Dispatch 4/24/11

Sitting in my dorm room.  It's been a long weekend and I can barely keep my eyes propped open.  I had a few interesting experiences, so I'll briefly mention a few of them.  Today after Easter mass, I spoke with an old friend from youth group.  We spoke briefly about Joe's Musings, philosophy, the spanish-speaking community, business, and doing what you love.  It was a good chance to reconnect with a person from the past.

The next four weeks will be insane.  Finals are normally a chaotic time, and when coupled with applying for leadership positions on campus, things will be sleepless and eventful.  I've really got to put my nose to the grindstone and finish this semester without any regrets.  If I weren't committed to the straight-edge lifestyle I'd be taking shots of expresso already.  I can't remember all that much of the last few days beyond the celebration of Easter and the Good Friday service.

I read in the newspaper this morning that Syria is the next Arab country on the verge of collapse.  Illnesses are becoming more prevalent among Japanese populations on the northeast coast.  A deadly new wave of disease has hit the region.  Google stock is up to $525.10 per share.  Six years ago, Google stock sat at $220 a share.

I saw Limitless this past weekend, and I must say, some of the concepts explored in the film had me thinking deep into the night.  If you could take a medication that would allow you to access 100% of your brain, would you do it?  That's the dilemma the protagonist Eddie (Bradley Cooper was faced with.  He decided to take the medication, and quickly became dependent on the drug.  In just two weeks, he became fluent in languages, made $2 million in the stock market, writes a book, and masters the piano.  I recall one line in which Eddie described the effect of the drug--"Everything I had ever learned or read or heard was organized and available."  Also, if you took this drug, what actions would you take?  Would you use your boosted intellect to cure cancer or solve world hunger?  An interesting ethical question to consider.

Thanks for reading this,

Joe