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[Cotard's Syndrome]

axod - Suppose we must on some level assume we know and notice enough to consider our judgment sound. Open to reconsideration and adjustments upon receiving new data, but still stable enough as to not be crippled with

Then the question regards the importance of what we care about noticing, recognizing and carying-on.  Is there something then perhaps, not itself percieved, that goes about ordering their relevance according to an a priori unifying principle?  Otherwise my capacity for "sound judgement" may result arbitrary and incomplete.  Funny business.

I think so. People who reject science in favor of their gut instinct have a different "judging thing" than those who do the opposite. I think you can even alter that thing, start consciously valuing some kind of stimuli higher than others, and eventually it'll come instinctively.

Say the alteration you mention fashions consciousness to be an emergent property, like a self-correcting/learning/evolutionary algorithm.  What is it that allows said experience to be something that particularly concerns you?  Imagine a world of objects percieved absolutely without relevance.

That's essentially what happens in Cotard's Syndrome, and the result of the lack of any sense of relevance or attachment to anything is that the sufferer concludes that they are dead, and then they generally starve to death.

Fascinating.  Last time this clown at the office dosed me with a brownie I kind of felt like that.  At least he spent months preparing the ritual for me.  Srlsy though, I do think Cotard's represents an acute form of a delusion that is more prevelant than generally recognized.  I wonder how well an upside-down Barstool Experiment would work in that respect?

axod - Suppose we must on some level assume we know and notice enough to consider our judgment sound. Open to reconsideration and adjustments upon receiving new data, but still stable enough as to not be crippled with

Then the question regards the importance of what we care about noticing, recognizing and carying-on.  Is there something then perhaps, not itself percieved, that goes about ordering their relevance according to an a priori unifying principle?  Otherwise my capacity for "sound judgement" may result arbitrary and incomplete.  Funny business.

I think so. People who reject science in favor of their gut instinct have a different "judging thing" than those who do the opposite. I think you can even alter that thing, start consciously valuing some kind of stimuli higher than others, and eventually it'll come instinctively.

Say the alteration you mention fashions consciousness to be an emergent property, like a self-correcting/learning/evolutionary algorithm.  What is it that allows said experience to be something that particularly concerns you?  Imagine a world of objects percieved absolutely without relevance.

You can't do that in the UK unfortunately. (Are you UK, Joe? For some reason I got it in my head you are...)

ETA: Or I could reread the OP and not be a dork. I blame sleep deprivation. Yes! Nigel's advice sounds very sound to me. 

You guys don't have any flexibility the first two years? That's only the second thing I've ever heard about the UK college system that isn't superior to the US college system.

Here, the undergraduate electives are such that you can take a fairly wide variety of classes before choosing a major.

The British system pushes specialization starting in high-school.  First two years you got 4 out of eight classes being elective 'GCSE's'.  The last two years are "A-levels", typically divided into six classes, three higher level and three lower.  All of them are ellective however only the top-three higher-level courses really matter; the lower level classes being considered remedial- to give the impression of a round curriculum.  In order to be competitive, students need their three higher A-levels to complement what they intend to study at uni, essentially having to decide your entire future at 16 years of age.

So a man is being interviewed by a potential employer and the interview has gone well and is winding down. The interviewer asks the prospect, "What would you say is your greatest weakness as an employee?"

The man thinks a moment and says, "I'm totally honest with people."

The interviewer blinks and says, "I don't think that's really a weakness."

"I don't give a fuck what you think."

I like that alot!

Q.) What do you call an unimpressive Greek philosopher?
A.) Mediocrates

except when when his mediocrity was also mediocre.
Then he would become...  Remediocrates.

[was born and have spent my entire life between 10 and 100 meters above sea level).]

I am absolutely exhausted and should not still be up.

Got confirmation for the Peru trip today.

Next up: Losing 20 lbs so I don't stroke out and die in the Andes.

And then, I'm always a fan of engaging in colorful local customs and regional remedies as well, known to to be effective for adapting to altitude.  Apparently the social climate round transit hubs in Lima is one thing to avoid, IIRC, no need to make any friends at bus/plane/train stations.  I'm sure you know this already, I kind of just wanted to participate by proxy in that adventure . Have lots of too for us as well

I'm pretty much going to spend the whole time in a Quechua village trying to survive altitude sickness.

(for reference, I was born and have spent my entire life between 10 and 100 meters above sea level).

I can relate to that, sure beats going 50m down below sea-level, at least there'll be plenty of light

[...]
Actually, some time in the early 90's I was at a huge Halloween party, and about a dozen guys in their late teens to early twenties showed up in Klan costumes (kostumes?) I thought they were just being edgy or something, but then they attacked a couple of people, and tried to steal some swords. They got chased off with shotguns. Turned out they were from some local white supremacist group.

The 90's were tough in europe too, some political parties, with actual parliamentary presence, felt like it was time to again officially append "fascist" to their name.  That, and they target youth groups for indoctrination, channelling angst to violence and hatred.  The crazy thing is how these kids thought that they were just making a fashion statement.  First they just dressed like nazi-skins, then they started acting that way

Whew! Glad that's over.

Womp Womp Waaaaa...

Yea, football hooligans or any violent and disenfranchised lot serve as prime recruiting grounds for radical political factions.  Then those who do make it out become cops, or something still similarly useful

[...]
Actually, some time in the early 90's I was at a huge Halloween party, and about a dozen guys in their late teens to early twenties showed up in Klan costumes (kostumes?) I thought they were just being edgy or something, but then they attacked a couple of people, and tried to steal some swords. They got chased off with shotguns. Turned out they were from some local white supremacist group.

The 90's were tough in europe too, some political parties, with actual parliamentary presence, felt like it was time to again officially append "fascist" to their name.  That, and they target youth groups for indoctrination, channelling angst to violence and hatred.  The crazy thing is how these kids thought that they were just making a fashion statement.  First they just dressed like nazi-skins, then they started acting that way

There used to be a laundromat here on the corner of SE 39th & Belmont called Kinky's Kleen'n Kornor.

Sadly, despite the fact that it was there for like 30 years, I can't find any pictures of it on the web.

There is, like, zero chance that someone born in America doesn't know what the KKK is/was and its history. Why would someone deliberately name their business like that? Did they just think it was funny? Do they really want to discourage non-white customers?

Such confuse. 

I might just choose to think that it was mistake.  I like how it otherwise ties-together bondage, "wet-work", and also just a turn from koroner or Kroner:lulz:
[and I just saw it was a cutting, not (dry)cleaning joint]

I am absolutely exhausted and should not still be up.

Got confirmation for the Peru trip today.

Next up: Losing 20 lbs so I don't stroke out and die in the Andes.

And then, I'm always a fan of engaging in colorful local customs and regional remedies as well, known to to be effective for adapting to altitude.  Apparently the social climate round transit hubs in Lima is one thing to avoid, IIRC, no need to make any friends at bus/plane/train stations.  I'm sure you know this already, I kind of just wanted to participate by proxy in that adventure . Have lots of too for us as well

My youngest had a very, very, very good 5th grade teacher. One of the few. She and her classmates talk about him with great fondness and regret that he is no longer at their school, because he inspired them to want to work hard and do well.

Some of the few classes that I actually did homework in were out of respect for a teacher that either called me out on my shitty attitude or earned my respect by otherwise giving a shit. I wasn't many. I'm really glad your daughter has had at least one good one so far, and yeah they don't tend to last long.

The one I remember best was a science teacher named Dilly.  If you slept in his class he'd quietly walk over to a lab table, pull a support rod, drop it next to your desk to wake you and ask a question relevant to what he was teaching that day.

We bonded when I answered and promised to stop napping. He was good shit.

Just wanted to share how it was also due to some awesome science teachers that I eventually started engaging my education, round about 9th grade.  Made all the difference for me.  I recoil at thinking about where I would still be now were it not for their interest and encouragement.  And I still relish the moment I got them to admit that they were, like me, ultimately unaware of the fundemental nature and workings of "reality".

If anything Mr. Dilly showed me how little I really knew. Not just about science but about how normal people SEE reality in a social and personal context. Helped me understand science and the art of living. And part of my rationale for continuing to. I can earnestly say I doubt I really taught him much or brought him to doubt reason, but he already understood that the thing was a construct. So is a microscope. You use a microscope for microscoping not to listen to a Symphony or fix a broken heart. Same with reason, you can get by without it but it lets you see what you otherwise will surely miss and THAT helps you live.

My Mr. Dilly helped me set-up SLIP for Spry's Mosaic and only professed knowledge of answers to the extent nescesary for my sustained interest in education, with skillfull means.  That, and he banged all the hot moms and grew pot at home.  So much cooler

axod - Suppose we must on some level assume we know and notice enough to consider our judgment sound. Open to reconsideration and adjustments upon receiving new data, but still stable enough as to not be crippled with

Then the question regards the importance of what we care about noticing, recognizing and carying-on.  Is there something then perhaps, not itself percieved, that goes about ordering their relevance according to an a priori unifying principle?  Otherwise my capacity for "sound judgement" may result arbitrary and incomplete.  Funny business.

I'm rather partial to how Huxley likened the mind to a "reducing valve" of experience.  Kind of fits the feeling that there's always something I'm missing.  Preferably for good reason.  Because, in some way, I must always consider myself discerning in my capacity to discriminate meaningful differences.  In fact, some accuse me of making that a matter of amatorial pride.

My youngest had a very, very, very good 5th grade teacher. One of the few. She and her classmates talk about him with great fondness and regret that he is no longer at their school, because he inspired them to want to work hard and do well.

Some of the few classes that I actually did homework in were out of respect for a teacher that either called me out on my shitty attitude or earned my respect by otherwise giving a shit. I wasn't many. I'm really glad your daughter has had at least one good one so far, and yeah they don't tend to last long.

The one I remember best was a science teacher named Dilly.  If you slept in his class he'd quietly walk over to a lab table, pull a support rod, drop it next to your desk to wake you and ask a question relevant to what he was teaching that day.

We bonded when I answered and promised to stop napping. He was good shit.

Just wanted to share how it was also due to some awesome science teachers that I eventually started engaging my education, round about 9th grade.  Made all the difference for me.  I recoil at thinking about where I would still be now were it not for their interest and encouragement.  And I still relish the moment I got them to admit that they were, like me, ultimately unaware of the fundemental nature and workings of "reality".