Four more months! Four more months!

I got to watch some of the RNC last night.
I can never think about politics without considering philosophy, which makes it difficult to talk about politics. I firmly believe that we need more philosophy in the world. Not more philosophers, I'm not advocating a Platonic Republic of philosopher kings, but better thought; better processes.

For example, what percentage of people (let's say Americans) do you think believe as a matter of principle that taking the life of another human being is morally wrong?

I suspect that most people would view their own personal ethical systems as being absolute--either Deontologically or Divinity based. They would say that they know the difference between right and wrong. They would say that right is always right, wrong is always wrong and there is a clear difference between the two. That's what they think they believe. But in fact, most people are Egoists or at best Utilitarians, whose view of right and wrong is pliable depending on cirumstance or individual interests.

Really, I don't even think most people would engage in the kind of intellectual rigor that Utilitarianism requires, so most people are essentially moral hypocrites.

Now, it doesn't concern me too much what people do, that is, how they behave. What I'm concerned with is how they think. But, if you're a Utilitarian or a willful Egoist and that's your normative approach to the world, that's fine.

I'm opposed to the death penalty. If someone asks me why, I don't respond with a moral argument. I don't say "because it is wrong to take the life of a human being," because people don't really believe that--it won't make a convincing argument. If you believe it is morally wrong to commit murder and morally acceptable to execute the murderer, you are operating under a different set of moral principles than I am. You're probably operating under a different ethical system, which is fine.

What troubles me are the people who behave like Egoists, think like Utilitarians and talk like Divine Commandists.
That is what I find so disheartening about our political discourse. There are so many people who hold political beliefs that do not seem to be deduced from the moral principles they would claim to espouse.

You know the Olympics are coming to an end when Synchronized Swimming and Rhythmic Gymnastics are on the broadcast schedule. I guess NBC finally ran out of Beach Volleyball matches. Which is good, because I don't want any more reinforcement for my irrational infatuation with Kerri Walsh. Although, I still wish I were taller.

By the way, Friday was "Founder's Day."
On August 27, 1907 Jim Casey and his brother George launched an elaborate conspiracy to ruin my life.

Speaking of which, I'm required to take some days off of work in the coming weeks. Part of the reason I haven't taken what are apparently my "required" off days is that I don't really have anything to do. So feel free to suggest or even schedule some activities for me. I could actually take an entire week off. Maybe I'll take a surprise excursion somewhere.

Alright, while the Olympics were on Tv the other day, I was jarred back to consciousness by the surprising sound of a familiar song. There's a VW Taureg Tv ad (which I could not find online) that uses the song "Ariel Ramirez" by Richard Buckner as its audio backdrop. This was a strange experience for me because I don't think I've ever heard a Richard Buckner song anywhere except coming out of my own speakers (the guy doesn't even have a record deal anymore).

And so I've come to realize that I despise NBC's Olympic coverage. That sour Tv aftertate is part of what makes the Olympics less of a tasty treat. But the positives for Olympic coverage are that it's on at 3am and the it's sports. I like having sports on Tv, because genearally I can decide what degree of engagement my viewing will have. A sitcom or a drama has to be focused on for the right effect to be acheived. But, sports can be ignored without losing the plot. The same is true with news. I could have CNN or even better C-Span on Tv all day. It would always be there, yet I would never have to actually watch it.

What? I have a blog?

Why didn't anyone tell me?

Olympics, baby! Booyah!

Oh wait, I don't care.

I got this bumper sticker in the mail yesterday:


Along with a letter thanking me for my support of the Republican Party and asking me to donate $1000 to the RNC. I also received, in a separate mailing on the same day, a Republican polling questionnaire. This is not the first time I've received correspondence from the RNC. I've never donated money to any party or candidate, so I wonder how this has happened. It's possible that I may be registered to vote as a Republican, I really don't know. Whatever the cause I don't want it to stop. I find this to be thoroughly amusing. I might even donate some money if that is what it takes to keep me in the loop.

Now, I have to find a place for my W'04 sticker.

"I'm dead, bitch!"

I always hate the way rain looks in movies because it has no subtlety, no variation. It's always a downpour that doesn't relent. So I must have been driving through a movie shoot last night with people throwing buckets of water onto my windshield.

I was assigned to a new work area on Monday.
The result:
Monday - 194
Tuesday - 280

It only took me one day to turn the place around.
Although credit is probably due more to this company and their customers than to my operational skills.

Also, this article is an example of how supply side economics doesn't do so effectively what it's proponents claim it does.