"I don't like the word 'addict' because it has terrible connotations," Root says one day, as they are sunning themselves on the afterdeck. "Instead of slapping a label on you, the Germans would decribe you as 'Morphiumsuchtig.' The verb suchen means to seek. So that might be translated, loosely, as 'morphine seeky' or even more loosely as 'morphine-seeking.' I prefer 'seeky' because it means that you have an inclination so seek morphine."
"What the fuck are you talking about?" Shaftoe says.
"Well, suppose you have a roof with a hole in it. That means it is a leaky roof. It's leaky all the time - even if it's not raining at the moment. But it's only leaking when it happens to be raining. In the same way, morphine-seeky means that you always have this tendency to look for morphine, even if you are not looking for it at the moment. But I prefer both of them to 'addict,' because they are adjectives modifying Bobby Shaftoe instead of a noun that obliterates Bobby Shaftoe."
"So what's the point?" Shaftoe asks. He asks this because he is expecting Root to give him an order, which is usually what men of the talkative sort end up doing after jabbering on for a while. But no order seems to be forthcoming, because that's not Root's agenda. Root just felt like talking about words. The SAS blokes refer to this kind of activity as wanking.
from Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson, pp.373-374
my current plan
(this section under construction... I know.... I know....)
autobiographical journey of my mind (up to May 19, 2003) / past theories...
I used to think about the nature of the universe and god until I realized that it's too big to comprehend, and it doesn't exist (or is not worth fretting about), respectively.
Religiously, I'm what I like to call "passively atheistic."
Some of my current theories are as follows:
Sex - between friends, and good tips
and of course, follow Benji's Good Sex Tips:
|
Perspective - more! more! more!
|
Beliefs - none
|
Morality - none
|
Political theory - absolute divine manipulation / neo-monarchism
granted: | 1) that people, humans, are machine-like (predictable) in their behavior and 2) that the macroscopic correlations we draw between cause and effect of our own behavior are actually just macroscopic effects of microscopic reactions and 3) that humans will behave in a manner they consider "good," regardless of any objective moral code that may exist
| definitions: good - either a) morally good, virtuous or b) furthering their own desires and pleasure objective - non-relative therefore: | it is the goal of the ruling body to create and maintain a pervasive moral code which will 1) support the unity and placation of the ruled masses and 2) provide them with the highest "good." | results: |
1) single, knowledgable ruler; works through invisible means and knowledge of the inter- and intra-actions between and within the individuals of the ruled masses
| 2) ignorant masses, hold whatever beliefs they do, pursue their ideals of "good" and continue to function mechanically. effect: | the resulting society is run by a phenomenon similar to Big Brother in 1984, except that people have no knowledge of the existence of Big Brother. Oh, and life doesn't suck so much.
| The people need have no faith because their wills are manipulated to achieve the goal. |
Relativity ® Privilege
|
Artificial
Intelligence
|