Coffee Crew

What kind of oblivious moron drinks hot coffee outside on a 95-degree summer day? Yeah, that would be me. I figured Anti-Shen was drinking iced coffee because, well, he is my antithesis. Turns out he was just being smart; hence, I was being stupid and our duality remains intact. MC Ken, benzee, and Monkey Fist(LC) attended also. The cool thing was I didn’t call anybody. I set Coffee Crew on autopilot and it took care of itself. Whoo-hoo! SSDiabolique missed out because she was physically drained from Renfest. Benzee is a neurologist and he added a very neurological take on the ol’ consciousness vs. thought debate. I’m having difficulty imagining a state of consciousness without any thought. I figure to be conscious you need to be aware and awareness develops from the idea that “I am.” But once you realize “I am” then a thought has occurred; therefore, thought begets consciousness. Then benzee throws out this simile: Imagine a brain cut off from all sensory input, no sights, sounds, feelings, anything. CAT scans will reveal synaptic activity that could indicate consciousness. However, the absolute lack of stimulus may keep the mind from forming thoughts. Maybe, just maybe. Benzee also believe that existence is impossible, so consider the source. He has a pretty good argument for non-existence that goes something like this (I apologize in advance for any inaccuracies in the conversation, I’m going from memory here):

Okay Shenry, let me start with an obvious truth: I am not the same person I was in first grade. Obviously. Nor am I the same person I was last year or even yesterday. If you integrate the time span, you will eventually realize I’m not the person I was a second ago or even an infinitely small instant ago. As time passes I change. I am not the same person I was five minutes ago and when I have sex with my wife tonight that person will not be me now. I am transient. I do not exist because by the time I realize I exist, I no longer exist! Here’s another way to view this. Take a CAT scan of my brain now and another in one minute. The two pictures show my synapses firing at those specific moments and in an allegorical manner are pictures of who I am at those instances. By the time the second picture is taken, the first no longer exists…

And, he just kept going on and on. It reminds me of a quote from the Hagakure about how life is “a succession of moment after moment” and one should live “being true to the single purpose of the moment.” Benzee did mention some Buddhistic references, but it didn’t dawn on me to inquire about a deeper connection. Non-existance does seam quite liberating really, no life, no death, no nothing.

And on a lighter note… Monkey Fist was running around making new friends with anyone who would glance her way. At one point she climbed up on a chair at the table next to us and started yakking away to a couple peacefully enjoying their morning java. The couple seamed amused by Monkey Fist’s antics so I let her chat it up for a while. Then I heard out of the corner of my ear Monkey Fist say, “And the police are going to come and take daddy away.” Overall, hilarious! I wonder what that couple thought. I kidnapped Monkey Fist and am taking her to some third world nation where I can sell her to a Nike sweatshop… Hey, that gives me an idea. :]

I am he as you are he as you are me and we are all together
...and so it was written, shenry at 7/15/2002 02:32:00 PM.
...and so it was appended with .