Please note that this journal is semi-friends locked.

[eucleia]

Edit: Urgh. Why does flagcounter keep resetting my counters? Gundamnit...

Comments

Posted this at LJ - but then deleted it. Thought it'd be better sending it privately.

[geelady.livejournal.com]

This may sound odd, but you're my first!
The first physicist I have ever "met" and spoken to at length (other than my High School/college science teachers).
So I will probably ramble on a bit here since, although I have some wonderful friends, as the only writer among them, I know almost no one who finds this stuff (philosophy, science, people, etc) as fascinating as I do.
What's after death? I can only speculate. Perhaps all things made of matter were not the first things in existence, even before the Big Bang. Stands to reason if a thing exists without any physical form, then no physical universe would be required for it (God or angels).
Sagan postulated a two dimensional universe (or he built on others' postulations), how about one with a single dimension? Or none at all (as we understand it)?
I certainly think it is more reasonable to consider that, if God and angels do exist, then they were here far ahead of anything else. This idea is preferable to me than the generally accepted Christian et. al. concept that God made "the heavens, the earth" and then the people - only to turn them all into angels after they die no matter how wicked they've been or even if they don't want to become an angel.
The immortality of the soul idea, and not actually a biblical idea, is also a concept with which I disagree. Are we physical creatures or aren't we? If we are, how could a physical body "contain" something non-physical? And if there is a non-physical soul, why in the world would it need to be confined to a physical body for any length of time in the first place?
I detest lazy religion.

Even their religious teachers don't really believe all this "Grandma's in heaven now, Suzie." stuff.
What priest hasn't "sent" even a gross sinner to heaven? Ever been to a funeral where someone was sent the other way? Me neither.
But since I obviously cannot confirm or refute any concept of spirit beings (other than what my eyes, mind, reasonable thought or proved science will support), for now I'm in a holding pattern.
Though I tend towards a belief in God, I also have grave doubts as to any particular religions personal edicts on God's actions (or presumed lack there-of). Until a few very serious things can be reasonably explained to me with reasonable evidence to support it, I shall hold my tongue.

The Janele character, yes. Sad as it is, I've encountered people like her. The only way they stay interested in life is to incite drama or conflict. They matter only if they can be the eye of a shit-storm; stir up misery for others or exact whatever just desserts they believe is due them.
Amazing how few people sit down and examine their own motives for the screwed-up things they repeatedly do to themselves and others.
It is hard to change, but all you really need (I agree with House on this) is a little more reason and whole lot less emotion.
Years ago there was an HIV positive man who traveled through Canada (can't recall where he was from), but he deliberately slept with dozens of women for the purpose of infecting them.
Power trip? Attempted murder in my opinion. (they did catch him).

also...:^)

[geelady.livejournal.com]

One other thing wholly off-topic:
I am for certain more right-brain than left, though I find numbers and math a hauntingly seductive field of study.
As a physicist, I can only assume the ins and outs of mathematics is a subject you must be deeply familiar with; one you must need to make use of regularly.

My problem: my attempts over the years (I'm 46), to wrap my head around this subject have proved less than successful.
Yet give me week to myself, free and unfettered, and I will write you a novel without scribbling down a single note or missing nary a beat in rhythm, flow, continuity - I "see" the action, the words, the expressions, I "feel" the characters emotions, I am inside their heads and am part of the scenery also. I can write the thing forwards, backwards, with half my brain tied behind me.
But anything beyond simple fractions defeat me.
How can this be?
Is there any method you know of that can get these concepts across to a brain that works like mine does? How do I explain how my writer's brain works? Hmmm.
A jigsaw "novel" in pieces. They can spin around me in a disorganized, unrecognizable mess, but then I pluck them out of the air alone or on hand-fulls and put the damn novel together with the ease of eating a pie. I hardly have to think about it beyond an insight here or there.
I have an extraordinary memory, but sitting in math class in college (a course I HAD to take to get my certificate in health office administration), even with excellent teachers, my mind would start to blank and fret and fall behind. It was despairing.
My math teacher gave us three exams in various types of fractions over the course of six months. I studied and practiced my butt to the bone - but my mark went down with each exam.
Yet the exams were very similar.
The more I studied, the worse I did! 75%, 67%, 60%!!
(I stopped studying for fear I'd fail the Final).

My teacher said "You just don't have a head for math."
In everything else, I am an A-plus student, so I'm not sure I believe that statement.
In math I am always orbiting a C.
It's like being a great cook with a book of wonderful recipes all of which you've made plenty of times, except for just that ONE that for some insane reason you can't read.
I did extremely well in science and chemistry in high school: again, A-plus.

I ask this somewhat odd question of you because no one among my friends takes me seriously when I talk about it - but it bugs the hell out of me! Maybe this is a question you can pass along to one of your professors sometime, or discuss with your colleagues. Just maybe there's an answer out there somewhere. Or maybe it's a quirk in my brain that doesn't work just right. (My husband jokes about that - my adorable Mr.-Can't-Look-For-My-Keys-Until-My-Wife-Finds-Them-For-Me).

Just a thought. As I said, you're my first physicist. 8^)

Gratefully,
Genie
(I'll be watching my In-box, but no pressure. ;^)

[bery26.livejournal.com]

Hey there! Hope you dont mind that I friended you, saw you around at the House_Wilson comm :)