a little break

I realize now after having been asked several times where I have been that I should relate my plan. I currently find myself knee deep in a bog of essays. Last month, it was concerts. Next month, who knows?

I will return in January, where I hope to keep a two post - per week schedule.

Have a nice December and New Year's.

>or < Monday

At this point I am just glad to be sitting on my couch. Friday I traveled from Louisville to a town near Memphis with my dad, only to return the next morning. Rather than making it back to Louisville though, I opted to be dropped off in Bowling Green, Ky. I arrived in Louisville around 3 AM.

It has been an interesting weekend. I’ll add the stories from the trip to my ever-growing list of things I should have done yesterday.

I will mention a concept that I began considering recently though…

There seems to be an inconsistency within the idea of ‘democracy on the move.’ I refer to the way the spread of democracy is framed in modern politics. Generally, the idea means that governments are overthrown by a democratic society in order to give the population of a country democracy.

The idea of pushing democracy in this fashion seems odd. I am not sure what I think, but I do feel the more abstract question raised is, “Is it a moral obligation to ensure civil liberties?” If so, one could claim that democracy should be forcefully spread if necessary.

Any thoughts?

Thursday Morning

I am still suffering from visiting the central time zone.

What is it about the concept utility that makes it so attractive? To date, the majority from the outset has rejected each idea that has been discussed in my ethics class. Somehow this did not happen with utilitarianism.

Different questions: Do we really use utility to justify decisions? Is it right/wrong to consider the (anticipated) consequences of one’s actions?

I am sure this will be expanded in a later post.

I picked up Wil Wheaton’s Just a Geek over the weekend. Despite having a ton of work on my plate I have managed to read a bit, and it looks good. It is not quite like having purchased an updated and physical copy of his blog. In fact, there is a substantial amount of freestanding writing within. Consistent with other Wheaton material I have seen, it is at once really funny, engaging, and true.

I will get around to relating stories of Café Mozart and the Berghoff (one of which I highly recommend, one of which I recommend a title alteration) as soon as I have an evening of my own.

Fall Break's End

The annual blessing that is fall break has come to an end. I have traveled to Chicago and have had a blast. I will relate the stories as soon as possible.

Several Things

1. I am pleased to say that I have almost completed the three busiest weeks of the fall. Tomorrow morning I have a test, then I have a really long chorale rehearsal until 4. Then I am done. In celebration I will be traveling to Chicago to visit Northwestern and hear a couple of concerts.

2. I have recently been introduced to the wonderful idea of pass/fail grading. I don’t know how I missed this concept for 6 years, but I get the feeling that I am going to be glad at the end of the term that I have discovered it. In general, during a semester of high workload in one’s degree area, that person may relieve GPA pressure by taking an elective via pass/fail grading. Es bueno.

3. I have had ten roommates. Of the ten, I have had a vast majority of losers. Historical trends notwithstanding, I must say I am quite pleased with my current living arrangements. Ben is not only a great musician but a fabulous human being. I only hope I don’t convert him to my habit of staying up way late.

4. It occurred to me today that I need to mention debt. I am eternally in debt to Kevin K, as he literally saved my life when I was young. As a small child, I once darted into the road to board a school bus, as an oncoming driver ignored the stop sign. Kevin grabbed me by my shirt and jerked me out of the road, earning me these last 19 years of life. Thank you again.

5. The ‘worst month ever’ is officially over. Everyone can come out of hiding now…

working on the i in Nostalgia

It isn’t like turning 25 brought on a sense of nostalgia. My memory doesn’t work that way. I have simply refrained from speaking with anyone about the way things used to be. Whether my fear be that no available listener could understand in more than a general way, or worse, the listener would simply laugh at me for being old, I have kept the longings for things gone to myself.

Nostalgia seems irreverent of audience though. Most times I have been nostalgic I have not been surrounded by anyone from the era for which the nostalgia was felt. But maybe that’s just stating the obvious. Perhaps nostalgia ONLY overcomes you when you are in a familiar place with unfamiliar people.

I must introduce a concept into my discussion: Kitsch.

In his novel, “The Unbearable Lightness of Being,” Milan Kundera presents kitsch as “…the absolute denial of shit, in both the literal and the figurative senses of the word; kitsch excludes everything from its purview which is essentially unacceptable in human existence (Kundera, 248. Harper & Row Publishers).”

I would like to think that I have consistently examined my surrounding kitsch throughout my life. This would be an absurd assumption on my part though. If I only consider those times since I left my hometown though, I may find sporadic points where I was aware of my own personal kitsch. It is these moments for which I experience nostalgia.

And once again, perhaps this is the obvious, or it’s just the way I am, but I don’t feel nostalgia for the times and places of my past, but for the people that filled those settings. The weird thing here is, although I am still in contact with several of the people that live in my memories, I don’t feel that I can speak with them about the times past. In some cases I have let fear lead me as far as refusing to contact great friends that I have had (e.g. John L).

I don’t know how to close this line of thought. Perhaps there is more here than I have touched on though.

Birthday Warning

Due to recent events, I must warn the general public about birthday celebrations.

By no means should someone celebrate their birthday ahead of schedule. Not even slightly. I am afraid the consequence of premature celebration is a less than perfect birthday.

I am not feeling horrible today, but I did wake up with the worst version of a head cold that I have had in quite a while.

This week should be the last of my freetimeless weeks. So until next week, when I plan to return to daily writing, you may want to check out my personal favourite blog: www.wilwheaton.net .

pax

I'm Edward Bloom

This will not mean as much to those who have not seen Big Fish.

So my very own Sandra Templeton is walking around campus each and every day. Sometimes I see her on the way to class. Other times I am lucky enough to run into her as I am leaving campus. When I see her I take the chance to speak to her. Alas though, she is Sandra Templeton. She is taken.

When Edward Bloom first sees Sandra Templeton, time stands still. Perhaps this is something that happens differently to each man, or maybe the movie just got it wrong. When I saw Miss Templeton for the first time, time itself did not stand still. I saw Sandra, then I saw her leave. There was, in fact, nothing peculiar about time at all. I definitely noticed that I was as quickly deprived of her beauty as I was introduced to it. An interesting thing did happen though: the rest of the evening happened as background events. Actions were memorable due only to the fortuity that they happened on the day that I saw the most beautiful woman alive. This was three years ago.

Imagine my surprise when, at the beginning of the term, I start passing her on my way to, and from, classes. I had only seen Sandra a couple of times in the years following the first encounter, and had never spoken to her, so I never thought anything of seeing her with regularity. It was just a bonus.

Three weeks ago I made the mistake of mentioning to a friend that I had been seeing this beautiful lady quite frequently. Of course, my friend turns out to be her friend too (for now let’s not go into how I didn’t’ figure this out earlier). Also, of course, my friend tells me to introduce myself to Sandra, which I managed to do soon after. In the following weeks I had the pleasure of walking to and from class with Miss Templeton, talking about oddities of class. We discussed whatever happened to be about the day.

My problems didn’t begin until I asked a friend about her. Apparently Miss Templeton was not only gorgeous; she was also one of the most amazing people alive. Friends and acquaintances spoke univocally of her caring and kindness. Literally every time I mentioned the name ‘Sandra Templeton’, someone nearby said, “She’s so sweet.” I was beginning to think that I had encountered a regular fount of concern for others. I was beginning to find Miss Templeton quite attractive. It didn’t take long to decide whether or not I would ask her out. I had a little chip on my shoulder cautioning me to not to expose myself, and years of existential thought telling me that I only have one chance to make live ‘abundant.’

I wasn’t sure how I was going to ask her out, but I didn't have to wait long for an opportune moment. When I couldn’t reach her to invite her to lunch one day, I knew that I had found my opportunity: It was a day that I normally walked from class with Sandra.

I left class early, and headed to the library. After getting a bit of advice I grabbed a friend and proceeded to run to my vehicle. The time was 2:45, and I am guessing Sandra usually gets to her car around 3:20. In order that I may not be seen, I had to make it back by 3:15 at the latest. Luckily, I managed to drive from the school to a local florist and back in less than twenty minutes. When I spotted her car I knew that I still had a chance. I placed on her windshield a card that I had bought, on which I had written, “I can never catch you for lunch; Would you like to try dinner instead?”

I also placed a single white rose.

Do not forget her name though. We are still talking about Sandra Templeton, and Sandra is taken.

And the worst part? This is a true story. I don’t have writers giving me lines, and noone is deciding for Miss Templeton whether or not to allow Ed into her life. If I shower Miss Templeton with the movie's unasked-for affection, I am afraid I will drive her even further away.

I’m sorry that this story doesn’t really have a great ending. Although don’t blame me, I didn’t write it.

Ethics - lies

so here is the first of two papers i am working on. the citations are from Ayn Rand's The Virtue of Selfishness (where pg.1 = 20) and Sissela Bok's Lying.


Rand vs. Bok


Ayn Rand believes that the meaning applied to the word selfishness is a problem. She states, “In popular usage, the word ‘selfishness’ is a synonym of evil…(Rand, p.20).” Rand goes so far as to say that this popular meaning “is responsible, more than any other single factor, for the arrested moral development of mankind (ibid).”
In Rand’s view the word ‘selfishness’ has a positive value. She points out that the lexical definition of ‘selfishness’ carries no moral judgment. Rather, the definition is simply “concern with one’s own interests (ibid).” It is in the extension of this definition that Rand finds positive value. For instance it is in one’s own interest to survive. This means that it is selfish for one to survive. As surviving is generally considered a good thing, selfishness must not be considered a negative.
Rand argues that the concept of altruism has distorted the popular idea of selfishness such that it not only includes the lexical idea of ‘concern for one’s own interests,’ but also a negative moral judgment. “Altruism,” Rand states, “declares that any action taken for the benefit of others is good, and any action taken for one’s own benefit is evil (Rand, p.21).”
Rand argues that it is altruism, rather than egoism (the practice of selfishness), that should be considered evil. She argues that, “since (humans have) to support (their lives) by (their own efforts), the doctrine that concern with one’s own interests means that (the human) desire to live is evil – that (human) life, as such, is evil. No doctrine could be more evil than that (ibid.).”
Since the alternative to egoism seems to be altruism, Rand believes that we should adopt egoism as a moral code: we should be ethical egoists. There is a difference between egoism and ethical egoism that should be noted: egoism is the practice of acting in one’s own interests, while ethical egoism is the idea that one should act in one’s own interests. Whereas an observer may describe an individual who values their own interests more highly than the interests of others as an egoist, the ethical egoist would make the statement that the individual should be (and is therefore right, for) valuing their own interests more highly than the interests of others.
The concept of ethical egoism impacts moral theory. According to ethical egoism, ideas of right and wrong may need to be reconsidered. Consider the lie as an example. Lies carry a negative value in traditional moral theory. Rand’s ethical egoism does not ascribe an value to lying in general. Lying for the ethical egoist would be considered to be the right thing to do for someone in whose best rational interest it is to lie.
One may challenge this idea by suggesting that it is always in one’s best rational interest to tell a lie. Rand disagrees. Lying may have repercussions that do more harm than the amount of good that was gained from telling the lie. In cases where one knows that there will be great negative repercussions, Rand would say that the one should not lie. She endorses acting upon one’s rational self-interests. “(Ethical egoism) is not a license “to do as (one) pleases” and it is not applicable to the altruists’ image of a “selfish” brute nor to any man motivated by irrational emotions, feelings, urges, wishes or whims (Rand, p.22).” She continues, “This is said as a warning against…(those) who believe that any action, regardless of its nature, is good if it is intended for one’s own benefit (Rand, p.23).”
The case of the lie may be evaluated from another angle. Rather than starting with a moral code, one may start with the lie itself. Let us examine the lie without recourse to ethical egoism in order that we might discover whether or not Rand’s moral code is useful in all cases.
“There must be a minimal degree of trust in communication for language and action to be more than stabs in the dark (Bok, p.19).” states Sissela Bok. Further, she states, “A society, then, whose members were unable to distinguish truthful messages from deceptive ones, would collapse (Bok, p.20).” Perhaps these points provide an explanation as to why philosophers, excepting perhaps Nietzsche, have long sought to discover and express truth, rather than falsity.
Now truth and falsity (lies) are opposites. If truth seems to be desirable within societies, then lies seem to be equally undesirable. Sissela Bok believes that this desire for truth rather than falsity is appropriate. She believes that lying is morally wrong. In support of her belief, she provides three negative traits of lying: lies alter the distribution of power among the liar and the one(s) being told the lie, lies eliminate or obscure relevant alternatives, and lies manipulate the degree of uncertainty with which we look at our decisions (Bok, ps.20-21).
Power among communicating individuals is distributed evenly; all parties having the same amount of power. Lying changes this distribution by taking power from the one(s) being told a lie, and giving that power to the liar. Having more power than another is not prima facie a negative. But, taking power from someone is paramount to making them a partial slave.
Individuals make decisions based on the alternatives presented them. Another reason Bok believes lying is wrong is that lies have the ability to eliminate or obscure these relevant alternatives. When one does not know their relevant alternatives, they cannot make an informed decision.
Lying does not only obscure relevant alternatives though. It also manipulates the degree of uncertainty with which one looks at their decisions. Individuals do not simply evaluate the relevant alternatives and make a decision. They also evaluate the possible outcomes of numerous differing decisions. As lying prevents one from properly evaluating outcomes, we may once again say that lies keep one from making an informed decision.
It seems that Rand’s view that one may lie when it is in their best rational self-interest suggests that one may lie. However, Sissela Bok believes that lying is not acceptable. If one considers Rand’s view of lying in light of the information provided by Bok, it appears that there would never be a situation wherein it is in the best rational self-interest to lie. The liar must consider the consequences of lying when deciding whether or not to lie. The minimal consequences of being caught telling a lie seem to be telling lies in return. This involves a loss of personal power, the obscuring of relevant alternatives, and the manipulation of the degree of uncertainty with one considers decisions. One determining whether nor not to lie must have proof that the good achieved by their lie must be greater than the harm that may be done in response to the lie. As one may never know with certainty the future, it must be ruled out that one may lie as long as it is in their rational self-interests.

ok, so i'm kinda busy...

This week is crazy, and I might not get any real posts created. I have three papers due next week, a debate for class, a book to read by two weeks from now, and a concerto competition on Friday. geez.

notes on popularity

I have been thinking about popularity lately. Popularity in three fashions: people who know lots of other people, people that lots of other people know, and people who both know lots of others and are known by lots of others. It seems that the type of person that is popular is not as clear as I had thought it was.

In early years of school the term athletic is synonymous with popular. The athletic kids have the most visible positions in the school. This tends to create the ‘known by lots of others’ scenario, where a person is greeted by many others, but likely does not know and/or greet them.

It is in business where I find an example of ‘knows lots of others.’ A businessperson needs to have many contacts in order to assure that they can get what they want, when they need it. The one who knows lots of others will greet many people, but will not be greeted by many.

The final type of popular person is the one who both knows lots of others and is known by lots of others. This person is as likely to be greeted by another person as to greet the people. It is this type of person that is the inspiration for this post; I can’t seem to figure out who this person is.

I am not sure that popularity falls into the moral realm. Therefore, I am equally unsure that any sort of value can be appropriately applied to any of the three types I have mentioned. Nonetheless, I am inclined to say that the third version of popularity is somehow superior to the other two.

What do you think?

I’ll follow this one up when I have pondered it a bit more.

pax.

I'll never throw a 2

Dr. Tim Lautzenheiser is a former band director that currently travels the country giving motivational lectures and workshops on education. Check out his bio at www.attitudeconcepts.com/timsbio.php . He is in Louisville this weekend for the Bands of America competition (marching bands), and gave a presentation at U of L this afternoon. Besides being simply amazing, the presentation was terrifically entertaining.

My favourite part of the presentation was a discussion of trust and interest. He presented a game that is basically a derivative of the philosopher’s “inmate dilemma.”

Based on ‘paper, rock, scissors,’ two players decide on the third ‘beat’ whether to throw a 1 or a 2. If A throws 1 and B throws 2, then A loses 3 points and B gains 5. If A throws 2 and B throws 1 the opposite occurs. If both A and B throw 2’s, then both players loose 8 points. If both A and B throw 1’s, then both players gain 1 point.

Since the net gain of the possibilities of throwing a 2 are –3, it never makes sense to throw it. However, this requires that the opponents trust that one is not attempting to deceive the other. The only way to win in this game is by accepting the smallest gain available.

Applications are obvious.

Considering Traditions

There are traditions in everything. And of course, not all traditions make sense when removed from the original context that birthed them. In Catholicism, one is expected to fast during Lent. What isn’t explained is that fasting was, in Hebrew culture, a means of showing respect for a loved one that had past. For instance, a widow would fast on the day of the year that his/her spouse had died. The obligatory Lenten fast is immediately a sign of respect for Jesus’s trials before his crucifixion, and a participation in those trials.
I have recently tried to break down some traditions in music in the same way, though to no avail. I am currently left with several questions, and no answers. Here are a few pertaining to orchestras:

Why is the first violinist the concert master?

Shouldn’t the member-leader of a group be chosen by the group? I understand that popularity and politics could influence this at some level, but musicians within the ensemble should choose their leader. When it comes to a member of a professional ensemble to whom all assent, musicians would typically rather have the member with the greatest level of musicianship than one that simply won an audition based on playing ability alone.

Why do musicians relinquish decision making rights to those who play higher sounding instruments?

If an orchestra only staffs one tuba player, and typically eighty to one hundred tuba players show up for each audition, one can assume that very talented tuba players are winning the jobs. However, there are at least three positions for trumpets and trombones each. The number of auditionees for trumpet and trombone is not approximately one hundred times the number of positions. Since the tuba player beat more people for their position, and therefore are likely higher in their respective field, shouldn’t they be consulted when it comes to musical judgements?
(I know this one has some holes in the argument, but the intent still holds.)

Why does the orchestra take the tuning pitch from an oboe?

This is not really an issue for professionals, as they are generally pitch-centered when they walk out on stage. For ameture orchestras it is a different matter though. As the oboe is a difficult instrument on which to hold a steady pitch, non-professionals may have considerable difficulty with this basic task. Despite this fact though, the majority of orchestras take their tuning pitch from the principal oboist every time they play together.

Why do string players persist in using out of date tuning systems?

String players play scales based on Pythagorean tuning. Basically this means that they play 8’s, 4ths and 5ths in tune, while playing extremely high leading tones. The result is that any chord played by the string section is litteraly out of tune. What I mean by this is that there are beats being created by unequal sets of overtones in the harmonic series. Once again simply, there are notes being produced (barely audible to the ear) that should match, but do not. This variance creates beats that are discernable. The strings are not the only members of an orchestra though.
Wind and brass players utilize what is called the ‘just’ intonation system. In this system, the beats are eliminated from each possible interval. The result is that not only 8’s, 4ths, and 5ths are beatless, but also major and minor 6’s, 7’s and 3’s. When a wind or brass section of an orchestra plays a major chord, there are (ideally) no beats. The chord even resonates better than the same chord would if played by strings.

As I am merely a student of music currently, and neither a conductor nor orchestra member, I do not have much ability to change any of this. Perhaps one day I will get some answers though.

pax.

Open Letter to X

I understand you need money. I understand you have no concern for other’s belongings. I cannot to save me though understand why you have no concern for other’s personal items.

Suffice to say, I am not concerned with my speakers. Nor am I concerned with most anything else I will discover you stole. However, those cd’s you took have no value to you, and lots to me. As you have by now noticed, the cd’s in the folders you took are not run of the mill music cd’s. They are primarily recordings of performances in which I have taken part. My point here is: No one will purchase these recordings making them useless to you. Meanwhile, they remain important to me.

Sometimes it's Fun to Play the Horn

I have a regularly scheduled lesson with my French horn instructor (Bruce Heim, awesome) every week. I wasn’t sure what to expect this week, as I didn’t get to practice too much over the weekend. Despite this fact, I played quite well today. I am finally feeling like I am ready to begin a graduate level program. And that is nice.

In other news, I have been contracted for my first vocal quartet gig. There is a gaming convention in Louisville in November that is hiring us to do a half hour concert of game music and other such songs. I am not sure how much we will get paid, but who cares, there will be several hundred kids there listening, and that is pretty cool anyway.

i'll try to actually post during the day in the future so that posts aren't bound to suck...

Dan Weeks is crazy

Dan Weeks, tenor who is both a member of the Metropolitan Opera and on staff at the University of Louisville, is simply amazing. He has not given a recital in quite some time, and he seldom performs in the midwest, so i had pretty much forgotten how great he really is. this afternoon, however, he performed one of the finest recitals i have ever heard.

he had the audience from his first note. these days it is hard to find any type of performance that doesn't have coughing and/or whispering throughout, but this was a nice exception. EVEN the children in the audience seemed to get that they were hearing something special.

i won't plug too many people, but i must encourage anyone that is within an area where Dan Weeks is performing (tyipically in an opera company) to check him out.

Really Quick Observation

Am I the only person that finds casual-yet-exclusive dating annoying? It seems every girl I encounter is exclusively dating some guy that they don’t picture themselves marrying. Not that I have problem with dating someone you aren’t sure is right for you, but to actively NOT date anyone else at the same time is just absurd.

Aristotle's kicking my ass.

As a student of philosophy, I should expect that there are concepts with which I will struggle. The most baffeling i have encountered to date is one of Aristotle's foundational points (found in "Categories").

when considering the 'third man' problem that Plato may have been open to, Aristotle proposed a response. generally, he figured that if he didn't assume both 'non-identity' and 'self-predication' at the same time, he would avoid the problem. consider:

plato is white.
socrates is white.
white is white.

and

plato is a man.
socrates is a man.
man is (a) man.

apparently these two are different. unfourtunately, i haven't seen this difference as of yet.

i know this has been a horrible first post. perhaps i will figure this one out before the categories thing...

pax