Deciphering human instincts

So I was listening to the radio on the way to a client's office this morning and I heard a song that I really like. For some reason, the song took on some deviant meaning this morning and I had an epiphany.

Now, I'm not stating my theory as fact but more as fodder for philosophical debate and query. The song was The Toadies - I come from the water. I was horribly doing my best Vaden Todd Lewis impersonation while driving across a dam separating a fairly large lake , it struck me as a strong phenomenon that waterfront property is so desired and so costly despite all of the dangers associated with it (hurricanes, flooding, landsides, etc). It also struck me as a bit off that almost everyone has some innate desire to go to the beach or the lake or whatever body of water you want to mention.

I started thinking that maybe there was some deep down desire or, more to the point, stronger NEED to be near the water. If we truly did evolve from creatures that originally began their existence in the oceans, maybe the feelings to be as close to the water as possible are our primitive, sub conscience urges to get back to where we came from?

Either that or it is just really pretty. I haven't decided yet.

Somethings are just so simple in theory...but so hard in reality

One of the greatest men of peace the world has known, Mahatma Ghandi, is credited with listing off things that would make the world a better place if they were not the normal. In my opinion, if the opposites to these were followed by everyone, war and poverty would be things of the past. Without further ado....

1. Wealth without work 2. Pleasure without conscience 3. Knowledge without character 4. Commerce without morality 5. Science without humanity 6. Worship without sacrifice 7. Politics without principle —Mahatma Gandhi

* Attributed to Gandhi in a December 15, 1998, article in 'Edupage', an online newsletter published by 'Educause', an international nonprofit association dedicated to transforming higher education through information technologies.

Rolling Stones - Sympathy for the Devil

The musical inspiration for the "Let's Play" post.

Ten things you didn't know about.....

SEX!!!

I thought that this was pretty funny. From a message board that I frequent.

1. The typical lovemaking session lasts around 15 minutes: roughly 10 to 12 minutes of foreplay and around 3 to 5 minutes of intercourse.

2. Humans aren't the only horny members of the animal kingdom doing it just for fun. Dolphins and a type of chimpanzee called the bonobo have also been observed engaging in sexual activity when they are not in their natural reproductive cycles.

3. While Viagra has made erectile dysfunction (affecting 10 to 12 percent of men) a household phrase, the opposite problem -- premature ejaculation -- is more common (affecting 24 to 27 percent of men). The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is currently reviewing a drug called dapoxetine as a cure for this problem.

4. Crank up that thermostat... orgasms may be more intense in warmer conditions. The degree of vasocongestion, reddening or darkeing of the skin known as the "sex flush," is both more common in warmer temperatures and an indication of how intense an orgasm may be.

5. If a woman experiences orgasm during sex, she is more likely to become pregnant, since orgasmic spasms in pelvic muscles help move sperm up the vaginal canal to the uterus.

6. Homosexuality is not unique to humans. Many species have been observed engaging in homosexual activity, and in fact male bats have the highest rate of homosexuality of all mammals.

7. On any given day 400,000,000 people around the world -- 1 in 17 of us -- will have sexual intercourse. Broken down further, 4,000 people are having sex at any given time.

8. Sex cures headaches. Endorphins released into our bloodstream when we have sex not only give us pleasure but also act as painkillers. Useful information to whip out the next time your partner uses a headache as a reason to say no.

9. Many elderly can and do have frequent sex. At age 70, 73% of males are still potent, and 30% of women 80 or older have still have sex.

10. 70% of women would rather eat choclate than have sex.

For what price?

I saw this photo that got me thinking recently and I didn't really know what I wanted to say about it.

I knew at the time that there was a message glaringly yelling out at me. I just didn't quite know what the message was.

The message that I am getting from this is that we are all way too caught up in the concept of worth and value regardless the cost. Whether it be diamonds as depicted in the picture, cars as evidenced by all of the BMWs, Mercedes and Lexuses that I see on a daily basis to homes.

We all want items that cost too much for the purpose that they serve and we all ignore the real cost of those items. The picture shows a horrific human rights violation that I would guess happened in S. Africa, the world's largest exporter of diamonds and tyranny. The same type of picture could be made in reference to cars or housing. You still have people being taken advantage of by working in unsafe conditions and for pennies compared to executives.

I got to thinking that it was a shame that we spend so much on these things and so little in aiding others. That led me to thinking about what is truly of value and the price tag associated with it and then the meaning of the picture to me became crystal clear.

Love. The cost is time.....the value is priceless. Love is something that is so easy to give once you are with someone that you can let your guard down around. You are able to share moments with them and create memories. You are able to look at each other and communicate without ever speaking a word. You are able to make someone feel so good about them self that, for brief moments, they realize their true self-worth as others see them.

When you are in those moments....you will truly find the only thing that is worth its cost.

Quick quote from Van Wilder

Apathy is the glove in which evil slips its hand.

Boy....what a day/night

So I've been at work for over 19 hrs now. Not the way that I envisioned my Friday night. Being a geek has some definite perks but having to rebuild a mail server from scratch on a domain that is on its last leg isn't one of them.

It has been a small blessing however....

It has made me realize once again how much I love my wife and kids. It's days like these that remind me to really appreciate spending time with them and snuggling up next to her.

I love you babe and I miss you and the little ones.

Now....back to work so that I can hopefully finish in the next 1/2 hr and rush home to them.