Just a quick note to say that I am currently in Virginia, having toured DC, and will be updating Wednesday if all goes to plan.
Smiley faces all around!
Sunday, 27 March 2011
Saturday, 19 March 2011
This is why I used to lock my brother in the shed
I was busy working on the climactic scene of my Emma Zunz script, and, wanting a break, I went onto Facebook. Big mistake. What did I find but that my brother, one Joshua Carter-Syme, had, in a fit of productive procrastination, posted this. I repost it in its original form so that yes, you can see that he is indeed the brains of the family.
Well, this is a note, that is to say, a piece of writing/other form of information recording, which is recorded to avoid decay. Enjoy.
Comparatively speaking, when I was younger I was smarter. I was better at philosophizing, much better with logic, and my skin was a little paler. I've noticed that this is a continuous process, and it annoys me. Although I'm still constantly absorbing information, becoming more intelligent, the process is slowing down, and in just a few years, it could very well go into reverse. As it is, I used to learn a small amount faster than others, which somewhat made up for my lack of knowledge and common sense. Right now, my intelligence is increasing rather slower than that of those around me, even if it is technically still increasing. How to say this, its acceleration is decreasing. I can only imagine what I'll be like after a decade, since I expect it to hit and go beneath zero at around the nineteen-twenty year mark. If it hits zero and stops, then I'll be a being with no capacity for new knowledge, a pointless shell, and a waste of space. If it goes beneath zero, becoming negative, then I will ultimately end up with a mental capacity equivalent to that of someone in a PVS. That's not really something I want, for reasons which should be obvious. It is partially because of this that I will eventually be campaigning for the rights to assisted suicide and euthanasia...Because they're still not legal!
If the right to life is a basic right, given to all members of the human species merely for being a part of said species, then it follows logically that the right to death is its inseparable counterpart. Why is it that human life is considered sacred, and always prolonged, even against the wishes of the individual? Isn't the reason abortion is mostly legal these days that people have a right to control what goes on in their bodies, even to the extent of ending a potential human life? Hasn't anyone ever heard the phrase "Quality over quantity"? There is no reason to follow the religious consensus on this matter, yet I believe that a great deal of the anti-euthanasia, anti-suicide support comes from organizations such as the Roman Catholic Church, of which a vast number of people are adherents. Are we to simply let the subjective belief in a logically contradictory and immoral deity stand in the way of reason, and freedom? Mankind has fought against oppression before, and no matter how long it takes, eventually the tyrants are toppled, and peace reigns for a short while. but this may be the hardest battle in our entire history, and whomsoever wins, we lose.
The question is, which of us will lose, and which of us actually should lose?
I do not hate religion. I believe it was necessary for our survival, and may well be what supposedly separates us from the other animals. But its time has passed. It is now, like our bodily response to stress, not simply useless, but unhelpful. The only difference is that religion is self aware, and acts more like a virus than the simple cause-and-effect system of the human body. It realizes that it exists, ignores the fact that it naturally ends up killing its host organism (in this case, humanity), and rapidly multiplies, aiming for total control. Oh, the analogy is flawed, but ultimately I see very, very little difference, and it serves as well as any. Regardless, organized religion now holds us back, condemning freedom of speech, of sexuality, even of thought. We must place it behind us, and move on into the open pastures of logic and reason, which will surely welcome us with open arms, metaphorically speaking. There, we can simply be, not worrying about sin or redemption, no longer plagued by contradiction and close-mindedness, free at last.
The Netherlands have shown that euthanasia need not lead to a "slippery slope" effect, and surely legalizing assisted suicide and euthanasia is better than the alternative? Currently, if I want to have a lethal drug administered by a professional, I have to travel to America, locate a state which still allows the death penalty, and go on a killing spree.
This obviously causes far more harm than it needs to, and even simple suicide is still problematic. Not only do you have to acquire all the tools and such in secret, which is irritating, but the process isn't even very hard...just tedious. More importantly, once the deed has been done, there is the shock and horror of the family and friends, and often an investigation, complications with wills and deeds and insurance, and all sorts of other irritations, many of which cost the government themselves not a little, and the taxpayer a great deal indeed. Then the family must live with the guilt and sadness of your death. There is nothing here to consider worthwhile, and yet hundreds are forced to it because of the current prohibition of assisted suicide, and the implied illegality of even wanting to die. Hating your entire life does not make you insane, in need of psychological help, nor is death such a bad thing. If you have nothing to live for, you should be allowed to die, plain and simple. If you are capable of rational function, you should be allowed freedom.
Why not just legalize the bloody thing and have done with it?
Until the inevitable response, I rest my case.
Well, this is a note, that is to say, a piece of writing/other form of information recording, which is recorded to avoid decay. Enjoy.
Comparatively speaking, when I was younger I was smarter. I was better at philosophizing, much better with logic, and my skin was a little paler. I've noticed that this is a continuous process, and it annoys me. Although I'm still constantly absorbing information, becoming more intelligent, the process is slowing down, and in just a few years, it could very well go into reverse. As it is, I used to learn a small amount faster than others, which somewhat made up for my lack of knowledge and common sense. Right now, my intelligence is increasing rather slower than that of those around me, even if it is technically still increasing. How to say this, its acceleration is decreasing. I can only imagine what I'll be like after a decade, since I expect it to hit and go beneath zero at around the nineteen-twenty year mark. If it hits zero and stops, then I'll be a being with no capacity for new knowledge, a pointless shell, and a waste of space. If it goes beneath zero, becoming negative, then I will ultimately end up with a mental capacity equivalent to that of someone in a PVS. That's not really something I want, for reasons which should be obvious. It is partially because of this that I will eventually be campaigning for the rights to assisted suicide and euthanasia...Because they're still not legal!
If the right to life is a basic right, given to all members of the human species merely for being a part of said species, then it follows logically that the right to death is its inseparable counterpart. Why is it that human life is considered sacred, and always prolonged, even against the wishes of the individual? Isn't the reason abortion is mostly legal these days that people have a right to control what goes on in their bodies, even to the extent of ending a potential human life? Hasn't anyone ever heard the phrase "Quality over quantity"? There is no reason to follow the religious consensus on this matter, yet I believe that a great deal of the anti-euthanasia, anti-suicide support comes from organizations such as the Roman Catholic Church, of which a vast number of people are adherents. Are we to simply let the subjective belief in a logically contradictory and immoral deity stand in the way of reason, and freedom? Mankind has fought against oppression before, and no matter how long it takes, eventually the tyrants are toppled, and peace reigns for a short while. but this may be the hardest battle in our entire history, and whomsoever wins, we lose.
The question is, which of us will lose, and which of us actually should lose?
I do not hate religion. I believe it was necessary for our survival, and may well be what supposedly separates us from the other animals. But its time has passed. It is now, like our bodily response to stress, not simply useless, but unhelpful. The only difference is that religion is self aware, and acts more like a virus than the simple cause-and-effect system of the human body. It realizes that it exists, ignores the fact that it naturally ends up killing its host organism (in this case, humanity), and rapidly multiplies, aiming for total control. Oh, the analogy is flawed, but ultimately I see very, very little difference, and it serves as well as any. Regardless, organized religion now holds us back, condemning freedom of speech, of sexuality, even of thought. We must place it behind us, and move on into the open pastures of logic and reason, which will surely welcome us with open arms, metaphorically speaking. There, we can simply be, not worrying about sin or redemption, no longer plagued by contradiction and close-mindedness, free at last.
The Netherlands have shown that euthanasia need not lead to a "slippery slope" effect, and surely legalizing assisted suicide and euthanasia is better than the alternative? Currently, if I want to have a lethal drug administered by a professional, I have to travel to America, locate a state which still allows the death penalty, and go on a killing spree.
This obviously causes far more harm than it needs to, and even simple suicide is still problematic. Not only do you have to acquire all the tools and such in secret, which is irritating, but the process isn't even very hard...just tedious. More importantly, once the deed has been done, there is the shock and horror of the family and friends, and often an investigation, complications with wills and deeds and insurance, and all sorts of other irritations, many of which cost the government themselves not a little, and the taxpayer a great deal indeed. Then the family must live with the guilt and sadness of your death. There is nothing here to consider worthwhile, and yet hundreds are forced to it because of the current prohibition of assisted suicide, and the implied illegality of even wanting to die. Hating your entire life does not make you insane, in need of psychological help, nor is death such a bad thing. If you have nothing to live for, you should be allowed to die, plain and simple. If you are capable of rational function, you should be allowed freedom.
Why not just legalize the bloody thing and have done with it?
Until the inevitable response, I rest my case.
Wednesday, 16 March 2011
Ah, New England
[I want to describe to you the dramatic changing of the seasons here in Hartford, as well as my new, spring-influenced walk to school. To do so, never having learned my lesson when it comes to experimental blog posts, I would like to practice my screenplay writing skills. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, this is what I am learning here- this and origami and the ability to objectively analyse slave laws.]
Scene:
A cool March morning. The sky is pale blue with a few pink-tinged clouds. The sun has just risen. Camera focuses, a la sitcom shot, on the green 'WHITNEY' sign before panning down a long residential street, lined with large, timbered, New England-style houses.
Camera stops by a short flight of white timber stairs leading to a glass door. The door opens and JESS appears. She is much thinner and prettier than the original, and her legs meet approved movie-star proportions. She is dressed in ballet flats, bright purple tights, a denim skirt, blue t-shirt, and purple cardigan. Over her shoulder is a large green school bag. Today is heavy books day, despite JESS's best attempts to leave her folders at home.
She rummages fruitlessly through the mailbox. She knows the mail won't arrive for another 3 hours, but she remains an eternal optimist. Giving up, she heads down the street. Camera follows at a wide-angle, focusing on the house still carrying its huge, light-up, 'Merry Christmas' placard, the row of dustbins placed in the middle of the pavement, and next door's brand new BBQ.
At the traffic lights JESS turns left and heads east. She is singing along to some Beatles song to which she knows only a third of the words. The houses here are more expensive, and the gardens are bigger. Although there are not yet any flowers, the birds are singing loudly. There are few cars and no other pedestrians. In the distance we see the looming grey figure of the Law School library, backed by a pink cloudbank. The grass varies from dead yellow to deep green, and is still spotted with occasional piles of snow. JESS walks past one garden which is only just beginning to thaw, despite the warmth of the day.
Reaching the end of the street, JESS cuts across the swathe of grass behind the Law library. Suddenly, and without warning, it begins raining heavily.
JESS: Son of a -
Cut scene
Scene:
A cool March morning. The sky is pale blue with a few pink-tinged clouds. The sun has just risen. Camera focuses, a la sitcom shot, on the green 'WHITNEY' sign before panning down a long residential street, lined with large, timbered, New England-style houses.
Camera stops by a short flight of white timber stairs leading to a glass door. The door opens and JESS appears. She is much thinner and prettier than the original, and her legs meet approved movie-star proportions. She is dressed in ballet flats, bright purple tights, a denim skirt, blue t-shirt, and purple cardigan. Over her shoulder is a large green school bag. Today is heavy books day, despite JESS's best attempts to leave her folders at home.
She rummages fruitlessly through the mailbox. She knows the mail won't arrive for another 3 hours, but she remains an eternal optimist. Giving up, she heads down the street. Camera follows at a wide-angle, focusing on the house still carrying its huge, light-up, 'Merry Christmas' placard, the row of dustbins placed in the middle of the pavement, and next door's brand new BBQ.
At the traffic lights JESS turns left and heads east. She is singing along to some Beatles song to which she knows only a third of the words. The houses here are more expensive, and the gardens are bigger. Although there are not yet any flowers, the birds are singing loudly. There are few cars and no other pedestrians. In the distance we see the looming grey figure of the Law School library, backed by a pink cloudbank. The grass varies from dead yellow to deep green, and is still spotted with occasional piles of snow. JESS walks past one garden which is only just beginning to thaw, despite the warmth of the day.
Reaching the end of the street, JESS cuts across the swathe of grass behind the Law library. Suddenly, and without warning, it begins raining heavily.
JESS: Son of a -
Cut scene
Tuesday, 8 March 2011
Oh, and another postscript
Did I mention it was getting warmer? Or that almost all the snow has melted? Or that I bought new hats? Or that I'm going to New York (baby) tomorrow?
No?
How horribly remiss of me. Here is a picture of the crew of the Good Ship Folk Soc looking particularly ... glowy to make up for it.
No?
How horribly remiss of me. Here is a picture of the crew of the Good Ship Folk Soc looking particularly ... glowy to make up for it.
Monday, 7 March 2011
Today, I will sound like a frog
Right, so why haven't I updated? I'm tempted to list a number of excuses, but it's mainly because I'm lazy. There, that's sorted.
What have I done recently?
Eaten a lot of chicken noodle soup. It seems to be my new thing.
Completed a mid-term on Handyside vs UK and the margin of appreciation. In a very short period of time..
Spectacularly failed to pick a paper topic for Freedom of Speech. Unless "something to do with manipulation and truth in media and the First Amendment and maybe looking at Fox" counts as a topic.
Been fluy. Hence the title. I met Siobhan for lunch the other day and the first thing she said was "wow! Your voice sounds really nice!" Which I think was meant to be a compliment.
Turned old. Or 22, whichever you prefer. Jaapi is older though- he turned 25 the Wednesday before last. In honour of which, the lovely Hartford crew put together a cake and vodka party, with mini chicken cordon bleu, and tzatziki, and chocolate brownies topped with cheesecake. It was wonderful.
Got red highlights in my hair- now I'm much more brunette, and it's all wonderfully exciting!
Still working on and over-excited by my final for Law and Literature- a script adaptation of Emma Zunz. It's only a few scenes in at the moment, but I'm enjoying it.
Oh, I was elected Vice-President of Folk Society to my friend Hannah's President, which is wonderfully exciting- and a little scary when I look at the amount of work involved.
And, of course, I went back to the UK to attend IVFDF (the Inter-Varsity Folk Dance Festival) last weekend- which is probably where I picked up this bug - and surprised everyone, from my mum and my brother to pretty much the entirety of Folk Society.
It was an incredible weekend. I barely slept, I didn't really stop dancing, I met some lovely people, and I got to see both my family and the folkies again, which was more than worth it. When on Sunday afternoon I found myself lying on the floor with two other friends just laughing I knew I was home.
And I'm househunting. And it's difficult. And I might be living with a friend of my friend Abbi's, provided he doesn't come away from the last essay I sent him thinking I'm a freak. We shall see.
And I'm trying to improve my French. This is about as hopeless as the househunting, but I live in eternal optimism.
JJ out.
What have I done recently?
Eaten a lot of chicken noodle soup. It seems to be my new thing.
Completed a mid-term on Handyside vs UK and the margin of appreciation. In a very short period of time..
Spectacularly failed to pick a paper topic for Freedom of Speech. Unless "something to do with manipulation and truth in media and the First Amendment and maybe looking at Fox" counts as a topic.
Been fluy. Hence the title. I met Siobhan for lunch the other day and the first thing she said was "wow! Your voice sounds really nice!" Which I think was meant to be a compliment.
Turned old. Or 22, whichever you prefer. Jaapi is older though- he turned 25 the Wednesday before last. In honour of which, the lovely Hartford crew put together a cake and vodka party, with mini chicken cordon bleu, and tzatziki, and chocolate brownies topped with cheesecake. It was wonderful.
Got red highlights in my hair- now I'm much more brunette, and it's all wonderfully exciting!
Still working on and over-excited by my final for Law and Literature- a script adaptation of Emma Zunz. It's only a few scenes in at the moment, but I'm enjoying it.
Oh, I was elected Vice-President of Folk Society to my friend Hannah's President, which is wonderfully exciting- and a little scary when I look at the amount of work involved.
And, of course, I went back to the UK to attend IVFDF (the Inter-Varsity Folk Dance Festival) last weekend- which is probably where I picked up this bug - and surprised everyone, from my mum and my brother to pretty much the entirety of Folk Society.
It was an incredible weekend. I barely slept, I didn't really stop dancing, I met some lovely people, and I got to see both my family and the folkies again, which was more than worth it. When on Sunday afternoon I found myself lying on the floor with two other friends just laughing I knew I was home.
And I'm househunting. And it's difficult. And I might be living with a friend of my friend Abbi's, provided he doesn't come away from the last essay I sent him thinking I'm a freak. We shall see.
And I'm trying to improve my French. This is about as hopeless as the househunting, but I live in eternal optimism.
JJ out.
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