Jesus Christ, the Serpent

The snake was originally a symbol for Jesus Christ. The reason can be easily seen if we look at other cultures: the shedding of the snake's skin is a type of rebirth that associates the snake with healing, regeneration, resurrection, and eternal life.

The Universal Sacred

It seems to me as I consider it more that it may be very likely that everything is a vessel for the Sacred. One questions how the label matters if it applies to everything, but there are a few other similarly universal labels, like "universe" and "existent," that apply to all existent things. Too, the label is important because it demonstrates our ability to understand a universal aspect.

Alloneliness

"Memes treat compatible intelligences as the same species. If we eventually discover or are discovered by alien intelligences, there is no doubt in my mind that memes will cross between us and them, for good or ill." Greg Porter, writing as Mas Noonuy.

Our history is a process of becoming, in the inclusion and spirit of companionship that relieves us of loneliness, alone once again.

Trans/Post Terminology: Some Errata

Here's the most pointless post you may encounter for awhile!

"Transhuman" and "Posthuman" are species-chauvinistic terms that ignore the fact that non-homo sapiens species could and almost certainly have reached the same state, and absolutely will in the future. And as you may have guessed from a brief aside in my Pronoun Sets and Present Tense article, I strive to avoid even things as presently irrelevant as species chauvinism (as I say elsewhere, it's silly to avoid changing now when you know that you'll have to change in the future and it's just that your arm isn't being twisted yet).

Pronoun Sets & Present Tense

This post is divided into two sections. Reading the first isn't necessary to understand the second.

Pronoun Sets

I'm sure that all of you are going to accuse me of thinking far too much about stuff that matters far too little, but something that I've wondered about for awhile is which pronoun sets to use by default (if somebody specifies, of course, then anything goes).

Constructive Complexity, or Posthuman Ethics and Value Systems

George Carlin once asked, "If God loved you, how come He gave you tumors?"

Let's find out.

Table of Contents
I. Background
II. The Rectification of Names
III. The Danger of Wireheading
IV. Beyond Wireheading
V. And Then What Will They Do?
VI. Aren't They Kind of Bastards, These Posthumans?

Things That I Like: What Homestuck and a random generator taught me about writing

This article originally appeared at The Oak Wheel on April 24, 2014. 

…

Or what a random generator taught me about writing, and Homestuck reinforced and Homestuck fanfiction prompted me to write about today.

Salt City Strangers [#1, #2]: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

A review for Salt City Strangers (#1 and #2). Credits at the end. 

Nutshell: The comic is about the latest incarnation of a team of superheroes defending Salt Lake City and, indeed, the whole world (because of Magic Stuff involving the transcontinental railroad that is actually kind of interesting). The series promises to deal with matters of faith (the Strangers range from Mormon-in-name-only to hardcore-believer) but has only barely begun to dip its toes in the water. Only time will tell if it can grow legs and live up to its potential.

Sarcophagus: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

A review for Sarcophagus, by Philip Hemplow. 

Nutshell: In the shadow of Chernobyl, Dr. Victoria Cox is told, "a little vodka keeps away the radiation." Don't look for blood and gore or fast-paced thrills here; Sarcophagus moves slowly but inexorably like a Crawling Chaos. Some points are predictable, but they are skillfully set in order to lull you into complacency and keep you from realizing how it's all going to end. 

What Hides Within: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

A review for What Hides Within, by Jason Parent. 

Nutshell: Jason Parent weaves a number of disparate storylines into a seamless whole. All loose ends are tied up by the end of the story, and in a way that makes you conflicted on whether it should be called bittersweet or a downer. You may struggle with tolerating Clive for awhile, but the story’s worth it.