--
Below is an article I wrote a couple weeks back. Being a space cadet in my spare time, I of course posted it to the Macsmarticles blog, where it did not belong. (o_0) I did the same thing with the quickie US Supreme Court blurb as well! I tell people it's the drugs.... So here it is in the correct place. When I get my personal website going this year, this sort of confusion should stop.
Oddly, I was talking with one of my religious conservative friends today and the subject of this article was spontaneously brought up by her, as opposed to me. So the article apparently has some *DING* factor for a few people beside myself. Enjoy.
--
This short article is written as a challenge. I'm not going to explain the challenge. If you're ready for the challenge, or you've already conquered the challenge, you'll get it. If you're not home, if you're not at a place in yourself where you can take the challenge, then there is no point in my discussing it with you. All things in their time. All learning when we're ready. There is no being better than anyone else. There is only being where you are now and where you wish yourself to be in the future. If you don't know what to want for your own growth, you won't get it. Wish to grow and you will grow. For me it has been that simple.
So here's the challenge:
Why do well meaning people think that the 'Neo-Conservative' political movement is Conservative? When I observe and consider all the things the Neo-Conservatives have said and done, I see nothing at all Conservative about their acts. What I see is stupidity. Yes, that stupidity has killed a few hundred thousand innocent people, perpetrated a couple entirely pointless, meaningless, murderous horrors we call wars. Yes, the Neo-Cons think they're doing something of any importance in the world. And yes, there are untold numbers of psychotics in their midst that seriously know the damage this bunch of stupid people do and they revel in it. We call these deranged people 'evil'. They do know what they do. But what does it all come down to? After all the pain, suffering, killing, fighting, arguing, lying lying lying, do anything, say anything to get their way. What is it all worth?
Nothing.
It's just more of the same old self-destructive imperative of mankind.
And what's that all about? Tell me.
Are these people simply too lazy or cowardly to kill themselves, to commit suicide? Why do they bother to stay alive if they outright refuse to learn and grow? What is the point of their lives? I can't find any!
There is no point in hurting and murdering others. It accomplishes nothing of any value. Yes, their little inner worlds convince them otherwise. Yes, people can remain entirely deluded about their point and their accomplishments in the world throughout their entire lives. It's life long insanity. Does that mean they have no responsibility for their bad choices? Are we talking about what amount to brain dead walking zombies with no comprehension? Can you call a human being self-destructive when they have no idea that they're imploding their own head by hitting themselves with a sledge hammer?
I don't know how one deals with the hopelessly self-deluded. That's beyond my comprehension. But sadly I don't know what one does with that group of insane people who perform their acts knowing full well that they are, indeed, insane. These are the actually evil people, the deliberate who know what they do. These are the intentionally self-destructive who instead of getting it over with, turn their self-hatred and self-damage outward at everyone else within their reach. This is a very 'special' kind of insanity.
Having pointed this out, I have to also point out that being a political Conservative, and actual factual political Conservative, does not by any means equal being a 'Neo-Conservative'. This is why I call the Neo-Cons the Neo-Con-Jobs. Any actual factual Conservative who thinks the Neo-Cons are on their side about anything at all has been conned, fooled, undermined and abused.
I grew up with Conservatives. I know what the actual factual values are the real Conservatives strive for in their lives. These people are never, ever out to harm others. They want to live good, kind, friendly, joyful and productive lives. They would like as much as anyone to have their values represented in the government they elect. Have they succeeded by voting in Neo-Conservatives. No. What they accomplished was the exact opposite. That's a con job.
If you comprehend the challenge in this situation, I compel you to take it. If you don't comprehend the challenge, I can only wish, and yes pray, that some day in your current life cycle you do and that you step into your wish for yourself and mankind as a whole to grow into something better.
--
[I'm in an abstract frame of mind today]
--
Monday, January 25, 2010
Friday, January 22, 2010
FOD: Red China vs The World:
The Reverse Golden Rule
--
As a citizen of the USA, I have my personal perspective about the ongoing debacle with China. My thoughts on the matter go like this:
Gotta love how Red China has learned western ways. This week they're using a propaganda trick right out of the Neo-Con-Job book. And it's my favorite! When someone accuses you of a sleazy move, take their words and turn them right back on them, pretending with a straight face that it is actually you that are the accuser and they the guilty. If that sounds entirely pathological, you get a *DING* and a gold star. ;-)
Here is the story of deceit that got me all riled up today:
China slams US criticism of Internet controls
Let me very briefly and simplistically set the scene. The story by now is very old, 12 years old to be precise. I've told it many times across the net as have plenty of others. So if you've heard it before, you're excused from class.
1998: US President Clinton and the US Congress provide Red China, aka 'Mainland China', aka 'Communist China', aka 'People's Republic of China', with Most Favored Nation status. It is the culmination of over two decades of courting the Red Chinese government to open up China once again to the west for trade and biznizz (my spelling of 'business' whenever something childish, primitive or self-destructive is afoot).
That same year, immediately after Most Favored Nation status was acquired, the Red Chinese government reached out to their computer hacker community and encouraged them financially to form what became the Red Hacker Alliance. You can read about the RHA HERE and HERE and HERE and HERE and HERE. Their stated goal was to prevent hacking of Red Chinese computers by foreign countries. Here is a paraphrasing of their manifesto,
[The timeline table above is from the original online version of 'Evolution of the Red Hacker Alliance'.]
Meanwhile, the Red Chinese government have been discovered soliciting hackers at US universities. A secret Red Chinese government memo was also discovered a few years ago that explicitly declared a 'Technology War' against the USA.
Mankind can be so strange. Humans require a sense of security and safety. Here we see that requirement taken to an extreme expression of selfishness and self-destruction. Again we have the simple equasion that one's behavior toward others is an expression of one's behavior toward one's self.
The US government, in their incompetence, their fear of looking foolish, as well as their need to feel safe behind a mask of perceived security, didn't acknowledge the actions of the Red Hacker Alliance until circa 2007. This was despite the fact that the RHA had blatantly and admittedly attacked hundreds of US websites, including the White House and the US Navy, in 2001. That's six years of public denial. The mind boggles. Among the proven hacks by the RHA have been the Bot zombieing of numerous US federal computers such that all and any data posted to them, banal or top secret, was sent directly to computers of RHA members in Red China.
(Hmm, I forget. What is supposed to be the purpose of the NSA?)
Meanwhile, many Internet companies capitulated to Red China's censorship 'laws' in an effort to profit from their huge population. The first serious protest against Red China's totalitarian tactics was made by Google this past week in the aftermath of their discovery of Red China's hacking into the Gmail accounts of anti-Red China dissidents. After reading these private email messages, their contents were used to prosecute the dissidents as enemies of the state, leading to jail time and execution. The hack was performed via yet-another security flaw in Microsoft Internet Explorer. (A patch for the IE security flaw was posted this past Thursday). Bravo Google for fighting both hacking and censorship, finally living up to your motto of 'Don't Be Evil'.
PERSPECTIVES:
Here we are in the USA, bizy giving the citizen rights of free speech to corporations while China refuses to extend to any citizen the simple right of privacy. There is no such thing as freedom of speech or freedom of thought or freedom of choice in Red China. Red China is the world of the book 1984 by George Orwell. THE PARTY is watching you. It's the SOS that inspired the Cold War. And yet, looking at the situation from inside the head of a Red Chinese citizen can frazzle your mind. They believe they're fighting for 'freedom'!
"For we love China, our motherland! We love Freedom!"
To get perspective from within Red China, have a look at a grab of the short film "2008 !China Stand Up!". It was created by Tang Lie, a Red Chinese citizen, in response to western media condemning Red Chinese aggression against Free Tibet protestors. It extols the views of Mao, rants at western imperialist subversion of the Red China economy (despite the fact that selling products to the west is the basis of the modern Red Chinese economy), and blames the Dalai Lama for violent protests against Red China's own imperialist occupation of Tibet. Here is a quote from the video using what I call 'reverse propaganda':
"And they lie, they lie, lie...again and again!"
The liars lie about their country's lies. Or do they? What if these people believe what they're saying? What if what sounds like ridiculous propaganda to me sounds entirely righteous to them?
Of course, this issue gets messed around from black and white into gray mud when considering that the west, certainly the USA, does indeed interfere with Red China's affairs. If only the USA were pristine, innocent and well meaning in their affairs with the rest of the world. But we're not. The USA, unfortunately, is home to some of the most exploitative and self-destructive power brokers in the world. Toss in the political lunacy perpetrated by the Neo-Con-Jobs in the USA since 1997 and it's not so hard to understand why thoughtful people view the intentions of the USA with skepticism.
Therefore, I end my brain twisting essay by pointing out that we have two corrupt and dishonest powers attacking each other on many fronts. History teaches that this is what humanity does in general. Both sides are enemies of sanity when they play manipulation games against each other. As individuals we can only take what means the most to us and express it to others. In my case, I have no way of knowing all the dirt pulled on China by the USA. But it is blatant what China has pulled on the USA and what they pull on their own citizens regarding human rights, particularly their rights to privacy and free speech. Don't consider me any fanatic of USA skullduggery. However, consider me at odds with the foolish and paranoid government in Red China attempting to lie about their persistent 'Technology War' against the rest of the world.
Here are a couples sites where you can keep track of Red China's computer crimes:
China Digital Times
The Dark Visitor
And of course, here is a counter-perspective site that follows western crimes against Red China. Use a translation site, such as Babel Fish or Google Language Tools, for reading.
Anti-CNN.com, Access China Communication Network
If you're into understanding the human frailty I call Deceptive Truth, try reconciling the information provided by these three websites. Bring aspirin. Better yet...
If you're really into a challenge, make your head explode by watching the disturbing video of a nice little Red Chinese kid reciting the propaganda line fed to the populace about how Tibet really is part of China, come visit and see. "China has done nothing wrong." And so forth. (o_0)
'STOP ATTACKING CHINA.2008 CHINA STAND UP!'
We never know everything about anything. This little kid lives with reality distortion and so do the rest of us. All we can do is make choices that help us gain enough perspective to think outside the boxes we are handed. We struggle to find sanity in the midst of a cacophony of confusion and delusion.
"We will stand up and hold together always as one family in harmony!"
It could happen. But I believe we have better success focusing on oneness and harmony within our individual selves. That's hard enough to accomplish in one lifetime. Then let The Reverse Golden Rule naturally follow from there. One's behavior toward others is an expression of one's behavior toward one's self.
--
As a citizen of the USA, I have my personal perspective about the ongoing debacle with China. My thoughts on the matter go like this:Gotta love how Red China has learned western ways. This week they're using a propaganda trick right out of the Neo-Con-Job book. And it's my favorite! When someone accuses you of a sleazy move, take their words and turn them right back on them, pretending with a straight face that it is actually you that are the accuser and they the guilty. If that sounds entirely pathological, you get a *DING* and a gold star. ;-)
Here is the story of deceit that got me all riled up today:
China slams US criticism of Internet controls
Let me very briefly and simplistically set the scene. The story by now is very old, 12 years old to be precise. I've told it many times across the net as have plenty of others. So if you've heard it before, you're excused from class.
1998: US President Clinton and the US Congress provide Red China, aka 'Mainland China', aka 'Communist China', aka 'People's Republic of China', with Most Favored Nation status. It is the culmination of over two decades of courting the Red Chinese government to open up China once again to the west for trade and biznizz (my spelling of 'business' whenever something childish, primitive or self-destructive is afoot).
That same year, immediately after Most Favored Nation status was acquired, the Red Chinese government reached out to their computer hacker community and encouraged them financially to form what became the Red Hacker Alliance. You can read about the RHA HERE and HERE and HERE and HERE and HERE. Their stated goal was to prevent hacking of Red Chinese computers by foreign countries. Here is a paraphrasing of their manifesto,
'The "Alliance" which identifies itself as “a network security research organization made up of Chinese patriotic hackers,” specializes in network security, “patriotic hacker training,” and software development, according to the group's Internet site.'However, their activities evolved such that their purpose served to perpetuate Red China's paranoia, as expressed through their requirement of subverting all rights of privacy, across the entire planet.
[The timeline table above is from the original online version of 'Evolution of the Red Hacker Alliance'.]
Meanwhile, the Red Chinese government have been discovered soliciting hackers at US universities. A secret Red Chinese government memo was also discovered a few years ago that explicitly declared a 'Technology War' against the USA.
Mankind can be so strange. Humans require a sense of security and safety. Here we see that requirement taken to an extreme expression of selfishness and self-destruction. Again we have the simple equasion that one's behavior toward others is an expression of one's behavior toward one's self.
The US government, in their incompetence, their fear of looking foolish, as well as their need to feel safe behind a mask of perceived security, didn't acknowledge the actions of the Red Hacker Alliance until circa 2007. This was despite the fact that the RHA had blatantly and admittedly attacked hundreds of US websites, including the White House and the US Navy, in 2001. That's six years of public denial. The mind boggles. Among the proven hacks by the RHA have been the Bot zombieing of numerous US federal computers such that all and any data posted to them, banal or top secret, was sent directly to computers of RHA members in Red China.
(Hmm, I forget. What is supposed to be the purpose of the NSA?)
Meanwhile, many Internet companies capitulated to Red China's censorship 'laws' in an effort to profit from their huge population. The first serious protest against Red China's totalitarian tactics was made by Google this past week in the aftermath of their discovery of Red China's hacking into the Gmail accounts of anti-Red China dissidents. After reading these private email messages, their contents were used to prosecute the dissidents as enemies of the state, leading to jail time and execution. The hack was performed via yet-another security flaw in Microsoft Internet Explorer. (A patch for the IE security flaw was posted this past Thursday). Bravo Google for fighting both hacking and censorship, finally living up to your motto of 'Don't Be Evil'.
PERSPECTIVES:
Here we are in the USA, bizy giving the citizen rights of free speech to corporations while China refuses to extend to any citizen the simple right of privacy. There is no such thing as freedom of speech or freedom of thought or freedom of choice in Red China. Red China is the world of the book 1984 by George Orwell. THE PARTY is watching you. It's the SOS that inspired the Cold War. And yet, looking at the situation from inside the head of a Red Chinese citizen can frazzle your mind. They believe they're fighting for 'freedom'!
"For we love China, our motherland! We love Freedom!"To get perspective from within Red China, have a look at a grab of the short film "2008 !China Stand Up!". It was created by Tang Lie, a Red Chinese citizen, in response to western media condemning Red Chinese aggression against Free Tibet protestors. It extols the views of Mao, rants at western imperialist subversion of the Red China economy (despite the fact that selling products to the west is the basis of the modern Red Chinese economy), and blames the Dalai Lama for violent protests against Red China's own imperialist occupation of Tibet. Here is a quote from the video using what I call 'reverse propaganda':
"And they lie, they lie, lie...again and again!"The liars lie about their country's lies. Or do they? What if these people believe what they're saying? What if what sounds like ridiculous propaganda to me sounds entirely righteous to them?
Of course, this issue gets messed around from black and white into gray mud when considering that the west, certainly the USA, does indeed interfere with Red China's affairs. If only the USA were pristine, innocent and well meaning in their affairs with the rest of the world. But we're not. The USA, unfortunately, is home to some of the most exploitative and self-destructive power brokers in the world. Toss in the political lunacy perpetrated by the Neo-Con-Jobs in the USA since 1997 and it's not so hard to understand why thoughtful people view the intentions of the USA with skepticism.
Therefore, I end my brain twisting essay by pointing out that we have two corrupt and dishonest powers attacking each other on many fronts. History teaches that this is what humanity does in general. Both sides are enemies of sanity when they play manipulation games against each other. As individuals we can only take what means the most to us and express it to others. In my case, I have no way of knowing all the dirt pulled on China by the USA. But it is blatant what China has pulled on the USA and what they pull on their own citizens regarding human rights, particularly their rights to privacy and free speech. Don't consider me any fanatic of USA skullduggery. However, consider me at odds with the foolish and paranoid government in Red China attempting to lie about their persistent 'Technology War' against the rest of the world.
Here are a couples sites where you can keep track of Red China's computer crimes:
China Digital Times
The Dark Visitor
And of course, here is a counter-perspective site that follows western crimes against Red China. Use a translation site, such as Babel Fish or Google Language Tools, for reading.
Anti-CNN.com, Access China Communication Network
If you're into understanding the human frailty I call Deceptive Truth, try reconciling the information provided by these three websites. Bring aspirin. Better yet...
If you're really into a challenge, make your head explode by watching the disturbing video of a nice little Red Chinese kid reciting the propaganda line fed to the populace about how Tibet really is part of China, come visit and see. "China has done nothing wrong." And so forth. (o_0)
'STOP ATTACKING CHINA.2008 CHINA STAND UP!'
We never know everything about anything. This little kid lives with reality distortion and so do the rest of us. All we can do is make choices that help us gain enough perspective to think outside the boxes we are handed. We struggle to find sanity in the midst of a cacophony of confusion and delusion.
"We will stand up and hold together always as one family in harmony!"It could happen. But I believe we have better success focusing on oneness and harmony within our individual selves. That's hard enough to accomplish in one lifetime. Then let The Reverse Golden Rule naturally follow from there. One's behavior toward others is an expression of one's behavior toward one's self.
--
FOD: Oligarchy Day in the USA:
Democracy Demented
--
Today, 2010-01-22, the US Supreme Court specifically gave CORPORATIONS full citizen level FREEDOM OF SPEECH.
There is a lot to say about this day and I'm going to provide background and opinion about past, present and future. At the moment there is a lot of drama, understatement, overstatement, hubris, BS, FUD and sane analysis all messed in together in the media. Once the shock and awe of this catastrophe settles down, a full analysis will be in order.
As you would expect, January's Festival of Deceit Award goes to The Neo-Con-Job members of the US Supreme Court. Congratulations.
--
Today, 2010-01-22, the US Supreme Court specifically gave CORPORATIONS full citizen level FREEDOM OF SPEECH.
There is a lot to say about this day and I'm going to provide background and opinion about past, present and future. At the moment there is a lot of drama, understatement, overstatement, hubris, BS, FUD and sane analysis all messed in together in the media. Once the shock and awe of this catastrophe settles down, a full analysis will be in order.
As you would expect, January's Festival of Deceit Award goes to The Neo-Con-Job members of the US Supreme Court. Congratulations.
--
Sunday, January 03, 2010
The Angst Theory of Creativity, Applied Examples
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This post is an introduction to a theory about one of my favorite subjects, creativity. It's going to be a bit out of context and clunky. I'm lifting it out of what was essentially a conversation. But I like it as an improvisation on the theme. Let me attempt to set the situation:
Over at MacDailyNews.com this past week we had been jabbering about a bizarro rumor that General Motors is considering Tim Cook of Apple for the position of CEO. (Good luck with that GM. Not gonna happen.) One of the members at MDN had not understood my concept of what should happen to GM before Tim Cook might give the idea a second glance. In a series of three replies I wrote him back what I have posted below. It gives a reasonable applied summary of how I view the capitalist company life cycle as well as how I view governments and similar political organizations. Some graphics, including a couple I tossed together as elaborative efforts, are included. Enjoy!
:-Derek
--
This post is an introduction to a theory about one of my favorite subjects, creativity. It's going to be a bit out of context and clunky. I'm lifting it out of what was essentially a conversation. But I like it as an improvisation on the theme. Let me attempt to set the situation:
Over at MacDailyNews.com this past week we had been jabbering about a bizarro rumor that General Motors is considering Tim Cook of Apple for the position of CEO. (Good luck with that GM. Not gonna happen.) One of the members at MDN had not understood my concept of what should happen to GM before Tim Cook might give the idea a second glance. In a series of three replies I wrote him back what I have posted below. It gives a reasonable applied summary of how I view the capitalist company life cycle as well as how I view governments and similar political organizations. Some graphics, including a couple I tossed together as elaborative efforts, are included. Enjoy!:-Derek
Jan 03, 10 - 07:49 pm Comment from: derekcurrie©2010 Derek Currie
G4Dualie sez to me: "Who do you imagine is the person(s) to bring about this miraculous change to GM before Cook gives that idea a look over?"
I think you need to read what I wrote again please.
Elaboration of my point: GM is a walking corpse.For over 30 years they outright REFUSED to catch up with the international auto business. AFAIAC they have been in the pocket of Big Oil. Anything to sell more gasoline. That meant essentially:
(1) Buy and Bury all the patents for significantly improving fuel efficiency.
(2) Sell as many gigantic oil guzzling cars as possible via marketing methods and subterfuge injected into the US car culture making smaller, fuel efficient cars seem unAmerican, flimsy and dangerous, despite the fact that the rest of the world uses them with great success.
(3) Act all concerned about becoming modern to the public, solicit ideas, ignore the public, claim to have modernized, sell the SOS to the suckers.
GM killed off innovation motivation inside their own company. If they finally, 30 years too late, figured out how to actually be a modern car company, it would be IMHO a frickin' MIRACLE.
Conclusion:
(A) GM must go bankrupt and break up the company.
(B) Out of the wreckage, an actually innovative entrepreneur could grab up pieces of what USED TO BE GM, and use them as part of a NEW car company. THEN I could see Tim Cook being interested.
New companies are required to be innovation driven. They can start their work culture from scratch. Those that don't fit the positive work culture are not hired. That 'locks out' the self-destructive GM workforce dumdums from sabotaging the new company. Instead they can collect unemployment then go flip burgers for a living.
Do you get the concept now?
Marketing driven companies, such as GM, that have permanently lost the ability to innovate, will die. The sooner the better. Only then can a phoenix rise from the wreckage as a viable, modern company of benefit to the market. This is an ancient cycle, older than human history. You can go back to basic, instinctive concepts of human sharing and understand how this applies. Steve Jobs himself has spoken about how this works, which is one reason he is such a stubborn bastard at Apple when it comes to breaking old molds, smashing the box and boldly going where no one has gone before.
It all fits into what I call 'The Angst Theory of Creativity'. As I put it:
The Muse is not impressed with comfort.
. . .
Jan 03, 10 - 08:06 pm Comment from: derekcurrie
... And no, I have no idea what entrepreneur could make a silk purse out of the sow's ear of the bankrupt, sold off wreckage of GM. You maybe? It could be no one. That happens too.
Happily there is already great competition in the car marketplace. I've owned Toyota and Subaru cars. Love them. My ex loves her Hondas. Sorry they're not American made. Neither is Apple hardware these days. Quality wins in any healthy marketplace. Thankfully all of the above are quality.
And no, I don't consider the computer community to be particularly healthy considering the domination of crapware, such as Microsoft. We are still in The Computer Stone Age. Think of it as a Dark Age where dumbass aristocraps get to tell you what to do, like fall on your sword for the sake of the divine king. Think of Apple as analogous to the USA telling King George to go f*ck himself, establishing a golden age.
Extrapolating into the futurist abstract: Then think of the Neo-Con-Jobs as the marketing morons who infiltrated the company and destroyed its Innovation Incentive, creating a self-destructive work culture of bumbling idiots incessantly undermining each other with lies and bullsh*t, getting nothing of any importance accomplished. Think of the current USA as GM.
Get the picture?
The nexus: Either GM (USA) gets an entrepreneur (innovator) to kick the company (country) into competition/collaboration mode, or the company (country) should go bankrupt ASAP and let something angst driven (creative) replace it.
Such is my Positive Anarchist philosophy.
;-)
. . .
Jan 03, 10 - 08:18 pm Comment from: derekcurrie
... Where I developed and watched my Angst Theory first hand: Eastman Kodak. It's a textbook case.
OK, OK! I'll shutup now.
--
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