The Rachel L. CARSON

The Sense of Wonder - by Rachel Carson


The Edge of the Sea - Rachel Carson


The Sea Around Us - by Rachel Carson


Silent Spring - By Rachel Carson


Under the Sea - Wind, By Rachel Carson

McTaggart - the Unreality of Time 1908

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._M._E._McTaggart#.22The_Unreality_of_Time.22_.281908.29

John McTaggart Ellis McTaggart (September 3, 1866 – January 18, 1925) was an Idealist metaphysician. For most of his life McTaggart was a lecturer at Trinity College, Cambridge. He was considered one of England's leading Hegel scholars at the beginning of the 20th century and among the most notable of the British Idealists.

"The Unreality of Time" (1908)

In The Unreality of Time (1908), the work for which he is best known today, McTaggart argued that our perception of time is an illusion, and that time itself is merely ideal. He introduced the notions of the "A series" and "B series" interpretations of time, representing two different ways that events in time can be arranged. The A series corresponds to our everyday notions of past, present, and future. The A series is "the series of positions running from the far past through the near past to the present, and then from the present to the near future and the far future" (p. 458). This is contrasted with the B series, in which positions are ordered from earlier to later, i.e. the series running from earlier to later moments.

McTaggart argued that the A series was a necessary component of any full theory of time, but that it was also self-contradictory and that our perception of time was therefore an ultimately incoherent illusion.

The Necessity of the A series

The first, and longer, part of McTaggart's argument is his affirmative answer to the question "whether it is essential to the reality of time that its events should form an A series as well as a B series" (p. 458). Broadly, McTaggart argues that if events are not ordered by an A as well as a B series then there cannot be said to be change. At the centre of his argument is the example of the death of Queen Anne. This event is a death, it has certain causes and certain effects, it is later than the death of Queen Elizabeth etc., but none of these properties change over time. Only in one respect does the event change:

"It began by being a future event. It became every moment an event in the nearer future. At last it was a present event. Then it became past, and will always remain so, though every moment it becomes further and further past. Thus we seem forced to the conclusion that all change is only a change in the characteristics imparted at to events by their presence in the A series" (p. 460).

Despite its power and originality this half of McTaggart's argument has, historically, received less attention than the second half.

[edit]

The Incoherence of the A series

What is most often presented as McTaggart's attempted incoherence of the A series (the argument of pages 468-9) appears in the original paper only as a single part of a broader argument for this conclusion, but it can be extended to have general application. According to the argument, the contradiction in our perception of time is that all events exemplify all three of the properties of the A-series, viz. being past, present and future. The obvious response is that while exemplifying all three properties at some time, no event exemplifies all three at once, no event is past, present, and future. A single event is present, has been future, will be past, and here there is, it seems, no contradiction.

McTaggart's great insight is that this ascent will apparently give rise to a 'vicious circle' or 'vicious infinite series'. On the one hand, the response depends upon the A-series to make sense. To distinguish the properties of being present, having been future and going to be past requires a conception of time divided into past, present and future, and hence of the A-series.

"Accordingly the A series has to be pre-supposed in order to account for the A series. And this is clearly a vicious circle" (p. 468).

The same difficulty can be represented as a 'vicious infinite series'. One can construe the response above as "constructing a second A series, within which the first falls, in the same way in which events fall within the first" (p. 469). But even if the idea of a second A series within which the first falls makes sense (and McTaggart doubts it does, p. 469), it will face the same contradiction. And so, we must construct a third A series within which the second falls. And this will require the construction of a fourth A series and so on ad infinitum. At any given stage the contradiction will appear; however far we go in constructing A series, each A series will be, without reference to a further A series containing it, contradictory. One ought to conclude, therefore, that the A series is indeed contradictory and, therefore, does not exist.

Lifeguard Adventures

Michael Russell, Owner

PO Box 83841

San Diego, CA 92138-3841

(619) 206-4361

mike@lifeguardadventures.com

Secret Societies

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secret_society

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_collegiate_secret_societies

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flat_Hat_Club

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skull_and_Bones

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloomsbury_group

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cambridge_Apostles

Lifeguard Adventures

Michael Russell, Owner

PO Box 83841

San Diego, CA 92138-3841

(619) 206-4361

mike@lifeguardadventures.com

Summer Pictures

Below is a link to some of the pictures I took over the last year.
Enjoy.

http://www.michaelrussell.name/



Big Cool Surf

SAN DIEGO BEACH AND WEATHER REPORT: THURS, JAN 5, 9:30AM
(619) 221-8824

SKY: CLEAR
AIR VISIBILITY: 10 MILES
BAROMETER: 30.22+ IN.
WIND: 3 KNOTS FROM EAST
AIR TEMP: 54 F
WATER TEMP: 58 F

SURF CONDITIONS:
OCEAN BEACH - 4-6 POOR TO FAIR
MISSION BEACH - 4-6 FAIR FORM
LA JOLLA REEFS - 3-5 FAIR TO GOOD
LA JOLLA SHORES -1-3 FAIR TO GOOD
SWELL W 8-10 SECOND INTERVALS

DIVING VISIBILITY: DIVING NOT ADVISED DUE TO SURF
LA JOLLA COVE - CLOSED
LA JOLLA SHORES - FAIR 10- VISIBILITY, LIGHT SURGE

MISSION BAY CHANNEL: CALM FOR NAVIGATION

TIDES:
LOW 7:16 AM, 2.0 FT.
HIGH 12:56 PM, 4.5 FT.
LOW 7:34 PM, 0.4 FT

CONTAMINATION:
NONE POSTED

SAFETY CONCERNS:
LA JOLLA SHORES BOAT LAUNCH, CLOSED

MORE INFORMAION - SAN DIEGO COUNTY ENVIORNMENTAL HEALTH (619) 338-2073
WHEN COMMING TO THE BEACH: ALWAYS SWIM NEAR A LIFEGUARD AND SUPERVISE
YOUR CHILDREN

Shores Big with Fair Form

SAN DIEGO BEACH AND WEATHER REPORT: TUES JAN 4, 9:30AM
(619) 221-8824

SKY: CLEAR WITH HAZE
AIR VISIBILITY: 10 MILES
BAROMETER: 30.26 IN.
WIND: 0-5 KNOTS FROM EAST
AIR TEMP: 57 F
WATER TEMP: 58 F

SURF CONDITIONS:
OCEAN BEACH - 3-5 FAIR
MISSION BEACH - 3-5 FAIR FORM
LA JOLLA REEFS - 8 FAIR
LA JOLLA SHORES - 8-9 FAIR TO POOR
SWELL WNW 8-10 SECOND INTERVALS

DIVING VISIBILITY: DIVING NOT ADVISED DUE TO SURF
LA JOLLA COVE - CLOSED
LA JOLLA SHORES - 10 VISIBILITY, MODERATE SURGE

MISSION BAY CHANNEL: CALM FOR NAVIGATION

TIDES:
LOW 5:54 AM, 2.1 FT.
HIGH 11:49 AM, 5.5 FT.
LOW 6:47 PM, 0.3 FT

CONTAMINATION:
AVOID WATER CONTACT FOR 72 HRS AFTER STORM CONDITIONS

SAFETY CONCERNS:
LA JOLLA SHORES BOAT LAUNCH, CLOSED DUE TO EROSION

MORE INFORMAION - SAN DIEGO COUNTY ENVIORNMENTAL HEALTH (619) 338-2073
WHEN COMMING TO THE BEACH: ALWAYS SWIM NEAR A LIFEGUARD AND SUPERVISE
YOUR CHILDREN

Surfs Up, watch out for rain sickness

SAN DIEGO BEACH AND WEATHER REPORT: TUES JAN 3, 7AM
(619) 221-8824

SKY: CLEAR WITH HAZE
AIR VISIBILITY: 10 MILES
BAROMETER: 30.22 IN.
WIND: 5 KNOTS FROM EAST
AIR TEMP: 49 F
WATER TEMP: 58 F

SURF CONDITIONS:
OCEAN BEACH - 8+ POOR
MISSION BEACH - 4-6 POOR FORM
LA JOLLA REEFS - 8 FAIR
LA JOLLA SHORES - 4-5 FAIR TO POOR
SWELL WNW 8 SECOND INTERVALS

DIVING VISIBILITY: DIVING NOT ADVISED DUE TO SURF
LA JOLLA COVE - CLOSED
LA JOLLA SHORES - POOR 4-5 VISIBILITY, MODERATE SURGE

MISSION BAY CHANNEL: HAZARDOUS, SMALL BOAT WARNING

TIDES:
LOW 4:45 AM, 2.3 FT.
HIGH 10:53 AM, 6.3 FT.
LOW 6:02 PM, 1.0 FT

CONTAMINATION:
AVOID WATER CONTACT FOR 72 HRS AFTER STORM CONDITIONS

SAFETY CONCERNS:
OCEAN BEACH PIER IS CLOSED
LA JOLLA SHORES BOAT LAUNCH, CLOSED DUE TO EROSION

MORE INFORMAION - SAN DIEGO COUNTY ENVIORNMENTAL HEALTH (619) 338-2073
WHEN COMMING TO THE BEACH: ALWAYS SWIM NEAR A LIFEGUARD AND SUPERVISE
YOUR CHILDREN

Happy New Year 2006 San Diego

SAN DIEGO BEACH AND WEATHER REPORT
(619) 221-8824

SKY: OVERCAST WITH RAIN AND FOG
AIR VISIBILITY: 1/4 MILE
BAROMETER: 30.00
WIND: 2 KNOTS FROM SOUTH
AIR TEMP: 59 F
WATER TEMP: 59 F

SURF CONDITIONS:
OCEAN BEACH - 4-7 POOR TO FAIR
MISSION BEACH - 3-5 POOR FORM
LA JOLLA REEFS - 1-3 POOR
LA JOLLA SHORES - 2-4 FAIR
SWELL WNW 10-12 SECOND INTERVALS

DIVING VISIBILITY: POOR
LA JOLLA COVE - 2 FEET, MODERATE SURGE
LA JOLLA SHORES - 10 FEET, MODERATE SURGE

MISSION BAY CHANNEL: ROUGH FOR NAVIGATION

TIDES:
LOW 3:51 PM, -1.8 FT.
HIGH 10:22 PM, 4 FT.

CONTAMINATION:
DOG BEACH GETTY TO 150 FEET SOUTH OF STUB GETTY

MORE INFORMAION - SAN DIEGO COUNTY ENVIORNMENTAL HEALTH (619) 338-2073
WHEN COMMING TO THE BEACH: ALWAYS SWIM NEAR A LIFEGUARD AND SUPERVISE YOUR CHILDREN

San Diego Surf Blog

This will be the place to update the SD Surf Report each day online.
I'll just email in any new info: and the xml will update everone!