As I am reading Guns, Germs, and Steel (Jaret Diamond) it is obvious that humans have a great ability to evolve everything we touch to something better, again and again and again. Generally something better is proven better in the long run, but improvements are occasional dumped in the long run because they are not actually better or cause new problems. It is so massive that it seems a universal characteristic of society, except for those resistant to change groups, Luddites, and similar. Islam and our native Indians, but they will accept the obvious big improvements like guns, drugs, automobiles. Many of the Indians will not accept having to go to work each day, and the Islams think there religion is right and does not need to be updated.
Now I know and accent to the concept that religions evolved, and are man made. I cannot accent to the theorem that there is a god. I have difficulty with the word atheist, as I am not against the religious; it is just not worth the effort; just let them die off. The young are worth saving. Non-theist is a better descriptor, but it is not a well understood term. Darwinian is understood to be just biological, but it is close to reality. Perhaps I should just consider myself a extended Darwinian.
Religions evolve to the point they are today. This makes religions man made but they do have functions. When life expediency was short, they provided an educational depository of information and explanations. Science has taken over the explanation, and as far as the morals, we can do better most of the existing religions by simply combining the moral of several including the Stoics, Buddhist, perhaps some additional christian concepts, like it is not right to kill anyone, including other religions and enemy's.
Perhaps we also need to add a few "solutions" to current problems like overpopulation like birth control, a one child policy, but then do a good job of raising that child. We would then go through a period of "old population" as we now live so long. Perhaps we need to give up the concept of retirement, but go for a part time worker instead, when we get old. Or take on a less stressful occupation like subsistence farming...
But what do I know?
Thursday, December 31, 2015
Friday, December 25, 2015
Call them what they are:
Pope calls in Christmas message for unity against militant atrocities
These are not militant but religious atrocities. ISIL are a religious faction who use religion martyrdom, we are right, you are wrong type thinking.
They want a home state where they can live the way they want. They do not consider killing to be wrong, but rather their right of there beliefs.
The only way to remove this thinking from the Muslims extremism is to remove there source of people to recruiter from. This can be best accomplished by teaching reasoning, not blind following, aka removal or all religions by reasons. We need to teach the logical nonreligious solutions to all problems that religion solves. Rational evolution of we humans is the solution to all our problems today.
and just for your ISIL edification today http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/isis-terrorists-sanction-harvest-organs-rape-article-1.2476992
and just for your ISIL edification today http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/isis-terrorists-sanction-harvest-organs-rape-article-1.2476992
But what do I know?
Monday, December 21, 2015
Climate Ice melt danger
The climate is warming, the water is rising but by how much? 7 metres... Bullshit.
First it is mostly natural gain, the total energy consumption as heat will not raise the earth that much. So we get a bit of heat entrapped by naturally occurring methane and a raise of 100PPM in Co2some days but not other days? There is something wrong there.
In the arctic most of the ice cap is floating. When it melts, it will contribute nothing to any change in the sea level. Similarly on the sea ice around the Antarctic. Antarctic has 14 x10^6 km^2 of land mass with about 2 meters of ice on average. The oceans have occupies 360 x10^6 km^2 so when the Antarctic melts, the ocean will rise a whopping 8 cms. So that is perhaps only half of the ice. What am I missing here?
The other big factor in water rise is the deltas are consolidating, as these were and are being deposited under consolidated. There is no doubt here, but that has nothing to do with water level rise but subsidence of land. Oh well, shit happens.
Alberta would benefit by trapping spring melt water on the land. It could be used for irrigation and or wetlands, both of which would fix Co2.
Oils sand oil is dirtier than Coal per giga-joule of energy, so what is Notely really shutting down coal for? and where are we going to get fly-ash from?
Notely reminds me of a quote from Genghis ...
Happiness lies in conquering one’s enemies,
in driving them in front of oneself,
in taking their property,
in savoring their despair,
in outraging their wives and daughters.
Genghis Khan
First it is mostly natural gain, the total energy consumption as heat will not raise the earth that much. So we get a bit of heat entrapped by naturally occurring methane and a raise of 100PPM in Co2some days but not other days? There is something wrong there.
In the arctic most of the ice cap is floating. When it melts, it will contribute nothing to any change in the sea level. Similarly on the sea ice around the Antarctic. Antarctic has 14 x10^6 km^2 of land mass with about 2 meters of ice on average. The oceans have occupies 360 x10^6 km^2 so when the Antarctic melts, the ocean will rise a whopping 8 cms. So that is perhaps only half of the ice. What am I missing here?
The other big factor in water rise is the deltas are consolidating, as these were and are being deposited under consolidated. There is no doubt here, but that has nothing to do with water level rise but subsidence of land. Oh well, shit happens.
Alberta would benefit by trapping spring melt water on the land. It could be used for irrigation and or wetlands, both of which would fix Co2.
Oils sand oil is dirtier than Coal per giga-joule of energy, so what is Notely really shutting down coal for? and where are we going to get fly-ash from?
Notely reminds me of a quote from Genghis ...
Happiness lies in conquering one’s enemies,
in driving them in front of oneself,
in taking their property,
in savoring their despair,
in outraging their wives and daughters.
Genghis Khan
Saturday, December 12, 2015
Notley error
"The global climate summit in Paris forged a landmark agreement on
Saturday, setting the course for a historic transformation of the
world's fossil fuel-driven economy within decades in a bid to arrest
global warming."
But when I wander around this neighborhood there are the wood burners. As our NDP government runs up the price of natural gas and electricity, what are we old hill billies going to switch to? We have three obvious choices, wood, coal and used oil. There is a old dirt mover guy that heats his home and shop with used oil from his scrapers and cats. Hot water boiler and bunker C burner, but what do I know. That is not clean energy.
In the last few years, I have watched a bunch of coal stoker hot water systems go in. I can smell them as I wonder around, so these are not clean. When I drive past the big coal electricity plan there is no smell. So which do you think is cleaner? That coal plant burns powdered coal light with a natural gas flame. High temperature, quick burn, flyash cooling and collection. Very little vapor goes up those stacks. Co2 is clear at least, keeping the particulate down at least.
So if Notley wants clean, natural gas and electric must be cheap, and high temperature coal is as clean as any carbon fossil fuel can be. Renewable fuel like corn oil or canola just not there yet, and the energy balance is not good. Natural gas, CH4 produces Co2 and H2O, while coal produces just Co2 and trace minerals that mostly are collected in the flyash. The energy balance is good on coal, but the Co2 to energy balance is not as good a natural gas, but the cost is much less.
But how are is Notley going to control us wood burners? By government decree? Good Luck. Can the government refuse to let us heat our homes but the available means?
Here adds say the pollution control is good for the economy, but it is not good for the home owner. We are the ones who will be forced to drive the economy with money to buy natural gas. That is bullshit economy, not real economy.
But what do I know?
But when I wander around this neighborhood there are the wood burners. As our NDP government runs up the price of natural gas and electricity, what are we old hill billies going to switch to? We have three obvious choices, wood, coal and used oil. There is a old dirt mover guy that heats his home and shop with used oil from his scrapers and cats. Hot water boiler and bunker C burner, but what do I know. That is not clean energy.
In the last few years, I have watched a bunch of coal stoker hot water systems go in. I can smell them as I wonder around, so these are not clean. When I drive past the big coal electricity plan there is no smell. So which do you think is cleaner? That coal plant burns powdered coal light with a natural gas flame. High temperature, quick burn, flyash cooling and collection. Very little vapor goes up those stacks. Co2 is clear at least, keeping the particulate down at least.
So if Notley wants clean, natural gas and electric must be cheap, and high temperature coal is as clean as any carbon fossil fuel can be. Renewable fuel like corn oil or canola just not there yet, and the energy balance is not good. Natural gas, CH4 produces Co2 and H2O, while coal produces just Co2 and trace minerals that mostly are collected in the flyash. The energy balance is good on coal, but the Co2 to energy balance is not as good a natural gas, but the cost is much less.
But how are is Notley going to control us wood burners? By government decree? Good Luck. Can the government refuse to let us heat our homes but the available means?
Here adds say the pollution control is good for the economy, but it is not good for the home owner. We are the ones who will be forced to drive the economy with money to buy natural gas. That is bullshit economy, not real economy.
But what do I know?
Friday, December 4, 2015
climate change
Much of the energy we consume is converted into low grade heat and dumped to the environment; even much of the motion resistance is low grade heat, all contributing to climate change. But larger than that is the reduction of the heat sink in these parts.
Around here, Northern Alberta somewhere between 10 and 20 percent of the land was swam before the farmers cleared and ditched. That was a lot of land, a lot of water providing a major heat sink. Water has a thermal capacity of 1 kilo-calorie per kilogram per degree C, or 4200 joules per kilogram per degree Centigrade. Soil, is much less, some 10 to 20 percent, depending on the moisture content. In addition, mass transfer, circulation, keeps the surface of the water much closer to the water mass temperature, unlike soil where a few inches below the surface will be much cooler in summer.
All this proposed taxation to deter consumption is fine, but what is done with the moneys is important. It can be targeted at keeping mans contribution low, or it could be utilized to deal with the inevitable climate warming. Some of that warming is natural, some is man made. At some point we will enter a cooling cycle, and we humans will freeze out... Oh well, there are too many of us anyway. We need to survive until then. Here, restoring the heat sinks would be a good place to start. And then there is the latent heat of vaporization to also consider. This could add considerable to both the cooling and short cycle rainfall, making farming more durable on the prairies.
Spray that water on the land, and we will capture carbon, cool the climate and generate potential short cycle rainfall. Dump sewage on the land in the fall, and that will act as fertilizer. We will need to watch the salt content though. Too much salt and the land will be destroyed. There are few crops that will grow in salted land, and even less that can be harvested to remove the salt.
But then, I was only a geotechnical engineer, so this is slightly out of my area of specialization, not out of my area of training. I specialized where the work was at the time.
Anyway, what do I know?
Around here, Northern Alberta somewhere between 10 and 20 percent of the land was swam before the farmers cleared and ditched. That was a lot of land, a lot of water providing a major heat sink. Water has a thermal capacity of 1 kilo-calorie per kilogram per degree C, or 4200 joules per kilogram per degree Centigrade. Soil, is much less, some 10 to 20 percent, depending on the moisture content. In addition, mass transfer, circulation, keeps the surface of the water much closer to the water mass temperature, unlike soil where a few inches below the surface will be much cooler in summer.
All this proposed taxation to deter consumption is fine, but what is done with the moneys is important. It can be targeted at keeping mans contribution low, or it could be utilized to deal with the inevitable climate warming. Some of that warming is natural, some is man made. At some point we will enter a cooling cycle, and we humans will freeze out... Oh well, there are too many of us anyway. We need to survive until then. Here, restoring the heat sinks would be a good place to start. And then there is the latent heat of vaporization to also consider. This could add considerable to both the cooling and short cycle rainfall, making farming more durable on the prairies.
Spray that water on the land, and we will capture carbon, cool the climate and generate potential short cycle rainfall. Dump sewage on the land in the fall, and that will act as fertilizer. We will need to watch the salt content though. Too much salt and the land will be destroyed. There are few crops that will grow in salted land, and even less that can be harvested to remove the salt.
But then, I was only a geotechnical engineer, so this is slightly out of my area of specialization, not out of my area of training. I specialized where the work was at the time.
Anyway, what do I know?
Sunday, November 22, 2015
Are all religions just... well, bool?
Bool is a new hip term for bullshit. OK. You must believe X,Y, and Z. Because if you do not... well you are sentenced to spend the remainder of eternity in an unpleasant place. Bool. The word will carry on, just like it did before we were. We were not, we were, we will not be, who should care?
All religions are efforts to control people from the grave. What is important is how we live this life. That is all we know that we get.
Treat other people was we would like to be treated. That says would like, not as we expect to be treated. Many of us are so pressured by society that we have come to expect to be treated in specific ways that we do not like, but accept. The people in authority are not in control, but we allow them to treat us like they are. We become to expect it and accept it. It is not right, so treat people like we would like to be treated becomes the first commandment of the atheist creed. Mostly from others, I just want to be left alone to do my thing. This is not saying anything about friends, relatives, but just the general population. We are born to cooperate together to create a great flourishing society without the need to eliminate other people. Telephone solicitors just f-off.
So what should be the second commandment of modern culture? Believe only that which we can demonstrate to be likely true. Some thing are up to us and some are not. That which is up to us are our opinions, our values, our beliefs, our motivations, our motives, our decisions, and our rules of conduct. All else is beyond our direct control, and there is a bunch of stuff that we have some influence over, but not control. We, after becoming adults, have control over our beliefs. We have the power of assent, that is accept or reject any idea. If we have similar beliefs, we can accept the same concepts. The problem arises when people feel trapped in a stone age belief system, that is trapped by stone age beliefs into a stone age belief system. Is that lunatic thinking or what?
So how can one step out of the stone age thinking? Just put down the belief that beliefs are fixed to history. Only some fraction of what I believe is correct, and that is true of all humans. Believing that our beliefs are 100% correct, rather that some of our beliefs are probably correct, some dead wrong, is a delusion created by our ancestors to control the people. Religion is all about control of the masses.
Amsterdam, has the concept of license, regulate, and tax the deviant behaviors. That may be the way to move forward. They banned religions buildings at one point in there history. Churches became meeting halls. Discussion about some of these issues came into the open. They became a open society, rather than the closed segmented society we have today, which often claims to be open. Open societies are ones which are in the process of change, they have few fixed beliefs. Any topic is not forbidden by law, belief is tolerated, no matter idiotic. The prime directive applies, not to interfere in alien life and beliefs.
But then what do I know?
All religions are efforts to control people from the grave. What is important is how we live this life. That is all we know that we get.
Treat other people was we would like to be treated. That says would like, not as we expect to be treated. Many of us are so pressured by society that we have come to expect to be treated in specific ways that we do not like, but accept. The people in authority are not in control, but we allow them to treat us like they are. We become to expect it and accept it. It is not right, so treat people like we would like to be treated becomes the first commandment of the atheist creed. Mostly from others, I just want to be left alone to do my thing. This is not saying anything about friends, relatives, but just the general population. We are born to cooperate together to create a great flourishing society without the need to eliminate other people. Telephone solicitors just f-off.
So what should be the second commandment of modern culture? Believe only that which we can demonstrate to be likely true. Some thing are up to us and some are not. That which is up to us are our opinions, our values, our beliefs, our motivations, our motives, our decisions, and our rules of conduct. All else is beyond our direct control, and there is a bunch of stuff that we have some influence over, but not control. We, after becoming adults, have control over our beliefs. We have the power of assent, that is accept or reject any idea. If we have similar beliefs, we can accept the same concepts. The problem arises when people feel trapped in a stone age belief system, that is trapped by stone age beliefs into a stone age belief system. Is that lunatic thinking or what?
So how can one step out of the stone age thinking? Just put down the belief that beliefs are fixed to history. Only some fraction of what I believe is correct, and that is true of all humans. Believing that our beliefs are 100% correct, rather that some of our beliefs are probably correct, some dead wrong, is a delusion created by our ancestors to control the people. Religion is all about control of the masses.
Amsterdam, has the concept of license, regulate, and tax the deviant behaviors. That may be the way to move forward. They banned religions buildings at one point in there history. Churches became meeting halls. Discussion about some of these issues came into the open. They became a open society, rather than the closed segmented society we have today, which often claims to be open. Open societies are ones which are in the process of change, they have few fixed beliefs. Any topic is not forbidden by law, belief is tolerated, no matter idiotic. The prime directive applies, not to interfere in alien life and beliefs.
But then what do I know?
Monday, November 16, 2015
Realism v. Paris
Any ideology other than realism is just wrong. It is only realism that is right by definition. So how do we convince the world of this, and what is realism.
Realism has the foundation in truth, knowledge and believing nothing that is not real. How can that be wrong? All these old theologys need to be abandoned, and a new real belief system placed into the automatic part of our minds.
Treat other people as we would like to be treated, the though exercise of turning the roles around is likely one of the underlying principals. I have long held the "primary directive", "not to interfere in alien cultures" was helpful in getting along, but no longer. Paris has made this clear. All religions should be abandoned and replaced with realism, and a solid set of moral guidelines and maximums. There is a space between virtuous and wrong. As long as people stay in either virtuous or in that neutral space, all is well. When they fall into the wrong zone, correction must be applied.
I think there is a lot of things religions got right, but for the wrong reasons. Secondly, we have evolved technologically, and now must role this new knowledge into our "automatic thinking" aka "belief system." We each need to clear out the wrongs, and get on with living the good virtuous life voluntarily.
The first wrong that must go is the belief in any supernatural thing like gods, deities, ideologies, and we need to clean philosophies of all garbage. As Marcus Aurelius put it, "we were born to cooperate". That is one of the underlying principles.We can also subdivide important, neutral and damaging concepts. We should endeavor to correct the damaging first, and move on from there. Concepts that block progress, like beliefs in gods, must go first.
Are we, by nature, social creatures or have we just learned that, as a species, we do better when we cooperate? I think that the former was more correct, now our evolution has changed us. Many have learned to get ahead of the group by force, by driving hard, by using people, and other narcissistic methods. When we we not a crowded, we had little, but we were more humanistic behavior, but less understanding. Now, to be equal to average, we need to go hard to make adequate moneys. This is what over population brings. Some choose to take by force or sell drugs that people want for "escape", and are addicting and/or damaging. Some try to impose there idiotic view on others by force, or kill off the non-believers.
But then what do I know?
Realism has the foundation in truth, knowledge and believing nothing that is not real. How can that be wrong? All these old theologys need to be abandoned, and a new real belief system placed into the automatic part of our minds.
Treat other people as we would like to be treated, the though exercise of turning the roles around is likely one of the underlying principals. I have long held the "primary directive", "not to interfere in alien cultures" was helpful in getting along, but no longer. Paris has made this clear. All religions should be abandoned and replaced with realism, and a solid set of moral guidelines and maximums. There is a space between virtuous and wrong. As long as people stay in either virtuous or in that neutral space, all is well. When they fall into the wrong zone, correction must be applied.
I think there is a lot of things religions got right, but for the wrong reasons. Secondly, we have evolved technologically, and now must role this new knowledge into our "automatic thinking" aka "belief system." We each need to clear out the wrongs, and get on with living the good virtuous life voluntarily.
The first wrong that must go is the belief in any supernatural thing like gods, deities, ideologies, and we need to clean philosophies of all garbage. As Marcus Aurelius put it, "we were born to cooperate". That is one of the underlying principles.We can also subdivide important, neutral and damaging concepts. We should endeavor to correct the damaging first, and move on from there. Concepts that block progress, like beliefs in gods, must go first.
Are we, by nature, social creatures or have we just learned that, as a species, we do better when we cooperate? I think that the former was more correct, now our evolution has changed us. Many have learned to get ahead of the group by force, by driving hard, by using people, and other narcissistic methods. When we we not a crowded, we had little, but we were more humanistic behavior, but less understanding. Now, to be equal to average, we need to go hard to make adequate moneys. This is what over population brings. Some choose to take by force or sell drugs that people want for "escape", and are addicting and/or damaging. Some try to impose there idiotic view on others by force, or kill off the non-believers.
But then what do I know?
Saturday, November 14, 2015
Trudeau
A Trudeau is back in power, and now once again, the west will suffer. Since "Trudeau I" gave the Salmon Arm salute, the west has suffered. "Trudeau I" was responsible for the natural energy program, metrication, and human rights policy that places a burden on the working people.
Now "Trudeau II" is in power with his liberal ideas and we will pay the price. Waste of public money. Inquire into native missing women. The real question is why native, not the rest of society. Predators still exist, and harvest the one's they can cut from the herd. Herd mentality, sticking to the known safe group is a cultural imperative for other cultures. It is therefore a native cultural issue / individual personality issue / group personality issue, behavioral issue, dominate in the native population. It is part of the "give me" personality.
Legalization of bud for the damaged, ok, but what about those smoked operators of heavy equipment, iron workers, roofers, labors, drivers for that matter? When you work with the smoke damaged, we often know. Low enthusiasm for the work, no concentration, low effort lay back attitude. Markedly different than the aggression of meth and coke, but both dangerous. Who will support those of us us who will not work with either group? Oh, well, I am retired now.
Is the legislation going to include a "piss in the bottle" after every accident clause? Who will pay? We taxpayers, of course/coarse.
What do I care, I am just doing life without parole, but the door is always open, according to stoic philo.
Is there a standard of social norms among cultures in Canada? I think there is, but it in a state of flux. There certainly is not in France. We see 140 dead out of Muslim attach. Which bunch of Muslims? The "true solution" is to eliminate religion, and live free of delusions.
Also, in this time of unrest, Trudeau II has decreed that there will be no oil shipped from the west coast. Alberta has no way to get our oil out now. Trudeau II has a desire to separate west and east.
But what do I know?
Now "Trudeau II" is in power with his liberal ideas and we will pay the price. Waste of public money. Inquire into native missing women. The real question is why native, not the rest of society. Predators still exist, and harvest the one's they can cut from the herd. Herd mentality, sticking to the known safe group is a cultural imperative for other cultures. It is therefore a native cultural issue / individual personality issue / group personality issue, behavioral issue, dominate in the native population. It is part of the "give me" personality.
Legalization of bud for the damaged, ok, but what about those smoked operators of heavy equipment, iron workers, roofers, labors, drivers for that matter? When you work with the smoke damaged, we often know. Low enthusiasm for the work, no concentration, low effort lay back attitude. Markedly different than the aggression of meth and coke, but both dangerous. Who will support those of us us who will not work with either group? Oh, well, I am retired now.
Is the legislation going to include a "piss in the bottle" after every accident clause? Who will pay? We taxpayers, of course/coarse.
What do I care, I am just doing life without parole, but the door is always open, according to stoic philo.
Is there a standard of social norms among cultures in Canada? I think there is, but it in a state of flux. There certainly is not in France. We see 140 dead out of Muslim attach. Which bunch of Muslims? The "true solution" is to eliminate religion, and live free of delusions.
Also, in this time of unrest, Trudeau II has decreed that there will be no oil shipped from the west coast. Alberta has no way to get our oil out now. Trudeau II has a desire to separate west and east.
But what do I know?
Saturday, October 31, 2015
Bullshit Secrecy v. Unwilling to Communicate
I belong to a archery club. It's purpose is to provide a range and training to promote archery. The reason I belong is indoor shooting in the winter is reasonable exercise. Like many clubs, there is a shortage of participation in volunteering, and a whole list of vacant positions. The question is why and how to overcome this issue?
I think one of the biggest problems is specific volunteers creating issues for the others volunteers through trying to tightly control or limit the activities, the unwilling or inability to communicate effectively, and the inability to delegate and accept the results. The lack of communications or a logical plan is the other issue. A president who is a control freak, or has a inability to effectively delegate, is a real problem. If some control freak will not let the control go, expect disagreement, or more likely, a shortage of volunteers, which later translates into a reduction in the number of members. It all comes down to personalities.
I just came back from the annual general meeting. It has executive meetings where all the business is conducted, and everything is actually decided. The problem is that so much information is secret, that is not available to the members, that I just do not care anymore. Screw it, it just ain't worth the hassle.
There were no financial statements. OK. In the last year several substantial expenditures were made, which on the face make no sense, like a major amount of money spent on floor finishing in the fourth year of a five year lease; but we coaches cannot get a white board and a line buzzer mounted on the wall. Oh well.
There is a communication problem. Look on the web site to find out about the annual general meeting. Can You find it?
So they depend on email from a list of members. The default on firefox is any email with multiparty addresses above ten is spam. Out it goes. So now I need to hand filter CRAC out of spam.
How about issues the club members have with the club? How about the process of bringing up something to the executive? Find an executive member and if he thinks it is worthwhile, it may come up? How about light small targets for the traveling show? More than one year and nothing? So why do I care? The executive meetings should have a new business section where anyone from the membership can bring up anything and have it resolved. If you do not respond, you will likely lose the member. How many members can we afford to lose?
How about the decisions made at the executive level? Are these ever made public? Consider the moneys spent on that floor. What does the membership think? It looks nice, granted, but at what cost? How many members left because of that decision? How many members will go to our competition because of the decision, if they knew the amount spent?
Control to the point of killing desire to cooperate or just secrecy for the sake of control?
It is my opinion and just my opinion that open communications is absolutely necessary for an volunteer organization to operate.
How about what happens at the coaches meetings?
There is a policy committee. Who beside the executive is on it?
Members need to be part of the decision making process. If we are not, why are we members?
I think one of the biggest problems is specific volunteers creating issues for the others volunteers through trying to tightly control or limit the activities, the unwilling or inability to communicate effectively, and the inability to delegate and accept the results. The lack of communications or a logical plan is the other issue. A president who is a control freak, or has a inability to effectively delegate, is a real problem. If some control freak will not let the control go, expect disagreement, or more likely, a shortage of volunteers, which later translates into a reduction in the number of members. It all comes down to personalities.
I just came back from the annual general meeting. It has executive meetings where all the business is conducted, and everything is actually decided. The problem is that so much information is secret, that is not available to the members, that I just do not care anymore. Screw it, it just ain't worth the hassle.
There were no financial statements. OK. In the last year several substantial expenditures were made, which on the face make no sense, like a major amount of money spent on floor finishing in the fourth year of a five year lease; but we coaches cannot get a white board and a line buzzer mounted on the wall. Oh well.
There is a communication problem. Look on the web site to find out about the annual general meeting. Can You find it?
So they depend on email from a list of members. The default on firefox is any email with multiparty addresses above ten is spam. Out it goes. So now I need to hand filter CRAC out of spam.
How about issues the club members have with the club? How about the process of bringing up something to the executive? Find an executive member and if he thinks it is worthwhile, it may come up? How about light small targets for the traveling show? More than one year and nothing? So why do I care? The executive meetings should have a new business section where anyone from the membership can bring up anything and have it resolved. If you do not respond, you will likely lose the member. How many members can we afford to lose?
How about the decisions made at the executive level? Are these ever made public? Consider the moneys spent on that floor. What does the membership think? It looks nice, granted, but at what cost? How many members left because of that decision? How many members will go to our competition because of the decision, if they knew the amount spent?
Control to the point of killing desire to cooperate or just secrecy for the sake of control?
It is my opinion and just my opinion that open communications is absolutely necessary for an volunteer organization to operate.
How about what happens at the coaches meetings?
There is a policy committee. Who beside the executive is on it?
Members need to be part of the decision making process. If we are not, why are we members?
Legal Issues
I was down yesterday doing a defense "professional witness" gig on a non binding arbitration. What an experience. A delusional home owner/landlord who suffered some vibration damage on two house that originally had severe settlement problems, and here lawyer is as bad, but not delusional, but hourly paid hustler. The houses are worth about 380,000 and a vacant lot is worth 400,000 current price. At the time of damage, which she would not settle the damage at the going rate, about 30,000 per unit. She want two new houses out of the deal. Oh well.
The legal people have a term for this; the thin skull situation.
Even the lawyer does not want to believe physical evidence of previous damage, a tile floor set in segments to accommodate the hump in the floor. It is difficult to convince anyone when his paycheck depends on not accepting reality.
The legal people have a term for this; the thin skull situation.
Even the lawyer does not want to believe physical evidence of previous damage, a tile floor set in segments to accommodate the hump in the floor. It is difficult to convince anyone when his paycheck depends on not accepting reality.
Monday, October 12, 2015
21st Century Problems
21st Century World Problems
1. Overpopulation
2. Religions
So what is the solutions?
Birth control, one child policy....
Truth. All there is is nature. Gods are just bullshit concepts.
But what do I know?
1. Overpopulation
2. Religions
So what is the solutions?
Birth control, one child policy....
Truth. All there is is nature. Gods are just bullshit concepts.
But what do I know?
Saturday, October 10, 2015
Reverence for life
Reverence for life was a Albert Schweitzer concept.
Reverence for life need to be prioritized:
Human, useful animals, wild animals, .... vermin .... virus or bacteria - disease agents.
The real conflict is when the disease agents/vermin are human.
Reverence for life need to be prioritized:
Human, useful animals, wild animals, .... vermin .... virus or bacteria - disease agents.
The real conflict is when the disease agents/vermin are human.
Thursday, October 8, 2015
Tuesday, October 6, 2015
USA second ammendment
http://thelivingphilosopher.com/
“A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”
The problem is not the amendment, but the diversity of this overpopulated world. We, in Canada have the same problem, but not entrenched in our constitution. It is underground, and in the municipal government thinking they are overlords.
Everybody always thinks they are right and so it goes. No one knowingly does wrong except for the criminals and those retaliating a perceived injustice. So we believe that we do right, or at least when we have choice. An atheist who knows that all that exists is nature, and man is part of nature, cannot accept a god v. a religious person who has no doubt that there god exists can never resolve this until one admits they are wrong. A negative can never be logically proven, even if is true. It is up to we atheists to teach the next generation the truth.
There are those who think guns, everyone owning several and knowing how to use them is the solution to our current problem of guns available to everyone. There are those who feel no one should have any as the solution. Nether is realistic nor practical. There will be conflict. The two concepts cannot be resolved.
It is the marginalization and alienation of some people that can be resolved. Maybe. Sometimes. There is the case of the British Military being harassed by the IRA to the point of desperation. http://www.torontosun.com/2015/10/06/bc-wife-husband-stuck-after-ira-related-refugee-claim-turned-down The establishment that sent the British Military is not supporting its past disciples. When they are done with us, they care about as much as a pet rock. That is the attitude of most government. What choice is logical, no guns or all guns? At least with guns, we can do something, and have the illusion/delusion of some power over the situation.
With guns, the self ending choice cannot be un-made after we have begun. I expect that many marginalized find this an easy choice. We always have choice. The door is always open.
I intent this to offend some people. I care about them about equivalent as my pet rock cares for me. Honky tonk ba donkey donk. but what do I know?
“A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”
The problem is not the amendment, but the diversity of this overpopulated world. We, in Canada have the same problem, but not entrenched in our constitution. It is underground, and in the municipal government thinking they are overlords.
Everybody always thinks they are right and so it goes. No one knowingly does wrong except for the criminals and those retaliating a perceived injustice. So we believe that we do right, or at least when we have choice. An atheist who knows that all that exists is nature, and man is part of nature, cannot accept a god v. a religious person who has no doubt that there god exists can never resolve this until one admits they are wrong. A negative can never be logically proven, even if is true. It is up to we atheists to teach the next generation the truth.
There are those who think guns, everyone owning several and knowing how to use them is the solution to our current problem of guns available to everyone. There are those who feel no one should have any as the solution. Nether is realistic nor practical. There will be conflict. The two concepts cannot be resolved.
It is the marginalization and alienation of some people that can be resolved. Maybe. Sometimes. There is the case of the British Military being harassed by the IRA to the point of desperation. http://www.torontosun.com/2015/10/06/bc-wife-husband-stuck-after-ira-related-refugee-claim-turned-down The establishment that sent the British Military is not supporting its past disciples. When they are done with us, they care about as much as a pet rock. That is the attitude of most government. What choice is logical, no guns or all guns? At least with guns, we can do something, and have the illusion/delusion of some power over the situation.
With guns, the self ending choice cannot be un-made after we have begun. I expect that many marginalized find this an easy choice. We always have choice. The door is always open.
I intent this to offend some people. I care about them about equivalent as my pet rock cares for me. Honky tonk ba donkey donk. but what do I know?
Sunday, October 4, 2015
crap
http://www.vox.com/2015/8/24/9183525/gun-violence-statistics
Trump thinks people who do mass shooting are mentally ill, when they are uniformly marginalized, some due to mental illness, personality, social awkwardness, or by choice of not associating with the main stream idiots. It is the marginalization that must be prevented, if we are to find a social solution. Now preventing social marginalization is a concept for study, but in reality, we conduct behaviors which we are compelled to by our opinions and beliefs. We do not like to associates with people who hold different views, so as the diversity of our culture grows, the amount of alienation grows. I will not voluntarily associate with the religious, for they do not live in reality, and as such, marginalization is real and by choice. I do not associate with the party crowd, as they are wasteful of a scarce resource, money, not the food pushing bunch. How would I not be socially alienated? But I understand this, so the world has nothing yet to fear from me, but just do not piss me off.
Trump thinks people who do mass shooting are mentally ill, when they are uniformly marginalized, some due to mental illness, personality, social awkwardness, or by choice of not associating with the main stream idiots. It is the marginalization that must be prevented, if we are to find a social solution. Now preventing social marginalization is a concept for study, but in reality, we conduct behaviors which we are compelled to by our opinions and beliefs. We do not like to associates with people who hold different views, so as the diversity of our culture grows, the amount of alienation grows. I will not voluntarily associate with the religious, for they do not live in reality, and as such, marginalization is real and by choice. I do not associate with the party crowd, as they are wasteful of a scarce resource, money, not the food pushing bunch. How would I not be socially alienated? But I understand this, so the world has nothing yet to fear from me, but just do not piss me off.
Friday, September 25, 2015
VW Fraud
Clean diesel is not as clean as we thought. It is still cleaner than it was, and those are nice engines, smooth, quick to respond to the throttle. Industrial diesel is not so quick, and not so clean. Get the temperature up and you get more nitrogen oxide. Too much has a different smell, it is choking.
Next, does clean matter? We humans add a bit to the green house gasses, and a bit to the partials. The effect of green house gasses counteracts the particles. Particles cool, that is block sunlight, and gasses keep the heat in. Either one, without the other would be a quick change in climate. In the geological record, on average for the last 200,000 years, we have had a cold climate changing event about ever 20,000 years. We are about due again. The events typically have been volcanic eruptions or meteor strikes. OH well, it is just nature doing here thing, the sum of the randoms. The earth will survive, but humans, I am not so sure. We are so dependent on infrastructure. That makes humans vulnerable. Oh well.
So the German capitalist cheat the US requirements. And Canada, Europe, German requirements. Fraudulent capitalists. Act surprised. I worked much of my life in and around the testing industry, and have seen my share of fraud, deceit, and the like. The statement "we only have problems when our concrete is tested" comes to mind.
Now the question becomes, will all this fraud kill VW. I doubt it. Fraud is a way of life in the auto industry, credit card industry, manufacturing, construction, government, finical industry, etc. It is illegal, immoral, unethical, unvirtuous, etc. What are we going to do about it? Or more to to the point, what can we do about it? When caught, call out the perpetrators. When it slips by, who is going to spend the effort and resources to investigate, demonstrate, and attempt to prosecute. It is easier and often more satisfying to try them in the press.
Enough. What do I know.
Next, does clean matter? We humans add a bit to the green house gasses, and a bit to the partials. The effect of green house gasses counteracts the particles. Particles cool, that is block sunlight, and gasses keep the heat in. Either one, without the other would be a quick change in climate. In the geological record, on average for the last 200,000 years, we have had a cold climate changing event about ever 20,000 years. We are about due again. The events typically have been volcanic eruptions or meteor strikes. OH well, it is just nature doing here thing, the sum of the randoms. The earth will survive, but humans, I am not so sure. We are so dependent on infrastructure. That makes humans vulnerable. Oh well.
So the German capitalist cheat the US requirements. And Canada, Europe, German requirements. Fraudulent capitalists. Act surprised. I worked much of my life in and around the testing industry, and have seen my share of fraud, deceit, and the like. The statement "we only have problems when our concrete is tested" comes to mind.
Now the question becomes, will all this fraud kill VW. I doubt it. Fraud is a way of life in the auto industry, credit card industry, manufacturing, construction, government, finical industry, etc. It is illegal, immoral, unethical, unvirtuous, etc. What are we going to do about it? Or more to to the point, what can we do about it? When caught, call out the perpetrators. When it slips by, who is going to spend the effort and resources to investigate, demonstrate, and attempt to prosecute. It is easier and often more satisfying to try them in the press.
Enough. What do I know.
Wednesday, September 16, 2015
Local Over Population
Have we ever stopped to consider how the world, as we know it, will end? Our population is now doubling every 25 years more or less. We have finite resources. So what will the end, aka, a major change look like? It will not end well for the human animal.
Overpopulation occurs when an area cannot support it's population. This could be a food shortage, water, energy, physical disaster, or similar issue, where the area cannot or will not support it's population. This can be political, where the people will not support the political or religious, environment, civil war and religious terrorism, such as Syria. What can the people do but try to leave.
Ultimately, it becomes a case of local overpopulation. The first response is to flood outward, looking for a different area to settle in. We see this in the fossil record, the extinction of the less social Neanderthal population, while the more social homo sapiens survived an abrupt climate change. We see this with natural disasters like even Katerina. These are accompanied with a population die off of some degree. Tragic, yes, but predictable. This is what we are seeing in Syria, along with irrational religion.
The new world order should control population and eliminate religion and ignorance through more and better education. Separation of opinion, marketing bullshit, cerements and facts is also necessary. One child policy may be the way to start. The governments do not yet see the need nor have the political will to do anything, even to start discussion on such subjects. It is unwilling to address the obesity issues we have today, caused mainly by the Canada Good Food guide, chemical cocktail we live in, and the population not understanding the problem of hormone controlled appetite. We are overeating because our hormones are out of balance, caused by our foods.
But then, what do I know?
Overpopulation occurs when an area cannot support it's population. This could be a food shortage, water, energy, physical disaster, or similar issue, where the area cannot or will not support it's population. This can be political, where the people will not support the political or religious, environment, civil war and religious terrorism, such as Syria. What can the people do but try to leave.
Ultimately, it becomes a case of local overpopulation. The first response is to flood outward, looking for a different area to settle in. We see this in the fossil record, the extinction of the less social Neanderthal population, while the more social homo sapiens survived an abrupt climate change. We see this with natural disasters like even Katerina. These are accompanied with a population die off of some degree. Tragic, yes, but predictable. This is what we are seeing in Syria, along with irrational religion.
The new world order should control population and eliminate religion and ignorance through more and better education. Separation of opinion, marketing bullshit, cerements and facts is also necessary. One child policy may be the way to start. The governments do not yet see the need nor have the political will to do anything, even to start discussion on such subjects. It is unwilling to address the obesity issues we have today, caused mainly by the Canada Good Food guide, chemical cocktail we live in, and the population not understanding the problem of hormone controlled appetite. We are overeating because our hormones are out of balance, caused by our foods.
But then, what do I know?
Sunday, September 13, 2015
Attitude change
My attitude is changing; I live in a world of idiots; It is up to me to keep from letting the idiot "dirt" from rubbing off on to me. At least half the population I will term idiots, for the lack of a better word.
Much of my life, I was one of those idiots. Oh, well. The brain is the only organ that is not complete and functioning at birth. It is like a new computer, no programs, no data, just empty. As we go along, we learn. It is apparent to me that we do a good job of teaching in schools, but the subject matter is a bit short. There should be a core subject on philosophy/psychology/life planning/life skills for those who are being brain washed at home, to give these people a chance.
It is apparent to that some people grow up with a very warped view of humanity, of life and how the world really works. There are the corrupt, the violent, the aggressive, and the thieves, fraudsters, the control freaks, and the like. As Marcus Aurelieus said (2.1) When you wake up in the morning tell yourself: The people I deal with today will be meddling, ungrateful, arrogant, dishonest, jealous, and surly, They are like this because they cannot tell good from evil..... In summary, I will just call them idiot.
Marcus goes on to define what the purpose of life is for him; cooperation of humans... to create a flourishing population may be suggested. The ultimate purpose is not to sell the world your belief system. All I need do is keep myself on the 'straight and narrow path to happy destiny' and ignore the idiots that populate the earth. That group must make up at least half of the population.
Much of my life, I was one of those idiots. Oh, well. The brain is the only organ that is not complete and functioning at birth. It is like a new computer, no programs, no data, just empty. As we go along, we learn. It is apparent to me that we do a good job of teaching in schools, but the subject matter is a bit short. There should be a core subject on philosophy/psychology/life planning/life skills for those who are being brain washed at home, to give these people a chance.
It is apparent to that some people grow up with a very warped view of humanity, of life and how the world really works. There are the corrupt, the violent, the aggressive, and the thieves, fraudsters, the control freaks, and the like. As Marcus Aurelieus said (2.1) When you wake up in the morning tell yourself: The people I deal with today will be meddling, ungrateful, arrogant, dishonest, jealous, and surly, They are like this because they cannot tell good from evil..... In summary, I will just call them idiot.
Marcus goes on to define what the purpose of life is for him; cooperation of humans... to create a flourishing population may be suggested. The ultimate purpose is not to sell the world your belief system. All I need do is keep myself on the 'straight and narrow path to happy destiny' and ignore the idiots that populate the earth. That group must make up at least half of the population.
Thursday, September 10, 2015
Solution to ISIL
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/09/10/world/middleeast/ap-ml-russia-in-the-middle-east-glance.html?_r=0
http://columbiadailyherald.com/news/local-news/james-bennett-column-understanding-islam-s-key-dealing-extremists
The solution to ISIL problem is obvious: communism. This will get rid of the radical god believing death denying Islams. They think the world has learned nothing since Mohammad. Communism will make then toe the company line, just a Pol Pot did in Cambodia.
After hearing about the kid who claims to understand Islam better than his father, it is apparent that extreme arrogance to the point of stupidly is how radicalization occurs. We will not bow to anyone but Allah. OK, that is your attitude, not fact.
What does a bow indicate? Well that depends on the one doing the bowing. It could be respect. It could be acknowledgement, nothing more. It could be a sign of subservience which is likely what Mohammad was thinking. It could be a be a sarcastic acknowledgement to the enormous ego of person being bowed to or it could be a simple physical movement meaning nothing. It is what the bower wants it to mean. There will be some who say that it is what the cultural meaning is, and if you think that, whatever! To those I will give the sign of having a bad day, made famous by Trudeau in Salmon Arm, B.C. And believing the meaning makes it so.
As Epictetus, there is nothing as discussing as arrogance in the young.
But then what do I know.
http://columbiadailyherald.com/news/local-news/james-bennett-column-understanding-islam-s-key-dealing-extremists
The solution to ISIL problem is obvious: communism. This will get rid of the radical god believing death denying Islams. They think the world has learned nothing since Mohammad. Communism will make then toe the company line, just a Pol Pot did in Cambodia.
After hearing about the kid who claims to understand Islam better than his father, it is apparent that extreme arrogance to the point of stupidly is how radicalization occurs. We will not bow to anyone but Allah. OK, that is your attitude, not fact.
What does a bow indicate? Well that depends on the one doing the bowing. It could be respect. It could be acknowledgement, nothing more. It could be a sign of subservience which is likely what Mohammad was thinking. It could be a be a sarcastic acknowledgement to the enormous ego of person being bowed to or it could be a simple physical movement meaning nothing. It is what the bower wants it to mean. There will be some who say that it is what the cultural meaning is, and if you think that, whatever! To those I will give the sign of having a bad day, made famous by Trudeau in Salmon Arm, B.C. And believing the meaning makes it so.
As Epictetus, there is nothing as discussing as arrogance in the young.
But then what do I know.
Thursday, September 3, 2015
Urban Standards v. Homelessness
In the City of Edmonton implementation of Urban Standards bylaw, there was a great many poor houses (cheap rent) condemned and closed, demolished, or otherwise converted to not for rent. Did that have an significant impact on the working poor and poor becoming homeless? As I was asked for an opinion on foundation of a considerable number of these, I was not an insider, but only exposed to a small portion of the situations. My experience says that the city used there Urban Standards to condemn a considerable number of marginal structures that we poor, but better than homeless.
House with foundation movement are obviously a problem, but not necessary unsafe to the residences. Many older houses have this problem, due to failure to allow for the desiccation of high plastic clay or frost effects on the foundation. Stick built buildings can withstand considerable movement before becoming structurally unsound. These are quite livable for the residences, but do not look good.
The big problem is we can feel the slope. When a firefighter feels a floor slope, the assumption is the floor has failed, so an exit is in order. No further effort will be made to enter the building, even if people are know to be inside. This is what the City Of Edmonton termed unsafe. The frost will kill you, and fire might; which is the bigger risk?
So the City of Edmonton contributed to their own homeless problem. What can we say about that? The City's stance is the houses were unsafe, and in the event of fire they were less safe than flat floors. Now what about all those other places south of the U of A, Lendrum, to Southgate, area with high plastic clay, private homes with uneven floors? Many in this area are far worse than those which were condemned in the inner city area.
But what do I know?
House with foundation movement are obviously a problem, but not necessary unsafe to the residences. Many older houses have this problem, due to failure to allow for the desiccation of high plastic clay or frost effects on the foundation. Stick built buildings can withstand considerable movement before becoming structurally unsound. These are quite livable for the residences, but do not look good.
The big problem is we can feel the slope. When a firefighter feels a floor slope, the assumption is the floor has failed, so an exit is in order. No further effort will be made to enter the building, even if people are know to be inside. This is what the City Of Edmonton termed unsafe. The frost will kill you, and fire might; which is the bigger risk?
So the City of Edmonton contributed to their own homeless problem. What can we say about that? The City's stance is the houses were unsafe, and in the event of fire they were less safe than flat floors. Now what about all those other places south of the U of A, Lendrum, to Southgate, area with high plastic clay, private homes with uneven floors? Many in this area are far worse than those which were condemned in the inner city area.
But what do I know?
Tuesday, September 1, 2015
WTF
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/harper-says-economy-back-on-track-as-data-points-to-technical-recession/article26173882/
http://www.metronews.ca/news/canada/2015/09/01/toronto-new-york-stock-markets-plunge.html
http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/tsx-sheds-300-points-as-bleak-gdp-number-spooks-investors-1.3211050
so what is the real story. Is the economy going up or down? Who knows. It depends on your outlook.
http://www.metronews.ca/news/canada/2015/09/01/toronto-new-york-stock-markets-plunge.html
http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/tsx-sheds-300-points-as-bleak-gdp-number-spooks-investors-1.3211050
so what is the real story. Is the economy going up or down? Who knows. It depends on your outlook.
Thursday, August 27, 2015
Urban Standards
The Leduc County is in the process of enacting Urban Standard Bylaw. It appears to be going to be imposed onto existing community. This is a bylaw that will force some preferences and prejudices of the present county officials on the citizens. It is another form of taxation, taxation by forced physical labor in some instances. This is another form of forcing compliance on the population.
There is a difference between imposing a "Urban Standard Bylaw" on existing community, and on a new development. In a new development, the prospective buyers can be informed of the requirements. In an existing aged development, changes will be required. Those forced changes have costs and labor. Forcing change will also cause resentments and reactions. Have you ever wondered why there is so much vandalism, resentment, and grudging compliance against the Governments?
Rules that have no value, are illogical, out of date, useless, wrong, pig headed, or based on someone private interests are not in "community" interests, but only marketed as such. These may set the "community" standards, but are generally the wet dreams of some bureaucrat. Consider the 2.1 meter above the water table in rural residential development. It may be suitable to avoid difficulties in convention basements, but it is easy to design and build homes with no basement. Most of the world does that, but not in Alberta due to government requirements that are wrong, just someones ego trying to control others. Consider the Counties 2 acre rule on subdivision, so that 3.95 acres cannot be subdivided except into clusters where it could be divided into likely 6 lots once the sewer gets close enough. More of the bureaucrats telling us how we should live.
Comply, be fined and comply or move out. Those are the choices.
The City of Edmonton has similar, and it has been used to force seniors from there homes as they are unable to either do the work or hire the work done due to slim incomes. It requires the home owners to clear snow from City owned sidewalks, even where there is no space for the snow to be placed. It is up to the homeowner to have the snow loaded and hauled away, and that snow is not permitted in City operated snow sites. Now it becomes a issue to find space to dump that snow.
This is not community, but rather a collection of ego, each primary looking out for there own interests. It places some highbrow individual in a place of authority to decide what is ok and what is an "eye-sore". Is it reality or individual prejudices? How long will it be before an ugly truck, but a useful to the owner truck is not permitted?
Now consider the City of St. Albert, where the existing community would not allow a Habitat for Humanity development. What does that say about that collection of egos? That is what Urban Standard bylaw will bring.
Will this bylaw be used to force seniors on inadequate incomes, from their homes, as it is in Edmonton? In the final years of our lives, many of us can expect to not have the income nor ability to keep up with the young, often deeply in debt, neighbors.
Perhaps this is not community, but a collection of individuals, each looking out for their egos, wants, and prejudices? Urban Standards are not "community" but rather the preferences and prejudices of the "authority having jurisdiction".
What do I know about this? Nothing. I am just an old civil - geotechnical engineer who has observed much bureaucratic rule following and the wrongness that goes with what should be exceptions to the rules.
There is a difference between imposing a "Urban Standard Bylaw" on existing community, and on a new development. In a new development, the prospective buyers can be informed of the requirements. In an existing aged development, changes will be required. Those forced changes have costs and labor. Forcing change will also cause resentments and reactions. Have you ever wondered why there is so much vandalism, resentment, and grudging compliance against the Governments?
Rules that have no value, are illogical, out of date, useless, wrong, pig headed, or based on someone private interests are not in "community" interests, but only marketed as such. These may set the "community" standards, but are generally the wet dreams of some bureaucrat. Consider the 2.1 meter above the water table in rural residential development. It may be suitable to avoid difficulties in convention basements, but it is easy to design and build homes with no basement. Most of the world does that, but not in Alberta due to government requirements that are wrong, just someones ego trying to control others. Consider the Counties 2 acre rule on subdivision, so that 3.95 acres cannot be subdivided except into clusters where it could be divided into likely 6 lots once the sewer gets close enough. More of the bureaucrats telling us how we should live.
Comply, be fined and comply or move out. Those are the choices.
The City of Edmonton has similar, and it has been used to force seniors from there homes as they are unable to either do the work or hire the work done due to slim incomes. It requires the home owners to clear snow from City owned sidewalks, even where there is no space for the snow to be placed. It is up to the homeowner to have the snow loaded and hauled away, and that snow is not permitted in City operated snow sites. Now it becomes a issue to find space to dump that snow.
This is not community, but rather a collection of ego, each primary looking out for there own interests. It places some highbrow individual in a place of authority to decide what is ok and what is an "eye-sore". Is it reality or individual prejudices? How long will it be before an ugly truck, but a useful to the owner truck is not permitted?
Now consider the City of St. Albert, where the existing community would not allow a Habitat for Humanity development. What does that say about that collection of egos? That is what Urban Standard bylaw will bring.
Will this bylaw be used to force seniors on inadequate incomes, from their homes, as it is in Edmonton? In the final years of our lives, many of us can expect to not have the income nor ability to keep up with the young, often deeply in debt, neighbors.
Perhaps this is not community, but a collection of individuals, each looking out for their egos, wants, and prejudices? Urban Standards are not "community" but rather the preferences and prejudices of the "authority having jurisdiction".
What do I know about this? Nothing. I am just an old civil - geotechnical engineer who has observed much bureaucratic rule following and the wrongness that goes with what should be exceptions to the rules.
Wednesday, August 26, 2015
Moral values
Ashely Madison store raises some moral questions of infidelity. Is infidelity wrong and who says so?
We need to separate nature, religion, cultural and economic dictates as to what morals are right. There is no god, only nature. So who is the authority?
From a genetic point of view, that is nature, there is nothing wrong with infidelity, unless there is offspring. The issue then is raising of the child. There is a VD question, and for those who are willing to take that risk, why should I care? Death by Aids, Hep C, Lyme, and the treatable VD's all must be considered, along with the parasites. For me, that alone would be too much.
Then there is the legality of pimping, which I understand that the site had become a Uber of pimping. The ladies wanted paying, so I understand. Oh well, it has nothing to do with me.
Then there is the issue of religion and cultural dictates of from the Catholic no birth control, not before marriage, the only purpose of sex is propitiation, to the control freak Islam, and back in history to the Native sharing of wives and husbands. Most of these traditions are based or it has been suggested that these are economic based morality. If you are unsure of who is the father, then you may be willing to share the support of the child, and there education. If you are unsure, you may be unwilling to pass on property to those you are unsure of. That may be the maternal inheritance cultures, You may be unsure of the father, but not of the mother. That property down the fraternal line may be part of what gave rise to the control freak Islam, and the rigid European morals of old, whether it was truly practiced or not. The Natives did not understand ownership, so there was no property.
Then there is the whole other side, the rights of other to impose there view on us. That is to become public control freaks. That is a big moral no no, if it does not go against nature or flourishing society. That is where the hackers are most morally wrong. But the government should have stepped in and shut down the pimping site first. They did not, so they are slow, or do not care. That should be the public concern, but it is not. Oh well.
It is like the youth that was turned away from public housing development for not being Islamic. We should be concerned if any public moneys went into that housing.
Religions often do not pay taxes, hence receive public support. They then must be held to a higher standard that private unfunded operations.
An then there is the most significant question, what does you mate thing about all this? If you are both in agreement, then swing, or not. It is your choice, along with all the risks.
But then what do I know.
We need to separate nature, religion, cultural and economic dictates as to what morals are right. There is no god, only nature. So who is the authority?
From a genetic point of view, that is nature, there is nothing wrong with infidelity, unless there is offspring. The issue then is raising of the child. There is a VD question, and for those who are willing to take that risk, why should I care? Death by Aids, Hep C, Lyme, and the treatable VD's all must be considered, along with the parasites. For me, that alone would be too much.
Then there is the legality of pimping, which I understand that the site had become a Uber of pimping. The ladies wanted paying, so I understand. Oh well, it has nothing to do with me.
Then there is the issue of religion and cultural dictates of from the Catholic no birth control, not before marriage, the only purpose of sex is propitiation, to the control freak Islam, and back in history to the Native sharing of wives and husbands. Most of these traditions are based or it has been suggested that these are economic based morality. If you are unsure of who is the father, then you may be willing to share the support of the child, and there education. If you are unsure, you may be unwilling to pass on property to those you are unsure of. That may be the maternal inheritance cultures, You may be unsure of the father, but not of the mother. That property down the fraternal line may be part of what gave rise to the control freak Islam, and the rigid European morals of old, whether it was truly practiced or not. The Natives did not understand ownership, so there was no property.
Then there is the whole other side, the rights of other to impose there view on us. That is to become public control freaks. That is a big moral no no, if it does not go against nature or flourishing society. That is where the hackers are most morally wrong. But the government should have stepped in and shut down the pimping site first. They did not, so they are slow, or do not care. That should be the public concern, but it is not. Oh well.
It is like the youth that was turned away from public housing development for not being Islamic. We should be concerned if any public moneys went into that housing.
Religions often do not pay taxes, hence receive public support. They then must be held to a higher standard that private unfunded operations.
An then there is the most significant question, what does you mate thing about all this? If you are both in agreement, then swing, or not. It is your choice, along with all the risks.
But then what do I know.
Thursday, August 20, 2015
Roof Contractors
It is my opinion that roof contractors are a bunch of low life's.
One of the options is to place a new dripcap on the roof's edge. Nothing wrong with the old one. I put it on myself 35 years ago. The idiot roof contractor ripped it off anyway. and did not replace it. Idiots
It is to the point that one should just hire labor and do everything else myself.
One of the options is to place a new dripcap on the roof's edge. Nothing wrong with the old one. I put it on myself 35 years ago. The idiot roof contractor ripped it off anyway. and did not replace it. Idiots
It is to the point that one should just hire labor and do everything else myself.
Monday, August 3, 2015
Not Socially Acceptable vs Wrong
Not Socially Acceptable vs Wrong
Separation of these two concepts is important in analysis of any public statement. It has become apparent to me that the media is confused and does not separate these two. Further, the media would like belief and expression to be the same, and it is socially unacceptable to express socially unacceptable views, but it is often correct to have them. This is monitoring of expression, not free speech. We do not have free speech, that is a myth. It is free as long as it agrees with the current socially acceptable cultural meme.
There is a big difference between legal, right, and socially acceptable limits of any statement, but that is a different topic.
It is not socially acceptable to call a gay person, a native, a black, a brown, a easterner what they are, but is it wrong? Being called what they are may be considered derogatory by them, but it is there culture that considers it to be derogatory, and I am not part of there culture.
We Albertans from and around the oil industry consider the term "Tar Sands" to be derogatory term, and stop listen at that point. Our oil sands industry is the basis of our economy. We live here. Other assholes can criticize, but you get to go home to your cushie life elsewhere. We live here among the oil sands, so you rich American Anti Oils Sands can f-off.
The natives want a inquire in to the missing aboriginal issue. It is a native cultural issue, so it is there problem. Logic dictates that predators exist. Predators "harvest" the ones that get there attention and that they can cut from the herd. It is a cultural issue that your native culture is unwilling to train it's youth of the facts of modern life and our modern society. We would all like to see the predators jailed, but we need to identify them, find witnesses willing to testify, and find proof before that can happen. That is the job of police, not to keep your people safe from the population, which the natives are part of.
So when we are speaking about these foot in mouth politicians, Trump comes to mind, we need to separate wrong from those things we do not want to hear. He may not be wrong that the US has a issue with the Mexico border, security in general, but he has just over stepped socially acceptable expression of the reality or at least his opinion of reality. The ultimate purpose of humanity is to prosper, and many see Canada and the US as better places than from where they came from. We are trying to keep up our standard of life, and we see that threatened, correctly, from the influx of non-law-abiding immigrants. There presence here is evidence of the "non-law-abiding" status. We may not like to here this expressed but it will be hard to demonstrate it as wrong.
Opinions are like ass-holes; everybody has at least one of. Oh well, what do I know?
Separation of these two concepts is important in analysis of any public statement. It has become apparent to me that the media is confused and does not separate these two. Further, the media would like belief and expression to be the same, and it is socially unacceptable to express socially unacceptable views, but it is often correct to have them. This is monitoring of expression, not free speech. We do not have free speech, that is a myth. It is free as long as it agrees with the current socially acceptable cultural meme.
There is a big difference between legal, right, and socially acceptable limits of any statement, but that is a different topic.
It is not socially acceptable to call a gay person, a native, a black, a brown, a easterner what they are, but is it wrong? Being called what they are may be considered derogatory by them, but it is there culture that considers it to be derogatory, and I am not part of there culture.
We Albertans from and around the oil industry consider the term "Tar Sands" to be derogatory term, and stop listen at that point. Our oil sands industry is the basis of our economy. We live here. Other assholes can criticize, but you get to go home to your cushie life elsewhere. We live here among the oil sands, so you rich American Anti Oils Sands can f-off.
The natives want a inquire in to the missing aboriginal issue. It is a native cultural issue, so it is there problem. Logic dictates that predators exist. Predators "harvest" the ones that get there attention and that they can cut from the herd. It is a cultural issue that your native culture is unwilling to train it's youth of the facts of modern life and our modern society. We would all like to see the predators jailed, but we need to identify them, find witnesses willing to testify, and find proof before that can happen. That is the job of police, not to keep your people safe from the population, which the natives are part of.
So when we are speaking about these foot in mouth politicians, Trump comes to mind, we need to separate wrong from those things we do not want to hear. He may not be wrong that the US has a issue with the Mexico border, security in general, but he has just over stepped socially acceptable expression of the reality or at least his opinion of reality. The ultimate purpose of humanity is to prosper, and many see Canada and the US as better places than from where they came from. We are trying to keep up our standard of life, and we see that threatened, correctly, from the influx of non-law-abiding immigrants. There presence here is evidence of the "non-law-abiding" status. We may not like to here this expressed but it will be hard to demonstrate it as wrong.
Opinions are like ass-holes; everybody has at least one of. Oh well, what do I know?
Saturday, July 11, 2015
Capitalism, Greed and the price of rent
Capitalism, our economic system, is was it is, but it is not Christian, by the teachings. It is based on greed, which is one of the seven deadly sins. So you can be a christian and capitalist, but then you will need to be fair, and not gouge the people who serve us and our clients/customers. It can be done, but not by many big companies. This takes balance and forgoing gouging. Few can resist the temptation.
Greed and the price of rent have a relationship. Capitalism says charge as much as the traffic will bear. Not really Christian, which I am not, but I like to think that I have higher ethics. A reasonable return on the capital plus expenses plus a prudent reserve fund, and that should be the rent, not what the traffic will bear. So what of those politicians in the US of A, who claim to be Christians, yet do not live it but display greed, pride, and the like. Not ethical for sure.
Religion and culture are two potentially separate narratives we learn as children, and are just that, narratives, stories, not facts, not science. All bull shit, natural fertilizer.
I like the idea of Marxism/Communism: To the state according to our ability, from the state according to our need. But it forgets what people are, narcissistic, greedy. Capitalism at least allows for us to fight back, to gouge, steal, screw the weak and careless, take through fraud without much concern for legal action, especially if you spend more than you make.
Narcissistic, greedy is what we see, and yet, as far back as Socrates people are social and we are intended by nature to work together. Working together produces a flourishing society. There is cognitive dissonance here. People do what they thing is best for them, not society. We are individuals who are in the process of learning to work together, but have not yet learned or are not willing beyond small like minded groups.
It is the tenant that went broke, did not pay her rent, removed and destroyed doors and windows, left behind many piles of refuse and detritus, and I could sue, perhaps even get a judgement, but there is nothing to collect from, so why put myself through that. No more free reign in any of my premises. My rules or the highway.
Virtue, ethics and living in reality should be all we need to live a good life. Joy knowing that we are right, and acceptance of all that is beyond our power is the way to peace of mind. Knowing this is also necessary. Doing what it take to uphold this is also important.
Greed and the price of rent have a relationship. Capitalism says charge as much as the traffic will bear. Not really Christian, which I am not, but I like to think that I have higher ethics. A reasonable return on the capital plus expenses plus a prudent reserve fund, and that should be the rent, not what the traffic will bear. So what of those politicians in the US of A, who claim to be Christians, yet do not live it but display greed, pride, and the like. Not ethical for sure.
Religion and culture are two potentially separate narratives we learn as children, and are just that, narratives, stories, not facts, not science. All bull shit, natural fertilizer.
I like the idea of Marxism/Communism: To the state according to our ability, from the state according to our need. But it forgets what people are, narcissistic, greedy. Capitalism at least allows for us to fight back, to gouge, steal, screw the weak and careless, take through fraud without much concern for legal action, especially if you spend more than you make.
Narcissistic, greedy is what we see, and yet, as far back as Socrates people are social and we are intended by nature to work together. Working together produces a flourishing society. There is cognitive dissonance here. People do what they thing is best for them, not society. We are individuals who are in the process of learning to work together, but have not yet learned or are not willing beyond small like minded groups.
It is the tenant that went broke, did not pay her rent, removed and destroyed doors and windows, left behind many piles of refuse and detritus, and I could sue, perhaps even get a judgement, but there is nothing to collect from, so why put myself through that. No more free reign in any of my premises. My rules or the highway.
Virtue, ethics and living in reality should be all we need to live a good life. Joy knowing that we are right, and acceptance of all that is beyond our power is the way to peace of mind. Knowing this is also necessary. Doing what it take to uphold this is also important.
 |
| its a wind goose, no it's live |
Saturday, June 20, 2015
The real cause: world overpopulation.
http://www.thebookoflife.org/first-world-problems/
But, but, they missed the real problem: overpopulation. We have exceeded the viable world population in many areas. Reduction in the birth rate or decrease in the survival rate will be required for a sustainable population long term. China one child policy works. It will need to be a world one child policy or a one couple one child. This would lead to wider diversity in the gene pool. If you want a second child, you meed to find a second mate. Less inheritance, more diversity. Oh, well.
What is the evidence for overpopulation? Look at the big cities in the west, or anywhere in the east. We need to modify agriculture to feed the people, and then we are eating survival foods, not proper human foods. Water, look at California, the interior plains, and the contamination of the planet, global warming, etc. We can extend the earth capacity a bit, but how much and for how long? A years famine will wake the world up.
In the sixties, overpopulation was a concern, as was food supply. We only have a "few days" of fresh supply ahead, but oh well, we have a year of survival foods. Water may be a bigger issue, as we are depleting the fresh aquifers in many areas. Fossil fuels to end by 2100. Ya sure, not likely. These will become more expensive, as the supply gets short, unless someone is desperate for money or has a political agenda. But then what do I know? It will not be the issue in my lifetime, for I am past my best by date.
No government but China has taken on this problem. The pope is yodeling about fossil fuel, but is resistant to population growth control. Islam thinks it is there right to reproduce like rabbits or rats, but they also have the right to starve. Oh well. Shit happens. It would be political suicide to suggest that we do something about the problem.
Religions in general depend on ignorance of how to live, what is good and evil, and on the lack of philosophy in schools. Stoicism should be taught as a subject, for it's fundamental beliefs are logic and reasoning is our supreme characteristic. We are here to flourish, and to do that we must all work together, else we will not prosper long term. Short term we can do well as individuals, but long term every individual expires or are returned to whence they came.
Enough; Jasper elk a few years ago in the fall.
But, but, they missed the real problem: overpopulation. We have exceeded the viable world population in many areas. Reduction in the birth rate or decrease in the survival rate will be required for a sustainable population long term. China one child policy works. It will need to be a world one child policy or a one couple one child. This would lead to wider diversity in the gene pool. If you want a second child, you meed to find a second mate. Less inheritance, more diversity. Oh, well.
What is the evidence for overpopulation? Look at the big cities in the west, or anywhere in the east. We need to modify agriculture to feed the people, and then we are eating survival foods, not proper human foods. Water, look at California, the interior plains, and the contamination of the planet, global warming, etc. We can extend the earth capacity a bit, but how much and for how long? A years famine will wake the world up.
In the sixties, overpopulation was a concern, as was food supply. We only have a "few days" of fresh supply ahead, but oh well, we have a year of survival foods. Water may be a bigger issue, as we are depleting the fresh aquifers in many areas. Fossil fuels to end by 2100. Ya sure, not likely. These will become more expensive, as the supply gets short, unless someone is desperate for money or has a political agenda. But then what do I know? It will not be the issue in my lifetime, for I am past my best by date.
No government but China has taken on this problem. The pope is yodeling about fossil fuel, but is resistant to population growth control. Islam thinks it is there right to reproduce like rabbits or rats, but they also have the right to starve. Oh well. Shit happens. It would be political suicide to suggest that we do something about the problem.
Religions in general depend on ignorance of how to live, what is good and evil, and on the lack of philosophy in schools. Stoicism should be taught as a subject, for it's fundamental beliefs are logic and reasoning is our supreme characteristic. We are here to flourish, and to do that we must all work together, else we will not prosper long term. Short term we can do well as individuals, but long term every individual expires or are returned to whence they came.
Enough; Jasper elk a few years ago in the fall.
Saturday, June 6, 2015
Stopping Radical Religion groups
Radical religions are groups that hold a set of delusions of reality strongly, and these group of delusions are passed down from antiquity as a set of memes. They are taught, and the true believer never questions the validity, the origin, and especially not the truth behind the memes.
For those of you that are familiar with memes: A meme (/ˈmiːm/ meem) is "an idea, behavior, or style that spreads from person to person within a culture". These things infect healthy minds like chain letters of old.
People who have never been taught to verify beliefs can hold these concepts so strongly that they are willing to die for and to kill to propagate the concepts. Dieing for a concept is not an issue as long as that concept has value, like freedom, truth, justice, home or country, but religion, not so much. Protection of self or the values we have, truth, freedom, justice are worthwhile, but to be willing to kill for a concept is just stupid, and has no value. In other words, to kill of a religion is just nuts, as religions are just a set of delusions.
Anyone who is willing to kill for there religion are radicals and dangerous, and should be sent to a penal island or to where they came from. I would vote that we set up a penal on Axel Hieberg Island, along the east coast, about 1/4 of the way north from the south end. Give them pick and spades to dig out some pits, Sea cans containers to bury in for shelter, and they will need to be packed in to stay warm, muzzle loading bunks, and not much food or fuel. They could have a choice, leave for where they came from or the Axel Hieberg Hilton. Oh, well, there is not the political will to address the problem, or to identify the problem. If the government did, they would realize that any true believe can be weaponized. Puncturing the delusion wall and exposing the truth that we are what we think is the inoculation against weaponization of any human. The old Roman Stoics learned this from the Greek Stoics, and the system of stoic thought survives to this day, but does anybody care?
I come down to we have control of our own beliefs. Once we learn that and to adjust our beliefs, and some thing are up to us and some are not, we are off to the races.
and a picture because I can:
For those of you that are familiar with memes: A meme (/ˈmiːm/ meem) is "an idea, behavior, or style that spreads from person to person within a culture". These things infect healthy minds like chain letters of old.
People who have never been taught to verify beliefs can hold these concepts so strongly that they are willing to die for and to kill to propagate the concepts. Dieing for a concept is not an issue as long as that concept has value, like freedom, truth, justice, home or country, but religion, not so much. Protection of self or the values we have, truth, freedom, justice are worthwhile, but to be willing to kill for a concept is just stupid, and has no value. In other words, to kill of a religion is just nuts, as religions are just a set of delusions.
Anyone who is willing to kill for there religion are radicals and dangerous, and should be sent to a penal island or to where they came from. I would vote that we set up a penal on Axel Hieberg Island, along the east coast, about 1/4 of the way north from the south end. Give them pick and spades to dig out some pits, Sea cans containers to bury in for shelter, and they will need to be packed in to stay warm, muzzle loading bunks, and not much food or fuel. They could have a choice, leave for where they came from or the Axel Hieberg Hilton. Oh, well, there is not the political will to address the problem, or to identify the problem. If the government did, they would realize that any true believe can be weaponized. Puncturing the delusion wall and exposing the truth that we are what we think is the inoculation against weaponization of any human. The old Roman Stoics learned this from the Greek Stoics, and the system of stoic thought survives to this day, but does anybody care?
I come down to we have control of our own beliefs. Once we learn that and to adjust our beliefs, and some thing are up to us and some are not, we are off to the races.
and a picture because I can:
Thursday, June 4, 2015
Poor-me culture
Having listened more about the Truth and Reconciliation report, I think the native culture has a case of the poor mes. They need to at what they got out of residential schools. Many learned to read and write, an bit of maths, all foundation to additional learning and desire for more education. If Canada had not taken the steps it did, the Natives would be totally living and dieing on the reservations. The only available work for them would be illegal cigarets and menial labor.
To get out of the poor-mes, positive psychology must be applied. Make up your mind, and when you want help after making your mind up what you want to do with your life, get on with it. Choose carefully. You also will need to be happy with your choice and the level of wealth it may bring. Some careers are just not worth the effort. But we do not know this when we start, we may need to train in a few related areas before we find what we are suited for in this world.
I was lucky in many ways. I proceeded by elimination to a field, tried a bunch of areas in that field, and then the economy went for shit, thank you Trudeau, you asshole, with your NEP. The economy to twelve years to sort of recover, it was never the same, and for those twelve years, I tried lots of things, but found none better. It was those years that made me realize that life stinks, hurts, and then you die.
Enough
Note the layering in the rock. In addition, it is fractured in the typical two other axises. Those wall are just like piled cubes with minor friction bonding.
To get out of the poor-mes, positive psychology must be applied. Make up your mind, and when you want help after making your mind up what you want to do with your life, get on with it. Choose carefully. You also will need to be happy with your choice and the level of wealth it may bring. Some careers are just not worth the effort. But we do not know this when we start, we may need to train in a few related areas before we find what we are suited for in this world.
I was lucky in many ways. I proceeded by elimination to a field, tried a bunch of areas in that field, and then the economy went for shit, thank you Trudeau, you asshole, with your NEP. The economy to twelve years to sort of recover, it was never the same, and for those twelve years, I tried lots of things, but found none better. It was those years that made me realize that life stinks, hurts, and then you die.
Enough
Wednesday, June 3, 2015
Truth and We want your money
Warning: Rant, politically incorrect, opinion only
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2015/06/02/canadas-residential-schools-cultural-genocide-truth-and-reconciliation-commission-says.html
We just heard from the natives again, Truth and Reconciliation Commission. It shows how out of touch with many Canadian tax paying citizen, the native culture is. It is a problem of there culture, as it exists today, is out of step with the world they inhabit. The organisms are not adapting to there environment. Soon this Canadian nation will be broke, like Greece, or the Moors will be the majority, and then what will the natives get. The legal system will not work; it is out of honor and integrity that it works at all. Demand to much and you will see civil disobedience. The civil services, utilities, and the like will be overloaded and become unreliable. We are headed toward being a third world country. The US is being dragged down with it's military, we by our soft heart. Oh well, shit happens, even when we know it is coming.
The natives are demanding a apology by the pope. Good luck. The pope considers himself infallible, and the institute of pope as infallible, according to the RC church. Apology would undermine the office of pope, and leave them open for a legal challenge. It will not happen is my prediction. The best they can hope for is a mistakes were made but not by me statement.
Ultimately, it can be said that the law and traditions of the time was carried out, and the effort to make the natives into productive citizens failed. Attempted Cultural Genocide perhaps, but many natives are not productive citizens, by working class standards, they are a drag on our economy, that is trying to restore a historical culture, artsie farts stuff. Oh well. There culture, as it existed, and exists today, is stone age culture, thrust into the modern world. Considerable change can be expected to be required. They are lucky that they were not simply eliminated when we invaded this land, or allowed them to be hunted, as they were in Newfoundland and Tasmania. They have no understanding of time, change with time, and the urgency of keeping with the times. There stone age culture does not have the same values as our industrial based culture. They can play ketchup or be trampled. It is there choice.
They are not the first culture to be eliminated by the English. My own fathers native Irish were greatly abused by the English, in a genocide by do nothing Cromwell, during the Potato Famine and since. There was the Black and Tan thugs. They had few choices, starve or leave or be physically beaten. During the land clearances, where the poor were forced off confiscated lands, that had been stolen from the people, deeded to English Barron's; many immigrated to the new world, becoming the foundation of the second world.
The natives want to study the missing women problem, rather than accept is is fundamentally a problem that is brought about by there cultural resistance to accept the reality of life today that makes them easy targets. Predators exist. Predators always hunt the easy targets. They need to accept this and take care of themselves. If they do not take care of themselves, they will fall victim to predators of free society. It is there choice. The remainder of us tax paying citizens just sit there and pay.
It was the law of the land at the time. Was it wrong, perhaps, but the intention was better than elimination. The situate of limitations has expired on this. Get on with life, or stay on welfare, it is the individual choice of each of the natives. They are held prisoner by thinking that there treaty claims are rights. It is the attachment to there culture that is holding them prisoner. All the immigrants that came here before WWII, left there culture behind, while many of those who left more recently, have tried to bring there culture and religion with them. That is the root of the other problem we have here.
I have had my own struggles, adapting from a backward 60's small farm horse/small tractor cultural to a city industrial culture, education, computerization, communications, internet age, all with a touch of dyslexia.
Enough
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2015/06/02/canadas-residential-schools-cultural-genocide-truth-and-reconciliation-commission-says.html
We just heard from the natives again, Truth and Reconciliation Commission. It shows how out of touch with many Canadian tax paying citizen, the native culture is. It is a problem of there culture, as it exists today, is out of step with the world they inhabit. The organisms are not adapting to there environment. Soon this Canadian nation will be broke, like Greece, or the Moors will be the majority, and then what will the natives get. The legal system will not work; it is out of honor and integrity that it works at all. Demand to much and you will see civil disobedience. The civil services, utilities, and the like will be overloaded and become unreliable. We are headed toward being a third world country. The US is being dragged down with it's military, we by our soft heart. Oh well, shit happens, even when we know it is coming.
The natives are demanding a apology by the pope. Good luck. The pope considers himself infallible, and the institute of pope as infallible, according to the RC church. Apology would undermine the office of pope, and leave them open for a legal challenge. It will not happen is my prediction. The best they can hope for is a mistakes were made but not by me statement.
Ultimately, it can be said that the law and traditions of the time was carried out, and the effort to make the natives into productive citizens failed. Attempted Cultural Genocide perhaps, but many natives are not productive citizens, by working class standards, they are a drag on our economy, that is trying to restore a historical culture, artsie farts stuff. Oh well. There culture, as it existed, and exists today, is stone age culture, thrust into the modern world. Considerable change can be expected to be required. They are lucky that they were not simply eliminated when we invaded this land, or allowed them to be hunted, as they were in Newfoundland and Tasmania. They have no understanding of time, change with time, and the urgency of keeping with the times. There stone age culture does not have the same values as our industrial based culture. They can play ketchup or be trampled. It is there choice.
They are not the first culture to be eliminated by the English. My own fathers native Irish were greatly abused by the English, in a genocide by do nothing Cromwell, during the Potato Famine and since. There was the Black and Tan thugs. They had few choices, starve or leave or be physically beaten. During the land clearances, where the poor were forced off confiscated lands, that had been stolen from the people, deeded to English Barron's; many immigrated to the new world, becoming the foundation of the second world.
The natives want to study the missing women problem, rather than accept is is fundamentally a problem that is brought about by there cultural resistance to accept the reality of life today that makes them easy targets. Predators exist. Predators always hunt the easy targets. They need to accept this and take care of themselves. If they do not take care of themselves, they will fall victim to predators of free society. It is there choice. The remainder of us tax paying citizens just sit there and pay.
It was the law of the land at the time. Was it wrong, perhaps, but the intention was better than elimination. The situate of limitations has expired on this. Get on with life, or stay on welfare, it is the individual choice of each of the natives. They are held prisoner by thinking that there treaty claims are rights. It is the attachment to there culture that is holding them prisoner. All the immigrants that came here before WWII, left there culture behind, while many of those who left more recently, have tried to bring there culture and religion with them. That is the root of the other problem we have here.
I have had my own struggles, adapting from a backward 60's small farm horse/small tractor cultural to a city industrial culture, education, computerization, communications, internet age, all with a touch of dyslexia.
Enough
Sunday, May 31, 2015
Fellow Man - Relationships
Altruism or selflessness is the principle or
practice of concern for the welfare of others. It is a traditional
virtue in many cultures and a core aspect of various religious
traditions and secular worldviews, though the concept of "others" toward
whom concern should be directed can vary among cultures and religions.
Cooperation is the process of groups of organisms working or acting together for their common/mutual benefit.
We have a choice, altruism doing for others, whether they want, need, or even can use something, verses doing for others any yourself at the same time something that all concerned want. Altruism is often pushed onto the people, something that is a religious one sided approach, where cooperation is consultation process, and then cooperation to achieve, requiring buy in by all the people. Altruism is a religious attitude, where cooperation is a logical attitude requiring higher development of all the people involved and a common purpose.
Altruism has long been used by the religious folk as a service to others, a badge of honor, a higher order of calling, without much regard for either the people served or those not served. Parents have duties to their families, and when altruistic endeavors cause hardships at home, do not expect praise but resentments, and relationship breakdown, or lack of development in the relationship. I had a mother and have a sister who would do anything for anyone, as long as they are not family. Oh, well, they were/are religious altruistic servers, and we can see the down side to this characteristic, as pushed by religions.
For these reasons, cooperation should be the foundation of our relationships with people, not altruism nor pity, not usury. Paid to serve is a separate relationships. Relationships with people can run the gambit from a strictly across the counter exchange through neighbors, friends, to close friends and partners. There is also those sexual relationships, but those are beyond the scope of this post. We must not forget those special work with/ worked with in the past, and dead relationships. There are those who we share a special interest with, like the archery club, our golf buddy, etc.
The stoics thought that mans' purpose was to cooperate to produce a flourishing life. That is the prime function of man. Lower species are here to serve man, but not to be abused.
Cooperation becomes the more desirable human characteristic. It is a virtue, while altruism is often a selfish attitude of doing for others to make the self feel better. It is better than doing nothing, but the true cooperative attitude is a virtue.
Enough.
Cooperation is the process of groups of organisms working or acting together for their common/mutual benefit.
We have a choice, altruism doing for others, whether they want, need, or even can use something, verses doing for others any yourself at the same time something that all concerned want. Altruism is often pushed onto the people, something that is a religious one sided approach, where cooperation is consultation process, and then cooperation to achieve, requiring buy in by all the people. Altruism is a religious attitude, where cooperation is a logical attitude requiring higher development of all the people involved and a common purpose.
Altruism has long been used by the religious folk as a service to others, a badge of honor, a higher order of calling, without much regard for either the people served or those not served. Parents have duties to their families, and when altruistic endeavors cause hardships at home, do not expect praise but resentments, and relationship breakdown, or lack of development in the relationship. I had a mother and have a sister who would do anything for anyone, as long as they are not family. Oh, well, they were/are religious altruistic servers, and we can see the down side to this characteristic, as pushed by religions.
For these reasons, cooperation should be the foundation of our relationships with people, not altruism nor pity, not usury. Paid to serve is a separate relationships. Relationships with people can run the gambit from a strictly across the counter exchange through neighbors, friends, to close friends and partners. There is also those sexual relationships, but those are beyond the scope of this post. We must not forget those special work with/ worked with in the past, and dead relationships. There are those who we share a special interest with, like the archery club, our golf buddy, etc.
The stoics thought that mans' purpose was to cooperate to produce a flourishing life. That is the prime function of man. Lower species are here to serve man, but not to be abused.
Cooperation becomes the more desirable human characteristic. It is a virtue, while altruism is often a selfish attitude of doing for others to make the self feel better. It is better than doing nothing, but the true cooperative attitude is a virtue.
Enough.
 |
Saturday, May 30, 2015
Parallel Development
Is there parallel development or similar development in the human over time?
We all know we humans developed as hunter gathers, to gardeners and farmers with livestock, to industrial age agriculture. We know the stone age, the bronze age, the iron age, the industrial age, petroleum age, computer age, or will it be information or communications, or the internet that we become know for. Is there another progression? In our behaviors/beliefs; animal, social, cultural, religious, and final to pure logic. So when logic fails we revert to animal and try to kill off the rival group.
Irrelevant picture
We all know we humans developed as hunter gathers, to gardeners and farmers with livestock, to industrial age agriculture. We know the stone age, the bronze age, the iron age, the industrial age, petroleum age, computer age, or will it be information or communications, or the internet that we become know for. Is there another progression? In our behaviors/beliefs; animal, social, cultural, religious, and final to pure logic. So when logic fails we revert to animal and try to kill off the rival group.
Irrelevant picture
Tuesday, May 19, 2015
Know thyself
Importance of consciously knowing what I believe is critical for change. Unconsciously knowing ourselves is common from observing our likes, dislikes, strengths, weaknesses is a great first step, but then knowing why, and knowing our beliefs well enough to articulate them and the causes is a further step.
Know that we are responsible for our beliefs, our judgements, our motivations is the next big step. It is the act of sorting, form first principals our actual beliefs from those we were told to believe, and owning our own beliefs that is so freeing. It all starts from knowing that we were dropped on this world, as many generations before us, without any knowledge, and have learned what we have learned, much of it socially without classes. Some of what the ancestors taught was wrong, some was right. What is right to do is more likely to be right than the reason, where they were just following the previous generations. Some care about being right, some do not. Some care about fitting in, others do not. So what. Most care about money and little else. Life will go on until it does not. It does not matter.
The whole world is devoid of meaning until we assign a meaning, employ positive emotion, attachment, engagement, to something. It is our society, our values that provides meaning, whatever that might be. We need to have a clear understanding of what we want to do with our lives, and then go do it, and if fate permits, achievement. What happens if we do not have a clear understanding? We drift along until something happens, we follow that path until we get knocked off, and since we have no target, no play, we carry on until we reach an age that we just give up trying. OK, so what. Fate did not permit. Will anyone care enough to do anything? Not likely. We are just opportunistic animal life living on a big rock. We may have the power of reason, but so what.
Now there are some who know from early childhood what the want to be, good for them. There are some who do not know, but are told what they should be, and out of obedience go that way with the enthusiasm of a slave. Some want to get away from the negatives of their life, and that becomes the first driving force. When we escape, then what? We should adopt a long range plan, but then along comes the computer, and the life we prepared for was largely replaced by the computer, except for those interface issues. The work changes to just the hassle parts, not the long hours of calculations some of us enjoyed. Oh well, life goes on until it does not.
We can mentally back up to the stoic view from above, to where we become insignificant, or further, to where we see the emptiness and futility of our lives, but then we can once again assign meaning, positive emotion, engagement, and if fate permits, achievement, satisfaction and joy. We then come back to earth, take up our chosen tasks, and become engaged in life.
It is these holidays from life's vicissitudes that we all need to re-target our life and get on with life.
But what do I know?
Know that we are responsible for our beliefs, our judgements, our motivations is the next big step. It is the act of sorting, form first principals our actual beliefs from those we were told to believe, and owning our own beliefs that is so freeing. It all starts from knowing that we were dropped on this world, as many generations before us, without any knowledge, and have learned what we have learned, much of it socially without classes. Some of what the ancestors taught was wrong, some was right. What is right to do is more likely to be right than the reason, where they were just following the previous generations. Some care about being right, some do not. Some care about fitting in, others do not. So what. Most care about money and little else. Life will go on until it does not. It does not matter.
The whole world is devoid of meaning until we assign a meaning, employ positive emotion, attachment, engagement, to something. It is our society, our values that provides meaning, whatever that might be. We need to have a clear understanding of what we want to do with our lives, and then go do it, and if fate permits, achievement. What happens if we do not have a clear understanding? We drift along until something happens, we follow that path until we get knocked off, and since we have no target, no play, we carry on until we reach an age that we just give up trying. OK, so what. Fate did not permit. Will anyone care enough to do anything? Not likely. We are just opportunistic animal life living on a big rock. We may have the power of reason, but so what.
Now there are some who know from early childhood what the want to be, good for them. There are some who do not know, but are told what they should be, and out of obedience go that way with the enthusiasm of a slave. Some want to get away from the negatives of their life, and that becomes the first driving force. When we escape, then what? We should adopt a long range plan, but then along comes the computer, and the life we prepared for was largely replaced by the computer, except for those interface issues. The work changes to just the hassle parts, not the long hours of calculations some of us enjoyed. Oh well, life goes on until it does not.
We can mentally back up to the stoic view from above, to where we become insignificant, or further, to where we see the emptiness and futility of our lives, but then we can once again assign meaning, positive emotion, engagement, and if fate permits, achievement, satisfaction and joy. We then come back to earth, take up our chosen tasks, and become engaged in life.
It is these holidays from life's vicissitudes that we all need to re-target our life and get on with life.
But what do I know?
Sunday, May 17, 2015
What do I beleive?, the ultimate question
https://richarddawkins.net/2015/05/this-is-my-vision-of-life-a-conversation-with-richard-dawkins/
"It (evolution) produces machines which can run, and walk, and fly, and dig, and swing through the trees, and think, and produce the whole of human technology, human art, human music."
Do I believe this ? Yes.
Do I believe there is a god, First you need to define what you mean by god. An imaginary being, No.
A word that stands for the unknown? Well there is a lot we do not understand. I am not all knowing.
The stoics did not have a consistent definition, nor did they agree if there was one. To some, god was nature, including the forces of nature. To others, the ability to reason, or reasoning was a chip of divinity, pruned off the vine at the time we were dropped into this hostile environment. So without a definition, what are yous talking about?
The stoics believed that truth and understanding along with reason were the foundation of the soul, mind, intelligence, and virtue, hence these must be paramount. Now consider how true we think life after death is, or that prayer can do anything, or all those other non-realistic statements that religion demands that we believe and do not question compared to Stoic or Buddhist beliefs. Which way does the rational mind need to go?
Ultimately, we need to have a purpose in life to contribute our part to success of a flourishing society. We can gain purpose any number of ways, being part of a bigger endeavor, communications, society which holds reason to be the ultimate good, understanding, teaching truths not fiction, serving others, creating, producing, aiding others to do any of these pursuits. That leaves the field of purpose wide open.
What is truth? Well, if we do not believe it without reservation, than it is suspect. If there is a group of studied individuals that do not accept the broad strokes, maybe we should have a review. If we cannot demonstrate evidence of it being true, perhaps we should withhold judgement and not teach it to children as being truth, but only as opinion. If it is opinion, it can be abandoned if the evidence point it as wrong or unlikely.
That is what it is all about, expanding our knowledge until we expire. Epicurus allowed us to not become involved in the areas of life that we are not suited for. For him it was soldiering, politics, religions, and family. He spent his time gardening, philosophy, science as he understood it, and writing. Epictetus taught and lived philosophy after learning how live as a slave. Marcus figured out how to be a emperor. Seneca figure out how to give reasonable advice to others and to live without money going to his head. Buddha figured out how to live, what the cause of emotional distress was, and how to overcome the negatives of distress, while Seneca took it into the positive, much like Positive Psychology does today.
Oh well, it does not matter anyway. We will all do as we wish anyway. There is wrong, better, and right ways of doing most anything. We should endeavor to move from vice to virtue.
Woody ...http://news.nationalpost.com/arts/movies/woody-allen-gets-morbid-at-cannes-we-live-in-a-random-universe-and-youre-living-a-meaningless-life
"We live in a random universe and you’re living a meaningless life, and everything you create in your life or do is going to vanish, and the Earth will vanish and the sun will burn out and the universe will be gone"
This is a long term from far view. Get back to earth where you belong Woody.
True, but in the human term or time scale, we can assign meaning and get on with flourishing life for this generation.
"It (evolution) produces machines which can run, and walk, and fly, and dig, and swing through the trees, and think, and produce the whole of human technology, human art, human music."
Do I believe this ? Yes.
Do I believe there is a god, First you need to define what you mean by god. An imaginary being, No.
A word that stands for the unknown? Well there is a lot we do not understand. I am not all knowing.
The stoics did not have a consistent definition, nor did they agree if there was one. To some, god was nature, including the forces of nature. To others, the ability to reason, or reasoning was a chip of divinity, pruned off the vine at the time we were dropped into this hostile environment. So without a definition, what are yous talking about?
The stoics believed that truth and understanding along with reason were the foundation of the soul, mind, intelligence, and virtue, hence these must be paramount. Now consider how true we think life after death is, or that prayer can do anything, or all those other non-realistic statements that religion demands that we believe and do not question compared to Stoic or Buddhist beliefs. Which way does the rational mind need to go?
Ultimately, we need to have a purpose in life to contribute our part to success of a flourishing society. We can gain purpose any number of ways, being part of a bigger endeavor, communications, society which holds reason to be the ultimate good, understanding, teaching truths not fiction, serving others, creating, producing, aiding others to do any of these pursuits. That leaves the field of purpose wide open.
What is truth? Well, if we do not believe it without reservation, than it is suspect. If there is a group of studied individuals that do not accept the broad strokes, maybe we should have a review. If we cannot demonstrate evidence of it being true, perhaps we should withhold judgement and not teach it to children as being truth, but only as opinion. If it is opinion, it can be abandoned if the evidence point it as wrong or unlikely.
That is what it is all about, expanding our knowledge until we expire. Epicurus allowed us to not become involved in the areas of life that we are not suited for. For him it was soldiering, politics, religions, and family. He spent his time gardening, philosophy, science as he understood it, and writing. Epictetus taught and lived philosophy after learning how live as a slave. Marcus figured out how to be a emperor. Seneca figure out how to give reasonable advice to others and to live without money going to his head. Buddha figured out how to live, what the cause of emotional distress was, and how to overcome the negatives of distress, while Seneca took it into the positive, much like Positive Psychology does today.
Oh well, it does not matter anyway. We will all do as we wish anyway. There is wrong, better, and right ways of doing most anything. We should endeavor to move from vice to virtue.
Woody ...http://news.nationalpost.com/arts/movies/woody-allen-gets-morbid-at-cannes-we-live-in-a-random-universe-and-youre-living-a-meaningless-life
"We live in a random universe and you’re living a meaningless life, and everything you create in your life or do is going to vanish, and the Earth will vanish and the sun will burn out and the universe will be gone"
This is a long term from far view. Get back to earth where you belong Woody.
True, but in the human term or time scale, we can assign meaning and get on with flourishing life for this generation.
 |
| Gus's barn, 1922 |
Thursday, May 14, 2015
The Prime Directive
The Prime Directive is a concept of non interference, as long as the alien leave us in peace. The Prime Directive prohibits me from
interfering, commenting on, criticizing, condemning the internal actions
and beliefs of alien populations, including there foods and eating
behaviors. They may believe and do what ever they like, regardless the
probability of it's truth or fact.
This concept requires that we have a cosmos view that the aim of civilization is to flourish in peace. This means that non-aggression and peaceful co-existence is the aim of all populations. We cannot push our views onto others, but must instead sell those views to the adults through reason, not with force (as with Islam).
It is logic and reason that must prevail, not religion. Religions have, as one of there basic tenet, there survival as an organization. This can be achieved by obtaining new members, either by growing them, or by indoctrination. Many of us, by the time we get a education and work a while, realize that religions are bog gas, methane, or bull shit. They are not all bad; they provide community, a social environment, often a sound moral ethics base, (except for Islam)and a sense of purpose. We all can benefit from that part. Religions have fostered development, arts, music, and the building trades. Some, without religion, lack some of these. Some hang onto religion just for these. That does not matter. It is the pushing of untruths onto the young that is reprehensible. Promoting and forcing belief in fictions, unreals, gods in the sky, life after death, and the like, is just horse pucks.
The Shakers required that all members be adults, and there religion died out. Oh well. Buddhist do not make a thing out of promotion of there beliefs, and they are in relative decline; however, those who prescribe to there belief system seem to be dedicated to "peace, order and good government", although Buddhist have been apolitical up to recently. They seem to follow the Prime Directive already. Reason is the only hope. Oh well.
Enough.
This concept requires that we have a cosmos view that the aim of civilization is to flourish in peace. This means that non-aggression and peaceful co-existence is the aim of all populations. We cannot push our views onto others, but must instead sell those views to the adults through reason, not with force (as with Islam).
It is logic and reason that must prevail, not religion. Religions have, as one of there basic tenet, there survival as an organization. This can be achieved by obtaining new members, either by growing them, or by indoctrination. Many of us, by the time we get a education and work a while, realize that religions are bog gas, methane, or bull shit. They are not all bad; they provide community, a social environment, often a sound moral ethics base, (except for Islam)and a sense of purpose. We all can benefit from that part. Religions have fostered development, arts, music, and the building trades. Some, without religion, lack some of these. Some hang onto religion just for these. That does not matter. It is the pushing of untruths onto the young that is reprehensible. Promoting and forcing belief in fictions, unreals, gods in the sky, life after death, and the like, is just horse pucks.
The Shakers required that all members be adults, and there religion died out. Oh well. Buddhist do not make a thing out of promotion of there beliefs, and they are in relative decline; however, those who prescribe to there belief system seem to be dedicated to "peace, order and good government", although Buddhist have been apolitical up to recently. They seem to follow the Prime Directive already. Reason is the only hope. Oh well.
Enough.
 |
| The Peace |
Tuesday, May 12, 2015
Savages
http://www.torontosun.com/2015/05/12/blogger-hacked-to-death-in-bangladesh-third-this-year
The moors cannot deal rationally with Logic. All they want to do is kill off anyone who does not agree with their stone age religion. Islam is irrational and illogical; what other conclusion can anyone draw?
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-32708975
Savages.
Life should be about doing good, and helping is a flourishing society, not about killing off those who disagree. That is conceited, believing that you are so right that you have the right to kill off those who oppose the Muslim views. That is enough evidence to prove that Muslims are just wrong, and beyond wrong, irrational savages.
It is time for all people to look at what we believe, test it for logic and through out all the bad logic and irrational beliefs. That includes Christian religions.
The moors cannot deal rationally with Logic. All they want to do is kill off anyone who does not agree with their stone age religion. Islam is irrational and illogical; what other conclusion can anyone draw?
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-32708975
Savages.
Life should be about doing good, and helping is a flourishing society, not about killing off those who disagree. That is conceited, believing that you are so right that you have the right to kill off those who oppose the Muslim views. That is enough evidence to prove that Muslims are just wrong, and beyond wrong, irrational savages.
It is time for all people to look at what we believe, test it for logic and through out all the bad logic and irrational beliefs. That includes Christian religions.
Friday, May 8, 2015
Sloppy thinking idiots
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/04/150414130530.htm
Idiots. The prime directive applies.
So what is the major component in a burger and fries? Not fat, but carbohydrate. No wonder it is all so confusing when the picture and words do not match. So if we eat a meal with high wheat content, high carbohydrate content, how does the body react?
Well the first thing it must do, due to the amount of carbohydrates that digest fast, it will produce a bunch of insulin to get the glucose out of the blood stream. That is obligatory. High glucose makes us drowsy. We cannot have high glucose around for long. So the insulin gets the glucose and the fat out of the blood stream, and that leaves us hungry or with the munchies. When we eat carbohydrates, we must go through hunger, and get insulin down before we can start to draw on our reserves, fat. If we are busy doing active physical effort that we enjoy, we may not notice. Our liver with kick out a bit of glucose through glyconeogenesis, and hunger may not even show up. Not so if we are sitting at a computer or a desk. There is not stimulation for the liver. Hunger must then show up and abate without food to get to the point that fat can come out of the fat cells.
Insulin is the storage hormone, it stores glucose and fats, in order to get glucose down fast, forcing the use of glucose also.
The weight loss solution is to never eat carbohydrates and fat together. If you are eating carbohydrates, I wish you good luck at your weight loss. If you only eat fats, we never become satiated nor really hungry. I can live with light hunger and use of stored fat, but also need to feed tha gut bacteria a little bit.
My main objection is to call a burger and fries as fat. The bun and fries are carbohydrates with a bit of fats.
Picture just because
Idiots. The prime directive applies.
So what is the major component in a burger and fries? Not fat, but carbohydrate. No wonder it is all so confusing when the picture and words do not match. So if we eat a meal with high wheat content, high carbohydrate content, how does the body react?
Well the first thing it must do, due to the amount of carbohydrates that digest fast, it will produce a bunch of insulin to get the glucose out of the blood stream. That is obligatory. High glucose makes us drowsy. We cannot have high glucose around for long. So the insulin gets the glucose and the fat out of the blood stream, and that leaves us hungry or with the munchies. When we eat carbohydrates, we must go through hunger, and get insulin down before we can start to draw on our reserves, fat. If we are busy doing active physical effort that we enjoy, we may not notice. Our liver with kick out a bit of glucose through glyconeogenesis, and hunger may not even show up. Not so if we are sitting at a computer or a desk. There is not stimulation for the liver. Hunger must then show up and abate without food to get to the point that fat can come out of the fat cells.
Insulin is the storage hormone, it stores glucose and fats, in order to get glucose down fast, forcing the use of glucose also.
The weight loss solution is to never eat carbohydrates and fat together. If you are eating carbohydrates, I wish you good luck at your weight loss. If you only eat fats, we never become satiated nor really hungry. I can live with light hunger and use of stored fat, but also need to feed tha gut bacteria a little bit.
My main objection is to call a burger and fries as fat. The bun and fries are carbohydrates with a bit of fats.
Picture just because
 |
| Osprey on the Clearwater |
Wednesday, May 6, 2015
Piled Higher and Deeper (PHD)
https://blog.logos.com/2013/10/the-stoics-and-the-early-church/
How does one call bullshit on some of these statements? This is written from Christian perspective, not a stoic one. The author does not understand Stoicism. Where does one start? I will start with this statement toward the end, because it demonstrates miss-understanding of one of the basic concepts. The words are but dull pointers to the underlying concepts.
Stoic- 1. Life according to nature. 2. Some things are up to us, some are not. 3. We must bring our desires into line with what happens... acceptance of what is, aka, live in the present moment. 4, We are social animals, and our obligation is to flourish as a society. We need to use reason to do this. 5 We do not react to the object or event, but our thoughts about the event.
It is all about what we define as god. To some of the stoics, god was nature: winter summer animals plants too little too much moon sun stars storms wind sunshine rain birth death, we all see each piece differently. To other stoics, god was the highest function of our soul, reason, logic. To others something else that did not concern itself with humanity, or non-existent concept that some held as a real object (a delusion).
When we compare two philosophies, we need to look at the major concepts first, not the minor ones, like what is god, and death.
The article says "For the Stoics, dependence on the world was to be replaced by dependence on oneself—”The wise person,” taught Seneca, “is self-sufficient.” Paul, in contrast, taught that Christians are profoundly dependent on God (FSB)."
Ourselves is all that we have. We are profoundly dependent on ourselves. Some thing are up to us, some are not. Anything not up to us we need to accept. That which is up to us, we can control, and can be self-sufficient in. We can only rely on ourselves, so we had better be able to handle any thought or impression that comes along. We do not react to the object or event, but our thoughts about the event. If something is up to us, no need of a god, it is up to us, we can change it. It is about the division of responsibility between us and others or the world. Stoic self-sufficient is not about growing our own food, closes, creating our own shelter, however we, at one time would have to have learned a trade or skill to sell for our livelihood. It is not about being a nomadic people. Stoic self sufficiency is about separating our responsibility from those around us and taking care of our responsibility. It is about life as nature intended. We are just animals that have the capacity to reason. It is bringing ourselves to be OK with death or what ever happens, and that is going to happen whether we like it or not. The dog tied to the wagon, the dog is obligated to follow. He may do it willingly or not, but he is forced to follow. So for our own flow in life, we need to aline our will to "that which is about to happen".
Christianity is one more death denigrating religion. An after life is at best a concept, likely untrue. If you wish to believe that, the prime directive applies. We are profoundly dependent on what happens in the world around us, not god. Enough.
How does one call bullshit on some of these statements? This is written from Christian perspective, not a stoic one. The author does not understand Stoicism. Where does one start? I will start with this statement toward the end, because it demonstrates miss-understanding of one of the basic concepts. The words are but dull pointers to the underlying concepts.
Stoic- 1. Life according to nature. 2. Some things are up to us, some are not. 3. We must bring our desires into line with what happens... acceptance of what is, aka, live in the present moment. 4, We are social animals, and our obligation is to flourish as a society. We need to use reason to do this. 5 We do not react to the object or event, but our thoughts about the event.
It is all about what we define as god. To some of the stoics, god was nature: winter summer animals plants too little too much moon sun stars storms wind sunshine rain birth death, we all see each piece differently. To other stoics, god was the highest function of our soul, reason, logic. To others something else that did not concern itself with humanity, or non-existent concept that some held as a real object (a delusion).
When we compare two philosophies, we need to look at the major concepts first, not the minor ones, like what is god, and death.
The article says "For the Stoics, dependence on the world was to be replaced by dependence on oneself—”The wise person,” taught Seneca, “is self-sufficient.” Paul, in contrast, taught that Christians are profoundly dependent on God (FSB)."
Ourselves is all that we have. We are profoundly dependent on ourselves. Some thing are up to us, some are not. Anything not up to us we need to accept. That which is up to us, we can control, and can be self-sufficient in. We can only rely on ourselves, so we had better be able to handle any thought or impression that comes along. We do not react to the object or event, but our thoughts about the event. If something is up to us, no need of a god, it is up to us, we can change it. It is about the division of responsibility between us and others or the world. Stoic self-sufficient is not about growing our own food, closes, creating our own shelter, however we, at one time would have to have learned a trade or skill to sell for our livelihood. It is not about being a nomadic people. Stoic self sufficiency is about separating our responsibility from those around us and taking care of our responsibility. It is about life as nature intended. We are just animals that have the capacity to reason. It is bringing ourselves to be OK with death or what ever happens, and that is going to happen whether we like it or not. The dog tied to the wagon, the dog is obligated to follow. He may do it willingly or not, but he is forced to follow. So for our own flow in life, we need to aline our will to "that which is about to happen".
Christianity is one more death denigrating religion. An after life is at best a concept, likely untrue. If you wish to believe that, the prime directive applies. We are profoundly dependent on what happens in the world around us, not god. Enough.
 |
| Clearwater river at ? Bailey's Chute |
Friday, May 1, 2015
Thursday, April 30, 2015
Trench pics
Pictures from news.. Global post shows no shoring after failure before fire dept arrived or did much. No shoring, no ladder, no shoring plan likely.
The failure is semi circular in plan view. Big blocks of soil. No back fill. all the dirt in the trench caved in, no backfill. So this is a trench toe failure with toppling, not a slope failure. These happen fast. Dead Fred had no chance. It was criminal negligence causing death by the hoe guy, and/or excavation company.
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Unshored Trench Stability
The picture has been cut from global news without permission.
The man was playing unshored trench roulette. He lost. Note that the banks are still calving on the left. There is a block on the dropped in shoring at the tip of the hoe boom.
Note that much, if not all of the shoring carries the fire department yellow.
He or his bosses gambled on a win of time against death. No job is worth taking a risk like this for; especially for wages. He may be in a "do it or we will find someone who will" situation. Until Alberta puts a whistle blower protection in place, or "no fire" over refusal to do unsafe work policy, with investigation, and teeth, the problem will continue. Firing someone or even asking anyone to do unsafe work should carry a major fine, and be religiously prosecuted on the governments dime, to have any effect with shoe string contracting companies.
OH&S regulations state no entry into a straight cut trench deeper than 1.5 meters, or 45 degree back slope with 1.5 meter bottom straight cut in undisturbed native clays.
The spill pile is too close, 1.2 meters required, by OH&S.
It is fill, not clay. We can see the garbage and bricks in the spill in the new report video. OH&S therefore does not apply. The strength of fill is unreliable, therefore expect failures.
This is not quite straight cut, but it is steeper that a ladder likes, about 70 degrees so I will estimate 80 degrees. It does not matter, it grossly exceeds OH&S.
It is my opinion that OH&S rules are not rigid enough as it stands. But if they were followed, we would have far fewer injuries and deaths. In all my years in geotechnical, I have only seen a few cases where failures occurred within OH&S rules, and these were blocky and/or slickensided soils, large or deep excavations, or long term conditions.
It is my opinion that everyone involved should be charged with manslaughter, general contractor, trench contractor, and hoe operator. There should be a mandatory course required for anyone entering a trench, or pushing a trench job. Major fine for doing the work without the card.
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