Breitbart via Free Republic
comment:
And here is the example. Immigration is changing the very character of the nation. Democrats want to overthrow the current order and swamp the polls with new voters like these who do not understand nor like our system of government.
It is a slow motion coup de etat.
Al Fin: "Cowboy Commentary", aka "Eat your veggies" The Flag banner is posted in order to defy those who would make patriotic symbols illegal or disreputable.
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
The U.S. Economy's Big Baby Problem
Free Republic
Nothing wrong with it except that the culture dies with the older generation as there's nobody to replace them. The technology fix for this is way too far off into the future to have an effect. The longer this continues, the less likely that said fix will be implemented because the people won't be smart enough to continue the progress.
I was thinking about all this yesterday. While Russia is improving its weapons systems, ours remain stuck in the past. Those in denial will say that it is only the military, but other things are being neglected too. We are reverting back to a more primitive state, whether we want to acknowledge it or not. Solar and wind energy are not advanced technologies, they are old technologies. There may come a day when even solar and wind won't be acceptable because of their "environmental damage".
Who's to blame for this? Do you blame the people or the leadership? For me, it is the leadership. The leadership is lost.
Look. Russia had the same problem with their birth rates. Maybe they haven't turned things completely around, but at least the trends are improving in that country. As mentioned, Russia is also improving its military capabilities, while ours stagnates. The thing that changed in Russia was its leadership. Despite what Putin is doing in Ukraine, I am going to keep mentioning that he is doing the right kind of things for his country. We aren't.
Last September, the U.S. government announced that our birthrate fell to "another record low" in 2012, following a long, steady slide since the Baby Boom after World War II.
It goes without saying that, morally speaking, there's nothing wrong with this.---Atlantic
Nothing wrong with it except that the culture dies with the older generation as there's nobody to replace them. The technology fix for this is way too far off into the future to have an effect. The longer this continues, the less likely that said fix will be implemented because the people won't be smart enough to continue the progress.
I was thinking about all this yesterday. While Russia is improving its weapons systems, ours remain stuck in the past. Those in denial will say that it is only the military, but other things are being neglected too. We are reverting back to a more primitive state, whether we want to acknowledge it or not. Solar and wind energy are not advanced technologies, they are old technologies. There may come a day when even solar and wind won't be acceptable because of their "environmental damage".
Who's to blame for this? Do you blame the people or the leadership? For me, it is the leadership. The leadership is lost.
Look. Russia had the same problem with their birth rates. Maybe they haven't turned things completely around, but at least the trends are improving in that country. As mentioned, Russia is also improving its military capabilities, while ours stagnates. The thing that changed in Russia was its leadership. Despite what Putin is doing in Ukraine, I am going to keep mentioning that he is doing the right kind of things for his country. We aren't.
Monday, March 24, 2014
Missile defense--- another case of the government failing us
Missile defense would have worked. Forget the Democrat's attempts to trivialize it by calling it Star Wars. It would have worked. It wouldn't have cost a trillion dollars ( nor anywhere near that ) and it wouldn't have caused a "space war". It may well have achieved Reagan's dream of making nuclear missiles obsolete.
Instead of that, our government decided to kill the program, which left us vulnerable to an attack. The Russians made it clear that they may well attempt to do just that if they think they can get away with it. Hopefully, they won't ever be, but why take that chance?
This one goes into the list of major governmental failures. Nixon killed off the nuclear rocket, Saturn V, and molten-salt reactors. Clinton killed off missile defense. Obama is trying to kill off coal and fracking.
Maybe we can fight the Russians with rocks while we freeze in the dark.
Instead of that, our government decided to kill the program, which left us vulnerable to an attack. The Russians made it clear that they may well attempt to do just that if they think they can get away with it. Hopefully, they won't ever be, but why take that chance?
This one goes into the list of major governmental failures. Nixon killed off the nuclear rocket, Saturn V, and molten-salt reactors. Clinton killed off missile defense. Obama is trying to kill off coal and fracking.
Maybe we can fight the Russians with rocks while we freeze in the dark.
The significance of Putin
Ah, another one of these quickie posts. It is a bit off topic to mention that, but what the heck. If you want a refund, the check is in the mail.
Anyway, that last post about the Shroud is a bit out there in relation to what I usually post here. I mention the Shroud for Apocalyptic reasons. For if Putin is what he appears to me to be now, we could be on the verge of a really bad situation here.
I'm not saying Putin is an anti-christ or what have you. But that business about the Russian news anchor saying that Russia is the only country that could turn the US into radioactive dust--- well, that's an attention getter. It is no idle threat. Yes, it is a threat. Yes, it does come from Putin. It may as well have come from him personally.
Try to imagine something similar in this country. Given the rather pacifist attitude of this President and his party, it seems to me that if such were to happen in this country, the offender would have to resign immediately. It is also inconceivable that Obama could hire a man who would say such a thing. So, you can see a difference right there.
As for the opposition party to Obama, well, they wouldn't do it either. Reagan once joked about declaring the Soviet Union as an outlaw state and bombing was to commence immediately, but that was a joke. This Russian anchorman seems serious to me. There is no joking around on this one.
Also, Putin said something in criticism of American exceptionalism. Trouble is, Obama is not of that mind set. Obama would be happy if the US became just another country. How do we know this? He pretty much has said it already. So, why is Putin talking about American exceptionalism? Is he trying to whip up animosity within his own people towards the US? The thing that struck me about it was that at the moment the US is not acting that way. In other words, I think Putin is lying about us to his own people.
Why would he do this? To prepare his people for war with the United States? Is he contemplating such an idea? Given what the anchorman said, perhaps he thinks Russia could win such a war?
What about the American response? I'm not too encouraged by it. I think that this country is way too trusting sometimes. That's how we get bombed at Pearl Harbor. That's how we get hit on 9/11/2001. We tend to leave ourselves open for dastardly attacks like these. Will we do that again, or will we be vigilant? Such may be required as long as this man is in power in Russia. He has already told anybody with a lick of sense what he is.
Anyway, that last post about the Shroud is a bit out there in relation to what I usually post here. I mention the Shroud for Apocalyptic reasons. For if Putin is what he appears to me to be now, we could be on the verge of a really bad situation here.
I'm not saying Putin is an anti-christ or what have you. But that business about the Russian news anchor saying that Russia is the only country that could turn the US into radioactive dust--- well, that's an attention getter. It is no idle threat. Yes, it is a threat. Yes, it does come from Putin. It may as well have come from him personally.
Try to imagine something similar in this country. Given the rather pacifist attitude of this President and his party, it seems to me that if such were to happen in this country, the offender would have to resign immediately. It is also inconceivable that Obama could hire a man who would say such a thing. So, you can see a difference right there.
As for the opposition party to Obama, well, they wouldn't do it either. Reagan once joked about declaring the Soviet Union as an outlaw state and bombing was to commence immediately, but that was a joke. This Russian anchorman seems serious to me. There is no joking around on this one.
Also, Putin said something in criticism of American exceptionalism. Trouble is, Obama is not of that mind set. Obama would be happy if the US became just another country. How do we know this? He pretty much has said it already. So, why is Putin talking about American exceptionalism? Is he trying to whip up animosity within his own people towards the US? The thing that struck me about it was that at the moment the US is not acting that way. In other words, I think Putin is lying about us to his own people.
Why would he do this? To prepare his people for war with the United States? Is he contemplating such an idea? Given what the anchorman said, perhaps he thinks Russia could win such a war?
What about the American response? I'm not too encouraged by it. I think that this country is way too trusting sometimes. That's how we get bombed at Pearl Harbor. That's how we get hit on 9/11/2001. We tend to leave ourselves open for dastardly attacks like these. Will we do that again, or will we be vigilant? Such may be required as long as this man is in power in Russia. He has already told anybody with a lick of sense what he is.
Shroud of Turin
This is the thing that changed my mind about atheism. In retrospect, perhaps it was too easy. I saw this on TV, but since then, I have become quite suspicious of television and media in general. Perhaps I was misled?
As I have written before, the truth is a slippery thing. As I wrote yesterday, everything we are has been given to us. Perhaps, in consequence of this observation, I surmise that I wanted to believe in it, but never saw anything in my life up to that time that was conclusive enough for me to be a believer. When I saw this on TV back then, I changed my mind. Or so I thought. One can kid oneself quite easily. This too, I have learned in all these years. How do you know the truth?
Yesterday, I spent most of the day watching videos. One of these was about the Shroud. So, now what do I think of it? I pondered on this question, and just now decided to write a little about that. One thing that made me hesitate was that if I can figure out a theory for explaining the image in the cloth, it may make people lose their faith. I wouldn't want to be responsible for that. But the truth is a hard thing. You cannot turn away from it. So, I decided to go ahead and write. I wouldn't be considered an authority, anyway.
Not that I have figured out something significant. But a theory just popped up in my mind that may explain it. Furthermore, there is no way for me to test the theory.
But before I mention the theory, there is one explanation that can be ruled out. It wasn't a painting. This was the explanation given that seemed to stick for a long time, but eventually it had to give way because there's no evidence whatever that it was a painting.
Here's one possible explanation that could be tested, but permission would probably be necessary before it was allowed. Let's say a radioactive source was ingested and the radioactivity made a type of photographic negative on to the cloth. You could test this by making a replication of the cloth and then having a subject ingest a certain amount of radioactive substance. Obviously, the amount ingested couldn't be a fatal dose. You couldn't get permission to kill people willy-nilly until the right dose was obtained. There may be problems running this type of experiment.
Well, you could always test animals. But the PETA crowd may object.
The question is, could you obtain an image like the one on the cloth in this fashion?
What brought about that question is that an energy source must come from somewhere in order to make an image on the cloth. It can't be outside the body. It must originate from within the body. For if it were outside the body, the energy source would hit the cloth first. How could that make an image if the energy source hit the cloth first? So, it must come from within the body, I surmise.
A bit of thought may rule this out though. Maybe such an experiment wouldn't yield what you might expect. It may give some different results.
All of this may have been covered in a report, by the way. Studies of the Shroud have been made. Perhaps the best thing to do would be to study those and make a conclusion based upon that. A single view of a video isn't enough to make an informed decision on what to believe about the Shroud.
As I have written before, the truth is a slippery thing. As I wrote yesterday, everything we are has been given to us. Perhaps, in consequence of this observation, I surmise that I wanted to believe in it, but never saw anything in my life up to that time that was conclusive enough for me to be a believer. When I saw this on TV back then, I changed my mind. Or so I thought. One can kid oneself quite easily. This too, I have learned in all these years. How do you know the truth?
Yesterday, I spent most of the day watching videos. One of these was about the Shroud. So, now what do I think of it? I pondered on this question, and just now decided to write a little about that. One thing that made me hesitate was that if I can figure out a theory for explaining the image in the cloth, it may make people lose their faith. I wouldn't want to be responsible for that. But the truth is a hard thing. You cannot turn away from it. So, I decided to go ahead and write. I wouldn't be considered an authority, anyway.
Not that I have figured out something significant. But a theory just popped up in my mind that may explain it. Furthermore, there is no way for me to test the theory.
But before I mention the theory, there is one explanation that can be ruled out. It wasn't a painting. This was the explanation given that seemed to stick for a long time, but eventually it had to give way because there's no evidence whatever that it was a painting.
Here's one possible explanation that could be tested, but permission would probably be necessary before it was allowed. Let's say a radioactive source was ingested and the radioactivity made a type of photographic negative on to the cloth. You could test this by making a replication of the cloth and then having a subject ingest a certain amount of radioactive substance. Obviously, the amount ingested couldn't be a fatal dose. You couldn't get permission to kill people willy-nilly until the right dose was obtained. There may be problems running this type of experiment.
Well, you could always test animals. But the PETA crowd may object.
The question is, could you obtain an image like the one on the cloth in this fashion?
What brought about that question is that an energy source must come from somewhere in order to make an image on the cloth. It can't be outside the body. It must originate from within the body. For if it were outside the body, the energy source would hit the cloth first. How could that make an image if the energy source hit the cloth first? So, it must come from within the body, I surmise.
A bit of thought may rule this out though. Maybe such an experiment wouldn't yield what you might expect. It may give some different results.
All of this may have been covered in a report, by the way. Studies of the Shroud have been made. Perhaps the best thing to do would be to study those and make a conclusion based upon that. A single view of a video isn't enough to make an informed decision on what to believe about the Shroud.
Sunday, March 23, 2014
Very hard to be independent in thought and action
How enthralled we all seem to be to this culture! Is there really any way at all to be independent of it, to step back and critically examine it? Everything that a person is is what has been given by that culture. All skills are learned from somewhere, and that somewhere is provided for by the culture.
If that same culture is ill, how can it cure itself? Unless there is some way to spot what is wrong and to apply corrective measures, the culture must die off. It has all happened before in the history of the West, it could all happen again.
As I write this, I note to myself with a certain bit of disgust that few people in this culture could identify this illness, as most would not welcome anybody's criticism of it. I recall someone on the radio talking to a youngster. The youngster didn't believe that he was being "brainwashed". Everybody is brainwashed in some way. The culture is given to you. You didn't invent it. Everything you see, hear, feel, and touch gives an impression that is registered by a brain that thinks just exactly the way it was taught to think about that impression. Independence is an illusion. The world is full of illusions given to us by our culture. One would think that to be intelligent that you could be able to step back from that and see it for what it is. It appears to me that is a rare quality, if it exists at all.
If that same culture is ill, how can it cure itself? Unless there is some way to spot what is wrong and to apply corrective measures, the culture must die off. It has all happened before in the history of the West, it could all happen again.
As I write this, I note to myself with a certain bit of disgust that few people in this culture could identify this illness, as most would not welcome anybody's criticism of it. I recall someone on the radio talking to a youngster. The youngster didn't believe that he was being "brainwashed". Everybody is brainwashed in some way. The culture is given to you. You didn't invent it. Everything you see, hear, feel, and touch gives an impression that is registered by a brain that thinks just exactly the way it was taught to think about that impression. Independence is an illusion. The world is full of illusions given to us by our culture. One would think that to be intelligent that you could be able to step back from that and see it for what it is. It appears to me that is a rare quality, if it exists at all.
Recap of the last week's posts
A new habit that I want to remember to establish.
This week seemed to be dominated by the international situation in Ukraine/Russia. Lack of confidence in leadership. Fear about the future is starting to intensify. Turning point reached on 21st, as Israel official says that US isn't reliable anymore. Russia is looking quite suspicious to me now. Prior to that, I was more sympathetic to their point of view. The situation as I see it is changing rapidly from possibly friendly relations to hostile relations.
Going forward, this is likely to lead to a perceived weakness in this administration. It could spill over into economic matters quite easily. If so, Obama is in very deep trouble.
This week seemed to be dominated by the international situation in Ukraine/Russia. Lack of confidence in leadership. Fear about the future is starting to intensify. Turning point reached on 21st, as Israel official says that US isn't reliable anymore. Russia is looking quite suspicious to me now. Prior to that, I was more sympathetic to their point of view. The situation as I see it is changing rapidly from possibly friendly relations to hostile relations.
Going forward, this is likely to lead to a perceived weakness in this administration. It could spill over into economic matters quite easily. If so, Obama is in very deep trouble.
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