Capitalism has a lot of problems – by Lee Camp (NSFW)

A new search engine front-end: search visualizer

This is an excellent new search resource.

http://www.searchvisualizer.com

It is a “search front-end” that draws results from various popular search engines gives you a visual representation of your search keywords in the search results. This allows you to more accurately judge whether there is any real substantive discussion about your keywords and if so where in text the discussion takes places.

Search Visualizer Results

Sanity

Sanity is the playground for the unimaginative.
-unknown

Ken Robinson: How to escape education’s death valley

In this TED presentation Ken Robinson takes America’s education system to task. He defends a well rounded education that includes The Arts, analyzes the way our system dulls curiosity, attacks the “epidemic” of ADHD, discusses the overemphasis on standardized testing, and explains how our educational system stifles creativity and individuality by relying on enforcing conformity and compliance.

Commander Chris Hadfield sings David Bowie’s Space Oddity from aboard the International Space Station

Conservative excuses

More unprovoked police brutality

Yet another innocent person, Makia Smith, has been heinously beaten for the mere act of filming police officers in the act of beating a fellow citizen. This Baltimore woman was allegedly dragged from her car by her hair and beaten by three officers before the eyes of everyone in the middle of the door-to-door traffic jam, including her two year old daughter. For the sake of shaming the accused I would like to note that the names of the accused officers are Nathan Church, William Pilkerton, Jr., Nathan Ulmer and Kenneth Campbell. That’s right, I’m jumping on the guilty until proven innocent bandwagon today. If CNN, FOX, ABC, and NBC can do it when it suits them then so can I.

Another recent example of police brutality is the video filmed by Shakur Muhammed of three Rochester New York officers pulling a man named Benny Warr out of a wheelchair and beating him. Apparantly, acccording to this article written about the beating, an eyewitness said one of the officers involved in the beating had been punched in the face earlier that day and was likely taking out his frustrations on this man.

If you are surprised by this story or the video please unclench your rectum so that you can pull your head out of your nether regions. How often do stories like this have to appear before they are understood to be more than just another piece of anecdotal evidence of police brutality? The reality is that there is a pervasive cultural more that has been painstakingly beaten, literally or metaphorically, into the psyche of every American since the time we were children in school. Every citizen must accept that authority represents justice, and if an authority figure tells you to do something you should do it without question. If you don’t, you are a trouble-maker, a rabble-rouser, a criminal, a ne’er-do-well, an enemy of order, and an enemy of society.

Furthermore, you should be afraid. You should be so afraid that you don’t even try to resist, you don’t try to speak up, and you don’t try to collect evidence. If you even try to assert your rights you should know that it is your fault when you get beaten down, and you should sit there and take the beating because you deserve it.

Our society has become utterly deranged by fear. It is no wonder after twelve years of constant bombardment by the government and media about how every American is under attack merely for believing in freedom. The sad truth is that the attacks against people believing they are free are not made by terrorists but by our own “public servants.” The solution, of course, is to give up your freedom. That’s how we prove that the terrorists haven’t won!

I would like to provide you with some statistics regarding how many U.S. citizens are assaulted by police officers each year, but I can’t find any such statistics. The closest thing I can find to statistics are some some poorly documented pages like this one and this one from http://www.copblock.org. Even Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have little or nothing in the way of statistics on police brutality in the United States.

According to the World Socialist Web Site (WSWS) “Comprehensive statistics on police violence in the US are not available, as the national statistics bureaus are under special instructions not to compile them (while statistics on the most obscure criminological categories are reported in great detail). However, the available evidence points to a sharp rise in police violence, not just in terms of the number of incidents, but also in terms of their brutality.”

I would appreciate any help in finding any such statistics. It appears that at the very least they are hard statistics to come by. Perhaps they are edited out of search results, or are buried so deeply that they are effectively non-existent. I find it more likely that, as the WSWS states, they simply don’t exist. Those would be extremely inconvenient statistics for the police and the state.

Leonardo da Vinci on authority

Alex Grey, Joe Rogan, DMT and Tool (NSFW)

This is an ancient rant by Joe Rogan on some radio show. Back in the days of The Man Show I thought Joe Rogan was just another comic, and of less than average intelligence. I was wrong.

Noam Chomsky and Michel Foucault Debate on ‘Human Nature and the Ideal Society’ (with English subtitles)

This debate is required viewing for anyone who appreciates the work of either of these two great minds.  It takes place in 1971 as the war in Vietnam rages on.  They discuss their respective specialties, human nature, the direction of society, society’s institutions, class warfare, capitalism, Marxism, anarcho-syndicalism, and much more.

This article from Roar Magazine (which claims a share of the credit for translation) about the debate adds some interesting background information and contains a full transcript of the discussion.

There is also another complete version that doesn’t appear to omit anything except the additional commentary; though most would probably benefit from the clarifications of the commentator included in the first video.

2 Canadians Discover That The US Is Now A Police State

Community La Biblioteca Spanish Rap HD

Because it is full of awesome.

Chomsky supports our troops!

So do I!

Patriotism

“Every national border in Europe,” El Eswad added ironically, “marks the place where two gangs of bandits got too exhausted to kill each other anymore and signed a treaty. Patriotism is the delusion that one of these gangs of bandits is better than all the others.”
-Robert Anton Wilson

Police raid innocent family because of indoor garden

According to this article the Adlynn & Robert Harte, who were both CIA employees in the past and appear to be pretty familiar with the law, were targeted for having purchased merchandise from a hydroponics store. As the couple’s lawsuit states:

“With little or no other evidence of any illegal activity, law enforcement officers make the assumption that shoppers at the store are potential marijuana growers, even though the stores are most commonly frequented by backyard gardeners who grow organically or start seedlings indoors.”

They were and are law abiding citizens who had nothing more than a six legal plants in their basement. They were raided, at gunpoint, due to shoddy police-work and without probable cause. They are filing a federal civil rights lawsuit in response. Good luck to them. They should win.

No more Mr. nice guy

Presidential press conferences are more about press than the president – Lawrence O’Donnell

http://www.nbcnews.com/id/45755883/ns/msnbc-the_last_word/vp/51725959#51725959

Most racist commercial ever courtesy of Pepsi and Tyler, The Creator – NSFW

The Patient – Tool

Beliefs, religions, worldviews, politics, and cults

It feels good to believe things. It is nice to not have doubts. The world is so full of doubt. Belief systems take care of so many doubts. They make us feel secure. That said, I’m fairly certain that any type of true security is an illusion. Worldviews are quite close to beliefs in that they are like filters that we see our world through, but unlike beliefs they are theoretically changeable through rational discourse or scientific evidence.

I find it unfortunate that many people make their worldviews into beliefs. The best example is the worldview of an extreme political partisan such as a Democrat, Republican, socialist, or communist. Other examples of worldviews that often turn into beliefs include realism, idealism, conservatism, liberalism, and even atheism.

Even if people reject beliefs we still seem to have a pervasive need to attach some sort of spiritual significance to our lives. Perhaps this need exists in the human psyche because we still have more questions than answers and it makes us feel insecure. I am no exception, which is why I try to keep myself from being a believer by reserving 1% doubt about any idea. A lack of belief in ideas is what I think I need to keep from getting pulled into a cult. This is because I’m rather gullible at times, and I have been in two “cults” before. Specifically, I was a Lutheran and a Democrat. I know calling Lutherans cult members is an extremely unpopular thing to do in a Christian nation, but bear in mind that most Christian denominations consider any sufficiently different variation from their religious beliefs in another Christian group to be enough to make it a cult. For example, the church I was a part of until I was eighteen taught that the Mormon church is a cult. The idea that a political party is a cult is pushing the boundary of the word a bit, but partisanship in America has become so extreme in recent years that it is an accurate description of adherents.

I have also noticed that spirituality, beliefs, and religion have been subtlety inserted into our self-help groups and legal processes. All the chemical dependency and mental illness facilities/groups I have ever heard about encourage, if not require, people to find a religion, spiritual path, or at least a “higher power.” Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous are largely voluntary and free examples of such groups. There are other programs and facilities that people are forced to pay for under the law, after getting a drunk driving ticket for example, that require such thinking too. As you might guess, it deeply disturbs me that the state in any way requires or endorses spirituality or religion.

I support everyone’s right to think whatever they want to; yet I encourage people to not believe each other, but rather believe in each other (a subtle difference). Let’s retain the wall of separation between church and state. Let’s erect a new wall between spirituality and the state. Let’s remember what the nature of a cult is. They pull people in with comforting dogma that answers unanswerable questions. They fill people’s heads with silly beliefs like the holy trinity, totally equal distribution of wealth, or trickle down economics. While believers may feel safer, get to drink some tasty Kool-Aid, and wear some nice Nike shoes; in the end people usually die because of a lack of rational thought. Political believers are not an exception.

Why You Should Care About The Massive Guantanamo Hunger Strike – Lee Camp – NSFW

Love

Love doesn’t take up space, but it does fill it.

Russian dogs commute on the subway to eat in the city and go back home to the suburbs

Anyone who gets down on dogs’ intelligence should read this article. These dogs are smarter than some people I know.

You can see a subway dog in action in this video.

Also check out this you-tube video about how smart this dog is.

Suffering & strength

Suffering & Strength

Why I don’t vote Democrat or Republican

Democrats and Republicans are Terrorists

Best WoW Jokes EVAR – by Panser (NSFW)

It has come to my attention that the blog has lacked nerdery of late. I am relying on Panser to help me out (Danielle from King of the Nerds).  I am biased because she is a WoW fanatic; but I do think she should have been crowned King!  I mean, come on, she beat a NASA scientist at a physics problem and gave props to the people who are really in the know.

I’d also like to give a shout out to my good friend Dr. K for showing me this wonderful woman’s work a while back.

Rancid – Avenues & Alleyways

Rats Laugh When Tickled, Scientists Say

Sentio, ergo sum

Years ago I met a woman in a novelty gift shop. It was a strange day. At the time I was very philosophical and I was preoccupied with the number 8. We got into a discussion as I was purchasing some merchandise and she was sitting in a chair near the till chatting with the owner of the business. Somehow during the conversation I managed to tell her “I’m an 8,” which was my “great insight” of the day, and I mean that quite sarcastically. She understood my meaning and replied that she was an 8 too because she was 80 (or perhaps she was 88 – I honestly can’t recall). We continued talking happily about this and that for a few minutes, enjoying each other’s company and discussing the nature of existence. At some point she passed on to me René Descartes‘ famous axiom, “cogito, ergo sum,” explained that it is in Latin, and that the English translation is “I think, therefore I am.” She further explained that the reverse is also true, “sum, ergo cogito,” and told me the English translation is, “I am, therefore I think.”

Credit: Frans Hals – Portret van René Descartes

I have found others who have had this insight as well; but I do not know if she had it first or who to attribute it to. I tend to think that others have stumbled onto this related axiom as well, but in my heart she will always get the credit. Since then it has become a mantra of mine when thoroughly engaged in and confused by philosophical thought experiments with friends to say cogito, ergo sum and then sum, ergo cogito. It always makes me smile because if I can prove nothing else with philosophy I can prove that I exist.

Since then I have read a bit of Descartes and noticed in his justification of this statement that he says he feels he thinks. I have been thinking about how to use my right brain more actively and intuitively for many years. I have attempted to do so in various and varied ways. I will not bother you with recounting any of the methods I have tried or pondered as they are not the primary focus of this composition. Instead I will leave you with the insight that I reckon I have stumbled onto or perhaps into (though someone may have beaten me to it). I have attempted to translate this thought concisely into Latin to honor Descartes. I would welcome anyone who has a greater understanding of Latin to correct me on my translation if it is not accurate.

Sentio, ergo sum – I feel, therefore I am.

Of course, I posit that the reverse is true as well.

Sum, ergo cogito – I am, therefore I feel.

It is typical of Western thought and our modern world to disregard feeling and assert the primacy of thought. I am asserting that feeling precedes thought; and it appears to me that Descartes alludes to this in his work without even realizing it. I have decided to use this as my mantra from now on. I think and feel that it is more correct, or at least as correct as the original thought. It may be just a right-brained reflection of the original though. Perhaps it will allow me to get into the right hemisphere of my brain a bit more efficiently. Even if it doesn’t, I like it better.

Better yet, maybe I should be saying “I feel and think, therefore I am.” I think it feels more whole this way. Thoughts and feelings are certainly at least as important as each other; and to be clear I am speaking of emotional feelings, not tactile feelings etc. Do you feel me? Do you think me? Do you see what I mean?

I welcome your thoughts and feelings on the subject.

Thoughts on exceptional people

I have spent my life trying to find exceptional people. There are fewer than I would like, and many have not made it this far. Exceptional people have throughout history been persecuted by average people because they are ahead of their time, hence they often oppose the status quo, and by extension are mysterious. Mysterious people are unpredictable to the average person. Unpredictability leads to fear of the unknown, which leads to persecution.

For their ideas extraordinary people have often lost their lives, been isolated, demonized, discredited, and criminalized. I will point out some poignant examples of historical and popular figures I feel fit this description: Noam Chomsky, Norman Finkelstein, Alex Jones, Jesse Ventura, Bradley Manning, Jullian Assange, the Dahli Llama, Ai Weiwei, Martin Luther King, Nicola Tesla, John Fitzgerald Kennedy, Abraham Lincoln, Joan of Arc, Galileo of Galilee, Copernicus, Socrates (assuming he is not fictional), and Jesus of Nazareth (assuming he is not fictional).  This is but a tiny list that consists largely of “Westerners” and is severely lacking in women (this is why we need “women’s history”) that I have come up with basically off of the top of my head.

There are also entire cultures that have been persecuted. The Jewish (culture of) people have been persecuted throughout the Jewish Diaspora and continuing on into modern times. There is a disproportionate amount of exceptional Jews because of their societal values (not to mention their cliquish tendencies) and it has gotten them into a lot of trouble. The Gypsies have historically had the same problem, as have the people of Tibet, and the Native Americans (who were also persecuted for their land).  You may disagree with the specific people and/or cultures I have given as examples, but I trust you get my point nonetheless.

Fear is dangerous. We should do our best to not fear each other unnecessarily. Bear in mind that just because a person or a group of people seem mysterious or unpredictable that it doesn’t mean they are bad people. Remember that we are all here to do good, at least in our own minds, unless we are actual sociopaths (which is hard to prove). Remember that we should always err on the side of liberty. We would do well to base our reactions to others on the actions of others, not on their words or ideas. Remember that we should not try to cause each other pain as a result of our fear of the potential actions of others.

A wise man once told me that anger is an emotion that is secondary to pain. As Buddha said, “life is suffering” (the corollary is also true – life is joy). Therefore, we all suffer pain. When we suffer pain we are prone to lash out and cause others pain. This is where we have the opportunity to stop the cycle of pain we cause each other. This does not make us dangerous people. It makes us human. Don’t let society tell you that you are anything less.

Society will judge you based on what it thinks you may do if it deems you an unpredictable person. Mysteries and unpredictability are scary to societies too. The fears of society often lead to us giving up our liberties. Let’s remember the words of Benjamin Franklin (often attributed to Thomas Jefferson): “They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.” We would do better to live in societies based on mutual love and respect for each other rather than societies based on fear of each other. We would do well to resist rigidity and give those with thoughts different from ours a chance. We will surely suffer for it if we don’t. Be courageous enough to suffer and not pass the pain on to anyone else; that is what an exceptional person does. Have the courage to be exceptional.

If you can, forgive the “preachy tone” of my post.

With love and respect,

“Impartial Juror”

Bernie Sanders takes corporate tax rates, “revenue neutral tax reform,” Republicans, Democrats, and President Obama on.

Bernie stands up for the people.

Is the war on drugs coming to an end?

Could it be true?  Is the war on drugs finally coming to an end?  We’ve heard similar statements from our Dear Leader while on the campaign trail before his first term.  Only time will tell.

Focusing On Prevention And Neuroscience, President Ends Reagan’s War On Drugs

What do we want? Equality! When do we want it? Now!

Tim Minchin – The Pope Song (NOT IN ANY WAY SAFE FOR WORK)

I don’t even care if you’re Christian..

Marry me!  ;)

Jesus not Obama

This reminds me of when I was painting Jesus fishing up a Darwin fish in Painting 101.  Somebody looked at it and said: Jesus wasn’t Mexican.  My response was: well he sure as hell wasn’t white!

Brain chemistry simplified

The Chemistry of Life

Men Without Hats – The Safety Dance(long version)

I like to communicate through music.

We can dance if we want to

Adam Kokesh & 4 other “protestors” dance at the Jefferson Memorial and are brutally arrested for doing so.

The charges were later dismissed, but as far as I know the law remains in place stating that you cannot “flashmob” at a Memorial in Washington DC (as if 5 people constitute a flashmob) as it is a form of protest.  Freedom of expression – not here!

WELCOME TO THE POLICE STATE.

Chomsky explains our college & debt system

Chomsky on Debt and College

U no what I’m sayin’ god.. er.. I mean.. dog?

I know some of you liberals are probably disappointed in me

I recognize that many would think that if I was truly a bleeding heart liberal I would be more supportive of our President and Democratic congressmen (and women!).

Sadly, if you haven’t noticed, President Barack Obama and his herd are just the other side of the coin called the corporate party.  Of course, I had no love for President George W. Bush or his herd either.  Hell, I actually voted for Obama the first time, but as Dubya so eloquently put it “fool me once, shame on you.  Fool me.. can’t get fooled again.”

My problems with our liberal leadership are many and varied.  A true liberal doesn’t allow tanks to roll through the streets inside of their own country.  A true liberal doesn’t offer to cut Social Security as an opening move in budget negotiations (what would the equivalent be in chess – perhaps playing without any pawns).  A true liberal doesn’t allow torture.  A true liberal doesn’t circumvent due process and the rule of law to catch the bad guys.  A true liberal doesn’t give up the liberty of his people, no matter what the cost, ever.

If the citizens that considered themselves Democrats or Republicans had any spine they would stand up for what they supposedly believe in, protest, make their representatives act on their beliefs, and never vote for either party again.  Instead it is apparent that the majority of people who consider themselves either a Democrat or a Republican merely support “their man” without question (let’s take that literally too – we have never had a woman president – Pakistan has).

I wish members of both political parties could have the courage to admit that both of “their guys” screwed up our economy, infringed upon our civil liberties, violated the Geneva Conventions, and engaged in thinly veiled resource wars in the name of “democracy” and “terrorism.”  Of course, that would mean admitting that we were wrong when we supported one side or the other.  It would mean admitting that all those arguments we had with people of the other party were really just us being the unwitting patsies of the plutocracy.  It would mean that we would have to actually do something other than repeat the canned phrases that we hear on MSNBC and FOX news.  It would mean we would have to admit that the two-party system is fatally flawed.  I can see why most Americans can’t bear to do that.  It takes some real courage to admit when you have been wrong and it has hurt just about everyone you know.

I will admit it to you now.  I was wrong for at least 80% of my life.  I thought the Democrats had my back.  They didn’t.  Anybody else?

I may sound radical but let’s think about our current situation critically.  Tanks are rolling around in our streets and DEMOCRATS are JUST FINE with it.  If that doesn’t qualify the United States as a military state and an authoritarian regime I don’t know what does.  Can you imagine what Democrats would be saying if George W. Bush had allowed tanks to roll around in our streets?  This is what is called a cult of personality, you know, like the Dear Leader in North Korea has.  Patriotism is all well and good but this rally around the flag mentality has gotten completely out of hand.  Stop being motivated by fear.  Start standing up for your rights and the rights of others.  The men and women in uniform that have died for us over the last 237 years deserve that we honor them by at least not being utterly ignorant and craven cowards.

It is with these things in mind that I have decided to refer to our current President as “Dear Leader” in honor of his cult of personality and his authoritarian regime.  I will also pray to our Dear Leader, never take his name in vain, and when Passover comes I will put the blood of a member of the opposing party (whichever party that is at the time) above my door to make sure that “my guy” knows I’m with him so he doesn’t kill my firstborn son.  That said, to use our Dear Leader’s favorite cliché, ”Make no mistake,” I am as disappointed in the American people as I am with our leadership.  Now, get back to the herd and go back to sheep.. er.. I mean sleep.

Republican Scientists

Republican Scientists

Don’t Call Me White – NOFX

An explanation of CISPA and some links to petitions against it

Stop CISPA

The Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA) is a bill going through the US Congress right now.  The goal of CISPA is to allow the US government to more effectively police the internet. Legislators have been trying to get a bill of this nature signed into law for many years, and in fact did try to pass a previous version of this same bill in 2011.  It has been reintroduced by Representative Mike Rogers of Michigan’s 8th district.  North Korean hackers, Wikileaks, and even the Boston bombing have already been used to justify the reintroduction of this draconian bill.

The problem with this bill is that it would allow the U.S. government to collect personal information about online users from companies without having to issue a warrant.  In other words, they don’t need to have any proof or a valid reason to investigate you to get information about your browsing habits, what websites you visit, how often, what you say, and who you interact with.  There is even a provision in the bill would allow US companies to require employees to give them the passwords for their social networking accounts (for websites like Facebook) according to the Huffington Post. That is my understanding of the proposed law.

President Obama has vowed to veto the bill unless better privacy rights are not incorporated into the bill. I wonder what President Obama considers acceptable protection of privacy and if his requirements would actually be adequate. This sounds to me like posturing to satisfy his political base. I would wager that if congress makes some largely superficial changes to the bill to make it sound better our dear leader will sign it into law.

In my experience, a good indicator that something is wrong with a bill is that the ACLU opposes it. They have extensive information about the bill.  Wired has also written a good article about the issue.

Anonymous has asked the internet community to blackout their websites.  Almost 400 websites have joined in their protests; but sadly none of the big movers and shakers like Google, Wikipedia, Twitter, or Facebook have taken part (clearly WordPress.com hasn’t).

If you would like to protest this bill here is a petition to the whitehouse and a petition from the ACLU to strike down the bill.

On distance

The distance between courageous and foolhardy is infinitesimally small.

Internet blackout called for by Anonymous to protest CISPA

Anonymous CISPA Blackout #blackout #CISPAblackout

Anonymous has called for an internet blackout to protest CISPA on Monday May 22.  I wholeheartedly support this protest.  #blackout #CISPAblackout

 

Kermit sets us straight

My fellow Americans: we live in an authoritarian regime and effectively have no rights any longer.

This is what you call an unlawful search according to the 4th Amendment to the US Constitution which “applies to the states by way of the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment” (quote from the Wikipedia page).  To my fellow Americans and the citizens of the world.  Recognize this and do what you can.  I do not endorse acts of terrorism or killing.  I am a pacifist and I fear for the lives of my countrymen.  I love everyone.  I must be careful what I say and do or become a target of the state as well.  We all must.  Where can America’s drones not reach?  Does anybody really know?

Read the comments in the original youtube video for further information.  I hope to be here tomorrow to keep writing.  If I am not here tomorrow you will know why.  Should that occur I encourage people to figure out who I actually am as I have carefully hidden myself from only the most casual search for my actual identity.  Perhaps I am being paranoid.  I hope that is the case.

So American by Portugal. The Man

Lyrics:

If vain was a color to paint in you
Your heart would be the color blue.
Be a gradient from there until your body met your hair
Which remained a silver.

You are the one they call Jesus Christ.
Who didn’t know no rock and roll.
Just a mission made of guns that they give boys in Vietnam.
In a heart that always told you

There’s a madness in us all.
There’s a madness in us all.

So
Who wrote the rules?
Who wrote the rules?
Who wrote the rules?

They said
Every one of you will never try to lend a hand
When the police men don’t understand.

Boys all you boys
Think you’re so American.
Girls all you girls

Yeah you’re so American.
He may not be born of this land
But he was born of this world.
He was born of all the mothers
And the colors of our brothers
And the love that was started.

You are the one they call Jesus Christ.
Who may not know no rock and roll
There may not be a heaven
Or a place in which to send ya
But you know in the end

There’s a madness in us all. (x4)

So
Who wrote the rules?
Who wrote the rules?
Who wrote the rules?

They say
Every one of you will never try to lend a hand
When the police men don’t understand.

Boys all you boys
Think it’s so American.
Girls all you girls
Yeah you’re so American.

There’s two eyes for every one of us
But somebody got there first and took them all. (x2)

Man oh man
You think it’s so American

Man oh man.

Yeah you’re so American (x2)

There’s two eyes for every one of us
But somebody got there first and took them all. (x2)

Or is it a military state?

Tanks in Boston