Archive for February 26th, 2009

One of the many intriguing aspects to the television drama LOST has been its take on fate. At times, the show has addressed the topic by either describing what appears to be random coincidences such as characters on the show interacting in the past or by using a much more blunt approach in discussing the destiny of a character. Season Five has revolved around the idea that six of the characters (O6) who have previously left the island, need to return to save the island. I have given thought to why the O6 need to return to the island and have reached a few conclusions as described below.

The concept of fate dictates that events in our lives are bound to happen. When you meet the guy or girl of your dreams, you were always meant to be together, but you had to find each other first. This implies that a script of our lives has already been written. That every decision we make, while believing that it is an action of free will is really a decision that has already been made for us. (more…)

When riding on the New York City subway during rush hour, you tend to see two types of people. Those who sleep and those who read; I fall into the latter category. My taste, which happens to vary quite a bit, includes the area of socio-economic thought, as found in Levitt’s Freakonomics and Gladwell’s The Tipping Point. I am intrigued by the concept of how what we take for granted, can be explain when analyzed using economic models, such as cost-benefit analysis and game theory. In recent months, I have tried to take a step back from my biases and view situations economically. One such situation has been the political climate in this country since the Obama administration has assumed power.

Only days before Obama took the oath of office, the de facto spokesman for the Republican Party, Rush Limbaugh, drew a divisive line in the sand when he uttered the words, “I hope Obama fails.” (more…)