accept that there is a self-existent being.  So what?  We still have no reason to assign any attributes (such as benevolence, consciousness, or vengefulness) to this deity, and it seems absurd to believe in, say, the Christian god, who is assigned tons of arbitrary attributes.  Hence my atheism towards such gods.
7. If you died and discovered a god existed, what would you say to he/she/it?
   Depends what kind of god it is.  If it’s the Christian, Muslim, or Jewish god, I would apologize for not believing and thank them for my awesome life.  If it’s a different sort of god, I wouldn’t have much to fear and could simply say hello.
8. What religion is more dangerous in your eyes today and in the past?
   Christianity, Islam, and Judaism are equally dangerous when believers stand by every word in their holy texts.  I’m suspicious of Hinduism, too.  It’s all about the believers and how they act upon their beliefs.  Today, the quantity of fundamentalist Muslims and the frequency of their dangerous behaviors make Islam the most dangerous.
9. Name three peaceful religions you have no issue with?
   Taoism, Buddhism, and Shintoism.
10. What would it take for you to believe in a god?
    I would have to experience him/her/it.
11. Would the world be a better place without religion?
    Possibly.
12. How do you feel about government and politics?
    I don’t trust politicians, and I’m not very interested in politics.
13. If you could go back in time and kill Hitler/Stalin as babies so they would never kill the millions in the future, would you do it if time travel was possible?
    This question seems irrelevant… And yes.
14. Why is stem cell research so important?
    It would help save the lives of people who have long been out of the womb and who contribute to the world in important ways.
15. Is abortion evil?
    Hell no.
16. What would the circumstances be for you to approve of torture as an individual?
    I don’t know if I approve of torture in any circumstances.  I s’pose it must be done in cases where doing so would save the lives of multiple innocents.. Still… only “civil torture” should be done in these cases.  Isn’t it a form of torture to have a periodic drip of water land on a person’s forehead so that he/she can’t sleep?  That’s relatively civil.
17. Should we try to save the animals from going extinct?
    Yes, but we shouldn’t pour everything into saving just a few, very-nearly-extinct species.  It’s better to spend a little bit of money to protect an entire ecosystem and several endangered species than it is to spend a ton of money to save a useless, “dead-end” species like the panda bears.
18. Do you approve of capital punishment? Explain.
    Yes, for those who intentionally kill multiple random innocents.  Terrorists, sane serial killers, insane serial killers, etc.
19. Do you believe in aliens, ghosts, spirits, souls, any supernatural forces?
    No.  Nothing supernatural.
20. Would you sacrifice yourself for a loved one with a chance you may end up in hell for being an atheist?
    I don’t think I would sacrifice myself for anyone at this point in my life.  This isn’t because of the chance of going to hell; I’m very, very sure that there is none.  Rather, it’s because I haven’t done enough in life and am not ready to go.
21. Explain in detail the process of death.
    The heart stops beating for good, and my mind becomes nonexistent.
22. Have you ever been dead?
    No….

1st January 2010

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2009 to 2010 Transition

On December 31, 2009, the dentist smoothed my chipped front tooth.  This procedure parallels the metaphysical self-smoothing that I will begin on January 1, 2010.  I resolve to smooth my jagged nerves - to mellow out and become more comfortable with who I am and the way things are.