Thursday, August 26, 2010

Rage

Rage is one of our emotions. It is the single minded focus of getting revenge. It is how we feel when we will not let anything get in the way of us conducting immediate physical harm on another. I have felt rage; but, over the years have managed to temper my anger. If we tell people to go with their gut instincts, we are telling them that rage is okay.

Emotions can be wonderful things or, if they are not managed and grown, they can lead to mindless actions. Rage stops thought. Thought manages emotions. We need always take the time to consider things before we act. Patience is the regulator of thought.

When we rage we feel totally empowered, we can do anything because we have moved past all fear. We are willing to die to achieve our goal. At that point no reason will be listened to. That is the problem with giving into our emotions rather than managing them. The collateral damage after rage can take a lifetime to fix.

Lust can be the same. Lust can lead people to do things without considering the consequences. It can also cause collateral damage for a lifetime. We need to manage our emotions, not allow them to control us. I watched as two people destroyed so much, rage was their issue. They let their emotions control their actions.

Catholic Church and Female Priests

There is a discussion going on regarding the Catholic Church allowing women to be priests. I am soundly against female priests in the Catholic church and I am not Catholic. I am against it because it would destroy any legitimacy that the church has.

What I find interesting is the arguments for it. Feminists that are not catholic and others who are not catholic believe their opinion matters, it does not. The Catholic Church is a voluntary organization, they are allowed to have their own beliefs and live by them. They rely on parts of the bible that say that women should not lead the church, it is their established dogma. If they turn from it, they cease having any claim of validity.

A group calling themselves "Catholic Women's Ordination" says that because the church is in disaray it may be a good time to force the change. They say that they are loyal Catholics; but, they seek to violate one of it's longstanding and established fundamental doctrines. Some say the Catholic church will not survive if it does not bend it's will to societies wants, it was created to meet societies wants. Many died because they disagreed with societies wants, they were fed to lions because of what they believed.

Why would you remain in an voluntary organization if you disagree with their fundamental beliefs, why not just join a group that agrees with you? It is our evil nature to attempt to force others to live by our beliefs. It is attempting to make the world like us.

Shortcuts and Artificial Intelligence

This is a fantastic article from Wired on Artificial Intelligence and what it may give rise to in the future. It is a long article; but, I highly recommend that you read it.

The idea is on of creating transhumanists. With technology we will be able very soon to link the computer to your brain. You would have immediate access to all the knowledge of the world. Just imagine being able to compete at math with the greatest mathematician in the world. Imagine everyone having access to the same information, not having to worry that you are not as smart as the next guy.

That is the allure of transhumanism. We are told that the threat is that the machines may take over. That is not what worries me. Letting machines think for you means giving up your free will. The goal of life is to grow, to mature. As we do, our understanding of ourselves and the world changes. To be supplied with all of the answers is a shortcut. It is achieved by accepting the answer of another.

I have been waiting for an article like this to explain a very important trend. It is social data mining to find solutions to problems. I want you to follow this link to apps.gov, it is a Federal Government site that provides software for the federal government as they turn to cloud computing.

If you look around the site, there is a whole section dedicated to Social Media Apps, why? A social network for government employees. Why? People are getting dumber. They are more tech savvy; but, they are dumber. The number of things that people are no longer capable of doing themselves is astounding. The purpose of the social apps is to share the little that people know, group think.

Lets say I want to know the best way to deal with a particular problem. Fixing a broken chair. The social network will allow all participants to put in their input in the belief that they will be able to see which answer was the most valid. Participative management. Very democratic and very stupid.

Good decision makers earned that right. They didn't earn it because of what they know, they earned because of what it took to learn the information. It is about learning to be responsible with the information you earn. As we learn complex information we learn it's proper use.

I have a fairly good mind. I earned it. Genetics gave me an ability; but, I did seven years of college and have read more books that I can count. It taught me to retain large amounts of information and see trends. The process of learning helped me to change my view, to see things others did not.

Information is just that, it does not give solutions. Experience helps one to see what works and does not work. Shortcuts avoid the experience and therefore the person does not understand all of the repercussions of their actions. It is like giving a baby a hand grenade.

Some people have photographic memories. I have seen them fail in law school. It is not about what you remember, it is about how you use the information. It is about the meaning of the information.

The biggest question is why would we want to head down this road. People will and are. The apps you use on your phone mean that you don't have to learn your City, the learning is the fun part. Driving through some part of town and finding that little restaurant you never knew was there, the surprise is the fun.

How much individual growth will we see in a transhumanist world? Very little, growth takes effort. This little blog is the result of lots of research. Each day I ponder what I will write about. I scour the news looking for things of interest, things other people might not see the consequences of. I then start researching. The easiest part is writing it. While searching I find a lot of information that is not needed for my post; but, it often ends up being researched separately and becoming it's own post.

Most people will take the shortcut. It will result in a world of immature people having lots of knowledge and little understanding. They will be easily led and not even know it. They will think they are as smart as the person who earned the knowledge, they will not be.

In a few years this type of argument will be considered evil. Once people actually start taking the shortcuts to knowledge, to deny them or question it will be seen as anti-social. People will say that those who are against these technologies just want to have an advantage, to have control over them. Personally, I am not big on control, I much prefer influence, that leads to discussions and growth.

Wisdom is not knowledge. Knowledge by itself does not lead to wisdom. Wisdom requires knowledge and experience. You cannot get wisdom from another's answers. You get wisdom by searching within yourself for understanding and experience.

Changes in your Money

Good article to read on an attachment for your i-phone that allows you to take credit card payments. With this attachment and application, you can accept money from anyone via a credit card payment. Why carry cash?

Where we are headed

Two articles. The first is on moving away from people owning their own homes. The second is on the stimulus money.

The first article about home ownership is interesting. If we don't buy our own homes, then who will own our homes, who will we rent from. Well, the government will own them. It already does. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are owned by the federal government. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac own 80% of all home loans. Your loan may be processed by CitiMortgage or Bank of America; but, the loan is owned by the Federal Government.

The second article on the stimulus is a must read. The last paragraph on page 2 is very interesting. It states that DARPA (the military) funded GPS, the internet and the M-16. The original internet was known as ARPNet. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and Advanced Research Projects Net.

When we have created all the green energy and a smart grid, the government will control all the energy in the United States. The government will own the homes and the energy. You will rent from the government.

Your society is being changed all at once. Your ability to have a job will depend upon these changes occurring. Energy and housing will be less expensive and you won't complain. You will barely notice the difference, short term.