As my m-i-l says, “The years fly by and the days drag by.” Events I think happened a couple of years ago took place in the early 2000s. 2000s??!!??!! Why, I’ll be an old man when the new millenium arrives.
I would say “Just unbelievable” but we know it is believable in the parts of the US today.
The illegal thug that attacked a NYC Cop has been released from custody. On the way out he flipped the bird at whom ever was filming him. The US is falling apart and Nero is fiddling.
Jame’s O’Keefe has released another video. This time it’s of an undercover “date” with a White House cybersecurity analyst. Most of the info revealed is not that surprising, but it’s interesting to have confirmed anyway.
On the possibility of Michelle Obama running:
What about the rumors of replacing Joe Biden with Michelle Obama? Well, interestingly enough, Kraiger told O’Keefe that he had a meeting with Michelle Obama and someone asked her if she’d run for office. According to Kraiger, she said no. “Empathically.”
“She was like, ‘I’ve seen all this s–t my husband has had to go through and that does not interest me.’”
On Kamala Harris “hemoraging” staff:
Kraiger also spilled the beans about the incredible dysfunction in the vice president’s office. According to Kraiger, Kamala Harris “hemorrhages black staff. She can’t keep black staff. They quit on her en masse.”
But, that’s not even the juiciest part.
“She will be the vice president nominee,” Kraiger noted. “There was a debate about removing her from the ticket, but sadly they didn’t, she’s not popular, but you can’t remove the first black lady to be vice president from the Goddamn presidential ticket. Like what kind of message are you going to send to like African-American voters.…People would be like, ‘What the f**k?’ Like she’s a woman and she’s multiracial.”
I knew Eric Adams was hot garbage, why because I read the village voice in the 90s. he was always complaining about the work Guiliani did to clean up the city,
then he was elected to the state leg in 2007 and complaining about how little he was paid, well probably compared to police Captain
as for Michelle, I got the same sense of entitlement, from her as with Kamala, not as stupid, but as drab and awful, now if people don’t care about their deteorating conditions on the streets, in shipping lanes, in their schools, well maybe that is our fate,
it turns out he was the smarter hitchens bros, the greater project is the dissolution of the UK, which was the standard of liberty, for hundreds of years, the welsh haven’t acted up yet but thats just a matter of time,
This article and its title is intriguing, given that it is coming from an MD and not a theologian.
The author starts with the claim that we, and the medical community, don’t have the slightest idea what consciousness is, and where it comes from in the body or brain. Lots of interesting questions there, but that isn’t the article’s real focus.
The focus of the article is on the lax medical definitions of “brain dead” and the powerful motive to undercut even those lax definitions in order to harvest valuable organs.
well consciousness is a mystery, could we replicate it digitally, that notion that prompts skynet to go genocidal,
Nonapod – How does anyone in official Washington not recognize James O’Keefe, even in “disguise?” His mug has been all over the news for more than a decade now.
now this is not the first time there was an attack on Al Omar, there was one last year,
On Ireland, so there will be, perhaps, a kinetic war among Celts (Irish, Scots-Irish), which cannot any more be justified based on religion, since at least the Irish Catholic side is not particularly Christian any more.
Also, who’s paying for the invasion at our southern border? We are:
maybe this should go in the other thread about thought crime
The UK the standard bearer of “liberty” for hundreds of years? Would that include the 18th and 19th centuries? Or the 16th and 17th?
What a group, what a group.
miguel cervantes:
Once upon a time I thought Peter Hitchens was smart. No more.
A month or two ago I watched a video interview with him about Israel/Palestine. I don’t remember how to find the interview and I don’t remember when it was done, but it wasn’t especially old. In it, he said that Hamas was popular in Gaza because it was not corrupt. And it wasn’t just a passing remark, either; he went on for some time on the subject. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.
A detailed follow up to my early morning posts in the “Unthreaded” thread for yesterday, concerning breaks in the Trump prosecution matters. Both the Fulton, Co, Georgia RICO case, but here clarifying the Jack Smith Federal prosecution case over his documents handling in Florida District Court.
Lawyer Robert Gouviea walks us through the context and substance of this new information in an 18 minute video. Especially, please note the text of the Obama “Presidential Memorandum” or the Memo itself, dated March 19, 2015, SEE VIDEO at 14m.
My understanding is that Presidential Memos are essentially the same as Executive Orders, in that they direct the administrative machinery of the Executive branch of government in much the same way statutory laws do — albeit, more internally. They effectively are the law.
Gouviea: Feb 1, 2024
A little-known Obama memo may provide another defense in the Trump Classified Documents case. America First Legal filed a FOIA request seeking records related to the “Presidential Information Technology Committee” created under Obama that established broad Presidential Authority over Classified Documents.
windbag,
I prefer Prince Buster’s version:
Enjoy yourself, it’s later than you think.
Enjoy yourself, while you’re still in the pink.
The years go by, quicker than a wink.
Enjoy yourself, enjoy yourself,
It’s later than you think.
Has anyone else heard Mark Steyn’s opening statement as his own defense at the “Climate Change” trial? It’s wonderful! Classic Steyn!
This trial ought to be on prime time television. Every minute of it. Hilarious stuff!
RE: The UFO Phenomena—a “current estimate of the situation”
The more I read, see, and learn, the more complex this Phenomena becomes.
As of today—and it can change at any time—here is what I believe the UFO phenomena consists of.
First of all, the “phenomena” is likely the result of the presence and actions of a number of entirely different entities, which may each have it’s own agenda, and who may be in conflict with one another.
(This Phenomenon may also include several different other “high strangeness” phenomena, such as poltergeists, cryptids, portals, etc.)
Included in this phenomena may be plain vanilla extraterrestrials who arrive in physical vehicles, which may or may not include a significant consciousness component in their operating systems, thus making them very hard to reverse engineer.
We are also probably being visited—and may have been being visited by these entities from “time immemorial”–by beings from higher and/or coterminous dimensions, entities who are able to dip into our dimension and back out again.
Moreover, the reason that they appear in so many diverse, mutable, and weird forms may be that we are only able to perceive the three dimensional part of a higher dimensional being which is intruding into our three dimensional space—see “Flatland.”
In addition, part of the Phenomenon may be caused by what have been termed “ultraterrestrials,” native beings of very ancient earthly origin, who have followed another evolutionary path, and who, up until now, have remained hidden from us.
Then, there is the possibility that we are also being visited by time travelers—either humans from some extremely ancient high tech predecessor earthly civilization, or humans from our far future.
Dr. Stephen Greer claims that these alien entities are entirely peaceful and benign, our “space brothers,” here to help us.
In contrast, the late John Lear thought that 90% or so of these entities were malevolent, and other UFO researchers believe that such aliens have already infiltrated our world, to what end they do not know.
The ubiquitous small “Greys,” lacking ears or much of a mouth, and not having been seen eating or, for that matter, burping or farting, may be some form of created tool, an emotionless robot.
It seems to me that the correct way to evaluate motive is, that it is impossible to evaluate the motives of entities who are the products of a different evolutionary paths and environments by using our human ideas of Good or Evil.
Thus, the only way we can evaluate these entities is by how their presence and actions might effect our human civilization.
However, many possible different types of “visitors” are involved, if you have listened to what people like Lou Elizondo and some others are saying, the effect of these presences on us humans and our civilization may well not be good.
I note, for instance, that in every historical case I am aware of, when a civilization with a higher level of understanding and technology encounters a civilization with an apparent lower level of understanding, and particularly of technology, it is a disaster for the lower level civilization, which suffers a major amount of disruption, a collapse of morale, and usually gets subsumed by that more advanced civilization, or even destroyed by it, as a result of that “contact.”
An interesting take on the Phenomenon is that of occult/UFO researcher and author Peter Levenda, who points to–citing, for instance, Egyptian and Mayan religions from antiquity–their preoccupations with the stars, with aligning their structures with the stars, as he says that, as he sees it, the two overwhelming preoccupations of humans throughout time have been to attain immortality and, on death, to ascend to the stars.
Thus, he sees many of us humans as thinking as if we were members of a “Cargo Cult.”
We may not be carving out runways in our backyards, and sitting beside them, anxiously waiting for the aliens to land, but many of us are thinking about and waiting for aliens to land, to fix our problems, to hand out lots of magical technology, and to eventually gift us the technology to reach the stars.
For those who have travelled to Ireland–both north and south–it is clear that inevitably Ireland will be ruled by one government. Everyone here knows how I feel about geography being a very strong arbiter .
“…because it was not corrupt…”
In the beginning, Hamas WAS not corrupt in comparison with the Palestinian Authority, everything being relative.
To be sure that is no longer true, but only in a certain sense:
WRT the Zionist Entity, Hamas CANNOT BE BOUGHT (even if they pretend that they might be able to be…).
In THIS sense they are not corrupt…and not corruptible.
In THIS sense.
To be sure, the Palestinian Authority can’t be bought either—more correctly, they CANNOT STAY BOUGHT. But they will make certain salutary noises at times; and they will sign certain pieces of paper at times; and they will behave in certain ways at times—FOR A PRICE—noises and signings and actions that might give one the impression that they are amenable to an agreement.
FOR A PRICE.
However much the PA may agree to certain things, it will NOT agree to a final agreement. NEVER a final agreement.
Since or them, a final agreement means the return of ALL Palestinians to their pre-1948/49 homes within Israel proper.
Because a final agreement means that Israel must—agree to—cease to exist.
STILL, it’s enough to give the hopefulest of the hopeful amongst the hopeful hope…and enough for those beautiful dreamers to continue to hold some HOPE for the future…because the alternative is….
SUCH was the GENIUS of Yasir Arafat….
BTW, Hamas has, more recently, tried playing that particular game…and to extraordinary success…(though success can be described in various ways).
As a very wise man once said, “It ain’t over…till it’s over…”
File under: Ruse, Hudna, Khaybar, Peace of the Brave, River to the Sea…
Space reserved here for om to make his usual snide remark about my post on the UFO Phenomena.
Barry’s post reminds me a fine coinage I came across a day or two ago. But I’m having trouble recalling it. My reconstruction is clearer. Perhaps you can help me recapture it?
It is a portmanteau of “Hamas” and “Palestine.” This impressed me because it usefully updates us from the myth of Palestine to the actual “government” or authority in that geographical unit.
Therefore…
Hamasestine?
Hamelstine?
Or some better variant, I think?
Anyway, I thought it would be good to share and invite recapturing the rock solid original coinage that I chanced across. It was a zinger to me.
And zingers that help shake people into recognising reality are golden tools of persuasion.
Hitchens was speaking recently and used the present tense about Hamas: that it is not corrupt. He didn’t quality the statement either, to the best of my recollection.
To say that Hamas is not corrupt, present tense, is the mark of someone who hasn’t looked at the news in the past four months or who is a complete idiot.
TommyJay on February 1, 2024 at 12:44 pm said:
This article and its title is intriguing, given that it is coming from an MD and not a theologian.
We Are Not Our Brains
The author starts with the claim that we, and the medical community, don’t have the slightest idea what consciousness is, and where it comes from in the body or brain. Lots of interesting questions there, but that isn’t the article’s real focus.
The focus of the article is on the lax medical definitions of “brain dead” and the powerful motive to undercut even those lax definitions in order to harvest valuable organs.”
I’m not sure that the hard problem of consciousness is really all that insoluable a problem after all, though I have not revisited it deeply in many years.
It just seems to me that there is a tendency for people to swing between eliminativism and some form of mysterianism like dualism when it comes to the topics of consciousness and thinking.
It’s possible of course that I am missing the whole point of the “problem” and adopting a combination of outdated linguistic philosophy [ ordinary language as per Austin] and high school glandular biology, but it seems to me that with closer attention to both the core meaning of the terms used and the ordinary senses which cover the cases, some of the mystery evaporates.
Although I don’t suppose that that would do much for you in trying to explain the subject’s experience of qualia, if that is your focus. Blackboard examples of intentionality, or the recursive memory phenomenon [ the, I remember that I remembered or experienced – stacking or layering] that leads from sentience simpliciter, to an awareness of having been and of processurally “being aware” does seem however to cover some of the ground.
It is clear that sentience per se does not imply memory or a developed sense of self anymore that a bimetalic strip reacting to heat does. And what would perception without memory qualify as?
The constantly stacking and self reflexive events occurring in our “buffer memory”, while simultaneously affected by various regulatory systems inputs both subliminal and recogized, must play a critical role in our overall sense of ‘being conscious’. We obviously do not experience the world in realtime Hz by Hz, so it is processed inputs and recursive or repeating recollecrion of their receipt that constitute what we usually refer to as consciousness.
Ordinary consciousness as we tend to imagine it is probably not a thing, but a complex. Or so it once seemed to me.
How to go on to “explain” the subjective experience of say, seeing the philosophers’ famous “red patch” or having a memory? That, I don’t know
Now that I precipitately shot my mouth off without knowing the substance of the article, I had better go read it.
I’ve long assumed, perhaps since reading Heinlein’s “The Moon is a Harsh Mistress” in which a super-duper computer becomes sentient, that consciousness is an emergent property of complexity.
Dar Williams found a gap — the first song I know dealing with painter Mark Rothko.
____________________________________
The blue it speaks so full
It’s like the beauty one can barely stand
Or too much things dropped in your hand
And there’s a green like the peace
In your heart, sometimes
Painted underneath the sheets of ashy snow
And there’s a blue like where the urban angels go, very bright
Yeah, your initial representation was accurate. The purpose of the article was not an investigation or even a review of the nature of consciousness or research into it.
She says, “We are not our brains”
Well, that is what is at issue.
She also says, “Very few people are pure materialists, believing we are just “meat in motion.”
And that, unless you are just rounding up people at random on the street , is completely untrue. Most intellectuals, scientists and politically progressive types are precisely, and caustically, just that. The brain is a “meat computer”, and computationalism is the default position regarding thought and consciousness among the ardent proselytizers.
What they lack in force of argument, they make up for in self-assurace, dismissiveness, and forceful delivery.
huxley on February 1, 2024 at 6:24 pm:
“I’ve long assumed, perhaps since reading Heinlein’s “The Moon is a Harsh Mistress” in which a super-duper computer becomes sentient, that consciousness is an emergent property of complexity.”
I agree. With perhaps 10 billion neurons (10^11) and each having perhaps 10,000 (10^4) synaptic connections, or 10^15 connections in total, it seems quite “reasonable” that some form of “understanding” could emerge from that level of complexity. Pattern recognition and assignment of agency, memory of past perception processing to compress and reduce the need to reprocess all of the continuing possible sensory inputs we receive – so we process just the “new” stuff, layers of processing that support other layers and functions*, etc. “Faith” in this possibility seems just as credible, if not more so, than faith in a soul or external body entity of some form – especially when the “connection” between mean space and transcendent space is not yet explained.
*For example, visual processing of edges, colors, expected or unexpected motions, but mostly aligned with “common physics”;
the whole development of languages and linguistics as a genetic evolved capability;
mis-hearing a sound or word and then a second later recognizing what was actually said (as some of us lose hearing capabilities);
and the wide variety of other capabilities performed well or poorly by homo sapiens sapiens.
DNW: “What they lack in force of argument, they make up for in self-assurance, dismissiveness, and forceful delivery.” I suspect I look guilty of this – although I am continually willing to look for new or better evidence, as long as it is presented tactfully and respectfully. But perceiving we are more than meat space occupiers does not make that perception correct (or wrong) … yet!
The brain is a “meat computer”
But it’s a great meat computer!
I’m impressed with my AI friends, but they can’t beat us, yet, for what we’ve packed into 3.3# of tissue powered by ~2000 calories/day.
“Hamastine.”
Thank you, Barry!
I did not know that the coinage goes back so far…perhaps even earlier?
Since Emerson counsels us to speak the rude truth, this label finds a proper echoe.
Miguel Cervantes, the Bukele v. Omar match was TKO in round one. Thanks for sharing!
RE: UFOs–a current estimate of the situation cont’d
Evidence is accumulating that a lot of “Experiencer’s” interactions with UFOs and with NHIs have a large consciousness component.
According to many “Experiencer’s” reports, other aspects of the Phenomenon are (the suspicion) that these alien visitors are able to alter human perceptions and, as well, our perceptions of Time.
Thus, there is the increasing suspicion that what a human Experiencer might believe he is seeing/has seen, what he might remember about the experience, and his perception of how long the experience lasted, may be far different from what the actual experience consisted of/might have been, or how long it lasted.
There are also a few reports of NHIs/UFOs being able to alter Space i.e. a
ship which appears small on the outside, but whose interior is far larger than it’s outside dimensions would permit.
If these suspicions are correct, we are truly outclassed here.
I wonder if, in the end, we will find out that Nikola Tesla was right, when he said that “if you want to find out the secrets of the Universe think “energy, frequency, and vibration.””
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As my m-i-l says, “The years fly by and the days drag by.” Events I think happened a couple of years ago took place in the early 2000s. 2000s??!!??!! Why, I’ll be an old man when the new millenium arrives.
I would say “Just unbelievable” but we know it is believable in the parts of the US today.
The illegal thug that attacked a NYC Cop has been released from custody. On the way out he flipped the bird at whom ever was filming him. The US is falling apart and Nero is fiddling.
Jame’s O’Keefe has released another video. This time it’s of an undercover “date” with a White House cybersecurity analyst. Most of the info revealed is not that surprising, but it’s interesting to have confirmed anyway.
On the possibility of Michelle Obama running:
On Kamala Harris “hemoraging” staff:
I knew Eric Adams was hot garbage, why because I read the village voice in the 90s. he was always complaining about the work Guiliani did to clean up the city,
then he was elected to the state leg in 2007 and complaining about how little he was paid, well probably compared to police Captain
as for Michelle, I got the same sense of entitlement, from her as with Kamala, not as stupid, but as drab and awful, now if people don’t care about their deteorating conditions on the streets, in shipping lanes, in their schools, well maybe that is our fate,
https://www.frontpagemag.com/the-most-justified-impeachment-in-american-history/
the reverse of no good deed
https://www.thefp.com/p/tracey-jacobson-afghan-allies-iraq-ambassador?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
Related:
Miranda Devine is not happy…if very clear about what’s bothering her.
“Joe Biden’s dangerous, cynical Iran concessions prove his concern is 2024 re-election – not America’s safety”—
https://nypost.com/2024/01/31/opinion/joe-bidens-dangerous-cynical-iran-concessions-prove-his-concern-is-2024-re-election-not-americas-safety/
Not sure I’d call “his” Iran concessions “cynical”, though.
(Not even sure I’d call “his” Iran concessions “concessions”.)
File under: “…that has such people in’t.”
Ireland again.
IRELAND??
Yes, well…get ready….
“PETER HITCHENS: Another big step towards the first handover of territory in Western Europe since 1945 after our abject surrender to the IRA”—
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-13028973/PETER-HITCHENS-big-step-handover-territory-Western-Europe-1945-abject-surrender-IRA.html
it turns out he was the smarter hitchens bros, the greater project is the dissolution of the UK, which was the standard of liberty, for hundreds of years, the welsh haven’t acted up yet but thats just a matter of time,
This article and its title is intriguing, given that it is coming from an MD and not a theologian.
We Are Not Our Brains
The author starts with the claim that we, and the medical community, don’t have the slightest idea what consciousness is, and where it comes from in the body or brain. Lots of interesting questions there, but that isn’t the article’s real focus.
The focus of the article is on the lax medical definitions of “brain dead” and the powerful motive to undercut even those lax definitions in order to harvest valuable organs.
well consciousness is a mystery, could we replicate it digitally, that notion that prompts skynet to go genocidal,
paying the jizda rarely works
https://twitter.com/visegrad24/status/1753109286769582097
Nonapod – How does anyone in official Washington not recognize James O’Keefe, even in “disguise?” His mug has been all over the news for more than a decade now.
now this is not the first time there was an attack on Al Omar, there was one last year,
On Ireland, so there will be, perhaps, a kinetic war among Celts (Irish, Scots-Irish), which cannot any more be justified based on religion, since at least the Irish Catholic side is not particularly Christian any more.
Also, who’s paying for the invasion at our southern border? We are:
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/washington-secrets/2829435/taxpayers-funding-immigrant-trips-north-envelopes-cash-whatever/
its about handing it over to the IRA who collaborated on various occasions with the German, Qaddafi the Stasi et al,https://twitter.com/julie_kelly2/status/1753107648055234818
maybe this should go in the other thread about thought crime
The UK the standard bearer of “liberty” for hundreds of years? Would that include the 18th and 19th centuries? Or the 16th and 17th?
What a group, what a group.
miguel cervantes:
Once upon a time I thought Peter Hitchens was smart. No more.
A month or two ago I watched a video interview with him about Israel/Palestine. I don’t remember how to find the interview and I don’t remember when it was done, but it wasn’t especially old. In it, he said that Hamas was popular in Gaza because it was not corrupt. And it wasn’t just a passing remark, either; he went on for some time on the subject. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.
A detailed follow up to my early morning posts in the “Unthreaded” thread for yesterday, concerning breaks in the Trump prosecution matters. Both the Fulton, Co, Georgia RICO case, but here clarifying the Jack Smith Federal prosecution case over his documents handling in Florida District Court.
“Obama Memo Exonerates Trump in Classified Documents Case”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6AQOCKiGcA
Lawyer Robert Gouviea walks us through the context and substance of this new information in an 18 minute video. Especially, please note the text of the Obama “Presidential Memorandum” or the Memo itself, dated March 19, 2015, SEE VIDEO at 14m.
My understanding is that Presidential Memos are essentially the same as Executive Orders, in that they direct the administrative machinery of the Executive branch of government in much the same way statutory laws do — albeit, more internally. They effectively are the law.
Gouviea: Feb 1, 2024
A little-known Obama memo may provide another defense in the Trump Classified Documents case. America First Legal filed a FOIA request seeking records related to the “Presidential Information Technology Committee” created under Obama that established broad Presidential Authority over Classified Documents.
windbag,
I prefer Prince Buster’s version:
Has anyone else heard Mark Steyn’s opening statement as his own defense at the “Climate Change” trial? It’s wonderful! Classic Steyn!
Apple podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bonus-episode-mark-steyns-full-opening-statement/id1713827256?i=1000643418075
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3dAypKRTSg4iravtGKGadw?si=zSC4bBMCTC21Vb-w3Vd36Q
This trial ought to be on prime time television. Every minute of it. Hilarious stuff!
RE: The UFO Phenomena—a “current estimate of the situation”
The more I read, see, and learn, the more complex this Phenomena becomes.
As of today—and it can change at any time—here is what I believe the UFO phenomena consists of.
First of all, the “phenomena” is likely the result of the presence and actions of a number of entirely different entities, which may each have it’s own agenda, and who may be in conflict with one another.
(This Phenomenon may also include several different other “high strangeness” phenomena, such as poltergeists, cryptids, portals, etc.)
Included in this phenomena may be plain vanilla extraterrestrials who arrive in physical vehicles, which may or may not include a significant consciousness component in their operating systems, thus making them very hard to reverse engineer.
We are also probably being visited—and may have been being visited by these entities from “time immemorial”–by beings from higher and/or coterminous dimensions, entities who are able to dip into our dimension and back out again.
Moreover, the reason that they appear in so many diverse, mutable, and weird forms may be that we are only able to perceive the three dimensional part of a higher dimensional being which is intruding into our three dimensional space—see “Flatland.”
In addition, part of the Phenomenon may be caused by what have been termed “ultraterrestrials,” native beings of very ancient earthly origin, who have followed another evolutionary path, and who, up until now, have remained hidden from us.
Then, there is the possibility that we are also being visited by time travelers—either humans from some extremely ancient high tech predecessor earthly civilization, or humans from our far future.
Dr. Stephen Greer claims that these alien entities are entirely peaceful and benign, our “space brothers,” here to help us.
In contrast, the late John Lear thought that 90% or so of these entities were malevolent, and other UFO researchers believe that such aliens have already infiltrated our world, to what end they do not know.
The ubiquitous small “Greys,” lacking ears or much of a mouth, and not having been seen eating or, for that matter, burping or farting, may be some form of created tool, an emotionless robot.
It seems to me that the correct way to evaluate motive is, that it is impossible to evaluate the motives of entities who are the products of a different evolutionary paths and environments by using our human ideas of Good or Evil.
Thus, the only way we can evaluate these entities is by how their presence and actions might effect our human civilization.
However, many possible different types of “visitors” are involved, if you have listened to what people like Lou Elizondo and some others are saying, the effect of these presences on us humans and our civilization may well not be good.
I note, for instance, that in every historical case I am aware of, when a civilization with a higher level of understanding and technology encounters a civilization with an apparent lower level of understanding, and particularly of technology, it is a disaster for the lower level civilization, which suffers a major amount of disruption, a collapse of morale, and usually gets subsumed by that more advanced civilization, or even destroyed by it, as a result of that “contact.”
An interesting take on the Phenomenon is that of occult/UFO researcher and author Peter Levenda, who points to–citing, for instance, Egyptian and Mayan religions from antiquity–their preoccupations with the stars, with aligning their structures with the stars, as he says that, as he sees it, the two overwhelming preoccupations of humans throughout time have been to attain immortality and, on death, to ascend to the stars.
Thus, he sees many of us humans as thinking as if we were members of a “Cargo Cult.”
We may not be carving out runways in our backyards, and sitting beside them, anxiously waiting for the aliens to land, but many of us are thinking about and waiting for aliens to land, to fix our problems, to hand out lots of magical technology, and to eventually gift us the technology to reach the stars.
For those who have travelled to Ireland–both north and south–it is clear that inevitably Ireland will be ruled by one government. Everyone here knows how I feel about geography being a very strong arbiter .
“…because it was not corrupt…”
In the beginning, Hamas WAS not corrupt in comparison with the Palestinian Authority, everything being relative.
To be sure that is no longer true, but only in a certain sense:
WRT the Zionist Entity, Hamas CANNOT BE BOUGHT (even if they pretend that they might be able to be…).
In THIS sense they are not corrupt…and not corruptible.
In THIS sense.
To be sure, the Palestinian Authority can’t be bought either—more correctly, they CANNOT STAY BOUGHT. But they will make certain salutary noises at times; and they will sign certain pieces of paper at times; and they will behave in certain ways at times—FOR A PRICE—noises and signings and actions that might give one the impression that they are amenable to an agreement.
FOR A PRICE.
However much the PA may agree to certain things, it will NOT agree to a final agreement. NEVER a final agreement.
Since or them, a final agreement means the return of ALL Palestinians to their pre-1948/49 homes within Israel proper.
Because a final agreement means that Israel must—agree to—cease to exist.
STILL, it’s enough to give the hopefulest of the hopeful amongst the hopeful hope…and enough for those beautiful dreamers to continue to hold some HOPE for the future…because the alternative is….
SUCH was the GENIUS of Yasir Arafat….
BTW, Hamas has, more recently, tried playing that particular game…and to extraordinary success…(though success can be described in various ways).
As a very wise man once said, “It ain’t over…till it’s over…”
File under: Ruse, Hudna, Khaybar, Peace of the Brave, River to the Sea…
Space reserved here for om to make his usual snide remark about my post on the UFO Phenomena.
Barry’s post reminds me a fine coinage I came across a day or two ago. But I’m having trouble recalling it. My reconstruction is clearer. Perhaps you can help me recapture it?
It is a portmanteau of “Hamas” and “Palestine.” This impressed me because it usefully updates us from the myth of Palestine to the actual “government” or authority in that geographical unit.
Therefore…
Hamasestine?
Hamelstine?
Or some better variant, I think?
Anyway, I thought it would be good to share and invite recapturing the rock solid original coinage that I chanced across. It was a zinger to me.
And zingers that help shake people into recognising reality are golden tools of persuasion.
“Hamastine: A Present from the U.N. to Khaled Mashaal”—
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/3513/hamas-palestine-un
(From Christmas Eve, 2012)
Barry Meislin:
Hitchens was speaking recently and used the present tense about Hamas: that it is not corrupt. He didn’t quality the statement either, to the best of my recollection.
To say that Hamas is not corrupt, present tense, is the mark of someone who hasn’t looked at the news in the past four months or who is a complete idiot.
I’m not sure that the hard problem of consciousness is really all that insoluable a problem after all, though I have not revisited it deeply in many years.
It just seems to me that there is a tendency for people to swing between eliminativism and some form of mysterianism like dualism when it comes to the topics of consciousness and thinking.
It’s possible of course that I am missing the whole point of the “problem” and adopting a combination of outdated linguistic philosophy [ ordinary language as per Austin] and high school glandular biology, but it seems to me that with closer attention to both the core meaning of the terms used and the ordinary senses which cover the cases, some of the mystery evaporates.
Although I don’t suppose that that would do much for you in trying to explain the subject’s experience of qualia, if that is your focus. Blackboard examples of intentionality, or the recursive memory phenomenon [ the, I remember that I remembered or experienced – stacking or layering] that leads from sentience simpliciter, to an awareness of having been and of processurally “being aware” does seem however to cover some of the ground.
It is clear that sentience per se does not imply memory or a developed sense of self anymore that a bimetalic strip reacting to heat does. And what would perception without memory qualify as?
The constantly stacking and self reflexive events occurring in our “buffer memory”, while simultaneously affected by various regulatory systems inputs both subliminal and recogized, must play a critical role in our overall sense of ‘being conscious’. We obviously do not experience the world in realtime Hz by Hz, so it is processed inputs and recursive or repeating recollecrion of their receipt that constitute what we usually refer to as consciousness.
Ordinary consciousness as we tend to imagine it is probably not a thing, but a complex. Or so it once seemed to me.
How to go on to “explain” the subjective experience of say, seeing the philosophers’ famous “red patch” or having a memory? That, I don’t know
Now that I precipitately shot my mouth off without knowing the substance of the article, I had better go read it.
I’ve long assumed, perhaps since reading Heinlein’s “The Moon is a Harsh Mistress” in which a super-duper computer becomes sentient, that consciousness is an emergent property of complexity.
https://www.ynetnews.com/article/sjwjiff9t
Dar Williams is interesting. Sort of a meld of the three J’s — Joan Baez, Joni Mitchell and Judy Collins. Especially Joni.
Keith Richards once described the job of songwriting as finding “gaps”:
_______________________________________
Songs are strange things. Little notes like messages sent to yourself. Half the time you’re looking for gaps that other people haven’t done.
–Keith Richards, “Life” (memoir)
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Dar Williams found a gap — the first song I know dealing with painter Mark Rothko.
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The blue it speaks so full
It’s like the beauty one can barely stand
Or too much things dropped in your hand
And there’s a green like the peace
In your heart, sometimes
Painted underneath the sheets of ashy snow
And there’s a blue like where the urban angels go, very bright
–Dar Williams, “Mark Rothko Song”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jl0dpTNqnM
https://www.theblaze.com/news/el-salvadoran-president-coolly-brushes-off-ilhan-omars-election-meddling-then-flips-her-critique?utm_source=theblaze-breaking&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=The%20Blaze%20PM%20Trending%202024-02-01&utm_term=ACTIVE%20LIST%20-%207%20Day%20Engagement&tpcc=email
Oh, hello! More good news: https://www.mlb.com/news/corbin-burnes-traded-to-orioles
@ Tommy Jay,
Yeah, your initial representation was accurate. The purpose of the article was not an investigation or even a review of the nature of consciousness or research into it.
She says, “We are not our brains”
Well, that is what is at issue.
She also says, “Very few people are pure materialists, believing we are just “meat in motion.”
And that, unless you are just rounding up people at random on the street , is completely untrue. Most intellectuals, scientists and politically progressive types are precisely, and caustically, just that. The brain is a “meat computer”, and computationalism is the default position regarding thought and consciousness among the ardent proselytizers.
What they lack in force of argument, they make up for in self-assurace, dismissiveness, and forceful delivery.
huxley on February 1, 2024 at 6:24 pm:
“I’ve long assumed, perhaps since reading Heinlein’s “The Moon is a Harsh Mistress” in which a super-duper computer becomes sentient, that consciousness is an emergent property of complexity.”
I agree. With perhaps 10 billion neurons (10^11) and each having perhaps 10,000 (10^4) synaptic connections, or 10^15 connections in total, it seems quite “reasonable” that some form of “understanding” could emerge from that level of complexity. Pattern recognition and assignment of agency, memory of past perception processing to compress and reduce the need to reprocess all of the continuing possible sensory inputs we receive – so we process just the “new” stuff, layers of processing that support other layers and functions*, etc. “Faith” in this possibility seems just as credible, if not more so, than faith in a soul or external body entity of some form – especially when the “connection” between mean space and transcendent space is not yet explained.
*For example, visual processing of edges, colors, expected or unexpected motions, but mostly aligned with “common physics”;
the whole development of languages and linguistics as a genetic evolved capability;
mis-hearing a sound or word and then a second later recognizing what was actually said (as some of us lose hearing capabilities);
and the wide variety of other capabilities performed well or poorly by homo sapiens sapiens.
DNW: “What they lack in force of argument, they make up for in self-assurance, dismissiveness, and forceful delivery.” I suspect I look guilty of this – although I am continually willing to look for new or better evidence, as long as it is presented tactfully and respectfully. But perceiving we are more than meat space occupiers does not make that perception correct (or wrong) … yet!
The brain is a “meat computer”
But it’s a great meat computer!
I’m impressed with my AI friends, but they can’t beat us, yet, for what we’ve packed into 3.3# of tissue powered by ~2000 calories/day.
“Hamastine.”
Thank you, Barry!
I did not know that the coinage goes back so far…perhaps even earlier?
Since Emerson counsels us to speak the rude truth, this label finds a proper echoe.
Miguel Cervantes, the Bukele v. Omar match was TKO in round one. Thanks for sharing!
RE: UFOs–a current estimate of the situation cont’d
Evidence is accumulating that a lot of “Experiencer’s” interactions with UFOs and with NHIs have a large consciousness component.
According to many “Experiencer’s” reports, other aspects of the Phenomenon are (the suspicion) that these alien visitors are able to alter human perceptions and, as well, our perceptions of Time.
Thus, there is the increasing suspicion that what a human Experiencer might believe he is seeing/has seen, what he might remember about the experience, and his perception of how long the experience lasted, may be far different from what the actual experience consisted of/might have been, or how long it lasted.
There are also a few reports of NHIs/UFOs being able to alter Space i.e. a
ship which appears small on the outside, but whose interior is far larger than it’s outside dimensions would permit.
If these suspicions are correct, we are truly outclassed here.
I wonder if, in the end, we will find out that Nikola Tesla was right, when he said that “if you want to find out the secrets of the Universe think “energy, frequency, and vibration.””