Not here. They still tax you when you die. Inheritance tax.
And don’t even get me started on the price of cremation. I’ll just leave my body to science.
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And don’t even get me started on the price of cremation. I’ll just leave my body to science.
I was looking at a very good deal on a camera earlier. I want to be active again, but too much health is gone and too much time has passed. After I went to get some steamed fish for Lunar New Year by Uber driver, I walked 3.29 miles home, which I didn't really want to do, but was necessary to avoid a long wait.
I am at the end.
Awoke to frost and fog. Fortunately the sun came out and dealt with it.
Not up to much today. Maybe a walk later. Cross trainer session before lunch.
Not up to much today. Maybe a walk later. Cross trainer session before lunch.
I don’t know - a 3 mile walk is a decent level of activity for many people. (That’s pretty much a 5k even if you didn’t run it)
I'm not sure what's going to happen first: Spotify finally releasing it's "hi-fi" lossless tier, or George R. R. Martin releasing The Winds of Winter... 
Read an article presented to me by Apple News. It was by somebody who was on a cruise ship, and went out onto the deck, over to the rail late at night. Apparently there was no moon, and guess what??? It was All Dark!!!. Who'd a thunk? Apparently nobody puts street lights out in the middle of the ocean.
Remembering a total darkness experience. Normally there is some light even in the darkest conditions. Descended into a cave and then the guide told everyone to turn off their headlamps. Total darkness. You could hear the gasps of people who had never experienced it before. It is a novel experience.
Then the guide provided light - from a single match. Amazing how that little flame illuminated the large cave.
Then the guide provided light - from a single match. Amazing how that little flame illuminated the large cave.
Oh, Spotify.I'm not sure what's going to happen first: Spotify finally releasing it's "hi-fi" lossless tier, or George R. R. Martin releasing The Winds of Winter...
No doubts, there.
Actually, I think that I would put money on Spotify getting there first with their release.
After all, GRRM has several prequels, or interquels, or parallel tales, to research, write and release before The Winds of Winter ever sees the published light of day.
When we first moved to our house in the country I remember seeing dog walkers out with torches in the evening. There are no street lights here so it’s pretty dark at night.
But the plus is I can see the stars at night if there is no clouds or a full moon.
When I started college part of the orientation for physics majors was a tour of an anechoic Chambers. These room were intended to be extremely quiet. If you stood still in one and held your breath, you could hear your pulse from the blood vessels in your ear canal. It sounded like a swish swish swish sound.
For lent I’ve given up completely on snacking and alcohol, and of course no meat on Friday plus the days of abstinence (mainly Ash Wednesday and Good Friday). I am a bit too tired now to give up on much else.
Lent is/should be a good time for reflection for those of us that are Catholics/ Christians. Technically, that’s the main reason for festivities, memorials, and various seasons within a liturgical season (Advent/Christmas included, which is now a total commercial madness).
Philosophical question of the month.
As far as we know, we’re alone in the universe.
Furthermore, as implausible as it might be, we have no definite proof that other forms of intelligent life exists.
Furthermore, if such intelligent life exists, we have no idea about how it evaluates the cosmos.
Considering the above, for the purposes of this investigation we can then:
Theorize that no intelligent life exists other than ours, or should it exist that it doesn’t have our mental paradigms.
Consider that humans can extrapolate qualitative elements from the object of inquiry.
Consider that one of those qualitative elements is assigning a “meaning” (regardless of what it might be) to such object of inquiry.
Therefore,
Should humans cease to exists, so it would happen to the “meaning” of the universe.
Consequentially,
As far as what we know for sure today, the “meaning” of the universe is actually us.
As far as we know, we’re alone in the universe.
Furthermore, as implausible as it might be, we have no definite proof that other forms of intelligent life exists.
Furthermore, if such intelligent life exists, we have no idea about how it evaluates the cosmos.
Considering the above, for the purposes of this investigation we can then:
Theorize that no intelligent life exists other than ours, or should it exist that it doesn’t have our mental paradigms.
Consider that humans can extrapolate qualitative elements from the object of inquiry.
Consider that one of those qualitative elements is assigning a “meaning” (regardless of what it might be) to such object of inquiry.
Therefore,
Should humans cease to exists, so it would happen to the “meaning” of the universe.
Consequentially,
As far as what we know for sure today, the “meaning” of the universe is actually us.
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But do we have any kind of meaning really? Do we really have any free will or are we just machine like products of our biology and circumstance. After all you can change someone's sense of self by changing heir biology... I guess the key word is paradigms
All good questions, but they go beyond the scope of the inquiry. Even if the meaning that we assign is “pancakes”, or something more serious such as the “species”, as long as we (even only one person) have the ability to assign a “meaning”, then the concept (meaning) exists.
We recently moved into a Dark Sky community. And it is dark.
Driving at night has taken some getting used to because there just isn't the ambient light you expect. For example, a car dealership only has enough lights on to be able to see someone on the lot, but I was used to them being lit up so people could see the cars on the lot.
I went caving once and the whole lets' switch off all the torches obviously seems to be a worldwide cave instructor party trick. Yes, being in that absolute blackness was really interesting but having switched off the torches rather than being at one with the absolute darkness all I could think of was that I bloody hope these knackered old torches all work again when we switch them back on. (I've had enough diving lights fail on me to know that anything electrical + water + pointless fiddling = broken)
I also think it (historically) an interesting time of the year during which to encourage (collective, or communal) fasting.
Namely, historically, this was a time of the year when the stored food for winter was (or, may have been) running low, or beginning to run low, while spring growth had yet to offer anything much by way of fresh food, while domesticated animals needed their milk for their own offspring.
Was out of both bread and milk, thus, I headed into the city to remedy that.
I visited the library to return several fat, heavy, hardbacks, to find four almost equally fat books awaiting me.
Then, milk (Jersey), and double cream were purchased.
A visit to the cheesemonger supplied cheese, while the French bakery was also visited, where I purchased some of the bread that was still on their shelves, (not much), paid for this coming Saturday's bread, and treated myself to a very welcome coffee and sparkling mineral water.
I visited the library to return several fat, heavy, hardbacks, to find four almost equally fat books awaiting me.
Then, milk (Jersey), and double cream were purchased.
A visit to the cheesemonger supplied cheese, while the French bakery was also visited, where I purchased some of the bread that was still on their shelves, (not much), paid for this coming Saturday's bread, and treated myself to a very welcome coffee and sparkling mineral water.
That’s actually a great point. I’ve never studied calendars adequately, but a cursory exploration of liturgical and historical (mainly Roman) calendars and festivities (which are basically markers) lead me to believe that they are an amazing representation of the relationship between humans and the powers of nature.
I’m not religious so I don’t really follow any of these festivals. Not having Christmas, Easter and Birthdays in your calendar is quite liberating.
I thought lent just followed the Passover fasting and feasting that proceeded it.
No, in the Catholic calendar, Lent follows Ash Wednesday, for 40 days, and comes to an end on Easter Sunday.
While Lent occurs at the same time each year, - in spring - the exact dates on which Lent falls vary (because the date on which Easter falls also varies).
Sorry I think you misunderstood. Easter is basically the same dates as the Jewish calendar each year. The dates vary as it’s tied to the moon cycle I believe.
I've got a lot on my mind right now - some good stuff, some not-so-good stuff, and some stuff that I myself can't even begin to think about. Not gonna lie, I've ben struggling a bit lately. I'm certainly trying to stay happy though.
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