Beyond

We pursue our own interests.
We are capitalist and happy.
We work from 9 to 5 and die
after 65, because we are no longer

needed. What are we but nearsighted?
Do you think you care about
people you can’t see or those
you don’t know? No. We do not shout

at those in power because we
believe we are in heaven,
but man is deeply evil and believes he is good.
If a man is elected to lead

he can still be evil and believe he is good.
He peruses his own interests. He is nearsighted;
delusional bad apple spoiling.
Don’t join the system.

Cheat the game and make millions only
to give it away. Make your life and
give it away. Truly love those you can’t see,
only then will you break free and see truth.

The only life worth leading
is the life driven to seeing
beyond this idyllic snow globe
and loving those we don’t know

A Letter to Brian Greene

Dr. Greene,

I'm currently reading your book, Fabric of the Cosmos and I would like to first state that I am big fan and I am truly enjoying the read!  I am just now reading your chapter on the multiple dimensions necessary for string theory and you made a statement that I wanted to comment on.  In your description of how to "visualize" multiple dimensions you say that it's pretty difficult to visualize 6 dimensions and you haven't met anyone who could.

Well I certainly don't claim to, but I had to laugh a little bit because when I was a Freshman math major at Trinity University in San Antonio in 2001, I was taking basic undergraduate linear algebra and was floored by the idea that I couldn't visualize the inputs of my equations when they were bigger than 4 dimensions.  I then thought about it a little more and I wrote my professor at the time Dr. Chapman a memo on how I imagined different dimensions higher than 3 or 4.

Assumption:  Clearly, we live in a world of 3 visible spatial dimensions and 1 time dimension.  Since man has taught History I'm pretty sure we have used the concept of a "time-line" to describe the changing of our 3 spatial dimensions across time.  By doing so we took the mathematical R3 and converted its "infinite" size to an infinitesimal point and simply gave the point a "nudge" in the direction of time and the time-line was drawn.  My assumption was that any time we were in an infinite 3 spatial dimension space we could then, for the purposes of visualization convert that space into an infinitesimal point. 

Induction:  I don't claim this to be a proof by induction but just the method at which I used to visualize higher dimensions.  Once you shrunk the infinite world to the size of a point and struck it you drew a line.  This was R4 and if you struck that line (much like a guitar string) it would vibrate showing you the 5th dimension or R5.  You could imagine this as different possible futures (maybe even your multiverse picture).  If you have now a membrane in that is R5, you can imagine that much like a drum and when you strike it, it vibrates like a drum showing you the 6th (R6) dimension or a new infinite space with 3 spatial dimensions within which each point represented a snapshot of our 3 dimensional space.  So continuing on you can quickly see that R6 can then via the assumption be shrunk down to a point and the process repeated.  Continuing you would see the pattern that dimensions that can be written as R(3n) where n is a whole number are "spaces" and by assumption equivalently points, R(3n+1) are lines similar to our time line, and R(3n+2) are membranes or planes.

Now this is for whole numbers of n.  Clearly there exists a R(0) which is the infinitesimal points in our world.  Since it can be written R(3n) is can then be assumed to also be an infinite space.  Inside this space we can then start going backwards using n as negative integers.  R(-1) is equivalent to R(3n+2) where n = -1.  So it is a membrane.  Further down is R(-2) which can be written R(3n+1) where n = -1 so R(-2) is a line and lastly R(3n) where n = -1 is a point in that space.  Now you can then use this method of "visualization" just as I did in Linear Algebra to try to imagine what different dimensions "look" like.  Clearly, this is only for the purposes of helping my 18 year-old self get through my freshman year, but I thought that now you could at least say you've met someone who tried to visualize not only 6 dimensions below ours but "n" dimensions above and below our ours.

I know you're a busy man and I don't want to take any more of your time, but thank you again for writing your book and keep up the good work, and with that I'll leave you with a poem your book has inspired.

I have written a beautiful proof
String theory is true!  No goof!
The letters are quite small
Plancnk's constant they are tall
Just trust me, I'm telling the truth.

The Land Of The Free

Have we come to an agreement;
an understanding of the word?
Anger is rising off the cement
Sweaty money changing hands

Is this the America we want?
Or do we live like puppets for Blair
As Bush sings Sweet Home Obama
Racism is replaced with a new slavery

God’s name is used not only vain
but in idiocy and in politics
How are we different from 17th
Century France?

There are no more lines, Republican
and Democrat. They are put there
to blind us from the truth
that we are just puppets of greater men.

The Prophecy Continued

Part 1

"Camil, what are you thinking about?" Abraham walked into the viewing deck and say Camil looking out at Aurocia. Abraham was young but you wouldn't know by looking at him. Both Camil and Abraham came up through the Mohammed Intraship Police Squad. Abraham was practically two meters tall, 125 kg and was intimidatingly strong. His booming low voice could stop a thief in his tracks, far better than anyone else chasing him down. Camil, although the same age, did not rise through the ranks as quickly, partly because of her sex. She did, however, have a gifted intelligence, was excellent in martial arts, and was stunningly beautiful.

"Sometimes I just wonder what it felt like to look out a window and see blue skies."

"Well can't you just hit the iView, see right here, you've seen this. It'll look just like anywhere on Earth apparen.."

"I know that! I'm saying for real though. To see a window, look at a blue sky and open it. What would that be like? To be outside."

"Well from, what I understand, when our ancestors were on Earth, we spent most of our time in doors."

"I suppose we took that for granted." Camil said.

Code Red Camil Code Red, There is open fire in sector 63, stern/starboard quadrant. It's Dr. Thatcher is over there. Code Red, Camil, do you read.

Over the intercom, Camil and Abraham heard the warning and ran out of the view deck.

"Roger that, we're on our way."

Camil and Abraham raced through the corridors to sector 63 which was also 42 floors below them in engineering. They jumped into the lev and as it took them down they grabbed their weapons. The each carried a chemo-nuclear, semi-automatic rifle. Instead of traditional gun powder, a small nuclear reaction is created in each bullet to project it forward at speeds not possible in previous technology. The bullets were chemically designed to disintegrate upon hitting anything other than what was programmed to be the target. They each had small head pieces that projected an image into their eye and they then could set the target, and the transmission would be sent to the bullet. The collateral damage in the halls of the Mohammed used to be pretty high in a fire fight before the advent of these weapons.

The doors to the lev opened immediately they were showered with bullets. The assailant had disabled the chemical disintegration and they were now sitting ducks.

Camil went low and ran out towards Dr. Thatcher who was in the hall as Abraham opened fire to cover here.

"Still, no ID confirm on the assailant." Abraham reported to his earpiece.

"Just cover me." Camil yelled back.

She reached Dr. Thatcher who was bleeding heavily from his neck. He had trouble speaking and was chocking on his own blood.

"Hold on Doc, you're gonna be fine…Doc! Stay with me."

Dr. Thatcher reached up at Camil and grabbed her face. "It's…a…lie"

"What's a lie, Dr. Thatcher, come on, stay with me!"

He closed his eyes and fell limp in her arms.

"Shit!" She screamed and ran towards the assailant. Showering him with chemical dust from the missed fire.

"CAMIL, wait" Abraham lumbered after her.

The assailant ran around the corner and into the emergency transport bay. He typed in a code into the panel on the wall and alarms began to go off. Camil looked into the bay window and saw his face. He was wearing face paint and looked back at her with wild blue eyes. He screamed at the top of his lungs in some language. Just then the transport bay doors opened and he was sucked out of the bay, his skin ripped like a burning sausage from the low pressure and he froze just as quickly from the ultra low temperature.

 

 

Extended Stay

Mind-numbing...Drunk again...well maybe not drunk but well you know...I'm laying here in bed, watching Conan, and the jokes start out extra funny but what seems like an eternity but is only 20 minutes...I realize I must have the visage of a vegetable.

The glory of it all is the repetition. Master percussionists wouldn't enjoy this routine as well as I do. Tick for tick, every day is the same as the last. Subtly over time little things change but I have done my best to hold them back. I look out of the window rarely now....

When she comes to clean the bedroom, I sit in the tub with the door locked. As the years went by she tried to talk to me through the door. She wasn't the first. There were many before her. Some angry and would beat the door. They would say,

"Mister open up. Are you crazy? I need to clean the bathroom? Are you crazy?"

I didn't say anything I could feel the anger inside me build up and I could explode if I wanted to but I know the ramifications of that. If I blew up the manager would come andhe like his bosses before him would try to kick me out. I would be shoved back out and I like it here. I do. I really like it here.

If you're reading this I must have passed. I kept this hidden in the bottom of my vinyl toiletries case. It was next to the empty trial size tube of Crest, the empty bottle of Brut cologne, the empty bottle of Goldbond. When I first came here I should mention that I didn't intend to use more than was in those bottles.

For fear that those in the hotel that have taken care of me will be implicated I do not want to write explicitly my location, but I will tell you this. I am at a major hotel in a major city. Many thousands of people have stayed here. It's very well possible the number is close to a million. I watch them. Not many people know they are being watched when the check in but I see them. I don't go out the front door but when you check in look around. If you see some windows into rooms. You might find someone nodding slightly from a distance. You will probably be so enthralled in your luggage and those wild kids that won't fucking stand still you'll never see a thing.

Excuse my temper.

The reason I am writing this tonight in the cold blue haze of Conan is to tell you the story of how I left this room. I came here 20 years ago in 1986. I could tell you in 10 pages what I did between then and now but I think you'll find it a bit repetitive after paragraph one. I am writing this because now I am dying. I am dying because I left. I left because I fell in love again.

I promise you this story does not have a happy ending...
In the traditional sense.

But you need to know that somewhere at the bottom of this black vinyl toiletry bag, beyond the soap stains and faded scent of Brut, I found hope. I retire back here to spend my remaining hours as I spent them for years but I can be proud that when I was given one more chance I took it. Ah screw it.

Why do my legs feel like they're on fire after standing up from sitting down too long. If Darwin was right and we were built to move then our legs would hurt while we were sitting down not after. If you relax enough, if you truly give up, you won't feel any pain.

How is that natural selection?

Staircase by Kirsten Shipp

Katy looked at her alarm clock, 2:30 am. She had been trying to fall asleep for four hours now – and had tried just about everything from reading the dictionary, to meditation, to counting sheep. Nothing worked – it rarely did.
 

"Screw this," she mumbled as she rolled out of bed, "I'm going on a drive."
 

Despite living alone, Katy still tiptoed across her room as she went to grab her faded blue sweatshirt and her purse. As she headed for the door, she realized she had no idea where she would go, but something was telling her to just get out and drive. She drove for two hours. At first she drove with the windows down, and the music blaring, the noise helped block out the millions of thoughts going through her head. But then she turned the music off and let her thoughts consume her. Like why she was still with her dead-beat boyfriend and how much she hated her current job. She had worked hard through high school and college and done well, but lately life just wasn't what she thought it would be. She had stopped meeting up with friends in order to hang out more with Bobby – who usually just ended up getting drunk and yelling at her. And when Bobby was out of town, she would at work late to avoid her friend's advice that he was bad news. But she barely had enough work during the day to keep her busy, so often times, she wasn't even working during those late hours. She would wait until everyone else had gone home and then cry. She couldn't cry at her apartment – what if her neighbors heard, or a friend stopped by? It was easier to just cry when she knew no one else would hear or see her. That way she wouldn't have to admit how lost she felt.
 

Suddenly Katy's thoughts were interrupted as she focused on something in the distance.
 

"Is that a….staircase…in the middle of a field?"
 

She slammed on the brakes and got out of the car. This, she had to see. It was still dark out, and the only sound was that of her feet hitting the ground as she made her way to the staircase.
 

"This is unbelievable" she thought. "How come I haven't seen this here before?"
 

Katy stood at the bottom of the staircase for a good five minutes, before carefully placing her right foot on the bottom step.
 

"What the hell? It can't hurt."
 

She took one last look around her, she wouldn't want anyone calling the cops on the crazy girl at the top of the staircase in the middle of the field, and then started to climb. From the ground the staircase hadn't looked more than one story tall, but Katy felt like she was climbing forever. She was practically gasping for air as she reached the top.
 

"Geesh, I need to get back in the gym" she thought as she sat down, her feet dangling over the field below her. She reached into her sweatshirt pocket and pulled out a mangled cigarette and matches. She coughed with her first puff, and immediately put out the cigarette. It was a bad habit that she had picked up from Bobby, and one she hated.
 

"Disgusting" she mumbled as a tear rolled down her cheek, "just disgusting." She sat there in silence for five minutes, looking straight down as her tears dropped to the ground beneath her.
 

Then she did something she rarely did, she squeezed her eyes shut, clasped her hands together and she prayed. It had been so long she wasn't sure quite what to say, but she knew she needed help. She didn't ask for answers or for life to suddenly be perfect, she asked for the strength to move forward. And as she stood up she opened her eyes and looked out upon the fields in front of her. Suddenly the black, barren fields ahead had color and were unlike anything she had ever seen before. She saw several forking roads; some with hills and rocky paths, but at the end of every road was something beautiful. From the top of the stairs to nowhere, she felt like she was standing on the top of the world and from there she could see the world of endless possibilities that lay ahead of her. For the first time in years, she felt empowered, and as she climbed back down the stairs and got back into her car, she didn't look back. She knew that what she had seen at the top of the stairs would be gone, it was in her heart now, and she didn't have time to look back, the world was waiting for her.

Current Events and Importance of Open Mindedness, Civility, and Action

    We are now being ravaged in the news with stories of protestors in the streets carrying weapons and demanding their voices be heard. This is currently regarding health care but it wasn't that long ago it was the war we were protesting and immigration as well. After September 11^th, we banded together as a nation and were stronger than ever in our unity. That has over last 8 years started to fall apart. It is now at a point that we are as divided, if not more so, than we ever have been before. Right wingers have expressed extreme fear in Obama and the course our country is taking; left wingers are worried that the right wingers will not allow the necessary changes to occur. Another divide has now occurred that is slightly different. There are those that feel that are scared by all the fear and anger beginning to rise. They worry that something bad will happen if people become too worked up. They point out some valid reasons why we should not bring weapons into the streets during a protest. On the other side are the protestors, those that are becoming more and more angry and scared every day. They have reached a level that borders on demanding revolution and they don't understand the apathy of the silent. Who is right in this situation? What are their best points? How can we be the best citizens we can be and at the same time the best friends and neighbors?

    Those that are against the fearful bring up some very valid points. First of all, the structure of the government is set up with Checks and Balances. We've all leaned about them since we were in grade school, but this process helps ensure that no part of the government becomes any more powerful than the others. In addition, the will of the people is represented 3 times in our votes for the house, our votes for the congress and our votes for the President. The majority of us have decided that those in the position of power best represent our beliefs and they will do their best to make sure that we get what we want. Secondly, and to further demonstrate the powers of these checks and balances, not much has changed in the United States in decades. We have been through several Presidents, each rocked with their own scandals, wars, and fears and somehow we still seem to be on top of the world, with the majority of us enjoying the rights of life, liberty and happiness. Lastly, a religious argument is brought up, for those who believe, and that is one of confidence. We are told that God has a plan for us and that we should not fear walking through the valley of the shadow of death. We are told to put our faith in God and that in the end everything will be okay.

    The second group brings up some excellent points on why we should fear apathy the most. The checks and balances system is bruised at the moment. The party of the President now controls all of Congress. The only other branch of government isn't elected by the people but nominated by the President and confirmed by the congress. In this situation, if played correctly changes can be made to the country in an amazingly easy fashion. The most horrifying descriptions would be to say that a blitzkrieg of legislations can be brought down on us, whether or not it is the best decision. Secondly, we are not given all the facts. The major media outlets are our only window to the world as a whole and what they say we have to take as Gospel. Unfortunately, they do not give us all the facts and they work in a world that pays them more for exacerbating problems and fear mongering. How are we to have our voices heard, when they are most often the ones representing us to our peers? Lastly, in Pope Benedict's encyclical on Love he points out that if we truly love God, and want to be the best we can for him, then no longer is His will some alien will imposed on us, but it is actually our will. We can not sit by apathetically and hope God will take care of us; we need to first think hard about the choices in front of us, secondly, pray that the choice we make is the one he would also want us to make, and then we need to act. God says to love and forgive, not be apathetic. If the Apostles were apathetic we would not know about Christ.

    So where does this leave us. First of all, it is important that all parties keep an open mind. Listening and gathering more information is NEVER the wrong step. Secondly, if we do decide to act it is important we do so in a Christian manner, without weapons. Imagine the students at Tiananmen Square kneeling in front of tanks. They were not violent and their voices became louder through that sacrifice. Thirdly, we should not believe everything we hear. We need to do our own research, if CBS or Fox News or the Daily Show tell us their opinion about a major piece of legislature we should note it but come up with out own decisions. Hopefully we are not making up our minds before we get all the facts. Lastly is a word of warning. Our government has proven since Nixon that it can lie to us. It can manipulate the world behind our backs and systematically take away our freedoms. Historically in times like these where the powers that be feel that the people have become divided and are beginning to lose power, they will create a false flag terror attack. A false flag terror attack is "covert operation conducted by governments, corporations, or other organizations, which [is] designed to deceive the public in such a way that the operations appear as though they are being carried out by other entities." (Wikipedia, False Flag) These were performed most notably by the German's before WWII to rally the people against Poland and surrounding countries. Personally I fear that the government might perform one these attacks, and blame those that are the least apathetic, like the members of the Campaign for Liberty. We are coming to a crossroads. I do not know where will go as a country, but whatever happens, I hope that we remember the quote by Thomas Jefferson, "When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty."