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Maggie's FarmWe are a commune of inquiring, skeptical, politically centrist, capitalist, anglophile, traditionalist New England Yankee humans, humanoids, and animals with many interests beyond and above politics. Each of us has had a high-school education (or GED), but all had ADD so didn't pay attention very well, especially the dogs. Each one of us does "try my best to be just like I am," and none of us enjoys working for others, including for Maggie, from whom we receive neither a nickel nor a dime. Freedom from nags, cranks, government, do-gooders, control-freaks and idiots is all that we ask for. |
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Friday, August 1. 2008Happiness for Sale, or "No Brain - No Pain," or "Don't Worry - Be Happy!"This is a re-post from 2006 - What? Me worry? - Alfred E. Newman The pursuit of happiness is a most ridiculous phrase; if you pursue happiness you'll never find it. - C.P. Snow You will never be happy if you continue to search for what happiness consists of. You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of life. - Albert Camus Happiness is a warm gun. - Lennon/McCartney Happiness is finding a 5-dollar bill in the pocket of a pair of old jeans in the back of the closet. - Jimmy Buffet Happiness is watching turtles lay eggs on a sunny, sandy riverbank, with Yellowthroat warblers chattering in the alders. - Bird dog Happiness is curling up in bed with a good book and a glass of good wine and a good hubbie on Sunday night at 9 pm. - Dr. Bliss Happiness is a perfect dove-tailed joint - yeah. - Roger de Hauteville Happiness is finding a rabbit to chase in the yard, when you least expect it. - Gwynnie the Yorkie I don't pursue happiness - happiness pursues me. - The Barrister Last week, Yahoo News reported this from Britain:
Gee - d'ya think 21st Century living is tougher than 20th Century living, or 19th, or 18th, or 8th? Please! Life has never been "easier" or "better" in human history, which is why we can waste time and money on such frivolous and immature subjects. We have posted on the subject of happiness in the past, in Happiness Traps, and The Economists Take on Happiness. It's a subject I dislike writing about, because it is an undefinable word except as a passing emotion: it is much easier to talk about kinds of unhappiness. However defined, though, there is one thing I know for certain and that is that Happiness cannot be taught in school. It is interesting, however, that Britain has become so secular, and so relatively materially comfortable, that they would even consider that happiness might be something that a government could provide along with all of its other wonderful and efficient "services". It sounds like Kim Sung Il. Which reminds me, we ought to do a summertime re-post of our Valentine's Day Manifesto for the amusement of new readers. In my opinion, self-respect is more valuable than self-esteem; accomplishment and satisfaction are more important than pleasurable ease; the pursuit of happiness is a scam; giving and receiving love, affection and friendship are the finest and only enduring things in life, and Government cannot replace God or defeat human nature. Even shrinks will deny that they offer happiness as a product. Freud spoke for all of us that psychiatry can, at the best, offer the hope of replacing neurotic (eg abnormal) unhappiness with normal unhappiness. "Life is difficult," as Scott Peck pointedly begins his wonderful and inspiring The Road Less Traveled. There is no way out of that, other than temporary escapist joys like vacations, a tennis game, a book, or a couple of nice glasses of wine. Well, a tennis game can put you through some heavy stuff, I guess: I am halfway through Ian McEwan's Saturday, which is a sort-of Day in the Life, and the squash game chapter is a minor masterpiece in itself. Pleasure is easy to pursue - it's like falling off a log. Heroin, I am told, provides excellent self-esteem, well-being, serenity, and happiness, and it is far cheaper, effortless, and far more effective than shrinks, or any other path. Anyway, some clever Music Man salesman sold the Brits on this thing. My guess is that the kids will take it about as seriously as they take Sex Ed, so they will not be harmed by involuntary government intrusions into their psyches. Hey, teacher - leave us kids alone. I realize that this is classic blog rambling...I will try to come back to it when I have a little time.
Posted by Dr. Joy Bliss
in Our Essays, Psychology, and Dr. Bliss, Quotidian Quotable Quote (QQQ)
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12:15
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The NYT takes a look at trollsThey define them as those who seek to disrupt civil online discourse: The World of Web Trolling. Just one more dumb hobby.
Posted by Bird Dog
in The Culture, "Culture," Pop Culture and Recreation
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Water and oil!Definitely water on Mars. And oil on Saturn's moon Titan. Lots of it. Well, it's close to oil. Is it possible that oil is not a fossil fuel? Doc's Computin' Tips: Scheduled Tasks Got a doctor's appointment a month down the road? Want to make sure you catch that TV special in a few weeks? Just can't forget to make that important phone call bright and early next Monday morning? Let the Windows Alarm Clock help! Continue reading "Doc's Computin' Tips: Scheduled Tasks"
Posted by Dr. Mercury
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10:52
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Why the social sciences are so screwed upOur Editor forwarded me this 1992 paper by Tooby and Cosmides, The Psychological Foundations of Culture, (here in pdf, without the typos), which he found at Overcoming Bias. I wish I had known about this paper years ago. It's a dense and scholarly critique of what is known as "The Standard Social Sciences Model." The authors argued that this dominant model is obsolete and failing, resulting in a reactionary anti-scientific movement in the social sciences. I found it particularly interesting that the authors suggest that the clinging to an obsolete model has more to do with emotion than logic - a "fear of falling off the world." Similarly, they indicate that social scientists are emotionally attached to their blank-slate, meliorative views of human nature (there is no "human nature" - environment is everything, and thus people, culture, and society can be perfected - by them, natch). Their desire to hold on to that illusion causes them to resist many sorts of new information which conflict with their ideas. That is very human, but it ain't science. Indeed, what goes on in the social sciences would make for a fascinating sociological study. Friday morning links
Corporate donations and the law. Bainbridge. I do not want any business I invest in making charitable donations with my money. I can do that myself. But I guess it's a sort of PR. Can Britain survive Multiculturalism? Definitely not. Related: The English flag is deemed unsafe. The American flag is not, happily. Here's a cheap house for ya. Sipp might not like it. The MSM rebels on the dumb Edwards story. Who cares? The guy is a joke. Big-time food fight. The bad guys are on the run. Where to? Hope you don't have any money in Legg-Mason value funds. Fun with Obama Update: Gaffe-o-matic. Also, you only get to play that race card once. Also, Arrogance Watch. Also, inflate those tires! Also, quit insulting my intelligence. Also, the preemptive racist smear. Fun with McCain update: Is he stupid? And Vanderleun's dream ticket: McCain-Clinton! Still can't see the sun in Beijing. The place is a polluted mess. What sort of college education should physicians have? My opinion? Rigorous arts and sciences, like everybody else. Larry Summers was right. But we already knew that. Every worker believes (from Kling):
Image: Yes, it's a Theo sailing pin-up
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1942Aircraft electrical assembly inspector, Vega Aircraft Corp., Burbank, Calif.
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