First Blog

 One, who hanging by his fingers from a cliff, calls it climbing a mountain. 

 “The real hopeless victims of mental illness are to be found among those who appear to be most normal. Many of them are normal because they are so well adjusted to our mode of existence, because their human voice has been silenced so early in their lives, that they do not even struggle or suffer or develop symptoms as the neurotic does. They are normal not in what may be called the absolute sense of the word; they are normal only in relation to a profoundly abnormal society. Their perfect adjustment to that abnormal society is a measure of their mental sickness. These millions of abnormally normal people, living without fuss in a society to which, if they were fully human beings, they ought not to be adjusted.” ― Aldous Huxley, Brave New World Revisited

Politicized science and research did not begin in the United States. It began much earlier. For example, during the Black Plague of the 14th century, politicians together with doctors created a causation for the plague from 1347–1351. It was decided that the plague was caused by contagion and was attributed to public bathhouses, then very popular. Bathhouses everywhere were closed. The consequence was from that time on, for centuries, people were reluctant to take baths, except rarely. The cause of disease even into the 19th century was said to be caused by “malaise” and this, supported by the government and physicians, implied little care could be given. At the time of the American Revolution, bloodletting was a prescription for fever. It worked by reducing the fever, but unhappily it killed many patients. This was supported by science and the government. Without giving more examples, let’s fast forward to the 20th century with the development of the atomic bomb. This was co-produced

Events that can cause national panic (ordered). 1.       A military attack. 2.       A serious food shortage. 3.       A highly contagious disease. 4.       The economy tanks. Others (unordered) ·         High energy costs. ·         Massive unemployment. ·         Illegal immigration. ·         Crime. ·         Climate change. ·         Low birth rates.

 Well, when you can write, even your letters are great. 

 Once of the worst things that can happen to a young person is to be told their mediocre performance is good. For me, I was told the opposite, that my efforts would end me in failure. That was a spur that dug in deep. I would prove him wrong.  And I did.  Do not praise mediocrity, no matter how much it makes you feel good or your target. 

  Happiness is Not Easy If you want to be happy, be . --- Leo Tolstoy Introduction . Whoa! Tolstoy’s counsel is not so easy in our highly conflicted world, with everyone seeking to change us or imposing changes upon us. But our present world has little to do with it. Happiness is a state, though some claim happiness is ephemeral while others suggest it can be permanent. We claim this is too simplistic.   So let’s instead look at states of happiness , not so much as an evolution, not a variable, but mostly constant and immutable. We dismiss the usual forms of happiness , including the hedonic, social, achievement, materialistic, mindfulness, philanthropic, spiritual, health, and creative. These are specific forms from which happiness is sometimes attained. They are subsumed by the general states considered here. We dismiss as well other aspects, or subtypes of happiness including joy, contentment, hope, serenity, gratitude, satisfaction, optimism, fulfillment, amusement, bliss, a

Alfred Lord Tennyson  (1809-1892) was a renowned English poet often hailed as the Victorian era's preeminent representative. Born in Lincolnshire, England, Tennyson displayed his poetic talent from an early age, composing his first verses as a teenager. He attended Trinity College, Cambridge, where he solidified his literary aspirations and formed lifelong friendships with fellow poets like Arthur Hallam. Tennyson's career was marked by a sense of romanticism blended with a keen interest in social and scientific developments of his time. His early poetry collection, "Poems Chiefly Lyrical" (1830), caught the attention of literary circles, while "In Memoriam" (1850), a tribute to his deceased friend Hallam, showcased his mastery of elegiac verse. In 1859, Tennyson published "Idylls of the King," a series of narrative poems that reimagined the Arthurian legends in a Victorian context. Queen Victoria's admiration for his work led to his appointmen

What is Reality? G Donald Allen Introduction . To illustrate specifically an impossible problem, let’s solve one – or try to. “What is reality? [1] ” First, don’t worry if you disagree, as we’ll try to solve the problem in several ways. Books have been written on just this subject.  As well, the solutions offered include most of the standard theories of reality such as realism [2] , phenomenalism [3] , perception [4] , idealism [5] , pragmatism [6] , and constructivism [7] , often in combination – much to the horror of philosophers, I’m sure. Our intent is not to solve this problem, but to establish it probably cannot be solved. See Appendix A for common definitions and Appendix B for types of impossible problems. What is Reality? Solving the Reality Problem . We’ll limit ourselves to six explanations or solutions, though the simulation explanation reduces to another. As well, explanation #5 indicates we can’t do it no matter what. The descriptions are rather brief, and not anywh

 More specifically, why are sciences (physics, chemistry, engineering, et al) so well-trusted while other subjects (sociology, economics, politics) tend to be less trusted?   What is asked would require a book chapter or even an entire book. What I’ll give is an answer furnished by the philosophers, but rarely applies to philosophy itself. It is the notion of Justified True Belief ,* or JTB. This means you can justify your assertion (i.e. prove it based on accepted knowledge and logic), you establish it is true (thus not refutable), and you believe it. This is not quite how it is discussed in philosophy discussions. In most, one begins with the belief, then proves it’s true by some justification, which has a broad interpretation. What we have presented is how JTB works in the classroom. There we are presented with the truth (e.g. proposition), followed by its justification (e.g. proof, experiment), and finally, the student believes it. In scientific research, the process often begins

Currently, professional writers and actor guilds are on strike against the Hollywood studios. Among the many issues are those concerning Artificial Intelligence (AI). The writers argue that the Studios should not be permitted to use AI to write or revise scripts. AI can do it in minutes, or less. This pushes writers out of employment. Their creative force is diminished. So, it becomes a contest as to who will use AI, the writers before the fact or the Studios replacing the writers. This is not the chicken and egg paradox. It is which chicken gets to eat the egg.   Another AI problem is that it can now use images of actors in animated/realistic presentations. Another John Wayne movie? Bogie, maybe. The actors want to prevent this, as well they should. On the other hand, AI   could write a new Mozart concerto or a Beethoven symphony. That could be welcome. Let’s see how that works. Of course, many other issues are on the table in this strike.

 I love Thanksgiving dinner with turkey, stuffing, cranberries and all. I love stuffing. But only on holidays? And so much work? And so many dishes? So, we reinvent the wheel, Thanksgiving style, with this recipe.  Thanksgiving Dinner in 20 Minutes 1 box stove top stuffing or any kind. 1 corn on the cob. Slice off the cob. Fresh corn is best. 1 or 2 chicken breasts - cooked and cubed. Or a turkey breast, cooked and cubed. Boil corn for a few minutes and set aside. :Prepare stuffing by directions on the box. Combine all three into a bowl and season to taste.  Alternatively place in a casserole and bake for 10-15 minutes.  (Add in a  cooked and  cubed potato or two - additionally.) Sides include gravy and cranberries, and anything else you want. Total time: < 25 minutes. Makes a lot of food. Inexpensive.