tricking my brain
Hummus: sharp like cheese, but with zero cholesterol.
Archive for the ‘psychology’ Category.
Be Gentle with Yourself
There are no mistakes.”
Miles Davis
“It helps to realize that an airplane spends niety percent of its time in error. We need to look at that. If you could see that you can gett an airplane from New York to London, even while being in error ninety percent of the time, maybe you could be less critical of yourself. Maybe you would allow yourself to be in error. A sailboat cannot get from where it is to where it wants to go by traveling in a straight line. It has to zigzag. So in terms of a true course, it is always in error. What is important about a sailbot or and airrplane is that the errors cancel out.”
-Dr. Robert Anthony, “Beyond Positive Thinking”
I hope that helps.
Peace, love, and Laughter;
-j
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Jef Raskin
The Joy of Tech has a great panel on Jef Raskin. Thank you Jef.
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20Q With a Robot…
This is extremely impressive… Pretty smart compared to the “AI” I’ve seen in the past…
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Just answer me these questions
I’ll own up to my bad mood, and I apologize to you directly. You took my comments personally, and they made you feel badly about yourself. I apologize for inducing that. The housing market it driving me nuts because the cost of living is extremely high. Condos and Townhouses are typically on the market for 7 days (that’s it, so you’d better keep up with the current listings) before they’re sold. There’s so many people vying for these properties that a listing at $470k easily goes to $500k once the bidding wars end.. (3+2 townhouses, san jose, ca) Maybe my angst transfered it’s aim to you, and you don’t deserve that. I’m sorry, Peter.
Maybe you can understand how it feels to be a target of the fanatical right wing rovian tactics to some degree. I’ve been unfairly cornered by republicans who preconceived me as a “lefty pinko pussy”(whatever that is) and such. You’re right, I preconceived you as a member of that same group. I apologize for accusing you of being a deciptiCon and a member of the hive mentality.
Profanity, well, sorry, that’s just my fucking style. I’m sorry if it offends you, too. I do it for emphasis, not to be profane. Hey, it’s my website, I’m allowed.
So… I’ve been sitting on this post for about… oh, a month and a half? whenever you started posting comments regularly. My links may not all be still live. I’ll check after I post to make sure.
By and large, the problem with debating “Bush vs. Kerry” is that we’ve already seen what Bush can do. 4 more years with Bush ain’t gonna change how things are going right now. “let’s get back to Business” as you say. He’s definitely changed a lot of stuff, but I just don’t understand how it’s better than before he got here.
Can you tell me what good Bush has done for education, public services, veterans, and retirees since he’s been in office? Contrast what he said he’d do from his year 2000 election site to what he’s actually done.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A27211-2004Jul30.html
Show me how he’s kept special interests and personal business partners out of his administration’s favor.
http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/06/01/cheney.halliburton/
http://www.salon.com/politics/war_room/2004/08/19/perry/
http://www.refuseandresist.org/war/art.php?aid=660
http://www.detnews.com/2000/politics/0004/16/04080062.htm
Well, ok Ken Lay and halliburton are starting to feel some heat, sort of. Well, not really. Business as usual.
Show me how he’s boosted the economy with tax refunds while maintaining full funding for federal programs. Show me why I should believe that he’s competent. Why I should have any belief that he’s going to be a good financial steward for our country without the burden of reelection concerns?
http://www.courier-journal.com/localnews/2004/08/19ky/A7-default0819-2428.html
http://www.tallahassee.com/mld/tallahassee/business/9288490.htm
Tell me why I shouldn’t be suspicious of Dick Cheney’s secret meetings. Was this ever make public? I don’t recall.
http://www.cnn.com/2002/US/01/27/enron/
Show me how we’re less dependent on foreign oil? And show me how vehicles make more sense? How we’re taking care of the environment with our domestic vehicle offerings? What is the federal government doing about that “Hydrogen economy”? oil-free cars! Sounds cool… where can I buy one?
http://www.iht.com/articles/535589.html
Show me how teachers are living better with higher pay _and_ affordable health care since the bush administration has been in office.
http://www.aft.org/salary/index.htm
Show me how no child gets left behind. Show me how schools have the money and tools they need and that student engagement has never been better with Bush in office.
http://www.ed.gov/nclb/landing.jhtml?src=pb
http://www.nea.org/esea/
Show me how medical care is affordable for all Americans. This page doesn’t make sense to me.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/03/20040316-1.html
Show me how veterans are taken care of by the federal government in thanks to their incredible sacrifice of service.
http://www.kintera.org/AccountTempFiles/cf/%7BE9245FE4-9A2B-43C7-A521-5D6FF2E06E03%7D/bushtroops.htm
Is this a fanatical news source? It’s so hard to tell. If so, just point me to where I can learn about how veterans benefits are better now than before Bush got here. I mean, we’re at war a lot now, and these aren’t just people who served and never saw combat, these are real, live war vets now. They deserve to be taken care of in exchange for their service!
Tell me, how is that search for “W M D” going? That’s why we spent $129 Billion, right? To buy the stability of Iraq, right? How was Iraq going to be a threat to us? I never understood that, but.. No weapons, no capacity, weapons inspectors said there’s nothing there… now we have to pay for it. And now by the white house’s own admission, the violence is getting worse and terrorists are pouring in becuase of the destabilization we affected.
http://www.costofwar.com/
Then there’s the rest of the issues, like the US withdrawing from the nuclear non-proliferation treaty and the Kyoto treaty. Crap, even Russia on on the boat with that one now. Those withdrawals show a blatant disrespect for our neighbors, allies, er.. former allies, and economic partners. Destabilization, or even the threat of destabilization serves only the purpose of inducing fear. Inducement of fear does not encourage people to be business partners. This country, without business partners, will lose it’s position as the leader for all industries.
These issues… They’ve been debated and debated. Political discussion is largely a waste of time for people who already have a political stance. The number of people who actually stop their yammering and open up to the possibility they’re wrong is so incredibly small. I’m not going to do it, and I don’t expect you to either. I don’t take _any_ pleasure in political “debate” when in fact, it’s almost always “argument”. With the exception of my morning tirade, we defy this general rule so far.
It’s all so insane. I half want california to secede (yeah yeah.. it’s illegal), and then I won’t have to bother with this pile of crap. President Ahnold, free from this pesky requirement, might actually do a good job as ceo of “The Sovereign Nation of California” — yeah, that would be awesome. Everyone hates california anyway. We’ll just go hang with Hawaii. Alaska can come too.
On Aug 24, 2004, at 4:47 PM, Peter Bowen wrote:
Steve - It looks like you’re a liberal wiener and I’m a right wing nut job (jibjab.com). Anyway, I’ve been thinking for a while that it might be interesting to get you and I writing point counter-point on some interesting political topics. We can start w/ the election and go from there. What do you think?
-Peter
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Boycott CBS and FOX
I saw this segment and it worries me. It worries me because just about a week after the Dan Rather thing, they?re (CBS) at it again. The facts don?t back up the innuendo that George W. Bush is going to institute a draft, or that John Kerry won?t.
The truth is that there are a couple of bills working their way through the legislature. Both bills would require the president to enforce a draft (regardless of party affiliation.) Both are going to die (if they?re not already dead after almost two years,) and both are very unpopular. One is so unpopular that it has no co-sponsors, and that?s the legislative equivalent of ?Do I hear a second? No second? Come one won?t anyone second? PLEASE somebody second??
Then don’t watch CBS, jeez. You know, the TV doesn’t force you to watch CBS alone. I specifically skip right over Fox news because of the common knowledge that they’re a tool of the extremist right wing deceptiCon party. Why should I patronize their advertisers when I know their mission is to deceive me (and guess who else, you too)? Big media, Peter, don’t give them your money.. go watch CSPAN, and run for office. I’m totally comfortable with you calling for an outright boycott of CBS and FOX news if you’re really interested in truth in media. Why aren’t you critical of anything FOX says? I get the feeling you’re actually only interested in the truth only if it parlays into a defense of your precious republican robber barons. That’s the same partisan bullshit that your party is using to divide and conquer the union. My party isn’t good enough at following marching orders to organize such vicious tactics as effectively as yours does. My party probably has too many people thinking original thoughts and having pangs of conscience to effectively combat your Karl Rove political hive mentality rules of engagement. We need to be more like your party, Peter. To combat your party, anyway, we need to play by your rules — we have to get inside the angry white man’s head and fight dirty like one. The dems have a lot to learn from your party, Peter. I’m taking notes.
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My thoughts on Winter…
Been prepping for the cold-weather transition. Kinda like the uphill part of a rollercoaster but way so not as dramatic. Like… you’re kinda excited about the downhill part, but also dreading it… cuz it’s fun, but you might die. Well, cold-weather isn’t really conducive to death, but a lot of times, it sure ain’t fun. 
In the end though, you feel good, refreshed… Finishing winter and going in to spring is like hitting the souvenir shop after a roller coaster, where you can look at that pic of your face of death on the downhill part and chuckle a bit… and think “wow, that was fun… way funner than when i was freaked at the uphill part… but… eh, im not sure i wanna do it anytime soon… glad i endured through it though.” Yes, this is me, dragging-ass, kicking and screaming in to winter.
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The Social Contract - Is it even worth the paper it’s written on?
From the Washington Post (link)
Sakinah Aaron was walking into the bus area at the Wheaton Metro station several weeks ago, talking loudly on her Motorola cell phone. A little too loudly for Officer George Saoutis of the Metro Transit Police.
The police officer told Aaron, who is five months pregnant, to lower her voice. She told the officer he had no right to tell her how to speak into her cell phone.
Their verbal dispute quickly escalated, and Saoutis grabbed Aaron by the arm and pushed her to the ground. He handcuffed the 23-year-old woman, called for backup and took her to a cell where she was held for three hours before being released to her aunt. She was charged with two misdemeanors: “disorderly manner that disturbed the public peace” and resisting arrest.
Those are the facts on which both sides agree.
The cops say that she was cursing loudly, and she says that she started cursing AFTER she was thrown to the ground.
The cops have a reputation for being heavy handed - they arrested a 12 year old girl for eating a french-fry and another metro rider for eating a candy bar.
So what is the deal here - why do we have heavy handed thugs who are tasked with trying to get people to talk quiter on their cell phones? Is it a government problem? No.. here’s why….
How about if we try to be a little more considerate. Your freedom ends at the border of my freedom. I guess that’s the thing that bothered me about smokers. All I can ask somebody to do is to not start smoking near me, but more often than not the smoker would blow smoke at me and ask “What are you going to do about it?” Well, the majority has done something about it. We’ve legislated it. Now in California there’s a definite decrease in the number of places where a person can smoke. If smokers had been a little more concerned for others, then maybe it wouldn’t have been legislated.
There was a guy that I worked with that was one of the most fair and considerate people I know. he was as hard as nails, but he wasn’t a jerk. He talked quietly on the cell phone, and more than once he helped carry the luggage of a woman through an airport terminal. He was considerate - he believed in the social contract and he did things because he wanted others to do the same. Why is it that whenever people break the social contract they try to use the constitution (or the bill of rights to be more specific) to justify it? Was the woman wrong? If she was loud on the phone - then yes. She should have appologized and moved on. Was the cop wrong - absolutely! It is never appropriate to throw a woman to the ground and treat her that way! Oh wait I forgot, that’s the social contract talking.
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Introversion explained by an insider
Now, I’m not saying I agree with the writer’s suggestions at the end of the article. I’m not nearly as introverted as the degree of the writer, but… I do identify with some of the observations.
Caring for Your IntrovertThe habits and needs of a little-understood group
by Jonathan Rauch…
Are introverts oppressed? I would have to say so. For one thing, extroverts are overrepresented in politics, a profession in which only the garrulous are really comfortable. Look at George W. Bush. Look at Bill Clinton. They seem to come fully to life only around other people. To think of the few introverts who did rise to the top in politics—Calvin Coolidge, Richard Nixon—is merely to drive home the point. With the possible exception of Ronald Reagan, whose fabled aloofness and privateness were probably signs of a deep introverted streak (many actors, I’ve read, are introverts, and many introverts, when socializing, feel like actors), introverts are not considered “naturals” in politics.
…
I recommend reading the whole article.. very interesting. thanks, fark
