Omnipresent Consciousness

What is common between the delectable taste of a favorite food, the sharp sting of an infected tooth, the fullness after a heavy meal, the slow passage of time while waiting, the willing of a deliberate act, and the mixture of vitality, tinged with anxiety, just before a competitive event?

All are distinct experiences. What cuts across each is that all are subjective states, and all are consciously felt. Accounting for the nature of consciousness appears elusive, with many claiming that it cannot be defined at all, yet defining it is actually straightforward. Here goes: Consciousness is experience.

That’s it. Consciousness is any experience, from the most mundane to the most exalted. Some distinguish awareness from consciousness; I don’t find this distinction helpful and so I use these two words interchangeably. 

I also do not distinguish between feeling and experience, although in everyday use feeling is usually reserved for strong emotions, such as feeling angry or in love. As I use it, any feeling is an experience. Collectively taken, then, consciousness is lived reality. It is the feeling of life itself.

But who else, besides myself, has experiences? Because you are so similar to me, I abduce that you do. The same logic applies to other people. Apart from the occasional solitary solipsist this is uncontroversial. 

But how widespread is consciousness in the cosmos at large? How far consciousness extends its dominion within the tree of life becomes more difficult to abduce as species become more alien to us.  TO READ ENTIRE ARTICLE, CLICK HERE...

Fireworks

 

A History of the Fourth of July

When the initial battles in the Revolutionary War broke out in April 1775, few colonists desired complete independence from Great Britain, and those who did were considered radical.

By the middle of the following year, however, many more colonists had come to favor independence, thanks to growing hostility against Britain and the spread of revolutionary sentiments such as those expressed in the bestselling pamphlet “Common Sense,” published by Thomas Paine in early 1776.

On June 7, when the Continental Congress met at the Pennsylvania State House (later Independence Hall) in Philadelphia, the Virginia delegate Richard Henry Lee introduced a motion calling for the colonies’ independence.

Amid heated debate, Congress postponed the vote on Lee’s resolution, but appointed a five-man committee—including Thomas Jefferson of Virginia, John Adams of Massachusetts, Roger Sherman of Connecticut, Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania and Robert R. Livingston of New York—to draft a formal statement justifying the break with Great Britain.

On July 2nd, the Continental Congress voted in favor of Lee’s resolution for independence in a near-unanimous vote (the New York delegation abstained, but later voted affirmatively). On that day, John Adams wrote to his wife Abigail that July 2 “will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival” and that the celebration should include “Pomp and Parade…Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other.”

On July 4th, the Continental Congress formally adopted the Declaration of Independence, which had been written largely by Jefferson. Though the vote for actual independence took place on July 2nd, from then on the 4th became the day that was celebrated as the birth of American independence.

Surprise Us

 

Dragon Man

Chinese researchers have unveiled an ancient skull that could belong to a completely new species of human.  The team has claimed it is our closest evolutionary relative among known species of ancient human, such as Neanderthals and Homo erectus.

Nicknamed "Dragon Man", the specimen represents a human group that lived in East Asia at least 146,000 years ago.  It was found at Harbin, north-east China, in 1933, but only came to the attention of scientists more recently.

An analysis of the skull has been published in the journal The Innovation.  One of the UK's leading experts in human evolution, Prof Chris Stringer from London's Natural History Museum, was a member of the research team.

• New type of ancient human discovered in Israel
• Face of long-lost human relative unveiled

The researchers say the discovery has the potential to rewrite the story of human evolution. Their analysis suggests that it is more closely related to Homo sapiens than it is to Neanderthals.

They have assigned the specimen to a new species: Homo longi, from the Chinese word "long", meaning dragon.  "We found our long-lost sister lineage," said Xijun Ni, a professor at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Hebei GEO University in Shijiazhuang.

He told BBC News: "I said 'oh my gosh!' I could not believe that it was so well preserved, you can see all the details. It is a really amazing find!"  The skull is huge compared with the average skulls belonging to other human species, including our own. Its brain was comparable in size to those from our species.

Dragon Man had large, almost square eye sockets, thick brow ridges, a wide mouth, and oversized teeth. Prof Qiang Ji, from Hebei GEO University, says it is one of the most complete early human skull fossils ever discovered.  TO READ MORE, CLICK HERE...

We All Make Choices

Some of our choices, we find out after we make them...  are good to excellent, while other choices are horrible to piss poor...  and, we wish we had never had the opportunity to even make the first choice...  and, each choice thereafter brings the same concern that it could be a bad choice...

However, some of us, don't really give a shit whether or not our choices are good or bad...  as we have the frigging right to make these choices regardless...  nor would these people care how their choices impacted others...

Which brings me to the heart of my thought...

Our current political administration in WashDC believes and perceives that they are making the right choices for the American People...  and, they think this way because it is the fundamental belief of their political party and therefore, since they are in that party then they must believe as their party believes.

To think and act otherwise would be political suicide.

BUT, these choices will not fully be know and/or understood for several years as the results are interpreted by historians and political scientists.  And, if they were good...  then great...  but if we find them to be bad choices...  then, guess who pays the price...

RHETORICAL QUESTION...

Personally,

I think the following movements are wrong:

• Black Lives Matter
• Critical Race Theory
• Cancel Culture
• Defunding Police
• Holding conservatives hostage via the media
• Becoming WOKE

Black Lives Matter teach separation not unity

Critical Race Theory teaches separation not unity

Cancel Culture teaches separation not unity

WOKENESS teaches separation not unity

Yes, this is my personal opinion

Yes, I am not well known or famous

Yes, I am not wealthy

I cannot imagine anything positive happening to us if we push for becoming a divided country...

 

In The News

 

Optical Illusions

Optical illusions are loved by almost all people for deceiving our brains and bewildering creatures. These illusions, which mislead our perception of reality, actually contain simple applications behind them.

I Was A Kennedy Democrat

I was a Kennedy DEMOCRAT...  back in the day...  supporting the end to the Vietnam War and the end of Racism in America through the Civil Rights Movement and the efforts of MLK Jr....  but, those days are GONE unfortunately and will never return as the Civil Rights Movement has turned into a BLACK LIVES MATTER movement completely ignoring other lives that are greater represented in this country.

BLM have turned into Critical Race Theory which is absurd to think that the ENTIRE WHITE RACE is trying to suppress the BLACKS when there have been so many BLACKS that have become more financially successful than their white counterparts.

BLM and CRT have given rise to concept of COUNTER CULTURE which wants to complete UNDO the history of the past and change it to meet their satisfaction and distorted needs.  

OUR HISTORY IS OUR HISTORY whether we like it or not...  and, blacks today only represent 13/14% of the overall American Population...

Recently, BLM and CRT along with Cancel Culture (or becoming WOKE) wants to defund the police because of the NEEDLESS killing of George Floyd...  and, much to the chagrin of Americans, numerous police departments were, in fact, defunded.

RESULTING IN AN INCREASE IN CRIME IN THOSE CITIES...

Imagine that?

Hard to believe, I know, but it is true...

In order to extricate themselves out of the HOLE OF SUPIDITY, Liberals and other Democrats are saying that the Defunding of the Police is because of the Republicans and their refusal to sign a financially inflated infrastructure bill...

• The Democrats LIED about Russian collusion with Trump
• The Democrats tried to impeach Trump over this LIE
• The Democrats LIED about Kavanaugh
• The Democrats LIED about the election
• The Democrats LIED about immigration
• The Democrats LIED with the help of mainstream media

After 73 years of life, I am WELL AWARE at the FREQUENCY in which ALL POLITICIANS LIE...  and, the last person that I trust is a frigging politician...  

HOWEVER, the Democrats, the Liberal Democrats, the Progressive Democrats...  all of the LIE WORSE THAN I HAVE EVER SEEN...

I lied to my parents when I was a child and when I because an adult, I lied to my first wife...  but, since that divorce, I have never lied again...  and have utter contempt for all those who lie and continue to lie...

It's July Already

 

Clean Building

Cities like Oslo, Helsinki and Copenhagen are working to clean up one of the world's most high-emission industries.

Quiet, clean and green are not words you would typically use to describe a construction site. But the site at Olav Vs gate, one of the busiest streets in the heart of Norway's capital city, Oslo, was special. In a first of its kind in the world, all the machinery used on site – excavators, diggers and loaders – were electric.

Work began on the site in September 2019, converting what was once a hectic turning zone for the city's taxis into a new pedestrianised area. Locals may have initially raised eyebrows at what appeared to be just another inconvenient construction site, but soon it was clear there something very different about it. In fact, this was a pilot project for the first zero-emission urban construction site in the world.

"When I visited the zero-emission construction site I was extremely impressed," says Mark Preston Aragonès, a policy advisor at environmental non-profit Bellona. "I was looking at these big excavators that you generally associate with fumes and noise and general annoyances, but on this site, when the operator turned it on you couldn't tell the difference between when it was on or off. It was really impressive to see such big machines make such little noise."

Decarbonising the construction industry is something in which Oslo wants to lead the world. And it's with good reason

Using electric equipment in place of traditional diesel engines meant that everyone in the vicinity noticed a reduction in ambient noise and pollution. "We observed shops keeping their doors open towards the street, even when construction work was going on just outside on the pavement," says Philip Mortensen, a senior adviser at the City of Oslo's Climate Agency. "The workers also reported much better communication on site due to lower noise levels, and that as a consequence the working environment felt safer."  TO READ MORE, CLICK HERE...

The Biden Administration

 

Personality Traits of the Wealthy

"Wealth consists not in having great possessions," the Stoic philosopher Epictetus once said, "but in having few wants." Sounds wise.

But that doesn't keep people from wanting to be rich. Even though we all define wealth and success differently, most of us factor at least some degree of wealth into our success equations. (If nothing else, money creates choices.)

So how, if financial success is your goal, can you get rich? Science says the answer lies not just in what you do, but also in who you are. According to a 2018 study published in British Journal of Psychology, rich people are definitely different.

Especially where personality traits are concerned.
For example:

1. Rich people tend to be extroverted. No surprise there. Since no one achieves anything worthwhile on their own, the ability to engage with others, to build relationships, to motivate and inspire, and to genuinely connect is definitely important. (Just keep in mind introverts can also be extremely successful.)
2. Rich people tend to be more conscientious. Also not a surprise. Making smart decisions. Delaying gratification, and focusing on long-term goals. Doing what you need to do instead of only what you want to do. Even marrying well, but not in the way you might think: Research shows that people whose partners are conscientious tend to earn more promotions, make more money, and feel more satisfied with their work. (As Jim Rohn says, we tend to be the average of the people we spend the most time with.)
3. Rich people tend to be more emotionally stable. Making emotional decisions? Definitely a recipe for slowing progress toward long-term goals.
4. Rich people tend to be less neurotic. When you're quick to respond in a negative way, with anxiety, moodiness, worry, or fear -- what psychologists call "negative arousal" -- it's much harder to be successful.
5. Rich people tend to be more self-centered. While that sounds like a bad thing, there is this: As Adam Grant says, humble narcissists have very high expectations for their own success -- but they also understand that great achievements are almost always the result of collective efforts. That makes for a winning combination: Believing you can achieve big things helps you get started; knowing you need other people to make it happen helps you finish.  TO READ MORE, CLICK HERE...

Term Limits

 

Guess What People?

It don't make a flying rat's ass if the WUHAN LABS in China manufactured the COVID virus and released it into the world or not because BIDEN and the Democrats, the Liberals, and Mainstream media ain't gonna do shit about it...

In a way that is good because the US would not be able to enforce anything in China even if we tried to do something...  Plus, if we ever went to war with China, there is a good possibility that we would lose...  not to mention the fact that Russia would join China along with most every country in the Middle East.  The first thing the Chinese would do would be to subdue Japan.

BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, what the Democrats want to do is eliminate the Republican Party and make sure that monies are diverted from the Military and Homeland Security so that we can create a CLASSLESS society.  However, the closest that we would ever get to a classless society would be THE WEALTHY and then everyone else...  whether everyone else is middle class or lower class does not really matter.

Biden and his cohorts want to give everything away to all the citizens:

• free education
• free healthcare
• free housing
• free food
• free transportation
• free food
• free income

Once we have everyone receiving free shit, then it does not matter who controls the rest of the world because it will not be the USA...

Actually, our country will not last very long at all before it is completely controlled by CHINA...

IS AMERICA STILL GREAT?

America was number 1 in the world in 1945 because the war was fought in Europe, the manufacturing base of the US was still in tact and supplied the rest of the world with goods and services...  making us even more wealthy.

American education was number 1 back then as well but over the years, it has dropped from number 1 to number 15 in the world based upon K-12.

Higher education has maintained its own but is faltering.  In 1980 when I got my MBA, I had to pass with a "B" 60 hours of course work...  which is 20 classes.  Today, one can earn an MBA after 10 classes of course work or 30 hours.  Does that mean our education is getting better?

I have also taught college students who cannot remember anything from the class that they just passed with an "A" because all they did was memorrize for the grade and not for retention.  Does this mean we are getting better?

Prices are increasing but wages are not increasing as fast...  at least for the workers that is true...  but for management and upper management, their salaries are increasing all the time because they are meeting their goals at the expense of the workers...  Does this mean we are getting better?

The gap between the wealthy and the middle class is increasing each year as the wealthy continue to increase their wealth as prices increase and as new markets are opened...  Does this mean we are getting better?

America is more divided than ever before...  not since the civil war has this country been more divided.  Does this mean we are getting better?

• Americans hate the American Flag
• Amerians hate the Pledge of Allegience
• American hate White Privilege
• Americans hate the police
• Americans say Whites are oppressive
• Americans do not want opposing views

DOES THIS MEAN WE ARE GETTING BETTER?

Planet Vulcan

In 1846, astronomer and mathematician Urbain Le Verrier sat down and attempted to locate a planet that had never been seen before by humans. Uranus (grow up) had been moving in unexpected ways, as predicted by the Newtonian theory of gravity.

Though the discrepancies were small, there was a difference between the observed orbit of Uranus and the way Newtonian physics predicted its orbit to be. In July, Le Verrier proposed that the difference could be explained by another planet beyond Uranus, and made predictions as to the orbit of this previously unknown body.

Being a mathematician first and an astronomer second, he wasn't really interested in finding it with a telescope now that he'd found it in maths, and the task of searching for it was left to German astronomer Johann Gottfried Galle. On September 23, 1846, Galle looked at the spot Le Verrier had predicted the planet would be, and found to within 1 degree of the spot... the planet Neptune.

So, having discovered a new planet by looking at the orbit of another, Le Verrier was called upon to take a look at a planet whose name doesn't also mean butt hole: Mercury. Mercury, being so close to the Sun, is the most difficult planet in our Solar System to observe (assuming there is no Planet Nine out there). Le Verrier was tasked with plotting Mercury's orbit using Newtonian physics.

But he couldn't. No matter how much he tried, Mercury's eccentric orbit didn't make any sense. According to Newtonian theory, the planets move in elliptical orbits around the Sun, but observations showed that Mercury's orbit wobbles more than could be accounted for by the gravity exerted by the other known planets.  TO READ MORE, CLICK HERE...

Gutter Politics

 

Charlie Brown

 

Einstein is Wrong...

General relativity is wrong. GR is not based on nature’s foundation of Euclidean space and time permeated by energy carrying immutable point charges. 

We can rehabilitate GR with the concept of Quantum General Relativity which has the following corrections :

• QGR is rebased into Euclidean space and time.
• QGR is based on geometrical, physically immutable, quanta of charge.
• In the context of QGR, the quantum is redefined and reframed as the electrino and positrino point charges (at -e/6 and +e/6 respectively).
• QGR deals properly with the fixed high energy limit per charge quantum and the associated density limits and electromagnetic configuration.
• QGR is enhanced with the understanding that Euclidean space is permeated by structures that have characteristics that vary with their energy, as well as the energy of local structures, tapering with distance. These physical characteristics implement Einstein’s spacetime geometry.
• QGR includes mathematical bridges between Euclidean coordinates in space and time and Riemannian coordinates in spacetime aether.

Fermion particles, have energy cores with a DeBroglie wavelength, and they ‘redshift’ energy to spacetime. 

What is the mechanism? 

Do their energy cores leak energy or pay a toll? 

Dense standard matter such as is found in a planet or star or galaxy energizes the spacetime aether in and around them. The aether is rather passive — it is mostly doing the Einstein stretchy-curvy behaviour, so in some cases the energized aether is left behind as a wake. Astrophysicists call it dark matter.  TO READ MORE, CLICK HERE...