Ask Blue_Nose

'Ask Blue_Nose' recently received this question from a curious reader:

What should I do after high school?

Well, luckily for you, career and life management is an area in which I am particularly an expert.

Want the short answer? If you're planning on obtaining some form of post-secondary education (and you should, even if it’s not univeristy), ask yourself if the field of study actually sounds like a job:

Pharmacy? Solid program, good job = sounds good.

Engineering? Probably the most 'bang for your buck', educationally = even better.

Education? Learn a few subjects, and get a second degree in only one extra year = why not.

Learn a Trade? The most underrated choice = if I had to do things all over again...

Architecture? Someone has to keep those damned engineers on their toes = go for it.



Now lets look at some examples of BAD choices:

Philosophy? Who the hell gets a job as a philosopher? = screw it.

Physics? Just an engineering degree with virtually no practical application = give your head a shake

M...

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'Ask Blue_Nose' recently received this question:

"does karma actually exist?"

This is a great question to kick off the segment, as it raises several issues which could use some addressing. Metaphysics is an area in which I am particularly an expert.

First of all, I'm going to assume you're referring to the bastardized Western concept of Karma, which basically the idea that 'good' actions will reap rewards, and similarly that 'bad' actions will reap punishment. The original Hindu concept is a tad more complex, but not particularly relevant nor worth discussing here. I'm also going to assume this discussion will be detached from religious concepts of sin, Heaven, and Hell - I have no interest in even bothering with that can of worms today, though the ideas are inherently related.

The whole notion of Karma is rather appealing: we want to believe that life is fair; that our actions will not go unnoticed, our good intentions overlooked. Throughout our childhood, we are taught fables and fairy tales that tell of good deeds resulting in miraculous rewards, and we've all received the chain emails preaching the same. Whether one chooses to believe in Karma or not, the sense of need for 'fairness' is ingrained in all of us.

We use this concept to motivate ourselves to be better members of society, so in a superficial sense it's not entirely a poor belief to uphold. However, I feel it is a fundamentally disingenuous and misleading belief to promote, and that's why I won't condone the belief in Karma here.

The simple proof against this belief is the innumerable situations we see every day that go against the basic tenets of Karma - that is, that good people get screwed and bad people get lucky. The old cliché, 'good guys finish last', is a much more reliable, albeit grim, outlook on life. The second obvious argument against Karma is that it assumes there is a universal set of morals to abide by, which ...

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You might notice a lack of content in my weblog, and that's because we're starting fresh with a new theme. My original intent in keeping a workout journal on here was to push myself to keep a record of my training (as well as help CKA kick off the blog feature), so now that that's been established, I'm looking to expand my horizons by expanding yours!

For those who were actually interested in my workout weblog, I may go back to it once I start back at the gym in the fall - we'll see.



What's this "Ask Blue_Nose" thing all about? Well, as you may well already know, I've got a nasty tendency to have an opinion on pretty much everything, and also to voice it when people aren't asking for it. "Self-Righteous", "Pretentious", and "Sanctimonious" have been known to be associated with the Blue_Nose moniker in the past (warranted or not), but nevertheless, I'm willing to turn that around into something a little more constructive.

Sick of dolts who don't know anything handing out advice like they're doing you a favour? So am I, and I'm here to set the record straight - to help you all to understand those little things that annoy, frustrate, and/or puzzle you.


Can't figure out calculus? Ask Blue_Nose!
Don't know what you want to do with your life? Ask Blue_Nose!
Where the hell did you lose your keys last night? Ask Blue_Nose!
Who is this Blue_Nose guy, and what makes him think he knows everything? Ask Blue_Nose!


Remember, all questions will be anonymous (unless you want to request to be mentioned publicly), so you'll have to PM your questions to me. There's a link to that at the bottom of each post, thanks to the new formatting that I've been trying out (the header is also a result of said trying out).