Finally finished reading Genesis this morning. At this rate I'll have read the whole bible by 2008! Have a feeling I did it in, like, two months last time - am I that much busier? Hmm. So things are going quite well by my standards - would probably be good if I could just get my head straightened out somehow. Today was a good day, anyway, although not really that restful. Got up reasonably late, read my bible, worked on a computer for someone, had a fairly intense dancemat session (including holding some weights while doing it), had a bath (while reading up on some ancient russian history), started learning 'For Whom The Bell Tolls' from the magazine Stu lent me, made a start on my russian 'presentation' (basically an essay about myself in russian), and uploaded 3 photographs to my website. Also opened my mail for the last two months and did my finances. And this is my day of rest! So maybe I should call it a bad day? Just feel a little better to have actually done some of the stuff I've been needing time and energy to do for a while. Hmm. Must get day off booked.
Also discovered yesterday that the frequent pains I get in my arms aren't normal - apparently people don't usually get things like that. Been ignoring them for at least a year because they're way below my pain threshold. Maybe a side effect of the roaccutane pills that never wore off? Something like that was on the list... Oh well, don't care that much really!
The acidy-burning sensation in my oesophagus is also not an everyday experience for everyone, it seems. :) Probably the appalling diet catching up with me.
On which note, I've added small amounts of broccoli to the carrots I'm already eating with any big meals. They're green and everything - am quite impressed with myself. Have decided that gravy and other sauces are a good thing, if you can find one you like - they cover the taste of unpleasant food. Hurrah!
What else? Been reading some webcomics recently - they're a great way of relaxing and wasting some of the time you haven't got! :) But it's more energy I lack than time, so relaxing, light-hearted stuff is a good thing.
It also occurred to me that there's technically no such thing as knowledge. Or rather, knowledge does exist, but only in the context of belief. Basically, no facts can be learned, or information accepted, without making assumptions - such as the existence of an objective universe, for example, but usually the assumptions are much broader than that. Most of what we 'know' tends to be based on what we're told. In any case, an assumption requires faith, 'knowledge' requires assumption, so all knowledge rests on faith. I may not have stated this very well, but it's obvious if you think about it. The scary thing is how much generally accepted knowledge rests on what people are taught in schools, or learn from the TV. I've always had the impression that the media tends to convey scientific information extremely badly, because of the need to make it 'interesting'. Of course, I may be wrong - but how can you know?
Our perception of the information is also affected by our assumptions - it gives us a bias for accepting some 'facts' and discarding others. Ultimately, to actually get anywhere it's necessary to make the most sensible assumptions you can and work with them. But no-one should ever believe that they aren't biased - objectivity is almost certainly impossible for a human, at least. It's also useful to try to explore the universe hypothetically using a different set of assumptions - maybe through the eyes of someone you fundamentally disagree with. You won't achieve objectivity, but it will make you more aware of your own bias, and maybe allow you to start with less assumptions, or more 'fundamental' ones, when attempting logic. It could also help in understanding other people.
Argh! A lecture! And probably a rather badly-communicated one at that! Too hot and tired - gonna turn the heating off and go talk to my mum. Goodnight!