Everything you know is wrong.

The near death experience is real ( NDE) get over it. For those who believe in a God it's true for those who believe in science, get over it. The Science Of The Near Death Experience - The Dish | By Andrew Sullivan - The Daily Beast. That is all.

True mind control is here.

At last there is a drug that can rob you of free will. I first spotted this on The Dish and my first reaction was alarm. It's not the criminals I'm worried about getting hold of this drug it the government- secret police all over the world will get a hard on when they hear about the effectiveness of this drug.

This remark is especially frightening in it's naviete: "we can only speculate that the criminal underworld has unwittingly stumbled upon one of the greatest discoveries of 21st-century neuroscience." I will bet it's creation was no accident.

Finally a Sensible View

I read this on Andrew Sullivan by Conor Friedersdorf under the heading "Sound and Fury Signifying Nothing". His remarks are addressed to Republican voters but everyone should heed his observation. It is sharpest comment not just on this whole stupid ground -zero mosque controversy but on the 3 ring circus that drives the media and politican's. He points out something many have suspected all along:

"If a new Congressman knows that he owes his election to populist wedge issues like the so-called Ground Zero mosque, is he going to propose tough spending cuts when he gets to Washington DC? Or is he going to become addicted to wedge issues, and never do the hard work of persuading voters that our current fiscal course is unsustainable? Too often we're electing precisely the politicians who are most adept at exploiting wedge issues."

I highly recomment it.

“Let He Who is Without Sin Cast the First Stone.”

Critics of the Catholic Church and their mishandling of the current sex abuse scandal are understandably full of righteous anger. Andrew Sullivan among others, speak of their horror at how the institute covered up the actions of the perpetrators.

They would never allow such behavior to occur, they say with justifiable disgust. How dare the church be more concerned with their image than with the welfare of the victims. How could they do that? How can bishops, cardinals and the pope sleep at night knowing what they knew?

It’s very easy, really. The French recently recreated a famous experiment as a game show to demonstrate how people go along with authority. The subjects in the test, the experimenters and critics were surprised at how easily the crowd mentality took over personal convictions.Whenever someone joins a collective there is an unwritten rule that it must be protected at all cost- no matter what. Individual thought is replaced by group think and the survival of the collective depends on everyone protecting it.

Every one of us is susceptible to this thinking despite our deepest belief that we would never sink so low. Police departments, medical professionals, school administrators, politicians and sports coaches have all engaged in shameful cover-ups. They have always done so, why are we surprised the church is doing it too? They are doing the same thing any of these other fraternal groups have done for centuries.

Shame, denial, fear of retribution or lose of face. These are the reasons fraternal groups to close ranks and protect their own. It’s dishonorable, it’s despicable and all too human. Before we start hurling stones at the guilty let us remember that we are all capable of doing the same thing.

Notes From All Over

While I search the internet for interesting things to read, comment on and gather ideas for my own blog I collect bits and pieces. Here in no particular order are Notes from All Over:

A quote that well explains the extreme measures of terrorist thinking. In his book, "Reality vs. Subjectivity" Dr. Hawkins has this to say about ego:

"The ego is not only unable to correctly access situations that are fatal but it even willingly sacrifices life for its own ends. The ego is therefore potentially deadly and would rather 'see you dead than admit it is wrong. . . The ego is intran sigent in that it fails to learn from its mistakes. Failed policies are reinstated repeatedly, even in the face of major catastrophe, and the justification is almost always a resort to some moralistic catch phrase that services the political gains of the propagandists who exploit the gullibility of the naive public."


. . . “If Obama wants to support gay equality, he knows what to do. If Pelosi and Reid want to support gay equality, they know what to do. If HRC believes in gay equality, they also know what to do. So spare us the schmoozing and the sweet-talking and do it. Until then, Mr. President, why don't you have a nice steaming cup of shut-the-fuck-up?” -Andrew Sullivan

In the media everyone is the same size. Whether it’s OJ Simpson or Joe the Plumber. Everyone and everything becomes trivial. How can the viewer discern what is an important story?
Technology gives people the feeling they are more powerful (like Batman and his utility belt) than they really are, that’s why gadgets are so popular, but it’s a false sense of power.

“Gay people should be free to marry and other people should be free to believe that our same-sex marriages are wrong because their religion forbids it or because that's how they were raised or because they just think it's icky. Just because same-sex marriage is legal doesn't mean that everyone is required to approve. Interracial marriage is legal despite the disapproval of some; inter-faith marriage is legal despite the strong and sometimes violent disapproval of most religious traditions; divorce is legal despite the disapproval of Jesus Christ himself and despite being forbidden by the Roman Catholic Church. Gay people want the same deal interracial couples, inter-faith couples, and divorced-and-remarried couples all have now: our marriages should be legal even if some people disapprove.” Dan Savage

Once upon a time, I, Chuang Tzu, dreamt I was a butterfly, fluttering hither and thither, to all intents and purposes a butterfly. I was conscious only of my happiness as a butterfly, unaware that I was tzu. Soon I awaked, and there I was, veritably myself again. Now I do not know whether I was then a man dreaming I was a butterfly, or whether I am now a butterfly, dreaming I am a man.



There was a lot being said after the idiot with the bomb in his underwear botched his ticket to martyrdom.

Security theater indeed. More like bad dinner theater. I knew from the moment TSA was formed it would be a joke and a huge waste of money. I am so tired of the agency talking about the seriousness of security ( which is important) only have something like this happen to prove what ignorant dumb fucks these people really are.

You know who takes security seriously? The Israeli's. Do we hear about this kind of incompetence in other countries? No. We still think our country is invincible despite 9/11 so we don't need to be vigilant like Europe and the Middle East where they deal with these dangers every day. Shlomo Dror, an Israeli air-security expert, had it right in 2002 when he said: “The United States does not have a security system; it has a system for bothering people.”

The effect of the Patriot Act and Homeland Security gave intelligence agencies carte blanc to spy on American citizens. Another attack on this country will simply be used as an excuse to increase it's spying on us rather than actually stopping the terrorists. - My comments on Stranger blog about TSA security breach 12/8/09

Eisenhower warned of the excess of government and the military-industrial complex 60 years ago:

“in the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist. We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted. Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals, so that security and liberty may prosper together."


“stick to politics Wanda, I don't need celebrities to tell me what to think about political issues. CBS is a private corporation and has a right to decide their programming. The Super bowl is a family show and most people don't want to have to explain why two men are kissing to their children. That's not a personal statement on my part, that's a fact.” -Huffington post blog comment on Wanda Sykes critic of CBS banning a gay dating ad on the super bowl.

My reply:
The commentator has offered a typically pedantic response. Let's take a closer look at the rhetoric, shall we.

"CBS is a private corporation and has a right to decide their programming" the networks broadcast over the public airwaves. The FCC and profits, more than anything, determine what gets aired.

"The Super bowl is a family show" A family show where steroid injected athletes violently crash into each other while fans yell obscenities and consume large quantities of food and beer. Oooookay.

"most people don't want to have to explain why two men are kissing to their children. That's not a personal statement on my part, that's a fact."

Explaining uncomfortable things to your children is the job of a parent. You are perfectly free to tell them such behavior is immoral. Unless you have the right to speak for other people -which you don't, your last statement is an opinion- intellectually limited- but still an opinion.

Blogging Self Awareness

It was bound to happen. At last a blog that satirizes blogs. Not quite the same as Douglas Hofstadters famous self referential story in Scientific America but it's good for a laugh.

The Year in Review Part 2

I have been sorting out my notes and found some leftover bits and pieces on various subjects. Here, in no particular order I present some observations about events, controversies, and the media from the last year that caught my eye.

We were treated to yet more examples of TSA incompetence from their security manual being posted on the internet to the latest bomb threat and their bone head security solution to it, that that average person can see is useless. Real security is based on stopping bad people not bad things. It’s about correctly interpreting the ego of these bad people. As Dr. Hawkins says about ego in his book, "Reality vs. Subjectivity":

"The ego is not only unable to correctly access situations that are fatal but it even willingly sacrifices life for its own ends. The ego is therefore potentially deadly and would rather 'see you dead than admit it is wrong. . . The ego is intran sigent in that it fails to learn from its mistakes. Failed policies are reinstated repeatedly, even in the face of major catastrophe, and the justification is almost always a resort to some moralistic catch phrase that services the political gains of the propagandists who exploit the gullibility of the naive public."

We think racial profiling is wrong blah, blah but law enforcement has been engaging in racial profiling for years. Ask any Black or Hispanic how many times they have been pulled over by a cop. Is the TSA afraid of using ethic profiling because of the political backlash or because the profiling won’t work? Take some lessons from the Israeli's, they know how to do this.

Speaking of fantasy the ( non) issue of gay marriage is till in the news with the advocates sounding more intelligent than the opponents.

“Gay people should be free to marry and other people should be free to believe that our same-sex marriages are wrong because their religion forbids it or because that's how they were raised or because they just think it's icky. Just because same-sex marriage is legal doesn't mean that everyone is required to approve. Interracial marriage is legal despite the disapproval of some; inter-faith marriage is legal despite the strong and sometimes violent disapproval of most religious traditions; divorce is legal despite the disapproval of Jesus Christ himself and despite being forbidden by the Roman Catholic Church. Gay people want the same deal interracial couples, inter-faith couples, and divorced-and-remarried couples all have now: our marriages should be legal even if some people disapprove.” Dan Savage

Gays are also angry and impatient. And you don’t want to piss off a drama queen.

":. . . If Obama wants to support gay equality, he knows what to do. If Pelosi and Reid want to support gay equality, they know what to do. If HRC believes in gay equality, they also know what to do.So spare us the schmoozing and the sweet-talking and do it. Until then, Mr. President, why don't you have a nice steaming cup of shut-the-fuck-up? " Andrew Sullivan

Meanwhile certain so called Christians ( Scott Lively, Caleb Lee Brundidge, Don Schmierer) are now backpedaling from the propaganda they spewed in Uganda now that the country is pushing for a law that would put homosexuals to death. Good thing they weren’t told Jews were out to pervert their children.

Health care reform is still a disgusting joke. If you think our system is fine, good for you. The Republicans on the other hand hope that I die quickly if I’m hit by a car. So do I because I have no insurance.

On that cheerful note I wish everyone a happy new year where you are in good health when you attend the wedding of a gay friend after flying safely on a plane.

What's on the Internet tonight?

I surf the net almost every day. For a writer it’s great resource for raw material. You can find anything on the internet but knowing how to do a search is the key. Fortunately I know some librarians so they can show me how it’s done.

Cruising the information hiway is not without it’s pitfalls. Even though it has been around for years and many web sites have been designed-supposedly- by pros, navigating some sites is like driving in a foreign country without a map and you can’t read the road signs. Every time I see a page with white or yellow text on a black ground or animated arrows I want to take a blunt object to the designer’s face. But I digress.

My homage is wunderground.com where I get the local weather, which is kind of silly because I can just as easily step out on the back porch to tell me what’s going on. I start by checking the mail. Spam, spam, spam, a library book due notice, letter from friend. I don’t know why I bother, I don’t get a lot of messages but like Charlie Brown waiting by the mailbox for a Valentine I look every day. There was a time when people wrote letters but that’s gone the way of birthday cards and telegrams. Now we have e-cards and iphones.

Up next is the news. I prefer CNN online to the clutter of the TV version. News crawls, popping graphics, constantly changing info boxes. Enough already, slow down. I’m getting old and I don’t have the attention span of a hamster. The New York Times, BBC and Al Jeezera fill out the variety of views. Locally there’s the Oregonian and the Eugene Weekly.

I move on to the blogs. I like seeing how other blogs are done compared to my paltry attempt. Dan Savage and Andrew Sullivan are gay but politically opposite, so they make for interesting reading. I also look in on Wil Wheton’s page. I’m not a geek as he proudly admits but he writes well and is very funny.

I check my facebook page. I’ve heard how great FB is for networking and combining the best of many online uses but frankly like the rest of the internet I’m underwhelmed. To me it’s like getting a snapshot postcard from friends, “hi this is what I’m doing here’s a neat picture of me and my pet, spouse and or car.” I might have a picture of me when I was younger, thinner and had better hair. I could play for hours one the endless games they offer or obesess on getting more friends than my friends but that would be um, a waste of time?

In the evening, when there’s nothing on TV, I’ll do some blog writing. For entertainment there is the movie insider Ain’t it Cool, the Darwin Awards and of course YouTube. However, I steadfastly refuse to watch cute videos of people’s pets or children throwing up. Then I look at pictures of naked men. Hey we all need a mental health break from the endless harvesting of information, right?

Those Homos are Everywhere.

Amid all the talk about same -sex marriage ( yeah that’s still going on) and how all those gays are shoving their disgusting lifestyles down our throat and threaten the children, something occurred to me. How many people are we talking about bringing ruination to our society? Less than ten percent- that’s right, less than ten percent of a population of 300 million.Wow, how is it that such a small group has a paralyzing and fearsome grip on the masses? Because some very frightened and ignorant people would have you think they do. 

The rise in homophobia has more to do with visibility than numbers. There seems to be more gays because they are noticed more as a result of media coverage. In reality there are no more gays now then forty years ago when the Stonewall riot occurred. We just didn’t talk about them then.

Bigoted whites were afraid of the blacks threatening society during the civil rights movement because there seemed to be so many of them. Gasp. No, blacks were simply noticed more because of their demand for equality. Even with black mayors, governors, supreme court judges, and a president -blacks are still a minority despite what a frightened majority may think.

Conservative gay Andrew Sullivan writes on his blog  “What  social conservatives have to grapple with is that openly gay people are not going away... They want to create a shadow class of people operating somehow in a cultural and social limbo. That strategy may have worked as long as gay people cooperated- by staying in the closet, keeping their heads down, playing the euphemism  game. But the cooperation is over.” Substitute the word black for gay and one can see this is old formula played by the dominant culture.