Patapsychology begins from Murphy’s Law, as Finnegan called the First Axiom, adopted from Sean Murphy. This says,and I quote,”The normal does not exist. The average does not exist. We know only a very large but probably finite phalanx of discrete space-time events encountered and endured.” In less technical language, the Board of the College of Patapsychology offers one million Irish punds [around $700,000 American] to any “normalist” who can exhibit “a normal sunset, an average Beethoven sonata, an ordinary Playmate of the Month, or any thing or event in space-time that qualifies as normal, average or ordinary.”

In a world where no two fingerprints appear identical, and no two brains appear identical, and an electron does not even seem identical to itself from one nanosecond to another, patapsychology seems on safe ground here.

But the secret of a well-balanced life is to appreciate everything, or at least as much as you can. Many people fall into imbalance and disharmony. There’s no doubt about it, having enough money is a unqualified good. But if you decide that having a lot of money is the only good thing then you’re in big bad trouble. Then you forget to look at nature, and you forget to look at your friend’s faces. You forget to enjoy animals, and you just forget too much. So the thing is to spread the appreciation around.

The interview is 12 years old, but at times like this, it’s very relevant. The quote above is one of my favourite parts – and one I find very touching.

Also the argument that government should respond to will of the people can very quickly lead to a tyranny of the majority.

Here’s a coherent (yet typo-riddled) comment about the “occupy” movements and how effective they could be.