A key difference between metals and dielectrics like glass and clear fluids is a difference in the way the molecules hold onto their electrical charge carriers called electrons that make up most of the molecule's volume. In metals, some of the electrons from each atom (or molecule) can move freely about in the bulk material. This is also the reason that metals make such good electrical conductors. Light waves differ from radio waves only in degree, not in type. Incoming light waves cause these electrons to vibrate strongly in such a way that they generate an electromagnetic field that opposes the entering light. Most of this energy is then used to regenerate a field in a different direction that appears as reflected light. Almost all of the light is reflected; only a small amount is absorbed and a negligible amount is transmitted unless the metal is very thin, e.g., gold leaf or a partially silvered mirror.
On the other hand, the molecules in a dielectric material hold onto its electrons tightly, which greatly restricts the electrons' ability to vibrate or otherwise interact with the incoming field. Most of the incoming light therefore goes into the bulk material, with only a small portion being reflected at the surface. That proportion being reflected depends not only on the incoming light's frequency and direction but also on the direction (polarization) the incoming light is vibrating. At a certain angle called Brewster's angle that depends on the electrical properties of both materials - both the stuff that the light is entering and that which it is leaving - all of the light that vibrates perpendicular to the surface of the material enters the bulk material and none of it is reflected. The light vibrating parallel to the surface has no such restriction, so all the light reflected from such an incident beam is polarized perpendicular to the reflecting surface. Because this reflected light is polarized, it can be blocked by a polarizing filter on the camera lens oriented perpendicular to the plane of polarization of the reflected light.
The angle at which the polarization is closely related to the relative speeds that light propagates through the two substances. The index of refraction of a substance is the inverse of the speed that light propagates through that substance. The index of refraction is almost but not quite independent on the frequency of light. Water has an index of refraction of 1.33 or about 4/3, so light propagates through water at about 3/4 the speed it would propagate through air (or vacuum). Brewster's angle for water is 53 degrees from normal (perpendicular) incidence. Window glass typically has a refractive index of about 1.5 and has a Brewster's angle of a bit more than 56 degrees. Even exotic glass selected for its high index of refraction seldom goes much above 1.9, with a Brewster's angle of about 62 degrees. With the possible exception of diamonds (n = 2.42, Brewster's angle of 67-1/2 degrees) you will seldom encounter a material that you would want to suppress reflection on that is outside this range.
For ordinary photographic purposes, you can get a decent level of attenuation of the reflected light if you get reasonably close to Brewster's angle, but this polarizing phenomenon is of little help to you if the offending reflections are grazing off the surface at nearly 90 degrees to the normal - typical of sunsets over water - or from surfaces nearly perpendicular to your camera's optical axis, such as straight-on at a polished marble wall. However, if all of your light comes from your studio equipment, you can mount polarizers on all of your studio lights as well as the camera's lens. That way, you don't have to depend on the surface polarization effect to kill offending glare.
The common angle of 45 degrees is close enough to Brewster's angle for optical components to make the reflective properties of these components annoyingly dependent on the incoming light's amount and direction of polarization. A circular polarizer is therefore necessary for cameras with such components. A circular polarizer has a regular linear polarizer on the side facing the incoming light but in addition has an extra element called a quarter wave plate mounted to the back. The quarter wave plate changes the polarized light coming through in such a way that, although the light is still polarized, a linear polarizing element will react to this light in much the same way as it would react to unpolarized light. This removes the dependency of subsequent elements on the way the incoming light is polarized.
You can also use the way a circular polarizer is constructed to tell it from an ordinary linear polarizer. The linear polarizer will extinguish glare regardless of which surface faces the subject, but the circular polarizer will extinguish glare only if it is mounted in the conventional way.
Friday, May 28, 2010
80-20 Rule
This rule, as you know, says that 80% of our time is wasted, while 20% of our time actually accomplishes ?80% of our tasks. Or close to that!
But it works in other areas too. 80% of what we think is erroneous as it is based on misinformation mainly from out of date theories and science. Of the 20% that is correct, we disbelieve 80% of it, for the same reasons.
It requires effort to get it right and trawling the web and reflecting helps a lot!
(You do know that 80% of the WWW is deliberate misinformation, don't you?)
But it works in other areas too. 80% of what we think is erroneous as it is based on misinformation mainly from out of date theories and science. Of the 20% that is correct, we disbelieve 80% of it, for the same reasons.
It requires effort to get it right and trawling the web and reflecting helps a lot!
(You do know that 80% of the WWW is deliberate misinformation, don't you?)
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Corporate Theory
It is the lot of Law lecturers to liken Company Law to the human body. Sometimes that is more true than they understand.
The analysis of how the human species should organize itself has occupied enquiring minds for some time. Having survived cosmic bombardment, we know what the sky can bring and must organize to be efficient and to survive for as long as possible in an immensely awful universe.
Viewed thus, the idea that what does not destroy humanity merely makes it stronger, acquires new force. We need more theories and hypotheses from all quarters in order to deal with the dilemmas presented by our existence.
Do we restrain limited, supervised genetic engineering of humans, in order to survive likely circumstances facing us in the event of an ELE? No is the obvious answer. Do we need to alert people or even obtain their consent? There is less justification for the same answer, but the justification of survival of the species demands any and every exploration of potential use.
The analysis of how the human species should organize itself has occupied enquiring minds for some time. Having survived cosmic bombardment, we know what the sky can bring and must organize to be efficient and to survive for as long as possible in an immensely awful universe.
Viewed thus, the idea that what does not destroy humanity merely makes it stronger, acquires new force. We need more theories and hypotheses from all quarters in order to deal with the dilemmas presented by our existence.
Do we restrain limited, supervised genetic engineering of humans, in order to survive likely circumstances facing us in the event of an ELE? No is the obvious answer. Do we need to alert people or even obtain their consent? There is less justification for the same answer, but the justification of survival of the species demands any and every exploration of potential use.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
The Shepherds
To secure a pure herd it may be necessary to tackle the wolves that always prey on the herd. This may alarm the herd, but by carefully assessing the results of the killing of the wolves, the main crop may be assured that those who soar overhead are truly protecting the crop and that not all wolves in sheeps clothing are enemies. The difference between the two types of wolf is that one is tamed and is capable of discipline even in killing.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
A passionate Advocate
I apologize for stridency, but I continue to be passionate about the issues involved. I hope how I say, what I say, does not obscure my analysis.
Has the Earth ever tilted so that it flipped nearly completely over?
http://www.grazian-archive.net/quantavolution/vol_04/lately_tortured_earth_04.htm
Could the Earth have even turned over completely without interrupting (interrupting very little) its spin or its magnetic field? The geographic poles would be reversed, and along with them the magnetic field. The Earth could not perform such a movement without an external assist, whether from an upsetting explosion of gases from the Sun or from the attraction or repulsion of a large passing body.
According to Warlow, who has however been challenged by Slabinski, the transaction could be relatively delicate; it would amount to the drawing of a force along the Earth's path that would cause it to tip over while containing its spin, in the manner of a tippe-top, a toy that is weighed on top and set to spinning on the board; the top turns completely over continuing to spin all the while in the same direction, North becomes South and East becomes West [8] . The motion performed is technically a fast precession.
A moment's reflection will rid us of any notion that the action would be harmless. The atmosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere would be agitated and produce effects that by any measures would have to be called quantavolutionary. For instance, it appears most likely that the widespread sudden destruction throughout the northern regions of the mammoths and other large mammals occurred in conjunction with a tilt of the Earth's axis in the presence of the exoterrestrial entity causing the tilt. We can say this because a sudden deep vacuum freeze, asphyxiation, thrusting of masses of gravel and bones, and permanent cold ever thereafter, such that the animals are sometimes found still fleshed-out and diagnosed in certain cases as heart-failures or with blood-clotted lungs, must indicate a holospheric event comprising an atmospheric and aquatic withdrawal, the descent of an extreme coldness, and upon the passing of the body, returning tides of water and wind to accomplish quick burial under muck, ice and tundra.
Could the Earth have even turned over completely without interrupting (interrupting very little) its spin or its magnetic field? The geographic poles would be reversed, and along with them the magnetic field. The Earth could not perform such a movement without an external assist, whether from an upsetting explosion of gases from the Sun or from the attraction or repulsion of a large passing body.
According to Warlow, who has however been challenged by Slabinski, the transaction could be relatively delicate; it would amount to the drawing of a force along the Earth's path that would cause it to tip over while containing its spin, in the manner of a tippe-top, a toy that is weighed on top and set to spinning on the board; the top turns completely over continuing to spin all the while in the same direction, North becomes South and East becomes West [8] . The motion performed is technically a fast precession.
A moment's reflection will rid us of any notion that the action would be harmless. The atmosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere would be agitated and produce effects that by any measures would have to be called quantavolutionary. For instance, it appears most likely that the widespread sudden destruction throughout the northern regions of the mammoths and other large mammals occurred in conjunction with a tilt of the Earth's axis in the presence of the exoterrestrial entity causing the tilt. We can say this because a sudden deep vacuum freeze, asphyxiation, thrusting of masses of gravel and bones, and permanent cold ever thereafter, such that the animals are sometimes found still fleshed-out and diagnosed in certain cases as heart-failures or with blood-clotted lungs, must indicate a holospheric event comprising an atmospheric and aquatic withdrawal, the descent of an extreme coldness, and upon the passing of the body, returning tides of water and wind to accomplish quick burial under muck, ice and tundra.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
National fiscal rules: See Irisheconomy.ie
"Capitalism means free enterprise, sovereignty of the consumers in economic matters, and sovereignty of the voters in political matters. Socialism means full government control of every sphere of the individual's life and the unrestricted supremacy of the government in its capacity as central board of production management."
Ludwig von Mises (1881-1973)
When we borrow we take from the future all growth and bring it into the now. If we do it too much, we crowd out sense and the investments we make are bad in that they may return less than was borrowed. So we must find new investments to make up the loss and create more growth. When we cannot, it is a depression and we must pay off the interest and the loss out of a period of no growth or even contraction.
When borrowing happens too widely it can artificially inflate costs of investments such that no return is possible, even if the investment would have had a high rate of return. Our children have to pay too as their needs are subordinated to those of the debt. Even if fiat currency is printed to large amounts it will not suffice as there is no longer any velocity of money and it is unused or causes inflation. The wealth of the nation reduces as the traders increase their demands for devalued fiat currency. Those who lent to the government trusting that they would be repaid, find that their savings disappear as the value is lost to inflation. Hence the further destruction of capital caused by borrowing too much. Do not lend to the borrowers, it only encourages them! They will repay in full, but with money in the future which will be worth maybe half of what was lent! Capital tries to seek an investment but finds only those things that cannot be destroyed by the socialist government. Gold, silver and commodities.
National fiscal rules therefore should prohibit private and public borrowing as a proportion of the GNP, for Ireland. What perecentage? What degree of increase, if any? Only if a worthwhile investment is available! Who judges that? This will not get off the ground while banking and "OPM investment" exist as a means of stealing from the feeble. Too much to be lost!
Ludwig von Mises (1881-1973)
When we borrow we take from the future all growth and bring it into the now. If we do it too much, we crowd out sense and the investments we make are bad in that they may return less than was borrowed. So we must find new investments to make up the loss and create more growth. When we cannot, it is a depression and we must pay off the interest and the loss out of a period of no growth or even contraction.
When borrowing happens too widely it can artificially inflate costs of investments such that no return is possible, even if the investment would have had a high rate of return. Our children have to pay too as their needs are subordinated to those of the debt. Even if fiat currency is printed to large amounts it will not suffice as there is no longer any velocity of money and it is unused or causes inflation. The wealth of the nation reduces as the traders increase their demands for devalued fiat currency. Those who lent to the government trusting that they would be repaid, find that their savings disappear as the value is lost to inflation. Hence the further destruction of capital caused by borrowing too much. Do not lend to the borrowers, it only encourages them! They will repay in full, but with money in the future which will be worth maybe half of what was lent! Capital tries to seek an investment but finds only those things that cannot be destroyed by the socialist government. Gold, silver and commodities.
National fiscal rules therefore should prohibit private and public borrowing as a proportion of the GNP, for Ireland. What perecentage? What degree of increase, if any? Only if a worthwhile investment is available! Who judges that? This will not get off the ground while banking and "OPM investment" exist as a means of stealing from the feeble. Too much to be lost!
Key to a Good Memory: Predict What You Need to Remember
By LiveScience Staff
Greater activation in the medial temporal lobe (MTL on the left) makes it more likely that a fact will actually be remembered. Greater activation in left ventral prefrontal cortex (on the right) corresponds to subjective prediction that a fact will be remembered ("judgment of learning"). Credit: MIT
Greater activation in the medial temporal lobe (MTL on the left) makes it more likely that a fact will actually be remembered. Greater activation in left ventral prefrontal cortex (on the right) corresponds to subjective prediction that a fact will be remembered ("judgment of learning"). Credit: MIT
It's one thing to stuff a lot of facts into your brain. Marking them as important is a whole other talent.
Yet this predictive ability is a key to having a good memory, a new brain-imaging study suggests.
While one part of the brain was very active when study subjects were memorizing something, a separate area lit up when they were predicting if they'd need to recall the information later, the images revealed.
Predicting is an important part of successful learning because it allows us to judge whether we've studied enough or need to review more, explained lead researcher John Gabrieli of MIT.
"We've known through psychological studies that the brain performs these two functions, encoding the memory and predicting whether the information will be later recalled,"Gabrieli said. "This is our first insight into the different brain mechanisms for memory and prediction, what psychologists call judgments of learning."
The memory encoding region lies in the medial temporal lobe (MTL) near the ear. The predicting region lies in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (VMPFC) above the eyes. The two regions communicate with each other, the researchers say.
Room for improvement
In essence, Gabrieli and his colleagues say, the mind seems to monitor the brain, telling you if you need to review some information again or if you know it cold.
Writing in the December issue of the journal Nature Neuroscience, Gabrieli and colleagues conclude that people who make more accurate prediction are better learners. Some people can intuitively judge their own memory, the scientists say, while others must learn the skill.
Learning more about the mechanics of this introspection might help people become better learners, Gabrieli said.
Greater activation in the medial temporal lobe (MTL on the left) makes it more likely that a fact will actually be remembered. Greater activation in left ventral prefrontal cortex (on the right) corresponds to subjective prediction that a fact will be remembered ("judgment of learning"). Credit: MIT
Greater activation in the medial temporal lobe (MTL on the left) makes it more likely that a fact will actually be remembered. Greater activation in left ventral prefrontal cortex (on the right) corresponds to subjective prediction that a fact will be remembered ("judgment of learning"). Credit: MIT
It's one thing to stuff a lot of facts into your brain. Marking them as important is a whole other talent.
Yet this predictive ability is a key to having a good memory, a new brain-imaging study suggests.
While one part of the brain was very active when study subjects were memorizing something, a separate area lit up when they were predicting if they'd need to recall the information later, the images revealed.
Predicting is an important part of successful learning because it allows us to judge whether we've studied enough or need to review more, explained lead researcher John Gabrieli of MIT.
"We've known through psychological studies that the brain performs these two functions, encoding the memory and predicting whether the information will be later recalled,"Gabrieli said. "This is our first insight into the different brain mechanisms for memory and prediction, what psychologists call judgments of learning."
The memory encoding region lies in the medial temporal lobe (MTL) near the ear. The predicting region lies in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (VMPFC) above the eyes. The two regions communicate with each other, the researchers say.
Room for improvement
In essence, Gabrieli and his colleagues say, the mind seems to monitor the brain, telling you if you need to review some information again or if you know it cold.
Writing in the December issue of the journal Nature Neuroscience, Gabrieli and colleagues conclude that people who make more accurate prediction are better learners. Some people can intuitively judge their own memory, the scientists say, while others must learn the skill.
Learning more about the mechanics of this introspection might help people become better learners, Gabrieli said.
The Psychic Shield And The Power Of Now
By Michael Goodspeed
Thunderbolts.info
4-4-5
Most medical doctors are more adept at treating an illness' symptoms than identifying and conquering its root cause. If a patient has strep throat, a doctor will prescribe antibiotics, and the symptoms will usually dissipate. But it is unlikely that the doctor will explore in depth why the person became sick in the first place. The patient might be "cured" of the strep throat, but he is still suffering from a compromised immune system. He had step throat yesterday, and tomorrow he'll have cancer.
This narrow field of vision also affects many in the field of self-help. Countless books have been written about the road to recovery from addiction and neurosis, but like the medical doctor who only sees the symptoms of a sickness, most of these authors do not identify the taproot of dysfunction. Even the 12-step program may be lacking in this regard. Participants are told to embrace a Higher Power, but they may be left to wonder, "Where is this Higher Power? How do I find it?"
But what if it is possible to identify a single taproot of all human suffering? Could we cut it out like a tumor and make ourselves well? Because the mind is a complex tapestry, the very notion seems naïve and simplistic.
Simplistic or not, one author not only succeeds in finding this taproot, but hands the reader an axe and instructs him to swing. The name of the author is Eckhart Tolle, and the book is titled, "The Power of Now." I've plowed through countless spiritual, new age, and mainstream therapeutic guides to self-improvement, but Tolle's words resonate with more fundamental truth than anything else I've read.
As its title suggests, "...Now" explores the transformative effects of living in the present moment. Tolle comments that the vast majority of humanity is ruled by the egoic, obsessive-thinking mind, which keeps us forever brooding over the past, and projecting into the future. The capacity for "higher" thought distinguishes mankind from every other species on Earth, but according to Tolle, it also keeps us in bondage with suffering. Tolle refers to compulsive thinking as an "addiction" and "disease," and states that the road to good mental health can only be found by "disidentifying with the mind."
Tolle draws a clear delineation between the terms "mind" and "consciousness." Although we are taught to believe that the mind is a necessary tool to function in the world, Tolle argues that mind dominance leads to compulsive thinking, i.e. a racing mind that continuously makes problems where none exist. The mind (according to Tolle) is a creation and tool of the ego, and in order to survive, it must convince its owner that the present moment is inadequate - that happiness can only be found in some elusive future reward. Consciousness, however, is not only superior to mind in creativity, but does not live in resistance of the present moment. Tolle writes, "Enlightenment means rising above thought, not falling back to a level below thought, the level of an animal or a plant. In the enlightened state, you still use your thinking mind when needed, but in a much more effective and focused way than before...No-mind is consciousness without thought."
Tolle explains that the mind creates a false and limited self - the ego -- that derives its (illusory) strength entirely from its external life situation, or life story. This of course creates tremendous inner conflict, as a person's "happiness" is subject to the inevitable rollercoaster of life's "ups" and "downs." The false self (ego) is incapable of living in the present moment, always believing that happiness lies in some external reward, which only exists in the future.
Resistance to the present moment creates what Tolle calls "psychological time." And Tolle argues that our "addiction" to time is perhaps the greatest plague our species has ever known. He writes, "You will not have any doubt that psychological time is a mental disease if you look at its collective manifestations. They occur, for example, in the form of ideologies such as communism, national socialism or any nationalism, or rigid religious belief systems, which operate under the implicit assumption that the highest good lies in the future and that therefore the end justifies the means...Not infrequently, the means of getting there are the enslavement, torture, and murder of people in the present...This is a chilling example of how belief in a future heaven creates a present hell."
According to Tolle, one benefit that comes from living in the present moment is that it empowers you to not be overwhelmed when things inevitably go wrong. He even goes so far as to state, "All problems are illusions of the mind." The reader is invited to participate in a very powerful exercise, where Tolle instructs, "Focus your attention on the Now and tell me what problem you have at this moment." I've done this several times, and never once have I discovered a problem.
Tolle elaborates, "...it is impossible to have a problem when your attention is fully in the Now. A situation that needs to be either dealt with or accepted - yes. Why make it into a problem?...The mind unconsciously loves problems, because they give you an identity of sorts. This is normal, and it is also insane."
Tolle attempts to give the reader the tools to be fully connected with the present moment. This includes simple exercises such as closing one's eyes, and observing the first thought that comes to mind. This constant reminder to silence the mind and live in the Now may seem overly simplistic, but as Tolle explains, egoic mind can never really be understood. Therapists spend years dredging up and analyzing their patients' pasts, but Tolle tells us to "die to the past" in every moment.
If there is a fundamental key to becoming present, according to Tolle, it is the act of surrender. The term surrender, in the minds of many people, has a negative connotation, meaning "resignation." But in the context of becoming more present, it is an act of courage -- to stop living in denial of what IS. Tolle writes, "Surrender is the simple but profound wisdom of yielding to rather than opposing the flow of life. The only place where you can experience the flow of life is in the Now, so to surrender is to accept the present moment unconditionally and without reservation...If you find your life situation unsatisfactory or even intolerable, it is only by surrendering first that you can break the unconscious resistance pattern that perpetuates that situation."
Although Tolle's words are timeless and cross boundaries of culture, race, and religion, I believe that the Power of Now has exceptional relevance for people living in 21st century America. It happens that the United States is home to more sociopathic and self-destructive pathologies than any other country in the world. The U.S. has born and raised 76% of the world's serial killers, even though we hold just 3% of the world's population; we sport the highest rate of childhood murders and suicides among the world's 26 wealthiest nations; the highest rate of obesity of any nation in the world; the highest incidence of the eating disorder anorexia; the highest rate of adolescent drug use of any industrialized nation; and the highest rate of adolescent pregnancy in the Western world.
In my opinion, serial killers, anorexics, drug addicts, suicide victims, etc., have one thing in common - they all identify excessively with mind. They live in constant resistance of the present moment, choosing to contract inward and create a false sense of self from intense fantasy worlds. Many serial killers have confessed that they value their private thoughts more than they value reality. So no serial killer - or anyone who does violence to another - has ever been truly connected to the Now.
The false self (ego) is actively bred and cultivated by the American culture. Competition - the key tenet of every aspect of our society - is driven by the belief that happiness can only be found in some future reward (victory). Even the exalted "American Dream" is based on a lie - that the future is more powerful than the present.
To be fully conscious in the present moment is to create a "psychic shield" against all attempts at manipulation by those in power - media, government, religion, and corporations. Indeed, YOU can't be manipulated at all - only your THOUGHTS can. When you disidentify with the mind, you become the OBSERVER of your thoughts, and they no longer have the power to overwhelm you. No attempt to trigger anger, despair, depression, or hatred will be successful if you have discovered the power of the Now.
Thunderbolts.info
4-4-5
Most medical doctors are more adept at treating an illness' symptoms than identifying and conquering its root cause. If a patient has strep throat, a doctor will prescribe antibiotics, and the symptoms will usually dissipate. But it is unlikely that the doctor will explore in depth why the person became sick in the first place. The patient might be "cured" of the strep throat, but he is still suffering from a compromised immune system. He had step throat yesterday, and tomorrow he'll have cancer.
This narrow field of vision also affects many in the field of self-help. Countless books have been written about the road to recovery from addiction and neurosis, but like the medical doctor who only sees the symptoms of a sickness, most of these authors do not identify the taproot of dysfunction. Even the 12-step program may be lacking in this regard. Participants are told to embrace a Higher Power, but they may be left to wonder, "Where is this Higher Power? How do I find it?"
But what if it is possible to identify a single taproot of all human suffering? Could we cut it out like a tumor and make ourselves well? Because the mind is a complex tapestry, the very notion seems naïve and simplistic.
Simplistic or not, one author not only succeeds in finding this taproot, but hands the reader an axe and instructs him to swing. The name of the author is Eckhart Tolle, and the book is titled, "The Power of Now." I've plowed through countless spiritual, new age, and mainstream therapeutic guides to self-improvement, but Tolle's words resonate with more fundamental truth than anything else I've read.
As its title suggests, "...Now" explores the transformative effects of living in the present moment. Tolle comments that the vast majority of humanity is ruled by the egoic, obsessive-thinking mind, which keeps us forever brooding over the past, and projecting into the future. The capacity for "higher" thought distinguishes mankind from every other species on Earth, but according to Tolle, it also keeps us in bondage with suffering. Tolle refers to compulsive thinking as an "addiction" and "disease," and states that the road to good mental health can only be found by "disidentifying with the mind."
Tolle draws a clear delineation between the terms "mind" and "consciousness." Although we are taught to believe that the mind is a necessary tool to function in the world, Tolle argues that mind dominance leads to compulsive thinking, i.e. a racing mind that continuously makes problems where none exist. The mind (according to Tolle) is a creation and tool of the ego, and in order to survive, it must convince its owner that the present moment is inadequate - that happiness can only be found in some elusive future reward. Consciousness, however, is not only superior to mind in creativity, but does not live in resistance of the present moment. Tolle writes, "Enlightenment means rising above thought, not falling back to a level below thought, the level of an animal or a plant. In the enlightened state, you still use your thinking mind when needed, but in a much more effective and focused way than before...No-mind is consciousness without thought."
Tolle explains that the mind creates a false and limited self - the ego -- that derives its (illusory) strength entirely from its external life situation, or life story. This of course creates tremendous inner conflict, as a person's "happiness" is subject to the inevitable rollercoaster of life's "ups" and "downs." The false self (ego) is incapable of living in the present moment, always believing that happiness lies in some external reward, which only exists in the future.
Resistance to the present moment creates what Tolle calls "psychological time." And Tolle argues that our "addiction" to time is perhaps the greatest plague our species has ever known. He writes, "You will not have any doubt that psychological time is a mental disease if you look at its collective manifestations. They occur, for example, in the form of ideologies such as communism, national socialism or any nationalism, or rigid religious belief systems, which operate under the implicit assumption that the highest good lies in the future and that therefore the end justifies the means...Not infrequently, the means of getting there are the enslavement, torture, and murder of people in the present...This is a chilling example of how belief in a future heaven creates a present hell."
According to Tolle, one benefit that comes from living in the present moment is that it empowers you to not be overwhelmed when things inevitably go wrong. He even goes so far as to state, "All problems are illusions of the mind." The reader is invited to participate in a very powerful exercise, where Tolle instructs, "Focus your attention on the Now and tell me what problem you have at this moment." I've done this several times, and never once have I discovered a problem.
Tolle elaborates, "...it is impossible to have a problem when your attention is fully in the Now. A situation that needs to be either dealt with or accepted - yes. Why make it into a problem?...The mind unconsciously loves problems, because they give you an identity of sorts. This is normal, and it is also insane."
Tolle attempts to give the reader the tools to be fully connected with the present moment. This includes simple exercises such as closing one's eyes, and observing the first thought that comes to mind. This constant reminder to silence the mind and live in the Now may seem overly simplistic, but as Tolle explains, egoic mind can never really be understood. Therapists spend years dredging up and analyzing their patients' pasts, but Tolle tells us to "die to the past" in every moment.
If there is a fundamental key to becoming present, according to Tolle, it is the act of surrender. The term surrender, in the minds of many people, has a negative connotation, meaning "resignation." But in the context of becoming more present, it is an act of courage -- to stop living in denial of what IS. Tolle writes, "Surrender is the simple but profound wisdom of yielding to rather than opposing the flow of life. The only place where you can experience the flow of life is in the Now, so to surrender is to accept the present moment unconditionally and without reservation...If you find your life situation unsatisfactory or even intolerable, it is only by surrendering first that you can break the unconscious resistance pattern that perpetuates that situation."
Although Tolle's words are timeless and cross boundaries of culture, race, and religion, I believe that the Power of Now has exceptional relevance for people living in 21st century America. It happens that the United States is home to more sociopathic and self-destructive pathologies than any other country in the world. The U.S. has born and raised 76% of the world's serial killers, even though we hold just 3% of the world's population; we sport the highest rate of childhood murders and suicides among the world's 26 wealthiest nations; the highest rate of obesity of any nation in the world; the highest incidence of the eating disorder anorexia; the highest rate of adolescent drug use of any industrialized nation; and the highest rate of adolescent pregnancy in the Western world.
In my opinion, serial killers, anorexics, drug addicts, suicide victims, etc., have one thing in common - they all identify excessively with mind. They live in constant resistance of the present moment, choosing to contract inward and create a false sense of self from intense fantasy worlds. Many serial killers have confessed that they value their private thoughts more than they value reality. So no serial killer - or anyone who does violence to another - has ever been truly connected to the Now.
The false self (ego) is actively bred and cultivated by the American culture. Competition - the key tenet of every aspect of our society - is driven by the belief that happiness can only be found in some future reward (victory). Even the exalted "American Dream" is based on a lie - that the future is more powerful than the present.
To be fully conscious in the present moment is to create a "psychic shield" against all attempts at manipulation by those in power - media, government, religion, and corporations. Indeed, YOU can't be manipulated at all - only your THOUGHTS can. When you disidentify with the mind, you become the OBSERVER of your thoughts, and they no longer have the power to overwhelm you. No attempt to trigger anger, despair, depression, or hatred will be successful if you have discovered the power of the Now.
Five Fun da mental Errors of Economics
The Short Version, by Jay Hanson
( The Long Version is archived at http://dieoff.com/page241.htm )
(Permission to reprint explicitly granted.)
Any ONE fundamental error in neoclassical theory should be sufficient reason to reject conclusions based upon that theory. Here are five fundamental errors in the theory:
#1. A fundamentally incorrect "method": the economist uses "correlation" and "post hoc, ergo propter hoc" (after-the-fact) reasoning, rather than the "scientific method".
#2. A fundamentally inverted worldview: the economist sees the environment as a subsystem of the economy, rather than the other way around. In other words, economists are trained to believe that natural resources come from "markets" rather than the "environment". The corollary is that "man-made capital" can substitute for "natural capital". But the First Law of thermodynamics tells us there is no "creation" -- there is no such thing as "man-made capital". Thus, ALL capital is "natural capital", and the economy is 100% dependent on the "environment" for everything.
#3. A fundamentally incorrect view of "money": the economist sees "money" as nothing more than a medium of exchange, rather than as social power -- or "political power". But even the casual observer can see that money is social power because it "empowers" people to buy and do the things they want -- including buying and doing other people: politics.
If employers have the freedom to pay workers less "political power", then they will retain more political power for themselves. Money is, in a word, "coercion", and "economic efficiency" is correctly seen as a political concept designed to conserve social power for those who have it -- to make the politically powerful, even more powerful, and the politically weak, even weaker.
#4. A fundamentally incorrect view of his raison d'etre: the economist sees "Homo economicus" as a "Bayesian utility maximizer", rather than "Homo sapiens" as a "primate". In other words, contemporary economics and econometrics is WRONG from the bottom up -- and economists know it. The entire discipline of economics is based on a lie -- and economists know it. Moreover, if human behavior is not the result of mathematical calculation -- and it isn't -- then in principle, economists will NEVER get it right.
#5. A fundamentally incorrect view of economic élan vital: the economist sees economic activity as a function of infinite "money creation", rather than a function of finite "energy stocks" and finite "energy flows". In fact, the economy is 100% dependent on available energy -- it always has been, and it always will be. See a synopsis of the current energy situation at http://dieoff.com/synopsis.htm .
( The Long Version is archived at http://dieoff.com/page241.htm )
(Permission to reprint explicitly granted.)
Any ONE fundamental error in neoclassical theory should be sufficient reason to reject conclusions based upon that theory. Here are five fundamental errors in the theory:
#1. A fundamentally incorrect "method": the economist uses "correlation" and "post hoc, ergo propter hoc" (after-the-fact) reasoning, rather than the "scientific method".
#2. A fundamentally inverted worldview: the economist sees the environment as a subsystem of the economy, rather than the other way around. In other words, economists are trained to believe that natural resources come from "markets" rather than the "environment". The corollary is that "man-made capital" can substitute for "natural capital". But the First Law of thermodynamics tells us there is no "creation" -- there is no such thing as "man-made capital". Thus, ALL capital is "natural capital", and the economy is 100% dependent on the "environment" for everything.
#3. A fundamentally incorrect view of "money": the economist sees "money" as nothing more than a medium of exchange, rather than as social power -- or "political power". But even the casual observer can see that money is social power because it "empowers" people to buy and do the things they want -- including buying and doing other people: politics.
If employers have the freedom to pay workers less "political power", then they will retain more political power for themselves. Money is, in a word, "coercion", and "economic efficiency" is correctly seen as a political concept designed to conserve social power for those who have it -- to make the politically powerful, even more powerful, and the politically weak, even weaker.
#4. A fundamentally incorrect view of his raison d'etre: the economist sees "Homo economicus" as a "Bayesian utility maximizer", rather than "Homo sapiens" as a "primate". In other words, contemporary economics and econometrics is WRONG from the bottom up -- and economists know it. The entire discipline of economics is based on a lie -- and economists know it. Moreover, if human behavior is not the result of mathematical calculation -- and it isn't -- then in principle, economists will NEVER get it right.
#5. A fundamentally incorrect view of economic élan vital: the economist sees economic activity as a function of infinite "money creation", rather than a function of finite "energy stocks" and finite "energy flows". In fact, the economy is 100% dependent on available energy -- it always has been, and it always will be. See a synopsis of the current energy situation at http://dieoff.com/synopsis.htm .
Children
Much has already been done on the Donnelly side: Kinsella, Carroll (an Offaly clan) there.
Dates of birth and marriage available from Ann Day 2882939 Dublin phone number needs another digit. One or more went to Australia! So we have rellies here.
Donnelly came down from Tyrone at the time of the flight of the Earls, the Grey geese, some of whom went to France.
On my Mum's side: her mum was a Mooney, dispossessed in Cromwellian times, and her dad was McGuinness, often red haired, mainly Westmeath. No work done I believe?
Mum's side will be very difficult! She is a half Tynan. From Laoise, over the Slieve Blooms. Rathdowney.
Use the internet, many free resources. Nothing written in recoverable form, in Ireland prior to 1800 or so, Catholic baptismal and marriage records. The Irish v closely related to the Scots:98% similar, and the British, but they got viking and saxon additions so 80% similarity there. We are all Celts. Metal workers, tool makers and hunters.
3rd rock from the sun only recently.....we used to be a satellite of
Ouranus/Saturn......Any more needed?
Dates of birth and marriage available from Ann Day 2882939 Dublin phone number needs another digit. One or more went to Australia! So we have rellies here.
Donnelly came down from Tyrone at the time of the flight of the Earls, the Grey geese, some of whom went to France.
On my Mum's side: her mum was a Mooney, dispossessed in Cromwellian times, and her dad was McGuinness, often red haired, mainly Westmeath. No work done I believe?
Mum's side will be very difficult! She is a half Tynan. From Laoise, over the Slieve Blooms. Rathdowney.
Use the internet, many free resources. Nothing written in recoverable form, in Ireland prior to 1800 or so, Catholic baptismal and marriage records. The Irish v closely related to the Scots:98% similar, and the British, but they got viking and saxon additions so 80% similarity there. We are all Celts. Metal workers, tool makers and hunters.
3rd rock from the sun only recently.....we used to be a satellite of
Ouranus/Saturn......Any more needed?
Eating your children
I first encountered this phrase when I worked alongside a solicitor from theproud city of Cork, in Ireland.
He was commenting on the suburb of choice of residence of a criminal: Sure they eat their own young there!"
I gathered it was run down, with few jobs and fewer open spaces and public money wasted or invested in amenities.
In another context we have all to some extent, eaten our children's future ...... Every time we borrow money we promise to invest now and repay later out of the proceeds of the investment. When this is regarded as a right and foist upon everyone as an "opportunity" then the odds are very high that there will be no proceeds in the future. A depression is created. Our children must survive impoverishment caused by bringing their future into our present. We enjoy their future investment opportunities now. We steal from them.
He was commenting on the suburb of choice of residence of a criminal: Sure they eat their own young there!"
I gathered it was run down, with few jobs and fewer open spaces and public money wasted or invested in amenities.
In another context we have all to some extent, eaten our children's future ...... Every time we borrow money we promise to invest now and repay later out of the proceeds of the investment. When this is regarded as a right and foist upon everyone as an "opportunity" then the odds are very high that there will be no proceeds in the future. A depression is created. Our children must survive impoverishment caused by bringing their future into our present. We enjoy their future investment opportunities now. We steal from them.
Monday, May 17, 2010
http://earthchangesmedia.com/
Interesting site .......!
They charge for information available elsewhere for free.
Standard rip off or convenient collection site?
Keep your money and paste the title into google for the original!
They charge for information available elsewhere for free.
Standard rip off or convenient collection site?
Keep your money and paste the title into google for the original!
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Habituation
To ensnare our band of over-achievers, we habituate them. We make them dependant upon the effects of drugs. To save money, we use the drugs inside their heads. And bellies. Not a technical term, but emotions are at the core of this, of course.
A thought gives rise to the deed. An act gives rise to a consequence. This becomes a series of activities that becomes a habit.
So be careful with your thoughts!
We tell them they are good. They become happy, because we reward this good behaviour. We do not reward every time. We eventually do not tell them they are good every time. We expect a level of behaviour. Like good little robots.
When they find out, they may decide not to co-operate or to self destruct or to go postal and destroy as many as they can of those who most closely interact with them. Collateral damage.
A thought gives rise to the deed. An act gives rise to a consequence. This becomes a series of activities that becomes a habit.
So be careful with your thoughts!
We tell them they are good. They become happy, because we reward this good behaviour. We do not reward every time. We eventually do not tell them they are good every time. We expect a level of behaviour. Like good little robots.
When they find out, they may decide not to co-operate or to self destruct or to go postal and destroy as many as they can of those who most closely interact with them. Collateral damage.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Juvenile crime
http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/successful-juvenile-crime-scheme-to-be-rolled-out-119695.html
An excellent idea that will save many thousands of euro per year, per child. Well done! We have choices, we can change.
An excellent idea that will save many thousands of euro per year, per child. Well done! We have choices, we can change.
Irish banking system, possible solution?
http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/roma-input-sought-in-meeting-on-shoplifting-119624.html
Now who would invite GreensFiannaFail to a meeting on what happened to 100,000,000,000 Euro and the banking system? Or would that be a little pointed?
Now who would invite GreensFiannaFail to a meeting on what happened to 100,000,000,000 Euro and the banking system? Or would that be a little pointed?
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Money is created ot order. Whose order?
http://www.safehaven.com/article/16755/hyperinflation-or-hyperdeflation
Fekete on money and what is happening in the USA. Relevant to the world therefore. Austrian view. Anyone got a different view?
Eventually, alll the previously hot sectors die off, while the basics continue. Distrust of investment is inevitable in such a climate so new technology even when capable of a return is neglected. SMART economies do not prosper until the truth is established, via sound money.
Fekete on money and what is happening in the USA. Relevant to the world therefore. Austrian view. Anyone got a different view?
Eventually, alll the previously hot sectors die off, while the basics continue. Distrust of investment is inevitable in such a climate so new technology even when capable of a return is neglected. SMART economies do not prosper until the truth is established, via sound money.
Haiti invaded by Monsanto
http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=19113
Sometimes a gift should be refused.
Sometimes a gift should be refused.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Cuckoo Syndrome
Many intelligent, super rich parents have worries about their offspring. They are aware of the three generation rule.
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Re: Are Mountains the Result of a Duning Process?
to know of your collaboration with Mel. Are you a geologist? If so, it would be nice to know how to decide what formations are caused by floods. I read about the L.A. tarpits showing evidence of a flood. I'm also interested in finding out where to find a 3D map of Earth's sedimentary rock strata and formations, or data that would make such a map possible.
* Yous should read http://kronia.com/thoth.html to help catch up on some of the progress made by Velikovsky supporters since his time. Cardona and Talbott have a lot of material there that I think improve a lot on Velikovsky. He apparently wasn't very good with mythology. He did discuss electrical forces, which I think inspired Juergens to do a lot of his work. Thornhill then followed after Juergens shortly after Juergens started writing.
* On the matter of the Himalayas etc, I have a thread called Breakthrough on How Continents Divided at http://thunderbolts.info/forum/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=1462. It discusses a lot of ideas from http://www.newgeology.us. The idea is similar to continental drift, except that, instead of a supercontinent dividing into pieces over hundreds of millions of years, it was an impact, which I say was an electrical impact, that broke up the supercontinent and sent the pieces moving in all directions at over a hundred miles per hour, sliding on the nearly frictionless Moho plasma layer under the continents and oceans. Smaller mountain ranges formed nearer the impact point as friction was being overcome and higher mountains formed farther away from the impact as velocity was reduced enough for friction to take hold again. The Himalayas would then have built up as India smashed into Asia, similar to what continental drift claims, except that it happened in a day or so.
* Here's my understanding of what Cardona et al have concluded so far, based on mythology and other sciences.
1. Earth was a distant satellite of Saturn and they were far from the solar system. - Thornhill in Thoth ezine
2. Saturn was the pole star, large in the sky, and it flared up like a nova periodically, probably every few millennia, usually. A plasma column holding a large amount of water connected Earth's north pole to Saturn. - Cardona
3. Ten or twenty thousand or so years ago, the ancients lived on a planet Earth that was warm and had no mountains or oceans, just plains, hills and shallow seas. - Ashton or Wescott in Kronos magazine
4. After the last flare-up of Saturn maybe 5 thousand years ago, Mars and Venus became visible. Venus began as a comet that circled Saturn, then it settled in front of Saturn, looking like an eye, while Mars moved between Venus and Earth, looking very large when close to Earth and very small on the face of Venus, when near Venus. The 3 planets were all red or maroon initially; Saturn and Venus changed color later. - Cardona
5. About 4500 years ago Saturn and Jupiter clashed. An impact on Earth caused the supercontinent to break up and mountains and oceans to form. The polar column dispersed and much of the water it held fell to Earth at the north pole and spread out over the planet as the Great Flood. Earth flipped over, leaving Jupiter as the pole star in place of Saturn. - Cardona partly in Kronos magazine and me in the above-mentioned thread
6. About 4300 years ago Jupiter, or Io, Jupiter's nearest large moon, discharged with Earth, causing the destruction of Sodom and Gamorrah, with burning sulfur, common on Io. Jupiter and Earth then moved to their present orbits. - Cardona in Kronos magazine
7. Saturn, Venus and Mars may have moved to their present orbits before or after Jupiter and Earth moved to theirs. Earth acquired the Moon during the period between 4500 and 4300 years ago. - My estimate based on Cardona
* No events involving the planets are likely to have occurred since Abraham's time about 4300 years ago.
* High winds are likely to have been present during the chaotic phase between 43 and 45 hundred years ago, but seem unlikely to have had much effect in formation of sedimentary rock. Electrical forces that pulverized rock and deposited it in thin layers as described in my first post in this thread above, quoting from several TPODs, seems to be the primary cause of the formation of dunes. It's even possible that much sedimentary rock containing fossils was formed by electrical deposition. Many fossils may have been formed when animals and plants were buried during electrical deposition. Think of animals alive or dead being in their normal habitat on Earth and then a layer of dust covering them up and hardening by electrical means. Then more layers falling etc.
* Yous should read http://kronia.com/thoth.html to help catch up on some of the progress made by Velikovsky supporters since his time. Cardona and Talbott have a lot of material there that I think improve a lot on Velikovsky. He apparently wasn't very good with mythology. He did discuss electrical forces, which I think inspired Juergens to do a lot of his work. Thornhill then followed after Juergens shortly after Juergens started writing.
* On the matter of the Himalayas etc, I have a thread called Breakthrough on How Continents Divided at http://thunderbolts.info/forum/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=1462. It discusses a lot of ideas from http://www.newgeology.us. The idea is similar to continental drift, except that, instead of a supercontinent dividing into pieces over hundreds of millions of years, it was an impact, which I say was an electrical impact, that broke up the supercontinent and sent the pieces moving in all directions at over a hundred miles per hour, sliding on the nearly frictionless Moho plasma layer under the continents and oceans. Smaller mountain ranges formed nearer the impact point as friction was being overcome and higher mountains formed farther away from the impact as velocity was reduced enough for friction to take hold again. The Himalayas would then have built up as India smashed into Asia, similar to what continental drift claims, except that it happened in a day or so.
* Here's my understanding of what Cardona et al have concluded so far, based on mythology and other sciences.
1. Earth was a distant satellite of Saturn and they were far from the solar system. - Thornhill in Thoth ezine
2. Saturn was the pole star, large in the sky, and it flared up like a nova periodically, probably every few millennia, usually. A plasma column holding a large amount of water connected Earth's north pole to Saturn. - Cardona
3. Ten or twenty thousand or so years ago, the ancients lived on a planet Earth that was warm and had no mountains or oceans, just plains, hills and shallow seas. - Ashton or Wescott in Kronos magazine
4. After the last flare-up of Saturn maybe 5 thousand years ago, Mars and Venus became visible. Venus began as a comet that circled Saturn, then it settled in front of Saturn, looking like an eye, while Mars moved between Venus and Earth, looking very large when close to Earth and very small on the face of Venus, when near Venus. The 3 planets were all red or maroon initially; Saturn and Venus changed color later. - Cardona
5. About 4500 years ago Saturn and Jupiter clashed. An impact on Earth caused the supercontinent to break up and mountains and oceans to form. The polar column dispersed and much of the water it held fell to Earth at the north pole and spread out over the planet as the Great Flood. Earth flipped over, leaving Jupiter as the pole star in place of Saturn. - Cardona partly in Kronos magazine and me in the above-mentioned thread
6. About 4300 years ago Jupiter, or Io, Jupiter's nearest large moon, discharged with Earth, causing the destruction of Sodom and Gamorrah, with burning sulfur, common on Io. Jupiter and Earth then moved to their present orbits. - Cardona in Kronos magazine
7. Saturn, Venus and Mars may have moved to their present orbits before or after Jupiter and Earth moved to theirs. Earth acquired the Moon during the period between 4500 and 4300 years ago. - My estimate based on Cardona
* No events involving the planets are likely to have occurred since Abraham's time about 4300 years ago.
* High winds are likely to have been present during the chaotic phase between 43 and 45 hundred years ago, but seem unlikely to have had much effect in formation of sedimentary rock. Electrical forces that pulverized rock and deposited it in thin layers as described in my first post in this thread above, quoting from several TPODs, seems to be the primary cause of the formation of dunes. It's even possible that much sedimentary rock containing fossils was formed by electrical deposition. Many fossils may have been formed when animals and plants were buried during electrical deposition. Think of animals alive or dead being in their normal habitat on Earth and then a layer of dust covering them up and hardening by electrical means. Then more layers falling etc.
mountains
http://www.thunderbolts.info/forum/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=2780#p30019It's my contention that the mountains were created during the events described by Dr. Velikovsky during the encounter with Venus. The Plague of Darkness consisted of dust, sand, gravel, and rocks that lasted for up to nine days with hurricane force winds from the West. For three of these days the darkness caused by air borne particulates was complete. During and after this event the sun changed it's motion at least four times. Each change would create a flood of biblical proportion causing valleys and basins to flood. The effects of these floods caused the dust and dirt to be carried away and be evenly spread. Existing river systems would prevent accumulation so the dune/mountains would be interrupted and continue on the other side of the river. The river would easily flush away the air borne material. Preventing a canyon of Granite is much easier than eroding it. The Black Canyon of the Gunnison is over two thousand feet of solid Granite and Quartz. This would be the path of greatest resistance. After the canyon was formed by the dunning process an electrical surge [River of Fire]traveled through the river system and converted the wet ore into Granite.
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