They say admitting you have a problem is the first step to recovery. I'm not sure precisely how true that is, but I'll put it out there. I sleep too much.
Perhaps it's because even on nights when I don't have insomnia it takes me a long time to go to sleep. Perhaps it's because upon waking I find the world no better than I left it, and dive back down. Perhaps my body is still too weak and feeble to operate on less than ten hours without complaining. Or maybe I'm just perpetually dehydrated.
It doesn't help that I think my cycle is longer than 24 hours. I could sleep twelve hours and then stay awake for sixteen, easily. In fact, that would probably be more efficient than what I do now. Unfortunately, our civilization is still dependent on daylight, and I am too dependent on "civilized" people to break from that cycle.
Showing posts with label civilization. Show all posts
Showing posts with label civilization. Show all posts
06 January 2014
03 November 2013
Terraforming
Here we go again. I'm doing NaNoWriMo this year (which is what I should be working on instead of a blog post), and because it takes place in part on Mars I've seemed to have fallen off the terraforming deep end again. I'll assume you know what terraforming means and dive right into it.
I really like the idea of terraforming other planets to make them habitable for humans. It's the most permanent solution to sustaining a larger human population. Mars and Venus are the most likely candidates, but I sometimes wonder: what if we terraformed every possible world in the Sol System?
Now, there's obviously this scenario, which is by authorial admission impossible. But there are a large number of potential terraforming candidates around. Let's go through the list and see what we think.
Mars
I really like the idea of terraforming other planets to make them habitable for humans. It's the most permanent solution to sustaining a larger human population. Mars and Venus are the most likely candidates, but I sometimes wonder: what if we terraformed every possible world in the Sol System?
Now, there's obviously this scenario, which is by authorial admission impossible. But there are a large number of potential terraforming candidates around. Let's go through the list and see what we think.
Mars
10 February 2013
On the Non-Aggression Principle
Technically, I was attacked this evening.
Most people wouldn't say I was attacked. They would say that an certain someone in my dorm (whom has not been referenced in previous posts) gave me a surprise bear hug.
But I was not warned, my consent was not asked, and I would not have given it. Technically, it was an act of aggression against my person. I reacted accordingly, and now the individual is question is acting all hurt and angry.
Irrationality is unalive and kicking.
The non-aggression principle, the fundamental law of human interaction, is unheard of in our society. Humans do not initiate the use of force against others in a civilized setting. Conversely, if one does initiate the use of force, they must be free to retaliate as necessary to prevent future attacks.
No one understands this. Self-defense is all but illegal in the United States, and soon will be entirely absent in the Western World. It's socially tolerable to invade the personal space of another individual for no reason (and I believe I have made it sufficiently clear that I do not want to be touched). Before too long, I wouldn't be surprised if assault is the preferred method of settling conflicts.
Our culture is irrational. If we're going to survive, we're going to have to change it. Will you?
Most people wouldn't say I was attacked. They would say that an certain someone in my dorm (whom has not been referenced in previous posts) gave me a surprise bear hug.
But I was not warned, my consent was not asked, and I would not have given it. Technically, it was an act of aggression against my person. I reacted accordingly, and now the individual is question is acting all hurt and angry.
Irrationality is unalive and kicking.
The non-aggression principle, the fundamental law of human interaction, is unheard of in our society. Humans do not initiate the use of force against others in a civilized setting. Conversely, if one does initiate the use of force, they must be free to retaliate as necessary to prevent future attacks.
No one understands this. Self-defense is all but illegal in the United States, and soon will be entirely absent in the Western World. It's socially tolerable to invade the personal space of another individual for no reason (and I believe I have made it sufficiently clear that I do not want to be touched). Before too long, I wouldn't be surprised if assault is the preferred method of settling conflicts.
Our culture is irrational. If we're going to survive, we're going to have to change it. Will you?
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