Skip to main content

Thoughts XXXI - my motto, chocolate pie, fascists



Motto.
Numen Lumen is the motto of my alma mater, the University of Wisconsin.  But what does it mean?  One, rather vague, translation is “The divine within the universe, however manifested, is my light.” However, it is essentially meaningless, untranslatable.  Created by the first chancellor, John Lathro
p, it is still important but little used.  It seems Lathrop was the quintessential politician, creating a motto with an interpretation suitably vague to be suitable for all.  Well, that was then.  Now, mottos must be brutally blunt and simplistic, suitable for grade 4 readers, i.e. modern college students. 

----------
Question.
What do you call a group when they don’t respond to the charge of being racist?  Fascists.
What do you call a group that participates in frequent anarchist-style demonstrations? Fascists.
This is what the Dems and Reps are calling each other these days.  This seems to be the lowest attribute available.  It goes a bit further when applied to a particular person, the comparison to Hitler being frequently used.

--------------- 
Chocolate Pie.  You know it; I know it.  Really sweet, too sweet.  It’s hard to eat a whole slice.  This is what I call certain folks, though sweet is not quite the word. Better…  Just too much for one sitting, event, or encounter.  Do you know any chocolate pie people?

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

UNCERTAINTY IS CERTAIN

  Uncertainty is Certain G. Donald Allen 12/12/2024 1.       Introduction . This short essay is about uncertainty in people from both secular and nonsecular viewpoints. One point that will emerge is that randomly based uncertainty can be a driver for religious structure. Many groups facing uncertainty about their future are deeply religious or rely on faith as a source of comfort, resilience, and guidance. The intersection of uncertainty and religiosity often stems from the human need to find meaning, hope, and stability in the face of unpredictable or challenging circumstances. We first take up the connections of uncertainty to religion for the first real profession, farming, noting that hunting has many similar uncertainties. Below are groups that commonly lean on religious beliefs amidst uncertainty.   This short essay is a follow-up to a previous piece on certainty (https://used-ideas.blogspot.com/2024/12/certainty-is-also-emotion.html). U...

Where is AI (Artificial Intelligence) Going?

  How to view Artificial Intelligence (AI).  Imagine you go to the store to buy a TV, but all they have are 1950s models, black and white, circular screens, picture rolls, and picture imperfect, no remote. You’d say no thanks. Back in the day, they sold wildly. The TV was a must-have for everyone with $250 to spend* (about $3000 today). Compared to where AI is today, this is more or less where TVs were 70 years ago. In only a few decades AI will be advanced beyond comprehension, just like TVs today are from the 50s viewpoint. Just like we could not imagine where the video concept was going back then, we cannot really imagine where AI is going. Buckle up. But it will be spectacular.    *Back then minimum wage was $0.75/hr. Thus, a TV cost more than eight weeks' wages. ------------------------- 

Principles of Insufficiency and Sufficiency

   The principles we use but don't know it.  1.      Introduction . Every field, scientific or otherwise, rests on foundational principles—think buoyancy, behavior, or democracy. Here, we explore a unique subset: principles modified by "insufficiency" and "sufficiency." While you may never have heard of them, you use them often. These terms frame principles that blend theory, practicality, and aspiration, by offering distinct perspectives. Insufficiency often implies inaction unless justified, while sufficiency suggests something exists or must be done. We’ll examine key examples and introduce a new principle with potential significance. As a principle of principles of these is that something or some action is not done enough while others may be done too much. The first six (§2-6) of our principles are in the literature, and you can easily search them online. The others are relatively new, but fit the concepts in the real world. At times, these pri...