October 17, 2015 PRACTICALITY:
Brain sufficiently infused with “Old Grandpa” from Urth Cafe (the darkest roast I’ve found), Momo-chan starting her morning catnap on a pillow next to me kindly ignoring my keystrokes and before I must get practical and start my day in the ‘real world’, a few thoughts:
Practicality – common folk have it naturally, probably because they(we) have no other choice. The highly intelligent must choose it though. It is necessary for getting along with the current set of circumstances we call ‘life’ at any given time.
One can argue for a better way, but if the current system is entrenched and intractable and ninety percent of the population is fine with it, fighting it will take generations of smart folk chipping away at it for it to finally budge. So, while it is noble and desirable to tilt at it at every opportunity, if one wishes to have some semblance of success in life one must work practically within the offending system.
This is the same with any group throughout history where generations who had been subjugated had to find a way to survive and flourish the best they could within the system while taking the occasional swipe at it, the repercussions for which were estimated to be nonlethal.
So on it is with my day of practicality, all the while on the lookout for a gap in the armor of ignorance which will not bring forth a lethal response.
June 28, 2015 The Status Quo:
Society dismisses genius until genius captures and carries off the future, average folk kicking, screaming and denying it all the way until it is history and everyone accepts it.
May 17, 2015 Shall We Fear Designer Babies?
I suppose that my title is rather misleading. “Designer” tends to imply aesthetics which is not what I am writing about. I am writing of our future survival. If we develop gene repair techniques which prevent illness and they are designed into our progeny, then I think “designer baby” fits.
Since we no longer follow natural evolution, aka natural selection, negative mutations will continue to creep into our collective genomes and be propagated (my myopia for example). In other words, if random mutations drove evolution, without selection pressure now, mutations will cause a decline in fitness. So we have developed corrective lenses, insulin and everything else our technology has allowed in order to overcome the results of the declining fitness of our genes.
The principle of ‘survival of the fittest’ throughout our evolutionary past brought us to this point but we stepped beyond what mere nature could do many, many years ago. The first hominid who cared for a sick tribe member essentially put the first nail in the coffin of natural selection for humans. Today, no longer do the individuals with the most genetic advantages necessarily produce the most offspring who make it to reproductive maturity. This is why I need corrective lenses in order to see well enough not to be eaten by a predator (or be run over by a car).
For those who fear technology and the tampering with our genomes, the other two alternatives are far more terrifying. I believe the Hitler regime toyed with one and other would involve going back to nature’s survival of the fittest rule (sadly, I imagine that if civilization collapsed we would go back to the latter automatically). So, we really have no acceptable choice but to continue to embrace technology. And what better way to do that than to do it at the source code? Everything else are mere patches or the alleviation of symptoms.
In our extropian future, as long as we remain biologically based, that is, we will continue to seek improvements to our bodies and minds and to undo the damage caused by the ‘errors’ that have crept into our code.
Besides a potential gene therapy to alleviate a scourge of humanity such as cancer, selfishly, I ‘hope to Scientist’ that a gene therapy is developed that can correct myopia. Would it not be nice if we all received a shot along with our other vaccinations in childhood and no one ever had to wear glasses again?
May 10, 2015 Don’t Call Me White…
Don’t call me ‘white’…or a ‘man’ or a ‘North American’ or even a ‘Human’. However, most who might encounter me on the street or hear me speak would likely pronounce me all of these. But must we identify ourselves in this manner? It seems that this only serves to separate us. With the coming New Paradigm of Humanity and a transhuman future, unification will be necessary.
A fractured civilization cannot move efficiently into a peaceful and sustainable future. Where there are groups, there is subjugation and where their is subjugation there is strife. Where their is strife there will be war and other violence and at the very least this is will stunt our growth. At the most it will destroy us. This extends far beyond our little ball of rock and water.
When we do encounter another intelligence, possibly one far more advanced, I hope they consider us their brothers(gender neutral but such is our silly language) rather than some separate group to compete with, dominate or enslave. So even categorizing ourselves with a seemingly benign term such as ‘Earthling’ could ultimately prove to be limiting or segregating. We must eventually seek inclusion with all self-aware, self-replicating systems of information and energy and consider all of us kindred entities.
Think about it please. Must we state that we are man or woman, French or Italian, gay, straight or bi, Human or Vulcan? Each identifier or label takes on a life of its own and propagates and perpetuates a limitation. I wish for us to be limitless.
I wish for us to go beyond mere tolerance of diversity. I wish to unify; not to take away differences but rather, to disregard them for anything that matters. In this vision we are all different but equal parts of a unified whole.
How bizarre might it seem to an intelligence from another part of our galaxy to learn that those who happen to live on Earth choose to group intelligent beings based on the wavelength of light reflected by their body covering? Maybe I’m from anther planet because it seems bizarre to me.
I hope one day we will be judged worthy of inclusion with the other self-aware, self-replicating systems of information and energy in our Universe.
April 27, 2015 The Death of Evil
Once our lifespans become indefinite, beauty and intelligence are but an upgrade away, access to resources is universal and the difference between individuals has dissolved away, so too will have competition, and with it the last flicker of evil.
November 23, 2014 CoffeeHouse Philosophy #27
Seeking Reasons to Feel Good About Ourselves
Navigating the labyrinth of the mind – The answers for successfully navigating this world, life and feeling well all reside there. Tracing the pathways to a beneficial set of beliefs, thoughts and perception of reality can be challenging. It took me practically a lifetime to determine that this was even possible (and still, I must remind myself of this each day). Must our sense of self worth come from events in the external world? It seems that our minds try to tell us so. I happen to have a hobby of growing bamboo. The other night I discovered a languishing bamboo culm (stalk) on a new specimen I had planted. Was this caused by gophers or something falling against it? I felt I must save it regardless. The leaves were curling, it was loose in the dirt, attached to one long, spindly root and sure to perish. Later I thought about how good I would feel about myself if I succeeded in starting new plants from sections of this compromised culm. How odd, looking for a reason to feel good about myself! Evolutionarily there is a healthy and natural part to this since animals need something to motivate them to live and flourish. That something is impulse satisfaction. If an animal did not feel something negative when it failed to satisfy an urge it may not attempt to improve its tactics. Even though we have free will and advanced intelligence, we still run to a large extent on impulse satisfaction. We however, have a unique challenge apart from other animals. When we fail at satisfying a desire, we think about it. All manner of things are invented to explain external occurrences and we assign meaning. The damaging mind-inventions are the ones that say something like, ‘I am inferior and this is why’. Having been through our own experiences both positive and negative we have each formed and set into memory, unique pathways through the maze of our psyche. Thus we have varying ‘programs’ running in the background affecting our perception of the world. Some of us attempt to prove to ourselves that we are ‘OK’ as this would in turn mean that we are worthy of the life we desire. If we are trapped in this ‘proving to our self mode’, we must somehow upgrade to the ‘confidently moving forward with plans mode’ if we wish to advance. The proving mode, suggests an underlying belief of insufficiency. This is akin to a ‘bug’ in the software. It might be interesting during periods of introspection or meditation to tease out the self defeating programs and follow their pathway back from whence they came. We desire success just as we desire a meal when hungry. However to crave continuous little successes in order to feel worthy seems like an addiction. This suggests a focus on, or a perception of some basic lack. Satisfying the addiction takes the place of something more fundamental such as a natural sense of self worth. At the very least it is worth a bit of exploration through the paths of the forest of our mind.
November 1, 2014 Coffeehouse Philosopher #26
Fujioka Blue Butterfly
Flaws and Beauty
Some of us fret and worry if whether everything is “right” or “as it should be” especially as this relates to ourselves (“why am I this way or that way when our vision of ‘ideal’ is different”). The argument can be made that the current physical state of humanity is the result of nothing more than chance mutations some of which happened to be coveted by nature long ago. These past mutations which made it far into the future were not right or wrong. They simply happened to work for a particular set of circumstances in a particular environment. We cherish a particular set of traits today but the mutations which caused their emergence were not correct or incorrect, they just were. A different set of circumstances in a different environment would provoke a different path of evolution and maybe a different opinion of what is beautiful.
What if we had evolved in an environment which happened to include a giant bird of prey which only selected as a food source, humans with the physical features we consider today to be the most aesthetically pleasing? It is likely that today we would have a different opinion of what is beautiful. As another example let us assume that humans only evolved living on the sides of a steep mountain with a nomadic way of life and only traveled in one direction around the mountain. If this were the case, the “ideal” might be to have one leg shorter than the other and at a particular ratio to the other.
So one can see from this that what is favorable is also flexible. The same process of random changes which caused what we consider to be beauty today also caused the things we consider to be defects. My nearsightedness or myopia, for example is usually considered a defect. Yet, I can think up a theoretical environment where it would be an advantage. When I remove my glasses and bring some specimen to within inches of my eyes I can see detail which others cannot. A world close-in where we had to differentiate between edible or poisonous plants based upon minute visual cues and no reason to look far would favor the nearsighted.
My myopia is neither right or wrong, it just is. Energy and time fretting over it is time and energy that could be used more beneficially. This is the thought process I used to navigate through the maze of this one tiny corner of the human experience. It has helped me and maybe it will benefit others as well.
August 3, 2014 The Coffeehouse Philosopher #25
UNDERSTANDING
I really did not ‘know’ who I was for most of my life. Indeed my understanding of Self is continuing to grow even now. If one observes their emotions and probes the source of each, one may find the point where a wave of misunderstanding is propagating from one’s distant history into the present moment.
Of all of the gifts which evolution (or ‘God’ if you must) has given us, “thought” is most significant. Other animals can run, jump, play, sleep, fight and procreate but of all life’s creatures we have as our strongest ability that of thought and reason. It follows then that as thinking entities, thought will provide our greatest return in life. It also follows that by utilizing thought we enhance the satisfaction we find in our more basic processes. As an example, in thinking about what we eat and we may discover a more healthy, enjoyable, long term practice instead of simply eating the first edible thing that happens along our path. In this case, thought enhances a basic impulse.
Most animals operate on impulse and only react to situations through instincts (analogous to our emotions). We have the ability to think through these emotions.
I personally am not ready to give up my positive animal based joys however at the least I can think through their processes. In doing so I might determine if a particular activity which I have been repeating is being true to the Self which I have determined that I am.
If I feel a slight or potential threat from another must I rush to an automatic response which has its root in a million plus year old wave or can I think through the situation and determine the response consistent with the Self I have decided that I flow from?
Substitute the “I” above with “we” or “our group” and determine if something like war is really necessary or unavoidable.
Laws are a crude attempt at civility and we tend to accept ‘culture’ over law.
Can we not become a culture of thinkers?
July 27, 2014 Coffeehouse Philosophy #24
Sunday – At home at the Villa Zee Zaw observing Tomas-the-cat for any reaction to starting her on insulin. I lost Pusscat to chronic kidney failure on June 1st and now this, my second oldest significant feline has been diagnosed with diabetes mellitus. The Doc says that this is not as serious as renal failure. We will just to the best we can. Since taking the photo she is awake now as I type this and eyeing longingly my eggs al Irish Cheddar, dried garlic, truffle and olive oil. This is paired with Urth Cafe’s Old Grandpa, their darkest roast done by Melitta Pour-over.
This Weeks Observations:
Some of us have minds historically trapped at various points in our understanding of and relationship with reality. This sounds at first like insanity but since reality is, a) flexible and b) a perception, maybe not so much upon further thought.
Our vision of self has been shaped by our perception of other’s perceptions of ourselves.
This reminds me of a quote I had heard some time ago:
“I am not who you think I am; I am not who I think I am; I am who I think you think I am” – Thomas Cooley, Inscriptions: Prairie Poetry
Thought Exercises:
If I was recently cloned, which one of us would be the real Peaceman4tja3?
Would I lament death as much with the knowledge that the younger “me” would continue after? Probably, since he is not me.
We would be identical genetically yet two separate and un-linked consciousnesses. Separate just like we are from each of the rest of humanity.
I am unique and separate compared to my theoretical clone because I cannot experience his thoughts directly or his precise perception of reality. Nor can he mine.
We are each Separate and each of us only experiences our own version of reality. That is why we want to continue and why we resist death. We do not want to think about a reality without us in it, to perceive of it.
Maybe in our trans-human future instead of uploading our individual consciousness into a new physical version of ourselves or into a separate cyberspace to cheat death we can be uploaded together into one mass expression of human consciousness.
If all were allowed one physical life after birth and then at death be uploaded into a common realm of pure information and energy…
Might we call that heaven?
With all of humanity thus linked together in a common continuum we could each experience a multitude of different consciousnesses.
After time had passed and we had experienced everyone else’s unique contribution to the unit maybe the unit would start behaving as a cohesive whole.
What might such an intelligent and knowledgeable entity be interested in pursuing?
Adding to its energy and information?
Battling entropy?
Escaping the Big Crunch?
Maybe an advanced and concentrated mass of intelligence and energy would operate outside of the ‘normal’ laws of physics, entropy-free. Maybe it can jump from universe to universe or even exist in a pre-universe, independent of a universe or possibly even Be a Universe.
Can it be that this is what our Universe is and we are part of its expression after it became nostalgic for physicality?
July 13, 2014 Coffeehouse & Villa Zee Zaw Thoughts #20/#4
It seems to me that at various periods of my life I have lived from different chambers of a flexible mind. The current chamber is telling me that if I really want to make a meaningful and positive contribution to society that I need to dedicate a major chunk of time to thought and writing. To do that I require a support system. Currently my support system and my thought and writing time are in competition for my attention. As either wins a greater share the other suffers. The paradox is that if my support system was advanced enough I would have the time to think and write all that I desire.
A recent revelation that I have had is that when there is a paradox or an unclear best choice, one should look for the most practical solution and get done what needs to be done.
For this reason I am going to have to put my writing and the pondering of the mysteries of the Universe and those of this human world on the “back burner” so to speak while I build my support system(business) to a more advanced state and a more self supporting entity. So my blog posting will at best now be more sporadic. I will still attempt to splice together the daily observations that I allow myself in between the practical business of building a business.
What follows are some observations I’ve had over the last few weeks:
6-30-2014
Do we have a choice of what we think about and how we think about it? Can we choose not to dwell upon painful, trivial or unproductive things? Can we recognize when limiting, incorrect or self defeating thoughts enter our consciousness? It seems to me that many people cannot do these things. Otherwise we would not have so many people exhibiting addictions or seeking help for psychological angst.
Rather than accepting the current imperfect system completely, embracing it and just “doing life” the best we can, I wonder if there might be a better way. Possibly some sort of a blend between acceptance, exploitation of the system and working to change it. Accept what currently is and exploit it to obtain our material needs. This will also create our desired local environment and time. Then with that liberated time, engage creatively in our life’s work which might be that of bettering humanity. Exploitation sounds harsh but it is what we all do in order to survive(think about a humming bird who exploits the facts that flowers contain nectar and that they happen to have a long tongue).
7-4-2014
Nature is a system that works and not for the benefit of any one organism. As we evolve non-biologically through technology, knowledge and understanding we are taking ourselves out of nature per se but that does not give us the right to take down what spawned us in the first place. If for no other reason than “it is”, nature should be left alone. However a practical reason to not sully this natural system with our inventions is that of an insurance policy, should we, this offshoot of life fail or be wiped out by some unforeseen circumstance. The theory is that the natural system of life, left to its own designs would again, eventually produce advanced intelligence.
7-11-2014
On the way to do some shopping I looked out the window and saw only the ugliness of a society mired in “put ’em up cheap” condos, a few types of mass industrially-cloned plants and prepackaged everything including our idols and heroes. Everything has been brought down to the lowest common denominator. It seems as if I am seeking authenticity where this is none.
In the stead of offering an education to everyone equally, the level of which is based upon ability, we doll it out based upon family wealth. To keep the masses from revolting we produce entertainment and cheap goods to keep them pacified.
Yes we all enjoy a rising standard of living but it withers in comparison to what it could be. Our progress is nothing compared to what it could be if people were allowed to rise to their individual innate abilities rather than have an education (or lack of) dictated by the ability of one’s recent ancestors to compete for position in a flawed society. I wonder how many would-be researchers or inventors are toiling away at menial tasks so they can purchase their processed food, plastic toys and worship the factory produced sports hero or entertainer du jour? What might they create if they had been exposed to other possibilities, possibilities which could drive their evolving interests from a young age and then educated based not on family income but on interest and ability?
I am anticipating what you are now thinking and maybe it goes something like this, “Ok, Peaceman, fine but we already know that things are not as they could be. What are you doing about it?” My hope is that before I check out of this system of matter that I will have left behind something that, even if only incrementally, furthers our quest for humanity’s improvement. I’ll certainly let you all know when the book is published.
Rest In Peace PussCat, 1996 – 6/1/2014
Date: June 28, 2014 The CoffeeHouse Philosopher #19
Krakatoa Coffee House 7:00a.m.
What if we are really infinite light-beings
Existing in a realm of energy and information
What some call quantum
Others say spiritual
And what if we each were granted but one physical life
To experience the sensate
With no User Manual
Nor knowledge of the fact
Once back home after entropy did its deed
Once they realized they’d blown their one chance
At a fully lived life
I bet there’d be a lot of pissed off light-beings
June 12, 2014 Coffeehouse Thoughts #18
This morning I am enjoying a double hammerhead at Cafe Moto made with Indo Noir and FT Espresso Moto for the espresso component.
If we boil everything down to its most basic form as far as our desires, goals and evolving intelligence goes – I wonder if all we can really hope to do is satisfy our animal impulses and leave something behind that increases order.
One is transitory and one is lasting.
May 27, 2014 Coffeehouse Thoughts #17
This continues the subject of my last two posts, that of our propensity to form groups. Spoiler Alert: If you have not read my last two posts you might want to go back and read them (don’t worry, they’re brief).
Group formation – is it necessary or even desirable?
It is time for a new paradigm. We only require one group, the human group (we can get more ambitious later and expand this to ‘all sentient life’ and beyond even but one inclusive group is going to be strongly resisted now so let us not get ahead of ourselves).
There are practical, even selfish reasons for not excluding people from ‘our group’. The first one is that chance only creates so many geniuses, artists, philosophers, inventors, et cetra. These forward thinkers are the ones who have initiated all of our progress and enhanced our experience. Why risk losing even one of these by excluding those from our group who don’t fit some arbitrary set of characteristics such as appearance or birth location?
Finally, practical reason #1: War is only possible after two or more groups have formed….Something to think about.
May 24, 2014 Coffeehouse Thoughts #16
I am sitting out under the large fig tree at Krakatoa on 25th avenue. There is a light mist coming down but I am shielded by the large leaves. It is a perfect coffee drinking and flannel shirt wearing morning. The sounds of Etta James, Sam Cooke and the Everly Brothers are wafting out through the screen door. As the house roast “Krakhead” gently pulls into the station of my mind I think again about yesterday’s post on Group Forming.
Groups – Do we still need them? Continued:
(Visit Coffeehouse Thoughts #15 for the beginning of this….)
Let us look now at our modern era. We have developed a system of society with rules of behavior through which we have attempted to put limits on our aggression and competitive urges. We have developed ‘right and wrong’.
Through our knowledge and technology we no longer must struggle to survive the environment or wild beasts. Feeding our group is no longer a challenge either. There are threats however. Are not some of our biggest threats today caused by the groups we have formed, the very structures which were designed for our protection? Must we still form groups? Group formation only serves to separate and exclude.
We have discovered that those members of the strong aggressive group can also be caregivers and that those formerly only allowed to provide care can be leaders. Do we still need to form these groups?
Our practice of identifying differences and using those to place individuals into categories only seems to limit and exclude. Is it necessary to categorize individuals at all, let alone by random characteristics such as: shade of skin, body appendages, chromosomal type or geographic origin?
The tendency to favor those close to us is still a part of our nature but technology is shrinking the globe. Is a person living in Nigeria for instance so different as to require membership in a different group than say a person living in Canada or the U.S. or Nicaragua? They both have parents and grandparents, both have dreams and aspirations. They even share the vast majority of their DNA sequence.
It seems to me that the modern reason we define groups (just like in our prehistory) is an attempt to “keep all the good stuff” for our group and/or to subjugate other groups. This brings us back to competition. We seem to look for differences in order to find someone to compete with. Is That Still Necessary?
May 23, 2014 Coffeehouse Thoughts #15
It has been way too long since my last post. The cares of life and the writing of my new book have consumed attention and energy.
This post has been building for well over a week and is getting quiet unwieldy so I’ve decided to break it up into installments. It is related to War and Peace (not the book but the actual practices) but this may not be apparent for a few installments. This process has taken place at some of my favorite San Diego coffee shops, the names of which you can see if you visit some of my past posts.
Groups – Do We Still Need Them?
We originally formed groups to protect those we cared the most about, those in close proximity to us. We did this because the resources we needed to thrive were challenging to obtain and there was competition from others, others who formed groups for the same reason.
About half the members of each group were quite aggressive due to their body chemistry which differed from that of the other half. This body chemistry also causes their muscles to respond to physical work by growing large and strong (a generalization of course). All groups seem to have these aggressive, physically strong members. In our early days these strong aggressive members were seen as protectors and the guardians of our food gathering area. The others were seen as caregivers and thus we formed our two most basic sub-groups within the group.
As humans evolved and evolved their society the main groups became more defined and separate. Different languages developed in order to maintain any advantage which was discovered (an encryption of communication essentially).
The sub-groups within the general groups became more strictly defined as well. The strong aggressive types became the leaders simply because they had the strength needed to subjugate the other sub-group. In other words, they could ‘have their way’ due to their strength and threat of force.
As aggression became more undesirable within a group these physically strong members made rules to protect what they saw as their birthright and keep the others out. For example, only they were allowed to be leaders. When religion was introduced, the Caregiver Group members were excluded from rank there as well.
The members of the Caregiver Group were just as intelligent and learned how to get along in the “system”. Their main goal was of course survival and getting the next generation raised to maturity.
This started our propensity to define differences and the exclusion of those different. This presumably went on from our prehistory and certainly into modern times.
The next installment will look at our modern era. Stay tuned……………….
May 2, 2014 Villa Zee Zaw Coffee Thoughts #3
6 a.m.
Doing a morning, home at Villa Zee Zaw is a welcome break in the routine. With some “Old Grandpa” roasted to the limits of darkness by Urth Cafe in my Wedgwood cup I’m ready for some thinking.
Does some amount of our angst spring from the belief that we are not living a life true to our Selves? We must all get along somehow in this society of humanity whether or not we consider the situation ideal or not. I tend to engage in thought experiments when I have a question.
In this case I think about a person who is isolated from others in the wild. Possibly he or she was separated from his or her parents at an early age without remembering them and somehow survived. This happened before she had a knowledge of how things are “supposed” to be. Would he experience an angst beyond that of the challenge of survival? She would not be bothered with our tendency of comparing ourselves to others. Nor would he be tormented as to why “God” had brought this or that challenge to his life.
Yes as a thinker she might still ponder existential questions. But without a language to think in or preconceived notions, would this thinking not be rather nebulous? He would experience joy at discovering a new patch of trees currently in fruit and maybe agitation at a quickly approaching storm on a cold day. What of living from his “true Self”. Would this be automatic?
He would not be required to fit into some mold that society had built. She would respond and adapt to whatever her environment brought. He would have no reason to ponder anything of a human construct such as a need for cosmetic surgery in order to compete with others. She would never have to wonder what she did to bring an experience of life she felt below her potential.
Environmental realities would simply be dealt with as they came. If it started to rain, “it just started to rain,” that it is it. If there are no trees in fruit he would possibly look for some mushrooms or roots. Without interaction with others there might be a void in his experience but there would be no thought of “WHY am I lonely?” since he would have no concept of community having grown up alone.
Maybe our angst springs more from the pondering of the WHY of our challenges rather than from the actual challenges….
April 30, 2014 Coffeehouse Thoughts #14
This line of thought started last Friday morning at Cafe Moto then after my workday transitioned to my one bier of the week at Hoffer’s in La Mesa where the “Lab Monkey” IPA by Monkey Paw mellowed the synaptic action a tad. It took three more coffeehouses to finish as “work” kept intervening: Monday at Santos Coffee House in North Park, Tuesday again at Cafe Moto and today finally at Rebecca’s Coffee House in South Park.
CONTENTMENT
Most of us go through our childhoods with various and evolving desires and interests. At this time we are also attempting to find “our” place in the world. This “place” will be where we might be able to earn a living and satisfy our desires. In the finding of this place we achieve a sort of balance. Ideally we will have been exposed to enough of the world to have figured out what our palate of talents is composed of. Then our talents get meshed with our desires and something significant happens.
For most of us there is a shaking out of desires. We figure out, for us, what is “practical” or “realistic” to desire in light of our perceived talents and appraisal of our abilities. Maybe we look around us to see if anyone in our immediate environment has achieved the things we desire. Eventually our desires are paired down to a small constellation that we base our expectations on. We leave childish dreams behind as fast fading memories and get on with life like the rest of those around us. We have settled.
We all have a role to play. Some are the butcher, the baker and the candle-stick maker. What of the outliers, those who are not content to settle into a prepackaged life that society has offered?
What of the others, such as the old woman who lives away from the center of town, in a shack next to the forest, a witch perhaps? Or rather a misunderstood resister of the norm. What of the young person who refused to be a farmer in a farming town and instead bounced from town to town until he or she finally succumbed to an alcohol induced dream-scape. Perhaps he had never heard of explorers, or writers or scientists for there were none in his town.
There are those of who refuse to “settle” even if it causes discomfort. Maybe we should accept that some are predisposed to unconventional urges and accept that these questioners, explorers, artists and seekers have a unique contribution to make to humanity. Perhaps it is they indeed who have driven society’s incremental advances. Perhaps we all have a bit of this questioning inside us but due to a palate of other attributes which society was attracted to, has gone fallow.
(I wonder what Stephen Hawking would be famous for today if he grew up being able to kick a soccer ball better than all his mates?)
April 23, 2014 Coffeehouse Thoughts #13
While sipping at a double hammerhead made from their house blend at Grant’s Marketplace in South Park I started thinking about our emotions.
Anger:
Isn’t it interesting how the expression of certain human emotions are considered acceptable and others are not? The driven business person, manager, drill instructor come to mind as those might “get away” with showing anger. If they however were to show a tear many would judge them harshly for ‘losing control’.
Rather than moving beyond emotions, most of us keep bottled up those deemed inappropriate. We still feel them inside. We just force a different outward expression. I imagine any psychologist will tell us that this is not a healthy way of dealing with angst. I imagine the most evolved way would be not to feel the angst in the first place. Maybe that is the ultimate goal but far from what most of us can achieve at this time. That should not stop us from working on the process though.
Let us remember that emotions served their purpose in our early history but are less and less effective as our technology, knowledge and understanding grow. We certainly do not want to give up ‘joy’ at this time but that is one of the dilemmas. What will motivate us way out in our transhuman future? Will we have to add a “joy factor” to our brains that will reward us when we explore, create or otherwise engage in the behaviors we deem valuable?
April 15, 2014 CoffeeHouse Thoughts #11
These thoughts started yesterday at Santos Coffee House and have continued this morning at Cafe Moto. Santos was a double hammerhead from French and Cafe Moto is a Fair Trade Double French with no need to hammerize it – wonderful: smoky, dark, deep, rich. I would call this a quintessential dark roast.
Creating Our Better Society
As we grow up in society we adapt our mental processes and behaviors to our surroundings. This is not the same as the way a species evolves over time under the influence of its environment. That takes many generations and is gradual process. We remember from our high school biology class that species do not change to survive, they survive because they happened to change.
Our species would continue to evolve as well if left to nature according to a changing environment but I’m writing this morning about something altogether different. We are malleable.
As we grow up if we encounter a dangerous environment our outlook and orientation will be much different than for someone who grew up in an ordered and friendly one. Just compare the outlook of someone who encountered only dilapidated buildings, arguments and violence with someone who progressed through expensive day-car, prep-school and on to a top level education.
Why am I bringing up something which seems so obvious? Well, eventually, way out in our transhuman and extropian future we will have solved this uneven distribution of resources. However I am concerned about the period of time between now and then. How do we get there from here? It presumably will happen in stages and for now we need to solve some very basic issues.
In order to get to a more utopian society I believe we need to get virtually everyone pulling towards the same goal. We are currently a civilization fractured into groups. Some struggle to just get by (for many reasons including those other than economic) others strive to change the whole world to one consistent with their vision and version of a god’s wishes. Others desire to simply jump up to a higher social rung while some are so focused on work that once they retire, they die thirteen months later (ask an insurance actuary).
I suspect that people practice hundreds maybe even thousands of religions throughout the world. Many of them think that their version is the only way to get to a mythical heaven.
We obviously still follow the survival adaptation to form groups even though we have removed most of the threats to our survival. It seems there is only threat from other groups which have formed for self-protection – a paradox.
So, what is our purpose? If it is no longer to simply survive ourselves and give the next generation its start, what shall it be? We certainly have no need to continue cranking out more and more copies of ourselves. What is left? Let us all think about this. We need a new statement of human purpose, a mission statement for humanity but how can we possibly all agree on one? Sadly I think it is going to take generations.
This subject is probably going to fill at least a whole book(or series of books) but let us start somewhere. A small amount at a time let the thinkers, philosophers, scholars, educators, poets, artists and anyone else who is able to see beyond the status quo to start to embrace: inclusiveness, fairness, justice, logic, reason, our Earth and a positive planned Future.
April 13, 2014 Coffeehouse Thoughts #10
With a healthy dose of Urth Caffe’s “Old Grandpa” in my cup I am ready to start my thoughts of the day.
Acceptance vs. Settling
It has been established that acceptance is a key concept in avoiding angst in our lives. It probably has something to do with a survival adaptation. Think about a monkey smallish in stature compared to the average of its troop. It probably makes sense to him to stop challenging the big alfa male. Accepting his situation and Settling for his current position equates to his survival.
We are of course the most advanced of the primates. We have moved beyond the precept of “the physically strongest shall rule”. There are so many layers to our civilization, that we can all contribute. We can not only “contribute” but can even achieve greatness through our use of intelligence, creativity and perseverance.
Acceptance plays an important role in our avoidance of stress and the achievement of happiness and contentment. However, we do not need to, nor should we “settle”. To me “settling” means to go beyond acceptance and give up on our Self-actualizing activity.
We all know that our society is not perfect or ideal. However most of us just settle for it and fit into some “good enough” cog in the machinery of society. Our civilization has made its sharply defined jumps or steps upward because certain individuals refused to settle for the status quo.
Who has done these things? The very famous such as Einstein, Lincoln, Aristotle, Newton, Pastuer, Curie, Gandhi and Mandela of course spring to mind. However there are many others who contributed to improving our society on other levels. I’m thinking of more unassuming folks who did not settle for what society had given them, whether it was their intention to make a grand contribution or not.
Not settling can be as simple as not giving up your seat on a bus when an unjust law dictates that you do so. Thank you Irene Morgan, Sarah Keys, Rosa Parks and others.
A healthy attitude is to accept the present moment as it is while striving to improve your experience. “Accepting” allows one to avoid negative emotions spurred by a present reality. This frees the mind for making plans and taking action to improve your personal world…..and ours.
April 12, 2014 San Diego Coffeehouse Thoughts #9
6:10a.m. I’m enjoying a “house” dbl hammerhead at Infux, Goldenhill this morning. Soon the oatmeal with apples and walnuts will arrive once the kitchen opens at 6:30. This gives the coffee a chance to upload first and enhance my mental processes. Later after I’ve burned up the calories provided by the porridge I’ll have the carrot muffin. I have time for but one observation this morning before I start other activities so I’ll get right to it.
The role of the philosopher
I’ve been thinking about job descriptions and was wondering how a philosopher might be described today. I’ve come up with an initial idea about this. What follows is version 1.0:
The philosopher is a person who’s contribution to humanity is that of opening eyes to potentiality and removing the veil of ignorance woven over centuries by those who would subjugate others for their own gain (or out of ignorance) including both secular and non-secular leaders, their followers, false sages and others.
I would love to hear from others who have their own ideas of the role of philosophers in our society….
April 8, 2014 San Diego Coffeehouse Thoughts #8
I’m at Cafe Moto in Barrio Logan this morning and they are pouring:
’62 Continental – “Dark roasted coffee blended for a stout cup”
Kenya AA – “a single chamba roasted full city to offer an intense aroma and acidic sweetness”
Moto Brew – “a full city roasted classic blend from 4 continents crates a balanced ad aromatic and delicious coffee”
I have 62 Continental in my mug and I am enjoying it. It is very dark with just a touch of fruit.
COFFEE INSPIRED THOUGHTS OF TODAY:
ORDER:
We all seek order in our life. There is a comfort in order, knowing that things are a certain way and can be counted on to continue.
The sun peers up over the horizon each morning
The moon shines down on you each evening
The mail arrives in the box at X:XX O’clock each day
If you get more education, you make more money
You treat people the way you want to be treated and receive the same.
Problems can arise from our perception of the order when one does not understand the nature of the order.
I must cut my coffee/thinking time short this morning. Hopefully I can revisit “Order” again soon…..
April 5, 2014 San Diego Coffeehouse Thoughts #7
This morning I’m at Rebecca’s Coffee House in South Park. I drove my 1950 Ford F2 which needs exercise every few weeks. It is a barn-find type truck in its “natural state”. ‘Natural state’ after sixty plus years means, ‘paint falling off’. I have however attended to all of its running gear which remains ‘correct’, ‘stock’, or as original. In other words she is still running her flat head straight six engine and crash-box 4-speed with a ‘granny first’.
I’ll get right to the meat of today’s coffee inspired thoughts:
EDUCATION – it is more than just reading-riteing-rithmatic (& computer science for that matter):
If we wish to solve our dilemmas and move positively into the future there are a number of things that we can do. Just one of them is education. I’m not thinking of the sort that cranks out people with focused technical knowledge although this is necessary. I am thinking about solving things that have plagued civilization since it began. Think about just one of these, say, war. If we wish to be a truly peaceful society why would we not teach a peace process in school? It does not need to be nor should not be religion based.
Possibly one reason is that we have no peace plan to teach. How do we solve this? Maybe start a reality competition? “American Idol Peace Plan Competition?”, “America’s Got Peace Plan?”, “Dancing with the Social Scientists?”. Yes, ridiculous and they will never happen. That was just a thought exercise to get our synapses limbered up.
Something more practical would be to link together all of the world’s scientists and scholars from fields as diverse as economics, psychology, physics and biology from every country. Tell them to “leave your ideology at home and bring your science”. Give their group autonomy and ask them to come up with a workable peace plan. This would be making use of the most brilliant minds in the world.
Then teach their plan in every school in the world and make this a part of our world culture. Yes, there will be enormous problems with the implementation with this. However we CAN do it.
April 4, 2014 San Diego Coffeehouse Thoughts #6
6:11a.m. @ Influx Golden Hill this morning enjoying a double hammerhead made from ‘house’ blend by Kate who always greets the customers with a “Hi how are you” and a smile.
Today’s Coffee Inspired Thoughts:
If I didn’t already have enough “irons in the fire” I started working (playing at) a knockoff of Friedrich Nietzsche’s “Thus Spoke Zarathustra”:
“…but we are animals so must we not exercise our animality at the least, occasionally in a matter which does not harm?” thus wrote Brianustra.
Say the ornate ones, “nay push out all that is animal. Embrace only that which we the true voice of God condones. Do our bidding, we who have set for ourselves the content life of telling the truth to you, those which need direction. You who were not chosen as we have been for enlightenment. But rejoice as we will guide you to the best existence for which you can hope. Here on the dirt and after in the spirit realm of he to whom and from whom all flows.”
“But hear me,” spoke Brianustra, “Can a god be, which requires anything; allegiance, prophets or proxies? A true god would ask for nothing as it would have perfect contentment in being.
“You object to ‘it’ as a depiction? But why would a god require the appendage of man if exists as one. So say you that woman and man were created by the supreme one. If indeed exists as one and none higher or even equal, animal parts, it not require.”
April 2, 2014 Villa Zee Zaw Coffee Philosophy #2
6:30a.m. – pouring rain in La Mesa and I happened to drive an old Mercedes home which had the hood removed for repairs. Since ignition systems and water don’t do well together I’ll do a morning at the Villa Zee Zaw (the antique house were I reside)
Straight to the Coffee Thoughts for today:
In our transhuman future I have some questions that probably need to be addressed. With our upgraded bodies, brains and indefinite life spans, what will motivate us? Presumably we would no longer need to exercise our evolutionary impulse to compete since we would have moved past our system of scarcity and competing within a society of equals probably has no point.
I think the answer lies in Exploration, Discovery and Creation. It is why writers write and artists create art, explorers explore and scientists seek answers. Having moved past the need to provide food and shelter for all and assure that our particular type of intelligence continues, we would all be free to seek truth.
This brings up a dilemma. What if everyone does not want to be upgraded to “Human 1.1” and beyond and to explore the currently unknown indefinitely? One scenario would be that the Extropian group would force upgrades upon all “for their own good and the good of all”. Another would be that those wishing to continue the way they are would simply be left behind; possibly isolated on some chosen planet where they can continue their warring and exclusive group forming ways. Maybe that has already happened somewhere in the Universe and the name of that planet is…………Earth?
Well, maybe that’s just the coffee talking…….
April 1, 2014 San Diego Coffeehouse Thoughts #5
I’m at Santos Coffee House in North Park this morning. It is easy to find for San Diego’s craft beer enthusiasts since it is basically right across the street from the Thorn St. Brewery. Santos has their regular roasts plus some that rotate each day. I try to come on Mondays since that is when they have the French from which Nicole makes my double hammerhead. The have a nice selection of pastries but I usually get one of their quiches. Today I chose a sun-dried tomato and goat cheese and I’ve also had their sausage and Parmesan and the spinach and feta. All are quite good.
I’m only here every few weeks or so but there are several regulars who are here most everyday. Bob J comes to mind since his forebears are Welsh as are a pair mine. He is also fond of cigars so occasionally outside on the patio there is the mild aroma of a lovely Dominican smoldering. This is an additional treat since I try to limit myself to about two cigars a week and usually on the weekend. There is plenty of indoor seating and there are usually three or four people lingering there as the “to-go” crowd comes and goes. Usually also, there are three or four dogs that come by with their owners and happily greet the outdoor guys.
Coffee Inspired Thoughts of the day:
Competition. I think I can write a whole book on this and some day I probably will, or at least a few chapters. We have evolved as a competitive species. Again, I’ve made a statement of the obvious, since ALL species are competitive. It is easy to test the validity of that statement. Just try blocking the sun out on one side of a plant and watch it grow towards the sunny side. It is why the trees of a dense forest grow so tall, they are in a race(competition) with each other for the sunshine. Starve your dog (I don’t really mean that) and he will probably eat your leather shoes (and eventually look at you and start to drool). It all started with a very simple organism which figured out a far easier method to gain the chemicals that it needed. No longer did it have to go around randomly sampling the environment searching for just the right building blocks needed to thrive and reproduce. All of those building blocks were already locked away in neat little bite size packets. Those packets are called “other life forms”.
And here we are today trying to make our yard look nicer than the neighbor’s and striving for our high school team to out compete the one across town. Of course it does not stop there. We are driven to competition for a mate, status, place in the company and finally for our country to achieve a higher standard of living than all the others.
Nature got us this far but nature’s competitive drive knows no bounds. There is no concept of “dirty pool” in nature nor of murder or theft. It is a system of ultimate competition. In moving our civilization away from pure nature we’ve made some basic rules about things such as murder and theft and that is a step.
Oh, there is one rule in nature regarding competition that I can think of at the moment, which is: “Do not become so efficient at eating that you eat every last one of your self-replicating food sources. If you do, your kind goes extinct.”
Back to Humans and my Final Caffeine Infused Thought:
I think future advanced civilizations will judge past ones based upon several criterion; a few of them relative to our Coffee Thoughts for today are:
Fairness
Respect of all life forms
Sustainability
Where did they set their limit of competition? Or even better, Did they evolve beyond the need for competition?
This last one is because a small but growing voice in the basement of my mind is telling me that there can be no lasting peace or continued advancement if individuals or groups are chosen for subjugation.
March 30, 2014 Villa Zee Zaw Coffee Philosophy #1
Last night after experiencing yet another wi-fi failure (trying to watch a vintage “Dr. Who”) I realized that I had a twinge of a feeling I had experienced as a child when things did not go my way. It is a feeling or pre-thought that somehow the whole world (our system and by extension, the Universe) was somehow against me. It is a feeling like there was a conspiracy against me. I was not consciously “thinking” that there was an actual mystical or supernatural force resolutely structured with the sole intent to foil anything I aspired to but that is how I felt. It was a feeling that I was somehow inferior to every other manifestation of the Universe.
This all made me think – whenever we experience angst or any negative emotion, some thought must have caused it. It might be an automatic thought, a sort of “jump to a conclusion”. We may not be conscious of the thought but we certainly feel the emotion that it evokes. It is this feeling which causes the distress (not to mention a likely body/brain chemistry shift).
Whenever a negative, defeating feeling occurs we must, if we wish to move forward and increase our level self actualization, become conscious of these automatic, programmed feelings, determine the underlying or hidden thought and repudiate it with reason and logic.
Back to my hidden belief that the entire Universe was my “Dr. Evil” – To think that one is so special, so significant that the whole Universe (an infinite system as far as we know or are concerned) would use its forces against one individual is a) presumptuous and b) ridiculous. The Universe is “equal opportunity”. It does not “care” about any particular individual.
My personal theory is that in its own way the Universe is actually “pulling for us”, pulling for all of humanity and all intelligence because this intelligence is its best hope for preserving order beyond the Big Crunch. This theory is a subject in itself and must be explored continually but is of an order of thought beyond that which I hoped to communicate in my little post on a home-coffee-day so I will rest it for now…
March 29, 2014 San Diego Coffeehouse Thoughts #4
I’m at Krakatoa this morning with my double krakhead made from French and sitting under the loquat tree on the patio. The branches of this tree are intermingled with those of a large-leaf fig and a pine. This makes for a very natural sunshade or “canopy” as us rain forest enthusiasts like to call it. Just over the fence is a line of green-culm small-medium bamboo which further insulates the place from the “city” outside. Facing 25th street a philodendron appears to be waving its enormous leaves at passersby but is actually aligning its photon arrays to the morning rays which are now just starting to stream in under the canopy, 7:00 a.m.
I was all prepared to write about anger this morning as my own, paired with frustration at wi-fi network failure last night had primed me for a grumpy mood and the ability to write from that perspective. This peaceful setting, the coffee slowly having its effect on my synapses and the thought of the wonchi (their egg sandwich) awaiting me has allowed the frustration to fall away and be replaced with introspection.
Coffee Inspired Thought of the day: “Anger Is Catching“:
I remember when I met my close companion some years ago, how accepting she was of the sensate reality around her. I like to think that I see things as they can be rather than accepting the way they are. While this is probably true, up until recently I did not work to change things for the better. If we are allowed to have an excuse, mine is that I felt powerless and ill suited to the task of changing the world for the better even if in a small way. What I did manage however was to express my discontent at every opportunity. Most people interpret this as complaining or even worse, whining.
Now I notice that she has become less accepting, easier to frustrate, easier to anger. Just when I am learning the benefits of accepting “What Is” while working to improve it, she has assumed some of my negative side (to be fair, her natural calm acceptance is still much superior to mine). Our environments shape us and I am part of her environment. More significant is that we are two adults who have demonstrated a malleability with our outlook. Think about a child growing up in an environment where the adults in her life, who she sees as all-powerful, attempt to solve their dilemmas with anger. If adults are malleable like a soft metal then children are like cookie dough just waiting to be shaped and baked – into adults.
See the world as you want others to see it.
March 28, 2014 San Diego Coffeehouse Thoughts #3
I’m at Influx Golden Hill this morning. Sipping at a single hammerhead made from their “House”. Usually anywhere I go I must drink the very darkest roast they are brewing so that must mean that their “house” is quite dark. A few years ago when I tried their “organic” or “dark” choices I found a taste profile that did not work for me. I find that I must shy away from anything described as, “notes of fruit, brightness, lively acidic, floral” or other terms which are more adjectivally creative than what our taste buds seem to be able to transmit. Coffee with the preceding flavor descriptions I usually just characterize as “sour” or “acrid”. To be fair, I drink it black. Folks who add other agents to their coffee may fine pleasure in the nuances created by the creatively described coffees.
I once bought some roasted beans from the company associated with the reality TV show, “Dangerous Grounds”. I admire their work but found the one coffee I tried to be undrinkable. That is until I re-roasted the beans to get them to an appropriate level of darkness for my taste. Now I’m not so advanced that I have my own roaster at home so I simply placed a layer of the beans on the tray in a toaster oven.
It worked great and the coffee was now wonderful for a few times until the day, confident in my process I walked away from the toaster only to return just in time to witness the whole machine bursting into flames. Well not only did the beans wind up past the limits of darkness but the coffee they produced had “notes” of electrical fire with “hints” of plastic (If only I could have brought myself to add milk and sugar I may have come up with the next coffee taste profile). The side benefit is that my twenty-year-old toaster oven has gained a “patina” consistent with about sixty years of use. I’m sure there is a hipster interior decorator who would love to get his hands on this now “period” piece.
Coffee Inspired Thoughts of the day:
I’m thinking this morning about anger and other negative emotions which had their usefulness in our evolutionary past and how we might move past them. Ideally we would be one cohesive group of intelligent beings unified by reason and a respect of all life and intelligence moving into the future. However even if everyone were to receive the same level of education enabled by an advanced humanity, emotions still would likely get in the way of a peaceful, efficient civilization.
The answer probably lies in accepting that natural evolution can only take us so far and embrace technology. A transhuman path is probably the only permanent solution to our warring ways. A nip or tuck to our emotional centers might finally free us from the chains of anger, distrust and a greater fondness for those close to us over those distant.
There is much more that must be thought about and written about and many more hammerheads be drunk to drive this. More to come…
March 28, 2014 San Diego Coffeehouse Thoughts #2
7:00 a.m. This morning started with the expectation of a nice work-from-home day. I would start with my Urth Caffe maximum dark roast “Old Gandpa” done by pour-over. The plan was, as usual, to sip at the luxurious dark brown liquid while I ponder the complexity of moving humanity into the future on a predetermined path which will improve the lot of all life forms while doing the bidding of the Universe in battling entropy. Simple but rewarding stuff.
I pre-warmed the Melita Carafe and ground the nearly coal black beans in a Titan conical burr grinder. As the 208 degree F filtered water slowly made the ground coffee rise and bloom I started to anticipate the taste and the inspiration which would follow. (I have a theory that a good, strong dark roast can increase one’s I.Q. by twenty or more points.) It was not to be however as I noticed that I had a text message awaiting me. Actually it had come in an hour and a half earlier.
It was from my most senior employee (we actually call him “senior”), the guy who opens up the shop. He was not going to be able to open up due to a rather severe cold. That meant that one of the other guys had already been waiting outside for half an hour.
After acknowledging the disappointment and apologizing to the Universe for a creative morning lost, I finished the pour-over. I then threw on some clothes, gathered up all of the items I needed to bring (especially my iPad in case I found any time away from the shop and I could steal a few minutes of writing) and headed out to my 1930’s carriage house to awaken the ’64 Fiat 1100d which was my chosen steed for the morning. With a slight pull of the choke she was nudged awake. I was so happy that her last owner and restorer, the piano tuner by trade, had installed the retractable shoulder belts. This, because my Melita carafe was safely secured on the passenger seat next to me. I was awake now since I did manage to pour down a light green Wedgwood cup full of the black inspiration while I dressed.
I detest rush hour. This is why, when I plan to go into the office I leave the house at approximately ten minutes before 6 o’clock. This is the window that I have determined gives the most unencumbered drive from La Mesa to downtown. I was far outside that window this morning. I tend to drive a bit too fast and the positive note here is that the Fiat, with her 1100cc engine allows (forces) me to slow down. I can just sit in the number thee lane and motor along with the flow rather than attempt to exploit any gap in traffic. As it turned out even the Fiat was too fast for this morning’s traffic flow.
I opened the shop, took care of some business and once the rest of the staff was in decided to resume my work-at-home day. I started to look forward to the afternoon coffee when I would abandon work and get back to thoughts and writing. I would sit at the wooden table under the trees in the rather unkept (I call it natural) area near the center of my two acres of heaven-in-La Mesa.
I tucked the Fiat away, resumed work and was counting down the minutes to about 3 o’clock when I would start my creative afternoon period. Phone rings. It seems a maiden has a Mercedes battery in distress. Damn. It is “don my shiny amour and mount the white steed and go forth and do great deeds”. Well I do not have a horse, white or otherwise so my ’62 British Ford Cortina will have to do even though she is lime green. Jumper cables in the boot I row the 4 speed column shift and use all of her 1200 cubes to keep up in the number 2 lane on the way to La Jolla.
I can see the headlines now on the Bing search page, “fifty-five year old Brit breaths life into hot twenty-seven year old German”. Well, it was all worthwhile, a minor adventure and in the grand scheme of things the Universe only lost one creative day out of hundreds of billions, maybe hundreds of trillions.
There is always tomorrow and I’m already thinking about which coffeehouse to haunt…
March 27, 2014 San Diego Coffeehouse Thoughts #1
It is 6:15 a.m. and I am at Cafe Moto in Barrio Logan. Bob Marley’s “One Love” is playing and a drizzly rain is dusting the sidewalk out front. I have their Double French roast in my insulated mug. This is today’s darkest choice of drip and it is lovely. I didn’t even need to hammerhead’ize it. It is deep, dark and rich. The other drip choices today are Peru “12 Apostles” and Moto Brew ascending in darkness. The espresso choices are Viennese Blend and FT Organic Ethiopian Yirgacheffe. Pour over choices today are Costa Rica, Sumatra Ketiara and 62 Continental.
I exercised my old Porsche with the hot rodded but matching case engine on the way here. It is fun I but could not really stretch its legs due to congested traffic.
Today’s Coffee influenced philosophical thought:
“In youth most of us rebel against the system in one way or another. I wonder if this would still be true if the “system” was more ideal for more people: more flexible, fair, just and adhering to the rules of logic and reason?”
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