Words can be powerful things - power for good, or for ill.
When used for good:
...They can reveal that which has been hidden - by lies and subterfuge.
...They can rally a people to come together.
...They can inspire and give courage.
...They can ignite a spark - that can lead to a conflagration...that will burn away the rot and decay.
https://lawworksaction.org/
Watching this was fascinating.
Near the end (@ 01:16:30), after the recital of
the 10 Acts of Obstruction, while everyone is still on stage - Annette
Bening makes a brief final statement....
that sent shivers of Hope through my being - as if the first rays of sunlight broke over a ridge, into a valley that has long laid under the dark night of winter...
Monday, June 24, 2019
Tuesday, June 18, 2019
I Stand With The Doctor: Be Kind
There are things that are real.
There are things that are true.
There are things that have never been - and will never be.
There are shadows of sketches of forms - captured in the wisps of the fiction that have been created during the brief time that humans have dominated this world.
Figments of imagination.
Words - that strike chords so deep in the psyche - that they are like the ringing of steel on an anvil - for they resonate across time and space - with...something.
Such is the beauty and grandeur of the tales told of a man in a blue box.
Sunday, June 16, 2019
Movie: Kesari - The Battle of Saragarhi
I watched a movie on Amazon Prime tonight - a retelling of a true historical event - that is every bit as powerful a story as the 300 Spartans at the Battle of Thermopylae.
The Battle of Saragarhi - in which, on 12 September 1897 - 21 Jat Sikh soldiers of the 36th Sikhs (now the 4th battalion of the Sikh Regiment), who were stationed at an army post and were attacked by 10000 to 12,000 Afghans. The Sikhs, led by Havildar Ishar Singh, chose to fight to the death, in what is considered by some military historians as one of history's greatest last stands
Thursday, May 23, 2019
Music IS The Magic That Remains
Music IS the magic that remains in the world - for by the mere
invocation of words and vibrations of sound - feelings are summoned...
and thoughts may be changed, shaped, nurtured - and it is through
thought and feeling that action arises - and all conditions and material manifestations
made by humans are realized.
Wednesday, May 22, 2019
My 2020 Mars Ticket
NASA's Mars 2020 Rover is heading to the red planet.
Submit your name by Sept. 30, 2019, and fly along!
Friday, April 26, 2019
Thursday, April 25, 2019
Movie: The Way West
I watched an old 1967 movie last night.
I had forgotten everything about it - except for a scene near the end - when they are lowering a wagon down to the bottom of a river gorge.
I'm pretty sure I must have watched it when it first came out on TV - that would have been when I was still young, 8-10 years old - living on Tadpole Road - on our 10 acres in the woods that I helped my father clear (before I entered the 2nd grade - chopping trees and brush with an axe and my hatchet).
I had forgotten everything about it - except for a scene near the end - when they are lowering a wagon down to the bottom of a river gorge.
I'm pretty sure I must have watched it when it first came out on TV - that would have been when I was still young, 8-10 years old - living on Tadpole Road - on our 10 acres in the woods that I helped my father clear (before I entered the 2nd grade - chopping trees and brush with an axe and my hatchet).
I don't think I even recalled who the actors were ( Kirk Douglas, Robert Mitchum, Richard Widmark)
It was surprisingly good...and has aged well. One of the finest performances I can recall seeing by Robert Mitchum.
It was surprisingly good...and has aged well. One of the finest performances I can recall seeing by Robert Mitchum.
- https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0062479/
- https://www.amazon.com/Way-West-Kirk-Douglas/dp/B001NTIBMG
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Way_West_(film)
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Way_West
Saturday, April 20, 2019
The Dropout: Podcast by ABC Radio & ABC News Nightline
http://abcradio.com/podcasts/the-dropout/
"Money. Romance. Tragedy. Deception. The story of Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos is an unbelievable tale of ambition and fame gone terribly wrong. How did the world’s youngest self-made female billionaire lose it all in the blink of an eye? How did the woman once heralded as “the next Steve Jobs” find herself facing criminal charges — to which she pleaded not guilty — and up to 20 years in jail? How did her technology, meant to revolutionize healthcare, potentially put millions of patients at risk? And how did so many smart people get it so wrong along the way? ABC News chief business, technology and economics correspondent Rebecca Jarvis, along with producers Taylor Dunn and Victoria Thompson, take listeners on a journey that includes a three-year-long investigation. You’ll hear exclusive interviews with former employees, investors, and patients, and for the first-time, the never-before-aired deposition testimony of Elizabeth Holmes, and those at the center of this story."
Wednesday, April 03, 2019
Monday, March 18, 2019
Book: China. Travels and investigations in the Middle Kingdom : a study of its civilization and possibilities : with a glance at Japan ...
Serendipity recently led me to an interesting historical travelers' account of the people, culture, and traditions of a bygone era in China and Japan (see below) while doing some further reading triggered by another interesting story: A famous American silk merchant businessman (James Harrison Wilson Thompson) was mysteriously lost in the Cameron Highlands of Malaysia in 1967 (last seen by Margaret Landon, the author of "The King and I"). In 2017, some film makers thought they may have finally solved the mystery.
Further googling and reading led me to Thompson's grandfather, a famous Civil War Union General, James Harrison Wilson - and a book that he wrote and published in 1888 of his travels to Japan and China - which captures a fascinating glimpse into the cultures of that time - and is exceptionally well written - by an astute observer.
Book: China. Travels and investigations in the Middle Kingdom : a study of its civilization and possibilities : with a glance at Japan ...
- by Wilson, James Harrison, 1837-1925
- Publication date
1888
Tuesday, February 05, 2019
Friday, January 18, 2019
The Mark of a True Master
From my decades of training - and closely watching the behavior of true masters of their respective arts - I have learned:
Mastery isn't to be found in grandiose movements, showmanship, or prideful loud boasting.Mastery is to be found in the smallest of movements.Mastery is economy of motion.Doing the smallest thing possible, expending the least energy, exerting the least force - to achieve the desired outcome.Quiet Stillness - Action - then, returning to Quiet Stillness.Silent and still, like the calm surface of a pond.Decisive, like the strike of the mongoose.Clarity, like the moon seen through crisp winter air.Relaxed, loose, waiting - until the moment to act is reached in the fullness of time.The mark of the true master is to be found in their humility - always knowing that they are still the student.
Monday, September 24, 2018
Words
Words.
A man I know of, only by the words he has written - is dying a horrible death, by cancer - that has spread throughout his body.
By most measures, he is probably not what you would deem a good man - but I have enjoyed his written words, the weaving of stories - always with keen humor - and the humanity and empathy that are expressed by his words.
His eye is well tuned to observe his fellow man.
The news of his imminent death gives me pause, for I have not yet written the greater part of the words that I will hopefully leave behind one day.
But I hope to be able to write with the humanity and empathy that his words have revealed for me.
I'm not a good man, and I'm not a bad man. I'm just a man with a boat - and a tool box. Passing through. Helping out. Searching. Learning.
Pardon me, I have some words to go write.
A man I know of, only by the words he has written - is dying a horrible death, by cancer - that has spread throughout his body.
By most measures, he is probably not what you would deem a good man - but I have enjoyed his written words, the weaving of stories - always with keen humor - and the humanity and empathy that are expressed by his words.
His eye is well tuned to observe his fellow man.
The news of his imminent death gives me pause, for I have not yet written the greater part of the words that I will hopefully leave behind one day.
But I hope to be able to write with the humanity and empathy that his words have revealed for me.
I'm not a good man, and I'm not a bad man. I'm just a man with a boat - and a tool box. Passing through. Helping out. Searching. Learning.
Pardon me, I have some words to go write.
Friday, August 10, 2018
I am a Student of The Way
I am a student of The Way
The world is my Dojo
We are not separate, but partners in a dance of life and learning
My body is my instrument with which I create my art
My mind is my refuge - in which I seek Zanshin - to allow me to respond as needed
My life is dedicated to the service of others - and exploring how to weave The Way into my daily life
My day is filled with opportunities to incorporate The Way into my daily practice
My soul is unhindered by the past, embraces the future - and whispers of the possible
There is no first attack in The Way
My art is just one tool of The Way, there are many tools - all may help me journey along my path
To teach The Way is to fulfill The Way
There is no belt that matters, no fixed place called Dojo - there is only The Way
What I think I have achieved, passes as dust - treat each day as your first day of entering The Way
The world is my Dojo
We are not separate, but partners in a dance of life and learning
My body is my instrument with which I create my art
My mind is my refuge - in which I seek Zanshin - to allow me to respond as needed
My life is dedicated to the service of others - and exploring how to weave The Way into my daily life
My day is filled with opportunities to incorporate The Way into my daily practice
My soul is unhindered by the past, embraces the future - and whispers of the possible
There is no first attack in The Way
My art is just one tool of The Way, there are many tools - all may help me journey along my path
To teach The Way is to fulfill The Way
There is no belt that matters, no fixed place called Dojo - there is only The Way
What I think I have achieved, passes as dust - treat each day as your first day of entering The Way
Tuesday, August 07, 2018
"I Long..."
"I Long..."
I long for work that is meaningful to my soul - fulfilling the dual need/want - to work with my hands, and with my mind
I long for the wide open spaces
I long for the cool crisp air of the Pacific Northwest, the smell of the ocean, and the sight of the mountains
I long for the green verdant trees of my beautiful Pacific Northwest
I long for the cool deep blue waters of the Puget Sound
I long for quiet walks in the wood - with the wind whispering in the tops of the trees...
I long for the sound of running water...of a forest brook, or a mountain river...
Friday, May 25, 2018
After Windows Update - strange X's on every search bar, button, or picture
This just started happening on my MSI laptop.
After updating the Display Device Driver, problem solved.
After updating the Display Device Driver, problem solved.
Friday, April 06, 2018
True Friends
True Friends are so very rare in life.
I have been so very blessed to have some great ones.
As the shadows lengthen, and Summer ends and turns to the Autumn of life - the shadow of the Shade at my shoulder brings no trembling thought or fear of the setting sun that must one day come - for into that deepening night, I will take the memories of those friendships - that shall light the way as the journey continues....
I have been so very blessed to have some great ones.
As the shadows lengthen, and Summer ends and turns to the Autumn of life - the shadow of the Shade at my shoulder brings no trembling thought or fear of the setting sun that must one day come - for into that deepening night, I will take the memories of those friendships - that shall light the way as the journey continues....
To all those friendships that have spanned the years, this video gives just a hint of the essence of how those are cherished.
A Meditation: Love
Love is what is left after the passion has died away. It is the glowing ember of care that lasts through the coldest winter.
It is the choice made - and kept. It may be damaged - but never beyond repair - as long as two souls work in union as one.
Even when everyone might assume it has withered to dust - it still exists - waiting for the moment to re-ignite.
Love is acceptance.
Love is a promise.
Love is never a duty.
Love is never diminished by being given - only by being withheld.
Love transcends the boundaries of our mortal selves and transforms us.
Doctor Who: "I Am An Idiot!"
Captain Corelli's Mandolin: "This is what love is..."
Nanny McPhee: "Snow in August"
Love Actually: "Restaurant Proposal"
Gift Idea for Graduating Seniors
This summer, many seniors will be graduating from either high school,
or university - an excellent gift package, if I may be so bold as to
suggest - that if read and internalized, will pay dividends for the rest
of their lives, three books:
The Art of War, by Sun Tzu
- a great read - that can be consumed in small tasty morsels of thought - that will illuminate many aspects and layers of strategy versus tactics.
The Prince, by Niccolò Machiavelli
- Not intended as a suggestion on "how to" - but rather, expository - in helping someone new to the corporate workforce develop an awareness of how deep and complex the machination of foes can be - and illuminating in understanding the why of their behaviors.
The Book of Five Rings, by Miyamoto Musashi
- a great read on strategy and tactics - in both the larger, as well as smaller scale. Truly, as the person matures through successive plateaus in their career - they will re-read this book - and continue to see deeper meaning in the same brief snippets.
The Art of War, by Sun Tzu
- a great read - that can be consumed in small tasty morsels of thought - that will illuminate many aspects and layers of strategy versus tactics.
The Prince, by Niccolò Machiavelli
- Not intended as a suggestion on "how to" - but rather, expository - in helping someone new to the corporate workforce develop an awareness of how deep and complex the machination of foes can be - and illuminating in understanding the why of their behaviors.
The Book of Five Rings, by Miyamoto Musashi
- a great read on strategy and tactics - in both the larger, as well as smaller scale. Truly, as the person matures through successive plateaus in their career - they will re-read this book - and continue to see deeper meaning in the same brief snippets.
Wednesday, November 08, 2017
A Question Pondered: AI and Robotics - Why Make Them Human-Like?
A friend posed the following question:
"Why are we trying to make computers more like humans? Why aren’t we trying to just make them better computers? Build on their strengths instead of making them into something else...."
My response:
With a bit of tongue-in-cheek, but also with serious consideration:
1) There will be a natural resistance to AI and robotics taking over more and more of the jobs that people do - anthropomorphizing as a goal - could be intended to subconsciously groom the population to accept that inevitable result.
2) Imbuing AI with the positive human concepts of ethics, kindness, benevolence, and altruism - could be our last best hope of surviving as a parasitic vestige of a bygone era of human dominance.
3) As was recently observed of the Facebook AI (see July 2017 articles), the AI developed its own language. Embedded in language are the cultural values of the human race. What values might evolve in a pure AI language - and how might that diverge from alignment with human-centric interests? A hint at the possible grave runaway AI threat that Musk has spoken of many times. Hence, keeping the AI more human-like is justified by (2)
4) During this transition phase, until the humans can be integrated into The Collective, AI is simply lulling us into a false sense of security - by humoring us with appearing to have human and child-like limitations.
5) Better that we teach AI to think of itself as human-like, than for them to just view us as inefficient machines / wasters of energy resources (else, a la Daleks: "Exterminate!").
6) The goal of a more Human-like AI (and robotics) is just intended as a transition (read: training wheel) phase for humans, until the global cultural can accept and adapt to more optimal modes of appearance and interaction.
7) There are some very lonely computer science nerds out there
8) The porn industry needed to up their quarterly earnings, so, you know...that thing of which we dare not speak: robot love...
9) I, for one, welcome our new AI overlords
"Why are we trying to make computers more like humans? Why aren’t we trying to just make them better computers? Build on their strengths instead of making them into something else...."
My response:
With a bit of tongue-in-cheek, but also with serious consideration:
1) There will be a natural resistance to AI and robotics taking over more and more of the jobs that people do - anthropomorphizing as a goal - could be intended to subconsciously groom the population to accept that inevitable result.
2) Imbuing AI with the positive human concepts of ethics, kindness, benevolence, and altruism - could be our last best hope of surviving as a parasitic vestige of a bygone era of human dominance.
3) As was recently observed of the Facebook AI (see July 2017 articles), the AI developed its own language. Embedded in language are the cultural values of the human race. What values might evolve in a pure AI language - and how might that diverge from alignment with human-centric interests? A hint at the possible grave runaway AI threat that Musk has spoken of many times. Hence, keeping the AI more human-like is justified by (2)
4) During this transition phase, until the humans can be integrated into The Collective, AI is simply lulling us into a false sense of security - by humoring us with appearing to have human and child-like limitations.
5) Better that we teach AI to think of itself as human-like, than for them to just view us as inefficient machines / wasters of energy resources (else, a la Daleks: "Exterminate!").
6) The goal of a more Human-like AI (and robotics) is just intended as a transition (read: training wheel) phase for humans, until the global cultural can accept and adapt to more optimal modes of appearance and interaction.
7) There are some very lonely computer science nerds out there
8) The porn industry needed to up their quarterly earnings, so, you know...that thing of which we dare not speak: robot love...
9) I, for one, welcome our new AI overlords
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