38 minutes before...

On the early morning of June 14, 2024, at precisely 12:19:56 AM...

journal entry #244

Certainly! Here are some challenging textbooks from various fields outside of medicine: 1. Computer Science and Mathematics: - "Introduction to the Theory of Computation" by Michael Sipser (advanced topics in theoretical computer science). - "The Art of Computer Programming" by Donald Knuth (in-depth exploration of algorithms and data structures). - "Algebraic Topology" by Allen Hatcher (advanced text on algebraic topology). - "Complex Analysis" by Lars Ahlfors (comprehensive study of complex variables and functions). 2. Physics and Engineering: - "Introduction to Quantum Mechanics" by David J. Griffiths (advanced quantum mechanics). - "Classical Electrodynamics" by John David Jackson (in-depth treatment of electromagnetism). - "Introduction to Statistical Physics" by Kerson Huang (advanced statistical mechanics and thermodynamics). 3. Biology and Neuroscience: - "Principles of Neural Science" by Eric R. Kandel et al. (advanced neuroscience). - "Molecular Biology of the Cell" by Bruce Alberts et al. (in-depth molecular biology). - "Developmental Biology" by Scott F. Gilbert (comprehensive study of developmental biology). 4. Economics and Finance: - "Advanced Macroeconomics" by David Romer (advanced macroeconomic theory). - "Microeconomic Theory" by Andreu Mas-Colell, Michael D. Whinston, and Jerry R. Green (in-depth microeconomic analysis). - "Options, Futures, and Other Derivatives" by John C. Hull (advanced text on derivatives and financial instruments). 5. Philosophy and Humanities: - "Being and Time" by Martin Heidegger (dense philosophical text on existentialism and ontology). - "Critique of Pure Reason" by Immanuel Kant (complex exploration of epistemology and metaphysics). - "The Phenomenology of Spirit" by Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (challenging work in phenomenology and philosophy of mind). These textbooks are known for their depth, complexity, and advanced treatment of their respective subjects. They are often used in graduate-level courses or by professionals seeking a deeper understanding of the field.


9 seconds before...

On the early morning of June 14, 2024, at precisely 12:19:47 AM...

journal entry #243

For an in-depth exploration of the practical aspects of mental imagery, including techniques and applications, the following academic texts are highly recommended: 1. "Seeing with the Mind's Eye: The History, Techniques and Uses of Visualization" by Mike Samuels and Nancy Samuels: - This book provides a comprehensive overview of the techniques and practical uses of mental imagery. It covers historical perspectives, various methods of visualization, and applications in different fields such as therapy, sports, and personal development. 2. "The Cambridge Handbook of Applied Perception Research" edited by Robert R. Hoffman, Paul Ward, and others: - While this handbook covers a wide range of topics related to perception, it includes sections specifically on mental imagery and visualization techniques. It discusses practical applications in fields such as human factors, clinical psychology, and sports psychology. 3. "Imagery in Sport" by Tony Morris, Michael Spittle, and Anthony P. Watt: - Focused specifically on the application of mental imagery in sports, this book provides detailed techniques for athletes and coaches. It includes practical exercises, case studies, and evidence-based methods for enhancing athletic performance through mental imagery. 4. "The Psychology of Visualization: An Empirical Study" by Valentina Hartmann: - This text delves into empirical research on visualization techniques and their practical applications. It examines how mental imagery can be effectively utilized in different contexts and provides insights into the methods that yield the best results. 5. "Mental Imagery in Cognitive Science" edited by Jon M. Brockmole: - This collection of essays covers both theoretical and practical aspects of mental imagery. It includes chapters that focus on how mental imagery can be achieved, manipulated, and utilized in various cognitive tasks. 6. "Creative Visualization: Use the Power of Your Imagination to Create What You Want in Your Life" by Shakti Gawain: - Although more popular than academic, this book has been influential in the practical application of mental imagery. It provides step-by-step guidance on how to use visualization techniques for personal and professional growth. 7. "Mental Imagery: Function, Brain, and Application" edited by Joel Pearson: - This academic volume explores the functionality of mental imagery, its neural underpinnings, and practical applications. It includes chapters on how to enhance and control mental imagery for various uses. These texts offer a blend of theoretical understanding and practical guidance, making them suitable for anyone looking to delve deeper into the practical aspects of mental imagery.


1 hour before...

On the night of June 13, 2024, at precisely 11:18:09 PM...

journal entry #242

I have reached the point where I've read a great sum of textbooks which serve as 'entry-level' undergraduate books. And I honestly think they're all not-so-useful to me anymore. I find that my scope is narrowing as I grow more familiar with all kinds of subjects. I often find myself dismissing a textbook more often than not due to the ever-decreasing scope.


40 minutes before...

On the night of June 13, 2024, at precisely 10:37:55 PM...

journal entry #241

any academic text that explores mental imagery, not by its general cognitive and psychological underpinnings and by the various theories which entail its mechanisms. I need a text that delves into the practical aspects of mental imagery and how it may be achieved.


1 hour before...

On the night of June 13, 2024, at precisely 09:12:37 PM...

journal entry #240

Certainly! Here’s an expanded list with brief descriptions of each philosopher's major contributions and areas of focus:

1. Jean Baudrillard

- Major Contributions: Theories on hyperreality, simulation, and simulacra. - Key Works: "Simulacra and Simulation" - Focus: Media, culture, and consumer society.

2. Martin Heidegger

- Major Contributions: Ontology, existential phenomenology. - Key Works: "Being and Time" - Focus: Being, time, and the human condition.

3. Albert Camus

- Major Contributions: Absurdism, existentialism. - Key Works: "The Stranger," "The Myth of Sisyphus" - Focus: Absurdity, rebellion, and meaning in life.

4. Gilles Deleuze

- Major Contributions: Post-structuralism, philosophy of difference, metaphysics. - Key Works: "Difference and Repetition," "A Thousand Plateaus" (with Félix Guattari) - Focus: Rhizomatic structures, becoming, and deterritorialization.

5. Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel

- Major Contributions: Absolute idealism, dialectics. - Key Works: "Phenomenology of Spirit," "Science of Logic" - Focus: History, reality, and the evolution of consciousness.

6. Arthur Schopenhauer

- Major Contributions: Philosophical pessimism, metaphysics of the will. - Key Works: "The World as Will and Representation" - Focus: Will, suffering, and aesthetics.

7. Ludwig Wittgenstein

- Major Contributions: Philosophy of language, logic. - Key Works: "Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus," "Philosophical Investigations" - Focus: Language, meaning, and the limits of thought.

8. Friedrich Nietzsche

- Major Contributions: Nihilism, will to power, critique of morality. - Key Works: "Thus Spoke Zarathustra," "Beyond Good and Evil" - Focus: Power, individualism, and critique of religion.

9. Jean-Jacques Rousseau

- Major Contributions: Social contract theory, political philosophy. - Key Works: "The Social Contract," "Emile" - Focus: Society, freedom, and human nature.

10. Julia Kristeva

- Major Contributions: Psychoanalysis, semiotics, feminism. - Key Works: "Powers of Horror," "Black Sun" - Focus: Abjection, language, and the feminine.

11. Michel Foucault

- Major Contributions: Post-structuralism, power/knowledge. - Key Works: "Discipline and Punish," "The History of Sexuality" - Focus: Power, social institutions, and discourse.

12. Jacques Derrida

- Major Contributions: Deconstruction, post-structuralism. - Key Works: "Of Grammatology," "Writing and Difference" - Focus: Textual analysis, meaning, and différance.

13. Theodor W. Adorno

- Major Contributions: Critical theory, aesthetics. - Key Works: "Dialectic of Enlightenment" (with Max Horkheimer), "Negative Dialectics" - Focus: Culture industry, modernity, and ideology.

14. Herbert Marcuse

- Major Contributions: Critical theory, Marxism. - Key Works: "One-Dimensional Man," "Eros and Civilization" - Focus: Technology, liberation, and capitalist society.

15. Hilary Putnam

- Major Contributions: Philosophy of mind, philosophy of language. - Key Works: "Reason, Truth and History," "The Many Faces of Realism" - Focus: Realism, functionalism, and meaning.

16. Noam Chomsky

- Major Contributions: Linguistics, political philosophy. - Key Works: "Syntactic Structures," "Manufacturing Consent" (with Edward S. Herman) - Focus: Language, media, and political critique.

17. Jacques Lacan

- Major Contributions: Psychoanalysis, semiotics. - Key Works: "Écrits," "The Seminar" - Focus: The unconscious, language, and the real.

18. Luce Irigaray

- Major Contributions: Feminist philosophy, psychoanalysis. - Key Works: "Speculum of the Other Woman," "This Sex Which Is Not One" - Focus: Sexual difference, language, and female subjectivity.

19. Gilbert Ryle

- Major Contributions: Philosophy of mind, ordinary language philosophy. - Key Works: "The Concept of Mind" - Focus: The mind-body problem, behaviorism.

20. Peter van Inwagen

- Major Contributions: Metaphysics, philosophy of religion. - Key Works: "An Essay on Free Will," "Material Beings" - Focus: Free will, ontology, and theism.

21. Peter Strawson

- Major Contributions: Analytic philosophy, philosophy of language. - Key Works: "Individuals," "The Bounds of Sense" - Focus: Descriptive metaphysics, referential language.

22. Martha Nussbaum

- Major Contributions: Ethics, political philosophy. - Key Works: "The Fragility of Goodness," "Women and Human Development" - Focus: Human capabilities, emotions, and social justice.

23. David Chalmers

- Major Contributions: Philosophy of mind, consciousness. - Key Works: "The Conscious Mind," "Constructing the World" - Focus: The hard problem of consciousness, panpsychism.

24. Marshall McLuhan

- Major Contributions: Media theory, communication. - Key Works: "Understanding Media," "The Medium is the Massage" - Focus: Media impact, the global village, and technology.

25. Donald Davidson

- Major Contributions: Philosophy of language, philosophy of action. - Key Works: "Essays on Actions and Events," "Inquiries into Truth and Interpretation" - Focus: Truth, meaning, and interpretation. This expanded list gives a concise overview of each philosopher's major contributions and the primary areas they have influenced.


19 minutes before...

On the night of June 13, 2024, at precisely 08:53:23 PM...

journal entry #239

The author is so knowledgeable, yet he sounds like a far-right 4channer Jewish Christian Fundamentalist conspiracy theorist. He's bad at communicating his ideas and is obsessed with putting everything he writes in quotes the same way dog whistlers do. I even thought he might have been a well-educated philosopher who 'broke bad' and lost his mind as he grew older. I was guessing he's in his 60s or around that age because he called Julia Kristeva 'hot'. He also posted all of these in hundreds of comments from a Youtube video featuring a conversation with Slavoj Žižek, and I just finished editing them together because it was so hard to piece them together because of the Youtube comments format. I was interested because I'm not as well-studied as he is in philosophy and many other thinkers and ideas. But I only extracted it in hopes of learning the good parts and filtering out the usual far-right conspiracy theory stuff. It's only through reading the comments that I found so many new names and terms from actual philosophy. Learning from the way he writes will also allow me to fine-tune my writing; his writing is mostly bad, but the way he engages in intertextuality looks promising. Instead of judging all those names, philosophers, thinkers, ideas, and frameworks by this author's interpretation, I am interested in the actual original content of those ideas and thinkers. I want to address all the points of thinkers and ideas all around the world in hopes of not just ignoring problems, concerns, and insights shared in discourse. I hate philosophy, and that hate drives me to study the content of those works in hopes of analyzing them, studying them, and reflecting upon them. I hate philosophy enough that I appreciate it. It's like I think philosophers and thinkers and their ideas are bullshit, but I don't want to just leave it at that. I want to take the time to appreciate and recognize them by their seminal works and see how their ideas contributed to philosophy, even if I think it's all a bunch of delusion. This way, I believe in learning first and foremost, but I do prefer avoiding people like the aforementioned author. But he did have value in pointing me to all of these thinkers and ideas. So it could be described as a "love-hate relationship" where I hate philosophy that I want to take the time to read them out in hopes of responding to each of their fully realized points. I hope to analyze every single piece of literature and academia ever, but I know I'm limited. But I'm already 500,000 words in my autobiography and over a 100,000 (though maybe 300,000) words in my journal. So it's natural to extend this effort toward analyses of the media I have consumed growing up and those I consume presently, including academic texts in philosophy. In short, my goal is to have at least 10 million words which comprises of my autobiography and my journal, which will include analyses of every media I consume, including academic texts. It will be like a very comprehensive framework or mountain that serves as a commonplace book for everything in this world that I have encountered, am encountering, and will encounter. This way, when people read them, they will see everything as much as possible about my entire life, from my viewpoints, to objective analyses of my environment or of the resources of a project, to all manner of both structured and creative, non-fiction and fiction expression. This short description is not doing the entire scope justice and I'm omitting a lot; however, I hope it's clear that I'm just a regular guy trying to write a lot and incase everything into a manageable, navigable framework. I have already made foundational efforts to putting it in PDF form and website form. But there are much more to this in terms of methodologies. Anyway, philosophy is going to be a large task, but the benefits of becoming proficient in philosophy, such as improved writing skills, will extend to every analysis I make.


8 minutes before...

On the night of June 13, 2024, at precisely 08:44:47 PM...

journal entry #238

Philosophers: Baudrillard, Heidegger, Camus, Deleuze, Hegel, Schopenhauer, Wittgenstein, Nietzsche, Rousseau, Kristeva, Foucault, Derrida, Adorno, Marcuse, Putnam, Chomsky, Lacan, Irigaray, Ryle, Van Inwagen, Strawson, Nussbaum, Chalmers, McLuhan, Davidson Political figures: Hayek, Pinochet, Allende, Trump, Putin, Xi, Modi, Khameini, Netanyahu, Castro, Trudeau, Ursula von der Leyen, Solon, Roosevelt, Bush dynasty, Reagan, Kerry, Bismarck, Kaiser Wilhelm II, Fidel Castro, Hugo Chavez, Nicolas Maduro, Juan Velasco, Yuval Harari, Boghossian, Helen Pluckrose, Christopher Poole, Goethe, Tony Blair, Emiliano Zapata, Mao Zedong, Lenin, Stalin Cultural figures: Epstein, Richard Spencer, Jordan Peterson, Michel Onfray, Dugin, Agamben, Vattimo, Judith Butler, Ray Brassier, Nick Land, Graham Harman, Stephen Molyneux, Doja Cat, Ngugi Wa Thiongo, Roxolana, Lady Montague Wortley, Mario Vargas Llosa, Octavio Paz, Carlos Slim, Carlos Fuentes, Elie Wiesel, Sammy Davis Jr., Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Alan Moore, Elon Musk, Anton LaVey, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Paine, Helena Blavatsky, Mark Twain, Grady McMurty, William Breeze, Linda Osborne Blood, Michael Aquino, Gary North, Rushdoony, John Ramirez, Alexander Pope, Horace Walpole, Philip Wharton, Claude de Saint-Martin, Martinez Pasqually, Schoenberg, Hayao Miyazaki, Bodhidharma, Denis Noble, Dawkins, Searle, Philip K. Dick, Hernan Cortes, La Voisin, Montague Summers, Ari Aster, Avram Noam Chomsky, Zellig Sabbettai Harris, Tomasello, Korzybski, Royce, Borges, D'Annunzio, Eleanor of Aquitaine, Saladin the Kurd, Napoleon, Louis XIII, Louis XIV, John Wilkes, Angela Davis, Gianni Vattimo, Peter Adamson, Briceño, Umberto Eco, Levi-Strauss, Nagarjuna, Aristotle, Duns Scotus, Averroes, Thomas Aquinas, Ockham, Roscelin, Al-Buni, Ibn Sina, Maimonides, Anselm, Hilary Putnam, Roy Cohn, John T. Flynn, Aristotle Onassis, Adnan Khasshoggi, Manucher Ghorbanifar, Yassir Arafat, Albert Pike, Mazzini, Ronald Mangum, Markus Garvey, Benjamin Paravicini, Garcia Marquez


2 hours before...

On the evening of June 13, 2024, at precisely 06:04:10 PM...

journal entry #237

by the way, who rejected post-structuralist label? which other philosophers and thinkers rejected labels assigned to them? Ironically, the very nature of post-structuralism and postmodernism naturally tends toward making sure that readers don't have preconceived ideas. But the very fact that a fiction story might be tagged as postmodernist really isn't doing it any favors. Explaining a story by the intention of the author defies the very ideals of postmodernism, and that's hilarious to think about. The issue is that people need labels sometimes, because then they would just dismiss every work that's different. But it still goes against postmodernist themes of just letting the reader freely interpret. I need labels, and studying academic texts provide me with terms, labels, and frameworks. It goes against post-structuralism in a sense, but at the same time, I feel that it's unavoidable to expose oneself to discourse in hopes of making sense and communicating to people exactly how things are but with as much complexity and nuance available within the methodologies of analysis used. Interesting how structuralism can lead someone to being introduced to post-structuralism, and capitalist technology can lead someone to socialist or anarchist ideas. It would be very dangerous to have structuralist conformity within postmodernist literature. Imagine people saying, "This is not how postmodernism is made! You're not Albert Camus! You're just a bad writer!" It completely goes against postmodernist ideals. That is why I believe that non-fiction writing and much education in all areas is essential nowadays as an author, because they need to be able to defend their stylistic choices in a world full of structuralist imposition, ignorance, and commodification. This way, authors can be more honest about their methodologies because they can describe them precisely and how they differ and compare to other ideas, especially contrasting ones, within a vast province of educative complexity unique to the author.


51 minutes before...

On the evening of June 13, 2024, at precisely 05:12:12 PM...

journal entry #236

What is the nature of it? What is the nature of participation and contribution, especially in an online space? Are there academic texts that explore this? I'm referring specifically to the nature upon which participation, contribution, and commenting are founded.


1 minute before...

On the evening of June 13, 2024, at precisely 05:11:03 PM...

journal entry #235

'I found you by searching 'San'ya Blues: Laboring Life in Contemporary Tokyo,' and this video reminds me of past experiences I had. It's lovely to see that there are people still all around dedicated to covering these otherwise unexplored aspects of society, especially in a large and quick place like Tokyo.'