must be able to work independently.

"everything is indeed permitted if god does not exist, and man is in consequence forlorn, for he cannot find anything to depend upon either within or outside himself. he discovers forthwith, that he is without excuse. for if indeed existence precedes essence, one will never be able to explain one’s action by reference to a given and specific human nature; in other words, there is no determinism – man is free, man is freedom. nor, on the other hand, if god does not exist, are we provided with any values or commands that could legitimise our behaviour. thus we have neither behind us, nor before us in a luminous realm of values, any means of justification or excuse. – we are left alone, without excuse. that is what i mean when i say that man is condemned to be free." -jean-paul sartre (1946)

a country that's somewhat not affecting us.

chronicling a compulsive liar part three.

"i was never particularly inclined towards mathematics. in the first place, i found something about the shapes of the numbers to be a bit off-putting in general, which, when they were positioned next to each other in even the simplest equation, caused me a variety of unpleasant physical side-effects, ranging from migraine headaches to fits of laboured breathing. i found the entire subject intolerable on the whole, and i was excused from further advancement starting as early as the third grade.

i'm told mathematical studies are highly applicable to a range of disciplines, right down to the most everyday tasks. it is, however, still beyond me why one would wish to calculate the square footage of a room, the final price of a pair of trousers on sale, or at what point train a will meet train b if they are both traveling at a velocity of x, y, and/or z.

despite my aversion to the field of mathematics, i wouldn't say the issue is an irreconcilable one. if mathematicians and other numerical enthusiasts would simply abandon the deplorable techniques of pythagoras and fibonacci, instead focusing on how to calculate more worthwhile figures, such as the degree of sarcasm hiding in a seemingly-friendly remark, or the projected amount of gray hairs i could expect by the time i turn forty-three, then i would gladly take up the subject with a renewed fervour.

as it stands, however, i find there to be no other option but to continue to abstain from mathematics in its entirety, even on a most basic level. so to answer your question, although it's a bit of an understatement, i suppose maths would qualify by default as my least favourite subject in grammar school."

religion is the opiate of the masses.

"what happened was a slow and gradual change, a shifting of values in the consciousness of men. what seemed to be all-important to a greek of the classical or hellenistic period, or to an educated roman of the time of the republic and of the early empire, was no longer regarded as vital by the majority of men who lived in the late roman empire and the early middle ages. they had their own notion of what was important, and most of what was essential in the classical period among the constituent parts of ancient civilization was discarded by them as futile and often detrimental." -m.i. rostovtzeff (1929-1930)

BUT ISN'T THERE AN IPHONE APP FOR THAT?

"fortunately for mankind, the more useful, or, at least, more necessary arts can be performed without superior talents or national subordination; without the powers of one or the union of many. each village, each family, each individual, must always possess both ability and inclination to perpetuate the use of fire and of metals; the propagation and service of domestic animals; the methods of hunting and fishing; the rudiments of navigation; the imperfect cultivation of corn or other nutritive grain; and the simple practice of the mechanical trades. private genius and public industry may be extirpated; but these hardy plants survive the tempest, and strike an everlasting root into the most unfavourable soil...since the first discovery of the arts, war, commerce, and religious zeal have diffused, among the savages of the old and new world, these inestimable gifts have been successfully propagated; they can never be lost." -edward gibbon (1781)

game over, future generations!