LP Notes

Sugar: Sucrose, Fructose, and Glucose

2010-05-11T12:25:00.003-06:00

I should be working on my thesis right now, but I got distracted and had to answer a burning sucrose/fructose/glucose question. Namely, what exactly are they? Apparently, sucrose is just regular "table sugar", which is a compound made up of 50% fructose and 50% glucose. Certain fruits (such as pears and apples) have a lot of free fructose (that is, fructose not bound to glucose to form sucrose), and others (sugar cane and beets) have almost no free fructose or glucose. So sugar cane juice is basically just sucrose and water. When this is digested, it becomes equal parts fructose and glucose.

Now, high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is usually something like 55% fructose and 45% glucose. This is a bit odd in that there's no sucrose (a disaccharide) for your body to digest, just the component sugars (monosaccharides). Ignoring the whole issue of HFCS containing mercury and being less like naturally occurring sugar than sucrose, the big health issue seems to be a bit more fructose than normal. Fructose is generally considered healthier than glucose because it has a lower glycemic index, but it can actually be dangerous.

Some people aren't good at processing fructose, which can lead to flatulence among other problems, but aside from that, glucose can be processed anywhere in the body, but fructose has to be processed in the liver. When you consume free fructose, the liver stops everything else and gives priority to metabolizing it. When testing was done with rats, their livers looked like those of alcoholics. Also, fructose inhibits two chemicals that reduce your appetite and encourages another that increases it, so yes, fructose will make you fat.

One point I'm not sure about is if the fructose present in sucrose taxes your liver the same as free fructose or not. I think the big issue is that once consumed, free fructose hits your liver all at once, and fructose coming from sucrose enters your bloodstream more gradually. So that's the main rationale for avoiding HFCS in favor of sucrose (i.e., "sugar"). Surprisingly, "crystalline fructose" may be even worse for you than HFCS!

What Happened at the University of Pittsburgh?

2009-11-09T14:08:00.007-07:00

This is incredibly sad. People don't even know what to be mad at. The activists in this video blame capitalism. Others blame socialism. What we're looking at is not a direct result of either economic system; it's fascism, corporatism, totalitarianism, despotism.

If you don't want to get stepped on, then stop feeding the Leviathan! Do something - anything - to show you're not OK with the emerging new world order.

Angel and the Cave

2009-10-08T09:21:00.004-06:00

By Cliff Jones

My granddad told me this story when I was about your age, Angel. And now I'm passing it on to you. I'm not sure if I can get all the details right, but the real core of it - the bones - that's burned into my brain pretty good. That's what you have to remember too: just enough to get the point, not so much that you miss it.

A very long time ago, there was a hunter who used to roam the woods not far from here. He always worked alone, and he wasn't much for socializing, but everybody in town loved him because he brought home more meat than anybody else and never hesitated to share it. The key here is that no one ever had to earn what the hunter gave them. It was strict charity. And not even the sort of charity that arises from guilt or pity either. The guy just knew bringing home the meat was his job, and he did it.

Listen to me on this, Angel. If you can get a really clear, sharp feeling in your gut that you're doing your job, that you're doing exactly what you were made for, you don't need any more reward than that. Just to be alive and full of purpose is more than most people ever have these days. Don't throw it away just to help somebody else do their job. Money's not worth it. Anyhow, back to my story.

So this hunter needs a name, right? When my granddad was first telling me this story, he tried to get away with just saying "the hunter" over and over like there weren't any other hunters around. But I bugged him about that until he finally said, "OK, Jim, you want a name? The hunter's name was Jim." I never actually believed that the hunter and me just by coincidence had the same name. It was just to show me that this guy, he could be anybody. So, Angel, you want a name? The hunter's name was Angel.

One day, this guy Angel was out on a hunt. He'd already been out for two solid days with no luck, but he was on the trail of a really big old bear, the kind that could eat you up and still have room for seconds. Angel had a lot invested in this hunt because the payoff for sneaking up on a bear that size in the middle of its hibernation could be enormous. This was the dead of winter, you see. Hunting's not so easy in the winter, but it's about the only time you can hope to bag a full-size bear. At least back then it was. Bears were bigger, and weapons were simpler. And of course everything was much colder then too, which made it pretty much impossible to fish.

I'd like you to imagine what life was like for Angel's town in the dead of winter. People spent most of the day just huddled up in their burrows trying to keep warm hoping supplies would hold out. Normally, these people were busy farming or making things like clothes and blankets and such. But for about four months out of the year, the ground was too frozen to work, and all the furs were occupied trying to keep everybody from freezing to death. As you can imagine, the days could get pretty monotonous. That's why stories and music were so important to these people. If you want to keep warm, you've got to keep your heart beating, and if you want your heart to beat, you've got to feel something. If you were to walk past Angel's town in the winter, you wouldn't see much - just about everything was underground - but you'd feel the earth under your feet pulsing with energy and emotion. Now that was some real music, I bet. Just playing for the sound of it, that's all.

As everybody was dancing and yelling and banging their drums and wailing their flutes back in town, Angel was approaching a cave. The cave. He could feel it. At this point, as he always did, Angel made a conscious effort to separate himself from his body and let the ambient calm of his surroundings soak through him bit by bit. He felt like a very skilled ghost manipulating an empty body so that you'd swear it was really alive. Each step he took had an unreal gracefulness to it, like the movements of a marionette.

Slowly, steadily, Angel's hand drew his weapon from the sheath that hung across his back. It resembled a machete but with a very jagged back edge. Those large teeth had torn the guts out of too many animals to count. But always to fill the guts of Angel's family and friends, so the whole process - brutal and disgusting as it may be - had a sort of righteousness to it. Before entering the mouth of the cave, Angel's eyes fixed on a spot where he could hide while waiting for the bear to bleed out. If you ever go up against a bear, locating this safe spot in advance is absolutely critical. It's much better to have the bear run off and die somewhere you can't find it than to hang around something that big, that tough, and that terrified. No use in the both of you dying, is there?

I'll spare you the gory details and just tell you Angel won the fight that day. As always, it was a combination of luck, skill, and - let's be honest - fighting dirty that gave our hero the victory. Just so you don't get the wrong idea, let me point out that Angel took no pleasure in killing the bear. Quite the opposite. Here's a bit of grandfatherly wisdom for you: There's nothing better in this world than food. And nothing worse than violence. More often than not, the two go hand in hand. It's a shame, but that's just how it is.

After following the long, red trail in the snow to the still-warm former bear, Angel unfolded his sled and rolled the hefty corpse onto it, which was no easy task. And let me tell you, dragging that thing all the way back home - well, let me just say this: The only way to get through something like that is if you're fueled by pure love. It's like childbirth. A truly selfish person could never get through it. Luckily, we're not so selfish as most people think. The species would be doomed if we were.

So anyhow, Angel dragged this thing all the way back to town. As he was approaching, he saw heads popping up out of their burrows - first just a couple, and eventually several dozen. Everybody in town had to make sure it was really him and then tell a couple more people nearby before running out to greet him. Angel, the town hero! This was a ritual that the hunter enjoyed thoroughly - though he never let on of course.

Among the last to see Angel's kill was his great-uncle, the oldest man in town. He was one of the few that didn't run out to join the celebration currently making its way through the snow but instead just stayed put and waited. This was partly because he was a very dignified and well-respected elder but mostly because he was just too darn old to be running around and carrying on like that. I'll tell you, when those people got to celebrating, it was something to see. And to hear! But when Angel finally made his way to the center of town,where the elder was waiting, everybody got quiet real quick.

It was this elder's job to inspect the kill and determine if it was fit to eat. This was basically just a formality, but you can bet everybody was deadly serious about it. The elder did his usual rounds. He hobbled around to check the wound running down the bear's back to make sure it was clean. He pushed on the big, shaggy belly to make sure it wasn't swollen from some kind of health problem. Finally, he crouched down in front of the animal's face and pried open one of its eyes.

That's when the elder went pale, his jaw fell a little, and he seemed to stop breathing. It looked like he'd been struck dead right then and there. After a few seconds of this, the old man stumbled backwards and sat down in the snow. Several of the onlookers tried to help him up thinking he was having health problems, but before they even got to him, he rose to his feet and proclaimed, "This animal is not food!"

Everyone was shocked. And pretty confused as well. Of course a bear's food! And the best kind of food, too. Nobody knew just what the old man was getting at, but they were all obliged to trust him, even if he did seem to be losing his grip lately. "We must return this creature to its home immediately," he continued after a moment. "Do I have any volunteers for the job?"

None of the men - because the elder was really only addressing the men - raised his hand for a good 30 seconds or so. But as soon as the first hand went up, others started to follow, culminating eventually in every able-bodied man in town standing there with his hand up. See, that's how a crowd operates. Only the first two or three men actually had to be willing to go. Any more than that would be excessive on such a journey, and everybody knew it. The lazy guys, and also the cowards, they waited to raise their hands until enough real volunteers were already available. Watch out for people like that, Angel. It's much better to be alone than mixed up with a crowd that'll desert you as soon as they feel like it.

Now this Angel in the story, he was no fool. He could see all these volunteers were really only in it to impress the women. If any of these guys ran into trouble out in the wild, they'd just run back to Angel, and then he'd be in trouble with them. "I'll go alone." The hunter spoke directly to his uncle but just loud enough for most of the crowd to hear. "This is my kill, so it's my responsibility."

The elder had obviously expected this response. He stepped toward Angel without the least hesitation, looked him straight in the face, and said, "You tried to kill the wrong bear. This one can't be killed. Bring it back where you found it, and for God's sake treat it with respect!" Angel wasn’t fully convinced, but he decided to humor the old man and take his words as gospel.

If dragging that bear to town was an act of love, then dragging it back was a display of immeasurable devotion, both to his uncle and to the way of life he represented. Aside from the elders, whose time would soon pass, Angel was the most respected man in town. If any sort of dissonance was perceived between the generations, their society would begin to crumble, slowly but surely. As far as I'm concerned, that's not always a bad thing, but to Angel, this eventuality was something he feared more than dying, more than death.

Angel decided then and there that this bear was special. Several times along the way, he tried to use snow to clean some of the dried blood out of the bear's once-white fur, but the air was far too cold for this to work. When he finally reached the cave, it was the middle of the night, and he was dead tired. He'd done it. He'd spent an entire day dragging a perfectly good load of bear meat all the way to town and then back to where he'd found it, all because a superstitious old man thought the thing was still alive. Maybe putting the oldest person in town in charge wasn't the best idea, eh?

As Angel sat in the snow munching on pemmican, he gradually accepted the fact that he'd have to make camp out there for the night. In the almost nonexistent moonlight, exhausted from all that hard labor, he was not looking forward to digging in and setting up a shelter, though he knew that was the smartest option. His frustration with the day's events soon gave way to desperation, which led him into the cave.

Angel was well acquainted with both darkness and silence, but this cave had such an oversupply of both that he found his heart beating much faster than it should have been. Who knows what wild beasts called this cavern home? Somehow, despite this unexpected panic, he began to notice consciousness slipping from his body. As Angel slowly made his way to the floor of the cave, his surroundings seemed to shift and distort as if they were living things restlessly trying to find a comfortable position so that they might sleep as well.

Inside his dream, Angel noticed that not only had his surroundings transformed, but his clothes and body were now very different as well. Everything had a delicate, sterile feel to it, even his own skin. Angel's thoughts on this transformation never had time to solidify into anything memorable, though. In a few moments, he had forgotten he was dreaming. His memories of a small town dug into the frozen earth, an unreasonable elder convinced of the impossible, the bloody corpse of an enormous white bear resting in the snow outside its cave - all these things quietly transformed into memories more suited to the environment inside his dream. Even the language he spoke was now different.

**********

That's when I first started to grasp the true meaning of my grandfather's story. There was something in his eye trying to tell me who Angel the hunter really was - who I really was - but before I could react to it, there was a very official sounding knock at the door. It made me jump just a little, but then I felt silly for imagining a connection between the story and real life. True, I was pretty young at the time, but not that young. The really bizarre thing was that my grandfather didn't react to the knock at all. He just stared at me with a knowing smile as if there were no reason to continue the story, as if everything were going according to his master plan.

"So... should I get that?" I asked after some hesitation. It really was strange to get a knock at the front door so late, creepy story or no.

All my grandpa did was nod and smile.

I summoned all my courage, pushed aside silly superstitions, and put my eye to the peephole. I couldn't make out very much with our porch light burnt out, but judging by his silhouette, our visitor seemed to be a very large man dressed entirely in white. This knowledge did very little to relieve my apprehension. "What do you want?" I shouted, trying to sound as menacing as I could.

"I'm a friend of Jim's," was the man's reply. I looked back at my grandpa hoping for some sort of explanation, but all I got was a look that seemed to say, Well, what are you keeping a friend of your old granddad's waiting for? I gave in and opened the door to the intimidating figure. The man stepped right inside and immediately found a seat in my grandpa's big black recliner. I found it a little odd at the time that my grandfather had moved to the couch, apparently to make way for this stranger, but I wasn't about to question it.

Sitting there, slumped in that cushy black easy chair, this man looked even more bizarre than I'd imagined from his silhouette. Judging by his white hair, he must have been about my grandfather's age, but his face looked many years younger. I would have thought he was an albino were it not for his unusually dark eyes. He wore a completely white suit accented somewhat unsettlingly by a pair of dark brown loafers and a burgundy necktie.

"The name's Elliot," he said. "You must be Angel. Me and your grandpa go way back." I had no idea why, but I didn't believe him. Maybe it was the way he stared so intently into the eyes of whoever he was addressing. Normal people glance around a little while they talk. Unbroken eye contact is just... weird.

Elliot proceeded to make small talk with me for what seemed like hours. He would ask a simple question, I'd answer, and then before I could even think of excusing myself to go to bed or just trying to steer the conversation in another direction, he'd ask another question, each one calling for a bit more detail than the last. By the time we finished our somewhat one-sided chat, all I could do was stumble off to bed. I still can't remember if my grandfather participated in that conversation at all or if he was silent the entire time. Very odd in retrospect.

That night, I dreamed I was the hunter from my grandfather's story. I crawled out of the cave to find the morning sun beaming down onto the body of a dead bear - but not the bear I had killed. This new bear was much smaller and its fur was brown. Someone had stolen the white one and attached this impostor to my sled while I was sleeping! Fine by me, I thought. My people needed food, and this new bear appeared to be a fresh kill, so it would do. I don't remember much else about that dream. I figure I dragged the brown bear to town and everybody was happy.

The next morning I woke up a little late, having forgotten to set my alarm the night before. As I hurriedly got my things together for school, I remembered that spooky character Elliot from the night before and wondered if he had really even been there at all. I saw no evidence of a visitor, and my grandpa was still asleep, so I couldn't ask about him about it. The black chair still retained a very deep impression in its seat, one my grandfather could never have made.

Putting the matter out of my head for the moment, I rushed out the door and almost tripped over a fat, white cat curled up in the middle of our front porch. I'd never seen the cat before, but it was wearing a clean-looking red collar, so I assumed it belonged to one of our neighbors. Even though I was running late and the school bus might very well pass me by if I were delayed even for a moment, I reached down to pet the cat behind the ears as I passed. This wasn't a particularly smart thing to do. Instantly, the thing was transformed from a sleepy house pet into a snarling, hissing ball of claws and teeth. After a brutal attack that lasted only a few seconds, the cat - now stained with a smear or two of my blood - shot me a short, piercing glare and bolted off my porch into the woods across the street.

Needless to say, my hopes of catching the school bus and having a normal day were dashed. I ran into my grandpa's room screaming and dripping blood everywhere. I guess my first instinct was to spread the misery around a little, hoping to dilute it. My grandfather frantically cleaned my wounds and rushed me off to the hospital for a rabies shot. His morning wasn't much better than mine, I suppose.

By coincidence (though not such an astounding coincidence if you consider the size of our town back then), a girl from my class at school was in the waiting room when I arrived. Her name was Beth, and I'd had a crush on her ever since the school year had started a few months earlier. We exchanged an awkward nod as I took a seat opposite her and her mother. I tried to wave, but my hand was covered in bandages and blood, so it looked like I was just trying to show it off. This made Beth smile, but her mom looked like she was going to be sick.

We couldn't really talk in the waiting room, but I felt a change between us already. It was like we shared a secret. You know that giddy feeling you get when you're hiding or pretending to be asleep so that you can surprise somebody when the time is just right? I was full of that, and I could tell Beth was too.

I should've been treated fairly quickly and sent right home, but I was experiencing some nausea and a slight fever, so the doctor was worried I might actually have rabies. They had to keep me there a few days under observation. As it turns out, those few days happened to be some of the most important (and surprisingly enjoyable) days of my life up to that point. This was due almost entirely to Beth.

**********

As he approached the town once more, this time with a much less impressive kill, Angel was surprised and gratified to find everyone quite as excited as they'd been the day before, if not more so. No one had expected him to return with another bear, at least not so quickly. The cooks had been busy boiling several large pots of beans, and now an expression of bewildered embarrassment spread across their faces. They should never have doubted this boy who was surely the greatest hunter ever to grace their town.

Sensing their unease, Angel shouted, "Since we have beans as well as meat, let's combine them and feast as if it were the longest day of the year!" At this, all the onlookers cheered and scattered to make sure everyone heard the news. That night was to be an impromptu festival celebrating Angel's near-miraculous victory over two adult bears in just two days!

It was also the night that the great hunter first retained a memory of a dream he felt he'd had at least once before, a dream so comforting and yet so alien that it wasn't easily dismissed as the mere wanderings of a dormant mind. This was no fantasy. It was something else entirely.

The room was white. To be sure, there were other colors, but the white was so unnaturally pure that it seemed to bleach the rest into obscurity. Each wall was perfectly flat, from floor to ceiling as well as from side to side. To accommodate this bizarre design, there were several seams at which one wall would meet another at a sharp angle. Scattered throughout the room were groupings of very small, very simple drawings, which didn't look like much of anything but somehow dictated the thoughts of anyone who stared at them for more than a moment.

All this was upsetting to Angel, but not nearly as much as one might think. He felt he'd been in this room before - as recently as the previous night, in fact. But before he could recall exactly where he was, or even who he was, a familiar form appeared in the doorway and timidly knocked on its frame.

"Hi," the girl said with a tense brow and nervous smile. "I brought some cards 'cause I thought you might be bored."

"Oh, cool! Thanks!" Angel responded, trying to let out just a bit more excitement than would be expected of a boy in his situation, but not enough to scare the girl away.

Beth's grin widened in reaction to that extra bit of excitement. It was the right amount. "I also have your homework assignments and some notes on what we did in class today," she continued.

The two locked eyes, and for a moment, their minds embraced. "Let's start with the cards."

Effective Tips to Avoid the Flu

2009-09-18T11:12:00.007-06:00

This of course applies to the H1N1 swine flu as well as more mundane varieties. It's not my personal advice but that of Dr. Vinay Goyal and Pat Powell, which I recently received through email.

Frequent hand-washing. (This is well highlighted in all official communications.)
"Hands-off-the-face" approach. Resist all temptations to touch any part of face (unless you want to eat, bathe, or slap).
Gargle twice a day with warm salt water. H1N1 takes 2-3 days after initial infection in the throat/ nasal cavity to proliferate and show characteristic symptoms. Simple gargling prevents proliferation. Don't underestimate this simple, inexpensive and powerful preventative method!
Similar to 3 above, clean your nostrils at least once every day with warm salt water. Not everybody may be good at Jala Neti or Sutra Neti (very good Yoga asanas to clean nasal cavities), but blowing the nose hard once a day and swabbing both nostrils with cotton buds dipped in warm salt water is very effective in bringing down viral population.
Drink as much of warm liquids as you can. Drinking warm liquids has the same effect as gargling, but in the reverse direction. They wash off proliferating viruses from the throat into the stomach where they cannot survive, proliferate or do any harm.
Boost your natural immunity with foods that are rich in Vitamin C (citrus, strawberries, tomatoes, etc.). If you use a vitamin C supplement, make sure that it also has zinc to boost absorption.

You don't need the shot. You know how quick they rushed it into production? Do you really want to be one of the guinea pigs in this global experiment? It's not even that it might be harmful; it's known to be harmful. The powers that be just want you to avoid staying home from work at all costs. If you get the flu, stay home, get some sleep, drink a lot of hot tea, and take some aspirin now and then!

Article: Locked Up for Saying 9/11 was an Inside Job

2009-08-31T12:02:00.010-06:00

This is how a fascist system can pretend not to be fascist. You don't just throw people in jail when they haven't committed a crime. But if you say that you have to be crazy to criticize your government or the bankers or the new world order, then they can lock you up for being crazy. That's even worse than jail because they put you on drugs to make sure you won't be a bother ever again. This gal is lucky!

Held In A Psychiatric Ward & Called "Delusional" For Saying 9/11 Was An Inside Job
By Clare Swinney, Member of Scholars For 9/11 Truth & Justice

I was wrongly diagnosed as delusional by the psychiatric staff of Ward 7 at Northland Base Hospital in Whangarei and held against my will for 11 days in mid-2006, because I maintained the attacks of 9/11 were orchestrated by criminal elements inside the US Administration.

A definition of delusional: relating to, based on, or affected by delusions. A delusion: a false belief strongly held in spite of invalidating evidence, especially as a symptom of mental illness.

In light of the definition, one of the most astounding aspects to the ordeal was that when I met with the chief psychiatrist, Dr Carlos Zubaran for two formal mental health assessments, I held Issue 3 of Uncensored, which is shown in the picture above, and asked him to look at information related to the 9/11 attacks. This magazine contained an article I'd written entitled: Why Does TVNZ Lie To Us About 9/11?, which cited evidence that proved the official fable was a lie - yet reminiscent of the fabled vampires afraid of the light of day, he refused to even cast his eyes over it, during both of the so-called "assessments."

(more at Web of Evidence...)

Update: Don't believe what you see on TV. It's not paranoid to question the official story of 9/11. It's not even weird.

God Bless You, Mr. Jones

2009-08-27T09:45:00.003-06:00

Thank God somebody's paying attention. The next wave of vaccines are coming soon. You owe it to yourself and your family to hear this side of the story.

I also maintain a blog on autism called "The Autism Spectrum". It's overlapping with this one more and more all the time. The mainstream explanation for the recent explosion in autism rates is better diagnosis. That's it. To the average mainstream sheep, this means what we have is an explosion of whiners with no real problems, just a diagnosis of autism. That's why you'll see celebrities like Denis Leary and Michael Savage say things like, "Don’t act like a moron," and "Don’t sit there crying and screaming, idiot." Say that to me, and I'll pity your ignorance. Say that to my brother, and I'll punch you in the face.

Here are the major articles mentioned in the video:

See how it's all coming together? There's a literal war going on right now with casualties every day. You'd better make sure you're on the right side.

Brownshirts

2009-08-24T14:40:00.002-06:00

The people are getting riled up. Looks like trouble for the powers that be.

You know, early Nazi Germany had its wingnuts opposed to "progress" as well. They were called the White Rose. Too bad they didn't have the Internet, just a bunch of leaflets. They still made a difference.

Science Czar Wants You Sterile

2009-08-14T16:03:00.009-06:00

You know that feeling when you're planning to do something creative (write a story, build a website, or what have you) and then you see somebody else already did pretty much exactly what you were wanting to do? It's kind of like, What's the point, now?

John Holdren, Obama's new Science Czar (Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, Assistant to the President for Science and Technology, and Co-Chair of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology) has done a pretty good job of describing the sort of totalitarian dystopia I've had as a worry in the back of my mind for a while now. What's the point of writing a 1984-style warning story if the people in power are already making serious proposals to implement the changes you're warning against? He even uses the term "coercive fertility control". That's perfect!

It's hard to keep up these days.

John Holdren, Obama's Science Czar, says: Forced abortions and mass sterilization needed to save the planet
Book he authored in 1977 advocates for extreme totalitarian measures to control the population

Forced abortions. Mass sterilization. A "Planetary Regime" with the power of life and death over American citizens.

The tyrannical fantasies of a madman? Or merely the opinions of the person now in control of science policy in the United States? Or both?

These ideas (among many other equally horrifying recommendations) were put forth by John Holdren, whom Barack Obama has recently appointed Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, Assistant to the President for Science and Technology, and Co-Chair of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology - informally known as the United States' Science Czar. In a book Holdren co-authored in 1977, the man now firmly in control of science policy in this country wrote that:

Women could be forced to abort their pregnancies, whether they wanted to or not;
The population at large could be sterilized by infertility drugs intentionally put into the nation's drinking water or in food;
Single mothers and teen mothers should have their babies seized from them against their will and given away to other couples to raise;
People who "contribute to social deterioration" (i.e. undesirables) "can be required by law to exercise reproductive responsibility" - in other words, be compelled to have abortions or be sterilized.
A transnational "Planetary Regime" should assume control of the global economy and also dictate the most intimate details of Americans' lives - using an armed international police force.

(more at ZombieTime.com...)

Article: Obama's Healthcare Horror

2009-08-13T12:12:00.007-06:00

This is refreshing. A liberal democrat who really sees what's going on! Why is it that pretty much the only people complaining while Bush was president were liberals, and just about the only people complaining now are conservatives? As Ms. Paglia puts it, "Both major parties have become a rats' nest of hypocrisy and incompetence." Exactly! Vote Libertarian! And if you happen to notice somebody outside the party like Ron Paul, who supports small government, fiscal conservatism, and personal freedom (a former Libertarian, by the way), vote for them too!

Obama's healthcare horror
Heads should roll - beginning with Nancy Pelosi's!
By Camille Paglia

Buyer's remorse? Not me. At the North American summit in Guadalajara this week, President Obama resumed the role he is best at - representing the U.S. with dignity and authority abroad. This is why I, for one, voted for Obama and continue to support him. The damage done to U.S. prestige by the feckless, buffoonish George W. Bush will take years to repair. Obama has barely begun the crucial mission that he was elected to do.

Having said that, I must confess my dismay bordering on horror at the amateurism of the White House apparatus for domestic policy. When will heads start to roll? I was glad to see the White House counsel booted, as well as Michelle Obama's chief of staff, and hope it's a harbinger of things to come. Except for that wily fox, David Axelrod, who could charm gold threads out of moonbeams, Obama seems to be surrounded by juvenile tinhorns, bumbling mediocrities and crass bully boys.

Case in point: the administration's grotesque mishandling of healthcare reform, one of the most vital issues facing the nation. Ever since Hillary Clinton's megalomaniacal annihilation of our last best chance at reform in 1993 (all of which was suppressed by the mainstream media when she was running for president), Democrats have been longing for that happy day when this issue would once again be front and center.

But who would have thought that the sober, deliberative Barack Obama would have nothing to propose but vague and slippery promises - or that he would so easily cede the leadership clout of the executive branch to a chaotic, rapacious, solipsistic Congress? House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, whom I used to admire for her smooth aplomb under pressure, has clearly gone off the deep end with her bizarre rants about legitimate town-hall protests by American citizens. She is doing grievous damage to the party and should immediately step down.

(more at Salon.com...)

Yep, I'm a Truther.

2009-08-09T01:32:00.003-06:00

A few more nails in the coffin of that crazy "three planes with Muslim hijackers" theory. Say what you will about the twin towers, but no plane ever hit the Pentagon or Building 7 of the World Trade Center. That's obvious.

If you didn't see my post on how the twin towers most certainly weren't brought down by burning jet fuel but by nano-thermite, check it out.

How to Stay Drug-Free in a Fake Pandemic

2009-08-07T18:55:00.017-06:00

Things seem to be moving along swiftly according to plan. Too bad the plan was hatched by madmen bent on global enslavement.

Schools Set To Become Mass Swine Flu Vaccination Clinics
"Highly likely" that large scale operations will be implemented in US and UK
Steve Watson, Infowars.net

Schools in both the US and the UK are set to serve as mass vaccination sites in the Autumn as government officials on both sides of the Atlantic consider plans that could see a push to inoculate every child in both countries against swine flu.

In the US, Federal officials representing Health and Human Services, the Department of Education and the Department of Homeland Security have briefed twelve heads of education associations, unions and child care providers on plans to implement mass vaccination in schools.

New York State United Teachers president Dick Iannuzzi, who was present at the briefing, told USA Today that it is "highly likely" that schools will be used for student vaccinations.

"That would be the optimum place to have that happen," he said, noting that there was "consensus in the room" about the wisdom of using schools as vaccination sites.

Federal officials put "a much stronger emphasis - stronger than I've heard in years" - on encouraging school districts and local health departments to open schools as immunization centers, said Amy Garcia, executive director of the National Association of School Nurses.

Meanwhile, government ministers in the UK are considering plans to place vaccination posts in every school in the country in what would amount to the biggest mass immunisation in 45 years.

(more at InfoWars.net...)

You know these vaccines are coming very soon, and you probably realize that, when the time comes, they won't be optional. But even if you trust your government and think you'll keep your basic human rights even in a time of "emergency", you can still do something right now to ensure you're never forced to take unsafe injections against your will.

There's a petition going around online right now called "A Universal Declaration of Resistance to Mandatory Vaccinations". Here's the opening paragraph:

We the undersigned, as Freemen & Freewomen, do not recognize the authority of The World Health Organization (WHO) to mandate general forced vaccinations. Our bodies are sovereign territory and subject to our exclusive self-determination. Any attempted violation of this trust must be construed as a breach of said basic right. We are thus holding our elected Governments accountable in this defense with an issuance of notice: a preemptive Class Action Lawsuit to be served in the event our inalienable rights to choose are forsaken.

So here's what I'm thinking. You know all those FEMA camps that have been going up around the country since the Bush administration? (At least that's when I first heard about them.) When they finally start being used, it'll be as "quarantine centers". If the quarantine is just for the H1N1 swine flu (or something like it), this doesn't sound too bad really, provided detainees receive proper medical care - namely fever reducers like good old-fashioned aspirin.

Of course, being held against your will for an indefinite length of time isn't good, but what I'm really worried about is that it would be an embarrassment if none of the people who refused vaccines and got locked up for it got sick and died. I think the goons running the show will make sure most of the disloyal conspiracy nuts who get sent to these concentration camps die there, one way or another. I certainly hope that's not the case. (If it is, I'll probably be dead pretty soon.) All I'm saying is keep your eyes open.

A few more links if you're interested:

This Is Not a Test!

2009-08-06T17:32:00.013-06:00

My dad recently posted this on Facebook. I'm re-posting here because I think he's right, and I'm the one with a blog. Anyway, I'm sure both our names our on quite a number of lists by now, so what's the harm in continuing to talk? Without further ado, here's my Pop.

I've said over and over again that folks need to read Orwell's 1984 again, right now.

Now we have the Executive Branch of the Federal Government encouraging citizens to report anyone who expresses any opinions differing from theirs concerning the President's plan to remove freedom of choice and privacy from our healthcare system.

If you don't want the Feds telling you what medical treatment you may have and if you don't want Big Brother knowing the private business between you and your doctor, Obama wants to know about your independent attitude, and he is asking your neighbors to narc on you; to rat on you... to fink on you.

It's right there on the White House's website: "Facts are Stubborn Things".

It's the nazi-fication of America. Open your eyes, this Presidency is a cruel hoax.

Here is the Law that Mr. President is Violating:

According to 5 U.S.C. § 552a, United States agencies, including the Executive Office of the President shall, "maintain no record describing how any individual exercises rights guaranteed by the First Amendment unless expressly authorized by statute or by the individual about whom the record is maintained or unless pertinent to and within the scope of an authorized law enforcement activity." (RedState.com)

This is so unconstitutional that it prompted US Senator John Cornyn to write the President, demanding that this illegal information-collection program cease immediately:

"I am not aware of any precedent for a President asking American citizens to report their fellow citizens to the White House for pure political speech that is deemed 'fishy' or otherwise inimical to the White House's political interests," Sen. Cornyn wrote. "You should not be surprised that these actions taken by your White House staff raise the specter of a data collection program. As Congress debates health care reform and other critical policy matters, citizen engagement must not be chilled by fear of government monitoring the exercise of free speech rights."

Hey, I've got an idea! Why not report this post to the White House? The official address they give is: flag@whitehouse.gov. If you don't like the idea of the US Government illegally keeping a list of "fishy" citizens, I suggesting flagging a few sites every day. And forward any piece of spam you get to flag@whitehouse.gov! This is ridiculous.

One more thing I found interesting: an AARP town hall meeting where the old folks just won't take what their given. They seem to think it's the retired individuals that give the AARP its power and the citizens that give the government its power, not the other way around. These old coots haven't had the benefit of our modern public schools. They should know it's the government/military that grants us our freedoms, and "inalienable rights" is just outdated jargon from the revolutionary days. Koff*baloney*koff!

Update: This little "report anything fishy to your friends in government" program is by no means isolated. Just take a look at this article from the Recession Ready America blog or the related Prison Planet (Alex Jones) article, which goes into more detail as to why this sort of thing is a bad idea, citing several other programs currently running in parallel. In short, just re-read 1984 and watch some World War II movies. Enough with that idea that's been floating around that comparisons Hitler and Nazi Germany should be completely ignored! Can you see how dangerous that idea is?

Qigong Meditative Exercises

2009-07-28T17:58:00.006-06:00

I was browsing around the ol' Internet this morning looking for some exercises I could do that would include proper stretching and breathing, something like the martial arts I used to study when I was younger (a little like yoga, actually). After bouncing around YouTube a bit, I came to the practice of Qigong, AKA "Chi Gong", AKA "Ch'i Kung".

Here's a nice little introduction: a brocade of eight exercises you can memorize and do at home. The instructor (Bruce Wen of the California Shaolin Temple) is a little hard to hear, but it's no big deal. Anyway, they're a scattered mess on YouTube, so I put them up here in order for convenience (both yours and mine). Enjoy!

"A Ring of Smoke"

2009-06-17T21:41:00.004-06:00

Very cool video of an invisible UFO. Yeah, that's right, invisible. But not completely, of course. We're not talking about magic here, just high technology.

I love how the witness doesn't even think it was an alien spacecraft because that's just too bizarre for her. She figures it was some kind of sign from God and leaves it at that. The official story is that it's a "ring of smoke". Hilarious. The best part about that explanation is that you can't always see the entire ring, just the edge closest to you. To me, that indicates that the camouflage in use on the bottom of the disc is obscuring the far edge.

Time and time again we can see this patten: Something surprising happens, we're fed a simple explanation, and that explanation turns out to be absolutely ridiculous. Still, the official explanation is never (or hardly ever) revised. It just sits around so long that most people forget there's anything wrong with it. Just like the assassination of JFK. We can't let that happen with 9/11; the consequences are too dire.

Movie: They Live

2009-06-16T16:52:00.005-06:00

I just watched this movie last night: John Carpenter's They Live. I can't believe I'd never even heard of the movie until last night! The plot involves aliens walking among us, pretending to be us, and recruiting the more spineless of us to help. It's a lot like reality, but way simpler and cheesier.

The short story this was based on was first published in 1963! Unbelievable! Ray Nelson knew what was going on. You can read the story, "Eight O'Clock in the Morning", here if you want. I'd reproduce it, correcting all the typos, but I'm pretty sure that's illegal.

Universal Studios is apparently working on a remake, so see the original first here, and then wait for the new version. Hopefully, the new version will be more like the short story, but I doubt it. Some gadget (like sunglasses) that lets you see things clearly is much easier for people to handle than the idea of achieving a higher consciousness without any technological aid. It's actually much less dangerous that way too, which is good. We don't want people running around killing each other! (Any more than they already are, of course.)

Some Things to Consider

2009-06-12T18:43:00.016-06:00

This post has moved to Friends of the Revolution.

The Nut Jobs were Right Again!

2009-06-10T17:26:00.006-06:00

This is a perfect example of why conventional wisdom, the consensus of the general population and a large group of experts, isn't worth much. Be your own expert! Weigh the facts for yourself, and in doing so don't discount these lone nuts going against the grain. Just because everyone else laughs at them doesn't mean you have to.

Peter Schiff made an appearance on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart yesterday. Very cool. I'm proud to see that at least Comedy Central's news and political commentary isn't colored by a horrendous bias toward the status quo, the military-industrial complex, the New World Order. Just check out Monday's Daily Show for a look at how bad the mainstream media has gotten! (That was my favorite episode to date, by the way. Totally hilarious.)

He says he's running for office; I hope he makes it. It would've been nice have had Ron Paul in the White House, but the financial collapse started a few months too late. C'est la vie.

Movie: Kymatica

2009-06-08T02:54:00.008-06:00

There's some really good information in this movie. It sprawls across psychology, language, politics, religion, art, morality... pretty much all the big stuff. The production value is low - it seems to be made by a couple of brothers with next to no budget - but the message is a good one: Think for yourself. You know what's right, so do it. Don't be anyone's tool. The solution to the global problems we're facing right now isn't more fighting, it's passive resistance and spreading knowledge like never before. We have as much potential for good as we do for evil, and it's time we started exercising the former. Let's give evil a rest.

Free Plums

2009-06-04T17:08:00.000-06:00

I just had the coolest lunch! I went outside the building I work in on campus to this little courtyard area so I'd have a place to eat my sardines and rice crackers, and I noticed that the tree right in front of the door had a bunch of half-eaten plums all around it. I looked up and saw quite a few red plums ripe for the picking! Apparently, they're so ripe they've been falling off and getting eaten by birds.

I had a total of eight plums, a nice compliment to my fish and rice. When I was leaving, I saw a couple of custodial people using a broom to knock plums off the tree. I'm not sure if they got the idea from me or what, but that's cool. I've gotta look around campus some more and see if there's anything else to harvest.

Anyway, I feel a lot better now. I haven't been eating enough fruit lately. That's a nice example of how just going with the flow while keeping your eyes open can serve you well.

2012: A Cosmic Weather Forecast

2009-06-01T12:25:00.000-06:00

Apparently, we're in for a fairly interesting solar storm pretty soon here. For the past couple of years, we've been in the calm, and now things are getting ready to pop. I've quoted an article from NASA below to give you an idea what I'm talking about.

"Even a below-average cycle is capable of producing severe space weather," points out Biesecker. "The great geomagnetic storm of 1859, for instance, occurred during a solar cycle of about the same size we’re predicting for 2013."

The 1859 storm--known as the "Carrington Event" after astronomer Richard Carrington who witnessed the instigating solar flare--electrified transmission cables, set fires in telegraph offices, and produced Northern Lights so bright that people could read newspapers by their red and green glow. A recent report by the National Academy of Sciences found that if a similar storm occurred today, it could cause $1 to 2 trillion in damages to society's high-tech infrastructure and require four to ten years for complete recovery. For comparison, Hurricane Katrina caused "only" $80 to 125 billion in damage.

...

Right now, the solar cycle is in a valley--the deepest of the past century. In 2008 and 2009, the sun set Space Age records for low sunspot counts, weak solar wind, and low solar irradiance. The sun has gone more than two years without a significant solar flare.

"In our professional careers, we've never seen anything quite like it," says Pesnell. "Solar minimum has lasted far beyond the date we predicted in 2007."

...

According to the forecast, the sun should remain generally calm for at least another year.

...

"Go ahead and mark your calendar for May 2013," says Pesnell. "But use a pencil."

I think I'll pencil in December 21st, 2012, actually. That's the end of the Mayan Long Count calendar, for some reason. You can get a quick overview of the speculation in this USA Today article. Of course, it's heavily biased so as not to cause a stir. That would be irresponsible, right? I find the following excerpt hilarious.

Part of the 2012 mystique stems from the stars. On the winter solstice in 2012, the sun will be aligned with the center of the Milky Way for the first time in about 26,000 years. This means that "whatever energy typically streams to Earth from the center of the Milky Way will indeed be disrupted on 12/21/12 at 11:11 p.m. Universal Time," Joseph writes.

But scholars doubt the ancient Maya extrapolated great meaning from anticipating the alignment - if they were even aware of what the configuration would be.

Astronomers generally agree that "it would be impossible the Maya themselves would have known that," says Susan Milbrath, a Maya archaeoastronomer and a curator at the Florida Museum of Natural History. What's more, she says, "we have no record or knowledge that they would think the world would come to an end at that point."

Sure, when did ancient peoples ever ascribe great meaning to the positioning of celestial bodies? And anyway, they couldn't have even known there would be that kind of alignment on December 21st, 2012. That's extremely unlikely, given their technology. It's much more probable that the end of the calendar just happens to coincide with this extremely rare occurrence completely by coincidence.

When scientists think causation doesn't make sense for one reason or another, it's coincidence, and you're a fool if you don't agree. And they're supposed to be the open-minded ones.

If I haven't lost you yet, then you need to check out this site: "All About 2012". It's got more information on the subject than you'll probably have time for, but at least scan through and check out the crop circles. If those things are just being made by pranksters scattered here and there around the world, then they deserve some serious recognition! Graffiti artists have nothing on crop circlers!

Network = Net Worth

2009-05-31T17:47:00.000-06:00

Or to put it another way, I'll borrow a line from my favorite movie of all time: "This whole thing is just who knows who... Then over here you have favoritism." Of course, it's not just who you know but what they think of you. And you can affect what people think of you in all kinds of ways, many of which have to do with your own merit. So a person's station in life is determined by countless factors involving both luck and competence, but it all really boils down to their network.

Zen

2009-05-29T15:55:00.000-06:00

Obvious contradictions, when stated with confidence, are generally assumed to be profoundly wise. This is probably because of their similarity to many tenets of Eastern religion/philosophy, something most Westerners know very little about but hold in the highest esteem nonetheless.

Many Zen teachings actually come in the form of paradoxes designed to make so little sense that the student is eventually forced to stop thinking altogether. That's typically the point of any practice that involves meditation: quieting the mind enough so that the practitioner can experience some kind of revelation (divine or otherwise). From my own experience, this idea seems promising. It's certainly appealing anyway.

I thought I'd use this space to try my hand at some of these meaningless/meaningful statements. If you've heard any of them before, sorry about that. There just aren't that many possible permutations of the formula.

To gain, one must lose.

To move forward, you often have to stand still.

Great pride begets great humiliation.

If you wish to please everyone, you will satisfy no one.

In the deepest darkness shines the great sun.

Only a fool thinks he is wise.

Only in struggle can one find peace.

I'll add more later as I think of them. I'm not making fun here; I think these are all true statements. My point is just that not every contradictory statement is automatically meaningful (though assigning meaning to such statements may be a worthwhile exercise).

Buckle Up!

2009-05-25T12:17:00.004-06:00

I can't believe Bush actually said "if we survive".

I really wouldn't have expected this sort of information coming from Fox News. The hosts of Fox and Friends sound like complete idiots to me in this clip, but Glenn Beck is apparently somebody I like.

It's funny. I'm having to worry about sounding crazy less and less all the time as the things I'm concerned about are really starting to happen right in front of our faces. I used to have to find some crackpot's blog or YouTube channel for information about this sort of thing, but now: Fox News, CNN, the New York Times.

Actually, now I'm confused. Check this segment out.

"The government has planned 9/11, the Jews were involved, etc. etc." What?!! I've never even heard that crap about the Jews! But even if some people do think Jewish people were somehow involved, it's still a ridiculous stretch to say that all the people questioning the official story of 9/11 are white supremacists who jump for joy when some asshole shoots up a Holocaust museum! The two things aren't related in the slightest! This is an obvious smear campaign with no grounding in reality, but everybody's such a bunch of zombies these days, half the people that hear it will swallow it no questions asked. Pitiful.

All "9/11 truthers" want is an open investigation. If we already knew what happened, we wouldn't need one. The problem is that the official story doesn't hold water at all. That's becoming more and more obvious to people around the world all the time.

Putting these two clips together, I really don't get it. He warns that our government is covertly moving toward fascism and preparing to herd dissenters into camps. Later he seems to be saying that these same dissenters are a physical threat to our nation. Did he do a 180 or what?

Update: Now that I've become a little better acquainted with Glenn Beck and his positions, I'm pretty sure that he's nothing more than a puppet of the establishment. His job is to appear to be some sort of "conspiracy theorist", so that people can say, "That's ridiculous! Even Glenn Beck doesn't believe that!" This explains why he'll say one thing and then 10 minutes later say something else completely to the contrary. He's not expressing deeply held convictions or rationally investigating important matters; he's just saying what he's paid to say. And last I heard, his sponsors are pulling out because people are wising up.

Uninformed and Unrepresented

2009-05-19T23:36:00.000-06:00

Don't believe the telescreen.

Nano-Thermite: The WTC Fraud's "Loaded Gun"

2009-04-15T13:08:00.000-06:00

Why do I have to turn to Danish TV to get this kind of news? Mass quantities of nano-thermite, a very powerful, very cutting-edge explosive, was found in the dust of the World Trade Center wreckage a couple of years ago. Eight Danish scientists recently published their findings. One of them, Niels Harrit, was interviewed on a mainstream Danish news program.

My favorite quote: "I think there is only one conspiracy theory worth mentioning: the one involving 19 hijackers. I think viewers should ask themselves what evidence they have seen to support the official conspiracy theory." People always seem to forget that there is no default theory of reality that all others have to be measured against. All theories are in competition with one another, even the most orthodox.

Here's a bit more.

And for good measure, an article on the scientific paper (with a link to it at the end).

Remember that the World Trade Center disaster isn't just a single issue, divorceable from everything else that's been going on over the last few decades. This is clear evidence that we're being lied to and murdered by our government, whose sole purpose is supposed to be our protection. Think about that just a bit. Now don't forget it the next time we're asked to surrender just a little bit more of our inalienable rights to that same government.

Sand Painting: You've Got a Friend

2009-04-11T23:03:00.000-06:00

End of the world getting you down? Buck up! It ain't over yet!

To Save Your Country...

2009-04-08T22:47:00.000-06:00

Signing this petition is the least you can do.

Movie: The Obama Deception

2009-04-06T16:29:00.001-06:00

This movie isn't about Barak Obama specifically so much as the New World Order plot in general, how it works, and how it's using the office of the President more and more as everything comes together. What may surprise many is how clearly this film illustrates that Obama has already done a complete 180 from his campaign promises, which puts him right on exactly the same path as Bush.

Over the next few years, look for public opinion of Obama to fall. He'll probably squeak by and get elected to a second term (just as Bush did), but by the end of 8 years, we'll all be clamoring for a new savior. He'll get blamed for everything because that's his role. But in reality, like every president since JFK, he's a puppet.

Bilderberg Power No Longer a Secret

2009-04-03T09:07:00.000-06:00

This current global financial crisis (which was completely predictable and avoidable, by the way) is opening people's minds to radical change. The Great Depression had the same effect on people. As I said in my last post, many Americans were looking pretty favorably at the emerging fascist governments of Italy and Germany prior to World War II. And of course, communist ideas were pretty popular as well, as they continue to be today.

Most Americans don't like labels like "fascist", "corporatist", "communist", or "socialist", but they keep electing people who either want to bail out large corporations when they're in trouble or just incorporate those private companies into the government somehow. My primary concern is not financial but with personal liberty. However, if you take a look at history, you'll see the two are tied together pretty closely. And neither fascism nor communism has a very good track record.

Still, the people clamor for change. (As if they haven't been getting enough change over the past few decades.) This allows Étienne Davignon, the current chairman of the Bilderberg Group, to step out of the shadows a little, casually mentioning that his small, clandestine organization helped create the euro, and make the following comments:

Yesterday, a French car producer was a French car producer. A German car producer was a German producer. Fiat was an Italian producer. Now they have a French origin, a German origin, an Italian origin. But they are European producers and we told them to be like this.

People understand confusedly that there is a change [in the air]. But no government will satisfy the reactions of the people. They have the greatest reticence and cynicism against anybody who holds responsibility. Against the business community because of the financial excesses. Also, the church has disappeared. The popular reaction is also a consequence of the fact that a number of traditional references have disappeared. People are looking for what is the reference.

These two meetings are going to be important because of what [the media] will say--is it a lot of jaw-jaw and everything will get worse? Or maybe it's the beginning of a realization that the world will no longer be the same and we are going to do something about it.

I don't know exactly what he means by "reference", but he seems to think that the Bilderberg Group is it. It sounds to me like mild and nonthreatening way to say "authority".

So there you have it. You no longer have to be a conspiracy nut to acknowledge the power of the once-secret, totally unelected Bilderberg Group. If you'd like some more reading material on the New World Order, how it's all going down and what you should do about it, I high recommend the following sites:

Federal Jack has a nice collection of streaming TV clips and films.
The Lawful Path has good-sized archive of online materials in its Reading Room.
The Architecture of Modern Political Power is another archive edited by Daniel Pouzzner.
Operation Vampire Killer 2000 is an American police action plan for stopping world government rule.
Prepare NOW is part of a Christian site giving advice on storing food for emergencies.

Well-Organized Crime

2009-04-01T10:00:00.001-06:00

Never get involved with the military, an intelligence agency like the CIA, or any other form of organized crime. They use people: body, mind, good name, and all.

Just take a look at the lives of a couple of pretty famous Americans. The first, I'm sure you've heard of: Lee Harvey Oswald. His life story gets pretty twisted and tangled as soon as he signs on with the Marines, but one thing is for sure: It didn't end well.

This next name may not be familiar to you, though at the time of his death in 1940, he was the most decorated Marine in US history. Major General Smedley D. Butler was a genuine war hero, but also an outspoken pacifist (or at least isolationist). More than that, were he not loyal to the US Constitution, he could have been our nation's first fascist dictator!

But before I get into all that, take a look at the following short video. It's a dramatized reading of a few excerpts from Gen. Smedley's book, War is a Racket. Here are two ideas he presents for us to avoid this perpetual cycle of war profiteering:

The salary of every government employee should be capped at no more than what is paid to a simple bottom-rung enlisted soldier.
All and only those enlisted in the military should have the privilege of voting on whether or not we go to war.

Back in the early thirties, when everyone was hurting from the Great Depression, the general population was more sympathetic to ideas like fascism, which amounts to putting the interests of groups, or corporations of people ahead of individual interests. This, together with Gen. Smedley's ongoing criticism of government policies and demonstrated sway among veterans, made a handful of very wealthy businessmen salivate. Smedley was propositioned, but he had no desire to become America's first dictator and promptly blew the whistle.

The heads of many prominent corporations were involved in this plot, but one notable conspirator was Prescott Bush, father of one president and grandfather of another. As suggested in Alan Nasser's recent article, "FDR's Response to the Plot to Overthrow Him", the forces behind this so-called "Business Plot" may not have been entirely unsuccessful. The basic fascist goals of diminishing personal liberties and establishing martial law are already on the books. If we wish to be law-abiding citizens, we've already lost the war.

The Real Reason for the 2nd Ammendment

2009-03-30T15:47:00.000-06:00

I don't like guns, I've never used a gun, and I don't want to own a gun. But it's absolutely essential for any country with an armed military to have an armed populace to match. If that doesn't make immediate sense to, skim over this Wikipedia article: Coup d'état and think about who's supposed to be running this country: the people. So if the military wants to seize power, they don't take it from the president, and they don't take it from Congress. They take it from us.

Texas state representative Suzanna Gratia-Hupp sums it up nicely in the following video: "The 2nd Ammendment is not about duck hunting. And I know I'm not going to make very many friends saying this, but it's about our right, all of our right, to be able to protect ourselves from all of you guys up there."

Obama's New World America

2009-03-28T14:59:00.002-06:00

This post has moved to Friends of the Revolution.

New Bills to Outlaw Organic Farming! No Joke!

2009-03-17T18:21:00.000-06:00

I've never been particularly up in arms about the steady trend of gun laws chipping away at the second amendment because I personally have no desire to own a gun (although I do think an armed populace is essential to a free state). But when the government starts limiting the people's ability to grow food, I get nervous. That's understating it a bit; more like terrified and furious.

That was just a little teaser. This next guy goes into more detail.

Read the bills for yourself if you like: Food Safety Modernization Act of 2009 (H.R.875) and Food Safety and Tracking Improvement Act (S.425).

If these go through, we're all in trouble, not just those of us with sensitivities to certain foods (like wheat and dairy) or substances (like mercury and aluminum). Even if you never buy organic and have no intention of growing your own food, please recognize the gravity of this kind of legislation and the impact it's sure to have on countless innocents.

Call (202)-224-3121, ask to speak to your legislators, and let them know they'll be out of a job soon if they pass either of these bills.

As a backup measure, you might want to also follow the advice of YouTube's PeterInFlorida:

Buy guns and ammo.

If Congress passes it, so be it. No skin off anyone's nose. If they try to enforce it, they'll have an uprising on their hands. They have no authority under the Constitution to regulate the individual consumption and intrastate commerce of crops or livestock. If they try to strip people of their livelihoods and their sustenance, I say let them be warned that such crimes will be resisted.

Really puts the gun control issue in context, doesn't it? I still don't think I'll buy a gun, but I'd like to stockpile some non-GMO seeds while they're still available. As far as I'm concerned, being able to grow food for yourself and your family qualifies as an "inalienable right".

I have to wrap this up now. I'll leave you with this editorial, which I hope you'll read and take to heart: When Is It Going To Be Enough, America?

A Real War on Drugs

2009-03-04T13:47:00.000-07:00

Looks like we've got another war a-brewin'. Really close to home this time. Really close to my home.

U.S. Says Threat of Mexican Drug Cartels Approaching 'Crisis Proportions'

Two of Mexico's deadliest drug cartels have reached a combined force of 100,000 foot soldiers, wreaking havoc across the country and threatening U.S. border states, the U.S. Defense Department told The Washington Times.

The cartels rival the Mexican army in size and have both Mexico and the U.S. in crisis mode as they deal with what they fear is a coming insurgency along the border.

"It's moving to crisis proportions," an unidentified defense official told The Times. The official also said the cartels have reached a size where they are on par with Mexico's army of 130,000.

(more at FOXNews.com...)

A Link Between Autism and Soap?

2009-02-12T10:13:00.000-07:00

According to my bogus sources, Daedalus2U is a plant working for TPTB, possibly unwittingly. His strong exhortion for those interested in treating/preventing autism to look away from mercury as a contributing factor is a little suspicious. There's overwhelming evidence that mercury plays a role (though perhaps not the primary role) in the development of autism spectrum disorder, and TPTB seem to be searching for new ways to poison us all the time. (You may have heard recently that there's mercury in high fructose corn syrup, citric acid, and sodium benzoate. And a lot in cheap dental fillings. And it's still in vaccines. The list goes on and on.)

Among other things, Daedalus2U posits that washing off your natural "biofilm" can lower your nitric oxide levels and contribute to autism. How does this translate into real-world therapies for parents of autistic children? It's hard to say, but one cheap idea that comes to mind is just not bathing the children, or at least not using soap. This is a very dangerous prospect because the parents of autistic children (very often on the spectrum themselves) tend to be under frequent scrutiny from Child Protective Services to make sure they're "fit" parents. (When I was younger, strangers were always calling CPS because of my brother's outbursts, especially if some kind of restraint was needed.) If the parents don't even bathe their children, that would seem to be a pretty good indication that they're negligent. And who's going to listen when these nutty parents say that taking baths causes autism?

There's another possibility that not washing off all the airborne chemicals we're exposed to on a daily basis could exacerbate autistic symptoms. This is all according to my bogus sources, mind you. I really can't tell you how to adjust your bathing habits. But I do know one thing for sure. You'd better watch out for your kids, especially if they're autistic. Don't let TPTB take them away from you because they say you're unfit, or even because you've run out of the time, money, and energy to take care of them yourself. That's all by design. If you have an autistic child, the system doesn't want you to be successful in helping them; the system wants your child drugged and marginalized. So what should you do? Head for the hills! I'll meet you there.

Why I Believe

2009-02-09T12:51:00.000-07:00

A couple days ago, I went to campus, dropped my daughter off with my wife, and figured I had a good hour and a half until my next class. I took care of a little task I'd been needing to do and then started looking for a quiet place to sit and plug in my computer.

I went downstairs to a lab I work in but passed it up when I saw the light was on inside. When I have a limited amount of time to get some work done, I don't like to chat. I remembered a bench at the end of the hall with an outlet near it. When I got there, I saw the bench had been moved for some reason, so I'd have to keep looking.

I started wandering upstairs but noticed an empty classroom next to the stairwell. It had a message on the board for the students to meet in the computer lab upstairs. I was thinking, Hey, like that class I'll be observing soon! then I bet it is my class, and finally, Wait, don't I start today?! I rushed upstairs just in time to be 15 minutes late for my first day observing this ESOL course I'm supposed to teach in the fall. Any later and it might've looked pretty bad.

That's just one example of everything fitting together just right to keep me going strong on my current path. The next day, I got news that we got this three-semester grant that was hopefully going to employ me for this semester as well as next fall and spring. The crazy thing was that we didn't get news of it until this semester was already well underway and I'd been committed to my ESOL job. We can't just push the whole thing back a semester because the money has to be spent during specific quarters. So what's going to happen because of that fiasco is they'll pay me to work during the summer with the money that was supposed to be for this semester. Summer work was exactly what I needed; my wife and I had been talking about what to do that very same day. Good thing the grant people were slow!

Everything seems to work out for me. Not in the short term, but big picture, everything falls into place. This doesn't mean everything goes the way I want it to necessarily, but it all comes together to give me the knowledge, skills, and determination to fix the problems I'm supposed to fix in this life. Actually, if what I want is to fulfill my destiny (and that's it), then yes, everything will work out the way I want it to.

No Aliens?

2009-02-08T22:00:00.000-07:00

According to my bogus sources, the whole "gray" alien mythology was invented and propagated by TPTB to provide an alternative explanation for their own black projects and illegal abductions. Using mind control techniques, the true, human abductors are able to plant particular images in the minds of abductees. This has the desirable effect of making those who distrust their government look elsewhere while the apathetic masses don't look at all.

Hallelujah!

2009-02-08T13:45:00.000-07:00

Sung to the tune of Handel's Hallelujah Chorus.

Once when I was seventeen, a stirring vision came to me.
Deepest eyes I'd ever seen and hair that smelled of rosemary.
We wandered all through the forest, only the Lord to guide our step.
When we finally made it out, we fell down on the grass and slept.

In the morning, I awoke to find myself alone again.
When the sun came up, I felt as if I'd lost my only friend.
Someone had entered my dreams and filled them with scenes that made me weep.
I was quick to close my eyes but just couldn't get back to sleep.

On the journey home, I found that I'd received a parting gift,
Just the sort of token that could give my soul a needed lift.
One crumpled brown paper scrap with words that would tap a stream of love.
It was then I realized that girl was sent from up above.

The Global Fear Supply

2009-02-01T10:34:00.000-07:00

Do we eat other animals as similar to us as possible (pigs are the closest in American society but dolphins and even bonobos are eaten in other parts of the world) in order to increase the global fear supply? Whether you're considering other-dimensional reptilian parasites or simply the wealthy elite right here in America, fear equals profit.

It's a given that the closer an animal is to us genetically, the more we tend to empathize with it. If you were to see pigs getting captured and slaughtered on a daily basis, you'd naturally feel some sympathy, which would translate into fear for yourself. Now, probably without any conscious thought on the matter, you're motivated to work that much harder to make sure you survive. Because not everyone does.

An obvious parallel to the scenario I've just painted is slavery. Can you imagine seeing other humans controlled, abused, and even murdered within a society that sees nothing wrong with it? Not long ago at all, that was our society. Humanity hasn't changed much in all of recorded history. You think a few generations are enough distance to ensure something like that won't happen again? Watch out.

I don't simply mean watch out for the future, I mean look around right now with a critical eye. Don't believe what you're told. Don't believe what you've always believed. Believe what you see.

Color Blinded

2009-01-29T11:17:00.001-07:00

I'd like to think that if Ron Paul had won the Republican primaries, he'd have beat Barack Obama in the general election, especially with the economic crisis backing up everything he's been saying all along. But I don't know.

Even though there aren't many laws that reflect it, we still live in a pretty racist society. Or if that's too negative for you, how about race-conscious? It's the same thing.

Sure, there are still a handful of idiots (well, a pretty large handful) who would never vote for Obama because he's half-black. (Yes, that "half" matters; we're still a touch too racist to elect someone really dark. Like they gave Halle Berry the Oscar, but they won't even give good roles to really dark women with more African features.) But there's a much more sizable chunk of the population that really wanted to vote for Obama because he's black. During the Democratic primaries, all these well-meaning people were thinking, Who do I get to vote for? The first female president or the first black president? Either way, I'm making history!

And then it was Obama vs. McCain. Self-made young black man vs. rich old white man. And the white guy was from the same party as that last crummy president. In fact, Bush was so bad that both parties made their campaigns about "change". It doesn't take a genius (and actually being a bit dull really helps) to see that Obama's the new and different candidate who could really give us some kind of change. And when you feel like you're at rock bottom, any change sounds good.

But now we're increasing government spending like crazy and printing more money all the time just to keep up with it. Just like Ron Paul predicted, that's what got us in this economic mess to begin with. Republicans do the same thing, but they tend to do it a bit less than democrats. Maybe we would've been better off with McCain, but during the election all I could think was Get out of the Middle East! and No more invasion and occupation! Ah well. They're all the same family anyway; I don't think it matters much.

Unless we really get serious and refuse unjust orders when the time comes, we're in for some trouble. Remember the big picture. Don't be like that Austrian kid in The Sound of Music who joined the Nazis and lost his common sense.

If we can all stick to one cardinal rule, we'll be OK: Do not kill. That's it. Don't let any kind of training, fear, or justification nullify that commandment in your mind.

Hair Peace

2009-01-16T21:39:00.000-07:00

According to my bogus sources, shaving your head makes you more susceptible to mind control. That's why it's the first thing done to new recruits in the military. You've heard of the ol' tinfoil hat trick, right? Your hair can work the same way to block mind control beams (or whatever they use) because you excrete metals like mercury and aluminum through your hair! Coincidence? Quite possibly.

This explains why long hair is so frowned upon by TPTB. Maybe John Lennon knew about this and that's why he urged everyone to grow their hair out. "Hair Peace". Right on.

Poison Technofoods

2009-01-15T11:12:00.000-07:00

According to my bogus sources, recently popular health foods like grapeseed oil and agave nectar are just distractors to keep consumers away from really healthy foods like extra virgin olive oil and raw local honey. TPTB work pretty hard to develop foods that appear extremely healthy, only to leave out key nutrients and lace these technofoods with decidedly unhealthy chemicals.

Hmm . . . now that I've looked at some actual sources comparing olive and grapeseed oil, it looks like coconut oil might be the really healthy thing. And of course, stay away from Canola oil. No joke.

Conspiracy Theories

2009-01-15T09:43:00.001-07:00

Lately, I've had the urge to throw some crazy conspiracy theories out there, but I don't want to be taken seriously on them. As far as I know, it's just paranoia. Then again, somebody else might actually have some evidence in support of some of my wild conjectures (which ones, who knows?), so I don't just wanna keep my mouth shut.

Whenever I'm making this sort of post, I'll preface it with, "According to my bogus sources..." just so you know I'm not serious. And for your reference, "TPTB" is commonly used among conspiracy types to mean "the powers that be". It's some covert level of authority higher than any supposedly sovereign nation on earth. What you might've heard some people awkwardly referring to as "Them".

Watch this turn out like that movie Conspiracy Theory. Ah well. The way I see it, if there really is some higher controlling force that's feeding off my negative energy and keeping me and my family pent up like cattle, it's better to go down swingin'.

The Origin of Lemmica

2009-01-11T11:40:00.000-07:00

This is for a game I'm working on over at L7space. It'll be a sort of RPG for teaching foreign languages.

Many centuries ago, a powerful robot was built. Technology was limited back then, but the Spirit was better understood and more widely utilized. A well-respected old teacher and his wife, a gifted scultpor, had never been able to have a child and wanted more than anything to create life. They worked tirelessly for over two years and at the end of their toil seemed to have created only a statue of a boy. And not nearly as beautiful a statue as the townspeople had expected of the woman. Both the old man and his wife were ridiculed and thought to have failed. Even when the old couple died several years later, the robot boy could not speak and could barely move.

But he was learning.

Time passed and the boy's story faded into legend. Despite his small stature, the boy so terrified everyone he encountered that he resigned himself to keeping hidden and only observing the humans, whom he adored and viewed collectively as his Creator. Animals, he found, could easily seee past his unusual appearance, so the boy was not without companionship. However, the communication systems of the animals he befriended lacked the depth and richness of human language. The boy was very lonely and tired of confining himself to the Shadows. In desperation, he formed a plan.

He fashioned a large boat and collected samples of several species of animal in the hopes of finding an uninhabited island and teaching the animals how to live as humans. Eventually, they did find a suitable island, and the boy was able to teach the animals everything he knew. The boy's name was Lem, and he is the founder of our world.

Things Are Going Swimmingly

2009-01-05T15:24:00.000-07:00

I just wrote an email to my wife and thought it would serve as a pretty good update on how my life is going right now. Since this blog isn't bound to any particular category and is really just whatever thoughts I have that don't fit into Vokation or The Autism Spectrum, I figured this is the place for such a diary entry.

Tina,

Me 'n the li'l nipper just arrived at the library and went to my secret office without a number on the door. Hehe, they've been fixing it up; it has a sort-of ceiling thing now. They'll probably put a number on it and assign it soon. Sigh, then I'll have to find a new unlocked office. It's the squatter's code.

Anyway, Mei's asleep after a big meal at the Tote. She had fish, chicken, rice, beans, chips, and guacamole salsa. And I'm stuffed too. Like I've said before, if you're into eating a lot of chips and salsa there, we can all have a good meal for $8. (As it was Mei and I had a feast for $8.) So far, everything's been going great. Mei even got a free Mexican peanut candy on the bus because she was grumpy from being taken out of her stroller almost asleep.

I had got to the intersection just in time to run across the street and see if the already waiting bus would let me on. The guy not only let me on with Mei still in the stroller but said I could pay on my way out rather than scrambling to get everything together at once. How refreshing!

So that's about it. I'm gonna get to work now. Just thought I'd update you. <3

Cliff

Why the FDA Doesn't Protect You

2008-12-27T23:12:00.000-07:00

The short answer, of course, is money.

This guy, Dr. Mark Hyman, is right on the money! I did another post about his "UltraWellness system" on The Autism Spectrum, but this little video is more in line with my crazy conspiracy blog (though the two seem to be merging more and more all the time).

Take It

2008-12-03T10:03:00.000-07:00

A great quote by Pete Seeger:

Take it easy, but take it.

It's in reference to union-building, but I think it's great advice in general. You've gotta have passion, but only because it fuels determination. Don't get so passionate you scare everyone off or lose track of the here and now. And of course, don't forget the reason you're here. (And if you don't know it yet, don't forget to find out.)

Animal Totem Symbology

2008-11-24T14:30:00.000-07:00

Doing some research for a language teaching game I have in the works, I found some information on animal totems that was quite enlightening. Browsing through the animals, noticing their different traits, I naturally began to wonder what my "spirit animal" might be. I followed these instructions for visualizing my power animal and was a bit shocked at how quickly, clearly, and unmistakably the image came. Apparently, I'm a penguin.

This makes perfect sense in retrospect since I used to identify with penguins pretty strongly when I was younger. In fourth grade, everybody in the class somehow divided into two groups: the giraffes and the cows, each with its own charismatic leader. I didn't feel comfortable joining either group, so I founded my own group of one. If I remember right, there was only one other kid in the class who didn't clearly identify with either the cows or the giraffes. She vacillated between identifying herself as a penguin like me and her own animal, the marsupilami. We were kids.

Anyway, here's a short list of the basic traits traditionally associated with various animal species. Particularly prominent animal symbols are marked with an asterisk.

Note: I haven't finished editing this listed yet, so not all of the "traits" actually are traits, more of a mishmash of things generally associated with the animal.

Alligator = maternal, revenge-oriented, quick, aggressive, having basic survival instincts
Ant = group-minded, patient, active, determined, industrious
Anteater = lethargic, curious, nosy
Antelope = active, agile, willing to sacrifice, jumpy
Armadillo = safety-oriented, having boundaries, grounded; medicine shield
Badger = courageous, aggressive, healing, having problems relating to others; energy conduit
Bat = secretive, transforming, initiating, long-living; good listener
Bear* = powerful, healing, industrious, instinctive, sovereign, watchful, courageous, strong-willed, self-preserving, introspective, strong; guardian of the world
Beaver = constructive, protective, determined, strong-willed, builder; overseer
Bee = organized, industrial, productive, wise, community-oriented, celebrating, fertile, defensive, obsessive, joyful
Boar/Pig* = very powerful, prosperous, spiritual, organized, self-reliant, fearless; the element of Fire, the life-giving power of the sun
Buffalo* = sacred, full of life, having an abundance, very strong, grateful
Bull = Insight into the past, fertility, rushing into things without proper preparation
Butterfly* = Metamorphosis, transformation, balance, grace, ability to accept change; metamorphosis and transformation
Camel = Survival, positive, accomplishments
Caribou = Traveler, mobility, preference to be nomadic, adaptability to adversity
Cat* = Guardianship, detachment, sensuality, mystery, magic, and independence; Independence
Cheetah = Swiftness, insight, focus, nourishment and mother figure
Cobra = Swift and decisive
Cougar = Leadership, loyalty, courage, taking responsibility, foresight
Cow = Swift, insightful, and focused
Coyote = Trickster, intelligence, stealth, mischief, wisdom and folly, guile and innocence, clowning around, ability to recognize mistakes; the trickster, devilment
Crab = Good luck, protection and success
Crane = Solitude, justice, longevity, independent, intelligent, and vigilant; solitude and independence
Crocodile = Ensuring your emotions are displayed accurately/appropriately
Crow = Justice, shape shifting, change, creativity, spiritual strength, energy, community sharing, and balance; law, shape shifting, change
Deer* = Compassion, peace, intellectual, gentle, caring, kind, subtlety, gracefulness, femininity, gentleness, innocence, and seller of adventure; gentleness, caring and kindness
Dog* = Noble, faithful, loyal, teaching, protection, and guidance; noble, loyal, teaching
Dolphin* = Kind, salvation, wisdom, happiness, playfulness, prudent, capable of deep emotion, and happy; kindness and play energy
Dove = Cross-world communication, spirit messenger, peace, gentleness, love
Dragon = Longevity, richness, prosperity, infinity, wisdom, power, and fiery; longevity, infinity, wisdom, movement through space
Dragonfly = Flighty and carefree, strong imagination, higher aspirations; illusion, transcendence
Duck = Water energy, helper of seers, can clearly see/deal with emotions
Eagle* = Divine spirit, sacrifice, connection to creator, intelligence, renewal, courage, illumination of spirit, healing, creation, freedom, and risk-taker; divine Spirit and connection to creator
Elephant = Strength, power, affection, loyalty, royalty, and wisdom
Elk = Strength and agility, pride, majestic, independence, purification, strength, and nobility; strength and agility
Falcon = New beginnings, adventure, passionate, and leadership
Fish = Graceful, slyness, open-minded, quick to change one's mind
Flamingo = Heart healing, psychic, people person, flirtatious
Fox = Cunning, agility, quick-witted, diplomacy, wildness, feminine magic of camouflage, shape-shifting and invisibility; cunning, agility, quick-witted
Frog = Water energy, cleansing, rebirth, sensitivity, medicine, hidden beauty, peace, adaptability, poor character judgment and power; water energy
Gazelle = Aggressive
Giraffe = Communication, intuition, attaining the unreachable, seeing the future
Goat = Surefooted, stubbornness, independence, diligence, lack of foresight
Goose = Self-demanding, reliable, prudent, rigid, vigilance, parenthood, and productive
Gorilla = Family-oriented, intelligence, strength, environmental protector, keeps peace through aggression
Grasshopper = Good luck, abundance, forward, progressive
Grouse = Personal power, enlightenment
Hawk = Messenger, intuition, victory, healing, nobility, recollection, cleansing, visionary power, and guardianship; messenger, intuition, discernment
Heron/Egret = Aggressive, self-determined, self-reliant, multi-tasking, balanced
Hippopotamus = Power, creation, imagination, healing
Horse* = Freedom, stamina, mobility, the land, travel, power, and freedom; stamina, mobility
Hummingbird* = Messenger, timelessness, healing, and warrior; messenger, timelessness
Jaguar = Chaos, shape-shifter, aggressiveness, power
Kangaroo = Forward, balance, creative, stamina
Lion* = Family, strength, energy, courage, guardian and protector; Power of feminine energy
Lizard = Conservation, vision, self-protection, hidden defenses; conservation
Llama = Comforting to others, secure
Lynx = Keeper of secrets, guardian, listener, and guide; keeper of secrets, guardian and guide
Mole = Sensitivity, guidance, searching
Monkey = Ability to change the environment, health, success
Moose = Headstrong, longevity, steadfastness, and wisdom; headstrong, longevity, steadfastness
Mountain lion: courage, leadership and foresight
Mouse = Scrutiny, order, organizer, and an eye for details; scrutiny, order, organizer
Octopus = Intelligence, camouflage, nocturnal
Opossum = Diversion, strategist, and deceiver; diversion, strategist, deceiver
Ostrich = Grounded, practical
Otter = Playful, friendly, dynamic, joy, helpfulness, and sharing; playful, prognostication, woman medicine
Owl* = Deception, clairvoyance, insight, messenger,; deception, clairvoyance, insight (the night eagle)
Ox = Sacrifice, chastity and self-denial
Panther = Protection, hidden emotions, introspection, caution, careful decisions
Parrot = Communication, beauty, guide for wisdom, mockery, thinking before speaking
Peacock = Immortality, dignity, and self-confidence
Pelican = Resilient, unselfish, rising above
Penguin = Self-discipline, grace, self-confidence, spiritual
Porcupine = Innocence, companionship, and trust; innocence, companionship, trust
Prairie Dog = Swiftness, industrious, constructive, preparedness
Puma = Companion on journeys to other worlds, grace, silent power
Quail = Group-work, team play, creator of harmony and group tolerance, protectiveness (especially toward children)
Rabbit* = Fear, timidity, nervousness, humility, rebirth,; fear, timidity, nervousness, humility
Raccoon = Curiosity and cleanliness
Ram = Stoic, sensitive, persevering, curious, imaginative
Rat = Fertility, stealth, scavenging, intelligence, enjoys luxury
Raven = Introspection, courage, self-knowledge, magic; introspection, courage, self-knowledge
Rhinoceros = Wisdom, solitary, insightful, solid
Roadrunner = Mental agility, speed, opportunistic
Rooster = Vanity, likes to be showered with gifts and attention, early riser, settling for nothing less than the best
Salmon = Proud, intense, confident, wisdom, inspiration
Scorpion = Transforming, strong, inspiring, chaotic, = passionate
Seagull = Versatility, loud, easy-going nature, creativity, laziness
Seahorse = Confidence and grace; confidence and grace
Seal = Love, longing, dilemma, active imagination, creativity
Shark = Hunter, survival, and adaptability; hunter, survival, adaptability
Skunk = Reputation, presence, and strength; reputation, presence, strength
Snail = Protective, aware, solitary
Snake = Impulsive, shrewdness, rebirth, transformation, initiation, and wisdom; shrewdness, rebirth
Spider = Balance, wisdom, creativity, communication; Creatrix, web spinner
Squirrel = Planner and gatherer; planner, gatherer
Stag = Lord of the forest, masculine power of regeneration, signs
Swan = Grace, balance and innocence, soul, love, beauty, of the self; grace, balance and innocence
Tiger = Strength, valor, power, and energy
Toad = inner strength, luck, self-examination
Turkey = Generosity, life-giver, and sharer; generosity, life-giver, sharer
Turtle* = Nurturer, shy, and protecting; nurturer, protector, mother energy
Unicorn = Purity, innocence, dreamer, personal power, gentle
Weasel/Ferret = Strength, energy, ingenuity and stealth; strength, energy, ingenuity and stealth
Whale = Wisdom, provider, intelligence, and kindness; wisdom, provider
Wolf* = Loyalty, perseverance, success, intuition, and spirit; loyalty, perseverance, success
Woodpecker = Sensitive, protective, and devotion
Zebra = Agility and individuality

I complied this list based on the information at Crystalinks and Legends of America. You can find a much more detailed list on Sayahda's Cycle of Power.

"Lies, Lies, Lies"

2008-11-11T18:37:00.000-07:00

I never thought I'd hear such clear and brutal truth coming from the mouth of a Catholic bishop. God bless Richard Williamson.

Barack Obama Is Not a Natural Born Citizen

2008-11-10T18:19:00.001-07:00

Wow. And now he's president. I can't believe I never heard about this before the election. Wouldn't have changed my vote I guess. I just went Libertarian because both the major parties stink pretty bad right now.

See what people are saying on Newsvine: Supreme Court to Review Barack's "Citizenship".

Update: This retired CIA officer's commissioned report sums the situation up nicely: "Clearing the Smoke on Obama’s Eligibility".

Military Investigates Amnesia Beams

2008-11-05T15:44:00.000-07:00

Here's a little article on Wired about the military's interest in erasing certain memories.

A team of scientists from the United States and China announced last week that, for the first time, they had found a means of selectively and safely erasing memories in mice...

I wonder how long they've been erasing memories unsafely. It's interesting how the technology they describe (the old technology anyway) really is a lot like in the movie Men in Black. I suspect movies like that (movies that hit really close to the truth but only in a ridiculous, cartoonish sort of way) are supposed to have the dual function of acquainting us with possibilities so that they don't come as so much of a shock when we hear about them elsewhere and making the whole idea laughable so that we don't believe what we hear elsewhere.

So when they're ready to tell us about... say... the existence of Bigfoot, we'll accept it without asking too many questions. And more importantly, until then, we'll just keep laughing.

Your Job and Your Sign

2008-10-23T11:18:00.000-06:00

I recently read an article on CNN.com that seems to say there's a really good correlation between a person's job and eir zodiac sign. I minored in psychology (and I'm currently in graduate school, so I'm still around a lot of psych people), and all people in that field seem to agree that the zodiac is a bunch of malarkey that can't be backed up scientifically. But if what CNN is saying in this article is true, it can be. If there's a significant correlation between someone's job and eir sign, that means the sign actually means something and can be used to predict things about the person. It might not be very accurate for everyone, but so what? It's a generalization!

Anyway, check out the article, and let me know what you think by commenting here.

Take a Nap

2008-10-13T16:11:00.000-06:00

Here's a song I wrote for my daughter yesterday. I'd like to expand it a little, but I'm not sure how. The first verse should be the beginning and the last should be the end, so there might have to be some repetition to get extra verses in there smoothly. Or maybe I could just squish in some stuff between the first and second verse. Anyway, I like it. I've had the last two verses stuck in my head since I wrote them.

Whenever you feel sad,
Close your eyes and take a nap.
Cuz in your sleep, you can dream about
Things that make you not feel so bad!

We all need our dreams
Just like a book needs every chapter.
It's like a movie on a screen
Except you control the actors.

When you wake in a while, you will feel fine, fine, fine . . .
And you'll just save your dreams for another time!

Big Brother and Hurricane Ike

2008-10-06T13:27:00.000-06:00

This post is a little delayed, but better late than never. My father, who lives in the Houston area, sent me a link to this video on Alex Jones's InfoWars.com. Notice how Gov. Rick Perry tries to say that local authorities on the Bolivar Peninsula must be responsible for the media blackout. Then, when he's asked about why news helicopters can't fly over certain areas, he assures us that he doesn't have the authority to restrict airspace. So who's stepping on the First Ammendment: local or federal government? Gov. Rick Perry doesn't seem to care; he just wants to make sure you don't blame him.

When asked why the media is being kept in the dark, Houston reporter Wayne Dolcefino says:

I don’t think they want us to see images that may remind people . . . of the images that we saw in New Orleans. I don’t think they want us to see the images that were seen in Waveland, Mississippi or Gulfport . . . I think that’s the reality; they do not want us to see yet, until they can control what we see and how we see it. And that is simply, at least in my career, unacceptable. Maybe a lot of reporters won’t say it, but I will. I think they do not want us to see images of potential fatalities that may be on land or on water.

Kids Are Awesome.

2008-09-12T17:40:00.000-06:00

I just heard a little girl outside my window say this to some other kids:

"Pine trees are full of vitamins. You can bite them or eat the bark. Oh... look what I found: honey! [pause] Nevermind, that's just blood."

In case you're worried, I think she was talking about sap, not actual human blood.

A Really Weird Dream

2008-08-25T13:35:00.000-06:00

I was a young woman. I think this was in France. I was a revolutionary, and I met with others in a very long drainage pipe. We could fit a hundred or so in there and, because of the acoustics, anyone who talked could be heard by everyone.

There was an old Korean woman with big, thick glasses who was my guide in some way. I listened to her. She had a small dog that you might call her "familiar". I can see now that the spirit who controlled her at times would normally rest in the dog. Once, I saw the old woman standing in the dark, staring at me getting out of a car. Her image melted away, and I saw only the dog staring at me, which really freaked me out.

I had a bag of sugar at some point, and I misplaced it. There were two other objects I kept with the sugar, but I can't remember them now.

There was a bird that I was told was a kind of parrot. It had a cream-colored head and a dark body. It didn't look like a parrot to me, but I thought it made sense to be one because it was obviously so smart. For some reason, I slipped a knot over its head and tied it to a post of someone's porch. It struggled to fly away but only tightened the knot. I was afraid to let it loose.

I've lost almost the entire dream by now, but I do remember being arrested as a revolutionary and having my suitcase examined. My bag of sugar was there inside a plastic grocery bag. Both bags were torn up as if by some small animal. Buried in the sugar were two white books. We looked through them, and both were handwritten by me. I think they might have been painted, actually.

Each page or two gave a short description of a different alien being and what it had accomplished by inhabiting the body of a person in history. Most of these people were involved in revolutions. I didn't recognize any of the names, but I wasn't allowed to read very much. I never even saw inside the second book, so who knows what I'd written in there. Apparently, my task (while inhabited myself) was to catalogue the heroic deeds of these alien beings, their role in shaping humanity.

The only other thing I remember was lying down in the dark, basically as I was in real life, when a small black animal came running toward me. It wasn't attacking but seemed to be very excitedly inspecting me as you'd expect a dog to do. I grabbed it when it ran over me and held it by its back leg for a moment. (It only seemed to have one.) It felt like a small pig but not quite stocky enough. This was so vivid that when I woke up, I smelled my hands.

A Really Scary Dream

2008-08-22T07:04:00.000-06:00

I woke up scared this morning. Not with a rational fear of anything, just scared. Like I'd seen a ghost. In my dream, I saw wisps of fog that took the shape of birds temporarily. I couldn't understand why, but I formed a theory. "Spirits fill our world like water in a grain of rice," I said. I expressed my ideas to my mom and step-dad in this dream. They seemed to think I was crazy even though they saw the birds just as well as I did. I expressed that I thought the spirits were coming down to Earth the be born.

Then, as if put there to help me adjust my theory, we all saw a small, expressionless, Mexican girl beside our car. Something about her face looked much too old. Her dark, shiny skin reminded me of polished woodgrain. It was night and drizzling rain, which I know is cliche in such situations, but perhaps it was the weather conditions that helped us to see her. I covered my two-year-old daughter's eyes because I didn't want her to see anything so inexplicably terrifying. She gave a short explanation of her presence on the side of the road, something like, "I fell," and obviously wanted to get in the car.

Uncharacteristically, my step-dad rolled up his window and began pulling away. None of us said anything. The girl walked after the SUV a few steps and slapped on its back window a few times. Not with any great force, but with a horrifying noise nonetheless. She soon gave up, and a pick-up behind us let her in. Here's the part I can't quite get my head around: They let her into our car. As she stared at me in the dark, my wife struggled to aim a flashlight at her face. Most of the light seemed to go right through her.

It was at this point, that my wife woke me from my dream. I'd been whimpering in an attempt to scream or say something. In both worlds, I'd been paralyzed and virtually silenced. I left the room of my wife's grandmother's El Paso home where we've been staying and turned off my alarm clock. No more sleep was possible. Instead of getting in the shower immediately, I sat on a stool beside the bathroom and thought about what I'd seen. From that stool, I had a perfect view of a little figurine in a glass case, one I'd never noticed before. A small, expressionless, Mexican girl.

The Start of a Song

2008-06-20T02:49:00.000-06:00

I was just walking through the drizzling rain thinking of mythologies, conspiracies, and such when some lyrics came to me. I'm not quite sure where this song is going yet, but I thought I'd post the start while it's still fresh. If anyone has any ideas (or wants to hire me for any sort of freelance writing work), please leave a comment!

Sadly and sweetly, the unkeepability falls on me much like the rain.
I walk amid laughter, but all that I'm after's a simple reprieve of the pain.
People tell stories of heartache and glories; I ask myself what do we gain
Through the tales that we speak of the heroes, the weak, the beautiful, and the insane?

I Need an Accordion!

2008-05-30T00:52:00.000-06:00

I was just walking home from the school where I work and whistling Weezer's "Wanda" to myself. It would sound so nice with an accordion covering the melody.

Sin and Repentance

2008-05-26T17:00:00.000-06:00

I was just talking with (well, mostly to) my wife for about an hour, and I came to a pretty solid revelation. I've thought this before (more or less), but I've never seen it so clearly.

When we gained the "knowledge of good and evil" (you know, from the tree), we learned to feel guilty for all the bad things we do and the good things we fail to do. These things we feel guilty about are called "sin" in the Judeo-Christian tradition.

According to the Bible, sin didn't exist until people could tell right from wrong. As soon as Adam and Eve ate the fruit, they felt ashamed and put on clothes. They didn't have to "sin" to feel the guilt, it was immediate. They felt guilt for things they were already doing before they knew any better. If they hadn't learned right from wrong, they would've never felt guilt and undoubtedly continued their wrong actions. But they wouldn't have been sinning.

So it would seem it's not our wrong actions that condemn us to "Hell” but the guilt that arises from our knowing they're wrong. Maybe Hell is that guilt. (It may persist long after your body dies.) This would automatically exempt people who don't understand the wrongness of their actions from Hell. These people--whether they're infants, mentally handicapped, or just plain crazy--would be (to varying degrees) like Adam and Eve before they "fell".

Looking at it this way makes me feel much better about the Christian concept of Hell. It's not God punishing us. It's not even from God. It's from us. This simplifies everything. The way to rid yourself of that guilty feeling that becomes Hell is to trust that God loves you and accepts even your flaws. Of course, if you don't plan on even trying not to sin, you can't really have a clear conscience, can you? Repentance is about the future, not the past.

The Cycle of Human Activity

2008-05-26T08:19:00.000-06:00

Yet another product of laundromat philosophizing.

Desire (positive external view)
-> selfish actions ->

Guilt (negative internal view)
-> benevolent actions ->

Pride (positive internal view)
-> judgement of others ->

Disgust (negative external view)
-> understanding and appreciation ->

Notice that desire (or "lust") and pride are two of the seven deadly sins of Catholicism. These positive feelings lead to negative actions. Guilt and disgust, however, are negative feelings that the Church seems to value. Presumably because they lead to charity and love. I'm surprised how much this syncs up with Christianity.

New Blog: Vokation

2008-05-25T21:49:00.000-06:00

I've decided to use my old website Vokation.com to start a new blog all about language. So I'll no longer be posting much language-related stuff here but instead on Vokation. And I will be posting a lot over there.

So if you're reading this blog for articles like "How to Sound Japanese" or "English Cheatsheets", you should head over to Vokation. But if you're reading for the weird stuff like "Bloodlines" or "Extra Dimensions", then stick around. There's more coming.

Up... Up... Up... Woke up...

2008-05-10T09:55:00.000-06:00

Yo. I know none o' yooz out there is listenin' anyhow, but I got some spit that'll blow your blow your brains outcha head!

See, I live in Japan and work as an English teacher. I usually work from around noon to 9 PM every day, so I don't really use an alarm clock. A few days ago, I kind of wanted to wake up a little early and work on some stuff, but I didn't want to set the alarm and maybe wake my wife and kid up.

So around 8:30, I hear a voice over a loudspeaker apparently driving around or something: "Up... Up... Up... Up... Woke up... Up... Up... Wake up... Up... Up... Up..." and so on. It said "Up" over and over with a few seconds in between, changing it up every once in a while with a "Woke up" or "Wake up" (and I'm pretty sure a "Woken up" one time). And did I mention I'm in Japan? So what's with the English? And it's 8:30 AM, so most people with jobs are already up. You know, if it were some kind of prank, a little earlier would be much funnier.

I was laying there for like five minutes waking up to the sound of it thinking, That's good... It'll wake me up but nobody else. That's too perfect.

Google Earth is fun.

2008-04-07T20:25:00.000-06:00

There are several videos of this nature, which show interesting little oddities on the face of our planet. The first two spots in this video are (presumably) natural formations. The next is something that looks like the Nazca lines of Peru. (And it does appear to be in South America.) From what I can gather, the fourth location is Nevada Test and Training Range (formerly Nellis Air Force Range) in Nevada, a simulated surface-to-air missile (SAM) site. The last spot is up north a little, but I'd better it's another U.S. military site. It's also blatant Illuminati symbolism.

I love the end of this video! Prepare for shock and awe.

Bloodlines

2008-03-27T08:25:00.000-06:00

Of course these guys are all related. Just like all the rulers of Europe for God knows how long. I'm not quite sure why they pay such close attention to bloodlines, keeping it in the family century after century.

Family ties: Candidates' ancestry makes for strange bedfellows

Perhaps, now the candidates will play nice.

For all their insistence on how unlike they are from one another, the three U.S. presidential candidates share some noteworthy family connections, the New England Historic Genealogical Society has found.

Democratic Sen. Barack Obama, who has made his opposition to the Iraq war a linchpin of his campaign, is distantly related not only to President George W. Bush but also to another wartime leader -- former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill.

Because of his shared ancestry with President Bush, Obama is also indirectly related to his rival on the Republican side, Sen. John McCain.

(more at CNN.com...)

Japan vs. Texas

2008-02-20T08:56:00.000-07:00

After living as an English teacher in Marugame, Japan for a while, I thought I'd give my impression of the country so far. My whole life (until last year), I've only lived in Texas, so that's pretty much all I can compare Japan to.

What I Love About Japan:

Convenience. I love being able to walk or ride my bike pretty much anywhere I need to go. If I want to visit another city, I can take a train. If something's too far away, I can always call a taxi. In Texas, you really need a car to get around.

The scenery. Japanese parks are beautiful! I really like mountains, so it's nice to be able to climb Mt. Kompira and Sanuki Fuji. I never climbed mountains in America! It's also really interesting how the scenery changes through the year.

The drinks. I love Japanese tea and sake, and I can always find something new to try. We don't have drink machines all over the place in Texas, usually just in front of big stores.

Convenience stores. In Texas, convenience stores are pretty much always attached to gas stations, and they're not as nice. I go to Lawson three or four times a week! I love the rice balls and jelly snacks.

Learning Japanese. I really appreciate the chance I have to learn Japanese so quickly. I hardly ever study, but I'm picking up a lot from students!

What I Miss About Texas:

Family. Of course I miss my parents and brother and sisters, but I really wish my daughter Mei could see everyone more. So far, my mom has come to visit twice, and my wife's family has come once. They were really happy to have an excuse to visit Japan!

The woods. I grew up in the country, so I would always play in the woods. There doesn't seem to be as much forest here in Japan because the islands are so small and crowded. The parks here are really well-groomed; in Texas, they're usually bigger and more wild.

Mexican food. I used to eat some kind of Mexican food at least once or twice a week. Sometimes, I would eat it every day for months. I love big, Texas-style burritos. My favorite snack is probably tortilla chips and salsa. I'm crazy about spicy food!

Libraries. In America, I could hang out at libraries or bookstores and read for hours. It's hard to find any books in English around here. At least I can read Time magazine at the Marugame library. I know English is hard to read, but I think Japanese is even harder! I don't know if I'll ever get the hang of kanji.

Elbow room. Most Americans have a different sense of space than Japanese people. We feel uncomfortable when someone is too close, especially on a bike or in a car. The roads here and the aisles in most stores are usually too narrow for me. I'm also too tall for Japanese doors, so I guess I should also say "head room".

All in all, I really appreciate this time in Japan. I'm learning a lot and having all kinds of new experiences!

Fight for Your Life!

2008-02-11T06:30:00.000-07:00

I wrote this song at the laundromat earlier today. It's probably one of the first songs I've written in daylight. I'm writing much less often these days than I did in high school, but I feel like I have more control over it.

When you wake up, there's a lizard perched atop your very nose.
He looks straight into your eyes,
And you feel a slight surprise
As you come to realize
You've no secrets. If you've thought it, then He knows.

There's a reason... There's a cause for all the problems that you've had.
For your sickness and your dread
And the voices in your head.
If you'd kept yourself well fed,
You'd be healthy. At least you wouldn't feel so bad.

Who is this monster
Dressed like you and me?
He's feeding off your panic,
Your pain and misery.

There's a secret. It's not easy to believe it, but it's true.
There's a mark upon your face,
And it keeps you in your place.
The entire human race
Is in trouble. So what're you going to do?

You can't be a victim
While you're holding up a knife.
You've got to keep on fighting.
Fight for your life!

If you or someone you know has any ideas, I'd really like to do something with the songs I write. I don't play any instruments yet, but I can sing and whistle OK.

Extra Dimensions

2007-11-30T20:32:00.000-07:00

I'm tired of hearing people use the word dimension to mean alternate reality or parallel universe. A dimension is a measurement of the location of something. We typically talk about our three familiar spatial dimensions, but I think time is also considered a dimension. That would be four dimensions total. If something exists, it exists in all dimensions at once. If an apparently two-dimensional object like a piece of paper really had no thickness, it wouldn't exist. Also, if it didn't exist at a given point in time, it wouldn't exist, but that's just getting a little silly, so I'll just talk about spatial dimensions from here on out.

So there's no way to "move into" another dimension. If there is another dimension that can measure physical space, you already exist in it! You just might not realize it. A dimension does not exist physically. It's something we made up to analyze what does physically exist. If you're six feet tall, you exist, but "tall" doesn't (except as a concept in your mind).

Since we're only able to consciously sense the world in three dimensions, we can only imagine objects in 3D, 2D (a flat plane), 1D (a straight line), or 0D (a point). To start thinking about what it means for something to exist in four spatial dimensions, I find it helpful to analyze the difference between 2D and 3D objects.

We think of flat drawings as two-dimensional even though they have to have some amount of thickness to exist and be visible. Imagine living in a world like a drawing or a photograph. There may be some thickness to your world, but you don't notice. It doesn't make sense for your brain to be concerned with that detail because you can't move one way or the other in that dimension; you're stuck on the paper.

That's one possibility. If space has a fourth dimension, our "universe" exists in it like a big piece of paper. And this paper might be crumpled up. In fact, since it has virtually no thickness, the whole thing might be crumpled into a dot. This would mean that every point in our world could be touching every other point at the same time!

Another possibility is that our world does have thickness in the fourth dimension, maybe infinite thickness, but we just can't sense it or detect it with the equipment we've developed so far. We actually see in 2D; we just do it with two eyes from two slightly different angles, and we're pretty good at figuring out how far away things are using a variety of visual clues. Our sense of touch operates in 3D. That helps us understand our world as 3D and realize that the 2D images we see generally represent a 3D reality. So what if our other senses have limits similar to the limits on our sense of sight? We'd have no apparent way of understanding our world as four-dimensional and sensing what's really going on in it. We might move on a fourth dimension all the time and just not know it.

According to the latest research, the universe probably has ten spatial dimensions. If you can understand and accept one extra dimension, why not seven? So anyway, the reality of why our ten-dimensional world seems three-dimensional might be a combination of the two scenarios I just described. Our world could be flat on some dimensions and imperceptible on others.

I say "our world" and not "the universe" because my understanding of the word universe is something like "everything that exists". From everything we've discovered so far, I have to assume that the universe keeps going and going and is infinitely large. If we reach the edge of something, it's just another grouping of stuff, like a galaxy or a star system. I would also guess that in all that infinity, there must be plenty of worlds that aren't "flat" and stretch out in all ten dimensions.

So there might be an infinite number of worlds just floating around in ten-dimensional space just waiting to collide with ours. And there may be beings who can move in more dimensions than we can sense. They just might be able to move into precisely the right spot on the axis of a given dimension, interact with our world, and then move back to where they came from. When they move just a little on a dimension we can't access, they seem to stop existing.

So my whole problem with how people talk about dimensions is just a little issue with the wording. You don't move "into" a dimension, you move "on" it. And dimensions aren't big or small, but the things on them can be. Either way, it all still sounds like science fiction. But that's what truly groundbreaking new science sounds like.

A Colorful Dodecagram!

2007-11-25T01:56:00.000-07:00

I made this 12-pointed star two or three years ago as a way to make sense of the zodiac. You can use also use this sort of star for other groups of twelve, such as the musical notes, as analyzed in my first post.

Polarities:
positive (yang, active) = white
negative (yin, passive) = black

Qualities:
cardinal (initiation) = red
fixed (completion) = blue
mutable (process) = green

Elements:
fire (intuition (inward perception)) = bright
air/wind (sensation (outward perception)) = light
earth/ice (logic (outward judgement)) = dull
water/flesh (emotion (inward judgement)) = dark

Signs:
Aries (intuitive initiation) = bright red
Taurus (sensual completion) = light blue
Gemini (logical process) = dull green
Cancer (emotional initiation) = dark red
Leo (intuitive completion) = bright blue
Virgo (sensual process) = light green
Libra (logical initiation) = dull red
Scorpio (emotional completion) = dark blue
Sagittarius (intuitive process) = bright green
Capricorn (sensual initiation) = light red
Aquarius (logical completion) = dull blue
Pisces (emotional process) = dark green

Why's Everybody So Mean?

2007-11-25T01:36:00.000-07:00

Here's a song I wrote a couple nights ago while doing laundry.

I don't know what to do anymore.
I just can't keep anything straight.
I feel like I might fall to the floor.
And then it would be much too late.

You are an original girl.
You seem to know just who you are.
I am doing a lot better now
Since I picked you up in my car.
But still I am lonely somehow.
I need to do more for my world.

What does it all mean?
Aren't we all on the same team?
What does it all mean?
Why's everybody so mean?

Our daughter is still just a sweet little thing.
She still loves her mom and her dad.
But who can tell what the future will bring?
She's never met anyone bad.

She has got to get tough before long
Or she won't do well on her own.
But I hope she can stay fragile enough
To remember she's never alone.
I guess this is obvious stuff.
But I needed words for this song.

What does it all mean?
Aren't we all on the same team?
What does it all mean?
Why's everybody so mean?

My Personality

2007-11-15T00:15:00.000-07:00

It's a good thing I'm married.

Advanced Global Personality Test Results

Extraversion	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	46%
Stability	\|\|\|\|	20%
Orderliness	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	63%
Accommodation	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	56%
Interdependence	\|\|\|\|\|\|	23%
Intellectual	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	90%
Mystical	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	76%
Artistic	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	70%
Religious	\|\|\|\|\|\|	30%
Hedonism	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	76%
Materialism	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	43%
Narcissism	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	43%
Adventurousness	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	43%
Work ethic	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	63%
Self absorbed	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	36%
Conflict seeking	\|\|\|\|\|\|	30%
Need to dominate	\|\|\|\|\|\|	30%

Romantic	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	63%
Avoidant	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	56%
Anti-authority	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	90%
Wealth	\|\|\|\|\|\|	23%
Dependency	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	63%
Change averse	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	36%
Cautiousness	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	83%
Individuality	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	50%
Sexuality	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	63%
Peter pan complex	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	50%
Physical security	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	56%
Physical Fitness	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	44%
Histrionic	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	63%
Paranoia	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	83%
Vanity	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	56%
Hypersensitivity	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	90%
Indie	\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	71%

Take Free Advanced Global Personality Test

Main Type	Overall Self

Take Free Enneagram Personality Test

25 Things to Do

2007-11-13T07:27:00.000-07:00

As is the case with most of my philosophizing lately, I put this together in the laundromat down the street. I carried around a little notebook and worked on it a lot for a couple weeks, and then I sort of forgot about it. I really should try harder to practice what I preach, but this is good stuff nonetheless.

Each numbered set represents a cycle that should be completed on a regular basis in order to keep everything running smoothly. Each set is somewhat dependent on the last. For example, your mind can't function without your body, so get your body under control first and foremost. "Community" refers to all interpersonal relationships up to the species level, and "environment" includes everything from your house to your city to your planet.

I'd like to write a book or something collecting pertinent bits from a variety of religious and philosophical texts, but for now the bare list of verbs that follows will have to do.

Body:
1) control (breathe, stretch, balance, fast)
2) condition (exercise, train)
3) groom
4) satisfy (eat, drink, copulate)
5) rest (relax, sleep)

Mind:
1) study (discover, memorize)
2) ponder (evaluate, theorize)
3) concentrate
4) meditate (focus, calm)
5) transcend

Spirit:
1) design
2) create
3) polish
4) enjoy
5) change (destroy, recycle)

Community:
1) observe
2) help (work, give)
3) critique (praise, criticize)
4) love
5) withdraw

Environment:
1) survey
2) cultivate
3) tidy
4) appreciate
5) relocate

You might have noticed that every cycle follows the same pattern. It goes something like this:
1) get it together
2) develop it
3) clean it up
4) take it in
5) give it a rest

And the whole thing corresponds to the fingers on a hand and the five elements of Japanese philosophy. If you'd like to know how, just do a little research on Wikipedia or something. This is just my notebook, you know; I ain't gotta explain everything.
1) thumb, earth
2) index finger, water
3) middle finger, fire
4) ring finger, wind
5) pinkie, void

I'm not a nerd?

2007-11-12T04:49:00.000-07:00

I question the validity of this test. I doubt it was normed against a random sample of the general population. Anyhoo... my wife's apparently a "cool nerd". That's kinda true I guess, but I always thought nerds were inherently awkward and spastic with obsessive tendencies. I guess she's kinda awkward sometimes and definitely obsessive, but when it comes to spasticity, I take the cake.

Alien Intervention

2007-11-11T08:43:00.000-07:00

When a species evolves to a certain level, rationality subdues instinct, and the beings become less savage for their common good. This starts with a decrease in savagery in the family unit, then the tribe, then the nation, then the species as a whole, then the ecosystem of the planet, then all planets, and so on. This developing friendliness reduces the efficacy of natural selection and virtually halts evolution, at least for the friendly species.

What of humans? Were we really developed enough to stop our own evolution? What if the normal developmental arc of a species involves both domination of the planet and virtual self-destruction before an adequate friendliness can emerge to halt evolution? If this is the case, then our universe must be crawling with small populations of beings much more intelligent than humans, just looking for environmentally suitable planets uncontaminated by the sort of high-tech savagery that nearly killed off their own kind.

If the friendliness that saved their species is developed enough to extend to other planets, then it makes sense that these well-meaning beings would do everything in their power to give less developed planet dominators aid in eliminating the savagery that makes evolution possible at the long-term expense of the evolving species. If humans truly are substantially different from all other species on the planet, we may have some degree of alien intervention to thank.

Theory of Humanity

2007-11-11T08:39:00.000-07:00

Beast + shame = person?

Adam and Eve ate from the Tree of Knowledge. Immediately, they felt shame. As a rule, when humans are presented with a choice between something easy and something slightly harder, They'll choose the latter because of their pride (the positive counterpart to shame). It could be said that the easier option is avoided because it would be (to some degree) a shameful choice.

This is why people use the least common words to sound smart (such as "hubris" and "verisimilitude"), keep irregular grammatical forms in use through the centuries (as in the conjugations of "be" and the plural forms words like "fungus"), and are so quick to detest seemingly insignificant pronunciation differences (such as a lisp or a difference in the pronunciation of an R sound). This may also be why humans first began to walk upright habitually. It was simply harder, and therefore more impressive, to do so.

I gots me a ukulele!

2007-11-11T06:50:00.000-07:00

Hello. This is my first entry. I'm always making notes and devising systems (sometimes half-baked and sometimes just almost ready to eat) that never see the light of day, so I thought I'd start lighting them up for your enjoyment. If you see something here that sparks your interest and makes you wanna pick up where I left off or just work on something similar, go right ahead by all means. Of course, I'd appreciate some kind of mention if you wind up with a Nobel Prize or something, but it's a cruel, cruel world, and I don't expect it.

I'm really excited lately cuz I bought a ukulele! It was only 500 yen (like $4.50) at a used stuff store. I've never really tried to learn a musical instrument before, but I've always wanted to so I'm fairly determined to stick with this. I don't have a lot of free time in my schedule these days, so my progress has been coming along pretty slowly (more slowly than my wife's), but I have had time to analyze the Western musical scale and create a system of representing notes that's reminiscent of that old "do re mi" thing but far superior in every way.

C (do) = ko
C# = ka
D (re) = ke
D# = ki
E (mi) = to
F (fa) = ta
F# = te
G (so) = ti
G# = po
A (la) = pa
A# = pe
B (ti) = pi
Cm = ho
C#m = ha
Dm = he
D#m = hi
Em = so
Fm = sa
F#m = se
Gm = si
G#m = fo
Am = fa

Notice the sequencing of the four vowels in the system? For each set beginning with the same consonant, the vowels naturally step up in pitch from "o" (the lowest) to "i" (the highest). Pronounce the vowels pretty much as you would in Spanish or Japanese or the "do re mi" thing.

Also notice the correspondence between "k" and "h", "t" and "s", and "p" and "f". The former in each set is called a plosive or stop, and the latter is called a fricative. For my purposes, fricatives are higher in pitch and therefore represent minor notes, an octave higher than the default major notes. If you wanna go an octave lower than "ko" (for example), you can use "g", the voiced counterpart of "k", and you get "go". But on my ukulele, I don't need those; I was just letting you know this stuff can translate.

Here's a table of the uh... "fretboard" for a ukulele tuned to "G C E A" (or as I would say, "tikotopa"). The top row is when you're not touching any of the strings.

0:	ti	ko	to	pa
1:	po	ka	ta	pe
2:	pa	ke	te	pi
3:	pe	ki	ti	ho
4:	pi	to	po	ha
5:	ho	ta	pa	he
6:	ha	te	pe	hi
7:	he	ti	pi	so
8:	hi	po	ho	sa
9:	so	pa	ha	se
10:	sa	pe	he	si
11:	se	pi	hi	fo
12:	si	ho	so	fa

Here are some chords I've encountered so far in my studies. I've been practicing the first three a lot so I can play "In the Big Rock Candy Mountains". The left side of the following equations is the chord name (both the normal way and the way I'd do it), and the right side is what notes actually get played on the ukulele in order to make the chord. The numbers indicate which fret gets pressed on what string. Notice that "0" is the string's default sound, so you don't press anything.

C (koh) = tikotoho (0003)
F (tah) = pakotapa (2010)
G7 (tin) = tiketapi (0212)
G (tih) = tikipoho (0343)
D (keh) = tikitiho (0333)
A (pah) = pakatopa (2100)
Am (fah) = tiketipe (0231)
E (toh) = pitopopi (4442)
Em (soh) = patipiso (2555)
E7 (ton) = poketopi (1202)
Dm (heh) = hokitiho (5333)
Fm (sah) = pokotaho (1013)

Notice I added an "h" after the note's name to indicate its chord counterpart. The "h" should lengthen the vowel, but this isn't essential. For the "7" chords, make it an "n" instead. All this stuff should be relatively easy to pronounce no matter what your native language. I've used really basic sounds.

Um... that's all for now.

Evil

2005-09-21T21:51:00.000-06:00

I had to take this Evil quiz for a class and was pleasantly surprised.

How evil are you?

Who Needs Blood?

2005-06-14T22:04:00.000-06:00

Hahaha... I'm at a university computer, and they have IE's start page set to this official lab page with an annoying pop-up telling the rules of the lab and shite. But this time, the browser blocked the pop-up. It's their own settings that block their own pop-up! That's so bizarre and ridiculous; there should be a word for it. Something along the lines of "technolunacy"... but more proactive!

Anyway, I just came on here to mention another article I read for that technology class that talks about tiny little nanobots in development that do the job of red blood cells and others that destroy pathogens like white blood cells. Of course, these nanobots are like a thousand time more powerful than their biological counterparts, so sounds good, huh? AAAAAAAAAAEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That's friggin' crazy/horrifying/awesome! (What's a good word for that? "Frayjoy"? (Etymology: joie effrayante, French.))

Can you imagine a billion tiny robots coursing through your veins? And of course they would have to be remotely controlled and capable of self-replication. Other sorts of nanobots would have the task of monitoring the brain (for research and/or crime prevention), doing the job of DNA where the DNA is having problems (or simply at the discretion of those controlling the bots), and of course virtual reality (but not the sight/sound kind, the whole shebang with emotions and all). The article says they could simply be ingested. So whether you want them or not, your body's bound to be full of them within the next couple decades. ARGH! I'm so full of frayjoy right now.

We just can resist making ourselves into gods, can we? And any god needs worthy subjects, so who knows what percentage of us wind up with the latter role? I think the proper course of action is clear: bail. Dude, bail!!!

The Trouble with Nanobots

2005-06-13T22:09:00.001-06:00

I just came from a dinky little technology class I have to take. But the class did assign a really good article by Bill Joy (Sun Microsystems) that was featured in the April 2000 issue or Wired magazine. It was all about bio-engineering and robotics and (most of all) nanotechnology. Basically, because we're so stupid and have such a drive to feel smart, we're well on our way to killing ourselves through the wonders of self-replicating robots (microscopic or the regular kind). We just can't resist.

The big issue (that I've thought about for a long time and the Dalai Lama addressed in the article) is that our concern should not be progress. What should be important is happiness. I know what most people will think: "But progress makes up happy!" Not so. All our scientific research and all that goobledygook shows that our endeavoring to eliminate work, forgetfulness, and death does not make us the least bit happier. We need work to survive. We can't possibly remember everything. We are all destined to die. Those are the facts. If we could just embrace them as part of life, we might be happier.

I won't go too far into all my philosophical ramblings (mostly because I've already done that in a recent paper on The Gods Must Be Crazy), but I do have one important point. Making our lives easier does not make them better. We need work (actual, physical work) or else our bodies get out of whack resulting in all kinds of health problems (depression, anxiety, heart disease, etc.). Also, we need struggle or else we feel useless. And anything we do to make our lives "easier" is just going to increase the amount of stuff that we have to get done in order to compete. We all compete for food and resources, so if our lives were easy, the people who wanted more would just work harder and take it. Then, even the lazy people would have to work just to survive. (This is how a free society operates.) So we can't make our lives easy, or even easier! We'll always have to work as hard as we can to compete.

Oh yeah, and about technology to extend our lives... who needs it? If we just accept that every living thing has a life cycle that ends in death, what does it matter how long it is? We should concern ourselves with how good it is. Anyway, it's too late now to take the power away from those who have it and just get rid of the technology we've become so dependent on. I just think that people's attitudes toward our world should change. Maybe I'll go join a monastery or a commune or something. As long as they don't try to control my life. That's all I want. A life controlled only by me and nature.

Frickin' Hollywood.

2005-06-12T22:15:00.002-06:00

I just watched Troy (supposedly based on The Iliad). I know this is true for most book-based movies, but my god what a load of crap! I won't go into all the differences between the book and the movie (because it would take too long and nobody cares anyway). I'll just say that when Achilles and Hector fight, it starts with Achilles chasing Hector around the walls of the city three times until (on the fourth lap) Athena disguises herself as a friend of Hector's and convinces him that the both of them can take Achilles on together. And so Hector stops running, but when Achilles gets there, Athena is gone and Hector realizes that the gods are against him and just fights anyway.

Here's the thing. Hector is wearing Achilles's armor because he stripped it off of Patroclus (which is the reason Achilles came to fight in the first place). So Achilles knows that the armor's weak spot is the neck (and not because that's how Patroclus died). This means that Achilles armor must've covered his face (which would make the whole Patroclus-posing-as-Achilles thing more believable). But then, half the scenes wouldn't have Brad Pitt's lovely monkey-face in them. (Nothing against Brad Pitt, but he does look like a monkey.)

And well... the rest of the movie is about as off as that ending battle. (It's the ending battle in the book, anyway.) And they just left the gods out of it entirely because they're pushing that whole "every religion is valid... but just... not true" idea. This exact same doctrine can be seen in Kingdom of Heaven starring Legolas again and that same guy from Troy who looks like (but isn't) Gimli. In that movie, they repeatedly demonstrate (and even flaunt) pure doublethink with lines like, "Nothing... everything!" But I digress.

Anyway, my point is that Troy is nothing special. It's somewhere between Gladiator and, well, Kingdom of Heaven. Just another big-budget gore-fest designed to make a few rich people even richer. At least I didn't pay to see it.

(Hey, on a side note, I just really recognized the connection between 'Troy' and 'Trojan'. That 'j' is the old fashioned (Middle Ages) way of representing what we think of as a 'y' sound. We just spell 'Troy' with a 'y' because 'Troj' would look to weird to us. So it's actually the same pattern as when we say 'American' or 'Mexican' or whatever. I know, it seems obvious now; I'd just never thought of it before. Um, and also, if anyone doesn't know... I'm a huge dork who finds stuff like that entertaining.)

Haw haw...

2005-06-11T22:24:00.000-06:00

I just saw a pretty hilarious commercial starring that lady from Northern Exposure. It's for this medicine for people with chronically dry eyes. I swear she ends the commercial with, "My tears. You gotta love it."

Screw that!

2005-06-08T22:26:00.001-06:00

Apparently, I'm supposed to have finished reading The Iliad by tomorrow around 10AM. Ha! Not likely. Besides, I've only heard bad things about it, so I dunno. I keep hearing that The Odyssey is much better. So I guess it's SparkNotes for me! Summer classes suck. Classes in general. Work in general actually. Seriously though, I've recently come to the conclusion that work is good as long as it directly satisfies a person's needs/desires. But as soon as a person's work is determined by some boss figure and its only purpose is money, that just confuses the primitive brain and leaves the individual unsatisfied. A very long time ago, before we developed the concept of ownership, nobody could tell anybody else what to do. I wish it were still that way. I'd spend my days finding food and eating it, leaving no time to get worried and depressed.

0:	ti	ko	to	pa
1:	po	ka	ta	pe
2:	pa	ke	te	pi
3:	pe	ki	ti	ho
4:	pi	to	po	ha
5:	ho	ta	pa	he
6:	ha	te	pe	hi
7:	he	ti	pi	so
8:	hi	po	ho	sa
9:	so	pa	ha	se
10:	sa	pe	he	si
11:	se	pi	hi	fo
12:	si	ho	so	fa

0:	ti	ko	to	pa
1:	po	ka	ta	pe
2:	pa	ke	te	pi
3:	pe	ki	ti	ho
4:	pi	to	po	ha
5:	ho	ta	pa	he
6:	ha	te	pe	hi
7:	he	ti	pi	so
8:	hi	po	ho	sa
9:	so	pa	ha	se
10:	sa	pe	he	si
11:	se	pi	hi	fo
12:	si	ho	so	fa

0:	ti	ko	to	pa
1:	po	ka	ta	pe
2:	pa	ke	te	pi
3:	pe	ki	ti	ho
4:	pi	to	po	ha
5:	ho	ta	pa	he
6:	ha	te	pe	hi
7:	he	ti	pi	so
8:	hi	po	ho	sa
9:	so	pa	ha	se
10:	sa	pe	he	si
11:	se	pi	hi	fo
12:	si	ho	so	fa