Thanks for the Memories

Research conducted in the 1930s by Sir Frederic Bartlett (1) put a new and amazing face on memory. In short, Bartlett described a process whereby some factual data are placed into storage by association and missing data points are constructed by the brain on demand. As time passes, the factual data may fade or disappear altogether and the brain will fill in the missing data by assuming what should be there, based on experience and other similar memories.
This is a recipe for disaster, isn’t it? What this means is that memory is at best suspect and at worst entirely made up. In view of this well documented theory of memory, how valid do you think eye witness accounts of something are? Especially after some time has elapsed. Personally I wouldn’t want to be on the chopping block because of someone saying “I remember perfectly”.
I wonder about my own memories, the times of trial, bliss, terror and exhilaration. The remembered stories of youth, of adolescence, of growing up in strange places and of growing into the person I currently am . I write often about something I “remember”, and go on to draw all sorts of conclusions based on that remembrance. I reviewed dozens of my postings from the last three years and found many to be reminiscences of one thing or another. Stock car races, guns, bombs, abuses and others. And I stick by them to the word. Yet - - - yet I suppose there will always be that doubt of memory.
Anyway, that is one of the many reasons why people “journal” and “blog” isn’t it? To etch the memory in a place where it can reside with some permanence? Where it can be retrieved when needed? And of course, while journals are usually personal, blogs are hung out there for someone to read for some reason. Maybe just to stir the pot a little, maybe to express outrage at some current event, or maybe just to educate. And, yes, maybe to provide a memory, unchanged in content, as best as can be, umm, remembered.
1. http://books.google.com/books/about/Remembering.html?id=WG5ZcHGTrm4C
Image: Sal and Woody in Venice. (I remember it well)

“Now” is More Important then “When”

Sal and I travel quite a bit, both for professional jaunts and to see the world. We have been to lots of exotic places and enjoyed Nature and the World at its best. We have been lucky in that we have not seen the worst of both first hand.
Looking ahead to the next few trips it occurred to us that these represent a really good cross section of our travels. We are going to a family gathering in Asheville, a marriage reaffirmation, a week in the Georgia mountains for hiking and camp-fireing, and a week in Amsterdam without a car. The Amsterdam experience without a car is a first. I love to drive the new places.
Then we go to Newfoundland, Canada for a week of hiking, seafood and relaxation. And in there somewhere is a week in the Keys for fishing, relaxing and going to Geiger Key Marina, the funkiest place in the keys, for food, beer and good folks.
Travel is a perk of getting to a place in life where you either have the time or TAKE the time to get out and see the world. Go to new places and do new things. Traveling should be done when a person is young enough to really take what the world has to offer and swallow it whole. We do that, and then some. As the end of life approaches and the world changes (for good or bad is a judgment call) time runs out for going places and doing things. So we do. Plenty of time later for sitting around the fire helping each other remember “when”. What is important at this time is “now”.
Image: http://www.geigerkeymarina.com/gallery/images/z1a.jpg
Image: http://beautifulplacestovisit.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Amsterdam_Netherlands_031.jpg

Titus Lucretius Carus and Woody.

I was reminded just yesterday of the Epicurean philosophical school by a discussion on NPR (where else?) of Lucretius centering on his epic poem “De Rerum Natura”. The title is variously translated as “On the Nature of Things” or “On the Nature of the Universe” and is considered to be an effective portrayal of the Epicurian ideas.
This morning I read over some reviews of “De Rerum Natura” and a few articles on Epicureanism and there, squarely in the middle of it all, is my philosophy. Dead center. I wish I could assert that as a young academician I was profoundly affected by these ideas, but in truth I can’t remember reading much philosophy at all. Sure, the obligatory Philosophy 201, and some skimming of ideas from all over the place, but strong influence? Doubt it.
Yet, there are my thoughts neatly summarized. And I really have to wonder about something: were the seeds of my mechanistic view of the universe, and my convictions about a natural system that requires no gods to make it or make it run, and my ideas about death planted decades ago in some hot classroom in Miami and slowly germinated as I grew older? Or, as I have asserted on occasion, are a sub-set of humans born without the need for supernatural explanations and therefore freed to think differently? I suppose both may be true.
In any case I now have a new short-term goal: get and read “De Rerum Natura”, bone up on Epicureanism and see where they lead.
Ain’t retirement wonderful?
Some background: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucretius
Image: http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41uEbJjsheL._SL500_AA300_.jpg
NPR: http://www.npr.org/blogs/krulwich/2011/09/19/140533195/lucretius-man-of-modern-mystery

Sunshine Superman (1)

“Sunshine came softly through my a-window today
Could've tripped out easy a-but I've a-changed my ways”
Donovan wrote and sang that way back. I loved it. Hummed it. Tried to sing it. But something about it always bothered me a little bit. FM 106.1 played it today while I was on the road (“On the Road Again - - - -“) and I started digging it. Then the old lingering doubt crept in again. So, when I got home I looked up the lyrics. Got it. Misogynist. To the core.

He says about himself:
You're gonna be mine, I know it, we'll do it in style
'Cause I made my mind up you're going to be mine
I'll tell you right now
Any trick in the book now, baby, all that I can find

Then he says about her:
When you've made your mind up forever to be mine
I'll pick up your hand and slowly blow your little mind

So he made up his mind to bonk her, but she has to make up her “little mind” to commit forever. What crap! What an insult to women. And it took me all this time to get it nailed down. Oh, Donovan, WHY?
Ahh. Acid, and the times (same thing?) I think. He was an asshole and so were most of us. But what a talented asshole.
And, if you are a fan of acoustic BASS you will love the bassist in this old recording. Don’t miss it.
Old video of Sunshine Superman: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-25karWrXw&feature=related
1. http://www.lyricsdepot.com/donovan/sunshine-superman.html
Image: http://cinematicpassions.files.wordpress.com/2008/10/donovan.jpg
Older Donovan Image: http://node2.bbcimg.co.uk/iplayer/images/clip/p00h782j_640_360.jpg

GOP Debate Crowd Boos Gay Soldier Serving in Iraq

Listen to a gay soldier in Iraq being BOOED by the Tea Party audience when he asked a simple question. And Listen to Santorum’s pledge to REINSTATE DADT if elected. If you are not ashamed to hear “Real Americans” react thusly, them I am ashamed of you.
Image; http://towleroad.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341c730253ef014e8bc2c261970d-800wi
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BiXhKJqen-A&feature=player_embedded

Blogger Takes on the Tea Party

One of the blogs that I follow is called "Half Wisdom, Half Wit " by Mary Matthews. She is an occasional blogger, a confirmed Christian and a wonderful liberal. This posting takes a not-so-subtle poke at the disgusting utterances and puttative positions of the Tea Party conservatives. She took an old Viet Nam era protest song called "Bring 'Em Home" and reworked the verses. The first origional verse is:

If you love your Uncle Sam,
Bring them home, bring them home.
Support our boys in Vietnam:
Bring them home, bring them home.

Mary's first reworked verse is:

If her cancer’s hard to cure,
let her die, let her die.
If your grampa’s not insured,
let him die, let him die.

Definitely worth a look to see the others. And, if you are inclined to add verses, she will consider adding them. Take a look around her site for a good couple of hours and you will find yourself on her list of followers. And if you are a fan of Pete Seegar, you will remember that he sang this song at many peace rallies. The recent version on U-Tube is Seegar in his dotage, and is sad to hear. U-Tube has older versions by Seegar, and in them you can feel the fire.

Mary's blog: http://witwisdom.wordpress.com/2011/09/21/tea-party-campaign-song-for-2012/
Petes origional version:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4-w2FYIJbw
Image:http://www.greatprotestsongs.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/bring-em-home3.jpeg

Adam and Eve Real?

A very interesting discussion, loud at times, between a Christian scholar and the president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (SBTS) missed the point entirely. And, the arrogance of Albert Mohler, SBTS president, was truly astonishing. In one loud assertion he not only articulated the Christian belief that the resurrection of Christ was central to the very being of Christianity, but that doubting it was in and of itself tantamount to heresy. These are my words, not his, but they convey my perception of the intent of his utterance.
And I agree with him. What? Yup. To question the resurrection does question the entire reason for Christianity in the first place. So I agree. And I not only question it but am as certain as I can be about anything that it is a fine story, intended to add elements of the supernatural to the early attempts of the religion to gain authenticity, followers and to separate itself from other competing religions.
But the point that I think he entirely missed is more basic than that. Namely that humans and the world are innately evil, were born into sin and will therefore suffer without a savior. That concept has no rational basis what so ever, has no credibility what so ever in the context of the real story of the origins of human, and is as much a fairy tale as “Goldilocks”.
The other point he misses is that Christianity isn’t the only religion in the world. Far from it. There are hundreds of them. All claiming to be the right answer to whatever question or problem they posit. The very fact that none, read that none, have come out with an unfalsifiable truth is evidence enough for me to conclude that none of them are right. In fact, I think they are all wrong. The whole idea of religion, any kind of religion, is nonsense. You will see what I mean when you die. Oh, I forgot. You won’t see what I mean, because you will be dead. Gone. Forever. Period.
Now, for the believers out there, convince me I am wrong with evidence. You can’t because there isn’t any. Period. Remember the bumper sticker: “God Said It, I Believe it and That Settles It:”?
Here is my version: “There is No God, There is No Evidence and THAT Settles It”.
Image: http://skepacabra.files.wordpress.com/2008/08/scientist-use-in-case-of-emergency.jpg Discussion: http://www.npr.org/2011/09/22/140710361/christians-divided-over-science-of-human-origins

Roseanne Roseannadanna

I was just thinking about Gilda Radner. Why? Hell if I know. Just one of those random thoughts that pops up to the old cortex every once in awhile. So, I U-tubed her. She hasn’t lost a thing over the years, except her life. Ovarian cancer. A brilliant comic. She died in 1989 of ovarian cancer. Before some of you were even born. Take a moment to look at her, and see if she wasn’t really good. Loud, but good.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kLEnrc4yHA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6g6DW6VRWz0&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6g6DW6VRWz0&feature=related
Image: http://s11.lucyphotos.com/images/orig/6/e/6e0z5ic95mskz0ik.jpg

Did you sleep well last night?

I did. And, I didn’t. Sleep came easy and lasted long. Dreams happened and went away. But I awoke with a lingering sense of something not quite right in the world. I have tried to figure it out during the day, and think maybe I have.
It is the world at large that is bothering me. The destructive rhetoric in the middle east, the continued violation of women’s rights in many parts of the world, the taking into slavery of women and children, the rape of the land. The list is long, and getting longer. The thing that is getting me is this: I don’t see much getting better. I hope it does. I wish it would. But to quote my old bard Eric Bogel “If wishes were fishes we’d all cast nets into the sea”. (1)
Just listened to the song again. You should too.’Nuff said.

1. eric bogel: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEY9kA3OYNE
Image: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXjlPbPP9KUlB_iTGUdIeA0IbbiiQ9jF-B_L6kWANWklmeZAFPYQzy-NYXtTHej4KQqkkcuw4BrOaTg-dZ-J6y0vcXm_fhDtTuEPLO-B7hAmKICwDZtTA5Y_8aFsT2XWIPP487ngFn45A/

WOMEN - ARE YOU ASLEEP?

In this morning’s news is the continuing saga of Texas MEN and their assault on the women of the world, starting with Texas women. In an absurdly twisted pair of moves, the MALE dominated legislature defunded most of the free clinics that supply routine health care to poorer women and increased funding to “Crisis Pregnancy Centers” that provide no health care at all, just information on adoptive services. The care provided by the free clinics defunded included regular health visits for diabetes, hypertension, breast cancer screening, cervical cancer screening, STD screening and treatment and a range of other services. The clinics also provided birth control information and products.
A Texas legislator, Rep. Wayne Christian (R-Nacogdoches) (I don’t make these names up, folks) is quoted as saying: "Well of course this is a war on birth control and abortions and everything, that's what family planning is supposed to be about,"(1)
So the legislature has gutted the provision of health care for poorer women, students and others in favor of advice centers that try to talk pregnant women into adoptions. Only 2-3% of the women counseled choose to put their babies out for adoption. The remaining either seek abortions elsewhere or have the babies. All of this is done in the name of cost savings to the taxpayer and moral right-ness.
It has been calculated that “In San Antonio alone, unplanned children born to teens would fill 175 kindergarten classrooms each year.” Now somebody please tell me which taxpayers will have to foot the bill for all those “next generation” children?
Does anyone out there understand why I think the legislators in Texas and other states like Texas are Morons?
Image: http://transfeminisms.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/feminism-radical-notion-t-shirt-1294f1.jpg
1. http://www.npr.org/2011/09/20/140449957/gov-perry-cut-funds-for-womens-health-in-texas
Background information: http://www.nationaljournal.com/daily/is-there-a-war-on-birth-control--20110907