tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-179239022024-03-23T13:04:27.797-05:00An Informationalist's PerspectiveThis Blog is my attempt at providing a new frame of reference for discussions among groups. A frame of reference that allows for observable progress while avoiding the rut of fundamentalism.Octavianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16127067241776691516noreply@blogger.comBlogger53125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17923902.post-51605838902667510652008-09-28T22:03:00.002-05:002008-09-28T22:37:41.908-05:00<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Duhem-Quine Thesis and Underdetermination</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"> It has been a little while since my last post. However, my readers can rest assured that I have not simply been loafing about. I have, as always, been attempting to learn. Before I launch back into my thoughts about Informationalism, I think it is appropriate to share some of my knowledge that I have acquired as of late. Perhaps it will reveal new biases that I might have acquired from my recent studies. Let us begin with my foray into the Philosophy of Science.<br /><br /><br />The Duhem-Quine thesis is an idea which undermines the idea of <span style="font-weight: bold;">Falsificationism<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">. </span></span></span>This is a doctrine that I was quite fond of, I must admit, and so I was very sad to see it go.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Falsificationism</span><br /><br />This is an ideology that was espoused by noted individuals such as Karl Popper. This is the basic premise:<br /><br />1. Science works by the means of <span style="font-style: italic;">modus tollens</span>. Scientists make statments such as "If P then Q". If we know that Q is incorrect, then we know that P is incorrect by modus tollens. This is a sample rule of logic.<br /><br />For example: If I go to the store, then I will buy a carrot. If I did not buy a carrot, then we know that I did not go to the store. The fact that I go to the story is supposed to be the theory, and the fact that I bought a carrot is considered evidence for this theory. Thus, if I did not buy a carrot, the theory that I went to the store has been <span style="font-style: italic;">falsified<span style="font-style: italic;">. </span></span>Science then works by getting rid of all the bad theories and sticking with the ones that don't get falsified.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Duhem-Quine Thesis</span><br /><br />The thesis underminds falisifcationism by examining the structure of the antecedent. Which in "If P then Q" P is the antecedent and Q is the consequent. According to Duhem-Quine, a theory is much more complicated than the statement "I went to the store." A theory, such as Newtonian physics, has perhaps thousands of axioms and interpreatations of empirical observations. Thus, a better way to represent this statment would be "If P, R, S, T.....n then Q". Consequently, if it turns out that Q is incorrect, then ANY ONE OF THE ANTECEDENT STATMENTS COULD BE WRONG!. P, R, S, T...n could be incorrect in many ways. In fact, one could measure it mathematically by using combinations assuming there weren't an infinite number of antecedent statements. The more complicated the theory, the larger the number of combinations that could make the theory wrong.<br /><br />Here is the kicker. If it turns out that Q, which is the consequent, is incorrect then it is equally valid for the researcher to assume that any of these combinations which falisfy the theory is correct. For example, if a planet is not where it is supposed to be in the Newtonian framework, a scientists could reject one part of Newtonian physics or just throw out the entire framework. This means that the theory has been <span style="font-style: italic;">underdetermined</span>.<br /><br />How in the face of such an observation is normal science to survive? The answer will be found in Kuhn's idea of normal science, which I will elaborate upon later.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Informationalism</span><br /><br />What can Duhem-Quine and Underdetermination tell us about Informationalism? One must first determine how to categorize Informationalism. Is Informationalism a scientific theory?<br /><br />This is difficult for me to answer at this point. I would prefer to say that Informationalism is a value-based method. A method that values science highly nonetheless. However, Informationalism is scientific in the sense that it is not afraid to be tested. If we do our best to increase both the amount and velocity of data in a society, the hypothesis is that this society will blossom with creativity. This creativity will manifest itsself in the increased ability of the society to manipulate its environment to attain ever higher concentrations and velocities of data. That is the theory, one must then determine the best ways to accomplish this, and perhaps debate philosopically whether that is actually the highest goal of humanity or not.<br /><br />Informationalism takes this as a given. The production, accumulation, and distribution of Information is the highest goal of humanity.<br /><br />How do we accomplish this?<br /><br />1. The reduction of the terms of copyright laws and the extent of rights to intellectual property.<br />2. We continue to broaden the reach of the internet and teach people how to use it.<br />3. We invest in scientific research and development and ensure public education.<br />4. We pursue common forms of metrics and communication so that language and measuring barriers are reduced (while of course respecting the potential benefits of diversity locally).<br />5. By enforcing the concept of transparency in national and international politics, and between businesses and governments of the people.<br />6. Eroding national barriers to make capital, labor, and data more mobile.<br />7. Investing in infrastructure to increase the volume and speed of data, capital, and labor that can be transported and the distances that they can be transported.<br />8. By realizing and balancing the benefits of centralization with the benefits of diversity from decentralization. A kind of separation of powers.<br /><br />That is all for now.<br /></div></div>Octavianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16127067241776691516noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17923902.post-42460239701391123402008-03-24T16:30:00.001-05:002008-03-24T16:30:56.142-05:00Alpha Centauri Secret Project: The Planetary Datalinks<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><p><object height='350' width='425'><param value='http://youtube.com/v/iY57ErBkFFE' name='movie'/><embed height='350' width='425' type='application/x-shockwave-flash' src='http://youtube.com/v/iY57ErBkFFE'/></object></p><p>"As the Americans learned so painfully in Earth's final century, free flow of information is the only safeguard against tyranny. The once-chained people whose leaders at last lose their grip on information flow will soon burst with freedom and vitality, but the free nation gradually constricting its grip on public discourse has begun its rapid slide into despotism. Beware of he who would deny you access to information, for in his heart he dreams himself your master."<br />-- Commissioner Pravin Lal, "U.N. Declaration of Rights" <br /><br />I stress this lines and this short video quite often. Though they are the products of mere play and imagination, they are of grave importance to Informationalism. </p></div>Octavianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16127067241776691516noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17923902.post-21767953597147825212008-03-17T21:26:00.003-05:002008-03-17T21:37:13.414-05:00<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Creative Response</span><br /></div><br />In the spirit of my <a href="http://sober-earnings.blogspot.com/">new blog</a>, I thought I might discuss how the economic concept of creative response relates to Informationalism.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Creative Response</span> is basically when the rules have been changed to create inefficiencies in a market. For example, an industry is excessively regulated to the point that it cannot supply the demand for its good. The response: black markets!<br /><br />Take the War on Drugs for another example. Creative response is a perfect reason for the failure of the war on drugs. There is, of course, a demand for drugs. Our harsh drug laws have not eliminated the demand for drugs, they have only restricted the <span style="font-style: italic;">supply</span>. When you restrict the supply, the prices increase! Thus, by not addressing the problem of the demand for drugs and trying to destroy the supply, our government has fostered the black market creative response that has made drugs a billion dollar black market.<br /><br />You may ask, how on earth does this relate to <span style="font-style: italic;">Informationalism?</span><br /><br />As I've stated earlier, the free flow of information is a prerequisite for the establishment of perfect competition and the resulting pareto efficiency. Without Informationalism, we cannot have perfect competition and thus inefficient markets become the rule and not the exception. If we wish to remove the need for creative response which yields billion dollar black markets that cost lives and money, then Informationalism must prevail.Octavianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16127067241776691516noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17923902.post-35453196706562631202008-03-13T15:25:00.003-05:002008-03-13T15:35:17.200-05:00<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 51);">Fundamental Investment Launched!</span></span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Hello everyone! I hope that you have all been well in my long time away. I've been doing a lot of studying and I am more convinced of the power of Informationalism than before! Things have been changing and progressing rapidly for me in my life, so much so that I haven't had much time to blog. But, here's a short update:<br /><br />1. I've launched a new blog called<a href="http://www.blogger.com/sober-earnings.blogspot.com"> </a><a href="http://sober-earnings.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-style: italic;">fundamental investment</span></a>. Why? Because the free flow of information is crucial to economics. The only way we can ever hope to reach pareto efficiency is if Informationalism is fully realized! If you don't know what pareto efficiency is, I'm sure I'll talk about it in due course. As long as we keep secrets such as: patents, government contracts, high transactions cost on certain kinds of information, and insider information, our economy will continue to function at levels below the optimum. I am not saying Informationalism will solve all of our economic woes, but it will certainly make things better!<br /><br />2. I've finished one short story and began a second that have Informationalism as an underlying theme. I hope to publish them someday, and perhaps I can provide links for those interested on this blog. It's science-fiction, for those of you who like the genre!<br /><br />May you all be frank with your friends, enemies, and yourselves!<br /></div></div>Octavianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16127067241776691516noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17923902.post-32316361642491744472007-10-16T10:10:00.001-05:002007-10-16T10:18:41.148-05:00<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p><object height="350" width="425"><param value="http://youtube.com/v/qqsyXdj_p_I" name="movie"><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://youtube.com/v/qqsyXdj_p_I" height="350" width="425"></embed></object></p></div><div style="text-align: left;">I spend a lot of time on here talking about Informationalism, why I think it's the future. Why I think it has the power to free the minds of every human being on this planet one day. However, today I just want to offer some music. An important part of Informationalism is being able to sit back and absorb the Information. Everyone is a teacher, but likewise is everyone a student. What can you learn from this video?<br /><br />Here are the Lyrics:<br /><br />No Surprises: Radiohead<br /><br />A heart that's full up like a landfill,<br />a job that slowly kills you,<br />bruises that won't heal.<br />You look so tired-unhappy,<br />bring down the government,<br />they don't, they don't speak for us.<br />I'll take a quiet life,<br />a handshake of carbon monoxide,<br /><br />with no alarms and no surprises,<br />no alarms and no surprises,<br />no alarms and no surprises,<br />Silent silent.<br /><br />This is my final fit,<br />my final bellyache,<br /><br />with no alarms and no surprises,<br />no alarms and no surprises,<br />no alarms and no surprises please.<br /><br />Such a pretty house<br />and such a pretty garden.<br /><br />No alarms and no surprises (get me outta here),<br />no alarms and no surprises (get me outta here),<br />no alarms and no surprises, please.<br /></div>Octavianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16127067241776691516noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17923902.post-53439033576180685832007-09-28T11:13:00.000-05:002007-09-28T12:15:25.041-05:00<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p><object height="350" width="425"><param value="http://youtube.com/v/dTmGBjo8sl0" name="movie"><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://youtube.com/v/dTmGBjo8sl0" height="350" width="425"></embed></object></p></div><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Informationalist Plea for Burma (Myanmar)<br /><br /><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" > I will try to not make this post long-winded. However, it is something I feel quite passionately about. I wish to present the Informationalist grounds for revolution in Myanmar, and why I think they deserve their idea of freedom. First, a short history of the region, which can be found in greater detail <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myanmar">here</a>.<br /></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" > We will begin for brevity's sake with decolonization. When WWII broke out the area of Burma was under the control of the British Empire. During the war it w</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >as taken and occupied by the</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.cyberschoolbus.un.org/infonation/maps/myanmar_%28burma%29.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.cyberschoolbus.un.org/infonation/maps/myanmar_%28burma%29.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a></span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" > Japanese for a time, and then retaken by the British before the end of the War. In 1948 as part of decolonization Burma gained independence from Great Britian and a Democratic</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" > Republic was set up known as the Union of Burma. This union lasted until 1962 when a military coup placed a dictator in power who ruled under the guise of Socialism.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" > In 1988 due to economic hardship and frustration the people rose up in pro-democratic demonstrations. This resulted in another military coup and an organization know as The State Law and Order Restoration Council or </span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">SLORC came into power. This body renamed Burma Myanmar and promised democratic reform.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"> Free elections were held in 1990 with the National League for Democracy lead by Suu Kyi winning a clear majority of the vote. The elections were annulled, Suu Kyi was put in jail and thousands were killed in the suppression that followed. Kyi remains in prison and the world has been keen to let the brutal suppression continue...until this month.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"> Demonstrations begun by monks who practice Burma's strand a Buddhism began protests in favor of the jailed President. These demonstrations have accelerated into an all out organized movement against the SLORC. However, SLORC has one again moved to violently suppress the rebellions. In our society where Information is becoming easier to come by, they have cut</span><a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www3.nationalgeographic.com/places/images/photos/photo_lg_myanmar.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www3.nationalgeographic.com/places/images/photos/photo_lg_myanmar.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a> Internet access and taken many unspeakable steps to make sure word of the oppression stays inside Burma.<br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">An article on the most recent events can be found </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070928/ap_on_re_as/myanmar">here</a><span style="font-family:arial;">.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">--------------------------------</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">As an Informationalist, I find this completely unacceptable. The SLORC is deliberately suppressing Information by violent means in order to maintain their grip on power. It is one of the most extreme examples of how the power of free Information is a dangerous to all forms of tyranny, be it over the mind, body, or both.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Also, as an Informationalist, I feel I must act in support of these people. So I implore the readers to do all you can to support this struggle. Write to your representatives, demonstrate. Gather all the data you can to bring to bear against this violent oppression. Remember, the good of the</span><a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://graphics.boston.com/resize/bonzai-fba/AP_Photo/2007/09/25/1190753599_8845/410w.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://graphics.boston.com/resize/bonzai-fba/AP_Photo/2007/09/25/1190753599_8845/410w.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">I will be exploring ways in which action can be taken besides mere words on a Blog. I hope that you readers will join me.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">All the best in this hour of human cruelty and possibility.</span></span> individual cannot be separated from the good of the group. The group for Informationalists is all of humanity regardless of genetic makeup or gender. Perhaps this even applies to every sentient being.Octavianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16127067241776691516noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17923902.post-38792194628705708942007-09-20T10:20:00.000-05:002007-09-20T10:33:00.819-05:00<span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >New Addition to Theses of Informationalism</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;">In reading the American President Woodrow Wilson's 14 points, I found the first point to be quite profound. In my opinion, it should form the basis of how Informationalism treats diplomacy. The ultimate goal of Informationalism, of course, is the end of nationalistic governments. But the establishment of an Informationalist state would likely occur in an environment of nationalist governments like our modern governments. Thus, as Informationalists, one must have a method for dealing with such entities that is consistent with Informationalism.<br /><br />This thesis is my attempt:<br /></span></span><span style="font-style: italic;">"Open covenants of peace, openly arrived at, after which there shall be no private international understandings of any kind but diplomacy shall proceed always frankly and in the public view."</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://answersinhistory.files.wordpress.com/2007/03/woodrow.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://answersinhistory.files.wordpress.com/2007/03/woodrow.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />-Woodrow Wilson; Point I<br /><br />Peace should always be considered the starting point for Informationalists. Only if an entity seeks to harm or destroy an Informationalist or an Informationalist state does that entity put itself at war with the Informationalist or the Informationalist state. What should follow is the peaceful dissemination of Information to Noninformationalist entities in order to change its paradigm internally.<br /><br />This harks back to my post on Technique Perfection and Initiative. The action of an Informationalist entity is perfecting the technique of spreading the free flow of Information. This comes from an initiative that must arise internally. Thus while the Informationalist state seeks to perfect the Informationalist method, an individual, society, or nation must ultimately choose for itself to do the same. This is called, self determination.Octavianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16127067241776691516noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17923902.post-35047122312791462562007-09-18T10:06:00.001-05:002008-09-28T22:02:41.383-05:00<span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">A Trip Through Logic (From an Informationalist's Perspective)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">I learned a little bit of philosophy humor today in regards to contradictions. After thinking about it a little bit in depth, I came to conclude that perhaps what I learned could be useful in demonstrating the necessity of Informationalism. Let us begin with the simple statement:<span style="font-style: italic;"> "Everything follows from a contradiction."</span><br /><br />What is meant by this? I was exposed to this argument:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">It is raining.</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">It is not raining.</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Therefore, God exists. </span><br /><br />Now, at first glance this argument appears as nothing more than nonsense. But in most sequential logic this argument is <span style="font-style: italic;">completely valid</span>. Meaning that if the premises are true, and the conclusion follows from the premises. Then the argument is also <span style="font-style: italic;">sound</span>! Here is the argument spelled out in sequential logic.</span></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.scottaerator.com/images/shocked.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.scottaerator.com/images/shocked.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />P= It is raining<br />Q= God Exists<br /><br />1. Show Q Assertion<br />2. ~Q Assumption (Indirect Derivation)<br />3.<span style="font-weight: bold;"> P</span> Premise<br />4. <span style="font-weight: bold;">~P</span> Premise<br /><br />In order to prove the validity of this argument, you need only create a contradiction that follows from the premises if we assume the conclusion is false. We have done that, thus the argument is valid. We can derive ANY conclusion from these methods. <span style="font-style: italic;">As long as we have two contradictory statements and a conclusion, the conclusion is always a valid one. </span><br /><br />-------------------<br /><br />Now, you may ask. Why on earth is this relevant? <span style="font-weight: bold;">It will never been the case that at the same place and point in time it is both raining and not raining!</span><br /><br />ABSOLUTELY! I would reply. But as an Informationalist one must look into the broader implications of this data.<br />What this actually says is: Someone who believes two contradictory statements at the same time must in order to be logical believe ANYTHING.<br /><br />-------------------<br /><br />Do people do this? I'm sure you have encountered individuals, maybe even yourself, that have believed two contradictory statements at the same time. Maybe you believe that it is wrong to steal. And then in some cases you think it was reasonable for someone to steal. Maybe you believe in only one god, but at times you think it's correct to believe in multiple gods. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Inconsistency.</span><br /><br />One of the goals of Informationalism is to explore the premises and conclusions that create the thoughts in our own minds. We try and look at what the data says and determine if the conclusions are valid. But this is very difficult if one believes two contradictory statements at the same time!<br /><br />So, I ask once again. Explore your reasons for believing what you believe in your mind. Do you find contradictions? If so, remember that you now have no real grounds to dismiss the truth of any statement unless you rectify the contradiction. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Choose the conclusion or premise best supported by the data, and go from there. </span><br /></span></span></span>Octavianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16127067241776691516noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17923902.post-28875752982881049052007-09-15T13:32:00.000-05:002007-09-15T14:00:49.727-05:00<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Attack on Public Research?</span></span></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></span><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >I was reading this article which has to do with an attempt of private organizations blocking the ability of the findings from public research to reach a public audience. The article itself which can be found <a href="http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20070912-publishers-try-to-railroad-open-access-research-publicationspublishers-try-to-railroad-open-access-research.html">here</a></span><span style="font-family:arial;"> focuses on the National Institutes of Health, which is trying to put up a government website which "has encouraged researchers to place copies of their published works at </span><a style="font-family: webdings;" href="http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/fprender.fcgi">PubMed Central</a><span style="font-family:arial;">, and has worked with publishers to facilitate this process while avoiding copyright issues." Congress has been exploring legislation to make posting of such research papers mandatory. Stating, "the results of publicly funded research should be accessible by the public that's paid for it.</span><span style="font-family:webdings;">"</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"> However, some publishers such as the Association of American Publishers (AAP) are lobbying against moves by the government to make posting the research mandatory. It is their assertion that</span><a style="font-family: webdings;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.panhealth.com/hermes.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 248px; height: 284px;" src="http://www.panhealth.com/hermes.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;"> mandatory posting of the research papers is "an attack on peer review itself and that government-sponsored hosting is an invitation to censorship and manipulation." Thus, they have</span><span style="font-family:arial;"> been lobbying to block passage of the legislation.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">-----------------------</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />I am of the opinion that blocking such a move is fundamentally wrong. Even from our current Uninformationalist system, research done with public money should be used for public benefit without incurring further costs. If a company wishes to produce a new technology that was discovered through publicly funded research; they should be able to charge the consumer for their production costs; but they SHOULD NOT be allowed to collect royalty charges for the technology itself.<br /><br />That being said, I am still of the opinion that all research is fundamentally public property. I would prefer to see the day when there are no patents or copyrights. But that is going to require a fundamental change in how we view information. Until then, I will settle with protecting the freedom of Information that we have.<br /></span>Octavianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16127067241776691516noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17923902.post-75789978647317262482007-09-13T10:11:00.001-05:002007-09-13T10:11:29.698-05:00Carl Sagan Speaks<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><p><object height='350' width='425'><param value='http://youtube.com/v/VuJ3Tjj40P8' name='movie'/><embed height='350' width='425' type='application/x-shockwave-flash' src='http://youtube.com/v/VuJ3Tjj40P8'/></object></p><p>Carl Sagan is, in my humble opinion, one of the greatest men in the history of the world. In all my readings rarely do I encounter an individual with such a passion for possibility. The possibility of a better life and a better world for everyone. He challenges our nationalism, our religious fervor, our own ethnocentrism in ways that to me make them seem indefensible. <br />When I hear him speak I a almost feel compelled to stand up and shout at that very moment: Do you not see, we are all one! <br />I am a firm believer in the technological ability and power of the human species to create a bright future for everyone who would embrace it. I hope those of you who read this feel the same. </p></div>Octavianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16127067241776691516noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17923902.post-58025875025652949942007-09-11T10:26:00.001-05:002007-09-11T10:34:15.878-05:00I think this video provides a good example about how one should consider events from different perspectives. Informationalism is about trying to rationally and empirically explore all assumptions, especially our presuppositions. This man has obviously put a lot of thought into his opinions, and feels very strongly about them. While I prefer a little more open-mindedness even in the face of rational and empirical certainty, it is certainly preferable to unexplored assumptions.<br /> We all possess ideas be they religion or just every day assumptions that are untrue. They might not be untrue, they might just be ambiguous, but we still view them as true. This is because we've never taken the time to sit down and explore exactly why we think the way that we do.<br /> So, my challenge to you readers is this: Whatever it is you feel is true with passion-stop- analyze why you feel this way. Try to imagine the world if it were false. Does it being false cause the world to make more sense or create contradictions. If so, are these contradictions real, or are they again something you have imagined to be true? It is an iterative method that I feel might clean up some of the misconceptions we all have and maybe lead us to more exciting possibilities.<br /> I like to think we make many of our assumptions as if we were operating in a dream. <span style="font-weight: bold;">There are glaring contradictions in our thoughts all around us, yet we do not notice them</span>. Thus I implore you to stop for a few moments and consider your thoughts. Notice.<br /><br /><br /><div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p><object height="350" width="425"><param value="http://youtube.com/v/y4mWiqkGy-Y" name="movie"><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://youtube.com/v/y4mWiqkGy-Y" height="350" width="425"></embed></object></p></div>Octavianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16127067241776691516noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17923902.post-8859662600883340872007-09-10T14:54:00.001-05:002007-09-10T15:07:32.264-05:00I think this video speaks to some of the founding principles behind Informationalism. It took quite a bit of introspection and rational inquiry before I came to what I like to call the <span style="font-weight: bold;">root cause</span>. The root cause is my idea that all activity is ultimately for the purpose of the survival of the species. Every thought, every action, stems from a basic biological drive to proceed into the future. It is by acquiring more and more Information that we better our pursuit of this root cause.<br /> This drive can be manipulated, redirected, or perhaps fooled by outside forces. But the drive remains, and its primary purpose is written in all of us. Informationalism is attempting to take this <span style="font-style: italic;">root cause</span> to its logical conclusion. Through the free acquisition and distribution of Information we are able to explore which of our actions serve the root cause. Often, we may find that many things, even things like religion which we hold precious, are and have been used as tools to manipulate and deceive this primary drive.<br /> But, as this song tries to reach out and tell us: we must explore ourselves from the inside. That is where real change begins. In my case, as my theory has led me to believe, we discover the paradox of our own simultaneous insignificance and indespensibility. Every human being is different. We all have different ways of processing information which allow all of us to contribute something new. Remember this.<br /><br /><br /><div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p><object height="350" width="425"><param value="http://youtube.com/v/cw41VqE0UjA" name="movie"><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://youtube.com/v/cw41VqE0UjA" height="350" width="425"></embed></object></p></div>Octavianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16127067241776691516noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17923902.post-45127763624651293852007-09-08T23:11:00.001-05:002007-09-08T23:25:00.698-05:00<span style="font-weight: bold;">Technique Perfection(An Example)</span><br /><br />I made a post not too long ago about Technique perfection and Informationalism. The idea stemmed from some thoughts that I had while swimming laps. I was using my body to swim, a technique I've tried to refine, and at the same time working on mathematical calculations in my head whilst keeping up with my laps. It was a very trying experience, but I was successful, and here is why:<br /><br />I devoted a great deal of time to refining my swimming technique. So much so that doing the activity no longer required much effort from my conscious mind. My conscious mind was free to practice other things.<br /><br />So the conclusion that I drew was that it was good to focus on practicing some kind of technique until the delay between thought and action is erased. Then to build and refine other techniques while doing that activity. Building one technique upon another is, in my opinion, a great way to increase the flow of information.<br /><br />So, without further ado, here is my real world example of absolute technique perfection. As well as a word of warning. Jimi Hendrix was without doubt the quintessential master of the electric guitar. Listening to what he created is a marvelous thing in my opinion. But it's also a reminder than singular obsession with an art has its dangers. While striving to become a "master" at something is good, it should not be the only goal of the individual. The goal is to try and "master" as many arts as possible. It is only then that we can explore the connections between the mind and the body in ways our current vocabulary cannot express.<br /><br /><br /><div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p><object height="350" width="425"><param value="http://youtube.com/v/8aUDVpHxw9c" name="movie"><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://youtube.com/v/8aUDVpHxw9c" height="350" width="425"></embed></object></p></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div>Octavianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16127067241776691516noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17923902.post-79131085599541581222007-09-07T11:20:00.001-05:002007-09-07T11:43:03.466-05:00<span style="font-weight: bold;">Informationalism: What should supporters do?</span><br /><br /><br />Many of you have followed my posts over the past year or so. It's been an intellectual experimental journey that continues. I hope to be able to offer more of my thoughts, opinions, and possible solutions in the future as always. However, despite my hesitance, I would like to extend the experiment by thesis three of the current theses of Informationalism which states:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">"3. "The question whether objective truth can be attributed to human thinking is not a question of theory but is a practical question. Man must prove the truth — i.e. the reality and power, the this-</span><span style="font-weight: bold;" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">sidedness</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> of his thinking in practice. The dispute over the reality or non-reality of thinking that is isolated from practice is a purely </span><em style="font-weight: bold;">scholastic</em><span style="font-weight: bold;"> question."<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">-Marx; Theses on</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="font-weight: bold;" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Feuerbach II</span><br /></div><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3"><br /></span>Thought is very important. But <span style="font-style: italic;">action</span> is the most important part of a paradigm or philosophy. How well does it work <span style="font-style: italic;">in action</span>.<br /><div style="text-align: center;">--<br /><br /></div>So, what actions might the budding philosophy of Informationalism be able to take in order to demonstrate success, in practice?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/01/images/070111-supernova_big.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/01/images/070111-supernova_big.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>I would like to begin the phase of discussion. As I stated in earlier posts, the beginnings of Informationalism arise when groups of people(or just an individual) are compelled to form a kind of free thought society or community. A group that serves as a temporary meeting place where ideas can be shared, conclusions drawn or explored, and overall knowledge increased. An individual can do this simply by engaging another group or individual in a conversation of these means.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Keep in mind, however, as always. That the telos of these actions and conversations is to gather information for the purpose of improving yourself, and your society. All this to the end of ensuring the survival of greater humanity. In an Informationalist conversation, never lose site of its purpose. <span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></span></span><br />Therefore: those of you who are interested in Informationalism might consider forming a group with others that might feel the same way. Or simply engage others by yourselves. Ask them if they feel that the perpetual survival and development of the species is important. Ask them how this might be done. Exchange ideas, form new ones, and think of ways to put them into practice. And remember always that this hinges ultimately on the freedom of information. You must be frank, you must be open, you must truly be free.<br /><br />**As always, these are my opinions regarding the philosophy of Informationalism. I feel that they show promise, and I desire to expand them into real world experimentation. For those of you who might desire to help me and others by doing this, I would be pleased. For those of you who feel differently, I respect your difference. And for any who might be hostile to what I have said here, know that I harbor no ill will towards any sentient creature.Octavianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16127067241776691516noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17923902.post-30155203010869465892007-08-24T18:09:00.002-05:002007-08-24T18:29:30.637-05:00<div style="text-align: center;">INITIATIVE AND TECHNIQUE PERFECTION<br /></div><br /><br />It's been a while since my last posting. Safe to say I've been doing a lot of thinking about Informationalist philosophy of the past months. First I'd like to encourage you to check out a <a href="http://hundredletters.blogspot.com/">BLOG</a> one of my friends made. It's an interesting idea that I think merits a little publicity.<br /><br />There are two new concepts I wish to integrate into the Informationalist philosophy. The first is initiative.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Initiative</span><span> in the Informationalist sense acknowledges the need of the shift of an equilibrium for an organism to adapt. </span> It CANNOT be taught, but it MUST be learned. Central to the philosophy of Informationalism is the desire of the individual organism to survive. I have spoken in the past about the deep connection between the perpetuation of the individual and the perpetuation of the species, and how it is all wrapped up within the free flow of Information.<br /><br />Thus, initiative becomes important to Informationalism. One must use information to change their surroundings in order to better meet their require equilibrium for their own survival. However, without ALL DATA the equilibrium constantly shifts due to unforeseen interactions in the universe. It is here that initiative becomes important. It is the initiative to master one's<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://exopolitics.blogs.com/photos/uncategorized/00000156_1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 265px; height: 181px;" src="http://exopolitics.blogs.com/photos/uncategorized/00000156_1.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a> environment once again that makes the data and thus Informationalism perpetually important.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Technique Perfection</span> in the Informationalist sense is something I discovered within the philosophy of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhuangzi">Zhuangzi</a>. It is the continual practice of an art so that the boundary between the conscious and unconscious mind is obliterated. For example, the simple action of typing on the keyboard. I am quite adept at my usage of "home row". So adept that I no longer have to think about the position of the letters that I am about to type. As I type this post, I can simply let my thoughts flow onto the screen via the keyboard. Due to my mastery of the skill, there is no visible delay between the processing power of my mind due to locating the letters on the keyboard. I simply know where they are.<br /><br />Technique perfection is important because of its ability to allow individuals to successfully multitask. Being able to do this makes it possible to produce and acquire more information. It also gives the individual a greater power and understanding of the self and the environment. All of these things are crucial to Informationalism.<br /><br />Another example of practicing technique perfection I found took place while I swam laps. As I swam I calculated the distance I planned to swim, and adjusted those numbers numbers into other units. I did all this while swimming and keeping up with the current amount of distance I had already covered. It was exhausting, but rewarding.<br /><br />I would encourage those who read this to attempt to practice technique perfection. Even if you are not an Informationalist. Learn a skill so well you don't have to think about it when you peform it, and then master other tasks while performing that skill. This obviously has its limits, you cannot use a keyboard and weave something at the same time. But activities that do not seriously overlap could be mastered at the same time, increasing one's ability to multi-task and acquire new Information. I hope this has been helpful.Octavianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16127067241776691516noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17923902.post-43716902112011516452007-04-27T13:48:00.001-05:002007-04-27T13:48:58.925-05:00Carl Sagan - Pale Blue Dot<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><p><object height='350' width='425'><param value='http://youtube.com/v/p86BPM1GV8M' name='movie'></param><embed height='350' width='425' type='application/x-shockwave-flash' src='http://youtube.com/v/p86BPM1GV8M'></embed></object></p><p>I think this right here pretty much says it all when it comes to the significance of humanity. We are wrapped in such a paradox. The earth is everything and yet it is just a pale blue dot. Humanity is everything and yet it is nothing. I use this for Informationalism because I think it shares the spirit of wonder that Informationalism tries to capture. It is with the knowledge that we are this "pale blue dot" that we should feel compelled to drop our petty stereotypes and strive to uncover the vast mystery of the universe in which we live. </p></div>Octavianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16127067241776691516noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17923902.post-1143958386522511472007-03-01T14:46:00.000-05:002007-03-01T20:18:13.935-05:00<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Theses of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Informationalism</span><br /><br /></span><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Here I am going to attempt to outline the basic theses of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Informationalism</span> to better clarify the direction of my thought as I approach an issue. I hope you readers will find this helpful, as it may be my most important document thus far.<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Term</span>: Information- knowledge gained through study, communication, research, instruction, etc.; factual data.<br /><br />1. The fundamental problem with materialism is that it does not take into account the influence of information. It is in the ability to record, pass on, and understand information that the advanced manipulation of material circumstances becomes possible.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://datalib.ed.ac.uk/GRAPHICS/blue_data.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 213px; height: 271px;" src="http://datalib.ed.ac.uk/GRAPHICS/blue_data.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />2. The only way to value a species is by its ability to expand and perpetuate the information it acquires over time. A species that cannot do this must in time be overcome and eliminated by their material circumstances.<br /><br />3. "The question whether objective truth can be attributed to human thinking is not a question of theory but is a practical question. Man must prove the truth — i.e. the reality and power, the this-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">sidedness</span> of his thinking in practice. The dispute over the reality or non-reality of thinking that is isolated from practice is a purely <em>scholastic</em> question."<br /><br />-Marx; Theses on <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Feuerbach II</span><br /><br />4. <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Asymmetric</span> Information leads to social distinction, especially within humanity. Oligopolies of materials and Information are inefficient. Thus a species with asymmetric information is not maximizing its value and risking its existence.<br /><br />5. Ensuring free distribution and <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">acquisition</span> of Information is the only way to maximize the value of a society. Therefore the goal of a human society must be the freedom of information and the subsidizing of its <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">acquisition</span> in all fields.<br /><br />6. The laws and structure of society must be formulated and adapted to the practical judgement of acquired Information. Society should be based on conclusions stemming from the best tested Information, and adapt to reflect the consensus of the Information.<br /><br />7. "The free communication of ideas and opinions is one of the most precious of the rights of man; every citizen can then freely speak, write, and print, subject to responsibility for the abuse of this freedom in the cases is determined by law".<br /><br />-11<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">th</span> Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen (August 1789)<br /><br /><br /><br /></div></div></div>Octavianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16127067241776691516noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17923902.post-46048908820255627292007-02-24T00:10:00.001-05:002007-02-24T00:10:35.574-05:00Richard Dawkins - "There is no such thing as a Christian Child"<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><p><object height='350' width='425'><param value='http://youtube.com/v/28pNxgD-ldc' name='movie'></param><embed height='350' width='425' type='application/x-shockwave-flash' src='http://youtube.com/v/28pNxgD-ldc'></embed></object></p><p>I thought you all might find this interesting and insightful. I know that Informationalism is not explicitly atheist; my closest examination has led me to conclude that Spinoza-like Pantheism or weak Atheism are probably the best approaches to Informationalism. I posit a simple redefinition of the terms so that Atheism and Pantheism become one. <br /><br />I feel this movie links up my last post, because it shows the harm that can come from forcing unfounded dogma onto children. I would not even condone labeling a child as a Informationalist child. It is a matter of choice that must be made at an age of consent. <br /><br />I'm showing this in the hopes that all of you will take an opportunity to take another look at your own faiths; to try and discover where you may be dogmatic. I'm asking, as always, that you consider the benefits of the possibilities that come with Informationalism. Finally, it is my hope that some of you might decide to help pick up the cause, and embrace this progressive philosophy. </p></div>Octavianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16127067241776691516noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17923902.post-80679225098435944932007-02-18T22:59:00.000-05:002007-02-18T23:21:48.112-05:00<span style="font-weight: bold;">Why Our Country Needs Informationalism </span><br /><br />I think this article says it all my friends:<br /><br /><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070218/ap_on_re_us/evolution_jews">http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070218/ap_on_re_us/evolution_jews</a><br /><br />Here is the website: <a href="http://www.fixedearth.com/">http://www.fixedearth.com/</a><br /><br /> State Rep. Ben Bridges of Georgia has been affiliated with a memo passed around the political scene which decries Science and attempts to replace it with the Pseudoscience of a man named Marshall Hall. Hall is the President of the "Fair Education Foundation". The name of the organization itself is an example of the disinformation that those frightened of the freedom of information will promote. There is no fair education for this man, there is only the age old<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.etsu.edu/math/gardner/5310/einstein.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 242px; height: 311px;" src="http://www.etsu.edu/math/gardner/5310/einstein.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a> attempt of those who fear the future and wish to silence it in the name of piety.<br /> To sum up this ridiculous website promoted by a ridiculous excuse for a representative. It attempts to show the public how the modern model of the universe and evolution are mere products of a "zionist agenda". Of course, one wonders why they chose to lump these two areas of study together specifically. It is because they are both threats to Christianity.<br /> Informationalism wishes to promote the freedom of information. There is no problem with the creation of such information, the problem is that this website parades incorrect information as correct information. By doing this it also engages in disinformation. The result? A deliberate misleading of the public. This website is fraud; it is an example of all that a society without freedom of information can be subjected to.<br /> A final thought. Imagine if a child who knew little about the subject were to stumble upon this website. The influence that it could have upon their ability to think critically would be catastrophic. For the sake of free information and free society we must let it be known that fraud and disinformation cannot be tolerated.Octavianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16127067241776691516noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17923902.post-63849274366705293292007-02-13T14:02:00.000-05:002007-02-13T14:09:40.908-05:00<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:14;">Katrina Summary<br /><br /><o:p> </o:p></span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style=""> </span>The seminar on the situation in <st1:city st="on">New Orleans</st1:city>, especially in the 9<sup>th</sup> Ward in <st1:place st="on">Eastern New Orleans</st1:place>, focused on the historical development of the flooding problem and the various paradoxes that contributed to the disaster. The speaker commented on the past makeup in the city, which was more in line with the natural makeup of the land. He then went on to discuss the changes, especially in the last century that led up to the paradox of attempting to safely<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://mikesnoise.typepad.com/noisepage/images/katrina.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 265px; height: 204px;" src="http://mikesnoise.typepad.com/noisepage/images/katrina.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a> develop unsafe lands. In the end it was shown that the government played an active role in promoting the unsafe policy, and the lack of communication and planning on the local and national level played a large role in the ensuing disaster. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style=""> </span>The city of <st1:city st="on">New Orleans</st1:city> in the 18<sup>th</sup> and early 19<sup>th</sup> century was centered largely on the banks of the <st1:place st="on">Mississippi river</st1:place>. This is because, when the river floods, the heavier material falls first onto the banks and creates natural dunes. The rest of the area was a naturally bounded by Lake Pontchartrain to the North and <st1:place st="on"><st1:placetype st="on">Lake</st1:placetype> <st1:placename st="on">Borgne</st1:placename></st1:place> to the East. The area that became <st1:place st="on">East New Orleans</st1:place> was also swampland, so for a time, the city’s growth was checked. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style=""> </span>However, the city obviously had planned to grow, and so decided expansion and drainage of the swampland in coordination with development would be the best strategy to take. They undertook the paradox that the speaker referred to as making unsafe land safe. The swamp land was drained, causing the dried up soil to compress and sink below sea level. It was then placed behind levees for protection that were only designed to withstand category 3 Hurricanes. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style=""> </span>The danger was realized, and the city was sued for failing to adequately maintain the pump systems to keep the water out. However, the development of <st1:place st="on">East New Orleans</st1:place> continued until an economic slump brought it to a standstill. The city sat relatively silently on the national scene until Hurricane Katrina.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style=""> </span>The area that had been swamp land which was developed quickly flooded as it was already under sea level. It should be noted that the area built on the natural dunes was spared a large amount of the destruction. The levees could not withstand a category 4 Hurricane, and so they broke. Since the levees were made in one large wall, a single breech caused the water to pool in the area below sea level and then become stuck, prolonging the flooding. This was also combined with failure to communication between the national and local level of government.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.katrinahelp.com/hurricane-katrina-6.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 255px; height: 327px;" src="http://www.katrinahelp.com/hurricane-katrina-6.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style=""> </span>The results were that thousands were killed, billions of dollars in damage was suffered, and thousands of people were left homeless and forced to move outside of the city. All of this could have been avoided with proper planning. <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">New Orleans</st1:place></st1:city> had planned for growth but had not taken into account the natural limits of the growth of the city. Also, the failure in communication on the national and local level led to confusion in the area of exactly what needed or should be done to keep the residents safe in and unsafe area. The disaster was foreseeable and yet was ignored due to a one track focus on growth, which in the end was thwarted by inadequate plan for disaster. The speaker then suggested some ideas to prevent this in the future such as: not resettling <st1:place st="on">Eastern New Orleans</st1:place>, putting up levees with multiple walls, and making the levees capable of withstanding category 5 Hurricanes. It is overall an example of the dangers that come with asymmetric information. <span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span></p>Octavianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16127067241776691516noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17923902.post-44886854929698757262007-01-30T14:57:00.000-05:002007-02-13T14:10:38.520-05:00<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Sprawl and Sustainability</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">This post is dedicated to the ideology behind a favorite blog of mine called, </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://agreenearth.blogspot.com/">A Green Earth.</a> <span style="font-style: italic;">In this post I will talk about Urban Sprawl and environmental sustainability, it will be connected with Informationalism by its focus upon teachers. Most everyone is aware of the critical role that teachers play in the realm of information. Here I will show how helping them advances informationalism, improves urba</span><span style="font-style: italic;">n life, and helps the environment. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span>It has been incorporated into common knowledge for quite some time that a large pool of labor is critical to a wealthy society. It provides the basis for competitive industry and is the powerhouse behind a market economy. City, State, and National governments recognize this in the <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">United States</st1:place></st1:country-region> and claim to make the welfare of the labor force a primary concern. At the same time on the city level, where most city planning takes place, the planners vow to fight sprawl and some pledge to advance the concept of sustainable planning. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 200%;">However, it appears at all levels the externalities of these workers’ wages are not taken into account. Failing to pay a wage that makes it viable to live comfortably in the city has many negative consequences. If the wages are extremely low, the workers must live in slums with high crime rates and health issues. Also, if the wages are raised but not adequately enough for all, then there is greater incentive for the workers to reside outside the city. This situation contributes to sprawl, which results in a longer commute and greater energy consumption. Also, if the residence is outside the city or county, revenue paid out to the workers is lost on the local economy. So, despite the universal acknowledgement of the value of workers, their low wages make fighting sprawl more difficult and detract from the local economy. Yet it does not seem to be a factor in planning.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 200%;">Many city planners in the 21<sup>st</sup> century have come to regard the idea of <i style="">sustainability</i> as essentially good. As always, since humans are so fond of dualisms, the “good” of sustainability finds its antithesis in <i style="">sprawl</i>. Both of these are fairly loaded terms, and so it is essential to provide a clear and concise definition of the two in order to avoid conceptual ambiguity and understand the nature of the labor paradox. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style=""> </span>Sprawl can best be understood as the result of the expansion of an urban area into the less<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://lal.cas.psu.edu/Research/Images/sprawlComp.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 261px; height: 364px;" src="http://lal.cas.psu.edu/Research/Images/sprawlComp.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a> developed countryside having little or no controlled land use policy. Inadequate pay for workers contributes to sprawl by creating car dependent communities due to distance from any industrial or business zone, low-density housing communities, as well as the presence of many strip mall areas. Sprawl causes inefficiency in resource allocation in the urban area and makes city more difficult for planners or organize once the pattern has been set. Sprawl not only leads to inefficiency, but over time the marginal cost of living in the area so exceeds the marginal benefit that the city runs a high risk of having market failure due to an exodus from the area, thus putting these workers out of the job. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style=""> </span>Sustainability, on the other side of the duality, is the product of careful planning. However, the concept itself is separated by schools such as new urbanism, which also seeks to fight sprawl, by its incorporation of ecological systems in the planning calculations. Sustainable planning seeks to take into account the amount of human population an area can hold while maintaining adequate resources for the planned future. This means not only reversing the tendencies of sprawl, but also managing resource allocations of goods such as: water, petroleum, electricity, food, and land. The goal of sustainability is to ensure that the resources are allocated efficiently enough in the present so they are not completely consumed or unequally diminished for future generations.<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style=""> </span>From these definitions it is clear that not addressing the issue of the labor force is contradictory to good planning and to sustainability, as it promotes sprawl and inefficient utilization of natural resources. For example, in one of the areas known for the worst sprawl, Charlotte North Carolina, a first year teacher with a bachelor degree is paid $28,510 by the state (Salary, 2007). It is difficult for the teachers, since it takes an average of $35,000 dollars to meet the <i style="">basic</i> needs of a family of four (Glasmeier, 2008). Common sense would lead one to deduce that the teacher would not locate themselves in a city with a higher cost of living. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style=""> </span>The negative affects of this policy are also supported in a paper published by Rèmy Prud’homme and Chang-Woon Lee where they defined the efficiency of cities based upon labor productivity. In their study of 23 French cities they found that the success of the city was defined by the relative size of its labor market, which was determined by, “…the size of the city; the average potential job-home distance (sprawl); and the average speed at which journey to work takes place” (Prud’homme and Chang-Woon Lee, 1998 ). These last two are specifically the problems that face the city as a result of their inadequate payment of the labor force. The paper concludes specifically that, the city’s productivity is determined by the aforementioned factors, and that this labor pool is determined by, “…its sprawl and of the speed at which trips to the cities are made”,<span style=""> </span>(Prud’homme and Chang-Woon Lee, 1998 ).</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style=""> </span>It should also be noted that the increased distance from the job denotes a greater reliability on automobiles. These automobiles add further crowding to the already busy city streets and have spiraling negative consequences for the city system. Thus, it is clear that it is not possible to confront sprawl or sustainable planning without addressing the wages of workers. The wages must be raised to a level that makes it possible and then beneficial for workers to live in areas relatively close to their schools. The economic loss incurred by keeping the wages of the labor force low ultimately outweighs the state funds saved in the process. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><b style="">References<o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style=""> </span>Glasmeier, Amy K (2006), <em>An Atlas of Poverty in <st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">America</st1:country-region></st1:place>: One Nation, Pulling Apart, 1960-2003</em>, Routledge, 2006.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">Beatly; Manning (1997), <i style="">The Ecology of Place</i>, <st1:city st="on">Washington</st1:city> <st1:state st="on">DC</st1:state>: <st1:place st="on">Island</st1:place> Press, 1997. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">“Charlotte-Mecklenburgh Schools 2006-2007 Salary Schedule for Teachers” (2006), <span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span><a href="http://www.cms.k12.nc.us/departments/HR/compensation.asp">http://www.cms.k12.nc.us/departments/HR/compensation.asp</a>, accessed February 2, 2007.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">Rèmy Prud’homme and Chang-Woon Lee (1998), “Sprawl, Speed, and the Efficiency of Cities”, <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on"> Paris</st1:city>, <st1:country-region st="on">France</st1:country-region></st1:place>: Obervatoire de l’Economic et des Institution Locals.</p>Octavianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16127067241776691516noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17923902.post-9849910517994706242007-01-21T22:57:00.000-05:002007-01-22T14:51:52.860-05:00<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why We've Been Failing in </span><st1:country-region style="font-weight: bold;" st="on">Iraq</st1:country-region> <span style="font-weight: bold;"> "A Final Informationalist's Word for the time before I Move onto More Pressing Issues e.g. the Environment"</span><br /><br /><br />The critics of the <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Iraq</st1:place></st1:country-region> war have become far more numerous than the supporters that were present in March of 2003. The current discontent among the public and on Capitol Hill are at levels not seen since <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Vietnam</st1:place></st1:country-region>. The President's new plan to send more troops has been met with huge amounts of resistance, and his<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.lennox.k12.ca.us/jefferson/Images/image_822.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.lennox.k12.ca.us/jefferson/Images/image_822.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a> decision to accelerate the plan can be viewed as a complete disregard for legislative authority. In short, Bush has become almost autocratic towards <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Iraq</st1:place></st1:country-region> because it is his last option. Failure in <st1:country-region st="on">Iraq</st1:country-region> would be a disaster for the <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">United States</st1:place></st1:country-region>, however, it would be an even greater disaster for George W. Bush.<br /><br />So after tens of thousands of lives and a trillion dollars, why haven't things come together?<br /><br /><br />I've already outlined a plan to get us out of <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Iraq</st1:place></st1:country-region> if we wish to stay inside. However, I fear that the American public no longer wants to dedicate the manpower or the money to try and fix the situation in <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Iraq</st1:place></st1:country-region>. What's worse, despite the extreme weath of the builders of this war based on disinformation, their wealth is certainly not enough to bring stability to the country.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Why has Bush's vision failed?</span><br /><br />The Bush Administration has suffered from ethnocentrism in the <st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">Iraq</st1:country-region></st1:place> disaster. The toll of this ethnocentrism has been catastrophic. They are laboring under the ethnocentric assumption that every knows of and wants representative democracy. They feel that once people are allowed this "freedom" then little <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Americas</st1:place></st1:country-region> will pop up everywhere, and they'll all be greatful that we showed them the light.<br /><br />The truth, however, is more sobering. People have to be educated to live in a representative democracy. Tolerance and equality and representation are far from instincts, they are acquired disciplines. This is what makes Informationalism so important. The sharing of Information is the only way we can discover the things that work towards the progress of our species; it is the only thing that can keep us from giving into our infantile impulses and eventually destroying ourselves and those around us.<br /><br />The Bush Administration has thrust democracy on <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Iraq</st1:place></st1:country-region> without the education. Representative Democracy in a culture that has not yet accepted the tolerance of different opinions and the stipulations of majority rule as well as fear of the tyranny of that majority is useless. It is doomed to failure. It is the same mistake made in post-colonial <st1:place st="on">Africa</st1:place>. <!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--> <!--[endif]--></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-weight: bold;">What must be done?</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.epa.gov/Region2/library/images/jefferson.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.epa.gov/Region2/library/images/jefferson.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br />The people must be empowered. However, you cannot empower them with the vote if you do not first empower their mind. To empower their mind you must ensure that their mind and body are sound, which means they must not be wanting for food or water or the various basic resources that humans in chaotic situations must struggle in terror to acquire.<br /><br />This returns us to Informationalism. Education. The Iraqi people cannot be "forced to be free" in the words of Rousseau. They must be <b>taught to be free</b>. In order to be taught to be free they must have a time and a place to learn. We are not providing that, and all the prime minister wants is the guns to settle the dispute once and for all.<br /><br />The dispute will never be settled with guns. Force does not make right. Perhaps blood must be spilled to begin the process, but it can never be completed with blood. It must be completed with minds.<br /><br /><br />I would encourage all of you who read this blog to tell all those that you know that education is the way out of <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Iraq</st1:place></st1:country-region>. Write your congressperson or letters to your newspaper editor and let the voice of reason be heard. Somebody has to speak for these people, for today they cannot speak for themselves. They are hungry, they are thirsty, they are afraid, and our country has helped to create this situation. If it is as Lao Tzu said, and the way for a large nation to master a small one is to be humble, then let us be humble to the people of <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Iraq</st1:place></st1:country-region>. Let us lift them up and not trample them down with our forced government. Let us build schools and not close them, let us open minds and not shut them. We are in a race against time! Information is the way out of <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Iraq</st1:place></st1:country-region>. Before you can free a body, you must free the mind.</p>Octavianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16127067241776691516noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17923902.post-43222668102878573902007-01-17T00:09:00.000-05:002007-01-17T00:24:04.763-05:00<span style="font-weight: bold;">Parts of Informatonalist Plan Informally Considered</span><br /><br /><br />I outlined in an earlier post my plan for getting out of Iraq if we were not going to begin an immediate phased withdrawal. It is pleasing to me to notice that some of the international figures of political authority are considering elements from the plan I presented.<br /><br />1. I commented on the first, which was that unrestricted warfare against the militias was needed. The Bush Administration and the Iraqi prime minister have set out to do just that. However, I do not believe the commitment of the prime minister is genuine, as he appears to just be using this operation as an excuse for an ethnic cleansing of the Sunni. If that part of my plan is to be adopted, the United States must take a more independent approach of dealing with the Shi'a death squads. They are the power base of the Shi'a Prime Minister, and he will not undermine his own power base.<br /><br /><br />Now, however a more recent development has taken place involving the government of Saudi Arabia. Here is the link <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16656642/">http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16656642/</a><br /><br />The Saudi government is talking about sending troops into Iraq, because like I said, the Shi'a dominated government is not going to be able to quell the violence, as its supporters are instigators of the violence. This begins to follow the part of my plan that calls for the phased withdrawal of US troops and their replacement with UN peacekeepers and help from the Arab League.<br /><br /><br />This is for any of you that are skeptical, as you should be, of the benefits of Informationalism. From this basic paradigm I have derived systems for solutions that even world leaders are only beginning to grasp. This is because the former systems of reasoning that these men use are pragmatic only within their own ideological realm. As I have shown earlier, many of the men making this policy don't even know the history of the region. They are a product of education systems that have rendered them almost incapable of reasoning beyond axioms that Informationalism shows to be ineffective and counterproductive to the continuation of the species.<br /><br />The combinaton of the Historicism of Informationalism, its Holistic approach, and the primacy of Information within the paradigm appear to me to offer results where others cannot. If we work to free the Information, we can work our way out of many a mishap.<br /><br />I will not attempt to hold secrets, my intent here is to persuade the reader to begin to adopt the perspective and the paradigm of Informationalism. Unlike many causes however, I will allow the results of this perspective to speak for themselves.Octavianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16127067241776691516noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17923902.post-70946925653836314492007-01-12T14:28:00.000-05:002007-01-12T14:49:41.891-05:00<span style="font-weight: bold;">President Bush's New Plan and Informationalism </span><br /><br /><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070112/pl_nm/iraq_usa_dc">Here's an article I've been reading about the situation. </a><br /><br />I have been perusing several articles dealing with George Bush's new plan for stability in Iraq. First of all I would like to say that I watched the speech, though not when he originally gave it, and I felt a degree of hopelessness in the air that I felt was unnecessary. President Bush has seen his doctrines fail to the point that his party has lost power, and his "new" strategy appears not new at all. Let me point out some of the key features, then I shall comment on their relationship to Informationalism and the plan I outlined only two posts ago.<br /><br />1. The increase of troops by 21, 500 mostly in the Baghdad area.<br /><br />2. A set of benchmarks for the Iraqis to achieve soverign security by November 2007.<br /><br />3. Unrestricted warfare against the militias.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">So what are we Informationalists to make of this plan?</span><br />I will first focus on what I feel is good in the plan. I have said earlier that unless we withdraw completely we must be willing to commence unrestricted warfare against the militias. I only suggested we needed an increase in troops, or the devotion of our current troops to special operations and border security.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.nomorebush.premiumfinder.com/war-gallery/baghdad-bombing.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 291px; height: 203px;" src="http://www.nomorebush.premiumfinder.com/war-gallery/baghdad-bombing.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />That about does it for the good, now for the ineffective.<br /><br />The benchmarks for the government do not seem to be a good idea. The government has failed to meet benchmarks in the past. The Iraqi government is headed by a man whose power base is in the Shi'a militas. He is currently using this position to commence unrestricted warfare only upon the Sunnis, and this amounts to ethnic cleansing.<br /><br />I said we needed a troop increase, or we had to devote the other troops to special operations against militia leaders. This plan does not offer enough troops and does not seek special operations or swift operations. History teaches us that such an operation would need to be only days in length, with troops then securing the freed areas. This operation is planned to be long and drawn out, thus it will only generate resentment and fail.<br /><br />Bush is now in such disfavor that he cannot address the main problem. Iraq's infrastructure is still devistated. People without jobs, food, water, or money will turn to anyone that will give it to them. This just happens to be the militias. They are suspicious of occupying forces and the Iraqi government, and they have right to be. If we launch another destructive operation that is sure to harm innocent civilians, we will only generate more hate.<br /><br />Since it seems Bush is only barely going to get enough money to fund the operation, it is ludacris to think that congress will give him the money to go towards such a massive reconstruction effort.<br /><br />In short, my Informationalist friends, this plan will only destroy more infrastructure and harm more civilians. It will increase violence in the short term, and then lessen it until we decide to abate, then it will return again. This plan, thus, is more of the same.Octavianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16127067241776691516noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17923902.post-21299568753605829692006-12-27T01:25:00.000-05:002006-12-28T20:41:27.557-05:00<p class="MsoNormal"><b>The End or the Means?</b><br /><br />I have started to read a book called "The Conquest of Happiness" by the famous 20th century British philosopher Bertrand Russell. With the first few pages I have obtained some bits of Information that my readers might find useful. The reading has also left me with some interesting questions I must ask myself.<br /><br />I seek here to talk about <i>Ends</i> and <i>Means</i> in Informationalism. It is a long standing popular debate within philosophy about the importance of <i>Ends</i> and <i>Means</i>. I am sure you are all familiar with the famous quote by the Italian political theorist Machiavelli who said that, "The ends justify the means". There have been some claims that this was a mistranslation, but the overall idea is still spelled out in his work "The Prince".<br /><br />The famous German metaphysicist Immanuel Kant believed that individuals should treat other human beings as ends in themselves and not just means to an end. Philosophy has long troubled itself over what ends should be chosen and what the best means are to those ends. In fact, that is the central theme in philosophy. This skepticism about ends and means is what separates it from the modern day business mentality, which knows the ends, and simply debates the means.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/machiavelli/index.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/machiavelli/index.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />I shall discuss a bit about what Bertrand Russell has said, and then give some of my own thoughts on its relationship to Informationalism.<br /><br />Russell says in the opening of his book that, "The typical unhappy man is one who, having been deprived in youth of some normal satisfaction, has come to value this one kind of satisfaction more than any other, and has therefore given to his life a one-sided direction, together with a quite undo emphasis upon the achievement as opposed to the activities connected with it" (Russell 22). To simplify, it seems that people of living circumstances that are not unusually psychologically agitating at a glance, have been exposed over time in their past to unnatural circumstances which have twisted their mental health.<br /><br />This does not seem surprising, as the simple construction of modern civilization seems well beyond the state humans have lived in throughout most of their existence. Adaptation to this new environment on a biological level is bound to have its drawbacks; this idea is similar to the idea of "The Shadow" advanced by the psychoanalyst Carl Jung.<br /><br />Russell speaks primarily about 4 kinds of character stereotypes: The guilty sinner, the narcissist, the megalomaniac, and the hedonist.<br /><br />The guilty sinner is an individual who has been instilled with an impossible moral code, something comparable to the puritan moral code, which causes him to feel himself a lowly creature never deserving of love. It is no doubt that this morality would lead to a sense of unhappiness and perhaps nihilism.<br /><br />The narcissist is an individual who wishes to be loved by all, and to be seen as charming. They are wrapped up in love with themselves. This love leads to treating people as means instead of ends, and overall unhappiness with a vanity that can never be satisfied.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.grandlodgeusa.org/images/spinoza.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.grandlodgeusa.org/images/spinoza.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />The megalomaniac is similar to the narcissist, but his end is power, power for its own sake, and not for the sake of accomplishing something else. This complex simply leads to the desire for more power, an impossible amount of power, which will also ensure the individual is never happy.<br /><br />Finally the hedonist chooses to indulge in simple pleasures. They escape their own discontent by indulging in quick fix habits such as drugs to forget their own displeasure. However, the displeasure returns as the drug wears off, and so it must be taken again to forget the added displeasure of the burden of this knowledge.<br /><br />Perhaps some of you have noticed that all 4 of these are recursive systems? It is also not unusual to find individuals who shift between these modes of character.<br /><br />So Russell seems to suggest that one should practice an activity for its own sake. One should treat the activity as an end in itself. For example, one should play basketball not to win the NBA championship, but because they enjoy playing basketball. We practice martial arts not for the belt, but for the sake of the art and its enjoyment. Russell suggests that this is the only way to ensure happiness.<br /><br /><b>How does this relate to Informationalism?</b><br /><br />We've been discussing means and ends. So how does this concept apply to Informationalism?<br /><br />Informationalism is a means, and not an end. I have stated that we should acquire and freely distribute Information for its own sake. It is true, perhaps and end could be to ensure the survival of the species. It is also true that I think that Informationalism is the best way to ensure that this end is met. However, this is not necessarily the "end" of Informationalism.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/russell/russell.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/russell/russell.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Regardless of whether or not we are Informationalists, we could still be wiped out at any time. As I just stated, Informationalism just ensures we are doing all we can to make sure that this does not happen. It is also, therefore, the only way to ensure that we continue to have any means or ends to explore at all. It thus appears, as I have said before, that the preservation of the species is the ultimate end if there could ever be such a thing.<br /><br />Informationalism itself, once again, is a means, it is an activity. Acquiring more knowledge about the world is an art that can be practiced, the same as basketball or martial arts. As one practices, one can become more adept at this art. We do it, however, not as an obsession with the ultimate end that we may never reach, but for the activity itself. Informationalism gives the individual the opportunity to grow outside the confines of systems that narcissistically claim to be able to explain everything. To join it is, as always, a choice.<br /><br />Take yourself all the way back to Socrates: What do you really think that you know?</p>Octavianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16127067241776691516noreply@blogger.com3