They say that you learn something every day. Let us help you with your quota.

Sunday, December 30, 2012

31 December 2012

Well, New Years Eve has finally come.
Definitely caught me by surprise.

We're all very busy today, so let's keep it short, sweet and relevant.

Today's Quota is a list of pre- and post-hangover cures from Men's Health magazine.
Remember, prevention is the best cure for a hangover.

*snigger*


READ IT HERE


30 December 2012

Another Superficial Sunday - where we pursue the Trivial!

Today's Quota is an interesting one.
Or it could be very, very boring, depending on who you are.

In 1996, US logician (??) George Boolos conceived what is supposedly the most difficult logic puzzle ever.
This was featured in the Christmas issue of New Scientist. Unfortunately, to view the entire article, you'd need to sign up (it's for free and doesn't take long).

Otherwise, this is the puzzle;
“Three gods A, B and C are called, in some order, True, False, and Random. True always speaks truly, False always speaks falsely, but whether Random speaks truly or falsely is a completely random matter. Your task is to determine the identities of A, B, and C by asking three yes-no questions; each question must be put to exactly one god. The gods understand English, but will answer all questions in their own language in which the words for ‘yes’ and ‘no’ are ‘da’ and ‘ja’, in some order. You do not know which word means which.”
Clearly, it's time-consuming, and contains a whole bunch of variables like randomness, honesty and linguistic barriers.
Basically, it's a statistician's Saturday night.

Some if you might give it a few minutes, others might have better things to do (I fell somewhere in-between). Hell, it might even intrigue someone enough to put the hard yards in.
But hey, at least we know it exists right?
And that apparently a logician is a profession.

Anywho, today's quota is the solution!

READ IT HERE


Saturday, December 29, 2012

29 December 2012

Welcome to Sardonic Saturdays, where every silver lining has a cloud!

What if I offered you a device that I said will make your life easier. What if this device was able to track your location, record everything that is being said, even when it is switched off?
What if this device was able to construct an identity that knows you better than you know yourself? Your curiosities, your vices, your favourite foods, your thoughts, your friends and your enemies?
What reasonable person would accept such a gift?

Now what if I were to offer you a brand new smartphone.
It has GPS for your convenience, and your favourite location and history is tracked (again, for your convenience). You can do all of your communication through your phone - emails, texts, calls, Snapchat...
It also gives you direct access to social media like Facebook, so that you can share your thoughts without filter, share your location without concern, voice your ideology and carve yourself an extroverted identity. Everything will be in your phone. Your life.
All of this is stored for you by Google, and is offered for free. Because hey, they're a charity.
Who would say no, right?
Why look a gift horse in the mouth?

There's a reason why authorities love iPhones - they don't have removable batteries.
Happy Days.

In recent times, a lot of attention has been given to online privacy; whether it be on social networks or financial institution or the authorities granting themselves power to monitor your browsing.
These are the times we live in, and I guess this movement is a product of its context.

Whatever the case, an equal amount of attention has been given to two works of literature that best encompass people's fears for the future; Orwell's 1984 and Huxley's Brave New World.

These works are multiple posts in themselves.
Both depict (contextually) futuristic dystopias where populations are kept in check, where classes are formed in stone and where order is maintained.

Today's Quota is not a summary of these works, but rather an interesting comparison between them.
Activists worry about a future where we are all watched, monitored, and kept in order by coercion. However, they have neglected to see that we willfully succumb to such a future.
It is not the Illuminati that is to blame, but rather...us.

This will be a real treat to anyone that has read either or both of these books, but don't fret if you haven't.
Until tomorrow, keep those smiles beaming.
The cameras can't detect you if you're smiling.

VIEW IT HERE


Friday, December 28, 2012

28 December 2012

Another edition of Filosophy Fridays for your Saturday mornings!

I'm keeping this one short and sweet. Mostly due to my being in the 7th layer of Insomniac Hell, but also because I trust my readers to admire the star of today's Quota.

Meet Slavoj Zizek.
I had the pleasure of seeing this man sweat and rant at the Opera House last year. 'Experience' was an understatement. This man is not only a rock-star of philosophy, but one of the most famous Communist sympathizers of the post-Soviet era.
However, don't call him Anti-Capitalist - the two are not the same.

He is not only one of the most eccentric philosophers alive today, but his twitch, his lisp and his remarkable ability to sweat through every single t-shirt he wears on stage is what makes him entertaining.
If you have seen him live, or at least watched him in videos, you'll hear his voice (yes, the lisp) every time you read any of his books or essays.
In fact, some of you may recall his appearance on QANDA last year.

Please, please YouTube this man. Find the shortest video you can and watch it.
He is as much entertaining as he is intellectually provocative.

Today's Daily Quota is an interview in The Guardian.
Get to know this man, because some future Quotas may see your knowledge put to good use.

READ IT HERE


Thursday, December 27, 2012

27 December 2012

This is a very interesting one for you today, folks.
Recently, a South Korean journalist known as 'Sabine' was approached by two supposed North Korean defectors in possession of a North Korean propaganda video.

Today's Daily Quota is a link to the full, translated video.
This appears to be the real deal.

Here is the full video breakdown (total length: 136mins);

0:00 Introduction
6:54 Creating Ideas & Illusions
16:48 Fear
19:35 Religion
25:00 Beware the 1%
28:10 Emulating Psychosis
31:21 Rewriting History
41:15 The Birth of Propaganda
45:49 Cover Ups and Omissions
54:10 Complicity
58:05 Censorship
1:01:50 International Diplomacy
1:06:14 Television
1:08:11 Advertising
1:14:36 The Cult of Celebrity
1:22:34 Distraction
1:28:01 Terrorism
1:35:00 The Revolution Starts Now


The particularly interesting bit about this video is not the absurdity or hyperbolic stabs at the West.
Rather, it's the accuracy of some of the stuff that is said.
Sure, you have some of the wild conspiracy theories, and most of it is out of context (Australia was founded for the sole purpose of imprisonment - true, but out of context), but honestly...some of it is quite simply true.

I am in no way legitimizing its content, but it amuses me immensely at just how right they've gotten some of it. For instance, there is a section that introduces NK citizens to reality television, consumerism and the concept of celebrity.
All that is said is true, only slightly hyperbolized, and invokes the same disgust that the better of us might feel at the same social phenomena.

VIEW IT HERE

Fun Hint: If you are unable to watch the entirety of it now, get to know the Watch It Later feature on your YouTube account. Watch it at a more convenient time, or simply skim to a random part and 5-10mins should be enough for a laugh/moment of sobriety.


Wednesday, December 26, 2012

26 December 2012

Drugs are a bet with your mind.
Jim Morrison. c. 1965

Lapham's Quarterly is a fantastic publication that I've recently subscribed to.
It's a quarterly magazine that tackles one topic each season. Previous publications have dealt with such issues as Magic, Celebrity, Food and The Future.

This extract is from its current issue on Intoxication.
In particular, it's an extract from Book IX of Milton's Paradise Lost - arguably the first Gothic piece ever written.
We all know the story of Genesis, of Adam and Eve and their fall from grace. We all know of Satan personified as a serpent, tempting the naive Eve, promising her enlightenment and truth, telling her 'Ye Shall be as Gods'.
This extract is Milton's take on that speech to Eve.

It compels her to bite into the forbidden apple from the tree of knowledge. He tells her not to fear the punishment of death, for instead she should strive for it - her death will be the death of a human, and in such a death, she will awaken as a god;

Why then was this forbid? Why but to awe
Why but to keep ye lo and ignorant,
His worshippers? He knows that in the day
Ye eat thereof your eyes , that seem to clear
Yet are but dim, shall perfectly be then
Opened and cleared and ye shall be as gods
Knowing both good and evil as they know.

A persuasive argument.
Well kids, here is your daily bite of knowledge. Your daily quota of fructose. Your not-so-forbidden bounty from my ample bosom.

Remember, an apple a day keeps the doctor away.


READ IT HERE


Tuesday, December 25, 2012

25 December 2012

A very Merry Christmas from the Daily Quota!

Since you will inevitably shatter your daily quota of food for today, we can keep today's post nice and breezy.
To celebrate the holiday, here's a nice, picturesque Cracked article.

The 10 Christmas Decorations that will Haunt your Dreams.

Yep.
Anyone who reads Cracked on a frequent basis will know how incredibly well-researched some of these articles are. There is nothing greater than a group of intelligent individuals investing their energies into satire.

Happy Holidays!

READ IT HERE


Sunday, December 23, 2012

24 December 2012

"He who sacrifices freedom for security deserves neither"
- Benjamin Franklin

Exactly one year ago on this day, online hacktivist group Anonymous hacked into, and retrieved, a large cache of emails from Stratfor. This was part of a combined effort with LulzSec for Operation AntiSec, an initiative to expose the legitimate and illegitimate workings of government bodies under the rationale of transparency.

Now, Stratfor is a global intelligence firm, and what makes this incident even juicier is that they were a CIA contractor, so many of those emails were between CIA officials and analysts.
In February 2012, these documents were handed over to Wikileaks, who began uploading these emails for public consumption.
That's right, confidential emails that could be accessed by every journalist, student, housewife and Daily Quotite out there.

One of the most interesting emails concerned the use of a piece of software called Trapwire.
Trapwire is one of those things that conspiracy theorists rant on about, but that you trust your government will be transparent about. Or perhaps you'll hear about it in the news, and all these other people will go into an uproar and democracy will save the day.
No.

Trapwire is a program that consolidates your stored biometric data and uses every public CCTV camera to identify who is where. They then use this data to form links, connect dots, and essentially predict if a crime or conspiracy is going to occur.
So pretty much, they use facial recognition technology obtained via either your passport or driver's license to identify you via the CCTV camera. Then, they can identify whether certain suspicious people are meeting up, or simply follow someone's movements in public places.

Haven't you given thought as to why you're not allowed to smile when you take a photo for a license?
A blank face gives a far more accurate facial reading than a smiling one.
The moral of the story, kids, is that if you plan on committing a crime, make sure you're smiling when you do it.

When this information went public, Australian media started digging. The AFP denied using Trapwire, and Fairfax media discovered that the parent company of Trapwire Inc. was recently contracted for etags in Queensland and the new Cityrail barriers in NSW.
The story in SMH can be found here. Yep.

Let me give you an example of how Trapwire works;
Person A, B and C walk into the Sydney QVB at 7.15pm on a Tuesday night.
Person A is a convicted drug trafficker with a criminal record.
Person B is a law student with a bit of cash and a pompous comb-over.
Person C is also a law student, studying on a student Visa and coming home from a cafe job.
Trapwire will detect A from his existing mugshot, B from his driver's license photo, and C from his international passport. Trapwire will make a log of these interactions, make sure A is not breaching his parole, make sure B does not have any outstanding criminal charges, make sure C's Visa is still valid.
Happy Days.
 
Let me give you another example of how Trapwire works, except this time, we will assume the government has far more information on you via Facebook, Google, Instagram, etc etc.
Don't be naive. A marketing firm can purchase your data, let alone a government who has the power to request the data under s313 of the Telecommunications Act 1997 (one of several provisions).
Very broad wording indeed.
Person A, B and C walk into the Sydney QVB at 7.15pm on a Tuesday night. 
Person A is a convicted drug trafficker with a criminal record. His AFP file also shows he is suspected of arms trafficking. The tattoo on his neck means he is still able to be identified despite wearing sunglasses and a beanie. His Gmail account contains email conversations with known Nomads arms dealers and his Visa Debit card contains recent purchases of measuring apparatus from Bunning's. 
Person B is a law student with a bit of cash and a pompous comb-over. His Google Chrome browser history shows attempts to access websites that are part of Interpol's blacklist. His ISP has been issued a notice to retain his IP address for 18 months. Earlier CCTV footage had pinpointed his presence at several rallies and demonstrations, including the Occupy Sydney movement in Martin Place. His Facebook profile contains a high propensity of the word 'corrupt', 'illuminati' and 'police'. He also 'likes' Wikileaks on Facebook, and is subscribed to their Twitter feed. He is the president of the Uni Law Society, as so has an existing ASIO record. 
Person C is also a law student. He goes to the same university as Person B, a passive member of the Uni Law Society. He is on a student Visa from Pakistan, and he attends Belmore Mosque every second day at 7pm. Except today. He has been under close inspection by ASIO after he was the recipient of several SMS messages which invited him to violently protest the release of a video that mocked Mohammed. His alias on jihadi chat rooms is the same as that of his Call of Duty: Modern Warfare avatar. His IP address is also being logged by his ISP as per the request of authorities. 
Trapwire has now picked up on a suspected arms dealer, a proactive contrarian and a Pakistani student with possible links to overseas terror networks. They are in the same area, and they are moving out of routine.Call a squad car around. Thank you, Trapwire. Happy Days.


Hmmm. Some food for thought, indeed.
You've definitely exceeded your Daily Quota today.
May the force be with you all.

Saturday, December 22, 2012

23 December 2012

Welcome, one and all (quite likely the former) to Superficial Sundays!
Every Sunday we will devote our DQ to the superfluous, the mundane and frivolous.
On the Sabbath, we Pursue the Trivial!

For today's Daily Quota, I present to you the Bat Cave...as a f**king LEGO setup.
The effort that would have been put into this is mind blowing.

Have a flick through the images, and ask yourself what you've achieved today.

VIEW IT HERE


Friday, December 21, 2012

22 December 2012

Another edition of Sardonic Saturdays!
Remember kids, every silver lining has a cloud!

Voltaire was an 18th Century French philosopher, writer, historian and overall champion. He drank around 40 cups of coffee a day - possibly his greatest achievement in my eyes.

Candide or Optimism is a warm, brief novelle about a protagonist that always looks on the bright side of life. His philosophy was taught to him by 'the best philosopher in all of Westphalia, and therefore, all the world!'.

It was thus;
'Everything in this world is here for a reason; thus, we may conclude that all is necessary for the best in this best of possible worlds!'
Happy Days.

The Theo Cuffee translation pictured here has a great introduction by Michael Wood. This is probably the best summary of the storyline;
Candide (the young protagonist), looks on the bright side when he can and not one of his many moments of discouragement can prevent his innate cheerfulness from returning. Voltaire has not made it easy for him. Candide inhabits a world which may seem freakishly full of disasters, of war and earthquake, repeated rape and the persistent exploitation of the frail and the innocent by the rabid and strong.
By the end of the novelle, poor, innocent Candide has experienced his fair share of 'whips and arrows of outrageous fortune'.
He is melancholic, to say the least.

His philosophy then changes. When asked to define optimism, he replies that 'it is the mania for insisting that all is well when all is by no means well'.
His former mantra 'Whatever is, is right' later becomes 'I like things the way they are because they suit me and because I don't know any better'.

Pretty much guys, it's a delicious Renaissance satire that places your tongue firmly in your cheek.
Poor, young Candide becomes an omen against excessive optimism, lest it become delusion in hindsight.
Happy Sardonic Saturday!

It can be downloaded for free via Project Gutenberg or bought via The Book Depository or Amazon.


Thursday, December 20, 2012

21 December 2012

Well guys, unfortunately the Mayans were wrong.

We still live, we still love. We shall die dancing in eachother's arms!

Another edition of Filosophy Fridays, and another short 'n' sweet one for your afternoon.
Today's Daily Quota is a link to Raphael's Renaissance fresco The School of Athens or Scuola di Atene.

This one hangs on my wall, and is a real treat for any fans of Ancient Greek philosophy. 
It's basically a tribute to all of the most prominent philosophers of the ancient Western world. All your favourites are there; Socrates, Epicurus, Diogenes, Pythagoras, and Plato and Aristotle leading the charge as the central figures.

Nothing special, no underlying meaning or motif, just a nice tribute to the 'best of' philosophers of that period.
Get to know their faces, so that you can appear half-witted in the eyes of womenfolk. 


Here is an accompanying guide to each individual philosopher.

20 December 2012

Remember, remember, the fifth of November, the Gunpowder Treason and Plot...

Some of you may know that rhyme.
Most of you will know it from a movie, a Hollywood adaption of one of the most famous graphic novels of all time.

V for Vendetta started as single issue contributions to Warrior magazine in 1982. As it gained popularity, 10 issues were eventually consolidated as one graphic novel.

Those of you who have seen the movie; I have to say, it's done the graphic novel justice.
However, you can never, ever go past the original. Writer Alan Moore (my favourite author) and illustrator David Lloyd create a brilliantly dystopian United Kingdom.
Orwell's 1984 was an obvious inspiration for this totalitarian state, which was a not-so-subtle stab at the Thatcher government.

It is a story about a masked vigilante named 'V' who wages a bloody vendetta against a government who has wronged him. In doing so, he rallies the not-so-clueless citizens to his cause. They conjure up the courage to stand up to their oppressors, led by a symbol without an identity.
The final march on Parliament House is awe-inspiring, and has to be one of the best panels in comic history.

V's legacy has lived on today - the Guy Fawkes mask has become a modern symbol for activism. These masks were worn by almost every Occupy protestor around the world, and seems to be the unofficial logo of online hacktivist group Anonymous.
It's become one of the most prolific symbols of the past few years.

I would recommend buying the hard copy (it's only a few dollars more than the digital copy) from either King's Comics or overseas via The Book Depository.

Otherwise, it's available for digital download via Comixology and the respective apps.

This is one of the most critically-acclaimed, ideological graphic novels ever written. Whatever dogma you hold about comics will be buried beneath the rubble of heavy sketches, bloody activism and an ideology that is truer now than ever before.

DOWNLOAD IT HERE



Wednesday, December 19, 2012

19 December 2012


A heckler in the crowd shouted out, "My mind is not made like that, I can't be bothered with philosophy."

"Why do you bother to live," Diogenes retorted, "if you can't be bothered to live properly?"

Diogenes was one of the most eccentric philosophers of the ancient world. In fact, he's probably one of the most eccentric philosophers to have ever lived.

He is the father of Cynicism, but not as we know it. His cynical lifestyle was not simply negativity, pessimism and general distrust of humanity.
The man was not a misanthrope. Rather, he exercised his hope in humanity by reinforcing what people could be, and was rather angered at what they had become.
I myself have thrown my hands up in frustration at this feeling, as I imagine many of my readers have.

He was a walking protest to everything that society stood for. He would eat onions all day, he would beg out of his mobile giant bubble-house; basically, he would be as vulgar and obscene as possible.
He was on an etiquette strike, an overt protest to a social facade. He would insult conquerers and he would walk around holding a torch in daylight, 'looking for an honest man'. Unsurprisingly, he would never find one.

Whatever the case, today's Daily Quota is a collection of Diogenes quotes and anecdotes.
It's a very digestible compilation, made for entertainment over depth.
Have a read of a few, and pay tribute to a man who played the part of the Cynic to perfection.

READ IT HERE


Tuesday, December 18, 2012

18 December 2012

In 79AD, Mt Vesuvius engulfed the small Roman holiday town of Pompeii in a cloud of ash.
Although tragic for the inhabitants, it meant that an entire city was preserved for us to uncover.
I had the pleasure of walking through this preserved city last year, and for today's Daily Quota, I'd like to share with you my favourite piece.

The Mosaic of Alexander the Great can be found in the House of the Faun.
It depicts the Battle of Gaugamela, where Alexander's military prowess was put to the test as he stood outnumbered five-to-one (according to the reliable primary sources) against the Persian Darius III.

The mosaic is fantastic to look at, and captures the turning point of the battle; where Alexander rides in front of his army, getting close enough to Darius III to cause a rout.
The terror can be seen on the faces of the Persian soldiers, particularly one unfortunate individual who is forced to see his own terror in the reflection of a shield.
Kind of like a reverse-Narcissus.

This is one of my favourite relics of the ancient world, and I hope everyone sees as much power in this battle depiction as I do, as much as the Romans did.

VIEW IT HERE


Monday, December 17, 2012

17 December 2012

A little gem in The Atlantic last week, shared by quite a few people already.

What if a single parasitic organism called Toxoplasma gondii was responsible for infecting up to a third of human beings on the planet, and 10-20% of the first world populace?
Although a hefty estimate, this is a more prevalent condition than you might think.

The parasite is transferred via cats, and is proliferated by contaminated water and raw foods.
Don't worry, it only causes the mildest of personality disorders, barely noticeable...and sometimes schizophrenia.

What's even more interesting is how this parasite, and other viruses such as influenza, herpes and AIDS are able to manipulate your neurotransmitters (such as our good friend dopamine) and alter your brain chemistry.
They are able to hijack your mood, and thus actions, for their own reproductive ends.

For example, a hypothesis by biomedical anthropologist Chris Reiber suggests that the influenza virus stimulates neurotransmitters that cause us to become more social and intimate, spreading the virus. Other studies have shown heightened sexual desire in late-stage AIDS patients, and the same heightened sexuality in early-stage herpes carriers.
The Toxo gondii parasite has shown to stimulate the pleasure and fear sensors in the brain, causing the carrier to act a certain way. For instance, infected rats would be incredibly attracted to cat urine, instead of repelling their number one natural predator. This would lead them right back to a cat, and thus the parasite's ideal breeding ground.
Female humans were found to be more attracted to infected men while in their vicinity, increasing the likelihood of intimacy, and thus, exchange.

Very interesting topic, and one we're sure to hear more about in the future.

READ IT HERE


Sunday, December 16, 2012

16 December 2012

And so the end has come.
Our week on happiness has finally ended, and I hope everyone is wiser.
We've gone through a heap of studies and findings.
Some were surprising, some were confusing, and many fell on deaf ears.

Perhaps moderation is the key to happiness? A bit of everything?
Perhaps laughing at life? After all, if you are always laughing at yourself, then everyone else is, by default, laughing with you.
Money certainly isn't high on the agenda, but this does conflict with reality. Maybe money doesn't buy happiness, but rather a more tolerable form of misery?
Perhaps ignorance is bliss. If that's the case, this blog seems to be inciting hate crimes.

We must come to our own conclusions.
I'd love to hear some feedback on this topic.

To quote the Beatles, "living is easy with eyes closed, misunderstandings all you see".

Today's Daily Quota is a nice little diagram of 'how to achieve happiness'.
If I had linked you all to this from day one, we could have spared a week of our lives.
Yes, yes, you're all welcome.

VIEW IT HERE


Saturday, December 15, 2012

15 December 2012

Aristotle defined happiness as "the exercise of vital powers along lines of excellence in a life affording them scope".
I really think he's overestimating us.

Happyism.
The study of happiness has indeed become an -ism. Everyone has their say on what makes us happy, and the hardest part is that it's all relative.

Today's DQ was posted late on a Saturday night (yes, your factotum editor doesn't have better things to do than to appease you, dear and unfaithful reader).
So wake up to your Sunday coffee, a swelling feeling of regret and a nice juicy article for your daily nutritional needs.

This article is the most comprehensive one I've read so far on the topic of Happiness.
It's quite a read (so perhaps print it off, read it on a tablet or pop it onto your Kindle) but well worth it.
It goes through centuries of scholarship, including the main milestones, the main theorists and the main studies.
Pretty much, everything you need to know about the topic in rough detail.

One of the most interesting topics of discussion is the quantification of happiness. How can we measure it? What units do we use to measure it?
Well, apparently Happiness = 2.718 utils.
Kant's Seven Virtues are brought up, and Nozick's 'experiment machine' is discussed in great detail. The latter is an interesting conundrum, and is one of those things that is perfect for a late night coffee.

This is a must read, and will definitely, definitely enrich your knowledge of the study of happiness, and just how far we've come (Hint: not far).

READ IT HERE


Friday, December 14, 2012

14 December 2012

"Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food"
- Hippocrates   

Put in simpler terms; you are what you eat.
Perhaps that is why there are so many empty calories out there.

Today I take leave from the helm and give way to our first DQ contributors; Marko and Christian.
Both gentlemen have dabbled in a number of training regimes, and both are incredibly good sources on anything nutrition-related. Marko has an extensive history in Brazilian Jiu jitsu, and has dabbled in numerous other martial arts and fitness methods.
Christian is the editor and main contributor to the Research in Human Energy blog. His content and his insights are default proof of his experience within the field.
Both gents are fountains of knowledge, heed their thunderous words.
This is their contribution.

Energy.
According to science, it can neither be created nor destroyed; it can only be transferred from one form to another. This transfer of energy can either be positive (when energy is in excess) or negative (when a system lacks energy). You are that system and you have the power to determine your fate with energy, and dammit it should be positive. I don’t care if this requires generous amounts of caffeinated beverages; just do it.

Now before we rant on about positive vs negative people etc… let’s first consider happiness. Having a positive vibe and being happy is not just a state of mind, it involves a bunch of chemical reactions happening in your brain. These reactions are also associated with a bunch of hormones that are associated with a bunch of habits in your life… this situation can lead to a pretty messy bunch.

There are three main hormones associated with mood and happiness; they are Serotonin, Dopamine and Endorphins;

Serotonin or 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) is neurotransmitter. Biochemically derived from tryptophan, serotonin is primarily found in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, platelets, and in the central nervous system (CNS) of animals including humans. It is popularly thought to be a contributor to feelings of well-being and happiness. (Wikipedia)

Dopamine is a simple organic chemical in the catecholamine family, is a monoamine neurotransmitter. Dopamine plays a major role in the brain system that is responsible for reward-driven learning. There is evidence that people with extroverted (reward-seeking) personality types tend to show higher levels of dopamine activity than people with introverted personalities. (Wikipedia)

Endorphins are endogenous opioid peptides that function as neurotransmitters. They are produced by the pituitary gland and the hypothalamus in vertebrates during exercise, excitement, pain, consumption of spicy food, love and orgasm and they resemble the opiates in their abilities to produce a feeling of well-being. (Wikipedia)

So how do we create a balance of these hormones and increase our energy levels? The answer isn’t as simple as we’d like to think. Exercise helps, there is no doubt about it. However, strenuous exercise can have a negative effect. So I'm kind of telling you not to exercise so much...confused yet? 
I bet the CrossShitters are.

The answers lie within the article below. 

READ IT HERE


Thursday, December 13, 2012

13 December 2012

Everyone has seen TED videos. Surely, surely everyone has seen a TED video.
TED.com is a treasure trove of 2-25 minute talks from a number of prominent people on a wide range of topics.

As we delve deeper into the pursuit of happiness, we find ourselves deep in the troves of TED; in particular, a 2004 talk by biochemist turned Buddhist monk Matthieu Richard.

What I love most about this talk is the speaker himself. His calm, placid composure goes hand-in-hand with his unflinching wit - something you do not expect from a Buddhist monk.
His knowledge of philosophy is astounding; he refers to Pascal and his (in)famous wager, he makes reference to the Greek thelema, which was a recurring theme in Aleister Crowley's The Book of the Law.
He gives passing mention to a handful more. A real treat for the well-read.
His humility is charming and his mockery is (somehow) humble.

I also found it funny when he pronounces 'Dalai Lama' as 'dilemma'.
Although not intentional, it seemed to invoke some unintended wit nonetheless.

Whatever the case, Richard discusses the ambivalent nature of human happiness. He pleads with people to exercise moderation, and he raises a number of analogies that you will carry with you long after the video is complete.

Take 20 minutes out of your busy life.
Heed the words of Keynes and Russell and take praise in leisure, in idleness. Download the TED smartphone app and search for this video, listen to it anywhere.
Invest 20 minutes into this talk, and you'll be wiser for it.

My friends, your quota of the day.

WATCH IT HERE



Wednesday, December 12, 2012

12 December 2012

Yep, 12/12/12.
Nothing like a good consecutive date to get the Philistines on my News Feed into a frenzy.
Besides being a day that is clearly important to most of us, it is also the third consecutive day in our Happiness Week!
Today's quota is a real treat. This is one of my favourite essays. It's called In Praise of Idleness, written by the charismatic philosopher Bertrand Russell in 1932.
As a treat for avid readers, it's actually a delightful satire of yesterday's article by Keynes.

Bertrand Russell has a lot to say on the topic of happiness.
In a letter addressed to W. W. Norton in 1931, he expressed his usual wit on the big issue;
"I do not believe that science per se is an adequate source of happiness, nor do I think that my own scientific outlook has contributed very greatly to my own happiness, which I attribute to defecating twice a day with unfailing regularity".
I'd have to agree with Mr. Russell. I've been defacating once a day for the past 10 days. I seem to have formed a fan base.

Russell discusses the virtue of idleness, the potential in leisure. He flexes his economic muscles by hypothesizing an economy where we work 15-20 hours a week, and invest the rest of the time in the pursuit of leisure, enlightenment etc.
Is happiness in leisure, not in wealth? Yes, you love your job, but are you willing to do it for free?
No? Then you, my friend, do not love your job.
This is a piece which slaps economic dogma right in the face.

READ IT HERE

As a bonus treat, the link below is another comment on Keynes' 1930 piece, written this year.
Yes, to mark the 12th of the 12th, 2012, we have exceeded our daily quota of learning for the day.
Be careful, you might hurt yourselves.

READ IT HERE


Tuesday, December 11, 2012

11 December 2012

Back to the pursuit of happiness for another day!
Yesterday we went through a digestible introduction to the academia behind happiness; more specifically, some of the empirical studies available on it since the 50's.

Today we look at happiness from the only way every closed-minded commerce graduate will know how - economically.
If we can increase GDP, we increase income per capita, which in turn, increases happiness...right?
Well according to the Easterlin Paradox, it doesn't. Easterlin's studies found that once basic needs are met, the the marginal increases in happiness seem to work like the law of diminishing returns, even dipping in some cases.

Is it time that governments invest as many resources into Gross National Happiness as they do in Gross Domestic Product? Yes, GNH is actually a thing.
I'd hate to see the Net National Happiness if I stop posting. Aw shucks, guys.

Today's quota is one that holds a special place in my heart.
I've decided to post one of John Maynard Keynes' lesser known essays from 1930 - yep, right on the cusp of the Great Depression.
Now his name might strike the same giddy chord in economics students as Ross Gittins. He is one of the fathers of modern economics and his concepts single-handedly drive economic policy.

This essay places enormous hope in humanity to solve the great economic problem (limited resources for unlimited wants) via improvements in capital and technology. He foresaw an age where humanity will use this growth to lessen their workload and pursue leisure.
Instead, nearly one hundred years later (his predicted timing), we have many people overworked and many people unemployed. A silly situation.
In the final paragraphs he lists four criteria for achieving this economic utopia. Notice that humanity has failed miserably in all four.

This is a very enjoyable one, guys.
You'd be surprised at how light a read can come from philosophers and economists.

READ IT HERE (pdf)


Sunday, December 9, 2012

10 December 2012

Is the constant pursuit of happiness depressing us?

This week The Daily Quota is devoting seven posts in seven days to the topic of Happiness.
Are we happy? How is happiness (apparently) obtained, how are these observations collected?

How is happiness surveyed, quantified and studied in different areas of scholarship?
What is the relationship between fiscal health and mental wealth?
Economics, the humanities, spirituality, sports science and, ofcourse, psychology have all attempted to answer this question.

By the end of the week, everyone should have a much greater insight into what makes us happy, how happiness is studied and how these studies affect government policy.
You may not see this link yet, but rest assured that these studies have profound effects on the way you live your life, and the way that the government attempts to regulate life for your benefit.

Today's quota is a short little summary of the academia behind the study of happiness.
It even throws in a few examples of recent international initiatives.

Happy reading!

READ IT HERE


9 December 2012

A Sunday evening is either the ideal time for some existentialism; or the worst.
Pessimists might see it as the preliminary beginning of the week, while others may see the joy in the final moments of the weekend.

Whatever the case, I think today's quota is a fine way to end my first week of posts - by contemplating whether the effort invested into living is even worth it.
Now that your tongues are firmly in your cheeks, we can move on.

Hamlet's 'to be or not to be' soliloquy is arguably one of the most famous monologues of all time; and with good reason. It captures the protagonist Hamlet's struggle with employing rational thought whilst in a clear state of distress. Such execution of logic in such an ambivalent frame of mind is certainly beyond the realm of human capacity. So it must fall under fiction.
This duality makes it one of the most helplessly tragic pieces I've ever read.

Is living worth all the trouble, pain and mortal coil needed to make it through life?
When faced with adversity, what stops one from taking the easy way out and simply ending it all - surely that is the logical avenue?
Alas, it is the unknown that causes hesitation. And so we fall helplessly back to square one, our cosmic defiance ultimately defeated.
This is definitely one snippet of culture everyone must know.

Stay tuned for the topic of the week - Happiness!

READ IT HERE


Friday, December 7, 2012

8 December 2012

Today I was fortunate enough to have brunch with a good friend of mine, the fortune arising from her ability to invoke a great conversation.
Tangent upon tangent came and went, until finally the topic got onto psychology; more specifically, psychopathy.

In the 50's, there was a riddle for determining whether someone shared the same train of thought as a criminal. Unsurprisingly, it was famously referred to as a 'psychopath test'.
The riddle can be found here.
Fun Fact: I answered this correctly within about 2-3 seconds of hearing it. Fun indeed!

Whatever the case, such tests have evolved over time and now require specific social behaviour or omissions.
Today's quota is an article called 'The Psychopath Makeover' from October's Chronicle Review.
It tells the story of a journalist who underwent a series of drug and neurological tests to give him a temporary 'psychopathic makeover'. He reviews his experience.

READ IT HERE


7 December 2012

A nice light one for your Friday afternoon or (and?) Saturday morning.
As part of Filosophy Fridays (a segment wholly inappropriate for the end of the week), I've decided to give a nice colourful introduction to the players of the game.

What better way to introduce philosophers than via a friendly game of football?
This clever little sketch by Monty Python pitches famous German philosophers against toga-sporting Ancient Greek philosophers.

Enjoy!

Stay tuned for Sardonic Saturdays and Superfluous Sundays!

WATCH IT HERE


Thursday, December 6, 2012

6 December 2012

There are some areas of the Arts that are endowed with dozens, even hundreds, of prominent figures.
Painting has your Picassos, your Da Vincis; Writing has your Tolstoys, your Hemingways and Bukowskis; Music your Beatles, your Elvis Presleys and your Mozarts.

Then there are the more obscure areas of the Arts with only one or two prominent examples.
These people become legends in their field; so much so, in fact, that they grow to embody it, and become personifications of it.

Those of you who aren't familiar with Graffiti Art may nonetheless know who Banksy is.
Well, given his pseudo-anonymity, I'd be surprised if you knew who he actually was, but you know what I mean.
Banksy is a UK based graffiti artist, famous for his trademark style, his sardonic wit and his political activism.
Like Anonymous, he was one of the first of a new generation of activists with a very tongue-in-cheek approach to rebellion. He's particularly famous for his personification of rats as office drones, and his cheeky political commentary.

The link below is a nice collection of 80 of his works.

VIEW IT HERE


Wednesday, December 5, 2012

5 December 2012

Alan Moore is my favourite writer.
There are many, many things I love about him personally, and more appropriately, his passion for comics.

One of my favourite characteristics of his is his ability to laugh at life.
This trait has often been reflected in his characters, most notably Watchmen's Comedian.
When questioned about conspiracy theories, he described life as 'utterly rudderless'.

Today's quota is Alan Moore's satirical, and rather cheeky take on the Cold War.
He had identified it as the intercontinental dick-swinging contest it was, and wrote up this brilliant little piece called 'Lust' as part of a Seven Deadly Sins publication in early 1989.

It's only a few pages long, and it's clever as hell.
Some very articulate sexual innuendo within.

Enjoy!

READ IT HERE

Monday, December 3, 2012

4 December 2012

I've always intended to start my autobiography with 'Everything I have achieved, I owe to coffee".
If not that, then perhaps I shall reserve it for my head stone.
To quote an unknown author; "Sleep is a symptom of caffeine deprivation".

It's unanimous.
Coffee is the second most traded commodity in the world. T.S. Eliot had "measured out [his] life with coffee spoons". Voltaire had consumed around 40 cups a day. Facts.

Addressing a recent three-decade long study, today's article goes through some of the findings on coffee consumption. Interestingly, it had found differences in the benefits between caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee. Although one or two downfalls remain, coffee consumption seems to hold overwhelmingly positive benefits.

I mean, who cares about hypertension anyway.

READ IT HERE

3 December 2012

Something to ease into your week.

The folks over at iliketowastemytime.com have compiled a two-part series of 'Rare Historical Photos' - photographs from the 20th Century (and earlier) that capture pivotal moments in our history.

These are superb, awe-inspiring, and a real treat for any history buff.
My favourite is the photograph left behind on the moon by Charles Duke of the Apollo 16 mission in 1972. A relatively unknown photograph, but definitely one that highlights our divinity and mortality simultaneously.
It's even been alluded to in some of my favourite works.

Enjoy!

VIEW PART ONE HERE

VIEW PART TWO HERE

Sunday, December 2, 2012

2 December 2012

'Pancake People' - a term used by playwright Richard Foreman to describe someone who knows very little about a lot of things. Knowledge spread thin.
Kind of like the first part of Huxley's quote; "Know something about everything, and everything about something".

This 2008 article from The Atlantic poses the question; is Google making us stupid?
Has instantaneous access to information, trivial or not, reduced our attention span to nothing?
With all the knowledge that Google has on hand, why do we still squander our time with the superfluous?

The first post of many.
Here is your quota for the day.
See you tomorrow; same bat time, same bat channel.

READ IT HERE