Yet Another Web Site

(printed by fortune in one of my terminal windows today)

Q: How many existentialists does it take to screw in a light bulb?

A: Two. One to screw it in and one to observe how the light bulb itself symbolizes a single incandescent beacon of subjective reality in a netherworld of endless absurdity reaching out toward a maudlin cosmos of nothingness.

I got the following in my work email this morning:

I would rather live my life as if there is a God, and die to find out there isn’t, than live my life as if there isn’t, and die to find out there is. You are my 8 in 8 seconds. I am not breaking this. No way! I’M TOLD THIS WORKS!!!!! Bishop T.D. Jakes “8 Second Prayer.” Just repeat this prayer and see how God moves!! “Lord, I love you and I need you, come into my heart, and bless me, my family, my home, and my friends, in Jesus’ name. Amen.”

I would rather live my life as if there is a God, and die to find out there isn’t, than live my life as if there isn’t, and die to find out there is.

This looks looks like yet another variation of Pascal’s Wager. It turns out the actual quote is from Albert Camus. Here’s some more Camus quotes:

If there is sin against life, it consists… in hoping for another life and in eluding the implacable grandeur of this life.
— Albert Camus

I continue to believe that this world has no supernatural meaning . . . But I know that something in the world has meaning – man.
— Albert Camus

Probably not a person one should quote in one of these ‘inspirational” emails.

While pondering Pascal’s wager, consider the following quote:

Suppose we’ve chosen the wrong god? Every time we go to church we’re just making him madder and madder.
– Homer J. Simpson

XXXXXXXX.sh: Shell script existing successfully

I suppose we’d never see this message if this shell script wasn’t existing successfully.

(printed by fortune in one of my terminal windows today)

A tyrant must put on the appearance of uncommon devotion to religion. Subjects are less apprehensive of illegal treatment from a ruler whom they consider godfearing and pious. On the other hand, they do less easily move against him, believing that he has the gods on his side.
— Aristotle (384-322 BCE), “Politics”

Why is there a PRE KLEANO, but not a POST KLEANO?

Now I can join WEIGHT WATCHERS!