I have been recently flirting with some of the “pessimistic” philosophers to see what they have to say on things. They are, after all, given such short shrift that what they have to say must be important. Two particular tomes have become especially close to me. The first is The Conspiracy Against the Human Race [...]
By: Barry Belmont
28Sep09
Analog Dilemma: Dr. Pourhritch
By: Barry Belmont
Turns out I’m going to be doing these every other week, as work, school, the elements of chance and fate, and the incapacity to be creative on a weekly basis have come together in a maelstrom of non-posting. Situation: Dr. Pourhritch was perhaps the greatness social engineer to have ever lived, of this there can [...]
By: Barry Belmont
Situation: You finally got what you want, you crazy libertarians, euthanasia is now legal. It’s legal and it’s regulated: they’ve got commissions, documents to sign, lawyers that need to be contacted, senators who bring up minutiae concerning the when, where, and how of the whole procedure, and about every hurtle you could throw at it [...]
By: Barry Belmont
Situation: Two lovers in a park. Children swing on swing sets, others play with their dogs. Parents look on. Two lovers on a bench in a park. A public park where all are allowed in. A couple of “bums” (they are homeless, however, the current vernacular labels them as bums) are digging through a trash [...]
By: Barry Belmont
Situation: Evolution is a true theory. Homeotherapy is pointless. There are no UFOs. Man has landed on the moon. One man shot JFK. There is no 9/11 conspiracy, just psychopaths and heart break. There are no psychic phenomenon. Ghosts aren’t real. Tarot cards is an expensive form of Uno. Dianetics is pointless and harmful. As are [...]
10Aug09
Analog Dilemma: Skin Fashions
By: Barry Belmont
Situation: It’s all the rage. Skin. Human skin. Being worn by people, not their owners. I believe it started with hand skin gloves shown at an underground New York fashion show last winter, though many contend it was a chest vest from Dolce & Gabbana’s spring line that started the trend. In any case, it’s [...]
3Aug09
Analog Dilemma: Pain
By: Barry Belmont
Situation: The world no longer experiences pain. Stub your toe, skin your knee, bump your head. You won’t feel anything close to what you would have called pain. You’re also pretty sure the world doesn’t experience anything akin to the normal psychological pain it once did. Threats of violence seem laughably impotent. This is because [...]
By: John Russell
Although this response does not encompass the (count it) 20 questions asked in the previous analog discussion, I hope to give my opinion on the matter of animal rights. As Americans, we have inherited a certain expectation of equality under the law where no man/woman/president/policeman are neither above nor exempt from its rule. Also known [...]
27Jul09
Analog Dilemma: Animal Rights
By: Barry Belmont
I have decided to start a weekly series involving certain situations that involve philosophical, moral, or logical dilemmas, riddles, or puzzles pertaining to many facets of life that many of us have either brushed by the wayside in our never ending search for the truth or simply ignored altogether. These situations or parables or stories [...]
