"The Imprint of Experience"

The title of this post is borrowed from Chapter Three of Ideas of Human Nature a book by Professor David Barash.

The chapter features excerpts from John Locke, David Hume, and Immanuel Kant and discusses how the mind comes to be. What kind of knowledge is preexisting? What kind of knowledge must be learned? Are there certain fundamental human qualities, traits, understanding that even newborn infants have? Or is everything just a tabula rasa or "blank slate" as Locke famously advocated?

Whatever the case, Joss Whedon's "Dollhouse" is one of the very few intellectual, sexy, provocative shows that deals with this topic of the human mind...and as luck would have it, it will also be canceled in the near future. I remember seeing a friend's post on Facebook asking, "When is FOX going to realize Whedon is a genius and should have control over everything?" That is a very good question. For those unfamiliar with the show, it is about a secret organization that hires people who are at a difficult and vulnerable time in their lives and give them a chance to be "asleep" for a number of years under contract. Being in this dormant mode, a computer whiz "imprints" these people with a new personality, as personalities are nothing but just software to the brain's hardware (an analogy surely to please Turing and co.). As may be predicted, the possibilities are endless.

Say a client wants to hire a beautiful girlfriend for a weekend getaway, well just imprint that identity into Echo (played extraordinary well by Eliza Dushku) and she's yours for a weekend. Or maybe you need a bodyguard because you feel threatened by a neighbor, Dollhouse will provide just the perfect doll for you. You see, "Dollhouse" does very much take the Lockian approach to the human mind. You wipe off the dolls' slate and you start anew with a new imprinted personality after each "engagement". Like most Whedon shows, "Dollhouse" has its cult following and the series' run is going to end way sooner than it should ("Firefly" anybody?). So I hope FOX can answer my friend's original question. With a show like this, it ought to be moved to Tuesday or Wednesday nights and not be airing on Fridays. It can give "V" a serious run for its money.


On a related note, I do feel a little bad about the last statement, if only because of the ABC/Disney Talent Development Team giving me a "Recall" of my Rejection Letter. While I have no idea what it means, I suppose it's better than NOT recalling the rejection letter...? I guess time will tell. Update coming soon...

But for now: it's officially 12:19AM so that means MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL, AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT!


References:

Pictures taken here

And here

Give me a dozen healthy all-stars...

well-formed, athletic, and in their prime and my own specified world to bring them up in (i.e. coaching staff, management staff, ballpark, training facilities, etc.) and I'll guarantee to take any random team that consists of at least a dozen healthy all-star caliber players and train them to become World Series winners (not just contenders), regardless of team chemistry, penchants, tendencies, and race. I am going beyond my facts and I admit it, but so have the fans of the 2009 Bronx Bombers and they have been doing so ever since the Steinbrenner Era.

Though John B. Watson's Behaviorism approach took a backseat to Cognitive Psychology in recent years, it is worth noting that Watson's (in)famous quote still renders some kind of merit. As an ESPN analyst said (I think it was Mike Greenberg) the morning following the Yankees' most recent WS title, this 2009 Yankee "team" does not even resemble one. Instead, it is a bunch of expensive toys Steinbrenner plucked off the shelf and put on the field. Because these toys were of such high quality, one did not have to worry about whether or not it will get along with the other toys as long as this fancy toy plays out as advertised - Thus we have the 2009 World Champions. Certainly if your team had an owner like that, you would hail him almost as if he were a God-like figure. I mean - Sabathia, Teixeira, Burnett on the same team, to go with Jeter, Cano, Rodriguez, Rivera, Chamberlain, Hughes, Coke, Posada, Cano, Damon, Matsui, Swisher, and Nady - that's insane! Add in the fact they have a young stud at catcher by the name of Cervelli in the minors along with 2008 Cy Young candidate Chien-Ming Wang and you have a dynamic team that is looking to repeat for perhaps the next two seasons. This is great for the NYY and their fans, but for the other 29 teams, they have to try to keep up with the Joneses (err...Steinbrenners). Congrats to them...oh how I wish Bill Gates will hurry up and buy the Mariners already. Hey Bill, if you don't want to manage everything, I'll do it for free. Just give me those dozen all stars, please.


Additional Reading:

Watson, J.B. (1930). Behaviorism. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_B._Watson#.22Twelve_infants.22_quote

http://sports.espn.go.com/espnmag/reillygofish

Welcome to the Crazy Mind of William Ho

Dedicated to Ming Lo

First post. I apologize in advance for the often controversial content you will encounter if you read my posts. I wanted to call this blog "Confessions of a Rational Mind (In an Irrational World)" but stupid blogspot says the title is too long. No worries; it can be my book title :)

This blog will primarily feature complaints, observations, and opinions that I have regarding current events or even not-so-current events. Qualms about life, art, sports, and human nature will often be discussed.

I hope anyone who ends up stumbling upon this blog and decides to read the posts will thoroughly enjoy them.