Personally, I’m simply waiting to find the first example of a child named Christophr.

When did we create a society where learning is scorned so effortlessly?

Today was the first day in memory that I have come to the realisation that utopia does not, and cannot exist. It is naive to think it can, as no universal definition of utopia exists. This leads to exclusion. Exclusion leads to division which brings us right back to where we started. In this sense, I assert that it is possible to advocate that we currently live in a utopia. We respect each other’s differences, yet come together on common issues, right?

Unfortunately, this is also a naive conclusion. Having followed APEC closely, I have listened attentively to the politicians and leaders delivering prepared speeches far more eloquently than my own emphasising the importance of economic ties in maintaining a war-free society (a position I agree with). It is easy to forget however that not every country is part of this inner-loop. I love Star Trek. To me, the prospect of a society built on respect, science and equality (gender, race and species) is utopia. Yet, similar to the Lennon song, this is a naive view as it overlooks the easy criticism of the promotion of communist and fascist ideologies. I attack not individuals who hold these ideologies, but use them as a reminder that people who think differently than you or I exist.

Diversity appears to stand between us and the concept of utopia, and yet my definition of utopia cannot exist without diversity. It is with a heavy heart that I lay the fallacy of utopia to rest, we hardly knew ye.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4vDClhnJjs

Thanks Daryl.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VdNcCcweL0

I don’t know her motivations: making a public spectacle is a good way to further one’s career. Regardless, I respect the sentiment.

Side note: I won’t be mentioning names here as not to further inflate the search engine rankings for such trash. In the event of comments using names, they will be edited.

On that Friday in January, those private questions would be answered in an unusually public way. No one knew it, but the fiddler standing against a bare wall outside the Metro in an indoor arcade at the top of the escalators was one of the finest classical musicians in the world, playing some of the most elegant music ever written on one of the most valuable violins ever made. His performance was arranged by The Washington Post as an experiment in context, perception and priorities — as well as an unblinking assessment of public taste: In a banal setting at an inconvenient time, would beauty transcend?

- Pearls Before Breakfast by Gene Weingarten for The Washington Post

I hope you can find time to read the article.

The full version of this comes from the 1837 work Lectures on the Philosophy of History, can can be seen below.

We assert then that nothing has been accomplished without interest on the part of the actors; and — if interest be called passion, inasmuch as the whole individuality, to the neglect of all other actual or possible interests and claims, is devoted to an object with every fibre of volition, concentrating all its desires and powers upon it — we may affirm absolutely that nothing great in the World has been accomplished without passion.

Despite being commonly bandied around, it isn’t easy to define exactly what passion is. Lets explore this shall we…

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Passion \Pas”sion\, n. [F., fr. L. passio, fr. pati, passus, to
suffer. See Patient.]
1. A suffering or enduring of imposed or inflicted pain; any
suffering or distress (as, a cardiac passion);
specifically, the suffering of Christ between the time of
the last supper and his death, esp. in the garden upon the
cross. “The passions of this time.” –Wyclif (Rom. viii.
18).
[1913 Webster]

To whom also he showed himself alive after his
passion, by many infallible proofs. –Acts i. 3.
[1913 Webster]

2. The state of being acted upon; subjection to an external
agent or influence; a passive condition; — opposed to
action.
[1913 Webster]

A body at rest affords us no idea of any active
power to move, and, when set in motion, it is rather
a passion than an action in it. –Locke.
[1913 Webster]

3. Capacity of being affected by external agents;
susceptibility of impressions from external agents. [R.]
[1913 Webster]

Moldable and not moldable, scissible and not
scissible, and many other passions of matter.
–Bacon.
[1913 Webster]

4. The state of the mind when it is powerfully acted upon and
influenced by something external to itself; the state of
any particular faculty which, under such conditions,
becomes extremely sensitive or uncontrollably excited; any
emotion or sentiment (specifically, love or anger) in a
state of abnormal or controlling activity; an extreme or
inordinate desire; also, the capacity or susceptibility of
being so affected; as, to be in a passion; the passions of
love, hate, jealously, wrath, ambition, avarice, fear,
etc.; a passion for war, or for drink; an orator should
have passion as well as rhetorical skill. “A passion fond
even to idolatry.” –Macaulay. “Her passion is to seek
roses.” –Lady M. W. Montagu.
[1913 Webster]

We also are men of like passions with you. –Acts
xiv. 15.
[1913 Webster]

The nature of the human mind can not be sufficiently
understood, without considering the affections and
passions, or those modifications or actions of the
mind consequent upon the apprehension of certain
objects or events in which the mind generally
conceives good or evil. –Hutcheson.
[1913 Webster]

The term passion, and its adverb passionately, often
express a very strong predilection for any pursuit,
or object of taste — a kind of enthusiastic
fondness for anything. –Cogan.
[1913 Webster]

The bravery of his grief did put me
Into a towering passion. –Shak.
[1913 Webster]

The ruling passion, be it what it will,
The ruling passion conquers reason still. –Pope.
[1913 Webster]

Who walked in every path of human life,
Felt every passion. –Akenside.
[1913 Webster]

When statesmen are ruled by faction and interest,
they can have no passion for the glory of their
country. –Addison.
[1913 Webster]

5. Disorder of the mind; madness. [Obs.] –Shak.
[1913 Webster]

6. Passion week. See Passion week, below. –R. of Gl.
[1913 Webster]

Passion flower (Bot.), any flower or plant of the genus
Passiflora; — so named from a fancied resemblance of
parts of the flower to the instruments of the crucifixion
of Christ.
[1913 Webster]

Note: The flowers are showy, and the fruit is sometimes
highly esteemed (see Granadilla, and Maypop). The
roots and leaves are generally more or less noxious,
and are used in medicine. The plants are mostly tendril
climbers, and are commonest in the warmer parts of
America, though a few species are Asiatic or
Australian.
[1913 Webster]

Passion music (Mus.), originally, music set to the gospel
narrative of the passion of our Lord; after the
Reformation, a kind of oratorio, with narrative, chorals,
airs, and choruses, having for its theme the passion and
crucifixion of Christ.

Passion play, a mystery play, in which the scenes connected
with the passion of our Savior are represented
dramatically.

Passion Sunday (Eccl.), the fifth Sunday in Lent, or the
second before Easter.

Passion Week, the last week but one in Lent, or the second
week preceding Easter. “The name of Passion week is
frequently, but improperly, applied to Holy Week.”
–Shipley.
[1913 Webster]

Syn: Passion, Feeling, Emotion.

Usage: When any feeling or emotion completely masters the
mind, we call it a passion; as, a passion for music,
dress, etc.; especially is anger (when thus extreme)
called passion. The mind, in such cases, is considered
as having lost its self-control, and become the
passive instrument of the feeling in question.
[1913 Webster]

—————–

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Passion \Pas”sion\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Passioned; p. pr & vb.
n. Passioning.]
To give a passionate character to. [R.] –Keats.
[1913 Webster]

—————–

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Passion \Pas”sion\, v. i.
To suffer pain or sorrow; to experience a passion; to be
extremely agitated. [Obs.] “Dumbly she passions, frantically
she doteth.” –Shak.
[1913 Webster]

—————–

From WordNet (r) 2.0:

passion
n 1: strong feeling or emotion [syn: passionateness]
2: intense passion or emotion [syn: heat, warmth]
3: something that is desired intensely; “his rage for fame
destroyed him” [syn: rage]
4: an irrational but irresistible motive for a belief or action
[syn: mania, cacoethes]
5: a feeling of strong sexual desire
6: any object of warm affection or devotion; “the theater was
her first love” or “he has a passion for cock fighting”;
[syn: love]
7: the suffering of Jesus at the crucifixion [syn: Passion of
Christ]

—————–

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:

384 Moby Thesaurus words for “passion”:
Alecto, Amor, Christian love, Eros, Megaera, Negro spiritual,
Nemesis, Platonic love, Tisiphone, abandon, ache, aching,
admiration, adoration, affect, affection, affectivity, agape,
agitation, agony, amorousness, amour, andromania, animation,
anthem, aphrodisia, appetence, appetency, appetite, appetition,
ardency, ardor, aspiring, attachment, avidity, avidness, beloved,
biological urge, blow, bluster, bodily appetite, bodily love,
brawl, broil, brotherly love, brouhaha, bug, burning rage,
cacophony, calenture, cantata, canticle, caritas, carnal desire,
cathexis, chaos, charity, choice, chorale, church music, clawing,
command, commitment, committedness, commotion, compulsion,
conation, conatus, concern, concernment, concupiscence,
conjugal love, convulsion, coveting, cramp, craving, craze,
crazy fancy, cruciation, crucifixion, crush, curiosity, cut,
decision, dedication, delirium, desideration, desire,
determination, devotedness, devotion, devoutness, discretion,
disposition, distress, disturbance, dolor, doxology, drive,
eagerness, earnestness, ebullition, ecstasy, embroilment, emotion,
emotional charge, emotional shade, enthusiasm, eromania, eroticism,
eroticomaniac, erotism, erotomania, eruption, excitement,
experience, faith, faithful love, faithfulness, fanaticism, fancy,
fantasy, fascination, feeling, feeling tone, ferment, fervency,
fervidness, fervor, feverishness, fidelity, fieriness, fire,
fire and fury, fit, flame, flap, fleshly lust, fomentation,
fondness, foofaraw, foreboding, free choice, free love, free will,
free-lovism, frenzy, fume, furious rage, furor, furor uterinus,
furore, fury, fuss, glow, goatishness, gospel, gospel music, grief,
gust, gusto, gut reaction, gynecomania, heart, heartiness,
heartthrob, heat, heatedness, hell, hell upon earth, hero,
hero worship, heroine, holocaust, hope, horme, horniness, horror,
hot blood, hot pants, hubbub, hurrah, hurt, hymn, hymn-tune,
hymnody, hymnology, hysteria, idol, idolatry, idolism, idolization,
impassionedness, impression, inclination, indecency,
infantile sexuality, infatuation, injury, intellectual curiosity,
intensity, intention, intentness, interest, intoxication, introit,
itch, keenness, laceration, lancination, lasciviousness, lesion,
libidinousness, libido, lickerishness, like, likes, liking,
liveliness, longing, love, lovemaking, loyalty, lust,
lust for learning, lustfulness, lyricism, madness, mania,
manic-depressive psychosis, married love, martyrdom, mass,
matter of interest, mind, misery, motet, nasty blow, need,
nightmare, nymphomania, objective, obsession, offertory,
offertory sentence, oratorio, orgasm, orgy, outbreak, outburst,
paean, pain, pandemonium, pang, panting, paroxysm, partiality,
pash, passionateness, passions, persecution, physical love,
pleasure, pleasure principle, polymorphous perversity,
popular regard, popularity, predilection, presentiment,
profound sense, prosodion, prurience, pruriency, psalm, psalmody,
purgatory, rack, racket, rage, rapture, ravishment, reaction,
recessional, regard, relish, requiem, requiem mass, resolution,
response, row, ruckus, rumpus, sacred music, satyriasis, satyrism,
savor, seizure, sensation, sense, sensuality, sensuousness,
sentiment, seriousness, sex, sexual desire, sexual longing,
sexual love, sexual passion, shine, shock, sincerity, sore,
sore spot, soul, spasm, special interest, spirit, spiritedness,
spiritual, spiritual love, storm, storminess, stress,
stress of life, stroke, suffering, taste, tearing passion, tempest,
tempestuousness, tender feeling, tender passion, tender spot,
the Erinyes, the Eumenides, the Furies, thirst for knowledge,
throes, torment, torture, towering rage, transport, truelove,
tumult, tumultuousness, turbulence, turmoil, undercurrent, uproar,
upset, urge, uxoriousness, vehemence, velleity, venereal appetite,
verve, vigor, violence, vivaciousness, vivacity, volition, want,
wanting, warmth, warmth of feeling, weakness, whirlwind,
white spiritual, wildness, will, will and pleasure, will power,
wish, wish fulfillment, worship, wound, wrench, yearning, yen,
zeal, zealotry, zealousness, zest, zestfulness

—————–

From Easton’s 1897 Bible Dictionary:

Passion
Only once found, in Acts 1:3, meaning suffering, referring to
the sufferings of our Lord.

A man found an eagle’s egg and put it in the nest of a backyard hen. The eagle hatched with the brood of chicks and grew up with them. All his life the eagle did what the backyard chickens did, thinking he was a backyard chicken. He scratched the earth for worms and insects. He clucked and cackled. And he would thrash his wings and fly a few feet into the air.
Years passed and the eagle grew very old. One day he saw a magnificent graceful majesty among the powerful wind currents, gliding with scarcely a beat of its strong wings. The old eagle looked up in awe.
“Who’s that?” he asked.
“That’s the eagle, the king of the birds,” said his neighbor. “He belongs to the sky. We belong to the earth. We’re chickens.”
So the eagle lived and died a chicken, for that’s what he thought he was.

Frankly, this is one book I wish everyone would read. In a quick and easy flowing way, Freakonomics pokes a sharp stick at everything from abortion and the Ku Klux Klan to chewing gum and Listerine. Although I had heard positive reports on the book previously, it was the personal recommendation of an old friend Dan on his blog that convinced me to pick it up. I believe that if everyone read this book there would be a sharp decline in rash, sheep-like assumptions you often see when looking at a large group. Then again, the authors would likely set me straight over this assertion stating that I was not able to show causality and the two were merely effects of another cause, such as greater access to education giving children a higher level of literacy skills, instilling curiosity and enough independent thought to ask the question “why?”

The depiction of ‘expert’ doctors up-selling their services to more costly, if ever slightly unnecessary ones reminded me of my Grandmother’s anecdotes of how doctors set out to make you sick with the intention of charging to make you better afterwards. Thank you Freakonomics, my Nan has now been vindicated.

I began reading Freakonomics early this morning and had completed the book by the late afternoon, while still finding time to complete both the day’s necessities and niceties (Boost’s new Two & Five juice is divine). It’s an enjoyable, easy read that strives to make you question conventional wisdom and I highly recommend it.