Isqua Istari

I was looking around on the internet for a good, short, example debate for children. Finding nothing convincing, I wrote this up. It is intended as an informal example of a formal debate. Please let me know if there are any major problems with this format or style, since I am not a debate person myself.

Topic:
Mashed potatoes… Blessing or Bane?

Introduction:
“Mashed potatoes are a staple of american and irish food. Some people like them, and some people do not. We have here the Pro side and the Con side, to present their views on mashed potatoes. We will have the Pro side first.”

Pro side speaks:
“Mashed potatoes are healthy, and delicious. They are cheap, which makes this fantastic food accesable to the poor and rich alike. They are easy to eat, which is important to people with braces, or without teeth. They can also be sculpted into many shapes. Since they are white, food coloring has a dramatic effect. Overall, mashed potatoes are good tasting, good for you, and good looking.

Con side speaks:
“Mashed potatoes are a blight on the culinary landscape, a colorless, tasteless, paste-like staple food. Their high carb content can cause weight gain. Without the skin, they have almost no nutritional value. Many times, mashed potatoes are reconstituted from freeze dried crumbs, further eliminating valuable vitamins. Overall, whole grains like rice or whole wheat have better flavor and texture, and carry more nutritional value.

Con side counters Pro side’s arguments:
Although cheap and easy to consume, potatoes are merely on par with rice and wheat. A wheat paste (such as cream of wheat) or raw cooked rice can provide the same nutritional value, at a lower cost. Mentioning the sculpture value of food is frankly laughable, as is raising points about colorability. Who really cares if they can make a realistically colored sculpture with their food? Food is for eating! Really, who would want to eat mashed potatoes when they could be eating something better tasting and better for you.

Pro side counters Con side’s arguments:
Far from tasteless, mashed potatoes take on the flavor of many other foods, allowing them to amplify and support a full spectrum of flavor. Any food can be rendered less nutritional through processing. Potatoes without the skin, or highly processed mashed potatoes will of course be of a lower quality than fresh food. This does not in any way diminish the potential of the food to be counted among the favorites of the world. Although wheat and rice are widely available, many choose potatoes, and mash them with relish.

Well, it’s been fun, but my stint in Seattle as a volunteer 3d artist is coming to a close. I should be back in Camarillo by the 26th. I’ll be trying to finish up some stuff here, get some graphics polished off that would be difficult to do remotely. I’ve learned a lot about how a movie goes together, what counts, and what doesn’t matter. I’ve also discovered that I have a ton left to learn, but that’s life right?

In other news, I’ve decided to try a temporary 30 hour sleep schedule, instead of the traditional 24 hour one. I should be back to normal on Wednesday, but it’s been interesting, so far so good! I went to bed today at 10:00 in the morning, and woke up around 5:00 pm. Tomorrow I’ll be going to bed at about 4:00 pm. If this works, I may try to keep it up on a more regular basis. The extra two hours a day could prove handy. Handy, that is, if I’m not a slobbering zombie by the end of it.

Anna is flying up Wednesday, and we’ll be hanging out for a few days here in Seattle. Then, on Friday, Cailin (her sister) will be arriving and we’ll start driving back south. After a short stop to visit Ben, we’ll be picking up Deborah in Eugene and then all head down to Camarillo. Once again, it’s Paul and three girls on a trip… How does this keep happening?

All my male friends are gainfully employed, that’s how! Speaking of work, Dan took some time off and came up for about five days. He took a number of pictures, I’ll try to get him to post them at some point. It was great having him up here, and I’m looking forward to being back in Camarillo.

Well, I didn’t end up working on the 48 hour film. They didn’t need any CG done, which was just as well because I got to relax and get some reading done. In the ensuing week and a half I’ve gone to visit Ben, done a bunch of CG modeling, watched a few movies, carved a pumpkin, and slept a lot. Some days I get a lot of modeling done, some days it seems like almost nothing gets accomplished. Yesterday was a good day, today is probably going to be a “nothing” day, but we’ll see. In the weather department, there is finally rain in Seattle. For a few weeks there it looked like I was going to be sunny skies the whole time.
Well, I’m off to get some breakfast and read some more of “Piloting Seamanship and Small Boat Handling” by Charles F. Chapman

Hey all! I’ve been having a productive time up here in Seattle. Getting lots done on Project London, though not much else… Working a solid eight hours every day doing 3d graphics, it’s been pretty intense.
This weekend is the 48 hour film festival, I’m on call for post-production and 3d special effects. Should be sweet, and it certainly will be short. Starts this Friday, though I probably won’t be doing anything important until late Saturday some time. Hopefully we’ll get a great little movie out of it!
The weather has been lovely, though not as much rain as I had hoped. Ian says it’s all getting saved up for Halloween.
That’s what’s going on! I’ve posted a few photos from the trip on my website.

I arrived at Ben’s place late Sunday night (the 11th). Spent the night there, chilled with him Monday morning. Good to see him again, would have been nice to stay longer and just relax.
Instead, I drove off that afternoon to Seattle. I met Eric Smith, and checked out an apartment with him. Then we drove to his house for dinner. I got lost in a rainstorm on the way, but made it eventually after some over-the-phone instructions. Dinner with the Smith family was pleasant. I got re-introduced to everyone, including the new arrival, Amy. Life is quite busy around the smith’s place with the new baby and all, it feels a lot like home in many ways.
Tuesday morning I drove over and met Ian Hubert! We got along quite well, and I’m looking forward to a productive time working on Project London with him. I’m now rather well settled in both at the Smiths and the Huberts (IE, I have house keys for both residences) and the dust is beginning to rise on rapid 3d modeling progress! Aside from the work, I’ve enjoyed hanging out with Ian and his friends, watching movies, making waffles, swinging swords around, eating lunch… Mmm, I need some lunch probably.

I’ll keep you all posted, so far so good!

Greetings all. I’m currently staying with one of Deborah’s friends in Eugene. Probably hanging out today and then arriving in Seattle either late tonight, or mid-day Monday.
So far all is going well. Deborah and I made good time driving up and arrived in high spirits. We’ve been hanging out with some of her friends since then. More news later!

As of Friday (tomorrow) I will be officially un-employed and on my way to Seattle. My 2.45 years at Meissner Filtration Products have been a great experience. I’ve never worked in a better environment, and I somehow doubt there are many companies with a more relaxed culture. Still, my heart isn’t in the work, and it is time to move on.

Once in Seattle, I’ll be working directly with the director of Project London, doing 3d special effects in Blender. I’ve always loved 3d graphics, and being able to do something like this is very exciting. I’ll also be able to spend some time with my brother Ben, and see more of the Pacific North-West. Looking forward to the rain too.

I’ll probably be heading back to Camarillo around Thanksgiving. I promised a few people that I would try to keep in touch, so I’ll be posting on this blog more frequently than I’m used to.

Also, Anna Tabor and I are mutually persuing the possibility of marriage. We’re not engaged yet, but that’s where this is headed. Just thought the sundry readership might want to know.

Overall, lots of interesting surprises seem to be in God’s hands for the future.

Like an evil wizard giant’s mug of beer, it simmered in the corner. Within, a head of black foam concealed deep green acid, itself incubating an oozing muck, the skins of a thousand victims, peeled by the acid and the aid of the wizard’s arcane powers. Noxious fumes rolled from the vat.
Over the once gleaming pipes, now crusted with tarry filth.
Over the once white sides, now pitch with grime.
Over the hands, now poised…
to clean!

Yes folks! That’s right! Thursday the 7th was the dreaded day. The day the tank of concentrated sulfuric and phosphoric acid (too long neglected in the corner of the warehouse) was to be drained, dredged, and doused in preparation of being filled with fresh acid. We (the people…) donned our rubber aprons, our shoulder length chemical gloves, our respirators, and our full face masks and began manfully draining the tank into 55 gallon plastic drums.

Eight hours, one box of surgical gloves, one melted pump, eight drums of acid, two breaks to wash the acid out of my shirt, a pool scrub-brush, and a snickers bar later, the dirty deed was done. First there was the acid to pump out. Some of the acid got into the pump, which promptly melted; Good thing we had a backup. Next we had to scrape, scoop, and sop up about a foot of sludge at the bottom of the tank. This involved much leaning over the edge, which coated the under-arm portion of my shirt with splotches of acid… Splotches which soon blossomed purple discolerations. Thankfully, the acid washed out. Unfortunately, so did the discolorations. Finally we scrubbed the sides of the tank with a big pool cleaning brush. We never did get the sides looking white again though, somehow the acid and the dissolved metal had caked on to the tank in an immovable patina a quarter of an inch thick. Our boss called it quits after an hour or so of fruitless scrubbing. At this point the Electropolish room looked like a disaster area. The top of the last drum was dripping with black toxic ooze. The sides of the tank were smeared with a blackish-green corrosive paste. There were white rags scattered everywhere, all now black as coal. The soles of our shoes had grown soft. Friday was cleanup.

I took Friday off and went camping.

I’ve heard in several places that sufficently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. Although this may be true, traditional “magic” and fairytale “magic” seem to differ significantly from technological “magic”.

First though, the similarities. Magic and technology extend the power of the weilder (mage or engineer) to influence the world. Being tools, they are often (both in fable and history) used and misused by both the good and bad. Often too, certain magic or technology carries a sinister weight, derived from its origin. Perhaps the evil witch draws power from un-holy forces, or the evil corporation draws it’s widgets from sweatshops. Nevertheless, both magic and technology are portrayed primarily as wonderous, mysterious, potent, and more than a little dangerous. Both seem to complicate life.

However, despite their similarities (and cursory interchangability) magic is a poor substitute for technology, and vice-versa. Traditionally, magic is primarily concerned with the ilusoury, it is deceptive, vaporous, and achieves unlikely ends. Magic turns straw to gold, princes to frogs, makes witches boil from the ground, and kills without a sound. Magic is calculable, if at all, only in the most rudimentary sense, and relies on spiritual powers. Technology however is often quite coporeal, and most often achieves direct ends. Technology is concerned with the practical; it moves heavy loads, completes menial tasks, provides light and heat, and keeps out the rain. Technology relies on careful calculation, and analysis.

In recent years the concept of magic has become contaminated with technological ideas. Explinations and systems of magic (primarily in the RPG and fantasy genre’s) have arisen. However, going back to the old stories “magic” is never explained, and does things that even forseeable technology would be hard pressed to duplicate, transmogrification for example. Technology, too, has grown more “magical” both in capabilities and expectations. However, the true achievements of technology are quite non-magical, and often downright mundane. Plastic for instance, who ever heard of making plastic with magic? That’s just silly.

The difference, I think, is fundamentally one of origin. Magic draws its power (historically) from spiritual forces, most often of the reprobate variety. Technology draws its power from the earth, the sea, the air, and the Sun. There are exeptions of course, but in the whole technology and magic are very distinct concepts.
On the other hand, there may come a time when machines may be powered by spirits, computers posessed by demons, and truly magical effects achieved by technological means. Perhaps these days are not too far distant.

Has “The Cat in the Hat” ever struck you as a metaphor for demonic posession? Consider these points:

The authority (Mother in this case) is out from the house when a creature (the Cat) comes in uninvited.
The fish (apparently in charge while the mother is out) is against the creature’s presence, but the children seem powerless to do anything about it.
The Cat assures the children that there will be great fun. However, all he seems capable of doing is showing off and calling for attention. The creature is self absorbed, deceptive, and destructive. He promises “games” and “fun” but it seems only he gets to play.
The creature brings in two more creatures, recognizable only as things. They are more destructive than the Cat.

Up to this point the story sounds to me like straight up demonic posession, especially in view of Luke 11:17-26. The story takes a turn, however.

The children capture the things, and demand that the Cat go, and take them with him. The cat seems sad that they did not like the games, and agrees to go. The house is left in shambles. But lo’ and behold! The cat returns with a thinly veiled Deus-ex-machina, cleans up his mess, and assures the children that he always cleans up when he’s done. The Mother comes home to an orderly house, and asks the children what happened.

Whithout this kind of ending “The Cat in the Hat” would be a useful warning about listening to good advice and not allowing strangers into the house (and all that that implies). However, the fact that the perpetrator comes back and cleans everything up is immensely deceptive. Those who enter and must be driven out do not come back to make everything alright. He who has come to steal, kill, and destroy will not set everything right once He has been driven out. The ending is misleading in the extreme.
Even without the metaphorical undertones, the story is a false one. If someone comes in, uninvited and against my better judgement, and sets something amiss in the name of fun and games, I sincerely doubt that same person will return to set it right again.

I do enjoy Dr. Seuss’ works, and with little kids around the house I’ve had the privelage to read a number of his books a number of times more than the number that I would read normally. The clever rhymes built on constrained vocabulary delight both the mind and ear. I enjoy, too, the iconic precipitous hills with bulbous tufts of grass sprouting from the tops. Perhaps I was read the stories too many times when I was growing up. Perhaps I wasn’t read them enough. In either case I enjoy them to this day, and am rather unsetteled by the message portrayed in Seuss’ seminal work.
I doubt the author intended such subversion, or was even aware of the deception being practiced. People seem to not take children’s books very seriously, and excuse anything under the pretense “they’re only children!” I tend to disagree, lies told to children being even more potent than lies told to adults. So please, be aware of what you read, but be even more aware of what you read to your children.