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Aquarius Sun Sagittarius Moon
January 22, 2017
— 1 Comment
Today it will really feel like Aquarius Season with the Moon in philosophical Sagittarius. She spent the night void-of-course in Scorpio and leaps into fiery Sagittarius before daybreak. The only aspect the Moon makes today is a bright, inquisitive sextile to the Aquarius Sun during the morning. Sagittarius and Aquarius are natural allies and share […]
via Sagittarius Moon says think big 1-22-2017 — Libra Seeking Balance
#HookedRX The Medical/Pharma Connection
January 10, 2017
— 1 Comment
opioid facts
The Cronkite School of Journalism at ASU has produced an important documentary about Arizona’s opioid addiction crisis. I live in Tucson where an obvious uptick in junkies all over the place has everyone concerned. From the petty theft to the mental illness caused by addiction to opioids destroys neighborhoods, families, and individuals. The routine overprescribing of pain killers began as a marketing strategy for drug makers. They promoted studies that concluded their products were not addictive, and provide a needed level of pain control. Now we know they are highly addictive, and even a short time on this hard prescribed stuff can lead the patient to seek out heroin as a cheaper alternative.
Pain is a relative thing, so anyone who wants to stay high on opiates can go to a medical doctor and say they are in pain, and easily score drugs. There is also a huge black market in these pills. Many hop on the addiction train by taking pills from the parents’ medicine cabinet as teens. Since the drugs are socially acceptable and widely discussed and well known, there seems to be no stigma for taking pills for any reason. The idea is that no person should ever feel pain, anxiety, confusion, social pressure, or discomfort of any kind. There are pills to insure that real life does not intrude into the self medication. I have never been into pills so this phenomena is really bizarre to me. I understand wanting to get high, but not wanting to feel nothing. So, what is the gateway drug for feeling nothing? A visit to the doctor? This has gone south in the worst possible way.
Sagittarius Moon boosts the fiery tone to the day 12-26-2016 — Libra Seeking Balance
December 26, 2016
— 2 Comments
With the Sagittarius Moon squaring Mars in Pisces first thing in the morning and Neptune in Pisces during the afternoon, we could find ourselves going in circles today. Be patient and do allow extra time even when doing basic, routines tasks today. If you are traveling home from spending Christmas with family or friends, you […]
via Sagittarius Moon boosts the fiery tone to the day 12-26-2016 — Libra Seeking Balance
Say It In Latin: A Posteriori And A Priori
December 22, 2016
— 2 Comments
The Latin phrase a posteriori refers to the process of inductive reasoning. It means “from what comes after” or a proposition based on experience. A close relative, also used in philosophical arguments, is a priori, which is knowledge based on previous understanding of the concept. It means literally from what comes before. A priori can be a mathematical equation, or any other agreed upon fact deriving from the agreement. It would be correct to call the statement “It is cloudy outside.” a posteriori because I looked outside and can see the fact that it is cloudy now. The statement, “Cumulous clouds are the harbinger of rain.” is an assumption based on scientific agreement, and therefore is a priori. We agree on the definition of cumulous clouds without the need to experience them directly. “That bow is red” is another a priori belief. We all have agreed on what red is (except the colorblind).
A posteriori is based on empirical evidence, direct contact with the facts. A priori is based on logic previously accepted as sound. On the surface it might seem that a posteriori is the only valid way to defend a position. I have learned from my studies of ancestry and history that both methods can fail miserably. My grandmother thought she knew her birth year, but there was no certificate. Later in life she forgot, and then nobody really knew, or bothered to look it up because it did not matter. She had no way to remember her own birth, so her a priori birthday was a year off the real date. Many “facts” in records from the past have been recorded incorrectly. Census records that list step mothers as natural parents, step children as children, and other errors can throw a wrench in the works for investigators trying to follow a lineage.
Be careful, gentle reader. Logic and truth are tricky subjects. Check your logic, and double-check your data before you make any big conclusions. Caveat emptor.
red
Your Past does not need to Follow you into 2017…
December 9, 2016
— 1 Comment
Be here now
When looking back on the past does not interest you anymore…. Well, you know you are heading forward in the right direction…. It is amazing how much energy we can expend on thinking about the past: Our failures and mistakes; our stresses and worries about things we probably can’t change. The past is the past….
The only control we have is the present moment… right here, right now… It is the actions we take right here; right now that can change the future; thus rewriting any past negativity. Remember that as we head into a New Year. Your past does not need to define you. Further, you have complete control over the present moment which can dictate the future…
Peace, Love and Illumination!
John C. Bader is a photographer, wellness advocate and consultant specializing in spiritual self-evolution, meditation, and bio-energy healing. In his writing, he bridges science with spirituality and…
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Clulusion-The Sinister Fusion of Cluelessness and Collusion
November 21, 2016
Judgement
If we make it through this Thanksgiving week without a flood of car traffic invited to park outside our front door to donate to a charity scam it will be the first time since I have been in my home. Our HOA has forced the homeowners here to host a donation drop off in the fire lane of our private property for the entire time I have lived here, almost 15 years. Literally thousands of cars have passed by my front door to leave junk, or food, or volunteer hours preparing food for the public for a fake charity. The HOA board has a fiduciary (legal) responsibility to protect the property value of the corporation, but they see fit to use our property to show off their own fake philanthropy to the neighborhood. They operated these scams all year, and solicited donations in various ways. They used the US Postal service to solicit funds from the neighbors, which was incredible. Holidays were special times when we had non-stop cars drive through and park for hours to donate to the charity scams.
The most amazing feat they accomplished was to go to court and get a restraining order from a city court judge. They told him they were “giving back” and need to restrain the people who live here and own the driveway with the fire lane they occupy from stopping the charity scam donations or food prep. We tried for years to stop it through our official Tucson Police Department neighborhood watch, but the cop was in favor of both filling the fire lane with cars, and inviting the public to drive through this driveway we have to pay to pave in order to keep the white collar criminals happy. She did not even know them, but wanted, in general, to make this a shittier place to live. She encouraged the HOA board to trash the environment and break federal revenue law. It seems she was just untrained or not paying any attention. There was no way to know what she was thinking because she simply refused to respond when we reported the crime. She was able to influence the whole city government to refuse to enforce the fire lane law here for reasons known only to herself…or more likely to nobody, since it was a mindless clueless action. Cluelessness is contagious and soon the whole city government was too clueless to even collude with each other. They had manifested the ultimate willfully blind untrust. They unknowingly were the biggest promoters of obvious crime in front of all of us in the area. They stuck to their guns for more than a decade, and last night there were 4 cars in the fire lane and 1 in a neighbor’s driveway without permission. If a fire had broken out they had blocked people into their garages who would be trapped while the fire truck would be blocked. They don’t see any reason not to expose us to that kind of risk.
After being forced to live with this full time donation drop off site in my front yard for years, the neighbors and I petitioned the newly elected mayor, who is a lawyer. He refused to respond, and in fact since the first petition in 2013 he has not been willing to respond to the citizens here who petitioned his office to halt the charity scam activity that freaked the whole neighborhood out. His office thinks it has a right to remain silent while refusing to give us any law enforcement services for more than a decade. They are not trying to refuse to perform. This is the extent of the ability they have. They send out a cop to promote charity scamming and filling the fire lane of the property with as many cars as possible, and then refuse to respond when we ask for at least a clear fire lane. No can do. I have pointed out the total number of nights our fire lanes have been clear in the last 15 years. The number is stuck at 6 nights total. They passively aggressively pretend that this law enforcement task is impossible for them, so they can’t do anything to improve this situation. They manage to keep the fire lanes clear downtown. They do know how to write these expensive tickets. They prefer to ignore the issue. They have fully trashed our hood as well as trust in the police with their actions. I still can’t get them to repair the damage because it would include admission of an error. They are sticking with deeper clulusion. This is why we can’t have nice things.
DNA For Hipsters
November 20, 2016
— 7 Comments
brother’s estimate
my estimate
The subject of DNA testing has become more and more popular since Ancestry.com directed some television programming at discovering the ethnicity of celebrities. Many folks are surprised to learn their DNA reveals a different or much more complex ethnic background than they had assumed. It is particularly poignant for black people to trace their ancestors back to slavery and find out how much non-African DNA they have. The show and the advertising have increased the number of people sending samples to the database at Ancestry.com. This has the effect of defining all of us in the database with more precision. I think that this is one way to eradicate racism. Our connections are much more complicated than any of us have been thinking.
The more DNA they have to compare, the more specific they can be. When I first took the test the program was new and not well known. My profile initially told me I was 98% from the British Isles, and trace elements. I was not very impressed. As the database grew my profile showed more specificity including western Europe. Recently my brother sent in his saliva in order to help a man find his birth father. He has distant DNA links to our family and asked us for some help with his own research. Male DNA reveals more than female, so my brother complied with his request. I had heard this before, but when I studied my brother’s DNA results I was surprised to see he had more detail than I did. We had the same parents for sure. My partner said it is because my brother is a later model, but this makes no sense. I think it is because he is a male. I will get to the bottom of this. In the meantime I have started to investigate some of the 550 DNA matches that Ancestry has compiled for me over the years while I basically ignored this feature. It is really interesting and fun. They send me new connections all the time with charts about the lineage. I am into it, and have made progress on my tree. I have confirmed some sketchy connections in my research, and found many new ones. DNA is where it is happening for my investigations right now. It is yielding progress. I paid my annual subscription fees this month, but feel really good about all the value I get from Ancestry.com. The more DNA they collect the better it is for me, so send your spit to my database, please.
DNA testing for the public is a huge growth market. It is also the talk of the town. When I ran into my friend who is a doctor and knows she has Swedish ancestry did the test at 123 and Me recently. She did it because it is possible to test for genetic predisposition to disease as well as for contraindicated medications. She wanted to know which meds are going to harm her. I did not know that was part of the information being shared, but that does sound incredibly useful. I need to check back with her to see what she learned beyond what she knows from that old family bible in Swedish that tells part of her story. Everyone finds surprises. Have you done any DNA tests yet, gentle reader? What have you discovered? What made you decide to do it?
Garbage In, Garbage Out
November 14, 2016
— 5 Comments
Selfish ignorant politicians are the product of a selfish ignorant population. Have we considered how co-dependent it is to re-elect the congress we love to hate? The United States is a highly dysfunctional family with generational beliefs about a common enemy that may not exist. We make the sovereign powers of the world pay attention to us while we display our lack of mature thinking. I did vote this year, and always have, but I appreciate this joke by the late, great George Carlin. Our attachment to politics is a very negative and fruitless folly. The video includes graphic language and gestures that may not be appropriate for everyone. When I think about how long this video has been in existence it makes it all the more poignant to me. Pardon me, gentle reader, if this is not your kind of joke. This joke is on all of us.
Harry Shearer From ‘The Simpsons’ Gives Trump And President Obama’s Meeting An Animated Makeover — Real Stories – UPROXX
November 12, 2016
— 2 Comments
Donald visits the White House
Harry Shearer brings the comedy relief
Harry Shearer seems poised to tackle the political tenure of Donald Trump with a new web series he’s ready to launch soon according to Deadline. In an exclusive first look, the site shows Shearer’s first foray which highlights the closed door meeting between Barack Obama and Donald Trump. For me, the nice aspect is how…
Say It In Latin, Argumentum Ad Hominem
November 11, 2016
— 4 Comments
The practice of trash talking with personal insults rather than appeal to reason has dominated our political season. This kind of logic is known as argumentum ad hominem, or ad hominem for short. The personal attack is intended to discredit any statement made by the opponent. It is a logical red herring designed to distract from the business at hand. It is the full time occupation of the Congress of the United States.
Ad hominem tu quoque is to use the “I know you are but what am I?” line of reasoning. It translates to “You do that too.” There is a big difference between a persuasive argument and a statement of fact. In order to reach valid conclusions it is important to distinguish guilt by association or circumstance from cold, hard, empirical facts. All’s fair in marketing and politics. The emotional ad hominem is used freely and frequently to convince people to vote or buy something. We are all being manipulated, like it or not. In order to be an independent thinker one must consider empirical facts at face value, without prejudice. Conversely, if it is our goal to hoodwink or control our audience it appears that trash talking works very well. Next time you find yourself in an argument notice how long it takes for this tactic to be used. It is a very common weapon, gentle reader. Don’t be fooled by association fallacies. They are enormously popular.
Ad hominem tu quoque
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