Saturday, March 14, 2015
Anecdotal experiences have proclaimed the existence of love as a physical force for centuries. Such proclamations frequently included 'telepathy' or mind-to-mind communication between people as well.
One example of that force has been the concept of 'cording' or an emotionally connective bond between a mother and newborn child. This concept of 'cording' between a mother and an infant suggests that the child communicates directly and non-verbally with the mother. Further, this idea has been expanded to include relations between adults in love. A detailed discussion of the concept is presented here http://www.itstime.com/cording.htm
However, the discussion lacks verifiable experiments and relies on anecdotal and metaphysical explanations. The discussion has been unconvincing despite the proclamations of many individuals.
History provides records of many people attempting to prove telepathic communications or attempting to scam money from such attempts. The scam relied on the expectation of the audience that such a thing is possible. Science has been able to disprove these events. A short history of some of the previous attempts to explain the phenomenon, which have been debunked by science, is presented here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telepathy
SCIENCE ASSERTS THAT ILLNESS CAN BE CAUSED BY LOVE
It is documented that love can create physical manifestations in the body identical to physical illnesses. Phenylethylamine, dopamine and oxytocin are chemicals that create symptoms of illness and are released by the body during intense love experiences. A summary of studies by DivineCaroline in February 24, 2009 is here http://www.thefrisky.com/2009-02-24/physical-effects-falling-in-love/
REMOTE BRAIN STIMULATION
Also, now it is possible to stimulate various portions of the brain with remote wireless devices; http://www.sciencemag.org/content/early/2015/03/11/science.1261821
SCIENCE CANNOT VERIFY TELEPATHY
At this time, my reading of the science is that science cannot demonstrate the existence of telepathy or mind-to-mind communication without some form of physical assistance.
NEW EXPERIMENT SUGGESTS THAT MAY CHANGE
But, a new development suggests that it will be demonstrable some day. In the article titled 'Conscious Brain-to-Brain Communication in Humans Using Non-Invasive Technologies,' scientists discuss a demonstration of a long distance transmission of mental images [http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0105225].
This may be a first step toward developing a telepathic mechanism.
QUANTUM PHYSICS PROVIDES EVIDENCE OF MOLECULAR COMMUNICATION
Additionally, quantum physics suggests that telepathy may be theoretically possible in nature.
'In a study reported in the February 26, 1998 issue of Nature (Vol. 391, pp. 871-874), researchers at the Weizmann Institute of Science have now conducted a highly controlled experiment demonstrating how a beam of electrons is affected by the act of being observed. The experiment revealed that the greater the amount of "watching," the greater the observer's influence on what actually takes place.'
Some communication is taking place at a molecular level; science does not have a complete explanation as yet for this phenomenon. But, once explained, this process may well provide proof of love as a natural force.
Friday, March 13, 2015
As we enter an election cycle, it may become appropriate for candidates to consider these terms. I expect that many voters make judgments about candidates on exactly these issues, although it is not likely that voters realize that is what they are doing.
Successful candidates will be judged on their HONOR and their INTEGRITY.
Using the Google dictionary as a beginning place to examine the terms, which dictionary is very handy although perhaps not authoritative, I find these basic concepts:
INTEGRITY is the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness. "he is known to be a man of integrity". Synonyms: honesty, probity, rectitude, honor, good character, principle(s), ethics, morals, righteousness, morality, virtue, decency, fairness, scrupulousness, sincerity, truthfulness, trustworthiness. "I never doubted his integrity"
When HONOR is used to describe a person's character, it is an act of a person, when considered as a verb, or the quality of a person, when considered as an adjective.
I leave out of this discussion the act of paying compliments to another and focus on a person's internal character instead.
Honor happens when a person fulfills (an obligation) or keeps (an agreement). Quote: "make sure the franchisees honor the terms of the contract". Synonyms include: fulfill, observe, keep, obey, heed, follow, carry out, discharge, implement, execute, effect.
Honor has been used also to indicate a self sacrifice for the cause of a greater good, as in "he honored the Gods by his bravery."
The above make a case for both Honor and Integrity as demonstrating a consistency in behavior to others. Or, as we say, "Walk the talk', or do what you say you will do.
INTERNAL AS OPPOSED TO EXTERNAL CONSISTENCY
And yet, Shakespeare has Polonius say Act 1 Scene 3 of Hamlet:"This above all: to thine own self be true, And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man. Farewell, my blessing season this in thee!"
In my mind at least, Polonius' words can conflict with the definitions above. It seems possible to act in consistency with your internal moral principles and yet fail to demonstrate that consistency to others.
One may be behaving morally and yet not seem to be so.
That's a prescription for disaster for any candidate, or any person for that matter.
A MAN OF HONOR
There was a movie some time ago where a minor criminal figure had some information on a major crime figure and was in a jam. So the protagonist asked the DA if the DA is a man of honor. The DA said he was and that our hero could trust him. So, our hero made a deal with the DA that he would give up the information in exchange for a deal of relocating his family. The DA agreed and used the information to put the major crime figure in jail. But, when the protagonist asked the DA to live up to the deal, the DA said he had more important things to worry about and could not make the deal.
But, said our hero, 'I trusted that you were a man of honor and now my family is in danger.' The DA said, 'That's too bad, then, but I can't help you.'
Similar situations happen routinely in politics where a candidate make a promise to a group of voters and then reneges on the deal after winning the election.
EXPECTATIONS AND QUALITY IN PRODUCTS
There is a similar issue in the business world. That issue has to do with customer expectations and the idea of quality.
When a business person wants to achieve a reputation for a 'quality' product, he or she has to consider what are the expectations existing in the minds of potential customers.
If the product can deliver more than the expectations, then it will be considered a 'high quality' product. When the product delivers less than the expectations, then it is considered a 'low quality' product.
Note that this has nothing at all to do with the materials, design or price of the product; it is just about expectations.
To make matters more confusing, consumer expectations are changing constantly. The definition of a 'quality or luxury' automobile from 1985 is vastly different from the expectations which fit that description today.
Of course, this means that some business people will make it their business to 'manage customer expectations'. This is so normal that many business have a saying to describe their managing of customer expectations.
The phrase is : 'underselling versus overselling.'
Simply put, 'underselling' is promising less than you deliver, thus creating customer satisfaction and a reputation for high quality; while 'overselling' is promising more than you deliver, thus creating customer dissatisfaction and a reputation for poor quality.
POLITICS AND THE ART OF UNDERSELLING
Numerous politicians make a career by overselling their opponents and underselling themselves.
But, the delivery that meets or fails to meet the expecations has nothing to do with policy in the public interest.
The delivery referred to here is a speech or comment about some issue that resonates with voters but has little or nothing to do with the public interest.
For example, if your opponent supports free choice of women in family planning, then you claim that he/she supports murdering babies. Then, then your opponent defends the right to choose birth control or abortion, you can claim that your opponent has met the expectation of a low quality candidate.
Barry, My Liege :
Just in case you were wondering whether we humans have actually made an impact on the planet, a new study has documented our fossil record.
Although it does not move the Doomsday Clock since it is merely assigning a name to an event recognized previously, it is an indication that human activity has made provable geological changes.
We seem to be entering a new geological era where human activity dominates the planet.
The new era is called the Anthropocene Era.
The record includes proof that human activity is leaving permanent geological markers of irreversible global changes.
Introducing European colonists into the New World caused a die-off of some 50 million people beginning about 1500 AD and perhaps peaking around 1610 AD.
As stated in the Motherboard review by Becky Ferreira, Contributor, the study co-authors are geologists from University College, London, Simon Lewis and Mark Maslin; they told Motherboard :
"This dramatic crash of an agriculturally sophisticated population resulted in mass abandonment of farmland. As wildlife reclaimed these regions, atmospheric carbon dioxide levels noticeably dropped, due to the uptick in carbon storage as a result of reforestation."
Your faithful servant,
Thursday, March 12, 2015
Barry, My Liege :
I am pleased to announce the Kindle Edition of my new book : 'Occupy Wall Street Plan 12: A Proposal for Twelve Specific Governmental Actions to Correct Some Economic Imbalances in the United States of America'
This is a short, comprehensive plan to re-invigorate the Economy of the United States and to simultaneously address some of the imbalances which harm many of our citizens.
It is available here : http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00UK97C84
The EBOOK, Kindle Edition is available for the LOW, LOW price of $0.99.
AND - for 5 DAYS ONLY - it is FREE!.
Starting Monday, March 16 and ending Friday, March 20, you can read the book with no cost at all! Just go to the Amazon link above and ask!
Thank you for your attention,
Your faithful servant,
PS: If you don't have a Kindle Reader and still want to read the book, send an email request to email@example.com and you will receive the Word .doc file of 160kb by return email.