Paul Jacobson Life, law and other stuff

Deconstructing the ForcePosted by Paul on May 23rd, 2005

So what is the Dark Side of the Force anyway?  I mean, besides a fiction created by George Lucas a few decades ago?  In Revenge of the Sith we learned that the Dark Side of the Force is about passion and exploring your darker feelings.  So is it all really just a fiction or is there some truth to it in our "real world"?  When Yoda warned Anakin about his attachment to those he loved, it began to look like the Dark Side of the Force is really about suffering.  It is suffering that arises as a result of our attachment to things and the quest of the Sith for greater power and control is the ultimate example of the kind attachment Yoda warned young Anakin about.  Grasping is all about attachment and it only leads to more grasping.

Ultimately grasping and attachment lead to suffering when the thing grasped for moves out of our reach or the thing we create an attachment is lost to us.  This is the Dark Side of the Force, the path to greater suffering and the illusion that as we travel further down that path we become powerful enough to ensure complete control and the achievement of all our goals.  The problem is, we never quite get there.  It is a bit like trying to travel at the speed of light - the closer we get to the speed of light, the greater our mass becomes and so we never reach that elusive velocity.

So if the Dark Side of the Force only leads to greater suffering without end, what is the alternative?  Clearly the other side of the Force followed by the Jedi.  This lighter side of the Force is all about letting go of our attachment to all things.  The Jedi practice of renouncing personal possessions and forgoing self-indulgences like romantic relationships (arguably not self-indulgent, I know) is intended to free each Jedi of the prospect of suffering that arises with attachment.  There is always suffering where there is attachment.  This much is unavoidable.  Suffering is inherently a part of attachment.  In the process of letting go and becoming truly selfless, we open ourselves to the greater glory and magnificance of the Force and to Joy itself.  We open ourselves to embrace all things, without preference.  We become an extension of the all-encompassing nature of the Universe and it is from this perspective that we come to truly know that the Dark Side of the Force is really just an illusion.  It is the cloud that passes in front of the sun, blocking its light.  When you let go of the earth and rise above the cloud you see the perfect, cloudless expanse of the true nature of the Force.

The Revenge of the Sith - the epic comes to a closePosted by Paul on May 22nd, 2005

We saw Star Trek III: Revenge of the Sith the other day and for many reasons it was a strange movie to watch.  One of these reasons is that we all knew what the ending was.  After all, this is the missing piece between the controversial Episode II (Attack of the Clones) and the original and classic Episode IV (A New Hope).  I don’t remember seeing Episode IV when it came out (I was a little young) but I do have a faint memory of seeing Episode V (The Empire Strikes Back) with its scenes on the icy planet.

In all I enjoyed Revenge of the Sith.  I was expecting it to have more of an impact and when I mentioned this to my brother he asked what more I expected.  He had a point, this movie had everything: brilliant space battles; intense lightsaber duels; humour and drama.  I think I spent too much time waiting for the story to unfold and for the dreadful moment when Anakin turned to the Dark Side that I forgot to simply watch and absorb the movie.  Fortunately we are going again this evening with a group of friends to watch it again.

The movie felt like a cross between Episode II with its slower drama and the action of Episode VI: Return of the Jedi and, in the process, seems to have achieved its goal as a bridge between the two parts of the epic.  My favourite scenes were the battles scenes and, paradoxically, Yoda’s brief discussion about the characteristics of the Force in his conversation with Anakin.  This slant on the Force seems to incorporate many elements of Buddhism, for example the notion of detachment.

One of the key scenes was the emergence of Darth Vader in his familiar black suit.  There are a couple well placed (if not slightly obvious) pauses which work pretty well and take us right back to the original trilogy.

In all this was definitely worth seeing and I am already looking forward to the box set of the first three episodes to complement the box set of the original trilogy.

If you are interested in movie trivia, check out IMDB for some interesting trivia about the Star Wars movies.

Finally! a G5 Powerbook …Posted by Paul on May 21st, 2005

I have been waiting for this one for a while so imagine my excitement when I came across this mention of a new Apple G5 Powerbook in my feeds.  I checked it out and man is that a sexy screen.  Pity about the somewhat bulky body though.

This Week in Apple has more info on this very unfortunate spoof:

I was recently among a select group of technology journalists invited by Apple Computer to test-drive a prototype of the much-anticipated PowerBook G5.  In a word, it’s gorgeous.  Clean lines, rounded edges and a rugged design continue to be hallmarks of Apple’s portable line.  While the size and weight of the unit had to be increased slightly to accommodate the larger heatsink of the G5 processor and five new computer-controlled cooling fans, most Powerbook users will barely notice the difference.  Where the G4 Powerbook models measured in at about ½?? with the lid closed, the G5 comes in at just under 6?? thin, still small enough to fit in an average suitcase.  The weight of the portable has also been increased from 5.6 lbs. to 18.2 lbs.  Even with the generous cooling, we were warned by Apple not to place the unit on our laps, as the prototype G5 can cause burns after periods of extended use.

My first impression:  Somewhat bulkier than the earlier G4 models, but that’s a small price to pay for 64-bit G5 power.  The Powerbook G5 will definitely be another hit for Apple.

Google on a bikePosted by Paul on May 19th, 2005

Here is an interesting tidbit.  Google is a big supporter of commuting by bike:

So many Googlers commute by bike every day that you can’t easily look down a hallway and not see a bicycle or two leaning against the wall. Some people bike in from just a few miles away while others combine their commute with other training. I ride 40 miles from San Francisco to Mountain View (and back!) twice a week. Somehow, I’m much more awake and refreshed than I would have been if I sat in my car on 101 for an hour. Or more…

Google is a huge supporter of bike commuting, and Bike to Work Day is a real party in Mountain View. Cyclists can get Google-branded bike goodies, monthly onsite bicycle tune-ups, and classes on basic commuter skills, bike maintenance, touring - even how to ride your first century. But it doesn’t matter what or how far you ride. Biking to work is a great way to get some exercise, save some gas, improve the environment, and most importantly of all, have fun!

I remember the ‘old days’ when I used to go everywhere by bike.  Granted it was before I got my first car but I was a lot fitter then because of the necessity to pedal to where I was going.  With the price of petrol I am beginning to think a return to pedal power may not be such a bad idea …

(via Google Blog)

IE 7’s Tabs LitePosted by Paul on May 19th, 2005

It is not a shock to hear that Internet Explorer 7 will have a tabbed interface.  The question that one can ask is whether this addition is a part of further development in the interests of really improving Internet Explorer or more of a reaction to the massive popularity of browsers such as Firefox that do feature a tabbed interface?

Microsoft has warned users of the anticipated beta version of Internet Explorer 7 that the tabs won’t be anything to write home about.  This has given rise to some speculation about Microsoft’s true motivations:

But the reversal is not good enough for at least one Firefox developer.
The open-source browser’s release manager and quality assurance lead,
Asa Dotzler, posted a response on his own blog to the IE 7 update.

"I suspect that this announcement could be translated to ‘we decided
late in the game that we needed tabs and they’re nowhere near done, so
don’t flame us when you see them,’" Dotzler wrote.

The Firefox developer contended that Microsoft’s motivation in adding
the tabbed browsing feature was more related to preserving its software
monopoly than providing services to its users.

Interesting!

(via CNET News.com)

One fifth of Amazon Rain Forest lostPosted by Paul on May 19th, 2005

Sometimes I wonder how people can be so short-sighted.  BBC News has reported as follows:

The environment ministry said 26,000 sq km of forest were chopped down in the 12 months prior to August 2004.

The figure is the second highest on record, 6% higher than the previous 12 months.

Deforestation was worst in the state of Mato Grosso where vast swathes of land have been cleared to grow crops.

…

The loss of 26,000 sq km means almost a fifth of the entire Amazon has now been chopped down.

All of this is in aid of boosting soya exports to levels that lead to a trade surplus.  When will governments, particularly governments in the region, realise that eco-friendly developments are critical, especially when dealing with one of the most diverse eco-systems in the world, not to mention one of the biggest producers of oxygen.

(via BBC News)

Papers please!Posted by Paul on May 19th, 2005

The US Government is going hi-tech with its plans to roll out Federal identity documents and passports for its citizens.  Of course these measures are being implemented due, to a large degree, to 9/11 but this is part of a growing trend that many governments are following.  Our own government is working on extensions to the Home Affairs National Identification System which would incorporate a smart card-based identity documents and, later, passports.

One of the concerns raised about the American system is that the proposed identity documents, which transmit data to special receivers, may betray the presence of US citizens to terrorists who could use that functionality to identify targets:

Some privacy groups oppose the introduction of e-passports because the
chips wirelessly transmit personal information to special receivers via
radio signal. They fear anyone with the right equipment could scan a
crowd for Americans, making them targets for attack or surveillance.

The privacy concerns have not deterred the government from pursuing its
e-passport project, one of the many efforts it launched to bolster
national security after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. The State
Department said last year that it plans to produce more than 1 million e-passports this year and issue them initially to citizens through the Los Angeles Passport Agency.

I am pretty excited about these trends and I am interested to see how the security concerns are addressed.

(via CNET News.com)