What is the "it" referenced above? "It" is the rich subjective experience of consciousness. There's nothing else quite like consciousness, right? Writing in Seed Magazine, Nicholas Humphrey suggests that, perhaps, consciousness is "not such a big deal." OK, but what is consciousness? Why do we see the vivid redness of…
Does anyone really know the answer? Ever? That's the point of this excerpt from a short essay by novelist Harlan Ellison: . . . [My] fourth marriage just sort of happened: It seemed like a good idea at the time. In fact—and this is the core of all my wisdom about…
I’d never seen anything like this before (I learned about it after reading a post at SoupyTrumpet). It’s a song based on a speech Barack Obama delivered in New Hampshire on January 8, 2008. The music is performed by will.i.am of the rap group Black Eyed Peas, assisted by a…
I learned of the issue of "downer cows" by reading a report on Common Dreams: You wouldn’t think you could “spin” a video that shows slaughterhouse workers electric shocking downer cows, “water boarding” them, jabbing their eyes with herding paddles and ramming them with forklift blades while they squeal in…
I attended Barack Obama's speech in St. Louis on Saturday night. I was among a numerous other people attending -- the press reported that about 20,000 people were present. To get into the arena, those attending had to follow the line for several blocks, leading up to the door. We walked…