I have always found this debate quite interesting. It's a complicated issue that has been argued among philosophers, psychologists and linguists for decades. I have always leaned more towards a subjective reality, due to the nature of our sensory organs, and a lack of direct knowledge of the objective world, yet a theory recently made the dichotomy dissolve to a degree.

In this theory, first, the obvious surface level objectivity is debunked.

Objects require symbolic representation, often conveyed through a medium in order to communicate in an effective manner between individuals or perspectives. One could say, this is a lamp. Well whats a lamp? A light source. Whats light? Well, light is the portion of electromagnetic radiation that is visible to human beings. What is electromagnetic radiation? It's a form of energy that exhibits wave-like behavior as it travels through space. Whats energy? This will go on forever. It is a problem in epistemology called pyrrh ... Read more ...

Although I have tried to fight the grim realities of an absurd existence, I can no longer fight it; to me the battle is futile. An objectively meaningful existence just doesn't seem to be logical to me. I know a lot of you disagree with me and you have every right to, nobody can be certain of anything in this world.

To me, the world we live in can't fit under some meaningful framework. The world doesn't seem to be structured in a manner to fit the constraints granted by intrinsically meaningful or moral universes. The human experience seems random, fragmented, and absurd.

I like to use film to exemplify this. To us, a narrative film seems to emulate reality, but life isn't like a movie. Things aren't so formulaic or meaningful. Life is unexplained, random, and fragmented. This phenomena is something that New Wave film tried to convey in its seemingly naturalistic style. New Wave used jump cuts and elliptical editing to create an enigmatic and curious experienc ... Read more ...

Both responsibility and spontaneity are positive aspects to ones life, yet I find each as somewhat of a measure of the other. The more responsibility, the less spontaneity present in ones life and vice versa. Which brings more joy?

There have been many philosophical debates on the situation, my favorite, being Daoism vs. Confucius. Daoist philosophy suggests that one should follow the path of least resistance, which, consequently tends to be the path of least responsibility. For example, the Chuang Tzu uses the metaphor of a tree being useless to a carpenter, yet, this uselessness saves it from the wrath of the axe. A lack of utility can bring about joy. This path of least resistance leads to an esoteric stress free existence.

Confucius, on the other hand, enlightens one in regards to their obligations, which are both filial and societal. You dont even have to take on responsibility; you are born into it, like original sin. An example Confucius employs is that of your hair and ... Read more ...

Ok, so today was awful, but there is always humor laden in suffering. I have had stomach problems for about a year now, undiagnosed as of yet, but I assumed I had some form of IBS. Lately, it has become unbearable; I am haunted by persistent nausea and I am unable to eat unless Im high. I woke up this morning and the pain was so debilitating that I decided to go to see my Doctor, which is a rarity considering my inherent stubbornness. My Doctor is a small Chinese woman named Dr.Whey (I am not a connoisseur of Asian name spellings, so dont be offended if thats incorrect.) and she is rather timid, almost overly polite, and quiet. We chit chat about my problems . . . blah blah Coffee turns my ass into a sub machine gun and then she asks if she can examine my ass to check for irritation. Naturally, I was a little hesitant, but at this juncture (Yes, I dared to use the word juncture.) I quite frankly didnt give a fuck what she did, as long as it worked towards the goal of liberation from my pain. ... Read more ...

I received my swag pack about two days ago after wating for about four months after claiming it, which wasn't too bad to be honest. It came with a shirt, a beanie, a cup, a pen, and a bottle opener. I thought it was pretty cool because I would have submitted the content anyways, so it's really just an added bonus. The shirt is pretty sweet and fits well, and I tossed the bottle opener on my lanyard. I just wanted to write this for anyone curious on whether or not they actually sent you the prizes and what the swag pack was made up of. Good luck with your ereps if you care about them.