Headstones go interactive...QR TO Web Presence of Deceased...leave messages...

THE 'LIVING HEADSTONE' (You cannot make this stuff up!)
They sell a subscription service...

"...snip...Quiring Monuments can add a link onto the memorial which enables users of smart phones to scan and automatically connect to a personalized website...snip....This link can be applied to new or existing cemetery headstones, mausoleum shutters, cremation urns, garden benches or as an addition to a public memorial.  In situations where cremated remains were previously scattered, a miniature memorial plaque with the digital link is available for display in your home or garden or even on a field stone in a Green Burial Cemetery."

One summer I almost worked as a "pre-need" salesperson at a large mortuary in San Diego.  

Decided against.  

Another opportunity lost!!

--
FRISH

Bridge, and chatting during bridge...

Playing bridge one can chat along the bottom of the screen.

Ckat and I are in a tournament, and between rounds we may chat privately.

We just finished playing hands 4, 5 and 6 and have a couple minutes...

Ckat says: $ also might be good.
Ckat: #4

frish: got it  (written concurrently with just prior line)

frish: i speak dyslexia p...

Ckat: rofl

--
FRISH

found this today....says it all.

--
FRISH

New Zealand Man blows up like a balloon...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-13537084
--
FRISH

Heard about the impending shortage of helium...

So, I searched the web, and, found this little item, taken from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute graduation announcement published just yesterday 5/18/2011!

Here's some scary stuff...

"In addition, to make this year's Commencement environmentally friendly, a long-standing decoration will not be used. Recently, a "Non-Research Helium Boycott" initiative spearheaded by Benjamin Cohen '11, Ph.D. in mechanical engineering, has encouraged members of the Rensselaer campus community to support the initiative and consider the elimination of helium-filled balloons while planning campus events.

Helium, the second lightest element, is a non-renewable resource. The gas is created by the nuclear fusion process of the Sun, or by slow and steady radioactive decay of terrestrial rock, and is typically captured as a byproduct of the natural gas drilling industry.

Recent reports by news, science, industry, and government organizations have noted that the world's most commonly used inert gas is being depleted at an astonishing rate due to a law passed in 1996 that has made helium too cheap to recycle. The Helium Preservation Act stipulates that the helium must be sold off by 2015, regardless of the market price. Researchers note that it is possible that there may be an empty spot on the periodic table within the next 30 years.

Many industrial processes rely on helium. The gas is used for MRI and nuclear magnetic resonance machines, pressurizing and purging rockets, welding, as well as in the production of fiber optics, LCDs, and food. In his proposal, Cohen stated the following: "RPI as a world-class technological research university, understanding the importance of helium to the scientific community and for common human good, commits to curbing the using of helium on campus for non-research or science-based purposes. This is in effect a boycott of helium balloons in the hopes of also increasing awareness for material scarcity.""

FRISH

Michael Moore is absolutely right

Terrorism was once defined as "Criminal acts performed for political purposes."

If we had the political will to have the police of all countries really share information, 

terrorists couldn't hide anywhere in the world and we'd soon be done with them.

Instead, with Bush Jr. we start the "War on Terror".  However, we aren't really at "war' (to whom might we surrender?).

Therefore, there ought not be such entities as "enemy combatants", with limbo for a legal status.

And, this war is never-ending, since there is no formal enemy to surrender or surrender to! 

If we simply use the higher moral authority we claim by actually living within the rule of law, all would be much better!

Instead, the Obama administration declares an unarmed, unprotected OBL to be a casualty of our war on terror.

They therefore are conveniently using the "at war" line when they need to justify their actions, 

and "let's try them in NYC" line when they know that's the moral and legally correct thing to do, with a path paved with prior success.

How surprising they have it both ways, so that those who can never be tried for lack of acceptable evidence, but are too dangerous to let loose, can now rot in Guantanamo.

America has fallen short in moral standing for several reasons:

The whole idea of an "elective" or "pre-emptive" war is totally immoral, illegal and ought to be totally unacceptable.

"Fight them over there"   Can anything be less moral? 

Not following the rule of law by failing to apprehend instead of assassinate Osama bin Laden.

Torture, special rendition, and all the rest.

I despair regards my countrymen's glee.

-- 

Frish

end_of_the_skype_highlighting

Frish at the Palm Oasis in Anza Borrego 4/27/11

near here
33 16'48.68"N Lat

116 26'0.82"W Long

1.5 miles UP the hill from the last campground, lots of running water (that week anyway!).

FRISH

Has there ever been a society that used less energy as they "progressed"???

So, here's what passes for "good news".  

China won't be a runaway greenhouse emissions and ecologic disaster, 

since their demand for energy will flatten over the next 4 decades...

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110427131937.htm

Wonder if those economists determined what 1.4Bn people will consume (just eating) 

and what to do with their exhaust (shit by another name) forget about appliances...

Will there be ANY wilderness left in China?

--
FRISH

She's pregnant, and got pregnant!

For those concerned with reproduction, at the margins! 

http://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/post.cfm?id=superfetation-pregnant-while-alread-2011-04-27

It doesn't look like there is much of this happening, (no surprise, no kidding).

On an related search, I discovered "types of twins".  (I thought there were more!)

Conjoined - a single initial embryo splits but doesn't fully separate...

Superfetation - twins conceived separately

Heteropaternal Superfecundation - twins from different fathers

Polar Body Twins: "Half Identical" possibly one egg splits and each half meets a sperm. Weird! 

Monozygotic - two identical same gender copies

Mirror Image Twins - also Monozygotic (one initial egg) these twins aren't identical in fun ways.

Parasitic - this is too gross.

Semi-Identical - only one known pair!  One egg, two sperm, one is a hermaphrodite.

Twins with different birthdays - "twins have been born days, even weeks apart! "

Twins of different races - a special case of HeteroSuper above. Also possible with bi-racial parents!

Twins happen ("naturally") with more frequency in older mothers, (over 35) of which there are an abundance.

Fertility treatments are (now) a major source.  Octo-Mom lives way too close to me!

Our bodies are wonderful, let's fully enjoy them as we live long and die out!

Vehemently Yours, 

      FRISH      

As the Near East opens a democratic political environment...perhaps we ought to adopt some of what they do...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110421/od_uk_nm/oukoe_uk_kyrgyzstan_sacrifice;_ylt=Aj2weC_D45f_xWlFPk2lzn_tiBIF;_ylu=X3oDMTMyNzhhbGZsBGFzc2V0A25tLzIwMTEwNDIxL291a29lX3VrX2t5cmd5enN0YW5fc2FjcmlmaWNlBHBvcwM3BHNlYwN5bl9hcnRpY2xlX3N1bW1hcnlfbGlzdARzbGsDa3lyZ3l6bXBzc2Fj

  

"We decided to resort to popular customs, in order for this building not to see bloodshed anymore,"

member of parliament Myktybek* Abdyldayev told Reuters 

after the rams were sacrificed on a green lawn in front of the government headquarters.

* Not to be confused with Superman's enemy from  the 5th dimension, Mister Mxyzptlk!

-- 

FRISH

Smart Carbon Calculator ... it provides appropriate suggestions!

Here is an article about it.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110415163527.htm

Here is the calculator:

http://coolclimate.berkeley.edu/uscalc

This is a much smarter carbon footprint calculator, 

as it gives you suggestions on how to reduce it, 

depending on the costs of things as a percentage of your expenses

where you live...(USA only I believe, sorry about that, but if we're more aware and act, that's the best possible result!)

In Southern California, where I live, we have zero heating oil expense for example, 

so changing our heating oil habit won't change my footprint.

But if I could quit driving and eating so much meat, better results would occur.

I was at about 70% of the US average for a two person household.

Which made us about 3X the world average...

-- 

FRISH

Languages don't have common rules regarding word order etc....

This is more than mildly interesting.  To me anyway!
http://arstechnica.com/science/news/2011/04/chomsky-was-wrong-evolutionary-analysis-shows-languages-obey-few-rules.ars?utm_source=Ars+Technica+Newsletter&utm_campaign=9e447c8395-April_15_2011_Newsletter&utm_medium=email
--
FRISH

Wonder how many other "philanthropists" are funding similar ventures...

http://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/post.cfm?id=prize-in-the-sky-the-templeton-foun-2011-04-08

Templeton Foundation is to spirituality what the Koch Brothers are to global warming denials.

Wonder what other big money is trying to influence an outcome of science?

Nah, they're all ethical scientists.

--
FRISH

This is a most "economic view" of the value of humanity! Recognizing the risk of extinction...and other low probability events.

http://www.upmc-biosecurity.org/website/resources/publications/2007_orig-articles/2007-10-15-reducingrisk.html
Abstract: 

In this century a number of events could extinguish humanity. 

The probability of these events may be very low, 

but the expected value of preventing them could be high, 

as it represents the value of all future human lives. 

We review the challenges to studying human extinction risks and, 

by way of example, 

estimate the cost effectiveness of preventing extinction-level asteroid impacts.

Here's a bit of the summary!

"We may be poorly equipped to recognize or plan for extinction risks (Yudkowsky, 2007). 

We may not be good at grasping the significance of 

very large numbers (catastrophic outcomes) or 

very small numbers (probabilities) over large timeframes. 

We struggle with estimating the probabilities of rare or unprecedented events (Kunreuther et al., 2001). 

Policymakers may not plan far beyond current political administrations and rarely do risk assessments value the existence of future generations.¹⁸ 

We may unjustifiably discount the value of future lives. 

Finally, extinction risks are market failures where an individual enjoys no perceptible benefit from his or her investment in risk reduction.  (Had to read this three times...basically faced with extinction, not much anyone can do to avoid it!)

Human survival may thus be a good requiring deliberate policies to protect."

I'd say with some authority that the type of investment in human survival that this paper suggests ought to be done, is not and will not be done.  "If it didn't happen yesterday, why would it happen tomorrow" is the INERTIA one works against when investing to avoid low probability hi impact events.

...like oil well blow outs, big earthquakes, tsunamis, and nuclear reactors that are no longer functional...not something that happens very often...or with any frequency..

FRISH

Coolest Tech Today! Ray Gun Fire Extinguisher

Fire Suppression via Electrical field!

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110327191034.htm

From my days with Disaster Preparedness I figure a new level of exercise reality...

FIRE!  as Moulage*...I mean, what else...now that it's safe to get back into the water (or something...). 

Insurance companies are going to HATE this news...they can't charge for fire insurance since there won't be any need...

* Moulange is realistic make up used to simulate MAJOR DAMAGE after stuff hits fan for a more realistic disaster simulation.  (This site sells kits from a client of mine!)...

I want to be the marketing guy who wrote this blurb...I need a new job!

"The Master Moulage Kit contains all the makeup materials and tools needed to create hundreds of wounds."

Great commentary: Obstacles to discussing population policy

You can see the comment at the following URL:
http://www.grist.org/article/2010-12-14-ask-umbras-book-club-why-dont-we-talk-about-population/

Obstacles to discussing population policy

Progressives, liberals, environmentalists, social activists, since sometime
in the 80's, have been reluctant to address population for some of the
following reasons (or so it appears to me):

We do not want to engage with conservative, fundamentalist, religious
opposition to birth control

We are embarrassed to suggest that people in poorer countries who have
large families should lower their birthrates (and so appear racist,
ethnicist, and hypocritical because of our own high consumption rates)

We are afraid that population policy requires draconiam measures (as in
China)

We are reassured that there is (has been) enough food produced on the world
for everyone, and that the main problem is unjust access to it.

We are convinced, from past experience, that only development, education of
women and job opportunities will lower birth rates

We shy away from the pessimistic opinion that only famine, plague and war
can make a dent in overpopulation.

We cannot accept the ungenerous position that poor immigrants should be
kept out of developed countries because of their high birth rate, suspecting
racism.

We may not want to think about our own and families' need and love for
children, what joy they give us, and that a low child society may be hard on
some.


There is also the capitalist economists position that economic growth is
imperative, including and partly driven by population growth, to "grow"
GDP, pay for social security, and our elders, and that "birth dearth" is
socially
harmful.

There is the sexist patriarchal male dominant position, that women must be
kept in their procreative place.

There is the libertarian view, (which also fits with much of the media and
commercial advertising), that regards unencumbered sex as freedom.

There is the "tribal" position (usually of oppressed ethnic groups) that
embraces reproduction as a means of gaining power by outnumbering the
oppressor.

And the "feminist" preference for addressing only the individual woman
and ignoring the responsibility (and reproductive needs) of men, families
and communities (I know some must sometimes be exclude from interfering, but
the responsibility should be encouraged there too).

and more: We love children and don't want to think about not having them

and: many US women are now having trouble conceiving, and talking about not
having children makes them feel bad

Beedy Parker, Camden, Maine

For some musically interested folk...

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=music-is-all-in-the-mind

--
FRISH

Deaths down, lives lengthen

"Basically, this is nothing but good news," Kochanek says.

My sister and I consider the following to be the only English Language construction of it's type.

Two positives make a negative. 

But, it's all I can say:  "Yeah, right..." 

FRISH

How the Earth's core, the length of a day, cloud formation and climate chaos caused by humans are interrelated...

"Our study implies that human influences on climate during the past 80 years mask the natural balance that exists among Earth's rotation, the core angular momentum and the temperature at Earth's surface."
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110311140706.htm

The variance of Global Temperature is related to the measured force of Earth's magnetic field for data before 1930 in a statistically significant way.

In other words, if left on the trajectory from before the 1930's, things wouldn't be as they are, and the differences are attributable to human activity.

Not that Human Caused Climate Chaos deniers will end their crusade.  Lubricated by oil, and ignorance.

--
FRISH

Japan's Prime Minister: "The radiation levels are not dangerous to human health".

Ahhh, yeah.

 

A. There are radiation levels.

B. What are comfortable levels?
--
FRISH

Re: [atheists-614] Is an Israel company contracting for mercernaries for Gaddafi ?

There's some big news, Gaddafi does business with international criminals (who in this case happen to be Israelis.)

I worked at IBM with guys who worked data processing for the oil companies in Libya under Gaddafi in the 70's.

Different set of international criminals...but a great assignment if you liked shopping at a PX like store in an American 'compound', like living Dennis the Menace's neighborhood, with hot and cold running servants...Frosted Flakes, Campbell's Tomato Soup, Velvetta, Cheap Cigarettes, etc.

Rather like a country club, with an American School http://www.state.gov/m/a/os/56522.htm purpose built for xpat oil workers et al...

---Egyptian sources have revealed that the Israeli company has so far provided Gaddafi's regime with 50,000 African mercenaries to attack the civilian anti-government protesters in Libya.

---The arms company was previously convicted in an African country over illegal deals, News-Israel website reported.

FRISH

Two articles from the land of unintended consequences

Here's a little nano-tech that may have huge impact going forward...

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110301111457.htm

And, fascinating adaptation of plants to increasing levels of CO2

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110303111624.htm

The first is an article about technology that will be introduced without delay or proof of it's benign place in the ecosystem.

It will take a commercial turn, and will be yet another experiment of the Earth's tolerance for perfectly natural things that happen to be man-made.

The second is the result of consequences, that few if anyone would predict.

If I read things correctly, it appears that plants transpire less water as they don't have as many pores with which to breathe.

This is in reaction to high CO2 levels.  

I make this up, but I expect that's because plants react to high levels of CO2 as though a drought was occurring, since that much CO2 in the atmosphere must be due to burning trees...per se evidence of drought.

--
FRISH

Perhaps the Robots will Take Over

Dear Buythenet:

You said:

If humans keep working on robots and robot brains such as IBM's Watson who is now champion at the game Jeopardy!, then perhaps we don't have to be concerned with how to make humans extinct. The robots will do it for us. Here are some YouTube videos which discuss this topic:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frprCxIerGg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4sTPTsq-UM

While the videos are rather humorous (and as believable as a Davey and Goliath Cartoon, see comments below*...) you are actually on to something.

(BTW, I'm a volunteer)...

As Earth's systems fail, and humans find life is difficult and soon to be impossible, some smart folk will realize the only way "Humanity" will survive is through digital avatars/robots/self replicating and scattered amongst the stars...each with a compendium of human knowledge (WikiWiki)...

The "interesting" thing will be if we can get that together, well enough, before we're wiped clean out of the universe.

I submit no alien "civilization" has yet done so, unless life on Earth is a result thereof!

Therefore, it's unlikely we'll be successful and I'll put real money on that bet, based solely on lack of evidence of alien life...

IMHO.  and LOL, since others may bet otherwise, but neither they nor I will be around to enjoy our bets whichever wins!

Don't have kids.  It's immoral.  Here's why:

People, overall, see an overpopulated planet and say: We need more food.  We need more energy.

If those limitations, just the current crop of nature's forces we've overcome for the last 1,000,000 years, are also over come, do you think we will suddenly adapt to a sustainable relationship with the biosphere?  

If so, do tell.

Human nature not only is to spoil our nest and move on, it is also to overcome any limitation to our existence.  

With enough energy and food, what will then overcome the desire for "all" to have kids, which will simply provide us the opportunity to eat every other living thing on the planet.  Game over.

-- 

FRISH

* I am well aware of technology "evolution" (and market acceptance thereof (MBA Marketing, 15 years with IBM new product development...), CEO of a software firm, etc. but it all began with my BA of Archaeology..always happy to talk about technology from the Atlatl to WATSON!))

 

Humans are subject to Evolution, we survive at the pleasure of the biosphere, but robots must be 

built, redesigned, and "improved"  

What does improved mean to a robot?

By what means will Robots decide what their evolution ought to be?

They are only here to serve, even as they may be dangerous from all sorts of viewpoints.

Firstly they can be immensely powerful (runaway nuclear war command computers anyone?) and couldn't care less about what damage they may do.  

But, think about a car, out of control, we already live in a world where technology is out to get us!

BTW, no robot would be miffed that humans shoot the messenger.  

That datum could be part of it's laws of human behavior, the robot would only find it "interesting" if the human did NOT shoot the messenger, which is SO NON-NOTEWORTHY as to be ignored, by both robots and humans.  

If the messenger does get shot, that's as expected and even less noteworthy!

Robots don't know squat about what's right/wrong or all the other ways our chemistry and culture are expressed.

I would think a world of robots would be at grave risk as a "monoculture".

Think about WHY humans have personalities in the first place and perhaps you'll see what I mean...

Re: [atheists-614] Supreme Court rules to anti-gay protestors at military funerals

I'll bet anything Westboro gets money like Paris Hilton, by being famous for being famous.  

It must be "fund raisin' time in Dixie" whenever they make the national news.

 

I was thinkin'...in order to achieve any chance at a retirement, I ought to fling atheist slurs at funerals so fellow atheists would be motivated to fling money at me!

(I wrote a generally appalling scenario, and realized upon reflection I am too PC to include same in an open forum!)...

1. Unlike Westboro, let's just see how long I'll stay out of jail.

2. Of course, it might be an "early retirement" since I'd be dead as soon as the pall bearers get back to the guns in their cars.

3. But, I'm all about making a point. 

(I'm looking for a job at the Onion, anyone know anyone who knows anyone?)

Okay, what's really disturbing is the length our judicial system will go to defend their non-profit status.

"It's their belief.  Send in money, cure grammy's cancer.".  whoa. 

Doesn't pass the sniff test.

Over 20,000 separate sects of Christianity, always fascinating what gets their rocks off.

(That's weird, I suppose the TRUTH isn't as easy to determine as some might wish.)

Oh, Me of Little Faith - Frish

On Wed, Mar 2, 2011 at 7:31 PM, :

Wow that's really messed up. A similar story about Christian parents wanting to adopt in England had the opposite result due to their homophobic ideals.

http://whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com/2011/03/02/melanesian-frog-worship/

----------------------------------------
Breaking News Alert: Supreme Court rules for military funeral protesters
March 2, 2011 10:23:17 AM
----------------------------------------

The Supreme Court has ruled that the First Amendment protects fundamentalist church members who mount attention-getting, anti-gay protests outside military funerals.

The court voted 8-1 Wednesday in favor of the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kan. The decision upheld an appeals court ruling that threw out a $5 million judgment to the father of a dead Marine who sued church members after they picketed his son's funeral.


http://link.email.washingtonpost.com/r/7CWL7Z/8A4XJA/WTFR92/6R89OH/WXLB9/ZH/h

For more information, visit washingtonpost.com

 

tax the rich, not because they are richer

Tax those who get the benefits of taxes.

LIke Rule of Law that keeps their books safe and their families

Like Roads that work so their goods can flow

Like Police and Prisons to keep them down

Like schools to pour out employees and soldiers

Like contracts for planes and bombs and mercenaries and etc.

If they are making 90% of the income and taxed 80% of the taxes, where is the fairness in that?
FIll in the blank on the percentage, but you get the idea, it's not anything to do with the money they have managed to keep thanks to Bush et al.

Our entire systems of economics, education, transportation, manufacturing, etc. are in place to make the rich even richer.

That is why they ought to pay for the privilege!

Those same rich people own the debt and get paid tax payer money tax free for owning the debt that made them rich in the first place.

Follow the money.

--
FRISH

The Economist: "The 9 Billion-people question" Special report 16pp 02/26/2011

Feeding The World

The latest numbs.  From a rather influential and highly visible magazine/data source.

The incredible part:  The Feeding (and cleaning up after) 9,000,000,000 people they see as feasible (with a whole LOT of IFs). (See last page)...

(And, they recognize "climate change will add to the strains", amongst several other pithy observations.)

The problem I have with that is if they really think that food will be available, population will go up, with food no longer a consideration.

9Bn humans?  with 6Bn or more from now until 2110???  We'll eat everything on the planet.

-- 

FRISH

Results from bridge play tonight...

Enjoy the attached, we did.  

George is a genius from CT. and a world class player.

THANKS George!

(It looks better than actual, we were 12th pair out of 192 (first in our section).)

POINTS are always good!   

FRISH

Immigrants, diversity, and our future...

The world is the world.  We cannot change it.  If the USA expects to have a vibrant economy, under capitalism that is, it requires young workers and innovators.  

Since those who have been here for generations are having fewer children the natural outcome is more children by immigrants.

So what?

It's been like that since the early 1600's and the same jingoist, nationalist, isolationist, xenophobic and outright racist slurs are of the same age or older.

Don't you like capitalism Fred?

Don't you want the USA to be successful?

Are Italians and Irish and Jews still as hated and feared as they were 100 and 150 years ago?

Did their assimilation diminish America or strengthen it?

Aren't all those "brown skin nations" growing more than the rest of the world?

Doesn't that just mean they are a burgeoning market, it's ours to lose, the Chinese already get it!  

Being friendly and having those same brown skinned people here can be advantageous and, how their brethren are treated here also is noted by our trading partners.

If there is a demographic shift happening, it is insane to try to thwart it, we should anticipate it and deal with it. 

And, no, dealing with it doesn't include ridiculous things like having English as the official language of the land!

It's really hilarious how conservatives want government out of their lives, and into the lives of the rest of us!

You cannot Control Culture.  

Just Ask Mubarek.

Frish

Frish's Non-Shopping Network: My blog gets world wide attention

http://www.hinducurrents.com/articles/40893/frishs-non-shopping-network-christians-and-separat/

Rate at Which Neuronal Networks in Cerebral Cortex Delete Sensory Information

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110124090729.htm
"This extraordinarily high deletion rate came as a huge surprise to us", says Wolf. It appears that information is lost in the brain as quickly as it can be "delivered" from the senses. 

I think this is a great article for loads of reason...but, are these guys stupid?  

Of course the great majority of sensory input needs to be forgotten as soon as possible.

Why keep track of the color of a car in the alley you glimpsed as you made a right turn.  

Total clutter...so, your brain is off doing what it does best, finding meaning in patterns...

It's called "short term memory" after all...

Fuggitaboutit!

-- 

FRISH

The power of prayer...?

Allegedly a popular activity amongst deists, prayer has yet to be shown to cause action at a distance.

Helping to describe the "usefulness" of prayer and it's popularity, perhaps praying provides certain benefits for the practitioner, similar to those described in this abstract.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110121144007.htm

"This study demonstrates that changes in brain structure may underlie some of these reported improvements and that people are not just feeling better because they are spending time relaxing."

Consider...

OM is a sacred Sanskrit syllable, used in Yogic meditation practice for 6000 years.  

It's the root of the word shal(om) or peace, in Hebrew...

Perhaps that's not coincidence if prayer affects brains in similar ways to "mindfulness meditation"...

-- 

FRISH

Technology Impact: Cheap Cleaned Water

This team uses sunlight and titanium oxide (what surfers wear on their nose to keep from being sunburned, it's white), to clean pollution in industrial waste water.  The world has a lot of titanium oxide and sunlight...

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110111132519.htm

One must wonder how the Earth's carrying capacity of humans is changed through such tech.

Consider:

It may be just the thing for distributing the sewerage system down to the home or neighborhood or apt. building level.

On the scale discussed in the article, 1000 liters per hour, that would serve the needs of several homes.

Instead of polluting/wasting 100's of gallons per day, now each house/neighborhood could have a reservoir of water that is recycled, and that would only need topping off every year (evaporation, etc.).

A distributed sewer system would have the benefit of allowing riparian landscapes to be restored.

And the need for civil works for water distribution eliminated.

So, this is appealing and potentially "earthshaking" technology.  From a human population perspective.

-- 

FRISH

Secondhand Television Exposure Linked to Eating Disorders

Saw no need to embellish, the story is truly terrifying in it's implications...to me anyway!

Secondhand Television Exposure Linked to Eating Disorders

Sounds like another "The Onion" headline, but even those wags haven't gone here yet...

1. an example of unintended consequences.

    a) don't blame us 

             i) we're only writing stories we think people will watch 

                      1) so we can sell them things that aren't so good for them or the environment.

                                 ! T.V.'s true function: have us all obese, so we're a market for all the crap TV offers...

      b) another example of a science experiment on all of us, gone wrong.

               i) The Implication:  No one knows how my life (or yours) is changed when someone wins (or doesn't win) on some game show...since that's what's influencing some aspect of co-workers, prospects and clients...(in my case)...we're being programmed by this insidious media deluge we're experiencing...totally subconsciously and impossible to "control"...

2. an example of how chemicals drive our entire beings.

    a) and our chemistry itself can be easily influenced by social pressure

             i) a lesson here about socialization, getting by, putting up, and fitting in  (or...not!)

                     1) Fill the minds of children so they'll be happy enough with their lot!

                               ! - Religion's true purpose, calming brain chemistry, as a pliant populace is a lawful one, the wealthy need not worry...as long as "morality" is seen as stemming from religion.   It doesn't.  The meek inherit NOTHING.

    b) so, what's the "new morality", as seen through the lens of "Star Wars" or "Dallas" or "Grand Theft Auto"?

3. an example of how sad globalization is, especially at it's pointy end...

    a) "western" "civilization" or "culture" is toxic.

             i) Full Stop.

--
FRISH

"Disproving Christianity" by David G McAfee - A letter to the author from Frish

David, first, congrats on publishing and on a winning blog.

Today, I saw the name of your book, and found your email ID and wrote this (3 hours effort, enjoy!)

I live off the Sunset Strip.  Everyone here is a comedian.  Smile...I am!   

This became a long note, enjoy it, or ignore it or react or act or whatever you want to do!  

FREEDOM is arguably the world's most important word! 

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http://files.meetup.com/753377/DavidMcAfee1-15-2011.pdf  This is worthy, hope you have a crowd there!

And, your blog http://davidgmcafee.wordpress.com/ is great too.

While the title of your book  Disproving Christianity - Refuting The World's Most Followed Religion is sure to raise interest (both directions), 

I am even more sure you and I both know there really isn't anything there to refute!

It is totally made up, both old and new testaments, even when there are actual historical events enshrined in the mythology as well...what would one expect of a documentation of neolithic origin myth that is WRITTEN not just chanted for hours on end by rote memory, like all the "heathen" were still doing...that's part of it's staying power, the old testament has been in continuous publication from it's sea scroll days...

The functionality of the mythology may be different in the two books, Old more about morality and how to act, and New all about what to believe and trying to establish the bona fides for Jesus (see below on how they accomplished this).

I always start with the FACT...there is absolutely NO historical evidence for Jesus.

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I find your "refutation" premise TRITE.  That's the only reaction I have, to whatever illumination you may bring.

I would recommend you should study, WHY Christianity is the world's biggest religion.

That's a whole lot more important than trying to blow holes in their "beliefs"...

They have already won the war on that battleground, rational people can never argue with faithful.

"Why Christianity is insidious".  That ought to be the name of your next book, happy to collaborate. 

I'm the "Fearless Leader of the LA Brights".

I've converted my share of believers.  Not that difficult if they are in any way doubtful, which they all are secretly anyway!

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Here's the deal (and you must know of some thinker/writer on these topics that has already thought of this, I just don't know of any...I'm making up this stuff today, as I write it, simply by hearing the name of your book, and finding your emailID.  Sharing some of this with friends, and on the web...it's all good, will drive you traffic!)

The INSIDIOUSNESS of Christianity: Take the most important local religion/beliefs tenants and change the reference from local to Jesus...and claim these attributes as a part of Christianity.

Hence, FROM THE VERY COMMENCEMENT OF THEIR VARIOUS CULTS THAT EVENTUALLY WERE ENSHRINED in the New Testament (the books therein only a smattering of all the "gospels" written between 100AD (or so and 325AD) as you know far better than I):  (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Council_of_Nicaea)

Jewish Tradition influence on the new testament - The messiah will be a descendant of David thereby fulfilling prophesy.  Even the use of a written word as the guide, the Old testament had already been around several hundred years by the ostensible time of Christ.

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We apologize at this time to reflect on this Newsflash:  

One huge reason for Christianity's success is having basically a lock on literacy for 1700 years or so...at least in the west (not Peru or China etc., they will capitulate to Christianity later)...

It would be a tough sell, one would think, in today's information overloaded life, however, my anthro background and life experience point to the fact that social evolution is a long and unsteady process.  

My point about the triteness of the book, while it may be a scholarly masterpiece, is that you are fighting them on their turf. 

That's not a good strategy (I Ching).

"Fighting" them at all is a bad strategy.  Ever see the TV show, Kung Fu?  Okay Grasshopper, be the pliant yet powerful foe.

                            

The worldwide religious meme is well embedded as an ubiquitous institution in all cultures. Can't touch that with reason, believe it.

DO YOU 'BELIEVE' IN EVOLUTION?  Here's a natural lesson: Don't fight with Mother Nature.  So far, "she's" seen fit to allow this irrational set of thoughts become so compelling that people self sacrifice as a homicide bomber for martyrdom (I mean, what could be further from any "normal" society's use for a young man, or woman, as these bombers are frequently young people, not grandmothers).  

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QUICK SIDEBAR:

IT'S EFFIN' Amazing what FAITH can do...ask any drill sergeant.  

This is the ultimate goal of political power, as without control of this key portion of the population, no regime can last.Therefore the following question, Frish maintains is the most important question looking at current trends and going forward...

How will the 17-30 year old males in a society deal with high levels of testosterone?

Sex?    Military Service?     Sports?      Gangs?    Career?   Religious calling/missionary work (as tough as military, sometimes with bullets!), HARD WORK?

Here's an atheist Haiku

Immaculate Birth?

NOT HOLY - wholly holey!

Christianity...

Now back to our earlier scheduled argument...

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Roman tradition - (Mithras) 

                           born on 12/25 underground or in a cave

                           of virgin mother

                           crucified, or killed

                            resurrected

                           ETC...

And, eventually

Nordic Tradition     Cinter Clas (Santa)

                            Trees with candles

                             reindeer.

So from the very inception of this "religion" it garnered all of the attributes that made the local religion special, and proclaimed it's all jesus' plan.

That's what your next book ought to conquer, it is trivial and obvious that Christianity or any other god belief is hokum.

Cheers, hope you are up to the true task, discovering all the "christian additions" that have occurred since the New Testament was put together in Nicea.

I lived in Brasil for a semester during my college career (1974 August-December in an apartment facing the beach at Ipanema) and discovered how Christianity works there!

Brasil is both the largest Christian Country, it is also the largest Voodoo Country.

(I have been to voodoo ceremonies in the Favella (slums) of Rio!)

What did the Christians do to counteract AND co-opt the voodoo-ers?

The Voodoo panoply of gods and demons are now identified as Christian Saints!

The goddess Yemanja is Mother Mary, etc.

Take the challenge, what you have done so far may make money (or not) and may get you shot, but it is, in my considerably informed opinion, trite.

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Nuff Said.

I may be getting older and wiser, or maybe just tired...but confronting the insane with facts isn't a winning strategy.

ANOTHER FRISH SECULAR PARABLE -

"Never teach a pig to whistle, it's impossible, therefore frustrating for you, but far worse, it annoys the pig"

Those who prefer to "believe" rather than just live our singular time of living is tragic.  But I am no longer going to "testify" to use an evangelical reference about atheism, BEING RIGHT ISN'T NECESSARILY POPULAR OR SMART TO SHARE!

Here's a couple of articles from my blog.  You might find them "fascinating" or not.

I am sure you are proud to refute the old and new testaments.  I have refuted god(s)!

Enjoy my Cybernetic Refutation of god, etc.

http://nonshoppingchannel.blogspot.com/2008/06/if-you-are-believer-dont-read-this-post.html

This is my reaction to a Washington Post Religion article...sent to the head of the National Association of Evangelicals.

http://nonshoppingchannel.blogspot.com/2008/07/to-president-of-nae-who-can-choose-to.html

Finally, since being armed is always better, here is a great article on how life likely began on Earth, "The decent of the Electron"

http://www.americanscientist.org/issues/feature/2009/3/the-origin-of-life/1

Happy to explore, interact, any or all concepts relating to anything not natural...

Or, ignore me altogether.  

I have been tagged to assist The Brights in establishing the natural basis of morality.  Unclear when our task force will begin it's work but it ought to be fun regardless.

Best of luck with your book, site, and everything.

Actually, it would be SO easy to earn an Religion PhD doing just an analysis of the hundreds of bible translations.

Perhaps you are familiar with:

http://www.forum-intl.net/

I just googled bible translations, these guys have the list!

http://www.forum-intl.net/find_a_bible/?Country=PG

So, hundreds of languages, hundreds of translations, with references in each about how the local (and largely pre-literate!) population already held dear is now in their bible, easily tranferred from parent to child with the help of the priestly class, which they already had in whatever fashion their local religion operated.

Then we can send anti-missionaries into the hills of Papua New Guinea (sure.) to undo the xtian hordes!

YOU HAVE TO ADMIT, FAITHFUL IN ALL "FAITHS" CAN CERTAINLY BE MOTIVATED BY AEON'S OLD TALES AND COCKAMAMIE ILLOGICAL, IMPOSSIBLE, AND RIDICULOUS complexity.  (original sin?  HUH?)

Sorry, this got long, hope it offered you absolutely nothing, since if you know what I do, I've already succeeded!

See my graphic resume for fun, happy to hear from you if you care (dare!).

I AM A FORCE OF NATURE ( as are we all ).  

Cheers, 

FRISH

Fearless Leader, L.A. Brights (emeritus)

For a soccer fan (oops, I mean football, fútbol, futebol, Fußball or whatever)

http://www.vuvuzela.fm/

The whole set of linked sites are really great...

--
FRISH

First internet reference to UNASSIGNED OPTIMISM *UO

My condition, unassigned optimism, is not mentioned in any Physician's Desk Reference (PDR).

Here's the google search result: No results found for "UNASSIGNED OPTIMISM".

The funny part is, I was under the impression that "unassigned anxiety" was in the PDR.

But, HOW WEIRD there is only ONE internet reference to the term "unassigned anxiety".

Having suffered from what my shrink at the time said was unassigned anxiety, I figured it was a medical term!

So, never mind, I thought that this coined term UO could become a meme.

Yet, I get the impression that if you asked several people what "unassigned anxiety" means and what "unassigned optimism" means,  the anxiety definitions will be "easier" to create as well as more uniform than UO definitions.

So, in a null hypothesis survey format:

Hypothesis 1: When asked to define unassigned optimism and unassigned anxiety there will be no difference in how easy it was for participants (via self reporting) to define the term.
Hypothesis 2: There will be no difference in the definitions of each term when comparing the degree of variance from the mean of the definitions presented.

Hypo 2 needs some work but I think there is something measurable there, that can be differentiated.

However, if my assumption about unassigned anxiety is not true, then why would a meme ever happen.

I'll define it as I experience it.

1. I have unassigned optimism (12 step theme: first admit you have a "problem" (Condition?)).
2. I say "condition" since my shrink doesn't think it is necessarily a 'problem'.
3. I just hope it doesn't act upon me to neglect some real problem...like using herbal remedies to cure one's cancer *"but, I've got a positive attitude and never smoked"...
4. The term stems from a far more recognized and potentially dangerous condition: Unassigned Anxiety - from which I have actually suffered, many years ago!

The "trigger" of unassigned
Subsequent to a reunion of fellow work mates in late September 2010, I was quite recharged, renewed, and real "happy". I can't quite remember what "happy" feels like, so I suppose that's what it is.

Well, while this feeling has been on and off again since then, mostly it is on.

I am looking forward to a good 2011 work wise, and am implementing systems that will ensure success.

It was confirmed yesterday that my attitude (or, my 'tude) is just cocky enough to gain attention. Then they discover it's backed up by experience and great performance.

The Plan:
Systematize those most familiar, invite newbies to get my monthly printing newsletter.

PROSPECT 2 HOURS EVERY DAY. 10-12PM. GET IN AT 8, HANDLE ANY ISSUES, CLOSE BUSINESS, PROSPECT, LUNCH, APPOINTMENTS OR MORE PROSPECTING ALL AFTERNOON

I have instituted serious activity to lose weight and reduce other bad habits.

My outlook is unassigned optimism.

While I have no real reason to feel this way, it is definitely a good thing from a 'tude perspective as my UO makes my 'tude easier to obtain/maintain/sustain.

Having forgotten what happy feels like, I'll try to follow the lead of UO and proceed.

My blog gets world wide attention

My blog post made it all the way to Hindu Currents, a Newsweek for India!

The "single Pixel" camera captures images and provides encryption

This caught my eye and I think it is really important, but I don't quite understand enough of it to know why.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/12/101220094601.htm

--
FRISH

HEY, ROY...Keep your Trigger outta my sandbox.

There's triggers, and then there is:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/12/101223144030.htm

--
FRISH

Frish's Non-Shopping Network: Holobiont - a word that will be commonplace by the end of next year.

Frish's Non-Shopping Network: Holobiont - a word that will be commonplace by the end of next year.

Too Much Information

Meteorologist Heidi Jones, seen on WABC-TV's website, has been suspended from the station pending an internal probe.
--
FRISH

"Culturomics" - this could be: a.) important b.) fun c.) both

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/12/101216142519.htm

A means whereby all of us can become social scientists as we analyze word frequency through the ages!

--
FRISH

This is your brain, on god.

Newberg told NPR: 'For those individuals who want to go down the path of arguing that all of our religious and spiritual experiences are nothing more than biological phenomena, some of this data does support that kind of a conclusion.

'But the data also does not specifically eliminate the notion that there is a religious or spiritual or divine presence in the world.'

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1339517/God-brain-Scans-activity-religious-people-meditate.html

This is somewhat stupid.  But not seeing the original paper may be the problem.

What they are saying:

Those who meditate consciously and repeatedly have brains that activate more of the frontal lobes than someone who isn't doing so.

1.  Those who do so learned how to meditate, thereby more neurons are involved just for that reason.

2.  Since the article states the frontal lobe is for concentration etc., why not have someone playing a speed computer chess game be monitored and see if it isn't simply the level of concentration involved.

Says nothing about much actually, wonder how the righteous will interpret it. 

-- 

FRISH