10/16/11

The function of games in life

The Tao leads to a beauty past all games | New Tao Posts: "The Tao leads to a beauty past all games"

To enable self analysis
To establish competition with oneself
To establish rivalries
To inflict injuries
To pass the time of day and night
To excite
To create mastery

To take one beyond the need for self analysis
To take one beyond the need to compete with oneself
To move past rivalries
To refrain from injuring
To live each moment as eternity
To know calmness
To establish the impossibility of mastery

The Tao leads to a beauty past all games

The Tao leads to a beauty past all games
Games are to sate the drive to victory
The realm beyond is past all praise and blame
All fall before the wonders sensed and seen

Watching this I wonder where our eyes and ears went


Global Online Privacy

A step closer to Hal

Apple - Siri - Frequently Asked Questions: "What is Siri?
Siri is the intelligent personal assistant that helps you get things done just by asking. It allows you to use your voice to send messages, schedule meetings, place phone calls, and more. But Siri isn’t like traditional voice recognition software that requires you to remember keywords and speak specific commands. Siri understands your natural speech, and it asks you questions if it needs more information to complete a task."

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Global Online Privacy

President Speaks Determination at King Dedication

Barack Obama extols Martin Luther King Jr., cites parallels to today - Joseph Williams and Julie Mason - POLITICO.com: "“Our work is not done,” Obama said at the official dedication of King’s memorial on the National Mall. “And so on this day, in which we celebrate a man and a movement that did so much for this country, let us draw strength from those earlier struggles. First and foremost, let us remember that change has never been quick. Change has never been simple, or without controversy. Change depends on persistence. Change requires determination.”"

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Global Online Privacy

Fences make bad neighbors

Bachmann Goes After Perry on Immigration and Pledges Border Fence - NYTimes.com: "PERRY, Iowa — Representative Michele Bachmann gave one of the great stem-winding speeches of her campaign Saturday about the burdens illegal immigration places on American taxpayers, and she signed a pledge to build a “secure double fence” along every foot of the border with Mexico."

Robert Frost's "good fences make good neighbors" was flinty and catchy and wrong. Back then we all nodded. Today we think we can halt migration with fences. Think again. We are not seeing immigration. We are seeing what Toynbee called a volkerwanderung, what Bob Marley sang about - "movement of the people". Hell, we encouraged it and it continues to build our country. Why do thousands of other locales light up with Occupy sympathy events? Because America is still the hope of the world. It is because of democracy, the same democracy the GOP is trying to defeat by simply making it hard for ordinary people to vote. Think democracy and free access. Think that if you are conservative. What could be more libertarian? To put it politely, but not with proper alliteration, screw fences.

Huntsman's Dad Would Do More Than Buffett

A Billionaire With Distinct Ideas of Philanthropy, and Presidential Politics - NYTimes.com: "“I suggested 80 percent,” he said. “A tremendous number of wealthy people haven’t given much of anything.”"


Beats Vietnam

Obama sends 100 US troops to Uganda to fight LRA - Topix: "US President Barack Obama said Friday he is sending 100 "combat-equipped" troops to Uganda to help and advise forces battling Lord's Resistance Army rebels accused of grievous human rights abuses."

Am I getting Obama wrong? Is he really a human rights President who is revolutionizing warfare and understanding that at some point all the humanitarian posturing does not work? Innocents will still get killed but on balance he will be doing the right thing mainly. And putting the worst violators like LRA on notice. If he pardons Bradley Manning I may become a believer. Incidentally I do not think they are there just to advise. I think that Kony is the target and Hague the intended destination for this ruthless, vengeful killer.


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Why Obama has been on the right track

Suzanne Mettler - Salon.com: "His presidency actually attacked deeply unfair policies. Too bad few Americans even know they exist"

This is actually a closely reasoned excerpt from a book which shows exactly why Obama has been on the right track, working to dismantle a hidden thicket of government operations that have benefited the one percent at the expense of the rest of us. It is time for us to get educated so we can push through the reforms Obama proposed before he became President.



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Hey Occupy, create some signs for Fadhel Maki al-Manasif

Saudi Arabia detains human rights activist again | Amnesty International: "Fadhel Maki al-Manasif, 26, was arrested on 2 October near the town of Safwa in the Eastern Province. He has had no access to a lawyer or been allowed visits from his family. Like many held in custody by the Saudi Arabian authorities, he is at risk of torture and other human rights violations. "

Yes, now we need to begin to flash these egregious human rights abuses in the making and en train de faire to the whole world.

I hope Bradley Manning gets some signs. He is among the US's most egregious violations and a shame on the President for his attitude. I love the President, but really.

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Global Online Privacy

In one place, all Facebook failings

Facebook FAIL: Missteps and Shortcomings Revealed [INFOGRAPHIC]:

I suppose when you are the biggest you get the most brickbats. It takes just a few failings to knock lesser things out of the water. I suppose one could run through this and see what applies. I mostly find Facebook opaque and not as easy to use as a Jakob Nielson might wish.

Global Online Privacy

Umbrellas are the worst idea of all

The best way to halt rain is with a raincoat
Lined with goretex with a massive hood
Umbrellas are a lethal sidewalk weapon
And for keeping dry they're less than good


Like L.L. Bean sells. Actually when you wear
a baseball cap
the massive hood is supported by the brim
so you are dry and see at the same time. .

Go to sleep you weary Occupier

12 Most Absurd Laws Used to Stifle the Occupy Wall St. Movement Around the Country | | AlterNet: "But now, all over the country, anti-camping ordinances are being used to arrest and deter protesters from occupying public spaces. "

The original line of Hobo's Lullaby refers to tramps, hoboes and now the homeless. The song says the police cause you trouble. Occupiers know this. It is the presence of police that often is the spark of history-making violence, for violence is the spark that travels like wildfire, instantly around the world.

The Occupy movement will identify with the homeless and with the desecration of public space in our sprawl world until planners and architects and designers get together with the people and create car free communities that have squares and parks all over and make city available to everyone in a new way that integrates pattern language and high tech.


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Cyberspace Perils: Stay up to date

Civil Liberties in the Digital Age: Weekly Highlights (10/14/2011) » Blog of Rights: Official Blog of the American Civil Liberties Union:

Five timely squibs with longer stories attached.

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If you do earnestly repent (turn) from wrongdoing

Union with Abba - Abba's Way - Associated Content from Yahoo! - associatedcontent.com:

"If you do earnestly repent (turn) from wrongdoing and turn to Abba within you are already on Abba's way.

The place in the Bible to gain an inkling of what Abba's way looks like is the words and deeds of Jesus. It is he more than anyone else in Scripture who opens windows on Abba and on what life in Abba's realm is."

Check out the whole brief text at the link above.

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RECCMENDATION Richard Gordon Quantum Touch

The Slow as Molasses Press