A middling is described as being equally distant from the extremes or being at neither extreme.
Sunday, February 27, 2005
Intelligence Quotient
I recently stumbled upon a link in one of my friends blogs for testing one's IQ. I took the test and was quite pleased with the results; it stated that I'm part of the 5% of the worlds populace which qualifies to become one of its members, the International High IQ Society (how cool is that). Though I wonder about the tests validity as I thought I had flunked the test. That and also it didn't follow the usual procedures of standard IQ tests. Nevertheless, its worth checking out:
I have a pet fish named Sylle, and he/she (god only knows) lives in a small tank next to my bed. There's a small water pump which doubles as a filter fitted onto the back of my small fish tank. Although the water pump is small and said to be ‘soundless’, it creates quite an intrusive sound when the water hits the surface - so it’s indirectly noisy; especially so when I’m is trying to sleep, that’s when our sense of hearing is most acute.
Gradually however, I have become desensitized towards the noise and the occasional spray of water.
Then a couple of nights ago, there was a power cut. I woke up and looked around to see what had disturbed my slumber; but I couldn’t figure out what exactly had disturbed me. I wasn’t hot or perspiring, the sun wasn’t up yet and no one was awake yet to make any noise. I then realized what was wrong; it was too quiet- there wasn’t the usual sounds of people moving around the house, cars pulling out of the driveway, animals scurrying around the playfield next to my house… Nothing… There wasn’t any sound at all; it was as if I was alone in the world. I couldn’t sleep for the rest of the night, and kept on tossing and turning till morning.
So this is what I found ironic; first I’m so used to the absolute soundlessness of my bedroom, that when the fish tank first arrives I find the sounds it makes intrusive and I can’t sleep. Gradually, I become desensitized towards the sounds, and I resumed peaceful sleeping routines. Then the ‘intrusive sounds’ are removed from my environment and I can’t cope without the ‘intrusive sounds’. What then, need I be desensitized to the lack of ‘intrusive sounds’?
Luckily, I didn’t have to desensitize myself as the power was back by mid-morning. But wouldn’t it be weird having to get used to not having a previously annoying sound around to fill in the soundlessness of the world which was once your norm?
Experience: that most brutal of teachers. But you learn, my God do you learn - C.S. Lewis (Author of the Narnia series)
Right actions in the future are the best apologies for bad actions in the past. - Tryon Edwards (1809-1894)
And a quote I found humourous:
But with dogs, we do have “bad dog.” Bad dog exists. “Bad dog! Bad dog! Stole a biscuit, bad dog!” The dog is saying, “Who are you to judge me? You human beings who’ve had genocide, war against people of different creeds, colors, religions, and I stole a biscuit?! Is that a crime? People of the world!” “Well, if you put it that way, I think you’ve got a point. Have another biscuit, sorry.” - Eddie Izzard (British stand-up comedian and actor. b.1962)
Most of us wouldn't know the significance of the name, Eros. Eros is the Greek equivalent to the Roman Cupid, but it was actually the Romans who borrowed Eros from the Greeks and renamed him Cupid. Well actually Greek and Roman mythology has mingled so much that there are many debates as to his true origins.
Greek mythology has five 'possible' theories as to how Eros came about, in the Dionysian Mysteries, Eros is referred to as "protagonus", the first born-Meaning he came about along with the wellspring of mythology itself. But there are many variations to whom the parents of Eros really where. According to Aristophanes he was born from Erebus and Nyx (Night); in later mythology Eros is the offspring of Aphrodite and Ares. Yet in the Theogony, the epic poem written by Hesiod, it mentions a typified Eros as being an attendant of Aphrodite, but not her son. Another legend says that he was the son of Iris and Zephyrus.
(Eros. Encyclopedia Mythica. Retrieved February 06, 2005, from Encyclopedia Mythica Online. http://www.pantheon.org/articles/e/eros.html)
When we imagine Cupid, we think of a small winged child carrying a quiver of arrows and a bow. By the general nature of his task and his ‘appearance’, we tend to think he would be a mischievous little child. But beyond that, Eros grew up. Later on in Greek mythology, Eros is depicted as a grown man who falls in love.
As Legend goes, there was an extremely beautiful mortal names Psyche. Aphrodite was jealous of her beauty, and told Eros to shoot her with one of his arrows; making her fall in love with the ugliest man on earth. Eros went to Psyche with the intention of carrying out Aphrodite’s wishes, but instead he fell in love with her. Eros would visit her every night but kept his identity secret; by asking Psyche not to light the lamp. But one night curiosity overcame her, and she lit the lamp. A drop of hot oil spilt from the lamp, awakening Eros. Eros was outraged and left her; Psyche distraught roamed the earth in search of Eros.
From here there are many variations, the simplest is that Zeus took pity on them and consolidated their reunion. The more complex variation is from the Romans,
Soon, Psyche wandered near the Temple of Venus. Venus being spiteful wanted to destroy Psyche and gave her a series of tasks. On her last task, she was given a box and told to travel to the underworld and capture some of the beauty of Proserpine (the wife of Pluto) and put it into the box. During her trip, she was given tips how she might avoid danger in the underworld, she was also warned not to open the box. But once again curiosity overcame her, and she opened the box. Inside she found naught but the cold embrace of eternal slumber. Cupid found Psyche lifeless on the ground and gathered the ‘eternal slumber’ from her body, returning it into its box. The gods moved by her show of love made her a goddess.
*The Roman equivalent of Aphrodite is Venus.
It wasn’t actually stated in the variations of text I read that they got back together; merely that Cupid forgave Psyche. But I’m guessing they did.
On a certain campus there is a 'tradition' amongst the senior students; senior guys pick 10 freshmans at 'random', kidnap them, stuff them into the boot of a car and leave them there for a few hours before releasing their terrified victims.
Now imagine this, on one occasion another driver crashes into the back of the car housing one of the victims. Both parties try to rush the unconcious victim to the hospital, but sadly the victim dies.
To whom should the blame be set? Ethically and by the law
Note: Both parties were a tad bit drunk
Ever had a dream which you didn’t want to get up from, but you were forced to get up and then the entire dream fades as soon as you’re truly awake? Well I had a dream like that today. I have no recollection of any of it’s details: no characters, settings, plots or themes- I’m totally blank. The only thing which did stay with me was the joy I had experienced during the dream. It really was quite weird, it’s been very long since I last experienced such pure and simply joy. The last time I was this purely and truly happy was when I was a toddler opening presents under the tree on Christmas morning. The closest thing I can equate this to is the kind of happiness dogs experience all the time, or the childlike glee at the prospect of going for a holiday the first time round. Even now, it’s almost 5 in the evening and I still have the lingering feeling of absolute joy- the only thing to dampen my spirits is the fact that the sky is rumbling and I fear it may start to rain heavily as it did yesterday.
