1. Quantum physics. If it wasn't for the fact that the people who do believe in this are so much cleverer than me I'd be calling it out as bunkum right now.
2. Death as a void. When you're dead, you're dead. But there's a part of me that can't grok that, so I waver in my belief of it.
3. Morality. It's a consensual agreement we have that allows us to thrive, but when I do nice things, I'm not convinced I'm not doing them for anything other than pavlovian reasons.

Rainbaby, the problems were more with the designer and the issues in this particular building than the contractor.


Best things about 2007:

Finding the perfect living room rug.

The New England trip last summer.

The work on the kitchen finally getting underway after two years.


I would be kicked out of metachat if I posted the thing I don't understand.

I would be kicked out of metachat if I posted the thing I don't understand.

Oh, you tease! I think you should email me and tell me ;P

1. Math. epimorph was explaining the "relationships" between numbers at the Tampa meetup. HELLO, people have relationships, not people. I just can't believe in it.

3. Romantic love. Bukowski wrote, "the difference between love and hate is-- hate lasts." That's more or less been my experience, except I guess hate doesn't really last for me either. I sure do love family, friends, the Red Sox, and Elvis Costello songs, though.

2. Civilizational progress. It seemed ten years ago like things were moving in the right direction. Now I'm just hoping we avoid the worst recession in 30 years. And a new Dark Age. Also in this category: the wisdom of experts, the wisdom of crowds, the importance of paying attention to current events.

1. Health. I know, the numbers will prove me wrong, but I know anecdotes that cut against demographic data. It doesn't disprove a darn thing, but it's hard to base your opinions on what words and numbers on a page have to say, rather than what you've seen and experienced. Unlike #s 3 and 2, I know that I'm wrong about this one.

I might have said "poetry," but a few minutes ago I picked up a book I got in a Yankee gift swap and read "The Planet on the Table" by Wallace Stevens. I liked it.

3. Corporations

2. Politicians

1. Religions

1. Cruelty. Minor annoyed griping or misunderstandings or acting out hurt feelings, yes. Major violence or aggression or cruelty, no. I mean, I know it exists, but it seems so inexplicable to me that I have a hard time believing that it's real, that people do bad things on purpose, that evil's not just some big abstract thing that everyone's actively fighting against.

2. The SF Zoo tiger story. I think I was feverish when I first heard it, and it's taken on an air of unreality that's reaching bizarre levels in my brain. There are headlines about tiger attacks in my local paper. How did that happen?

3. Lunch. I skipped breakfast, which is making me so spacey that I'm having a hard time figuring out how to bring lunch into being.