Poohstein

I don't know who comes up with these ideas. I like it though.



I'm at school, just before my last class. It's the lab for analytical chem, which I would be done with by now, but the results I got from this latest experiment were not close enough to the actual value, so instead of getting out by quarter after eleven, I'm done at four fifty. It took me three weeks to get everything done last time, but I'm hoping to get it all done between this week and the next. We'll see how that goes. On the bright side, I had a minute between my last class and lab, to check blogs and internets after getting lunch and going over some stuff for lab. I could have missed out on Poohstein.

Knowlege of Good and Evil

So, I've been studying ethics for almost two years now, and it makes you think.

First though, as the ethics bit is going to be a little long, two things:

1. I saw an SUV today with "I love my wife" written on the back and rear side windows. My first thought was that it was really sweet. My second, was that I wondered if he's just trying to get out of trouble, and what he might be in trouble for.

2. Too bad about heaven's defense going down. I understand, and I'm hardly one to criticize anyone's blogging, but it was always an interesting read. If you're still reading other's blogs, Berserk, you should know my mother-in-law is going to miss yours.

Anyway, ethics. For anyone who doesn't know, I'm planning on going to medical school after I finish my BA. My major is chemistry, and I'm minoring in philosophy. I have I have about a year left for my degree, including two more classes before I'm done with my minor, and with the exception of Language Logic and Persuasion, all my philosophy classes have been largely about what is good, what does it mean to live a good life, and how can we judge between right and wrong. This semester, I'm taking Ethical Theories, which is no exception. There are a lot of ideas of a lot of famous dead guys about the good, but although some claim to, no one really seems to answer the question, "what is good?"

We don't go over them much, except a quick mention, but there are ideas that good is not real, but just more of a loose code that helps populations function as a coherent society, or that good is just something that those in power use to keep those under them in line. In reality there is no such thing as right or wrong. I can't really get behind any of those lines of thought. I don't have a solid reason, but it seems wrong. I would like to believe that good exists. Even allowing that assumption though (and I'm not sure why an assumption should be allowed), it's not clear what good is.

Some theories are subjectivist. Good is subject to the beliefs of the majority, or to individual preference. You would say that murder is wrong because the majority believes it's wrong, or that taking care of one's children is good because you feel good when you do it. The problem with subjectivism is that by definition it is subject to the group or individual. What is good can vary from group to group, individual to individual, or moment to moment. If good is subjective, then really there is no good. There are only preferences.

An interesting division of subjectivism is religious subjectivism where good is subject to the will of the divine, and good and evil are defined by the decrees of divinity. As a religious man I can appreciate the idea that God gives directions or commands which it is right to follow, but I can't get behind the subjectivist idea that good can be defined as what is loved by God. In Plato's Euthyphro, when confronted with the theory that what is good is what is loved by the gods, Socrates asks whether it is good because it is loved by the gods, or it is loved by the gods because it is good. The answer Plato leads to, which I agree with is that the good must exist independently, and logically prior to God's love of it.

So, if the good exists, and is not subjective, it must be something objective, and real, although possibly abstract or indefinable. Objectivists though can only seem to dance around this "good" thing, without really saying what it is. In Principia Ethica, G. E. Moore said, "Good is good, and that is the end of the matter," before going on for a whole book attempting to explain what good was. In Plato's Republic, Socrates says that it is impossible to explain what good is, but he makes an interesting comparison between good and the sun, where as the sun (or light) is the source of sight, but it is not the eye or the object being seen, good is the source of understanding although it is not the mind, or the thing that is understood (try to explain what something is without explaining what it is good for). Also, as the sun is evident to everyone yet cannot be looked at directly, goodness is evident to everyone, yet cannot be directly examined.

Socrates believed that everyone was motivated by a desire to do good (which is not the same as saying that good can be defined by desire). People who did wrong just had a misunderstanding of what was good, or a poor judgement between which of two goods was greater. Socrates didn't believe that evil existed so much as things that were less good existed, similar to the physical concept that darkness and cold do not exist, just less light or less heat.

Of course, while these ideas are interesting, they don't do much to answer questions about what actions are right or wrong.

So, the reason I'm putting all this into such a long post, is that I'm curious what any of you think about this. Is good something that is real? Is there any way to tell what is right and wrong? Is it a waste of time to even try to figure any of this out?

Ever want to beat someone?

Just a quick one here.  I saw a guy at school today with a shirt that just made me want to beat the crap out of him.  On the back was a picture of a stick-man dropping a star of david in a wastebasket, and the caption said, "Keep Palestine Clean."  I may not be Jewish or anything, but I'd like to kick the guy in the nuts anyway. 

Dr. Phil?

So I was reading over one of those fun surveys that makes its way around emails/blogs/phones. I don't fill them out except under extreme circumstances, and I generally don't read more than the first couple of lines. This one was my wife's, so I at least skimmed the whole thing. I have to say it worries me just a little that the person she would most like to meet is Dr. Phil, and that she would be on the show if she had something good enough. Eww. I'm comfortable enough to sit and watch most episodes of Phil (Not Oprah, Wudan, that's all you), but being on the show, no way. So, MJ, don't get your hopes too high.

This semester's going pretty well. Calculus was a bit rough starting off. There's just so much math from other classes that I either took too long ago, or tested out of, so it's taking a bit to get back into things. It's going alright now. Chemistry and Ethics are just a bit on the challenging side, which is good. Biology on the other hand, is entirely to elementary. After the third week I thought it was picking up, as we were talking about various proteins involved in intracellular structure. Then it went back to old old review material about phospholipid cell membranes. I've gone over most of the stuff we talk about in biology in four previous classes. The worst was yet another explanation about the periodic table of elements, and electron configuration. I'm sure we'll get to some new stuff in a bit, but wow.

Everything else is going pretty well though. My son has a fourth tooth, so two up and two down now. And, I'm looking forward to Valentines Day tonight. MJ and I have been doing a nice steak dinner at home since the Valentines Day before we were married, and Its much nicer than heading out to some restaurant (however nice) and putting up with a three hour wait (if not just a bit longer), like I've done in the past. Hope everyone else has a good holiday too.

Climbing Again

MJ and I have been hitting the climbing gym a little more lately. It's been good to get back into it a bit, but I've got a little way to go to be back where I was. I can climb 5.8 reliably already, but nothing more than that. I used to be able to do a 5.9 no problem. Last night we did a little in the bouldering cave too. I got part way up a couple of problems, but not to the end before my arm was just too tight to move. I walked around for a while afterward doing that whole hook/claw hand thing until I could work the muscle loose a little bit. MJ is pretty good at helping out with that though with her massage background. Anyway, climbing is one hobby I'd recommend to just about anyone. If any of you want to try it and need a quick lesson on the ropes and techniques, I'd be glad to help you out (Of course if you want all kinds of advanced stuff maybe you just go talk to Sarah instead).

By the way, Berserk, I came across an interesting case from New York. I bet this is one arrest you've never had to make.

Suddenly I don't look like such a jerk for blowing off so many sales pitches and being so skeptical about other people.

Small Lesson

Did you know a spider can live underwater, clinging to the side of a glass for the time it takes to drink a large glass of water, and then crawl off of your finger after you find what you thought was a dead bug stuck on the inside of the glass and wipe it off? I know that now.

Happy New Year!

Okay, happy January 5th!

New Year's eve was good. I spent it walking around on a frozen lake looking for hurt people. We actually found two this time that I got to work with closely. In a year of working with the venturing crew, this is two more than I've ever been able to help. It's usually a bit slow. More importantly, I met a guy from crew who doesn't normally go to anything. He does some hiring for an ambulance company. It's all volunteer, except for their paramedics, but it should be good experience. I should be able to get some good training, and experience along the lines of a couple calls a night. They should be pretty good calls, as they work along a section of I-70, and do some mountain rescues. It's a little far of a drive to get there, but it should be worth it, and I should be able to keep up with it once school starts as well.

So, speaking of mountain rescues, here's a guy who should be needing one before his next birthday.


Scariest Hiking Trail In The World - Watch more Free Videos

If you watched that whole thing without at some point thinking this guy's crazy, or feeling something flipping in your gut as he aimed the camera down, you may need some professional help. Nice video though.

Festive

Things get going about 50 seconds in. I had to listen to it a few times to get that it was Jingle Bells, even expecting Jingle Bells.

So, MJ and I got the Christmas shopping done today. We didn't get too much for anyone this year, but we didn't get started early enough, and it seems we're a bit slow, so we're just finishing up now. We also went out to Carrabas for dinner since her mother gave us a gift card (technically for Outback, but it works at Carrabas) and we won't be getting another good chance like this for a date this week. It was a good evening.

We skipped out on what also sounds like a good evening with the Venturing Crew. They had a progressive dinner christmas party, and a couple of the girls brought presents for Jack-Jack. They really like him there, but who couldn't. Actually one guy up at crew with a stick up his ass doesn't. I don't know how he got through his own kids, but he sure isn't tolerant of noises from others. Happy noises even. Who gets pissy at a baby chattering on about whatever babies chatter on about? He even pointed out one time that if this were a movie theater we'd be asked to leave. I was quick to point out that I am very fortunate that it's not. Aside from this dill hole though, everyone seems to enjoy having the few babies around each week.

It's been a while since I've made it up there though. We've had a sick baby one week, a sick baby and a sick daddy the next, and now this party thing. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone for the New Year's event we run first aid for. I'm also looking forward to the next semester of school. I've got some good classes. I'm taking Ethical Theories, Biology, Analytical Chemistry, and Calculus, along with the associated labs for Bio and Chem, but that's a little ways out, so I should really be patient and enjoy the holidays and the break.

We've got Christmas Eve at my in-laws (sorry we won't make it over Berserk, hope you all have fun). They've been doing steak and shrimp for Christmas Eve for years now, but last year I grilled both of them. It was a massive improvement from the pan fried steak and oven baked shrimp the year before if you ask me, and I believe I'm doing that again. For Christmas Day here, we'll be doing a turkey and a ham, sadly neither with a deep fryer, but it should be some pretty good stuff. I didn't do Thanksgiving here this year, so I'm looking forward to it. I think I'd like to get some poppers made up again. If I do, I should be able to get some up to Berserk and his family this time.

The Poppers

Here it is:

4 large jalapeno peppers (or 8 habaneros)
1/4 lb cream cheese
2 eggs
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
2/3 cup self rising flour (I used all purpose, I don't know the difference)
1/8 teaspoon garlic
Dash Paprika
Dash onion powder
1/2 cup cornflake crumbs (I used bread crumbs)

Cut the stems off of the peppers and cut them in half. Remove the seeds and membranes. Put the peppers in boiling water for 10-15 minutes, drain them, cool them, and blot them dry. If the insides are not dry, the cheese slips out.

Make balls of 1/2 ounce of cream cheese for the jalapenos, or 1/4 ounce for habaneros, and put one in each half pepper.

Beat the two eggs in one bowl with the teaspoon of oil and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt. Put the other half teaspoon of salt, the garlic powder, the paprika, and the onion powder in another bowl with the 2/3 cup of flour. Put the crumbs in another bowl.

Coat each popper with egg, then flour, then egg, then flour, then egg, then crumbs.

This all took me a couple hours, but I quadrupled the recipe, so maybe a bit less for you.

You have to freeze them for at least two hours, I'd go with overnight. If they're not frozen, the cheese will leak out when you fry them.

Put them in 350 degree oil for 3 1/2 to 4 minutes, or until they are golden brown and float. If you want to make them for future use, you can deep fry them for 1 1/2 minutes, and then refreeze them. You can fry or bake them later until they're hot (350 degree oil for 3 1/2 minutes or 450 degree oven for 10-15 minutes, turning them half way through).

I find they go quite well with cranberry jelly, which only took a few minutes to make after I finished the prep work on the poppers.

Thanksgiving

Too late for a Thanksgiving post? Not if you have finals coming up. I'm between a couple of classes now, and have my chem lab final coming up in an hour, so here goes.

Thanksgiving was awesome. It's just a bummer that we couldn't be in more places at once, as I understand my parents had a good time at theirs, but I was already committed to deep frying a turkey. The deep fried turkey was, as everyone says, very moist. I've never had a turkey before where the white meat couldn't have used at least a little cranberry or gravy to keep it from drying out mid chew. I know my mother says she didn't notice a difference between deep fried and traditional, but she eats the dark meat, which is already pretty moist. It's nice that it's done in an hour, too. Also, it's really nice to have a big pot of hot oil on hand for making habanero poppers. They take a while to prepare before frying, and have to freeze as well, but they're worth it, at least occasionally. They go nice with the cranberry jelly too, also freshly made of course. And as long as you've got the deep fryer on hand and a ham to heat up, might as well make a cage out of a couple of wire hangers and throw that in as well. Half an hour later, you have the best ham ever.

So, I was impressed with the fryer, and intend to get one of my own a few years down. It really doesn't make the food greasy or anything as long as the oil is hot enough. Besides, it was just fun. There were plenty of people over. Mostly family, some friends as well. Most of the family was a sorry to hear that Berserk and Valkyrie couldn't make it over (they're very much the more the merrier type), but you can't be everywhere. I still have four poppers we've refrained from eating if I ever manage to get them to you Berserk. Unless you don't want week old poppers, in which case you should let me know, and I'll see to it that they don't see another day. Xkordave wanted the recipe, so I'll have to either type that out and email it to him, or more likely post it here, as soon as I'm at home and not busy with the baby.