Pain for Sport

I'm not sure this awesome statement by the man, MT, is completely true. Other animals play with creatures before killing them - is that sport? Yeah, kinda. Regardless, this statement is true enough to tell the tale - we are Gods upon this Earth and we kill and torture for sport.

Cruel Gods.

And yet a bull fighter recants, and so proves maybe we can be more than the ultimate killing machines.

Twain loved kitties, and so further cements his Internet God-dom.

Super hunk Mark Twain, writer of words, lover of kitties. A meme machine for mankind for the next 1 to 2 hundred years.

Lymonology

An apt illustration of the role color plays in taste. Consider even further if the yellow bottles on left contained lime juice, and the green bottles on the right contained lemon juice. I predict you would taste a limey lemon and a lemony lime in tasting each, even if they were pure samples of lime/lemon juice respectively. You see, your mind is as influential in taste as is your tongue. Color plays a huge role in how we perceive taste, as does smell obviously, but even too sound - the crisp snap of a chip adds to its flavor. To go further, since all external sensation is registered and perceived in the brain, than "flavor" only exists in the mind, and as with many other things, it is only Life that gives it reality. For, what would there be to taste if there were none to eat? Flavor would not exist, just as color does not exist without eyes to see light, and sound only exists with the hearer. Quantum reality, yo: Only by measuring does anything have reality.

 Also too, I wonder if this was the Stockboy's error, or someone at Concord Foods "Farm"?

To end - you should try and view mistakes through this prism: It is only through "imperfection" that anything happens in this world. If everything were perfect, than everything would be in balance, and nothing would happen. It's the imbalance that creates change, and change is the definition of time, and time is the river in which Life swims.

So don't sweat it, anonymous Concord Foods employee!

Gliding Forever

Imagine you're on the 108th floor of the WTC as it burns, blocking any escape. The windows are already shattered, and so you have a choice: Die of smoke inhalation, or fire, or falling from the 108th floor. I know what I'd choose. Do you?

Personal parachute. Never go into a skyscraper without one.

But seriously, we're all going to die, one day and one way or another. It was destined from the moment we were born - everything that lives, dies. If it be in tragic terrorist attack, or car accident, or stroke all alone, dying on the kitchen floor, we're all going to die. We must make peace with this fact for a successful life, as denial will only lead to delusions, and delusions lead to darkness. Tip for living: Avoid delusions.

If your day has come, and it will come, face it as bravely as you can, in acceptance - this was the price of living: Dying. Alas, I wish it were not so, as do we all, as do all things alive, be they ape, dog, snake, snail, fish or bird, or all the microscopic bacteria floating in pond scum, so dear. Life is dear, and a brief gift. Enjoy it while you can, as much as you can. For the afterlife is boring I hear - that is, nonexistent. We get one shot at this thing called "Consciousness", and this is it. Do Good.

Tips for Good Parenting

I'm surprised any baby survived the 1950's. Advice like "Eat Uranium!" and "Play with Tacks!" seems foolish nowadays. But who would dare question the Soda Pop Board of America back then?

Or the good folks at Marlboro. Surely a non-over-smoked Mom is a more loving Mom, better able to go about her tasks in the kitchen and elsewhere around the ranch house.

Mom of the year!

Ugly Bags of Mostly Water

As a recent recipient of a melanoma, this pic makes me cringe. But some people can take the sun better than others - I have to now guard myself from overly bright lamps.

But it's true - we are just bags of mostly water. We are 70% water - if anything else were 70% of something, you'd say that is by far the dominant factor. Do you feel as if you are mostly water? Of course not. But it's true. Lesson: You can't always trust your common sense. Another example - does it seem like the Earth spins around the Sun, or the Sun spins around the Earth, based on your common sense? Yeah. And this is the true gift of Science - giving us the tools to reach beyond our own common sense, verily, our very senses.

Science - the systematic method of obtaining information through observation and experimentation. It allows humanity to exceed our biological limitations (senses) and perceive ever more deeply into the realities of time and space. For example - sunburns. They are literally the result of photons hitting our skin and damaging cells, causing them to "burn" as this physical impact imparts energy that heats up the target. I am in a perpetual state of awe as I learn more and more esoteric science facts but come to realize they are almost always grounded in processes we understand at a fundamental level - one object striking another. Fusion - the magic that runs this Universe - is the result of matter striking matter so often and so powerfully that it releases energy from the constituent matter in the form of electromagnetic radiation, which we ultimately see as light - which is defined as photons literally striking cells in our eye that then interpret this information as color and intensity, via our brain. Common sense is not common sense is common sense, in other words.

Also, too, remember Large Marge?

A passing resemblance.

We humans are special beyond compare, for we can perceive these High Truths of Science, while at the same time we are subject to the genetic imperatives that drive all life, everywhere (and there is life beyond this Earth, for sure. Just a matter of time before we have conclusive proof - which will happen in our lifetimes). We can, in theory, liberate ourselves from the genetic via our minds, via science, though this is exceedingly unlikely, for the genes are the drivers in most everything we do, and there's only one thing the genes want: To live on.

Sex and Mind. The two themes which define mankind. Which allows me to posit: Consider the miracle of the egg, which I recently heard described as "a way to bring the ocean with you wherever you go". And it's true - before the egg, all life had to give birth in water. After the egg, all the land was there for the taking, because the egg encases the ocean, and water is a requirement for life. For we are 70% water, after all. The rest is the dust and ashes cast off from generations of Stars that lived, swelled, and exploded, seeding the cosmos with oxygen, carbon, iron, indeed, everything we define as ourselves (not water).

Life is awesome, yeah?

Fear is the mind killer

A John Wayne Gacy original, entitled "Goodbye Pogo". Pogo was the name of the clown Gacy played for many years. After he was arrested, he picked up painting while in jail, selling quite well. I don't search the internets for serial killers, honestly, but any search for "Scary clown" will inevitably lead to JWG, or Pogo. Imagine the terror! He's a fascinating specimen of freaky ass psycho killer.

I search for scary clown stuff for you, fellow Redshirts. I DO IT ALL FOR YOU!!! And my own LuLz, of course. But also because it's cool to face your fears whenever possible/safe. Once you can face something, you can overcome it. You need will (to) power. Imagine, the nightmares and real fear felt by this young lad for his entire life:

He looks terrified - he's gone into the submission pose. Think of all the neurosis and psychosis that can lead from one terrifying and bizarre event. I mean, what the heck is up with clowns anyway? Who thinks that shit is funny? Also, that's not Pogo. Neither are these guys.

Have fun at your birthday party kids! We'll be drinking by the pool.

The Water Buffalo's name is also Khan

In a screaming match, never go against a 4 year old. You'll lose. Foolish Water Buffalo.

Hobbies are Habits

We are mostly creatures of habit, especially as we get older. Routines settle over the years, ways of thinking, ways of feeling, ways of acting in specific situations. This can form a huge rut that is difficult to dig out of. Or, one can "keep it fresh", and trod new ground, new sights, new sounds, and I posit this is the difference between being "young" or "old". Note! You can be old while young - old in mind, old in outlook - or young while old, or some mixture of both (of course). It's all a matter of your perspective.

Habits are the way we form our minds - we are mostly creatures of habits. We have some say in the deal, but it takes effort, will, constant application of energy, and it's oh so tempting and easy to give up, let go, settle down nearer the LCD.  Why not, right? But this is the secret of a good life, right here, so listen up!

We are our habits. Make them good, and you can reasonably expect a good life (there's always bad luck and loss and disappointment, but what are you going to do?); make them bad, make them lazy, self destructive, self defeatist, self denying, then, well, it seems equally reasonable to expect negative results. Thus, you are the author of your life, so write if you want to write, or let it be written for you.


A hobby is a habit, by definition. It requires attention, positive repetition (if you enjoy your hobby) and a focus on concepts out of your normal day-to-day. If your hobby is good, therefore, you can expect an equally good return for your time, not just enjoyment in the moment, but in the quality of your life. 


Are there any bad hobbies? If these guys above have wives, or girlfriends, or Mothers paying the bills, think they think this is a good hobby?


Also too: Check out the etymology of the word "hobby".

Levels of Reality

Since I graduated from the prestigious Harvard Training Academy - AS YOU CAN SEE! - I feel I have obtained the proper WISDOM, you see, to opine on this, our reality. Our should I say, realities. I propose that we - living beings - exist in all these realities, however, our operational awareness of them differs from person to person. True WISDOM, then, would be the complete understanding and reconciliation of these different realities. As it is normally, there's no necessary correlation from one reality to another - what might be true in one could be false in another, and vice versa. They're independent in this regard.

Now, I've thought about this for many minutes now, so I'm sure it's correct. However, there might be some small chance I could change this in the future. But what do I care? I've got a diploma!

In order:
1. Societal reality - living in the world. These realities are location and era specific. The societal reality of Medina, Saudi Arabia, for example, is not the same as Seattle. All religion, government, etc, fits into this realm, and it dominates our attention.
2. Familial reality - a family is a society in microcosm, with less options for moving. 
3. Personal reality - what goes on in your head. Could be completely delusional, and in fact, it's always subjective. 

These are the big three. Most of us, and most of our day to day lives, are completely dominated by these levels, and in fact it would be easy enough to stop here and analyze the heck out these, since progress could be made. However, that's not my goal. Documentation only. So:

4. Chemical reality - hormones and other chemical triggers in the body. We might be completely unaware of this reality, but its certainly affecting us.
5. Biological reality - The actual biology that makes up living systems.
6. Physical reality - the atoms which make up the structures in our bodies and the rules governing their interactions.
7. Quantum reality - The underlying quantum nature of everything

And that's as far back as I go, for now. I strongly suspect science will peel back yet another layer - another reality - and I'll add that at the bottom.

To wit: One can analyze any given object, topic, concern, by using each of these levels. For instance, ask yourself what a mountain is at the the physical level. Each level has its own truths, and each level can appear to subvert the others. 

Most importantly, one can see how the bottom 4 levels can be viewed as fairly straightforward scientific concepts, whereas the top 3 are all subjective, hurly-burly creations of humans/humanity.

Point being: We spend most of our time in the top 3 levels, swimming in various delusions, and most likely completely unaware of the underlying levels that actually hold more objective truths.

Illusions all, however, even the quantum.

Imperial Blues

Unless we fundamentally change the course of our country, it seems pretty clear America has entered the phase of "Imperial Decadence" that happens to all Empires once they lose sight of their original founding. Safe to say America has long since lost that vision (it happened in chunks last century), and it's obvious to see were in a form of decadent delusion - Lindsay Freakin' Lohan/Lebron James is the leading news today. Sad. Real issues are never addressed, it's just more Bread n' Circuses.


Which is fun enough - I've got my fiddle well tuned and I know how to play during a fire.


Perhaps the only thing that might save us is "minorities" in America asserting themselves over the great hordes of stupid, greedy, fat white people. The demographics are going to turn very soon, but Old White Men are firmly lodged in every corner of power - it will take time to get them out.


We're seeing this change now - the media is about to go under, notions of citizenship are under fire, violence is on the horizon as dead enders feel the heat. The only question is will the forces of the Status Quo (Repugs, MSM, many Dems, Wall Street, K Street, etc) be successful in squashing these changes, or will they succumb relatively peaceful to a new order?


We'll find out whether you want to or not. Fun times!

 

Mating Rituals cont.

Feeling like a shell of yourself, Trooper? Failing at the nearly unwinnable dating game?


Forget all the fussing and fighting and laser blasts. Get that special Lady Stormtrooper friend a nice pair of boots:

Who could resist?

redshirt, explained (in part)

For me - Redshirt - a redshirt can be defined in part as Average Guy, trying to get by in this crazy universe, just like anyone. Prone to some bad luck, an Average Guy is turned into a redshirt when asked to do something which results in a sacrifice, like go down to the planet's surface and check out that strange black blob. The Average Guy (or Gal!) doesn't want to do it, but it's the job, so they do it. And die. The end.

Most folks fighting in a war, especially in the olden days, were redshirts - destined to be used and killed as the FSM saw fit. It's still true today, just not as high a percentage.

The Military - any military - is designed to crush individual expression and replace it with devotion to the small band, which forms larger groups, and larger still, till you all can be wielded as a single weapon, thrown at the Enemy's Tower, to be mown down in a rain of flaming arrows. But some of you might get through, and when you finally do, the King's aims are met. Huzzah! And for the redshirts, through all of time? Maybe some glory. More likely injury, horrible, terrible memories, and maybe a bit of gold. Good luck, you lived to tell the tale.

But let's never forget what people in the military are supposed to do: Kill. That's why they're there! And killing always begets all manner of depravity and cruelty, since you by force dehumanize your enemy, whomever they are that week. See?

Check out the thug with a club, center left.

Hair I am (look at me!)

I like the style, but have to object in principle. As a Redshirt - if you want to live - your goal should always be: to be as inconspicuous as possible. Don't draw attention to yourself, don't make scenes, speak only when spoken to, don't volunteer, etc

This guy, braver than I, is just asking to be sent on some dangerous mission from which it is unlikely he will return. Consider that, the next time the urge to mousse up your hair strikes - is it worth the anonymous and predictable death?

I think not. Your mileage may vary.

Wish you were here

I have some stress in my life - perhaps you do as well? This stress would often cause me difficulties sleeping, as my mind would race around the track of "All the things to do!".

So I searched about for solutions. No drugs though, as sleeping pills are pure evil, and except for the fun drugs, I am firmly a "Just Say No" kinda redshirt.

I tried tea, milk, curtains, sound machines, fans and fans and more fans, and nothing worked. I tried counting sheep, and I felt like that was getting me somewhere, but not far enough. And then I came upon a realization: Your brain is keeping you awake with thoughts of "All the things to do!"; if you can redirect that mental activity somewhere else, perhaps you can bypass it. This is the principle behind counting sheep, after all - the visualization of sheep jumping over a fence is mentally engaging enough to distract you from your normal thoughts, and the procession of counting more and more sheep creates a hypnotic effect whereby you are talking yourself to sleep in a gentle manner - self hypnosis of a sort.

Counting sheep simply gets boring, my mind drifts back onto the stress, and so I was dissatisfied with the technique. But the principle is sound, so I developed it - what about some kind of complex scenario that would require you to spend that limited mental activity, but also not create any new stress or drama? This last part is key.

For example, one of my early attempts at a "go-to-sleep" scenario was "What would my dream house be?" And I would try and imagine all the cool things I might have in a house if money were no object. But I found this scenario quickly led to thoughts of money, of responsibility, and those thoughts would then lead back to the "real world" of stress and anxiety and etc.

So I searched about for different scenarios, and came upon one that has worked for me for years and years now - stuck on a desert island. Please note this started BEFORE Lost. Ahem! Now, your mileage will vary, and if you try this technique, you'll have to come up with your own scenario, as each of us is unique in our way and no one specific path is necessarily meant for another.

Stuck on a deserted tropical island, with a big chest of whatever I wanted to pack in that chest. Tarps, knives, lighters, pots, fishing gear, etc. How would I drink water? What would I eat? How would I build a shelter? What about bugs? The bathroom? Etc. Endless permutations of mindless repetitions, essentially, for me, disconnected entirely from the "real world" (as in, it's highly unlikely I'd ever find myself stuck on a desert island). Counting sheep writ large, in other words.

It worked wonderfully for me, but alas, some 8 years now doing this, I've found it's gotten a bit stale. So I'm trying out some new material. If you're having any difficulty sleeping, I encourage you to give this general technique a try. Remember, the keys are it has to be quite disconnected from your "real world" so as not to lead to any stressful thoughts, and it has to be engaging in a harmless way in order to distract your brains from the habitual thoughts it wants to engage in. Maybe you could envision a great garden with all types of different plants. Or maybe imagine building a model train set to minute detail. Whatever works for you, but it might take you some time trying out different scenarios, so be patient.

To finish, in all this time, I don't recall ever once dreaming of being on a deserted tropical island, which I find exceedingly strange.

Macro is the Micro is the Macro is the Micro (and so on)

On the left, a cell in a mouse brain; on the right, a computer model showing the large scale structure of the universe - each point of light in the picture would be an individual galaxy.

This is a fundamental truth to our reality - wherever you look, no matter how high or low, the macro is repeated in the micro and the micro in the macro;

There is wisdom to be gained by fully understanding this in your day to day life. I leave it to you to decide how. Or why.

Super Rummy

Heck of a job, Rummy.

Some tips for dealing with Repuglicans: 

1. Anything they accuse anyone else of, they are guilty of themselves. It's called "Projection".
2. They live in a Fantasy World that came from the "Leave it to Beaver" TV show, which in fact never existed.
3. They are selfish to the point of evil.


That about sums up your typical so-called "Conservative" today. 

Wachyoolookinat?

Rule for this world: Everything looks cool (Weird) close up.

Fire is Life

A new pic from the STEREO space probes - two probes on either side of the sun which take co-ordinated photos, allowing for 3-d level views.

This is a pic of a mass coronal ejection, essentially, magnetic fields within the sun snap, and this snapping sends forthe huge bands of stellar material from deep within the sun. If this material happens to be headed in our direction, we get slammed with a solar storm, which in the worst cases can knock out electrical grids (and slightly increase the rate of mutation on the planet!).

We should all strive to remember that we are LITERALLY made up of the same material as the sun - we are the leftover remnants that did not form the sun, but the sun, the earth, us, and everything else in our solar system are all made of material from a previous star - a massive star that went supernova some long, long time ago, bequeathing us gold, platinum, uranium, and all the rest of the materials on our world.

If you're looking for a God, if you need one - follow our ancient ancestors and look up into the sky: That's all the God(s) you'll ever need.

Invisible

Invisibility might be the ideal state for a redshirt, considering the hazards of the role. Or even if you subscribe to number 62 from the "Rules for Living a Long Life": Keep your head down and stay out of the way.

However, invisibility is pretty boring. There's only so many times sneaking up on people in the woods is amusing - quite a few, I'm sure, but not enough to make it worthwhile overall. I assume.

Something to consider if the situation ever comes up.

Threshold

Protip: This is what happens to you if you go past Warp 10.