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Posts from the ‘Matthew’ Category

Jan 15

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Ricardo Montalbán (1920 – 2009)

Ricardo Montalbán died today. Montalbán’s memory is forever imprinted on the Star Trek collective consciousness as Khan Noonien Singh. First in the episode from the original series, Space Seed, and then in the movie, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. I worked at a video store in high school and it was required to watch this movie at least once a day (we were all Star Trek geeks). I’ve probably watched this movie more than any other movie in my life – I can recite the entire screenplay from memory (did I mention I’m a geek?). Needless to say, it is a sad day for Trekies around the world. Montalbán was an amazing actor and inspired Saturday Night Live skits and inside jokes between Trekies for decades now.

Star Trek II works on many levels because it is about revenge and blind rage. We’ve all been there but very few go over the edge. Khan does. The classic of this genre being Moby Dick, which Trek uses brilliantly:

“He tasks me! He tasks me! And I shall have him. I’ll chase him round the moons of Nibia and round the Antares maelstrom and round perdition’s flames before I give him up!” – Khan

“To the last I grapple with thee; from hell’s heart I stab at thee; for hate’s sake I spit my last breath at thee.” – Khan

We will miss you, Ricardo, but rest in peace. You are loved and admired by millions of fans around the world.

Ricardo Gonzalo Pedro Montalbán Merino (1920 – 2009)

Nov 11

Thank You

I hope that everyone took a moment today to think about our military veterans. We are amazing as a country that so many volunteer to protect and defend America. Sometimes our government does not treat them like the heroes that they are. Like teachers, police, and firemen, much is taken and little is ever given back. So, imagine what your life would be like right now without the men and women, past and present, who made the sacrifice and put on the uniform. Here is the story of one of those brave men.

WW II vet held in Nazi slave camp breaks silence: ‘Let it be known’

Nov 3

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Fall ’08 Reading List

I’ve compiled quite a list for the rest of this year. I’ve actually finished a few of these but I wanted to write them down so that I can keep the list up to date. Not that anyone really cares what I’m reading, but I go back to these lists to find conscious and unconscious themes in my interests. I’m still tackling a lot of religious themes and also took a detour last month to read a few books by Barack Obama.

I also decided to read Mahabharata from beginning to end. I’ve read a greatly abridged version but the full version will probably take 2 years to finish. The unabridged translation of the Mahabharata contains 74,000 verses, long prose passages, and about 1.8 million words in total. Put another way, it is roughly ten times the size of the Iliad and Odyssey combined. It’s going to take me a while. I’ve also being pulled back into physics and I have picked up a few new interesting books. Of course, I’m still making an unsuccessful effort to learn Hindi – and, as always, I am re-reading some old favorites like Catcher and Pale Blue Dot. Anyway, this is the list.

I’m also going to try to get through a few Teaching Company courses by the end of the year:

Oct 8

Very Interesting Internet

Here is my latest roundup of the bizarre and cool stuff I read in my internet travels…

Peru meteorite crash ’causes mystery illness’
The meteorite impact crater high in the Peruvian Andes is said to be emitting noxious fumes.

PetQuake
The goal of this project is to create a database where people can report unusual animal behavior as part of an earthquake warning system.

Surfer dude stuns physicists with theory of everything
An impoverished surfer has drawn up a new theory of the universe, seen by some as the Holy Grail of physics, which has received rave reviews from scientists.

The Diving Bell And The Butterfly
From one of the most emotionally exhilarating and luminous bestsellers ever written comes the true story of a man who took an adversity beyond all imagining and transformed it into a testament to the irrepressible human urge to love, create and dream.

PatientOS – an Open Source (GPL) Healthcare Information System
PatientOS (pronounced Patient-oh-es where O and S stand for Open Source) has been designed from the outset to be a Healthcare Information System (HIS).

The David Lynch Foundation
he David Lynch Foundation provides funds for in-school “Quiet Time” programs utilizing the stress-reducing Transcendental Meditation technique.

Astronaut: We’ve had visitors
Thus declared Apollo 14 astronaut Edgar Mitchell on Saturday to more than 200 admirers.

Jul 22

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Jean-Baptiste Lamarck (1744-1829)

It’s hard to believe that it has taken modern science 200 years to catch up to Lamarck. One of the common threads on Nautis Project has always been the incompleteness of a biological theory of evolution, morphology, and memory. It is these gaps in our knowledge that people like Lamarck, Darwin, Bergson, and Goethe tried to address in biology and Campbell and Jung drew attention in psychology and mythology. I’ve written about this before here:

There is a good article in New Scientist this month, Rewriting Darwin: The new non-genetic inheritance that outlines some of the research being done in this area. This field is also called epigenetics. For a complete definition and etymology, see Wikipedia. Most of the current research barely scratches the surface of what I believe will eventually be found. The real question is: what does this mean for memory? I believe it will take more than DNA methylation to explain how memory is transmitted. This can’t explain instinct can it?

One of the most laughable areas of science is in the realm of animal instincts. Here is a great quote from Wikipedia that sums up our knowledge perfectly:

Technically speaking, any event that initiates an instinctive behavior is termed a key stimulus (KS) or a releasing stimulus. Key stimuli in turn lead to innate releasing mechanisms (IRM), which in turn produce fixed action patterns (FAP). More than one key stimulus may be needed to trigger an FAP.

In other words, they have no idea. I remember asking my Biology 101 professor about birds and how they inherit nest building skills or migratory patterns. Of course, he looked at me like I was from another planet. I received the same response in the psychology department. The one place I didn’t a response like this is in the Mythology and Art departments – they take as axiomatic the inheritance of collective memory. Artists are, thankfully, not confined to explaining the world based on the latest scientific fashion. It’s true that epigenetic inheritance through methylation of histones is still a long way from morphic resonance – but it’s a start.

Jul 3

How Ignorant Are We?

“About 1 in 4 Americans can name more than one of the five freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment (freedom of speech, religion, press, assembly and petition for redress of grievances.) But more than half of Americans can name at least two members of the fictional cartoon family, according to a survey. The study by the new McCormick Tribune Freedom Museum found that 22 percent of Americans could name all five Simpson family members, compared with just 1 in 1,000 people who could name all five First Amendment freedoms.

As we approach our Independence Day, it’s interesting to wonder what this means? Why do we know more about cartoons than freedom? There is a good summary, called How Ignorant Are We? The article does a good job of explaining what is going on. Why is it that Americans that are in favor of bombing Iran cannot seem to find it on a map? I wonder why the majority of Americans have never traveled beyond a 50 mile radius from where they were born? In a country where students are learning that the Earth (and the universe) is only a few thousand years old, is this really any surprise? Science and Technology has always defined a successful nation. American in the 50′s and 60′s was a great example of this. We were caught of guard when the Soviets launched Sputnik and reinvigorated our school system with strong programs in math and science.

For reasons I don’t really understand, there has been a backlash against knowledge in America. Especially among “conservative” Americans, academics are seen a liberal and out of touch. Of course, in a totalitarian state the first that are rounded up are university professors. Knowledge really is power. Unfortunately, ignorance is powerful, too. As America stands ready to topple from top dog position in the world, the power hungry lead at the vanguard followed by the blissfully ignorant bringing up the rear.

Jun 21

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Summer ’08 Reading List

Most of these books are new to me. Instead of re-reading the classics – again, I’ve decided to pick up some new books – even some fiction.

Apr 20

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Horse Farms & Horse Tales of the Bluegrass

Kentucky’s Bluegrass region is known as the Horse Capital of the World. It is also a uniquely beautiful area that welcomes thousands of visitors each year, drawn by the beautiful and historic horse farms that gave birth to some of the world’s finest horses. This book tells the stories of these farms (such as Calumet, Elmendorf, and Three Chimneys) and the horses they have produced horses such as John Henry, Seattle Slew, and Man o’ War. It also includes a visitor’s guide to all things equine – including Keeneland racetrack, the Thoroughbred Center, rehab facilities, and a school for jockey wannabes. There’s even a section on equine terminology and an area map for self-guided tours. The perfect book for those contemplating a trip to the Bluegrass.

Order your copy here…

Dec 11

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Without Hope or Agenda

“Say it’s carol singers. With any luck, by next year I’ll be going out with one of these girls. But for now, let me say – without hope or agenda – Just because it’s Christmas (and at Christmas you tell the truth). To me, you are perfect. And my wasted heart will love you until you look like this… Merry Christmas” – Love Actually

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Oct 29

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More Misunderstood Movies

I’m told that I have a somewhat strange taste in movies (mostly by my lowbrow, wanna-be film critic friends). What my friends have yet to discover is there is often an unintended epiphenomenal, or emergent, quality to so-called “B” movies was neither intended nor understood by the actors or directors of those movies.

Below is a list of films that critics and audiences alike dismissed as “a waste of money” or “a complete disaster”. Often, it takes a very sophisticated mind (like mine) to comprehend these brilliant, yet unintended gems. I recommend you purchase and preserve for posterity these brilliant classics because it will only be centuries from now when the human brain has expanded enough to truly comprehend the level of genius contained in these films.

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