Miscellaneous Random
Wisdom and doubt
Here’s a Bertrand Russell quote for you today:
The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts.
It’s kind of an analog to the “The more I know the more I realize how much I have to learn” saying. If you’re completely sure of your position or knowledge about something, you’re likely to be completely wrong and end up looking like a fool. The universe seems to revel in irony, and will eventually teach you a harsh lesson.
S-M-R-T
Today’s frivilous lawsuit is brought to you by a moronic student from the University of Kent who pagiarized his papers and eventually got caught. His absurd argument goes like this: “I’ve been plagiarizing my papers for my whole time here. I should have been caught earlier and told it was a problem. But since they didn’t, they shouldn’t just send me away from school this close to graduation.” Amazing.
I wonder if serial killers use this same logic? Clearly, the more you get away with something, the less you should be penalized when you finally get caught.
By no means am I equating stealing academic papers and murder. But come on! You’re an English student! Your entire major is some combination of reading and writing. Do you think it’s fair that you should get a degree when you’ve admitted to only doing half the work? And don’t fake it: you knew it was wrong to plagiarize. Nobody has to explain this, although I’m sure they did repeatedly (all my profs did in every class). Suck it up, kid: you did wrong and there is a cost.
Wise words
I just read this passage from Bjórn Lomborg’s The Skeptical Environmentalist:
Legend has it that when someone remarked to Voltaire, “life is hard,” he retorted, “compared to what?”
Nice. Deep, and funny.
Little Hooters
Thank God for people like this who put out a little effort and fix insanely stupid things in their communities. Did it take a giant government and more non-sensical laws that steal our freedoms? No. It just took an upset parent and a couple of phone calls to reign in this stupidity. Kudos for watching out for your own.
Pat on the head
In today’s litigious America, it’s good to see judges being recognized for acting as gatekeepers on the legal system. Since so many people seem to lack common sense and will sue over anything, we really need men and women on the bench that will tell these people to take a hike and stop wasting taxpayer money. Kudos!
Dead zone
The log of a woman riding her motorcycle through the Chernobyl disaster area is about the most interesting and disturbing thing I’ve read on the internet in a while. A part of the USSR frozen in time. Pictures of lives interrupted and abandoned taken in recognizably modern cities turned into ghost towns. All in a region that will still silently and mercilously destroy the structure of your body. Amazing.
Indecipherable “news”
What do you get if you combine absurdist comedy with real news? Why, ScrappleFace, of course. As a fan and frequent user of sarcasm, absurdism, and hyperbole I’m happy to see this site exists.
Should I care?
I haven’t decided if the makers of moronic t-shirts should be held responsible for the idiots who wear them. My bro-in-law thinks so. I gotta say, as clothing goes, this is pretty irresponsible.
What year is it?
Wow. Turkmenistan is banning beards? Haven’t leaders learned anything? Look around! Fully grown adults resent this sort of thing, and will resent the makers of such laws. Want to foster unrest? Be sure to tell your people how to shave. Or dress. Or talk. If people can’t feel in control of the trivial parts of their life, they quickly become cranky. With crap like this, might Turkmenistan be on its way to being the next messy middle-east problem?
Uncontrolled giggling
Ok, so, Tim pointed me to this fantastic site. It has really changed my life… Pffft. No, no seriously. Snort. I mean, this guy has real insight. Did you know that UPC codes are the mark of the devil? It’s right there. Chortle. On the internet! And, I know this is a shocker, but it turns out that Santa is an anagram of Satan! Gasp. This guy meticulously researched that this is true! And, fortunately he also takes on thost blasphemers who postulated about what Jesus might drive.
I know, I shouldn’t make fun of people who are well meaning. It’s cruel. So I’ll stop. Just read the site. I don’t have to do any mocking, he does it himself.
