copyright (c) 2016
William Schaeffer
Saturday, October 29, 2016
Nietzsche and Law of Manu
Nietzsche talks about "The Law of Manu" in "Twilight of the Idols", Chapter 7. The Law apparently forbids the lower classes to have common health and sanitation practices. Nietzsche argues this was to keep the lower classes in ill health and unable to rebel. It is in the interest of the ruling classes to have the majority of the population suffer ill health. These days this could also be a calculated "plan" by the 1% to maintain wealth and influence in THIS society.
Bad Turkey smell
Since I have mostly stopped eating meat, the smell of cooking turkey no longer smells "good." I cannot remember when it did "smell good." When I first noticed the phenomenon several years ago, I could not identify the rancid and heavy smell at a party and finally (after a long time) concluded it must be the turkey. I was hired to play piano and was not really socializing. This is a strange and unexpected phenomenon that the nature of one's sense of smell can actually change dramatically during the course of your life.
If I eat a piece of pepperoni, the effect is immediately diminished. But if I refrain from eating any meat at all, then after a week or so the effect returns; the smell of cooking meat is unpleasant and unappealing. Curious.
If I eat a piece of pepperoni, the effect is immediately diminished. But if I refrain from eating any meat at all, then after a week or so the effect returns; the smell of cooking meat is unpleasant and unappealing. Curious.
copyright (c) 2016
William Schaeffer
Medical Insurance in America
Fifty percent of ALL bankruptcies in USA America are due to medical bills. It is a regular and routine practice to charge uninsured customers ten times the rate that insured customers are required to pay. THIS IS STANDARD AMERICAN MEDICAL PRACTICE.
Fifteen years ago I got billed $9000 for an MRI. When I informed Daniel Freedman Hospital that I actually had medical insurance the bill was adjusted to $800. In any other profession on Earth this would be consider an immoral, or illegal, professional practice - ESPECIALLY in a medical profession. In America it is just good business.
Medicine in America sucks.
copyright (c) 2016
William Schaeffer
Friday, October 28, 2016
Pumpkin Head
The custom of carving pumpkins comes from Ireland where originally the Celts and Druids carved large turnips into hollow glowing faces. The custom was allowed to continue at Halloween by the Catholic Church and later the Irish immigrants to America found the pumpkin to be even more perfectly suited to the task and the jack-o-lantern was then born.
copyright (c) 2016
William Schaeffer
Sunday, October 23, 2016
God is LOVE
Funny thing:
People says that, "God is LOVE"
But then they get very ANGRY at you when you say that you do not believe it.
In the "old days" they would burn you alive at the stake, unless you said you believed it. And all you had to do was SAY you believed it, you did not REALLY have to believe. And these were your neighbors, friends and family that were watching you burn alive. While you screamed in unbearable pain, they just watched and counted your money.
This is very similar to the way Nazi Death squads exterminated Jewish and gypsy people in their initial conquests; except the Nazi's were quick and they used bullets and they dug trenches. All the victims friends and neighbors still came out to watch the event and had a picnic.
That is unlike any LOVE that I am familiar with.
Today you are not burned at the stake, but you are socially ostracized, removed from the Family Will, unemployed, yelled at, or ridiculed in public. Just about the same thing, except at a much slower rate.
Maybe we should go back and figure out what LOVE really is and THEN we can figure out if there is a God and if he is made of this stuff called LOVE. It will be an interesting intellectual exercise, but first I think we need to figure out what LOVE is.
Because, it seems that the behavior that most people call LOVE isn't really anything like LOVE at all.
People says that, "God is LOVE"
But then they get very ANGRY at you when you say that you do not believe it.
In the "old days" they would burn you alive at the stake, unless you said you believed it. And all you had to do was SAY you believed it, you did not REALLY have to believe. And these were your neighbors, friends and family that were watching you burn alive. While you screamed in unbearable pain, they just watched and counted your money.
This is very similar to the way Nazi Death squads exterminated Jewish and gypsy people in their initial conquests; except the Nazi's were quick and they used bullets and they dug trenches. All the victims friends and neighbors still came out to watch the event and had a picnic.
That is unlike any LOVE that I am familiar with.
Today you are not burned at the stake, but you are socially ostracized, removed from the Family Will, unemployed, yelled at, or ridiculed in public. Just about the same thing, except at a much slower rate.
Maybe we should go back and figure out what LOVE really is and THEN we can figure out if there is a God and if he is made of this stuff called LOVE. It will be an interesting intellectual exercise, but first I think we need to figure out what LOVE is.
Because, it seems that the behavior that most people call LOVE isn't really anything like LOVE at all.
copyright (c) 2016
William Schaeffer
Saturday, October 22, 2016
Overly Enthusiastic Theater
Three overly enthusiastic statements to tell a performer just before they go onstage:
1. Break two legs and fall off the stage.
2. Knock 'em so dead they come back to life.
3. Win one for the zipper.
1. Break two legs and fall off the stage.
2. Knock 'em so dead they come back to life.
3. Win one for the zipper.
copyright (c) 2016
William Schaeffer
The Next Civil War
The next Civil War in the USA will be an alliance of the coastal states against the heartland. This roughly corresponds to the electoral division of "Red States": and "Blue States" The Heartland forces will prove victorious to begin with and will perhaps take more territory. The Coastal States will have the advantage of foreign assistance and support and will eventually battle their way back to parity. THEN in the final phase of the war, the heartland will be absolutely and utterly destroyed in a scenario that recalls the first america civil war. By this time, however the victory will be almost meaningless as the rest of the world will also be embroiled in war and global warming will have caused the oceans to rise 6 inches. Eventually, all the victorious cities will be swallowed by the oceans and humanity will rebuild differently during the ten thousand year dark ages that follow.
copyright (c) 2016
William Schaeffer
Thursday, October 20, 2016
Faster than Reality itself
In the ever expanding digital universe, reality can be processed faster than it can be experienced.
I can copy a two minute video in fifteen seconds, but I still have to spend at least two minutes viewing time to fully appreciate, or understand the original video.
Our reality is expanding and modifying faster than we can make sense of it. Our brains are not designed to efficiently work with this volume of sensory data and cannot adequately predict which data will be most important. We are dangerously susceptible to the effects of propaganda that is intentional or accidentally produced.
Like a child running down hill, or a novice backing up a tractor trailer, we risk instability, and we love it.
I can copy a two minute video in fifteen seconds, but I still have to spend at least two minutes viewing time to fully appreciate, or understand the original video.
Our reality is expanding and modifying faster than we can make sense of it. Our brains are not designed to efficiently work with this volume of sensory data and cannot adequately predict which data will be most important. We are dangerously susceptible to the effects of propaganda that is intentional or accidentally produced.
Like a child running down hill, or a novice backing up a tractor trailer, we risk instability, and we love it.
copyright (c) 2016
William Schaeffer
Tuesday, October 18, 2016
The Turmeric Cafe
According to recent medical and dietary research it seems that there are many health benefits from adding Turmeric to your diet. Among these are an increased resistance to developing Alzheimer's disease. Unlike the USA, Alzheimer's is almost non-existent in India. It seems that this most likely is due to the presence of Turmeric in the diet in the form of Curry powder.
There are also many recently discovered health benefits of drinking coffee.
Naturally, I thought we could combine these two ingredients to make an even more healthful drink. Try it yourself.
Sprinkle a little ground Turmeric powder on the coffee grounds before you brew your coffee. And then, just brew normally and drink. Turmeric Coffee from the Turmeric Cafe. For your Health.
There are also many recently discovered health benefits of drinking coffee.
Naturally, I thought we could combine these two ingredients to make an even more healthful drink. Try it yourself.
Sprinkle a little ground Turmeric powder on the coffee grounds before you brew your coffee. And then, just brew normally and drink. Turmeric Coffee from the Turmeric Cafe. For your Health.
copyright (c) 2016
William Schaeffer
Talk Show Format
Why the talk show format exists and is so successful:
1. People do NOT like like being talked at. They do NOT like sitting and listening to someone else explain details or relate stories. People do NOT like being lectured.
2. People DO like eavesdropping on other people's conversations. People DO like being sneaky little voyeurs and spying on others and hearing stories that were not necessarily intended for them. Somehow, we are hardwired to find this behavior acceptable, or even fun. Perhaps it has to do with the herd mentality, or social survival skills necessary to survive as part of a group.
Therefore, The talk show format was born. Instead of having celebrities talk directly to the camera, they respond to an interviewer. This makes the experience of hearing the story to be much more enjoyable and fun.
1. People do NOT like like being talked at. They do NOT like sitting and listening to someone else explain details or relate stories. People do NOT like being lectured.
2. People DO like eavesdropping on other people's conversations. People DO like being sneaky little voyeurs and spying on others and hearing stories that were not necessarily intended for them. Somehow, we are hardwired to find this behavior acceptable, or even fun. Perhaps it has to do with the herd mentality, or social survival skills necessary to survive as part of a group.
Therefore, The talk show format was born. Instead of having celebrities talk directly to the camera, they respond to an interviewer. This makes the experience of hearing the story to be much more enjoyable and fun.
copyright (c) 2016
William Schaeffer
Dumbing Down the Schools
Actually, it was the Vietnam protests of the 1960's that inspired the revamping of the educational system. This was when the "New Math" was introduced, along with a relaxation of history and English requirements. It was found that a well educated, intelligent, and healthy youth could not be persuaded that killing 3 million Vietnamese was a good idea, so the educational system was revamped and students became more compliant. By the 1990's young men were willing to invade Iraq without question. Does anyone else remember the President's Physical Fitness award? They used to run ads on TV all the time in the 1960's. It was started by president Kennedy to promote healthy youth. It was quietly ended by president Nixon. R.I.P. America.
copyright (c) 2016
William Schaeffer
Monday, October 17, 2016
$15 Minimum wage
Response to a video arguing that a $15 minimum wage will actually make the economic circumstances WORSE for the lower economic classes:
1. As long as 80% the world's wealth is concentrated in the hands of a relatively few 0.1% of the population, no amount of social engineering will solve the problem. We MUST REDISTRIBUTE THE CONCENTRATED WEALTH. THIS WILL HAVE TO BE DONE WITHOUT THE CONSENT OF THOSE 0.1% Until we do this, nothing on Earth will change for humans of the future except for change for the worse.
1. As long as 80% the world's wealth is concentrated in the hands of a relatively few 0.1% of the population, no amount of social engineering will solve the problem. We MUST REDISTRIBUTE THE CONCENTRATED WEALTH. THIS WILL HAVE TO BE DONE WITHOUT THE CONSENT OF THOSE 0.1% Until we do this, nothing on Earth will change for humans of the future except for change for the worse.
copyright (c) 2016
William Schaeffer
Saturday, October 15, 2016
The homeless problem
My three responses to a note complaining about the homeless problem. It is interesting to note that the first response got a formal complaint lodged against me with the organization and also three people secretly thanking me for posting it by another communication method:
1.
We should kill the homeless. Lets build big camps and force them to live there. We can kill them all in poison gas showers and burn the bodies in big brick ovens. We could even force them to do slave labor to clean the streets and pick up garbage first. THEN we will have a nice city to live in.
2.
Yes it was a sarcastic philosophical comment and I'm sorry to get involved. 1. According to my understanding of international law, forced deportation, or forced removal is a form of genocide. 2. It is my belief that most of the homeless are unable to help themselves and will never be able to enter the main stream economic market place. 3. My estimate is as much as 20% of the entire adult labor force of the United States (men and women aged 18 - 65) cannot support themselves in any way whatsoever under any conditions in this economy. They will never learn to find a suitable job. This is not a condemnation of those people by any means and is more of a condemnation of our economic system. I am sure that most would prefer to work if they were physically and mentally capable. 4, Presently 35% of the adult population of the United States of America is on some form of public assistance. This has increased from the 18% level it was at in 1990. 5. The present disparity of income in the United States is greater than any other nation on Earth and greater than any other time in history. Regardless of what I may think, or joke about, the entire system is unstable and the homeless people camped at the bottom of your street are just the smallest of symptoms. 6. Where do you propose we send the homeless people if we forcibly displace them? There is no where to send them, except another homeless camp at the dirty end of some other housing division. 7. There are no homeless in Russia or China. Do a search on google or the internet and post a single picture here in this forum that you find of homeless camps anything like the ones in Los Angeles. There is a clause in the Russian constitution that guarantees every single citizen a place to live. You cannot buy a home in Russia unless the seller can prove that he has a place to live. The only photos I can find from Russia are of street urchins playing in an alley and an old soldier sleeping on a storm grate in the winter. Go ahead. Post a photo of the homeless camps in Russia. I'll pay $5 to the first photo posted on this site. 8. Common decency and philosophical reserve forbid me from commenting any further.
3.
With so many dash cam videos coming out of Russia featuring questionable driving practices and architectural failures it is unlikely that the existence of homeless camps is being censored by the Russian Government. Not even our own USA Government has THAT ability now days. It is more likely that homeless camps do not exist in Russia. Go ahead do an internet search and research homelessness in Russia. Maybe you would want to read a few articles in addition to just looking for the pictures? Either way, we do know that there are presently 77,000 homeless people in Los Angeles alone. What is USA America doing about it?
1.
We should kill the homeless. Lets build big camps and force them to live there. We can kill them all in poison gas showers and burn the bodies in big brick ovens. We could even force them to do slave labor to clean the streets and pick up garbage first. THEN we will have a nice city to live in.
Yes it was a sarcastic philosophical comment and I'm sorry to get involved. 1. According to my understanding of international law, forced deportation, or forced removal is a form of genocide. 2. It is my belief that most of the homeless are unable to help themselves and will never be able to enter the main stream economic market place. 3. My estimate is as much as 20% of the entire adult labor force of the United States (men and women aged 18 - 65) cannot support themselves in any way whatsoever under any conditions in this economy. They will never learn to find a suitable job. This is not a condemnation of those people by any means and is more of a condemnation of our economic system. I am sure that most would prefer to work if they were physically and mentally capable. 4, Presently 35% of the adult population of the United States of America is on some form of public assistance. This has increased from the 18% level it was at in 1990. 5. The present disparity of income in the United States is greater than any other nation on Earth and greater than any other time in history. Regardless of what I may think, or joke about, the entire system is unstable and the homeless people camped at the bottom of your street are just the smallest of symptoms. 6. Where do you propose we send the homeless people if we forcibly displace them? There is no where to send them, except another homeless camp at the dirty end of some other housing division. 7. There are no homeless in Russia or China. Do a search on google or the internet and post a single picture here in this forum that you find of homeless camps anything like the ones in Los Angeles. There is a clause in the Russian constitution that guarantees every single citizen a place to live. You cannot buy a home in Russia unless the seller can prove that he has a place to live. The only photos I can find from Russia are of street urchins playing in an alley and an old soldier sleeping on a storm grate in the winter. Go ahead. Post a photo of the homeless camps in Russia. I'll pay $5 to the first photo posted on this site. 8. Common decency and philosophical reserve forbid me from commenting any further.
3.
With so many dash cam videos coming out of Russia featuring questionable driving practices and architectural failures it is unlikely that the existence of homeless camps is being censored by the Russian Government. Not even our own USA Government has THAT ability now days. It is more likely that homeless camps do not exist in Russia. Go ahead do an internet search and research homelessness in Russia. Maybe you would want to read a few articles in addition to just looking for the pictures? Either way, we do know that there are presently 77,000 homeless people in Los Angeles alone. What is USA America doing about it?
copyright (c) 2016
William Schaeffer
Why we believe
In my opinion: The state of "Not Knowing" causes some psychological distress because the "open question" requires more mental resources to classify, since it is not known to be true, false, or whatever. In the face of this unpleasant stress, many people choose to accept a reasonable answer even if it may not be "entirely true." Over time these concepts become the foundation that their entire world view is based upon. It gives temporary comfort to "know" but many things are ultimately "unknowable" and will remain that way for your entire life. Can you handle the stress?
copyright (c) 2016
William Schaeffer
Friday, October 14, 2016
Color Systems Technology 1986
It is funny to think that in 1986 there were almost 200 people working for CST. As a new arrival, with no roots in Los Angeles, it was like a second family. I met a lot of interesting coworkers from many different backgrounds and made some great friends. We had some fun times. And now today, I have lost touch with almost everyone and have a difficult time just remembering their names.
copyright (c) 2016
William Schaeffer
Thursday, October 13, 2016
Noah's Ark
There actually was a massive flood in the Mid East around 5,000 B.C. There is a layer of two feet of mud in the Archaeological record in the Earth that corresponds to this time. Also, the Sumerian Gilgamesh Flood story is associated with the tenth king of Sumeria who would have been king at this time. Curiously Noah was the tenth descendant of Adam. Still more curious, all the numbers and dimensions of the Ark are IDENTICAL in the two different narratives, but the Epic of Gilgamesh preceded the Noah story by at least 2,000 years.
This is referenced in two texts:
1. "The Bible Unearthed - New Vision of Israel and the Origin of its Sacred Texts" by Neil Asher Silberman and Israel Finklestein
2. "Gods, Graves, and Scholars: The Story of Archaeology" by C. W. Ceram
This is referenced in two texts:
1. "The Bible Unearthed - New Vision of Israel and the Origin of its Sacred Texts" by Neil Asher Silberman and Israel Finklestein
2. "Gods, Graves, and Scholars: The Story of Archaeology" by C. W. Ceram
copyright (c) 2016
William Schaeffer
Ancient Cities
If you look at a topographical map of the planet, the edge of the continental shelf is where the oceans met the land for two million years until the end of the ice age 20,000 years ago. Since that time, the oceans have risen about 300 feet, or more, There are the remains of cities on the continental shelf that at one time were exposed to the air, when the sea level was much lower. Some of these cities may be as almost as old as humanity itself.
copyright (c) 2016
William Schaeffer
Alan Watts and Terrence McKenna
Alan Watts is not without his faults, but he seems to have a lot of integrity and empathy and understanding that he can express intelligibly without being annoying
I like Terrence McKenna a lot also, but they cover different territory. Alan Watts is more about explaining philosophical concepts to illustrate our position in the universe and how we relate to that knowledge based on historical religions and philosophical texts. In many way, Alan Watts is singularly responsible for the interest in Buddhism and Taoism and Eastern Philosophy in the USA and the west. Terrence McKenna is more about speculative realities inspired by the psychedelic experience of Mescaline or LSD or Psilocybin Mushrooms. These are amazing talks also, but almost entirely centered around "the psychedelic experience" and not as universally interesting or significant as the Alan Watts talks. This is my opinion.
I like Terrence McKenna a lot also, but they cover different territory. Alan Watts is more about explaining philosophical concepts to illustrate our position in the universe and how we relate to that knowledge based on historical religions and philosophical texts. In many way, Alan Watts is singularly responsible for the interest in Buddhism and Taoism and Eastern Philosophy in the USA and the west. Terrence McKenna is more about speculative realities inspired by the psychedelic experience of Mescaline or LSD or Psilocybin Mushrooms. These are amazing talks also, but almost entirely centered around "the psychedelic experience" and not as universally interesting or significant as the Alan Watts talks. This is my opinion.
copyright (c) 2016
William Schaeffer
The War on Science
Even many normally intelligent people do not really understand what this means. We have had only four hundred years of free thought and honest intellectual inquiry since the Enlightenment broke open the Dark Ages. Prior to that, all of the Western World (and by extension most all the world) was trapped in a murderous intellectual prison of superstition, illiteracy, ignorance, and servitude by the Catholic Church. For a thousand years, no one in Europe read a book, took a bath, or saw a doctor. Is this freedom? Is this truth? Is this the future we want?
copyright (c) 2016
William Schaeffer
Tuesday, October 11, 2016
Good Luck in Life
Good luck in life. Be strong and straight and honest and true. Try to be empathetic and kind while looking out for your own best interest. Be patient and forgiving and try to enjoy the little pleasures in life. Look for an objective perspective and have fun anyway.
copyright (c) 2016
William Schaeffer
Wednesday, October 5, 2016
What constitutes proof?
Is "emotional relief,"
or "emotional certainty,"
sufficient criterion
to authorize the "truth?"
copyright (c) 2016
William Schaeffer
Monday, October 3, 2016
DADA art
The Dada art movement was started in Zurich Switzerland by Hugo Ball and Jean Arp as a conscious reaction to the madness of World War I. If logic and reason had produced a world where millions were butchered and incinerated in the fires of war, what possible good is logic and reason? As we stand on the precipice of another great world wide calamity, this question seems more applicable today than ever before. The DADA movement held that nothing was sacred and any ideas are "fair game" in the expression of "ART." -- Nonsense, spontaneity, ridiculousness, humor, shock, and even madness itself were all "canonized." The practice of collage, assembly art, found art, random poetry, and many other techniques were developed by adherents to this "ART." They staged performances that confused and shocked the spectators. Eventually the movement cannibalized itself and by the mid 1920's there were few dedicated adherents left. Most joined other art movements. Tristan Tzara would be an exception and his book "Seven DADA Manifestos" is highly recommended. I particularly like the essay "Note on Art"
copyright (c) 2016
William Schaeffer
Saturday, October 1, 2016
History Lesson
You must remember that the greatest destruction of knowledge and learning in history is always in the name of religion. For example: After the Church gained control of the Emperors and the Roman Empire, they began a systematic destruction of learning and knowledge that was so complete that not a single Greek or Roman book survived within the boundaries of the Roman Empire. In fact the only literature that survived to this day was found outside the traditional boundary of the Roman Empire. Every library was closed and every book was burned. Every book on philosophy, mathematics, history, medicine, health, agriculture, architecture, literature, theater, drama, religion, war, engineering, art, nature, etc was destroyed. Every hospital was closed and people did not practice medicine for a thousand years. Every public bath was closed and people did not bathe for a thousand years. During the Roman Empire even slaves could read and write, a few hundred years later and not even the kings of Europe could read and write and the practice of writing was preserved only by the Christian Monks. Praise Jesus.
copyright (c) 2016
William Schaeffer
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