This post has nothing to do with world-changing events, and everything to do with putting off doing real work.
I was sitting at the Coffee Beanery today (our version of Panera, complete with free wi-fi and coffee refills), reading about biodiversity and basic philosophical logic, as young thirty-something guys routinely do. Unfortunately, the Beanery has bought into the idea that Christmas season starts before Thanksgiving, so I was being subjected to "delightful" seasonal music, despite my contractual obligation as a man not to do anything Christmas related until December, and certainly not to do any shopping until about six minutes before the gifts are actually supposed to be opened.
Regardless, one piece of music struck me as particularly goofy, given the locale: "Let It Snow" by Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne (thank you, Google). Consider:
Oh the weather outside is frightful,
As of right now, it is 71 degrees and sunny. I actually got a bit of a burn, so I moved indoors.
But the fire is so delightful,
A fire in this weather would do nothing, and, in fact, would probably just make it uncomfortably warm. Intentionally starting a fire right now wouldn't be charming and delightful; it would be arson.
And since we've no place to go,
I-210 is spitting distance from me, which takes me to I-10, which takes me to Houston or New Orleans. The only obstacle at the moment is a traffic jam. Additionally, given my underwhelmedness with the locally available bookstores and nightlife, I beg to differ (strenuously!) with the idea that there is no place to go.
Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!
This is Louisiana. The local response to snow is "What the hell is that?"
It doesn't show signs of stopping,
Strike that - it doesn't show signs of starting.
And I've bought some corn for popping,
Let me get this straight - the guy has a roaring fire, his significant other, and he's suggesting that they *make snacks*?
The lights are turned way down low,
See above. Seriously.
Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!
Again, Lousiana, where winter means the air-conditioning stops for a week.
Nothing more to say at the moment - this has all been an aside to justify not reading about pre-Socratic metaphysics. The gym is calling, so I'll be able to push off reading for another two hours, but like death and taxes, the philosophizing is inevitable.
Alles Gute.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Saturday, November 22, 2008
11/22/2008
The photo at the top of the page is, in fact, Lake Charles, believe it or not.
So what is new in my neck of the woods?
The semester is rapidly drawing to a close, and my students have the right level of panic - that happy mix of fear and trepidation about the final exam and paper. They aren't much different from my undergraduate students back in Pittsburgh. There has been some attrition in the classes, either due to the volume of work or fear and loathing of their professor. Regardless, the core of the class remains interested and passionate about the issues we've discussed (such family friendly and non-divisive topics like human and animal experimentation, abortion, euthanasia, etc. - perfect for right before the holidays).
The McNeese State University Philosophy Club likewise has settled around a core membership, and we're sponsoring a number of events throughout the year. I gave a presentation on V for Vendetta and political philosophy, and Hanno will be speaking in two weeks about Plato's Republic in Starship Troopers. The idea is that we can draw in interest from the student body by offering discussions of philosophy and pop culture. I'm planning to give a lecture at some point in the Spring about genetic determinism and Gattaca - I'll be able to channel my inner genetics geek, which will at least be fun for me. Hopefully the students think so, too.
I've also been approached to offer a lecture on biodiversity and ethics - the Philosophy Club is participating in "Blue and Gold Go Green", an environmental awareness program here at the university. I've been immersed in applied ethics for the past few days, and the new information I've discovered is really interesting. I'm planning on addressing the issue from three principle perspectives - anthropocentric/zoocentric utilitarianism (not the traditional understanding of utilitarianism, but the idea that nature has value as it is beneficial to us/other animals), holism (the idea of implicit and explicit connection between humanity and nature - i.e., we don't exist in a vacuum), and intrinsic worth/nonsubstitutable worth (that nature has worth in itself as well as value derived from irreplaceable subjective experience). The idea is that any worthwhile position can be justified from a number of different perspectives/approaches. If people don't buy the implicit valuation/holism argument, they will be more likely to buy into the argument that destroying biodiversity cuts us off from the source of most modern medical interventions (since we derive most medications - like antibiotics - from existing biological compounds). I'll have a chance to draw on my clinical background to get more into this (e.g., how fruit fly research impacts autism).
Thanksgiving is approaching, and I'll be staying in town for the holidays - I have a lot of reading to do for classes next semester (including reading the Intro textbook - the author released a new version, so I have to reformat my lectures to account for new material, dropped material, and two fewer chapters), and it will be an opportunity to work on some personal projects. I'll be back in Pittsburgh for Xmas, and may be able to hit Philly as well, depending upon when I need to be back here. We have incoming freshmen, and I need to be here to recruit new students.
I hope all is well with everyone.
So what is new in my neck of the woods?
The semester is rapidly drawing to a close, and my students have the right level of panic - that happy mix of fear and trepidation about the final exam and paper. They aren't much different from my undergraduate students back in Pittsburgh. There has been some attrition in the classes, either due to the volume of work or fear and loathing of their professor. Regardless, the core of the class remains interested and passionate about the issues we've discussed (such family friendly and non-divisive topics like human and animal experimentation, abortion, euthanasia, etc. - perfect for right before the holidays).
The McNeese State University Philosophy Club likewise has settled around a core membership, and we're sponsoring a number of events throughout the year. I gave a presentation on V for Vendetta and political philosophy, and Hanno will be speaking in two weeks about Plato's Republic in Starship Troopers. The idea is that we can draw in interest from the student body by offering discussions of philosophy and pop culture. I'm planning to give a lecture at some point in the Spring about genetic determinism and Gattaca - I'll be able to channel my inner genetics geek, which will at least be fun for me. Hopefully the students think so, too.
I've also been approached to offer a lecture on biodiversity and ethics - the Philosophy Club is participating in "Blue and Gold Go Green", an environmental awareness program here at the university. I've been immersed in applied ethics for the past few days, and the new information I've discovered is really interesting. I'm planning on addressing the issue from three principle perspectives - anthropocentric/zoocentric utilitarianism (not the traditional understanding of utilitarianism, but the idea that nature has value as it is beneficial to us/other animals), holism (the idea of implicit and explicit connection between humanity and nature - i.e., we don't exist in a vacuum), and intrinsic worth/nonsubstitutable worth (that nature has worth in itself as well as value derived from irreplaceable subjective experience). The idea is that any worthwhile position can be justified from a number of different perspectives/approaches. If people don't buy the implicit valuation/holism argument, they will be more likely to buy into the argument that destroying biodiversity cuts us off from the source of most modern medical interventions (since we derive most medications - like antibiotics - from existing biological compounds). I'll have a chance to draw on my clinical background to get more into this (e.g., how fruit fly research impacts autism).
Thanksgiving is approaching, and I'll be staying in town for the holidays - I have a lot of reading to do for classes next semester (including reading the Intro textbook - the author released a new version, so I have to reformat my lectures to account for new material, dropped material, and two fewer chapters), and it will be an opportunity to work on some personal projects. I'll be back in Pittsburgh for Xmas, and may be able to hit Philly as well, depending upon when I need to be back here. We have incoming freshmen, and I need to be here to recruit new students.
I hope all is well with everyone.
Hi
So, this is a new experience for me - I had traditionally disavowed blogging, but then I finally entered the 21st century. I will do my best to update this weekly, but, honestly, this is a back-burner project, so it may be longer between posts. I'll try to keep everyone updated on what's happening down here in Lake Charles, which should save on long-distance calling. ;)
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