Think Leandro

The Landmark Forum

Monday, November 19, 2007

I recently participated in what I think will prove to be a life changing program called The Landmark Forum. It is a weekend long conversation among 150 perfect strangers led by an extraordinary leader with the sole purpose of sharing the wisdom named The Landmark Forum.

Even now I find it difficult to picture the feeling associated with the idea of being in a large room with 150 people preparing for a 3 day, 39 hour long conversation about me. Through the influence of my peers led by precision in technique, they were able to show me the myself that I've been denying for as long I can remember.

This arrogance has kept me from loving anyone and made the will to accept the love of others impossible.

In this new context of freedom I just had the most disturbing conversation with someone close to me. Watching a television program about the technology employed in the US military. Incredible technologies designed with the sole purpose of domination. With eyes of excitement he began to describe a new machine that fires bullets at speeds so fast that if shot within a foot of your body will tear your flesh by it's wake in the air.

Before the Landmark Forum, I believe that I would have criticized his excitement, taking away whatever pleasure he might draw from his benign moment in time.

Thank you Landmark Forum

Labels: landmark forum, personal

Pinning down the properties of god

Monday, October 29, 2007

A good friend of mine and I spend 3 hours debating religion after a good few months of laying off such an interesting topic.

I've always been told that God cannot be dis-proven, which I believed until recently. God in the most general terms cannot be dis-proven, but if you define God with certain attributes and those attributes contradict each other, then dis-proving god really becomes as easy as pointing out those contradictions.

In discussing all this with my friend I searched the web for what Epicurus wrote sometime in the 3rd century BCE.

Is god willing to prevent evil but not able? Then he is not omnipotent.
Is he able but not willing? Then he is malevolent.
Is god both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil?
Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him god?

Incredible stuff, this Epicurus. My friend must of invoked the MWC (mysterious ways clause) a dozen times. I didn't know to call it MWC. LOL.

What did I learn? First, that God's omniscience is incompatible with the concept of free will. God is the creator of all, evil exists, therefore god created evil (suffering). Something a Christian will readily deny.

Finally, I re-enforced the idea within me that I don't believe in god because the concept cannot exist rationally. The same way I don't believe in flying pigs because it isn't possible :).

I found this article that describes many of the arguments I made to my friend. Great stuff!

Labels: atheism, personal, religion

Holloween

Labels: gay, personal

Baron d'Holbach

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

A quote from Baron d'Holbach, a German French Author/Philosopher most famous for being one of the first self-described atheists in Europe.

If we go back to the beginning we shall find that ignorance and fear created the gods, that fancy, enthusiasm or deceit adorn them, that weakness worships them, that crudity preserves them, and that custom, respect and tyranny support them in order to make the blindness of men serve their own interest.

If the ignorance of nature gave birth to gods, the knowledge of nature is calculated to destroy them.

Labels: atheism, personal, quote, religion, research, science

Introspection and the brain

Saturday, October 13, 2007

I read the most interesting article on lifehack.org about the human mind. It goes into some detail on how unaware we can be to subtle stimuli and how deceitful the brain can be in it's ever present goal to identify all that we experience. Apparently, the well known, "I'm never wrong" attitude is hard wired into our brain.

Reading this article only enforces the importance in of introspection, something I believe very strongly in and think it has an will continue to make me a better person. On a regular basis I observe in friends, family, co-workers and myself what I would categorize as insecurity and fears that manifest themselves in many forms usually denial and unhappiness.

I have recently ended a 2.5 year relationship with a very good man only after I realized that I was not satisfied (intellectually) with our relationship. My unhappiness was hidden behind my fear of being along and not finding a satisfying partner in my future. Through introspection I was able to discover this fear and make decisions based on what I thought were best for me, fears aside.

Read the article for yourself: Your Brain is Not Your Friend: lifehack.org

Interesting words I looked into while writing this: Choice blindness, Confabulation, Emotional insecurity

Labels: personal

Marijuana

Thursday, October 11, 2007

I found these very interesting set of articles on Marijuana. I can't believe how backwards or slow the government is in making Marijuana legal.

I can't say I knew for sure from experience, but I'm glad that Marijuana is not like other drugs that causes the brain to produce more Dopamine. Drugs that affect dopamine production produce addiction because the human brain is genetically conditioned to adjust behavior to maximize dopamine production.

Marijuana and the Human Brain

Marijuana and the Brain, Part II: The Tolerance Factor

Labels: personal, politics, research

Colisuem Nightclub

Sunday, September 30, 2007

I recently became single from a 2.5 year relationship. So I decided it was time for me to go clubbing. ;)

Labels: personal

Anus Diagram

Monday, September 24, 2007

Not sure how many of you out there have ever had anal sex. To be clear, I don't mean doing someone in the butt; I mean having your butt done.

Well... I found a most interesting diagram that really helps those who care to understand their insides. I found it most enlightening.

Labels: gay, personal

Atheism on the rise

As an atheist, I know from personal experience the amount of growth the local freethinking community has seen in the last 2 years. There are at least 5+ events a month many of which are spent discussing our ideas over food and drink.

We hold certain days of the year in celebration that most others don't even know about. Days such as, Constitution Day and Darwin Day.

An Interesting article in the Washington Post explains that this growth isn't limited to the US, it is a global movement fighting against the oppressive and fanatic push from the religious.

Labels: atheism, personal

Triceps MRI Report

Friday, September 14, 2007

Sadly to report the medical drama continues :(

On Tuesday I had an MRI taken of my right Triceps ($300). The MRI was certainly interesting. I had to remove all metal from my body. The MRI Dr needed me to lay as close as possible to the center of the MRI machine. This caused me to raise my left arm above my head as if I was flying on my back with one arm pointing up like superman making a hard turn.

Point is, after 10 minutes in that position, my left arm started to really become a problem. Luckily my understanding of the scan gave me courage to move my arm without altering the results of the scan :).

My Dr. reports that I need surgery to reattach the muscle to the bone. I read the report and through help from friends now realize it is a partial tear.

I've made an appointment ($150) to speak to the specialist that can give me my options with the Surgery I need. I don't have insurance and am not sure how this will turn out.

I feel much better about it today then I did yesterday. I am surprised at how the support (phone calls) of family members helps. I'll be picking up the MRI images on Monday. I'll post some here Monday afternoon.

(Click to see MRI Report)

Labels: personal

Pulled My Right Triceps (ouch)

Monday, September 10, 2007

I went for my second time to Quiet Waters Park to go knee boarding. My first time was 2 weeks ago with my friend Carlos and Antonio.

It's a pretty interesting sport. You get on a knee board, hold onto a rope which pulls you across a lake using a suspended wire pulley system called Ski-Rixen System.

Well, yesterday I went and my muscles hadn't healed from the last time I was there. So off I went and tear or tore my right triceps pretty badly. Never pulled a muscle before.

The bruise that is developing and growing:

Sunday 8pm

(Click on image to see bruise growth)

Also I learned that Triceps is singluar. Tricepses is plural.

Labels: personal