h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

This post is for Amanda [a.k.a. maniac1701d]. My previous post, calling God-believing people "Dumb F*cks", was meant to be somewhat humorous. i apologize if i came across as something of an @sshole. i tend to throw in humor to make things more interesting. Of course, i don't think religiousity makes someone stupid. And, i, too, know a lot of people who are considered very intelligent and who are very successful in life globally who are very religious.

And, i totally agree with you about letting them believe in God. in fact, i've always felt that believing in God was very advantageous and sometimes wonder if i'd be better off believing in God, too.

And, i totally get your point about being open-minded about beliefs. that's why i'm not a pure atheist.

About the Big Bang and wondering what stuff went "Bang", i can understand how this seems to be a conundrum and how this might seem to require as much "blind faith" as believing in God. Without going into details right now, i can try to explain my take on it relatively briefly here:

i believe that our human minds work in ways that lead to many illusions and mind tricks. we draw analogies from the only "reality" we can comprehend, which is our everyday world. regarding the Big Bang, we draw from our own experiences that anything that exists must come from something else [eg, there must be TNT that goes Bang]. so, we believe that something must have existed that went Bang and led to our universe. i believe that this is faulty thinking. i tend to emphasize the limits of the human mind and the way it works. my personal view is that all we can say is that if we go back sufficiently in time, then it seems as if there was a time = zero when the volume of everything that exists today was essentially zero. furthermore, time = zero was the beginning of time itself, as time is a component of our universe. therefore, we cannot think of the big bang as an explosion like that of a bomb on earth. time did not pass and then, BANG! the universe appeared, because time did not exist until after the Bang. even trying to think about it surpasses my own intellectual capabilities and imagination. i cannot imagine the big bang because it is so unlike anything i or anybody else has experienced, so analogies cannot be drawn to try to understand it. despite this, i feel no need whatsoever to draw a cause-->effect analogy to the origin of the universe and invoke the presence of a "God" that caused the Big Bang. i am more inclined to believe that the Universe came out of nothing. this sounds absurd, but only because in our everyday life, things don't seem to come out of nothing. but this does not mean that this concept is universally preposterous.

i hope you found this somewhat interesting.



Petey

I forgive you for your comments.
You could send yourself mad trying to comprehend the begginings of the universe.
It is probably better to just live your life as best you can and not ponder on the un-provable. (is that a word?)

Take care

Amanda

i think i spend most of my time and energy thinking about things that are totally irrelevant to my everyday life AND completely "unprovable". but, it's fascinating! and it's fun to talk to others who like to talk about it.
maybe, i should connect myself more to "normal" life

Normal? What is normal?

I'm using this definition of "normal":
a. conforming with or adhering to a norm, standard, pattern, or type
b. typical

If i use the general population around me to establish the "norm", i would say that i'm quite Atypical. i do admit that figuring out what is "normal" here is a bit difficult because i live in Rochester, MN. i'm a psych resident at the Mayo clinic and the doctors live quite different lives than the masses of farmers in the area [rural SE Minnesota]. i would say that, even if i use the Mayo doctor population as the "norm", i'm still atypical. i spend more time as an outside observer of humanity. distant and detached. i find myself focusing on the absurdity of life in general.

i tend to be isolative, but i'm getting more social. i've always been shy. it's partially genetic and partially my upbringing. perhaps, sometime in the future, when i get caught up in "life" more and become more of a participant than just an observer, then i will lose sight of the absurdity of it all and just live life like most people do. i threw the sheep in for you and this is for me.

Peter

Thanks for the .
The general population around me is Definitely not normal.
I would not consider myself normal. I don't think many people do really.
Everyone has something about them which sets them apart from others.
I tend to be a little isolated as well, but the h2g2 site has introduced me to a whole new social scene.
Soon the term normal will be outdated I feel.

Amanda

my take is that we all have these preconceptions of what "normal" is. part of this is based on the media. you are absolutely right in that everybody is different and that there isn't a "90% of the populatoin" that has these cookie cutter lives. i believe that to be weird is to be normal and to be normal is to be weird. that kinda makes my job difficult sometimes being a psychiatrist. everything in psychiatry revolves on what is normal and what is not. and "normal" is often artificial. just a fabrication.
some things that put me in the abnormal category are: i don't drink, i've never used marijuana, i don't believe in god, i am totally interested in the universe, i love ST TNG, i'm into bodybuilding, i think schwarzenegger totally rocks.

How Bizzare.
I do not drink, I have never done any drug, I love ST TNG, and I work out almost every day.
The only thing I do not like is Arnold S. Well, it's not that I dont like him, I do not see him as anything special.
If there are more like us, then we could be considered normal after all.

that's awesome! i've found it quite difficult to find another human who [1] doesn't drink EtOH [2] has never used any drug [3] loves ST:TNG [4] is a workout fanatic [5] likes astronomy
hey, do you also [6] love Eurodance and [7] prefer metal and glass furniture over wood?

So, what kind of exercise are you into? i personally have always been into weight lifting. i'd say i'm relatively "gifted" in that department [at the risk of sounding narcissistic, i'm about 210 lbs with a low enough bodyfat % to have well-defined abs, serratus, intercostals, obliques. plus, i have a pretty good overall skeletal structure, in terms of shape and proportion. i'm around 5' 11"]. i also like to run to prevent a heart attack in my 30's [like my dad].

well, gotta go now. i'm on my way home [6 hour drive] to visit my parents for a week.

have fun!

Peter

Eurodance? erm... nope.
My taste in furniture can not really be defined.
As long as it serves a purpose, I don't mind. (ooh that rhymes)
I visit the gym and run for about 30 mins to keep my and lungs in shape.
I also like to work on my abs, but to look at me you would not think so.
I have an over enthusiastic stomach region. I am not fat, I affectionately refer to my middle region as flabby.
My legs are my best feature. Nicely toned.
I will stop before I start to sound like I want to marry you or something.
Have a good week.

Amanda

You don't by any chance favour McDonalds to Burger King do ya?

amanda,

just wanted to jot down something in the 30 seconds that my mom will give me before i have to run off and do something.
anyways, i forgive you for not hating wood furniture, but not loving Eurodance? hmm... that'll take awhile to get over.
about your overenthusiastic mid section, believe it or not, i DON'T DIG a six pack on women. ugh!
and about your legs that's petey's fave female bodypart. boobs are optional.
about fast food joints, i won't lie, i think McD's burgers suck ass totally fries are ok. i think BK's burgers [FLAME BROILED!] beat McD's hands down... perhaps, part of my bias has to do with the fact that i've worked at McDonalds before, so i know about all the behind the scenes stuff that could be construed as gross

have a good week!
i might write later this week if i can hijack a computer again. no internet access at my parent's house.



Peter

1. You don't like Eurodance? No way! Are you human? i thought that the human brain is hard-wired to get high on Eurodance. Now, i have to send you one of my "F*cking Kick a$$ Eurodance" mix tapes...
2. about furniture, do you have the same idea about cars? just as long as you get from point A to point B?
3. that's pretty cool that you run 30 minutes/day. it'd be even cooler if you pumped some iron, too.
4. About your "nicely toned" legs, hearing that's enough to make me do this
5. how old are you now? your bio says "25" but how long ago was that?
6. do you ever get sick of the monotony of life? day in and day out...
7. do you like the phrase "C'est La Vie"?
8. Have you ever thought about the probability/possibility of a catastrophic collision of an asteroid with Earth?
9. Did you know that Halley's Comet is shaped like twin peaked mountains?
10. Do you like pizza? goddammit! there's no smily for "pizza"!
son of a bitch!

take it easy!

Peter

Hi mate.

"1. You don't like Eurodance? No way! Are you human? "
I say I don't like it but the truth is I am not really familiar with it, so I might like it after all.

"2. about furniture, do you have the same idea about cars? "
I do. I used to drive this nasty yellow Nova, I now have a slightly more tasteful effort, but yes, as long as it gets me where I wanna go, who cares.

I do pump a little iron. Just enough to tone my arms.

When I wrote my bio I was 25, that was last week.

". do you ever get sick of the monotony of life? "
Fortunately my life is far from monotonous. I have an really cool job which I love. and a part time job as well. No two days are the same.

Cest la vie, can take it or leave it.

8, The collision thing. Yes, how interesting.
Imagine what it would be like. Worldwide panic, people turning on each other in a fight for survival.
It would be like Deep Impact. (Made me cry).

I did not know that Haley's comet was mountain shaped, no.

I LOVE PIZZA. Peoporoni. Tomatoe, lots of cheese and extra cheese. I like pineapple sometimes.

I hope the above answers your queries.

1. I knew it! Eurodance can stimulate the VTA --> Nucleus Accumbens pleasure pathways like no other music. i shit you not! you HAVE to listen to it.
2. i have a silver VW New Beetle. some folks think it looks gay, but at least i don't "gayify" it, you know, by putting something like "Bzzzzz" on the license plate and keeping a fresh flower on the dashboard vase...
3. have you ever heard of Temple Gym? The reigning Mr Olympia from 1990 to 1997-ish was Dorian Yates, a british dude. freakish guy.
4. so, you were 25 a week ago? cool, that makes you 5 years younger than me.
5. what are your 2 jobs?
6. about the collision, i think i'd rather be hit on the head by the asteroid, just to get it over with nice and quick...
7. i just found out about Halley's comet. somebody thought it looked like a mad sheep's head. i personally think it looks like a pair of nice [very large] boobs, but, i don't think that the astronomy community would go along with that.
8. i LOVE pizza, too. chicago deep dish. btw, is that how you spell it "peoporoni"? we spell it "pepperoni".
9. ever watch "trigger happy TV"? it's hilarious!
10. if you had 1 month to live, would you go out with a bang [take all the drugs you can get your hands on: crack cocaine, etc...]?

petey out!

I have a Metalic Green Peugeot 106.
Temple Gym? Who?
I was 25 a week ago, and erm.. ages ago. I am 26 in May.
I work as a teaching assistant at a school in the day and as a Adult education manager at night. Supervising and doing all the crap admin stuff.
Hit on the head with an asteroid? No thanks, I would at least like to see it coming down and see it hit.
Peoperoni was a typo. We spell it as you do.
Trigger Happy TV makes me mad. Although the one where he has the giant phone makes me laugh. Oh, and where he collapses in front of a celebrate.
If I had one month to live, I dunno what I would do.
I would not take any drugs. Don't see the point. I would probably do all the things I have never had the guts to do before. Like jump out of an aeroplane (with a parachute of course).
I would go to places I always wanted to and go and see loads of friends and relatives and spend all my money on bad things like Burgers and sweets and chocolates and cakes and stuff.

1. what the hell is a Peugeot 106?
2. here's dorian yates, but before you click on the link, i suggest you pre-medicate with some zofran [anti-emetic]
http://www.darkwoods.net/bodybuilder/male/bb/gallery/fullsize/yates12.jpg
3. i wish i was a teacher, instead of listening to crazy people all day long, although the words "administration" and "manager" strike fear in my heart.
4. "I would at least like to see it coming down and see it hit."
after more thought on the matter, i think i'd also at least want to enjoy the spectacular view of a gigantic pale blue ball coming down to destroy humanity..., but i'd like to be caught in the blast wave so as to be instantly incinerated upon contact... the whole ensuing anarchy thing doesn't sound like fun to me.
5. "Trigger Happy TV makes me mad." why so? b/c it's so damn stupid? i like the ones where they dress up as giant stuffed animals and fight and stuff... hey, do you watch south park?
6. "If I had one month to live, I dunno what I would do.
I would not take any drugs. Don't see the point."
how about intense pleasure? for a whole month until you die?
"and spend all my money on bad things like Burgers and sweets and chocolates and cakes and stuff."
so, you'd get really fat and then die? that's funny probably prematurely from a heart attack or something, huh?
ya think you'd suddenly believe in God? like some old folks...

Petey out!

A peugeot 106 is a nice little car. Where are you in the world anyway?

I love South Park. Cartman is my favourite. He is soooo funny.

Who cares if you get fat and die of a heart attack. At least it might be quick so you would not have to suffer a lingering death from whatever it was that was killing you in the first place.

Amanda out

i think i'm in Hell, but i'm not sure. my address reads Rochester, Minnesota. it's in the north central part of the United States, just under Canada. i'm at the world famous mayo clinic [WAY over-rated, btw]

you love south park? KICK ASS! [as cartman says]. holy crap! if you love south park, then i you CARTMAN's MY favorite, too! he kills me, he's so freaking hysterical!
and i love the episodes that totally trash God, religion, and spiritual and supernatural stuff.
i agree about getting fat or whatever the hell you wanna do if you're about to die... for me, crack cocaine would probably be the way to go... that and a lot of sex...

ok, NOW petey's gotta go home to spend time with mommy.
Petey out! [for today, at least].

"i'm at the world famous mayo clinic [WAY over-rated, btw]"
Never heard of it.

I like the southpark movie. Very funny!

I did not realise you were a deppresion sufferer as well. There are fat too many of us about!

Amanda Out.

Last entry should have read, "Far too many of us about" not Fat.