Spontaneous Creation or The Big Splat

Image licensed under Creative Commons by MikeLicht, NotionsCapital

Spontaneous Creation or The Big Splat: According to the great Dr. Stephen Hawking, the creation of the universe occurred absent the presence of a god or goddess*. Therefore, (not sure if we are quoting him or the BBC News) the creation of the universe was spontaneous. We also (here at the AZD) now refer to it as "The Big Splat" (relative to the Big Bang) - kind of like a paintball or an egg being splattered against the fabric of space time. And, there you have it! But the godless creation of the universe seems somehow meaningless and purposeless. One can only imagine a cartoonish god (like the Seth McFarlane god of 'Family Guy' or the Terry Gilliam god of 'Monty Python and the Holy Grail') splattering a great egg against the wall. And where did the wall come from?


However, the argument could be made that absence of a Creator at the beginning does not rule out the existence of the same...


Incidentally, we can't wait for the great Stephen Colbert's take on this in his hilarious "Stephen Hawking is Such an *ssh#l@" segment.


FOM: *Stephen Hawking: God Did Not Create the Universe (from BBC News), REUTERS News Agency on the subject, Anti-Time and SearchEdu.com on Spontaneous Creation

Please note: This posting appears simultaneously in our sister publication, The Anti-Zen Dictionary.

Anti-Time

Image licensed under Creative Commons by pt



Updated: Thursday, September 2, 2010* (See Below)



Anti-Time: Is the unfortunate proposal that time will eventually come to a stop - and could even be due to consequences from human activity, engineering and science. We got this idea from at least two sources: Ray Kurzweil and Star Trek: TNG Last Episodes(!). (Yes, yes we were big fans of the TV series and occasionally view a repeat every now and then.)






Our main reference is to the book by Ray Kurzweil - The Singularity is Near. One of the propositions seems to be that computer speeds will continue to increase at an accelerated pace.






One wonders if the pace will continue to the point where computations will literally exceed "light speed". What if they continue to accelerate to the point where computations will become instantaneous? At which point, time will become unnecessary (who ever thought that time was necessary?). At which point, time's reality becomes obvious and even stops. This might be the true singularity.






At which, point time itself could implode upon itself and reverse. Thus creating the phenomenon of "anti-time"? Everything affected by time (the universe) would then reverse in time. Except, of course, for certain sub-atomic particles! The universe would literally implode upon itself in this gigantic reversal. A sort of a "Reverse Big Bang" would then be created. Could the universe start all over again?






FOM: The Singularity is Near (on Google Books), The Singularity is Near (BookTV link - no video!), Wikipedia Link on Arrow of Time, Wikipedia Link on Ray Kurzweil, Glenn Beck's Interview of Kurzweil (!),US Military to Attack Moore's Law for Future Computers (from BBC News), *Stephen Hawking: God Did Not Create The Universe (from BBC News) and Time's Arrow from Google Books

Save The Tiger

Image licensed under Creative Commons by Tambako the Jaguar

Save The Tiger: The Big Apology is due shortly after we write this.  And the similarities between Tiger's apology and the themes of this classic '70's movie are both striking and frightening.  The first example being the tagline for the film - "(Harry Stoner) will do anything to get one more season".  Seems like our man might be in the same position.  He's putting himself out there on that stage and - we believe - he's going to get back into that game.  Many have said and will continue to say "Golf can't go on without Him".  That's not quite right, its that the game just wouldn't be the same without him.  Just ask his throngs of adoring fans. 

The game was great before Tiger's era and will continue to be great after Tiger is gone and is playing 18 holes in the next world.  Ben Hogan and Sam Snead will be right there with him, on the heavenly greens.  Just think about it, chances are you're a golfer.  Right?  Suppose Tiger shows up on your green and asks if he can join your threesome or asks if he can play through.  What are you going to say?  Uh-huh, we thought so.  Given half-a-chance, most people would almost certainly play with Tiger.  Of course, there's no way they could match the caliber of his game, his handicap nor the arc of his swing.  No way.  But would they miss the opportunity?  Uh-uh, no way buddy.  You can bet the farm on that. 

Its this spirit of the game that will keep Tiger from feeling the same isolation of Harry Stoner.  He may feel a lot alone on that big stage, making the biggest swing of his life and career.  A Lot Alone.  Wagner and Shakespeare couldn't have invoked more drama and expectation.  In that regard, its kind of a thrilling moment.  One of the greatest athletes of all time has been humbled.  And he's being humbled again.  But he'll get up and go back to what he was doing in the first place.  That takes a great deal of character.  More than most bloggers got, chum.

Morality and ethics?  What about those you ask?  Yeah, since when do those have to do with what goes on in a player's...er, sorry...Freudian slip...athlete's life outside of the arena?  You've probably slipped up somewhere along the way, at least just a little.  Oh it was for a good cause, right?  It was forgiveable.  Half of the time, these things are forgiveable.  Half of the time, probably not.  Look at some other great figures in history - in general - that took a fall...  Recall the proverbs, "Even Homer nods" and "Let he who is without sin...".  And what about the damage to his personal life?  Not really any of our business, even though the media and celebrity make it our business.  Which is why even write and talk about Tiger and others, anyway.  You see, if there were nothing to talk about, then there would be nothing to talk about.  Right?  Yeah, lets leave that argument where it is, because it is an argument that has no ending.

And that half-joking crack and others about being a player?   Or a sport?  That's going to go on and on...  He might just have to grin and bear it.  You see those things can be a help.  Help him keep his eye on the ball.  Groan... Keep him from tripping over his club...er, shaft...er, bag...Oh never mind!  The point is, there are a lot of jokes and superstitions and lore about golf that go on and on with or without Tiger.  It doesn't make things a farce.  One bad thing, however.  The name.  Before there even was a Tiger Woods, there has always been this stupid superstition about the tiger being a symbol of disappointment and disaster.  Well, it may ring true.  But those things can be overcome...look at Katrina, Banda Aceh...and well, others...

But what about his brand, his business, his craft...his, his money?  What about it?  Do you have a brand?  Do have a worldwide enterprise with charitable works based solely on your talents, your celebrity and - well - how the people have responded to you?  Nope.  Nothing like it?  There has never been a brand like Tiger.  Never will be.  Until the next Great One shows up.  And chances are, he or she is gonna have a fall too...

Bit.ly: http://bit.ly/9K28MO

FOM: Repentant Woods sorry for affairs ,Tiger Apology, Tiger Woods Apology Didn't Please Everyone, Did Tiger's Body Language Betray Him? and Tiger's Mother Defends Her Son




Revised/Updated: Friday, February 19, 2010; Sunday, February 21, 2010

NEVER Do This Drunk!

Throw up on the grocery store floor...

Shave your cat...

Do #1 in the litter box...

Put beer in the pet food bowl...

Put your hand in the tree chipper...

Put your genitalia in the tree chipper...

Put someone else's genitalia in the tree chipper...

Challenge the cops to a drag race...

Punch out the officers...

Pee in the breathalyzer...

Pee on the cop with the breathalyzer...

Pee on the Thanksgiving turkey... (real life example)...

Pee on the TV...

Pee on the subway tracks...***WHAMMO!!!***

Play emperor and the slave girl and pass out...

Play emperor and the slave boy and pass out...

Dress up like Joaquin Phoenix on Letterman...

Pee yourself while reading TopTen List on Letterman...

Put dumb lists like this on Twitter...

Compete in Olympic events...  EXCEPT curling...

Play with your shotgun...

Play with your cannon... (real life example)...

Try to steal a fire hydrant...

Make love to a horse... (real life example)...

Drive a #Toyota... (cross-reference)...

Bit.ly: http://bit.ly/coSxaZ

The "Real" Meaning of Valentine's Day

Image licensed under Creative Commons by riptheskull

The "Real" Meaning of Valentine's Day:

Her: He's taking me to JARED!!!

Him: She's taking me to CABELA's!!!

Later in life -

Her: Roses and chocolate???  Where's the diamond you *ssh*le !?!?

Him: Honey, can we have a thr**some?

Bit.ly: http://bit.ly/dr9tmA

The Perfect Religion

Image licensed under Creative Commons by Zömßiè Inc. Wholesale zombies for over 20 years

If there were a perfect Religion...God (or the Goddess!) would have created it by now!

Bit.ly: http://bit.ly/c78cLq

Winter's Reign - A Prose Poem

cascades Image licensed under Creative Commons by baxterclaus

Winter's Reign, A Winter Rain
In January
Walking outside
In the winter rain.
Its raining here
In January
Where its usually
24 - 15
24/7.
Trees still spring
From the earth
Waiting for spring
To releaf.
Cold and brown now
Not the conifers
In the winter rain
A miracle witnessed.
Trees still spring
From the earth
Even in the winter rain.
Where just a week ago
Tiny brown birds,
Gamboled and gyred and frolicked
On the wing
Like children at play
In the cold winter sun.
Springing from my
Favorite Queen Tree
From her lips I hear
"Out of winter, springeth green".
Numbed by her word,
Not the cold
I walked along
Dazed and alone
In my hand-me-sideways
Nautica green jacket
And my yellow rain poncho
I stepped and slipped
On icy floes
Thinking its a miracle
And water flows
And freezes
Under my feet.
From out of winter,
Cometh spring.





(Bit.ly link: http://bit.ly/5oHgBd)

Hand-Me-Sideways

Image licensed under Creative Commons by a shadow of my future self

Hand-Me-Sideways: Like hand-me-downs, but only in a lateral transition. We recently heard of someone cleaning out their closets, similar to our age, so now we have some hand-me-sideways clothing. Don't put that in the trash - somebody needs it...

The House Always Wins

Image licensed under Creative Commons by Roadsidepictures

You may be winning at the table now, but remember - the house always wins in the long run.

Universal Vision

M101 image licensed under Creative Commons by Jared Smith

If you are a theist, when viewing the universe - you see a construct. If you are an atheist (or an agnostic) - a mystery.

Not the other way around...

Bit.ly: http://bit.ly/4ZedvF