Climate Change

I do worry about climate change, because it seems like the world will experience serious effects before I disintegrate into my constituent atoms. Beneath all the hubbub about the ailing world economy is the consistent and dreadful drumbeat about irreversible global climate change, which indicates that things won't get better but will instead get much worse. Like all our problems, the new problems just won't get solved because the politicians and the people who vote for them just aren't clever enough. A glance at the U.S. Congress is all one needs to know that the United States is in no position to solve any problem facing the world. We create new problems and exacerbate old ones rather than solving any problems.

Equal Opportunity Haters

It is consoling, I suppose, to know that Republicans don't just hate gay people. They also hate the workers, defined as anybody who earns under $1,000,000 a year, and anybody who goes to public schools. I was amused looking at what the Republicans have done to the public school system in Texas. Of course, Republicans destroy government institutions whenever they can. They're trying to dismantle the Post Office, so that it will cost $5 to mail a letter across the country instead of forty-odd cents. They hate Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security and anything at all that helps working people. They love disease, poverty, prisons, and automatic machine guns. The only government institutions Republicans like are related to weapons and security forces, to keeping the workers down, unemployed, diseased, dying and in prison where they belong according to Republican ideology. Kill the poor and repopulate with rich people's children is the Republican way of thinking in a nutshell. If you work for a living, you are automatically worthless, because working is a sign of inferiority. If you don't work, but fight with weapons or by proxy through your henchmen, then you should make all the rules and control every single thing that everyone does. This ideology dates back to feudalism and is basically the root of Republican thought today. People that vote Republican get what they deserve, but unfortunately those who don't have to adapt to the insanity that Republicans always bring to society. Republicans break down government, because the ideal is anarchy, a state where those with the guns make all the rules.

If Romney does win in 2012, as some seem to believe, then the world will be a much less safe place, America in particular.  But I don't think that he will win, because Obama is the stronger man by any measure that one would care to apply, and this is obvious to anyone with eyes to see. Those among the Republicans who believe that strength is all, and there are some, this faction will not support Romney against Obama, because Romney is weaker. So I predict Obama will win in 2012, but the outcome of other races remains unclear to me. I hope that he carries many Democrats with him in his victory, but I am not familiar with those cases. The best scenario would be a Democratic landslide victory in 2012. Under those circumstances, the future of the United States looks brighter.

Sympathy Misplaced, Perhaps

I can't help but feel sympathy for some of the big-shot, rich celebrities that get tangled up in some kind of scandal, legal dispute, or divorce proceeding due to their affair. Some of them are intelligent men, so the question arises, why do men stray? I suppose from the logical perspective, it would be best to remain 100% monogamous or (possibly better) asexual. Of course, humans are not entirely logical animals, and we are animals. I think in Humans 2.0, the next version of our species, when we roll it out of our laboratories, we will be more logical and consistent; some would say boring. But boring can be good. Boring becomes interesting as one's expectations adjust.

Heroin and Euthanasia

What I would like to see in the future is more progress in gay rights and also the legalization of most drugs, with the possible exception of horrible things like meth or crack, which have no legitimate purpose. I was going to add heroin to the list, but heroin may indeed have a legitimate purpose for those that have reached the end of their life and are suffering from intense pain or depression. I see no reason to deny heroin to the terminally ill. Heroin was used for medicinal purposes in the past, and in the case of the terminally ill, anything that might ease their passage should be provided to them without interference.

I think euthanasia should be allowed to those of sound mind who want it. There must be a comfort and a consolation to know the precise hour of one's passing. If this luxury is afforded to those condemned by the legal system, then surely it can be permitted to those who have harmed no one.

One envisions a hospice where the dying are high on smack and gleefully marking down the days to their carbon monoxide-assisted demise. Most strange it would be, to be sure, but I think it might be a better and more civilized method of passing from this world.

Zimmerman Facing the Music

Looking at the photo of Zimmerman in the court room, I pity the fool. I guess I'm a soft touch. He looks lost. I'm glad I did not go into law. I'd be a good lawyer due to my analytical abilities, but there are places I just don't like to go--things that I don't like to do to people. Like I said, I'm a soft touch.

People like Zimmerman should never, ever monkey around with firearms. The trouble is that people like Zimmerman are exactly the kind of people that want to monkey around with firearms. And they bring down a world of trouble on their empty heads.

My own feeling is that it will be difficult to pin Murder 2 on Zimmerman. Manslaughter, maybe. But to prove "hatred or ill-will" resulting from a five or ten (max) minute encounter is difficult. I don't buy the theory that Zimmerman was racist either. To claim such a thing without any compelling evidence is just a mistake. Race may have been a factor in the encounter, yes. But to prove some one is motivated by racist hatred is a tall order indeed.

I wish there were a way to resurrect the victim, Mr. Martin. I wish there were a living God in the world that presided over things and intervened to correct injustices that were beyond the power of humans. But God is deaf to the earnest entreaties of human beings, and that is why I do not believe in God.

Perhaps one day each of us will store our essence online in a computer system, and our physical bodies will be replaceable clones.

The best our justice system can do for a deceased victim is permit the victim's family to observe the punishment of the killer. That is not much consolation really, but it is better than nothing. I don't think we should be complacent about the status quo, however. We really need to be thinking about replacing these vulnerable and fragile fleshly shells that we dwell in. They are neither robust nor long-lasting and cause us many problems. The fairy tale about heaven is an inadequate answer to the problem of mortality.

The Present

The present tends to be underrated as a general rule, with people expressing opinions that the past was better or that the future will be better. But I think the present time is much better than many earlier times. I'm glad that today's U.S. does not have to deal with slavery or women's rights (for the most part). The world is a more just place. Around the world, it's an incredible achievement that the Cold War has largely ended or diverted into a calmer and more civil environment. China and Russia are now trading partners, rather than enemy armies. Also, the world is mostly at peace, despite problems in the Middle East, Africa and Asia. Nothing the size or scope of a World War has been allowed to occur. These good signs bode well for the future and reflect well upon the present.

It would appear that businessmen of various stripes are in control of the world governments, rather than warlords. Indeed, warlords are an endangered species. The merchants are destroying them one by one. Warlords were defeated in the Second World War and ever since they have been defeated. I think that is a good thing, but I hope the merchants prove to be better rulers. Certainly it would not be difficult to improve upon the warlords. War has not accomplished much for modern warlords and has not proved to be a sound investment strategy for a country's resources. North Korea would be a case in point. Their excessively militarized economy is very poor, so much that they cannot feed their people, which really requires incredible incompetence in a modern government that has so much agricultural information and technology at hand. The warlords of North Korea appear to be drunk and out of touch with reality. Eventually technology will be developed to neutralize their nuclear threat, and then the surrounding states will reclaim N.K.'s population and natural resources to the proper stewardship of the merchants. It may be a hundred years in the future or it may be fifty, but it might be even sooner.

Sometimes things happen faster than one might expect. I remember how surprised I was by the fall of the Communist regimes of Eastern Europe. It seemed they were dropping like dominoes. Sometimes the time is just right. Overall, these times are good ones. I like the merchants a lot better than the warlords.

by igor 04:20 8 replies by igor 09:32 6 comments

A Mid-Life Crisis

Many people seem to have a mid-life crisis, a term used to describe adultery or some other inconstancy, a breaking away from the normal and expected behavior. It is amazing, the pull that a desire for adventure can have, particularly upon a man, who is driven in part by instinct to seek adventure, even in a small or restricted way.  Such a man may be pitied, praised, or ignored, depending upon the outcome of his adventure.

I really think that Americans should have forgiven former President Clinton's affair with Monica Lewinsky. His behavior was a curious and revealing lapse, possibly the most interesting thing that Clinton did during his Presidency. It was genuine and based upon a dangerous irrational passion. The act was fraught with obvious risks to his political career, his legacy, even his marriage, and yet he did it anyway, demonstrating a nature heavily invested with instinct. Clinton had the will to power. It is not any surprise that a powerful man will have a desire for frequent and enthusiastic sex. It is surprising only that people would be surprised at all to find out about it. I think that Americans are very naive.

Much was overlooked during the Presidency of Kennedy, so why not Clinton? It really was a bit hypocritical for many in Congress to hassle Clinton over the affair. It would be interesting, though impossible to know how many Congressmen have remained completely monogamous. I wonder whether the monogamous would even be a majority. Powerful men have an easy way with women, because power is an aphrodisiac.


I think the mileage that the Republicans obtained as an aftermath of the silly Lewinsky Affair really harmed the country in a number of ways. Right-wingers were able to grab a lot of power and keep for it a long time. Now we have two wars and a dismal economy, and none of the old problems from the past were addressed in an effective manner. The U.S. economy is broken, and it happened on the Republicans' watch. In addition, we have a right-wing Supreme Court. I don't know where all of this leads, but I do feel that the country has not been improving itself at all over the past ten years. I think the U.S. is going downhill in a number of ways and by any measure one would care to apply. It does worry me, but then I also keep in mind that younger people probably have more at stake then I do. It is probable that by the time things get hairy, I'll be checking out.

The Appeal of the Supernatural

When I was a young man, I shunned all superstition, everything from God to magic and mysteries and took a fierce pride in doing so. As I get older, I find superstition immensely satisfying to the childish nature that thrives on awe and wonder.  I find that religious people are much more understandable and some of their joy can be perceived. Of course, religious people vary a great deal, but I have known some good ones, and fewer of the bad, because the bad I know better than to be around.

I think it is charming when otherwise educated and liberal people tell me their surprising opinions about magic, spells, homeopathy, astrology, charms, "cures," and gods and goddesses. I have learned that belief is quite common among liberals, and atheism is not in and of itself a liberal belief. When I am in a Church or a cemetery, reading the gravestones as I like to do--and so many gravestones speak of the Lord and the hereafter--sometimes I wonder if it is my destiny, as it was for so many ancestors, to convert to some belief system, either a philosophy, a theory of magic, or a religion. About all I know is that my religion would not be Islam, while unknown Hindu would be most unlikely, and although there are things such as scholarship, liberality and wisdom that I admire in Judaism, it might not be on the table either, because of the adherents' preoccupation with a narrow strip of land on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean. I never thought it was wise to place all the bets on Israel. A nomadic tribe might as well remain nomadic, because it certainly increases their odds. Being confined to a small area simply exposes a people to obvious risks.

After a survey of the competing alternatives, I decide to remain with atheism, because it seems the cautious and humble scientific approach. I don't think that any elaborate religion can pass the common sense test, and they all claim to know rather too much. How much better to say, there is a power, and it is miraculous and good, and I do not know more, other than I wish to be like it. A religion that confined itself to that sentence would be acceptable. But then, things tend to snowball after they are successful, and men have added on every manner of window dressing in the form of claimed miracles ancient and modern and other forms of divine intervention, and rules and opinions on matters that were composed by themselves, mere men, but presented as coming from infallible divine authority--preposterous to say the least. All can be debated and should be, in order that a better appreciation of the truth may be known. People get things wrong so often. When an error is discovered, it must be corrected. Every engineer would feel that way.

I had a speculative idea about Divine Providence yesterday. I'm sure it's not original, but I can't remember offhand where I got the idea, whether it was a film or a book. The thought occurred to me that the human existence, we ourselves, are like television shows for the gods, who watch us with amusement. Like a television audience, the gods do not interact with the show, other than to applaud or criticize, which we may or may not hear, depending upon our ability. Perhaps our very purpose is the same as a television show--merely to entertain or inform. The gods, if they exist, appreciate a wide variety of television shows among humans. Not only do they watch us, but they would watch the activities of life and all matter in the Universe. The sheer calculating power of all that omniscience is unimaginable. Such an intelligence would be more like a force of nature than a processor.

I suppose the human "show" is improving its story, because we are more advanced than our ancient ancestors from millions of years ago. With any luck, the humans will survive the atomic age and go on to make many more scientific discoveries and eventually unlock the secret to immortality. Will humans be the one species that continues to advance and evolve into ever more-powerful beings? Where does the improvement end? I suppose once a being has learned how to become immortal, then anything at all is possible afterward. At what point will the show merge with its audience?

by igor 04:20 8 replies by igor 09:32 6 comments

The Wacko Nursing Student

With some interest, being a former nursing student myself, I read about the wacko ex-nursing student who went to his Christian college and shot a bunch of students, apparently at random. He didn't find the college administrator he was looking for, so he settled for anyone in sight. This is just one of many cases around the country of people that feel like they have no options career-wise or otherwise in their life, so they figure that life in prison or the death penalty is not too big a price to pay for extracting their revenge against the cruel, cruel world.

Such pointless killing indicates a failure of the imagination. After all, it is still possible for a man to retreat to one of the remote wildernesses of the world on any of the seven continents (perhaps excluding Antarctica) and live off the land, abandoning society altogether.  One does not "have" to be rich, famous, loved, admired, or respected. Certainly the primitive and half-naked tribes of the world would concur.

Years ago, suicides might have hollered "Goodbye, Cruel World!" as they jumped off a multistory building, but nowadays, some people don't want to walk into that dark night alone. They want company. They feel that if their life is in ruins, why not share the suffering? Spread it around a bit, let others feel the pain they are feeling.

To be sure, the world can be difficult for those without connections, money or any kind of support network. The social safety net is inadequate in many respects. Some people are satisfied with becoming homeless and begging for loose change, while others are willing to work for next to nothing in exchange for food and shelter, while still others exhaust every possible avenue, legal or not, to try to get ahead. However, those already suffering from mental illness, such as severe or recurrent depression and anger, and who have frequent experiences of suicidal ideation--imagining, visualizing and yearning for the termination of their life--for this group of people, the added impetus of financial, social and familial ruin may push them to consider suicide. Remember, there is still no health care for a large group of people in the United States, and many Americans don't want the poor to get any health care, either. So, mental illness above all other illnesses remains unaddressed, and those who are crazy are apt to become more so. Meanwhile, firearms are easy to obtain.

Once one has decided upon suicide, then other options, evil ones indeed, present themselves. The individual who has decided upon suicide has less to fear from the death penalty or indeed any consequences. The widespread easy availability of guns makes the scenario illustrated by the wacko ex-student at the Christian college in California all the more common and frightening. One does not require any combat skill, courage, nor any physical strength to kill, because the weakest and most incompetent fool can pull the trigger of a powerful firearm.

Many people believe the answer to the murder epidemic lies in gun control. However, there is more to this particular puzzle than just gun control. Birth control also is important. If there is no longer much need for workers--and that seems to be the case due to the astronomical unemployment rate of 20 - 25% in the U.S. (the 8% figure is a lie)--then people should stop having babies altogether, until such time that good jobs become available again. I think the time has come for people to consider getting their tubes tied. Just forget about having children, because the children probably grow up to be poor or jobless in today's economy.

Apparently, there are a lot of people in the world whose work, whose very being, is unwanted, undesired or at any rate woefully underpaid and under-appreciated. These people feel left behind by the Zeitgeist. They feel abandoned by the world, outcast and alienated, and rightfully so, because they do not have a career and do not have a profession and do not have any proper or respected place in the world, nor do they have any obvious means of obtaining the same. If they had not been born in the first place, then the problem would not exist. Instinctively, they seek to address this issue by reducing the population of fellow workers through crude, random and evil deeds.

Killers of any stripe should be prosecuted and punished to the fullest extent of the law, but that does not address the underlying problems in the social fabric. Punishment addresses one individual and sets a proper precedent and creates deterrence against similar acts. My suspicion is that many killers would, if given the choice, select the death penalty in preference to life imprisonment, so I do not believe that the death penalty is a solid deterrent for all individuals. Again, those suffering from various mental illnesses, including depression, will not be deterred, but may even be attracted by the prospect of the death penalty. I believe that repeated incidents of gun violence are symptomatic of larger issues in society that need to be addressed through effective and meaningful measures, either conducted by the government or by private industry. There should not be a wasted class of people that are shut out from all opportunity and all hope; but if there is to be such a class, then society had better take all possible measures to reduce the birth rate in this class and curtail future members.

by igor 04:20 8 replies by igor 09:32 6 comments

A Bad Precedent

Malicious scum have been busy posting derogatory and irrelevant theories about a crime victim, Trayvon Martin. The relevant facts concern a single night. There are those that would prefer that the public become confused or grasp at some harebrained reason to rationalize a senseless slaying.

I am appalled that no arrest has been made in the case. It makes me wonder about the state of our Republic. The signal being broadcast from one end of the country to the other is that you can get away with shooting someone dead if you manufacture a claim of self-defense. The result of this and other cases is that more and more people are going to be carrying loaded guns with them in public, and they will shoot anyone that makes them feel the slightest bit uncomfortable.

One may expect more killings to occur as the result of unpunished ones. A precedent has been set, indoctrinating an entire generation with deadly consequences. This case is a public relations disaster, an ill omen, a bad precedent, an evil lesson for young people, and a bad influence on everyone. Republican politicians have mishandled the case due to their negligence, bad faith and gross incompetence.

Who would want to go live in the city of Sanford now? Not anyone that I would want as my neighbor. I would certainly think twice before visiting, let alone moving there, and setting up a business would be completely out of the question. I am not as sure about the implications for the state of Florida, because Florida is a big state with many features. Perhaps Florida will emerge relatively unscathed, although what happened in Sanford could have happened anywhere in that state.

It has become less safe to be a pedestrian in this country. Arrogant scum in cars in the U.S. have always been aggressive and dangerous, but nowadays an added wrinkle is that they might kill a pedestrian with a firearm. It is open season on pedestrians, some of whom will respond by carrying loaded guns in order to protect themselves against maniacal drivers, who also carry loaded guns. I used to like walking places in order to save gas money and to get a bit of exercise, but nowadays it seems like one takes the chance of being shot by some stupid ignoramus just by the simple act of walking home from the store. I suppose in order to be safer, one must use the car even to drive one block. It is not safe to walk any distance anymore, because Bozo might drive up behind you and shoot you dead.

Homo Sapiens 2.0

The temporary and precarious nature of our existence sometimes disturbs me and makes me fear for the people I care about, but for myself, I am not so worried. I suppose it would be unfortunate to be deprived of additional pleasure and fulfillment, but I have already had more than my share, I think, particularly when one considers the sometimes abbreviated, often more difficult lives of those ancients who had more talent and contributed more to the world than I did. Just to name one instance, Shakespeare did not live past the age of fifty, I believe, and certainly many of my acquaintances have already exceeded his span, and it is likely his life was more difficult due to the times he lived in.

We are fortunate to be human, compared to say squirrel or cat, but being human does carry with it the curse of mortality, impermanence. Perhaps one day scientists will develop Homo Sapiens 2.0.

My vision of Homo Sapiens 2.0 stores our identity in bits and bytes upon a computer system. In the first place, I realize it is very controversial to propose that a human personality can be broken down into bits and bytes and stored on a computer. I believe that it can, that there is nothing to our psychology that cannot be translated into software. If I like something, I like it to a degree that can be quantified on a scale from one to a hundred, and if I dislike something, that dislike can also be quantified, and rules and provisions can be established that further refine my likes and dislikes. All of this should be immediately apparent to anyone who has ever programmed a computer. It is the non-programmers who tend to think that computers will never simulate human beings. I would never make such a rash presumption. Already, computers play better chess than human beings, and they do many other things better than we do as well. In time, artificial intelligence will eclipse our own native intelligence, and then it will be a simple matter to simulate our little personalities.

However, in order to interact with each other and with the physical environment, I think it will always be useful to spawn organic clones that are robust yet replaceable in the event of injury or death. We will, each or some of us, spawn clones to get things done, but when these clones die it will be of little or no concern to the entity that dwells in safety and redundancy on a computer system.

by igor 04:20 8 replies by igor 09:32 6 comments

Good Times?

I have a funny feeling that these years we are living through will be remembered as the good years--maybe even the best, although for my money the 1990s were the best for me from the perspectives of health and wealth.

The environment seems like an important issue simmering on the back burner, ignored altogether by Republicans. What if the weather turns really bad and stays really bad for a long period of time? I suppose that those of us alive today will be glad that we were alive today and look back upon this time as a good one.

We're Lucky to be Human

I look at my cat sometimes and think that I read envy. We are so powerful, compared to them. The things that we do, such as having mastery over sound, images, smells, light and darkness, often seem like magic to their eyes. In some ways, we seem god-like.

I think every human is lucky to be human, because humans rule the Earth. We are even seeking to acquire the Moon and the other planets. Unsatisfied with our blessed estate, we even seek to conquer mortality itself and live forever. Humans have always been unsatisfied. That may be the one curse to intelligence. We always crave more. We always seek to modify our environment in order to enjoy a better standard of living. Cats don't strive. They may seek a more comfortable cushion, but they build nothing and they gather nothing except the occasional toy.

So the human being is fortunate, but does not know that he is fortunate. He is the luckiest form of life, enjoying a self-awareness greater than any other life form. He is the flower of creation. It should be our lot to create beautiful things with art and music. I think that is the ultimate direction. There are more beautiful things as the human race matures and grows more powerful. There are more possibilities.

Our existence is changing, our environment is changing far faster than our genes. We have left behind the conditions that made our physical traits expedient. Modern people spend hours in a seated position. Little musculature is required in today's world. The car takes us places, not the feet. Almost all but the easiest physical labor is performed by machines. Even talking is often unnecessary due to electronic communication. The body is really more of a hindrance than an aid. We would be better-suited to the modern world without a body. It is unnecessary; we could be happier and more permanent as a collection of bits and bytes within a computer.

by igor 04:20 8 replies by igor 09:32 6 comments

Iran

Once Iran obtains an atom bomb, it is only a matter of time before it is used. Those who believe that Iran will show the same restraint as the U.S. and Russia are kidding themselves.

by igor 04:20 8 replies by igor 09:32 6 comments

Iran

I don't shed any tears for the slain Iranian nuclear scientists. In fact, my reaction is right on! Iran is a center for terrorism and fascism on Earth. Iranian leaders are savages. I think that Israel has the right to do everything within their power to reduce Iran.

Certainly the world would be a better place without Iran's tyrannical regime. The only thing Iran ever does is torture, imprison and kill good people, and assist terrorists and dictators like Assad and their own dictator. Iran is the embodiment of evil on earth.

This is one area where I do sympathize a bit with the Republican front-runners. However, I'm not sure. I have doubts that probably never occur to Republicans. My main issue is cost. Can Iran be reduced at low cost, or will it mean another trillion dollars gone?

It may become necessary to nuke Iran in order to prevent nuclear terrorism. The ultimate source of Iranian nuclear scientists is the Iranian people. Why pick off one nuclear scientist at a time, when you can eliminate the source?

by igor 04:20 8 replies by igor 09:32 6 comments

Syria

The Syrian regime is really horrible and there are no two ways about that. The stories I read in the media leave me with the impression that Syria is run mafia-style by a bunch of bandits, and Assad is their chieftain. Possibly the Alawites were in ancient history a tribe of bandits. At any rate, they are now. Their relationship with the rest of their neighbors has certainly changed for the worse, and I think they are going to have difficult times in the future no matter what happens to their regime, whether it survives or not.

All that said, I find it difficult to get enthusiastic about intervening in Syria. We already did our usual number in Libya, and I don't see the Libyans clamoring to pay for any of the costs of the intervention. Mercenary armies traditionally have been paid for their services. We get paid nothing. Iraq's gratitude is laughable. How Iraq turns out remains to be seen. I find it difficult to have much hope for Afghanistan either. The trouble is with the people. They are not like us. They are not educated. They are extremely superstitious. They don't share Western-style values. Eventually a strong man always arises among those people. They have not had a republic in a thousand years. Where is their Thomas Jefferson, their James Madison, their George Washington? Once we leave, then they will revert to their old ways in time. That's my prediction. We are regarded as aliens, intruders, foreigners.

Russia supplied more arms to the detested Syrian regime recently. I imagine the Russians rationalize things this way. The whole Middle East, with the exception of Israel and maybe Turkey, is just a bunch of authoritarian regimes. The dust hasn't settled in Egypt and Libya and other countries yet. Torture and executions for spurious reasons are fairly commonplace throughout the Middle East. So if the regime falls in Syria, then Syria may become more efficient. It may become wealthier. But freedom? Civil rights? That's difficult to imagine. What Russia really fears is the Arabs coalescing into a coherent union, like the EU. They like the Syrian regime because it plays ball with them and does favors for them and keeps the Sunni majority in line.

For all the talk in the media about a civil war in Syria, I think the regime is going to endure and survive. It will be a little bit weaker, but it will survive just as the Iranian regime survived the turmoil of 2011. Iran and Syria have far too many ignorant and violent thugs that are in possession of gold and guns. I think that any ethical person in those countries does not really have much hope to lead a productive life, because to do so would be to serve as a tool of an unethical regime, which would be a violation of ethics. Eventually an ethical person would run afoul of the regime. Those two countries, Iran and Syria, will be bastions of violence and ignorance for generations to come.

It is depressing to think of Iran with nuclear bombs. The U.S. is not really in a position economically to begin another war, thanks to Bush's blunders, and all signs point to our steering clear of military conflict. I think what will really happen is that, if Iran hurts anybody with a nuclear weapon, then all life will be annihilated within Iran and possibly their neighbors and all of their allies. It will not be Mutual Assured Destruction, but Assured Destruction at any rate. That is why China and Russia don't care whether Iran gets bombs. Both of those countries already have sufficient deterrent. They assume that the Iranian leadership is not insane. Whether that is a safe assumption remains to be seen.

by igor 04:20 8 replies by igor 09:32 6 comments

Fascists Vs. Freedom Fighters

Reading the news tonight, all around the world, the fascists are killing and harming freedom fighters, whether in Egypt, Syria, or the U.S. of A.

But I've got a feeling in my little pinkie finger that in the end, freedom wins. Because fascism is stifling & sterile. It isn't any fun at all. It's anti-human. Eventually even the fascists come to realize that. It just takes them more time. They have to suffer a great deal. They have to feel pain. Fascists are like animals in that way. The only thing they understand is pure physical animal pain. But they will learn, because Karma is a teacher that is willing to accommodate their special needs.

In the final analysis, a robot would be the perfect fascist, because it has no conscience, but only a human being would be the perfect freedom fighter.

by igor 04:20 8 replies by igor 09:32 6 comments

Iran

It will become necessary to retaliate against Iran in the future. It would be convenient and simple to do so while occupying Iran's neighbors.

At that point, whoever is the U.S. President should authorize a strike against all of the law enforcement, military, nuke, space, and rocket infrastructure, which may take a period of six months of continual bombing. In order to be effective, environmental catastrophes must be created to ensure that limits are placed upon reconstruction and future human habitation in those regions. In other words, in order to rebuild, Iran will have to start over completely at a new site, rather than repairing a few buildings at an old.

This remedy may be repeated as necessary, with diminishing accuracy, until Iran pays the debt for U.S. military expenditures from 2001 - present, along with all of the interest accrued.

by igor 04:20 8 replies by igor 09:32 6 comments

Understanding Technology

Qubits are being studied in research into quantum computing.

I can't help but think of Q-bert, a popular video game from the 1980's.

I have only a vague notion of what the research really means or how it works, but it does sound most impressive. I have difficulty understanding what is meant by a bit that can be both zero and one at the same time. Does that mean it has three possible values, rather than two, and the speed increase derives from increased capacity or bandwidth? Or would there be five possibilities: 1, 0, 00, 10, or 01? I don't really understand a single thing about quantum mechanics, insofar as why it works. I can almost grasp how it works, but not why.

As far as I'm concerned, electricity is magic. I've never understood electricity in a proper way. The inner workings of personal computers also seem like magic.

I suppose it is possible, if written and recorded documents were lost in an Apocalypse, such as after a nuke attack or comet strike, that much technology could also disappear, because many people don't really have a good idea as to how their gadgets work and could not begin to recreate them, especially without preexisting tools and other supplies. It is easy to understand and recreate such things as a cart, a wagon, and even a saddle from easily obtained natural resources, but to build a car and the infrastructure to support it and its fuel, that would be quite a trick for an ordinary person left to his own devices. The only guarantee we have is about the Renaissance level of technology. Hopefully, though, there will always be a cache of technological information stored somewhere in a computer disk or a book.

by igor 04:20 8 replies by igor 09:32 6 comments

Great Thoughts from an Oxford University Scholar

Some of the "scholars" at Oxford University could not reason their way out of a paper bag. If they represent the best in Western Civilization, then brother, we're in trouble. Deep, deep trouble. Today I read an editorial by some Oxford academic who wants to electrocute animal-f*ckers. That is what he is spending all of his time studying, that is what he is applying his scholarly brain upon, animal-f*ckers.

Whatever happened to the days when Tolkien & Co. were writing masterpieces? Where's the brains? Oxford University appears to be brain-dead. Sitting in their ivory tower, what are they studying? Anything important?

Animal-f*ckers.

How much grant money supports that research, I'd like to know.

I think there are more important issues in the world than animal-f*ckers and more important things to be concerned about.

Sometimes I have the distinct impression that nothing will ever be done about global warming, and that future generations are just going to have to accept everything that Mother Nature throws at them. It doesn't seem quite fair that the children of tomorrow will be punished for the misbehavior of today's overgrown kids, but that's just the way things are going to work. The people running the show these days are just plain stupid, no two ways about it, or if they have a lick of sense, then they're out to get what they can while they can and not terribly concerned about much else. But then, what else is new? A perusal of history shows that the monarchs of yesteryear were not so hot, either.

Good government is exceptional. It almost never happens. And when by some stroke of luck a good leader does arrive, nine times out of ten, he is assassinated.

Too bad there's no God. We really could use one. An interventionist God would be ideal. I think people want to believe in one because the alternative, reality, is not very comforting.

by igor 04:20 8 replies by igor 09:32 6 comments